Distribution block.

The invention relates to a rail with a plurality of adjacently arranged, power rail pieces containing conductor terminals and a cross-distribution of electrical power.

Manifolds of the generic type are used for supply and taxation technical linking of electrical components such as power supplies and signal receiver. They can be used for this purpose, for example to build Initiator terminal blocks, as set out for example in EP 0222030 A2. In this literature, it is stated that the supply lines of a voltage source to be connected to two located in an initiator terminal block manifolds and the supply voltage from there by means of internal cross-connecting strips is distributed to a plurality of adjacently arranged terminals, in turn, supply leads are connected, for example of initiators for electrical signal receiver to the. The structure of the distribution strips used for this application is relatively complicated, since between the busbar pieces of the lead terminals and the components for the actual cross-distribution of electric power, additional components such as spacers must be present, which of course results in a contact resistance at each current transition between the components.

Object of the present invention is therefore to provide a distribution strip of the generic type, in which the transverse distribution of electric power is carried out with possible low constructive and montage moderate effort.

The inventive solution is that the transverse distribution of electric power having the bus bar pieces of the lead terminals plug-in contact elements for the electrical connection of the conductor rail pieces together.

Due to this new construction accounts for the distribution strips of the inventive type all previously existing additional components such as cross-distribution rails, spacers or the like. This leads to a significant reduction of assembly time and thus the installation costs also omitted all costs for producing to the removed components. The direct connection of the conductor rail pieces together omitted depending on the design of the conventional power strips at least one compound of two current-carrying components, ie, a contact resistance between these components is omitted.

The plug contact elements automatically form the lateral juxtaposition of conductor connections to a rail by latching a plug contact in a socket contact an electrical connection, so that an additional control in the assembly as to whether all cross-connections of the lateral distribution have been made, is eliminated. By plug-in contact of the busbar pieces of single fiber connectors, these arbitrary to Manifolds length, that any wire connection number together. This Manifolds for any application can be set up, which in turn are used for example for building initiators Terminal blocks any number of poles. The space requirement can thus be significantly reduced, depending on how frequently such Manifolds application.

Special features of the subject of the invention result from the features of the dependent claims.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bus bar pieces of a U-shaped base body with two lateral opposite the socket contact forming spring contact legs, wherein on one of the legs a lug plug is arranged. The connector tab of a plug-in contact element engages for producing the electrical connection of the conductor rail pieces to one another in each case into the socket contact of the plug contact element of an adjacent current bar portion. The to be connected with the wire connection conductor z. B. a clamping spring connected directly to the busbar piece of the corresponding conductor terminal. Plug and socket contact are thus carried out in one piece, which reduces the production costs and simplifies installation.

The execution of the plug-in contact elements as a socket contact offers the possibility of the female part from several directions z. B. to contact from the side or from below. Since the socket contact of the first conductive terminal is a rail for the connection to the next bus bar section or to build up the whole busbar is not required, this offers an opportunity to create a necessary case disposed under the lead terminals board an additional connection option.

It has also proven advantageous for the electrical connection of the conductor rail pieces, ie, the connector tabs and female contacts to arrange the plug contact elements spatially below the connecting plane of the lead terminals.

This results in a particularly space-saving construction of the distribution strip. Since the terminal portion of the lead terminal is very accessible from above, can also realize all other conventional types of connection Connecting cables except the already mentioned Anschlußmöglichkkeit a clamping spring.

Since the socket contact of the individual busbar piece is accessible both from below and from the side, can be used for power supply to the rail at the socket contact to arrange additional contact surfaces which both interfere with the socket contact and can make an electrical connection to the outer surface of the socket contact side, as is a U-shaped fork contact for electrical connection producing the female contact conceivable. In particular, the fork-shaped contact has the advantage that a power supply can in principle take place at any point of the rail from below. Especially when space is limited, a special power terminal can thus be saved. The possibility of the socket contact both centrally and laterally to contact, makes it very easy to create with the help of special openings in the wire connection housing coding possibility of the conductor terminal, depending on whether the possibility of power supply to the bus bar section through the central female contact or to one side socket contact off.

It must be stressed that the use of a distribution bar of the type according to the invention are particularly suitable for the construction of the initiator terminal blocks, as they were initially briefly described, is of great advantage. The special configuration of an initiator terminal provides that at least two distribution strips are arranged in a base housing an initiator terminal, which can be fixed to a mounting rail. The connection to the base housing via releasable plug fixings, so that the distribution strips can be rearranged easily and assemble the initiator terminal block. Furthermore, the already mentioned possibilities for an advantageous simple coding of the rail according to the invention can in particular often necessary earthing of busbar connections easily appear to be realizable. Through the accessibility of the current rail pieces from below a connection of rail to the supporting ground potential rail without any problems can be realized.

