SPRING TERMINAL CONTACT FOR CONTACT-CONNECTION OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS, CONDUCTOR CONNECTION TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SPRING TERMINAL CONTACT

Abstract

A spring terminal contact for contact-connection of electrical conductors to at least one busbar and at least one clamping spring, which has a resting limb, a spring bend adjoining the resting limb and a clamping limb adjoining the spring bend. The clamping limb has a clamping section at the free end, and frame parts extend away from the busbar, each frame part having two side webs spaced apart from one another and the side webs having transverse webs connecting to one another and a conductor passage opening formed by the side webs and the transverse webs. The at least one clamping spring is secured to the at least one busbar by the resting limb of the clamping spring resting on a transverse web and/or a holding element of the busbar such that the clamping section acts under the spring force of the clamping spring in the direction of the busbar.

Claims

1. A spring terminal contact for contact-connection of electrical conductors, the spring terminal contact comprising: at least one busbar; at least one clamping spring that has a resting limb, a spring bend adjoining the resting limb, and a clamping limb adjoining the spring bend, the clamping limb having a clamping section at a free end; at least one frame part extending away from the busbar, the frame part having two side webs spaced apart from one another, the side webs having transverse webs connecting to one another and a conductor passage opening formed by the side webs and the transverse webs; and at least one integrally formed wing arranged on at least one of the side webs, wherein the at least one clamping spring is secured to the at least one busbar by the resting limb of the clamping spring resting on a transverse web and/or a holding element of the busbar such that the clamping section acts under a spring force of the clamping spring in a direction of the busbar such that a clamping point for firmly clamping the electrical conductor is formed between the clamping section and the busbar.

2. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein integrally formed wings are arranged on the two side webs of the frame part.

3. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein the wings of the frame part are arranged substantially symmetrically to one another.

4. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wing points in a direction of a conductor receiving space of the spring terminal contact, the conductor receiving space being formed behind the conductor passage opening in the conductor insertion direction.

5. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wing is configured as a material region that is angled with respect to the surface of the side web.

6. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wing extends along the side web over at least two thirds of the distance between the transverse webs of the frame part.

7. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein a lead-in chamfer for the electrical conductor to be inserted is formed by the at least one wing.

8. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the frame parts is arranged substantially at a right angle to the busbar.

9. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the frame parts is formed integrally with the busbar.

10. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein at least one frame part of a plurality of frame parts is configured as a frame element that is separate from the busbar and the separate frame element is hooked into the busbar.

11. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein the clamping section is turned away or bent from the section of the clamping limb adjoining the spring bend in a direction of the busbar.

12. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein the clamping section has a smaller width than another section of the clamping limb.

13. The spring terminal contact according to claim 12, wherein at least one region of the section of the clamping limb that is wider with respect to the clamping section and that protrudes laterally relative to the clamping section is provided as an actuation section for opening a clamping point for an electrical conductor, and wherein the clamping point is formed between the clamping section of the clamping limb and the busbar by way of an actuation element that interacts with the actuation section.

14. The spring terminal contact according to claim 1, wherein adjacent frame parts have an intermediate space between two spaced-apart side webs of frame parts arranged next to one another.

15. A conductor connection terminal for electrical conductors, comprising: an insulating material housing; and at least one spring terminal contact according to claim 1.

16. A method for producing a spring terminal contact according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing a sheet-metal part; and reshaping the sheet-metal part in a stamping and bending process such that the busbar has one or more frame parts integrally formed thereon having a respective conductor passage opening generated, wherein, in said stamping and bending process, the at least one wing on the side web or the wings on the side webs are formed at the same time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 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:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a spring terminal contact having a busbar and three clamping springs arranged next to one another;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the spring terminal contact from FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of the spring terminal contact from FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view through a connecting terminal having an isolating material housing, in this case having an actuation lever for an associated clamping spring and having a spring terminal contact built into the isolating material housing from FIG. 1 with an open actuation lever;

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a sectional side view through the connecting terminal from FIG. 4 with a closed actuation lever;

[0032] FIG. 6 shows a front view of a frame part;

[0033] FIG. 7 shows a side view of the frame part in accordance with FIG. 6 and the busbar

[0034] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the frame part having the busbar in accordance with FIG. 7 corresponding to the sectional plane B-B;

[0035] FIG. 9 shows a view of the frame part having the busbar corresponding to FIG. 7 having an inserted electrical conductor;

[0036] FIG. 10 shows a sectional view in accordance with the sectional plane A-A illustrated in FIG. 9;

