Under-carpet connection system
First Claim
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 comprisinga 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 includingan 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, anda 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.
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Accused Products
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.
45 Citations
20 Claims
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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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. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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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.
Specification