AU2020239755B2

AU2020239755B2 - Terminal block arrangement with pick-off terminal

Info

Publication number: AU2020239755B2
Application number: AU2020239755A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Martin Gebhardt; Moritz KRINK
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2019-09-25
Filing date: 2020-09-24
Publication date: 2022-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-24
Also published as: DE102019125746A1; CN112563775A; AU2020239755A1; CN112563775B

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a terminal block arrangement (10), having a terminal block (20) having an insulating housing (21) in which at least one current bar (30; 31) is ac 5 commodated, wherein the terminal block (20) has a respective conductor connection (32; 33), via which an electrical conductor can be contacted with a current bar (30; 31). At least one bridge shaft (22; 23) is provided on the terminal block (20), via which a current bar (30; 31) of the terminal block (20) is electrically connectable by means of a cross connector to a current bar of a further terminal block. A pick-off terminal (40; 40') is plugged into at least one such o bridge shaft (22; 23) of the terminal block (10), which has a busbar (41), which electrically contacts a current bar (30; 31) of the terminal block (20). (Figure 3) 3/6 42 324 26 33 Fig33

Description

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Fig33

Terminal block arrangement with pick-off terminal

The invention relates to a terminal block arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1, having a terminal block with an insulating housing in which at least one current bar is accom modated, wherein the terminal block has a respective conductor connection, via which an elec trical conductor can be contacted with this current bar. Furthermore, at least one bridge shaft is provided on the terminal block, via which such a current bar of the terminal block is electri cally connectable by means of a cross connector to a current bar of a further terminal block.

o In electrical connection or terminal technology, terminal blocks are often used, which are snapped onto a common mounting rail next to one another in order to thus form a larger ter minal block module. Each terminal block has an insulating housing having one or more open ings for inserting a respective electrical conductor in order to contact the conductors with a current bar or a busbar in the housing of the terminal block. Conductor connections, which can be designed in a variety of ways, are provided within these openings. An electrical conductor is connected to a busbar of the terminal block via such a conductor connection. For example, it is a screw connection, a tension spring connection, or a simple plug connection.

In order to interconnect different terminal blocks having equal potential, typically so-called po o tential bridges or cross connectors are used. Such a cross connector can be designed, for example, as a jumper having multiple plugs, which are plugged into bridge shafts of two adja cent terminal blocks. A cross connector then contacts the current bar of a terminal block within a bridge shaft.

In addition to openings for connecting electrical conductors, a terminal block can have further openings that can be used, for example, for connecting a test plug. Such a test plug is known from DE 200 02 713 U1, which is plugged into an opening and contacts a conductor connection there. The conductor connection is in particular a tension spring connection. The test plug is designed as a multilayered folded stamped/bent part having two contact webs. A first contact web contacts the conductor connection, while a second contact web is designed to latch with the housing of the terminal block.

A terminal block arrangement is also known from DE 295 14 711 U1, in which further openings are also provided in the housing of a terminal block for accommodating a test plug. A test plug contacts a conductor connection, such as a tension spring connection, through these open ings.

The invention is based on the object of providing a terminal block arrangement in which a pick off terminal is attached in an advantageous manner.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal block arrangement, having a terminal block having an insulating housing in which at least one cur rent bar is accommodated, wherein the terminal block has a respective conductor connec o tion, via which an electrical conductor can be contacted with a current bar, and at least one bridge shaft is provided on the terminal block, via which a current bar of the terminal block is electrically connectable by means of a cross connector to a current bar of a further terminal block, wherein a pick-off terminal is plugged into at least one bridge shaft of the terminal block, the pick-off terminal having: a busbar, which electrically contacts a current bar of the terminal block, a test socket, which is electrically connected to the busbar of the pick-off terminal, and a terminal point for connecting an electrical conductor and wherein the busbar of the pick-off terminal electrically contacts the current bar of the ter o minal block by being inserted into a bridge hole in the current bar.