It remains to be noted that the detachable connection of the manifolds within the initiator terminal block base housing a contact to the wiring via plug contacts, that makes the realization of PNP or NPN circuits very easily by simply changing the distribution strips.

The following are examples of manifolds of the inventive type, and the use of power strips in Initiator terminal blocks with reference to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding will be explained in more detail.

Show it<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Figure 1:</dt><dd>a rail according to the invention with three optical connectors,</dd><dt>Figure 2:</dt><dd>the sectional image of a conductor terminal in accordance with the section BB from FIG. 1</dd><dt>Figure 3:</dt><dd>Busbar piece of an inventive distribution strip without wire connection housing,</dd><dt>Figure 4:</dt><dd>Section through a wire connection with power strips invention.</dd></dl>

1 shows an in its entirety designated 1 PDU, consisting of three juxtaposed with the numerals I - III marked conductor terminals 2 is.

In the housing 10 of each conductor line is located a respective busbar piece 4, which engage respectively with the help of their male contact elements. 5 The structure of a conductor terminal 2 is illustrated with the aid of the sectional image in FIG. 2 In the middle of the lead terminal housing 10, the busbar piece 4, there is again seen. At this busbar piece 4 a clamping spring 14 is arranged, which serves the conductor 3 is inserted from above into the insertion funnel 13 of the lead terminal housing 10 to push under the busbar piece 4 and fix it there by clamping spring force. Is located at the upper side of the lead terminal housing 10 laterally alongside the insertion funnel 13, a mounting breakthrough 15, through the actuation of the clamping spring 14 for the assembly operation of the conductor 3 is possible. Each conductor connection housing has on a side wall connection cam 12, which corresponds in position and size with the corresponding connecting bores 11 at the opposite side surface of the lead terminal housing 10 so that this 11 of the adjacent in a sequence of lead terminals 2 to each other by the engagement of the connection cam 12 into the corresponding connecting bores conductor terminal 2 are fixed.

In the series of lead terminals 2 located in each conductor terminal two current rail pieces 4 engage by means of its plug-in contact elements 5 each other, so that an electrically conductive connection between the individual conductor terminals 2 is made. To illustrate this, 3 three busbar pieces 4 are shown in figure, for better understanding the corresponding conductor terminal housing 10 were omitted. Each bus bar section 4 has a U-shaped main body 21, which consists of two spring contact legs 23 and 24 and a connecting them leg connecting plate 25th

The on spring contact leg 24 laterally projecting and angled at an angle of about 45 ° retaining tab 22 serves to keep the current rail component 4 in position in the ladder connecting housing 10th To that of the retaining tab 22 both opposite side of the spring contact legs 23 and the legs 24 are extended laterally. The spring contact arm 24 has at its extended free end a connector plate 27. The spring contact leg 23 is bent towards the opposite spring contact legs 24 so that there are two parallel opposed, provided with contact pads 28 and 29 faces on the opposite free ends of the two legs whose distance is less than that of the spring contact legs 23 and 24 in the region of the base body 21. the provided with the contact pads 28 and 29 opposed faces together form a socket contact 26. in figure 3 also clearly be seen that for the production of a continuous busbar the U-shaped base body 21 of the conductor rail pieces 4 are strung together so that the connector tab 27 can engage one busbar piece in the socket contact 26 of an adjacent current bar portion. For this purpose, it is required that the connector tab 27 is bent at its the spring contact leg 24 facing away from the end such that its center plane with which coincides 26 resulting center plane between the spring contact legs 23 and 24 of the socket contact.

In addition to the current rail pieces 4, the clamping spring 14 is shown in Figure 3 to a conductor bar piece 4 which is placed on the outer side of the spring contact leg 24th It has at its retaining tab 22 side facing an opening 30 and is shaped so that it generates a spring force in the direction of arrow F. Since the retaining tab 22 protrudes through the opening 30, the Bewebung the free limb 32 of the clamping spring 14 is limited in the direction of arrow F. If a counterforce ausgebübt on the edge 31 of the clamping spring 14, moves her free leg 32 with the opening 30 against the arrow F downwards, so that in the interior of the U-shaped base body 21 of the busbars. piece 4 a connecting wire can be pushed. After releasing the clamping spring 14 the free leg 32 fast due to the spring force in the direction of the arrow F upwards, pushes the lead wire below the spring contact leg 24 of the busbar piece 4 and fixes it there. This type of clamp requires very little installation effort, since the connection can be a connecting wire on the busbar piece 4 accomplished quickly and without special mounting means. Of course, apart from a clamp all conceivable other ways of making a connection between conductor and busbar piece screw, flat connector, solder joint and the like.

