Patent Application
20220037810
This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 10 2020 120 151.6, which was filed in Germany on Jul. 30, 2020 and which is herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a connecting terminal for connecting at least one first electrical conductor to a second electrical conductor. The connecting terminal has a housing with a first conductor insertion opening for inserting the first electrical conductor and with a second conductor insertion opening for inserting the second electrical conductor. The first and second conductor insertion openings are arranged on opposite sides of the housing. The connecting terminal includes a contact insert, which includes a first clamping spring, a second clamping spring and a busbar.
Connecting terminals of this type are known, for example, from DE 10 2014 119 421 B4, which corresponds to US 2017/0331200, which is incorporated herein by reference.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to further improve a connecting terminal.
Due to the inner piece present as a separate component and inserted into the housing, a multifunctional component is expanded, which may implement a multiplicity of different functions with little complexity, as further explained below. The structure and complexity of the connecting terminal remain clear, since only relatively few individual parts continue to be necessary. A connecting terminal of this type may be designed, in particular, as a feed-through terminal. The spring-force clamping connections formed by the clamping springs and the busbar may be designed as push-in connections. For example, the inner piece may perform certain mechanical and electrical functions, .e.g., tasks of supporting the first and/or second clamping spring, insulating tasks, e.g., an improvement in the air gaps and creepage distances. The inner piece may take on, for example, the functions of the conductor and spring guiding system as well as the function of a conductor stop and also make mounting the connecting terminal easier.
In an example, it is therefore proposed that the inner piece is made from an insulating material, e.g., from plastic. The inner piece may abut at least one inner wall of the housing.
The inner piece can be configured to at least partially support and/or abut an area of the first and/or second clamping spring in a form-fitting manner. For this purpose, the contact insert is positioned and held in the housing in a stable manner. The inner piece may have a contour, at least in areas, which corresponds to a part of the contour of the clamping spring, at least where the first and/or the second clamping spring(s) abut(s) the inner piece.
The contact insert may also alternatively or additionally be positioned and held in the housing via form-fitting retaining edges and/or locking connections.
The contact insert can form a self-supporting structural unit with the inner piece, which may be inserted into the housing in a preassembled manner. In this way, the mounting of the connecting terminals is made particularly easy and time-saving.
The first and second clamping springs, can each include a clamping leg and an arc-shaped section, the arc-shaped sections of the first and second clamping springs being able to be arranged and a shorter distance from each other than the clamping legs in the mounted state. The arc-shaped sections of the clamping springs therefore face each other. In this way, a compact feed-through terminal with push-in connections on both sides may be created with little complexity. A free space may be present between the arc-shaped sections of the clamping springs.
According to an example , it is provided that the inner piece can have a first continuation protruding from the middle section in the direction of the first conductor insertion opening and/or the inner piece can have a second continuation protruding from the middle section in the direction of the second conductor insertion opening.
The first continuation may form a supporting or holding element for the first clamping spring. The second continuation may form a supporting or holding element for the second clamping spring.
It can also be provided that in the direction of the first conductor insertion opening, the first continuation extends at an angle, at least in sections, with respect to the conductor insertion direction of the first electrical conductor and/or in the direction of the second conductor insertion opening, the second continuation extends at an angle, at least in sections, with respect to the conductor insertion direction of the second electrical conductor.
A contour of the first or second continuation, which is well adapted to the shape of the clamping spring, may be implemented hereby, so that a good support effect of the clamping springs may be implemented with little complexity.
According to an example, it is provided that the first continuation is designed to overlap with the first clamping spring over at least 50% of the longitudinal extension of the first clamping spring in the conductor insertion direction of the first electrical conductor and/or the second continuation is designed to overlap with the second clamping spring over at least 50% of the longitudinal extension of the second clamping spring in the conductor insertion direction of the second electrical conductor.
In this way, the first or the second clamping spring may be supported by the first or second continuation over a large area of its longitudinal extension.
The housing can include a main housing part, which is designed as a one-part structural unit and extends at least predominantly from the first conductor insertion opening to the second conductor insertion opening. The connecting terminal may be manufactured with particularly little complexity hereby and be easily mounted. The main housing part may be provided with a relatively simple design, e.g., as a tubular component, which may be provided, e.g., from an extruded profile by being cut off. The main housing part may have a continuously smooth wall without structuring on the inside. The main housing part may be designed, e.g., as a square tubular piece without inner contours, including optional rounded longitudinal side edges on the inside and outside. The inner piece may be completely accommodated in the main housing part and therefore be completely enclosed by the main housing part.
