GB1571061A

GB1571061A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB1571061A
Application number: GB1268377A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SYNTRONIC AG
Current assignee: SYNTRONIC AG
Priority date: 1976-03-25
Filing date: 1977-03-25
Publication date: 1980-07-09
Also published as: FR2345831B1; DE7709254U1; DE2712984A1; FR2345831A1; IT1057377B

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS (71) We, SYNTRONIC A.G. a com- pany organised and existing under the laws of Liechtenstein, of Mauren, Liechtenstein, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to electrical connectors and is particularly concerned with such connecters for use with timers.

At present, the cables connecting the different constituent devices and members of electric domestic appliances, namely resistors, the motor etc., are connected to terminal boards of timers by means of female terminals which must be engaged on suitable lugs rigid with the terminal boards.

It is known that as there are many cables, there are also many female terminal members so that the manual operations for engaging said female members on the respective terminal lugs result in a great waste of time, so that the corresponding labour cost is high.

Several solutions have been proposed for reducing the time required for said operations, including the provision of devices consisting of a number of female terminals mounted in a block or plate of suitable material which can be moved into correspondence with the associated male lug terminals. By the use of such devices, all the female terminal members of said device can be simultaneously engaged onto the associated male terminal lugs. This system allows the operating time to be reduced but it also requires the use of a large physical force since in fact the rules and standards at present in force prescribe that each female terminal member and the associated male terminal lug must have particular physical dimensions, and also since, in order to obtain satisfactory transmission of the current, the female members must be engaged under pressure onto the associated male terminal lugs.

In the latter situation, the friction forces are very relevant. The latter facts result in practical drawbacks to the use of such devices as have hitherto been available.

Of course, these problems exist not only as far as timers are concerned, but also for all electrical devices and appliances to which several cables must be connected.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a unit for allowing the disengageable connection of female terminals to male terminals comprising a first elongate member of electrically insulating material which carries a plurality of female terminals arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of said first elongate member, and a second elongate member of electrically insulating material which carries a plurality of male terminals equal in number to said female terminals, said first and second members having mutually co-operable pivot means at their one ends enabling said members to be relatively pivotable one to the other about said one ends, the other ends of said members having mutually co-operable locking means adapted to lock said members together when they have been relatively pivoted to a position in which the male and female terminals are in their electrically engaged state, at least some of the male terminals being curved so as to facilitate the engagement thereof with the associated female terminals.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a unit in accordance with the invention which enables five female terminals to be connected to five male terminal lugs and in which: Fig. 1 shows the second member of the unit in side elevation and the first member of the unit in longitudinal section, with the two members in an open position with the pivot means engaged; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the two members in an intermediate position with one member approaching the other; Fig. 3 is a similar view with the two members locked together and the male and female terminals in electrical engagement; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the two members in the position of Fig. 2.

With reference to the drawings, a first member 10 bearing the female terminal members comprises an elongate insulating body 11 the front part of which is of step-like shape as shown, the body having a number of recesses 12A to 12E containing the female terminal members 13A to 13E to which are connected in a known way cables C leading from various members or devices of an apparatus and which may be connected, for example, to a timer through the terminal board 30.

The body 11 is provided at its left-hand end (as viewed in Fig. 4) with a projection 14 which is hook shaped at 15 and at its right-hand end with an upper manually grippable part 16 and a lower step 18.

Furthermore, the recesses 12A to 12D are all inclined with respect to the transverse axis of the elongate body 11, while the terminal recess 12E is parallel to said axis.

As is shown in Fig. 4, the lower part of the member 10 is specially shaped, having a first straight portion 19A whereon are located the mouths of the female members 13A, 13B; a projecting step indicated by the reference numeral 20; two portions 19B, 19C which are separated by a step 21 and where are located the mouths of the female terminal members 13C and 13D; and a still further projecting step 22 having a terminal portion 19D where is located the mouth of the female terminal member 13E.

A second member in the form of a terminal board or base 30 also comprises an elongate insulating body 31, whose left-hand end rigidly carries two tabs 32 supporting a pin 33, and whose right-hand end rigidly carries a hook 34 with a tooth 35 and an outwardly directed projection 36.

The upper part of the body 31 as viewed in Fig. 1 has a shape which is substantially complementary to that of the lower part of the member 10, i.e. having, from the left-hand end of the member 10 as viewed in Fig. 1, a first straight portion 37A; a projecting step 38 having a straight portion 37B; a small step 39 with a straight portion 37C and finally a large receding step 40 with a straight portion 37D. The lugs or conductive terminals 41A to 41E, whereon will be engaged the female members 13A to 13E, project from the body 30. More precisely, the lug 41A projects from the portion 37A, the lug 41B projects from the portion 37B, the lugs 41C, 41D project from the portion 37C and finally the lug 41E projects from the portion 37D. It will be noted that the lugs 41A to 41D have a shape which is curved substantially leftwards as viewed in the figures.

Of course the lugs of the terminal board 30 of the timer (not shown) of which it forms part will be suitably connected to the various switches controlled by the timer itself, but this is known, and it will not be described further.

The mode of use of the so formed unit is evident. In order to engage the female members 13A to 13E onto the lugs 41A to 41E, the hook portion 15 of the projection 14 of the member 10 is inserted under the pin 33 so as to form a lever fulcrum as shown in Fig.

1, and then the part 16 is grasped to angularly move the plate so as to bring it sequentially to the positions of Fig. 2 and of Fig. 3. By this means, and with considerably less effort than with hitherto known devices, the engagement of all the female members 13A to 13E onto the respective lugs 41A to 41E can be obtained, as well as the automatic locking of the parts with respect to one another due to the tooth 35 of the hook 34 which engages behind the step 18 on the member 10, while the projecting part 36 serves to facilitate subsequent disengagement of the parts. The hook 34 can be integrally formed in a single piece bodily with the base, or it can be separately mounted thereon according to the material used for the base itself.

