Related Application

[0001] This application claims convention priority from Australian provisional patent application 2021221638 filed on 25 August 2021 , the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to terminal blocks in the form of insulated electrical connectors used to connect or secure two or more electrical cables, wires or components together, so as to provide the safe connection of wires between circuits.

Background of the Invention

[0003] Terminal blocks are known which allow the connection of electrically printed circuit boards (PCBs) to electrical cables so as to, for example, supply power to devices that are present on the circuit. In particular, the automotive industry today relies heavily on advanced electronic systems and circuitry, not only due to the advent of autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles but also due to the sophistication of traditional vehicles that almost all now include lane and speed control systems, light detection and ranging systems, vehicle-to-vehicle communications and collision avoidance systems, amongst many others.

[0004] It is thus often necessary to house multiple different electronic systems in vehicles, ideally reasonably closely together to assist with maintenance and repair access. However, electronics systems such as these often require connection of multiple systems with multiple cables, requiring a reasonable degree of connection flexibility and adaptability for the terminal blocks associated with housing assemblies for such systems.

[0005] Further, insecure connections in terminal blocks can contribute substantially to the risk of failure of the electrical components in a vehicle, particularly with the reasonably aggressive conditions often found in vehicles, especially in relation to shock, vibration and movement. [0006] It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved terminal block.

[0007] Before turning to a summary of the present invention, it should be appreciated that reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country.

[0008] Also, the following description will use directional terms such as front, rear, top and bottom, downward and downwardly, upward and upwardly, lower and upper, and above and below, which will be used with reference to the terminal block of the invention when positioned generally horizontally within, for example, the engine bay of a vehicle.

[0009] There is, of course, generally no need for such a housing to be positioned horizontally in a vehicle, and housings often are not installed horizontally, but this language will be used in this specification for ease of description and understanding.

Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present invention provides a dual-direction terminal block, the terminal block including an insulating terminal mount with at least one conducting terminal mounted therein for electrical connection of an electrical cable to a circuit such as a printed circuit board, wherein each terminal includes a block-shaped body with at least a front and a top, the front having a first terminal lug fastening aperture therein and the top having a second terminal lug fastening aperture therein, the first lug fastening aperture being arranged transverse to the second lug fastening aperture, and wherein the terminal mount includes at least one terminal receiving station sized to fit and retain the at least one terminal such that each terminal can be electrically connected to a printed circuit board and such that movement of each terminal is prevented during the fastening of terminal lugs to either of the first and second apertures.

[0011] The lug fastening apertures are preferably adapted for use with screw connectors such as the commonly used M6 retaining screws, which are able to retain terminal lugs in a normal manner. [0012] Regardless of this orientation of cable and lug, the terminal block of the present invention provides the ability to have cables connected thereto from multiple directions around the terminal block due to the transverse orientation of the terminal’s first and second lug fastening apertures.

[0013] In a preferred form, the front of each terminal includes mounting shoulders on opposing sides of the first aperture, and each station in the terminal mount includes opposed mounting abutments for engagement with the mounting shoulders of a terminal to prevent movement of the terminal in its station when terminal lugs are fastened thereto.

[0014] In this form, the terminal receiving stations are preferably upwardly open channels such that the top of a terminal mounted in such a channel is accessible for connection to a circuit such as a printed circuit board, or at least to some form of electrical conductor to which the electrical connections are required.

[0015] The terminal mount may also include other openings in each channel to provide access to other parts of the terminal, such as an opening in the bottom or side of a channel to allow access to the bottom or side of a terminal, in the event that electrical contact needs to be made with another part of the terminal for other purposes.

[0016] In this respect, each terminal is preferably a rectangular-shaped block with the first and second lug fastening apertures at or near one end of the block, together with the mounting shoulders. In this form, the channels that form the stations in the terminal mount will also preferably be rectangular, having a size such that a terminal fits snugly within the channel to assist with the prevention of any movement of the terminal within the mount.

[0017] Indeed, when the abutments and shoulders are included, and are engaged to further assist with preventing movement of the terminal within a channel, it will be appreciated that any torque applied to screw connectors used to secure the lugs to the terminal block via the fastener apertures is not likely to be transferred to any printed circuit board that might be secured to the terminal. Printed circuit boards are commonly constructed with laminated substrates which can be damaged (delaminated) if subjected to a bending force from such torque being applied to a screw connector, so the avoidance of the transfer of such a bending force that might occur by movement of terminal caused by torque applied to a screw connector, will be advantageous.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0018] Having briefly described the general concepts involved with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a dual-direction terminal block will now be described that is in accordance with the present invention. However, it is to be understood that the following description is not to limit the generality of the above description.

[0019] In the drawings:

[0020] Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) are schematic end and exploded views respectively of a terminal block, in use, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is an isometric view from above of the terminal mount in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 3 is an isometric view from above of the terminal in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 ; and

[0023] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic end and exploded views respectively of the terminal of Figure 3 being assembled with the terminal mount of Figure 2 to form the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment

[0024] Illustrated in Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) is a dual-direction terminal block 10 that includes an insulating terminal mount 12 (see Figure 2) and, in this embodiment, four conducting terminals 14 (see Figure 3) mounted therein for electrical connection of electrical cables 16a, 16b to a circuit such as a printed circuit board 18.

[0025] Each terminal 14 includes a block-shaped body with a rectangular form with at least a front 20 and a top 22, the front 20 having a first terminal lug fastening aperture 24 therein and the top 22 having a second terminal lug fastening aperture 26 therein. The first lug fastening aperture 24 is arranged transverse to the second lug fastening aperture 26.

[0026] In this embodiment, the lug fastening apertures 24,26 are threaded for use with screw connectors in the form of M6 retaining screws 30a, 30b, which retain the terminal lugs 32a, 32b of the cables 16a, 16b in a normal manner. The terminal block 10 thus provides the ability to have cables connected thereto from both the front (16a) and below (16b) of the terminal block 10 due to this transverse orientation of the first and second lug fastening apertures 24,26.

[0027] The terminal mount 21 of this embodiment includes four terminal receiving stations 40 sized to snugly fit and retain the terminals 14 such that each terminal 14 can be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 18 and such that movement of each terminal 14 is prevented during the fastening of the terminal lugs 30a, 30b to either of the first and second apertures 24,26.

[0028] Also in this embodiment, the front 20 of each terminal 14 includes mounting shoulders 50 on opposing sides of the first aperture 24, and each station 40 in the terminal mount 12 includes opposed mounting abutments 52 for engagement with the mounting shoulders 50 of a terminal 14 to prevent movement of the terminal 14 in its station 40 when terminal lugs 32a, 32b are fastened thereto.

[0029] The terminal receiving stations 40 are upwardly open channels such that the top 22 of a terminal 14 mounted in such a channel is accessible for connection to a circuit such as the printed circuit board 18. The terminal mount 12 also includes an opening 58 in its bottom to allow access to the terminal 14 by an AC power cable 60, for example, so that electrical contact can be made with the rear of the terminal 14 for other purposes.

[0030] It will be appreciated that when the abutments 52 and the shoulders 50 are engaged (moving from the interim position shown in Figure 4(a) to the final position shown in Figure 1 (a)), further assistance is provided for preventing movement of the terminal 14 within a channel 40. In this respect, and as mentioned above, any torque applied to the M6 screws 30a, 30b to secure the lugs 32a, 32b to the terminal block 12 via the fastener apertures 24,26 is not likely to be transferred via bending forces to the printed circuit board 18 secured to the top 22 of a terminal 14. [0031] In conclusion, it must be appreciated that there may be other variations and modifications to the configurations described herein which are also within the scope of the present invention.