Patent Publication Number: US-8526195-B2

Title: Electrical connection terminal

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2008/063805, filed Oct. 14, 2008, which claims priority from French patent Application No. 07/07214, filed Oct. 15, 2007 by the same inventors hereto, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure concerns an electrical connection assembly and a tool provided for producing such an assembly. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     In an electrical box, an electrically conductive plate serving as an electrical conductor makes it possible to connect together various electronic power components, for example a cable, a circuit breaker or the like. Because of the length of the conductive plate and the manufacturing tolerances of the surrounding elements, certain electrical components are situated at a certain distance from the conductive plate and are not in contact with it. 
     The document GB-A-2 154 079 shows a connection assembly of the prior art. 
     One feature of the present disclosure is an electrical connection assembly that enables the conductive plate and electrical components to be put in contact. 
     According to one embodiment of the disclosure, an electrical connection assembly is proposed comprising: 
     a conductive plate with a drillhole in it, 
     a first small column with a hole passing axially through it and comprising a shoulder intended to come into abutment against one of the faces of the conductive plate, and 
     a second small column with a hole passing axially through it and comprising a shoulder intended to come into abutment against the other face of the conductive plate, a first cylinder the radius of which is adapted to enable it to enter the hole in the first small column and the length of which is such that, when the shoulder is in abutment, the free end of the first cylinder projects beyond the conductive plate, and a second cylinder the radius of which is adapted to enable it to enter the drillhole, 
     the connection assembly being characterised in that the free end of the first cylinder is crimped by radial expansion and then by axial compression in the hole in the first small column. 
     The hole in the first small column is bevelled on the crimping side. 
     According to another embodiment, the first small column comprises a hollow cylinder the radius of which is adapted to enable it to enter the drillhole. 
     The lengths of the hollow cylinder and second cylinder are such that, when the shoulder of the first small column and the shoulder of the second small column are in abutment against the conductive plate, the hollow cylinder and the second cylinder are in abutment against each other. 
     According to yet another embodiment, the length of the second cylinder is greater than the thickness of the conductive plate and the shoulder of the first column has a hole passing axially through it, the radius of which is adapted to enable it to be fitted on the second cylinder. 
     The disclosure also proposes a tool comprising a first part comprising a body in which a hollow recess is hollowed out and a second part comprising a body on which a punch is produced designed to enter the hollow recess, the tool being characterised in that the punch is fixed to the body by means of a grooved zone. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the disclosure mentioned above, as well as others, will appear more clearly from a reading of the following description of an example embodiment, the said description being given in relation to the accompanying drawings, among which: 
         FIG. 1   a - c  show steps of assembly of an electrical connection assembly according to a first embodiment of the disclosure, 
         FIG. 2  shows a conductive plate according to a variant embodiment, 
         FIGS. 3   a &amp; b  show steps of assembling an electrical connection assembly according to a second embodiment of the disclosure, 
         FIGS. 4   a &amp; b  show steps of assembling an electrical connection assembly according to a third embodiment of the disclosure, and 
         FIGS. 5   a &amp; b  show the two parts of a tool according to the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1   a  shows an electrical connection assembly  100  comprising an electrically conductive plate  102  and at least one small column  106  that are not assembled. 
     The connection assembly  100  is intended to be installed in an electrical box. The conductive plate  102  is fixed in the electrical box and electrical components are fitted in the electrical box so as to come into contact with the conductive plate  102  or one of the small columns  106  according to the distance between the electrical component and the conductive plate  102 . That is to say if, after installation of the electrical component, the latter is in contact with the conductive plate  102 , a small column  106  is not provided but if, after installation of the electrical component, the latter is not in contact with the conductive plate  102 , a small column  106  is provided. 
     The conductive plate  102  has in it a drillhole  104  intended to receive the small column  106 . For this purpose, the small column  106  comprises a cylinder  108 , the radius of which is adapted to enable it to enter the drillhole  104  ( FIG. 1   b ). The small column  106  is hollow and has a hole  114  passing axially through it. 
     A shoulder  110  on the small column  106  stops the small column  106  in abutment against the conductive plate  102 . The length of the cylinder  108  is such that, when the shoulder  110  is in abutment, the free end of the cylinder  108  projects beyond the conductive plate  102 . 
       FIG. 1   c  shows the connection assembly  100  after crimping of the small column  106  on the conductive plate  102 . The crimping takes place by radial expansion of the free end of the cylinder  108  of the small column  106  and then by axial compression thereof. After the axial compression, the crimped end of the small column  106  is flush with the conductive plate  102 . 
     A tool, described below, is introduced into the hole  114  through the end disposed on the side opposite to the side through which the small column  106  is introduced into the drillhole  104 . The tool is designed to exert a radial expansion force on the free end of the first cylinder  106  and to compress it against the face of the conductive plate  102 . 
     Crimping is not carried out solely by axial compression with the first cylinder, but by radial expansion and then axial compression. This crimping makes it possible to obtain a small column  106  that is perfectly held and difficult to pull away, unlike a solely axial crimping. 
     The external face  112  of the small column  106  is then at a distance from the face of the conductive plate  102  and makes it possible to come into contact with an electrical component. 
     The hole  114  can serve as a fixing hole for a screw holding the electrical component. 
       FIG. 2  shows a conductive plate  202  according to another embodiment, particularly adapted for thin conductive plates, for example less than 1 mm. The conductive plate  202  has a drillhole  204  that is bevelled on the crimping side. The bevel receives the radial expansion of the small column. 