[0037] FIGS. 11 to 14 show different views of a part of an embodiment of a spring terminal contact; and

[0038] FIGS. 15 to 18 show different views of a part of an embodiment of a spring terminal contact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a spring terminal contact 1, which is substantially formed of a busbar 2 and a plurality of clamping springs 3, for example three as is illustrated. The busbar 2 is formed from a material having good electrical conductivity, such as, for example, copper sheet metal. It extends transversely to the direction of extent of the clamping springs 3 and in the modular mounting direction of the plurality of clamping springs 3. In this way, the electrical conductor clamped to a clamping point of the busbar 2 using a clamping spring 3 can then be electrically conductively connected to a further electrical conductor clamped to another clamping spring 3 of the spring terminal contact 1.

[0040] The clamping springs 3 each have a resting limb 4, a spring bed 5 adjoining the resting limb 4 and a clamping limb 6 adjoining the spring bend 5. The clamping limbs 6 each have a clamping section 7 at the free end at which a clamping edge is formed. For each clamping spring 3, associated frame parts 8 are shaped with the busbar 2, said frame parts each having two side webs 9a, 9b spaced apart from one another and an upper transverse web 10 connecting the side webs 9a, 9b to one another at the free end. The transversely running busbar 2 forms a further lower transverse web 11 opposite the upper transverse web 10. A conductor passage opening 12 for guiding an electrical conductor is provided by the side webs 9a, 9b and the transverse webs 10, 11 lying opposite one another, said electrical conductor being clamped to the clamping edge of the clamping section 7 of the associated clamping spring 3 and the contact edge 13 formed at the lower transverse web 11 of the busbar 2. The clamping edge of the clamping section 7 of the clamping spring 3 and the contact edge 13 of the busbar 2 thus form a clamping point for the electrical conductor to be clamped.

[0041] It becomes clear that the frame parts 8 for the clamping springs 3 arranged next to one another are spaced apart from one another to form an intermediate space 14 between frame parts 8 arranged next to one another. The adjacent side webs 9a, 9b of the frame parts 8 lying next to one another have a spacing from one another. A section of an actuation element can be introduced into this intermediate space 14 for at least one associated clamping spring 3, with the result that the space between the clamping springs 3 and, in particular, the space between the frame parts 8 can be used by the intermediate space 14 to receive sections of an actuation lever. A very compact connecting terminal can therefore be constructed.

[0042] A wing 30 is present on the respective side web 9a of each of the frame parts 8, said wing being able to improve the electrical contact-connection of litz-wire conductors.

[0043] It can furthermore be seen that the clamping section 7 of the clamping spring 3 has a smaller width than the adjoining further section of the clamping limb 6 and of the spring bend 5. A region of the clamping limb 6 that protrudes laterally relative to the clamping section 7 is therefore present, on which an actuation contour of an actuation lever can act, wherein the actuation contour is arranged on a side wall section of an actuation lever that protrudes into the intermediate space 14 at least in the closed state. The axis of rotation of said actuation lever (not illustrated) is then located below the clamping limb 6 and the spring bend 5 in the intermediate space between the clamping limb 6 and the busbar 2.

[0044] It can furthermore be seen that the free end of the resting limb 4 likewise has a smaller width than the section of the resting limb 4 adjoining the spring bend 5 and of the spring bend 5. This reduced width of the resting limb 4 is matched to the width of the conductor passage opening 12 of the frame part 8, in order to make it possible for the resting limb 4 to hook into the conductor passage opening 2 for resting on the upper transverse web 10.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the spring terminal contact 1 from FIG. 1. It becomes clear here that the rear free end of the resting limb 4 protrudes through the conductor passage opening 12 of the frame part 8 and is hooked into the frame part 8. It can furthermore be seen that the frame part 8 is shaped integrally with the busbar 2 from the same sheet-metal part and is bent from the plane of the busbar bordering the clamping edge of the clamping spring 3 in the direction of the resting limb 4 of the clamping spring 3 at an angle of approximately 90? to 120?.

