Connection element, arrangement and energy distribution system

A connection element for connecting an insulated electrical conductor includes: a clamping sleeve body in which a receiving space for the electrical conductor is formed; and a connection screw which has a screw head and a screw shaft and is introducible into the receiving space along an insertion direction of the connection screw via an opening formed on the clamping sleeve body. The receiving space has a first region and a second region which adjoins the first region. The first region forms a support region for the conductor and the second region forms a press-in region into which a subregion of the conductor arranged in the first region is pressed by the connection screw in a connected state. The second region has two opposite side walls against which strands of the conductor exposed by pressing in the conductor bear in an electrically contacting manner in the connected state.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2019/057218, filed on Mar. 22, 2019, and claims benefit to Belgian Patent Application No. BE 2018/5220, filed on Apr. 3, 2018. The International Application was published in German on Oct. 10, 2019 as WO 2019/192858 under PCT Article 21(2).

FIELD

The invention relates to a connection element for connecting an insulated electrical conductor, wherein the connection element comprises a clamping sleeve body in which a receiving space for the electrical conductor is formed, and a connection screw which has a screw head and a screw shaft and can be introduced along an insertion direction of the connection screw into the receiving space via an opening which is formed on the clamping sleeve body. The invention also relates to an arrangement having an insulating material housing and at least one corresponding connection element, and to an energy distribution system having a plurality of correspondingly designed arrangements arranged one behind the other.

BACKGROUND

Connection elements which comprise a clamping sleeve body and a connection screw usually serve to clamp a stripped conductor in an electrically contacting manner. For this purpose, the stripped conductor is inserted into the receiving space of the clamping sleeve body, wherein the receiving space extends with its longitudinal extent transversely to the longitudinal extent of the opening for introducing the connection screw. In the connected state, the connection screw is introduced into the receiving space to such an extent that it exerts a compressive force on the stripped conductor positioned in the receiving space and thus forms an electrical contacting between the exposed strands of the conductor and the connection screw and also the clamping sleeve body. In this case, the connection screw should be formed from a material having good electrical conductivity.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a connection element for connecting an insulated electrical conductor, comprising: a clamping sleeve body in which a receiving space for the electrical conductor is formed; and a connection screw which has a screw head and a screw shaft and is introducible into the receiving space along an insertion direction of the connection screw via an opening formed on the clamping sleeve body, wherein the receiving space has a first region and a second region which adjoins the first region, wherein the first region forms a support region for the conductor and the second region forms a press-in region into which a subregion of the conductor arranged in the first region is pressed by the connection screw in a connected state, and wherein the second region has two opposite side walls against which strands of the conductor exposed by pressing in the conductor bear in an electrically contacting manner in the connected state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a connection element, an arrangement and an energy distribution system, with which insulated conductors, which are not stripped, can also be reliably contacted.

The connection element according to the invention is characterized in that the receiving space has a first region and a second region which adjoins the first region, wherein the first region forms a support region for the conductor and the second region forms a press-in region, into which a subregion of the conductor which is arranged in the first region is pressed by means of the connection screw in a connected state, wherein the second region has two opposite side walls, against which strands of the conductor exposed by pressing in the conductor bear in an electrically contacting manner in the connected state.

