WO1999065114A2 - Connecting terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to clamp several conductors (18, 19) of various diameters (d1,d2) closely together in a reliable manner and to connect them using a connecting terminal (1) comprising both a clamping part (3) that is movably fixed by means of a clamping screw (4) and provided with a cutting element (12) in addition to comprising a contact part (2) that is also provided with a cutting element (16, 17), at least the clamping area (8) of said contact part (2) is configured on a slant, running perpendicular to the direction (11) in which the conductors (18, 19) are introduced.

Description

description

Connector

The invention relates to a terminal for contacting a number of non-stripped electrical conductors by means of a clamping part which is movably held by a clamping screw and is supported on one side of the clamping screw on a contact part and on the other side of the clamping screw on the conductor, the Clamping part and the contact part in the clamping area have a number of cutting elements.

Such a terminal is known from DE-AS 22 29 835. It is used to connect an electrical conductor to a device using a clamping screw. For this purpose, the conductor is guided between a clamping part (clamping disc) and a contact part of the terminal and contacted without stripping by moving the clamping part towards the contact part by means of the clamping screw. Cutting elements provided on the clamping part and on the contact part penetrate the insulation of the conductor until contact is made with the conductor wire. By means of the connecting terminal, current conduction from the conductor to the contact part is thus achieved while simultaneously fixing the conductor.

The known connection terminal is provided for the contact of only one conductor, wherein conductors of different cross-sections can be used. For this purpose, the clamping part is lifted more or less from the contact part by means of the clamping screw. If several conductors with different cross-sections are to be contacted, a separate connection terminal must be provided for each of these conductors.

The invention has for its object to provide a terminal of the type mentioned, by means of at least two conductors in any cross-sectional pairing can be safely contacted in one terminal point with the smallest possible dimension of the connecting terminal.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. For this purpose, the contact part in the clamping region is preferably designed to run obliquely transverse to the direction of insertion of the conductor.

In addition, the clamping part is preferably also formed with a suitably comparatively small inclination. The angle of inclination of the clamping part is approximately 25 °, while the angle of inclination of the contact part is preferably approximately 30 °. This makes double or multiple contacting possible in that two or more conductors arranged in parallel next to one another and having different cross sections are simultaneously contacted and clamped without one of the conductors being cut when the terminal point is closed.

The contact part formed from a contact plate is expediently at the same time the switching element of a switching device, only the connection or clamping area being shaped obliquely. This makes it possible to clamp and contact two non-stripped conductors with a cross section of, for example, 2.5 mm ² in the same clamping area or bed width, which was previously only possible with stripped conductors. This represents a significant gain in space.

Two rows are expediently provided with from the contact part

Cutting teeth of different heights for contacting - and thus for a current transfer from the conductor to the contact part - molded on. The different height of the cutting teeth ensures that both a small cross section, for example 0.5 mm ² , and a comparatively large cross section, eg 2.5 mm ² , individually or in combination is contacted safely.

In order to reliably prevent the conductors to be connected, even of different cross-sections, the contact part expediently has a stop or support leg for the clamping part on the side of the clamping screw facing the clamping region. In the case of a contact plate provided as a contact part, this is preferably molded out of the latter. For the same purpose, the

Cutting teeth across the width of the contact part are not continuous, but rather interrupted. In the direction of insertion of the or each conductor in front of the cutting element of the contact part, a conductor insertion bevel is expediently embossed therefrom.

The clamping part is moved down towards the contact part by means of the clamping screw. As a result, the conductors previously inserted into the connection terminal are pressed into the cutting teeth, the insulation being cut through and an electrical contact being made to the contact part. For this purpose, the clamping screw is guided through a through hole provided in the clamping part, the diameter of which is selected such that movement of the clamping part in the insertion direction of the conductor and thus in the direction of the conductor axis is possible when the clamping screw is screwed on and loosened. An annular bead preferably provided on the clamping screw and a corresponding embossing in the area of the through hole of the clamping part enable the clamping part to be raised automatically when the connecting terminal is opened. This enables the contact connection to be released easily and securely by the clamping part moving upward away from the contact part when the clamping screw is rotated accordingly. In a particularly expedient embodiment, the cutting element of the clamping part is mounted so as to be pivotable about an axis running in the direction of insertion of the conductor. The cutting element of the clamping part itself is also made up of two cutting edges of different heights. This ensures safe contacting of conductors with both a small and a comparatively large cross-section. In order to ensure reliable contact and a secure hold of the conductors in the connecting terminal and to reliably prevent the conductors from being severed, the cutting edges of the clamping part are offset from the cutting teeth of the contact part. The rotatable mounting of the cutting element of the clamping part also enables a particularly reliable adaptation to the inclined contour of the contact part and to the different diameters of the clamped conductors. A stop of the contact part, which is provided on the side of the clamping screw facing away from the clamping area and is directed towards the contact part, additionally prevents any of the clamped conductors from being severed.

