Electrical module comprising push-in terminal

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to an electrical module including a push-in terminal disposed within a housing formed by a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The conductor end piece clamped in the push-in terminal can be selectively removed by sliding at least a portion of the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an electrical module including push-in terminals disposed within a housing formed by a first housing portion and a second housing portion. By sliding at least a portion of the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion, a conductor end clamped within the push-in terminal can be selectively removed from the push-in terminal. Background Art

[0002] To facilitate connection of electrical conductors to an electrical module, such as a control module for a lighting system, a terminal block for securely connecting the electrical conductors is typically provided in the electrical module. Conventionally, the terminal block is equipped with independent screws for applying a clamping force to each electrical conductor to achieve a secure electrical connection.

[0003] To shorten the connection time, screwless terminal blocks have been introduced. Such screwless terminal blocks, also known as push-in terminals, typically rely on elastic means installed in a cavity receiving portion of the terminal block to bias an electrical conductor (inserted through an opening) into electrical contact with a metal connection element. Another opening is also provided in the terminal block for inserting a tool to act on the elastic means to assist in removing the conductor from the cavity receiving portion. Such connectors are commonly referred to as semi-tool-free clamping connectors.

[0004] Since a variety of different solutions have been proposed aimed at completely eliminating the need for tools when removing the conductor.

[0005] An example of such a solution is given in US9502790B2. In US9502790B2, a joystick pivotable between an open and a closed position is provided. When the joystick is in the open position, an electrical conductor can be freely inserted through a conductor insertion opening. Then, the joystick is turned to the closed position, and the electrical conductor is clamped both electrically and mechanically by the force provided by an elastic clamping element. The joystick does not require the use of any tools during operation and can be turned back to the open position to subsequently remove the conductor.

[0006] Although the solution proposed in US9502790B2 is both ingenious and efficient, it is bulky and not suitable for smaller electrical modules. Therefore, there is an urgent need to introduce a different tool-free clamping / removing solution for electrical conductors, particularly suitable for small electrical modules with high space-saving requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the above requirements are at least partially met by an electrical module including a first housing part, a second housing part adapted to cooperate with the first housing part, the first housing part and the second housing part jointly forming an outer housing; and push-in terminals, wherein the push-in terminals are arranged within the outer housing, adapted to receive at least one conductor end piece, configured to clamp at least one conductor end piece onto the push-in terminals, and include a release mechanism adapted to selectively remove the at least one conductor end piece from the push-in terminals; wherein a section of the first housing part is adapted to cooperate with the release mechanism, and by a sliding movement of at least a part of the first housing part relative to the second housing part, the clamping of the at least one conductor end piece can be released, thereby allowing the at least one conductor end piece to be removed from the push-in terminals.

[0008] Through the present disclosure, a completely new solution for operating push-in terminals is provided. The operation method provided by the present disclosure allows for a tool-free connection between the conductor end piece and the push-in terminals, without even the need to operate a joystick as suggested in the prior art. Instead, this solution utilizes the cooperation relationship between the release mechanism of the push-in terminals and a dedicated section of the first housing part. By sliding the first housing part relative to the second housing part, the said section of the first housing part will cooperate with the release mechanism of the push-in terminals, thereby enabling the selective removal of the conductor end piece from the push-in terminals.

[0009] The solution defined by the present disclosure enables the miniaturization of the "terminal block function" as described above compared to previous solutions, where the terminal block function (i.e., the push-in terminals) is directly integrated with its encapsulation, namely the outer housing formed by the first and second housing parts. This implementation is achieved through a carefully designed relationship between the section of the first housing part and the release mechanism of the push-in terminals. A sliding movement of at least a part of the first housing part relative to the second housing part will activate the release mechanism. The above solution will effectively ensure the safety protection of the push-in terminals and prevent their exposure, protecting against unnecessary contact by, for example, human hands or similar objects. In addition, the electrical module according to the present disclosure will simultaneously serve as an electrical connection block and the encapsulation of the electrical connection block, reducing the need for additional components to adjust the encapsulation to access the electrical connection block.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, when the housing is closed and forms an outer housing around the push-in terminals, the outer housing ensures at least a sufficient protection level to prevent the intrusion of particles and liquids, and when the outer housing is closed, it at least complies with the IP21 rating in the international standard IEC60529. This rating ensures that the device can protect against solid objects with a diameter greater than 50 mm and provides protection against vertically falling water droplets. This is particularly important for ensuring the operational reliability and service life in various environments.

