Title of Invention

A CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS

Abstract

A connector for electrical conductors (6), comprising a metallic contact insert inserted into an insulating material housing (9), and having at least two contact-points, each contact-point being formed between between a leaf spring (5) and a current bar (3), which is common to all the contact points, the leaf springs (5) being punched out of a piece of spring steel sheet (4) in the form of tongues, joined with one another at their roots, the ends of the punched-out tongues each having a clamping edge directed towards the current bar (3), to form with the current bar a contact-point for the conductor (6), is characterised in that - each pair of leaf springs is punched out of the spring steel sheet (4) in a mirror symmetrical manner with respect to a central plane (7), so that the ends of their tongues are spaced apart from each other and form a punched-out portion, and the current bar (3) is in the form of a rod disposed in the punched-out portion (8) and in the central plane (7).

Full Text

This invention relates to a connector for electric conductors with an insulating material housing, into which a metallic contact insert with atleast two contact-points is inserted The contact-points are built up respectively between a flat leaf spring and a current bar, which is common to all the contact-points The flat leaf springs are punched out from a piece of spring steel sheet, in the shape of tongues, where the roots of the tongues remain connected with one another by means of the spring steel sheet The ends of the freely punched out tongues have each a respective clamping edge, which is directed towards the current bar, so that, with the current bar, it forms a respective contact-point for an electrical conductor to be connected Connectors of this type are known in many forms of construction, such as, as connectors for junction boxes They are produced in large numbers Reference is made to US patent No 3 945 711 of the applicant which discloses such connectors The object of the invention is to provide a metallic contact insert for the connectors of this type in such a manner that material can be saved as much as possible Accordingly, the present invention provides a connector for electrical conductors, comprising an insulating material housing, and a metallic contact insert inserted into said housing, said contact insert having at least two contact-points, -2- each of said contact-points being formed between between a leaf spring and a current bar, said current bar being common to all the contact points, said leaf springs being punched out of a piece of spring steel sheet in the form of tongues, the roots of said tongues remaining joined with one another through the spring steel sheet, and the ends of said punched-out tongues each having a clamping edge directed towards the current bar, so that it forms with the current bar a respective contact-point for an electrical conductor to be connected, characterised in that -each pair of leaf springs is punched out of said piece of spring steel sheet in a mirror symmetrical manner with respect to a central plane, so that the ends of their tongues are spaced apart from each other, and so that the spring steel sheet is punched away between said ends of the tongues forming a punched-out portion, and the current bar is in the form of a rod disposed in said punched-out portion and in the central plane In one embodiment, a plurality of pairs of leaf springs, which are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the central plane, are punched out of the piece of spring steel sheet, and a respective sheet material web is provided between each of the adjacent pairs of leaf springs In the contact insert according to the invention, a strict separation of function is maintained The current bar takes over only the function of current conducting and contacting of the electric conductor The piece of spring steel sheet with the flat leaf springs has only the task of application of the clamping force, that is, there is no flow of current over the spring material Accordingly, -3- the material for the respective components can be utilized in a better manner than in the case with combined functional tasks The components can thus be extremely optimised as regards saving of material The current bar according to a preferred embodiment, has a circular cross section and can be exactly matched to the respectively required current conducting cross-section, so that it can fulfill the exclusive task of current conducting and conductor-contacting The contact between a circular current bar rod and a single wire (massive) electric conductor plugged in a direction perpendicular to the current bar is very good The current bar can have any other form of cross section According to the theory of the present invention, the contact points lie in pairs, in a mirror symmetric manner with respect to a central plane, in which the current bar is positioned Thereby it results in a reduction (to half the length) of the length of the current bar, in the case of a specified number of contact points that also saves material The piece of spring steel sheet with the flat leaf springs, can, in the case of a plurality of contact-points, be matched well to the increased clamping forces arising thereof, where, during punching of the flat springs from the spring steel sheet, there remains a sheet material bar between the neighbouring flat spring pairs In a further embodiment of the invention, a particularly compact method of construction of the connector results when the spring steel sheet with the flat springs, arranged in mirror-symmetric manner with respect to the central plane, -4- is bent-over to have a V-shape The contact insert has consequently smaller outer dimensions and the setting angle of the flat springs to the current bar improves the insertion of the electrical conductor in the respective contact-point For a perfect mounting of the contact insert in the insulating material housing of the connector, it is advantageous when the piece of spring steel sheet, from which the flat springs are punched out, is pre-assembled along with the current bar to form one compact structure For this purpose, the spring steel sheet preferably has in the central plane, a receiver channel of U-shaped cross section for the reception of the current bar, and the current bar or rod preferably engages in the receiver channel A model example of construction according to the invention is explained in detail in the following description with the help of the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig 1 shows the contact insert as per invention, and Fig 2 shows the contact insert of Fig 1 in assembled state, in an insulating material housing. Fig 1 shows a current bar 3 in the form of a circular current carrying rail rod and a V-shaped bent piece of spring steel sheet 4 with flat springs 5 punched out of it A respective electric conductor 6 is clamped in each contact-point The