AU477246B2 - Improvements relating to electrical connectors - Google Patents

Description

(11) 477,246

J~ AUSTRALIA L~ PATENT SPECIFICATION (21,51 2 0 2/73

Class (52) 04.20

Int. Cl. (51) H01R 5/00

(21) 51202/73 Application Number Lodged (22) 18th January, 1973

Complete Specification IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS entitled (54)

Lodged 18th January, 1973 6th October, 1976 Accepted 18th July, 1974 Published 19thJanuary, 1972 France 7201743 Convention Priority (30)

Applicant (71) RAPID S.A.

Actual Inventor (72) BERNARD CHARLES DUCHATELLIER

Related Art (56) Nil

the best method of performing it known The following statement is a full description of this invention, including to US F. D. Atk;nscn, Government Printer, Ccnver-a 11746/75-L

X842-65-1D-13 P.C.

1,2 02 n3 This invention relates to an electrical connector in the form

of a clip for securing a plurality of electrical conductors, com- prising a flat blade and a round wire in parallel juxtaposition,

in electrical contact with each other. Connectors of this type have previously ,been proposed for

connectingy an electrical conductor such as a round wire to a metal element e.g. a blade-type terminal of apparatus which is

to be suolied with electric current. An examole of such a connector is one comprising a flat disc having a small claw

extension, the edges of which are adapted to be b.:it towards each other so as to grip on a conducting wire which has previously been stripped, the disc being adapted to

be secured, for example screwed, to the said metal element.

An electrical connection of this kind, however, tends to be insecure, particularly if the equipment to which

it is fitted is subjected to vibrations. Such connectors cani work loose and, in particular, the wire gripped in the cl;iw of the connector socket has a tendency to work loose.

Moreover, the fitting of connectors of this type is time-

consuming and, where a piece of equipment has a number of closely

spaced terminal pins, the electric wires for connection thereto

have a tendency to overlap, since the length of the sockets used sometimes makes it difficult to position them coaxially

with the pins. Moreover, the connectors hitherto used tend to

twist and may therefore come into contact with each other,thus

producing a short-ci.rcuit with the consequent risk of serious

damage to the equipment.

The foregoing disadvantages are reduced or eliminated

by a connector/embodying the present invention, which is capable

of providing a more positive, rapid and economical means of

-2- 47 7.24 6

1.2 02 n3

connecting at least one electrical conductor in the form

of a wire to at least one blade-type contact such as a ter-

minal on a piece of electrical equipment.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a one-

piece connector clip for securing in direct electrical con-

tact with each other a plurality of electrical conductors

comprising a flat blade juxtaposed and substantially opposi-

tely directed to at least one substantially round wire,

comprises a web having a first end and a second end and

at each side of the web and extension, the extensions de-

fining with the web a generally C-shaped cross-section

of the clip, each extension having a first portion overly-

ing the web, for receiving longitudinally of the web a

said blade between the web and said first portion, and

each extension terminating in a tongue inclined towards said

first end of the web so as to present a gripping edge ge-

nerally facing the web, and including integral means adapted

for locking a said blade in the clip, whereby, when

in use, a said substantially round conductor inserted bet-

ween said tongues from the direction of said second end is

securable to a said blade so as to form an electrical con-

nection therewith, by intimate gripping engagement with the

gripping edges.

Preferably each said tongue is inclined away from the

web towards a longitudinal plane of the clip.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, each

tongue joins the said first portion of the relevant exten-

sion along an oblique fold line.

47 7.24 6

51,202 /73

The clip preferably includes integral means adapted

for locking a said blade in the clip.

In preferred forms of clip according to the said first

aspect of the invention, each extension has two said tongues,

spaced apart longitudinal of the clip by a notch having a

width approx-

47 7,2 4 6

1,2 02 n3 imately equal to half the width of a said tongue.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an electrical connection comprises at least one flat blade juxtaposed and

substantiall oppositely directed to at least one substantially

round wire, said blade and at least one wire each being an

electrical conductor in direct electrical contact with each

other, and a connector clip according to said first aspect of

the invention securing said conductors together.

According to a third aspect of the invention, electrical

apparatus has at least one connection in accordance with the

said second aspect of the invention.

One form of connector clip embodying the invention will now

be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompany-

ing drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector clip, showing

also two relatively aligned electrical conductors ready for conn-

ection by the connector;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the connector clip shown in

Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a partially sectioned elevation showing the conn-

ector clip connecting an electrical conductor to a terminal of a

piece of electrical equipment.

Referring to the drawings a one-piece electrical connector

clip 1 has a first end and a second end, respectively at the

right and the left of the clip as seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4 and a

generally C-shaped cross-section (see particularly Figure 3) defined

by a web 4 and a pair of flanks or extensions 5, one at each side

of the web 4, and is made of a resilient metal strip. The

connector clip 1 is so shaped that it snugly wraps around an C 47 7,24 6

1.2 02 n3 electrical conductor in the form of a blade-type terminal 2

of a piece of electrical equipment 3.

