Terminal blocks for connecting electrical conductors to electrical equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection terminal for connecting an electrical conductor to an electrical device. In particular, the invention relates to a connection terminal for connecting a grounding conductor or ground wire to a component that conducts a ground potential or ground potential, for example to a metal plate. In this case, the connection terminal according to the invention can form a grounding terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a connection terminal for connecting an electrical conductor to an electrical device. In particular, the invention relates to a connection terminal for connecting a grounding conductor or ground wire to a component that conducts a ground potential or ground potential, for example to a metal plate. In this case, the connection terminal according to the invention can form a grounding terminal. Background Art

[0002] It is known, for example, in switchgear construction to screw a grounding conductor to a metal plate, such as a housing wall of a switch cabinet, by means of a screw connection. The invention is based on the object of simplifying the connection of an electrical conductor, in particular a grounding conductor or ground wire, to an electrical device. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object is achieved by a connecting terminal for connecting an electrical conductor to an electrical device, the connecting terminal having an actuating lever and a spring force clamping connection that can be manually actuated by the actuating lever, the spring force clamping connection having a pressure spring, a clamping bolt passing through the pressure spring, and a clamping body for accommodating the electrical conductor to be connected in a clamped manner, wherein the clamping bolt is connected to the actuating lever and is connected to the clamping body on the side of the pressure spring facing away from the actuating lever. The connecting terminal according to the invention allows the electrical conductor to be connected to the electrical device in a tool-free or at least almost tool-free manner by means of an advantageous spring force clamping connection technology. In this case, it is not necessary to manually tighten the screw connection as in the known grounding terminal.

[0004] The connecting terminal according to the invention allows simple handling and, accordingly, a labor-saving and effective and time-saving connection process. The electrical connection of an electrical conductor to an electrical device, which is established via the connecting terminal, is particularly low-maintenance, since the electrical contact is permanently maintained by the preloaded compression spring and the screw connection does not have to be readjusted as required in the prior art. The compression spring ensures a constant pressure on the conductor connection. The connecting terminal can be operated simply and ergonomically by means of an actuating lever.

[0005] In this case, by means of the force of the compression spring, not only the connecting terminal can be fixedly clamped on the electrical device, but also the electrical conductor can be fixedly clamped on the clamping body, for example in a conductor receiving space of the clamping body.

[0006] The present invention allows a user to establish a quick connection between a grounding conductor and a grounded electrical device in a simple manner, for example, to connect a grounding conductor (PE conductor) to a grounded mounting plate. The present invention can be advantageously used in switchgear construction, in particular for mounting plate grounding. The electrical device to which the connection terminal is connected can be, for example, a housing wall of a switch cabinet or a potential compensation rail or the like.

[0007] Advantageously, the clamping bolt passes through the pressure spring in its longitudinal direction, i.e. in the axial direction. The arrangement of the clamping bolt in the space surrounded by the pressure spring results in a very compact design of the connecting terminal. The pressure spring can be designed, for example, as a helical spring. The clamping bolt can be connected to the actuating lever on the side of the pressure spring facing away from the clamping body. The actuating lever can be designed, in particular, as a pivotable actuating lever.

[0008] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the clamping bolt extends through the clamping body in its longitudinal direction. Here, the clamping bolt can especially extend completely through the clamping body and, if necessary, can extend slightly from the clamping body on the side facing away from the compression spring.

[0009] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, the clamping body has at least one first clamping part and at least one second clamping part, wherein the first clamping part is movably arranged relative to the second clamping part, wherein the electrical conductor can be fixedly clamped between the first clamping part and the second clamping part by means of the spring force of the pressure spring. This allows the clamping of the electrical conductor to be reliably fixed while simply operating the connecting terminal. For example, the first clamping part and / or the second clamping part can be formed in a plate-like shape, for example, in the manner of a clamping plate. The first clamping part and / or the second clamping part can also have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape, wherein a part of the corresponding other clamping part can be accommodated in the U-shaped cross-sectional shape of one of the clamping parts. The clamping body, in particular the second clamping part, can advantageously be made of a material with good electrical conductivity, in particular of a metal material.

