Contact insert of a spring force connection clamp and spring force connection clamp configured with said contact insert

Abstract

A contact insert of a spring force connection clamp having at least one retaining frame and at least one clamp spring that is mounted in the retaining frame, wherein a spring insert that functions so as to increase the clamping force of the clamp spring is arranged at least within a region that is encompassed by a spring bow of the clamp spring, wherein the spring insert is configured as one piece with the retaining frame. A spring force connection clamp having at least one contact insert of this type is also provided.

Claims

1. A contact insert of a spring force connection clamp comprising: at least one retaining frame; at least one clamp spring that is mounted in the retaining frame; and a spring insert that increases a clamping force of the clamp spring is arranged at least within a region that is encompassed by a spring bow of the clamp spring, the spring insert being configured as one piece with the retaining frame, wherein the clamp spring comprises a clamping limb for fixedly clamping an electrical conductor and also comprises a contacting limb via which the clamp spring is supported on the retaining frame, and wherein the clamping limb is connected via the spring bow to the contacting limb, and wherein a link that is bent out and protrudes from the retaining frame is provided, the link being configured so as to retain the contacting limb of the clamp spring by including a retaining surface therein that supports the contacting limb of the clamp spring.

2. The contact insert according to claim 1, wherein the retaining frame annularly encompasses a frame interior, wherein the retaining frame comprises the retaining surface for supporting the contacting limb of the clamp spring, and on a side of the retaining frame that lies opposite the retaining surface, the retaining frame comprises a supporting surface, which faces the frame interior, the supporting surface for supporting the clamping limb of the clamp spring or a current rail, so that the clamp spring is adapted to be clamped in the retaining frame between the retaining surface and the supporting surface or the current rail that lies on the supporting surface so that the clamping limb of the clamp spring lies on the supporting surface or the current rail if a conductor is not clamped between the clamping limb and supporting surface.

3. The contact insert according to claim 2, wherein the supporting surface is arranged on one side of the frame interior.

4. The contact insert according to claim 2, wherein the spring insert comprises an end side section that faces the clamping limb, the end side section having a greater width than a width of the frame interior of the retaining frame and/or wherein an end side section of the spring insert that is facing the clamping limb is offset with respect to the frame interior.

5. The contact insert according to claim 1, wherein the spring insert has an end side section that terminates in a region of the clamping limb of the clamp spring prior to reaching an end-side clamping edge of the clamping limb.

6. The contact insert according to claim 1, wherein the spring insert is configured as one piece with the retaining frame, the spring insert being bent in a bow shape away from the retaining frame.

7. The contact insert according to claim 1, wherein the spring insert lies at least in a region of its end-side limb or in a predominantly longitudinal extent region on an inner side of the clamp spring that is formed between the contacting limb and the clamping limb.

8. A spring force connection clamp comprising at least one contact insert according to claim 1.

9. The contact insert according to claim 1, wherein the retaining frame includes a vertically extending section having a frame interior, the frame interior including an elongated opening, wherein the elongated opening extends between an upper surface of the frame interior and an opposing lower surface of the frame interior, the opposing lower surface forming a supporting surface, wherein the retaining frame includes a bent section that extends from an upper end of the vertically extending section, the bent section having the link and the link including a window cut-out, the window cut-out having the retaining surface, and wherein the clamping limb of the clamp spring and a current rail extend through the elongated opening and are supported on the supporting surface of the frame interior of the vertically extending section and the contacting limb of the clamp spring extends through the window cut-out of the bent section and is supported on the retaining surface of the window cut-out, so that the clamp spring is clamped in the retaining frame.

10. The contact insert according to claim 9, wherein a portion of the clamping limb that extends through the elongated opening is bent and is narrower than other portions of the clamping limb.

11. The contact insert according to claim 9, wherein a portion of the contacting limb that extends through the window cut-out is bent and is narrower than other portions of the contacting limb.

12. The contact insert according to claim 1, wherein the link includes a window cut-out.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) 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:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a spring force connection clamp in a sectional view from the side and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates the retaining frame of the spring force connection clamp in accordance with FIG. 1 in a perspective view; and

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates the clamp spring of the spring force connection clamp in accordance with FIG. 1 in the perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 illustrates a spring force connection clamp 1 having an insulating material housing 10, into which insulating material housing a contact insert in accordance with the invention is inserted. The contact insert comprises the following as components that are in each case produced from metal: a retaining frame 2, a current rail arrangement 3 having current rails 30, 31, a clamp spring 4, a spring insert 5.

(6) Initially, the retaining frame 2 is to be further explained, and in fact with simultaneous reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The retaining frame 2 is produced as one piece with the spring insert 5 from a sheet metal part that is strip-shaped or in strip form. The part of the retaining frame 2 that is essential for the retaining function is formed in a lower, vertically-extending section A of the sheet metal part and said part of said retaining frame comprises a frame interior 20 that is encompassed by the material of the retaining frame 2 in an annular manner. In the upper region, the section A transitions into a section B that is bent at an incline or approximately at a right angle from the section A and said section B transitions by way of a bow-shaped region into an end-side section C of the sheet metal part. The spring insert 5 is formed as one piece with the retaining frame 2 by means of the material of the sheet metal part from section B to section C.

(7) The retaining frame 2 comprises in the retaining frame interior 20 on one side a supporting surface 22 and the current rail 31 is mounted on said supporting surface and lies on the supporting surface 22.

(8) A link 24 is bent out of the sheet metal part in the transition region from section A into section B, for example by means of stamping and bending, wherein the link 24 comprises a window-type cut-out region and a retaining surface 25 for mounting a contacting limb 40 of the clamp spring 4 is provided on one inner side of said cut-out region.

(9) The sheet metal part is formed in the region of the spring insert 5 in an essentially identical manner as the clamp spring 4, at least in essential regions of the contacting limb, of a rearward spring bow 41 and a clamping limb 42.

(10) The spring insert 5 ends in the section C with an end edge 50 that is, as is evident, wider than the width of the frame interior 20. In this manner, the end edge 50 is a stop for the spring insert 5 if it is deflected in the direction of the retaining frame 2.

(11) The clamp spring 4 that is explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 comprises a contacting limb 40, a rearward spring bow 41 that connects to said contacting limb and a clamping limb 42 that connects to said spring bow 41. The contacting limb 40 extends on the end side in a narrower mounting region 45 that can be inserted into the cut-out of the link 24 and can be mounted on the retaining surface 25. For this purpose, the mounting region 45 is bent upwards in relation to the spring bow 41 opposite the bending direction so to speak.

(12) The clamp spring 4 ends in the region of the clamping limb 42 with a clamping edge 43 that is arranged in an end region 44 of the clamp spring, said end region being bent slightly downwards. The end region 44 is configured as a little narrower than the other regions of the clamping limb 42 since this end region 44 is inserted through the opening in the retaining frame 2, in other words into the frame interior 20 in order to be held either on the supporting surface 22 or, as is illustrated in FIG. 1, by means of the current rail 31.

(13) An electrical conductor can be inserted into the spring force connection clamp 1 by means of a conductor insertion opening 21 and is then clamped between the clamping edge 43 of the clamp spring 4 and the current rail 31. Accordingly, a clamping site 32 of the spring force connection clamp 1 is formed between the clamping edge 43 and the current rail 31.

(14) 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.