The web 4 of the C-shaped connector clip is substantially

flat but has a raised nortion 5a comprising an integral sub-

stantially triangular projection cut out of the web and bent

out of the plane of the latter, from which it is inclined to-

wards the left-hand end of the web. The portion 5a defines

a tooth which engages discontinuity in the form of an aperture 6

in the blade when the connector clip 1 is pushed on to the latter

to lock the blade to the clip.

Each extension 5 overlies part of the web 4, and is bent

into an approximately semi-circular shape, each of the extensions

being defined by a first or root portion 7 substantially

parallel to the flat web 4, and by a pair of tongues, the

resnective ends 8 of which are inclined away from the web 4,

being bent outwardly therefrom towards the longitudinal midplane

X-X' of the clip (Figure 2).

The ends 8 of the tongues are in fact bent along oblique

fold lines indicated by the shading at 9 in Figures 1 and 2,

so that they are also inclined towards the right-hand end of

the web 4, i.e. so as to raise the edge 10 of each tongue

with resnect to.the opposite or gripping edges 11 of the tongues,

and to face the edges 11 generally towards the web, so that

the gripping edges 11 act to bite into or grip intimately the

stri- ed end 12 of a round wire 13 after the latter has been

inserted in the connector clip between the terminal 2 and the

said tongues. The orientation of the edges 10 facilitates the

insertion of the wire end 12 into the clip (see particularly

Figure 4).

47 7,2 4 6

1,2 02 n3 It will be seen that the edges 11 enhance the security of

the connection by actually cutting or biting into the material

of the end 12 of the wire 13 and thus oppose or resist the

said wire 13 or terminal 2 being pulled apart. Indeed, if an

attempt is made to pull the wire 13 out of the connector clip, the connection is made all the firmer.

A notch 14 provided between the two tongues of each pair

has a width approximately equal to half the width of each tongue.

An electrical connection using the connector clip 1 is made

as follows:-

The connector clip 1 is first slipped onto the trminal 2

which is received longitudinally between the web 4 and the root

portions 7 and automatically locks on to the terminal 2 by

virtue of the tooth 5a engaging the aperture 6 in the terminal

2. Next the stripped end 12 of the wire 13 is slipped from

the left hand end of the clip 1 under the tongues of the latter

and not only is the clip 1 immediately very firmly locked on to the terminal 2, but at the same time the end 12 of the wire is

pressed hard against the terminal 2 by the resilience of the

tongues, thereby ensuring good electrical contact between the two

conductors. As previously mentioned, this self-locking action of

the tongues of the connector clip increases if a pull is exerted on the wire 13.

As is best seen in Figure 4, the wire 13 is aligned in parallel

juxtaposition with the terminal 2 and pressed into direct contact with the latter.

The invention thus provides a very compact connection with

little or no risk of upsetting the required spacing between the

terminals of a piece of electrical equipment and ensuring a sound 47 724 6

1,2 02 n3 electrical connection while offering considerable resistance

against the wire being pulled out of the connector clip.

4 7 7,24 6

Claims (4)

1,2 02 73 The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A one-piece electrical connector clip for securing

in direct electrical contact with each other a plurality

of electrical condictors comprising a flat-blade juxtaposed

and substantially oppositely directed to at least one sub-

stantially round wire, the clip comprising a web having

a first end and a second end and at each side of the web

an extension, the extensions defining with the web a ge-

nerally C-shaped cross-section of the clip, each extension having a first portion overlying the web, for receiving

longitudinally of the web a said blade between the web

and said first portions, and each extension terminating in

a tongue inclined towards said first end of the web so as

to present a gripping edge generally facing the web and

including integral means adapted for locking a said blade

in the clip, whereby, when in use, a said substantially

round conductor inserted between said tongues from the direc-

tion of said second end is securable to a said blade so

as to form an electrical connection therewith, by intimate

gripping engagement with the gripping edges.

2. A connector clip according to Claim 1, wherein each

said tongue is inclined away from the web towards a longi-

tudinal plane of the clip.

3. A connector clip according to Claim 2, wherein each tongue joins the said first portion of the relevant extension

along an oblique fold line.

4. A connector clip according to any one of the preceding

47 7,24 6

1,2 02 n3

claims, wherein said integral means comprises a raised

portion of the web adapted to engage a discontinuity in

a said blade.

A connector clip according to Claim 4, wherein said raised

47 7.246

1,2 02 n3 remainder portion is a projection inclined away from the thereof. of the web in the direction of said second end the 6 7. A connector clip according to any one of tongues, preceding claims, wherein each extension has two said notch having a spaced apart longitudinally of the clip by a of a said width approximately equal to half the width

tongue. A one-piece electrical connector clip constructed described with and arranged substantially as hereinbefore drawings. reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying one flat An electrical connection comprising at least directed to at blade juxtaposed and substantially oppositely and at least least one substantially round wire, said blade in direct one wire each being an electrical conductor clip electrical contact with each other, and a connector said according to any one of the preceding claims securing

conductors together.

DATED this 5th day of May, 1976.

RAPID S.A.

Patent Attorneys for the Applicant:

F.B. RICE CO.

4 7 7,2 4 6

1,2 02 n3~

FIG. 1.

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