CA1264487A - Composition terminal system - Google Patents

Composition terminal system

Info

Publication number
CA1264487A
CA1264487A CA000468027A CA468027A CA1264487A CA 1264487 A CA1264487 A CA 1264487A CA 000468027 A CA000468027 A CA 000468027A CA 468027 A CA468027 A CA 468027A CA 1264487 A CA1264487 A CA 1264487A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
slot
connector
flank
terminal block
contact
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000468027A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Andrew Shtun
Albert S. May
Leonard R. Nordby
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Westcan Electrical Manufacturing Inc
Original Assignee
Westcan Electrical Manufacturing Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Westcan Electrical Manufacturing Inc filed Critical Westcan Electrical Manufacturing Inc
Priority to CA000468027A priority Critical patent/CA1264487A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1264487A publication Critical patent/CA1264487A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01RELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R4/00Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
    • H01R4/28Clamped connections, spring connections
    • H01R4/48Clamped connections, spring connections utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member
    • H01R4/4809Clamped connections, spring connections utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member using a leaf spring to bias the conductor toward the busbar

Abstract

Case 2920 COMPOSITE TERMINAL SYSTEM
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An improved solderless connector has a planar contactor body portion stamped out of brass plate, being provided with a pair of resiliently deformable contact ramps, each cooperating with a fixed post portion to form adjacent connector slots, the contact ramps providing a predetermined stripping force diametrically of a conductor forced into the slot. The contact ramps each serves as a locking cam, to retain an inserted conductor in secured relation within the respective slot. A plurality of contact bodies are mounted across the face of a non-conductive terminal block, each body being respectively inserted within an individual retaining slot, and having an insulating barrier interposed between adjacent contacts. A plurality of tie-off posts extend from one face of the terminal block, to facilitate pre-assembly of conductors with respective contactor slots, prior to pressing of the conductors into contacting relation with the respective contactors.
Protruding leg portions extending from the terminal block facilitate assembly thereof to a component such as a ballast, serving also collectively as spacer feet for positioning the ballast.

Description

Case 2920 COMPOSITE TERMI~AL SYSTEM
This invention is directed to an improved solderless connector, and in particular to an improved connector suitable for use with electrical devices, in particular ballasts, and to the improved ballast thus produced.
Solderless wire connectors are well known, as can be seen in Canadian Patent Nos. 891,711, issued ` January 25, 1972 to Enright et al, 892,782, issued ~` ~ 10 February 8, 1972 to Driscol and 939,033, issued December 25, 1973 to Serin.
The present invention provides an improved solderless connector, together with a connector mounting block suited ~or use with electrical devices, in particular ballastsj and to a method for using the improved connector.
One existing method for producing lighting ballasts has included the provision of metallic studs mounted on insulators, to which the ballast connections were secured by soldering~ In accordance with~the present invention, the improved solderless connection is provided with a resilient flat plate having at least one pair of extending elements defining an open ended~wire receiving slot, one of the elements comprising a cantilever spring to provide in use a predetarmined lateral face acting against a : ~ :

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Case 2920 wire conductor when pushed laterally into the slot~
The finish of the edges of the brass sheet stock obtained when the contact elemen-t is stamped out is sufficiently sharp to penetrate through insulatiny material covering the surface of a wire conductor, to ensure ob-~aining a reliable electrical contact when the wire is pushed laterally into the slot. The shape of the cantilever spring member, in addition to facilitating the penetration of insulating material, also deforms elastically upon insertion of a wire to the bottom of the slot so as to trap the wire within the slot, to substantially preclude accidental withdrawal of the wire from the slot. The geometry of the element allows use of wires selected from a range of sizes.
The provision of contact elements having two, three or more slots in each element permits the insertion of single wires into a slot, with the body - of the contact providing electrical interconnection ; 20 between adjacent individual wires.
; rrhe present invention further provides an electrically insulating mounting block to receive a plurality of solderless contact elements in inserted relation thereinu The contact elements are self-anchoring, each having a plurality of projecting hook portions to engage the mounting block in attaching relation thereto.
rrhe mounting block herein disclosed includes a plurality of winding posts to receive wire conductors in wound relation thereabout, thus permittiny selected wires each to be initially positioned in preliminary entered relation with a selected contact element slot.
he mounting block is further provided with locating means to facilitate assembly of the blocks in secured relation with an electrlcal device such as a ..

