conductor connection terminal

Abstract

A conductor terminal (1) comprising an insulating housing (17) having a conductor entry channel (26), a busbar (2), and a clamping spring (3), wherein: - the clamping spring (3) has a contact leg (4) and a clamping leg (5), - the clamping leg (5) forms a clamping point (6) with the busbar (2) for an electrical conductor (7) that can be inserted into the conductor terminal (1) through the conductor entry channel (26), - the clamping leg (5) is displaceable between an open position (O) and a closed position (S) for opening and closing the clamping point (6), and - the conductor terminal (1) is designed to automatically displace the clamping leg (5) into the closed position (S) when an electrical conductor (7) is inserted into the conductor terminal (1) in a provided conductor entry direction (L), characterized in thatthat in the conductor terminal (1) a retaining element (8) is arranged with a retaining contour (9) for interaction with a counter contour (10) of the clamping leg (5) for holding the clamping leg (5) in the open position (O) and with a release section (11) facing the conductor entry channel (26), wherein the retaining element (8) is configured to be moved from a holding position (H) to a release position (F) when an insulating sheath (7a) of an electrical conductor (7) inserted into the conductor terminal (1) comes into contact with the release section (11) in such a way that the interaction between the retaining contour (9) and the counter contour (10) is released and an automatic movement of the clamping leg (5) into its closed position (S) can take place.

Description

The invention relates to a conductor terminal with an insulating housing having a conductor entry channel, a busbar and a clamping spring, wherein the clamping spring has a contact leg and a clamping leg, wherein the clamping leg forms a clamping point with the busbar for an electrical conductor that can be inserted into the conductor terminal through the conductor entry channel, wherein the clamping leg is movable between an open position and a closed position for opening and closing the clamping point, and wherein the conductor terminal is arranged to automatically move the clamping leg into the closed position when an electrical conductor is inserted into the conductor terminal in a provided conductor entry direction. Such conductor connection terminals are well-known in practice. These terminals feature automatic connection of the electrical conductor when it is inserted. For this purpose, the terminal can be designed, for example, to temporarily hold the clamping arm of the spring in the open position. Inserting the conductor into the terminal automatically releases the clamping arm, which is held in the open position, and then closes, clamping the conductor securely. This allows for a simple and convenient connection of an electrical conductor using the terminal, a process also known as force-free connection. With regard to such conductor connection terminals, it is desirable to design them to be robust on the one hand and to provide a sufficiently sensitive release mechanism for activating the automatic conductor connection on the other. Against this background, there is a need for conductor connection terminals that enable automatic conductor connection with a simple and reliably triggerable mechanism for connecting electrical conductors. The object of the present invention is to create an improved conductor terminal block. The problem is solved with a conductor terminal according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims. It is proposed that a retaining element be arranged in the conductor terminal block. This retaining element has a retaining contour for interaction with a counter contour of the clamping leg to hold the clamping leg in the open position and a release section facing the conductor entry channel. The retaining element is designed to be moved from a retaining position to a release position when the insulation sheath of an electrical conductor inserted into the conductor terminal block comes into contact with the release section. This movement causes the interaction between the retaining contour and the counter contour to be released, allowing the clamping leg to automatically move into its closed position. This creates a robust yet sufficiently sensitive release mechanism for activating an automatic conductor connection, in which, on the one hand, the insulating sheath of an electrical conductor inserted into the conductor terminal can be used for the simple and reliably effective mechanical release of the clamping arm, and, on the other hand, a retaining element specially designed for the release mechanism provides a precisely adjustable holding structure for the conductors to be clamped and the mechanical components of the conductor terminal.By triggering the release of the clamping leg via the insulation sheath of the inserted electrical conductor, even fine-stranded conductors can be automatically connected using the conductor connection terminal, since the flexibility and conductor cross-section of an uninsulated conductor end of the electrical conductor are essentially irrelevant for the mechanical triggering of the