Patent Publication Number: US-11398688-B2

Title: Plug-in connector with a handle part

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of European Patent Application No. 19305870.8, filed on Jun. 28, 2019. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a plug-in connector and, more particularly, to a plug-in connector with a handle part. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A plug-in connector for a fuse element can be equipped with a handle part to enable plugging or unplugging it from terminal blocks. Such handles, to be easily maneuverable, should have a sufficient size even when the plug-in connector is small. This, however, implies geometrical constraints that can be difficult to deal with as other elements such as markings or a light indicator could also be necessary for such plug-in connectors. 
     SUMMARY 
     A plug-in connector cooperating with a terminal block includes a body having a cooperation assembly mechanically securing the plug-in connector on the terminal block, the body having a compartment accommodating a fuse element, a pair of plug contacts received within the compartment, and a handle part having an actuating portion and a linking portion. The plug contacts are each connected to a terminal of the fuse element. Each of the plug contacts has a contact tongue extending outside of the compartment, the contact tongue electrically secured to a bus bar of the terminal block. The linking portion is attached to the body and extends along a linking axis parallel to an insertion axis of a pin of the cooperation assembly. The actuating portion has an actuating surface extending transversely to the insertion axis and cooperating with a marking element disposed along the actuating surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pair of plug-in connectors according to an embodiment of the invention mounted on a pair of adjacent terminal blocks; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a plug-in connector according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the plug-in connector of  FIG. 2  without a cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. The different embodiments described herein that are not incompatible can be combined. 
     A pair of plug-in or plug connectors  1  according to an embodiment are shown in  FIG. 1  cooperating with a pair of adjacent terminal blocks  3 . The plug connectors  1  are identical and mounted in reversed positions on their corresponding terminal blocks  3 . 
     The plug connector  1 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , comprises a body  5  including a cooperation assembly  7  configured to mechanically secure the plug-in connector  1  on the terminal block  3  in two reversed mounted positions, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The body  5  also has a cover  9  that has been removed in  FIG. 3 . The body  5 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , has a compartment  11  adapted for accommodating a fuse element or other components that have a comparable size and connection function, in particular components that are conductive. 
     The plug-in connector  1 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , has a pair of plug contacts  13  received within the compartment  11 , the two plug contacts  13  being each configured to be connected to a corresponding terminal of the fuse element. Each of the two plug contacts  13  has a contact tongue  14  extending outside the compartment  11 , each contact tongue  14  being included in the cooperation assembly  7  and configured to be electrically secured to a corresponding bus bar of the terminal block  3  in the two mounted positions. 
     The plug-in connector  1 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , has a handle part  15  provided with an actuating portion  17  and a linking portion  19 , the linking portion  19  being attached to the body  5  and extending along a linking axis  21  that is coincident to or parallel to an insertion axis  23  of a pin  25  of the cooperation assembly  7 . The pin  25  is a central pin  25  of the cooperation assembly  7 . 
     The actuating portion  17  presents an actuating surface  27 , shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , extending transversely to the insertion axis  23  and being configured to cooperate with a marking element  28  that is disposed along the actuating surface  27 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The marking element  28  is a label element and, in an embodiment, is a planar label element that is disposed parallel to the actuating surface  27 . 
     The handle part  15 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , has a pair of reinforcing ribs  29  extending in a plane  31  transverse to an extension plane of the actuating surface  27 . The handle part  15  forms a “T” shape and the reinforcing ribs  29  are located on right-angled corners of the “T”. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the compartment  11  includes an arrangement  33  configured for receiving a light indicator, the body  5  having an opening  35  shown in  FIG. 2  for viewing the light indicator from outside. The opening  35  is made in a transversal wall  37  of the body  5  on which the linking portion  19  is added, the handle part  15  being outside an area defined in front of the opening  35  according to a direction parallel to the insertion axis  23 . The light indicator is arranged for functioning when the fuse has blown. The plug-in connector  1  has the light indicator and the light indicator includes a LED. In an embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the plug-in connector  1  has a translucent light guide  39  located at least partially in the opening  35 . 
