Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-07
2001-06-19
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
C439S564000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247964
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of surface mountable wire connector blocks formed for holding a plurality of wire connectors.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Wire connector blocks are known in the prior art which are formed to be mounted to an opening in a mounting surface, such as a panel, to fixedly support a plurality of wire connectors relative to the mounting surface. Prior art wire connector blocks have been formed in the prior art to mount onto a mounting surface of particular thickness. Typically, the wire connector blocks are provided with rigid tabs or a flange to abut against a front face of the mounting surface, and with a latch formed to hook onto a rear face of the mounting surface. Opposite forces are generated by the rigid tabs/flange and the latch, whereby a wire connector block is held on the mounting surface.
As is readily apparent, prior art wire connector blocks are mountable only on panels for which the blocks are sized. Where a great number of wire connector blocks are mounted onto a mounting surface, the mounting surface may begin to deflect under excessive loading. Deflection can be minimized by providing stiffeners which reinforce the mounting surface and impart additional rigidity. Since stiffeners are often mounted in the field, restricted space and other conditions often make the task of mounting stiffeners either impossible or very difficult. To avoid this problem, mounting surfaces have been produced with greater thicknesses which inherently impart the surface with additional rigidity, resulting in a decrease in the likelihood of deflection. However, wire connector blocks sized for mounting on thinner mounting surfaces cannot be mounted onto these thicker mounting surfaces. As a corollary, wire connector blocks sized for thicker mounting surfaces cannot be used on thinner mounting surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome shortcomings in the prior art, a wire connector block is provided which is formed to mount onto mounting surfaces (e.g. a panel) of different thicknesses. Specifically, the wire connector block includes a base, a contact surface and an abutment device, which work in combination with a retention device to provide the wire connector block with the ability to mount to mounting surfaces of different thicknesses.
The base is formed with a plurality of sockets, each formed to receive a wire connector. Any type of socket design known in the prior art may be used. Additionally, the contact surface is defined on a boss, or a plurality thereof, and/or a flange formed to extend from the base. In either regard, when mounting the wire connector block of the subject invention, the contact surface is formed and disposed to abut a front face of the mounting surface.
The abutment device is formed as either a deflectable spring arm or as a tiered rim having at least two downwardly-facing, non-coplanar abutment surfaces. In mounting the wire connector block into an opening in a mounting surface, the abutment device is passed through the opening and caused to abuttingly engage a rear face of the mounting surface. As is readily appreciated, the simultaneous abutting of the front face by the contact surface and the abutting of the rear face by the abutment device result in opposite forces being generated that hold the wire connector block rigidly within the opening of the mounting surface.
In addition, the deflectability of the spring arm, and the tiered arrangement of the abutment surfaces of the tiered rim, enable the wire connector block of the subject invention to be mounted to mounting surfaces of different thicknesses. In particular, the spring arm is deflectable in response to mounting surface thickness, wherein, the spring arm deflects more when used with a greater thickness mounting surface. With the tiered rim, the abutment surfaces are spaced apart so as to be used alternatively with different mounting surface thicknesses.
The retention device is either a screw, which is threadedly mounted into a threaded inner passage formed in one of the bosses, or a latch. In either regard, the retention device is used to generate a holding force for the wire connector block which causes the wire connector block to be pressed against the mounting surface. Particularly, in use, the screw is caused to pass through the mounting surface with its head pressing against the rear face of the mounting surface, while the latch has a detent which is caused to come into pressing engagement with the rear face of the mounting surface. As an additional feature, the detent of the latch can be formed with stepped surfaces to allow the detent, and thus the latch, to engage rear faces of various mounting surfaces of different thicknesses.
With the invention disclosed herein, a wire connector block is provided that can be mounted into an opening formed in one of various mounting surfaces having thicknesses falling within a range of thicknesses.
As an additional feature, a cantilevered arm may be provided which extends from the side wall to provide a pressing force against the mounting surface to provide additional stability in holding the connector block in place.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings, which are not to scale, are designed solely for the purpose of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5993264 (1999-11-01), Daoud
patent: 6033259 (2000-03-01), Daoud
Avaya Technology Corp.
Bradley Paula
Ngandjui Antoine
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
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