US3154364A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1964 R. A. GERG 3,154,364

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 24, 1961 v/wkoh @ip v Q S M -5' fi Mxm whammy;

United States Patent M 3,154,364 ELECTRICAL CONNECTGR Robert A. Gerg, Brookfield, Wis, assignor to Allis- Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Apr. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 104,960 4 Claims. (Cl. 339176) This invention relates generally to electrical connectors. More specifically this invention relates to electrical connectors of the type having two members of insulating material, each of which carries a plurality of independent contacts arranged so that the contacts of one member fn'ctionally engage the contact members of the other member when they are coupled together.

The type of electrical connector described above have become known in the art as plug-in terminal blocks. It is common to have these terminal blocks located in shelflike compartments within a large enclosure. The size of these compartments usually limits the amount of space for these terminal blocks to a relatively small value. However, good frictional engagement between the contacts is required to insure continued electrical communication under all operating conditions. Because of the strong frictional engagement between the contacts and the limited space in the compartments extreme difiiculty has been encountered in disconnecting these terminal blocks.

If an operator tried to lift the top portion of the connector off in a vertical direction, considerable force was required and his hands frequently moved rapidly away from the base when the frictional holding force was released as the contacts separated. Because of the crowded conditions in the compartment where the connector is located the operator often hit his hands and fingers against the frame of the compartment or other equipment in the compartment causing injury to the operator. Frequently the operator would use a tool to separate the halves of the connector. Usually this tool was inserted underneath the upper half and used to pry it away from the base. Normally one end of the movable portion of the connector would move upward while the other end remained in close contact with the base. This had the effect of bending the contacts of the connectors. In many cases the contacts were bent to such an extent that they were not reusable or were extremely hard to reassemble.

The terminal block of this invention overcomes the problems as mentioned above by providing a fulcrum member or projection near the edge of the terminal block around which the upper half of the block pivots as it is being engaged or disengaged. The fulcrum member is located to give a high mechanical advantage when exerting a force at the top of the connector and to allow the disconnecting force to be exerted in an outward rather than upward direction. Furthermore, the fulcrum member i positioned so that the engaging contacts tend to be withdrawn or separated from each other along a plane substantially parallel to the contact engaging surfaces. This reduces the tendency to bend the upright contact members. Hence, not only is it easier and safer to remove the upper part of the terminal block but it reduces the deformation of the contacts and thus increases the overall life of the connectors. Furthermore, since the contacts in the lower half of the connector are not bent it is much easier to reassemble the connector when utilizing the design of this invention.

Therefore, it is the object of this invention to provide a new and improved electrical connector.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector that is easier to connect and disconnect.

3,154,354 Patented Oct. 27, 1964 Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector that is safer to operate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector that has a longer life.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an electrical connector of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded end view of the connector of FIG. 1 taken along the line lll1;

P16. 3 is a rear view of the connector of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the base of the connector in the orientation of FIG. 3.

Referring generally to the drawings, the electrical connector it) of this invention comprises a base 11 and a movable member 12 each of which is made of insulating material and has a plurality of contact members. The base 11 which would normally be the lower portion is provided with a projection at one end which can be referred to as a fulcrum member 14. The peak of the fulcrum member is removed a significant distance from the top of the movable member to which the disengaging force would be applied to provide a near maximum mechanical advantage. The movable part of the connector is provided with a suitable recess 15 or cam surface that engages and cooperates with the fulcrum member.

More specifically, the base 11 has a frame 16 made of a suitable electric insulating material and is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart contacts 17. The contacts have substantially flat engaging surfaces 18 and are mounted on the frame 16 in any suitable manner as is well known in the art. Preferably the contact-engaging surfaces 18 are substantially rectangular in form as shown in FIG. 2 and are riveted to the frame. As shown in FIG. 1 the contacts form a closed rectangle and become the male contacts of the connector.

The base 11 has a number of grooves 21 formed in the frame 16 intermediate the contacts 17. The grooves 21 as shown in FIG. 1 run in a direction that is substantially parallel to the engaging surfaces 18 of the contacts. Suitable means may be provided for mounting the base to a the base on a fixture.

