ELECTRICAL CABLE CLAMP

• US 20170040719A1
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toky Ranaivoson
• Original Assignee: Toky Ranaivoson
• Inventors: Ranaivoson, Toky
• Granted Patent: US 9,853,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/24 with gripping jaws, e.g. crocodile clip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

An electrical cable clamp for releasably securing an electrical cable to a part includes a pair of clamp members, a pair of opposed contact surfaces and a spring. Each of the clamp members comprises a handle portion and a jaw portion. Each of the contact surfaces is attached to a different one of the jaw portions. One or both of the contact surfaces is formed by an electrically conductive member. The clamp members are pivotally connected to allow movement of the clamp members between a closed position in which the clamp members collectively form an electrically insulating external surface encasing the electrically conductive member, and an open position in which the contact surfaces are separated from each other and exposed to receive the part therebetween. The spring biases the clamp members towards the closed position.

Claims

1. An electrical cable clamp for releasably securing an electrical cable to a part, the electrical cable clamp comprising:

(a) a pair of clamp members each comprising a handle portion and a jaw portion;

(b) a pair of opposed contact surfaces, each of the contact surfaces attached to a different one of the jaw portions, wherein at least one of the contact surfaces is formed by an electrically conductive member;

wherein the clamp members are pivotally connected to allow movement of the clamp members between a closed position in which the clamp members collectively form an electrically insulating external surface that substantially encases the electrically conductive member, and an open position in which the contact surfaces are separated from each other and exposed to receive the part therebetween; and

(c) a spring for biasing the clamp members towards the closed position.

2. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the external surface encases the electrically conductive member.

3. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein both of the contact surfaces are formed by electrically conductive members, and in the closed position, the electrically insulating external surface substantially encases both of the electrically conductive members.

4. The electrical cable clamp of claim 3 wherein the external surface encases both of the electrically conductive members.

5. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein one of the jaw portions defines a pocket, and the electrically conductive member forming the contact surface attached to the jaw portion defining the pocket is retained within the pocket.

6. The electrical cable of claim 5 wherein the electrically conductive member is secured within the pocket by a friction fit or snap-tightfit.

7. The electrical cable of claim 5 wherein the electrically conductive member is secured within the pocket by a fastener.

8. The electrical cable clamp of claim 7 wherein the fastener is electrically insulated from the electrically conductive member by at least one electrically insulating gasket or an electrically insulating coating.

9. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein at least one of the jaw portions defines a pocket, and in the closed position, the contact surface attached to at least one of the jaw portions projects into the pocket defined by the other jaw portion.

10. The electrical cable clamp of claim 9 wherein both of the jaw portions defines a pocket, and in the closed position, the contact surfaces attached to each of the jaw portions projects into the pocket defined by the other jaw portion.

11. The electrical cable clamp of claim 10 wherein the pair of jaw portions comprises an upper jaw portion and a lower jaw portion, and in the closed position, the electrically conductive members vertically overlap each other.

12. The electrical cable clamp of claim 11 wherein at least one of the electrically conductive members comprises at least one wall projecting from the attached jaw portion.

13. The electrical cable clamp of claim 12 wherein the at least one wall comprises a wall parallel to an elongate direction of the clamp member defined between the jaw portion and the handle portion, and a wall transverse to the elongate direction.

14. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein at least one of the clamp members comprises an electrically conductive core and an electrically insulating layer that covers the core, wherein the external surface of the clamp members comprises the electrically insulating layer.

15. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the contact surface is contoured to define a plurality of teeth.

16. The electrical cable clamp of claim 13 wherein the plurality of teeth are arranged in two rows parallel to an elongate direction of the clamp member defined between the jaw portion and the handle portion.

17. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the contact surface has an arcuate contour.

18. The electrical cable clamp of claim 15 wherein the arcuate contour is transverse to an elongate direction of the clamp member defined between the jaw portion and the handle portion.

19. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the spring is a torsion spring.

20. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the spring is a V-spring.

21. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 further comprising a central member, wherein the clamp members are pivotally connected by pivotal connection to the central member.

22. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the handle portion of at least one of the clamp members defines a channel to retain the electrical cable.

23. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the electrical cable is connected to an electrical device.

24. The electrical cable clamp of claim 1 wherein the electrical cable is an electrical lead of a booster cable.