CONDUCTOR CONNECTION TERMINAL

Abstract

A conductor connection terminal having a first insulating material housing and a second insulating material housing. The first and the second insulating material housings each have a plurality of conductor insertion openings arranged side by side for inserting an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction into the insulating material housing. The first insulating material housing has a first busbar and the second insulating material housing has a second busbar, and at least two conductor insertion openings of the first insulating material housing and the second insulating material housing are each associated with a clamping spring having a clamping leg. The clamping leg and the respective busbar form a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be clamped.

Claims

1. A conductor connection terminal comprising: a first insulating material housing; and a second insulating material housing, wherein the first and the second insulating material housing each have a plurality of conductor insertion openings arranged side by side for inserting an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction into the respective insulating material housing, wherein the first insulating material housing has a first base side, and the second insulating material housing has a second base side, wherein the first base side and the second base side face each other, wherein the first insulating material housing has a first busbar, and the second insulating material housing has a second busbar, wherein at least two conductor insertion openings of the first insulating material housing and the second insulating material housing are each associated with a clamping spring having a clamping leg, the clamping leg and the respective busbar form a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be clamped, wherein the first busbar of the first insulating material housing electrically connects the clamping points in the first insulating material housing and the busbar of the second insulating material housing electrically connects the clamping points in the second insulating material housing, wherein at least one first contact opening is arranged on the first base side of the first insulating material housing and at least one second contact opening is arranged on the second base side of the second insulating material housing, wherein at least one contact element penetrates the first contact opening and the second contact opening, and wherein the contact element electrically conductively connects the first busbar (9a) and the second busbar.

2. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is formed as a spring contact element.

3. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 2, wherein at least one contact tongue for electrically conductive contacting of the first busbar of the first insulating material housing and the second busbar of the second insulating material housing protrudes from the spring contact element.

4. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 3, wherein two contact tongues protrude from the spring contact element, wherein at a free end of the contact tongues, a contact tab for electrically conductive contacting of the first busbars of the first insulating material housing and the second busbar of the second insulating material housing is arranged.

5. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is U-shaped or V-shaped.

6. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating material housing and the second insulating material housing are directly or indirectly fixed to each other.

7. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 6, wherein the first base side of the first insulating material housing and the second base side of the second insulating material housing are connected to each other.

8. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 6, wherein the first base side of the first insulating material housing and the second base side of the second insulating material housing are each arranged on opposite sides of a connecting element.

9. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 8, wherein the first base side of the first insulating material housing and/or the second base side of the second insulating material housing has a latching opening, and wherein the latching opening is formed for latching with a corresponding latching crosspiece of the connecting element.

10. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 8, wherein a second latching opening is arranged on the connecting element, wherein the second latching opening is formed for latching with a corresponding second latching crosspiece, and wherein the second latching crosspiece is arranged on the first base side of the first insulating material housing and/or on the second base side of the second insulating material housing.

11. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein a recess is arranged on the first busbar and/or on the second busbar, and wherein the contact element for contacting the respective busbar is arranged in the recess.

12. The conductor connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact element force-fittingly contacts the first busbar and/or the second busbar.

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

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] 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:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a conductor connection terminal according to the invention in a perspective view;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an insulating material housing for a conductor connection terminal according to FIG. 1 in a sub-view;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows two contact inserts for a conductor connection terminal according to FIG. 1 in a perspective view;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows contact inserts according to FIG. 3 in a side view;

[0043] FIG. 5a shows a conductor connection terminal according to FIG. 1 with two contact inserts according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in a lateral section view;

[0044] FIG. 5b shows an enlarged section of a clamping point of FIG. 5a;

[0045] FIG. 6 shows a contact element for a conductor connection terminal according to FIG. 1 in a perspective view;

[0046] FIG. 7 shows an insulating material housing with a connecting element for a conductor connection terminal in a side view;

[0047] FIG. 8 shows a connecting element according to FIG. 6 in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a conductor connection terminal 1 in an exemplary embodiment in a perspective view. The conductor connection terminal 1 has a first insulating material housing 2a and a second insulating material housing 2b, wherein the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b each have five conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b side by side for inserting an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction into the respective insulating material housing 2a, 2b. However, fewer, or more conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b, such as two or three conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b on each first and second insulating material housing 2a, 2b, are also conceivable.

