GB2047987A

GB2047987A - A terminal block

Info

Publication number: GB2047987A
Application number: GB8010840A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Cegelec SA
Current assignee: Cegelec SA
Priority date: 1979-04-13
Filing date: 1980-03-31
Publication date: 1980-12-03
Also published as: FR2454163B1; DE8009640U1; DE3013537C2; GB2047987B; DE3013537A1; ES8101301A1; ES490485A0; IT1147727B; IT8067579A0; FR2454163A1

Abstract

A terminal block includes at least one electric connection terminal (2) fixed on an insulating base (1). The insulating base (1) has a trough (5) at whose sides are provided slide rails (7, 8) along which a head (15) of the terminal is slidable. Pins in holes in the head and rails (18, 19) allow the terminal to be retained at various positions along the trough. More than one terminal may be retained in the trough to produce a variety of configurations of a high-power terminal block for building up high power connection strips. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A terminal block The invention relates to a terminal block, and in particular to one for connecting together highpower circuits with conductors of large crosssection.

Such a terminal block usually includes one or more terminals of large cross-section fixed on an insulating base. Such terminals are generally fixed to the insulating base by sinking the head. of the terminal into the insulating base. Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture and store as many different kinds of terminal block as there are differing arrangements of terminals required on an insulating base. This can lead to expensive production requiring as many moulds as there are terminal block variants and corresponding to a great variety of parts.

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a terminal block which makes it possible to fix terminals in a variety of different arrangements on the same insulating base and therefore makes use of a single moulded part for a plurality of different terminal blocks.

The invention provides a terminal block comprising an assemb!y of an insulating base and at least one electric connection terminal, the base including connection terminal fixing means in the form of a trough with a bottom and two sides from which respective slide rails project towards each other, and the, or each, electric connection terminal including a head arranged to slide along said trough with said slide rails engaged in slots formed in the head, positioning means being provided to retain the, or each, head in at least one position along the through.

The end of the head of the terminal may be disposed to slide on ribs provided on the bottom plate of the trough.

The positioning means are preferably constituted by a pin disposed through a hole in the head of the terminal and through a hole in the insulating base, said base including a plurality of such holes for fixing a terminal at different positions along the trough.

The slide rails may be consituted by rectangular shoulders projecting inwardly from the sides of the trough, said shoulders fitting in rectangular grooves in the side walls of the terminal head.

Legs for fixing to a supporting section bar may project from the insulating base, in a direction away from that in which the, or each, terminal projects. An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - figure 1 is a plan of the terminal in accordance with the invention; -figure 2 is a cross-section trough Il-Il of the terminal illustrated in figure 1; and -figure 3 is a partially cut-way elevation through Ill-Ill of the terminal illustrated in figure 1, on a larger scale.

In the figures, 1 is the insulating base for a terminal block which includes a connection terminal 2. The insulating base includes a mount 3 whose sides are surmounted by partitions 4 which, in co-operation with the mount 3, form a trough 5 with a bottom 6.

Slide rails 7 and 8 constituted by rectangular shoulders are fixed facing each other along the sides of the trough 5. The bottom 6 of the trough 5 has longitudinal ribs 9. Holes 13, 23 and 33 perpendicular to the bottom 6 of the trough 5 are provided at intervals along the slide rail 8. The ends of the mount 3 of the insulating base 1 are provided in a known manner with resilient legs 10 and 11 for fixing to a supporting section bar (not shown). The mount can also be provided with an intermediate fixing leg 12.

The terminal is constituted by a stud which has a threaded rod 14 and a head 15 with grooves 16 which are intended to slide on the slide rails 7 and 8. Further, the end 17 of the head 15 which faces the bottom 6 of the trough 5 is disposed in sliding contact with the ribs 9. Holes 18 and 1 9 are formed through the flanks of at least one of the grooves 1 6 and are intended to coincide with the holes 13.

The terminal block is used as follows. The terminal 2 is presented at one of the ends of the trough 5 so that the grooves 1 6 engage on the slide rails 7 and 8. Then the terminal 2 is slid along the trough 5 until the holes 18 and 19 coincide with one of the holes 13, 23, 33 of the slide rail 8, e.g. the hole 13. The terminal 2 is then secured by engaging a pin 20 in the holes 18, 23 and 19 to form the desired model of terminal block.

With such an insulating base, the same terminal can be disposed at three different locations which correspond to each of the holes, 13, 23, and 33 in the slide rail 8. It is also possible to install two terminals such as 2 at the same time: one engaging the hole 13 and the other engaging the hole 33. Therefore, with the same type of base and the same type of terminal, there are several possible terminal block configurations which are particularly recommended for terminal blocks with high-power terminals.

CLAIMS:

1. A terminal block comprising an assembly of an insulating base and at least one electric connection terminal, the base including connection terminal fixing means in the form of a trough with a bottom and two sides from which respective slide rails project towards each other, and the, or each, electric connection terminal including a head arranged to slide along said trough with said slide rails engaged in slots formed in the head, positioning means being provided to retain the, or each, head in at least one position along the trough.

