Device, in particular socket, comprising an electronic circuit, arranged for the controlled connection of electrical connections to a power supply

Abstract

Device comprising: a first terminal point (28) forming a first electrical connection (44); a second terminal point (28) forming a second electrical connection (44); and an electronic circuit (30) which is activated when a plug (12) is inserted into the device by displacing a component (36) stored in the device and is activated when the plug (12) is removed by resetting the component (36) stored in the device; wherein the activated electronic circuit (30) is further configured to connect a voltage supply to the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44) or to disconnect the voltage supply from the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44).

Description

AREA

[0001] The present invention relates to a device that enables the controlled connection of electrical terminals to a power supply. In particular, the present invention relates to a device with an electronic circuit that is configured to control the connection of electrical terminals to or the disconnection of electrical terminals from a power supply. BACKGROUND

[0002] When connecting and disconnecting electrical connections to a power supply, an arc may occur between the electrical connections and the power supply, particularly at high voltages. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A device according to the invention comprises a first terminal point forming a first electrical connection, a second terminal point forming a second electrical connection and an electronic circuit which is activated when a plug is inserted into the device by displacing a component stored in the device and is activated when the plug is removed by resetting the component stored in the device, wherein the activated electronic circuit is further configured to connect a voltage supply to the first electrical connection and / or the second electrical connection or to disconnect the voltage supply from the first electrical connection and / or the second electrical connection.

[0004] The term "electrical connection," as used in the description and claims, refers in particular to an electrically conductive contact point intended for temporary or permanent electrical connection with an electrical conductor. Furthermore, the term "clamping point," as used in the description and claims, refers in particular to a structure configured to form a frictionally engaged connection with an electrical conductor inserted into the clamping point. Furthermore, the term "electronic circuit," as used in the description and claims, refers in particular to a functional unit formed from electrical and electronic components. Furthermore, the term "activated [...]" refers to a functional unit formed from electrical and electronic components.] Circuit”, as used in the description and the claims, is to be understood in particular as a circuit which receives and processes signals via inputs of the circuit and derives control measures from the processed signals.

[0005] The power supply can be a DC voltage source or an AC voltage source.

[0006] If the voltage source is an alternating voltage source, the electronic circuit can be configured to connect the voltage supply to the first electrical terminal and / or the second electrical terminal during a zero crossing of an alternating voltage provided by the voltage supply.

[0007] The electronic circuit may be configured to disconnect the voltage supply connected to the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal from the first electrical terminal and / or the second electrical terminal during a zero crossing of the alternating voltage.

[0008] The component can be mounted in the device so as to be displaceable against a spring force and can be designed to be displaced from a rest position by contact with the plug when the plug is inserted, before a first contact pin of the plug comes into contact with the first terminal point and a second contact pin of the plug comes into contact with the second terminal point.

[0009] The component may have an electrically conductive portion which, when the plug is inserted, comes into electrically conductive contact with a third electrical contact point of the electronic circuit and a fourth electrical contact point of the electronic circuit, thereby closing an electrical circuit.

[0010] The electrically conductive portion may be arranged between a first electrically non-conductive portion and a second electrically non-conductive portion of the component, and the first electrically non-conductive portion may, in the rest position, be in contact with the first electrical contact point of the electronic circuit and the second electrical contact point of the electronic circuit.

[0011] The second electrically non-conductive portion may be in contact with the first electrical contact point of the electronic circuit and the second electrical contact point of the electronic circuit when the plug is inserted into the device.

[0012] Closing the circuit at the contact points can cause the voltage supply connected to the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal to be disconnected during a zero crossing of the alternating voltage from the first electrical terminal and / or the second electrical terminal through the electronic circuit, and the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal can remain disconnected from the voltage supply as long as the circuit is closed.

[0013] Opening the circuit may cause the power supply to be connected to the first electrical terminal and / or the second electrical terminal during a zero crossing of the alternating voltage through the electronic circuit, and the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal may remain connected to the power supply as long as the circuit is open at the contact points.

[0014] The AC voltage source may be a three-phase current source, and the device may have a third terminal point forming a third electrical connection and a fourth terminal point forming a fourth electrical connection. The activated electronic circuit may further be configured to connect the three-phase current source to the third electrical connection and the fourth electrical connection, or to disconnect the three-phase current source from the third electrical connection and the fourth electrical connection.

[0015] If the three-phase source is connected to the first, second, third and fourth electrical terminals, the neutral conductor can be connected to the first electrical terminal, the first live wire to the second electrical terminal, the second live wire to the third electrical terminal and the third live wire to the fourth electrical terminal.

