DE3019149A1 - Screw-less connector for conductor wires - has hairpin spring with one end released to lock bared end against conductive strip - Google Patents

Abstract

The screwless connector for the bared ends (3) of conductor wires has a base containing the connecting elements and a cover (1) with openings (21) for the wires. Between them are chambers (4) each with a projecting base (18) over which is bent a resilient locking piece (17). Above this is supported a hairpin shaped spring (8) which can be controlled to retain the bared end after insertion. In one position, one arm of the spring is retracted by locking one end behind a projecting lug (15) with a sloping surface (16) at the outside. The spring is then released by operating a controller (13) connected to a spindle (10) carruin carrying the spring to release the arm to hold the bared end against a conductor strip (5) inside the chamber. Alternative methods of releasing the spring are possible.

Description

Screw loose connector

The invention relates to a screwless terminal, in particular Switchgear modular terminal block with at least one connection chamber with at least one Contact wall as well as with at least one of the connection chambers arranged connection spring with at least one clamping leg acted upon in the direction of the contact wall, -wherein an electrical conductor can be inserted and clamped between the contact wall and the clamping leg is. The invention thus relates primarily, but by no means exclusively on switchgear terminal blocks, but it can also be used with other connection terminals, realize, for example, in device connection terminals.

Screwless terminals, which - in contrast to the in the past mostly common screw terminals electrical conductors are not fixed by means of a clamping screw but by a connecting spring, are known in various embodiments (cf.

DE-AS 27 37 594, DE-Gbm 71 24 784, DE-PS 8 56 o12, DE-PS 12 13 o25). An electrical conductor is regularly used in such screwless terminals between one through the connection spring in the direction of a contact wall of the connection chamber clamped on the clamp leg on the one hand and the contact wall on the other hand, whereby an electrical connection is established between the connection spring and / or contact wall will. The contact wall is usually and preferably also within the scope of the invention Made of electrically conductive, usually metallic material and serves as a conductor.

In addition, the connection chamber or are the connection chambers in general ion designed as a housing insulating body provided in the the connecting parts (contact wall, connecting spring, connecting webs, etc.) are used are. These details are not important because the invention is so far is not limited to particular embodiments.

A wide variety of embodiments are also within the scope of the invention the connecting spring is conceivable. The term "clamping leg" for the end of the attack the connecting spring has been chosen - without restrictive significance - for this reason, because in the context of the invention, the connecting spring is preferably a so-called leg spring is formed (see. DE-AS 27 37 594). At least one of the legs of one of these With one of the contact walls, the leg spring forms one, as it were, in the direction of insertion of the electrical conductor converging gap. This results in a backup against unintentional pulling out of the conductor from the fact that the leg is at Try to pull the ladder up like a barb does. To release the electrical Conductor from such a connection terminal must first be the corresponding leg lifted off the ladder.

The invention deals with the problems that arise when introducing a electrical conductor in a screwless terminal of the 'explained above Genus occur. The - in various forms known - Generic screwless terminals agree that the Insertion of an electrical conductor into the connection space of the clamping legs of the connection spring must be lifted off the contact wall. The force required for this can in the case of solid conductors of sufficient strength and rigidity, applied to the conductor itself However, the effort required for this is disadvantageous. When connecting This is no longer the case with multi-stranded, especially fine-stranded or extra-fine-stranded conductors possible because they do not have the required rigidity. When connecting Such a conductor must be lifted off the contact wall before inserting the clamping leg either with a suitable tool, e.g. a screwdriver, which is cumbersome and labor-intensive, or by means of special, on such terminals provided operating lever, pins or rockers, which causes additional effort.

There is also the fact that the known terminals are in question standing genus only very imprecisely reproducible contact conditions prevail -depending on the way in which the electrical conductor is introduced or in what way the lifted clamping leg is released to rest on the conductor.

Since the contact wall is usually designed as a current-carrying member is, it comes down to the contact resistance between the electrical conductor and the Contact wall, and this depends heavily on the way in which the connection is made will.

