Patent Application
20240250465
The present invention relates to an electrical plug connector. The invention further relates to a corresponding plug-in connection system.
An electrical plug-in connection system, such as that used to make electrical connections in a motor vehicle, may comprise a first plug connector and a second plug connector acting as a mating plug connector, each with a primary locking function and a secondary locking function, which ensure that respective plug contacts at the ends of cables to be connected to one another are held securely in the respective plug connector and, in particular, may withstand tensile stress. The locking functions may also be configured such that the plug connector and the mating plug connector may only be fully mated if the plug contacts have been correctly positioned in the plug connector and the mating plug connector. Components for implementing the secondary locking function may vary greatly depending on the housing design of the plug connector and mating plug connector.
EP 3 713 018 A1 describes a plug connector with a secondary securing means which, in an initial position, is located in an insertion path of the mating plug connector, the secondary securing means being displaceable towards a rear end of a plug connector housing into a securing position such that, in the securing position, the secondary securing means clears the insertion path for the mating plug connector.
There may be a need for an alternative and/or improved electrical plug connector with a secondary locking function. In particular, there may be a need for a plug connector in which the secondary locking function is implemented in a way that is easy to realize, with few components and/or in a way that is easy to actuate. There may also be a need for a corresponding plug-in connection system.
Such a need may be met by the subject matter of one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims, the following description and the attached Figures.
A first aspect of the invention relates to an electrical plug connector comprising a plug contact at one end of a cable, a contact carrier, a plug housing, a primary locking element, and a secondary locking element. The plug contact is accommodated in the contact carrier. The contact carrier is accommodated in the plug housing. Both the primary locking element and the secondary locking element are each configured to secure the plug contact in the contact carrier against removal from the contact carrier by pulling in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the cable. The secondary locking element is configured as a separate component displaceable relative to the contact carrier. The secondary locking element, the contact carrier and the plug contact are configured such that the secondary locking element may be brought from a pre-fixed intermediate position to a fixed end position by displacement in a radially inward direction relative to the contact carrier. The secondary locking element is reversibly detachably held on the contact carrier in the pre-fixed intermediate position. Furthermore, in the fixed end position, the secondary locking element is held securely on the contact carrier and bears, at least in areas, on the plug contact, such that the plug contact is secured in the contact carrier by the secondary locking element against the removal from the contact carrier by pulling in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the cable.
A second aspect of the invention relates to a plug-in connection system, comprising a first plug connector configured as a plug according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention and a second plug connector configured as a socket according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention. The plug contact of the first plug connector is electrically connected to the plug contact of the second plug connector. The plug housing of the first plug connector is mechanically connected to the plug housing of the second plug connector so as to withstand at least tensile stress.
Without limiting the scope of the invention in any way, ideas and possible features relating to embodiments of the invention may be considered to be based, inter alia, on the ideas and findings described below.
An electrical plug connector is intended to be connected to another electrical plug connector, which may also be referred to as a mating plug connector, in order to bring the cables contained in the two connectors into electrical contact with each other. In this way, the two connectors form a plug-in connection system. One of the plug connectors may be configured as a plug, that is to say, a male plug connector, whereas the other plug connector is then configured as a socket, that is to say, a female plug connector. The plug connector is of multi-part design and has at least one plug contact, a contact carrier, a plug housing, a primary locking element, and a secondary locking element.
The plug contact is attached to one end of the cable that is to be connected to the cable of a mating plug connector. For this purpose, the cable is generally stripped at its end and is in electrical contact with the plug contact. The plug contact normally surrounds the end of the cable and, for its part, forms contact surfaces via which it may make electrical contact with the contact surfaces of a plug contact of the mating plug connector. The geometry of the plug contact is also adapted to the respective function of the connector, depending on whether the connector is to serve as a plug or a socket. A plug contact configured as a plug is also referred to as a male plug contact or “male insert”, whereas a plug contact configured as a socket is sometimes referred to as a female plug contact or “female insert”. The plug contact generally consists of or comprises an electrically conductive material such as a metal in particular. In particular, the plug contact may be formed with a suitably punched and/or bent metal sheet.
