CN109638482B

CN109638482B - Connecting clamp

Info

Publication number: CN109638482B
Application number: CN201811220969.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 汉斯-约瑟夫·克尔曼
Original assignee: Wago Operating LLC
Current assignee: Wago Operating LLC
Priority date: 2014-12-22
Filing date: 2015-12-22
Publication date: 2021-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2035-12-22
Also published as: CN109638482A; CN109599682B; DE102014119420B3; CN109599682A; CN105720387B; CN105720387A; EP3038212A1; EP3038212B1

Abstract

A connection clamp for clamping an electrical conductor is described, having: an insulating material housing having at least one conductor lead-in opening leading to a resilient clamping interface; at least one resilient clamping interface in the insulating material housing, the resilient clamping interface being formed by a bus bar and a clamping spring; at least one actuating lever, which is pivotably mounted in the insulating material housing by means of a pivot bearing and is designed to open a clamping point formed by the clamping spring and the bus bar. The pivot bearing is formed by an elongated hole in the insulating material housing having a curved track shape and a long peg of the operating lever sunk into the elongated hole. The long bolt has a length greater than its width and the length of the long bolt is greater than the corresponding width of the long hole in any pivoting position of the operating lever.

Description

Connecting clamp

The present invention is a divisional application of an invention patent application having an application date of 2015, 12 and 22, an application number of 201510971578.6 and an invention name of "connecting clamp".

Technical Field

The invention relates to a connection clamp for clamping an electrical conductor, comprising:

-an insulating material housing having at least one conductor lead-through opening leading to a resilient clamping interface;

-at least one resilient clamping interface in the insulating material housing, the resilient clamping interface being formed by the bus bar and the clamping spring;

at least one actuating lever, which is mounted pivotably in the insulating material housing by means of a pivot bearing and is designed to open a clamping point formed by the clamping spring and the bus bar.

Background

Connecting clamps are known in many forms as socket clamps for connecting electrical conductors to one another on a common bus bar of a terminal block, circuit board clamp or plug connector that can be locked to a carrier rail. In order to open the clamping point for clamping the electrical conductor, which is formed by the clamping spring and the bus bar, the clamping leg of the clamping spring must be displaced. This can be done either by means of a separate operating tool (for example a screwdriver) which is introduced into the operating opening of the insulating material housing. However, a pivotable actuating lever is usually mounted in the insulating material housing of the connecting clamp, said actuating lever acting on the clamping spring to open the clamping point.

Usually, the operating lever is accommodated in a housing of insulating material in such a way that it can rotate about a defined axis of rotation, as is disclosed for example in DE 102007050936D 4.

A conductor connection clamp is known from DE 102011110640D 4, in which an operating lever is supported in a lever support profile in a floating manner such that it can be moved through a locking position.

US 2003/0008569 a1 discloses a connecting clamp with an operating lever which is accommodated in an insulating material housing in such a way that it can rotate about a rotation point in the area of the face of the pivot bearing section. The rotating pin that moves the operating lever is not proposed.

DE 1575118A shows a screwless clamp with a lever, the lower end of which bent at right angles sinks into a pocket of an insulating material housing. The lever can pivot around the edge of the bag, so that the fold of the end of the lever forms a pivot point.

DE 29008384U 1 discloses a screwless connecting clamp, in which an insulating material bow is mounted in a clamp housing so as to be pivotable about a rotational and pivot axis. The pivot joint is formed by a slot provided at the base end of the insulating material bracket and a positionally fixed joint pin guided in the slot, which joint pin is molded into the clamp housing, for example. Thereby, the insulation bow is simultaneously pivotable and radially movable such that the conductor guided by the insulation bow moves substantially translationally different from the circular track.

EP 0253239 a1 describes a screwless connecting clamp, in which the pressure element for opening the clamping spring has a roller-shaped rounded pivot point on its base. When the pressure piece pivots, the pivot point moves in a manner oriented upward from the spring base of the yoke spring at the contact leg in the direction of the busbar and away from the spring base. The pressure element is supported on the clamping leg of the yoke spring in a region spaced apart from the pivot point in order to open the yoke spring.

