FR3014601A1 - ELECTRICAL APPARATUS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE SWIVEL CONNECTION TERMINAL - Google Patents

Abstract

It is an electrical apparatus comprising at least one connecting terminal (12) pivoting about a left-right direction of the apparatus (10). Stop members (40, 41) fix a pivotal end position in a predetermined direction. The stop members are passable by the pivoting terminal when in said end position is exerted on said pivoting terminal (11, 12) a pivoting force in said predetermined direction greater than a prefixed threshold. The connection terminal (11, 12) takes after having passed through the stop members (40, 41) a post-end position of travel beyond said end position.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to electrical apparatus comprising at least one pivoting connection terminal. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is already known, particularly from French patent applications 2,464,570 and 2,914,115, such pivotal terminals for an electrical appliance, which have a housing for receiving a stripped end section of an electric cable and a clamping screw for clamping this stripped end portion against a contact pad of the apparatus to which this terminal belongs, which is pivotable with respect to the contact pad around a left-right direction of the apparatus. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The invention aims to improve the convenience of use of such devices in a simple and economical way.

The invention proposes for this purpose an electrical apparatus comprising at least one connection terminal having a housing for receiving a stripped end section of an electric cable and a clamping screw for clamping said end section against a contact pad. said apparatus, which connecting terminal is pivotable with respect to said contact pad around a left-right direction of the apparatus; characterized in that said apparatus comprises abutment members having at least one portion disposed across said connection terminal for setting a pivot end-of-travel position of said connection terminal in a predetermined direction, said connecting terminal and said stop members being configured so that the stop members are able to be crossed by the pivoting terminal when in said end-of-travel position is exerted on said pivoting terminal a pivoting force in said predetermined direction greater than a prefixed threshold and for the terminal of connection takes after having passed through the stop members a post-end position of travel beyond said end position.

The end position position fixed by the stop members is for example useful for maintaining the pivoting terminal in a range of angular orientations where it is easy to operate the clamping screw of the terminal, in particular a range of angular orientations. where the tool for operating the screw is essentially oriented towards the space situated in front of the apparatus. The crossing capacity of the stop members by the pivoting terminal provided by the apparatus according to the invention nevertheless makes it possible to make the pivoting terminal take an angular orientation outside the nominal range, which is useful in certain cases such as example when the cable to which the terminal is to be connected is particularly short. Note that in the electrical apparatus according to the invention, the stop members must not be confused with indexing members in certain preferred angular positions, arranged laterally to the terminal, such as an elastic finger and notches; and that on the contrary the stop members of the electrical apparatus according to the invention provide a true end position, in particular because they have at least one portion disposed across the connection terminal.

