Electrical connector with an improved terminal block
First Claim
1. An electrical connector for electrical connection to an electronic device comprising:
- a terminal block assembly comprising;
a connector base having first conductive members associated with a shaped body portion of the connector base, the body portion extending outwardly from a connector base substrate and having a profile defined by a height and width thereof;
a printed circuit board that includes a plurality of conductive paths formed thereon and is coupled to the connector base such that the first conductive members contact the plurality of conductive paths;
one or more terminal blocks each formed of a housing that includes first openings for receiving second conductive members and a plurality of contacts disposed therein, the contacts contacting the plurality of conductive paths; and
a plurality of contact fasteners that can be tightened so as to apply a force against the second conductive members so that they are brought into contact with and releasably fixed to respective contacts resulting in the first and second conductive members being electrically connected via the plurality of conductive paths, wherein a profile, defined by a height and a width thereof, of each of the printed circuit board and the one or more terminal blocks is less than the profile of the connector body portion; and
a connector housing for receiving and containing the terminal block assembly in such away that at least the one or more terminal blocks and the printed circuit board are contained within an interior of the housing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical connector for electrical connection to an electronic device includes: (1) a terminal block assembly formed of: (a) a connector base having first conductive members associated therewith; (b) a printed circuit board that includes a plurality of conductive paths formed thereon and is coupled to the connector base such that the first conductive members contact the plurality of conductive paths; and (c) one or more terminal blocks each formed of a housing that includes first openings for receiving second conductive members and a plurality of contacts disposed therein along with a plurality of contact fasteners that can be tightened so as to apply a force against the second conductive members so that they are brought into contact with and releasably fixed to respective contacts resulting in the first and second conductive members being electrically connected via the plurality of conductive paths; and (2) a connector housing for receiving and containing the terminal block assembly.
48 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An electrical connector for electrical connection to an electronic device comprising:
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a terminal block assembly comprising; a connector base having first conductive members associated with a shaped body portion of the connector base, the body portion extending outwardly from a connector base substrate and having a profile defined by a height and width thereof; a printed circuit board that includes a plurality of conductive paths formed thereon and is coupled to the connector base such that the first conductive members contact the plurality of conductive paths; one or more terminal blocks each formed of a housing that includes first openings for receiving second conductive members and a plurality of contacts disposed therein, the contacts contacting the plurality of conductive paths; and a plurality of contact fasteners that can be tightened so as to apply a force against the second conductive members so that they are brought into contact with and releasably fixed to respective contacts resulting in the first and second conductive members being electrically connected via the plurality of conductive paths, wherein a profile, defined by a height and a width thereof, of each of the printed circuit board and the one or more terminal blocks is less than the profile of the connector body portion; and a connector housing for receiving and containing the terminal block assembly in such away that at least the one or more terminal blocks and the printed circuit board are contained within an interior of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A terminal block assembly for use in an electrical connector comprising:
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a base portion having first conductive members associated therewith and extending outwardly therefrom; a printed circuit board that includes a plurality of conductive paths formed thereon and is coupled to the base portion such that the first conductive members contact the plurality of conductive paths; one or more terminal blocks each including a housing that includes first openings for receiving second conductive members and a plurality of contacts fixedly disposed therein, the contacts contacting the plurality of conductive paths; a plurality of contact fasteners received within second openings formed in the terminal block housing such that they can be tightened to apply a force against the second conductive members for bringing them into contact with and releasably fixing the second conductive members to respective contacts resulting in the first and second conductive members being electrically connected via the plurality of conductive paths; and wherein the printed circuit board is vertically orientated relative to the connector base and the one or more terminal blocks and at least distal ends of the second conductive members are axially aligned with the first conductive members, along at least a substantial length thereof. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A vertical PC mount connector for electrical connection to an electronic device comprising:
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a terminal block assembly comprising; a connector base having first conductive members associated with a shaped body portion of the connector base, the body portion extending outwardly from a connector base substrate; a printed circuit board that includes a plurality of conductive paths formed thereon and is coupled to the connector base such that the first conductive members contact the plurality of conductive paths by being disposed in first through holes formed therein; one or more terminal blocks each formed of a housing that includes first openings for receiving second conductive members and a plurality of contacts disposed therein, the contacts contacting the plurality of conductive paths by disposing first end sections of the contacts in second through holes formed therein; a plurality of contact fasteners that can be tightened so as to apply a force against the second conductive members so that they are brought into contact with and releasably fixed to respective contacts resulting in the first and second conductive members being electrically connected via the plurality of conductive paths; a connector housing for receiving and containing the terminal block assembly in such away that at least the one or more terminal blocks and the printed circuit board are contained within an interior of the housing; and wherein the printed circuit board is vertically mounted relative to the connector base and the one or more terminal blocks and is of a back-to-back through hole construction since the connector base is mounted on one face of the printed circuit board and the one or more terminal blocks are mounted on the other face of the printed circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of electrically connecting a first electronic component to a second electronic component comprising the steps of:
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providing a terminal block assembly including;
(a) a base portion having first conductive members associated therewith and extending outwardly therefrom;
(b) one or more terminal blocks each including a housing that includes first openings for receiving second conductive members and a plurality of contacts fixedly disposed therein; and
(c) a plurality of contact fasteners received within second openings formed in the terminal block housing;inserting distal ends of the second conductive members within respective first openings such that ends of the second conductive members are disposed adjacent the contacts and such that the distal ends of the second conductive members are axially aligned with the first conductor members, at least along a substantial length thereof; and tightening the contact fasteners to apply a force against the second conductive members for bringing them into contact with and releasably fixing them to respective contacts resulting in the first and second conductive members being electrically connected via conductive paths formed on a printed circuit board that is disposed between the base portion and the one or more terminal blocks in a vertical orientation, the printed circuit board being of a vertical back-to-back through hole design such that the first and second conductive members are received within first and second through holes, respectively.
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Specification