The representation of the concatenated current rail pieces 4 in Figure 3 makes it clear that the respective first socket contact 26 is a distribution block for the power transmission is not required within the busbar. For this reason, this socket contact may as well as the connection of the busbar piece 4 with a conductor 3 to be used to produce a further electrical connection to the conductor rail. In Figures 1 and 2 a possibility of contact between the supply rail from the underside of the conductor terminal 2 is shown forth over the socket contact 26th The embodiment shows in this respect a solder contact 42 is electrically connected to a printed circuit board 41 and at its the circuit board 41 facing away from the end of a contact plate 43 has, which engages through an opening 44 at the bottom of the conductor connection housing 10 in the socket contact 26 of the conductor rail piece 4th Alternatively, a contacting of the conductor rail according to FIGS 1 and 2, Figure 4 shows a possibility for the socket contact 26 to grip on the outer sides by a fork contact 40th The fork contact 40 is like the solder contact 42 described above are electrically connected to a printed circuit board 41 and engages from below the socket contact 26, the conductor terminal housing 10 a sufficiently large outbreak 45 has in this case on its underside. For contacting the busbar through the fork contact 40 is in contrast to the example discussed earlier is not necessary that the socket contact 26 of a conductor terminal 2 is unused, but the fork contact 40 may at any conductor terminal 2 attack power strips 1, unless the conductor terminal housing 10 the corresponding eruption 45 is available for receiving the side of the socket contact 26 surrounds fork parts of contact 40th A rail of the inventive type can thus be positioned anywhere on a 40 arranged in a circuit board 41 fork contact. In addition, can be omitted, an otherwise necessary supply connection where space is limited by the supply of the power rail from below, which is particularly advantageous when space is limited.

An application of Manifolds invention is particularly appropriate for the construction of the initiator terminal blocks. Initiator terminal blocks are usually constructed from individual Initiator terminal blocks, in Figure 5 is an example of an initiator terminal in cross section shown with three belonging to Manifolds inventive conductor connections. 2 An initiator terminal block is made up of perpendicular to the plane juxtaposed Initiator terminal blocks 50, which are set perpendicular to the drawing plane shown together on a common standardized supporting rail 54th By stringing together the initiators terminal blocks 50 necessarily results as a series of individual conductor terminals 2 to Manifolds, which are marked in Figure 5 with I, II and III. The initiator terminal 50 has a terminal housing 51 of insulating material, which is provided with locating arms 80 for releasably fixing the lead terminal housing 10 in the terminal housing 51st This recording webs 80 have small ridges 81 that engage in corresponding recesses 82 of the wire connection housing. This construction ensures that the lead terminals 2 can be interchanged within a terminal to transform z. B. a PNP arrangement in an NPN configuration.

The busbars of the individual distributor strips I, II and III provide when used in initiator terminal blocks of course also the possibility of making contact with the underside of the head of the terminal housing 10. In Figure 5, with the aid of such contacting a compound of the conductor rail of rail 3 to the support rail 54 to the structure a PE rail shown. The connection is made by the contact bracket 58, which engages through the insertion funnel 53 of the conductor case 10 in a socket contact of the busbar of the rail. 3 Since the contact clip 58 penetrates into the socket contact, the contact must necessarily take place at the beginning of the PDU as a free socket contact is present here. The contact clip 58 is riveted to a transmission plate 59 which is fixed in the initiator terminal housing 51 and the mounting rail 54 contacts, so that the corresponding electrical connection is established. The determination of the initiator terminal housing 51 to the support rail 54 is usually carried out by two housing legs 56 and 57 which engage around the angled retaining leg 61 of the support rail 54th

In Figure 6, an initiator terminal is shown, in which the switching state of the initiator is shown via a control LED 70th In this embodiment engages a conductor connecting the rail from below a contact plate 72nd The contact plate 72 is part of a contact angle of 71, which is connected via a wire link 73 and a resistor 74 to the control LED 70th In Figure 6 is particularly important that the contact plate 72 is not like the contact clip described in Figure 5 58 centrally engages a socket contact of the busbar of the distribution strip, but one of the spring contact legs of the socket contact 26 touches the side. Here, the contact plate 72 is forced out through the insertion funnel 76 so that a person other than the lateral contacting of the socket contact is not possible. This results in the fact that, for example, replacement of the rail III of Figure 5 with the rail II of Figure 6 is not possible because the infeed hopper 76 and 53 do not correspond to the positive guidance of contacts with the busbar of the PDU. By selecting the contact site of the socket contact of a busbar arises therefore a simple coding possibility if interchangeability of different distribution strips to be excluded.