BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to bus connections to terminals such as wire wrap terminal pins, and more particularly concerns the provision of a double contact bus strip operable to connect a wire wrap pin or pins to a bus strip in unusually advantageous manner.

Prior bus connections to wire wrap terminals suffered many inherent disadvantages. These included lack of desired flexibility of selective connection of the post to the bus; bulkiness of the connection; need to connect contacts to the bus; need for new tooling for making different connection progressions along the strip; and lack of ease of assembly, disassembly and reassembly. These disadvantages are further aggravated by bus strips which are insulation covered. To my knowledge, no way was known to overcome these and other disadvantages, prior to the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a major object of the invention to provide a compact, double contact bus strip overcoming the above problems and also providing many additional advantages as will appear. Basically, the unit is operable to connect an electrical terminal pin or pins to a bus strip, and comprises:

(a) a horizontally elongated bus strip, and

(b) two contacts in the form of hook-shaped tangs which are vertically spaced apart and which are integral with the bus strip,

(c) each of said tangs extending generally vertically and diagonally relatively toward the bus strip, at one side thereof,

(d) said tangs defining vertically spaced openings to pass the terminal post in vertically assembled relation between both tangs and the bus strip.

As will appear, the tangs have contact surfaces which extend sufficiently close to the bus strip as to be deflectible by the pin or post away from the bus strip and to resiliently urge the post toward and against the bus strip. Multiple pairs of such tangs are typically spaced along the strip and are integral with same; the two tangs of each pair typically project toward one another at one side of the strip; the openings in the tangs typically bifurcate them between the strip and the convex surfaces or contact surface; and the tangs are alike in configuration, all for purposes and advantages as will appear. Accordingly, a very simple and effective one piece multiple contact unit is provided to assure duo-contact with selectively inserted pins or posts.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, in which:

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a frontal elevation;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view taken on lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation taken in section on lines 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3 prior to insertion of a post into the clip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, the combined double contact and bus strip 10 as illustrated includes a horizontally elongated bus strip 11 which is typically narrow in cross sectional thickness indicated at "t". For example, "t" may vary between about 0.010 and 0.006, and is typically about 0.008", for example. Two contacts in the form of hook-shaped tangs 12 and 13 are integral with the bus strip, and they are vertically spaced apart as is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4. The tangs and strip may for example consist of Beryllium copper, and may be heat treated for strength. Multiple pairs of tangs may be provided along the horizontally elongated strip 10, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The overall height "h" of the device, i.e. between upper and lower edges of the tangs, may be about 0.180", by way of example.

Each of the tangs includes a generally hook-shaped section 14 integral with the upper or lower edge of bus strip. Section 14 extends laterally at 14a, then generally vertically and diagonally at 14b toward the bus strip at one side thereof, and then vertically and laterally at 14c away from the strip. Both tangs are at the same side of the strip to provide double contact, at noses 14d, with a post 15 received vertically adjacent the strip, as seen in FIG. 3.

The tangs also define vertically spaced openings 16 to pass the terminal pin or post 15 in vertically assembled relation between the two tangs and the inner side 11a of the but strip, whereby extensive and positive electrical contact between post and bus-contact unit 10 is assured, as well as positive retention of the post to the unit 10. In this regard, the opening 16 extends generally throughout lateral extent 14a and then vertically and laterally in section 14b toward and into proximity to nose 14d. Therefore, sections 14a and 14b are substantially bifurcated, facilitating ease of penetration of the post through the two tangs (i.e. assembly) and also assuring positive electrical contact as well as resilient deflection of the tangs upon assembly.

The outer side of each tang, opposite the nose, is concave at region 17 indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3, for tang strength, the nose 14d being convex toward the bus strip. The rounded or concave bearing nose or contact surface 14d is yieldably deflectible by the post away from the bus strip so as to resiliently urge the post toward and against the bus strip, the two noses 14d acting in conjunction at spaced points along the post to maintain it flatly engaged with the inner side 11a of the bus strip. In this regard, the post may have a square or rectangular cross section, as shown, to assure positive contact with both contacts and with the bus strip. Note that the two tangs preferably extend toward one another, with end sections 14c closely spaced apart, for balance and to assure that the contact noses 14d extend toward portion of the bus-strip intermediate its upper and lower edges providing optimum protected electrical contact.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show multiple pairs of tangs as described, the pairs of tangs spaced apart horizontally along one side only of the bus strip. Note again the tangs and strip are of one-piece, integral, metallic construction, the thicknesses of the tangs being equal to the thickness "t" of the strip.