Terminal connectors and clamping device

Abstract

A terminal connector intended for connection with a clamping device (200), comprising: a first housing half (10) extending along a longitudinal axis (X) and having a first end section (11) and a second end section (12), between which an open receiving space (13) is located, the receiving space (13) being provided at each of the two end sections (11, 12) with a fastening section (14) oriented along a transverse axis (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X); a second housing half (20) designed to cover the first housing half (10) and the receiving space (13); and two fastening elements (30) rotatably arranged along the transverse axis (Y) between the first housing half (10) and the second housing half (20) and engaging in the two fastening sections (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a connecting device and, more particularly, to a terminal connector adapted for use in a clamping device, the terminal connector serving to increase the distance between two clamping portions of the clamping device to extend the range of application thereof.US Patent US11642760B2 discloses a wood connecting mechanism in the form of a connector for wood tool terminals. The described connector makes it possible to extend the distance between two clamping elements, so that the wood tool clamp is also suitable for thicker workpieces.The connector is essentially composed of a housing, a push button, a through tube, a locking unit and a spring. The through tube, the locking unit and the spring are arranged inside the housing. The locking unit has a U-shaped geometry which serves to receive the through tube. The spring is positioned between the underside of the locking unit and the housing. The through tube itself is designed as a flat tube, wherein both ends have receiving openings provided with guide grooves. The locking unit has hooks arranged on both sides, each of which has a groove structure opened upward. These hooks are positioned below the push button and can be pivoted or returned to their original position by the operation thereof. When the shank of a clamping member is inserted into the through tube, the groove structures of the hooks and the guide grooves cooperate to lock the positioning pins of the shank. This ensures a firm fixing of the shaft. If the fixing is to be released, it is sufficient to actuate the push button, whereby the through tube and the locking unit are released from the locking position with the positioning pin. Thus, the shaft is removable from the housing.Although the connector disclosed above is a functional extension for wood tool terminals, the structure of the housing is of high complexity. Another problem arises from the fatigue phenomena of the spring during use. As soon as the spring loses tension, the holding force of the locking unit on the positioning pin of the shank is reduced. This increases the risk that the shaft will be accidentally disengaged from the connector. Therefore, there is a need for an improved design that addresses these vulnerabilities.The object of the invention is to provide a terminal connector which enables a quick and precise connection between a guide rail and an extension rod. In this case, the combination of two housing halves, which are securely connected to one another by means of two fastening elements, realizes a simple structure with high stability. In addition, the clamp connector is intended to maintain the clamping force of the clamping device that is present and to ensure efficient assembly.According to the invention, a terminal connector is provided which serves for connection to a clamping device. The terminal connector includes a first housing half, a second housing half, and two fasteners. The first housing half extends along a longitudinal axis and has a first end section and a second end section. Between the two end sections there is an open receiving space which is equipped with a fastening section at each of the two ends. The fastening sections are arranged along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The second case half is configured to cover the first case half and cover the accommodating space. The two fastening elements are arranged along the transverse axis between the first and the second housing half and engage in the fastening sections.According to the invention, there is further provided a clamping device consisting of a clamp connector, a guide rail, an extension rod, a slide member and a clamping member. The terminal connector includes a first housing half, a second housing half, and two fasteners. The first housing half has a first and a second end section, between which a receiving space is located. The fastening portions of the first housing half are arranged along a transverse axis. The guide rail has a shaft portion having a first fixing hole positioned in the accommodating space and connected to one of the fixing portions. The extension rod has a second attachment hole also positioned in the receiving space and connected to the other attachment portion. The slide member is slidably disposed on the extension rod, while the clamp member is attached to one end of the slide member and has a second clamping portion. The second half-casing covers the first half-casing and is fixed by the fastening elements engaging the fastening portions. Thereby, the terminal connector is fixed between the guide rail and the extension rod.By combining the first and the second housing half and fixing by means of the fastening elements, a rapid and precise positioning is