EP2947718A1

EP2947718A1 - Spring loaded clamping connection terminal

Info

Publication number: EP2947718A1
Application number: EP14305770.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andrea Barbero; Luigi Pirlo; Massimiliano Poli; Remo Conzadori
Original assignee: Berker GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Berker GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2014-05-23
Filing date: 2014-05-23
Publication date: 2015-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2034-05-23
Also published as: EP2947718B1; DK2947718T3; ES2662873T3; PL2947718T3; PT2947718T

Abstract

The present invention concerns a spring clamping connection terminal comprising a housing or cage for receiving the bare end portion of an electrical conductor or wire and lodging at least one clamping arrangement which comprises a spring force loaded arm automatically movable between a retracted position and an extended position in which said arm is able to come into contact under elastic constraint with the end portion of an electrical wire, wherein said clamping arrangement (5) also comprises:
means (8, 9) for locking said arm (6) in its retracted position,
trigger means (10) able to release the spring loaded arm (6) activatable by the end portion of said wire or conductor,
a contact part (11) on said trigger means (10), to be hit or pressed on by the bare end portion,
connection terminal (1) characterized in that said trigger means (10) is located and arranged after or beyond the arm (6) and the anchoring site (9), in the direction (D) of insertion of the wire or conductor, and consists of a lever arm extending in said direction (D), the contact part (11) consisting of a free end portion of said lever arm (10).

Description

The present invention is related to the field of electrical connection means, in particular plug-in connection means, able to establish an electrical and mechanical link with a wire on similar conductor without needing an additional specific positive action of the user (by using a tool or acting on a clamping means for example).
More particularly, the invention concerns a spring loaded clamping connection terminal, and an electrical connection device incorporating at least one such terminal.
Numerous constructions of such connection terminals are already known in the state of the art, such as the ones disclosed in US 5 494 456 , EP 0 831 557 , US 8 591 271 , US 2013/0072072 and DE 197 10 306 for example.
DE-U-203 00 266 discloses a spring clamping connection terminal according to the precharacterized part of claim 1.
Now, these known connection terminals are working in a satisfactory way with fairly rigid wires and conductors. But, they are not well suited for flexible wires or conductors as the engagement or triggering action, which leads to the electrical and mechanical connection, requires the transmission of a considerable pushing force along the wire or conductor. Such a force transmission is not possible with a non rigid wire, such as for example a multistrand or multi-filament wire.
Additionally, the mechanical link, usually by clamping, is established near the front end of the wire and thus is only secured by a very short length of wire, which can slip or can disaggregate into separate and loose filaments (in case of multistrand wire), thus jeopardizing the mechanical connection link.
Furthermore, the unlocking of the previously mentioned known connection terminals usually requires the use of a tool to undo the connection.
It is an aim of the invention to overcome at least the firstly mentioned drawbacks, preferably both.
To that end, the invention concerns a connection terminal of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 improved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.
The invention will be better understood thanks to the following description and drawings of embodiments of said invention given as non limitative examples thereof.
In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1A and 1B are elevational side views of a spring clamping connection terminal according to the invention, with the spring loaded arm respectively in its released extended state (figure 1A) and in its locked retracted state (figure 1B) upon action of the reset lever;
Figures 2A and 2B are elevational side views, at an other scale, of a clamping arrangement which is part of the connection terminal of figures 1A and 1B;
Figures 3A and 3B are perspective view of a pair of clamping arrangements made as a single integral element (and made of a single metal piece), with the spring loaded arms in their free extended position (figure 3A) and in their locked retracted position (figure 3B);
Figures 4A to 4C are views (figure 4A: side view / figures 4B and 4C: perspective views) of a connection terminal according to another embodiment of the invention comprising a clamping arrangement shown in figures 3A and 3B and a reset lever, the wire being introduced to nearly its maximum engagement length, but without having triggered the clamping arrangement;
Figure 4D is a view similar to figure 4A before introduction of the wire to be clamped in the connection terminal;
Figures 5A and 5B are partial perspective sectional views of a connection terminal according to the invention, lodged in its insulated casing and comprising a clamping arrangement as shown in figures 3A and 3B, the wire having triggered the clamping arrangement and the bare end of the wire being clamped by the spring loaded arm associated to the channel receiving the wire;
Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the wire clamped in the connection terminal shown in figure 5;
Figure 7 is a side view of a connection terminal according to the invention and comprising a clamping arrangement as shown in figures 2A and 2B, the wire being about to be introduced into the channel of the terminal, and,
Figure 8 is a transparent perspective view (through the external housing) of an electrical connection device incorporating several connection terminals according to the invention, connected to either male or female plug-in connectors, and provided with reset means as shown in figure 1.
Figures 1 to 7 show partly or entirely at least one spring loaded clamping connection terminal 1.

