conductor connection terminal

Abstract

A conductor terminal (1) with an insulating housing (2) and at least one spring-loaded clamping connection arranged at least predominantly in the insulating housing (2) for connecting an electrical conductor (9) by means of spring force, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has at least one busbar (3) and a clamping spring (4) which has a clamping leg (43) with a clamping edge (46) for clamping an electrical conductor (9) to a contact section (30) of the busbar (3), wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a manual actuating element (6) by which the clamping leg (43) can be moved into an open position by means of manual actuation, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a transmission element (7) which is configured to transmit an actuating movement generated by manual actuation of the actuating element (6) to the clamping leg (43), characterized in that the actuating element (6) is configured toDuring manual operation to move the clamping arm (43) into the open position, the transmission body (7) is first pivoted and then linearly displaced at the end of the actuation movement.

Description

The invention relates to a conductor terminal with an insulating housing and at least one spring-loaded clamping connection arranged at least predominantly in the insulating housing for connecting an electrical conductor by means of spring force, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has at least one busbar and a clamping spring which has a clamping leg with a clamping edge for clamping an electrical conductor to a contact section of the busbar, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a manual actuating element by which the clamping leg can be moved into an open position by means of manual actuation, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a transmission body which is configured to transmit an actuating movement generated by manual actuation of the actuating element to the clamping leg. Such a conductor connection terminal is known, for example, from WO 2021 / 047974 A1. The invention is based on the objective of providing a further improved conductor connection terminal. This task is accomplished in a conductor terminal of the type mentioned above by designing the actuating element to first pivot the transmission body during manual actuation to move the clamping leg into the open position, and then to linearly displace it at the end of the actuation movement. The conductor terminal thus has an additional component in the form of the transmission body, which is designed as a separate component from the actuating element. This additional component, the transmission body, allows for a relatively simple design of the clamping spring, for example, a V-shaped clamping spring with the clamping leg, a spring arc adjoining the clamping leg, and a support leg adjoining the spring arc to support the clamping spring. The transmission body ensures reliable force transmission from the actuating element to the clamping leg. The actuation sequence according to the invention, in which the transmission body is first pivoted by the actuating element during manual actuation to move the clamping arm into the open position and is then linearly displaced at the end of the actuation movement, allows additional advantageous functionalities to be integrated into the conductor terminal without significantly altering the actuating mechanism, and in particular without having to change the design and size. Thus, proven design features of conductor terminals can be retained. For example, the conductor terminal can be extended in this way to include a functionality with automatic conductor connection, in which the clamping arm can be held in the open position and the clamping arm, held in the open position, can be automatically released by inserting the electrical conductor to be clamped. The transmission body can be designed, for example, as a frame-shaped or box-shaped body, e.g., in the form of a stamped and bent sheet metal part. The clamping arm, together with the contact section of the busbar, can form a clamping point for connecting an electrical conductor between the clamping arm and the contact section. An open clamping point (open position) is characterized by the fact that at least the clamping edge of the clamping arm is pivoted away from the contact section of the busbar, i.e., it has a greater distance to the contact section than in a clamped position. The clamping arm can, for example, be pivoted between the open position, in which the electrical conductor is freely movable between the clamping arm and the contact section, and the clamped position, in which the clamping arm clamps the electrical conductor to the contact section. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission body is designed as a rigid component that is essentially not deformed during the transmission of the actuating movement from the actuating element to the clamping leg. This ensures an at least substantially lossless transmission of the actuating force from the actuating element to the clamping leg. In addition, material fatigue on the transmission body is minimized, so that it has a long service life. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission body is designed to be lockable in the open position on a part of the conductor terminal, in particular on the busbar or on the insulating housing. This secures the transmission body against the restoring force acting on it from the clamping arm, thus relieving the manual actuating element. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission body is pivotably mounted on the spring-loaded clamping connection, so that a pivoting movement can be performed by the transmission body when the actuating movement is transmitted from the actuating element to the clamping leg. For example, the conductor terminal can have a pivot bearing by which the transmission body is pivotably mounted. The transmission body can advantageously have a variable pivot axis, e.g., by being pivotally mounted in a floating manner. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the manual actuating element is designed as a pivotable actuating lever. This allows the actuating element to perform a pivoting movement during manual actuation. This enables the transmission of large actuating forces with minimal manual effort. The manual actuating element can, for example, be pivotably mounted on a part of the spring-clamp connection or the insulating housing by means of a pivot bearing. The manual actuating element can have a fixed pivot axis or a variable pivot axis, for example, by being mounted in a floating pivot position. Alternatively, the manual actuating element can be designed as a sliding push button or actuating slider. The manual actuator can have a force-applying section designed to transmit the actuating force from the actuator to the transmission body. The force-applying section can be configured as an eccentric section of the actuator relative to its pivot axis. The transmission body can, for example, have a force-receiving section through which the force applied via the force-transmission section of the actuator is transferred to the transmission body. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the manual actuating element, when actuated to move the clamping leg into the open position, performs a pivoting movement in a direction opposite to the pivoting movement of the transmission body. This enables a compact design of the conductor terminal block and good integration of the components within the insulating housing. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission element is mounted so as to be linearly displaceable on at least one component of the conductor terminal. The transmission element can be mounted so as to be displaceable at least substantially linearly, e.g., translationally displaceable. This enables the implementation of the actuation sequence according to the invention with a small installation space. In particular, the transmission element can be mounted so as to be pivotable as well as linearly displaceable. The transmission element can, for example, be mounted so as to be linearly displaceable on the busbar, e.g., on the contact section, or on the insulating housing. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission body is designed as a frame-like actuating frame that encompasses the busbar at opposite edges and is configured to transmit actuating forces to the clamping arm at opposite edges of the clamping arm. This enables efficient transmission of the actuating force from the transmission body to the clamping arm. In particular, the clamping arm can be subjected to actuating forces symmetrically, thus preventing misalignment. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spring-loaded clamping connection has a retaining element designed to hold the clamping leg in the open position. This has the advantage that the clamping leg can be permanently held in the open position by means of the retaining element, even without the need for further manual actuation or holding the actuating element. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the retaining element is latched to a component of the conductor terminal in the open position, in particular to the busbar or the insulating housing. This enables the retaining element to be securely held in the open position, while also allowing the latch to be released in order to return the clamping leg to the clamping position. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the retaining element, or at least a retaining section of the retaining element, is designed as a section of the transmission body. This allows the transmission body to be designed as a multifunctional component that, in addition to transmitting force from the actuating element to the clamping arm, can simultaneously perform the holding function of the clamping arm in the open position. The retaining element can be formed integrally with the transmission body. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the conductor terminal has a release element with a release section by which the clamping leg, held in the open position by the retaining element, can be automatically released when an electrical conductor to be connected exerts an actuating force on the release section. This enables an automatic conductor connection function. By inserting the electrical conductor to be connected into the conductor terminal, the release section can be subjected to the actuating force, thereby releasing, for example, the locking mechanism of the retaining element or the transmission body in the open position. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the release element, or at least the release section, is designed as a section of the transmission body. This allows the transmission body to be designed as a multifunctional component that, in addition to transmitting force from the actuating element to the clamping arm, can also perform the function of automatically releasing the clamping arm in the open position. The release section can be formed integrally with the transmission body. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the release section is designed as a rigid, torsionally stiff part of the transmission body, which is essentially non-deformable by the actuating force applied by the electrical conductor to be clamped. This enables an efficient, low-loss transmission of the actuating force from the electrical conductor to the transmission body. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a first positive locking element is formed on the actuating element, and a second positive locking element is formed on the transmission body. The second positive locking element is configured to engage with the first positive locking element only after at least half of the actuating element's travel has been completed, thus facilitating the linear displacement of the transmission body. For example, the first positive locking element can be configured as a projecting projection, and the second positive locking element as a projecting projection, edge, or rim of a recess. The configuration can also be reversed. For the purposes of the present invention, the indefinite term "a" is not to be understood as a numeral. Therefore, when, for example, a component is mentioned, this is to be interpreted as "at least one component". Where angles are specified in degrees, these refer to a circle of 360 degrees (360°). The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a spring-clamp terminal in a perspective view in the clamped position, Fig. 2 shows a conductor terminal with the spring-clamp terminal according to Fig. 1 in a side view, Fig. 3 shows the spring-clamp terminal according to Fig. 1 during actuation of the actuating element, Fig. 4 shows the conductor terminal according to Fig. 2 during actuation of the actuating element, Fig. 5 shows the spring-clamp terminal according to Fig. 1 with the actuating element fully actuated, and Fig. 6 shows the conductor terminal according to Fig. 2 with the actuating element fully actuated. The spring-loaded clamping connection shown in Fig. 1 has a clamping spring 4, a busbar 3, a manual actuating element 6, and a transmission body 7. The clamping spring 4 has a contact leg 41, a spring arc 42 adjoining the contact leg 41, and a clamping leg 43 adjoining the spring arc 42. The busbar 3 has a contact section 30 to which an electrical conductor can be clamped by means of the clamping leg 43. The busbar 3 also has a support section 32 on which the clamping spring 4 is supported with its contact leg 41 and is thus braced against the spring force of the clamping leg 43. The busbar 3 has a connecting section 31 through which the contact section 30 is connected to the support section 32. The busbar 3 can thus be frame-shaped, e.g., C-shaped. The connecting section 31 can be, for example,They extend essentially orthogonally to the contact section 30 and / or to the support section 32. For example, connection contacts 33 can be integrally formed on the support section 32, with which the spring-clamp connection can be connected to other electrical components. The transmission body 7 can be formed as a frame-like, one-piece unit comprising a force-receiving section 70 and two spring-loaded sections 71 projecting