Installation switching device having a contact clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340097-B2
Application number	US-201715806353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Nov 28, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An installation switching device includes: a housing; and at least one contact clamp, which is arranged in the housing, for connecting at least one electrical conductor through a conductor insertion opening that is provided in the housing, the contact clamp including a clamping frame that has a rectangular cross section and a clamping screw that engages in a first narrow end side of the clamping frame and a clamping end of the clamping screw being cooperating with a section of a contact rail that is fixedly mounted in the housing of the installation switching device, the section being located within the clamping frame, so that a second narrow end side that lies opposite the first narrow end side and is connected thereto via two longitudinal sides that lie opposite one another presses an inserted connecting conductor against a surface of the contact rail that is remote from the clamping screw.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An installation switching device comprising:
a housing; and
at least one contact clamp, which is arranged in the housing, configured to connect at least one electrical conductor through a conductor insertion opening that is provided in the housing, the contact clamp comprising a clamping frame that has a rectangular cross section and a clamping screw that is configured to engage in a first narrow end side of the clamping frame and a clamping end of the clamping screw being configured to cooperate with a section of a contact rail that is fixedly mounted in the housing of the installation switching device, the section being located within the clamping frame, so that a second narrow end side that lies opposite the first narrow end side and is connected thereto via two longitudinal sides that lie opposite one another is configured to press an inserted connecting conductor against a surface of the contact rail that is remote from the clamping screw,
wherein a clamp covering part is coupled to the clamping frame,
wherein the clamp covering part has a tub-shaped cross section having two short arms that lie opposite one another and a connecting piece that connects the two short arms to one another,
wherein a first short arm is coupled to the first narrow end side and a second short arm that lies opposite the first short arm is coupled to the second narrow side, and
wherein the second short arm supports a skirt that protrudes over the second narrow end side in a direction facing away from the clamping screw.

2. The installation switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the tub-shaped cross-sectional contour of the clamp covering part is configured to be adjusted to a frame-type outer contour of the clamping frame so that the clamp covering part is configured to be slid on in a sliding-on direction perpendicular to a broad side of a housing half shell after assembling the clamping frame in a first housing half shell of the housing.

3. The installation switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp covering part supports two latching arms that lie opposite one another and protrude out from the skirt laterally and in a resilient manner in a region of the skirt and are configured to be latched in a releasable manner to an inner face of the housing when the contact clamp is in the assembled position.

4. The installation switching device according to claim 3 ,
wherein first latching elements are formed on the latching arms and second latching elements are formed on the inner face of the housing so as to cooperate in a latching manner when the connecting clamp is in an opened position.

5. The installation switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping frame comprises bent strip material, wherein the first end side comprises overlapping strip ends in which the clamping screw is configured to engage.

6. The installation switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the first short arm comprises a latching opening so that the first short arm is configured to be latched to the latching opening on the clamping screw.

7. The installation switching device according to claim 6 , wherein the latching opening is open on the narrow side of the first short arm that is remote from the connecting piece so that two free arms are formed at that location, as a result of which the first short arm is configured to slide onto the first end side whilst encompassing the clamping screw between the two free arms when the clamping frame has already been assembled in the housing.

8. The installation switching device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the housing supports at least one protruding portion that protrudes outwards from a housing wall in a region of the insertion opening.

9. The installation switching device according to claim 8 , wherein the protruding portion surrounds the insertion opening in a U-shaped manner.

10. The installation switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises an access opening configured to provide access for an actuating tool to the clamping screw, the access opening being dimensioned so small in its free diameter that it is not possible for a human finger to touch the clamping screw through the access opening.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Weber Ralf
• Muders Erwin
• Eppe Klaus-Peter
• Orban Alexander

Classifications

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H01R4/36

  Conductive members located under tip of screw · CPC title

• H01H9/02 Primary

  Bases, casings, or covers (accommodating more than one switch or a switch and another electrical component H02B1/26) · CPC title

• H01H71/08 Primary

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01R9/2433

  with built-in switch · CPC title