DE29719650U1 - Sliding clamp - Google Patents

Description

Applicant: Paul Jordan Elektrotechnische Fabrik GmbH & Co

Our reference: 46813 Al/Gr

Sliding clamp

The invention relates to a sliding clamp as is frequently used for establishing electrical connections, i.e. for clamping two or more electrical conductors together.

Such sliding terminals are located several times next to each other within a terminal block of an electrical junction box, for example.

A typical application of such a sliding clamp is the use in the terminal block of a junction box, such as that used in the hollow masts of street lamps etc. to connect the wiring of the street lighting to the electrical cables that come out of the ground. The problem here is, on the one hand, that there is little freedom of movement for the fitter in the very narrow inner cavities of a street lamp mast, and, on the other hand, that the electrical conductors to be clamped together can have cross-sections of 16 mm and more, and are therefore so rigid that simply bending the ends of the conductors by hand and inserting them into a terminal socket etc. in the lengthwise direction of the cable is very difficult.

For this reason, sliding clamps were developed that make it possible to insert the end of the electrical conductor into the base body of the sliding clamp at right angles to its length and then to move the clamping screw that creates the electrical connection into a position above the end of the electrical conductor to be clamped. This avoids the need for forceful bending of the ends of the electrical conductor to be clamped and insertion into the clamp in the lengthwise direction of the conductor.

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A common design of such a sliding clamp consists of a U-shaped base body, in whose legs, which run parallel to one another, a guide slot is arranged in the conductor direction and in alignment with one another. The sliding nut can be moved in the conductor direction in this guide slot, in which the sliding nut is supported against the base body.

This makes it possible to move the clamping screw together with the sliding nut to one end of the guide slot in order to have the remaining area free and open in the insertion direction for easy insertion of the end of the conductor. The clamping screw is then pushed along the guide slot over the conductor and the clamping screw is clamped.

The problem here is that when the clamping screw is tightened, the sliding nut rests on the free legs of the base body, and when the conductor is inserted on one side within the free space of the base body, transverse forces can also occur which tend to bend the free, parallel legs of the base body apart.

To prevent this, a screw was previously screwed through the two cross legs as a cross connection.

However, the sliding clamps must be made as narrow as possible in order to be able to accommodate as many sliding clamps as possible next to each other in a limited width, e.g. within a light pole, separated from each other by plastic bars. Therefore, the transverse screw must not protrude beyond the side surfaces of the base body. This meant that not only was it necessary to create a thread in one of the transverse legs, but also to countersink the hole for the screw in the other leg in order to be able to accommodate a screw with a countersunk head completely in the cross-section of this leg.

Furthermore, a pressure plate is arranged at the free end, i.e. the front face of the clamping screw, fixed in the longitudinal direction, but rotatable relative to it, which

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transfers the pressure forces generated by the clamping screw to the conductors to be clamped. As a result, when the screw is tightened, a relative rotation occurs between the clamping screw and the pressure plate, but not between the pressure plate and the electrical conductors, and in addition, when the conductor is inserted on one side, the one-sided forces that occur can be partially equalized due to the guidance provided between the inner surfaces of the legs of the base body and the side surfaces of the pressure plate.

The object of the present invention is to develop a sliding clamp in such a way that the sliding clamp can be manufactured easily and inexpensively despite high functional reliability and, in particular, the assembly effort when assembling the sliding clamp is minimized.

This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 5. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

Because the clamping screw is riveted to the pressure plate so that it can rotate but is positively locked in the longitudinal direction of the clamping screw, there is a highly resilient connection between the two components, which can withstand the load caused by the tightened clamping screw, especially in the case of electrical conductors inserted on one side.

Thanks to a corresponding rivet opening in the cross leg of the base body of the sliding clamp, the connection between the pressure plate and the clamping screw can be easily made after inserting the clamping screw into the sliding clamp.

The positive, but movable, engagement of the sliding nut with the parallel legs of the base body in the clamped state additionally prevents the parallel legs of the base body from being pushed apart, which is primarily already minimized by the existing connecting leg and the additional cross connection.

