Centerpin Technology, Inc.

Current Products Corp.

Dale C McCarthy

Willis Jay Mullet

Darrin W Brunk

Daniel T Matthews

Michael D Fox

An architectural covering is presented having a rotatable drive element having a guide structure and a plurality of idler attachment elements and a drive element positioned over the rotatable drive element. The rotatable drive element is connected to a wall, ceiling or other structure by brackets. In one arrangement a drive shaft having at least one bearing is then attached to the brackets such that the rotatable drive elements rotate upon the bearings. This arrangement provides an efficient, simple and convenient manner of attaching a rotatable drive element to brackets for mounting.

Motorized drapery apparatus, system and method of use

The subject invention relates to an electrical connector for coupling to an insulated single conductor electrical cable or to a coaxial cable, the latter being of the type having an inner conductor enclosed in an inner concentric insulation and having a generally concentric conductive sheath therearound and an outer insulation enclosing the conductive sheath. The subject connector includes a housing having an electrically conductive portion and a bore therein. One or more conductive arms can be disposed in the bore and electrically connected to the conductive housing portion and have pointed ends sized for piercing the outer insulation of the insulated electrical conductor. A closure member is included for closing the open end of the above and for forcing and/or securing engagement of the pointed ends of the conductive arms through the outer insulation of an electrical cable. For embodiments for use with a coaxial cable, the conductive arms are insulated from the electrical conductive pin and the pointed ends of the conductive arms can be shaped relative to one another to pierce the outer insulation and the conductive sheath of the cable without contacting the center conductor.

Electrical connector apparatus and method

A connector is provided for coupling a single wire electrical cable to an electrical appliance. The connector includes a body portion, a compression collar, and an end cap. The body portion has an elongated axis at one end of which is a battery terminal attaching portion and at the other end of which is a cable receiving portion that has a threaded outer surface and an internally positioned electrically conducive prong for penetrating the end of an electrical cable. The compression collar is sized to fit over an electrical conductor and has gripping fingers for engaging the surface of an electrical conductor. The end cap has an opening through which a cable can be inserted and includes threads on the inner surface for mating with the threads on the body portion. In practice, an electrical conductor is inserted through the opening in the end cap and through the compression collar and impinged onto the conductive prong of the body portion. Then the end cap is threaded onto the body portion, engaging the compression collar and forcing the gripping fingers of the compression collar into engagement with the surface of the electrical conductor and thereby forcing the electrical conductor into tight engagement with the conducive prong of the connector. One embodiment provides for a cap having the gripping collar positioned and held in the cap by flanges loosely mated to the cap at each end of the collar thereby to allow the cap to rotate independently of the collar.

Battery terminal

The subject invention relates to an electrical connector for coupling to an insulated electrical conductor or a coaxial cable of the type having an inner conductor enclosed in an inner concentric insulation and having a generally concentric conductive sheath therearound and an outer insulation enclosing the conductive sheath. The subject connector can have a housing having an electrically conductive portion and a bore therein. The subject connector can also have an electrically conductive pin mounted in the housing with one end protruding axially into the housing bore. A second end of the conductive pin can extend in an opposite direction within a second housing bore. The electrically conductive center pin can have a hollow portion extending thereinto from the protruding end and can have an annular sharpened edge on the protruding end. One or more slits can extend along the side of the center pin from the protruding end to form a plurality of center pin segments. Inserting an insulating electrical conductor into the housing bore and into engagement with the hollow center pin drives the center pin into the insulation of the electrical conductor and around the electrical conductor's inner conductor. A segmented center pin can allow the plurality of segments to expand where necessary in order to accommodate various sizes of electrical conductors. One or more conductive arms can be electrically connected to the conductive housing portion and have pointed ends sized for piercing the outer insulation of the insulated electrical conductor. A closure member can be used for forcing and/or securing engagement of the pointed ends of the conductive arms through the outer insulation. For embodiments for use with coaxial cable, the conductive arms are insulated from the electrical conductive pin and the conductive arms are insulated from the electrical conductive pin and the pointed ends of the conductive arms can be shaped relative to one another to pierce the conductive sheath without contacting the center conductor.

The present invention is for an electrical connector and a method of making an electrical connector which connector has a housing having a bore therein and a housing cap having an aperture therethrough sized for an electrical conductor to pass through. An electrical conductor gripping collar is positioned between the housing and housing cap for gripping an electrical conductor threaded through the housing cap, through the gripping collar, and into the housing bore. The gripping collar is formed of a single generally flat piece of material having at least one opening therein having a plurality of gripping fingers extending from the edge of the opening for gripping an electrical conductor threaded therethrough for holding the electrical conductor to the electrical connector. The gripping collar can advantageously be made of flat material which has been stamped with a shaped die to punch a hole in the material and form the gripping fingers. The gripping collar can also be made to penetrate the insulation of the electrical conductor or to grasp the electrical conductor without penetrating the insulation as desired.

An electrical connector and method for coupling an electrical conductor thereto has a conductor housing having at least one bore therein and an electrical conductive prong mounted in the housing bore. An electrical conductor gripping collar is positioned in each conductor housing bore with gripping fingers extending from the housing bore. A collar driving member or collar ring has an opening therein to receive an insulated electric conductor which extends therethrough, and through the gripping collar into the housing bore end onto the electrical conductive prong and to engage the extended and of the gripping collar. The collar driving member is used to push the gripping collar further into the housing bore to force the gripping fingers of the gripping collar onto the electrical conductor's insulation. The collar driving member is then fastened to the connector housing to couple the electrical conductor to the electrical connector. The housing can have a plurality of bores therein each having a gripping collar attached thereto driven by a single collar driving member having a plurality of openings therethrough for a plurality of electrical conductors.

