CONDUCTOR CONNECTION TERMINAL

Abstract

A conductor connection terminal with at least one spring-loaded clamping connection for connecting an electrical conductor, wherein the conductor connection terminal has at least one housing with a conductor insertion opening for inserting the electrical conductor to be connected, a busbar, a clamping spring with a clamping arm for clamping the electrical conductor to the busbar in a contact area on the busbar, and a pivotable actuation element for actuating the clamping spring, wherein the actuation element has at least one actuation handle for a manual actuation and at least one bearing plate which is connected to the actuation handle and via which the actuation element is rotatably mounted on at least one component of the conductor connection terminal, wherein the actuation handle is accessible from the outside on an actuation side of the housing.

Claims

1. A conductor connection terminal with at least one spring-loaded clamping connection for connecting an electrical conductor, the conductor connection terminal comprising: at least one housing with a conductor insertion opening for inserting the electrical conductor to be connected; a busbar; a clamping spring with a clamping arm for clamping the electrical conductor to the busbar in a contact area on the busbar; and a pivotable actuation element for actuating the clamping spring, wherein the actuation element has at least one actuation handle for a manual actuation and at least one bearing plate that is connected to the actuation handle and via which the actuation element is rotatably mounted on at least one component of the conductor connection terminal, wherein the actuation handle is accessible from an exterior on an actuation side of the housing, and wherein the bearing plate has a circular area and the contact area of the busbar, viewed transversely to a conductor insertion direction, is located within the circular area of the bearing plates.

2. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact area of the busbar is disposed between the circular areas of two bearing plates.

3. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the housing is designed as an at least two-part block housing which is made up of at least one first housing block and a second housing block, and wherein abutting side walls of the first and second housing block abut one another at an abutting edge.

4. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 3, wherein the abutting edge is disposed within a region of housing, which is overlapped by the bearing plate.

5. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 4, wherein the abutting edge is disposed in the area of the axis of rotation of the bearing plate.

6. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the actuation element is rotatably mounted on at least one component of the conductor connection terminal via the circular area of the bearing plate.

7. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the bearing plate is rotatably mounted on the housing and/or on the busbar.

8. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the actuation element has a further bearing plate that is connected to the actuation handle and via which the actuation element is rotatably mounted on at least one component of the conductor connection terminal, and wherein the bearing plates are spaced from one another and are arranged parallel to one another.

9. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the actuation element has a follower that is adapted to move the clamping arm of the clamping spring when the actuation element moves from a closed position to an open position and vice versa.

10. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 9, wherein the follower protrudes laterally from the at least one bearing plate or, in the case of two bearing plates, extends from the one bearing plate to the other bearing plate.

11. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 9, wherein the follower has a predominantly oval or predominantly kidney-shaped or predominantly elliptical cross-sectional shape.

12. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the clamping spring has the clamping arm, a spring bend, and a contact arm, and wherein the contact arm is connected to the clamping arm via the spring bend.

13. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 12, wherein the contact arm and the clamping arm run substantially parallel, at least in an area protruding from the spring bend, when the actuation element is in the closed position and no electrical conductor is clamped.

14. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 12, wherein the clamping arm extends from the spring bend, initially predominantly parallel to the actuation side and, in a further course, obliquely away from the actuation side.

15. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the bearing plate extends in a height direction of the conductor connection terminal, which extends substantially perpendicular to the actuation side, at least from the bottom side of the conductor insertion opening to the top side of the conductor insertion opening.

16. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the bearing plate extends in a height direction of the conductor connection terminal at least from a position below the busbar to a position above the clamping spring or above the contact arm of the clamping spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 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:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a conductor connection terminal in a side cross-sectional view;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the conductor connection terminal according to FIG. 1 in a plan view of a conductor insertion side; and

[0029] FIG. 3 shows the conductor connection terminal according to FIG. 1 in a plan view and a partially sectioned view of an actuation side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a conductor connection terminal 1 with a housing 2. Housing 2 is designed as a two-part block housing with a first housing block 20 and a second housing block 21. Conductor connection terminal 1 is designed as a plug connector. Parts of an electrical plug connector 60, 61, e.g., fork tongues of a bifurcated contact, are therefore placed in second housing block 21. Electrical plug connector 60, 61 is accessible through a plug opening 23, which is present in second housing block 21, for contacting by a mating plug connector.

[0031] In first housing block 20 there is a spring-loaded clamping connection for connecting an electrical conductor. The spring-loaded clamping connection has a busbar 3, a clamping spring 4, and a pivotable actuation element 5, e.g., an actuation lever.

[0032] Housing 2 has a conductor insertion side 24 at which an electrical conductor can be inserted through a conductor insertion opening 22 in the conductor insertion direction L into conductor connection terminal 1 and can be fixedly clamped at a clamping point. Housing 2 also has an actuation side 25 at which actuation element 5 is accessible from the outside.

[0033] Clamping spring 4 has a contact arm 41, a spring bend 42 adjoining contact arm 41, and a clamping arm 43 adjoining spring bend 42. Clamping arm 43 merges into a clamping tongue 44 which is angled with respect to the base region of clamping arm 43, said region protruding from spring bend 42. Clamping tongue 44 ends at the free end with a clamping edge 45. Contact arm 41 has a lengthened area, which is designed as a fastening region 40 of contact arm 41 and is designed for fastening contact arm 41 to at least one part of conductor connection terminal 1, e.g., to a part of busbar 3. In this exemplary embodiment, fastening region 40 is angled obliquely in the direction of busbar 3 and, in a deflected state of clamping arm 43, forms a guide slope for an electrical conductor to be inserted.

