ELECTRICAL TERMINAL BLOCK

Abstract

An electrical terminal block with simplified switching operations, which can be produced in a cost-effective and time-saving manner.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An electrical series terminal, comprising: a clamp housing, with at least two, line terminal elements that are arranged therein and two current bars, wherein each of the current bars has a connecting section, a first sprung contact section, and a second sprung contact section, wherein each connecting section is assigned to a respective one of the two line terminal elements, wherein the first sprung contact sections together form a first contact area and the second sprung contact sections together form a second contact area for accommodating and contacting a plug of a test plug or an isolating plug, wherein the first contact sections make contact when no plug is inserted, so that the at least two, line terminal elements are connected to one another electrically via the two current bars, and wherein the second contact sections are separated from one another when no plug is inserted, wherein the second contact area of the current bars is arranged in the insertion direction of the plug before the first contact area of the current bars, and wherein each of the current bars is formed of two individual metal strips which are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner, wherein each of the two connecting sections is made on a first of the two individual metal strips, and each of the contact sections are formed together by a second of the two individual metal strips, and wherein the first of the two individual metal strips has a stepped area with at least two steps on an end thereof that faces away from the connecting section and wherein the second of the two individual metal strips are fastened to two opposite steps of the stepped area of the first metal strips.

14. The series terminal according to claim 13, wherein each of the second metal strips is a C-shaped contact spring that has a C-crest which is fastened to a step of the stepped area of the first metal strips.

15. The series terminal according to claim 13, wherein at least one first step and one second step are provided on the stepped area, and wherein the first step is arranged behind the second step in an insertion direction of the plug.

16. The series terminal according to claim 13, wherein the stepped areas of the first two metal strips are configured to be mirror images of one another and wherein another part of the first two metal strips are congruent to one another.

17. The series terminal according to claim 13, wherein two spring elements are arranged in the clamp housing, each of which has a sprung contact section, wherein the contact sections of the two spring elements together form another contact area for the plug, which is arranged in the insertion direction of the plug before the second contact area of the current bars, and wherein at least one of the spring elements has a receptacle for a leg of a jumper, wherein each spring element is connected in an electrically conductive manner to a current bar via the plug, when the plug of a test plug or an isolating plug is inserted into the series terminal.

18. The series terminal according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the spring elements is provided with a recess formed as a receptacle for inserting of a leg of a jumper.

19. The series terminal according to claim 18, wherein at least one plug opening is provided in the clamp housing for inserting the leg of a jumper into the receptacle of a spring element, and wherein the plug opening is accessible from a first, operator accessible side of the clamp housing.

20. The series terminal according to claim 13, wherein an opening is provided in the clamp housing for inserting the plug of a test plug or an isolating plug into the contact areas, and wherein the opening is accessible from a first, operator accessible side of the clamp housing.

21. The series terminal according to claim 13, wherein, for accommodating a leg of a jumper, a bridge recess is provided in at least one of the first metal strips and at least one corresponding bridge shaft is provided in the clamp housing.

22. A series terminal block, comprising: at least two series terminals that are arranged one next to the other, wherein the series terminals comprise: a clamp housing, with at least two, line terminal elements that are arranged therein and two current bars, wherein each of the current bars has a connecting section, a first sprung contact section, and a second sprung contact section, wherein each connecting section is assigned to a respective one of the at least two, line terminal elements, wherein the first sprung contact sections together form a first contact area and the second sprung contact sections together form a second contact area for accommodating and contacting a plug of a test plug or an isolating plug, wherein the first sprung contact sections make contact when no plug is inserted, so that the at least two, line terminal elements are connected to one another electrically via the two current bars, and wherein the second sprung contact sections are separated from one another when no plug is inserted, wherein the second contact area of the current bars is arranged in the insertion direction of the plug before the first contact area of the current bars, and wherein each of the current bars is formed of two individual metal strips which are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner, wherein each of the two connecting sections is made on a first of the metal strips, and each of the sprung contact sections are formed together by a second of the metal strips, and wherein the first of the metal strips has a stepped area with at least two steps on an end thereof that faces away from the connecting section and wherein the second of the metal strips are fastened to two opposite steps of the stepped area of the first metal strips.

23. The series terminal block according to claim 22, wherein the second of the metal strips of at least one series terminal are fastened to another step of the stepped area of the first metal strips as the second metal strips of the other series terminal.

