EP3491699A1

EP3491699A1 - Actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors

Info

Publication number: EP3491699A1
Application number: EP17755050.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Irina Lötkemann; Andreas Rüter
Original assignee: Harting Electric GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Harting Electric Stiftung and Co KG
Priority date: 2016-07-28
Filing date: 2017-07-24
Publication date: 2019-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2037-07-24
Also published as: KR20190029715A; US10855002B2; WO2018019329A1; US20190221951A1; EP3491699B1; KR102147289B1; CN109478730B; DE102016113974A1; CN109478730A; DE102016113974B4

Abstract

The problem addressed by the invention consists in devising a connection device (4) in which field terminations can be released also in the installed state, i.e. the electrical conductors (6, 61) can be manually disconnected using a simple tool (7) even if the insulating body (4) is already installed in an attachment housing. To this end, an actuator (1) is proposed which has an inclined engagement portion (11) with an adjoining engagement edge (12) and engagement step (13) by means of which the actuator (1) can be lifted out of the insulating body (5), also from the cable connection side (41), with a slotted screwdriver (7) in a single lifting movement.

Description

Actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors

The invention is based on an actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors according to the preamble of the independent

Claim 1.

Such actuators are required to provide an electrical conductor, in particular a stranded conductor, within the terminal device with an electrical connection contact, e.g. a pin contact or a busbar or the like, reversibly electrically and mechanically contact and possibly to solve this contact again.

State of the art

The prior art discloses a multiplicity of connection devices for electrical conductors, in particular stranded conductors.

The document EP 1 742 299 A2 describes a generic connection device for stranded conductors. In this case, a chamber with a displaceable slide element is provided in an insulating body for each strand. The carriage element is pushed together with a clamping sleeve with the inserted stranded conductor on a connection region of a pin contact. The strand is between a

Clamping shoulder of the pin contact and the clamping sleeve clamped and electrically connected to the pin contact. At his

Cable connection region, the carriage member on a laterally inclined, V-shaped recess into which in the inserted state, a correspondingly flat tool part, such as a screwdriver, can be used to pry the inserted slide element back out of the insulator. For the use of the tool, a bevel is provided on the inside of the housing wall surface in each chamber. Since the unlocking is done by the laterally acting on the insulating tool, it usually can not take place, when the insulating body is installed in a mounting housing of a connector.

The publication DE 20 2010 010 620 U1 proposes an arrangement comprising a cage tension spring, by means of which a simple connection and release of a conductor to a spring contact element is made possible. Connecting and disconnecting conductors to the connector are possible without tools or tools and without great effort.

The publication DE 20 2014 010 621 U1 proposes to the actuating means a resilient push-push mechanism, similar to a

Ballpoint pen mechanism to arrange, by means of which the

Actuating means between the first end position and the second

End position is linearly movable.

The document DE 10 2014 1 15 009 B3 shows a connector consisting of an insulating body, at least one, received in the insulating body, electrical contact, and a

An actuating mechanism for electrical contact consisting of a first actuating pin and a second actuating pin. The electrical contact has a spring contact element for contacting an electrical conductor or cable, which is opened and closed by the first actuating pin. The second actuating pin is provided for opening the spring contact element. As a result, a tool or other aids is required neither when closing nor when opening the spring contact element.

Disadvantages can arise in this prior art by the size of the corresponding design, if such insulators are installed in Tüllen- or mounting housing with predetermined dimensions. For this, the dimensions of the insulating body in the

fit predetermined housing dimensions. At the same time it exists Need to make even after the installation of such an insulating in a mounting housing, unlocking the ladder, in particular from the cable connection side, without having to remove the entire insulator again from the mounting housing. Furthermore, the possibility of using cable connection side

Jumpers between the individual contact chambers required.

task

The object of the invention is therefore to take into account the aforementioned, existing in the prior art disadvantages and market needs and specify a design that allows both the smallest possible training of the insulator, at the same time enables a manual unlocking of the electrical conductor, if the Insulating body is already installed in a mounting housing, and further the cable connection side allows the use of jumpers for electrically conductive connection of two strands and thus of course also the associated contacts. In addition, the mechanics should of course be designed as robust and inexpensive as possible.

This object is achieved with an actuator of the type mentioned by the features of the characterizing part of the independent claim 1.

The actuator for a terminal device for electrical conductors serves to enable the introduction of an electrical conductor in a

Insulating body in the unactuated state, and for fixing and electrical contacting of the electrical conductor to an electrical

Connection contact in actuated state.

The electrical connection contact can cable connection side preferably a busbar and plug side a contact pin or a

Include contact socket. It may be but also for example to act a pin contact with a cable terminal side clamping shoulder. The electrical conductor may in particular be a stranded conductor. The stranded conductor can be provided with at its stripped area with a wire end ferrule. But it can also be a solid conductor.

The actuator has the following:

Means for transferring the actuator from the unactuated state to the actuated state, as well

Means for transferring the actuator from the actuated state to the unactuated state.

The means for transferring the actuator from the actuated state to the unactuated state include an attack bevel and an adjacent attack edge, and in particular an attack stage beginning at the attack edge and directed away from the attack bevels at an obtuse angle.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The invention has the particular advantage that an unlocking by transferring the actuator from the actuated state in the

unactuated state with a tool, e.g. a usual one

Slotted screwdriver, takes place from the direction of the cable connection side, so it can take place even when the insulating body is already installed in the mounting housing. Accordingly, the tool for unlocking is initially introduced almost perpendicular to the cable connection surface, ie coming from the cable connection direction, in the actuation opening between the actuator and an outer wall of the insulating body. Then, the tool is first brought into mechanical contact with the attack slopes over its entire length and then lever the actuator in a lever movement about a first distance from the insulator out. Then the tool sets

transitionless automatically at the attack edge and / or at the

Attack stage of already levered out by the first distance from the insulator actuator and pry the actuator by means of the same lever movement in the course of a second distance from the insulator out, so that the actuator is then in its unactuated state. In the said further course of the lever movement, although the tool engages significantly obliquely and at the end of this process even at almost right angles to its original direction of the insulating body, but this is

unproblematic because in this phase, the actuator is already leveraged so far out of the insulator that such an oblique attachment of the tool at the attack edge or attack stage of the actuator is also possible in the built-in housing body insulator.

In particular, the engagement edge may also be rounded off and so e.g. on the one hand seamlessly into the attack slope and / or on the other hand seamlessly pass into the attack level, so that it is the term attack edge so also functionally equivalent in this context

Attack rounding includes.

Due to the possibility of using a flat-head screwdriver, the corresponding connection device can be field-assembled and, as described above, even in the built-in housing mounted state and field demodulation, ie the imported electrical conductors are unlocked manually without special tools. This is particularly advantageous because no special tool is required for unlocking. Furthermore, the invention has the advantage that the design is designed geometrically compact, ie the insulating body has comparatively small dimensions and so easily in existing

Connector housing, in particular Tüllen- and mounting housing, which have correspondingly small dimensions, can be used.

Furthermore, this design has the advantage that the contacts

can be bridged on the cable connection side, i. are electrically connected via one or more jumpers, are.

In an advantageous embodiment, the actuator has to be transferred from the unactuated state, i. its unactuated position, in the actuated state, i. its actuated position, a recess for applying a tool, the recess being at least partially slot-shaped, e.g. for applying a

Slotted screwdriver, and / or at least partially cylindrical, e.g. for applying a pen, is executed. This is advantageous for said field assembly capability, since such tools are usually carried by a corresponding specialist.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the actuator has an actuating recess with a clamping bevel and, subsequently, a clamping shoulder for actuating a cage tension spring.

This is advantageous because it actuates a cage tension spring and can be kept in a tensioned state, because this allows a design of small size.

In particular, the connection device comprises an electrical

Connection contact with a busbar, the insulating body with the actuating opening and a Kabeleinführöffnung for introducing the electrical conductor and a substantially between the Actuation opening and Kabeleinführöffnung arranged cage tension spring, which in turn has a window recess, with which it is arranged in the Kabeleinführöffnung, and further a

Clamping leg which is arranged in the region of the actuating opening in order to cooperate with the actuator.

If the actuator is in its actuated state, that is, at its actuated position in the actuation opening of the insulating body, then the clamping limb of the cage tension spring plunges into the actuation opening

Actuating recess of the actuator a. The cage tension is then at least partially relaxed. At the same time, the cage clamp with its window recess engages around the electrical conductor and pulls it against the busbar to contact it electrically with this.

To unlock the connection device is now a tool from the cable connection side into the actuating opening between the

Actuator and an outer wall of the insulating introduced. Then, the tool is brought into mechanical contact with the engaging bevels over its entire length and prunes the actuator a first distance from the insulator, i. in the direction of

Cable connection side, to then seamlessly at the attack edge and later in the event possibly also at the attack stage of already levered out by the first distance from the insulator

Actuator set and herauszuhebein the actuator to a second distance from the insulator, ie in the direction of

Cable terminal side, and thus ultimately to bring the actuator in its unactuated state. It is particularly advantageous in this case that the actuator travels both distances by means of a single lever movement of the screwdriver.

During this unlocking operation, the actuator slides with the clamping slopes of its actuating recess on the clamping leg along the cage tension spring and thus biases the cage tension spring, whereby their window recess deeper into the cable entry opening

pushed into it and the clamping contact formed by it is opened to release the previously pressed by her against the busbar electrical conductor again.

To the operating forces, in particular when pushing the

To keep actuator in the insulating as low as possible and thus to improve the operability is provided in an advantageous development, at least one friction partner, in particular the actuator and / or the insulating body to produce a material with particularly advantageous tribological properties, so that the corresponding friction factor reduced. This is furthermore of particular advantage because it also eliminates the need for complex so-called "fatting" of the friction partners, that is, the coating of their surface on the respective friction areas with a suitable lubricant.

For example, as such material for the actuator and / or the insulating body, a polycarbonate (PC) with a suitable

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) portion can be used. Alternatively or additionally, polyamide (PA), polyoxymethylene (POM) and similar substances with and without corresponding additives with good

tribological properties are used.

The cage tension spring is usually made of metal, in particular spring-elastic steel. In a very specific development, however, it is also conceivable that the cage tension spring is formed from a plastic. In this case, the abovementioned material properties naturally also apply to the cage tension spring, i. it can be for the

Käfigzugfeder a polycarbonate can be used with a suitable proportion of PTFE. Alternatively or additionally, PA, POM, and other materials known to those skilled in the art could also be used with or without corresponding additives with good tribological properties

be used.

embodiment

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. Show it:

Fig. 1 a, b, c An actuator from different views and in

Cut;

Fig. 2a, b, c the upper part of the actuator in different

Views and in section;

FIG. 3 shows an electrical connection contact with busbars and contact pin and with a cage tension spring arranged on the busbar; FIG.

Fig. 4a, b a connection device with a view of the

Cable connection side in angled top view and in the

Cut;

Fig. 5.a, b an unlocking in a sectional view.

The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. In part, for the same, but possibly not identical

Elements identical reference numerals used. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently.

1 a shows an actuator 1 with a view to an attack slope 1 1 and an adjacent thereto attack edge 12. In addition, located in the upper part of a tool insertion opening 19th Fig. 1 b shows the actuator 1 in a side view. From this point of view, a special actuating recess 14 can be seen, which has a clamping bevel 15. Adjacent thereto, the actuator 1 has a clamping shoulder 16.

Fig. 1 c shows the actuator 1 in a sectional view from the same perspective as the previous presentation. In this case, the tool insertion opening 19 and the attack slope 1 1, the attack edge 12 and the attack stage 13 are easy to see. These are adapted to transfer the actuator 1 from its actuated state to its unactuated state.

Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c show the upper portion of the actuator 1 in an oblique plan view, another sectional view and in a plan view. The shape of the attack bevels 1 1 can be seen particularly well in Fig. 2a. In Fig. 2b, the attack stage 13 is particularly easy to see and in Fig. 2c, the shape and position of

Tool insertion 19 very good to see. Furthermore, a slot-shaped recess 17 and a cylindrical recess 18 are shown in all three representations. These serve to transfer the actuator 1 from the unactuated state to the actuated state.

For example, a slot screwdriver 7, not shown in this illustration, can be attached to the slot-shaped recess 17 in order to press the actuator 1 down. The cylindrical recess 18 would rather for the preparation of a pen o. to offer.

3 shows an electrical connection contact 2 with a plug-side contact pin 20, a mounting clamp 22 for

Attachment in or on the insulating body 5, not shown here, and a cable terminal-side busbar 21, on which the cage tension spring 3 rests with its flat contact surface 31 over a large area. Furthermore, the cage tension spring 3 has a window recess 30, with which they a to their Contact surface 31 adjacent, slightly angled, free-standing end and further one of the contact pin 20 directed away, angled end of the busbar 21 surrounds and so presses their contact surface 31 against the busbar 21 by means of their spring force.

At a region facing away from the contact surface 31, the cage tension spring 3 has a clamping leg 34, which in the at least partially relaxed state, in which the cage tension spring 3 in this

Appearance already shows the contour of the actuating recess 14 of the actuator 1 can be seen. In fact, the cage clamp 3 is intended to dip with its clamping leg 34 in the actuating recess 14 of the actuator 1 and mechanically with her

co.

FIG. 4 a shows a connection device 4 in a 3D representation with a view of the connection side 41. FIG. 4b shows the connection device 4 from a somewhat different perspective with a section through its plane of symmetry.

The connection device 4 comprises an insulating body 5. The

Insulating body 5 has an actuating opening 51, in which the actuator 1 is inserted in its unactuated position, a Kabeleinführöffnung 52, in which the window recess 30 of the Käfigzugfeder 3 is located, wherein only the rear portion of the

Window recess 30 can be seen in the bleed. Since the section through the plane of symmetry of the mirror-symmetrical structure

Connection device 4 runs, is clear from this illustration, the position of the window recess 30 in the cable insertion opening 52 in the non-actuated state.

Furthermore, in the cable insertion opening 52, the bus bar 21 of the connection contact 2 is arranged. Thus it can be clearly seen that the cage tension spring 3 is arranged substantially between the actuation opening 51 and the cable insertion opening 52, which includes, on the one hand, its tensioning leg 34, upon actuation of the actuator 1, also in its actuation recess 14 and thus in the actuation opening

51 of the insulating body 5 can dip and that the cage clamp 3 on the other hand with its window recess 30 in the Kabeleinführöffnung

52 engages or even with their second, located on the window recess 30 free-standing end even at least in the non-actuated state passes through.

Furthermore, the insulating body 5 has an outer wall 53 with a

Lever contour 531.

5a and 5b illustrate the unlocking process, in which the actuator 1 from its actuated state, ie its actuated position in the insulating body 5, in its unactuated state, ie its unactuated position in the insulating body 5, is transferred.

Fig. 5a shows the actuator 1 in its actuated state, i. his actuated position. The cage tension 3 is at least partially relaxed, because its clamping leg 34 emerges, shown at the bottom of the image, in the actuating recess 14 of the actuator 1 a. At the same time pulls the cage clamp 3 with its window recess 30 a stripped area 61, in this case a strand of the electrical conductor 6 against the busbar 21, with which he is thereby electrically connected.

To unlock a tool 7, namely in this case a flat-head screwdriver, introduced through the tool insertion opening 19 of the actuator 1 in the actuating opening 51 and thus between the actuator 1 and an outer wall 35 of the insulating body 5. The flat-head screwdriver 7 now attacks on the one hand on the attack surface 1 1 of the actuator 1 over its entire length. On the other hand, he is in mechanical contact with a special lever contour 531 of

Outer wall 53.

By levering in the direction of the arrow, it pushes the actuator 1 upward a first distance, i. out of the operating opening. Due to the special lever contour 531, a change in the rotational axis of the lever in the unlocking direction of the actuator 1 takes place during this process, as a result of which the section in which the tool 7 engages the actuating bevel 11 in optimum alignment is lengthened. It can easily be seen that the flat-head screwdriver 7 acts on the engagement edge 12 with further levers in this direction, but if it had a slightly different shape, it could also attack the attack stage 13.

Fig. 5b shows the actuator 1 in its de-energized state, i. in an unactuated position. The flat-head screwdriver 1 lever over the upper attack edge 12 of the lever contour 531, thereby acting on the attack edge 12 of the actuator 1 at.

The clamping leg 34 of the cage tension spring 3 is fixed by the clamping shoulder 16 of the actuator 1 in the direction of the busbar 21, after it has already been moved by the clamping bevels 15 in this direction, and thus releases the electrical conductor 6 at its stripped area 61.

Actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors

attack slope

leading edge

attack level

actuating recess

clampingoblique

clamping shoulder

slot-shaped recess

cylindrical recess

Tool insertion opening electrical connection contact

conductor rail

Mounting clamp Cage tension spring

window opening

Clamping connection device

Cable connection side of the connection device Insulator

actuating opening

cable insertion

Outer wall of the insulating body

Lever contour Electric conductor

stripped area / stranded tool / flat screwdriver

Claims

Actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors

claims

Actuator (1) for a connection device (4) for electrical conductors

(6)

for enabling the introduction of an electrical conductor (6) into an insulating body (5) in the un-energized state, and for fixing and electrical contacting of the electrical conductor (6) to an electrical connection contact (2) in the actuated state, comprising:

Means for transferring the actuator (1) from the unactuated state to the actuated state, as well

Means for transferring the actuator (1) from the actuated state to the unactuated state,

characterized in that

the means for transferring the actuator (1) from the actuated state to the unactuated state include an engagement bevel (11) and an adjacent thereto engagement edge (12).

Actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Means for transferring the actuator (1) from the actuated state to the unactuated state further include an attack on the edge (12) beginning and at an obtuse angle of the attack bevels (1 1) directed away attack stage (13).

3. Actuator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the means for transferring the actuator (1) from the unactuated state into the actuated state comprise at least one recess (17, 18) for attaching a tool (7), the recess (17, 18) being at least partially slot-shaped (17 ) and / or cylindrical (18) is executed. Actuator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (1) further comprises a

Operating recess (14) with a clamping bevel (15) and then a clamping shoulder (16) for actuating a cage tension spring (3).

Connection device (4), comprising

the actuator (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the electrical connection contact (2) having a

Includes busbar (21),

an insulating body (5) having an actuating opening (51) and a cable insertion opening (52) for introducing an electrical conductor (6, 61), and

a cage tension spring (3) arranged essentially between the actuating opening (51) and the cable insertion opening (52), comprising a window recess (30) with which it is arranged in the cable insertion opening (52) at least in the unactuated state of the actuator (1); a clamping leg (34), which in the region of

Operating opening (51) is arranged to cooperate with the actuator (1) together.

Connecting device (4) according to claim 5, characterized

marked that

the clamping leg (34) of the cage tension spring (3) in the actuated state of the actuator (1) is in mechanical contact with its actuating recess (14) and

that while the cage tension spring (3), which with their

Window recess (30) engages around the electrical conductor (6, 61), this pulls against the busbar (21) to make it electrically conductive in the form of a terminal contact with the Connection contact (2) to connect.

A method for unlocking the connection device (4) according to one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that

a) a tool (7) from the direction of the cable connection side (41) in the actuating opening (51) between the actuator (1) and an outer wall (53) of the insulating body (5) is inserted; b) the tool (7) with the attack bevels (1 1) is first brought into mechanical contact over its entire length and then the actuator (1) by means of a lever movement about a first distance from the insulating body (5)

heraushebelt; and that

c) the tool (7) thereupon automatically without transition to the attack edge (12) of the first distance from the insulating body (5) levered out actuator (1) attaches and the actuator (1) by means of the same lever movement in the further course of a second distance from the

Lever out insulating body (5) and the actuator (1) transferred to its unactuated state.

A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the

Actuator (1) during steps b.) And c.) With the clamping bevels (15) of its actuating recess (14) along the clamping leg (34) of the cage tension spring (3) slides along and the cage tension (3) biases, whereby the window recess (30 ) deeper into the

Kabeleinführöffnung (52) is pushed to release the by them (3) previously clamped therein electrical conductors (6, 61) again.