This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 10 2020 119 865.5, which was filed in Germany on Jul. 28, 2020 and which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a conductor terminal, including insulating housing, the insulating housing having a conductor insertion opening for inserting an electrical conductor in a conductor insertion direction, including a busbar and including a clamping spring, the clamping spring having a clamping leg, which, together with the busbar, forms a clamping point for the electrical conductor, and including an actuating element, the actuating element being movably supported in an actuating channel in the insulating housing and having an actuating section, the actuating interacting with the clamping leg in such a way that the clamping leg is displaceably designed to open the clamping point during a movement of the actuating element in the direction of the clamping leg, the actuating element being transferable from an initial position into an actuating position, and the clamping point being opened in the actuating position, and the actuating element being pivotably supported in a locking position in the actuating position, and the actuating element being lockable in the locking position.

Description of the Background Art

DE 10 2017 127 001 B3 discloses a conductor terminal, including an actuating element, the actuating element being arranged in an actuating channel. The actuating element may lock behind a locking shoulder in an actuating position when the clamping point is open. The pivoting into the locking shoulder takes place actively by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved conductor terminal.

In the case of a generic conductor terminal, it is proposed that an elastically deflectable spring lug is arranged on the conductor terminal, a spring force of the spring lug acting upon the actuating element at least in a position of the actuating element between the initial position and the actuating position.

An actuating mechanism may thus be provided in a structurally simple manner, which makes it possible to transfer the actuating element into a locking position in the actuating position with the clamping point opened, independently of the spring force of the clamping spring. The spring lug is therefore an element or component independent of and separate from the clamping spring. Once the actuating head had been pushed into the area of the locking position, the actuating element is pivoted into the locking position by the spring force of the spring lug, the actuating element being locked in the locking position, and the clamping point thus being opened.

The elastically deflectable spring lug may be arranged, for example, in the area of the actuating channel or directly in the actuating channel, the spring force pressing the actuating element into the locking position once the actuating element has been pushed from the initial position into the actuating position. The elastically deflectable spring lug may thus, in particular, be an integral part of the insulating housing or be formed as a single piece with the insulating housing. However, it is also conceivable that the elastically deflectable spring lug is arranged as a separate part in the area of the actuating channel or directly in the actuating channel.

It is conceivable that the spring force of the spring lug tends toward zero in the actuating position when the actuating element is pivoted into the locking position to relieve the spring lug when the clamping point is opened and to thus reduce wear phenomena.

In at least a position of the actuating element between the initial position and the actuating position, a spring force of the spring lug acts upon the actuating element. The spring lug is elastically deflectable against its spring force in a position of the actuating element between the initial position and the actuating position.

The deflection of the actuating element into the locking position may take place independently of the spring force of the clamping leg. The actuating element is transferred into the locking position solely by the spring force of the spring lug. However, it is also conceivable that the spring force of the clamping leg supports the pivoting of the actuating element into the locking position in addition to the spring force of the spring lug.

In particular, a spring lug is not a tool slot, the actuating element being able to be transferred into a locking position by an engagement of a tool with the tool slot. The spring lug is provided with an elastic design, i.e., in particular, the spring lug may return to its original shape after the effect of a force.

The initial position is the position in which the actuating element is situated when the clamping point is completely closed. In this state, the spring lug may be completely relaxed, i.e., the spring lug does not undergo an elastic deformation. The actuating position is the position in which the actuating element is situated when the clamping point is completely opened. In the actuating position, the actuating element may be pivoted, according to the invention, into the locking position by the spring force of the spring lug.

In the actuating position, the actuating element may be pivotably supported in a locking recess of the insulating housing. The actuating element may thus be transferred in a structurally simple manner into the locking position by the spring force of the spring lug.

However, it is also conceivable that the locking recess is arranged on the actuating element, the actuating element being pivotable in the actuating position by the spring force of the spring lug in such a way that the locking recess on the actuating element is locked with with the insulating housing, and the actuating element is held in the locking position.