The main housing part can have a tubular design and has a receiving space for receiving the contact insert.
The housing can include at least one first closure piece, which is insertable into the main housing part in the area of the first conductor insertion opening and is used to close the housing in the area of the first conductor insertion opening and/or the housing can include at least one second closure piece, which is insertable into the main housing part in the area of the second conductor insertion opening and is used to close the housing in the area of the second conductor insertion opening.
In this way, the main housing part may be closed either on one side or on both sides with little complexity, using a closure piece of this type. In an alternative embodiment, the main housing part may also already be provided with a corresponding closure on one side, so that a closure piece needs to be inserted only on one side. The particular closure piece may be connected to the main housing part, e.g., by locking, welding, caulking and/or gluing. The particular closure piece has a feed-through opening, through which the particular electrical conductor may be guided to the contact insert in the main housing part.
The first and the second closure pieces may have identical or different shapes.
The first closure piece can include at least one first projection protruding into the interior of the main housing part, and/or the second closure piece includes at least one second projection protruding into the interior of the main housing part. In this way, a closure piece of this type may be additionally used for the form-fitting support and/or abutting of an area of the first or second clamping spring. The supporting or abutting of the clamping springs then takes place at the particular first or second projection. The first projection may thus, for example, extend into the arc-shaped section of the first clamping spring. The second projection may, for example, extend into the arc-shaped section of the second clamping spring.
The first projection can be designed to overlap with the first clamping spring over at least 50% of the longitudinal extension of the first clamping spring in the conductor insertion direction of the first electrical conductor and/or the second projection is designed to overlap with the second clamping spring over at least 50% of the longitudinal extension of the second clamping spring in the conductor insertion direction of the second electrical conductor.
In this way, a particularly good supporting effect of the first clamping spring at the first projection or of the second clamping spring at the second projection may be achieved.
In the mounted state, the first and the second projection of the closure piece may each overlap with the continuation of the inner part in the longitudinal extension direction of the connecting terminal, so that a particular good supporting effect of the clamping springs may be achieved.
The first projection can have a convex outer contour at the free end, which is adapted to the concave inner contour of the first clamping spring adjacent to the first projection and/or the second projection has a convex outer contour at the free end, which is adapted to the concave inner contour of the second clamping spring adjacent to the second projection.
The concave inner contour of the first clamping spring or the second clamping spring may be, for example, the inner contour of the arc-shaped section of the particular clamping spring. In this way, the first projection may be inserted a particularly great distance into the first clamping spring, or the second projection may be inserted a particularly great distance into the second clamping spring.
The first closure piece and/or the second closure piece can each have window-like openings arranged in opposite side walls of the closure piece. The fixing of the first closure piece or the second closure piece in the main housing part is made easier hereby. The window-like openings may each be oppositely arranged, for example, in pairs on four side walls of the particular closure piece.
The first clamping spring can include at least two arc-shaped side webs, between which a clamping leg of the first clamping spring is arranged. This permits a very efficient manufacturing of the first clamping spring from a sheet metal component by means of stamping/bending process steps. A middle area may be stamped out of a rectangular sheet metal part, so that particular webs remain to the left and right thereof. This stamped-out area may be slightly shortened, if necessary, and may then form a clamping leg of the clamping spring. The remaining material areas on the side of the clamping leg may form the side webs in each case. They may be formed by bending steps in such a way that the arc-shaped sections of the clamping springs are generated. In addition, a remaining transverse web, which connects the side webs, may be used as a holding element for holding the clamping spring on the busbar.
The side webs and the clamping leg can protrude from a shared root area of the first clamping spring, the side webs being connected to each other on their ends at a distance from the root area via a transverse web. The transverse web may thus be used to connect the side webs. A relatively robust clamping spring arrangement is created hereby, which forms a closed frame around the clamping leg.
The transverse web can be arranged on the side of the busbar facing away from the clamping leg. In this way, the transverse web may be used as a fastening element for fastening the clamping spring on the busbar.
The first clamping spring can have an edge at the free end of the root area. The edge points in a direction which is predominantly oriented away from the running direction of the clamping leg. The edge of the root area may abut an inner wall of the housing, e.g., an inner wall of the main housing part. In this way, the clamping spring may be supported on the housing inner wall in the mounted state and/or upon a tensile loading and possibly dig slightly into this housing inner wall. The supporting effect is further improved hereby, and an increase of the pull-out forces is generated.
The second clamping spring may be provided with a design which is identical to or different from the first clamping spring.
