EP1805850A1

EP1805850A1 - Terminal board component and screwless connector

Info

Publication number: EP1805850A1
Application number: EP05815117A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michèle Blanchot
Original assignee: Professional General Electronic Products PGEP SAS
Current assignee: Ensto Industrie SAS
Priority date: 2004-10-28
Filing date: 2005-10-26
Publication date: 2007-07-11
Also published as: CN100585947C; HK1107448A1; FR2877502A1; US7563126B2; WO2006048530A1; US20080124988A1; FR2877502B1; RU2007118205A; RU2388120C2; CN101065884A

Abstract

A terminal board component consists of a housing through which current conducting means (30) extend, said housing having an end surface (110) with mechanical (111) and electrical (114) connection means for mounting same to a modular member of an electrical apparatus, and an end surface (150) with means for connecting same to at least one current supply cable. Said housing comprises at least one recess (104) for positioning a connection means to be electrically connected to at least one current supply cable. The connection means is a screwless connector (4), and said housing has a push member (136, 137, 138) integrally moulded with the upper surface thereof (113) and capable of being moved orthogonally relative to said surface (113), located above each recess (104) for the positioning of a screwless connector.

Description

Terminal block element and screwless connector.

The present invention relates generally to an electrical apparatus consisting of assembling modular elements and more specifically a terminal block intended to be implemented for connecting such an apparatus to the power supply circuit.

In a manner known per se, the modular elements are provided at their ends with mechanical and electrical connection means, to be connected one after the other by interlocking, and each provide a specific electrical function, for example base (s) ) power socket (s), circuit breaker, switch, indicator light, lightning device ...

The user is an electrical device similar to a strip and having the necessary electrical functions by connecting the appropriate modular elements to each other.

Modular elements having a terminal function are mounted at the end of the assembly to allow connection to the power supply cables. These terminal board members carry means of mechanical and electrical connection to the other modular elements on one end face while the other end face allows access of the electrical cables to power connection means.

These terminal blocks are in the form of a housing in which are arranged one or more connection means intended to be electrically connected to electrically conductive cables.

In a manner known per se, the usual connection means are screw or screwless.

The means of screw connection comprises a cylindrical hole in which the lead wire is held in position jgar _^ a clamping screw extending diametrically in said oππce. The connection means without screws, often called harpoon connectors, comprise elastic means allowing the introduction of the driver but prohibiting the withdrawal.

Whatever the type of the connection means, a tool is necessary to disconnect the cables during modifications of the installation, which on the one hand requires the provision of an opening for the passage of the tool in the wall of the terminal block , a source of deterioration of the electrical safety of the housing, and, on the other hand, is a waste of time during interventions.

The present invention proposes to provide a modular element forming a bomier not requiring a tool for disconnecting the electricity distribution cables, so that the electrical safety is preserved and the interventions are simple and fast.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a terminal element for an electrical appliance constituted by assembly of modular elements provided at their ends with mechanical and electrical connection means, said terminal element being constituted by a housing through which current-conducting means electrical terminal having an end face carrying mechanical and electrical connection means for its assembly to a modular element of said electrical apparatus and an end face carrying connection means to at least one electric power supply cable, said housing comprising at least one housing for the establishment of a connection means for being electrically connected to at least one power supply cable, characterized in that said connecting means is a connector without screws and in that that said housing carries a pusher obtained from molding with its upper face and moved perpendicularly to said upper face, positioned above each housing for the establishment of a connector without screws.

