Grounding device with plastic housing

• US 7,414,198 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Martin, Thomas, Stansbie, Michael, Niederfofer, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III; William H
• Application Number:
  US11/566,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20070137877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 626 Days
• Field of Search: 174/74.R, 174/78, 174/75.C, 174/84.R, 174/88.R
• US Class Current: 174/74.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/60 Connections between or with tubular conductors H01R4/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/643 for rigid cylindrical bodies

Abstract

A grounding device including a plastic body, the plastic body including a base internal structure made of a soft elastic material, the soft elastic material including a thermoplastic elastomer having a plastic hardness within the Shore Hardness scale A range, and the base internal structure being coupled to and covered by an external structure made of a plastic material having a greater plastic hardness.

Claims

1. A grounding device comprising a plastic body and a contact element, said plastic body comprising a base internal structure comprising a soft elastic material, said soft elastic material comprising a thermoplastic elastomer having a plastic hardness within the Shore Hardness scale A range, wherein said base internal structure is coupled to and covered by an external structure comprising a plastic material having a greater plastic hardness;

and said contact element being embedded into the plastic housing and connecting to a grounding wire conductor.

2. The grounding device of claim 1 wherein the base internal structure comprises a plastic with a Shore Hardness less than 35 at Shore A scale and the external structure comprises a plastic comprising a polyamide with a Ball Hardness of at least 40-310 MPa at H358/30 scale.

3. The grounding device of claim 1 wherein the base internal structure comprises a profiled outer surface which matches an inner surface of the external structure for coupling purposes.

4. The grounding device of claim 1 wherein the base internal structure comprises an inner surface with two mutually spaced sealing lips segments and a bed of knops in between.

5. The grounding device of claim 1 wherein the external structure comprises an outer surface adapted for the use of fixing elements which maintain the plastic body fastened in an assembled state around a cable.

6. The grounding device of claim 5, the external structure further comprising at least one claw-like element for mechanical coupling and/or for pivot or guidance of said external structure.

7. The grounding device of claim 1 wherein the contact element comprises a sheet of metal which matches in form the surface of a metal body to be grounded.

8. The grounding device of claim 7 wherein the contact element and a cable'"'"'s outer conductor are pressed for making an electrical contact.

9. The grounding device of claim 1, wherein the contact element is disposed on the interior surface of said base internal structure.

10. Method for manufacturing a grounding device, the method comprising

connecting a contact element, comprising a sheet of metal matching in form the surface of a metal body to be grounded, to a grounding wire conductor,

molding an internal structure comprising a soft elastic material having a plastic hardness within the Shore Hardness scale A range,

molding an external structure comprising a plastic having a plastic hardness greater than the internal structure, and

coupling the internal and external structure;

said contact element being embedded into the plastic housing and connecting to a grounding wire conductor.

11. The method for manufacturing of claim 10 wherein the contact element connected to the grounding wire conductor is embedded in the internal and external structure when molding the plastic or is manually installed in a later step.

12. The method for manufacturing of claim 10, wherein the contact element is disposed on the interior surface of said base internal structure.