Electrical connection terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9413085-B2
Application number	US-201314407481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 15, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

An electrical connection terminal includes a housing having a conductor insertion opening, a busbar disposed in the housing, and a spring element rotatably mounted in the housing and pivotable into an open position and into a closed position. In the closed position, a conductor inserted into the conductor insertion opening is clampable against the busbar via the spring element. The electrical connection terminal includes an actuating element which is rotatably mounted in the housing. The actuating element includes an actuating arm via which the spring element is configured to actuate so as to be transferred into the open position and into the closed position. The actuating element comprises a clearance adapted to the spring element into which the spring element is pivots during a pivot movement from the closed position into the open position, without triggering a rotational movement of the actuating element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical connection terminal, comprising:
a housing having a conductor insertion opening;
a busbar disposed in the housing;
a spring element which is rotatably mounted in the housing and is pivotable into an open position and into a closed position, wherein, in the closed position, a conductor inserted into the conductor insertion opening is clampable against the busbar via the spring element; and
an actuating element, which is rotatably mounted in the housing, that comprises an actuating arm via which the spring element is configured to be actuated so as to be transferred into the open position and into the closed position;
wherein the actuating element comprises a clearance which is adapted to the spring element and into which the spring element is configured to pivot during a pivot movement from the closed position into the open position, without triggering a rotational movement of the actuating element.

2. The electrical connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the spring element comprises at least one restoring spring portion via which the spring element is configured to be automatically transferred from the closed position into the open position.

3. The electrical connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the spring element is formed as a spring assembly comprising at least two springs, the springs projecting into the conductor insertion opening by different amounts.

4. The electrical connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element comprises a locking mechanism for holding the actuating element in a fixed position.

5. The electrical connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element comprises a tool insertion opening for actuating the actuating element via a tool.

6. The electrical connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element comprises a main body on which the actuating arm is formed, the main body having a greater thickness than the actuating arm.

7. The electrical connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises two conductor insertion openings, and two spring elements and two actuating elements are disposed in the housing, the two actuating elements being rotatable in opposite directions to one another and opposing each other such that the actuating arms of the actuating elements are disposed one behind the other in a separation direction.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Hoppmann Ralph
• Gebhardt Martin

Classifications

• H01R4/4854 Primary

  using a wire spring · CPC title

• H01R4/48 Primary

  utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member (H01R4/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/4836

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01R4/4835

  Mechanically bistable arrangements, e.g. locked by the housing when the spring is biased · CPC title

• H01R4/485

  Single busbar common to multiple springs · CPC title