SET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ADAPTER PLATES, ADAPTER PLATE OF SUCH A SET, AND CONDUCTOR TERMINAL BLOCK

Abstract

A set is provided that includes a plurality of adapter plates for connecting conductor terminals of different sizes. An adapter plate of such a set and a conductor terminal block which is modularly constructed from individual conductor terminals and adapter plates of such a set, are also provided.

Claims

1. A set comprising: at least two adapter plates to connect conductor terminals of different sizes, each of the at least two adapter plates have a plate-shaped base body with a first connection side and a second connection side facing away from the first connection side, first connecting elements provided on the base body on the first connection side, the first connecting elements configured to be connected to connecting elements of a conductor terminal, the connecting elements being designed as counterparts to the first connecting elements, second connecting elements provided on the base body on the second connection side, the second connecting elements configured to be connected to second connecting elements of an adjacent adapter plate, the second connecting elements being designed as counterparts; and at least two adapter plates with base bodies of different sizes, a size of the base bodies being adapted to a size of a conductor terminal to be connected to the first connection side of the adapter plate.

2. The set according to claim 1, wherein the adapter plates with differently sized base bodies each have connection-compatible second connecting elements on their second connection sides so that conductor terminals of different sizes are adapted to be connected to one another via adapter plates with differently sized base bodies, and wherein the conductor terminals of different sizes are connected to one another via the second connecting elements on the second connection sides of adjacent adapter plates.

3. The set according to claim 1, wherein the set for the conductor terminals of different sizes each has a left-sided adapter plate, which is adapted to be connected with its first connection side to a left housing side of the conductor terminal, and a right-sided adapter plate, which is adapted to be connected with its first connection side to the right housing side of the conductor terminal.

4. The set according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting elements and/or the second connecting elements are designed as positive-locking connecting elements or as latching elements.

5. The set according to claim 1, wherein the adapter plates of the set are configured to connect the conductor terminals to one another in identical spatial alignment of their conductor connection side.

6. The set according to claim 1, wherein the adapter plate has a plate-shaped base body with a first connection side and a second connection side facing away from the first connection side, wherein, on the first connection side, the base body has first connecting elements that are configured to be connected to connecting components of a conductor terminal, the components being designed as counterparts to the first connecting elements, and wherein on the second connection side the base body has second connecting elements, which are configured to be connected to second connecting elements of an adjacent adapter plate, the elements being designed as counterparts.

7. A conductor terminal block, which is modularly constructed from individual conductor terminals and adapter plates of a set according to claim 1, the conductor terminal block comprising: at least two conductor terminals of different sizes, wherein a first adapter plate is connected with its first connection side to at least one conductor terminal of a first size and a second adapter plate is connected with its first connection side to at least one adjacent conductor terminal of a second size, which differs from the first size, and wherein the first and second adapter plates are connected to one another via their respective second connection sides.

8. The conductor terminal block according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of conductor terminals of the same size are connected directly immediately adjacent to one another without an adapter plate being arranged therebetween.

9. The conductor terminal block according to claim 7, wherein at least one conductor terminal has a housing which has an open housing side on one side, and wherein the open housing side is covered by an end plate attached to the housing or an adapter plate.

10. The conductor terminal block according to claim 9, wherein an adapter plate is attached with its first connection side to the end plate.

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. 1 shows a set of multiple adapter plates;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a conductor terminal and two adapter plates in a first view;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows the conductor terminal with the adapter plates according to FIG. 2 in a second view;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a conductor terminal block in an example;

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a conductor terminal block in an example; and

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a conductor terminal block in an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a set of adapter plates 3, 4, which comprises left-sided adapter plates 3 and right-sided adapter plates 4. Adapter plates 3, 4 each have a plate-shaped base body 5, wherein in the case of left-sided adapter plates 3 and right-sided adapter plates 4, base bodies 5 each have four different sizes so that they can be attached to conductor terminals of four different sizes.

