Patent Grant
9923304
This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a)-(d) of German Patent Application No. 102015200496.1, filed Jan. 14, 2015.
The invention relates to a connector assembly and, more particularly, to a connector assembly having a contact stopper.
There are known assemblies for connecting electrical conductors. Often, two conductors are connected to one another by simply plugging them together. However, in the areas of high voltages and/or strengths of currents, plug type connections are frequently impractical considering solid conductors are frequently used, with which plug connectors are incomplete. Typically, screw connections are used to connect at least one current rail or one cable shoe to another conductor. For example, a cable shoe with a fastener receiving space for a screw can be screwed onto a current rail or a second cable shoe. In this case, either a screw protrudes through a hole into the cable shoe and is screwed with an insert nut in the current rail, or the screw protrudes through both parts and is equipped with a nut so that the current rail and the cable shoe are clamped between the screw head and the nut.
Similar connections are used if two current rails or two cable shoes are intended to be connected to one another. This connection method is time-consuming and has several disadvantages. For example, the screw and/or the nut can be lost when connecting or releasing the conductors. A further known problem can be that a screw cannot be completely unscrewed from both conductors. In this case, it can be that, if the screw has arrived at the end of a maximum path, it fully penetrates one of the two conductors and at the same time is still partly arranged in the other conductor. The releasing of the two conductors from one another is consequently hindered or even impossible. A further known disadvantage is that at least one of the two conductors is frequently only insufficiently or not at all protected from touching and therefore can endanger the safety of a person handling at least one of the conductors.
A contact stopper is provided and includes a conductor receiving receptacle and a protective housing. The protective housing includes a body and a fork-shaped mating section positioned opposite the conductor receiving receptacle. The fork-shaped mating section includes a pair of contact slots that run parallel to a length thereof and extends into an interior of the body.
In the drawings, the same reference numerals are always used for elements with the same function and/or the same structure.
First with reference to
As shown, the contact stopper 5 includes a protective housing 5′ with a receptacle 11 at its end pointing in the opposite direction to insertion direction E. An electrical conductor 13 can be introduced through the receptacle 11, with its end section 77 leading the way, into the protective housing 5′ of the contact stopper 5. The end section 77 of this conductor (hereafter referred to as the second conductor 13) is also schematically depicted in
The end section 77 of the conductor 13 substantially consists of a flat body 79 with an upper flat side 81 and a lower flat side 83. In the shown embodiment, the end section 77 is fork shaped member having two mating prongs 84, 84′, which point in the insertion direction E and can be arranged in a corresponding fork-shaped mating section 6 of the protective housing 5′ such that the mating prongs 84, 84′ correspond to a contact slot 67, 67′. An interior 69 of the contact stopper 5 is exposed to contact the mating prongs 84, 84′, of the contact stopper 5.
The contact stopper 5 includes a protective housing 5′ which has a fork-shaped mating section 6 with at least one contact slot and in the exemplary embodiment shown two contact slots 67, 67′, which run(s) parallel to insertion direction E and outwardly expose(s) an interior 69 of the contact stopper 5.
The contact slots 67, 67′ and accordingly the contact stopper 5 are closed at the front end 71 pointing in insertion direction E, which increases safety because the end region 77 of the conductor 13 received in the contact stopper 5 cannot be touched by the user's fingers in insertion direction E.
In the embodiment shown, the fork-shaped mating section 6 has two mating prongs 184, 184′. The mating prongs 184, 184′ provide a recess 186 situated between them. The recess includes an opening 188 at one end thereof. The recess 186 extends from its opening 188 in the opposite direction to insertion direction E. In the embodiment shown, the recess 186 runs between the two contact slots 67, 67′. In the embodiment shown, the opening 188 extends away from the receptacle 11.
In the embodiment shown, the two contact slots 67, 67′ form a guide 190 for inserting the contact stopper 5, which will be explored in greater detail below.
In the embodiment shown, the contact stopper 5 includes two contact slots 67, 67′ which run parallel to insertion direction E. The contact slot 67 exposes the interior 69 of the contact stopper 5. The contact slot 67 extends up to a front end 71 of the contact stopper 5. The contact slot 67 has a slot width 68 transverse to insertion direction E. In an exemplary embodiment, a wall thickness 70 of the contact stopper 5, along the contact slot 67. The ratio of slot width 68 to wall thickness 70 is approximately 1.75 in the shown embodiment. The contact slot 67, 67′ or the contact stopper 5 is closed along the front end 71 thereof.
The contact stopper 5 further includes two secondary contact slots 67a, 67a′ on opposite sides of the contact slots 67, 67′. In plug-in direction E and effective direction W, the secondary contact slots 67a, 67a′ are configured similarly to the contact slots 67, 67′.
