EP4241340A1

EP4241340A1 - Connector assembly

Info

Publication number: EP4241340A1
Application number: EP21810917.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Denny HELLIGE; Ensign WEN; Frank Böhmann
Original assignee: Harting Electric Stiftung and Co KG
Current assignee: Harting Electric Stiftung and Co KG
Priority date: 2020-11-09
Filing date: 2021-11-04
Publication date: 2023-09-13
Also published as: KR20230101866A; WO2022096065A1; US20230402790A1; CN114465053A

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector assembly, comprising: - a first connector, which has a housing forming an installation space and has a contact terminal accommodated in the installation space; - a second connector, which has a housing forming an installation space and has a contact terminal accommodated in the installation space; and - a locking device, by means of which the first and second connectors are locked while they are joined together. The locking device comprises a release protection component on either the first connector or the second connector and an insert on the other of the components first connector and second connector. The invention further relates to an adapter, a connector, a lateral locking device and a mounting frame for the connector assembly. The connector assembly according to the invention is easy to assemble, allows the entire device to be made compact, and has improved electromagnetic shielding and watertightness.

Description

CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY, ADAPTER, CONNECTOR, SIDE LATCH AND MOUNTING FRAME FOR CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

The invention relates to a connector assembly for a heavy-duty connector. The invention also relates to a connector for the connector assembly, an adapter for the connector assembly, a side latch for the connector assembly, and a mounting frame for the connector assembly.

STATE OF THE ART

A connector, particularly a heavy-duty connector, is generally used for supplying electric power in the field of rail traffic and transportation, and can safely transmit the electric power under various circumstances.

[003] However, the disadvantages of the connectors in the prior art lie in a large volume and a large number of components, which leads to complex assembly. In addition, the prior art connectors do not lend themselves flexibly to various assembly applications. If devices are to be used to supply different electrical power, connectors of different sizes must also be used for these applications. This increases production costs and prevents modular manufacture of the connectors. Furthermore, such a connector requires good resistance to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and high electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), which, however, is impaired by aging of the sealing device in the prior art connector. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly with a compact structure and flexible suitability for various applications.

In a first aspect of the invention, a connector assembly is provided, comprising - a first connector having a housing forming a space, and a contact terminal received in the space, - a second connector having a housing having a space and has a contact clamp accommodated in the installation space, and a locking device, via which the first and second connectors are locked when the first and second connectors are joined together, the locking device having a release protection component located on either the first connector or the second connector and one on an insert located on the other of the first connector and the second connector, wherein when the first and second connectors are combined the anti-loosening member and the insert are engaged, while when the first and second connectors are separated the anti-loosening member is separate from the insert and d remains connected to the first connector or the second connector on which the anti-detachment member is located.

In an advantageous embodiment, the connector assembly further comprises one or more adapters, the adapter also having a housing that forms a space, and a received in the space contact terminal, wherein when arranged between the first and second connector adapter, the space of the first connector, the space of the second connector and the space of the adapter are connected to each other, and wherein the contact terminals in the first connector, the second connector and the adapter are connectable to each other to transmit electrical energy.

In an advantageous embodiment, the anti-loosening component is an anti-loosening bolt and the insert is a threaded insert, so that both between the anti-loosening bolt and the threaded insert and between the anti-loosening bolt and the first connector or the second connector on which the Anti-loosening bolt is located, the meshing is possible via a thread. In an advantageous embodiment, the anti-release bolt has a thread at each of the points facing its two ends, with the thread of a point facing the distal end of the anti-release bolt being used for combining with the threaded insert when combining with the first and second connectors, while Separating the first and second connectors, the threads at a point facing the proximal end of the anti-loosening bolt are intended to combine with the threads in the housing of the first connector or the second connector where the anti-loosening bolt is located, with the outer diameter of the threads being the same as that of the distal Point facing the end of the anti-release bolt is equal to or less than the outer diameter of the thread of the point facing the proximal end of the anti-release bolt and the diameter of the bolt portion of the anti-release bolt located between these two threads is less than the outer diameter of the two threads t.

In an advantageous embodiment, the connector assembly has two such anti-loosening members arranged along the diagonal direction of the housing of the first connector or the second connector.

In an advantageous embodiment, the connector assembly further comprises foolproof means for preventing improper mating of the first and second connectors.

[011] Furthermore, the foolproof device is a coding pin, which comprises a coding pin half located on the first connector and a coding pin half located on the second connector, wherein the coding pin half located on the first connector and the coding pin half located on the second connector, when the first connector and the mating second connector are combined with each other, may be arranged opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the coding pin.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the connector assembly further comprises guide means for guiding the fitting of the first and second connectors together during assembly of the first and second connectors, comprising a first guide element located on the first connector and a second guide element located on the second connector Guide element comprises, wherein the connector assembly has two guide means, which along the diagonal direction of the housing of the first connector or the second connector and the anti-loosening member arranged on the first connector or the second connector.

In an advantageous embodiment, a sealing device is provided between the first and second connector and, if an adapter is present, between the first connector, the second connector and the adapter, which serves to seal the mating surfaces between these parts, the sealing device a seal groove which is located on one of the two mating surfaces to be joined with each other and comprises a seal ring fitted in the seal groove, the circumference of the seal groove being larger than the circumference of the seal ring so as to seal the seal ring when the seal ring is fitted in the seal groove to stretch.

In an advantageous embodiment, the sealing groove has a polygonal outline, and in the longitudinal direction of the mating surface of the adapter provided with the sealing groove, the polygonal outline has at least one outwardly protruding bulge.

In an advantageous embodiment, the circumference of the sealing ring is 15% to 30% less than the circumference of the sealing groove.

