Snap-on cover for bobbin-wound coil assembly

Claim 1

In a bobbin-wound electrical coil assembly having a plurality of lead-exit slots in one or both of the bobbin end flanges, some of the slots containing insulated electrical leads and others of the slots being unused, the slots being narrower than the diameter of the insulated leads so that the insulation on the leads is compressed as the leads are inserted into those slots being used so as to enable the leads to resist a pulling force applied thereto, an improved cover therefor comprising: a relatively rigid U-shaped member comprising a central portion and side walls integral with said central portion and extending downwardly therefrom; a plurality of flexible legs extending downwardly from said central portion and cooperative with leg-retaining openings in the bobbin end flanges for providing snap-on engagement between the cover and said bobbin end flanges, said legs being adapted to be deflected inwardly by said bobbin end flanges prior to said engagement; a plurality of tabs extending downwardly from said central portion and spaced inwardly from an outer edge thereof so as to be in alignment with the bobbin end flange slots inwardly of said bobbin end flanges; those of said tabs aligned with the slots containing leads being displaced when said cover is snapped on to said bobbin end flanges, said cover being effective to retain said leads in said slots containing leads; those of said tabs aligned with the unused slots being undisplaced and effective to cover said unused slots; each of said side walls including guide rails cooperative with said bobbin end flanges for initially aligning said cover with said bobbin end flanges and for subsequently applying an outward force to portions thereof; and said outward force being effective, prior to said engagement, for minimizing the amount of said inward deflection of said flexible legs and, after engagement, for preventing said cover from being easily removed in the event of a minimum amount of engagement of said flexible legs in said leg-retaining openings.