Plug-in connector arrangement

Abstract

A plug-in connector arrangement comprising two plug-in connector parts (100, 200) which can be plugged into each another and which each have a housing part (101, 201), the housing parts being adapted to each another, and a plug contact (110, 210) provided therein, the plug contacts being adapted to each another, wherein the two housing parts (101, 201) have detent elements for detachably connecting the two housing parts to each other, characterized in that the detent elements comprise at least one detent tongue (300) that has a detent lug (310) and is arranged in a tongue-receiving pocket (500) in the first housing part (100), said detent lug (310) engaging in an opening (400) provided therefor in a housing wall of the second housing part (201), and in that said tongue-receiving pocket in the first housing part (101) is in the form of a groove that has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, the two lateral limbs (510, 520) of the U projecting beyond the detent tongue (300).

Description

<DP=1>²PLUG-IN CONNECTOR ARRANGEMENT²Field²The invention relates to a plug-in connector arrangement, comprising two ²intermateable²plug-in connector parts.²Background²Such plug-in connector arrangements exist in different designs. What is known ²from DE²10 2004 054 203 Al is an insulation-displacement connector plug contact strip ²for ²electrical plug-in connectors, comprising combined connection elements which ²form an ²insulation-displacement connector area for a stripping-free connection of ²electrical ²conductors at one end, and form a plug contact area for a plug contact mating ²bar at the²other end, wherein flat, slotted insulation-displacement connectors are ²supported on the²insulation-displacement connector area. The connection elements are formed in ²such a ²manner that the insulation-displacement connectors of these connection ²elements lie in ²multiple rows in the insulation-displacement cable connector for a row of plug ²contacts of ²the connection elements that are embedded next to each other. Both plug-in ²connector²parts are interlocked by means of a catch that is formed in a spring-like ²manner and that²meshes with a locking slit in the locked state of the two plug-in connector ²parts. In this ²plug-in connector arrangement, the catch is arranged at the top side of the ²housing so as ²to be mostly exposed.²From DE 20 2011 000 739 U1, a plug-in connection arrangement for electrical ²conductors²has become known, comprising a plug with at least one tunnel, a socket with at ²least one ²snap-in tongue, wherein the at least one snap-in tongue with the at least one ²tunnel of ²the plug is provided for a combined locking effect in a mated state of the ²plug-in ²connection arrangement, as well as at least one cover section that is attached ²at the plug²and that forms a protection of the at least one snap-in tongue against any ²manual action²and against any actuation by a tool in the state in which it comes to the ²combined locking²1²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=2>²effect. In this plug-in connection arrangement, the tongue is mostly protected ²in the locked ²state, as it lies inside the tunnel provided for it. However, in the unlocked ²state, the tongue ²protrudes freely from the socket, thus being easily exposed to damage.²From DE 10 2008 051 589 Al, a coupler and a plug of a plug-in connection with ²Koshiri²security have become known, in which the coupler housing has a protruding ²spring ²shackle that comprises a ledge in the area of its free end. The coupler ²housing and the ²spring shackle form a one-piece structural component. The spring shackle ²meshes with ²a corresponding opening which is adjusted to it of the corresponding other ²plug-in²connector part. Also, in this case, the spring shackle even though it is ²formed as an²integral part of the coupler housing--protrudes from the coupler housing and ²thus can be ²damaged if handled in an unfavorable manner.²Summary²In contrast, the plug-in connector arrangement according to the invention has ²the ²advantage that the snap-in elements comprise at least one snap-in tongue with ²a snap-²in nose that is arranged in the first housing part inside a tongue receiving ²pocket, wherein ²the snap-in nose meshes with an opening provided for it inside a housing wall ²of the².. second housing part, and that the tongue receiving pocket in the first ²housing part is²formed in the shape of a groove with a substantially U-shaped cross-section, ²wherein the ²two lateral U-legs protrude beyond the tongue. With the two lateral U-legs ²protruding in ²this manner, a particularly effective protection of the tongue is facilitated, ²as the tongue ²that is positioned between the two U-legs cannot readily be "bent outward", ²for example.