Technical Field to which the Invention relates
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The invention relates to a push button element for a wire clamp terminal. Further, the present invention relates to a wire clamp terminal with such a push button element.
Background Art
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In general, wire clamp terminals allow to quickly establish an electric connection between an electrical conductor, such as a lead wire, and further electric devices. The connection is made by inserting the electrical conductor along a wire insertion direction into the wire clamp terminal. There, the electrical conductor is clamped and firmly held by a clamping spring. In particular, a free end of the clamping spring presses against the electrical conductor. Often, the clamping action of the electrical conductor by the clamping spring occurs automatically upon its insertion.
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In order to release the clamped conductor, the free end of the clamping spring has to be deflected away from the clamped conductor. For this purpose, the wire clamp terminal usually comprises a push button element that is held movable relative to the clamping spring. Actuating this push button element with a tool tip or human finger causes the deflection of the clamping spring, in particular its free end away from the clamped conductor.
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Known push button elements, however, have several drawbacks, depending on the environment in which the wire clamp terminal is used and on the way it is installed. For example, vibrations can cause an unwanted movement of the push button element resulting in rattling noises. Likewise, the orientation of the wire clamp terminal can impact the usability of the push button element.
Technical Object to be achieved
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The object of the present invention is to provide means for improving wire clamp terminals with regard to ease of use.
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This object is achieved by a push button element for a wire clamp terminal of the above-mentioned kind, wherein the push button element comprises an actuation surface for engagement with a tool tip or human finger, a first abutment surface for pushing the clamping spring with the push button element and a second abutment surface for holding the push button element to the clamping spring, wherein the actuation surface is located in a plane transverse to the wire insertion direction, wherein the first abutment surface at least sectionally faces away from said plane, and wherein the second abutment surface at least sectionally faces towards said plane.
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Herein, the plane of the actuation surface may be perpendicular to the wire insertion direction or at an oblique angle relative to the wire insertion direction. The first abutment surface comprises at least one surface section with a normal vector having at least one component pointing away from the plane of the actuation surface, while the second abutment surface comprises at least one surface section with a normal vector having at least one component pointing towards the plane of the actuation surface.
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Due to its orientation away from the plane of the actuation surface, the first abutment surface can serve to push or press against the clamping spring in order to release the clamped conductor. That is, a force exerted on the actuation surface by the tool tip or human finger can be transmitted onto the clamping spring via the first abutment surface. This in turn causes a motion of the clamping spring away from said force, whereby the clamping spring can be deflected away from the clamped conductor.
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Due to its orientation towards the plane of the actuation surface, the second abutment surface can create an undercut with which the push button element can be held on to the clamping spring. Hence, the push button element can be linked to the clamping spring and can follow the movement of the clamping spring. This, in particular, improves the haptic feedback provided to a user compared to known push button elements that are loose and move independently of the clamping spring. It also decreases the amount of rattling when the wire clamp terminal is subject to vibrations.
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Further, the second abutment surface ensures that the relative positioning between the push button element and the clamping spring remains unchanged regardless of the orientation in which the wire clamp terminal is oriented. Where known push button elements would be pulled downwards by gravity, when the wire clamp terminal was installed "upside down", the push button element of the present invention remains in place. In other words, the push button element can hang on to the clamping spring at the second abutment surface.
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When utilized in a wire clamp terminal, the push button element advantageously contributes to the ease of use and thus achieves the above-defined object of the present invention.
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The invention can be improved further by the following embodiments, which are advantageous in themselves and which can be arbitrarily combined with one another.
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According to one possible embodiment, the first abutment surface may be spaced apart from the second abutment surface, preferably along the wire insertion direction. Herein, the distance between the first and second abutment surface can serve as a design parameter that is easily adjustable to the size of the clamping spring. Alternatively, the first and second abutment surface may be arranged adjacently at an angle or transition seamlessly into each other.
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Optionally, the first abutment surface may at least sectionally face towards the second abutment surface and/or the second abutment surface may at least sectionally face towards the first abutment surface. Hence, the first and second abutment surface can jointly define a receiving zone for form-fittingly receiving therein at least part of the clamping spring, in particular its free end. In other words, the push button element can engage in a form-fit connection with the clamping spring of the wire clamping terminal at the receiving zone.
