WO2024166093A1 - Enhanced combined cable gland and connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a combined cable gland and connector that allows for the quick, easy, and secure connection of electrical conductors without the need for tools or complicated tightening procedures. The connector comprises a body, a holder, at least one contact, and a cup, wherein the contact is positioned on the body covered by the holder, and the cup is detachably assembled to the body, and wherein the contacts is made of a conducting material and the body, holder, and cup are made of isolating material, and wherein the cup comprises at least one opening and wherein said opening is designed to allow the insertion of a cable to it and tightening said cable in a manner that pushes the conductor of said cable into the said contact.

Description

ENHANCED COMBINED CABLE GLAND AND CONNECTOR

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of electrical cable connectors and cable glands. More specifically, the invention relates to a combined cable gland and connector that allows for quick, easy, and secure connection of electrical conductors without the need for tools or complicated tightening procedures.

BACKGROUND

Cable glands and connectors are essential components in many electrical systems. Cable glands are used to secure and protect the end of a cable, while connectors are used to establish a secure electrical connection between two or more conductors.

Traditionally, these two components have been separate and distinct, requiring separate installation and maintenance. This can be time-consuming and costly, particularly in situations where multiple cables need to be connected.

There are many solutions in the art designed to allow connecting of electric cables, and there are attempts to combine cable glands or boxes with connectors into a single component, but these have often been limited in their effectiveness or have required significant modifications to existing electrical systems.

The main problem dealt with in this application is the need to connect a cable conductor to another conductor, usually another cable conductor or a device conductor. Said connection usually requires tools and a procedure that is not always suitable for a layperson and adds complexity and burden also to professionals.

A numeral attempts to allow secure and useful cable connectors were made. Some of them are listed herein:

US2015090488 (Al) describes a wire connector that allows for securing one, two, or more cables in an electrical box knockout hole. The wire connector body interior includes a central tab with a hinge for exerting pressure against at least a first/tab cable. The central tab also has a gripping portion for gripping the tab cable without cutting its sheathing. In preferred embodiments, the central tab further includes a multifunction tab member, such as a multifunction knob or multifunction bumpers, which provides inter alia a secondary spring function for applying added pressure on an inserted tab cable, especially when a second/wall cable is inserted. The wire connector body contains ribs on the inner wall facing the central tab gripping portion for gripping a wall cable without cutting its insulation. The wire connector body also contains a longitudinal slot for easy installation or removal from an electrical box.

CN205543314 (U) discloses a utility model provides a convenient operation, swift can keep the electric wire quick connector of transmission signal quality. The utility model discloses an electric wire quick connector comprises last casing, lower casing, the cross -section of going up casing and lower casing is the semi -circle, the internal bar groove that is equipped with an at least strip metal material and makes of inferior valve, the bar inslot is equipped with two card line portions, card line portion comprises the pawl of locating bar groove both sides inner wall and the bearing tooth of locating bar tank bottom wall, it is equipped with two line ball portions, every to go up the casing line ball portion all is equipped with the clamp plate that two interblock gaps were arranged, and two clamp plates of every line ball portion are located the both sides of corresponding card line portion respectively, bar groove, card line portion are the metal and make, it is equipped with the buckle of mutually supporting with lower casing to go up the casing to the casing is in the same place with the lower inseparable lock of casing on the messenger. The utility model discloses an electric wire quick connector structure is small and exquisite, and convenient to use, can improve the quality that connects place transmission signal, has refined practicality.

None of the above solves the problem and allows for a simple- to-use, non-tools, efficient, quick, and secured cable connector Hence there is still a need for a combined cable gland and connector that is easy to install, reliable, and adaptable to a wide range of electrical systems. The present invention addresses this need by providing a novel combined cable gland and connector that meets these requirements. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a combined cable gland and connector that allows for the quick, easy, and secure connection of electrical conductors without the need for tools or complicated tightening procedures. The connector features a number of combined innovations that together offer significant advantages over existing solutions, including the ability to verify contact of the exposed conductors with the metal contacts in the product without applying mechanical force, a central body with ribs that prevent conductors from crossing from one side to the other, and a simple rotary tightening and locking action that can be performed quickly and easily. This invention is suitable for a wide range of applications and offers significant time and cost savings compared to traditional methods of connecting electrical conductors."

The present invention relates to a combined cable gland and connector that allows for the easy and secure connection of electrical conductors without the need for tools or complicated tightening procedures. A key element of the present invention is based on the fact that the conductor of the cable being connected doesn't need to be tightened to the conductor connector because the pressure applied by the closing cup to the isolation or outer sheath serves both as a gland and to hold the conductor in permanent secure contact with the connector.

It will be understood to those skilled in the art that the present invention, unlike a prior art gland, doesn't hold the very outer sleeve of the cable but rather apply pressure to the isolating sheath of each conductor of the cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig.l shows a set of two electric cables that could be connected with the cable connector of the present invention.

Fig.2 shows a cable connector according to some embodiments of the present invention in an exploded depiction.

Fig.3 shows a depiction of the main body of the cable connector with the conductor contacts embedded into it. Fig.4 Shows a conductor contact according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Fig.5 depicts the conductor as inserted into the conductor contacts of the present invention.