Said connection terminal 1, which is of the plug-in type, comprises a housing or cage 2 for receiving the bare end portion 4 of an electrical cable, conductor or wire 3 (rigid or flexible) and lodging at least one clamping arrangement 5.
Said arrangement comprises a spring force loaded arm 6 automatically movable between a retracted position wherein said arm 6 is located outside a passage or channel 7 following a wire insertion opening 2' of said housing 2, and allows obstacle free introduction of said bare end portion 4 into said passage or channel 7, and an extended position in which said arm 6 is at least partly located in said passage or channel 7 and is able to come into contact under elastic constraint with the end portion 4 of an electrical conductor or wire 3 received within said passage or channel 2 (and thus securing the insertion of said end portion 4).
Said clamping arrangement 5 also comprises:

means 8, 9 for locking said arm 6 in its retracted position, by engagement with a respective anchoring site 9,
trigger means 10 able to release the spring loaded arm 6 from its locked retracted position and being physically activatable by the end portion 4 of said wire or conductor 3,
a contact part or surface 11 on said trigger means 10, to be hit or pressed on by the extremity 4' of the bare end portion 4 of the electrical conductor or wire 3 in order to release the spring loaded arm 6 from its locked retracted position (a free access to part 11 through the passage 7 existing for the wire 3 when the arm 6 is retracted).

As can be seen on figures 5 and 6, such a connection terminal is usually located within an electrically insulated housing.
According to the invention, the trigger means 10 is located and arranged after or beyond the arm 6 and the site 9, in the direction D of insertion of the wire or conductor 3, and consists of a lever arm extending in said direction D, the contact part 11 consisting of a free end portion of said lever arm 10.
By moving the contact part 11 significally beyond the location of the arm 6 and the site 9, at the end of a lever arm, the invention provides simultaneously two main advantages, namely:

when the trigger means 10 are activated by the extremity 4' of the end portion 4, and thus release the spring loaded arm 6, an important part of said bare end 4 is already situated beyond the arm 6 and the clamping free end 6' will enter into contact with the end portion 4 at a location quite set back from the extremity 4';
the lever arm construction of the triggering means 10 allows to generate an increased action force, sufficient to free the spring loaded arm 6 from is locked state, even when the level of the pressure force applied through the end portion 4 of the wire 3 is not very high (flexible wire).

