ES2377145T3 - Self-sealing connection terminal of an insulated electrical conductor and electrical apparatus comprising said terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

Connection terminal (110, 120) of at least one insulated electrical conductor (1), comprising a receiving housing (114, 124) of said conductor and a metal groove (115, 125) provided with at least one lip shear that extends perpendicularly to an axial direction (X2) of introducing said conductor into said receiving housing, characterized in that said receiving housing (114, 124) and said groove (115, 125) belong to a single and same part ( 112, 122) adapted to be elastically deformed by a drive means (150) such that the slit (115, 125) and the receiving housing (114, 124) are movable in translation according to the longitudinal direction of said slit between a disconnecting position in which said electrical conductor (1) can be introduced or removed from said receiving housing (114, 124), and a connection position in which said groove (115, 125) is arranged there placed on said insulated electrical conductor (1).

Description

Self-locking connection terminal of an insulated electrical conductor and electrical apparatus comprising said terminal.

Technical field to which the invention relates

The present invention relates in general to the connection terminals called self-stripping, whether they are connection terminals intended to intervene in isolation, for example for the connection of one electrical conductor to another, or of connection terminals which, being an integral part of the box of any electrical device or properly placed in this box, are intended for the connection, to this device, of the electrical conductor (s) necessary for its service.

It refers more particularly to a connection terminal of at least one insulated electrical conductor, comprising a receiving housing of said conductor and a metal groove provided with at least one cutting lip that extends perpendicularly to an axial direction of introduction of said driver in said reception accommodation.

Technological background

In particular, from US 6,080,006, EP 0 889 545 and FR 2 575 609, electrical appliances are known which comprise connection terminals of the aforementioned type, in which the bare metal groove is integral with a Socket closed by a cover provided with the reception housing of the insulated electrical conductor.

The electrical conductor is then partly housed in said receiving housing and then the cover is beaten over the socket so that the electrical conductor is inserted into the groove, according to an introduction direction parallel to the cutting lips of the groove. The cutting lips locally cut and move the insulating envelope of the electric conductor in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the latter, so that a part of its conductive soul is located at the bottom of said groove and makes electrical contact with the terminal.

The main drawback of such electrical devices is that their connection terminals do not reliably ensure a good electrical connection.

In fact, during assembly in a box of one of these electrical devices previously connected to the network, the electrical conductors connected to the means of said electrical terminals are driven outwards. During their outward drive, the electrical conductors can move and partially exit said connection grooves, which alters the electrical connection.

On the other hand, from US 6,146,186 a complex connection device is known which comprises, in a box, a connection sheet provided with a groove whose edges are not sharp. It also comprises a stripping spring associated with the groove of the connection sheet. The spring comprises, on the one hand, a fixed branch provided with a window that forms a receiving housing of a conductor and a groove with the cutting edges leading to the receiving housing, and, on the other hand, a mobile branch provided with another window that also forms a driver's reception housing. The fixed spring branch is positioned in the housing against the connection sheet so that the groove with the cutting edges is positioned in front of the groove with the non-cutting edges of the connection sheet.

To connect a conductor to this connection device, the mobile spring branch is elastically deformed with the help of the tip of a tool in order to position its window in front of the fixed branch window, the conductor is introduced into the two windows superimposed of the spring under tension and then the tension applied to the mobile branch of the spring is relaxed, so that the mobile branch moves to return to its resting position. During its movement, the movable branch forces the conductor to pass through the groove with the cutting edges of the fixed branch to undress it locally and introduces the bare metal core of the conductor through the groove with the non-cutting edges of the connection sheet.

Thus, according to this document, the receiving housing and the peeling groove (with the cutting edges) belong to a fixed part of the connection terminal, are therefore immobile, and it is the electrical conductor that moves in translation along the branch mobile spring between an insertion position in the receiving housing and a connection position in the groove with the non-cutting edges of said connection sheet.

Finally, from EP 1 296 413 a connection device is known in which there is no automatic stripping of the electrical conductor, but a spring that is adapted only to apply the bare core of the electrical connector against an interconnection piece.

Object of the invention

With respect to the state of the art cited, the present invention proposes a new self-sealing connection terminal

as defined in claim 1.

