Busbar spring contact for making contact with one or more busbars

Abstract

The invention relates to a busbar spring contact (3) for making contact with two busbars (1, 2) which are arranged offset with respect to one another in a plane, wherein the busbar spring contact has two contact spring tulips (31, 32) of different lengths which are each designed to make contact with one of the two busbars (1, 2) and are connected to one another in a single piece via a back connector (33), wherein the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) and the back connector (33) form, in a side view, a U with limbs of different lengths, which limbs are each formed by one of the two contact spring tulips (31, 32).

Description

[0001] Busbar spring contact for contacting one or more busbars

[0002] The invention relates to a busbar spring contact according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] For example, in electrical devices with relatively narrow, essentially disc-shaped housings, there may be installation situations in which it is necessary to connect two busbars, which are essentially flat at least in one contacting area and which are located in one plane and offset from one another in two levels in this plane, in a simple and conductive manner in a small space using a busbar spring contact which is advantageously designed for this purpose.

[0004] The invention aims to provide such a busbar spring contact.

[0005] The invention solves this problem by the subject matter of claim 1 and also creates the subject matter of claim 8 to solve the problem. Advantageous further developments can be found in the subclaims.

[0006] According to claim 1, a busbar spring contact is provided for contacting and conductively connecting two busbars which are at least aligned in a contacting area in one plane and arranged offset from one another in two levels in this plane and which are at least flat in the contacting area, which busbar has two contact spring tulips of different lengths, each of which is designed to contact one of the two busbars and which are integrally connected to one another via a back web, wherein the two contact spring tulips and the back web form a U with legs of different lengths in a side view, wherein these legs are each formed by one of the two contact spring tulips.

[0007] With this busbar spring contact, a conductive connection can be easily realized in a small space between the two busbars to be connected conductively.

[0008] It is preferred that the busbar spring contact is manufactured as a stamped and bent part from a flat strip material, preferably from a highly conductive metal. This enables cost-effective production of the busbar spring contact. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the two contact spring tulips are cut free from the two ends of a sheet metal strip and that the two contact spring tulips are designed as flat contacts with flat contact spring legs, wherein the flat contacts of the two contact spring tulips of the busbar spring contact are arranged in two mutually parallel planes, each perpendicular to the plane of the busbars, wherein the shorter contact spring tulip is designed and provided for contacting a first busbar arranged closer to the back web and the second contact spring tulip is designed and provided for contacting another busbar arranged further from the back web.This makes the installation of the busbar spring contact particularly easy and cost-effective.

[0009] According to an advantageous development, contact projections can be formed on the two contact spring tulips on the mutually facing sides of the flat contact spring legs, which define a narrow section of a gap between the contact spring legs, in the area of ​​which the respective busbar can be contacted or is contacted. This ensures particularly good contact between the two busbars in a simple manner.

[0010] According to a further advantageous embodiment, which further simplifies assembly, it is provided that the two gaps are aligned in such a way that when the busbar spring contact is placed on the two busbars, the longer contact spring tulip can first be guided over the first busbar located closer to the spring back in the area of ​​the gap of the longer contact spring tulips and can then be guided further in a straight line to the more distant busbar until it contacts this and that during this further movement the shorter contact spring tulip is virtually carried along in the area of ​​the gap of the shorter contact spring tulip over the busbar located closer to the spring back until it contacts this.

[0011] The overall advantage is that the busbar spring contact is easy to manufacture and can be assembled by hand or, alternatively, using an automatic assembly machine.

[0012] The invention then provides an arrangement according to claim 8. This arrangement can optionally and advantageously also have one or more of the further features of claims 2 to 7.

[0013] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the drawing. Within the scope of the invention and the scope of protection, alternatives and equivalents of the illustrated exemplary embodiment can also be realized. They show:

[0014] Fig. 1 a to 1 d perspective views of a contacting of two busbars with a busbar spring contact in four successive steps;

[0015] Fig. 2a to 2e five different views of the busbar spring contact from Fig. 1a to 1d.

[0016] Fig. 1 a to 1d each show an arrangement of two busbars 1, 2 and a busbar spring contact 3. The contacting and conductive connection of the two busbars 1, 2 with the busbar spring contact 3 is shown in four steps. In Fig. 1 a), the busbar spring contact is arranged at a distance above the two busbars 1, 2 and Figs. 1 b) to 1 d) show how the busbar spring contact 3 is pushed over the two busbars 1, 2 until it contacts both of the busbars 1, 2 and conductively connects them to one another in Fig. 1 d.

[0017] The two busbars 1, 2 can be arranged in particular within an electrical device, for example within a housing of a terminal block (not shown here), and are intended to be conductively connected to one another by means of the busbar spring contact 3.

