CONTACT ELEMENT AND CONDUCTOR TERMINAL FOR CONNECTING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR

Abstract

A contact element for connecting an electrical conductor and a conductor terminal with such a contact element are provided. The contact element includes a conductor insertion area in which there are two opposite first side walls, a first floor section connecting the first side walls and a first cover section opposite the first floor section. The first side walls, the first floor section and the first cover section limit a conductor insertion channel. One or both first side walls each have at least one spring tongue freed from the first floor section and the first cover section, which tongue forms a clamping point for clamping an electrical conductor by means of a spring force.

Claims

1. A contact element for connecting an electrical conductor, the contact element comprising: a conductor insertion area in which there are two opposite first side walls; and a first floor section connecting the first side walls and a first cover section opposite the first floor section, wherein the first side walls, the first floor section and the first cover section limit a conductor insertion channel, and wherein one or both first side walls each have at least one spring tongue freed from the first floor section and the first cover section, which tongue forms a clamping point for clamping an electrical conductor by means of a spring force.

2. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the contact element has a tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section which is arranged at the end of the contact element opposite the conductor insertion area and/or behind the clamping point as viewed from the conductor insertion area.

3. The contact element according to claim 2, wherein the tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section has two opposite second side walls, a second floor section connecting the second side walls and a second cover section opposite the second floor section.

4. The contact element according to claim 2, wherein the first floor section is distanced from the second floor section by an intermediate section.

5. The contact element according to claim 2, wherein the contact element has a continuous floor part comprising the first floor section and the second floor section.

6. The contact element according to claim 2, wherein the contact element has a conductor stop integrated in the tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section to limit the insertion depth of the electrical conductor into the contact element.

7. The contact element according to claim 2, wherein the contact element has a conductor guide tab integrated on the tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section.

8. The contact element according to claim 7, wherein the conductor guide tab protrudes from the second cover section diagonally to the conductor insertion direction in the direction of the conductor insertion area.

9. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the contact element has a conductor guide tongue, which protrudes from the first cover section diagonally to the conductor insertion direction in the direction of the clamping point.

10. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the first cover section is formed by a material section bent from a first side wall and directed toward the other first side wall.

11. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the first cover section is formed by two material sections, wherein each of the two material sections is bent from a first side wall in the direction of the other first sidewall, and wherein a separating joint is formed between the two material sections.

12. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein the separating joint runs at least partially transversely to the conductor insertion direction.

13. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein the contact element has two conductor guide tongues, each protruding from one of the two material sections, which form the first cover section, diagonally to the conductor insertion direction in the direction of the clamping point.

14. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the contact element has at least one solder connection surface for the surface mounting of the contact element on a printed circuit board.

15. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein one or both spring tongues each have an actuating tongue protruding from a front edge of the respective spring tongue directed to the first cover section.

16. The contact element according to claim 15, wherein the respective actuating tongue is arranged above the first cover section, the second cover section, the conductor guide tongue and/or the conductor guide tab.

17. A conductor terminal for connecting an electrical conductor, wherein the conductor terminal has a contact element according to claim 1 and an insulating material housing at least predominantly surrounding the contact element.

18. The conductor terminal according to claim 17, wherein the conductor terminal has a sliding opener for opening the clamping point by actuating at least one spring tongue.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a contact element in a perspective view;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a sectional representation of the contact element according to FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 3 is a side view of the contact element according to FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 4 is the contact element according to FIG. 1 in a different perspective view;

[0039] FIG. 5 is the contact element according to FIG. 1 with a plug-in contact additionally formed thereon;

[0040] FIG. 6 is a conductor terminal with the contact element according to FIG. 5 in a lateral sectional view;

[0041] FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of a section of a contact element in an example;

[0042] FIG. 8 is the contact element according to FIG. 7 in a perspective view;

[0043] FIGS. 9,10 are further examples of a contact element in different views;

[0044] FIGS. 11,12 are further examples of a contact element in different views;

[0045] FIGS. 13,14 are further examples of a contact element in different views;

[0046] FIGS. 15,16 are further examples of a contact element in different views; and

[0047] FIGS. 17,18 are further examples of a contact element in different views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a cutting plane B-B. FIG. 2 shows the conductor terminal according to FIG. 1 in a cut representation in the cutting plane B-B. The contact element 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a conductor insertion area 10, through which an electrical conductor can be inserted into the contact element 1. In the conductor insertion direction L, behind the conductor insertion area 10, there is a clamping point 3 for clamping an electrical conductor. In the conductor insertion direction L behind the clamping point 3 there is a tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section 20.