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The first abutment surface and the second abutment surface may each border the receiving zone. Further, the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface may be arranged on mutually opposite sides of the receiving zone. Thus, the push button element can exhibit increased stability when holding onto the clamping spring. Alternatively, the first and second abutment surface may be mutually offset with no overlap therebetween.
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A comparatively simple structure of the push button element can be obtained when the actuation surface, the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface are aligned along the wire insertion direction. Further, the actuation surface may be closer to the first abutment surface than to the second abutment surface. In particular, the first abutment surface may be arranged between the actuation surface and the second abutment surface. This way, the second abutment surface is situated outside the path of force flow when the actuation surface is engaged and pressed by the tool tip or human finger. In other words, the second abutment surface does not have to withstand the force exerted onto the actuation surface.
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Alternatively, the first and second abutment surface may be arranged equidistantly from the actuation surface, as long as the second abutment surface is not situated within the above-mentioned path of force flow.
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According to an embodiment that is easy to manufacture, the push button element may comprise at least one snap-fit arm, on which the second abutment surface is arranged. In particular, a distal end of the at least one snap-fit arm may point away from the actuation surface. The second abutment surface may be arranged on a lateral protrusion of said distal end and thus can easily reach behind the clamping spring. For example, the at least one snap-fit arm may be hook-shaped and can thus grab around the clamping spring. If need be, the at least one snap-fit arm can be deformed permanently or temporarily in an elastic manner when grabbing around the clamping spring.
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Optionally, the at least one snap-fit arm may extend adjacent to the first abutment surface, in particular adjacent to the receiving zone. Further, the at least one snap-fit arm may extend past the first abutment surface and the receiving zone. That is, a proximal end of the at least one snap-fit arm may be located closer to the actuation surface than the first abutment surface, while the distal end of the at least one snap-fit arm is located further away from the actuation surface than the first abutment surface.
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In order to increase its flexibility, the at least one snap-fit arm may be separated from the first abutment surface by a slit. The slit may extend along the wire insertion direction. Hence, deformation of the at least one snap-fit arm perpendicular to the wire insertion direction becomes easier e.g., when the at least one snap-fit arm grabs around the clamping spring.
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According to another possible embodiment, the push button element may comprise two snap-fit arms for reasons of redundancy. The two snap-fit arms may enclose the receiving zone. Optionally, the two snap-fit arms may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the first abutment surface. Having two symmetric snap-fit arms helps to increase the stability of the push button element.
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In particular, the second abutment surface may be arranged on one of the two snap-fit arms, while a third abutment surface also facing at least sectionally towards the plane of the actuation surface is arranged on the other one of the two snap-fit arms. The third abutment surface may be congruent to the second abutment surface or configured in a mirror-inverted manner with respect to the second abutment surface. The second and third abutment surface can be considered as split or partitioned abutment surfaces that fulfill one and the same function.
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Optionally, the two snap-fit arms may be elastically deflectable towards and away from each other. This allows to place the clamping spring between the two snap-fit arms by snapping the push button element onto the clamping spring. Respective lead-in chamfers on the two snap-fit arms may facilitate this snapping process.
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According to another embodiment, the first abutment surface may be shaped convexly towards the second abutment surface. Likewise, the second abutment surface may be shaped convexly towards the first abutment surface. In particular, these convexly shaped abutment surfaces each may be curved to form a rolling surface, on which the clamping spring can roll off. Thus, the clamping spring's range of motion can be better accommodated in the receiving zone.
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Alternatively, the first abutment surface may be shaped concavely away from the second abutment surface and/or the second abutment surface may be shaped concavely away from the first abutment surface. This embodiment is useful if the clamping spring comprises a bend for increasing the length of the spring and improving its flexibility. The concavely shaped abutment surfaces each provide room for accommodating said bend in the clamping spring.
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According to another possible embodiment, the receiving zone may, for example, comprise or be a recess in the material of the push button element. In this embodiment, there is no need for flexible snap-fit arms or similar filigree structures. Hence, a broader choice of materials is available. In particular, the push button element may comprise a through-hole extending obliquely or perpendicularly to the wire insertion direction, wherein the through-hole defines the receiving zone. The though-hole may extend between an entry opening and an exit opening. The clamping spring can be inserted, with its free end first, into the though-hole, i.e. into the entry opening and protrude out of the exit opening to clamp the electrical conductor.
