Method for electrically and mechanically connecting and disconnecting a power line

• US 7,392,585 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Ostendorp, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Donghai D.
• Application Number:
  US11/477,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 298/25, 298/57, 29861-865, 298/69, 174/40.CC, 174/40.R, 174/40.TD, 174/43, 174/44, 174/45.R, 174/51, 174/52.1, 174/65.R, 439/101, 439/108, 439/258, 439/301, 439/302, 439345-348, 439/357, 439/358, 439/369, 439/474, 439/643, 439/923, 439/924.1
• US Class Current: 29/857
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/633 for disengagement only in combination with safety switch H01R13/7132
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 7/04 Arrangements or devices for relieving mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 7/18 Devices affording mechanical protection in the event of breakage of a line or cable, e.g. net for catching broken lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/923 Separation or disconnection aid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49185 of terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49195 with end-to-end orienting

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for connecting two pairs of conductors and one pair of ground wires and for allowing separation of the same upon the application of a tensional force upon at least one of the conductors or ground wires. The apparatus comprises two plates that each defines three holes configured to receive two conductors and a ground wire, wherein the plates are positioned adjacent to each other such that the respective holes in each plate are aligned such that the conductors and ground wires coming from each plate would be in physical contact. Three connectors hold the plates together. The first two connectors are configured to release the plates upon the application of a tensional force on the conductors or ground wires before the third connector releases the plates, thereby separating the conductors before separating the ground wires. Another embodiment addresses the same in multi-service connections.

Claims

1. A method for electrically and mechanically disconnecting a pair of suspended conductors and a suspended ground wire upon the application of a tensional force on at least one of the conductors or the ground wire, comprising:

receiving a tensional force on at least one of a first conductor, a second conductor, or a corresponding first ground wire;

wherein each of said first and said second conductors and said first ground wire is suspended;

wherein a first end of said first conductor, a first end of said second conductor, and a first end of said first ground wire are each connected to a predetermined portion of a body, said body configured to electrically connect said first conductor to a third conductor, said second conductor to a fourth conductor, and said first ground wire to a second ground wire,

wherein said first end of said first conductor is attached to said predetermined portion of said body at a first location, said first end of said second conductor is attached to said predetermined portion of said body at a second location, and said first end of said first ground wire is attached to said predetermined portion of said body at a third location,

further wherein said first, said second, and said third locations of said predetermined portion of said body are attached to said remaining portion of said body by a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector, respectively;

wherein said first connector is configured to allow said first location of said predetermined portion of said body to separate from said remaining portion of said body upon the application of a first predetermined tensional force;

wherein said second connector is configured to allow said second location of said predetermined portion of said body to separate from said remaining portion of said body upon the application of a second predetermined tensional force;

wherein said third connector is configured to allow said third location of said predetermined portion of said body to separate from said remaining portion of said body upon the application of a third predetermined tensional force; and

wherein said first and said second predetermined tensional forces are less than said third predetermined tensional force; and

separating said predetermined portion of said body from a remaining portion of said body such that said first and said second conductors are electrically separated from said third and said fourth conductors, respectively, before said first ground wire separates from said second ground wire, wherein said separating further comprises;

separating said first location from said remaining portion of said body or said second location from said remaining portion of said body; and

separating said third location from said remaining portion of said body after said separating of said first location or said second location from said remaining portion of said body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said separating said first location or said second location from said remaining portion of said body further comprises:

bending or breaking said first connector or said second connector, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said separating said third location from said remaining portion of said body after said separating of said first location or said second location from said remaining portion of said body further comprises:

bending or breaking said third connector.

4. A method for electrically and mechanically disconnecting a pair of suspended conductors and a suspended ground wire upon the application of a tensional force on at least one of the conductors or the ground wire, comprising:

receiving a tensional force on at least one of a first conductor, a second conductor, or a corresponding first ground wire;

wherein each of said first and said second conductors and said first ground wire is suspended;

wherein a first end of said first conductor, a first end of said second conductor, and a first end of said first ground wire are each connected to a predetermined portion of a body, said body configured to electrically connect said first conductor to a third conductor, said second conductor to a fourth conductor, and said first ground wire to a second ground wire,

wherein said first end of said first conductor is attached to said predetermined portion of said body at a first location, said first end of said second conductor is attached to said predetermined portion of said body at a second location, and said first end of said first ground wire is attached to said predetermined portion of said body at a third location, and

further wherein said first, said second, and said third locations of said predetermined portion of said body are attached to said remaining portion of said body by a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector, respectively;

wherein said first connector is configured to allow said first location of said predetermined portion of said body to separate from said remaining portion of said body upon the application of a first predetermined tensional force;

