Electrical contact element, pre-assembled cable and manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical contact element (3), to a pre-assembled cable (5) and to a production method. The electrical contact element is formed from a stamped bent part and / or from a deep drawn metal part (1). The electrical contact element (3) has a contact region (6) which has an end contact surface (7) which is designed for electrical and mechanical contact with the electrical plug contact element. The electrical contact element (3) also has a support region (8) which is arranged on a side of the contact region (6) facing away from the end contact surface (7) and is designed to mechanically support the contact region (6). The contact region (6) is integrally connected to the support region (8) via a main connection section (9).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical contact element according to the preamble of claim 1 , which is formed from a stamped bent part or from a deep-drawn metal component.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a preassembled electrical cable comprising an electrical conductor and an electrical contact element which is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrical conductor.

[0003] The invention also relates to a production method for producing an electrical contact element or a preassembled electrical cable. Background Art

[0004] Electrical contact elements for direct contact with corresponding electrical plug-in contact elements are known in electrical engineering for various applications. Electrical contact elements and corresponding plug-in contact elements are used in particular in electrical plug connectors or electrical plug-in plug connectors for direct electrical and mechanical contact. For this purpose, there can be different types of contacts.

[0005] In addition to contact elements that make radial contact with corresponding mating contact elements (e.g., pin contacts that are contacted on their outer surfaces by spring contact pieces), contact elements based on end face contact are also particularly used. As an example, a possible variant of such an end face contact element is disclosed in DE 10 2021 122 611 A1.

[0006] Sometimes high demands are made on the robustness of plug connectors and their contact elements. In particular, the contact elements must be suitable for a very large number of mating cycles at most. In order to meet these demands, end contact elements are usually designed as solid volume bodies and therefore usually as turned parts.

[0007] In addition to the robustness or durability of the contact element, another common requirement is the economical production of the contact element in large quantities. However, the production of known end contact elements involves considerable material, production and assembly costs. The weight of the known end contact elements, especially if these are designed as solid turned parts, is also not insignificant. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of the known prior art, the object of the invention is to provide an electrical contact element which can be produced cost-effectively, in particular within the scope of mass production, and which is advantageously suitable for end-face contacting and which preferably has a high mechanical stability.

[0009] The invention also aims to provide an electrical cable which is preassembled with electrical contact elements and which can be produced cost-effectively, in particular within the scope of mass production, and which is advantageously suitable for end-face contacting and which preferably has a high mechanical stability.

[0010] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a production method by which electrical end face contact elements or cables preassembled therewith can be produced cost-effectively, in particular within the scope of large-scale production, preferably with high mechanical stability.

[0011] This object is achieved by an electrical contact element having the features disclosed in claim 1. With regard to the preassembled electrical cable, this object is achieved by the features of claim 13. With regard to the manufacturing method, this object is achieved by claim 14.

[0012] The dependent claims and features described below relate to advantageous embodiments and variants of the invention.

[0013] An electrical contact element is provided which is formed from a stamped bent part and / or from a deep-drawn metal component.

[0014] The electrical contact element can be formed in particular by stamping and subsequently or simultaneously bending a metal part, usually a substantially flat metal part, in particular a metal sheet, or by deep drawing a corresponding metal part. A combination of the two manufacturing processes, namely stamping / bending and previously, simultaneously or subsequently deep drawing a region of the metal part, can also be provided.

[0015] Preferably, the electrical contact element consists only of a stamped bent part or a deep-drawn metal component and has no further components. Thus, the electrical contact element is preferably formed in one piece or in one piece, particularly preferably from an initially substantially flat metal component / metal sheet.

[0016] The punching and bending process and the deep drawing process are well known in the prior art, which is why no further details are provided here. Both manufacturing processes are particularly suitable for the cost-effective production of components for plug connectors within the scope of mass production, but according to the relevant expert opinion, they are quite unsuitable for the production of end contact elements due to their lack of mechanical stability.

[0017] According to the invention, the proposed electrical contact element has a contact region with an end-face contact surface which is designed for electrical and mechanical contact with an electrical plug-in contact element.

[0018] The electrical contact element is therefore advantageously designed for end-face contact and can therefore also be designated as “end-face contact element”.

[0019] The plug-in contact element can also be designed as an end-face contact element, for example as a pin contact element, in particular as a spring-loaded pin contact element.

[0020] Preferably, the proposed contact element is a substantially elongated component extending along a central or longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis preferably also extends along the contact direction of the contact element with a corresponding mating contact element.

[0021] The contact region is preferably an end section of the contact element which is at the front along the longitudinal axis or contact direction and faces the mating contact element. The contact region may extend from the front end of the contact element along the longitudinal axis in the direction of the rear end of the contact element facing away from the mating contact element.

