Wire Connect and Disconnect Indicator

This invention relates to an electrical connection device providing strain relief integrally but apart from the point of electrical contact. More specifically, this invention relates to an electrical connector preferably in a terminal block. In particular, this invention relates to a rotary or push electrical connector for terminal blocks described in U.S. applications Ser. Nos. 07/070,475 filed July 7, 1987, entitled "Terminal Block", now abandoned; 07/102,072 filed Sept. 29, 1987, entitled "Terminal Block Adapter", now abandoned; 07/130,347 filed Dec. 8, 1987, entitled "Terminal Block Adapter", now abandoned; 07/157,442 filed Feb. 17, 1988, entitled "Telecommunications Terminal Block"; 07/164,261 filed Mar. 4, 1988, entitled "Telecommunications Terminal Block or Adapter"; 07/164,301 filed Mar. 4, 1988, entitled "Telecommunications Terminal Block and Caps Therefor"; and 07/231,755 filed Aug. 12, 1988, entitled "Telecommunications Terminal Block or Adapter". Each of the preceding applications is completely incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Various configurations of terminal blocks are used in the telecommunications industries or other industries which require many wire connections at a terminal block, fuse box, and the like in an apparatus. For example, the drop wire in the telecommunication industry will be attached to a terminal block such that the major cable will provide individual wires for the wires going to individual homes. The fuse panel in homes or in machines often require many wire electrical connections at a given point. When the electrical and mechanical connection is made at the same point on the wire to provide both the electrical connection as well as mechanically holding the wire in place, the pivot point of the mechanical connection may break the wire or the wire may undergo a cold working at the attachment point which over time results in a broken electrical connection. High vibration environments accelerate this situation and shorten the connection's lifetime.

The Applications enumerated above teach innovative terminal blocks and methods for forming electrical connections without the need for wire stripping and bending around a terminal post. This provides for a faster and stronger electrical connection. Forming the electrical connection without stripping the wire speeds the installation process as well as provides additional protection for the wire for strain relief purposes. This type of electrical connection, although ideally suited for terminal blocks, finds applications in any device where it desirable to provide an electrical connection while maintaining the vast majority of the insulation on the wire apart from the point of the electrical connection. Although this connection provides greater strain relief than a stripped wire, a contact configuration with greater strain relief would further increase the connection lifetime and be highly desirable.

Specific applications such as Telecommunication's Terminal Blocks often require forming electrical connections to a wide variety of wire gauges. In the process of designing terminal blocks for such wide variety of wire gauges, e.g., 24 gauge through 18 1/2 gauge, the sizing of the block must be made to accommodate the largest gauge wire, i.e., 181/2 gauge. However, in accommodating such a large gauge of wire, it is often difficult to tell when the large gauge wire can be easily withdrawn from the terminal block without stripping the insulation from the end of the wire. Stripping the insulation from the end of the wire results in a time consuming process to extract the insulation before a wire can be re-inserted. The terminal block is also configured to tighten down on a much smaller wire such as a 24 gauge wire. In providing for a good electrical contact to the smallest wires, it is often difficult to know when a good electrical contact is made to the largest gauge wire with overtightening. Thus, the installer often overtightens the cap. This results in damage to the cutting edge. It would be highly desirable to have a terminal block configured to indicate when the largest gauge wire can be safety withdrawn without stripping the insulation while also minimizing or eliminating destructive over-tightening on the large gauge wire. A still further desirable feature would be a method and a means for providing feedback on the position of the connection cap when tightening down to the smallest gauge wire. Although an individual operation is not time consuming, working the many repetitions of the process in a 50-terminal block results in greater and more effective utilization of the craftsperson.

