WO2008045924A1

WO2008045924A1 - Intermediate connection device and electrical socket with same

Info

Publication number: WO2008045924A1
Application number: PCT/US2007/080919
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jun Wei Han
Original assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
Priority date: 2006-10-11
Filing date: 2007-10-10
Publication date: 2008-04-17
Also published as: CN101162802A; CN101162802B

Abstract

An intermediate connection device can include a supporting member having an opening. The device can also include a supporting frame on one side of the supporting member surrounding the opening in the surrounding member. The device can also include a contact body made of electrical conducting material that is secured on the other side of the supporting member. The device can also include an insulation displacement connection unit which can consist of a housing, a cap, and a contact piece made of electrically conductive material, which are engaged together while wires are inserted. The supporting frame can receive the housing of the insulation displacement connection unit to position the insulation displacement connection unit on the supporting member with the contact piece thereof being in contact with the contact body to achieve the electrical connection.

Description

INTERMEDIATE CONNECTION DEVICE AND ELECTRICAL SOCKET WITH

SAME

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an intermediate connection device arranged between the electric wires and a connection element for an electrical apparatus, such as a household socket, and/or a data processing unit. In particular, the present invention relates to the household socket with this intermediate connection device.

Background of the Invention

Usually, the conventional installation boxes for switches and wall plugs, or also known as junction boxes, are installed with the electric wires of the power source by conventional means, which generally consist of interrupting the wires of the power source and of ensuring the connection by screwing or clipping in contact elements provided in the boxes. In this case, the connection boxes are provided to be installed permanently, and their substitution or their replacement is a relatively complicated operation. On the other hand, the screw-type connection is very time consuming and thus labor intensive, and will be unreliable due to possible looseness of screws, which considerably increases the risk of a short circuit.

Conventionally, many of the existing junction boxes of household sockets have screw-clamping connections. This kind of connection is labor intensive and will be unreliable due to possible looseness of screws. Also this connection is subject to humidity problems and the screw type clamping surface is limited.

In addition, US patent 3,609,644 issued to William J. Seim has disclosed solderless wire-connectors for use in attaching insulated wires to the contact posts of a telephone main frame assembly. However, this connector has just been disclosed for making in-line solderless electrical connection in a communications installation between a pair of insulated wires and a main frame flat post, but not for switches, wall plugs and so on. Summary of the Invention

The present invention proposes to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing an intermediate connection device, which considerably simplifies and accelerates the attachment of the wires with the connection being stronger and more reliable. At the same time, this intermediate connection device can be replaced in an electrical apparatus.

In another aspect, the present invention proposes to provide a household socket with the above-mentioned intermediate connection device. According to the present invention, the above-mentioned objectives can be achieved by an intermediate connection device that includes: a supporting member, in which an opening is provided; a supporting frame being provided on one side of the supporting member and surrounding the opening in the supporting member; a contact body made of electrical conducting material being secured on the other side of the supporting member; and an insulation displacement connection (IDC) unit consisting of a housing, a cap and a contact piece made of electrically conducting material, which are engaged together while wires are inserted; wherein the supporting frame can receive the housing of the insulation displacement connection unit to position the insulation displacement connection unit on the supporting member with the contact piece thereof being connected with the contact body to achieve the electrical connection.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the intermediate connection device can be applied to an electrical socket for household use.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an intermediate connection device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the supporting member and the supporting frame of the intermediate connection device shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the IDC unit under the disassembling state of the intermediate connection device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4a-4e is a schematic perspective view of the IDC unit under the assembling state of the intermediate connection device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5a-5c are schematic perspective views for illustrating the wires being removed from the IDC unit of the intermediate connection device shown in Figure 1 for replacing the wires; Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of an electrical socket with the intermediate connection device of the present invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, many other elements found in a typical device. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other elements that are necessary and/or desirable for implementing the present invention. With reference to Figure 1 , the intermediate connection device 1 , according to the present invention, includes a supporting member 10 in this embodiment, which is a plate- type member. On one side of this supporting member 10, a supporting frame 11 is fixed. As shown more specifically in Figure 2, an opening 12 is provided in the supporting member 10 at the position of the supporting frame 1 1. On the other side of the supporting member 10, a contact body 13 made of electrically conducting material is provided. The feet 131 of the contact body 13 are normally used as current transferring devices in a junction box and are secured on the supporting member 10. A mating finger 132 is formed as a groove on the contact body 13 to receive the contact piece of the insulation displacement connection (IDC) unit 14 explained in the following text. The intermediate connection device 1 further includes an insulation displacement connection (IDC) unit 14. With reference to Figure 3, which shows the structure of the IDC unit in detail, the IDC unit 14 consists of three parts, the housing 141, the cap 142 and the contact piece 143.

