EP1949502B1 - Electric terminal for printed circuit boards - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to physical connections of a plurality of mutually insulated connecting elements, especially configured for printed circuit boards, the physical connection being a component of an electric connection between two or more conducting elements with direct contact using a spring. The electric terminal represents such a connection, and allows rapid and simple detachment of the conductor, similar to the plug'n'play technology used for plugging in the conductors. A clamping system is provided which allows to simply and rapidly detach the conductor and which is accessible from several sides of the terminal. The advantageous accessibility of the clamping system makes it possible to always use the tools for operating the clamping system in a manner perpendicular to the surface of the printed circuit board.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates generally to the field of basic electrically conductive assemblies. Structural assemblies of a plurality of mutually insulated interconnecting elements, particularly adapted for printed circuits, wherein the structural assembly constitutes a component of an electrical connection between two or more direct-contact conductive members using a spring. Such a connection, in particular from the field of terminals, represents the electrical terminal. The terminal serves as a link in the PCB connection technology for reliable supply of industrial electronics and economic single wiring on printed circuits and is referred to, for example, as a connector.

Background in the art

There are connectors, as known from the prior art, therefore in many designs, such as in unipolar or multipole design, in bayed or block-mounted insulating material, wherein the Isolierstoffgehäuse at least one contact insert, formed from flat strip material, at least one end a spring force element is arranged in the form of a leg spring has. Furthermore, the connector is equipped with at least one female contact for attaching the terminal to a pin contact of a printed circuit board or an electrical device. The connector therefore serves at least one electrical conductor for electrical contacting and attachment to a conductor track on a printed circuit board. In general, such connectors consist of an insulating material, which is preferably designed so that the single-pole individual terminals can be connected to each other, so that multipolar female connectors can be formed. Or the Isolierstoffgehäuse is in block design in two parts, designed so that the contact inserts can be stirred into the first housing and then closed with the second housing half by known snap closures.

Connectors of this type are a mass product. This results in the requirement that the connection of the electrical conductors and also the release of the electrical conductors is possible quickly and easily. This is especially true when the electrical conductors to be connected, as a rule, these are an incoming and an outgoing electrical conductor per single terminal, in one application from one and in another Application case be fed from another direction of the terminal. Therefore, the connector for opening the terminal point via an actuating part, in the form of a pusher element, which is guided in the manner of an axially movable plunger in the housing, which has at least one passageway for the passage of an electrical conductor. The actuating member acts as a wedge which slides between the clamping legs and the abutment or bus bar to lift the clamping leg of the abutments, or from the clamped conductor.

Such connectors are well known from the prior art and can be found, for example, the product catalog "PCB connector COMBICON 2005" TNR 5169412 / 31.12.2004-00 the company Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co KG. The disadvantage of this connection technology consists in releasing the electrical conductor is that per electric conductor, an actuating member is required and that the actuator of the actuating member is operable only parallel to the insertion of the electrical conductor. If such a terminal plugged into the circuit board angled pin contacts, the pin contacts would be bent upon actuation of the operating part, because the force required to actuate the operating force to release the contact forces of the clamping legs of the electrical conductor is now no longer parallel, but perpendicular to the pin contacts ,

From the DE 198 38 008 , Which is considered as the closest prior art, an electrical terminal of the type mentioned is known. It is a print terminal for connection to printed circuit boards, which already incorporates the principle of a clamping system consisting of an actuating part and a spring force element. The clamping force for the electrical conductor is hereby generated from the bent into the spring box elastic clamping legs. The actuating part in the form of a translatory pusher, wherein the actuating part is made in one piece and serves to receive a plurality of electrical conductors acts, at the same time for opening the clamping points as a wedge, which pushes between the clamping legs and the abutment to the clamping leg of the abutments, or to lift off the trapped electrical conductor. Although this known arrangement is provided for two terminal points, but the disadvantage here is that the actuating device of the actuating member is also operable only in parallel in the insertion direction of the electrical conductor.

The publication US 5,954,535 A shows a connector for a fluorescent lamp. The tiller of the fluorescent lamp are held by means of a retaining spring and can be released by means of an actuating means, which is arranged within a housing part of the connector. To release the actuator is moved axially.

Other terminals with actuating part are known from the prior art, such as DE 36 21 369 A1 , of the WO 01/47067 A1 and the DE 102 44 480 A1 known. The content of the disclosures will not be discussed here. Disadvantage of all embodiments but is that the force to be exerted on the pusher can only be done in one direction. From the figure of DE 102 44 480 is the disadvantageous direction of actuation of a translational pusher, which is arranged perpendicular to the plug contacts, visible.

The invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a terminal in spring technology of the type mentioned above, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages of the known arrangements and to provide a technical solution that allows a more cost-effective, equipped with simple functional geometry and universally usable connector for PCB connections manufacture.

According to the invention this problem is solved by the characterizing features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention will become apparent from the following dependent claims and the following descriptions

Description of the invention

In order to provide a terminal equipped with these features of the present invention for fast, secure and universal PCB connections on printed circuit boards, the invention proposes to produce a connector on the one hand ensures the electrical contact and on the other hand a quick detachable connection of the electrical conductors after the plug'n play method allows to overload without the pin contacts of the circuit board by the operation of the operating part.

The universal usability of the connector relates both to the vertical and to the parallel and plug-in direction of the connector to the circuit board. Due to the pluggable combination of options, it is also possible to turn the connector 180 degrees around the conductor insertion axis and place it on a printed circuit board or base strip. In all plug positions of the terminal should have the ability to easily / quickly solve the / the electrical conductor without burdening the pin contacts of the circuit board by applying the forces to release the clamp connection in addition to damage or bend.

It is therefore a terminal to develop, in which the operating force of the tool, depending on how the terminal is plugged onto the circuit board, always acts perpendicular to the circuit board.

Another requirement is that per socket contact (ie per pole), which is required for attaching the terminal to a pin contact of a circuit board, two terminal points for the connection of electrical conductors is available.

The quick connection in the connection technology is carried out by two leg springs, which ensure high clamping safety and the present invention mirror-symmetrical to a current bar, opposite and spaced, are attached. The advantage of the leg spring technology lies in the quick connection of the electrical conductors without special tools. The solid conductor or a finely stranded conductor with ferrule is simply in the Inserted terminal point and pressed by the leg spring against the busbar and contacted there according to "plug'n play" independently.

Since not only increasing comfort in assembly and ever shorter wiring times plays an important role in the connection technology, but also the fast and secure release of the connection of electrical conductors from the terminal point, the invention proposes to develop an operating part that the axial displacement in the Isolierstoffgehäuse with a tool in several places provided accessible and operable. The accessibility is achieved in that the insulating material housing contains several suitable openings. The openings are designed such that they are suitable for the passage of a tool. Advantageously, a screwdriver is used as a tool. One of the openings in the insulating housing, which will be referred to hereinafter operating part opening, should be closed by the operating part itself. The opening is located in the front surface of the insulating material housing, which corresponds to the facing side of the operator and should be closed by the arranged on the actuating part upper handle part.

The openings used for access for a tool are referred to below as pass-through openings.

These objects are achieved according to the invention in that the actuating part is produced from an injection-molded part and essentially has a functional geometry which is characterized by a multiplicity of inclined planes.

Two of the plurality of inclined planes are arranged laterally on the upper pusher part of the actuating part in order to simultaneously open the clamping legs of the torsion springs mounted symmetrically on the current bar.

For simultaneous opening of the clamping legs, it is necessary to operate the actuating part with a tool. To attach the tool, the upper pusher part of the actuating part has a groove which is located centrally between two symmetrically arranged passage channels.

This direction of actuation at the upper handle portion of the actuating member is selected when the connected or inserted electrical conductors extend vertically to the surface of the circuit board, so that applied by means of the tool actuating force on the actuating member also acts vertically to the surface of the circuit board. The operation of the actuating direction on the actuating part is selected when the pin contacts lead vertically out of the circuit board, for connection of the connector.

If the pin contacts are not perpendicular but protrude from the surface of the printed circuit board in an angle of 90 degrees, and a terminal is plugged in, the connected or inserted electrical conductors are horizontal to the surface of the printed circuit board.

For the tool to be applied is to avoid that the pin contacts bend in the priority of opening the clamping legs, an actuating direction selected on the operating part that the screwdriver with its blade again vertical to the surface of the circuit board and thus the operating force is not horizontal, as the connection of the Terminal, but acts vertically to the surface of the circuit board.

For this purpose, it is advantageous for the axial displacement of the actuating part, which is necessary for opening the leg springs, to use one of the lateral openings in the insulating housing as a through opening into which the screwdriver can be inserted with its blade.

