Patent ID: 6350162
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A resilient contact assembly for biasing a relatively large bare electrical conductor into electrical engagement with a generally linear portion (1a) of a bus bar (1), comprising:(a) a generally d-shaped resilient contact including a clamping leg (4), a contact leg (3) arranged generally normal to said clamping leg, and a connecting leg (2a) connecting said contact leg with said clamping leg, said clamping leg containing a clamping opening (5) for receiving the bus bar linear portion, said clamping opening having a clamping edge (6) remote from said connecting portion, said contact leg being adapted to extend in parallel lateral engagement with the bus bar linear portion and to resiliently bias the clamping leg to displace said clamping edge toward said bus bar; and (b) an auxiliary electrically-conducting contact (7, 17, 27) for electrically connecting the conductor with the bus bar, said auxiliary contact being separate from said resilient contact and the bus bar and including: (1) a generally linear body portion (8) extending within said clamping opening intermediate said contact leg and said clamping edge, said body portion being adapted for lateral parallel arrangement relative to the bus bar linear portion, whereby when the conductor is inserted into said clamping opening between said auxiliary contact body portion and said clamping edge, a first surface portion on the conductor is in electrical contact with said auxiliary contact body portion; and (2) at least one second portion (9a, 9b; 10, 11, 12) arranged to mechanically support the conductor relative to the bus bar and to effect electrical engagement with a second surface portion of the bare conductor.