The receiving space provided in the clamping sleeve body for receiving the insulated conductor to be connected is now designed in such a way that it is formed from two regions. A first region serves for the actual support of the conductor, which is inserted into the receiving space and which is insulated and thus precisely not stripped. In the unconnected state of the conductor, the conductor is only positioned in this first region. A second region of the receiving space adjoins this first region in the insertion direction of the connection screw, wherein the first region transitions into the second region. The second region forms a press-in region into which the conductor positioned in the first region is pressed partially or in some areas into this second region when being connected by means of the connection screw, so that, in the connected state of the conductor, a first subregion of the conductor is positioned in the first region of the receiving space and a second subregion of the conductor is positioned in the second region of the receiving space. By pressing the conductor into the second region, the insulating material jacket surrounding the strands of the insulated conductor is at least in some areas sheared off, so that, in the subregion of the conductor pressed into the second region, the strands are exposed at least in some areas. The insulating material jacket is sheared off at the region of the subregion of the conductor which lies adjacent to the opposite side walls of the second region of the receiving space, so that the strands of the conductor exposed there by the shearing can bear in an electrically contacting manner against such side walls of the second region of the receiving space in the connected state. The connected conductor is thus preferably electrically contacted in the second region of the receiving space and preferably between the clamping sleeve body and the strands of the conductor exposed by the shearing, so that contacting between the strands of the conductor and the connection screw is not absolutely necessary, as a result of which the connection screw may also be formed from a material that is less conductive and thus less expensive. The insulating material jacket of the conductor is preferably sheared off at a peripheral edge formed in the transition region between the first region and the second region, wherein the edge may preferably be of sharp-edged design. The jacket of the conductor is preferably sheared off in a targeted manner at two opposite side surfaces of the conductor, which then respectively bear against one of the two side walls of the second region of the receiving space in a contacting manner. At the remaining region of the conductor, the strands are preferably still surrounded by the insulating material jacket in the connected state.

The first region and the second region of the receiving space preferably have different shapes, in order to be able to form a respectively optimally shaped support region and press-in region. Preferably, the first region has a round cross section and/or the second region has an elongated cross section. With its diameter extending transversely to the insertion direction of the connection screw, the first region is in this case preferably wider than the second region. If the first region has a round cross section, optimal support of the conductor in the receiving region is ensured, since the shape of the first region is adapted to the round cross-sectional shape of the conductor. In contrast, the second region is preferably not round but preferably has an elongated shape, so that the second region may be formed in the shape of a groove or a gap. Due to the elongated shape, which additionally preferably has a smaller width than the first region, the pressing-in of the conductor and the resulting shearing of the insulating material jacket from the strands of the conductor can be carried out in a safe and targeted manner.

In order to be able to further improve the contacting of the conductor, the second region may have, at its base section opposite the first region, a projection protruding into the second region. As a result of the projection protruding into the second region, when the subregion of the conductor is pressed into the second region, such subregion can be compressed more strongly and the exposed strands of the conductor can be pressed with a higher force in the direction of the side walls of the second region of the receiving space, so that, in the connected state, the contact force of the strands bearing against the side walls of the second region can be increased. The projection is preferably arranged centrally to the base section, so that a uniform force distribution in the direction of the two side walls of the second region can take place. The projection is preferably of web-shaped design and may extend over the entire depth of the base section transversely to the insertion direction of the connection screw.

The first region may have a length L1extending in the insertion direction of the connection screw, and the second region may have a length L2extending in the insertion direction of the connection screw, wherein preferably L2≥½ L1. The second region preferably has a length L2which corresponds to ¾ of the length L1of the first region. Due to the relatively long design of the second region in relation to the first region, the subregion of the conductor which is pressed into the second region of the receiving space can be pressed even more compactly, so that the exposed strands can be pressed even more strongly in the direction of the side walls of the second region and the contact force between the side walls of the second region and the exposed strands can thereby be further increased.

The shearing of the insulating material jacket from the strands when the subregion of the conductor is pressed into the second region can be further improved in that the screw shaft of the connection screw has a diameter which is smaller than a width of the second receiving space extending transversely to the insertion direction of the connection screw. Due to the smaller diameter, the shearing effect can be increased in particular at the edge at the transition region between the first and the second region and also at the side walls of the second region, as a result of which shearing of the insulating material jacket from the strands of the conductor can be facilitated and can thereby take place in a particularly good and defined manner in these areas.