[0010] As mentioned, the first clamping part is arranged movably relative to the second clamping part. In this case, both the first clamping part and the second clamping part can be arranged movably relative to the clamping bolt. The clamping part arranged movably relative to the clamping bolt can be movable in particular in the longitudinal direction of the clamping bolt. The clamping part arranged movably relative to the clamping bolt can be movable in particular in such a way that it is arranged displaceably and / or pivotably relative to the clamping bolt. In this case, the second clamping part can be pressed against the first clamping part by means of the force of a pressure spring.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the compression spring is supported with its end facing away from the actuating lever directly or indirectly via at least one further component on the second clamping part. The second clamping part or the further component can form a support plate for the compression spring in this manner.

[0012] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, the connection terminal has a mushroom-shaped holder, by means of which the connection terminal can be fastened to the electrical device. This allows the connection terminal to be fastened to the electrical device simply and quickly. For example, the electrical device can have a keyhole-shaped recess, through which the mushroom-shaped holder can be inserted and then pushed into the narrower area of ​​the keyhole-shaped recess in order to then be fixedly clamped there.

[0013] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, a mushroom-shaped retaining piece extends out on the side of the clamping body facing away from the compression spring. This allows a simple operation of the connecting terminal when, for example, a grounding conductor is connected to the mounting plate.

[0014] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, it is proposed that the mushroom-shaped holder is movably supported relative to the clamping body. In this way, the distance between the mushroom-shaped holder and the clamping body can be changed, whereby the connecting terminal can be fastened to the electrical device in a simple and ergonomic manner by means of the mushroom-shaped holder. For example, an electrical device, for example an electrical device in the form of a mounting plate, can be fixedly clamped between the mushroom-shaped holder and the clamping body by means of the force of a compression spring. The mushroom-shaped holder can, for example, be movably supported relative to the clamping body, so that the mushroom-shaped holder is movable and / or pivotable relative to the clamping body.

[0015] According to an advantageous design of the invention, a mushroom-shaped retaining element is fixed to the clamping bolt at least in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the mushroom-shaped retaining element can be arranged in particular at the end of the clamping bolt facing away from the actuating rod. In an advantageous design, the mushroom-shaped retaining element can be formed in one piece with the clamping bolt. For example, the mushroom-shaped retaining element can form the end of the clamping bolt facing away from the actuating rod.

[0016] The mushroom-shaped retaining element can be mushroom-shaped in particular in such a way that it projects beyond the clamping bolt at least on one side in the axial direction. The mushroom-shaped retaining element can also project axially beyond the clamping bolt in a circumferential manner. The clamping bolt can be designed as a cylindrical bolt or as a bolt with another cross-sectional shape, for example a polygonal design.

[0017] According to an advantageous design of the invention, it is proposed that the operating lever has a sliding profile, by means of which the operating lever is supported directly on the pressure spring or on a support body arranged between the sliding profile and the pressure spring in a sliding manner. This enables a particularly simple and robust structure of the connecting terminal. In particular, no expensive supporting elements are required. As a result, the connecting terminal can also be designed to be particularly user-friendly and maintenance-free. In this regard, in an advantageous design, the corresponding sliding surface of the pressure spring or the support body along which the sliding profile is to slide can be designed to be particularly smooth, i.e., with low roughness.

[0018] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, the operating lever is rotatably supported about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation can be configured as a fixed axis of rotation, for example, which can be realized by a corresponding rotating body, for example, an axle. The axis of rotation of the operating lever can extend orthogonally to the longitudinal direction of the clamping bolt, for example.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the actuating lever has a sliding contour which is eccentrically designed relative to its axis of rotation. This enables a very effective and ergonomic force transmission of the actuating force of the actuating lever to the clamping bolt. In the case of a compression spring designed for high forces, the design of the eccentrically designed sliding contour can ensure that manual actuation of the actuating lever with moderate forces is possible.

[0020] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, the operating lever is coupled to the clamping bolt via a shaft, which forms the axis of rotation of the operating lever. Such a shaft can be connected to the operating lever in a simple manner. The shaft can be configured as a short cylindrical component, for example, which extends through the operating lever in the transverse direction. The operating lever can be configured in a U-shaped manner in cross section with two side walls, for example, so that a part of the connecting section of the clamping bolt extends into the U-shaped area between the side walls and is connected to the shaft there. For example, the shaft can pass through a through hole, an opening or a groove in the connecting section of the clamping bolt to connect the connecting section of the shaft and the clamping bolt. For this purpose, the clamping bolt can have, for example, a slit-shaped groove, in particular a slit-shaped groove with a curved or bent extension.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the actuating lever has a lever arm extending from the region of the actuating lever where the rotation axis is formed for manually actuating the actuating lever. This enables a very advantageous lever action to be achieved, which results in a moderate actuation force of the connecting terminal.

