Electrical wiring system

• US 7,407,410 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pass & Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Pass & Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Benoit, John, Savicki, Gerald R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US11/274,817
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 439/354, 439/535, 439/536, 439/650, 174/48, 174/66, 174/67, 174/50, 174/53, 174/58, 174/68, 220/241
• US Class Current: 439/535
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring system. The system includes a plug connector device that is configured to terminate a plurality of wires. A portion of the plurality of wires are configured to transmit electrical power provided by an electrical power distribution system. An electrical wiring device is configured to provide the electrical power to a load. The electrical wiring device includes a receptacle disposed therein. The receptacle is configured to receive the plug device, such that electrical continuity is established between the electrical wiring device and the plurality of wires when the plug device is inserted into the receptacle.

Claims

1. An electrical wiring system comprising:

a plug connector device configured to terminate a plurality of wires, the plurality of wires being configured to transmit electrical power provided by an electrical power distribution system, the plug connector device including a latch element disposed on an exterior portion of the plug connector device; and

an electrical wiring device configured to provide the electrical power to a load, the electrical wiring device being substantially disposed between a user accessible cover member and a rear body member, the electrical wiring device including a receptacle disposed in the rear body member, electrical continuity being established between the electrical wiring device and the plurality of wires when the plug connector device is inserted into the receptacle, the latch element preventing the plug connector device from being removed from the receptacle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plug connector device includes female electrical contacts and the receptacle includes male electrical contacts.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plug connector device includes male electrical contacts and the receptacle includes female electrical contacts.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wires includes an AC hot conductor and an AC neutral conductor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wires includes an AC hot conductor, an AC neutral conductor, and a ground wire.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wires are configured to carry three-phase power.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical wiring device includes at least one electrical receptacle disposed in the user-accessible cover member.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical wiring device includes at least one electrical switch disposed in the user-accessible cover member.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plug connector device includes a plurality of self-locking contacts, each self-locking contact accommodating one of the plurality of wires, such that electrical continuity is established between each wire and each plug contact, and wherein each plug contact corresponds to a contact disposed in the receptacle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plug connector device includes a plurality of threaded twist-on wire connectors, each threaded twist-on wire connector being coupled to a plug contact and configured to accommodate one of the plurality of wires, such that electrical continuity is established between each wire and each plug contact, and wherein each plug contact corresponds to a contact disposed in the receptacle.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plug connector device further comprises:

a first housing portion;

a second housing portion configured to mate with the first housing portion to thereby form the plug device housing; and

a plurality of contacts including blade elements, the plurality of contacts being disposed in either the first plug connector housing or the second plug connector housing or both, the blade elements being configured to displace insulation disposed on the plurality of wires when the second plug connector housing is coupled to the first plug connector housing, whereby electrical continuity is established between each wire and a corresponding one of the plurality of contacts.

12. The system of claim 1, further including a second plurality of wires configured to transmit electric power to a feed-through device, wherein the plug connector device is configured to terminate the second plurality of wires to thereby electrically couple the electric power source to the second plurality of wires.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical wiring device includes a communications device configured to transmit a system status.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications device is configured to transmit the system status via a communications wire, the plug connector device being configured to accommodate the communications wire.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle disposed in the rear body member includes a latch receptor key configured to accept the latch element when the plug connector device is inserted into the receptacle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the latch element is manually moveable to permit removal of the plug connector device from the receptacle.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the latch receptor key is manually moveable to permit removal of the plug connector device from the receptacle.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the latch element provides an indication that the plug connector device is locked in the inserted position.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication is an audible indication.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication is a visual indication.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the latch member is configured to maintain the electrical continuity established by the plug connector device being inserted into the receptacle when at least twenty (20) pounds of pulling force is applied to the plug connector for a predetermined time period.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the predetermined time period is at least one minute.

23. A method for installing electrical wiring, the method comprising:

installing a plurality of wires from a first location to an electrical device location, at least a portion of the plurality of wires being configure to transmit electrical power;

terminating the plurality or wires with a plug connector, the plug connector including a flexible latch element disposed on an exterior portion of the plug connector;

providing an electrical wiring device configured to provide electrical power to a load, the electrical wiring device being substantially disposed between a user accessible cover member and a rear body member, the electrical wiring device including a receptacle disposed in the rear body member; and

inserting the plug connector into the receptacle to establish electrical continuity between the electrical wiring device and the plurality of wires, the flexible latch element preventing the plug connector from being removed from the receptacle.