As already mentioned, the end section 77 of the second conductor 13 is provided by the flat body 79 of the cable shoe 17. The flat body 79 includes an upper flat side 81 and a lower flat side 83. The lower flat side 83 is exposed by the secondary contact slots 67a, 67a′ for contacting with the first conductor 9, and the upper flat side 81 is exposed by the contact slots 67, 67′. The flat sides 81 and 83 run perpendicular to the effective direction W when the second conductor 13 is received with the contact stopper 5 on the fastener 3.
As shown in
Now with reference to
As shown, the connector assembly 1 includes a fastener 3 with at least one securing element 29 and a contact stopper 5. The fastener 3 includes a receptacle 7 for a first conductor 9 and the contact stopper 5 includes a receptacle 11 for a second conductor 13. Merely by way of example, the first conductor 9 is depicted as a current rail 15 and the second conductor 13 is depicted as a cable shoe 17. Alternatively, as one skilled in the art should appreciate, it is possible for the first conductor 9 to be formed by a cable shoe 17 and for the second conductor 13 to be formed by a current rail 15. It is also possible for both conductors 9 and 13 to be formed by current rails 15 or cable shoes 17.
In the shown embodiment, at least the end section 87 of the first conductor 9 is formed by a current rail 15. The end section 87 of the first conductor 9 is a flat body 89 with an upper flat side 91 and a lower flat side 92. The flat sides 91, 92 of the first conductor 9 can be situated parallel to the flat sides 81 and 83 of the second conductor 13, if both conductors 9, 13 are arranged in the fastener 3.
The end section 87 includes a fork head 98 having a notch 119 which runs from the front face, opposite to the plug-in direction E, and can be configured with two mating prongs 120, 121. One contacting member 97 each is positioned on each of the mating prongs 120, 121. As in the embodiment shown, the contacting member 97 can be arranged on the upper flat side 91. In the embodiment shown, the contacting members 97 include contacting ribs 97a which can be formed monolithically and provided as legs 101 of a substantially U-shaped profile in the end section 87. The legs 101 extend upward from the upper flat side 99 and substantially along the insertion direction E. However, the contacting members 97 do not have to be configured monolithically with the end section 87, as shown, but could also be provided as separate elements which then have to be placed at the suitable point in the assembly.
For this purpose, the securing element 29 is configured to connect the first conductor 9 to the second conductor 13 in a frictionally engaged manner. The securing element 29 can be formed as a screw 31. Turning the screw 31 about the screw longitudinal axis L leads to a movement of the screw 31 along, or in the opposite direction to, the effective direction W. The screw 31 has, as an actuation section 41, a screw head 35 which points in the opposite direction to effective direction W. The screw head 35 includes a screw head diameter 37 which is larger than a screw diameter 39. As a result, the screw 31 cannot be fully sunken. The screw head 35 provides an actuation section 41 of the securing element 29. The actuation section 41 does not necessarily have to be formed as a screw head 35. If the screw 31 is designed as a set screw, for example, the actuation section 41 can be formed at the end of the screw 31 pointing in the opposite direction to effective direction W, without going beyond the screw diameter 39. The actuation section 41 can be formed as a hexagonal socket fastener receiving space, for example. The securing element 29 can exert a force at least in effective direction W, in order to connect the first conductor 9 to the second conductor 13 in a frictionally engaged manner.
The fastener 3 can have two securing elements 29, 129. The second securing element 129 can be formed as a nut 131. The nut 131, as a second securing element 129, can be spaced apart from the first securing element 29, the screw 31, in effective direction W and can be screwed onto the screw 31 with a positive fit. In this manner, the first securing element 29 and the second securing element 129 can be connected to one another such that the operation of the one securing element, the screw 31, also simultaneously brings about an operation of the other securing element 129, the nut 131. This connection is distinguished by the fact that the screw head 35 and the nut 131 move towards one another in opposite directions to effective direction W and the expansion of the receptacle 7 is decreased as a result.
The fastener can form a receptacle 7 for the electrical conductors 9, 13. The receptacle 7 extends away in effective direction W of the securing element 29. The receptacle 7 can extend from the first securing element 29 to the second securing element 129.
In order to arrange the securing elements 29, 129 and/or a force distribution member 55 non-detachably on the fastener 3, stoppers 51, 151 can be provided. In the embodiment shown, the stoppers 51, 151 are configured as securing rings 52, 152 which are attached to a defined point of the screw 31, the securing ring 152 being situated in effective direction W behind the nut 131, thus preventing removal of the nut 33 from the screw 31. The securing ring 52 serves to retain a force distribution member 55, described in greater detail below, non-detachably on the screw 31.
