EP2332221B1 - Plug connector socket for data and communication technology - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a connector socket for the data and communication technology according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

In data and communication technology, connector sockets are used as an interface, whereby these sockets are today generally standardized RJ sockets. These jacks are often soldered directly to a printed circuit board to allow a cost-effective interconnection. If the socket is subject to heavy wear as a result of frequent insertion, replacement of the socket is complicated. Another problem arises when used in harsh industrial environment, z. Eg in connection with Industrial Ethernet, if the sockets are provided with an additional protective housing. Since the positioning of the sockets in the protective housing must be very precise, tolerance problems can arise if the socket is connected directly to the printed circuit board for the electronics.

From the US 2003/228799 A1 and the US 2007/224884 A1 already connector jacks for data and communication technology are known which can be positioned in a device wall and electrically conductively connected to a device circuit board, wherein each of the socket is fixed in position in a socket housing, a circuit board is fixed in position in the socket housing, which Level of the circuit board is parallel to the plug-in direction of the socket, the socket contacts of the socket are conductively connected to the circuit board and the circuit board facing away from the socket edge board edge contacts for insertion into a circuit board edge connector socket of the device plate, further wherein the socket housing of a shroud coat is enclosed.

The invention has for its object to provide a connector socket for the data and communication available, the position tolerances between the positioned in a device wall built-in jack and a device board, with which this socket is connected, can compensate and a simple Replacing the socket allows.

This object is achieved by a connector socket with the features of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

In the context of the invention, the term "connector socket" or "socket" for short designates all sockets of connector systems which are used in data and communication technology as separable interfaces. As current version, these are in particular RJ sockets, z. B. RJ45 sockets.

Under "devices", in the device wall, the connector socket is positioned and connected to the device board the socket electrically conductive, are understood in the context of the invention, all devices to which a data or communication cable can be connected via the connector socket , Such devices may be transmitting and receiving devices and also junction boxes or the like.

According to the connector socket is arranged in a socket housing and connected to a likewise arranged in this socket housing circuit board. The circuit board has on its edge facing away from the socket PCB edge plug contacts and is with these edge plug contacts plugged into a Leitezplatten edge connector socket of the device board. The socket is thus electrically connected via the circuit board and the edge connector directly to the device circuit board and interconnected. The pluggable edge connector between the circuit board and device board allows a simple replacement of the socket, since there is no fixed solder joint between the socket and the device circuit board. In addition, the edge plug connection between the printed circuit board of the socket and the device circuit board on a mechanical position tolerance in the insertion of this edge connector, whereby positional tolerances between the installation position of the socket and the installation position of the device circuit board can be compensated. Even small positional tolerances in the axes perpendicular to the plug-in direction can be compensated.

According to the invention, the socket housing is further enclosed by a shroud jacket, wherein the circuit board edge connector socket is enclosed by a connected to the device circuit board shield plate, which contacts the shroud jacket of the plugged into the PCB edge connector socket jack housing.

It is advantageous that additional electronic components for interconnecting the socket can also be arranged on the printed circuit board of the socket. For example. filters and / or transformers can be arranged on the circuit board, as z. B. to adapt the interface for Ethernet needed.

The female housing in an advantageous embodiment, a front part and an adjoining insulating body. The front part is preferably made of metal, in particular die-cast zinc. The insulating body takes the socket contacts on. The metallic front part and the insulating body surrounding shroud jacket form a shield of the entire socket. The metallic front part favors a precise mounting of the socket in a protective housing, as required for use in industrial environments.

An advantageous production and assembly results in an embodiment, when the insulating body is formed with a swing-bottom. The printed circuit board can be completely manufactured and assembled, ie equipped with the socket contacts, the edge plug contacts and any additional circuit components required and is then fully assembled in the insulation body and fixed by pivoting the soil in the exact position in the insulation body. It is for the production of particular advantage, when the insulating body with the ground as a one-piece Plastic injection molded part is produced, wherein the bottom is pivotally connected to the insulating body via a film hinge.