[0049] It becomes clear that the first insulating material housing 2a has a first base side 4a and the second insulating material housing 2b has a second base side 4b, wherein the first base side 4a and the second base side 4b face each other. The first base side 4a and the second base side 4b touch each other directly, i.e., without another element arranged in between. However, it is also conceivable that, for example, a connecting plate is arranged between the first base side 4a and the second base side 4b.

[0050] Furthermore, it becomes clear that the side 5a of the first insulating material housing 2a and the side 5b of the second insulating material housing 2b having the conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b is a side 5a, 5b that is different from the base sides 4a, 4b. Sides 5a, 5b of the first and second insulating material housing 2a, 2b having the conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b are adjacent to the respective base side 4a, 4b of the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b.

[0051] The side 5a having the conductor insertion openings 3a of the first insulating material housing 2a and the side 5b having the conductor insertion openings 3b of the second insulating material housing 2b are preferably aligned to the same direction, so that electrical conductors from the same direction can be led both into the first insulating material housing 2a and into the second insulating material housing 2b. The conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b of the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b are thus arranged on the same side of the conductor connection terminal 1.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows an insulating material housing 2a, 2b for a conductor connection terminal 1 according to FIG. 1 in a sub-view. The insulating material housing 2a, 2b shown may be both the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b since these have an identical structure according to FIG. 1.

[0053] The base side 4a, 4b of the insulating material housing 2a, 2b can be seen. It becomes clear that on the base side 4a, 4b two contact openings 6 are arranged, wherein in each of the contact openings 6 a spring contact element 7 is arranged. According to FIG. 1, the base sides 4a, 4b of the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b are arranged facing each other. The spring contact elements 7 thus penetrate the contact openings 6 of both base sides 4a, 4b of the first and second insulating material housing 2a, 2b.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a first contact insert 8a for use in the first insulating material housing 2a according to FIG. 1 and a second contact insert 8b for use in the second insulating material housing 2b according to FIG. 1 in a perspective view. FIG. 4 shows the first contact insert 8a and the second contact insert 8b according to FIG. 3 in a side view. The structure of the first contact insert 8a is preferably identical to the structure of the second contact insert 8b.

[0055] The first contact insert 8a has a first busbar 9a and the second contact insert has a second busbar 9b. The first contact insert 8a and the second contact insert 9b each have five clamping springs 10, wherein each of the clamping springs 10 has a clamping leg 10a and wherein the clamping leg 10a and the respective busbar 9a, 9b form a clamping point for the electrical conductor to be clamped. The clamping leg 10a merges into a spring arc 10b, which extends into a contact leg 10c.

[0056] With reference to FIG. 1, each of the conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b of the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b are associated with a clamping spring 10 having a clamping leg 10a to form a clamping point. The first busbar 9a electrically connects the clamping points of the first insulating material housing 2a with each other, wherein the second busbar 9b electrically connects the clamping points of the second insulating material housing 2b with each other. However, it is also conceivable that not every conductor insertion opening 3a, 3b is associated with a clamping spring 10. For example, only four out of five conductor insertion openings 3a, 3b of the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b can each be associated with a clamping spring 10.

[0057] It becomes clear that on the first busbar 9a and on the second busbar 9b in each case two recesses 11 are arranged, wherein the spring contact element 7 is arranged in the respective recess 11 for contacting the respective busbar 9a, 9b. The design of the spring contact element 7 allows this to be easily mounted in the recess 11, wherein the spring contact element 7 force-fittingly contacts the first busbar 9a and the second busbar 9b by means of the spring force of the spring contact element 7.

[0058] FIG. 5a shows a conductor connection terminal 1 according to FIG. 1 having two contact inserts 8a, 8b according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in a lateral section view, wherein FIG. 5b shows an enlarged cutout 22 of a clamping point of FIG. 5a.

