Jaw blades for watthour meter socket adapter

• US 6,152,764 A
• Filed: 09/04/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E J Brooks Company
• Original Assignee: Ekstrom Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Robinson, Darrell, Loehr, Karl R., Pruehs, Allen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, T. C.
• Application Number:
  US09/148,253
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 439/517, 439/508, 439/146, 439/167, 439/747, 439/861, 439/856, 361/659, 361/664, 361/665, 361/666, 361/667
• US Class Current: 439/517
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/04 Housings; Supporting racks; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/36 Conductive members located under tip of screw
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2491 Terminal blocks structurally associated with plugs or sockets

Abstract

A watthour meter socket adapter has a housing formed of a base and unitary annular sidewall projecting from the base. Jaw blades are mounted in apertures in the base. In one embodiment, a spring clip is movably disposable in an aperture formed in each jaw blade to define a meter blade terminal receiving slot therebetween. In another embodiment, the spring clip is fixed to the jaw blade by a single mechanical fastener. Complimentary locator members are formed on the jaw portion and the spring clip for non-movably locating the spring clip relative to the jaw blade. A tab projects from the jaw blade for non-movably fixing the jaw blade relative to the base of the socket adapter. Flanges formed on the base fixedly engage the tab. The jaw blade may be formed of a single unitary jaw contact and blade terminal or a discrete jaw member and blade member. U-shaped support members are formed on the base for engaging opposite side edges of the blade members for non-movably fixing the blade terminal relative to the base. Projections are disposed in the base aperture and engagable with the blade members for non-movably supporting the blade member relative to the base. A unitary jaw blade and spring clip is formed of first and second arms unitarily projecting from opposite sides of the jaw portion and having outer end spaced from the jaw portion to define a blade terminal receiving slot with the jaw blade.

Claims

1. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular sidewall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion having a single planar contact surface disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a aperture formed in the jaw contact portion; and

a spring clip slidably mounted in the aperture in the jaw contact portion, the spring clip having first and second resilient side legs, with the first side leg spacable from the planar contact surface of the jaw contact portion to define an opening with the contact surface for receiving a watthour meter blade terminal therebetween the second side leg disposable in contact with the jaw contact portion.

2. The socket adapter of claim 1 wherein the spring clip further comprises:

a base connecting the first and second side legs; and

at least a slot formed in each of the first and second side legs and dividing each of the first and second legs into at least two discrete contact fingers.

3. The socket adapter of claim 2 wherein:

one contact finger of each of the first and second side legs aligned with one contact finger of the opposed one of the first and second side legs and forming two pairs of contact fingers.

4. The socket adapter of claim 3 wherein the height of the contact fingers in one pair of contact fingers with respect to the base of the spring clip differs from the height of the contact fingers in the adjacent pair of contact fingers.

5. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion being disposed on opposite ends of an elongated one piece unitary electrically conductive member; and

a spring clip joined to the jaw contact portion, the spring clip including;

a first end and a second end, the second end being angled with respect to a plane through the first end;

a single fastener insertable through the second end acting to urge the second end into co-planar alignment with the jaw contact portion such that the first end is disposed angularly with respect to the jaw contact portion to cause the first end to apply a spring force to a blade inserted between the jaw contact portion and the first end.

6. The socket adapter of claim 5 wherein the spring clip further comprises:

a unitary member having first and second ends, the first end having a raised center extending from a plane containing outer side edges of the first end, the raised center facing the jaw contact portion of the jaw blade when the spring clip is mounted on the jaw blade.

7. The socket adapter of claim 5 wherein:

an axis through the first and second end of the spring clip is disposed transverse to an axis through the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion of the jaw blade.

8. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a separate jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a separate blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip joined to the jaw portion; and

means, unitary with the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion, for separately supporting the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion respectively on the base.

9. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a separate jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a separate blade portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip joined to the jaw contact portion; and

means unitary with the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion, for separately supporting the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion respectively on the base, the supporting means including;

a tab unitarily formed on the jaw contact portion; and

a tab unitarily formed on the blade terminal portion.

