CONDUCTOR CONNECTION TERMINAL AND SOCKET INSERT

Abstract

A conductor connection terminal with an insulating material housing having a conductor insertion opening for inserting an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction, with a busbar and a clamping spring, wherein the clamping spring has a clamping leg and wherein the clamping leg and the busbar form a clamping point for the electrical conductor to be clamped. The insulating material housing has a base side, wherein the base side is arranged adjacent to the side of the busbar facing away from the clamping point and wherein the base side has an opening, wherein on the side of the busbar facing away from the clamping point, two contact tabs protrude from the busbar, wherein the contact tabs are designed to contact a second electrical conductor between the contact tabs, wherein the second electrical conductor can be led through the opening of the base side between the contact tabs.

Claims

1. A conductor terminal comprising: an insulating material housing having a conductor insertion opening for inserting an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction; a busbar; and a clamping spring having a clamping leg, the clamping leg and the busbar forming a clamping point for the electrical conductor to be clamped, wherein the insulating material housing has a base side arranged adjacent to a side of the busbar facing away from the clamping point, wherein the base side has an opening, wherein on the side of the busbar facing away from the clamping point, two contact tabs protrude from the busbar, wherein the contact tabs contact a second electrical conductor between the contact tabs, and wherein the second electrical conductor is adapted to be guided through the opening of the base side between the contact tabs.

2. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact tabs protrude from the busbar and are bent such that they extend with a free end parallel towards the busbar.

3. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact tabs are bent in the same direction.

4. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the conductor connection terminal has an actuation element, wherein the actuation element is set up to open and/or close the clamping point, wherein the actuation element has an actuation arm for manual actuation, and wherein the actuation arm extends along the side of the insulating material housing opposite the base side.

5. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one protrusion is arranged on the base side of the insulating material housing, wherein the protrusion is snappable with a corresponding recess.

6. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion is snappable by vertical insertion into the corresponding recess and horizontal displacement within the corresponding recess.

7. A socket insert for a socket for connecting an external conductor and/or a neutral conductor and/or a protective conductor, wherein at the socket insert a conductor connection terminal according to claim 1 is arranged for the connection of an electrical conductor.

8. The socket insert according to claim 7, wherein at the socket insert, a conductor connection terminal for contacting the outer conductor, the neutral conductor and the protective conductor is arranged.

9. The socket insert according to claim 7, wherein the conductor connection terminal has at least two conductor insertion openings, wherein at least one or each conductor insertion opening is associated with a clamping point for the connection of an electrical conductor.

10. The socket insert according to claim 7, wherein the socket insert has a bearing section, wherein the conductor connection terminal is arrangeable on the bearing section, wherein a contact element is arranged at the bearing section, and wherein the contact element is adapted to be led between the contact tabs of the conductor connection terminal.

11. The socket insert according to claim 10, wherein, for an electrical conductor in each case, a slot for a conductor connection terminal is provided on the bearing section with an associated contact element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] 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:

[0033] FIG. 1a illustrates a contact insert for a conductor connection terminal according to the invention in a perspective view;

[0034] FIG. 1b illustrates a contact insert according to FIG. 1a in a side view;

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a conductor connection terminal in a perspective view;

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates a bearing section of a socket insert with conductor connection terminals according to FIG. 2 in a perspective view;

[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates a socket insert with a bearing section according to FIG. 3 in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] FIG. 1a shows a contact insert 1 for a conductor connection terminal according to the invention, wherein the contact insert 1 has a busbar 2 and a clamping spring 3. The clamping spring 3 has a clamping leg 3a, wherein the clamping leg 3a merges into a spring arc 3b and extends into a contact leg 3c. A free end of the busbar 2 is bent in such a way that a U-shaped busbar tab 2a protrudes from the busbar 2, wherein the contact leg 3c of the clamping spring 3 is suspended in the busbar tab 2a and the clamping spring 3 is thus arranged to be self-supporting on the busbar 2. The clamping leg 3a of the clamping spring 3 and the busbar 2 further form a clamping point 4 for the electrical conductor to be clamped.

[0039] In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, a busbar 2 with two clamping springs 3 is shown, wherein in each case the clamping leg 3a of the clamping springs forms a clamping point 4 with the busbar 2 for an electrical conductor to be clamped. However, the number of busbars, clamping springs and related clamping points is not connected to the embodiment according to FIG. 1. Thus, one or more busbars 2 with a variety of clamping springs 3, in particular three, four or six clamping springs 3, are conceivable, each of which form a clamping point 4 for an electrical conductor to be clamped.

[0040] On the side of the busbar 2 facing away from the clamping point 4, two contact tabs 2b protrude from the busbar 2. The free ends of the contact tabs 2b are bent in such a way that the free ends extend parallel to the busbar 2. The free ends of the contact tabs 2b are bent in the same direction parallel to the busbar 2, wherein, for example, an opposite direction of the bent free ends of the contact tabs 2b is conceivable.

