Electrical terminal block

Abstract

An electric terminal block having a block housing, two conductor connection elements, two current bars, and two additional current bar pieces. Each current bar has a connection portion, and first and second contact portions, each connection portion being paired with a conductor connection element. To obtain a reliable switching sequence when plugging and unplugging an operating or test plug, the terminal housing is equipped with two spring elements, each of which has a connection portion and an elastic contact portion; each of the spring elements is electrically connected to one of the current bar pieces; the contact portions together form a second contact region for receiving the plug, and being mutually spaced when the plug is not plugged in. The contact region of the spring elements is arranged in front of the contact region of the current bars in the plug-in direction of the plug.

Claims

1. An electrical terminal block, comprising: a terminal housing, at least two conductor connecting elements located in the terminal housing, each of which has two conductor bars and two additional conductor bar pieces, the conductor bars each having a connecting section, a first contact section and a second contact section, the connecting sections each being assigned to one conductor connecting element, the first contact sections together forming a first contact region for accommodating a plug of an operating plug or a test plug and the first contact sections being spaced apart from one another and being connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner via the plug only when the plug is plugged in in at least one of the conductor bar pieces, at least one recess being provided for plugging in a leg of a plug-in jumper, a respective one of the conductor bar pieces being assigned to one of the conductor bars such that the second contact section of a respective conductor bar makes contact with the assigned conductor bar piece when the plug has not been plugged in, while the second contact section of a respective conductor bar is spaced apart from the assigned conductor bar piece when the plug has been plugged into the first contact region, and two spring elements in the terminal housing, each of which has a connecting section and an elastic contact section, each of the spring elements being connected in an electrically conductive manner to a respective one of the conductor bar pieces, wherein the contact sections together form a second contact region for accommodating the plug, the contact sections being spaced apart from one another and being electrically disconnected from each other, when the plug has not been plugged in, and wherein the contact region of the spring elements is located upstream of the contact region of the conductor bars in a plug-in direction of the plug.

2. The electrical terminal block as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic contact sections of the two spring elements are each approximately V-shaped.

3. The electrical terminal block as claimed in claim 1, wherein a recess is formed in the connecting section of at least one of the two spring elements which corresponds to a recess in the assigned conductor bar piece.

4. The electrical terminal block as claimed in claim 1, wherein a respective conductor bar piece is tightly joined to a connecting section of the two spring elements by one of having been soldered, welded or riveted thereto.

5. The electrical terminal block as claimed in claim 1, wherein a respective conductor bar piece is formed in one piece with a respective one of the two spring elements.

6. The electrical terminal block as claimed in claim 1, wherein an opening is provided in the terminal housing for plugging the plug of an operating plug or a test plug into the two contact regions and at least one further opening is provided for plugging a leg of a plug-in jumper into the recess in the conductor bar piece, the openings being accessible from a first, operator side of the housing.

7. The electrical terminal block as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two conductor bars each are formed of two individual elongated metal strips which are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner, each of the two connecting sections being formed by a first metal strip, and the first contact sections and the second contact sections each being formed by a second metal strip.

