EP2393160B1 - Shunt clamp in a stacked design - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a terminal block, in particular a jumper terminal in floor design, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Rangierklemmen in floor design are known per se from the prior art, so from the DE 29502347 U or the DE 20 2009 001 855 , They are used in the wiring of plants and serve in particular for the distribution of one or more potentials.

In particular, it is necessary to provide a simple and secure way for the conductive connection of adjacent connection plane vertical connection. In the DE 20 2009 001 855 It is proposed to realize such a connection by means of wire sections. For this purpose, a notch in the busbars must be formed in each case. For this purpose, a further developed alternative should be created, which is well suited, for example, for busbars in wire form (for example, with a round cross-section). The prior art is also the DE 697 09 533 T2 called.

A terminal block according to the preamble of the main claim is in EP 2 053 696 A1 disclosed.

The invention has the object to further develop the generic terminal with respect to their vertical connection.

The invention solves this problem by the subject matter of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

The invention provides according to claim 1, a terminal block, in particular a jumper terminal in a housing structure with an insulating material, which preferably locking means or the like. To place on a hat-shaped in cross-section mounting rail, and which is provided with a plurality of connection devices for conductors, which in pairs via a Busbar are conductively connected to each other, so that a through terminal is formed with a plurality of connection levels, wherein one or more of the busbars in the superimposed terminal levels are connected to each other by means of vertical connectors, wherein the vertical connectors are formed as stamped / bent parts of an electrically conductive metal sheet and a Have back region and a plurality of fork webs, wherein adjacent fork webs each form a contact fork, which is adapted to conductively contact each one of the busbars, wherein the vertical connector on an open side of the terminal retrofittable to the busbars is placed or mounted in the assembled state is.

The invention provides particularly cost-effective and easy to handle, yet with regard to their contacting particularly secure vertical connector or terminal blocks with such vertical connectors. The vertical connector preferred embodiment are easy to install - preferably by a Aufsetzbewegung parallel to the mounting rail direction from the side - and cheap to manufacture.

The invention also provides an optimized passage connection for the terminal of claim 11, between two connection devices for conductors in an insulating housing, in which by a compensating device, in particular at least one compensation area to compensate for the different expansion behavior of the two components or assemblies "insulating" on the one Side and "through connection of conductor connection devices and busbar with in the insulating material largely stationary arranged conductor connection devices" on the other hand, the above-explained problem of the occurrence of stresses in the product made of plastic with the metal assembly is solved in a simple manner. It can also be provided a plurality of compensation devices.

On the one hand, this optimized through connection can be regarded as an independent invention. On the other hand, it also complements perfectly with the vertical connectors according to the invention, the best such an open side of the housing, from which the busbars are accessible, can be distributed that on the one hand laterally next to the balancing devices and busbars without balancing devices also in the middle between the busbar the connections can be placed.

Unlike a sliding contact, there is an inherently fixed contact point between the respective terminal device and the bus bar, that is, they do not move relative to each other at the point of contact. In this way, no deterioration of the contact can occur at these points as with a sliding contact. Rather, a fixed contact point is created between the connection device and the busbar, while still offering flexibility with regard to the length expansion.

Before the description of preferred embodiments, it should be noted that some preferred embodiments are described in detail below, but that the invention is not limited to these embodiments but can be configured as desired within the scope of the claims. In particular, terms such as "top", "bottom", "front" or "rear" are not restrictive but merely refer to the particular arrangement shown. In addition, if individual components are explained, these - unless otherwise mentioned - in principle also conceivable in multiple design. The scope of protection also includes functional reversals of the illustrated arrangements and methods as well as equivalent embodiments.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Rangierklemme mit einer Metallbaugruppe und Vertikalverbindern;

Fig. 2a, b

die Metallbaugruppe der Rangierklemme aus Fig. 1 mit zwei verschiedenen Vertikalverbinderkonfigurationen; und

Fig. 3a, b, c

verschiedene Vertikalverbinder; und

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Vertikalverbinders, der auf eine Stromschienenanordnung gesetzt ist.

Fig. 5

eine Seitenansicht einer Rangierklemme;

Fig. 6a, b

Ausschnittsvergrößerungen aus Fig. 1;

Fig. 7a

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Durchgangsverbindung ohne Isolierstoffgehäuse;

Fig. 7b

eine perspektivische Ansicht mehrerer Durchgangsverbindungen ohne Isolierstoffgehäuse;

Fig. 8a

eine perspektivische Ansicht mehrerer weiterer Durchgangsverbindungen ohne Isolierstoffgehäuse;

Fig. 8b,c

Varianten von Stromschienen; und

Fig. 9, 10

verschiedene Ansichten einer Variante von Anschlussvorrichtungen.

The invention will be described in more detail by means of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a jumper with a metal assembly and vertical connectors;

Fig. 2a, b

the metal assembly of the jumper Fig. 1 with two different vertical connector configurations; and

Fig. 3a, b, c

various vertical connectors; and

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a vertical connector, which is placed on a busbar assembly.

Fig. 5

a side view of a jumper;

Fig. 6a, b

Section enlargements off Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 7a

a perspective view of a through connection without Isolierstoffgehäuse;

Fig. 7b

a perspective view of several through connections without Isolierstoffgehäuse;

Fig. 8a

a perspective view of several further through connections without Isolierstoffgehäuse;

Fig. 8b, c

Variants of busbars; and

Fig. 9, 10th

different views of a variant of connecting devices.

Fig. 1 shows a terminal, here by way of example a jumper 1 with an insulating 2, which is open on one side. Fig. 1 essentially shows a view of this open page.

The insulating housing 2 has latching means 3 for latching on a hat-shaped in cross section support rail 4. It also has a plurality of connection devices for conductors 5a, 5b, which are designed here as so-called double connections in direct plug-in technology (push-in) and thus particularly compact. It would also be conceivable to design them as tension spring connections or in other connection technology. These conductor connections are accessible through openings 18 on the side facing away from the mounting rail side of the insulating housing 2.

The conductor terminals 5a, b each have an open insertion side having a clamping cage 6, in which at least one U- or V-shaped Clamping spring 7 is held, which presses an inserted conductor against the clamping cage 6 or a bus bar 10 to contact this.

On the clamping cage 6 is further respectively at the of the insertion side for a conductor (in Fig. 1 Above) facing away from a clamping device 8 is formed (see also Fig. 2 ), with which a bus bar 10 is conductively clamped. This clamping device 8 can be formed from a spring clip 9, which presses the bus bar 10 against the lower edge of the clamping cage (see Fig. 2a ).

The term of the busbar 10 is not to be taken too narrow. He includes on the one hand round wire-like ladder in the manner of Fig. 1 , but also flattened, elliptical ladder or flat in cross-section square track pieces.

An actuating piece may optionally be provided to open the nip in particular for removing the conductor from the nip (not visible here).

The jumper is formed symmetrically to the mid-perpendicular M on the support rail 4.

Here, it has a substantially triangular or trapezoidal basic shape with a base side 2a extending on both sides of the support rail 4 perpendicular to this and two oblique sides 2b, 2c. The base side 2a and the oblique sides 2b, 2c form the sides of an isosceles triangle, in whose corner region still short side pieces 2d, 2e can be arranged.

The two sloping sides 2b, 2c lie on a mid-perpendicular M on the mounting rail 4. They are aligned at an acute angle to the perpendicular bisector and to the base 2a. The angle α between the base side 2a and the oblique sides 2b, 2c is preferably between 20 ° and 70 ° ( Fig. 1 ).

In the two inclined sides 2b, 2c of the jumper housing 2, the openings 18 are formed for inserting the conductors into the conductor terminals 5a, 5b. The clamping cages 6 of the conductor terminals 5a, b and thus also the conductor insertion directions are aligned at an acute angle to the perpendicular bisector M on the mounting rail 4.

To Fig. 1 are each two of the mid-perpendicular and preferably also of the DIN rail edges equally spaced conductor terminals 5a, b connected to the inclined sides 2b, 2c in pairs with the busbars 10, so that a feed-through terminal with several connection levels E1, E2, E3, .. is formed. These connection levels are galvanically separated from each other here. There are plastic webs between the busbars preferably formed parallel to these on the housing.

The busbar 10 is not exactly straight formed between the contact points P1 and P2, at which it contacts the connection devices 5a, 5b but at least one compensation region 11 is formed on it, which substantially absorbs and compensates for this change in length with a heat-related change in length of the busbar 10 , To Fig. 1 is the compensation area 11 each V-shaped. Here, the compensation area 11 is formed in the middle of the bus bars 10 between the pads P1 and P2, so that the bus bar has two outer straight portions 10a and 10b and the central V-shaped compensation area 11. Length variations are thereby substantially by narrowing and widening the V-shaped portion of the busbars 10 compensated, because the connecting devices 5a and 5b are arranged relatively stationary in the insulating housing and therefore carry out as far as possible its temperature-related changes in geometry. The busbar 10 may be formed by a flat rail but also for example by a wire, such a round wire. The term of the busbar is not too narrow.

A particularly advantageous arrangement results when the compensation regions 11 in the different contact planes E4 to E8 are aligned in the same direction, such that the V-shaped regions of adjacent connection planes engage each other. This arrangement is particularly space-saving and clear (see also Fig. 3 ).

As can be seen further, individual connection levels E1, E2, E3..., E8 can be conductively connected to one another by means of vertical ties 12 or connected conductively to each other after their insertion.

The vertical connector of the Fig. 1 to 4 are formed as stamped / bent parts of a highly conductive metal sheet.

They have a back portion 13 and a plurality of fork webs 14, 15, wherein adjacent fork webs have a contact fork 16, which is adapted to contact one of the busbars 9 by clamping. Preferably, in the plastic webs, which electrically isolate the busbars in the housing, recesses or bulges formed, in which the contact fork can engage, so that they are particularly defined and secure at a defined location on the busbar 10 and in the housing.

Preferably, the back portion 13 is formed as a flat sheet metal strip, from the plane of the fork webs 14, 15 are punched out. However, the fork webs 14, 15 are here bent out of the plane of the back region 13 at right angles, following the back region. When the vertical connector is placed on the terminal block, its contact forks 16 contact the busbars 9 and the spine area abuts flat on the open side of the terminal block.

It is very advantageous if not all fork webs 14, 15 or contact forks 16, 17 extend to the same direction of the back region 13 but when a first part of the fork webs 14, 15 to one side and other extends to the other side of the back portion 13 and is bent over. In this way, a particularly secure and stable support of the back region 13 on the insulating material housing is realized, as well as an outstanding conductive vertical connection between the corresponding connection levels E1 to E4.

To Fig. 1 the terminal block has eight connection levels E1 to E8. With a first upper vertical connector 12a with four contact forks 16, 17, of which two contact forks 16 extend to a first side and two contact forks 17 to a second side of the back portion 13, the first four connection levels E1 to E4 in the inserted state of the vertical connector 12a conductively connected to each other (see also Fig. 2a and 4 ). With another, in Fig. 1 lower vertical connector 12b with five contact forks 16, 17, three of which extend here by way of example to one side of the back region 13 and two to the other side of the back region 13, the lower five connection levels E4 to E5 can be conductively connected together. Since the fourth connection level E4 is contacted by both the upper vertical connector 12a and the lower vertical connector 1b, the two vertical connectors 12a, b are used to easily realize a conductive connection across all the connection levels E1 to E8.

Alternatively, two vertical connectors 12a may be provided with four contact forks ( Fig. 2b ), which connect in the inserted state, the connection levels E1 to E4 and E5 to E8 conductive each other. In this way, two different potentials can be realized, since one vertical connector 12a would conductively connect the "upper" and the other vertical connectors 12a to the "lower" connection levels.

With only two in terms of their design vertical connectors 12a, b so that different particularly important and useful potential distribution variants in the terminal block can be realized.

Fig. 3a shows a connector in which the contact forks 16, 17 extend alternately to the "left" and the "right" side, whereas Fig. 1 and 2 each two of the three contact forks 16 are aligned to one side of the back region and the other contact forks 17 to the other side of the back region.

It is also conceivable to use a connector 12c ( Fig. 3c ) only to connect two vertically adjacent connection levels. Possible variants are "2-bridge"; but preferably "3-bridge" and more ("X-bridge"), to a bridge or a vertical connector that connects all bus bars 10 vertically completely together ( Fig. 3a and 3b ). By variants of the connectors (eg 2, 3, etc.), different potentials can be performed in different levels. It is also conceivable to form a skipping bridge (to connect two potentials alternately, eg planes E1, E3, E5 and E7 and planes E2, E4, E6 and E8).

It is conceivable contacting of the busbars by several types: resilient (as shown) and / or incision (when the fork webs have cutting edges), pressed and soldered, welded, clinched, etc.

The contact forks 16, 17 may simply be formed per connection level on the connector 12, (eg Fig. 1 ), on both sides per connection level (eg Fig. 3b to get a particularly good contact) or unilaterally changing ( Fig. 2a and 4 ).

The busbar 10 may be formed not only as a round wire. She can also be around; rectangular, oval or otherwise formed.

Advantageously, the at least one vertical connector is parallel to the DIN rail direction from the side of the terminal or its busbars placed, which makes the installation simple and clear, as visually immediately the correct installation is visible.

Fig. 5 shows another view of the terminal block Fig. 1 ,

To Fig. 5 In turn, in each case the two conductor terminals 5a, b respectively equidistant from the mid-perpendicular are connected in pairs to the busbars 10 on the inclined sides 2b, 2c, so that a feed-through terminal with a plurality of busbar planes E1, E2, E3,... is formed. These busbar levels are not conductively connected here but separated from each other, but may possibly be interconnected by connectors not shown here.

In the connection of the two connecting devices 5a, 5b by a straight bus bar 10 for realizing a through connection between two connection devices for conductors in an insulating housing, in particular a jumper in floor structure, according to the preamble of claim 1 per se, the difficulty would be due to the environmental conditions caused by the different coefficients of expansion of the materials of the insulating material (a non-conductive plastic) and the elements of the metal assembly of the connecting devices 5a, 5b and connecting them busbar 10 (typically made of copper) forces are exerted on the contact point, since the connection devices in the insulating housing are largely stationary and in particular the length of the busbar with the change in temperature relative to the plastic less ä changed.

If the straight connection between the contact points P1, P2 is relatively short - as in the upper levels E1, E2, E3, E4, this effect is within acceptable tolerance limits.

On the other hand, if the connection is relatively long - as in the lower connection levels E5 to E8 - the effect becomes so great that it adversely affects the metal subassembly together with the connected conductors in an intolerable way.

This adverse effect is counteracted here in the affected connection levels - E5 to E8 - characterized in that at least one compensation area 11 is provided as a compensation device which is designed by different coefficients of thermal expansion between the metallic busbar and the terminal devices on the one hand and the insulating material on the other conditional relative changes in length take.

Preferably, the compensation area 11 is formed on the respective busbar 10.

This means that the busbar 10 between the contact points P1 and P2, to which it contacts the connecting devices 5a, 5b is not exactly straight, but that at least a compensation area 11 is formed, which at a heat-related change in length of the busbar 10 this change in length essentially absorbs and compensates.

To Fig. 1 is the compensation area 11 each V-shaped.

In this case, the compensation area 11 is preferably formed approximately in the middle of the busbars 10 between the contact points P1 and P2, so that the busbar has two outer straight sections 10a and 10b and the central V-shaped compensating section 11. Changes in length are thereby made essentially by narrowing and widening of the V-shaped region of the busbars 10 compensated because the connection devices 5a and 5b are arranged relatively stationary in the insulating housing and therefore carry out as far as possible its temperature-related changes in geometry.

A particularly advantageous arrangement results if the compensation areas 11 in the different contact planes E4 to E8 are aligned in the same direction, such that the V-shaped areas of adjacent busbar planes mesh. This arrangement is particularly space-saving and clear (see also Fig. 3 ).

It is also particularly advantageous if the tips of the V-shaped compensation regions 11 are aligned in the direction of the support rail 4. As a rule, in insulating housings of terminal blocks in this area a sufficient free space to accommodate the compensation areas 11 well without the dimensions of the insulating housing would have to zoom out (away from the mounting rail) ..

The compensation area 11 of the lowest connection level E8 can even extend into the "interior space 115" of the support rail 4 between the lateral limbs 116 of the here-hat-shaped support rail. Free space can also lie in other levels, eg perpendicular to the type of Fig. 1 ,

As already mentioned, the busbar 10 can not be designed only as a round wire. She can also be around; rectangular, oval or otherwise formed.

In addition, several of the compensation areas 11 may be provided on the terminal block or in its housing. Thus, several of the V-shaped areas may be provided.

Also, the V-shape is not mandatory, although very beneficial, as it allows a good balance. Alternatively, one or more differently shaped compensation areas may be provided, one or more U-shaped areas or areas formed in another form (eg spiral, meandering, ...; partial cross-sectional change), etc. Moreover, combinations of these variants can also be realized , The compensation areas are particularly advantageous if the connection devices are equally far away from the edges of the carrier rail (Z direction) and horizontally (y direction).

Preferably, the compensation area is arranged centrally 11 in the busbar between the contact points P1 and P2. This is not mandatory. He could also be formed offset laterally to the center. The illustrated variant of Fig. 1 but is particularly preferred.
Fig. 4b shows a bus bar 10 in helical form, wherein the helix acts as a compensation area 11.

Fig. 4c shows a flat bus bar 10 having a wave-shaped portion, which serves as the compensation area 11.

The compensation area 11 is preferably at least dimensioned such that the different length expansions occurring between the plastic insulating housing and the metal subassembly (busbar together with connection devices) occurring in the intended operating temperature range are compensated.

It is particularly simple, space-saving and cost-effective to form the at least compensating region 11 on the busbar 10.

Fig. 5 and 6 illustrate that it is also possible, alternatively or additionally, one or both of the connecting devices 5 form such that it has the balancing device. For this purpose, it is conceivable to form the actual clamping region as a slot 112 in a longer approach 113 on the clamping cage. The approach 113 is designed so long that he (see Fig. 6 ) by movements about a kind of pivot bearing 114 record or compensate for changes in length of the busbar (movement in the Y direction). If this variant of the compensation area is selected, it is preferably formed on both associated connection devices 5a, 5b. It can be combined with a compensation area on the busbar 10.

reference numeral

jumper terminal

1

Insulated

2

base side

2a

sloping sides

2b, 2c

side pieces

2d, 2e

latching means

3

rail

4

conductor connections

5a, b

clamping cage

6

clamping spring

7

clamping device

8th

spring clip

9

conductor rail

10

straight sections

10a and 10b

compensation range

11

vertical binder

12

back

13

fork webs

14, 15

Contact fork

16, 17

opening

18

conductor rail

10

straight sections

10a and 10b

compensation range

11

vertical binder

112

back

13

fork webs

14, 15

Contact fork

16, 17

opening

18

slot

112

approach

113

pivot bearing

114

free space

115

leg

116

angle

α

connection levels

E1, E2, E3, ...

Perpendicular bisector

M

contact points

P1, P2

Claims (14)

1. A terminal block as a patch terminal (1) arranged in tiers having an insulating-material housing (2),

   a) which comprises a latching means (3) or the like for placing on a mounting rail (4) which is hat-shaped in its cross-section, and

   b) which is provided with a plurality of connection apparatuses for conductors (5a, b) which are conductively connected to each other in pairs via a busbar (10) so that a through-clamp with several connection levels (E1, E2, ....) is formed,

   c) wherein individual or several of the busbars (10) can be connected to each other in the stacked connection levels by means of vertical connectors (12), wherein

   d) the vertical connectors are formed as punched/bent parts from an electrically conductive sheet metal,
   characterized in that

   e) the vertical connectors comprise a back region (13) which is formed as a flat sheet-metal strip, and

   f) a plurality of forked webs (14, 15) which adjacent to the back region are bent at a right angle out of the plane of the back region (13),

   g) wherein adjacent forked webs each form a contact fork (16, 17), which is formed to respectively conductively contact one of the busbars (10),

   h) wherein the vertical connector (12) can be placed in a retrofitting capacity from the side onto the busbar (10) on an open side of the terminal block parallel to the mounting rail direction.
2. A terminal block according to claim 1, characterized in that a first part of the contact forks (16) extends and is bent up to one side of the back region (13) and another part of the contact forks (17) extends and is bent up to the other side thereof.
3. A terminal block according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the terminal block is a multilevel terminal block with eight connection levels (E1 to E8), and that four each of the connection levels are conductively connected to each other by two vertical connectors (12a) with four contact forks (16, 17).
4. A terminal block according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the terminal block is a multilevel terminal block with eight connection levels (E1 to E8), and that four of the connection levels (E1 to E4) are conductively connected to each other by a first vertical connector (12a) with four contact forks and five of the connection levels (E1 to E5) are conductively connected to each other by a further vertical connector (12b) with five contact forks.
5. A terminal block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact forks (16, 17) extend towards different sides of the back region (13).
6. A terminal block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each vertical connector comprises two or more of the contact forks.
7. A terminal block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact forks (16, 17) act in a resilient manner in the contact state.
8. A terminal block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact forks (16, 17) act in a cutting manner in the contact state.
9. A terminal block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by several through-connections between two connection apparatuses (5a, 5b) for conductors in an insulating housing of the terminal block, a patch terminal arranged in tiers, wherein the connection apparatuses (5a, 5b) are connected to each other by a metallic busbar (10), comprising at least one compensating device which is formed to compensate relative changes in length caused by different coefficients of thermal expansion between the metallic busbar and the connection apparatuses (5a, 5b) on the one hand and the insulating-material housing (2) on the other hand.
10. A terminal block according to claim 9, characterized in that the busbar (10) is not continuously straight between contact points (P1 and P2) where it makes contact with the connection apparatuses (5a, 5b), but that at least one compensating region (11) is formed as a compensating device thereon, which is formed in a V-shaped or U-shaped manner, or in a helical or meandering manner.
11. A terminal block according to claim 10, characterized in that the connection apparatuses are equidistant in the vertical direction (Z direction) and horizontal direction (Y direction) from the edges of the mounting rail.
12. A terminal block according to claim 11, characterized in that a part of the busbars is provided with one of the compensating apparatuses and a further part is not provided with one of the compensating apparatuses.
13. A terminal block according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the tips of the V-shaped or U-shaped compensating regions (11) are aligned in the direction of the mounting rail (4).
14. A terminal block according to claim 13, characterized in that the tip of at least one of the V-shaped or U-shaped compensating regions (11) extends up into a cavity or an internal space (115) of the mounting rail (4) between the lateral limbs (116) thereof.

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