Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Insulating body having plural mutually insulated terminals...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2001-08-28
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Insulating body having plural mutually insulated terminals...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280259
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a link for an electrical mounting rack terminal which has two busbars one above the other. The invention also concerns a mounting rack terminal fitted with a link according to the invention.
Published European Patent Application EP 0 763 874 A2 discloses an electrical mounting rack terminal having a link, in which the busbars are disposed one above the other and have plug openings which are oriented so as to be aligned with one another and into which a link can be plugged for electrical connection. The link essentially includes two spring contacts which lie flat against one another and, in the region of their lower contact zone, which interacts with the lower busbar, or in their upper contact zone, which interacts with the plug opening in the upper busbar, have mutually complementary or opposite offsets. The spring contacts are held against one another at their upper ends above the upper contact zone such that they can be displaced. On entering the plug opening in the lower busbar, the two spring contacts are resiliently braced against one another in the plug openings.
Since, in the case of the above-described conventional link, contact is made virtually exclusively via the lateral narrow edges of the spring contacts, the contact area is disadvantageously small and may cause excessive heating.
In addition, Published European Patent Application EP 0 735 629 A1 discloses a terminal having a vertically oriented busbar, with a transverse link with which internal contact is made as a result of spreading or forcing the link apart.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a link for an electrical mounting rack terminal which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known links of this general type and which has a space-saving configuration, which is simple to produce and which also has an enlarged contact area. It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide an electrical mounting rack terminal.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a link for an electrical mounting rack terminal having a first busbar and a second busbar positioned at a distance from the first busbar, the first busbar being formed with a plug opening, the second busbar having a clamping web, the link including:
two elongate, adjacent spring contact members, having respective first end portions, respective second end portions opposite from the respective first end portions, the spring contact members being held firmly against one another at the first end portions and being resiliently movable at the second end portions;
the spring contact members having a central region between the first end portions and the second end portions, an upper contact zone in the central region of the spring contact members and a lower contact zone at the second end portions;
each of the spring contact members having a first offset region provided at the upper contact zone and having a second offset region provided at the lower contact zone, the first and the second offset regions providing an enlarged spacing between the spring contact members at the upper and lower contact zones; and
the spring contact members having an exterior region at the upper contact zone and an interior region at the lower contact zone, the spring contact members being configured to provide a pressure contact when inserted into the plug opening of the first busbar such that the exterior region at the upper contact zone forms a contact to the first busbar, the spring contact members being configured to interact with the clamping web and being configured to be spread apart at the lower contact zone for forming a contact to the second bus bar at the interior region.
The spring contact members are preferably made of metal wire with a rectangular cross section.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the first end portion of each spring contact member is provided with an offset and with neighboring lateral cut-away portions, so that two spring contacts can be connected so as to engage in one another in a formfitting manner.
Preferably, an electrically insulating grip part is provided on the first end portion. The grip part can be made of plastic. The grip part preferably encloses the spring contacts.
The first end portion of each spring contact is expediently provided with a cutout for latching or locking the grip part to the first end portion.
The second end portion of each spring contact preferably has lateral chamfers to facilitate plugging the link into an electrical mounting rack terminal.
The two spring contacts are preferably identical and produced by punching or stamping.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the link can be latched or locked to a housing of the mounting rack terminal, wherein the housing holds the first and second busbars and the link. When the link is latched, the region of the link's first end portion terminates essentially flush with an outer contour of the housing, so that the link cannot be grasped from the outside when inserted. In this case, the link cannot be pulled out without the use of force or without partially destroying it, so that the two busbars are permanently connected to one another.
According to an alternative feature of the invention, the link can be latched or locked to a housing of the mounting rack terminal, wherein the housing holds the first and second busbars and the link. When the link is latched, the region of the link's first end portion protrudes beyond an outer contour of the housing by a grasping portion, so that, when inserted, the link can be grasped from the outside by the grasping portion and can be pulled out.
According to a further feature of the invention, the grip part may be provided with a latch which interacts with the housing of the mounting rack terminal. The link may be provided with a grasping portion. The grasping portion can be provided with at least one grasping projection which can interact with a tool.
With the objects of the invention in view there is also provided, an electrical mounting rack terminal, including:
a first busbar formed with a plug opening;
a second busbar positioned at a distance from the first busbar and having a clamping web;
a link including two elongate, adjacent spring contact members, the spring contact members having respective first end portions, respective second end portions opposite from the respective first end portions, the spring contact members being held firmly against one another at the first end portions and being resiliently movable at the second end portions;
the spring contact members having a central region between the first end portions and the second end portions, an upper contact zone in the central region of the spring contact members and a lower contact zone at the second end portions;
each of the spring contact members having a first offset region provided at the upper contact zone and having a second offset region provided at the lower contact zone, the first and the second offset regions providing an enlarged spacing between the spring contact members at the upper and lower contact zones; and
the spring contact members having an exterior region at the upper contact zone and an interior region at the lower contact zone, the spring contact members providing a pressure contact when inserted into the plug opening of the first busbar such that the exterior region of the upper contact zone forms a contact to the first busbar, the spring contact members interacting with the clamping web and being configured to be spread apart at the lower contact zone for forming a contact to the second bus bar at the interior region.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a link for an electrical mounting rack terminal which has two busbars one above the other, and in a mounting ra
Gerd Conrad and Heinrich Hölscher
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Nguyen Phuongchi
Paumen Gary
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