Terminal mount for an electrical device

Claim 2

A terminal mount for an electrical device having a generally cup-shaped dielectric housing base member having an interior base floor and a wall rising from a peripheral portion of the base floor with the wall having an aperture through which a terminal may extend between the interior and exterior of the electrical device, said terminal mount comprising a step rising from said base floor and extending from said wall adjacent said aperture, said step having a recess in the top surface thereof and a trough communicating from said recess to the periphery of said step whereby a terminal may be extended through the aperture with a planar surface of the terminal overlaying the step and with a terminal tab projecting down into the recess, and the terminal secured to the mount by a thermosetting adhesive disposed within the recess in contact with the terminal tab and with excess thermosetting adhesive flowing from the recess through the trough towards the periphery of the step and the base floors.

Claim 3

A terminal mount in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dielectric housing base member is formed of a moldable phenolic resin.

Claim 4

A terminal mount in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thermosetting adhesive is an epoxy resin.

Claim 5

A terminal mount in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said top surface of said step is substantially coplanar with a surface of said wall partially defining said aperture, whereby a planar surface of a terminal may be disposed upon the coplanar surfaces over at least portions of the recess and trough.

Claim 6

An electrical device comprising a hollow dielectric base having an interior floor and walls encompassing the periphery of said floor, a dielectric cover, means securing together said Dielectric base and cover, one of said walls defining an aperture, a step rising from said base floor and extending from said one wall adjacent said aperture, a recess within the top surface of said step, a conduit extending from said recess to the periphery of said step, a terminal extending through said aperture and overlaying at least a portion of said recess with a tab formed integrally with said terminal projecting into said recess, and a thermosetting adhesive within said recess in intimate contact with said tab.

Claim 7

An electrical device comprising a hollow dielectric base having an interior floor and walls encompassing the periphery of said floor, a dielectric cover, means securing together said Dielectric base and cover, one of said walls defining an aperture, a step rising from said base floor and extending from said one wall adjacent said aperture, a recess within the top surface of said step, a conduit extending from said recess to the periphery of said step, a terminal extending through said aperture and overlaying at least a portion of said recess with a tab formed integrally with said terminal projecting into said recess, and a thermosetting adhesive within said recess in intimate contact with said tab.

Claim 8

An electrical device in accordance with claim 5 comprising a layer of thermosetting adhesive disposed between the top surface of said step and said terminal.

Claim 9

A thermostatic switch comprising a dielectric base; a dielectric cover; and means securing together said base and cover; said dielectric base having a floor, a centrally located projection extending upwardly from said floor, a plurality of steps extending upwardly from said floor, and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said floor to form a cavity encompassing said centrally located projection; said thermostatic switch further comprising a plurality of conductive terminals mounted on said plurality of steps with tabs formed integrally with said terminals extending into recesses within said steps from which recesses troughs extend to the periphery of said steps and into which recesses thermosetting adhesive is placed securing said terminals to said steps with excess thermosetting adhesive flowing through said troughs towards the periphery of said steps and said base floor during manufacture; at least one fixed switch contact mounted atop one of said terminals; a thermoresponsive element adjustably mounted above said centrally located projection; and at least one mobile switch contact mounted to said thermoresponsive element to make and break with said fixed switch contact upon actuation of said thermoresponsive element.

Claim 10

A thermostatic switch comprising a dielectric base; a dielectric cover; and means securing together said base and cover; said dielectric base having a floor, a centrally located projection extending upwardly from said floor, a plurality of steps extending upwardly from said floor, and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said floor to form a cavity encompassing said centrally located projection; said thermostatic switch further comprising a plurality of conductive terminals mounted on said plurality of steps with tabs formed integrally with said terminals extending into recesses within said steps from which recesses troughs extend to the periphery of said steps and into which recesses thermosetting adhesive is placed securing said terminals to said steps with excess thermosetting adhesive flowing through said troughs towards the periphery of said steps and said base floor during manufacture; at least one fixed switch contact mounted atop one of said terminals; a thermoresponsive element adjustably mounted above said centrally located projection; and at least one mobile switch contact mounted to said thermoresponsive element to make and break with said fixed switch contact upon actuation of said thermoresponsive element.

