The present invention relates generally to a metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal, and more particularly to an assembly of a terminal device for an electro-conductive wire to plug in and connect therewith and a metal leaf spring for pressing or releasing the electro-conductive wire.
A conventional terminal device or wire pressing terminal has an insulation case (generally made of plastic material) and an electrical connector or metal member (or metal leaf spring). The metal leaf spring is enclosed in the insulation case to press and electrically connect with or release a conductive wire plugged into the terminal device.
Such electrical connection terminal devices include two types. The first type of electrical connection terminal device is inserted on a circuit board such as printed circuit board (PCB). The second type of electrical connection terminal device is latched with a grounding rail (or conductive rail) in a row to set up a common grounding device of an electrical apparatus or mechanical equipment.
The aforesaid electrical connection terminal is inserted on a circuit board such as printed circuit board (PCB) or a grounding rail and includes an insulation case having a perforation or a wire plug-in hole for the conductive wire to plug into the interior of the case. The case defines a chamber in which the electrical connector (or the metal leaf spring) is mounted. The metal leaf spring serves to contact or electrically connect with the conductive wire plugged into the case. The electrical connector has an elastic free end. After the conductive wire is plugged into the case, the free end of the electrical connector will bite the conductive wire to prevent the conductive wire from easily detaching from the electrical connector out of contact with the electrical connector. Unless an operator uses a tool to extend into the case and push/press the free end, the conductive wire cannot be released from the contact of the electrical connector.
The metal leaf spring of the conventional electrical connection terminal device has some shortcomings in structural design and application. For example, when plugging the conductive wire into the terminal device, due to human operation factor, it often takes place that the conductive wire cannot enter the terminal device by a precise angle to push/press the free end of the metal leaf spring. In this case, the elastic free end of the metal leaf spring can hardly securely press and restrict the conductive wire or the metal leaf spring will be over-bent. Especially, after a long period of high-frequency assembling operation of the conductive wire, elastic fatigue is apt to happen to the structure of the metal leaf spring. As a result, the lifetime of the terminal device will be shortened.
In order to improve the shortcoming of the metal leaf spring that elastic fatigue is apt to happen to the structure of the metal leaf spring to shorten the lifetime of the terminal device, a technical means for preventing the metal leaf spring from being over-bent has been disclosed.
The conventional clamping spring (or metal leaf spring) is assembled with a reception member (or frame body). A protrusion section is formed on one side of the reception member in the moving path of the clamping leg (or free end) of the clamping spring to prevent the clamping leg from being over-biased.
However, as well known by those who are skilled in this field, the structure of the additional protrusion section of the reception member (or frame body) in cooperation with the clamping spring (or metal leaf spring) is relatively complicated. In addition, when the conductive wire is plugged into the electrical connection terminal by an imprecise angle, the conductive wire also will push/press the clamping leg of the clamping spring to deflect the clamping leg and make the clamping leg pass over the protrusion section. This deteriorates the effect that the protrusion section prevents the clamping leg from being over-biased. This is not what we expect.
To speak representatively, the above references reveal some shortcomings existing in the conventional electrical connection terminal and the metal leaf spring in design of relevant assembling structure. In case the assembling structure of the terminal device and the metal leaf spring is redesigned to be different from the conventional electrical connection terminal, the use form of the electrical connection terminal can be changed to practically improve the application of the electrical connection terminal and enhance the operation stability of the electrical connection terminal.
It is found that the structural form of an optimal terminal device or metal leaf spring must overcome or improve the aforesaid shortcomings of the conventional electrical connection terminal and include several design considerations as follows:
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal. The metal leaf spring structure includes a main body. The main body has a base section defined with a first end and a second end. The first end is connected with a first section and a locating section. The second end is connected with a bight section and a reciprocally movable second section. The locating section has a head section and a tail section connected with the head section. The locating section is positioned in the reciprocally moving path of the second section to set up a moving end point of the second section. The metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal improves the shortcomings of the conventional metal leaf spring that the conductive wire cannot be plugged into the terminal by a precise angle so that the metal leaf spring is over-bent to affect the pressing and securing effect.