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Alternatively, the push button element may comprise a lateral slot that is accessible from three different directions. These three directions may be pairwise mutually perpendicular, wherein each of these three directions is also perpendicular or at least oblique to the wire insertion direction. Accordingly, the receiving zone is located in the lateral slot. Thereby, the clamping spring can be placed sideways into the receiving zone without having to insert the free end of the clamping spring first. This is particularly helpful if the free end of the clamping spring is widened or bent and would not fit into the entry opening of the through-hole.
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In order to improve grip during engagement, the actuation surface may be ridged, knurled or provided with a drive recess. The drive recess may be a shaped indentation designed to fit a specific type of screwdriver tip or bit, such as a Phillips, flathead, hex or Torx.
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The object defined at the outset is also achieved by a wire clamp terminal comprising a push button element according to any one of the above-described embodiments. The wire clamp terminal can therefore benefit from the advantages and functions of the push button element as already explained.
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The wire clamp terminal further comprises a housing with a guiding channel for slidably holding the push button element therein. In particular, the push button element may comprise a guiding section that extends through and precisely fits the guiding channel of the housing. Further, the housing may comprise inner walls that each support one snap-fit arm of the push button element.
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The wire clamp terminal also comprises a clamping spring for clamping an electrical conductor inserted in the wire insertion direction into the wire clamp terminal.
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The clamping spring may comprise a fixation section that is fastened to the housing of the wire clamp terminal. The fixation section may be a straight section of the clamping spring that is received e.g. in a slot of the housing. Alternatively, the fixation section may be curved or comprise curved and straight regions. The clamping spring may be inserted into the housing along the wire insertion direction or perpendicular to the wire insertion direction. The clamping spring may be held at the housing by at least one of a form fit, a friction fit and a force fit. The clamping spring and the housing may be welded, glued, riveted, crimped and/or hot-stapled.
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The clamping spring may further comprise a clamping section, which may also be straight. Alternatively, the clamping section may be curved or comprise curved and straight regions. The clamping section may be formed by the free end of the clamping spring. The clamping section may extend along the wire insertion direction, in particular at an oblique angle relative to the wire insertion direction. The angle between the wire insertion direction and the clamping spring may be between about 30° and about 60°, in particular about 45°.
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The clamping spring may further comprise an intermediate section, which is located between the fixation section and the clamping section. The intermediate section may be curved in its entirety or may comprise straight, folded or curved regions. When the clamp spring is deflected, it is said intermediate section that undergoes an elastic deformation.
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The clamping spring, in particular its clamping section and/or intermediate section extends between the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface of the push button element. Through this mechanical link, the push button element can follow the movement of the clamping spring and contributes to the ease of use of the wire clamp terminal.
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An embodiment with a compact design can be obtained when the clamping spring comprises an opening through which the push button element is inserted. In particular, the push button element does not have to surround the clamping spring, but rather can be surrounded by the clamping spring. Thus, the push button element takes up less space in the wire clamp terminal. For example, the push button element may penetrate with its hook-shaped snap-fit arm through the opening and snap to the clamping spring.
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For automatically clamping the electrical conductor, the wire clamp terminal may comprise a trigger and a latch, wherein the latch engages the clamping spring in a preloaded position of the clamping spring. In the preloaded position, the intermediate section of the clamping spring is maximally deformed. The trigger is coupled to the latch and configured to disengage the latch when the trigger is operated, thereby releasing the clamping spring. The released clamping spring is configured to clamp the inserted electrical conductor in a clamping position of the clamping spring. Herein, the trigger is configured to be operated by the electrical conductor upon insertion of the electrical conductor into the wire clamp terminal.
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Optionally, the guiding section of the push button element may comprise markings that indicate the present position of the clamping spring, in particular the preloaded position and the clamping position. That is, the push button element can be used as a reliable indicator for the clamping spring's position, since the push button element follows the movement of the clamping spring and is not influenced by gravity like known push button elements.