8. A plug system comprised of a block of terminal blocks, at least one plug-in jumper formed with at least two legs and an operating plug, wherein the block of terminal blocks has at least two terminal blocks which are located next to one another, each of the terminal blocks having: a terminal housing, at least two conductor connecting elements located in the terminal housing, each of which has two conductor bars and two additional conductor bar pieces, the conductor bars each having a connecting section, a first contact section and a second contact section, the connecting sections each being assigned to one conductor connecting element, the first contact sections together forming a first contact region for accommodating a plug of an operating plug or a test plug and the first contact sections being spaced apart from one another and being connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner via the plug only when the plug is plugged in in at least one of the conductor bar pieces, at least one recess being provided for plugging in a leg of a plug-in jumper, a respective one of the conductor bar pieces being assigned to one of the conductor bars such that the second contact section of a respective conductor bar makes contact with the assigned conductor bar piece when the plug has not been plugged in, while the second contact section of a respective conductor bar is spaced apart from the assigned conductor bar piece when the plug has been plugged into the first contact region, and two spring elements in the terminal housing, each of which has a connecting section and an elastic contact section, each of the spring elements being connected in an electrically conductive manner to a respective one of the conductor bar pieces, wherein the contact sections together form a second contact region for accommodating the plug, the contact sections being spaced apart from one another when the plug has not been plugged in, and wherein the contact region of the spring elements is located upstream of the contact region of the conductor bars in a plug-in direction of the plug; wherein the operating plug has a number of plugs for plugging into the terminal block corresponds to the number of terminal blocks, wherein a respective leg of the plug-in jumper is plugged into at least one conductor bar piece of a first of the terminal blocks and into a corresponding conductor bar piece of a second of the terminal blocks, and wherein each individual plug of the operating plug has two contact sections which are connected to one another and whose length is less than a maximum plug-in depth of the plugs into the terminal blocks.

9. The plug system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a respective insulation section is connected to a side of the contact sections which faces away from a tip of the individual plugs of the operating plug.

10. The plug system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the terminal blocks are mechanically connected to one another via corresponding latching elements in the terminal housing.

11. A plug system comprising: a block of terminal blocks, at least one plug-in jumper formed with at least two legs and a test plug, wherein the block of terminal blocks has at least two terminal blocks which are located next to one another, each of the terminal blocks having: a terminal housing, at least two conductor connecting elements located in the terminal housing, each of which has two conductor bars and two additional conductor bar pieces, the conductor bars each having a connecting section, a first contact section and a second contact section, the connecting sections each being assigned to one conductor connecting element, the first contact sections together forming a first contact region for accommodating a plug of an operating plug or a test plug and the first contact sections being spaced apart from one another and being connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner via the plug only when the plug is plugged in in at least one of the conductor bar pieces, at least one recess being provided for plugging in a leg of a plug-in jumper, a respective one of the conductor bar pieces being assigned to one of the conductor bars such that the second contact section of a respective conductor bar makes contact with the assigned conductor bar piece when the plug has not been plugged in, while the second contact section of a respective conductor bar is spaced apart from the assigned conductor bar piece when the plug has been plugged into the first contact region, and two spring elements in the terminal housing, each of which has a connecting section and an elastic contact section, each of the spring elements being connected in an electrically conductive manner to a respective one of the conductor bar pieces, wherein the test plug has a number of plugs for plugging into the terminal blocks, which number corresponds to the number of terminal blocks, and wherein a respective leg of the plug-in jumper is plugged into at least one conductor bar piece of the first terminal block and into a corresponding conductor bar piece of the second terminal block, and wherein each plug of the test plug has two contact sections whose length is less than the maximum plug-in depth of the plugs into the terminal block.

12. The plug system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a respective insulation section is connected to a side of the contact sections which faces away from a tip of the individual plugs of the test plug.

13. The plug system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the terminal blocks are mechanically connected to one another via corresponding latching elements in the terminal housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of an electrical terminal block,

(2) FIG. 2 shows the terminal block according to FIG. 1, with an operating plug which has not yet been plugged in,

(3) FIG. 3 shows the terminal block with an operating plug which has been plugged into the second contact region,

(4) FIG. 4 shows the terminal block with an operating plug which has been plugged somewhat into the first contact region,

(5) FIG. 5 shows the terminal block with an operating plug which has been plugged into the first contact region,

(6) FIG. 6 shows the terminal block with an operating plug which has been fully plugged in,

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a block of terminal blocks and of an operating plug which has not yet been plugged in, and

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a block of terminal blocks and of a test plug which has not yet been plugged in.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows an individual electrical terminal block 1 which has a terminal housing 2 which in the illustrated exemplary embodiments can be fastened in an opening of a wall, in particular a control cabinet wall. Within the terminal housing 2 there are two conductor connecting elements 3, 4 which in the illustrated exemplary embodiment are screw terminals. But, other types of connection elements, for example, tension spring terminals, insulation piercing connecting devices or leg spring terminals can be used equally well as conductor connecting elements.

