Auxiliary connector for a row of terminals

An auxiliary connector device connects a conductor with an electrical component mounted in a terminal block upon which the connector device is mounted, including a contact arrangement extending through aligned outlet and entry openings contained in the auxiliary connector device and the terminal block, respectively, thereby to connect with the electrical component a bus bar to which the conductor is clamped. The contact arrangement includes a contact screw rotatably connected at one end with the auxiliary connector device and in electrical engagement with the bus bar, the other end of the contact screw being threadably connected with the terminal block. Upon rotation of the screw in a given direction; a contact sleeve arranged concentrically about the screw is longitudinally displaced into electrical engagement with the electrical component. The auxiliary contact device is sectional, thereby to permit use of a selected one of a plurality of contact arrangements having different lengths.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

An auxiliary connector device connects a conductor with an electrical component mounted in a terminal block upon which the connector device is mounted, including a contact arrangement extending through aligned outlet and entry openings contained in the auxiliary connector device and the terminal block, respectively, thereby to connect with the electrical component a bus bar contained within the connector device and to which the conductor is clamped. The contact arrangement includes a contact screw rotatably connected at one end with the auxiliary connector device and in electrical engagement with the bus bar, the other end of the contact screw being threadably connected with the terminal block, said screw being rotatable to longitudinally displace the sleeve into electrical engagement with the electrical component.

2. Description of Related Art

The current state of the art requires a considerable effort if, on already assembled terminal block arrangements, a supply voltage is to be subsequently connected with the arrangement to supply power to electrical appliances, such as, for example, small systems with monitoring circuits, sockets or the like.

Against this background, the object of the present invention is to create a simply handled auxiliary connector for connecting a conductor to the terminal blocks, by means of which the above described problems can be solved, subsequently, without separating any of the existing conductor connections.

The auxiliary connector device of the present invention can be operated in a simple manner and, to that extent, in a simple and secure manner, makes it possible to tap a supply voltage on already installed and assembled terminal blocks.

The chosen design, by exchanging just a few elements—such a sleeve and screw contact assembly—facilitates an adaptation to the various structural spacing distances of terminal blocks provided with or without lateral distribution elements extending between a row of terminal blocks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary connector device mounted on a terminal block for connecting a conductor to an electrical component contained in the terminal block, use being made of a contact arrangement of a selected length extending from the electrical component to a bus bar mounted in the connector device and to which the conductor is clamped via entry opening contained in the terminal block and a corresponding outlet opening contained in the support body.

According to a more specific object of the invention, the contact arrangement comprises a conductive contact screw rotatably connected at one end with the auxiliary connector support body in electrical engagement with the bus bar, and a conductive tubular sleeve arranged concentrically about, and in electrical engagement with, the screw. At its free end, the extremity of the contact screw is threadably connected with the terminal block adjacent the electrical component, whereby upon rotation of the screw, the sleeve is displaced longitudinally toward engagement with the electrical component, whereby the bus bar is connected with the electrical component via the contact screw and the sleeve arrangement. The sleeve may be internally threaded for threaded connection with the contact screw, or it may be fixed upon the screw.

According to a further object of the invention, the auxiliary support member comprises a pair of hingedly connected body sections that are pivotable between closed and open positions, thereby to permit the selection of one of a plurality of contact screw-sleeve arrangements of different lengths in accordance with the spacing distance between the electrical component and the top surface of the terminal block upon which the auxiliary connector device is mounted. The support body contains a first access opening that permits rotation of the contact screw by means of an operating tool, such as the tip of a screwdriver. A second access opening permits access to a clamping screw for clamping the conductor to the bus bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring first more particularly toFIGS. 1aand1b, the auxiliary connector device1of the present invention includes a sectional generally-rectangular support body2that is longitudinally divided to define a pair of body sections2a,2bthat are hingedly connected by the flexible integral hinge strip3. As will be described in greater detail below, the body sections are pivotable between the open condition ofFIG. 1a, and the closed condition ofFIG. 1b, corresponding snap fastener pins20and openings21being provided for normally retaining the sections in the closed condition. The support body is formed from an electrically-insulating synthetic plastic material.