By comparing for example figure 1A with figure 1B, or figure 2A with figure 2B, one can recognise that the spring loaded arm 6 performs (under spring load) a pivoting movement when released from its locked retracted position through the action of the trigger means 10.
According to a feature of the invention, the arm 6 can be provided with a latching part 8 able to come into engagement with the respective anchoring site 9, preferably by clinging or clipping, in order to keep and to lock said arm 6 in its retracted position against the spring constraint, said mutually cooperating part 8 and site 9 forming together the locking means of said arm 6.
As shown on the enclosed figures, the lever arm 10 can be operatively, preferably through a force transmission or physical link, connected to the anchoring site 9 and extends beyond said site 9 in the direction D, so as to be able to displace said site 9 against a spring force and to undo the clinging or clipping engagement of the latching part 8 of the spring loaded arm 6 with said anchoring site 9, upon application of a sufficient minimal pressure or force on to said contact part 11 of the lever arm 10 located at a significant distance from said site 9 in the direction D.
Thus, the lever arm 10 acts on the anchoring site 9 in order to release the locked spring loaded arm 6, and not on said arm 6 itself.
In compliance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the clamping arrangement 5 is made of a single metallic strip forming the spring loaded arm 6 and a mounting frame 12 to which said arm 6 is continuously and materially connected through an elastical bendable strip portion 13 which provides the spring force load to said arm 6, said spring force being sufficient to clamp the end portion 4 of the conductor or wire 3 through said arm 6 against an opposite wall 7' of said passage or channel 7, possibly provided with a notch 7" or a similar protruding counter-clamping means able to cooperate with the arm 6 to lock the wire or cable in the passage 7 and secure the electrical contact between the end portion 4 and the conductive housing or cage 2.
The mounting frame 12 itself is rigidly mounted and fixed the housing or cage 2, as can be seen in figures 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8.
The conductive cage 2 itself can also be made from a bended metal strip, possibly together with other parts of the connection terminal.
Preferably, the mounting frame 12 incorporates the anchoring site 9 and the corresponding latching part 8 is provided at the free end 6' of the spring loaded arm 6.
As best shown in figure 3A, the free end 6' of the arm 6 can be provided with two features (hook 8 - edge 6") fulfilling two different functions, namely possible locking engagement with the anchoring site 9 and possible clamping of the bare end portion 4 of the wire 3.
As a practical construction of the clamping arrangement 5, the mounting frame can be composed of two branches or wing parts mutually arranged in an upside down L-shape or capital gamma-shape configuration with two branches 12' and 12" connected by a first curved elastically bendable portion 13, wherein the end of a first branch 12' is continuously connected through a second curved elastically bendable portion 13 to the spring loaded arm 6 and the free end 12'" of the second branch 12" is provided with the anchoring site 9, preferably in the form of a slot or an aperture, and in that the latching part 8 at the free end 6' of the spring loaded arm 6 consists of a fastening hook or a bent finger, the mounting frame 12, the curved or bent portion 13 and the arm 6 thus forming in the locked retracted position of said arm 6 a closed loop configuration.
The first curved bendable portion 13 provides the elastic constraint which has to be overcome in order to displace the anchoring site 9 and liberate the locked spring loaded arm 6 whose latching part is engaged with said site 9.
As seen in figures 3A and 4B, the latching part 8 and the anchoring site 9 are located with a lateral shift so as to free the insertion channel or passage 7 when the arm 6 is retracted. Advantageously, the latching part 8 consists of a bent fastening hook extending from the free end 6' of the arm 6 and the anchoring site 9 consists in a lateral cut-out, in the shape of a slot, of the second branch 12" of the mounting frame 12.
The other part of the free end 6' forms the clamping edge 6" (preferably sharp) of the arm 6, which pushes the clamped wire 3 towards the notch 7" when said arm 6 is released.
According to a very advantageous constructive feature of the invention, the trigger means 10 are an integral part of the clamping arrangement 5, the clamping arrangement 5 and the trigger means 10 being preferably made of a same single metal strip.
