Contact-Protected Screw-Connection Device

Abstract

A contact-protected screw-connection has a male screw connector and a female screw connector. The male screw connector has a connecting screw, which extends along a longitudinal axis in a screw direction towards the female screw connector and is screwed into a nut portion of the female screw connector. The connecting screw has a connecting-screw head, and the connecting screw extends along the longitudinal axis through a first electrical conductor. The connecting-screw head is arranged on a side of the first electrical conductor that is directed away from the nut portion. The male screw connector has a first protective cover, which encloses the connecting-screw head at a radial distance therefrom. The female screw connector has a second protective cover. The nut portion extends from a second electrical conductor, in the direction counter to the screw direction towards the first electrical conductor. The second protective cover encloses this region of the nut portion to some extent and at a radial distance therefrom. The nut portion extends from the second electrical conductor as far as a nut-end surface. The nut portion has a nut cap radially enclosing the nut portion to some extent and projecting beyond the nut portion to some extent. The male screw connector has a connecting sleeve that electrically conductively connects the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor and encloses the connecting screw at a radial distance therefrom and within the first protective cover. The connecting sleeve projects beyond the first protective cover to some extent in the screw direction.

Claims

1.-6. (canceled)

7. A contact-protected screw connection, comprising: a male screw connector; a female screw connector, wherein the male screw connector has a connecting screw which extends along a longitudinal axis in a screwing direction toward the female screw connector, and is screwed into a nut portion of the female screw connector, the connecting screw having a connecting screw head; a first electrical conductor through which the connecting screw extends along the longitudinal axis, the connecting screw head being arranged on a screw head side, facing away from the nut portion, of the first electric conductor; a first protective cover for the male screw connector, which cover, in relation to the longitudinal axis, surrounds the connecting screw head spaced apart radially at least in portions; a second protective cover for the female screw connector; a second electrical conductor from which the nut portion extends at least in regions in a nut direction counter to the screwing direction toward the first electrical conductor, wherein the second protective cover surrounds this region of the nut portion at least in portions and spaced apart radially from the latter, wherein the nut portion extends in the nut direction from the second electrical conductor as far as a nut end surface, wherein the nut portion has a nut cap, the nut cap surrounding the nut portion radially at least in portions, and protruding at least in portions beyond the nut portion in the nut direction, and the nut cap further having a nut cap recess, through which the connecting screw is screwed into the nut portion; and a connecting sleeve of the male screw connector, which connecting sleeve connects the first and the second electrical conductors in an electrically conducting manner and surrounds the connecting screw spaced apart radially and within the first protective cover, wherein the connecting sleeve protrudes at least in portions beyond the first protective cover in the screwing direction.

8. The contact-protected screw connection device according to claim 7, wherein the connecting screw head is covered at least in portions by a screw head cover.

9. The contact-protected screw connection device according to claim 8, wherein the screw head cover has a screw head profile for applying a torque to the screw head of the connecting screw.

10. The contact-protected screw connection device according to claim 7, wherein the connecting sleeve is configured as a separate component with respect to the first electrical conductor.

11. The contact-protected screw connection device according to claim 7, wherein the nut portion is configured in a nut sleeve, and the nut sleeve is connected in a positively locking or integrally joined manner to the second electrical conductor.

12. The contact-protected screw connection device according to claim 7, wherein the connecting sleeve has a first axial end surface which is oriented orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis, and a second axial end surface which is spaced apart axially from and is parallel to the first axial end surface, the first axial end surface makes contact with the first electrical conductor, and the second axial end surface makes contact with the second electrical conductor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a contact-protected screw connection device;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the contact-protected screw connection device, but only of the current-conducting components;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a sectional illustration of the female screw connector;

[0022] FIG. 3a is a sectional illustration of the connecting sleeve;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a sectional illustration of the female screw connector; and

[0024] FIG. 5 is a sectional illustration of a connection system with a connecting element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a contact-protected screw connection device in a sectional illustration. The illustrated screw connection device has a male screw connector 1 and a female screw connector 2. The male screw connector 1 has a connecting screw 3 which extends along a longitudinal axis 4 in a screwing direction 5 toward the female screw connector 2. The connecting screw 3 is screwed into the nut portion 6 (this is configured as a nut sleeve and is connected in an integrally joined manner to the second electrical conductor 13) of the female screw connector 2. The connecting screw 3 has a connecting screw head 7 and extends along the longitudinal axis 4 through the first electrical conductor 9. The connecting screw head 7 is arranged here on a side, facing away from the nut portion 6, of the first electrical conductor 7, what is known as the screw head side 10.

