Tap device

European).

Z-4593

EP 1 575 136 B1

Cable connection splitter

The invention relates to a splitter for electrically conductive connections of a main cable with an additional cable.

Various types of manifolds of this type are known, for example from WO 00/30218, DE 199 20 768, DE 101 43 363 or WO 03/021721. In all these splitters, the cable wires of the main cable are connected by cutting contacts. In manifolds for WO 00/30218, DE 199 20 768 and DE 101 43 363 respectively, the auxiliary cable can be plugged in via a socket-plug connection, whereas in the manifold of WO 03/021721 the auxiliary cable is also connected via a cutting contact, so that it is possible that the additional cable can be replaced as required.

Known branch-plug connectors for an additional cable need relatively complicated shaped contact elements that are cumbersome to manufacture. For example, sections of the formed sheet are bent or refracted in such a way that wedges arise between the flat sides of the two sections. This has an additional disadvantage with the complexity of the manufacturing method; that, in fact, springing arises from the bend, which, if the tension is maintained, can cause rapid fatigue.

A splitter is known from WO 98/45896 in which the cable wires of a flat cable are connected by contact elements which also have a fork contact for fixing a finger-shaped finger contact. The splitter, however, is only intended for a specific wiring system. Contact elements with cutting contact and spade contact are also known from US 6, 142, 817.

Another circle of problems concerns coding. Socket connections with individual coding are known. The installer can, by coding undertaken on site, ensure that the various devices can only be plugged into the relevant electrical network. A solution with a detachable coding cam is described, for example, in DE 199 32 243. However, the solution is only intended for use in a fixed network, e.g. in a low-voltage network.

The object of the invention is to produce a splitter which solves problems according to the state of the art with reduced production costs. In this context, it is also the task of the invention to produce the simplest contact element. This task is solved by the invention as defined in the claims.

According to the invention, the splitter has contact elements for connecting the main cable to the additional cable, which have at least one cutting clamp for connecting the wires of the main cable, as well as at least one clamping contact. The crimp contact according to the subject of the invention is flat or sheet-shaped and locally defines the plane, the wedging being created - for example between two wings - by elastic forces acting along the plane. The clamp contact can be shaped like a fork contact, i.e. for example in the form of a sheet shaped in the form of a reed fork, the wings being the fingers of the device in the form of a reed fork. A contact hole is then formed between the fingers and when the object is brought into contact (for example, a finger contact), the contacts of the fingers are stretched towards each other in the opposite direction to said elastic force. The splitter further has a housing-base part with elements for leading the wires of the main cable, whereby the contact elements are fitted into the housing-base part, while the housing-base part has a socket port in which the socket is located, and the clamp contact forms one of the mentioned socket connectors.

The term 'blue' in this context did not necessarily mean that the entirety of the compression lies strictly on one single plane. Rather, the crimp contact may as a whole be bent or even bent, for example. However, it is locally sheet-flat, and wedging, for example, is caused at the clamping point, as mentioned by the forces that act along the plane defined by the sheet surface at the clamping point.

By the fact that the crimp contact according to the present invention is flat, it contributes to important production advantages. The clamping contact can be pressed from sheet metal or formed by smooth punching, without the sheet having to be strongly deformed. In addition, the wedging can be large enough also for small sheet thicknesses, while the width of the wings (or fingers) between which the wedging arises should be sufficiently large.

This allows the use of relatively thin sheets, which can also have advantages. The front contact also means that even with thin sheets in operation there is a relatively low current density.

After this, the clamp contact is routed along the plane, the contact element can, in fact, be supplied with two or more clamp contacts without much effort during production. In this way, it is also ideally suited as a component of multi-socket embodiments in which a single contact element produces a contact for multiple sockets. This is advantageous in both production and assembly of the manifold systems of the invention. In addition, the concept can be extended to contact systems with, for example, one splitter and a multi-socket module. The contact object of the invention in a multi-socket module also has contact elements of the type described above and can also be extruded from sheet metal or produced by smooth punching.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the contact element is formed in one piece. Therefore, it can also be extruded as a whole from sheet metal or produced by smooth punching, whereupon then the cutting clamp may be machined by pressing or grinding, and whereby the plane of the cutting clamp and / or clamping contact may be twisted relative to the original plane of the sheet. The last one can occur in the process of burnishing.

