Electrical connector device with spring-loaded connecting element and with compact actuating device, and multi-pole connector with several such spring contacts

Abstract

Electrical connector device (10) with an electrical insulating body (20) having at least one pair of longitudinally extending parallel seats (23, 24) which are for receiving a plug connector element (30) with a terminal (31) which has a spring (32) fixedly attached to it, and an actuating pin (40) are able to, wherein the actuating pin (40) has a cam profile oriented towards the spring (32) of the connection (31) to cause the opening and closing of the connection by sliding into the corresponding seat (23), wherein the spring (32) is an annular spring which has: a curved elbow-shaped lower section (34) which acts as the actual spring, a rear section (35) which is arranged aft of the connection (31) and is formed adjacent to the curved lower section (34), wherein the rear section (35) is formed in the form of a leg which rises from the curved lower section (34), wherein the rear section (35) can be brought into engagement with a projecting section (41) of the cam profile of the actuating pin (40), and an upper section (36) with a slot or opening (37) for receiving at least one electrical conductor (60), characterized by the fact that the cam profile of the actuating pin (40) oriented towards the spring (32) has a notch (45) on each of the two flanks of the actuating pin (40), which are limited by a remaining grooved section (46) between the notches (45), and The rear projecting section (35) of the spring (32), which is formed in the form of a leg, has a groove (39) which, in a state of maximum spring protrusion, i.e., with the terminal closed and empty, without a conductor present, receives the at least one grooved section (46) of the actuating pin (40).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector device with a spring-loaded connecting element, in particular an electrical connection terminal for connecting one or more electrical conductors, which is provided with a compact actuating device. In particular – without thereby excluding other embodiments of the invention – the electrical connector element is provided in the form of an electrical contact element, which is either a male (plug) or a female (socket) contact element.

[0002] In particular, the electrical connector device may also be suitable for placement in the insulating body of a multipole connector device, such as an electrical connector, in order to connect an electrical conductor, which may be of the multi-strand type (flexible conductor) or of the single-wire type (rigid or flexible, but provided with a crimped terminal sleeve end). State of the art

[0003] Electrical connector elements and electrical connector terminals suitable for connecting one or more electrical conductors by the action of a tension spring are known in the field.

[0004] One of the most widespread forms of a tension spring for the aforementioned elements is the tension spring described in DE 27 06 482 C2 (Wago), which consists in particular of a strip of elastic material that is ring-shaped.

[0005] In DE 10 2007 009 082 A1 (ILME), a further development of such plug-in connectors with spring contacts is described, in which each terminal is provided with an actuating device in the form of a sliding pin. This pin can be actuated to close or open the tension spring and consequently to connect or disconnect the conductor to / from the terminal without the use of a tool (e.g., a flat-head screwdriver for slotted screws) to close the plug-in terminal and thereby establish the electrical connection between the conductor and the contact. The tool is only required for subsequent reopening. This earlier invention made it possible to perform the wiring operation independently of the user, i.e., regardless of the user's level of training or skill.

[0006] In the IT MI2012A001974 (ILME) (now granted on 26.03.2015 as IT 1414636), which was still unpublished at the priority date of the present application, a further development of the invention listed above is described, in which the actuating devices of the spring connecting elements are provided with a longitudinal groove, which enables, for example, the insertion of a metal probe for carrying out electrical measurements.

[0007] EP 1 555 723 A1 describes a screwless connection comprising: a contact part with a connecting section to which a conductor is electrically connected, an annular clamping spring with a clamping leg, a locking part and a locking counterpart which form a closed ring in the locking position, an actuating element for the clamping spring, and a metal frame which surrounds the clamping spring and forms a structural unit with it.

