EP1065762A1 - Connector assembly for male electrical contact - Google Patents

Abstract

Lug (18) comprises stamp (24) defining an oversize allowance on one of its sides, and a hole on its other side. Interconnecting elements include conductive blades such as blade comprising two elongated holes. The dimensions of the elongated holes are such that blades are attached with clearance on the free end of lug, and attached tightly around the oversize. Independent claims are also included for a timer, and for a method for connecting an electric conductor to a male electric lug.

Description

The present invention relates to a connection assembly for connect an electrical conductor to a male electrical terminal of a electrical device, an interconnection assembly comprising such an connection assembly, a timer comprising such an assembly of connection or interconnection, as well as a method of connection to connect an electrical conductor to a male electrical terminal an electrical device.

The invention relates more particularly to such a set of connection in which said male electrical terminals are formed of a blade of electrically conductive material, said assembly comprising at least one connection member made of material also electrically conductive having at least one orifice elongated in shape corresponding to a cross section of a pod.

We know electrical devices, and more particularly electromechanical, fitted with electrical lugs for mounting and connection, for example in the area of timers for household appliances such as dishwasher, washing machine or tumble dryer.

Such a mounting and connection terminal is constituted by a rigid copper blade which allows the mounting of the timer on a printed circuit also receiving the electronic components necessary for the operation of the different engines or device solenoid valves.

These timers switch power lines over time connected to the mounting and connection lugs in different electrical states. In general, there are three of these states: an inverter with one input and two outputs and an open state.

Manufacturers of devices incorporating these timers should connect the lines to the timers terminals. To decrease the number of wires, we create multiple connecting bridges for the inputs or timer outputs that are at the same potential at the same instant. These are interconnections.

We can also be led to connect to one of these lugs a power wire for the timer motor.

Several techniques are currently used to perform these connections or interconnections.

We can first use connected female lugs between them by conductive wires and mounted on the male lugs to interconnect. Several wires can be connected to the same terminal female, allowing multiple interconnections between terminals connectors as well as connections of these terminals to an electrical circuit. This solution has the disadvantage of being expensive for the user.

It is also known to make the interconnections using conductive tracks formed on one or both sides faces of the aforementioned printed circuit, soldered on the lugs. This solution is also expensive, especially in terms of checking the soldering, when the number of connections to be made is low.

Another solution is to make the connections using metal bridges with orifices in which the lugs connect are forcibly engaged. The disadvantage here is to form scratches on the connection parts of the terminals, which prevents the use of connectors of the soft plug type because, the pressure contact is weak, scratches prevent good contact between the connector and the terminal.

In order to avoid this latter drawback, it has also been proposed use metal bridges that pinch the edge of the terminal to avoid, as far as possible, scratching the central area of connection. However, the contacts between the bridge and the terminals are then punctual, so that, for strong currents, it is necessary to stack several bridges of this type.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

To this end, the invention firstly relates to a set of connection to connect an electrical conductor to a terminal electric male of an electric device, said terminal being formed a blade of electrically conductive material and said assembly comprising at least one connection member made of material electrically conductive comprising at least one elongated opening of shape corresponding to a cross section of a terminal, characterized by the fact that said terminal has an extra thickness on at least one of its faces in its part furthest from its free end and that the dimensions of said orifice are such that said connection member engages with play on the free end of the lug and tightly on said excess thickness.

The free end of the terminal forms the connection area for the user of the electrical device, for example the timer. Due to the fact that the connection member engages with play in this area, no scratch is to be feared. It is only when the organ of connection arrives in the pod area furthest from its free end that it meets the excess thickness on which it can then hang on.

In a particular embodiment, said allowance has an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction of the terminal.

Also in a particular embodiment, said extra thickness has increasing thickness from its edge closest to the free end of the terminal.

The tightening of the connection member on the terminal is thus progressive. In particular, good contact is ensured between the connection and the terminal, which is done on the one hand over the entire width of the opposite of the terminal opposite the extra thickness, as well as on a certain width of this extra thickness due to a deformation of the edge of the opening of the connection member. We therefore avoid the need to use several superimposed connection members.

Said allowance may be formed by a stamping and then corresponds to a hollow on the opposite face of the terminal.

It will be observed that such a connection set can be used either for the interconnection of two male terminals, or for the connection of a male terminal to a wire, for example for power of a timer motor.

The invention therefore also relates to an assembly such as described above in which said connection member comprises means for crimping an electrical conductor.

The invention also relates to a set interconnection to connect electrical terminals plugs of an electrical device, characterized in that it comprises at least two connection assemblies as described above, the connecting members of the two assemblies being made of single piece.