Because the cross connection is designed to be form-fitting on the one hand, but threadless on the other, the cross connection has a consistently high level of functional reliability, but on the other hand the assembly effort is reduced, since no thread needs to be screwed, no rivets inserted, etc.

Because the cross connection is manufactured as a sheet metal part, the manufacturing costs of the cross connection are also very low.

If the cross connection is made from bent, one-piece extensions of the legs of the base body by bending them by 90° and is simultaneously closed with a form fit, the cross connection can be created automatically when the molded body is bent.

Even if a separate, U-shaped sheet metal part is pushed over the free, parallel legs of the base body as a clamp, the assembly effort is very low.

Hook- or anchor-shaped elements are particularly suitable as cross-connections. They interlock when a transverse force occurs and thus absorb the forces that occur. The elements in question can have one, two or more hooks that find complementary recesses on the opposite, bent femoral process with which they interact. All elements and shapes that interlock when subjected to tensile stress are suitable as cross-connections. The desired shapes are simply punched out of the sheet metal.

The cross connection can, for example, be formed from a corner area of the originally rectangular base body of the sliding clamp, so that the cross connection, when bent, leaves a section of the two originally rectangular legs free. The cross connection can also be made from bent, one-piece extensions of the legs, whereby it closes off the ends of the legs evenly and the sliding clamp is therefore rectangular when viewed from the side. The higher the cross connection is arranged, the lower its force load.

On the other hand, the production of the cross connection from an originally rectangular base body without extensions is more cost-effective in terms of effort and material waste.

Cross connections according to the invention can be arranged in vertical and/or horizontal planes. For example, it is also possible to arrange a cross connection on the front side of the sliding clamp.

Note: Round, spherical cross connection:

Another possibility for cross-connections are clamp-like bent hook connections. In contrast to the connection type described above, in which hooks and barbs lie one inside the other, the clamp-like connection has a section with sheet metal pieces lying one on top of the other, so that the clamp in this section has twice the sheet metal thickness. If this section is on the side of a leg, then the end of the inner sheet metal is pulled at least far enough into the interior of the sliding clamp so that the outer surface of the outer sheet metal does not protrude beyond the side surfaces of the base body. The overlapping end areas of the clamp preferably hook together. The clamp cross-connection can, as described above, be formed from an area of the base body or from its extensions. Multi-part clamp constructions are also suitable, in which, for example, a U-shaped sheet metal part is pushed as a clamp over the free, parallel legs of the base body.

The cross connection is particularly easy to produce if the fittings are mirror-imaged in the transverse direction.

A further reduction in assembly effort is achieved by using a pressure plate that is easily connected to the end of the clamping screw, for example by plugging it on, without the need for crimping etc. If such a pressure plate is additionally made from a sheet metal part, for example

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a bent sheet metal part, the manufacturing costs of the printing plate are also very low.

These advantages arise with a pressure plate in the form of a U-shaped sheet metal part, one leg of which passes through and runs loosely below the front surface of the clamping screw, approximately parallel to it, whereby the sheet metal part is held on the clamping screw by the other leg of the U-shaped sheet metal part having a recess open towards the free front edge of this leg, with which the pressure plate is inserted transversely to the longitudinal extension of the clamping screw into a groove, for example an annular groove, of the clamping screw, which is located at a short distance from its front end, corresponding to the distance between the legs of the U-shaped sheet metal part of the pressure plate.

If prongs are provided on the recess of the upper leg that have a distance that is smaller than the core diameter of the clamping screw in the area of the ring groove, then the pressure plate is held securely at the end of the clamping screw. When a pressure plate shaped in this way is pushed on, the prongs bend apart briefly and then spring back into their original position. The pressure plate is therefore fixed longitudinally to the clamping screw, but can rotate relative to it, transferring the pressure forces generated by the clamping screw to the conductors to be clamped.

