Terminal block and terminal connector

Claim 2

In combination, a terminal block and a terminal connector, said connector including at least two spaced apart parallel blades which are not coplanar and are interconnected at their bases by a connecting portion, said connector being provided with first locating means extending from said connector and projecting away from the plane of at least one of said blades for locating said connector with respect to said block, said terminal block being provided with at least one pair of paralleling channels communicating with opposite faces of said block, and spaced to receive said blades therein, second locating means on one face of said block and in alignment with the aperture of at least one of said channels for engaging said first locating means of said connector to centrally locate said blades in said channels.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said second locating means of said block is in the form of a notch in said block and in axial alignment with one of said channels.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said second locating means of said block is in the form of a notch which extends into said block from said one face thereof and opens into one of said channels.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein said notch is defined by three sidewalls within said terminal block, two of said sidewalls extending away from said one channel and inwardly from said one face of said block generally parallel to said one channel and a third sidewall which faces said one channel having at least a portion thereof which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of said one channel.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of said third sidewall facing said channel is inclined and extends between said one face of said block and said portion of said remaining sidewall which faces said aperture.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 wherein the laterally projecting first locating means of said terminal connector extends outwardly from one of said blades.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 wherein the first locating means of said terminal connector extends outwardly from at least one of said blades and from a portion of said connecting portion of said connector.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 1 wherein said block has at least two additional channels in said one face of said block, and a slot extending between, and on a line passing through said two additional channels and at least one channel of said pair of channels.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 1 wherein said block includes at least two additional channels with a slot extending between said two additional channels and a second terminal connector integral with said terminal connector and having at least two additional parallel non-coplanar blades interconnected at their bases, respective blades in said second connector being parallel with respective blades in said terminal connector, the portion of said second connector interconnecting said bases of said blades being received in said slot.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 9 wherein said second connector has means engaging a wall portion of said block located between and separating said two additional channels for locating each of said blades of said second connector centrally within one of said two additional channels.

Claim 12

A terminal block assembly comprising, in combination, a terminal block having a front face, a back face and a plurality of paralleling channels extending through said terminal block between said faces, said channels being aligned in rows to form a lattice arrangement of channels iN said terminal block, a generally U-shaped terminal connector having two spaced apart parallel non-coplanar terminal blades interconnected at their bases, said blades being received into two aligned channels in adjacent rows of said channels, each of said blades having a rib projecting away from the plane of said blade for locating said connector with respect to said block, said back face of said block having an individual locating notch associated with each of said channels, each of said notches extending into said terminal block and opening into its associated channel for receiving said locating rib on said blade to centrally locate said blade in said channel, and a retaining means secured to said back face of said terminal block for holding said terminal blades within said two aligned channels.

Claim 13

A terminal block assembly comprising, in combination, a terminal block having a front face, a back face and a plurality of paralleling channels extending through said terminal block between said faces, said channels being aligned in rows to form a lattice arrangement of channels iN said terminal block, a generally U-shaped terminal connector having two spaced apart parallel non-coplanar terminal blades interconnected at their bases, said blades being received into two aligned channels in adjacent rows of said channels, each of said blades having a rib projecting away from the plane of said blade for locating said connector with respect to said block, said back face of said block having an individual locating notch associated with each of said channels, each of said notches extending into said terminal block and opening into its associated channel for receiving said locating rib on said blade to centrally locate said blade in said channel, and a retaining means secured to said back face of said terminal block for holding said terminal blades within said two aligned channels.

Claim 14

The terminal block assembly of claim 11 wherein said terminal block has a slot extending into said terminal block a predetermined distance from said back face, said slot being located in the area between adjacent channels along said rows of channels, and wherein said assembly includes a spade type terminal connector having a base portion and at least two pairs of terminal blades which are attached to opposite sides of said base portion, said base portion being received in said slot with said blades being received in adjacent apertures in one of said rows of apertures, and wherein said spade type terminal connector has means engaging a wall portion of said block located between and separating said adjacent apertures for centrally locating said blades of said spade type terminal connector in said adjacent apertures.

Claim 15

The terminal block assembly of claim 11 including a U-shaped terminal strip having a base portion and at least two pairs of spaced apart generally parallel terminal blades extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of said base portion, said terminal blades which extend from one side of said base portion being received into adjacent apertures in the same row of said apertures and said terminal blades which extend from the other side of said base portion being received into adjacent apertures in an adjacent row of said apertures, each of said terminal blades of said terminal strip having a rib formed thereon which is received in one of said notches such that said ribs and said notches define means for maintaining said terminal blades of said terminal strip centrally located within said apertures and for preventing sliding movement of said U-shaped terminal strip in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the U.