[0011] In a possible embodiment, a section of the first housing part may include at least one release projection, which is intended to interact with the release mechanism of the push-in terminal.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first housing part is a lid and the second housing part is a container. Thus, the lid and the (open) container form the housing.

[0013] "The sliding of at least a part of the first housing part relative to the second housing part" should be understood to not require, for example, the entire lid to slide relative to the container. Instead, the first housing part may be "segmented" and may include one or more areas that can slide relative to the second housing part or operate / slide in a similar manner to activate the release mechanism.

[0014] Furthermore, the solution defined by the present disclosure can save costs for electrical modules that require the function of the terminal block. Specifically, instead of relying on components such as expensive joysticks, etc., this solution can be achieved without additional components. At the same time, when the user operates the electrical module, the conductor end piece can be quickly removed from the push-in terminal, making the overall operation of the electrical module more time-efficient compared to existing technical solutions.

[0015] The at least one conductor end piece is clamped to the push-in terminal with a predetermined clamping force, where the selected predetermined clamping force ensures that the at least one conductor end piece remains within the push-in terminal even when the conductor end piece is pulled (e.g., manually pulled, due to vibration, etc.). The predetermined clamping force can also be selected according to the expected diameter of the conductor end piece or according to the usage environment of the electrical module. The predetermined clamping force can also be selected according to the rated voltage and / or current level of the electrical module.

[0016] Advantageously, the push-in terminal is adapted to automatically clamp the at least one conductor end piece. Thus, inserting the at least one conductor end piece will directly and tool-free fix the at least one conductive end piece to the push-in terminal. Automatically clamping the at least one conductor end piece to the push-in terminal can be achieved, for example, by setting the push-in terminal to include a spring-loading mechanism.

[0017] Alternatively, the push-in terminal can be tapered and the at least one conductor end piece is introduced into the wider part of the tapered receiving portion of the push-in terminal. The deeper the conductor end piece is inserted into the push-in terminal, the greater the clamping force. To release the at least one conductor end piece, when the first housing part slides relative to the second housing part, at least one section of the first housing part may be adapted to expand the narrow part of the tapered push-in terminal.

[0018] However, further sliding movement can also be allowed to operate the release mechanism in a reverse manner so that at least one conductor end is fixed to the push-in terminal. Thus, the user has to slide the first housing part relative to the second housing part into the appropriate position instead of the at least one conductor end being automatically "locked" to the push-in terminal.

[0019] Generally, it is desirable to provide at least one opening in the second housing part for introducing at least one conductor end into the push-in terminal. Such an opening can be, for example, circular and adapted to match the circumference of the at least one conductor end. Thus, in the case where the at least one conductor end is expected to be circular, the opening can also be designed as circular but with a slightly larger diameter. Adjusting the circumference to match the circumference of the conductor end can make the electrical module sealed to a certain extent to prevent, for example, dust from entering the housing provided by the electrical module.

[0020] Preferably, the electrical conductor including the conductor end extends outward from the second housing part in a first direction, and the sliding movement of the first housing part is performed in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction. Thus, it is preferred that the sliding movement of the first housing part is parallel to the direction of the at least one conductor end. However, the sliding movement does not have to be opposite to the direction (extension) of the electrical conductor. That is, in an alternative embodiment, the sliding movement can be performed along the direction of the electrical conductor.

[0021] To ensure that the sliding movement is fully controlled, the second housing part can be provided with first and second tracks to match the corresponding extending parts on the first housing part. The provision of the tracks can also be used to ensure that the first housing part and the second housing part remain connected during the sliding movement.

