Ground terminal for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10182495-B2
Application number	US-201615392602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2015
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ground terminal for an electronic device. The ground terminal comprises a ground cable connecting device, an electrical switch, an electrical conductor connecting the ground cable connecting device to the electrical switch. The ground terminal and its ground cable connecting device is configured so that the electrical switch is brought in to a first mode in response to an electrical wire being connected to the ground cable connecting device, the first mode being a mode in which the switch establish electrical conduction between an electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device. Moreover, the ground terminal and its ground cable connecting device is configured so that the electrical switch is in a second mode when no electrical wire is connected to the ground cable connecting device, the second mode being a mode in which the switch is electrically isolating the electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device from each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Ground terminal for an electronic device comprising: a ground cable connecting device, an electrical switch, and an electrical conductor to connect the ground cable connecting device to the electrical switch, wherein the ground terminal and the ground cable connecting device are configured so that the electrical switch is brought into a first mode in response to an electrical wire or an electrical wire connector being connected to the ground cable connecting device, the first mode being a mode in which the switch establishes electrical conduction between an electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device, wherein the ground terminal and the ground cable connecting device are configured so that the electrical switch is in a second mode when no electrical wire or electrical wire connector is connected to the ground cable connecting device, the second mode being a mode in which the switch electrically isolates the electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device from each other, wherein the ground cable connecting device includes a connecting surface, wherein the ground cable connecting device is configured to make the connecting surface exert a clamping force on the electrical wire or the electrical wire connector, wherein the ground cable connecting device is mechanically connected to the electrical switch, and wherein the mechanical connection is configured to bring the electrical switch into the first mode when a movement of the mechanical connection is stopped by the electrical wire or the electrical wire connector pressing against the connecting surface.

2. Ground terminal according to claim 1 , further including a rod which at one end has an increased width forming the ground cable connecting device.

3. Electrical device including a ground terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical device includes a housing which is electrically conducting and wherein the ground cable connecting device is electrically connected to the housing.

4. Electrical device including a ground terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical device includes a housing and wherein the ground terminal is arranged through an opening in a housing of the electrical device and wherein the connecting means is configured to seal the opening independent of whether the ground terminal is connected to the ground cable.

5. Electrical device including a ground terminal according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical device includes a housing, wherein the housing includes a slot for reception of the increased width of the ground cable connection device.

6. Electrical device including a ground terminal according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical device includes a housing, and wherein threads are formed on a first portion of the rod and on a second portion of the rod, the housing includes an opening for reception of the rod of the ground terminal and a thread configured to engage with the threads of the second portion of the rod, the first portion of the rod is situated at a distal end of the rod in relation to the ground cable connecting device, and the electrical switch includes an opening for reception of the rod of the ground terminal, the opening includes a thread configured to engage with the threads of the first portion of the rod.

7. Electrical device according to claim 6 , wherein the electrical circuit of the electronic device includes a printed circuit board, PCB, the PCB includes a ground connection area being a conducting area of the PCB, which area is connected to circuits of the PCB that are to be connected to ground, the electrical switch includes a contact surface configured to interact with the ground connection area of the PCB for electrical connection between the ground connecting area and the ground cable connecting device when the switch is brought into the first mode.

8. Electrical device according to claim 6 , wherein the switch is configured to be brought into the first mode by interaction between the threads of the electrical switch and the threads of the first portion of the rod.

9. Electrical device according to claim 6 , wherein the threads of the first portion of the rod are formed at a distance from the treads of the second portion of the rod in the axial direction of the rod so that the threads of the second portion do not engage with the threads of the opening in the housing until the threads of the first portion of the rod have passed through the opening of the electrical switch and are positioned on a side of the electrical switch not facing the ground cable connection device.

10. Electrical device according to claim 6 , wherein the threads of the second portion are arranged at a position along an axis of the rod so that the threads of the second portion are hindered from interacting with the threads of the opening in the housing when a ground cable is connected to the ground cable connecting device.

11. Electrical device according to claim 7 , wherein the threads of the first portion are arranged at a distance from the ground cable connecting device that enables the threads of the first portion to interact with the threads of the opening in the electrical switch and to through the interaction make the contact surface of the electrical switch move into electrical contact with the ground connection area of the PCB.

12. Electrical device according to claim 7 , further including a force exerting device configured to exert a force on the switch that drives the contact surface of the switch in a direction away from the ground connection area of the PCB.

13. Electrical device according to claim 12 , wherein the force exerting device is a compression spring, a tension spring, or a torsion spring.

14. Ground terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the ground cable connecting device includes a second portion of further increased width arranged closer to an end of the ground terminal.

15. The ground terminal for the electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is a mode in which electrical conduction exists between the ground cable connection device and the switch through the electrical conductor.

16. A device comprising: a housing to enclose circuits of the device; a ground wire connecting surface configured to exert a clamping force on a ground wire or ground wire connector and electrically connect to the ground wire or ground wire connector, wherein the ground wire connecting surface is accessible from outside the housing; a switch; a conductor to electrically connect the ground wire connecting surface to the switch, wherein, in a first mode. the switch is configured to electrically connect the conductor and the ground wire connecting surface to the circuits of the device when the g round wire or ground wire connector is connected to the ground wire connecting surface, wherein, in a second mode, the switch is configured to isolate the conductor and the ground wire connecting surface from the circuits of the device when the ground wire or ground wire connector is not connected to the ground wire connecting surface wherein the device is configured to make the ground wire connecting surface exert a clamping force on the ground wire or ground wire connector: wherein the connecting surface is mechanically connected to the switch, and wherein the mechanical connection is configured to bring the switch into the first mode when a movement of the mechanical connection is stopped by the ground wire or the ground wire connector pressing against the connecting surface.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein t

Assignees

• Axis Ab

Inventors

• Svensson Sven
• Birch Magnus

Classifications

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title

• H05K1/0215 Primary

  Grounding of printed circuits by connection to external grounding means · CPC title

• H01R4/64

  Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail · CPC title

• H01R4/34

  Conductive members located under head of screw · CPC title

• H01R13/648 Primary

  Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices {, e.g. anti-static shielding}   (coaxially arranged shields H01R24/38) · CPC title