The invention is based on the object of a screwless connection terminal of the type described above so that the connection of the most varied electrical conductors, especially conductors of low rigidity, are in can be carried out in the simplest manner and leads to precisely reproducible contact.

According to the invention, this object is first and foremost achieved- with a screwless connection terminal of the type described, which is marked is by a locking member arranged in the connection chamber, the clamping leg in the lifted position from the contact wall by the locking member lockable i-st and wherein the lock after the insertion of the electrical conductor into the Connection chamber by actuation of a release member connected to the latching member is solvable.

A terminal according to the invention thus has two stable positions the connecting spring. In a locking position, the clamping leg is through the latching member provided according to the invention in the raised position from the contact wall held while in the release position, which in the known terminals is present alone, the clamping leg is released from the locking member and in the usual Way resiliently rests on the contact wall or on the electrical conductor. In the locked position can consequently an electrical conductor without any effort in the connection chamber are introduced1 and only then is activated with the locking member connected release member of the clamping legs released. This results first of all a significant simplification of the connection. In addition, the contact relationships after connecting the electrical conductor does not depend on in which way the conductor has been inserted or the clamping leg has been released. In an inventive Rather, the terminal strikes the clamping leg freely after unlocking the electrical conductor, - and consequently depend on the conditions under which the contact arises, solely from clearly specified factors, in particular from the arrangement and design of the connecting spring, so that a precisely reproducible contact results. It is also essential that the clamping leg after unlocking hits the electrical conductor at a relatively high speed. On the one hand, this has the consequence that the clamping leg is deeper than the known ones Terminals digs into the material of the electrical conductor and thus a Ensure Zerrfesteren connection, and on the other hand has the consequence that under the Impact of the clamping leg through oxide layers on the conductor or contact wall and consequently a lower contact resistance results.

In detail, the invention offers numerous advantageous design options. So it is recommended that the locking member with a through the clamping leg or through a locking projection provided on the clamping leg traceable To provide locking lug. The locking nose can - depending on the constructive Requirements - attack at different points on the clamping leg, for example at its free end, at a suitable point at its side edge or also - how indicated on a correspondingly molded projection. Preferably the locking nose provided with a ramp for the clamping leg or the locking projection. In order to there is the possibility, in a simple way, the clamping leg from the release in the Reset the locking position. The provision can be made with a suitable Tool, for example a screwdriver, or with one of the ones described above Actuating elements (actuating lever, pin, rocker) are made. The provision the clamping leg is used to release an electrical conductor from the connection terminal of course necessary. From this point of view, too, it turns out to be advantageous that a stable locking position exists because it is reset the clamping leg and removal of the conductor are not carried out at the same time but must first transfer the clamping leg into the locking position and then the ladder can be removed. Otherwise there is the advantageous one Possibility of connecting terminals according to the invention in the locking position from the manufacturer so that the first connection can be made without further ado can. It turns out that even with long-term storage in the locked position no significant fatigue of the connecting spring occurs.

The locking member provided in a connection terminal according to the invention and / or the release member is preferably a stationary relative to the connection chamber Assigned stop, namely - in the direction of actuation when releasing the locking member - Behind this, so that a defined end position is given when loosening and overstressing can be avoided during actuation.

In the context of the invention, there is initially the possibility of the locking member to be operated manually after inserting an electrical conductor into the connection chamber. For this purpose, the arrangement is made in such a way that the release element leaves the connection chamber protrudes and can be operated manually from the outside.

In this embodiment, all of the above are already used Advantages achieved by the invention. A particularly elegant solution that is too extraordinary simple handling leads, is further characterized in that the trigger member is arranged inside the connection chamber, in the insertion path of the electrical Conductor protrudes and through the electrical conductor when inserted into the connection chamber is actuatable.