Fig. 1

in einer Explosionsdarstellung den Einbau der Buchse in ein Gehäuse,

Fig. 2

die Buchse in einer isometrischen Ansicht,

Fig. 3

die Buchse in einer Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 4

einen Axialschnitt durch die Buchse,

Fig. 5

die montierte Leiterplatte der Buchse,

Fig. 6

in einer Einzeldarstellung den Isolationskörper,

Fig. 7

das Einsetzen der Leiterplatte in den Isolationskörper und

Fig. 8

das Fixieren der Leiterplatte in dem Isolationskörper in einer aufgeschnittenen Ansicht.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it

Fig. 1

in an exploded view, the installation of the socket in a housing,

Fig. 2

the socket in an isometric view,

Fig. 3

the socket in an exploded view,

Fig. 4

an axial section through the socket,

Fig. 5

the assembled circuit board of the socket,

Fig. 6

in a detail representation of the insulating body,

Fig. 7

the insertion of the circuit board in the insulation body and

Fig. 8

fixing the printed circuit board in the insulating body in a cutaway view.

In Fig. 1 is shown in an exploded view of a typical installation situation of a connector socket according to the invention. The socket is installed in a device from which in Fig. 1 only a section of the device wall 10 is shown. In the device is a device circuit board 12 z. B. installed parallel to the device wall 10. The connector socket is positioned on the one hand in a breakthrough of the device wall 10 and on the other hand electrically connected to the device circuit board 12. The connector socket 14 is formed in the illustrated embodiment as an RJ socket.

In order to use the socket 14 in a harsh industrial environment, a protective housing 16 is inserted in the wall opening of the device wall 10 in a conventional manner, which is sealed by a seal 18 against the device wall 10 and screwed by a nut 20 with the device wall 10 is. The connector socket 14 is inserted in the illustrated embodiment of the device interior in the protective housing 16 and fixed there exact position. Also an insertion from the outside conceivable. The protective housing 16 is used to attach a connector housing which encloses the plug-in connector 14 to be inserted into the connector plug. Since the plug housing is fitted accurately and sealed onto the protective housing 16, an exact positioning of the socket 14 in the protective housing 16 is necessary.

The exact positioning of the socket 14 in the protective housing 16 and thus in the device wall 10 has the consequence that dimensional tolerances affect the installation of the device circuit board 12 with respect to the device wall 10 on the connection of the socket 14 to the device circuit board 12. These position tolerances are compensated according to the invention in that the connector socket 14 is arranged in a socket housing 22 and is connected to a printed circuit board 24, which is also arranged fixed in position in the socket housing 22. The printed circuit board 24 protrudes from the socket housing 22 at the end facing away from the socket 14. At the free edge of the printed circuit board 24 protruding from the socket housing 22, opposite the socket 14, printed circuit board edge plug contacts 26 are formed. With these PCB edge plug contacts 26 is the Printed circuit board 24 is inserted into a printed circuit board edge connector socket 28 which is arranged on the device circuit board 12. The plug-in direction of the printed circuit board 24 with its edge plug contacts 26 in the edge connector socket 28 coincides with the plug-in direction of the connector socket 14. The contact length of the edge plug contacts 26 and the edge socket 28 in the insertion allows for a tolerance in the insertion of the circuit board 24 in the edge connector 28 and thus a distance tolerance between the fixed in the protective housing 16 and the device wall 10 connector socket 14 and in the device built-in device board 12. Even in the direction perpendicular to the plug axis, ie in the plane of the device board 12, low installation tolerances can be compensated.

The structure of the female housing 22 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 explained.

The socket housing 22 has a front part 30, which preferably consists of metal and in particular of zinc die casting. The front part 30 forms the receiving space for the male connector 14 to be inserted into the connector plug. Due to the metallic material, the front part 30 also forms a shield of the connector. Outside on the side walls of the front part 30 locking grooves 32 are formed, which serve for securing the front part 30 and thus the entire female housing 22 in the protective housing 16.

The front part 30 is followed by an insulating body 34 made of plastic. The insulating body 34 is attached from the rear to the front part 30 and closes with its front end wall, the back of the front part 30. A protruding over this front end wall base plate of the insulating body 34 forms the bottom of the receiving space of the front part 30. In the end wall and the bottom plate of the insulating body 34 guide slots 36 are formed, which serve to receive the socket contacts 38. The socket contacts 38 are arranged in the manner known for RJ sockets and resilient. The socket contacts 38 engage through the guide slots 36 in the receiving space of the socket and are insulated by the insulating body 34.