The splitter system has a particularly multi-stage coding system.

The first stage consists of mechanical coding embedded in the device; for example, notches in the plug that run parallel to the plug axis and correspond to the crests in the socket (or do not match if incorrect coding) or vice versa. The second stage consists of removable and / or addable elements, for example cams in the plug, whose lateral position corresponds to those legs that are inserted in the socket.

The following are embodiments of the invention according to the drawing, the figures of which show:

Fig. 1: a view of the manifold according to the invention, with all housing parts being omitted for clarity.

Figures 2a and 2b: views of the contact elements of the device according to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3: a view of the device according to Fig. 1, with the cable wires of the main cable being guided in the housing-base part and the wiring cover is also shown.

Fig. 4: view of the same device, with the wiring cover in the end position and the plug inserted into the socket is also shown. Fig. 5: the device with the plug pulled out together with the cover.

Figures 6, 6a and 6b: an embodiment of the device according to the invention for use with mains plugs and detailed views of the associated contact elements.

Figures 7, 7a and 7b: one embodiment similar to the embodiment of Fig. 6, the stacking property being visible.

Fig. 8: another embodiment of the contact element.

Fig. 9: branch with two multi-socket elements so that a contact system is formed.

Fig. 10: contact of the contact system.

Figures 11a and 11b: front view of a jack plug with coding.

Fig. 12: a view of a section of the device according to Fig. 5.

The operating principle of the splitter according to the invention is shown in Fig. 1. The main cable 1 with the main cable cores 2 is connected with the additional cable 3 with the contact cable cores 4. Contact elements 5 are used for this, which are electrically connected with the plug contacts 6. Contacts the plugs are permanently connected to the cores of the additional cable 4, for example via terminals 7.

As can be seen in Figs. 2a and 2b, each contact element 5 has a cutting clamp 11 for connecting the wires of the main cable and at least one clamp contact 12, in the illustrated embodiment there are two clamp contacts. The contact element 5 is formed in one piece, namely as a stamped part from sheet metal. The edges formed on the inside of the cutting clamp 11 were sharpened by pressing or grinding after pressing. The cutting clamp is - in the example illustrated - about 45 ° twisted towards the plane of the sheet. This enables such branch geometry as shown in Fig. 1, i.e. with plug contacts 6 running parallel to the main cable. Other geometries are also possible, for example without a twisted cutting clamp and with plug contacts disposed perpendicularly from the main cable, or with cutting clamps that are twisted relative to the sheet metal by an angle other than 45 °, for example by an angle between 45 ° and 90 °.

The clamping contacts 12 of the contact element are, unlike the prior art, at least locally flat, so that a plane is defined. In the example illustrated, the crimp contact is formed similarly to a two-finger tuning fork. The wedging of the contacts of the plug 6 is formed between two fingers, along the plane by elastic forces, similar to a fork contact. The crimp contacts can be twisted - unlike the illustrated embodiment - also against the original sheet plane.

The material from which the contact element is made is, for example, copper or a copper alloy. The sheet thickness is, for example, between 0.5 mm and 1.2 mm, especially

0.7 mm to 0.9 mm. The width of the fingers is selected so that the desired elastic force arises and is therefore dependent on the thickness of the sheet metal on the length of the fingers and the material. The width is, for example, approx. 1 mm to 3 mm, especially approx. 1.7 mm to 2.4 mm.

The length of the fingers can be, for example, between 12 mm and 25 mm.