This results in an automatic release of the clamping leg, as it were the connection spring reached so that the connection - while maintaining all through the Invention achieved advantages - with a single movement, namely through the Imports of the electrical conductor into the connection chamber is made. One Terminal according to the invention can easily be interpreted so that for actuation of the trigger member only as low a rigidity is required as it is with is given to every leader in practice. It also consists of training of locking and release element as a lever with suitable lever reduction the possibility of reduce the required release force even further. Otherwise, of course be provided, in addition to a connection terminal with automatic release to provide a manually operable release member protruding from the connection chamber.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the locking member is held in its locking position by spring force. Through this spring force which can be very small, it is guaranteed that when resetting the clamping leg the locking position is correctly assumed.

This spring force only serves to make the locking member reliable to transfer into the locking position, this is only reached, the locking member also held by the interaction with the clamping leg. The locking member can for example be pivotably mounted and in the locking position by an adjusting spring be held. A special adjusting spring can be provided for this, it exists also the further advantageous possibility of the function of the adjusting spring in addition to be taken over by the connecting spring - for example, by the fact that the connecting spring is supported on an actuating arm connected to the locking member. Another, in an advantageous option in terms of construction and production technology consists therein to arrange the locking member in a fixed manner relative to the connection chamber and to be elastic to train yielding. For this purpose, the latching member can be particularly advantageous to the connection chamber, to an insulating body surrounding the connection chamber or to a fixed section of the connecting spring, for example in the area the storage of the connecting spring, be integrally formed. Another advantageous embodiment ' is characterized in that the locking member consists of one in a recess of the Connection chamber or an insulating body surrounding the connection chamber There is a spring element.

At the outset it has been pointed out that the invention relates to with regard to the formation of connection chamber, contact wall and connection spring can be realized in different ways trained terminals, wherein in particular the design with a torsion spring has been considered, the legs of which converge against the contact wall. One of these "classic" Shape of the leg spring deviating design offers the possibility of a particularly simple, one-piece design of connecting spring, latching member and release member = This embodiment is characterized in that the connecting spring has two has crossing legs (i.e. has a bend of approx. 27a 'in total), one of the legs being connected to the contact wall as a fixed leg is and a movable leg as a clamping leg a passage for an electrical Has head. The passage is, as it were, on the other side of the crossing point and is drawn against the contact wall by the spring deflection of the connecting spring, wherein the conductor is between the contact wall and the perimeter of the passage is pinched; It is also provided that the locking member and actuator through one of the fixed leg (also on the other side of the crossing point) bent portion of the connecting spring are formed and that the locking member a Locking nose which can be snapped into a locking recess of the clamping leg having. Such a one-piece unit of connecting spring, latching member and release member can be produced in one piece by simple bending and punching processes, and one geometrically precise planar arrangement in the area of the crossing point is through corresponding edge recesses or breakthroughs possible. Resting and release element can in the opposite direction to the clamping lever and to this be bent essentially parallel from-0, with a total of one bend by approx. 36c °, and is set up for manual actuation. Likewise exists the possibility of locking and release member in the direction of the free end of the clamping leg to bend in such a way that the trigger is pushed through a through the passage Head done. The invention is described below on the basis of a mere exemplary embodiment Illustrative drawing explained in more detail.

It shows-Fig. 1 a screwless connection terminal in part Representation in side view, FIG. 2 two further embodiments of the object I in a simplified representation, FIG. 3 exemplary embodiment of a screwless Terminal with a different arrangement of the connection chambers compared to FIG. 1, Fig. 4 shows further embodiments for a screw-less terminal.

Fig. 1 shows a screwless connector in the embodiment as a switchgear modular terminal, which in its basic structure initially consists of an insulating body 1, in which 2 electrical conductors through conductor inlets 3, for example in the form of wire, stranded wire or the like with stripped ends.

Like. Are introduced. The insulating body 1 encloses two connection chambers 4, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1. Each of the two connection chambers 4 has two contact walls 5 which are each assigned to a conductor inlet 2. The contact walls 5 of each connection chamber are made in the form of a bent sheet metal part electrically conductive material formed and electrically connected to each other, In addition, the two connection chambers are connected to one another by one on the contact walls 5 integrally formed connecting web 6 connected.

