This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 10 2022 132 682.9, which was filed in Germany on Dec. 8, 2022, and which is herein incorporated by reference.
The invention relates to a conductor connecting module, including an insulating housing and a contact insert arranged in the insulating housing, the contact insert having a busbar and a clamping spring, at least one contact element having a solder connection contact surface being arranged on the busbar, the solder connection contact surface being able to be soldered on a printed circuit board.
It is therefore an the object of the present invention is to provide an improved conductor connecting module.
Thus, it is proposed that the busbar can be designed as a frame-shaped busbar, the frame-shaped busbar having a contact section and a holding section, which are formed opposite each other, the contact section and the holding section being connected to each other via a connecting section, the clamping spring having a contact leg for contact with the holding section and a clamping leg, the clamping leg and the contact section forming a clamping point for the electrical conductor to be clamped, at least one contact element being arranged on the holding section and/or on the contact section, and the solder connection contact surface of the contact element protruding from an opening of the insulating housing.
This has the advantage that a compact conductor connecting module may be provided, which may be soldered to a printed circuit board via the solder connection contact surface without removing the insulating housing.
A contact element may be arranged in each case on the holding section and on the contact section and protrude in each case from an opening in the insulating housing. In this way, the electrically conductive contacting of the conductor connecting module on a printed circuit board may be further improved. The solder connection contact surfaces of the contact elements may also be advantageously oriented in parallel to each other.
The contact element may extend out of the opening of the insulating housing in an extension of the holding section and/or the contact section. In this way, corresponding contact sections may be provided in a simple structural manner.
The holding section and/or the contact section and the contact elements may be designed to form a single piece. The contact element then advantageously extends in the same plane spanned by the particular holding section and/or contact section.
Further, in a one-piece design, an offset between the holding/contact section and the contact element is possible.
A front side of the contact element may be designed as the solder connection contact surface.
The thickness of the contact element can correspond to the width of the solder connection contact surfaces. The length of the solder connection contact surfaces corresponds essentially to the length of the contact element protruding from the holding section and/or contact section.
The solder connection contact surface of the contact element may have an essentially flat contact surface for an SMD soldering on the printed circuit board.
The busbar may be provided with a U-shaped design. A U-shaped design may also comprise similar shapes, such as a V-shaped or C-shaped design. The busbar may form a clamping cage, in which the clamping spring is clamped.
The clamping leg of the clamping spring may transition into a spring bend, the spring bend extending to the contact leg for contact with the holding section of the busbar, the clamping spring being provided with a V-shaped design.
The insulating housing may have a first set-back portion on the side of the insulating housing on which the opening can be arranged, the printed circuit board being able to be arranged on the first set-back portion.
A set-back portion may be, in particular, an overhang of the insulating housing, so that the printed circuit board may be arranged beneath the overhang and be connected to the solder connection contact surface. The overhang thus at least partially surrounds or encompasses the printed circuit board. A graduation of the insulating housing may be formed by the set-back portion, so that a housing wall of the insulating housing runs with an offset on a different level on one side of the set-back portion than on the other side of the set-back portion. The sections of the housing wall on the two sides of the set-back portion may run in-parallel to each other. For example, the offset may have a dimension which corresponds to half the thickness of a printed circuit board.
The insulating housing may have a second set-back portion on the side opposite the opening, the printed circuit board being able to be arranged on the second set-back portion.
A first set-back portion and a second set-back portion may be arranged on the conductor connecting module. This has the advantage that the same type of conductor connecting module may be arranged on opposite sides of a single printed circuit board without having to increase the number of variants.
On the side of the insulating housing on which the opening is arranged, the insulating housing may have at least one latching element for latching to the printed circuit board. The latching element may also advantageously be designed as a latching pin, the latching pin being insertable into a corresponding latching recess of the printed circuit board.
It has been shown that, in particular, a multiplicity of latching pins are suitable, in particular two latching pins, for the purpose of facilitating a defined positioning of the conductor connecting module on the printed circuit board, since the latching pins may be inserted only into the corresponding latching recesses provided therefor. The likelihood of an incorrect positioning or a twisting of the conductor connecting module with respect to the printed circuit board is thus reduced.
The latching element may be movably supported in the insulating housing.
A vertical displacement (in the main extension direction of the conductor connecting module) as well as a horizontal displacement (transversely to the main extension direction of the conductor connecting module) are conceivable.
A free space may be arranged on the insulating housing in the region of the solder connection contact surfaces of the contact element.
The free space has the advantage that, in particular, heat may be better supplied to the solder connection contact surface for the purpose of improving the soldering operation to the printed circuit board. In particular, the free space does not have the purpose of connected further conductors to the conductor connecting module and/or the printed circuit board. The free space is therefore, in particular, not large enough for an electrical conductor to be easily plugged into the free space, so that a faulty contacting is initiated.
The object is furthermore achieved by a set made up of a printed circuit board and a conductor connecting module described above.
The printed circuit board may be arranged in a housing, the conductor connecting module being insertable into a recess of the housing.
The conductor connecting modules may be better placed on the printed circuit board in this way, the printed circuit board and at least a portion of the conductor connecting modules being protected against external influences by the housing. It is conceivable that the housing is a housing of an electronic device, which may also be latched, for example, on a mounting rail.
At least one conductor connecting module may be arranged on sides of the printed circuit board opposite each other. In this way, the space for positioning multiple conductor connecting modules on the printed circuit board may be used efficiently.
A dome may be arranged on the housing, the dome being able to be plugged into a corresponding first recess in the printed circuit board and a corresponding second recess in the insulating housing of the conductor connecting module.
