Multiple-threaded terminal device

Details Multiple-threaded terminal device Multiple-threaded terminal device

2000-11-13

2002-03-12

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...

Screw-thread operated securing part

C439S721000, C439S727000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06354889

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple-threaded terminal device for use in electrical systems, particularly in audio and video systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 14
, a conventional multiple-threaded terminal device, shown generally at
100
″, includes an electrically conductive terminal section
14
, with terminal section
14
a
, mounted on an insulative body plate
1
. A rotating handle
6
is mounted projecting away from a first surface of body plate
1
. Rotating handle
6
rotates toward body plate
1
to secure a lead wire (not shown) within a lead-wire-inserting recess
2
formed in an outer wall of a lead-wire-connecting section
3
.
Additionally referring to
FIG. 15
, conventional multiple-threaded terminal device
100
″ includes an electrically conductive terminal plate
4
mounted to body plate
1
. A conventional terminal
15
′ is secured to body plate
1
by a threaded shaft section
7
, threaded through a tap hole
8
in terminal plate
4
. Rotating handle
6
, affixed projecting away from terminal plate
4
, enables screwing and unscrewing of threaded shaft section
7
for making electrical connection, as will be explained. Conventional multiple-threaded terminal devices
100
″, are generally constructed in a four-gang (not shown), or eight-gang (shown later) configuration.
Body plate
1
contains lead-wire-connecting sections
3
. Lead-wire-connecting sections
3
are formed on the first surface of body plate
1
and surround part of terminal bodies
15
′ near the first surface of body plate
1
. Lead-wire-connection sections
3
help avoid lead wire shorts and reduce the chance of electrical contact with a person or an object. Lead-wire-connection sections
3
have lead-wire-inserting recess
2
in an outer periphery.
A through hole
16
accommodates adjustable threaded shaft section
7
of terminal body
15
′. Threaded shaft section
7
is centered in cylindrical lead-wire-connection section
3
. Around through hole
16
, one or more fixing holes(not shown) permit insertion of one or more folding pieces
13
and terminal piece
14
, of terminal plate
4
, to fix terminal plate
4
firmly into insulative body plate
1
.
Terminal body
15
′ has cylindrical rotating handle
6
fixed around a rod-shaped contact
5
with a plug insertion hole
10
for receiving a banana tip plug
12
or other suitable contact wire. Plug insertion hole
10
is formed on a first side of a lead-wire-pinching section
9
and rotating handle
6
is firmly fixed around terminal body
15
′ by a flange form
11
formed opposite the lead-wire-pinching section
9
by curl clamping.
Rotating handle
6
is generally cylindrical in shape. A fit hole
18
, shaped to receive contact
5
, passes through the center of rotating handle
6
. A plug insertion opening
17
, having a diameter greater than that of fit hole
18
is formed at the top of fit hole
18
. A recess(not shown) at the bottom of fit hole
18
receives lead-wire-pinching section
9
.
Lead-wire-pinching section
9
is pulled into stabilizing contact with terminal plate
4
when threaded shaft section
7
is tightened. Rotating handle
6
is formed from an electrically insulative material such as resin. Terminal body
15
′ accepts the press fit rotating handle
6
to provide a safer and greater gripping surface for an operator.
During assembly, terminal section
14
a
, on terminal piece
14
of terminal plate
4
, is inserted into lead-wire-connecting sections
3
from above and slipped partially into through holes
16
. Further insertion requires rotating terminal pieces
14
, fashioned in the form of a circular arc, including terminal sections
14
a
, to allow free passage through lead-wire-connection sections
3
. As terminal pieces
14
protrude through a second surface of body plate
1
, folding pieces
13
engage respective fixing holes (not shown) in body plate
1
and a bottom surface of terminal plate
4
rests directly against a top surface of body plate
1
.
After integration of terminal plates
4
and terminal pieces
14
, into body plate
1
, terminal bodies
15
′ are threaded into tap holes
8
. When each threaded shaft section
7
is tightened, an end portion of threaded shaft section
7
protrudes below the second surface of body plate
1
. After tightening, the end portion of threaded shaft section
7
is crushed and deformed to form crushed portion
19
and disrupt a continuous helical thread formed on threaded shaft section
7
. Crushed portion
19
thus prevents terminal body
15
′ from disengaging tap hole
8
, or from being lost during later adjustment.
Once terminal bodies
15
′ with rotating handles
6
are connected to body plate
1
, rotating handles
6
are loosened sufficiently to allow insertion of at least one lead wire(not shown) through lead-wire-insertion recesses
2
. When threaded shaft portion
7
of each terminal body
15
′ is tightened toward tap hole
8
in terminal plate
4
, the bottom surface of lead-wire-pinching section
9
and a top surface of terminal plate
4
sandwich the lead wire(not shown) for electrical contact. More than one lead wire(not shown) may be captured this way, and connected to a connector inserted into plug insertion hole
10
or terminal piece
14
.
Referring additionally to
FIG. 16
, multiple terminal bodies
15
′ with rotating handles
6
may be positioned on conventional multiple-threaded terminal device
100
″ in an eight-gang configuration. As shown, terminal pieces
14
, with terminal sections
14
a
, extend beyond the periphery of body plate
1
to provide easy electrical contact.
The current design of multiple-threaded terminal device
100
″ creates several manufacturing difficulties. First, it is difficult to automate the step of integrating terminal plate
4
, with folding pieces
13
, into body plate
1
. The curved circular-arc portions, of terminal pieces
14
, require insertion in conformity with their radius. Additionally, where customer needs dictate a large length for terminal pieces
14
, the radius of curvature during instillation is correspondingly large, thereby increasing the complexity of the instillation process. Also additionally, where the lateral projection length of terminal
14
is large, the radius of curvature of the circular arc is correspondingly large, as a result, the terminal piece
14
is projected far from of the bottom surface of the body plate
1
, thereby increasing the size of the overall multiple-threaded terminal device
100
″.
Second, since terminal plate
4
is fixed into the body plate
1
by press-fitting folding pieces
13
into fixing holes(not shown), an strong pressurization step is required and this increases both the duration of the instillation process and the complexity of the instillation process.
Third, the crushing step forming crushed portions
19
, must be performed after terminal plates
4
and terminal bodies
15
′ are installed into body plate
1
. As a result, performing the crushing step is inconvenient and increases manufacturing time and cost. In an eight-gang multiple-threaded terminal device
100
″, the crushing step is particularly cumbersome and repetitive.
Fourth, during assembly of multiple-threaded terminal device
100
″ in general, and particularly during the crushing step forming crushed portions
19
, damage may occur to any exposed parts. Specifically, exposed terminal pieces
14
with terminal sections
14
a
are susceptible to machine or operator error.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention is to provide a multiple-threaded terminal device where automated assembly is easy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multiple-threaded terminal device of a smaller size requiring correspondingly smaller instillation space.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multiple-threaded terminal device having an improved a

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