TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to an electrical module comprising a push-in terminal arranged within an enclosure formed by a first and a second housing portion. A conductor end piece clamped at the push-in terminal may be selectively removed from the push-in terminal by applying a sliding movement of at least a portion of the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion.

BACKGROUND

To facilitate connecting an electrical conductor to an electrical module, such as for example a control module for use in relation to a lighting system, the electrical module is generally provided with a terminal block arranged to securely connect the electrical conductor. Historically, the terminal block has been provided with individual screws for providing a clamping force to clamp each of the electrical conductors to provide a secure electrical connection.

For time reducing purposes, screwless terminal blocks have been introduced. Such screwless terminal block, also denoted as push-in terminals, typically relies on spring means mounted in a hollow receptor of the terminal block for biasing the electrical conductor (inserted through the opening), into electrical contact, with a metal connection element. Another opening is provided at the terminal block for introduction of a tool to affect the spring means to aid in the removal of the conductor from the hollow receptor. Such a connector is typically called a semi-toolless clamp connector.

As number of different solutions have been introduced for completely reduce the need of using a tool for removal of the conductor. An example of such a solution is presented in US9502790B2. In US9502790B2, there is provided an actuating lever that can be pivoted between an open and a closed position. When the actuating lever is arranged in the open position it is possible to freely insert an electrical conductor by way of a conductor insertion opening. The actuating lever is then folded to the closed position, the electrical conductor is fixedly clamped in an electrically conductive and mechanical manner by means of a force provided by a resilient clamping element. The actuating lever is operated without any need for a tool, and the actuating lever may again be arranged in the open position for subsequent removal of the electrical conductor. Even though the solution presented in US9502790B2 is both elegant and efficient, it is bulky and not useful for smaller electrical modules. Consequently, it would be desirable to introduce a different approach to toolless clamping/removal of an electrical conductor, specifically targeting smaller electrical modules where space saving is high relevance.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the above is at least partly met by an electrical module, comprising a first housing portion, a second housing portion adapted to fit with the first housing portion, the first housing portion and the second housing portion together forming an enclosure, and a push-in terminal, wherein the push-in terminal is arranged within the enclosure, adapted to receive at least one conductor end piece, arranged to clamp the at least one conductor end piece to the push-in terminal, and comprises a release mechanism adapted to allow the at least one conductor end piece to be selectively removed from the push-in terminal, wherein a segment of the first housing portion is adapted to engage with the release mechanism, and a sliding movement of at least a portion of the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion releases clamping of the at least one conductor end piece to allow the at least one conductor end piece to be removed from the push-in terminal.

By means of the present disclosure, a novel approach to operating a push-in terminal is provided. The operational scheme as is provided by the present disclosure allows for toolless connection of the conductor end piece with the push-in terminal, even without the need of operating a leaver as is for example suggested according to prior-art. Instead, the present solution makes use of an interaction between a release mechanism of the push-in terminal and a dedicated segment of the first housing portion. By sliding the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion, said segment of the first housing portion will engage with the release mechanism of the push-in terminal, whereby the conductor end piece selectively may be removed from the push-in terminal.

The solution as defined by the present disclosure allows for the “terminal block functionality”, as discussed above, to be miniaturized as compared to previously presented solutions, where the terminal block functionality (i.e. the push-in terminal) is directly integrated with its encapsuling, namely the enclosure formed by the first and the second housing portion. This is achieved by means of the specifically crafter relationship between the segment of the first housing portion and the release mechanism of the push-in terminal. The sliding movement of at least a portion of the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion will then activate the release mechanism. The solution as defined above will accordingly effectively ensuring that the push-in terminal is kept secured and unexposed for e.g. unwanted interactions with a human hand or similar. Additionally, the electrical module according to the present disclosure will function both as an electrical connection block and as an encapsuling of said electrical connection block, reducing the need for additional elements of adjustments to the encapsuling for accessing the electrical connection block.

In a possible embodiment the enclosure ensures at least adequate level of protection against the ingress of particles and liquids, possibly at a minimum to meet the IP21 classification as per the international standard IEC 60529 when the housing is closed and thus forms the enclosure surrounding the push-in terminal. This classification ensures that the device is protected against solid objects larger than 50 mm and offers protection against vertically falling water droplets. This is particularly relevant for ensuring operational reliability and longevity in various environments.

In a possible embodiment it may be desirable to allow the segment of the first housing portion comprises at least one release protrusion, where the at least one release protrusion is designed to interact with the release mechanism of the push-in terminal.