²Hence, according to a broad aspect, the invention provides a plug-in connector ²²arrangement comprising a first plug-in connector part and a second plug-in ²connector part ²intermateable with the first plug-in connector part in a mating direction, the ²first plug-in ²connector part having a first housing part having first plug contacts inside ²the first plug-in²connector part, the second plug-in connector part having a second housing part ²having²second plug contacts inside the second plug-in connector part, the second plug ²contacts²2²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=3>²being mateable with the first plug contacts, wherein the first and second ²housing parts ²have snap-in elements for releasable interlocking of the first and second ²housing parts, ²wherein the snap-in elements comprise at least one snap-in tongue with a snap-²in nose ²in the first housing part, the snap-in nose meshing with an opening provided ²for the snap-²in nose in a housing wall of the second housing part, wherein a tongue ²receiving pocket²in the first housing part is formed in a groove-shaped manner with a ²substantially U-²shaped cross-section and comprises two lateral U-legs protruding in an upwards ²²direction, the upwards direction being perpendicular to the mating direction, ²wherein the ²two lateral U-legs protrude in the upwards direction beyond the snap-in tongue ²such that²the snap-in tongue is arranged within the tongue receiving pocket, wherein ²guide grooves²are provided in the second housing part for both of the two lateral U-legs, ²respectively, ²wherein the guide grooves and a set-back surface arranged between the guide ²grooves ²limit the tongue receiving pocket in the second plug-in connector part in a ²mated state of ²the first and second plug-in connector parts, and wherein inside the tongue ²receiving²pocket the snap-in tongue comes to rest in the mated state of the first and ²second plug-²in connector parts.²Advantageous further developments and enhancements of the plug-in connector ²arrangement are described hereinafter. Thus, on the plug side, the two U-legs ²preferably²and particularly advantageously reach up to the front side of the one housing ²part. Thanks²to this arrangement, Koshiri security is particularly advantageously ²facilitated. That is to ²say, the two U-legs, reaching up to the front side of the plug and laterally ²protruding ²beyond the tongue arranged in between them, do not only protect the tongue in ²the ²unlocked state of the plug-in connector arrangement, but they also very ²effectively²prevent any mismating or any canted plug-in of the two plug-in connector ²parts, which²may result in damage to the contact elements arranged therein.²Advantageously, guide grooves for the two U-legs are provided in the second ²housing²part.² 3²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=4>²Moreover, these guide grooves also reach up to the front side of the second ²housing part ²in a very advantageous manner. As far as Koshiri security is concerned, these ²two guide ²grooves that reach up to the front side of the second housing part are, as it ²were, the ²counterpart of the two U-legs. They, too, do not only prevent any mismating, ²but in²particular also prevent any canted mating, which may result in damage to the ²contact²elements.²At the same time, together with the two U-legs as well as the U-shaped grooves ²in the ²mated state of the two plug-in connector parts, the guide grooves limit the ²tongue²receiving pocket in the second plug-in connector part, thus forming the tongue ²receiving²pocket inside of which the tongue comes to rest in the mated state of the two ²plug-in ²connector parts.²The tongue is advantageously formed in a spring-like manner and is ²advantageously² formed as an integral part of one of the two housing parts.²The snap-in nose that is arranged thereon advantageously comprises a chamfer ²on the²plug side, which facilitates the sliding of the snap-in nose into the opening ²in the second²housing part provided for that purpose.² Brief description of the drawings²Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are ²explained in²more detail in the following description.² Herein:²FIG. 1 shows an isometric rendering of the first housing part of a plug-in ²connector²arrangement according to the invention;²4²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=5>²FIG. 2 shows an isometric rendering of the second housing part of the plug-in ²connector ²arrangement according to the invention in a diagonal top view;²FIG. 3 shows an isometric rendering of the second housing part of the plug-in ²connector² arrangement according to the invention in another view; and²FIG. 4 shows an isometric rendering of the first housing part and the second ²housing part ²in a mated state.