POKE-IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

• US 20170288347A1
• Filed: 06/21/2017
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Emmons, David J., Read, Travis, Wolff, Steven L., Barton, Eric, Janovec, Ladislav
• Granted Patent: US 10,490,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/14 Operating parts, e.g. push-button
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/00 Contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7076 for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62933 Comprising exclusively pivoting lever
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/707 interlocked with contact members or counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/4821 Single-blade spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/483 Pivoting arrangements, e.g. lever pushing on the spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/484 Spring housing details
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/4848 Busbar integrally formed with the spring

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a housing having contact channels with electrical contacts received therein each having a poke-in spring beam configured to engage an electrical wire when poked-in to the housing. The electrical contact is movable between a resting position when no wire is present in the wire channel and a clearance position where the electrical contact allows the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel. Pivot levers are held by the housing and are coupled to corresponding electrical contacts with a pivot end pivotably coupled to the housing and a push button end having a push button pressed to move the corresponding electrical contact to the clearance position. When the electrical wire is loaded into the wire channel, the electrical contact is positioned in a pinching position in which the spring beam pinches against the electrical wire in physical contact with the electrical wire.

Claims

1. A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall, the wall mountable connector having a front and a back, wherein the back is configured to be mountable toward a wall, the wall mountable connector comprising:

a first connection block;

a second connection block spaced from the first connection block;

a field wire receiving cavity situated between the first connection block and the second connection block;

a field wire aperture extending through the back of the wall mountable connector and into the field wire receiving cavity;

the first connection block including a front that faces the front of the wall mountable connector and an inner side wall that defines at least part of the field wire receiving cavity and faces toward the second connection block;

the second connection block including a front that faces the front of the wall mountable connector and an inner side wall that defines at least part of the field wire receiving cavity and faces toward the first connection block;

the first connection block further including;

a first column of pin terminals accessible from the front of the first connection block and configured to accommodate a first column of pins extending backward from a thermostat;

a first column of wiring terminals each accessible through a corresponding hole through the inner side wall of the first connection block and each configured to electrically connect to a field wire, each of the first column of wiring terminals electrical coupled with a corresponding one of the first column of pin terminals;

the second connection block further including;

a second column of pin terminals accessible from the front of the second connection block and configured to accommodate a second column of pins extending backward from the thermostat;

a second column of wiring terminals each accessible through a corresponding hole through the inner side wall of the second connection block and each configured to electrically connect to a field wire, each of the second column of wiring terminals electrical coupled with a corresponding one of the second column of pin terminals.

2. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein a front side of the field wire receiving cavity is open to allow a user to gain access to electrically connect one or more field wires in the field wire receiving cavity to one or more of the wiring terminals of the first column of wiring terminals and/or to one or more of the wiring terminals of the second column of wiring terminals, and wherein the wall mountable connector further comprises:

a door movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein;

in the closed position, the door blocks user access to the field wire receiving cavity; and

in the closed position, the door does not block user access to the field wire receiving cavity.

3. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein:

the first connection block comprises a first column of first movable levers, wherein each first movable lever is movable between a closed resting position and an open release position, and wherein each of the first movable levers is configured to be moved by a user from the closed resting position to the open release position to release a field wire captured by a corresponding one of the wiring terminals of the first column of wiring terminals; and

the second connection block comprises a second column of second movable levers, wherein each second movable lever is movable between a closed resting position and an open release position, and wherein each of the second movable levers is configured to be moved by the user from the closed resting position to the open release position to release a field wire captured by a corresponding one of the wiring terminals of the second column of wiring terminals.

4. The wall mountable connector of claim 3, wherein:

the first connection block comprises an outer side that faces away from the field wire receiving cavity, wherein the first column of first movable levers is positioned along the outer side of the first connection block; and

the second connection block comprises an outer side that faces away from the field wire receiving cavity, wherein the second column of second movable levers is positioned along the outer side of the second connection block.

5. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein:

the inner side wall of the first connection block extends from a back position more toward the back of the wall mountable connector to a front position more toward the front of the wall mountable connector;

the inner side wall of the second connection block extends from a back position more toward the back of the wall mountable connector to a front position more toward the front of the wall mountable connector; and

wherein the back position of the inner side wall of the first connection block is closer to the back position of the inner side wall of the second connection block than the front position of the inner side wall of the first connection block is to the front position of the inner side wall of the second connection block.

6. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, further comprising two or more mounting holes extending through the wall mountable connector to facilitate mounting of the wall mountable connector to the wall.

7. The wall mountable connector of claim 6, wherein at least one of the two or more mounting holes is spaced from the field wire aperture and is positioned closer to a top of the wall mountable connector than the field wire aperture.

8. The wall mountable connector of claim 7, wherein at least one of the two or more mounting holes is spaced from the field wire aperture and is positioned closer a bottom of the wall mountable connector than the field wire aperture.

9. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein the field wire receiving cavity has a back wall, wherein the field wire aperture extending through the back wall of the field wire receiving cavity.

10. The wall mountable connector of claim 1, wherein the thermostat has a back that defines a receiving cavity, and the wall mountable connector has a perimeter and a depth such that at least a majority of the wall mountable connector is received by the receiving cavity of the thermostat when the first column of pin terminals receive the first column of pins extending backward from the thermostat and the second column of pin terminals receive the second column of pins extending backward from the thermostat.

11. A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall, the wall mountable connector having a front and a back, wherein the back is configured to be mountable toward a wall, the wall mountable connector comprising:

a first connection block that includes a front that faces the front of the wall mountable connector and an inner side wall that faces toward a field wire receiving cavity, a field wire aperture extending through the back of the wall mountable connector and into the field wire receiving cavity;

the first connection block further comprising;

a first column of pin terminals accessible from the front of the first connection block and configured to accommodate a first column of pins extending backward from the thermostat;

a first column of wiring terminals each accessible through a corresponding hole through the inner side wall of the first connection block and each configured to electrically connect to a field wire, each of the first column of wiring terminals electrical coupled with a corresponding one of the first column of pin terminals.

12. The wall mountable connector of claim 11, wherein a front side of the field wire receiving cavity is open to allow a user to gain access and electrically connect one or more field wires in the field wire receiving cavity to one or more of the wiring terminals of the first column of wiring terminals, and wherein the wall mountable connector further comprises:

a door movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein;

in the closed position, the door blocks user access to the field wire receiving cavity; and

in the closed position, the door does not block user access to the field wire receiving cavity.

13. The wall mountable connector of claim 11, wherein:

the first connection block comprises a first column of first movable levers, wherein each first movable lever is movable between a closed resting position and an open release position, and wherein each of the first movable levers is configured to be moved by a user from the closed resting position to the open release position to release a field wire captured by a corresponding one of the wiring terminals of the first column of wiring terminals.

14. The wall mountable connector of claim 13, wherein the first connection block further comprises an outer side that faces away from the field wire receiving cavity, wherein the first column of first movable levers is positioned along the outer side of the first connection block.

15. The wall mountable connector of claim 11, further comprising two or more mounting holes through the wall mountable connector to facilitate mounting the wall mountable connector to the wall.

16. The wall mountable connector of claim 15, wherein:

at least one of the two or more mounting holes is spaced from the field wire aperture and extends closer to a top of the wall mountable connector than the field wire aperture; and

at least one of the two or more mounting holes is spaced from the field wire aperture and extends closer to a bottom of the wall mountable connector than the field wire aperture.

17. A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall, the wall mountable connector having a front and a back, wherein the back is configured to be mountable toward a wall, the wall mountable connector comprising:

a first column of pin terminals accessible from a front of the wall mountable connector, the first column of pin terminals configured to receive a first column of pins extending backward from the thermostat;

a first column of wiring terminals accessible from a field wiring receiving cavity of the wall mountable connector, each of the first column of wiring terminals configured to electrically connect to a field wire and each of the first column of wiring terminals electrical coupled with a corresponding one of the first column of pin terminals;

a second column of pin terminals accessible from the front of the wall mountable connector, the second column of pin terminals configured to receive a second column of pins extending backward from the thermostat; and

a second column of wiring terminals accessible from the field wiring receiving cavity of the wall mountable connector, each of the second column of wiring terminals configured to electrically connect to a field wire and each of the second column of wiring terminals electrical coupled with a corresponding one of the second column of pin terminals.

18. The wall mountable connector of claim 17, wherein a front side of the field wire receiving cavity is open to allow a user to gain access and electrically connect field wires in the field wire receiving cavity to the wiring terminals of the first column of wiring terminals and the wiring terminals of the second column of wiring terminals, and wherein the wall mountable connector further comprises:

a door movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein;

in the closed position, the door blocks user access to the field wire receiving cavity; and

in the closed position, the door does not block user access to the field wire receiving cavity.

19. The wall mountable connector of claim 18, further comprising:

a column of first movable levers, wherein each first movable lever is movable between a closed resting position and an open release position, and wherein each of the first movable levers is configured to be moved by a user from the closed resting position to the open release position to release a field wire captured by a corresponding one of the wiring terminals of the first column of wiring terminals; and

a column of second movable levers, wherein each second movable lever is movable between a closed resting position and an open release position, and wherein each of the second movable levers is configured to be moved by the user from the closed resting position to the open release position to release a field wire captured by a corresponding one of the wiring terminals of the second column of wiring terminals.

20. The wall mountable connector of claim 19, wherein the column of first movable levers and the column of second movable levers are accessible even when the door is in the closed position.