Poke-in electrical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9276334-B1
Application number	US-201414568205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a terminal block having a pocket, a poke-in chamber in the pocket configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, and a plug channel in the pocket configured to receive a plug contact during a plug mating termination. An electrical contact is received in the pocket having a base held in the pocket and a wire trap beam extending from the base into the poke-in chamber. The wire trap beam is configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the poke-in chamber. A plug interface is arranged in the plug channel. The plug interface has a slot defined by a first arm and a second arm. The first and second arms are configured to engage in physical contact with the plug contact when plugged into the plug channel. The base, wire trap beam and plug interface are a one-piece unitary structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a terminal block having a pocket, the terminal block having a poke-in chamber in the pocket configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, the terminal block having a plug channel in the pocket configured to receive a plug contact during a plug mating termination; and
an electrical contact received in the pocket, the electrical contact having a base held in the pocket, the electrical contact having a wire trap beam extending from the base into the poke-in chamber, the wire trap beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the poke-in chamber, the electrical contact having a plug interface arranged in the plug channel, the plug interface having a slot defined by a first arm and a second arm, the first and second arms configured to engage in physical contact with the plug contact when plugged into the plug channel;
wherein the base, wire trap beam and plug interface are a one-piece unitary structure.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact is configured to be coupled to only one of the electrical wire at the wire trap beam or the plug contact at the plug interface at a time.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact is configured to be coupled to both the electrical wire at the wire trap beam and the plug contact at the plug interface at the same time.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact includes a stamped and formed body including the base, the wire trap beam, and the plug interface defining the one piece unitary structure.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the poke-in chamber is configured to receive a portion of a plug connector, which includes the plug contact, when the plug contact is plugged into the plug chamber.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a second wire trap beam extending from the base, the terminal block including a second poke-in chamber in the pocket configured to receive a different electrical wire during a poke-in termination.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the pocket is open at a side of the terminal block, the electrical contact being loaded into the pocket through the side.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminal block includes a boss extending from a side of the terminal block, the boss being configured to be loaded into a corresponding pocket of a terminal block of an adjacent electrical connector.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminal block includes an alignment rib extending into the pocket, the base of the electrical contact includes an alignment slot receiving the alignment rib to orient the electrical contact in the pocket.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact has a pin extending from the base, the pin being configured to be terminated directly to a circuit board to electrically connect to the circuit board.

11. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a pinch wall defining a portion of the poke-in chamber, the wire trap beam configured to pinch the electrical wire against the pinch wall.

12. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the plug interface is provided on the wire trap beam.

13. The electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the wire trap beam includes the first and second arms defining the slot.

14. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the wire trap beam includes a first section extending forward from the base in a first direction and a second section angled transverse to the first section with a folded corner therebetween, the plug interface being provided at the folded corner.

15. The electrical connector of claim 14 , wherein a first portion of the slot extends along the first section of the wire trap beam, a second portion of the slot extends along the second section of the wire trap beam, and a third portion of the slot extends along the folded corner between the first and second sections of the slot.

16. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminal block includes a bottom, a top, a front, a rear and opposite sides, the poke-in chamber being opened to at least one of the top, the front, or the rear, the plug channel being open to at least one of the top, the front, or the rear.

17. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein the poke-in chamber and the plug channel are open to different ones of the top, the front, and the rear.

18. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminal block includes a top and a front, the poke-in chamber being open to the front, the plug channel being open to at least one of the top and the front.

19. The electrical connector of claim 18 , further comprising a second poke-in chamber being open to the top, the electrical contact comprising a second wire trap beam extending from the base into the second poke-in chamber.

20. The electrical connector of claim 19 , wherein the first poke-in chamber is configured to receive the corresponding electrical wire in a first direction and the second poke-in chamber is configured to receive the corresponding electrical wire in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

21. An electrical connector comprising:
a terminal block having bottom, a top, a front, a rear and opposed sides, the bottom configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the terminal block having a pocket, the terminal block having a poke-in chamber in the pocket configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, the poke-in chamber being open to at least one of the top, the front and the rear, the terminal block having a plug channel in the pocket configured to receive a plug contact during a plug mating termination, the plug channel being open to at least one of the top, the front and the rear, the terminal block having a pin opening through the bottom; and
an electrical contact received in the pocket, the electrical contact having a base held in the pocket, the electrical contact having a wire trap beam extending from the base into the poke-in chamber, the wire trap beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the poke-in chamber, the electrical contact having a plug interface arranged in the plug channel, the plug interface configured to engage in physical contact with the plug contact when plugged into the plug channel, the electrical contact having a pin extending from the base through the pin opening, the pin configured to be terminated to the circuit board;
wherein the base, wire trap beam, plug interface and pin are a one-piece unitary structure.

22. A lighting system comprising:
a circuit board having a first mounting pad and a second mounting pad; and
electrical connectors mounted to the first and second mounting pads of the circuit board, each electrical connector comprising:
a terminal block having a bottom mounted to the circuit board at a corresponding mounting pad location, the terminal block having a pin opening through the bottom, the terminal block having a pocket, the terminal block having a poke-in chamber in the pocket configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, the terminal block having a plug channel in the pocket configured to receive a plug contact during a plug mating termination; and
an electrical contact received in the pocket, the electrical contact having a base held in the pocket, the electri

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Daily Christopher George
• Mostoller Matthew Edward

Classifications

• H01R9/2416 Primary

  Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks · CPC title

• H01R9/2491

  Terminal blocks structurally associated with plugs or sockets · CPC title

• H01R4/4842

  the spring housing being provided with a single opening for insertion of a spring-activating tool · CPC title

• H01R4/4848

  Busbar integrally formed with the spring · CPC title

• H01R4/4821

  Single-blade spring · CPC title