Grounding connector with lock joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10985474-B2
Application number	US-201916531589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2018
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A grounding connector has a body including a first side, a second side, and a mid-section extending therebetween, with an opening extending through the body from the first side to the second side. The body of the grounding connector includes a lock joint configured to join the grounding connector with a second grounding connector, with the lock joint including a recess inset into the mid-section of the body and a protrusion adjacent the recess extending from the mid-section.

First claim

We claim:

1. A grounding connector comprising:
a body including a first side and a second side and a mid-section extending therebetween,
wherein an opening extends through the body from the first side to the second side to form a passage surrounded by the body, and
wherein the body includes a lock joint configured to join the grounding connector with a second grounding connector, the lock joint including a recess inset into the mid-section of the body and a protrusion adjacent the recess extending from the mid-section.

2. The grounding connector of claim 1 , wherein the lock joint is configured to slidably connect to the second grounding connector.

3. The grounding connector of claim 1 , wherein the opening is configured to accept a wire or a rod to pass through the passage.

4. The grounding connector of claim 3 , wherein the grounding connector is configured to deform and reduce a diameter across at least a portion of the passage along a distance spanning from the first side to the second side for securing the wire or rod therein.

5. The grounding connector of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion includes a first outer wall extending from the body, an inner wall extending from the body, and a first base wall extending therebetween, where a first distance between the first outer wall and the inner wall along the base wall is greater than a second distance between the first outer wall and the inner wall along the body.

6. The grounding connector of claim 5 , wherein the recess includes a second outer wall extending into the body, the inner wall of the protrusion, and a second base wall extending therebetween, where a third distance between the second outer wall and the inner wall along the second base wall is greater than a fourth distance between the second outer wall and the inner wall along adjacent the second base wall.

7. A compression connector comprising:
a first grounding connector including a body including a first side and a second side and a mid-section extending therebetween, wherein an opening extends through the body from the first side to the second side to form a passage surrounded by the body, and wherein the body includes a first lock joint; and
a second grounding connector including a body including a first side and a second side and a mid-section extending therebetween, wherein an opening extends through the body from the first side to the second side to form a passage surrounded by the body, and wherein the body includes a second lock joint;
wherein the first lock joint of the first grounding connector is removably mated to the second lock joint of the second grounding connector.

8. The compression connector of claim 7 , wherein a diameter of the opening of the first grounding connector is larger than a diameter of the opening of the second grounding connector.

9. The compression connector of claim 7 , wherein the first and second lock joints include a protrusion and a recess.

10. The compression connector of claim 9 , wherein the protrusion of the first lock joint extends out from the body of the first grounding connector, the recess of the first lock joint resides within the body of the first grounding connector, the protrusion of the second lock joint extends out from the body of the second grounding connector, and the recess of the second lock joint resides within the body of the second grounding connector.

11. The compression connector of claim 7 , wherein the first lock joint and the second lock joint are configured to slidably mate with each other.

12. The compression connector of claim 7 , wherein the first lock joint of the first grounding connector includes a first recess inset into the mid-section of the body of the first grounding connector and a first protrusion adjacent the first recess extending from the mid-section.

13. The compression connector of claim 12 , wherein the second lock joint of the second grounding connector includes a second recess inset into the mid-section of the body of the second grounding connector and a second protrusion adjacent the second recess extending from the mid-section.

14. The compression connector of claim 13 , wherein the first protrusion and second protrusion each include a first outer wall extending from their respective body, an inner wall extending from their respective body, and a first base wall extending therebetween, where a first distance between the first outer wall and the inner wall along the first base wall is greater than a second distance between the outer wall and the inner wall along adjacent a second base wall.

15. The compression connector of claim 14 , wherein the first recess and second recess each include a second outer wall extending into the body, the inner wall of the protrusion, and the second base wall extending therebetween, where a third distance between the second outer wall and the inner wall along the second base wall is greater than a fourth distance between the second outer wall and the inner wall along the body.

16. A method of forming a compression connector, the method comprising:
joining a first lock joint of a first grounding connector to a second lock joint of a second grounding connector;
inserting a wire into an opening in the first grounding connector, wherein the opening extends from a first side of the first grounding connector to a second side of the first grounding connector to form a passage surrounded by a body of the first grounding connector;
inserting a grounding rod into an opening in the second grounding connector, wherein the opening extends from a first side of the second grounding connector to a second side of the second grounding connector to form a passage surrounded by a body of the second grounding connector;
crimping the joined first grounding connector and second grounding connector;
deforming the first grounding connector at a position along the passage of the first grounding connector; and
deforming the second grounding connector at a position along the passage of the second grounding connector.

Assignees

• Panduit Corp

Inventors

• Osenga David K
• Bucciferro Robert G

Classifications

• H01R4/646 Primary

  for cables or flexible cylindrical bodies · CPC title

• H01R4/20

  using a crimping sleeve {(H01R4/01 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01R4/186 Primary

  using a body comprising a plurality of cable-accommodating recesses or bores · CPC title

• H01R4/643

  for rigid cylindrical bodies · CPC title