CN113013647B

CN113013647B - Connecting assembly, connecting device and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN113013647B
Application number: CN202011502812.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 福尔克尔·贾尔姆斯
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2019-12-19
Filing date: 2020-12-18
Publication date: 2023-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-18
Also published as: CN113013647A; DE102019135202A1; DE102019135202B4

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection assembly for connecting electrical conductors, comprising: a conductor connection space; a current bar having a current bar section against which a conductor to be connected introduced into the conductor connection space can be clamped; a clamping spring having clamping legs which can be transferred into a clamping position and an open position; an actuating element by means of which the clamping leg can be transferred from the clamping position into the open position; and a holding element having a fixing section which engages with the clamping leg in the open position in order to hold the clamping leg in its position, the holding element having a pressing surface for transferring the clamping leg from the open position into the clamping position, the pressing surface being operable by a conductor to be connected when the conductor is introduced into the conductor connection space, the fixing section of the holding element being disengageable from the clamping leg by operating the pressing surface, the current bar section being arranged between the conductor connection space and the fixing section of the holding element.

Description

Connecting assembly, connecting device and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connection assembly for connecting electrical conductors. The invention also relates to a connection device and an electronic apparatus having at least one such connection assembly.

Background

Such connection assemblies generally have a clamping spring designed as a leg spring, which has a holding leg and a clamping leg, by means of which a conductor introduced into the connection assembly can be clamped onto the current rod. If, in particular, a flexible conductor is to be clamped, the clamping spring must be moved into the open position by the actuating element before the conductor is introduced and thus actuated in order to pivot the clamping spring or the clamping leg away from the current rod, so that the conductor is introduced into the space between the current rod and the clamping spring. Only when using a rigid and thus stable conductor, the conductor can exert sufficient force on the clamping spring or the clamping leg of the clamping spring, so that the clamping leg can be pivoted away from the busbar without the user having to manipulate the actuating element for this purpose. In the case of a flexible conductor, the user must first pivot the clamping spring away from the current bar by actuating the actuating element, so that the flexible conductor can be introduced. In order to clamp the introduced conductor, the user has to manually operate the actuating element once more in order to transfer the clamping spring from the open position into the clamping position. Manipulation of the manipulating element by the user makes assembly or connection of the conductors more difficult for the user, because of the cumbersome handling and thus the increased time expenditure.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connection assembly and a connection device in which the connection of, in particular, flexible conductors can be simplified.

According to the invention, this object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Suitable and advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

The connection assembly according to the present invention has: a conductor connection space; a current bar having a current bar section against which a conductor to be connected introduced into the conductor connection space can be clamped; a clamping spring having clamping legs which can be transferred into a clamping position and an open position; and a holding element having a fixing section which engages with the clamping leg of the clamping spring in order to hold the clamping leg in its position in the open position, wherein for transferring the clamping spring from the open position into the clamping position the holding element has a pressing surface which can be actuated by the conductor to be connected when the conductor is introduced into the conductor connection space, such that the fixing section of the holding element can be disengaged from the clamping leg by actuating the pressing surface, wherein the current bar section is arranged between the conductor connection space and the fixing section of the holding element.

