The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 26, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 25, 1994
Anthony Vranicar, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Richard S Huang, Saratoga, CA (US);
Larry M Edwards, Fremont, CA (US);
Carl F Landers, Foster City, CA (US);
Wesley Dong, Belmont, CA (US);
Frank Wasilewski, Redwood City, CA (US);
Raychem Corporation, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
A connector for connecting an end of a first elongate electrical heating cable to an end of a first elongate electrical component such as another heating cable or a power cable. The connector includes first and second shell members which can be in a mated or demated configuration and which, when mated, form a shell having a first inlet port for the first heating cable and a second inlet port for the first electrical component. In addition, the connector includes an element for connecting electrodes of the first heating cable to elongate members of the first electrical component and a sealing assembly for holding the first heating cable in position in the first inlet port. The sealing assembly includes a hollow cylindrical ring from which gripping elements in the form of fingers extend perpendicular to the plane of the ring, a nut for making connection to the first inlet port, and a grommet which is held by the fingers and which grips the first heating cable. Also described is a connector which comprises a mirror which is inserted in a connection module containing an element for connection, the mirror being positioned so that the element for connection can be observed from outside the module. The mirror can be used as a visual indicator allowing the installer to determine when the elongate electrical component or heating cable is correctly positioned for connection.