Electrical connection terminal

Abstract

An electrical terminal clamp includes a contact cage including a contact floor, a contact ceiling, a first contact side wall and a second contact side wall that connect the contact floor and the contact ceiling. The contact floor, the contact ceiling, the first contact side wall and the second contact side wall jointly form a conductor insertion channel. A conductor clamping device that includes at least one clamping spring that is preloaded against a reaction bearing and an insertion bevel for a conductor configured in a portion of the contact ceiling, wherein the insertion bevel is formed by a guide arm that extends from the contact ceiling in the conductor insertion direction and that is configured sloped towards the contact floor.

Claims

1. An electrical terminal clamp comprising: a contact cage including, a contact floor, a contact ceiling, a first contact side wall and a second contact side wall that connect the contact floor and the contact ceiling, wherein the contact floor, the contact ceiling, the first contact side wall and the second contact side wall jointly form a conductor insertion channel; a conductor clamping device that includes at least one clamping spring that is preloaded against a reaction bearing; an insertion bevel for a conductor configured in a portion of the contact ceiling, wherein the insertion bevel is formed by a guide arm that extends from the contact ceiling in the conductor insertion direction and that is configured sloped towards the contact floor, wherein the contact ceiling is configured in two components with a separation gap there between oriented in the conductor insertion direction, wherein the guide arm is attached exclusively at one component of the two components of the contact ceiling, and wherein the guide arm includes an edge oriented transversal to the insertion direction and facing the other of the two components of the contact ceiling.

2. The electrical terminal clamp according to claim 1, wherein the conductor clamping device is formed by a clamping spring that extends from the first contact side wall in the conductor insertion direction and by a reaction bearing that extends from the second contact side wall in the conductor insertion direction.

3. The electric s terminal clamp according to claim 2, wherein the at least one clamping spring or the reaction bearing support the guide arm.

4. The electrical terminal clamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one clamping spring or the reaction bearing include, tool engagement devices configured to open the clamping device.

5. The electrical terminal clamp according to claim 4, wherein the guide arm includes a free end that is oriented away from the contact ceiling and that is arranged upstream of the tool engagement devices in the conductor insertion direction.

6. The electrical terminal clamp according to claim 1, wherein the conductor insertion channel has a substantially rectangular cross section, and wherein the first contact side wall and the second contact side wall are oriented orthogonal to the contact floor and the contact ceiling.

7. The electrical terminal clamp according to claim 1, wherein the contact ceiling is attached at the first contact side wall or the second contact side wall exclusively at one side of the contact ceiling.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages of the invention and a better comprehension thereof can be derived from the subsequent description of an advantageous embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a circuit board with two terminal clamps according to the invention that are arranged adjacent to one another;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates the representation of FIG. 1 supplemented by a terminal conductor and without the insulating synthetic material housing;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates an electrical terminal clamp with an inserted connection conductor;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates the representation according to FIG. 3 without the terminal conductor;

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view in the sectional plane A-A in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view according to FIG. 5 without the circuit board; and

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the terminal clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) The electrical terminal clamp according to the invention is designated overall with reference numeral 10 in the drawing figures.

(10) In FIG. 1 the electrical terminal clamp 10 includes an insulating material housing 11 and is placed on a schematically illustrated circuit board 12.

(11) The insulating material housing 11 includes a collar 13 that envelops a conductor insertion opening 14 that is formed by the insulating material housing 11 and that is arranged upstream of the conductor insertion opening 15 of the electrical terminal clamps 10 in the conductor insertion direction x.

(12) Furthermore, the insulating material housing 11 includes a tool recess 17 in a ceiling wall 16 wherein a tool is insertable into the insulating material housing 11 through the tool recess 17 in order to open a clamping device 18 of the electrical terminal clamp 10.

(13) The insulating material housing 11 includes a rear wall 19 at a side that is oriented away from the collar, Additionally, the insulating material housing 11 includes two side walls 20 arranged opposite to each other.

(14) FIG. 4 illustrates the electrical terminal clamp 10 by itself. The electrical terminal clamp 10 includes a contact floor 21 where two contact side walls 22 are integrally formed that extend upward approximately orthogonal to the contact floor 21. A contact ceiling 23 is integrally formed at the contact side walls 22 and oriented approximately parallel to the contact floor 21. The contact floor 21 envelops a conductor insertion channel 24 together with the contact side walls 22 and the contact ceiling 23.