clamping leg release. The improved conductor connection terminal thus provides a reliably effective connection and triggering option for electrical conductors, regardless of the conductor wire's properties. The insulating housing of the terminal block, made of a plastic material for example, contains the busbar and the clamping spring of the terminal block and protects them from environmental influences and contact. The conductor entry channel can form an insertion channel leading to the clamping point of the terminal block, for example, at least partially cylindrical or funnel-shaped. An end section of an electrical conductor can be inserted into the insulating housing in the specified direction of entry and removed from the insulating housing in the opposite direction. The busbar, also called a contact piece or current bar, can be a largely rigid electrical conductor, for example, formed by a metal strip.The busbar can have a clamping surface against which an electrical conductor inserted into the conductor terminal can be clamped, and a support surface opposite the clamping surface against which the support leg of the clamping spring can rest. The clamping spring of the conductor terminal can be an elastically resilient, predominantly planar component. The clamping spring has a contact leg for supporting it against an adjacent structure, such as the busbar or the insulating housing, and a clamping leg for clamping the conductor to the busbar. At least one spring arc can be arranged between the contact leg and the clamping leg to deflect the clamping spring. The clamping leg can form a clamping point with the busbar via a defined clamping edge for connecting the electrical conductor to the busbar. The conductor is clamped to the busbar by the clamping edge using the spring force of the clamping spring, thus ensuring reliable electrical contact. The clamping leg is movable between an open and a closed position to open and close the clamping point.In the open position of the clamping arm, the clamping edge of the clamping arm is spaced away from the busbar and any inserted electrical conductor, so that the clamping point is free and the conductor can be inserted into the conductor connection terminal and positioned within or removed from the clamping point. In the closed position of the clamping arm, the clamping edge is moved onto the busbar and the inserted electrical conductor and exerts a clamping force on the electrical conductor in the direction of the busbar, thus establishing electrical contact between the conductor and the busbar. To achieve automatic conductor connection, the conductor terminal is designed for the clamping arm to automatically move from the held open position to the closed position when the electrical conductor is inserted into the terminal. For this purpose, the terminal has a release mechanism that can be actuated by the inserted conductor, releasing the clamping arm from its held open position so that it can automatically move into the closed position due to spring force. The conductor terminal can have a retaining element with a retaining contour for interaction with a counter contour of the clamping leg to hold the clamping leg in the open position. The retaining element can be designed as a separate retaining element, representing an additional component alongside the busbar and the clamping spring. In principle, embodiments in which the retaining element is integrally formed with the busbar, the clamping spring, or an actuating element of the conductor terminal are also possible. The interaction of the retaining contour with the counter contour can be understood as a mechanical interaction in which the retaining contour and the counter contour can, for example, engage behind each other, support each other, and / or lock into place.The interaction is designed in such a way that the holding contour and the counter contour are movable relative to each other with at least one degree of freedom, so that the interaction can be easily canceled by a displacement of the holding contour and / or the counter contour by an inserted electrical conductor. The retaining element can have a release section facing the conductor entry channel and be configured to move from a holding position to a release position when the insulation sheath of an electrical conductor inserted into the conductor terminal strikes the release section. This movement releases the interaction between the holding contour and the counter contour, allowing the clamping leg to automatically move into its closed position. The release section can, for example, have an impact surface or an impact edge that serves to transmit force from the electrical conductor moving towards the clamping point to the retaining element. The release section can have a frame-shaped support structure from which the impact surface projects. Alternatively, the release section can have multiple impact surfaces projecting, for example, from two, three, or four sides of the frame-shaped support structure of the retaining element.The release section can be positioned and oriented in the conductor terminal block such that it is designed for mechanical contact with an end face or sheath edge of the insulation sheath of the