More precisely, said trigger means 10 can consist, when considered in the direction D, of an upside down L-shaped or capital gamma-shaped lever arm, with a first branch 14 continuously and materially connected to the clamping arrangement 5 in the region of its means 9 for locking the spring loaded arm 6 in its retracted position and with a second branch 14' forming or comprising a contact part 11 to be hit or pressed on by the end portion 4 of an electrical conductor or wire 3 inserted in the passage or channel 7 provided for in the housing or cage 2, the lever arm 10 showing a stiffness sufficient to transmit pressure forces to the clamping arrangement 5 in order to move the anchoring site 9 and to disengage the locking means 8, 9.
The pressure force applied in the direction D on the contact part 11 by the end portion 4 of the wire 3 will be increased by the lever structure of the triggering means 10 and will force the mounting frame 12 to bend at the first curved portion 13 and the anchoring part 9 will be moved upon a virtual pivoting axis X located in said portion 13 (see figure 2B), so as to disengage the hook 8.
Most preferably and as illustrated in particular in figures 2 and 3, the arm 6 with its latching part 8, the elastic intermediate curved portion 13, the mounting frame 12 with the anchoring site 9 and the trigger means forming lever 10 with its contact part 11 are all made of a single metal strip through bending and cutting operations, the lever arm 10 being formed as an extension of the free end 12'" of the second branch 12" prolonging beyond the anchoring site 9.
The strip portion forming the lever arm 10 can also extend laterally as at least one side wall 10', in order to define a more narrow end section 7'" of the introduction channel 7 for the wire 3. Said section 7"' helps guiding precisely the end portion 4 of the wire towards the contact part 11 and can also provide lateral support for said end portion 4, able to avoid deformation of the same.
As can be best seen on figures 3A, 3B, 4B and 4C, the free end 6' of the arm 6 can comprise side by side a latching means 8 and a clamping edge 6".
The latching means 8 are aligned with the corresponding anchoring site 9 and the clamping edge 6" is aligned with the end section 7"' of the passage 7, leading to the contact wall or wing 11 located at the free end of the trigger lever 10.
In accordance with an other important feature of the invention, the connection terminal 1 preferably comprises an integrated or incorporated reset and/or clamping release means 15 able to displace the spring force loaded arm 6 from its extended position into its retracted one, against the spring force, the locking means 8, 9 providing an automatical locking of said arm 6 in its retracted position when said position is reached, a reset means 5 being associated with and acting on one or several arm(s) 6.
As shown on figures 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8, the reset means 15 may actually consist in an electrically insulated lever mounted through a hinged link 16 onto said housing or cage 2 (the bearings can be formed on said cage 2) and comprising i) a pushing part 15' able to contact the spring loaded arm 6 over all its pivoting movement between its retracted position and its extended position and ii) a pressing part 15", in the shape of a push button for contact with a finger of a user.
The pressing part 15" may define a contact and gliding profile 15"' allowing the free end 6' of the spring loaded arm 6 to press against and simultaneously slip along it while pushed in its locked position (figures 1 and 7).
It should also be noted that the hook 8 automatically engages the anchoring slot or cutout 9, when the arm 6 is sufficiently bent by the reset lever 15 and positioned in the right place.
In practice, as most electrical lines have two wires, the connection terminal 1 may comprise at least two clamping arrangements 5 arranged side by side, each incorporating corresponding trigger means 10 and being associated with a respective passage or channel 7 for reception of the end portion 4 of a conductor or wire 3.
Of course, each one of the clamping arrangement 5 of a pair of coupled arrangements 5 can have its own separate reset means 15 acting only on the one arm 6 it is associated with.
Nevertheless, in an efficient, simple and cost effective alternative embodiment of the invention, a same reset means 15, such as a plastic lever hinged with the cage or housing 2, may be associated with and able to act simultaneously on the two spring loaded arms 6 of a pair of clamping arrangements 5, preferably contacting the arms 6 in a region approximately aligned with their latching means 8. Thus, the pressing area of the lever 15 on the arm 6 will be located laterally outside the region where the wire passes.
As can be seen on figure 4C, in a side-by-side location of a pair of clamping arrangements 5 (forming a double clamping arrangement), the same lever 15 will be pressing on pressing areas of the arms 6 located next to each other (approximately in the connection region between the latching means 8 and the arms 6 (see figure 4D).
