CONDUCTOR TERMINAL

Abstract

A conductor terminal with an insulating material housing, the insulating material housing having a conductor insertion opening for receiving an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction, with a conductor rail section, with a clamping spring, wherein the clamping spring has a clamping leg which, with the conductor rail section, forms a clamping point for the electrical conductor, with a retaining element for holding the clamping leg in an open position of the clamping point, wherein a first latching element is arranged on the clamping leg and a second latching element is arranged on the retaining element, wherein the first and second latching elements can be latched together in the open position of the clamping point, the retaining element and the clamping spring being designed as two components which are separate from one another.

Claims

1. A conductor terminal comprising: an insulating material housing having a conductor insertion opening for receiving an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction; a conductor rail section; a clamping spring having a clamping leg which, with the conductor rail section, forms a clamping point for the electrical conductor; a retaining element for holding the clamping leg in an open position of the clamping point; a first latching element arranged on the clamping leg; and a second latching element arranged on the retaining element, wherein the first and the second latching elements are adapted to be latched together in the open position of the clamping point, wherein the retaining element and the clamping spring are designed as two components separate from one another, and wherein, in an open position of the clamping point, the first latching element and the second latching element are arranged on a side of the clamping leg that faces away from the clamping point.

2. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein a release section is arranged on the retaining element, it being possible to release the latching of the first and second latching elements in an open position of the clamping point by applying pressure to the release section in the conductor insertion direction.

3. The conductor terminal according to claim 2, wherein the release section and the second latching element are connected to each other via at least two opposing bends of the retaining element.

4. The conductor terminal according to claim 2, wherein a conductor guide channel is formed in the insulating material housing for guiding the electrical conductor to be clamped at the clamping point, wherein the release section is arranged in the conductor guide channel or at least protrudes into the conductor guide channel.

5. The conductor terminal according to claim 4, wherein the conductor guide channel terminates at a bottom wall in the manner of a blind hole, the release section being arranged adjacent to the bottom wall or at least being arranged closer to the bottom wall than to the conductor rail section.

6. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein the retaining element, in particular the release section of the retaining element, is arranged behind the conductor rail section in the conductor insertion direction.

7. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein the conductor rail section has a through opening, and wherein the electrical conductor to be clamped is insertable through the through opening.

8. The conductor terminal according to claim 7, wherein the release section of the retaining element is arranged behind the through opening of the conductor rail section in the conductor insertion direction.

9. The conductor terminal according to claim 7, wherein the through opening is circumferentially surrounded by a collar at least on one side of the conductor rail section.

10. The conductor terminal according to claim 9, wherein the collar is arranged on a side of the conductor rail section which faces away from the conductor insertion opening.

11. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein the retaining element, in particular the release section of the retaining element, is arranged behind the clamping point in the conductor insertion direction.

12. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first latching element is arranged on a latching tab, and wherein the latching tab protrudes from the clamping leg.

13. The conductor terminal according to claim 12, wherein the latching tab is formed at least approximately at right angles.

14. The conductor terminal according to claim 12, wherein the latching tab is designed as a component which is separate from the clamping spring.

15. The conductor terminal according to claim 14, wherein the latching tab and the clamping leg of the clamping spring are connected to one another via a force-fitting and/or a form-fitting connection.

16. The conductor terminal according to claim 15, wherein the latching tab is connected to the clamping leg via a welded connection and/or an adhesive connection.

17. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein the conductor terminal has an actuating element for opening the clamping point.

18. The conductor terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one projection protrudes from the insulating material housing into an interior of the insulating material housing, and wherein the clamping spring and/or the retaining element are mounted on the projection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] 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:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a conductor terminal in a partially cut side view; and

[0031] FIG. 2 shows the interaction between the first and second latching elements in enlarged detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The conductor terminal 1 shown in FIG.1 has an insulating material housing 2. The insulating material housing 2 has a conductor insertion opening 20, to which a conductor guide channel 21 is connected inside the insulating material housing 2. The conductor insertion channel 21 has side walls formed from the insulating material of the insulating material housing 2, wherein parts of the conductor insertion channel 21 may also be formed by other parts of the conductor terminal 1, such as a conductor rail section 3. The conductor insertion channel 21 terminates in a blind hole manner at a bottom wall 22 of the insulating material housing 2. An electric conductor 8 can be inserted through the conductor insertion opening 20 and the conductor insertion channel 21 in a conductor insertion direction L to a clamping point formed by the conductor rail section 3 and a clamping leg 43 of a clamping spring 4, and slightly beyond.

[0033] The conductor terminal 1 has a conductor rail section 3 and a clamping spring 4 as parts of an electrical contact insert. The conductor rail section 3 has an at least predominantly flat, plate-shaped main section 30 in which a through opening 31 is formed. The through opening 31 is circumferentially surrounded by a collar 32 on the side of the conductor rail section 3 which faces away from the conductor insertion opening 20. The through opening 31 may be formed together with the collar 32 in the form of a material passage. The conductor guide channel 21 extends through the through opening 31 and the collar 32 to the bottom wall 22.

