AU1733899A

AU1733899A - A terminal strip and an overvoltage protection magazine attachable to a terminal strip

Info

Publication number: AU1733899A
Application number: AU17338/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wolfgang Edelmann; Norbert Gaertner
Original assignee: Quante GmbH
Current assignee: 3M Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 1998-02-17
Filing date: 1999-02-16
Publication date: 1999-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 2019-02-16
Also published as: AU746776B2; DK199900207A; GB9903540D0; GB2337872B; ZA991185B; GB2337872A; DE29802727U1

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant:' Actual Inventors: Address for Service: QUANTE AG Norbert GAERTNER Wolfgang EDELMANN CULLEN

CO.,

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

A TERMINAL STRIP AND AN OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION MAGAZINE ATTACHABLE TO A TERMINAL STRIP Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us A terminal strip and an overvoltage protection magazine attachable to a terminal strip Technical field The invention relates to a telecommunications engineering terminal strip according to the preamble of claim 1 and an overvoltage protection magazine attachable to a terminal strip according to the preamble of claim In telecommunications engineering and data technology, use is commonly made of strip-shaped components which comprise two rows of contacts each connected together in pairs so that two wires connected to respective contacts can be connected together. Since the occurrence of voltages that are too high in the wires and/or contacts can destroy downstream electronic components, use is made of overvoltage protection magazines which produce a leakage to the earth when a specific voltage S. is exceeded, thus protecting the aforementioned components.

S•

Prior art A terminal strip according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE 28 11 812 C2 and comprises at its lateral edge a continuous recess or aperture into which an earth contact of an overvoltage protection magazine can be introduced. In order to contact a portion of a carrier system, to which the terminal strip is attachable, the aperture is continuous in design so that the earth contact of a mounted overvoltage protection magazine passes through the terminal strip and enters into electrically conducting connection with the portion of the carrier system. By means of the continuous aperture formed on the lateral edge, one specific adapted overvoltage protection magazine can be used at a time to contact a specific carrier system.

An overvoltage protection magazine according to the preamble of claim 5 is known for example from DE 44 28 198 Cl and is attachable to a terminal strip in such a way that earth contacts formed at both lateral edges of the overvoltage protection magazine are in conducting connection with a metallic carrier system onto which the terminal strip can lock. In other words, the terminal strip is fitted via suitable catch means to a carrier system e.g. in the form of rails extending in parallel or a trough with two parallel side walls. The associated overvoltage protection magazine is designed such that when fitted onto the terminal strip, the magazine's two laterally shaped earth contacts are in conducting connection with the rails or side walls of the carrier system. If a specific maximum voltage is exceeded, the respective current path in the overvoltage protection magazine is earthed to the carrier system via the laterally shaped earth contact.

Overvoltage protection magazines which are assigned to specific terminal strips are usually adapted such as to enable just the earthing via a quite specific carrier system. The design of the lateral earth contacts does in fact considerably depend on the carrier system's shape and dimensions, since the earth contacts reach through the continuous aperture formed in the lateral edge region of the terminal strip and contact the carrier system. According to DE 44 28 198 C1, an earth adapter is provided for a strip which can lock onto two different types of carrier system, thus making earthing possible without any changes to the overvoltage protection magazine adapted to the strip. This additional component does, however, render the entire resultant configuration unnecessarily complicated.

Another overvoltage protection magazine is known from DE 30 14 796 C3 and comprises two laterally shaped earth contacts which ensure contacting with just a single type of carrier system.

Description of the invention The invention is based on the object of designing a terminal strip to which an overvoltage protection magazine is attachable, and designing an overvoltage protection magazine which, by being fitted onto a terminal strip, enables earth contacting with the particular carrier system to which the terminal strip is attached. In the case of different carrier systems, the terminal strip and overvoltage protection magazine are intended to permit reliable contacting with the overvoltage protection magazine's earth contacts and are also intended to be simple in structure.

This object is solved by the terminal strip described in claim 1.