Also as a matter of simplification and costs savings, the invention can provide that when the clamping arrangements 5 are grouped in pairs, both arrangements 5 of each pair are preferably made from one single metal strip.
As can be seen on figures 4 and 8, the housing or cage 2 may comprise an opening 2' allowing the passage of the pushing part 15' of the lever 15, said opening 2' being closed by said pushing part 15' and covered by the pressing part 15".
To prevent unwanted disconnection of a clamped wire 3 of a pair of wires, the lever 5 can comprise means preventing mutual engagement of the locking means 8, 9 upon actuation of said lever 15 when a conductor or wire 3 is present in the passage 7 and clamped by the concerned arm 6.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the means 16' preventing mutual engagement of the locking means 8, 9 consist of means using the presence of at least one wire in the passage 7, or in at least one passage 7 in case of a same reset means 15 associated with several passages 7, to limit the displacement of the reset means 15 so that it cannot reach the position wherein an automatical mutual engagement of the locking means 8, 9 takes place.
More precisely, and as illustrated in figures 4, 5 and 6, the insulated pivoting lever 15 may be provided, at or near its free end opposed to it hinged end, with a projecting portion 16', such as a wall or a wing part, extending in a parallel manner to and in the same direction that the pushing part 15', the free edge of said projecting portion 16' contacting a conductor or wire 3 located within a concerned passage 7 and stopping the pivoting displacement of said lever 15 before its pushing part 15' is able to displace the concerned spring loaded arm 6 sufficiently to cause mutual engagement of the locking means 8, 9.
Figure 6 shows with S1 the stroke allowed to the lever 15 (from its resting position when no pressure is applied to its pressing part 15') until the wall 16' contacts the wire 3 (or its bare end portion 4 within the insulated housing 17'). S2 illustrates the stroke of the lever 15 which would be necessary to cause mutual engagement of the locking means 8, 9.
In relation to an additional feature, the invention may provide the pressure of the projecting portion 16' of the lever 15 (preferably integrally formed with it) on a conductor or wire 3 clamped by the spring loaded arm 6 within a corresponding passage 7 causes its bare end portion 4 engaged by the arm 6, and possibly by a corresponding counterclamping means 7, to be released in order to allow the extraction of said considered conductor or wire 3.
Thus, a sufficient pressure applied by the projecting portion 16' onto the bare end portion 4 may disengage it from the notch 7" and also bent it downwards so as to release it from the grip of the spring loaded arm 6 resting against it (by it edge 6").
The invention also encompasses an electrical connection device 17, as a separate component or an integral part, comprising an external housing 17' made of non-conductive material.
According to the invention, said device 17 comprises at least one spring clamping connection terminal 1 as described herein before, said or each terminal 1 being possible electrically linked to a male or female plug-in socket 18, 18'.
An example of such a device 17 is partly shown on figure 8, wherein one double connection terminal 1 is connected through its conductive housing 2 to a pin connector 18 (top part of the device 17 on figure 8) and two double connection terminals 1 are connected through their conductive housing 2 to respective female plug-in clamp connectors 18' (bottom part of the device 17 on figure 8).
The present invention is, of course, not limited to the preferred embodiments described and represented herein, changes can be made or equivalents used without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Spring clamping connection terminal comprising a housing or cage for receiving the bare end portion of an electrical rigid or flexible cable, conductor or wire and lodging at least one clamping arrangement which comprises a spring force loaded arm automatically movable between a retracted position wherein said arm is located outside a passage or channel following a wire insertion opening of said housing, and allows obstacle free introduction of said bare end portion into said passage or channel, and an extended position in which said arm is at least partly located in said passage or channel and is able to come into contact under elastic constraint with the end portion of an electrical conductor or wire received within said passage or channel, thus securing the insertion of said end portion of the considered conductor or wire, wherein said clamping arrangement (5) also comprises:
means (8, 9) for locking said arm (6) in its retracted position, by engagement with a respective anchoring site (9),