       FIG. 3  shows an electrical connection assembly  300 , not assembled, according to a second embodiment.  FIG. 3   b  shows the connection assembly  300  assembled but not crimped. 
     The connection assembly  300  comprises a conductive plate  102  with a drillhole  104  and a first small column  320  coming against one of the faces of the conductive plate  102  and a second small column  306  coming against the other face of the conductive plate  102 . 
     The first small column  320  has a hole  326  passing axially through it, which has here a bevel  328  and comprises a cylinder  322  and a shoulder  324 . 
     The second small column has hole  316  passing axially through it and comprises successively a first cylinder  308 , a second coaxial cylinder  310  and a shoulder  312  intended to stop the second small column  306  against the conductive plate  102 . 
     The cylinder  322  of the first small column  320  has a radius adapted to enable it to enter the drillhole  104  ( FIG. 3   b ). The stopping of the first small column  320  against the conductive plate  102  is effected by abutment of the shoulder  324 . The length of the cylinder  322  is here less than the thickness of the conductive plate  102 . 
     The radius of the first cylinder  308  is adapted to enable it to enter the hole  326  in the first small column  320 . The radius of the second cylinder  310  is adapted to enable it to enter the drillhole  104 . The lengths of the cylinder  322  of the first small column  320  and of the second cylinder  310  are such that, when the shoulder  324  on the first small column  320  and the shoulder  312  on the second small column  306  are in abutment against the conductive plate  102 , the cylinder  322  and the second cylinder  310  are in abutment against each other. 
     The length of the first cylinder  308  is such that, when the connection assembly  300  is assembled ( FIG. 3   b ), the free end of the said first cylinder  308  projects beyond the external face of the first small column  320 . The second small column  306  is then crimped in the first small column  320  in accordance with the first embodiment, by radial expansion of the free end of the first cylinder  308  and then its axial compression in the bevel  328 . 
     The connection assembly  300  thus produced makes it possible to obtain a contact on the external face  330 ,  318 , of each small column  320 ,  306  in order to put an electrical component in contact on each of these faces  318 ,  330 . 
       FIG. 4   a  shows an electrical connection assembly  400 , not assembled, according to a third embodiment.  FIG. 4   b  shows the connection assembly  400  assembled but not crimped. 
     The connection assembly  400  comprises a conductive plate  102  with a drillhole  104  and a first small column  420  coming against one of the face of the conductive plate  102  and a second small column  406  coming against the other face of the conductive plate  102 . 
     The first small column  420  comprises a cylinder  424  and a shoulder  422  intended to come into abutment against the conductive plate  102 . The cylinder  424  has a hole  426  passing axially through it, which here has a bevel  428 . The shoulder  422  has a hole  430  passing axially through it. 
     The second small column  406  has a hole  416  passing axially through it and comprises successively a first cylinder  408 , a coaxial second cylinder  410  and a shoulder  412  intended to stop the second small column  406  against the conductive plate  102 . 
     The radius of the second cylinder  410  is adapted to enable it to enter the drillhole  104  ( FIG. 4   b ). The length of the second cylinder  410  is greater than the thickness of the conductive plate  102 . 
     The radius of the hole  430  in the shoulder  422  is adapted to enable the first small column  420  to be fitted on the second cylinder  410 . The radius of the first cylinder  408  is adapted to enable it to enter the hole  426  in the cylinder  424  and its length is such that, when the connection assembly  400  is assembled ( FIG. 4   b ), its free end projects beyond the external face of the first small column  420 . 
     In the assembled position, the second cylinder  410  is in abutment against the cylinder  424  and the shoulders  422  and  412  are in abutment on either side of the conductive plate  102 . 
     The second small column  406  is then crimped in the first small column  420  in accordance with the first embodiment, by radial expansion of the free end of the first cylinder  408  and then axial compression in the bevel  428 . 
     The connection assembly  400  thus produced makes it possible to obtain a contact on the external face  432 ,  418  of each small column  420 ,  406  in order to put an electrical component in contact on each of these faces  432 ,  418 . 
       FIG. 5   a  shows the first part  501  of a tool and  FIG. 5   b  shows the second part  502  of the same tool that is intended to effect the crimping of a connection assembly  100 ,  300 ,  400  according to the disclosure. 
     The first part  501  comprises a cylindrical body  504  that carries, at one of its ends, a shoe  508  intended to be fixed in the jaw of a machine and, at the other end, a hollow recess  512 . 
     The second part  502  comprises a cylindrical body  506  that carries, at one of its ends, a shoe  510  intended to be fixed in the jaw of the machine and, at the other end, a punch  514 . 
     The recess  512  is disposed facing the punch  514  and the machine is designed to enable the first part  501  and the second part  502  to be brought closer together. 
     The column to be crimped is fitted on the body  504  of the first part  501 , and the conductive plate and possibly the other small column are placed on the face carrying the recess  512 . The punch  514  is then brought closer to the recess  512  and through its shape gives rise to a radial expansion of the column and then the axial compression thereof. 
     The punch  514  is fixed to the body  506  by means of a grooved zone  516  which, by moving closer to the recess  512 , obliges the end of the small column to move away radially. The end of the body  506  then compresses the free end thus moved away. 
     The fitting of one or two columns makes it possible to manage the problems of distance with the electrical components and the specific crimping by radial expansion guarantees good mechanical strength and good electrical contact of each small column on the conductive plate. 
     The dimensions of the various elements are such that, after crimping, no translation movement is possible between them. 
     Although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as described and defined in the following claims.