In an embodiment, the first housing portion is a lid, and the second housing portion is a container. The enclosure is thus formed between the lid and the (open) container.

The expression “a sliding movement of at least a portion of the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion” should be understood to define that it is not necessary to slide the full e.g. lid in relation to the container. Rather, the first housing portion may be “segmented” to possibly include one or a plurality of areas that could be moved or similarly operated/slided relative to the second housing portion to activate the release mechanism.

Additionally, the solution according to the present disclosure allows for cost savings for electrical module in need of said terminal block functionality. Specifically, rather than having to resort to e.g. costly actuating lever, etc., it is possible to provide the present solution without any additional elements. At the same time, a user handling the electrical module may swiftly remove the conductor end piece from the push-in terminal, thus making the general handing of the electrical module more time efficient as compared to prior-art solutions. The at least one conductor end piece is clamped to the push-in terminal with a predefined clamp force, whereby the predefined clamp force is selected such that the at least one conductor end piece remains within the push-in terminal even in case of being pulled at (e.g. manually, due to vibrations, etc.). The predefined clamping force may further be selected based on an expected diameter of the conductor end piece or based on where the electrical module is to be operated. The predefined clamping force may also be selected dependent on a rated voltage and/or current level for use in relation to the electrical module.

Advantageously, the push-in terminal is adapted to automatically clamp the at least one conductor end piece. Accordingly, insertion of the at least one conductor end piece will directly and in a toolless manner secure the at least one conductor end piece with the push-in terminal. Automatically clamp the at least one conductor end piece to the push-in terminal may for example be achieved by arranging the push-in terminal to comprise a spring-loaded mechanism.

Alternatively or also, the push-in terminal may be tapered, the at least one conductor end piece is introduced in a wider portion of a tapered receptor of the push-in terminal. The further the conductor end piece is introduced in the tapered push-in terminal, the higher the clamp force. For releasing the at least one conductor end piece, the at least one segment of the first housing portion may be adapted to expand a narrow portion of the tapered push-in terminal when sliding the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion.

It could however be possible to allow a further sliding motion to operate the release mechanism in an inverse manner, such that the least one conductor end piece is secured to the push-in terminal. Accordingly, rather than automatically “locking” the least one conductor end piece to the push-in terminal, the user has to slide the first housing portion in place relative to the second housing portion.

It is generally desirable to provide the second housing portion with at least one opening for introducing the at least one conductor end piece to the push-in terminal. Such an opening may for example be circular, adapted to follow a circumference of the least one conductor end piece. Thus, in case the at least one conductor end piece is expected to be circular, also the opening may be arranged as circular but with a slightly larger diameter. Adapting the circumference of to match the circumference of the conductor end piece allows the electrical module to be fairly sealed from e.g. dust entering the enclosure provided by the electrical module. Preferably, an electrical conductor comprising the conductor end piece extends out from the second housing portion in a first direction and the sliding movement of the first housing portion is performed in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction. Accordingly, it is preferred to allow the sliding movement of the first housing portion to be parallel to a direction of the at least one conductor end piece. The sliding motion must however not be in the opposite direction of the direction (extension) of the electrical conductor. That is, in an alternative embodiment the sliding motion may take place in the same direction as the direction of the electrical conductor.

To ensure that the sliding motion is sufficiently controlled, it may be possible to provide the second housing portion with a first and a second track matching corresponding extensions provided at the first housing portion. The inclusion of the tracks may also be used for ensuring that the first and second housing portion remains connected during the sliding movement.

Preferably, the push-in terminal further comprises a stop portion for controlling a length of the at least one conductor end piece being introduced into the push-in terminal. The stop portion allows a controlled length of the conductor end piece to be arranged in secure contact with the push-in terminal. The user of the electrical module may, when inserting the conductor end piece, push the conductor end piece as far as possible and then be sure that enough of the conductor end piece is contacting the push-in terminal.

In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, it is desirable to allow the electrical module to comprise a plurality of push-in terminals arranged in parallel and each adapted to clamp an individual conductor end piece. More than a single conductor end piece may thus be connected to and released from the push-in terminal using the sliding motion as discussed above. Generally, each of the conductor end pieces are individually connected to the push-in terminal, by introduction as suggested above. However, it could of course be possible to insert more than a single conductor end piece at a time.

