Self-aligning electrical connector system

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-aligning electrical connector system for transmitting data and / or transmitting energy, having a first connector part with a plurality of small load contact elements and / or large load contact elements, and having a second connector part attachable on the first connector part, with small load contact elements and / or large load contact elements complementary to the small load contact elements and / or large load contact elements of the first connector part, wherein the first connector part has a plurality of positioning pins designed to be inserted into positioning chambers of the second connector part in order to achieve a coarse positioning of the two connector parts relative to one another, and further having a flat carrier frame on which the first connector part is floating with three rotational degrees of freedom and at least two linear degrees of freedom, wherein the first connector part has on its underside a plurality of planar elements projecting on the sides in mutually opposite directions, spring arms shaped on the carrier frame load these planar elements with a spring force towards the carrier frame, and wherein the first connector part has between the planar elements a ball socket in which a ball rests against the carrier frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-aligning electrical connector system, which is used for transmitting data and / or transmitting energy and has a first connector component, which has a plurality of small-load contact elements and / or large-load contact elements. The self-aligning electrical connector system also has a second connector component that can be attached to the first connector component, which has small-load contact elements and / or large-load contact elements that complement the small-load contact elements and / or large-load contact elements of the first connector component, wherein the first connector component has a plurality of positioning pins, which are designed to be embedded in the positioning chamber of the second connector component so as to achieve rough positioning of the two connector components. The self-aligning electrical connector system also has a flat carrier frame, on which the first connector component is floatingly arranged with three rotational degrees of freedom and at least two linear degrees of freedom.

[0002] Such connector systems are suitable, for example, for establishing electrical connections to the vehicle battery of electrically driven motor vehicles. Here, if the voltage is also high, relatively high currents are conducted via suitable heavy-duty contact elements with a large cross-section. Furthermore, multiple electrical connections for data and control signals are often required, which can be conducted via multiple light-duty contact elements with a substantially smaller cross-section.

[0003] To this end, an electrical connector system is provided, which has a first connector part and a second connector part, which can be connected to each other as a plug connector of complex design. Complementary heavy-load contact elements and light-load contact elements are provided on the first connector part and the second connector part, respectively, and the heavy-load contact elements and the light-load contact elements are brought into contact with each other by joining the connector parts together.

[0004] Connecting multi-pole, complex plug-in connectors requires extreme care when joining the connector parts, especially when they have contact elements of different sizes. A particular problem is the considerable force required to join the heavily loaded contact elements. If the two connector parts tilt, the significantly smaller, more mechanically sensitive, lightly loaded contact elements risk being damaged.

[0005] In order to avoid such damage, it is necessary to bring the first and second connector parts together with their complementary mating plug connectors linearly in a predetermined plug direction. In order to achieve this as well as possible, so-called self-aligning electrical connectors are used. Background Art

[0006] A self-aligning electrical connector of this type is known from EP2816674A1. The connector described therein has a mounting for securing a chassis to a structure in order to align a mating connector. The mounting connects the chassis to the mounting and comprises a plurality of connected frames that are movable toward one another. Consequently, the structure of this connector is relatively costly and complex. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a self-aligning electrical connector whose mechanical arrangement for self-alignment is particularly simple and can be produced at low cost.

[0008] According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the first connector part has on its underside a plurality of planar elements projecting laterally in mutually opposite directions, spring arms formed on the support frame load these planar elements with a spring force in the direction of the support frame, and the first connector part has between the planar elements a ball socket for accommodating a ball that rests on the support frame.

[0009] The first connector part is therefore not connected to the carrier frame in a form-fitting manner, but is supported on the first connector part by the spring force of a plurality of spring arms applied to laterally protruding planar elements. Between the planar elements, the first connector part rests on a ball, which is held on the first connector part by a ball socket and can roll on a flat web on the carrier frame.

[0010] In this case, the ball is arranged centrally between the spring arms, so that the substantially unstable position of the first connector part is compensated by the spring force exerted on the planar element.