[0022] The end-face contact surface of the contact region is formed in particular at a front end of the electrical contact element and faces the electrical plug-in contact element.

[0023] According to the invention, the electrical contact element further comprises a support region which is arranged on the side of the contact region facing away from the end contact surface and is designed to mechanically support the contact region.The contact region is integrally or monolithically connected to the support region via the main connecting section.

[0024] The support region is preferably arranged behind the contact region along the longitudinal axis of the electrical contact element starting from the front end of the contact element.The support region is preferably directly adjacent to the contact region along the longitudinal axis of the contact element.

[0025] By combining a contact element designed as a stamped bent part and / or designed as a deep-drawn component with the above-described support region for the end-face contact region, an end-face contact element can advantageously be realized which can be produced particularly cost-effectively within the scope of mass production and which nevertheless has a high mechanical stability. In this way, considerable material and assembly costs and weight of the electrical contact element can be saved, without having a negative impact on the service life or the mechanical stability of the contact element.

[0026] The end contact surface may preferably be circular or arcuate. However, alternative surface geometries (eg rectangular or square surfaces, elliptical surfaces, polygonal surfaces, etc.) are also possible.

[0027] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the end contact surface is formed as a single continuous surface.

[0028] In principle, however, the invention can also provide an end face contact surface formed by a plurality of individual segments or by a plurality of individual surfaces. The end face contact surface can, for example, be divided into two parts and can thus, for example, be formed by two contact strips bent toward each other. In principle, three-part, four-part or even more divided end face contact surfaces are also possible.

[0029] However, a particularly high level of mechanical stability can be achieved if the end contact surface is continuous and preferably the entire contact area is integral or designed as a continuous area.

[0030] In principle, the end contact surface of the contact region can have any geometry or any contour. For example, the end contact surface can be convex or concave. The mating contact surface of the mating contact element can then preferably have a complementary design, so that contact can be made again between the contact element and the mating contact element primarily over any surface area.

[0031] According to a particularly preferred development of the invention, however, it can be provided that the end contact surface is a substantially flat surface.

[0032] However, the fact that the end face contact surface is preferably a substantially flat surface is not intended to exclude the possibility of optionally forming one or more recesses (e.g., the centering holes mentioned below) or protrusions (e.g., centering points, such as embossing introduced from the rear side of the end face contact surface) in the flat surface. The mating contact surface of the mating contact element may preferably have complementary structures, such as complementary protrusions or recesses.

[0033] According to a development of the invention, it can be provided, for example, that one or more holes are formed in the end contact surface.

[0034] The one or more holes may preferably be blind holes. However, through holes may also be provided if desired. The one or more holes may optionally have a chamfer or transition radius to the end contact surface.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment, the end face contact surface can have exactly one central centering hole, for example to center the corresponding mating contact element and / or to ensure greater stability of the connection in the contact state by a positive locking connection in the segment and / or to support checking the correct assembly of the contact elements within the scope of the plug connector assembly or cable assembly (for example, the centering hole supports the centering of a mechanical test probe, or the centering hole can be used as an optical detection aid for optically checking the correct positioning and / or orientation of the contact elements).

[0036] It can also be provided that the hole is designed to accommodate one or more permanent magnets. The contact element equipped with a magnet accordingly can facilitate contact with the mating contact element (for example, to achieve "blind mating") and / or provide a magnetic encoding so that contact can only be made with certain mating contact elements and / or only along one or more predetermined orientations.

[0037] At this point it should be mentioned that in principle one or more mechanical encoding means can also be integrated in the end contact surface or in the contact region, so that contact can be made only with certain mating contact elements and / or only in one or more predetermined orientations.

[0038] Optionally, a contour may be formed on the end contact surface, for example, a chamfer or rounding may be formed along the circumference of the end contact surface. A funnel-shaped shape of the end contact surface or the contact area may also be provided.

[0039] In a development of the invention, it can be provided that the support area is partially annular, annular or preferably at least approximately sleeve-shaped or hollow cylindrical. In principle, however, the support area can be of any design to support the contact area on the rear side in sections or completely circumferentially. The support area can basically have any geometric shape, in particular a spiral or star-shaped geometry. The support area can also support the contact area at a distance from the edge or side ("further inwards", rather than directly along the outer circumference).

[0040] Preferably, an annular end or a partly annular end of the sleeve-shaped supporting region facing the contact region mechanically supports the contact region on a side facing away from the end-face contact surface.

[0041] In a development of the invention, it can be provided that the support region, in particular (but not exclusively) the sleeve-shaped support region, is formed by two support sheets or half-shells which are bent towards one another.