Fig.6 shows an angle of the main body of the cable connector.

Fig.7 Shows an inner angle of the cup of the cable connector.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the cable connector according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Fig.9 shows a cable connector according to some embodiments of the present invention in a closed position.

Fig. 10 shows three embodiments of the present invention attached to devices (light bulb housing, electric plug, and electric split sockets).

Fig. 11

The numeral labels accompanying some of the drawings are as follows:

10 the body or the main body.

12 the front passage where the conductor covered with the isolation or sheath is placed. 14 concave indents for holding the cable in place.

16 a stopper on the closing cup that connects with the accompanying protrusion on the main body to prevent the cup from opening.

30 Conductor contact (plurals are 32,34,36)

40 Covering holder.

45 modular box covering holder

50 electric cable

500 inner electric cable usually covered with a sheath (plurals are 502,504,506).

520 the conductor of the cable (plurals are 522,524,526).

80 different devices (split socket. 802 bulb housing, 804 light bulb)

90 control LED on a modular box connector.

In this application and in the claims, the cable connector could also be referred to as the connector. The conductor contact could be referred to as the contact. The closing cup could be referred to as the cup, the central body as the body, and the covering holder as the holder. DETAILED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION:

The connector comprises a number of components that work together to secure and electrically connect a cable. These components comprise:

Conductor contacts: The contacts are made of conducting material, preferably metal such as brass (or any other suitable metal), and are shaped like an arch or a closing angel to receive the conductors of the cable. This ensures that there is always contact between the exposed conductors and the metal contacts, regardless of the length of the exposure. This shape also suits all grades of rigidity, e.g., soft or hard cable. The contacts are built into the connector in a repeated assembly according to the number of threads or conductors the cable has, usually three or two, but it also could suit 1, 4, 5, or more.

Central body: The central body could be made of any isolating material, preferably it is made of plastic and serves as the hub of the connector, with the conductor contacts fitting inside it and all other components connecting to it. In some embodiments of the present invention, the central body could have one or more of several features that contribute to the functionality of the connector, including:

1. The shape of the front passage, which is designed for smooth insertion of the conductors and prevents injury to the cable.

2. The shape of the passage that is used to narrow the distance between the central part and the cup, thereby locking the conductors in place.

3. Concaved indents made in the main body are used along the placement of the sheath of each conductor in a manner that bends the electrical cord and further prevents involuntary withdrawal from the product when the cups are tightened.

4. Protrusions in the inner part where the cups go, which prevent the cups from opening along with a complementary feature in the "stoppers", as described hereinafter.

5. Ribs in the center of the product, which position the metal contacts on one side and act as a blocking wall to io prevent conductors from crossing from one side to the other, pushing the opposite conductor out of place.

Covering holder: made of any isolating material, preferably but not limited to, plastic, and designed to cover the main body after the contacts are installed, the holder also serves as a second mean to stop the connectors from getting out and covers the main body completely with the closing cup.

Closing cups: The "cups" are made of any suitable isolating material, preferably but not limited to, plastic, and serve to tighten the cable or cables and the conductors to the main body and the metal contacts. Each "cup" has a number of features that contribute to the functionality of the connector, including:

1. The shape of the front passage, which is used for convenient insertion of the conductors and prevents injury to the cable.

2. The shape of the passage, which is used to narrow the distance between the central part and the cup itself, and also bends the cable for extra security, thereby locking the conductors in place by pushing them inside the connectors without applying direct pressure on them.

3. A triple thread on the "cup" which allows it to be attached to the product quickly and easily and, at the same time, produce a quick closing.

4. Another feature in the "cup" is one or more stoppers on the closing cup that connects with the accompanying protrusion on the main body and prevent the cup from being opened accidentally. The stopper requires some force to open as opposed to merely a screwing feature that tends to be less tightened and eventually opens.

To use the connector, the user begins by exposing about 5 to 9 mm of the conductor of the electrical cable they want to connect. The user then inserts the conductors into the passages in the cup through the body and pushes until they can no longer be pushed, clamping the "cup" in place. The user then tightens the "cup" by rotating it until the "stoppers" are securely tightened. This simple rotary tightening and locking action utilizes the stronger hand action (compared to pressing one or another lever, for example) to close the connector in a few seconds. No additional tools are required for this process, making it suitable for use in a variety of situations, including when working at height or when it is necessary to close several connectors in a row.

Once the "cups" are tightened, the conductors are secured in place and electrically connected to the metal contacts within the connector. The central body with ribs prevents the conductors from crossing from one side to the other, ensuring a good closure of the contact with the conductors. The connector also has a "wall/stop" in the center that serves a similar purpose, preventing a conductor of one side from passing to the other side and potentially causing insufficiently good closure of the contacts with the conductor.

It will be understood to those skilled in the artthatthe main feature of the present invention (besides allowing the tightening without any tool) is that the connector holds the cable or cord in the sheath or insulation and, by doing so, pushing the conductors for a place that is always in contact with the contacts. No tight holding or force is applied to on the conductors themselves, and they are merely pushed continuously to the best position.

