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EP-4742454-A1 - ELECTRICAL TERMINAL, ELECTRICAL FEED-TROUGH TERMINAL, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SYSTEM

EP4742454A1EP 4742454 A1EP4742454 A1EP 4742454A1EP-4742454-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical terminal (15), preferably an IDC-terminal, an electrical feed-trough terminal (300), a system (10) and a method of assembling the system (10), wherein the electrical terminal (15) comprises a busbar (60), a spring clamp (65) and a blade arrangement (70), wherein the blade arrangement (70) has at least a first blade (75) which adjoins a cutting groove (110) with a groove base (100), wherein the blade arrangement (70) is arranged in an inclined manner with regard to a plug-in axis (25), wherein the spring clamp (65) comprises a conductor feed-through section (140) with a first recess (150) and a pressure bar (165), wherein the pressure bar (165) is arranged between a free end (165) of the conductor feed-through section (140) and the first recess (150), wherein the busbar (60) is connected to the blade arrangement (70) and to the spring clamp (65), wherein the spring clamp (65) may be bent at least between a first spring shape and a second spring shape differing from the first spring shape, wherein in the second spring shape, the spring clamp (65) is tensioned and the pressure bar (165) is arranged at a second minimal distance (a2) to the cutting groove (110), wherein in the first spring shape, the spring clamp (65) is tensioned in a reduced manner compared to the second spring shape and the pressure bar (165) is arranged closer to the cutting groove (110) than in the second spring shape.

Inventors

  • Villard, Romain
  • MOINE, GEOFFREY

Assignees

  • TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241111

Claims (12)

  1. An electrical terminal (15), preferably an IDC-terminal, for contacting an electrical cable (20; 311, 315), - wherein the electrical terminal (15) comprises a busbar (60), a spring clamp (65) and a blade arrangement (70), - wherein the blade arrangement (70) has at least a first blade (75) which adjoins a cutting groove (110) having a groove base (100), - wherein the blade arrangement (70) is arranged in an inclined manner with regard to a plug-in axis (25), - wherein the spring clamp (65) comprises a conductor feed-through section (140) with a first recess (150) and a pressure bar (165), - wherein the pressure bar (165) is arranged between a free end (165) of the conductor feed-through section (140) and the first recess (150), - wherein the busbar (60) is connected to the blade arrangement (70) and to the spring clamp (65), - wherein the spring clamp (65) may be bent at least between a first spring shape and a second spring shape differing from the first spring shape, - wherein in the second spring shape, the spring clamp (65) is tensioned and the pressure bar (165) is arranged at a second minimal distance (a2) to the cutting groove (110), - wherein in the first spring shape, the spring clamp (65) is tensioned in a reduced manner compared to the second spring shape and the pressure bar (165) is arranged closer to the cutting groove (110) than in the second spring shape.
  2. The electrical terminal (15) according to claim 1, - wherein the blade arrangement (70) comprises a first blade (75) and a second blade (80) arranged opposite to the first blade (75), - wherein the first blade (75) and the second blade (80) are arranged on both sides of the cutting groove (110) and are connected to each other at the groove base (100) by means of a first connecting section (85), - wherein the cutting groove (110) is open on the side facing the pressure bar (165).
  3. The electrical terminal (15) according to claim 1 or 2, - wherein the cutting groove (110) comprises a groove opening (105) which is arranged on a side facing the pressure bar (165), - wherein the cutting groove (110) narrows from the groove opening (105) towards the groove base (100).
  4. The electrical terminal (15) according to any one of the preceding claims, - wherein the spring clamp (65) has a spring section (135) and a fastening section (145), - wherein the spring section (135) is curved and connects the conductor feed-through section (140) to the fastening section (145), - wherein the fastening section (145) has a second recess (155), - wherein the busbar (60) engages through the first recess (150) and the second recess (155).
  5. The electrical terminal (15) according to any one of the preceding claims, - wherein the spring clamp (65) comprises an actuating surface (170) on a side facing away from the blade arrangement (70), - wherein an actuating force (FB) may be introduced into the spring clamp (65) via the actuating surface (170) in order to tension and bend the spring clamp (65) from the first spring shape into the second spring shape.
  6. The electrical terminal (15) according to claim 5, - wherein the electrical terminal (15) comprises a housing (40), - wherein the housing (40) defines a housing interior (45) into which a cable receptacle (50) and a tool receptacle (55) of the housing (40), which are arranged at an offset with regard to the cable receptacle (50), open, - wherein the cable receptacle (50) extends along the plug-in axis (25), - wherein the cutting groove (110) and the cable receptacle (50) overlap along the plug-in axis (25), - wherein the tool receptacle (55) overlaps with the actuating surface (170) along the plug-in axis (25).
  7. The electrical terminal (15) according to claim 6, - wherein the housing (40) has a housing side (186), which is arranged outwards of the housing interior (45), - wherein the cable receptacle (50) and the tool receptacle (55) both open on the housing side (186).
  8. An electrical feed-through terminal (300), - comprising a first electrical terminal (305), a second electrical terminal (310) and a connecting busbar (325), - wherein the first electrical terminal (305) is embodied according to any one of the preceding claims, - wherein the second electrical terminal (310) is embodied according to any one of the preceding claims, - wherein the connecting busbar (325) connects the busbar (60) of the first electrical terminal (305) to the busbar (60) of the second electrical terminal (310), - wherein preferably the busbar (60) of the first electrical terminal (305), the busbar (60) of the second electrical terminal (310) and the connecting busbar (325) are formed in one piece and from one material.
  9. A system (10), - comprising an electrical terminal (15) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and an electrical cable (20; 311, 315), - wherein the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) comprises an electrically conductive conductor (30) and a cable insulation (35) electrically insulating the first electrical conductor (30), - wherein the spring clamp (65) is bent into the first spring shape, - wherein the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) extends through the first recess (150) and the cutting groove (110), - wherein the first blade (75) engages through the cable insulation (35) and contacts the electrical conductor (30), - wherein the pressure bar (165) secures the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) in the cutting groove (110).
  10. The system according to claim 9, - wherein in the second spring shape of the spring clamp, the spring clamp (65) is bent in such a way that the cable (20; 311, 315) may be introduced along the plug-in axis (25) through the first recess (150) and next to the blade arrangement (70).
  11. A method of assembling a system (10) according to claim 9, - wherein the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) and the electrical terminal (15) are provided, - wherein a tension force (FT) is introduced into the spring clamp (65) to bend and tension the spring clamp (65) into the second spring shape, - wherein the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) is routed through the first recess (150) along the plug-in axis (25) and is arranged next to the blade arrangement (70), - wherein the tension force (FT) is released and the spring clamp (65) relaxes and the pressure bar (165) presses the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) into the cutting groove (110), wherein the first blade (75) penetrates the cable insulation (35) and electrically contacts the electrical conductor (30).
  12. The method according to claim 11, - wherein the electrical terminal (15) is formed according to any one of claims 5 to 9, - wherein a tool (175), particularly a screwdriver, is inserted into the tool receptacle (55) and a tip (176) of the tool (175) contacts the spring clamp (65) with the tension force (FT), - wherein the electrical cable (20; 311, 315) is inserted through the first recess (150) via the cable receptacle (50), - wherein the tool (175) is removed from the tool receptacle (55) to release the tension force (FT).

