US3737559A

US3737559A - Insulating cover for electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: US3737559A
Application number: US00268730A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Cooper
Original assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
Current assignee: Thomas and Betts Holdings Inc
Priority date: 1972-07-03
Filing date: 1972-07-03
Publication date: 1973-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-05
Also published as: CA972859A

Abstract

A formed electrically insulating cover which covers all exposed electrical surfaces of a connector. The insulating cover is formed or molded to conform generally to the outer contours of the connector being covered. A skirt depends from the main body of the cover to enclose an open area providing exit space for conductors extending from the connector, the skirt having sufficient length to cover exposed or stripped portions of the conductors. Inherent snap-fastening members are provided in the skirt to fit about one end of the connector and lock the cover thereto.

Description

United, States Patent] 1151" 911969 showy CooperJr, I v 51 June 5, 1973 541 INSULATING'COVER FOR 3,519,731 6/1970 Grunba nrn "174/1381 ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS I f r i g FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS [75] Inventor: James Joseph Cooper, Jr., St. Louis, o s p Mo. p 1 e I v p v 1,224,522v ,2/1960 France 174/ 138 F v p p "2,016,367 IO/1970K Germany ..l74/l38F [73] Assignee: International Telephone. and Tele- I graph Corporation, New York, N, Y Primary Examiner -Laremie E. Askin: v c v A Attorney-C. Comell Rerns'en, .Ir., Walter J; Baum, w

[22] 1 Paul w; Hemrhin'geret'ah s [2|] Appl. No.: 268,730 [57] ABSTRACT I I g A formed electric ally insulating cover which covers all [52] Cl "174/138 9 1 9 I exposed electrical surfaces of a connector. The insul lnt. Bolt 13!, H01! 13/48 i cover psi-formed or molded to vccmfim-n generally of Search R, th out r nt f the onnectopbeing covered 1 3 3+ '16 9 A skirt depends from the main body of they cover to l c 208,210 11,210 M v enclose an open areaproviding exit space forconduc I j Y tors extending from the connector, the skirt'hav'ing g v c References Cited sufficient length to cover exposed or stripped portions I v 3 ofrthe' conductors. lnherentsnap-fastening meinlbers TE S PATENTS "are provided in the skirt to fit about one end ofthe 927 955 5 5 C ma connector'and'lock the coi/er thereto. 1 9 3,467,768

Clnims, Ibrnwlng Fignres PATENTEDJUN 5W5 3,737 559 j sum 1 0F 2 1. INSULATING COVER FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is especially adapted for use as a dead front cover for connectors which are to fully insulate a connector electrically although not necessarily protect against the elements of weather. Thus, the covered connector is not designed for use in locations exposed to the outside weather.

Rubber or other suitable plastic insulating material is molded into a specific shape to closely conform to the shape of the object being covered both as to the top and sides. One'end of the cover is closed. At the bottom of the cover the entrance of cables into the connector is covered by skirts depending from both sides and the closed end. At the end of the connector designed to be mated to a transformer bushing or the like, a suitable reinforced opening is provided to fit about the bushing. Between the end with the reinforced opening and the skirts there is provided an inherent closure structure.

comprising button headed integral rivet members in one wall confronting receiver openings in the other wall. The buttons snap fit into the receiver to firmly gripand hold one another and hold the cover firmly in place around the connector. I

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a new and improved insulating cover for electrically conductive power-distributing members, the cover having integral cover locking and retaining members.

his a further object of the invention to provide an improved electrical insulating cover which comprises a U-shaped section adapted to fit about a connector, the cover having inherent mating male and female members for locking the opening of the U-section in a tight 7 holding arrangement about the connector.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFYTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is, a side view in perspective of a connector with my cover fastened thereon;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1 with the cover partially removed;

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of the cover of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view in elevation of the cover of FIG. 3 partially broken away;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view in elevation of the fastener area of FIG. 4 enlarged;

FIG. 6 is a view as FIG. 5, with the fasteners joined in closed or locking conditions; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the cover of FIGS. 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF'THE DRAWINGS In FIGS. 1 and 2, I show a completed and covered assembly of a connector 12 for a pad mount or submersible transformer (not shown). The connector may be any of the well-known type as shown, which has win- I dows 14 for receiving individual cable conductors, or may be the type (not shown) which has bolts for connecting thereto compression lugs, the lugs each being affixed to a cable conductor.

The connector 12, as mentioned, has windows 14 through which cable conductors are fitted with set screws of any known type holding the cable conductor tightly in the window in good electrical contact with the body 20 of connector 12. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cables extend essentially parallel to one another from their connection to the connector. In FIGS. 1 and 2, I show six large diameter cables 22 connected to the connector and one small diameter cable 24 suitable for street lighting and the like.

At one end, the connector has a threaded opening 30 for receiving a transformer-connected stud bushing 32 with the remainder of the connector body 20 extending from the opening 30. Adjacent the end with opening 30 is a neck section 36 with a flat upper surface 38 and an otherwise cylindrical portion 40 for receiving the length of the stud. From the neck section 36, there extends the connecting windows 14 for connection of the cables 22 spaced along the length of the body Such connectors and stud bushings are well known in the art.

