Terminal block with ground strap, spring force terminals, and screw lug terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9419352-B2
Application number	US-201514715671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A terminal block assembly includes a housing, a housing retention member coupled to the housing, a plurality of screw lug terminal assemblies disposed within the housing and a plurality of push-in terminal assemblies disposed within the housing. A push-in terminal of the plurality of push-in terminal assemblies includes a strain relief member and a retention spring assembly. The retention spring assembly includes a finger member and a conductor member. The conductor member electrically couples the finger member to a corresponding screw-lug terminal assembly. A bottom portion of the strain relief member engages the conductor member of the retention spring assembly to retain the retention spring assembly within the housing. A ground strap is disposed within the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal block assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a housing retention member coupled to the housing;
a plurality of screw lug terminal assemblies disposed within the housing;
a plurality of push-in terminal assemblies disposed within the housing, wherein a push-in terminal of the plurality of push-in terminal assemblies comprises:
a strain relief member; and
a retention spring assembly comprising a finger member and a conductor member, the conductor member electrically coupling the finger member to a corresponding screw-lug terminal assembly;
a bottom portion of the strain relief member engaging the conductor member of the retention spring assembly to retain the retention spring assembly within the housing, the bottom portion of the strain relief member comprising a blade member, the blade member being narrower than an upper portion of the strain relief member and the finger member of the retention spring assembly engages a side portion of the blade member; and
a ground strap disposed within the housing and extending to the housing retention member, wherein the ground strap is electrically coupled to one screw lug terminal assembly of the plurality of screw lugterminal assemblies.

2. The terminal block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strain relief member includes a lead opening in an upper portion of the strain relief member, the lead opening configured to receive a conductive wire.

3. The terminal block assembly of claim 2 , comprising a lead tool opening in the upper portion of the strain relief member, the lead tool opening being adjacent to the lead opening, the lead tool opening configured to receive an end of a lead release tool.

4. The terminal block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the finger member comprises a first lead engaging portion and a second bent portion, the second bent portion extending at an angle relative to the first lead engaging portion towards a bottom portion of the housing.

5. The terminal block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the conductor member of the retention spring assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending through an opening in the finger member to engage a bottom of the strain relief member, the second portion extending away from the first portion to engage the corresponding screw lug terminal assembly.

6. The terminal block assembly of claim 5 , wherein the finger member presses against the first portion of the conductor member.

7. The terminal block assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ground strap comprises a first connection portion and a second connection portion, the first connection portion disposed within the housing and engaging the one of the screw lug terminal assemblies and the second connection portion disposed in the housing retention member and configured to engage a fastener inserted into an aperture of the housing retention member.

8. A terminal block assembly, comprising:
a housing;
one or more screw lug terminal assemblies disposed within the housing;
a push-in terminal assembly for each of the one or more screw lug terminal assemblies, each push-in terminal assembly disposed within the housing adjacent to a screw lug terminal assembly, the push-in terminal assembly electrically coupled to the screw lug terminal assembly, wherein the push-in terminal assembly comprises:
a strain relief member disposed in an upper portion of the housing, the strain relief member including one or more openings configured to receive a conductive lead;
a retention spring member disposed in a lower portion of the housing under the strain relief member, the retention spring member comprising a finger portion and an arm portion, the finger portion aligned below a corresponding opening of the one or more openings in the strain relief member, the arm portion electrically coupled to the finger portion and the screw lug terminal assembly, the finger portion of the retention spring member comprising an opening, a first end of the arm portion extending through the opening and engaging a bottom portion of the strain relief member, a second end of the arm portion electrically coupled to the screw lug terminal assembly.

9. The terminal block assembly of claim 8 , comprising a ground strap member disposed within a body portion of the housing, the ground strap member electrically coupled to one of the one or more screw lug terminal assemblies and a bracket that couples the housing to a fixture.

10. The terminal block assembly of claim 9 , wherein the ground strap is molded within the body portion of the housing.

11. The terminal block assembly of claim 8 , wherein the finger portion of the retention member is electrically coupled to the first of the arm portion.

12. The terminal block assembly of claim 8 , wherein a bottom portion of the strain relief engages the arm portion of the retention spring member to secure the retention spring member within the housing.

13. The terminal block assembly of claim 12 , the bottom portion of the strain relief member includes a channel portion, one end of the arm portion of the retention spring assembly engaging the channel portion to secure the retention spring assembly within the housing.

14. The terminal block assembly of claim 12 , the bottom portion of the strain relief member comprising a projecting member, a bottom of the projecting member engaging the arm portion of the retention spring member and a side of the projecting member engaging the finger member.

15. The terminal block assembly of claim 8 , wherein the finger portion comprise a first member and a second member, the second member being disposed at a downward angle relative to the first member.

16. The terminal block assembly of claim 15 , wherein the finger portion of the retention spring member engages a side portion of the strain relief member, and the downward angle of the second member defines an opening between the second member of the finger portion of the retention spring member and the strain relief member.

17. The terminal block assembly of claim 8 , wherein the finger member comprises a flexible conductive member.

Assignees

• Ge Lighting Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Hyder Lashannon S

Classifications

• H01R4/36

  Conductive members located under tip of screw · CPC title

• H01R4/4845

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R13/582

  the cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing · CPC title

• H01R9/2416 Primary

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

• H01R4/4827

  Electricity · mapped topic