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US 12,671,190 B2Granted
Electrical wiring devices with screwless wire terminals
AssigneeHubbell Incorporated
InventorsThomas L. Scanzillo, Denny Lo, Edward Bazayev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrical wiring devices that incorporate screwless wire terminal connections are described. The electrical wiring devices include for example, single and duplex blade-type electrical receptacles, blade-type locking electrical receptacles, single or multi-pole electrical switches, combination switches and blade-type receptacles, blade-type plugs for electrical cords, blade-type connectors for electrical cords, male and female inlet connectors and pin-in-sleeve connectors. The electrical wiring devices include a plurality of contact assemblies and a pushbutton type activating member that interacts with the contact assemblies.
Claims43
An electrical wiring device comprising:
- a housing having at least one cavity within an interior of the housing, at least one wire receiving opening and at least one activating member opening;
- and
- at least one contact assembly positioned at least partially in the at least one cavity such that the at least one contact assembly is accessible from the at least one wire receiving opening and the at least one activating member opening;
- wherein the at least one contact assembly includes:
- a wire terminal having a clamp brace and a force applying member secured to the clamp brace, the force applying member being movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace and a second position where the wire can be inserted through the at least one wire receiving opening and between the force applying member and the clamp brace;
- and
- an activating member having a distal end, a proximal end and a biasing member coupled to the distal end, wherein the distal end is at least partially positioned in the at least one cavity such that a portion of the activating member is at least partially operatively associated with the force applying member and the proximal end extends at least partially through the at least one activating member opening, the activating member being interactive with the force applying member such that when the activating member is depressed the activating member moves in a first direction applying a force or mechanical load to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position, and when the activating member is released the biasing member moves the activating member in a second direction removing the force or mechanical load from the force applying member so that the force applying member moves from the second position to the first position.
4 more elements
An electrical wiring device comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of cavities within an interior of the housing, a plurality of wire receiving openings and a plurality of activating member openings;
- a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially in one of the plurality of cavities such that the one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from a respective one of the plurality of wire receiving openings and a respective one of the plurality of activating member;
- and
- wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes:
- a wire terminal having a clamp brace and a force applying member secured to the clamp brace, the force applying member being movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace and a second position where the wire can be inserted through the one of the plurality of wire receiving openings and between the force applying member and the clamp brace;
- and
- an activating member having a distal end, a proximal end and a biasing member coupled to the distal end, wherein the distal end is at least partially positioned in the one of the plurality of cavities such that a portion of the activating member is at least partially operatively associated with the force applying member and the proximal end extends at least partially through the one of the plurality of activating member openings, the activating member being interactive with the force applying member such that when the activating member is depressed the activating member moves in a first direction applying a force or mechanical load to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position, and when the activating member is released the biasing member moves the activating member in a second direction removing the force or mechanical load from the force applying member so that the force applying member moves from the second position to the first position.
4 more elements
An electrical wiring device comprising:
- a housing having at least one cavity within an interior of the housing, at least one wire receiving opening and at least one activating member opening;
- and
- at least one contact assembly positioned at least partially in the at least one cavity such that the at least one contact assembly is accessible from the at least one wire receiving opening and the at least one activating member opening;
- wherein the at least one contact assembly includes:
- a wire terminal having a clamp brace and a force applying member secured to the clamp brace, the force applying member being movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace and a second position where the wire can be inserted through the at least one wire receiving opening and between the force applying member and the clamp brace;
- and
- an activating member having a first face including a camming surface, a distal end, a biasing member coupled to the distal end, and a proximal end, wherein the distal end is at least partially positioned in the at least one cavity such that the camming surface of the first face is at least partially operatively associated with the force applying member and the proximal end extends at least partially through the at least one activating member opening, the camming surface of the activating member being interactive with the force applying member such that when the activating member is depressed the activating member moves in a first direction applying a force or mechanical load to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position, and when the activating member is released the biasing member moves the activating member in a second direction removing the force or mechanical load from the force applying member so that the force applying member moves from the second position to the first position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.