Plug-in terminal and electric energy meter connector

Abstract

The invention discloses a plug-in terminal and an electric energy meter connector. The plug-in terminal comprises a terminal body and a lug plate. The terminal main body is made of a thin-wall circular tube, one end of the terminal main body is provided with a hollow cylindrical insertion column part, the other end is provided with a fixing part, and the insertion column part is internally provided with a support body; the fixing part is fixedly connected with the lug plate, and the lug plate is provided with a wiring part used for connecting a wire. Through optimization design of the structure, the production cost can be reduced while the use performance is guaranteed, and the high practicability is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of power wiring, and in particular relates to a connector terminal and an electric energy meter connector. Background Art

[0002] In the field of electric energy meter connectors, with technological advancements and increasing market demand for high-efficiency connectors, traditional plug-in terminal structures have several drawbacks. For example, traditional plug-in terminals typically utilize a solid copper pillar structure, which results in material waste and increased production costs. Furthermore, solid structures are less resistant to deformation than hollow structures, which can lead to performance instability during use, affecting the reliability of electric energy meters. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To this end, the present invention aims to provide a plug-in terminal and an electric energy meter connector using the same. The terminal body utilizes a hollow, thin-walled design, significantly reducing material usage and thus production costs. Furthermore, a support structure is provided within the terminal body to enhance the deformation resistance of the plug-in portion, resulting in excellent stability and reliability during installation and use.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a plug-in terminal comprising a terminal body and a wiring piece; the terminal body is made of a thin-walled circular tube, one end of which is provided with a hollow cylindrical plug-in portion, and the other end is provided with a fixing portion, and a support body is provided inside the plug-in portion; the fixing portion is fixedly connected to the wiring piece, and the wiring piece has a wiring portion for connecting a wire.

[0006] Preferably, the fixing portion and the wiring piece are fixedly connected by a fastener; the fastener passes through the fixing portion and the wiring piece, and the fastener is provided with a fixing hole which penetrates along the axial direction.

[0007] Preferably, the fixing portion is a flat structure, a plug-in cavity is formed inside the fixing portion, the wiring piece is inserted into the plug-in cavity and fixedly connected by the fastener, and the wiring portion is exposed outside the plug-in cavity.

[0008] Preferably, the support body is made of non-metallic material; the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the plug-in column portion is D-shaped, which includes a semicircular arc-shaped surface portion and a flat surface portion opposite to the arc-shaped surface portion; the support body is a rod-shaped body that matches the inner cavity shape of the plug-in column portion, and has a supporting plane thereon that forms an internal support for the flat surface portion.

[0009] Preferably, an air channel is provided on the surface of the support body, and the air channel extends along the axial direction of the support body.

[0010] Preferably, one end of the inserting column portion away from the fixing portion is a closed structure, and the outer surface of the closed structure is an arc-shaped convex surface.

[0011] Preferably, a wiring space for inserting a wire is provided on the wiring portion; the wiring space is deformed by crimping to compress the wire, or the wire is inserted into the wiring space and then fixed by welding.

[0012] Preferably, the wiring portion has riveted sheets arranged opposite to each other, and the wiring space is formed between the opposite riveted sheets.

[0013] Preferably, the wall thickness of the terminal body is 0.5-2 mm.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an electric energy meter connector, comprising a meter holder and a plurality of plug-in terminals fixed on the meter holder; the meter holder is provided with a mounting portion for mounting the electric energy meter, and the plug-in terminals are provided below the mounting portion; the plug-in terminals adopt any of the plug-in terminals described above; the meter holder is provided with a fixing seat below the mounting portion, and the fixing portion of the plug-in terminals is fixedly connected to the fixing seat; the plug-in column portion of the plug-in terminal protrudes upward to be suitable for plugging into the conductive socket at the lower end of the electric energy meter.

[0015] Preferably, the fixing seat includes a terminal seat and a terminal cover fixed on the terminal seat, and the terminal seat and the terminal cover cooperate to press the plug-in terminal; a terminal positioning groove is formed between the terminal seat and the terminal cover; the fixing part on the terminal body and the wiring piece are limited to the terminal positioning groove.

[0016] Preferably, the fastener passes through the fixing portion and the wiring piece, and the fastener is provided with a fixing hole that passes through in the axial direction; the terminal seat is provided with a raised fixing column, and the fixing column is inserted into the fixing hole to form axial positioning for the plug-in terminal; or, a fixing screw is fixed on the terminal seat or the terminal cover, and the fixing screw passes through the fixing hole.