The connector may be used in different applications or environments. These examples could include:

Connecting electrical cables in a residential or commercial setting.

Connecting electrical cables in an industrial or manufacturing setting.

Connecting electrical cables in a transportation or vehicle application.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the connector may also have additional features or functionality, such as a waterproof or weather-resistant design, a robust construction, an aesthetic design, or compatibility with a variety of cable sizes or types (such as wide, thin, etc. It will be emphasized that the rigidity or flexibleness of the cable is not a changing factor, and each connector could handle a wide variety of such cables. In the drawing 1-9, there is a connector having two identical symmetric sides, and it is used for connecting to 3 thread cables. But it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the same invention could be implemented for any number of conductors and could be used for also connecting a cable to a device such as an electronic, electric, lighting, or other, the device should be equipped with the connector wherein the device conductors are in contact or connected to the conductor contacts, in these embodiments, the connector will look like half of the symmetric connectors, as depicts in Fig. 10.

The device could be, but not limited to, white appliances, lighting bulb housings, electric plugs, audio appliances, and electronics.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the connector could be coupled with other connectors by a plug and socket structure and create a modular interchange of the electric wiring system. In yet other embodiments, such interchange could further have a LED control showing the presence of electricity and helping control shortening or other connection problems within a wide system of connectors. An example of such modular interchanges and LED controls is depicted in Fig. 11.

Throughout this disclosure, a numerical value of a parameter, feature, characteristic, object, or dimension, may be stated or described in terms of a numerical range format. Such a numerical range format, as used herein, illustrates the implementation of some exemplary embodiments of the invention, and does not inflexibly limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, a stated or described numerical range also refers to and encompasses all possible sub-ranges and individual numerical values (where a numerical value may be expressed as a whole, integral, or fractional number) within that stated or described numerical range. For example, a stated or described numerical range 'from 1 to 6' also refers to, and encompasses, all possible sub-ranges, such as 'from 1 to 3', 'from 1 to 4', 'from 1 to 5', 'from 2 to 4', 'from 2 to 6', 'from 3 to 6', etc., and individual numerical values, such as '1', '1.3', '2', '2.8', '3', '3.5', '4', '4.6', '5', '5.2', and '6', within the stated or described numerical range of 'from 1 to 6'. This applies regardless of the numerical breadth, extent, or size, of the stated or described numerical range.

Moreover, for stating or describing a numerical range, the phrase 'in a range of between about a first numerical value and about a second numerical value', is considered equivalent to, and meaning the same as, the phrase 'in a range of from about a first numerical value to about a second numerical value', and, thus, the two equivalently meaning phrases may be used interchangeably.

It is to be fully understood that certain aspects, characteristics, and features, of the invention, which are, for clarity, illustratively described and presented in the context or format of a plurality of separate embodiments, may also be illustratively described and presented in any suitable combination or sub-combination in the context or format of a single embodiment. Conversely, various aspects, characteristics, and features, of the invention, which are illustratively described and presented in combination or sub-combination in the context or format of a single embodiment, may also be illustratively described and presented in the context or format of a plurality of separate embodiments.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting.

Claims

1. A cable connector comprising: a body, a holder, at least one contact and a cup, wherein the contact is positioned on the body covered by the holder, and the cup is detachably assembled to the body, and wherein the contacts is made of a conducting material and the body, holder, and cup are made of isolating material, and wherein the cup comprises at least one opening and wherein said opening is designed to allow the insertion of a cable to it and tightening said cable in a manner that pushes the conductor of said cable into the said contact.

2. The cable connector of claim 1. Wherein said contact has a diagonal-shaped space within it in a manner that said conductor is forced to touch it continuously.

3. The cable connector of claim 1 wherein said at least one opening of said cup is chonical.

4. The cable connector of claim 1, whrein said cup has a stopper that accompnies with a protrusion on said body and prevents the cup from opening and releasing the cable.

5. The cable connector of claim 1, wherein said body further comprises a rib, and wherein said rib is preventing the conductor to go behind its position in said contact.

6. The cable connector of claim 1, wherein the connector is made as symetric connector for connecting two cables on from each side.

7. The cable connector of claim 1, permanently attached and connected to an electric device, electronic device, lighting device, audio or vidoe device, and any combination thereof.

8. The cable connector of any of previous claims designed to connect one, two, or three threads cable.

9. The cable connector of any of previous claims, wherein said at least one contact is made of brass copper, iron, gold, aluminum, silver or any combination thereof.

10. The cable connector of any of previous claims, wherein said body, cups and holder are made of plastic, polymer, silicon, cimposite material or any combination thereof.

11. The cable connector of any of previous claims, wherein the connector has an aesthetic design.

12. The cable connector of any of previous claims, wherein the connector is compatible with a variety of cable sizes or types.

13. The The cable connector of any of previous claims made as a part of a symmetrical connector and designed for connecting two cables to each other.

14. The The cable connector of any of previous claims, forther connected to a device.

15. The cable connector of any of previous claims, further has a plug and socket allowing the modular assembly of multiple cable connectors.