At its end section opposite the screw head, the screw shaft may have a region tapering in the insertion direction of the connection screw. The end section of the screw shaft may thus have a tip which can drill into the conductor when the conductor is being connected and thus when the connection screw is being moved in the insertion direction. When the connection screw is being screwed in, the conductor positioned in the first region can thereby first be pressed and displaced in the direction of the inner peripheral surface of the first region, so that the conductor with its insulating material jacket presses against the inner peripheral surface of the first region. If the connection screw is moved further in the insertion direction, due to the tapering region of the end section of the connection screw, the strands can first be compressed within the insulating material jacket and can thereby be pressed into the second region particularly compactly and with a high force. Due to the tapering region, the strands exposed by the resulting shearing can then be displaced in an even more targeted basis in the direction of the side walls of the second region, in order to be able to achieve the exposed strands bearing with particularly good contacting against the side walls of the second region.

The tapering region may preferably have at least two stepped shoulders. The stepped shoulders preferably each extend around the entire circumference of the end section of the screw shaft. As a result of the shoulders, the strands of the conductor coming into contact with the end section of the conductor can be held in place on the shoulders when the conductor is being connected and can thus be taken along in the insertion direction of the connection screw when the connection screw is being screwed in further, whereby the strands bearing against the side walls of the second region can again be pressed more strongly against the side walls of the second region, so that the contact force acting there can be further increased. The pressing-in of the conductor into the second region can thus be improved by the stepped shoulders.

Furthermore, it may preferably be provided that the two opposite side walls of the second region of the receiving space are designed to extend at an angle to one another. The side walls thus preferably do not extend in parallel to one another but rather may extend at an angle >0° to one another. In this case, the side walls preferably extend in relation to one another in such a way that they extend toward one another in the direction of the base section of the second region. As a result of the side walls extending at an angle to one another, the pressing-in of the subregion of the conductor into the second region can be further improved and the exposed strands can also be pressed against the side walls of the second region with an even higher contact force.

A slot-shaped recess may furthermore be formed on each of the two opposite side walls of the second region. When the subregion of the conductor is being pressed in, the exposed strands bearing against the side walls can be partially pressed into these recesses, as a result of which the bearing force and thus the contact force of the strands at the side walls can be further increased and the electrical contacting can thus also be further improved.

A receiving region on which a contact element may be arranged may be formed on the clamping sleeve body. Via this contact element, a device can, for example, be connected to the connection element in an electrically contacting manner. The receiving region may have bores, for example, in which the contact element can be fastened in order to be able to form an electrical contacting between the clamping sleeve body and the contact element. The contact element can, for example, be pressed into these bores. Further fastenings of the contact element to the clamping sleeve body are likewise conceivable. The contact element may be designed as a tulip contact, for example.

The object according to the invention is also achieved by means of an arrangement which has an insulating material housing, in which at least one connection element formed and developed as described above is arranged, wherein the insulating material housing has, for each connection element, at least two opposite feedthrough openings for the passage of the conductor arranged in the respective connection element. The arrangement may preferably have a plurality of connection elements which are arranged next to one another and may be arranged within the insulating material housing.

It may preferably be provided that an end cap is arranged at at least one of the two opposite feedthrough openings and may have, for each connection element, a boundary wall for the conductor passed through the feedthrough opening. The end cap may close the insulating material housing on one side, so that an end section of a conductor is arranged in the insulating material housing in a touch-safe manner. For this purpose, the end cap may have a boundary wall which can cover the open cross section of the end section of the conductor. The end cap may be formed integrally with the insulating material housing, for example. However, it is also possible for the end cap to be a part which is separate from the insulating material housing and may, for example, be fastened as required to the insulating material housing by means of a latching connection. The end cap, like the insulating material housing, is preferably formed from a plastic material. The end cap may, for example, be designed such that it extends over and covers all feedthrough openings of one side of the insulating material housing.

However, if a longer conductor is to be positioned in the arrangement, the end cap may be designed such that the boundary wall of the end cap has a perforation for opening the boundary wall. At the perforation, a user can easily open the boundary wall by means of a knife, if necessary, in order to pass a conductor through the end cap.

