Under-carpet connection system

• US 4,602,840 A
• Filed: 06/01/1984
• Issued: 07/29/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harvey Hubbell, Inc. (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Romatzick, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidenfeld, Gil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Austin, Paula A.
• Application Number:
  US06/616,156
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 339/17 F, 339/97 R, 339/97 P, 339/98, 339/99 R, 339/176 MF, 339/122, 29/872, 29/869, 29/868
• US Class Current: 439/416
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/67 insulation penetrating terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2475 the contact members penetrating the insulation being actuated by screws, nuts or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49195 with end-to-end orienting

Abstract

A flat cable system includes at least three types of insulated cables with flat conductors, the conductor spacing being either a distance D or a multiple thereof. A connector block for electrically connecting the cables to each other or to wires leading to outside devices includes upper and lower plastic blocks, the lower block having recess with internally threaded backing nuts therein in a staggered pattern, the nuts being spaced by distances D. The upper block carries a puncturing member, a threaded bolt, a spring washer and a terminal connected to a wire. The bolt has a drill point to penetrate one or more cables and threadedly engage one of the backing nuts, forming a clamp assembly which forces the puncturing member into electrical contact with the conductor. An intermediate board for interconnecting plural cables is disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making electrical connections to a flat cable of the type having a plurality of flat conductors lying in substantially the same plane in parallel, spaced relationship and covered by insulating material, the apparatus comprising

a first body of dielectric material having a first surface;

a plurality of backing members carried by said first body, each of said backing members having a surface adjacent to and facing in the same direction as said first surface and having an internally threaded hole therein;

a second body of dielectric material having generally parallel second and third surfaces;

a plurality of puncturing members carried by said second body, each of said puncturing members having at one end thereof a toothed edge extendable beyond said second surface and having a driving edge at the other end thereof adjacent said third surface;

a plurality of elongated bolts, each of said bolts being dimensioned to extend through said second body and one of said puncturing members and including

an enlarged head at one end, external threads at the other end dimensioned to threadedly engage the threads in one of said backing members,

means defining a point at said threaded end for penetrating one of said flat conductors, and

a non-threaded portion for receiving a wire connector; and

spring washer means surrounding said non-threaded portion for exerting pressure against said driving edge of said one of said puncturing members,

whereby said first and second bodies can be assembled with the flat cable between said first and second surfaces and with each of said bolts penetrating one of said conductors so that the threaded end thereof is threaded into one of said backing members and so that said bolt head acts through said washer means to press said toothed edge through one surface of the cable insulating material into electrical contact with one of said conductors, the other surface of said cable being held against one of said backing members.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second body includes a wall between said second and third surfaces with slots therein to receive said axial extensions and a threaded hole to receive said bolt.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said puncturing members comprises a generally tubular body having said toothed edge at one end thereof and first and second axial extensions having said driving edges at the distal ends thereof.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said backing members comprises an internally threaded polygonal nut,

and wherein said first body includes means defining a plurality of polygonal recesses to receive said backing members and to restrain said backing members against rotation, and means in said recesses for permitting threedimensional movement of said backing members.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means defining a point comprises an inwardly extending cavity therein for receiving insulation severed by said means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising an intermediate connection board including a plurality of conductive connectors arranged to be aligned with said backing members, each of said conductive connectors having oppositely facing toothed edges,

said intermediate board being positionable between cables and between said first and second bodies to interconnect conductors in said cables.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of backing members are spaced apart so that the centers of the holes therein are in planes passing perpendicularly through flat conductor locations in said cable.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said second body includes a wall between said second and third surfaces with slots therein to receive said axial extensions and a threaded hole to receive said bolt.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said backing members are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of said cable

and wherein said puncturing members and said bolts are arranged in said second body in alignment with said backing members.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said backing members comprises an internally threaded polygonal nut,

and wherein said first body includes means defining a plurality of polygonal recesses to receive said backing members and to restrain said backing members against rotation.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein each of said puncturing members comprises a generally tubular body having said toothed edge at one end thereof and first and second axial extensions having said driving edges at the distal ends thereof.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said second body includes a wall between said second and third surfaces with slots therein to receive said axial extensions and a threaded hole to receive said bolt.