It is thus an object of this invention to provide an electrical connection device which can electrically connect a wire to a suitable terminal post or any electrical connection where enhanced strain relief benefits the reliability of the connection. It is also an object of this invention to form an electrical connection without the need for wire stripping. A still further object of the invention provides for an indication of when the large gauge wires can be withdrawn from the terminal block without stripping insulation therefrom while also avoiding overtightening upon installation of the larger gauge wire. Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

This invention provides an electrical connection device, especially suitable in terminal block applications, which accomplishes the previously recited objects and obtains the desirable features recited previously and also provides additional benefits readily apparent to the skilled artisan from the following more detailed description.

More specifically, the invention provides a device which decouples the electrical connection portion of the device from that portion which provides mechanical gripping of the wire but retains these functions in an integral unit. Thus, the portion of the wire subject to the need for strain relief is held in place and surrounded by the buffering insulation. This is accomplished by shaping the electrical connector and base support to securely hold the wire isolated from but in the same proximity as the electrical connection being made by the cutting edge of the electrical connector.

Additional embodiments of the invention provide for a method and means of indicating when a larger gauge wire is sufficiently disconnected from the base member to provide for easy removal while also providing a method and means upon installation for indicating when an electrical connection is formed to the larger gauge wire without overtightening.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of a single sided terminal block for small gauge wire which incorporates the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cap and block portion of the terminal block depicting the formation of an electrical contact with the wire and the mechanical gripping of the wire to provide strain relief.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional illustrative view of a piece of wire.

FIG. 4 illustrates a terminal block for a plurality of wires.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment for multiple wires.

FIG. 6 illustrates a connect/disconnect embodiment of the invention for larger gauge wire.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the FIGURES.

FIG. 1 represents a cross-sectional view of a terminal block 100. The terminal block 100 comprises a base member 10 and a cap 30. Base member 10 includes a first aperture 12 capable of receiving the wire to which electrical contact will be made and a second aperture 14 in communication with the aperture 12 to receive the cap 30.

The base member 10 further includes a conductive binding post 16 fixed in the base member 10. The conductive binding post 16 has a broader base region 18 and a portion 20 for connecting to a conductive core 204 of a wire 200. The wire 200 has insulation 202 and the conductive inner core 204. The conductive binding post 16 further includes a binding post shoulder 22 broader than the threaded binding post sections 26 and 28. Between the binding post shoulder 22 and above the broader base region 18 is binding post aperture 31 for receiving a drop wire 300 (FIG. 2). A drop wire 300 is inserted through the first aperture 12 and pushed through the aperture 31 in the binding post 16 until it abuts the portion of the base member 10 opposite to the aperture 12. If the binding post aperture 31 includes a central divider and the base member 10 includes an aperture opposite the first aperture 12, FIG. 5, then the cap 30 can connect two wires, pushed through the apertures to meet at the divider, together. In a like fashion, a plurality of apertures in the base member 10 and the binding post 16 permit a plurality of wires to be connected.

The cap 30 includes an insulating outer part 32 and a conductive inner part 34. The conductive inner part 34 contains a threaded portion 36 to engage the threaded binding post sections 26 and 28. The two threaded binding post sections 26 and 28 permit the cap 30 to be screwed down through and unscrewed from the aperture 14 from the aperture 12 region without falling out of the terminal block 100. Only if the cap 30 is further twisted to engage the threaded section 28 can it be completely removed. This feature avoids inadvertent loss of the caps 30. The cap 30 also includes a mechanical contact/cutting edge 40 capable of cutting through the insulation of the wire inserted through the aperture 12. The mechanical contact/cutting edge 40, the binding post shoulder 22 and the cap shoulder 38 are proportioned so that when the cap 30 is completely tightened on the binding post 16, there is sufficient space between cutting edge 40a/40c and the broader base region 18 so as to not sever the smallest size of wire to be utilized with the connector 100.

