Connectors and connector assemblies for multi-cavity profiles and / or pipelines

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector (1) for two fluid lines of different geometric shapes, the connector comprising: a housing (2), a locking element (3) and a sealing element (4). The housing (2) has a first and a second connection part (21, 22) and a fluid channel (23) for fluidly connecting the two connection parts (21, 22). The locking element (3) can be connected to the housing (2). The sealing element (4) can be positioned between the housing (2) and the locking element (3), wherein the locking housing (3) and the housing (2) can be positioned relative to each other with respect to the fluid channel (23) to form a receiving part between the housing (2) and the locking element (3). The first connection part (21) is designed to connect a first fluid line (11) with an elongated cross section, and the second connection part (22) is designed to connect a second fluid line with another cross section, in particular a circular cross section. The invention also relates to a connector assembly comprising such a connector (1), wherein the connector (1) is connected to a first fluid line (11) in the form of a flat channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a connector according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a connector arrangement according to claim 10 . Background Art

[0002] The prior art already discloses different connectors for connecting fluid lines of different sizes. In the field of electric vehicles, different fluid lines of a temperature regulating device of an energy storage device can be connected to each other by means of connectors, for example. The energy storage device can be, for example, a storage battery or a battery. The invention relates to a connector that can be used in the area of ​​a temperature regulating device. The connector according to the invention and the connector device according to the invention can of course also be used in fields other than vehicle construction and electric vehicle construction. In principle, it can be used in all fields or applications in which fluid lines of different sizes are connected to each other and the cooling requirements are increased in the case of limited structural space. It is conceivable that it can be used in plant construction, in particular in the chemical industry, as well as in the field of the food industry or the pharmaceutical industry. It is particularly conceivable that the invention can be used where it is necessary to cool production equipment and under limited spatial conditions or when the available structural space is limited. In addition, it can also be considered to be used in multi-purpose vehicles with conventional drive devices, for example in excavators, forestry machinery and railway vehicles.

[0003] The universal connector is used to connect the circular cross section of a conventional pipe to a flat profile or to a pipeline having a flat elongated cross section and wherein a plurality of mutually separated, substantially parallel pipeline channels form the corresponding flat profile.

[0004] High demands are placed on the operational reliability of the energy storage devices, the corresponding temperature control devices and the connectors installed therein. In particular, the normal safety standards of the automotive industry must be observed. For example, any leaks in the energy storage devices must be avoided. Furthermore, the connectors must be designed to withstand the pressure conditions in the fluids commonly used, such as water / glycol mixtures.

[0005] A fundamental problem in the case of connectors of the type described is that, since the connector has to reliably connect two pipelines of completely different geometries to one another, one of the unconventional geometries is a narrow, almost linear cross section. This narrow cross section complicates the required sealing of the connection. Furthermore, the narrow cross section and its corresponding rectilinear surface make it more difficult to fix the flat tubular line to the connector in the axial direction. This is because, for example, threads cannot be used to fix the flat profile.

[0006] Due to the rapid development in the charging speed of energy stores and the corresponding power requirements of electric vehicles, the requirements on the temperature control of energy stores are also increasing. This in turn makes it necessary to implement corresponding improvements in the area of ​​the fluid lines and their connectors. Summary of the invention

[0007] Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector by means of which fluid lines of significantly different geometries can be connected to one another in a sealed and fixed manner. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to make the connector as easy as possible to manufacture and to enable the corresponding connections to be established as easily as possible without tools and / or automatically. The connector can be used in the field of automotive energy storage devices and in general in any field in which different fluid lines have to be connected to one another. The connector has particular advantages in areas with limited construction space and in applications with increased cooling requirements.

[0008] The essential features of the invention are pointed out in detail in claims 1 and 10. A plurality of configurations form the subject matter of claims 2-9.

[0009] The invention relates to a connector for two fluid lines of different geometries, or for multi-cavity profiles and / or lines. The connector is configured to connect the two fluid lines to each other. The connector comprises a housing having a first and a second connection portion and having a fluid passage in fluid connection. The connection portion is configured to be connected to the fluid line. The connector further comprises a locking element connectable to the housing and a seal that can be arranged between the housing and the locking element.

[0010] The locking element and the housing can be arranged relative to one another in such a way that a receiving portion for accommodating the seal is formed between the housing and the locking element.

