Plug-in connector with a handle part

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11398688-B2
Application number	US-202016909385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A plug-in connector cooperating with a terminal block includes a body having a cooperation assembly mechanically securing the plug-in connector on the terminal block, the body having a compartment accommodating a fuse element, a pair of plug contacts received within the compartment, and a handle part having an actuating portion and a linking portion. The plug contacts are each connected to a terminal of the fuse element. Each of the plug contacts has a contact tongue extending outside of the compartment, the contact tongue electrically secured to a bus bar of the terminal block. The linking portion is attached to the body and extends along a linking axis parallel to an insertion axis of a pin of the cooperation assembly. The actuating portion has an actuating surface extending transversely to the insertion axis and cooperating with a marking element disposed along the actuating surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plug-in connector configured to cooperate with a terminal block, comprising:
a body having a cooperation assembly configured to mechanically secure the plug-in connector on the terminal block in a mounted position, the body having a compartment adapted for accommodating a fuse element;
a pair of plug contacts received within the compartment, the plug contacts each configured to be connected to a terminal of the fuse element, each of the plug contacts having a contact tongue extending outside of the compartment, the contact tongue included in the cooperation assembly and configured to be electrically secured to a bus bar of the terminal block in the mounted position; and
a handle part having an actuating portion and a linking portion, the linking portion attached to the body the actuating portion having an actuating surface extending transversely to the insertion axis and cooperating with a marking element disposed along the actuating surface, the actuating surface having a recess cooperating with a mounting feature of the marking element and the body having an additional recess cooperating with a mounting feature of an additional marking element.

2. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the compartment has an arrangement receiving a light indicator.

3. The plug-in connector of claim 2 , wherein the body has an opening for viewing the light indicator from outside of the plug-in connector, the opening disposed in a transversal wall of the body on which the linking portion is attached.

4. The plug-in connector of claim 3 , wherein the handle part is outside an area that is in front of the opening in a direction parallel to the insertion axis.

5. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the linking portion is breakable.

6. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the cooperation assembly is symmetrical relative to a reversing plane, a pair of reversed mounted positions of the plug-in connector in the terminal block are defined by rotating the plug-in connector 180° about the insertion axis.

7. The plug-in connector of claim 6 , wherein the body has a first portion and a second portion having a width different than the first portion, the width direction being transverse to the direction of extension of the actuating surface.

8. The plug-in connector of claim 7 , wherein a pair of plug-in connectors mounted on a pair of adjacent terminal blocks in reversed mounted positions with respect to each other have an overall width corresponding to a width of the adjacent terminal blocks.

9. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the recess is a pair of recesses each having a final transverse section opening outside the actuating portion, the final transverse sections of the pair of recesses open in opposite directions.

10. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the marking element installed in the recess and the additional marking element installed in the additional recess extend transversely relative to each other.

11. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the handle part has a reinforcing rib extending in a plane transverse to an extension plane of the actuating surface.

12. The plug-in connector of claim 1 , wherein the body has a grip member on an external wall of the body.

13. The plug-in connector of claim 12 , wherein the grip member is oriented in a different direction than an orientation direction of the actuating surface.

14. A plug-in connector configured to cooperate with a terminal block, comprising:
a body having a cooperation assembly configured to mechanically secure the plug-in connector on the terminal block in a mounted position, the body having a compartment adapted for accommodating a fuse element;
a pair of plug contacts received within the compartment, the plug contacts each configured to be connected to a terminal of the fuse element, each of the plug contacts having a contact tongue extending outside of the compartment, the contact tongue included in the cooperation assembly and configured to be electrically secured to a bus bar of the terminal block in the mounted position; and
a handle part having an actuating portion and a linking portion, the linking portion attached to the body, the actuating portion having an actuating surface extending transversely to the insertion axis and cooperating with a marking element disposed along the actuating surface, the actuating surface having a pair of recesses cooperating with mounting features of the marking element, the recesses each having a final transverse section opening outside the actuating portion, the final transverse sections of the pair of recesses opening in opposite directions.

15. The plug-in connector of claim 14 , wherein the body has an additional recess cooperating with a mounting feature of an additional marking element.

16. A plug-in connector configured to cooperate with a terminal block, comprising:
a fuse body having a cooperation assembly configured to mechanically secure the plug-in connector on the terminal block in a mounted position, the body having a first portion and a second portion having a width different than the first portion in a direction transverse to an insertion axis of the cooperation assembly, the cooperation assembly is symmetrical relative to a reversing plane;
a pair of plug contacts received within the compartment, the plug contacts each configured to be connected to a terminal of the fuse element, each of the plug contacts having a contact tongue extending outside of the compartment, the contact tongue included in the cooperation assembly and configured to be electrically secured to a bus bar of the terminal block in the mounted position; and
a handle part having an actuating portion and a linking portion, the linking portion attached to the body and extending along a linking axis parallel to the insertion axis of the cooperation assembly, the actuating portion having an actuating surface extending transversely to the insertion axis for receiving a marking element, the width of the body being defined transversely to the direction of extension of the actuating surface.

17. The plug-in connector of claim 16 , wherein a pair of reversed mounted positions of the plug-in connector in the terminal block are defined by rotating the plug-in connector 180° about the insertion axis.

18. The plug-in connector of claim 17 , wherein with a pair of plug-in connectors mounted on a pair of adjacent terminal blocks in the reversed mounted positions, the first and second portions of differing widths correspond in orientation such that the pair of plug-in connectors have an overall width corresponding to a total width of one of the first portions and one of the second portions of one of the bodies.

19. The plug-in connector of claim 18 , wherein the fuse element is arranged in the second portion of the body.

20. The plug-in connector of claim 16 , wherein the linking portion and the actuating portion are arranged completely over the body in the direction of the insertion axis.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics France Sas

Inventors

• Imperato Andre
• Villardier Yannick
• Lacoste Damien

Classifications

• H01H85/32

  Indicating lamp structurally associated with the protective device · CPC title

• H01R9/2675

  Electrical interconnections between two blocks, e.g. by means of busbars · CPC title

• H01R13/50

  formed as an integral body (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R9/2683 Primary

  Marking plates or tabs · CPC title

• H01H85/54

  Protective devices wherein the fuse is carried, held, or retained by an intermediate or auxiliary part removable from the base, or used as sectionalisers · CPC title