High voltage electrical connector

• US 5,044,997 A
• Filed: 03/26/1990
• Issued: 09/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signeon Corporation Houston Harris County Texas
• Original Assignee: Signeon Corporation
• Inventors: Gellenthin, Carl O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pirlot, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daulton, Julie R.
• Application Number:
  US07/498,790
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 439/934, 439/226, 439/816, 439/840, 439/935, 439/747, 439/851, 439/852, 439/853, 439/832, 439/842, 439/854, 439/856, 439/857, 439/861, 439/862, 439/324, 439/843, 439/835
• US Class Current: 439/835
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/53 Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing

Abstract

A high voltage electrical connector having a tubular glass insulator with a metal liner in the insulator. A metal connector connected to a bare end of an electrical conductor is releaseably engaged with the inside of the metal liner. The connector includes a resilient square metallic face having levers extending from opposite sides of the face for bending the face sides towards each other for release from the inside of the tubular member and for engaging and gripping the inside of the liner when the levers are released.

Claims

1. A high voltage electrical connector for connecting two electrical conductors together comprising,

a tubular glass insulator for providing high voltage protection,

a tubular electrically conductive metal liner positioned in the glass insulator,

a metal connector adapted to receive a bare end of an electrical conductor, said metal connector adapted to be releasably engaged in the inside of the metal liner of said electrical connector, including,

a resilient metallic face having first and second sides, each side having first and second ends, said ends, when the metal connector is positioned in the inside of the metal liner, resiliently engage and grip the inside of the metal liner,

first and second levers having first and second ends being connected to said first and second sides of the face, respectively, whereby when the second ends of the levers are pushed together the sides of the face move together and release from the inside of the metal liner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second levers are of a length to extend out of the metal liner when the metal connector is positioned in the liner.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the levers each include a longitudinally extending ridge for strengthening said levers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the face includes a concave cross-section facing the levers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inside of the metal liner includes a circumferential shoulder for engagement by the metal connector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the metallic face is generally a square.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the metal connector includes connection means for attaching a wire.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the face includes opposing edges and the connection means includes a groove in each of the opposing edges for receiving the bare end of an electrical conductor around the face and in the grooves.

9. A high voltage electrical connector for connecting an electrical conductor to a neon electrode comprising:

a tubular glass insulator for providing high voltage protection,

a tubular electrically conductive metal liner positioned in the glass insulator,

a metal connector adapted to receive a bare end of an electrical conductor, said metal connector adapted to be releasably engaged in the inside of the metal liner, said metal connector including,

a resilient generally square metallic face having first and second sides, each side having first and second ends, said ends, when the metal connector is positioned in the inside of the metal liner resiliently engage and grip the inside of the metal liner,

first and second levers having first and second ends, the first ends being connected to said first and second sides of the face, respectively, and the second ends of the levers extending out of the metal liner when the metal connector is positioned in the liner, whereby when the second ends of the levers are pushed together the sides of the face move together and release from the inside of the metal liner, and

each of the levers includes a longitudinally extending ridge for strengthening said levers.