The electrical connection mechanical strain relief feature is more specifically illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a blown up cross-sectional view of the portion of the terminal block 100 with cap 30 in its tightened position on a small drop wire. When tightened down onto a wire 300, the cutting edge portion 40a cuts through and displaces the insulation 302 to make electrical contact with the conductive core 304. A blunt chamfer 40b pinches the wire 300 for a tight mechanical hold with the base member 10 at the base member edge 42. The blunt chamfer 40b can have any shape, such as convex, concave, semi-circular, and the like provided the surface pressures and deforms the wire 300 without completely severing the insulation 302. As illustrated, sufficient space is allowed between 40a and the base member 18 when the cap 30 is fully tightened so that a positive electrical contact is made without completely severing the conductor core 304 of the wire 300. Optionally, edge 42 can also be chamfered or filled with the base member material.

An additional optional feature is also illustrated in FIG. 2. The positioning of the broadened base 18 is recessed, as illustrated by region 44 to be slightly below the aperture 12 and the binding post opening 31. When the cap 30 is tightened, the wire 300 is crimped down slightly to ensure an additional and more positive electrical contact at the edge 40c and the wire 302.

The gap between the cutting edge 40a and the broadened base portion 18 is preferable at least equal to or less than A plus B.sub.1, or B.sub.2 but sufficiently large to preclude cutting the conductor core 304 or more preferably as illustrated in FIG. 3. Of course, allowance must be made for the compression of the insulation 302 under pressure. This ensures an electrical contact to the conductive wire core 304. This distance is provided by proportioning the binding post shoulder 22 to meet the cap shoulder 38 with a length for the mechanical contact/cutting edge 40 at the cutting edge 40a to base 18 to be less than or equal to A plus B.sub.1, or B.sub.2 for the smallest size of wire utilized with the electrical contact device 100. Larger sizes of all copper wire can be cut up to about fifty percent of the diameter A and the strain relief feature ensures that any cold working of the wire is away from the electrical contact portion.

The mechanical retention occurs between the blunt edge 40b and the base edge section 42. Preferably, the base 10 but especially the base edge 42 material yields before the conductor wire 304. This prevents the edge 42 from cracking or cutting the wire 304 and thus creating a weak point. Thus the electrical contact function is decoupled from the mechanical contact function. Of course, the pressure of edge 40a on the wire 304 and broadened base 18 also provides a means for retaining the wire. However, the additional decoupled contact point through the wire 304 and insulation 302 of B.sub.1, plus B.sub.2 provides mechanical retention less subject to cold working, i.e., this provides strain relief apart from the formation of the electrical contact. Optionally, the edge 42 can be shaped, i.e., chamfered to be parallel with the edge 40b. When tightened, the distance between 40b and 42 must be less than the diameter of the wire 304 plus insulation 302, i.e., less than A+B.sub.1 +B.sub.2. The exact amount is a function the gripping power requried for a particular application. In telecommunication applications, the contact strain relief feature is most desirable for small wires, i.e., 22 and/or 24 AWG, because larger wires, i.e., 18 1/2 and/or 19 gauge, especially those with steel core and copper claddings, provide sufficient mechanical strength to be less subject to premature failure from fibration or cold working.

More specifically, strain relief is provided between the edge 40b which pinches the insulation 302 to the shoulder 42. This provides the mechanical retention for the wire 300 in terminal block 100 apart from electrical contact and retention between 40a/40c and 18. Thus, the mechancial retention means between 42 and 40b are isolated from the primary electrical connection means 40a, 40c and 18. This decoupled but integral mechanical retention and the adjacent electrical contact provides strain relief for any electrical wire subject to vibration or repeated twisting and pulling without the need for additional wire restrainers. Thus, the benefits of the terminal block designs described and illustrated in the previously recited applications are maintained and enhanced with this additional strain relief feature.

