US3452324A

US3452324A - Electrical terminal

Info

Publication number: US3452324A
Application number: US672867A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Fitzpatrick
Original assignee: Thomas and Betts Corp
Current assignee: ABB Installation Products Inc
Priority date: 1967-10-04
Filing date: 1967-10-04
Publication date: 1969-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 1986-06-24

Description

June 1969 .1. FITZPATRICK 3,452,324

ELECTRICAL TERMINAL Filed Oct. 4 1967 INVENTOR JOHN F/TZPATR/CK .4 Z ORA/5K5 United States Patent 3,452,324 ELECTRICAL TERMINAL John Fitzpatrick, North Arlington, N.J., assignor to g'homas & Betts Corporation, a corporation of New ersey Filed Oct. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 672,867 Int. Cl. H01r 13/24 US. Cl. 339-256 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In many electrical and electronic applications, it is often desirable to provide terminals which may be quickly connected and disconnected, but which are positively engaged when connected. One such system utilizes a pair of terminals, one of which has a female receptacle box and the other of which has a male blade adapted to be inserted into the female box. In order that the male blade is held within the female box, it is desirable that engaging means be provided on either or both of the female and male terminals. Heretofore, such engaging means have not always succeeded in maintaining the terminals in positive engagement. It is also desirable that means be provided to vary the force required to insert and retract the male blade and to prevent the male blade from binding during initial insertion into the female receptacle box.

According to the present invention, there is provided a terminal having a female receptacle box which obviates the objections of prior terminals and incorporates the desirable features set out hereinabove. In general, the terminal of the present invention has a female receptacle box with a pyramidally shaped bottom having a detent at the apex thereof, longitudinally extending side walls and downwardly extending rails spaced from the detent.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal having a female receptacle box which is simple and economical of manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal having a female receptacle box wherein means are provided to allow insertion of a male blade thereinto without binding but to provide positive engagement of the male blade and female box.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electrical terminal having a female receptacle box wherein means are provided whereby the insertion and retraction force may be held constant or may be varied.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide production die control of the internal mating surfaces especially where the female and male portion engage in order to provide positive locking.

Other objects and advantages will be evident from the following description and drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the terminal of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevational View taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a male blade adapted to be mated with the terminal of FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a partially sectional elevational vieW taken along line 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 1-3, there is shown a terminal 10 of conductive material such as copper or the like having a female receptacle box 12, a neck 14 and a suitable electrical conductor receiving portion (not shown). The conductor receiving portion of terminal 10 may be of any well-known shape and forms no part of the present invention.

Female receptacle box 12 comprises a pyramidally shaped bottom having integrally formed

members

16, 18, 20 and 22 of substantially triangular shape, said members upwardly converging to an apex portion 24. Member 16 has an apex or detent 26 which juts above and beyond apex 28 of member 20 to form a detent to be explained in greater detail hereinafter. Integral with the longitudinally extending bases of

members

18 and 22 are

side walls

30 and 32 which extend upwardly from the bottom of box 12. Member 16 is provided with bevelled lip 33 to facilitate connection of terminal 10 with a mating terminal.

A pair of

rails

34 and 36 are integral respectively with

walls

30 and 32 and preferably extend downwardly to form acute angles therewith. The lower longitudinally extending

corners

38 and 40 of

rails

34 and 36 are rounded to permit consistent insertion and retraction of a male blade to be described in greater detail hereinafter. The spacing of

corners

38 and 40 from detent apex 26 will determine the force of insertion and retraction of said to be described male blade.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 and 5 there is shown a male terminal 42 that may be mated with terminal 10. As shown, terminal 42 is of conductive material and comprises a male blade 44, a neck 46 and an electrical con ductor receiving portion (not shown) of any well-known shape. Blade 44 is of generally rectangular shape and of such dimensions as to be snugly held within box 12 when mated therewith. Blade 44 has a bevelled front end portion 46 which facilitates insertion of blade 44 into box 12. Protruding

members

48 and 50 of blade 44 are adapted to engage the front edges of

side walls

30 and 32 of box 12 to limit insertion thereinto.

Blade 44 is also provided with an aperture 52 suitably positioned to receive apex portion 24 when terminals 10 and 42 are fully mated. In such a case, detent 26 engages wall 54 to prevent accidental disengagement of terminals 10 and 42 and to provide positive locking of terminal 42 within terminal 10'. Blade 44 is also provided with recesses 56 to provide greater retention of blade 44 within terminal 10. Positive engagement of the terminals may also be provided by eliminating aperture 52 and providing a detent member or indentation in the lower surface of blade 44 adapted to engage detent 26.

Terminals 10 and 42 are mated by inserting blade 44 of terminal 42 into box 12 of terminal 10. Bevelled portion 46 of blade 44 engages upwardly sloped member 16 of box 12, thus allowing blade 42 to enter box 10 at a slight angle and in line with the insertion force. As blade 44 is further inserted into box 12,

rails

34 and 36 are flexed upwardly while the apex of the pyramidally shaped bottom is forced downwardly. After blade 44 has been inserted all the way into box 12, detent 26 Will snap into aperture 52, thus relieving the upward pressure on

rails

34 and 36 and allowing them to flex downwardly. Blade 44 will be limited in its insertion depth through the bearing of

members

48 and 50 on

side walls

30 and 32.

Terminal 42 will now be firmly engaged within box 12 of terminal 10 and accidental disengagement will be prevented by the interaction of detent 26 and aperture 52.

Extraction of blade 44 from box 12 is accomplished by applying sufiicient force to blade 44 so as to depress the bottom of box 12 and

flex rails

34 and 36 upwardly sufficiently to disengage detent 26 from aperture 52. Blade 44 may then be easily removed.

The forces required to insert and extract blade 44 may be increased or decreased by decreasing or increasing the distance between detent 26 and

corners

38 and 40 of

rails

34 and 36 Although a preferred form of the present invention ha been described and shown hereinabove, it will be understood that other forms and embodiments evident to those skilled in the art are considered within the scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the present invention is not to be limited by said embodiment.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical terminal having a female receptacle box, said box comprising a pyramidally shaped bottom, longitudinally extending side walls integral with said bottom and inwardly extending rails integral with said side walls, said pyramidally shaped bottom having an apex portion forming a detent.

2. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said rails extend downwardly to form a space between said detent and said rails.

3. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said pyramidally shaped bottom comprises integrally formed substantially triangularly shaped member whose apexes converge at said apex portion of said bottom.

4. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said rails are provided with rounded lower corners.

5. The terminal of claim 1 including a beveled ledge at the front of said box, integral with said bottom.

6. In an electrical terminal, a female receptacle box comprising a pyramidally shaped upwardly projecting bottom, said bottom having an apex portion forming a detent, a pair of longitudinally extending side walls integral with said bottom and projecting upwardly therefrom and a pair of rails respectively integral with said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom.

7. The terminal of claim 6 wherein said rails extend downwardly and have rounded lower longitudinal edges.

8. The terminal of claim 6 wherein said pyramidally shaped bottom comprises four integrally formed upwardly extending triangularly shaped members, the apexes of said members forming said apex portion.

9. The terminal of claim 8 wherein the apex of one of said members forms a detent.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1962 Olsson 339-95 4/ 1963 Berg.