Field of the Art
[0001] The present invention relates to the assembly for installing functional elements
in electrical installations, proposing a connection system facilitating the electrical
connection of elements arranged in series to form associated units of said elements
in the corresponding installation, allowing said installation to be performed quickly
and safely.
State of the Art
[0002] The functional elements of electrical installations such as sockets, switches, etc.,
incorporate connectors for the connection of power supply cords, for such purpose
there being screw connectors which allow establishing connections through tightening,
assuring good electrical contact thereof, but requiring the use of tools to perform
said tightening; and there are also connectors with pressure elements that do not
require screws, whereby connections can be made more quickly since it is not necessary
to use tools.
[0003] With said conventional connectors, regardless of whether or not they are screw connectors,
when a series of consecutive electrical elements must be installed to form multiple
sockets by means of two or more simple sockets electrically associated with one another,
for example, the solution usually adopted is to establish, by means of sections of
cord, a bridge for electrical connection between independent electrical elements,
the sections of cord being attached to the respective connectors of the electrical
elements to be associated.
[0004] There are also solutions for the connection between independent electrical elements
by means of connecting bridge pieces provided with connecting pins attached to the
connectors of the electrical elements, the need to prepare and manipulate sections
of cords being prevented with said pieces, allowing a simpler and quicker assembly
for installing the electrical elements that must be connected to one another.
[0005] However, to establish connection between the electrical elements, regardless of whether
this is done with sections of cords or with bridge pieces prepared for that purpose,
the connections are established by the connection sockets for connecting electric
cords in the connectors of the electrical elements, so complicated manipulations are
required and if the connection between the electrical elements is through their opposing
ends, in order to disconnect an intermediate electrical element from a unit of electrical
elements arranged in series, it is necessary to move at least one part of the rest
of the electrical elements of the unit arranged in series, with the complexity and
time that it entails.
Object of the Invention
[0006] The invention proposes a connection system that allows establishing electrical connection
between independent electrical elements to form associated units of said elements,
regardless of the connection sockets for connecting power supply cords to the unit
when assembling the corresponding installation.
[0007] This connection system object of the invention is based on providing the electrical
elements with connectors for electrical connection provided with sockets for power
supply cords and a specific additional socket to establish connection of a bridge
piece for electrical connection between independent electrical elements.
[0008] An arrangement which allows establishing electrical connection between independent
electrical elements in a simple manner is thus obtained without said electrical connection
between the independent electrical elements affecting the connection of the power
supply cords, since both connections are made independently in relation to the connection
sockets defined in the same connectors, but with a different configuration for each
of the connections.
[0009] This connection system therefore allows the assembly for installing the electrical
elements according to the arrangement of the unit to be configured therewith and establishing
the connection of the power supply to the unit, for establishing the electrical connection
between the independent electrical elements once they are arranged in their installation
by means of incorporating corresponding connecting bridge pieces between consecutive
electrical elements, each connecting bridge piece being able to be inserted and removed
without having to manipulate or move the connected electrical elements, which in turn
allows removing and incorporating any intermediate electrical element to/from a unit
of electrical elements arranged in series without having to move the other associated
electrical elements in the unit, thus facilitating the necessary replacement and/or
repair operations.
[0010] Based on the foregoing, the proposed connection system has very advantageous features
for the assembly of independent electrical elements in units of electrical elements
associated with one another, this connection system acquiring its own identity and
preferred character with respect to the known solutions used for connecting independent
electrical elements associated with a common power supply in electrical communication.
Description of the Drawings
[0011]
Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a connection system for connecting
electrical elements according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the unit of the preceding figure assembled.
Figure 3 is a cross-section view of an enlarged detail of area III indicated in Figure
2.
Figure 4 is a cross-section view of an enlarged detail of area IV indicated in the
same Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of an example of screwless connector provided with
independent sockets for power supply cords and for a bridge piece for electrical connection
according to the invention.
Figure 6 is a sectioned side view of said connector of the preceding figure.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of an example of a screw connector provided with independent
sockets for power supply cords and for a bridge piece for electrical connection according
to the invention.