A pressure plate that is particularly easy to manufacture has two parallel prongs on the upper leg, with a distance that is larger than the core diameter of the clamping screw in the area of an annular groove, but smaller than the outer diameter of the clamping screw.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in more detail below using the figures. They show

Fig. 1 a sliding clamp in the assembled state in side view,
Fig. 2 the sliding clamp of Figure 1 in plan view,

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Fig. 3 the sliding clamp of Figures 1 and 2 in the front view,

Fig. 4 another sliding clamp in plan view
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Fig. 5 the sliding clamp of Figure 4 in the front view,

Fig. 6 a variant of the sliding clamp according to Figures 1 - 3 in the front view,

Fig. 7 another variant of the sliding clamp according to Figures 4 and 5 in the front view,

Fig. 8 the printing plate according to Figures 1 to 3 in detail in plan view,

i.e. in the direction of Figure 2,
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Fig. 9 another sliding clamp in side view,

Fig. 10 the sliding clamp of Fig. 9 in the front view, and
Fig. 11 the sliding nut from figures 9 and 10 separately in front view.

Fig. 1 shows a sliding clamp in the assembled state, in which a relatively thick electrical conductor 7 and a flat busbar 6 are clamped together. The sliding clamp 1 consists of a U-shaped base body 3, in whose legs 3a, 3b, which run parallel to one another, a guide slot 19 is arranged in the conductor direction 4 and in alignment with one another. In this guide slot 19, a sliding nut 15 can be moved in the conductor direction, by the sliding nut being supported against the base body.

When inserting the conductor 7, the clamping screw 5 is moved together with the sliding nut 15 to one end of the guide slot 19 so that the conductor 7 can be inserted into the sliding clamp 1 at the end in the insertion direction 2. The clamping screw 5 is then pushed along the guide slot 19 over the conductor 7 and the clamping screw 5 is tightened.

At the front end of the clamping screw 5, a pressure plate 8 is arranged, fixed in the longitudinal direction but rotatable relative to it, and transfers the pressure forces generated by the clamping screw 5 to the busbars and conductors 6, 7 to be clamped.

The transverse forces that often occur when tightening the clamping screw 5 are absorbed by a transverse connection 9, which holds the legs of the base body 3 parallel to one another and prevents them from bending outwards. The transverse connection 9 shown in Fig. 2 is made from two molded pieces 9a and 9b, which were formed from the corner areas of the parallel legs 3a, 3b of the originally rectangular base body 3 by bending them by 90°. The molded part 9a is a hook-shaped element with two hooks, which engages in an opposite, complementarily punched molded part 9b and interacts with it.

Fig. 3 clearly shows that the cross connection 9 only has a single sheet thickness, since the molded parts 9a, 9b lie one inside the other. The cross connection 9 in Fig. 3 is located in a horizontal plane.

In another variant of the sliding clamp 1 according to Fig. 1 to 3, the cross connection 9 is located on the front side of the sliding clamp 1. The cross connection 9 in Fig. 6 has the same shape as the cross connection 9 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows another variant of the sliding clamp 1, wherein the free legs 3a, 3b in the area of the U-shaped sheet metal part 9' are offset towards the center plane 10 of the sliding clamp 1, so that the outer sides of the U-shaped sheet metal part 9' do not protrude beyond the side surfaces 13, 14 of the base body 3.

The ends of the inwardly offset legs 3a, 3b have hooks that engage with corresponding counter hooks of the U-shaped sheet metal part 9'. The U-shaped sheet metal part 9' in Fig. 5 clasps the upwardly projecting legs 3a, 3b on their outside with its free legs 12a, 12b.

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Another variant of the sliding clamp 1 according to Fig. 4 and 5 is shown in Fig. 7, where only one free leg 3a in the area of the cross connection 9 is offset towards the center plane 10 of the sliding clamp 1, so that the outside of the overlapping leg does not protrude beyond the side surfaces 13, 14 of the base body 3. The free ends of the legs 3a, 3b have hooks on the overlapping connection section with which they engage with one another.

