DETACHABLE METER MOUNTING

• US 3,714,615 A
• Filed: 02/01/1971
• Issued: 01/30/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth R. Coley
• Original Assignee: Kenneth R. Coley
• Inventors: Coley, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US05/111,546
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 339/112,258,259,272UC
• US Class Current: 439/487
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/04 Housings; Supporting racks; Arrangements of terminals

Abstract

A meter mounting is provided with contact jaws which are mounted on a thermally-conductive terminal bracket. The contact jaws are electrically insulated from the terminal bracket by means of a sheet of insulation which has good thermally-conductive properties.

Claims

1. In an electric connector assembly for releasably receiving a contact blade, a contact unit having a pair of spaced electroconductive members each having portions substantially parallel to each other so as to define a contact jaw for receiving a contact blade, one of said members having a substantial first surface parallel with the portion thereof defining said contact jaw, a thermally-conductive support element for mounting said contact jaw and having a substantial second surface parallel and spaced immediately adjacent to said first surface, a thermally-conductive electric-insulation sheet positioned between said first and second surfaces, and an insulated fastener securing the one member, said support element and said sheet together so that said contact jaw is electrically insulated from the support element and heat is transmissible between the contact jaw and the support element.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet comprises a sheet of phenolic resin having a thickness which does not exceed one-sixteenth of an inch.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 with said fastener including a headed part of electric insulating material having a neck extending through the support element into engagement with the sheet, and means securing the fastener to at least the last-named member with the sheet secured between such member and the neck of the fastener.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said surfaces and sheet are of planar configuration, said support element having a foot extending in a plane substantially transverse to the plane of said planar surfaces.

5. A connector assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contact unit has a second pair of spaced electroconductive members defining a second contact jaw for receiving a contact blade, said second pair being similar to the first-named pair and being associated in a similar manner with the sheet.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said surfaces and sheet are of planar configuration in combination with an enclosure for the assembly having a circular opening extending transverse to the planar-surface electroconductive members exposing the contacts jaws for reception of the contact blades of a detachable watthour meter, said enclosure having a thermally-conductive wall coupled to said support element in thermally-conductive relationship.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 in combination with first and second headed fasteners of electric insulating material each having a neck extending through the support element into engagement with the planar sheet, and means securing each of the fasteners to a separate one of the members having the first surfaces with the planar sheet secured between each of such members and the neck of the associated fastener in compression.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the planar sheet comprises a sheet of phenolic resin which does not exceed one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness and wherein said planar sheet projects substantially beyond a substantial portion of the support element towards the jaw-entry edges of the members having the first surfaces.