[0022] The operating lever can be pivoted between an unoperated position and an operated position. In the unoperated position, the operating lever transmits no operating force or a small operating force to the pressure spring. In the operated position, the operating lever transmits a significantly higher operating force to the pressure spring than in the unoperated position. The operating lever can be designed to be self-fixing in the unoperated position and / or the operated position, i.e., without manual operation, the operating lever does not change its respectively set position in an unoperated / operated manner. The fixing of the operating lever can be achieved, for example, by an over-dead point position of the connection between the operating lever and the clamping bolt and the support of the operating lever on the pressure spring.

[0023] According to an advantageous design of the present invention, the joystick can be pivoted at a pivot angle of at least 90°, at least 135° or at least 180°. The maximum pivot angle is passed when the joystick moves from the unoperated position to the operated position and when the joystick moves from the operated position to the unoperated position.

[0024] In the sense of the present invention, the indefinite term "a" is not to be understood as a numeral. That is to say, for example, if a "component" is mentioned, this should be interpreted in the sense of "at least one component". Whenever an angle is specified in degrees, it relates to a circle size of 360 degrees (360°). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be explained in detail below based on embodiments using the accompanying drawings.

[0026] The accompanying drawings show:

[0027] Figure 1 The connecting terminal is shown in a side sectional view,

[0028] Figure 2 The three-dimensional cross-sectional view shows Figure 1 connection terminals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The connecting terminal 1 shown in the figure has a manually actuatable actuating lever 5 and a spring force clamping connection which can be manually actuatable via the actuating lever 5 and has a compression spring 4 , a clamping bolt 6 extending through the compression spring 4 and a clamping body 3 .

[0030] In this case, the clamping body 3 is formed in multiple parts, for example in two parts, and has a first clamping part 31 and a second clamping part 32. The second clamping part 32 is formed, for example, as a clamping plate, and the first clamping part 31 is formed as a clamping cage 31 surrounding the conductor receiving space 30. Here, at least the first clamping part 31 is arranged movably relative to the second clamping part 32 and movably relative to the clamping bolt 6, in particular movably in the longitudinal direction L. The second clamping part 32 can also be movable in the longitudinal direction L relative to the clamping bolt 6.

[0031] For example, the second clamping part 32 is dimensioned so that it can be introduced into the wire receiving space 30 of the first clamping part 31. The electrical wire to be connected can be fixedly clamped in the wire receiving space 30 between the first clamping part 31 and the second clamping part 32 by means of the spring force of the compression spring 4.

[0032] As can be seen, the clamping bolt 6 passes completely through the clamping body 3 in its longitudinal direction L and protrudes slightly from the clamping body on the side of the clamping body 3 facing away from the compression spring 4. In this area, the clamping bolt 6 has a mushroom-shaped retaining element 7, which serves to fasten the connecting terminal 1 to the electrical device. In the figure showing the connecting terminal 1 with the actuating lever 5 in the unactuated position, it can be seen that there is a free space 8 between the clamping body 3 and the upper side of the mushroom-shaped retaining element 7 facing the clamping body 3, into which a part of the electrical device to which the connecting terminal 1 is to be fastened can be introduced and fixedly clamped.

[0033] As can be seen, the compression spring 4 is supported with its second (lower) end 41 on the clamping body 3, in particular on the second clamping part 32. At the first end 40, the compression spring 4 is supported on the support body 2. The support body 2 is movable in the longitudinal direction L relative to the clamping bolt 6.

[0034] The actuating lever 5 is rotatably connected to the clamping bolt 6 via an axis 51. The axis 51 is fastened to a side wall 53 of the U-shaped section of the actuating lever 5. A sliding contour 52 is formed on the side wall 53, via which the actuating lever 5 can be guided slidingly along the support body 2 during pivoting. It can be seen that the sliding contour 52 is arranged eccentrically to the rotation axis of the actuating lever 5 defined by the axis 51. The actuating lever 5 has a protruding lever arm 50 for manual actuation.

