Case for electric terminals

Abstract

 A case suitable to contain female electric terminals (32) of the type comprising a plate-like body (31) extended according to a longitudinal axis (Y-Y) having a first end portion provided with means (36, 37) for carrying out the connection to the electrically conductive portion (16) of an electric cable (15) extending in the parallel direction to said longitudinal axis (Y-Y) and a second end portion, opposing the first, having rolled-in the side edges (29, 30), which define, around the central part of said portion, a seat suitable to house and hold a male terminal (23) about the middle part of said portion, said rolled-in side edges (29, 30) being provided with respective front (40, 41) and rear (38, 39) ends. The case (1) comprises a first box part (2) hingedly connected to a second box part (3), said parts (2, 3) can be closed on each other thereby forming a cavity, said female terminal (32) being housed therein. At least one of said box parts (3) is provided with means (24) for counteracting the reaction occurring on the female terminal following the thrust applied on the case to carry out the coupling of the latter with a male terminal and means (21) for counteracting the reaction to the traction applied on the case (1) for removing the female terminal from the male terminal.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a case for protecting and electrically isolating electric terminals of the type commercially known as Faston®.

[0002] It is known that these terminals are currently used for carrying out electrical connections through a female element and a male element.

[0003] The female terminals, to which the case according to the present invention is related, comprise a plate-like body extended according to a longitudinal axis having a first end portion provided with means for carrying out the connection to the electrically conductive part of an electrical cable extending in the parallel direction to said longitudinal axis and a second end portion, opposing to the first one, moving rolled-in side edges 2 which defines around the central part of said portion, a seat suitable to accommodate and hold a male terminal, said rolled-in edges being provided with respective front and rear ends.

[0004] The male terminals, which are shaped as a plate-like metal tab, may, in turn, be connected with a respective electrical conductor, or, conventionally they can be the fixed terminals of the poles of an electrical or electronic component, such as a capacitor.

[0005] When the male terminals are terminals of an electrical or electronic component, connections are carried out by inserting on each male terminal a respective female terminal which, in accordance with a first known technique, is not provided with any protective coating.

[0006] The protection of the terminals, and accordingly the connections being formed thereby, both from the electrical point of view and more in general, from the environmental point of view, is achieved, in accordance with the above-mentioned prior technique, by a cap of electrically insulating material, preferably a cap made of plastics, which completely encloses the connections of all the electric poles of the component.

[0007] It should be understood that, in accordance with the above-mentioned prior technique, the protective cap is applied to the connections after they have been carried out.

[0008] The so-called naked condition of the female terminals, obviously facilitates the same to be inserted on the male terminals, and subsequently pulled off from the male terminal when the connection is disconnected.

[0009] However, this known technique is expensive due to the relatively high amount of plastics required for manufacturing the protective caps, and due to the time required for applying the caps on the connections at a time subsequent to the that of their carrying out.

[0010] In contrast, in accordance with a different known technique, each female terminal is housed within a respective case made of a non-electrically conductive material, such as plastics, which extends through the entire length thereof to also cover the electric cable connecting means.

[0011] An exemplary case of the above-mentioned type is disclosed in the European Patent Application EP 0 955 694 A2. In accordance with what has been described and illustrated in said document, the female terminal is housed within a substantially tubular case , the opposing ends thereof being open. This type of case has an inner surface that is shaped such that an operator can axially insert the female terminal therein; in addition, the case is provided with means capable of preventing the case from sliding off the terminal which is housed therein when a male terminal is being inserted for carrying out a connection or when it is removed for disconnecting the connection.

[0012] In practice, however, it has been observed that the behavior of the above-mentioned cases for female terminals is unsatisfactory to the purpose of carrying out connections because the case is opened on the cable side, and this considerably reduces the electric insulation performance of the device.

[0013] In addition, the known cases cannot properly hold the terminal in position, thereby a clearance exists between the terminal and the case wall which, upon use, generates vibrations between the parts resulting in the device being unusable.

[0014] Finally, since the terminal has to be axially inserted within the case , it is difficult to manufacture automatically and very expensive to produce manually.