According to advantageous features as being simple, convenient and economical to implement: - said predetermined direction is that or increases the angle between the direction of the screw of the terminal and a direction transverse to the rear face of said apparatus; in said end-of-travel position, the direction of the screw of the terminal makes an angle of between 20 ° and 40 ° with respect to a direction transverse to said rear face; said pivoting terminal is movable between a first end position and a second end position between which said end position is located, with the angular difference between said first end position and said second end position which is between 60 ° and 90 ° ° said abutment members comprise two studs each extending from a proximal end to a distal end, delimiting between them a space narrowing on the side of the distal ends so that said space is narrower than said terminal, which pads are configured to to deviate from one another under the exercise of said pivoting force greater than a prefixed threshold, sufficiently to allow said terminal to cross said two pads; said two pads have facing surfaces which are curved towards each other in the vicinity of said distal ends; said pivoting terminal comprises an articulation journal, a stirrup, a clamping screw and an insulation cover, said stirrup comprising a central branch and two lateral branches, a threaded hole being formed in said central branch and receiving said screw clamping, each end of said hinge pin being secured to one of the side branches, said contact pad having a curved portion against the concave face of which is disposed said hinge pin, the inner space to the stirrup located between the contact pad and the clamping screw forming said housing for receiving said stripped end portion of said electrical cable; said insulation cover comprises a body which externally covers said stirrup and a tubular head which forms a peripheral envelope for said screw; said apparatus comprises at least two said pivoting terminals arranged side by side in the lower part or in the upper part; said apparatus comprises between said at least two pivoting terminals a stud forming an abutment member for each of said at least two terminals; said connection terminal and said stop members are configured so that the stop members are able to be crossed by the pivoting terminal from said post-end position in the opposite direction to said predetermined direction, in a manner similar to crossing in said predetermined direction from said end position; and / or - said apparatus constitutes a subscriber branch circuit breaker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description of the invention will now be continued by the detailed description of exemplary embodiments, given below by way of non-limiting illustration and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. an elevational view of an electrical apparatus according to the invention, here a subscriber branch circuit breaker; FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing the lower part of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; - Figure 3 is a partial sectional view, marked by in Figure 1; - Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing an electric cable in place in the connection terminal shown; - Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 3 and 2, respectively, but in another angular position of the connection terminal where it is in a position of end of pivoting stroke fixed by stop members; FIGS. 7 and 8 are also views similar to FIGS. 3 and 2, respectively, but for yet another angular position of the connection terminal, located beyond the end-of-travel position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6; ; and FIGS. 9 to 12 are views similar to FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 8, respectively, but for a variant of the electrical apparatus having more connection terminals, in this case four terminals in its lower part. and four terminals in its upper part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS The electrical apparatus 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8 comprises in its upper part two terminals 11 for connection to an electric cable and has 20 in its lower part two terminals 12 for connection to an electric cable. Here, the apparatus 10 is a subscriber branch circuit breaker with the two terminals 11 of the upper part which are provided to each receive a stripped end section of a cable from the electricity distribution network, in general downstream of an electric meter; and with the two terminals 12 25 of the lower part which are each adapted to receive a bare end section of a cable going towards the domestic or tertiary electrical installation of the subscriber to the electricity distribution network. The branch circuit breaker 10 is bipolar (single-phase electrical installation) with the upper terminal 11 on the left and the lower part 12 on the left which are provided for one of the poles of the electrical installation, here the neutral, and with the other terminals 11 and 12 (on the right) which are provided for the other pole of the electrical installation, here the phase.

The branch circuit breaker 10 has on its front face 13 a protruding nose 14 in which is provided a control lever 15 for opening or closing an electrical connection between the terminals 11 and 12 on the left and an electrical connection between terminals 11 and 12 of right, the internal circuit of the branch circuit breaker 10 being provided to automatically open these electrical connections in case of prolonged overcurrent or in case of differential fault (different currents in the two links). The electrical apparatus 10 is adapted to be fixed by its rear face 16 on a vertical support such as the wall 17 shown in FIG. 4, from which the electric cables 18 to be connected to the connection terminals 11 and 12 emerge. terminals 11 of the upper part of the apparatus 10 and the terminals 12 of the lower part of the apparatus 10 are identical. We will now more specifically describe the terminal 12 (lower part) of the right, but it is understood that this description is also valid for the left terminal 12 and for the two terminals 11 (upper part). As can be seen in FIG. 3, the terminal 12 comprises an articulation journal 20, a stirrup 21, a clamping screw 22 and an isolation cover 23. The stirrup 21 comprises a central branch 24 and two lateral branches 25.

In the central branch 24 is provided a threaded hole receiving the clamping screw 22. Each end of the pivot pin 20 is secured to one of the lateral branches 25, near its distal end (end opposite the central branch 24 ).

The terminal 12 is associated with a contact pad 26 forming one of the ends of the internal circuit of the apparatus 10. The contact pad 26 comprises a curved portion 27 having a concave face of the same radius of curvature as the pin 20. Here, the bent portion 27 has an angular extent of about 180 °. The hinge pin 20 is held against the concave face of the bent portion 26 by a lug 28 of the housing of the apparatus 10. The insulation cover 23 comprises a body 30 which externally covers the stirrup 21 and a head 31 tubular which forms a peripheral envelope for the screw 22.