Disclosure of Invention

Based on the above, the object of the invention is: an improved connecting clamp with a compact design is provided, wherein an optimum kinematics of the operating lever is achieved with the least possible installation space for the pivot bearing.

The object is achieved by a connection clamp according to the invention, having: an insulating material housing having at least one conductor lead-in opening leading to a resilient clamping interface; at least one resilient clamping interface in the insulating material housing, the resilient clamping interface formed by a bus bar and a clamping spring; at least one actuating lever, which is designed to open the clamping point formed by the clamping spring and the bus bar, each having a lever arm and a side wall, wherein the lever arms transition into a pivot region in the interior of the insulating material housing adjacent to the clamping point, wherein the clamping legs are loaded by means of an actuating contour of the actuating lever, and wherein the pivot movement of the actuating lever is formed by a superimposed rotational movement and a translational movement, wherein lateral actuating sections of the clamping legs form bearing surfaces for loading the clamping spring by the actuating lever. Advantageous embodiments are described below.

It proposes: the pivot bearing is formed by a long hole and a long bolt sunk into the long hole. The long hole has a curved rail shape. The center line of the elongated hole, i.e. the line running centrally between the side walls lying opposite one another, is therefore curved. The contours of the slot and the bolt are preferably matched to one another in such a way that, in any position of the bolt in the slot, the bolt makes contact with the bounding walls of the slot at least two opposite bearing points and is prevented from rotating about itself about a rotation axis located in the surface section which is extended by the bolt.

In this case, the slot is preferably arranged in the insulating housing and the bolt is arranged on the operating lever. However, an inverted variant is also conceivable, in which the slot is formed on the operating lever and the peg is formed on the insulating material housing.

Unlike conventional shaft support arrangements in which the operating lever pivots about a defined fixed axis of rotation, such pivotal movement about a point of rotation (axis of rotation) located in the face section of the bolt should be prevented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. More specifically, it is proposed that: the operating lever does not perform a separate rotational movement due to the provision of the long bolt, but at least also or preferably only performs a translational movement when pivoted. This has the advantage that: the pivot radius is converted into a relatively large movement path of the clamping spring. Furthermore, a translational movement can be used in order to hold the operating lever in particular in the open position without an additional locking element, even if the operating lever is loaded by the force of the clamping spring.

The long peg has a greater length than its width. The length of the long bolt is greater than the width of the long hole.

The guidance of the long bolt in the long hole without a pure self-rotation of the long bolt therefore combines an improved mobility with a good conversion of the actuating force acting on the actuating lever into a biasing force for opening the clamping spring, while the space requirement is low. A long bolt in the sense of the present invention is understood to be a bearing bolt which extends along its length which is longer than the width of the long bolt transversely to its longitudinal extension. Such a peg is preferably designed in the shape of an egg with rounded end faces, the rounded end faces at the ends being opposite in the longitudinal extension direction.

Likewise, the oblong holes differ from circular holes in terms of the present invention in that: the slot is designed to receive the bolt and to allow a translational movement of the bolt in the slot. The separate rotational movement of the bolt in the elongated hole about the fixed axis of rotation is preferably prevented by: the contours of the slot and the bolt are matched to one another in such a way that, in any possible position of the bolt in the slot, the bolt makes contact with the limiting walls of the slot at least two opposite bearing points. Therefore, the long bolt cannot rotate in the long hole by itself. Rather, the movement of the bolt in the slot is limited to a superimposed rotational movement and translational movement or preferably to a purely translational movement. In this displacement movement, the pivoting angle of the operating lever changes, so that a rotation of the long bolt about the displaced rotation point is caused. However, this rotation is only possible by the displacement of the long bolt in the long hole.