[0059] It becomes clear that in both the first busbar 9a and the second busbar 9b two recesses 11 are arranged, wherein within the recess 11 the spring contact element 7 is arranged. The spring force of the spring contact element 7 presses the spring contact element 7 to the first and second busbar 9a, 9b, so that a force-locked connection between the spring contact element 7 and the first and second busbar 9a, 9b is formed.

[0060] The first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b can be connected to each other via a material connection on the facing base sides 4a, 4b. The material connection can be made, for example, via a weld joint 23.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a spring contact element 7 for a conductor connection terminal 1 according to FIG. 1 for contacting a first busbar 9a and a second busbar 9b according to FIGS. 3 and 4. It becomes clear that the spring contact element 7 is U-shaped. The spring contact element 7 has two contact tongues 12, wherein from the free ends of the contact tongues 12 in each case a contact tab 13 protrudes for electrically conductive contacting of the first busbar 9a of the first insulating material housing 2a and the second busbar 9b of the second insulating material housing 9b. The contact tongues 12 are connected to each other via a common contact arc 14.

[0062] The contact tabs 13 are formed to be broader than the contact tongues 12 of the spring contact element 7, wherein the contact tab 13 is bent from the respective contact tongue 12. The contact tabs 13 are oriented away from each other. In this way, reliable electrically conductive contacting of the first busbar 9a and the second busbar 9b can be ensured.

[0063] In a synopsis of FIGS. 1 to 6, it becomes clear that a conductor connection terminal 1 can be provided in a simple and constructive manner with a large number of pole points.

[0064] It becomes clear that on the first insulating material housing 2a and on the second insulating material housing 2b actuation elements are arranged, wherein each actuation element has an actuation arm 19 for manual actuation and wherein the actuation element is set up to open and/or close the clamping point. The actuation arms 19 of the first insulating material housing 2a extend with the clamping point closed along the side of the first insulating material housing 2a opposite the first base side 4a. The actuation arms 19 of the second insulating material housing 2b extend with the clamping point closed along the side of the second insulating material housing 2b opposite the second base side 4b.

[0065] FIG. 7 shows a first insulating material housing 2a having a connecting element 15 for a conductor connection terminal 1 in an exemplary embodiment in a side view, wherein FIG. 8 shows the connecting element 15 according to FIG. 7 in a perspective view.

[0066] In contrast to the first embodiment according to FIG. 1, the base side 4a of the first insulating material housing 2a is not directly adjacent to a second insulating material housing but is only indirectly adjacent due to the intermediate connecting element 15. The connecting element 15 is designed as a connecting plate, wherein the connecting plate has a passage opening 16 corresponding to the contact opening 6 of the base side, wherein the spring contact element 7 penetrates the passage opening 16 and the contact opening 6.

[0067] On the connecting plate, latching crosspieces 17 are arranged, wherein on the first insulating material housing 2a corresponding latching recesses 18 are arranged, which are designed to latch with the latching crosspieces 17. Latching crosspieces 17 are arranged on opposite sides of the connecting plate in order to snap both the first insulating material housing 2a and a second insulating material housing 2b to the connecting plate on opposite sides. The latching allows for the possibility to detachably connect the first insulating material housing 2a and the second insulating material housing 2b to each other.

[0068] An actuation element with an actuation arm 19 is associated with a clamping point of the first insulating material housing 2a. It becomes clear that the actuation element has an actuation section 20, wherein the actuation section 20 is arranged laterally of the clamping spring 10 and wherein an actuation contour 21 of the actuation section 20 is in active connection with the clamping leg 10a of the clamping spring 10.

[0069] The actuation contour 21 is formed circumferentially circular or semi-circular with a V-shaped cutout, wherein the clamping leg 10a can protrude into the V-shaped cutout. In particular, an actuation tab protruding from the clamping leg 10a can protrude into the V-shaped cutout. The formation of the actuation element of the second embodiment according to FIG. 6 may also correspond to the formation of the first embodiment according to FIG. 1.

[0070] 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.