[0022] Preferably, the push-in terminal further includes a stop part for controlling the length of the at least one conductor end inserted into the push-in terminal. The stop part allows a controlled length of the conductor end to make reliable contact with the push-in terminal. When the user of the electrical module inserts the conductor end, the conductor end can be pushed in as deep as possible and then ensure that enough of the conductor end contacts the push-in terminal.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, it is desirable to allow the electrical module to include a plurality of push-in terminals arranged side by side, each push-in terminal being adapted to hold a separate conductor end. Thus, more than one conductor end can be connected to or released from the push-in terminal using the sliding movement as described above. Generally, each conductor end is individually connected to the push-in terminal in the manner described above. However, of course, a plurality of conductor ends can also be inserted at once.

[0024] When providing a plurality of push-in terminals for an electrical module, it may be desirable to ensure that each conductor end piece is safely isolated from one another. This can be achieved, for example, by providing a protruding wall element for a first housing part, thereby isolating the plurality of push-in terminals from one another.

[0025] Preferably, the electrical module further includes a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the housing, wherein the push-in terminals are disposed on the PCB. Such a PCB can be equipped with, for example, other electrical components such as a battery holder, a control unit, resistors, capacitors, etc.

[0026] When providing a battery holder for the PCB, it may be possible, for example, to remove the first housing part from the second housing part in order to provide access to the battery holder, for example for replacing a battery disposed on the battery holder.

[0027] When providing a control unit for the PCB, the control unit can be connected to the push-in terminals, for example. In this way, signals provided from a remote electrical device connected to at least one conductor end piece can be connected to the control unit. The control unit can also communicate with or be equipped with a communication interface, wherein signals from the remote electrical device can be further forwarded to other remote electrical devices.

[0028] The communication interface can be set to include a wireless transceiver, such as a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transceiver, for wireless communication, for example. A remote electrical device connected to the electrical module via an electrical conductor can be, for example, a lighting or temperature control device, for example including a dimmer switch for manual operation, for generating a control signal and further forwarding the control signal via the wireless transceiver.

[0029] In some embodiments, the electrical module can be configured to be installed within an electrical junction box, for example within a wall or ceiling. Thus, the size of the electrical module can be selected to ensure that the electrical module fits well within the electrical junction box.

[0030] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon study of the appended claims and the following description. Those skilled in the art will realize that different features of the present invention can be combined to create other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Various aspects of the present invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 Conceptually shows an electrical module according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 2A –2C shows the conductor end piece connected to Figure 1Possible operations of the push-in terminal connection of the electrical module shown;

[0034] Figure 3A –3C shows possible operations for removing the conductor end piece from Figure 1 the push-in terminal of the electrical module shown; and

[0035] Figure 4A –4C conceptually shows an alternative electrical module according to the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the following drawings, which show the currently preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments listed herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to be thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals always denote the same elements.

[0037] Now referring to the drawings, particularly Figure 1 , an electrical module 100 is shown. The electrical module 100 includes a first housing part 102 in the shape of a lid and a second housing part in the shape of a bottom container. When the first housing part 102 is connected to the second housing part 104, they together form an outer housing 106, wherein the outer housing 106 provides an internal space in which, for example, one or more electrical components can be arranged.

[0038] According to the present disclosure, the outer housing 106 houses at least one push-in terminal 108. The push-in terminal 108 is adapted to receive at least one conductor end piece 202 (as Figure 2A shown) and clamp the at least one conductor end piece 202 onto the push-in terminal 108. Figure 1 In A, the function of clamping the conductor end piece 202 to the push-in terminal 108 is achieved by introducing two flexible metal connection elements 110 arranged to form a tapered receiving cavity for the conductor end piece 202, and the specific details will be further elaborated in the following Figure 2B .

[0039] The push-in terminal 108 further includes a stop portion 112 for controlling the length of insertion of the at least one conductor end piece 202 into the push-in terminal 108, and the specific details will be further elaborated in the following Figure 2C .

[0040] The clamping mechanism provided by the metal connection element 110 also serves as a release mechanism and is adapted to enable the at least one conductor end piece 202 to be selectively removed from the push-in terminal. In Figure 1In the exemplary embodiment shown, the release mechanism is achieved by separating the metal connection elements 110 from each other, thereby reducing the friction between the conductor end piece 202 and the two metal connection elements 110, such that the conductor end piece 202 can be removed.

[0041] To activate the release mechanism, Figure 1 in the first housing part 102 there is provided a section 114, intended to cooperate with the release mechanism. The separation of the metal connection elements 110 is in this embodiment achieved by relatively sliding the first housing part 102 and the second housing part 104.

