conductor connection terminal

Abstract

The invention relates to a conductor terminal with a spring-loaded clamping connection for connecting an electrical conductor, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a clamping spring and an actuating mechanism for moving at least a part of the clamping spring between an open position and a closed position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a conductor connection terminal with a spring-loaded clamping connection for connecting an electrical conductor, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a clamping spring and an actuating mechanism for displacing at least a part of the clamping spring between an open position and a closed position.

[0002] Such conductor connection terminals are known in which the actuating mechanism has an actuating lever and a spring actuator that can be coupled to the actuating lever via a transmission mechanism, in particular a gear. Via the transmission mechanism, an actuating force acting on the actuating lever can be transmitted to the spring actuator, which displaces at least part of the clamping spring.

[0003] Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a further improved conductor connection terminal.

[0004] The object is achieved with a conductor connection terminal according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the subclaims, the description and the figures.

[0005] It is proposed that in a conductor connection terminal of the type mentioned at the outset, the actuating mechanism is designed to displace at least part of the clamping spring part of the way from the closed position to the open position by means of a first lever movement of the actuating lever and to displace at least part of the clamping spring a further part of the way towards the open position by means of a second lever movement, wherein a maximum actuating travel of the actuating lever is assigned to a part of the travel in each case. As a result, the actuating force required to displace at least part of the clamping spring can be reduced. In addition, large spring forces can be implemented with low actuating forces. In other words, the actuating lever can be moved back and forth between its closed and open positions more than once in order to transfer the clamping spring from the closed position to the open position.The number of lever movements is not limited to two, but can include more than two, for example, three, four, or five, depending on the design of the conductor connection terminal. The multiple lever movements reduce the actuating force required to operate the actuating lever per lever movement. At least part of the clamping spring can thus be moved step by step from the closed position to the open position. By dividing the actuation into multiple lever movements, any desired opening angle of the clamping spring can be set. The proposed conductor connection terminal can be actuated with a reduced actuating force while still being compact.

[0006] As is known from other conductor connection terminals, the actuating lever can be actuated over a mechanically limited actuating travel, namely from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. Unlike in conductor connection terminals according to the prior art, this maximum actuating travel of the actuating lever is not assigned to the full structurally intended travel of at least a part of the clamping spring to be displaced, i.e. the travel from the closed position to the open position, but only to a part of the travel from the closed position to the open position. In order for the part of the clamping spring to be displaced to cover the desired travel from the closed position to the open position, more than one full actuation of the actuating lever from the closed to the open position is therefore necessary in the conductor connection terminal according to the invention.

[0007] The open position of the spring-loaded terminal connection allows an electrical conductor to be inserted into the terminal or removed from the terminal without any effort. In the closed position, the electrical conductor is clamped to a terminal by the clamping spring.

[0008] The clamping spring can, for example, have a clamping leg and a contact leg that are connected to each other via a spring arch. The contact leg can support the clamping spring on a component structure of the conductor connection terminal. The clamping leg can be designed to clamp an electrical conductor inserted into the conductor connection terminal against a busbar. By means of the actuating mechanism, at least part of the clamping spring, in particular the clamping leg or part of the clamping leg, can be displaced between an open position in which the electrical conductor can be inserted into the conductor connection terminal, and a closed position in which the electrical conductor is clamped. In the open position, the clamping leg can be arranged away from the busbar. In the closed position, the conductor can rest against the busbar, whereby the conductor can be clamped against the busbar by the clamping leg.

[0009] The actuating mechanism of the conductor connection terminal can be designed in several parts, comprising the actuating lever and the spring actuator that can be coupled to the actuating lever, wherein force can be transmitted between the actuating lever and the spring actuator during coupling. The spring actuator can be coupled to the actuating lever, in particular temporarily. For example, the actuating lever and the spring actuator can be coupled to one another in a force-transmitting manner during a first and second lever movement and decoupled from one another during a lever return movement occurring between the first and second lever movements, for example, by a freewheel. This can prevent the part of the clamping spring displaced during the first lever movement from being displaced again by the lever return movement.

[0010] The transmission mechanism can, for example, comprise a gear, wherein a gear ratio, in particular a gear ratio deviating from a 1:1 ratio, can be provided between the actuating lever and the spring actuator. In particular, a slow gear ratio can be provided from the actuating lever to the spring actuator in order to achieve precise clamping spring displacement with low actuating force.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the actuating mechanism can have a mechanical backstop for blocking a return movement of the spring actuator. This can prevent the spring actuator and the part of the clamping spring displaced during the first lever movement from being displaced back by the spring force of the clamping spring during the lever return between the first lever movement and the second lever movement.

