Actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors

Abstract

A problem addressed by embodiments of the invention disclosed herein consists in devising a connection device in which field terminations can be released also in the installed state, i.e., the electrical conductors can be manually disconnected using a simple tool even if the insulating body is already installed in an attachment housing. To this end, an actuator is proposed which has an inclined engagement portion with an adjoining engagement edge and engagement step by which the actuator can be lifted out of the insulating body, also from the cable connection side, with a slotted screwdriver in a single lifting movement.

Claims

1. An actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for: enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising: means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state, and means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state, wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state comprise an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion, and wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state additionally comprise an application step that begins at the application edge and that is oriented away at an obtuse angle from the inclined application portion.

2. The actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state comprise at least one recess for application of a tool, wherein the recess is at least partly in the form of a slot, and/or at least partly cylindrical.

3. An actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for: enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising: means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state, and means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state, wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state comprise an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion, and wherein the actuator additionally has an actuation recess having an inclined tensioning portion and, adjoining the inclined tensioning portion, a tensioning shoulder for actuating a cage clamp.

4. A connection device, comprising: an actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for: enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising: means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state, and means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state, wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state comprise an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion; the electrical connection contact, which comprises a conductor bar; the insulating body, which has an actuation opening and a cable insertion opening for insertion of an electrical conductor; and a cage clamp, arranged substantially between the actuation opening and the cable insertion opening, having a window recess by which, at least in the non-actuated state of the actuator, the window recess is arranged in the cable insertion opening, and which has a tensioning limb, which is arranged in a region of the actuation opening, for the purpose of acting in combination with the actuator.

5. The connection device as claimed in claim 4, wherein in the actuated state of the actuator, the tensioning limb is in mechanical contact with an actuation recess of the actuator, and in this case the cage clamp which, by the window recess, encompasses the electrical conductor, and draws the electrical conductor against the conductor bar for the purpose of connecting the electrical conductor in an electrically conductive manner, in the form of a clamping contact, to the connection contact.

6. A method for releasing a connection device that comprises: an insulating body, which has an actuation opening and a cable insertion opening; an electrical connection contact; an actuator for enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into the insulating body in a non-actuated state, and for fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to the electrical connection contact in an actuated state; and a cage clamp, which is arranged substantially between the actuation opening and the cable insertion opening of the insulating body, and has a window recess by which, at least in the non-actuated state of the actuator, the window recess is arranged in the cable insertion opening, and which has a tensioning limb, which is arranged in a region of the actuation opening, for acting in combination with the actuator, wherein the method comprises: inserting a tool, from a direction of a cable connection side, into the actuation opening between the actuator and an outer wall of the insulating body such that the tool is first brought into mechanical contact with an inclined application portion of the actuator that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and away from the outer wall of the insulating body, over an entire length thereof; levering the actuator out of the insulating body by a first distance via a first portion of a lever movement such that the tool is thereupon automatically applied in a transitionless manner at an application edge of the actuator that has already been levered out of the insulating body by the first distance; and levering the actuator out of the insulating body by a second distance via a second portion of the lever movement, thereby bringing the actuator into the non-actuated state.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, during levering the actuator out of the insulating body by the first distance and the second distance, the actuator slides, with an inclined tensioning portion of an actuation recess of the actuator, along the tensioning limb of the cage clamp, and tensions the cage clamp, as a result of which the window recess is pushed deeper into the cable insertion opening, in order to release the electrical conductor previously clamped therein by the window recess.

8. An actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and for fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising: an actuator body having an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator body downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion, wherein the inclined application portion and the application edge collectively enable the actuator body to be moved from the actuated state into the non-actuated state via a continuous lever movement, and wherein the actuator body includes an application step that begins at the application edge and that is oriented away at an obtuse angle from the inclined application portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawings and explained in greater detail in the following. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1a, b, c an actuator, in differing views and in section;

(3) FIG. 2a, b, c the upper part of the actuator, in differing views and in section;

(4) FIG. 3 an electrical connection contact with conductor bar and contact pin, and with a cage clamp arranged on the conductor bar;

(5) FIG. 4a, b a connection device, as viewed toward the cable connection side, in an oblique top view and in section; and

(6) FIG. 5a, b a release operation, in a sectional representation.

(7) The figures contain partly simplified, schematic representations. In some cases identical references are used for elements that are similar, but possibly not identical. Different views of the same elements may differ in scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1a shows an actuator 1, viewed toward an inclined application portion 11 and, adjoining the latter, an application edge 12. In addition, there is a tool insertion opening 19 in the upper region.

(9) FIG. 1b shows the actuator 1 in a side view. From this view, an actuation recess 14 can be seen, which has an inclined tensioning portion 15. Adjoining the latter, the actuator 1 has a tensioning shoulder 16.

(10) FIG. 1c shows the actuator 1 in a sectional representation, from the same perspective as the previous representation in FIG. 1b. In this case, the tool insertion opening 19 and the inclined application portion 11, the application edge 12 and an application step 13 are clearly visible. These are suitable for bringing the actuator 1 from its actuated state into its non-actuated state.