The terminal element of the invention is still in remarαuable crumb ^•

said screwless connector is constituted by a cage in which an elastic blade is arranged, - The cage has a lower face, a front face, disposed at the end of said lower face and perpendicularly thereto, an upper face, perpendicular to the front face and parallel to the lower face, and side faces arranged perpendicularly. at the upper face and extending on either side of the front face towards the lower face,

two tabs cut in the front face of the cage extend perpendicular to said front face, towards the inside of said cage,

the upper face is traversed by a central orifice,

said elastic blade consists of a lower face and an oblique face separated in two parts by a slot,

each part of the oblique face carries at its end not connected to the lower face and along the slot a lug curved towards said lower face,

said pushers are constituted by a cylinder passing through an orifice of the upper face of the terminal block and a foot,

the contour of the section of said feet is inscribed in the contour of the central orifice of the cage,

- Each pusher is carried by the end of a resilient tongue disposed parallel to the upper face of the housing, along the wall thereof facing inwardly of the housing, and connected thereto by its opposite end. to that bearing the cylinder constituting the pusher,

- The end face carrying connection means to at least one electric power supply cable has cylindrical orifices of cross section distributed transversely and arranged in pairs opposite the housings for screwless connectors,

The present invention also relates to a screwless connector constituted by a cage in which is disposed an elastic blade, characterized in that the cage comprises a lower face, a front face, disposed at the end of said face lower and perpendicular thereto, an upper face, perpendicular to the front face and parallel to the lower face, and side faces disposed perpendicularly to the upper face and extending on either side of the front face in the direction of the lower face, and in that two tabs cut in the front face of the cage extend perpendicularly to said front face, towards the inside of said cage.

Said screwless connector according to the invention is still remarkable in that:

the cage has two guide passages delimited by a tab, a cutout of the front face, the upper face and a lateral face,

the lateral faces are of height less than the height of the front face and carry extensions extending down to the lower face and terminated by hooks folded under said lower face,

the upper face is traversed by a central orifice,

- The elastic blade is positioned in the cage with its lower face on the underside of the cage and its oblique face in two parts facing the front face of the cage and is held in position in said cage by the cooperation of a cutout its lower face with a tab formed in the lower face of the cage from a flat,

the lugs of the elastic blade are arranged under the central orifice of the upper face of the cage,

- The underside of said elastic blade has a corrugated portion. In the remainder of the description, we will designate the modular element forming a terminal block by the term "terminal block".

The invention will be better understood from the following description given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front of the insertion face of the cables, of a terminal block according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective viewed from the face opposite to the insertion face of the cables, of the terminal block according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, of a terminal block according to a second embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the upper face of the terminal block according to the first embodiment of the invention along line V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the upper face of the terminal block according to the first embodiment of the invention according to the line VI-VI of FIG. 3,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views, respectively of front and bottom of the screwless connector formed at the end of a power bar,

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a connector without screws,

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the elastic blade positioned in the connector without screws,

FIG. 11 is a view along arrow XI of the elastic blade of FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is a view from above of the elastic blade of FIG.

In the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings as non-limiting examples, the terminal blocks according to the invention are intended for an apparatus in which each modular element carries on a first end face the female electrical connection elements and the male mechanical connection elements while the second end face carries the male electrical connection elements and the female mechanical connection elements.

The end face 10 of the terminal block 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 carries female mechanical connection means 11, only one of which is visible in the drawing, each positioned along a lateral face 12, and male electrical connection means, constituted by the ends of the current bars 30 to allow the connection of said terminal block on the first end face of a modular element.

In the example shown in the drawing, the end face 10 carrying the mechanical and electrical connection means of the terminal block 1 is equipped with a safety block 24 subjected to the action of springs 25 tending to push it outwards of the terminal block. This security block covers the male means 30 of electrical connection when the terminal block 1 is not connected to a modular element and is pushed towards the internal space of the terminal block during the approximation of a modular element so that the ends of the current bars 30 are disengaged and connected to the female means of electrical connections of said modular element. During this connection of the terminal block and the modular element, the ends of the current bars 30 are never accessible from the outside of the elements, which eliminates any possibility of contact of an external object with said current bars 30.

In the terminal block 100 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end face 110 carries male means 111 for mechanical connection, one at the end of each lateral face 112, and female means 114 for electrical connection, the lyres 114 arranged at the ends of the current bars 30 to allow the connection of said terminal block on the second end face of a modular element.

On the end face not carrying the mechanical and electrical connection means, the terminal block of an electrical apparatus constituted by an assembly of modular elements- has means for connection to power supply cables. -

According to the invention, the connection means of the power supply cables positioned in the terminal blocks consist of screwless connectors 4 carried by the current bars 30.

