Electrical terminal assembly with connection retainer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11069999-B2
Application number	US-201916722472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member that has a contact base. Contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction on opposite sides of a terminal plane. A connection portion extends from the contact base and includes a connection surface. A mount hole that extends through the connection portion and the connection surface. The electrical terminal assembly also includes a spring member supported on the contact member and including a spring base. Spring arms extend from the spring base on opposite sides of the terminal plane. The spring arms extend into engagement with the contact arms at respective spring contacts. A shroud is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms in the arm direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical terminal assembly comprising:
a contact member including a contact base, contact arms that extend from the contact base in an arm direction on opposite sides of a terminal plane, a connection portion that extends from the contact base, and a mount hole that extends through the connection portion;
a spring member supported on the contact member including a spring base, spring arms that extend from the spring base on opposite sides of the terminal plane into engagement with the contact arms at respective spring contacts, and a shroud that is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms in the arm direction, and
a retainer that extends part-way through the mount hole.

2. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mount hole includes a first portion and a second portion that has a different size than the first portion.

3. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the connection portion includes a connection surface that is adapted to be engaged by a busbar, and wherein the second portion of the mount hole is located closer to the connection surface than the first portion of the mount hole.

4. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the mount hole has a larger size than the first portion of the mount hole.

5. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 4 , wherein the connection portion includes a connection surface that is adapted to be engaged by a busbar, and wherein the second portion of the mount hole is located closer to the connection surface than the first portion of the mount hole.

6. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connection portion includes a connection surface that is adapted to be engaged by a busbar, and wherein the retainer extends part-way through the mount hole from a side of the connection portion that is opposite the connection surface.

7. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 6 , wherein the second portion of the mount hole has a larger size than the first portion of the mount hole.

8. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 7 , wherein the connection portion includes a connection surface that is adapted to be engaged by a busbar, and wherein the second portion is located closer to the connection surface than the first portion.

9. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 1 , wherein a screw extends through the mount hole and engages the retainer.

10. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retainer includes a shaft that extends part-way through the mount hole, and wherein a screw extends through the mount hole and engages the shaft of the retainer.

11. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 1 , further including a busbar that engages the connection portion.

12. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 11 , wherein a screw extends through the mount hole and engages the retainer to retain the busbar in engagement with the connection portion.

13. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 11 , wherein the retainer includes a shaft that extends part-way through the mount hole, and wherein a screw extends through the mount hole and engages the shaft of the retainer to retain the busbar in engagement with the connection portion.

14. An electrical terminal assembly comprising:
a contact member including a contact base, contact arms that extend from the contact base in an arm direction on opposite sides of a terminal plane, a connection portion that extends from the contact base and is made from first and second layers, and a mount hole that extends through the first and second layers of the connection portion, wherein a first portion of the mount hole extends through the first layer of the connection portion and defines a first size, and wherein a second portion of the mount hole extends through the second layer of the connection portion and defines a second size that is different from the first size; and
a spring member supported on the contact member including a spring base, spring arms that extend from the spring base on opposite sides of the terminal plane into engagement with the contact arms at respective spring contacts, and a shroud that is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms in the arm direction.

15. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 14 , wherein the second size is larger size than the first size.

16. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 15 , wherein the connection portion includes a connection surface that is adapted to be engaged by a busbar, and wherein the second portion of the mount hole is located closer to the connection surface than the first portion of the mount hole.

17. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 14 , further including a retainer that extends part-way through the mount hole.

18. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 17 , wherein the connection portion includes a connection surface that is adapted to be engaged by a busbar, and wherein the retainer extends part-way through the mount hole from a side of the connection portion that is opposite the connection surface.

19. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 14 , further including a busbar that engages the connection portion.

20. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 19 , wherein a screw extends through the mount hole and engages the retainer to retain the busbar in engagement with the connection portion.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Fisher Andrew
• Porter Michael James
• Menzies David
• Probert Deborah

Classifications

• H01R13/40 Primary

  Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members · CPC title

• H01R13/17

  with spring member on the pin · CPC title

• H01R13/629

  Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} · CPC title

• H01R13/112

  forked sockets having two legs · CPC title

• H01R4/34

  Conductive members located under head of screw · CPC title