Grounding clip and system

Abstract: A grounding clip (20) has a generally U-shape spring clamp (30) having first and second opposing walls (32,34) extending from a curved base portion (36) thereof. The first and second walls each having a leading edge portion (33,35) opposite the curved base portion (36). The spring clamp (30) fastenable to a panel (10) with the curved base portion (36) disposed over the panel edge (14). The first wall (32) of the spring clamp (30) is adjacent one side (12) of the panel (10) and the second wall is adjacent the other side of the panel (10). A wire fastening member (40), preferably of the crimping type, extends from first wall (32) of the spring clamp (30) between the curved base portion (36) and the leading edge portion (35) thereof. When the spring clamp (30) is fastened to the panel (10), the wire fastening member (40) and a wire (2) fastened thereto are adjacent the corresponding side (12) of the panel (10) and spaced apart from the panel edge (14), whereby, at most, only the curved base portion (36) of the grounding clip (20) protrudes beyond the panel edge (14).

Description: The invention relates generally to fasteners, and more particularly to electrical conductor grounding clips and systems. Grounding clips, referred to also as ground terminals, are known generally and used widely, for example to fasten electrical conductors or wires to conductive appliance panels while providing an electrical contact therebetween. Known grounding clips comprise generally a U-shaped panel contact section, and a wire contact section disposed adjacent to a curved portion or bight of the panel contact section opposite an open end thereof. In other grounding clips, the wire contact section extends axially from the bight of the clip. It is known also to provide one or more barbs protruding from inner sides of the panel contact section to provide unproved electrical contact with the panel. See, for example, US-A-3,686,609; US-A-4,993,959; and US-A-5,451,167. The prior art grounding clips discussed above however have the disadvantage that portions of the clip and the wire fastened thereto protrude substantially from an edge of the panel upon installation of the clip thereon since the wire is crimped or otherwise fastened adjacent to or protruding from the bight of the clip. This configuration severely limits the range of applications for which the grounding clip may be used, for example it is not possible to place a lid or cover on the panel edge where the clip is fastened because the protruding wire and portions of the clip form a substantial obstruction. Other known grounding clips fasten the wire between pairs of upstanding blades protruding from the panel contact section thus locating the wire away from the bight, see, for example, US-A-5,451,167 and FR-A-2697060, which is considered as the closest prior art. With these prior art grounding clips however the wire and upstanding blades protrude substantially from a side of the panel to which the clip is fastened, which protrusion is not always desirable, for example in applications where space is limited or where protruding obstructions are intolerable. Grounding clips having this configuration also require substantial amounts of raw material, are heavy, are not always manufacturable in strip form, and are relatively costly. The present invention is drawn toward advancements in the art of grounding clips and systems. According to this invention a grounding clip comprising a generally U-shape spring clamp having first and second opposing walls extending from a curved base portion thereof, the curved base portion defining a longitudinal axis; the first and second walls each having a leading edge portion opposite the curved base portion, the first and second walls each having opposing inner and outer sides, the inner side of the first wall facing the inner side of the second wall, the first and second walls each having opposing ends between the curved base portion and the leading edge portions thereof; and, a wire fastening member extending from an end of the first wall between the curved base portion of the spring clamp and the leading edge portion thereof; is characterised in that, in use, the wire fastening member is bent around to crimp onto a wire and, when bent, defines a longitudinal axis parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the base portion, and in that a portion of the wire fastening member is co-planar with the first wall. When the spring clamp is fastened to the panel, the wire fastening member and wire fastened thereto are adjacent the corresponding side of the panel and spaced apart from the panel edge. In this way portions of the clip and the electrical conductor fastened thereto do not protrude substantially from the panel to which the clip is fastened. A particular embodiment in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a grounding clip system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the grounding clip system FIG. 1 viewed along lines I - I; FIG. 3 is an end view of a grounding clip according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a side view of the grounding clip of FIG. 3; and, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a grounding clip manufactured in strip form. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a grounding clip system comprising generally a conductive panel 10 and a grounding clip 20 fastened thereto while providing preferably an electrical contact between a conductive wire 2 fastened to the clip and the conductive panel. The conductive panel 10 may be part of an appliance or some other article, for example in an electrical control application, and comprises opposing sides 11 and 12 and a panel edge 14 therebetween. In the exemplary embodiment, the panel 10 has a recessed edge portion 15 having a length along the panel edge 14 greater than or at least as long as the length of the clip 20 to permit recessing all or portions of the clip 20 below the panel edge 14, as discussed further below. More generally, the panel 10 does not have a recessed edge portion, and in those applications or systems only an insubstantial portion of the clip 20 protrudes from the panel edge 14. In FIG. 1, the grounding clip 20 comprises a generally U-shape spring clamp 30 fastened to the panel 10, and a wire fastening member 40 extending therefrom to which the wire 2 is fastened, as discussed further below. In FIG. 2, the spring clamp 30 comprises generally first and second opposing walls 32 and 34 extending from opposing sides of a curved base portion 36, or bight, thereof. The first and second walls 32 and 34 each have a leading edge portion 33 and 35, respectively, forming an open end of the spring clamp opposite the bight 36 thereof. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the first and second walls 32 and 34 each comprise opposing inner and outer sides, the inner side of the first wall facing the inner side of the second wall. In FIGS. 1 and 4, the first and second walls each have opposing ends 37 and 38 between the curved base portion 36 and the leading edge portions 33 and 35 thereof, thus forming opposing ends of the spring clamp 30. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the spring clamp 30 is fastened to the panel 10 with the curved base portion 36 of the spring clamp disposed over the panel edge 14 or 15, depending on the panel configuration, the first wall 32 adjacent one side of the panel, and the second wall 34 adjacent the other side of the panel. In some embodiments, one or both of the leading edge portions of the spring clip are configured to diverge outwardly, thereby easing initial installation of the open end of the clip about the panel. Also, in some embodiments, one or both of the first and second side walls of the spring clamp may converge from the bight toward the other to facilitate clamping action when the spring clamp is disposed about the panel, for example the walls may have a skewed chevron shape, so that the spacing between portions of the walls is less that the thickness of the panel. Spring clamp walls having one or more outwardly diverging leading portions are particularly desirable in embodiments where the spacing between portions of the opposing walls is less than the thickness of the panel. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the side walls of the spring clamp 30 are generally parallel to each other, and the leading edge 35 of the second wall 34 diverges outwardly from the other side wall 32 to facilitate installation of the clip on the panel. The second wall 34 also includes a barb 39 protruding from the inner side thereof as discussed below. In some embodiments, a barb 39 protrudes from the inner side of one of the first and second walls of the spring clip for engagement with the panel, thereby improving electrical contact therewith. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, a barb 39 protrudes inwardly from only the second wall 34, preferably along an end thereof but alternately from any portion thereof. Locating the one or more barbs on only the second wall 34 allows the first wall 32 of the spring clip 30 without any barbs and the wire fastening member 40 thereof to be drawn and mounted directly against a side of the panel 10, thereby minimizing the mounting profile of the grounding clip and wire, particularly the protrusion of the wire fastening member 40 and wire 2 from the side of the panel and maximising the grounding contact between the panel side and wall 32. The wire fastening member extends generally from an end of one of the walls of the spring clamp between the curved base portion and the leading edge portion thereof. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the wire fastening member 40 extends from the end 38 of the first wall 32 of the spring clamp 30 medially between the curved base portion 36 and the leading edge portion 33 of the spring clamp. The same or a second wire fastening member may extend alternately from the opposing end 37 of the spring clamp. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the wire 2 is fastened preferably to a wire mounting surface on the outer side of the wire fastening member 40 opposite the panel 30, when the clip is fastened thereto, whereby a portion of the wire fastening member is immediately adjacent the panel to reduce the clip and wire mounting profile. When the grounding clip 20 is installed onto the panel 10, the wire fastening member 40 and the wire 2 fastened thereto are both disposed directly adjacent the side of the panel 10 and are both spaced apart from the panel edge 14, whereby only the curved base portion 36 of the grounding clip protrudes insubstantially beyond the panel edge 14 or 15. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the wire fastening member 40 comprises preferably a fastening flange 42 with a distal end portion 44 extending from the end 38 of the first wall 32. In FIGS. 1 and 5, the fastening flange 42 is disposed medially between the curved base portion 36 of the spring clamp 30 and the leading edge portion 33 of the first wall. The fastening flange 42 includes opposing inner and outer sides corresponding to the opposing inner and outer sides of the first wall. In FIG. 4, the fastening flange 42 also comprises a mounting surface 43 on the outer sides thereof to which the wire is fastenable so that the wire is disposed on the side of the first wall 32 opposite the panel when the grounding clip is fastened thereto. The location of the wire fastening member 40 spaced away from the bight 36 of the spring clip 30 ensures that the wire 2 fastened thereto will not protrude above the panel edge, as is common with prior art grounding clips. Also, the extension of the wire fastening member 40 from the wall 32 of the spring clip along the side of the panel, and the mounting of the wire 2 on the clip