Electrical connectors having field modifiable lugs

• US 9,559,443 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Boutin, Kris Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leigh, Peter G
• Application Number:
  US14/941,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20160141774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 439/518, 439/889, 439/883, 439/884
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/11 End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member H01R11/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/12 End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending

Abstract

Electrical connectors having field modifiable lugs are provided. In some embodiments, the electrical connectors include a lug having at least two different modification guide features, which assist the user to modify lug from its blank or unmodified state shown in to a modified state while ensuring that the modified connector maintains the desired compliance to the various regulatory and overseeing bodies.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a conductor-connecting region; and

a terminal-connecting region having a lug axis and at least two different modification guide features, which are configured to assist a user to modify the terminal-connecting region from a blank or unmodified state to a modified state,

wherein one of the two different modification guide features comprises a weakened section that is perpendicular to the lug axis, and

wherein another of the two different modification guide features comprises a pilot section selected from the group consisting of printed indicia, a score line, a depression line, and combinations thereof that run along the lug axis.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the weakened section is configured so that the user can modify a dimension of the terminal-connecting region along the weakened section.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the weakened section is on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

4. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the weakened section comprises a plurality of weakened sections.

5. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the dimension is selected from the group consisting of a length of the terminal-connecting region, a width of the terminal-connecting region, and combinations thereof.

6. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the pilot section is configured so that the user can modify the terminal-connecting region to include one or more holes at the pilot section.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the pilot section comprises a plurality of pilot sections.

8. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the pilot section is on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the pilot section is configured so that the user can modify the terminal-connecting region to include one or more holes at the pilot section.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the pilot section is the score line or the depression line and has sufficient depth to provide a pilot or guide to prevent walking or wandering of a drill bit during field modification to the modified state, but without affecting a structural rigidity of the terminal-connecting region.

11. An electrical connector comprising:

a conductor-connecting region; and

a terminal-connecting region having a blank or unmodified state that is modifiable by a user to a modified state,

the terminal-connecting region comprising a plurality of weakened sections configured allow the user to modify the terminal-connecting region so that the modified state is selected from the group consisting of a modified a length of the terminal-connecting region, a modified width of the terminal-connecting region, and combinations thereof, and

the terminal-connecting region comprising a plurality of pilot sections configured allow the user to modify the terminal-connecting region so that the modified state is selected from the group consisting of a number of holes, a location of holes, a size of holes, and combinations thereof, wherein the plurality of pilot sections are score or depression lines that run along an axis of the terminal-connecting region and have sufficient depth to provide a pilot or guide to prevent walking or wandering of a drill bit during field modification to the modified state, but without affecting a structural rigidity of the terminal-connecting region.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the plurality of weakened sections are on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

13. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pilot sections are on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

14. An electrical connector comprising:

a conductor-connecting region;

a terminal-connecting region extending from the conductor-connecting region along a lug axis, the terminal-connecting region having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a weakened section on the bottom surface and perpendicular to the lug axis, the weakened section being configured to allow a user to break the terminal-connecting region to change a length of the terminal-connecting region along the lug axis; and

a score or depression line on the top surface and parallel to the lug axis, the score or depression line having sufficient depth to provide a pilot or guide to prevent walking or wandering of a drill bit during drilling of a hole along the score or depression line, wherein the depth is insufficient to affect a structural rigidity of the terminal-connecting region.