When providing the electrical module with the plurality of push-in terminals, it may be desirable to ensure that each of the conductor end pieces are safely insulated from each other. This may for example be achieved by providing the first housing portion with protruding wall elements for isolating the plurality of push-in terminals from each other.

Preferably, the electrical module further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB ) arranged within the enclosure, wherein the push-in terminal is arranged at the PCB. Such a PCB may for example be provided with further electrical components, such as a battery holder, a control unit, resistors, capacitors, etc. When providing the PCB with a battery holder, it could for example be possible to allow removal of the first housing portion from the second housing portion to provide access to the battery holder, such as for replacing a battery arranged at the battery holder.

When providing the PCB with a control unit, it could for example be possible to arrange the control unit in connection with the push-in terminal. A signal provided from a remote electrical device connected to the at least one conductor end piece may in such a manner be connected to the control unit. The control unit may also be arranged in communication with or provided with a communication interface, where the signal from the remote electrical device may be further relayed to other remote electrical devices.

The communication interface may for example be arranged to include a wireless transceiver, such as e.g. a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transceiver, adapted for wireless communication. The remote electrical device connected to the electrical module my means of an electrical conductor may for example be a light or heat control device, such as for example including a dimmer switch to be manually operated by a user for generating a control signal, where the control signal is further relayed using the wireless transceiver

The electrical module may in some embodiments be arranged to be installed within an electrical junction box, for example in a wall or a roof. Accordingly, dimensions of the electrical module may be selected to ensure that the electrical module fits well within such an electrical junction box

Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. The skilled addressee realize that different features of the present invention may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various aspects of the invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 conceptually illustrates an electrical module according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figs. 2A - 2C illustrate a possible operation for connecting a conductor end piece with a push-in terminal of the electrical module shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3A - 3C illustrate a possible operation for removal of the conductor end piece with a push-in terminal of the electrical module shown in Fig 1; and

Figs. 4A - 4C conceptually illustrate an alternative electrical module according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled addressee. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout.

Referring now to the drawings and to Fig. 1 in particular, there is depicted an electrical module 100. The electrical module 100 comprises a first housing portion 102 in the form of a lid, and a second housing portion in the form of a bottom container. When the first housing portion 102 is connected with the second housing portion 104 they together form an enclosure 106, where the enclosure 106 provides a volume inside of which it is possible to arrange e.g. one or a plurality of electrical components.

According to the present disclosure, the enclosure 106 at least holds a push-in terminal 108. The push-in terminal 108 is adapted to receive at least one conductor end piece 202 (as presented in Fig. 2A), arranged to clamp the at least one conductor end piece 202 to the push-in terminal 108. The functionality of clamping the conductor end piece 202 to the push-in terminal 108 is in Fig. 1A achieve by the introduction of two flexible metal connection elements 110 that have been arranged to form a tapered receptor for the conductor end piece 202, as will be further elaborated in relation to Fig. 2B below.

The push-in terminal 108 further comprises a stop portion 112 for controlling a length of the at least one conductor end piece 202 being introduced into the push-in terminal 108, as will be further elaborated in relation to Fig. 2C below.

The clamping mechanism provided by the metal connection elements 110 also functions as a release mechanism adapted to allow the at least one conductor end piece 202 to be selectively removed from the push-in terminal. In the exemplary embodiment as presented in Fig. 1, the release mechanism is here achieved by separating the metal connection elements 110 from each other, such that a friction between the conductor end piece 202 and the two metal connection elements 110 are reduced, whereby the conductor end piece 202 may be removed.

For activating the release mechanism, the first housing portion 102 is in Fig. 1 provided with a segment 114 that has been designed to engage with the release mechanism. The separation of the metal connection elements 110 is in line with the present embodiment achieved by moving the first housing portion 102 relative to the second housing portion 104.

In Fig. 1, the movement of the first housing portion 102 relative to the second housing portion 104 is controlled by providing the first 102 and the second 104 housing portion with matching “bars” 116 and “tracks” 118, whereby the movement, in a sliding manner, is performed such that the metal connection elements 110 are slightly separated from each other.

In the embodiment presented in Fig. 1, the electrical module 100 has been further arranged to comprise a battery holder 120 and a battery 122. It may of course be possible to allow the enclosure 106 to hold further elements, such as for example a printed circuit board PCB (not shown) and/or a control unit (not shown).

Additionally to the above, the second housing portion 104 is in Fig. 1 provided with an opening 124 for allowing the at least one conductor end piece 202 to be introduced into the push-in terminal 108. As is visible in Fig. 1, the electrical module 100 is provided with four push-in terminals 108 having matching openings 124. It may of course be possible to allow the electrical module 100 to include more or less than four push-in terminals 108, based on the implementation at hand.