inserted electrical conductor that points towards the clamping point. By moving the retaining element from the holding position to the release position, the holding contour can be released from engagement with the counter contour of the clamping leg in such a way that the clamping leg automatically moves into its closed position due to spring force and clamps the inserted conductor to the busbar. The clamping arm can be manually resettable so that, after being moved into the closed position, it can be returned to the open position by manual actuation. Manual actuation can refer to non-automatic actuation using an actuating tool separate from the conductor terminal and / or using an actuating element of the conductor terminal itself. The clamping spring can be designed as a cage clamp spring with a through-opening in the clamping arm, whereby the mounting arm and / or the busbar extend through the through-opening. A compact conductor terminal block can be realized with such a clamping spring. Furthermore, an electrical conductor guided through the through-opening is framed on several sides by the clamping arm and can thus be guided precisely to the clamping point. A cage clamp spring can be considered a clamping spring with a closed spring contour if the mounting arm is guided through the through-opening of the clamping arm. The mounting arm and / or the busbar can each protrude through the through-opening in sections and point with their respective free ends towards the conductor entry channel.A conductor to be connected can be guided through the through-opening when the clamping arm is in the open position and clamped against the busbar by a clamping edge that defines the through-opening when the clamping arm is in the closed position. The opposing contour of the clamping arm can be formed on a frame section of the clamping arm that defines the through-opening. The retaining contour can be designed as a retaining web running essentially parallel to the busbar, against which the counter contour of the clamping arm can be supported on one side of the retaining web facing the busbar, in order to hold the clamping arm in the open position. This allows for a defined holding position of the clamping arm, and the counter contour can be reliably supported against the spring force of the clamping spring on the retaining contour. A retaining web requires very little installation space, thus providing a compact holding mechanism. The retaining element can have a recess between the retaining contour and the release section, with the clamping leg guided through this recess. This allows a release area and a retaining area of ​​the retaining element to be precisely separated and positioned on different sides of the clamping leg. Furthermore, this enables a guided displacement movement of the retaining element. The recess allows the clamping leg to move relative to the retaining element and automatically move into its closed position when the interaction between the retaining contour and the counter contour is released. The recess can be dimensioned such that the clamping leg, as well as a counter contour of the clamping leg (e.g., a bent retaining tab), can be displaced through the recess, at least partially. The recess can be closed or open on one side.A recess open on one side can be formed by a U-shaped section of the retaining element. The retaining contour can be formed by one leg of the U-shaped section. Another leg of the U-shaped section can form the stop described above. The retaining element can have a stop to limit its displacement. This stop can be formed, for example, by the boundary surface of a recess in the retaining element between the retaining contour and the release section. A stop limits displacement of the retaining element caused by the insulating sheath of an electrical conductor striking the release section, thus ensuring, among other things, simple and reliable resetting of the retaining element by an actuating element of the conductor terminal or by a separate actuating tool. The stop, or the boundary surface of the recess in the retaining element, contacts a section of the clamping leg when the retaining element is at its maximum displacement. The retaining element can be translationally displaceable. In particular, the retaining element can be translationally displaceable by a linear sliding movement. Translational displaceability can be supported by segmental guidance; for example, the aforementioned recess of the retaining element and the clamping leg guided through the recess, or guide surfaces of the insulating housing, can define a movement path of the retaining element. As an alternative to translational displaceability, the retaining element can also be rotationally displaceable, for example, by a predefined pivoting movement. It is also conceivable that the retaining element is configured for displacement with a combination of translational and rotational movement components. The release section can be located on the side of the clamping leg facing the conductor entry channel, and the retention contour on the side of the clamping leg facing away from the conductor entry channel. For this purpose, the retention element can, for example, have the previously