Terminating means for terminating more than one wire in a single slotted terminal

• US 4,220,390 A
• Filed: 07/25/1978
• Issued: 09/02/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMP Limited
• Original Assignee: AMP Limited
• Inventors: Cobaugh, Robert F., Graeff, Norwood C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/927,719
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 339/97 R, 339/97 P, 339/98, 339/99 R
• US Class Current: 439/401
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2462 the contact members being in a slotted bent configuration, e.g. slotted bight

Abstract

A terminal is disclosed of the type in which a conductor is terminated by moving the conductor transversely of its axis into a slotted opening having a width less than the diameter of the wire. The terminal comprises two metal plates which pivot transversely of each other and which have individual slotted openings defined by slicing edges. The slotted openings overlie each other to provide a common wire-receiving opening so that a wire in either an upper section or a lower section of the common opening will tend to narrow the width of the corresponding other section.

Claims

1. A double plate electrical terminal having wire-receiving slots cooperating to form a wire-receiving opening passing through both plates, the opening being divided lengthwise into sections, each wedgingly receiving therein and thereby electrically connecting therein a separate electrical wire, the presence of a wire in any one of said sections causing increased wedging pressure of each remaining section on a corresponding wedgingly received wire, the combination comprising:

a strip of metal folded back on itself along a bight to provide a pair of closely adjacent plates integrally joined to each other by said bight,

each said plate having an elongated slot defined between elongated first and second slot edges,

the slots of both plates cooperating to form a common wire-receiving opening passing through both plates,

said first slot edges of both plates projecting along opposite sides of said opening and being adapted for wedgingly engaging therebetween a first wire projecting through said wire-receiving opening at a first section thereof,

said second slot edges of both plates being disposed on opposite sides of said opening and adapted for wedgingly engaging therebetween a second wire projecting through said wire-receiving opening at a second section thereof which is in succession with and in communication with said first section,

said second slot edges at said second section projecting further into said wire-receiving opening than said first slot edges, the presence of a wire wedgingly in either of said sections tending to bias apart the corresponding projecting slot edges and thereby cause both plates to flex pivotally about said common bight in opposite directions laterally of each other, thereby tending to close pivotally together the projecting slot edges of the remainder of said sections on a corresponding wedgingly received wire.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, a slot in at least one of said adjacent plates defines a wire traversing passageway separating said projecting first slot edges of one said opening section from said projecting second slot edges of a successive opening section, whereby a wire traversing said passageway is first disengaged from wedged engagement with said first slot edges prior to being inserted in said successive opening section wedgingly between said projecting second slot edges.

3. An electrical terminal, comprising;

a pair of plates integrally connected by a common bight,

each plate having a single slot through the thickness thereof defined between first and second slot edges,

said plates being disposed closely adjacent each other with their slots cooperating to form a common wire-receiving opening passing through both plates,

said wire-receiving opening being bounded on one side by said first slot edge of one plate and said second slot edge of the other plate, and on the other side by said second slot edge of said one plate and said first slot edge of said other plate,

said opening further being divided into successively arranged first sections and at least one second section alternating successively with said first sections, each section being adapted to wedgingly engage a separate corresponding wire passing through said opening,

said first alternating sections of said opening each having a width narrowed by said first slot edges projecting further into said opening than said second slot edges, thereby to wedgingly engage therebetween a corresponding wire and be wedgingly biased apart thereby without also deflecting apart said second slot edges,

each said second alternating section of said opening having a width narrowed by said second slot edges projecting further into said opening than said first slot edges, thereby to wedgingly engage therebetween a corresponding wire and be wedgingly biased apart thereby without also deflecting apart said first slot edges, whereby the presence of a wire in any one of said sections which tends to bias apart corresponding slot edges also tends to pivotally flex both said plates about said bight in mutually opposite directions laterally of each other for closure pivotally toward each other of said slot edges of each remaining section in increased wedged engagement on each of the remainder of said wires.

4. The structure as recited in claim 3, wherein, a slot in at least one of said adjacent plates defines a wire traversing passageway separating said projecting first slot edges of one said opening section from said projecting second slot edges of a successive opening section, whereby a wire traversing said passageway is first disengaged from wedged engagement with said first slot edges prior to being inserted in said successive opening section wedgingly between said projecting second slot edges.