By means of the connecting assembly according to the invention, it is now also possible to connect the flexible conductor without manual actuation of the actuating element and to clamp the flexible conductor against the current rod section of the current rod. The clamping spring is preferably designed as a leg spring having a holding leg and a clamping leg which is formed pivotable relative to the holding leg. The retaining legs are preferably arranged in a fixed position. For example, the retaining leg may be fixed to the current bar such that the clamping spring may be retained on the current bar by its retaining leg. By pivoting the clamping leg of the clamping spring, it can be moved into an open position in which the clamping leg is at a distance from the current rod section and the conductor to be connected can be introduced into or led out of the intermediate space formed thereby between the current rod section and the clamping leg, and into a clamping position in which the clamping leg can bear against the current rod section or the connected conductor in order to clamp the conductor against the current rod section. The connection assembly has a holding element which engages with the clamping leg of the clamping spring in the open position of the clamping spring, so that the clamping leg of the clamping spring is held in the open position without manual assistance, in particular so that the flexible conductor can enter the intermediate space formed thereby between the current bar section and the clamping spring. The intermediate space forms a conductor connection space into which conductors to be connected can be introduced. The holding element has a fixing section on which the clamping leg can be held in the open position, so that an undesired pivoting back of the clamping leg in the direction of the current bar section can be prevented. The holding element has a pressing surface which is arranged in alignment with the insertion region of the conductor into the connection assembly and is thus arranged in the extension of the conductor insertion opening, so that the conductor, when it is inserted into the connection assembly, comes to rest against the pressing surface of the holding element, so that the clamping leg is disengaged from the fastening section of the holding element. By means of this special mechanism, the flexible conductor can be connected particularly simply by means of only the introduction movement of the conductor, without the user having to manipulate further elements, such as a manipulation element, on the connection assembly in order to release the clamping spring and move it from the open position to the clamped position. This simplifies the operation of the connection assembly and saves time in connecting the conductors. In order to release the conductor to be connected again from the clamping position, the clamping leg of the clamping spring can be pivoted away from the current bar section by means of the actuating element until the open position is reached and the clamping leg engages with the holding element in order to hold the clamping spring in this open position. The holding element is preferably an element or component formed separately from the clamping spring and the busbar. In the direction of introduction of the conductor, the conductor connection space is delimited downwardly by the holding element. The holding element preferably extends substantially transversely to the current bar section of the current bar.

In order to improve the positioning of the individual elements relative to one another and thereby also facilitate the user connection of the conductors, the current rod section is arranged between the conductor connection space and the fixing section of the holding element. The current bar section thus separates the region (conductor connection space) into which the conductor is introduced and clamped from the actuating element. In order to actuate the clamping leg of the clamping spring, the actuating element preferably acts on an end section of the clamping leg of the clamping spring. This end section of the clamping leg is preferably guided through the current bar section. The end sections of the clamping legs are thus preferably led out of the conductor connection space, so that the clamping legs extend beyond the conductor connection space. The conductor connection space preferably extends between the support point of the clamping spring in the region of its arc-shaped section and the current rod section.

The holding element is preferably supported in a tiltable manner. Thus, by exerting pressure on the pressing surface by means of the conductor, the holding element can be brought into a pivoting or tilting movement in the direction of introduction of the conductor. By means of a pivoting movement of the holding element, the fixing sections of the holding element can be disengaged from the clamping legs of the clamping spring, so that they can be released from each other without manual assistance, and the clamping legs of the clamping spring can be transferred from the open position to the clamping position without manual assistance, so that a conductor introduced into the conductor connection space is clamped against the current rod section.

The holding element is preferably supported on the current bar in a tilting manner. The holding element can be mounted on the current bar in such a way that the holding element encloses the current bar, in particular the current bar section. For example, the holding element may have a window-like opening, through which the current rod may protrude its current rod section. The current bar section can thus spatially separate the pressing surface of the holding element from the fastening section of the holding element.

In order to be able to ensure that the clamping legs of the clamping springs are held firmly on the fixing section of the holding element in the open position, the fixing section of the holding element can preferably have a hook shape. In the open position, the clamping leg can thereby be hooked onto the fastening section. The fixing section may for example have a half S-shape to form a hook shape.

The clamping leg of the clamping spring preferably has a through opening for the passage of the conductor to be connected, wherein the current rod section can protrude through the through opening. When the conductor to be connected is introduced in the introduction direction, it can pass through the through-opening, so that the conductor protrudes through the through-opening of the clamping leg in the connected state. Preferably, the current rod section against which the conductor is clamped also protrudes through the through opening. By the formation of the through-opening, it is possible to realize that the clamping leg protrudes beyond the current rod section and can therefore be fastened with its end section outside the conductor connection space to the fastening section of the holding element. The through-opening is preferably designed in the form of a window, which is delimited by a plurality, in particular four, limiting edge surfaces. The through opening preferably has a rectangular shape.

The through opening may have a first limiting edge surface, which may form a clamping edge for the conductors to be connected. It is then preferred that the clamping edge for clamping the introduced conductor against the current rod section is not formed at the free end of the clamping leg, but in the region of a through opening of the clamping leg, which is formed along the length of the clamping leg. The limiting edge surface forming the clamping edge preferably points in the direction of the current bar section. By clamping the conductor to be connected inside the through-opening and by means of the clamping edge formed on the boundary edge surface of the through-opening against the current rod section which likewise passes through the through-opening, a particularly airtight clamping connection of the conductor on the current rod section can be formed and achieved.