As shown in Figure 3, the housing 141 is in a shape that can be received in the cavity of the supporting frame 11. In this embodiment, the housing 141 is designed in a rectangular shape. Each of the two side-walls of the housing 141 has a latch 1411 that can be snapped into the notches 111 provided on two sides of the supporting frame 11 and are then, positioned on the IDC unit 14 in the cavity of the supporting frame 11. Step 1412 is provided on the inner corner of the housing 141, which is provided to avoid the contact piece 143 against the inner corner of the housing 141, that is, to position the contact piece 143 in a suitable position. Elastic grooves 1413 are symmetrically provided on the upper inner walls of the housing 141. When the cap 142 is put on the housing 141, these grooves 1413 can prevent it from immediately falling into the housing 141 by the engagement between these grooves 1413 and the projections 1421 provided on the lower sides of the cap 142. In this state, the wires can be conveniently inserted into the holes 1422. The cap 142 is provided with a channel 1424 for engaging with a vertical wing

1431 of the contact piece 143. In addition, there are some sloped ribs 1423 on the top surface of the cap 142 with the facility of the tool pressing on the cap 142.

The contact piece 143 is made of electrically conducting material and consists of two portions perpendicular to each other. One is the tail 1432, the other is the vertical wing 1431 as previously mentioned. There are U-slots 1431a in the vertical wing 1431 , which correspond to the wires to be inserted later and split insulation of the wires to realize electrical connection. The tail 1432 is designed in a T-shape.

With reference to Figures 4a-4e, these drawings show the assembling process of the intermediate connection device according to the present invention. First, the installer pushes the contact piece 143 into the housing 141 until the contact piece 143 is against the step 1412 of the housing 141. This partial assembled structure is inserted into the supporting frame 11 with the latches 1411 snapping into the notches 111 of the supporting frame 11. At the same time, the tail 1432 of the contact piece 143 is inserted through the opening 12 of the supporting member 10 and into the mating finger 132. Under this circumstance, the housing 141 and the contact piece 143 have been attached on the supporting frame 11 reliably. The sealant is preferably injected into the cavity enclosed by the supporting frame 11 and the housing 141 to ensure the electrical connection.

The cap 142 is then put on the housing 141 as shown in Figure 4C. With the engagement between the projections 1421 and the elastic grooves 1413, the cap 142 is stopped with the wire holes 1422 being exposed. Then, two wires W are inserted into the holes 1422 as shown in Figure 4D. The installer uses a tool (not shown) to press on the top surface of the cap. The projections 1421 escape from the grooves so that the cap 142 falls downwardly in the housing 141. At the same time, the U-slots 1431a have a function to split the insulation of the wires and achieve the electrical connection between the wires and the contact pieces. Figure 4e shows the final state while the IDC unit 14 is positioned in the supporting member 10 to achieve an intermediate connection. With reference to Figures 5a-5c, these drawings show that the IDC unit 14 is removed from the supporting member 10 and the IDC unit is disassembled to replace the wires. In contrast to the steps for assembling the IDC unit, the IDC unit can be disassembled as shown in Figures 5a-5c. Thereafter, if desired, the cap, the housing and the contact piece can be reinstalled into the supporting member and be ready for use in another connection.

To those skilled in the art, it is apparent that the cap can accept several wires, such as three or four, not two as shown in the embodiment.