substantially at right angles from opposite sides of the force-receiving section 70. The transmission body 7 also has an integrally formed release element 8 with a release section 80. The release section 80 extends at least substantially at right angles to the force-receiving section 70 and the spring-loaded sections 71, resulting in a box shape. The transmission body 7 extends laterally with its spring-loaded sections 71 past the contact section 30 on both sides to contact points on the clamping leg 43. A pivot bearing element 34 is formed on the contact section 30, e.g., as a laterally projecting projection, by which the transmission body 7 is pivotably and additionally slidably mounted on the busbar 3. It can be seen that the pivot bearing element 34 is surrounded circumferentially by various sections of the transmission body 7, namely the force-absorbing section 70, a spring-loaded section 71, and the release section 80, so that the transmission body 7 is held by the pivot bearing element 34 at least within a certain area. A second locking element 35 is also formed on the contact section 30, which is designed to engage with a first locking element 50 on the transmission body 7. The first locking element 50 can, for example, be formed as a locking edge on one or both spring-loaded sections 71. Through the first locking element 50, the transmission body 7 simultaneously forms a retaining element 5 for holding the clamping leg 43 in the open position. The actuating element 6 is designed as a pivotable actuating lever. The actuating element 6 has a handle section 60, which the user can grasp and actuate manually. The actuating element 6 is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis 61, e.g., on an insulating housing 2, which will be described below. A force-actuating section 62 is formed on the actuating element 6. When the actuating element 6 pivots, this section acts on the force-receiving section 70 of the transmission body 7, deflecting it accordingly. The force-actuating section 62 is eccentric with respect to the pivot axis 61, in particular with an eccentricity that increases in a direction away from the handle section 60. Fig. 2 shows a conductor terminal 1 with an insulating housing 2, which is indicated in a relatively schematic manner. A spring-clamp terminal of the type described above is arranged within the insulating housing 2. Certain parts of the spring-clamp terminal, such as the terminal contacts 33 or part of the handle section 60, naturally protrude from the insulating housing 2 to perform their respective functions. The insulating housing 2 has a conductor entry opening 20 through which an electrical conductor can be inserted into the insulating housing 2 in a conductor entry direction L and clamped at a clamping point between the clamping arm 43 and the contact section 30. It can be seen that the clamping arm 43 may have a clamping edge 46 at its free end, by which the electrical conductor can be clamped. It is also apparent that a first positive locking element 63 is arranged on the actuating element 6. A second positive locking element 72 is arranged on the transmission body 7, e.g., in the form of a recess or an edge of the recess. The first positive locking element 63 can, for example, be designed as a projecting projection. The arrangement can also be reversed. Fig. 2 shows the conductor terminal 1 with the actuating element 6 unactuated. The clamping leg 43 is in the clamping position. In this state, the first positive locking element 63 is not engaged with the second positive locking element 72. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the sequence of movements during manual actuation of the actuating element 6, which is now pivoted about its pivot axis 61. In the illustrations of Figures 3 and 4, the actuating element 6 has traveled approximately half or slightly more than half of its pivoting path. During this part of the pivoting movement, an actuating force is transmitted from the eccentric force-applying section 62 to the force-receiving section 70 of the transmission body 7, whereby the transmission body 7 is essentially only pivoted about the pivot bearing 34, without any significant displacement movement of the transmission body 7 occurring. For example, the transmission body 7 is pivoted until it abuts, or at least almost abuts, the side of the contact section 30 facing away from the clamping leg 43.During the pivoting movement of the transmission body 7, the spring-loaded sections 71 press on the contact points on the clamping leg 43 and deflect it in the direction of the open position. If the actuating element 6 is pivoted further, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the first positive locking element 63 engages with the second positive locking element 72. This further pivoting movement of the actuating element 6 causes the transmission body 7 to be displaced in a direction V. It can be seen that this displacement causes the first locking element 50 to overlap with the second locking element 35, and consequently, the transmission body 7 is locked onto the contact section 30. The force exerted on the transmission body 7 by the clamping arm 43 no longer causes the transmission body 7 to move, even when the actuating element 6 is returned to its position shown in Figure 2. In this position, the respective spring-loaded section 71 with its first locking element 50 forms a retaining element 5 of the conductor terminal for holding the clamping arm in the open position.This causes the clamping leg 43 to lock in the open position via the retaining element 5. If an electrical conductor 9, as shown in dashed lines in Fig. 6, is inserted through the conductor entry opening 20 in the conductor entry direction L, the leading end of the electrical conductor 9 exerts an actuating force F on the release section 80. This actuating force F allows the transmission body 7 to be moved backwards in the opposite direction to the displacement direction V until the first locking element 50 releases from the second locking element 35, thereby releasing the locking mechanism. This causes the clamping arm 43 to no longer be held in the open position by the retaining element 5 and, consequently, to spring back toward the clamping position due to its preload. The electrical conductor 9 is then clamped against the contact section 30 by the clamping arm 43 or its clamping edge 46. Reference symbol list 1 Conductor connection terminal 2 Insulating housing 3 Busbar 4 Clamping spring 5 Retaining element 6 Actuating element 7 Transmission body 8 Release element 9 Electrical conductor 20 Conductor entry opening 30 Contact section 31 Connecting section 32 Support section 33 Connection contact 34 Swivel bearing element 35 Second locking element 41 Mounting leg 42 Spring arc 43 Clamping leg 46 Clamping edge 50 First locking element 60 Handle section 61 Swivel axis 62 Force application section 63 First positive locking element 70 Force absorption section 71 Spring application section 72 Second positive locking element 80 Release section F Actuating force L Conductor entry direction V Displacement direction QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature WO 2021 / 047974 A1

