Grounding cone for providing electrical contact in electrical system grounding

Abstract

The invention relates to a grounding cone for providing electrical contact in electrical system grounding. A grounding cone for providing electrical contact to the interior of a conduit is provided. The grounding cone includes a cone body including one or more tabs positioned on and extending radially outward from the cone body, the one or more tabs positioned separately from each other. At least one of the one or more tabs has a helical edge shaped to be received in the groove of the thread. The cone includes a cap end and a bottom end opposite the cap end. The grounding cone also includes a cap extending longitudinally from the cone at a cap end and toward the bottom end. The cone and the cover define a channel sized to receive an end of a catheter therein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The field of the present disclosure relates generally to electrical systems, and more particularly to grounding cones used for grounding in electrical systems. Background Art

[0002] Conduit and conduit assemblies are used to carry and protect wires or cables in electrical systems. Conduit assemblies are constructed by connecting a length of conduit with fittings. To ensure the performance and safety of the conduit assembly, the electrical continuity of the conduit assembly needs to pass certain tests. Grounding cones are used to provide electrical contact between the interior of the conduit and the rest of the conduit assembly. Known methods and assemblies are disadvantageous in certain aspects and need improvement. Summary of the invention

[0003] In one aspect, a ground cone for providing electrical contact to the interior of a conduit is provided. The ground cone includes a cone body, the cone including one or more tabs, the one or more tabs being positioned on the cone body and extending radially outward from the cone body, the one or more tabs being positioned apart from each other. At least one of the one or more tabs has a spiral edge, the spiral edge being shaped to be received in a groove of a thread. The cone body includes a cap end and a bottom end opposite the cap end. The ground cone also includes a cover extending longitudinally from the cone body at the cap end and extending toward the bottom end. The cone body and the cover define a channel, the size of the channel being suitable for receiving the end of the conduit therein.

[0004] In another aspect, a ground cone for providing electrical contact to the interior of a conduit is provided. The ground cone includes a cone body, the cone including one or more tabs, the one or more tabs being positioned on the cone body and extending radially outward from the cone body, the one or more tabs being positioned apart from each other, at least one of the one or more tabs having an edge, the edge including a protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the remainder of the edge. The cone includes a cap end and a bottom end opposite the cap end. The ground cone also includes a cover that extends longitudinally from the cone body at the cap end and toward the bottom end. The cone body and the cover define a channel that is sized to receive an end of the conduit therein.

[0005] In another aspect, a method of manufacturing a catheter assembly is provided. The method includes providing a catheter, and providing a grounding cone. The grounding cone includes a cone, the cone including one or more tabs, the one or more tabs being positioned on the cone and extending radially outward from the cone, the one or more tabs being positioned apart from each other. At least one of the one or more tabs has an edge, the edge including a protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the remainder of the edge. The cone includes a cover end and a bottom end opposite the cover end. The grounding cone also includes a cover that extends longitudinally from the cone at the cover end and extends toward the bottom end. The cone and the cover define a channel sized to accommodate an end of the catheter therein. The method also includes coupling the grounding cone and the catheter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings.

[0007] Figure 1A It is a catheter assembly.

[0008] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A The catheter assembly shown is along Figure 1A A cross-sectional view taken along section line 1B-1B.

[0009] Figure 1C yes Figure 1A Exploded view of catheter assembly shown.

[0010] Figure 2A yes Figure 1A A perspective view of an example grounding cone in a catheter assembly is shown.

[0011] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A Side view of the ground cone shown.

[0012] Figure 2C yes Figure 2A Bottom view of the ground cone shown.

[0013] Figure 2D It is along Figure 2A 2D-2D cross-section of the ground cone.

[0014] Figure 3 is used Figures 1A-2D A flow chart of an example method of manufacturing a catheter assembly with a ground cone is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The present disclosure includes assemblies and methods for manufacturing metal conduit assemblies for electrical systems. Flexible conduits are described only as examples. The assemblies and methods described herein may be applied to rigid conduits, such as rigid metal conduits (RMCs), intermediate metal conduits (IMCs), or other types of rigid conduits. Method aspects will be apparent in part and explicitly discussed in part in the following description.