In the insulating body 34, the circuit board 24 is inserted from the rear and fixed to the bottom side in the insulating body 34. The printed circuit board 24 carries on its front edge inserted into the insulating body 34, the female contacts 38. Via printed conductors of the printed circuit board 24, the female contacts 38 are connected to the edge connector contacts 26, which are arranged on the opposite rear edge of the printed circuit board 24. Since the printed circuit board 24 is parallel to the bottom of the insulating body 34, the plugging direction of the socket 14 with the socket contacts 38 in the same direction as the plugging direction of the edge plug contacts 26 runs.

The insulating body 34 is enclosed by a shroud jacket 40. The shroud jacket 40 abuts the four side surfaces of the insulating body 34 and closes the rear surface of the insulating body 34 facing away from the socket 14 except for an entry slot for the printed circuit board 24. In the bottom 42 of the insulating body 34 is in the area in which the Circuit board 24 adjacent to the bottom 42, an opening 44 recessed, through which a from the shroud jacket 40 inwardly bent contact spring 46 engages to contact a corresponding conductor track of the circuit board 24. Optionally, the contact spring 46 can be soldered to this conductor. At the top and at the bottom the shroud jacket 40 extends beyond the insulation body 34 and over the front part 30. With inwardly angled corners 48 of the upper front edge and with an inwardly angled edge 50 of the lower front edge of the shroud coat 40 engages in front of the end face of the front part 30, whereby the shroud jacket 40 holds the front part 30 and the insulation body 34 together in the mounted position and fixes them together. On the side walls of the shroud shell 40 forwardly directed spring tongues 52 are formed, which are bent inwardly and engage through slots in the end wall of the insulating body 34 into the receiving space of the bush 14. The spring tongues 52 contact the shield of a plugged into the socket 14 connector. Further, 40 contact springs 56 are formed on the lateral edges of the forwardly projecting underside of the shroud shell, which lie in grooves of the front part 30 and are arched over the outer surface, to optionally contact a metallic protective housing or the like.

Is the female housing 22 with the circuit board 24 and its edge plug contacts 26 inserted into the edge connector socket 28 of the device circuit board 12, as shown in FIG FIG. 1 is shown, the shroud jacket 40 of the female housing 22 is contacted by a shield plate 54 which is disposed on the device circuit board 12 and the edge connector 28 of the circuit board 12 encloses. In FIG. 1 a side surface of this shielding plate 54 is removed to make the edge connector connection visible.

The connector between the socket 14 and a plugged into this plug is thus completely shielded by the front part 30 and the shroud jacket 40. In this case, the shielding of the inserted plug in particular on the Passing spring tongues 52 to the shroud jacket 40. The shield is also passed over the contact spring 46 to the circuit board 24.

The assembly of the female housing 22 is based on the FIGS. 5 to 8 explained in more detail.

FIG. 5 shows in a detailed view of the circuit board 24. It can be seen that in this embodiment, the resilient socket contacts 38 are embedded in a support member 58 manufactured as an injection molded part, whereby their exact positioning is facilitated. The support member 58 is attached to the front end edge of the circuit board 24 to connect the socket contacts 38 with the tracks of the circuit board 24 and to solder. Next is in FIG. 5 shown that on the circuit board 24 even more electronic circuit components 60 can be arranged and interconnected. These may be, for example, transformers, capacitors, resistors and the like, which are then preferably also received in the insulating body 34 and shielded by the shroud coat 40. Such electronic components are used, for example, to adapt the interface to the transmission path of the data network.

FIG. 6 shows in an individual view the insulating body 34. The insulating body 34 is made as a one-piece plastic injection-molded part. The bottom 42 can be swiveled downwards in the rear region, for which purpose the bottom 42 is connected to the remaining insulation body 34 via a film hinge 62. Insulating body 34 is produced by injection molding with base 42 pivoted downwards at right angles. This arrangement of the bottom 42 allows a undercut-free design of the injection molding tools.

