Patent Application
20150118920
This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of German Patent Application No. 10 2013 222 143.6, filed Oct. 30, 2013.
The invention relates to a contact element and, more particularly, to contact element for a plug type connector.
Contact elements are often used in housings and retained by them. In order to retain a contact element in a housing of a plug type connector in a secure manner, for instance, positive-locking connections are used, with either a portion of a housing protruding into an opening of the contact element or a portion of the contact element protruding into an opening in the housing of the plug type connector. Since contact elements are often manufactured with thin-walled material, for example, using bending/punching technologies, the materials generally have a low resisting force with respect to undesirable release of the contact element from the housing. Often the contact elements or the housing become damaged when the contact element is inserted or released. A further problem with these known contact elements is that, when they are used in plug type connectors have sealing elements, the insertion or removal of the contact element in/from the plug type connector through the sealing element leads to damage of the sealing element. Accordingly, maintenance or replacement of the contact element results in increased use of material and cost.
In view of the above described problems, an object of the invention, among others, is to provide a contact element for a plug type connector is provided a contact body having a pair of guiding faces and a catch opening. The contact body is prepared from electrically conductive contact material. The pair of guiding faces provide a reinforced region with each guiding face having a plurality of layers overlapping each other transversely with respect to a length of contact body. The catch opening is disposed between the pair of guiding faces.
The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which:
The structure of a contact element according to the invention is first described with reference to
The function of the contact element according to the invention is described in conjunction with an arrangement according to the invention as shown in
As shown, a contact element 1 according to the invention is shown and formed by an electrically conductive contact material 3 that is a monolithic component having been bent and/or punched. The body 5 of the contact element 1 extends along an insertion direction E. The contact element 1 has a tip region S with a tip 26 at one end thereof and includes and a crimp portion C disposed at opposite end thereof.
The body 5 includes a catch opening 9 along an upper side 7 thereof. The catch opening 9 formed by guiding faces 21, 21′. The guiding faces 21, 21′ extend from ends 56, 56′ thereof to the catch opening 9 in a continuous and bend-free manner. The guiding faces 21, 21′ include catch edges which extend transversely relative to the insertion direction E. The guiding faces 21, 21′ are formed by the reinforced regions Va, Vb. The reinforced regions Va, Vb each have two overlapping layers 23a and 23a′ in the reinforced region Va and overlapping layers 23b and 23b′ in the reinforced region Vb.
The body 5 also includes side walls 24 and 24′. The layers 23a and 23b extend from the side wall 24 towards the opposing side wall 24. Additionally, the layers 23a′ and 23b′ extend from the side wall 24 in the direction towards the side wall 24′. The two overlapping layers 23a, 23a′ and 23b, 23b′ abut each other and extend parallel with the upper side 7 of the contact element 1. The reinforced regions Va, Vb bridge the side walls 24 and 24′.
The body 5 has a substantially box-like profile in the shown embodiment along the catch opening 9 and the reinforced regions Va and Vb. The guiding faces 21, 21′ are formed by the surfaces 25, 25′ of the layers 23a′ and 23b′ of the reinforced regions Va and Vb.
The layers 23a′ and 23b′ which form the guiding faces 21, 21′ are inclined at the ends thereof and directed away from the catch opening 9 in the direction towards the inner side I of the body 5. The inclined leading members 27, 27′ are thereby formed from the contact material 3.
In the embodiment shown, the layer 23b extends towards the opposing inner wall 35, and a reinforcement lip 33 is formed. The reinforcement lip 33 is located between the reinforcement region Vb and the crimp region C, between the side walls 24 and 24′. The reinforcement lip 33 supports the side walls 24 and 24′ with respect to each other. This is particularly advantageous when the contact material 3 in the crimp region C is shaped in order to connect the contact element 1 to an electrical conductor. The reinforcement lip 33 is described in detail with reference to
The contact element 1 includes a resilient contact arm 28 around the tip region S. The contact arm 28 can be resiliently redirected away from the upper side 7, that is to say, in a downward direction and can be used to contact a printed circuit board. The contact arm 28 includes a contact zone 29 which is directed in the insertion direction E for electrical connection to a printed circuit board and an activation region 30 which is directed upwards in a convex manner. The contact zone 29 is located in a contact portion 53 of the contact element 1. In order to protect the contact arm 28 when the contact element 1 is introduced into a housing or through a seal of a plug type connector, the side walls 24, 24′ are bent towards each other in an upper protection portion 30 that is parallel with the insertion direction E and engage with each other through an undercut arrangement. The upper protection portion 30 is arranged above the contact arm 28. Along the tip 26, the side walls 24, 24′ are bent towards each other transversely relative to the insertion direction E so that the tip 26 is rounded and a shield 52 is formed which is directed in the insertion direction E.
In the tip region S, there are arranged two fixing pieces 47 which extend from the side walls 24, 24′ away from the contact element 1. The fixing pieces 47 may be constructed in a pointed or slightly rounded manner. The fixing pieces 47 extend opposite the upper protection portion 30. In the insertion direction E, the fixing pieces 47 are arranged between the tip 26 and the contact arm 28.
