The present invention relates to an injection-molded element having at least one electrical contact element embedded therein.
Such injection-molded elements are known in various designs and shapes and, together with the electrical contact elements embedded in them, as a rule they constitute plug-in connectors, in particular in the form of contact plugs or sockets, which are connected by cables, or also in the form of components which are fastened to the walls of devices or are inserted into openings of the latter.
In connection with the latter field of use, with which the invention is exclusively concerned, the connection between the plug or socket element and the housing of an electrical or electronic device as a rule requires screw or snap-in connections in order to provide mechanically secure seating. These connections have the disadvantage that the mechanical stability, and also the positioning, depend on the exact positioning of the receiver openings or fastening bores in the housing and that in particular, for example because of production tolerances, no seal against moisture and splashing water, or also soiling and contamination, can be provided as a rule. To prevent this, sometimes seal rings or the like are employed, which further increase the production costs.
The present invention provides elements in which this undesirable interface between the housing and the connecting elements is eliminated.
In accordance with the invention, the molded element is formed to constitute a portion of the wall of an electric or electronic apparatus.
Thus, the simple concept of the invention lies in embodying the connecting area for making electrical connections as an integral part of the housing, or at least a part of the housing, for example a cover, so that connecting and sealing problems inherently do not occur. The technique of injection molding the molded element with preformed metal pins embedded therein also assures that a high degree of spatial and mechanical precision of the metal pins in respect to the housing can be achieved without noticeable production tolerances, which is of increasing importance, in particular in connection with very small devices or small connecting elements.
Thus, metal pins embedded in this way in the housing element constitute connector pins comparable to the corresponding components in the above mentioned conventional plug connectors.
In the same way it is also possible to embed other contact elements, for example metal plates, into the molded element during the injection-molding process, so that, for example, contact with a circuit component arranged inside the housing automatically takes place when the molded element is placed on the circuit component, or is brought into connection with it.
Injection-molding technology also permits a multitude of different contact elements to be provided in a simple manner in this way, wherein it is possible in particular to form identical groups of contact elements and to use them as connecting rails.
It is then possible to attach corresponding circuit elements to the inside of such a housing element, which for external uses is located opposite the connecting side, wherein it is possible here, too, to assure a defined positioning of these elements in relation to the inward projecting sections of the metal pins in order to assure a simple and secure inner connection of the metal pins with the associated circuit elements.
The invention is particularly advantageous if an electrical device, for example a remote-control transmitter consisting of an electronic block and a joystick block, is provided with complementary designed connecting elements at the associated housing, wherein a simple exchange of a device element for repair, cleaning or replacement purposes is possible, as well as simple mounting and dismounting, in particular.
Two exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the drawings.
The first exemplary embodiment represented in
In this case, various spatial designs of such connecting rails are conceivable. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
Metal pins 100 themselves extend toward the exterior. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
The second exemplary embodiment represent in
The components required for remote control, in particular the remote-control transmitter, are located in an electronic block 20, the contact elements, such as relays or switches, which are required in particular for converting the pivot movements of a joystick into electrical signals and whose output signals constitute the basis of the remote--control signal emitted by the remote-control transmitter, are located in a joystick block 30 which also carries the joystick.
Here the invention provides that metal pins 250 are embedded into the molded cover, or housing element, of electronic block 20 and engage corresponding contact sockets 251 of the joystick block 30 in an electrically conductive manner. The joystick block 30 and the electronic block 20 can be sealingly screwed together and a seal ring 25 can be interposed between blocks 20 and 30 to seal the region containing pins 250 and sockets 251.
Because of this separation of the device into the electronic block 20 and the joystick block 30, a simple exchange of one of these two device blocks is possible in case of damage. In particular, this does not lead to an impairment or destruction of electronic components in the electronic block 20, if moisture or splashing water enters the joystick block 30, because the metal pins 250 form a hermetic seal with the cover of block 20 during the embedding and injection-molding process in the course of manufacturing the housing element of the electronic block 20. Therefore the common seal ring 25, which encloses the entire group of metal pins 250, is sufficient for sealing.
This application relates to subject matter disclosed in German Application Number 101 20 362.41, filed on Apr. 26, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. The means, materials, and steps for carrying out various disclosed functions may take a variety of alternative forms without departing from the invention.
Thus the expressions “means to . . . ” and “means for . . . ”, or any method step language, as may be found in the specification above and/or in the claims below, followed by a functional statement, are intended to define and cover whatever structural, physical, chemical or electrical element or structure, or whatever method step, which may now or in the future exist which carries out the recited function, whether or not precisely equivalent to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed in the specification above, i.e., other means or steps for carrying out the same functions can be used; and it is intended that such expressions be given their broadest interpretation.
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