EP0243887B1 - Connection arrangement with a stripping slot for an electrical wire - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the present invention is a connection arrangement, of the stripping slot type ensuring the electrical connection and immobilization of at least one electric wire sheathed in insulation, without requiring prior stripping of this wire.

Such connection arrangements are usually used to connect wires together, for example in members of the junction block type, or to connect wires to electrical equipment, such as a control member.

Conventionally, each connection arrangement comprises a stripping slot, formed in a conductive piece of small thickness; this slot is provided, at one of its ends, with a flared mouth intended to facilitate longitudinal insertion into the slot of the wire to be connected, which is arranged transversely, and to simultaneously ensure, at the start of insertion, cross section of the insulation sheathing this wire.

The core of the wire locally stripped by the mouth, comes into contact with the slot edges which immobilize it by their pressure and which simultaneously provide electrical continuity between this wire and the conductive part.

The insertion of an electric wire into a stripping slot is advantageously carried out using an auxiliary part which is incorporated in the block or the equipment and which forces the wire into the slot through the stripping mouth of the latter. For reasons of convenience and efficiency, we often manage to push the auxiliary insertion part using a tool allowing a better grip and possibly a multiplier effect so as to facilitate connection operations. .

Such an arrangement is known from GB-A-2 158 303 with respect to which the claim has been delimited. In this arrangement, the auxiliary insertion part is constituted by a part pivotable about a fixed axis by means of a tool rod and having a housing inside which the electric wire is installed before being pivoted. towards the stripping slit.

However, the positioning of the connection arrangements in their operating environment does not always allow the passage and manipulation of a tool in good conditions, due in particular to the concentration and the nesting of the organs or equipment comprising these arrangements of connection, or the profusion of wires surrounding them.

Consequently, the present invention provides an arrangement of stripping slot connection, for electric wire, comprising an auxiliary wire insertion part actuated by lever effect, which is simple, easy to handle and which occupies only a reduced volume in the block or the equipment which incorporates it.

The stripping slot connection arrangement, for electrical wire, comprises at least one conductive piece with thread immobilization slot provided with a stripping mouth at one end, this piece is housed in an insulating housing provided with a lateral opening. passage of wire parallel to the slot, it also includes an auxiliary insertion part, movable in the housing and intended to force one end of the wire transversely into the slot, through the stripped mouth, under the action of lever d '' a removable rod entering a rod passage duct of the auxiliary part, in order to alternately move this auxiliary part in the housing between an insertion position for which the auxiliary part, located near the stripped mouth of the conductive piece, allows the insertion of an electric wire, between itself and said stripped mouth, transversely to the slot, through an orifice of the ove wire passage closure, and a so-called insertion position for which the core of a connected wire has been pushed by the auxiliary part beyond the stripped mouth in the slot.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the auxiliary insertion part, provided with an operating body crossed by the rod passage duct and carrying a pusher for a wire, comprises a guide device with two parallel pairs of cooperating rollers with two complementary guide grooves of the housing to give a pseudo-circular movement to the auxiliary insertion part, these grooves comprising each a first slightly curved zone whose orientation is at least approximately parallel to the slot of the conductive part and a second slightly curved zone which opens into the first zone relative to which it is widely inclined to obtain a part tilting effect auxiliary. In addition, the rod passage conduit of the insert is oriented towards a rod end support hole, which is fixed relative to the conductive part in the housing to allow pseudo-circular movement of the auxiliary part, between the positions defined above, by leverage of the rod operated from the outside of the housing, through a passage opening formed at the top of the block.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of electrical equipment with a connection arrangement according to the invention.

Figures 2, 3, 4 show three views of an auxiliary insert for connection arrangement according to the invention, Figure 2 showing a bottom view, Figure 4 showing a front view and Figure 3 corresponding to a view from the left.

FIG. 5 presents a side view of the block presented in FIG. 1, an auxiliary part removed.

Figures 6 and 7 show two partial sections showing the connection arrangement according to the invention one before and the other after connection of a wire with the assistance of a tool rod.

The connection arrangement according to the invention is intended to equip a unit of electrical equipment to ensure the connection of one or more wires in parallel to this unit which, in the nonlimiting example of FIG. 1, is presented in the form of electrical equipment 1, of the control member or terminal block type, the essential internal elements of which are drawn in dotted lines.

Such electrical equipment makes it possible to connect two electrical wires 2 to each other using at least one and here two identical connection arrangements, to that more precisely shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

Each connection arrangement comprises a conductive part 3 provided with a stripping slot capable of ensuring the connection of at least one electric wire 2, as well as an auxiliary wire insertion part 4, movable under the action of a independent rod 5 acting as a lever when inserting a wire.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the electrical equipment 1 comprises two connection arrangements each allowing the connection of at least one electrical wire 2 in a conductive part 3 and the two conductive parts 3 are capable of being put in electrical connection via a conventional contactor member 6, which will not be described further since it has only an indirect connection with the invention.