When the screw 22 is operated in the direction of tightening or loosening, it moves relative to the head 31 of the insulation cover 23. Of course, the head 31 leaves free access to the fingerprint 32 of maneuvering. the screw 22. The internal space of the stirrup 21 located between the contact pad 26 and the clamping screw 22 forms a housing 33 for receiving a stripped end section of the electrical cable to be connected. The screw 22 is provided to clamp this stripped end portion against the contact pad 26. This will be described in more detail later in support of FIG. 4. The arrangement of the terminal 12 and the contact pad 26 , in particular the cooperation between the pivot pin 20 and the curved portion 27 of the contact pad 26, allows the terminal 12 to be pivotable with respect to the contact pad 26, and more generally with respect to the rest of the apparatus 10 around a left-right direction. The extreme positions that can be taken by terminal 12 are shown respectively in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 7 and 8. It will be observed that in the extreme position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the direction of the screw 22 is close to a direction transverse to the rear face 16 of the apparatus 10, that is to say a horizontal direction when the apparatus 10 is mounted by its rear face 16 on a vertical support, such as the wall 17. It will also be observed that in the extreme position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the direction of the screw 22 is close to a direction parallel to the rear face 16 of the apparatus 10. Here, the angular difference between the end position shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the extreme position shown in Figures 7 and 8 is of the order of 70 °, with in the extreme position shown in Figures 1 to 3 the angle between the direction 35 of the screw 22 and a direction transverse to the rear face 16 which is of the order of 10 °, and with in the extreme position shown in Figures 7 and 8, the angle between the direction 35 of the screw 22 and a direction parallel to the rear face 16 which is of the order of 10 °. From the end position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the terminal 12 can pivot in the direction where the angle between the direction of the screw 35 and a direction transverse to the rear face 16 increases. It will be observed that the pivoting direction in which the angle between the direction of the screw 22 and the direction perpendicular to the rear face 16 increases is, when looking at the apparatus with the rear face on the left as in FIG. 4, 5 and 7, clockwise for the terminals 12 of the lower part of the apparatus 10 and counterclockwise for the terminals 11 of the upper part of the apparatus 10 .

To return to the description of the terminal 12 illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7, the pivoting of the terminal 12 in this direction from the extreme position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is possible until the end position shown in Figures 5 and 6, which is located between the two extreme positions. Thus, in a nominal configuration of the apparatus 10, the terminal 12 can pivot between the end position illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the end-of-travel position illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Here, in this end position stroke, the angle between the direction 35 of the screw 22 and a direction transverse to the rear face 16 of the apparatus 10, is of the order of 30 °.

This limit position of the terminal 12 is fixed by stop members, here pads 40 and 41, which comprise a portion disposed across the terminal 12 to prevent it from going beyond the illustrated position in FIGS. 5 and 6. The connection terminal 12 and the stop members formed by the pads 40 and 41 are configured so that the stop members can be crossed by the connection terminal 12 when in the end-of-travel position (FIGS. 5 and 6) is exerted on the connection terminal 12 a pivoting force in the desired direction (clockwise in Figure 5), greater than a prefixed threshold, and for the connection terminal to take, after thus having crossed the stop members, a post-stroke position, for example the extreme position shown in Figures 7 and 8, beyond the end position in this direction of pivoting. Each of the pads 40 and 41 extends between a proximal end, through which it is attached to the rest of the housing of the apparatus 10, and a distal end, opposite to the proximal end.