S" The terminal strip according to the invention is therefore provided, in at least one lateral edge region, with at least one further recess into which a contact of an overvoltage protection magazine can be introduced. This recess may be a continuous aperture delimited by material on all sides, as is known according to the prior art for the sole recess formed in a lateral edge portion of a strip. The continuous aperture to a certain extent forms a channel through which the earth contact of an overvoltage protection magazine can be introduced. The additional recess according to the invention may, however, be designed as a laterally open guide groove or notch, particularly at the outer-most edge of the strip. In this instance, the recess is therefore only delimited on three sides, thus allowing an inserted earth contact of an overvoltage protection magazine to be reliably guided in this version as well.

Two recesses are in any case present in at least one edge region of the terminal strip. As regards a terminal strip attachable to different carrier systems, this is a simple way of ensuring that a suitable overvoltage protection magazine can be fitted onto the terminal strip. The carrier systems may differ from one another in that lateral fastening portions, e.g. the lateral shanks of a trough-shaped carrier, are spaced a varying distance apart from one another. By designing a plurality of catch hooks in a special way, the strip according to the invention can be advantageously fitted onto such different carrier systems.

The formation of an additional recess in at least one lateral edge region of the strip also ensures that the strip can be fitted with a simply structured overvoltage protection magazine. For this purpose, the overvoltage protection magazine's earth contacts have to be adapted to the respective carrier system only with regard to their arrangement. The additional recess in the strip according to the invention makes it possible for the earth contact of the overvoltage protection magazine to be introduced into the recess so that it reaches as far as the carrier system and contacts same. The invention also relates to an overvoltage protection magazine a which comprises two earth contacts on at least one edge, allowing it to be fitted onto the aforementioned terminal strip and to be flexibly used with different carrier systems.

With regard to the strip according to the invention, the additional recess avoids e.g. the earth adapter known in the prior art from DE 44 28 198 C1. Although the strip described therein does, in the broadest sense, comprise two apertures formed from the upper side of the strip, only one of them is used to introduce an earth contact. This aperture is not continuous either, but merely serves to receive a portion of the aforementioned earth adapter contacted by the introduced earth contact of the overvoltage protection magazine. The earth adapter extends in an L shape from this aperture to another aperture which is open toward the underside of the strip, thus enabling the earth adapter to contact a section of the carrier system.

In accordance with the invention, this complicated measure is avoided by forming two recesses on at least one edge, these recesses enabling the earth contact to be introduced and passed through so as to contact directly with a portion of the carrier system. As mentioned, conventional terminal strips usually comprise at most a single through-aperture in both lateral edge regions so that just one specific overvoltage protection magazine suitable for a particular carrier system can be fitted on. In the case of the described strip with an earth adapter, only this complicated measure allows an overvoltage protection magazine usual for this strip to be used with a different type of carrier system. In contrast, the invention ensures increased flexibility by simple means. The invention can also be implemented by forming a first recess on the one edge this first recess enabling an overvoltage protection magazine to contact a first type of carrier system S. and by forming a second recess on the other edge this second recess enabling an overvoltage protection magazine to S* contact a second type of carrier system.

Preferred embodiments of the terminal strip according to the invention are described in the other claims.

Although the shape of the recesses formed in the lateral edge region of the terminal strip is in principle optional, elongated recesses are preferred for this purpose. The elongated recesses are also aligned such as to extend parallel to the extension of the terminal strip which has an elongated shape and which in its assembled state is usually attached transversely within a carrier system. The aforementioned elongated formation of the recesses entails the benefit that as regards a shank of an overvoltage protection magazine's earth contact, reliable contacting with the shank of a carrier system is ensured, this shank usually extending into the contact slot of the earth contact transverse to the aforementioned alignment of the elongated recess.

As regards the suitability of a simply designed overvoltage protection magazine, it is particularly preferred that the two recesses should be flush with one another. In other words, the elongated recesses aligned in the direction of the strip's longitudinal extension are located on a plane so that an overvoltage protection magazine can be fitted with a simply designed, largely flat stamped sheet metal part that comprises two earth contacts.

