Terminal strip

Abstract

A terminal strip comprising, in preferred form: an elongate base for supporting plural serially disposed electrical terminal insert means, and base comprising two perpendicular feed-through apertures therein, the terminal insert means having a pin selectively insertable through each one of the apertures for engagement with a terminal strip supporting surface to effect either upright or side mounting of the base to the surface. A pedestal having a plug insertable into the base is provided for additional support to the base upon side-mounting thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to terminal strips particularly suitable for supporting electrical connections.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Terminal strips, also frequently known as barrier strips or terminal blocks, have been provided for supporting electrical connections, such as those typically required in electrical and electronic equipment. A terminal strip typically comprises a base for supporting at least one electrical terminal insert connecting means, the latter usually having a plate with a hole therein for threadedly receiving a screw for tightening together adjacently disposed electrical wires to establish electrical conductivity therebetween. A terminal insert is frequently provided with an integral pin insertable into a vertical feed-through insulating aperture in the terminal strip base for enabling wrap, solder or plug connection with electrical components disposed beneath the surface onto which the base is uprightly mounted, such as a printed circuit board, the terminal insert being engageable with the surface to support the base thereon.

As those familiar with electronic equipment will readily appreciate, it is frequently desirable to side-mount a terminal strip base in congested locations to accessibly complete electrical connections otherwise performed with difficulty when the base is in its upright position.

Prior known terminal strips have usually accomplished side-mounting by providing specially fabricated terminal inserts having right-angle bends external to the terminal strip. However, such externally bent terminal inserts are generally alone insufficient to support the base. Accordingly, specially drilled mounting bores, perpendicular to those used for upright position mounting, for receiving screw fasteners extending through the terminal strip base and into its adjacent supporting surface are additionally required, resulting in increased manufacturing and assembly expense.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a simple solution to this problem, and comprises a terminal strip readily adaptable to either upright or side mounting without externally bent terminal inserts or specially drilled mounting bores.

In general, the terminal strip of the present invention comprises a base for supporting at least one easily fabricated electrical terminal insert means, the base comprising two perpendicular feed-through apertures therein, the terminal insert means having a pin selectively insertable through each one of the apertures for engagement with a terminal strip supporting surface to effect either upright or side mounting of the base to the surface.

The base comprises at least one mounting recess therein for receiving means, such as a screw fastener, for uprightly mounting the base to a supporting surface. The invention further comprises at least one inexpensively fabricated pedestal having a plug insertable into the mounting recess, the pedestal comprising pedestal mounting means, such as screw means disposed within a bore, having an axis perpendicular to the axis of the plug. The pedestal provides additional support to the base as required upon side-mounting thereof when the plug is inserted into the recess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating the basic features of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a terminal strip side-mounted onto a supporting surface;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view taken substantially along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the basic features of a pedestal used for providing support to a side-mounted terminal strip base;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a support insert removably interfitting a recess in the terminal strip base for receiving screw means for uprightly mounting the base to a supporting surface;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 2, but enlarged and with parts in section, illustrating a side-mounted terminal strip, and also showing alternate feed-through engagement of a terminal insert into the terminal strip base; and

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate the basic features of a barbed terminal insert means engageable with the terminal strip base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a terminal strip 20 shown side-mounted in FIG. 1, the terminal strip having an elongate base 21, made of plastic or other electrical insulating material, with a plurality of barriers 22 for isolating one or more electrical connection chambers 23 therebetween. Base 21 supports plural serially disposed electrical connecting means comprising terminal insert means 24 (FIGS. 1, 9-12), each having a conductive metal plate 25 (FIG. 9) and a central hole 26 therein for threadedly receiving an electrical connecting screw 27 (FIGS. 1, 8) cooperable with a square washer 28 to provide conductive engagement with one or more electrical conductors (not shown) in a known manner.

Although terminal strip 20 is frequently uprightly supported in a known manner by terminal insert means 24 upon insertion thereof in a feed-through vertical aperture in base 21 and engagement with a non-conductive supporting surface, such as a printed circuit board, in order to provide additional support, at least one plastic support insert 29 (FIGS. 1 and 7) can be provided, each such insert having a plate portion 31 with a lower square base portion 32 insertable into a square recess or hole 33 (FIG. 3) in the base 21 and associated with a chamber 23. Each insert 29 has a hole 34 therein (FIG. 7) for receiving mounting means such as a screw fastener (not shown) for conventional upright mounting of base 21 in a well-known manner, the heads of screws 27 being parallel to the surface for such upright mounting.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the terminal strip 20 can be side-mounted to a planar supporting surface 35 with the use of at least one pedestal 36, each pedestal comprising a molded plastic body having a flat bottom 37 (FIG. 2) perpendicular to opposing side walls 38 and 39, and having an upper wall 41. Integral with side wall 38 is a U-shaped plug 42 (FIGS. 3, 6) removably insertable into a mounting recess 33 in base 21, preferably at each end of the base, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The axis of plug 42 is normal to side wall 38. The recess bounded by the three walls of U-shaped plug 42 prevents interference by a connecting screw 27 with the plug, the threaded portion of a screw 27 extending into this recess.