The bent shape of the lugs 41A to 41E which facilitates the engagement of the member 10 on the base is particularly important since it allows a reduction in the size of the connecting parts of the female members which otherwise would evidently have had to have a far greater width due to the angular nature of the movement of the plate 10 towards the base 30. Preferably, at least the lugs 41A to 41D are bent according to curvatures, the centres of which coincide with the pin 33.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A unit allowing the disengageable con nection of female terminals to male terminals comprising a first elongate member of electri cally insulating material which carries a plurality of female terminals arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of said first elongate member, and a second elongate member of electrically insulating material which carries a plurality of male terminals equal in number to said female terminals, said first and second members having mutually co operable pivot means at their one ends en abling said members to be relatively pivotable one to the other about said one ends, the other ends of said members having mutually co operable locking means adapted to lock said members together when they have been relatively pivoted to a position in which the male and female terminals are in their electrically engaged state, at least some of the male terminals being curved so as to facilitate the engagement thereof with the associated female terminals.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivot means comprise a projecting part integrally formed with said first member and having its free end bent so as to be slightly hooked and a bridge formed by a pivot pin supported by two tabs rigid with said second member, said free end of the projecting part of the first member being engageable under said pin for enabling relative pivoting of said first and second members.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said locking means comprise a step abutment

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. 12A to 12E containing the female terminal members 13A to 13E to which are connected in a known way cables C leading from various members or devices of an apparatus and which may be connected, for example, to a timer through the terminal board 30. The body 11 is provided at its left-hand end (as viewed in Fig. 4) with a projection 14 which is hook shaped at 15 and at its right-hand end with an upper manually grippable part 16 and a lower step 18. Furthermore, the recesses 12A to 12D are all inclined with respect to the transverse axis of the elongate body 11, while the terminal recess 12E is parallel to said axis. As is shown in Fig. 4, the lower part of the member 10 is specially shaped, having a first straight portion 19A whereon are located the mouths of the female members 13A, 13B; a projecting step indicated by the reference numeral 20; two portions 19B, 19C which are separated by a step 21 and where are located the mouths of the female terminal members 13C and 13D; and a still further projecting step 22 having a terminal portion 19D where is located the mouth of the female terminal member 13E. A second member in the form of a terminal board or base 30 also comprises an elongate insulating body 31, whose left-hand end rigidly carries two tabs 32 supporting a pin 33, and whose right-hand end rigidly carries a hook 34 with a tooth 35 and an outwardly directed projection 36. The upper part of the body 31 as viewed in Fig. 1 has a shape which is substantially complementary to that of the lower part of the member 10, i.e. having, from the left-hand end of the member 10 as viewed in Fig. 1, a first straight portion 37A; a projecting step 38 having a straight portion 37B; a small step 39 with a straight portion 37C and finally a large receding step 40 with a straight portion 37D. The lugs or conductive terminals 41A to 41E, whereon will be engaged the female members 13A to 13E, project from the body 30. More precisely, the lug 41A projects from the portion 37A, the lug 41B projects from the portion 37B, the lugs 41C, 41D project from the portion 37C and finally the lug 41E projects from the portion 37D. It will be noted that the lugs 41A to 41D have a shape which is curved substantially leftwards as viewed in the figures. Of course the lugs of the terminal board 30 of the timer (not shown) of which it forms part will be suitably connected to the various switches controlled by the timer itself, but this is known, and it will not be described further. The mode of use of the so formed unit is evident. In order to engage the female members 13A to 13E onto the lugs 41A to 41E, the hook portion 15 of the projection 14 of the member 10 is inserted under the pin 33 so as to form a lever fulcrum as shown in Fig. 1, and then the part 16 is grasped to angularly move the plate so as to bring it sequentially to the positions of Fig. 2 and of Fig. 3. By this means, and with considerably less effort than with hitherto known devices, the engagement of all the female members 13A to 13E onto the respective lugs 41A to 41E can be obtained, as well as the automatic locking of the parts with respect to one another due to the tooth 35 of the hook 34 which engages behind the step 18 on the member 10, while the projecting part 36 serves to facilitate subsequent disengagement of the parts. The hook 34 can be integrally formed in a single piece bodily with the base, or it can be separately mounted thereon according to the material used for the base itself. The bent shape of the lugs 41A to 41E which facilitates the engagement of the member 10 on the base is particularly important since it allows a reduction in the size of the connecting parts of the female members which otherwise would evidently have had to have a far greater width due to the angular nature of the movement of the plate 10 towards the base 30. Preferably, at least the lugs 41A to 41D are bent according to curvatures, the centres of which coincide with the pin 33. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A unit allowing the disengageable con nection of female terminals to male terminals comprising a first elongate member of electri cally insulating material which carries a plurality of female terminals arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of said first elongate member, and a second elongate member of electrically insulating material which carries a plurality of male terminals equal in number to said female terminals, said first and second members having mutually co operable pivot means at their one ends en abling said members to be relatively pivotable one to the other about said one ends, the other ends of said members having mutually co operable locking means adapted to lock said members together when they have been relatively pivoted to a position in which the male and female terminals are in their electrically engaged state, at least some of the male terminals being curved so as to facilitate the engagement thereof with the associated female terminals.

carried by one of said members and a hook carried by the other of said members, said hook being adapted to automatically engage said abutment when the two members have been relatively pivoted to bring said male and female members into said electrically engaged state, whereby to lock the two members together.

4. A unit as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said male terminals comprise flat lugs at least some of which are bent according to a curvature the centre of which is located at the pivot point of said pivoting means.

5. A unit allowing the disengageable connection of female terminals to male terminals, substantially as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.