Terminal block connectors

Claim 2

A nonpermanent terminal block connection for electrically connecting at least a pair of pin contacts, comprising: a nonconductive housing, a female contact assembly carried in said housing, said female contact assembly including a pair of stamped pure contacts having the singular purpose of electrical current transmission, each contact having a base portion connected at its bottom to the bottom of the base portion of the other contact by means of an integrally formed bridging strip to give the connected pair of contacts a U-shaped configuration in side view and thereby permit electrical transmission therebetween, each of said portions having a concave and cylindrical contact surface for creating intimate contact with one of said pin contacts over a total arc of less than 180*, the sole contact surfaces of adjacent base portions facing in opposing directions, and biasing means comprising a cylindrical spring member encircling the unconnEcted end of each female contact for biasing a pin contact inserted into the housing into intimate contact with said cylindrical surface.

Claim 3

In a terminal block assembly for use with contact pins of a given external diameter, which assembly has a plurality of female contacts having interfaces to receive and make electrical connection between said pins inserted into the contacts, the improvement comprising: a pair of said contacts, the interface of each contact of the pair being a segment of a cylinder which segment is less than 180*, said segment being elongate in the axial direction, said interface being formed on a radius substantially identical to half of said diameter, each of said contacts having a longitudinal edge spaced from and parallel to the longitudinal edge of the other contact, a bridge connecting said contacts longitudinally thereof along each said longitudinal edge, the dimension of said bridge in said axial direction being substantially less than that of said contacts, said pair of contacts and said bridge being made from a unitary segment of dead soft copper so as to achieve simplicity of construction and relatively high conductivity between pins in said pair of contacts, said pair of contacts each carrying separate spring means resiliently urging the pins in the respective contacts in intimate face-to-face relationship with said cylindrical faces.

Claim 4

In a terminal block assembly for use with contact pins of a given external diameter, which assembly has a plurality of female contacts having interfaces to receive and make electrical connection between said pins inserted into the contacts, the improvement comprising: a pair of said contacts, the interface of each contact of the pair being a segment of a cylinder which segment is less than 180*, said segment being elongate in the axial direction, said interface being formed on a radius substantially identical to half of said diameter, each of said contacts having a longitudinal edge spaced from and parallel to the longitudinal edge of the other contact, a bridge connecting said contacts longitudinally thereof along each said longitudinal edge, the dimension of said bridge in said axial direction being substantially less than that of said contacts, said pair of contacts and said bridge being made from a unitary segment of dead soft copper so as to achieve simplicity of construction and relatively high conductivity between pins in said pair of contacts, said pair of contacts each carrying separate spring means resiliently urging the pins in the respective contacts in intimate face-to-face relationship with said cylindrical faces.