Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6291787
-
Patent Number
6,291,787
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, February 15, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, September 18, 200122 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 218 149
- 218 150
- 218 155
- 218 156
- 218 157
- 218 15
- 335 202
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
In an arc suppression housing for an electric connection the contacts are located in at least one housing part filled with sealing compound. The arc suppression housing is composed of at least two separate housing parts put together to form a preferably enclosed shape, at least one of which housing parts having a sealing compound filling channel formed by material removal.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an arc suppression housing for an electric connection with the contacts located in at least one housing filled with a sealing compound.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
It is known that sealing compounds can be used for sealing electric plug-and-socket connections, soldered connections or the like. Reactive single- or two-component adhesives and/or sealants that set at room temperature or at higher temperatures are used as sealing compounds. They are processed mostly at atmospheric pressure.
An arc suppression housing has a comb-like design with the contact zone located within the chamber designed as a trough, in particular. Contact tabs are connected here with stranded conductors, for example, in particular by soldering or welding. When the electric contact is established, liquid sealing compound is filled into the chamber from above, distributed by gravity and hardened. The disadvantage here is that, depending on the contour of the chamber possibly defined by certain parameters and on the contact zone design, undercuts and cavities may be created, into which the sealing compound does not penetrate completely as it sets, so that air inclusions that negatively affect the protective function of the compound are formed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Being composed of at least two separate housing parts put together to form an enclosed shape, the arc suppression housing according to the present invention ensures that the arc suppression area is preferably completely enclosed with at least one of the housing parts having a sealing compound filling channel formed by material removal. It is preferably designed so that during filling the sealing compound goes into the desired area or areas inside the arc suppression housing, and/or the sealing compound can be filled in at a pressure that is higher than atmospheric pressure due to the enclosed arc suppression housing. This always guarantees that no undesired bubbles are formed.
The sealing compound filling channel formed in the arc suppression housing preferably opens at the outside of the housing into a spray tool sealing funnel, which serves for coupling a spray tool for delivering the sealing compound.
The spray tool and the sealing funnel form, during casting, a hermetic and secure connection, which ensures that the liquid sealing compound being filled into the arc suppression housing cannot leak out at the contact point between the spray tool and the sealing funnel. This simple contact between the spray tool and the arc suppression housing to be filled makes the latter particularly suitable for assembly-line production.
The spray tool sealing funnel is preferably designed so that it extends beyond one side of the arc suppression housing, and is in particular attached to it via a break-off point.
The advantage of this is that after casting and setting of the sealing compound, the sealing funnel can be removed in a simple manner. This may shorten the manufacturing time in mass production, for example.
Because the arc suppression housing is made of at least two housing parts put together, a leakproof fit is important, in particular when the sealing compound is delivered under pressure. For this purpose, one of the housing parts has a circumferential groove, into which a gasket is placed to ensure the tightness with respect to the mating contour when the two housing parts are put together. The gasket thus installed, however, does not only prevent the liquid, i.e., not yet set, sealing compound from leaking out, but it also has the property of being gas-permeable, which accelerates the exit of the air entrained by the sealing compound, so that the assurance of bubble-free casting is enhanced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows a top view of an arc suppression housing, open.
FIG. 2
shows a side view of the arc suppression housing according to
FIG. 1
, but closed.
FIG. 3
shows a top view of one housing part of the arc suppression housing.
FIG. 4
shows a section along line IV—IV of FIG.
3
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1
shows an arc suppression housing
1
, only the portion that is relevant to the present invention being illustrated (break-off lines
2
). Arc suppression housing
1
has a first housing part
3
and a second housing part
4
(FIG.
2
). First housing part
3
forms a base part
5
, to which second cover-like housing part
6
can be added, with joint
8
, shown by a dotted line
7
in
FIG. 2
being formed between the two housing parts
3
and
4
. A connecting chamber
9
, open to joint
8
and housing electric contacts
10
, is formed in housing part
3
. When put together, parts
3
and
4
enclose (as shown in
FIG. 2
) cover
6
of connecting chamber
9
, which is filled with a sealing compound
11
to protect contacts
10
. Contacts
10
are therefore embedded in sealing compound
11
and are protected against environmental effects.
Connecting chamber
9
of first housing part
3
has, for example, a basically rectangular shape (FIG.
1
). It houses contact tabs
12
, belonging to contacts
10
and fixedly positioned by suitable means, which lead to electric devices not shown in detail here, for example, a pedal sensor, an operating brake valve, or a pump controller of a motor vehicle. In order to be able to electrically connect this electric/electronic device, for example, to a cable harness of a motor vehicle, the electric conductors of the cable harness must be brought into contact with contact tabs
12
. This is accomplished, according to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, using cable supports
13
and
14
. Cable supports
13
and
14
are preferably designed as plastic parts having cable channels
15
. Electric conductors
16
are placed into these cable channels
15
, i.e., are held in the desired position. To accommodate cable supports
13
and
14
in housing part
3
, guide means
17
are provided, which may be designed, for example, as groove/projection guides, so that cable supports
13
and
14
placed in housing part
3
assume a certain position with respect to connecting chamber
9
. Electric conductors
16
have conductor strands
18
, which assume a position opposite contact tabs
12
when cable supports
13
and
14
are inserted. In order to secure the position of the two cable supports
13
and
14
, fastening screws
19
are provided, which extend through bores
20
of cable supports
13
and
14
and are screwed into threaded holes
21
of housing part
3
. When the above-mentioned position of strands
18
opposite contact tabs
12
is achieved, strands
18
are contacted with the respective contact tabs
12
using a suitable electric contacting method such as soldering, welding or the like.
