Delbert L Auray, 63630 Warner Hill Rd, Southport, CT 06490

6916988, Jul 12, 2005

Sep 13, 2004

10/939619

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G003/06

174 65R, 174 65 G, 174 681, 174 683, 174 72 C, 174 69, 174 70 R, 174 71 R

An electric connector assembly that includes a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion that is provided with a frustro-conical snap fit retaining ring having a face portion about which laterally extending arms are bent to define a frustro-conical ring circumscribing the face portion. The retainer ring is integrally formed of a spring steel type material an equivalent thereof. Certain of the arms have locking tangs formed or blanked out of the surface thereof, that are cantileverly bent or offset relative to the surface of its corresponding arm. The free end of the arms are arranged to function as an electrical grounding tang in the operative position of the connector assembly. The retainer ring is readily formed from a blank of sheet material that is initially cruciform in shape and which can then be readily shaped to define a retainer ring having a face portion and laterally bent or folded a circumscribing frustro-conical retaining ring from which the locking tangs and grounding tangs are integrally formed.

7057107, Jun 6, 2006

Oct 26, 2005

11/258990

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/06

174 65R, 174 65 G, 174 681, 174 683, 174 72 C, 174 69, 174 70 R, 174 71 R, 439 92, 439587, 439320, 439557, 439535, 439567, 439142

An electric connector assembly having a connector body defining an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion interconnected by a through bore wherein the outlet end portion is provided with a tapering frustro conical surface that is circumscribed by an external retainer ring of a frustro conical shape complementing the frustro conical outer surface of the outlet end portion. The conical external retainer ring also includes locking and grounding tangs arranged to effect a snap fit connection of the connector assembly to a knock-out hole of an electric box or panel. The electric connector assembly further contemplates the use of internal wire conductor retainer associated with the inlet end portion so as to effect the attachment of an electric wire conductor thereto with a snap fit in a manner that prohibits any unintentional separation of the electric wire conductor therefrom.

7064272, Jun 20, 2006

Apr 6, 2005

11/100250

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/06

174 65R, 174 65 G, 174 681, 174 683, 174 72 C, 174 69

An electrical connector that includes a connector body having an inlet end and an outlet end which has an outer surface sloping downwardly toward the outlet opening, and having a complementary frustro conical outer snap retaining ring mounted on the outlet end of the connector body. The outer frustro conical retaining ring is integrally formed from a blank of spring steel having integral locking and grounding tangs blanked or formed out of the plane of the blank. The connector assembly also includes an internal sleeve secured to the inlet end formed with spring fingers to secure an electrical conductor to the inlet end by a snap fit. In an alternate embodiment, a simple clamp arrangement can be substituted for the internal snap fit sleeve for securing a wire conductor to the inlet end of the connector assembly.

7075007, Jul 11, 2006

Jun 13, 2005

11/151374

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/06

174 65R, 174 65 G, 174 681, 174 72 C, 174 69, 174 71 R, 174 683, 439 92, 439587, 439320, 439557, 439535, 439567, 439142

An electrical connector that includes a connector body having an inlet end and an outlet end that slopes downwardly toward the outlet opening that is circumscribed by a complementary frustro conical outer snap-fit retaining ring mounted on the outlet end of the connector body. The outer frustro conical retaining ring is integrally formed from a blank of spring steel having integral locking and grounding tangs blanked or formed out of the plane of the blank. The connector assembly also includes an internal sleeve having inwardly formed spring fingers to secure an electrical conductor to the inlet end by a snap fit. In an alternate embodiment, a simple clamp arrangement is substituted for the internal snap fit sleeve for securing a wire conductor to the inlet end of the connector assembly. In another embodiment, the connector assembly includes a connector body having complementary body sections, one of which includes a leading end, with the complementary body sections defining a trailing end having multiple chambers for accommodating a wire conductor retaining sleeve within the respective chambers whereby multiple conductors can be secured to the connector body with a snap fit.

7151223, Dec 19, 2006

Apr 12, 2006

11/403099

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/00

174 70R, 174480, 174 681, 174 683, 174 72 C, 174 69, 174 71 R, 174650, 174506, 439 92, 439587, 439557, 439320, 439535, 439567, 439142

Various embodiments of electric connector assemblies, each of which includes a connector body having a frustro-conically shaped outlet end portion that converges toward the outlet opening with a complementary frustro-conically shaped external ring circumscribing the outlet end portion wherein the frustro-conical retainer ring is integrally formed with a locking tang and electrical grounding tangs arranged to be snap fitted to a knock-out hole of an electric box, in combination with an internal unidirectional snap-fit wire conductor retainer disposed in the inlet end portion of the connector body to facilitate the connection of a wire conductor to the connector body and whereby unintentional separation of the wire conductor therefrom is prohibited.

7154042, Dec 26, 2006

Apr 7, 2006

11/400606

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/00

174 70R, 174480, 174 681, 174 683, 174 72 C, 174 69, 174 71 R, 174650, 174506, 439 92, 439587, 439557, 439320, 439535, 439567, 439142

An electric connector assembly disclosing various embodiments, each of which includes a connector body having a frustro-conically shaped outlet end portion that converges toward the outlet opening and having a complementary frustro conically shaped retainer ring circumscribing the outlet end portion wherein the retainer ring is integrally formed with a locking tang and ground tangs arranged to be snap fitted to a knock-out hole of an electric box. The latest embodiment includes a frustro-conical retainer ring having an auxiliary tang arranged to permit the connector assembly to be obliquely inserted and locked to a knock-out hole of an electric box using a minimum of applied force for effecting a snap fit connection to both lock and electrically ground the connector assembly to the electric box and a method of installing the associated connector body to an electric box.

7205489, Apr 17, 2007

Feb 28, 2006

11/364435

Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US
Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/06

174666, 174650, 174659, 439557

An electric connector assembly having a connector body defining an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion and having a frustro-conical retainer ring connected to the outlet end portion wherein the retainer ring is formed with locking and grounding tangs arranged to effect a snap-fit locking and grounding connection to a knockout hole of an electric box located in an existing wall and a tool arranged to engage slots formed in the retainer ring to facilitate the pulling of the connector assembly through the knockout hole of an electric box for seating and locking the electric connected thereto, and a method for securing the electrical connector assembly to an electric box installed in a finished wall.

7214890, May 8, 2007

Oct 10, 2006

11/545640

Kenneth M. Kiely - Milford CT, US
Delbert Auray - Southport CT, US

Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. - Stratford CT

H02G 3/06

174666, 174659, 174663, 439557

This disclosure is directed to electrical connectors that include a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion and a bore extending therethrough, wherein the outlet end portion is provided with an outer surface that slopes downwardly toward the outlet opening and having a complementary sloping or frustro-conical retaining ring having locking tangs and grounding tangs for snap locking the outlet end portion to an electric box or enclosure, and a wire retainer fitted to the inlet end portion for receiving and securing a wire conductor thereto. The connector body may take several forms including a form wherein the inlet opening is angularly disposed relative to the outlet opening, with the inlet opening being formed to be press fitted onto a flexible conduit.