The through opening also preferably has a second limiting edge surface, which can engage with the fastening section of the holding element in the open position. When the clamping leg is moved from the clamping position into the open position, the clamping leg can be pivoted such that the holding element can be passed through the through opening with its fastening section, so that the fastening section can be hooked or snapped onto the second limiting edge surface in order to be able to hold the clamping leg in the open position. The second limiting edge surface is preferably formed opposite to the first limiting edge surface. The second limiting edge surface is preferably outside the conductor connection space. The first limiting edge surface is preferably located in the conductor connection space.

For actuating the clamping leg, the actuating element can have an actuating surface at the end face. The actuating surface can be arranged on an actuating lug formed on the end of the actuating element. In the region of the actuating lug, the cross-sectional area of the actuating element can be smaller than the remaining region of the actuating element.

The actuating lug can be shaped in such a way that it can be held in the open position on the fastening section of the holding element. The actuating element can then be held together with the clamping leg on the fastening section of the holding element in the open position. The fixing lugs may be bent or bent into a hook shape so that the fixing lugs may be hooked behind the fixing sections of the holding element.

The object is also achieved according to the invention by a connecting device having a housing and at least one connecting component arranged in the housing, wherein the at least one connecting component is formed and expanded as described above. The connection means may be, for example, connection terminals, such as series terminals or circuit board connection terminals. Furthermore, the connection device may also be a plug connector. One or more connection assemblies according to the invention are arranged and formed inside the housing of the connection device.

Furthermore, the object according to the invention is achieved by an electronic device having at least one connection assembly formed and expanded as described above and/or at least one connection means formed and expanded as described above.

Drawings

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the figure:

figure 1 shows a schematic view of a connection device with two connection assemblies according to the invention,

figure 2 shows a schematic view of a current bar with a holding element mounted thereon,

figure 3 shows a schematic view of a clamping spring,

figure 4 shows a schematic view of another connection device with two connection assemblies according to the invention,

figure 5 shows a schematic view of the clamping legs of the clamping spring as they move from the clamping position to the open position,

figure 6 shows a schematic view of the clamping leg in an open position,

fig. 7 shows a schematic illustration of the actuating element.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a connection device 200 having a housing 210 in which two connection assemblies 100 are arranged. The connection device 200 is in this case in the form of a junction box.

Each connection assembly 100 is assigned a conductor introduction opening 211, through which a conductor 300 to be connected can be introduced into the housing 210 and guided into the respective connection assembly 100. A conductor introduction opening 211 is formed on or in the housing 210.

Each connection assembly 100 has a conductor connection space 110 in which a conductor 300 can be clamped and thus connected. The conductor 300 to be connected can be introduced into the conductor connection space 110 via the conductor introduction opening 211. The conductor connecting spaces 110 are formed to be aligned with the corresponding conductor introduction openings 211.

Further, each of the connection assemblies 100 has a current rod 111, here, the current rods 111 of the two connection assemblies 100 disposed in the housing 210 are integrally formed with each other. The current rod 111 of each connection assembly 100 has a current rod section 112 against which the conductor 300 to be connected introduced into the conductor connection space 110 can be clamped. The current rod section 112 extends parallel to the direction of introduction E of the conductor 300 into the conductor connection space 110 or into the connection assembly 100 or the connection device 200.

In order to clamp the conductor 300 to be connected against the current rod section 112, each connection assembly 100 has a clamping spring 113. The clamping spring 113 is also shown in detail in fig. 3.

The clamping spring 113 has a holding leg 114 and a clamping leg 115, the holding leg 114 and the clamping leg 115 being connected to one another by an arcuate section 116.

The holding leg 114 has a fastening point 117 by means of which the holding leg 114 and thus the clamping spring 113 can be fastened to the current rod 111. The fastening point 117 is here designed in the form of an opening into which a latching lug 118 formed on the current rod 111 can be hooked, as shown in fig. 2. The retaining leg 114 is here bent into an L-shape. The width of the retaining legs 114 is less than the width of the clamping legs 115 and the arcuate sections 116.

