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EP0179579A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrical connector

Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1985-09-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-09-27
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Abstract

Abstract An electrical connector having a hollow cylindrical contact element (9) with two circumferential wire connecting slots (11, 49). A cap (31) rotatable about the contact element and has a transverse channel (33) for receiving an insulated wire end to carry it into a first of the wire connecting slots (11) upon rotation of the cap. A tubular sleeve (45) is also rotatable about the contact element and has a transverse channel (47) for receiving an insulated wire end to carry it into the second wire connecting slot (49) upon rotation of the tubular sleeve. A locking mechanism (63, 65) locks the tubular sleeve after rotation to its wire connecting position.

Inventors

  • 👤 Udo 3M Laboratories Seidel (Europe) Gmbh

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 18:27
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R4/00; H01R4/24; H01R4/2491

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 273 words
An electrical connector having a hollow-cylindrical, electrically conductive contact element (9), which has a wire connection slot (11) extending in a circumferential direction from a relatively wide wire insertion area (13) to a narrow insulation cutting and wire core connection clamping area (15), and a cap (31) of an electrically insulating material over the contact element (9) and having a transverse channel (33) in axial alignment with the wire connection slot (11) for receiving the end of an insulated electrical wire, which cap (31) is rotatable about the contact element (9) between an insertion position and a wire connection position bringing the transverse channel (33) into alignment with either the wire insertion area (13) or the clamping area (15) of the wire connection slot (11), wherein the contact element (9) is provided with a second wire connection slot (49) extending in the circumferential direction from a relatively wide wire insertion area (57) to a narrow insulation cutting and wire core connection clamping area (59) and including a tubular sleeve (45) of an insulating material fitted on the cylindrical contact element (9) and having a second transverse channel in axial alignment with the second wire connection slot (49) for receiving the end of an insulated electrical wire, the tubular sleeve (45) being rotatable about the contact element between an insertion position and a wire connection position whereby the second transverse channel (47) is either aligned over the widened insertion area (57) or the narrowed clamping area (59) of the second wire connection slot (49), and wherein a locking mechanism (63), (65) is provided for locking the tubular sleeve (45) in its wire connection position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 273 words
An electrical connector having a hollow-cylindrical, electrically conductive contact element (9), which has a wire connection slot (11) extending in a circumferential direction from a relatively wide wire insertion area (13) to a narrow insulation cutting and wire core connection clamping area (15), and a cap (31) of an electrically insulating material over the contact element (9) and having a transverse channel (33) in axial alignment with the wire connection slot (11) for receiving the end of an insulated electrical wire, which cap (31) is rotatable about the contact element (9) between an insertion position and a wire connection position bringing the transverse channel (33) into alignment with either the wire insertion area (13) or the clamping area (15) of the wire connection slot (11), wherein the contact element (9) is provided with a second wire connection slot (49) extending in the circumferential direction from a relatively wide wire insertion area (57) to a narrow insulation cutting and wire core connection clamping area (59) and including a tubular sleeve (45) of an insulating material fitted on the cylindrical contact element (9) and having a second transverse channel in axial alignment with the second wire connection slot (49) for receiving the end of an insulated electrical wire, the tubular sleeve (45) being rotatable about the contact element between an insertion position and a wire connection position whereby the second transverse channel (47) is either aligned over the widened insertion area (57) or the narrowed clamping area (59) of the second wire connection slot (49), and wherein a locking mechanism (63), (65) is provided for locking the tubular sleeve (45) in its wire connection position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A connector according to claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism (63, 65) can be unlocked as desired.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
A connector according to claim 2 wherein the locking mechanism consists of a spring-latch (63) bent out of the contact element (9) and a corresponding lock-opening (65) in the tubular sleeve and can be unlocked by depressing the spring-latch (63) and turning the tubular sleeve (45).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A connector according to claim 3 wherein the spring-latch (63) forms a test-contact accessible through the lock opening 65.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 74 words
. 5. A connector according to one of the preceding claims whereby the end of the contact element (9) opposite the end covered by the cap (31), is attached to an electrically insulated support stud (41) wherein the tubular sleeve (45) is positioned between the support stud (41) and the cap (31) and the support stud (41) and the cap (31) each have a sliding bearing sufrace in contact with the tubular sleeve (45).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
A connector according to one of the preceding claims wherein the insertion position of the tubular sleeve (45) is defined by a stop barrier (77).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 124 words
A connector according to one of the preceding claims wherein the contact element (9) has a first shear opening (39) diametrically opposite the insertion area (13) of the first wire connection slot (11) and a second shear opening (75) diametrically opposite the insertion area (57) of the second wire connection slot (49) and the first transverse channel (33) extends through the cap (31) and the second transverse channel (47) extends through the tubular sleeve (45), each transverse channel (33, 47) forming in combination with its associated shear opening (39, 75) an effective shearing device for cutting off the ends of wires extending through the transverse channels when the cap (31) and tubular sleeve (45) are rotated from their insertion positions to their connection positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 55 words
A connector according to one of the preceding claims wherein the tubular sleeve (45) can be rotated from its insertion position to its wire connection position by turning the cap (31) and, after the tubular sleeve (45) is locked in its wire connection position, the cap (31) can be rotated back to its insertion position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 82 words
A connector according to one of the preceding claims containing a contact element (9) which is attached with its end, opposite the cap (31), to an electrically insulated support stud (41) and which has a contact lug (43) extending through an opening (44) in the support stud (41) to the other side of the support stud, wherein the contact lug (43) is bent beneath the bottom side of the support stud (41) thereby forming a contact area for connecting other electrical devices.

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