It is particularly advantageous: the long plug spreads the egg-shaped surface. The egg-shaped surface can be, for example, an oval surface. However, it is particularly advantageous if the egg-shaped surface is a surface formed by a rectangle and two circular sections at opposite ends of the rectangle extending in the longitudinal direction. The opposing long sides of the bolt are therefore straight, flat surfaces which transition into curved end surfaces on the opposing end sides. In contrast to the case in which the long sides facing one another are the purely elliptical surfaces of the curved peg, in the preferred embodiment it is proposed that the long sides facing one another are linear.

The elongated hole has, for example, a kidney-shaped surface. Such a kidney-shaped face is for the purposes of the present invention a curved egg shape which is curved in the manner of a spherical triangle and which has blunt, curved ends instead of the sharp corners of a spherical triangle. In this case, the kidney-shaped surface initially extends in a first direction from a first end of the curvature, in order to continue after being bent, preferably in the range of approximately 90 ° +/-10 °, in a second direction away transversely to the first direction and to terminate at the end of the curvature. In this kidney-shaped surface, the two circular sections are connected to one another by a short curved track and an opposing long curved track.

The short curved track of the kidney-shaped surface is preferably located on the side facing the passage of the conductor insertion opening and facing away from the clamping edge and the clamping point of the clamping spring. The long curved track is then preferably located on the side facing the clamping edge or the clamping point of the clamping spring and facing away from the entry opening of the conductor insertion opening from the insulating material housing to the outside.

It is particularly advantageous: the pivot bearing of the actuating lever is formed by two opposite elongated holes in the insulating material housing, into which elongated bolts protruding from the respective sides of the actuating lever facing away from each other are sunk. The actuating rod is therefore guided in the insulating material housing on both sides in a rotationally fixed and stable manner at its end faces.

However, an inverted variant is also conceivable in which the pivot bearing of the actuating lever is formed by two opposite elongated holes in the side faces of the actuating lever, into which elongated holes in each case one opposite elongated pin projecting from the delimiting wall in the interior of the insulating material housing is recessed.

It is particularly advantageous: at least one elongated hole is introduced into a boundary wall of the conductor introduction opening. The elongated hole is filled in the open position of the operating lever by a long bolt, so that the long bolt forms a continuation of the boundary wall of the conductor insertion opening for guiding the electrical conductor to the clamping point. In this way, with the clamping point open, the electrical conductor is guided through the bounding wall of the conductor insertion opening and in the continuation through the wall surface of the long bolt. This is advantageous in particular for thin-stranded or stranded electrical conductors, since the strand ends are prevented from sinking into the elongated holes. In the closed position of the actuating lever, in which the clamping point is closed for clamping the electrical conductor, the guide wall of the conductor insertion opening can conversely be interrupted again by the elongated hole. Thus, there is no need to guide the electrical conductors.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below on the basis of embodiments with the aid of the attached drawings. The figures show:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a connection clamp with an operating lever in a closed position;

FIG. 2 shows a side cross-sectional view of the attachment clamp with the lever of FIG. 1 in a semi-open position;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the attachment clamp with lever of FIGS. 1 and 2 in an open position;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the attachment clamp of FIG. 1 in a closed position;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the attachment clamp of FIG. 3 in an open position;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the clamping spring and operating lever of the attachment clamp;

fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the clamping spring and the operating lever from fig. 6 from a further front perspective.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a side sectional view of a connection clamp 1 with an insulating material housing 2, into which insulating material housing 2 a spring-loaded clamping interface 3 is inserted. The spring clamping interface 3 is formed by a bus bar 4 and a clamping spring 5. The clamping spring 5 is a yoke spring having an abutment leg 6 which is arranged on the bus bar 4, a spring bend 7 on the side of the abutment leg 6 opposite the bus bar 4, and a clamping leg 8 which starts from the spring bend 7. The clamping leg 8 has a clamping edge 9 at its free end, which is aligned with the bus bar 4, so that a clamping point is formed for clamping the electrical conductor between the clamping edge 9 of the clamping leg 8 and the bus bar 4.

