Terminal connector with improved actuation structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9444155-B2
Application number	US-201514726213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 10, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A terminal connector includes a housing, at least one conductor-retaining terminal each including an insertion passage for receiving the conductor of one respective electrical wire inserted into the housing and two springy suspension arms bilaterally disposed near a rear side and respectively curving toward the inside of the insertion passage for clamping the conductor, and at least one slide block each including a sliding cover panel coupled to the housing two beveled pushing surfaces located at a bottom side of the sliding cover panel and movable with the sliding cover panel between a first position where the pushing surfaces are kept away from the springy suspension arms for allowing the springy suspension arms to clamp on the conductor and a second position where the pushing surfaces are engaged into the gap between the springy suspension arms to release the conductor from the constraint of the springy suspension arms.

First claim

What the invention claimed is:

1. A terminal connector, comprising:
a housing comprising at least one front opening located in a front side thereof, at least one horizontal sliding chamber located in a top wall of an opposing rear side thereof, and an accommodation chamber defined therein in communication between said at least one front opening and said at least one horizontal sliding chamber;
at least one conductor-retaining terminal mounted in said accommodation chamber of said housing, each said conductor-retaining terminal comprising a base portion, an insertion passage defined at a top side of said base portion and aimed at one said front opening of said housing, a bonding portion extended from opposing front and rear sides of said base portion, two side panels respectively upwardly extended from two opposite lateral sides of said base portion adjacent to said front bonding portion, and a springy suspension arm backwardly inwardly extended from a rear side of each side panel; and
at least one slide block respectively mounted in said at least one horizontal sliding chamber of said housing, each said slide block comprising a sliding cover panel and a push block located at a middle part of a bottom wall of said sliding cover panel, said push block defining two beveled pushing surfaces at a front side thereof, each said slide block being slidable relative to said housing between a first position where said two beveled pushing surfaces of each said slide block are kept away from the gap in between said two springy suspension arms of the respective said conductor-retaining terminal, and said springy suspension arms of each said conductor-retaining terminal are clamped on a conductor of a respective electrical wire, and a second position where said beveled pushing surfaces of each said slide block are inserted into the gap in between the two said springy suspension arm, the two said springy suspension arms are respectively and outwardly elastically deformed to release the conductor of the respective clamped electrical wire from the constraint of the respective said springy suspension arms for allowing removal of the conductor of the respective clamped electrical wire out of the respective said front opening of said housing.

2. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said conductor-retaining terminal further comprises a shrapnel and clamping portion respectively backwardly extended from each said springy suspension arm at different elevations and respectively inwardly curved toward said insertion passage of the respective said conductor-retaining terminal, said shrapnel being elastically deformable by said beveled pushing surfaces of the respective said slide block, said clamping portions being adapted for clamping on the conductor of one respective said electrical wire.

3. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said housing further comprises two horizontal sliding grooves bilaterally located in each said horizontal sliding chamber; said sliding cover panel of each slide block is slidably coupled to said two horizontal sliding grooves in one respective said horizontal sliding chamber.

4. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said housing further comprises at least one elongated position-limit slots located in a top side thereof and disposed at a front side relative to said horizontal sliding chambers; each said slide block further comprises a locating block located at a top front side of the sliding cover panel thereof and positioned in one respective said elongated position-limit slot of said housing.

5. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said sliding cover panel of each said slide block comprises a relatively narrower front half and a relatively wider rear half, and two stop edges bilaterally defined between said relatively narrower front half and said relatively wider rear half.

6. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said push block of each said slide block comprises two planar surfaces respectively located at two opposite lateral sides thereof and respectively backwardly extended from said beveled pushing surface, and a positioning groove located in each said planar surface.

7. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said housing further comprises two locating grooves located in a bottom side thereof in a parallel manner and respectively extended through the opposing front and rear sides thereof; each said conductor-retaining terminal comprises said bonding portion respectively extended from opposing front and rear ends thereof and positioned in one of said locating grooves of said housing.

8. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said conductor-retaining terminal comprises a securing portion protruded from an opposing front side of each side panel.

9. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said conductor-retaining terminal further comprises a top panel perpendicularly extended from a top side of one side panel thereof and supported on a top side of the other side panel thereof.

10. The terminal connector as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each said conductor-retaining terminal further comprises a pressing plate obliquely downwardly extended from a rear side of the top panel.

Assignees

• Tarng Yu Enterprise Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Tsung-Chi
• Huang Mu-Jung

Classifications

• H01R4/4845

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R4/48 Primary

  utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member (H01R4/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/5083

  using a wedge · CPC title

• H01R12/515

  Terminal blocks providing connections to wires or cables · CPC title

• H01R4/4833

  Sliding arrangements, e.g. sliding button · CPC title