achieved. The simple construction ensures a stable connection. The clamp connector makes it possible to connect the extension rod to the guide rail and to increase the distance between the two clamping sections of the clamping device. This extends the span of the clamping device and meets the requirements for holding workpieces of greater thickness.The invention and its embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawing shows: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal connector according to the invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal connector of the present invention; FIG. 3 shows the terminal connector according to the invention in an inserted state, in which the terminal connector ( 100) is connected between a guide rail and an extension rod; FIG. 4 shows the terminal connector according to the invention in a further state of use, in which the terminal connector locks and fixes the guide rail and the extension rod to one another; FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 4.The following description relates to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description is not intended to limit the technical principles of this disclosure to the specific exemplary embodiments illustrated. The scope of the disclosure is defined solely by the claims and includes variations, modifications and equivalent implementations thereof. In addition, the structural dimensions and sizes of the individual components illustrated in the drawings are only schematically reproduced and serve for understanding and readability by a person skilled in the art. These illustrations should not be understood as limiting the possible embodiments of the disclosure.The disclosure describes a terminal connector 100 and a clamping device 200 connected thereto. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the clamping device 200 includes a guide rail 210, an extension rod 220, a slide member 230 disposed on the extension rod 220, and a clamping member 240 attached to the slide member 230. The clamp connector 100 is for connection to the clamp 200 to allow for the holding of workpieces of greater thickness. The terminal connector 100 includes a first housing half 10, a second housing half 20, and two fasteners 30.The first housing half 10 is shaped in an elongate manner and has a U-shaped cross section. It extends along a longitudinal axis X and has a first end section 11 and a second end section 12, between which an open receiving space 13 is located. The receiving space 13 is provided at each of the two end sections 11, 12 with a fastening section 14 which is aligned along a transverse axis Y perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X.The first housing half 10 has an inner side 15 and an opposite open side 16, the inner side 15 being connected on both sides to side walls 17 which together with the inner side 15 form the receiving space 13. The fastening portions 14 protrude from the inner side 15 and extend toward the open side 16.The second case half 20 is configured to be able to cover the first case half 10 and cover the accommodation space 13. It also has a U-shaped cross section and is shaped similarly to the first half 10 but the side walls 21 of the second half 20 are further from each other than the side walls 17 of the first half 10 and thereby the second half 20 can completely enclose the first half 10. In addition, the second housing half 20 has two through-openings 22.The fastening elements 30 are arranged rotatably along the transverse axis Y between the first housing half 10 and the second housing half 20 and are fixed in the fastening section 14. Each fastening element 30 comprises a threaded section 31 and a rotary knob 32 remote therefrom. When being tightened by rotation, the threaded portion 31 is engaged with the corresponding threaded hole 141 of the shutter sections 14 through the through hole 22, thereby firmly connecting the first case half 10 to the second case half 20.In the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a stop element 18 is located between the two fastening portions 14. In some embodiments, the two protrusions 181 are arranged parallel to each other and are also parallel to the respective fastening portions 14, as shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the second housing half 20 has two positioning holes 23 between the two through-openings 22. These positioning holes 23 allow the second case half 20 to be fitted on the first case half 10 by engaging with the projections 181. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protrusions 181 protrude through the positioning holes 23 during assembly. This achieves a provisional positioning of the first housing half 10 and the second housing half 20, which facilitates the subsequent fixing of the two housing halves by the fastening elements 30.The guide rail 210 is L-shaped and has a shank portion 211 and a first clamping portion 212 arranged thereon. The shaft portion 211 is provided with a first fastening hole 213 on the side opposite to the first clamping portion 212. In the assembled arrangement, the shaft portion 211 is positioned within the accommodation space 13 of the first case half 10 with the first attachment hole 213 engaged with one of the attachment portions 14. In addition, the shaft portion 211 abuts on one side of the protrusions 181 of the stopper member 18.The extension rod 220 is provided with a second attachment hole 221 at one end. The extension rod 220 is positioned in the accommodation space 13 of the first case half 10 with the second attachment