These connectors without screws 4 will now be described in detail before completing the description of the means implemented in the terminal block according to the invention, because of their use.

Said screwless connectors 4 are constituted generally by a cage 40 in which an elastic blade 5 is arranged.

As can be seen in the drawings and more particularly in FIGS. 7 to 9, the cage 40 has a lower face 41 formed in the extension of a flat end 34 disposed perpendicular to the general plane of the current bar 30. Said flat end 34 is obtained by folding the metal flank constituting said current bar 30.

As shown in the drawing, a tab 49 formed from a flat 35 of the flat end 34 of the current bar 30 is folded towards the inside of the cage 40.

The cage 40 also has a front face 42, disposed at the end of the lower face 41 opposite the current bar 30 and perpendicular to said lower face 41, and an upper face 43 perpendicular to the front face 42 and parallel to the lower face 41.

Two lugs 44 are cut in the front face 42 and folded towards the inside of the cage 40, so as to extend perpendicularly to said front face 42.

The front face 42 has the shape of an inverted T.

The upper face 43 is traversed by a central orifice 45, of square section in the embodiment shown in the drawings.

Lateral faces 46 arranged perpendicularly to the upper face 43 extend on either side of the front face 42 in the direction of the lower face 41. These lateral faces 46 are, in the example represented in the drawing. , of height less than the height of the front face 42 and carry extensions 47 extending to the _o

lower face 41 and terminated by hooks 48 folded under said lower face 41.

This constitution of the cage 40 makes it possible to constitute two guide passages 400 delimited by a tab 44, a cutout of the front face 42, the upper face 43 and a lateral face 46.

The elastic blade 5 shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 consists of a lower face 51 and a two-part separated oblique face 54 through a slot 55.

Each portion 54 of the oblique face carries at its end not connected to the lower face 51 and along the slot 55 a lug 56 bent towards said lower face 51.

As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 4, said lugs are arranged under the central orifice 45 of the upper face 43 of the cage 40 when the elastic blade 5 is positioned in said cage 40.

The elastic blade 5 is positioned in the cage 40 with its lower face 51 on the lower face 41 of the cage and its oblique face in two parts 54 facing the front face 42 of the cage 40. Said elastic blade 5 is held in position in the cage 40 by the cooperation of a cutout 53 of the lower face 51 with the lug 49 of the cage 40.

In order to improve the elastic characteristics of the elastic blade 5, the lower face 51 thereof has a corrugated portion 52.

To connect an electric power supply cable, not shown in the drawing, the stripped end thereof is inserted into one of the passages 400 of the cage 40. The walls delimiting the passages 400 provide a precise guide of the bare end of the cable which abuts against a portion 54 of the oblique face of the elastic blade 5 and the flap to the lower face 51, against its elastic force.

The elastic blade 5 exerts on the cable a force which plates it against the upper face 43 and ensures the connection of said cable to the means of connection without screws 4 of the invention. Any movement tending to extract said cable from the cage 40 is blocked by the elastic blade 5.

The additional means used in the terminal blocks according to the invention to cooperate with the screwless connection means 4 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

The end face 150 of the terminal blocks through which the cables are inserted as well as the portion 135 of the upper face 13, 113 close to it are identical for the terminals 1, 2 according to the two embodiments, we will use accordingly the same references for these elements.

In a manner known per se, walls formed during molding of said housings constituting each terminal block 1, 2 ensure the positioning and separation of the current bars 30 and the connectors for power supply cables they carry.

Said end face 150 has six cylindrical orifices 140 of round section 5 distributed transversely; these orifices 140 are arranged in pairs opposite the locations for the connectors without screws 4.

When said connectors without screws 4 according to the invention are positioned in the housings 104 defined by said walls of the housing, each of the orifices 140 is opposite a passage 400 of a cage 40.

By inserting it into an orifice 140, a supply cable is precisely positioned in front of a cage passage 40 which guides it inside the corresponding screwless connector 4.