[0015] The object of the present invention is to provide a case for female terminals of the type indicated in the premise, which has high characteristics of blocking the terminal inserted therein such as to prevent that the case slides relative to the terminal both when carrying out a connection with a male terminal and while disconnecting the connection.

[0016] A further object is also to allow a quick positioning of the terminal in the case with movements that may also be automated.

[0017] In accordance with the present invention, these objects are achieved by a case having the characteristics of claim 1.

[0018] The characteristics and the advantages of the present invention will be much more evident from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment thereof, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the case, in the open configuration thereof, with a female terminal;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view in a semi-opened position of the case from Fig. 1, in a closing operation step, after the female terminal has been positioned within the case ;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective, partially sectional view, of the case from Fig. 1, in a closed configuration, with the female terminal housed therein and a male terminal being illustrated in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view, along the line IV-IV from Fig. 3, of the closed case with the female terminal housed therein.

[0019] With reference to these figures, with 1 has been generally indicated a case which comprises a first box part 2 and a second box part 3. Each of these box parts 2 and 3 has a rectangular shape, and they are hingedly connected to each other in the parallel direction of the axis X-X to the longer sides thereof.

[0020] The connection is, in the case illustrated in the drawings, carried out by means of a conventional flexible strip 4. The portions 2 and 3 of the case and the connection strip 4 are, in the example illustrated, made as one piece, in conventional plastics, by moulding.

[0021] The box part 2 has an edge 5 which overlaps the edge 6 of portion 3, when the portion 2 is folded on portion 3 to close the case.

[0022] The edges 5 and 6 carry respective snap closure members which are intended to hold the portions 2 and 3 in the closed position when they are folded on each other, and subsequently allow the same to open when required. These members, in the example illustrated, consist of eyelets 7 carried by tabs 8 integral with the edge 5 and corresponding shaped teeth 9 which are integral with the edge 6 and intended to be engaged within the eyelets 7.

[0023] The box part 2 is further provided with an edge 10, arranged along one of the shorter sides of the rectangular configuration, which is intended to be overlapped to the corresponding edge 11 of the box part 3. The edge 10 has a semi-circular notch 12, whereas the edge 11 has a corresponding semi-circular notch 13 which forms, together with the notch 12, when the edges are overlapped and in contact to each other, an aperture for the isolated portion 14 of an electric cable 15 to pass therethrough, the metal portion 16 of which, as will be best seen below, is connected to an end of a female terminal.

[0024] The box part 2 is further provided with an edge 17 counter-posed to the edge 10, which is shaped with a middle area 18, two lowered areas 19 and 20 being provided on the sides thereof.

[0025] When the portion 2 is folded on the portion 3 to define the closure of the case , the edge 17 is overlapped to the edge 21 of portion 3 thereby forming a passageway 22 of such dimensions as to allow a male terminal 23 to be inserted therein, such as schematically illustrated in Fig. 3.

[0026] The box part 3 is provided therein with a rib 24 which is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal edges 5 and 6 as well as a rib 25 which is arranged parallel to the edges 5 and 6, from the middle area of edge 21.

[0027] Particularly, this rib 25 extends until in the vicinity of the transversal rib 24 without reaching the same.

[0028] The ribs 24 and 25 thus define, in the box part 3, hollow areas 26 and 27 on the side of the rib 25 and a cavity 28 comprised between the rib 24 and the edge 11.

[0029] As may be seen in the drawings, the hollow areas 26 and 27 are intended to accommodate the rolled-in side edges 29 and 30 of an end portion of the plate-like body 31 of a female terminal, which is generally designated with 32 and extending along a longitudinal axis Y-Y which, in this instance, is parallel to the axis X-X.

[0030] Further ribs 24a, 24b and 24c are provided at the bottom of the hollow areas 26 and 27 and, respectively, at the bottom of the box part 2 with a lower elevation, relative to the bottom, than that of ribs 24 and 25.

[0031] These further ribs contribute to clamp the plate-like body 31 of the female terminal between the bottom walls of the box part s of the case when the latter is closed, thereby balancing any clearance and fabrication tolerances of the pieces involved.

