EP2992570A1

EP2992570A1 - Electrical housing equipped with a connection lever

Info

Publication number: EP2992570A1
Application number: EP14720665.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Loup Caille; Gokularajah GANESARATNAM
Original assignee: Legrand SNC; Legrand France SA
Current assignee: Legrand SNC; Legrand France SA
Priority date: 2013-04-29
Filing date: 2014-04-07
Publication date: 2016-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2034-04-07
Also published as: ES2616864T3; EP2992570B1; FR3005215B1; WO2014177784A1; CN105164858B; CN105164858A; FR3005215A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an electrical housing (1) comprising an insulating body (10) that comprises a lateral wall (11) closed at the back by a bottom wall (12) to delimit an internal volume for receiving at least one electrical apparatus mechanism. According to the invention, the electrical housing also comprises: - at least one electrical connection element (30, 40) fixed to said insulating body and comprising a first terminal that is accessible from said internal volume for connecting said electrical apparatus mechanism, and an external terminal (32, 42) that is located outside the insulating body for connecting an electrical conductor (3, 4), and - a lever (60, 70) for connecting and/or disconnecting the electrical conductor to/from the external terminal, which is movably mounted about a pivot axis transverse to said bottom wall.

Description

ELECTRICAL BOX EQUIPPED WITH A CONNECTION LEVER

TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES The present invention relates generally to the fitting of electrical equipment inside various walls.

It relates more particularly to an electrical box comprising an insulating body which comprises a side wall closed at the rear by a bottom wall to define an interior receiving volume of at least one electrical equipment mechanism.

The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the production of an electrical box recess for hollow partition, intended to receive various mechanisms of electrical equipment such as a switch mechanism, back and forth, dimmer electrical socket, socket, network jack (RJ45), phone jack (RJ1 1), indicator, or sensor (smoke, flood, temperature, movement or light).

BACKGROUND

Generally, the bodies of the electrical boxes comprise, internally, means for securing an equipment support, and, externally, fastening means to the wall. The equipment support makes it possible to mount any type of equipment mechanism in the interior volume of the body of the electrical box, by simple snapping of this equipment mechanism on the equipment support.

In addition, the bodies of the known electrical boxes are usually provided at the rear with knock-out covers which make it possible to locally open the wall of the body to introduce into its internal volume electrical conductors necessary for serving the gearing mechanism attached to the support. fitting.

The bodies of these electrical boxes have standardized sizes. Thus, the body of a circular recessed electrical box of a first standard has a diameter of 68 millimeters and a depth of 40 millimeters.

The internal volume of the body of such an electrical box is then reduced and it is not easy to accommodate not only the gearing mechanism mounted on the equipment support, but also the ends of the drivers which have been drawn into the interior of the body of the electrical box in order to connect them to the fitting mechanism, in particular because of the rigidity of the electrical conductors that must be folded between the fitting mechanism and the bottom wall of the body of the box.

This interior volume also restricts the possibilities of evolution of electrical equipment which, because of their limited size, can not indeed integrate all the desired functions.

The solution currently used to house large electrical equipment then consists of providing two electrical boxes next to each other and to distribute the functions in these two boxes.

This solution is however expensive and tedious to implement.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the state of the art, the present invention proposes a new electrical box which does not require introducing the electrical conductors into the interior volume of the body of the electrical box in order to connect the fitting mechanism. to the local power grid.

More particularly, it is proposed according to the invention an electrical box as defined in the introduction, in which it is provided:

at least one electrical connection element fixed to said insulating body and having a first terminal which is accessible from said interior volume for the connection of said electrical equipment mechanism, and an external terminal which is located outside the insulating body for the connection of an electrical conductor, and

- A connection lever and / or disconnection of the electrical conductor to the outer terminal, which is pivotally mounted to the rear of the bottom wall, about a pivot axis transverse to said bottom wall.

Thus, thanks to the invention, the electrical conductors are connected to the outside of the body of the electrical box and they do not fit inside of it, so that the entire internal volume of this body can be used to house large electrical equipment.

Wiring operations are also easier to implement, since they are no longer performed in or close to inside the body, but instead they are made outside the body.

They are also operated without effort, insofar as each electrical conductor is connected to an external terminal by means of a lever which is dedicated thereto.

The orientation of the pivot axis of the lever, transverse to the bottom wall of the body of the box (that is to say orthogonal to it or inclined relative thereto) also has several advantages .

The first advantage is that the lever can have a reduced thickness, insofar as the bending forces to which it is subjected to connect or disconnect the electrical conductors are located in a plane parallel to the bottom wall of the body of the box. In this way, since the total depth of the electrical box is standardized and is therefore limited, the presence of the lever at the rear of the body of the box reduces only slightly the internal volume of the body of the box.

The second advantage is that, since the lever has a reduced thickness, it is possible to provide that it has a significant length, so as to increase the lever arm. The effort to exert on this lever during the connection operation or disconnection of the electrical conductor is then low, which facilitates this operation.

The third advantage is that, during this connection or disconnection operation, the lever is located next to the electrical conductor, so that it leaves the latter visible so that the user can visually control the state of the connection.

Advantageously, said lateral wall extending around a mean axis, said pivot axis has an angle of inclination with respect to said mean axis which is between 0 and 30 degrees.

In practice, the pivot axis will be orthogonal to the local area of the bottom wall that it passes through and which carries the lever.

Other advantageous and non-limiting characteristics of the electrical box according to the invention are the following:

said outer terminal has an insulating pierced end-slot end edge and said lever comprises a bearing part which is adapted to support said electrical conductor on the split end edge of said outer terminal by virtue of the pivoting of the lever about said pivot axis; said lever comprises a maneuvering part which is accessible to the user and of which at least one zone is located at a distance from the pivot axis which is greater than or equal to the distance separating said support portion from said pivot axis; ;

said outer terminal is curved in an arc-centered circle on said pivot axis;

said lever defines a passage channel for said electrical conductor and comprises means for retaining this electrical conductor in said passage channel;

said lever is movable between a disengaged position in which said passage channel is located at a distance from said outer terminal and an engaged position in which the passage channel is partially traversed by said outer terminal, the insulating body having locking means said lever in the engaged position;

- The insulating body comprises a stud on which is engaged the lever for mounting movable pivotally about the pivot axis, which is split by a groove for passage of said electrical conductor;

said groove is flared at at least one end;

two electrical connection elements and two levers are provided for connecting two electrical conductors to the external terminals of these two electrical connection elements;

- there is provided, on the one hand, a connector fixed to said insulating body and having a first terminal accessible from said inner volume for the connection of said electrical equipment mechanism, and an outer terminal which is located outside the insulating body for the connection of a third electrical conductor, and, secondly, a cover rotatably mounted at the rear of said insulating body, between an open position in which it discovers the external terminals of said electrical connection elements and said connector and a closed position in which it covers said external terminals;

said cover and said levers together form a false bottom which is superimposed on the rear of the bottom wall of the insulating body;

- In the closed position, the cover defines with the insulating body a passage for a cable duct connector end; and - Said cover comprises a bearing portion which is adapted to support the third electrical conductor on the outer terminal of said connector in favor of tilting the cover from its open position to its closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved.

In the accompanying drawings:

- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective rear view of an electrical box according to the invention comprising a cover and two levers shown in the deployed position;

- Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, wherein the levers are in the engaged position;

- Figure 3 is a schematic rear perspective exploded view of an insulating body, a connecting member and a lever of the electrical box of Figure 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic rear perspective view of the insulating body, the connection element and the lever of the electrical box of FIG. 3;

- Figure 5 is a rear view of the body, the connecting element and the lever of the electrical box of Figure 3, on which the lever is shown in the deployed position;

- Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5, wherein the lever is shown in the engaged position;

- Figures 7 and 8 are rear views of the electrical box of Figure 1, on which the levers are respectively shown in the deployed position and engaged.

The installation of an electrical equipment mechanism on a wall requires the use of an electrical box. Such an electrical box makes it possible not only to rigidly fix the electrical equipment mechanism to the wall but also to protect it.

There is shown in Figures 1 to 8 such an electrical box 1, to be embedded within a cavity in a wall wall. Here, the electrical box 1 is of the type to be embedded in a hollow partition.

It is recalled in this regard that, in known manner, such a hollow partition is generally composed of a metal frame (formed of vertical uprights and horizontal rails) and gypsum panels reported on at least one of the two faces of the wall. 'metal frame.

The cavity made in this hollow partition is then simply formed by a circular opening made with a hole saw in one of the plasterboards.

In the description, the terms "front" and "rear" will then be used relative to the direction of the gaze of the installer of the electrical box in this circular opening. In the examples shown, the terms front and rear respectively designate the place facing the installer of the electrical box and the place facing the bottom of the circular opening.

As shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 3, the electrical box 1 comprises an insulating body 10 which here has a generally cylindrical shape but which could of course have a different shape, including parallelepiped.

This insulating body 10 has a tubular side wall 1 1 of revolution about an axis A1, which is closed at the rear by a bottom wall 12 and which is open towards the front.

The bottom wall 12 is flat and circular here. It extends in an average plane P1 orthogonal to the axis A1.

This bottom wall 12 has a flange 17 which rises from its rear face, on only part of its surface (delimited between the circular edge of the bottom wall and a rope of an arc of this circle). This flange thus has a convex face which extends in the extension of the side wall January 1 and a flat face which is turned towards the axis A1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, for its fixing in the cavity made in the wall, the insulating body 10 comprises a peripheral flange 13 which runs externally on the front edge of its side wall 1 1 and which is adapted to bear against the front face of the plasterboard, all around the circular opening. Thus, this peripheral flange 13 allows to retain back the insulating body 10 of the electrical box 1 in this circular opening. For its retention forward, the insulating body 10 comprises hooking means 18. These hooking means 18 here comprise two bending tabs 18A which are cut in the side wall 1 1 of the insulating body 10 and which each carry on their external faces a ratchet tooth 18B.

The two bending tabs 18A are located diametrically opposite to the axis A1, and extend in length from the front edge of the side wall January 1 of the insulating body 10 to the rear. Each bend lug 18A has a shape of rectangle three of whose edges are free and whose fourth edge, namely here the rear edge, is connected to the side wall January 1 of the insulating body 10 to form a hinge.

Each ratchet tooth 18B is then located near the front edge of the corresponding bending tab 18A. Each ratchet tooth 18B has a flat front face orthogonal to the axis A1, which is adapted to hook to the rear face of the corresponding plasterboard, and a rear face inclined relative to the axis A1, which form a ramp allowing the flexure tab 18A to deform elastically inwardly when the insulating body 10 is engaged in the circular opening made in the plasterboard.

To lock the electrical equipment mechanism inside its insulating body 10, the electrical box 1 comprises fixing means which are here in the form of two rectangular windows 19 cut in the side wall 1 1 of the insulating body 10 .

These two rectangular windows 19 are located diametrically opposite to the axis A1. They run along the peripheral flange 13 in such a way that latching means provided in correspondence with the electrical equipment mechanism can hook into it.

The electrical box 1 further comprises, and it is the object of the present invention, means for facilitating the wiring of the electrical equipment mechanism to the local electrical network.

As shown in FIG. 1, the local electrical network is here made accessible by means of three electrical conductors, in this instance three phase 3, neutral 4 and earth 5 wires, which emerge from within a cable duct 1 10. Then, according to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, the electrical box 1 comprises:

at least one electrical connection element 30 which is fixed to the insulating body 10 and which comprises, on the one hand, a first terminal 31 (see FIG. 4) which is accessible from the inside of the insulating body 10 for the connection of the mechanism of electrical equipment, and, secondly, an outer terminal 32 (see Figure 3) which is located outside the insulating body 10 for the connection of one of the electrical son 3, and

a lever 60 for connecting and / or disconnecting the electrical wire 3, 4 to the outer terminal 32, which is pivotably mounted at the rear of the bottom wall 12 about a pivot axis A6 transverse to said bottom wall 12.

It is here more specifically provided two electrical connection elements as mentioned above, called phase connector 30 and neutral connector 40, for the connection of the phase wire 3 and the neutral wire 4. It is also provided two levers 60, 70 each associated with one of these phase 30 and neutral 40 connectors.

It is also provided here another electrical connection element of different shape, called earth connector 50, for the connection of the ground wire 5. It is also provided a cover 80 mounted movable tilting at the rear of the insulating body 10 to facilitate the connection of the ground wire 5 to this earth connector 50.

These three phase 30, neutral 40 and earth 50 connectors thus make it possible to connect the three phase 3, neutral 4 and earth 5 wires to the rear of the electrical box 1, so that the first terminals these connectors provide inside the insulating body 10 of the electrical box 1 an access for the electrical equipment to the local power grid.

As shown in FIG. 3, to allow this access to the first terminals from the inside, the insulating body 10 here has three openings 23, 24, 25 in its bottom wall 12, including a central opening 25 and, on both sides, other of this, two lateral openings 23, 24.

The central opening 25 is circular and is intended to receive and fix the earth connector 50. The lateral openings 23, 24 are in their arcs-of-circle form centered on the axis A1 and are respectively provided for make phase 30 and neutral 40 connectors accessible from the volume inside the insulating body 10.

The two phase and neutral connectors 40 are here identical and are placed symmetrically on the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10.

Only the phase connector 30 will then be described here with reference to FIG.

This phase connector 30 is here an insulation piercing connector, in that it allows to directly connect the phase wire 3, avoiding the user having to bare it beforehand.

As will be explained at the end of this presentation, this connector may alternatively be of a different type.

Here, the phase connector 30 is formed in one piece obtained by cutting and folding a metal strip (here brass).

The phase connector 30 is thus formed such that it has a central portion 34 folded in W.

This central portion 34 is extended, on one side, by a first curved portion 31 in arc-of-circle, of diameter equal to that of the lateral openings 23, 24 formed in the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 1 January. This first curved portion is placed through one of these lateral openings 23, 24 and thus forms the first terminal 31 of the phase connector 30 (to which the electrical equipment mechanism housed in the electrical box 1 can be connected) .

The central portion 34 is extended, on the opposite side, by a second curved portion 32 in arc-around the pivot axis A6. This second curved portion forms the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30 (to which the phase lead 3 can connect).

The end edge of this outer terminal 32 has a hollow slot 33 which allows it to pierce an insulator. This slot 33 more precisely has a V-shaped mouthpiece whose two lateral edges are sharpened so as to cut the insulating sheath of the phase wire 3. The bottom of this slot 33 is itself rectangular, with two straight edges that are also sharp, which are adapted to come into contact with the conducting core of the phase wire 3 in order to establish a connection between the first terminal 31 and the phase wire 3.

As shown in Figure 1, to retain the phase connectors 30 and neutral 40 through the side openings 23, 24 formed in the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10, there is here provided a rear housing 90 generally in horseshoe shape.

This rear housing 90 thus has two branches, which are hollow and open towards the front to accommodate the phase connectors 30 and neutral 40.

This rear case 90 is internally equipped with locking ribs of the phase and neutral connectors 40 (not visible in the figures). It is also externally equipped with securing means to the insulating body 10, which are here in the form of lateral tabs (not visible in the figures) adapted to snap into latching lugs 21 provided with a protruding projection. the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10 (see Figure 3).

To ensure a better maintenance of the phase and neutral connectors 40, especially during the connection operations of the phase and neutral wires 4, it is provided, projecting from the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body. 10, stops 22 (see Figures 3 to 6). These stops 22 are placed in such a way that the central portions 34 of the phase and neutral connectors 40 rest on them when a force is exerted on the end edges of the external terminals 32, 42 of these connectors.

As shown in Figure 1, the two levers 60, 70 are symmetrical with respect to each other. Only the lever 60 provided for connecting the phase wire 3 to the phase connector 30 will then be described here, with reference to FIG.

This lever 60 comprises a plate 65 which is in the form of a plate elongated radially with respect to the pivot axis A6, whose front face is applied against the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10 .

For free mounting pivoting about the pivot axis A6, the lever 60 comprises a ring 66 fixed to one end of the plate 65.

The insulating body 10 comprises in correspondence a stud 15 which rises from the rear face of its bottom wall 12, along the axis of pivot A6, and on which is engaged the ring 66 of the lever 60.

The outer face of this stud 15 and the inner face of the ring 66 have for this purpose cylindrical shapes of revolution about the pivot axis A6, of equal diameters (operating clearance close).

To retain the lever 60 bearing against the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10, the stud 15 has on its end edge two diametrically opposite snap teeth 15A, adapted to catch in grooves 66C provided for this purpose at the rear of the ring 66 of the lever 60.

The lever 60 is here provided to block the phase wire 3 before it is connected to the phase connector 30, and to maintain it during and after its connection to the phase connector 30.

For this purpose, its plate 65 has, projecting from its rear face, a first curved plate 67 which runs along the ring 66, at a reduced distance therefrom, and a second flat plate 68 located at the mid-length of the plate 65.

Each of these two plates 67, 68 has a slot 67A, 68A recessed in its rear edge, U-shaped.

The ring 66 also has a slot 66A recessed in its U-shaped rear edge, which is aligned with the slots of these two plates.

67, 68 for defining therewith a passage channel 61 for the phase wire 3.

The ring 66 also has a recess 66B recessed in its rear edge, located diametrically opposite the slot 66A, and whose width is greater than that of the slot 66A so as not to interfere with the phase wire 3.

In this way, as shown in Figure 1, the phase wire 3 can be freely engaged transversely in the passage channel 61 defined by the three slots 66A, 67A, 68A.

There is then provided retaining means 64 of the phase wire 3 in this passage channel 61. Here, as shown in Figure 3, these retaining means comprise two teeth 64 projecting from the two edges of the slot 68A of the second plate 68, which are adapted to hook to the insulating sheath of the phase wire 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the phase wire 3 is therefore intended to be engaged and then locked on the lever 60 in a position where it passes through the ring 66 of this lever 60.

The stud 15 on which the lever 60 is snapped is then split transversely by a groove 16 for the passage of the phase wire 3 (see FIG. 3).

This groove 16 is flared at its two ends, to allow the phase wire 3 to deform in a curved manner during the pivoting of the lever 60 (see FIGS. 7 and 8), so that this pivoting does not create an angle of break on the phase 3 wire.

In this way, the lever 60 is movable between a disengaged position (see FIGS. 1 and 7) in which the passage channel 61 and the phase wire 3 are located remote from the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30, and an engaged position (see Figures 2 and 8) in which the passage channel 61 is partly traversed by this outer terminal 32 which can thus come to connect to the wire of phase 3.

Thus, this lever 60 is adapted to push the phase wire 3 between the cutting edges of the V-mouth of the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30, in favor of the pivoting of the lever 60 towards its engaged position, which has the effect of cutting off its insulating sheath and connecting its conductive core to the phase connector 30.

As discussed above, the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30 is arcuate around the pivot axis A6. It is here curved with a diameter between that of the ring 66 and that of the first plate 67. Therefore, when the lever 60 is folded into the engaged position, the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30 engages between this ring 66 and this first plate 67.

The plate 65 of the lever 60 is then partially interrupted between this ring 66 and this first plate 67 to allow the passage of the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30.

The curvature of the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30 makes it possible to ensure that, during the entire travel of the lever 60, the zone of the outer terminal 32 on which the phase wire 3 is engaged remains oriented at at right angles to this phase wire 3. In this way, the insulating sheath of the phase wire 3 is not only cut cleanly when it engages the outer terminal 32, but it is also not torn off by the following.

As shown in Figures 3 and 7, one edge of each slot 66A, 67A provided in the ring 66 and in the first plate 67 allows, when the lever 60 is folded in the engaged position, to push the wire phase 3 against the outer terminal 32 of the phase connector 30. These edges form as such "bearing portions 62".

As shown in Figure 3, the insulating body 10 comprises locking means 14 of the lever 60 in the engaged position, which maintain the connection established between the phase wire 3 and the phase connector 30. These locking means are presented here in the form of a rod 14 that rises orthogonally from the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10.

The lever 60 comprises in correspondence, recessed in the inner lateral edge of its plate 65 (that turned towards the axis A1), a notch 69 adapted to engage transversely on the rod 64 when the lever 60 arrives in the engaged position . This notch 69 has a flared mouth to facilitate the docking of the rod 14, and a narrowing width that allows the lever 60 to snap on the rod 14.

As shown in Figure 3, the insulating body 10 also comprises stop means 26 of the lever 60 in the disengaged position. These abutment means are here in the form of a rod 26 which rises orthogonally from the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10, and against which abuts the lever 60 when it is deployed. in the disengaged position (see Figure 7).

The lever 60 further includes a maneuvering portion 63 accessible to the user for operating the lever 60 from one or other of its positions engaged and disengaged to the opposite position.

This operating part 63 extends from the outer lateral edge of the plate 65 and forms a bulge. The shape of this bulge will be specified in the rest of this presentation.

The free end of this operating part 63 (that placed opposite the ring gear 66) is situated at a distance from the pivot axis A6 which is greater than or equal to the distance separating the outer terminal 32 from the pivot axis A6. This distance is preferably strictly greater than the distance separating the outer terminal 32 from the pivot axis A6. In this way, when the user exerts a force on the free end of this operating portion 63, this force is multiplied by a lever arm effect, which allows the phase wire 3 to be connected to the outer terminal 32 by exerting on the maneuvering portion 63 a restricted effort.

The earth connector 50, which appears in FIG. 1, is not in itself the subject of the present invention and will therefore not be described in detail.

It comprises a slotted tubular part (not visible in the figures) snapped into the central opening 25 formed in the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10, and a tab 52 which extends from this tubular part and which protrudes through a slot in the rear housing 90.

The tubular part of this earth connector 50 forms the first terminal to which the electrical equipment housed in the electrical box can be connected, while the tab forms the outer terminal 52 to which the grounding wire 5 can connect.

The end edge of this tab 52, visible in FIG. 1, has a slot of identical shape to that of the phase and neutral connectors 40, which enables it to pierce an insulator.

It can be observed in FIG. 1 that the rear housing 90 defines between its two branches a kind of slide, which makes it possible to guide the ground wire 5 towards the end edge of the outer terminal 52 of this earth connector 50.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover 80 is pivotally mounted at the rear of the insulating body 10, between an open position in which it discovers the external terminals 32, 42, 52 of the phase connectors 30, 40 and earth 50, and a closed position in which it covers these outer terminals 32, 42, 52 to isolate them from the outside.

This cover 80 thus makes it possible to protect the zone where the connection of the phase 3, neutral 4 and earth 5 wires takes place with the external terminals 32, 42, 52.

The cover 80 generally has a disc shape 81 adapted to cover the rear face of the bottom wall 12 of the insulating body 10, bordered at the front by a peripheral flange 82 adapted to be placed in the extension of the side wall 1 1 and the flange 17 of the insulating body 10.

The peripheral flange 82 has a flattened side 83 intended to be placed against the flat face of the flange 17 of the insulating body 10, and three notches 84, 85, 86 recessed in its front edge.

For its tilt mounting at the rear of the insulating body 10, the peripheral rim 82 of the cover 80 has two hooks (not visible in the figures) projecting from the external face of its flattened side 83. The insulating body 10 presents in correspondence two recesses 28 recessed in its rim 17 (see Figure 3), and two coaxial shafts 29 which extend through these two recesses 28. The hooks of the hood 80 are then snapped onto these coaxial shafts 29 to allow the hood to tilt at the rear of the insulating body 10 about an axis orthogonal to the axis A1.

The insulating body 10 then comprises locking means 27 of this hood 80 in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 1, these locking means 27 are here formed by recessed grooves in the external face of the lateral wall 1 1 of the insulating body 10, in which ribs can be latched (not visible in the figures). provided projecting from the inner face of the peripheral rim 82 of the cover 80.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner face of the hood 80 carries stiffening ribs which together form a lattice, and a support rib 87 which extends in length from the flattened side 83 of the peripheral rim 82, orthogonally to this one.

This support rib 87 is located in such a way that when the hood

80 is folded in the closed position, it engages between the cutting edges of the V mouth of the outer terminal 52 of the earth connector 50, but does not come into contact with these cutting edges.

Thus, this support rib 87 is adapted to push the ground wire 5 between these cutting edges in favor of the closing of the cover 80, which has the effect of cutting its insulating sheath and connecting its conductive core to the connector. land 50.

Two of the notches 84, 85 provided in the peripheral rim 82 of the cover 80 can accommodate the levers 60, 70 when folded in the engaged position and the cover 80 is returned to the closed position.

In this position, only the operating parts 63, 73 of the levers 60, 70 emerge from the cover 80. These operating parts 63, 73 then have shapes such that in this position, the electrical box 1 has a shape corresponding to a second standard, with an outside diameter of 79 millimeters and a depth of 50 millimeters.

In order to prevent the hood 80 from crushing the phase 3, neutral 4 and earth 5 wires in the closed position, the third notch 86 of the cover 80 delimits, with the insulating body 10, a passage for a tip 100 mounted at the end of the cable ducting 1 10.

The ducting duct 1 10 considered here is a corrugated sheath made of hard plastic.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tip 100 is made of flexible plastic. It has a tubular shape, with a portion of circular section fitted to the end of the cable duct 1 10, and an end portion whose section is reduced and flattens to open outwards through an oblong opening of size corresponding to that of the passage defined between the cover 80 and the insulating body 10.

This tip 100 here has a peripheral groove 101 recessed in its outer face, which is provided to fit on the edge of the passage defined between the cover 80 and the insulating body 10, which has the effect of securely locking the endpiece 100 between these two elements when the hood 80 is in the closed position.

The installation of this electrical box 1 in a circular opening made in a plasterboard of a hollow partition is then carried out as follows.

A cable ducting 1 10, housing three phase 3 son, neutral 4 and earth 5, is first pulled out of the hollow partition, through the circular opening.

The installer then engages a tip 100 at the end of the cable ducting 1 10, taking care to pass the three phase 3, neutral 4 and earth 5 son through this nozzle 100.

The installer then opens the cover 80 and the levers 60, 70 of the electrical box 100 to discover the external terminals of the phase 30, neutral 40 and earth 50 connectors.

It then engages the phase wire 3 and the neutral wire 4 in the conduits

61 delimited by the levers 60,70, and the ground wire 50 in the toboggan delimited by the rear housing 90.

It then folds the levers 60, 70 while visually ensuring that the phase 3 and neutral 4 wires connect well to the phase and neutral connectors 40, by being inserted between the sharp edges of the V-mouth. their external terminals 32, 42.

The installer then closes the cover 80 so that the support rib 87 provided at the front of this cover 80 forces the cutting of the insulating sheath and the connection of the ground wire 5 to the earth connector 50.

The electrical box 1 thus connected to the local electrical network is then engaged in the circular opening made in the plasterboard of the hollow partition, so that the peripheral rim 13 of its insulating body 10 comes into contact with the front face of the this plasterboard and that the teeth 18B of the latching means 18 of this insulating body 10 cling to the back side of this plasterboard.

Then, the electrical box 1 is ready to receive the electrical equipment mechanism.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, but the art can apply any variant within his mind.

In particular, it could be provided that the outer terminals are not piercing insulation. It will then be necessary, when connecting the electrical box, to first strip the insulated electrical son before blocking them in the outer terminals of the phase and neutral connectors.

In this variant, the terminals may be automatic and formed by spring blades delimiting insertion and blocking ducts of the stripped ends of the electrical wires, in which case the levers will be used to allow the disconnection of these electrical wires (as is well described in FR2941569). In another variant, the terminals may be manual and formed by simple metal blades, in which case the levers will be used to compress the stripped ends of the electrical son against these metal blades.

In the embodiment of the electrical box 1 shown in the figures, the insulating body 10 is designed to accommodate an equipment module. Such an equipment module comprises an electrical equipment mechanism housed in a housing which itself is housed in the electrical box 1. Alternatively, it could be provided that the electrical box is designed to accommodate an equipment module without a housing, in which case the electrical box will internally comprise means for fixing the components of the equipment module. An example of such an equipment module is described in the patent application filed under the reference FR1203508, not yet published on the filing date of this.

According to another variant of the invention, it could be provided to mount the two free levers pivoting about two axes not parallel, but slightly inclined relative to each other. This will be particularly the case when the bottom wall of the insulating body will not be flat but will have a V shape with two inclined faces on each of which is mounted one of the levers.

According to another variant not shown of the invention, it will be possible provide a greater number of levers and electrical connectors. For example, it will be possible to envisage equipping the electrical box with four electrical connectors (in particular when the electrical box will be shaped to accommodate a back-and-forth or when it will be provided to enable the electrical connection of another electrical box by parallel to it) and four corresponding levers.

Claims

1. Electrical box (1) comprising an insulating body (10) which comprises a side wall (1 1) closed at the rear by a bottom wall (12) for delimiting an interior receiving volume of at least one fitting mechanism electric, characterized in that it also comprises:

at least one electrical connection element (30, 40) fixed to said insulating body (10) and having a first terminal (31) which is accessible from said interior volume for the connection of said electrical equipment mechanism, and an external terminal ( 32, 42) which is located outside the insulating body (10) for connecting an electrical conductor (3, 4), and

a lever (60, 70) for connecting and / or disconnecting the electrical conductor (3, 4) to the outer terminal (32), which is pivotably mounted at the rear of the bottom wall (12), around a pivot axis (A6, A7) transverse to said bottom wall (12).

2. Electrical box (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein, said side wall (1 1) extending around a mean axis (A1), said pivot axis (A6, A7) has an inclination angle with respect to said average axis (A1) which is between 0 and 30 degrees.

Electrical box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said outer terminal (32) has an insulating pierced end slot edge and said lever (60, 70) has a bearing portion ( 62, 72) which is adapted to support said electrical conductor (3, 4) on the slotted end edge of said outer terminal (32) by pivoting the lever (60, 70) about said pivot axis (A6 , A7).

4. Electrical box (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said lever (60, 70) comprises a maneuvering part (63, 73) which is accessible to the user and of which at least one zone is located at a distance of the pivot axis (A6, A7) which is greater than or equal to the distance between said bearing portion (62, 72) of said pivot axis (A6, A7).

5. Electrical box (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein said outer terminal (32, 42) is curved arcuate centered on said pivot axis (A6, A7).

6. Electrical box (1) according to one of the three preceding claims, wherein said lever (60, 70) defines a passage channel (61) for said electrical conductor (3, 4) and comprises retaining means (64). ) of this electrical conductor (3, 4) in said passage channel (61).

7. electrical box (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said lever (60, 70) is movable between a disengaged position in which said passage channel (61) is located at a distance from said outer terminal (32, 42) and an engaged position in which the passage channel (61) is partially traversed by said outer terminal (32, 42), the insulating body (10) having locking means (14) of said lever (60, 70) in engaged position .

8. electrical box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulating body (10) comprises a stud (15) on which is engaged the lever (60, 70) for mounting movable pivotally about the pivot axis (A6, A7), which is split by a groove (16) for passage of said electrical conductor (3, 4).

9. Electrical box (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said groove (16) is flared at at least one end.

Electrical box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which two electrical connection elements (30, 40) and two levers (60, 70) are provided for connecting two electrical conductors (3.4) to the terminals. external (32, 42) of these two electrical connection elements (30, 40).

1 1. Electrical box (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein it is provided:

a connector (50) fixed to said insulating body (10) and having a first terminal accessible from said interior volume for the connection of said electrical equipment mechanism, and an external terminal (52) which is located outside the insulating body (10) for connecting a third electrical conductor (5), and

a cover (80) rotatably mounted at the rear of said insulating body (10), between an open position in which it discovers the external terminals (32, 42, 52) of said electrical connection elements (30, 40) and said connector (50) and a closed position in which it covers said external terminals (32, 42, 52).

12. Electrical box (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said cover (80) and said levers (60, 70) together form a false bottom that superimposed on the back of the bottom wall (12) of the insulating body (10).

13. Electrical box (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein, in the closed position, the cover (80) delimits with the insulating body (10) a passage for a tip (100) of duct cable duct (1 10).

14. Electrical box (1) according to one of the three preceding claims, wherein said cover (80) comprises a bearing portion (87) which is adapted to support the third electrical conductor (5) on the outer terminal (52). ) of said connector (50) by tilting the cover (80) from its open position to its closed position.