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The housing of the wire clamp terminal may comprise a reference line, such as an edge of the guiding channel. Consequently, each marking on the guiding section may be configured to coincide with the reference line, once the clamping spring has assumed a position that is represented by said marking. The markings can also function as a scale that indicates the diameter of the clamped conductor, since the clamping position of the clamping spring is influenced by the diameter of the clamped conductor.
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Depending on its application, the wire clamp terminal may comprise multiple push button elements, guiding channels and/or clamping springs, each according to one of the above-described embodiments.
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In the following, exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the figures. In the figures, the same reference numerals are used for elements that correspond to one another in terms of their function and/or structure. As described above, an element of an embodiment can be omitted if its technical effect is not needed for a particular application, and vice versa: an element that is not part of a specific embodiment may be added if its technical effect is advantageous in a specific application.
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In the figures:
- Fig. 1
- shows a schematic perspective view of a push button element according to a possible embodiment;
- Fig. 2
- shows another schematic perspective view of the push button element from Fig. 1;
- Fig. 3
- shows a partially exploded, sectional view of a wire clamp terminal according to a possible embodiment;
- Fig. 4
- shows another sectional view of the wire clamp terminal from Fig. 3;
- Fig. 5
- shows another sectional view of the wire clamp terminal from Fig. 3;
- Fig. 6
- shows a sectional side view of the wire clamp terminal according to another possible embodiment;
- Fig. 7
- shows another sectional side view of the wire clamp terminal from Fig. 6;
- Fig. 8
- shows a sectional side view of the push button element according to another possible embodiment;
- Fig. 9
- shows a sectional side view of the push button element according to another possible embodiment;
- Fig. 10
- shows a schematic perspective view of the push button element according to another possible embodiment; and
- Fig. 11
- shows a schematic perspective view of the push button element according to yet another possible embodiment.
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In the following, the schematic structure of a push button element 1 and a wire clamp terminal 2 according to the invention will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 to 11.
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As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the push button element 1 may be a single-piece plastic component made by injection molding or additive manufacturing. The push button element 1 is used as part of the wire clamp terminal 2 where an electrical conductor 4 (see Figs. 6 and 7) can be inserted in a wire insertion direction 6.
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In particular, the wire clamp terminal 2 may comprise a housing 8 with a guiding channel 10 for slidably holding the push button element 1 therein. Parallel to the guiding channel 10, an insertion channel 12 configured for inserting the electrical conductor 4 may extend through the housing 8. Both, the guiding channel 10 and the insertion channel 12 may extend along the wire insertion direction 6.
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Upon insertion into the insertion channel 12, the electrical conductor 4 can be automatically clamped by a clamping spring 14 of the wire clamp terminal 2. The clamping spring 14 may be a stamped-and-bent metal part made of e.g. copper or spring-steel.
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In particular, the clamping spring 14 may comprise a fixation section 16 that is fastened to the housing 8 of the wire clamp terminal 2. The fixation section 16 may be a straight region of the clamping spring 14 that is received e.g. in a slot 18 of the housing 8. Alternatively, the fixation section 16 may be curved or comprise curved and straight regions.
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The clamping spring 14 may further comprise a clamping section 20, which may also be straight. Alternatively, the clamping section may be curved or comprise curved and straight regions. The clamping section 20 may be formed by a free end 22 of the clamping spring 14. The clamping section 20 may extend along the wire insertion direction 6, in particular at an oblique angle relative to the wire insertion direction 6. The angle between the wire insertion direction 6 and the clamping section 20 may be between about 30° and about 60°, in particular about 45°.
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The clamping spring 14 may further comprise an intermediate section 24, which is located between the fixation section 16 and the clamping section 20. The intermediate section 24 may be curved in its entirety or may comprise straight, folded or curved regions.
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For automatically clamping the electrical conductor 4, the wire clamp terminal 2 may comprise a trigger 26 and a latch 28, wherein the latch 28 engages the clamping spring 14, in particular its free end 22, in a preloaded position 30 of the clamping spring 14 (see Fig. 7). The trigger 26 is coupled to the latch 28 and configured to disengage the latch 28 when the trigger 26 is operated, thereby releasing the clamping spring 14. The released clamping spring 14 is configured to clamp the inserted electrical conductor 4 in a clamping position 32 of the clamping spring 14 (see Fig. 6). Herein, the trigger 26 is configured to be operated by the electrical conductor 4 upon insertion of the electrical conductor 4 into the wire clamp terminal 2.
