EP2942839B1 - Plug connector with low plug-in and high contact standard pressure - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a connector system according to the features of claim 1. The invention therefore relates to a connector system comprising integrally molded resilient laminar contacts, which are designed so that a low insertion force of the connector system, but a high contact normal force is achieved.

Contact systems in the formation of connectors are known in particular in the automotive sector, wherein a plug is formed, for example, as a harness connector and having contact elements which are formed like a knife or post and the mating contact Correspondingly have so-called female contacts, which are designed such that within the mating connector chambers are provided, in which socket contacts are arranged, which at least partially put over the knife or post-like constructions of the respective connector in the contacted state.

Such socket contacts are known in various designs, but they have in common that they have the task, without interaction with the surrounding contact chamber in which the socket contact is arranged to apply the necessary for the secure electrical contacting of the two contact partners normal contact force. To meet this task, the socket contacts are formed as one-, two- or multi-sided contact clamps each provided with Kontaktkuppen, which are plugged and spread from the top of the knife or post-like construction of Gegenkontaktpartners forth. This in turn causes the contact tips provided in the socket contact to press against the surface of the knife or post-like construction of the contact partners.

At such contacts and therefore connectors are different demands to make regarding the forces and functions occurring. On the one hand, the insertion force should be as low as possible, whereby the contact normal force usually also low. Conversely, if the geometry of the contacts chosen so that high spring travel occur to achieve high contact normal forces, the insertion forces of the connector are often too high and there is undesirable wear of the contacts. By contrast, a slight superficial abrasion of dirt and oxides when sliding along the contact pairs is often even desired.

From the DE 102005032463 A1 is known a solution which, instead of a socket contact, extending over a contact, the knife or post-like Training has, inverts to strike a slender, rigid and knife-like pin to the electrical line and introduce it into the contact chamber of a connector so that it comes to rest in the paired state with the mating connector next to the knife or post-like contact pin of the mating connector and so performs the necessary contact and provides the necessary contact normal force.

From the DE 102011081632 A1 is a plug for direct electrical contact of contact surfaces presented on a circuit board. The plug has a contact carrier, which is designed to receive a printed circuit board. Furthermore, the plug has contact elements, which are arranged in the contact carrier and an additional Anpressfedervorrichtung. The Anpressfedervorrichtung is designed to press the contact elements to the contact surfaces of the circuit board. Further, the Anpressfedervorrichtung on a direction of insertion of the plug vertically arranged power transmission area. In this case, the Anpressfedervorrichtung is designed and arranged on the plug that it converts acting on the power transmission area in the insertion direction or parallel to the insertion direction force in a perpendicular to the direction of insertion on the contact elements acting normal contact force. In other words, a construction with an additional pressure spring device is provided to achieve the required contact normal force.

The documents US2002 / 064988 . US5391089 . US2002 / 177341 and DE19918396 also reveal connector systems.

The disadvantage is first that the construction is a multi-part system, an additional contact element needed and not readily transferable to non-PCB applications. In addition, force components occur which have one of the insertion force of the opposite direction and therefore lead to increased insertion forces during insertion. Furthermore, there is a significant disadvantage in the assembly of such a connector, in particular in the assembly of the contact carrier with the contact elements and the additional Anpressfedervorrichtungen. Such a structural configuration is therefore complicated, complicated and expensive.

The invention is therefore based on the object to overcome vorbesagte disadvantages and to provide a connector system or contact system, which has low insertion forces, but high contact normal forces, and is easy to assemble and is inexpensive to produce.

This object is achieved by a connector system having the features of claim 1.

The basic idea of the present invention is to structurally design a preferably one-piece socket contact element with spring arms in such a way that the spring arms have at least two functional elements which can be activated via control elements, whereby a function of contacting a contact blade and the second function relates to increasing the contact normal force. In this respect, the socket contact element is designed so that the mating functions of the plug pairs, the two functions are activated sequentially.

At the beginning of the mating of the connector pairs, the spring arms of the socket contact element initially run on the frontally mounted control of a contact blade. In this case, the spring arms are spread apart so that they can slide with their contacting section on the lateral contacting surface of the contact blade along. When spreading the spring arms, the other functional elements of the spring arms are activated. For this purpose, integrally formed at the end of Federarmabschnitten resilient bending portions intended on the spring arm are provided so that they are pressed against the inner wall of the insulating body of the mating connector during further insertion, so that these are preferably deflected in the direction of the Federarmabschnittes preferably with increasing travel and in this way a additional force component acting on the contacting section.

According to the invention, a connector system is thus provided which can first be plugged together with a low insertion force and in which the contact normal force either abruptly and / or continuously increases up to the fully inserted insertion position (or shortly before).