[0042] Preferably, the support pieces or half shells bent towards each other contact each other when they are fully bent, so that their ends at least sectionally face each other along the longitudinal axis of the contact element. Thus, the support region is preferably at least substantially closed in the circumferential direction along the longitudinal axis of the contact element. In this way, a particularly stable support of the contact element and a very high mechanical stability can be achieved.

[0043] However, the supporting region can also be partially open in the circumferential direction, for example forming a U-shape or a V-shape.

[0044] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the main connecting section is designed as a bending point in order to form a transition angle between the support region and the contact region.

[0045] The transition angle can be, for example, 20° to 160°, preferably 45° to 135°, particularly preferably 80° to 100°, in particular at least approximately 90° or exactly 90°.

[0046] Thus, the end face contact surface is preferably at least substantially oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the electrical contact element.However, although not preferred, the end face contact surface may also be inclined relative to a vertical orientation if desired.

[0047] Preferably, the longitudinal axis of the contact element extends centrally through the end contact surface.

[0048] In a development of the invention, it can be provided that the contact region is connected to the supporting region via at least one secondary connecting section.

[0049] The secondary connecting section is preferably spaced apart from the primary connecting section along the circumference of the end contact surface.

[0050] Although the contact region is connected integrally to the support region via a primary connecting section, the connection preferably takes place in multiple parts via secondary connecting sections, preferably in a positive-locking, non-positive-locking and / or materially joined manner.

[0051] The secondary connection section can be another section of the contact region or the support region that is different from the main connection section to further stabilize the mechanical connection between the contact region and the support region, thereby further increasing the overall mechanical stability of the electrical contact element. In addition to the main connection section, at least one secondary connection section can advantageously prevent the contact region or the end contact surface from rebounding during the contact process.

[0052] In principle, any desired number of secondary connecting sections can be provided and distributed along the circumference of the end contact surface.

[0053] At least one secondary connection section can be connected integrally or monolithically to the contact region or integrally or monolithically to the support region (a positive locking, non-positive locking and / or materially joined connection to the respective other region can preferably be performed). When a plurality of secondary connection sections are provided, some of the secondary connection sections can be connected to the contact region, and other sections of the secondary connection sections can be connected to the support region, so that it is not necessary for all secondary connection sections to be integrally connected to the same region. Optionally (not preferred), it can also be provided that the secondary connection section is neither integrally connected to the contact region nor to the support region, and is therefore designed as a completely independent component.

[0054] In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the secondary connecting section is designed as a connecting piece which is integrally connected to the contact region and is bent in the direction of the support region and is connected to the support region at least in a positive-locking manner along the longitudinal axis of the contact element.

[0055] The support area can form a corresponding positive locking socket for a positive locking connection with a secondary connecting section or with a connecting piece, in particular a socket which can be engaged at the rear along the longitudinal axis of the contact element by a bent connecting piece of the contact area in order to be able to lock the contact area to the support area along the longitudinal axis. The connecting piece or the secondary connecting section can be designed accordingly in order to be able to latch in such a recess along the longitudinal axis, for example by a secondary connecting section or connecting piece having a diameter jump in the area of ​​the free end section. The secondary connecting section or connecting piece can, for this purpose, for example, be at least approximately T-shaped.

[0056] Therefore, preferably, a connecting piece can be provided, which is anchored on the end face contact surface and is bent in a positive locking manner and penetrates into a corresponding recess on the support area, so that the positive locking connection prevents axial displacement of the end face contact surface along the longitudinal axis of the contact element and thus prevents the contact area from elastically moving inward.

[0057] In an advantageous development of the invention, it can be provided that the connecting piece of the secondary connecting section is connected directly to the supporting region at the connecting point of the two half shells.

[0058] In a particularly preferred embodiment, it can be provided that the connecting webs of the secondary connecting section form a further positive-locking connection with the sleeve-shaped supporting region in the circumferential direction, so that the half shells of the supporting region are locked to one another.

[0059] In a development of the invention, it can be provided that the secondary connecting section has at least one welding point or joining point for connecting the contact region to the supporting region.

[0060] As already mentioned, the connection of the secondary connection section to the contact area or the support area can in principle be carried out in any manner, wherein the positive locking connection described above is preferred, since this enables particularly simple manufacturability. However, pressing, welding, joining or any other connection technology is in principle also possible and can be implemented within the scope of the invention.

[0061] Generally, it can be provided that the support region immovably supports the contact region along the longitudinal axis of the contact element or rigidly, ie non-elasticly.For many applications, a rigid support is generally sufficient.

