Tap clamp for receiving electrical conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164356-B2
Application number	US-201715667810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 4, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A clamp provides electrical communication between a first conductor and a second conductor. The clamp includes a first housing portion having a first surface, a second surface, a first housing bore, and a cavity, the first housing bore extending along a longitudinal axis. The clamp further includes a clamp member at least partially disposed within the cavity of the first housing portion, the clamp member including a first clamp surface adjacent the second surface of the housing in a facing relationship. The clamp further includes a shaft oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis, the shaft coupling the first housing portion and the clamp member. The clamp further includes a second housing portion movably coupled to the first housing portion by the shaft, the second housing portion including a second housing bore and a second clamp surface, the second housing bore aligned with the longitudinal axis, the second clamp surface adjacent the first surface of the first housing portion in a facing relationship.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clamp for providing electrical communication between a first conductor and a second conductor, the clamp comprising:
a first housing portion including a first surface, a second surface, a first housing bore, and a cavity, the first housing bore extending along a longitudinal axis;
a clamp member at least partially disposed within the cavity of the first housing portion, the clamp member including a first clamp surface adjacent the second surface of the first housing portion in a facing relationship;
a shaft oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis, the shaft coupling the first housing portion and the clamp member; and
a second housing portion movably coupled to the first housing portion by the shaft, the second housing portion including a second housing bore and a second clamp surface, the second housing bore aligned with the longitudinal axis, the second clamp surface adjacent the first surface of the first housing portion in a facing relationship.

2. The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the first housing portion and the second clamp surface of the second housing portion cooperatively form a channel therebetween, the channel configured to receive the first conductor.

3. The clamp of claim 2 , wherein the first surface of the first housing portion is an internal surface of a cylindrical through-opening and the second clamp surface of the second housing portion is curved.

4. The clamp of claim 2 , wherein the channel extends along a channel axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. The clamp of claim 1 , wherein actuation of the shaft changes a spacing between the first surface of the first housing portion and the second clamp surface of the second housing portion.

6. The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the first clamp surface is positioned on a first portion of the clamp member, the clamp member including a second portion having an internal hole receiving the shaft.

7. The clamp of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the first housing portion and the first clamp surface of the clamp member cooperatively form at least a portion of a channel therebetween, the channel configured to receive the second conductor.

8. The clamp of claim 7 , wherein the second surface of the first housing portion and the first clamp surface of the clamp member form curved surfaces of the channel.

9. The clamp of claim 1 , further comprising a resilient member exerting a biasing force on the shaft and biasing the second housing portion toward the first housing portion.

10. The clamp of claim 1 , further comprising a threaded member threadedly engaging the shaft, and wherein the clamp member, the first housing portion, and the second housing portion are secured between the threaded member and a flange of the shaft.

11. A method for providing electrical communication between a first conductor and a second conductor, the method comprising:
positioning the first conductor between a first surface of a first housing portion and a first clamp surface of a second housing portion;
positioning the second conductor between a second surface of the first housing portion and a second clamp surface of a clamp member;
actuating a shaft against a force of a biasing member to increase a distance between the first housing portion and the second housing portion to load the first conductor between the first surface of the first housing portion and the first clamp surface of the second housing portion;
releasing the shaft to secure the first conductor between the first surface of the first housing portion and the first clamp surface of the second housing portion;
actuating the shaft extending through the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the clamp member to decrease a distance between the second surface of the first housing portion and the second clamp surface of the clamp member to secure the second conductor between the second surface of the first of the housing and the second clamp surface of the clamp member.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the biasing member is a resilient member positioned between the clamp member and the first housing portion to urge the first housing portion into engagement with the second housing portion.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the shaft is threaded, and actuating the shaft rotates the shaft relative to a threaded member, thereby causing the threaded member to pull the second housing portion toward the first housing portion and pull the clamp member toward the first housing portion.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the portion of the clamp member that includes the second clamp surface is a first portion, the clamp member having a second portion including an internal hole configured to receive the shaft.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first surface of the first housing portion is an internal surface of a cylindrical through-opening and the first clamp surface of the second housing portion is curved.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first surface of the first housing portion and the first clamp surface of the second housing portion form a first channel, and wherein the second surface of the first housing portion and the second clamp surface of the clamp member are curved and form at least a portion of a second channel, the second channel substantially perpendicular to the first channel.

17. A clamp for providing electrical communication between a first conductor and a second conductor, the clamp comprising:
a first housing portion including a first surface and a first housing bore extending along a longitudinal axis;
a second housing portion including a second clamp surface and a second housing bore aligned with the longitudinal axis, the second clamp surface adjacent the first surface in a facing relationship to cooperatively form a channel therebetween, the channel configured to receive the first conductor, the first surface and the second surface in direct contact with the first conductor;
a clamp member at least partially disposed within the cavity of the first housing portion, the second conductor coupled between the clamp member and the first housing portion; and
a shaft oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis, the shaft coupling the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the shaft operable to change a spacing between the first surface and the second surface, the shaft is orthogonal with respect to a first conductor axis and with respect to a second conductor axis.

18. The clamp of claim 17 , wherein the first surface of the first housing portion is an internal surface of a cylindrical through-opening and the second surface of the second housing portion is curved.

19. The clamp of claim 17 , wherein the clamp member is coupled to the first housing portion by the shaft, the clamp member having a first clamp surface, wherein the first housing portion includes a second surface adjacent the first clamp surface of the clamp member in a facing relationship to cooperatively form at least a portion of a second channel therebetween, the second channel configured to receive the second conductor.

20. The clamp of claim 17 , further comprising a resilient member exerting a biasing force on the shaft and biasing the second housing portion toward the first housing portion.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Diop Seydou
• Candelaria Adrian Beau

Classifications

• H01R4/363

  with intermediate part between tip and conductive member · CPC title

• H01R4/38

  utilising a clamping member acted on by screw or nut (H01R4/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R9/03

  Connectors arranged to contact a plurality of the conductors of a multiconductor cable {, e.g. tapping connections} · CPC title

• H02G7/00

  Overhead installations of electric lines or cables (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• H01R4/12

  by twisting · CPC title