EP0106768B1 - Connection device for an electrical conductor - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for connecting an electric conductor mounted within a housing is provided, on a first lateral face, with an opening for the introduction of the electric conductor and, on a further lateral face perpendicular to the first one, with another opening for the introduction of a tool. Said device comprises a contact member secured within the housing and means for resilient jamming of the electric conductor against the contact member. The means for resiliently jamming the conductor consist of a single member comprising a presser tongue contained in a plane making an acute angle with the plane of the contact member and a portion for transmitting the resilient force created by resilient means which bear on the face of the contact member opposite to that on which the tongue bears. The portion is contained in a plane adjacent to the contact member at right angles with the plane of the contact member and parallel to the direction of introduction of the wire.

Description

The present invention relates to a device which can be used for connecting an electric wire to an appliance or several wires between them.

Connection devices are known which consist of a contact surface and a leaf spring, as disclosed in patent application DE 2724354. One end of the blade is fixed and the other end rests on the surface of contact, so that the blade and the contact surface make an acute angle. An electric wire inserted in the acute angle between the blade and the contact surface is pressed against the surface of the blade. In addition, its removal is prohibited by wedging between the blade and the surface. However, such devices have the disadvantage of being difficult to handle and of requiring very great efforts when the section of the wire to be inserted is increased. Likewise, when it is desired to be able to connect wires of section varying for example between 0.75 and 4 mm ² of section, the elastic blade will ensure that the wire is anchored the less good the larger the diameter of the wire. Indeed, the larger the diameter, the more the blade comes into tangential contact with the wire and it is then easy to disconnect the wire by pulling on it.

Also known, from German patent application 2619035, a connection device comprising a contact piece and a leaf spring anchored on the face of the contact piece opposite the contact surface. The spring leaf also has, near its other end, a cut-out window, allowing the contact piece to pass between two lateral legs and the transverse portion of the window connecting the two legs wedges the conductive wire against the piece. of contact. This device loses an important place of the available width to allow the passage of the legs of the leaf spring. Consequently, the cross section of the wires is quickly limited for a given width.

The main object of the invention is therefore to overcome these drawbacks and in particular to produce a connection device which, for the same given device width, makes it possible to connect wires of larger cross section, while ensuring a good wedging effect of the conductor on the contact part.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connection device making it possible to easily connect and disconnect the conductor by pivoting the blade by means of a tool such as a screwdriver, the tool being able to be introduced in a direction either substantially perpendicular, or substantially parallel to that of the conductor.

According to the invention, the connection device for an electrical conductor mounted in the housing of a housing, provided on a lateral face with at least one opening for introducing the electrical conductor and, at least one opening for introducing the tool, comprises a contact piece fixed in the housing and means for elastically wedging an electrical conductor against the contact piece, as well as means for loosening the conductor, and is characterized in that the means for elastically wedging the conductor consist of a single tilting part comprising a support tab contained in a plane making an acute angle with the plane of the contact part and a return portion subject to an elastic force created by elastic means pressing on the face of the contact piece opposite to that on which the tongue rests, said return portion being contained in a plane adjacent to the contact piece, which is both perpendicular to the plane of the contact piece and parallel to the direction of introduction of the wire.

• La figure 1 représente une vue latérale d'un dispositif de connexion logé dans un boîtier ouvert ou capot cache-borne;
• La figure 2 représente une vue latérale de la pièce de coincement du dispositif de connexion;
• La figure 3 représente un dispositif de connexion utilisé pour effectuer la connexion en série de deux fils, placé dans un boîtier dont on a enlevé le couvercle;
• La figure 4 est une vue en perspective de la pièce de coincement et de la pièce de contact;
• La figure 5 est une vue en perspective d'un connecteur double à branchement en parallèle et
• La figure 6 représente une vue latérale d'une variante du dispositif.
• Les figures 7 et 8 représentent selon deux positions différentes de la pièce basculante une vue latérale d'une variante du dispositif.
• Les figures 9 et 10 représentent de même une autre variante du dispositif.
• La figure 11 est une vue latérale d'une autre variante du dispositif.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description below, given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 shows a side view of a connection device housed in an open box or terminal cover cover;
• FIG. 2 represents a side view of the wedging piece of the connection device;
• FIG. 3 represents a connection device used to effect the series connection of two wires, placed in a housing from which the cover has been removed;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wedging piece and the contact piece;
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a double connector with parallel connection and
• Figure 6 shows a side view of a variant of the device.
• Figures 7 and 8 show in two different positions of the tilting part a side view of a variant of the device.
• Figures 9 and 10 likewise show another variant of the device.
• Figure 11 is a side view of another variant of the device.