Figure 6 shows a household socket with the intermediate connection device according to the present invention. The household socket includes a plate 20, in which a plurality of holes 21 are provided to be inserted with two-pin plugs or three-pin plugs (not shown). On the backside of the plate 20, there are several contact-seats 22 positioned corresponding to the holes 21, so that the plugs can insert through the holes from the front side of the plate to the backside of the plate and seat in the contact-seats 22. The contact- seats 22 are soldered onto the contact bodies 13 of the intermediate connection device. In particular, the contact-seats 22 are soldered onto the feet 131 of the contact bodies 13. The feet 131 of the contact body 13 are used as current transferring elements. In this embodiment, the supporting member 10 of the intermediate connection device is formed as a box and can be fixed on the backside of the plate 20 with screws 30. With this arrangement, the box-shaped supporting member 10 can enclose the contact-seats 22 and the contact bodies 13 with the plate 20. There are three IDC units 14 in the supporting member with three corresponding supporting frames 11 , which are corresponding to the contact bodies 13. Normally, the number of the IDC unit depends on the number of the connection plugs inserted into the socket.

While in use, the household socket as such is used as a wall plug. In order to connect the electrical power wires in the wall, the IDC units 14 shall be removed from the supporting frames 11. In this circumstance, the electrical power wires on the wall are attached on each of the IDC units 14 with the above-mentioned steps 4a-4e. After the wires are connected on the IDC units 14, the IDC units 14 are inserted into the supporting frames 11. Since the supporting member 10 has been attached on the backside of the plate 20, the installer can push and fix the plate 20 on the wall. Therefore, the electrical wiring operation is completed. If desired, the plate 20 can be removed from the wall. In this circumstance, the installer can pull out the plate, and the IDC units 14 can be removed from the supporting frames 11. With the steps shown in Figures 5a-5c, the wires can be removed from the socket.

Advantageously, the intermediate connection device can be applied to various electrical apparatus, such as, socket, panel and so on. During the installation, it does not need to peel out insulation layers of the electrical wires and screws. It eliminates the trash of cable jackets and reduces assembly time and cost considerably. With the wires being connected to the contact piece with the U-slot, the electrical connection is reliable so as to avoid hazards caused by screw-type connections.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented. The foregoing description and the following claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations.

Claims

Claims.

1. An intermediate connection device comprising: a supporting member, in which an opening is provided; a supporting frame being provided on one side of the supporting member and surrounding the opening in the supporting member; a contact body made of electrical conducting material being secured on the other side of the supporting member; and an insulation displacement connection unit consisting of a housing, a cap and a contact piece made of electrically conducting material, which are engaged together while wires are inserted; wherein the supporting frame can receive the housing of the insulation displacement connection unit to position the insulation displacement connection unit on the supporting member with the contact piece thereof being connected with the contact body to achieve the electrical connection.

2. An electrical socket comprising: a plate, in which a plurality of holes is provided to be inserted with two-pin plugs or three-pin plugs; contact-seats positioned on the backside of the plate corresponding to the holes, the plugs can insert through the holes from the front side of the plate to the backside of the plate and seat in the contact-seats; the contact-seats secured with an intermediate connection device; the intermediate connection device that includes: a supporting member fixed on the backside of the plate, in which openings are provided; supporting frames being provided on one side of the supporting member and surrounding the openings in the supporting member; contact bodies made of electrical conducting material being secured on the other side of the supporting member and attached to the contact-seats; and insulation displacement connection units respectively consisting of a housing, a cap and a contact piece made of electrically conducting material, which are engaged together while wires are inserted; wherein the supporting frames can receive the housings of the insulation displacement connection units to position the insulation displacement connection units on the supporting member with the contact piece thereof being connected with the contact bodies to achieve the electrical connection.

3. A method for using the intermediate connection device on a household socket, the household socket comprising a plate, in which a plurality of holes provided to be inserted with two-pin plugs or three-pin plugs; contact-seats positioned on the backside of the plate corresponding to the holes, the plugs can insert through the holes from the front side of the plate to the backside of the plate and seat in the contact-seats; the method includes the following steps: the contact-seats are secured with an intermediate connection device according to Claim 1; the intermediate connection device includes: a supporting member fixed on the backside of the plate, in which openings are provided; supporting frames being provided on one side of the supporting member and surrounding the openings in the supporting member; contact bodies made of electrical conducting material being secured on the other side of the supporting member and attached to the contact-seats; and insulation displacement connection units respectively consisting of a housing, a cap and a contact piece made of electrically conducting material, which are engaged together while wires are inserted; wherein the supporting frames can receive the housings of the insulation displacement connection units to position the insulation displacement connection units on the supporting member with the contact piece thereof being connected with the contact bodies to achieve the electrical connection.