Figure 8 is a side view of said connector of the preceding figure.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0012] The invention relates to a connection system for connecting independent electrical
elements (1) to form a series of said independent electrical elements (1) electrically
associated with one another, with a common power supply for the entire unit by means
of a single connection of power supply cords (2) with respect to an electrical element
(1) of the unit.
[0013] The connection system according to the invention is based on providing the electrical
elements (1) with connectors (3) provided with one or more sockets (4) for the connection
of power supply cords (2) and with an additional independent socket (5) for the connection
of a bridge piece (6) for electrical connection between independent electrical elements
(1).
[0014] Therefore, in order to form an electrically associated unit of electrical elements
arranged in series with two or more independent electrical elements (1), such that
the entire unit is electrically powered with a single connection of power supply cords
(2), the assembly for installing the different electrical elements (1) can be performed
in the relative positioning placement between them and the connection of the power
supply cords (2) can be established with respect to any of the electrical elements
(1); and regardless of said assembly and said power supply connection, the electrical
communication between the consecutive electrical elements (1) can be established by
means of respective bridge pieces (6).
[0015] To that end, the connectors (3) are configured such that the additional socket (5)
thereof is in a perpendicular or inclined position, oriented to the front or to the
side in the electrical elements (1) of application, according to the assembly arrangement
of said electrical elements in the installation thereof; the bridge pieces (6) being
formed by a body (7) made of insulating material and metal parts (8) embedded in said
body (7), the pins thereof emerging outwardly. In a non-limiting manner, the metal
parts (8) can be U-shaped, for example, and their end branches can emerge outwardly.
[0016] Therefore, the connection for electrical communication between consecutive electrical
elements (1) can be done simply and quickly by means of simple insertion of the corresponding
bridge piece (6) such that the emerging parts of the branches of the metal parts (8)
thereof fit into the additional sockets (5) of the respective connectors (3) of the
consecutive electrical elements (1) to be connected to one another.
[0017] The insertion of the bridge piece (6) for connecting two electrical elements (1)
therefore does not require manipulating or moving the electrical elements (1) whatsoever
when they are arranged in their assembly for installation; the bridge piece (6) also
being able to be removed from the installation insertion without manipulating or moving
the electrical elements (1) whatsoever, which also facilitates the compulsory maintenance
operations, as it allows disassembling any of the electrical elements (1) from the
unit of electrical elements arranged in series for replacement or repair without having
to move the other electrical elements (1) of the unit of electrical elements arranged
in series.
[0018] This connection system object of the invention applies to any type of connectors
(3), both to pressure connectors by means of a strap (9) or other equivalent screwless
means for the connection of the power supply cords (2), such as the example of Figures
5 and 6, and clamping screw connectors (10) for said connection of the power supply
cords (2), as in the example of Figures 7 and 8; each connector (3) having in each
case means (11) for connecting with the mechanism of the electrical element (1) of
application, said means (11) being able to be a pin, for example, to establish electrical
mechanism connection thereon.
[0019] The sockets (4) for the connection of power supply cords (2) can in turn be configured
in any orientation position in the connectors (3), so that in the electrical elements
(1) of application said sockets (4) are orientated at the end thereof, on the front
part or on one side, both in a position perpendicular to those parts of the electrical
elements (1) and in inclined positions, to facilitate the insertion of the power supply
cords (2) in a comfortable manner in each case of application.
1. A connection system for connecting electrical elements to establish a connection for
electrical communication between independent electrical elements (1) in units of electrical
elements arranged in series, characterized in that the electrical elements (1) are provided with connectors (3) having one or more sockets
(4) for the connection of power supply cords (2) and an additional independent socket
(5) for the connection of a bridge piece (6) for electrical communication between
consecutive independent electrical elements (1).
2. The connection system for connecting electrical elements according to claim 1, characterized in that each bridge piece (6) comprises a body (7) made of insulating material in which metal
parts (8) are embedded, pins thereof emerging outwardly.
3. The connection system for connecting electrical elements according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional socket (5) in the connectors (3) is linked with the electrical elements
(1) of application in a perpendicular or inclined position, oriented to the front
or to the side according to the assembly position of said electrical elements (1)
in the installation thereof.