[016] Further, the sealing ring has an expansion and contraction rate of 15% to 30%. By providing the locking device and the sealing device according to the above-described technical solutions of the connector assembly according to the invention, the electromagnetic shielding of the mated connector can be improved. By providing the adapter between the first and second connectors, these connectors can flexibly accommodate connector assemblies that meet different electrical performance requirements. Since a foolproof device is provided, misfitting in combining the connectors can be prevented. In addition, a guide pin is provided so that assembly becomes easier, cheaper, saves time and labor while ensuring the accuracy of assembly and fitting. In addition, by providing a groove half with a polygonal outline, the sealing ring arranged therein can be clamped, so that during assembly the component to be connected is prevented from being crushed due to the relaxation of the sealing ring in the longitudinal direction. In addition, with the locking device according to the invention, a material-locking engagement between the connecting components can be prevented in order to promote actuation. In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an adapter for the connector assembly described above, wherein the first and second connectors are identical, and the adapter has a housing forming a package and a contact clip received in the package.

In an advantageous embodiment, the adapter further comprises a first hole allowing passage of the anti-loosening member of the locking means and a second hole allowing passage of guide means serving to guide the fitting of the first and second connectors together.

In an advantageous embodiment, the adapter comprises two first holes and two second holes, wherein the two first holes and the two second holes are each arranged diagonally at four corners of the housing of the adapter.

In an advantageous embodiment, the adapter further comprises a third hole for receiving a locking element, the locking element serving to lock the first connector and the adapter.

In an advantageous embodiment, the adapter also comprises a sealing groove for receiving a sealing ring, the sealing groove having a polygonal outline and the polygonal outline having at least one outwardly protruding bulge in the longitudinal direction of the fitting surface of the adapter provided with the sealing groove.

In an advantageous embodiment, the sealing ring has an expansion and contraction rate of 15% to 30%.

In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector for the connector assembly described above, wherein a housing of the connector has a cable entry via which the cable is connected to the housing through a cable gland, and two side walls in the longitudinal direction of the housing of the Connector are each formed wavy.

In an advantageous embodiment, the cable gland is a type M50 cable gland.

In an advantageous embodiment, the cable entry comprises an upper one Cable entry and a side cable entry.

In an advantageous embodiment, the connector is designed as an angled connector, with the cable entry comprising an upper cable entry, a lateral cable entry and an angled cable entry.

In an advantageous embodiment, the angled cable entry has an angle of 30° or 45° to a plane in the longitudinal direction of the housing. Of course, the angled cable entry can have any acute angle.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a side locking device for the connector assembly described above, the side locking device locking when the first and second connectors are mated with each other, and the side locking device becoming a locking bracket on a side wall of the first connector and mating with a mating clip on a side wall of the second connector to lock the first and second connectors.

In an advantageous embodiment, the lateral locking means comprises a first lever pivotally mounted on the mating clamp of the second connector and a second lever pivotally mounted on the first lever and used for fixed locking on the locking support of the first connector .

In an advantageous embodiment, the second lever is elastic.

In an advantageous embodiment, the first lever has a handle.

In an advantageous embodiment, the first lever comprises two mutually parallel first lever arms, each of the first lever arms at both ends having a first pivot shaft hole, which allows a first pivot shaft to pass through, and a second pivot shaft hole, which allows a second pivot shaft to pass through , and a connecting portion which connects two first lever arms to each other at the end where the second pivot shaft hole is located; wherein the handle is integrally formed on the connecting portion; wherein the second lever comprises two mutually parallel second lever arms, each of the second lever arms at both ends respectively having a third pivot shaft hole allowing passage of the second pivot shaft and a fourth pivot shaft hole allowing passage of a third pivot shaft allows includes; and wherein the second lever is arcuate.

In an advantageous embodiment, the mating clamp of the second connector has a through hole, wherein the first pivot shaft penetrates through the through hole and the first pivot shaft hole and is fixed to the mating clamp by means of an E-shaped locking means; wherein the collet holder includes a lock plate and a counter-lock plate between which an opening for letting in and out the third pivot shaft of the second connector is formed, and the opening is slanted. In an advantageous embodiment it is provided that in the case in which the connector assembly also comprises an adapter and the first connector, the second connector and the adapter are mated, the second connector and the adapter are locked by the lateral locking device, wherein the adapter has a ferrule mount. The structure of the lock bracket is identical to the structure of the lock bracket of the first connector.

In a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a mounting frame for the connector assembly described above, which mounts the connector assembly to a device, the mounting frame having an opening for receiving the second connector, and a sealing means for providing a seal between the second connector and has the mounting frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The further advantages and features of the invention become clearer through the detailed description in connection with the following figures. Show it:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a yet to be assembled connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention in which no adapter is interposed between the first and second connectors;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a yet to be assembled connector assembly in another embodiment of the invention, in which an adapter is interposed between the first and second connectors;

3 is a perspective view of a first connector of the connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention in which no inner contact clip is shown;

Fig. 4 is an illustration of the first connector shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of portion A of the first connector shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top of the second connector of the connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is an underside view of the second connector of the connector assembly shown in Figure 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of portion B of the second connector shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the second connector shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an adapter of the connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention, in which no inner contact terminal is shown;

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the adapter shown in Figure 11;

Fig. 13 is an illustration of an application of the connector assembly of the invention in which no adapter is interposed between the first and second connectors, showing an example of locking means between the first and second connectors in a partial sectional view;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of the X portion shown in Fig. 13;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of another application of the connector assembly of the invention in which an adapter is placed between the first and second connectors;

Figure 16 is a longitudinal section of the application shown in Figure 15;

Fig. 17 is an illustration of a connector of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 18 is a side view of the connector shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a plan view of the connector shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is an exploded view of the connector shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 21 is an illustration of a connector of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 22 is a side view of the connector shown in Fig. 21; Fig. 23 is a plan view of the connector shown in Fig. 21;

Fig. 24 is an exploded view of the connector shown in Fig. 21;

Fig. 25 is an illustration of a connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 26 is an illustration of a variation of Fig. 25;