hole 221 engaged with the other attachment portion 14. In addition, the extension rod 220 abuts on a side of the second protrusion 181 of the stopper member 18. As a result, the guide rail 210 and the extension rod 220 are delimited and aligned in a positionally accurate manner by the stop element 18 and the two side walls 17 of the first housing half 10. This arrangement provides a defined range of motion for the guide rail 210 and the extension rod 220 while preventing rotational and twisting of the components. Since the terminal connector 100 connects the guide rail 210 and the extension rod 220 into a rigid body, distortion during the clamping operation is effectively prevented. This contributes to the clamping force being maintained and not being impaired by twisting or deformation.The slide member 230 is slidably disposed on the extension rod 220 with one end.The clamp member 240 is attached to the other end of the slide member 230. It has a threaded rod 241, which is screwed to the sliding element 230. One end of the threaded rod 241 is provided with a second clamping portion 242, while a handle 243 is provided at the other end. The handle 243 enables the threaded rod 241 to be controlled by setting it in a reciprocating movement relative to the sliding element 230. By this movement, the distance between the first clamping portion 212 and the second clamping portion 242 can be adjusted precisely to securely fix a workpiece.In use, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the terminal connector 100 is assembled as follows: The shaft portion 211 of the guide rail 210 is positioned at an end of the accommodation space 13 of the first case half 10 such that the first attachment hole 213 is engaged with one of the attachment portions 14. The extension rod 220 is positioned at the other end of the accommodation space 13 such that the second attachment hole 221 is engaged with the other attachment portion 14. Subsequently, the two fastening elements 30 are guided through the through-openings 22 of the second housing half 20 and screwed into the threaded holes 141 of the fastening sections 14 of the first housing half 10. Thereby, the terminal connector 100 is securely fixed between the guide rail 210 and the extension rod 220.With this arrangement, the distance between the first clamping portion 212 and the second clamping portion 242 is increased, so that the clamp connector 100 can be used for workpieces having a larger thickness, thereby meeting the work place requirements.The terminal connector 100 has several advantages: -- -- simple construction: the components of the connector are simple in design, which facilitates manufacture and assembly.High stability: After fixing, the terminal connector 100 ensures a stable connection between the guide rail 210 and the extension rod 220.Rapid installation: The connection can be produced rapidly and efficiently between the components, which makes the use in working work especially user-friendly.Extended functionality: The connector allows adaptation to workpieces with greater thickness, whereby it can be used flexibly in various applications.The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the disclosure and do not limit its scope. The scope of protection is defined solely by the claims and includes all possible modifications, variations and equivalent implementations.List of reference characters100 Clamp connector 200 Clamp device 210 Guide rail 211 Shaft portion 212 First clamping portion 213 First fastening hole 220 Extension rod 221 Second fastening hole 230 Slide member 240 Clamp part 241 Threaded rod 242 Second clamping portion 243 Handle 10 First case half 11 First end portion 12 Second end portion 13 Accommodation space 14 Fastening portion 141 Threaded hole 15 Inner side 16 Open side 17 Side wall 18 Stopper 181 Protrusion 20 Second case half 21 Side wall 22 Through hole 23 Positioning hole 30 Fastening member 31 Threaded portion 32 Rotary knob X Longitudinal axis Y Transverse axisReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedUS 11642760B2

[0002]

Claims

A clamp connector provided for connection to a clamping device (200), comprising: a first housing half (10) extending along a longitudinal axis (X) and comprising a first end portion (11) and a second end portion (12), between which an open receiving space (13) is located, wherein the receiving space (13) is provided at each of the two end portions (11, 12) with a fastening portion (14) aligned along a transverse axis (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X); a second housing half (20) configured to cover the first housing half (10) and to cover the receiving space (13); and two fastening elements (30) each rotatably arranged along the transverse axis (Y) between the first housing half (10) and the second housing half (20) and engaging the two fastening portions (14).Terminal connector according to claim 1, characterised in that - the first housing half (10) has an inner side (15) and an open side (16) opposite thereto, wherein the inner side (15) is connected on both sides in each case to a side wall (17); - the inner side (15) and the two side walls (17) together form the receiving space (13); and - the two fastening sections (14) protrude from the inner side (15) and extend in the direction of the open side (16).Terminal connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that - the two fastening sections (14) are each provided with a threaded hole (141); - the second housing half (20) has two through-openings (22); and - each of the fastening elements (30) has a