RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to United States Provisional Application No. 61/928665, filed January 17, 2014 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This application relates to field of electrical connectors, more specifically to pluggable terminal strips.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

[0003] Generally, an electrical connector includes a housing formed of an insulative material that supports one or more conductive terminals. The housing is configured for mating with a complementary mating connector or other connecting device which, itself, has one or more conductive terminals. A connector assembly typically includes a pair of mating connectors, such as plug and receptacle connectors sometimes called male and female connectors of which, corresponding terminals of the connectors, themselves, may be male and female terminals.

[0004] In one arrangement, the connector assembly includes a pluggable terminal strip configured to mate with a corresponding connector commonly present in industrial equipment. The barrier strip utilizes a terminal having a wire mounting structure to electrically connector the wire to the terminal. The wire retaining structure typically includes a screw and an embedded nut to clamp the wire to the terminal and housing. In this arrangement where the wire is repeatedly connected and disconnected from the terminal the nut can become separated or stripped from the housing and not allow the wire to be secure!)' retained to the terminal upon successive usage. Certain individuals would therefore appreciate a wire mounting structure that provides a cost effective and reliable way of increasing the retention of an embedded nut in an insulative housing. BRIEF SUMMARY

[00Θ5] A connector assembly is provided that includes a plug connector and a receptacle connector. The connector assembly includes one or more female terminals having a wire retaining structure disposed in the plug connector and corresponding pin terminals on the receptacle connector for transmitting electricity. The plug connector includes terminals mounted within a cavity formed in a housing that includes a cooperating retaining nut and clamping screw to secure a wire to the respective terminals. The receptacle connector includes a mating housing having a corresponding number of mating male pin terminals for connection to the terminals of the plug connector.

[00Θ6] The female terminals are mounted in a cavity formed in the housing of the plug connector and the cavity includes an opening extending from a connecting portion to a wire securing portion. The cavity includes a terminal retaining portion having a terminal securing portion and a pocket configured for receiving a nut. The terminal further includes a screw with a captive plate for clamping the conducting portion of a lead wire to the terminal . The nut includes projections extending from surrounding side surfaces for embedding into the plastic pocket formed in the housing cavity

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] This application is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:

[0008] FIG . 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector;

[0009] FIG . 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG.1 ;

[0010] FIG . 3 is an alternative perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1 ;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the terminal strip of the electrical connector of FIG. 1 ;

[0012] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the terminal strip of FIG. 4;

[0013] FIG. 6 is a perspective detail view of the terminal strip of FIG.4; FIG. 7 is a partially exploded view of the terminal strip of FIG. 6;

[0015] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the electrical terminal of the terminal strip;

[0016] FIG. 9 is an alternative exploded view of the electrical terminal of the terminal strip;

[0017] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the retaining nut of the terminal strip;

[0018] FIG . 1 1 is a top view of the retaining nut of 10;

[0019] FIG. 12 is a side view of the retaining nut of the FIG. 10;

[0020] FIG . 13 is a detail perspective view of the housing of the terminal strip;

[0021] FIG. 14 is a detail top view of the housing of the terminal strip of FIG. 13;

[0022] FIG . 15 is a top view of the terminal strip;

[0023] FIG. 15a is a detail view of the housing of FIG. 15;

[0024] FIG . 15b is a second detail view of the housing of FIG. 15; and

[0025] FIG. 15c is a third detail view of the housing of FIG. 15. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS 1 -15 illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously practice the disclosure.

As can be appreciated by the disclosure that follows, the disclosure generally relates to a connector that can combine substantial electrical power delivery to industrial equipment and control panels and that can provide excellent operation under high current density conditions. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure utilize a terminal strip that is pluggable with a pin receptacle that can be properly aligned in both single and multiple row configurations while providing a low profile connection. If desired the configuration can be modified to provide a pin receptacle that can be mounted on a circuit board or disposed on a wire harness.

[0028] As illustrated in the FIGS. 1 -15, an embodiment of an electrical connector assembly 10 includes a pluggable terminal snip 30 and pin receptacle connector 80. For simplicity, the pluggable terminal strip 30 and pin receptacle connector 80 will be respectively referred to as terminal strip 30 and receptacle 80. The terminal strip 30 includes a housing 32 and receptacle 80 includes a housing 82 and the housings 32, 82 can be formed from an insulative material with a plurality of terminals 60 retained in the housing 32. As depicted, a panel to board arrangement is depicted with a receptacle 80 having what is commonly referred to as a pin header configuration and the plug 30 having a feed through panel mount configuration, but alternate arrangements can be appreciated. The embodiment shows a pluggable terminal strip 10 having two rows of terminals 60, but alternative arrangement may include only a single row or multiple rows of terminals 60. In embodiments having multiple rows of the terminals 60, the terminals are positioned at different level s, in other words, the screw portion of the terminals 60 are arranged at different heights.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 -5, a terminal strip includes a housing 32 having a bottom surface 50 for mounting on a panel or control board and a top surface 40 for attaching a plurality of wire conductors 18. A terminal securing portion 42 is formed in the top surface of the housing and a projection is formed in the bottom surface 50 of the housing 30 and in operation extends through a cutout in a panel or wall 16 of a cabinet. The projection includes a mating end 52 that is adapted to be connected to an opening in the receptacle 80. The housing 32 further includes a plurality of spaced apart cavities 34 for mounting terminals 60 including openings 38 that extend from the terminal securing portion 42 to the mating end 52 of the housing 32.