Within each connection terminal 4 there is a connection spring 7 in the form a leg spring arranged, which in the area of their bend 9 on - a -an the ' Insulating body 1 molded pin 10 is mounted and the two clamping legs 8 has, in the direction of each of the two contact walls 5 of a connection chamber 4 are spring loaded. The conductor 3 passes through the conductor inlet 2 in the direction of insertion 12 into the terminal chamber 4, namely between the contact wall 5- and- the associated clamping leg 8 has been introduced. In this situation will the conductor 3 -with a contact force that is produced by the elastic spring-back of the clamping leg -8 is applied, pressed against the contact wall 5. At the same time it is the leader 3 wedged by the clamping leg -8 against the contact wall 5-, so that it is only after previous pushing back of the clamping leg 8 pulled out of the connection chamber 4 can be. The pushing back of the clamping leg 8 can be done with a suitable tool, for example with an index terminal chamber 4 introduced screwdriver or, as indicated in FIG. 1, with a pivotably mounted on the insulating body 1 Actuating rocker 13 take place, the projections on the side (not visible in FIG. 1) the clamping leg 8 engages.

As FIG. 1 shows, there are 4 latching members 14 in the connection chamber arranged, which in the illustrated embodiment by one of the contact walls 5 of the rear wall connecting the connection chamber 4, bent two-armed spring element are formed, and the arms of the locking members associated with the clamping leg 8 14 form. Each of the two locking members 14 has a locking lug 15, in the illustrated embodiment by a correspondingly shaped embossing is formed and arranged so that it is from the free end of the respective corresponding Clamp leg 8 is grasped behind when it is lifted from its contact wall 5 will. The embossing of the locking lug 15 is designed so that on the clamping leg 8 there is an inclined ramp 16 facing the side, so that the clamping leg 8 easily - with elastic bending and springback of the locking member 14 - lead behind the locking lug 15 and can thus be locked.

The lock can be activated by actuating one with the locking members 14 cancel connected trigger member 17, which can be easily understood with reference to FIG will.

When-described screwless terminal exist for the clamping legs 8 of the connecting spring 7 have two stable positions. In the in Fig. 1 locking position shown on the right is the clamping leg 8 of the contact wall 5 lifted off and locked by the locking member 14. In this position a leader can 3 through the conductor inlet 2 without any effort between the clamping leg and the contact wall 5 will be introduced. Host then by actuating the trigger member 17 the When the clamping leg 8 is locked, it reaches the left in FIG. 1 shown release position in which it rests on the conductor 3 and these between them and the contact wall 5 is pinched. For releasing the conductor 3 from the terminal is the clamping leg 8, for example by means of the rocker switch 13, of the Contact wall 5 pushed back until its free end is behind the locking lug 15 of the corresponding locking member 14 grips and the clamping leg 8 is locked again is. In this position, the conductor 3 can easily get out of the connection chamber again 4 can be pulled out.

The actuation of the locking member 14 when releasing the lock can initially with one (not shown in FIG. 1) from the connection chamber 4 protruding and manually operated release member from the outside.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the trigger member 17 arranged inside the connection chamber 4, in such a way that it is in the path of the Electrical conductor 3 protrudes during insertion in the insertion direction 12 and through this actuated upon insertion into the connection chamber 4, namely in the insertion direction 12 is pressed, whereby the clamping leg 8 is released. The release takes place thus automatically when the conductor 3 is inserted.

The bottom of the connection chamber 4 forms a stationary stop 18 for the locking member 14, so that it is protected from overload.