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The push button element 1 can be used for manipulation of the clamping spring 14. For example, the clamping spring 14 may be pushed with the push button element 1 in order to be transferred from the clamping position 32 (see Fig. 6) to the preloaded position 30 (see Fig. 7). Likewise, the push button element 1 can be used for deflecting the free end 22 of the clamping spring 14 away from the clamped conductor 4 when the clamped conductor 4 is supposed to be released.
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The push button element 1 is actuated with a tool tip or human finger (not shown). For this purpose, the push button element 1 comprises an actuation surface 34 that is configured for engagement with the tool tip or human finger. As shown in Fig. 1, the actuation surface 34 is located in a plane 36. In particular, the plane 36 is shown to be perpendicular to the wire insertion direction 6. Alternatively, the plane 36 may be at an oblique angle relative to the wire insertion direction 6.
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In order to improve grip during engagement, the actuation surface 34 may be provided with a drive recess 38. The drive recess 38 may be a shaped indentation 40 designed to fit a specific type of screwdriver tip or bit, such as a Phillips, flathead, hex or Torx. Additionally or alternatively, the actuation surface 34 may be flat, ridged or knurled.
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For transmitting a force 42 (see Figs. 6 and 8) that is exerted on the actuation surface 34 by the tool tip or human finger onto the clamping spring 14, the push button element 1 comprises a first abutment surface 44. This first abutment surface 44 at least sectionally faces away from the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34. That is, the first abutment surface 44 comprises at least one surface section with a normal vector 46 at least having one component pointing away from the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34. Due to its orientation away from the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34, the first abutment surface 44 can serve for pushing or pressing against the clamping spring 14 in order to manipulate the clamping spring 14 and for example release the clamped conductor 4.
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A second abutment surface 48 is provided on the push button element 1 for holding the push button element 1 to the clamping spring 14. This second abutment surface 48 at least sectionally faces towards the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34. In other words, the second abutment surface 48 comprises at least one surface section with a normal vector 50 at least having one component pointing towards the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34.
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Due to its orientation towards the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34, the second abutment surface 48 can serve as an undercut with which the push button element 1 can hold on to the clamping spring 14. Hence, the push button element 1 can be linked to the clamping spring 14 and can follow the movement of the clamping spring 14. Thus, it is ensured that the relative positioning between the push button element 1 and the clamping spring 14 remains unchanged regardless of the orientation in which the wire clamp terminal 2 is oriented. Even when the wire clamp terminal 2 is installed "upside down" (i.e. the wire insertion direction 6 runs against gravity 52), the push button element 1 is not pulled downwards by gravity 52, but remains in place. In other words, the push button element 1 can hang on to the clamping spring 14 at the second abutment surface 48.
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As can be seen in Fig. 1, the first abutment surface 44 may be spaced apart from the second abutment surface 48, preferably along the wire insertion direction 6. The first abutment surface 44 and second abutment surface 48 can jointly define a receiving zone 54 for form-fittingly receiving therein the clamping spring 14, in particular its clamping section 20. In other words, the push button element 1 can engage in a form-fit connection with the clamping spring 14 at the receiving zone 54.
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Between the actuation surface 34 and the receiving zone 54, the push button element 1 may comprise a guiding section 56 that extends through and precisely fits the guiding channel 10 of the housing 8. Optionally, the guiding section 56 may comprise markings 58a, 58b that indicate the present position of the clamping spring 14, in particular the preloaded position 30 and the clamping position 32. As shown in Fig. 2, the markings 58a, 58b may be respectively formed by edges of a cut-out 60 in the material of the push button element 1.
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Herein, the housing 8 of the wire clamp terminal 2 may comprise a reference line 62, such as an edge 64 of the guiding channel 10. Consequently, each marking 58a, 58b on the guiding section 56 may be configured to coincide with the reference line 62, once the clamping spring 14 has assumed a position that is represented by said marking 58a, 58b. Further, markings (not shown) can also be provided and function as a scale that indicates the diameter of the clamped conductor 4.