[0016] The electronic circuit may further be configured to connect the outer conductors of the three-phase current source to the second, third and fourth electrical terminals during a zero crossing of the respective phase.

[0017] The electronic circuit may include an optical sensor configured to monitor movement of the component.

[0018] The device can be designed as a socket.

[0019] The device can be designed as a plug.

[0020] Furthermore, it is understood that the features described in connection with the device may also be features of a method in which the device may be used, and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention is explained below in the detailed description using exemplary embodiments, with reference to drawings in which: Fig. 1 - Fig. 5 illustrate the insertion of a plug into a socket according to the invention according to a first embodiment; Fig. 6 illustrates the insertion of a plug into a socket according to the invention according to a second embodiment; Fig. 7 illustrates the insertion of a plug into a socket according to the invention according to a third embodiment; and Fig. 8 illustrates the insertion of a plug into a socket according to the invention according to a fourth embodiment.

[0022] In the drawings, identical or functionally similar elements are identified by the same reference symbols. WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a socket 10 and a plug 12, which is designed and provided for plugging into the socket 10. The plug 12 comprises a housing 14 made of an insulating material, from which two contact pins 16 protrude. The contact pins 16 are connected to flexible electrical conductors 18, via which an electrical load (not shown) can be supplied with energy. The plug 12 further comprises a U-shaped rail 20 running on opposite sides of the housing 14, which rail is provided as a protective contact and is also connected to a flexible electrical conductor 18. The flexible electrical conductors 18 are each sheathed with a flexible insulating material, which prevents electrical contact between the electrical conductors 18. The flexible electrical conductors 18 can also be sheathed in their entirety with a flexible insulating material to protect them from damage and unwanted contact. For example,the flexible electrical conductors 18 can be the cores of a three-core cable.

[0024] The socket 10 comprises a housing 22 made of an insulating material with a substantially cylindrical interior 24, on the front side of which two openings 26 are provided, which allow the contact pins 16 to be inserted into the interior 24. In the interior 24, two terminal points 28 are formed, which are connected to an electronic circuit 30. The electronic circuit 30 is further connected to a power supply (not shown) via two electrical conductors 32. The socket 10 further comprises a U-shaped rail 34 running along opposite inner sides of the housing 22, which is provided as a protective contact and is also connected to a flexible electrical conductor 32. The free ends of the U-shaped rail 34 have bent sections towards the center of the socket 10, which are designed and provided to clasp the free ends of the U-shaped rail 20 when the plug 12, as in Fig. 2, into the socket 10.

[0025] Furthermore, the socket 10 comprises a component 36, which is mounted in the frontal partition 38 and projects in the direction of the plug 12, so that the plug 12 touches the component 36 before the contact pins 16 come into contact with the terminal points 28. Upon further insertion of the plug 12 into the socket 10, the component 36 is displaced in the direction of the interior 24. The component 36 is dimensioned such that the conductive tip of the component 36, as shown in Fig. 3, establishes an electrical contact between an output and an input of the electronic circuit 30. This activates the electronic circuit 30, which then disconnects the power supply (not shown) from the terminals formed by the terminals 28. If the power supply (not shown) generates an alternating voltage, the electronic circuit 30 disconnects the power supply (not shown) from the terminals 44 at a zero crossing of the alternating voltage. With a multi-phase alternating voltage, the electronic circuit 30 disconnects the power supply (not shown) from the respective terminal 44 at the zero crossing of the respective phase. As shown in Fig. 4, the connections 44 are thus voltage-free when the contact pins 16 come into contact with the terminal points 28.

[0026] By further inserting the plug 12 into the socket 10, the electrical contact between the output and the input of the electronic circuit 30 is interrupted by, as shown in Fig. 5, an insulating portion of component 36 is pushed between contact points 40. Breaking the circuit causes electronic circuit 30 to connect the power supply (not shown) to terminals 44. If the power supply (not shown) generates an alternating voltage, electronic circuit 30 connects the power supply (not shown) to terminals 44 at a zero crossing of the alternating voltage. With a multi-phase alternating voltage, electronic circuit 30 connects the power supply (not shown) to the respective terminal 44 at the zero crossing of the respective phase.