[0011] Here, the spring arms located on the planar element enable lateral movement of the planar element, thereby enabling the first connector part to be moved parallel to the plane of the carrier frame. This enables linear movement of the first connector part relative to the carrier frame in two mutually perpendicular directions and enables rotation about the vertical axis of the first connector part. The spring arms resiliently located on the planar element can also be individually deflected in the vertical direction, thereby enabling a certain degree of deflection about the two other body axes of the first connector part.

[0012] The first connector part thus has two linear degrees of freedom and three rotational degrees of freedom, by means of which the first connector part can be aligned towards the second connector part when the second connector part is attached.

[0013] This simplifies the plugging process and almost completely eliminates damage to the contact elements. In particular, it even allows the plug connector parts to be joined together "blindly" without risk and further supports the plug-in connection performed by a robot.

[0014] A relatively simple and therefore cost-effective mechanical design is particularly advantageous, which allows the first connector part to be arranged displaceably on the carrier frame. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] To this end, embodiments of the present invention are shown and further explained below with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 Showing the self-aligning connector system,

[0017] Figure 2 showing a first connector part and a second connector part,

[0018] Figure 3 showing the first connector part and the carrier frame,

[0019] Figure 4 shows possible movements of the connector system,

[0020] Figure 5 The support of the first connector part on the carrier frame is shown in sketch form, and

[0021] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The securing of the first connector part and the second connector part to each other is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1 A connector system is shown in sketch form, which has a first connector part and a second connector part 10, 20. Such a connector system is suitable, for example, for establishing an electrical connection to a vehicle battery of an electrically driven motor vehicle.

[0023] First connector part 10 is designed as a stationary, stable connector part and can be installed in a motor vehicle for the described application. For this purpose, a carrier frame 30 is used, which is fixedly connected to the vehicle body. Second connector part 20, shown here below cover 50, is connected to a charging cable (not shown here), which is electrically connected to a charging device located outside the vehicle.

[0024] A plurality of electrical contact elements 11, 12, 21, and 22 are provided on the contact-carrying portions 15 and 25 of the first and second connector parts 10 and 20, respectively. These contact elements are implemented as complementary plugs and plug sleeves on the two connector parts 10 and 20, respectively, and can be electrically and mechanically connected to each other by assembling the connector parts 10 and 20 together. The electrical contact elements 11, 12, 21, and 22 are simply shown in the figures by means of a housing. The metal plugs and metal plug sleeves within the housings are not shown.

[0025] In addition to the high-load contact elements 12 , 22 , which are unipolar and serve to transmit energy from the charging device to the motor vehicle, the connector system also comprises, by way of example, two multipolar low-load contact elements 11 , 21 on each connector component 10 , 20 , which are generally suitable for transmitting control signals or control data between the motor vehicle and the charging device.

[0026] Attaching the second connector part 20 to the first connector part 10 manually or robotically requires a certain degree of precision, in particular to prevent damage to the smaller and therefore more mechanically sensitive, lightly loaded contact elements 11, 21 during the plugging process. However, due to the size and complex structure of the connector parts 10, 20, precise alignment is difficult to achieve during the attachment process, so that slight displacement and / or deflection of the two connector parts 10, 20 relative to each other when approaching each other is generally almost unavoidable.

[0027] Nevertheless, in order to enable an easily operable connection and to avoid damage to the contact elements 11, 12, 21, 22 caused by non-coaxial attachment, the first connector part 10 is arranged floatingly on the carrier frame 30, so that the connector part 10 can be displaced and deflected relative to the carrier frame 30 and thereby be aligned towards the second connector part 20 during the attachment process.

[0028] Figure 2 The two connector parts 10, 20 are shown as separate parts. Clearly visible here are the electrical lead-in lines 17, 27 for the lightly loaded contact elements 11, 21 on the first and second connector parts 10, 20, as well as the terminals 18 and lead-in lines 28 with a large cross-section for communicating with the heavy-load contact elements 12, 22 on the first and second connector parts 10, 20.

