Connector bridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10374338-B2
Application number	US-201715852066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A connector bridge for a packaged circuit element is provided. The connector bridge includes a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis. It includes a first plurality of terminal receivers at a first location and a second plurality of terminal receivers at a second location. The pluralities of terminal receivers are arranged closer to a side of the connector bridge body than to the mounting axis to receive and electrically connect with terminals of the packaged circuit element in the first wiring orientation. The connector bridge includes a wiring connector at a third location. The wiring connector extends radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the packaged circuit element. The first, second and third locations are at different locations. The wiring connector is electrically connected with the at least first and the second terminal receivers and defines a second wiring orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector bridge for a packaged circuit element for electrical connection to wires of a device, the packaged circuit element having a front and back face and a plurality of sides extending between the faces, the packaged circuit element defining a central axis extending between the faces and having a first plurality of terminals at a first packaged circuit element location and a second plurality of terminals at a second packaged circuit element location, the first and second locations being closer to a side of the packaged circuit element than to the central axis, the first and second pluralities of terminals defining a first wiring orientation, the connector bridge comprising:
a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis;
a first plurality of terminal receivers at a first connector bridge body location and a second plurality of terminal receivers at a second connector bridge body location, the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers arranged on the connector bridge body closer to sides of the connector bridge body than to the mounting axis to electrically connect with the first and second pluralities of terminals in the first wiring orientation when the packaged circuit element is received along the mounting axis;
a wiring connector at a third location on the connector bridge body, the wiring connector extending radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the packaged circuit element; and
the first, second and third locations being different locations on the connector bridge body; the wiring connector electrically connected with each of the first and the second pluralities of terminal receivers and configured to provide a second wiring orientation.

2. The wiring connector of claim 1 , wherein the second wiring orientation is different than the first wiring orientation.

3. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the second wiring orientation is the same as the first wiring orientation to allow wires to exit the wiring connector parallel to the mounting axis and central axis.

4. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the second wiring orientation is transverse to the first wiring orientation and transverse to the central axis and mounting axis to allow wires to exit from the wiring connector transverse to the mounting axis and central axis.

5. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the wiring connector is a RAST 5 connector.

6. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the wiring connector is a 2×3 connector.

7. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers comprise between 2 and 10 terminal receivers.

8. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the connector bridge body comprises a plurality of conductive metal blades defining electrical connections between each one of the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers and the wiring connector, the conductive metal blades over-molded with an insulating material to form the connector body.

9. The connector bridge of claim 8 , wherein the connector bridge body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers are arranged on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces to receive the terminals of the packaged circuit element.

10. The connector bridge of claim 9 , wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers are mounting bosses extending towards the packaged circuit element when mounted thereto.

11. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the connector bridge body defines a cut out arranged to vent heat produced from the packaged circuit element when the connector bridge body is mounted to the packaged circuit element.

12. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the wiring connector is arranged to provide keying to prevent miswiring.

13. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the wiring connector provides a sole connection location for electrically connecting to the wires of the device.

14. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the packaged circuit element is an infinite switch.

15. The connector bridge of claim 1 , wherein the connector bridge body comprises a third plurality of terminal receivers at a third connector bridge body location to cooperate and electrically connect with a third plurality of terminals at a third location on the packaged circuit element.

16. A connector bridge for a packaged circuit element for electrical connection to wires of a device, the packaged circuit element having a front and back face and a plurality of sides extending between the faces, the packaged circuit element defining a central axis extending between the faces and having a first plurality of terminals at a first packaged circuit element location and a second plurality of terminals at a second packaged circuit element location, the first and second locations being closer to a side of the packaged circuit element than to the central axis, the first and second pluralities of terminals defining a first wiring orientation, the connector bridge comprising:
a connector bridge body defining a mounting axis;
a first plurality of terminal receivers at a first connector bridge body location and a second plurality of terminal receivers at a second connector bridge body location, the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers arranged on the connector bridge body closer to sides of the connector bridge body than to the mounting axis to electrically connect with the first and second pluralities of terminals in the first wiring orientation when the packaged circuit element is received along the mounting axis;
a wiring connector at a third location on the connector bridge body, the wiring connector extending radially outwards of an outermost perimeter defined by radially outermost sides of the packaged circuit element; and
the first, second and third locations being different locations on the connector bridge body; the wiring connector electrically connected with each of the first and the second pluralities of terminal receivers and configured to provide a second wiring orientation;
wherein the connector bridge body comprises a plurality of conductive metal blades defining electrical connections between each one of the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers and the wiring connector, the conductive metal blade over-moulded with an insulating material to form the connector body;
wherein the connector bridge body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and wherein the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers are arranged on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces to receive the terminals of the packaged circuit element; and
wherein the connector bridge body defines a central aperture arranged to vent heat produced by the packaged circuit element when mounted thereto, the first and second pluralities of terminal receivers and the wiring connector distributed around the central aperture.

17. The connector bridge of claim 16 , wherein the connector bridge body comprises a plurality of sides extending between the top and bottom surfaces and wherein an outermost perimeter around the four sides is greater than an outermost perimeter around the plurality of sides of the packaged circuit element.

18. The connector bridge of claim 16 , wherein the mounting bosses are arranged to provide a gap between the connector bridge body and the packaged circuit element to vent the packaged circuit element when mounted to the connector bridge body.

19. A connector bridge for

Assignees

• Hawken Philip C
• Pearson James E
• Robertshaw Controls Co

Inventors

• Hawken Philip C
• Pearson James E

Classifications

• H01H1/5805

  Connections to printed circuits (for slide switches H01H15/005; for tumbler switches H01H23/006) · CPC title

• F24C15/104

  Arrangements of connectors, grounding, supply wires · CPC title

• H01R31/06

  Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94) · CPC title

• H01R9/2475

  Means facilitating correct wiring, e.g. marking plates, identification tags · CPC title

• H01R9/2491 Primary

  Terminal blocks structurally associated with plugs or sockets · CPC title