GB2169155A - Mounting an electrical terminal assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical terminal assembly for location in a bore in a housing includes an elongated terminal which carries a flanged bush 28 the flange of which engages a washer 27 located against bearing surface of housing 17. A groove 29 is formed in the terminal to receive inwardly extending projections 33 on a resilient clip 30. The clip 30 is of annular form having a rim 31 defining arcuate tongues 34 each of which has an outwardly extending projection 35. The projections 35 when the terminal is pushed into the bore in body 17' engage the end edge of the bore to retain the assembly in the bore, the flange of the bush being urged against the surface of the housing at the opposite end of the bore. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical terminal assemblies This invention relates to an electrical terminal assembly for mounting in a bore in the wall of a housing, the assembly including an electrically conductive elongated terminal member which when the assembly is mounted in the wall of the housing, projects beyond the inner and outer surfaces of the housing wall to enable an electrical connection to be effected with a component within the housing.

It is known to provide on the elongated member, means defining a flange which engages with one surface of the wall of the housing and to secure to the elongated member afterthe member has been located in the bore, further means which defines a further flange which engages with the other surface of the housing. Various methods are known for securing the further means for example, a portion of the elongated member may be provided with a screw thread for engagement by a nut. Alternatively a riveting operation may be employed which deforms part of the elongated member. The known methods involve an assembly operation which depending upon the dimensions of the housing may not be easy to carry out but which in any case involve additional work which may have to be done at an inconvenient time during the assembly sequence of the device of which the housing forms part.

The object of the invention is to provide an electrical terminal assembly in a simple and convenient form.

According to the invention an electrical terminal assembly of the kind specified comprises means on the elongated member defining a flange for engagement with one surface of the housing, a grooveformed in the elongated member and a clip member formed from resilient material, said clip member being located about said elongated member and defining an inwardly extending projection which can be located in said groove, the clip member defining at least one tongue which defines an outwardly extending projection engageable when the elongated member and clip member are pushed through the bore, against a surface extending radiaily of the bore thereby to retain the clip member and elongated member within the bore.

An example of a device incorporating an electrical terminal assembly in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa sectional side elevation of the device, Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the device shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a viewto an enlarged scale of the terminal assembly, and Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the terminal assembly located in position.

Referring to the drawings the device indicated at 10 is an electromagnetic device having a core structure 11 and an armature 12 located aboutthe core structure. The core structure defines a piurality of circumferentially extending and axially spaced pole pieces 13 and intermediate the pole pieces are located windings 14. The windings and the supply of electric current thereto are so arranged that when energised adjacent pole pieces 13 assume opposite magnetic polarity, the pole pieces defining pole faces presented to complementary pole faces on the armature 12 whereby the armature will move axially.The armature 12 includes an integral end closure member 15 which is engageable with an output member 16 extending through a bore formed in the core structure, the output member further extending within a housing 17.

The housing 17 is secured to the core structure 11 by means of angularly spaced fixing elements 18 secured to the core structure, the heads of the elements 18 being turned over in the manner of a rivet.

A cover 19 is secured to the housing 17 by means of bolts and a seal 20 is provided intermediate a flange on the cover and the housing. The housing 17 in use is secured to a valve housing, the valve forming part of a liquid fuel pumping apparatus.

It is necessary to effect electrical connections to the windings 14. In the particular example the windings 14 are connected in parallel and the ends of the windings are connected respectively to a pair of connector plates 21 which are mounted on an electrically insulating plate mounted on the stator structure.

It is necessary to connect the plates 21 to a source of electrical supply and the connection is achieved by means of a terminal assembly which is seen in enlarged detail in Figure 3.

Each terminal assembly comprises an elongated terminal member 23 formed from electrically conductive material. At one end a portion of the terminal member is provided with a screwthread 24 for engagement by a terminal nut and adjacent this end of the member there is formed a flange portion 25 which conveniently is of non-circular form. The terminal assembly further includes a flanged bush 26 formed from insulating material and which is engaged about the terminal member, and intermediate the flanged end of the bush and the flange portion 25 is a metal washer 27.

At its opposite end the terminal member is provided with a connector portion 28 of reduced diameter and formed in the main portion of the terminal member is a circumferential groove 29 having radial side walls. The connector portion is conveniently formed from twisted copper wires and is soldered into the main portion of the terminal member.

