Modular system for producing an electrical unit and terminal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11289845-B2
Application number	US-201916764899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2019
Priority date	Jan 22, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A modular system for producing an electrical device includes: a plurality of terminal devices arrangeable on a printed circuit board to connect electrical conductors to the printed circuit board, the terminal devices each having a housing that has a connection side, arranged on which is a plug-in connection opening for insertion of an electrical conductor, and two lateral flanks, which are spaced apart from each other along a width direction and between which the connection side extends. A first terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices is a spring-force terminal. A second terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices is a screw-connection terminal. A housing of the first terminal device and a housing of the second terminal device have a same width, measured along the width direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular system for producing an electrical device, comprising:
a plurality of terminal devices arrangeable on a printed circuit board to connect electrical conductors to the printed circuit board, the terminal devices each having a housing that has a connection side, arranged on which is a plug-in connection opening for insertion of an electrical conductor, and two lateral flanks, which are spaced apart from each other along a width direction and between which the connection side extends,
wherein a first terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices comprises a spring-force terminal,
wherein a second terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices differs from the first terminal device by comprising a screw-connection terminal, and
wherein a housing of the first terminal device and a housing of the second terminal device have a same width, measured along the width direction.

2. The modular system according to claim 1 , wherein the lateral flanks extend parallel to each other.

3. The modular system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing of the first terminal device and the housing of the second terminal device each comprises a shape of a rectangle.

4. The modular system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a plurality of plug-in connection openings arranged on the connection side, next to each other in a row along the width direction.

5. The modular system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing of the first terminal device and the housing of the second terminal device attachable, by an underside, to the printed circuit board.

6. The modular system according to claim 5 , wherein the underside of the housing of the first terminal device and the underside of the housing of the second terminal device are equal in size.

7. The modular system according to claim 5 , wherein the housing of the first terminal device and the housing of the second terminal device have a same height, measured along a height direction, perpendicularly in relation to the connection side.

8. The modular system according to claim 5 , wherein the first terminal device and the second terminal device each have at least one electrical contact element, having at least one contact strut, protruding from the underside, for electrically contacting to the printed circuit board.

9. The modular system according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one contact strut of the at least one contact element of the first terminal device and the at least one contact strut of the at least one contact element of the second terminal device are arranged at a same location on the respective underside.

10. The modular system according to claim 1 , wherein the second terminal device has a screw-connection element configured to clamp the electrical conductor in the plug-in connection opening.

11. The modular system according to claim 1 , wherein the first terminal device has a spring element configured to lock the electrical conductor in position in the housing when the electrical conductor has been inserted in the plug-in connection opening.

12. The modular system according to claim 11 , wherein the spring element has an elastically adjustable clamping limb configured to lock the electrical conductor in position in the plug-in connection opening.

13. The modular system according to claim 12 , wherein the first terminal device has an element configured to elastically adjust the elastically adjustable clamping limb.

14. The modular system according to claim 13 , wherein a spring element extends around a bearing portion of the housing, the actuating element having an operative portion that encompasses the spring element in a region of the bearing portion.

15. The modular system according to claim 14 , wherein the actuating element has a body from which the operative portion extends along the width direction, and which is rotatably mounted in a bearing opening of the housing.

16. A terminal device for connecting an electrical conductor, comprising:
a housing, which has a plug-in connection opening for insertion of an electrical conductor;
a spring element, arranged on the housing and having an elastically adjustable clamping limb, configured to lock the electrical conductor in position in the plug-in connection opening when the electrical conductor has been inserted in the plug-in connection opening; and
an actuating element configured to elastically adjust the clamping limb,
wherein the spring element extends around a bearing portion of the housing, and
wherein the actuating element has an operative portion, which encompasses the spring element such that both the spring element and the actuating element encompass a region of the bearing portion, and a body, on which the operative portion is arranged and which is rotatably mounted in a bearing opening of the housing.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Geske Ralf
• Follmann Simon

Classifications

• H01R4/483

  Pivoting arrangements, e.g. lever pushing on the spring · CPC title

• H01R4/4821

  Single-blade spring · CPC title

• H01R12/75

  connecting to cables except for flat or ribbon cables · CPC title

• H01R12/716

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title

• H01R13/514 Primary

  composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them · CPC title