contact-points are formed respectively between the ends of the tongues of the flat springs and the current carrying rail rod 3 -5- The flat springs 5 are punched out from a piece of spring steel sheet 5 and have the shape of tongues and in fact, each pair of flat springs are arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner with respect to a central plane 7 (see Fig 2) The ends of the tongues of such a flat spring-pair are spaced apart, and the sheet material between the ends of the tongues are punched off, so that there is a free punched out portion 8 The free punched out portion enables a direct contact between the current carrying rail rod 3, positioned in the free punched out portion and the electric conductors 6 In between the flat spring pairs, arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner, with any desired number of spring pairs positioned, near one another, in the direction of the current carrying rail rod 3, there is a respective sheet material web 11, which takes up the forces arising out of the conductor-clamping The contact insert formed by the current carrying rail rod 3 and the piece of spring steel sheet 4 along with the flat springs 5 is self-supporting, so that the forces arising out of the conductor clamping are not transmitted over to the insulating material housing of the connector The current carrying rail rod 3 is inserted in U-shaped receiver channel of the spring steel sheet and the flat spring tongues punched out of the piece of the spring steel sheet have a length, which is so measured, that the ends of the tongues in their assembled state (that is, in the state without an electric conductor inserted in the contact point) lie slightly behind the outer diameter of the current carrying rail rod, by means of which there occurs a pre-assembling -6- (pre-fixing) of the current carrying rail rod in the U-shaped receiving channel of the spring steel sheet Alternatively, or additionally, the desired pre-assembling of the contact insert can also take place by means of clamp-fit (clamping seat) of the current bar or rod in the U-shaped receiver channel. The pre-assembled contact insert, as shown in Fig 2, is positioned through a front-sided mounting hole into the clamping-insulating material housing 9, whereafter the mounting opening is closed by means of a front-sided insulating material covering 10 The insulating material covering 10 fixes the contact insert in the insulating material. -7- WE CLAIM: 1 A connector for electrical conductors (6), comprising an insulating material housing (9), and a metallic contact insert inserted into said housing, said contact insert having at least two contact-points, each of said contact-points being formed between between a leaf spring (5) and a current bar (3), said current bar being common to all the contact points, said leaf springs (5) being punched out of a piece of spring steel sheet (4) in the form of tongues, the roots of said tongues remaining joined with one another through the spring steel sheet, and the ends of said punched-out tongues each having a clamping edge directed towards the current bar (3), so that it forms with the current bar a respective contact-point for an electrical conductor (6) to be connected, characterised in that- each pair of leaf springs is punched out of said piece of spring steel sheet (4) in a mirror symmetrical manner with respect to a central plane (7), so that the ends of their tongues are spaced apart from each other, and so that the spring steel sheet is punched away between said ends of the tongues forming a punched-out portion (8), and the current bar is in the form of a rod disposed in said punched-out portion (8) and in the central plane (7) -8- 2 Connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of leaf springs, which are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the central plane (7), are punched out of the piece of spring steel sheet (4), and a respective sheet material web (11) is provided between each of the adjacent pairs of leaf springs 3 Connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piece of spring steel sheet (4) is bent-over in a V-shaped manner in said central plane 4 Connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piece of spring steel sheet (4) has, in the central plane (7), a receiver channel of a U-shaped cross-section for receiving the current bar rod (3) 5 Connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein said current bar rod (3) is locked in position in said receiver channel 6 Connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said current bar rod (3) has a circular cross-section -9- 7 A connector for electrical conductors substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings Dated this 27th day of November, . 1997 -10- A connector for electrical conductors (6), comprising a metallic contact insert inserted into an insulating material housing (9), and having at least two contact-points, each contact-point being formed between between a leaf spring (5) and a current bar (3), which is common to all the contact points, the leaf springs (5) being punched out of a piece of spring steel sheet (4) in the form of tongues, joined with one another at their roots, the ends of the punched-out tongues each having a clamping edge directed towards the current bar (3), to form with the current bar a contact-point for the conductor (6), is characterised in that - each pair of leaf springs is punched out of the spring steel sheet (4) in a mirror symmetrical manner with respect to a central plane (7), so that the ends of their tongues are spaced apart from each other and form a punched-out portion, and the current bar (3) is in the form of a rod disposed in the punched-out portion (8) and in the central plane (7).

Documents:

02235-cal-1997-abstract.pdf

02235-cal-1997-claims.pdf

02235-cal-1997-correspondence.pdf

02235-cal-1997-description(complete).pdf

02235-cal-1997-drawings.pdf

02235-cal-1997-form-1.pdf

02235-cal-1997-form-2.pdf

02235-cal-1997-form-3.pdf

02235-cal-1997-form-5.pdf

02235-cal-1997-pa.pdf

02235-cal-1997-priority document.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-abstract.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-claims.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-correspondence.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-description (complete).pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-drawings.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-examination report.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-form 1.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-form 2.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-form 3.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-form 5.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-letter patent.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-pa.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-priority document.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

2235-cal-1997-granted-specification.pdf