[0017] The present invention has the following positive effects: the connector terminal and the electric energy meter structure connector of the present invention have been optimized in design. Specifically, the terminal body adopts a hollow thin-walled structure, which can reduce the amount of copper material used and reduce manufacturing costs. At the same time, by arranging a support body inside the plug-in column, the plug-in column can be effectively supported, thereby enhancing the anti-deformation ability of the plug-in column. During installation and use, the plug-in column is inserted into the conductive socket (usually a round hole) of the electric energy meter. After the crimping screw on the side wall of the conductive socket is tightened, its inner end presses against the plug-in column, so that the plug-in column is in close contact with the inner wall of the conductive socket, thereby firmly fixing the connector terminal and ensuring electrical conductivity. After the wiring piece is further inserted into the plug-in cavity and locked by the locking member, the wiring piece forms a reliable surface contact with the inner wall of the plug-in cavity, further ensuring the reliability of the electrical connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly describes the drawings required for the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Similar elements or parts in the drawings are generally identified by similar reference numerals. The elements or parts in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0019] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a connector terminal according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A front view of the illustrated connector terminal;

[0021] Figure 3 For the Figure 2 Sectional view taken along line AA;

[0022] Figure 4 For the Figure 2 Cross-sectional view cut along the midline BB;

[0023] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the connector terminal of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the support body in the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 A three-dimensional diagram of the electric energy meter connector of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the plug-in terminal of the present invention when it is installed on the terminal base;

[0027] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A partial enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0028] The reference numerals shown in the figure are: 1. terminal body; 11. plug-in column; 111. arcuate surface; 112. plane portion; 113. arcuate convex surface; 12. fixing portion; 121. plug-in cavity; 13. support body; 131. support plane; 132. air duct; 2. wiring piece; 21. wiring portion; 22. riveting piece; 3. fastener; 31. fixing hole; 4. wire; 5. meter socket; 51. mounting portion; 52. fixing seat; 521. terminal seat; 522. terminal cover; 523. terminal positioning groove; 524. fixing column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and are therefore only examples and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the common meanings understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0031] In the first aspect, the connector terminal structure of the embodiment of the present invention is as follows Figures 1 to 6 As shown, it includes a terminal body 1 and a wiring piece 2, and the wiring piece 2 is used for transition connection between the terminal body 1 and the wire 4; the terminal body 1 is made of a thin-walled circular tube, and the terminal body 1 is preferably formed by integral stretching, and the material is copper, and the wall thickness of the thin-walled circular tube is preferably set to 0.5-2mm, such as specifically setting the wall thickness of the thin-walled circular tube to 0.5mm, 0.8mm, 1.2mm, 1.6mm or 2mm, one end of the terminal body 1 is provided with a hollow cylindrical plug-in portion 11, and the other end is provided with a fixing portion 12, and a support body 13 is provided inside the plug-in portion 11, and the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the plug-in portion 11 is preferably set to D-shaped, which includes a semicircular arc surface portion 111 and a flat portion 112 opposite to the arc surface portion 111; the fixing portion 12 is fixedly connected to the wiring piece 2, and the wiring piece 2 has a wiring portion 21, which is used to connect the wire 4. In this embodiment, the terminal body 1 adopts a hollow thin-wall structure, which can greatly reduce the amount of copper material used and reduce manufacturing costs. At the same time, by arranging a support body 13 inside the plug-in column portion 11, the plug-in column portion 11 can be effectively supported, thereby enhancing the deformation resistance of the plug-in column portion 11. During installation and use, the plug-in column portion 11 is inserted into the conductive socket (usually a round hole) of the electric energy meter, and the crimping screws on the side wall of the conductive socket are opposite to the flat portion 112. After the crimping screws are tightened, a stable interference is formed between the inner end thereof and the flat portion 112, thereby firmly fixing the plug-in terminal. At the same time, the arc-shaped surface portion 111 is tightly attached to the inner side surface of the circular conductive socket, thereby ensuring the electrical conductivity performance.

[0032] See Figure 3 The fixing portion 12 and the terminal lug 2 are fixedly connected via a fastener 3. The fastener 3 penetrates the fixing portion 12 and the terminal lug 2 and is provided with an axially extending fixing hole 31. When the plug terminal is installed, the fixing hole 31 allows a positioning member to pass through the fixing hole 31 to position the plug terminal, thereby ensuring the reliability of the plug terminal. For example, the fastener 3 can be a hollow rivet or a hollow bolt, with corresponding mounting holes provided on the fixing portion 12 and the terminal lug 2 for the fastener 3 to pass through and install.

[0033] In some embodiments, the fixing portion 12 is a flat structure, and a plug-in cavity 121 is formed inside the fixing portion 12. The wiring piece 2 is inserted into the plug-in cavity 121 and fixedly connected by the locking piece 3. After the wiring piece 2 is inserted into the plug-in cavity 121 and locked by the locking piece 3, the side surface of the wiring piece 2 forms a reliable surface contact with the inner wall of the plug-in cavity 121 to ensure the reliability of the electrical connection. The wiring portion 21 is exposed outside the plug-in cavity 121 to facilitate connection with the wire.