(15) The contact floor 21 includes a first contact base 25 at an end that is upstream of the conductor insertion opening 15 of the conductor insertion channel 24 in the insertion direction x and includes a second contact base 26 at an end that is downstream of the conductor insertion channel 24 in the conductor insertion direction x. The first and the second contact base are arranged in a common plane. A section of the contact floor 21 that forms the channel floor 27 of the conductor insertion channel 24 is arranged in the same plane as the contact bases 25 and 26. The contact floor 21 is raised relative to the plane of the contact bases 25, 26 in a direction towards the contact ceiling between the channel floor 27 and the second contact base 26 that is arranged at a rear end of the electrical terminal clamp 10.

(16) The contact side walls 22 extend from the section of the contact base 21 that forms the channel base 27 and do not extend in the conductor insertion direction x beyond a length of the channel floor 27. Therefore, the contact side walls 22 can also be designated as channel side walls.

(17) Likewise, the contact ceiling 23 extends in the conductor insertion direction x at the most over a length of the channel base so that the contact ceiling 23 can also be designated as channel ceiling.

(18) The channel ceiling 23 is configured in two components wherein a separation gap 28 that extends in the conductor insertion direction x between the two ceiling elements. Ideally the separation gap divides the contact ceiling in half, A contact ceiling thus provided assures symmetrical opening of the clamping springs that form the clamping location when the conductor is inserted. Thus, both clamping springs are deflected identically. This improves support of the conductor and is furthermore essential for a subsequent opening of the clamping device. Only the symmetrical deflection of the clamping springs assures that a disengagement tool can open both clamping springs when the disengagement tool is inserted into the clamping device which is in particular due to the small dimensions of the clamping device.

(19) The cross section of the conductor insertion channel 24 is essentially rectangular and approximately square in an advantageous embodiment. The channel side walls 22, the channel base 21 as well as the channel ceiling 23 are essentially non-cambered. They are only cambered in corner portions where the channel side walls 22 transition into the channel floor 21 or the channel ceiling 23. These radii are essentially due to the fabrication techniques. These are bending radii that are caused by stamping and bending the electrical terminal clamp 10 from a metal blank.

(20) The rectangular, advantageously square cross section of the conductor insertion channel 24 has a substantial advantage over a rounded, in particular circular conductor insertion channel 24 that the cross sectional surface is larger for identical outer dimensions with respect to width and height. This facilitates automated insertion of connection conductors since larger tolerances are possible with respect to positioning the insertion tool relative to the electrical terminal clamp 10.

(21) Two clamping springs 30 extend from the channel or contact side walls 22 in the conductor insertion direction x wherein free ends of the clamping springs contact each other in a portion of a vertical longitudinal sectional plane of the electrical terminal clamp 10 that extends in the conductor insertion direction x. In an advantageous embodiment the free ends of the clamping arms that contact each other are spring loaded. However, it is sufficient when the clamping springs 30 are sufficiently proximal to each other with their free ends. Depending on the conductor cross sections provided even a gap between the free ends can be tolerated. The clamping springs 38 form the clamping device 18 of the electrical terminal clamp 18.

(22) Thus, a respective tool engagement device 31 extends in upward direction, thus away from the contact base at each clamping spring 30. These are spreading tongues 32 that are deflected slightly outward. An opening tool can be inserted between the spreading tongues to spread the clamping springs 30 and to open the clamping device 18 to provide no resistance insertion or removal of a connecting conductor.

(23) In order to assure reliable feeding of the connection conductor to the clamping device 18 a guide arm 33 extends from the contact or channel ceiling 23 in the conductor insertion direction x and is configured sloped in a direction towards the contact floor 21 from the location where it is connected to the contact ceiling 23. Therefore, the free end of the guide arm 33 is closer to the contact floor 21 than a root of the guide arm that is connected to the contact ceiling 23.