It will be observed that the distal end of the pads 40 and 41 is at the bottom of the apparatus 10 for the terminals 12 of the lower part, and at the very top for the terminals 11 of the upper part. 3014 601 8 To return to the terminal 12 illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 7, in the nominal configuration of the apparatus 10 (terminal 12 between the extreme position shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the end position of stroke illustrated in Figures 5 and 6), the terminal 12, and more precisely the head 31 of the cover 23 surrounding the screw 22 is 5 between the pads 40 and 41. The arrangement of the pads 40 and 41, and in particular the conformation of the two surfaces of these studs which are facing each other, respectively the surface 42 of the stud 40 and the surface 43 of the stud 41 (FIG. 1), is such that the studs 40 and 41 delimit one another a space narrowing on the side of the distal ends 10 to be then narrower than the terminal 12, and more precisely the aforementioned portion of this terminal which is between the pads 40 and 41 (head 31 forming a tubular casing laterally surrounding the screw 22 ). Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the surfaces 42 and 43 are straight for some distance from the proximal ends while they are curved towards each other in the vicinity of the proximal ends. The pads 40 and 41 form stop members because the terminal 12 comes through the head 31 in contact with the curved portions of the surfaces 42 and 43, as can be seen in FIG. 6. To cross the end position 5 and 6 and reach a post-end position such that the extreme position shown in Figures 7 and 8, it is necessary to force the studs 40 and 41 to move away from one of the other until the space between their distal ends is sufficiently wide to pass the terminal 12, and more precisely the head 31 forming the envelope for the screw 22. As indicated above, the exercise on the terminal 12 of a pivoting force in the desired direction (clockwise in FIG. 5), greater than a prefixed threshold, makes it possible to cross the abutment members formed by the studs 40 and 41. Indeed , the exercise of such an effort reaching this predetermined threshold allows the pads 40 and 41 to deviate from each other sufficiently. To exert this effort, one uses for example the tool used to maneuver 30 the screw 22 (key or screwdriver) introduced into the cavity 32, to drive the terminal 12 in the desired pivoting direction. Here, the stud 40 is formed by a set of relatively thin walls while the stud 41 is relatively solid. Therefore, it is essentially the stud 40 which will deform so that the space between the pads 40 and 41 becomes large enough to allow the passage of the terminal 12, and more precisely the head 31 of the insulation cover 23 From a post-end position such as the extreme position illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, it is possible to return to the nominal configuration of the apparatus 10 by rotating the terminal 12 in the desired direction, that is to say in the opposite direction of clockwise in Figure 5, so that in the same way the pads 40 and 41 depart and that the head 31 can be housed between the pads 40 and 41 Preferably, the deformation of the studs 40 and 41 (here, essentially the stud 40) allowing the crossing of the terminal 12 remains in the elastic limit. It will be observed that a slight permanent deformation is tolerable, since in principle the number of maneuvers crossing the stop members is at most a few. As indicated above, the stud 40 is formed by a set of relatively thin walls. It is a J-shaped wall 44, one of whose lateral surfaces is the surface 42, and a rib 45 oriented transversely to the wall 44. The stud 41 is common to the terminal 12 which the just described (on the right) and on the other terminal 12 (on the left) of the apparatus 10. The stud 41 is solid between the surface 43 for the right terminal and the surface 43 for the left terminal . The pad 40 for the left terminal of the apparatus 10 is in mirror image of the pad 40 for the right terminal. In the upper part of the apparatus 10, the terminals 11 cooperate with pads 40 and 41 similar to the pads 40 and 41 of the lower part.

FIG. 4 shows an electric cable 18 in place in the terminal 12 in a position where the screw 22 is ready to be rotated in the tightening direction to complete the connection of the cable 18. In this figure, the terminal 12 is in the position Extreme shown in Figures 1 to 3. When emerging from the wall 17, the cable 18 is oriented in a direction 50 transverse to the wall 17 and therefore transverse to the rear face 16 of the device 10 which is supported on the wall 17. As indicated above, the direction 35 of the screw 22 is then close to the direction 50 (here, the angle is of the order of 10 °), and consequently the direction 36 of the housing 33 ( which is transverse to the direction 35 of the screw 22) is close to a direction transverse to the direction 50 of the cable 18, here an angle of the order of 80 °. Therefore, to be able to engage the stripped end section 51 of the cable 18 in the housing 33 of the terminal 12, it is necessary to bend the cable 18 substantially at right angles, here an angle of the order of 80 °. It will be observed that here there exists between the distal ends of the studs 40 and 41 a relatively large space, which allows the operator to see the cable 18. In FIGS. 5 and 7, the direction of the cable 18 has also been illustrated. when it emerges from the vertical support such as the wall 17 on which it is intended to mount the device 10. It is seen in Figure 5 (end position), where the angle between the direction 35 and the direction 50 is of the order of 30 °, that the angle between the direction 50 and the direction 36 is of the order of 60 °, and that the terminal 12 is closer to the rear face 16 of the apparatus 10 that on Figure 4.