5. An electrical terminal comprising:

a pair of plates connected together by a common bight,

each plate having a single slot through the thickness thereof defined between first and second slot edges,

said plates being disposed closely adjacent each other with their slots cooperating to form a common wire-receiving opening passing through both plates,

said opening being divided into successively arranged first and second sections, each section being adapted to wedgingly engage a separate corresponding wire passing through said opening,

said first section of said opening having a width defined by and between said first slot edges of both plates on opposite sides of said opening and adapted to wedgingly engage therebetween a corresponding wire and be deflected apart thereby,

said second section of said opening having a width narrowed by said second slot edges of both plates projecting further into said opening than said first slot edges, thereby to wedgingly engage therebetween a corresponding wire and be deflected apart thereby without also deflecting apart said first slot edges, whereby the presence of a wire in any one of said sections which tends to deflect apart corresponding slot edges also tends to pivotally flex both said plates about said bight in mutually opposite directions laterally of each other, and effect pivotal closure toward each other of said slot edges of the other remaining section in increased wedged engagement on the other of said wires.

6. The structure as recited in claim 5, wherein, a slot in at least one of said adjacent plates defines a wire traversing passageway separating said projecting first slot edges of one said opening section from said projecting second slot edges of a successive opening section, whereby a wire traversing said passageway is first disengaged from wedged engagement with said first slot edges prior to being inserted in said successive opening section wedgingly between said projecting second slot edges.

7. A terminal of the type in which a conductor is terminated by moving the conductor in a direction transverse to its axis into a slotted opening having a width less than the diameter of the conductor comprising:

first and second plates in a closely spaced face to face relationship,

said first plate having an open ended slot therein,

said second plate having an open ended slot therein,

said first and second slots overlying each other and co-extending for at least a portion of their lengths along a common axis from corresponding outer edges of said plates,

resilient means connecting said plates so that they may be biased relative to each other in a direction generally transverse to said common axis,

said first slot having axially spaced first and second stages cooperating with said second slot to form first and second common wire receiving openings,

in said first stage said first plate projects beyond the corresponding edge of said second slot so that said first common wire receiving opening has a width less than the width of said second slot and less than the diameter of the conductor to be terminated therein,

in said second stage said first plate having edge means which projects beyond a corresponding edge of said second slot when said first plate is biased so as to increase the width of said first common wire receiving opening, so that when said first plate is in said biased condition said second common wire receiving opening has a width less than the width of said second slot, and less than the diamter of the conductor to be terminated therein.

8. A terminal of the type in which a conductor is terminated by moving the conductor in a direction transverse to its axis into a slotted opening having a width less than the diameter of the conductor comprising:

first and second plates in a closely spaced face to face relationship,

said first plate having an open ended slot therein,

said second plate having an open ended slot therein,

said first and second slots overlying each other and co-extending for at least a portion of their lengths along a common axis from corresponding outer edges of said plates,

said first slot having axially spaced first and second stages cooperating with said second slot to form first and second common wire receiving openings,

in said first stage said first plate projects beyond the corresponding edge of said second slot so that said first common wire receiving opening has a width less than the width of said second slot and less than the diameter of the conductor to be terminated therein,

in said second stage said first plate includes a wire slicing edge opposite the said corresponding edge of said second slot,

said plates cooperating to define a second common wire receiving opening defined between said slicing edge and said corresponding edge of said second slot and having a width less than the width of said first slot and less than the width of a wire to be connected therein, and

means pivotally connecting said plates so that increasing the width of one said common wire receiving opening will decrease the width of the other.

9. An electrical terminal comprising:

a pair of plates connected together by a common bight,

each plate having a single slot through the thickness thereof defined between first and second slot edges,

said plates being disposed closely adjacent with their slots cooperating with each other to define an elongated wire-receiving opening passing through both plates,

a first section of said opening having a width defined between corresponding first slot edges of both said plates which are adapted for wedgingly engaging therebetween a first wire projecting through said wire-receiving opening,

a second section of said opening having a width defined between corresponding second slot edges of both said plates which are adapted for wedgingly engaging therebetween a second wire projecting through said wire-receiving opening,

the presence of a wire in each corresponding section of said opening tending to wedge apart corresponding slot edges and thereby cause simultaneous flexure of both said plates pivotally about said bight in mutually opposite directions laterally of each other, thereby pivotally closing together the corresponding slot edges of the other of said sections in increased wedged engagement on a corresponding wire,

a slot in at least one of said adjacent plates defines a wire traversing passageway separating said projecting first slot edges of one said opening section from said projecting second slot edges of a successive opening section, whereby a wire traversing said passageway is first disengaged from wedged engagement with said first slot edges prior to being inserted in said successive opening section wedgingly between said projecting second slot edges.