The connection device shown in Figure 1 comprises a housing portion 2 of moldable and insulating material, provided with at least one opening 20 for introducing a conductive wire 4 and at least one opening 21 for introducing d 'a screwdriver. This housing portion includes a housing for a contact piece 3 made of electrically conductive material, and another housing for a wedging piece 1 made of elastic material, such as for example spring steel.

The part 3 can be electrically connected to any part of any industrial or household electrical appliance, such as, for example, a circuit breaker, relay, contactor, etc., so that the device constitutes a connection terminal of the appliance . In this case, the housing portion 2 is part of the housing of the device and constitutes a terminal cover cover.

In another application, it can be envisaged that the device is symmetrical with respect to the axis AA, and / or with respect to the plane of FIG. 5, so as to constitute a device for connecting several conductive wires together, as shown, for example, in Figures 3 and 5. In this case, the open housing 2 will be completed by a cover which is not shown.

The part 3 comprises an anchoring means 30, constituted, for example, by a stud lodged in a hole 152 (FIG. 2) provided in the branch 150 of the elastic blade 15 shaped into a U, of which the other branch 151 is integral with the return portion 10 of the wedging part 1. The part 3 also comprises means for hooking in the housing 2; these means are here produced by the tongues 31 (FIG. 4).

On this piece 3 is mounted the wedging piece 1 of elastic material (Figure 2), here comprising an elastic blade 15 folded in a U shape, and the first branch 150 of which is anchored on the stud 30 by means of a bore 152, while the second branch 151 is secured, by a lateral side, to a plate portion 10, called the return portion.

In Figure 2, there is shown in solid lines the cutting of the elastic sheet before folding, and in dotted lines the position of the elements after folding.

The return portion is located in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the elastic U-shaped blade. This return portion is extended at its part remote from the elastic blade by two ears 11, 14. The first ear 11, once folded back a plane perpendicular to the plane of the return portion 10, constitutes a support tongue 111 whose main direction forms an acute angle with the direction of introduction of the wire 4. This support tongue 111 is extended by a portion 110 which , once folded, is in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the return portion opposite the edge secured to the elastic branch 151.

This portion 110 serves as a keying means to prevent a screwdriver from being inserted in the wrong place.

On the other hand, this portion 110 can also serve as a support for the free arm of the indentation 141, as shown in FIG. 3. The second ear 14 is folded along a plane perpendicular to the portion 10, so as to form a profile in the form of an indentation 141. The free branch of this profile can rest on the portion 110, to avoid any opening of the indentation under the action of the screwdriver. This indentation 141 is extended by a tongue 140 of direction parallel to the portion 110. This tongue 140 also acts as a keying means, to avoid the introduction of a screwdriver elsewhere than in the indentation 141. The openings 21 are arranged so that the screwdriver can be inserted when the part 1 is in the working position, which corresponds to the largest section of the wire, or in the rest position.

The operation of the device will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 3, in which Figure 3 shows a double connection device, obtained by symmetrical duplication with respect to the plane AA. This device is useful when

it involves connecting two conductive wires together. In this FIG. 3, we see a screwdriver 5 inserted in the indentation 141. On this screwdriver, a rocking force is exerted according to the arrow F, so as to rock the piece 1 and to detach the support tongue 111 from the contact piece 3, to let the conductive wire 4 pass, provided with a tip and which is introduced along arrow D. When the wire has been sufficiently introduced and abuts against the indentation 141, the effort is released tilting F and the part 1, under the action of the elastic blade 15, tends to return to its rest position shown in FIG. 3.

Returning to its rest position, the support tab 111 meets the end of the tip or of the exposed conductive wire. The support tab clamps the wire against the contact piece, at an angle such that any attempt to withdraw the wire, by pulling on it, increases the jamming and results in failure.

The great flexibility and the large clearance of the elastic blade make it possible to connect wires whose section varies in significant proportions for a connector of given dimensions; for example: from 0.75 mm ² to 4 mm ² in cross-section.

To remove the wire, simply introduce the screwdriver 5 into the indentation 141, while the part 1 is in the working position as shown in FIG. 1. In this figure, we see the role of the tongue 110 which prevents, when the part 1 is in the working position, that the screwdriver is introduced elsewhere than in the indentation.

The same role is played by the tongue 140 for the rest position, as can be seen in FIG. 1. After having introduced the screwdriver into the indentation, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, a force E is exerted to against the elastic force of the blade 15 and which results in releasing the tongue 111 from the wire and allowing the withdrawal of the wire.

Then, the part 1 returns under the action of the elastic blade, as soon as the force E is stopped and it is then found in the rest position of FIG. 3.

It is obvious that one could add, on the side of the housing 2 opposite the openings 21, a latching device on a rail profiled in 0, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of the part 1 and of the contact part.

