WO2016087433A1

WO2016087433A1 - Conductor terminal device

Info

Publication number: WO2016087433A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/078186
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Beier; Stefan Giefers; Mehmet Sagdic
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2014-12-02
Filing date: 2015-12-01
Publication date: 2016-06-09
Also published as: CN107004967A; DE102014117699B4; CN107004967B; DE102014117699A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a conductor terminal device (1) comprising a housing (2), which has at least one placement point (21) for placing a conductor (6), and a spring element (4), which is arranged on the housing (2) in such a way that the spring element can be pivoted about a joint axis (400) and which can be brought into a first pivot position in order to clamp a conductor (6) placed against the placement point (21) and can be pivoted out of the first pivot position in order to release the clamping. A locking device (300, 420) is used to lock the spring element (4) in the first pivot position of the spring element (4). In addition, an actuating element (5) is provided, which, in the first pivot position of the spring element (4), can be moved in an actuating direction (B) and is designed to act on the spring element (4) in order to release the locking of the spring element (4) when actuated. In this way, a conductor terminal device that can be actuated to release a conductor from the conductor terminal device in a simple manner is provided.

Description

Head clamp

The invention relates to a conductor terminal device according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a conductor terminal device comprises a housing with at least one Ansetzstelle for attaching a conductor and a pivotable about the housing about a hinge axis arranged spring element. The spring element can be brought to jam a conductor attached to the Ansetzstelle with the housing in a first pivot position and is locked in this first pivot position via a suitable locking device with the housing, so that the spring element is locked in its first pivot position. To release the conductor of the conductor terminal device, the latching of the spring element can be solved with the housing and the spring element pivoted out of the first pivot position, so that acting on the conductor via the spring element clamping force is at least reduced and the conductor without much effort from the conductor terminal device can be removed. In a ladder terminal device described in DE 10 2010 060 252 A1, a housing has several attachment points for attaching a plurality of conductors to the conductor terminal device. On the housing, a spring element is pivotally mounted, which can be locked for clamping one or more conductors to the housing.

In another known from DE 20 2010 016 710 U 1 conductor terminal means a spring element is pivotally mounted on a housing element. In addition, an actuating element is provided which acts on the spring element and this locked for clamping a conductor to the housing element.

Conventional conductor terminal devices of this kind can be used, for example, on solar modules or other electrical installations in order to connect conductors in a reliable, electrically contacting manner. Characterized in that by means of the spring element attached to a terminal device conductor is clamped to the housing, the conductor is firmly attached to the terminal device in the attached state and can not be easily, at least not accidentally removed without loosening the latching of the conductor terminal device. To release a conductor from a conductor terminal device of this type, the latching between the spring element and the housing can be achieved. This allows pivoting of the spring element out of the clamping, first pivoting position out, so that the clamping force is reduced to the attached to the conductor terminal device conductor and the conductor can be removed without much effort from the conductor terminal device.

Because particular in solar modules or other systems that are used in the outdoor area, a dissolution of conductors should not be readily possible, a tool, such as a screwdriver or the like, is required in conventional ladder clamp devices to the latching of the spring element with to solve the housing and thereby cancel the jamming of the conductor to the conductor terminal device. This has proven particularly in solar modules and ensures that conductors are reliably held at the conductor terminal devices and can not be solved easily.

In other applications, however, it may be desirable to simplify the operation of such a conductor clamping device, so that a release of a conductor in a simple manner, in particular without the use of an additional tool is possible.

The object of the present invention is to provide a conductor terminal device which can be actuated in a simple manner for releasing a conductor from the conductor terminal device.

This object is achieved by an article having the features of claim 1.

Accordingly, the conductor terminal device additionally has an actuating element, which is movable and designed in the first pivot position of the spring element in an actuating direction relative to the housing to act upon actuation for releasing the latching of the spring element with the housing on the spring element.

The conductor terminal device has an actuating element which can be actuated to release the latching of the spring element with the housing. By actuation of the actuating element, the latching of the spring element in its first pivot position can thus be canceled, so that the spring element of the pivoted out first pivoting position and the clamping stop of the conductor can be lifted at the conductor terminal device thus.

