Terminal blocks and indicator for solenoid valves
AssigneeDouble A Products Company
InventorRonald L. Loup
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Solenoid operated directional valves are disclosed requiring minimum labor costs for original manufacture, installation at sites of use and subsequent maintenance and repair, which have electrical apparatus for actuating the solenoids, including improved terminal blocks mounted on the valve body and electrical plugs and associated junction boxes by which electrical power is supplied to the terminal block for delivery to the appropriate solenoid, the terminal block and electrical plugs having electrical connectors to enable the electrical plug and junction box to be mounted in more than one position with respect to the terminal block while providing continuity of operation of the solenoids, ground connections and lamp indicator means.
Claims20
A solenoid operated directional valve comprising a valve body having a solenoid mounted on one of its ends and a mounting surface on one of its sides, a junction box releasably secured on said mounting surface and constructed to receive electrical conduit means at its one end, a terminal block mounted on said mounting surface within said junction box, said terminal block having a ground connector and a pair of electrical connectors to which a pair of electrical leads from said solenoid are connected for completing a circuit with the solenoid, and an electrical plug plugged into said terminal block and having ground and electrical connectors in engagement with corresponding connectors of said terminal block, said electrical plug having its connectors connected to corresponding ground and electrical conductors of said electrical conduit means so that electric current for energizing said solenoid can be supplied by said electrical conduit means, characterized in that the connectors in said terminal block and in said electrical plug are arranged so that the electrical plug can be plugged into the terminal block in a first position in which the junction box is positioned to have its one end facing in the direction of said solenoid or in a second position in which the electrical plug is rotated one hundred eighty degrees and in which the junction box is positioned to have its one end facing in the opposite direction of said solenoid, the arrangement of the connectors in the terminal block and the electrical plug being such that an electrical circuit will be closed through said solenoid and a ground connection will be completed so as to provide continuity of operation of the solenoid and the ground connection irrespective of whether the electrical plug is in its first or its second position.
A solenoid operated directional valve comprising a valve body having solenoids mounted on its opposite ends and a mounting surface on one of its sides, a junction box releasably secured on said mounting surface and constructed to receive electrical conduit means at its one end, a terminal block mounted on said mounting surface within said junction box, said terminal block having a ground connector and two pairs of associated electrical connectors to which pairs of associated electrical leads from said solenoids are connected for completing separate electrical circuits with the solenoids, and an electrical plug plugged into said terminal block and having ground and electrical connectors in engagement with corresponding connectors of said terminal block, said electrical plug having its connectors connected to corresponding ground and electrical conductors of said electrical conduit means so that electrical current for energizing either of said solenoids can be supplied through the separate electrical circuits by said electrical conduit means, characterized in that the connectors in said terminal block and in said electrical plug are arranged so that the electrical plug can be plugged into the terminal block in a first position in which the junction box is positioned to have its one end facing in the direction of one of said solenoids or in a second position with the electrical plug rotated one hundred eighty degrees and in which the junction box is positioned to have its one end facing in the direction of the other of said solenoids, the arrangement of connectors in the terminal block and the electrical plug being such that the separate electrical circuits will be closed through the same solenoids and a ground connection will be completed assuring continuity of grounding and continuity of operation of the solenoids irrespective of whether the electrical plug is in its first or its second position.
A solenoid operated directional valve comprising a valve body having solenoids mounted on its opposite ends and a mounting surface on one of its sides, a junction box releasably secured on said mounting surface, said junction box having light indicator means near its ends for indicating when a solenoid is energized and being constructed to receive electrical conduit means at its one end, a terminal block mounted on said mounting surface within said junction box, said terminal block having a ground connector, two pairs of associated electrical connectors to which pairs of associated electrical leads from said solenoids are connected for completing separate electrical circuits with the solenoids, and lamp means associated in interfitting relationship with said light indicator means and disposed adjacent to said opposite ends and in said electrical circuits for signaling which one of said solenoids is energized, and an electrical plug plugged into said terminal block and having ground and electrical connectors in engagement in interfitting relationship with corresponding connectors of said terminal block, said electrical plug having its connectors connected to corresponding ground and electrical conductors of said electrical conduit means so that electrical current for energizing said solenoids can be supplied through the separate electrical circuits by said electrical conduit means, characterized in that the interfitting parts comprising (1) the connectors in said terminal block and in said electrical plug and (2) the light indicator means in said junction box and the lamp means in said terminal block are arranged symmetrically with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said terminal block so that the electrical plug and the junction box can be rotated one hundred eighty degrees from a first position wherein said one end of the junction box faces in the direction of one of said solenoids to a second position wherein said one end of the junction box faces in the direction of the other of said solenoids, the arrangement of the interfitting parts of the terminal block, the electrical plug and the junction box being such that continuity of operation of the electrical grounding, the light indicator means and the solenoids is provided when the electrical plug and the junction box are in either their first position or their second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.