Thus, in the end position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the electrical cable 18 may be shorter than in the extreme position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 while there is less need to bend this cable. It is known that the tool used to operate the screw 22 (wrench or screwdriver) must be oriented like the screw 22.

In the electrical panels on which the circuit-breaker 10 is to be mounted, the space in front of this circuit-breaker is in principle free, and consequently in the range of angular orientations situated between the extreme position shown in FIGS. and the end position shown in Figures 5 and 6, the operation of the screw 22 is not hindered by other electrical devices or an edge of a cabinet or other envelope containing the electrical panel. The angular position of the terminal 12 is chosen according to the length of the cable 18 and the possibility of bending it. It will be noted in this respect that in principle the electric cables which are connected to a branch circuit breaker have a conductive core of relatively high cross section, and that therefore it can be quite difficult to bend such a cable, in particular when the length from which it emerges from the vertical support such as the wall 17 is short.

In the case where this length is particularly short, which can occur for example when the circuit breaker 10 replaces a previous circuit breaker, the terminal 12 may be too far from the rear face 16 to allow to engage the stripped end portion 51 in the housing 33 when the apparatus is in its nominal configuration, including in the end-of-travel position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In such a case, the terminal 12 is actuated as described above to make it move to a post-end position such as the extreme position shown in Figures 7 and 8.

As seen in FIG. 7, the terminal 12 is then much closer to the rear face 16, which makes it possible to place the stripped end section 51 in the recess 33. In the variant shown in FIGS. 9 to 12 , the branch circuit breaker 10 is four-pole (three-phase electrical installation) rather than bipolar, and thus has in the upper part four terminals 11 and in the lower part four terminals 12. In the four-pole circuit breaker 10, the upper part and the lower part have on the right and to the left of the pads 40 identical to the pads 40 of the bipolar circuit breaker 10, and in the middle a pad 41 identical to the pads 41 of the bipolar circuit breaker 10. The upper part and the lower part of the four-pole circuit breaker 10 each further comprise two intermediate pads 52, each located between an external stud 40 and the central stud 41. On each left and right side of the upper part and the lower part of the disjonc 4-pole terminal 10, a terminal 11 or 12 is disposed between a pad 40 and a pad 52 and another terminal 11 or 12 is disposed between a pad 52 and the stud 41. Just like the pads 40, each of the pads 52 is formed by a set of relatively thin walls. These are two walls 53 in the form of J arranged in mirror image of one another with the concave side facing one of the terminals 11 or 12, and a rib 54 disposed between the walls 53 and oriented transversely thereto.

Each of the terminals 11 and 12 of the four-pole circuit breaker 10 cooperates with the two pads between which it is located in the same way that each terminal 11 and 12 of the bipolar circuit breaker 10 cooperates with the two studs to its left and right.

Figures 9 and 10 show the end position of terminals 11 and 12 similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. Figure 11 shows the end position similar to that shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 12 shows the extreme position similar to that illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. In the drawings, for ease of exposition, all terminals 11 and 12 are shown with the same angular orientation. It is understood that each of the terminals 11 and 12 is independent of the other terminals and can therefore individually take the most appropriate angular orientation to operate the connection to an electric cable. Once each of the connection terminals 11 and 12 has been connected to an electrical conductor, two covers (not shown) are placed on the upper part and on the lower part to conceal the connection terminals 11 and 12. Where appropriate, a seal is placed at least on the upper cover connected to the electricity distribution network.

In non-illustrated variants, the number of connection terminals is different, for example only one in the upper part and one in the lower part; only certain connection terminals are pivotable, for example only one in the upper part and / or one in the lower part; the connection terminals are located only in the upper part or in the lower part of the device; and / or the electrical apparatus comprising at least one pivoting terminal is different from a subscriber branch circuit breaker, for example a circuit breaker or a differential switch. In non-illustrated variants, the angular orientation of the terminals 11 or 12 is different in the end position, with for example the direction of the screw 22 which makes an angle of between 20 ° and 40 ° with respect to a transverse direction to the rear face 16; and / or the angular difference between the extreme position shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the extreme position shown in Figures 7 and 8 is different, for example between 60 ° and 90 °.

