Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Resiliently biased
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-30
2001-06-26
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Resiliently biased
C439S488000, C439S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical terminal blocks and, more particularly, to a screwless electrical terminal block for quick wire attachment thereto and detachment therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists a series of different electrical terminal blocks. Some use screw connectors including a screw around which the wire is wrapped with the screw being then tightened to secure the connection. In the art of printed circuit boards, it is important that the terminal blocks be small as an alternative to screw-type connectors, various screwless terminal blocks have been developed in which typically a bare end of the electrical conductor is simply inserted in an opening defined in the housing of the terminal block with an internal resilient spring clip interfering with the opening and being capable o, being deflected out of the way by the introduction of the bare conductor end into the housing. The resilience of the spring clip returns it into contact with the bare end such as to produce an electrically conductive contact with an interior terminal of the housing. The spring clip locks the bare conductor end into position in the terminal block. Various systems are proposed to release the spring clip from the conductor such as to remove the latter from the terminal block.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,496 issued to Ludwig on Sep. 20, 1994 discloses, as best seen in
FIGS. 4
to
6
(and especially FIG.
6
), a push-wire connection where a cantilevered leaf spring
34
is biased towards the contact wall
30
such as to imprison therebetween the stripped portion
24
of the wire. A release key
40
can be inserted through release passage
38
by way of a translational displacement to deflect the spring or finger
34
away from the contact wall
30
such as to allow the stripped wire portion
24
to be removed from the wiring device, as best seen in FIG.
6
.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,726 issued to Naylor on Jul. 26, 1998, there is shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
a generally U-shaped electrical terminal
32
having an upper gripping element
34
which is adapted to be displaced by cam-lever
42
such as to selectively imprison or release a wire
66
with respect to the electrical terminal
32
. The cam-lever
42
operates as a pure pivot as opposed to your rotatable knob. In
FIG. 6
, there is shown a series of terminal blocks
10
connected in a multiple terminal.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,152,851 issued to McLaughlin on Oct. 13, 1964, an actuating member
60
can be pivoted to displace a resilient arm
44
away or towards a housing abutment
54
such as to selectively imprison or release a wire
32
with respect to the wiring device
10
.
In German Patent Publication No. 2511444 published on Sep. 23, 1976 to Marquardt, a push button
10
can be translationally displaced along arrow
11
of
FIG. 1
such as to displace a spring member
15
between wire engagement and wire release positions, as respectively illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3
.
In European Patent Publication No. EP335,093-A published on Oct. 4, 1989 to Feller AG, an operating element
10
can be pivoted (see
FIGS. 1 and 2
) such as to act on a U-shaped spring
7
for permitting a wire
4
to be inserted in the housing
1
. The operating element
10
by its position, provides a visual indication of a correct contact between the wire lead
4
and the contact element
6
of the housing
1
.
Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-54-50992 published on Apr. 21, 1979 in the name of Matsushita Denko K. K. shows various designs, including that of
FIG. 13
where a cammed handle
4
is used on a spring
8
to hold wires in a housing.
Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-1-130480 published on May 23, 1989 to Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. discloses a quick connecting terminal device where an electrode wire
13
inserted in a hole
14
may be held in the housing by a lock spring
3
. When the conductor
13
is completely inserted, its tip presses a U-shaped portion
6
of a sound emitting spring
5
and the sound so emitted ensures that the conductor
13
has been fully inserted in the terminal device.
British Patent Publication No. GB-751,675 published on Jul. 4, 1956 in the name of Arrow Electric Switches Limited illustrates in
FIG. 1
a wire lead
17
held in a terminal block by a gripping member
30
. Release holes
17
and
19
are provided in the sides of the housing such that a stiff and thin elongated element (e.g. a nail) inserted therethrough will displace the gripping element
30
, by lever of action, sufficiently such as to free the wire end
40
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a novel screwless terminal block.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide a screwless terminal block including a cammed actuating member for displacing a clamping member between engaged and release positions with respect to a wire conductor received in the terminal block.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a screwless terminal block wherein the actuating member includes a cam surface inside a housing of the terminal block with the actuating member being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof from outside of the housing.
It is still a further aim of the present invention to provide a screwless terminal block wherein a knob of the actuating member located outside of the housing of the terminal block provides visual indication as to whether or not the clamping member is in the engaged or release positions thereof.
It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide to a screwless terminal block which can be assembled in a nesting and side-by-side relationship with one or more similar terminal blocks for electrically connecting more than one conductor for instance to a printed circuit board.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a Screwless-type terminal block, comprising housing means defining first and second openings, clamping means in said housing means, conductor means, and actuator means, said housing means being adapted to receive therein a wire end through said first opening, said actuator means extending through said second opening and having an operable end outside of said housing means and a cammed end adapted to displace said clamping means between locked and unlocked positions thereof respectively for securing the wire end in an electrically conductive manner with said conductor means and for allowing the wire end to be inserted in. or withdrawn from said housing means, said operable end being adapted to cause said actuator means to rotate about a longitudinal axis thereof such that. said cammed end causes said clamping means to displace between said locked and unlocked positions.
Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a screwless-type terminal block, comprising housing means defining first and second openings, clamping means in said housing means, conductor means, and actuator means, said housing means being adapted to receive therein a wire end through said first opening, said actuator means extending through said second opening and having a operable end outside of said housing means and a cammed end adapted to displace sand clamping means between locked and unlocked positions thereof respectively for securing the wire end in an electrically conductive manner with said conductor means and for allowing the wire end to be inserted in or withdrawn from said housing means, wherein said operable end and said housing means are provided with visible indicator means for allowing to determine from outside of said terminal block if said clamping means is in said locked or unlocked position thereof.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a screwless-type terminal block, comprising housing means defining first and second openings, clamping means in said housing means, conductor means, and actuator means, said housing means being adapted to receive therein a wire end through said first opening, said act
Akerman & Senterfitt
Bradley Paula
Supplie & Co. Import/Export Inc.
Ta Tho D.
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