Characterized in that the actuating element can be moved in the first pivot position of the spring element in the actuating direction relative to the housing, it can act on the spring element lockingly connected to the housing latching device and thereby solve a locking between the spring element and the housing. A user thus does not need a separate tool for releasing the locking of the spring element with the housing, but can in a simple manner, for example, manually act on the actuating element and thereby unlock the spring element, so that the spring element can be pivoted out of the first pivoting position to the Clamping with the conductor to pick up or at least reduced a force acting on the conductor clamping force. The spring element is preferably hingedly connected to an insertion element, which is attached to a housing body of the housing. The insertion element may be made of metal, for example, and is inserted into a receptacle of the housing body. In the attached state is a conductor with a line end in the insertion and is clamped on the spring element with the Eisetzelement and also electrically contacted with the insert.

The spring element is articulated mounted about a hinge axis and can thus be pivoted about its hinge axis to bring the spring element in the clamping first pivot position or to pivot out of the first pivot position. The latching of the spring element with the housing can be produced, for example, via a latching element, which is formed at an end remote from the hinge axis of the spring element and latching in the first pivot position with an associated counter-latching element of the housing, for example, the attached to the housing body inserting element in engagement stands. About its remote from the hinge axis end of the spring element in the first pivot position thus with the housing, in particular the attached to the housing body insert element, locked, so that the spring element is locked in the first pivot position. In a specific embodiment, the spring element may have, for example, a longitudinal section extending along the actuation direction and extending from the articulation axis, to which a section angled away from the longitudinal section adjoins. Of the Angled portion may for example at least approximately have an angle of 90 ° to the longitudinal portion and carry the locking element.

Characterized in that the angled portion, for example, in training of the spring element made of spring steel in itself elastically resilient, the locking element can snap on pivoting of the spring element in the direction of the first pivot position latching with an associated counter-locking element of the housing into engagement, so that the closing of the conductor terminal means for locking a conductor at the Ansetzstelle the conductor terminal device can be done in a simple, haptic pleasant way.

In an advantageous embodiment, the actuating element is designed to take along the latching element in the actuation direction when actuated in the actuation direction. The actuator is thus moved to cancel the latching of the spring element with the housing upon actuation in the actuation direction along the housing and thereby acts on the latching element of the spring element to disengage from the associated counter-latching element on the housing, in particular on the housing body arranged insertion element to bring. By actuating the actuating element in the actuating direction is thus acted upon the locking element and this adjusted so that the latching, positive engagement with a housing-side counter-latching element is repealed and thus the locking of the spring element is released in its first pivot position. The spring element can thus be pivoted out of its first pivoting position in order to release in this way the clamping of a conductor to the conductor terminal device.

If the latching element is arranged on the angled section of the spring element, this angled section is preferably deflected upon actuation of the actuating element. The force required to deflect the angled portion determines the actuating force that must be applied by a user to actuate the actuator. The force required for deflection also causes a restoring force on the actuating element against deflection in the direction of actuation, so that the actuating element, as soon as no actuating force (more) is applied to the actuating element, is returned against the operating direction in an initial position. The actuating element may be arranged, for example, on the spring element such that the actuating element is pivoted out with pivoting of the spring element from the first pivoting position with. The actuating element is displaceable at least in the first pivot position of the spring element to the spring element such that by adjusting the actuating element in the actuation direction, the latching element of the spring element can be deflected in the actuation direction, in this way canceling a latching of the spring element with the housing. So that the actuating element can take the latching element when the actuating element is actuated to release the latching, the actuating element is preferably connected via a connecting element in a form-fitting manner with the spring element, in particular the latching element of the spring element. The connecting element may for example be designed hook-shaped and embrace the locking element of the spring element such that upon actuation of the actuating element in the actuating direction, the locking element is taken and deflected in the actuating direction relative to the housing.

The locking device forming latching element of the spring element provides in the first pivot position of the spring element a positive locking of the spring element with the housing forth, so that the spring element not readily, at least not without releasing the latching about the hinge axis, via which the spring element articulated with the Housing is connected, can be pivoted. To release the latch, the actuating element is moved in the actuating direction, wherein the actuating direction is preferably directed perpendicular to a pivoting direction, along which the spring element can be pivoted to the housing. Such a directed actuation direction allows an effective action on the latching element of the spring element to bring this out of engagement with an associated housing-side counter-latching element.