trigger means (10) able to release the spring loaded arm (6) from its locked retracted position and being physically activatable by the end portion (4) of said wire or conductor (3),

a contact part or surface (11) on said trigger means (10), to be hit or pressed on by the extremity (4') of the bare end portion (4) of the electrical conductor or wire (3) in order to release the spring loaded arm (6) from its locked retracted position,

connection terminal (1) characterized in that said trigger means (10) is located and arranged after or beyond the arm (6) and the site (9), in the direction (D) of insertion of the wire or conductor (3), and consists of a lever arm extending in said direction (D), the contact part (11) consisting of a free end portion of said lever arm (10).
Connection terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring loaded arm (6) performs a pivoting movement when released from its locked retracted position through the action of the trigger means (10) and in that said arm (6) is provided with a latching part (8) able to come into engagement with the respective anchoring site (9), preferably by clinging or clipping, in order to keep and to lock said arm (6) in its retracted position against the spring constraint, said mutually cooperating part (8) and site (9) forming together the locking means of said arm (6).
Connection terminal according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the lever arm (10) is operatively, preferably through a force transmission or physical link, connected to the anchoring site (9) and extends beyond said site (9) in the direction (D), so as to be able to displace said site (9) against a spring force and to undo the clinging or clipping engagement of the latching part (8) of the spring loaded arm (6) with said anchoring site (9), upon application of a sufficient minimal pressure or force on to said contact part (11) of the lever arm (10) located at a significant distance from said site (9) in the direction (D).
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the clamping arrangement (5) is made of a single metallic strip forming the spring loaded arm (6) and a mounting frame (12) to which said arm (6) is continuously and materially connected through an elastical bendable strip portion (13) which provides the spring force load to said arm (6), said spring force being sufficient to clamp the end portion (4) of the conductor or wire (3) through said arm (6) against an opposite wall (7') of said passage or channel (7), possibly provided with a notch (7") or a similar protruding counter-clamping means able to cooperate with the arm (6) to lock the wire or cable in the passage (7) and secure the electrical contact between the end portion (4) and the conductive housing or cage (2).
Connection terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that the mounting frame (12) incorporates the anchoring site (9) and in that the corresponding latching part (8) is provided at the free end (6') of the spring loaded arm (6).
Connection terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that the mounting frame (12) of the clamping arrangement (5) is composed of two branches or wing parts mutually arranged in an upside down L-shape or capital gamma-shape configuration with two branches (12' and 12") connected by a first curved elastically bendable portion (13), wherein the end of a first branch (12') is continuously connected through a second curved elastically bendable portion (13) to the spring loaded arm (6) and the free end (12'") of the second branch (12") is provided with the anchoring site (9), preferably in the form of a slot or an aperture, and in that the latching part (8) at the free end (6') of the spring loaded arm (6) consists of a fastening hook or a bent finger, the mounting frame (12), the curved or bent portion (13) and the arm (6) thus forming in the locked retracted position of said arm (6) a closed loop configuration.
Connection terminal according to claim 6, characterized in that the latching part (8) and the anchoring site (9) are located with a lateral shift so as to free the insertion channel or passage (7) when the arm (6) is retracted, the latching part (8) consisting of a bent fastening hook extending from the free end (6') of the arm (6) and the anchoring site (9) consisting in a lateral cut-out, in the shape of a slot, of the second branch (12") of the mounting frame (12).
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the trigger means (10) are an integral part of the clamping arrangement (5), the clamping arrangement (5) and the trigger means (10) being preferably made of a same single metal strip.
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the trigger means (10) consists, when considered in the direction (D), of an upside down L-shaped or capital gamma-shaped lever arm, with a first branch (14) continuously and materially connected to the clamping arrangement (5) in the region of its means (9) for locking the spring loaded arm (6) in its retracted position and with a second branch (14') forming or comprising a contact part (11) to be hit or pressed on by the end portion (4) of an electrical conductor or wire (3) inserted in the passage or channel (7) provided for in the housing or cage (2), the lever arm (10) showing a stiffness sufficient to transmit pressure forces to the clamping arrangement (5) in order to move the anchoring site (9) and to disengage the locking means (8, 9).
