Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
  • H01H71/08—Terminals; Connections
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
  • H01R4/28—Clamped connections, spring connections
  • H01R4/30—Clamped connections, spring connections utilising a screw or nut clamping member
  • H01R4/36—Conductive members located under tip of screw
  • H01R4/363—Conductive members located under tip of screw with intermediate part between tip and conductive member
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H1/00—Contacts
  • H01H1/58—Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals
  • H01H1/5855—Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals characterised by the use of a wire clamping screw or nut
  • H01H2001/5861—Box connector with a collar or lug for clamping internal rail and external conductor together by a tightening screw

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for connecting an external conductor such as a cable or a connection bar, to a contact pad of an electrical device such as a molded case circuit breaker
• This device is of the type comprising a metal block removably housed in a terminal compartment provided in the rear part of the circuit breaker housing, said block being traversed by an elongated passage intended to receive a terminal strip of the circuit breaker, and a screw pressure passing through the upper part of the block in order to secure the cable against the bar
• a terminal for a circuit breaker is known, as described in patent application FR 2 622 350 and used to electrically connect the bars of the circuit breaker to electrical distribution cables.
• the pressure screws have a curved end unsuitable for clamping flexible copper cables or for clamping multicables
• this terminal does not allow the connection of crimp terminals, bars or other accessories, to the contact pads of the circuit breaker
• connection terminal as described in patent FR 2 438 334, the pressure screw of which is integral with a V-shaped clamping shoe intended to ensure correct centering of the cable in the locked position. also does not allow the clamping of multicables, nor the connection by means of lugs
• the present invention overcomes these drawbacks and proposes a device making it possible to electrically connect the contact pads of an electrical device such as a circuit breaker, to different types of external conductors such as cables or multicables, crimp bars or lugs
• the subject of the present invention is a device for connecting an external conductor such as a cable to a contact pad of an electrical device such a circuit breaker in a molded case, this device being characterized in that the aforementioned pressure screw comprises at its end situated inside the block a clamping pad, said pad comprising claws (or recesses) cooperating with recesses (or claws respectively) of complementary shape, provided on the aforementioned area to positively retain the cable between the pad and the contact area when tightening the screw
• the aforementioned clamping pad is quadrangular and comprises at each of its angles, a claw situated opposite a recess of corresponding shape provided on the contact pad
• the device comprises a pair of elongated grooves formed respectively on two interior surfaces of the terminal compartment and intended to receive a wing nut
• the aforementioned grooves are formed in the lower part of the compartment
• three facing holes are provided respectively in the wing nut, in the contact area and in the lower part of the compartment, said holes being intended for the passage of a fixing screw, a terminal or bar on the aforementioned contact pad
• a terminal cover plate is fixed to the rear part of the circuit breaker, said plate comprising, opposite each terminal, an opening for passage of the conductor, and the aforementioned pressure screw is integral in translation with a screen protective device able to partially close the corresponding opening of the plate when tightening the screw
• the aforementioned screen is constituted by an L-shaped part, one of the wings of which is mounted to rotate freely around the lower part of the screw between the shoe and the upper part of the block and whose other wing extends towards the upper part of the block
• the clamping shoe is fixed to one of the ends of the screw rod by crimping
• each of the compartments is associated with an additional contact pad intended to be electrically connected to an external device such as a voltage indicator lamp.
• the terminal cover plate is fixed to the rear part of the circuit breaker by means of rails provided on the internal surface of the plate cooperating with correspondingly shaped grooves formed in the rear part of the housing of the device.
• These plate fixing grooves have a T-shaped cross section and extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the device, in spaces separating two adjacent compartments.
• the invention also relates to a breaking device such as a circuit breaker, comprising on at least one of its two large lateral faces, terminal compartments inside which extend contact pads, this device comprising at least one connection device comprising the characteristics described above taken alone or in combination
• this apparatus comprises several of these connection devices and at least one of the pad pressure screws is replaced by a screw with a convex end cooperating with a contact pad having the aforementioned recesses
• FIG. 1 illustrates in a perspective view comprising a cutaway, the rear part of a circuit breaker in a molded case
• Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a terminal according to a particular embodiment of the connection device of the invention
• Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the terminal of the previous figure equipped with a protective screen according to another characteristic of the invention
• FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively front and sectional views of the terminal of the preceding figure and
• Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the rear part of the circuit breaker, one of the contact pads is electrically connected to a terminal
• FIG. 1 we see a circuit breaker D in a molded case having a four-pole configuration and intended for use in a domestic or industrial application
• This case B has, on each of its two large opposite faces (of which only one 1 is visible on this figure) four terminal compartments 2, 3, 4, 5
• the connection of the charge bars 6 to 9 with the external electrical circuits to be protected is most commonly carried out by means of charge terminals, as is the connection network bars to network cables is made via network terminals, said terminals being mounted in the corresponding compartments at the places of installation
• FIG. 1 the connection network bars to network cables
• each charging station 10 to 13 consists of a metal block 14 of generally substantially parallelepipedal shape crossed by an elongated passage 15 inside which extends one of the contact pads 6 to 9 of the circuit breaker D
• the shape of each compartment 2 to 5 corresponds substantially to the external shape of the block 14 so that each block 14 is immobilized vertically after introduction into compartment 2 to 5
• each compartment 2 to 5 comprises on the one hand, at its two opposite lateral faces 2a, 2b, two branches additional 16, 17 intended to facilitate the removal of the terminal (for example by means of a tool) and on the other hand, at its lower part, two additional grooves 18, 19 intended to receive a wing nut 20 as will be described later
• Each block 14 has, at its upper part, a threaded orifice 21 through which is screwed a terminal screw 22, 23
• the terminal screw 22 of the first compartment 2 has a convex end 22a, while the screw 23 of the second compartment 3, is preferably
• claws 25 to 28 are intended to cooperate with four recesses 29 to 32, households in the corresponding contact area 6, said recesses 29 to 32 having a shape complementary to that of claws 25 to 28 and being located respectively opposite these latest
• these terminals will be suitable for tightening aluminum cables when they are equipped with a screw 22 with a curved end 22a, and for tightening copper cables or multi-cables, when they are equipped with a shoe 24 with claws 25 to 28, as previously described
• the terminal screw 23 provided with a shoe 24 is also equipped with a screen 33 of electrical protection
• This screen 33 is constituted by an L-shaped part, made of material plastic, one of the wings 33a of which is mounted to rotate freely at the lower part of the rod of the screw 23, being interposed between the shoe 24 and the upper part 34 of the terminal, while the other 33b of the two wings 33a , 33b extends towards the upper part of the terminal
• This screen 33 is intended to cooperate with an opening of corresponding shape 40 (visible in FIG. 1) formed in a terminal cover plate 41 placed on the rear part of the circuit breaker at the end of the wiring, in order to achieve an electrical protection meeting the IP2 standard in the manner which will be described later Referring more particularly to FIG.
• circuit breaker box is also provided on its two large opposite faces (of which only one is visible in this figure) with contact plugs 46, intended to supply by means of fast- on 47, devices such as indicator lights (not shown) intended to indicate the presence or absence of a voltage
• grooves 18, 19 allowing the fixing of crimp terminals 42 can also be used for fixing copper bars or other connection accessories
• terminals will be introduced as previously described in compartments 2 to 5, the contact areas 6 to 9 of which are intended to be connected to cables.
• the cables will be aluminum cables, it is preferable to equip the cages of a screw 22 with a curved end 22a
• the recesses 29 to 32 provided in ranges 6 to 9 will already allow better quality of contact
• the screws 23 will be fitted with a shoe 24 with claws 25 to 28 Tightening the screw 23 will cause the claws of the shoe 24 to be introduced into the recesses 29 to 32 of the contact pad 6, the cables being thus retained firmly between the pad 24 and the pad 6, from which a better quality of contact results.
• a device has therefore been produced which allows contact pads 6 to 9 to be connected to external conductors of different types of copper, aluminum, multicable cables, terminal, busbar, etc. in a simple and rapid manner.

Landscapes

• Breakers (AREA)
• Connections Arranged To Contact A Plurality Of Conductors (AREA)
• Connections By Means Of Piercing Elements, Nuts, Or Screws (AREA)
• Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
• Patch Boards (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9485971

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1995
  • 1995-12-20 FR FR9515511A patent/FR2742918B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1996
  • 1996-12-06 TW TW085115068A patent/TW353820B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-12-10 DE DE69616590T patent/DE69616590T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-12-10 BR BR9612476A patent/BR9612476A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-12-10 EP EP96941726A patent/EP0868737B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-12-10 WO PCT/FR1996/001964 patent/WO1997022986A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1996-12-10 CN CN96199596A patent/CN1088539C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-12-10 HU HU9903704A patent/HU225122B1/hu not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-12-10 ES ES96941726T patent/ES2164933T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-12-10 TR TR1998/01185T patent/TR199801185T2/xx unknown
  • 1996-12-10 EA EA199800577A patent/EA000329B1/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-12-18 TN TNTNSN96160A patent/TNSN96160A1/fr unknown
• 1998
  • 1998-12-11 HK HK98113178A patent/HK1011892A1/xx not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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