Patent Application
20190020160
The present invention relates to an electrical connector. The electrical connector is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for connecting cables between a trailer and a tractor of a trailer vehicle.
There are known electrical connectors in which a plurality of cables is connected manually to a plurality of pins arranged in a substantially circular arrangement or on two or more concentric circumferences. At the present time, there are no automatic machines capable of performing this operation. The manual performance of this task causes a considerable loss of time, since the cables have to be connected manually, one by one, to the respective pins in a predetermined order.
This manual operation is highly labour-intensive and increases the overall production cost of the aforesaid electrical connectors. Furthermore, with a manual operation there is a high probability of making an incorrect connection, which may cause subsequent damage to the connector itself or to an apparatus to which the connector is connected.
A further limitation of the prior art connectors is that they are designed purely for the purpose of putting a plurality of cables into contact with the respective plurality of pins, without any possibility of executing further functions, for example the quality control of the signals passing through the connector, in an independent way.
One object of the present invention is therefore to provide an electrical connector which can speed up the connecting operation and enable it to be automated, thus improving the connector manufacturing process. Another object of the invention is to provide an opportunity for executing other functions such as the quality control of the signals passing through the connector pins.
These and other objects and advantages, which will become more apparent from the following text, are achieved with an electrical connector whose main features are defined in claim 1. Specific embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims, the content of which is to be considered as an integral part of the present description.
Briefly, an electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a plurality of pins arranged according to a particular arrangement, for example a circular arrangement, and connectable to a respective plurality of cables. The connector incorporates a first circuit board that forms a first series of electrical paths, each of which is electrically connected to a respective pin. A second circuit board forms a second plurality of electrical paths. An electric terminal is fastened to the second circuit board, the terminal having a plurality of electrical contacts arranged according to a second arrangement and configured for receiving respective cables. Each contact of the terminal is directly connected to a respective one of the electrical paths of the second circuit board. Electrically conductive interconnection pins are each connected to a respective conductive path of the first circuit board and to a respective conductive path of the second board, so as to electrically connect each pin to a respective electrical contact of the terminal.
The aforesaid arrangement makes it possible to change from a circular or concentric geometric arrangement of the pins to a linear arrangement of the electrical contacts of the terminal.
The connector speeds up the connecting operation and enables it to be automated, and may provide other functions such as the quality control of the signals passing through the connector pins.
It is also possible to install electronic components on the board in order to provide the connector with additional functions. Thus, the connector becomes a connecting element capable of performing analyses and operations on the signals transmitted through the pins.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Referring initially to
In the illustrated embodiment, the connector 10 comprises two circuit boards 12, 13, mechanically and electrically connected by coupling means 14 of electrically conductive material.
In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling means of electrically conductive material comprises metal interconnection pins 14.
Preferably, the metal interconnection pins 14 extend parallel to a longitudinal direction. As interpreted herein, terms and expressions indicating directions such as “transverse”, “longitudinal” and “axial” are to be interpreted with reference to the (longitudinal) direction in which the pins 11 extend.
The first board 12 may accommodate the plurality of pins 11 arranged according to a first, substantially circular arrangement. The first board 12 has a plurality of through holes 15, arranged in the substantially circular arrangement, and each adapted to receive a respective pin, as explained below.
The signals received and/or transmitted by the plurality of pins 11 are passed to the second board 13 through the interconnection pins 14.
An electric terminal 16 having a plurality of electrical contacts 18 is installed on the second board 13.
The second board 13 has electrical paths 17 for connecting each of the interconnection pins 14 to a respective electrical contact 18 of the terminal 16.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), a row or array of terminals aligned in a transverse direction could be used instead of a single terminal 16.
The electrical contacts 18 are arranged according to a second arrangement, in this example a substantially linear arrangement, and are intended to be connected in turn, in a per se known manner, to a respective plurality of cables (not shown). Numeral 19 designates electrical connection studs of the terminal 16 which are connected to the electrical paths by means of through holes 25 for electrical connection arranged on the circuit board 13. The studs 19 may have an arrangement corresponding to that of the electrical contacts 18 located on the opposite side of the terminal 16.
Advantageously, electronic components 23 may be installed on any of the circuit boards 12, 13, these components being capable, for example, of monitoring the presence and the quality of signals transmitted and/or received by the pins 11, and of signalling, by means of a notification to the user, any absence or insufficient quality of said signals. The notification may be provided by means of a message sent on a CAN bus, radio messages, or visual signals directly visible on the electrical connector 10.
The visual signals emitted by the electrical connector 10 may, for example, be emitted by means of LED lights 20 (
According to an embodiment, as shown in
If the signals are sent by messages on a CAN bus or by radio messages, these messages may be subsequently processed by other control units present on the vehicle or by external diagnostic devices.
In contrast to the example shown in
The appendage 42 is configured to be inserted into one of the holes 15 formed in the circuit board 12 and subsequently welded to the board 12 so as to electrically connect the pin 11 to a path 17 integral with the board.
The appendage 42 extends longitudinally along a geometric axis substantially coincident with, or parallel to, the central geometric axis x along which the main body 41 of the pin extends.
According to another embodiment which is not shown, the appendage 42 may be inclined or offset with respect to the central geometric axis x.
The transverse dimension of the appendage 42 may range between about ½ and about ⅙ of the diameter D1 of the main body 41 of the pin. Preferably, the transverse dimension of the appendage 42 substantially corresponds to the diameter of one of the holes 15, so that the appendage 42 can easily be inserted through the hole 15 and welded therein.
This appendage 42 extends from one (43) of the ends of the main body 41, which may advantageously have a slightly conical surface, tapered towards the appendage 42. The conical surface forms an angle A of between about 0° and about 45° with respect to a geometrical plane perpendicular to said longitudinal direction.
The appendage 42 has a radiused root portion 44 for connection to the conical surface of the end 43 of the main body 41.
This type of pin 11 may be used equally well as either a male or a female pin. The only differences will be found in the shape of the main body 41. The pin 11 shown by way of example in
Although the pin 11 has been described herein in combination with the electrical connector 10, it is to be understood that a pin having the features discussed herein above may also be used in electrical connections of different types.
Advantageously, the electronic connector according to the invention can speed up the connection operation performed manually by personnel and can enable it to be automated, and, as well as providing a simple connection of a plurality of cables to the respective plurality of pins, may also provide other functions, such as the quality control of the signals passing through the connector.
Various aspects and embodiments of the connector and the pin have been described. It is to be understood that each embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but may be modified within the scope defined by the attached claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102015000041710 | Aug 2015 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2016/054670 | 8/3/2016 | WO | 00 |