Figure 27 is an illustration of a connector assembly of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 28 is an illustration of a variation of Fig. 27;

Fig. 29 is an illustration of a variation of Fig. 27;

Fig. 30 is an enlarged view of portion A in Fig. 29, in which the side locking device is in a locked state;

Figure 31 is a simplified view of Figure 30;

Fig. 32 is an illustration and an enlarged view of a connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention, in which the side locking device is in an unlocked state;

33 is an inverted view of a connector assembly in an embodiment of the invention and an enlarged view thereof;

Fig. 34 is an exploded view of a side locking device in an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 35 is a side view of the side latch of Figure 34;

Figure 36 is a rear view of the side latch of Figure 34;

Figure 37 is a top plan view of the side latch of Figure 34;

Fig. 38 is an illustration of a connector equipped with the side latch; and

39 is a view of the connector of FIG. 38 from a different angle.

DETAILED EMBODIMENTS

The technical solutions of the present invention are hereby carried out

Exemplary embodiments described in more detail in connection with the figures. In the In the description, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar parts. The following description with reference to the figures only serves to explain the general concept of the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the invention.

It should be clear to those skilled in the art that the "longitudinal direction" referred to herein refers to the direction in which the extent is significantly greater than the extents in other directions, and that the "transverse direction" refers to the direction in which the extension is considerably smaller than the extension in the longitudinal direction.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a yet-to-be-assembled connector assembly 1 in an embodiment of the invention in which no adapter is interposed between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20. As shown in FIG.

As shown in Fig. 1, the connector assembly 1 in the embodiment comprises a first connector 10, a second connector 20, and a locking device 40 (that is, one form of the locking device) via which, when the first connector 10 and the second connector are fitted together 20, the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are locked.

In Fig. 1, the first connector 10 is designed as a plug of the connector assembly 1 and the second connector 20 is designed as a socket of the connector assembly 1, and the second connector 20 is located on a panel of an electric power supply device. The first connector 10 and the second connector 20 can be mated with each other by means of the respective contact terminals received therein in order to transmit electrical energy. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the locking device 40 is designed as a central locking device (also referred to as a central buckle), which realizes the locking essentially at the center of the connector assembly 1. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and other forms of the locking means will be explained below one by one, such as the forms of the side buckle shown in Fig. 14 and the anti-loosening bolt.

2 is an exploded perspective view of a yet to be assembled connector assembly 1 in another embodiment of the invention, in which two adapters 30 are interposed between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in Fig. 2, the connector assembly 1 in the embodiment includes a first connector 10, a second connector 20, two adapters 30, and a locking device through which the first connector 10, the two adapters 30, and the second connector 20 be attached together.

In this embodiment, the locking device is designed as an anti-loosening bolt 13 . The anti-loosening bolt 13 protrudes from the first connector 10 through the two adapters 30 to lock the first connector 10 and the two adapters 30 to the second connector 20 . The concrete structure of the locking device with the anti-release bolt 13 is described in more detail below.

[087] In Fig. 2, two adapters 30 between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are shown. The adapters 30 have been connected to the first connector 10 beforehand. Then the assembly of the first connector 10 and the two adapters 30 is connected to the second connector 20 . Although not shown in FIG. 2 , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that one or more adapters 30 may be disposed between first connector 10 and second connector 20 .

In Fig. 2, three contact clips 201 on the second connector 20 and three contact clips 301 on the bottom of an adapter 30 that engages the second connector 20 are shown. It should be clear to a person skilled in the art that the contact terminals accommodated in the installation spaces of the first connector 10, the second connector 20 and this adapter 30 can be connected to one another for the transmission of electrical energy.

[089] The concrete structure of the individual components of the connector assembly 1 is described in more detail below according to FIGS. 3 to 16 .

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a first connector 10 of the connector assembly 1 in an embodiment of the invention, in which no inner contact terminal is shown; Fig. 4 shows an illustration of the first connector 10 shown in Fig. 3; and FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of portion A of the first connector 10 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first connector 10 is substantially rectangular in shape and has a housing 11 therein. A construction space 12 is formed in the housing 11 . In the space 12, the contact terminals shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 for the transmission of electrical mounted energy.

[092] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the shape of the first connector 10 should not be limited to a rectangle and may be any other shape known in the art, such as oval, elliptical, or even square.

Also shown in Fig. 4 is a housing 11 and a component of a side locking device serving as another example of the locking device, i.e. a ferrule holder 17 is shown. A resilient ferrule (also referred to as a resilient clamp) not shown in Figure 4 and actually located in the second connector 20 is positioned in the ferrule holder 17 upon locking of the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 .

In the enlarged view of portion A of Fig. 3 shown in Fig. 5, the housing 11 of the first connector 10 is also provided with a locking device embodied as an anti-eyebolt (anti-eyebolt member) 13, a foolproof device 14, a guide pin 15 and a threaded hole 16 provided.

The anti-release bolt 13 is to be connected to a threaded insert in the second connector 20, which will be described in more detail below.

The foolproof device 14 serves to prevent the connection of the first connector 10 to an incorrect (i.e. mismatched) second connector 20 when multiple connector assemblies 1 are present. Specifically, in this embodiment, the foolproof device 14 is illustrated as a coding pin that includes a coding pin half 141 . This coding pin half 141 is located in one of a plurality of coding pin holes 142, shown in FIG. 5 as four coding pin holes and each numbered. The coding pin half 141, in cooperation with a corresponding coding pin half in the second connector 20, serves to prevent the insertion of the first connector 10 into an incorrect second connector 20.

The guide pin 15 is used to insert into a guide hole of the second connector 20 to guide the fitting of the first connector 10 to the second connector 20.

