A spring terminal

Abstract

The application discloses a spring type terminal, which comprises an insulating shell and a wiring unit in the interior, the wiring unit comprises a conductive row, a spring clamp and a rotatable operating element, the spring clamp comprises a supporting leg, a clamping section and a bending part, the supporting leg is fixed with the conductive row, the clamping section forms a clamping area with the conductive row, the bending part is provided with a pivot space, and the pivot shaft of the operating element is contained in the pivot space and rotates; the bending part is arranged on the outer side of the clamping section, so that the operating element drives the clamping section to move to the side of the supporting leg from the outside to the inside. Through the optimization of the internal structure, the force borne by the insulating shell is reduced when the terminal is operated, and the simplification and miniaturization of the shell structure are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of terminal block technology, and more specifically to a spring-loaded terminal block. Background Technology

[0002] Terminal blocks generally include an insulating shell and an internal wiring unit. To achieve stable crimping of the wires, existing terminal block structures, such as the terminal block and method for installing the terminal block disclosed in Publication No. CN107078414B, have a contact element that contacts the wire, a clamping spring that forms a clamping force, and a driving element that drives the clamping spring. However, the above-mentioned prior art has some drawbacks. During use, it has been found that in its internal structure, one leg of the clamping spring abuts against the contact element, while the other leg is bent and locked against the side wall of the contact element. The middle of the bent portion is supported by a protruding part of the insulating shell. Furthermore, to allow the driving element a larger driving space, the pivot axis of the driving element is located outside the contact element and the clamping spring, and the pivoting of the driving element is supported by the insulating shell.

[0003] When this structure pulls the clamping spring, the deformation of the bent part of the clamping spring directly acts on the protruding part of the insulating shell, causing the insulating shell to be subjected to a large force. Furthermore, the reaction force generated by the pulling spring is also directly applied to the insulating shell through the pivot shaft, which also causes the insulating shell to be subjected to a large force during operation. Therefore, in order to achieve reliable use of the terminal, the insulating shell needs to have a large thickness and many reinforcing ribs inside, resulting in a large terminal size that cannot be miniaturized. At the same time, the mold of the shell is complex, and the manufacturing cost is high. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a spring-loaded terminal block. Through internal structure optimization, the force borne by the insulating housing is reduced when operating the terminal block, which is beneficial for simplifying and miniaturizing the housing structure.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a spring-loaded terminal block, comprising an insulating housing and a wiring unit located inside, the wiring unit comprising a conductive bar, a spring clip, and a rotatable operating element, the spring clip comprising a support leg, a clamping section, and a bending portion, the support leg being fixed to the conductive bar, the clamping section forming a clamping area with the conductive bar, the bending portion having a pivoting space, the rotating shaft of the operating element being housed within the pivoting space for rotation; the bending portion being located on the outside of the clamping section, such that the operating element drives the clamping section to move towards the support leg side from the outside in.

[0006] The invention is further configured such that: the spring clip has an extension piece at a position near the bending portion, and the pivot space is formed between the inner wall of the extension piece and the inner wall of the bending portion.

[0007] The present invention is further configured such that: the extension pieces are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the spring clip, and one side of the extension piece has two pieces, the two extension pieces approaching each other to form a pivot space.

[0008] The invention is further configured such that: the sidewall of the extension piece forming the pivot space is configured as an inclined structure or an arc-shaped structure; the sidewall of the extension piece away from the pivot space is provided with a clearance space for the deformation of the spring clip.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that: the operating element includes a connecting arm and an operating arm located at both ends of its rotating shaft, the connecting arm being connected to the clamping section, and the operating arm extending outside the insulating housing.