(11) FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c show the upper region of the actuator 1 in an oblique top view, in a further sectional representation and in a top view. The shape of the inclined application portion 11 is shown particularly clearly in FIG. 2a. The application step 13 can be seen particularly well in FIG. 2b, and the shape and position of the tool insert opening 19 is shown very clearly in FIG. 2c. Furthermore, a slot-type recess 17 and a cylindrical recess 18 are shown in all three representations. The latter serve to bring the actuator 1 from the non-actuated stated into the actuated state. For example, a slot-head screwdriver 7 (FIG. 5a), not shown in this representation, can be applied to the slot-type recess 17, in order to press the actuator 1 downward. The cylindrical recess 18 would instead be suitable for the application of a pin or similar.

(12) FIG. 3 shows and electrical connection contact 2 having a plug-in side contact pin 20, a fastening clamp 22 for fastening in or to an insulating body 5 (FIGS. 4a and 4b), not shown here, and a conductor bar 21 on the cable connection side, the cage clamp 3, via its flat contact surface 31, bearing against the conductor bar 21 over a large area. The cage clamp 3 additionally has a window recess 30, by which it encompasses a slightly angled, free end of the conductor bar 21 that adjoins its contact surface 31, and additionally encompasses an angled end of the conductor bar 21 that is directed away from the contact pin 20, and thus, by its spring force, presses its contact surface 31 against the conductor bar 21.

(13) At a region that faces away from the contact surface 31, the cage clamp 3 has a tensioning limb 34 which, in an at least partly non-tensioned state, which is the state of the cage clamp 3 shown in this representation, already indicates the contour of the actuation recess 14 of the actuator 1. In fact, the cage clamp 3 is designed to sink, by way of its tensioning limb 34, into the actuation recess 14 of the actuator 1, and act together mechanically with the actuation recess 14.

(14) FIG. 4a shows a connection device 4 in a 3D representation, viewed toward the connection side 41. FIG. 4b shows the connection device 4 from a somewhat different perspective, with a section through its plane of symmetry.

(15) The connection device 4 comprises an insulating body 5. The insulating body 5 has an actuation opening 51, into which the actuator 1 is inserted in its non-actuated position, and a cable insertion opening 52, located in which is the window recess 30 of the cage clamp 3, only the rear region of the window recess 30 being visible, in section, in the sectional representation. Since the section goes through the plane of symmetry of the mirror-symmetrical connection device 1, this representation clearly shows the position of the window recess 30 in the cable insertion opening 52 in the non-actuated state.

(16) In addition, the conductor bar 21 of the connection contact 2 is arranged in the cable insertion opening 52. It can thus be clearly seen that the cage clamp 3 is arranged substantially between the actuation opening 51 and the cable insertion opening 52, which means that on the one hand, its tensioning limb 34, upon actuation of the actuator 1, can also sink into the actuation recess 14 thereof, and thus into the actuation opening 51 of the insulating body 5, and that the cage clamp 3 on the other hand, by its window recess 30, engages in the cable insertion opening 52 or even engages through the latter, at least in the non-actuated state, by way of its second free end located at the window recess 30.

(17) The insulating body 5 additionally has an outer wall 53 having a lever contour 531.

(18) FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate the release operation, in which the actuator 1 is brought from its actuated state, i.e., its actuated position in the insulating body 5, into its non-actuated state, i.e., its non-actuated position in the insulating body 5.

(19) FIG. 5a shows the actuator 1 in its actuated state, i.e., its actuated position. The cage clamp 3 is at least partly untensioned, since its tensioning limb 34, represented at the lower edge of the figure, is sunk into the actuation recess 14 of the actuator 1. At the same time, the cage clamp 3, by way of its window recess 30, draws a bared region 61, in this case a stranded wire, of the electrical conductor 6 against the conductor bar 21, to which it is thereby connected in an electrically conductive manner.

(20) For the purpose of release, a tool 7, namely in this case a slot-head screwdriver, is then inserted through the tool insertion opening 19 of the actuator 1, into the actuation opening 51, and thus between the actuator 1 and an outer wall 53 of the insulating body 5. The slot-head screwdriver 7 is then applied, on the one hand, at the application surface 11 of the actuator 1, over the entire length thereof. On the other hand, it is in mechanical contact with the lever contour 531 of the outer wall 53.

(21) By levering in the direction of the arrow, it presses the actuator 1 upward by a first distance, i.e., out of the actuation opening 51. During this operation, owing to the lever contour 531, a change also occurs in the rotation axis of the lever, in the direction of release of the actuator 1, as a result of which the portion in which the tool 7 is applied in an optimal orientation to the inclined actuation portion 11 is lengthened. It can easily be seen that, upon further levering in this direction, the slot-head screwdriver 7 is applied at the application edge 12, but if it were to have a slightly different shape it could also be applied at the application step 13.

(22) FIG. 5b shows the actuator 1 in its non-actuated state, i.e., in a non-actuated position. The slot-head screwdriver 7 levers by way of an upper edge of the lever contour 531, and thereby is applied at the application edge 12 of the actuator 1.

(23) The tensioning limb 34 of the cage clamp 3 is fixed by the tensioning shoulder 16 of the actuator 1 in the direction of the conductor bar 21, after having previously already been moved in this direction by the inclined tensioning portion 15, and thus releases the electrical conductor 6 at the bared region 61 thereof.

(24) In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.