[0026] The male screw connector 1 has a first protective cover 11 which surrounds the connecting screw head 7 spaced apart radially at least in portions, in relation to the longitudinal axis 4. The female screw connector 2 has a second protective cover 12, the nut portion 6 extending at least in regions from the second electrical conductor 13 in the direction counter to the screwing direction 5, what is known as a nut direction 14, toward the first electrical conductor 9, and the second protective cover 12 surrounding this region of the nut portion 6 at least in portions and spaced apart radially from the latter. The nut portion 6 extends in the nut direction 13 from the second electrical conductor 14 as far as a nut end surface 15, the nut portion 6 having a nut cap 16, the nut cap 16 surrounding the nut portion 6 radially at least in portions and protruding at least in portions beyond the nut portion 6 in the nut direction 14, that is to say projecting beyond it in the nut direction 14. Furthermore, the nut cap 6 has a nut cap recess 17, through which the connecting screw 3 is screwed into the nut portion 6 and thus configures a screw connection, by way of which the first electrical conductor 9 can be braced against the second electrical conductor 13.

[0027] The male screw connector 1 has a connecting sleeve 18. The connecting sleeve 18 connects the first and the second electrical conductors 9, 13 in an electrically conducting manner. Furthermore, the connecting sleeve 18 surrounds the connecting screw 3 in the direction of the longitudinal axis partially, and is spaced apart radially from the latter. Furthermore, the connecting sleeve 18 is received partially in the first protective cover 11 and is thus surrounded partially by the latter. Furthermore, the connecting sleeve 18 is received in the first protective cover 11 in such a way that the connecting sleeve 18 protrudes beyond the first protective cover 11 in the screwing direction 5. Furthermore, the connecting sleeve 18 is configured in such a way that it makes contact both with the first electrical conductor 9 and with the second electrical conductor 13, and these two electrical conductors 9, 13 are braced against one another, furthermore, by way of the connecting screw 3 which is screwed into the nut portion 6 which is connected fixedly to the second electrical conductor 13, and contacting with low contact resistances is thus achieved from the first electrical conductor 9 to the connecting sleeve 18, and from the connecting sleeve 18 to the second electrical conductor 13.

[0028] Both the screw head cover 8, the first protective cover 11 and the second protective cover 12 have an electrically insulating plastic as constituent part. The first and the second protective cover 11, 12 are configured in multiple pieces, in particular in order to achieve a simple assembly capability.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of the electrically voltage-conducting components of the device which is shown in FIG. 1. An essential object of the proposed invention is establishing an electrically conducting connection from the first electrical conductor 9 to the second electrical conductor 13. Two current conducting paths 19, 20 are configured between the two electrical conductors 9, 13. Firstly, electrical current is transmitted from the first electrical conductor 9 via the connecting sleeve 18 to the second electrical conductor 13 (first current conducting path 19), and secondly from the first electrical conductor 9 via the connecting screw 3 to the second electrical conductor 13 (second current conducting path 20).

[0030] The first electrical conductor 9 is braced via the connecting sleeve 18 to the second electrical conductor 13 by way of tightening of the connecting screw 3, via its connecting screw head 7.

[0031] Furthermore, contact of a potential can be ruled out at any time as a result of the mechanical connection of the positive (+) and the negative pole (?) with respect to one another according to FIG. 5. This additional, optional measure can achieve a system which protects against electric shock even in the event of a first fault.

[0032] In the case of one embodiment, in which, according to FIG. 3, the diameter D.sub.2 is smaller than or equal to 12 mm, a screw head cover 8 can be dispensed with, since, in particular, sufficient contact protection can be achieved in a case of this type, in particular by means of the first protective cover. In the case of embodiments of the female screw connector 2, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4, in which the diameter D.sub.2 is less than or equal to 12 mm, the nut cover 16 can be dispensed with. Furthermore, it is preferably proposed that the spacing L.sub.1 is less than or equal to 6 mm, preferably less than or equal to 4 mm and with preference less than or equal to 2 mm. The spacing L.sub.1 results, in particular, between the nut portion 6 or the nut end cap 16 and the insulation which surrounds the nut portion 6 and is a constituent part of the second protective cover 12. FIG. 3a shows a more detailed illustration of the connecting sleeve 18.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0033] 1 Male screw connector [0034] 2 Female screw connector [0035] 3 Connecting screw [0036] 4 Longitudinal axis [0037] 5. Screwing direction [0038] 6 Nut portion [0039] 7 Connecting screw head [0040] 8 Screw head cover [0041] 9 First electrical conductor [0042] 10 Screw head side [0043] 11 First protective cover [0044] 12 Second protective cover [0045] 13 Second electrical conductor [0046] 14 Nut direction [0047] 15 Nut end surface [0048] 16 Nut cap [0049] 17 Nut cap recess [0050] 18 Connecting sleeve [0051] 19 First current conducting path [0052] 20 Second current conducting path [0053] 21 Profiled surface [0054] 22 First axial end surface of 18 [0055] 23 Second axial end surface of 18 [0056] 24 Connecting element [0057] D.sub.2 Diameter at the male screw connector [0058] D.sub.1 Diameter at the female screw connector [0059] + Positive pole [0060] ? Negative pole