As regards the suitability of the terminal strip according to the invention with different carrier systems, there are also S"advantages if catch hooks, by means of which the terminal strip can lock onto different carrier systems, are each formed in the area of the recesses for the earth contacts. In particular, the respective recesses serving to introduce the S earth contacts can be connected to those recesses or continuous slots on the underside of the terminal strip's edge region; by means of these recesses the terminal strip can be a.

connected to different carrier systems using elongated fastening devices, e.g. the shanks of a trough.

The object according to the invention is also solved by the overvoltage protection magazine described in claim The overvoltage protection magazine according to the invention therefore comprises, on at least one of its lateral edges, at least one further contact to produce a conducting connection with a carrier system which differs from a first carrier system to which first earth contacts formed on the lateral edges are connectable. In other words, at least two earth contacts are provided on at least one lateral edge of the strip-shaped overvoltage protection magazine. As a result, the overvoltage protection magazine can be used with terminal strips which, as a result of designing specific features, are suitable for fitting onto different carrier systems. Depending on the type of carrier system to which such a strip is attached, the one or other earth contact formed laterally on the overvoltage protection magazine according to the invention engages with a portion of the carrier system and ensures earth contacting.

It is also conceivable that the overvoltage protection magazine according to the invention can be used together with different strips which are each designed for attachment to a specific type of carrier system. If it is ensured that such different terminal strips enable one and the same overvoltage protection magazine to be received, the overvoltage protection magazine according to the invention can be used with different S"types of terminal strip and can ensure earth contacting on the respective other different carrier systems.

.5.555 Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the other claims.

A particularly simple structure of the overvoltage protection S* magazine is obtained if all the earth contacts are integrally formed on one side of the magazine, i.e. are suitably stamped out of a metal sheet such that the resultant component comprises two or more earth contacts. It is also conceivable for individual earth contacts to be suitably bent off from a metal sheet or to be moulded thereon by suitable measures.

As regards the overvoltage protection magazine according to the invention, it is also preferred that at least one further contact is formed on both lateral edges of the magazine. In this way, reliable contacting with the different carrier systems, which usually consist of two rails, side walls or other suitable elements extending in parallel to one another, is ensured at both sides of the magazine.

8 A further aspect of the invention introduces a terminal strip which comprises at least one overvoltage protection magazine according to the invention. In this use, the magazine according to the invention ensures that the downstream electronic components connected to the terminal strip are reliably protected from damage as a result of voltages which exceed a specific limit value.

Short description of the drawings The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic depiction of the overvoltage

C*

protection magazine fitted onto a first type of S•carrier system;

C.

Fig. 2 shows a partially sectional representation, corresponding to Fig. 1, of the overvoltage protection magazine fitted onto a first type of CCo carrier system and fitted with an associated terminal strip; Ce ro Fig. 3 shows a depiction, corresponding to Fig. 2, of a terminal strip with an overvoltage protection magazine attached thereto, both being fitted onto a second type of carrier system; and Fig. 4 shows a horizontal projection of a terminal strip according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention's exemplary embodiments For a clearer layout, Fig. 1 depicts only the overvoltage protection magazine 10 without the terminal strip onto which it is fitted. In reality, the terminal strip is locked onto the depicted carrier system in the form of a trough 12 with two side walls 14. After fitting the overvoltage protection magazine 10 onto the terminal strip (not shown), the overvoltage protection magazine 10 exhibits in relation to the trough 12 which forms the carrier system in this particular instance the configurational relation indicated in Fig. 1. At this point, it should be noted that the trough 12 is the one known from DE 28 11 812 and widely used in telecommunications engineering.

The aforementioned terminal strips comprise contacts for the connection of a number of wires (not shown in Fig. Each of these contacts is assigned a portion 18 of the overvoltage protection magazine 10 identifiable in Fig. 1. The portion 18 extends into the current path between the respective contact Sand a contact arranged "behind it" (according to the depiction 9° 9 of Figs. 2 and As a result, the contacting voltage is tapped and conducted to a respective overvoltage protection S means 20, a plurality of which exists in the upper region in the overvoltage protection magazine 10 and is assigned to the 9*6 9 9*° S respective pairs of contacts.

