CONTACT CLIP AND PLUG PIN THEREFOR AND MODULAR BUILT CURRENT CONNECTING CLIP LINE AND PLUG PIN LINE BUILT THEREOF

Abstract: A contact clip (1) and plug pin (15) therefor for forming a separable electrical connection where the contact clip consists of electrically conducting coupling pieces (2, 3) mounted in an insulating housing (20), one of the coupling pieces being manoeverable by a coupling means (7) for applying contact pressure and where each coupling piece has two resiliently mounted contact surfaces, and that the plug pin (15) comprises a contact pin (16) mounted in an insulating holder (21), is designed in such a manner that between the coupling pieces (2, 3) there is a partly or a fully through-going passage wherein the contact pin (16) of the plug pin (15) can be introduced. The plug pin (15) has been designed with a contact part (16', 16'', 16''') that can be made in different lengths depending on its application whereas the remaining part of the plug pin is unchanged. It is thus possible to construct lines of contact clips and plug pins where the electrical connections are not all made simultaneously e.g. in such a manner that an earth connection is first connected followed by a testing voltage connection and finally the rest of the contact pins if the testing voltage connection shows that the circuit is operating correctly.

Description: CONTACT CLIP AND PLUG PIN THEREFOR AND MODULAR BUILT CURRENT CONNECTING CLIP LINE AND PLUG PIN LINE BUILT THEREOF. The invention relates to a contact clip and plug pin therefor as discribed in the introduction to claim 1 and a modular built current connecting clip line and plug pin line built up as described in the introduc¬ tion to claim 4. From Danish patent application no. 3β92/82 there is known a contact clip e.g. for use in constructing modu¬ lar built current connecting clip lines for making electrical connections where the contact clips have flat electrically conducting coupling pieces whereof at least one is manoeverable by a coupling means, and where the coupling pieces are mounted in a housing of electrically insulating material having connecting openings for introducing conductors e.g. in the form of rails or rail-like conductors. To secure and guide the coupling pieces each having two forwardly protruding contact surfaces, the insulating housing has an almost rectangular guide block mounted between the electrical¬ ly conducting coupling pieces. There is thus no passage all the way through the contact clip from the connecting opening in one side to the connecting opening in the other side. The object of the invention is partly to provide im- provements in the known contact clip so as to extend its field of application substantially and partly to provide a new design of a plug pin which is specially adapted for use in connection with the improved contact clip. This object is achieved by designing the contact clip and the plug pin therefor according to the invention as disclosed in the characterizing part of claim 1. It is thus possible to introduce plug pins into the contact clip in such a manner that if desired the con¬ tact pins of the plug pin can pass all the way through the contact clip or at least as far as necessary. This opens up the possibility of using the invention for building up modular built lines of clips and plug pins where the electrical connections are not all made simultaneously but rather successively according to requirements and moreover as further described in connection with claim 4. By designing the contact clip and the plug pin accord¬ ing to the invention as further described in claim 2, it is possible to use plug pins of different widths so that the plug pin may extend across two or more contact pins but still in such a manner that there is no direct access to current-carrying parts because the plug pin is insulated on part of its length, i.e. the very-,part corresponding to the depth of the connect¬ ing opening. The contact pin on the plug pin is preferably designed as disclosed in the characterizing part of claim 3. It is thus possible to use the same insulating holder and the same encircling insulating coating on all con¬ tact pins and so limit the number of individual parts which will simplify stocking and so reduce costs. The invention moreover relates to a modular built current connecting clip line and plug pin line there¬ for built up by contact clips and plug pins. By building up such a contact system as further disclosed in the characterizing part of claim 4, it is possible to build up electrical installations, e.g. socalled plate-encased installations, in the form of a drawer type system. The electrical components are placed in drawers on which there is secured a plug pin line having the electrical componerts connected thereto. On the frame of the electrical installation there is mounted a current connecting clip line corresponding to the plug pin line. When the drawer is drawn out, all connections are cut off, and repairs can be made safely or a new operating drawer may be inserted. By designing the current connecting clip line and the plug pin line as further disclosed in claim 5 > earth connection will be provided for the drawer before the drawer becomes altogether current-carrying. An elec¬ trical testing voltage is then connected to the elec¬ trical circuit in the drawer. In case the testing voltage shows that thecircuit is in order, the drawer may be pushed all the way in and all electrical con¬ nections will be made. The drawer may be designed with an electrical lock which will not open and allow the pushing in of the drawer till the