[0062] In a development of the invention, however, it can also be provided that the supporting region supports the contact region in an elastically resilient manner along the longitudinal axis of the contact element.

[0063] Thus, it can be provided that, when the contact element is connected to the mating contact element, the contact element or the end contact surface of the contact element can spring back along the longitudinal axis of the contact element in the direction of the end of the contact element facing away from the mating contact element. Such a spring-loaded end contact surface can improve the electrical and mechanical connection during the handling of the contact device. In particular, a high vibration resistance of the plug connection can be ensured. In addition, the risk of an accidental disconnection of the electrical and mechanical connection between the contact element and the mating contact element can be reduced, and the contact resistance can be reduced.

[0064] The elasticity between the support region and the contact region can be achieved, for example, by a support region that is elastic at least partially along the longitudinal axis of the contact element and / or a main connecting section that is elastic at least in sections and / or a secondary connecting section that is elastic at least in sections. For this purpose, the corresponding sheets can be formed in particular in the form of a strip or in the form of an axially acting spring sheet (e.g., with a correspondingly suitable width, length and / or material thickness). For example, the connecting sheet of the secondary connecting section and / or the connecting sheet of the main connecting section can also be bent or flexed in sections in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the contact element in order to provide the corresponding elasticity.

[0065] The connecting sections can be designed as lateral spring blades. In particular in this case, it can be advantageous to connect at least one of the connecting sections, in particular the secondary connecting section, to the support surface and / or the contact area via additional welding points or joints, in order to still achieve simple manufacturability within the scope of the punching and bending process.

[0066] In one development, it can be provided that the electrical contact element has a connection region for electrical and mechanical connection to an electrical conductor, in particular to an inner conductor of a cable.

[0067] Preferably, the connecting region is integrally or monolithically connected to the supporting region and / or the contact region.

[0068] Thus, it can be provided that the electrical contact element has a contact region which, along the longitudinal axis, starts from the front end of the contact region facing the mating contact element, followed by the support region and then the connection region. Optionally, a further region can also be formed between the above regions or at one of the ends of the electrical contact element.

[0069] The connection area is preferably an extruded or crimped section for direct connection to the electrical conductor. For example, the connection area can have two crimping pieces, which are initially partially bent toward each other into a groove shape in the delivery state and are extruded or crimped into the final state as part of the final assembly on the cable or on the electrical conductor.

[0070] However, for example, the connection region may also be a welding region for welding to an electrical conductor of an electrical cable.In principle, the connection region may be designed to enable any positive locking, non-positive locking and / or materially engaged connection to an electrical conductor of a cable.

[0071] The invention also relates to a preassembled electrical cable comprising an electrical conductor and an electrical contact element according to the above and following embodiments, which is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrical conductor.

[0072] The invention is particularly advantageously suitable for use in the automotive industry, in particular for camera solutions or for contacting PCB contact elements or for space-saving contacting of spring contact elements. In principle, however, the invention can be used for any application within the entire field of electrical engineering, in particular for use with plug connections.

[0073] In principle, the cable can be a cable of any design having at least one electrical conductor. In particular, it can be provided that the cable has an electrical conductor which is optionally directly enclosed by a cable sheath. The electrical conductor can be detached from the cable sheath at the front end section of the cable sheath in order to be able to be directly connected to the electrical contact element, in particular via the above-mentioned connection area.

[0074] For example, it is also possible to provide a cable whose inner conductor is initially enclosed in a dielectric, which in turn is surrounded by an outer conductor (e.g. a cable shield braid and / or a cable foil), which in turn is enclosed in a cable sheath. As an alternative to a coaxial cable of this type, it is also possible to provide a cable with multiple inner conductors, such as a differential cable or a twisted pair cable. The type of cable actually used is not necessarily relevant within the scope of the invention.

[0075] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electrical plug connector, comprising at least one preassembled electrical cable according to the aforementioned and following embodiments. Optionally, the plug connector may also include an outer conductor contact element, a plug connector receiving portion (preferably an electrically insulating receiving portion) and / or other conventional connector components, such as a latch fixing element for connecting to a corresponding mating connector.

[0076] Furthermore, the invention relates to an electrical contact device, which comprises an electrical contact element according to the above and following embodiments, and a corresponding electrical plug-in contact element, preferably an end-face contact element.

[0077] The present invention also relates to a method for producing an electrical contact element or a cable preassembled with a contact element, the method comprising at least the following method steps:

[0078] - providing a substantially flat metal part;

[0079] - Stamping and bending a metal part and / or deep drawing a metal part to form a contact area and a support area, the contact area having an end face contact surface, the end face contact surface being designed for electrical and mechanical contact with an electrical plug-in contact element, the support area being arranged on a side of the contact area facing away from the end face contact surface, the support area being integrally connected to the contact area and being designed to mechanically support the contact area.