[0049] The conductor insertion area 10 has a conductor insertion channel, which is bounded by two opposite first side walls 12, 14, a first floor section 11 connecting the first side walls 12, 14 and a first cover section 13 opposite the first floor section. The first side walls 12, 14 merge in the conductor insertion direction L into a respective spring tongue 31, which is freed from the first floor section 11 and the first cover section 13 and is therefore freely elastically deformable, independent of the first floor section 11 and the first cover section 13. The spring tongues 31 each have an actuating tongue 32, which protrudes upwards, i.e., upwards from the front edges of the spring tongues 31 facing the first cover section 13. The spring tongues 31 each have a clamping edge 33 at the free end. The clamping point 3 is formed between the clamping edges 33.

[0050] A conductor guide tongue 15 adjoins the first cover section 13 in the conductor insertion direction L, which tongue is intended for guiding the electrical conductor to the clamping point 3. The conductor guide tongue 15 protrudes from the first cover section 13 diagonally to the conductor insertion direction L in the direction of the clamping point 3 or inclined in the direction of the first floor section 11, and ends before the clamping point 3, or in the embodiment shown even before the actuating tongues 32.

[0051] The first floor section 11 merges into an intermediate section 30 in the conductor insertion direction L. The intermediate section 30 is also arranged slightly obliquely to the conductor insertion direction L for the guidance of the electrical conductor, so that the inserted electrical conductor is slightly deflected upwards by mean of the intermediate section 30, and slightly downwards by means of the conductor guide tongue 15. The conductor guide tongue 15 and the intermediate section 30 thus run towards each other in the conductor insertion direction L.

[0052] The intermediate section 30 is followed by the tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section 20. The tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section 20 has two opposite second side walls 22, 24, one second floor section 21 connecting the second side walls 22, 24, and a second cover section 23 opposite the second floor section 21. Due to the oblique arrangement of the intermediate section 30, the second floor section 21 is at a slightly higher level than the first floor section 11. The tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section 20 also has an integrated conductor stop 26, which may be formed, for example, as a material tongue starting from the second cover section 23, which is bent at an angle in the direction of the second floor section 21. In addition, an integrated conductor guide tab 25 may be available on the tunnel-shaped conductor receiving section 20. The conductor guide tab 25 may also be formed as a material tongue protruding from the second cover section 23 and in this case slightly bent upwards. In this way, the conductor guide tab 25 is arranged at an angle to the conductor insertion direction L in the direction of the conductor insertion area 10. The conductor guide tab 25 can protrude as shown from two parts of the second cover section 23 and thus be formed in two parts with a separating joint. Alternatively, the conductor guide tab 25 may also be designed in one piece, wherein the conductor guide tab 25 protrudes only from a part of the second cover section 23.

[0053] The contact element 1 may have a continuous floor part comprising the first floor section 11, the intermediate section 30 and the second floor section 21. In addition, the continuous floor part of the first floor section 11 can extend a little further counter to the conductor insertion direction, e.g., to form a solder connection surface 2 on the underside. The floor part can also extend a bit further in the conductor insertion direction L behind the second floor section 21 in order to form a further solder connection surface 2 on the underside. The contact element 1 can also have other solder connection surfaces. This is advantageous if the solder connection surfaces 2 are formed in the same plane.

[0054] The contact element 1 may additionally have a plug-in contact 4, as shown by a first example in FIG. 5. The plug-in contact 4 may be formed, for example, as a socket contact or other female contact, for example as a fork contact with two forks 40. The forks 40 may, for example, be formed in one piece from a sheet metal part with the remaining contact elements, e.g., by protruding from the second side walls 22, 24 in the conductor insertion direction L. Other arrangements of such a plug-in contact 4 are also possible, as explained below by means of further examples.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows the contact element 1 according to FIG. 5 as part of a conductor terminal, which has an insulating material housing 5 and a sliding pusher 7. Also shown by way of example is how the conductor terminal or the contact element 1 is connected to an electrical circuit board 6 via the solder connection surfaces 2.