Mounted within a chamber contained in the support body2are a bus bar7, and a clamping device6including a conductive housing6aand a clamping screw6b. The clamping device serves to clamp to the bus bar a conductor C1that is inserted into the clamping device via an inlet opening14contained in one end of the support body. A contact arrangement8extends outwardly from the bottom of the support body via an orthogonally arranged outlet opening30, which contact arrangement includes a conductive internally-threaded contact sleeve12that is arranged in the outlet opening30, and a rotatable contact screw9that is threadably connected within, and extends concentrically through, the contact sleeve.

The support body2includes an integral tubular mounting lug13that is arranged concentrically about the outlet opening and extends downwardly concentrically about the contact sleeve12. The contact screw9includes a shaft portion that extends upwardly through an opening or slot contained in the bus bar7, which screw shaft portion terminates at its upper extremity in an enlarged head portion9athat is in electrical engagement with the upper surface of the bus bar. At its lower end9b, the screw shaft portion terminates in a threaded extremity that extends downwardly from the lower end of the contact sleeve12. The support body contains a first access opening15opposite the enlarged head portion9aof the contact screw, and a second access opening22opposite the head portion of the clamping screw6b.

According to an important feature of the invention, when the sectional support body is in the open condition ofFIG. 1a, the screw and sleeve contact assembly8may be replaced by a relatively-long contact assembly8′, as shown inFIG. 2, or by a contact assembly8″ of medium length, as shown inFIG. 3. As shown inFIGS. 4aand4b, the auxiliary connector device1is adapted for mounting on the top surface16cof a terminal block to connect the conductor C1to an electrical component contained in the terminal block. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4a, the electrical component that is engaged by the relatively short sleeve12of the contact means8is a cross-connecting distributor element18that extends transversely between a row of terminal blocks16a. This cross connector distributor element18is in electrical engagement with the individual internal bus bars17of each of the terminal blocks of the row. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4b, a contact assembly8′ of longer length is provided, wherein the conductor C1is directly connected with the internal bus bar17of an individual terminal block16bby the contact sleeve12′.

Referring toFIGS. 1cand4d, when the auxiliary connector1is mounted on the upper surface of the terminal block16, the tubular lug on the support body2and the associated contact assembly8′ extend into the entry opening34contained in the upper surface of the terminal block16b. The lower end9b′ of the contact screw extends through an opening or slot contained in the bus bar17and is threadably connected with a counterbore36defined within the entry opening34. The screw9′ may be of the self-tapping type, or, if the counterbore36is threaded, of a size and type suitable for connection with the screw threads of the counterbore. In either case, when the contact screw9is rotated in a given direction by the tip of a tool inserted into the access opening15, the sleeve12is axially threadably displaced longitudinally downwardly into electrical engagement with the upper surface of the bus bar17. Thus, the bus bar7contained within the auxiliary support body2is connected with the bus bar17contained within the terminal block16bvia the enlarged head portion9a′ of the contact screw, and the sleeve,12that is threadably connected with the shank portion of the contact screw, the lower extremity of the sleeve being is in electrical engagement with the upper surface of the individual bus bar17.

Similarly, in the multiple terminal block arrangement ofFIG. 4a, the contact assembly8is of a shorter length, so that the lower extremity of the sleeve12engages the upper surface of the transversely extending distributor member18. In this arrangement, the conductor C1is connected with the bus bars of the various terminal blocks of the row via the distributor element18.

Differing lengths of auxiliary accessory connections1on the other hand can be made in a simple manner by the selection or a corresponding screw length of the screw9, as shown inFIGS. 1a-3.

Secure protection against rotation or lateral displacement of the auxiliary connector on the terminal block is guaranteed by integral stabilizing projections23that extend downwardly from the bottom of the support body into correspond stabilizing recesses contained in the top surface of the terminal block.

The invention thus also creates an advantageous system of accessory connections, whereby the accessory connections of the system in each case display a screw/sleeve arrangement8with screws9and/or sleeves12, having differing lengths. Thus, a given conductor C1may be connected with the conductors C2and C3of a single terminal block, or with selected conductors of a row of terminal blocks. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4a, the contact screw9extends through openings in the bus bar7, the sleeve12, the electrical component18and the bus bar17, the free extremity of the screw being threadably connected within a corresponding bore contained in the associated terminal block of the row. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4b, the contact screw extends through openings contained in the bus bar7, the sleeve12, and the bus bar17, the end extremity of the screw being threadably connected with the counterbore36.

The clamping means6may be of the insulation piercing type, or of the type adapted for connection with the stripped bare end of an insulated conductor.

While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes the preferred form and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without deviating from the invention described above.