Connection terminal according to claims 6 and 9, characterized in that the arm (6) with its latching part (8), the elastic intermediate curved portion (13), the mounting frame (12) with the anchoring site (9) and the trigger means forming lever (10) with its contact part (11) are all made of a single metal strip through bending and cutting operations, the lever arm (10) being formed as an extension of the free end (12"') of the second branch (12") prolonging beyond the anchoring site (9).
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it also comprises an integrated or incorporated reset and/or clamping release means (15) able to displace the spring force loaded arm (6) from its extended position into its retracted one, against the spring force, the locking means (8, 9) providing an automatical locking of said arm (6) in its retracted position when said position is reached, a reset means (5) being associated with and acting on one or several arm(s) (6).
Connection terminal according to claim 11, characterized in that the reset means (15) consists in an electrically insulated lever mounted through a hinged link (16) onto said housing or cage (2) and comprising i) a pushing part (15') able to contact the spring loaded arm (6) over all its pivoting movement between its retracted position and its extended position and ii) a pressing part (15"), in the shape of a push button for contact with a finger of a user.
Connection terminal according to claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises at least two clamping arrangements (5) arranged side by side, each incorporating corresponding trigger means (10) and being associated with a respective passage or channel (7) for reception of the end portion (4) of a conductor or wire (3).
Connection terminal according to claims 13 and 11 or 12, characterized in that a same reset means (15), such as a plastic lever hinged with the cage or housing (2), is associated with and able to act simultaneously on the two spring loaded arms (6) of a pair of clamping arrangements (5), preferably contacting the arms (6) in a region approximately aligned with their latching means (8).
Connection terminal according to claims 13 or 14, characterized in that when the clamping arrangements (5) are grouped in pairs, both arrangements (5) of each pair are preferably made from one single metal strip.
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 12, 14 and 15, characterized in that the housing (2) comprises an opening (2') allowing the passage of the pushing part (15') of the lever (15), said opening (2') being closed by said pushing part (15') and covered by the pressing part (15").
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that the lever (15) comprises means preventing mutual engagement of the locking means (8, 9) upon actuation of said lever (15) when a conductor or wire (3) is present in the passage (7), or in at least one passage (7) in case of a same lever (15) associated with several passages (7), and clamped by the concerned arm (6).
Connection terminal according to anyone of claims 11, 12 and 14 to 17, characterized in that the means (16') preventing mutual engagement of the locking means (8, 9) consist of means using the presence of at least one wire in the passage (7), or in at least one passage (7) in case of a same reset means (15) associated with several passages (7), to limit the displacement of the reset means (15) so that it cannot reach the position wherein an automatical mutual engagement of the locking means (8, 9) takes place.
Connection terminal according to claim 18 and anyone of claims 12 and 14 to 17, characterized in that the insulated pivoting lever (15) forming the reset means is provided, at or near its free end opposed to it hinged end, with a projecting portion (16'), such as a wall or a wing part, extending in a parallel manner to and in the same direction than the pushing part (15'), the free edge of said projecting portion (16') contacting a conductor or wire (3) located within a concerned passage (7) and stopping the pivoting displacement of said lever (15) before its pushing part (15') is able to displace the concerned spring loaded arm (6) sufficiently to cause mutual engagement of the locking means (8, 9).
Connection terminal according to claim 19, characterized in that the pressure of the projecting portion (16') integrally formed with the lever (15) on a conductor or wire (3) clamped by the spring loaded arm (6) within a corresponding passage (7) causes its bare end portion (4) engaged by the arm (6), and possibly by a corresponding counterclamping means (7"), to be released in order to allow the extraction of said considered conductor or wire (3).
Electrical connection device, as a separate component or an integral part, comprising an external housing made of non-conductive material, characterized in that said device (17) comprises at least one spring clamping connection terminal (1) according to anyone of claims 1 to 20, said or each terminal (1) being possible electrically linked to a male or female plug-in socket (18, 18').