(24) In the embodiment where the contact or channel ceiling 23 is configured in two components the guide arm 33 only originates from the first ceiling portion 34. The second ceiling portion 35 is configured without the guide arm. However, the guide arm 33 spans the channel width so that a conductor that is to be inserted cannot exit the channel or the clamping portion that is arranged behind the conductor insertion channel in an upward direction thus in a direction that is oriented away from the channel base.

(25) The guide arm 33 can contact the clamping springs 30 which then form a reaction bearing. This has the essential advantage that the maximum possible inclination of the guide arm 33 towards the contact floor 21 is useable for conductor guidance. It is appreciated that the free end of the support arm 33 is arranged in the conductor insertion direction x upstream of the tool engagement devices 31 of the clamping springs 30 so that free access to the tool engagements devices 31 is assured. Furthermore, the guide arm 33 has a trapezoid expansion in an end section that is proximal to the free end in order to prevent an entry of the free guide arm end into the clamping device 18 when the clamping device 18 is open by a maximum amount since this would prevent a reset of the spread, opened clamping springs 30 and thus cause a defect of the electrical terminal clamp 10.

(26) FIG. 3 illustrates a representation analogous to FIG. 4 with the difference that a connection conductor 36, a cable with an insulation stripped end was inserted in conductor insertion direction x through the conductor insertion opening 15 and the conductor insertion channel 24 into the clamping device 18. Thus, the clamping springs 30 are spread outward so that a spring tension was created that is oriented opposite to the spreading movement. The clamping edges of the clamping springs 30 contact the insulation stripped end of the connection conductor 36 and retain the connection conductor in the clamping device 18 against retraction forces.

(27) FIG. 2 illustrates the representation according to FIG. 1, however omitting the insulation material housing 11. Thus, the connection conductor 36 recited supra is inserted in one of the two terminal clamps. The electrical terminal clamps 10 contact the circuit board 12 with contact bases 25 and 26 on contact surfaces 37 of the circuit board and are attached to the contact surface in an electrically conductive manner e.g., by a soldering process.

(28) FIGS. 5 and 6 show the electrical terminal clamp 10 including the insulation material housing 11 and the circuit board 12 in a sectional view according to section line A-A in FIG. 1. From these illustrations it is evident that the collar 13 of the insulation material housing 11 is arranged upstream of the conductor insertion opening 15 or the conductor insertion channel 24 of the electrical terminal clamp 10 in the conductor insertion direction x. It is furthermore evident that the tool recess 17 of the insulation material housing 11 is arranged above the tool engagements 31 of the clamping springs 30 so that a disengagement tool is insertable into the clamping device 18 through the tool recess 17.

(29) FIGS. 5 and 6 show the slope of the guide arm 33 in a direction towards the contact floor 21 and the associated guide effect for a connection conductor 36 in a direction towards the clamping device 18. Due to the guide arm 33 an escapement of the connection conductor 36, in particular of its insulation stripped end that is to be fed to the clamping device 18 is excluded in an upward direction towards the insulation material housing 11. This assures reliable contacting between the electrical terminal clamp 10 and the connection conductor 36 in the clamping device 18.

(30) FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the electrical terminal clamp 10. The representation of FIG. 7 thus corresponds to the representation of FIG. 6, only the contact ceiling 23 is configured differently. In so far, the description regarding the first embodiment that is illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 also applies to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7. In this second embodiment the contact ceiling 23 that is divided in two in conductor insertion direction x is sloped in a direction towards the contact floor 21, wherein the slope of the contact ceiling 23 corresponds to the slope of the guide arm 33. This prevents a contacting of the conductor 36 at a kink that is provided in the first embodiment between the contact ceiling 23 and the guide arm 33 when the conductor 36 is inserted into the clamping device.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

(31) 10 electrical terminal clamp 11 insulating material housing 12 circuit board 13 collar of 12 14 conductor insertion recess 15 conductor insertion opening 16 ceiling wall 17 tool recess 18 clamping device of 10 19 rear wall of 11 20 side wall 21 contact floor 22 contact side wall 23 contact ceiling 24 conductor insertion channel 25 first contact base 26 second contact base 27 channel floor 28 separation gap 30 clamping spring 31 tool engagement device 32 spreading tong 33 guide arm 34 first ceiling component 35 second ceiling component 36 connection conductor 37 contact surface x conductor insertion direction