The contact insert can be designed as a push-in connection for directly inserting the first and/or the second electrical conductor. In the case of a push-in connection of this type, a sufficiently stiff electrical conductor may inserted directly into the clamping point, i.e. without separately actuating the clamping leg.
The connecting terminal can be designed without an actuating element of the first and/or second clamping spring(s). This favors a particularly compact and slim structure of the connecting terminal.
The middle section of the inner piece can have a concave inner contour in the area facing the first clamping spring, which corresponds to a convex outer contour of the first clamping spring adjacent to the middle section and/or the middle section of the inner piece has a concave inner contour in the area facing the second clamping spring, which corresponds to convex outer contour of the second clamping spring adjacent to the middle section.
As a result, the clamping spring may also be additionally supported by the inner piece in its arc-shaped section, which has the convex outer contour.
The middle section of the inner piece can form a conductor stop for the first and/or second electrical conductor, which limits the insertion depth. This has the advantage that no additional elements are necessary to form a conductor stop. This functionality may also be handled directly by the inner piece. Due to the conductor stop, the user haptically feels when the first or second electrical conductor has been inserted far enough.
The object mentioned at the outset is also achieved by a connecting terminal for connecting at least one first electrical conductor to a second electrical conductor, the connecting terminal including a housing with a first conductor insertion opening for inserting the first electrical conductor and with a second conductor insertion opening for inserting the second electrical conductor, the first and the second conductor insertion openings being arranged on opposite sides of the housing, the connecting terminal including a contact insert, which has a first clamping spring, a second clamping spring and a busbar, the first and second clamping springs being fastened at end areas of the busbar facing away from each other, and a free space being present between the first and the second clamping springs. A connecting terminal of this type may also be advantageously combined with the features explained above.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes, combinations, and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
The contact insert includes a busbar 3, a first clamping spring 41 and a second clamping spring 42. First and second clamping springs 41, 42 each have a root area 46. Arc-shaped side webs 48 and a clamping leg 43 protrude from root area 46. Side webs 48 each include an arc-shaped section 44. Due to their arc shape, side webs 48 extend from root area 46, first approximately in parallel to bus bar 3, and then, after arc-shaped section 44, transition into a further section, which extends approximately in parallel to busbar 3. Side webs 48 are connected to each other via a transverse web 45 at their ends at a distance from root area 46. Transverse web 45 is arranged on the other side of busbar 3 from side webs 48 and clamping leg 43. Particular clamping springs 41, 42 are fastened on busbar 3 hereby. Clamping leg 43 is arranged between two arc-shaped side webs 48 of a clamping spring. Clamping leg 43 extends directly toward busbar 3 when no electrical conductor is clamped on and may abut busbar 3. The free end of clamping leg 43 has a clamping edge and, together with busbar 3, forms a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be connected.
A free space is present between facing arc-shaped sections 44 of first and second clamping springs 41, 42. This free space is at least partially filled by areas of inner piece 5. In particular, a middle area 50, 53, 54 of inner piece 5 is arranged between these arc-shaped sections 44 of first and second clamping springs 41, 42. For example, middle section 50, 53, 54 may include a transverse wall 50, which is arrange transversely to first or second conductor insertion direction L1, L2. This transverse wall 50 divides the interior of housing 2 into two separate chambers. Clamping springs 41, 42 are separated from each other by transverse wall 50. Transverse wall 50 may simultaneously form a conductor stop for the first and/or second electrical conductor(s). Middle section 50, 53, 54 may also include a first longitudinal wall section 53 extending from transverse wall 50 in the direction of first clamping spring 41. Middle section 50, 53, 54 may also include a second longitudinal wall section 54 extending from transverse wall 50 in the direction of second clamping spring 42. The two longitudinal side wall sections 53, 54 are each arranged on both sides of transverse wall 50. Arc-shaped sections 44 each abut the end faces of longitudinal wall sections 53, 54.
Inner piece 5 may also include a first continuation 51, which protrudes from middle section 50, 53, 54 in the direction of first conductor insertion opening 11, and/or a second continuation 52, which protrudes from middle section 50, 53, 54 in the direction of second conductor insertion opening 12. First continuation 51 is situated at a slight angle with respect to first conductor insertion direction L1 or includes a section situated at an angle with respect to first conductor insertion direction L1. Second continuation 52 is situated at a slight angle with respect to second conductor insertion direction L2 or includes a section situated at an angle with respect to second conductor insertion direction L2.
Based on the example of first closure piece 21 situated on the left,
The contact insert with inner piece 5 mounted thereon, including further details, is apparent from
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2020 120 151.6 | Jul 2020 | DE | national |