[0008] A spring-clamp connector device is known from the unpublished DE 10 2014 202 414 A1 (ILME) and is essentially the same as the one disclosed here. Its objective is to solve the same problem as that of this invention, namely to reduce the transverse dimension to a minimum, thereby enabling an increase in the density of the connecting elements, for example, in a multi-pole connector with several rows of such contact elements. However, this application achieves the objective in a completely different way. Here, the rising rear section of the clamping cage spring has at least one grooved flank, and the corresponding cam-profiled section of the actuating pin, which causes the opening and closing of the connection by parallel vertical sliding, is accordingly solid (i.e., ribbed) where the spring flank is grooved, while it is grooved (hollow) where the spring section remains untouched.The description and claims of the prior art do not disclose any features claimed in independent claim 1 of this application.

[0009] A spring clamp connection device is known from DE 10 2012 110 759 A1 (Wago) and has a current-carrying rail, a spring clamp connection in the form of a clamping cage clamp and an actuating element that is closely articulated to this cage clamp in the form of a rotatable lever which can open and close this connection device by means of a rotational movement in a transverse direction (i.e. not sliding parallel in the same direction as the corresponding connector in the clamp connection).The tension spring has a slot opening (recess) on the back, which is more or less pronounced in different embodiments and is continuous with the window present in the upper section of the steel spring for inserting the electrical connector to be clamped in the terminal, the slot opening being provided only for the passage of the pivot part for the rotating actuating lever and not for receiving a section of this actuating element in order to achieve compactness in the transverse direction.This spring-clamp connection device fails to achieve the goal of providing a compact solution, likely to be realized in multiple adjacent rows of multipole connectors. This is due to the inefficiency of a rotating, articulated actuating lever, which requires full lateral access and significant transverse mass. Even in its resting state, it is never very compact due to the necessary rigidity (robustness) of an articulated actuating lever, as its thickness cannot be significantly reduced. For safety reasons, it is not possible to manufacture this actuating element using anything other than an insulating material. Furthermore, additional assembly effort would be required, leading to higher costs, either due to an additional retaining element (e.g.,...)a bearing arm) for linking the actuating lever or a more elaborate and expensive tool for cutting and bending the required geometry of the tension cage spring to effect the linking of the corresponding rotating actuating element.

[0010] In DE 10 2013 223 694 A1 (ILME), which is an improvement over the previous DE 10 2007 009 082 A1 (ILME) described later, a multipole spring clamp connector with actuating pins is disclosed, wherein each actuating pin forms a passage parallel to its main axis, thereby enabling the insertion of a metal probe into the passage, e.g. for measuring purposes, wherein the passage in the actuating pin faces a conductive planar section of the tension spring of a corresponding spring clamp connection.

[0011] The objective of this application is achieved by cleverly positioning this passage along the actuating pin in such a way that its robustness for its primary function of closing and reopening the spring clamp connection is not compromised. By positioning it in the front part instead of the rear part, as in the prior art, the problem is solved that the spring must not have contact at a point where pressure on the corresponding probe could lead to a contact failure and a relevant disruption of the connector's function, thus necessitating monitoring during operation. This represents a significant improvement over the prior art, in which such a feature was either not provided (e.g.,DE 10 2007 009 082 A1, see below) or was provided for, but not on an element that was subsequently added to each relevant cavity (thereby requiring a very cheap shape change for upgrade purposes compared to the prior art), but the additional passage for each connection was realized on the insulating body (or the common contact holder) of a multi-pole connection device, resulting in multiple costs for the relevant pins that had to be added to the shape instead of single costs, or was even provided for on the actuating element, but in a position where a contact disturbance up to and including the opening and release of the clamped connector is likely to be caused by the pressure of the probe tip required to contact a current-carrying part for measurement.

[0012] In DE 10 2007 009 082 A1 (ILME) a ​​multipole spring-clamp connector with actuating pins is disclosed, which has features that are also used in the present invention, but have the disadvantage that it is not possible to use a metal probe to contact the relevant current-carrying parts under operating conditions, e.g., during functional tests and measurements, and no mass in the transverse direction is achieved that is sufficiently compact to allow essentially identical spring-clamp connections with actuating pins in multipole connectors with a more compact size in the transverse direction, dictated by the standardized slimmer dimensions in the transverse direction of the corresponding housings (see, e.g., connectors that require hoods and housings according to standard EN 175 301-801 and are used, e.g., by the EUROMAP consortium as standardized interfaces) (EUROMAP Recommendations 12, 13, 14-1, 14).2 16 and 62), or to use these inserts for the multipole connector which have several rows (e.g. 3 rows) of contacts of the same size as standard 2-row connector inserts, which requires greater compactness in the transverse direction than is achieved either in this application or in DE 10 2014 202 414 A1 described above. State of the art problems

[0013] Prior art electrical connectors with spring contacts and actuating pins, based on the typical ring shape of the spring according to DE 27 06 482 C2, suffer from the disadvantage of having a considerable transverse dimension: the actuating pin, which is formed at the front with a cam profile to cause the opening and closing of the spring of the clamping unit by acting on the so-called "leg" of the spring, necessarily has a transverse dimension behind the spring itself when the connecting element is in the "open" position, which limits the possibility of a denser arrangement of the spring connecting elements with the actuating device, which can be implemented in adjacent parallel rows, such as in multi-pole compact terminal blocks or multi-pole electrical connectors.

[0014] Significant transverse dimensions are therefore required for the relevant slots in the insulating body of the multipole terminal block or the multipole connector, so that in multipole devices with high contact density - especially if, for example, the multipole connector insert is limited in its maximum size by the usable internal size of the respective protective housing - the use of such electrical spring connecting elements equipped with an actuating device is prevented.

[0015] According to an alternative embodiment of the actuating pin of the prior art, which is free of the transverse dimensions behind the spring, while the shape of the spring remains unchanged compared to the classical spring of the prior art, a larger overall width of the actuating pin itself is provided, which engages laterally with the spring; however, in a connection device that has such a spring-type electrical connector element equipped with an actuating device, a larger width dimension is present due to the necessarily increased lateral dimension of the actuating pin. This makes the use of such a connector element impractical in existing multi-pole connector devices, which is due to the increased distance that would be required between the side-by-side connector elements.

[0016] An alternative embodiment of a spring-type connector element, comprising an actuating device based on a different spring design, wherein a sleeve-shaped spring element is provided, is described in DE 101 45 324 A1 (EP 1 294 053 A2) (Harting). Although this technique is more compact, it is nevertheless hampered by significant disadvantages: (1) Due to the small size of the actuating pin, a tool is still required to close the connector (e.g.,a flat-end screwdriver for screws with a slotted head), and (2) this technique is only suitable for stranded flexible conductors and therefore not for conductors fitted with an insulated crimp terminal (a solution widely preferred by manufacturers of wiring harnesses for electrical switchboards) or for single-core conductors, solid or bundled, whose use for wiring fixed electrical installations is still widespread in many countries. Purpose of the invention

[0017] Thus, one object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art described above and, in particular, to create an electrical connector device with a spring-type connector element as described in DE 27 06 482 C2, which is provided with an actuating device according to DE 10 2007 009 082 A1, wherein this connector device is to have a compact form such that the transverse dimensions of the device are reduced, and wherein, in the case of use of the connector device with multipole connectors, the density of the connector elements is to be increased, while retaining all the advantages offered by spring-type connector elements with an annular spring.

[0018] Another object of the invention is to create such an electrical connector device that is suitable for both flexible and rigid conductors and is able to accommodate more than just a single conductor.

[0019] Another object of the invention is to create an electrical plug connection device of the aforementioned type in which the actuating pin does not have a width greater than that of the spring-type plug connection element and the corresponding connection.

[0020] Another object of the invention is to create such an electrical connector device that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Description of the invention

[0021] The electrical connector device according to the invention has the features specified in independent claim 1.

[0022] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are listed in the dependent claims.

[0023] In the electrical connector device according to the invention, which has a body in which the spring-type connector element and the actuating device are arranged, a deformation of the spring or tension spring of the connector element is provided; this deformation takes place in particular in a limited section of the so-called "leg" of the ring-shaped spring (also known as a cage), which serves as a lever arm for closing the section that functions as the actual spring and is formed by a semicircularly curved lower section.

[0024] The actuating pin has a cam profile with at least one tapered side and a remaining grooved portion, and the leg-like rising rear section of the spring has a corresponding groove capable of receiving at least a grooved portion of the actuating pin in a state of maximum spring protrusion, i.e., with the connection closed and empty.

[0025] Thus, in comparison to the known technique, in the closed position of the connection (the position of maximum transverse dimensioning), the total transverse dimensions of the actuating pin are expediently reduced to zero.

[0026] This makes it possible to accommodate a spring-type electrical connector with an actuating device, for example, in compact multi-pole terminal blocks or in high-density multi-pole connectors where there are several rows of adjacent and closely spaced contacts.

[0027] In particular, for use in multi-pole connectors, the maximum transverse footprint of the spring-type connector element with an actuating device is obtained, which is the same as that required for similar multi-pole spring-type connectors without an actuating device. Thus, the same interlocking interface (and therefore the same contact density) as that found in existing multi-pole spring-type connectors without an actuating device can also be maintained in the spring-type versions equipped with an actuating device. Brief description of the characters

[0028] Further features of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of a merely exemplary and therefore non-limiting embodiment, which is shown in the accompanying drawings; these show in detail the following: Fig. Figure 1 shows an axonometric exploded view of an electrical connector device according to the invention; Fig. Figure 2 shows an exploded view along plane II-II according to Fig. 1 attached cross-sectional view; Fig. Figure 3a shows an isometric exploded view of the spring clamp element for the electrical plug connection and the actuating pin of the plug connection device according to the invention; Fig. 3b shows the elements according to Fig. 3a in the assembled state in the closed position of the connection, namely in the empty state without a conductor; Fig. 3c shows an isometric view of only the actuating pin relative to Fig. 3a opposite direction of view; Fig. 4a shows a Fig. 2. Similar cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector device in the closed position of the connection, in the empty state without a conductor, as shown in Fig. 3b; Fig. 4b shows an axometric representation of the sectional view according to Fig. 4a; Fig. 5 - 9 a, b show views similar to those according to Fig. 4 a,b, wherein the electrical connector device is shown in various configurations corresponding to the sequence of the different wiring steps and possible re-opening, the connector device being shown in the following positions: - in Fig. 5 in the open terminal position, with the actuating pin fully extended, - in Fig. 6 in the open terminal position, with the actuating pin fully extended and the conductor inserted into the corresponding housing seat, - in Fig. 7 in the closed terminal position, with the wire and actuating pin inserted into their seats, - in Fig. 8 in the position of the closed connection as in Fig. 7, wherein the end of a screwdriver is inserted into a lateral slot of the actuating pin, - in Fig. 9 in the open terminal position, with the actuating pin lifted using the end of the screwdriver and the conductor pulled out; Fig. 10 shows a Fig. 4a Similar cross-sectional view of an example of a multipole connector, which is provided with the plug-in elements and actuating pins as shown in the previous figures. Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

[0029] In Fig. Figures 1 to 9 show an embodiment of an electrical connector device according to the invention, generally designated by 10. The connector device 10 has an electrical insulating body 20, which consists of a base 21 and a cover 22, which in the assembled state ( Fig. 4 - 9) form two longitudinally extending, parallel, upwardly open seats 23, 24 for the housing, which are capable of receiving an electrical connector element 30 or an actuating pin 40, which are designed as described in the aforementioned document DE 10 2007 009 082 A1 and with the modifications to be described below.

[0030] The connector element 30 has a first terminal 31 with an annular spring 32 (also known as a cage) and – according to the embodiment described here – a pin-shaped male electrical contact element 33 that projects downwards from the insulating body 20. Alternatively, the electrical contact element 33 can also be of the socket-shaped female type.