The actuating element is advantageously articulated on the housing and can thus be pivoted together with the spring element during pivoting of the spring element relative to the housing. For example, a user can engage the actuator to pivot in this way the spring element for opening the conductor clamping device. Conversely, a user can also press on the actuating element, in this way the spring element in the direction to move the first pivot position and jam a conductor to the conductor terminal device.

In order to enable a relative movement of the actuating element to the housing along the actuating direction, the actuating element is at least in the first pivot position of the spring element along the housing movable. For this purpose, the actuating element and the housing may for example be coupled to each other via an engaging in an elongated guide pin, so that on the one hand the actuating element is pivotable about the pin and on the other hand, a relative movement of the actuating element to the housing along the actuating direction is possible.

For example, in a specific embodiment, the actuating element have an elongated, slot-like guide opening into which a pin of the housing engages. Along the guide opening, the actuating element can thus be moved longitudinally relative to the housing, wherein an articulated connection of the actuating element to the housing is simultaneously provided via the pin engaging in the guide opening. The actuating element can be made for example of an electrically insulating material. This makes it possible for a user to attack on the actuating element without having to touch electrically conductive components, so that an actuation of the actuating element for opening or closing the conductor clamping device for a user is possible without danger.

The idea underlying the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures. Show it:

1A is a perspective view of a conductor clamping device with a

Actuator and coupled to the actuator

Spring element in a first pivot position for clamping holding a conductor to the conductor terminal device;

Fig. 1 B is a perspective view of the conductor terminal device of FIG. 1 A, with pivoted out of the first pivot position out

Actuating element and spring element; FIG. 2A is another perspective view of the arrangement of FIG. 1A; FIG. FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the arrangement of FIG. 1B; FIG. 3A is a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1A: FIG. 3B is a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1B;

4A is a sectional view of the arrangement of FIG. 1A, in which the

Spring element is partially cut free;

4B is a sectional view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 B;

Fig. 5 is another, rear perspective view of the arrangement according to

Fig. 1B; and a schematic view of another conductor terminal device with Ansetzstellen for attachment of multiple conductors. Fig. 1A, 1 B to 5 show an embodiment of a conductor terminal device 1, to which a conductor 6 can be attached with a line end 60 in a Ansetzrichtung A. The conductor terminal device 1 has a housing 2 with a front plate 20 and an opening 21 formed therein, which forms an Ansetzstelle for insertion of the conductor 6. In the attached state, the conductor 6 extends with its line end 60 through the opening 21 into the housing 2 and is electrically contacted within the housing 2.

Such a conductor terminal device 1 can be used for example in the outdoor area on a solar module or other (industrial) equipment. However, such a conductor terminal device 1 can also be used, for example, within a control cabinet or at other installations in the indoor area.

In the illustrated conductor terminal device 1, an insert part 3 is attached to an adjoining the front panel 20 housing body 22, which is pivotally connected about a hinge axis 400 with a spring element 4 and the spring element 4 pivotally connected to the housing 2 in this manner. While the housing 2 may be made of an electrically insulating material, for example Insert part 3 and the spring element 4 made of an electrically conductive material, such as steel or copper, formed so that via the insert part 3 and the spring element 4, a line end 60 of a conductor 6 can be electrically contacted. The spring element 4 serves to lock a conductor 6 in the attached state to the conductor terminal device 1. For this purpose, the spring element 4 in a first pivot position, shown for example in Fig. 4A, via a clamping portion 43 (see also Fig. 5) by clamping on a line end 60 of a conductor 6, which is inserted into the opening 21 of the housing 2 and thus extends into the insertion part 3 with its line end 60.

The spring element 4 is articulated via connecting portions 40 on legs 30, 31 of the insert part 3, so that the spring element 4 can be pivoted about the hinge axis 400 around. The spring element 4 has a longitudinal section 41, to which an angled section 42 connects, which describes at least approximately a 90 ° angle with the longitudinal section 41. At the angled portion 42, a locking element 420 is formed in the form of a latching web, which serves to lock the spring element 4 in the first pivot position (FIG. 4A) with the insertion element 3.

