TERMINAL BLOCK

• US 3,816,821 A
• Filed: 03/03/1970
• Issued: 06/11/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David George Rhodes
• Original Assignee: David George Rhodes
• Inventors: Rhodes, David George
• Primary Examiner(s): Champion, Marvin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US05/015,988
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 339/198,184,183,242,272,64,65,155,156,157,47,126,192,211,248 312/223
• US Class Current: 439/545
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/743 integral with the housing

Abstract

Mating terminal blocks for mounting on the sides of sliding drawers and associated fixed walls to facilitate easy sliding connection or disconnection of the circuits in the sliding drawer. The contacts in the terminal blocks are staggered to facilitate mating engagement even though slight misalignments may exist and are of an especially compact configuration. They include grooves for easy mounting within simply shaped apertures.

Claims

1. In combination with a sliding drawer apparatus wherein electrical contact is provided between the drawer and a mating cabinet structure, a terminal block for sliding engagement with a similar but complementary terminal block in said mating cabinet structure, said first-mentioned terminal block comprising:

an insulating casing, said insulated casing having a pair of grooves on opposite sides thereof mounting said terminal block in a slot in a plate on said sliding drawer, a pair of clamps located within one end of said casing and adapted to receive and retain the ends of a pair of wires, and a pair of contacts, each being electrically connected to a corresponding one of said clamps and projecting from the other end of said casing, one of said contacts projecting beyond a line joining said grooves to a greater extent than the other of said contacts whereby the projecting contacts are staggered in a stepwise fashion along said other end of the casing.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clamps are accessible from the opposite side of said plate to that on which said contacts are located.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clamps include clamping screws, the axes of which are arranged at an angle to the plane of said plate so that said plate is part of a cabinet or a drawer of a cabinet in which said terminal block is mounted and the axes of the screws are directed at an angle towards the front of said cabinet to facilitate access.

4. A three-phase terminal block comprising:

an insulating casing having a base and side walls, a set of three spaced contacts moulded into said base and extending through both sides thereof into the interior of the casing and to the exterior of the casing, said side walls including spaced projections for engagement with the edges of an aperture in a support plate and one or more openings in one side of the casing to permit a complementary set of three-phase contacts to be connected to said first-mentioned contacts by relative sliding movement parallel to said base.

5. A terminal block as claimed in claim 4 wherein said contacts are separated by integrally moulded walls of said casing to prevent arcing.

6. A terminal block as claimed in claim 4 wherein said contacts are provided with spring clamps adapted to engage with complementary contacts.

7. A three-phase terminal block comprising:

an insulating casing having a base and side walls, a set of three spaced contacts moulded into said base and extending through both sides thereof into the interior of the casing and to the exterior of the casing, and one or more openings in one side wall of the casing to permit a complementary set of three-phase contacts to be connected to said first-mentioned contacts by relative sliding movement parallel to said base, said first-mentioned contacts being located in a triangular arrangement, and the end of said casing remote from the said side wall which is provided with an opening or openings being of a tapered configuration and having spaced projections thereon for engagement with a complementarily shaped aperture in a support plate.

8. In combination with a sliding drawer apparatus wherein electrical contact is provided between the drawer and a mating cabinet structure, a terminal block for permitting sliding engagement and disengagement of a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along the side of a fixed or movable plate, said terminal block comprising:

an insulating casing having first and second ends and side walls, mounting means disposed on said side walls intermediate said first and second ends securing said insulating casing within an aperture of said plate, at least two wire receiving means associated with said first end of said casing, at least two sliding contact means associated with said second end of said casing, and conductor means extending between said first and second ends and connecting respectively corresponding ones of said wire receiving means and said sliding contact means, said two sliding contact means being displaced with respect to one another along said second end in the direction of intended sliding movement along said plate.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said mounting means comprises a groove formed to engage edges of said aperture.

10. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said mounting means comprises spaced projections formed to engage edges of said aperture.

11. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said two sliding contacts are also displaced with respect to one another in a direcTion substantially perpendicular to said direction of intended sliding movement.

12. Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said direction substantially perpendicular is also substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate whereby the sliding contact means project in a staggered stepwise fashion along said second end of said casing.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said second end is shaped in a similar stepwise fashion with each of said sliding contacts projecting through a supporting aperture in a corresponding step of said second end.

14. A pair of terminal blocks adapted for sliding engagement with each other, each of said terminal blocks comprising:

an insulating casing having a pair of grooves on opposite sides thereof to permit mounting in a slot in a stationary or slidable plate, a pair of clamps located within one end of each of said casings and adapted to receive and retain the ends of a respective pair of wires, and a pair of contacts, each being electrically connected to a corresponding one of said clamps and projecting from the other end of said casing, one of said contacts projecting beyond a line joining said grooves to a greater extent than the other of said contacts whereby the projecting contacts are staggered in a stepwise fashion along said other end of the casing, the contacts of a first one of said blocks being in the form of tags or the like, and the contacts of a second one of said blocks being in the form of spring clips adapted to engage with said tags or the like.

15. A terminal block for permitting sliding engagement and disengagement of a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along the side of a fixed or movable plate, said terminal block comprising:

an insulating casing having first and second ends and side walls, mounting means disposed on said side walls intermediate said first and second ends for securing said insulating casing within an aperture of said plate, at least two wire receiving means associated with said first end of said casing, at least two sliding contact means associated with said second end of said casing, and conductor means extending between said first and second ends and connecting respectively corresponding ones of said wire receiving means and said sliding contact means, said two sliding contact means being displaced with respect to one another along said second end in the direction of intended sliding movement along said plate, said two sliding contacts also being displaced with respect to one another in a direction substantially perpendicular to said direction of intended sliding movement wherein said direction substantially perpendicular is also substantially parallel to the plane of said plate whereby each of said sliding contacts is disposed at substantially the same distance from the plane of said plate although displaced in the direction of intended sliding movement parallel to said plate.