Thus, advantageously, in the connection terminal according to the invention, the electrical connection is made by displacing the slit towards the insulated electrical conductor introduced in said receiving housing, 5 while the electrical disconnection is effected by displacing the slit moving away from said driver. This makes it possible to ensure the quality of the electrical connection during the outward drive in a recessed box of the connected electrical conductors, since, even if said electrical conductors move during their outward delivery, this has no influence on the state of the electrical connection with said terminal, unlike the prior art terminals, in which the electrical connection is made

10 by moving the electric conductor towards the peeling groove.

Other non-limiting and advantageous characteristics of the connection terminal according to the invention are the following:

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said part is shaped so that, in the rest state, the groove and the receiving housing 15 are positioned in the connection position and, in the deformed state, are positioned in the disconnection position;

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said actuating means comprises a pivoting lever fixed to said part;

20 - the pivoting lever comprises at least one stud that meshes with said part;

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said part comprises at least one groove intended to accommodate said gear pin of the pivoting lever;

25 -the pivot lever is adapted to pivot at an angle between 30 and 45 degrees, preferably equal to about 40 degrees;

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said part comprises a bent portion that forms an elastic deformation zone;

30 - said part comprises a insert comprising said slit leading to said receiving housing, this insert being fixed to said angled portion;

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said insert comprises in parallel two grooves that flow respectively into two receiving housings; 35 -said part is a metal monoblock piece obtained by cutting, forming and / or folding.

The invention also proposes an electrical apparatus comprising an insulating box that houses connection terminals of the aforementioned type and which flows laterally outwards through through openings that form

40 entries in said receiving housings of said connection terminals for insulated electrical conductors, the rear part of said insulating box being arranged to receive said actuation means of said connection terminals such that they are accessible from outside of the box and, in the connection position, be positioned backwards of the rear face of said box.

45 Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment

The following description referring to the attached drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will more clearly show what the invention consists of and how it can be carried out.

50 In the accompanying drawings:

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Figure 1 is an exploded and perspective schematic view of an electrical apparatus according to the invention;

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Figure 2 is an assembled schematic view taken on one side of the electrical apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view according to the plane B-B of Figure 2;

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Figure 4 is an enlarged view of detail D of Figure 3;

60-Figure 5 is a sectional view according to the plane A-A of Figure 2; Y

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Figure 6 is an enlarged view of detail C of Figure 5.

In Figures 1 and 2 an electrical apparatus is represented, in this case an outlet, comprising an insulating socket or box 10 closed at the front by a trim 20.

The case 10 is in this case of a square parallelepipedic shape with side walls 10A and a bottom 10B that delimit an inner housing 11. Two opposite side walls 10A of the box 10 each have, protruding from its outer face, two crimping teeth 15 for mounting by crimping the electrical appliance on a device holder not shown.

The trim 20 is in the form of a plate 21 whose square contour is bordered by a fallen edge 22. The plate 21 has on its rear face a cylindrical wall 24 that internally delimits an X-axis well 23 that empties into the center of the front face of said plate 21. This well 23 is intended to receive the body of a plug (not shown). It is closed at the rear by a bottom 25 (see Figures 3 and 5) perforated by three openings (not visible in the figures) for the passage of three connecting pins. The cylindrical wall 24 of the bezel 20 comprises on its outer face teeth 26 for its engagement on the box 10.

When the trim 20 is placed on the box 10, its plate 21 closes the front opening of the box and its cylindrical wall 24 fits into the inner housing 11 of the box, engaging the teeth 26 thereof under a complementary part of the box. box. The fallen edge 22 of the bezel 20 rests on an outer peripheral step 12 of the box 10.

The bottom of the inner housing 11 of the box 10 houses three electrical connection terminals 110, 120, 130 of at least three insulated electrical conductors 1 for the connection to the network of said electrical apparatus, which are a phase 110 terminal, a neutral terminal 120 and an earth terminal 130.

The phase 110 and neutral terminals 120 each comprise a socket 111, 121 for receiving a plug of a plug (not shown) inserted in the well 23 of the bezel 20. For this purpose, each of said cells 111, 121 it is positioned in the box 10 in the area of a passage opening provided in the bottom 25 of the well 23. In a manner known per se, each socket 111, 121 is defined inside a clamp intended to clamp a connecting pin of plug that passes through the corresponding passage opening of bottom 25 of well 23.