The connection arrangements and the contactor 6 are conventionally housed in a housing 7 made of insulating material, the latter here being composed of two symmetrical half-shells assembled, for example by ultrasonic welding, according to a joint plane whose trace corresponds to the axis VI-VI of the block as presented in Figure 5.

The box 7 of rectangular parallelepiped shape is conventionally provided with fixing means not shown at its lower part, these means allow it to be immobilized, for example on a profile, this immobilization is carried out for example using means similar to those provided for a terminal block described in French patent 2503464.

Each conductive part 3 is a metal part which comprises - see FIG. 5 - an elongated slot delimited by two parallel edges 30 over most of their length and with the exception of at least one end of the slot where these edges s flare to form a mouthpiece intended to facilitate the insertion of an electric wire 2 into the slot and to ensure a transverse cut of the sheath 20 of this wire.

In the embodiment chosen here - see FIG. 6 -, the connection piece 3 is produced by folding a blank and comprises a tubular portion along which extends the slot delimited by its edges 30, as well as two extensions 31, 32 arranged on either side of the flat bottom wall 33 of the tubular portion, beyond this portion, and folded up as mentioned later.

The bottom wall 33 is bordered laterally by two parallel walls which are perpendicular to it and which each extend by an oblique wall 34, the external longitudinal edge of which forms a slot edge 30, these five walls delimit the tubular portion of the connection piece and form a spring clip, with a roughly C section, the edges 30 of which form the jaws and are capable of elastically wedging between them one or more electric wires 2 by their respective conductive cores 21.

One of the extensions referenced 31 is folded, here perpendicularly, opposite the tubular portion of the conductive part 3 relative to the bottom wall 33 of this conductive part, it is here designed to receive a contact pin 35 for contactor 6 as seen in Figure 1.

The second of the extensions referenced 32 is crossed by a fixed hole 36 intended to allow the penetration of a tool rod tip 5, the latter being for example a Phillips-type screwdriver. In the embodiment presented, the extension 32 is arched backwards for example by π / 4 relative to its initial position in alignment with the bottom wall 33, before arching, in a manner which moves it away of the tubular portion.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the two conductive parts 3 are identical and arranged symmetrically with respect to the median planes, one transverse, the other longitudinal, of the housing 7 which contains them, with their first extensions 31 aligned and oriented l towards each other, so that the stripping slots which they comprise are oriented towards the short sides 70, vertical in FIG. 1, of said housing 7.

As indicated above, the edges 30 delimiting the slot of a conductive part 3, widen to form a mouth at one of the ends of this slot which extends longitudinally through the tubular portion of this conductive part parallel to the bottom wall 33 and to the median longitudinal axis of this bottom wall.

In the embodiment chosen, it is the second extension 32 with which the flared mouth is made. The latter is intended, as we have seen, on the one hand to guide the wires 2 to be connected in the slot and on the other hand to cut the insulation of these wires so as to strip their core to allow establishment electrical continuity of the latter with the conductive part which encloses it between its slot edges 30, when the wire concerned has been forced into said slot through the mouth.

In known manner, shown in FIG. 5, each short side 70 is provided with an opening 71A, 71B for the passage of the wire extending parallel to the slot edges 30 of the adjacent conductive part 3. The wire passage opening has a slot 71A which extends along the edges of the slot 30 and which is intended to immobilize the insulating sheath 20 of the electrical wires 2, the core 21 of which is wedged between the edges of the slot 30 , it therefore has a width less than the diameters provided for these insulating sheaths.

The wire passage opening also comprises a hole 71B for introducing the wire opening laterally into the slot which it has above the flared mouth so as to allow the introduction of a wire 2 perpendicular to the wall of bottom 33 of the conductive part 3 through the small side 70 concerned. This orifice 71B naturally has an opening allowing the free introduction of the wires without effort up to their abutment against the bottom wall 33.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, two grooves 72 border the wire passage opening at its slot 71A to allow the edges of this slot 71A to be deformed without general deformation of the housing 70.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the two auxiliary insertion parts 4 are identical and are likely to occupy symmetrical positions both with respect to the longitudinal median plane and to the transverse median plane of the housing 7 which contains them.

Each auxiliary insertion part 4 essentially comprises - FIGS. 2 to 4 -, a pusher 40 intended to come to press on the wire to be inserted, an operating body 41 which carries the pusher and which is crossed by a rod passage conduit 42 5 and a guide device 43, here constituted by two pairs of aligned rollers, distributed on either side of the pusher on the operating body.