The fastener 3 can further includes a movable force distribution member 55, on which the securing element 29 can exert a force. The force distribution member 55 can distribute a normal force generated by the securing element 29 in effective direction W, which is perpendicular to insertion direction E, onto a conductor 9, 13 that is arranged in the receptacle 7. The lower ends 57 of the force distribution member 55 are bent downwards in effective direction W and, in effective direction W, and align with a contact slot 67, 67′ or directed towards said contact slot 67, 67′. The force distribution member 55 is configured in the shown embodiment as a bracket.
To electrically isolate the securing element 29 outside of the fastener 3, the securing element 29 has the electrically isolated actuation section 43 which is preferably formed by an isolating cap 45. The isolating cap 45 can have the shape of a screw head in order to be operated by a suitably configured tool. The isolating cap 45 is preferably formed from a plastic.
The connector assembly 1 includes a housing 47 independent from the fastener 3. The housing 47 includes a fastener receiving space 49 through which the electrically isolated actuation section 43 of the securing element 29 can protrude outwardly. The fastener receiving space 49 can be smaller than a stopper (not shown) of the electrically isolated actuation section 43. The contact stopper 5 can be formed as a circumferential ring or as a screw head and form a stop for the electrically isolated actuation section 43 in the opposite direction to effective direction W. The stopper therefore prevents the fastener 8 from being completely released from the fastener 3.
In addition, the housing 47 includes (as can clearly be seen in
Details of the housing 47 of the embodiment shown are explored in greater detail below with reference to
When the contact stopper 5 is received in the interior 54, the contact slot 67, 67′ exposes the interior 69 of the contact stopper 5 for the first conductor 9. In doing so, the securing element 29 is arranged above or below the contact slot 67. In the cross-section transverse to insertion direction (
As described above, a contact slot 67, 67′ provides a guide 190 for the straight-lined insertion of the contact stopper 5 along insertion direction E. In the embodiment shown, the contact slot 67 or 67′ is provided with guide rails (or also protection members) 191. The guide rails 191 are configured by the lateral walls 192, which limit the contact slot 67, 67′ transverse to insertion direction E and transverse to effective direction W. These lateral walls 192 and thus the guide rails 191 run in insertion direction E. A guide groove 193 is formed between the guide rails 191 of a contact slot 67, 67′. The collar 53 of the housing 47 includes counter guides 196 or, in the shown exemplary embodiment, with counter guide rails 194, between which a counter guide groove 195 is configured, which correspond to the guide rails 191 or the guide groove 193 of the contact stopper 5. When the contact stopper 5 is inserted in insertion direction E through the collar fastener receiving space 54, a counter guide rail 194 engages in a guide groove 193, and in a similar manner a guide rail 191 engages in the guide grooves 195. In this manner, a directed insertion of the contact stopper 5 into the housing 47 is facilitated.
The housing 47 can further have a protection member 200 which protrudes from the wall 201 of the housing 47 in the region of the actuation section 41. The protection member 200 can prevent fingers etc. from getting caught in the region of the securing element 29 when actuating the securing element 29.
The connector assembly 1 can further include an actuation safeguard 210 which can be transferred from a closed position (see
In the shown embodiment, the actuation safeguard 210 includes an interlock member 211 and a counter-member 212, which form an interlock system.
In the closed position, the actuation safeguard 210, the interlock member 211 in the embodiment shown, is arranged such that the actuation section 41 of the securing element 29 is not accessible. For this purpose, the interlock member 211 can be situated so close to the screw head 35 or its isolating cap 45 that it becomes impossible to grip, not to mention turn, the screw head with a tool, for example a socket wrench. In the open position, the actuation safeguard 210 then moves so far away from the securing element 29 that it can be operated, i.e. the screw 31 can be turned.
The connector assembly 1 according to the invention can further have an actuator opening 220 which indicates the direction from which the actuation section 41 is accessible. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the actuation section 41 is bordered on the side of the housing 47 which points in the opposite direction to effective direction W. For this purpose, a collar 221 is provided and rises from the side 202 of the housing 47 pointing in the opposite direction to effective direction W. The collar 221 encloses large parts of the actuation section 41, i.e. the screw head 35 or its isolated actuation section 43. The collar 221 can enclose at least half, and in the embodiment shown almost two-thirds, of the actuation section 21. In the embodiment shown, the collar 221 is only open at the point at which the interlock system is located with the interlock member 211 and its counter-member 212. However, configurations would be conceivable in which the collar 221 completely encloses the actuation section 41. The collar 221 ensures that the actuation section 41 cannot be reached laterally, i.e. transverse to effective direction W. As a result, no open-end wrench, for example, can be applied to the screw head 35. When the actuation safeguard 210 is in the open position, a socket wrench can only be placed onto the screw head 35 or its isolating cap 45 in effective direction W, in order to actuate the securing element 29.