The contact carrier serves to accommodate and reliably hold the plug contact. For this purpose, with the plug connector in the assembled state, the contact carrier completely or at least partially surrounds the plug contact. When assembling the plug connector, the plug contact is usually inserted in an insertion direction, which usually corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the cable, into a recess in the contact carrier. The contact carrier generally consists of or comprises an electrically insulating material such as a plastic, for example. The contact carrier may be configured as an injection-molded plastic component, for example.
The plug housing is configured to accommodate and reliably hold the contact carrier together with the plug contact disposed therein. With the plug connector in the assembled state, the plug housing generally surrounds the contact carrier completely or at least partially. Dimensions of the plug housing, in particular dimensions in transverse cross-section, are usually significantly larger than those of the contact carrier and the plug contact. The plug housing is configured to be mechanically connected to a plug housing of the mating plug connector and to ensure that the plug contacts of the two plug connectors come into mechanical and electrical contact. The plug housing preferably consists of or comprises an electrically insulating material such as a plastic, but may also consist of or comprise other materials. For example, the plug housing may be configured as an injection-molded plastic component.
The primary locking element serves to fix the plug contact inserted into the contact carrier relative to the contact carrier. In particular, the primary locking element is intended to prevent the plug contact from being moved out of the contact carrier as a result of a force acting on the plug contact and pulling in an axial direction, that is to say, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cable and preferably against the insertion direction. For this purpose, the primary locking element creates a mechanically robust interaction between the plug contact and the contact carrier. In principle, the primary locking element may be part of the contact carrier, part of the plug contact or both, or may be provided as a separate component.
The secondary locking element also serves to fix the plug contact inserted into the contact carrier relative to the contact carrier. The secondary locking element thus supports the effect of the primary locking element. Therein, the secondary locking element may be configured to act directly on the primary locking element so as to support its locking effect. For example, the secondary locking element may be configured to prevent the primary locking element from being able to move out of a locking position. Alternatively, the secondary locking element may interact directly both with the plug contact and with the contact carrier in order to prevent these two components from moving relative to each other. In this case, the secondary locking element may provide a supplementary locking effect without interacting with the primary locking element, so that it may also be regarded as a second primary locking element. The secondary locking element of the connector described herein is preferably configured according to the last alternative described.
In the case of the plug connector described herein, the secondary locking element in particular is configured, that is to say designed and/or disposed, in a special way, with the contact carrier and the plug contact of the plug connector also being configured in a suitable way for a corresponding interaction with the secondary locking element.
In particular, the secondary locking element is configured as a separate component displaceable relative to the contact carrier. In other words, the secondary locking element should be provided as a stand-alone component which may be manufactured and handled independently of the other components of the plug connector and which may then be installed on the contact carrier during assembly of the plug connector and interact with the plug contact to provide the desired secondary locking.
The secondary locking element, the contact carrier and the plug contact are also specially configured such that the secondary locking element may be moved relative to the contact carrier between an intermediate position and an end position. The configuration of the components is specifically adapted so that the secondary locking element may be displaced from the intermediate position to the end position essentially (i.e., for example, within an angular range of +/−20° or preferably +/−10°) or preferably exclusively in a radially inward direction, i.e., in a direction transverse or preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cable and towards a center of the contact carrier. In the intermediate position, the secondary locking element is in a pre-fixed state in which it is reversibly detachably held on the contact carrier. For this purpose, the secondary locking element, when in the intermediate position, may be fixed to the contact carrier by force fitting or reversibly detachable form fitting. In particular, the secondary locking element may be pre-engaged in the pre-fixed state. In the end position, on the other hand, the secondary locking element is in a fixed state in which it is firmly held on the contact carrier, i.e. it may not be released from the contact carrier in a reversible manner or without causing damage. In particular, the secondary locking element may be latched to the contact carrier in the fixed state. In addition, the secondary locking element is configured and, when in the end position, positioned in such a way that it bears, at least in areas, mechanically against the plug contact and, by means of this mechanical contact, secures or locks the plug contact against removal from the contact carrier.