threaded section (31) and a rotary knob (32) remote therefrom, wherein the threaded sections (31) pass through the through-openings (22) and can be screwed into the threaded holes (141).Terminal connector according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in - that the cross-sections of the first housing half (10) and the second housing half (20) are each U-shaped; and - that the second housing half (20) has two spaced side walls (21) which are further apart from one another than the two side walls (17), so that the second housing half (20) can completely enclose the first housing half (10).The clamp connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that a stop element (18) is located between the two fastening sections (14), wherein, when the clamping device (200) has a guide rail (210) and an extension rod (220), the guide rail (210) and the extension rod (220) are respectively positioned in the receiving space (13) and connected to the two fastening sections (14), and wherein the guide rail (210) and the extension rod (220) can be limited in their position by the stop element (18) and the side walls (17).Terminal connector according to claim 5, characterized in - that the stop element (18) consists of two protrusions (181) extending from the inner side (15) towards the open side (16); - that the second housing half (20) has two positioning holes (23); and - that the protrusions (181) are engaged with the positioning holes (23).Clamping device, comprising: a clamp connector (100) comprising a first housing half (10), a second housing half (20) and two fastening elements (30), wherein the first housing half (10) extends along a longitudinal axis (X) and comprises a first end portion (11) and a second end portion (12), between which a receiving space (13) is located, and wherein the receiving space (13) is provided in the region of the two end portions (11, 12) in each case with a fastening portion (14) which extends along a transverse axis (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X); a guide rail (210) comprising a shank portion (211) and a first clamping portion (212), wherein the shank portion (211) is provided with a first fastening hole (213) and is positioned in the receiving space (13) such that the first fastening hole (213) is in engagement with one of the fastening portions (14); an extension rod (220) provided with a second attachment hole (221) at one end and positioned in the accommodation space (13) of the first case half (10) such that the second attachment hole (221) is engaged with the other attachment portion (14); a slide member (230) slidably disposed on the extension rod (220) at one end; and a clamping part (240) which is arranged at the other end of the sliding element (230) and has a second clamping portion (242), wherein the second housing half (20) covers the first housing half (10) and covers the receiving space (13), and wherein the fastening elements (30) are arranged along the transverse axis (Y) between the first housing half (10) and the second housing half (20) and are screwed to the fastening portions (14) such that the clamping connector (100) connects the guide rail (210) and the extension rod (220).Clamping device according to claim 7, characterised in that the first housing half (10) has an inner side (15) and an opposite open side (16), wherein the inner side (15) is connected on both sides to a respective side wall (17), and wherein the inner side (15) and the side walls (17) together form the receiving space (13), and wherein the fastening portions (14) protrude from the inner side (15) and extend in the direction of the open side (16).Clamping device according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the fastening sections (14) are each provided with a threaded hole (141), wherein the second housing half (20) has two through-openings (22), and wherein each of the fastening elements (30) has a threaded section (31) and a rotary knob (32) remote therefrom, and wherein the threaded sections (31) pass through the through-openings (22) and can be screwed into the threaded holes (141).Terminal connector according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in - that the cross-sections of the first housing half (10) and the second housing half (20) are each U-shaped; and - that the second housing half (20) has two spaced side walls (21) which are further apart from one another than the two side walls (17), so that the second housing half (20) can completely enclose the first housing half (10).Terminal connector according to one of Claims 8 to 10, characterized in that a stop element (18) is located between the two fastening portions (14), wherein the shank portion (211) bears against one side of the stop element (18), while the extension rod (220) bears against the opposite side of the stop element (18), such that the guide rail (210) and the extension rod (220) can be delimited in a positionally accurate manner by the stop element (18) and the side walls (17).Clamp connector according to claim 11, characterised in that - the stop element (18) consists of two projections (181) which extend from the inner side (15) in the direction of the open side (16); - the second housing half (20) has two positioning holes (23), the projections (181) being in engagement with the positioning holes (23); and - the guide rail (210) is L-shaped, the clamping part (240) having a threaded rod (241) which is screwed to the sliding element (230), and the threaded rod (241) having the second clamping portion (242) at one end and a handle (243) at the other end.

Images