Patent Application
20140334871
The invention relates to a plug-in connector housing according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such plug-in connector housings contain contact elements, which for example forward the electric power, light-waves, and also pneumatic signals.
The metallic plug-in connector housings are for example used for electro-magnetically insulating the interior of the housing, which contains the above-mentioned contact elements.
The quality of such a shielding is commonly determined by a measurement, the so-called transfer impedance (also called coupling resistance). The lower the transfer impedance, the higher the insulating effect of the plug-in connector housing. The determination of the transfer impedance is a common task for a technician of a test lab in electric industry.
EP 957540 A2 shows an electrically insulated plug-in connector housing. In order to electrically connect the two housing parts, the seal is provided as an electrically conductive element.
DE 10 2005 040 425 A1 shows a plug-in connector for conduits through an opening of a device. The contact site between the device socket and the plug is realized via a brass ring. The components of the plug-in connector visible from the outside are coated with a surface resistant to environmental influences.
In order to improve the corrosion protection in metallic plug-in housings, the surfaces of the individual housing parts are provided with a thin coating, for example.
DE 20 2004 014 020 U1 discloses a plug-in connector, showing an electrically conductive surface coating comprising nickel.
For technical production reasons, frequently sections of the housing parts of the plug-in connector are coated, which come into contact with each other in the plugged-in state. These sections are also called contact areas.
Advantageously, the coating is made from a compound comprising a basic silicon framework and hydrogen, the so-called silanes.
WO 99 14 399 A1 shows a method for coating with a corrosion protection comprising a metallic surface showing such silanes.
The electric contact between the silanated housing parts is worse compared to uncoated housing parts. This results in increased transfer impedance and simultaneously worsens the insulating effect of such plug-in connector housings.
The objective of the invention is to suggest a plug-in connector housing, which is resistant to corrosion and additionally shows good insulating features.
The objective is attained in the characterizing features of claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are stated in the dependent claims.
A plug-in connector housing usually comprises two housing parts, a housing top and a housing bottom. The housing top is combined with the housing bottom in a certain plug-in direction. Additional housing parts (or attachments) may be provided. For example, the cable outlet generally located at the housing top may be provided as an additional housing part. The separate cable outlet can be screwed in via a thread into the housing top. The housing top can then show several positions, in which the cable outlet can be screwed in. This allows for even more flexible utilization of the plug-in connector housing.
Generally the housing top and the housing bottom are produced from a metallic, electrically conductive material. This way the plug-in connector housing is sufficiently robust for its use in challenging industrial environments. Another advantage lies in the electromagnetic insulation of the environment from the interior of the housing.
In industrial environments, plug-in connector housings are frequently subject to splashing water and/or chemicals (for example printer ink of printing machines). In order to protect the plug-in connector housing from corrosion, the individual housing parts are frequently provided with a surface coating.
Advantageously, the surface coating represents a silane layer. This is also called silanation of the plug-in connector housing.
In the present publication, the term “housing half” is used for both the housing top as well as the housing bottom.
After at least one of the housing halves has been equipped with contact elements and they have been connected to the individual conductors of a cable to be connected, the housing halves are plugged together in the plug-in direction and subsequently screwed together, for example. Here, contacting occurs between the plugged in housing halves at the so-called contact surfaces.
The above-mentioned plug-in direction is generally oriented according to the axes of the individual parts.
When coating the surfaces of the housing halves here, one contact area of a housing half is also always coated. It may even occur that the contact areas of both housing halves are coated.
Any surface coating, particularly the above-discussed silanation, always reduces the electric conductivity between the contact areas of the housing halves. This way the above-mentioned transfer impedance is reduced and simultaneously the electromagnetic insulating effect of such plug-in connector housings is worsened.
According to the invention, the problem is attained such that the contact area of one housing part forms an edge in reference to the other contact area of the other housing part. The contacting between the contact areas is embodied linearly.
When plugging together the housing halves, the edge of one contact area cuts into the surface coating of the other contact area. The surface coating is hereby penetrated and this way an electric contact is established between the two housing halves.
In other words: When the two housing parts are plugged together, the sharp edge of one contact area scrapes the coating off the other contact area so that the electrically conductive basic material of the housing part reappears. Simultaneously, the coating material is removed from the edge of the other contact area. Accordingly now the uncoated edge of one contact area linearly contacts the uncoated other contact area in an electrically conductive fashion.
An example of execution of the invention is shown in the drawings and in the following is explained in detail. It shows:
On the inside, the housing top 1 is provided with a circumferential stop 2, which constricts the interior diameter of the housing top 1. The contact area 3 of the housing top 1 extends above the circumferential edge 2.
The ring 7 comprises a circumferential notch 8. A straight section is discernible at the top of the notch 8 (seen in the plug-in direction 15), which forms a first partial area 9b of the contact area of the housing bottom 5. Further above, a section 9a is discernible, angular towards the outside, which forms the second partial area 9a of the contact area of the housing bottom 5. Together the two partial areas form an obtuse angle, with its tip forming an edge 9. When the housing parts are plugged together, the edge 9 contacts the contact area 3 of the housing top 1.
When the housing parts 1, 5 are plugged together, the above-described edge 9 acts like a blade scraping the coating off the housing top 1, so that the uncoated surface appears. By the friction forces, the coating material is simultaneously removed from the edge 9, so that the now uncoated sections of the housing part 1, 5 contact each other.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2011 106 293.2 | May 2011 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE2012/100079 | 3/28/2012 | WO | 00 | 4/4/2014 |