The clamping leg 115 has an end section 119 which can be engaged with a fixing section 120 of a holding element 121 in order to be able to hold the clamping leg 115 in the open position. A through opening 122 is formed along the length direction of the clamping leg 115, and is formed in the form of a window in the clamping leg 115. The clamping spring 113 is arranged on the current rod 111 in such a way that the current rod section 112 extends through the through opening 122. The clamping leg 115 may thus enclose the current rod section 112. Furthermore, the through opening 122 is used for receiving the conductor 300 to be connected, by guiding the conductor 300 through the through opening 122 during connection, and by the conductor 300 extending through the through opening 122 in the connected or clamped state.

The through opening 122 has four limiting edge surfaces 123, 124, 125, 126. The first limiting edge surface 123 forms a clamping edge for the conductor 300 to be connected, by means of which first limiting edge surface 123 the conductor 300 guided through the through opening 122 is clamped against the current rod section 112 in the clamped position.

A second limiting edge surface 124, which is opposite the first limiting edge surface 123, is formed on the end section 119 of the clamping leg 115, which in the open position engages with the fastening section 120 of the holding element 121. Here, the limiting edge surface 123 may form a contact surface for the fastening section 120 for engagement with the clamping leg 115. The securing section 120 bent into a hook shape can likewise pass through the through opening 122 in the open position and thus be hooked with the clamping leg 115 at the limiting edge face 123 or the end section 119.

The holding element 121 is mounted on the current rod 111 in a tilting manner, as can be seen in particular in fig. 2. The holding element 121 has a window-shaped opening 127, from which the current rod section 112 protrudes. The holding element 121 has a pressing surface 128, by means of which pressing surface 128 the holding element 121 can be actuated by the conductor 300 to be connected. For this purpose, the pressing surface 128 points in the insertion direction E of the conductor 300. The pressing surface 128 is arranged in alignment with the conductor introduction opening 211. The holding element 121 delimits the conductor connection space 110 downwards by its pressing surface 128.

As can be seen in particular in fig. 2, the pressing surface 128 is separated from the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121 via the current rod section 112 by the current rod section 112 passing through the opening 127 being arranged between the pressing surface 128 and the fixing section 120. The current rod section 112 thus also separates the conductor connection space 110 from the fastening section 120 of the holding element 121, so that the fastening section 120 for holding the clamping leg 115 of the clamping spring 113 in the open position is not arranged in the region of the conductor connection space 110, as shown in fig. 1.

To transfer the clamping legs 115 from the clamping position to the open position, each connection assembly 100 also has a handling element 129. The actuating element 129 can be guided linearly along the actuating direction B. The actuating direction B extends parallel to the insertion direction E of the conductor 300. The actuating element 129 can be guided parallel to the longitudinal direction of the current rod section 112. The actuating element 129 acts on the end section 119 of the clamping leg 115 in order to actuate the clamping leg 115. The actuating element 129 thus acts on the clamping leg 115 of the clamping spring 113 outside the conductor connection space 110 in order to actuate it. The current rod section 112 is arranged between the conductor connection space 110 and the actuating element 129, so that the current rod section 112 forms a spatial separation between the conductor connection space 110 and the actuating element 129.

The conductor connection space 110 extends between a bearing point 130 of the clamping spring at the arc-shaped section 116 of the clamping spring 113 and the current rod section 112. The current bar section 112 is arranged between a bearing point 130 of the clamping spring at the arc section 116 of the clamping spring 113 and the actuating element 129.

For actuating the clamping leg 115, the actuating element 129 has an actuating surface 132 at its end 131. The end-side end 131 points in the direction of the fastening section 120 of the holding element 121.

In the connection assembly 100 shown on the left side of fig. 1, the clamping legs 115 of the clamping springs 113 are in an open position, so that the conductors 300 to be connected can be introduced. The clamping leg 115 engages with its end section 119 with the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121, so that the clamping leg 115 is held in the open position.

In the connection assembly 100 shown on the right side of fig. 1, the clamping leg 115 is in a clamping position, in which the clamping leg 115 is not engaged with the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121.

Fig. 4 shows a connection device 200 with conductors 300 to be connected.

In the connection assembly 100 shown on the left in fig. 4, the conductor 300 has just been introduced into the conductor connection space 110, wherein the conductor 300 has already entered the through opening 122 in the clamping leg 115 of the clamping spring 113 and is about to abut against the pressing surface 128 of the holding element 121. The clamping leg 115 remains engaged with the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121, so that the clamping leg 115 is in the open position.