As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 8, each pedestal 36 comprises pedestal mounting means, preferably a screw means 43 disposed within a bore 44 having an axis perpendicular to the axis of plug 42. Bore 44 includes an internal ledge 45 for engaging the head of screw means 43, a nut 46 being provided for threadedly engaging the screw means on the underside of supporting surface 35 to effect mounting of a pedestal 36 thereto. Thus, each pedestal 36 secures base 21 to surface 35 upon insertion of plug 42 into recess 33.

As best shown in FIG. 4, base 21 comprises a plurality of feed-through apertures 47 having axes thereof parallel to the central axes of recesses 33. Other feedthrough apertures or recesses 48 are provided (FIG. 5) having axes perpendicular to axes of apertures 47 and parallel to the axes of bores 44.

With reference to FIGS. 9-12, an easily fabricated terminal insert means 24 comprises a pin 49 integral with its plate 25, pin 49 being either perpendicular to plate 25 (shown by solid lines in FIG. 11) or coplanar with plate 25 (illustrated by broken lines), depending upon its intended use for supporting base 21 in either an upright (not shown) or side (FIG. 1) mounting position, respectively, these alternate arrangements of pin 49 being accomplished with only minor tooling variations. Terminal insert 24 comprises a front barb portion 52 (FIGS. 9, 11 and 12) normal to plate 25. When pin 49 is disposed perpendicular to plate 25, a rear barb portion 53 (FIGS. 9, 10 and 11) is provided integral with pin 49, rear barb portion 53 being sheared from pin 49 when the latter is coplanar with its plate 25.

When terminal strip 20 is in its upright mounting position (not shown), pin 49 of each terminal insert 24 is normal to its plate 25 to enable pin insertion into an associated aperture 47 (FIGS. 4 and 8), barb portions 52, 53 at opposing sides of plate 25 being inserted (FIG. 8) into snap-fit engagement into opposing recesses 54 and 55, respectively, in base 21, to secure terminal insert means 24 to the base, recess 55 being co-axial with aperture 47. When terminal strip 20 is in its side-mounted position, as shown in FIG. 1, pin 49 of each terminal insert 24 is coplanar with its plate 25, and is insertable through, and constrained by, an aperture 48 (FIGS. 3, 5 and 8), front barb portion 52 being inserted into snap-fit engagement into recess 54.

Thus, terminal insert means 24 comprises pin 49 selectively insertable through either aperture 47 or aperture 48 for self-supporting engagement with an aperture (not shown) in terminal strip supporting surface 35, to effect dual-position mounting of base 21, without requiring a terminal insert bend external to terminal strip 20 or specially drilled mounting holes in base 21. Where additional support is required, or where surface 35 is electrically conductive, one or more pedestals 36 are provided for side-mounting base 21.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all its material advantages, the form described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Claims

I claim:

1. A terminal strip comprising: a base for supporting at least one electrical terminal insert means, said base comprising two perpendicular feed-through apertures therein, said terminal insert means comprising a pin selectively insertable through each one of said apertures for engagement with a terminal strip supporting surface to effect dualposition mounting of said base to said surface.

2. The terminal strip of claim 1, wherein said terminal insert means comprises a barb portion, and said base comprises a recess for receiving said barb portion to secure said terminal insert means to said base.

3. The terminal strip of claim 1, wherein said base comprises at least one mounting recess therein for receiving means for uprightly mounting said base to said surface; and a pedestal having a plug insertable into said recess, said pedestal comprising pedestal mounting means perpendicular to the axis of said plug for side-mounting said base to said surface upon insertion of said plug into said recess; whereby said pedestal supports said base upon side-mounting thereof.

4. The terminal strip of claim 3, wherein said pedestal comprises a bore therein having an axis perpendicular to the axis of said plug, and said pedestal mounting means comprises screw means disposed within said bore.