Mounted over and covering all exposed surfaces of the connector is the removable cover member 50. The member 50 comprises a molded or otherwise formed cover of suitable elastomeric material of what may be called sheet thickness, which is generally imperforate except for the bushing receivingopening'at one end and the open bottom section as will be described herein. The cover member, as shown best in'FIGS. 3-7, has a flat top wall 52 slightly thicker than itsintegral sidewalls 54 and an end wall 56 all designed to fit about the connector. At the bottom of the side and end walls is a flexible, integral skirt member 60 extending parallel to and stepped from the-side and end walls. This skirt member extends forv approximately the same distance as the height of the side walls 54. The added thickness of wall 52 is provided to import greater tear resistant strength to the top wall. I

In the normal condition, the skirt member side walls 62 are spaced a distance apart sufficient to receive freely therebetween the cables of the completed assembly. At end wall 56, the spacing between skirt member walls is wider at section 63 to receive one or more small diameter conductors 24 from either side.

At the end of the cover member designed toflt over the connector neck section 36, the skirt section has thickened walls with height slightly greater than half the height of skirt sidewalls 62. In skirt section 70, the

skirt walls are bulged outwardly to form two side-byside, half tubular members 72. Each member 72 has integrally molded or otherwise suitably affixed to and intruding from its wall, a headed rivet or button 74. Each rivet 74 has a flexible rod body 76 section with an enlarged, arcuate or pointed mushroom head 80, the end 3 of the head being roughly even with the inner skirt walls. The arcuate or pointed head acts as a leader or guide for the rivet.

The skirt section on the side opposed to the buttons has a chamfered receiver opening 84 for each rivet, the opening having a wall section slightly less in thickness than the length of the rod body 76 of a rivet. Each opening 84 leads into a chamber 86 of size suitable for receiving the rivet head. Each chamber 86 comprises a hollowed-out, half-tubular receiver section. Each receiver opening 84 has its diameter slightly smaller than the maximum diameter of the rivet head 80. A thickbottom wall or floor 88 covers the tubular sections adjacent the receiver openings to render the receiver'section more rigid, the receiver section walls being relatively solid.

At the neck end of the cover, the area 90 about the circular entrance 92 for the transformer bushing is reinforced and designed to fit tightly about the neck 36 of connector 20.

In FIG. 5, I show the buttons separated from the respective receiver openings, while in FIG. 6, I show the rivets snapped into the receiver openings in locked condition.

FIG. 2 shows one step in the assembly of a cover onto a connector. For that step, the skirt 62 is rolled back on both sides to open the central cavity 94 of the cover wide enough to pass the cover 50 over a connector (most usually with cables connected therein). The cover 50 is fitted over the connector body 20 with the end wall 56 of the cover drawn against the connector. The reinforced area 90 of the neck opening abuts against the end of the connector neck 36 with the opening closed about the circular bushing section. The skirt is pulled over the cables to the position of FIG. 1, and the rivets 74 are aligned with the chamfered openings and are snapped into the receiver chambers 86 locking the cover to the connector.

With the rivets or snap buttons 74 closed, the cover thought to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is understood that modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cover adapted to insulate and cover a'distribution connector of the type having a connection from an electrical distribution member at one end and a pluralv ity of cables extending in parallel from the body of the 50 serves to insulate all exposed conductive portions of the connector 20 and the skirt covers all exposed or stripped portions of

cable conductors

22 and 24. The neck opening of the cover, which is split on the skirt connector, the invention comprising: an imperforate, elastomeric-shaped insulating member having a rectangularly configured body portion including top, side and end walls shaped to conform to the outer contours of a connector and to extend beyond the extent of the connector, a continuous skirt member flexibly depending from the body on both sides and the end of said body, a reinforced opening in the cover adapted to receive a cylindrical connecting member spaced between said body portion and said reinforced opening, an inter- I mediate skirt section with said skirt section having button members intruding from one wall, and button receiving openings in the opposed skirt member wall alignable with said buttons for receiving said buttons in snap fitting relation and to close said intermediate area under said connector and lock said cover to said connector.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said button members comprise integral elastomeric headed members extending inwardly of one skirt wall.

3. A cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein said button receiving openings have reinforced side walls surrounding said opening to firmly r'etain said locking relationship.

Claims

1. A cover adapted to insulate and cover a distribution connector of the type having a connection from an electrical distribution member at one end and a plurality of cables extending in parallel from the body of the connector, the invention comprising: an imperforate, elastomeric-shaped insulating member having a rectangularly configured body portion including top, side and end walls shaped to conform to the outer contours of a connector and to extend beyond the extent of the connector, a continuous skirt member flexibly depending from the body on both sides and the end of said body, a reinforced opening in the cover adapted to receive a cylindrical connecting member spaced between said body portion and said reinforced opening, an intermediate skirt section with said skirt section having button members intruding from one wall, and button receiving openings in the opposed skirt member wall alignable with said buttons for receiving said buttons in snap fitting relation and to close said intermediate area under said connector and lock said cover to said connector.

3. A cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein said button receiving openings have reinforced side walls surrounding said opening to firmly retain said locking relationship.