described recess between the retention contour and the release section, with the clamping leg guided through the recess. The clamping leg can, for example, be enclosed by a U-shaped section as described above, with a first leg on the side of the release section and a second leg on the side of the retention contour, the second leg being able to directly form the retention contour.The proposed arrangement allows the intended mechanical contacting of the release section by an insulating sheath of an electrical conductor inserted into the conductor terminal to be achieved at a position sufficiently spaced from the clamping point, while an available free installation space on the side of the clamping leg facing away from the conductor entry channel can be efficiently used for positioning the holding contour and the counter contour of the clamping leg. The release section can have an impact surface oriented at an angle to the conductor insertion direction. This allows any conductor wires striking the release section to be deflected along the impact surface, ensuring that the movement of the retaining element into the release position is triggered by the impact of the inserted electrical conductor's insulation sheath. This also prevents the conductor wires from fraying upon contact with the impact surface. The impact surface can, for example, be angled by a frame-shaped support structure, thus forming an impact surface oriented at an angle to the conductor insertion direction. The counter contour can be designed as a retaining tab bent from the clamping leg towards the retaining contour. This allows for the simple and efficient formation of a counter contour that requires little installation space and is easy to manufacture. The retaining tab can be freestanding from the clamping leg and bent from it on the side of the clamping leg facing away from the conductor entry channel. The bent retaining tab can, for example, point in the direction of a spring arc of the clamping spring. If the clamping spring is designed as a cage spring as described above, the retaining tab can be bent from a frame section of the clamping leg that defines the through-opening. The terminal block can have a locking element to fix the retaining element in the holding position until the insulation sheath of an electrical conductor inserted into the terminal block comes into contact with the release section. This reliably prevents premature, unintentional movement of the retaining element into the release position, for example, due to vibration or impact on the terminal block. The locking element can apply a defined holding force to the retaining element. If the release force exerted on the release section by the insulation sheath of an inserted electrical conductor exceeds the defined holding force of the locking element, the retaining element moves into the release position in a controlled manner. The locking element can be designed as a locking spring. This provides a structurally simple and reliably effective locking element. Optionally, the locking spring can also be configured to return the retaining element to its locked position. The locking spring can, for example, be designed as a compression spring. The locking spring can be anchored to the insulating housing and bear against the retaining element. Conversely, it is also conceivable that the locking spring is anchored to the retaining element and bears against the insulating housing. In particular, it is conceivable that the locking spring is attached to the aforementioned frame-shaped support structure of the retaining element. Two or more locking springs can also be attached to the support structure, for example, on opposite sides of the support structure.The insulating housing may have a spring stop against which the locking spring can be supported when the retaining element is moved. The locking spring may have an S-shaped or Z-shaped contour. To move the retaining element into the release position, it must be moved with sufficient force against the spring tension of the locking spring. In this process, the locking spring is compressed, for example, upon contact with the spring stop, and can either itself cause the retaining element to return to its original position when the electrical conductor is removed from the terminal block, or be extended again when the retaining element is returned to the holding position by an actuating element of the terminal block or by an actuating tool. The locking element can form part of the release section and have an impact surface. This enables the locking element to have multiple functions, contributing to an efficient and compact design of the conductor terminal. For example, the impact surface can be formed by the end section of a locking spring with an S- or Z-shaped contour. The locking spring can be attached to the aforementioned frame-shaped support structure in such a way that the impact surface is angled relative to the conductor insertion direction. The conductor terminal can have an actuating element for returning the clamping arm to the open position and / or for returning the retaining element to the holding position. An actuating element allows for convenient return of the clamping arm to its open