A terminal that is easy to operate

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of terminal of facilitating operation, including insulating shell, with accommodating cavity;Conductive piece, is arranged in accommodating cavity, at least part extends to insulating shell outside;Elastic clamp, is arranged in accommodating cavity, with movable end and fixed end;Driving guide wheel, rotationally arranged in accommodating cavity, one end of driving guide wheel and the movable end of elastic clamp abut, the other end and the fixed end of elastic clamp abut, and driving guide wheel is equipped with transmission part;Operating element, it has operating end, connecting end and driving end in turn, operating end extends to insulating shell outside, and connecting end is rotationally connected with insulating shell.The utility model does not need to rely on screwdriver and other external tools, it is to form the insertion gap between elastic clamp and conductive piece for wire threading / taking out by operating element and driving guide wheel, to realize more quickly, easily wire connection action, effectively reduce operation difficulty and save a lot of time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of terminal blocks, and in particular to an easy-to-operate terminal block. Background Technology

[0002] Terminal blocks are accessories used to achieve electrical connections, and are classified as connection terminals in industry. With increasing industrial automation and more stringent and precise industrial control requirements, the use of terminal blocks is gradually rising. With the development of the electronics industry, the application range of terminal blocks is expanding, and the types are also increasing. Existing terminal blocks are used to facilitate the connection of wires; they are essentially metal plates encased in insulating plastic, with holes at both ends for inserting wires and screws for tightening or loosening. For example, if two wires sometimes need to be connected and sometimes disconnected, terminal blocks can be used to connect them and disconnect them at any time without having to solder or twist them together.

[0003] One type of terminal block requires the user to press an operation button when connecting an external wire to it. This opens the wire clamping connector, creating a gap for the wire to be inserted. After the wire is inserted, the user releases the pressure on the operation button, allowing the wire clamping connector to hold the wire in place. This enables the wire to be electrically connected to the electrical contact element, completing the wiring operation of the terminal block.

[0004] The traditional way to use the above-mentioned terminals is as follows: (See...) Figure 4 Use a screwdriver or similar tool to pry open the internal elastic element through the operating hole to create a gap for the wire to be inserted. After inserting the wire, remove the screwdriver, and the elastic element will automatically reset and clamp the wire in place. Alternatively, refer to... Figure 5 This requires using a screwdriver to unscrew the screws and disassemble the casing before wiring can be done. The drawbacks of this method are quite obvious: firstly, it requires tools, making it impossible to plug and unplug wires without them; secondly, the operation is unstable, easily damaging internal elastic components, the casing, and other parts, thus reducing the product's lifespan.

[0005] In another type of connection terminal, the push rod is a one-piece structure. When the push rod is rotated to release the lock and allow the spring to return to its original position, the impact of the instantaneous and rapid rebound force of the elastic component on the push rod is not considered. If the push rod encounters a large impact, the operating end of the push rod may cause injury to the operator.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the existing terminal block structure so that users can easily plug and unplug cables without the aid of tools. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a terminal block that is easy to operate.

[0008] The technical solution of this invention to solve its technical problem is: an easy-to-operate terminal block, comprising:

[0009] An insulating housing having wire insertion holes and terminal holes, wherein the insulating housing has a receiving cavity communicating with the wire insertion holes and terminal holes;

[0010] A conductive element is disposed in the receiving cavity, and the conductive element extends at least partially through the terminal hole to the outside of the insulating housing;

[0011] An elastic clamping element is disposed in a receiving cavity and has a movable end and a fixed end. The movable end is used to clamp the wire entering the receiving cavity from the wire insertion hole onto the conductive element, and the fixed end is always in contact with the conductive element.

[0012] A drive guide wheel is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity. One end of the drive guide wheel abuts against the movable end of the elastic clamping member, and the other end abuts against the fixed end of the elastic clamping member. The drive guide wheel is provided with a transmission part.

[0013] The operating component has, from front to back, an operating end, a connecting end, and a driving end. The operating end extends out of the insulating housing, the connecting end is rotatably connected to the insulating housing, and the driving end can extend into the receiving cavity and abut against the transmission part of the driving guide wheel, thereby causing the driving guide wheel to rotate. The driving guide wheel acts on the movable end of the elastic clamping component and deforms it, thereby forming an insertion gap between the deformed movable end and the conductive component for the wire to pass through.

