Terminal block with a terminal cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972923-B2
Application number	US-201715680826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

There is provided a terminal block to which load lines can be attached in multiple directions and which includes a terminal cover that makes terminal portions difficult for fingers to touch and is less likely to damage the load lines. The terminal block includes: a conductive plate including a first-direction connection portion that extends in a first direction and is capable of being connected with at least one wire, and a second-direction connection portion that is in electrical conduction with the first-direction connection portion, extends in a second direction different from the first direction, and is capable of being connected with at least one wire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal block comprising:
a conductive plate including a first-direction connection portion configured to extend in a first direction and to be capable of being connected with at least one wire, and a second-direction connection portion configured to be in electrical conduction with the first-direction connection portion, to extend in a second direction different from the first direction, and to be capable of being connected with at least one wire;
a terminal block main body portion including a side wall arranged on an outer side of the conductive plate in a width direction;
a terminal cover configured to cover a surface of any one of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion, the terminal cover including a proximity surface that comes close to or in contact with a surface of the first-direction connection portion or the second-direction connection portion, and a receding surface that is continuously formed from the proximity surface and recedes from the first-direction connection portion or the second-direction connection portion;
a first engagement portion configured to be formed on the terminal block main body portion and to hold the terminal cover in a position in which the terminal cover covers the first-direction connection portion; and
a second engagement portion configured to be formed on the terminal block main body portion and to hold the terminal cover in a positon in which the terminal cover covers the second-direction connection portion.

2. The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive plate comprises a plurality of conductive plates disposed in parallel in the width direction, the side wall is interposed between the plurality of conductive plates so that the side wall serves as a separator, and in the terminal cover, the receding surface comprises a pair of receding surfaces forming a recessed portion, the recessed portion being formed to circumvent a part of the separator.

3. The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal cover includes a connection side terminal cover configured to cover any one of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion to which a wire is connected, and a non-connection side terminal cover configured to cover the other of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion to which no wire is connected, and the non-connection side terminal cover is set to a dimension not interfering with a virtually extended plane of a wiring placement surface of the one connection portion.

4. The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive plate comprises a plurality of conductive plates disposed in parallel in the width direction, the side wall is interposed between the plurality of conductive plates so that the side wall serves as a separator, and the terminal cover includes a curved portion curved to circumvent the separator.

5. The terminal block according to claim 4 , wherein the curved portion includes an elastically-deformable bending portion.

6. The terminal block according to claim 4 , wherein the curved portion includes a protrusion configured to be engageable with a finger.

7. The terminal block according to claim 6 , wherein the curved portion includes an elastically-deformable bending portion.

8. The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal cover includes a connection side terminal cover configured to cover any one of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion to which a wire is connected, and a non-connection side terminal cover configured to cover the other of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion to which no wire is connected, and a distance between the connection side terminal cover and the one connection portion is greater than that between the non-connection side terminal cover and the other connection portion.

9. The terminal block according to claim 8 , wherein the first engagement portion includes a first side non-connection engagement portion for the non-connection side terminal cover to be engaged with and a first side connection engagement portion for the connection side terminal cover to be engaged with, the second engagement portion includes a second side non-connection engagement portion for the non-connection side terminal cover to be engaged with and a second side connection engagement portion for the connection side terminal cover to be engaged with, the first side non-connection engagement portion and the second side non-connection engagement portion have substantially the same shapes, and the first side connection engagement portion and the second side connection engagement portion have substantially the same shapes.

10. The terminal block according to claim 9 , wherein a common shape of the first side non-connection engagement portion and the second side non-connection engagement portion is different from a common shape of the first side connection engagement portion and the second side connection engagement portion.

11. A terminal block comprising:
a conductive plate including a first-direction connection portion configured to extend in a first direction and to be capable of being connected with at least one wire, and a second-direction connection portion configured to be in electrical conduction with the first-direction connection portion, to extend in a second direction different from the first direction, and to be capable of being connected with at least one wire;
a terminal block main body portion including a side wall arranged on an outer side of the conductive plate in a width direction;
a terminal cover configured to cover a surface of any one of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion;
a first engagement portion configured to be formed on the terminal block main body portion and to hold the terminal cover in a position in which the terminal cover covers the first-direction connection portion; and
a second engagement portion configured to be formed on the terminal block main body portion and to hold the terminal cover in a position in which the terminal cover covers the second-direction connection portion;
wherein the conductive plate comprises a plurality of conductive plates disposed in parallel in the width direction, the side wall is interposed between the plurality of conductive plates so that the side wall serves as a separator, and the terminal cover includes a curved portion curved to circumvent the separator.

12. The terminal block according to claim 11 , wherein the curved portion includes an elastically-deformable bending portion.

13. The terminal block according to claim 11 , wherein a gap is formed between the curved portion and the separator, and the gap increases toward the first-direction connection portion or the second-direction connection portion.

14. The terminal block according to claim 11 , wherein the curved portion includes a protrusion configured to be engageable with a finger.

15. The terminal block according to claim 14 , wherein the curved portion includes an elastically-deformable bending portion.

16. The terminal block according to claim 11 , wherein the terminal cover includes a connection side terminal cover configured to cover any one of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direction connection portion to which a wire is connected, and a non-connection side terminal cover configured to cover the other of the first-direction connection portion and the second-direc

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Kitatani Kazuharu

Classifications

• H01R9/2416

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

• H01R4/34

  Conductive members located under head of screw · CPC title

• H01R9/223 Primary

  Insulating enclosures for terminals (for switches H01H9/0264) · CPC title

• H01R9/18

  Fastening by means of screw or nut · CPC title

• H01R9/24 Primary

  Terminal blocks · CPC title