Contacting unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9246243-B2
Application number	US-201314417602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2013
Priority date	Aug 16, 2012
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a contacting unit (t) for electrical conductors or pin contacts ( 8 ). Contacting units ( 1 ) of this kind are used for reversibly contacting said conductors or pin contacts ( 8 ) in an electrical and mechanical manner. In the present invention, the spring force that acts on a conductor or pin contact ( 8 ) to be connected can be variably adjusted. To this end, the free, spring-loaded length of a spring contact member ( 11 ) is varied by means of a sliding element ( 20 ). As a result of the variation of the spring-loaded length of the spring contact member ( 11 ), the spring force is increased in the case of a shortening and is correspondingly reduced in the case of an extension.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A contacting unit for electrical conductors and pin contacts,
consisting of a spring contact member ( 11 ) provided in a contact chamber ( 2 ),
wherein the spring contact member ( 11 ) has a free end ( 12 ) and a fixed end ( 13 ),
wherein the free end ( 12 ) is formed from at least two legs, wherein a first spring force leg ( 14 ) rests against a lateral surface ( 4 ) of the contact chamber ( 3 ),
wherein a second contact leg ( 15 ) protrudes into the contact chamber ( 3 ) on a lateral surface ( 5 ) that is opposite the lateral surface ( 4 ), and forms a free, spring-loaded length of the free end ( 12 ),
wherein the contact leg ( 15 ) is used for contacting an electrical conductor or pin contact to be inserted between the contact leg ( 15 ) and the lateral surface ( 5 ),
wherein a sliding element ( 20 ) is provided between the spring force leg ( 14 ) and the lateral surface ( 4 ), against which sliding element and the spring force leg ( 14 ) rests, and
wherein the sliding element ( 20 ) can be displaced along the spring force leg ( 14 ), characterised in that
the sliding element ( 20 ) can be moved into two maximum positions as well as into positions there between,
so that the free, spring-loaded length of the free end ( 12 ) of the spring contact member ( 11 ) can be finely varied and can be extended from the contact leg ( 15 ) to the spring force leg ( 14 ), and
in that the contact leg ( 15 ) contacts an inserted electrical conductor or pin contact in any position of the sliding element ( 20 ).

2. The contacting unit as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that
the sliding element ( 20 ) includes an actuator ( 21 ) that can be actuated from outside of the contact chamber ( 3 ).

3. The contacting unit as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that the sliding elements ( 20 ) of a plurality of contacting units ( 1 ) arranged next to each other are provided with a group actuator, by means of which all the sliding elements ( 20 ) can be actuated at the same time and which can be actuated from outside of the contact chamber ( 3 ).

4. The contacting unit as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that
the contacting unit ( 1 ) has a contact receptacle ( 16 ), wherein the contact receptacle ( 16 ) receives the spring contact member ( 11 ), is mechanically connected thereto and is disposed together therewith in the contact chamber ( 3 ).

5. The contacting unit as claimed in claim 4 , characterised in that
the contact receptacle ( 16 ) has a contact region ( 17 ), wherein the latter is provided between the contact leg ( 15 ) and the lateral surface ( 5 ) of the contact chamber ( 3 ).

6. contacting unit as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that
at least one contacting unit ( 1 ) is provided in an insulation body ( 2 ), which is formed as a plug-in connector or a terminal block.

7. The contacting unit as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that
the sliding element ( 20 ) has at least two, preferably more than two detents so as to be latched between the two maximum positions.

8. A plug-in connector for releasably contacting a mating plug-in connector, characterised in that the plug-in connector, for contacting an electrical conductor to be connected, has at least one contacting unit ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• HARTING Electronics GmbH

Inventors

• Schuetz Christian
• Pape Guenter

Classifications

• H01R4/52 Primary

  which is spring loaded · CPC title

• H01R4/4818

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R4/5083

  using a wedge · CPC title

• H01R4/489 Primary

  spring force increased by screw, cam, wedge, or other fastening means · CPC title

• H01R4/4846

  Busbar details · CPC title