[0014] A further configuration of the above technical solution is as follows: the drive guide wheel includes a semi-annular body and a transmission part protruding on the semi-annular body. The receiving cavity also has a circular groove, and a centering column is provided in the circular groove. The semi-annular body is installed in the circular groove and can rotate around the centering column.

[0015] A further provision of the above technical solution is that the operating component has a receiving groove, and the transmission part can be inserted into the receiving groove.

[0016] A further provision of the above technical solution is that: limiting baffles are provided on both sides of the receiving groove, and the transmission part contacts the limiting baffles to limit the longitudinal displacement of the operating component.

[0017] A further configuration of the above technical solution is as follows: the elastic clamping member includes a semi-annular base, the movable end is formed by extending outward from one end of the semi-annular base, and the movable end always has an elastic movement tendency to approach the conductive member; the fixed end is formed by extending outward from the other end of the semi-annular base, and the fixed end always abuts against the cavity wall of the receiving cavity.

[0018] A further provision of the above technical solution is that a limiting rib is provided on the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the limiting rib can abut against the movable end of the elastic clamping member to limit further displacement of the movable end.

[0019] A further provision of the above technical solution is that the connecting end of the operating component is a rotating shaft, and a rotating hole is provided on the insulating housing, into which the rotating shaft is inserted.

[0020] A further feature of the above technical solution is that the size of the rotating hole is larger than the size of the rotating shaft, and a lateral movement clearance is formed.

[0021] A further configuration of the above technical solution is as follows: the driving end of the operating member is hook-shaped, and the hook-shaped driving end has a first guide surface and a second guide surface; when the operating member is lifted upward, the first guide surface first contacts the transmission part of the driving guide wheel to cause the driving guide wheel to rotate; after the driving guide wheel rotates at a certain angle, the second guide surface contacts the transmission part of the driving guide wheel to cause the driving guide wheel to rotate further.

[0022] A further provision of the above technical solution is that the insulating housing includes a main shell and a side sealing plate, the main shell having a closed side and an open side, the open side being assembled with the side sealing plate or the closed side of another main shell to form the receiving cavity.

[0023] The method of using this invention is as follows: When it is necessary to insert or remove a wire, the user lifts the upper end of the operating component, causing the entire operating component to rotate around the connection end as the rotation center. Therefore, the driving end opposite the upper end rotates accordingly. The driving end can extend into the receiving cavity and abut against the transmission part of the driving guide wheel, thereby causing the driving guide wheel to rotate. The driving guide wheel acts on the movable end of the elastic clamping component and deforms it. Then, the deformed movable end and the conductive component form an insertion gap for the wire to pass through. At this time, the wire can be inserted or the originally fixed wire can be released and removed. Finally, the user releases the operating component, and the elastic clamping component returns to its initial position under its own elastic force, which also drives the driving guide wheel and the operating component to reset together.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0025] 1. Through structural improvements and optimizations, without the need for external tools such as screwdrivers, the lever principle allows the operating component and drive guide wheel to create an insertion gap between the elastic clamping component and the conductive component, enabling wires to be inserted / removed. This achieves faster and easier wiring, effectively reducing operational difficulty and saving a significant amount of time when connecting and releasing wires.

