GB2164809A - Electrical terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical terminal is provided for mounting in a structure (9) such as a cooker. The terminal comprises first and second terminal elements for receiving a respective one of a pair of power-input leads and for connecting at least one power output lead thereto. A third terminal element receives an earth lead and has connecting means (22) which serve both to connect the third terminal element electrically to the structure (9) and to connect the electrical terminal mechanically to the structure (9). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical terminal This invention relates to an electrical terminal.

The present invention has particular relevance to an electrical terminal for use in an electric cooker, where it serves to receive a mains power supply and distribute this to hot plates, oven heating elements and any other cooker components which require electrical power.

Safety regulations in the United Kingdom require cookers and similar appliances to be earthed. This is conventionally achieved at present by connecting the earth lead of the mains to some point on the body of the appliance using some suitable connector, for example one employing a screw or bolt. The earth connection is made quite separately from the electrical terminal to which the live and neutral leads of the mains power supply are connected and which serves to provide power to the appliance.

According to the present invention there is provided an electrical terminal for mounting in a structure, which terminal comprises first and second terminal elements each provided with means for receiving a respective one of a pair of power-input leads and further provided with means for connecting at least one power output lead thereto, and a third terminal element provided with means for receiving an earth lead and further provided with connecting means which serve both to connect the third terminal element electrically to the said structure and to connect the electrical terminal mechanically to the said structure.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of an electrical terminal according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the terminal of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a section taken on the line B-B in Fig. 2; and, Figure 4 is a section taken on the line A-A in Fig. 3.

The illustrated terminal is intended to be mounted in an electric cooker, and will be so described below. It is to be understood, however, that terminals according to the invention can be used in other situations, for example, in other electrical appliances.

The illustrated terminal comprises a body 1 made of an insulating material. A preferred material for the body 1 is a polycarbonate.

With the terminal in the orientation illustrated in Fig. 1, the shape of the body 1 can be seen as comprising a pair of towers 2 interconnected by a bridge element 3, with a pair of rearwardly extending portions 4 interconnected at their rear ends by a further bridge element 5. A pair of forwardly extending flanges 6 formed at the lower ends of the towers 2 and a similar pair of flanges 7 are formed at the lower end of a web 8 extending downwardly from the bridge element 5.

The flanges 6 and 7 are received in apertures in the body of the cooker, shown partially in broken lines in Fig. 4 and denoted by reference numeral 9, and thereby mount the terminal to the cooker. However, this mounting alone is not sufficient. Considerable temperature variations are encountered in a cooker, and if the flanges 6 and 7 were the only means provided for mounting the terminal there would be a danger that the terminal could come loose from the body of the cooker. The way in which this problem is overcome is described further below.

Terminal elements 10 and 11 are provided for receiving the live and neutral power-input leads respectively. These terminal elements are conventional in form. One of them, namely terminal elements 10, is shown in Fig. 2, from which it can be seen that it comprises a hollow block 12 defining a bore 13 within which, in use, the electrical lead is received. The block 12 is vertically slideable in a recess 16 defined in the body 1, and a screw 14 is threaded in a threaded aperture formed in the upper wall of the block 12. A tongue 15 forming part of a power output connector (described further below) extends into the bore 13. The electrical lead is received below the tongue 15 and is clamped in position by rotation of the screw 14 which causes the block 12 to move upwardly while the tongue 15 remains fixed.

As mentioned above, the tongue 15 extends from a power output connector. The power output connectors are indicated by reference numerals 17 and comprise a bottom wall, from which the tongue 15 extends, and a plurality of spade connectors 18 extending upwardly from the bottom wall on either side thereof. In the illustrated embodiment there are 8 spade connectors in each connector element, though the number may be more or less depending on the requirements. The leads which supply power to the hot plates and other components of the cooker are connected to the spade connectors 18.

The bridge element 3 carries the earth terminal element. This comprises a block 19 defining a bore 20 for receiving the earth lead of the mains power supply. A clamping screw 21 serves to clamp the earth lead in electrical connection with the block 19. Means, not shown, are provided to ensure that even if the screw 21 is removed from the block 19, the block 19 remains captive in the body 1. A further screw 22 is threaded in a threaded bore in the block 19, and serves to connect the block electrically to the structure of the cooker 9. Because the block 19 is itself retained in the body 1, the screw 22 also thereby serves to connect the terminal element mechanically to the cooker. The mechanical fastening provided by the screw 22 com plements the mounting provided by the flanges 6 and 7 and ensures that the terminal element cannot come loose from the cooker.

It is to be understood that the blocks 12 and the power output connectors 17 are formed of an electrically conducting material, for example of aluminium, and that the block 19 and screw 22 are also formed of electrically conducting materials, for example, of brass and steel respectively.

The terminal described above is particularly simple to mount in a cooker. Initially, the terminal is pushed into position and held there by the flanges 6 and 7. It is to be noted that the web 8 is flexible to allow it to be flexed inwardly during mounting, and the web 8 then flexes outwardly to allow the flanges 6 and 7 to retain the terminal in place. Thereafter the screw 21 is inserted and holds the terminal securely in place. When the mains supply comes to be connected to the cooker this is simply done, in view of the fact that the bores which receive the live, neutral and earth leads are conveniently arranged side by side, as is most clearly apparent from Figs. 1 and 2.

Various modifications may be made to the terminal described above. For example, if connections are to be made to the spade connectors 18 from the side rather than from a position perpendicularly above the connector, some or all of the spade connectors 18 (for example, alternate connectors) may be angled outwardly, say at an angle of 300 to the position illustrated, to facilitate this.

Claims (10)

1. An electrical terminal for mounting in a structure, which terminal comprises first and second terminal elements each provided with means for receiving a respective one of a pair of power-input leads and further provided with means for connecting at least one power output lead thereto, and a third terminal element provided with means for receiving an earth lead and further provided with connecting means which serve both to connect the third terminal element electrically to the said structure and to connect the electrical terminal mechanically to the said structure.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means with which the third terminal is provided comprises a screwthreaded member.

3. A terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting means with which each of the first and second terminal elements is provided comprises a conductive member having a portion which extends into an aperture adapted to receive a respective power lead, and a further portion defining at least one output connector.

4. A terminal according to claim 3, wherein the said further portion defines plurality of output spade connectors.

5. A terminal according to claim 3 or 4, comprising a body of an electrically insulating material with said conductive members secured thereto.

6. A terminal according to claim 5, wherein said body comprises a pair of mutually parallel side portions interconnected by a pair of bridge portions, each of the conductive members extending along a respective one of the side portions and one of the bridges carrying the first, second and third terminal elements.

7. A terminal according to any preceding claim, further comprising additional fastening means which enable the terminal to be pushed into position in an aperture in the said structure and held there prior to connection by the said connecting means with which the third' terminal element is provided.

8. A terminal according to claim 7, wherein the said additional fastening means comprises flexible flange means.

9. A terminal according to claim 8, as dependent on claim 6, wherein the flexible flange means is provided on the other of the bridge portions of the body.

10. An electrical terminal substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.