2. A terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the end of the, or each, terminal head slidably engages the bottom of the trough.

3. A terminal block according to claim 2, wherein the bottom of the trough has longitudinal ribs on which the, or each, head is slidably engaged.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A terminal block The invention relates to a terminal block, and in particular to one for connecting together highpower circuits with conductors of large crosssection. Such a terminal block usually includes one or more terminals of large cross-section fixed on an insulating base. Such terminals are generally fixed to the insulating base by sinking the head. of the terminal into the insulating base. Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture and store as many different kinds of terminal block as there are differing arrangements of terminals required on an insulating base. This can lead to expensive production requiring as many moulds as there are terminal block variants and corresponding to a great variety of parts. Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a terminal block which makes it possible to fix terminals in a variety of different arrangements on the same insulating base and therefore makes use of a single moulded part for a plurality of different terminal blocks. The invention provides a terminal block comprising an assemb!y of an insulating base and at least one electric connection terminal, the base including connection terminal fixing means in the form of a trough with a bottom and two sides from which respective slide rails project towards each other, and the, or each, electric connection terminal including a head arranged to slide along said trough with said slide rails engaged in slots formed in the head, positioning means being provided to retain the, or each, head in at least one position along the through. The end of the head of the terminal may be disposed to slide on ribs provided on the bottom plate of the trough. The positioning means are preferably constituted by a pin disposed through a hole in the head of the terminal and through a hole in the insulating base, said base including a plurality of such holes for fixing a terminal at different positions along the trough. The slide rails may be consituted by rectangular shoulders projecting inwardly from the sides of the trough, said shoulders fitting in rectangular grooves in the side walls of the terminal head. Legs for fixing to a supporting section bar may project from the insulating base, in a direction away from that in which the, or each, terminal projects. An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - figure 1 is a plan of the terminal in accordance with the invention; -figure 2 is a cross-section trough Il-Il of the terminal illustrated in figure 1; and -figure 3 is a partially cut-way elevation through Ill-Ill of the terminal illustrated in figure 1, on a larger scale. In the figures, 1 is the insulating base for a terminal block which includes a connection terminal 2. The insulating base includes a mount 3 whose sides are surmounted by partitions 4 which, in co-operation with the mount 3, form a trough 5 with a bottom 6. Slide rails 7 and 8 constituted by rectangular shoulders are fixed facing each other along the sides of the trough 5. The bottom 6 of the trough 5 has longitudinal ribs 9. Holes 13, 23 and 33 perpendicular to the bottom 6 of the trough 5 are provided at intervals along the slide rail 8. The ends of the mount 3 of the insulating base 1 are provided in a known manner with resilient legs 10 and 11 for fixing to a supporting section bar (not shown). The mount can also be provided with an intermediate fixing leg 12. The terminal is constituted by a stud which has a threaded rod 14 and a head 15 with grooves 16 which are intended to slide on the slide rails 7 and 8. Further, the end 17 of the head 15 which faces the bottom 6 of the trough 5 is disposed in sliding contact with the ribs 9. Holes 18 and 1 9 are formed through the flanks of at least one of the grooves 1 6 and are intended to coincide with the holes 13. The terminal block is used as follows. The terminal 2 is presented at one of the ends of the trough 5 so that the grooves 1 6 engage on the slide rails 7 and 8. Then the terminal 2 is slid along the trough 5 until the holes 18 and 19 coincide with one of the holes 13, 23, 33 of the slide rail 8, e.g. the hole 13. The terminal 2 is then secured by engaging a pin 20 in the holes 18, 23 and 19 to form the desired model of terminal block. With such an insulating base, the same terminal can be disposed at three different locations which correspond to each of the holes, 13, 23, and 33 in the slide rail 8. It is also possible to install two terminals such as 2 at the same time: one engaging the hole 13 and the other engaging the hole 33. Therefore, with the same type of base and the same type of terminal, there are several possible terminal block configurations which are particularly recommended for terminal blocks with high-power terminals. CLAIMS:

4. A terminal block according to any preceding claim, wherein said positioning means comprises a hole in the insulating base, at least one hole in the, or each, head, said hole in the head being capable of being aligned with said hole in the base by sliding the head, and a pin to be disposed in said holes to prevent further sliding of the head.

5. A terminal block according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of holes are provided at different positions along the insulating base.

6. A terminal block according to any preceding claim, wherein the slide rails are constituted by rectangular shoulders projecting from the sides of the trough, said shoulders fitting in rectangular grooves in the sides of the, or each, terminal head

7. A terminal block according to any preceding claim, wherein the insulating base also includes fixing legs for fixing the terminal block as a whole to a support member, said fixing legs projecting from the bottom part of the base in a direction opposite to that in which project the sides of the trough, there being at least one fixing leg located near each end of the trough.

8. A terminal block substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.