Insulation displacement connection splice connector

• US 7,156,686 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gelcore (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Gelcore (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Mayer, Mark, Mrakovich, Matthew, Sekela, William
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US11/318,744
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 439/403, 439/404, 439/395, 439/417, 439/419, 439/350, 439/418
• US Class Current: 439/403
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/675 with contacts having at least a slotted plate for penetration of cable insulation, e.g. insulation displacement contacts for round conductor flat cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2429 mounted in an insulating base

Abstract

A splice connector includes a first IDC terminal, a second IDC terminal, a body receiving the first and second IDC terminals, and a cover connected to the body such that the cover selectively slides with respect to the body in the first linear direction from first position to a second position. The body defines a first seat configured to receive an associated first cable and second seat configured to receive an associated second cable that is to be electrically connected to the associated first cable. The first and second IDC terminals each include a portion that extends into a region adjacent a respective wire seat. The cover is configured to cooperate with the body where a portion of the cover engages a portion of the body at a third position between the first position and the second position such that in the third position movement of the cover with respect to the body in a second direction, which is opposite the first, is inhibited.

Claims

1. A splice connector comprising:

a first IDC terminal;

a second IDC terminal;

a non-conductive body in which the first and second IDC terminals are received, the non-conductive body including a first side wall having first channels extending from outside of the first side wall and a first tab and a second side wall having second channels extending from an outside of the second side wall and a second tab, the body defining a first seat configured to receive an associated first cable and a second seat configured to receive an associated second cable that is to be electrically connected to the first cable, the first and second IDC terminals each including a portion that extends into a region adjacent a respective wire seat, wherein the seats are offset from one another;

a non-conductive cover connected to the non-conductive body such that the non conductive cover can slide with respect to the non-conductive body, the non-conductive cover and the non-conductive body cooperating with one another in a manner such that movement of the cover with respect to the body in a first direction for a predetermined distance results in an engagement between the cover and the body such that movement of the cover is limited in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, the cover including a long appendage and a short appendage spaced from the long appendage each received in respective channels, the long appendage including a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, the short appendage including a fourth opening and a fifth opening, the first opening engaging the first tab at a first position, the second opening engaging the first tab and the fourth opening engaging the second tab at a second position, and the third opening engaging the first tab and the fifth opening engaging the second tab at a third position.

2. The splice connector of claim 1, further comprising an additional cover, the additional cover connected to the body such that the additional cover can slide with respect to the body in a first linear direction from an open position to a closed position, the additional cover being configured to cooperate with the body where a portion of the additional cover engages a portion of the body at a staged position between an open position and a closed position such that in the staged position movement of the additional cover with respect to body in a second direction, which is opposite the first, is inhibited.

3. The splice connector of claim 1, wherein in the first position the cover is spaced from the body to define an open area to receive the associated first cable by inserting the associated first cable through the open area in a direction that is at least generally perpendicular to a greatest dimension of the first cable.

4. The splice connector of claim 1, wherein the cover and the base each include a curved surface configured to facilitate easy use of a hand tool to move from the third position toward the second position.

5. The splice connector of claim 1, wherein first seat is configured to receive an associated first cable having a first conductor wire, a second conductor wire, and a third conductor wire, wherein in the second position the first IDC connector contacts the first conductor wire and the third conductor wire and the second IDC connector contacts the second conductor wire.

6. The splice connector of claim 1, further comprising an IDC cover that sandwiches a portion of each IDC terminal between a portion of the IDC cover and the body.

7. The splice connector of claim 1 in combination with a string light engine, the splice connector electrically connecting a cable that provides electrical energy to light sources for the string light engine to another electrical cable.

8. A splice connector for electrically connecting at least two cables, the connector comprising:

a non-conductive body including first and second side walls each having channels extending from outside of the first and second side walls, a first seat and a second seat, the first seat being configured to receive an associated first insulated cable, the second seat being configured to receive an associated second insulated cable, each of the associated cables having a plurality of wires, wherein the seats are offset from one another;

a first electrically conductive member disposed in the body and being configured to pierce insulation to contact a first wire of the associated first cable;

a second electrically conductive member disposed in the body and being configured to pierce insulation to contact a second wire of the associated first cable;

a third electrically conductive member disposed in the body and being configured to pierce insulation to contact a third wire of the associated first cable;

a electrically conductive bridge member directly contacting the first electrically conductive member and the third electrically conductive member;

a fifth electrically conductive member disposed in the body and in electrical communication with the first electrically conductive member, the fifth electrically conductive member being configured to pierce insulation to contact a first wire of the associated second cable;

a sixth electrically conductive member disposed in the body and in electrical communication with the second electrically conductive member, the sixth electrically conductive member being configured to pierce insulation to contact a second wire of the associated second cable;

a seventh electrically conductive member disposed in the body and in electrical communication with the third electrically conductive member, the sixth seventh electrically conductive member being configured to pierce insulation to contact a third wire of the associated second cable;

a first cover having appendages slidably engaged in the channels and attached to the body, the first cover being moveable to selectively cover at least a portion of the first seat; and

a second cover having appendages slidably engaged in the channels and attached to the body, the second cover being moveable to selectively cover at least a portion of the second seat.

9. The splice connector of claim 8, wherein the first member, the third member and the bridge member are formed from a single piece of electrically conductive material.

10. The splice connector of claim 8, wherein the first member, the third member, the bridge member, the fifth member and the seventh member are formed from a single piece of electrically conductive material.

11. The splice connector of claim 10, wherein the second member and the sixth member are formed from a single piece of electrically conductive material.

12. The splice connector of claim 8, wherein the first cover mechanically engages the body in at least three distinct locations, wherein at each location movement of the first cover away from the body is inhibited.

13. The splice connector of claim 12, wherein the second cover mechanically engages the body in at least three distinct locations, wherein at each location movement of the second cover away from the body is inhibited.