According to the invention, each auxiliary introduction part 4, which is capable of moving to allow the insertion of a wire, via an orifice 71B, above the flared mouth of the conductive part 3 which it serves and to ensure the insertion of this wire into the stripping slot of this conductive part, is arranged and mounted so as to allow the introduction and insertion of wire by a small amplitude displacement of the rod 5 used as a lever , while ensuring sufficient movement of the pusher to allow the introduction of the wire in front of the flared mouth of the conductive part and the insertion of this wire into the slot, the auxiliary insertion part requiring only a volume reduced vacuum in the housing for its movement.

For this purpose the rollers of the guide device 43 are housed in two complementary guide grooves 73 which are identically formed in the internal walls of the two large parallel sides 74 of the housing 7, near the end 75 of this housing.

In the embodiment shown, each guide groove 73 is formed above the location provided for immobilizing the tubular portion of a conductive part 3 in the housing 7 and it is formed of two separate successive zones.

A first guide groove zone 73 - Figures 6, 7 -is slightly curved and has an orientation at least approximately parallel to the stripping slot of the conductive part 3 which it overhangs in the housing 7, at practically mid-distance between this slot and the bottom wall 33 of said conductive part 3.

A second guide groove zone, which opens into the first zone, is widely inclined and has an orientation close to that of the second extension 32 of the conductive part 3 which it overhangs, approaching this extension at their ends. respective; in the example of embodiment presented where the second extension makes an angle of π / 4 with the bottom wall 33 and therefore with the slot, the second groove zone at its inclined longitudinal axis of approximately 7 π / 18, which allows a low block height, for housing the auxiliary insertion part 4 and allows accelerated tilting of the auxiliary part.

Each of the two rollers of the guide device 43 of an auxiliary insertion part, which are located on the same side of this part, is housed in a different zone from the guide groove 73 which they share and the auxiliary part d insertion is subjected to a pseudo-rotation, which causes its pusher 40 to tilt from an inclined position, called the introduction position, for which one of the rollers is at the bottom of the second groove zone and in which the orifice 71B is completely cleared of any obstruction by the pusher 40 of the auxiliary insertion part concerned (FIG. 6), to a position, called the insertion position, or this pusher 40 is placed behind the orifice 71B, perpendicular to the stripping slot , at the height of the zone where the parallel edges 30 of this slot flare to form the stripped mouth.

As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rollers of the guide device 43 which are aligned and which slide in the first zones of two complementary guide grooves 73 are preferably positioned between the pusher 40 and the passage duct 42 removable rod.

In the embodiment presented, each auxiliary insertion part 4 is provided with a stop 44 which comes to bear against a counter-stop 76 of the housing 7 at the end of the stroke, when the pusher has its end at the bottom of the stripped mouth.

In addition, an index 45, here placed under the stop and constituted by a small rod knurled with the auxiliary insertion part, is arranged so as to be visible through the orifice 71B of the housing, when the auxiliary insertion part is pressed against the counter-stop.

The conduit 42 formed in each auxiliary insertion part 4 is disposed obliquely with respect to the pusher 40, so that its orifice, opening near the second extension 32 of the corresponding conductive part 3, is always opposite the hole 36 provided in this second extension 32 for receiving the pointed end of the rod 5, regardless of the position of the auxiliary insertion part 4 in the housing 7.

The conduit 42 opens through a second orifice above the stop 44 and at the level of a passage opening 77 formed in the upper part 75 of this block to allow the introduction of the rod 5 into the block and its angular movement during displacement of the auxiliary insertion part 4 inside the housing 7.

In a manner known per se, the auxiliary insertion part or parts 4 and the conductive part or parts 3 are enclosed in the casing of the electrical equipment during the production of the latter.

Each auxiliary part 4 is positioned in the open position before insertion of an electric wire 2, the orifice 71B is then released, it is held in this position by hooking a notch 46 which it carries on a flange 177 internal to the housing as shown in Figure 6 in the embodiment shown.

The introduction of a tool rod 5, removable and with an end point, such as a cross-type screwdriver rod, into an auxiliary insertion part 4 leads this rod to come to bear by its end point at the bottom edge of the hole 36 near the bottom wall 33 of the conductive part which comprises it.

The application of a force on the part of the rod 5 external to the block, in the longitudinal direction and towards the close end of the latter, produces a leverage which unlocks the auxiliary insertion part 4 and allows it to move along the path determined by the guide grooves.