The bolt hole 16 is provided in a third hole 36 of the adapter 30 for insertion of one described below with reference to Figs Locking element (such as a threaded bolt) used to lock the first connector 10 and the adapter 30.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an upper side of a second connector of the connector assembly 1 in an embodiment of the invention, in which no inner contact terminal is shown; Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the second connector of connector assembly 1 shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of portion B of the second connector shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 shows a plan view of the second connector shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of Fig. 9.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second connector 20 has a shape that is substantially similar to the shape of the first connector 10. As shown in FIG. The second connector 20 has a housing 21 . A construction space 22 is formed in the housing 21 . The contact terminals 201 shown in FIG. 1 for the transmission of electrical energy are mounted in the installation space 22, and the installation space 22 of the second connector 20 and the installation space 12 of the first connector 10 are connected to one another.

In Figures 6, 9 and 10 the second connector 20 is also shown with a sealing groove 281. The sealing groove 281 serves to insert a sealing ring 282, which is not shown here but is shown in Fig. 14. The sealing groove 281 and the sealing ring 282 together form a sealing device which connects the second connector 20 and the first connector 10 or seals the adapter 30 to be described below.

As shown in detail in Fig. 10, the sealing groove 281 has a general shape of an athletic track with a polygonal outline. In the longitudinal direction of the mating surface of the second connector 20 provided with the sealing groove 281 (i.e. on the longer edge 2801 of the track), the sealing groove 281 has at least one outwardly protruding bulge, which can also be referred to as an apex or bulge. So at least the longer edge 2801 of the sealing groove is not linear, e.g. B. arcuate. The circumference of the sealing groove 281 is slightly larger than the circumference of the sealing ring 282 inserted in the sealing groove 281, so that the sealing groove 281 spans the sealing ring 282 when the sealing ring 282 is inserted in the sealing groove 281. Therefore, a relaxation of the sealing ring 282 can be prevented after repeated removal and insertion, which would otherwise lead to lateral Escape of the sealing ring from the sealing groove 281 (z. B. from the longer edge 2801 of the sealing groove) and thus would lead to crushing of the sealing ring from an opposite. As a result, the IP characteristics and durability of the seal ring 282 can be improved while increasing the reliability of the entire device. In concrete terms, the sealing ring has a certain ability to expand and contract due to its material composition. For example, the expansion and contraction rate of the sealing ring can reach 15% - 30%. For the sealing device formed as a side wall by the sealing groove 281 and the sealing ring 282, the circumference of the sealing ring 282 can be 15%-30% smaller than the circumference of the sealing groove 281. With the expansion and contraction ability of the seal ring, the seal ring can better abut against the side wall of the seal groove, which has the shape of a raceway and is provided with a central bulge, for example, arc-shaped. As a result, the sealing ring is not deformed or crushed when it is loosened or moved. In addition, there is no fatigue s deformation of the sealing ring even if the rate of expansion and contraction is too high or if the compression is too high.

In the prior art, the longer edge of the sealing groove in which the sealing ring is inserted is essentially linear, so that after a certain period of operation, the sealing ring easily emerges from the sealing groove and passes through the other mating component (the first connector or the adapter) is crushed. However, in the sealing device of the present invention, due to the above-mentioned special structure of the sealing groove, the sealing ring can always be held in the sealing groove, which can prolong the life of the sealing device.

In the enlarged view of part B of Fig. 7 shown in Fig. 8, the second connector is also provided with a hole with a threaded insert 23 inserted therein, a foolproof device 24, a guide pin hole 25 and a locking bolt 26.

The threaded insert 23 serves to accommodate the anti-loosening bolt 13 in the first connector 10. When the anti-loosening bolt 13 engages in the threaded insert 23 through a thread, the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 can be locked.

The foolproof feature 24 in the second connector 20 cooperates with the foolproof feature 14 in the first connector 10 . The foolproof device 24 includes a coding pin half 241. This coding pin half 241 is located in a coding pin hole 242 (in Fig. 8 one coding pin hole is shown, but in fact several coding pin holes can be provided and each numbered). The keying pin half 241, in cooperation with a corresponding keying pin half 141 in the first connector 10, serves to prevent the insertion of the first connector 10 into an incorrect second connector 20. Also shown in FIG 241 on the second connector 20 lie opposite one another, ie the two coding pin halves 141, 241 lie parallel to one another when the first connector 10 is combined with a correct second connector 20. Thus, the first connector 10 can be inserted into the second connector 20. On the other hand, if the first connector 10 is mated with an incorrect (mismatched) second connector 20, the coding pin half 141 on the first connector 10 and the coding pin half 241 on the second connector 20 will interfere with each other. Thus, the insertion of the first connector 10 into the second connector 20 can be prevented. For example, the coding pin half 141 on the first connector 10 is in a left part in its own coding pin hole, and the coding pin half 241 on the mismatched second connector 20 is also in a left part in its own coding pin hole, so that the coding pin halves interfere with each other when such a first connector and such a mismatched second connector interlock.

The guide hole 25 is used for receiving the guide pin 15 in the first connector 10 to guide the second connector 20 when the first connector 10 is assembled. The locking bolt 26 is used for inserting into a bolt hole of a panel of the device to be connected to the second connector 20 to connect the second connector 20 to the device.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an adapter of the connector assembly 1 in an embodiment of the invention, in which no inner contact terminal is shown; and FIG. 12 shows a top view of the adapter shown in FIG.

The adapter 30 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 is used for interposing between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20, and this adapter 30 has a housing 31. The housing 31 is designed with an installation space 32 for accommodating the inner contact terminals. The adapter 30 has a shape that matches the shape of the first Connector 10 and second connector 20 is substantially similar. As shown in FIG. 2 above, the contact terminals 301 are arranged in the installation space 32 of the adapter 30 . The contact terminals 301 are for connection to the contact terminals in the first connector 10 and the contact terminals in the second connector 20 to transmit electrical energy. The installation space 32 of the adapter 30 is thus connected to the installation space 12 of the first connector 10 and to the installation space 22 of the second connector 20 .