Case 2920 ballast. The locating means includes an external shoulder portion and spacer nibs for precise positioning of the mountiny block on the device, and at least one protruding leg for attaching the block to the device, as by clinching a struck out tab from the ; device in holding relation with the protruding leg.
The mounting block leg portions, in the preferred embodiment include extended foot portions that serve collectively to support the device. Thus, in the case of a ballast, the extended foot portions collectively maintain the ballast windings in suspended relation positioned clear of adjacent casing or other components until final potting or ; encapsulation is completed.
The respective structural characteristics of the subject invention lend themselves to low cost mass production, with the electrical contact elements being stamped rom selected conducting material, the mountiny block having slots therein precisely sized to ~0 receive the contact elements within individual isolated slots being injection molded, preferably from a suitable polycarbonate resin. The elements further lend themselves to facilitated assembly, with minimal hand operations such as positioning the connector elements in entered relation in their slots and tying the individual conductors to selected ones of the winding posts so as to position each wire in aligned relation with a desired one of the connector slots.
In selecting the contact element material from sheet stock such as phosphor bronze, berylium copper or brass, phosphor bronze possesses the required strength and elasticity at a more acceptable cost than berylium copper, which is a superior conductor. The lower elasticity of brass :
limits the extent of allowable elastic deformation, requiring More precise sizing of the conductor wires .

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~L87 Case 2920 that may be used therewith. Elastic deformation of a cantilever portion of the contact element, upon insertion of a conductor within the slot thereof, has amounted to a 15 deflection, while the generation of flattened side surfaces in the conductor has led to a change in cross section area o~ about 15~ This local change in wire area serves to anchor the wire against pull-out forces.
The forcing home of connectors into their slots in the mounting block, and ~orcing the positioned wires transversely into the respective connector slots can then be automated, to eliminate hand labour to a significant extent, with consequent labour cost reduction.
Certain embodiments of the invention are described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a magnified view, in front elevation of the subject solderless connector contact - 20 member and a portion of a terminal block;
Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a terminal block in accordance with the invention;
~ Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a ;~ terminal block in assembled relation with a ballast;
-~ 25 E'igure 4 is a plan view of the ballast, and Figure 5 is a section at 5-5 of Figure 2~
Referring to Figure 1, a contact member 10 for a solderless connector is stamped from cold drawn brass or phosphor bronze stock, having a central 30 pillar 12 and at least two side pillars 14, 160 Each of the side pillars 14, 16 has a cantilevered blade ~ portion 18 attached at the top to a leg portion 20.
- The flanks 22 of the blade portions 18, together with the flanks 24 o~ the pillar 12 are curved to ~orm a convergent slit within which a wire W (shown in phantom) may be ~orced causing the blade portions 18 , , . ` ~, ,~