In an embodiment, the present invention provides an energy distribution system which has a plurality of arrangements which are arranged one behind the other and at a distance from one another along the length of at least one electrical conductor, wherein the arrangements may be formed and developed as described above.

FIG. 1shows a sectional view of a connection element100with a conductor10which is introduced into the connection element100and is not yet connected in an electrically contacting manner inFIG. 1. The conductor10is an insulated conductor10with which the strands11are enclosed by an insulating material jacket12.

The connection element100has a clamping sleeve body13in which a receiving space14for the conductor10is formed. In order to connect the conductor10, it is inserted into this receiving space14, as can be seen inFIG. 1. The clamping sleeve body13is formed of an electrically conductive metal material.

The connection element100furthermore has a connection screw15which has a screw head16and a screw shaft17and can be introduced into the receiving space14along an insertion direction R via an opening33formed on the clamping sleeve body13.

The receiving space14is formed of a first region18and a second region19which adjoins the first region18. The first region18forms a support region in which the conductor10is positioned, in particular in the unconnected state, as shown inFIG. 1. The first region18has a round or oval cross section, so that the shape of the first region18is adapted to the outer contour of the round conductor10. The second region19forms a press-in region into which a subregion of the conductor10arranged in the first region18is pressed by means of the connection screw15in a connected state as shown inFIG. 2. When the conductor10is pressed into the first region, a part of the insulating material jacket12is sheared off the strands11, so that, in the connected state, the exposed strands11bear against two opposite side walls20,21of the second region19of the connection space14in an electrically contacting manner. In contrast to the first region18, the second region19has an elongated cross section, so that the width B of the second region19is smaller than its length L2and also smaller than the diameter D of the first region18. In the embodiment shown here, the length L2of the second region19is greater than half of the length L1of the first region18, so that the second region19forming the press-in region is elongated.

In the transition region between the first region18and the second region19, a peripheral edge22is formed, which brings about the shearing of the insulating material jacket12from the strands11when the conductor10is pressed into the second region19. The edge22may be of sharp-edged design.

In order to improve the shearing of the insulating material jacket12from the strands11when pressing a subregion of the conductor10from the first region18into the second region19, the screw shaft17has a diameter DS which is smaller than the width B of the second region19of the receiving space14. The shearing forces acting on the conductor10during pressing-in can be increased by the diameter DS of the screw shaft which is smaller in comparison to the width B of the second region19.

On its end section23opposite the screw head16, the screw shaft17has a region24which tapers in the insertion direction R of the connection screw15. The screw shaft17thus has a cross-section reduction at its end section23. As a result of this cross-section reduction, the force, exerted on the conductor10by means of the connection screw15, for connecting the conductor10can be increased. The conductor10is initially compressed by the tapering region24, which comes into direct contact with the conductor10when the conductor10is being connected, whereby the strands11are displaced outward, so that after the insulating material jacket12has been sheared off, the exposed strands11are pressed outward in the direction of the side walls20,21, so that a high contact force can be formed between the exposed strands11and the side walls20,21.

In the embodiment shown here, the tapering region24has a plurality of stepped shoulders25. The strands11of the conductor10coming into contact with the end section23of the conductor10when the conductor10is being connected are held in place on the shoulders25and can thus be taken along in the insertion direction R of the connection screw15when the connection screw15is being screwed in further, whereby the strands11bearing against the side walls20,21of the second region19can again be pressed more strongly against the side walls20,21, so that the contact force acting there can be further increased. In the embodiment shown here, the stepped shoulders25have different heights.

As can be seen inFIGS. 1 and 2, the two side walls19,20of the second region19do not extend in parallel to one another, but are designed to extend at an angle to one another, so that they are arranged at an angle greater than 0° to one another. In this case, the side walls19,20extend toward one another in the direction of a base section26of the second region19, so that the second region19tapers in the direction of its base section26.

