Electrical snap-in terminal and brush housing and method of assembly

Claim 2

An electrical terminal for a snap-in brush box comprising a unitary blade member having a conductor receiving portion and a brush biasing wall portion, the blade member having a longitudinal dimension and a width dimension with the conductor receiving portion and the brush biasing wall portion being longitudinally separated, the conductor receiving portion having a width dimension larger than the width dimension of the brush biasing wall portion, the brush biasing wall portion including a plurality of finger elements longitudinally directed toward the conductor receiving portion and having free ends extending away from the brush biasing wall portion in proximity to the conductor receiving portion and arranged to be on opposite sides of the blade member so that the free ends of a portion of the finger elements are directed generally away from the free ends of the other finger elements.

Claim 3

The electrical terminal of claim 1 wherein said conductor receiving portion and said brush biasing wall portion have a common surface defining a plane and the longitudinal dimension and the width dimension lie in the defined plane.

Claim 4

The electrical terminal of claim 1 wherein said plurality of finger elements are arranged at the sides of said brush biasing wall portions with their free ends positioned in proximity to, and longitudinally separated from, the conductor receiving portion cooperative with the width dimension to define means for retaining the terminal blade member in an operative position.

Claim 5

The terminal of claim 3 wherein the brush biasing wall portion comprises front and back wall elements interconnected by a substantially 180* fold in the blade member, each of said wall elements having a pair of finger elements with the free ends of the back wall elements being directed away from the front wall and the free ends of the front wall finger elements being directed away from the back wall.

Claim 6

The terminal of claim 2 wherein the conductor receIving portion includes a pair of spacer elements each situated along an edge of the conductor receiving portion, the edges being at the maximum width of the conductor receiving portion, said spacers being arranged to be substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the width of the conductor receiving portion.

Claim 7

The terminal of claim 3 wherein the brush biasing wall portion comprises front and back wall elements interconnected by a substantially 180* fold in the blade member, each of said wall elements having a pair of finger elements with the free ends of the back wall elements being directed away from the front wall and the free ends of the front wall finger elements being directed away from the back wall.

Claim 8

A terminal receiving brush housing comprising a back wall member, and a pair of side wall members arranged to define a brush channel extending in a first direction, the back wall member having means defining a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge, the edges of the slot being directed generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of said pair of sidewall members having a notch formed in the surface of the sidewall remote from the back wall, adjacent the brush channel, said notches having inner and outer edges substantially parallel to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the slot and a pair of cover wall means extending from the side wall members toward one another to at least partially cover the brush channel, said pair of cover wall means having edges forming extensions of the inner edge of the notches.

Claim 9

A terminal receiving brush housing comprising a back wall member, and a pair of side wall members arranged to define a brush channel extending in a first direction, the back wall member having means defining a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge, the edges of the slot being directed generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of said pair of sidewall members having a notch formed in the surface of the sidewall remote from the back wall, adjacent the brush channel, said notches having inner and outer edges substantially parallel to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the slot and a pair of cover wall means extending from the side wall members toward one another to at least partially cover the brush channel, said pair of cover wall means having edges forming extensions of the inner edge of the notches.

Claim 10

A brush housing and terminal assembly comprising in combination: a housing comprising a back wall member, and a pair of side wall members arranged to define a brush channel extending in a first direction, the back wall member having means defining a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge, the edges of the slot being directed generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of said pair of side wall members having a notch formed in the surface of the sidewall remote from the back wall, adjacent the brush channel, said notches having inner and outer edges substantially parallel to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the slot and a pair of cover wall means extend from the side wall members toward one another to at least partially cover the brush channel, said pair of cover wall means having edges forming extensions of the inner edge of the notches; and a terminal member comprising a unitary blade member having a conductor receiving portion and a brush biasing wall portion, the blade member having a longitudinal dimension and a width dimension with the conductor receiving portion and the brush biasing wall portion being longitudinally separated, the conductor receiving portion having a width dimension larger than the width dimension of the brush biasing wall portion, the brush biasing wall portion including a plurality of finger elements longitudinally directed toward the conductor receiving portion and having free ends extending away from the brush biasing wall portion in proximity to the conductor receiving portion and arranged to be on opposite sides of the blade member so that the free ends of a portion of the finger elements are directed generally away from the free ends of the other finger elements whereby at least a portion of the free ends of said plurality of finger elements engage said cover wall means and said enlarged width dimension is received within said notches.

Claim 11

A brush housing and terminal assembly comprising in combination: a housing comprising a back wall member, and a pair of side wall members arranged to define a brush channel extending in a first direction, the back wall member having means defining a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge, the edges of the slot being directed generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of said pair of side wall members having a notch formed in the surface of the sidewall remote from the back wall, adjacent the brush channel, said notches having inner and outer edges substantially parallel to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the slot and a pair of cover wall means extend from the side wall members toward one another to at least partially cover the brush channel, said pair of cover wall means having edges forming extensions of the inner edge of the notches; and a terminal member comprising a unitary blade member having a conductor receiving portion and a brush biasing wall portion, the blade member having a longitudinal dimension and a width dimension with the conductor receiving portion and the brush biasing wall portion being longitudinally separated, the conductor receiving portion having a width dimension larger than the width dimension of the brush biasing wall portion, the brush biasing wall portion including a plurality of finger elements longitudinally directed toward the conductor receiving portion and having free ends extending away from the brush biasing wall portion in proximity to the conductor receiving portion and arranged to be on opposite sides of the blade member so that the free ends of a portion of the finger elements are directed generally away from the free ends of the other finger elements whereby at least a portion of the free ends of said plurality of finger elements engage said cover wall means and said enlarged width dimension is received within said notches.

Claim 12

The assembly of claim 8 wherein the brush biasing wall portion comprises front and back wall elements interconnected by a substantially 180* fold in the blade member, each of said wall elements having a pair of finger elements with the free ends of the back wall elements being directd away from the front wall and the free ends of the front wall finger elements being directed away from the back wall whereby said 180* fold is received within said slot.

Claim 13

The assembly of claim 8 wherein the conductor receiving portion includes a pair of spacer elements each situated along an edge of the conductor receiving portion, the edges being at the maximum width of the conductor receiving portion, said spacers being arranged to be substantially parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the width of the conductor receiving portion whereby said spacer elements are received within said notches to substantially immobilize said terminal within said housing.

Claim 14

A terminal receiving brush housing comprising a back wall member, and a pair of side wall members arranged to define a brush channel extending in a first direction, the back wall member having means defining a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge, the edges of the slot being directed generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of said pair of sidewall members having a notch formed in the surface of the sidewall remote from the back wall, adjacent the brush channel, said notches having inner and outer edges substantially parallel to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the slot, said outer edge of the slot and the outer edges of the notches lying in a common plane, said common plane being generally perpendicular to the first direction, and a pair of cover wall means extend from the side wall members toward one another to at least partially cover the brush channel, said pair of cover wall means having edges forming extensions of the inner edge of the notches.

Claim 15

A terminal receiving brush housing comprising a back wall member, and a pair of side wall members arranged to define a brush channel extending in a first direction, the back wall member having means defining a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge, the edges of the slot being directed generally perpendicular to the first direction, each of said pair of sidewall members having a notch formed in the surface of the sidewall remote from the back wall, adjacent the brush channel, said notches having inner and outer edges substantially parallel to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the slot, said outer edge of the slot and the outer edges of the notches lying in a common plane, said common plane being generally perpendicular to the first direction, and a pair of cover wall means extend from the side wall members toward one another to at least partially cover the brush channel, said pair of cover wall means having edges forming extensions of the inner edge of the notches.