If a specific maximum voltage is exceeded, the respective overvoltage means 20 is triggered in such a way as to establish a connection to a laterally shaped earth contact 22 and the further earth contact 26 which will be described L:o• below. As can be identified in Fig. 1, such earth contacts 22 are formed in the depicted exemplary embodiment on both lateral edges of the overvoltage protection magazine 10, and the two shanks of their U shape are in electrically conducting connection with the respective wall 14 of the trough 12. At their free ends, the two shanks are formed somewhat closer together than the width of the slot 24 defined by the shanks, thus always ensuring a reliable electrically conducting connection with the trough 12.

It can also be identified in Fig. 1 that the earth contacts 22 relate to outer earth contacts and that respective further inner earth contacts 26 are present at both lateral edges at sites located further inwards. In terms of their contact slot and the free ends of the contact shanks, these earth contacts 26 are similar in design to the outer earth contacts 22 and extend on a straight flap 28 from the region of the overvoltage protection magazine 10, which is provided with the overvoltage protection means 20, toward the trough 12. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the so-called respective outer earth contacts 22 are laterally connected to the respective flap 28 as an extension, so to speak. The respective contact slots of the earth contacts 22, 26 also extend in parallel to one another, which is expedient on account of the design of the different carrier systems for which the magazine 10 in the illustrated embodiment is C. S suitable. It should also be noted that the earth contacts 22, S• 26 are integrally formed together on each side and that it is :ego immediately evident from the depiction of Fig. 1 that the e respectively inner earth contact 26 extends further toward the carrier system 12 than the outer earth contact 22 does. In this embodiment, the overvoltage protection magazine is o* CS particularly well suited for use with a terminal strip which is suitable for attachment to different carrier systems. The other earth contact 22 could also be riveted, screwed or welded on or attached in any other electrically conducting manner.

5485 *~oeo Fig. 2 shows a partial section of the layout according to Fig.

1 with the associated terminal strip 30. The arrangement of the overvoltage protection magazine 10 on the trough 12 corresponds to the conditions according to Fig. 1. It can also be identified in Fig. 2 that the terminal strip 30 to which the overvoltage protection magazine 10 is attached is laterally provided with a flexible catch contour 32 in the form of an outwardly directed projection that catches with a suitable recess in the side wall 14 of the trough 12 (cf. Fig.

3) when the terminal strip is fitted onto the trough 12 (from top to bottom according to the depiction of Fig. When the 11 terminal strip 30 is fitted onto the trough 12 and the overvoltage protection magazine 10 is subsequently fitted onto the strip 30, the earth contact 22 forms an electrically conducting connection with the upper portion of the side wall 14, as can also be identified in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a drawing which corresponds to the representation in Fig. 2, the strip 30 now being locked onto a different carrier system 36. The same overvoltage protection magazine 10 and the same terminal strip as in Fig. 2 can be identified in Fig. 3.

In its lower region, the terminal strip comprises another catch hook 38 for locking onto the depicted different type of carrier system 36; this hook is directed inwards and is snapped, in the depicted arrangement, into a suitable recess S 40 in the side wall 42 of the carrier system 36. The carrier S• system 36 is a mounting trough available from the Applicant.

ee** S As can also be identified in Fig. 3, the inner earth contact 26 of the overvoltage protection magazine 10 now forms an electrically conducting connection with the upper portion of S the side wall 42 due to the fact that the terminal strip 30 is locked onto a different carrier system 36, particularly one which is narrower. This also ensures reliable earth contacting by means of one and the same overvoltage protection magazine 10 in the event that the flexible terminal strip 30 is fitted onto a different kind of carrier system 36. As mentioned, it is also conceivable to use different terminal strips instead of the flexible strip 30 for the various carrier systems 12, 36. In this case, the devices for receiving the overvoltage protection magazine 10 on the respective terminal strip can be designed to be so identical that they enable the attachment of one and the same overvoltage protection magazine 10, thus each time ensuring contacting with the carrier system 12, 36 by means of both earth contacts 22, 26.

