Loop bridge for looping through a number of electrical signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468843-B2
Application number	US-201616060990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a loop bridge for looping through a number of electrical signals, comprising: a first electric module comprising a plurality of first electric connections, wherein the plurality of electrical signals are looped through the first electric module to a second electric module comprising a number of second electric connections; and a comb-shaped conducting element comprising a number of first prongs and a number of second prongs, wherein the first prongs are configured to be inserted into the first electric connections and the second prongs are configured to be inserted into the second electric connections, wherein the first prongs are connected to the second prongs in an electrically conductive manner, and wherein the first prongs and the second prongs are configured to be elastically deformed to be retained in a force-locking manner in the first and second electric connections, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loop bridge for looping through a plurality of electrical signals, comprising:
a first electric module comprising a plurality of first electric connections, wherein the plurality of electrical signals are looped through the first electric module to a second electric module comprising a number of second electric connections; and
a comb-shaped conducting element comprising a number of first prongs and a number of second prongs, wherein the first prongs are configured to be inserted into the first electric connections and the second prongs are configured to be inserted into the second electric connections, wherein the first prongs are connected to the second prongs in an electrically conductive manner, wherein the first prongs are configured to be elastically deformed to be retained in a force-locking manner in the first electric connections, and the second prongs are configured to be elastically deformed to be retained in a force-locking manner in the second electric connections, wherein the comb-shaped conducting element includes a first comb-shaped circuit board and a second comb-shaped circuit board, wherein the first comb-shaped circuit board comprises first partial prongs and second partial prongs, wherein the second comb-shaped circuit board comprises third partial prongs and fourth partial prongs, wherein the first comb-shaped circuit board and the second comb-shaped circuit board are positioned on top of each other, and the first partial prongs of the first comb-shaped circuit board and the third partial prongs of the second comb-shaped circuit board are at least partially positioned on top of each other, wherein respective pairs of the first and the third partial prongs positioned on top of each other form first prongs, and the second partial prongs of the first comb-shaped circuit board and the fourth partial prongs of the second comb-shaped circuit board are at least partially positioned on top of each other, and wherein respective pairs of the second and the fourth partial prongs positioned on top of each other form second prongs.

2. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein at least one prong comprises a prong aperture in the center of the prong, and wherein the prong aperture is defined on its sides by curved side walls, and wherein the curved side walls are configured to be elastically deformed.

3. The loop bridge according to claim 2 , wherein the prong aperture is completely enclosed by the curved side walls, or the prong aperture comprises an opening on its end on the side of the prong facing away from the comb-shaped conducting element.

4. The loop bridge according to claim 2 , wherein the curved side walls are configured to be elastically displaced during an insertion of the prong into a connection and are configured to be laterally displaced into the prong aperture, and wherein the prong is retained in the connection in a force-locking manner.

5. The loop bridge according to claim 2 , wherein the curved side walls curve outward in at least one of an arched shape, a triangular shape, or a flat shape.

6. The loop bridge according to claim 2 , wherein the comb-shaped conducting element comprises a single-piece design formed from a comb-shaped circuit board, and wherein the first prongs and the second prongs are formed on the comb-shaped circuit board.

7. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein the partial prongs are configured to be elastically deformed, wherein the partial prongs positioned on top of each other are offset against each other, and wherein the prong formed by the partial prongs positioned on top of each other is compressible when inserted into a connection.

8. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein the partial prongs positioned on top of each other are configured to be moved or configured to be displaced in relation to each other.

9. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein each partial prong comprises a lateral curvature, wherein the lateral curvatures of the partial prongs positioned on top of each other face away from each other, and wherein a respective prong is retained in a force-locking manner in a connection.

10. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first prongs are connected to the respective second prongs in pairs in an electrically conductive manner, and wherein each prong of the first prongs is connected to a respective prong of the second prongs in an electrically conductive manner.

11. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein at least one prone of the first prongs or the second prongs is insulated from a corresponding adjacent prone.

12. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein adjacent prongs are spaced apart by a recess configured to accept a bar on a housing of the electric module between two adjacent electric connections.

13. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an interface configured to make electrical contact with the first and the second prongs.

14. The loop bridge according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical signals are phase signals of a multi-phase signal.

15. The loop bridge according to claim 7 , wherein the partial prongs configured to be elastically deformed are configured to be compressed and subsequently configured to be expanded.

16. The loop bridge according to claim 12 , wherein the recess comprises a rectangular or rounded recess.

17. The loop bridge according to claim 13 , wherein the interface comprises a plug-in interface or a USB interface.

18. A connection arrangement for looping through a number of electric signals, the arrangement comprising:
a first electric module comprising a first terminal block comprising a number of first electric connections;
a second electric module comprising a second terminal block comprising a number of second electric connections; and
a loop bridge comprising a comb-shaped conducting element with a number of first prongs and second prongs, wherein the first prongs are inserted into the first electric connections and the second prongs are inserted into the second electric connections, wherein the first electric connections are connected to the second electric connections in pairs in an electrically conductive manner, wherein each electric connection of the first electric connections is connected to the respective electric connection of the second electric connections in an electrically conductive manner, wherein the first prongs are retained in the first electric connections by friction and the second prongs are retained in a force locking manner in the second connections.

19. The connection arrangement according to claim 18 , wherein at least one prong of the loop bridge comprises a prong aperture in the center of the prong, wherein the prong aperture is defined on its sides by curved side walls, and wherein the curved side walls are configured to be elastically deformed.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Schaper Elmar

Classifications

• H01R31/08 Primary

  Short-circuiting members for bridging contacts in a counterpart · CPC title

• H01R9/2491

  Terminal blocks structurally associated with plugs or sockets · CPC title