Behind the respective funnel-shaped opening of the passage opening is located on the actuating part, an oblique web, which is formed from a rising inclined plane and which are interconnected at the apex by a radius. Together, the two inclined planes form the lower handle part. Slate plane is a plane that is inclined to the horizontal. If the blade of the screwdriver is inserted into the opening funnel, the screwdriver blade slides on the one hand on the busbar or the contact insert and on the other hand on the contact insert opposite inclined plane along. The contact insert thereby forms the fixed stop for the screwdriver, whereas the oblique web arranged on the actuating part displaces the actuating part axially in the interior of the insulating housing. The force exerted by the screwdriver in the direction of the inclined plane has two effects in the movement of the screwdriver according to the physical laws. For one thing, the force pushes the screwdriver on the pad, i. here on the inclined plane, and on the other hand, the force is the cause of the movement of the operating part. In the point of application of the screwdriver at the inclined plane resulting forces arise in different directions, i. the inclined plane acts on the one hand as a force transducer and on the other hand serves to change the direction of force. The deflection of the force direction is carried out according to the invention in the connector by the use of the inclined plane on the actuating part. The lateral insertion of a tool, perpendicular to the conductor insertion direction, for actuating the operating part thus has the effect due to the inclined plane that the operating member shifts axially in the direction of the conductor insertion axis.

The displacement of the actuating part parallel in the direction of the pin contacts has the consequence that the two, arranged on the upper presser part inclined planes are pulled against the clamping legs. The upper pusher part acts as a wedge, because the upper pusher part is made in one piece and the two inclined planes are arranged symmetrically opposite lying on the pusher part and therefore simultaneously lift the clamping legs of the torsion springs from the electrical conductors for opening. The wedge, formed by the two inclined planes, consists of two planes inclined together with the base. The from the flanks of the wedge applied lateral forces are perpendicular to the flanks, wherein the flank force of the wedge acts on the clamping leg of the leg spring. That is, the force generated by the screwdriver on the lower inclined plane is deflected on the one hand in the movement of the operating part, and on the other hand by the inclined planes on the wedge on the torsion springs. The peculiarity of the combination according to the invention of different inclined planes on the actuating part in this case is that the force for opening the clamping legs does not act on the clamping legs, as in comparable clamping systems for the conductor insertion direction (see for example WO 01/470679).

Due to the mirror symmetry of the system, it is possible to insert the screwdriver from two directions in the insulating material. Furthermore, the force with which the actuating part is displaced inside the insulating housing and thus opens the clamping legs of the leg springs, also parallel, as explained above, engage the Leiterereinführrichtung. An actuation of the clamping system in the terminal according to the invention is therefore possible from three directions. Nevertheless, if the connection terminal is plugged into the printed circuit board in a horizontal or vertical plug-in direction, the tool for actuating the clamping system can always be brought into engagement perpendicular to the surface of the printed circuit board.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer elektrischen Klemme im Schnitt, mit Leiterplatte und

Figur 2

das Betätigungsteil des Klemmsystems, sowie

Figur 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Anschlussklemme mit geöffneten Klemmschenkel.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. It shows

FIG. 1

a perspective view of an electrical terminal in section, with circuit board and

FIG. 2

the operating part of the clamping system, as well

FIG. 3

a perspective view of a terminal with open clamping legs.

In Fig. 1 is a terminal 1 shown in block design, which can also be referred to as a spring terminal, or connector 2 with spring force elements 7. The terminal 1 is in width for the connection of two electrical conductors 13, as shown in Fig.2 can be seen, executed. In length, the number of connectable electrical conductors 13 varies as needed, for example as a connector block or in anreibarer execution. In the presentation of the Fig. 1 For example, eight connected conductors 13 are shown.
The terminal 1 has an insulating 4, consisting of two housing halves, which two contact inserts 5, consisting of strip material 6, each with a spring force element 7, consisting of a leg spring 8, a socket contact 9 and an actuating part 1 receives, wherein the actuating part 11 closes the operating part opening in the front surface 19 of the insulating housing 4 with its handle portion 20. Correspondingly, the pusher part 20, which is essentially rectangular in cross-section, has two passage channels 12 for the electrical conductors 13 and a groove 21 arranged between the passage channels 12 (for further details, see FIG Fig.2 ), which can be acted upon by a tool 18 to move the actuating member 11 in the direction of the arranged inside the insulating housing 4 leg springs 8. The insulating housing 4 and the actuating part 11 are made of plastic.
Next shows Fig.1 in that the clamping system is closed. That is to say that the actuating part 11 in the insulating housing 4 closes with its pusher part 20 the opening 17 in the front face 19. In this position of the actuating part 11, the clamping legs 44 of the leg fields 8 press against the electrical conductors 13, which in turn contact the contact inserts 5, which consist of bent tabs 22, which serve as abutment 23, and are formed from strip material 5, abut. The two abutments 23 are spaced from each other and form a gap 24. In the intermediate space 24 is a guide member 25 of the actuating member 11. The contact inserts 5, the spring force elements 7 and the female contact 9 are a preassembled unit.