The reinforcement region Va provides a first prevention region 55. In a cross-section transverse relative to the insertion direction E, the contact element 1 in the reinforcement region Va does not have any axis of symmetry. The reinforcement region Va is thereby a prevention region 55. The prevention region 55 is formed by the fact that the layer 23a′ which extends from the side wall 24 in the direction towards the side wall 24′ is not constructed continuously to the opposing side wall 24′.
As shown in
The reinforcement lip 33 extends from the layer 23b′ in the reinforcement region Vb and counter to the insertion direction E. The reinforcement lip 33 is arranged between the side walls 24, 24′ and is directed in the direction of the opposing inner wall 35. The reinforcement lip 33 is formed by bending contact material 3 from the layer 23b′. The inclined leading member 27′ is formed by bending the contact material 3. In cross-section transverse relative to the insertion direction E, the reinforcement lip 33 is narrower at the end thereof facing the inclined leading member than in the region between the side walls 24, 24′. The upper narrow region allows bending of the contact material 3 in order to form the inclined leading member 27′ and to better position the reinforcement lip 33. The expansion of the reinforcement lip 33 in the region between the side walls 24, 24′ adapts to the dimensions of the contact element 1 so that the reinforcement lip 33 is in abutment with the side walls 24, 24′ and can support them against each other. The reinforcement lip 33 merges into the inclined leading member 27′ so that both form a continuous region. As an alternative to the above-described configuration of the reinforcement lip 33, it may also be directed in the direction towards the crimp region C and be angled only slightly with respect to the guiding face 21′. The sliding along of a seal can thereby be improved.
Now with reference to
The arrangement A has a counter-element 61. The counter-element 61 can be moved in the insertion direction E. If the counter-element 61 is moved counter to the insertion direction E, an actuation portion 63 applies a force to the activation region 30 of the contact arm 28, whereby it is redirected transversely to the insertion direction E. The arrangement A further includes a printed circuit board 65. If the contact arm 28 is redirected transversely relative to the insertion direction E away from the actuation portion 63, the contact zone 29 is placed on the printed circuit board 65 and can produce an electrical connection with respect to a conductor strip 67 of the printed circuit board 65.
In a contact position (not shown), in which the contact arm 28 is placed with the contact zone 29 thereof on a conductor strip 67 and an electrical connection is thereby produced between the contact element 1 and the conductor strip 67, the counter-element 61 may also apply a pressure to the side walls 24, 24′ of the contact element 1 so that the contact element 1 at least with the tip region S thereof is redirected or bent in the direction towards the printed circuit board 65. In this instance, the fixing pieces 47 are embedded slightly in the printed circuit board 65 so that the contact element 1 can no longer be displaced with respect to the printed circuit board 65. This is particularly advantageous when the arrangement A is shaken by vibrations or when the printed circuit board 65 or the contact element 1 becomes deformed as a result of thermal changes and the contact element 1 thereby slides on the printed circuit board 65.
Ideally, the fixing pieces 47 are embedded in the printed circuit board 65 beside the conductor strip 67 which makes contact with the contact arm 28. However, at least one fixing piece 47 can in this instance also be at least partially introduced into a conductor strip 67. In addition to the electrical connection between the contact arm 28 and conductor strip 67, an electrical contact is thereby produced by the fixing piece 47 with respect to the conductor strip 67. The arrangement is preferably configured in such a manner that displacement of the printed circuit board 65 counter to the insertion direction E leads to a displacement of the counter-element 61 counter to the insertion direction E. The contact arm is thereby redirected in the direction towards the printed circuit board 65 and the conductor strip 67 is contacted. In order to release the connection, the counter-element 61 may be displaced together with the printed circuit board 65 in the insertion direction E again, whereby the fixing pieces 47 are raised from the printed circuit board 65 and the contact arms 28 are redirected back into the body 5 of the contact element 1 again.
When the contact element 1 is inserted into the housing 57, the inclined leading member 27 slides past an inclined introduction member 69 of the catch projection 59 so that an insertion of the contact element 1 into the housing 57 is possible without damaging the contact element 1 or the catch projection 59. In the catch position shown in
Now with reference to
Now with respect to
The reinforcement structure 32 reinforces the contact arm 28 along the activation region 30. On the one hand, the risk of plastic deformation of the activation region 30 when the contact arm 28 contacts a printed circuit board is thereby reduced, so that the contact element 1 can be used or contacted several times. On the other hand, the reinforcement structure 32 reduces the resilient deformation of the activation region 30 during contacting of the contact arm 28 with respect to a printed circuit board. A force which is applied to the activation region 30 is thereby directed in an efficient manner to the contact zone 29, whereby the contact arm 28 is positioned with the contact zone 29 thereof in a particularly secure manner on a printed circuit board.
Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and sprit of the invention as described in the accompanying claims
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102013222143.6 | Oct 2013 | DE | national |