The invention also relates to a timer, in particular for household appliances, characterized in that it includes electrical lugs with connection assemblies or interconnection as described above.

The invention also relates to a method for connecting an electrical conductor to a male electrical terminal of a device electric, said terminal being formed from a blade of material electrically conductive, said method comprising the step consisting in forming at least one connection member made of material electrically conductive comprising at least one elongated opening of shape corresponding to a cross section of a terminal, characterized in that it further comprises the steps consisting in stamp the said terminal to form an additional thickness on one of its faces in its part furthest from the free end of the terminal, and forming said orifices so that their dimension is such that the connection member engages with play on the free end of the terminal and tightly on said excess thickness.

• la figure 1 est une vue partielle en coupe transversale d'une minuterie munie d'ensembles de connexion selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue à beaucoup plus grande échelle d'une partie d'une telle minuterie ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de face d'une cosse utilisée dans une telle minuterie ;
• la figure 4 en est une vue de côté partiellement en coupe selon la ligne IV-IV de la figure 3 ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne V-V de la figure 3 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe à plus grande échelle du détail VI de la figure 4 ; et
• les figures 7a à 7d sont des vues en perspective illustrant le procédé selon l'invention.

We will now describe, by way of nonlimiting example, particular embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended schematic drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a timer provided with connection assemblies according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a much larger view of part of such a timer;
• Figure 3 is a front view of a terminal used in such a timer;
• Figure 4 is a side view partially in section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a sectional view along line VV of Figure 3;
• Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of detail VI of Figure 4; and
• Figures 7a to 7d are perspective views illustrating the method according to the invention.

We see in Figure 1 a timer 1 comprising so known in a housing 2, a plurality of levers 3, 4, 5 mounted respectively on axes of rotation 6, 7, and 8.

These levers include cam follower fingers 9, 10 and 11. The cam follower fingers 9, 10 and 11 cooperate with rotating cams not shown driven in rotation by a electric motor in a known manner.

At one end opposite to the cam follower fingers 9, 10 and 11, the levers 3, 4, 5 have operating pins 12, 13 and 14 arranged to cooperate with elastic contact blades 15, 16 and 17 respectively.

Timer 1 also has a number of male lugs 18 fixedly mounted in any suitable manner, integral with the housing 2. Each contact blade 15, 16 and 17 has one of its ends fixedly connected to one of the lugs 18 and its other end is provided with a contact 19, 20 on each of its faces, arranged to cooperate with a corresponding contact formed on each of the lugs opposite.

For example, we see in Figure 1 the lever 3 in a position such that the contact blade 15 is in position elastically relaxed so that it provides electrical contact between the terminal 181 to which its fixed end is connected and a pod 182.

In another position of the lever 3, the end contact of the blade 15 would be in an intermediate position between the terminal 182 and the adjacent lug 183 so that the circuit would be open. This is the situation in which the contact blade 16 is found.

Finally, in a third position of the lever 3, the blade contact 15 would be in a state of maximum stress and would ensure the connection between terminal 181 and terminal 183. This is the situation of the contact blade 17.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show on a large scale a terminal 18.

This terminal is made from a rigid brass blade of generally elongated rectangular shape.

The free end of the terminal 18 is tapered at 21 to allow easy engagement of a corresponding female terminal. The pod 18 also comprises two recesses 22 to allow its mounting on one face 23 of the housing 2.

The terminal 18 also has, in its transverse part middle, a stamped 24 forming an extra thickness 25 on one of its faces and a hollow 26 on its other face.

The part of the allowance 25 closest to the end free 21 of the terminal 18 has a thickness which increases from its start closest to this end 21. We see in Figure 6 the inclined plane 27 (in fact substantially a half truncated cone) by which the additional thickness 25 is connected to the surface of the terminal 18.

Finally, we see in Figures 3 and 4 the electrical contact 28 of the terminal, formed of a stamped 29 produced simultaneously with the stamped 24, covered on the side where it is in relief with a contact metal 30.

We will now describe the connections between a terminal 18 and a supply conductor, as well as the interconnections between lugs 18.

We see in Figure 7b a number of modes of production of interconnection members 31 according to the invention, capable of cooperating with male lugs 32 such as those in Figure 7a.

The lugs 32 are arranged in a matrix arrangement in rows and columns.

The interconnection members 31 consist of blades cut conductors such as blade 33 having two elongated orifices 34 of shape generally corresponding to the cross section of a terminal 32. The two orifices 34 are here parallel and side by side transversely.