Furthermore, the lateral, in the longitudinal direction of the insulating housing 4 arranged through openings 15, 16 for the passage of a tool 18 can be seen. To open the clamping system, or for actuating the actuating part 11, it is possible to introduce the tool 18 into one of the through-openings 15, 16 or into the groove 21. For details about opening the clamping system, see Figure 3 ,
Below the through openings 15, 16 is the second housing half 43, which is joined together with known locking or dovetail guides with the upper half of the housing to form a solid block. The second housing half 43 serves to receive the socket contact 9 and can be inserted through the structured outer shape into the base strips (not shown). The socket contact 9 ensures the electrical connection to the pin contacts 10 in the circuit board 3. On the in the Fig. 1 shown printed circuit board 3 are angled pin contacts 10 are arranged, on which the terminal is plugged. This connector between the connector 2 and the circuit board 3 is referred to as a horizontal connection. In the horizontal connection, the electrical conductors 13 of the connector run parallel to the surface of the circuit board 3rd

Fig.2 shows the actuating part 11 according to the invention for the clamping system of a connector 2 according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 ,
The actuating part 11 is formed from a substantially rectangular flat shape, on the surface 26 of which two pusher parts 20, 27 and a guide element 25 are arranged. The first pusher part 20 is arranged at the upper edge 28 of the actuating part 11 and forms the closure 29 in the actuating part opening 17 of the front surface 18 of the insulating housing 4. For introducing the electrical conductors 3 into the clamping points 14, see Fig. 1 , The arranged on the actuating part 11 upper pusher 20 includes two passage channels 12. The passage channels are arranged symmetrically to the central axis 32 of the pusher 20 and centrally between the two passage channels 12 is, for applying a tool 18, a groove 21st
Furthermore, the upper pusher part 20 arranged on the actuating part 11 is in principle equipped with two inclined planes 30, which are located on the transverse sides 31 of the pusher part 20.
The normally pointed ends of the two inclined planes 30 extend in a radius 33, which allows the clamping legs 44 of the leg springs 8 to slide optimally. The radii 33 of the inclined planes 30 point in direction towards the center axis 32 of the actuating part 11. The contour of the pusher part 20 thus corresponds to a wedge shape. Below the upper pusher 20 joins seamlessly and symmetrically a guide member 25, which is arranged centrally to the central axis 32 of the actuating part 11 and abuts the surface 26 at. The guide member 25 slides in the axial displacement of the actuating member 11, with its longitudinal side surfaces 39 along the back of the abutment 23 of the contact insert 5 along and limited with its free end 40, the displacement of the actuating member 11 within the insulating housing 4th
At the lower edge 34 of the actuating part 11, a second pusher member 27 is arranged. This lower pusher member 27 is formed essentially of two webs 35, starting from the outer side edge 36, towards the center of the actuating member 11, rising, formed. The two webs 35 are connected by a radius 37 at the apex 45. Each web 35 forms an inclined plane 38, on the surface 41 of the tool 18 slides.

Figure 3 shows the connector 2 of the invention from the Fig.1 with open clamping system, which can be actuated for example by one of the side access openings 15, 16. The clamping system consists of the inside of the insulating housing 4 movably arranged operating part 11 and the contact insert 5 with connected Spring elements 7. After insertion of the tool 18 through one of the through openings 15, 16, the tool 18 slides along the inclined plane 38 of the web 35 of the lower pusher 27 along and moves the actuator 11 axially until it has reached its end position 42. The end position 42 of the displacement path for opening the clamping system is on the one hand by the stop of the guide member 25 and on the other hand by the lower pusher member 27, which comes in the lower housing half 43 of the insulating 4 comes to rest. The end position of the displacement of the operating part 11, for clamping the electrical conductors 13, is determined by the vertex 45 which is located in the radius 37 of the two inclined planes 38 of the lower pusher 27 and the contact insert 5. If the end position 42 of the operating part 11, for removing the electrical conductor 13 is reached, so the clamping system is in the open state, the two inclined planes 30 of the upper pusher 20, the two clamping legs 44 of the leg springs 8 lifted from the electrical conductors 13, so the electrical conductors 13 can now be removed easily and quickly. For actuating the clamping system or the actuating part 11, the tool 18 in the through-openings 15, 16 are also used like a lever.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

