Clamping cage for an edge connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9905943-B2
Application number	US-201414915881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A connector module for connecting the bare end of an insulated electrical conductor with an electrical device, including a hollow generally-rectangular terminal cage body formed from a bent conductive first metal sheet to form at least one vertical generally rectangular side wall and a pair of end walls, one of the cage walls having a horizontal lower surface defining a first cage sealing surface, and a vertical interior wall surface defining a second cage sealing surface; a horizontal bus bar formed from a conductive second metal sheet and having a relatively broad horizontal top surface defining a horizontal first bus bar sealing surface, and a relatively narrow side surface defining a vertical second bus bar sealing surface; and a securing seam for securing one of the bus bar first and second sealing surfaces with the corresponding one of the cage first and second sealing surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector module for connecting a bare end of an insulated electrical conductor with an electrical device, comprising:
(a) a hollow generally-rectangular terminal cage body formed from a bent conductive first metal sheet, said cage body having a longitudinal conductor entry axis and including:
(1) at least one vertical generally rectangular side wall; and
(2) a pair of parallel spaced generally-rectangular longitudinally-extending end walls connected with said side wall, one of said cage walls having:
(a) a horizontal lower surface defining a bottom surface of said cage body;
(b) a vertical interior wall surface; and

(b) a horizontal bus bar formed from a conductive second metal sheet having a rectangular cross section, including:
(1) a relatively broad horizontal top surface defining a horizontal bus bar surface, and
(2) a relatively narrow side surface, said bus bar being connected with said terminal cage body by securing said horizontal bus bar surface with said cage body bottom surface.

2. A connector module as defined in claim 1 , wherein said cage end walls are orthogonally arranged relative to said cage side wall.

3. A connector module as defined in claim 2 , wherein said cage body includes four walls and has a generally square transverse cross-sectional configuration.

4. A connector module as defined in claim 2 , wherein said cage body includes three walls and has a generally U-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration.

5. A connector module as defined in claim 1 , wherein said bus bar is connected with said terminal cage body by a linear welded seam.

6. A connector module as defined in claim 1 , wherein said conductor entry axis is vertical.

7. A connector module as defined in claim 6 , wherein said at least one side wall of said cage body includes a downwardly extending tongue portion having a horizontal bottom edge defining said cage body bottom surface.

8. A connector module as defined in claim 1 , wherein said conductor entry axis is horizontal.

9. A connector module for connecting a bare end of an insulated electrical conductor with an electrical device, comprising:
(a) a hollow generally-rectangular terminal cage body formed from a bent conductive metal sheet, including:
(1) at least one vertical relatively-wide generally rectangular side wall; and
(2) a pair of parallel spaced vertical relatively-narrow generally-rectangular end walls orthogonally connected with said side wall, said side wall having a horizontal lower edge, and a coplanar tongue portion extending downwardly from said side wall lower edge, said tongue portion having:
(a) a horizontal tongue portion lower edge defining a horizontal first cage surface; and
(b) a vertical interior wall surface defining a vertical second cage surface; and

(b) a horizontal bus bar formed from a conductive metal sheet and having a rectangular cross section including:
(1) a relatively broad horizontal top surface defining a first bus bar surface, and
(2) a relatively narrow vertical side surface defining a second bus bar surface, said bus bar being connected with said terminal edge body by securing one of said first and second bus bar surfaces with the corresponding one of said first and second cage surfaces.

10. A connector module as defined in claim 9 , and further comprising:
(d) a resilient generally inverted V-shaped spring contact mounted between said cage end walls, said spring contact having a stationary first leg adapted to react with an inner surface of a first cage end wall, and a second leg biased away from said first leg to displace the conductor bare end toward electrical engagement with an inner surface of the other can end wall.

11. A connector module as defined in claim 10 , and further comprising a spring release member operable to displace said second spring leg toward said first spring leg, thereby to permit insertion and removal of the conductor relative to said cage body.

12. A connector module as defined in claim 10 , and further comprising:
(e) a housing formed of insulating material and containing:
(1) a chamber in which said cage body is mounted; and
(2) an inlet opening for introducing the conductor bare end into said housing chamber.

13. A connector module as defined in claim 10 , wherein a plurality of said modules are secured in spaced relation on said bus bar.

14. A connector module as defined in claim 13 , wherein the spacing distance between some of said modules is less than the width of one of said cage body end walls.

15. The method for forming a connector module, comprising the steps of:
(a) bending a first conductive metal sheet to define a cage body having a longitudinal entry axis and including:
(1) at least one vertical generally rectangular side wall; and
(2) a pair of parallel spaced generally-rectangular longitudinally-extending end walls connected with said side wall, one of said cage walls having:
(a) a horizontal lower surface defining a horizontal first cage surface at a bottom of said cage body; and
(b) a vertical interior wall surface defining a vertical second cage surface;

(b) forming a horizontal bus bar from a second conductive metal sheet having a rectangular cross section, including:
(1) a relatively broad horizontal top surface defining a horizontal first bus bar surface, and
(2) a relatively narrow side surface defining a vertical second bus bar surface; and

(c) connecting said bus bar with said cage body by securing one of said bus bar first and second surfaces with the corresponding one of said cage first and second surfaces, respectively.

16. The method for forming a connector module as defined in claim 15 , and further comprising the step of:
(d) mounting a resilient generally inverted V-shaped spring contact between said cage end walls, said spring contact having a stationary first leg adapted to react with an inner surface of a first end wall, and a second leg biased away from said first leg to displace the conductor bare end toward electrical engagement with an inner surface of the other cage end wall.

17. The method for forming a connector module as defined in claim 16 , and further comprising the step of:
(e) mounting the cage body in a chamber contained in a housing formed of insulating material.

18. The method for forming a connector module as defined in claim 15 , wherein said connecting step comprises welding one of said bus bar first and second surfaces with the corresponding one of said cage first and second surfaces, respectively, along a linear seam.

19. A connector module for connecting a bare end of an insulated electrical conductor with an electrical device, comprising:
(a) a hollow generally-rectangular terminal cage body formed from a bent conductive first metal sheet, said cage body having a longitudinal conductor entry axis and including:
(1) at least one vertical generally rectangular side wall; and
(2) a pair of parallel spaced generally-rectangular longitudinally-extending end walls connected with said side wall, one of said cage walls having:
(a) a horizontal lower surface defining a bottom surface of said cage body;
(b) a vertical interior wall surface defining a vertical cage surface; and

(b) a horizontal bus bar formed from a conductive second metal sheet having a rectangular cross section, including:
(1) a relatively broad horizontal top surface, and
(2) a relatively narrow side surface defining a vertical bus bar surface, said bus bar being connected with said terminal cage body by securing said v

Assignees

• Weidmueller Interface Gmbh & Co Kg
• Weidmueller Interface Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Herrmann Michael
• Classen Constantin
• Stjepanovic Karlo

Classifications

• H01R9/26

  Clip-on terminal blocks for side-by-side rail- or strip-mounting · CPC title

• H01R4/48

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

• H01R4/4818 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H01R4/4845

  Electricity · mapped topic