[0010] The invention is further configured such that: the spring clip has a first window and a second window on the wall extending from the curved portion toward the support leg and the clamping section; the operating arm extends out from the first window; the connecting arm extends out from the second window; and the end of the connecting arm has a hook-shaped structure that is hooked to the clamping section.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that: a limiting protrusion is provided in the first window, and the limiting protrusion divides the first window into a lever opening and a reset opening, and a rotational torque is applied to the operating arm to drive the operating arm to move between the lever opening and the reset opening.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that: the conductive bar is provided with a main conductive sheet and an auxiliary sheet with notches, the main conductive sheet and the auxiliary sheet are closely attached and the auxiliary sheet forms a snap-fit ​​cavity at the notch; the support leg is provided with a first limiting claw and a second limiting claw, the first limiting claw snaps with the main conductive sheet in the snap-fit ​​cavity, and the second limiting claw passes through the auxiliary sheet and snaps with the bottom of the auxiliary sheet.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that the first limiting claw and the second limiting claw have opposite engagement directions.

[0014] The present invention is further configured such that: the wiring unit is provided in two sets, the two sets of wiring units share the same conductive bar, and the support legs of the two spring clips of the two sets of wiring units abut against each other.

[0015] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the spring clip of this invention is supported by a conductive busbar. When the spring clip deforms, the force exerted on the insulating shell is very small. At the same time, the rotating shaft of the operating element and the operating element as a whole are housed inside the spring clip, so that the rotational force of the operating element is also concentrated inside the spring clip. The entire wiring unit exerts less force on the insulating shell, which facilitates the reduction of the insulating shell thickness and the simplification of the structure. It is especially suitable for the manufacture of miniaturized wiring terminals.

[0017] Meanwhile, the fixed connection structure between the spring clip and the conductive busbar in this invention has been optimized. By setting a double locking mechanism with a first limiting claw and a second limiting claw, the spring clip and the conductive busbar can maintain a stable connection in different situations, and the stability and reliability of the force support between the spring clip and the conductive busbar are further improved. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the terminal block.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the wiring terminal.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the spring clip structure.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working structure of the operating element and the spring clip.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the spring clip and the conductive busbar.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram showing the fit between the support leg and the notch.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the operating element driving the spring clip.

[0025] Reference numerals: 1. Insulating housing; 11. Wiring port; 2. Wiring unit; 21. Conductive bar; 21a. Main conductive piece; 21b. Auxiliary piece; 22. Spring clip; 221. Support leg; 222. Clamping section; 223. Bending part; 23. Operating element; 231. Connecting arm; 232. Operating arm; 3. Pivoting space; 4. Extension piece; 41. Clearance space; 5. Notch; 6. First window; 61. Limiting protrusion; 62. Actuating port; 63. Reset port; 7. Second window; 8. Snap-fit ​​cavity; 81. First limiting claw; 82. Second limiting claw. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] This embodiment discloses a spring-loaded terminal block, such as... Figure 1-7As shown, the device includes an insulating housing 1 and a wiring unit 2 located inside it. The insulating housing 1 has a wiring port 11, through which external wires extend into the wiring unit 2. The wiring unit 2 includes a conductive bar 21, a spring clip 22, and a rotatable operating element 23. The conductive bar 21 is fixed in the insulating housing 1. The spring clip 22 includes a support leg 221, a clamping section 222, and a bending portion 223. The support leg 221 is fixed to the conductive bar 21, and the clamping section 222 abuts against the conductive bar 21 to form a clamping area. Through this structure, both ends of the spring clip 22 are supported by the conductive bar 21. The conductive bar 21 is preferably made of a metal material with good conductivity, so the conductive bar 21 itself has high strength. The support by the conductive bar 21 reduces the structural strength of the insulating housing 1, which facilitates the simplification of the structure of the insulating housing 1 and is especially suitable for the miniaturization of the housing. Meanwhile, the bending portion 223 is provided with a pivot space 3, and the rotating shaft of the operating element 23 is housed within the pivot space 3 for rotation. The bending portion 223 is located on the outside of the clamping section 222, so that the operating element 23 drives the clamping section 222 to move towards the support leg 221 from the outside to the inside. Through the setting of the pivot space 3, the rotation of the operating element 23 is applied to the spring clip 22 and the conductive busbar 21, and there is no need for the plastic insulating shell 1 to support the operating element 23, further preventing the force of the operating element 23 from acting on the insulating shell. Furthermore, the clamping section 222 moves from the outside towards the support leg 221, so that the elastic force of the spring clip 22 is compressed inside the spring clip 22 with the bending portion 223 as the fulcrum. The force is always borne by the support leg 221 and the conductive busbar 21, rather than released to the outside, such as the conventional structure which would release the force to the insulating shell. Therefore, the wiring unit 2 of the present invention will not exert a large force on the external insulating shell, and the thickness and size of the insulating shell 1 can be reduced, which is conducive to miniaturization. At the same time, the internal structure of the shell, such as the reinforcing ribs, can be reduced, the mold is simpler, and the cost is controlled.