A projection27protruding into the second region19is formed on the base section26and is formed here in the shape of a bulge extending away from the base section26. The projection27is arranged centrally to the width B of the second region19. The projection27is preferably of web-shaped design and may extend over the entire depth of the base section26. As a result of the projection27protruding into the second region19, when the subregion of the conductor10is pressed into the second region19, this subregion can be compressed more strongly and the exposed strands11of the conductor10can be pressed more strongly in the direction of the side walls20,21, so that the contact force of the strands11bearing against the side walls20,21of the second region19can be increased.

FIG. 3shows an embodiment of a clamping sleeve body13with which a slot-shaped recess28,29is formed on each of the two opposite side walls20,21of the second region19. Here, the two slot-shaped recesses28,29are arranged centrally along the depth of the second region19which is formed transversely to the insertion direction R of the connection screw15. The slot-shaped recesses28,29furthermore extend over the entire length L2of the second region19in the embodiment shown here. The exposed strands11pressed against the side walls20,21can dip into these slot-shaped recesses28,29, so that the contact force acting between the side walls20,21and the strands11can be increased.

As can also be seen inFIG. 3, on the clamping sleeve body13may be formed a receiving region30on which a contact element31may be arranged, as shown inFIG. 4. The receiving region30has a plurality of bores32, here three bores32, in which the contact element31may be mounted. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, the contact element31is held pressed into two of the bores32. The contact element31is designed as a tulip contact.

FIG. 5shows a sectional view through an arrangement200with which a plurality of connection elements100as shown inFIGS. 1 to 4are arranged next to one another in an insulating material housing40, so that a plurality of conductors10may be connected next to one another in an electrically contacting manner. The insulating material housing40is formed in such a way that it encloses the clamping sleeve body13, the connection screw15and the contact element31of a respective connection element100. For actuating the connection screw15, an opening41for each connection element100is formed on the insulating material housing40. For contacting the contact element31, an opening42for each connection element100is likewise formed on the insulating material housing40. The insulating material housing40furthermore has, for each connection element100, two opposite feedthrough openings43,44, through which the conductor10to be connected is passed.

In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, an end cap45is arranged at the feedthrough openings44of one side of the insulating material housing40and covers all feedthrough openings44on such side of the insulating material housing40. The end cap45has, for each connection element100, a boundary wall46for the conductor10passed through the feedthrough opening44. The end cap45forms a touch-safety device for the end section of a conductor10.

Each boundary wall46may have a perforation47for opening the boundary wall46, so that, as shown inFIG. 6, a longer conductor10may be passed through the end cap45and thus protrude therefrom. At the perforation47, a user can easily open the boundary wall46by means of a knife, if necessary, in order to be able to pass a conductor10through the end cap45.

FIG. 7also shows an energy distribution system300with which a plurality of arrangements200are arranged one behind the other, wherein the conductors10arranged next to one another extend through the plurality of arrangements200and each conductor10is connected to the arrangements200in an electrically contacting manner, so that a multi-tap is formed for each conductor10. On one of its sides, the last arrangement200has an end cap45in order to cover the end section of the conductors10. In the other arrangements200, no such end cap45is arranged, but the conductors10extend through the arrangements200to the adjacent arrangement200.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

Connection element100Conductor10Strands11Insulating material jacket12Clamping sleeve body13Receiving space14Connection screw15Screw head16Screw shaft17First region18Second region19Side wall20Side wall21Edge22End section23Tapering region24Stepped shoulder25Base section26Projection27Slot-shaped recess28Slot-shaped recess29Receiving region30Contact element31Bore32Opening33Arrangement200Insulating material housing40Opening41Opening42Feedthrough opening43Feedthrough opening44End cap45Boundary wall46Perforation47Energy distribution system300Insertion direction of the connection screw RLength of the first region L1Length of the second region L2Width of the second region BDiameter of the first region DDiameter of the screw shaft DS