US3821695A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connector particularly adapted for use on land and water vehicles and other motor powered equipment having cartridge fuses held by spring arms, the connector being adapted for mounting on the end of a wire conductor and secured to the fuse holder by snapping it over the divergent ends of the fuse holder arms, the connector having resilient legs with opposed grooves for receiving the ends of the fuse holder arms, and the grooves being provided with end stops to keep the connector from sliding laterally off of the fuse holder. Also, wire conductor terminal means supported by the connector in a position to prevent interference with the connector attachement to the fuse holder, the article being securable to the fuse holder and to the wire conductor without tools.

Description

United States Patent [191 Sholer June 28, 1974 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR [76] Inventor: Lawrence J. Sholer, 15848 ABSTRACT Moorpark St., Encino, Calif. 93301 [22] Filed: July 9, 1973 [211 App]. No.: 377,207

[52] US. Cl 339/258 F, 337/251, 339/259 F [51] int. Cl H0lr 13/12 [58] Field of Search 339/252-254,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,203 10/1938 Clark ..I 339/258 F 2,410,691 11/1946 Stevens 339/253 F Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn An electrical connector particularly adapted for use on land and water vehicles and other motor powered equipment having cartridge fuses held by spring arms, the connector being adapted for mounting on the end of a wire conductor and secured to the fuse holder by snapping it over the divergent ends of the fuse holder arms, the connector having resilient legs with opposed grooves for receiving the ends of the fuse holder arms, and the grooves being provided with end stops to keep the connector from sliding laterally off of the fuse holder. Also, wire conductor terminal means supported by the connector in a position to prevent interference with the connector attachement to the fuse holder, the article being securable to the fuse holder and to the wire conductor without tools.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Prior Art The closest known prior art is as follows: US. Pat. No. 1,916,711 to Allgeier, July 4, 1933; US. Pat. No. 1,930,428 to Jackson, Oct. 10, 1933; US. Pat. No. 2,343,677 to La Mar, Mar. 7, 1944. US. Pat. No. 3,516,047 to Young, June 2, 1970.

DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an electrical connector which is readily adaptable to conventional cylindrical cartridge fuse holders, such as are found in motor vehicles. These fuse holders generally comprise pairs of spring arms, each pair being adapted to yieldably grip an end of a fuse cartridge. My connector is adapted to slip endwise over the ends of a pair of arms and being lodged thereon against accidental displacement to provide simple yet highly effective and reliable means for making connections such as those required for an electrical accessory added to a motor vehicle or the like, wherein the electrical connection is not provided for at the time the vehicle is constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connector in the form of a U-shaped clip made of resilient spring metal with spaced legs, each of which'has a transverse groove facing inwardly to receive the divergent ends of a pair of fuse holder arms, the grooves having end stops to prevent dislodgement of the clip transversely thereof and of the fuse holder arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connector of the type described with a cooperating tonguelike terminal element adapted to be received in a conventional female snap-on terminal element.

The above and other objects will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one end of a fuse holder and fuse with an embodiment of my invention mounted thereon and showing its relationship to a fuse panel box;

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of my connector and its relationship to a fuse holder;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

There is shown a fuse panel box 6 including a panel or base 8, side walls 10, end walls 12 and partition walls 114. Mounted in each of the cavities defined by the walls of the panel box 6 are pairs of fuse holders 16, there being a pair in each cavity but only one being shown in the drawing. Each fuse holder comprises a pair of spring arms 18 having upwardly or outwardly disposed divergent ends 20, the arms 18 being connected by cross members 22 and the latter being secured to the panel base 8 by rivets 24. As shown in FIG. 1, the rivets 24 have laterally extending tongues 26 which extend through openings 28 in the end wall 12 of the fuse panel box. The tongues 26 are provided with turned end portions 29 which clampingly secure the ends of conductors 30 forming part of an electrical circuit protected by a cartridge fuse 32 held by the fuse holders l6.

My connector includes an inverted U-shaped spring clip 34 having spaced legs 36 connected by a bridge 38.

Each leg 36 is provided with a transverse groove portion 40. The groove portion 40, as best shown in FIG. 1, extends from the right edge of its leg 36 to a point short of the left edge of the leg, terminating in an abutment 42. The clip 34 is adapted to be snapped down over the divergent ends of the fuse holder arms 18 with said divergent ends seated in the grooves 40. The connector clip 34 cannot slide off of the fuse holder 16 to the left because of the end wall 12 of the fuse panel box 6. The clip cannot slide laterally off of the fuse holder 16 to the right because of the abutment 42 at the left end of the groove 40. The only way in which the connector clip 34 can be removed from the fuse holder 16 is by an upward or outward pull sufficient to dislodge the divergent ends 20 of the fuse holder from the grooves in the clip holder 34. The resilient strength of the clip holder 34 is such that dislodgement of said clip due to vibration and other shocks incidental to operation of the equipment or vehicle will not occur. It can be removed only by exerting a strong pull.