An electrical connector for coupling to a coaxial cable of the type having an inner conductor enclosed in an inner concentric insulation and having a generally concentric conductive sheath therearound and an outer insulation enclosing the conductive sheath. The connector has a housing having an electrically conductive portion and a bore therein. An electrically conductive pin has one end protruding axially into the housing bore and the second prong end extending in an opposite direction within a second housing bore. One or more conductive arms are electrically connected to the conductive housing portion and insulated from the electrical conductive prong and having pointed ends sized for driving the clamp into the outer insulation and into the conductive sheath without contacting the center conductor. A closure member for enforcing engagement of the pointed ends of the conductive arms into the outer insulation.

Coaxial cable connector

The subject invention pertains to an electrical/connector for coupling to a coaxial cable of the type having an inner conductor enclosed in an inner concentric insulation and having a generally concentric conductive sheath therearound and an outer insulation enclosing the conductive sheath. The connector has a housing having an electrically conductive portion and a bore therein. In a specific embodiment, an electrically conductive pin or prong has one end protruding axially into the housing bore and the second prong end extending in an opposite direction within a second housing bore. One or more conductive clamps are electrically connected to the conductive housing portion and insulated from the electrical conductive prong and has pointed ends sized for driving the clamp into the outer insulation and into the conductive sheath without contacting the center conductor. A housing cap has an annular wedging member for driving the conductive clamps pointed ends into the outer insulation and into the conductive sheath for making electrical contact therewith and for holding the coaxial cable within the connector. When the coaxial cable is slid into the connector, the center conductor is driven onto the conductive prong extending axially into the bore of the housing and the housing cap member is threaded onto a threaded portion of the housing so that the connector can be removed by unscrewing the cap member from the housing.

An electrical connector for coupling to a coaxial cable. The connector has a housing with a bore therein and a first electrical conductive prong protruding axially into the housing bore for receiving the end of an insulated electrical conductor. A second electrical conductive prong is attached to the housing and protrudes axially into the housing bore generally concentric to the first electrical conductive prong. The coaxial cable end is pushed into the housing bore to drive the center conductor into the first conductive prong and the second conductive prong into the cable conductive sheath. A coaxial cable collar is shaped to fit over the end of a piece of coaxial cable placed in the housing and has compressible fingers for driving onto the coax cable outer insulation to lock the cable to the housing. A cap having an annular wedging surface therein compresses the coaxial cable collar in the housing onto the insulated coaxial cable.

Coaxial cable connector and method

An electrical connector for coupling to an insulated electrical conductor which includes a housing having a housing cover, said housing and cover each having a bore therein, one of which has a tapered portion and the other end of which has a flat end wall, electrical conductive prong, attached to said housing in the bore therein and extending axially into the housing bore for receiving the end of an insulated electrical conductor. Attaching means for attaching the housing cover to the housing. A compression collar having a bore extending axially therethrough for insertion of a wire therethrough and into the housing bore and onto the pointed prong extending thereinto. The compression collar having a flat surface at one end and an angled compression portion at the other end for wedging into the tapered portion of the one bore upon said cover being attached to the housing and being compressed upon driving the collar into the tapered portion of the bore whereby an insulated wire can be rapidly connected to an electrical connector without removing the insulation from the end thereof. The collar can be a one piece polymer member. The housing may have a plurality of bores each provided with a conductive prong and serviced by a corresponding plurality of compression collars for connecting a plurality of electrical conductors in the connector.

Electrical connector

An electrical connector for coupling to a coax cable of the type having an inner conductor enclosed in an inner concentric insulation and having a generally concentric conductive sheath therearound and an outer insulation enclosing the conductive sheath. The connector has a housing having an electrically conductive portion and a bore therein. An electrically conductive pin or prong has one end protruding axially into the housing bore and the second prong end extending in an opposite direction within a second housing bore. One or more conductive clamps are electrically connected to the conductive housing portion and insulated from the electrical conductive prong and has pointed ends sized for driving the clamp into the outer insulation and into the conductive sheath without contacting the center conductor. A housing cap has an annular wedging member for driving the conductive clamps pointed ends into the outer insulation and into the conductive sheath for making electrical contact therewith and for holding the coax cable within the connector. When the coax cable is slid into the connector, the center conductor is driven onto the conductive prong extending axially into the bore of the housing and the housing cap member is threaded onto a threaded portion of the housing so that the connector can be removed by unscrewing the cap member from the housing. The connector may be of the type for attaching to an apparatus, such as attaching an antenna of a television set.

An electrical connector for coupling to an insulated electrical conductor includes an insulated housing having a threaded bore therein, which bore has a tapered portion therein. An electrical conductive prong has two end portions with one end portion attached to the housing and having a second end portion protruding axially into the housing bore for receiving the end of an insulated electrical conductor. A threaded compression collar is threadedly attached in the bore and has a bore extending axially therethrough for insertion of a wire therethrough and into the housing bore and onto the pointed prong extending thereinto. The threaded compression collar has a compressed portion compressible by threading the collar into the tapered portion of the bore whereby threading the collar onto the tapered portion of the bore clamps the collar onto the wire placed therein so that an insulated wire can be rapidly connected to an electrical connector without removing the insulation from the end of the wire. The collar has the bores tapered with an expandable and compressible end so that different size wires can be inserted therethrough and guided onto the connector prong. The collar has split end portions to allow expansion or compression and can be a one piece polymer member.

Growing community of inventors

Pensacola, FL, United States of America

Dale C McCarthy