The advantages achieved by the invention are, in particular, that in a screwable terminal with a clamping part and with a contact part, a quasi-conical clamping area with an oblique contact part in this area allows several conductors of different diameters to be reliably clamped and contacted side by side. This allows double or multiple contacting by means of a single connecting terminal in a simple and space-saving manner. At least two electrical conductors, the conductor cores of which are solid, fine or multi-wire, can be used by means of a clamping screw over a cross-sectional area of at least 0.5 mm ² to 2.5 mm ² in a single clamping point with an inimitable dimension regardless of the thickness the conductor insulation and be contacted without stripping from the insulating material. A cut of one or each conductor when closing the terminal point is reliably prevented.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. In it show:

1 shows a perspective view of a connecting terminal for several conductors on a switching element of a switching device,

2 shows the connecting terminal according to FIG. 1 in front view,

3 shows the connecting terminal according to FIG. 2 in longitudinal section along the line III-III,

4 shows a perspective view of the connecting terminal with two clamped different conductors

Diameter, and

5 shows the terminal according to FIG 4 in longitudinal section along the line V-V.

Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference symbols in all figures.

The connecting terminal 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a fixed contact part 2 in the form of a contact plate and a clamping part 3 movably arranged above it as a clamping or roof disk as well as a clamping screw 4. The clamping screw 4 is guided on the shaft side through a through hole or through opening 5 in the clamping part 3 and screwed into a threaded passage 6 of the contact part 2 (FIG. 3).

The clamping part 3 is L-shaped and is supported by means of its leg 7 serving as a support on the side of the clamping screw 4 facing away from a clamping area 8 in a support point 9 on the contact part 2. In the clamping area 8 is the clamping part 3 at an angle of inclination α (FIG 2) formed obliquely. In this clamping area 8, a cutting element 12 with two cutting edges 12a and 12b arranged one behind the other in the insertion direction 11 of a conductor (FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) is provided at the free end 10 of the clamping part 3. The cutting element 12 is rotatably mounted on the clamping part 3 by means of a bolt 13 about an axis 13 ′ running parallel to the conductor axis. For this purpose, the cutting element 12 and the bolt 13 are expediently formed from one part, for example as a sintered part, and are therefore formed in one piece or in one piece. The rear cutting edge 12b in the insertion direction 11 has a greater height h than the front cutting edge 12a (FIG. 3).

On the side of the clamping screw 4 facing the clamping area 8, the contact part 2 has a stop 14 for the clamping part 3 which is formed from the contact plate and points in the direction of the clamping part 3. Furthermore, the contact part 2 has an embossing 15 extending transversely to the insertion direction 11 over at least approximately the width of the clamping area 8 as an insertion aid for the or each conductor. The contact part 2 is also provided in the clamping area 8 with a cutting element formed from two rows of cutting teeth 16, 17. The cutting teeth 16, 17 are arranged offset with respect to the cutting edges 12a, 12b of the cutting element 12 of the clamping part 2. The front row of the cutting element of the contact part 2 comprises two cutting teeth 16, while the rear row has three cutting teeth 17 (FIG 1). The height h 'of the rear cutting teeth 17 in the insertion direction 11 is again greater than that of the front cutting teeth 16. The front cutting teeth 16 are provided with an insertion bevel, while the rear cutting teeth 17 are chamfered in opposite directions.

The contact part 2 is in the clamping area 8 with an inclination angle β - compared to a horizontally running clamping rich - trained obliquely. The angle of inclination β is expediently greater than the angle of inclination α of the clamping part 3. The angles of inclination are α = (25 ± 5) ° and β = (35 ± 5) °, preferably α = 25 ° and β = 30 °. This inclined position of the contact part 2 transversely to the insertion direction 11 makes it possible to make multiple contacts (FIG. 4 and 5) in a single terminal point with particularly small dimensions.

Due to the inclination, in particular, of the contact part 2 in the clamping area 8, it is thus possible in a particularly simple manner, for example to arrange two conductors 18 and 19 with different diameters d _x and d ₂ next to one another in the clamping area 8 and to clamp them in contacting manner, as in FIG. 4 shown. The diameter path di of the conductor 18 is, for example, 2.5 mm ² , while the diameter d _{2 of} the conductor 19 is, for example, 0.5 mm ² . 5 shows the clamped state of the conductors 18, 19 in the longitudinal section of the conductor 18. At least the cutting edge 12b of the clamping part 3 and one or two cutting teeth 17 of the contact part 2 penetrate the insulation 20 completely as far as the conductor wire 21 of the conductor 18, 19. As a result With a secure hold of each conductor 18, 19 clamped without stripping, reliable contact is provided for current conduction between each conductor 18, 19 and the contact part 2.

