Wiring interconnection system

• US 5,915,980 A
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dov Solomon
• Original Assignee: George M. Baldock
• Inventors: Baldock, George M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US08/940,137
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 439/94, 439/110, 439/121, 439/135, 439/207, 439/892, 439/893, 439/116, 439/120, 439/111, 439/109, 439/391, 439/374, 439/378, 439/425, 439/426
• US Class Current: 439/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2406 having needles or pins
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0431 Wall trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/26 Installations of cables, lines, or separate protective tubing therefor directly on or in walls, ceilings, or floors by means of insulators H02G3/24; supports for pipes, cables or protective tubing F16L3/00; hose-clips F16L33/02

Abstract

A wiring interconnection assembly for interconnecting a plurality of electrical components includes an insulated cable carrier having a body portion, at least one conducting element integrally formed within the body portion, and a connecting module removeably coupled to the cable carrier configured to facilitate connection of each end of the cable carrier to tone of the plurality of electrical components. The connecting module has at least one penetrating member configured to penetrate a portion of the body portion of the cable carrier and contact the conducting element to establish electrical continuity therewith.

Claims

1. A wiring interconnection assembly for interconnecting a plurality of electrical components, the assembly comprising:

an insulated cable carrier comprising;

a body portion formed of a flexible insulating material having at least one substantially flat surface portion, wherein the body portion further includes flexible side walls configured to provide structural rigidity, the body portion configured to be releasably retained within a channel having channel side walls such that the flexible side walls abut the channel side walls;

an adhesive material affixed the at least one surface portion to facilitate adhesively securing the cable carrier to an external surface;

a removable protective backing affixed to the adhesive material;

at least one conducting element integrally formed with and embedded within the body portion;

the at least one conducting element formed of a braided wire;

the braided wire configured to partially resist separation of strands caused by penetration through the braided wire by a penetrating member configured to pierce the body portion and contact the braided wire; and

the resistance to separation of the strands of the braided wire forming an interference fit with the penetrating member so as to establish and maintain electrical continuity between the braided wire and the penetrating member;

a connecting module removably coupled to the cable carrier configured to facilitate connection of each end of the cable carrier to one of the plurality of electrical components; and

the connecting module having at least one penetrating member configured to penetrate a portion of the body portion of the cable carrier and contact the at least one conducting element to establish electrical continuity therewith.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cable carrier is disposed between two electrical components and each electrical component is operatively coupled to the connecting module by a length of coiled wire.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cable carrier is disposed between two electrical components and each electrical component is operatively coupled to the connecting module by a relatively short length of wire.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the connecting module includes a cable receiving recess forming a channel within a surface portion of the connecting module, the channel configured to releasably retain at least one cable carrier and maintain alignment between the at least one penetrating member and the at least one conducting element.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the channel includes an inside surface portion and side portions, configured to align the at least one cable carrier relative to the channel.

6. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the channel includes a tab portion extending toward a center of the channel configured to abut a single cable carrier disposed in the channel such that the single cable carrier is retained in a fixed orientation relative to the channel.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cable carrier includes two electrical conducting wire elements, and the connecting module includes two penetrating members configured to pierce a portion of the body portion and contact the corresponding conducting elements to establish electrical continuity therewith.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 wherein the connecting module includes a cable receiving recess forming a channel within a surface portion of the connecting module configured to releasably retain the cable carrier and maintain alignment between each penetrating member and the corresponding conducting element.

9. A wiring interconnection assembly for interconnecting a plurality of electrical components, the assembly comprising:

an insulated cable carrier comprising;

a body portion formed of a flexible insulating material having at least one substantially flat surface portion, wherein the body portion further includes flexible side walls configured to provide structural rigidity, the body portion configured to be releasably retained within a channel having channel side walls such that the flexible side walls abut the channel side walls;

an adhesive material affixed the at least one surface portion to facilitate adhesively securing the cable carrier to an external surface;

a removable protective backing affixed to the adhesive material;

at least one conducting element integrally formed with and embedded within the body portion;

the at least one conducting element formed of a braided wire;

the braided wire configured to partially resist separation of strands caused by penetration through the braided wire by a penetrating member configured to pierce the body portion and contact the braided wire; and