[0040] Each adapter plate 3, 4 has a first connection side 1 on base body 5 and a second connection side 2 facing away from first connection side 1. Base body 5 has first connecting elements 10 on first connection side 1 and second connecting elements 20 on second connection side 2. First connecting elements 10 are each designed as counterparts to connecting components on the housings of the conductor terminals. Second connecting elements 20 of left-sided adapter plates 3 are designed as counterparts to second connecting elements 20 of right-sided adapter plates 4, so that in each case a left-sided adapter plate 3 can be plugged together at its second connection side 2 with second connection side 2 of a right-sided adapter plate 4.

[0041] In this regard, left-sided adapter plates 3 of different sizes each have second connecting elements 20 which are connection-compatible with second connecting elements 20 of right-sided adapter plates 4 of any size; i.e., irrespective of the size of base body 5, second connecting elements 20 are each attached at the same positions relative to one another and relative to a reference position of base body 5, e.g., always at the front bottom corner facing the conductor insertion side.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows four conductor terminals 30 plugged together to form a conductor terminal block. Conductor terminals 30 each have a disk-like housing 31, on the left housing side 34 of which there are connection components 36 for plugging together and on the right housing side 35 of which connection components 37 are disposed that are connection-compatible with left-sided connection components 36. Conductor terminals 30 each have a conductor insertion opening 33 on one conductor insertion side 32, through which an electrical conductor can be inserted into housing 31. The designations left housing side and right housing side refer to a viewing direction of the conductor terminal that is directed towards conductor insertion side 32. Then the left housing side 34 is on the left and the right housing side 35 is on the right.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows conductor terminals 30 each viewed in a direction towards left housing side 34. FIG. 3 shows the same arrangement as FIG. 2, in a viewing direction towards right housing side 35.

[0044] As can be seen, a left-sided adapter plate 3 can be attached with its first connection side 1 to left housing side 34. A right-sided adapter plate 4 can be attached with its first connection side 1 to right housing side 35.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows the assembly of conductor terminals 30 of the size, as has been explained in FIGS. 2 and 3, with conductor terminals 40 of a larger size to form a conductor terminal block. Conductor terminals 30 of the smaller size, which are plugged together, are closed on the left side with a left-sided adapter plate 3 and on the right side with a right-sided adapter plate 4. In a similar way, multiple conductor terminals 40 of the larger size are plugged together and this plugged-together block is covered on the left side by a left-sided adapter plate 3, selected to match the size, and on the right side by a right-sided adapter plate 4. These two sub blocks of conductor terminals 30, 40 are connected to one another via right-sided adapter plate 4 of conductor terminals 30 and left-sided adapter plate 3 of conductor terminals 40, wherein adapter plates 3, 4, which have different sizes at this connection point, are connected to one another via their respective second connection sides 2 and second connecting elements 20.

[0046] As can be seen, the adapter plates can be designed in such a way that conductor terminals 30, 40 of different sizes are assembled on conductor insertion side 32 in alignment with one another, i.e., without offset, to form a conductor terminal block. In addition, the arrangement of conductor terminals 30, 40 can be aligned on the underside of the housing; i.e., there is no offset on the underside of the housing.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a conductor terminal block formed with adapter plates 3, 4 of the invention from conductor terminals 30 of a small size, as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, with conductor terminals 60 of a fourth size attached adjacent thereto and conductor terminals 50 of a third size attached thereto in turn. In this case, the fourth size is larger than the third size, and the third size is larger than the first size. Conductor terminals 30, 50, 60 of different sizes can in turn be connected to one another by two directly adjacent adapter plates 3, 4 which are plugged together.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows an example in which conductor terminals 30, 60, 50, which are plugged together, are covered by an additional end plate 6 on right housing side 35 of the last conductor connection terminal, i.e., the housing side that thus remains open. A right-sided adapter plate 4 is then placed on end plate 6, which is then connected to a left-sided adapter plate 3 of a different size.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows an example of a conductor terminal block in which, viewed from the left, conductor terminals 30 of the first size are arranged first, then conductor terminals 40 of a second size, then conductor terminals 50 of the third size, then conductor terminals 60 of the fourth size, then again conductor terminals 50 of the third size, then conductor terminals 40 of the second size, and finally at the end again conductor terminals 30 of the first size. Two adapter plates which are plugged together are again located between the conductor terminals of different sizes; i.e. a right-sided adapter plate 4 is plugged together with a left-sided adapter plate 3.

[0050] 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.