[0016] Conduit assemblies are built using fittings and conduit. Wires are placed inside the conduit assemblies that carry electricity in the electrical system. To ensure the safety and performance of the assembly, the assembly is required to undergo certain tests according to different standards. For example, in Underwriters Laboratories (UL) testing, conduit assemblies built with conduit and fittings are required to pass a set amount of current, such as in the range of 470 amperes (A) to 750A, without damaging or destroying the components of the conduit assembly. As part of the mechanism to ensure the electrical continuity of the conduit assembly, a grounding cone is used to provide and / or maintain electrical contact between the inside of the conduit and the rest of the conduit assembly. The grounding cone also provides and / or maintains physical contact between the conduit and the rest of the conduit assembly. Without the grounding cone, the conduit may not connect with the other components of the conduit assembly and the conduit assembly may separate.

[0017] Figures 1A-1C A catheter assembly 100 is shown that includes an example fitting assembly 102 coupled to a catheter 104 . Figure 1A is a perspective view of catheter assembly 100 . Figure 1B The catheter assembly 100 is arranged along Figure 1A A cross-sectional view taken along section line 1B-1B. Figure 1C is an exploded view of the catheter assembly 100 .

[0018] In the exemplary embodiment, fitting assembly 102 includes a fitting body 106 , a sealing ring 108 , a gland nut 110 , and a grounding cone 120 .

[0019] In operation, the cone 202 of the ground cone 120 (see also Figures 2A-2D) is inserted into and coupled to the conduit 104. The fitting body 106 covers the opening 122 of the conduit 104, and the gland nut 110 is coupled to the fitting body 106 via the threads of the fitting body 106 and the threads of the gland nut 110. The sealing ring 108 is positioned adjacent to the opening 122, providing a seal of the assembly to limit water and other corrosive substances from contacting the connection and / or entering the conduit, thereby contacting the interior of the conduit assembly 100 and the wiring passing through the conduit 104. The fitting assembly 102 includes a ground coupling (not shown) configured to couple with other components in the fitting assembly 102. The ground coupling is sized to accommodate a ground conductor, thereby providing grounding for the conduit assembly 100. The ground coupling is in electrical contact with the other components of the fitting assembly 102 through physical contact with the fitting body 106 and / or the gland nut 110. The fitting body 106 is in contact with the gland nut 110. The fitting body 106 is also in contact with the interior of the conduit 104 via the ground cone 120. The grounding cone 120 is configured to provide and / or maintain electrical contact between the interior of the conduit 104 and the rest of the conduit assembly 100. Thus, the electrical continuity of the conduit assembly 100 as a whole is ensured when passing the required current quantification to meet the requirements of standards such as the NEC (National Electrical Code). The grounding cone 120 also provides and / or maintains physical contact between the conduit 104 and the rest of the conduit assembly 104. Without the grounding cone, the conduit may not be connected to the other components of the conduit assembly, and the conduit assembly may become separated. As a result, the internal wiring may be exposed, thereby affecting the performance and safety of the conduit assembly.

[0020] Figures 2A-2D An exemplary cone 120 is shown. Figure 2A is a perspective view of the ground cone 120 . Figure 2B is a side view of the ground cone 120 . Figure 2C is a bottom perspective view of the ground cone 120 . Figure 2D It is along Figure 2A Cross-sectional view of the ground cone of the 2D-2D line.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the ground cone 120 includes a cone 202. The cone 202 can define a longitudinal axis 201. The cone 202 is generally cylindrical. The cone 202 can be conical. The cone can be other shapes, such as irregular shapes or polygonal shapes, so that the ground cone 120 can function as described herein. The cone 202 includes a cover end 204 and a bottom end 206 opposite the cover end 204. The cover end 204 and the bottom end 206 define a longitudinal direction 208 of the cone 202. The cone 202 also includes one or more radially outwardly extending tabs 210. The tabs 210 are positioned on the cone 202. The tabs 210 can be formed by cutting along the side of the tabs 210 and then bending the tabs radially outward from the cut. A portion of the cone 202 can be cut away. Alternatively, the cut can be made along the side of the tab 210 without cutting off a portion of the cone 202, and the cut side facilitates the tab 210 to protrude from the cone 202. The tab 210 includes an edge 212. The edge 212 can be a helical edge 212. The helical edge 212 is shaped to be received in a groove defined by the threads. For example, the helical edge 212 is complementary to the groove 114 of the threads 116 of the interior 118 of the conduit 104 (see Figure 1B ), so that the helical edge 212 can be rotated into the groove 114 defined by the thread 116 and engage with the thread 116. As an example, the edges 212 are all depicted as being helical. In some embodiments, one or some of the edges 212 are helical, while other edges 212 are other shapes. In some embodiments, the shape of the edge 212 is different from a helical shape.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the ground cone 120 includes four tabs 210. The ground cone 120 may include other numbers of tabs 210, such as three or five, so that the ground cone 120 can function as described herein. By adjusting the longitudinal distance 220 between the tabs 210, the shape of the spiral edge 212 can be designed and positioned to be received in one or more threads. The longitudinal distance 220 can be the distance between the midpoints of the edges 212 of adjacent tabs 210 in the longitudinal direction 208 (see Figure 2B ).