Claim 11

In a thermostatic switch means for mounting an electrically conductive terminal to a molded dielectric housing member, said mounting means comprising an electrically conductive terminal having a substantially planar surface from which a tab projects; a molded dielectric housing having a base member defining a cavity and a raised step partially bounding said cavity; said raised step having a substantially planar top surface, a recess in said planar top surface, and a trough extending from said recess to said cavity; said terminal being mounted atop said raised step with said substantially planar terminal surface upon said substantially planar step top surface and with said terminal tab projecting into said recess; whereby a thermosetting adhesive may be poured into said recess to secure said terminal tab to said step with any excess adhesive flowing through said trough towards said cavity prior to setting of the adhesive during switch manufacture.

Claim 12

In a thermostatic switch means for mounting an electrically conductive terminal to a molded dielectric housing member, said mounting means comprising an electrically conductive terminal having a substantially planar surface from which a tab projects; a molded dielectric housing having a base member defining a cavity and a raised step partially bounding said cavity; said raised step having a substantially planar top surface, a recess in said planar top surface, and a trough extending from said recess to said cavity; said terminal being mounted atop said raised step with said substantially planar terminal surface upon said substantially planar step top surface and with said terminal tab projecting into said recess; whereby a thermosetting adhesive may be poured into said recess to secure said terminal tab to said step with any excess adhesive flowing through said trough towards said cavity prior to setting of the adhesive during switch manufacture.

Claim 13

A terminal mount for an electrical device having a housing with a pair of interconnecting walls and terminal means extending through one of the walls, the terminal mount comprising means in the housing for supporting the terminal means, flowable adhesive means for securing engagement between the supporting means and terminal means, and means for channeling excess adhesive means from the supporting means to the other of the walls.

Claim 14

A terminal mount for an electrical device having a housing with a pair of interconnecting walls and terminal means extending through one of the walls, the terminal mount comprising means in the housing for supporting the terminal means, flowable adhesive means for securing engagement between the supporting means and terminal means, and means for channeling excess adhesive means from the supporting means to the other of the walls.

Claim 15

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a surface on the supporting means to which the terminal means is adhered, the surface being spaced above the other wall.

Claim 16

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 10, wherein the channeling means is disposed between the surface and the other wall.

Claim 17

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 11, wherein the channeling means comprises groove means in the support means between the surface and the other wall.

Claim 18

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 9, wherein the channeling means comprises groove means in the suppport means.

Claim 19

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 9, further comprising recess Means in the support means in which the adhesive means is disposed, the channeling means being connected with at least a portion of the recess means.

Claim 20

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 14, wherein the terminal means comprises means extending into the recess means for securing engagement with the adhesive means therein.

Claim 21

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 15, further comprising a surface on the supporting means on which the terminal means is seated, and the recess means intersecting with the surface.

Claim 22

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 16, wherein the adhesive means is adhered between at least a portion of the surface and the terminal means seated thereon, and the channeling means also intersects with the surface.

Claim 23

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 9, wherein the supporting means is integral with at least one of the one and other walls.

Claim 24

A terminal mount as set forth in claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the other wall defines sump means for the collection of the excess adhesive means therein.

Claim 25

An electrical device comprising a housing having a chamber therein, terminal means extending into the chamber, means on the housing for supporting the terminal means within the chamber, flowable adhesive means for setting in securing engagement between the supporting means and terminal means, and means in the supporting means for conveying excess adhesive means prior to the setting thereof into a portion of the chamber defining a sump for the collection of the excess adhesive means.

Claim 26

An electrical device comprising a housing having a chamber therein, terminal means extending into the chamber, means on the housing for supporting the terminal means within the chamber, flowable adhesive means for setting in securing engagement between the supporting means and terminal means, and means in the supporting means for conveying excess adhesive means prior to the setting thereof into a portion of the chamber defining a sump for the collection of the excess adhesive means.