Now, in order to open the clamping point for removing the clamped electrical conductor and to remove the clamping rib 9 from the clamping projection on the bus bar 4 in the direction of the contact leg 6, the actuating lever 10 is inserted pivotably into the insulating material housing 2 by means of the pivot bearing 11.

The installation of the actuating rod 10 and the spring-loaded clamping interface 3 is achieved by the two-part design of the insulating housing 2, which has a base body 12 with a conductor insertion opening 13 and a cover 15 that can be locked to the base body 12 by means of a locking element 14. The conductor insertion opening 13 extends in the conductor insertion direction 11 and has an inlet 16 leading from the insulating material housing 2 to the outside. The conductor lead-through opening 13 extends to the bus bar 4 of the clamping point in order to guide the electrical conductor to be clamped to the clamping point. In the cover 15, viewed in the conductor insertion direction L, behind the bus bar 4, a conductor receiving pocket 17 is provided for receiving an insulated free end of an electrical conductor to be clamped.

The actuating lever 10 has a lever arm 18 which projects outwardly from the insulating material housing 2 and is at least partially exposed for manual actuation. The lever arm 18 transitions in the interior of the insulating material housing 2 adjacent to the clamping point into a pivot region, at which at least one long bolt 19 projects laterally on at least one side of the actuating lever 10. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the long bolt 19 forms the end of the actuating lever 10 diagonally opposite the lever arm 18, by means of whose actuating contour the clamping leg 8 or the material collar projecting from the clamping leg 8 is acted upon in order to move the clamping leg 8 and its clamping edge 9 in the direction of the abutment leg 6 in order to open the clamping point. At least one long bolt 19 is inserted into an associated long hole 20, which is introduced into the base body 12 at the inner wall or into the base body 12 at the wall of the conductor insertion opening 13. In the exemplary embodiment shown, two slots 20 which are arranged opposite one another are introduced into the inner wall sections of the conductor insertion opening 13 which are arranged opposite one another, into which slots the pegs 19 of the actuating lever 10 which are arranged diagonally remote from one another sink in order to support them against tipping.

The elongated hole 20 is preferably formed in a tapering manner (auslaufend) in the lower region adjacent to the contact leg 6. This is advantageous for reasons of demoulding and mounting.

The rear wall (on the left in fig. 1 to 3) of the elongated hole 20 viewed in the conductor insertion direction L is formed partially by the bus bar 4 and not by the insulating material of the insulating material housing 2.

Visible are: the elongated hole 20 has a kidney-shaped contour. In contrast, the long peg 19 is egg-shaped and has a longitudinal extension greater than the width of the long peg 19. The egg shape is formed by a rectangular face section to which a partial circle, preferably a semicircle, is connected at the opposite end.

The elongated hole has a curved track shape and is curved in the manner of a spherical triangle for this purpose. The ends of the spherical triangle taper in a pitch circle. The two circular sections are therefore connected at the ends opposite one another by a short curved track on the side facing the inlet 16 of the conductor insertion opening 13 and by a longer curved track on the side adjacent to the clamping point. The (assumed) center line between the two circular segments lying opposite one another is likewise curved. The elongate aperture is therefore kidney-shaped.

In fig. 1, the actuating lever 10 is in the closed position, in which the clamping rib 9 rests against the bus bar 4 without electrical conductors inserted, and the clamping leg 8 is relieved of load and is pressed against the bus bar 4 by the spring force of the clamping spring 5.

Fig. 2 shows the connecting clamp 1 in a partially opened state. It is clear that: the operating lever 10 is now pivoted at an angle of approximately 45 °. The clamping leg 8 is pressed in the direction of the contact leg 6 by an actuating contour of the actuating lever at the end in the region of the long bolt 19.