The elastically deflectable spring lug may be arranged on an actuating head, which is diametrically opposed to the actuating section, a spring force of the spring lug acting upon the actuating element at least in a position of the actuating element between the initial position and the actuating position.

It has been shown that the locking mechanism according to the invention may be easily provided in that the elastically deflectable spring lug is arranged on the actuating head of the actuating element. The spring lug may be formed, for example, as a single piece from the actuating element.

The actuating element may be arranged essentially in parallel to the conductor insertion direction, the actuating element being movably supported in the insulating housing in the actuating channel in parallel to the conductor insertion direction.

In this way, a conductor terminal may be provided, the actuating element interacting with the clamping leg in such a way that the actuating element does not project into the conductor insertion area and thus does not unintentionally come into contact with an inserted electrical conductor.

This essentially means, in particular, that the actuating element does not have to be arranged exactly in parallel to the conductor insertion opening. Essentially means, in particular, that minor deviations from an exact parallelism are possible. For example, it is conceivable that the arrangement of the actuating element deviates, for example, 5° or 10° (in a 360° system) from an exact parallelism.

The spring lug may protrude on the side of the actuating head facing the conductor insertion opening. The spring lug may further advantageously protrude from the actuating head in the direction of the conductor insertion opening.

During the actuation operation, i.e., the transfer of the actuating element from the initial position into the actuating position, the spring lug is deflected against its spring force, the actuating element being pivoted by the spring force into the locking recess once it has reached the area of the locking recess.

The locking recess may be arranged on the side of the actuating channel facing away from the conductor insertion opening.

By arranging the locking recess on the side of the actuating channel facing away from the conductor insertion opening, the structural conditions of the insulating house may be used to provide a compact conductor terminal.

An opening may be arranged in the insulating housing, the opening extending from an outside of the insulating housing to the actuating channel. In particular, the opening may extend from the outside of the insulating housing to the actuating channel essentially perpendicularly with respect to the actuating channel.

Due to the opening, the actuating element may be easily transferred from the actuating position back into the initial position in that, for example, the actuating element may be guided out of the locking recess by an actuating tool, the actuating element being able to be guided back into the initial position, for example, by the spring force of the clamping leg.

The opening is designed, for example, as a releasing or resetting channel for the actuating element, the actuating element being transferable into the actuating channel from the locking recess.

It is also conceivable that a releasing element is arranged in the opening, the releasing element being configured to release the actuating element from the locking position in the locking recess, i.e., to pivot it back into the actuating channel.

The opening may extend into the area of the locking recess.

In this way, the possibility of releasing the actuating element in the actuating position is further improved, since the actuating element may be pivoted directly out of the locking recess into the actuating channel, for example with the aid of a tool or a releasing element.

It is conceivable, for example, that the opening extends adjacent to the locking recess. The opening may thus be arranged between the area of the opening and a pivot point of the actuating element, the pivot point being the point around which the actuating element may be pivoted into the locking recess and back again.

The spring lug may protrude at an angle from the actuating head.

An angled design of the spring lug may take place independently of the conductor insertion opening. The angled spring lug is completely relaxed in the initial position, so that no spring force of the spring lug acts upon the actuating element. The spring lug rests against a chamfer of the insulating housing, which advantageously runs at an angle with respect to the direction of the actuating channel. If the actuating element is transferred into the actuating position, the spring lug is elastically deformed against its spring force, the spring force acting upon the actuating element, and the actuating element being pivoted into the actuating position by the spring force of the spring lug in the locking recess.

It is also conceivable that the conductor terminal has a plurality of spring lugs, for example two, three or four. It is further conceivable that the conductor terminal is designed as a multi-pole conductor terminal, for example, as a two-pole, three-pole or six-pole conductor terminal, each point being assigned at least one clamping point, which are each formed from a busbar and a clamping spring.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes, combinations, and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