Advantageous refinements of the terminal block arrangement result from dependent claims 2 8.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal block module having at least one terminal block arrangement in accordance with the first aspect of the invention described above, and a further terminal block wherein a current bar of said further terminal block is electrically connected by means of a cross connector to a current bar of said terminal block arrangement by the cross connector being introduced into a bridge shaft of the further terminal block and a bridge shaft of the terminal block of said terminal block arrange ment.

The terminal block arrangement according to one embodiment has a terminal block having an insulating housing, in which at least one current bar is accommodated. Furthermore, it has a respective conductor connection, via which an electrical conductor can be contacted with a current bar. For this purpose, an electrical conductor is inserted through an opening into the insulating housing and contacted there with a current bar via the conductor connection. The electrical conductor is pressed against the current bar by spring force, for example, but other contact mechanisms can also be used. In particular, a conductor connection is designed, for example, as a screw connection, bolt connection, tension spring connection, or simple plug connection.

At least one bridge shaft is provided on the terminal block, via which a current bar of the ter minal block is electrically connectable by means of a cross connector to a current bar of a o further terminal block. A current bar is then, for example, in the lower region of such a bridge shaft. If multiple terminal blocks are mounted adjacent to one another on a mounting rail, they can be interconnected via cross connectors, which are plugged into the bridge shafts and con tact the respective current bar there.

According to the invention, a pick-off terminal is plugged into at least one such bridge shaft of the terminal block. This pick-off terminal has a busbar that electrically contacts a current bar of the terminal block. The busbar of the pick-off terminal thus contacts the current bar of the terminal block within the bridge shaft, for example, in its lower region.

o Thus, the invention provides a terminal block arrangement having a pick-off terminal, which offers an additional possibility of contacting further conductors via a separate tapping point. The pick-off terminal is plugged in a simple manner into a bridge shaft of the terminal block provided in any case, so that for this purpose, for example, a further opening does not have to be provided in the housing of the terminal block, as is the case with known test and check plugs. A terminal block can thus also be used with and without additional pick-off terminal, without its structure having to be modified for this purpose.

A further advantage of the invention is that a user only ever has to select one modular basic terminal and also obtains one or more power outputs later by plugging in the pick-off terminal, without having to dispense with only one functional element of the basic terminal. Isolating function, test function, and the terminal points remain available. Depending on the application, the pick-off terminal can remain permanently in the basic housing of the terminal block. Alter natively, it can be used only for short-term connections, as is the case, for example, in startup and test applications.

In one embodiment of the invention, the busbar of the pick-off terminal contacts the current bar of the terminal block by being pushed into a bridge hole in the current bar. The pick-off terminal thus uses a bridge hole in the current bar for contacting the terminal block, which is otherwise used for contacting a cross connector.

The pick-off terminal preferably has a test socket which is electrically connected to the busbar of the pick-off terminal. In particular, it is a 4 mm test socket. In this way, a full-fledged test socket can be provided with the pick-off terminal. Various standard test plugs can be adapted to this test socket.

The pick-off terminal is introduced into the bridge shaft in a suitable manner such that a se curely contacted connection results with the current bar of the terminal block. In one embodi ment of the invention, the pick-off terminal has for this purpose, for example, a terminal hous ing, which is held in the bridge shaft of the terminal block such that the busbar of the pick-off terminal is connected securely contacted to the current bar of the terminal block. The outer contour of the terminal housing is then adapted to the inner contour of the bridge shaft in the region which is inserted into the bridge shaft. In addition, latching structures can also be pro vided which hold the pick-off terminal in the bridge shaft. The holding force of the latching structures can be overcome by pulling hard on the pick-off terminal.

The pick-off terminal can be shaped and attached to the terminal block such that other open ings on the terminal block are still freely accessible. For example, these are one more sockets or one more openings for introducing an electrical conductor. In another embodiment of the invention, the pick-off terminal is shaped and attached in such a way that it covers another opening on the terminal block. For example, the pick-off terminal covers the opening of a socket of the terminal block.

In one embodiment of the invention, the pick-off terminal has a terminal point, via which an electrical conductor can be electrically contacted with the busbar of the pick-off terminal. The pick-off terminal provides a further option for contacting a conductor. This terminal point pref erably also has a conductor connection like a direct terminal point on the terminal block. The conductor connection can also be designed here as a screw connection, bolt connection, ten sion spring connection, or simple plug connection.