position.Depending on the embodiment, the actuating element can be a translationally movable actuating element, for example a push button, or a rotationally movable actuating element, for example a pivot lever. The actuating element can have an operating section accessible from outside the insulating housing. This section can have a tool receptacle for easier operation. Depending on the position of the actuating element, the operating section can protrude from the insulating housing to varying degrees and / or be offset to different positions along the insulating housing, so that it is apparent from the operating section whether the clamping arm is in the open or closed position and / or whether the holding element is in the holding or release position. The actuating element can be designed as a pivot lever. This provides a user-friendly actuating element with efficient leverage. The pivot lever can be pivoted about a pivot axis running through a force transmission section of the actuating element, the force transmission section being configured for the mechanical contact of the clamping spring to return the clamping arm to its open position. The force transmission section does not necessarily have to act directly on the clamping arm, but can, for example, be configured to contact and displace a connecting section linking the clamping arm to the support arm in order to effect an indirect return of the clamping arm. The actuating element can have a first force transmission section for resetting the clamping arm and a second force transmission section for resetting the holding element. This advantageously allows the same actuating element to resetting both the clamping arm to the open position and the holding element to the holding position. The first force transmission section can be configured to mechanically contact the clamping spring to resetting the clamping arm to its open position. The second force transmission section can be configured to mechanically contact the holding element, in particular the holding contour, to resetting the holding element. For example, the second force transmission section can be configured to engage a holding contour designed as a retaining rib and thereby introduce a restoring force into the holding element. The second force transmission section can be spaced apart from the first force transmission section by a connecting arm. The connecting arm can be an elongated functional arm of the actuating element, bridging a gap between a force application surface of the clamping spring intended for resetting the clamping leg and a force application surface of the retaining element intended for resetting the retaining element. If the actuating element is designed as a pivot lever, the connecting arm can form a further pivot arm, which rotates with the pivot lever about its pivot axis and, upon mechanical contact with the retaining element, can cause the retaining element to move into the holding position. The actuating element can be displaced by a first actuation path to reset the clamping arm and by a second actuation path following the first actuation path to reset the retaining element. This allows the clamping arm and the retaining element to be reset sequentially, thus requiring less force to actuate the actuating element and enabling convenient operation of the conductor terminal. If the actuating element is designed as a pivot lever, it can, for example, pivot by a first angle to reset the clamping arm and by a subsequent second angle to reset the retaining element. In general, in connection with this application, the words "ein / eine" are not to be understood as numerals, unless expressly defined otherwise, but as indefinite articles with the meaning of "at least one". The invention allows for various embodiments and is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 - a conductor terminal block in a sectional side view; Fig. 2 - the conductor terminal block shown in Fig. 1 with the busbar hidden in a perspective side view; Fig. 3 - the conductor terminal block shown in Fig. 1 with the insulating housing hidden in a perspective side view; Fig. 4 - an isolated view of a clamping spring of the conductor terminal block shown in Fig. 1 in a perspective side view; Fig. 5 - an isolated view of a retaining element of the conductor terminal block shown in Fig. 1 in a perspective side view; Fig. 6 - the conductor terminal block shown in Fig. 1 with the insulating housing hidden and the clamping point open in a sectional side view; Fig. 7 - the conductor terminal block shown in Fig.Fig. 6 shows the conductor terminal with the clamping point closed; Fig. 8 shows the conductor terminal shown in Fig. 6 during a resetting of one clamping leg of the clamping spring; Fig. 9 shows the conductor terminal shown in Fig. 6 during a resetting of the retaining element. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 to 9 show a conductor terminal 1 with an automatic conductor connection according to an embodiment. Figures 1 and 2 show the conductor terminal 1 with an insulating housing 17 having a conductor entry channel 26. In Figure 3, the insulating housing 17 is hidden. Figures 4 and 5 show isolated views of a clamping spring 3 and a retaining element 8 of the conductor terminal 1. Figures 6, 7, 8 to 9 show various states of the conductor terminal 1. As shown in Figures 1, 2 to 3, the conductor terminal 1 has a busbar 2 and a clamping spring 3 designed as a cage spring. The clamping spring 3 has a contact leg 4 and a clamping leg 5, which are connected to each other via a connecting section 28 with a first spring arc 24 and a second spring arc 25. The clamping leg 5 has a through-opening 12, as shown in Figure 4. The contact leg 12 and the busbar 2 extend through the through-opening 12 by projecting through it section by section. The clamping leg 5, together with the busbar 2, forms a clamping point 6 for an electrical conductor 7 that can be inserted into the conductor terminal 1 through the conductor entry channel 26. The clamping leg 5 is movable between an open position O, shown in Figure 6, and a closed position S, shown in Figure 7, for opening and closing the clamping point 6. As shown in Fig. 1, the busbar 2 has a clamping surface 30 against which the electrical conductor 7 can be clamped, and a contact surface 29 opposite the clamping surface 30. When the clamping point 6 is closed, a clamping edge 31 of the clamping leg 5, shown in Fig. 4 and defining the through-opening 12, is moved onto the electrical conductor 7 and the busbar 2 in order to clamp the electrical conductor 7 against the busbar 2 under spring force. The conductor terminal 1 is designed to automatically move the clamping arm 5 into the closed position S when an electrical conductor 7 is inserted into the conductor terminal 1 in a specified conductor insertion direction L. Therefore, an automatic, force-free conductor connection can be achieved with the conductor terminal 1. The clamping arm 5 is held in the open position O by a holding mechanism until an inserted electrical conductor 7 releases the clamping arm 5. For this purpose, a separately formed retaining element 8 with a retaining contour 9 is provided in the conductor connection terminal 1 for interaction with a counter contour 10 of the clamping leg 5 to hold the clamping leg 5 in the open position O. The retaining contour 9 is, for example, designed as a retaining web running substantially parallel to the busbar 2. However, the orientation of the retaining web can also be inclined to the adjacent plane of the busbar 2. The counter contour 10, which here is designed as a retaining tab bent from the clamping leg 5 in the direction of the retaining contour 9, can be supported on a side of the retaining web facing the busbar 2 in order to hold the clamping leg 5 in the open position O as shown in Fig. 1. The retaining tab is bent from a frame section of the clamping leg 5, which delimits the through-opening 12, in the direction of the second spring arc 25. The retaining element 8 also has a release section 11 facing the conductor entry channel 26. The retaining element 8 is designed to be moved from a holding position H shown in Fig. 6 to a release position F shown in Fig. 7 when an insulating sheath 7a of the electrical conductor 7 comes into contact with the release section 11, such that the interaction between the holding contour 9 and the counter contour 10 is released and an automatic, spring-force-induced displacement of the clamping leg 5 into its closed position S takes place, thereby reliably clamping the electrical conductor 7 to the busbar 2. By designing the conductor connection terminal 1 such that the release of the clamping leg 5 is triggered by the contact of the insulating sheath 7a of the electrical conductor 7 with the release section 11, a robust and reliably effective mechanical release can be achieved, independent of the conductor wire properties of the electrical conductor 7. The retaining element 8 is structurally adapted to a correspondingly provided holding and release mechanism and enables an optimized holding and release function for the realization of the automatic conductor connection. The clamping arm 5 is guided through a recess 13 in the retaining element 8, which is formed between the retaining contour 9 and the release section 11. This provides a compact design with favorable relative mobility of the clamping arm 5 with respect to the retaining element 8. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the recess 13 is open on one side and is formed by a U-shaped section 33 of the retaining element 8. The retaining contour 9 is formed by one leg of the U-shaped section 33. A further leg of the U-shaped section 33 also forms a stop 14 to limit the displacement of the retaining element 8, so that the retaining element 8 can be easily and precisely reset from its release position F. According to the illustrated embodiment, the retaining element 8 is translationally displaceable, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the release section 11 is located on a side of the clamping leg 5 facing the conductor entry channel 26, while the retaining contour 9 is arranged on a side of the clamping leg 5 facing away from the conductor entry channel 26. This makes optimal use of the available installation space and enables efficient release of the clamping leg. The release section 11 has a frame-shaped support structure 32, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, with