As shown in Figure 12, the adapter 30 further comprises first holes 33 allowing passage of the anti-loosening device (e.g. the anti-loosening pin 13). A total of two first holes 33 arranged along the diagonal direction of the case 31 are provided. The adapter 30 further comprises second holes 35 which allow the guide means (e.g. the guide pin 15) to pass through. A total of two second holes 35 are provided, which are arranged along the diagonal direction of the substantially rectangular case 31 . The two first holes 33 and the two second holes 35 are respectively arranged diagonally at four corners of the case 31 to save space and facilitate operation.

The adapter 30 is also shown with a sealing groove 381 in FIGS. 11 and 12 . Just like the sealing groove 281 described in connection with FIG. 6 , the sealing groove 381 is also used to insert a sealing ring (not shown here) in order to seal the adapter 30 and the first connector 10 that fits the adapter 30 or another adapter 30 . The specific structure of the sealing groove 381 is similar to the structure of the sealing groove 281 shown in FIG. 6 for the second connection 20 and is therefore not described in any more detail.

A third hole 36 is also shown in FIG. 12, and the third hole 36 is used for the insertion of a locking element (such as a threaded bolt) to lock the first connector 10 and the adapter 30 together. The side wall of the adapter 30, more specifically the transverse side wall, is provided with a ferrule mount 37 which is substantially the same as the ferrule mount of the first connector.

Fig. 13 shows an illustration of an application of the connector assembly 1 of the invention in which no adapter 30 is arranged between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20, showing an example of a locking device between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 shown in a partial sectional view is; Fig. 14 shows an enlarged view of portion X of Fig. 13.

As shown in FIG. 13, the connector assembly 1 includes the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 to be locked by the anti-loosening bolt 13. As shown in FIG.

In Fig. 14, a detailed representation of the connection and locking between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 is concretely shown. In Fig. 14, the anti-loosening bolt 13 is located in the first connector 10. The anti-loosening bolt 13 is threaded at the locations facing both ends thereof, i. H. a thread 132 at a point facing the distal end (i.e. the end facing the second connector 20), which is usually an M6 thread, and a thread 131 at a point facing the proximal end (i.e. the end facing the first connector 10). End) point facing, which is also usually an M6 thread. The threads 132 are for mating with the threaded insert 23 (also referred to as an insert) in the second connector 20 through the threads to lock the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 together. The thread 131 is to thread-combine with the corresponding thread on the first connector 10 to prevent the anti-loosening bolt 13 from coming off the first connector 10 when the first connector 10 is not connected to the second connector 20 . The outer diameter of the thread 132 is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the thread 131, and the diameter of a bolt portion of the anti-loosening bolt 13 located between the two threads is smaller than the outer diameters of the two threads.

In the prior art, the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are usually made of aluminum alloy by die-casting because of their complicated structures. In contrast, the bolt 13 of the connector is typically made of steel, such as stainless steel. Therefore, the bolt has to be removed several times during assembly, so that the bolt can easily engage in the relatively soft material of the second connector, thus enabling smooth assembly work. In the invention, a threaded insert 23, also made of steel such as stainless steel, is provided in the second connector 20 to allow engagement of the bolt in the second connector and thereby prevent assembly interference.

In addition, in Fig. 14 there is also the sealing ring 282, which is to be inserted in the in Fig. 9 shown sealing groove 281 of the second connector 20 is used, and a guide hole 29 is shown for the anti-loosening bolt. The anti-loosening pin guide hole 29 has a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the thread 132 to guide the anti-loosening pin 13 into the second connector 20 .

In addition, FIG. 14 also shows the clamping sleeve holder 17 in the first connector 10, which has already been described above in connection with FIG. A mating clamp 27 is provided on the second connector 20 . One end of the ferrule not shown in the figure is positioned in the mating clamp 27, and the other end of the ferrule not shown is locked in the ferrule holder 17 when the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are to be firmly locked. The ferrule holder 17 has a locking plate 171 and a counter-locking plate 172, between which an opening for admitting the ferrule is formed.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing another application of the connector assembly 1 of the invention, in which an adapter is interposed between the first and second connectors; Fig. 16 shows a longitudinal section of the connector assembly 1 shown in Fig. 15.

The connector assembly 1 shown in Fig. 15 comprises the first connector 10, the second connector 20 and an adapter 30 therebetween. A cable 102 is arranged on the housing of the first connector 10, and the cable 102 is connected through a cable gland 103 connected to the housing of the first connector 10. A cable lug 104 is provided on each of two sides of the housing of the first connector 10 to form a ground connection. The second connector 20 is mounted on a mounting panel 202 of the device and has a high-current contact 203 shown in FIG. 16 at a lower end for connection to a contact of the device. The mounting panel 202 is also referred to as a mounting frame or back pressure frame. The mounting frame has an opening for receiving the second connector 20 .

Figure 16 shows cable tabs 104 on both sides. The cable lug 104 attaches a screw 1051 to another threaded insert 1052 in the first connector 10 so that the ground terminal 105 is locked to the first connector 10.

Fig. 16 also shows two coding pin halves 141, 241, of which the coding pin half 141 is located in the first connector 10 and penetrates the adapter 30 and the coding pin half 241 is located in the second connector 20. The two coding pin halves 141, 241 are parallel to and opposite each other.

In Fig. 16 also three sealing rings 182, 282 and 382 are shown, of which the sealing ring 182 for sealing the first connector 10 with the adapter 30, the sealing ring 282 for sealing the adapter 30 with the second connector 20, and the Sealing ring 382 is used to seal the second connector 20 on the panel of the device.

The operation of using and assembling the connector assembly 1 according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in particular figure 14. FIG.