[0080] In contrast to known production methods for end face contact elements, it is not necessary to form the end face contact element from solid material. This enables a particularly cost-effective production of the end face contact element. The proposed contact element or the proposed preassembled cable can therefore be particularly advantageously suitable for applications requiring mass production, such as in the automotive industry. Despite the simplicity of production, the proposed combination of contact region and support region can provide sufficient stability for the end face contact.

[0081] Within the scope of the aforementioned method, one or more holes may optionally be provided in the end contact surface.

[0082] According to a further optional method step, it can be provided that the two support sheets are bent towards one another so that the two support sheets form two half shells bent towards one another in order to form a sleeve-shaped support region.

[0083] According to a further optional method step, it can be provided that the contact region is bent relative to the support region, preferably with a transition angle of at least approximately 90°.

[0084] According to a further optional method step, it can be provided that the contact area is connected to the supporting area via at least one secondary connecting section, preferably by bending the secondary connecting section starting from the contact area in the direction of the supporting area and, in particular, forming a positive locking connection with the supporting area along the longitudinal axis of the contact element.

[0085] According to another optional method step, it can be provided that a cable with at least one inner conductor is provided. The inner conductor can be detached from the cable sheath at the front end section before or optionally also during the manufacturing method described above. Again optionally, it can be provided that the electrical contact element is connected to the cable in particular via a connection area, preferably via a crimp connection.

[0086] At this point it should be emphasized that the method steps mentioned do not necessarily have to be performed in the order in which the method steps mentioned are first described or mentioned in the description or in the claims. Thus, for example, individual method steps or groups of method steps may be interchangeable, if this is not technically impossible. The method steps may also be combined with one another, divided into separate intermediate steps or supplemented with intermediate steps. The method also does not necessarily have to be described in detail with the method steps described and may be supplemented with other method steps (including those not mentioned).

[0087] The features described in conjunction with one of the themes of the present invention, nominally given by the electrical contact element, the preassembled cable, the electrical plug connector, the electrical contact device or the manufacturing method, can also be advantageously used for other themes of the present invention. Similarly, the advantages mentioned in conjunction with one of the themes of the present invention can also be understood relative to other themes of the present invention.

[0088] Furthermore, references to terms such as "comprises", "comprising" or "having" do not exclude other features or steps. Furthermore, the terms "a" or "the" refer to a single number of steps or features and do not exclude a plurality of features or steps, and vice versa.

[0089] However, in a purely exemplary embodiment of the invention, it may also be provided that the features disclosed in the present invention with the terms "comprises", "comprising" or "having" are exhaustively listed. Thus, within the scope of the present invention, one or more feature lists may be considered exhaustive, such as may be considered separately for each claim. For example, the present invention may comprise only the features mentioned in claim 1.

[0090] It should be mentioned that references such as “first” or “second” etc. are mainly for reasons of distinguishability between corresponding device features or method features, and are not absolutely intended to indicate that the features are interdependent or related to each other.

[0091] Furthermore, it should be emphasized that the values ​​and parameters described herein include deviations or fluctuations of ±10% or less, preferably ±5% or less, further preferably ±1% or less, very particularly preferably ±0.1% or less of the respectively cited values ​​or parameters, as long as these deviations are not excluded in the case of implementing the invention in practice. The specification of ranges by starting values ​​and end values ​​also includes all those values ​​and parts included by the respectively cited range, in particular the starting values ​​and end values ​​and the corresponding intermediate values.

[0092] The invention also relates to an electrical end face contact element, independent of claim 1, which is formed from a stamped bent part or from a deep drawn metal part. The other features of claim 1 and the dependent claims and the features described in this specification relate to advantageous embodiments and variants of the end face contact element and can be combined with the end face contact element mentioned here as required. The applicant expressly reserves the right to claim such an end face contact element separately. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0093] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0094] The accompanying drawings show preferred exemplary embodiments, in which individual features of the invention are shown in combination with one another. The features of an exemplary embodiment can also be implemented separately from other features of the same exemplary embodiment and can therefore be easily combined by a person skilled in the art to form further advantageous combinations and sub-combinations with features of other exemplary embodiments.