10. The socket adapter of claim 9 further comprising:

at least one aperture formed in the base wall;

a fastener extendable through the aperture and a mating aperture in a tab of one of the jaw contact portion portion and the blade terminal portion for fixedly securing one of the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion to the base wall.

11. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade portion terminal extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip joined to the jaw portion;

means, unitary with the jaw contact portion, for supporting the jaw contact portion on the base wall, the supporting means including a tab unitarily projecting from the jaw contact portion.

12. The socket adapter of claim 11 wherein the tab projects substantially perpendicularly from the jaw contact portion.

14. The socket adapter of claim 11 wherein:

the tab is adapted to fixedly receive an external electrical conductor.

13. The watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade portion terminal extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip joined to the jaw portion;

means, unitary with the jaw contact portion, for supporting the jaw contact portion on the base wall, the supporting means including;

a tab unitarily projecting from the jaw contact portion; and

a plurality of flange members carried on the base wall and engaging the tab for non-movably supporting the tab on the base.

15. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip joined to the jaw contact portion;

a single mechanical fastener fixedly joining the spring clip to the jaw contact portion;

mating, complementarity formed projection and recess formed on the spring clip and the jaw contact portion for non-movably fixing the spring clip with respect to the jaw contact portion.

16. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip joined to the jaw contact portion;

means for non-movably mounting the jaw blade on the base, the mounting means including;

at least a pair of projections formed on the base wall and extending into the aperture in the base wall, the pair of projections engaging the blade terminal portion of the jaw blade for non-movably supporting the blade terminal portion in the aperture.

17. The socket adapter of claim 16 wherein the mounting means further comprises:

two pairs of projections extending into opposite ends of the aperture for engaging opposite ends of the blade terminal portion.

18. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket the socket adapter comprising:

housing having a base wall and an annular side wall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket; and

a spring clip joined to the jaw contact portion; and

means for non-movably supporting the jaw blade with respect to the base, the mounting means including a pair of ribs projecting from the base and positioned to engage opposite sides of the blade terminal portion of the jaw blade.

19. The socket adapter of claim 18 wherein the mounting means further comprises:

means for non-movably mounting the jaw blade on the base, the mounting means including;

at least a pair of projections formed on the base wall and extending into the aperture in the base wall, the pair of projections engaging the blade terminal portion of the jaw blade for non-movably supporting the blade terminal portion in the aperture.

20. The socket adapter of claim 19 wherein the mounting means further comprises:

a tab unitarily projecting from the jaw contact portion.

21. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a single base wall and an annular sidewall unitarily formed with the base and extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket,

a spring clip engaged with the jaw contact portion to form a blade terminal jaw;

a tab projecting angularly from the jaw contact portion for engagement with the base wall to non-movably support the jaw contact portion relative to the base wall; and

a fastener extending through the tab and the base wall to non-movably fix the tab to the base wall.

29. The socket adapter of claim 21 wherein the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion are discrete members.

30. The socket adapter of claim 29 further comprising:

a tab projecting angularly from each of the jaw contact portion and the blade terminal portion.

22. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a single base wall and an annular side wall unitarily formed with the base and extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip engaged with the jaw contact portion to form a blade terminal jaw the spring clip having first and second opposed ends, the first end spaced from the jaw contact portion to define the blade terminal jaw therebetween;

the second end being angled with respect to a plane through the first end;

the second end bendable to a planar form with the jaw contact portion to apply a spring force to the first end; and

a tab projecting angularly from the jaw contact portion for engagement with the base wall to non-movably support the jaw contact portion relative to the base.

23. The socket adapter of claim 22 wherein the first end has a raised center contact surface projecting from a plane extending between two opposed side edges of the first end of the spring clip.

24. The socket adapter of claim 22 wherein the first and second ends of the spring clip extend substantially perpendicularly between opposed ends of the jaw contact portion.

25. The socket adapter of claim 24 wherein the jaw blade comprises a one piece unitary member.

26. The socket adapter of claim 25 wherein the jaw contact portion is longitudinally offset from the blade portion.

27. The socket adapter of claim 25 wherein:

the tab extends perpendicularly from a major plane of the jaw contact portion.