[0018] The two busbars 1, 2 can in themselves have a relatively arbitrary shape. However, they are in any case arranged in sections, i.e. at least in a contacting area 101, 201 (in which they are each intended to be electrically contactable by a busbar spring contact), essentially or exactly aligned together in an X / Z plane in the Z direction, but in which they are spaced from one another in the Z direction, so that in this area they run on different "levels" in the Z direction. Preferably, these busbars 1, 2 also run parallel to one another at least in sections.

[0019] The two busbars 1, 2 are preferably made from a flat material, in particular from a strip material. At least in the contacting area 101, 201, they have a main extension in the X direction, a width in the Z direction perpendicular thereto, and a thickness in the Y direction perpendicular thereto. They can be identically designed in the contacting area. This is an advantageous but not mandatory requirement for the use of the busbar spring contact 3, which can, for example, also be used with busbars of different thicknesses, which are arranged in a plane, in particular parallel and spaced from one another, at least in the contacting area 101, 201.

[0020] The main plane in which they extend, at least in the contacting area 101, 201, is the X / Z plane. The two busbars 1, 2 run exactly or essentially in this or the same plane, so that they are either exactly aligned with each other or are offset from each other only slightly, and in particular by no more than the thickness Y.

[0021] In order to conductively connect these two busbars 1, 2, the busbar spring contact 3 is provided. This busbar spring contact 3 has two spring-acting contact spring tulips 31, 32 and a back web 33 connecting the two contact spring tulips 31, 32. One of the two contact spring tulips 31 is provided and designed to contact one busbar 1 of the two busbars 1, 2, and the other of the two contact spring tulips 32 is provided and designed to contact the other busbar 2 of the two busbars 1, 2.

[0022] In cross-section, the busbar spring contact 3 (see also Figs. 2a - 2e) is essentially U-shaped with a base leg and two longitudinal legs of different lengths. The back bar 33 forms the base leg of this U, and the two contact spring tulips 31, 32 form the two longitudinal legs of this U, which, however, are not of equal length, but of different lengths.

[0023] The busbar spring contact 3 is preferably made as a stamped and bent part from a metal with good resilience and good electrical conductivity, for example from a copper material.

[0024] Preferably, in the manufacture of the busbar spring contact 3, a strip of strip material, in particular a copper sheet strip, is first provided.

[0025] From this flat strip, the first shorter contact spring tulip 31 with two shorter contact spring legs 311, 312 is cut free in the area of ​​the shorter leg to be produced. The contact spring legs 311, 312 can taper towards their free ends. A gap 313 is also formed between the two contact spring legs 311, 312.

[0026] The two contact spring legs 311, 312 of the first shorter contact spring tulip 31 can each have at least one contact projection 3111, 3121 on their mutually facing inner edges, each projecting in the direction of the other contact spring leg 311 or 312. Preferably, the two projections 3111, 3112 thus form a constriction 3131 in the gap 313 between the two contact spring legs 311, 312, which also serves to contact one of the two busbars 1, 2.

[0027] During production, the second longer contact spring tulip 32 with two longer contact spring legs 321, 322 is cut free in the area of ​​the longer leg of the U to be produced. These longer contact spring legs 321, 322 can taper towards their free ends. In addition, a gap 323 is formed between the two contact spring legs 321, 322. The two contact spring legs 321, 322 can in turn each have at least one contact projection 3211, 3221 on their mutually facing inner edges, which project in the direction of the respective other contact spring leg. Preferably, the two projections 3211, 3212 form a constriction 3231 in the gap 323 between the two contact spring legs 311, 312, which in turn serves to contact one of the two busbars 1, 2.

[0028] The two contact spring legs 311, 312 of the first shorter contact spring tulip 31 can each be somewhat narrower in the Y direction than those of the second longer contact spring tulip 32.

[0029] The two contact spring tulips 31, 32 can thus each be referred to as flat contacts with flat contact spring legs 311, 312; 321, 322, since the main planes of their contact spring legs (parallel Y / Z planes) are each arranged perpendicular to the plane (X / Z plane) of the busbars 1, 2.

[0030] The two gaps 313 and 323 are arranged in alignment in such a way that when the spring contact 3 is placed on the two busbars 1, 2, the longer contact spring tulip 32 with the gap 323 can first be guided over the first busbar 1 located closer to the spring back 333 and can then be guided further to the more distant busbar 2, which it contacts, and that during this further movement the shorter contact spring tulip 31 can be guided in a straight-line movement over the busbar 1 located closer to the spring back 33 until it contacts it (Fig. 1 a - 1 d).