FIG. 2 shows further embodiments of the explained with reference to FIG Connection chamber. In the embodiment according to FIG. 2a ', the rear wall of the Terminal chamber 4 forming insulating body 1, a pin 19 is formed which has a receiving slot 20 has. A flat spring element 21 is inserted into the receiving slot 20 and secured against lateral displacement by turns and in the area of his Ends - in the manner explained above - with locking members 14 in the form of impressions Mistake. While in the embodiments explained above, the locking members were preferably formed by embossed spring sheet metal elements, Fig. 2b shows another embodiment in which the locking members 14 by a molded part. are formed according to elastic plastic. The molding essentially has a web 22 which is integrally formed on the insulating body 1, For example, it can be injection-molded during production - or used subsequently can. Arrowhead-like locking lugs 15 are formed on both sides of the web 22. Otherwise, the arrangement corresponds to the exemplary embodiments shown in FIG -The ones according to FIG. 1, in particular, the latching members 14 go directly into the release members 17, each of which can be actuated by the electrical conductor 3 are.

While in the embodiments explained above, the contact walls 5 are arranged opposite one another and parallel to one another, FIG Fig. 3 shows examples of another embodiment in which two for connection each one Electrical conductor 3 provided contact walls 5 are arranged with the same area to one another are,. the conductors connected to such a connection chamber 4 are therefore not 'to one another parallel but are substantially coaxial with each other. The two connection chambers 4 common contact wall 5 consists of an electrically conductive sheet metal section, which is inserted into the connection chambers 4 enclosed by the insulating body 1.

The locking members 14 are - in this respect similar to the embodiment according to Fig. 2b - directly connected to the insulating body 1 and with arrow-shaped Locking lugs 15 are provided with release members 17.

According to the other arrangement of the conductors 3 form when connecting in this embodiment, the locking members 14 as it were the legs of a U, which is arranged between the two connection chambers 4. The connecting spring 7 has two clamping legs'8 bent from a back part 23 and is with the back part 23 set in a receiving slot 20, which between one of the latching members 14 connect web 24 and the insulating body 1 is recessed. The one explained here Fig. 3a also shows on the one hand the clamping leg 8 in its locking position and on the other hand in the release position with between the clamping leg 8 and the contact wall 5 clamped conductor 3. The unlocking of the clamping leg 8 takes place here also automatically in that the interior of the connection chamber 4 is arranged Trigger member 17 is actuated by the conductor 3. In the above-described Embodiments that are arranged in a stationary manner opposite the connection chamber 4 Latching member 14 pressed into its locking position by its inherent elasticity. In contrast, FIG. 3b shows an arrangement corresponding to FIG. 3a the connection chambers 4 - an exemplary embodiment in which the locking member 14 is pivotable stored and pressed by an adjusting spring -in -the locking position. In detail, the locking member 14 is pivotable on the through the insulating body 1 formed wall of the connection chamber 4 and supported by a step 25 against Longitudinal displacement secured. The connecting spring 7, which corresponds to the Fig. 3a is formed, runs through a provided in the locking member 14 (in the Fig. 3 not visible) breakthrough and is supported on an actuating arm 26, the connected to the latching member 14 on the side facing the respective conductor inlet 2 is. The connecting spring 7 simultaneously forms the adjusting spring through which the Latching member is pushed forward, i.e. in the locking position. m rest corresponds this embodiment to the above.

At the -in. Fig. 4 illustrated embodiments is the representation Has been simplified to the extent that the connection chambers are not completely but only each a contact wall 5 are shown. The connecting spring 7 is essentially here bent by an angle of 27 °, so that a rear spring bow 27 connect two crossing legs. In front of these is a fixed leg 28 with the contact wall 5 - for example by spot welding - connected, while the movable leg as a clamping leg 8 with a passage 29 for the electrical Head 3 is provided. The spring action of the spring bow 27 becomes the clamping leg 8 with the outer boundary 30 of the - arranged on the other side of the crossing point - Passage 29 drawn against the contact wall 5, so that the in the passage 29 introduced conductor 3 is clamped against the contact wall 5.

