Patent Application
20200161805
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, to an operating method for an electrical connector, and also to a support comprising an electrical connector.
DE 20 2006 020 263 U1 discloses an electrical connecting system. Connecting systems of this kind are used for power and data or signal transmission and, to this end, generally have a large number of contact elements which, when the connecting system is closed, are connected to corresponding mating contact elements. The contact elements can be arranged in a plug and the mating contact elements can be arranged in a socket. In order for the contact elements to make contact with the mating contact elements without problems, magnets which are aligned with one another are inserted in the plug and in the socket. In this case, the magnets in the plug and in the socket attract one another and ensure that the plug is magnetically connected to the socket and, in the process, the contact elements make contact with the mating contact elements. In general, two magnets are provided in the plug and, respectively, two magnets are provided in the socket.
The use of magnets and opposing magnets has been found to be particularly suitable in order firstly to establish a secure connection between the contact elements and the mating contact elements and secondly to facilitate the connecting process. Connecting systems of this kind may also be self-locating within certain limits.
Although magnets in a connector facilitate plug-connection of the individual connector portions, it may be necessary to additionally secure the connector in safety-critical fields of application or in fields of application with mechanical loads or vibrations.
Various locking mechanisms, for example screws and thread, are known to a person skilled in the art for this purpose. However, this has proven to be complicated when plug-connecting the connector.
This is a state which is in need of improvement.
Against this background, the present invention aims to provide an improved self-locating electrical connector.
This object is addressed by the embodiments recited in the independent claims. Further embodiments are recited in the dependent claims.
Among other embodiments, the present disclosure teaches an electrical connector comprising a first connector portion, a second connector portion and a locking mechanism, wherein the first connector portion has a first electrical contact element and at least one magnet, wherein the second connector portion has a second electrical contact element and at least one second magnet with a polarity which is reversed in relation to the first magnet, wherein the first and the second contact element are designed to establish an electrical connection between the first and the second connector portion for power and/or data transmission, and wherein the locking mechanism is of self-locking design.
The present disclosure moreover teaches an operating method for an electrical magnetic connector comprising a first connector portion and a second connector portion, which operating method comprises the following steps: moving the first connector portion toward the second connector portion from a closing direction; establishing an electrical connection between the first connector portion and the second connector portion; self-locking of the first connector portion to the second connector portion by a locking mechanism; turning the second connector portion or the locking element into an opening position or moving the second connector portion in an opening direction; and disconnecting the electrical connector.
In the context of the present disclosure, the term “lock” may be understood to mean that the connector cannot be released owing to an undefined movement of the or at the first or the second connector portion or owing to an undefined action of force onto the first or the second connector portion.
Accordingly, the term “unlock” may also be understood to mean, specifically, that a blocked connection can be released solely owing to an undefined action of force onto the first or the second connector portion. This does not have to require a separate direct or indirect operation of an unlocking mechanism, but rather can also be an effect which is inherent to the connector.
The idea on which the present invention is based involves providing a particularly user-friendly electrical connector by virtue of the connector having magnets which ensure self-location of the connectors. The magnetic connection is furthermore secured by an automatic locking mechanism.
Advantageous refinements and developments can be found in the further dependent claims and also in the description with reference to the figures of the drawing.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a locking arrangement can be unlocked by moving and/or turning the first and/or the second connector portion in a predetermined opening direction. For example, it is conceivable that the connector portion or part of the connector portion has to be turned to a certain position for unlocking purposes. It is particularly advantageous if an action of force in a predetermined direction, for example by pulling downward, has to be performed for unlocking purposes.
In this way, the connector is adequately secured against mechanical loads and vibrations which occur. Furthermore, the described unlocking is particularly user-friendly since it can be released “blindly” by the user and also with one hand.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism has a locking element in the first or second connector portion and a latching element in the second or first connector portion, wherein the locking element and/or the latching element can be deformed in a spring-elastic manner in a prespecified first direction and are/is designed to be rigid in a second direction which differs from the first direction.
This ensures that the locking element provides blocking on account of an action of force in the second direction and opening of the connector is not possible. For example, it is conceivable that the locking element is of rigid design in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plug (referred to as the z-direction below) and is of elastic design within the plane of the plug. Consequently, the connector can be closed from several closing directions, but can be opened only from one direction or in one direction.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the locking element has a spring which is arranged in the first or the second connector portion, wherein the spring is designed in the form of an arc of a circle.