Both Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 identify those measures which allow the depicted terminal strip 30 to be used both with the 12 overvoltage.protection magazine 10 according to the invention and with different overvoltage protection magazines which are each adapted to the type of carrier system 12 or 36. As can be seen on the basis of the partially sectional representations of Figs. 2 and 3, a recess 48 for the inner earth contact 26 is provided at both lateral edge regions of the terminal strip between a portion 44 of the catch contour and a side wall 46 of the terminal strip. As can be particularly identified in Fig. 3, the inner earth contact 26 extends through this recess as far as the shank 42 of the carrier system 36 and contacts same.

In accordance with the invention, another recess 50 which is located laterally beyond the recess 48, to a certain extent above the portion 44 of the catch contour and within the S• portion 52 at the lateral edge of the terminal strip 30, is present in the terminal strip 30 in both lateral edge regions.

0 As shown in Fig. 2, the outer earth contact 22 can each time be introduced into this recess 50 such as to contact the shank 14 of the carrier system 12. It should be noted that the two 0e recesses 48 and 50 also each permit the attachment of an overvoltage protection magazine (not illustrated) which comprises just one lateral earth contact corresponding either to the inner earth contact 26 or to the outer earth contact 22 so that the overvoltage protection magazine is suitable each time for a specific carrier system.

The two recesses 48 and 50 each formed in the lateral edge regions of the terminal strip 30 can additionally be identified in a horizontal projection of the terminal strip in Fig. 4. These recesses are largely rectangular in terms of their cross section and extend parallel to and flush with one another in the direction of the terminal strip 30. In the illustrated case, all the recesses 48, 50 are also designed such as to represent an aperture delimited on all sides. Both recesses 48, 50 of one side of the terminal strip 30 could also, however, be connected together to form a single and 13 particularly wide recess, or the recess 50 could be designed as a notch or guide groove on the lateral edge of the terminal strip In the embodiment depicted, the overvoltage protection magazine shown in Figs. 1 to 3 can be simple in design with regard to the laterally shaped earth contacts to the extent that the earth contacts are formed on a simple stamped sheet metal part, particularly one which is not bent, so that they are located on a plane and so that when the overvoltage protection magazine is fitted on, they can each be introduced into the recesses 48 and 50 which are in alignment with one another.

•o 9* 9 o9*9 •e.

Claims

1. An overvoltage protection magazine (10) attachable to a telecommunications engineering terminal strip (30) and comprising at least one contact (22; 26) formed on a lateral edge to form a conducting connection with a carrier system (12; 36) to which said terminal strip is attachable, wherein at least one further contact (22; 26) is disposed on at least one lateral edge to form a conducting connection with a different carrier system (36; 12).

2. An overvoltage protection magazine according to claim i, wherein said two contacts (22; 26) are integrally formed together.

3. An overvoltage protection magazine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one further contact (22; 26) is formed on both lateral edges.

4. A terminal strip (30) comprising at least one overvoltage protection magazine (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims. A telecommunications engineering terminal strip (30) to which an overvoltage protection magazine (10) is attachable and which comprises in at least one lateral edge region a recess into which an earth contact (22, 26) of an overvoltage protection magazine (10) can be introduced to contact a carrier system (36; 12) to which said terminal strip (30) is attachable, wherein at least one further recess (48, 50) into which an earth contact (22, 26) of an overvoltage protection magazine can be introduced to contact a different carrier "9'to system (36, 12) is formed in at least one lateral edge region.

S.

6. A terminal strip according to claim wherein said two recesses (48, 50) are elongated in design.

7. A terminal strip according to claim 5 or 6, wherein *i said two recesses (48, 50) are in alignment with one another.

8. A terminal strip according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein catch hooks (32, 38) for locking onto different carrier systems (12, 36) are each formed in the region of said recesses (48, 16

9. A terminal strip, particularly according to at least one of claims 5 to 8, comprising an overvoltage protection magazine according to at least one of claims 1 to 4. DATED this 16th day of February 1999 QUANTE AG By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. 9