Patent Application
20190363465
The invention is directed to terminal blocks and electrical terminals for use in a terminal block which provide a secure and positive electrical connection while optimizing material used.
Terminal blocks and electrical terminals for use in terminal blocks are well known in the industry. Terminal blocks are used for joining electrical conductors of the same or different sizes and to electrically couple the same together in a conventional manner.
A wide variety of power terminal assemblies exist for use today, depending upon the environment and application for which it is intended. In some applications, multiple sets of wires within an end product are joined within the power terminal assembly to external power cords and other types of wire. Examples of this application may be found in various environments, such as in appliances and other industrial applications.
In general, conventional power terminal blocks or assemblies include a housing formed of an insulative material and shaped to provide one or more regions therein to receive conductive power terminals. Each power terminal is configured to join a power line from the end product (e.g., an electrical device) and a corresponding power cord from the power source. Each power terminal is held within the insulated housing of the power terminal assembly through a separate fastening means, such as screws or similar electrical connection devices. Known power terminals have a screw receiving area which is proximate to but spaced from a latching area. This provides sufficient area to properly conduct the electrical current associated with high power demand while providing sufficient latching to maintain the power terminals in position in the terminal block. However, known power terminals are large to provide sufficient redundancy, thereby requiring sufficient material to be used in the manufacture of the terminal blocks and the terminals. In addition, in known terminal blocks, mounting hardware is needed to secure the screws. The mounting hardware may be dropped or dislodged which could result in damage to the terminal block or the equipment to which it is attached.
What is needed is a power terminal and terminal block which provides a secure and positive electrical connection while optimizing material used and which minimizes loose pieces to prevent damage to the power terminal, terminal block and the equipment to which it is attached.
An embodiment is directed to a terminal block having an electrically insulative housing and electrical terminals. The electrically insulative housing has terminal-receiving slots with dividers provided between the terminal-receiving slots. The terminal-receiving slots extend from a first surface of the housing to a wall provide proximate a second surface of the housing. Terminal-receiving cavities extend through the second surface and walls to the terminal-receiving slots. Wire-receiving recesses extend through the first surface to the terminal-receiving slots. Fastener-receiving openings extend through upper surfaces of the terminal-receiving slots toward a lower surface of the housing. The fastener-receiving openings are positioned between the terminal-receiving cavities and the wire-receiving recesses. Securing member receiving areas are provided between the wire-receiving recesses and the terminal-receiving cavities. The securing member receiving areas extend through the upper surfaces of the terminal-receiving slots toward the lower surface of the housing. The electrical terminals have contact portions, with the contact portions positioned in the terminal-receiving slots. The contact portions have openings proximate the center of the contact portions. Corners of the contact portions form securing members.
An embodiment is directed to a terminal block having an electrically insulative housing, electrical terminals and mounting hardware. The electrically insulative housing has terminal-receiving slots with dividers provided between the terminal-receiving slots. The terminal-receiving slots extend from a first surface of the housing toward a second surface of the housing. Fastener-receiving openings extend through upper surfaces of the terminal-receiving slots toward a lower surface of the housing. The electrical terminals have contact portions. The contact portions are positioned in the terminal-receiving slots and have openings proximate the center thereof. Eyelet tubes extend from the openings in the contact portions. The eyelet tubes are deep drawn to form screw-receiving members. The eyelet tubes extending into the fastener-receiving openings. Mating hardware is positioned in the openings of the contact portions and the eyelet tubes.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical terminal for use in a terminal block housing. The electrical terminal includes a wire barrel configured for crimped connection with an end of a conductive core of an insulated wire and an insulation barrel configured for crimped connection with an end of the insulation coating or jacket of the wire. A contact portion extends from the wire barrel and is positioned in a terminal-receiving slot of the terminal block housing. The contact portion has an opening proximate the center of the contact portion. Corners of the contact portion form securing members. An eyelet tube extends from the opening in the contact portion. The eyelet tube is deep drawn to form a screw-receiving member.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such preferred embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
As best shown in
In the embodiment shown, mounting flanges 14 extend from the housing 12. The mounting flanges 14 have mounting openings 16. The mounting openings 16 may include machined openings or formed openings configured to receive a fastener. The configuration of mounting flanges and mounting openings 16 may be any geometry that provides the capability of fastening the terminal block 10 in a location having the desired accessibility.