[0023] In known grounding cones, the helical edge is positioned at the tip of the grounding cone. This arrangement presents difficulties when installing the grounding cone into the conduit, as the helical edge needs to grasp the threads of the conduit to assemble the grounding cone with the conduit. The grounding cone is sized to complement the conduit, and the threads of the conduit are positioned inside the conduit. The helical edge may have difficulty grasping the internal threads. Furthermore, when the helical edge finally grasps the threads, the grounding cone may not be centered.

[0024] In contrast, in an exemplary embodiment, the cone 202 includes a guide portion 224 at the bottom end 206. The guide portion 224 is longitudinally located farther from the cover 226 than the spiral edge 212. The guide portion 224 is cylindrical. Optionally, the guide portion 224 is conical, wherein the outer diameter 227 decreases toward the main body edge 225 of the body 202. In order to couple the grounding cone 120 with the conduit 104, the guide portion 224 enters the interior 118 of the conduit 104 before the spiral edge 212, facilitating the centering and alignment of the grounding cone 120 in the conduit 104 to guide the spiral edge 212 to engage with the thread 116, thereby increasing the convenience of installation.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the edge 212 may also include a protrusion 230 that extends radially outward further than the rest of the edge 212. When the ground cone 120 is coupled to the conduit 104, the protrusion 230 extends deeper into the interior 118 of the conduit 104 than the rest of the edge 212 (see FIG. Figure 1B ). Because the protrusions extend further radially outward, when the ground cone 120 is pushed into or rotated into the conduit 104, the protrusions 230 can remove corrosion on the inner portion 118 during the connection process, thereby increasing the electrical contact between the ground cone 120 and the conduit 104. For illustrative purposes, the protrusions 230 are described using the spiral edge 212 as an example. The protrusions 230 can be positioned on the edge 212 in other shapes (e.g., an arch or a straight line) so that the ground cone 120 can function as described herein. For illustrative purposes, each edge 212 is described as including a protrusion 230 as an example. In some embodiments, some edges 212 include protrusions 230, while other edges 212 do not include protrusions 230.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, cone 202 includes a protruding portion 232 (see Figure 2D ). At the protrusion 232, the cone 202 is radially inclined outward, so that the inner diameter 228 of the cone 202 at the protrusion 232 is larger than the inner diameter 228 at other portions of the cone 202. The protrusion 232 facilitates strengthening the electrical contact between the ground cone 120 and the wall 124 of the conduit 104. When the ground cone 120 is assembled with the conduit 104, the protrusion 232 presses against the wall 124, thereby strengthening the electrical contact between the ground cone 120 and the conduit 104. In some embodiments, the cone 202 does not include the protrusion 232.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the ground cone 120 further includes a cover 226 extending from the cone 202. The cover 226 may extend radially outward from the main body edge 225 of the cone 202 and then extend longitudinally from the main body edge 225 toward the bottom end 206 of the cone 202. Thus, the cover 226 is curved from the main body edge 225 of the cone 202. The cover 226 and the cone 202 define a channel 234 ( Figure 2C ), the channel being sized to accommodate an opening 122 of the conduit 104 therein.

[0028] In some embodiments, the cover 226 includes a flange 222 extending radially outward from the remainder of the cover 226. The flange 222 presses against the sealing ring 108 to provide a seal for the catheter assembly (see Figure 1B ).

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the ground cone 120 is formed as a single unit. The ground cone 120 can be formed by a simple sheet metal stamping manufacturing process, providing an economical manufacturing option for industrial-scale manufacturing of the ground cone 120. The integral ground cone 120 is also advantageous in the assembly of the catheter assembly because there is no need to couple separate integral ground cones together on site, thereby reducing labor, equipment and material costs.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, ground cone 120 is made of a conductive material. An example material is metal.

