Compact Spring-Clamp Terminal Block With Lever-Actuated Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring-clamp terminal blocks for electrical conductors lack a compact design while maintaining effective clamping and electrical insulation, often requiring complex mechanisms for actuation and clamping.
Innovation Solution
A spring-clamp terminal block design featuring a busbar, clamping spring, and lever housed within a compact structure, where the lever has a follower to move the clamping arm from a closed to an open position, utilizing a bifurcated contact and a housing with guide walls for conductor alignment, and a clamping spring with a spring bend and contact arm for secure conductor clamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a compact design is implemented, then the device size is reduced, but the complexity of achieving effective clamping and insulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing integrates multiple functions: it provides structural support, electrical insulation between conductive parts, conductor guidance through guide walls, and mounting for the clamping mechanism. By merging these functions into a single integrated housing rather than separate components, the overall device size is reduced while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever serves multiple purposes: it acts as the actuation handle for opening the clamping point, provides structural support through bearing plates for rotational movement, and incorporates a follower to directly move the clamping arm. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, achieving compactness without increasing mechanism complexity.
2Volume of moving object
If a single clamping arm is used, then the design becomes more compact, but the clamping effectiveness on various conductor types must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping arm features a specifically designed clamping edge with optimized geometry and surface properties at the contact point with the conductor. This localized quality enhancement at the clamping interface ensures effective gripping of various conductor types (solid and stranded) while the rest of the clamping arm maintains a compact profile, resolving the contradiction between compactness and clamping effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If the lever is designed with bearing plates for rotational movement, then the actuation mechanism is simplified, but the width of the terminal block increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing plates are positioned and oriented such that the rotational movement of the lever occurs in a dimension that does not significantly increase the overall width of the terminal block. By utilizing the available space in the depth direction and optimizing the pivot point location, the bearing plates enable smooth rotational actuation while keeping the device compact in the critical width dimension.
4Ease of operation
If guide walls are added for conductor alignment, then conductor insertion is improved, but the housing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide walls are integrated directly into the housing structure as continuous features rather than separate adjustable or removable components. This merging of the guidance function into the basic housing geometry provides conductor alignment and insertion assistance without requiring additional complex mechanisms or assemblies, thus improving ease of operation while minimizing housing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a compact and efficient clamping mechanism with reduced actuation force, enhanced conductor guidance, and improved electrical insulation, allowing for secure connection of both solid and stranded conductors while minimizing the risk of wire entanglement.
Implementation Method 1
a clamping spring (200) and with a lever (400)... The clamping spring has a clamping arm (210)... under preload the clamping arm bears with a clamping edge against the busbar
Implementation Method 2
The lever has a first bearing plate (410) with a first partially circular outer contour for mounting the lever in a first counter bearing... The lever has an actuation handle (490)... The lever has a follower (430) which is designed to move the clamping arm out of a closed position into an open position when the lever is actuated
Data Source
AI summary
A spring-clamp terminal block for connecting an electrical conductor, with a bus bar, a clamping spring, a housing and a lever, wherein the lever has a bearing plate with a partially circular outer contour for mounting the lever in a counter bearing, and wherein the lever has a follower which is designed to move the clamping arm out of a closed position into an open position when the lever is actuated.