Electrical connectors having field modifiable lugs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9559443-B2
Application number	US-201514941308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Electrical connectors having field modifiable lugs are provided. In some embodiments, the electrical connectors include a lug having at least two different modification guide features, which assist the user to modify lug from its blank or unmodified state shown in to a modified state while ensuring that the modified connector maintains the desired compliance to the various regulatory and overseeing bodies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a conductor-connecting region; and
a terminal-connecting region having a lug axis and at least two different modification guide features, which are configured to assist a user to modify the terminal-connecting region from a blank or unmodified state to a modified state,
wherein one of the two different modification guide features comprises a weakened section that is perpendicular to the lug axis, and
wherein another of the two different modification guide features comprises a pilot section selected from the group consisting of printed indicia, a score line, a depression line, and combinations thereof that run along the lug axis.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the weakened section is configured so that the user can modify a dimension of the terminal-connecting region along the weakened section.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the weakened section is on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

4. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the weakened section comprises a plurality of weakened sections.

5. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the dimension is selected from the group consisting of a length of the terminal-connecting region, a width of the terminal-connecting region, and combinations thereof.

6. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the pilot section is configured so that the user can modify the terminal-connecting region to include one or more holes at the pilot section.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein the pilot section comprises a plurality of pilot sections.

8. The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein the pilot section is on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the pilot section is configured so that the user can modify the terminal-connecting region to include one or more holes at the pilot section.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein the pilot section is the score line or the depression line and has sufficient depth to provide a pilot or guide to prevent walking or wandering of a drill bit during field modification to the modified state, but without affecting a structural rigidity of the terminal-connecting region.

11. An electrical connector comprising:
a conductor-connecting region; and
a terminal-connecting region having a blank or unmodified state that is modifiable by a user to a modified state,
the terminal-connecting region comprising a plurality of weakened sections configured allow the user to modify the terminal-connecting region so that the modified state is selected from the group consisting of a modified a length of the terminal-connecting region, a modified width of the terminal-connecting region, and combinations thereof, and
the terminal-connecting region comprising a plurality of pilot sections configured allow the user to modify the terminal-connecting region so that the modified state is selected from the group consisting of a number of holes, a location of holes, a size of holes, and combinations thereof, wherein the plurality of pilot sections are score or depression lines that run along an axis of the terminal-connecting region and have sufficient depth to provide a pilot or guide to prevent walking or wandering of a drill bit during field modification to the modified state, but without affecting a structural rigidity of the terminal-connecting region.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of weakened sections are on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

13. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of pilot sections are on a surface of the terminal-connecting region selected from the group consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, and combinations thereof.

14. An electrical connector comprising:
a conductor-connecting region;
a terminal-connecting region extending from the conductor-connecting region along a lug axis, the terminal-connecting region having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a weakened section on the bottom surface and perpendicular to the lug axis, the weakened section being configured to allow a user to break the terminal-connecting region to change a length of the terminal-connecting region along the lug axis; and
a score or depression line on the top surface and parallel to the lug axis, the score or depression line having sufficient depth to provide a pilot or guide to prevent walking or wandering of a drill bit during drilling of a hole along the score or depression line, wherein the depth is insufficient to affect a structural rigidity of the terminal-connecting region.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Boutin Kris Robin

Classifications

• H01R11/12 Primary

  End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork · CPC title

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H01R11/11 Primary

  End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member (H01R11/01 takes precedence) · CPC title