EP2846408B1 - Electric connection terminal - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electrical terminal with an actuating device, wherein the electrical terminal comprises a arranged in an insulating housing contact frame with a Leitererklemmanschluss for an electrical conductor and the actuating means comprises a handle formed as actuating element, which is integrally connected to the insulating material, and wherein the Leiterklemmanschluss is formed on the contact frame by at least one spring element whose free end forms a against the electrical conductor directed and acted upon by a clamping force clamping edge and the Leiterklemmanschluss can be opened by an action of the pusher on the at least one spring element by the pusher a force against the Clamping force is applied to the spring element.

State of the art

The ES 2 159 247 A1 shows an electrical terminal with a housing for a pluggable electrical conductor with a spring terminal. On the housing, a lever-like pusher is integrally formed on the upper side thereof. At the pusher a pin is provided, which engages in a recess of the housing and in a recess of a contact insert and acts upon actuation of the pusher on the clamping spring to release the clamping contact. In order to achieve an effective lever arm, the pusher is overall very large and elaborately designed. A comparable embodiment is in the EP 1 182 750 A2 disclosed.

DE 3 743 410 A1 discloses an electrical terminal according to the preamble of claim 1.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide an electrical terminal for the connection of an electrical conductor, which ensures a secure clamping of the electrical conductor and at the same time has a simple structure.

Disclosure of the invention

The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. It is preferably provided that the pusher consists of a pusher, wherein the pusher is connected at one end to the insulating material and wherein the pusher along at least a portion of two at an angle extends to each other arranged surfaces of the insulating housing.

The preferred embodiment of the pusher, which is thus executed angular, allows a relatively long effective pusher arm with a correspondingly long lever arm, which is particularly in cramped Space conditions or very small electrical terminals with small insulating housings is beneficial. Thus, it is in the case of miniaturized connection terminals that the inventive design of the pusher makes it possible to provide an effective pusher for actuating a contact frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the two surfaces arranged at an angle to one another are arranged at least almost perpendicular to one another. Thus, the pusher arm is preferably formed from a first, the course of a rear housing adapted Pückerarmteil and a second, the course of a housing surface adapted Prankerarmteil. Furthermore, the pusher arm is thus preferably arranged in a recess of the insulating material housing.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the pusher arm on an actuating surface with a trough-shaped recess, so that in a simple way a piecemeal option for an operating tool is created so that the pusher can be operated safely.

Preferably, the pusher arm is designed elastically deformable, so that a simple movement or deflection of the pusher with minimal design effort can be guaranteed.

In a preferred embodiment, the spring element is designed as at least one leaf spring or a spring leg, so that in the preferred embodiment of the contact frame in the manner of a channel and the contact frame to form a Leiterklemmanschlusses on each side wall in each case a leaf spring in the manner of a punched out of a flat metal part tongue has, which is bent out of the plane of the flat metal part, such that the free end of the leaf spring forms a directed against the electrical conductor clamping edge. Thus, the electrical terminal of only two components, the insulating housing with integrated pusher and a one-piece contact frame is formed, so that a simple structure and easy installation can be guaranteed with low cost.

Preferably, in each case one of the leaf springs directed towards the outside of the electrical terminal run-on bevel is formed, which are issued to each other funnel-shaped. Thus, the pusher can be easily pressed between the leaf springs to open the terminal connection of the electrical conductor by pushing apart of the leaf springs. For this purpose, the pusher preferably has a corresponding wedge-shaped pusher surface which is formed at the end of the pusher arm which is remote from the end connected to the insulating housing.

In the assembled state of the electrical terminal in which the contact frame is inserted in the insulating housing, the pusher arm is under a bias, so that the pusher arm protrudes beyond the surface of the housing top. Characterized in that the trigger arm is subjected in the unactuated state of a bias voltage, the voltage with which the trigger arm is acted upon, be kept small. The value of the bias voltage is relatively small, since the deflection of the trigger arm in the unactuated state is also relatively small. The deflection of the pusher arm in the actuated position in the insulating material inside is also not much much larger than in the unactuated state, so that the voltages, which is subjected to the pusher, can be kept small overall. The low voltage levels within the pusher or pusher arm help to keep the pusher and thus also the insulating housing small.

In order to effectively avoid damage, in particular breakage, of the at least one spring element and / or the pusher, in a preferred embodiment an overload protection is provided for this purpose. Advantageously, the deflection of the spring element designed as a leaf spring spring can be limited by side walls and / or intermediate walls of the insulating material housing. Further advantageous is the limitation of the deflection of the pusher arm of the pusher by a system of the pusher arm on at least one as a leaf spring trained spring element. These embodiments allow overload protection without significant adjustments to the electrical terminal and are therefore inexpensive.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig.1:

eine erfindungsgemäße Anschlussklemme im Zusammenbau in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig.2:

eine erfindungsgemäße auf deiner Leiterplatte angeordnete Anschlussklemme mit eingestecktem Leiter ohne Isolierstoffgehäuse,

Fig.3 :

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Kontaktrahmens,

Fig. 4:

eine perspektivische Schnittdarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen auf einer Leiterplatte angeordneten Anschlussklemme mit eingestecktem elektrischem Leiter,

Fig. 5a:

eine Schnittdarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Anschlussklemme entsprechend des Schnittes IV-IV aus Figur 1 mit unbetätigtem Drücker,

Fig. 5b:

eine Schnittdarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Anschlussklemme entsprechend des Schnittes IV-IV aus Figur 1 mit betätigtem Drücker,

Fig. 6a:

eine erste perspektivische Ansicht des Isolierstoffgehäuses,

Fig. 6b:

eine zweite perspektivische Ansicht des Isolierstoffgehäuses,

Fig. 7:

eine Schnittdarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Anschlussklemme entsprechend des Schnittes VII-VII aus Figur a.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. Show it

Fig.1:

an inventive terminal in the assembly in perspective view,

Figure 2:

an inventive arranged on your circuit board terminal with plugged conductor without insulating material,

Fig.3:

a perspective view of the contact frame,

4:

a perspective sectional view of the invention arranged on a circuit board terminal with inserted electrical conductor,

Fig. 5a:

a sectional view of the terminal according to the invention according to the section IV-IV FIG. 1 with unconfirmed pusher,

Fig. 5b:

a sectional view of the terminal according to the invention according to the section IV-IV FIG. 1 with pressed handle,

6a:

a first perspective view of the insulating material,

Fig. 6b:

a second perspective view of the insulating housing,

Fig. 7:

a sectional view of the terminal according to the invention according to the section VII-VII of Figure a.

Embodiment of the invention

The FIG. 1 shows an inventive electrical terminal 1 with a Isolierstoffgehäuse 2, in which a metallic contact frame 4 is added. The insulating housing 2 has at one end face 19 at least one conductor insertion opening 3 for the insertion of an electrical conductor 5 (FIG. 4). In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal 1 is bipolar, each with a conductor insertion opening 3 and a contact frame 4 per pole executed. The terminal can also have any other number of poles.

Are recognizable in the FIG. 1 furthermore connection regions 16 of the contact frame 4, which contact corresponding contact sections 28, eg conductor tracks, of a printed circuit board 7 ( FIG. 2 ). The connection regions 16 are connected to the contact sections 28 in particular via a solder connection (SMD solder connection), but a plug connection is also conceivable. In the FIG. 2 is held on the circuit board 7 contact frame 4 can be seen. In the illustration, the insulating material has been omitted, so that the connection of the electrical conductor 5 to the contact frame 4 can be seen. The electrical conductor 5 is inserted through an annularly curved, at least almost closed executed channel entrance 8 of the Kontaktrahmes 4, wherein the stripped end 6 of the electrical conductor 5 between the leaf springs 9 formed as side walls of the channel-shaped contact frame 4, is added. The leaf springs 9 are bent out of a flat metal part and the free ends form a clamping edge 10, so that the two opposite clamping edges 10 of the leaf springs 9 form a terminal point for the electrical conductor 5. The area from the channel entrance 8 of the contact frame 4 adjoining the conductor insertion opening 3 up to the nip formed by the clamping edges 10 defines a conductor insertion area 30.

The structure of the contact frame 4 is in the FIG. 3 clearly visible, it can be seen that the formation of the clamping edge 10 at the free end of the leaf spring 9 an additional, directed against the electrical conductor 5 exhibition 12th is embossed or molded to improve the clamping action. Furthermore, the contact frame 4 has a contact bottom 11 which is exposed or bent out of the surface of a flat metal part in such a way that it inclines upward from the channel entrance 8 in the direction of the clamping point, ie essentially in the conductor insertion region 30, in the direction of an inserted conductor 5 is executed. At the contact bottom 11, one end at the channel entrance 8 is followed by a first contact region 16 and at the other end a second contact region 16. In addition, in FIG. 3 formed on the annular channel entrance 8 front latching hook 14 recognizable, which engage for latching connection with the insulating 2 in there arranged next to the conductor insertion opening 3 corresponding front locking recesses 17. In the area between the clamping point formed by the clamping edge 10 and the rear channel 16 remote from the annular channel entrance contact area 11 rear laterally arranged on the contact bottom 11 latching hooks 15 are provided which preferably spaced from the circuit board 7 and from the plane formed by the contact areas 16 level are and engage in not shown recesses of the insulating housing 2.

In the region of the free end of the leaf springs 9, on each of which the clamping edge 10 is formed, the leaf spring 9 respectively on its side remote from the contact bottom 10 a starting slope 12, which is directed in each case to the outside of the terminal 1. The chamfers 12 of a contact frame 4 thus together form an upward, facing away from the contact bottom 10 funnel-shaped receptacle.

The FIGS. 4 5a and 5b each show a sectional view of the invention composed of a contact frame 4 and an insulating material 2 electrical terminal 1, wherein in the FIG. 4 in addition, a connected electrical conductor 5 is shown. In these figures, it can be seen that the housing inner wall 31 has an oblique region, within which the housing inner wall 31 against an inserted Ladder 5 is executed inclined. This inclined region lies within the above-defined conductor insertion region 30 or may also extend over the entire conductor insertion region 30.

It can also be seen in these representations that the conductor insertion region 30, due to the design of the contact frame 4 with its leaf springs 9 and its contact base 10 and the housing inner wall 31 of the insulating housing 2 has an at least partially funnel-shaped design, it being clear that the funnel-shaped conductor insertion region 30 is composed of the contact frame 4 and the insulating 2. The funnel-shaped conductor insertion region 30 is peripherally closed at least almost completely. Only between the leaf springs 9 and the contact bottom 10 on the one hand and the leaf springs 9 and the Gehäuseinnenwandung 31 on the other hand, narrow gaps are present. The cross section of the conductor insertion region 30 is executed in the embodiment substantially rectangular or square, but may also have any other shape, in particular round or at least partially round or arcuate.

The funnel-shaped conductor insertion region 30 forms a guide for a plug-in electrical conductor 5, in particular for its stripped end 6, so that the stripped end can be purposefully fed to the clamping point. The electrical connection terminal 1 can also be used for multi-wire electrical conductors 5, in particular when the clamping point formed by the clamping edges 10 is opened by an actuating element which is designed as a pusher 21 prior to the insertion of the electrical conductor 5. The individual wires of the stranded conductor 5 can not escape due to the circumferentially nearly closed conductor insertion region 30 and are securely held by the clamping edge 10 by clamping. The end of the funnel-shaped portion of the conductor insertion region 30 facing the conductor insertion opening 3 with the larger cross-section can thereby Also, if desired, serve as a stop for the isolated portion of the electrical conductor 5.

The fact that the funnel-shaped conductor insertion region 30 is composed of the insulating housing 2 and the contact frame 4 and is formed by these two Baueilen, a simple and effective conductor guidance is achieved, in particular, the contact frame 4 can be very simple, compact and material-saving.

In the FIGS. 4 . 5a and 5b Furthermore, a pusher 21 as an actuating element with a pusher arm 23 can be seen, which is designed in one piece with the insulating material 2. The pusher 21 acts on run-on slopes 12 and presses on actuation these chamfers 12 together with the leaf spring 9, ie, when pressed with a force F in the direction of the insulating 2, apart. Thus, the clamping edges 10 of the leaf spring 9 are pressed apart and opened the terminal point for removing an electrical conductor 5 or plugging an electrical conductor 5, in particular a stranded conductor 5.

The trigger arm 23 is as shown in FIG FIGS. 6a and 6b in one piece in the region of the housing rear side 20, preferably in its lower half facing away from the housing upper side 18, formed on the insulating housing 2. The pusher arm 23 follows the contour of the insulating material housing 2, so that a first pusher arm part 24 connected to the housing rear wall 20 extends approximately in the plane of the housing rear side 20 or approximately parallel thereto. The contour of the pusher arm 23 follows in the further course of the contour of the transition from the housing rear side 20 to the housing top side 18, so that a second pusher arm part 25, which is integrally connected to the first pusher arm part 24 approximately in the plane of the housing top 18 or approximately parallel thereto runs. The housing rear side 20 and the housing upper side 18 are arranged at an angle to each other, preferably, the housing rear side 20 and the housing top 18 are at least approximately at right angles to each other arranged. The pusher arm 23 is thus substantially formed as an angle. On the second presser arm part 25, an actuating surface 27 is integrally formed on its end facing away from the first presser arm part, which in the present embodiment is trough-shaped, but can alternatively also assume any other desired shape, for example slot or cross-slot shape. It can thus be seen that the pusher 21 is arranged in a housing recess 22, which extends over the housing rear side 20 and the housing upper side 18. The housing recess 22 is designed substantially as a breakthrough, so that the pusher 21 can act on the arranged in the interior of the insulating housing 2 contact frame 4. The pusher 21 as an actuating element is thus integrated with its angled embodiment in the wall or surface of the insulating housing 2 and constitutes a part of the insulating housing 2 itself.

In the unassembled state, the pusher arm 23 and the outer surface is located substantially in the plane of the surface contour of the insulating housing 2, both in the area of the housing top 18 and in the region of the rear housing 20. In assembled with the inserted in the insulating 2 contact frame 4 and non-actuated state, however, the pusher 21 is at least slightly opposite the housing upper side 18, as shown in FIG FIG. 5a is recognizable. The chamfers 12 of the contact frame 4 lie on the pusher 21 or more precisely on the pusher surface 26 (FIG. FIG. 7 ) and deflect the pusher 21 to the outside, so that the pusher arm 23 is under a resilient bias. In the FIG. 5b the actuated state is shown, in which the pusher 21 is acted upon by an actuating force F in the region of the trough-like actuating surface 27. It can be seen that the pusher arm 23 deforms substantially uniformly elastically under the actuating force F, the region of the pusher 21 with the actuating surfaces 26 being inserted between the leaf springs 9. The pusher arm 23 has a substantially uniform thickness or thickness for uniform elastic deformation. During the actuation process, ie the depression of the Pusher 21, the pusher 21 is displaced from the projecting beyond the housing top 18 position into a position in which the pusher arm 23, in particular the second Pusher arm 25, dips into the insulating 2. In this case, the elastic bias of the pusher arm 23 is released and the pusher arm 23 subjected to a reverse tension, so that the pusher arm endeavors to move back outwardly to get into its initial position.

The Figures 6a and 6b represent the insulating housing 2 as a single part, in particular, the described construction of the pusher 21 and the connection of the pusher 23 to the insulating material 2 are clearly visible again. Furthermore, it can be seen that the insulating housing 2 has recesses 32 on a housing underside, into which the contact areas 16 of the contact frame 4 engage, so that these contact areas 16 can protrude beyond the housing rear side 20 and the housing front side 19 with the conductor insertion openings 3 (see also FIG FIG. 1 ). At the same time it is achieved that the housing underside of the assembled electrical terminals forms a substantially flat surface without protruding components. The insulating material housing 2 can thus extend as far as the surface of the printed circuit board 7 in the state arranged on the printed circuit board 7 or rest on the printed circuit board 7.

The FIG. 7 The pusher surface 26 of the pusher 21 is formed substantially wedge-shaped and acts on the corresponding inclined ramps 12 of the contact frame 4. When the pusher 21 with a force F on the actuating surface 27 slides the wedge-shaped pusher surface 26 on the chamfers 12, dips between the leaf springs 9 and pushes them apart. As soon as the actuating force F is removed from the pusher 21, the leaf springs 9 push the pusher 21 over the run-up slopes 12 and the corresponding thereto due to their restoring force Actuating surface 26 back to the starting position.

The illustrated angular design of the pusher 21 allows a relatively long effective pusher 23 with a correspondingly long lever arm, which is particularly in confined space conditions or very small electrical terminals with small Isolierstoffgehäusen advantage. Thus, it is in the case of miniaturized connection terminals that the inventive design of the pusher 21 makes it possible to provide an effective pusher 21 for actuating a contact frame 4.

Characterized in that the pusher arm 23 is subjected to a bias voltage in the unactuated state, the voltage with which the pusher arm 23 is acted upon, be kept small. The value of the bias voltage is relatively small, since the deflection of the pusher arm 23 in the unactuated state is also relatively small. The deflection of the pusher arm 23 in the actuated position in the insulating material 2 is also not much much larger than in the unactuated state, so that the voltages which the pusher arm 23 is subjected to can also be kept relatively small. If, on the other hand, the entire actuating travel were to be applied to a tension-free pusher arm 23, the tension acting on the pusher arm 23 would be substantially greater, so that the pusher arm 23 would also have to be dimensioned larger overall. It can therefore be seen that with the present arrangement of the pusher 21 within the terminal 1 and its interaction with the contact frame 4, the pusher 21 can be kept very small overall and thus is particularly suitable for very small-sized terminals.

With the illustrated embodiment of the electrical terminal and an overload protection can be realized for both the leaf springs 9 and the pusher 21. How out FIG. 7 It can be seen that the arranged on the leaf springs 9 chamfers 12 at a sufficient deflection of the leaf springs 9 on the side walls 33 of the insulating housing 2 and / or one or more between the poles of the terminal 1 arranged intermediate walls 34 of the insulating housing 2 abut. The side walls 33 and / or intermediate walls 34 thus limit a deflection of the leaf springs 9 and thus prevent them from being overloaded and thus from being able to plastically deform or break.

At the same time, however, an overload protection for the pusher 21 or the pusher arm can be realized. Due to the limited deflection of the leaf springs 9, only a limited intermediate space can arise between two mutually associated leaf springs. If the maximum width of the portion of the pusher arm 23, which dips between the leaf springs 9 is greater than the gap between the maximum deflected leaf springs 9, the pusher 23 can be deflected only limited, so that this can not be subjected to excessive stress and breaking the pusher arm 23 is effectively avoided.

An overload protection for the pusher 21 or the pusher arm 23 can also be achieved by providing a stop on the section of the pusher arm 23 which dips between the leaf springs 9, which stops at a maximum deflection of the pusher arm or at a maximum insertion depth on the leaf springs 9 or rests on the run-on slopes 12, so that a further deflection of the pusher arm is prevented and damage to the pusher 21 is avoided.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

terminal

2

Insulated

3

Conductor insertion opening

4

contact frame

5

electrical conductor

6

stripped end of the electrical conductor

7

circuit board

8th

channel input

9

leaf springs

10

clamping edge

11

Contact floor

12

starting slope

13

Exhibition of the free end of the leaf spring

14

front latching hook

15

rear locking hook

16

contact areas

17

front recess

18

Housing top

19

front

20

Case back

21

handle

22

housing recess

23

depressor

24

first pusher arm part

25

second pusher arm part

26

pusher surface

27

actuating surface

28

Trace, contact section

30

Conductor insertion area

31

housing inner wall

32

recess

33

Side wall

34

partition

Claims (16)

1. Electrical connection terminal (1) comprising an actuating device, wherein

   - the electrical connection terminal (1) comprises a contact frame (4), arranged in a housing (2) made of insulating material, with a conductor terminal connection for an electrical conductor (5), and

   - the actuating device comprises an actuating element in the form of a pusher (21) comprising a pusher arm (23), said actuating element being integrally connected to the housing (2) made of insulating material, and wherein

   - the conductor terminal connection is formed on the contact frame (4) by at least one spring element (9), the free end of which forms a clamping edge (10) which is directed toward the electrical conductor (5) and to which a clamping force is applied, and

   - the conductor terminal connection can be opened by action of the pusher (21) on the at least one spring element (9) by a force being applied to the spring element (9) by the pusher (21) counter to the clamping force,

   characterized in that a stop being provided on that portion of the pusher arm (23), which dips between the leaf springs of the spring element (9), said stop resting against the leaf springs or the lead-in-sloping faces (12) of the leaf springs a maximum dipping depth.
2. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to claim 1, characterized in, that the pusher arm (23) has an actuating surface (27).
3. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to claim 2, characterized in, that the pusher arm (23) has an actuating portion which is remote from the end connector to the housing (2) made from insulating material and which has the actuating surface (27).
4. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in, that the actuating surface (27) has a trough-like, slit-shaped or cross-slit-shaped recess.
5. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that a further deflection of the pusher arm (23) is prevented and damaged to the pusher (21) avoided when said stop of the pusher arm (23) resting on the leaf springs or on the lead-in-sloping faces (12).
6. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the contact frame (4) comprises a contact base (11), wherein the leaf spring having the lead-in-sloping faces (12) in each case on its longitudinal side remote from the contact base (11).
7. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in, that the lead-in-sloping face (12) is in each case directed toward the outside of the connection terminal (1).
8. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the claims 6 or 7, characterized in, that the lead-in-sloping faces (12) are flared out relative to each other in a funnel shape.
9. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the pusher arm (23) is arranged inside a recess (22) of the housing (2) made of insulating material.
10. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pusher arm (23) can be deformed resiliently.
11. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the contact frame (4) is designed in the manner of a channel and wherein the contact frame (4) has on each side wall, in order to form a conductor terminal connection, in each case, at least one leaf spring (9), in the manner of a tongue stand from a flat material, which is band out of the plane of the flat material, in such a way that the free end of the leaf spring (9) forms a clamping edge (10) directed toward the electrical conductor (5).
12. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the pusher arm (23) has an actuating portion which is remote from the end connector to the housing (2) made from insulating material and which has an essentially wedge-shaped pusher surface (26), wherein the wedge-shaped pusher surface (26) can be pushed in between the leaf springs (9) by the lead-in-sloping faces (12) flared out relative to each other in a funnel shape in order to open the terminal connection of the electrical conductor (5) by the leaf springs (9) being pushed apart.
13. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that in the mounted state of the housing made from an insulating material and the contact frame (2), the pusher arm (23) is subject to pretensioning.
14. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that an overload protection is provided for the at least one spring element (9) and/or the pusher (21).
15. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the deflection of the spring element in the form of the leaf spring can be limited by side walls (33) and/or partition walls of the housings (2) made of insulating material.
16. Electrical connection terminal (1) according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the deflection of the pusher arm (23) can be limited by the pusher arm (23) bearing against at least one spring element in the form a leaf spring (9).

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