Various advantages may be achieved by the fact that, on the one hand, the secondary locking element is provided as a separate component and, on the other hand, is specially configured to be displaced in cooperation with the contact carrier and the plug contact, preferably only in the radially inward direction, in order to bring it from the pre-fixed intermediate position into the fixed end position. In particular, the secondary locking element may be easily manufactured and provided with the geometry required for the desired configuration. In addition, the secondary locking function may be activated in a particularly simple way, for example by first provisionally attaching the secondary locking element to the contact carrier in its pre-fixed intermediate position and then pushing it into the fixed end position by simply pressing the secondary locking element transversely to the contact carrier, i.e. in the radially inward direction, in order to activate the secondary locking function.
According to one embodiment, the secondary locking element is configured as a one-piece molded part.
Such a one-piece molded part may be designed as an integral component which, for example, is configured in terms of its geometry such that different sub-areas are formed on it to implement different functionalities. It is simple to manufacture, handle and/or install on the contact carrier. The molded part may be made of plastic, for example. It may be manufactured by injection molding, for example. However, the molded part may also be made of other materials such as metal or ceramic. If necessary, it may be surrounded, in particular overmolded, with another material, especially a plastic.
According to one embodiment, the secondary locking element has a locking portion in the form of a rib extending in the radially inward direction. The secondary locking element, the contact carrier and the plug contact are configured such that, in the fixed end position, the locking portion of the secondary locking element passes through an area of the contact carrier and bears under mechanical prestress against a circumferential surface of the plug contact.
In other words, the secondary locking element preferably has a locking portion which protrudes radially inwards as a rib from other areas of the secondary locking element. The secondary locking element together with its locking portion is configured and interacts with the contact carrier and the plug contact in such a way that, when it has been brought into the fixed end position, the locking portion passes through at least an area of the contact carrier and bears under mechanical prestress against the circumferential surface of the plug contact. This lateral bearing under mechanical prestress may create a force fit and/or a form fit between the plug contact and the locking portion of the secondary locking element, whereby the plug contact may be fixed relative to the contact carrier.
According to one embodiment, the plug contact has a cavity on the circumferential surface. The secondary locking element, the contact carrier and the plug contact are configured such that the secondary locking element may only be moved from the pre-fixed intermediate position to the fixed end position when the plug contact is received in a target position in the contact carrier such that the locking portion of the secondary locking element may engage in the cavity of the plug contact.
In other words, a recess forming a cavity may be provided on the circumferential surface of the plug contact. Such a cavity may, for example, be configured as a circumferential groove. The cavity may be positioned on the plug contact in such a way that the locking portion of the secondary locking element may only engage in the cavity of the plug contact when the plug contact has been positioned in a predetermined target position relative to the contact carrier. This target position may, for example, correspond to an intended end position of the plug contact in the contact carrier. On the other hand, it may be provided that the secondary locking element may only be moved from the intermediate position to the end position if its locking portion may engage in the cavity of the plug contact. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the secondary locking element may only be pushed into the fixed end position if the plug contact has previously been arranged correctly in the desired target position in the contact carrier.
According to one embodiment, the secondary locking element has two lever portions in a form of projections projecting in the radially inward direction and at an angle towards a plane of symmetry of the secondary locking element.
In other words, two projections on the secondary locking element, referred to as lever portions, may project radially inwards and at a defined angle. The lever portions may be directed towards a plane of symmetry of the preferably mirror-symmetrical secondary locking element. As explained below, providing such lever portions sections may enable advantageous effects.
In particular, according to one embodiment, the secondary locking element may have two arms. Each of the lever portions is disposed centrally and projecting radially inwards on one of the arms. A first latching hook is formed at a free end of each of the arms. A mating latching element is formed on the contact carrier associated with each of the first latching hooks.
In other words, the secondary locking element may have two arms, at each of whose free ends a latching hook, referred to herein as first latching hook, is provided. The latching hook may, for example, be configured as a catch formed transversely to a longitudinal extension of the respective arm. On each of the arms, one of the lever portions is provided in a central area of the arm and projects radially inwards and at an angle. The combination of the first latching hook and the lever portion on each of the arms enables advantageous functionality, particularly when assembling the plug connector and when transferring the secondary locking element from the pre-fixed intermediate position to the fixed end position.