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As shown in Fig. 8, the first abutment surface 44 and the second abutment surface 48 may each border the receiving zone 54. Further, the first abutment surface 44 and the second abutment surface 48 may be arranged on mutually opposite sides of the receiving zone 54. Moreover, the first abutment surface 44 may at least sectionally face towards the second abutment surface 48 and/or the second abutment surface 48 may at least sectionally face towards the first abutment surface 44. Alternatively, the first abutment surface 44 and second abutment surface 48 may be mutually offset with minimal to no overlap therebetween in the wire insertion direction 6 (see Fig. 9).
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Optionally, the actuation surface 34, the first abutment surface 44 and the second abutment surface 48 may be aligned along the wire insertion direction 6 (see Fig. 8). Further, the actuation surface 34 may be closer to the first abutment surface 44 than to the second abutment surface 48. In particular, the first abutment surface 44 may be arranged between the actuation surface 34 and the second abutment surface 48.
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This way, the second abutment surface 48 is situated outside of the path 66 of force flow when the actuation surface 34 is engaged and pressed by the tool tip or human finger. In other words, the second abutment surface 48 does not have to withstand the force 42 exerted onto the actuation surface 34. Hence, the second abutment surface 48 may be formed by a comparatively filigree structure.
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For example, the push button element 1 may comprise at least one snap-fit arm 68, on which the second abutment surface 48 is arranged. In particular, a distal end 70 of the at least one snap-fit arm 68 may point away from the actuation surface 34. The second abutment surface 48 may be arranged on a lateral protrusion of said distal end 70 and thus can easily reach behind the clamping spring 14. As shown in Figs 1 and 2, the at least one snap-fit arm 68 may be hook-shaped and can thus grab onto the clamping spring 14. If need be, the at least one snap-fit arm 68 can be deformed permanently or temporarily in an elastic manner when grabbing around the clamping spring 14.
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Optionally, the at least one snap-fit arm 68 may extend adjacent to the first abutment surface 44, in particular adjacent to the receiving zone 54. Further, the at least one snap-fit arm 68 may extend past the first abutment surface 44 and the receiving zone 54. That is, a proximal end 72 of the at least one snap-fit arm 68 may be located closer to the actuation surface 34 than the first abutment surface 44, while the distal end 70 of the at least one snap-fit arm 68 is located further away from the actuation surface 34 than the first abutment surface 44.
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In order to increase its flexibility, the at least one snap-fit arm 68 may be separated from the first abutment surface 44 by a slit 74. The slit 74 may extend along the wire insertion direction 6. Hence, deformation of the at least one snap-fit arm 68 perpendicular to the wire insertion direction 6 becomes easier e.g., when the at least one snap-fit arm 68 grabs around the clamping spring 14.
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As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the push button element 1 may comprise two snap-fit arms 68. The two snap-fit arms 68 may enclose the receiving zone 54. In particular, their distal ends 70 may enclose the receiving zone 54 together with the first abutment surface 44. In the shown embodiment, the two snap-fit arms 68 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first abutment surface 44.
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In particular, the second abutment surface 48 may be arranged on one of the two snap-fit arms 68, while a third abutment surface 76 also facing at least sectionally towards the plane 36 of the actuation surface 34 is arranged on the other one of the two snap-fit arms 68. The third abutment surface 76 may be congruent to the second abutment surface 48 or configured in a mirror-inverted manner with respect to the second abutment surface 48.
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Optionally, the two snap-fit arms 68 may be elastically deflectable towards and away from each other. This allows to place the clamping spring 14 between the two snap-fit arms 68 by snapping the push button element 1 onto the clamping spring 14. Respective lead-in chamfers 78 (see Fig. 2) on the two snap-fit arms 68 may facilitate this snapping process.
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In general, the clamping spring 14, in particular its clamping section 20 extends between the first abutment surface 44 and the second abutment surface 48, as can be seen in Figs. 8 and 9. The first abutment surface 44 may be shaped convexly towards the second abutment surface 48. Likewise, the second abutment surface 48 may be shaped convexly towards the first abutment surface 44. In particular, these convexly shaped abutment surfaces each may be curved to form a rolling surface, where the clamping spring 14 can roll off. Thus, the clamping spring's range of motion can be accommodated in the receiving zone 54. This is respectively indicated in Figs. 8 and 9 with two-headed arrows and a dashed box.