In particular, the dome may be press-fit stemmed into the corresponding recess after insertion. In this way, the printed circuit board and the conductor connecting module may no longer be indestructible separated from each other.
Further, it is also conceivable that a multiplicity of solder connection contact surfaces, for example two, three, or four thereof, are present on one contact element or multiple contact elements.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes, combinations, and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
Clamping spring 4 has a clamping leg 4a, clamping leg 4a transitioning into a spring bend 4b, and spring bend 4b transitioning into a contact leg 4c, and contact leg 4c being designed for contact with holding section 3a of busbar 3. Clamping spring 4 has an essentially V-shaped-shaped design. Contact section 3c and clamping leg 4a of clamping spring 4 form a clamping point for an electrical conductor to be clamped.
A contact element 5 is arranged in each case on holding section 3a as well as on contact section 3b. In this example, contact element 5 extends in the extension of particular holding section 3a and particular contact section 3b. The front sides of contact elements 5 are designed as solder connection contact surfaces 5a. Solder connection contact surfaces 5a have an essentially flat surface and may be soldered onto a corresponding printed circuit board, for example by means of an SMD soldering method.
In particular, the combined examination of
It is furthermore apparent that a first set-back portion 9a and a second set-back portion 9b are arranged on insulating housing 6. Set-back portion 9a is designed as a type of overhang of insulating housing 6, set-back portion 9a overlapping printed circuit board 7 in the mounted state. Printed circuit board 7 is thus arranged beneath set-back portion 9a and permits an improved seating of conductor connecting module 1.
It is clear from
The set according to
It is clear that a latching element 10 is arranged on the side of the insulating housing on which openings 6a are arranged, the latching element being designed for latching to printed circuit board 7. Latching element 10 may be designed as a positioning element, which permits a better positioning on a printed circuit board.
It is furthermore clear that free spaces 11 are arranged on insulating housing 6 in the region of openings 6a. This has the advantage that heat may be better supplied to solder connection contact surface 5a for the purpose of improving the soldering operation to printed circuit board 7.
It is clear that latching element 10 is designed as a latching pin, latching element 10 engaging with a corresponding latching recess 10a in printed circuit board 7. Latching element 10 makes it possible to ensure a correct positioning of conductor connecting module 1 on printed circuit board 7, and the likelihood of an incorrect positioning may be reduced.
It is also clear that, due to free space 11 on insulating housing 6 in the region of solder connection contact surfaces 5a of contact element 5 protruding from insulating housing 6, solder connection contact surfaces 5a may be better soldered from the outside, since the heat may be more easily supplied. Free space 11 is designed to be not large enough for a further electrical conductor to be plugged into free space 11. The likelihood of a faulty contacting via free space 11 is to be avoided or reduced by the correspondingly small design of free space 11.
The set according to
It is clear that a conductor connecting module 1 is arranged in each case on both sides of printed circuit board 7 and may be soldered to printed circuit board 7 via solder connection contact surfaces 5a. Insulating housing 6 may be positioned in each case on one side of printed circuit board 7 via particular first set-back portion 9a. In contrast to a conductor connecting module 1 having a second set-back portion, further installation space may be saved in this way. In contrast to conductor conducting modules 1 according to
It is furthermore clear that corresponding latching recesses 10a are provided on printed circuit board 7, so that corresponding conductor connecting modules 1 may be positioned in the correct position on printed circuit board 7. In this example, corresponding conductor connecting modules 1 may be positioned on only one side of printed circuit board 7. However, it is conceivable that conductor connecting modules 1 may be positioned on both sides of printed circuit board 7. Housing 12 then has corresponding recesses 13 on both sides of printed circuit board 7.
It is conceivable that an additional metal part may be inserted into recess 14, in particular, for example, a metal pin, which is soldered to the printed circuit board and may be used for additional fastening of the terminal on the printed circuit board.
It is clear that solder connection contact surfaces 5a are essentially arranged on a shared imaginary straight line and/or plane. In addition, solder connection contact surfaces 5a are arranged on the side of busbar 3 facing away from the clamping point, i.e., on back side 16 if connecting section 3b.
In housings 12, conductor connecting modules according to
In contrast to the first through fourth examples, conductor connecting module 1 has only one larger opening 6a in insulating housing 6, through which two solder connection contact surfaces 5a of contact elements 5 protrude. It is clear that solder connection contact surfaces 5a are also not designed as front sides of contact elements 5. The exact design of contact element 5 is explained in greater detail below under
It is clear that solder connection contact surfaces 5a are thus brought out from the plane of connecting section 3b. Solder connection contact surfaces 3a are thus arranged on the side of busbar 3 facing away from the clamping points.
In addition, tabs 21 on insulating housing 6 are apparent in the region of first set-back portion 9a. Due to tabs 21, conductor connecting module 1 may be suspended in contours on a printed circuit board correspondingly provided therefor, whereby the positioning of conductor connecting module 1 on the printed circuit board is further improved.
Conductor connecting module 1 may be fixed in insulating housing 6 in a form-fitting manner. For this purpose, at least one latching tab 21 of insulating housing 6 may be present, which projects into opening 6a and forms a stop together with a cutout 22 of contact insert 2. Latching tab 21 may extend from the base of insulating housing 6 to the open outer side of opening 6a and form a stop together with a marginal edge 23 of solder connection contact surface 5a. However, it is also conceivable that latching tab 21 projects laterally into a side wall surface of contact insert 2, for example in the width direction of contact insert 2. This side wall surface may be a wall surface of bend 20 situated transversely to solder connection surface 5a. Other structural approaches for a corresponding latching of contact insert 2 on insulating housing 6 are conceivable.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2022 132 682.9 | Dec 2022 | DE | national |