[0028] Furthermore, refer to Figure 2-3The spring clip 22 has an extension piece 4 near the bending portion 223. The extension piece 4 is preferably formed by punching and bending a single metal spring sheet. A pivot space 3 is formed between the inner wall of the extension piece 4 and the inner wall of the bending portion 223. This pivot space 3 is adapted to the outer diameter of the shaft of the operating element 23, allowing the operating element 23 to rotate within it. The extension pieces 4 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the spring clip 22. The shaft of the operating element 23 also has two ends, which form a stable fit with the pivot space 3 formed by the extension pieces on both sides. In a relatively stable application scenario, only one extension piece 4 can be provided, positioned near the clamping section 222. Because the clamping section 222 bends inward, the operating element 23 will always be abut against one side of the clamping section 222, and the extension piece 4 ensures that the operating element 23 is always located within the pivot space 3. If the application scenario has conditions such as high vibration and instability, it is preferable that one side of the extension plate 4 is provided with two pieces, and the two extension plates 4 are brought together to form a pivot space 3. The pivot space 3 forms a relatively closed space. The installation is a bit more complicated. It is necessary to first open the bent part 223 of the spring clip outward so that the two extension plates 4 can be opened before the operating element can be installed. However, its stability is stronger. Even in harsh environments, the operating element 23 can always be stably placed in the pivot space 3.

[0029] Furthermore, to ensure smooth rotation, the sidewall of the extension piece 4 forming the pivot space 3 is configured with an inclined or arc-shaped structure; this reduces the resistance experienced by the rotating shaft of the operating element 23 during rotation. The sidewall of the extension piece 4 away from the pivot space 3 is provided with a clearance space 41 for the deformation of the spring clamp 22. This clearance space 41 is smaller than the outer diameter of the rotating shaft of the operating element 23, preventing the operating element 23 from dislodging. Simultaneously, when the clamping section 22 moves inward, the clearance space 41 provides sufficient deformation space. Furthermore, the two extension pieces 4 can also form the clearance space 41 by being staggered relative to each other.

[0030] Reference Figure 4The operating element 23 includes a connecting arm 231 and an operating arm 232 located at both ends of its rotating shaft. The connecting arm 231 is connected to the clamping section 222, and the operating arm 232 extends outside the insulating housing 1. Thus, the user can control the movement of the connecting arm 231 by externally driving the operating arm 232, thereby causing the clamping section 222 to move. The opening in the insulating housing 1 for the operating arm 232 to extend can be adaptively closed, for example, by providing a closing plate (not shown in the figure) that can move with the operating arm 232. This closing plate can close the other side of the opening when the operating arm 232 moves to one side, preventing external dust and impurities from entering the interior. The closing plate can also be arranged in an arc shape on the operating arm 232. Preferably, the spring clip 22 has a first window 6 and a second window 7 on the wall extending from the curved portion towards the support leg 221 and the clamping section 222. The operating arm 232 extends from the first window 6, and the connecting arm 231 extends from the second window 7. With this structure, the operating element 23 is entirely housed within the spring clip 22. This reduces the space occupied, allowing the operating element 23 to share the space occupied by the spring clip 22, thus facilitating structural miniaturization. Furthermore, it concentrates the force within the spring clip 22, avoiding the direct force exerted by the operating element 23 on the insulating shell as in traditional structures. Simultaneously, to ensure stable connection, the end of the connecting arm 231 has a hook-like structure that hooks into the clamping section 222. This hook-like structure hooks into the edge of the second window 7, making the clamping section 222 more stable when driven.

