GROUND CONNECTION TERMINAL

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a ground connection terminal for fastening a ground connection cable to a field device of process and automation technology. The ground connection terminal comprises a connection element for connecting the ground connection terminal to the field device, and a clamping body for clamping the ground connection cable.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A ground connection terminal for fastening a ground connection cable to a field device of process and automation technology, comprising a connection element for connecting the ground connection terminal to the field device, wherein at least a first end portion of the connection element can be connected to a receiving region of the field device, which receiving region is designed to be complementary to the first end portion of the connection element, a clamping body for clamping the ground connection cable, wherein the clamping body has a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate faces the field device, and the second plate faces away from the field device, wherein the first plate and the second plate face one another, wherein a first duct in the first plate and a second duct in the second plate are provided for receiving the connection element, wherein the first duct, the second duct, and the connection element are designed and matched with one another in such a way that the connection element can be connected through the two ducts to the receiving region, and the connection element is arranged at least partially between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate and the second plate are connected in one of their respective first end regions by a spring element, wherein the spring element is designed in such a way that, when the connection element is being connected to the receiving region, the distance between the first plate and the second plate is at least partially reduced so that at least a portion of a ground connection cable can be clamped between the first plate and the second plate.

14. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein a shoulder or an edge is provided in a second end region of the first plate, wherein an attachment region of the field device is designed to correspond to the shoulder or to the edge, in such a way that a position of the ground connection terminal relative to the attachment region of the field device can be fixed by means of the shoulder or the edge.

15. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein a tab is provided in the second end region of the second plate or in an edge region of the first plate, wherein a pictogram is applied to the tab.

16. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the connection element is a screw, and the receiving region has a thread.

17. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the spring element has a semicircular cross-section or is designed as a spring-like element.

18. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein at least one protective flap is provided perpendicularly to the first plate and to the second plate, wherein the at least one protective flap is arranged at a defined distance from the first plate and from the second plate and is designed in such a way that a movement of the ground connection cable in the direction of the at least one protective flap beyond the respective surfaces of the first plate and of the second plate is prevented.

19. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the receiving region of the field device is arranged on a housing or on an electronics unit of the field device.

20. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the connection element has a first thread and the first plate and/or the second plate has a corresponding second thread, wherein the connection element can be connected to the first plate and/or to the second plate by means of the first thread and the second thread, wherein at least one end portion of the first thread and/or of the second thread is deformed, in such a way that the connection element is fixed in its position relative to the first plate and/or to the second plate.

21. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the connection element has a smaller diameter in the region of the second duct than in at least one adjoining region, wherein the second duct corresponds to the diameter of the connection element in the region of the second duct, in such a way that the connection element is fixed in its position relative to the second plate.

22. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the connection element has a thickening in the region between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the thickening is designed to fix the connection element relative to the first plate or to the second plate.

23. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein the connection element has a taper in the region between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate or the second plate has a hook-like structure, wherein the hook-like structure engages with the taper, in such a way that the connection element is fixed in its position relative to the first plate or to the second plate.

24. The ground connection terminal according to claim 13, wherein at least one indentation is provided in the region of the spring element, wherein the ground connection cable can be inserted between the first plate and the second plate through the at least one indentation.

Description

[0028] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the following FIGS. 1-5. Shown are:

[0029] FIG. 1: a first embodiment of the ground connection terminal according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 2: a perspectival representation of the first embodiment of the ground connection terminal according to the invention.

[0031] FIG. 3: a second embodiment of the ground connection terminal according to the invention.

[0032] FIG. 4: a third embodiment of the ground connection terminal according to the invention.

[0033] FIG. 5: an embodiment of the attachment of the ground connection terminal according to the invention to the field device.

[0034] The ground connection terminal according to the invention is used to fasten a ground connection cable to a field device of process and automation technology and can be used for all types of field devices. Various types of field devices have already been mentioned in the introduction, wherein there is no restriction to the mentioned field devices.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the ground connection terminal 1 according to the invention. The ground connection terminal 1 essentially consists of two parts: the connection element 4, shown as a screw in FIG. 1, and a clamping body 7, in which the ground connection cable 2 is clamped (see also FIG. 5). The connection element 4 connects the ground connection terminal 1 to the field device 3. The clamping body 7 comprises a first plate 8 and a second plate 9 facing the first plate, which have a first duct 8a and a second duct 9a, respectively, for receiving the screw 4. The two ducts 8a, 9a and the connection element 4 are matched with one another in such a way that the connection element 4 can be connected to the receiving region 7 through both ducts 8a, 9a (see also FIG. 5). In this case, the connection element 4 is arranged at least partially between the first plate 8 facing the field device 3 and the second plate 9 facing away from the field device.