[0046] It can furthermore be seen that the clamping limb 6 is at an internal angle of approximately 70? to 120? in the direction of the plane of the busbar 2 on which the clamping edge of the clamping section 7 bears in the illustrated rest state, is bent and is virtually (+/?20%) perpendicular to this plane. The clamping section 7 is then bent back again from said heavily bent section transverse to the conductor insertion direction toward the free end in order to form a clamping edge and is at an acute angle to the aforementioned plane of the busbar 2. In this way, direct clamping of a multi-wire, electrical conductor inserted in the conductor insertion direction L can be prevented without prior opening of the clamping point by displacing the clamping limb 6 upward in the direction of the resting limb 4. This kind of direct insertion of a multi-wire, electrical conductor without prior actuation could lead to splitting of the plurality of wires of the electrical conductor, which are then located in the terminal space uncontrolled.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view through the first embodiment of the spring terminal contact from FIGS. 1 and 2. It becomes clear here that the resting limb 4 is guided through the conductor passage opening 12 using a bent end section 15 and bears against the upper transverse web 10. The clamping spring 3 is therefore hooked into the busbar 2 in a positionally stable manner. The opposite end of the clamping spring 3 bent in a U-shaped manner, that is to say the clamping section 7 of the clamping limb 4, is bent in the direction of the section of the busbar 2 extending transversely to the number of clamping springs 3, which borders the frame parts 8, wherein the free end of the clamping section is at an acute angle to said transversely running section of the busbar 2. An adjoining section of the clamping limb 6 approximately transverse to the conductor insertion direction L and the section of the busbar 2 is, in contrast, oriented at an obtuse angle to the transversely running section of the busbar 2, in order to prevent direct insertion of a multi-wire, electrical conductor without prior actuation of the clamping spring 3.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a connecting terminal 16 having an isolating material housing 17. The isolating material housing 17 is embodied in two parts and has a main housing part 18 formed from isolating material, which is sealed with a cover part 20 after introduction of an actuation lever 19 and the spring terminal contact 1. The main housing part 18 and the cover part 20 are latched to one another here in order to thus mount the actuation lever 19 with a pivot bearing section 21 in the isolating material housing 17, said pivot bearing section having a pitch-circle shaped periphery, on said pitch-circle shaped periphery that has pitch-circle shaped mounting contours 22 adapted to said pitch-circle shaped periphery. In this case, the pivot bearing section 21 can also be mounted on the busbar 2.

[0049] It becomes clear that the pivot bearing section 21 has an actuation contour 23 in the form of a V-shaped cut-out, which passes over a curved track in the outer periphery. A lateral region of the clamping limb 6 of the associated clamping spring 3 in this case lies on said actuation contour 23, with the result that, in the open position of the actuation lever 19 that is illustrated, the clamping limb 6 is displaced away from the transversely running section of the busbar 2.

[0050] An electrical conductor can then be inserted by means of a conductor insertion opening 24 in the isolating material housing 17, the end side of which is open and opens into the connection space of the spring terminal contact 1. Said electrical conductor is then guided through the conductor passage opening 12 of the associated frame part 8 of the spring terminal contact 1 by means of the section of the busbar 2, which runs in an inclined manner and extends transversely to the clamping springs 3. The free stripped end of an electrical conductor then reaches a conductor receiving pocket 25 located in the conductor receiving space 35, said conductor receiving pocket lying behind the conductor passage opening 12 of the frame part 8, as seen in the conductor guiding direction L, that is to say in the direction of extent of the conductor insertion opening 24.

[0051] FIG. 5 shows the connecting terminal 16 from FIG. 4 in the closed state. In this case, the actuation lever 19 is lowered downward in the direction of the isolation material housing 17. Here, the actuation contour 23 has been rotated by the pivot bearing section 21 pivoting by approximately 90?. Here, it is made possible for the clamping limb 6 to be displaced away from the resting limb 4 downward in the direction of the busbar 2 by the force of the clamping spring 3. In the closed end position that is illustrated, the clamping limb 6 no longer lies on the actuation contour 23, with the result that the clamping spring 3 can be moved by the actuation lever 19 unimpeded. An electrical conductor (not illustrated) inserted into the conductor insertion opening 24 is thereby electrically conductively and mechanically firmly clamped to the clamping edge on the free clamping section 7 and the contact edge 13 on the busbar 2 by the force of the clamping spring 3, with the result that an electrical current can be guided to an adjacent clamping contact by means of the electrical conductor and the busbar 2.

[0052] In accordance with FIGS. 1 to 5, the frame parts 8 are each configured so that a wing 30 is present at only the one side web 9a. As mentioned, wings of this kind can be present on the two side webs 9a, 9b, as is explained below with reference to the further FIGS. 6 to 10. For the sake of better clarity of the details in connection with the wings 30, the spring terminal contacts are illustrated in these figures without the clamping springs. The clamping section 7 is only partly illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0053] As FIGS. 6 to 8 show, the mentioned wings 30 can in each case be arranged on the two side webs 9a, 9b of a frame part 8. They can be arranged, in particular, symmetrically to one another, with the result that the intermediate space between the wings 30 is tapered in the conductor insertion direction L. It can be seen in particular in FIG. 8 that the wings 30 provide a significantly increased resting surface 31 for the litz wires of an electrical litz-wire conductor.