In the above metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal, a bent section is formed between the first end of the base section and the first section. The bent section contains an angle. The first section is bent toward the second end of the base section and obliquely extends to connect with the locating section, whereby a subsidiary bent section is formed between the first section and the locating section. The subsidiary bent section contains an angle. The bight section between the second end and the second section of the base section contains an angle, whereby the second section obliquely extends in a direction to the first end of the base section. The tail section is bent toward the base section and extends to contact the base section to form a locating section structure so as to support and secure the locating section and prevent the second section from being over-biased.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
Please refer to
As shown in the drawings, the main body 100 includes a base section 30 defined with a first end 31 and a second end 32. The first end 31 is connected with a first section 10 and a locating section 40. The second end 32 is connected with a bight section 50 and a reciprocally movable second section 20. The locating section 40 has a head section 41 and a tail section 42 connected with the head section 41. The locating section 40 is positioned in a reciprocally moving path of the second section 20 to set up a moving end point or moving range of the second section 20.
To speak more specifically, a bent section 11 is formed between the first end 31 of the base section and the first section 10. The bent section 11 contains an angle, which is an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse angle. In addition, the first section 31 is bent toward the second end 32 of the base section and extends to connect with the locating section 40, whereby a subsidiary bent section 12 is formed between the first section 10 and the locating section 40. The subsidiary bent section 12 contains an angle, which is an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse angle.
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the tail section 42 of the locating section 40 of the main body is bent toward the base section 30 to form a sub-bent section 43, whereby the tail section 42 is in contact with the base section 30 to form a locating section structure so as to set up a locating support point for ensuring that the locating section 40 prevents the second section 20 from being over-biased.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
To speak more specifically, when an operator plugs the conductive wire 70 through the wire plug-in hole 92 into the case 90 to electrically connect with the electrical connection member 80, the conductive wire 70 pushes the second section 20 to move in a direction to the locating section 40. Also, in cooperation with the structure of the bight section 50, the second section 20 or the tail end 22 of the second section 20 swings toward the lower side of the drawing to securely press and restrict the conductive wire 70 entering the case 90 or the electrical connection member 80.
It should be noted that the locating section 40 of the main body 100 serves as a moving end point structure of the second section 20. This ensures that when the second section 20 is pushed/pressed and biased by the conductive wire 70, the second section 20 is prevented from being over-biased as the clamping leg of the conventional terminal that passes over the stop point (or the protrusion section). In addition, the locating section 40 has the form of an (entirely) plane structure, whereby the second section 20 can snugly attach to the locating section 40 without deflecting.
Please now refer to
Therefore, when the conductive wire 70 pushes the second section 20 to move toward the locating section 40, in case the second section 20 reaches or contacts the tail section 42 or the sub-bent section 43, the tail section 42 or the sub-bent section 43 can prevent the second section 20 from being over-biased.
Please now refer to
To speak more specifically, the connection section 13 obliquely extends in a direction to the base section 30 and the second end 32 to form a reverse bent section 14 connected with the locating section 40 (or the head section 41). As shown in the drawing, the angle contained between the first section 10 and the connection section 13 (or the subsidiary bent section 12) is an acute angle smaller than the obtuse angle contained between the connection section 13 and the locating section 40 (or the reverse bent section 14).
Please refer to
It should be noted that the structural form of the first section 10, the subsidiary bent section 12 and the connection section 13 as shown in
Please now refer to
As shown in the drawing, the tail section 42 of the locating section 40 extends to a position close to the bight section 50 and the head section 41 is formed with a U-shaped structure 44 in a direction reverse to the base section 30 (or to the lower side of the drawing). In cooperation with the head section 41 and the tail section 42 of the locating section 40 in contact with or parallel to the base section 30, the U-shaped structure 44 sets up a locating support point for preventing the second section 20 from being over-biased.
To speak representatively, in condition of optimal and stable operation, in comparison with the conventional electrical connection terminal, the metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal of the present invention has the following advantages:
In conclusion, the metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal of the present invention is different from the conventional electrical connection terminal in space form and is advantageous over the conventional electrical connection terminal. The metal leaf spring structure of electrical connection terminal of the present invention is greatly advanced and inventive.
The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
106207568 | May 2017 | TW | national |