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According to an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the first abutment surface may be shaped concavely away from the second abutment surface and/or the second abutment surface may be shaped concavely away from the first abutment surface. This embodiment is useful, if the clamping spring comprises a bend 80 (see Fig. 3) for increasing the length of the spring and improving its flexibility. The concavely shaped abutment surfaces each provide room for accommodating said bend in the clamping spring.
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As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the receiving zone 54 may, for example, comprise or be a recess 82 in the material of the push button element 1. This eliminates the need for filigree snap-fit arms or the like and allows a broader choice of materials. For example, the push button element 1 may comprise a through-hole 84 extending obliquely or perpendicularly to the wire insertion direction 6, wherein the through-hole 84 defines the receiving zone 54. The through-hole 84 may extend between an entry opening 86 and an exit opening 88. The clamping spring 14 can be inserted, with its free end 22 first, into the through-hole 84, i.e. into the entry opening 86.
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Alternatively, the push button element 1 may comprise a lateral slot 90 that is accessible from three different directions. These three directions may be pairwise mutually perpendicular, wherein each of these three directions is also perpendicular or at least oblique to the wire insertion direction 6. Accordingly, the receiving zone 54 is located in the lateral slot 90. Thereby, the clamping spring 14 can be placed sideways into the receiving zone 54 without having to insert the free end 22 of the clamping spring 14 first.
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According to an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the clamping spring 14 may comprise an opening through which the push button element 1 is inserted. In particular, the push button element 1 may penetrate with its hook-shaped snap-fit arm 68 through the opening and snap to the clamping spring 14.
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The housing 8 of the wire clamp terminal 2 may comprise a cover part 92 and a housing part 94 that are assemblable. The cover part 92 may comprise the guiding channel 10 and the insertion channel 12, while the housing part 94 comprises the slot 18 for the fixation section 16 of the clamping spring 14.
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When assembling the wire clamp terminal 2, first, the clamping spring 14 may be inserted into the housing part 94 along the wire insertion direction 6 or perpendicular to the wire insertion direction 6. The clamping spring 14, in particular its fixation section 16 may be held at the housing part 94, in particular at the slot 18 by a form fit 96. Alternatively or additionally, a friction fit and/or a force fit can be used. The clamping spring 14 and the housing part 94 may also be welded, glued, riveted, crimped and/or hot-stapled.
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Next, the push button element 1 may be placed into the guiding channel 10 of the cover part 92. Thereafter, the clamping spring 14, in particular its clamping section 20 may be received in the receiving zone 54 of the push button element 1. For example, the push button element 1 may be snapped onto the clamping section 20 of the clamping spring 14. Lastly, the cover part 92 is assembled to the housing part 94.
Reference Signs
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- 1
- push button element
- 2
- wire clamp terminal
- 4
- electrical conductor
- 6
- wire insertion direction
- 8
- housing
- 10
- guiding channel
- 12
- insertion channel
- 14
- clamping spring
- 16
- fixation section
- 18
- slot
- 20
- clamping section
- 22
- free end
- 24
- intermediate section
- 26
- trigger
- 28
- latch
- 30
- preloaded position
- 32
- clamping position
- 34
- actuation surface
- 36
- plane
- 38
- drive recess
- 40
- shaped indentation
- 42
- force
- 44
- first abutment surface
- 46
- normal vector
- 48
- second abutment surface
- 50
- normal vector
- 52
- gravity
- 54
- receiving zone
- 56
- guiding section
- 58a, 58b
- markings
- 60
- cut-out
- 62
- reference line
- 64
- edge
- 66
- path
- 68
- snap-fit arm
- 70
- distal end
- 72
- proximal end
- 74
- slit
- 76
- third abutment surface
- 78
- lead-in chamfer
- 80
- bend
- 82
- recess
- 84
- through-hole
- 86
- entry opening
- 88
- exit opening
- 90
- lateral slot
- 92
- cover part
- 94
- housing part
- 96
- form fit