[0054] FIGS. 9 and 10 show the spring terminal contact when using an electrical conductor in the form of a litz-wire conductor 32. The litz-wire conductor 32 has an outer insulation 33 and litz-wires 34 arranged therein. With a stripped region of the litz-wire conductor 32, the latter is used in the spring terminal contact by virtue of the clamping limb 7 of the clamping spring pressing on the litz wires 34 from above and pressing them against the busbar 2. The relatively flexible litz wires 34 give in slightly to this pressure and move slightly to the side, with the result that they are pressed to a greater extent against the resting surfaces 31 of the wings 30. This can be seen in FIG. 10, in particular, where it is clear that the sides of the individual litz wires 34 cling to the wings 30. This improves the electrical contact-connection of the litz wires 34 to the busbar 2.

[0055] FIGS. 11 to 14 show the frame part 8 and the busbar 2 of a spring terminal contact of a further embodiment. To illustrate the features, the clamping spring is not illustrated in this case but it is described in more detail below. The clamping spring can be embodied, for example, in a similar manner to that seen in FIG. 2.

[0056] FIG. 11 shows a side view of the illustrated component, FIG. 12 shows a view corresponding to the viewing direction C illustrated in FIG. 11, FIG. 13 shows a sectional illustration of the component corresponding to the sectional plane B-B marked in FIG. 12 and FIG. 14 shows a sectional illustration of the component in accordance with the sectional plane A-A marked in FIG. 11.

[0057] As can be seen in FIGS. 11 to 14, the illustrated component has a frame part 8 that is formed integrally with the busbar 2, wherein a part of the busbar can in this case form, in particular, the lower transverse web 11. A frame part 8 is in turn formed together with the side webs 9a, 9b and the upper transverse web 10, by which a conductor passage opening 12 is enclosed. Protruding electrical connection contacts 36, for example in the form of contact pins, which can be soldered into a printed circuit board, can be arranged on the frame part 8. The frame part 8 has in each case an integrally formed wing 30 formed in each of the side webs 9a, 9b. Said wing can be exposed by introducing a slot 38 in the respective side web 9a, 9b opposite the plane of the respective side web 9a, 9b, in particular toward the interior space of the frame part 8, in which the conductor passage opening 12 is formed. As FIG. 12, in particular, shows, the inwardly presented wing 30 forms a funnel-shaped conductor insertion aid for an electrical conductor inserted in the conductor insertion direction L.

[0058] As can be seen, the respective wing 30 is formed in the inner region of a respective side web 9a, 9b, with the result that a slot 38 that is completely enclosed by the material of the respective side web 9a, 9b is present.

[0059] The clamping section of the clamping spring (not illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 14) can rest on the busbar 2 when no conductor is inserted. To secure the clamping spring to the frame part 8, a holding lug 37, for example in the form of an indentation in the material of the frame part 8, that protrudes toward the inner space of the frame part 8 is formed on the upper transverse web 10. The clamping spring can be hooked onto the holding lug 37 using a correspondingly matched opening or drilled hole in the resting limb and is thereby fixed to the frame part 8.

[0060] FIGS. 15 to 18 show a further embodiment of a component of this kind having a frame part 8 and a busbar 2 integrally formed therewith in comparable illustrations to FIGS. 11 to 14. FIG. 15 shows a side view of the illustrated component, FIG. 16 shows a view corresponding to the viewing direction C illustrated in FIG. 15, FIG. 17 shows a sectional illustration of the component corresponding to the sectional plane B-B marked in FIG. 16 and FIG. 18 shows a sectional illustration of the component in accordance with the sectional plane A-A marked in FIG. 15.

[0061] In contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 11 to 14, the respective wing 30 is not formed in the inner space of a respective side web 9a, 9b. Instead, each of the side webs 9a, 9b is, starting from an end region of the respective side web 9a, 9b, separated from the material of the respective side web by a longitudinal slot 39 inserted in the longitudinal direction, that is to say in the conductor insertion direction L, with the result that the respective wing 30 can again be presented toward the inner space of the frame part 8, as is illustrated in FIG. 16, for example.

[0062] 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.