The insertion element 3 has on one of its legs 30, 31 a latching nose 300 with a latching projection 301. In the first pivot position of the spring element 4, the latching element 420 of the spring element 4 is positively engaged with the latching projection 301 of the locking lug 300 of the leg 30, so that the spring element 4 is locked in this first pivotal position relative to the inserting element 3 and thus also relative to the housing 2 , The spring element 4 is thus held in its first pivot position, so that via the clamping portion 43 of the spring element 4, a clamping connection of the conductor terminal device 1 is made with a line end 60 of an inserted into the conductor terminal device 1 conductor 6.

The conductor terminal device 1 also has an actuating element 5, which is connected to pin 23 on both sides of the housing body 22 hingedly connected to the housing 2 and also coupled to the spring element 4. The actuating element 5 has a body 50 with side cheeks 51, 52, which surround the housing body 22 of the housing 2 and each having an elongated, slot-like guide opening 510, in which the pins 23 engage on both sides of the housing body 22. As is also apparent from FIG. 2A in conjunction with FIG. 4B, the actuating element 5 has an inwardly in the direction of the insertion 3 of the body 50 projecting connecting element 53 which is hook-shaped and the locking element 420 at the angled portion 42 of the spring element 4 positively engages around. A web 531 of the connecting element 53 is in this case in a corresponding recess of the angled portion 42, so that a positive connection between the locking element 420 of the angled portion 42 of the spring element 4 and the connecting element 53 is made. The actuating element 5 makes it possible to release the latching between the spring element 4 and the inserting element 3 on the housing 2 in the first pivoting position of the spring element 4 in order to pivot the spring element 4 out of the first pivoting position and thereby to provide a clamping connection with the conductor 6 to solve. For this purpose, the actuating element 5 can be displaced in an actuating direction B relative to the housing 2 when the spring element 4 is in the first pivoting position (see, for example, FIGS. 3A and 4A). An actuation of the actuating element 5 in the direction of actuation B causes the actuating element 5 moves relative to the housing 2 and the pins 23 move on both sides of the housing body 22 within the elongated guide openings 510 of the side walls 51, 52 of the actuating element 5. When moving the actuating element 5 in the direction of actuation B, the locking element 420 is deflected in the direction of actuation B due to the positive connection between the connecting element 53 and the locking element 420 of the spring element 4, which is associated with an elastic deformation of the angled portion 42 of the spring element 4 and thus only by applying an actuating force in the direction of actuation B is possible. By the deflection of the latching element 420, the latching element 420 is disengaged from the associated latching lug 300 of the inserting element 3, so that the latching connection of the spring element 4 with the engaging element 3 is released and thus the spring element 4 in a pivoting direction S from the first pivoting position can be pivoted.

If the latching between the spring element 4 and the insertion element 3 is released, then the spring element 4 can be pivoted out of the first pivoting position. Because the spring element 4 rests with attached terminal 6 with its clamping portion 43 under tension at the line end 60 of the conductor 6, the swinging out of the spring element 4 from the first pivot position takes place in spring-assisted manner taken the actuator 5 and thus pivoted together with the spring element 4.

If no actuating force (more) is applied to the actuating element 5 after actuation of the actuating element 5, the actuating element 5 is reset against the direction of actuation B due to the restoring force of the deflected angled section 42 and thus returns to a position in which the pins 23 at the inner Ends of the slot-like guide openings 510 of the side walls 51, 52 abut.

In the open position of the conductor terminal device 1, in which the spring element 4 is pivoted together with the actuating element 5 from the first pivot position, a conductor 6 can be inserted with a line end 60 in a simple manner in the opening 21 of the housing 2, without this a great effort is required. In particular, such an insertion is not hindered by the clamping portion 43 of the spring element 4.

In order to fix the conductor 6 with its line end 60 to the conductor terminal device 1 after insertion of a conductor 6, then the actuator 5 can be pivoted together with the spring element 4 in a pivoting direction S 'in the direction of the first pivot position by a user, for example, manually on the Actuator 5 presses and this thus moves together with the spring element 4 in the direction of the first pivot position. When approaching the first pivot position, the locking element 420 runs on the angled portion 42 of the spring element 4 on a sliding edge 302 on the locking lug 300 on the leg 30 of the inserting element 3, which causes a (slight) deflection of the angled portion 42 in the direction of actuation B. Upon further movement of the actuating element 5 in the pivoting direction S 'in the direction of the first pivot position finally snaps the locking element 420 with the locking projection 301 on the leg 30 of the insertion 3 into engagement, so that the positive locking of the spring element 4 made with the insertion element 3 and the head 6 is clamped on the clamping terminal portion 43 of the spring element 4 fixed to the conductor terminal device 1.