[0012] The mechanical backstop can, for example, have a wrap spring designed to block the return movement of the spring actuator. A wrap spring can achieve a reliable and simple locking effect in a first direction of movement of the spring actuator, as well as freewheeling in a second direction of movement of the spring actuator.

[0013] Alternatively or additionally, the backstop can have a pawl designed to block the return movement of the spring actuator. A pawl can achieve a reliable and simple locking effect in a first direction of movement of the spring actuator, as well as freewheeling in a second direction of movement of the spring actuator. The pawl can engage the spring actuator, for example, through frictional or positive engagement, and block movement of the spring actuator in the first direction of movement. The pawl can be spring-loaded to improve the locking effect.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the backstop can be deactivated by a release mechanism. This facilitates the resetting of the spring actuator, for example, to move at least part of the clamping spring from the open position to the closed position. The release mechanism can be used to release the blocking of the spring actuator by the backstop. This allows, for example, the clamping leg to pivot back into the closed position after the backstop is deactivated and clamp the conductor securely.

[0015] For example, the release mechanism can have a manual release control element, which, when activated, deactivates the backstop. This allows for an active, user-controlled reset of the spring actuator. The release control element can be a push-button, for example.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the release mechanism can have a self-actuating release element that can be used to automatically deactivate the backstop. This enables automatic resetting of the spring actuator without requiring any additional direct manual intervention by a user. For example, the self-actuating release element can deactivate the backstop while an electrical conductor is inserted into the conductor terminal. Such automatic release by an inserted conductor can also be referred to as a snap-in release mechanism. The conductor can, for example, disengage a pawl of the backstop from engagement with the spring actuator, for example through direct mechanical contact or through an indirect snap-in trigger such as a rocker.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the transmission mechanism can have a toothing of the actuating lever and the spring actuator. This allows the transmission mechanism to be designed simply and reliably. The actuating lever and the spring actuator can each have teeth that can mesh with each other to couple the actuating lever to the spring actuator and enable force transmission between the actuating lever and the spring actuator. For example, the actuating lever and the spring actuator can have external toothing on their outer contour, at least in sections. In principle, configurations are also conceivable in which the actuating lever has external toothing on its outer contour and the spring actuator has internal toothing on an inner contour of the spring actuator, or vice versa.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the toothing can be a sawtooth toothing. This can improve the coupling and decoupling of the actuating lever with and from the spring actuator. A sawtooth toothing has teeth with alternating gently rising flanks and steeply falling flanks. In a first direction of movement of the teeth relative to one another, the steep flanks abut one another, thus enabling coupling and force transmission between the actuating lever and the spring actuator. In a second direction of movement of the teeth relative to one another, the flat flanks slide off one another, allowing the actuating lever to disengage from the spring actuator, thus enabling decoupling.