[0095] In the drawings, elements having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0096] In the attached picture:

[0097] Figure 1 shows a stamped, initially not yet bent, metal sheet from which an electrical contact element according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention can be produced;

[0098] Figure 2 Shown in Figure 1 The electrical contact element according to the first exemplary embodiment after the metal part is bent;

[0099] Figure 3 The exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A cable line pre-assembled with electrical contact elements;

[0100] Figure 4 shows an electrical contact element according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical contact element having a substantially square end contact surface;

[0101] Figure 5 shows an electrical contact element according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention, which has a substantially square end-face contact surface and a support region which is only partially closed in the circumferential direction;

[0102] Figure 6 shows an electrical contact element according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention, which has a welding point between the secondary connecting section and the supporting region;

[0103] Figure 7 shows an electrical contact element according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical contact element having a positioning hole in the end face contact surface;

[0104] Figure 8 shows an electrical contact element according to a sixth exemplary embodiment of the invention, which has an end face contact surface with a wavy shape along the circumference;

[0105] Fig. 9 shows an electrical contact element according to a seventh exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical contact element having a two-part end face contact surface;

[0106] Fig.10 shows an electrical contact element according to an eighth exemplary embodiment of the invention, which has an additional positive-locking connection between the half-shells in the support region for locking the half-shells to one another;

[0107] Fig.11 An electrical contact element according to a ninth exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown, which has a resilient support of the contact region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] Figure 1 A flat metal component 1 or sheet metal according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in dashed lines, which has been pre-processed by a punching process to form a blank 2 of an electrical contact element 3. In a subsequent bending process, the blank 2 is finally formed into Figure 2 The electrical contact element 3 shown in FIG. Therefore, in the following figures and embodiments, the electrical contact element 3 is formed by a stamped bent part. However, in principle, the electrical contact element 3 can be formed alternatively or additionally by a deep-drawn part or a deep-drawn metal component. Therefore, this embodiment should not be understood as limiting.

[0109] at last, Figure 3 The electrical contact element 3 of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown still in the mounted state on the electrical conductor 4 of a corresponding preassembled electrical cable 5 .

[0110] The following mainly combines Figures 1 to 3 The electrical contact element 3 of the first exemplary embodiment is described.

[0111] The electrical contact element 3 has a contact area 6, which has an end contact surface 7, which is designed to be in electrical and mechanical contact with an electrical plug-in contact element (not shown). The end contact surface 7 is arranged at the front end of the contact element 3 along the longitudinal axis L of the contact element 3, and the end contact surface faces the plug-in contact element for electrical and mechanical contact. In the exemplary embodiment, the end contact surface 7 is basically a flat surface, but it can also be a curved surface if necessary. In the exemplary embodiment, the contact area 6 itself is generally flat or disc-shaped.

[0112] The contact element 3 has a support region 8 which is arranged on the side of the contact region 6 facing away from the end contact surface 7. The support region 8 is designed to mechanically support the contact region 6 and is connected to the contact region 6 via a main connecting section 9 which is integral with the support region 8 (see in particular Figure 1 ).

[0113] exist Figures 1 to 3 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the support region 8 is primarily sleeve-shaped, i.e. the support region is preferably at least substantially completely closed in the circumferential direction of the end-face contact surface 7. Thus, the annular end or partly annular end of the sleeve-shaped support region 8 facing the contact region 6 is advantageously able to mechanically support the contact region 6 on the side facing away from the end-face contact surface 7. In the exemplary embodiments, the sleeve-shaped support region 8 is formed in each case by two half shells 10, which are bent toward each other.

[0114] In the exemplary embodiment, the end contact surface 7 is oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal axis L of the contact element 3. For this purpose, the main connecting section 9 is designed as a bending point to form a corresponding transition angle α between the support area 8 and the contact area 6 (see Figure 1 ), preferably, as shown in the figure, the transition angle α is at least about 90°.

[0115] For connection to the electrical conductor 4, the contact element 3 optionally also has a connection region 11 (in the exemplary embodiment a crimping region), which is preferably connected integrally to the support region 8, such as in particular in Figure 1 The connection region 11 can be formed by two crimping tabs 12 which are bent toward each other in a groove shape in the preassembled state (see Figure 2 ).exist Figure 3 The subsequent crimping state with the electrical conductor 4 of the cable 5 is shown in FIG.

[0116] In order to optionally further improve the mechanical stability of the contact element 3, in particular to prevent the end face contact surface 7 from springing inwardly along the longitudinal axis L of the contact element 3, in the exemplary embodiment, the contact area 6 is connected to the support area 8 by at least one secondary connecting section 13. As shown in the figure, the secondary connecting section 13 is spaced apart from the main connecting section 9 along the circumference of the end face contact surface 7, for example along the circumferential direction of the end face contact surface 7 on the side opposite to the main connecting section 9.