[0031] As a further preferred embodiment, the first window 6 is provided with a limiting protrusion 61, which divides the first window 6 into an actuation port 62 and a reset port 63. The limiting protrusion 61 can stop and limit the operation arm 232. Without applying additional force, the operation arm 232 will be blocked by the limiting protrusion. However, by applying additional rotational torque to the operation arm 232, it can be moved between the actuation port 62 and the reset port 63. Thus, when the user... Figure 7 After moving the operating arm 232 in the direction indicated by the middle arrow, the operating arm 232 will... Figure 7 The movement trend indicated by the dashed line moves in the direction of the movement and can eventually stop in the lever opening 62, so that the clamping segment 222 is in a position where... Figure 7 The open state is indicated by the dotted line. At this time, external wires can be inserted or removed. After the user reverses the operation arm 232 to reset, the operation arm will stay in the reset port 63, and the clamping section 222 will be reset and held in a clamping state by relying on elasticity.

[0032] Furthermore, in order to achieve a fixed connection between the support leg and the conductive busbar 21, refer to Figure 5-6The conductive busbar 21 is provided with a main conductive piece 21a and an auxiliary piece 21b with notches 5. The main conductive piece 21a and the auxiliary piece 21b are closely attached, and the auxiliary piece 21b forms a snap-fit ​​cavity 8 at the notch 5. The support leg 221 is provided with a first limiting claw 81 and a second limiting claw 82. The first limiting claw 81 snaps into the main conductive piece 21a in the snap-fit ​​cavity 8, and the second limiting claw 82 passes through the auxiliary piece 21b and snaps into the bottom of the auxiliary piece 21b. Preferably, the auxiliary piece 21b has two notches 5, which correspond to the insertion of the support leg of the two wiring units, respectively. The upper part of the support leg 221 inserted into the conductive busbar 21 has a step that protrudes from the insertion part to control the depth of the support leg 221 inserted into the conductive busbar 21. The first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 are further defined as being directly punched from the metal material of the support leg 221. The direction must ensure that the upper material protrudes separately, while the lower material connects to the support leg 221. This allows the first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 to retract inwards and smoothly engage when the support leg is installed and inserted from top to bottom. After engagement, the first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 pop out to form a locking connection. After this locking connection, when the support leg is subjected to force, the first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 are subjected to an upward pulling force. The protrusion of the upper material ensures that the protruding part always maintains its locking function under force; or, in other words, the higher the pull, the more the limiting claws protrude outwards, thus ensuring a stable connection. The auxiliary piece 21b has a short and thick structure, which increases the strength after it is inserted and connected to the support leg 221. At the same time, the auxiliary piece 21b and the main conductive piece 21a are closely attached to each other, which increases the heat dissipation and conductivity performance to compensate for the increased resistance and lost conductivity due to the missing material in the gap 5, thereby improving the overall power supply reliability. In addition, the double snap-fit ​​of the first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 makes the connection of the support leg 221 more reliable.

[0033] Further optimization, referring to Figure 6 The first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 are engaged in opposite directions. When the first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 are engaged, they are locked in place. Figure 6Taking the left-side support leg 221 as an example, its first limiting claw 81 needs to move to the right to disengage, while the second limiting claw 82 needs to move to the left to disengage. The two are locked together and mutually obstruct each other, ensuring that in different usage scenarios, such as high-vibration scenarios, the first limiting claw 81 and the second limiting claw 82 cannot disengage, or at least one limiting claw is obstructed by the other limiting claw, thus preventing them from disengaging. This results in higher connection strength and a more stable connection. In order to achieve the opposite snap-fit ​​direction, the notch of the auxiliary piece 21b must be small, and the middle of the notch of the auxiliary piece 21b has a part for the second limiting claw 82 to snap-fit. Therefore, at least the part of the support leg 221 that inserts into the auxiliary piece 21b needs to be thinned accordingly. This can be achieved by directly flattening the corresponding part of the support leg 221 during stamping and then cutting off the excess material, ensuring a simple manufacturing process. Therefore, the improvements to the spring clip part in this invention can all be made in one piece using a simple punching and bending process, which is not costly. At the same time, the structure of the insulating shell part is greatly simplified, the shell can be made thin, and the internal structure only needs to be reinforced at the bottom where it connects to the conductive bar. The side walls do not need any reinforcing ribs, effectively reducing the cost of the insulating shell and controlling the overall cost of the terminal block, which has good economic and practical value.

