Quick connect terminal for electric power switch

• US 20030076204A1
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Whipple, Michael Jerome, Lias, Edward Ethber
• Granted Patent: US 6,781,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/202
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/5866 characterised by the use of a plug and socket connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/0031 for allowing different types or orientation of connections to contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2011/0037 with removable or replaceable terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A removable quick connect terminal for an electric power switch has a molded housing with an open cavity and an electrically conductive terminal member with a plurality of male terminations that project through slots in a cavity wall in the housing into the open cavity. The terminal member has a tang projecting outward from the housing that is clamped by a conventional collar terminal to a power conductor of the switch projecting into an external terminal recess in the molded switch casing. The terminal member is secured to the molded housing by a pair of oppositely facing chamfered catches engaging an opening in the flat center section of the terminal member. The molded housing of the quick connect terminal has hooks which engage abutment surfaces on the switch casing and a pair of integral compliant latches which engage latch ledges in the external terminal recess to removably secure the housing to the switch casing.

Claims

1. A quick connect terminal for an electric power switch having a molded casing with a main conductor extending into an external terminal recess in the molded casing and a terminal connector connected to the main conductor in the terminal recess, said quick connect terminal comprising:

a molded housing having an open cavity and a mount removably mounting the molded housing to the molded casing at the external terminal recess; and

an electrically conductive terminal member having a tang releasably secured to the main conductor by the terminal connector and at least one spade termination terminating in the open cavity.

2. The quick connect terminal of claim 1 wherein the terminal member has a plurality of spade terminations terminating in the open cavity.

3. The quick connect terminal claim 1 wherein the molded housing has a cavity wall with at least one slot through which the at least one spade termination extends into the open cavity.

4. The quick connect terminal of claim 3 in which the cavity wall has a plurality of slots and the terminal member has a plurality of spade terminations extending through the plurality of slots into the open cavity.

5. The quick connect terminal of claim 4 wherein the cavity wall has four slots and the terminal member has four spade terminations each extending through one of the four slots into the open cavity.

6. The quick connect terminal of claim 1 wherein the terminal member is a flat strip having a center section with the tang bent to extend transversely from one end of the center section in a first direction and with the at least one spade termination extending transversely from the center section in a second direction opposite the first direction.

7. The quick connect terminal of claim 6 wherein the terminal member has a plurality of spade terminations extending transversely in the second direction from edges of the center section.

8. The quick connect terminal of claim 7 wherein the terminal member has two pair of spade terminations with each pair of spade terminations including one spade termination on each side edge and with respective spade terminations of the two pair of spade terminations spaced along the side edges.

9. The quick connect terminal of claim 7 wherein the cavity wall has a first face facing the external terminal recess in the molded casing and a second face facing the open cavity and a plurality of slots extending there through, the center section of the terminal member extending along the first face of the cavity wall with the plurality of spade terminations projecting through the plurality of slots in the cavity wall into the open cavity.

10. The quick connect terminal of claim 6 wherein the molded housing includes a retainer securing the terminal member to the molded housing.

11. The quick connect terminal of claim 10 wherein the retainer comprises an opening in the center section of the terminal member and a pair of oppositely facing catches molded on the first face of the cavity wall and which flex to engage opposite edges of the opening.

12. The quick connect terminal of claim 11 wherein the catches are chamfered to deflect for engagement with the opening as the center section of the terminal member is pressed against the catches.

13. The quick connect terminal of claim 1 wherein the external recess has a latch edge and the mount comprises at least one compliant latch on the molded housing engaging the latch ledge.

14. The quick connect terminal of claim 1 wherein the external terminal recess in the molded casing has inwardly facing latch ledges on each side and the mount includes a pair of spaced apart compliant latches having oppositely facing latch hooks which engage the latch ledges.

15. The quick connect terminal of claim 14 wherein the pair of compliant latches are cantilevered from and integrally molded with the molded housing and have oppositely facing finger grips by which the pair of compliant latches are squeezed toward each other to release the molded housing from engagement with the molded casing.

16. The quick connect terminal of claim 15 wherein the pair of compliant latches are cantilevered from one end of the molded housing and the mounting further includes at least one mounting hook extending adjacent the second end of the molded housing and engaging an abutment surface on the molded casing.