When the bolt 19 moves in the slot 20, the bolt 19 moves in translation in the slot 20. As is also the case in the closed position in fig. 1, the bolt also bears against a limiting wall of the elongated hole 20 during the entire pivoting movement at least two bearing points lying opposite one another. Therefore, without additional movement of the long peg 19, it is not possible: the peg 19 simply twists itself about a rotation axis (or rotation point) located in the face section of the slot 20. The movement of the bolt 19 in the elongated hole 20 is possible only by means of at least two bearing points lying opposite one another: the bolt 19 moves on a curved path in the longitudinal extension direction of the elongated hole 20 from one curved end region of the elongated hole 20 to the opposite curved end region of the elongated hole 20.

Fig. 3 shows the connecting clip in fig. 1 and 2, with the operating lever 10 now in the open position. In this case, the clamping leg is pressed as far as possible downward toward the contact leg 6 in order to completely open the clamping point formed by the clamping edge 9 and the bus bar 4. In this case, the bolts 12 are also supported on the opposing limiting walls of the slots 20, so that a self-rotation of the bolts 19 is not possible. This is ensured by the kidney-shaped design of the elongated hole 20 in the exemplary embodiment shown.

In the open position shown, the elongated hole 20 is now filled with the bolt 19 on the mutually opposite inner walls of the conductor insertion opening 13, at least in the region adjacent to the bus bar 4. Thus ensuring that: the electrical conductor introduced into the conductor insertion opening 13 is guided with its insulated end to the clamping point as well as possible, and the strand or the conductor end is not jammed in the elongated hole 20.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the joining clip 1 from fig. 1 in the closed or clamping position. It is clear that: the long pins 19 project diagonally from the operating lever 10 on opposite sides thereof. The bolts 19 are each inserted into an associated slot 20, so as to be guided in the slots 20 in a translatorily displaceable manner. In this case, the peg 19 is prevented from rotating by its own profile by the profile of the peg 19 and the matching profile of the slot 20.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the joining clip 1 from fig. 3 in the open position. The lever arm 18 is here turned upwards. The clamping leg 8 of the clamping spring 5 is pressed downward in the direction of the contact leg 6, so that the clamping point formed by the clamping edge 9 and the bus bar 4 for clamping the electrical conductor is opened. The displacement of the clamping leg 8 is achieved by: the clamping leg 8 is acted upon by the bolt 19 and/or the side edge of the adjacent side wall 22 of the actuating lever.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the clamping spring 5 together with the actuating rod 10 without the insulating material housing. The operating lever 10 has two spaced-apart side walls 22, which are connected to one another by a lever arm 18 extending transversely to the side walls 22 and in the longitudinal direction. On the outside of the side wall 22, at the end opposite the lever arm 18, the long peg 19 is configured as an element protruding from the surface of the side wall 22. On the end face of the free end of the side wall 22 and here on the molded peg 19, the clamping spring is loaded. The end face forms an actuating region 21 on the end of the actuating lever 10, which is opposite the lever arm 18 and which extends between the opposite long pins 19. Furthermore, it is clear that: the connecting area between the opposite long pins 19 is concave, i.e. arched inwards. Thus, a conductor receiving space leading to the clamping site is provided.

It is clear that: the intermediate space between the side walls 22 below the lever arm 18 provides a free space for guiding and accommodating the stripped free end of the electrical conductor to be clamped. The free space then leads to the clamping edge 9, in order to be clamped there by the clamping spring 5 to the bus bar 4, not shown.

It is clear that: the clamping edge 9 is bent out of the plane of the clamping leg 8 in the direction of the actuating lever 10. The remaining lateral sections of the clamping legs 8 thus form bearing surfaces for loading the clamping spring 5 by means of the actuating lever 10. The upwardly adjusted clamping ribs 9 are therefore located in the intermediate spaces between the side walls 22.

Also visible are: the free end of the abutment leg 6 is tapered so as to thereby hang into the opening of the busbar 4.

Fig. 7 shows a slightly rotated perspective view of the clamping spring 5 and the operating lever 10 again without an insulating material housing. Here, it is again clear that: the side walls 22 of the operating lever 10 provide guide walls on their inner sides lying opposite one another for guiding the electrical conductor to the clamping edge 9. The peg 19 is integrally moulded to the outer wall of the side wall 22. The longitudinal extension in the direction of the long bolt 19 runs substantially parallel to the plane spanned by the operating lever 18. The long bolt 19 is offset in height relative to the lever arm 18 in the direction of the clamping spring 5.