[0019] The number of teeth can be varied so that with an increased number of teeth or tooth pairs a finer adjustment of the clamping spring can be achieved.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the transmission mechanism can have a self-locking gear. This allows for precise and controlled actuation of the actuating lever and the spring actuator. The self-locking gear can be designed, for example, as a worm gear.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the actuating lever can be spring-loaded. This can assist in a defined decoupling and return of the actuating lever from the spring actuator. For example, an actuating force acting on the actuating lever can actuate the actuating lever against the spring force of the spring bearing and couple it with the spring actuator. When the actuating force is removed, the actuating lever is returned to the open position by the spring force.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the actuating lever can be pivotably mounted about a rotational axis. This allows for a compact actuating mechanism to be provided. The actuating lever can be designed as a pivoting lever. The actuating lever can predominantly perform a rotational movement upon actuation. Optionally, the actuating lever can be floatingly mounted to allow a limited additional translational movement of the actuating lever toward the spring actuator, for example, to facilitate the coupling and decoupling of the actuating lever to and from the spring actuator.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the spring actuator can be pivotably mounted about a rotational axis. This allows for a compact actuating mechanism. The spring actuator can be designed as a pivoting actuator. The spring actuator can predominantly perform a rotational movement during actuation. Optionally, the spring actuator can be floatingly mounted to allow limited additional translational mobility.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the transmission mechanism can comprise a gear transmission. This allows the transmission mechanism to be designed to be simple, compact, and reliable. The actuating lever and the spring actuator can be pivotably mounted about a rotational axis. The actuating lever and the spring actuator can each form a gear contour, at least in sections. For example, the actuating lever and the spring actuator can each have external teeth on a curved outer contour section or on a circular outer contour, or, for example, internal or external teeth on a curved inner or outer contour section or on a circular inner or outer contour.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the spring actuator can be designed as an eccentric and have an actuating cam. This allows the displacement of at least part of the clamping spring to be controlled in a defined manner by the spring actuator. In a spring actuator designed as an eccentric, a geometric center of the spring actuator can lie outside the rotational axis of the spring actuator. By appropriately designing the cam geometry or actuating contour of the actuating cam, various opening characteristics and characteristic curves of the actuating and spring forces can be implemented. For example, a linearized characteristic curve of the actuating force can be realized over the course of the actuation. For example, a reduced opening speed can be implemented with large opening angles of the clamping spring.The opening angle of the clamping spring can refer to a momentary angle between the clamping leg in its position displaced toward the open position by the spring actuator and its closed position. As the clamping leg moves toward the open position, the opening angle becomes increasingly larger. For large opening angles, for example, after the clamping spring has been displaced a further distance by a further, e.g., a second or third lever movement, a reduced opening speed can be achieved using the appropriately contoured actuating cam.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the spring actuator can be mounted for translational displacement. This allows for a direct and efficient displacement of at least a portion of the clamping spring. The spring actuator can follow a straight path of movement during actuation.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the transmission mechanism can comprise a rack and pinion gear. For example, the actuating lever can be pivotally mounted about a rotational axis and have a curved gear contour, while the spring actuator can be translationally displaceable and have a straight rack and pinion contour, or vice versa. This allows a rotational movement of the actuating lever to be converted into a translational movement of the spring actuator, or a translational movement of the actuating lever can be converted into a rotational movement of the spring actuator. This allows a compact transmission mechanism to be combined with a direct-acting and efficient actuation.

[0028] In general, in the context of this application, the words “a / an”, unless expressly defined otherwise, are not to be understood as a number, but as an indefinite article with the literal meaning of “at least one”.

[0029] The invention allows for various embodiments and is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with the attached drawing.

[0030] Fig. 1 schematically shows a conductor connection terminal 1 with a spring-loaded clamp connection 2 for connecting an electrical conductor (not shown in detail). The spring-loaded clamp connection 2 has a clamping spring 3 with a contact leg 17 for supporting the clamping spring 3 and a clamping leg 8 for clamping an electrical conductor inserted into the spring-loaded clamp connection 2 against a busbar 18. The spring-loaded clamp connection 2 also has an actuating mechanism 4 for displacing at least part of the clamping spring 3, here the clamping leg 8, between an open position and a closed position. The actuating mechanism 4 has an actuating lever 5 and a spring actuator 7. The spring actuator 7 can be coupled to the actuating lever 5 via a transmission mechanism 6, which in this embodiment is designed as a gear.Via the transmission mechanism 6, an actuating force acting on the actuating lever 5 can be transmitted to the spring actuator 7 in order to displace the clamping leg 8 of the clamping spring 3.

[0031] According to the exemplary embodiment, the actuating mechanism 4 is configured to displace the clamping leg 8 a portion s1 of the travel s from the closed position to the open position by a first lever movement of the actuating lever 5, and to displace the clamping leg 8 a further portion s2 of the travel s toward the open position by a second lever movement. The multiple lever movements allow the actuating force required to displace the clamping leg 8 to be reduced.

[0032] During the first lever movement and the second lever movement, the actuating lever 5 and the spring actuator 7 are coupled to one another via the transmission mechanism 6. During a lever return movement occurring between the first and the second lever movement, the actuating lever 5 and the spring actuator 7 are decoupled from one another. For this purpose, the actuating lever 5 and the spring actuator 7 each have a toothing 13a, 13b designed as a sawtooth toothing, which can engage with one another to couple the actuating lever 5 to the spring actuator 7 and enable a force transmission between the actuating lever 5 and the spring actuator 7. In a first direction of movement R1 of the saw teeth relative to one another, these can support one another on their steeply sloping flanks and transmit an actuating force.In a second direction of movement R2 of the saw teeth relative to one another, these can slide on one another on their gently rising flanks and thus enable a decoupling of the spring actuator 7 from the actuating lever 5. According to . Fig. 1, the actuating lever 5 has a spring bearing 14 to enable a defined decoupling and an improved return of the actuating lever 5.