Case 2920 to deflect. The shape of blade portions 18 is such that as the wire l~ ls forced inwardly towards the root of the slit 17 causing progressive bencling o-f the blade portion 18, the upper end of blade portion 1~, being stiffer, tends to return towards its original position -thereby trapping the wire W within the slit 17.
The contact member 10 has a pair of opposed hook end portions 28 which embed themselves in the adjacent slot wall of terminal block 30, within which slots the contact members 10 are inserted.
Turning to Figure 3, a ballast 40, comprising a stack of laminations 41 having a coil 45 set therein is provided at each end thereof with a terminal block 30. Each terminal block 30 has a pair of indented post members 44 by which the block 30 is secured to the ballast by way oE crirnp 48 into the post indentation. The crimps 48 are struck from an end frame portion of the ballast 40 and clenched in gripping relation over the post members 44. The block 30 is firmly seated on the top of the core structure of the ballast 40, whereby the remote ends of post members 44 extending beneath the level of the other positions of the ballast 40 serve as supporting feet therefor, prior to encapsulation of the ballast. The outer wing portions 29 of the terminal blocks 30 extend above the level of the other components of the ballast 40 so as to afford a protective envelope to the respective components, permitting inversion of the ballast in supported relation by wing portions 29, if desired.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5, the ter~inal block 30 has a crenelated intermediate body portion 32, the individual crenelations 34 each having a slot 37 therethrough within which a respective .
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, Case 2g20 contact memb~r 10 is inserted.
The opposed hook portions 2~3 of the members 10 engage in hooking relation with the ends of the respective slots 37, to preclude withdrawal of each contact me~ber 10 from its respective slot 37.
The spaces between adjoining crenelations 34 provide access for transverse insertion of individual wires downwardly into the convergent slit provided by blade portions 18 and pillar 12 of the contact member 10 10 .
As sho~n in Figures 2, 4 and 5, a number of L-shaped tie-off posts 36 extend from the front of the terminal block 30, each tie-off post 36 having a horizontally extending leg portion 37' and an upstanding foot portion 38.
In use, enamelled wires W (39) are laid into the respective slits 17 and held in position by winding the free end of the wire about an adjacent tie-off post 36.
With all of the wires thus positioned in the `~ entrance to their respective slits 17, although not forced downwardly into contact-making relation within the slits 17, and being held in such entered relation ~i:
by having the free end of each wire wrapped about an appropriately positioned tie-off post 36 so as to maintain the respective wires in positioned relation, the ballast 40 may then be positioned in a mechanical pressing device, for applying transverse force downwardly against the wires 39, so as to cause stripping of the varnish insulation simultaneously as the wires are displaced into the bottom of their respective slits 17. It wiIl be understood that this mechanization step is optional, and manual positioning ~ of wires 39 into slits 17 may be used.

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Claims (9)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A contact member for a solderless connection, comprising a thin resilient flat plate having a least one pair of extending elements defining an open ended wire receiving slot, one said element comprising a cantilever spring resiliently deflectable from said other element when a wire conductor is inserted within said slot so as to provide a predetermined lateral force acting against said wire conductor when inserted within the slot.
2. The connector as claimed in Claim 1, said cantilever spring having an arcuate flank to provide a cam surface for retaining said inserted conductor in secured relation within said slot.
3. The connector as claimed in Claim 1 having at least two said slots, to provide in use an electrical interconnection between two wires inserted in contact-making relation in respective ones of said slots.
4. The connector as claimed in Claim 1, including an electrically non-conductive terminal block having a plurality of said contact members inserted within slotted recesses of said block, and a plurality of projecting post means adjacent said contact members for attachment thereto of a said wire conductor in pre-positioned relation with a said slot.
5. The connector as claimed in Claim 4, said terminal block having at least one protruding leg portion extending therefrom for attachment of said connector to an electrical device.
6. The connector as claimed in Claim 5, in combination with said device, wherein said device is a ballast.
7. The connector as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, including a plurality of projecting hook portions for anchoring said plate within a slot located in an electrically non-conducting terminal block.
8. A contact member for a solderless connection, comprising a thin resilient flat plate having first and second extending elements, said first extending element having a first flank portion and second extending element having a flank portion cantilevered from said second extending element and converging towards said first flanking portion so as to define an open ended convergent wire receiving slot, said second flank portion resiliently deflectable from said first flank portion when a wire conductor is inserted within said slot so as to provide a predetermined lateral force acting against a wire conductor when inserted within said slot.
9. A contact member for a solderless connection, comprising a thin resilient flat plate having a pair of spaced side pillar portions and a central pillar portion disposed intermediate said side pillar portions wherein said central pillar portion is spaced from said side pillar portions, said central pillar portion including first flank means disposed adjacent each said side pillar portions, each said side pillar portion including second flank means cantilevered from each said side pillar portions and extending towards said first flank means so as to define an open ended wire receiving slot, said second flank means resiliently deflectable from said first flank means when a wire conductor is inserted within said slot so as to provide a predetermined lateral force acting against a wire conductor when inserted within said slot.
CA000468027A 1984-11-16 1984-11-16 Composition terminal system Expired CA1264487A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000468027A CA1264487A (en) 1984-11-16 1984-11-16 Composition terminal system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000468027A CA1264487A (en) 1984-11-16 1984-11-16 Composition terminal system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1264487A true CA1264487A (en) 1990-01-16

Family

ID=4129168

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000468027A Expired CA1264487A (en) 1984-11-16 1984-11-16 Composition terminal system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1264487A (en)

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