One side of the frame 16 has the fulcrum member 14 formed thereon. As best shown in FIG. 3 this fulcrum member 14 is spaced from contact 17 and extends across the one edge on the side of the frame 16 that normally faces outward from the compartment in which it is positioned. In the preferred embodiment as illustrated, a plurality of grooves 33 are formed in the fulcrum member 14. As FIG. 4 shows, grooves 30 are in communica tion With associated grooves 21 in the frame 16 and combine to form means for locating the movable body 12 of the connector relative to the base 11. Furthermore, the inner surface 31 of the fulcrum member is inclined inward toward the contact members 17. This inclined surface forms a convenient guide for assembling and mating the separate portions of the connector.

The movable member 12 of the connector is made up of a body 35 of suitable insulation material and has a plurality of contacts 36 arranged to engage the contacts 17 on the base. As shown in FIG. 1 these contacts 3t: are made up in sets 37 or pairs of spaced-apart prongs 38. The sets of prongs 38 are separated by a projection or Wall 40 of insulating material. These projections 40 serve as are barriers and are designed to fit into associated grooves 21 in the base 11 to properly locate the contacts 36 of the movable member 12 relative to the contacts 17 of the base 11. The sets of prongs 38 form the female contacts of the connector 10. However, it would be apparent to anyone skilled in the art that the contacts could be reversed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

One side of the body 35 has a recess portion formed therein for receiving the fulcrum member 14 as described above. The inner surface 44 of the recess defining portion is inclined or tapered complementary to the tapered surface 31 of the fulcrum member 14.

In a connector of this type, the movable part is disengaged by exerting a force in an outward direction at the top of the movable member. Therefore, to obtain a maximum mechanical advantage the fulcrum member is located as close as possible to the parting line of the movable and stationary members and as far as practical from the point where the disconnect force is applied. Therefore, the recess portion of the movable member is located at the greatest distance from the top of the member as is compatible with good design standards. However, in this connector the fulcrum member 14 also serves as a guide for assembling the base 11 and movable member 12 of the connector and has the further function of acting as a buffer between the movable member and the stationary contacts 17. If there were no fulcrum member and the parting surface of the connector were completely flat, When the upper member was being pivoted away, the pivot point or line would slide inward until it reached the stationary contacts and a large portion of the disengaging force would be transmitted through the movable member 12 directly to the stationary contacts. However, in applicants construction, when the movable member is pivoted out of engagement with the stationary member, the disengaging force is exerted on the fulcrum member 14 which is a part of the frame 16 of the stationary member. Hence, none of the disengaging force is exerted directly on the stationary contacts. This feature of the connector is important because undue force on the contacts 17 may dislodge the contacts from the frame '16 and move them out of alignment with the prongs 38 of the contacts 36 on the movable member.

In operation the base 11 is normally attached to the frame of a compartment in a control center or others by inserting bolts through the holes 24 in the flanges 23. The wires in the stationary control center are then connected up to appropriate contacts in the base. The electrical connections are made to the contacts 36 of the movable member of the connector. The movable member is then connected to the base by placing the body against the fulcrum member 14 so that the recess portion 15 fits over the fulcrum member with the projections 4f positioned in their associated grooves 39. The movable member 12 is then pivoted around the fulcrum member and the projections 40 slide into the grooves 21 in the base and guide the prongs 38 of movable contacts 36 into engagement with the surfaces 18 of the stationary contacts 17. The inclined surface 31 of the fulcrum member 14 cooperates with the inclined surface 44 of the movable member .to further align the contact engaging surfaces 18 that are parallel to the grooves 21. By using both the complementary inclined surface of the fulcrum member 14 and grooves 21 and projection 40, the contacts are aligned and fitted so as to assure the maximum amount of surface contact between the stationary and movable contacts 17, 36.

When it is desired to disengage the connector an out Ward force is exerted at the top of the movable member. The movable member then pivots outward around the fulcrum member until the contacts 17, 35 disengage. Then the movable member is pulled away from the base and out of the compartment in the control center.