In particular, according to one embodiment, the secondary locking element and the contact carrier may be configured such that the first latching hooks of the secondary locking element are not latched with the associated mating latching elements in the pre-fixed intermediate position of the secondary locking element, and are latched with the associated mating latching elements in the fixed end position.
In other words, the arm with the first latching hook formed thereon may be configured so as to interact in a latching manner with the mating latching element assigned to it on the contact carrier, in particular to be able to come into form-fitting engagement with this mating latching element when the secondary locking element is pushed into the fixed end position. In the pre-fixed intermediate position, however, the first latching hook should not yet be latched to the mating latching element. This means that the secondary locking element remains reversibly detachable in the intermediate position, but is firmly connected to the contact carrier in the end position.
According to a further specified embodiment, the secondary locking element and the contact carrier may be configured such that, in the intermediate position, the secondary locking element with its lever portions bears under mechanical prestress against an outer surface of the contact carrier.
When the secondary locking element is disposed in the pre-fixed intermediate position, due to the mechanical prestress acting between its lever portions and the outer surface of the contact carrier, it may be sufficiently held against the contact carrier and thus be pre-fixed. A force fit preferably operates between the lever portions and the outer surface of the contact carrier, but not a form fit, in particular not a latching form fit. Due to the force fit achieved in this way, the secondary locking element may initially be attached to the contact carrier in a temporary and reversibly detachable manner when assembling the plug connector. The force fit may prevent the secondary locking element from having to be permanently held in place during subsequent steps of the assembly process, for example. That is to say, the secondary locking element may initially be partially pushed onto the contact carrier, for example in a radial direction, until it is pre-fixed due to the interaction between its lever portions and the outer surface of the contact carrier, so that it then no longer needs to be held in place by external measures.
According to one embodiment, the secondary locking element and the contact carrier may be configured such that, when the secondary locking element is displaced from the intermediate position to the end position, the two arms are spread apart from one another due to the lever portions projecting therefrom being supported on associated counter-pressure surfaces on the contact carrier, such that the first latching hooks may engage behind the mating latching elements.
That is to say, on the one hand a geometry and a position of the lever portions on the arms of the secondary locking element and on the other hand a geometry and a position of associated counter-surfaces on the contact carrier may be configured such that the lever portions are supported on the associated counter-pressure surfaces in a specific manner when the secondary locking element is pushed from the intermediate position into the end position. The support should be provided in such a way that the two arms of the secondary locking element are successively spread apart from one another during the displacement of the secondary locking element into the end position. Due to this spreading, in particular a distance between the opposing lever portions and a distance between the opposing first latching hooks provided at the ends of the two arms may be temporarily increased. Due to this temporarily increased distance, the first latching hooks may, for example, be pushed over the associated mating latching elements and engage behind them, i.e. resulting in a configuration whereby the first latching hooks undercut the mating latching elements. Due to the temporary spreading of the arms of the secondary locking element caused by the lever portions and the associated counter-pressure surfaces, the secondary locking element may easily be pushed in the radially inward direction into the fixed end position.
According to one embodiment, the secondary locking element also has two second latching hooks. Each of the second latching hooks is separated from an associated one of the arms by a separation gap and is disposed axially spaced from the lever portion projecting from the associated arm.
The two second latching hooks may serve to additionally fix the secondary locking element on the contact carrier. The fact that the second latching hooks are each axially spaced and disposed separately from the arms of the secondary locking element via a separation gap means that they may be actuated independently of the first latching hooks, i.e. they may engage with associated mating latching elements, for example. In particular, this allows an axial functional division or separation of the first and second latching hooks.
According to a further embodiment, the secondary locking element also has two third latching hooks, each of the third latching hooks being disposed at an axial distance from an associated one of the second latching hooks.