According to the invention therefore a connector system is provided, consisting of a plug part with electrical contacts (contact blades) and a female part with an insulating body in the resilient blade contacts (socket contact elements) are arranged for contacting one of the respective contact blades, wherein one or more of the socket contact elements two in the insertion direction ( S) extending spring arms, each having a resiliently deflectable Federarmabschnitt with a Kontaktierungsabschnitt for contacting a contact blade, to which a deflection connected to a Kontaktierungsabschnitt for conditioning and intended elastic deflection of the Auslenkabschnittes on the insulator, thereby increasing the contact normal force.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the lamellar contact elements are integrally formed as a metal stamped and bent part.

It is particularly advantageous if the spring arms of the lamellar contact elements have at their plug-side end in each case a resilient with respect to the respective spring arm deflection section. In this way, the spring arm can be deflected as a whole resiliently, while the deflection can itself be deflected resiliently as part of the spring arm with respect to the spring arm, in particular in the direction of the spring arm can be actuated.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the two spring arms extend parallel to each other in the insertion direction and have the two spring arms a lamella contact element on their contacting section for contacting a contact blade on opposite side surfaces.

It is further preferred if the contact blades extend between in each case two parallel housing projections into a contacting space. In this way, the spring arms meet in a region on or adjacent to the deflection on the front side of the contact blades and can be deflected by this at one, attached to the end face of the contact blade control cam of a control.

• die beiden Federarme eines Lamellenkontaktelementes laufen mit ihrem steckseitigen Ende auf das mit einer Steuerkurve ausgebildete steckseitige Ende des jeweils korrespondierend angeordneten Kontaktschwertes auf und werden dort federnd ausgelenkt,
• die Auslenkung der Federarme erfolgt dergestalt, dass der jeweils federnde Auslenkabschnitt mit seinem (Isolierkörper)-Kontaktierungsabschnitt an jeweils einer dem Kontaktschwert zugewandten Seitenwand des Isolierkörpers in Kontakt kommt und
• der jeweilige Auslenkabschnitt beim weiteren Zusammenstecken entgegen der Auslenkrichtung des jeweiligen Federarms in Richtung des Federarms ausgelenkt wird, wodurch die Kontaktnormalkraft zwischen dem entsprechenden Federarm und dem entsprechenden Kontaktschwert bestimmungsgemäß ansteigt.

According to the invention, it is therefore provided that the lamellar contact elements when plugging the plug part with the socket part at least pass through the following three movements:

• the two spring arms of a lamellar contact element run with their plug-side end on the formed with a control cam plug-side end of each correspondingly arranged contact blade and are deflected there resiliently,
• the deflection of the spring arms takes place in such a way that the respective resilient deflection section comes into contact with its (insulating body) contacting section on respectively one side wall of the insulating body facing the contact blade, and
• the respective deflection section is deflected against the deflection direction of the respective spring arm in the direction of the spring arm during further mating, whereby the contact normal force between the corresponding spring arm and the corresponding contact blade increases as intended.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the respective Side wall to the system and deflection of the deflection formed in each case on a housing projection. Advantageously, therefore, there is ever a contact blade between a pair of housing projections and forms the contact blade facing side wall the system for the resilient deflection section.

It is furthermore advantageous if the spring arms extend obliquely toward each other, such that the distance between their opposite contacting sections for contacting a contact blade in the non-inserted state is less than the thickness of the contact blade in the contact region to be contacted. Optionally, the spring arms may also touch at its front end or be spaced apart only by a narrow air gap.

Preferably, the deflection portion of a spring arm is designed as a curved about 170 ° -190 ° curved section with an adjoining linear section. It when the linear section is not oriented parallel to the corresponding side wall of the housing projection, but extends obliquely thereto and indeed at an angle, so that with increasing insertion depth of the contact pairs of the deflection corresponding to the inclination is further deflected. The contact normal force can therefore be adjusted appropriately depending on the choice of the angle between the side wall and the deflection. Depending on the geometry of the deflection section, a sudden change in the contact normal force can also be achieved, provided, for example, a dome formed in the direction of the side wall in the deflection section

Another aspect of the present invention relates to the damage-free mating plug part and socket part. Therefore, a tilted mating plug part and socket part should be prevented. For this purpose, according to the invention on the insulating body of the male part and / or on the female part fitting and guiding surfaces provided, which is a forced operation cause the insulator to be brought into engagement with each other. In this way, a plugging together of the plug part with the socket part is made possible only under a different from the plug-in axis (Z) inclination angle of a maximum of 2 ° degree.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are shown in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to FIGS.