Claim 16

In a terminal block assembly of the type including a terminal block and one or more terminal connectors, the improvement comprising a terminal block which is adapted to receive a spade type terminal connector, a U-shaped terminal connector and/or a U-shaped terminal strip having at least a pair of blades with locating means extending away from the at least one of the faces of each of said blades, said terminal block having a plurality of paralleling channels communicating with opposite faces of said block, a plurality of notches in one face of said block, one notch for each aperture, each of said notches being alignment with its associated channel and being adapted to receive and engage said locating means on a terminal connector for centrally locating a blade of the connector in said associated channel, and said terminal block having a slot in said one face thereof, said slot extending between at least two of said channels and being adapted to receive the base portion between the pair of blades which are received in said two channels.

Claim 17

In a terminal block assembly of the type including a terminal block and one or more terminal connectors, the improvement comprising a terminal block which is adapted to receive a spade type terminal connector, a U-shaped terminal connector and/or a U-shaped terminal strip having at least a pair of blades with locating means extending away from the at least one of the faces of each of said blades, said terminal block having a plurality of paralleling channels communicating with opposite faces of said block, a plurality of notches in one face of said block, one notch for each aperture, each of said notches being alignment with its associated channel and being adapted to receive and engage said locating means on a terminal connector for centrally locating a blade of the connector in said associated channel, and said terminal block having a slot in said one face thereof, said slot extending between at least two of said channels and being adapted to receive the base portion between the pair of blades which are received in said two channels.

Claim 18

In combination a terminal block and a terminal connector, said connector having at least two spaced apart blades interconnected at their bases, said connector being provided with means projecting away from the plane of at least one of said blades for locating said connector with respect to said block, said terminal block being provided with at least one pair of parallel aperturEs communicating with opposite faces of said block, second locating means on one face of said block and in alignmentwith at least one of said apertures for engaging said projecting locating means of said connector to centrally locate said blades in said apertures, wherein said second locating means of said block is in the form of a notch which extends into said block from said one face thereof and opens into one of said channels, wherein said notches defined by three side walls within said terminal block, two of said side walls extending laterally of said one aperture and inwardly from said one face of said block generally parallel to said one aperture and said remaining side wall which faces said one aperture having at least a portion thereof which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of said one aperture, wherein at least a portion of said remaining side wall facing said channel is inclined and extends between said one face of said block and said portion of said remaining side wall which faces said aperture.

Claim 19

In combination a terminal block and a terminal connector, said connector having at least two spaced apart blades interconnected at their bases, said connector being provided with means projecting away from the plane of at least one of said blades for locating said connector with respect to said block, said terminal block being provided with at least one pair of parallel aperturEs communicating with opposite faces of said block, second locating means on one face of said block and in alignmentwith at least one of said apertures for engaging said projecting locating means of said connector to centrally locate said blades in said apertures, wherein said second locating means of said block is in the form of a notch which extends into said block from said one face thereof and opens into one of said channels, wherein said notches defined by three side walls within said terminal block, two of said side walls extending laterally of said one aperture and inwardly from said one face of said block generally parallel to said one aperture and said remaining side wall which faces said one aperture having at least a portion thereof which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of said one aperture, wherein at least a portion of said remaining side wall facing said channel is inclined and extends between said one face of said block and said portion of said remaining side wall which faces said aperture.

Claim 20

In combination a terminal block and a terminal connector, said connector including at least two spaced apart blades interconnected at their bases, said connector being provided with means projecting laterally of the plane of at least one of said blades for rotating said connector with respect to said block, said terminal block being provided with at least one pair of parallel apertures communicating with opposite faces of said block, means on one face of said block and in alignment with at least one of said apertures for engaging said projecting locating means of said connector to centrally locate said blades in said apertures, wherein the laterally projecting locating means of said terminal connector extends outwardly from at least one of said blades and from a portion of the blade-interconnecting portion of said connector.

Claim 21

In combination a terminal block and a terminal connector, said connector including at least two spaced apart blades interconnected at their bases, said connector being provided with means projecting laterally of the plane of at least one of said blades for rotating said connector with respect to said block, said terminal block being provided with at least one pair of parallel apertures communicating with opposite faces of said block, means on one face of said block and in alignment with at least one of said apertures for engaging said projecting locating means of said connector to centrally locate said blades in said apertures, wherein the laterally projecting locating means of said terminal connector extends outwardly from at least one of said blades and from a portion of the blade-interconnecting portion of said connector.