[0031] Reference again Figures 1A-1C , the grounding cone 120 is used to establish and / or maintain an electrical connection between the interior 118 of the conduit 104 and the rest of the conduit assembly 100. In the art, fittings and conduits have various standardized commercial sizes, where the commercial size may refer to the approximate inside or outside diameter of the conduit or the approximate inside diameter of the fitting opening. The grounding cone 120 can be sized in the same manner so that a grounding cone of a particular trade size matches a conduit of the same trade size. For example, a grounding cone of size 3 / 4 is sized to fit a conduit of size 3 / 4. The outer diameter 227 of the grounding cone 120 at the cone 202 is less than the inner diameter 129 of the conduit 104, and the inner diameter 228 of the grounding cone at the cap 226 is greater than the outer diameter 131 of the conduit 104. Thus, one end 140 of the conduit 104 is positioned between the cap 226 and the cone 202. The size of the curve defined by the edge 212, such as the diameter 236 (see Figure 2C ) is larger than the inner diameter 129 of the conduit 104, so that the helical edge 212 is received in the groove, slot 114 of the thread 116 and engages with the thread 116 and / or the protrusion 230 that engages with the interior 118 of the conduit 104, thereby establishing and / or strengthening the electrical contact between the ground cone 120 and the interior 118 of the conduit 104. In addition, at the protrusion 232, the outer diameter 227 of the cone 202 can be protruded from less than the inner diameter 129 of the conduit 104 to greater than the inner diameter 129, thereby pressing against the conduit 104 when the ground cone 120 is coupled with the conduit 104.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, assembling the conduit assembly 100 is simplified to the ground cone 120. To assemble the ground cone 120 with the conduit 104, the cone 202 can be pushed or rotated into the conduit 104. The cone 202 can be coupled into the conduit 104 until the edge 121 of the opening 122 of the conduit 104 contacts the channel bottom 238 of the channel 234 of the ground cone 120. The spiral edge 212 is received in the groove 114 defined by the internal thread 116 of the conduit 104. The contact between the ground cone 120 and the interior 118 of the conduit 104 is enhanced by the protrusion 230, wherein the protrusion 230 penetrates into the wall 124 of the conduit 104 and provides enhanced electrical contact between the ground cone 120 and the interior 118 of the conduit 104. The contact is further enhanced by the protrusion 232, wherein the protrusion 232 presses against the interior 118 of the conduit 104. The enhanced electrical contact facilitates passing the current test required by the standard.

[0033] Flexible metal conduits are described only as examples. The assemblies and methods described herein can be applied to rigid conduits. When the conduit 104 does not include internal threads 116, to couple the ground cone 120 to the conduit 104, the cone 202 is inserted into the interior 118 of the conduit 104 and pushed into the conduit 104 by applying a force at the cap 226. The friction and engagement of the protrusions 230 with the inner wall 124 of the conduit 104 provides a coupling force and electrical contact between the ground cone 120 and the interior 118 of the conduit 104.

[0034] Figure 3is a flow chart of an example method 300 of assembling a catheter assembly. In an example embodiment, the method 300 includes providing 301 a catheter 104. The method 300 also includes providing 302 a ground cone. The ground cone 120 described above may be used. The method 300 further includes coupling 304 the ground cone to the catheter. The ground cone 120 may be pushed into the catheter 104 to couple with the catheter 104. For example, the ground cone 120 is pushed into the catheter 104 and the edge 212 of the tab 210 is received in the groove of the thread 116. If the protrusion 230 is included in the ground cone 120, the protrusion 230 engages with the interior 118 of the catheter to couple with the catheter 104 without the internal thread 116 on the catheter 104. By engaging the spiral edge 212 of the ground cone 120 with the thread 116 of the catheter 104, the ground cone 120 can be rotatably coupled with the catheter 104. The guide portion 224 simplifies the connection. During assembly, the guide portion 224 is inserted into the conduit 104 before the tab 210. The guide portion 224 has a smaller diameter than the end 140 of the conduit 104 so that it can be easily inserted into the conduit 104. The cylindrical or conical shape of the guide portion 224 facilitates alignment of the cone 202 with the end 140 of the conduit 104 so that the cone 202 is centered when the edge 212 engages the threads 116 on the interior 118 of the conduit 104. The cap 226 and channel 234 of the cone act as a stop to prevent the ground cone 120 from being inserted too far into the conduit.

[0035] At least one technical effect of the systems and methods described herein includes (a) a ground cone that can be coupled to a conduit by being pushed into the conduit or rotatably coupled to the conduit; (b) a ground cone that includes a spiral edge for facilitating rotatable connection, (c) a ground cone that includes a protrusion for increasing electrical contact, (d) a ground cone that includes a protruding portion for increasing electrical contact, and (e) a ground cone that includes a guide portion for facilitating rotatable coupling.

