Insulation piercing connector

Abstract

To provide a way to pierce an insulation of a main run cable to connect branch wires, where this connection should be secure, easy to install, provide watertight tap connection, and protect the connection from outdoor elements.SOLUTION: An insulation piercing connector for a solar system installation is provided which is installed easily, uses industry standard connectors to provide multiple connections, and protects internal components from elements such as water infiltration and UV exposure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 569,441, filed March 25, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an insulator piercing connector including features for photovoltaic power generation equipment. [Background technology]

[0003] In solar energy farm applications involving solar panels electrically coupled together to produce solar energy, long lengths of large-gauge conductive cable are installed to which smaller-gauge solar panel cables (i.e., branches) must be spliced. Because it is impractical to strip the insulation from the main cable to achieve this connection, it is desirable to devise a method for connecting the branch wires by piercing the insulation of the main cable. This connection should preferably be secure, easy to install, provide a waterproof tap connection, and protect the connection from the outdoor elements. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] According to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an insulator piercing connector is provided, the insulator piercing connector including: an insulator piercing blade; a terminal pin electrically coupled to the insulator piercing blade; and a connector receptacle configured to receive the terminal pin, the connector receptacle configured to mate with a connector plug to provide an electrical coupling between the terminal pin and a tap wire connected to the connector plug. The insulation piercing connector further includes a cable clamp configured to form a main cable pathway with the enclosure, the main cable pathway being configured to hold a main cable for receiving power from the tap wire.

[0005] According to non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, an insulation piercing connector is provided, the insulation piercing connector including: an enclosure including a first opening disposed at a first position and a second opening disposed at a second position, the enclosure configured to house an insulation piercing blade assembly including a blade and a tab, the blade configured to protrude from the first opening; and a terminal block electrically coupled to the tab of the insulation piercing blade, the terminal block aligned with the second opening and including a port opening configured to receive a conductor from a tap cable inserted through the second opening; and a cable clamp removably attached to the enclosure and configured to form a main cable pathway with the enclosure for holding a main cable, the blade protruding from the first opening and configured to pierce an insulation jacket of a main cable held within the main cable.

[0006] A detailed description of this and other non-limiting exemplary embodiments of insulation piercing connectors and methods of installing and using such insulation piercing connectors is set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a perspective view of an insulator piercing connector according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view showing portions of the enclosure and internal components of the insulation piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view showing portions of the enclosure and internal components of the insulation piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view showing components of a connector receptacle attached to an enclosure included in the insulation piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 2 shows an exploded perspective view illustrating how the components of the insulator piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 are assembled, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. [Figure 6] 2 illustrates a perspective view of the insulator piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 in an assembled state, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] 2 illustrates a side view of the insulation piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 in a first step of a cable installation process, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] 2 illustrates a side view of the insulation piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 in a second step of a cable installation process, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 2 illustrates a perspective view of the insulator piercing connector shown in FIG. 1 in the process of installing a tap wire, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates a perspective view of an insulator piercing connector including alternative embodiments of components used to connect tap wires to the enclosure of the insulator piercing connector, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 10A] 10 illustrates a perspective exploded view of the insulator piercing connector shown in FIG. 9 showing a first step in installing a tap wire into an enclosure, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10B] 10 illustrates a perspective exploded view of the insulator piercing connector shown in FIG. 9 showing a second step in installing the tap wire into the enclosure, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Detailed, non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and may take various alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale. Some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art.

[0009] Described herein is an insulator piercing connector for solar system installations that is easy to install, provides multiple connections using industry-standard connectors, and protects internal components from elements such as water infiltration and UV exposure. The described insulator piercing connector provides a weatherproof, ultraviolet (UV)-resistant enclosure that uses fastening screws to pierce metal spikes into the insulation jacket of the main installation cable. The spikes connect to terminal pins of an electrical connector (e.g., terminal pins for electrically coupling to an MC4 connector), which then exit the enclosure through multiple electrical connector receptacles (e.g., MC4 receptacles) that are sealed and threaded into the enclosure. While this insulator piercing connector is described for a solar power installation use case, the insulator piercing connector is applicable to other use cases, including, but not limited to, other high-voltage cable installations that can be used to test for the presence or absence of voltage.

