Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-24
2004-07-20
Gilman, Alex (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S188000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06764356
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection terminal for connecting at least two lines, comprising a first clamping block to which a first line can be electrically and mechanically connected and a second clamping block to which a second line can be electrically and mechanically connected.
2. Related Prior Art
Such connection terminals are generally known in the prior art.
These connection terminals are available for example in specialty stores as individual parts and are used for example to connect lamps to electrical lines. For this purpose, such connection terminals normally comprise at least two connection parts each consisting of two clamping blocks of electrically conducting material, which are integrally connected to one another, as well as an insulating casing in which the connection parts are arranged.
Each connection part comprises a retaining through bore as well as threaded bores running transversely thereto. The ends, with their insulation removed, of the lines to be connected are inserted into the retaining bores on either side, and these ends are clamped in the retaining bores by screws screwed into the threaded bores. In this manner, a pair of two lines can be electrically and mechanically coupled by a single connecting part. It is also known to insert several lines at one side in the retaining bore, so that an incoming line can simultaneously be connected with several outgoing lines.
Such connection terminals are generally known as lustre terminals.
On the other hand, such connection terminals are also used for connecting transformers, motors, etc. It is known to configure such connection terminals directly, integrally with the housing of the device to be connected, although the connection terminals can also be formed as separate parts secured to the housing of the electrical device by screws or locking.
It is also known to configure the clamping block not as screw connectors but as insulation displacement connectors, where cutting elements are provided in the retaining bores between which the inserted line is clamped and simultaneously contacted.
A so-called temperature limiter is necessary for safety reasons in numerous electrical devices, which normally comprises a bimetal switch and is connected in series with a supply line of the electrical device, so that the operating current of the electrical device flows through the temperature limiter. The temperature limiter is normally thermally coupled to the electrical device to be protected by the limiter, so that a temperature increase of the electrical device leads to a temperature increase of the temperature limiter.
When the temperature of the electrical device to be protected exceeds an allowable upper limit, a bimetal element disposed in the switch is deformed in a known manner and interrupts the current flow to the electrical device. Depending on the configuration of the temperature limiter, it can be provided with a so-called self-holding function, which ensures that the temperature limiter does not switch on again even after the electrical device has cooled off.
It is also known to provide such temperature limiters with a current dependency, so that they respond additionally or exclusively when a certain current value is exceeded, whereby the electrical device is protected against an excess current.
The mounting of such temperature limiters on an electrical device to be protected, normally by hand, is done independently of the connection of the electrical device itself by means of the above-mentioned connection terminal. Frequently, connecting lines of the temperature limiter must be soldered onto contacts of the electrical device to be protected.
An electrical device is known from DE 195 05 342, in which a receptacle is provided for an encapsulated temperature dependent switching mechanism, which is clamped between an external terminal of the device and a terminal part connected directly to the device. From this document, it is also known to provide a receptacle space at the electrical device into which two connecting elements extend between which the encapsulated temperature dependent switch is clamped. A short circuit plug can also be inserted instead of the temperature dependent switch to test the electrical device during fabrication before mounting the temperature dependent switch.
All of the discussed measures for connecting a temperature dependent switch or temperature limiter to an electrical device to be protected have the disadvantage that they either cannot be automated at all or require complicated manipulations, where, for example, first a short circuit plug is plugged in, removed after testing and then the desired temperature dependent switch is inserted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a simplified, preferably automated assembly of an electrical device equipped with a temperature limiter, where the solution should have a simple construction.
According to the present invention, this object is essentially solved in that the connection terminal as mentioned at the outset comprises a receptacle into which a temperature limiter comprising at least two terminals, preferably two terminal legs, can be plugged in, and into which two connection elements extend, each being connected at their first end to one of the two clamping blocks and at their second end, preferably automatically, contacting a terminal, preferably an associated terminal leg of a temperature limiter, when plugging in same in the receptacle.
The inventors of the present application have found that surprisingly structural modifications of the connection terminal allow a plug-in contact of the temperature limiter so that a series connection of the temperature limiter between the clamping blocks results by simply plugging in the temperature limiter in the receptacle, so that the temperature limiter can be arranged in series with the supply line of the electrical device. This procedure can be automated, because after wiring the connection element the only additional step is to plug in the temperature limiter. Contacting of the temperature limiter to the connection elements is established for example by the insulation displacement technique, although it is also possible to provide screw clamping means. In this case, after plugging in the temperature limiter in the receptacle, only two screws need be tightened down, which however can also be performed automatically, as is the case with wiring the connection element to the lines.
Furthermore, the new connection element allows a rapid and simple assembly and connection of the temperature limiter by hand, for example when a small lot is to be produced or the devices are produced with a lesser degree of automisation.
The new connection terminal can not only be employed for the protection of transformers, motors, etc., where it is secured to the housing in one way or another, rather it can also be used in various fields where protection by a temperature limiter of a device to be connected is possible retroactively in the simplest manner. For example, it is possible to replace the common lustre terminal on a lighting means with the new connection terminal, which only requires a few hand manipulations. With the new connection terminal including the inserted temperature limiter it is now, for example, possible to protect against overheating lighting means previously unmonitored with respect to their temperature development. As is generally known, the lustre clamps in the housing of the lighting means are frequently arranged directly adjacent to the lamp means, so that an overheating results when the rating of the lamp means is too high, which then leads to an increase in the temperature of the lustre clamp, which can be seen over and again with lustre clamps that are charred or deformed by the effects of heat. If the new connection terminals are used instead of the known lustre clamps, an inadmissibly high temperature has the result that the power supply to the lighting means
Becher Michael
Güttinger Edwin
Gilman Alex
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Thermik Geraetebau GmbH
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