EP3561962A1 - Connector box for electric devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A connection box for electrical devices comprising a connection region and a connector region, wherein the connection region has a plurality of transversely arranged (3) side by side receiving chambers (4) for receiving contact elements (30) of the electrical device and the connector region as a carrier external terminals each one to the contact elements (30) compatible contact counter-element (18) is formed at the end of each external terminal to be structurally simplified and kept as compact as possible. For this purpose, the contact elements (30) as a tab (5) are formed and at least a portion of the receiving chambers (4) are designed such that the tab (5) with its contact plane perpendicular to the transverse direction (3) can be inserted.

Description

The present invention relates to a terminal box for electrical equipment, such as motor connections. Such motor terminals serve to connect the wires or lines of a winding of an electric motor with external terminals. Such motor connections are designed according to the prior art as so-called motor terminal boards. On such a clipboard designed as a plurality of pins contact pins are provided. The winding wires or winding lines of the electric motor are soldered at their ends consuming with intermediate lines, which in turn are crimped with cable lugs. Each cable lug is assigned a separate terminal pole. The generally ring-shaped cable lug is pushed over the pin-shaped pole and thus electrically connected to the motor terminal board. Such Motorklemmbrett is for example from the DE 10 2008 015 554 A1 known.

The motor terminal board must in turn be provided in the prior art with terminal blocks, terminal blocks or the like. The external connection cables are led through cable glands into the interior of the motor connection where they are connected to the terminal blocks or terminal blocks. Finally, it is often necessary to convert the motor through various bridges from a star connection to a delta connection on the motor terminal board. All these measures are very expensive, especially in terms of assembly technology.

However, the present invention is not limited to motor connections. Thus, the terminal box is also suitable to be connected to the windings of a transformer or more generally to electrical equipment, such as white goods. In all these applications, a compact design of the junction box is desirable.

Proceeding from this, the invention therefore has the object to simplify a terminal box for electrical equipment constructive and to keep compact.

This object is achieved by the feature combination of claim 1 in an inventive manner. The dependent claims include in part advantageous and in part self-inventive developments of this invention.

For this purpose, the connection box comprises a base area and a connection area for external connections. The base area serves as a connection for the windings of the motor or transformer or generally for the connection lines of the electrical equipment. For this purpose, each winding, so the winding wire or the winding line of each winding or the connecting line is provided at its end with a contact element. The connection area serves as a carrier for external connections. These external connections are each provided with contact elements which are compatible with the contact elements.

The contact elements are designed as angekrimmte at the end of a winding or connecting cable tabs. The tabs used here are also referred to as contact lugs or contact blades. It is therefore flat, preferably rectangular, plug-in flags or plug knives.

In this case, at least a part of the receiving chambers are designed such that the tabs can be inserted edgewise. This means that the plane of the planar contact is aligned perpendicular to the transverse direction of the base region or to the arrangement direction of the further contact elements and receiving chambers. By this orientation of the tabs a particularly narrow in the transverse direction training of the receiving chambers is possible, whereby the base region in the transverse direction can be kept particularly compact.

Through the use of flat contacts, which are introduced edgewise in the receiving chambers, a particularly easy contact of the flat contacts on contact forks from above or below is still possible. Especially through the combination of edge mounted flat contacts and contact forks, can be dispensed with the hitherto customary use of contact sleeves in the use of flat contacts. These contact sleeves in particular have the disadvantage that with them only an electrical connection to the flat contacts can be made. In contrast, in the present design, an electrical connection via several different types simultaneously conceivable. On the one hand, as already described, via the contact forks, which can be introduced from above and / or below, and, on the other hand, via a plurality of contact bridges or additionally crimped lines. As a result, a particularly compact and simple design of the base region is possible.

In this case, the connection box is of modular design, which means that the base region is arranged in a module, the base part, and the connection region is arranged in a second module, the plug-in part. The male part is attachable to the base part.

Furthermore, one or more bypass channels are configured on the base part. These bridging channels are arranged at the ends of the receiving chambers and each have contact windows to the receiving chambers to be contacted. To bridge two contact elements, the respective contact bridges simply pass through the contact windows in the respective receiving chambers. It can be changed via the bypass channels and corresponding bridging contacts between star and delta circuits. Furthermore, these bypass channels can also be used to connect frequency converters or test adapters for testing the functionality of the module.

In this way, it is very easy to connect by a connection of the contact elements and compatible with them contact counter-elements by simply plugging the male part on the base part of the winding terminals or connecting cables to the external terminals. Such a connector between the winding terminals or connecting cables on the base part on the one hand and the external terminals on the male part on the other hand is easy to install and safely executed.

In an advantageous embodiment, a receiving chamber is provided on the base part for each contact element of each winding or connecting line. This receiving chamber is designed in an advantageous manner in the manner of a hollow cuboid and takes in each case one attached to the end of a winding or connecting cable contact element.

These aforementioned flat plugs or plug-in flags or plug-in knives have, in a further preferred embodiment, latching tongues which have been bent out of their contact surface. With the help of these locking tongues, the tabs can be locked in a form-fitting manner in the receiving chambers assigned to them. An unlocking with the aid of a handle or a tool by bending back the latching tongue should be possible in principle.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the contact counter-elements are formed on the plug-in part as contact forks. The fork tines of the respective contact forks can pinch the contact surface of the tab between flanking or laterally flank when plugged onto the base part plug part. In this configuration, the contact forks formed on the plug-in part form socket contacts and the flat plug formed on the base part plug contacts.

In a further advantageous embodiment, actuating levers are formed on the plug-in part, which press with their free ends on the latching tongues of the tabs. In this way, the respective contact element can be released from its receiving chamber on the base part by pressing on the actuating lever again.

Finally, actuating levers are provided on the male part in a further advantageous embodiment, which act with their lever ends on clamping springs on the contact counter-elements. The clamping springs form clamping points for the external conductors to be connected. Press the lever ends of the operating levers to open the clamping points on the clamping springs with the operating lever pressed. With the operating levers, it is thus possible to selectively open or close the clamping points.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Basisteils mit weiteren Komponenten in Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Steckteils mit zusätzlichen Anbauteilen in Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 3

das in Fig. 2 dargestellte Steckteil mit eingebauten Anbauteilen,

Fig. 4

das Basisteil und das Steckteil im zusammengebauten Zustand in perspektivischer Ansicht,

Fig. 5

eine weitere perspektivische Ansicht des Basisteils und des Steckteils im zusammengebauten Zustand mit weiteren Komponenten in Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 6

eine Draufsicht auf das Basisteil und das Steckteil im zusammengebauten Zustand sowie

Fig. 7

das zusammengebaute Basisteils und Steckteil aus Fig. 4 in einer um 180 Grad gedrehten perspektivischen Ansicht.

With reference to the embodiment shown below, the invention is described in more detail. In this case, the modular design is shown by way of example. But it is also a one-piece design conceivable.

Fig. 1

a perspective view of the base part with other components in exploded view,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the male part with additional attachments in exploded view,

Fig. 3

this in Fig. 2 illustrated plug-in part with built-in attachments,

Fig. 4

the base part and the plug-in part in the assembled state in perspective view,

Fig. 5

a further perspective view of the base part and the male part in the assembled state with other components in exploded view,

Fig. 6

a plan view of the base part and the male part in the assembled state as well

Fig. 7

the assembled base and plug-in part Fig. 4 in a 180 degree rotated perspective view.

The base part 1 has at its the viewer in Fig. 1 facing connection side 2 more, in the embodiment nine in the transverse direction 3 side by side arranged receiving chambers 4. The receiving chambers 4 are executed in the embodiment as a hollow cuboid. Each receiving chamber 4 is suitable for receiving a contact element 30 designed as a flat plug 5. The tab 5 is inserted for mounting in the receiving chamber 4 in the transverse direction 3 perpendicular insertion direction 6. At the tab 5 each locking tongue 7 is bent in the transverse direction 3. The latching tongue 7 engages in the inserted state of the tab 5 in the receiving chamber 4 a projection on the receiving chamber wall facing it or a portion of this receiving chamber wall, so that the tab 5 against the insertion direction 6 can not be unintentionally removed from the receiving chamber 4 again or pulled out.

The receiving chambers 4 are designed such that the tabs 5 can be inserted edgewise. This means that the contact plane of the tab 5 can be pushed perpendicular to the transverse direction 3 in the receiving chamber 4. As a result, the receiving chambers 4 can be made significantly narrower in the transverse direction 3, which over the entire length of the base part 1 has a considerable space savings result. The base part 1 can thus be made particularly compact by this orientation of the tab 5.

On the base part 1, a further arranged in the transverse direction 3 side by side row of receiving slots 8 is further arranged. The row with the six receiving wells 8 in the embodiment is arranged above the row with the receiving chambers 4, wherein between the individual receiving wells 8 in each case a gap is left free. The receiving wells 8 are similar to the receiving chambers 4 designed as a hollow cuboid. In the receiving slots 8 9 configured contact elements 30 can be inserted as blade contacts. The blade contacts 9 are inserted with vertically pivoted contact planes in the insertion direction 6 in the receiving slots 8. On the blade contacts 9 in turn latching tongues 7 are formed, which form a rear grip in the receiving slots 8, to prevent accidental removal of the blade contacts 9 against the plug 6 from the receiving slots 8.

Both on the tabs 5 and the blade contacts 9 clamping wings 10 are formed on the respective rear side. The clamping wings 10 are used for crimping the tab 5 and the blade contacts 9 with wires or lines of their associated technical equipment.

The tabs 5 are designed so that they can be crimped to the winding wires or winding lines of a respective winding of the electric motor or transformers or to connecting lines of another electrical device to ultimately connect the electrical equipment with the external devices. These are, for example, line connections for transmitting high currents. The tabs 5 thus form the main terminals of the electrical equipment.

The blade contacts 9 are made smaller in comparison to the tabs 5 and are usually used to transmit lower currents. The blade contacts 9 are used to connect additional devices, such as a heater, an engine brake, a temperature sensor or the like. It is therefore peripheral connections or auxiliary connections for the electrical equipment.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1 shown on the left, is an angular grounding contact 11, which is inserted in the final assembled state in a provided next to the receiving chambers 4 grounding chamber 34. This grounding chamber 34 is arranged in the region or below the screw fastening 35 for the basic module. The grounding contact 11 does not need to be screwed separately to an external housing. Rather, the grounding contact 11 is designed as pluggable as the contact elements 30, so the tab 5 and the blade contacts 9. Also, the connection to the corresponding contact counter-element 18 in the same manner as in the contact elements 30th

If one looks at the base part 1, one recognizes both the receiving chambers 4 and the receiving shafts 8 associated Entriegelungsöffnungen 12. Each of these unlocking 12 is associated with a receiving chamber 4 or a receiving shaft 8. Through the unlocking openings 12, for example, with a screwdriver blade to the locking tabs 7 on the tabs 5 and the blade contacts 9 to solve this from its final assembly position in the receiving chamber 4 or in the receiving shaft 8 again.

The unlocking 12 also serve to carry out the contact counter-elements 18 for connection to the contact elements 30th

In the plug-in 6, in the region of the rear side 13 of the base part 1 facing away from the connection side 2 in the insertion direction 6, two bridging channels 14 extending in the transverse direction 3 are arranged. The bypass channels 14 are connected via contact window 15 with the receiving chambers 4 and the receiving wells 8. In each of the bridging channels 14, one or more contact bridges 16 may be mounted. In the exemplary embodiment, a contact bridge 16 designed as a bridging comb 16 with two bridging contacts 17 and a contact bridge 16 on the right with three bridging contacts 17 are shown on the left. The connection side 2 facing the bypass channel 14 is in three parts for receiving contact bridges 16 with two bridging contacts 17. The bridging contacts 17 are configured as contact forks 20 and can receive a tab 5 and / or a blade contact 9 between them for contacting the contact elements 30. The bridging channels 14 serve to realize, for example, star circuits or triangular circuits between the flat plugs 5 inserted in the receiving chambers 4. Frequency converters can also be connected and supplied with voltage and current via the bridging channels 14. Furthermore, it is possible to connect a controller via the bypass channels. It is also possible to insert a frequency converter module into a bypass channel 14 in order to mechanically and electrically connect it to the base part 1. For the storage of contact bridges 16, which are not required, bearing areas 38 and clamping elements 43 are provided, in which the contact bridges 16 can be stored or clamped for later use.

Fig. 2 shows the contact counter-elements 18 complementary to the contact elements 30. The contact counter-elements 18 have on their upper sides clamping springs 31 for connecting stripped ends of electrical conductors. At their ends remote from the clamping springs 31, the contact counter-elements 18 have contact forks 20. With these contact forks 20, the contact counter-elements 18 clamp the contact elements 30, so the tab 5 and blade contacts 9 between them. Here, the contact counter-elements 18 pass through the receiving chambers 4 and the receiving wells 8 through the Entriegelungsöffnungen 12. The unlocking 12 thus comes in a dual function. They are therefore also referred to as contact openings. Furthermore, it is thus possible that with a contact fork 20, the contact elements 30 can be contacted both in the receiving chambers 4 and in the receiving slots 8.

The mating contacts 18 are combined in a cuboid plug-in part 21: For this purpose, all contact counter-elements 18 are mounted in adapted receiving pots in the plug-in part 21. In this case, the contact forks 20 of the contact counter-elements 18 protrude out of the underside of the plug-in part 21. In addition to the counter-contact elements 18, actuating lever 22 can still be provided in the plug-in part 21. The operating levers 22 have lever ends 23. The contact counter-elements 18 are used to connect external, not shown in the drawing figures head. The conductors connect the electrical equipment to the external periphery. To connect the conductors 18 clamping springs 31 are formed on the contact counter-elements. With the lever ends 23 of the operating lever 22 mounted in the plug-in part 21, it is possible to open these clamping springs 31 on the contact counter-elements 18, to either connect the conductors to the clamping springs 31 or to remove them from the clamping springs 31 again. For actuation, in each case a groove for engaging a screwdriver blade is incorporated in the upper side of the actuating lever 22. The lever ends 23 of the actuating lever 22 press when opening the terminal points on the clamping springs 31st

To connect the contact counter-elements 18 to the contact elements 30, the plug-in part 21 is simply plugged onto the base part 1. In the plugged state then flank each forks 20 of the contact counter-elements 18, the tab 5 and blade contacts 9 of the contact elements 30 between them. The tabs 5 and blade contacts 9 of the contact elements 30 are then firmly clamped between the contact forks 20 of the contact counter-elements 18. For additional securing of the plug-in part 21 on the base part 1 protrude from the transversely 3 opposite side walls 24 of the plug-in part 21 pivot axes 25 also. On each of the pivot axes 25, a latching lever 26 is rotatably mounted. At the locking levers 26 designed as a pivot lever each have a latching hook 27 is formed. This latching hook 27 can after insertion of the male part 21 on the base part 1 in a trained on the base part 1 recess 28 incident. By the in Fig. 4 . 5 and 7 shown, pivoted into the recess 28 latch hook 27, the male part 21 is positively secured to the base part 1.

From the Fig. 7 It can be seen that 32 further receiving chambers 4 are provided on the connection side 2 in the insertion direction 6 facing away from the base back. In these receiving chambers 4 Buchsenkrimpkontakte 33 can be introduced. These female crimp contacts 33 can be slipped onto the tabs 5 inserted through the receiving chambers 4 on the connection side 2. In this way, several electrical consumers can be supplied with energy. The electrical connection is achieved here by the specific female connector geometry of the tab 5 on the one hand and the female crimp contacts 33 on the other hand. It is a connection which can be released at any time, since the female crimp contacts 33, in contrast to the flat connectors 5, have no latching tongues 7 for latching in the base part 1. As well as the tab 5 and the blade contacts 9, the female crimp contacts 33 are effective as contact elements 30.

According to the invention, therefore, the base part 1 serves as a carrier of the terminals of the electrical devices while the male part 21 carrier of the connection technology for the external terminals. The contact elements 30, so the tab 5 at the ends of the windings or connecting cables are advantageously prefabricated in the house of the manufacturer of electrical equipment by the tabs 5 are simply crimped to the winding or terminal ends. Then, the contact elements 30, so the tab 5 and the blade contacts 9 in the receiving chambers 4 and the receiving slots 8 are mounted.

An application advantage of the invention is that the tabs 5 mounted on the base part 1 in the receiving chambers 4 on the one hand and the blade contacts 9 mounted in the receiving slots 8 on the other hand can be easily checked. For this purpose, test adapters are provided which have the corresponding contact counter-elements 18. The test adapter must be plugged similar to the male part 21 only on the base part 1 in order to perform the functional test can.

Furthermore, only a single plug-in operation, namely the plugging of the plug-in part 21 on the base part 1 is required to connect the thus realized connection of the electrical equipment with its periphery.

Another advantage is that both the contact elements 30 and the contact counter-elements 18 are fixed very secure, so that a failure of parts is hardly possible. Since the individual contact elements 30 and contact counter-elements 18 are arranged in predefined receiving chambers 4 or receiving shafts 8 on the base part 1 or receiving pots 29 on the plug-in part 21 and also the contact bridges 16 are arranged in the bypass channels 14 at predefined positions, faulty contacts are excluded. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 1 base 32 Base-back 2 terminal side 33 Buchsenkrimpkontakte 3 transversely 34 grounding chamber 4 receiving chamber 35 Screw 5 tabs 38 storage areas 6 insertion 43 clamping elements 7 catch tongue 8th receiving shaft 9 blade contact 10 clamping wing 11 ground contact 12 unlocking 13 back 14 Brückungskanal 15 contact window 16 Contact bridge 17 Brückungskontakt 18 Contact counter element 19 clamping spring 20 Contact fork 21 male member 22 actuating lever 23 lever ends 24 Side wall 25 swivel axis 26 locking lever 27 latch hook 28 recess 29 pot 30 contact element 31 clamping spring

Claims (7)

Connection box for electrical devices comprising a connection region and a connector region, wherein the connection region has a plurality of transversely arranged (3) side by side receiving chambers (4) for receiving contact elements (30) of the electrical device and the connector region as a carrier external terminals each having a is formed to the contact elements (30) compatible contact counter-element (18) at the end of each external terminal, wherein
the contact elements (30) are formed as a flat plug (5) and at least a part of the receiving chambers (4) is designed such that the flat plug (5) with its contact plane perpendicular to the transverse direction (3) can be inserted
marked
by a modular construction, wherein the base region forms a second module by a base part (1) and the connection region forms a second module by means of a plug-in part (21) which can be plugged onto the base part (1) and
by at least one bridging channel (14) at the end of the receiving chambers (4) each having a contact window (15) in at least two receiving chambers (4) in the base region and
by contact bridges (16) insertable in at least two contact windows (15) for electrical bridging of the contact elements (30) in the receiving chambers (4). Connection box according to claim 1
marked
in each case by a row of juxtaposed receiving chambers (4) on one side of the base (1) acting as a connection side (2) and on the side of the base (2) opposite the connection side (2) acting as the rear side (32), each having a common one Contact element (30) in the respectively opposite and continuous receiving chambers (4). Connection box according to claim 2
marked
by a series of further above the row with the receiving chambers (4) arranged receiving shafts (8) for auxiliary connections on at least one long side of the base part (1). Connection box according to one of claims 1 to 3
marked
by preferably a latching tongue (7), which is bent out of the contact surface of the tab (5), as locking of the tab (5) in the receiving chamber (4) assigned to it. Connection box according to one of claims 1 to 4
characterized,
that the contact counter-elements (18) are designed as contact forks (20) and
in that on the base member (1) plugged plug-in part (21), the fork tines of a fork contact (20), the contact surface of its associated contact element (30) pinched therebetween. Connection box according to one of claims 1 to 5
marked
by clamping springs (31) on the contact counter-elements (18) for connecting external electrical conductors and
by with its lever ends (23) the clamping springs (31) pressurizing actuating lever (22). Connection box according to one of claims 1 to 6
marked
by pivot axes (25) on two opposite outer side walls of the male part (21),
by on the pivot axes (25) pivotally mounted locking lever (26) with locking projections and
by complementary to the locking projections formed recesses (28) on the base part (1) such that the male part (21) with the locking lever (26) on the base part (1) can be releasably fixed.

Images