[0033] According to Fig. 1, the actuating mechanism 4 has a mechanical backstop 9 for blocking a return movement of the spring actuator 7, preventing the spring actuator 7 and the clamping leg 8, which were displaced during the first lever movement, from being displaced back during the lever return. For this purpose, the backstop 9 has a locking pawl 10 provided with a spring bearing 15, which engages with the toothing 13b of the spring actuator 7 and can thereby block a return movement of the spring actuator 7.

[0034] The backstop can be deactivated by a release mechanism 11 to facilitate a desired resetting of the spring actuator 7 and to enable the clamping leg 8 to be moved back from the open position to the closed position. The release mechanism 11 can be used to release the blocking of the spring actuator 7 by the locking pawl 10. For this purpose, the release mechanism 11 has a manual release control element 12 designed as a pushbutton, the actuation of which, using a manual release force F, deactivates the backstop 9.

[0035] According to the illustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism 6 has a gear transmission to provide a compact actuating mechanism. The actuating lever 5 is pivotally mounted about a rotational axis d1 and, in sections, has a gear contour with the above-described sawtooth toothing as the external toothing. The spring actuator 7 is pivotable about a rotational axis d2 and, in sections, has a gear contour with the above-described sawtooth toothing as the external toothing, which can engage with the gear contour of the actuating lever 5.

[0036] The Fig. 1 that the spring actuator 7 is designed as an eccentric and has an actuating cam 16 in order to control the displacement of the clamping leg 8 in a defined manner according to a desired characteristic curve. List of reference symbols 1 conductor connection terminal 2 spring-loaded terminals 3 clamping spring 4 Operating mechanism 5 operating levers 6 Transmission mechanism 7 spring actuators 8 clamping legs 9 Backstop 10 pawl 11 Release mechanism 12 Release control element 13a Gearing (operating lever) 13b Gearing (spring actuator) 14 Spring bearing (operating lever) 15 Spring bearing (pawl) 16 actuating cams 17 investment legs 18 Busbar F manual release force d1 Rotation axis operating lever d2 Rotary axis spring actuator s path closed position-open position s1 first part of the route s2 second part of the route R1 first direction of movement R2 second direction of movement

Claims

[1] Conductor connection terminal (1) with a spring-loaded clamping connection (2) for connecting an electrical conductor, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection (2) has a clamping spring (3) and an actuating mechanism (4) for displacing at least part of the clamping spring (3) between an open position and a closed position, wherein the actuating mechanism (4) has an actuating lever (5) and a spring actuator (7) which can be coupled to the actuating lever (5) via a transmission mechanism (6), in particular a gear of the transmission mechanism (6), characterized byin that the actuating mechanism (4) is designed to displace at least a part of the clamping spring (3) a part (s1) of the path (s) from the closed position to the open position by means of a first lever movement of the actuating lever (5) and to displace at least a part of the clamping spring (3) a further part (s2) of the path (s) in the direction of the open position by means of a second lever movement, wherein a maximum actuating path of the actuating lever (5) is assigned to a part (s1, s2) of the path (s). [2] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the actuating mechanism (4) has a mechanical backstop (9) for blocking a return movement of the spring actuator (7). [3] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to claim 2, characterized by that the backstop (9) has a wrap spring which is designed to block a return movement of the spring actuator (7). [4] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the backstop (9) has a pawl (10) which is designed to block a return movement of the spring actuator (7). [5] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 4, characterized by that the backstop (9) can be deactivated by a release mechanism (11). [6] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to claim 5, characterized by that the release mechanism (11) has a manual release control element (12), by the actuation of which the backstop (9) can be deactivated. [7] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by that the release mechanism (11) has an automatic release element by which the backstop (9) can be automatically deactivated. [8] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the transmission mechanism (6) has a toothing (13) of the actuating lever (5) and the spring actuator (7). [9] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to claim 8, characterized by that the toothing (13) is a sawtooth toothing. [10] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the transmission mechanism (6) has a self-locking gear. [11] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the operating lever (5) is spring-loaded. [12] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating lever (5) is pivotally mounted about a rotation axis (d1). [13] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the spring actuator (7) is pivotally mounted about a rotation axis (d2). [14] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the transmission mechanism (6) has a gear transmission. [15] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the spring actuator (7) is designed as an eccentric and has an actuating cam (16). [16] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the spring actuator (7) is mounted so as to be translationally displaceable. [17] Conductor connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the transmission mechanism (6) has a rack and pinion gear.

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