For terminal contacting - for example by turning the clamping screw 4 to the right - the connecting terminal 1 is brought from the position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 into the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This is supported

Clamping part 3, on the one hand, via its stop leg 7 at the support point 9 of the contact part 2 and, on the other hand, on the conductors 18, 19, while the movable cutting edges 12a, 12b penetrate the insulation 20 of the conductors 18, 19. Simultaneously tig, the cutting teeth 16, 17 of the contact part 2 are also pressed through the insulation 20 through to the conductor core 21 of each conductor 18, 19.

The stop 14 reliably prevents the conductors 18, 19 from being severed. This is also ensured by the offset arrangement of the cutting edges 12a, 12b of the clamping part 3 on the one hand and the rows of teeth 16, 17 of the contact part 2 on the other hand. This offset arrangement also ensures that the conductors 18, 19 are held securely in the connecting terminal 1. The different heights h, h 'of the cutting edges 12a, 12b and the cutting teeth 16, 17 also provide reliable contacting of the conductors 18, 19 small and with large cross sections.

Due to the rotatable mounting of the cutting element 12 of the clamping part 2, an adaptation to the contact part 2, which runs obliquely in the clamping area 8 transversely to the insertion direction 11, and to the different diameters d, d _{2 of} the conductors 18, 19 clamped next to one another is particularly good advantageous way possible. For secure clamping and for reliable contacting, the clamping screw 4 is expediently tightened to a predetermined torque required for penetrating the conductor insulation 20.

The clear width of the through bore 5 is dimensioned in relation to the shank thickness of the clamping screw 4 such that a movement of the clamping part 3 remains possible at least in the insertion direction 11 when screwing on and loosening the clamping screw 4. An annular bead 22 on the screw shaft and a corresponding embossing 23, which is in operative engagement with it, in the area of the ^' through-hole 4 of the clamping part 3 enable the clamping part 3 to be raised automatically when the clamping screw 4 is loosened. The clamping part 3 moves, for example when the clamping screw is turned to the left 4 up so that a simple and safe loosening of the contact connection in the clamping area 8 is achieved.

The housing shown only hinted in FIG 1 is part of a switching device. This is expediently designed such that the contact part 2 can be clamped in a simple and time-saving manner. In addition, conductors 18 with a small diameter d - and thus conductors

18 with cross sections <0.5 mm ² - and with a comparatively large diameter d ₂ and cross sections> 2.5 m ² can be safely contacted in any position. A switch contact 25 of the contact part 2 can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5.

Claims

claims 1. Terminal for contacting a number of non-bisolated electrical conductors (18, 19) by means of a clamping part (3) which is movably held by a clamping screw (4) and on one side of the clamping screw (4) on a contact part (2) and on the other side of the clamping screw (4) on the conductor (18, 19), the clamping part (3) and the contact part (2) in the clamping area (8) having a number of cutting elements (12, -16, 17 ), characterized in that the contact part (2) in the clamping area (8) is designed to run obliquely transversely to the insertion direction (11) of the conductor (18, 19). 2. Terminal according to claim 1, d a d u r c h g ek e n n z e i c h n e t that the clamping part (3) in the clamping area (8) in the same direction to the contact part (2) is formed obliquely. 3. Terminal according to claim 2, so that the angle of inclination (α) of the clamping part (3) is smaller than the angle of inclination (β) of the contact part (2). 4. Terminal according to claim 2 or 3, so that the inclination angle (α) of the clamping part (3) is between α = 20 ° and α = 30 °, preferably α = 25 °. 5. Terminal according to one of claims 2 to 4, d urch characterized in that the angle of inclination (β) of the contact part (2) between ß = 25 ° and ß = 40 °, preferably ß = 30 °. 6. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 5, d ad characterized in that the cutting element of the contact part (2) in the clamping region (8) two rows of cutting teeth (16) arranged one behind the other in the insertion direction (11) of the conductor (18, 19) , 17). 7. Terminal according to claim 6, so that the cutting teeth (17) in the insertion direction (11) have a higher height (h ') than the front cutting teeth (16) compared to the front cutting teeth (16). 8. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 7, that the contact part (2) has a stop (14) for the clamping part (3) on the side of the clamping screw (4) facing the clamping region (8). 9. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 8, that the contact part (2) in the insertion direction (11) in front of the cutting element (16, 17) has an embossing (15) as an insertion aid. 10. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 9, d urch characterized in that the through a through hole (5) in the clamping part (3) guided clamping screw (4) on the shaft side has an annular bead (22) with an embossing (23) in the Through opening (5) for self-lifting of the clamping part (3) is in active engagement. 11. Terminal according to one of claims 1 to 10, d urch characterized in that the cutting element (12) of the clamping part (3) about an in the direction of insertion (11) of the conductor (18, 19) ^' axis (13') is pivotable.