     The linking portion  19  is configured to be breakable to limit the longitudinal size of the plug-in connector  1  along the insertion axis  23  if the handle part  15  is no longer needed. To this end, in an embodiment, the linking portion  19  has a strip form configured to be cut. 
     The cooperation assembly  7  is symmetrical relative to a reversing plane  41 , shown in  FIG. 2 . The insertion axis  23  is such that two reversed mounted positions of the plug connector  1  can be defined by turning the plug connector  1  around the insertion axis  23  according to an angle of 180°. This defines the two geometrical options for plugging the plug connector  1  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The body  5 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , has a pair of portions with different widths such that two plug-in connectors  1  mounted on two adjacent terminal blocks  3  in reversed mounted positions with respect to each other present an overall width corresponding to the width of the two terminal blocks  3 . The two portions with different widths include a first portion with a first width  43  smaller than and a second portion with a second width  45  larger than a corresponding terminal block  3  width. The sum of the first width  43  and the second width  45  corresponds to the overall width of the two adjacent terminal blocks  3 . The second portion is arranged to receive the fuse element, as described above. 
     The actuating surface  27 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , has at least one recess  47  arranged to cooperate with a corresponding lug  48  of the marking element  28  so that the actuating surface  27  is configured as a pushing surface for the thumb when mounting the plug-in connector  1  on the terminal block  3 . No element of the actuating portion  17  extends beyond the actuating surface  27  along the insertion axis  23 . The at least one recess  47 , in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , has a pair of recesses  47  each presenting a final transverse section  49  opening outside the actuating portion  17  according to opposite directions. The opposite directions are transverse to the insertion axis  23 . 
     The marking element  28 , shown in  FIG. 1 , is configured to be installed on the actuating portion  17  and to be disconnected easily by turning it about an axis parallel to the insertion axis  23 . Each recess  47  has another end section  51  opposed to its final transverse section  49 , shown in  FIG. 3 , and that is ended by an abutment  53  made in the actuating portion  17 . 
     The body  5 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , has at least one additional recess  55  arranged to cooperate with a corresponding lug  48  of the marking element  28 . The at least one additional recess  55  in the shown embodiment includes two additional recesses  55 . The two additional recesses  55  each have an additional final transverse section  57  opening outside the body  5  according to additional opposite directions. The additional opposite directions are transverse to the insertion axis  23 . Each additional recess  55  has another additional end section  59  opposed to its additional final transverse section  57  and that is ended by an additional abutment  61  made in the body  5 . 
     The two recesses  47  and the two additional recesses  55  are arranged so that two installed marking elements  28  extend transversely relative to each other. Each recess  47  is a groove and each additional recess  55  is an additional groove. 
     The body  5 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , has a grip member  63  located on an external wall of the body  5  oriented in a different direction than the orientation direction of the actuating surface  27  to enable seizing the plug-in connector  1  by hand. An oriented or orientation direction of a surface is the direction of a normal relative to the corresponding surface. The grip member  63  has a series of parallel ribs  65 . 
     The handle part  15  has a dual purpose. First, it serves as handle that can be used to insert the plug-in connector  1  in the terminal block  3  to reach the mounted position. The user has to push the actuating surface  27  along the insertion axis  23 . The actuating portion  17  of the handle can also be grabbed by a user between a forefinger and thumb to withdraw the plug-in connector  1  from the terminal block  3 . 
     Second, the marking element  28  shown in  FIG. 1  can be added on the actuating surface  27  without disturbing the functioning of the handle part  15 . Indeed, as this part is generally planar, the actuating portion  17  is thicker but has the same geometrical features. Besides, the marking element  28  is well located on the summit of the plug-in connector  1  to be easily visible. 
     This arrangement allows combining a handle part  15  for a fuse plug and an extra marking area without additional space needed for this marking. In addition, the opening  35  for the light indicator allows the indicator to be easily visible to a user, as the handle part  15  is not hiding it. The terminal blocks  3  that have a lower width than the size of the fuse element can further be used with limited space constraints.