² Detailed description of embodiments²Variants, examples and preferred embodiments of the invention are described ²hereinbelow. A plug-in connector arrangement shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. ²3 ²comprises two plug-in connector parts 100, 200. The one plug-in connector part ²100 can²be formed as a female multipoint connector, for example, whereas the other ²plug-in²connector part 200 is formed as a multipole plug-in connector, as shown. For ²this purpose, ²spring contact elements 110 are provided in a plug-in part 102 of the housing ²101 in the ²plug-in connector part 100 that is formed as a female multipoint connector. In ²contrast, in ²a corresponding housing part 202 of the housing 201, knife contact elements ²210 are²arranged inside the plug-in connector part 200 that is formed as a multipole ²plug-in²connector. The knife contact elements 210 can be plugged into correspondingly ²adjusted ²spring contact elements 110 of the plug-in connector part 100.²A snap-in tongue 300 (which will also be referred to in short as a "tongue" in ²the following)²comprising a snap-in nose 310 is arranged substantially above and extending ²parallel to²the spring contact elements 110 of the first plug-in connector part 100. In ²the mating ²direction, the snap-in nose 310 has a chamfer 312 which facilitates a sliding ²into an ²opening 400 that is arranged in the housing 201 of the second plug-in ²connector part 200 ²and which is adjusted to the snap-in tongue 300. The snap-in tongue 300 is ²formed in a²spring-like manner, so that it slightly bends in the direction of the spring ²contact elements²110 when it is inserted into the housing 201 of the second plug-in connector ²part 200,²5²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=6>²which is facilitated by the chamfer 312 that acts as a sliding surface, until ²the snap-in ²nose 310 has come to lie completely behind the opening 400, abutting with its ²catch end ²313 a housing wall 222 that is receiving the opening 400, as shown in FIG. 4. ²In this case, ²the two plug-in connector parts are interlocked and can be pulled apart only ²by again²bending the tongue in the direction of the spring contact elements 110, for ²example by²means of a suitable tool.²The tongue 300 lies in a corresponding receiving pocket 500, which has a ²substantially ²U-shaped form, with a surface 501 extending substantially in parallel to the ²tongue 300²and with lateral U-legs 510, 520. The U-legs 510, 520 protrude beyond the ²tongue 300,²meaning that, in particular also with regard to its height, the tongue 300 ²lies completely ²within the U-shaped area, formed by the U-legs 510, 520 and the surface 501, ²of the ²quasi first half of the tongue receiving pocket 500 thus created (FIG. 1).²The second plug-in connector part 200 (FIG. 2) has guide grooves 610, 620, ²which serve²for guiding the two U-shaped legs 510, 520. In this manner, a very precise and ²reverse-²polarity-protected mating of the two plug-in connector parts is possible.²In the mated state of the two plug-in connector parts 100, 200, the tongue 300 ²lies within²the two housing parts, wherein the tongue receiving pocket 500 is formed by ²the U-²shaped area of the first plug-in connector part 100 as well as the two guide ²grooves 610, ²620 of the second plug-in connector part 200 in connection with a surface 601 ²(FIG. 2) ²that is slightly set back with respect to the two groove webs 611, 621. In the ²mated state ²of the two plug-in connector parts 100, 200, the two groove webs 611, 621 form ²the²tongue receiving pocket 500 together with the surface 601 as well as with the ²two U-legs²510, 520 and the surface 501, with the snap-in tongue 300 being arranged ²inside that ²tongue receiving pocket 500 in a fully protected manner.²However, at the same time the two U-shaped legs 510, 520 fulfill another very ²important²function in connection with the two grooves 610, 620 and the corresponding ²groove legs²611, 621, which will be explained in more detail below.²6²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=7>²The two U-legs 510, 520 as well as the two groove legs 611, 621 reach up to ²the front ²side of the respective housing parts of the two plug-in connector parts 100, ²200. They are ²formed to be comparatively massive and, due to their design, do not only ²prevent any²mismating, but in particular also prevent any canted mating of the two plug-in ²connector²parts 100, 200. In other words, they also serve for providing the so-called ²Koshiri security. ²This Koshiri security is achieved not only by means of the U-legs 510, 520 ²that ²respectively reach up to the front sides of the plug-in connector parts, and ²the groove legs ²611, 621, but also by virtue of the fact that the contact elements 110 or 210 ²are set back².. with respect to the front side of the two plug-in connector parts 