Snap in cable connector

• US 6,114,630 A
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arlington Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arlington Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Gretz, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/181,890
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 174/65 R, 174/51
• US Class Current: 174/660
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components

Abstract

A one-piece tubular snap-in electrical connector for connecting electrical cables to junction boxes. The connector is formed from an elastic material and includes tangs projecting outwardly from the tubular body which function to lock the forward end in a junction box and cause the connector to be grounded to the junction box. Inward projecting tangs on the opposite end of the connector are spaced to anchor successive helixes on a helically-wound cable. The ends of the inward projecting tangs force an inserted cable to be channeled against one inner wall of the tubular body and resist rearward movement of the cable once it is thus inserted.

Claims

1. A one-piece snap-in electrical connector made from spring metal for connecting electrical cables having grooves to junction boxes comprising:

a tubular body including a forward end and a trailing end;

a plurality of integral securement tangs having ends projecting outwardly from said forward end of said tubular body with said ends of said securement tangs oriented toward said trailing end;

an integral stop member with an end projecting outwardly from said tubular body with said end of said stop member oriented toward said forward end;

a plurality of integral grounding tangs projecting outwardly from said tubular body and located longitudinally along said tubular body between said securement tangs and said stop member; and

a plurality of integral cable tangs between said integral stop member and said trailing end with said integral cable tangs having ends projecting inwardly from said trailing end of said tubular body with said ends of said cable tangs oriented toward said forward end.

2. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said cable tangs include an angled end which aids in gripping one of said grooves of one of said cables, said angled end being at approximately a 90°

angle to a central axis of said tubular body.

3. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said ends of said securement tangs are separated from said end of said stop member by a distance equal to or greater than the wall thickness of a junction box that the connector is to be used in conjunction with.

4. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said integral cable tangs are positioned in essentially one-half of said tubular body with said cable tangs approximately 90°

apart.

5. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 4 wherein said ends of said integral cable tangs are cut at different angles to form a pyramid shaped channel to enable an inserted cable to nest within said tubular body.

6. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said ends of said integral cable tangs are spaced at different distances from said trailing end of said tubular body to enable each of said ends to anchor in a groove of a helically-wound cable.

7. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said tubular body is formed of 0.036" spring steel.

8. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said tubular body is a cylinder, a split cylinder having a longitudinal welded seam, or a split ring having straight edge or dove-tailed edges.

9. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said integral stop member is in the form of a plurality of tangs.

10. The one-piece snap-in electrical connector of claim 1 where said connector is made from a single piece of spring metal sheet.

11. A one-piece snap-in electrical connector for connecting electrical cables to junction boxes comprising:

a tubular body including a forward end and a trailing end;

a plurality of integral securement tangs projecting outwardly from said forward end of said tubular body with the ends of said securement tangs oriented toward said trailing end;

a central flange projecting outwardly from said tubular body;

a plurality of integral grounding tangs projecting outwardly from said tubular body and located longitudinally along said tubular body between said securement tangs and said central flange; and

a plurality of integral cable tangs located between said central flange and said trailing end of said tubular body and projecting inwardly from said trailing end of said tubular body with the ends of said cable tangs oriented toward said forward end.