Threaded snap in connector

• US 6,352,439 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arlington Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Stark, Thomas S., Gretz, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarroli, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/565,724
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 439/142, 439/144, 439/578, 439/552, 174/84.R, 174/84.S, 174/65.R, 174/153.R, 403/197
• US Class Current: 439/142
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/18 with circlips or like resilient retaining devices, i.e. resilient in the plane of the ring or the like; Details spring-washers for locking nuts F16B39/24; adjusting rings F16B43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/008 for branching pipes; for joining pipes to walls
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/74 Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/745 separate from the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/746 using a screw ring
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0616 Joints for connecting tubing to casing

Abstract

The disclosure shows an electrical connector with both a snap ring and threaded end for fastening the connector to an access hole in an electrical junction box. The snap ring has snap lock tangs to hold the connector in the box and resist pull out forces. The snap ring also has grounding tangs for grounding the connector. Also, the connector has locking tabs that are designed to be seated in apertures located in the leading end of the connector. The connector has a threaded leading end having a standard pitch, which has been truncated to a smaller diameter. As the snap ring is very thin, it can be easily stamped from thin spring steel or its equivalent and mass-produced at a low unit cost. The snap locking tangs are deflected inward as they are pushed into a typical access hole in an outlet box or electrical panel. The thinness of the snap ring wall and its slightly bowed shape permits the snap ring to enter the hole of the electrical junction box and lock the ring and connector together to resist being pulled out. If the installer feels the connector should be threaded into a threaded access aperture or that a standard lock nut should be installed; it is only necessary to use a screwdriver, other tool or manually remove the snap ring and expose the truncated threads.

Claims

1. A threaded snap in connector for attachment to an electrical junction box:

A connector having a trailing end portion;

A leading end portion on said connector;

A flange separating said trailing end portion from said leading end portion;

Truncated normal size threads on said leading end portion;

A locking depression located in said leading end portion;

A removable annular shaped metal snap ring having a thickness approximately 0.013 to approximately 0.022 inches surrounding said leading end portion;

A locking tab on said snap ring extending inwardly from said snap ring into said depression to prevent said snap ring from being removed in a linear forward direction from said threaded portion;

A snap locking tang on said snap ring and extending outwardly to resist the connector from being pulled from an electric junction box; and

A longitudinal split in said snap ring.

2. The connector of claim 1 where said annular shape snap ring has a first end in the form of a tongue and a second end in the form of a groove with said two ends meeting each other to complete the annulus.

3. The connector of claim 1 where said annular shaped snap ring has a thickness of from approximately 0.017 to approximately 0.018 inches.

4. The connector of claim 1 where said annular shaped snap ring has a trailing edge and a grounding tang extending outward and rearwardly from said annular shaped snap ring.

5. The connector of claim 1 where said locking tab is angled inwardly and forwardly.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein said depression further includes:

A vertical forward wall in said aperture;

An abutment edge at the end of said locking tab; and

Said abutment edge abutting said vertical forward wall to prevent said annular shaped snap ring from moving forward in a linear direction.

7. The connector of claim 6, which further includes:

Said depression in the form of an aperture;

Two opposite side walls in said aperture;

Two opposite side walls on said locking tab; and

Said side walls on said locking tab adjacent said side walls in said aperture to prevent said annular shaped snap ring from rotating relative to said connector.

8. The connector of claim 1, which further includes:

Said locking tab is angled inwardly and forwardly with two sides;

Said snap locking tang is angled outwardly and rearwardly with two sides; and

A common side shared between said locking tab and said snap locking tang.

9. The connector of claim 1 wherein said annular shaped snap ring has a central portion which is bulged outward to a larger diameter and a leading outside diameter and a trailing outside diameter that is smaller than said bulged outward larger diameter.

10. An electrical junction box connector comprising:

An electrical junction box having an access hole, with an inside wall in said access hole of a standard trade size;

A threaded snap in connector attached to said electrical junction box through said access hole;

A trailing end portion on said connector;

A leading end portion on said connector;

A flange separating said trailing end portion from said leading end portion;

Truncated threads on said leading end portion;

A locking depression located in said leading end portion;

A removable annular shaped metal snap ring having a thickness approximately 0.013 to approximately 0.022 inches surrounding said leading end portion;

A locking tab on said snap ring extending inwardly from said snap ring into said depression to prevent said snap ring from being removed in a linear forward direction from said leading end portion;

A snap locking tang on said snap ring and extending outwardly to resist the connector from being pulled from said electric junction box; and

A longitudinal split in said snap ring.

11. The junction box connection of claim 10 wherein said snap ring wherein said split is defined by a first end in the form of a tongue and a second end in the form of a groove with said two ends meeting each other to complete the annulus at said split.

12. The junction box connection of claim 10 where said annular shaped snap ring has a thickness of from approximately 0.017 to approximately 0.018 inches.

13. The junction box connection of claim 10 where said annular shaped snap ring has a trailing edge and a ground tang in electrical contact with said inside wall of said access hole.

14. The junction box connection of claim 10 where said locking tab is angled inwardly and forwardly.

15. The junction box connection of claim 14 wherein said depression is in the form of an aperture and further includes:

A vertical forward wall in said aperture;

Two opposite sidewalls in said aperture;

An abutment edge of the end of said locking tab;

Two opposite sidewalls on said locking tab;

Said abutment edge abutting said vertical forward wall to prevent said annular shaped snap ring from moving forward in a linear direction; and

Said side walls on said locking tab adjacent said side walls in said aperture to prevent said annular shaped snap ring from rotating relative to said connector.

16. The junction box connection of claim 10 where said annular shaped snap ring is bulged outward to a larger diameter and a leading outside diameter and a trailing outside diameter that is smaller than said bulged outward larger diameter.

17. A method of making an electrical junction box connection including the following:

Providing an electrical junction box having a wall and an access hole, with an inside wall in the access hole, of a standard trade size;

Providing a threaded snap in connector having a leading end portion with truncated threads and a trailing end portion and a flange, separating the trailing end portion and said leading end portion, with threads on the leading end portion;

Providing a locking depression;

Providing a removable annular shaped split metal snap ring surrounding the leading end portion having a metal thickness approximately 0.013 to approximately 0.018 inches;

Providing a locking tab on said snap ring angled inwardly and forwardly and entering the depression to prevent the snap ring from moving forwardly with respect to the connector and to prevent rotation with respect to the connector;

Providing a snap locking tang on the snap ring angled rearwardly and outwardly;

Determining whether to use a threaded connector of a snap ring for holding the connector to the junction box;

If the decision is to use a snap ring;

Pushing the connector toward the access hole with the snap locking tang being forced inward until the junction box wall is cleared and snap locking the connector to the junction box;

If the decision is to use a threaded connector;

(1) Removing the annular ring by lifting the locking tab out of the depression;

(2) Providing either an access hole with a threaded opening or a threaded lock nut; and

(3) Screwing the connector into the threaded access hole or pushing the connector into the access hole and holding in place by a locking nut.