Patents Assigned to Weidmüller Interface GmbH
  • Patent number: 7066756
    Abstract: A plug connector and printed circuit board assembly and method include a snap-on fastening arrangement wherein a row of resilient contacts on the plug connector are brought into engagement with a corresponding row of strip contacts carried by a planar surface of the printed circuit board, whereupon the plug connector is fastened to the printed circuit board in such a manner as to compress the resilient contacts against the strip contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Manfred Lange, Bernhard Delarue
  • Patent number: 7063557
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a connector body that contains an open-topped chamber in which is mounted a stationary, upwardly-directed insulation-severing electrical contact, together with an operating member for displacing an insulated conductor laterally downwardly in the chamber. The operating member includes a flexible intermediate portion that permits the leading end of the operating member to be introduced initially downwardly into the chamber, and subsequently to be diverted upwardly relative to the connector body by a guide surface arranged at the bottom of the chamber. As the leading and trailing ends of the operating member approach their final positions relative to the connector body, the insulation layer of the conductor is severed by knife edges on the stationary contact, and the conductor is brought into electrical engagement contact with the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jürgen Ziemke, Klaus Wohlgemuth, Michaela Mücke, Rudolf Steinmeier, Volker Schröder, Walter Hanning
  • Patent number: 7059891
    Abstract: An electrical connecting and fastening apparatus includes a guide arrangement for respectively connecting a plurality of conductors of a hollow cable with a plurality of stationary contacts mounted in circumferentially spaced relation within a bore contained in one end of a cylindrical socket member, the guide arrangement being so operable that as the cable is progressively inserted into the socket member bore, the leading end of the cable is rotated and twisted about its longitudinal axis relative to the remaining portion of the cable and to the socket member, thereby to effect positive electrical engagement between the conductors and the stationary contacts, respectively. In a first embodiment, the conductors are insulated, and the contacts are of the insulation piercing type. In another embodiment, the conductors are bare, and the stationary contacts are resilient and are biased toward engagement with the conductors. A lock nut arrangement serves to lock the cable to the socket member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Joachim Bury
  • Patent number: 7057105
    Abstract: An electrical distribution box includes a housing having a front wall containing an opening surrounded by a flange portion, a plurality of side and end walls cooperating with the front wall to define a chamber communicating with the front wall opening, and a lid connected with the front wall for movement between open and closed positions relative to the opening, characterized in that at least a first one of the side and bottom walls is contained in a plane that is angularly arranged at an acute angle relative to the plane of the front wall, the angularly arranged first wall containing an opening in which an electrical component is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Daniel Gottardo, Daniel Sigg, Martina Bruland
  • Patent number: 6961233
    Abstract: A field bus module assembly includes a generally rectangular base module adapted for mounting on a fixed support, an input/output module, and a connecting module for connecting the input/output module with the base module, the base module including a lateral projecting portion adapted for insertion in sealed relation within a corresponding recess contained in the base module of an adjacent assembly. The base module includes a housing formed of a synthetic plastic insulating material, a plurality of bus bar conductors mounted on the housing, a protective cover member covering the bus bar conductors, and a mass of encapsulating material hermetically sealing the space around the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Michael Hoeing, Thorsten Wuensche, Walter Hanning
  • Patent number: 6893286
    Abstract: An electrical connector arrangement includes a resilient contact adapted for direct engagement with the bare wire of an insulated conductor without the use of any assembly tool, characterized in that the resilient contact includes a first leg having a first end containing a window opening, a second leg having a first end extending at an acute angle through the window opening for clamping engagement with a conductor bare wire that is also inserted in the same direction therein, and a connecting portion connecting the other ends of the first and second legs to define a closed loop. A clamping edge at the extremity of the first end of the second resilient contact leg engages the bare wire and cooperates with a first edge of the window opening to prevent the withdrawal of the bare wire from the window opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Bjoern Drewes, Eckard Beins, Herbert Fricke, Joerg Richts, Siegfried Storm, Thomas Tappe, Udo Pruessner
  • Patent number: 6883403
    Abstract: A hand tool for tightening or loosening a threaded cylindrical member relative to a corresponding threaded socket, including a generally rectangular wrench body which contains a generally circular opening for coaxially receiving the cylindrical member, a generally disk-shaped locking cam that is moveably connected with the wrench body for displacement between extended and retracted positions extending within and withdrawn from the circular opening, respectively, thereby clamping the threaded cylindrical member when the locking cam is extended into the circular opening, and a handle member operable when the cam is in the extended position to rotate the wrench body with the cylindrical member clamped thereto relative to the threaded socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Martin Drewes
  • Patent number: 6675420
    Abstract: A cutting device for a tool, in particular also a screwdriver, has a clamping piece attachment for slipping onto a shaft of for example a screwdriver until it locks, and wherein an actuating lever provided with a cutting edge for cutting electrical cables or lines is pivotally supported at the clamping piece attachment, so that the actuating lever and/or the clamping piece attachment is able to cut an electrical cable or line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Christian Heggemann, Armin Herzog
  • Patent number: 6508149
    Abstract: Pliers with a first operating jaw and a first plier handle fixed thereto, have a second operating jaw mounted pivotably on the first operating jaw, and have a second plier handle which is articulated on a section of the second operating jaw. The section is oriented towards the rear plier end, having a connecting element between the first and second plier handles for the purpose of forming a toggle lever, and has a catch which is arranged at the front end of the second plier handle and is intended for preventing the plier handles from spreading apart before they have reached their closed position, the catch engaging, for this purpose, in a row of teeth. The row of teeth is provided on the second operating jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Christian Heggemann, Armin Herzog, Thorsten Bornefeld
  • Patent number: 6431920
    Abstract: A sectional mounting connector is provided for mounting a component on a printed circuit board, characterized that the sections of the component are arranged end to end in interlocking relation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Endres, Manfred Lange, Werner Radde, Michael Sturm, Ralf Wägner, Rudolf Kowollik
  • Patent number: 6412371
    Abstract: A screwing tool has a handle and a clamping hoop, which is mounted pivotably on the handle at one end and is bent in the form of a partial circle at its other end, which is remote from the handle. A stop for the clamping hoop is secured on the handle on the concave side of the clamping hoop. A return device on the handle presses the clamping hoop against the stop. An actuating member is held by the handle and the free end of which lies opposite to and at a distance from the concave side of that end of the clamping hoop which is bent in the form of a partial circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Siegfried Storm
  • Patent number: 6392319
    Abstract: An electrical apparatus having a modular structure is characterized by a connection module that can be mounted on a carrier rail that is provided with connection levels including double or multiple connections and a serial alignment of disk-shaped base terminal carriers. Several power supply elements are provided on the terminal carriers, the elements being connected to the connection levels via bus bars of the disk-shaped base terminal carriers. The bus bars extend only on one of the sides of the base terminal carrier to the pertinent multiple connections. With the use of base terminal carriers, both a block structure and a disk structure as well as a combination of the two can be constructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH Co.