The dimensions of an orifice 34 are such that the connection 31 is engaged with play on the free end of the terminal 32 and tightly on the extra thickness 25.

Other forms of interconnection devices are shown in Figure 7b.

For example, the member 35 has three holes 36 for three male lugs, but which are here aligned with respect to their dimension longitudinal.

In the case of the member 37, the orifices 38 are formed in staggered.

Of course, any other combination, including cases can be considered.

FIG. 7b also shows connection members 39 between a terminal and an electrical conductor wire. Such an organ of connection behaves like interconnection devices previously described an elongated orifice 40, as well as wings 41 likely by folding to ensure the crimping of a conductor electric not shown.

Figures 7a to 7b illustrate the different stages of a process for mounting the connection members which have just been described on all of the male electrical terminals 32.

This assembly uses an insulating intermediate plate 42 and a template 43.

The intermediate plate 42 has orifices 44 allowing a sliding mounting of the lugs 32 in the end part of these last, then tightening on the extra thicknesses 25. An orifice is provided for each terminal.

The intermediate plate 42 is also provided with recesses such as 45 in which the interconnection 31 or connection 39 bodies. Cut-outs 46 are planned to communicate with the outside the recesses intended to receive the connection members 39, of so as to allow the passage of the crimping means 41 and flexible threads.

The recesses 45 may comprise several stages such than 47 and 48 to receive several connecting members or overlapping interconnections such as 35 and 49 respectively.

The template 43 also includes recesses 50 allowing to receive other connecting members or interconnection such as 51.

The assembly of the assembly which has just been described is carried out from the next way.

The connection 31 and interconnection members 39 are all first set up in their respective recesses 45 of the intermediate plate 42. The sub-assembly thus formed is then engaged on the lugs 32 to the stop position shown in Figure 1.

The members 51 are then arranged in their recesses 50, after which the template 43 is in turn engaged on the lugs 32.

Finally, the template 43 is removed, leaving the members 51 in place, the intermediate plate 42 and the members 31 and 39.

The organs 31, 39 and 51 are held in place due to the extra thicknesses of the terminals 32 which are adjusted tightly in the orifices such as 34 and 36. In addition, the organs such as 51 retain the intermediate plate 42.

In another embodiment of the mounting method, we start by placing the connection elements 31 in the template 43, then the plate 42 is put in place. We then set up the connections 31 in the plate 42, and the timer with its lugs 32 is engaged in the whole thus achieved.

It will be observed that the assembly with clearance of the plate intermediate on the end parts of the terminals 32 then the tightening on the extra thicknesses alone allows the maintenance mechanical. It also provides electrical insulation between connecting members.

It will also be noted that the intermediate plate could be flat, that is to say not to include the recesses 45. The mold making the plate would be that much simplified, but it would to the detriment of the insulation between the connecting members, which does not would be more separated than by air.

Claims (8)

Connection assembly for connecting a conductor electrical to a male electrical terminal (18; 32) of a device electric, said terminal being formed from a blade of material electrically conductive and said assembly comprising at least one connection member (31; 39; 51) of electrically material conductor having at least one elongated hole (34; 36; 38; 40) of shape corresponding to a cross section of a terminal, characterized by the fact that said terminal has an extra thickness (25) on at least one of its faces in its part farthest from its free end and that the dimensions of said orifice are such that said connection member engages with play on the free end of the terminal and tightly on said excess thickness. Connection assembly according to claim 1, in wherein said allowance has an elongated shape in the direction longitudinal of the terminal. Connection assembly according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said allowance has a increasing thickness from its edge closest to the free end of the terminal. Connection assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said allowance is formed of a stamped and corresponds to a hollow (26) on the opposite side of the pod. Connection assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said connecting member comprises means (41) for crimping an electrical conductor. Interconnection assembly, to connect male electrical terminals of an electrical device, characterized by fact that it includes at least two connection sets according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the connecting members two sets being made in one piece. Timer, especially for household appliances, characterized by the fact that it includes electrical terminals provided with connection or interconnection assemblies according to one any of claims 1 to 6. Method for connecting an electrical conductor to a male electrical terminal of an electrical device, said terminal being formed of a blade of electrically conductive material, said method comprising the step of forming at least one organ of connection in electrically conductive material comprising at minus one elongated orifice corresponding to a cross section cross-section of a terminal, characterized in that it comprises in addition to the steps of stamping said terminal to form a extra thickness on one of its faces in its part furthest from the free end of the terminal, and to form said orifices so that their size is such that the connection member engages with play on the free end of the terminal and tightly on said extra thickness.

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