When an electric wire 2 sheathed in insulation is introduced into the orifice 71A abutted by one end against the bottom wall 33 of the conductive part 3 -figures 6 and 7-, the auxiliary insertion part 4 comes to bear under the action of the rod 5 on the sheath 20 of the wire at the level of the flared stripped mouth of the slot delimited by the edges 31.

The force exerted transversely on the rod 5, which is multiplied by the leverage, presses the sheath 20 of the wire against the cutting edges of this stripped mouthpiece via the pusher 40, so as to cut this sheath transversely up to to the core 21 of this wire.

Continued movement of the auxiliary insertion part 4 under the action of the lever 5 continues the pressure of the pusher 40 on the sheath 20 and leads the core of the wire to penetrate between the edges 31 of the stripping slot in the area where these edges are parallel and making it possible to immobilize this wire by jamming its conductive core 21 in contact with them.

As indicated above, the index 45 makes it possible to verify that the auxiliary insertion part 4 has come to the end of the travel by pressing on the counter-stop 76 so as to ensure that the insertion stroke of the wire has been sufficient. , said index 45 appearing here in this case under the counter-stop 76 in the orifice 71A, as shown in FIG. 7, and hooking under this stop which retains it.

The return of the auxiliary insertion part 4 backwards, in the position where it is held by hooking the notch 45 which it comprises on the internal rim 177 of the housing 7, optionally allows the introduction of a second wire 2 into the orifice 71A, in contact at its end with the bottom wall 33 of the conductive part 3, with a view to its connection in the stripping slot of this part above the wire 2 previously connected.

The connection is carried out in an identical manner to that described above, the sheath of the second wire pushing that of the first so that the latter penetrates further between the parallel edges 31 of the stripping slot.

Claims (6)

1. An insulation-piercing connection arrangement for an electric wire (2) comprising at least a conductive part (3) having a wire immobilizing slit provided with a piercing inlet at one end, said part being placed in an insulating housing (7) provided with a lateral wire-passing opening (71A, 71B) parallel to the slit, as well as with an auxiliary insertion part (4) movably placed in the housing and intended to force an end of the wire transversely into said slit through the piercing inlet, by the lever action of a removable shank (5) which penetrates into a shank passing duct of the auxiliary part in order to alternatively displace said auxilairy part in the housing between an admission position, in which the auxiliary part situated near the stripping inlet of the conductive part, above which it projects, allows the insertion of an electric wire between itself and said piercing inlet traverse to said slit through an orifice (71B) of the wire passing opening, and a position, referred to as insertion position, into which the core of a connected wire has been pushed by the auxiliary part beyond the piercing inlet into the slit, characterized in that the auxiliary insertion part, provided with an operating body traversed by the shank-passing duct and carrying a pusher (40) for the wire, comprises a guide device having two parallel pairs of rollers (43) which co-operate with two complementary guide grooves (73) of the housing, so as to impart a pseudo-circular motion to the auxiliary insertion part, each groove comprising a first slightly curved zone whose orientation is at least approximately parallel to the slit of the conductive part, and a second slightly curved zone which opens out into said first zone, relative to which it is considerably inclined so as to obtain a tilting effect of the auxiliary part, and in that the shank-passing duct of the insertion part is oriented towards a supporting hole (36) for abutment against the end of the shank, which is fixed relative to the conductive part in the housing, in order to allow the pseudo-circular displacement of the auxiliary part between the positions defined above by the lever action of the shank actuated from the outside of the housing and through a passing opening (77) provided on top of the block.
2. A slit connection arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide grooves are positioned above the conductive part (3) which includes a tubular portion composed of a plane end wall (33), two parallel walls which extend perpendicularly thereto, and two sloping walls (34), whose respective outer longitudinal rims constitute the edges of the slit, and in that the first zones of the complementary guide grooves (73), which are disposed at least approximately parallel to the slit, are situated midway between said slit and the end wall.
3. A slit connection arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive part (3) includes a sloping extension (32) having an orientation close to that of the second zone of the complementary guide grooves (73), above the end wall and beneath the second zones, and in that said extension is provided with the abutment hole (36) for one end of the shank (5).
4. A slit connection arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary insertion part (4) includes an abutment (44), which applies against a counter-abutment (76) of the housing (7), when the auxiliary part is in the insertion position.
5. A slit connection arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the auxiliary insertion part (4) includes a snap-fastening index (45) visible via the wire-passing opening (71) where the auxiliary part is in the insertion position.
6. A slit connection arrrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary insertion part (4) includes a catch (46) intended to co-operate with a rim (177) of the housing in order to hold the auxiliary part in the admission position, said holding being released by the abutment of the shank (5) on the auxiliary part for the purposes of inserting a wire.

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