Patent Application
20150047183
N/A
The present disclosure relates generally to a tool, and, more particularly, to a release tool for a multi-wire terminal block connector.
In some applications, PCBs can be interconnected with one another via terminal blocks 20. For example, in the lighting industry, multiple PCB-based LED modules in luminaires and/or signs may be coupled to one another by way of the associated terminal blocks. In particular, two PCBs having terminal blocks, similar to the terminal block 20 illustrated in
In some instances, the wire conductors may be relatively short in length and may be rigid due to size (length and/or gauge), which may present difficulty when attempting to decouple PCBs from one another (such as when repairing or reworking a luminaire). For example, when using the operating tool 10, a user may only release one wire at a time. However, although one of the push-button connectors may be depressed, the wire conductor is unable to sufficiently flex due to rigidity and/or insufficient length to allow at least one of the two wires to be removed at a time. This may cause frustration for the user and they may attempt to bend the PCBs away from each other, which may cause damage to the wire conductors and/or terminal block. Accordingly, in some instances, it is desirable to be able to simultaneously depress multiple push-buttons of the terminal block so as to allow simultaneous release of the wire conductors so as to prevent damage.
Reference should be made to the following detailed description which should be read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like numerals represent like parts:
For a thorough understanding of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description, including the appended claims, in connection with the above-described drawings. Although the present disclosure is described in connection with exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient. Also, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
In general, the present disclosure is directed to a release tool for a multi-wire terminal block connector. The release tool includes a shaft having a proximal end defining a handle portion and an operative distal end adapted to engage a terminal block and allow removal of one or more wires coupled to the terminal block. In particular, the distal end includes a shroud portion having sidewalls extending away from the distal end and terminating at a datum surface and a channel defined therebetween. The shroud portion also includes a plurality of contact pins extending away from the distal end and into the channel of the shroud portion. Each of the plurality of contact pins defines a tip portion positioned within the channel and a distance from the datum surface of the sidewalls. Furthermore, the tip portions are adapted to contact associated push-button connectors of the terminal block.
The shroud portion is shaped and/or sized to align each of the contact pins with the associated push-button connectors of the terminal block. Upon application of a force towards the terminal block, each contact pin engages and depresses the associated push-button connector to allow removal of corresponding wires conductors coupled thereto. Additionally, as the push-button connectors are depressed, the datum surface of the sidewalls eventually abuts a substrate (e.g. PCB) on which the terminal block is mounted and restricts overall movement of the tool in relation to the terminal block.
In some embodiments, the shaft of the connector release tool may include a lateral clearance portion along a longitudinal length thereof. The lateral clearance portion is shaped and/or sized to provide clearance for one or more components surrounding a terminal block and/or the PCB to which it is mounted. Accordingly, the lateral clearance portion may allow the user to engage the terminal block to release wire conductors without having to necessarily remove components that may otherwise be blocking direct access to the terminal block. Additionally, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the tool, such as the shaft, including the handle portion, may be coated in an electrical insulating material.
A connector release tool consistent with the present disclosure provides a means of aligning contact pins with associated push-button connectors of a terminal block and allows a user to simultaneously depress the push-button connectors, thereby allowing the simultaneous release of wire conductors coupled to the terminal block. Furthermore, a positive stop defined by the distance between the tip portions of the contact pins and the datum surface of the sidewalls provides a means restricting the movement of the connector release tool, particularly movement of the tool when depressing push-button connectors of a terminal block. In particular, the positive stop allows the push-buttons to be sufficiently depressed by the contact pins (i.e. sufficient to release contact connection with associated wire conductor) without being over depressed, thereby preventing a user from applying excess downward pressure on the terminal block and push-button connectors and causing damage.
Turning now to the drawings,
Referring to
The shroud portion 110 further includes one or more contact pins 118 extending away from the distal end 108 and into the channel 116. The contact pins 118 may have a length L. Similar to the sidewalls 112, dimensions (e.g. length L) of the contact tips 118 may vary depending on the dimensions of the terminal block upon which the tool 100 is to be applied. In one embodiment, the length L of the contact tips 118 is approximately 0.120 inches.
In the illustrated embodiment, the shroud portion 110 includes two contact pins 118. However, it should be noted that the shroud portion 110 may include any number of contact pins (e.g. 1, 3, n) depending on the configuration of the terminal block that the tool 100 is to be applied to. For example, in the following description, the terminal block that the tool 100 is to be applied to is of a 2-pole configuration, and, as such, includes two push-button connectors for two wire conductors (as shown in
As shown, each contact pin 118 defines a tip portion 120 positioned within the channel 116 and a distance D1 from the datum surface 114 of the sidewalls 112. The tip portions 120 are adapted to contact an associated push-button connector 26 of the terminal block 20 (as shown in
Referring to
The lateral clearance portion 130 is generally shaped and/or sized to provide clearance for one or more components that may be surrounding and/or adjacent to the terminal block 20 or portions thereof. For example, some lighting systems may include a lens or cover positioned above an LED(s), circuitry, PCBs and/or terminal block(s) that would otherwise require partial or complete remove so as to gain access to the terminal block for reworking. Accordingly, a lateral clearance portion consistent with the present disclosure may be shaped and/or sized to accommodate such components without requiring removal to engage the terminal block, thereby saving time and energy during reworking of the lighting system.
While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used.
Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.
The following is a non-limiting list of reference numerals used in the specification:
