conductor connection terminal

Abstract

A conductor terminal (1) with a contact frame (2) and with a clamping spring (3) for clamping an electrical conductor, wherein the contact frame (2) has a busbar section (4), a partition (5) and a wall opening (6), wherein the clamping spring (3) has a clamping leg (7) arranged at least partially in the space between the busbar section (4) and the partition, with a clamping edge (8) oriented towards the busbar section (4), a spring arc (9) and a contact leg (10), and the clamping edge (8) and the busbar section (4) form a clamping point for the electrical conductor, and an actuating section (17) for opening and closing the clamping point is arranged on the clamping leg (7) of the clamping spring (3), wherein the actuating section (17) projects into the wall opening (6) and extends, at least in the closed state of the clamping point, on a side facing away from the clamping point next to the partition (5),wherein the conductor terminal (1) has an actuating element (14) which is pivotably arranged above the busbar section (4) and is operatively connected to the actuating section (17) of the clamping spring (3) with an actuating finger (18) extending next to the partition (5) to the actuating section (17) and is designed to open or close the clamping point, characterized in that the actuating element (14) can be self-lockingly fixed in its position in an open position of the clamping point, wherein the actuating finger (18) is directed from the pivot bearing area to the bearing on the actuating section (17) of the clamping spring (3) out of the force direction of the clamping spring (3) pointing towards the pivot bearing area and towards the spring arc (9),wherein the actuating finger (18) rests in the open position between a perpendicular of the clamping arm (7) leading from the clamping leg (7) to the pivot bearing area and the spring arc (9) on the actuating section (17).

Description

The invention relates to a conductor terminal with a contact frame and a clamping spring for clamping an electrical conductor, wherein the contact frame has a busbar section, a partition and a wall opening, wherein the clamping spring has a clamping leg arranged at least partially in the space between the busbar section and the partition, with a clamping edge oriented towards the busbar section, a spring arc and a contact leg, and wherein the clamping edge and the busbar section form a clamping point for the electrical conductor, and wherein an actuating section for opening and closing the clamping point is arranged on the clamping leg of the clamping spring, wherein the actuating section projects into the wall opening and extends, at least in the closed state of the clamping point, on a side facing away from the clamping point next to the partition. DE 36 37 316 A1 shows a terminal block with a terminal plate and a clamping spring, wherein the clamping spring and the terminal plate form a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be connected. A release element is guided through an opening in the terminal plate and rests on a sliding surface of the clamping spring, the release element being configured to open or close the clamping point. DE 10 2015 115 791 B4 discloses a conductor connection contact element with a busbar and a clamping spring, wherein the clamping spring is arranged within the busbar section. The busbar section has two side walls, wherein an actuating section of the clamping spring projects through a recess in one of the side walls and wherein the actuating section is configured to open and close a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be clamped by means of an actuating tool. German patent DE 10 2014 200 271 A1 describes a printed circuit board terminal block comprising an insulating housing, a contact element, a clamping spring, and a U-shaped actuating element. The clamping spring has actuating tabs projecting laterally from the contact element on its clamping leg. These tabs can be deflected by actuators of the actuating element towards the contact leg to open the clamping point formed by the contact element and the clamping spring. In doing so, the actuating element is moved directly towards the clamping leg to be displaced, thus opening the clamping point. JP 2017-183022 A shows a double-termination arrangement with an insulating housing, a contact insert, a double clamping spring, and a block-shaped actuating element. The actuating element projects with an actuating tab through an opening in the cover section of the insulating housing. By moving the actuating element towards the clamping spring, the actuating tab moves the clamping leg of the clamping spring towards the contact leg, thus opening the clamping point. DE 87 04 494 U1 discloses a double terminal block comprising an insulating housing, a contact insert, a double clamping spring, and a latch-shaped actuating element. The actuating element projects with an actuating tab through an opening in the cover section of the insulating housing. By moving the handle section of the actuating element towards the clamping spring, the actuating tab moves the clamping leg of the clamping spring towards the contact leg, thus opening the clamping point. DE 299 15 515 U1 describes a terminal block comprising a contact element, a clamping spring, and an actuating element. The actuating element is designed as a pivot lever or eccentric lever, rotatably mounted in the insulating housing, and opens or closes the clamping point by means of a rotary movement. DE 10 2013 105 179 A1 discloses a terminal block comprising an insulating housing, a contact element, a clamping spring, and an actuating element. The actuating element is designed as a pivot lever, which is rotatably mounted in the insulating housing by means of a pivot pin and opens or closes the clamping point by means of a rotary movement. DE 10 2012 219 741 A1 discloses a connector with an electrical contact, a housing cage, and a spring element. A fastening means is provided for attaching the spring element to the housing cage, comprising a locking element and a tab element. The tab element serves to prevent the spring element from detaching from the housing cage on its own. DE 10 2014 114 026 A1 discloses a conductor terminal block with a contact insert in an insulating housing and with an actuating lever that is floatingly mounted and pivotable in the insulating housing. The actuating lever can be locked in a closed and open position by means of a lever locking device. Based on this, the object of the present invention is to create an improved conductor terminal. The problem is solved by the conductor terminal with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. The conductor terminal has an actuating element that is pivotably mounted above the busbar section and is operatively connected to the actuating section of the clamping spring via an actuating finger extending alongside the partition wall to the actuating section. This actuating finger is designed to open or close the clamping point. In this way, a lever-operated conductor terminal can be provided in which the connection area for the electrical conductor and the lever movement area are separated, thus preventing undesirable interactions. It is proposed that the actuating element be self-locking in its open position by directing the actuating finger from a pivot bearing area of ​​the actuating element to the actuating section of the clamping spring out of the direction of force of the clamping spring (directed towards the pivot bearing area) and towards the spring arc. In the open position, the actuating finger rests between a perpendicular line of the clamping leg (leading from the clamping arm to the pivot bearing area) and the spring arc on the actuating section. In this way, an actuating element can be provided that remains self-locking in the open position without requiring additional aids or design features. The pivot bearing area is the area in which the actuating element can be pivoted into an open or closed position. It is conceivable that the busbar section and the partition are formed as a single piece from the contact frame and therefore from the same material. Alternatively, the busbar section can be made of a different material than the partition. For example, the partition could be made of plastic, while the busbar section is made of an electrically conductive metal. It is also conceivable that the functions of the busbar section and the partition are combined in a single element. The busbar section then acts as an electrically conductive connection and as a partition for the actuating section of the clamping spring, by passing through the opening in the partition. The clamping point and the actuating section of the clamping spring are thus spatially separated by the busbar section. The partition can be arranged between the busbar section and the wall opening, and the actuating finger can project into the wall opening. This has the advantage that the dimensions of the conductor terminal according to the invention can be reduced, thus providing a particularly compact conductor terminal. The actuating element can be mounted with a bearing opening and a pin that engages in the bearing opening. It is further advantageous if the bearing opening is an elongated hole and the pin is slidably mounted in the elongated hole. In this way, reliable guidance of the actuating element can be provided, enabling the clamping point to be opened or closed. The contact leg of the clamping spring can have at least one curvature. This curvature relieves stress on the spring root, thereby increasing its elastic deformability. This allows for a lower overall height by increasing the maximum spring deflection. Consequently, fatigue can be reduced, and the frequency of actuations can be increased. Furthermore, the curvature of the contact leg prevents the spring from falling out of the busbar section, eliminating the need for additional fixing elements, unlike conventional conductor terminals. This offers the advantage of providing a conductor terminal suitable for use with bulk materials. The curvature of the clamping spring's contact leg is not limited to one of the embodiments described above and below, but can also be used in other conductor terminals to achieve a low overall height and / or to fix the clamping spring without additional elements. The mounting leg can be supported on a bearing surface of the contact frame diametrically opposite the busbar section. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the mounting leg is positively engaged with the bearing surface. This has the advantage of providing a conductor connection terminal suitable for bulk materials. It is advantageous if the mounting leg is curved. It is conceivable that the mounting leg, due to its curvature, bears on the bearing surface of the contact frame at two points. A plug-in connector for connecting a plug-in element can be arranged on the contact frame. It is further advantageous if the plug-in connector is a fork contact formed integrally with the contact frame. In this way, a conductor terminal can be provided that enables an electrically conductive connection with a plug-in element inserted into the conductor terminal. The conductor terminal block can have an insulating housing with a conductor entry opening for inserting the electrical conductor, with the contact frame and the actuating element arranged within the insulating housing. It is further advantageous if several contact frames, each with its own actuating element and clamping spring, are accommodated within the insulating housing, each with a conductor entry opening leading to a clamping point. This allows for conductor terminal blocks with different numbers of poles, depending on the application. The indefinite term "a" should be understood as such and not as a numerical value. Therefore, the insulating housing can, for example, also have additional conductor entry openings, plug-in contact openings, busbar sections, and associated clamping springs for a multi-pole conductor connection terminal. The invention is explained in more detail below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 - a conductor terminal with a closed clamping point in a side sectional view; Fig. 2 - a conductor terminal according to Fig. 1 with an open clamping point in a side sectional view; Fig. 3 - a contact frame in a perspective view; Fig. 4 - a contact frame according to Fig. 3 in a rotated position; Fig. 5 - a clamping spring for use in a contact frame according to Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 6 - an actuating element for mounting in a contact frame according to Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 7 - a contact insert made up of the components of Figs. 3, 4, 5 to 6 in a side view; Fig. 8 - a multipole conductor terminal in a perspective view. Fig. 1 shows a conductor terminal 1 in a side sectional view. The conductor terminal 1 has a contact frame 2 and a clamping spring 3 for clamping an electrical conductor, the clamping spring 3 being arranged on the contact frame 2. The contact frame 2 has a busbar section 4 and a partition 5, the partition 5 having a wall opening 6. The clamping spring 3 has a clamping leg 7 with a clamping edge 8 aligned with the busbar section 4, the clamping edge 8 and the busbar section 4 forming a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be clamped. The clamping spring 3 also has a spring arc 9 that transitions into a contact leg 10. The busbar section 4 and the partition 5 are formed integrally from the same material. However, it is also conceivable that the partition 5 and the busbar section 4 could be made of different materials. It is evident that the contact leg 10 rests against the contact frame 2 on the side opposite the busbar section 4 and is curved in this area. The contact leg 10 therefore does not lie flat on the contact frame 2, but rather only contacts it at two points. This curvature of the contact leg 10 relieves stress on the bending joint, thus increasing the number of load cycles of the clamping spring 3, and eliminates the need for additional elements to hold the clamping spring 3 in the contact frame 2. The clamping spring 3 is therefore positively connected to the contact frame 2, thus providing a contact insert suitable for bulk materials. It is further evident that a plug-in contact terminal 11 for connecting a plug-in contact element is arranged on the contact frame 2. The plug-in contact terminal 11 is formed as a fork contact integrally with the contact frame 2. It can be seen that the clamping point for the electrical conductor to be connected is formed by the clamping edge 8 of the clamping spring 3 and the busbar section 4, with the clamping point being located below the actuating element 14 and above the plug-in contact terminal 11. The conductor terminal 1 has an insulating housing 12, wherein the contact frame and the clamping spring are arranged as contact inserts in the insulating housing 12. The insulating housing 12 has a conductor entry opening 13 for inserting the electrical conductor. It is evident that an actuating element 14 is arranged on the insulating housing 12, wherein the actuating element 14 is pivotably arranged above the busbar section 4. The actuating element 14 is operatively connected to an actuating section (not shown) of the clamping spring 3 such that the actuating element 14 is designed to open or close the clamping point. It can also be seen that the actuating element has a pin 15, the pin 15 of which engages in a bearing opening 16 of the insulating housing 12 designed as an elongated hole, thus allowing the actuating element 14 to pivot within the bearing opening 16. Fig. 1 shows the conductor terminal 1 in a closed position. Fig. 2 shows a conductor terminal 1 according to Fig. 1 in an open position. It is clearly visible that the clamping spring 3 has an actuating section 17, the actuating section 17 projecting from the clamping leg 7 of the clamping spring 3. The actuating section 17 projects into the wall opening 6 and extends to a side facing away from the clamping point next to the partition 5. It is further evident that the actuating element 14 has an actuating finger 18, the actuating finger 18 extending next to the partition 5 on the side facing away from the clamping point to the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring 3 and being operatively connected to the actuating section 17 in such a way that the actuating element 14 is designed to open or close the clamping point. The actuating section 17 is arranged at one end of the clamping leg 7 so that a small actuating force causes the clamping leg 7 of the clamping spring to deflect and thus open the clamping point. This allows for easy handling of the conductor terminal 1. The actuating element 14 can be locked in the open position by means of a self-locking mechanism. The actuating finger 18 of the actuating element 14 is directed from the pivot bearing area in the region of the pin 15 of the actuating element 14 to the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring 3, away from the direction of force of the clamping spring 3 (which points towards the pivot bearing area) and towards the spring arc 9. In the open position, the actuating finger 18 rests on the actuating section 17 between a perpendicular line of the clamping leg 7 (leading from the clamping arm 7 to the pivot bearing area) and the spring arc 9. Thus, the actuating section 14 is held in the open position because the force of the clamping spring 7 acting on the actuating finger 18 prevents the actuating element 14 from closing on its own. Figures 3 and 4 show a contact frame 2 for a conductor terminal in a perspective view. It is clearly evident that the contact frame is formed in one piece. The contact frame 2 is U-shaped, with the busbar section 4 transitioning into the partition 5 and then into a contact surface 19 opposite the busbar section 4. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the partition wall is made of a material different from the busbar section 4, such as a plastic, in order to electrically isolate the clamping point and the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring from each other. Fig. 5 shows a clamping spring 3 with a curved contact leg 10, a spring arc 9, and a clamping leg 7, wherein the clamping leg 7 has a clamping edge 8 and an actuating section 17. The clamping spring 3 is designed to be positively engaged in a contact frame 2. The actuating section 17 projects into the wall opening 6 of the partition 5 and thus extends to a side of the partition 5 facing away from the clamping point formed between the busbar section 4 and the clamping edge 8, in order to spatially separate the actuating section 17 from the clamping point. Fig. 6 shows an actuating element 14, which can be supported on the busbar section 4 of a contact frame 2 according to Figs. 3 and 4. It is evident that, when supported on the busbar section 4, the actuating finger 18 of the actuating element extends alongside the partition 5 to the actuating section 17 of a clamping spring 3 inserted into the contact frame 2 according to Fig. 5 and is operatively connected to the actuating section 17 in such a way that the actuating element 14 is configured to open or close the clamping point. The actuating finger 18 can project into the wall opening 6 to operatively connect with the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring 3.The actuating element has a pin 15 extending transversely to the actuating finger 18, the pin 15 being configured to pivotally mount the actuating element 14 on a bearing opening (not shown) of an insulating housing (not shown). The axis of the pin 15 thus forms the pivot bearing area of ​​the actuating element 14. It becomes clear that the actuating finger 18 projects laterally along a longitudinal axis L of the actuating element 14 from the side opposite the pin 15 in the pivot bearing area, thus laterally gripping the partition 5 of the contact frame 2. The actuating element 14 is therefore supported by only a single pin 15. However, it is also conceivable that the actuating lever 14 could be supported by several pins 15 or in another manner. It is further evident that the actuating finger 18 protrudes from a plane spanned by the longitudinal axis L and a transverse axis Q of the actuating element 14, so that the actuating element 14 can be self-lockingly fixed in an open or closed position on the busbar section 4 of the contact frame 2, whereby a force resulting from the clamping spring 3 counteracts a closing movement of the actuating element 14 in the open position. Fig. 7 shows a contact insert 20 for use in an insulating housing (not shown) with a contact frame 2 according to Figs. 3 and 4, a clamping spring 3 according to Fig. 5, and an actuating element 14 according to Fig. 6, wherein the actuating element 14 rests on the busbar section 4 of the contact frame 2. The contact insert 20 is shown in a side view, showing the side of the partition 5 facing away from the clamping point. It is evident that the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring 3 protrudes through the wall opening 6 and extends to the side facing away from the clamping point. It is further evident that the actuating finger 18 of the actuating element 14 laterally engages the contact frame 2 and rests against the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring 3. The actuator 14 is shown in an open position. The actuating finger 18 of the actuator 14 extends from the pivot bearing area, in the area where the actuator 14 is mounted on the busbar section 4, towards the actuating section 17 of the clamping spring 3, away from the direction of force of the clamping spring (which points towards the pivot bearing area) and towards the spring arc 9. In the open position, the actuating finger 18 rests on the actuating section 17 between a perpendicular 21 