[0026] 2. The system employs a superior drive guide wheel and operating component structure, particularly the double semi-ring structure (semi-ring main body and semi-ring base), ensuring consistent movement between the drive guide wheel and the elastic clamping component. At any point during rotation, the drive guide wheel and the elastic clamping component maintain a stable contact surface, guaranteeing consistent force distribution across components during opening and closing, and providing a more stable feel. Furthermore, this design allows for more even force distribution between the drive guide wheel and the elastic clamping component, improving the product's fatigue resistance and preventing loosening even after prolonged use, maintaining a good fit and resulting in superior performance. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the wiring terminal in this invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the operating component when it is not lifted in this invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the operating component when it is lifted in this invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of existing technology.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance and structure of existing technology.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Insulating shell; 2. Wire insertion hole; 3. Terminal hole; 4. Receiving cavity; 5. Conductive component; 6. Elastic clamping component; 7. Movable end; 8. Fixed end; 9. Drive guide wheel; 10. Transmission part; 11. Operating component; 12. Operating end; 13. Connecting end; 14. Drive end; 15. Semi-annular body; 16. Circular groove; 17. Centering column; 18. Semi-annular base; 19. Receiving groove; 20. Limiting baffle; 21. Limiting baffle rib; 22. Rotating shaft; 23. Rotating hole; 24. Lateral movement clearance; 25. First guide surface; 26. Second guide surface; 27. Main shell; 28. Side sealing plate; 29. ​​Screwdriver. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Reference Figures 1-3 An easy-to-use terminal block, comprising:

[0035] An insulating housing 1 has a wire insertion hole 2 and a terminal hole 3. The insulating housing 1 has a receiving cavity 4 that communicates with the wire insertion hole 2 and the terminal hole 3. A conductive element 5 is disposed in the receiving cavity 4, and the conductive element 5 extends at least partially through the terminal hole 3 to the outside of the insulating housing 1. An elastic clamping element 6 is disposed in the receiving cavity 4 and has a movable end 7 and a fixed end 8. The movable end 7 is used to press the wire entering the receiving cavity 4 from the wire insertion hole 2 onto the conductive element 5, and the fixed end 8 is always in contact with the conductive element 5. A drive guide wheel 9 is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity 4. One end of the drive guide wheel 9 abuts against the movable end 7 of the elastic clamping element 6, and the other end abuts against the fixed end 8 of the elastic clamping element 6. The drive guide wheel 9 is provided with a transmission part 10. An operating element 11 has an operating end 12, a connecting end 13 and a driving end 14 in sequence from front to back. The operating end 12 extends to the outside of the insulating housing 1, and the connecting end 13 is rotatably connected to the insulating housing 1.

[0036] The above content is the basic solution of the present invention. The operating component 11 adopts a lever-type structural principle. When it is necessary to insert or remove the wire, the user lifts the upper end of the operating component 11, causing the entire operating component 11 to rotate around the connecting end 13 as the rotation center. Therefore, the driving end 14 opposite to the upper end rotates accordingly. The driving end 14 can extend into the receiving cavity 4 and abut against the transmission part 10 of the driving guide wheel 9, thereby causing the driving guide wheel 9 to rotate. The driving guide wheel 9 acts on the movable end 7 of the elastic clamping component 6 and deforms it. Then, the deformed movable end 7 and the conductive component 5 form an insertion gap for the wire to pass through. At this time, the wire can be inserted or the original fixed wire can be released and removed. Finally, the user releases the operating component 11, and the elastic clamping component 6 returns to its initial position under its own elastic force. At the same time, it also drives the driving guide wheel 9 and the operating component 11 to reset together.

[0037] In existing similar products, such as the invention patent ZL2021114973529, the transmission slider is used as the transitional transmission component. The operating component 11 rotates during use, while the transmission slider moves vertically up and down. The elastic clamping component 6 rotates on one side (movable end 7). Therefore, the contact method between the transmission slider and the operating component 11 varies to some extent at each position, resulting in at least the following consequences: 1. When the operating component 11 switches from closed to open, the initial contact with the transmission slider is large, leading to high resistance, a stiff feel, and sometimes even jamming. The subsequent contact with the transmission slider decreases, resulting in lower resistance and a lighter feel. 2. Due to the above, the transmission slider experiences uneven force, leading to poor fatigue resistance in its structure. After prolonged use, it may loosen, resulting in insufficient precision in the fit and significantly reduced performance.

