EP2849286A1 - Terminal with double electric connection system, in particular for a low-voltage electric protection apparatus, and apparatus comprising one such terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical connection terminal B of a so-called first cable (3) to the connection area (14) of an electrical appliance, said terminal comprising a cage C comprising a wall through which a screw is screwed ( 13) of actuation of the terminal, the actuation of the screw causing the relative displacement between the cage C and the screw (13), the connection of the cable said first (3) to the aforementioned connection range (14) being obtained by clamping said cable (3) between the connection pad (14) and either the cage C or the screw (13) when the screw (13) is actuated in the direction of the connection. This terminal B is characterized in that it further comprises connection means (6) of a cable (4) said second, said connecting means being of the rapid type comprising a spring (15), the connection and the disconnection of this second cable (4) being formed after an action exerted on the screw (13) so as to cause compression of the aforementioned spring (15), this compression making it possible to facilitate either the insertion of the said second cable (4) into the terminal B, to release the cable (4) to facilitate removal from this terminal.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to an electrical connection terminal of a cable said first to the connection range of an electrical apparatus, said terminal comprising a cage having a wall through which is screwed an actuating screw of the terminal, the actuation of the screw causing the relative movement between the cage and the screw, the connection of the cable said first to the aforementioned connection range being obtained by clamping said cable between the connection pad and either the cage or the screw, during the screwing the screw in the direction of the connection.

PRIOR STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

There are known simple terminals intended to allow the connection of electrical protection devices such circuit breakers to other devices located upstream or downstream on the same mounting bracket or the electrical network, by means of external conductors in the form of flexible, rigid, or semi-rigid cables.

These simple terminals are generally of the type with screw connection and may comprise for example a cage mounted movable in translation relative to the housing of the apparatus and adapted to be moved relative to this housing by means of a screw. This screw passes through a portion of the housing and the cage, and its actuation can cause either the translation of the cage so as to allow the clamping of a conductor (or two conductors) between a connecting range of the apparatus and the cage, ie the translation of the screw so as to make the clamping connection of the conductor between the end of the screw and the connection pad. Dual terminals are also known comprising a screw-type connection system for receiving a cable, as previously mentioned, which is associated with a quick-type connection system for receiving a comb tooth, said comb being intended for allow the power supply of the devices and to be powered itself by means of the aforementioned cable.

Such a terminal with a double connection system is described for example in the document EP 0 865 128 or the document FR 2 894 722 .

The quick-type connection systems comprise resilient means, generally comprising a spring, and are intended to provide the connection of teeth belonging to a comb, said teeth being force-insertable inside the elastic means by virtue of their flat shape. and the rigidity of the teeth.

These quick-type connection systems are not suitable for connecting a cable, which is usually made of a flexible or rigid material and round shape.

The present invention solves these disadvantages and proposes a connection terminal of the double connection type, of simple design, making it possible to connect one device to one or two cables in a rapid manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a terminal which can be mounted on all current pre-wired devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a terminal which can be made from a terminal of the standard screw connection type, enjoying all the advantages provided by this terminal, the quick connection system can be added or not, or disassembled then, so as to find a terminal type standard screw connection, the quick type connection system does not interfere with standard base systems during operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For this purpose the present invention relates to a connection terminal of the kind mentioned above, this terminal being characterized in that it further comprises means for connecting a cable said second, said connection means being of the rapid type comprising a spring, the connection and disconnection of this second cable being performed after an action exerted on the screw so as to cause compression of the aforementioned spring, this compression making it easier to insert the so-called second cable into the terminal, or to release the cable to facilitate its removal from this terminal.

Thanks to these characteristics, we obtain a terminal of the double connection type, simple design, for connecting a device to one or two cables quickly.

According to a particular preferred feature, the aforesaid cage is mounted movable in translation relative to the housing of the apparatus, and the aforementioned actuating screw is rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis relative to the housing of the apparatus, such so that the screwing of the screw causes the displacement in translation of the cage between a connection position and a disconnection position of said first cable.

According to another preferred characteristic, the aforesaid action on the screw consists in exerting a pressure on this screw so as to drive the cage in translation, which cage co-operates with the spring so as to compress it during this action exerted on the screw.

According to another preferred feature, this terminal comprises a U-shaped connection pad integral with the housing of the apparatus and mounted inside the cage, and a spring blade fixedly mounted within said range, the connection said first cable being made by clamping said cable between the cage and one said one of the wings of the aforementioned U.

According to another preferred feature, the connection of said second cable is made by clamping said cable between the spring blade and the other, said second, wings of the aforementioned U.

Thanks to these characteristics, we obtain a terminal that can be mounted on all current pre-wired devices, which can be realized from a terminal type standard screw connection, enjoying all the benefits provided by this terminal , the quick-connect system can be added or not, or disassembled afterwards, so as to find a terminal of the standard screw connection type, the quick-type connection system does not interfere with the standard basic systems when its operation.

According to another preferred feature, the aforementioned cage comprises at least one projecting element adapted to cooperate with the aforementioned spring during the translation of the cage so as to compress said spring during the aforementioned action exerted on the screw, this compression of the spring being intended to facilitate the insertion or removal of said second cable.

According to another preferred feature, the aforementioned cage comprises two main walls facing each other, a so-called upper wall traversed by the screw, and a bottom wall intended to cooperate with the so-called first cable, and the two main walls respectively comprise on their internal faces. , two pads directed towards the inside of the cage and intended to cooperate with the aforementioned spring.

The subject of the invention is also an electrical apparatus comprising at least one connection terminal comprising the previously mentioned characteristics taken alone or in combination.

According to a particular preferred feature, this apparatus is an electrical protection device.

According to another preferred feature, this apparatus is a low voltage electrical circuit breaker.

• La figure 1 est une vue partielle en plan d'un disjoncteur équipé d'une borne selon une réalisation préférée de l'invention, en position vissée de la vis correspondant à une position connectée de la borne, ladite vue comportant un arraché montrant la partie intérieure de la borne,
• La figure 2 est une vue identique à la figure précédente, en position desserrée de la vis correspondant à une position déconnectée de la borne, préalablement à l'introduction d'un câble,
• La figure 2a est une vue identique à la figure précédente, à échelle agrandie sans le tournevis,
• Les figures 3 et 3a sont deux vues en perspective, illustrant une borne selon une réalisation préférée de l'invention respectivement dans une position vissée et connectée pour la figure 3, et dans une position dévissée et déconnectée pendant l'exercice d'une pression sur la vis pour la figure 3a, et
• La figure 4 est une vue partielle en plan du même disjoncteur, dans une position de connexion de la borne, deux câbles ayant été raccordés à l'appareil.

But other advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent in the detailed description which follows and refers to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and in which:

• The figure 1 is a partial plan view of a circuit breaker equipped with a terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the screwed position of the screw corresponding to a connected position of the terminal, said view comprising a snatch showing the inner portion of the thick headed,
• The figure 2 is a view identical to the previous figure, in the loosened position of the screw corresponding to a disconnected position of the terminal, prior to the introduction of a cable,
• The figure 2a is a view identical to the previous figure, on an enlarged scale without the screwdriver,
• The Figures 3 and 3a are two perspective views, illustrating a terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the invention respectively in a screwed and connected position for the figure 3 , and in a position unscrewed and disconnected while exerting a pressure on the screw for the figure 3a , and
• The figure 4 is a partial plan view of the same circuit breaker, in a connection position of the terminal, two cables having been connected to the device.

On the figures 1 , 2 , 2a and 4 partially shown, a modular low-voltage circuit breaker intended to be mounted on a mounting rail R and equipped with a terminal B according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said terminal being intended to ensure the electrical connection of the internal conductors circuit breaker, either to the electrical network or to other modular electrical appliances. For this purpose, the circuit-breaker housing has two ports 1.2 for access to the terminal intended to respectively allow the introduction of two cables 3,4, said cables being intended to cooperate respectively with screw connection means 5 and quick spring type connection means 6.

This bound B, as also illustrated on Figures 3 and 3a , comprises in a manner known per se a cage C comprising four walls 7,8,9,10 delimiting an opening 11 of substantially parallelepiped shape, said cage C being slidably mounted in a housing 12 provided inside the casing of the circuit breaker and being adapted to be displaced in translation by means of an actuating screw 13 screwed into one of the walls of the cage and rotatably mounted relative to the housing of the apparatus, between a connection position and a disconnection position from the terminal.

This terminal also comprises a U-shaped connection pad 14 mounted inside the aforementioned opening 11 of the cage C and intended to be electrically connected to the internal conductors of the apparatus. Within this U-shaped range is mounted a pin-shaped leaf spring 15 having a first end portion 16 intended to be fixed to a said first one, the wings of the aforementioned U of the beach, and a free end portion 18 adapted to be brought into abutment on a cable 4 so as to ensure the clamping of this cable between the other said second wing 19 of said U and said free end portion 18 of the spring blade 15 when such a cable 4 is introduced into the terminal.

The aforementioned screw connection means 5 consist mainly of the cage C adapted to be driven by the screw 13, and said first wing 17 of the range, a cable said first 3 being adapted to be clamped between the cage C and this wing 17 during the actuation of the screw 13 in the direction of a connection.

The quick-type connection means 6 consist mainly of this spring blade 15 cooperating with the second flange 19 of the U of the beach so as to clamp a second said cable 4 between these two elements. 19.

As more particularly illustrated on figures 2,2a , 3 and 3a , the two main walls 9,10 of the cage C have on their inner faces two studs 20,21 extending towards the inside of the cage C and intended to cooperate with the spring blade 15 in order to release the orifice 2 introduction of so-called quick connection means 6 and allow the electrical connection of the cable 4 said second, and facilitate its removal, as will be explained in the following.

The operation of a terminal B according to the preferred embodiment described above will be described in the following with reference to the figures.

On the figure 1 terminal B is in the position ready for insertion of a cable 4 into the orifice 2 associated with the fast type connection means 6.

In this position of the terminal B, the screw 13 has been screwed and the cage C is in the up position. It is then necessary to unscrew the screw 13, as illustrated on the figure 2 , this unscrewing causing the translation of the cage to the mounting bracket, this movement to release any cable introduced into the hole associated with the connection means of the screw type. In order to release the orifice associated with the quick-type connection means and to allow the insertion of a cable into this orifice, it is necessary to exert pressure on the spring blade 15 so as to compress it. This pressure ( fig.2a ) will be performed by the user by means of a screwdriver T or other tool, which will be used to press the screw head 13 so as to lower the cage C towards the mounting bracket R of the device. During this translation of the cage C, it will compress the leaf-spring 15 through the pads 20,21, so as to allow the introduction of the cable 4.

It will be noted that this translation of the cage C is made possible by the fact that a space e is left free between, on the one hand, the surface f of the wall 8 forming the bottom of the cage C, and on the other hand, the wall g of the housing located opposite this wall forming a bottom 8.

Note also that once the cable 4 introduced, and the tool T removed so that it no longer exerts pressure on the cage C, the spring blade 15 will recall the cage C via the pads 20,21 in the direction of the front face of the apparatus according to a travel in translation limited by the presence of the said second cable 4.

During a reverse operation, when the user wishes to remove a cable 4 previously connected via the quick-type connection means 6, he will first unscrew the screw 13 by means of a screwdriver T, such as 'illustrated on the Figures 2 and 2a , which will result on the one hand, to move the cage C towards the mounting bracket R.

This unscrewing will only remove a cable previously introduced into the hole associated with the screw-type connection means and have no action on the cable introduced into these fast type connection means.

It will therefore be necessary again, in order to facilitate removal of the cable 4, to exert pressure on the screw head 13 by means of a tool T, this having the effect of moving the cage in translation towards the support mounting R, and thus compressing the leaf-spring through the pads, to release the access port to the cable.

On the figure 4 the terminal is in the connection position of two cables 3,4 cooperating respectively with the quick-type connection means 6 and the screw connection means 5. And the cage C has therefore been brought to the upper position after the screwing of the 13. In this position, the cable said first 3 is clamped between the bottom wall 8 of the cage C and one, said first 17, the wings of the U formed by the connecting pad 14, while the cable says second 4 is clamped between the leaf spring 15 and the other said second 19, the wings of the aforementioned U.

Thus, thanks to the invention, a connection terminal of the double connection type, of simple design, has been realized which makes it possible to connect one device to one or two cables in a rapid manner.

This terminal can be mounted on all current pre-wired devices. It is therefore possible to have only one range to which this additional function can be added by integrating using one or more terminals according to the invention.

Indeed, this terminal according to the invention can easily be made from a terminal type standard screw connection, enjoying all the benefits provided by the latter terminal, the quick connect system can be added or not, or disassembled then on demand.

Note that the screw connection means can receive two cables instead of a single cable, as in the embodiment described above.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated which have been given by way of example.

On the contrary, the invention comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations if they are carried out according to its spirit.

Claims (10)

Electrical connection terminal of a cable said first to the connection range of an electrical apparatus, said terminal comprising a cage having a wall through which is screwed an actuating screw of the terminal, the actuation of the screw causing the relative displacement between the cage and the screw, the connection of the cable said first to the aforementioned connection range being obtained by clamping said cable between the connection pad and either the cage or the screw, when the screw is screwed into the sense of connection,
characterized in that it further comprises means (6) for connecting a cable (4) said second, said connection means being of the rapid type comprising a spring (15), the connection and disconnection of the second cable (4) being performed after an action exerted on the screw (13) so as to cause a compression of the aforementioned spring (15), this compression facilitating or insertion of the said second cable (4) in the terminal B, or release the cable (4) to facilitate removal from this terminal. Terminal block according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid cage C is mounted movable in translation relative to the housing of the apparatus, and in that the aforementioned actuating screw (13) is mounted in rotation around its longitudinal axis relative to the housing of the apparatus, such that the screwing of the screw (13) causes the displacement in translation of the cage C between a connection position and a disconnected position of said first cable (3). Terminal according to claim 2, characterized in that the aforementioned action on the screw (13) consists in exerting pressure on the screw (13) so as to drive the cage C in translation, which cage C cooperates with the spring (15) so as to compress it during this action exerted on the screw (13). Terminal block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a U-shaped connection pad (14) integral with the housing of the apparatus and mounted inside the cage C, and a spring blade (15) fixedly mounted inside said range (14), the connection of said first cable (3) being made by clamping said cable (3) between the cage C and one (17) said first wings of the aforementioned U. Terminal block according to claim 4, characterized in that the connection of said second cable (4) is made by clamping said cable between the leaf spring (15) and the other (19), said second, the wings of the U supra. Terminal according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the aforementioned cage C comprises at least one projecting element (20,21) adapted to cooperate with the aforementioned spring (15) during the translation of the C cage so as to compress said spring (15) during the aforementioned action exerted on the screw (13), the compression of the spring (15) being intended to facilitate the insertion or removal of the cable (4) said second. Terminal according to Claim 6, characterized in that the aforementioned cage C has two facing main walls (9, 10), an upper wall (7) through which the screw (13) passes, and a bottom wall (8). ) intended to cooperate with said first cable (3), and in that the two main walls (9,10) respectively have on their internal faces, two studs (20,21) directed towards the inside of the cage C and intended to cooperate with the aforementioned spring (15). Electrical apparatus comprising at least one connection terminal B according to any one of the preceding claims. Electrical apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that it is an electrical protection device. Electrical protection device according to claim 9, characterized in that it is a low-voltage electrical circuit breaker.

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