of the clamping leg 7 (leading from the clamping arm 7 to the pivot bearing area) and the spring arc 9. This secures the actuator 14 in the open position in a self-locking manner without the need for additional elements.It is conceivable that the actuating finger can rest on the actuating section 17 up to the vertical 21 of the clamping leg 7 leading from the clamping leg 7 to the swivel bearing area, so that the actuating element 14 can be locked in the open position. Fig. 8 shows a multi-pole conductor terminal 1, wherein several contact frames 2, each with an associated actuating element 14 and clamping springs (not shown), are housed in an insulating material housing 12, with each contact frame having a conductor entry opening 13 leading to a clamping point in the insulating material housing 12. It is evident that the conductor terminal 1 according to the invention can be designed as a multi-pole terminal to allow the simultaneous connection of several electrical conductors. The design of the conductor terminal 1 is not limited to a three-pole terminal 1; rather, any configuration with respect to the number of poles of such a terminal 1 is conceivable. Reference symbol list 1 Conductor terminal block 2 Contact frame 3 Clamping spring 4 Busbar section 5 Partition 6 Wall opening 7 Clamping leg 8 Clamping edge 9 Spring arc 10 Contact leg 11 Plug-in contact connection 12 Insulating housing 13 Conductor entry opening 14 Actuating element 15 Pin 16 Bearing opening 17 Actuating section 18 Actuating finger 19 Contact surface 20 Contact insert 21 Vertical L Longitudinal axis Q Transverse axis

Claims

A conductor terminal (1) with a contact frame (2) and with a clamping spring (3) for clamping an electrical conductor, wherein the contact frame (2) has a busbar section (4), a partition (5) and a wall opening (6), wherein the clamping spring (3) has a clamping leg (7) arranged at least partially in the space between the busbar section (4) and the partition, with a clamping edge (8) oriented towards the busbar section (4), a spring arc (9) and a contact leg (10), and the clamping edge (8) and the busbar section (4) form a clamping point for the electrical conductor, and an actuating section (17) for opening and closing the clamping point is arranged on the clamping leg (7) of the clamping spring (3), wherein the actuating section (17) projects into the wall opening (6) and extends, at least in the closed state of the clamping point, on a side facing away from the clamping point next to the partition (5),wherein the conductor terminal (1) has an actuating element (14) which is pivotably arranged above the busbar section (4) and is operatively connected to the actuating section (17) of the clamping spring (3) with an actuating finger (18) extending next to the partition (5) to the actuating section (17) and is designed to open or close the clamping point, characterized in that the actuating element (14) can be self-lockingly fixed in its position in an open position of the clamping point, wherein the actuating finger (18) is directed from the pivot bearing area to the bearing on the actuating section (17) of the clamping spring (3) out of the force direction of the clamping spring (3) pointing towards the pivot bearing area and towards the spring arc (9),wherein the actuating finger (18) rests in the open position between a perpendicular of the clamping arm (7) leading from the clamping leg (7) to the pivot bearing area and the spring arc (9) on the actuating section (17). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating element (14) is supported on the busbar section (4). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the partition (5) is between the busbar section (4) and the wall opening (6) and the actuating finger (18) projects into the wall opening (6). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the actuating element (14) is mounted with a bearing opening (16) and a pin (15) that dips into the bearing opening (16). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the bearing opening (16) is an elongated hole and the pin (15) is slidably mounted in the elongated hole. Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact leg (10) of the clamping spring (3) has at least one curvature. Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mounting leg (10) is supported on a bearing surface of the contact frame (2) diametrically opposite the busbar section (4). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the mounting leg (10) is held in a form-fitting manner on the support surface. Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plug contact closure (11) for plugging in a plug contact element is arranged on the contact frame (2). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the plug contact connection (11) is a fork contact formed integrally with the contact frame (2). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductor terminal (1) has an insulating housing (12) with a conductor entry opening (13) for inserting the electrical conductor, wherein the contact frame (2) and the actuating element (14) are arranged in the insulating housing (12). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that several contact frames (2) with each associated actuating element (14) and clamping spring (3) are received in the insulating housing (12), wherein each has a conductor entry opening (13) leading to a clamping point in the insulating housing (12).

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