[0031] Additionally, a further web can be cut out, for example, between the two contact spring legs 311, 312 or 321, 322, which does not extend to the narrow point 3131 or 3132. This web can serve as an insertion path limiting web 314 of the respective - here the first - contact spring tulip 31, wherein a lateral edge of the busbar 1 or 2 can then come into contact with the insertion path limiting web 314 when the busbar spring contact 33 is placed on the busbars 1, 2 (Fig. 1 d).

[0032] Preferably after punching out the contact spring tulips 31, 32, the areas of the two contact spring tulips 31, 32 and optionally the web 314 are bent by 90° relative to the back web 33, so that the busbar spring contact 3, which is U-shaped in cross section, is formed with the two essentially flat contact spring tulips 31, 32 aligned parallel to one another (Fig. 2a to 2e).

[0033] To contact the two busbars 1, 2, this contact spring 3 simply needs to be rotated into a position in which the two contact spring tulips 31 and 32 are positioned vertically centrally above the two busbars 1, 2 (Fig. 1a). The contact spring is then moved in the -Z direction of the two busbars 1 and 2 (Fig. 1b, 1c) until they are each contacted by one of the two constrictions 31, 31, 32, 31 (Fig. 1d).

[0034] It is worth emphasizing that this busbar spring contact 33 is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to handle. It can be used to easily establish a conductive connection between the two busbars 1, 2.

[0035] List of reference symbols

[0036] Busbars 1 , 2

[0037] Contact area 101 , 201

[0038] Main extension direction X1; X2

[0039] Width Z1 , Z2

[0040] Thickness Y1 , Y2

[0041] Busbar spring contact 3

[0042] Contact tulips 31 , 32

[0043] Back bridge 33

[0044] Contact spring legs 311 , 312

[0045] Gap 313

[0046] Contact projection 3111 , 3121

[0047] Bottleneck 3131

[0048] Insertion path limiting web 314

[0049] Contact spring legs 321 , 322

[0050] Gap 323

[0051] Bottleneck 3231

[0052] Insertion path limiting web 314

Claims

Patent claims 1. Busbar spring contact (3) for contacting and conductively connecting two busbars (1, 2) which are at least aligned in one plane (X / Z plane) in a contacting area and are arranged offset from one another in two levels (Z direction) in this plane and are at least flat in the contacting area, characterized in that the busbar spring contact has two contact spring tulips (31, 32) of different lengths, which are each designed to contact one of the two busbars (1, 2) and which are integrally connected to one another via a back web (33), the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) and the back web (33) forming a U in a side view with legs of different lengths, which are each formed by one of the two contact spring tulips (31, 32).

2. Busbar spring contact according to claim 1, characterized in that it is manufactured as a stamped / bent part from a flat strip material, preferably from a highly conductive metal.

3. Busbar spring contact according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) are cut out of the two ends of a sheet metal strip.

4. Busbar spring contact according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) are designed as flat contacts with flat contact spring legs (311, 312, 321, 322), wherein the flat contacts of the two contact spring tulips are arranged in two mutually parallel planes (Y / Z planes), each perpendicular to the plane (X / Z plane) of the busbars (1, 2), wherein the shorter contact spring tulip (31) is designed to contact a first busbar (1) arranged closer to the back web (31) and the second contact spring tulip (32) is designed to contact a second busbar (2) arranged further from the back web (33).

5. Busbar spring contact according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) are each formed with contact projections (3111, 3121; 3211, 3221) on the mutually facing sides of the flat contact spring legs (311, 312, 321, 322), which form a constriction (3131, 3231) of a gap (313, 323) between the contact spring legs (311, 312, 321, 322), in the area of which the respective busbar (1, 2) is contacted.

6. Busbar spring contact according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two gaps (313 and 323) of the two contact spring tulips (31), 32) are aligned in such a way that when the busbar spring contact (3) is placed on the two busbars (1, 2), first the longer contact spring tulip (32) can be guided over the first busbar (1) located closer to the spring back (33) in the region of the gap (323) of this longer contact spring tulip (32) and then can be guided further in a straight line to the more distant busbar (2) until it contacts this, and that during this further movement the shorter contact spring tulip (31) is guided in the region of the gap (313) of this shorter contact spring tulip (32) over the busbar (1) located closer to the spring back (33). until she contacts them.

7. Busbar spring contact according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) has an insertion path limiting web (314).

8. Arrangement with a busbar spring contact (3) and two busbars (1, 2) arranged offset from one another in a plane, wherein the busbar spring contact has two contact spring tulips (31, 32) of different lengths, which are each designed to contact one of the two busbars (1, 2) and which are integrally connected to one another via a back web (33), wherein the two contact spring tulips (31, 32) and the back web (33) form a U with legs of different lengths in a side view, which are each formed by one of the two contact spring tulips (31, 32).

9. Arrangement according to claim 8, characterized by one or more of the features of claims 2 to 7.

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