The terminal blocks according to the invention are furthermore advantageous in that, during modifications of the installation, they make it possible to remove a power cable without the need for a tool, such as a screwdriver.

^{"~ ~~} In ^this" effect, the portion 135 of the upper face 13 ^~, 113 of the terminals 1, 2, which is close to the end face 150 through which the terminal is connected to power supply cables carries three pushers 136, 137 and 138, obtained from _{1 Q}

molding with said upper face 13, 113 and movable perpendicularly thereto.

These pushers 136, 137 and 138 are respectively intended to allow the disconnection of the ground, line and neutral cables and are positioned above the housing 104 defined by the walls for the establishment of connectors without screws 4 .

As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, said pushers 136, 137 and 138 consist of a cylinder 136, 137 and 138 passing through an orifice 141 of the portion 135 of the upper face of the terminal block and a foot 139 of diameter smaller than that of said cylinder. 136, 137 and 138.

For reasons which will be described later, the contour of the section of said feet 139 may be in the contour of the central orifice 45 of the cage 40.

Said feet 139 can then be introduced into a central hole 45 of cage 40.

The pushers 136, 137 and 138 are formed so as to be able to move perpendicularly to the upper face of the terminal block. For this purpose, each of said pushers 136, 137 and 138 is carried by the end of an elastic tongue 142 disposed parallel to the upper face of the housing, along the wall thereof facing towards the inside of the housing, and connected thereto by its end 143 opposite to that carrying the cylinder constituting the pusher. In a manner known per se, openings 144 of the upper face make it possible to obtain said elastic tabs 142 by molding.

By these arrangements, each pusher 136, 137 and 138 is disposed with its foot 139 vertically of the central orifice 45 of a cage 40 of screwless connector 4.

A pressing on one of these pushers 136, 137 and 138 makes it possible to move it perpendicular to the upper face of the terminal block and towards the inside of said terminal block.

Such displacement introduces the foot 139 of said pusher through the orifice 45 of the connector cage so that said foot 139 presses on the lugs 56 of the blade elastic 5 of the connector. The elastic blade 5 is thus deformed, the portions 54 of its oblique face approaching its lower face 51 and thus freeing the supply cable (s) connected (s) to the connector without screw 4 corresponding to the effort the plating against the upper face 43 of the cage 40.

It suffices to remove the cable (s) to the outside of the terminal block to disconnect.

As shown in the drawing, the pushers 137, 138 positioned near the edge of the upper face 13, 113 have their upper face in the same plane as the flange 145 of said upper face. This provision makes it possible not to press unintentionally on said pushers.

It is for the same safety reason that a boss 146 is formed in front of the pusher 136 corresponding to the grounding which is located in the middle of the upper face 13, 113 therefore easily accessible even unintentionally, and this especially since, due to the internal construction constraints of the housing, said pusher 136 is disposed higher than the other two pushers.

In the usual manner, the upper faces 13, 113 carry lugs 134 intended to be positioned in orifices 153 of the end faces 10, 150 of the terminal block.

As shown in 131 and 151, technical indications required by the standards in force are written on the terminal blocks and moldings with the walls thereof.

Advantageously, among the modular elements intended for the constitution by assembly of an electrical apparatus, two terminal blocks according to the invention are proposed. It is thus possible to provide the connection to the power supply cables at one or the other end of the device depending on the environment in which the installation is to be made.

Claims

1. terminal block element for electrical apparatus consisting of assembling modular elements provided at their ends with mechanical and electrical connection means, said terminal block element being constituted by a housing through which electrical current conducting means (30), having a end face (10, 110) carrying mechanical connection means (11, 111) and electrical means (30, 114) allowing its assembly to a modular element of said electrical apparatus and an end face (150) carrying means for connection to at least one power supply cable, said housing having at least one housing (104) for setting up connection means for electrically connecting to at least one power supply cable characterized in that said connecting means is a screwless connector (4) and that said housing carries a pusher (136, 137, 138) obtained by molding with its upper face (13, 113) and movable perpendicular to said upper face (13, 113), positioned above each housing (104) for the establishment of a screwless connector (4).

2. Terminal block element according to claim 1, characterized in that said screwless connector (4) is constituted by a cage (40) in which is disposed an elastic blade (5).

3. terminal block element according to claim 2, characterized in that the cage (40) has a lower face (41), a front face (42) disposed at the end of said lower face (41) and perpendicular to that an upper face (43), perpendicular to the front face (42) and parallel to the lower face (41), and side faces (46) arranged perpendicularly to the upper face (43) and extending from and other of the front face (42) towards the lower face (41).

4. terminal block element according to claim 3, characterized in that two tabs (44) __cutting in the front face (42) of the cage (40) extend perpendicularly to said front face (42), inwardly said cage (40).

5. terminal block element according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the upper face (43) is traversed by a central orifice (45).

Terminal block element according to any one of Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the said elastic blade (5) consists of a lower face (51) and of an oblique face separated into two parts (54) by a slot (55).

7. terminal block element according to claim 6, characterized in that each portion (54) of the oblique face carries at its end not connected to the underside (51) and along the slot (55) a lug (56). curved towards said lower face (51).

8. Terminal element according to any one of claims 1 kl, characterized in that said pushers (136, 137, 138) are constituted by a cylinder passing through an orifice (141) of the upper face (13, 113) of the terminal block and a foot (139).

9. terminal block element according to claim 8, characterized in that the contour of the section of said feet (139) is in the contour of the central opening (45) of the cage (40).

10. Terminal block element according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each pusher (136, 137, 138) is carried by the end of an elastic tongue (142) arranged parallel to the upper face ( 13, 113) of the housing, along the wall thereof facing inwardly of the housing, and connected thereto by its end (143) opposite to that carrying the cylinder constituting the pusher.

11. Terminal block element according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the end face (150) carrying means for connection to at least one electric power supply cable has cylindrical orifices (140). ) of cross section distributed transversely and arranged in pairs opposite the housing (104) for screwless connectors (4).

12. Screwless connector formed by a cage (40) in which is disposed an elastic blade (5), characterized in that the cage (40) has a lower face (41), a front face (42), disposed at the end of said lower face (41) and perpendicularly thereto, an upper face (43), perpendicular to the face front (42) and parallel to the lower face (41), and lateral faces (46) arranged perpendicular to the upper face (43) and extending on either side of the front face (42) in the direction of the lower face (41) and in that two tabs (44) cut in the front face (42) of the cage (40) extend perpendicular to said front face (42), towards the inside of said cage (40). ).

13. Screwless connector according to claim 12, characterized in that the cage (40) has two guide passages (400) delimited by a tab (44), a cutout of the front face (42), the upper face (43). ) and a side face (46).

14. Screwless connector according to claim 12 or claim 13, characterized in that the side faces (46) are of height less than the height of the front face (42) and carry extensions (47) extending up to at the lower face (41) and terminated by hooks (48) folded under said lower face (41).

15. Screwless connector according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the upper face (43) is traversed by a central orifice (45).

16. Screwless connector according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that said elastic blade (5) consists of a lower face (51) and a separate oblique face in two parts (54) by a slot (55).

17. Screwless connector according to claim 16, characterized in that each portion (54) of the oblique face carries at its end not connected to the lower face (51) and along the slot (55) a lug (56). curved towards said lower face (51).

Screwless connector according to claim 17, characterized in that the elastic blade (5) is positioned in the cage (40) with its underside (51) on the underside (41) of the cage (40) and its oblique face in two parts (54) facing the front face (42) of the cage (40) and is held in position in said cage (40) by the cooperation-of a cut (53 ^~ ) ^~ of its underside (51) avèc ^{~ ~} lme ^~ tab (49) formed in the lower face (41) of the cage (40) from a puncture (35).

19. Connector without screw, according to claim 18, characterized in that the lugs (56) of the elastic blade (5) are arranged under the central orifice (45) of the upper face (43) of the cage (40). .

20. Screwless connector according to any one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the lower face (51) of said elastic blade (5) has a corrugated portion (52).