The bottom 42 remains in the assembly initially in the downwardly pivoted position, as in FIG. 7 is shown. In this position, the circuit board 24 is used, wherein the support member 58 is inserted into a molded under the guide slots 36 and in front of the film hinge 62 in the insulating body 34 bottom pocket 72 and the circuit board 24 is guided in grooves 66, the inside of the side walls of the insulating body 34 are formed. The socket contacts 38 pass through the guide slots 36, as shown in FIG FIG. 8 is shown. Subsequently, the bottom 42 is pivoted up, so that it applies from below to the circuit board 24. The bottom 42 has at its two free rear corners each upwardly directed corner projections 64 which engage around the circuit board 24 formed corners, so that the circuit board 24 is fixed against displacement in its plane. In the grooves 66, the circuit board 24 is fixed in the insulating body 34 against movement perpendicular to the plane of the circuit board. In this pivoted position, the bottom 42 is locked in the insulating body 34. For this purpose serve laterally to the bottom 42 molded resilient locking lugs 68 which engage in lateral recesses of the circuit board 24 and engage behind latching edges 70 which are integrally formed on the side walls of the insulating body 34. By the latched bottom 42, the circuit board 24 is accurately positioned and securely held in the insulating body 34 and thus in the female housing 22. This results in an exact positional alignment of the connector socket 14 with respect to the arranged at the end of the circuit board 24 edge plug contacts 26th

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

device wall

12

Device PCB

14

Connector socket

16

housing

18

poetry

20

mother

22

socket housing

24

circuit board

26

Edge connector contacts

28

Edge connector socket

30

front

32

locking grooves

34

insulation body

36

guide slots

38

female contacts

40

Shroud jacket

42

ground

44

opening

46

contact spring

48

corners

50

edge

52

spring tongues

54

shroud

56

contact springs

58

support element

60

circuit components

62

film hinge

64

corner projections

66

groove

68

locking lugs

70

catch edge

72

bottom pocket

Claims (7)

1. A plug connector socket for data and communications technology, which is capable of being positioned in a wall (10) of an appliance and is capable of being connected in an electrically conductive manner to a circuit board (12) of the appliance, wherein the socket (14) is arranged stationary in a socket casing (22) which has a front part (30) and an insulation body (34) receiving socket contacts (38), a circuit board (24) which is capable of being inserted in the insulation body (34) and of being fixed in the latter is arranged stationary in the socket casing (22), the plane of the circuit board (24) is situated parallel to the insertion direction of the socket (14), the contacts (38) of the socket (14) are connected to the circuit board (24) in a conductive manner, and at its edge facing away from the socket (14) the circuit board (24) has circuit board edge connector contacts (26) for insertion into a circuit board edge connector socket (28) of the circuit board (12) of the appliance, characterized in that the socket casing (22) is surrounded by a shield plate jacket (40), the circuit board edge connector socket (28) is surrounded by a shield plate (54) which is connected to the circuit board (12) of the appliance and which contacts the shield plate jacket (40) of the socket casing (22) inserted into the circuit board edge connector socket (28).
2. A plug connector socket according to claim 1, characterized in that the socket casing (22) is capable of being positioned in a protective casing (16) attached to the wall (10) of the appliance.
3. A plug connector socket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front part (30) consists of metal, and in particular of die-cast zinc.
4. A plug connector socket according to claim 3, characterized in that the shield plate jacket (40) contacts the front part (30) in an electrically conductive manner.
5. A plug connector socket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the insulation body (34) has a pivotable base (42), and, when the base (42) is pivoted down, the circuit board (24) is capable of being inserted into the insulation body (34) and is fixed in position in the insulation body (34) by the base (42) pivoted down.
6. A plug connector socket according to claim 5, characterized in that the insulation body (34) is produced in the form of a plastics material injection-moulded part in one piece with the base (42), and the base (42) is joined to the insulation body (34) by way of a film hinge (62).
7. A plug connector socket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circuit board (24) carries additional electrical circuit components (60) which are connected to the socket (14) by way of the circuit board (24).

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