[0011] The connection of the housing to the locking element allows the seal and / or one of the two fluid lines to be fixed to the connector, in particular to be firmly clamped to the connector. The housing and the locking element can, for example, engage with each other in a form-fitting manner so that the seal is enclosed, fixed and / or for the purpose of sealing, withstanding stress and deforming in the process between the two housing parts (i.e. between the housing and the locking element). In the connected state of the two housing parts, a fluid line can be fixed at least in a radial direction. In this case, a radial direction is to be understood as a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction or perpendicular to the main flow direction of the fluid line.

[0012] Furthermore, the first connecting portion is configured for connecting to a first fluid line having an elongated cross section, and the second connecting portion is configured for connecting to a second fluid line having another cross section, in particular a circular cross section.

[0013] In this way, two fluid lines of different geometries can advantageously be connected to one another in a leak-free manner in a simple and inexpensive manner.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the housing and / or the locking element are manufactured as a single piece, in particular by injection molding, die casting, or additive manufacturing. Here, the housing parts can be made of metal and / or plastic accordingly. Using a casting process to produce the housing parts allows the production to be achieved in a manner that is particularly suitable for mass production and particularly inexpensive. Additive manufacturing processes are to be understood as particularly all commonly used 3D printing processes.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the housing and the locking element can latch to each other. Such latching forms a particularly advantageous and simple connection of the two parts. For this purpose, snap connections and corresponding cutouts can be provided on the housing part and the locking element, which engage with each other when the two parts are positioned inside one another or one relative to the other.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the housing and / or the locking element is provided with a fixing portion, and the fixing portion is configured to fix the first fluid line. The fixing portion can be configured to fix the first fluid line in an axial direction. In this way, it can be advantageously ensured that the fluid line does not change from a state coupled to the connector to a state separated from the connector in an undesirable manner, causing the fluid flowing through the connector to flow out.

[0017] In a particularly preferred embodiment, provided herein, the fixing portion comprises at least one cutout for introducing a fixing element and / or at least one snap-on connection, wherein the fixing element and the snap-on connection are configured for fixing the first fluid line to the connector in a form-fitting manner. For this purpose, the fluid line may comprise a cutout or a through hole into which the fixing element or the snap-on connection can be at least partially introduced. In a simple embodiment, the snap-on connection may be formed integrally with the corresponding housing part. The snap-on connection may be formed such that when the first fluid line is introduced into the connector, the snap-on connection latches into the cutout or the through hole of the fluid line.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the connector consists of exactly three parts, the housing, the locking element and the seal, or that the connector consists of three parts, the housing, the locking element and the seal, and at least one fixing element. The two fluid lines, in their mutually connected state, can be in direct contact with all of the elements. The fixing element can be a separate component from the other three components, such as a fixing pin, a sheet metal insert, which can be made of spring steel in particular, or some other braking device.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the outer dimensions of the housing and the locking element are very similar to one another in terms of cross section. In this way, in the state in which the housing and the locking element are joined to one another, a uniform appearance of the connector can be ensured. The two housing parts can thus have different longitudinal extensions, but in the radial direction, neither of the two housing parts extends further than the other housing part in each case.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the fluid channel at least partially takes the form of a flat and planar cutout in the housing. A planar cutout is to be understood as a direction which extends further in two mutually perpendicular spatial directions than in a third spatial direction. Such a flat fluid channel serving as a connecting channel between two distinct fluid lines allows for an unimpeded and as stable a flow of fluid between the two fluid lines as possible, in order to maintain a correspondingly low throughflow resistance or low pressure losses.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment, it is conceivable that the first fluid line can be introduced at least partially into the fluid channel and / or that the housing comprises reinforcing ribs on the outside. By means of a flat or planar design of the fluid channel, a likewise planar or flat-tube-shaped first fluid line can be introduced at least partially into the fluid channel and in this way ensure an optimal connection of the first fluid line to the connector.

[0022] The invention also relates to a connector device having a connector, wherein the connector is connected to a fluid line in the form of a flat channel. Advantageously, the connector device can be preassembled and in this way can be used more easily in further assembly steps during assembly of the energy storage device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Further features, details and advantages of the invention emerge from the wording of the claims and from the following description of exemplary embodiments based on the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1A shows a perspective view of a connector device;

[0025] Figure 1B shows a perspective longitudinal cross-sectional view of a connector device;

[0026] Figure 2A shows a perspective view of a locking element;

[0027] Figure 2B shows another perspective view of the locking element;

[0028] Figure 3A shows another perspective longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector device;

[0029] Figure 3B shows a side longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector device;

[0030] Figure 4 showing a cross-sectional view of the first fluid line;

[0031] Figure 5A A plan view of a fixing element in a semi-finished state is shown;

[0032] Figure 5B shows a perspective view of a fixing element in a finished state;

[0033] Figure 6 An exploded view of a connector device with a securing element is shown; and

[0034] Figure 7 The operating principle of the fixing element is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Figure 1A A connector device is shown with a connector 1 for two fluid lines, wherein a first fluid line 11 is shown at a first connection portion 21 on the right, and a second fluid line is not shown but can be connected to a connection portion 22 on the left side of the connector 1. The connection of the second fluid line can be achieved by any standard connection, for example by an SAE connection. The first connection portion 21 can be an area inside a housing 2 of the connector 1.