testing voltage has shown that the circuit is in order. The clip line and ' the plug pin line are preferably mounted on a supporting rail as disclosed in claim 6. It is thus possible easily and quietly to build up or to change lines in desired combinations of indi¬ vidual elements since each individual clip or plug pin is secured by its own locking means. The invention will be further described in the follow¬ ing with reference to the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a first embodiment of a contact clip according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the clip in Fig. 1 seen in the direction II-II, Fig. 3 is a section of the clip in Fig. 1 along the line III-III, Fig. 4 is a sectional view through another embodiment of a contact clip according to the invention, Fig. 5 is the clip shown in Fig. 4 seen in the direction V-V, Fig. 6 is a side view of a plug pin with holder according to the invention, Fig. 7 is a front view of the plug pin in Fig. 5 seen in the direction VII-VII, Fig. 8 is a top view of the plug pin in Fig. 6 seen in the direction VIII-VIII, Fig. 9 is a sectional view through a coupled contact clip and plug pin, and Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a current connecting clip line placed opposite OM a plug pin line . On Figs. 1 to 5 the reference numerals 1 and 1' desig¬ nate a contact clip as a whole. The contact clip con- sists of an insulating housing 20 completely enclosing the electrically conducting and current-carrying parts which mainly consist of two coupling pieces 2 and 3, and 2' and 3', respectively. These coupling pieces are made of solid tin, silver or gold plated copper for improving the contact connection to the conductors with which they are to be coupled. The coupling pieces have contact surfaces 4 or 4'. The contact surfaces 4 are intended to make electrical contact with conductors designed as rails or plug pins as described below. The contact surfaces 4' in Fig. 4 are intended to make contact with each other, i.e. in the cases where a conductor is to be introduced from one side only, e.g. when transmitting a testing voltage as will be explained below. The coupling piece 2 or 2' is intended to make electrical connection between its contact curfaces, whereas the coupling piece 3 or 3' may be provided with a further current take-off in the form of a screw clamp 13 wiht an access opening 14 for a wire. Both coupling pieces are resiliently mounted against the housing wall by the spring 9 con¬ tributing to give contact pressure and to distribute the contact pressure equally to both contact surfaces of each contact piece. One of the contact pieces 3 or 3' may be manoeverable by means of a coupling means 7 being controlled by a schematically shown manoevering means 8. It is thus possible according to requirements to increase or to reduce the contact pressure by the contact surfaces by means of the manoevering means 8. JIJREA O.'ΛPI For keeping the upper contact piece 3 or 3' in place against the spring 9 S it is acted on by two coil springs 10. Access to the contact surfaces 4 is via the openings 22 in the insulating housing 20. The openings 22 may be provided with side walls 23 in both sides but for some purposes one or both side walls 23 by the opening 22 may be left out. For holding the contact pieces 2, 2' and 3, 3' in place, rectangular or quadratic plastic elements 5 made of the same material as the housing and forming an integral part thereof have been designed in the housing. Between the elements 5 there is a free area 6 or 6' forming a channel with the openings 22 so that the channel may be fully through-going as shown in Fig. 1 or be partly through-going as shown in Fig. 4. The use and purpose of this channel will be explained below. In Figs. 6-8 there is shown a plug pin 15 consisting of a tin, silver or gold plated copper contact pin 16 mounted in an insulating housing or a holder 21 partly enclosing the conductor. In its one end the contact pin lβ has a contact part 16' and in its other end a screw clamp 13 with an access opening 14 for a wire just as the clamp shown in Figs. 1 or 4. The contact pin iβ is insulated with an insulating coating 17 on the part extending beyond the insulating holder 21 apart from the contact part l6* itself. Fig. 9 shows one contact clip 1 and one plug pin 15 being coupled. It will appear from the drawing that the insulating coating 17 offers protection from access to current-carrying parts even though one or both side walls 23 should be left out in the contact clip. The plug pin 16 is schematically shown with three different lenghts of the contact part 16''', lβ' f or lβ' according as the plug pin is an earth connection plug pin, a testing voltage plug pin or a current connection plug pin. When the plug pin is in its place, it is possible according to requirements to increase the contact pressure by acting on the coupling means 7 by moving down the manoevering means 8 and holding same in its lowest position. Fig. 10 schematically shows a line 24 of plug pins 15 mounted on a supporting means 18 and directly opposite a line 25 of contact clips 1 mounted on another sup- porting means 19. For securing thereto the plug pins are provided with a locking means 12, see Figs. 8 and 9, and the contact clips also have a locking means 11, see Figs. 1, 4 and 9- The supporting means 19 may be designed in such a manner that it gives the coupling means 7 a fixed tightening or in such a manner that a manoevering means 8 can give a tightening when so desired. The supporting means 19 can be mounted on the fixed part of a plate-encased electrical