[0010] Due to the wide variety of cable sizes used in mainline installations, enclosures can accommodate a variety of cables with different conductor gauge thicknesses. The availability of cables with different attributes, such as conductor size (e.g., 350-1250 kcmil), voltage rating (e.g., 600, 1k, and 2k volts), current rating, and material (e.g., copper or aluminum), makes it difficult to develop products that can be used with different combinations of cable attributes. The disclosed insulation piercing connector is configured to accept these different cables, for example, those used for outdoor service, as indicated by its achieved IP67 rating. To achieve this IP67 rating, the cable seal of the disclosed insulation piercing connector is thick and flexible enough to seal against a wide variety of cable physical characteristics, such as thickness as measured by gauge rating or outer diameter (OD) measurement. A further advantage of the disclosed insulation piercing connector is that it includes features that enable tool-less installation, as described in more detail below.

[0011] 1 shows an exemplary insulation piercing connector 100 including an enclosure 110 molded from glass-filled nylon, an enclosure cover 111, and a cable clamp 120. The space between the enclosure 110 and the cable clamp 120 forms a main cable passage 101 configured to accommodate up to 750 kcmil cable. Within the main cable passage 101 and on the enclosure 110 is an insulation piercing blade 102.

[0012] To enable tool-less installation, the insulator piercing connector 100 includes T-bolts 130 and nuts 131 (e.g., static friction torque limiting nuts) for attaching the enclosure 110 and cable clamp 120 together in an assembled state. The insulator piercing connector 100 also includes three electrical connector receptacles 140 (e.g., MP4 connector receptacles) capable of accommodating, for example, up to 8 AWG cord wire with photovoltaic (PV) grade insulation. The connector receptacles 140 are shown, for example, in the perspective view provided by FIG. 4.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the enclosure 110 are insulator piercing blades 102 that are secured to the enclosure by a pair of set screws 105 that are secured through holes 107 in the bus plate 104 portion of the insulator piercing blades 102. Three terminal pins 103 are soldered to the bus plate 104. The terminal pins 103 extend through respective threaded holes 106 in the enclosure 110 and are configured to mate with a connector receptacle 140 mounted to the enclosure. The connector receptacle 140 may be used to install a tap wire to provide power from, for example, a solar panel.

[0014] Thus, the electrical circuit of the insulator piercing connector 100 is provided by the electrical coupling of the terminal pin 103, which is soldered to the bus plate 104 of the insulator piercing blade 102, and when the spike of the insulator piercing blade 102 pierces the insulation of the main cable and contacts the conductor in the main cable, power supplied through the tap cable connected to the connector receptacle 140 flows through the terminal pin, bus plate 104, and insulator piercing blade 102 to the conductor in the main cable, thereby supplying power to the main cable.

[0015] The insulation piercing blade 102 is made from a conductive material, such as copper, and is configured to accommodate a variety of main cable conductor sizes, power ratings, and to provide sufficient contact with the main cable conductor material.

[0016] 3 shows an exploded view of enclosure 110 to demonstrate the assembly of some of the internal components, including enclosure 110. There may be various sealing elements utilized in enclosure 110 to enable enclosure 110 to achieve an IP67 rating. One is a cover gasket 114 (e.g., a rubber cover gasket) located directly below enclosure cover 111. Four screws 112 (e.g., #6 screws) are used to pass through corner holes 113 in enclosure cover 111 and corner holes 115 in cover gasket 114, threading the screws 112 into post holes 108 in enclosure 110, pressing cover gasket 114 against the enclosure surface and providing a seal between enclosure cover 111 and the cover gasket 114 that ensures moisture does not enter the interior of enclosure 110 where insulator piercing blade 102 is housed.

[0017] To seal around the various cable sizes passing through the main cable path, blade groove seals 116 made from flexible, thick rubber are bonded into seal grooves 124 around the blade portion of insulation piercing blade 102. When the main cable is pressed against the blade of insulation piercing blade 102, which pierces the insulation and contacts the conductors in the main cable, the main cable (e.g., the outer insulation portion of the main cable) contacts and deforms blade groove seals 116, closing any potential paths for moisture to pass into the internal housing of enclosure 110 in which bus plate 104 is located. T-bolts 130 are made to pass through openings 123 in cable clamp 120, openings 117 in enclosure cover 111, openings 118 in cover gasket 114, and openings 109 in enclosure 110, as detailed in the depiction of FIG. 5.

