Patent Publication Number: US-8968016-B1

Title: Bus structure, terminal block, and terminal block assembly formed therefrom

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a bus structure for a bus structure, a terminal block, and a terminal block assembly formed therefrom. More particularly, it relates to a bus structure, a terminal block, and a terminal block assembly formed therefrom that help to prevent device failure due to wrong, reverse combination between the bus structure and the terminal block. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A terminal block is an electronic component extensively used in various machines, whose function is to connect two or more sets of power cords, control wires or data transmission lines. Such a terminal block is typically configured to work with a bus structure. 
     Particularly, the bus structure comprises a bus body and a positioning rail combined together. The bus body is provided with plural bus bars, and the terminal block is removably mounted on a positioning rail, so that a connector built in the terminal block can be engaged with the bus bars for electrical connection. 
     In order to prevent wrong installation, a traditional terminal block is designed with a fool-proof structure. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the bus body  91  has a projecting portion  911  and a depressed portion  912 , while the connector  920  of the terminal block  92  also has a projecting portion  921  and a depressed portion  922 . When the bus body  91  and the terminal block  92  are correctly combined, the projecting portion  911  of the bus body  91  can get engaged with the depressed portion  922  of the connector  920 , and the projecting portion  921  of the connector  920  can be inlaid into the depressed portion  912  of the bus body  91 . On the other hand, in case of reverse installation, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the projecting portion  911  of the bus body  91  with interfere with the projecting portion  921  of the connector  920 , disallowing the bus body  91  and the terminal block  92  to be combined. 
     While the traditional fool-proof structure is somehow workable to prevent wrong installation, in the event that a larger pushing force is applied to push the terminal block  92  toward the bus body  91 , relative sliding can happen between the bus body  91  and the terminal block  92 . In other words, though the projecting portion  911  of the bus body  91  and projecting portion  921  of the connector  920  can retain each other to some extent, when the applied force is relatively large, the both can still slide with respect to each other, making the connecting components of the both impact and in turn break. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a bus structure comprises a positioning rail, a bus body and a plurality of bus bars. 
     The positioning rail has a U-shaped sectional shape and includes a bottom and two raised edges, wherein the two raised edges are extended upward from two opposite sides of the bottom and then outward. The bus body is settled on the bottom and has a plurality of holding grooves, a projecting portion and a depressed portion. The holding grooves are located between the projecting portion and the depressed portion. The projecting portion is adjacent to one side of the bus body close to one of the two raised edges, and the depressed portion is depressed with respect to the projecting portion and being adjacent to an opposite side of the bus body close to the other of the two raised edges. The projecting portion includes an outer ramp that expands outward as extending downward. Each of the plurality of bus bars is received in one of the plurality of holding grooves. 
     According to the present invention, a terminal block comprises a housing and a connector. 
     The housing comprises a connecting socket that is to be received in the connecting socket. The connector has a plurality of terminal sockets that are spaced apart and exposed outside the housing. One of the housing and the connector comprises a projecting portion and a depressed portion. The depressed portion is depressed with respect to the projecting portion and comprises an inner ramp that draws back as extending upward. The terminal sockets are arranged between the projecting portion and the depressed portion. 
     The foregoing terminal block may further comprise a sliding clip and a resilient member. The sliding clip is slidably mounted on the housing so that it can slide toward or away from the terminal sockets. The sliding clip at its end close to the terminal sockets has an upper recess, a lower recess and an inclined plane. The inclined plane is inclined from the upper recess toward the lower recess in a direction leaving the terminal sockets. The resilient member props between the housing and the sliding clip for providing a spring preload for facilitating the sliding clip in sliding. 