Housing part
4
forming cover
6
is illustrated in
FIGS. 2
,
3
, and
4
. It has a stepped depression
23
in its inside
22
, basically matching the contour of connecting chamber
9
. A sealing compound filling channel
25
, extending in the form of a spray tool sealing funnel
26
to top
27
of cover
6
, opens into bottom
24
of depression
23
. A gasket
28
that is closed in itself as shown in
FIG. 3
is arranged inside depression
23
, this enclosed contour surrounding connecting chamber
9
when housing parts
3
and
4
are assembled.
FIG. 3
shows that gasket
28
is designed so that it also encloses the heads of fastening screws
19
.
FIG. 2
shows chat sealing compound
11
is in connecting chamber
9
and depression
23
; this means that the electric connection of strands
18
with contact tabs
12
is embedded in sealing compound
11
and therefore protected against environmental effects.
The arc suppression housing according to the present invention is assembled as follows: first, electric conductors
16
are installed in cable supports
13
,
14
. Cable supports
13
,
14
with conductors
16
are then placed into housing part
3
and secured using fastening screws
19
. Then strands
18
are electrically connected to contact tabs
12
. Cover
6
is installed on housing part
3
, so that the position illustrated in
FIG. 2
is obtained. Both housing parts
3
,
4
are connected together using suitable connecting means, for example, screws (not illustrated). By joining both housing parts
3
,
4
, gasket
28
of housing part
4
is in sealing contact with housing part
3
, with gasket
28
being designed so that it lets air through, but sealingly holds back liquid sealing compound.
Then an appropriately shaped injection tool is applied to spray tool sealing funnel
26
and sealing compound is injected into connecting chamber
9
and depression
23
, so that the entire inner space, including the contact zone, is filled with sealing compound
11
. Possible air or gas inclusions are avoided, as mentioned before, by the fact that gasket
28
lets these gas inclusions exit to the outside. On the other hand, sealing compound
11
, which has not yet set or has not yet solidified, is held back by gasket
28
. In particular, injection casting may take place using pressure, i.e., a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. Thermoplastic adhesives or mixtures of materials containing such adhesives are used, in particular as sealing compound
11
. The processing temperature depends on the thermoplastic adhesive and is preferably between 180° C. and 230° C. Filling under pressure allows the filling rate to be optimized and bubble formation to be avoided. The filling pressure of
5
to
50
bar, in particular, is preferably applied until the melt sets. After setting, the injection tool is removed from spray tool sealing funnel
26
.
According to an embodiment, of the present invention, sealing compound filling channel
25
, formed of the same material, i.e., by removing material, may extend to top
27
of housing part
4
and spray tool sealing funnel
26
extends therefrom to the outside beyond arc suppression housing
29
(FIG.
4
). In order to remove this spray tool sealing funnel
26
extending to the outside after the injection has been completed, it is preferably attached to cover
6
via a break-off point.
The present invention is not limited to only one sealing compound filling channel
25
provided in cover
6
, but a plurality of such channels can also be provided there, and it is furthermore possible that such channels are provided only in housing part
3
or both in housing part
3
and housing part
4
.
The present invention allows manufacture in an assembly line without waiting times. No ovens or buffer zones are required as is necessary in the case of single-or two-component reaction resins, so that simple and inexpensive manufacturing and reliable arc suppression is ensured.
Claims
- 1. An arc suppression housing for an electric connection, comprising:contacts; and at least two separate housing parts assembled together to form an enclosed shape, a sealing compound filling channel being formed in at least one of the at least two housing parts, wherein the at least one of the at least two housing parts is fillable with an unset sealing compound via the sealing compound filling channel, the contacts being arranged in the at least one of the at least two housing parts, at least one of the at least two housing parts including a peripheral gasket in contact with another one of the at least two housing parts, wherein the gasket defines a seal with respect to the unset sealing compound but is gas-permeable.
- 2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the sealing compound filling channel opens into a spray tool sealing funnel situated on the housing.
- 3. The housing according to claim 2, wherein the spray tool sealing funnel extends over one housing part to an outside and is attached via a break-off point.
- 4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the gasket is vulcanized to at least one of the at least two housing parts.
- 5. The housing according to claim 2, wherein the spray tool sealing funnel is formed in a wall of one of the at least two housing parts.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
197 03 686 |
Jan 1997 |
DE |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/DE98/00227 |
|
WO |
00 |
2/15/2000 |
2/15/2000 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO98/34303 |
8/6/1998 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (2)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
30 14 333 |
Oct 1981 |
DE |
2 204 194 |
Nov 1988 |
GB |