The present invention pertains to terminal blocks and more particularly to a two-piece terminal block which can be readily dismantled and reassembled after it is installed without removing any of the conductors attached to the terminal block.
Terminal blocks have been used for many years to connect groups of wires or other conductors together. Terminal blocks of a number of types have been developed including some for use with printed circuit boards such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,440. Terminal blocks may be one piece as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,440 or multi-piece as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,502. Single piece terminal blocks have the problem that once a series of wires has been connected the wires cannot be removed as a group but must be removed one wire at a time. Multi-piece terminal blocks solve that problem, however, multi-piece terminal blocks face the problem that electrical contacts must be maintained between the pieces of the terminal block. In prior art multi-piece terminal blocks, mechanical stresses could adversely affect electrical connections and could reduce the lifetimes of terminal blocks to less than the lifetimes of their attached circuit boards.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block and that is not affected by mechanical stresses and impacts and will last the lifetime of a circuit board.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block that is composed of two pieces which can quickly and easily be dismantled and reassembled without removing attached conductors.
It is further highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block which can be repaired and replaced easier than heretofore possible.
It is likewise highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block that permits rapid and easy replacements or changes of circuit boards in an apparatus.
It is yet also highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block that is composed of two pieces and provides large areas of positive contact between contacts in the two pieces.
It is yet further highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block that is composed of two pieces the tight connection of which is not critical to the operation of the terminal block.
It would finally be highly desirable to provide an improved terminal block which meets all of the above desired features.