[0034] The clamping spring 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 clamping leg 43 ends at its free end with a clamping edge 44. The abutment leg 41 serves to support the clamping spring 4 with respect to the spring force acting on the clamping leg 43 and accordingly to fix the clamping spring 4 in the insulating material housing 2. The abutment leg 41 may have an end portion 40 at its free end, with which the abutment leg 41 is hooked into the through opening 31 or inside the collar 32. The end portion 40 may, for example, be bent at a certain angle with respect to the portion of the abutment leg 41 adjacent to the spring arc 42. In the insulating material housing 2, there may be a projection 23 formed from the material of the insulating material housing 2, which may be shaped, for example, similarly to a profile body and may serve to additionally fix the clamping spring 4 and/or as a travel limit for a maximum deflection of the clamping leg 43.

[0035] In the conductor terminal 1, a clamping point for clamping an electrical conductor 8 placed in the conductor guide channel is provided between the free end of the clamping leg 43 (clamping edge 44) and the conductor rail section 3, wherein on the conductor rail section 3 the clamping point may be formed, for example, on the inside of the collar 32, for example, in a clamping point area 33.

[0036] As an optionally provided further component, the illustrated conductor terminal 1 can have an actuating element 5 with which the user can open the clamping point by manually actuating the actuating element 5 by deflecting the clamping leg 43 via the actuating element 5. The actuating element 5 may be designed, for example, as an actuating pusher. The insulating material housing 2 can have an actuation opening 54, to which an actuating channel 53 can be connected. The actuating channel 53 serves to receive and support as well as guide the actuating element 5 in the insulating material housing 2.

[0037] The actuating element 5 has a manual actuation area 50, e.g., a head area, which can have, for example, a recess 51, to which a user can apply an actuating tool, e.g., a screwdriver, for actuation. From the manual actuation area 50, the actuation element 5 extends with a plunger area 52 to the clamping leg 43. At its free end, the plunger area 52 comes into mechanical contact with the clamping leg 43 to deflect the latter. FIG. 1 shows the actuating element 5 in an actuated position, in which the actuating element 5 is shifted a little to the left as compared to the unactuated position. Hereby, via the plunger 52, the clamping leg 43 is deflected to such an extent that it is distanced from the clamping point area 33 of the conductor rail section 3. In the unactuated position, the clamping leg 43 would rest with its free end against the clamping point area 33 or, if an electrical conductor 8 were inserted, against the electrical conductor.

[0038] The conductor terminal 1 has a latching tab 6 and a retaining element 7 as further elements. A first latching element 63 is provided on the latching tab 6, and a second latching element 73 is provided on the retaining element 7. The first and second latching elements 63, 73 are associated with one another in terms of their shapes, so that they can be latched together in the open position of the clamping point, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] The retaining element 7 also has a release section 70. If the release section 70 is subjected to pressure in the conductor insertion direction L, e.g., by means of the end of the electrical conductor 8, the release section 70 can be elastically deflected, thereby causing the latching of the first and second latching elements 63, 73 to be released. After the latching has been released, the clamping leg 43 can spring back due to its spring force and then rests either against the inserted electrical conductor 8 or, if no electrical conductor 8 is inserted, against the conductor rail section 3.

[0040] The retaining element 7 may have a second fastening section 74, by means of which it is fastened in the conductor terminal. The second fastening section 74 may be fastened, for example, in a groove formed between a wall of the insulating material housing 2 and a further projection 24, wherein the second fastening section 74 may be received in the groove in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows the latching tab 6 and the retaining element 7 and their interaction in an enlarged view without the other elements of the conductor terminal 1. It can be seen that the latching tab 6 may have a first fastening section 60 and a first latching section 61 angled relative to the first fastening section 60. The first fastening section 60 is used to fasten the latching tab 6 to the clamping leg 43, for example by welding, soldering, riveting and/or gluing. Particularly advantageously, the connection between the clamping leg 43 and the fastening section can also be produced by means of a clinching process. In this case, it is advantageous to connect the latching tab 6 to the clamping leg 43 on the side of the clamping leg 43 which faces away from the clamping point.

[0042] The first latching section 61 may have an angled end portion 62 at the free end. This prevents catching or jamming on the retaining element 70 when moving the clamping leg 43 with the latching tab 6 into the open position. Furthermore, the latching tab 6 has the first latching element 63 in the first latching section 61.

[0043] The retaining element 7 has the aforementioned release section 70. The release section 70 is connected to a second latching section 72 of the retaining element 7 via a connecting section 71. The second latching section 72 merges into the aforementioned second fastening section 74 of the retaining element 7. The second latching element 73 is arranged on the second latching section 72. It can be seen that the retaining element 7 can have a kind of S-shape or oppositely angled shape with respect to the shape of the release section 70, the connecting section 71 and the second latching section 72. In this regard, the angle between the release section 70 and the connecting section 71 may be at least approximately a right angle, and the angle between the connecting section 71 and the second latching section 72 may be at least approximately a right angle.

[0044] In general, it should be said that deviations from the rectangular design are also possible, e.g., in the range of +/−20 degrees.

[0045] If pressure is now applied to the release section 70 in the conductor insertion direction L or at least approximately at right angles to the longitudinal extension direction of the release section 70, this simultaneously deflects the connecting section 71 and thereby the second latching section 72, causing the second latching element 73 to be moved away from the first latching element 63, so that from a certain point onwards the first and second latching elements 63, 73 are no longer in engagement with each other. This releases the latch.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second latching elements 62, 73 are each shown as protruding from the respective latching section 61, 72. The first and second latching elements 63, 73 can also be designed differently, e.g., as a projecting latching nose on one side and as a detent recess or latching edge on the other side.

[0047] 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.