The terminal block of the terminal block arrangement according to the invention can have one or more current bars and thus also one or more bridge shafts. In an embodiment having two current bars and two bridge shafts, a pick-off terminal is introduced into one or both bridge shafts.

There is also described a terminal block module, having multiple terminal blocks and at least one terminal block arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention. At least one terminal block thus has a bridge shaft having a plugged-in pick-off terminal. The respective current bar of at least two terminal blocks is electrically connected by means of a cross con o nector to a current bar of a further terminal block, by introducing the cross connector into a bridge shaft of the respective terminal block.

Further advantages, special features, and expedient refinements of the invention result from the dependent claims and the following illustration of preferred exemplary embodiments on the basis of the figures.

In the figures

Figure 1 shows a side view of one embodiment of the terminal block arrangement ac o cording to the invention with a housing cover;

Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of a terminal block arrangement according to Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through a terminal block arrangement according to Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional view of one embodiment of a pick-off terminal for a terminal block arrangement according to the invention with a cover;

Figure 5 shows a pick-off terminal according to Figure 4 without a cover; and

Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of the terminal block arrangement according to the invention having two pick-off terminals.

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of the terminal block arrangement 10 according to the invention with a housing cover. The housing cover 21b is part of a housing of a terminal block 20. The housing 20 forms an insulating housing 21 for the terminal block 20 having multiple openings. Furthermore, various functional components of the terminal block 20 are accommodated in the insulating housing 21. The housing cover 21b covers a housing frame 21a, in which various openings are formed and various functional components are ac commodated. The structure of a terminal block 20 shown in the figures is only to be understood as an example and serves only to explain the invention. In particular, the outer contour of the insulating housing 21 and the design and arrangement of functional components can therefore o be selected differently.

Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of a terminal block arrangement according to Figure 1, while Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through this. It can be seen from Figure 3 that the terminal block 20 has two current bars 30 and 31 which are accommodated in the insulating housing 21. Each of these current bars 30, 31 is accessible via a bridge shaft 22, 23, respec tively. A bridge shaft 22, 23 is formed as a shaft within the insulating housing 21 and extends at least to the respective current bar 30, 31. Preferably, a bridge shaft 22, 23 extends further than the respective current bar 30, 31. Furthermore, a current bar 30, 31 has a bridge hole 34, 35 in the region of a bridge shaft 22, 23, respectively. If a cross connector is plugged into a o bridge shaft 22, 23 (not shown), it extends into the bridge hole 34, 35 and contacts the current bar 30, 31 in this region.

The terminal block 20 furthermore has two sockets 24 and 25, which are also contacted with a respective current bar 30, 31 of the terminal block 20. However, these sockets 24, 25 are to be regarded as optional functional components. In addition, two terminal points 26 and 27 are provided in the terminal block 20. These are formed by a respective opening within the insu lating housing 21 and have a conductor connection 32, 33. An electrical conductor to be con nected to the terminal block 20 is inserted into an opening and contacted there via a conductor connection 32, 33 with a current bar 30, 31. Different types of conductor connections can be used. The embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 provides, for example, a spring-loaded plug connec tion. When inserting a conductor, a spring is compressed, which can be done by the conductor itself, a tool, or a pusher of the conductor connection. Due to the spring force of the spring, the conductor is then tensioned in a contacting manner between the spring and the current bar 30, 31.

As can be seen from Figures 1 to 3, a pick-off terminal 40 is plugged into a bridge shaft 22. The pick-off terminal 40 covers the socket 25 of the terminal block 20. The pick-off terminal 40 has a busbar 41 which contacts the current bar 31 of the terminal block 20 in the bridge shaft 22. This is done by inserting the busbar 41 into the bridge hole 35 of this current bar 31.

The pick-off terminal 40 has a terminal point 44 for connecting an electrical conductor. This terminal point 44 also has a conductor connection in the form of a spring-loaded plug connec tion and provides a further connection option for an electrical conductor. For this purpose, the conductor connection is electrically connected to the busbar 41 of the pick-off terminal 40. The o pick-off terminal 40 furthermore has a test socket 42 which is also electrically connected to the busbar41.