[0042] In Figure 1 the movement of the first housing part 102 relative to the second housing part 104 is controlled by providing mating "rods" 116 and "tracks" 118 for the first housing part 102 and the second housing part 104, such that the movement is in a sliding manner, causing the metal connection elements 110 to be slightly separated from each other.

[0043] In Figure 1 the embodiment shown, the electrical module 100 is further arranged to include a battery holder 120 and a battery 122. Of course, it is also possible to allow the housing 106 to accommodate other elements, such as a printed circuit board PCB (not shown) and / or a control unit (not shown).

[0044] Furthermore, Figure 1 in the second housing part 104 there is provided an opening 124 for allowing at least one conductor end piece 202 to be inserted into the push-in terminal 108. As Figure 1 shown, the electrical module 100 is equipped with four push-in terminals 108, having matching openings 124. Of course, the electrical module 100 may also include more or fewer push-in terminals 108, depending on the actual implementation.

[0045] When the electrical module 100 is equipped with more than one push-in terminal 108, the first housing part 102 may optionally include protrusions 126 for isolating the plurality of push-in terminals 108 from each other. Thus, the first housing part 102 may be made of a suitable material, such as plastic. Furthermore, the second housing part 104 is also preferably made of, for example, a plastic material.

[0046] Now turning to Figure 2A –2C, there is shown the operation of inserting the conductor end piece 202 into one of the push-in terminals 108 of the electrical module 100, where the conductor end piece 202 is part of an electrical conductor 204. In Figure 2A the conductor end piece 202 is shown aligned with one of the openings 124.

[0047] In Figure 2BIn [description], the conductor end piece 202 is inserted into the opening 124 and into the conical receiving portion formed by the two metal connecting elements 110. When the conductor end piece 202 is further inserted between the metal connecting elements 110, the metal connecting elements 110 will separate slightly. However, due to the conical arrangement and the spring function achieved by the elastic metal connecting elements 110, the conductor end piece 202 will be clamped between the metal connecting elements 110.

[0048] In Figure 2C [description], the conductor end piece 202 has been fully pushed into the push-in terminal 108 such that the end of the conductor end piece 202 contacts the stop portion 112. As Figure 2C shown, the metal connecting elements 110 will apply a force towards the conductor end piece 202 here, clamping the conductor end piece 202 reliably on the push-in terminal 108.

[0049] The insertion of the conductor end piece 202 is as Figures 2A - 2C shown and can be achieved without manipulating the first housing part 102 relative to the second housing part 104. Due to the arrangement of the metal connecting elements 110, such manipulation is generally not required. It should also be noted that the same operation can be performed for inserting other conductor end pieces 202 into the remaining push-in terminals 108.

[0050] Now turning to Figure 3A –3C, an operation for selectively removing the conductor end piece 202 from the push-in terminal 108 of the electrical module 100 is shown. The process starts with the first housing part 102 being aligned with the second housing part 104, i.e., the electrical module 100 being in the closed state. As Figure 3A shown, the section 114 of the first housing part 102 is arranged here to be aligned with the two metal connecting elements 110 forming the above-mentioned conical receiving portion.

[0051] In Figure 3B [description], the user of the electrical module 100 slides the first housing part 102 in the track of the second housing part 104 in the direction D opposite to the extension direction of the electrical conductor 204, causing the first housing part 104 to slide relative to the second housing part 104. Through the movement of the first housing part 102 relative to the second housing part 104, the section 114 will slightly expand the metal connecting element 10 and separate the metal connecting elements 110 from each other.

[0052] Once the section 114 has moved to an appropriate length, thus expanding the conical receiving portion formed by the metal connecting elements 110, the conductor end piece 202 can be removed from the push-in terminal 108.

[0053] Similarly, of course, multiple conductor end pieces 202 can also be removed from their respective push-in terminals 108 in one operation. Specifically, sliding the first housing part 102 in a direction D opposite to the direction in which the electrical conductors 204 extend has proven to simplify the removal operation of the multiple conductor end pieces 202, because the sliding movement of the first housing part 102 is natural and allows the user to operate the first housing part 102 with one hand while holding the multiple electrical conductors 204 with the other hand.