[0035] If the actuating lever 5 is pivoted to the right in the illustration of the drawing, for example by approximately 180°, the force is transmitted to the compression spring 4 via the eccentric sliding contour 52 by means of the support body 2. The compression spring 4 is tensioned in the described manner and transmits the pressure to the second clamping part 32 accordingly. If an electrical conductor is accommodated in the conductor receiving space 30, the pressure is transmitted to the first clamping part 31 via the electrical conductor and from the first clamping part 31 to the electrical device arranged in the free space 8. The mushroom-shaped retaining part 7 serves here as a counter-support for absorbing the pressure. In the described manner, the electrical conductor is fixedly clamped in the conductor receiving space 30 and the electrical device is fixedly clamped in the free space 8 by the force of the compression spring 4.

[0036] An electrical line having a lead sleeve or a forked cable bushing, for example, can be arranged in the line receiving space 30 .

[0037] The mushroom-head-shaped retaining element 7 can be designed to be conical or tapered in another way on its side facing away from the clamping body 3 , which facilitates the introduction of the mushroom-head-shaped retaining element 7 into the opening of the mounting plate.

[0038] Reference numerals list

[0039] 1 Connection terminal

[0040] 2 Support body

[0041] 3 Clamping body

[0042] 4 Pressure spring

[0043] 5 Joystick

[0044] 6 Clamping pin

[0045] 7 Mushroom head retainer

[0046] 8 Free Space

[0047] 30 Wire accommodation space

[0048] 31 First clamping part

[0049] 32 Second clamping member

[0050] 40 First end of the compression spring

[0051] 41 Second end of the compression spring

[0052] 50 Lever arm

[0053] 51 Axis

[0054] 52 Eccentric sliding profile

[0055] 53 Sidewall

[0056] L Longitudinal direction

Claims

1. A connection terminal (1) for connecting an electrical conductor to an electrical device, the connection terminal having an operating lever (5) and a spring force clamping connection piece which can be manually operated by the operating lever (5), the spring force clamping connection piece having a pressure spring (4), a clamping bolt (6) passing through the pressure spring (4), and a clamping body (3) for accommodating the electrical conductor to be connected in a clamping manner, wherein the clamping bolt (6) is connected to the operating lever (5) and is connected to the clamping body (3) on the side of the pressure spring (6) facing away from the operating lever (5).

2. The connecting terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping bolt (6) projects through the clamping body (3) in its longitudinal direction (L).

3. The connecting terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: The clamping body (3) has at least one first clamping part (31) and at least one second clamping part (32), wherein the first clamping part (31) is movably arranged relative to the second clamping part (32), and an electrical conductor can be fixedly clamped between the first clamping part (31) and the second clamping part (32) by means of the spring force of the compression spring (4).

4. The connecting terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that: The compression spring (4) is supported with its end (41) facing away from the actuating lever (5) on the second clamping part (32) directly or indirectly via at least one further component.

5. The connecting terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: The connecting terminal (1) has a holding part (7), by means of which the connecting terminal (1) can be fastened to an electrical device.

6. The connecting terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that: The retaining element (7) projects on a side of the clamping body (3) facing away from the compression spring (4).

7. The connecting terminal according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that: The holding element (7) is mounted movably relative to the clamping body (3).

8. The connecting terminal according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: The retaining element (7) is fixed to the clamping bolt (6) at least in the longitudinal direction (L).

9. The connecting terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: The operating lever (5) has a sliding contour (52), by means of which the operating lever is supported in a sliding manner directly on the compression spring (4) or on a supporting body (2) arranged between the sliding contour (52) and the compression spring (4).

10. The connecting terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The actuating lever (5) is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis.

11. The connecting terminal according to claim 10, characterized in that: The actuating lever (5) has a sliding contour (52) which is eccentrically designed relative to its axis of rotation.

12. The connecting terminal according to any one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that: The actuating lever (5) is coupled to the clamping bolt (6) via a shaft (51), which forms the axis of rotation of the actuating lever (5).

13. The connecting terminal according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The actuating lever (5) has a lever arm (50) which projects from a region of the actuating lever (5) which forms the axis of rotation and which serves for manually actuating the actuating lever (5).

14. The connecting terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The joystick (5) is pivotable over a pivot angle of at least 90°, at least 135° or at least 180°.

15. The connecting terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The retaining element (7) is designed in the shape of a mushroom head.

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