[0018] Another element utilized in sealing the enclosure 110 is an O-ring seal 119 used between the connector receptacles 140 and where they are installed against the wall of the enclosure 110, as shown in FIG. 4. The O-ring seal 119 may be a rubber seal that prevents moisture from entering the enclosure 110 through the threaded hole 106. FIG. 4 also shows a diagram demonstrating how the connector receptacle 140 is installed in the enclosure 110. For example, a threaded post 141 on the connector receptacle 140 threads into the threaded hole 106 to secure the connector receptacle 140 within the threaded hole and over the terminal pin 103, thereby also compressing the O-ring seal 119 and providing the described seal. After the connector receptacle 140 is secured to the enclosure 110, the terminal pin 103 is positioned within the connector receptacle 140 so that a tap wire (e.g., a tap wire with an MC4 connector connected) that will be later installed on the connector receptacle 140 can be easily electrically coupled to the terminal pin 103.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5 , the T-bolt 130 may be a ⅜-inch T-head bolt including a crossbar handle 134 at one end and a threaded portion 132 at the opposite end for threading a nut 131. The T-bolt 130 is inserted through the opening 123 in the cable clamp 120, the opening 117 in the enclosure cover 111, the opening 118 in the cover gasket 114, and the opening 109 in the enclosure 110. The crossbar handle 134 is shaped to fit into a groove molded into the body of the cable clamp 120. A flat washer 133 and a nut 131 are also shown in FIG. 5 . Tightening the nut 131 draws the cable clamp 120 against the main cable located in the main cable passage 101, forcing the main cable against the spikes of the insulator piercing blade 102. When sufficient force is applied to the main cable, the torque limit of the torque-limiting nut 131 is exceeded, causing the unthreaded half of the nut 131 to break off. This isolation mechanism allows the installer to ensure sufficient torque is applied using only their hands and / or standard installation tools, without the need for a separate dedicated torque measuring tool.

[0020] 6, the enclosure 110 also includes centering tabs 121 molded into the enclosure 110 and corresponding receiving tabs 122 on the cable clamp 120 for mating. This feature is used to aid in aligning the cable clamp 120 with the enclosure 110 for assembly with the insulation piercing connector 100. The faces of the tabs 121, 122 are cylindrical, allowing the tabs 121, 122 to rotate freely when the cable clamp 120 is pulled against the main cable in the main cable path 101.

[0021] To connect the tap wire to the main electrical run, the cable insulation of the main cable must be pierced. Figures 7A and 7B show an exemplary process for piercing the insulation layer 151 of the main cable 150 to allow the insulation piercing blade 102 to make electrical contact with the inner conductor 152 of the main cable 150. To begin the process, the outer spike of the insulation piercing blade 102 must be centered with the main cable 150, as shown in Figure 7A. With the crossbar handle 134 seated within the groove molded into the body of the cable clamp 120, a tool (e.g., a 9 / 16-inch wrench) can be used to rotate the nut 131 (e.g., a 3 / 8-inch nut) clockwise, thereby drawing the cable clamp 120 toward the enclosure 110 and consequently tightening the main cable 150 within the main cable passageway 101. The outer hex nut 131a of the torque limiting nut 131 is smaller than the base hex nut 131b so that torque is applied only to the unthreaded portion of the nut 131. The nut 131 is continuously rotated by applying a rotational force to the outer hex nut 131a until it separates from the threaded portion of the torque limiting nut 131. This ensures that the blade portion of the insulation piercing blade 102 properly penetrates the insulation layer 151, as shown in FIG. 7B, so that the blade portion is in contact with the conductor 152 of the main cable 150, and that the blade groove seal 116 is sufficiently deformed to provide the described seal.

[0022] To loosen the insulator piercing connector 100 and remove the main cable 150, a wrench (e.g., an 1 1 / 16 inch wrench) can be used to rotate the remaining base hex nut 131b counterclockwise, which will loosen the cable clamp 120 from the enclosure 110 until sufficient space is created within the main cable path 101 to remove the main cable 150.

[0023] The components of the insulation piercing connector 100 are sized to allow up to three tap wires 160 to be attached to the three connector receptacles 140 shown in the insulation piercing connector 100, as shown in FIG. 8 . The tap wires 160 may be 8 AWG 2 kV wire. The tap wires 160 include a cable portion 161 and a plug portion 162. The plug portion 162 is inserted into the connector receptacle 140 and is held in place by a retention clip included in the plug portion 162 and sealed with an O-ring seal that is an integral component of the plug portion 162. The plug portion 162 may be in the form of an MC4 plug for mating with the connector receptacle 140 if the connector receptacle 140 is an MC4-type receptacle.