    Inventors: Christoph Zebermann, Jens Pilgrim, Manfred Wilmes, Michael Schnatwinkel, Rudolf Steinmeier, Walter Hanning
  • Patent number: 6350162
    Abstract: A resilient contact assembly for biasing a bare electrical conductor having a relatively large diameter into lateral engagement with a bus bar, characterized by the provision of a separate auxiliary electrically conductive contact that extends between the bus bar and the conductor when the conductor is inserted into the tension spring clamping opening between the auxiliary contact and the clamping edge of the opening. The auxiliary contact includes a body portion and at least one mechanical support portion arranged to engage different peripheral surface areas of the bare conductor, thereby to support the conductor relative to the bus bar and to effect a positive electrical connection between the conductor and the bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Olaf Despang
  • Patent number: 6336824
    Abstract: A screwless junction box or terminal connector includes a housing containing a chamber in which are mounted an electrical contact and a clamping spring, the clamping spring being operable to bias a conductor toward electrical engagement with the contact, characterized by the provision of a slide member that is manually operable from a released position toward an inserted position, thereby to displace the clamping leg toward a disengaged position relative to the electrical contact, whereby the conductor may be inserted directly within the housing chamber. A restoring spring biases the slide member toward its released return position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Ludger Sorig
  • Patent number: 6328580
    Abstract: An electrical connecting element includes a connector body containing an opening for receiving the exposed shield portions of a plurality of shielded cables, a pair of clamping devices being provided for resiliently biasing the shield portions of the cables into electrical contact with the connector body. Male plug contacts extend from the connector body for insertion into corresponding female contact openings carried by a module, terminal block or the like, thereby to connect the cable shield with circuitry contained within the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Walter Hanning, Michael Schnatwinkel, Manfred Wilmes
  • Patent number: 6314843
    Abstract: Pliers contain two parallel operating jaws (3, 7) and two handles (1, 16) which can be pivoted relative to one another and one of which (1), in order to form a first plier unit (Z1 ), is connected fixedly to a first (3) of the operating jaws and another (16), in order to form a second plier unit (Z2), is connected in an articulated manner to a second (7) of the operating jaws, via a drive device (14), in order, during pivoting of the handles (1, 16), for the operating jaws (3, 7) to be moved towards one another or away from one another in an operating direction (A). It is possible to preset a rest position of the second plier unit (Z2) relative to the first plier unit (Z1 ) in the operating direction (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Ulrich Wiebe, Armin Ulbrich, Helmut Thiele
  • Patent number: 6280233
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing formed of electrical insulating material containing a chamber in which is mounted a resilient clamping member that biases a conductor into electrical engagement with an electrical contact also contained within the chamber. The bare end of the conductor is inserted into the chamber via a first housing opening, and the clamping member is operated to a released condition relative to the conductor by a release tool that is inserted into the chamber via a second housing opening. The clamping member includes a clamping leg having a laterally offset terminal portion that carries a clamping edge adapted to dig into the conductor and thereby retain the same within the chamber. The clamping member also includes a support leg that is operable by the release tool to displace the clamping leg to disengage the clamping edge from the conductor, thereby to release the same for withdrawal from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Werner Beege, Werner Radde, Manfred Domrath, Reinhard Ruhm, Klaus Steinmetz
  • Patent number: 6270383
    Abstract: A resilient electrical terminal includes a pair of beveled centering surfaces that cooperate to center a conductor relative to the side walls of the clamping opening through which a bus bar and the conductor extend in clamped side-by-side conductive relation. A groove contained in the adjacent surface of the bus bar centers the conductor relative to the bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Wielsch, Jochen Reese
  • Patent number: 6261120
    Abstract: A resilient electrical contact of generally V-shaped configuration includes a support leg mounted generally parallel with and spaced from a bus bar, and a clamping leg for biasing an electrical conductor toward lateral electrical engagement with the bus bar, characterized in that the contact clamping leg includes a stepped portion that terminates in an offset terminal portion that biases the conductor in lateral engagement with the bus bar, which terminal portion carries a clamping edge that resists withdrawal of the conductor from the contact. In order to disconnect the conductor from the contact, the device is provided for displacing the clamping leg from the bus bar, thereby to permit withdrawal of the conductor from the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co
    Inventors: Werner Beege, Werner Radde, Manfred Domrath, Reinhard Ruhm, Klaus Steinmetz, Hubert Herrmann