In Fig. 8, the pressure plate 8 according to the invention is shown in detail. The pressure plate 8 consists of a U-shaped sheet metal part 20 with two legs, the lower of which runs below the front surface of the clamping screw 5 approximately parallel to it and the sheet metal part 20 is held by the upper leg on the clamping screw 5. The upper leg has a recess 16 open towards the free front edge of this leg, with which the pressure plate 8 is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction of the clamping screw 5 into an annular groove 17, which is located at a distance approximately corresponding to the distance of the legs of the U-shaped sheet metal part 20 from the front end of the clamping screw 5.

In addition, the prongs 8a, 8b at the front end of the upper leg have widenings so that the distance between the prongs 8a, 8b in this area is smaller than the core diameter 18 of the clamping screw 5. When the pressure plate 8 is placed in the annular groove 17 of the clamping screw 5, the free ends of the prongs 8a, 8b are bent apart briefly and spring back into their original position after the clamping screw 5 is inserted. The prongs 8a, 8b on the inner area of the recess 16 have a distance that is larger than the core diameter of the clamping screw 5 in the area of the annular groove 17, but smaller than the outer diameter of the clamping screw 5. As a result, the pressure plate 8 sits relatively loosely on the clamping screw 5, which can be easily rotated relative to the pressure plate 8.

Figures 9 and 10 show another design of the sliding clamp according to the invention, with Figure 11 showing the sliding nut used separately and in an enlarged view.

In contrast to the solution according to Figures 1 - 3, in Figures 9 - 11 the pressure plate 8 is not a bent sheet metal part, but a solid metal body in the basic shape of a cuboid.

In the longitudinal direction of the clamping screw 5, this pressure plate 8 has a through-opening 22 through which the front end of the clamping screw 5, facing away from the head, extends into or completely through.

This front end is preferably without a thread and has a reduced cross-section and fits into the through hole 22 of the pressure plate 8 with little play. By means of a flange on the outer edge and on the free end on the front side, this pin engages behind the through hole 22 and thus the pressure plate 8, and indeed still within the longitudinal extension of the through hole, whereby a positive, rotatable connection, almost a rivet connection, is present between the pressure plate 8 and the end pin of the clamping screw 5.

The clamping screw 5 does not protrude beyond the lower side, the pressure surface, of the pressure plate 8, which is achieved by the fact that the through opening 22 of the pressure plate 8 has a downwardly widening shoulder in its course, which offers the possibility of engaging behind the radially circumferential projection at the end of the clamping screw 5.

This riveting between the pressure plate and the clamping screw 5 can only be carried out after the sliding nut 15 has been inserted from the side into the guide slots 19a, 19b of the parallel legs 3a, 3b and then the clamping screw 5 has been screwed into this sliding nut 15 from above. Below the free end of the screwed-in clamping screw 5, however, is the connecting leg 3c of the base body, which is why a rivet opening 24 running in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the clamping screw is formed as a through opening in this, flush with the clamping screw, i.e. on the center plane 10 of the base body.

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This must be large enough to be able to insert a riveting tool and rivet the pressure plate 8 placed under the screw to the clamping screw 5.

Another difference concerns the sliding nut 15. In order to prevent the parallel legs 3a, 3b of the base body from being pushed apart even to a very small extent, the sliding nut 15 has - as can best be seen in Figures 10 and 11 - protruding edges on its lateral outer edges in the form of a projection 26a, 26b that extends over the entire longitudinal extent. These projections 26a, 26b have a 45° flank pointing upwards and inwards, with which the sliding nut 15 is supported in the clamped state - as can be seen in Figure 10 - on a corresponding counter surface of the flanks above the guide slots 19 on the parallel legs 3a, 3b.

For this purpose, these flanks are bevelled along the outer edges with the same inclination and appropriately adjusted, whereby a ridge 21a, 21b is created from the inside of these flanks 25a, 25b extending over the entire longitudinal extent of the guide slots 19a, 19b.

The back 21 on each leg 3a, 3b of the base body and the projections 26 of the sliding nut 15 interacting therewith form a positive connection that is, however, displaceable in the longitudinal direction and is only effective when the clamping screw 5 is in the tightened state.