[0034] Busbar 3 has a clamping section 30, a connecting section 31, a conductor stop 32, and a fixing section 33. Clamping section 30 is used to clamp an electrical conductor. The electrical conductor is then fixedly clamped at a clamping point between clamping section 30 and clamping arm 43, more precisely clamping tongue 44 and its clamping edge 45. Connecting section 31 adjoins clamping section 30 and runs substantially at right angles to clamping section 30, i.e., in the direction of the height direction H of conductor connection terminal 1. Conductor stop 32 branches off from connecting section 31. Conductor stop 32 is bent substantially at right angles with respect to connecting section 31, so that its normal direction extends parallel to the conductor insertion direction L of conductor connection terminal 1. In the upper area, connecting section 31 merges into fixing section 33, which is also angled again substantially at right angles with respect to connecting section 31. Clamping spring 4 is fastened to this fixing section 33 via fastening region 40. In this way, clamping spring 4 is supported on fixing section 33 with respect to the clamping force exerted by clamping arm 43.

[0035] Conductor stop 32 serves to limit the insertion depth of an electrical conductor into conductor connection terminal 1. Conductor stop 32 also ensures a separation between the conductor receiving area near the clamping point and the plug-in area, i.e., the area in which plug connector element 60, 61 is located.

[0036] The parts of plug connector 60, 61 also branch off from connecting section 31; i.e., plug connector 60, 61 can be designed in one piece with busbar 3.

[0037] Actuation element 5 has an actuation handle 50 by means of which actuation element 5 can be operated manually. Two bearing plates 51, 53 are connected to actuation handle 50, of which only bearing plate 51 can be seen in the illustration in FIG. 1. FIGS. 2 and 3 show both bearing plates 51, 53, so that it can be seen that bearing plates 51, 53 are arranged substantially parallel to one another. Bearing plates 51, 53 are designed as flat disk-like elements. Their overall height, i.e., the dimensions of bearing plate 51, 53 in the height direction H, is much greater than the thickness of bearing plate 51, 53, for example, at least 5 times as large or at least 10 times as large or at least 15 times as large.

[0038] A follower element 52, which extends between bearing plates 51, 53, is disposed on bearing plates 51, 53. Follower element 52 is used for the mechanical loading and deflection of clamping arm 43. FIG. 1 shows an actuation element 5 in the closed position in the sectional plane. In this closed position of actuation element 5, follower element 52 rests on clamping arm 43 or is at least disposed in the vicinity of clamping arm 43. Follower element 52 connects the two bearing plates 51, 53 to one another. In another embodiment, follower element 52 can also be designed as stub-like formations on the mutually facing inner sides of bearing plates 51, 53, so that follower element 52 is not formed continuous between the two mounting plates 51, 53.

[0039] FIG. 1 also shows actuation handle 50a of the actuation element of an adjacent spring-loaded clamping connection of the conductor connection terminal; i.e., the conductor connection terminal is designed as a multipole conductor connection terminal in the exemplary embodiment shown. Actuation element of actuation handle 50a is pivoted into the open position, so that actuation handle 50a is pivoted by a certain angle with respect to the closed position, for example, an angle in the range of 70-90. In this open position, actuation handle 50a protrudes relatively far out of housing 2, wherein the corresponding spring-loaded clamping connection is in the open position. In this open position, clamping arm 43 is deflected upwards by follower element 52, i.e., moved relatively close to contact arm 41. Clamping edge 45 is then clearly distant from clamping section 30, so that an electrical conductor can be inserted into the clamping point or removed from the clamping point without exerting any force.

[0040] As can already be seen from FIG. 1, bearing plate 51, 53 has a relatively large dimension in the height direction H as well as in the conductor insertion direction L. FIG. 2 illustrates, both with bearing plates 51, 53 and with bearing plates 51a, 53a of adjacent actuation element 5, the large extent in the height direction H, which extends at least from the bottom side of conductor insertion opening 22 to the top side of conductor insertion opening 22, and/or extends at least from a position below busbar 3 to a position above clamping spring 4.

[0041] It is also clear from FIG. 2 that conductor connection terminal 1 has multiple spring-loaded clamping connections that are adjacent to one another; i.e., the spring-loaded clamping connections are arranged next to one another in the width direction B of conductor connection terminal 1. Housing 2 has a side wall 26, e.g., in the form of an intermediate wall, between adjacent spring-loaded clamping connections.

[0042] In the view according to FIG. 3, it becomes clear that side walls 26 each have an abutting edge 27, which is formed by abutting side walls 26 of first housing block 20 and second housing block 21. The abutting edge is advantageously arranged within a region of housing 2 which is overlapped by the adjacent bearing plate 51, 53a, 51a. In particular, abutting edge 27 can be disposed in the area of the axis of rotation D of the bearing plate or at least at a small distance therefrom. This enables reliable guidance and mounting of the bearing plates as well as large clearance and creepage distances. It can be seen further that only a relatively narrow or thin side wall is necessary between bearing plates 51, 53 of adjacent spring-loaded clamping connections in order to create the necessary clearance and creepage distances.

[0043] 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.