The present invention relates to electrical connecting arrangements in general, and more particularly to a connector for connecting two electric conductors with one another.
There are already known various constructions of conductor connecting arrangements of the above type, among them such which include at least one current bar having at least one end portion which is bent backwards upon itself, and at least one clamping body which can be slid onto the bent-back end portion of the current bar from a central region of the current bar and serves for connecting an electrical conductor to the current bar. A conductor connector arrangement of this type, which is of a particular interest for use in high-current terminals or clamps, is known, for instance, from the German published patent application DE-A-No. 34 08 006. In conductor connector arrangements of this type, it is often necessary to connect relatively thick-wire conductors, so that it is essential to be able to lay the conductor freely onto the current bar first, and only then to slide the clamping body over the current bar and the conductor.
It is further known in principle to slide the clamping body of a screw connector arrangement in a guided manner on the current bar and over the conductor positioned on the current bar to the clamping location. Herein, the clamping body is guided to a certain extent and more or less in the correct position on the current bar itself, as disclosed in the Swiss patent CH-PS No. 392 658, or guides for the clamping body are provided in a complicated manner by correspondingly constructing and configuring the electrically conductive parts themselves and providing special guiding elements and arresting holders.
Such guiding possibilities are not conventionally provided or available in conductor connectors of the type discussed above. Moreover, it is to be considered that the positioning of the clamping body from the longitudinally central region of the current bar onto the bent-back end portion of the current bar requires, to begin with, a considerable amount of skill and that it would be especially difficult to perform this operation if it was desired to associate such a conductor connector with or accommodate it in a sort of an insulating material housing, for instance, for reasons of prevention of contact with electric current carrying elements