24. A series terminal block according to claim 22, wherein the second metal strips of the series terminals are fastened in each case to the same step of the stepped area of the first metal strips.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1a shows a diagrammatic depiction of a series terminal, in a longitudinal section,

[0030] FIG. 1b is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of the series terminal according to FIG. 1a with differently-positioned contact sections,

[0031] FIG. 1c is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of the series terminal according to FIG. 1b with differently-positioned contact sections, in a longitudinal section,

[0032] FIG. 2a is a depiction of two current bars with a stepped area,

[0033] FIG. 2b is a depiction of two current bars with a stepped area according to FIG. 2a with differently-positioned contact sections,

[0034] FIG. 2c is a depiction of two current bars with a stepped area according to FIG. 2b with differently-positioned contact sections,

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a series terminal block,

[0036] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of two series terminal blocks that are mounted one next to the other, and

[0037] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a series terminal block with a test plug block that corresponds thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] FIG. 1a shows an electrical series terminal 1 according to the invention. The series terminal 1 has a clamp housing 2 that is made of plastic. In the interior of the clamp housing 2, two line terminal elements 3, 3′ are arranged, which in this case are screw clamps. As an alternative, however, other types of terminal elements, for example, tension spring clamps, leg spring clamps, or cutting terminals, can also be used as line terminal elements 3, 3′.

[0039] Moreover, two current bars 4, 4′ are also arranged in the clamp housing 2. The current bars 4, 4′ are in each case configured in two parts, wherein a screw clamp has a connecting section 5, 5′ for connecting the current bars 4, 4′ to the line terminal elements 3, 3′. In each case, a first contact section 6, 6′ and a second contact section 7, 7′ are made on the current bars. The first contact section has a first contact area 8, and the second contact section 7, 7′ has a second contact area 9, which can be contacted by a plug 10, not depicted here.

[0040] The connecting sections are made on a first metal strip 11, 11′, and the contact sections 6, 6′, 7, 7′ are made on a second metal strip 12, 12′. The first contact sections 6, 6′ of the two current bars 4, 4′ are designed and arranged opposite the second metal strips 12, 12′ in such a way that together they form the first contact area 8 for the plug 10 of a test or isolating plug, not depicted here. The first contact sections 6, 6′ make contact, so that they are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner when no plugs 10 are inserted into the series terminal 1. The second contact sections 7, 7′ are also oriented opposite to one another and together form the second contact area 9. The second contact sections 7, 7′ do not make contact. When a plug 10, not depicted here, is inserted, the second contact area 9, which leads in the insertion direction E, consequently first makes contact before the electrically-conductive connection of the first contact area 8 is separated.

[0041] The first metal strips are connected at their ends 13 that face away from the contact sections 6, 6′, 7, 7′ to the connecting section 5, 5′ with the screw clamps. At the other end, the first metal strips 11, 11′ have a stepped area 14, 14′. In this embodiment, three steps 15 are provided. It can be seen from FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c that the second metal strips 12, 12′, which are configured in the form of a contact spring 16, can be arranged at various steps 14 and can thus be located at various positions in the clamp housing 2. The contact sections 6, 6′, 7, 7′ that are made on the second metal strips 12, 12′ can thus be moved in particular in the insertion direction E of a plug 10, not depicted here, deeper into the clamp housing 2 or closer in the direction of the front side of the clamp housing 2. In the insertion direction E, the steps 15 are arranged behind one another, wherein a first step 17 is arranged behind a second step 18, and the second step 18 is arranged behind a third step 19.

[0042] In addition, spring elements 20, 20′ are arranged in the clamp housing 2. The spring elements 20, 20′ are not electrically conductively connected to the current bars 4, 4′ in the initial state of the series terminal 1 according to FIG. 1, i.e., in the case where the plug 10 is not inserted. The two spring elements 20, 20′ in each case have a sprung contact section 21, 21′, wherein the spring elements 20, 20′ are arranged to be mirror images of one another in such a way that the contact sections 21, 21′ form another contact area 22 for a plug 10 of a test plug or an isolating plug. In this case, as depicted in the figures, the contact sections 21, 21′ can be some distance apart, so that they do not make contact. In principle, the contact sections 21, 21′ can also be designed and arranged in such a way, however, that the contact sections 21, 21′ make contact when no plug 10 is inserted.

[0043] The spring elements 20, 20′ are used so as to create in a simple way a cross-bridging between two series terminals 1. For this purpose, a recess is designed as a receptacle 23 for a leg of a jumper in at least one of the two spring elements 20, 20′. In the case of two adjacent series terminals 1, two spring elements 20 or 20′ are then connected onto one another electrically via the two legs of a jumper.