Claim 27

An electrical device as set forth in claim 20, further comprising means in the supporting means for receiving the adhesive means, and the conveying means communicating with the receiving means.

Claim 28

An electrical device as set forth in claim 20, further comprising means on the supporting means for seating the terminal means, the adhesive means being set in securing engagement between at least portions of the terminal means and the seating means, respectively.

Claim 29

An electrical device as set forth in claim 22, further comprising recess means in the supporting means intersecting with the seating means and in which adhesive means is received, and the conveying means intersecting with both the seating means and recess means.

Claim 30

An electrical device as set forth in claim 22, wherein the seating means is predeterminately spaced above the sump.

Claim 31

An electrical device as set forth in claim 21, wherein the conveying means comprises groove means having an end portion intersecting with the receiving means and an opposite end portion for communication with the sump.

Claim 32

An electrical device as set forth in claim 21, further comprising means on the terminal means extending into the receiving means in securing engagement with the adhesive means therein upon the setting of the adhesive means.

Claim 33

An electrical device as set forth in claim 26, wherein the extending means comprises a tab connected with the terminal means and having a free end portion within the receiving means.

Claim 34

Means for mounting a conductive terminal means to a dielectric housing means comprising means integral with the housing means including means for supporting the terminal means within the housing means, means in the housing for collecting excess flowable adhesive means adapted for hardening in securing engagement between the supporting means and terminal means, and means disposed in the integral means for conveying the excess adhesive means from the supporting means to the collecting means.

Claim 35

Means for mounting a conductive terminal means to a dielectric housing means comprising means integral with the housing means including means for supporting the terminal means within the housing means, means in the housing for collecting excess flowable adhesive means adapted for hardening in securing engagement between the supporting means and terminal means, and means disposed in the integral means for conveying the excess adhesive means from the supporting means to the collecting means.

Claim 36

A mounting means as set forth in claim 28, wherein the collecting means comprises at least one wall of the housing means predeterminately spaced from the supporting means.

Claim 37

A mounting means as set forth in claim 28, wherein the supporting means comprises a surface on the integral means elevated relative to the collecting means, the adhesive means being respectively secured with at least a portion of the surface and the terminal means.

Claim 38

A mounting means aS set forth in claim 28, wherein the conveying means comprises groove means.

Claim 39

A mounting means as set forth in claim 28, further comprising other means disposed in the integral means and communicating with the supporting means for collecting the adhesive means prior to the hardening thereof, and the conveying means communicating with at least a portion of the other means.

Claim 40

A mounting means as set forth in claim 32, further comprising means on the terminal means and extending into the other means for securing engagement with the adhesive means therein upon the hardening of the adhesive means.

Claim 41

A mounting means as set forth in claim 28, wherein the housing means includes at least a pair of interconnecting wall means, the integral means being integral with at least one of the wall means and at least one of the wall means defining the collecting means.

Claim 42

A mounting means as set forth in claim 34, further comprising aperture means in one of the wall means through which the terminal means extends exteriorly of the housing means.

Claim 43

A mounting means as set forth in claim 35, wherein the supporting means comprises a surface on which the terminal means is seated, and a portion of the surface defining a portion of the aperture means.

Claim 44

A mounting means as set forth in claim 36, further comprising recess means disposed in the integral means adjacent the aperture means and intersecting with the surface for collecting adhesive means therein.

Claim 45

A mounting means as set forth in claim 37, wherein the conveying means comprises a trough having an upper end portion intersecting with both the surface and the recess means and a lower end portion communicating with the collecting means for emptying thereinto the excess adhesive means.

Claim 46

A mounting means as set forth in claim 37, further comprising tab means on the terminal means having at least a portion extending into the recess means into securing engagement with hardened adhesive means therein thereby to prevent displacement of the tab means from the recess means.