(10) In the terminal housing 2, there are moreover two more conductor bars 5, 6 which are made identically and which are arranged symmetrically to one other and two conductor bar pieces 7, 8 which are likewise made identically and which are arranged symmetrically to one other. The conductor bars 5, 6 each have a connection section 9, 9 on one end which is assigned to a respective one of the two conductor connecting elements 3, 4. Moreover, the two conductor bars 5, 6 each still have a first contact section 10, 10 and a second contact section 11, 11. The two first contact sections 10, 10 together form a first contact region 12 for accommodating the plug 13 of an operating plug 14 (shown in FIGS. 2-5) or a test plug 15 (shown in FIG. 8).

(11) The second contact sections 11, 11 are made on the second end of the conductor bars 5, 6 which is opposite the connection sections 9, 9, the two second contact sections 11, 11 each being used for making contact with the conductor bar pieces 7, 8. The second contact sections 11, 11, due solely to the spring force of the conductor bars 5, 6, adjoin the conductor bar pieces 7, 8, the contact surfaces corresponding to one another and the spring force being sufficient to ensure a good current transfer between the conductor bars 5, 6 and the conductor bar pieces 7, 8. Due to the solely elastic contact of the second contact sections 11, 11 with the conductor bar pieces 7, 8, this conductive connection can be easily interrupted when a plug 13 of an operating plug 14 or a test plug 15 is inserted into the contact region 12 since then the two conductor bars 5, 6 are forced apart, and thus, the second contact sections 11, 11 are moved away from the conductor bar pieces 7, 8.

(12) In the exemplary embodiment of the electrical terminal block 1 shown in the figures, a respective recess for plugging in a leg 16 of a plug-in jumper 17 is made in the two conductor bar pieces 7, 8. In this way, a cross-jumpering with an adjacent terminal block 1 can be easily produced via the short conductor bar pieces 7, 8 which are located in the terminal housing 2 when one leg 16 of a plug-in jumper 17 is plugged into the recesses of one conductor bar piece 7, 8 of two adjacent terminal blocks 1, 1 at a time.

(13) In addition to the conductor bars 5, 6 and the conductor bar pieces 7, 8, in the terminal housing 2 of the electrical terminal block 1, there are two more spring elements 18, 19 which each have one connection section 20, 20 and one elastic contact section 21, 21. The connection sections 20, 20 are each connected in an electrically conductive manner to one of the conductor bar pieces 7, 8, the electrical connection taking place, for example, by welding or riveting. Alternatively, a respective conductor bar piece 7, 8 and a respective spring element 18, 19 can also be made in one piece, then the conductor bar piece and the spring element being punched out of a metal piece and bent. The contact sections 21, 21 of the two spring elements 18, 19 facing one another together form a second contact region 22 which is located in the plug-in direction E of the plug 13 upstream of the contact region 12 of the conductor bars 5, 6. In the same manner, as the contact sections 10, 10 of the conductor bars 5, 6, the contact sections 21, 21 of the spring elements 18, 19 are also spaced apart from one another when a plug 13 has not been plugged into the second contact region 22 (compare FIGS. 1 and 2).

(14) FIGS. 2 to 6 show an electrical terminal block 1 in accordance with the invention and an operating plug 14, the plug 13 of the operating plug 14 in the individual figures being plugged different distances into the terminal block 1 or into an opening 23 made in the terminal housing 2. In the contact region of the plug 13, part of the wall of the terminal housing 2 and of the side wall of the plug 13 is omitted so that contact-making between the plug 13 and the terminal block 1 can be seen.

