Electrical connector bridge arrangement with release means
AssigneeWeidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
InventorJens Oesterhaus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plug-in electrical bridge connector includes a pair of parallel bridge contacts that extend through contact openings contained in an insulated bus bar housing arrangement for electrical engagement with bus bars mounted in chambers contained therein, respectively. A locking device is arranged in at least one of the bus bar chambers for automatic locking engagement with the associated bridge contact, thereby to retain the bridge contact in engagement with the associated bus bar. A release device is moveably mounted on the bridge connector body for displacement from a retracted position toward an operable extended position in which the release member unlocks the locking device from the bridge contact, thereby to permit removal of the bridge connector from the bus bar housing arrangement.
Claims12
A bridge connector for electrically connecting a pair of bus bars, comprising:
- (a) bus bar housing means (2) containing a pair of chambers (3);
- (b) a pair of parallel bus bars (1) mounted in said housing chambers, respectively, said housing means containing corresponding contact openings (15) communicating with said chambers opposite said bus bars, respectively;
- (c) bridge means for electrically connecting said bus bars, said bridge means including:
- (1) a bridge body (5) formed of insulating material;
- and
- (2) a bridge conductor (4) including a first conducting portion (4a) contained in said bridge body, and a pair of parallel bridge contacts (4b) connected with said connecting portion and extending outwardly from one side of said bridge body, said bridge contacts extending through said contact openings into engagement with said bus bars, respectively;
- (d) locking means (6) for locking at least one of said bridge contacts within its associated chamber;
- and
- (e) release means (7) carried by said bridge body for releasing said locking means, thereby to permit removal of said bridge contacts from said housing chambers, and disconnection of said bus bars from each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.