[0030] As best illustrated in FIG. 7, the terminal strip 30 includes a terminal 60 that is retained in cavities 34 formed at the terminal securing portion 42 of the housing 32. The terminal 60 is inserted into the cavity 34 from the top surface 40 of the housing 30. Each terminal 60 comprises a main body portion 70, a retaining nut 66 and a securing portion 71. The main body portion 70 includes a plate section 73 having a pair of straps 72 extending from opposite sides of the main body portion 70. Each strap 72 includes a slot 74 formed therein and a series of barbs formed on each side of the strap 72, The barbs on the straps 72 are received in recesses formed in the cavity 34 for securing the main body portion 70 of the terminal 60 to the housing 32. A contacting section 76 is formed from another side of the main body portion 70 and includes a pair contacting portions 77 each having a spring finger 78 formed thereon.

[0031] In the embodiment shown, as illustrated in FIGS.8-9 a retaining nut 66 having a first corner 67 and a second comer 67'is assembled to main body portion 70 of the terminal 60 and is disposed between the straps 72 with a respective second corner 67' of the retaining nut 66 extending into the slot 74. A typical retaining nut 66 is generally formed with six sides and six corners as is shown, but alternative configurations such as a nut with 4 sides or eight sides can be used. A hole is formed in the main body 70 and is axialiy aligned with the center of the retaining nut 66. As shown in FIGS. 10-12, the retaining nut 66 has projections 68 extending radially outward from a first corner 67. In the embodiment shown, the arrangement of the projections 68 includes two adjacent pairs of projections 68 separated by second corners 67' that do not have projections 68. As further illustrated, the second corners 67' without projections 68 are aligned with a groove 69 formed in the top surface 65 of the retaining nut 66. In this configuration, the grooves 69 are used to properly align the retaining nut 66 so that the second corners 67' without projections 68 can be inserted into the slots 74 in the straps 72.

[0032] As best shown in FIGS. 13-14, the housing 32 includes a pocket 36 formed in the cavity 34 and the pocket 36 is configured to match the shape of the retaining nut 66 so as to receive the retaining nut 66 therein. The cavity has an opening 38 formed in the housing that extends from the terminal securing portion 42 of the housing 32 to the mating end 52 of the housing 32 and communicates with the pocket 36. As further illustrated in FIG. 7, the terminal 60 has a main body portion 70 with the attached retammg nut 66 inserted into the cavity 34 in terminal securing portion 42 of the housing 32 and the contacting section 76 of the terminal 60 is disposed in the opening 38 with the contacting section 76 of the terminal 60 extending to the mating end 52.

[0033] Each of the projections 68 include a tapered portion 61 and a flat portion 63 so that as the retaining nut 66 is inserted into the pocket 36, the tapered portion 61 guides the first corner 67 into alignment and upon further insertion gradually digs into the walls of the pocket 36, The plastic tends to flow around the projections 68 and surrounds the projections 68 allowing the projections 68 to be held within the housing 32 and securing the retaining nut 66 in the housing 32.

[0034] As described above, after insertion of the retaining nut 66, the housing material surrounds the projections 68 and secures the retaining nut 66 within the pocket 36. The mechanical aspect of the insertion process deforms some of the housing material and destroys a portion of it in the area of the projections 68. In order to minimize the destruction of this material and provide greater retention while maintaining the mechanical properties of the housing material, the addition of heat is provided. The terminal 60 is heated to raise the temperature of the terminal 60 prior to insertion and upon insertion of the terminal 60 into the cavities, the elevated temperature of the terminal 60 softens the housing material adjacent the projections allowing the material to easily displace around the projections formed on the retaining nut 66. Upon cooling the housing material hardens around the projections 68 with minimal degradation therefore creating a more robust connection and increasing the retention force that secures the terminal 60 within the housing 32. Retention forces were measured and sample test results are illustrated in table 1.

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19.4? [0035] FIG. 15 illustrates the terminal strip 30 after the terminals 60 have been inserted into the housing 32 and as best shown in FIG. 15a, for clarity, only the retaining nut 66 is shown in the pocket 36. The projections 68 illustrated as dashed lines depicts the projections within the pocket 36 of the housing 32 after insertion, with the housing material surrounding the projections 68 upon cooling from the softened state at which the retaining nut is inserted. FIG. 15b shows the terminal 60 with only the retaining nut 66 and main body portion 70 for clarity. In this detail the retaining nut 66 is shown as dashed lines, including the projections 68 as previously described above. Additionally, the second comers 67' of retaining nut 66 are shown extending through the slots 74 in the straps 72 of the main body portion 70 securing the retaining nut 66 to the main body portion 70 of the terminal 60.

[0036] As depicted in FIGS. 6-7 and 15c, a screw 62 having a captivated plate 64 is assembled to the terminal to the securing side of the main body 70 of the terminal 60. Upon assembly, a space is created between the main body portion 70 and the plate 64 for receiving a conductive portion of a lead wire 16. The wire is fastened to the terminal by turning the screw in a tightening direction and clamping the conductive portion of the lead wire 18 between the main body 70 and plate 64 of the terminal 60. In operation, a force can be applied to the lead wire to remove it from the terminal, in order to compensate for this, the screw must be tightened to create a sufficiently large force to prevent this and if the screw is over tightened the retaining nut can be stripped from the terminal or the housing 32. With the addition of the projections in the retaining nut 66, the screw can withstand more torque during tightening and the lead wire will exhibit greater retention due to an increased clamping force between the main body and plate.

[0037] The disclosure provided herein describes features in terms of preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure.