EP3685473A1

EP3685473A1 - Connection device for connecting an electrical cable

Info

Publication number: EP3685473A1
Application number: EP18765429.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Manuel TÜNKER; Niklas BRAND
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2017-09-18
Filing date: 2018-09-04
Publication date: 2020-07-29
Also published as: DE102017121543A1; CN111108651A; WO2019052852A1

Abstract

A connection device (1) for connecting an electrical conductor (2) comprises a contact element (10), which forms a plug opening (102) for the insertion of an electrical conductor (2), and a spring element (11) that is arranged on the contact element (10) and that has a spring limb (111) for locking in position a conductor (2) inserted into the plug opening (102). A slide element (13) is displaceably arranged with respect to the contact element (10) and has an active section (133) for acting on the at least one spring limb (111). In addition, an adjusting element (12), which can pivot around a pivot axis (120) with respect to the contact element (10), is provided, said adjusting element being pivotable out of a first position into a second position in order to transfer the slide element (13) from a starting position into a release position. In this way, a connection device that is easy to use for the user, in particular, for plugging in an electrical conductor or for releasing an electrical conductor plugged into the connection device, is provided.

Description

Connecting device for connecting an electrical line

The invention relates to a connection device according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a connection device is used for connecting an electrical line. Such a connection device can be used for example on an electrical system, a control cabinet or other electrical assembly such as a printed circuit board or the like to electrically connect the conductor by inserting an electrical conductor into a plug-in opening.

Such a connection device comprises a contact element which forms a plug-in opening for insertion of the electrical conductor, and a spring element arranged on the contact element, which has a spring leg for locking a conductor inserted into the plug-in opening. To the contact element, a slider element is displaceable, which has an operative portion for acting on the spring leg. The slider element is used to adjust the spring leg to allow insertion of a conductor into the insertion opening or to remove an inserted into the insertion opening conductor from the insertion opening can. The adjustment of the spring leg takes place here by moving the slider element from a starting position in the direction of a release position relative to the contact element, whereby the slider element acts on its active portion on the spring leg and thus deflects it, thereby bringing out of the plug-in opening. In conventional connection devices of this type can be provided that is acted upon by means of a tool on the slider element, thereby to adjust the spring leg of the spring element. This may require that a user must simultaneously hold and operate the connector and any electrical conductor to be connected, as well as the tool, which may be cumbersome and impractical.

There is therefore a need for a connection device which allows easy handling by a user, in particular for inserting an electrical conductor or for releasing an electrical conductor from the connection device.

In a connection device known from US 8,113,858 a spring element is arranged in a housing and by a manually operable slide element adjustable. The slider element is designed to act on the spring element to allow a plugging of a conductor, wherein after attaching the conductor and after resetting the slider, the spring element locks the electrical conductor in an electrically contacting manner on the housing.

In one known from DE 20 2009 007 573 U1 connection device, a slide element is provided, which is adjustable for adjusting a spring leg of a spring element. The object of the present invention is to provide a connection device which allows easy handling by a user, in particular for the purpose of plugging in an electrical conductor or for releasing an electrical conductor which is connected to the connection device. This object is achieved by an article having the features of claim 1.

Accordingly, the connection device has a pivotable about a pivot axis to the contact element adjustment, which is pivotable from a first position to a second position to transfer the slide element from the starting position in the release pitch.

The connecting device thus comprises a sliding element arranged displaceably with respect to the contact element and additionally an adjusting element, which can be pivoted to the contact element and via which the slide element can be actuated. By pivoting the adjusting element, the slide element can be moved from its starting position into the release parting, in this way acting on the spring leg of the spring element and deflecting it so that it is moved out of the region of the plug hole and thus a conductor is inserted into the plug-in opening or ( when plugged into the plug opening conductor) can be released from the socket.

The actuation of the slide element can thus take place without the use of a tool in a way that is easy for a user to handle. It can be advantageously provided that the adjusting element is locked in the second position relative to the contact element. For example, the adjusting element may be locked in the second position with the slider element, so that the adjusting element, when brought to its second position, is held in position relative to the slider element and above it to the contact element. This has the advantage that the adjusting element, when it has been brought into the second position and thus the slide element has been transferred from its initial position to the release position, not readily, at least not without loosening the latch can be reset. The adjusting element and above the slider element are thus held in position, so that a user in a simple manner, for example, insert an electrical conductor into the insertion opening of the contact element and thus can electrically connect to the connection device.

After inserting a conductor, the adjusting element can be released from its latched position to return the adjustment to its original position and thus also return the slider element, so that the plugged into the plug-in electrical conductor is locked on the spring leg of the spring element in the insertion opening and also electrically contacted ,

In one embodiment, the adjusting element has at least one guide section, which may be formed, for example, by a curved guide edge on the adjusting element. In contrast, the slider element has a guide element, for example in the form of a projection element, which cooperates with the guide section of the adjustment element when the adjustment element is adjusted. If the adjusting element is pivoted from its first position into the second position, the adjusting element acts via its guide section on the guide element of the slide element and thus displaces the slide element from the starting position in the direction of the release position.

By shaping the guide portion, on which slides the guide element during pivoting of the adjustment along the translation of the pivotal movement of the adjusting element can be adjusted in the sliding movement of the slide element and set in the desired manner.

In one embodiment, the adjusting element has at least one engagement opening with which the at least one guide element engages in a latching manner in the second position of the adjustment element. In the second position, the adjusting element is thus locked by engagement of the guide element of the slider element in the engagement opening of the adjusting element, with the slider element, so that the adjusting element held in position relative to the slide element and about relative to the contact element becomes. Only by releasing the engagement of the guide element from the engagement opening of the adjusting element, the latching can be canceled to zurückzuschwenken the adjustment and thus to allow a re-dividing the slider element in the starting position.

In one embodiment, the slider element has at least one leg, which is guided on a guide track of the contact element or a housing receiving the contact element. In an advantageous embodiment, the slider element has two legs which receive the contact element between them. Each leg may in this case be guided on an associated guide track of the contact element, so that above the slide element is guided longitudinally along a (linear) direction of movement to the contact element. The slider element can thus, for example, run on the contact element and also be guided in cooperation with the spring element to the contact element.

The leadership of the legs on the contact element is preferably outside the insertion.

The legs of the slider element can be connected to one another, for example, via an actuating section, via which a user can also act on the slider element independently of the adjusting element with a tool, for example a screwdriver. The slider element can thus - regardless of the adjusting - be adjusted by direct action using a tool, wherein in a sliding movement of the slider element, the adjusting element is not moved.

The adjusting element is, in one embodiment, mounted on at least one leg pivotally mounted on the contact element or the housing enclosing the contact element of the connection device. Preferably, the adjusting element has two legs which receive the slider element between them, so that the adjusting element surrounds the slider element on the outside.

On each leg of the adjusting element in this case may be formed a guide portion which cooperates with a guide element on an associated leg of the slider element to move the adjusting element from the first position to the second position, a displacement of the slider element from the starting position in the direction of the release position effect. In one embodiment, the spring element formed as a leg spring in addition to the (a clamping leg realized) spring leg (which serves to lock an inserted into the insertion electrical conductor) has a support leg over which the spring element is supported on the contact element. The support leg is preferably bent over to the spring leg, wherein the spring leg is elastically deflectable to the support leg to bring out the spring leg from the region of the insertion and to allow insertion of an electrical conductor into the insertion. The deflection of the spring leg takes place under elastic tension of the spring element, so that after a reset of the adjusting element from the second position in the direction of the first position, the spring leg automatically resets due to the elastic tension of the spring element and possibly also the slider element from the release position in the direction of the starting position emotional.

If an electrical conductor has been inserted into the insertion opening, then the electrical conductor is locked in the insertion opening by the action of the spring leg and also pressed into electrical contact with the contact element, so that electrical contacting of the electrical conductor with the connection device takes place.

A terminal device of the type described can be used in a variety of ways for connecting one or more electrical conductors. Such a connection device can also have a plurality of insertion openings, for example each having an associated spring element, so that a plurality of electrical conductors can be connected to the connection device.

The idea underlying the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a

Connection device, with a slide element in a starting position and an adjusting element in a first position;

Fig. 1 B is a side view of the arrangement of FIG. 1A;

2A is a perspective view of the connection device, when adjusting the adjusting element from the first position in the direction of a second Position for transferring the slider element from the starting position in the direction of a release position;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the arrangement of FIG. 2A; FIG.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the connection device in the second

Positioning adjusting element; FIG. 3B shows the arrangement according to FIG. 3A in a side view; FIG.

4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connection device, with the

Adjustment element in the first position and the slide element in the starting position; and Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connection device, with the

Adjustment element in the second position and the slide element in the release position.

1A, 1 B to 3A, 3B show an embodiment of a connection device 1, which serves for connecting an electrical conductor 2, for example to an electrical system such as a control cabinet or the like.

The connection device 1 has a contact element 10 accommodated, for example, by a housing, which, as can be seen from the sectional view according to FIGS. 4A, 4B, forms an insertion opening 102 into which the conductor 2 can be inserted with a (stripped) conductor end 20, to electrically contact with the contact element 10. On the contact element 10, a spring element 11 is arranged, which is supported with a support leg 10 on the contact element 10, extends around a contact element portion 103 and extends with a clamping leg realizing a spring leg 111 in the region of the insertion opening 102 into a To lock in the plug-in opening 102 inserted conductor 2 and also to press in electrically contacting system with a wall portion 101 of the contact element 10. On the support leg 110 may also be dispensed with in an alternative embodiment. The connection device 1 has a sliding element 13 which is displaceably arranged on the contact element 10 and which is guided laterally along a movement direction D on guideways 100 on the contact element 10 and has an active section 133 which is to be brought into operative connection with the spring leg 11 1 in order to Deflection on the spring leg 1 11 act.

Alternatively, the slide element 13 can also be displaceably guided on a housing enclosing the contact element 10. In a (at least partially) relaxed position of the spring leg 11 1 assumes the position shown in Fig. 4A, in which the spring leg 11 protrudes into the region of the insertion opening 102 and narrows the space within the insertion opening 102. If an electrical conductor 2 with a (stripped) conductor end 20 are plugged into a plug-in direction E in the insertion opening 102, so that the slider element 13 can be moved in the direction parallel to the direction of insertion E direction of movement D to the contact element 10, whereby the active portion 133 within the plug-in opening 102 acts on the spring leg 11 1 and deflects it out of its relaxed position into the position shown in FIG. 4B, in which the spring leg 11 1 is removed from the wall section 101 of the contact element 10 and thus releases space within the plug-in opening 102. In this position, it is possible to insert the conductor 2 readily into the insertion opening 102, wherein after insertion, the slider element 13 can be reset and thereby the spring leg 1 11 comes into contact with the conductor 2 and this with his (stripped) conductor end 20 in Press system with the Wandungsabschnitt 101 within the insertion opening 102. As a result, the conductor 2 is locked within the plug-in opening 102 and also contacted electrically with the wall section 101 of the contact element 10.

The slider element 13 has, in the illustrated embodiment, two parallel to each other, transversely to the direction D spaced apart leg 131, which are each guided on a guide track 100 laterally on the contact element 10.

The legs 131 are connected to one another via an actuating portion 130, from which the operative portion 133 extends into the region of the plug-in opening 102 (as can be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B) and on which a user can act with a tool 3 to adjust the slider element 13 in the direction of movement D relative to the contact element 10 and thereby on the spring leg 11 of the

Act spring element 10. The connection device 1 also has an adjusting element 12, which is arranged pivotably on the contact element 10 about a pivot axis 120, in the form of a lever, which surrounds the slider element 13 with lateral legs 122 and is pivotably mounted on the contact element 10 via the lateral legs 122 about the pivot axis 120 , The legs 122 are connected to each other via a connecting portion 121, which realizes a handle portion for manual attack for a user. In another embodiment, the adjusting element 12 can also be mounted pivotably on a housing enclosing the contact element 10 and be pivotable relative to the contact element 10.

The adjusting element 12 serves to actuate the slide element 13 without the use of a tool 3. For this purpose, the adjusting element 12 can be pivoted about the pivot axis 120 from a first position (FIGS. 1A, 1B) to a second position (FIGS. 3A, 3B), whereby the legs 122 of the adjusting element 12 are provided with guide sections 123 realized by curved edges act on the legs 122 on guide members 132 in the form of projections on the legs 131 of the slider element 13 and thereby move the slider element 13 in the direction of movement D, as can be seen from the transition from Fig. 1A, 1 B to Fig. 3A, 3B ,

In Fig. 1A, 1 B, the slider element 13 is in an initial position at (at least partially) relaxed (or slightly biased) spring element 12 (corresponding to the view of FIG. 4A). The adjusting element 12 is in this case in a non-pivoted, first position in which it is not in operative connection with the slide element 13. If a conductor 2 is to be plugged into the connection device 1, then a user can manually attack the adjustment element 12 and pivot it in a pivoting direction V (see FIGS. 2A, 2B) to the contact element 10, whereby the legs 122 of the adjustment element 12 with the Guide portions 123 come into contact with the guide elements 132 on the legs 131 of the slider element 13 and thereby adjust the slide member 13 in the direction of movement D. As a result, the active portion 133 of the slider element 13 acts on the spring leg 11 1 of the spring element 1 1, so that the spring leg 11 1 from its relaxed position deflected out and removed from the wall portion 101 of the contact element 10.

In the illustrated in Fig. 3A, 3B, pivoted, second position of the adjusting element 12 of the spring leg 1 11 is deflected according to the view of FIG. 4B, so that a conductor 2 can be inserted easily into the insertion opening 102 of the contact element 10. In this position, the slider element 13 is displaced with the active portion 133 into the insertion opening 102, wherein in this position, the adjusting element 12 is locked to the slider element 13 by the guide elements 132 on the legs 131 of the slider element 13 in subsequent to the guide portions 123 engagement openings 124 engage the legs 122 of the adjusting element 12, so that the adjusting element 12 is held relative to the slider element 13 and thereby also relative to the contact element 10 in position.

In the pivot position shown in Fig. 3A, 3B, the adjusting element 12 is thus locked, whereby the slide member 13 is held in position and thus also the spring element 11 with its spring leg 11 1 in the deflected position. After reaching the pivoted, second position, the adjusting element 12 is thus held and thereby the slide element 13 is locked in its release position, so that a user can attach a conductor 2 in a simple manner to the connection device 1, without taking special care to hold the slide element 13th in the release order.

If a conductor 2 has been attached to the drive device 1, the latching can be achieved by the slide element 13 (slightly) in the direction of movement D is moved relative to the adjusting element 12, for example by pressure on the actuating portion 130, so that the guide elements 132 except Engage engagement of the engagement openings 124 on the legs 22 of the adjusting 12 and thus the adjusting element 12 can be pivoted against the pivoting direction V in the direction of its first position back. As a result, the spring leg 11 can return in the direction of the wall section 101 and thereby comes into abutment with the conductor 2 inserted in the insertion opening 102 so that it is locked in the insertion opening 102 and also contacted with the wall section 101. The adjusting element 12 may, in one embodiment, be spring biased in the direction of its first position, so that the pivoting back can be done automatically.

In the connection device 1 is thus an actuation of the slide element 13 without using an (additional) tool 3 by (manual) adjustment of the adjusting element 12 possible, after actuation the slide element 13 remains by latching with the adjusting element 12 in its release division and not readily, at least not automatically reset. This simplifies the attachment of a conductor 2 or the removal of an attached to the terminal device 1 conductor 2 from the plug opening 102nd

As can be seen from FIGS. 1A, 1B, an actuation of the slide element 13 is also possible via a tool 3, independently of the adjustment element 12, that is to say without the adjustment element 12 being moved along. Thus, the slider element 13 can be moved in the direction of movement D relative to the contact element 10, without causing an interaction with the adjusting element 12. The connection device 1 thus also allows actuation by means of a tool 3. The idea underlying the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can in principle also be implemented in completely different embodiments.

A connection device of the type described here can be used to connect an electrical conductor to any electrical assembly, which may be part of an electrical installation, for example an industrial installation, for example.

The connection device can also form a plurality of plug openings into which a plurality of electrical conductors can be inserted. The insertion openings may be associated with separate spring elements which can be actuated via separate slide elements and adjusting elements. It is also conceivable, however, to assign a common spring element to a plurality of plug-in openings, which can be actuated via a slide element and an adjusting element. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 connection device

10 contact element

100 guideway

101 wall section

102 insertion opening

103 contact element section

11 spring element

110, 1 11 spring legs

12 adjustment

120 pivot axis

121 connecting section

122 thighs

123 guiding section (leading edge)

124 engagement opening

13 slide element

130 operating section

131 thighs

132 guide element (projection element)

133 effective section

2 conductors

20 conductor end

3 tool

D direction of movement

E insertion direction

V swing direction

Claims

claims

1. connection device (1) for connecting an electrical conductor (2), with a contact element (10) which forms a plug-in opening (102) for insertion of an electrical conductor (2), one arranged on the contact element (10)

Spring element (11) which has a spring leg (11 1) for locking a conductor (2) inserted into the plug-in opening (102), and a slide element (13) which is displaceable to the contact element (10) and has an active section (133) for acting on the spring leg (11 1), wherein by moving the slider element (13) of the spring leg (1 11) from a starting position into a

Release position relative to the contact element (10) is movable to allow insertion of a conductor (2) in the insertion opening (102) or a release of a plug-in opening (102) inserted conductor (2) from the insertion opening (102), characterized by a pivotable about a pivot axis (120) to the contact element (10) adjusting element (12), which consists of a first

Position in a second position is pivotable to transfer the slide member (13) from the initial position to the release position.

2. Connection device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjusting element (12) in the second position relative to the contact element (10) is latched.

3. Connection device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adjusting element (12) at least one guide portion (123) and the slide element (13) at least one guide element (132), wherein the

Guide section (123) during pivoting of the adjusting element (12) from the first position to the second position in operative connection with the at least one guide element (132) passes.

4. Connection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adjusting element (12) has at least one engagement opening (124) with which the at least one guide element (132) in the second position of the adjusting element (12) latching is engaged.

5. Connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide element (13) has at least one leg (131) on a guide track (100) of the contact element (10) or a contact element (10) enclosing the housing is guided.

6. connection device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the guide track (100) outside the insertion opening (102) on the contact element (10) is arranged.

7. Connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide element (13) has two legs (131) which receive the contact element (10) between them.

8. connecting device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the slide element (13) has an actuating portion (130) via which the legs (131) of the slide element (13) are interconnected and for acting on the slide element (13 ) is formed using a tool (3).

9. Connecting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting element (12) has at least one leg (122) via which the adjusting element (12) pivotally mounted on the contact element (10) or on a contact element (10 ) is mounted enclosing housing.

10. Connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting element (12) has two legs (122) which receive the slide element (13) between them.

11. Connecting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring element (1 1) has a to the spring leg (111) bent support leg (110) through which the spring element (1 1) on the contact element (10) is supported.