As best shown in
As best shown in
Fastener-receiving openings 34 extend through top or upper surfaces 36 of the slots 20 toward a bottom or lower surface 38 (
Terminal hold-downs 42 extend from the walls or dividers 28 into the terminal-receiving slots 20. Terminal cooperation surfaces 44 of the terminal hold-downs 42 are spaced from the surfaces 36 of the slots 20. The spacing is approximate to, but slightly larger than, the thickness of the terminals 50. In the embodiment shown, the two triangular shaped terminal hold-downs 42 are provided in each terminal-receiving slot 20. However, other numbers and shapes of terminal hold-downs 42 may be provided.
As best shown in
The contact portions 52 are configured to be placed in electrical engagement with mating contacts or wires not shown). The contact portions 52 have a generally planar configuration. Openings 62 with eyelet tubes 64 are provided proximate the center of the contact portions 52. In the illustrative embodiment shown, the eyelet tubes 64 are deep drawn from the contact portions 52 to form screw-receiving members. Corners 66 of the contact portions 52 are stamped and formed to form securing members 68. In the embodiment shown, the securing members 68 are latches with a generally bent rectangular configuration. However, other configurations of the securing members may be used. For example, the securing members 68 may be barbs which extend downward from the corners 66.
Ribs or projections 70 extend from top surfaces 72 of the contact portions 52 in a direction away from the bottom surfaces 74 of the contact portions 52. The ribs or projections 70 are positioned to cooperate with the terminal hold-downs 42 when the terminals 50 are fully inserted into the terminal-receiving cavities 30.
During assembly, as shown in
The terminals are moved, as shown by arrows A and B in
The cooperation of the securing members 68 with the securing member receiving areas 40 and the ribs or projections 70 with the terminal hold-downs 42 prevents the unwanted movement or removal of the terminals 50 from the terminal-receiving cavities 30.
Wires (not shown), which may be used in appliances or the like, are terminated to the wire barrels 56 and the insulation barrels 58 of the terminals 50 using known methods. The wires may be terminated to the terminals 50 prior to inserting the terminals 50 in the terminal-receiving cavities 30 or after the terminals 50 are inserted into the terminal-receiving cavities 30.
With the terminals fully inserted into the housing 12 of the terminal block 10, the mating contacts are moved into position on the contact portions 52 of the terminals 50. Openings of the mating contacts 60 are aligned with the openings 62 and the eyelet tubes 64 of the contact portions. With the openings aligned, mating hardware 84 is positioned in the openings 62 and the eyelet tubes 64. The mating hardware 84 engages mounting nuts 86 and is tightened in a known manner.
In alternate embodiments, mating hardware 84 is rotated and cooperates with the eyelet tubes 64 to tighten the mating hardware 84 relative to the eyelet tubes 64 causing the mating contacts 60 to be placed and maintained in mechanical and electrical engagement with the contact portions 52 and the terminals 50, thereby allowing electrical current to flow from the power wires through the mating contacts 60 to the terminals 50 and through the wires 80. The use of the eyelet tubes 64 eliminates the need for traditional nuts as found in the known art. In such embodiments, the mating hardware 84 are thread-forming screws which are known in the industry. However, other types of mating hardware can be used.
An alternate illustrative embodiment is shown in
The housing 10 is similar to the housing of
In the fully inserted position shown in
The cooperation of the front edges 88 with the steps 41, the rear edges 76 with the walls 24 and the ribs or projections 70 with the terminal hold-downs 42 prevents the unwanted movement or removal of the terminals 50 from the terminal-receiving cavities 30.
Referring to
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. In particular, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, sizes, and with other elements, materials and components, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials and components and otherwise used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description or embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201811019708 | May 2018 | IN | national |