[0029] On the contact-carrying portion 15 of the first connector part 10, two laterally projecting planar elements 14 can be seen, which extend in opposite directions. The first connector part 10 has two further planar elements parallel to the one shown, but which are arranged on the Figure 2 The light-load contact element 11 covers the contact surface.

[0030] The first connector part 10 further comprises a plurality of positioning pins 13 which are arranged to engage in positioning chambers 23 of the second connector part 20 when the two connector parts 10 , 20 are joined together, so as to establish a rough positioning of the two connector parts 10 , 20 relative to each other.

[0031] The positioning pins 13 preferably have conical end sections 19. These end sections are inserted into positioning chambers 23 on the second connector part 20, which are preferably each configured as a conical cavity. The conical shape simplifies the insertion of the positioning pins 13 into the positioning chambers 23 and, together with the floating support of the first connector 10 on the carrier frame 30, which will be described later, simplifies the pre-centering of the two connector parts 10, 20 relative to each other.

[0032] Before the first connector component and the second connector component 10, 20 are assembled together, the first connector component 10 is connected to the carrier frame 30 in a floating manner. Figure 3 As shown, the carrier frame 30 has a central connecting piece 36 extending in the transverse direction in the middle, and two support arms 34 bent at right angles are formed on the sides of the central connecting piece. The support arms 34 perform the function of elastically supporting the first connector component 10. On the longitudinal side of its rear portion, the carrier frame 30 has two formed locking hooks 35.

[0033] Two elastic spring arms 31 are located on the two narrow sides of the support frame 30, each of which is formed by two pin-shaped connecting pieces 38, the end faces of which are connected by a flat section, hereinafter referred to as a retaining nose 32. The relatively thin, pin-shaped connecting pieces 38 are connected integrally to the narrow sides of the support frame 30.

[0034] Between the two connecting pieces 38 of each spring arm 31 , a limiting strut 33 is formed on the carrier frame 30 , which limiting strut 33 is connected to the carrier frame 30 relatively rigidly due to its heavy design.

[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, on the first connector part 10 , a shaped portion is located between the planar elements 14 , which shaped portion is configured as a ball socket 16 that is open toward the bottom.

[0036] In order to connect the first connector part 10 to the carrier frame 30, a ball 40 is inserted into the ball socket 16 and is also placed on the connecting piece 36 ( Figure 3 ). The planar element 14 of the first connector part 10 is then pushed under the limiting struts 33 and the elastic retaining noses 32, respectively, until the locking hooks 35 loosely engage in locking receptacles (not shown) on the first connector part 10. The locking hooks 35 here only have the function of preventing the first connector part 10 from falling out in the transverse direction of the carrier frame 30 and do not otherwise restrict lateral relative movement between the first connector part 10 and the carrier frame 30.

[0037] Now, a floating support of the first connector 10 on the carrier frame 30 is achieved by loading the planar element 14 formed on the underside of the first connector part 10 with a spring force toward the carrier frame 30 by means of spring arms 31 formed on the carrier frame 30, and by the first connector part 10 being supported on the carrier frame 30, which is also supported on the ball 40.

[0038] As a result, the planar element 14 is located below the elastic holding nose 32, which presses the planar element 14 toward the bottom surface 39 by means of its spring force and balances the planar element 14 due to its support on the ball 40. Figure 5 Illustrated in sketch form.

[0039] In the attachment direction of the second connector part 20, the centrally arranged ball 40 supports the first connector part 10, which is arranged for example on a vehicle, on the carrier frame 30 and enables tilting and displacement movements of the first connector part 10 about the placement point of the ball 40 on the carrier frame 30. The planar elements 14 arranged around the ball 40 on the first connector part 10 are pressed against the carrier frame surface by spring arms 31 formed on the carrier frame 30. The spring arms 31 thus secure the first connector part 10 in a floating manner on the carrier frame 30, while enabling rotational and displacement movements.