100, 200, ²and in particular²that they are set back with respect to the two U-legs 510, 520 and the two ²groove legs ²611, 621. Through this set-back arrangement of the plug contacts in connection ²with the ²massive U-shaped legs 510, 520 and the groove legs 611, 621 that are forming ²the ²grooves 610, 620 and that both reach up to the front side of the housing of ²the plug-in²connector parts 100, 200, respectively, any canted mating, which may lead to ²damage to²the contact elements, is effectively prevented. At the same time, as a ²synergistic effect is ²being created, a tongue receiving pocket 500 is formed through the arrangement ²and the ²combined effect of the U-shaped legs 510, 520 and the grooves 610, 620 in ²connection ²with the surface 501 as well as with the set back surface 601, which ²effectively protects²the tongue 300 not only in the locked state, but in particular also in the ²state in which the²two plug-in connector parts 100, 200 are not interlocked.²Thus, the U-shaped legs 510, 520 together with the surface 501, as well as the ²grooves ²610, 620 together with the groove legs 611, 621 and the set back surface 601 ²do not only²facilitate the formation of a tongue receiving pocket 500, but at the same ²time also ensure²the Koshiri security of the plug.²In conclusion it should be stated that the plug-in connection arrangement ²shown in FIG. ²1 to FIG. 3 comprises a plug-in connection part 200, which is arranged on a ²printed circuit²board, for example, and is contacted in that position with correspondingly ²provided²conducting paths, and a plug-in connection part 100, which is contacted with²7²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²<DP=8>²corresponding electrical conductors by means of per se known insulation-²displacement ²contacts, for example. For this purpose, openings 170 are provided, into which ²a flat ²ribbon cable or individual wires project, for example, which may be contacted ²in the plug-²in connector part 100 in the manner described in DE 10 2004 054 203 Al by ²means of² insulation-displacement connectors, for example.²8²CA 2893008 2019-06-19²

Claims

<DP=1>²CLAIMS ²1. A plug-in connector arrangement comprising a first plug-in connector ²part and a ²second plug-in connector part intermateable with the first plug-in connector ²part in a ²mating direction, the first plug-in connector part having a first housing part ²having first ²plug contacts inside the first plug-in connector part, the second plug-in ²connector part ²having a second housing part having second plug contacts inside the second ²plug-in ²connector part, the second plug contacts being mateable with the first plug ²contacts,²wherein the first and second housing parts have snap-in elements for ²releasable ²interlocking of the first and second housing parts,²wherein the snap-in elements comprise at least one snap-in tongue with a snap-²in ²nose in the first housing part, the snap-in nose meshing with an opening ²provided for the ²snap-in nose in a housing wall of the second housing part,²wherein a tongue receiving pocket in the first housing part is formed in a ²groove-²shaped manner with a substantially U-shaped cross-section and comprises two ²lateral U-²legs protruding in an upwards direction, the upwards direction being ²perpendicular to the ²mating direction,²wherein the two lateral U-legs protrude in the upwards direction beyond the ²snap-²in tongue such that the snap-in tongue is arranged within the tongue receiving ²pocket,²wherein guide grooves are provided in the second housing part for both of the ²two ²lateral U-legs, respectively,²wherein the guide grooves and a set-back surface arranged between the guide ²grooves limit the tongue receiving pocket in the second plug-in connector part ²in a mated ²state of the first and second plug-in connector parts, and²wherein inside the tongue receiving pocket the snap-in tongue comes to rest in ²the ²mated state of the first and second plug-in connector parts.²2. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two ²lateral ²U-legs extend in the mating direction to a front side of the first housing ²part on a plug side ²of the first housing part.²9²<DP=2>²3. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ²guide ²grooves extend in the mating direction to a front side of the second housing ²part.²4. The plug-in connector arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, ²wherein ²the snap-in tongue is formed in a spring-like manner.²5. The plug-in connector arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, ²wherein ²the snap-in tongue is formed at the first housing part as an integral part of ²the first housing ²part.²6. The plug-in connector arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, ²wherein ²the snap-in nose has a chamfer on a plug side of the snap-in nose.²