[0034] Further, combined Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the support body 13 is made of non-metallic material (such as engineering plastic), so as to reduce its production cost without affecting the performance of the plug-in terminal; the support body 13 is in the shape of a rod that matches the inner cavity shape of the plug-in column 11, and has a supporting plane 131 that forms an internal support for the flat portion 112, so as to ensure that the support body 13 effectively supports the plug-in column 11, thereby ensuring that the plug-in column 11 can withstand greater external force extrusion; during the production process, the support body 13 is inserted into the interior of the plug-in column 11, and pressure is applied to the portion of the plug-in column 11 corresponding to the supporting plane 131 to form the flat portion 112, thereby facilitating production. Exemplarily, the processing steps for implementing this scheme are: forming a thin-walled circular tube through a stretching process, inserting the support body 13 into place from the opening at one end of the thin-walled circular tube, and then applying pressure on the outer wall of one end of the thin-walled circular tube corresponding to the support plane 131 to form the said flat portion 112, and then flattening the other end of the thin-walled circular tube to form the fixed portion 12, and then inserting one end of the wiring plug 2 into the interior of the fixed portion 12, and then locking it with the fastener 3.

[0035] See Figure 3 The end of the plug-in portion 11 away from the fixing portion 12 is a closed structure, and the outer surface of the closed structure is an arc-shaped convex surface 113. With this structure, when the plug-in portion 11 is inserted into the conductive socket of the electric energy meter, the arc-shaped convex surface 113 can play a certain guiding role, thereby making the plug-in process smooth and avoiding the problem of jamming.

[0036] See Figure 5 In order to enable the support body 13 to be smoothly inserted into the terminal body 1, an air channel 132 is provided on the surface of the support body 13, and the air channel 132 extends along the axial direction of the support body 13. In this way, during the process of inserting the support body 13 into the terminal body 1, the gas in the terminal body 1 can be discharged through the air channel 132, avoiding air blockage and ensuring that the support body 13 can be smoothly inserted into place in the plug-in portion 11.

[0037] In order to facilitate the connection between the terminal block 2 and the wire 4, a wiring space for inserting the wire 4 is provided on the wiring portion 21. When wiring, the end of the wire 4 is placed in the wiring space, and then the wiring space is crimped and deformed to compress the wire 4, thereby achieving a reliable connection between the wire 4 and the terminal block 2. As a variation, the wire 4 can also be inserted into the wiring space and fixed by welding.

[0038] Furthermore, the wiring portion 21 has riveting plates 22 arranged opposite to each other, and the wiring space is formed between the relative riveting plates 22. When wiring, the wire 4 is placed in the wiring space, and then the riveting plates 22 on both sides are riveted inward and deformed, so that the wire 4 is pressed tightly by the riveting plates 22 to achieve fast and reliable wiring.

[0039] In the second aspect, the embodiment of the present invention also provides an electric energy meter connector structure, see Figures 7 to 9 , which includes a meter base 5 and a plurality of plug terminals fixed on the meter base 5; the meter base 5 is provided with a mounting portion 51 for mounting an electric energy meter, and the plug terminals are arranged below the mounting portion 51; the plug terminals adopt any of the plug terminals described above; the meter base 5 is provided with a fixing seat 52 below the mounting portion 51, and the fixing portion 12 of the plug terminal is fixedly connected to the fixing seat 52; the plug column portion 11 of the plug terminal protrudes upward, and when the electric energy meter is installed on the mounting portion When the mounting portion 51 is mounted, the plug portion 11 on the plug terminal is correspondingly inserted into the conductive socket at the lower end of the electric energy meter, and then the crimping screws on the side wall of the conductive socket are tightened so that the arc surface portion 111 of the plug portion 11 is in close contact with the inner wall of the conductive socket, thereby ensuring a reliable connection between the plug terminal and the electric energy meter. When the electric energy meter is disassembled, the crimping screws are loosened and the electric energy meter is moved so that the plug portion 11 is withdrawn from the conductive socket on the electric energy meter. The electric energy meter and the electric energy meter connector are easy to disassemble and assemble. Since the electric energy meter connector uses the above-mentioned plug terminal, the electric energy meter connector also has all the advantages of the plug terminal.

[0040] In order to facilitate the quick and reliable fixation of the plug-in terminal on the fixing base 52, the fixing base 52 is further provided to include a terminal base 521 and a terminal cover 522 fixed on the terminal base 521, and the terminal base 521 and the terminal cover 522 cooperate to press the plug-in terminal; a terminal positioning groove 523 is formed between the terminal base 521 and the terminal cover 522; the fixing portion 12 on the terminal body 1 and the wiring piece 2 are limited to the terminal positioning groove 523.