In non-illustrated variants, the abutment members for the pivoting connection terminal are different, for example by being integral with the housing of the apparatus such as the studs 40, 41 and 52, but shaped differently, as in the form of hook or elastic tongue, or being attached to the housing of the device, or by cooperating with a different part of the terminal, as with the stirrup 21. Many other variants are possible depending on the circumstances, and It is recalled in this respect that the invention is not limited to the examples described and shown.

Claims (12)

REVENDICATIONS1. Electrical apparatus comprising at least one terminal (11, 12) having a housing (33) for receiving a stripped end section (51) of an electric cable (18) and a clamping screw (22) for clamping said end portion (51) against a contact pad (26) of said apparatus (10), which connection terminal (11, 12) is pivotable with respect to said contact pad (26) about a left direction -the right of the device (10); characterized in that said apparatus (10) has abutment members (40, 41; 40, 41, 52) having at least one portion disposed across said connection terminal (11, 12) for securing an end position of pivoting stroke of said connection terminal (11, 12) in a predetermined direction, said connection terminal (11, 12) and said stop members (40, 41; 40, 41, 52) being configured so that the stop are able to be crossed by the pivoting terminal when in said end-of-stroke position is exerted on said pivoting terminal (11, 12) a pivoting force in said predetermined direction greater than a predetermined threshold and for the connecting terminal (11, 12 ) takes after passing the stop members (40, 41; 40, 41, 52) a post-end position of travel beyond said end position. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said predetermined direction is that or increases the angle between the direction (35) of the screw (22) of the terminal (11, 12) and a direction (50) transverse to the rear face (16) of said apparatus (10). 3. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that in said end position, the direction (35) of the screw (22) of the terminal (11, 12) is an angle between 20 ° and 40 ° relative to a direction (50) transverse to said rear face (16). 4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said pivoting terminal (11, 12) is movable between a first extreme position and a second extreme position between which is said end position, with the angular difference between said first extreme position and said second extreme position which is between 60 ° and 90 °. 5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said abutment members comprise two studs (40, 41; 40, 52; 52, 41) each extending from one end proximal to one end. distal, defining between them a narrowing space on the distal end side so that said space is narrower than said terminal (11, 12), which pads (40, 41; 40, 52; 52, 41) are configured to away from each other under the effect of said pivoting force greater than a prefixed threshold, sufficiently to allow said terminal (11, 12) to cross said two studs (40, 41; 40, 52; ) 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said two studs (40, 41, 40, 52, 52, 41) have facing surfaces (42, 43) which are curved towards each other in the vicinity. said distal ends. 7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said pivoting terminal (11, 12) comprises a hinge pin (20), a yoke (21), a clamping screw (22) and an isolation cover (23), said stirrup comprising a central branch (24) and two lateral branches (25), a threaded hole being formed in said central branch (24) and receiving said clamping screw (22), each end said hinge pin (20) being secured to one of the lateral branches (25), said contact pad (26) having a curved portion (27) against the concave face of which is disposed said hinge pin (20); ), the internal space at the stirrup (21) situated between the contact pad (26) and the clamping screw (22) forming said housing (33) for receiving said stripped end section (51) of said electric cable (18). 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said insulating cover (23) comprises a body (30) which externally covers said stirrup (21) and a tubular head (31) which forms a peripheral envelope for said screw ( 22). 9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least two said pivoting terminals (11, 12) arranged side by side in the lower part or in the upper part. 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises between said at least two pivoting terminals (11, 12) a pad (41; 41, 52) forming a stop member for each of said at least two terminals (11). , 12). 11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said connection terminal (11, 12) and said stop members (40, 41; 40, 41, 52) are configured so that the stop members are passable by the pivoting terminal from said post-end position in the opposite direction to said predetermined direction, d. a manner similar to the crossing in said predetermined direction from said end position. 12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it constitutes a subscriber branch circuit breaker (10).