IP Library Granted Patent US 9,793,652
Granted Patent B2
US 9,793,652 · App. 15/256,772 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Contact device for contacting an electric conductor and an electrical connector to an electrical conductor track

Inventors: Christoph Bausch (Bonn, DE); Guido Dedenbach (Bonn, DE); Karsten Gerving (Bonn, DE); Ralf Thar (St. Augustin, DE); Sergei Eck (Diersdorf, DE)
Assignee: EATON ELECTRICAL IP GMBH & CO. KG
H01R13/6335H01R13/631
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,793,652
App. No.
15/256,772
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A contacting device has a housing having a first opening for inserting the electrical conductor and the electrical plug into a cavity in the housing, and having a second opening for inserting the electrical conducting track into the cavity in the housing. The contacting device further has a contact bridge which is arranged in the cavity in the housing and comprises a first portion for fixing the electrical conductor to the electrical conducting track in a force fit, and a second portion for retaining the electrical plug on the electrical conducting track and pressing it thereagainst.

Claims (26)

1. A contacting device for contacting an electrical conductor and an electrical plug with an electrical conducting track, the device comprising:

a housing including a first opening configured for insertion of the electrical conductor and the electrical plug into a cavity in the housing, and including a second opening configured for insertion of the electrical conducting track into the cavity in the housing;

a contact bridge, arranged in the cavity in the housing, including a first portion configured to fix the electrical conductor to the electrical conducting track in a force fit, and a second portion configured to retain the electrical plug on the electrical conducting track and press the electrical plug against the electrical conducting track, the second portion being bent in a different direction from the first portion; and

a lever configured to move the contact bridge such that the electrical conductor can be released from the force fit,

wherein the second portion of the contact bridge is shaped such that the electrical plug can be removed from the cavity in the housing by pulling on the electrical plug when the electrical plug is pressed on the electrical conducting track by the contact bridge and is retained in the cavity in the housing.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the contact bridge is shaped such that a pulling force that acts on the electrical plug counter to a direction in which the electrical plug is inserted into the first opening in the housing, and is required for removing the electrical plug from the housing, is smaller than a pulling force that acts on the electrical conductor counter to the direction in which said conductor is inserted into the first opening in the housing and is required for removing the electrical conductor from the housing.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the contact bridge is formed as a resilient leg which is bent, forming a bend, when the electrical conductor is inserted through the first opening into the cavity in the housing, and

wherein the bend generates a restoring force, the leg pressing the electrical conductor against the electrical conducting track using the restoring force.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first portion of the contact bridge includes a first end of the contact bridge,

wherein the first portion of the contact bridge includes an edge at the first end of the contact bridge,

wherein the edge is shaped such that a pressing force with which the electrical conductor is pressed against the electrical conducting track by the edge at the first end of the contact bridge is increased when the electrical conductor is pulled counter to the direction in which it is inserted into the first opening in the housing.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the contact bridge includes a bearing region, on which the electrical plug rests when the electrical plug is pressed against the electrical conducting track using the contact bridge,

wherein a surface of the bearing region that touches the electrical plug when the electrical plug is pressed against the electrical conducting track using the contact bridge is greater than a surface of the edge which retains the electrical conductor on the electrical conducting track in a force fit.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the contact bridge is shaped such that the bearing region of the second portion of the contact bridge extends in parallel with the insertion direction of the electrical plug.

7. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a stop element, designed as a stop for the electrical plug and as a result of which the electrical plug can be inserted through the first opening in the housing into the cavity in the housing as far as a depth at which one end of the electrical plug is arranged in the cavity in the housing so as to be at a spacing from the first portion of the contact bridge.

8. An arrangement for connecting an electrical cable to an electrical conducting track, comprising:

the device of claim 1 ,

the electrical plug, arranged at one end of the electrical cable, configured to contact the electrical cable,

wherein the electrical plug includes an electrical contact and a non-conductive bearing element, on which the electrical contact is arranged,

wherein the bearing region of the second portion of the contact bridge is pressed against the non-conductive bearing element of the electrical plug when the electrical plug is inserted into the first opening in the housing of the contacting device,

wherein the electrical contact of the electrical plug is pressed against the electrical conducting track by a pressing force of the second portion of the contact bridge when the electrical conducting track is inserted into the second opening in the housing of the contacting device.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the non-conductive bearing element of the electrical plug is designed such that the bearing element slides along the bearing region of the second portion of the contract bridge when the electrical plug is inserted into the first opening in the contacting device, and

wherein the electrical plug is retained in the cavity in the housing of the contacting device by static friction between the bearing element of the electrical plug and the bearing region of the second portion of the contact bridge of the contacting device.

10. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the electrical plug includes a stop element,

wherein the stop element of the electrical plug and a stop element of the contacting device are formed relative to one another such that the stop element of the electrical plug strikes against the stop element of the contacting device, as a result of which the electrical plug can be inserted through the first opening in the housing into the cavity in the housing as far as a depth at which the end of the electrical plug is arranged so as to be at a spacing from the first portion of the contact bridge.

Assignments (5)
NOTICE OF SUCCESSOR AGENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTERESTSAT REEL/FRAME 048478/0528 AND 059860/0325 Recorded Feb 10, 2025
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS THE RESIGNING AGENT
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 070161/0763 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NULLIFICATION APPLICATIONS NUMBERS 15256772, 15978352, 29636997, 156471183 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 048478 FRAME: 0528. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 17, 2022
From: AMSTED RAIL COMPANY, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 059860/0325 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 1, 2019
From: AMSTED RAIL COMPANY, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 048478/0528 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 26, 2018
From: EATON ELECTRICAL IP GMBH & CO. KG
To: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047635/0158 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2016
From: BAUSCH, CHRISTOPH; DEDENBACH, GUIDO; GERVING, KARSTEN; THAR, RALF; ECK, SERGEI
To: EATON ELECTRICAL IP GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 040220/0429 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2015 114 938 · Sep 7, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170070004A1 · Mar 9, 2017