In a heavy-duty connector, a plurality of second connectors 20 equipped with contact terminals for corresponding cables are preassembled on the device. Before assembly, according to the number of the coding hole where the coding pin is located, it should be determined with which second connector the first connector should be connected with the adapter or without the adapter, in order to prevent wrong mating. After the correct second connector is determined, the guide pin penetrating through the first connector or the first connector and the adapter is inserted into the guide hole of the second connector to connect the first connector to the second connector. After the first connector 10 or the first connector 10 and the adapter 30 are inserted into the second connector 20, the release protection bolt 13 is screwed so that it is connected to the threaded insert 23 in the second connector 20 and thus the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are locked. After the first and second connectors are locked, the sealing ring surrounds the mating surfaces of the first and second connectors to provide the specified electromagnetic shielding and sealing, such as. B. the IP69 standard for waterproofing to achieve. If the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are to be separated from one another, the release protection bolt 13 is unscrewed from the threaded insert 23 . Since the thread 131 at the proximal point of the anti-loosening bolt 13 is connected to the corresponding thread on the first connector, the anti-loosening bolt 13 can be prevented from being detached from the first connector.

Fig. 17 to Fig. 20 show a connector 10', ie a first connector, in a embodiment of the invention. The connector 10' differs from the first connector 10 shown in FIG. 1 mainly in that a cable entry 101' is arranged on the housing of the connector 10'. A cable is connected to the housing through a cable gland 103', in particular a cable gland of the type M50, via the cable inlet 101'. Compared to the other cable glands, the M50 type cable gland has a larger diameter. In order to be suitable for using the M50 type cable gland, two side walls in the longitudinal direction of the housing of the connector 10' are formed in a wavy shape, as clearly shown in particular in Fig. 19, so that the diameter of the threaded hole for receiving the cable gland is enlarged is.

21 to 24 show a connector 10", ie a first connector, in an embodiment of the invention. The connector 10" differs from the connector 10' shown in FIG. 17 mainly in that the connector 10" is designed as an angled connector, i.e. one side in the transverse direction of the housing of the connector is formed as an inclined surface, which is referred to herein as an angled part 106''.

25 and 26 show a connector assembly 1' in an embodiment of the invention, comprising the connector 10' (the first connector) shown in Figs. A cable entry 101' may be provided on the top and two sides of the housing of the connector 10', respectively. In Figure 25, the cable extends through the top cable entry from the top into the housing. In Figure 26, the cable extends into the housing from one side through a side cable entry.

27 to 29 show a connector 1" in an embodiment of the invention comprising the angled connector shown in Figs. 21 to 24. On the top and the two sides of the housing of the connector 10" can Cable input 101' may be provided. The cable entry on the inclined surface side is formed on the inclined surface, and the cable entry on the inclined surface is an angled cable entry. In Figure 27, the cable extends through the top cable entry from the top into the housing. In Figure 28, the cable extends through a side cable entry into the housing from the side. In Fig. 29 the cable extends through the angled cable entry from angled portion 106' into the housing. In one embodiment, the angled cable entry is at an angle of 30° to a longitudinal plane of the housing, and in other embodiments it may be 45° or any acute angle.

In the connector assemblies 1' and 1" shown in Fig. 25 to Fig. 29, the locking device is designed as a lateral locking device 40', which is also referred to as a clamping sleeve. Thus, with this locking device, locking takes place on one or both sides in Transverse direction (namely, the narrow side or narrow sides) of the connector assembly When no adapter is present, the lateral locking device locks the first and second connectors When an adapter is present, the lateral locking device locks the adapter and the second connector.

The structure and operation of the side latch 40' will now be described with reference to Figs. 30-38.

Fig. 30 is an enlarged view of portion A of Fig. 29. The side latch 40' latches the first and second connectors together. In particular, the lateral locking device 40' mates with the locking bracket 17 on the side wall of the first connector (the transverse side wall, i.e. the narrow side) and with the mating clamp 27 on the side wall of the second connector (the transverse side wall, i.e. the narrow side). lock the first and second connectors. One end of the side latch 40' is pivotally supported on the mating clamp 27. As shown in FIG. 38 and 39 clearly show a second connector 20 equipped with the lateral locking device 40'. On an underside of a flange of the second connector 20 provided with a guide pin hole, a mating clamp 27 is integrally molded. The mating clamp 27 is provided with a through hole. The other end of the side latch 40' engages the latch bracket 17. The lateral locking device 40 ′ enters a socket 173 of the locking bracket 17 through an opening of the locking bracket 17 between the locking plate 171 and the counter-locking plate 172 . The lock plate and the counter-lock plate are formed into a hook shape, and the opening is formed obliquely to prevent the connector from coming off in the unlocked state. In the locked state is the lateral Locking device 40 'at the bottom of the receptacle 173 and rests on the locking plate 171.

31 shows the relationship of individual positioning points of the lateral locking device 40' in the locked state. The lateral locking device has three positioning points P1, P2 and P3. PI is a lateral latch positioning point at the bottom of the housing 173 of the latch bracket 17, P2 is a lateral latch positioning point on the counter clamp 27, also known as the first lateral latch pivot point, and P3 is a lateral latch positioning point the side latch on the mating clamp, also referred to as the second pivot point of the side latch. In the locked state, the distance D1 between PI and P2 is greater than the distance D2 between P2 and P3. Longitudinally, PI and P3 are behind P2.

Figures 32 and 33 show the connector assembly in an unlocked condition. The connector assembly includes the first connector, the adapter, and the second connector. The side locking device mates with the locking bracket 37 on the side wall of the adapter and the mating clamp on the side wall of the second connector to lock the adapter and the second connector. In the unlocked state, the lateral locking device 40 ′ pivots about the side wall of the mating clamp 27 facing away from the second connector, so that the lateral locking device is released from the locking bracket 37 . In particular, it is lifted from the bottom of the latch bracket receptacle 373 to the opening. At this time, because of the oblique opening and the hook-like structure of the locking plate 371 and the counter-locking plate 372, the connectors can be prevented from being detached from each other when the locking device is unlocked.