[0036] In the respective first end regions 8b, 9b, the first plate 8 and the second plate 9 are connected by a spring element 10 which, in FIG. 1, has a semicircular cross-section by way of example. The spring element 10 can alternatively be designed to be spring-like. The distance between the first plate 8 and the second plate 9 can be reduced by means of the spring element 10 and pressure exerted on the first or the second plate 8, 9, so that a ground connection cable 2 can be clamped between the two plates 8, 9.

[0037] There are various solutions for connecting the connection element 4 to the clamping body 7. One possibility for designing a one-piece ground connection terminal 1 is to taper the connection element 4 in the region of the second duct 9a. The taper 18 corresponds to the second duct 9a in such a way that the screw 4 is fixed in its position relative to the second plate 9. Additionally, the screw 4 has, by way of example, a first thread 15 which corresponds to a second thread 16 of the second plate 9, so that the screw 4 can be connected to the second plate 9. The first and/or second threads 15, 16 are deformed, for example, at least in one end region, so that the screw 4 cannot be removed from the clamping body 7. Alternatively, the first plate 8 could also be connected to the screw 4 in this way.

[0038] A shoulder 11, or alternatively an edge, is optionally provided in the second end region 9c of the second plate 9. A tab 13, to which a pictogram, e.g., a ground symbol, is applied, can be attached in the second end region 8c of the first plate 8 or in an edge region of the first plate 8. In addition, at least one protective flap 14 can be arranged perpendicularly to the first plate 8 and to the second plate 9.

[0039] In a further view of the first embodiment of the ground connection terminal 1 in FIG. 2, the protective flaps 14 are shown in more detail and are in this example located on both sides of the clamping body 7. In this case, the ground connection terminal 1 is shown obliquely from above on the screw 4. The protective flaps 14 are spaced apart from the first plate 8 and from the second plate 9 in such a way that a gap between the first plate 8 or the second plate 9 and the protective flap 14 is smaller than the diameter of the ground connection cable 2. Moreover, the tab 13 and the shoulder 11 can be seen.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a further, exemplary embodiment of the ground connection terminal 1. In order to fix the connection element 4, here again shown as a screw 4, relative to the first or to the second plate 8, 9, the first plate 8, or alternatively the second plate 9, has a hook-like structure 19, which engages with a taper 18 of the connection element 4. The taper 18 is arranged between the first plate 8 and the second plate 9. Additionally, the connection element 4 has the thickening 17, which is likewise arranged between the first plate 8 and the second plate 9. The thickening 17 supports the holding of the connection element 4 relative to the clamping body 7, since the hook-like structure 19 cannot slip beyond the thickening 17. Alternatively, the thickening 17 could be inserted without the hook-like structure 19, if the thickening 17 corresponds to the first duct 8a or to the second duct 9a in such a way that the connection element 4 is held between the first plate 8 and the second plate 9.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the ground connection terminal 1 according to the invention, in which the ground connection cable 2 can be inserted into the clamping body 7 from two sides. Two optional indentations 20 are formed in the region of the spring element 10, so that the ground connection cable 2 can be inserted between the first and the second plates 8, 9 through the indentations 20. Alternatively, the ground connection cable 2 is inserted into the clamping body 7 in the region of the tab 13.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows, by way of example, the attachment of the ground connection cable 2 to the field device 3 by means of the ground connection terminal 1. The connection element 4 connects the ground connection terminal 1 to the field device 3. For this purpose, the connection element 4 has a first end portion 5, which is designed, for example, as a thread and which is designed to be complementary to a receiving region 6 of the field device 3for example, a mating thread. The receiving region 6 can be part of the housing of the field device 3 or part of an electronics unit of the field device 3. The attachment region 12 is designed to correspond to the shoulder 11. FIG. 4 shows the attachment region 12, by way of example, as a depression, but the attachment region could also be a further shoulder or an edge. In any case, the attachment region 12 is intended to interact with the shoulder 11 so that the ground connection terminal 1 is fixed relative to the field device 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0043] 1 Ground connection terminal [0044] 2 Ground connection cable [0045] 3 Field device [0046] 4 Connection element [0047] 5 First end portion of the connection element [0048] 6 Receiving region [0049] 7 Clamping body [0050] 8 First plate [0051] 8a First duct [0052] 8b First end region [0053] 8c Second end region [0054] 9 Second plate [0055] 9a Second duct [0056] 9b First end region [0057] 9c Second end region [0058] 10 Spring element [0059] 11 Shoulder [0060] 12 Attachment region [0061] 13 Tab [0062] 14 Protective flap [0063] 15 First thread [0064] 16 Second thread [0065] 17 Thickening [0066] 18 Taper [0067] 19 Hook-like structure [0068] 20 Indentation