[0036] The first fluid line 11 may be in the form of a very flat flat tube or flat profile, whereas the second fluid line may be a fluid line with a generally circular cross section. The two fluid lines 11 may thus have significantly different geometries.

[0037] The first fluid line 11 may have a width of up to 120 mm and a height of, for example, only 3 mm.The first fluid line may, for example, be made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, some other metal alloy or a suitable plastic.

[0038] In the housing 2 having the first and second connection parts 21, 22 and fluidically connecting the two connection parts 21, 22 is a fluid channel 23, which is located at the bottom. Figure 1B A locking element 3 is connected to the housing 2. The locking element 3 can also be referred to as a clamp. The housing 2 has a plurality of reinforcing ribs 24, which can be arranged in a region adjacent to the second connecting portion 22 and away from the first connecting portion 21.

[0039] Both the housing 2 and the locking element 3 can be manufactured as a single piece, in particular by injection molding or die casting. Figure 1A As shown, the housing 2 and the locking element 3 can be latched to each other. For this purpose, five elongated cutouts 31 arranged one above the other are shown, into which snap connections 32 (as shown in the following figure) are locked.

[0040] Two holes for the fixing part 6 can be seen on the locking element 3. A fixing element (not shown in detail) can be introduced into these holes or cutouts, wherein the fixing element also extends through a corresponding cutout or hole in the first fluid line 11. In this way, the first fluid line 11 can be fixed relative to the connector 1.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, at least one snap-in connection 32 may also be provided as the fixing portion 6, which is likewise configured for positively fixing the first fluid line 11 to the connector 1. The snap-in connection 32 may be arranged on an inner side of the housing 2 and / or the locking element 3 and oriented in the direction of the first fluid line 11, in which the first fluid line 11 may be arranged. When the first fluid line 11 is introduced into the housing 2 or the locking element 3, the snap-in connection 32 may latch into a corresponding cutout or hole in the first fluid line 11 and in this way fix the fluid line 11 to the connector 2.

[0042] Figure 1A It is also shown that the outer dimensions of the housing 2 and the locking element 3 are very similar to each other in terms of their cross-section. Figure 1A The two housing parts 2, 3 in the figure extend substantially identically in the vertical direction and in the direction of the drawing plane. Figure 1A In the axial or substantially horizontal direction, the housing 2 extends significantly farther than the locking element 3 , specifically, 2 or 3 times longer than the locking element 3 .

[0043] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector device is shown. Figure 1AIn addition to the elements seen in FIG. 1 , a seal 4 is shown here, which is arranged between the housing 2 and the locking element 3. The seal 4 can be in the form of an O-ring that is fully engaged around the first fluid line 11, so that no fluid can flow from the fluid line to the outside of the connector 1.

[0044] The housing 2 and the locking element 3 are formed and arranged relative to each other to form a receiving portion 5 for accommodating the seal 4. The seal 4 is held in a chamber forming the receiving portion 5 and the chamber is delimited radially outwardly by the housing 2 and / or the locking element 3, radially inwardly by the first fluid line 11, and in both axial directions by the housing 2 on the one hand and the locking element 3 on the other hand.

[0045] A fluid channel 23 for fluidly connecting two fluid pipelines to each other is shown in the connector 1. The fluid channel 23 is planar. It can basically have a triangular basic shape. The fluid channel 23 widens from the first connecting part 21 to the second connecting part 22, so that in the area where the fluid channel 23 is connected to the fluid pipeline, the fluid channel 23 basically has the width of the fluid pipeline. This enables the fluid channel 23 of the connector 1 to have a loss flow as low as possible.

[0046] Furthermore, it can be seen that the first fluid line 11 comprises a plurality of, for example, parallel line channels 13 and edge regions 12 between the line channels 13 and the upper and lower edges of the fluid line 11, the edge regions 12 being free of such line channels 13. In the edge regions 12 at the bottom and at the top, a through hole 14 is shown, respectively, into which a fixing component or a snap-on connection 32 for fixing the fluid line 11 to the connector 1 can be introduced.

