US-20260128546-A1 - ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS FOR SPLICING CONNECTIONS

US20260128546A1US 20260128546 A1US20260128546 A1US 20260128546A1US-20260128546-A1

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a housing defining a first port, a second port substantially parallel to the first port, and a third port substantially perpendicular to the first and second ports. The electrical connector includes a busbar positioned within the housing and facilitating electrical contact between the plurality of electrical conductors. The electrical connector includes a plurality of clamping connections that, when engaged, each holds at least one of the plurality of electrical conductors received in at least one of the plurality of ports in electrical connection with the busbar.

Inventors

Alan E. Zantout
Jason W. Ludewig

Assignees

IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251106

Claims (20)

1 . An electrical connector comprising: a housing defining a plurality of ports for inserting a plurality of electrical conductors, wherein the plurality of ports includes a first port, a second port substantially opposed to the first port, and a third port substantially perpendicular to the first and second ports; a busbar positioned within the housing facilitating electrical contact between the plurality of electrical conductors; and a plurality of clamping connections that, when engaged, each holds at least one of the plurality of electrical conductors received in at least one of the plurality of ports in electrical connection with the busbar.
2 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the busbar extends into any one or more of the first, second, and third ports.
3 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the busbar includes a grounding arm extending beyond the housing.
4 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the busbar includes an electrical conductor that is fed through at least one of the plurality of ports.
5 . The electrical connector of claim 4 , wherein the electrical conductor of the busbar that extends beyond the housing includes an insulator.
6 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of clamping connections includes an insulation displacement connection that, when engaged, pushes a contact of the busbar into the electrical conductor, causing the contact to make electrical contact with the electrical conductor through an insulation of the electrical conductor.
7 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein a port of the plurality of ports is a push-in connection that, when the electrical conductor is pushed into the port, uses a spring to hold the electrical conductor to the busbar.
8 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein a clamping connection of the plurality of clamping connections includes a lever that, when actuated by a user, engages the clamping connection.
9 . An electrical connector comprising: a housing defining a plurality of ports for receiving a plurality of electrical conductors, wherein at least two of the plurality of ports are on a first plane, at least one of the plurality of ports are on a second plane, and the first plane and the second plane intersect within the housing; a busbar positioned within the housing facilitating electrical contact between the plurality of electrical conductors; and one or more clamping connections that, when engaged, each holds at least one of the plurality of electrical conductors received in at least one of the plurality of ports in electrical connection with the busbar, wherein the housing defines a clamping connection of the one or more clamping connections.
10 . The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein the busbar includes a cutting edge configured to receive at least some of the electrical conductor such that, when the clamping connection is engaged, the clamping connection pushes the electrical conductor into the cutting edge, causing the cutting edge to make electrical contact with the electrical conductor through an insulation of the electrical conductor.
11 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the electrical conductor is placed on the first plane when the electrical conductor is coupled with the electrical connector, and the busbar is placed on the second plane.
12 . The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein a port of the plurality of ports is a push-in connection that, when the electrical conductor is pushed into the port, uses a spring to hold the electrical conductor to the busbar.
13 . The electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the electrical conductor and the busbar are placed on the first plane.
14 . The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein: the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion; the first portion of the housing includes one or more electrical conductor placement guides; and the second portion of the housing includes the busbar.
15 . The electrical connector of claim 14 , wherein the first portion is integrated with a junction box.
16 . The electrical connector of claim 14 , wherein the second portion includes a fastener that attaches the second portion to the first portion and provides a grounding connection to the busbar through the second portion.
17 . An electrical connector comprising: a housing defining a plurality of ports for inserting a plurality of electrical conductors, wherein at least two of the plurality of ports are on a first plane, at least one of the plurality of ports are on a second plane, and the first plane and the second plane intersect within the housing; a busbar positioned within the housing, wherein the busbar includes a plurality of contact surfaces, and each one of the plurality of contact surfaces is associated with one of the plurality of ports; and one or more clamping connections that, when engaged, each holds at least one of the plurality of electrical conductors received in at least one of the plurality of ports against at least one of the plurality of contact surfaces associated with the at least one of the plurality of ports.
18 . The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein the busbar extends into any one or more of the first, second, and third ports.
19 . The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein the busbar includes a grounding arm extending beyond the housing.
20 . The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of clamping connections includes an insulation displacement connection that, when engaged, pushes a contact of the busbar into the electrical conductor, causing the contact to make electrical contact with the electrical conductor through an insulation of the electrical conductor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 63/717,593, filed on Nov. 7, 2025, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure generally relates to electrical connectors, such as lever and push-in connectors. BACKGROUND Manual splicing of electrical conductors, such as wires or cables, can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, requiring careful attention to detail to establish a safe and reliable connection. Splicing may require careful manipulation so that the electrical conductors are properly seated and in good electrical contact with each other. This can be particularly difficult in applications where multiple electrical conductors need to be spliced, such as in junction boxes or distribution panels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an electrical connector. FIG. 1B is a front cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a side cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1D is an exploded view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an electrical connector with electrical conductors connected to the busbar. FIG. 2B is a front cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a side cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2D is an exploded view of the electrical connector of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an electrical connector. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is an exploded view of the electrical connector of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an electrical connector. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4C is a bottom perspective view of an upper part of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4D is an exploded view of the upper part of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4E is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4F is a perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A affixed to a junction box. FIG. 4G is a perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A with an integrated base. FIG. 4H is a perspective view of the integrated base of the electrical connector of FIG. 4A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The complexity of installing electrical splices can lead to errors, such as loose connections, overheating, or electrical shock, which can have serious consequences in terms of safety and system reliability. Manual approaches for splicing, such as twisting or soldering, may be cumbersome and require specialized tools and training, which can increase the overall cost and complexity of the wiring process. As a result, there is a need for a more simple and efficient approach for splicing electrical conductors in electrical systems. Embodiments of the present disclosure include connectors that provide a single connection point for splicing multiple electrical conductors in a fast, secure, and user-friendly manner that improves on known splicing devices and approaches. Embodiments may include mechanical attachments (e.g., push-in or lever) to the electrical conductors that provide reliable electrical connections while reducing the amount of manual manipulation of electrical conductors. Embodiments may also provide multi-directional routing of electrical conductors for improved electrical conductor organization. FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a connector 100. The connector 100 may include features such as levers, resilient members or springs, entry ports, and busbar materials and features from the connectors described in U.S. Pat. No. 11,695,224, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The connector 100 may include a housing composed of one or more parts. For example, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in the figures (particularly FIG. 1D), the housing includes a left part 112, a center part 114, and a right part 116. The housing (e.g., the left part 112, center part 114, and right part 116) may be made from or may comprise a rigid, electrically insulative material. For example, the housing of the connector 100 may be made from or may comprise polycarbonate, nylon, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and/or another appropriate material. If made from multiple parts, each part of the housing (e.g., the left part 112, center part 114, and right part 116) may include complementary mechanical features for coupling with each other, such as latches, threads, snap fits, clips, hinges, ultrasonic welding, heat stake, magnets, bayonet mounts, slots, and/or the like. The housing of the connector 100 may define a set of ports. Each port may receive an electrical conductor and lead to a respective clamping connection for forming an electrical connection with another electrical conductor. For example, the housing m