[0027] Alternatively to the Fig. 1 - Fig. 5 shown embodiment can, as in Fig. 6, with a corresponding shortening of the component 36, the electronic circuit 30 can connect the power supply (not shown) to the terminals 44 when the conductive tip of the component 36 establishes an electrical contact between the output and the input of the electronic circuit 30. If the electrical contact between the output and the input of the electronic circuit 30 is interrupted by pulling out the plug 12, the electronic circuit 30 disconnects the power supply (not shown) from the terminals 44. Furthermore, as in Fig. 7, the component 36 in a further alternative embodiment may comprise a conductive portion disposed between two non-conductive portions.

[0028] Furthermore, the detection of the movement of the component 36, as in Fig. 8, can also be carried out by means of an optical sensor 42 (e.g. in the form of a light barrier). LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 10 socket 12 plugs 14 housings 16 contact pins 18 conductors 20 rail 22 housings 24 Interior 26 Opening 28 terminal point 30 circuit 32 ladders 34 rail 36 components 38 Partition wall 40 Contact point 42 Sensor 44 connection

Claims

[1] Device comprising: a first terminal point (28) forming a first electrical connection (44); a second terminal point (28) forming a second electrical connection (44); and an electronic circuit (30) which is activated when a plug (12) is inserted into the device by displacing a component (36) stored in the device and is activated when the plug (12) is removed by resetting the component (36) stored in the device; wherein the activated electronic circuit (30) is further configured to connect a voltage supply to the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44) or to disconnect the voltage supply from the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44). [2] Device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit (30) is further configured to connect the voltage supply to the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44) during a zero crossing of an alternating voltage provided by the voltage supply; and / or wherein the electronic circuit (30) is further configured to disconnect the voltage supply connected to the first electrical terminal (44) and the second electrical terminal (44) from the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44) during a zero crossing of the alternating voltage. [3] Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the component (36) is mounted displaceably in the device against a spring force and is designed to be displaced from a rest position upon insertion of the plug (12) by contact with the plug (12) before a first contact pin (16) of the plug (12) comes into contact with the first clamping point (28) and a second contact pin (16) of the plug (12) comes into contact with the second clamping point (28). [4] Device according to claim 3, wherein the component (36) has an electrically conductive portion which, when the plug (12) is inserted, comes into electrically conductive contact with a third electrical contact point (40) of the electronic circuit (30) and a fourth electrical contact point (40) of the electronic circuit (30) and thereby closes an electrical circuit. [5] Device according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive portion is arranged between a first electrically non-conductive portion and a second electrically non-conductive portion of the component (36), and the first electrically non-conductive portion, in the rest position, is in contact with the first electrical contact point (40) of the electronic circuit (30) and the second electrical contact point (40) of the electronic circuit (30). [6] The device of claim 5, wherein the second electrically non-conductive portion is in contact with the first electrical contact point (40) of the electronic circuit (30) and the second electrical contact point (40) of the electronic circuit (30) when the plug (12) is plugged into the device. [7] Device according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein closing the circuit at the contact points (40) causes the voltage supply connected to the first electrical terminal (44) and the second electrical terminal (44) to be disconnected during a zero crossing of the alternating voltage from the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44) through the electronic circuit (30), and the first electrical terminal (44) and the second electrical terminal (44) remain disconnected from the voltage supply as long as the circuit is closed. [8] Device according to one of claims 4 to 7, wherein opening the circuit causes the voltage supply to be connected to the first electrical terminal (44) and / or the second electrical terminal (44) during a zero crossing of the alternating voltage through the electronic circuit (30) and the first electrical terminal (44) and the second electrical terminal (44) remain connected to the voltage supply as long as the circuit at the contact points (40) is open. [9] Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the voltage source is designed as a three-phase source; wherein the device has a third terminal point forming a third electrical connection and a fourth terminal point forming a fourth electrical connection; and wherein the activated electronic circuit is further configured to connect the three-phase current source to the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal or to disconnect the three-phase current source from the third electrical terminal and the fourth electrical terminal. [10] The device of claim 9, wherein, when the three-phase power source is connected to the first, second, third and fourth electrical terminals, the neutral conductor is connected to the first electrical terminal, a first live wire of the three-phase power source is connected to the second electrical terminal, a second live wire of the three-phase power source is connected to the third electrical terminal, and a third live wire of the three-phase power source is connected to the fourth electrical terminal; and wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to connect the live wires to the second, third and fourth electrical terminals during a zero crossing of the respective phase. [11] The device according to claim 3, wherein the electronic circuit (30) comprises an optical sensor (42) configured to monitor a movement of the component (36). [12] Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the device is designed as a socket (10). [13] Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the device is designed as a plug.

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