ELECTRICAL TERMINAL

Abstract

An electrical terminal with a housing having a terminal chamber formed in it, and two conductor inlets which lead into the terminal chamber for electrical conductors to be connected with a respective conductor connection arrangement formed of a current bar and a clamping leg of a clamping spring, the clamping leg and the current bar forming a spring force clamping terminal for an electrical conductor to be connected, and the two clamping legs each being connected to a contact leg. The electrical terminal can have especially small dimensions by there being only one clamping spring in the housing, the two contact legs being connected to one another and adjoining the housing wall on the edge of the terminal chamber, and by the current bar and the clamping springs being made and arranged such that the current bar is located between the two clamping legs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the electrical terminal in accordance with the invention, in cross section,

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the electrical terminal shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the clamping spring and of the metal part of the electrical terminal, and

FIG. 4 shows three electrical terminals of the type shown in FIG. 1 arranged in a row next to one another.

Claims

1. Electrical terminal, comprising a housing with a terminal chamber formed in the housing and two conductor inlets which lead into the terminal chamber for the electrical conductors to be connected, a conductor connection arrangement located in the terminal chamber for each conductor inlet, each conductor connection arrangement having a current bar and a clamping leg of a clamping spring, the clamping leg and the current bar forming a spring force clamping terminal for an electrical conductor to be connected, and each clamping leg being connected to a contact leg, wherein only one clamping spring is located in the housing, the two contact legs being connected to one another on an end which is away from the clamping legs and adjoining a housing wall on an edge of the terminal chamber, andwherein the current bar and the clamping spring are made and arranged such that the current bar is located between the two clamping legs and runs essentially parallel to an insertion direction of the conductors to be connected.

2. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein there is only one current bar in the housing, each side of the current bar forming a spring force clamping terminal with a respective clamping leg.

3. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein the current bar is formed of two current bar sections which run parallel to one another, the two current bar sections being interconnected via a bent connection region which is faces opposite the conductor insertion direction, and each current bar section forming a spring force clamping terminal with a respective clamping leg.

4. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein the current bar is connected to a plug part which has at least one solder pin.

5. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein the clamping spring, the current bar and a plug part which has at least one solder pin are mechanically connected to one another.

6. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 5, wherein the clamping spring has at least one of notches and projections which are used to accommodate the current bar and the at least one solder pin.

7. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein there is at least one actuating pushbutton in the housing which is movable out of a first position in which the actuating pushbutton does not deflect at least one of the clamping legs, into a second position in which the actuating pushbutton deflects the least one of the clamping legs so that, in the second position of the actuating pushbutton, the spring force clamping terminal is opened so that a conductor can be pulled out of or inserted into the respective terminal.

8. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 7, wherein the conductor inlets for inserting the conductors to be connected are formed by the housing and the at least one actuating pushbutton.

9. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 7, wherein the at least one actuating pushbutton is located in the housing such that an actuating direction thereof runs parallel to the insertion direction, and wherein the at least one actuating pushbutton is automatically pressed back out of the second position into the first position by spring force of the clamping legs.

10. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 7, wherein a receiver is provided in the at least one actuating pushbutton, the receiver being adapted for insertion of a tool therein.

11. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 7, wherein there is only one actuating pushbutton in the housing which opens both spring force clamping terminals in the second position at the same time.

12. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one opening for a test plug is formed in the housing.

13. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 7, wherein a guide for the at least one actuating pushbutton is formed in the housing.

14. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing has a roughly ¼-circle-shaped cross section with two faces which run perpendicular to one another and a third, arc-shaped, face which connects the two straight faces.

15. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 14, wherein the current bar is connected to a plug part which has at least one solder pin; wherein the two conductor inlets are located in the arc-shaped face and wherein the plug part emerges from the housing at one of the two straight faces.

16. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 14, wherein the housing has catch elements for connection of the housing to a like second housing.

17. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 16, wherein one side surface of the housing is open and wherein this side surface is closable by means of a said like second housing.

18. Electrical terminal in accordance with claim 14, wherein one side surface of the housing is open and wherein this side surface is closable by means of a cover.