These third latching hooks may provide further fixing of the secondary locking element on the contact carrier. The fact that they are axially spaced from the second latching hooks means that a more extensive or larger-area fixing effect may be achieved. Furthermore, here too this allows an axial functional division or separation of the first, second and third latching hooks.
According to one embodiment, the primary locking element has at least one leg, the leg extending from the contact carrier in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction. The leg has a primary locking latching hook at its unsupported end and is elastically prestressed in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction in the radially inward direction towards the plug contact.
In other words, the primary locking element may be configured in a special way. For this purpose, the primary locking element may have the leg extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction, the leg extending from the contact carrier and preferably formed in one piece with it. At its unsupported end, the leg has a latching hook, which is referred to herein as the primary locking latching hook. The leg is configured and connected to the contact carrier in such a way that it may spring elastically in the inward direction and is prestressed towards the plug contact. When the plug contact is pushed into the contact carrier, the primary locking latching hook may thus engage resiliently in a cavity or groove provided on the outer surface of the plug contact, for example, and thus create a latching effect between the plug contact and the contact carrier. Due to the special design of the primary locking element, such latching may withstand particularly high tensile forces acting on the cable.
According to one embodiment, the contact carrier has a stud projecting in a radially outward direction. In this case, the secondary locking element has a constricted recess with a wide first area, a wide second area and a narrowed transition area between the first and second areas. The secondary locking element and the contact carrier are configured such that the stud engages in the wide first area of the constricted recess when the secondary locking element is in the pre-fixed intermediate position, and the stud passes through the narrowed transition area into the wide second area of the constricted recess when the secondary locking element is displaced from the pre-fixed intermediate position to the fixed end position.
In other words, the contact carrier may have a projection on its outer surface that projects radially outwards, which is referred to herein as a stud. The stud may be formed in one piece with the contact carrier. A constricted recess associated with this stud is then provided in the secondary locking element. The constricted recess may be configured as a through-opening in the secondary locking element. The stud may engage in the recess. A plurality of studs and, associated with these, a plurality of constricted recesses may also be provided at different positions on the contact carrier or the secondary locking element.
The combination of a stud on the contact carrier and a constricted recess on the secondary locking element may be used to pre-fix the secondary locking element on the contact carrier, i.e. to attach it to the contact carrier in the pre-fixed intermediate position so that it may be reversibly detached, for example. The recess in the secondary locking element is locally constricted so that it has a narrowed transition area between the wide first area and the wide second area. In the pre-fixed intermediate position, the stud of the contact carrier engages in the wide first area of the recess of the secondary locking element and ensures the desired pre-fixing of the same. When the secondary locking element is then pushed from the intermediate position to the end position, the stud and the constricted recess move relative to each other, with the stud being displaced through the narrowed transition area into the wide second area of the constricted recess. In this state, the secondary locking element is then firmly fixed to the contact carrier, i.e. it may no longer be reversibly detached.
It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to various embodiments, on the one hand, of the connector described herein and, on the other hand, with reference to a plug-in connection system to be formed therewith. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features may be suitably combined, transferred, adapted or interchanged to arrive at further embodiments of the invention.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which neither the drawings nor the explanations are to be construed as limiting the invention in any way.
The Figures are merely schematic and not to scale. Identical reference signs in the different drawings denote identical or identically acting features.
The plug connector 1 comprises a plug contact 3 at one end of a cable 5, a contact carrier 7 and a plug housing 9. As explained in more detail below, the plug connector 1 also has a primary locking element 11 (not shown in
In other words, the plug connector 1 has a data cable 5 stripped at an end with plug contacts 3 which are accommodated within the contact carrier 7, the contact carrier 7 being disposed in the plug housing 9.
To assemble the plug connector 1, the contact carrier 7 and the secondary locking element 13 are first provided as separate components (
It is known to fasten the plug contacts 3 inserted into the contact carrier 7 to the contact carrier 7 by means of a primary locking mechanism in such a way that they may no longer fall out of the contact carrier 7 in the longitudinal direction 15, i.e. against the insertion direction. The primary locking mechanism is configured, for example, as a latching hook that is elastically resiliently disposed on the contact carrier 7 and, in a latching position, engages in a groove of the plug contact 3 accommodated in the contact carrier 7.