[0044] When the plug 10 of a test plug is inserted into a series terminal 1, this means that, in each case, a spring element 20, 20′ is electrically conductively connected to the assigned current bar 4, 4′. In the completely inserted state of the plug 8, moreover, the two current bars 4, 4′ in the first contact area 8 are separated from one another by the plug 10, so that then the two line terminal elements 3, 3′ also are no longer electrically connected to one another via the current bars 4, 4′.

[0045] The spring elements 20, 20′, which can be produced easily from a metal strip by punching-out and subsequent bending, have—in addition to the approximately C-shaped contact sections 21, 21′—in each case additionally an essentially straight connecting section, in which the receptacle 23 for inserting the leg of a jumper is punched out, wherein the jumper can be inserted into the clamp housing 2 through a plug opening 24. The plug opening 24 is located on the operator side of the series terminal 1 and is easily accessible to a user. A corresponding opening 25, for inserting the plug 10, is also provided on the operator side. Overall, the spring elements 20, 20′ have an approximately S-shaped configuration, wherein the spring elements 20, 20′ are preferably fastened in the clamp housing 2 via correspondingly designed projections.

[0046] In addition, bridge recesses 26 are provided in the first metal strips 11, 11′, which recesses are used to accommodate a jumper in order to be able to connect two series terminals 1 directly to one another. The bridge recesses 26 are accessible in the clamp housing 2 by a bridge shaft 27. FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c show that the bridge recesses 26 are offset in the first metal strips 11, 11′. The first metal strips 11, 11′ are congruent and have an approximately trapezoidal bend 28 in the area of the bridge recesses 26. In the case of the first metal strip 4, the bridge recess 26 is made on a first trapezoidal leg 29, whereas in the case of the other first metal strip 11′, the bridge recess is made on the second trapezoidal leg 30. The trapezoidal legs 29, 30 have the geometry of a trapezoid corresponding to slopes with various signs, so that the legs of an inserted jumper can be inserted obliquely into the clamp housing 2.

[0047] FIGS. 2a, 2b, and 2c show the current bars 4, 4′ of the series terminal 1. It is evident that the relative length of the current bars 4, 4′ changes depending on at what step 15 the second metal strips 12, 12′ are arranged. The first metal strips 11, 11′ are configured to be as congruent as possible. Only the stepped areas 14, 14′ are arranged to be mirror images of one another, so that, in the case of the two current bars, based on the step form, a support or site option for the second metal strips 12, 12′ is provided. Overall, for various configurations of the series terminal 1, consequently only two different current bars 4, 4′ are necessary. The second metal strips 12, 12′ can be arranged at various steps 15 of the stepped area 14, 14′. In FIG. 2a, the second metal strips 12, 12′ are arranged, for example, at the third step 19, whereas in FIG. 2b, they are positioned at the second step 18, and in FIG. 2c, they are positioned at the first step 17.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a series terminal block 31 with multiple series terminals 1 according to the invention, which terminals are arranged one next to the other. The clamp housing 2 is configured as a disk, so that multiple series terminals 1 can be arranged with their base on one another, without making it unnecessarily bulky. In the perspective depiction, the opening 25 for inserting a test plug can be seen. Beside the opening 25, fields 32 are arranged, which fields are marked S, M, and L. The fields 32 are used to identify the series terminal 1, so that from the outside, it is possible to see on which of the three steps 17, 18, 19 of the contact sections 6, 6′, 9, 9′ the second metal strips 12, 12′ are arranged. Accordingly, the user can see which of the series terminals 1 is first contacted when a test plug is inserted, or at which series terminal 1 the electrically-conductive connection is first separated when a test plug block with identical test plugs is inserted into the series terminal block 31.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows two series terminal blocks 31 that are arranged one next to the other as they can be arranged, for example, in a switch cabinet. The configuration of the series terminals 1 inside the series terminal block 31 is freely selectable. The clamp housings 2 are indistinguishable from one another in the fields 32, so that the series terminal blocks can be assembled in an easily modular manner and for the desired purpose.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a series terminal block 31 with a test plug block 33. The plugs 10 of the test plugs all have the same length, since the switching operations, based on the various configurations of the series terminals 1, are performed inside the series terminals 1. In this embodiment, the risk of using a wrong test plug block 33, i.e., a mis-contacting of the series terminals 1, is minimized, since the test plugs can all be configured identically.