[0041] It becomes clear that the contact tabs 2b are designed in such a way that between the contact tabs 2b a second electrical conductor, in particular a contact tag 5 or a contact pin, can be contacted electrically conductively. A contact tag 5 or a contact pin are particularly rigid and therefore not very flexible. The contact tag 5 can be, in particular, a contact tag 5 of a socket insert. The contact tag 5 can be inserted substantially precisely between the contact tabs 2b of the busbar 2, so that an electrically conductive contacting can be guaranteed. Furthermore, it becomes clear that the second electrical conductor, or the contact tag 5, is contacted electrically conductively between the clamping points 4 on the side of the busbar 2 facing away from the clamping points 4. Due to the contact tabs 2b, no additional clamping spring is required for contacting the second electrical conductor or the contact tag 5. The contact tabs 2b can be formed in one piece from the busbar 2, wherein in contrast to the additional clamping spring, the contact tabs 2b are rigidly formed.

[0042] FIG. 1b shows a contact insert 1 according to FIG. 1a in a side view. It becomes clear that the busbar 2 and the protruding contact tabs 2b are formed in one piece. The contact tabs 2b are bent from a free end of the busbar in such a way that the free end essentially extends parallel to the busbar 2. The bending of the contact tabs 2b from the busbar thus takes place essentially in a U-shape.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a conductor connection terminal 6 according to the invention with an insulating material housing 7, wherein, for example, a contact insert according to FIG. 1 can be inserted into the conductor connection terminal 6. It can be seen that the insulating material housing 7 has a base side 7a, wherein the base side 7a is arranged adjacent to the side of the busbar 2 of the contact insert 1 according to FIG. 1 facing away from the clamping point 4. The contact tabs 2b of the busbar 2 thus protrude from the busbar 2 in the direction of the base side 7a of the insulating material housing 7. The insulating material housing 2 further has two conductor insertion openings 8, wherein in each case an electrical conductor can be led in a conductor introduction direction L through the conductor insertion opening 8 into the insulating material housing 2 to the respective clamping point 4 of the contact insert 1 according to FIG. 1. The conductor insertion openings 8 are arranged on a side 7b of the insulating material housing 7 different from the base side 7a. Side 7b of the insulating material housing 7 with the two conductor insertion openings 8 arranged next to each other is adjacent to the base side 7a.

[0044] It becomes clear that the base side 7a has an opening 9, wherein the second electrical conductor, in particular the contact tag 5 according to FIG. 1, can be led through the opening 9 into the insulating material housing 2, wherein the second electrical conductor, or the contact tag 5, can be contacted electrically conductively between the contact tabs 2b of the contact insert 1 according to FIG. 1. The second electrical conductor, or the contact tag 5, can be led into the insulating material housing in a second conductor insertion direction L2 essentially perpendicular to the conductor insertion direction L. The conductor connection terminal 6 thus forms a plug-in connection, which is substantially orthogonal to the plane, which is clamped by the busbar 2, for the second electrical conductor.

[0045] Furthermore, it can be seen that the conductor connection terminal has 6 actuation elements 10, wherein the actuation elements 10 are set up to open and/or close the clamping points 4. The actuation elements 10 each have an actuation arm 10a for manual actuation of the actuation element 10, wherein the actuation arms 10a extend along the side of the insulating material housing 7 opposite the base side 7a.

[0046] On the base side 7a of the insulating material housing 7 four protrusions 11 are arranged, wherein the protrusions 11 are formed for locking with a corresponding recess, in particular a recess on a socket insert. In this way, the second electrical conductor can be locked and contacted simultaneously via the base side 7a of the insulating material housing 7.

[0047] The protrusions 11 are L-shaped at least in a cross-section. The protrusions 11 thus each have a section 11a narrow in cross-section, which is narrower than a wide section 11b of the protrusion 11.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows three conductor connection terminals 6 according to the invention, wherein the conductor connection terminals 6 are arranged on a bearing section 12. The bearing section 12 is a section for the support of a conductor connection terminal, wherein the bearing section 12 is associated with a socket insert 13. The socket insert 13 with bearing section 12 and attached conductor connection terminals 6 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4. The socket insert 13 can be designed as an interface between electrical conductors laid in a house and a commercially available (depending on the country) household plug.

[0049] It becomes clear that on the bearing section 12 three slots are provided for each conductor connection terminal 6 according to FIG. 2. The protrusions 11 of the conductor connection terminals 6 can be latched in corresponding recesses 13, wherein the conductor connection terminals 6 can be inserted vertically into insertion openings 13a of the recess 13, wherein by subsequent horizontal displacement of the conductor connection terminal 6 the conductor connection terminal 6 locks in a locking position 14 at the bearing section 12. The insertion opening 13a of the recess 13 tapers towards the locking position, wherein the protrusions 11 in the locking position 14 can at least no longer be pulled out vertically from the recess 13 due to the L-shaped protrusions 11, since the wider section 11b of the protrusion 11 blocks it from being pulled out.

[0050] At the slots for the respective conductor connection terminals 6 is a plug opening 15 corresponding to the opening 9 of the base side 7a of the insulating material housing 7, wherein contact tags 5 can be led through the plug opening 15 to the respective conductor connection terminal 6.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a socket insert 16 with a bearing section 12 according to FIG. 3 in a perspective view. It becomes clear that the respective contact tags form the electrically conductive connection between the conductor connection terminals 6 and the socket outlet of the socket insert 16 or a possible protective line. Based on the current German design, in each case a conductor connection terminal 6 can thus be provided for the connection of an external conductor, a neutral conductor and a protective conductor. A total of three conductor connection terminals 6 are provided at the socket insert 16. Each of the conductor terminals has two clamping points for clamping two electrical conductors.

[0052] 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.