Fig.1

eine Schnittansicht durch ein Steckverbindersystem gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig.2

eine perspektivische Teilansicht auf die Steckseite des Steckerteils aus Figur 1,

Fig.3

eine erste Position beim Zusammenstecken des Steckerteils und Buchsenteils eines erfindungegemäßen Steckverbindersystems;

Fig.4

eine zweite Position beim Zusammenstecken des Steckerteils und Buchsenteils eines erfindungegemäßen Steckverbindersystems;

Fig.5

eine dritte Position beim Zusammenstecken des Steckerteils und Buchsenteils eines erfindungegemäßen Steckverbindersystems und

Fig.6

eine vierte Position beim Zusammenstecken des Steckerteils und Buchsenteils eines erfindungegemäßen Steckverbindersystems.

Show it:

Fig.1

a sectional view through a connector system according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig.2

a partial perspective view of the plug side of the plug part FIG. 1 .

Figure 3

a first position when mating the male part and female part of a connector system according to the invention;

Figure 4

a second position when mating the male part and female part of a erfindungegemäßen connector system;

Figure 5

a third position when mating the male part and female part of a erfindungegemäßen connector system and

Figure 6

a fourth position when mating the male part and female part of a erfindungegemäßen connector system.

With reference to the Figures 1 and 2 First, an embodiment of a Connector system 1 described. The connector system 1 consists of a plug part 10 with insulating body 15 in the electrical contacts 12, formed as contact blades 12 are introduced, and a female part 20 are arranged with an insulating body 25 in the resilient blade contact elements 21 for contacting one of the respective contact blades 12. The lamella contact elements 21 have two in the insertion direction (S) extending spring arms 21a, 21b. Both illustrated spring arms 21 a, 21 b each have a first contacting portion 21 k for contacting a corresponding contact blade 12 and a second contacting portion 22 k for conditioning and intended deflection of the deflection portion 22 a, 22 b on the insulating body 15 have.

Like in the FIG. 2 shown in more detail, a plurality of contact blades 12 are arranged in a row of contacts and each contact blade 12 is disposed between a pair of tongue-shaped housing projections 16. Each housing projection has a side wall 16a facing the contact blade and an outer side 16b facing the outside of the side wall 16a. The tongue-shaped housing projections 16 also break as the contact blades 12 parallel to the insertion direction (S). Between each side wall 16a and this side wall 16a facing contacting surface 12b of the adjacent contact blade 12 is a Einsteckraum 17 for each one of the spring arms 21a, 21 b formed.

Next is in the Figures 1 and 2 It can be seen that at the plug-in end 12a of the contact swords 12 extending into the contacting space 11 there is provided a contact blade section formed with a control cam 12c. The control cam for emergence and spreading of the spring arms 21 a, 21 b is realized here by the formation of two inclined ramps 12 d. Further, inclined surfaces 12e are formed in the orthogonal planes at the plug-side end 12a.

The blade contact elements 21 shown are in this embodiment formed integrally as a metallic stamped and bent part and has a in the insertion direction (S) extending spring arm portion 21 d and each have a relative to the spring arm 21d resilient deflection portion 22a, 22b, which extends counter to the extension direction of the Federarmabschnitte 21d. As further in the FIGS. 2 to 6 can be seen, each deflection portion 22a, 22b of a spring arm 21a, 21b is formed as a curved about 170 ° -190 ° curved portion 26 with an adjoining linear section 27.

The two spring arms 21a, 21b of a lamellar contact element 21 have at the end of the spring arm 21 d each have a contacting portion 21 k for contacting a contact blade 12. In the non-plugged state are accordingly the contacting portions 21k of a spring arm pair 21a, 21b opposite.

In the FIGS. 3 to 6 the sequence of movement during mating of the plug part 10 with the socket part 20 is shown. The same reference numbers indicate the same functional or structural features as those in the Figures 1 and 2 have been described.

The two spring arms 21a, 21b extend in the starting position of the FIG. 3 obliquely towards each other, so that the distance between their opposite contacting portions 21 k for contacting a contact blade 12 in the non-inserted state is less than the thickness of the contact blade 12 in the corresponding contact area 12b to be contacted. In the FIG. 3 Run the two spring arms 21a, 21b of a lamellar contact element 21 initially with its front end 21 c on the cam surfaces 12c of the frontally corresponding opposite end 12a of the contact blade 12 and are on further plugging, as in the FIG. 4 spread open or deflected respectively in the direction of the side walls 16a of the housing projections 16. The contact normal force F _N thus generated is first determined by the travel of the spring arm deflection.