[0040] By the arrows marked, Figure 4 Only a few possibilities of displacement and deflection of the first connector part 10 relative to the carrier frame 30 are shown. In order to describe the movement possibilities more precisely, Figure 5A rectangular coordinate system with x, y, and z axes is indicated in the figure. The origin of this coordinate system is arbitrarily taken to be the midpoint of the sphere 40. In the drawing plane, the x-axis extends parallel to the bottom surface 39 of the carrier frame 30. Likewise, in the drawing plane, the z-axis serves as a vertical axis, while the y-axis (shown only partially in the figure) is oriented perpendicular to the drawing plane.

[0041] The support of the first connector part 10 on the sphere 40 and on the spring arm 31 of the carrier frame enables linear movement of the first connector part 10 in the x- and y-directions, as well as tilting movement about the x- and y-axes and rotational movement about the z-axis. The range of the tilting movement is limited by the limiting support 33, which acts as a stop. In order to limit the range of rotational movement about the z-axis, a vertically protruding stop element 37 can be formed on the connecting piece 36 of the carrier frame 30 ( Figure 3 The shape of the carrier frame 30 limits the range of linear movement of the first connector component 10 in the x-direction and the y-direction to a necessary extent.

[0042] Due to the wide range of possibilities for movement between the first and second connector parts 10, 20 and the centralization of the positioning pins 13 embedded in the positioning chambers 23, initial misalignment between the two connector parts 10, 20 is quickly compensated and simple assembly of the contact elements 11, 12, 21, 22 of the connector parts 10, 20 is ensured. After the joining process is complete, the connection of the two connector parts 10, 20 can be easily secured by means of a single, centrally placed screw 60 ( Figure 6 、 Figure 7 ).

[0043] Reference Signs List

[0044] 10 First connector part

[0045] 11 Small load contact element

[0046] 12 heavy-duty contact elements

[0047] 13 positioning pin

[0048] 14 Planar elements

[0049] 15 Contact bearing part

[0050] 16 ball socket

[0051] 17 Introducing lines

[0052] 18 terminals

[0053] 19 Conical end section

[0054] 20 Second connector part

[0055] 21 Small load contact element

[0056] 22 Heavy-load contact elements

[0057] 23 Positioning Room

[0058] 25 Contact bearing part

[0059] 27 Introducing Line

[0060] 28 Incoming Line

[0061] 30 load-bearing frame

[0062] 31 Spring Arm

[0063] 32 Keep nose

[0064] 33 Limiting support

[0065] 34 Placement Arm

[0066] 35 Locking hook

[0067] 36 connecting piece

[0068] 37 Stop element

[0069] 38 Pin-shaped connecting piece

[0070] 39 Bottom

[0071] 40 spheres

[0072] 50 cover

[0073] 60 bolts

[0074] x, y, z coordinate axes

Claims

1. A self-aligning electrical connector system for transmitting data and transmitting energy, and having a first connector part (10) having a plurality of low-load contact elements (11) and / or high-load contact elements (12), The self-aligning electrical connector system further comprises a second connector component (20) attachable to the first connector component (10), the second connector component having a small load contact element (21) complementary to the small load contact element (11) of the first connector component (10) and / or a large load contact element (22) complementary to the large load contact element (12) of the first connector component (10), in, The first connector part (10) has a plurality of positioning pins (13) which are designed to be embedded in the positioning chambers (23) of the second connector part (20) so as to achieve a rough positioning of the two connector parts (10, 20) relative to each other. The self-aligning electrical connector system further comprises a flat carrier frame (30) on which the first connector component (10) is arranged in a floating manner with three rotational degrees of freedom and at least two linear degrees of freedom. The invention is characterized in that the first connector part (10) has a plurality of planar elements (14) protruding laterally in mutually opposite directions on its lower side, and spring arms (31) formed on the carrier frame (30) load these planar elements with spring force toward the carrier frame (30), and The first connector part (10) has a ball socket (16) between the planar elements (14) for accommodating a ball (40), which rests on the carrier frame (30).

2. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein The positioning pin (13) has a conical end section (19).

3. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein The positioning chamber (23) is configured in a conical shape.

4. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein A limiting support portion (33) is provided on the bearing portion frame (30).

5. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein The first connector component (10) is fixed to the second connector component (20) by means of bolts (60).

Images