the resistance to separation of the strands of the braided wire forming an interference fit with the penetrating member so as to establish and maintain electrical continuity between the braided wire and the penetrating member;

a connecting module removably coupled to the cable carrier configured to facilitate connection of each end of the cable carrier to one of the plurality of electrical components;

the connecting module having a channel formed in a surface portion thereof to define a cable retaining recess;

the connecting module having at least one fixedly mounted conducting prong configured to penetrate a portion of the body portion and contact the at least one conducting wire element to establish electrical continuity therewith when the cable carrier is removably retained within the cable retaining portion; and

the connecting module configured to maintain alignment between the at least one conducting prong and the corresponding at least one conducting wire element.

10. The wiring interconnection assembly according to claim 9 further including protectively-backed adhesive material disposed on a bottom portion of the connecting module adjacent the cable receiving recess to facilitate adhesively securing the connecting module to an external surface when the connecting module is disposed over the cable carrier.

11. The wiring interconnection assembly according to claim 9 further including at least two electrically conducting prongs fixedly mounted in a spaced apart relationship in the cable receiving recess, the prongs having sufficient height to penetrate the cable carrier and contact corresponding conducting elements when the cable carrier is received within the cable receiving recess.

12. The wiring interconnection assembly according to claim 11 wherein the two prongs are disposed in the cable receiving recess such that each prong is aligned with the corresponding at least one conducting element in the cable carrier when the cable carrier is received within the cable receiving recess.

13. The wiring interconnection assembly according to claim 9 including a plug receiving portion in communication with the at least one prong, the plug receiving portion configured to receive an electrical plug so as to establish electrical continuity between electrical contact elements of the electrical plug and the corresponding conducting elements of the cable carrier, said electrical continuity established through the corresponding prongs.

14. The wiring interconnection assembly according to claim 9 wherein the connecting module is formed of a molded plastic material and includes at least one conducting prong disposed is a central portion of the conducting module.

15. A wiring interconnection assembly for interconnecting a plurality of electrical components, the assembly comprising;

an insulated cable carrier comprising;

a body portion formed of a flexible insulating material having at least one substantially flat surface portion, wherein the body portion further includes flexible side walls configured to provide structural rigidity, the body portion configured to be releasably retained within a channel having channel side walls such that the flexible side walls abut the channel side walls;

an adhesive material affixed the at least one surface portion to facilitate adhesively securing the cable carrier to an external surface;

a removable protective backing affixed to the adhesive material;

at least one conducting element integrally formed with and embedded within the body portion;

the at least one conducting element formed of a braided wire;

the braided wire configured to partially resist separation of strands caused by penetration through the braided wire by a penetrating member configured to pierce the body portion and contact eh braided wire; and

the resistance to separation of the strands of the braided wire forming an interference fit with the penetrating member so as to establish and maintain electrical continuity between the braided wire and the penetrating member;

connecting means removably coupled to the cable carrier configured to facilitate connection of each end of the cable carrier to one of the plurality of electrical components; and

penetrating means formed with the connecting means configured to contact the at least one conducting wire element to establish electrical continuity therewith.

16. An insulated cable carrier comprising:

a body portion formed of a flexible insulating material having at least one substantially flat surface portion, wherein the body portion further includes flexible side walls configured to provide structural rigidity, the body portion configured to be releasably retained within a channel having channel side walls such that the flexible side walls abut the channel side walls;

an adhesive material affixed the at least one surface portion to facilitate adhesively securing the cable carrier to an external surface;

a removable protective backing affixed to the adhesive material;

at least one conducting element integrally formed with and embedded within the body portion;

the at least one conducting element formed of a braided wire;

the braided wire configured to partially resist separation of strands caused by penetration through the braided wire by a penetrating member configured to pierce the body portion and contact the braided wire; and

the resistance to separation of the strands of the braided wire forming an interference fit with the penetrating member so as to establish and maintain electrical continuity between the braided wire and the penetrating member.

17. The cable carrier of claim 16 wherein the body portion is extruded and includes two conducting braided wire elements disposed within the body portion in a spaced relationship.