terminal

2

Connectors

3

circuit board

4

Insulated

5

contact insert

6

band material

7

Spring element

8th

Leg spring

9

female contact

10

pin contact

11

actuating member

12

Passageway

13

Electrical conductor

14

nip

15

Opening (side)

16

Opening (side)

17

Opening (front surface)

18

Tool

19

front surface

20

Pusher part (upper)

21

groove

22

flap

23

abutment

24

gap

25

guide element

26

area

27

Pusher part (upper)

28

upper edge

29

shutter

30

Inclined plane

31

transverse side

32

central axis

33

radius

34

lower edge

35

Stege

36

lateral outer edge

37

radius

38

inclined plane

39

along side surfaces

40

free end

41

sliding surface

42

end position

43

Case half (lower)

44

clamping leg

45

vertex

Claims (17)

1. Connecting terminal (1), in particular a plug-type connector (2) for electrical contacting and for arrangement on a printed circuit board (3) for at least one electrical conductor (13)

   - having an insulation housing (4) which is stackable or arranged in block construction,

   - having at least one contact insert (5) formed from flat tape material (6), wherein the tape material (6) is connected with at least one spring force element (7) in the form of a torsion spring (8),

   - having a bushing contact (9) for placing of the connecting terminal (1) on a pin contact (10) of a printed circuit board (3) or an electrical device,

   - having an actuating part (11) for opening the terminal points (14) which comprises at least one through channel (12) for passing through an electrical conductor (13),

   characterised in that the actuating part (11) is accessible with a tool (18) for axial displacement in the insulation housing (4) at a plurality of points arranged orthogonally to each other, so that the actuating force can act perpendicular to the printed circuit board.
2. Connecting terminal according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the insulation housing (4) contains a plurality of openings (15, 16, 17).
3. Connecting terminal according to claim 2,
   characterised in that
   at least one opening (15, 16) is a through access opening which is suitable for through access for a tool (18).
4. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 2 - 3,
   characterised in that
   an opening (17) in the insulation housing (4) is an actuating part opening which is closed through the actuating part (11).
5. Connecting terminal according to claim 4,
   characterised in that
   the closure (29) of the actuating part opening (4) is formed by a first pusher part (20) arranged on the actuating part (11).
6. Connecting terminal according to claim 5,
   characterised in that
   the actuating part (11) is formed from an essentially rectangular flat form, on one surface (26) of which the first pusher part (20) and a second pusher part (27) and a guide element (25) are arranged.
7. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 5 - 6,
   characterised in that
   the first pusher part (20) contains two through channels (12).
8. Connecting terminal according to claim 7,
   characterised in that
   the through channels (12) are arranged symmetrically to a middle axis (32).
9. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 7 - 8,
   characterised in that
   centrally between the through channels (12) a groove (21) is arranged in the first pusher part (20).
10. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 5 - 9,
    characterised in that
    on the first pusher part (20) two oblique planes (30) are formed which are located on transverse sides (31) of the first pusher part (20).
11. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 5 - 10,
    characterised in that
    the first pusher part (20) is in a wedge form.
12. Connecting terminal according to claim 8,
    characterised in that
    a guide element (25) is symmetrically arranged around the middle axis (32) of the actuating part (11).
13. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 8, 12,
    characterised in that
    the guide element (25) defines an axial displacement path of the actuating part (11).
14. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 5 - 13,
    characterised in that
    the pusher part (27) is formed by two webs (35) which are connected to each other via a radius (37).
15. Connecting terminal according to claim 14,
    characterised in that
    the two webs (35) form oblique planes (38).
16. Connecting terminal according to claim 15,
    characterised in that
    the oblique planes (38) extend in a climbing manner from an outer edge (36) towards the middle axis (32).
17. Connecting terminal according to one of the claims 15 - 16,
    characterised in that
    the oblique planes (38) form a sliding surface for the tool (18).

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