This contact piece 3 has a width twice that of the tongues of the piece 1; it therefore allows the mounting face to face of two wedging pieces 1, as shown in FIG. 5. These wedging pieces 1 are mounted so that the return portions 10 are outside. This contact piece comprises, in addition to the pins 30 not visible in this figure, two V-shaped grooves 32 transversely striated by ridges 33 to increase the anchoring of the wire. Likewise, the heads 31 can serve as a means of anchoring the part 3 in the housing and of a retaining stop for the return portion 10. With such a contact piece 3, a double connector as shown in FIG. 5 can easily be made by combining two pieces 1, allowing two wires to be connected to the same contact piece 3.

FIG. 6 represents an alternative embodiment of the device, in which the elastic branch 151 of the elastic blade 15 is secured, not to one end of the return plate 10, but to a longitudinal side of this plate (as shown in Figure 6), so as to increase the length of the elastic blade and its possibilities of bending and, consequently, the sections of the wires.

Instead of providing a cutting and folding to form the indentation 141 shown in dotted lines, the return portion 10 is extended by a tongue 12, which, if it does not exceed the plane of the opening, will be actuated by a turn - screws. If the tongue 12 is made to exceed the plane of the opening 21, it will carry an insulating cap which will allow its direct actuation by the operator.

11 It is obvious that the elastic force urging the tilting part could be created by an independent spring, but it is more advantageous for this force to come from the elastic blade 15 integrated into the tilting part.

Figures 7 and 8 show another variant of the connection device. The single elastic wedging piece 1 is provided with a sleeve made of insulating material 16; this socket 16 is assembled by any suitable means to a tongue 142 obtained by folding the part 1 and it has a housing 160 of determined depth for the end of the screwdriver. The part 1 is illustrated in its rest position in the absence of a conductor in FIG. 7 and in its position for loosening the conductor in FIG. 8.

Figures 9 and 10 are views similar to Figures 7 and 8 and show a connection device allowing an introduction of the tool in a direction substantially parallel to that of the conductor; this variant is particularly useful. on certain configurations of devices incorporating the connection device considered and requiring a frontal approach to both the tool and the conductor. The insulating sleeve 16 is assembled like that of FIGS. 7 and 8 to the tongue 142 of the part 1. The tongue 142 for retaining the sleeve can of course be located in other places of the part 1.

In a variant not shown avoiding the use of the socket 16, the ear 14 and its indentation 141 of abutment for the tool are provided and shaped to allow an introduction of the tool in a direction approximately parallel to that of the conductor. In the variant illustrated in FIG. 11, the part 1 has ears 14 and 17 shaped so as to allow the introduction of a tool blade, either in the indentation 141 of the ear 14, or in an indentation 171 of ear 17; the pivoting of the part 1 is obtained in the first case by the introduction of the tool into the opening 21a approximately orthogonally to the conductor, in the second case in the opening 21b approximately parallel to the conductor.

Claims (7)

1. Connection device for at least one electrical conductor (4) mounted in the housing of a case (2), provided on one lateral face with at least one opening (20) for introducing the electrical conductor and at least one opening (21) for introducing a tool, comprising a contact element (3) fixed in the housing and means (1) for resiliently jamming the electrical conductor against the contact element (3), as well as means for un-jamming the conductor, characterized in that the means for resiliently jamming the conductor are constituted by a single tilting element comprising a presser tongue (111) contained in a plane making an acute angle with the plane of the contact element and a return portion (10) subjected to a resilient force created by resilient means (15) bearing on the face of the contact element opposite to that on which the tongue bears, the said return portion (10) being contained in a plane adjacent to the contact element (3) which is both perpendicular to the plane of this element (3) and parallel to the direction of introduction of the wire (4).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the resilient means are constituted by a blade (15) perpendicular to the plane of the return portion, curved substantially into "U" shape, and fast with the return portion by a leg (151), whilst the other leg (150) bears on a face of the contact element.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for un-jamming the conductor are constituted by a tongue perpendicular to the plane of the return portion, fast with the return portion and shaped as an indentation (141), in such a manner that the axis of symmetry of the indentation coincides with the axis of symmetry (2) of the opening (21) for introducing the tool.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the indentation (141) and/or the presser tongue (111) are extended by portions (110, 140) constituting an anti-fault means avoiding the introduction of the tool somewhere else than in the indentation.

5. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for un-jamming of the conductor are constituted by a tongue (12) extending the upper end of the return portion.

6. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for un-jamming of the conductor are constituted by an insulating socket (16) connected with a tongue (142) perpendicular to the plane of the return portion and fast with the latter.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, -characterized in that the contact element comprises anchoring means (30) for the resilient means and at least one V-groove (32) with its axis parallel to the axis of the conductor wire, the said groove being fluted (33) in a direction perpendicular to its axis.

Images