[0031] The spring 32, known per se, is, as described in DE 27 06 482 C2, a leaf spring, which is simply formed in the form of a closed ring and has a lower section 34 curved essentially in a semicircle, which acts as the actual spring, an ascending rear section 35, referred to as a "leg", which is arranged at the rear relative to the connection 31 (the section is further formed adjacent to the elbow-shaped curved lower section 34 and rises from the curved lower section 34), and an upper section 36 with a slot or opening 37, which is formed in an upper projection 38 of the plug-in connector element 30 or of a section of the spring opposite the leg, in order to allow the spring to bend in response to an external load and thus to open and close the connection.

[0032] The actuating pin 40 has a prismatic shape with a vertical longitudinal orientation and can slide in the respective seat 24 to actuate the spring 32 and open or close the connection. In particular, the actuating pin 40 has at its lower end a cam-like front profile with a projecting section 41, which can interact with the spring 32 to open or close the connection, and with a recess 42, which is able to receive the leg of the spring 32 when the connection is closed and the conductor is not present.

[0033] The actuating pin 40 further has an upper lateral seat 43 for a handheld tool such as a flat-end screwdriver for screws 50 with a slotted head (see in particular Fig. 7 and Fig. 8) to allow the connection to be reopened, essentially as described in the aforementioned DE 10 2007 009 082 A1.

[0034] The actuating pin 40 has a longitudinally extending opening 44 pointing towards the spring 32, which allows the insertion of the probe of a test device for carrying out electrical measurements, as described in the aforementioned unpublished patent application IT MI2012A001974 (granted on 26.03.2015 as IT 1414636).

[0035] The essential difference between the plug-in connection device according to the present invention and the plug-in connection device described in DE 10 2007 009 082 A1, which enables a reduction of the internal transverse dimensions of the device and thus the achievement of a higher density of the plug-in elements in the case of multipole terminal blocks or connectors, is that, corresponding to the aforementioned recess 42 formed in the actuating pin 40, two tapered areas or notches 45 are provided on the flanks of the pin, which are bounded by a remaining grooved section 46 (as in Fig. 3c is most clearly evident), and that the leg-like projecting rear section 35 of the spring 32 has a corresponding window or groove 39 which is capable of receiving the remaining grooved section 46 of the actuating device when the connection is closed in the rest state, when no conductor is present, as shown in Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b is shown. In this rest state, the housing of the remaining grooved section 46 of the actuating device in the window of the spring and the housing of the solid parts 39', which delimit the window in the corresponding tapered sides or notches 45 of the actuating device, allow a complete bulging of the spring.

[0036] According to an alternative embodiment, only a tapered side or notch 45 on the actuating device and the remaining grooved section 46 and a corresponding lateral groove 39 and the solid part 39' in the spring are provided, which are complementary when the connection is closed in the rest state, when no conductor is present, and allow a complete bulging of the spring.

[0037] The following will be based on Fig. 5 to 9 briefly describe the operation of the electrical plug connection device according to the invention, which is completely identical to the operation described and shown in DE 10 2007 009 082 A1.

[0038] In Fig. 5 the device is in the open position of the connection without a conductor, the actuating pin 40 being fully extended in its housing seat 24 and the annular spring 32 being compressed by means of the projection 38 of the cam profile of the actuating device, so that the upper slot or opening 37 of the spring is ready to receive an electrical conductor 60, as Fig. 6 shows. In Fig. Figure 6 and the following figures show a rigid conductor 60, but it is evident that the electrical connector element 30 can also accommodate a flexible conductor or even several conductors.

[0039] Fig. Figure 7 shows the electrical plug connection device in the closed state of the connection, wherein the actuating pin 40 is inserted into its seat 24 in a retractable manner, i.e. without protruding from its seat, and the conductor 60 is clamped in the connection.

[0040] Fig. 8 is a Fig. Figure 7 shows a similar view and the end region of a flat-end screwdriver 50 designed for screws with a slotted head, which is inserted into the lateral slot 43 of the actuating pin 40.