wherein said second connector is configured to allow said second location of said predetermined portion of said body to separate from said remaining portion of said body upon the application of a second predetermined tensional force;

wherein said third connector is configured to allow said third location of said predetermined portion of said body to separate from said remaining portion of said body upon the application of a third predetermined tensional force; and

wherein said first and said second predetermined tensional forces are less than said third predetermined tensional force; and

separating said predetermined portion of said body from a remaining portion of said body, separating said first location from said remaining portion of said body, and separating said second location from said remaining portion of said body such that said first and said second conductors are electrically separated from said third and said fourth conductors, respectively, before said first ground wire separates from said second ground wire, wherein said separating further comprises;

separating said first location from said remaining portion of said body or said second location from said remaining portion of said body; and

separating said third location from said remaining portion of said body after said separating of said first location or said second location from said remaining portion of said body.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said separating said first location from said remaining portion of said body further comprises:

bending or breaking said first connector.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said separating said second location from said remaining portion of said body further comprises:

bending or breaking said second connector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said separating said third location from said remaining portion of said body after said separating of said first location and said second location from said remaining portion of said body further comprises:

bending or breaking said third connector.

8. A method for electrically and mechanically disconnecting at least one suspended conductor and a suspended ground wire, comprising:

providing a first conductor connected to a first position of a first body from a second conductor connected to a first position of a second body and a first ground wire connected to a second position of the first body from a second ground wire connected to a second position of the second body, wherein the first position of the first body is detachably connected to the first position of the second body and the second position of the first body is detachably connected to the second position of the second body;

receiving a first tensional force on the first conductor; and

separating the first body from the second body at the first position such that the first conductor is electrically separated from the second conductor and the first ground wire remains electrically connected to the second ground wire unless the first ground wire receives a second tensional force greater than the first tensional force, wherein separating the first position of the first body from the first position of the second body further comprises bending or breaking a first connector configured to connect the first position of the first body to the first position of the second body and wherein separating the second position of the first body from the second position of the second body after separating the first position of the first body from the first position of the second body further comprises bending or breaking a second connector configured to connect the second position of the first body to the second position of the second body.

9. A method for electrically connecting a first conductor to a second conductor, a third conductor to a fourth conductor, and a first ground wire to a second ground wire, comprising:

connecting the first conductor to a first position of a first body;

connecting the second conductor to a first position of a second body;

connecting the third conductor to a second position of the first body;

connecting the fourth conductor to a second position of the second body;

connecting the first ground wire to a third position of the first body;

connecting the second ground wire to a third position of the second body;

detachably connecting the first position of the first body to the first position of the second body such that the first conductor remains electrically connected to the second conductor until a first tensional force is applied to the first conductor;

detachably connecting the second position of the first body to the second position of the second body such that the third conductor remains electrically connected to the fourth conductor until a second tensional force is applied to the third conductor; and

detachably connecting the third position of the first body to the third position of the second body such that the first ground wire remains electrically connected to the second ground wire until a third tensional force greater than the first tensional force and the second tensional force is applied to the first ground wire and the first conductor is electrically disconnected from the second conductor and the third conductor is electrically disconnected from the fourth conductor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

separating the first position of the first body from the first position of the second body comprises bending or breaking a first connector configured to detachably connect the first position of the first body to the first position of the second body.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

separating the second position of the first body from the second position of the second body comprises bending or breaking a second connector configured to detachably connect the second position of the first body to the second position of the second body.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

separating the third position of the first body from the third position of the second body after separating the first position of the first body from the first position of the second body and the second position of the first body from the second position of the second body comprises bending or breaking a third connector configured to detachably connect the third position of the first body to the third position of the second body.

13. A method for electrically connecting a first conductor to a second conductor and a first ground wire to a second ground wire, comprising:

connecting the first conductor to a first position of a first body;

connecting the second conductor to a first position of a second body;

connecting the first ground wire to a second position of the first body;

connecting the second ground wire to a second position of the second body;

detachably connecting the first position of the first body to the first position of the second body such that the first conductor remains electrically connected to the second conductor until a first tensional force is applied to the first conductor; and

detachably connecting the second position of the first body to the second position of the second body such that the first ground wire remains electrically connected to the second ground wire until a second tensional force greater than the first tensional force is applied to the first ground wire and the first conductor is electrically disconnected from the second conductor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

separating the first position of the first body from the first position of the second body comprises bending or breaking a first connector configured to detachably connect the first position of the first body to the first position of the second body.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

separating the second position of the first body from the second position of the second body after separating the first position of the first body from the first position of the second body comprises bending or breaking a second connector configured to detachably connect the second position of the first body to the second position of the second body.