Push-in wire connector with improved busbar
View Patent ↗A push-in wire connector has an improved busbar suitable for use with either solid or stranded wire. The connector has a housing with a hollow interior. At least two openings in the housing provide access to the interior for the ends of wires inserted into the connector. A busbar is mounted in the housing. The busbar defines at least two wire-crossing axes extending from an entry edge to an exit edge and a thickness between a top face and a bottom face. The busbar has a wire-receiving pocket extending below the top face on each of the wire-crossing axes and a wire-engaging protrusion extending above the top face on each of the wire-crossing axes.
1. A push-in wire connector, comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior and at least two openings providing access to the interior for the ends of wires inserted into the connector;
a busbar mounted in the interior of the housing, the busbar defining a thickness between a top face and a bottom face, the busbar also defining an entry edge, an exit edge, and at least two wire-crossing axes extending from the entry edge to the exit edge;
the busbar having a wire-receiving pocket extending below the top face on each of the wire-crossing axes and a wire-engaging protrusion extending above the top face on each of the wire-crossing axes.
2. The push-in connector of claim 1 wherein the wire-receiving pocket adjoins the entry edge.
3. The push-in connector of claim 2 wherein the wire-engaging protrusion adjoins the exit edge.
4. The push-in connector of claim 1 wherein the wire-engaging protrusion is coined in the busbar.
5. The push-in connector of claim 1 further comprising a spring member mounted in the housing.
6. The push-in connector of claim 5 wherein the spring member includes at least two spring fingers each having a free end, one spring finger being aligned with each crossing axis, and the busbar is disposed such that prior to insertion of a wire the free ends of the spring fingers lies at least partially in a wire-receiving pocket.
7. The push-in connector of claim 1 wherein the wire-receiving pocket has a depth below the top face of at least about 50% of the thickness of the busbar.
8. The push-in connector of claim 7 wherein the wire-receiving pocket has a length of at least about 30% of the distance between the entry edge and the exit edge of the busbar.
9. The push-in connector of claim 1 wherein the wire-engaging protrusion has a height above the top face of at least about 40% of the thickness of the busbar.
10. The push-in connector of claim 9 wherein the wire-engaging protrusion has a length of at least about 50% of the distance between the entry edge and the exit edge of the baseplate.
11. A push-in wire connector, comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior and at least two openings providing access to the interior for the ends of wires inserted into the connector;
a busbar mounted in the interior of the housing, the busbar defining a thickness between a top face and a bottom face, the busbar also defining an entry edge, an exit edge, and at least two wire-crossing axes extending from the entry edge to the exit edge;
the busbar having a wire-engaging protrusion extending above the top face on each of the wire-crossing axes, the wire-engaging protrusion having a height above the top face of at least about 40% of the thickness of the busbar and wherein the wire-engaging protrusion has a length of at least about 50% of the distance between the entry edge and the exit edge of the busbar.
12. A push-in wire connector, comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior and at least two openings providing access to the interior for the ends of wires inserted into the connector;
a busbar mounted in the interior of the housing, the busbar defining a thickness between a top face and a bottom face, the busbar also defining an entry edge, an exit edge, and at least two wire-crossing axes extending from the entry edge to the exit edge;
the busbar having a wire-engaging protrusion extending above the top face on each of the wire-crossing axes, the wire-engaging protrusion having a height above the top face of at least about 40% of the thickness of the busbar and wherein the wire-engaging protrusion adjoins the exit edge.