This application is a National Phase Application of International Application Number PCT/EP2006/000770, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2005 004 103.5, filed Jan. 28, 2005, and German Patent Application No. 10 2006 004 238.7, filed Jan. 30, 2006, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The invention relates to a connector comprising a first male connector and a first female connector. The first male connector is preferably provided with a plug-in support supporting pin or plug-in contacts, while the first female connector comprises in particular a first female contact support supporting female contacts.
It is an object of the present invention to design a connector of the above-mentioned type such that another connector, in particular a modular connector system, can be integrated.
Additional advantages, objects and details of the invention will be described below referring to the drawings.
In
Preferably, the male contact support 14 as well as the female contact support 15 comprise a male connector module frame 23 and a female connector module frame 123, respectively. Preferably, different male connector modules 20, 21 and different female connector modules 30, 31 can be inserted into the respective frames. This is shown for the embodiment disclosed in the drawing and which refers to the integration of the RJ45 connector system into a modular connector system.
The second male connector modules 20, which can be matingly inserted into the second female connector modules 30, form the customary connectors or connections for the power transmission. The first male connector module 21, which can be plugged into the first female connector module 31, preferably serves for the signal transmission and comprises additional contact elements 69.
The design of the first or superior connector 10, in particular the design of the (first) male connector support 14 and the (first) female connector support 15, each of which is adapted to receive the male connector modules 20, 21 and the female connector modules 30, 31, respectively, causes, because, all components are subject to certain tolerances of manufacture, a certain tolerance in the direction of insertion (“first insertion depth tolerance”) of the first connector 10. This first insertion depth tolerance is larger than the range of the variations of the depth of insertion which is tolerated by the second connector 40, in particular a RJ45 connector. This smaller tolerance in the direction of insertion of the second connector 40 is a characteristic of the second connector 40. This tolerance of the second connector 40 is also called “second insertion depth tolerance”. In
To provide for a simple connection, it is possible to locate on the circuit board 51 preferably a second RJ45 female connector 75 (female termination connector). The female termination connector 75 comprises a female termination connector body 76 which supports contact elements 77.
Due to the resilient movement of the circuit board 51 (carrying the second female connector 75), one achieves that the second connector 40 is not damaged and that the first connector system 10 can be completely inserted or plugged in. The arrangement of circuit board 51 and female connector 42 and female connector 75 is also referred to as an intermediate member 100. The intermediate member 100 is reciprocally mounted within the first female connector module body 32 and is biased against the frontal side 53.
For relief of the second male connector 41, in particular for the relief of a detent hook 65 of the RJ45 connector 41, ribs or noses 54 are provided at the first male connector module 21; after completion of the plug-in or insertion operation of the second female connector 40, said ribs 54 abut at the abutment surfaces 102 of the second female connector 42 and, in the case of
By means of an element 98 mounted in the first male connector module 21, the second male connector 41 is secured against an outward movement contrary to the direction of insertion; in particular for the RJ45 connector 41, the element 98 comes into engagement with the detent hook 65 and presses said detent hook 65 towards the second male connector 41 so as to prevent a detent action or in the inserted condition of the second male connectors 41 in the second female connector 42.
It is also possible to provide a first connector system 10 comprising only one second connector 40, in particular a RJ45 connector 40.
It is also possible to mount the second male connector 41 and/or the second female connector 42 slidably in the direction of insertion.
Moreover, in the first connector further modules, in particular pneumatic modules, can be arranged.
The male and female, respectively connector modules 20, 21, 30 and 31 can be mounted by detent means at the appropriate frame by means of module detent hooks. As an example the module detent hooks 61 are shown in
As is shown, in accordance with the present invention, it is in particular possible to integrate into a modular system C146M (the first or superior connector system 10) a connector (second or subsidiary connector system 40) using an RJ34 connector system. It is possible to readily use standard cables so that a RJ45 connector 41 and a RJ45 female connector 42 are able to mate in the C146 connector. This is made possible by the intermediate member 100 and the two RJ45 female connectors 42, 76.
In a mating C146 system the tolerance of the distances of the frames adapted to receive the RJ45 modules is larger than the admissible plug-in depth tolerance of the RJ45 connector. In accordance with the present invention, the intermediate member 100 is resiliently mounted together with the RJ45 female connectors 42 in the first female connector module body 32, i.e. a frame of the C146 system. As mentioned above, the spring force of the spring 72 is larger than the plug-in force of the RJ45 connector and acts into the direction of insertion. The distance of the RJ45 male connector 41 in the first connector module 21 in the first frame with respect to the RJ45 female connector 32 in the first female connector module body 32 of the second frame 123 of the mating or “plugged-in” C146 system is provided such that also at the largest distance, the frame offers the minimum insertion depth of the RJ45 connector. In case the distance of the frames of the C146 system is too small, then the RJ45 intermediate member 100 with the female connectors 42, 76 resiliently moves such that the RJ45 connector system is not harmed, and at that time the C146 connector system can be completely inserted due to the fact that the nose 54 hits the support surface(s) 102 formed by the frontal surface of the second female connector 42 and moves the female connector body 42 against the spring force of the spring 72 together with the circuit board 51.
The second male connector 41, which is—in the embodiment shown, a RJ45 male connector 41, has to be fixedly held in the connector module body so as to be able to assume or receive the plug-in force.
It is noted that the second male connector 41, which is designed as RJ45 connector 41, is not locked (by detent means) when plugged into the corresponding second female connector 42 which is designed as a RJ45 female connector 42. This is true because of the element 98 which blocks the detent hooks 65. Preferably, element 98 is designed such that the detent hook 65 is, during plug in or insertion, not constantly subject to a load. In accordance with the invention, a sealed housing can be provided for receiving the modules, as shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2005 004 103 | Jan 2005 | DE | national |
10 2006 004 238 | Jan 2006 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2006/000770 | 1/30/2006 | WO | 00 | 2/21/2008 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2006/079555 | 8/3/2006 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4449784 | Basov et al. | May 1984 | A |
5961337 | Kordes | Oct 1999 | A |
6641440 | Hyland et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
6746284 | Spink, Jr. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
6913487 | Beneke et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
20040053534 | Beneke et al. | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20040077197 | Nishide | Apr 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0 590 496 | Apr 1994 | EP |
0 675 570 | Oct 1995 | EP |
WO 9718603 | May 1997 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20080194150 A1 | Aug 2008 | US |