[0117] The secondary connecting section 13 is integrally connected to the contact region 6 and forms a connecting piece 14, which is bent in the direction of the support region 8 to form a positive locking connection with the support region 8 along the longitudinal axis L of the contact element 3. For this purpose, the connecting piece 14 of the secondary connecting section 13 is approximately T-shaped or has a diameter jump at the free end section of the connecting piece to engage behind a corresponding recess 15 in the support region 8. In the exemplary embodiment, the recess 15 in the support region 8 is divided into two parts and is distributed on the corresponding half shell 10 as a first partial recess 15a and a second partial recess 15b (see Figure 1 ).

[0118] Figures 4 to 11 Further possible exemplary embodiments of the electrical contact element 3 according to the invention are shown by way of example, wherein individual features can also be realized in combination with one another, if this is not technically impossible.

[0119] Figure 4 It is intended to be shown by way of example that within the scope of the general concept according to the invention, basically any geometric shape can be provided for the contact area 6 or the end contact surface 7. Thus, the end contact surface 7 does not necessarily have to be circular (as shown in the first exemplary embodiment), but can in particular have a rectangular, square, oval or any polygonal cross section. Figure 4 and Figure 5 An at least approximately square geometry is shown as an example. Thus, the support area 8 can also have a corresponding geometry (rectangular / square), wherein, however Figure 4 The square contact area 6 in the embodiment can also be replaced by a sleeve-shaped support area 8 with a circular cross section (e.g. Figure 2 The geometry of the support region 8 (either in shape or in size or diameter) does not necessarily have to correspond to the geometry of the contact region 6.

[0120] Figure 5By way of example, it is shown that sufficient support of the contact area 6 can also be provided if the support area 8 is not completely closed in the circumferential direction of the end contact surface 7, but is, for example, U-shaped. In principle, many different designs of the support area 8 are possible, which can lead to sufficient support of the contact area 6. Thus, Figure 5 It is only used to illustrate one variation among many variations.

[0121] As an example, Figure 6 A connection between a secondary connecting section 13 or a connecting piece 14 of a secondary connecting section 13 and a supporting region 8 is shown, in which a material-bonded connection is used as an alternative to the positive locking connection described above. As an example, Figure 6 1 and 2 show a welding point 16 which, besides connecting the contact region 6 to the support region 8 , also enables the two half shells 10 of the support region 8 to be fixed together.

[0122] Figure 7 It is intended to show by way of example that one or more holes (e.g. a central centering hole 17) can be formed in the end contact surface 7, which can in particular serve as positioning holes. However, if necessary, the holes can also be used to connect one or more permanent magnets to the contact element 3 (not shown), thereby facilitating contact with the mating contact element, for example in order to achieve blind mating, or also to provide a magnetic encoding for connection to a corresponding mating contact element. If necessary, a mechanical encoding device can also be provided.

[0123] Figure 8 It is intended to illustrate that the contact area 6 or the end contact surface 7 can also be wavy in shape if desired. As an example, Figure 8 A rounding 18 is shown along the circumference of the end contact surface 7. If necessary, a chamfer can also be provided. This can, for example, enable centering in a correspondingly designed mating contact element.

[0124] Figure 8 It is also shown that the diameter of the end contact surface 7 does not necessarily have to correspond to the diameter of the support area 8 or the sleeve-shaped support area 8 in order to provide adequate support.

[0125] In the exemplary embodiments described above, the end contact surface 7 is in each case designed as a single continuous surface. However, this is not absolutely necessary, as will be seen with reference to FIG. Fig. 9 To clarify. Fig. 9In the embodiment of the present invention, the end contact surface 7 is formed by two contact pieces 19 which are bent towards each other and are each connected integrally or monolithically to the support region 8 or to the respectively associated half-shell 10 of the support region 8 via a respective main connecting section 9. In principle, further subdivisions of the end contact surface 7 may also be provided, although a single continuous end contact surface 7 is generally preferred for reasons of mechanical stability.

[0126] In order to additionally prevent the half shells 10 of the sleeve-shaped supporting area 8 from springing open, in addition to the already presented variants of welding points or joints, a further positive locking connection can be provided in the circumferential direction of the sleeve-shaped supporting area 8, which is provided by a correspondingly designed connecting piece 14 of the secondary connecting section 13, as Fig.10 In this way, on the one hand, the contact region 6 can be locked against the support region 8 and, on the other hand, the two half shells 10 of the support region 8 can also each be locked against one another.

[0127] At this point, it should be mentioned that Fig.10 As an alternative to the “watchtower-like” geometry of the connecting piece 14 of the secondary connecting section 13 , alternative geometries can also be provided in order to achieve a double positive locking connection.