several angled impact surfaces 15 for the insulation sheath 7a. Furthermore, it can be seen in Figures 3 and 5 that the release section 11 has impact surfaces 15 oriented obliquely to the conductor entry direction L, so that impacting conductor wires are gently deflected. According to the illustrated embodiment, the conductor terminal 1 also has two locking elements 16 designed as locking springs for fixing the retaining element 8 in the holding position H until the insulating sheath 7a of the electrical conductor 7 comes into contact with the release section 11. The locking springs prevent premature, unintentional displacement of the retaining element 8, for example, due to vibrations or impacts. If a counterforce exerted by the insulating sheath 7a on the release section 11 exceeds the spring force of the locking springs, the retaining element 8 is moved into the release position F. In principle, the locking springs can also be used to apply a restoring force to the retaining element 8, moving it from the release position F to the holding position H when the electrical conductor 7 is removed.According to the illustrated embodiment, the locking springs are attached to opposite sides of the frame-shaped support structure 32 of the retaining element 8. The insulating housing 17 has a spring stop 34, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, against which the locking springs can be supported when the retaining element 8 is displaced. As can be seen in Fig. 5, the locking springs have an S-shaped contour. Furthermore, the locking springs form part of the release section 11 and each has an impact surface 15 formed by an end section of the S-shaped contour. Figures 6 and 7 show two different states of the conductor terminal 1. Figure 6 shows that the clamping leg 5 of the clamping spring 3 is in the open position O. The retaining element 8 is shown in the holding position H. It illustrates that an electrical conductor 7 is inserted in the conductor insertion direction L, with the insulating sheath 7a of the conductor 7 contacting the contact surfaces 15 of the release section 11. This allows the retaining element 8 to move into the release position F shown in Figure 7, thereby releasing the holding contour 9 of the retaining element 8 from engagement with the counter contour 10 of the clamping leg 5. This allows the clamping leg 5 to automatically move into the closed position S to clamp the conductor 7 to the busbar 2. As can be seen in Figs. 1, 2 to 3 and 6 to 9, the conductor terminal 1 according to the illustrated embodiment has an actuating element 18 for returning the clamping leg 5 to the open position O and for returning the holding element 8 to the holding position H. Figures 8 and 9 show a schematic sequence of the actuation of the actuating element 18 for resetting the clamping leg 5 and the retaining element 8. According to the illustrated embodiment, the actuating element 18 is designed as a pivoting lever that can be pivoted about a pivot axis 27. The actuating element 18 has a first force transmission section 19 for resetting the clamping leg 5 and a second force transmission section 20 for resetting the retaining element 8, the second force transmission section 20 being spaced apart from the first force transmission section 19 by a connecting arm 21. The first force transmission section 19 is configured for mechanical contact with the connecting section 28 of the clamping spring 3, while the second force transmission section 20 is configured for mechanical contact with the retaining contour 9 of the retaining element 8, which is designed as a retaining rib. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the actuating element 18 can be displaced by a first pivot angle in the direction of a first actuation path 22 to retract the clamping arm 5 and by a second pivot angle in the direction of a second actuation path 23 following the first actuation path 22. After the clamping arm 5 has been retracted into the open position O by displacing the actuating element 18 by the first pivot angle, the previously clamped electrical conductor 7 can be removed from the conductor terminal 1 against the conductor insertion direction L. Subsequently, the actuating element 18 can be displaced by the second pivot angle to cause the retaining element 8 to be retracted into the holding position H, as shown in Figure 9. The conductor connection terminal 1 provides a robust yet sufficiently sensitive holding and release mechanism for implementing automatic conductor connection. It offers a reliably effective connection and release option, even for fine-stranded conductors. Reference symbol list 1 Conductor terminal 2 Busbar 3 Clamping spring 4 Mounting leg 5 Clamping leg 6 Clamping point 7 Electrical conductor 7a Insulation sheath 8 Retaining element 9 Retaining contour 10 Counter contour 11 Release section 12 Through opening 13 Recess 14 Stop 15 Impact surface 16 Locking element 17 Insulating housing 18 Actuating element 19 First force transmission section 20 Second force transmission section 21 Connecting arm 22 First actuation path 23 Second actuation path 24 First spring arc 25 Second spring arc 26 Conductor entry channel 27 Swivel axis 28 Connecting section 29 Contact surface 30 Clamping surface 31 Clamping edge 32 Support structure 33 U-shaped section 34 Spring stop F Release position H Holding position L Conductor entry direction O Open position S Closed position

