Patent ID: 11936146
Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC USA, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 3:
4. A finger cluster connector for sliding electrical connection to a rail conductor, comprising:
a conductor portion formed from a single plate of conductive material folded along a principal direction to form a generally U-shaped body having first and second sides, with respective legs of the U-shaped body on the first and second sides having mutually facing parallel surfaces, each of the legs being divided into a plurality of finger sections mutually separated by slots, each of the plurality of finger sections extending in length in a direction orthogonal to the principal direction, with distal ends of the finger sections forming the mutually facing parallel surfaces of the legs on the first and second sides separated by a separation distance forming a constricted passage, and an end finger section on one end of the first and second sides having mutually facing surfaces on the distal ends of the end finger sections forming lead-in alignment surfaces for the constricted passage;
wherein the lead-in alignment surfaces formed by the end finger sections of the conductor portion align a rail conductor for entry into the constricted passage as the conductor portion slides along the rail conductor in a direction orthogonal to the length of the plurality of finger sections.