24. The method of claim 23, and wherein the step of terminating includes the step of inserting each of the plurality or wires into a self-locking contact element within the plug connector, such that there is electrical continuity between each wire and each plug contact.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of terminating further comprises the steps of:

inserting each wire into a corresponding one of a plurality of threaded twist-on wire connectors coupled to the plug connector, each threaded twist-on wire connector being coupled to a plug contact and configured to accommodate one of the plurality of wires, and

twisting each twist-on wire connector such that the wire is secure within the twist-on wire connector and electrical continuity is established between each wire and each plug contact.

26. The method of claim 23, and wherein the step of terminating further comprises:

inserting the plurality of wires into a first plug connector housing; and

coupling a second plug connector housing to the first plug connector housing to thereby terminate the plurality of wires in the plug connector, either the first plug connector housing or the second plug connector housing, or both, including contacts having blade elements, the blade element being configured to displace insulation disposed on the plurality of wires when the second plug connector housing is coupled to the first plug connector housing, whereby electrical continuity is established between each wire and a corresponding contact.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the plug device includes female electrical contacts and the receptacle includes male electrical contacts.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the plug device includes male electrical contacts and the receptacle includes female electrical contacts.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the steps of installing further comprises:

disposing conduit between the first location and the electrical device; and

pulling the plurality of wires through the conduit.

30. An electrical wiring system comprising:

a plug connector device including a plurality of connector contacts disposed in a non-linear geometric configuration within a plug connector housing, the plurality of contacts being configured to terminate a plurality of wires, the plurality of wires being configured to transmit electrical power provided by an electrical power distribution system; and

an electrical wiring device configured to provide the electrical power to a load, the electrical wiring device being substantially disposed between a user accessible cover member and a rear body member, the electrical wiring device including a receptacle disposed in the rear body member, a plurality of receptacle contacts being disposed in the non-linear geometric configuration within the receptacle, electrical continuity being established between the electrical wiring device and the plurality of wires when the plug device is inserted into the receptacle such that the plurality of connector contacts are connected to corresponding ones of the plurality of receptacle contacts.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the plug device includes female electrical contact members and the receptacle includes male rectangular blade contacts, each female electrical contact member being comprised of a plurality of mutually opposing flexure arms configured to receive a male rectangular blade contact therebetween and apply a gripping force to the male rectangular blade contact.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the plug device includes male rectangular contacts and the receptacle includes female electrical contact members, each female electrical contact member being comprised of a plurality of mutually opposing flexure arms configured to receive a male rectangular blade contact therebetween and apply a gripping force to the male rectangular blade contact.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the plug connector includes a latch element disposed on an exterior portion of the plug connector, the latch element preventing the plug connector from being removed from the receptacle.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the latch element provides an indication that the plug connector is locked in the inserted position.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the receptacle disposed in the rear body member includes a latch receptor key configured to accept the latch element when the plug device is inserted into the receptacle.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the latch element is manually moveable to permit removal of the plug connector device from the receptacle.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the latch receptor key is manually moveable to permit removal of the plug connector device from the receptacle.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the latch element is configured to maintain the electrical continuity established by the plug device being inserted into the receptacle when at least twenty (20) pounds of pulling force is applied to the plug connector for a predetermined time period.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the predetermined time period is at least one minute.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein the predetermined geometric configuration is arranged such that the plug connector housing includes a plug connector body member that includes a base portion configured to accommodate a hot contact and a neutral contact and a raised middle portion configured to accommodate a ground contact.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the plug connector housing includes a cover member configured to mate with the plug connector body member to thereby enclose the hot contact, the neutral contact, and the ground contact within the plug connector housing.

42. An electrical wiring system comprising:

a plug connector device including a plurality of connector contacts configured to terminate a plurality of wires configured to transmit electrical power provided by an electrical power distribution system, the plug connector device including a connector body member and a cover member configured to arrange the plurality of connector contacts in a predetermined configuration; and

an electrical wiring device substantially disposed between a front cover and a body member, the electrical wiring device including a first device disposed in a first end portion of the body member and user-accessible via the front cover, a second device disposed in a second end portion of the body member and user-accessible via the front cover, and a receptacle including a plurality of receptacle contacts disposed in the predetermined configuration in a central portion of the rear body member and user-accessible via a rear portion of the body member, electrical continuity being established between the first device, the second device and the plurality of wires when the plug connector device is inserted into the receptacle such that the plurality of connector contacts are connected with the plurality of receptacle contacts.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein at least one of the first device and second device include a user-accessible electric outlet device.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein at least one of the first device and second device include a user-accessible electric switch device.