opposite the panel minimizes the extent to which the wire protrudes from the clip and from the panel, thereby reducing the overall profile of the clip and wire assembly and reducing space utilization thereby. The wire 2 is preferably fastened to the wire fastening member 40 by barrel forming arms extending from the wire fastening member thereabout for crimping about the wire. In FIG. 1, arms 45 and 46 extend from the outer side of the fastening flange, also shown in FIG. 3 and partly in FIG. 4. In FIG. 1, the arms 45 and 46 are crimped about a conductive portion 3 of the wire 2. Also in FIG. 1, the exemplary wire fastening flange 40 also comprises secondary arms 47 and 48 nearer the distal end portion thereof, also shown partly in FIG. 4, for crimping about an electrically insulating outer sheath portion 5 of the wire. Alternatively, the wire fastening member 40 may comprise a more completely formed barrel portion which is crimped about a conductive wire portion disposed therein. As noted above, in the exemplary embodiment, the panel edge 14 has a recessed portion 15 having a length along the panel edge 14 sufficiently deep, for example as deep as the bight 36 of the spring clamp 30, so that no portion of the clip protrudes above the panel edge 14, whereby a lid or cover, not shown, may be mounted on the panel edge without obstruction. The portion of the clip and particularly the bight thereof protrudes so insubstantially from the panel edge that a lid or cover nevertheless may be mounted on the edge 14 without substantial interference by the clip in the absence of the recessed edge portion 15. The grounding clip 20 is preferably a unitary metal member comprising for example spring steel, or stainless steel, or some other metal material. The grounding clip may be formed in a stamping operation. FIG. 5 illustrates for example the grounding clip manufactured in strip form, wherein a strip of metal 60 is initially stamped to form a repeating series or sequence of first, second and third members 62, 63, and 64, respectively, which are subsequently formed into the spring clamp, and wire fastening member, respectively. Each sequence of the first, second and third members are spaced apart by a small carrier tab 66, which is easily broken to separate the completely formed grounding clips. Manufacturing the grounding clips of the present invention in strip form eliminates the necessity for costly and wasteful separate carrier members used commonly in the manufacture of prior art grounding clips.

Claims: A grounding clip (20) comprising: a generally U-shape spring clamp (30) having first (32) and second (34) opposing walls extending from a curved base portion (36) thereof, the curved base portion (36) defining a longitudinal axis; the first and second walls (32,34) each having a leading edge portion (33,35) opposite the curved base portion (36), the first and second walls (32,34) each having opposing inner and outer sides, the inner side of the first wall facing the inner side of the second wall, the first and second walls (32,34) each having opposing ends between the curved base portion and the leading edge portions thereof; and, a wire fastening member (40) extending from an end (38) of the first wall (32) between the curved base portion (36) of the spring clamp (30) and the leading edge portion (33) thereof; characterised in that , in use, the wire fastening member (40) is bent around to crimp onto a wire and, when bent, defines a longitudinal axis parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the base portion (36), and in that a portion of the wire fastening member (40) is co-planar with the first wall (32). A grounding clip according to claim 1, including a wire mounting portion on a side of the wire fastening member (40) corresponding to the outer side of the first wall (32). A grounding clip according to claim 1 or 2, including a barb (39) protruding from the inner side of one of the first and second walls (32,34). A grounding clip according to claim 1 or 2, including a barb (39) protruding from the inner side of the second wall (34) of the spring clamp (30) along an end (37,38) thereof. A grounding clip according to any one of the preceding claims, which is a unitary member. A grounding clip according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wire fastening member (40) has a fastening flange (44) with a distal end portion extending from the end (38) of the first wall (32), the fastening flange (44) disposed medially between the curved base portion (36) of the spring clamp (30) and the leading edge portion (33) of the first wall (32), the fastening flange (44) having opposing inner and outer sides corresponding to the opposing inner and outer sides of the first wall (32). A grounding clip according to claim 6, also including a wire mounting surface (45,46) on the outer side of the fastening flange (44). A grounding clip according to claim 6 or 7, also including barrel forming arms (47,48) extending from the fastening flange (44). A grounding clip system comprising: a conductive panel (10) having opposing sides (12) and a panel edge (14) therebetween; a grounding clip (20) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, the spring clamp (30) fastened to the panel (10) with the curved base portion (36) disposed over the panel edge (14), the first wall (32) adjacent one side (12) of the panel (10) and the second wall (34) adjacent the other side of the panel (10; and, a wire (2) crimped in the wire fastening member (40) and spaced apart from the panel edge (14), whereby, at most, only the curved base portion (36) of the grounding clip (20) protrudes beyond the panel edge (14).

Inventors: ANDERSON JEFF, CLARK JOSEPH, HOMFELDT KENT D, ANDERSON, JEFF, CLARK, JOSEPH, HOMFELDT, KENT D.
Applicants: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS, ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H01R4
IPC codes: H01R11, H01R4, F16B2, H02G3