The ground terminal 130 comprises a grounding pin 131 that passes through the third passage opening of the bottom 25 to emerge in the well 23. The grounding pin 131 is intended to be inserted into a socket receiving socket connected to the hole 23 of the electrical appliance.

In a manner known per se, the rear face of the bottom 25 of the well 23 of the bezel 20 of the electrical apparatus has, at its center, an axis on which a shutter 30 is mounted in rotation whose slats are interposed between the passage openings provided in the bottom 25 of the well 23 and the alveoli 111, 121 of the connection terminals 110, 120. The slats of the shutter 30 have ramps facing said passage openings of the bottom 25 of the well 23. Thus, the two pins of connection of a plug inserted in the well 23 of the electrical apparatus is supported on said ramps to cause rotation of the shutter 30 and the retracking of the slats in order to allow their insertion into the alveoli 111, 121 of the terminals of connection 110, 120 of the electrical appliance. The shutter 30 is permanently attracted to its closed position of the passage openings of the bottom 25 of the well 23 by means of a spring-wire not visible in the figures.

As more particularly, Figures 1, 3 and 5 show, each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 is a self-sealing terminal comprising a receiving housing 114, 124 of an insulated electrical conductor 1 and a metal groove 115, 125 provided with at least one cutting lip that extends perpendicularly in an axial direction X2 of introduction of said conductor 1 into said receiving housing 114, 124.

Each slit 115, 125 comprises two cutting lips that extend on both sides of a mouth in a plane perpendicular to the X2 axis (see Figure 1). The cutting lips of each slit 115, 125 may be arranged in parallel or slightly in V.

Each cutting lip of the groove 115, 125 is capable of locally cutting and displacing the insulating envelope of the insulated electrical conductor 1 in a direction perpendicular to the X2 axis of the latter, so that a part of its conductive soul is housed in the bottom of said slot 115, 125 and make the electrical contact with the terminal.

Each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 comprises in this case two parallel grooves 115, 125 and two receiving housings 114, 124 associated for the electrical connection of an isolated electrical conductor 1 of power supply from the network and a conductor Electrical insulated 1 repair.

According to a particularly advantageous feature, the receiving housing 114, 124 and the associated groove 115, 125 of each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 belong to the same metallic part 112, 122, 132 adapted to be elastically deformed by means of drive 150 such that the slot 115, 125 and the receiving housing 114, 124 are adapted to move in translation according to the longitudinal direction (parallel to the X axis) of said slot 115, 125 between a disconnected position, in which said electrical conductor can be introduced or removed from said receiving housing (see Figure 3), and a connection position in which said groove is astride said insulated electrical conductor (see the

figure 5).

The part 112, 122, 132 of each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 comprising each slot and each associated receiving housing, is intended to be positioned inside the box 10 of the electrical apparatus in the vicinity of the inner face of a side wall 10A provided with through openings 16, 26 for the introduction of insulated electrical conductors 1 of a given diameter in said corresponding receiving housings (see Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Said part 112, 122, 132 of each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 comprises in this case the two grooves 115, 125 and the two associated receiving housings 114, 124.

Preferably, said part 112, 122, 132 of each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 is shaped so that, in the idle state, each groove and each receiving housing are positioned in the connection position and, in the state deformed, they are positioned in the disconnected position.

Thus, advantageously, in each of said connection terminals 110, 120, each slot 115, 125 naturally has a tendency to astride the insulated electrical conductor 1 introduced in the corresponding receiving housing 114, 124 to establish the electrical connection between the conductive soul of said conductor and said connection terminal.

Said part 112, 122, 132 of each connection terminal 110, 120, 130 is a monobloc metal sheet obtained by cutting, forming and / or folding.

It comprises a bent portion 112A, 122A that forms an elastic deformation zone and a insert 112B, 122B which comprises in parallel each groove 115, 125 which flows into each corresponding receiving housing 114, 124. The elastic deformation of each angled portion 112A, 122A causes translational displacement according to the longitudinal direction (parallel to the X axis) of each insert 112B, 122B.