28. The socket adapter of claim 27 further comprising:

means for non-movably supporting the jaw contact portion relative to the base wall when the jaw contact portion is mounted to the aperture in the base wall, the supporting means including;

a projection extending from the base wall into engagement with the tab.

31. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a single base wall and an annular side wall unitarily formed with the base and extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket,

a spring clip engaged with the jaw contact portion to form a blade terminal jaw;

a tab projecting angularly from the jaw contact portion for engagement with the base wall to non-movably support the jaw contact portion relative to the base; and

receiver members carried on the base wall adjacent the aperture on the base wall for receiving opposed side edges of the blade terminal portion of the jaw blade in non-movable engagement.

32. The socket adapter of claim 31 wherein the tab projecting angularly from the blade terminal portion fixedly seats between each pair of mounting members.

33. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a single base wall and an annular side wall unitarily formed with the base and extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip engaged with the jaw contact portion to form a blade terminal jaw;

a tab projecting angularly from the jaw contact portion for engagement with the base wall to non-movably support the jaw contact portion relative to the base; and

means for non-movably supporting the jaw blade in the aperture in the base wall, the supporting means comprising;

at least one pair of projections formed on the base wall and projecting into the aperture, the projections engagable with spaced surfaces on the blade terminal portion for non-movably supporting the blade terminal portion relative to the base wall.

34. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a single base wall and an annular side wall unitarily formed with the base and extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall for insertion into a jaw contact of a watthour meter socket;

a spring clip engaged with the jaw contact portion to form a blade terminal jaw;

a tab projecting angularly from the jaw contact portion for engagement with the base wall to non-movably support the jaw contact portion relative to the base;

means for non-movably supporting the jaw blade in the aperture in the base wall, the supporting means including;

at least one pair of projections formed on the base wall and projecting into the aperture, the projections engagable with spaced surfaces on the blade terminal portion for non-movably supporting the terminal portion relative to the base wall; and

receiver members carried on the base wall adjacent the aperture in the base wall for receiving opposed side edges of the blade terminal portion in non-movable engagement.

35. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a base wall and an annular sidewall extending from the base;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough; and

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

a jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and a blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall; and

a spring clip unitarily formed with the jaw contact portion and having ends spaced from the jaw contact portion to define an opening for receiving a watthour meter blade terminal therebetween.

36. The socket adapter of claim 35 wherein the spring clip comprises:

first and second resilient arms joined to and extending from opposite sides of the jaw contact portion of the jaw blade, each of the first and second arms having an outer end spaced from the jaw portion and defining a blade terminal slot therebetween.

37. The socket adapter of claim 36 wherein the ends of the first and second arms are spaced apart.

38. The socket adapter of claim 36 further comprising:

an aperture formed in each of the first and second arms to provide resiliency to the first and second arms.

39. A watthour meter socket adapter for releasably interconnecting blade terminals of a watthour meter into jaw contacts in a watthour meter socket, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing having a single base wall and an annular sidewall unitarily formed with the base wall and extending from the base wall;

a plurality of apertures formed in the base wall for receiving individual jaw blades therethrough;

at least one jaw blade mounted in one of the apertures, the at least one jaw blade including;

the jaw blade formed of an elongated, one piece unitary member having a jaw contact portion at one end and a blade terminal portion at an opposed end; and

the jaw contact portion disposed within the housing and the blade terminal portion extending through the aperture in the base wall;

a spring clip mounted on the jaw contact portion to define an opening for receiving a watthour meter blade terminal therebetween; and

at least one side flange unitarily formed with the jaw contact portion and projecting angularly from a plane of the jaw contact portion, the side flange having an end edge enagable with the base wall to substantially prevent movement of the jaw contact portion with respect to the base wall when the jaw blade is mounted in the aperture in the base wall.

40. The socket adapter of claim 39 wherein at least one side flange includes two side flanges, each extending from an opposite side edge of the jaw contact portion, each of the two side flanges having an end edge engagable with the base wall.