[0041] Further integration Figure 4 and Figure 9As shown, the fastener 3 in this embodiment passes through the fixing portion 12 and the terminal piece 2, and the fastener 3 is provided with a fixing hole 31 extending axially therethrough; the terminal block 521 is provided with a raised fixing post 524, which is inserted into the fixing hole 31 to form an axial positioning for the plug-in terminal. In combination with the terminal block 521 and the terminal cover 522, the fixing post 524 cooperates to position the plug-in terminal, thereby effectively ensuring that the plug-in terminal is reliably positioned on the table base 5. As a variant implementation scheme, in actual operation, a fixing screw can also be fixed on the terminal block 521 or the terminal cover 522, and the fixing screw can pass through the fixing hole 31, that is, the plug-in terminal is fixedly connected to the terminal block 521 or the terminal cover 522 via the fixing screw.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications may be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all embodiments here. However, any obvious variations or modifications derived from the essential spirit of the present invention remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plug terminal, comprising a terminal body (1) and a terminal piece (2); characterized in that: The terminal body (1) is made of a thin-walled circular tube, one end of which is provided with a hollow columnar plug-in portion (11), and the other end is provided with a fixing portion (12), and a support body (13) is provided inside the plug-in portion (11); the fixing portion (12) is fixedly connected to the wiring piece (2), and the wiring piece (2) has a wiring portion (21) for connecting a wire (4).

2. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing portion (12) and the connecting piece (2) are fixedly connected via a fastener (3); the fastener (3) passes through the fixing portion (12) and the connecting piece (2), and the fastener (3) is provided with a fixing hole (31) that penetrates along the axial direction.

3. The connector terminal according to claim 12, wherein: The fixing portion (12) is a flat structure, and a plug-in cavity (121) is formed inside the fixing portion (12). The wiring piece (2) is inserted into the plug-in cavity (121) and fixedly connected via the fastener (3), and the wiring portion (21) is exposed outside the plug-in cavity (121).

4. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The support body (13) is made of non-metallic material; the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the plug-in column portion (11) is D-shaped, comprising a semicircular arc-shaped surface portion (111) and a flat surface portion (112) opposite to the arc-shaped surface portion (111); the support body (13) is in the shape of a rod that matches the inner cavity shape of the plug-in column portion (11), and has a supporting plane (131) thereon that forms an internal support for the flat surface portion (112).

5. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein: An air channel (132) is provided on the surface of the support body (13), and the air channel (132) extends along the axial direction of the support body (13).

6. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein: One end of the inserting column portion (11) away from the fixing portion (12) is a closed structure, and the outer surface of the closed structure is an arc-shaped convex surface (113).

7. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The wiring portion (21) is provided with a wiring space for receiving a wire (4); the wiring space is deformed by crimping to compress the wire (4), or the wire (4) is inserted into the wiring space and then fixed by welding.

8. The connector terminal according to claim 7, wherein: The wiring portion (21) has riveting sheets (22) arranged opposite to each other, and the wiring space is formed between the opposite riveting sheets (22).

9. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The wall thickness of the terminal body (1) is 0.5-2 mm.

10. An electric energy meter connector, comprising a meter base (5) and a plurality of plug terminals fixed on the meter base (5); the meter base (5) is provided with a mounting portion (51) for mounting the electric energy meter, and the plug terminals are arranged below the mounting portion (51); characterized in that, The plug-in terminal adopts the plug-in terminal described in any one of claims 1 to 9; a fixing seat (52) is provided on the meter holder (5) below the mounting portion (51), and the fixing portion (12) of the plug-in terminal is fixedly connected to the fixing seat (52); the plug-in column portion (11) of the plug-in terminal protrudes upward to be suitable for plugging into the conductive socket at the lower end of the electric energy meter.

11. The electric energy meter connector according to claim 10, characterized in that: The fixing seat (52) comprises a terminal seat (521) and a terminal cover (522) fixed on the terminal seat (521); the terminal seat (521) and the terminal cover (522) cooperate to press the plug-in terminal; a terminal positioning groove (523) is formed between the terminal seat (521) and the terminal cover (522); the fixing portion (12) on the terminal body (1) and the wiring piece (2) are limited in the terminal positioning groove (523).

12. The electric energy meter connector according to claim 11, characterized in that: The fastener (3) passes through the fixing portion (12) and the wiring piece (2), and the fastener (3) is provided with a fixing hole (31) that passes through in the axial direction; the terminal seat (521) is provided with a protruding fixing column (524), and the fixing column (524) is inserted into the fixing hole (31) to form axial positioning for the plug-in terminal; or, a fixing screw is fixed on the terminal seat (521) or the terminal cover (522), and the fixing screw passes through the fixing hole (31).

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