Contrary to its fixing area to said insert 112B, 122B, the bent portion 122A, 122A of each of said parts 112, 122 is extended by a flat portion 112C, 122C which is fixed by an elbow to a tongue 112D, 122D which it extends in parallel and in front of said insert 112B, 122B. This tab 112D, 122D is intended to be positioned against an inner partition 17 of the box 10 such that said insert 112B, 122B comprising the peeling slits 115, 125 and the associated receiving housings 114, 124 are placed against the inner face of the side wall 10A of the box 10 in front of the through-through openings 16, 26 of the insulated electrical conductors (see Figures 3 and 5).

In the case of phase 110 and neutral terminals 120, said tab 112D, 122D of each part 112, 122 is fixed to one end of a U-wall 113, 123 whose other end forms the clamp that delimits the socket 111, 121 receiving a plug. Phase 110 and neutral 120 terminals are in this case monobloc pieces made by cutting, forming and / or folding a metal sheet.

In the case of the earth terminal 130, said flat portion that joins said elbowed portion and said tongue of said part, has the ground pin (see Figure 1).

According to the example shown, the actuating means which allows the corresponding part 112, 122, 132 of each connecting terminal 110, 120, 130 to be elastically deformed comprises a pivoting lever 150 fixed to said part 112, 122, 132.

Each pivoting lever 150 is made in one piece, for example by molding a plastic material. It comprises a flat body 152 having two parallel wings 151 that extend in cantilever from the flat body 152 along a longitudinal axis Y. Each wing 151 has a stump 155 in the vicinity of its free end 151A designed to be pivotally mounted on a inner bearing (not visible in the figures) of the box 10.

Each pivot lever 150 comprises at least one stud that meshes with said part of the corresponding connection terminal. For this, said part comprises at least one window intended to accommodate said gear pin of the pivoting lever.

As figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 show more particularly, each insert 122B, 122B of each part 112, 122 of each connection terminal 110, 120 comprises under each reception housing 114, 124 a window 116, 126 (square contour) housing a stud 153 provided at the free end 151A of each wing 151 of each pivot lever 150.

Each pivot lever 150 is adapted to pivot at an angle A2 between 30 and 45 degrees, preferably equal to about 40 degrees (see Figure 3).

Advantageously, the rear part of said box 10 of the electrical apparatus is arranged to receive said three

pivoting levers 150 of said connection terminals 110, 120, 130 such that they are accessible from outside the box 10 and, in the connection position, are positioned rearward of the rear face of said box 10 (see figure 5).

More particularly, the rear face of the box 10 in this case comprises three recesses 13 that extend in parallel over the entire width of the box 10. These recesses 13 are closed at one end only by the side wall 10A of the box 10 provided with through openings 16, 26.

The recesses 13 are at this end partially closed at the rear by a insert 14 whose free edge supports the pivoting levers 150 in the disconnected position (in projection of the rear face of the box 10) (see Figure 3) . In addition, at this end, each recess 13 flows into the interior of the box 10 through a slot provided in the bottom 10B of the box 10. Each insert 112B, 122B of each part 112, 122 of each connection terminal 110, 120 is projects into a recess 13 through one of said recesses so that its windows 116, 126 (square contour) are accessible to the lugs 153 provided at the free ends 151A of the wings 151 of the corresponding pivoting lever 150 housed in sunk saying 13.

Figures 3 and 4 show more particularly the neutral terminal 120 in the disconnected position. In this position, the pivoting lever 150, in projection of the rear face of the box 10, forms an angle A2 of approximately 40 degrees with the X3 axis of the recess 13 of the box 10. Push parallel to the X axis to said part 122 of the terminal into the box 10 elastically folding its angled portion 122A so that its flat portion 122C forms an angle A1 of approximately 85 degrees with the X axis of the well 23, thus facing each receiving housing 124 of said insert 122B at a through opening 16 of the corresponding side wall 10A of the box 10.

An insulated electrical conductor can then be easily inserted or removed into a receiving housing 124 of the neutral terminal 120 through the corresponding through opening 16 of the box.