[0047] Figure 1B It is shown that the connector 1 can consist of exactly three parts, the housing 2, the locking element 3 and the seal 4. If, instead of a snap connection 32, for example a fixing pin is used as the fixing element, the connector 1 can consist of exactly four different parts, wherein of course more than one fixing pin can also be used.

[0048] Figure 2A and 2BDifferent views of the locking element 3 are shown. In this embodiment, the locking element 3 has a snap-on connection 32, while the housing 2 must have a corresponding cutout 31 or through-hole into which the snap-on connection 32 can be inserted for latching. The exemplary embodiment shows a total of ten snap-on connections 32, of which five snap-on connections 32 are arranged opposite to each other. It can also be seen that the locking element 3 comprises a through-hole or a hole as a fixing part 6. However, alternatively or additionally, embodiments are also conceivable in which corresponding snap-on connections 32 and / or fixing parts 6 are arranged on the housing 2. If the snap-on connection is additionally or alternatively arranged on the housing 2, a corresponding cutout 31 must of course be present on the locking element 3 to achieve locking.

[0049] Figure 2B A plurality of ribs 33 are shown arranged inside the locking element 3, which are configured to contact the first fluid line 11 and to fix the first fluid line 11 in the locking housing 3. Here, in each case one rib 33 and one snap-in connection 32 can be arranged in an alternating manner. The ribs 33 can be arranged along a longitudinal side and a width side of the locking element 3. In particular, two ribs 33' can be arranged in the plane of symmetry of the locking element 3. The two ribs 33' can contact or fix the fluid line 11 laterally.

[0050] Figure 3A and 3B Two cross-sectional views of the connector device are shown, in which details can be seen regarding the position of the first fluid line 11 and regarding the connection of the housing 2 with the locking element 3. At this point, the first fluid line 11 has been partially introduced into the fluid channel 23 and in this way a better connection between the fluid line 11 and the connector 1 can be achieved.

[0051] Furthermore, the two snap connections 32 of the locking element 3 are shown in a locked state. Here, the snap connections 32 extend into corresponding cutouts 31 of the housing 2, thereby fixing the locking element 3 to the housing 2. The locking element 3 is further connected to the housing 2 by an edge portion 34 of the locking element 3, which abuts against a peripheral edge region of the housing 2 and forms a stop. The edge portion 34 and the snap connections 32 together fix the locking element 3 to the housing 2 in two axial directions.

[0052] like Figure 3A and 3BAs further shown, both the housing 2 and the locking element 3 can be symmetrical relative to the plane extending the first fluid line 11. Moreover, it can be seen that the receiving portion 5 extends substantially equally in the axial direction to the locking element 3. In particular, it can be understood that the axial extent of the receiving portion 5 corresponds to at least 50% of the axial extent of the locking portion 3.

[0053] at last, Figure 4 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the first fluid line 11. It can be seen that in the fluid line 11, a plurality of longitudinally extending partition walls are provided, which separate a corresponding plurality of pipeline channels 13 from one another in the fluid line 11. In this case, the pipeline channels 13 do not extend over the entire width of the fluid line 11, but have an edge region 12 on the left and right sides of the pipeline channel 13, in which no pipeline channel 13 is arranged. The edge region 12 can extend entirely to half the width of the fluid line 11. The width of the fluid line 11 is to be understood as the width of the fluid line 11. Figure 4 The horizontal length in the figure, and the axial direction should be understood as the direction perpendicular to the drawing.

[0054] Figure 5A A fixing element 60 is shown in a semi-finished state and, for comparison purposes, above it a locking element 3. The fixing element 60 can be a metal clamp made from a blank or a metal sheet. The fixing element 60 can be cut from a metal sheet, for example, by a laser cutter. The fixing element can include a peripheral portion 61, which is composed of two parallel and / or straight longitudinal portions 62 and two curved portions 63 connecting the two longitudinal portions 62. The portions form a continuous peripheral portion 61, through which the first fluid line 11 can be guided in the finished state of the peripheral portion 60. The finished state of the peripheral portion 60 is shown in FIG. Figure 5B The length of the longitudinal portion 62 substantially corresponds to the width of the first fluid line 11 .