Although but one embodiment has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and the manner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. An electrical connector comprising, a base of insulating material having a-plurality of spaced apart sets of male electrical contacts mounted therein, said base being adapted to be mounted on a supporting surface, each of said contacts having a pair of substantially parallel engaging surfaces, a fulcrum member comprising a ridge extending along one edge of said base substantially perpendicular to the said engaging surfaces of said contacts, said base having grooves intermediate each set of contacts, said fulcrum member having grooves formed therein communicating with said grooves in said base, a body of electrical insulation having a plurality of sets of female contacts arranged to engage complementary contact surfaces in said base, barriers interposed between said sets of contacts and adapted to fit into associated grooves in said base to locate said male contacts relative to said female contacts, said body having a recess portion for receiving said fulcrum member, whereby said contacts can be engaged or disengaged by pivoting said body relative to said base.

2. An electrical connector comprising, a base of insulating material having a plurality of spaced apart sets of male electrical contacts mounted therein, said base being adapted to be mounted on a supporting surface, each of said contacts having a pair of substantially parallel engaging surfaces, a fulcrum member comprising a ridge extending along one edge of said base substantially perpendicular to the said engaging surfaces of said contacts, said base having grooves intermediate each set of contacts, said fulcrum member having grooves formed therein communicating with said grooves in said base,

- one surface of said fulcrum member being tapered inward toward said contacts a body of electrical insulation having a plurality of sets of female contacts arranged to engage complementary contact surfaces in said base, barriers interposed between said sets of contacts and adapted to fit into associated grooves in said base to locate said male contacts relative to said female contacts, said body having a recess portion for receiving said fulcrum member, one surface of said recess portion being tapered complementary to the tapered surface of said fulcrum member for guiding said body into proper engagement with said base.

3. An electrical connector comprising, a base of insulating material having a plurality of spaced apart sets of male electrical contacts mounted therein, said base being adapted to be mounted on a supporting surface, each of said contacts having a pair of substantially parallel engaging surfaces, a fulcrum member comprising a ridge extending along one edge of said base substantially perpendicular to and spaced from the said engaging surfaces of said contacts, said base having grooves intermediate each set of contacts, said fulcrum member having grooves formed therein communicating with said grooves in said base, one surface of said fulcrum member being tapered inward toward said contacts, a body of electrical insulation having a plurality of sets of female contacts arranged to engage complementary contact surfaces in said base, barriers interposed between said sets of contacts and adapted to fit into associated grooves in said base to locate said male contacts relative to said female contacts, said body having a recess portion for receiving said fulcrum member, one surface of said recess portion being tapered complementary to the tapered surface of said fulcrum member for guiding said body into proper engagement with said base.

4. An electrical connector comprising, a base of insulating material having a plurality of spaced apart sets of male electrical contacts mounted therein, each of said contacts having a pair of substantially parallel engaging surfaces, a fulcrum member comprising a ridge extending along one edge of said base substantially perpendicular to and spaced from the said engaging surfaces of said confacts, said base having grooves intermediate each set of contacts, said fulcrum member having grooves formed therein communicating with said grooves in said base, one surface of said fulcrum member being tapered inward toward said contacts, said base haw'ng extensions for mounting said base to a support structure, a body of electrical insulation having a plurality of sets of female contacts arranged to engage complementary contact surfaces in said base, barriers, interposed between said sets of contacts and adapted to fit into associated grooves in said base to locate said male contacts relative to said female contacts, said body having a recess portion for receiving said fulcrum member, one surface of said recess References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,441,393 Buchanan et al May 11, 1948 2,787,773 Potter Apr. 2, 1957 2,899,669 Johanson Aug. 11, 1959 2,914,708 Edmunds Nov. 24, 1959 2,923,911 Demurjian Feb. 2, 1960 3,048,806 Heidler Aug. 7, 1962

Claims (1)

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING, A BASE OF INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART SETS OF MALE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MOUNTED THEREIN, SAID BASE BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, EACH OF SAID CONTACTS HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ENGAGING SURFACES, A FULCRUM MEMBER COMPRISING A RIDGE EXTENDING ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID BASE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE SAID ENGAGING SURFACES OF SAID CONTACTS, SAID BASE HAVING GROOVES INTERMEDIATE EACH SET OF CONTACTS, SAID FULCRUM MEMBER HAVING GROOVES FORMED THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH SAID GROOVES IN SAID BASE,

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