The bridge 38 connecting the legs 36 of the clip 34 has a metal strip 44 extending beneath it as shown in FIG. 1. The strip then has portions bent inwardly toward each other above the bridge 38 and the ends of the strip are then bent upwardly in contact with each other perpendicularly to the bridge 38. These perpendicular ends are provided with coincident apertures 46. These strip ends are adapted to be received in a female connector element 48 shown in FIG. 4 to have side portions 50 curved inwardly. The ends of the strip 44 comprise a tongue received between a connector element wall 52 and the inwardly curved side portions 50. The wall 52 has a projection 54 pressed inwardly therein to yieldably seat in the coincident apertures 46 of the tongue comprising the ends of the strip 44. The connector element 48 has a rolled portion 56 which is crimped around an electrical conductor 58 leading to a piece of electrical equipment.

It will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple yet highly efficient means for making a connection for an added piece of equipment without requiring the use of tools or without splicing into existing wiring in the customary manner. The connector clip can be snapped on a U-shaped spring fuse holder element. In the case of moving vehicles or the like, the motion will cause slight movement of the spring clip 34 relative to the fuse holder arms and consequently maintain proper contact between the two. Even in stationary installations, the spring action itself is sufficient to keep the fuse holder and the spring clip 34 in intimate current conducting contact. The electrical conductor can be readily disconnected when necessary by pulling the female connector element off of the tongue provided by the ends of the strip 44. When necessary, the spring clip 34 itself can be removed by a forceful pull. Otherwise, it is firmly anchored in place.

It will of course be understood that various changes can be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector for use with a fuse holder or the like in which the fuse holder has spaced spring arms with divergent free ends wherein the improvement comprises: a U-shaped spring clip having divergent legs spaced sufficiently to receive endwise between them the divergent free ends of the arms of a fuse holder upon which the clip is to be mounted, at least one leg of the U-shaped clip having a receptor for the free end of a fuse holder arm, the receptor extending transversely of the leg a distance sufficient to accommodate the end of the fuse holder arm, at least one end of the transversely extending receptor having stop means to limit relative shifting movement of the clip leg transversely of the fuse holder arm, the receptor defining an abutment behind which the end of the fuse holder arm can be lodged when the clip is pushed endwise over the arm, and said U-shaped clip having a portion comprising a terminal for an electrical conductor.

and then terminating in an outwardly disposed tongue portion with an aperture therethrough, and a socket having wire conductor connecting means adapted to receive said tongue portion, the socket having a wall with a detent receivable in said aperture.

6. The structure in claim 5, and said outwardly disposed tongue portion comprising the two ends of said strip of metal having coincident apertures therethrough, and the ends of said strip comprising said tongue portion being held together in said socket.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION June 28, 1974 Patent No. 3821695 Dated Inventor(s) Lawrence J. Sohler It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor's last name should be corrected to read:

Sohler Signed and sealed this 8th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN I Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer USCOMM-DC 60376'P69 9 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 0-366-334 FORM O-1050 (10-69) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION June 28, 1974 Patent No. 3821695 Dated Inventor(s) Lawrence J Sohler It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor's last name should be corrected to read:

Sohler Signed and sealed this 6th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents Attesting Qfficer USCOMM'DC 50376-P69 a U,S. GOVERNMENT PR NTING OFFICE: 1559 0-366-334 FORM PC4050 (10-69)

Claims (6)

1. An electrical connector for use with a fuse holder or the like in which the fuse holder has spaced spring arms with divergent free ends wherein the improvement comprises: a U-shaped spring clip having divergent legs spaced sufficiently to receive endwise between them the divergent free ends of the arms of a fuse holder upon which the clip is to be mounted, at least one leg of the U-shaped clip having a receptor for the free end of a fuse holder arm, the recePtor extending transversely of the leg a distance sufficient to accommodate the end of the fuse holder arm, at least one end of the transversely extending receptor having stop means to limit relative shifting movement of the clip leg transversely of the fuse holder arm, the receptor defining an abutment behind which the end of the fuse holder arm can be lodged when the clip is pushed endwise over the arm, and said Ushaped clip having a portion comprising a terminal for an electrical conductor.

2. The structure in claim 1, and said receptor comprising a groove extending transversely of one of the clip legs and terminating short of at least one edge of said leg.

3. The structure in claim 1, and the legs of said U-shaped clip being of a sheet metal, and said receptor comprising a groove struck in the sheet metal of one of said legs.

4. The structure in claim 1, and the legs of said clip having transverse inwardly facing grooves in the inner faces thereof, said grooves being adapted to receive the divergent ends of the arms of a fuse holder with the clip legs in longitudinal alignment with the arms of the fuse holder.

5. The structure in claim 1, and said U-shaped clip having a bridge connecting the clip legs and supporting them in spaced relation, and said terminal including a strip of metal extending beneath said bridge and having portions folded first toward each other on the bridge and then terminating in an outwardly disposed tongue portion with an aperture therethrough, and a socket having wire conductor connecting means adapted to receive said tongue portion, the socket having a wall with a detent receivable in said aperture.

6. The structure in claim 5, and said outwardly disposed tongue portion comprising the two ends of said strip of metal having coincident apertures therethrough, and the ends of said strip comprising said tongue portion being held together in said socket.

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