To enable assembly, the height of the projection 26 of the sliding nut 15 is less than the height difference of the guide slots 19 on the one hand and the height of the sliding nut 15 in the middle area on the other.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1 Sliding clamp 2 Insertion direction 3 Base body 3a, 3b Legs of the main body 3c connecting leg 4 Conductor direction 5 Clamping screw 6 Busbar 7 Director 8th printing plate 8a, 8b Tines 9 Cross connection 9a, 9b Fitting 10 Middle level 11 Transverse direction 12 free legs 13 free thigh sides 14 free thigh sides 15 Sliding nut 16 Recess 17 Ring groove 18 core diameter 19a, 19b Guide slot 20 Sheet metal 21 Back 22 Passage opening 23 edge 24 Rivet opening 25a, 25b flank 26 head Start

Claims (25)

PROTECTION CLAIMS 1. Sliding clamp for establishing electrically conductive connections in e.g. a terminal block of a terminal box, whereby the sliding clamp (1) has at least one partially U-shaped base body (3) open in the insertion direction (2),
- wherein a sliding nut (15) is slidably supported on the parallel legs (3a, 3b), into which the clamping screw (5) together with the pressure plate (8) attached thereto can be screwed, and the parallel legs (3a, b) of the base body (3) have a cross connection spaced from its connecting leg (3c) transversely to the central plane (10) which does not extend beyond the outer surfaces of the parallel legs (3a, b) protrudes,
characterized in that the cross connection is a threadless, positive-locking cross connection, and
- the pressure plate (8) is riveted to the front end of the clamping screw (5) so that it can rotate. 2. Sliding clamp according to claim 1,
characterized in that in the connecting leg (3c), to which the clamping screw (5) points with its free end, a rivet opening (24) is arranged in alignment with the clamping screw (5), in particular on the central plane (10), in order to be able to rivet the clamping screw (5) to the pressure plate (8). 3. Sliding clamp according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the pressure plate (8) is a solid metal plate with a through hole (22), and the end facing away from the head of the clamping screw (5) is on the side facing away from the thread has a laterally projecting edge {23) on the side facing away from the clamping screw (5). 4. Sliding clamp according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
characterized in that the through-opening (22) has a step along its length, the narrower side of which faces the thread of the clamping screw (5) and the edge (23) is located within the pressure plate (8). 5. Sliding clamp for establishing electrically conductive connections in e.g. a terminal block of a terminal box, whereby the sliding clamp {1) has at least one partially U-shaped base body (3) open in the insertion direction (2), wherein a sliding nut (15) is slidably supported on the parallel legs (3a, 3b), into which the clamping screw (5) together with the pressure plate (8) attached to it can be screwed, and the parallel legs (3a, b) of the base body (3) have a cross connection spaced from its connecting leg (3c) transversely to the central plane (10) which does not protrude beyond the outer surfaces of the parallel legs (3a, b), characterized in that the cross connection is a threadless, positive-locking cross connection, and the sliding nut (15) is positively connected to the parallel legs (3a, 3b) in such a way that the legs (3a, 3b) are prevented from moving away from one another. 6. Sliding clamp according to claim 5,
characterized in that the sliding nut (15) is positively and displaceably connected to each of the two parallel legs (3a, 3b) via, on the one hand, a ridge (21) running in the direction of the central plane (10), rising in the plane of the leg (3a) or (3b) and transverse to the direction of displacement, and, on the other hand, a projection (26) engaging behind this ridge (21). 7. Sliding clamp according to claim 5 or 6,
characterized in that the back (21) is formed on the inside of the flanks (25a, 25b) which extend in the direction of displacement and which delimit the guide slot (19a, 19b) on the side adjacent to the head of the clamping screw (5), and the projection (26) is formed on the outer edges of the sliding nut (15). 8. Sliding clamp according to claim 7, characterized in that the projection (26) is formed along the entire length of the sliding nut (15) in the displacement direction. 9. Sliding clamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding nut (15) does not extend laterally beyond the outer surfaces of the parallel legs (3a, 3b) of the base body. 10. Sliding clamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface between the projection (26) and the back (21) is a slope running at an angle of 30° to 60° to the central plane (10). 11. Sliding clamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross connection is a one-piece cross connection. 12. Sliding clamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross connection has a sheet metal part (9) which ensures the positive connection of the parahelical legs (3a, b) of the base body (3). 13. Sliding clamp according to claim 12,