     According to the present invention, a terminal block assembly comprises the bus structure and the terminal block without the sliding clip and the resilient member. The terminal block is installed on the bus structure so that each said terminal socket receives one said bus bar. The projecting portion of one of the housing and the connector is engaged with the depressed portion of the bus body, and the projecting portion of the bus body is engaged with the depressed portion of one of the housing and the connector. The outer ramp on the projecting portion of the bus body and the inner ramp on the depressed portion of one of the housing and the connector retaining each other. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a terminal block assembly comprises the bus structure and the terminal block having the sliding clip and the resilient member as described above. The terminal block is installed on the bus structure so that each said terminal socket receives one said bus bar. The projecting portion of one of the housing and the connector is engaged with the depressed portion of the bus body, and the projecting portion of the bus body is engaged with the depressed portion of one of the housing and the connector. The outer ramp on the projecting portion of the bus body and the inner ramp on the depressed portion of one of the housing and the connector retaining each other. The upper recess of the sliding clip is engaged with one of the two raised edges of the positioning rail. 
     With the configuration described above, the present invention can effectively prevent wrong, reverse installation and consequent breakage of components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bus structure according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a terminal block according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a terminal block assembly according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of Part A of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional drawing showing the operation of a sliding clip according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the terminal block assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of Part B of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is another enlarged view of Part B of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing showing that the sliding clip abuts against raised edge when the terminal block of  FIG. 6  is reversely inserted into the bus structure. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing showing a conventional bus structure assembled to a terminal block. 
         FIG. 11  is another schematic drawing showing the conventional bus structure assembled to a terminal block. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  for a perspective view of a bus structure according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown, the bus structure  1  comprises a positioning rail  11 , a bus body  12  and a plurality of bus bars  13 . 
     The depicted positioning rail  11  has a U-shaped sectional shape and includes a bottom  111  and two raised edges  112 . The two raised edges  112  are extended upward from two opposite sides of the bottom  111  and then outward. The bus body  12  is settled on the bottom  111  of the positioning rail  11 . The bus body  12  has a plurality of holding grooves  123 , a projecting portion  121  and a depressed portion  122 . The holding grooves  123  are located between the projecting portion  121  and the depressed portion  122 . The projecting portion  121  is adjacent to one of the opposite sides of the bus body  12  corresponding to one of the raised edges  112  while the depressed portion  122  is relatively depressed with respect to the projecting portion  121  and adjacent to the other of the opposite sides of the bus body  12  corresponding to the other raised edge  112 . The projecting portion  121  comprises an outer ramp  124  that expands outward as extending downward. The bus bars  13  are received in the holding grooves  123  of the bus body  12 , respectively. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2  for a perspective view of a terminal block according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown, the terminal block  2  is configured to work with the bus structure  1  (referring to  FIG. 1 ), and comprises a housing  21  and a connector  22 . 
     The depicted housing  21  includes a connecting socket  213  for receiving the connector  22 . The connector  22  comprises a plurality of terminal sockets  221  that are spaced apart and exposed outside the housing  21 . 
     Additionally, the housing  21  or the connector  22  has a projecting portion  211  and a depressed portion  212 . The depressed portion  212  is depressed with respect to the projecting portion  211 , and comprises an inner ramp  214  that draws back as extending upward. 
     As shown, in the present embodiment, the projecting portion  211  and the depressed portion  212  are both formed on the connector  22 . Alternatively, the projecting portion  211  and the depressed portion  212  may be both formed on the housing  21 . 
     Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the terminal sockets  221  are arranged between the projecting portion  211  and the depressed portion  212 . 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a terminal block assembly according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of Part A of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  will be referred to in the following description as well. 
     As depicted, the terminal block assembly  3  consists of the bus structure  1  (referring to  FIG. 1 ) and the terminal block  2  (referring to  FIG. 2 ) that are described above. 