When the electrical module 100 is provided with more than a single push-in terminal 108 it may optionally be possible to allow the first housing portion 102 to include protrusions 126 for isolating the plurality of push-in terminals 108 from each other. As such, it may be desirable to allow the first housing portion 102 to be formed from suitable material, such as plastic. Also the second housing portion 104 is preferably formed from e.g. a plastic material.

Turning now to Figs. 2A - 2C, presenting an operation for inserting the conductor end piece 202 into one push-in terminals 108 of the electrical module 100, where the conductor end piece 202 forms part of an electrical conductor 204. In Fig. 2A, the conductor end piece 202 is shown to be aligned with one of the openings 124.

In Fig. 2B the conductor end piece 202 is introduced into the opening 124 and into the tapered receptor formed by the two metal connection elements 110. As the conductor end piece 202 is pushed further in between the metal connection elements 110, the metal connection elements 110 will be slightly separated from each other. However, due to the tapered arrangement and the spring functionality achieved by the flexible metal connection elements 110, the conductor end piece 202 will be clamed between the metal connection elements 110.

In Fig. 2C, the conductor end piece 202 has been pushed all the way into the push-in terminal 108 such that an end portion of the conductor end piece 202 contacts the stop portion 112. As can be seen from Fig. 2C, the metal connection elements 110 will here push towards the conductor end piece 202, securely clamping the conductor end piece 202 to the push-in terminal 108.

The insertion of the conductor end piece 202 is as shown in Fig. 2A - 2C achieved without manipulating the first housing portion 102 relative to the second housing portion 104. Such manipulation is generally not needed due to the arrangement of the metal connection elements 110. It should further be noted that the same operation may take place for introducing further conductor end piece 202 with the remaining push-in terminals 108.

Turning now to Figs. 3A - 3C, presenting an operation for selective removal the conductor end piece 202 from the push-in terminals 108 of the electrical module 100. The process starts with the first housing portion 102 being aligned with the second housing portion 104, i.e. where the electrical module 100 is in a closed position. As can be seen from Fig. 3A, the segment 114 of the first housing portion 102 is here arranged to align in between the two metal connection elements 110 forming the above discussed tapered receptor.

In Fig. 3B, a user of the electrical module 100 moves the first housing portion 102 relative to the second housing portion 104, by sliding the first housing portion 102 in the tracks of the second housing portion 104 in a direction D opposite a direction of an extension of the electrical conductor 204. By movement of the first housing portion 102 relative to the second housing portion 104, the segment 114 will slightly expand and separate the metal connection elements 110 from each other.

Once the segment 114 has moved a suitable length and thus expanded the tapered receptor formed by the metal connection elements 110, then the conductor end piece 202 may be removed from the push-in terminal 108.

Again, it is of course possible to, in one action, remove more than a single conductor end piece 202 from the respective push-in terminals 108. Specifically, the movement of the first housing portion 102 in the direction D opposite the direction of the extension of the electrical conductor 204 has been shown to simplify removal of a plurality of conductor end pieces 202, since the sliding movement of the first housing portion 102 will be natural and allow the user to with one hand operate the first housing portion 102 and with the other hand hold the plurality of electrical conductor 204.

It should however be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented differently, still being within the scope of the appended claims. An example of such an alternatively implemented electrical module 400 is presented in Figs. 4A - 4C. As can be seen in Fig. 4A, the push-in terminal is here implemented as a “push-button type” push-in terminal 402, as is well known in the art. However, rather than individually operating push-buttons 404 of the push-in terminals 402, an inclined element 406 of the alternative first housing portion 408 is arranged to slide over the push-buttons 404 when the electrical conductor 204 is to be removed from the push-in terminals 402, as show in Figs. 4B and 4C.

A further difference between the electrical module 400 and the electrical module 100 is that in relation to the electrical module 400, while the alternative first housing portion 408 is still moved relative to an alternative second housing portion 410, the movement takes place in the same direction as the extension of the electrical conductor 204. By this sliding movement the inclined element 406 will push down the push-buttons 404 of the push-in terminals 402, such that the electrical conductor(s) 204 may be removed.

Although the figures may show a sequence the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. In addition, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision steps. Additionally, even though the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplifying embodiments thereof, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art.

In addition, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled addressee in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. Furthermore, in the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.