For example, the spring can be of C-shaped design. Therefore, the spring can expand during locking by the latching element, until the latching element latches behind a step of the C-shaped spring. As an alternative, the latching element can also be inserted laterally through the opening in the C-shaped spring, until it latches behind a step of the spring. In order to unlock the connector, the latching element is pulled or pushed laterally (in the opening direction) out of the opening in the C-shaped spring. Expansion of the spring on account of pulling on the latching element is blocked however.
As an alternative, it is conceivable for the step of the locking element to be sprung at the rear, as a result of which expansion of the locking element is likewise ensured.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the locking element can be elastically deformed by the latching element from several closing directions, and the latching element can be released by the locking element in precisely one opening direction or opening position. This ensures that the connector cannot be opened and closed in the same way.
For example, it is expedient to bevel or to round off the locking element and/or the spring from above and to design said locking element and/or spring with a sharp edge at the bottom. Therefore, the contour of the locking element permits expansion of the spring owing to an action of force from above (closing direction), whereas the spring cannot deform owing to an action of force from below.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the first connector portion is connected to a first, device-side printed circuit board and the second connector portion is connected to a second printed circuit board and/or to a cable. In this way, the electrical connector according to the invention connects an electrical device to a cable for power/data transmission. As an alternative, a connection can also be established between two printed circuit boards by virtue of the second printed circuit board being connected to an energy store or data carrier.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the first contact element is designed as at least one contact strip and/or the second contact element is designed as at least one contact pin or at least one bent contact. Said contact elements manufactured in a cost-effective manner and to have a particularly long service life.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the first and the second contact element each have a plurality of contact elements which are arranged in a manner horizontally offset in relation to one another, in particular not one behind the other. This arrangement ensures uniform utilization of the contact elements and therefore extends the service life of the connector.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the first connector portion and the second connector portion each have guide elements for guiding the first and, respectively, the second connector portion in the opening direction. The guide elements prevent tilting of the two connector portions and therefore facilitate operator control. This ensures that a user can reliably unlock the connector using one hand.
Fitting the connector according to the invention to a support which can be supported on the body is particularly expedient. The support can be fitted, for example, to a helmet. Therefore, electrical devices, for example headlamps, cameras or the like, can be fitted to a helmet in a particularly simple and secure manner.
The support according to the invention is suitable, in particular, as a support for electrical surgical apparatuses. For example, surgeons often wear metal “headbands” to which electrical apparatuses, for example surgical lamps, surgical microscopes or cameras, are fitted.
The above refinements and developments can, where appropriate, be combined with one another in any desired manner. Further possible refinements, developments and implementations of the invention also comprise not explicitly cited combinations of features of the invention that are described above or below in respect of the exemplary embodiments. In particular, a person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects in this case as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the present invention.
The present invention will be explained in greater detail below using the exemplary embodiments which are shown in the diagrammatic figures of the drawing, in which:
The accompanying figures of the drawing are intended to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, in conjunction with the description, serve to explain principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the advantages mentioned become apparent in view of the drawings. The elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily shown true to scale in relation to one another.
In the figures of the drawing, identical, functionally identical and identically acting elements, features and components are respectively provided with the same reference symbols—unless stated otherwise.
The drawings are described below in an interrelated and comprehensive manner.
The first connector portion 101 can be mounted, for example, on a printed circuit board. The second connector portion has a printed circuit board 209 which serves as a data memory. For the purpose of power and data transmission between the two connector portions 101, 201, said connector portions have contact elements 103, 203.
The connector 100 is of self-locating design. For this purpose, the connector portions 101, 201 each have a magnet 105, 205.
In
In
The connector portion 101a in
Furthermore, the connector portion 101a in
It has already been explained above with reference to
Springing of the latching element 207a at the rear is not illustrated in
In order to facilitate plug-connection of the connector, the latching element 207a has beveled surfaces at its top side which is directed toward the interface. In order to prevent a connector from being released on account of being pulled, the latching element 207a is of right-angled design at its bottom side.
The two connector portions 201a, b are compatible with a first connector portion 101a, for example according to
It goes without saying that the selection of contact elements is not restricted to a specific embodiment according to the invention or to the first or second connector portion, but rather can be combined in any desired manner.
Owing to the adequate spring-elastic properties of the locking element 107c, the latching element 207c is of substantially rigid design and designed without spring-elastic properties.
In
Although the present invention has been fully described above with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto but rather can be modified in a variety of ways.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2016 006 775.6 | Jun 2016 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2017/000545 | 5/2/2017 | WO | 00 |
