Packaging for electronic demand register

Abstract

A modular electronic demand register for an electric meter is enclosed in an insulating housing into which substantially all components are installable by drop-in, snap-together methods. A display is dropped into the housing and metallic contact pads thereof are interconnected with corresponding metallic contact pads on a printed circuit board using a resilient contact strip of a type having parallel longitudinal resilient conductors insulated from each other by an insulating resilient matrix. The as-formed contact strip is slightly longer than the distance between the two sets of metallic contact pads which it interconnects, whereby, when the printed circuit board is tightened in place, the contact strip is compressed slightly to provide a stable, resiliently urged fit. Guide surfaces on the electronic demand register cooperate with surfaces on the remainder of the electric meter to guide the electronic demand register into its operational position and to lock it in place. A connector contains pins of different lengths so that, when installing the demand register, the power connections are made last and when removing the demand register, the power connections are broken first.