Located about the terminal member is a clip generally indicated at 30. The clip is formed from resilient material which is also electrically insulating and is of annular form. A rim portion 31 of the clip is of continuous annularform and locates about the main body of the terminal memberwhilstthe remaining portion of the clip is discontinuous in that it is provided with at least two axial slots generally indicated at 32 which extend from the rim portion 31 to the opposite end of the clip. The slots thus form at least two part annular tongues 34. Each tongue is provided with an inwardly directed projection 33 which is engageable.as shown in Figure 3, within the groove 29, the projection defining a radial face remote from the rim portion.The innersrface of the projection is tapered as also is the portion of the main body of the terminal member lying between the slot 29 and the stem, to facilitate assembly of the clip onto the terminal member, the assembly being effected by pushing the terminal member into the clip until the projection engages in the groove.

Each tongue 34 is provided with an outwardly extending projection 35. The leading surfaces 36 of the projections are inclined at a relatively shallow angle to facilitate engagement of the terminal assembly within the bore, whilst the rear surfaces 37 are inclined at a steeper angle for a reason to be explained. Finally the terminal assembly includes an "0" ring seal member 38 which is located about the terminal member and is disposed intermediate the collar 26 and the clip.

The above described terminal assembly can be readily assembled away from the electromagnetic device and the electrical connections of the windings to the plates 21 can be effected prior to inserting the terminal assemblies into respective bores 39 in the housing 17. The terminal assemblies are pushed into the bores, the inclined surfaces 36 on the tongues causing the tongues to deform inwardly as the terminal assembly is pushed into its bore. When the terminal assemblies have been pushed fully home the surfaces 37 of the projections 35 engage the edges of the housing at the inner ends of the bores 39 and the flanges of the collars 26 engage similar surfaces at the other ends of the bores. The terminal assemblies are therefore locked in position against movement and the seal members 38 engage with the terminal members and the walls of the bore to provide a fuel tight seal. The inclined surfaces 37 on the projections 35, take care of manufacturing tolerances and also maintain an axial thrust on the terminal assembly to ensure the firm location of the assembly. When the terminal assemblies are in position the connector portions 28 thereof lie adjacent tags 41 on the connector plates 21 respectively and it is a simple matter to secure the tags to the connector portions thereby effecting an electrical connection between the terminal members and the windings.

In order to prevent rotation of the terminal assemblies an insulating member 40 (Figure 2) having non-circular openings therein is engaged with the non-circular flange portions 25 of the terminal members.

Claims (10)

1. An electrical terminal assembly for mounting in a bore in the wall of a housing, the assembly including an electrically conductive elongated member which when the assembly is beyond the inner and outer surfaces of the housing wall to enable an electrical connection to be effected with a component within the housing, the terminal assembly comprising means on the elongated member defining a flange for engagement with one surface of the housing, a groove formed in the elongated member and a clip member formed from resilient material, said clip member being located about said elongated member and defining an inwardly extending projection which can be located in said groove, the clip member defining at least one tongue which defines an outwardly extending projection engageable when the elongated member and clip member are pushed through the bore, against a surface extending radially of the bore thereby to retain the clip member and elongated member within the bore.

2. Aterminal assembly according to Claim 1 in which said clip member comprises a continuous annular rim portion which is located about said elongated member, the remaining portion of the clip being of annular form but having at least two axial slots to form at least two part annular tongues, each tongue defining an inwardly and outwardly extending projection.

3. Aterminal assembly according to Claim 2 in which said inwardly extending projection or projections is located adjacent said rim portion.

4. Aterminal assembly according to Claim 3 in which the face of said inwardly extending projection remote from said rim portion is radial for engagement with a radial side wall of the groove.

5. Aterminal assembly according to Claim 4 in which the inner surface of the projection is tapered, the elongated member defining a tapered portion adjacent said groove to facilitate engagement of the clip member with the elongated member.

6. A terminal assembly according to Claim 3 in which said outwardly extending projection defines a leading surface which is inclined to facilitate insertion of the terminal assembly into the bore, and a rear face which is inclined and which when the terminal assembly is located in the bore engages with the edge of the bore to retain the assembly in the bore.

7. A terminal assembly according to Claim 2 in which said means comprises a flanged bush and a washer interposed between the flange of the bush and a flanged portion of the elongated member.

8. A terminal assembly according to Claim 7 in which said flanged bush and said clip member are formed from electrically insulating material.

9. Aterminal assembly according to Claim 1 in which the terminal member at its end remote from said means defines a connector portion formed from wire which is retained reiative to the main portion of the terminal member.

10. An electrical terminal assembly comprising the combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.