(15) In FIG. 2, only the tip of the plug 13 is plugged into the opening 23, while in FIG. 3 the plug 13 is plugged further in the plug-in direction E so that the plug 13 is inserted into the second contact region 22. Via the plug 13 which has been inserted into the second contact region 22 an electrically conductive connection takes place between the contact sections 21, 21 of the two spring elements 18, 19, and thus, also between the two conductor connecting elements 3, 4 since the latter are each connected in an electrically conductive manner to the spring elements 18, 19 via the conductor bars 5, 6 and the conductor bar pieces 7, 8, as is shown in FIG. 3. At the same time, with the plug-in jumper 17 plugged in, the cross-jumpering is still closed to an adjacent terminal block 1 via the conductor bar 5 and the conductor bar piece 7 since the second contact section 11 of the conductor bar 5 adjoins the conductor bar piece 7.

(16) In FIG. 4, the plug 13 is plugged into the terminal block 1 to such an extent that the forward, narrower end of the plug 13 also projects into the first contact region 12. In this way, both the first contact sections 10, 10 of the two conductor bars 5, 6 and also the contact sections 21, 21 of the two spring elements 18, 19 are electrically connected to one another. The electrical connection of the two conductor connecting elements 3, 4 thus takes place both in the first contact region 12 and also in the second contact region 22 via the inserted plug 13. In the position of the plug 13 of the operating plug 14 shown in FIG. 4, the second contact sections 11, 11 of the two conductor bars 5, 6 adjoin the conductor bar pieces 7, 8 so that via the conductor bar 5 and the conductor bar piece 7 with the plug-in jumper 17 plugged in, there is furthermore cross-jumpering to the adjacent terminal block P. In addition, the cross-jumpering also takes place via the plug 13, specifically via the conductor bar 5, the plug 13 and the spring element 19.

(17) If the plug 13 is in a slanted position so that it makes contact, for example, with its forward narrower end in the contact region 12 with only one conductor bar 5 and in doing so at the same time deflects the conductor bar 5 such that the contact section 11 does not make contact with the assigned conductor bar piece 7, the connection would be interrupted without the arrangement of the spring elements 18, 19. Since the obliquely positioned plug 13 makes contact with only one conductor bar 5 there would be no electrical connection between the two conductor connecting elements 3, 4. But at the same time, the cross connection to an adjacent terminal block 1 would be interrupted since the conductor bar 5 and the conductor bar piece 7 are no longer connected to one another. The arrangement of the spring elements 18, 19 reliably prevents this fault, since even in an oblique position of the plug 13 via the connection of the plug 13 to the two spring elements 18, 19 in the second contact region 22 both a connection between the two conductor connecting elements 3, 4 is produced and also the cross connection to an adjacent terminal block 1 via the conductor bar 5, the plug 13, the spring element 18 and the plug-in jumper 17 is maintained.

(18) In FIG. 5, the plug 13 of the operating plug 14 has been plugged so far into the electrical terminal block 1 or into the opening 23 formed in the terminal housing 2 that the two first contact sections 10, 10 of the two conductor bars 5, 6 are forced apart from one another by the plug 13 so that the two second contact sections 11, 11 of the conductor bars 5, 6 no longer adjoin the conductor bar pieces 7, 8. Even in this position of the plug 13, however, there is still a cross connection between two adjacent terminal blocks 1, 1 via a plugged-in plug-in jumper 17, specifically from the conductor bar 5 via the plug 13 and the spring element 18 to the leg 16 of the plug-in jumper 17. Only when the plug 13 of the operating plug 14 according to FIG. 6 is fully plugged into the opening 23 in the terminal housing 2, with the plug-in jumper 17 plugged in, is the cross connection to an adjacent terminal block P also interrupted since there is no longer an electrically conductive connection between the conductor bar 5 and the spring element 18 even via the plug 13.

