# US 10,374,338 B2 · Connector bridge > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,338 B2 - Document ID: US10374338B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/852,066 - Filed: 2017-12-22 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-22 - Assignees: Robertshaw Controls Company - Applicants: Philip C. Hawken; James E. Pearson - Inventors: Philip C. Hawken; James E. Pearson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374338B2 ## CPC - H01R 9/2491: {Terminal blocks structurally associated with plugs or sockets} - H01H 37/02: Details - H01H 89/04: Combination of a thermally actuated switch with a manually operated switch - H01R 9/2416: {Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks} - H01R 9/2475: {Means facilitating correct wiring, e.g. marking plates, identification tags} - H01R 31/06: Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94) - H02J 4/00: Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36) - F24C 15/104: {Arrangements of connectors, grounding, supply wires} - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION ## Abstract A connector bridge for a packaged circuit element is provided. The connector bridge includes a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis. It includes a first plurality of terminal receivers at a first location and a second plurality of terminal receivers at a second location. The pluralities of terminal receivers are arranged closer to a side of the connector bridge body than to the mounting axis to receive and electrically connect with terminals of the packaged circuit element in the first wiring orientation. The connector bridge includes a wiring connector at a third location. The wiring connector extends radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the packaged circuit element. The first, second and third locations are at different locations. The wiring connector is electrically connected with the at least first and the second terminal receivers and defines a second wiring orientation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A connector bridge for a packaged circuit element for electrical connection to wires of a device, the packaged circuit element having a front and back face and a plurality of sides extending between the faces, the packaged circuit element defining a central axis extending between the faces and having a first plurality of terminals at a first packaged circuit element location and a second plurality of terminals at a second packaged circuit element location, the first and second locations being closer to a side of the packaged circuit element than to the central axis, the first and second pluralities of terminals defining a first wiring orientation, the connector bridge comprising: a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis; a first plurality of terminal receivers at a first connector bridge body location and a second plurality of terminal receivers at a second connector bridge body location, the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers arranged on the connector bridge body closer to sides of the connector bridge body than to the mounting axis to electrically connect with the first and second pluralities of terminals in the first wiring orientation when the packaged circuit element is received along the mounting axis; a wiring connector at a third location on the connector bridge body, the wiring connector extending radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the packaged circuit element; and the first, second and third locations being different locations on the connector bridge body; the wiring connector electrically connected with each of the first and the second pluralities of terminal receivers and configured to provide a second wiring orientation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wiring connector of claim 1, wherein the second wiring orientation is different than the first wiring orientation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the second wiring orientation is the same as the first wiring orientation to allow wires to exit the wiring connector parallel to the mounting axis and central axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the second wiring orientation is transverse to the first wiring orientation and transverse to the central axis and mounting axis to allow wires to exit from the wiring connector transverse to the mounting axis and central axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the wiring connector is a RAST 5 connector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the wiring connector is a 2×3 connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers comprise between 2 and 10 terminal receivers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the connector bridge body comprises a plurality of conductive metal blades defining electrical connections between each one of the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers and the wiring connector, the conductive metal blades over-molded with an insulating material to form the connector body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The connector bridge of claim 8, wherein the connector bridge body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers are arranged on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces to receive the terminals of the packaged circuit element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The connector bridge of claim 9, wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers are mounting bosses extending towards the packaged circuit element when mounted thereto. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the connector bridge body defines a cut out arranged to vent heat produced from the packaged circuit element when the connector bridge body is mounted to the packaged circuit element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the wiring connector is arranged to provide keying to prevent miswiring. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the wiring connector provides a sole connection location for electrically connecting to the wires of the device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the packaged circuit element is an infinite switch. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The connector bridge of claim 1, wherein the connector bridge body comprises a third plurality of terminal receivers at a third connector bridge body location to cooperate and electrically connect with a third plurality of terminals at a third location on the packaged circuit element. ### Claim 16 A connector bridge for a packaged circuit element for electrical connection to wires of a device, the packaged circuit element having a front and back face and a plurality of sides extending between the faces, the packaged circuit element defining a central axis extending between the faces and having a first plurality of terminals at a first packaged circuit element location and a second plurality of terminals at a second packaged circuit element location, the first and second locations being closer to a side of the packaged circuit element than to the central axis, the first and second pluralities of terminals defining a first wiring orientation, the connector bridge comprising: a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis; a first plurality of terminal receivers at a first connector bridge body location and a second plurality of terminal receivers at a second connector bridge body location, the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers arranged on the connector bridge body closer to sides of the connector bridge body than to the mounting axis to electrically connect with the first and second pluralities of terminals in the first wiring orientation when the packaged circuit element is received along the mounting axis; a wiring connector at a third location on the connector bridge body, the wiring connector extending radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the packaged circuit element; and the first, second and third locations being different locations on the connector bridge body; the wiring connector electrically connected with each of the first and the second pluralities of terminal receivers and configured to provide a second wiring orientation; wherein the connector bridge body comprises a plurality of conductive metal blades defining electrical connections between each one of the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers and the wiring connector, the conductive metal blade over-moulded with an insulating material to form the connector body; wherein the connector bridge body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers are arranged on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces to receive the terminals of the packaged circuit element; and wherein the connector bridge body defines a central aperture arranged to vent heat produced by the packaged circuit element when mounted thereto, the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers and the wiring connector distributed around the central aperture. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The connector bridge of claim 16, wherein the connector bridge body comprises a plurality of sides extending between the top and bottom surfaces and wherein an outermost perimeter around the four sides is greater than an outermost perimeter around the plurality of sides of the packaged circuit element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The connector bridge of claim 16, wherein the mounting bosses are arranged to provide a gap between the connector bridge body and the packaged circuit element to vent the packaged circuit element when mounted to the connector bridge body. ### Claim 19 A connector bridge for an infinite switch of an appliance, the infinite switch having a front and back face surrounded by a plurality of sides extending between the faces, the infinite switch defining a central aperture, a plurality of terminals extending in the same direction to define a first wiring orientation and located at a plurality of locations around the central axis, the connector bridge comprising: a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis; a plurality of terminal receivers distributed around the mounting axis of the connector bridge body arranged on the connector bridge body to electrically connect with the at least first and the second terminals in the first wiring orientation when the infinite switch is received along the mounting axis; a wiring connector on the connector bridge body extending radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the infinite switch when the connector bridge is mounted to the infinite switch; and wherein the wiring connector is electrically connected with the plurality of terminal receivers and defines a second wiring orientation. ### Claim 20 A connector bridge/packaged circuit element arrangement for an appliance, the connector bridge packaged circuit element arrangement comprising: a packaged circuit element having a front and back face, a plurality of sides extending between the front and back face, a central axis extending between the front and back face and a plurality of terminals defining a first wiring orientation; a connector bridge including a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis and having a top surface and a bottom surface with a plurality of sides extending between the top surface and back surface; a plurality of terminal receivers defined by the connector bridge body, the plurality of terminal receivers arranged to receive the plurality of terminals of the packaged circuit element in the first wiring orientation; a wire connector of the connector bridge body configured to electrically connect to the plurality of terminal receivers; and wherein the bottom surface of the connector bridge body faces the back face of the packaged circuit element and is press fit to the packaged circuit element along the central axis of the packaged circuit element and the mounting axis of the connector bridge to electrically connect the terminals, the plurality of terminal receivers and the wiring connector. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The connector bridge packaged circuit element arrangement of claim 20, wherein the wiring connector is arranged to allow wires of the appliance to exit transverse to or parallel to the central axis and the mounting axis.