In the in FIG. 5 further inserted position, the deflection of the spring arms 21 a, 21 b such that the respective deflection portion 22a, 22b with its contacting portion 22k on each of the side walls 16a of the insulating body 15 comes into contact and counter to the deflection of the respective spring arm portion 21 d of the spring arms 21a , 21b is elastically deflected in the direction of the spring arm portion 21 d, whereby the contact normal force of the spring arms 21a, 21b is increased to the side surface of the contact blade 12 by an additional force component F _Z.

Furthermore, in the Figures 1 and 2 It can be seen that on the insulating body 15 of the male part 10 and projections on the female part 20 fitting and guide surfaces 30 are provided, the mating of the male part 10 with the female part 20 only one of the thru axle (S) deviating inclination angle of a maximum of +/- 2 ° degree allows.

The invention is not limited in its execution to the above-mentioned preferred embodiments. Rather, a number of variants is conceivable, which makes use of the illustrated solution even with fundamentally different types of use.

Claims (10)

1. A plug connector system (1) consisting of a male connector (10) having electrical contact blades (12) and a female connector (20) having an insulating element (25) in which resilient lamella contact elements (21) are disposed for contacting one of the contact blades (12) in each case, the lamella contact element or elements (21) having two spring arms (21a, 21b) extending in the plug-in direction (S), each of which is equipped with a resiliently deflectable spring arm section (21d) having a contacting section (21k) for contacting a contact blade (12), and the two spring arms (21a, 21b) extending angled toward one another in the unconnected state, so that the distance between their mutually opposing contacting sections (21k) is substantially shorter than the thickness of the respective contact blade (12) in the contact area to be correspondingly contacted, characterized in that during insertion of the male connector (10) into the female connector (20), a contact normal force F_N exerted by the lamella contact elements (21) against the contact blade (12) is generated with the deflection of the first resiliently deflectable spring arm sections (21d), and wherein connected to each spring arm section (21d) is a second resiliently deflectable deflection section (22a, 22b) which has a contacting section (22k) for the appropriate elastic deflection and placement of the deflection section (22a, 22b) against the insulating element (15), for the purpose of increasing the contact normal force F_N as the plug-in process proceeds.
2. The plug connector system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lamella contact elements (21) are integrally formed as a metallic stamped and bent part.
3. The plug connector system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the spring arms (21a, 21b) has a spring arm section (21d) extending in the plug-in direction (S), and each has a deflection section (22a, 22b) which can be resiliently deflected relative to the spring arm section (21d) and which extends opposite the direction of extension of the spring arm sections (21d).
4. The plug connector system (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the contacting section (21k) for contacting a contact blade (12) is disposed at the end of the spring arm section (21d) of each of the two spring arms (21a, 21b) of a lamella contact element (21).
5. The plug connector system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact blades (12) each extend into a contacting space (11) between two parallel housing protrusions (16).
6. The plug connector system (1) according to any of the preceding claims 3 to 5, characterized in that during the process of plugging the male connector (10) into the female connector (20), the lamella contact elements (21) pass through at least the following three movement sequences:

   a. the plug-in end (21c) of each of the two spring arms (21a, 21b) of a lamella contact element (21) is moved up to the connecting end (12a), designed as having a control curve (12b), of the correspondingly arranged contact blade (12), where the spring arms are resiliently deflected,

   b. the spring arms (21a, 21b) are deflected in such a way that the contacting section (22k) of each deflection section (22a, 22b) comes into contact with a side wall (16a) of the insulating element (15), which side wall faces the contact blade, and

   c. as the plug-in process proceeds, each deflection section (22a, 22b) is elastically deflected toward the respective spring arm section (21d), opposite the direction of deflection of the spring arm section (21d), thereby increasing the contact normal force between the spring arm (21a, 21b) and the corresponding contact blade (12).
7. The plug connector system (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that each side wall (16a) is formed by the respective housing protrusion (16).
8. The plug connector system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two spring arms (21a, 21b) extend angled toward one another, so that in the unconnected state, the distance between their opposing contacting sections (21k) for contacting a contact blade (12) is shorter than the thickness of the contact blade (12) in the contact area provided for this purpose.
9. The plug connector system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflection section (22a, 22b) of one spring arm (21a, 21b) is formed as a curved section (26) curved approximately 170°-190°, to which a linear section (27) is connected.
10. The plug connector system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the insulating body (15) of the male connector (10) and/or on the female connector (20), alignment and guiding surfaces (30) are provided, which allow the male connector (10) to be plugged into the female connector (20) only at an angle of inclination that deviates from the plug-in axis (Z) by no more than +/- 2°.

Images