13. A flat cable connection system comprising the combination of

flat cable means for connection to a source of power and to load devices including

flat cable of a first type having four flat conductors embedded in insulation therein and a substantially constant, predetermined overall width, said conductors being substantially parallel with each other and having substantially uniform center-to-center spacing,

flat cable of a second type having three flat conductors embedded in insulation therein, said conductors being substantially parallel with each other, two of said conductors having the same center-to-center spacing as the conductors in said first cable type and the third conductor center being separated from the center of the closest of said two conductors by twice that distance, said second cable type having an overall width substantially equal to said first type;

and

flat cable of a third type having three flat conductors embedded in insulation therein and a smaller overall width than said cables of said first and second types, said conductors being substantially parallel with each other and having the same substantially uniform center-to-center spacing as said first cable type, each of the cables of each of said cable types having a longitudinal reference edge; and

a transition unit for forming connections between a cable of one of said cable types and conventional wires leading to an electrical device or between cable of the first said cable types and another cable of one of said types, or both types of connections, said transition unit comprising

a set of four connection assemblies, each said connection assembly comprising puncturing means for puncturing the insulation covering a conductor in at least one of said cables, and clamp means for pressing said puncturing means into said insulation and against the conductor; and

body means for carrying said connection assemblies in a pattern with the same lateral center-to-center spacing as in cable of said first type and for receiving cable of any of said types with said reference edge at a location such that said connection assemblies are substantially centered on said conductors.

14. A system according to claim 13 and further comprising an intermediate connection board including a plurality of conductive connectors arranged to be aligned with said clamp means, each of said conductive connectors having oppositely facing toothed edges,

said intermediate board being positionable cables and within said body means to interconnect conductors in said cables.

15. A system according to claim 13 wherein cables of each of said cable types includes indicia means for identifying the conductors therein by color code with the conductor closest to said reference edge being identified as white, the next adjacent conductor in cable of said first and third cable types as green and the next adjacent conductor in cable of said first and third types as black.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein each of said clamp means includes

a bolt having an enlarged head, a threaded portion and a pointed, drill-like tip,

a backing member having a threaded hole to receive the threaded portion of said bolt, and

a spring washer positionable between said enlarged head and said puncturing means,

said clamp means being operative to extend through a wire terminal, drill through a cable conductor and clamp said puncturing means against said conductor.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein each of said puncturing means comprises a generally tubular body having said toothed edge at one end thereof and first and second axial extensions having said driving edges at the distal ends thereof.

18. A system according to claim 17 and further comprising an intermediate connection board including a plurality of conductive connectors arranged to be aligned with said backing members, each of said conductive connectors having oppositely facing toothed edges,

said intermediate board being positionable between cables and within said body means to interconnect conductors in said cables.

19. A method of forming an electrical connection with an insulated flat conductor in a flat cable comprising the steps of

clamping a flat cable between first and second bodies of insulating material,

threading a bolt having an enlarged head and a drill-like point through the first one of the bodies and into the insulation and conductive material of the conductor, thereby forming a hole through the conductor with the bolt passing therethrough,

electrically connecting a wire to the bolt,

threadedly engaging the end of the bolt in an internally threaded backing member carried by the second body,

providing a puncturing member surrounding the bolt with teeth toward the conductor, the puncturing member being located between the conductor and the enlarged head of the bolt, and

pressing the teeth of the puncturing member through the cable insulation and into the conductor by continuing to thread the bolt into the backing member until the conductor is tightly clamped between the puncturing member and the backing member.

20. A method according to claim 19 and further including

providing a spring washer between the bolt head and the puncturing member to compensate for cold flow of cable insulation material between the conductor and backing member and to maintain the clamping force.