Feed-through terminal block module
AssigneePhoenix Contact Development and Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJames R. Bieda, Steve Lytle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feed-through terminal block module includes first and second electrical terminals, a first current bar, and a second current bar, the terminals and current bars in a terminal housing. The first current bar permanently electrically connects the first and second terminals. The first current bar includes a first contact portion of the module. The second current bar includes a second contact portion of the module and a third contact portion of the module. A removable contact plug is inserted into the housing to selectively electrically connect the first and second contact portions. Removable bridge pins or a bridging current bar electrically connects the third contact portions of adjacent modules when modules are placed side-by-side to form a terminal block.
Claims24
A feed-through terminal block module comprising:
- a terminal housing;
- a pair of electrical terminals, a first current bar, and a second current bar each being disposed in an interior of the terminal housing, the second current bar being spaced away from the first current bar and the pair of electrical terminals;
- the first current bar being a unitary member comprising a feed-through portion and a first contact portion connected to the feed-through portion, the feed-through portion comprising a pair of terminal portions being fixedly connected to respective ones of the pair of electrical terminals, the feed-through portion permanently electrically connecting together the pair of electrical terminals, the first contact portion being spaced away from the feed-through portion;
- the second current bar comprising a second contact portion and a third contact portion;
- the first and second contact portions together defining a contact region of the housing spaced away from the feed-through portion of the first current bar, the first and second contact portions for simultaneously engaging a contact plug inserted into the terminal housing whereby the third contact portion is electrically connected through the contact plug with the feed-through portion of the first current bar and the feed-through portion of the first current bar maintains electrically connecting together the pair of electrical terminals;
- and
- the second current bar being electrically disconnected from both the first current bar and the pair of electrical terminals when the contact plug is not in the terminal housing.
A terminal block formed from a plurality of feed-through terminal block modules, each terminal block module comprising:
- a terminal housing;
- a pair of electrical terminals, a first current bar, and a second current bar, each being disposed in the housing, the second current bar being spaced away from the first current bar and the pair of electrical terminals;
- the first current bar being a unitary member comprising a feed-through portion and a first contact portion connected to the feed-through portion, the feed-through portion comprising a pair of terminal portions being fixedly connected to respective ones of the pair of electrical terminals, the feed-through portion permanently electrically connecting together the pair of electrical terminals, the first contact portion being spaced away from the feed-through portion;
- the second current bar comprising a second contact portion and a third contact portion;
- the first and second contact portions together defining a contact region of the housing spaced away from the feed-through portion of the first current bar, the first and second contact portions for simultaneously engaging a contact plug inserted into the terminal housing whereby the third contact portion is electrically connected through the plug with the feed-through portion of the first current bar and thereby to the pair of electrical terminals;
- the second current bar being electrically disconnected from both the first current bar and the pair of electrical terminals when the contact plug is not in the terminal housing;
- and
- one or more jumpers, each jumper having at least two legs, each leg engaged with a respective fourth contact portion of the terminal block whereby the respective fourth contact portions are electrically connected with one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.