Sectional electrical terminal block
AssigneeNorth American Philips Corporation
InventorsGeorge Ustin, Andrew P. Soltis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sectional terminal block assembly has identical interlocking sections held together by the electrical elements. Each section has a projecting portion, and a recess portion shaped to receive the projecting portion of an adjoining section, the projecting and recess portions having interlocking shapes to prevent transverse motion or twist. Each contact element has an arm locked in aligned transverse slots in the projecting and recess portions to prevent relative motion longitudinally. A simple plastic cover snaps over the top of barriers between adjacent contact elements, and is pivotal upward from either side to allow access to the contacts.
Claims21
A sectional terminal block comprising a plurality of sections and at least one contact element having two arms, wherein
- a first section includes a longitudinally projecting portion having a pair of contact arm slots for receiving the arms of said contact element inserted transversely to said portion,
- a second section includes recess means for receiving said projecting portion and positioning said sections transversely with respect to each other, and a contact slot for receiving one arm of said contact element inserted transversely to said portion, and
- said contact element is arranged so that said one arm passes through the slot in the second section and is locked in one slot in said projecting portion and the other arm is locked in the other slot of said projecting portion to lock said sections longitudinally with respect to each other.
A sectional terminal block comprising a plurality of identical sections and at least one contact element having an arm, wherein
- said identical sections each include a projecting portion extending longitudinally in one direction, and a recessed portion extending longitudinally in the opposite direction, each of said portions having a contact arm slot for receiving an arm of said contact element inserted transversely,
- the projecting portion of a first identical section projects into the recessed portion of a second, adjoining identical section,
- the arm received in said slot in a projecting portion is an interference fit in said slot so as to lock said arm in said slot, and
- said contact element locks said sections longitudinally with respect to each other.
A sectional barrier strip assembly comprising
- at least four identical sections made of an electrically insulating material, each section including a central portion and having a vertically extending transverse barrier, each barrier having a top edge and two top corners, and respective longitudinally extending grooves through the top edge adjacent the corners;
- a projecting portion extending from the central portion in one longitudinal direction;
- and a recessed portion extending from the central portion in the other longitudinal direction,
- each projecting portion having two longitudinally spaced vertical transverse contact arm slots, and a plurality of longitudinal external alignment surfaces,
- each recessed portion having a cross-section adapted to receive one of the projecting portions and a plurality of longitudinal internal alignment surfaces matching said external alignment surfaces, said sections being interlocked against relative transverse movement by engagement of three of the projecting portions into the recessed portion of an adjacent section, the recessed portions having slots aligned with the slots in the projecting portions,
- at least three contact elements, each element having two arms, the arms of each element being inserted into the respective slots of a respective recessed portion and projecting portion lockingly engaged therein, and
- a cover removably fitted over said barriers, said cover having a central part, and symmetric gripping portions and hinge means, each gripping portion having a longitudinal outer lip and a rib extending downward and fitting around the barrier corners, the lip and respective barrier having resilient means for holding against upward movement, said hinge means being formed integrally with the cover between the gripping portion and the central part.
A barrier strip assembly having a pivotal cover, comprising a terminal block having a plurality of contact elements mounted therein and spaced longitudinally from each other, and a plurality of barriers located between adjacent contact elements and extending transversely outward;
- each barrier having a distal end having two corners, and a longitudinally extending groove through said end adjacent one of said corners, adjacent barrier ends, corners and grooves being aligned longitudinally;
- and
- said cover comprising a central part, a gripping portion and longitudinal hinge means, said gripping portion having a longitudinal outer lip and a rib generally parallel to each other and defining a space therebetween generally the same cross-section as said one barrier corner, said hinge means being formed integrally with the cover between the gripping portion and the central part.
A sectional terminal block comprising at least two terminal sections, one of said sections having a longitudinally extending recess and a transversely extending slot opening into said recess and the other of said sections having a mating, longitudinally projecting portion extending into said recess and positioning said sections transversely with respect to each other, said projecting portion having a transversely extending slot aligned with said slot in said one section, and at least one contact element arranged on said one section and having an arm which passes through said slot in said one section and extends into and lockingly engages said slot in said other section firmly securing said element to said one section and locking said sections longitudinally with respect to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.