While the spring element 4 is preferably made of an electrically conductive material, for example steel or copper, the actuating element 5 can be made an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, be made. This allows a user to attack on the actuator 5 for opening or closing the conductor terminal device 1, without requiring a contact of electrically conductive components is required.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of another embodiment in which a plurality of Ansetzstellen in the form of openings 21 for attaching a plurality of conductors 6 is formed on a housing 2. Via an actuating element 5, the conductors 6 can be locked in a clamping manner on the conductor terminal device 1 via a common spring element 4 or via different spring elements 4 assigned to the individual conductors 6. The mode of operation for opening and closing the conductor terminal device 1 is otherwise described in the same way as above for the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1A, 1B to 5. The idea underlying the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can also be realized in completely different nature in completely different embodiments.

A conductor terminal device of the type described here can be realized, for example, as a print terminal or the like.

It is not mandatory that the actuating element is pivotable together with the spring element. It is also conceivable and possible for the actuating element to be displaceable on the housing or to be movable along a curved path of movement in order in this way to act on a spring element, but not pivotable together with the spring element.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 conductor terminal device

2 housings

20 front panel

21 attachment point (opening)

22 housing body

23 cones

3 insertion element

30, 31 thighs

300 locking nose

301 latching projection

302 sliding edge

32 terminal space

4 spring element

40 connecting section

400 joint axis

41 longitudinal section

42 Angled section

420 latching element (latching web)

43 clamping section

5 actuator

50 bodies

51, 52 sidewalls

510 guide opening

53 connecting element

530 nose

531 footbridge

6 conductors

60 end

A direction of attachment

B actuating direction

S, S "swing direction

Claims

claims

1 . Conductor terminal device (1), with

a housing (2) with at least one Ansetzstelle (21) for applying a conductor (6) and

a to the housing (2) about a hinge axis (400) pivotally mounted spring element (4) for clamping a attached to the Ansetzstelle (21) conductor (6) with the housing (2) in a first pivot position and for releasing the Jamming is pivotable out of the first pivoting position, and

a locking device (300, 420) for locking the spring element (4) with the housing (2) in the first pivot position of the spring element (4), characterized by an actuating element (5) in the first pivot position of the spring element (4) in a Actuation direction (B) relative to the housing (2) is movable and is designed to act on actuation to release the latching of the spring element (4) with the housing (2) on the spring element (4).

Conductor terminal device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring element (4) is pivotally connected to an insertion element (3) which is attached to a housing body (22) of the housing (2).

Conductor terminal device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring element (4) at a distal end of the hinge axis (400) has a latching element (420) for latching to the housing (2).

Conductor terminal device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring element along the actuating direction (B) extending longitudinal portion (41) and to the longitudinal portion (41) angled portion (42), wherein the locking element (420) on the angled Section (42) is formed.

5. conductor terminal device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the actuating element (5) is formed, upon actuation in the actuating direction (B), the locking element (420) in the actuating direction (B) to take.

6. conductor terminal device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that upon actuation of the actuating element (5) a portion (42) of the spring element (4) is deflected such that a restoring force on the actuating element (5) against the actuation direction ( B) acts.

7. conductor terminal device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (5) has a connecting element (53) via which the actuating element (5) with the spring element (4) is positively connected.

8. conductor terminal device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating direction (B) perpendicular to a pivoting direction (S, S '), along which the spring element (4) to the housing (2) is pivotable, is directed ,

9. conductor terminal device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (5) on the housing (2) is articulated.

10. conductor terminal device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the actuating element (5) along the actuating direction (B) along the housing (2) is movable.

1 1. Conductor terminal device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (5) and the housing (2) via at least one pin (23) which engages in at least one longitudinally along the actuating direction (B) extending guide opening (510), articulated and along the actuating direction (B) are movably supported to each other.

12 conductor terminal device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (5) is made of an electrically insulating material.