As can be seen in fig. 6 and 7: the lateral actuating sections 23 on the clamping legs 8 of the clamping spring 5 each extend to the outer edge region of the bar 19. Therefore, the actuating section 23 of the clamping spring 5 must be accommodated in the elongated hole 20 and the elongated hole 20 is correspondingly profiled.

In an alternative embodiment, the operating section 23 can be formed to be laterally more elongated. It is advantageous that: the operating sections are shortened compared to the views in fig. 6 and 7 at least by the depth of the long bolt 19, so that the two operating sections 23 can be guided along the inner wall of the conductor guide in the insulating material housing 2 and do not have to sink into the long hole 20.

Claims

1. A connection clamp (1) for clamping an electrical conductor, having:

-an insulating material housing (2) having at least one conductor introduction opening (13) leading to a resilient clamping interface (3);

-at least one resilient clamping interface (3) in the insulating material housing (2), which is formed by a bus bar (4) and a clamping spring (5);

-at least one operating lever (10) which is designed to open a clamping point formed by the clamping spring (5) and the bus bar (4),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the actuating levers (10) each have a lever arm (18) and a side wall (22), wherein the lever arms (18) transition into a pivot region in the interior of the insulating material housing (2) adjacent to the clamping point, wherein the clamping legs (8) are acted upon by means of an actuating contour of the actuating levers (10), and wherein the pivot movement of the actuating levers (10) is formed by a superimposed rotational movement and a translational movement, wherein lateral actuating sections (23) of the clamping legs (8) form bearing surfaces for the purpose of loading the clamping springs (5) by the actuating levers (10).

2. The connection clamp (1) according to claim 1,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the clamping spring (5) has an abutment leg (6) which is arranged on the bus bar (4), a spring bend (7) on the side of the abutment leg (6) opposite the bus bar (4), and a clamping leg (8) which originates from the spring bend (7).

3. The connection clamp (1) according to claim 1,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the clamping leg (8) has a clamping edge (9) at its free end which is aligned with the bus bar (4) in such a way that the clamping point for clamping an electrical conductor between the clamping edge (9) of the clamping leg (8) and the bus bar (4) is formed.

4. The connection clamp (1) according to claim 2,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the free ends of the contact legs (6) are tapered in order to engage in openings of the bus bar (4).

5. The connection clamp (1) according to claim 3,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

guide walls for guiding the electrical conductor to the clamping point are provided on the inner sides of the side walls (22) facing each other.

6. The connection clamp (1) according to claim 3,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the clamping edge (9) is bent from the plane of the clamping leg (8) in the direction of the actuating lever (10).

7. The connection clamp (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized in that an intermediate space between the side walls (22) below the lever arm (18) is provided for guiding and accommodating an insulated free end of the electrical conductor, which intermediate space is then guided to the clamping rib (9) in order to clamp the electrical conductor there to the bus bar (4) by means of the clamping spring (5).

8. The connection clamp (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

when the actuating lever (10) is in the closed position, the clamping rib (9) bears against the bus bar (4) without electrical conductors being inserted, and the clamping leg (8) is unloaded and is pressed against the bus bar (4) by the spring force of the clamping spring (5).

9. The connection clamp (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the lever arm (18) projects outwardly from the insulating material housing (2) and is at least partially exposed for manual operation.

10. The connection clamp (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 6,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the lever arm (18) is pivoted upwards in such a way that the clamping leg (8) of the clamping spring (5) is pressed downwards in the direction of the contact leg (6) in order to open the clamping point for clamping the electrical conductor.

11. The connection clamp (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the displacement of the clamping leg (8) is achieved by: the lateral edges of adjacent side walls (22) of the operating lever (10) act on the clamping legs (8).