[0032] The rolled-in edges 29 and 30 define therein respective cavities 33 and 34, the male terminal 23 being introduced therein when an electrical connection is being carried out. The plate-like body 31 of the female terminal extends with a further longitudinal portion, 35, which has wings 36 and 37 being means for crimping, in a conventional manner, the electrically conductive portion 16 of an electric cable 15.

[0033] The end portion 35 of the female terminal 32, with the initial length of the cable 15, is housed in the cavity 28 with the transversal rib 24 being positioned against the ends 38 and 39 of the rolled-in edges 29 and 30. In contrast, the opposite ends 40 and 41 of the rolled-in edges 29 and 30 abut against the inner wall of the edge 21 of portion 3, and consequently the female terminal is firmly positioned within the case when the same is closed, without any chance that the latter may slide off the female terminal 32 either when it is inserted on a male terminal 23, or when it is pulled off when the electrical connection requires to be disconnected.

[0034] In fact, when the female terminal 32 is inserted on the male terminal 23, the reaction to the insertion thrust applied to the case is absorbed by the abutment of the ends 38 and 39 against the transversal rib 24.

[0035] Similarly, upon pulling off, the reaction to the traction also applied to the case to remove the female terminal from the male terminal is counteracted by the edge 21 of the box part 3 against which the front ends 40 and 41 of the rolled-in edges 29 and 30 of the female terminal are abutted.

[0036] Finally, the case according to the invention, by being shaped as two box part s that are hinged to each other and can be closed by overlapping the portions on each other, allows recovering the fabrication clearances of the involved pieces in an effective manner, eliminating the vibrations occurring upon use, while offering a better electric isolation of the powered portions.

[0037] A number of modifications can be made to the case , such as described above, as is will be obvious to those skilled in the art, which modifications should be intended as being comprises within the scope of the annexed claims.

Claims

1. A case suitable to contain female electric terminals (32) of the type comprising a plate-like body (31) extended according to a longitudinal axis (Y-Y) having a first end portion provided with means (36, 37) for carrying out the connection to the electrically conductive part (16) of an electric cable (15) extending in the parallel direction to said longitudinal axis (Y-Y) and a second end portion, opposing to the first one, having rolled-in side edges (29, 30) which define, around the central part of said portion, a seat suitable to accomodate and hold a male terminal (23), said rolled-in side edges (29, 30) being provided with respective front (40, 41) and rear (38, 39) ends, said case (1) comprising a first box part (2) hingedly connected to a second box part (3), said parts (2, 3) can be closed on each other thereby forming a cavity, said female terminal (32) being housed therein, characterized in that at least one of said box parts (3) is provided with means (24) for counteracting the reaction occurring on the female terminal as a consequence of the thrust applied on the case for carrying out the coupling of the same with a male terminal and means (21) for counteracting the reaction following the traction applied on the case (1) for removing the female terminal from the male terminal.

2. A case according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for counteracting the reaction to the thrust applied to carry out the coupling of the female terminal (32) with a male terminal (23) comprise at least one rib (24) being formed in one of said box parts (3), facing the other box part (2), positioned such as to be transversal to the longitudinal axis (Y-Y) of the body of said female terminal (32) and against said rear ends (38, 39) of the rolled-in side edges (29, 30), when the female terminal (32) is positioned in the case (1) and the latter is closed.

3. A case according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said means for counteracting the reaction to the traction applied on the case (1) for removing the female terminal (32) from the male (23) terminal consist of portions of the side edge (21) of said box parts resulting positioned before said front ends (40, 41) of said rolled-in edges (29, 30) of the female terminal (32).

4. A case according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it includes at least one further rib (25) formed on the bottom wall of one of said box parts (3) and facing the other box part (2) said rib (25) being positioned with a longitudinal extension according to the axis (Y-Y) of the body (31) of the female terminal (32) and being housed between said rolled-in edges (29, 30) of the female terminal (32) when the same is positioned in the case (1) and the latter is closed.

5. A case according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it includes snap means (7, 8, 9) for holding said two box parts (2, 3) in the closed position when they are overlapped on each other.

6. A case according to claim 5, characterized in that said snap means can be opened.

Drawing