[0056] On the side of the conductor insertion area 10, the insulating material housing 5 has a conductor insertion opening 51, which can be, for example, at least partially funnel-shaped. The insulating material housing 5 may also have an actuating opening 50, which is arranged in the area of the actuating tongues 32. In this way, a tool can be inserted through the actuating opening 50 to bring about a deflection of the actuating tongues 32 and thus of the spring tongues 31, in particular a spreading apart of the spring tongues 31 to open the clamping point.

[0057] Alternatively, or in addition to the actuating possibility through an actuating opening 50, the conductor terminal may have a sliding pusher 7, which is firmly installed in the conductor terminal. The sliding pusher 7 is arranged to be longitudinally movable in the insulating material housing 5, e.g., parallel to the conductor insertion direction L. The sliding pusher 7 has a manual operating range 71 protruding from the insulating material housing 5. At the other end, the sliding pusher 7 has an impact area 70 with which the sliding pusher 7 can apply force to the spring tongues 31 when manually operating the operating range 71, thus spreading them apart to open the clamping point.

[0058] On the basis of FIGS. 7 and 8, an embodiment of a contact element 1 is explained in which the first cover section 13 is formed by two material sections 13a, 13b, each of which is bent from a first side wall 12, 14 to the other side wall 12, 14. Between the two material sections 13a, 13b there is a separating joint 13c. In addition, the previously one-piece formed conductor guide tongue 15 is divided here into two separate conductor guide tongues 15a, 15b. Each of the conductor guide tongues 15a, 15b protrudes from one of the two material sections 13a, 13b diagonally in the direction of the clamping point. Between the conductor guide tongues 15a, 15b a separating joint 15c is formed. In this case, one conductor guide tongue 15a is molded in one piece with the material section 13a, the other conductor guide tongue 15b is molded in one piece with the material section 13b.

[0059] FIGS. 9 and 10 each show an embodiment of a contact element 1 with a plug-in contact 4, which in turn has two fork tongues 40. FIG. 9 shows a lateral sectional view; FIG. 10 a perspective view. Here, the plug-in contact 4 is designed for an insertion direction S, which runs perpendicular to the conductor insertion direction L. The fork tongues 40 each protrude laterally from a respective second side wall 22, 24, in this case in a direction in which they cross the second floor section 21 or are guided at a certain distance laterally along it.

[0060] FIGS. 11 and 12 show an embodiment of a contact element with a plug-in contact 4, which is similarly designed as in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 11 again shows a lateral sectional view; FIG. 12 a perspective view. In the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12, the insertion direction S is exactly opposite the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10. In this case, the fork tongues 40 protrude upwards from the second side walls 22, 24, i.e., in a direction facing away from the second floor section 21.

[0061] FIGS. 13 to 18 show respective embodiments of a contact element with a plug-in contact 4, which is formed as a male plug-in contact, e.g., as a contact pin 41. FIGS. 13, 15 and 17 each show lateral sectional views; FIGS. 14, 16 and 18 each show perspective views.

[0062] In the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14, the contact pin 41 is pressed in, screwed in, or otherwise attached in a recess formed on a material tongue, which in the previously explained embodiments forms the conductor stop 26. This allows for easy attachment of such a contact pin 41 to the contact element 1.

[0063] In the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16, a material tongue 27 is bent upwards from the second floor section 21, analogous to the conductor stop 26, only from the other side. The material tongue 27 has a recess in which the plug-in contact 4 is attached. The side of the plug-in contact 4 facing the contact element 1 acts as a conductor stop.

[0064] In the embodiment of FIGS. 17 and 18, both the material tongue starting from the second cover section 23, which forms the conductor stop 26, and the material tongue 27 which carries the plug-in contact 4, are present. The contact pin 41 according to FIGS. 15 to 18 can also be positioned off-center to the conductor connection. Furthermore, it is conceivable to attach the contact pin 41 also in an angled position to the contact element 1 or to use an angled contact pin.

[0065] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.