Terminal block for small appliances
AssigneeThe West Bend Company
InventorHoward W. Kaney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a terminal block especially suited for rapidly wiring small appliances. The block has an insulating housing holding a plurality of electrically-conductive connectors and in the improvement, at least a first connector is bifurcated to define a pair of jaw-like wire-grasping structures for electrically connecting a pair of wires to one another. The structures are separated by a tongue-like barrier for easy guided insertion of a single wire into each structure. The block is also disclosed in combination with an appliance enclosure having a platform supporting the terminal block. The platform has at least one block retention stud, the terminal block includes at least one surface deformation and the stud and the deformation coactively engage to restrain movement of the block.
Claims15
In a terminal block having an insulating housing holding a plurality of electrically-conductive connectors, the improvement wherein:
- at least a first connector is bifurcated to define a pair of wire-grasping structures;
- the structures are separated by a tongue-like barrier;
- the first connector includes first and second arms, each having a pair of spaced fingers;
- and,
- each finger of the first arm coacts with a finger of the second arm to provide one of said wire-grasping structures.
In a terminal block having an insulating housing holding a plurality of electrically-conductive connectors, the improvement wherein:
- at least a first connector is bifurcated to define a pair of wire-grasping structures;
- the structures are separated by a tongue-like barrier;
- the housing includes an aperture and the first connector is held in the aperture;
- the aperture has a flared mouth portion;
- and,
- the mouth portion and the barrier define a guide visually aiding insertion of a wire into a wire-grasping structure.
In a terminal block having an insulating housing holding a plurality of electrically-conductive connectors, the improvement wherein:
- at least a first connector is bifurcated to define first and second wire-grasping structures;
- the structures are separated by a tongue-like barrier;
- a wire is connected to the first wire-grasping structure;
- and
- a rib projects across the first wire-grasping structure for preventing damage to such first wire-grasping structure by improper pulling of the wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.