Figures 4 and 5 show three-dimensional views of this pick-off terminal, wherein Figure 4 shows a pick-off terminal 40 with a cover, while Figure 5 shows this pick-off terminal 40 without a cover. This embodiment of a pick-off terminal is also to be understood only as an example. The cover is part of a terminal housing 43 which has a housing cover 43b which covers a housing frame 43a. Various functional components of the pick-off terminal 40 are accommo dated in the housing frame 43a and the busbar 41 protrudes from this housing frame 43a.

o The test socket 42 is in contact with the busbar 41. The same applies to the conductor con nection 45 of the terminal point 44. Furthermore, a pusher 46 is optionally provided for the conductor connection 45, using which a spring of the conductor connection can be moved. The conductor connection 45 can, however, also be configured differently, for example as a screw connection, bolt connection, or tension spring connection. The terminal housing 43 of the pick-off terminal 40 in particular forms a protruding arm in which the busbar 41 extends. This arm is inserted into a bridge shaft and can optionally have means for latching the take-off terminal 40 with the insulating housing 21 of the terminal block 20. Furthermore, the terminal housing 43 preferably forms a contact surface 47 with which it rests against the insulating housing 21 of the terminal block 20 after it has been introduced into a bridge shaft 22.

Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of the terminal block ar rangement 10 according to the invention with two pick-off terminals 40 and 40'. Each of these pick-off terminals 40, 40' is plugged into a respective bridge shaft 22, 23 of the terminal block 20. Each of the pick-off terminals 40, 40'furthermore has a test socket 42, 42' and a terminal point 44, 44'. The two pick-off terminals 40, 40' cover the sockets 24, 25 of the terminal block 20 in this case.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "com o prise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

List of reference signs

terminal block arrangement 10, 10' terminal block 20 insulating housing 21 housing frame 21a housing cover 21b bridge shaft 22,23 socket 24,25 o terminal point 26,27 current bar 30,31 conductor connection 32,33 bridge hole 34,35 pick-off terminal 40, 40' busbar 41 test socket 42.42' terminal housing 43 housing frame 43a housing cover 43b o terminal point 44, 44' conductor connection 45 pusher 46 contact surface 47

Claims

1. Terminal block arrangement, having a terminal block having an insulating housing in which at least one current bar is accommodated, wherein the terminal block has a re spective conductor connection, via which an electrical conductor can be contacted with a current bar, and at least one bridge shaft is provided on the terminal block, via which a current bar of the terminal block is electrically connectable by means of a cross con nector to a current bar of a further terminal block, wherein a pick-off terminal is plugged into at least one bridge shaft of the terminal block, the pick-off terminal having: a busbar, which electrically contacts a current bar of the terminal block, a test socket, which is electrically connected to the busbar of the pick-off terminal, and a terminal point for connecting an electrical conductor, and wherein the busbar of the pick-off terminal electrically contacts the current bar of the terminal block by being inserted into a bridge hole in the current bar.

2. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pick-off terminal has a terminal housing, which is held in the bridge shaft of the terminal block such that the busbar of the pick-off terminal is connected securely to the current bar of the terminal block.

3. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, wherein the pick-off termi nal covers the opening of a socket of the terminal block.

4. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an electrical conductor can be electrically contacted with the busbar of the pick-off terminal via the terminal point.

5. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the terminal point has a con ductor connection.

6. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the conductor connection is designed as a screw connection, bolt connection, tension spring connection, or spring loaded plug connection.

7. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the terminal block has two current bars and two associated bridge shafts, and the pick-off terminal is introduced into one of the two bridge shafts.

8. Terminal block arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the terminal block has two current bars and two associated bridge shafts and a pick-off terminal is introduced into each of the two bridge shafts.

9. Terminal block module having at least one terminal block arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, and a further terminal block wherein a current bar of said further terminal block is electrically connected by means of a cross connector to a current bar of said terminal block arrangement by the cross connector being introduced into a bridge shaft of the further terminal block and a bridge shaft of the terminal block of said terminal block arrangement.