[0054] However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in different ways and still be within the scope of the appended claims. Figure 4A –4C shows an electrical module 400 of such an alternative embodiment. As Figure 4A shown, the push-in terminal is implemented here as a "button-type" push-in terminal 402, which is well known in the art. However, instead of operating the button 404 of the push-in terminal 402 individually, the inclined element 406 of the alternative first housing part 408 is arranged to slide over the button 404 when removing the electrical conductor 204 from the push-in terminal 402, as Figure 4B and 4C shown.

[0055] Another difference between the electrical module 400 and the electrical module 100 is that in the electrical module 400, although the alternative first housing part 408 still moves relative to the alternative second housing part 410, this movement is in the same direction as the extension direction of the electrical conductors 204. Through this sliding movement, the inclined element 406 will press down the button 404 of the push-in terminal 402 so that the electrical conductor 204 can be removed.

[0056] Although the illustration may show the order of steps, the order of steps may be different from that shown. In addition, two or more steps can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously. Such variations will depend on the software and hardware systems selected and the choices of the designer. All such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure. Similarly, the software implementation can be accomplished by standard programming techniques, using rule-based logic and other logics to perform the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps. In addition, although the present invention has been described through specific exemplary embodiments, many different changes, modifications, etc. will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0057] In addition, through the study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments when practicing the claimed invention. In addition, in the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and a singular noun or does not exclude its plural form.

Claims

1. An electrical module, comprising: A first housing part, A second housing part adapted to cooperate with the first housing part, the first housing part and the second housing part together forming an outer shell, and A push-in terminal, wherein the push-in terminal: Is arranged within the outer shell, Is adapted to receive at least one conductor end piece, Is arranged to clamp at least one conductor end piece onto the push-in terminal, and Includes a release mechanism adapted to enable at least one conductor end piece to be selectively removed from the push-in terminal, characterized in that: A section of the first housing part is adapted to cooperate with the release mechanism, A sliding movement of at least a part of the first housing part relative to the second housing part releases the clamping of at least one conductor end piece to allow the at least one conductor end piece to be removed from the push-in terminal.

2. The electrical module according to claim 1, characterized in that The section of the first housing part includes at least one release projection.

3. The electrical module according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least one conductor end piece is clamped onto the push-in terminal with a predetermined clamping force.

4. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The second housing part is provided with at least one opening for introducing at least one conductor end piece into the push-in terminal.

5. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The push-in terminal is adapted to automatically clamp at least one conductor end piece.

6. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The sliding movement of the first housing part is parallel to the direction of at least one conductor end piece.

7. The electrical module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The sliding movement is controlled by providing the second housing part with first and second tracks that match corresponding extensions provided in the first housing part.

8. The electrical module according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that, The electrical conductor including the conductor end piece extends outward from the second housing part in a first direction, and the sliding movement of the first housing part proceeds in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction.

9. The electrical module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The push-in terminal is tapered, The at least one conductor end piece is introduced into the wider part of the tapered push-in terminal, and When the first housing part slides relative to the second housing part, the section of the first housing part causes the narrow part of the tapered push-in terminal to expand.

10. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The push-in terminal includes a limiting part for controlling the length of insertion of at least one conductor end piece into the push-in terminal.

11. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Includes a plurality of push-in terminals arranged side by side, each push-in terminal being adapted to clamp a separate conductor end piece.

12. The electrical module according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first housing part is provided with protruding wall elements for isolating the plurality of push-in terminals from each other.

13. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The first housing part is a lid, and the second housing part is a container.

14. The electrical module according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the housing, characterized in that, The push-in terminal is arranged on the PCB.

15. The electrical module according to claim 14, characterized in that, The PCB is equipped with a battery holder, and removing the first housing part from the second housing part allows access to the battery holder.

16. The electrical module according to any one of claims 14 and 15, characterized in that The PCB includes: A control unit connected to the push-in terminal, and A communication interface connected to the control unit.

17. The electrical module according to claim 16, characterized in that, The control unit is adapted to receive signals provided by a remote electrical device connected to at least one conductor end piece and transmit the signals through the communication interface.

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