ELECTRICAL TERMINAL CLAMP

• US 3,694,792 A
• Filed: 01/13/1971
• Issued: 09/26/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTT, Inc. (JP) (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: William H. Wallo
• Inventors: Wallo, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/106,050
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 339/95,97,98,128,217,246 24/73SA,73SM,73MF 85/80 151/41.75
• US Class Current: 439/412
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2479 penetrating the area under the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/34 Conductive members located under head of screw
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/16 Fastening of connecting parts to base or case; Insulating connecting parts from base or case
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3439 Plural clasps

Abstract

An electrical terminal clamp has opposed clamping members at least one of which is electrically conductive and between which is adapted to be received an electrical wire covered with pliable insulation, the electrically conductive member having thereon a rigid contact ridge across which the insulated wire is received such that when the clamping members are forced together to squeeze the insulated wire therebetween, the ridge is pressed into the insulation to effect an electrical contact with the wire. The contact ridge feature may be embodied in a generally Ushaped electrical connector equipped to be snapped into position in a prepared aperture in a terminal board, with the clamping members comprising a base web and a nut threaded on a screw engaged on the web, the ridge being pressed in said web so that the nut will be drawn theretoward by tightening the screw.

Claims

1. In an electrical connector adapted to be mounted in assembly with a panel having opposite faces and a connector-receiving hole therethrough:

a generally U-shaped electrically conductive structure having a base web and legs extending in the same general direction from the opposite ends of the web;

shoulders adjacent the web ends of said legs for engaging a face of the panel;

shoulder means on said legs offset from the outer faces thereof for engagement with the opposite face of the panel in cooperation with said shoulders to retain the structure on the panel;

said legs being resilient and splayed relative to one another from said web to a wider spacing at their free end portions than the receiving hole in the panel; and

cam means on said free end portions engageable with edge areas of the panel at the receiving opening to cam the legs for tensioned movement from said splayed relation toward one another in response to assembly pressure applied through said web toward the legs to thrust the legs through the receiving opening and until said shoulder means snap into retaining engagement with said opposite face of the panel as a result of the resilience of the legs resisting said tensioned movement toward one another.

2. A connector according to claim 1, in which said shoulder means comprise tabs extending in offset generally parallel relation to the outer faces of the respective legs and provided with shoulder edges spaced from the plane of said shoulders a distance about equal to the thickness of the panel with which the connector is to be assembled.

3. A connector according to claim 1, said cam means comprising terminal portions of said legs turned generally toward one another.

4. In combination in an electrical connector for assembly with a panel having opposite faces and a connector-receiving hole therethrough:

a generally U-shaped electrically conductive connector structure having a base web and legs extending in the same general direction from the opposite ends of the web to extend through the receiving hole in the panel;

shoulders on said legs spaced from said web for engaging a face of the panel and maintaining the area of said web between said legs in a plane spaced from the adjacent plane of the panel;

means on said legs engageable with the opposite face of the panel in cooperation with said shoulders to retain the connector structure on the panel;

means carried by said web for clamping onto said web area an electrical wire which is received therebetween in the space between said planes and includes a conductor covered by pliable insulation; and

part of said area being raised relative to other of said area and said raised part being squeezed into said insulation as a result of said clamping pressure.

5. A combination according to claim 4, wherein said part of said area comprises a contact projection thrust by the clamping pressure through the insulation to effect an electrical contact with said conductor.

6. A combination according to claim 5, including a hole in said web, said projection comprising a radiused ridge extending between said hole and one of said legs substantially centered on said web, and said means for clamping comprising a screw having a shank extending through said hole and nut threaded on said shank and adapted to be backed away from said web area by manipulation of the screw to provide clearance for reception of the wire across said ridge and fuNctioning by operation of the screw to press the wire against said ridge to effect said electrical connection by pressing the ridge into the insulation.

7. A combination according to claim 4, said legs being resilient and splayed relative to one another from said web to a wider spacing at their free end portions than the receiving hole in the panel, and cam means on said free end portions engageable with edge areas of the panel at the receiving hole to cam the legs for tensioned movement from said splayed relation toward one another in response to assembly pressure applied through said web toward the legs to thrust the legs through the receiving hole and until said means on said legs engageable with the opposite face of the panel snap into retaining engagement with said opposite face of the panel as a result of the resilience of the legs resisting said tensioned movement toward one another.

8. A combination according to claim 7, said cam means comprising terminal portions of said legs turned generally toward one another.

9. In combination:

a panel having opposite faces and a connector-receiving hole therethrough;

a generally U-shaped electrically conductive connector structure having a base web and legs extending in the same general direction from the opposite ends of the web and extending through said receiving hole in the panel;

shoulders on said legs spaced from said web and engaging a face of the panel and maintaining the area of said web between said legs in a plane spaced from the adjacent plane of said face of the panel;

means on said legs engaging with the opposite face of the panel in cooperation with said shoulders and thereby retaining the connector structure on the panel;

an electrical wire including a conductor covered by pliable insulation, engaged on said web area;

part of said area being raised relative to other of said area; and

means carried by said web for clamping said wire onto said web area and squeezing said raised part into said insulation as a result of the clamping pressure.

10. A combination according to claim 9, wherein said part of said area comprises a contact projection thrust by the clamping pressure through the insulation to effect an electrical contact with said conductor.

11. A combination according to claim 10, including a hole in said web, said projection comprising a radiused ridge extending between said hole and one of said legs substantially centered on said web, and said clamping means comprising a screw having a shank extending through said hole and nut threaded on said shank and adapted to be backed away from said web area by manipulation of the screw to provide clearance for reception of the wire across said ridge and functioning by operation of the screw to press the wire against said ridge to effect said electrical connection by pressing the ridge into the insulation.