     Therein, the terminal block  2  is inserted into the bus structure  1 , so that the terminal sockets  221  are engaged with the bus bars  13 , respectively. The projecting portion  211  of the connector  22  is engaged with the depressed portion  122  of the bus body  12 , and the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  is engaged with the depressed portion  212  of the connector  22 , while the outer ramp  124  on the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  fittingly contacts the inner ramp  214  on the depressed portion  212  of the connector  22 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , in normal use, the projecting portion  211  of the connector  22  is inlaid into the depressed portion  122  of the bus body  12 , and the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  is inlaid into the depressed portion  212  of the connector  22 , while the outer ramp  124  on the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  fittingly contacts the inner ramp  214  on the depressed portion  212  of the connector  22 . In other words, the terminal block  2  is well inserted into the bus structure  1 , thereby ensuring good electrical connection. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5  for a cross-sectional drawing showing the operation of a sliding clip according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. Reference will be also made to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
     As shown, the terminal block  2  in the present embodiment further has the sliding clip  23  and a resilient member  24 . Therein, the sliding clip  23  is slidably mounted on the housing  21  so that it can slide toward or away from the terminal sockets  221 . The sliding clip  23  at its end close to the terminal sockets  221  has an upper recess  231 , a lower recess  232  and an inclined plane  233 . The inclined plane  233  is inclined from the upper recess  231  toward the lower recess  232  in a direction leaving the terminal sockets  221 . The resilient member  24  props between the housing  21  and the sliding clip  23  for providing a spring preload for facilitating the sliding clip  23  in sliding. 
     In the present embodiment, the resilient member  24  is a spring. 
     In the foregoing normal use, or, when the terminal block  2  is inserted into the bus structure  1  in a correct direction, the inclined plane  233  of the sliding clip  23  abuts against one of the raised edges  112  of the positioning rail  11  (as depicted, the left raised edge  112 ). Afterward, when the terminal block  2  is continuously pushed downward into the bus structure  1 , the sliding clip  23  first slides leftward as the inclined plane  233  abuts against the raised edge  112  (as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 5 ). When the terminal block  2  is finally hilly engaged with the bus structure  1 , the sliding clip  23  slides rightward due to the spring preload of the resilient member  24 . At this time, the upper recess  231  of the sliding clip  23  is engaged with one of the two raised edges  112  of the positioning rail  11 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the upper recess  231  of the sliding clip  23  is engaged with the left raised edge  112  of the positioning rail  11 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6  through  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the terminal block assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of Part B of  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 8  is another enlarged view of Part B of  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing showing when the terminal block of  FIG. 6  is reversely inserted into the bus structure, the sliding clip abutting against raised edge. The following description will be also referred to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
     In the event that the terminal block  2  is reversely inserted into the bus structure  1 , the projecting portion  211  of the connector  22  will retain the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12 . Due to the outer ramp  124  on the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12 , the projecting portion  211  of the connector  22  slides into and gets engaged with the outer ramp  124 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . In other words, the terminal sockets  221  are prevented from entering the bus bars  13 . Even if a large pushing force is applied, the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  and the projecting, portion  211  of the connector  22  will not slide with respect to each other and render the electrically connecting components of the bus body  12  and of the connector  22  to impact mutually and in turn break. 
     Also, the outer ramp  124  on the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  helps the projecting portion  211  of the connector  22  to slide into and gets engaged with the outer ramp  124 . The sliding causes a horizontal displacement that in turn makes the lower recess  232  of the sliding clip  23  engaged with the raised edge  112  of the positioning rail  11 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . Stating differently, when the terminal block  2  is reversely positioned and continuously pushed into the bus structure  1 , since the lower recess  232  is engaged with the raised edge  112 , even if a large force is applied, the terminal block  2  cannot be inserted into the bus structure  1 . This effectively prevents the wrong, reverse combination of the terminal block  2  and the bus structure  1 . 
     Therefore, the projecting portion  211  of the connector  22 , the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  and the sliding clip  23  as described above jointly form a fool-proof structure that prevents the terminal block  2  from being inserted into the bus structure  1  when the two are combined reversely, thereby preventing the terminal sockets  221  from receiving the bus bars  13  for electrical connection. 
     Moreover, with the outer ramp  124 , the projecting portion  121  of the bus body  12  and the projecting portion  211  of the connector  22  are held from relative sliding that causes the electrical components of the bus body  12  and of the connector  22  to impact mutually and break. 
     In other words, with the configuration described above, the prevent invention can effectively prevent wrong installation and consequent breakage of components.