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of the assembly and the method for manufacturing the catheter assembly are described in detail above. The systems and methods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but the operation of the assembly and / or method of the system can be used independently of other assemblies and / or operations described herein. In addition, the described assembly and / or operation can also be defined in other systems, methods and / or devices, or used in combination with other systems, methods and / or devices, and are not limited to practicing with only the system described herein.

[0037] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present invention may be shown in some drawings and not in other drawings, this is only for convenience. According to the principles of the present invention, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and / or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.

[0038] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A grounding cone for providing electrical contact to the interior of a conduit, the grounding cone comprising: a cone including one or more tabs positioned on the cone and extending radially outward from the cone, the one or more tabs being positioned spaced apart from one another, at least one of the one or more tabs having a helical edge shaped to be received in a groove of the thread, the cone including a cap end and a base end opposite the cap end; as well as a cover extending longitudinally from the cone at the cover end and toward the bottom end, The cone and the cap define a channel sized to receive an end of a conduit therein. 2 . The grounding cone of claim 1 , wherein the spiral edge further comprises a protrusion protruding radially outward from a remaining portion of the spiral edge. 3 . The grounding cone of claim 1 , wherein the cone includes a bulge extending radially outward from a remainder of the cone. 4 . The grounding cone of claim 1 , wherein the cone includes a guide portion positioned at the bottom end of the cone and positioned longitudinally farther from the cover than the spiral edge. 5 . The ground cone of claim 1 , wherein the cone includes a plurality of tabs, the helical edges of the plurality of tabs being shaped to be received in grooves of a thread.

6. The ground cone according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ground cone is integrally formed as a single piece. 7 . The ground cone of claim 6 , wherein the cover further comprises a flange extending radially outward from a remainder of the cover.

8. A grounding cone for providing electrical contact to the interior of a conduit, the grounding cone comprising: a cone including one or more tabs positioned on the cone and extending radially outward from the cone, the one or more tabs being positioned spaced apart from one another, at least one of the one or more tabs having an edge, the edge including a protrusion projecting radially outward from a remainder of the edge, the cone including a cap end and a bottom end opposite the cap end; as well as a cover extending longitudinally from the cone at the cover end and toward the bottom end, The cone and the cap define a channel sized to receive an end of a conduit therein.

9. The ground cone of claim 8, wherein at least one of the edges is a helical edge shaped to be received in a groove of a thread.

10. The ground cone of claim 9, wherein the cone includes a plurality of tabs, the helical edges of the plurality of tabs being shaped to be received in grooves of a thread.

11. The grounding cone of claim 8, wherein the cone includes a bulge extending radially outward from a remainder of the cone.

12. The grounding cone of claim 8, wherein the cone includes a guide portion positioned at the bottom end of the cone and positioned longitudinally farther from the cover than the spiral edge.

13. The ground cone according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the ground cone is integrally formed as a single piece.

14. The ground cone of claim 13, wherein the cover further comprises a flange extending radially outward from a remainder of the cover.

15. A method of manufacturing a catheter assembly, comprising: Provide catheters; A grounding cone is provided, wherein the grounding cone comprises: a cone including one or more tabs positioned on the cone and extending radially outward from the cone, the one or more tabs being positioned spaced apart from one another, at least one of the one or more tabs having an edge, the edge including a protrusion projecting radially outward from a remainder of the edge, the cone including a cap end and a bottom end opposite the cap end; as well as a cover extending longitudinally from the cone at the cover end and toward the bottom end, wherein the cone and the cap define a passage sized to receive an end of a conduit therein; and The ground cone is coupled to the conduit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the coupling further comprises: The cone is pushed into the conduit so that the projection engages the conduit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the edges is a helical edge shaped to be received in a groove of a thread of the conduit, and the coupling further comprises rotationally coupling the ground cone to the conduit by: The helical edge is engaged with the threads of the catheter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cone includes a plurality of tabs, the helical edges of the plurality of tabs being shaped to be received in grooves of a thread, and the coupling further comprises rotationally coupling the ground cone to the conduit by: The helical edge is engaged with the threads of the catheter.

19. The method of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the cone includes a convex portion extending radially outwardly from a remainder of the cone, and the coupling further comprises: The ground cone is coupled to the conduit such that the protrusion is pressed against the conduit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cone includes a guide portion positioned at the bottom end of the cone and positioned longitudinally farther from the cover than the rim, and the coupling further comprises: inserting the guide portion into the catheter; as well as The one or more tabs are coupled to the conduit.

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