[0034] Further, as a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 1-2 and Figure 6 The wiring unit 2 is provided in two sets, and the two sets of wiring units 2 share the same conductive busbar 21. The support legs 221 of the two spring clips 22 of the two sets of wiring units 2 abut against each other. The mutual abutment of the support legs 221 ensures that the force generated by the action of the spring clip of one wiring unit 2 is not only borne by the conductive busbar 21, but also by the support legs 221 of the other wiring unit 2, making the structure more stable.

[0035] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the design concept of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spring-loaded terminal block, comprising an insulating housing (1) and a wiring unit (2) located inside, characterized in that: The wiring unit (2) includes a conductive busbar (21), a spring clip (22), and a rotatable operating element (23). The spring clip (22) includes a support leg (221), a clamping section (222), and a bending portion (223). The support leg (221) is fixed to the conductive busbar (21), and the clamping section (222) forms a clamping area with the conductive busbar (21). The bending portion (223) is provided with a pivot space (3), and the rotating shaft of the operating element (23) is housed within the pivot space (3). The spring clip (22) is provided with an extension piece (4) near the bend (223), and the inner wall of the extension piece (4) and the inner wall of the bend (223) form the pivot space (3); so that the rotation of the operating element (23) acts on the spring clip (22) and the conductive bar (21); the bend (223) is provided on the outside of the clamping section (222) so that the operating element (23) drives the clamping section (222) to move towards the support leg (221) from the outside to the inside; The operating element (23) includes a connecting arm (231) and an operating arm (232) located at both ends of its rotating shaft. The connecting arm (231) is connected to the clamping section (222), and the operating arm (232) extends outside the insulating housing (1). The spring clip (22) has a first window (6) and a second window (7) on the wall extending from the curved portion to the support leg (221) and the clamping section (222). The operating arm (232) extends out from the first window (6), and the connecting arm (231) extends out from the second window (7). The end of the connecting arm (231) has a hook-shaped structure that forms a hook with the clamping section (222). The conductive bar (21) is provided with a main conductive sheet (21a) and an auxiliary sheet (21b) with a notch (5). The main conductive sheet (21a) and the auxiliary sheet (21b) are closely attached, and the auxiliary sheet (21b) forms a snap-fit ​​cavity (8) at the notch (5). The support leg (221) is provided with a first limiting claw (81) and a second limiting claw (82). The first limiting claw (81) snaps into the main conductive sheet (21a) in the snap-fit ​​cavity (8), and the second limiting claw (82) passes through the auxiliary sheet (21b) and snaps into the bottom of the auxiliary sheet (21b). The snap-fit ​​directions of the first limiting claw (81) and the second limiting claw (82) are opposite.

2. A spring-loaded terminal block according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extension pieces (4) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the spring clip (22), and one side of the extension piece (4) has two pieces, which are brought together to form a pivot space (3).

3. A spring-loaded terminal block according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The sidewall of the extension piece (4) forming the pivot space (3) is configured as an inclined structure or an arc-shaped structure; the sidewall of the extension piece (4) away from the pivot space (3) is provided with a clearance space (41) for the deformation of the spring clip (22).

4. A spring-loaded terminal block according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first window (6) is provided with a limiting protrusion (61), and the limiting protrusion (61) divides the first window (6) into a lever opening (62) and a reset opening (63). By applying a rotational torque to the operating arm (232), the operating arm (232) is driven to move between the lever opening (62) and the reset opening (63).

5. A spring-loaded terminal block according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wiring unit (2) is provided in two sets. The two sets of wiring units (2) share the same conductive bar (21). The support legs (221) of the two spring clips (22) of the two sets of wiring units (2) abut against each other.

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