Actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10855002-B2
Application number	US-201716317780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A problem addressed by embodiments of the invention disclosed herein consists in devising a connection device in which field terminations can be released also in the installed state, i.e., the electrical conductors can be manually disconnected using a simple tool even if the insulating body is already installed in an attachment housing. To this end, an actuator is proposed which has an inclined engagement portion with an adjoining engagement edge and engagement step by which the actuator can be lifted out of the insulating body, also from the cable connection side, with a slotted screwdriver in a single lifting movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for:
enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and
fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising:
means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state, and
means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state,
wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state comprise an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion, and
wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state additionally comprise an application step that begins at the application edge and that is oriented away at an obtuse angle from the inclined application portion.

2. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state comprise at least one recess for application of a tool, wherein the recess is at least partly in the form of a slot, and/or at least partly cylindrical.

3. An actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for:
enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and
fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising:
means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state, and
means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state,
wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state comprise an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion, and
wherein the actuator additionally has an actuation recess having an inclined tensioning portion and, adjoining the inclined tensioning portion, a tensioning shoulder for actuating a cage clamp.

4. A connection device, comprising:
an actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for:
enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and
fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising:
means for bringing the actuator from the non-actuated state into the actuated state, and
means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state,
wherein the means for bringing the actuator from the actuated state into the non-actuated state comprise an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion;

the electrical connection contact, which comprises a conductor bar;
the insulating body, which has an actuation opening and a cable insertion opening for insertion of an electrical conductor; and
a cage clamp, arranged substantially between the actuation opening and the cable insertion opening, having a window recess by which, at least in the non-actuated state of the actuator, the window recess is arranged in the cable insertion opening, and which has a tensioning limb, which is arranged in a region of the actuation opening, for the purpose of acting in combination with the actuator.

5. The connection device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
in the actuated state of the actuator, the tensioning limb is in mechanical contact with an actuation recess of the actuator, and
in this case the cage clamp which, by the window recess, encompasses the electrical conductor, and draws the electrical conductor against the conductor bar for the purpose of connecting the electrical conductor in an electrically conductive manner, in the form of a clamping contact, to the connection contact.

6. A method for releasing a connection device that comprises:
an insulating body, which has an actuation opening and a cable insertion opening;
an electrical connection contact;
an actuator for enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into the insulating body in a non-actuated state, and for fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to the electrical connection contact in an actuated state; and
a cage clamp, which is arranged substantially between the actuation opening and the cable insertion opening of the insulating body, and has a window recess by which, at least in the non-actuated state of the actuator, the window recess is arranged in the cable insertion opening, and which has a tensioning limb, which is arranged in a region of the actuation opening, for acting in combination with the actuator, wherein the method comprises:
inserting a tool, from a direction of a cable connection side, into the actuation opening between the actuator and an outer wall of the insulating body such that the tool is first brought into mechanical contact with an inclined application portion of the actuator that extends from an upper end of the actuator downward and away from the outer wall of the insulating body, over an entire length thereof;
levering the actuator out of the insulating body by a first distance via a first portion of a lever movement such that the tool is thereupon automatically applied in a transitionless manner at an application edge of the actuator that has already been levered out of the insulating body by the first distance; and
levering the actuator out of the insulating body by a second distance via a second portion of the lever movement, thereby bringing the actuator into the non-actuated state.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein, during levering the actuator out of the insulating body by the first distance and the second distance, the actuator slides, with an inclined tensioning portion of an actuation recess of the actuator, along the tensioning limb of the cage clamp, and tensions the cage clamp, as a result of which the window recess is pushed deeper into the cable insertion opening, in order to release the electrical conductor previously clamped therein by the window recess.

8. An actuator for a connection device for electrical conductors, for enabling an electrical conductor to be inserted into an insulating body in a non-actuated state, and for fixing and electrically contacting the electrical conductor to an electrical connection contact in an actuated state, the actuator comprising:
an actuator body having an inclined application portion that extends from an upper end of the actuator body downward and toward a receiving area for the electrical conductor and an application edge that adjoins the inclined application portion, wherein the inclined application portion and the application edge collectively enable the actuator body to be moved from the actuated state into the non-actuated state via a continuous lever movement, and wherein the actuator body includes an application step that begins at the application edge and that is oriented away at an obtuse angle from the inclined application portion.

Assignees

• Harting Electric Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Lötkemann Irina
• Rüter Andreas

Classifications

• H01R4/4833 Primary

  Sliding arrangements, e.g. sliding button · CPC title

• H01R4/4816

  the spring shape preventing insertion of the conductor end when the spring is unbiased · CPC title

• H01R4/4827 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R4/4845

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R4/4836

  Electricity · mapped topic