[0041] By applying leverage to the upper edge of the cover 22 of the body 20, which is provided with a suitable projection, a downward rotation of the screwdriver 50 is carried out, which causes an upward movement of the actuating pin 40, so that the forward section 41 of its cam profile causes the spring 32 to be compressed with the corresponding opening of the connection and the release of the conductor 60, which can then be pulled out, as Fig. 9 shows.

[0042] Fig. Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of a multipole connector 100 with three rows of contacts and actuating pins 40, which are retractably inserted into the respective seats of the insulating body of the connector, i.e., without protruding from its seat, and with closed spring terminals (empty, without wires), in the position of maximum protrusion of the rear section 35 of the annular springs 32. The transverse dimension (the main part) of the actuating pin 40 has no effect, due to the tapered shape or notch 45 of the actuating pin and the corresponding window formed in the rear section 35 of the spring, so that, viewed in cross-section, the actuating pins have zero thickness in the plane passing through the point of maximum protrusion of the springs.In this way, in the rest position (empty closed connections), the fully pre-curved springs are inserted into the corresponding cavities of the actuating pins, thus minimizing the transverse dimension (the main part) of the device and creating the possibility of arranging such spring-type plug-in elements with actuating pins in high-density plug-in devices or equipping the spring-type plug-in elements of existing devices with actuating devices without this resulting in an increase in the transverse dimension.

[0043] In particular, it would be in the case of the Fig. In the example shown in Figure 10, in the case of the use of spring-like contacts and actuating pins of the prior art, such as those according to DE 10 2007 009 082 A1, it is not possible to accommodate three rows of electrical contacts with the same transverse dimension of the connector body.

Claims

[1] Electrical connector device (10) with an electrical insulating body (20) having at least one pair of longitudinally extending parallel seats (23, 24) which are for receiving a plug connector element (30) with a terminal (31) which has a spring (32) fixedly attached to it, and an actuating pin (40) are able to, wherein the actuating pin (40) has a cam profile oriented towards the spring (32) of the connection (31) to cause the opening and closing of the connection by sliding into the corresponding seat (23), wherein the spring (32) is an annular spring which has: a curved elbow-shaped lower section (34) which acts as the actual spring, a rear section (35) which is arranged aft of the connection (31) and is formed adjacent to the curved lower section (34), wherein the rear section (35) is formed in the form of a leg which rises from the curved lower section (34), wherein the rear section (35) can be brought into engagement with a projecting section (41) of the cam profile of the actuating pin (40), and an upper section (36) with a slot or opening (37) for receiving at least one electrical conductor (60), characterized by , that the cam profile of the actuating pin (40) oriented towards the spring (32) has a notch (45) on each of the two flanks of the actuating pin (40), which are limited by a remaining grooved section (46) between the notches (45), and The rear projecting section (35) of the spring (32), which is formed in the form of a leg, has a groove (39) which, in a state of maximum spring protrusion, i.e., with the terminal closed and empty, without a conductor present, receives the at least one grooved section (46) of the actuating pin (40). [2] Electrical connector device (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the groove (39) is a window. [3] Electrical connector device (10) according to claim 2, characterized by , that a remaining grooved section (46) is formed in the center of the actuating pin (40). [4] Electrical connector device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating pin (40) has a width that is no greater than that of the plug-in element (30) provided with a spring connection. [5] Electrical connector device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the actuating pin (40) has a lateral seat (43) for the insertion of the end of a tool such as a screwdriver. [6] Electrical connector device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the actuating pin (40) has a longitudinally extending opening (44) aligned along the direction of the spring (32), into which a probe of a test device for carrying out electrical measurements can be inserted. [7] Electrical connector device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the electrical insulating body (20) has a base (21) and a cover (22). [8] Electrical connector device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one of the conductors (60) is flexible or rigid. [9] Multipole electrical connector device (100) with several electrical connector elements (30) having a terminal (31) and actuating pins (40) which are slidably inserted into respective housing seats of the insulating body of the connector device having the features according to one of the preceding claims.

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