[0038] To address the aforementioned deficiencies of existing products and to achieve reliable and stable operation during opening and closing, the structure of the drive guide wheel 9 and the elastic clamping member 6 is specifically defined, preferably comprising a semi-annular body 15 and a transmission part 10 protruding from the semi-annular body 15. The receiving cavity 4 also has a circular groove 16, in which a centering column 17 is provided. The semi-annular body 15 is installed in the circular groove 16 and can rotate around the centering column 17. The elastic clamping member 6 includes a semi-annular base 18. The movable end 7 extends outward from one end of the semi-annular base 18 and always has an elastic tendency to move closer to the conductive element 5. The fixed end 8 extends outward from the other end of the semi-annular base 18 and always abuts against the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 4. Furthermore, the semi-annular base 18 is always in contact with the semi-annular body 15. By adopting the aforementioned double semi-ring structure, the movement of the drive guide wheel 9 and the elastic clamping component 6 remains consistent. At any point during the rotation process, the drive guide wheel 9 and the elastic clamping component 6 maintain a stable and unchanging contact surface, thereby ensuring the consistency of force on each component during opening and closing, and providing a more stable feel. On the other hand, it enables the drive guide wheel 9 and the elastic clamping component 6 to be subjected to more even force, thereby improving the product fatigue resistance of their own structure. Even after long-term use, there will be no loosening, and they will still maintain a good fit, resulting in better performance.

[0039] To ensure more stable transmission between the operating component 11 and the drive guide wheel 9, a preferred embodiment is provided: the operating component 11 has a receiving groove 19 into which the transmission part 10 can be inserted. Simultaneously, limiting baffles 20 are provided on both sides of the receiving groove 19, and the transmission part 10 contacts the limiting baffles 20 to limit the longitudinal displacement of the operating component 11 and ensure good contact and transmission power between the transmission part 10 and the operating component 11 at all times.

[0040] The elastic clamp 6 is generally made of copper, which satisfies the conductivity requirement and also has a certain amount of deformation and plasticity. However, if the movable end 7 is not specially designed, its drawback is that after repeated use and deformation, the movable end 7 may experience product fatigue, or excessive external force applied instantaneously to the elastic clamp 6 may cause it to deform or displace excessively and fail to return to its original position after the external force is released. This leads to a decrease in the clamping force of the movable end 7 on the wire, making it prone to loosening and poor contact. To ensure more regular and stable movement of the elastic clamp 6, this embodiment employs a limiting rib 21 on the inner wall of the receiving cavity 4. The limiting rib 21 can abut against the movable end 7 of the elastic clamp 6 to limit further displacement of the movable end 7.

[0041] In this invention, the rotational structure between the operating component 11 and the insulating housing 1 is as follows: the connecting end 13 of the operating component 11 is a rotating shaft 22, and the insulating housing 1 has a rotating hole 23, into which the rotating shaft 22 is inserted. Since the operating component 11 uses a rotating opening and closing mechanism, if the connection between the connecting end 13 and the insulating housing 1 uses a clearance fit, interference and jamming may easily occur during use, leading to poor force transmission and preventing the operating component 11 from opening or closing smoothly.

[0042] To eliminate potential rotational defects during the opening and closing of the aforementioned operating component 11, the size of the rotating hole 23 is larger than that of the rotating shaft 22, and a lateral movement clearance 24 is formed. During use, if any movement becomes stuck, the user can pull the operating component 11 laterally to change the contact position between the drive end 14 on the operating component 11 and the transmission part 10 of the drive guide wheel 9. Then, rotating the operating component 11 will allow for smooth operation.

[0043] To ensure smoother and more stable cooperation between the operating element 11 and the drive guide wheel 9, and to guarantee sufficient contact between them, the driving end 14 of the operating element 11 is hook-shaped, and the hook-shaped driving end 14 has a first guide surface 25 and a second guide surface 26. When the operating element 11 is lifted upward, the first guide surface 25 first contacts the transmission part 10 of the drive guide wheel 9 to cause the drive guide wheel 9 to rotate. After the drive guide wheel 9 rotates a certain angle, the second guide surface 26 contacts the transmission part 10 of the drive guide wheel 9 to cause the drive guide wheel 9 to rotate further.

[0044] Terminal blocks are often used in multiple parallel configurations to connect / lead out more circuits. Therefore, this embodiment also provides a special structure for the insulating housing 1, which can achieve any number of splicing combinations to meet the needs of different users. Specifically, the insulating housing 1 includes a main housing 27 and a side sealing plate 28. The main housing 27 has a closed side and an open side. The open side is assembled with the side sealing plate 28 or the closed side of another main housing 27 to form the receiving cavity 4.

