Bus bar assembly

• US 6,238,225 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TVM Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TVM Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Middlehurst, Richard J., Wood, Donald E., Jetter, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, Paula
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leon, Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US09/405,517
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 439/212, 439/723, 439/721, 439/709
• US Class Current: 439/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/585 Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/161 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/005 Laminated bus-bars
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0263 High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board H05K1/0293 takes precedence

Abstract

A bus bar assembly that includes a plurality of bus bars having substantially planar portions disposed in juxtaposition. Adjacent bus bars are electrically isolated from each other. The portion of each of the bus bars is made from an electrically conductive material and has a region provided with at least one interconnect hole extending through the bus bar and adapted to cooperatively receive a pin member. The regions of the bus bars are disposed substantially in a plane so as to permit pin members of equal lengths to be utilized for making electrical connections with the bus bars.

Claims

1. A bus bar assembly for use with a plurality of pin members having respective lengths comprising first and second bus bars having substantially planar portions disposed in juxtaposition, means disposed between bus bars from each of the first and second bus bars being made from an electrically conductive material and having a region provided with at least one interconnect hole extending through the bus bar and adapted to cooperatively receive one of the pin members, the regions of the first and second bus bars being disposed substantially in a plane so as to permit pin members of substantially equal lengths to be utilized for making electrical connections with the bus bars.

2. The bus bar assembly of claim 1 wherein said means includes a layer of insulating material disposed between the first and second bus bars.

3. The bus bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the portions of the first and extend substantially in respective planes, the region of the first bus bar being disposed in the plane of the second bus bar.

4. The bus bar assembly of claim 3 wherein the second bus bar is provided with a recess for receiving the region of the first bus bar.

5. The bus bar assembly of claim 2 further comprising third and fourth bus bars having portions extending substantially in respective planes, the region of the third bus bar being disposed in the plane of the fourth bus bar.

6. The bus bar assembly of claim 3 further comprising a third bus bar having a portion extending substantially in a plane, the region of the third bus bar being disposed in the plane of the second bus bar.

7. The bus bar assembly of claim 6 wherein the second bus bar is disposed between the first and third bus bars.

8. The bus bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one interconnect hole in the region of each of the first and second bus bars includes a plurality of interconnect holes arranged in a pattern.

9. The bus bar assembly of claim 8 wherein the pattern of interconnect holes includes first and second rows of interconnect holes.

10. The bus bar assembly of claim 9 wherein the first and second rows each consist of five interconnect holes.

11. A bus bar assembly for use with first and second pin members comprising first and second bus bars of an electrically conductive material having respective first and second end portions, an insulator disposed between the first and second bus bars for electrically isolating the bus bars from each other, the first end portion of each of the first and second bus bars being provided with at least one interconnect socket extending through the bus bar adapted to cooperatively receive and electrically couple to the respective pin member, the second end portions of the first and second bus bars having at least first and second spaced-apart tabs aligned substantially in a plane extending perpendicular to the bus bars for permitting electrical connections with the bus.

12. The bus bar assembly of claim 11 wherein the second end portions of the first and second bus bars have third and fourth spaced-apart tabs aligned substantially in an additional plane extending perpendicular to the bus bars and spaced apart from the first-named plane.

13. The bus bar assembly of claim 11 wherein the second end portions extend at a right angle to the first end portions.

14. The bus bar assembly of claim 11 wherein the at least one interconnect hole includes first and second rows of interconnect holes, each of the first and second rows consisting of five interconnect holes.

15. A bus bar assembly for use with a pin contact comprising first and second conductive bus bars arranged in juxtaposition and separated by an insulating layer, the first bus bar having at least one embossed region provided with an interconnect socket extending through the region adapted for receiving and forming an electrical connection with the pin contact, the second bus bar having a portion provided with at least one opening for receiving the embossed region of the first bus bar so that such embossed region is substantially coplanar with the portion of the second bus bar.

16. The bus bar assembly of claim 15 further comprising a third conductive bus bar having at least one embossed region provided with an interconnect socket for receiving and forming an electrical connection with another pin contact, the portion of the second bus bar being provided with an additional opening for receiving the embossed region of the third bus bar.

17. The bus bar assembly of claim 15 wherein the embossed region includes a plurality of interconnect sockets for receiving a respective plurality of pin contacts.

18. The bus bar assembly of claim 17 wherein the plurality of interconnect sockets are arranged in a pattern of first and second rows with five interconnect sockets in each row.