Fig. 3 shows a view of the structural elements according to Fig. 1, with the main cable cable conductors routed in the housing-base 21 and the wiring component is shown - namely the wiring cover 22. The housing-base has a socket port ( in the figure marked at the bottom) and

Ί routing of the main cable wires (in the figure above) with guide inserts 23. The contact elements 5 are fitted in the housing-base part, so that the cutting terminals 11 cut the cable insulation between the guide inserts of 23 lead wires of the main cable and connect the wires of the main cable.

The wiring cover 22 serves to push the cores of the main cable through the pressure inserts 26 deeply enough between the guide inserts, so that they are securely connected by the cutting terminals 11. The wiring cover 22 has rotation axes 24 that are hooked in the front curves 25 guide inserts on which the wiring cover is rotatably mounted around the axis of rotation. In the end position, the wiring cover is locked by the catches 27. Wiring methods are also possible, including wiring covers , through which it can be switched vertically by pressing or pressing jaws.

Two sockets 31 are inserted in the socket port, in which plug contacts 6 can be inserted. In the illustrated configuration, each socket is directed relative to the direction of the main cable - to the front and to the wires. Contact elements and socket plugs are arranged so that the inserted contacts of the plug are run between the fingers of the clamp contact, and thus connect them.

Fig. 4 shows the entire branch system - i.e. the branch together with the associated plug, the wiring cover 22 being in an end position and the plug 41 inserted into the socket.

In Fig. 5 the splitter 10 can be seen as a whole with the plug 41 extended, together with the cover 51. The cover has a transparent window 52 that allows you to look at the wires of the main cable. This gives the controller the opportunity to check the correct arrangement of cable cores, without opening the cover. In the illustrated embodiment, the window has 53 marking with conductor markings, which indicates the correct position of the phase, neutral conductor and grounding or other type of cable cores. For reasons of production, the sheath can be manufactured as a whole from one transparent material, for example, only the window is ground so that the cable wires are visible. The wiring cover may or may not remain in the end position when the cover is mounted and the splitter is ready for use.

For some assembly, it will be required to assemble the plug with the plug socket (i.e. the sockets for the network cable). In known products, the attachment is solved by means of an additional attachment. The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a pawl 42 which is injected onto the plug. Alternatively, the pawl can be manufactured separately; for example as a single metal part. The latch works with the (invisible) hooking edge located on the inside of the plug socket and causes the hooking. It can only be released while the molding 44 is pressed into the inside of the plug and the latch is moved inwards. Due to the injected pawl, there are no additional costs for hooking during production. The principle of operation of the injected pawl on the plug can also be used for contact systems that are usually not shaped according to the invention.

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the splitter is intended for three-pole electric cables. The splitter configuration in accordance with the subject matter of the invention can of course also be used for other cable systems; for example for bipolar or five-pole electric cables, for data cables with any number of cable wires, for speaker cables, etc.

The embodiment of the manifold according to the invention according to Fig. 6 also has contact elements and a housing of the type described above. However, unlike the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, it is shaped into standard plugs 61 (the figure shows plug sockets and plugs according to the Swiss standard). This conditions structural changes. The pin contacts of the crimp contacts must therefore be spaced apart separately, since the finger contacts 62 of the standard plug are usually round, as shown in

Fig. 6a. In addition, the finger contacts are not placed at the same height, so that the crimp contacts 12 must be in the right position. This may require that the crimp contacts, as shown in the figure, must be positioned staggered to each other. Fig. 6b shows the arrangement of three contact elements as it is used in the embodiment according to Fig. 6. This arrangement ensures that the polarity with respect to the plug is always the same.

Fig. 7 shows how a contact system can be formed based on the manifold object of the invention, without significant structural changes or complicated add-on parts. The system comprises stacked modules 71, whereby the contact elements 5 penetrate through the contact openings 63. 73 into the currently adjacent module or splitter 10 and connect the contact element 5 of the adjacent module or splitter. In this connection, the contact elements may have a contact gap formed as a combination of a cutting clamp and a contact plug, as illustrated in Figs. 7a and 7b. In addition, identical components may be used for the splitter 10 and the stacking modules 71

As an alternative to this, the module contacts may have crimp contacts instead of the mentioned contact slots, which, for example, are shaped in the same way as the crimp contacts described above, but are twisted about 90 ° to them.