34 to 37 show the concrete structure of the side latch 40'. The lateral locking device 40' is configured as a two-lever assembly comprising a first lever 41', a second lever 42' and a handle 43'. The first lever 41' has two mutually parallel first lever arms 411'. At both ends of each of the first lever arms is a first pivot shaft hole 412' and a second, respectively Pivot shaft hole 413' is provided which allows passage of a first pivot shaft 44' and a second pivot shaft 45' respectively. The first lever 41' is pivotally mounted on the mating clamp 27 by passing the first pivot shaft 44' through the through hole of the mating clamp 27 of the second connector 20 and through the first pivot shaft hole 412' of the first lever 41' and then at the two ends with Locking means 49' is locked with an E-shaped outline. The first lever 41' further includes a connecting portion 414' which, at the end where the second pivot shaft hole 413' is located, connects the two first lever arms 411' to each other and is integrally formed with the first lever arms. A handle 43' is integrally formed at the connection portion. The second lever 42' has two mutually parallel second lever arms 421' which are elastic and arcuate. A third pivot shaft hole 422' and a fourth pivot shaft hole 423' are provided at both ends of each of the second lever arms, respectively, allowing passage of the second pivot shaft 45' and the third pivot shaft 46', respectively. The second lever 42' is pivotally assembled to the first lever 41' by passing the second pivot shaft 45' through the second pivot shaft hole 413' of the first lever arm and through the third pivot shaft hole 422' of the second lever arm and then riveting. The third pivot shaft 46' penetrates through the fourth pivot shaft hole 423' of the second lever arm. The third pivot shaft 46' mates with the locking plates 171,371 and is locked to the locking brackets 17,37 firmly.

The operation of the lateral locking device 40' is as follows: When the lateral locking device is in the locked state shown in Fig. 31 and is to be unlocked, a force must be applied to the handle 43' so that the first lever 41' is pivoted counterclockwise about the first pivot shaft 44', that is, the point P2 in the figure. Thereby, the point P3 (the second pivot shaft 45') is pivoted counterclockwise to a position in front of P2, so that the second lever 42' is raised. This results in raising the third pivot shaft 46', i.e. at point PI, from the bottom of the receptacle 173 to place the side latch in the unlatched condition. When the lateral locking device is in the unlocked state shown in FIG. 32 and is to be locked, a force must be applied to the handle 43' so that the first lever 41' rotates about the first pivot shaft 44', ie the point P2, is panned counterclockwise. As a result, the second pivot shaft 45', i.e. point P3, is gradually pivoted counterclockwise to a position behind P2, so that the third pivot shaft 46', i.e. point PI, is lowered to the bottom of the receptacle 373, abutting the locking plate 371 and locked with it.

It should be clear to those skilled in the art that the invention is of course not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Also, the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essence and idea of the invention.

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

A connector assembly (1) comprising: a first connector (10) having a housing (11) forming a package (12) and a contact terminal received in said package, a second connector (20) having a housing (21), which forms an installation space (22) and has a contact clamp received in the installation space, and a locking device (40) via which the first and second connectors are locked when the first and second connectors are joined together, characterized in that the Locking device (40) comprises an anti-loosening member (13) located on either the first connector or the second connector and an insert (23) located on the other of the first connector and second connector, wherein when the first and second connectors are combined with each other the anti-loosening member and the Insert engage each other, while with the first and second connectors separated from each other, the anti-loosening member is separated from the insert nt and remains connected to the first connector or the second connector on which the anti-loosening member is located.

The connector assembly (1) of claim 1, wherein the connector assembly (1) further comprises one or more adapters (30), the adapter also having a housing (31) forming a package (32) and a package received in the package Contact clamp, wherein when the adapter is arranged between the first connector (10) and the second connector (20), the installation space (12) of the first connector, the installation space (22) of the second connector and the installation space (32) of the adapter are connected to one another , and wherein the contact terminals in the first connector, the second connector and the adapter are connectable to one another in order to transmit electrical energy.

3. Connector assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the anti-loosening component (13) is an anti-loosening bolt and the insert (23) is a threaded insert, so that both between the anti-loosening bolt and the threaded insert and between the anti-loosening bolt and the first Connector or the second connector on which the

25 Anti-loosening bolt is located, the meshing is possible via a thread.

4. Connector assembly (1) according to claim 3, wherein the anti-loosening bolt (13) has a thread (131, 132) at the points facing its two ends, wherein when combined with the first connector (10) and the second connector (20) the thread (132) at a point facing the distal end of the anti-loosening bolt for combining with the threaded insert, while when disconnecting from the first connector (10) and the second connector (20), the thread (131) at a point facing the proximal end of the anti-loosening bolt for combining with the threads in the housing of the first connector or the second connector on which the anti-loosen pin is located, wherein the outside diameter of the threads (132) at the point facing the distal end of the anti-loosen pin is equal to or less than the outside diameter of the threads ( 131) the point facing the proximal end of the anti-loosening bolt and the diameter of the bolt located between these two threads zen section of the anti-release bolt is less than the outer diameter of the two threads.

The connector assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein it has two such anti-loosening members (13) arranged along the diagonal direction of the housing of the first connector or the second connector.

A connector assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connector assembly (1) further comprises foolproof means (14, 24) for preventing incorrect mating of the first and second connectors.

The connector assembly (1) of claim 6, wherein the foolproof device (14, 24) is a keying pin comprising a keying pin half (141) located on the first connector and a keying pin half (241) located on the second connector wherein when the first connector and the mating second connector are combined, the coding pin half arranged on the first connector and the coding pin half arranged on the second connector can be arranged opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the coding pin.