FIG. 4 illustrates a terminal block 500 having a base 510 (10 in FIG. 1) with a plurality of apertures 512 (12 in FIG. 1) and a plurality of caps 530 (30 in FIG. 1) fitted into a plurality of second apertures not visible. Of course the other internal aspects of the invention, not illustrated, are similar to the illustrations in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 5 illustrates the embodiment where a third aperture 12a is opposite the first aperture 12 and the conductive binding post 16 contains a divider 45 for the abutment of a wire inserted through the third aperture 12a. The numbering of the similar items in FIG. 5 to FIG. 1 is retained to simplify the understanding. The addition of additional apertures, not illustrated, permit the coupling of any desired number of wires. Furthermore, adjusting the height of aperture base position of the aperture 12 as illustrated by edge 42 in FIG. 2 and the base member 18, permits coupling wires of different sizes. Additionally, any voids in the terminal block can be sealed with a sealing material such as a gel to provide environmental sealing. A suitable gel has a cone penetration value as measured according to ASTM D127-68 at 21.degree. C. of about 100-350 (10.sup.-1 mm) and an ultimate elongation as measured by ASTM D638-80 at 21.degree. C. of at least about 200%. Greater details are specified in the previously recited applications. Of course, an open or closed vented area within the base member 10 is preferred when a gel is used in conjunction with the terminal block.

FIG. 6 illustrates the connect/disconnect embodiment of the invention in a dual terminal block 600. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal block 610 with the exception that the cap 630 is illustrated in full to provide an illustration of the connect/disconnect system. Those features, which are similar to the features in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, have similar last two digits but start with the hundreds digit of 6. More specifically, the cut-away view of terminal block 610 contains binding posts 620a and 620b. The base wires 800a and 800b have insulation 802a and 802b with conductive cores 804a and 804b, respectively. The wires are electrically connected to the binding posts 620a and 620b, respectively. A large gauge wire, e.g., 181/2 gauge, 700 is electrically connected in section b of block 610.

The block 610 has first aperatures 612a and 612b. The caps 630a and 630b are in the cap aperatures and threaded by engaged to the binding posts 620a and 620b, respectively as illustrated in FIG. 1. The electrical/mechanical contact cutting edges are 640a and 640b, respectively. The connect/disconnect apparatus provides an indicator system such as a white line, raised marks, depressions, and the like with a lower edge 650a which indicates when the cap 630 is sufficiently withdrawn from the terminal block 610, as illustrated by cap 630a, to avoid the jamming of the wire 700 within the block 610. Jamming the wire 700 can result in stripping the insulation from the wire if it is pulled while only partially disconnected. When the cap 630 is tightened down, as illustrated in 630b, the top portion of the indicator 660b illustrates when the cap has been sufficiently tightened down to form a good electrical contact to the largest gauge wire, e.g., 181/2 gauge, without over tightening or damaging the cutting edge 640b. The top indicator 660b gives a feedback to the craftsperson when the wire is sufficiently tightened down much in the same way as the bottoming out of the cap on the shoulder post of the binding post when tightening down on a smaller gauge, i.e., a 24 gauge wire without severing it. Optionally, an additional indicator above 660a or 660b can be provided on the caps 630a and 630b, respectively, to indicate the approaching of the bottoming out of the cap on the binding post to prevent the needless waste time by the operator in tightening down on the smallest gauge wire.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a terminal block for the telecommunications industies, it would be readily apparent to the ordinary skilled artisan that this mechanical/electrical contact and strain relief is suitable for any type of electrical connection where strain relief of the wire is necessary to avoid cold working and premature failure. Modifications which would be obvious to the ordinary skilled artisan are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention for example the cap 30 could have male threads protruding from within the cutting edge 40 and screw into a female base. Furthermore, the cap and post 16 can be configured to engage in a racheting manner or by a pressure fit rather than by screwing together. Clearly the cutting edge strain relief can be slotted rather than circumferential because only the leading edge provides the strain relief feature in conjunction with the electrical contact unless multiple wires are connected through multiple apertures. Thus the invention in its broadest concept is the decoupling but integral connection of the electrical connection point and the mechanical attachment point to obtain a substantially single functioning unit. Any means suitable for accomplishing this feature is contemplated to be within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, any indicator system such as dots or dashed lines on the cap as opposed to a painted or marked band(s) is within the scope of the connect/disconnect embodiment.