[0002]

Claims

A conductor terminal (1) with an insulating housing (2) and at least one spring-loaded clamping connection arranged at least predominantly in the insulating housing (2) for connecting an electrical conductor (9) by means of spring force, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has at least one busbar (3) and a clamping spring (4) which has a clamping leg (43) with a clamping edge (46) for clamping an electrical conductor (9) to a contact section (30) of the busbar (3), wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a manual actuating element (6) by which the clamping leg (43) can be moved into an open position by means of manual actuation, wherein the spring-loaded clamping connection has a transmission element (7) which is configured to transmit an actuating movement generated by manual actuation of the actuating element (6) to the clamping leg (43), characterized in that the actuating element (6) is configured toDuring manual operation to move the clamping arm (43) into the open position, the transmission body (7) is first pivoted and then linearly displaced at the end of the actuation movement. Conductor terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission body (7) is designed as a rigid component which is essentially not deformed during the transmission of the actuating movement from the actuating element (6) to the clamping leg (43). Conductor terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission body (7) can be locked in the open position on a part of the conductor terminal (1), in particular on the busbar (3) or on the insulating housing (2). Conductor terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission body (7) is pivotably mounted on the spring-loaded clamping connection, so that a pivoting movement can be performed when the actuating movement is transferred from the actuating element (6) to the clamping leg (43) through the transmission body (7). Conductor terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manual actuating element (6) is designed as a pivotable actuating lever. Conductor terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that the manual actuating element (6) performs a pivoting movement with a pivoting direction opposite to the pivoting movement of the transmission body (7) when actuated to move the clamping leg (43) into the open position. Conductor terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission body (7) is linearly displaceable and mounted on at least one component of the conductor terminal (1). Conductor terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission body (7) is designed in a frame-like manner as an actuating frame, which encompasses the busbar (3) on opposite edge sides and is designed to transmit actuating forces to the clamping leg (43) on opposite edge sides of the clamping leg (43). Conductor terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring-loaded clamping connection has a retaining element (5) which is designed to hold the clamping leg (43) in the open position. Conductor terminal according to claim 9, characterized in that the retaining element (5) is latched in the open position on a component of the conductor terminal (1), in particular on the busbar (3) or on the insulating housing (2). Conductor terminal according to one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that the retaining element (5) or at least a retaining section of the retaining element (5) is designed as a section of the transmission body (7). Conductor terminal according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the conductor terminal (1) has a release element (8) with a release section (80) by which the clamping leg (43) held in the open position by the retaining element (5) can be automatically released when an electrical conductor (9) to be clamped exerts an actuating force on the release section (80). Conductor terminal according to claim 12, characterized in that the release element (8) or at least the release section (80) is designed as a section of the transmission body (7). Conductor terminal according to claim 13, characterized in that the release section (80) is formed as a rigid, bend-resistant part of the transmission body (7) which is essentially not deformable by the actuating force applied by the electrical conductor (9) to be clamped.

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