[0045] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any simple modifications, alterations, or equivalent structural changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wire termination that is easy to operate, characterized in that, The utility model relates to an electric wire clamp, which comprises: an insulating shell (1) with a wire insertion hole (2) and a terminal hole (3), the insulating shell (1) having a receiving cavity (4) in communication with the wire insertion hole (2) and the terminal hole (3); a conductive member (5) arranged in the receiving cavity (4) and extending out of the insulating shell (1) through the terminal hole (3); a resilient clamp (6) arranged in the receiving cavity (4) and having a movable end (7), a fixed end (8) and a semi-ring base (18) between the movable end (7) and the fixed end (8), the movable end (7) being used to press the wire entering the receiving cavity (4) from the wire insertion hole (2) against the conductive member (5), the fixed end (8) being always in contact with the conductive member (5) and the wall of the receiving cavity (4); a driving guide wheel (9) rotatably arranged in the receiving cavity (4), one end of the driving guide wheel (9) being in abutment with the movable end (7) of the resilient clamp (6) and the other end being in abutment with the fixed end (8) of the resilient clamp (6), the driving guide wheel (9) being provided with a transmission part (10); an operating member (11) having an operating end (12), a connecting end (13) and a driving end (14) from front to back, the operating end (12) extending out of the insulating shell (1), the connecting end (13) being rotatably connected with the insulating shell (1), the driving end (14) being capable of extending into the receiving cavity (4) and being in abutment with the transmission part (10) of the driving guide wheel (9) to drive the driving guide wheel (9) to rotate, the driving guide wheel (9) acting on the movable end (7) of the resilient clamp (6) and deforming the movable end (7), and then the deformed movable end (7) and the conductive member (5) forming a gap for the wire to enter; the driving guide wheel (9) comprising a semi-ring main body (15) and the transmission part (10) protruding from the semi-ring main body (15), the receiving cavity (4) further having a circular groove (16) with a centering column (17) arranged therein, the semi-ring main body (15) being installed in the circular groove (16) and being capable of rotating around the centering column (17), at any node in the rotating process, the semi-ring main body (15) and the semi-ring base (18) always have a stable and unchangeable arc contact surface; the operating member (11) being provided with a receiving groove (19), and the transmission part (10) being capable of being inserted into the receiving groove (19).

2. The wire terminal of claim 1, wherein: both sides of the receiving groove (19) are provided with limiting stop walls (20), the transmission part (10) being in contact with the limiting stop walls (20) to limit the longitudinal deviation of the operating member (11).

3. The wire terminal of claim 1, wherein: the inner wall of the receiving cavity (4) is further provided with a limiting stop rib (21), the limiting stop rib (21) being capable of being in abutment with the movable end (7) of the resilient clamp (6) to limit the further displacement of the movable end (7).

4. The wire terminal of claim 1, wherein: The connecting end (13) of the operating member (11) is a rotating shaft (22), and the insulating shell (1) is provided with a rotating hole (23), and the rotating shaft (22) is inserted into the rotating hole (23).

5. The wire terminal of claim 4, wherein: The rotating hole (23) is larger than the rotating shaft (22) in size and is provided with a transverse movement gap (24).

6. The wire terminal of claim 1, wherein: The driving end (14) of the operating member (11) is hook-shaped, and the hook-shaped driving end (14) is provided with a first guide surface (25) and a second guide surface (26); when the operating member (11) is pulled upward, the first guide surface (25) is first contacted with the transmission part (10) of the driving guide wheel (9) to drive the driving guide wheel (9) to rotate; when the driving guide wheel (9) is rotated by a certain angle, the second guide surface (26) is contacted with the transmission part (10) of the driving guide wheel (9) to further drive the driving guide wheel (9) to rotate.

7. The wire terminal of claim 1, wherein: The insulating shell (1) comprises a main shell (27) and a side sealing plate (28), the main shell (27) is provided with a closed side and an open side, the open side is assembled with the side sealing plate (28) or the closed side of another main shell (27) to form the accommodating cavity (4).

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