characterized in that the sheet metal part (9) consists of two shaped pieces (9a, 9b) which are arranged in a plane in the transverse direction (11) and engage with one another in a form-fitting manner. 14. Sliding clamp according to claim 12, characterized in that the shaped pieces (9a, b) are formed in one piece with the parallel legs (3a, 3b) of the base body (3) and the form closure is achieved by cranking the shaped pieces (9a, 9b) by 90° from the plane of the parallel legs (3a, 3b) in the direction of the other legs (3b, 3a) in this way. 15. Sliding clamp according to claim 12,
characterized in that the shaped pieces (9a, 9b) are mirror-imaged with respect to the transverse direction (11). 16. Sliding clamp according to claim 12,
characterized in that the shaped pieces (9a, 9b) are formed from anchor- or hook-shaped elements, wherein the shaped pieces (9a, 9b) are complementary to one another. 17. Sliding clamp according to claim 16,
characterized in that the molded part (9a) has a strip-shaped shaft which widens at the end to form a head with two hooks. 18. Sliding clamp according to claim 12,
characterized in that the cross connection with the parallel legs (3a, 3b) of the base body (3) is formed on the front side. 19. Sliding clamp according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that Ci'? the sheet metal part (9) is a U-shaped sheet metal part (9 ¹ ) which encloses the upwardly projecting legs (3a, 3b) on their outside with its free legs (12, 13). 20. Sliding clamp according to claim 19,
characterized in that the free legs (3a, 3b) in the region of the U-shaped sheet metal part (9 ¹ ) are offset towards the central plane (10) of the sliding clamp, so that the outer edges of the U-shaped sheet metal part (9') do not protrude beyond the side surfaces (13, 14) of the base body (3). 21. Sliding clamp for establishing electrically conductive connections in e.g. a terminal block of a terminal box, whereby the sliding clamp (1) consists of an at least partially U-shaped base body (3) open in the insertion direction (2) and the parallel legs (3a, b) of the base body (3) have a cross connection spaced from its connecting legs (3c) transversely to the central plane (10) which does not protrude beyond the outer surfaces of the parallel legs (3a, b), wherein the clamping screw 5 has a pressure plate (8) at its free end, with which it presses against the conductor (7) or the busbar (6) in the assembled state, in particular according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the pressure plate (8) consists of a sheet metal part which is connected to the clamping screw (5) in the insertion direction (2) in a form-fitting, detachable and threadless manner. 22. Sliding clamp according to claim 21,
characterized in that the pressure plate (8) can be pushed onto the free end of the clamping screw (5) in the conductor direction (4) via a tongue and groove connection. 23. Sliding clamp according to claim 21 or 22,
characterized in that the pressure plate (8) is a U-shaped bent sheet metal part viewed in the transverse direction (11) of the sliding clamp, the horizontally superimposed, freely ending legs (8\ 8") of which the lower leg (8") runs below the front face of the clamping screw (5), and the upper leg (8 ¹ ) has a recess (16) open in the conductor direction from the free end of the leg (8'), in which the clamping screw (5) is located. 24. Sliding clamp according to claim 23,
characterized in that the prongs (8a, 8b) of the upper leg (8 ¹ ) located next to the recess (16) have a distance which is larger than the core diameter of the clamping screw (5) in the region of an annular groove (17), but smaller than the outer diameter of the clamping screw (5). 25. Sliding clamp according to claim 23 or 24,
characterized in that the free distance between the prongs (8a, 8b) at their free ends is smaller than in the area further back in which they accommodate the core diameter of the clamping screw between them and the cross section of the prongs (8a, 8b) is dimensioned such that after the prongs are bent apart in order to insert the core diameter of the clamping screw (5), the free ends of the prongs (8a, 8b) spring back into their original position.