In the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 4a, b -Ratching member 14 and release member 17 by a bent from the fixed leg 28 Section of the connecting spring 7-formed, so designed as a whole in one piece with this; wherein the locking is achieved in that the locking member 14 with an integrally formed, for example punched locking nose 15 in a locking recess 31 of the clamping leg 8 borders.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4a, there are latching members 14 and Trigger member 17 in the clamping leg 8 in the opposite direction from the fixed If the leg 28 is bent, the connecting spring 7 has a bend in its entirety by approx. 360 °. The latching member 14 and the release member 17 essentially run parallel ~ to the clamping leg 8, the release member 17 being against the latching member 14 connects and is extended to such an extent that it comes out of the connection chamber (not shown) protrudes. In this exemplary embodiment, manual actuation takes place in such a way that after the conductor 3 has been inserted into the passage 29 of the clamping leg-s8 the locking lug 15 by manual actuation of the release member 17 from the Locking recess 31 released and thus the clamping leg 8 is released. With an essentially identical arrangement, automatic unlocking can also be achieved of the clamping leg 8 realize what is shown in Fig. 4b. Locking member 14 and release member 17 are here in the direction of the free end of the clamping leg 8 bent from the fixed leg 28, namely in relation to the previously explained Embodiments of the reverse arrangement. The locking member provided at the outermost end 14 engages with the locking lug 5 in the index proximity of the free end on the clamping leg 8 provided locking recess 31 a while the trigger link 17 connects the locking member 14 to the fixed leg 28. One in the culvert 29 of the clamping leg 8 inserted electrical conductor 3 butts in this arrangement on the release member 17, so that the locking lug 15 out of the locking recess -31 released and the clamping leg 8 for clamping the conductor 3 to the contact wall 5 is released.

Claims (13)

Claims screwless connection terminal, in particular switchgear terminal block, with at least one connection chamber with at least one contact wall, as well as with at least one connection spring arranged in the connection chamber with at least a clamp leg acted upon in the direction of the contact wall, with an electrical Conductor can be inserted and clamped between the contact wall and the clamping leg, g e k e n n z e i c h n e t d u r c h a locking member arranged in the connection chamber (4) (14), the clamping leg (8) in the raised position from the contact wall (5) can be locked by the latching member (14) and wherein the lock after insertion of the electrical conductor (3) in the connection chamber (4) by actuating a with the release member (17) connected to the latching member (14) is releasable. 2. Terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the Latching member (14) one through the clamping leg (8) or one on the clamping leg (8) provided locking projection has hjflterfaßbaren locking lug (15). 3. Terminal according to claim 2, characterized in that the Locking nose (15) with a run-up ramp (16) for the clamping leg (8) or the locking projection is provided. 4. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that that the latching member (14) and / or the release member (17) is opposite to the connection chamber (4) fixed stop (18) is assigned. 5. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that that the release member (17) protrudes from the connection chamber (4) and from the outside manually is actuatable. -6. Terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that that the trigger member (17) is arranged inside the connection chamber (4), in the insertion path of the electrical conductor (3) protrudes and through the electrical Head (3) can be actuated upon insertion into the connection chamber (4). 7. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that that the locking member (14) is held in its locking position by spring force is.- 8. Terminal according to claim 7, characterized in that the latching member (14) pivotally mounted and held in the locking position by an adjusting spring is. 9. Terminal according to claim 8, characterized in that the Adjusting spring is formed by the connecting spring (7). lo. Terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that that the latching member (14) is arranged in a fixed manner relative to the connection chamber (4) and is designed to be elastically resilient. 11. Terminal according to claim lo, characterized in that the Latching member (14) on the connection chamber (4) or on one of the connection chamber (4) enclosing Insulating body (1) or molded onto a stationary section of the connecting spring (7) is. 12. Terminal according to claim lo, characterized in that the Latching member (14) made of one in a recess (20) of the connection chamber (4) or one the connecting chamber (4) enclosing the insulating body (1) mounted spring element (21) exists. 13. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that that the connecting spring (7) has two crossing legs, one of which fixed leg (28) is connected to the contact wall (5) and a movable one Leg as clamping leg (8) a passage (29) for an electrical conductor (3), the locking member (14) and Trigger member (17) by a formed by the fixed leg (28) bent portion of the connecting spring (7) are and that the locking member (14) one in a locking recess (31) of the clamping leg (8) has latching locking lug (15).