Coupler for attaching a conduit to a wall

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9917379-B2
Application number	US-201715484824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a conduit coupler including a hub and a lock nut that thread on the hub. In one example, the lock nut includes a ground connection location including a linear wire retention slot. The ground wire can be retained in the linear wire retention slot by a grounding bracket secured at the ground connection location by a grounding screw. The grounding bracket can be captive relative to the grounding screw. The grounding bracket can include integrated spring washer functionality. The ground connection location can be provided on a tower of the lock nut.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupler for attaching a conduit to an enclosure, the coupler comprising:
a hub including a hub main body having a first end and an opposite second end, the hub main body defining a passage that extends through the hub main body along a hub axis from the first end of the hub main body to the second end of the hub main body, the first end of the hub main body defining internal threads adapted to mate with external threads of the conduit, the hub main body defining an externally threaded portion positioned adjacent the second end of the hub main body, the hub also including a hub flange that surrounds the hub axis and projects radially outwardly from the hub main body at an intermediate location between the first and second ends of the hub main body, the hub flange including a hub flange axial end face that faces toward the second end of the hub main body, the hub flange axial end face defining a plurality of gripping structures;
a lock nut adapted to mount on the hub, the lock nut including a lock nut main body having a first end and an opposite second end, the lock nut defining a central opening that extends through the lock nut main body along a lock nut axis from the first end of the lock nut main body to the second end of the lock nut main body, the lock nut main body defining internal threads within the central opening of the lock nut main body, the lock nut also including a ground connection location including a grounding screw opening that is internally threaded, the ground connection location also including at least one linear slot positioned adjacent to the grounding screw opening, the linear slot being configured for receiving a ground wire, the lock nut also including a lock nut flange that surrounds the lock nut axis and projects radially outwardly from the nut main body at a location adjacent to the first end of the lock nut main body, the lock nut flange having a lock nut flange axial end face that faces axially outwardly from the first end of the lock nut main body, the lock nut flange axial end face defining a plurality of gripping structures, wherein when the lock nut is mounted on the hub: a) the lock nut axis is co-axial with the hub axis; b) the externally threaded portion of the main hub body is threaded within the central opening of the lock nut main body; and c) the hub flange axial end face and the lock nut flange axial end face oppose one another;
a grounding bracket that mounts at the ground connection location for securing the ground wire within the linear slot; and
a grounding screw that threads within the grounding screw opening of the ground connection location for mounting the grounding bracket to the ground connection location.

2. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the grounding bracket includes an integrated spring element for applying spring pressure to the grounding screw along an axis of the screw when the grounding screw is threaded into the grounding screw opening to mount the grounding bracket to the ground connection location.

3. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the grounding bracket includes a bracket body defining a screw pass-through opening, wherein the grounding screw includes a screw head and a screw shaft, wherein the grounding screw shaft includes a threaded portion and also defines a capture slot positioned between the screw head and the threaded portion, wherein the grounding screw shaft passes through the screw pass-through opening of the grounding bracket and the grounding bracket is captured at the capture slot between the screw head and the threaded portion of the grounding screw shaft so as to be captive relative to the grounding screw, and wherein the threaded portion of the screw shaft threads within the grounding screw opening of the ground connection location.

4. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the grounding bracket includes a bracket body defining a screw pass-through opening, wherein the grounding screw includes a screw head and a screw shaft, wherein the screw shaft passes through the screw pass-through opening and the screw shaft threads into the grounding screw opening of the ground connection location, wherein the grounding bracket is secured between the screw head and the ground connection location of the lock nut, wherein the grounding bracket includes an integrated cantilever spring having a base end integral with the bracket body and a free end, and wherein the integrated cantilever spring flexes when the grounding screw is threaded into the grounding screw opening thereby causing spring load to be applied to the grounding screw along an axis of the grounding screw.

5. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the grounding bracket includes a main bracket body defining a screw pass-through opening through which the grounding screw extends, and wherein the grounding bracket includes at least one wire retention tab that projects from the main bracket body and extends over the linear slot for capturing the ground wire within the linear slot.

6. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the linear slot has a length that extends generally along the lock nut axis.

7. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the linear slot has a length that extends generally transversely relative to the lock nut axis.

8. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the linear slot is a first linear slot having a length that extends generally along the lock nut axis, and wherein the ground connection location includes a second linear slot having a length that extends generally transversely relative to the lock nut axis.

9. The coupler of claim 1 , wherein the ground connection location includes a grounding tower having a base end portion integral with the lock nut main body and a free end portion that extends axially beyond the second end of the lock nut main body, wherein the grounding screw opening is defined through the free end portion of the grounding tower, and wherein the linear slot is defined at the free end portion of the grounding tower.

10. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the grounding tower defines a set screw opening that extends through the base end portion of the grounding tower to the central opening of the lock nut.

11. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the ground connection location includes an angled face at the free end portion of the grounding tower, and wherein the grounding screw opening is defined at the angled face.

12. The coupler of claim 9 , wherein the lock nut main body defines a set screw opening that extends through the lock nut main body to the central opening of the lock nut, and wherein the set screw opening is offset relative to the grounding tower.

13. The coupler of claim 1 , further comprising a liner coupled to the second end of the hub main body, the liner projecting beyond the second end of the hub main body.

14. The coupler of claim 13 , wherein the ground connection location includes a grounding tower extending from the lock nut main body, wherein the liner projects higher than the grounding tower.

15. A coupler for attaching a conduit to an enclosure, the coupler comprising:
a hub including a hub main body having a first end and an opposite second end, the hub main body defining a passage that extends through the hub main body along a hub axis from the first end of the hub main body to the second end of the hub main body, the first end of the hub main body defining internal threads adapted to mate with external threads of the conduit, the hub main body defining an externally threaded portion positioned adjacent the second end of the hub main body, the hub also including a hub flange that surrounds the hub axis and projects radially outwardly from the hub main body

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• PERNOT Matthew Thomas
• Platt Joseph Edward
• Cheney Eric Perry
• Scarlata Andrew F

Classifications

• H02G3/0683

  with bolts operating in a direction transverse to the conductors · CPC title

• H01R4/60

  Connections between or with tubular conductors (H01R4/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/38

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

• H01R4/646 Primary

  for cables or flexible cylindrical bodies · CPC title

• H01R4/363

  with intermediate part between tip and conductive member · CPC title