Stackable modules 71 in the illustrated embodiment also have positioning and anti-torsion pins 74 and a latch 75 to secure the module currently lying above or below.

Instead of stacking modules according to Fig. 7, the splitter itself can also be equipped with multiple sockets or multiple plug sockets. In these manifolds, the contact elements used are then shaped, for example, as in Fig. 8, the contact element 5 with six terminal contacts 12 serving as plug contacts.

A further extended contact arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 9. Together with the splitter 10 are illustrated two plurable multiple plug-in sockets 81. Each multiple plug-in socket has multiple-plug contacts, which also have crimp contacts of the type described above and which, for example are formed in one piece from sheet metal. In the lower part of the drawing, the contact elements 5 or contacts of the multiple plug socket 82 are illustrated, as they are used in the contact arrangement. The multiple-plug contacts have a leg 83, which is formed, for example, in the form of a plate and twisted 90 ° to the original plane of the sheet. The presser foot can be made from parts by means of twisting, or (for example by pressing) it can be manufactured by pressing. The crimp contacts 84 are, as mentioned, shaped analogously to the crimp contacts 12 of the contact elements 5.

Fig. 10 shows one more contact 92 for a simpler, compared to Fig. 9, contact module with only two plug sockets. Such a module can also be connected in series with any number of subsequent modules.

Embodiments of the contact system according to Figs. 7 to 10 are only examples to illustrate the multiple design possibilities that exist due to the contact elements or contacts of the multiple plug socket made in accordance with the invention, with little production effort. By forming contact elements or multiple-plug contacts with any number of crimp contacts protruding on one or both sides, any configuration of the multiple-plug contacts can be formed.

According to an aspect of the invention, the contact system - according to the method described above or with different contacts - is equipped with a multi-stage mechanical coding system. Through mechanical coding, it is possible to prevent the user from mistakenly making plug connections that are not permitted and may lead to damage to the devices.

The contact systems according to this aspect of the invention have basic coding, which is factory adjusted and individual coding. The principle of multi-stage mechanical coding is illustrated in Figs. 11a and 11b as well as in Fig. 12. The basic coding consists of a durable mechanical mark made in the form of a plug and socket, for example, notches 43 in the plug or in the socket into which the notches slide. 102 in the socket or plug. Notches and notches can in fact come in a variety of numbers and in different dimensions.

They can be produced by molding the socket or plug. They are used, for example, to distinguish between low voltage networks, low voltage networks and data transmission networks. According to the second level, individual coding is also provided. For individual coding of individual networks, guide grooves 103 with guide foot 104 are provided in the socket. At the right places on the plug, irreversible separable cams 45 are provided, which are inserted into the grooves when the plug is inserted. Reversible elements are also possible. For individual coding, the installer can put one or more coding pads 106 in the plug socket and cut the corresponding coding cams in the plug - for example with a knife. In the coding foot used, in a configuration according to Fig. 12 the plug can only be inserted if the upper cams 45 have been removed.

This is because with respect to the axis of the plug (corresponding to the direction along which the plug moves when inserted) the lateral position of the foot corresponds to the lateral position of the cam and therefore interferes with insertion. By combining different basic coding with individual coding, plural numbers of combinations are possible.

This allows the use of a contact system, for example with the splitter according to the invention, in low voltage networks, low voltage networks or data transmission networks, since various basic coding are possible, and it also offers a simple, advantageous possibility for additional, individual coding plug-in system.

Reichle & De-Massari AG, Switzerland

Proxy:

Sławomir Łazewska

Z-4593

EP 1 575 136 B1