The pivoting lever 150 is stable in this disconnection position, since it has two opposite supports on the box 10. It is supported against the free edge of the insert 14 and has, in opposition to this support, a plateau 154 resting against the bottom of the sunken 13.

Figures 5 and 6 show more particularly the phase terminal 110 in connection position.

To move from the disconnection position (shown in Figure 3) to the connection position (represented in Figure 5), the user simply pivots the pivoting lever 150 in the angle A2 in order to accommodate it in the recess 13 of the box 10.

In this connection position, the pivoting lever 150 extends along the axis X3 of the recess 13 backwards of the rear face of the box 10. In this way, it is prevented from being hooked by any external element during the external manipulations of the apparatus electric.

In this connection position, the pivoting lever 150 exerts (or no longer exerts) any thrust on said part 112 of the phase terminal 110 and this naturally adopts its resting position (by displacement in translation parallel to the X axis) in which its angled portion 112A is deployed, its flat portion 122C extends at 90 degrees with respect to the X axis and each slit 115 faces a through opening 16 of the corresponding side wall 10A of the box 10.

Thus, in this position, each slot 115 is astride the insulated electrical conductor inserted in the corresponding through opening 16 of the box 10 to establish the electrical connection between the metallic core of the conductor and said connection terminal.

It will be noted that between the disconnection position (see Figure 3) and the connection position (see Figure 5) each slit and each associated receiving housing are moved in translation according to a longitudinal direction parallel to the X axis in order to approach the groove to the insulated electrical conductor immobilized in the corresponding through opening 16 of the box 10. The connection and disconnection are then carried out in this case by displacement of the stripping means with respect to the electrical conductor and not by displacement of the electrical conductor with respect to to the peeling means.

The present invention is not limited at all to the embodiment described and represented, but the person skilled in the art will know how to provide any variant according to the following claims.

Claims (8)

1. Connection terminal (110, 120) of at least one insulated electrical conductor (1), comprising a receiving housing (114, 124) of said conductor and a metal groove (115, 125) provided with at least a cutting lip 5 extending perpendicularly to an axial direction (X2) of introducing said conductor into said receiving housing, characterized in that said receiving housing (114, 124) and said slit (115, 125) belong to a single and same part (112, 122) adapted to be elastically deformed by a drive means (150) such that the slit (115, 125) and the receiving housing (114, 124) are mobile in translation according to the longitudinal direction of said slit between a disconnected position in which said The electrical conductor (1) can be introduced or removed from said receiving housing (114, 124), and a connection position in which said groove (115, 125) is arranged astride said insulated electrical conductor (1). 2. Connection terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said part (112, 122) is formed of 15 so that, in the idle state, the slit (115, 125) and the receiving housing (114, 124) are positioned in the connected position and, in the deformed state, are positioned in the disconnected position. 3. Connection terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said actuating means comprises a pivoting lever (150) fixed to said part. 4. Connection terminal according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pivoting lever (150) comprises at least one pin (153) that engages with said part. 5. Connection terminal according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said part (112, 122) comprises at least one window (116, 126) intended to accommodate said gear pin (153) of the pivoting lever (150). 6. Connection terminal according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the pivoting lever (150) is adapted to pivot at an angle between 30 and 45 degrees, preferably equal to about 30 40 degrees. 7. Connection terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said part (112, 122) comprises a bent portion (112A, 122A) that forms an elastic deformation zone. Connection terminal according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said part (112, 122) comprises a insert (112B, 122B) comprising said recess (115, 125) which flows into said receiving housing (114, 124), this insert (112B, 122B) being fixed to said angled portion (112A, 122A). 9. Connection terminal according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said insert (112B, 122B) comprises in parallel two grooves that flow respectively into two receiving housings. 10. Connection terminal according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said part (112, 122) is a metal monobloc piece obtained by cutting, forming and / or folding. Electrical device comprising an insulating box (10) that houses connection terminals (110, 120, 130) according to any of the preceding claims and which flows laterally outwards through through openings (16) that form inputs in said receiving housings (114, 124) of said connection terminals (110, 120) for insulated electrical conductors, the rear part of said insulating box being arranged to receive said actuation means (150) of said connection terminals of such that they are 50 accessible from the outside of the box and which, in the connection position, are positioned rearward of the rear face of said box.