[0024] FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of enclosure 210 that includes an alternative tap wire connection mechanism from the design shown for enclosure 110. The same cable clamp 120 may be used with enclosure 210. This alternative embodiment of enclosure 210 may be utilized when the particular type of tap wire connector (e.g., an MC4-style connector) used with enclosure 110 is undesirable. Therefore, alternatively, a terminal block arrangement that is independent of any particular connector type may be utilized in the enclosure shown in FIG. 9. The design of enclosure 210 utilizes multiple cable glands and a screw-applied terminal block. Thus, as seen in FIG. 9, enclosure 210 includes an insulator piercing blade 220, which includes a blade portion and an insertion tab 221. The enclosure 210 also includes a terminal block 211 and a set screw 212, which is configured to fit into the opening of the terminal block 211 and be retained within the opening by tightening the set screw 212 into the opening space to secure the insertion tab 221 inside the opening of the terminal block 211.

[0025] The components of the enclosure 210 are sized to accommodate cord wires up to 6 AWG. Provision is included in the connector for attaching multiple (e.g., at least two) independent tap wires 260 to the enclosure 210. FIG. 10A shows the first step in installing the tap wire 260 in the enclosure 210. First, the cable gland 261 (e.g., a 3 / 8 NPT cable gland) of the tap wire 260 is removed, and the pipe plug 222 (e.g., a 1 / 4 NPT pipe plug) is also removed from the corresponding opening 223 in the enclosure 210. The cable gland 261 is then slid over the tap wire 260, passing the tap wire through the internal cavity of the cable gland 261. Next, at the end that will be inserted into the threaded hole 224 in the enclosure 210, a portion of the insulation on the tap wire 260 is removed to expose the wire conductor 262.

[0026] Next, the stripped conductors 262 are inserted into the threaded holes 224 and installed in their respective terminal blocks 211, as shown in FIG. 10B. The stripped conductors 262 are placed into the openings of the terminal blocks 211, along with the insertion tabs 221 of the insulation piercing blades 220. Next, using a tool such as a 3 / 32-inch Allen wrench, the set screws 212 of the terminal blocks 211 are tightened clockwise to a predetermined torque (e.g., 10 inch-ounces). Tightening the set screws 212 in this manner ensures that the stripped conductors 262 and the insertion tabs 221 of the insulation piercing blades 220 make electrical contact with each other within the openings of the terminal blocks 211. Next, the pipe plugs 222 are replaced and tightened into the openings 223. The cable glands 261 are then reinstalled and secured. This process is repeated for each tap wire 260 being installed.

[0027] As is readily apparent from the foregoing, various non-limiting exemplary embodiments of insulation piercing connectors have been described. While various embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, they are merely exemplary and are not intended to illustrate and describe all that these embodiments are possible. Instead, the words used herein are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. An insulator piercing connector comprising:

1. An enclosure including a first opening disposed at a first location and a second opening disposed at a second location, the enclosure comprising: an insulator piercing blade assembly including a blade and a tab, the blade configured to protrude through the first opening; a terminal block electrically coupled to the tab of the insulation piercing blade, the terminal block including a port opening aligned with the second opening and configured to receive a conductor from a tap cable inserted through the second opening; the enclosure configured to house the a cable clamp removably attached to the enclosure and configured to form, together with the enclosure, a main cable path for holding a main cable, the blade configured to protrude from the first opening and pierce an insulating jacket of a main cable held within the main cable; and 10. The insulator piercing connector comprising:

2. The enclosure comprises:

10. The insulator piercing connector of claim 1, further comprising a third opening including a threaded channel formed therefrom.

3. 3. The insulator piercing connector of claim 2, further comprising a set screw configured to be rotatably threaded into said threaded channel to abut a wire retained in said terminal block.

4. 4. The insulator piercing connector of claim 3, wherein said second opening is oriented perpendicular to said third opening.

5. the enclosure further includes a first fastener opening; the cable clamp further includes a second fastening opening; 10. The insulation piercing connector of claim 1, further comprising a fastener configured to pass through the first fastening opening and the second fastening opening and fasten the cable clamp together with the enclosure.

6. The insulator piercing connector of claim 5 , wherein the fastener includes a handle at a first end.

7. 6. The insulator piercing connector of claim 5, wherein the fastener includes a handle at a first end and a threaded portion at a second end for threading a nut thereon.

8. 10. The insulation piercing connector of claim 1, wherein the main cable passage is configured to hold a main cable having a thickness of 6 AWG.

9. 10. The insulation piercing connector of claim 1, wherein the tap cable has a thickness of 8 AWG or less.

10. 10. The insulator piercing connector of claim 1, wherein the main cable is configured to carry up to 600V.

11. 10. The insulator piercing connector of claim 1, wherein the main cable is configured to carry up to 1000V.

12. 10. The insulator piercing connector of claim 1, wherein the main cable is configured to carry up to 2000V.

13. The insulator piercing connector of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure further includes a seal for at least partially covering said first opening.

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