Description

The invention relates to an electrical terminal according to claim 1, preferably an IDC-terminal, an electrical feed-trough terminal according to claim 8, a system according to claim 9 and a method according to claim 10 of assembling the system. WO 2012/012203 teaches an insulation displacement connector (IDC). It is the object of the invention to provide an improved electrical terminal, an improved electrical feed-trough terminal, an improved system and an improved method of assembling the system. This object is solved by the features of an electrical terminal according to claim 1, an electrical feed-trough terminal according to claim 8, a system according to claim 9 and a method according to claim 10. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims. An improved electrical terminal, preferably an IDC-terminal, to contact an electrical cable, comprises a busbar, a spring clamp and a blade arrangement. The blade arrangement has at least a first blade which adjoins a cutting groove having a groove base. The blade arrangement is arranged in an inclined manner with regard to a plug-in axis. The spring clamp comprises a conductor feed-through section with a first recess and a pressure bar. The pressure bar is arranged between a free end of the conductor feed-through section and the first recess. The busbar is connected to the blade arrangement and to the spring clamp. The spring clamp may be bent at least between a first spring shape and a second spring shape which differs from the first spring shape. In the second spring shape, the spring clamp is tensioned and the pressure bar is arranged at such a distance to the cutting groove that the cable may be introduced along the plug-in axis through the first recess and the blade arrangement. In the first spring shape, the spring clamp is tensioned in a reduced manner compared to the second spring shape and the pressure bar is arranged closer to the cutting grove than in the second spring shape. This embodiment has the advantage that the electrical terminal, especially an IDC-terminal, may be prepared for the electrical cable with a simple tool, for example a screwdriver, to provide a quick and robust electrical connection between the cable and the electrical terminal. Furthermore, the electrical terminal is vibration-resistant and the electrical cable is mounted in the electrical terminal in a robust manner. By using the tensioned spring clamp, the spring clamp may push the cable which is introduced through the first recess and the pressure bar and the blade arrangement into the cutting groove by means of a pressure bar, so that the blades perforate the electrical cable and contact a conductor of the electrical cable. In a further embodiment, the blade arrangement comprises a first blade and a second blade arranged opposite to the first blade. The first blade and the second blade may be arranged substantially in the plane which is inclined, in particular perpendicular, with regard to the plug-in axis. The first blade and the second blade are arranged on both sides of the cutting groove and are connected to each other at the groove base by means of a first connecting section. The cutting groove is open on the side facing the pressure bar. This has the advantage that the pressure bar may push the cable into the cutting groove through the opened side of the cutting groove so that on both sides of the cable the blades may perforate the electrical cable and may contact a conductor of the electrical cable on both sides. In a further embodiment, the cutting groove comprises a groove opening, which is arranged on a side facing the pressure bar, wherein the cutting groove narrows from the groove opening towards the groove base. This has the advantage that the cables have tolerances regarding a radial direction and that, through the narrowing cutting groove, it is secured that the cutting blades may perforate the electrical cable and may contact the electrical conductor because the push bar pushes the electrical cable so far into the cutting groove until the cutting blades contact the electrical cable. In a further embodiment, the spring clamp has a spring section and a fastening section, wherein the spring section is curved and connects the conductor feed-through section to the fastening section. The fastening section has a second recess. The busbar engages through the first recess and the second recess, so that the spring clamp is electrically and mechanically connected to the busbar. The spring clamp comprises an actuating surface on a side facing away from the blade arrangement, wherein an actuating force may be introduced into the spring clamp via the actuating surface to tension and bend the spring clamp from the first spring shape into the second spring shape. The actuating force may be, for example, provided by a tool, preferably a screwdriver, so that the tensioning may be easily performed. In a further embodiment, the electrical terminal comprises a housi