(19) FIGS. 1 to 6 show that an opening 23 is formed in the middle of the terminal housing 2 for plugging the plug 13 of an operating plug 14 or a test plug 15 into the two contact regions 12, 22. Moreover, on the two sides of this opening 23, a respective further opening 24 is formed for plugging the leg 16 of a plug-in jumper 17 into the recesses in the conductor bar pieces 7, 8 and in the connecting sections 20, 20 of the spring elements 18, 19. The openings 23, 24 are all accessible from the first side 25, the operator side, of the terminal block 1. This yields the advantage that, in an arrangement of the terminal block 1 or of a corresponding block of terminal blocks in an opening of a control cabinet wall, both an operating plug 14 or a test plug 15 as well as a plug-in jumper 17 can be plugged into the terminal blocks 1, 1 without the cabinet door having to be opened. The connection of the electrical lines, for example, of a current transformer takes place, on the other hand, from the second side 26, the connection side, which is then located within the control cabinet.

(20) In the exemplary embodiment of the electrical terminal block 1 shown in the figures, the two conductor bars 5, 6 are each formed of two individual elongated metal strips 27, 28 which are soldered, welded or riveted to one another in the transition region. The two connection sections 9, 9 are formed by the first bent metal strips 27 which project into the terminal bodies of the screw-type terminals 3, 4 with their free end. Conversely the two contact sections 10, 10 and 11, 11 of the conductor bar 5, 6 are formed by the two metal strips 28 which are each made as contact springs.

(21) The blocks 29 of terminal blocks which are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 each are formed of a plurality of interconnected terminal blocks 1, 1 and two mounting terminals 30 which are located on the two sides of the plurality of terminal blocks 1, F. The operating plug 14 shown in FIG. 7 is likewise made modular and has a number of plugs 13 which are likewise connected to one another, which number corresponds to the number of terminal blocks 1, 1. Moreover, the operating plug 14 laterally has two more mounting parts 31 which are plugged into the corresponding openings 32 in the mounting terminals 30.

(22) The block 29 of terminal blocks shown in FIG. 8 also is formed of a plurality of electrical terminal blocks 1, 1, in turn there being a respective mounting terminal 30 on the two sides of the plurality of terminal blocks 1, 1. In a manner similar to the operating plug 14, the test plug 15 is also made modular, having a number of plugs 13 which corresponds to the number of terminal blocks 1 and of two mounting parts 33 which are located on the two sides of the plurality of plugs 13 and which in the same manner as the two mounting parts 31 of the operating plug 14 can be plugged into the openings 32 in the two mounting terminals 30. Moreover, the test plug 15 has a grip piece 34 via which the two mounting parts 33 are connected to one another. To connect electrical lines to the plugs 13 of the test plug 15, in the plug housings 35 there are conductor bars with corresponding recesses into which corresponding test sockets or test plugs 36 can be plugged.

(23) In particular, FIGS. 5 and 6 show that the plug 13 of the operating plug 14 has two contact sections 37 which are connected to one another and whose length is smaller than the maximum insertion depth T of the plug 13 into the opening 23 of the terminal block 1. The plugs 13 of the test plug 15 are made accordingly. This ensures that when the plug 13 has been fully plugged into the opening 23 the two contact sections 21, 21 of the spring elements 19, 20 are no longer connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner via the plug 13.

(24) In the fully plugged-in state of the plug 13 the electrically conductive connection of the two conductor connecting elements 3, 4 thus takes place only via the two conductor bars 5, 6 and the plug 13. Moreover, then the cross connection between two adjacent terminal blocks 1, 1 is also cancelled since the two contact sections 21, 21 of the two spring elements 19, 20 are no longer connected to the contact sections 37 of the plug 13. For this purpose, on the side of the contact sections 37 which is facing away from the tip of the plug 13, corresponding insulation sections 38 are formed which in the fully plugged-in state of the plug 13 are in the second contact region 22, i.e., the contact sections 21, 21 of the spring elements 19, 20 each adjoin one insulation section 38 which has been formed on the plug 13.