To connect the conductors 9 and 13, the first conductor 9 is arranged in the inner section 48 of the housing 47 so that the screw 31 penetrates the notch 119 in effective direction W. In insertion direction E, the contact stopper 5 is positioned; with its plugging area leading the way through the collar fastener receiving spaces 54, in the inner section 48 until the screw 31 also penetrates the recess 186 of the contact stopper. In the embodiment shown, the first conductor 9 is thereby arranged in effective direction W beneath the second conductor 13.
Before the two conductors 9 and 13 are connected, the securing element 29 is operated such that at least one of the two conductors 9 and 13 or both can be smoothly inserted into the receptacle 7. Only after both the first conductor 9 and the second conductor 13 with the contact stopper 5 in the receptacle 7 are arranged on the fastener 3, the securing element 29 operated, so that a normal force is exerted along the effective direction W on both conductors 9 and 13. The securing element 29 is therefore operated separately.
If the securing element 29 is operated by the screw head 35 being rotated about the longitudinal axis L of the screw 31, the screw 31 moves in effective direction W. At the same time, the nut moves in the opposite direction to effective direction W. As a result, the spatial expansion of the receptacle 7 in effective direction W is reduced and the first conductor 9 situated in the receptacle 11 can be pressed onto the second conductor 13 situated in the receptacle 7 and, as a result, the two conductors are connected to one another in a frictionally engaged manner and are electrically connected.
As shown
At the same time, the second securing element 129 and the nut 131 move in the opposite direction to effective direction W and transmit a pressing force onto the lower flat side 92 in the end section 87 of the first conductor 9. Starting from there, forces are transmitted through the body of the end section 87 into the contacting members 97, namely the leg 101, which protrude out of the upper flat side 91 of the first conductor 9 in effective direction W. In this case, the contacting members 97/legs 101 align with the contact slots 67a, 67a′ in effective direction W, and frictionally engage the mating prongs 84, 84′ in the end section 77 of the second conductor 13. A second force distribution member 155 can be arranged between the second securing element 129 and the first conductor 9 to transmit force from the nut 131 to the first conductor 9, so that it is distributed uniformly and over a larger surface without unintentionally deforming this conductor 9 under the force exerted by the securing element 129.
As can be seen in
Now with reference to
The contact stopper 5 shown in
An advantage of the contact stopper 5 of the shown embodiment is that the contacting of a conductor 13 received in the contact stopper 5 can then only take place if the contact stopper 5 has been completely introduced into the housing 47 in insertion direction E. If the contact stopper 5 is not yet fully introduced in insertion direction E, the closure wall 171 can block contact of the mating prongs 84, 84′ of the second conductor 13 with the end section 87 of the first conductor. This blocking is be realized when the lower ends 57 of the force distribution member 55 or the contacting ribs 97a or legs 101 of the contacting member 97, viewed in effective direction W, overlap the upper rim 172 of the closure wall 171. If the fastener 8 is operated, the ends of the force distribution member 55 or the contacting ribs 97a would therefore rest on the upper rim 172 or lower rim 173 of the closure wall 171 and not retract into the contact slot 67, 67′, 67a, 67a′.
For this purpose, the length 168 of the contact slot is of a size such that it substantially corresponds to the length of the lower ends 57 or the length of the contacting rib 197a or is only marginally shorter. However, other blocking means can also be provided for the connector assembly 1 that prohibits the fastener 3 from accessing the interior 69 of the contact stopper 5. For example, an access block could cover the contact slot, as long as the contact stopper 5 is not yet positioned properly for the contacting.
The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. The disclosed invention utilizes the above identified components, as a system, in order to more efficiently construct a connector assembly 1 for a particular purpose. Therefore, more or less of the aforementioned components can be used to conform to that particular purpose. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2015 200 496 | Jan 2015 | DE | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5879198 | Sekimori | Mar 1999 | A |
| 6027360 | Jenkins | Feb 2000 | A |
| 7037142 | Evans | May 2006 | B2 |
| 8182296 | De Blieck | May 2012 | B2 |
| 8696390 | Tai | Apr 2014 | B2 |
| 9004954 | Baldwin | Apr 2015 | B2 |
| 9136652 | Ngo | Sep 2015 | B2 |
| 20040142605 | Harada | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20050118892 | Shindo | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20130252474 | Baldwin | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 0081937 | Jun 1983 | EP |
| 1058348 | Dec 2000 | EP |
| 2642607 | Sep 2013 | EP |
| Entry |
|---|
| European Search Report, dated Jun. 7, 2016, 10 pages. |
| Abstract of EP1058348, dated Dec. 6, 2000, 1 page. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160204548 A1 | Jul 2016 | US |