It is further known to provide a secondary locking mechanism which also secures the plug contacts 3 in the contact carrier 7. In a first embodiment, the secondary locking mechanism may be configured to act on the primary locking mechanism in such a way that the secondary locking mechanism prevents the primary locking mechanism from detaching. In a second embodiment, the secondary locking mechanism may be configured to fix the plug contacts 3 directly on the contact carrier 7 and thus act in addition to the primary locking mechanism, i.e. as a second primary locking mechanism, so to speak.
The plug connector described herein is equipped with a secondary locking element 13 (hereinafter referred to as “SLE” for short) pluggable exclusively in the radial direction, i.e. exclusively transversely or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction 15 or to a longitudinal extension of the plug contacts 3 or the cable 5. The SLE 13 of the secondary locking mechanism is configured as a molded part manufactured separately from the contact carrier 7 and the plug housing 9, in particular from a plastic, but a metal blank (possibly overmolded with plastic) or a ceramic molded part is also possible.
The SLE 13 is brought from a pre-fixed intermediate position, in which the SLE 13 is fixed (clamped) but still detachably disposed on the outside of the contact carrier by an exclusively radial movement (i.e. for example by pressing towards the plug contact 3), into a fixed end position, in which the SLE 13 is non-detachably and fixedly disposed on the contact carrier 7. Only in the end position does the SLE 13 fix the plug contact 3 on the contact carrier 7. As explained in detail below, a locking portion 19 of the SLE 13 passes through the contact carrier 7 and bears under mechanical prestress directly against the plug contact 3 (i.e. engages, for example, in a cavity 25, for example in the form of a groove in the plug contact 3). The SLE 13 may preferably only be moved from the intermediate position to the end position if the cavity 25 in the plug contact 3 lies in the (radial) insertion direction of the SLE 13.
The SLE 13 has an elongated, generally crowned (i.e. curved) shape and, in the end position, is fixed to the contact carrier 7 in a mechanically stressed manner.
The SLE 13 for the male insert in
In particular, the SLE 13 has a locking portion 19, which is configured as a rib 21 projecting transversely to the longitudinal direction. An arc-segment-shaped closure surface 65 of the locking portion 19 is matched to a circumferential surface 23 of the male insert plug contact 3 in the area of the cavity 25 (
The SLE 13 also has two lever portions 27 lying opposite one another, on which a protrusion 29 projects at a defined angle α towards a plane of symmetry of the SLE 13. The angle α refers (see
Separated from the arm 31 by a separation gap 43, a second latching hook 41 is formed axially spaced from the lever portion 27. A third latching hook 45 is formed axially separated again. A support portion 69 is also formed essentially centrally relative to the plane of symmetry.
A distance between the opposite ends of the lever portions 27 is dimensioned such that, when the SLE 13 is attached to the contact carrier 7, these lever portions 27 bear under prestress, i.e. under an elastic deformation of the SLE 13, against the outside of the contact carrier 7. In particular, the SLE 13 and the contact carrier 7 are configured such that, in the intermediate position, the SLE 13 with its lever portions bears under mechanical prestress against an outer surface of the contact carrier 7. This allows the SLE 13 to be pre-fixed to the contact carrier 7 in the intermediate position.
Furthermore, the SLE 13 and the contact carrier 7 are configured such that, when the SLE 13 is displaced from the intermediate position to the end position, the two arms 31 are spread apart from one another due to the fact that their lever portions 27 projecting therefrom are supported on associated counter-pressure surfaces 39 (see
With the SLE 13 in the end position, the latching hooks 33, 41, 45 engage in associated mating latching elements 35, 71 (undercuts) on the contact carrier 7 (see
It may also be seen in
Starting from the intermediate position (
In the end position (
The plug-in connection system 101 is illustrated in
From
Finally, it pointed out that terms such as “having”, “comprising” etc. do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as “one” or “a” do not exclude a plurality. It should further be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limitations.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2023 101 706.3 | Jan 2023 | DE | national |