In the connection assembly 100 shown on the right side of fig. 4, the conductor 300 has been abutted against the pressing surface 128 and the clamping leg 115 has been disengaged from the fixing section 120, such that the clamping leg 115 is now in the clamping position and the conductor 300 is clamped against the current rod section 112.

To release the conductor 300 from the clamped position, as shown in fig. 5, the actuating element 129 is actuated by means of a tool 400 in order to move the actuating element 129 in the actuating direction B. By actuating the actuating element 129, the actuating element 129 presses against the clamping leg 115, so that the clamping leg 115 moves out of the clamping position in the direction of the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121 until the clamping leg 115 again engages with the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121, as shown in fig. 6.

In contrast to the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the actuating element 129 has an actuating lug 133 at its end 131, wherein the actuating surface 132 for actuating the clamping leg 115 is formed on the actuating lug 133. As can also be seen in particular in fig. 7, the cross-sectional area of the actuating lug 133 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the remainder of the actuating element 129. As can be seen in the connection assembly 100 shown on the left in fig. 4, the actuating lug 133 is formed in an arc shape, so that in the open position the actuating element 129 can also be engaged with the fixing section 120 of the holding element 121 by means of its actuating lug 133. By means of the arcuate design of the actuating lug 133, the actuating lug forms a receiving space 134 into which the fastening section 120 can be inserted or hooked in the open position of the clamping leg 115.

Description of the reference numerals

100 connection assembly

110 conductor connection space

111 current pole

112 current rod section

113 clamping spring

114 holding leg

115 clamping leg

116 arc section

117 fixation point

118 latch tab

119 end section

120 fixed section

121 holding element

122 through openings

123 boundary edge face

124 boundary edge interface

125 boundary edge surface

126 boundary edge interface

127 opening

128 extruded noodles

129 operating element

130 bearing points

131 end side end

132 control surface

133 handling lugs

134 accommodation space

200 connection device

210 shell

211 conductor lead-in opening

300 conductor

400 tool

Direction of E introduction

B steering direction

Claims

1. Connection assembly (100) for connecting electrical conductors (300), having

-a conductor connection space (110),

a current rod (111) having a current rod section (112) against which a conductor (300) to be connected, which is introduced into the conductor connection space (110), can be clamped,

a clamping spring (113) having clamping legs (115) which can be moved into a clamping position and an open position,

-an actuating element (129) by means of which the clamping leg (115) of the clamping spring (113) can be transferred from the clamping position into the open position, and

a holding element (121) having a fastening section (120) which engages with a clamping leg (115) of the clamping spring (113) in an open position in order to hold the clamping leg (115) in its position, wherein the holding element (121) has a pressing surface (128) for transferring the clamping leg (115) of the clamping spring (113) from the open position into the clamped position, wherein the pressing surface (128) can be actuated by a conductor (300) to be connected when the conductor (300) is introduced into the conductor connection space (110), such that the fastening section (120) of the holding element (121) can be disengaged from the clamping leg (115) by actuating the pressing surface (128),

-wherein the current rod section (112) is arranged between the conductor connection space (110) and the fixing section (120) of the holding element (121).

2. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding element (121) is supported in a tilting movement.

3. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the holding element (121) is supported on the current rod (111) in a tilting movement.

4. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the fixing section (120) of the holding element (121) has a hook shape.

5. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping leg (115) has a through opening (122) for passing a conductor (300) to be connected through, wherein a current rod section (112) protrudes through the through opening (122).

6. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the through opening (122) has a first bounding edge face (123) which forms a clamping edge for the conductor (300) to be connected.

7. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the through opening (122) has a second limiting edge surface (124) which engages with the fixing section (120) of the holding element (121) in the open position.

8. The connection assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the actuating element (129) has an actuating lug (133) on the end face end (131) for actuating the clamping leg (115) when transferring from the clamping position into the open position.

9. The connecting assembly (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that the actuating lug (133) is shaped such that it is held in the open position on the fastening section (120) of the holding element (121).

10. Connection device (200) having a housing (210) and at least one connection assembly (100) arranged in the housing (210), characterized in that the at least one connection assembly (100) is a connection assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Electronic device having at least one connection assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and/or at least one connection arrangement (200) according to claim 10.