Claims

A conductor terminal (1) comprising an insulating housing (17) having a conductor entry channel (26), a busbar (2), and a clamping spring (3), wherein: - the clamping spring (3) has a contact leg (4) and a clamping leg (5), - the clamping leg (5) forms a clamping point (6) with the busbar (2) for an electrical conductor (7) that can be inserted into the conductor terminal (1) through the conductor entry channel (26), - the clamping leg (5) is displaceable between an open position (O) and a closed position (S) for opening and closing the clamping point (6), and - the conductor terminal (1) is designed to automatically displace the clamping leg (5) into the closed position (S) when an electrical conductor (7) is inserted into the conductor terminal (1) in a provided conductor entry direction (L), characterized in thatthat in the conductor terminal (1) a retaining element (8) is arranged with a retaining contour (9) for interaction with a counter contour (10) of the clamping leg (5) for holding the clamping leg (5) in the open position (O) and with a release section (11) facing the conductor entry channel (26), wherein the retaining element (8) is configured to be moved from a holding position (H) to a release position (F) when an insulating sheath (7a) of an electrical conductor (7) inserted into the conductor terminal (1) comes into contact with the release section (11) in such a way that the interaction between the retaining contour (9) and the counter contour (10) is released and an automatic movement of the clamping leg (5) into its closed position (S) can take place. Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping spring (3) is designed as a cage spring with a through-opening (12) in the clamping leg (5), wherein the contact leg (4) and / or the busbar (2) extend through the through-opening (12). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining contour (9) is designed as a retaining web extending substantially parallel to the busbar (2), on which the counter contour (10) of the clamping leg (5) can be supported on a side of the retaining web facing the busbar (2) in order to hold the clamping leg (5) in the open position (O). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining element (8) has a recess (13) between the retaining contour (9) and the release section (11), wherein the clamping leg (5) is guided through the recess (13). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining element (8) has a stop (14) to limit a displacement of the retaining element (8). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining element (8) is translationally displaceable. conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the release section (11) is arranged on a side of the clamping leg (5) facing the conductor entry channel (26) and the retaining contour (9) is arranged on a side of the clamping leg (5) facing away from the conductor entry channel (26). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the release section (11) has an impact surface (15) oriented obliquely to the conductor insertion direction (L). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the counter contour (10) is designed as a retaining tab bent from the clamping leg (5) in the direction of the retaining contour (9). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductor terminal (1) has a locking element (16) for fixing the holding element (8) in the holding position (H) until an insulating sheath (7a) of an electrical conductor (7) inserted into the conductor terminal (1) comes into contact with the release section (11). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the locking element (16) is designed as a locking spring. Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the locking element (16) forms part of the release section (11) and has an impact surface (15). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductor terminal (1) has an actuating element (18) for resetting the clamping leg (5) to the open position (O) and / or for resetting the holding element (8) to the holding position (H). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the actuating element (18) is designed as a pivot lever. Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the actuating element (18) has a first force transmission section (19) for resetting the clamping leg (5) and a second force transmission section (20) for resetting the retaining element (8). Conductor terminal (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that the second force transmission section (20) is spaced apart from the first force transmission section (19) via a connecting arm (21). Conductor terminal (1) according to one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the actuating element (18) can be displaced by a first actuating path (22) for resetting the clamping leg (5) and can be displaced by a second actuating path (23) following the first actuating path (22) for resetting the holding element (8).

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