[0128] The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented above each show a rigid or non-elastic support of the contact region 6 by the support region 8. Alternatively, however, according to the present application, the support region 8 can also provide an elastically cushioned support for the contact region 6 along the longitudinal axis L of the contact element 3. In this way, a spring-loaded end contact element can be provided. This can be achieved, for example, by omitting the secondary connection section 13, so as to intentionally enable the contact region 6 to be deflected inwardly in the direction of the support region 8. In this case, the support region 8 only forms an end stop for the support and provides a certain amount of elastic play to the contact region 6 along the longitudinal axis L in a defined section.

[0129] Fig.11 Another variant of the elastic support is shown in FIG. Here, the connecting pieces 14 of the main connecting section 9 and the secondary connecting section 13 are each designed as spring leaves. In this embodiment, the main connecting section 9 can still be connected to the support area 8 and the contact area 6 in one piece, wherein the secondary connecting section 13 is preferably optionally connected to the contact area 6 or the support area 8 via additional welding points 16 or joints, or after the blank 2 has been bent into Fig.11 The shapes shown in the figure are then connected to the contact or support areas by extrusion.

Claims

1. An electrical contact element (3) formed from a stamped bent part and / or from a deep-drawn metal part (1), It is characterized in that a contact region (6) having an end-face contact surface (7) designed for electrical and mechanical contact with an electrical plug-in contact element; as well as a supporting region (8) which is arranged on a side of the contact region (6) facing away from the end contact surface (7) and is designed to mechanically support the contact region (6), wherein the contact region (6) is integrally connected to the supporting region (8) via a main connecting section (9), Therein, the contact region (6) is connected to the support region (8) via at least one secondary connection section (13), which is at a distance from the main connection section (9) along the circumference of the end contact surface (7).

2. The electrical contact element (3) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The end contact surface (7) is designed as a single continuous surface.

3. The electrical contact element (3) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The end contact surface (7) is a substantially flat surface.

4. The electrical contact element (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that One or more holes, preferably a central centering hole (17), are formed in the end contact surface (7).

5. The electrical contact element (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The supporting area (8) is essentially sleeve-shaped, wherein, preferably, an annular end or a partly annular end of the sleeve-shaped supporting area (8) facing the contact area (6) mechanically supports the contact area (6) on the side facing away from the end face contact surface (7).

6. Electrical contact element (3) according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The sleeve-shaped supporting area (8) is formed by two half shells (10) which are bent toward each other.

7. Electrical contact element (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, It is characterized in that The main connecting section (9) is designed as a bending point to form a transition angle (α) between the supporting area (8) and the contact area (6), preferably, the transition angle (α) is at least approximately 90°.

8. The electrical contact element (3) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The secondary connecting section (13) is formed integrally with a connecting piece (14), which is connected to the contact area (6) and is bent in the direction of the supporting area (8) and is connected to the supporting area (8) in a positive-locking manner along the longitudinal axis (L) of the contact element (3).

9. Electrical contact element (3) according to claim 6 or 8, It is characterized in that The connecting piece (14) of the secondary connecting section (13) is connected to the supporting area (8) at the connecting position of the half shell (10) and forms another positive locking connection along the circumferential direction of the sleeve-shaped supporting area (8), so that the half shells (10) of the supporting area (8) are locked to each other.

10. The electrical contact element (3) according to any one of claims 1 and 8 to 9, It is characterized in that The secondary connecting section (13) has at least one welding point (16) or joint for connecting the contact region (6) to the supporting region (8).

11. Electrical contact element (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, It is characterized in that The support region (8) provides elastically cushioned support for the contact region (6) along the longitudinal axis (L) of the contact element (3).

12. Electrical contact element (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, It is characterized in that The connection region (11) is used for electrical and mechanical connection to an electrical conductor (4), in particular to an inner conductor of an electrical cable (5), and is integrally connected to the support region (8) and / or the contact region (6).

13. Preassembled electrical cable (5) comprising an electrical conductor (4) and an electrical contact element (3) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, which is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrical conductor (4).

14. A manufacturing method, the manufacturing method comprising at least the following steps: - providing a substantially flat metal component (1); - stamping and bending the metal component (1) and / or deep drawing the metal component (1) to form a contact region (6) and a support region (8), the contact region having an end face contact surface (7) designed for electrical and mechanical contact with an electrical plug-in contact element, the support region being arranged on a side of the contact region (6) facing away from the end face contact surface (7), the support region being integrally connected to the contact region (6) and being designed to mechanically support the contact region (6), in, The contact region (6) is connected to the support region (8) via at least one secondary connection section (13), which is located at a distance from the main connection section (9) along the circumference of the end contact surface (7).

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