[0055] Bends 64 are arranged along the longitudinal section 62 of the peripheral section 61. A total of six bends 64 can be provided, arranged at the outer edge of the peripheral section 61, wherein the bends are arranged two opposite each other in each case. The bends 64 can also be arranged on the inner edge of the peripheral section 61. The inner bends 64 can be arranged offset from each other. The inner bends 64 can be formed shorter than the outer bends 64. Figure 5AIn the semi-finished state of the fixing element 60 shown, the surrounding portion and the bent portion 64 can be arranged in one plane. The bent portion 64 of the fixing element 60 can be arranged along the longitudinal portion 62, so that in the assembled state of the connector 1, at least a part of the bent portion 64 is located between the ribs of the locking element 3.

[0056] Figure 5B The fixing element 60 is shown in a finished state, wherein all the bent portions 64 are bent by about 80°-90°. In this state, the fixing element 60 can be connected to another component of the connector 1, wherein the first fluid line 11 can be guided through the through hole of the surrounding portion 61 defined by the surrounding portion 61.

[0057] Figure 6 An exploded view of a connector device is shown with a fixing element 60, which is arranged between the housing 2 and the locking element 3. For the purpose of mounting the connector device, the first fluid line 11 is pushed into the fixing element 60, which is located in another structure of the connector. In the fully assembled state of the connector device, at least a part of the bent portion 64 of the fixing element 60 can be located in the housing 2. In the fully assembled state, the surrounding portion 61 of the fixing element 60 is located between the supporting surfaces of the housing 2 and the locking element 3 and is fixed in this way.

[0058] Figure 7 The working principle of the fixing element 60 is shown. For the sake of clarity, the housing 2 and the locking element 3 are not shown. The geometry or one-sided shape of the bent portion 64 of the fixing element 60 creates a shape similar to a barb. These barbs prevent the aluminum profile or the first fluid line 11 from being pulled out unnecessarily in the direction opposite to the assembly direction (upper arrow). In contrast, the assembly of the fluid line 11 can still be carried out by simply inserting it into the connector 1 (lower arrow).

[0059] The present invention is not limited to one of the above-described embodiments but can be modified in various ways.

[0060] All features and advantages arising from the claims, the description and the drawings, including structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps, may be essential to the invention, either individually or in multiple combinations.

[0061] Component Symbols List

[0062] 1 Connector

[0063] 2. Housing

[0064] 3 Locking element

[0065] 4 Seals

[0066] 5 Receiving part

[0067] 6 Fixed part

[0068] 11 First fluid pipeline

[0069] 12 Marginal Area

[0070] 13 Pipeline channel

[0071] 14 Through Holes

[0072] 21 First connection part

[0073] 22 Second connection part

[0074] 23 Fluid Channel

[0075] 24 Reinforcement ribs

[0076] 31 Incision

[0077] 32 buckle connector

[0078] 33,33' Rib

[0079] 34 Edge

[0080] 60 Fixing elements

[0081] 61 surrounding area

[0082] 62 vertical section

[0083] 63 Bend

[0084] 64 Bend

Claims

1. A connector (1) for two fluid lines of different geometric shapes, having A housing (2) comprising a first connecting portion (21), a second connecting portion (22), and a fluid channel (23) fluidically connecting the first connecting portion (21) and the second connecting portion (22); a locking element (3) connectable to the housing (2); and a sealing member (4) which may be disposed between the housing (2) and the locking element (3), The locking element (3) and the housing (2) can be arranged relative to each other relative to the fluid passage (23) so as to form a receiving portion (5) for accommodating the sealing member (4) between the housing (2) and the locking element (3), characterized in that : The first connecting portion (21) is configured to connect a first fluid pipeline (11) having an elongated cross section, and the second connecting portion (22) is configured to connect only a second fluid pipeline having another cross section, wherein the other cross section is circular, wherein the locking element (3) is provided with a fixing portion (6) and a fixing element (60) for fixing the first fluid pipeline (11), wherein the fixing element (60) can be introduced into at least one cutout of the fixing portion (6) and a cutout or through hole of the first fluid pipeline (11), and wherein the fixing element (60) is used to fix the first fluid pipeline (11) to the connector in a form-fitting manner.

2. The connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (2) and / or the locking element (3) are manufactured as a single piece by injection molding, die casting or additive manufacturing.

3. The connector (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing (2) and the locking element (3) are capable of latching with each other.

4. The connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer dimensions of the housing (2) and the locking element (3) are similar to each other in cross section.

5. The connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fluid channel (23) is at least partially in the form of a flat and planar cutout in the housing (2).

6. The connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first fluid line (11) is at least partially introduced into the fluid channel (23), and / or the housing (2) comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs (24) on the outside.

7. A connector device having a connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The connector (1) is connected to a first fluid line (11) in the form of a flat channel.

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