The connector assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connector assembly (1) further includes a guide for guiding the fitting of the first and second connectors together during assembly of the first and second connectors Guide means (15) comprising a first guide member located on the first connector and a second guide member located on the second connector, the connector assembly having two guide means extending along the diagonal direction of the housing of the first connector or the second connector and the on the first connector or the second connector arranged anti-detachment member are arranged opposite.

9. Connector assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein between the first and second connector and when an adapter is present between the first connector, the second connector and the adapter is provided a sealing device for sealing the mating surfaces between these parts, the sealing device comprising a sealing groove (281, 381) located on one of the two mating surfaces to be joined together and a sealing ring (282, 382) inserted in the sealing groove, the circumference of the Sealing groove is larger than the circumference of the sealing ring in order to clamp the sealing ring when the sealing ring is inserted in the sealing groove.

The connector assembly (1) according to claim 9, wherein the sealing groove (281, 381) has a polygonal outline and in the longitudinal direction of the corresponding mating surface of a member provided with the sealing groove, the polygonal outline has at least one outwardly protruding bulge.

The connector assembly (1) of claim 9, wherein the perimeter of the sealing ring (282, 382) is 15% to 30% less than the perimeter of the sealing groove.

A connector assembly (1) according to claim 11, wherein the sealing ring (282, 382) has an elongation and contraction rate of 15% to 30%.

13. Adapter (30) for a connector assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that the first and second connectors are identical, and the adapter (30) has a housing (31) which has a building space (32) forms and has a contact clamp (301) accommodated in the installation space.

14. Adapter (30) according to claim 13, wherein the adapter (30) further a first hole (33) which allows the passage of the anti-release component (13) of the locking device, and a second hole (35) which allows the passage of the guide guide means (15) enabling mating of the first and second connectors.

The adapter (30) according to claim 14, wherein the adapter (30) comprises two first holes (33) and two second holes (35), the two first holes and the two second holes being diagonally at four corners of the body of the adapter, respectively are arranged.

The adapter (30) of claim 15, wherein the adapter (30) further includes a third hole (36) for receiving a locking member, the locking member for locking the first connector and the adapter.

The adapter (30) according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the adapter further comprises a sealing groove (381) for receiving a sealing ring (382), the sealing groove having a polygonal outline and in the longitudinal direction of the sealing grooved mating surface of the adapter the polygonal outline has at least one outwardly protruding bulge.

The adapter (30) of claim 17, wherein the perimeter of the sealing ring (382) is 15% to 30% less than the perimeter of the sealing groove.

19. The adapter (30) of claim 18, wherein the sealing ring (382) has an expansion and contraction rate of 15% to 30%.

20. Connector (10', 10") for a connector assembly (1', 1") according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a housing of the connector has a cable entry (101') via which the cable (102) through a Cable gland (103, 103') is connected to the housing, characterized in that two side walls in the longitudinal direction of the housing of the connector are each formed in a wave shape.

21. Connector (10', 10") according to claim 20, wherein the cable gland (103, 103') is a cable gland of the M50 type.

22. Connector (10', 10") according to claim 21, wherein the cable entry (101') comprises a top cable entry and a side cable entry.

23. Connector (10', 10") according to claim 21, which is designed as an angled connector, wherein the cable entry (101') comprises a top cable entry, a side cable entry and an angled cable entry.

24. Connector (10', 10") according to claim 23, wherein the angled cable entry has an angle of 30° or 45° to a plane in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

25. Side latch (40') for a connector assembly (1', 1")

28 according to one of Claims 1 to 12, the lateral locking device (40') being used to lock the first and second connectors when they are joined together, characterized in that the lateral locking device (40') is attached to a locking bracket (17) on a side wall of the first connector and mating with a mating clamp (27) on a side wall of the second connector to lock the first and second connectors, the lateral locking means (40') being embodied as a two-lever structure.

The lateral locking device (40') according to claim 25, wherein the lateral locking device (40') comprises a first lever (41') pivotally mounted on the mating clamp (27) of the second connector and a second lever (42') pivotally mounted on the first lever and for locking firmly to the locking bracket (17) of the first connector.

27. Lateral locking device (40') according to claim 26, wherein the second lever (42') is elastic.

28. Lateral locking device (40') according to claim 27, wherein the first lever (41') has a handle (43').

29. Side locking device (40') according to claim 27, wherein the first lever (4 1') comprises two mutually parallel first lever arms (411'), each of the first lever arms having a first pivot shaft hole (412') at both ends, which allows a first pivot shaft (44') to pass through, a second pivot shaft hole (413') allowing a second pivot shaft (45') to pass through, and a connecting portion (414') provided at the end where the second pivot shaft hole connecting two first lever arms together; wherein the handle (43') is integrally formed on the connecting portion; wherein the second lever (42') comprises two second lever arms (421') parallel to each other, each of the second lever arms having at both ends a third pivot shaft hole (422') which allows the second pivot shaft (45') to pass through, and a fourth pivot shaft hole (423') allowing passage of a third pivot shaft (46'); and wherein the second lever is arcuate.

29

30. Lateral locking device (40') according to claim 29, wherein the mating clamp (27) of the second connector has a through hole, the first pivot shaft (44') penetrating through the through hole and the first pivot shaft hole (412') and by means of an E- shaped locking means (49') is attached to the mating clamp; wherein the collet holder (17) comprises a locking plate (171) and a counter-locking plate (172) between which an opening for letting in and out the third pivot shaft (46') of the second connector (42') is formed, and the opening is inclined is.

A lateral locking device (40') according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein in case the connector assembly (1', 1”) also comprises an adapter (30) and the first connector, the second connector and the adapter are mated together the second connector and the adapter being locked (40') by the lateral locking means, the adapter (30) having a ferrule mount (37).

32. Mounting frame (202) for a connector assembly (1) according to any one of the claims

1 to 12, which secures the connector assembly to a device, the mounting frame having an opening for receiving the second connector, and a sealing means for providing a seal between the second connector and the mounting frame.

30