installation, and the supporting means 18 can be mounted in a draw-out part, e.g. a drawer or a drawer-type part. When the drawer is drawn out, which is the case in Fig. 10, all voltage to electrical components to which the conduc- tors 26 are connected is cut off. It is thus possible to make repairs on all parts in the drawer since they are all dead. When the repairs have been made, the drawer is again pushed in in the direction of the arrow, the contact parts 16''' making electrical con- OΛ.PI nection in the first place with the rails 27 being earth rails. Then the contact parts l6 ! * will make connection with the rails 28 through which a testing voltage is supplied to the circuits in the drawer. Only when the testing voltage has established that the circuit is in order, can the drawer be pushed all the way in and all contact pins 16* can make electric¬ al connection and close the circuits so that the switch¬ board is again operating correctly. The contact parts 16' will thus make contact with the copper parts 29 or 30. The coupling process can for instance be provided with an electrically controlled lock so that the drawer can only be pushed all the way in if the application of the testing voltage shows that the entire circuit is in order and operates correctly. A very high degree of safety is thus obtained ensuring that a defect or a malrepaired drawer is not inserted. The insulating housing 20 of the contact clip 1 and the insulating holder 21 of the plug pin 15 are made of an electrically insulating plastic material that is sufficiently strong and heat-resistant for the purpose, for instance Leksan, or a corresponding suitable -material. The housing 20 and the holder 21 are prefer- ably made in two parts, one forming one of the outer walls and all necessary spacers etc, and the other forming the other outer wall which e.g. can be seen from Figs. 2, 3 9 5 a 7 and 8. The parts are assembled by means of pin and groove joints using glue or a solvent if required. The contact clip 1 and the plug pin 15 are designed in 6 mm modules, i.e. the housing 20 and the holder 21 are 6 mm thick, and adapted for coupling of copper rails, see 27-30 in Fig. 10, being 6 mm thick and having a width in steps of 6 mm. The contact pin 16, therefore, is also 6 mm high and can have a thickness of 2 mm or multiples thereof. -βURE OΛ-PI

Claims: P A T E N T C L A I M S 1. Contact clip and plug pin therefor for forming a separable electrical connection where the contact clip (1) consists of electrically conducting coupling pieces (2, 2 f , 3, 3') mounted in an insulating housing (20), one of the coupling pieces being manoeverable by a coupling means (7) for applying contact pressure and where each coupling piece has two resiliently mounted (9) contact surfaces (4, 4*), and that the plug pin (15) comprises a contact pin (16) mounted in an insulatinng holder (21), c h a r a c t e ' r - i z e d i n that between the coupling pieces (2, 2', 3, 3' ) there is a partly or a fully through-going passage (6,-6 T ) wherein the contact pin (16, 16', l6 rt , 16' ' ' ) of the plug pin (15) is adapted to be intro¬ duced. 2. Contact clip and plug pin according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that in the insulating housing (20) there are designed connecting openings (22) that on one or both sides may be closed by housing walls (23), and that on the contact pin (16) there has been applied an encircling insulating coating covering a section of the contact pin corresponding to the depth of the connecting opening (22). 3. Contact clip and plug pin according to claims 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the plug pin (15) has been designed with a contact part (16 T , 16-' ' , 16' ' • ) that can be made in different lengths depending on its application whereas the remaining part of the plug pin is unchanged. 4. Modular built current connecting clip line (25) and plug pin line (24) therefor built up by contact clips (1) and plug pins (16) according to any one of claims I to 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the clip line (25) is built up by a series of mutually abutting contact clips (1), and that the plug pin line (24) is likewise built up by a series of mutually abutting plug pins (16) but using plug pins with con¬ tact parts (16', l6 , r , l6' , ! ) of different lengths so that electrical connection is not made simultaneously when the plug pins are introduced into the contact clips. 5. Modular built current connecting clip line (25) and plug pin line (24) according to claim 4, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i z e d i n that the contact pins (16) are designed in such a manner that first earth connecting plug pins (lδ' 1 ') are connected followed by testing voltage connection pins (l6 , f ) and finally the rest of the contact pins (l6 T ) if a testing voltage connec¬ tion shows that the circuits are operating correctly. 6. Modular built current connecting clip line (25) and plug pin line (24) according to claim 5, c h a r - a c t e . i z e d i n that the clip line (25) is mounted on a supporting rail (19) on a fixed part in a plate-encased electrical switchboard, and that the plug pin line (24) is mounted on a supporting rail (18) in a draw out or opening part, each individual clip and plug pin being designed with a locking means (11, 12) engaging the supporting rail (18, 19). -βϋREA O PI_

Inventors: LOEGSTRUP JOERGEN, SPARRE PREBEN CHRISTIAN, LOEGSTRUP, JOERGEN, SPARRE, PREBEN, CHRISTIAN
Applicants: LOEGSTRUP STEEL AS, A/S LOEGSTRUP-STEEL
Application year: 1984
Main classification: H01R9
IPC codes: H01R9, H01R13