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US 12,112,911 B2Granted
Electrical connector assemblies
AssigneeSchneider Electric USA, Inc.
InventorsCristina Rosas Salazar, Brent W. De Geus, Rodney Powell, Salaheddine Faik, Gary A. Volesky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly can include a housing having a connection opening configured to receive a conductor, and a lug channel in communication with the connection opening. The assembly can also include one or more lug motion resistance features extending from at least one of the housing and the lug. The one or more lug motion resistance features are configured to resist motion of the lug toward the closed position to retain the lug in the open position.
Claims20
A circuit breaker, comprising:
- a housing, comprising:
- a connection opening configured to receive a conductor;
- and
- a lug channel in communication with the connection opening;
- a terminal extending into the lug channel;
- a lug disposed within the lug channel and configured to be actuated between an open position relative to the terminal and the connection opening and a closed position relative to the terminal and the connection opening, wherein the lug defines a lug opening that extends into to the lug, wherein the terminal is positioned within the lug opening;
- an actuator connected to the lug and configured to actuate the lug between the open position wherein the conductor is insertable through the connection opening into the lug opening to be between the lug and the terminal, and the closed position wherein the conductor is clamped between the terminal and the lug within the lug opening, wherein the actuator is a threaded screw held axially captive between the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing, wherein the lug is meshed with the threaded screw to slide axially within the lug channel as a function of rotation of the threaded screw;
- and
- one or more lug motion resistance features extending from at least one of the housing and the lug, wherein the one or more lug motion resistance features are configured to resist motion of the lug toward the closed position to retain the lug in the open position, wherein the one or more lug motion resistance features is/are positioned to engage the lug channel and the lug to one another at a top portion of the lug in the open position, wherein the top portion of the lug is defined where the actuator engages the lug.
6 more elements
An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
- a housing, comprising:
- a connection opening configured to receive a conductor;
- and
- a lug channel in communication with the connection opening;
- a terminal extending into the lug channel;
- a lug disposed within the lug channel and configured to be actuated between an open position relative to the terminal and the connection opening and a closed position relative to the terminal and the connection opening, wherein the lug defines a lug opening extending into the lug with a bottom inner surface spaced apart from the terminal in the open position and more proximal to the terminal in the closed position, configured to engage a conductor received through the connection opening between the terminal and the bottom inner surface in the closed position, wherein the terminal is positioned within the lug opening such that the terminal and lug channel remain stationary relative to one another regardless of whether the lug is in the open position or closed position;
- an actuator at an upper end of the lug channel, connected to the lug and configured to actuate the lug between the open position and the closed position, wherein a top portion of the lug where the actuator engages the lug is between the inner bottom surface of the lug and the upper end of the lug channel;
- and
- one or more lug motion resistance features extending from at least one of the housing and the lug inside the lug channel, wherein the one or more lug motion resistance features is/are positioned to engage the lug channel and the lug to one another at the top portion of the lug in the open position, wherein the one or more lug motion resistance features are configured to resist motion of the lug toward the closed position to retain the lug in the open position until actuated.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.