Electrical plug connector

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical plug connector comprising a housing (1) with at least one insertion opening (2) for a complementary plug connector and a contact support (3) arranged in the housing (1) for electrical contacts accessible through the insertion opening. The two concentric housing parts (5, 6) are connected together at the end opposite the at least one insertion opening (2) by a base (8). An annular intermediate space (7) is formed between the housing parts (5, 6) as an annular receiving area for a plug projection of a complementary plug connector. A receiving region (9) for the contact support (3) is arranged inside the inner housing part (6).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with international application number PCT / EP2020 / 025424, international application date September 21, 2020, national phase application number 202080067438.5, and invention name “Electric Plug Connector”. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to an electrical plug connector according to the preamble of claim 1 . Background Art

[0003] Whether a built-in plug connector (also called a chassis socket) or a cable plug connector, an electrical plug connector generally comprises a housing having at least one insertion opening for a complementary plug connector, and a contact carrier arranged in the housing for electrical contacts accessible through the insertion opening(s).

[0004] The mechanical and electrical requirements of housings and contact carriers are very different, which results in countless combinations of housing variants and contact carrier variants, which only match in very specific combinations. Even for plug connectors of the same standard but with different numbers of contacts or different contact arrangements, completely different housings must be used in most cases, which leads to high production and storage costs for the components.

[0005] EP3382818A1 discloses a sealed feed-through device for passing a standard interface of a wall, wherein a sealing housing including multiple parts is arranged on both sides of the wall, and the sealing housing surrounds the independently functioning standard interface. In one of the parts of the sealing housing, an annular shallow groove opening toward the wall for accommodating a gasket is formed.

[0006] An electrical plug with coding function is the subject of EP3252876A1. The fixed part of the plug connection has a housing with a (square) annular insertion opening for a coding element of the mating plug, which can be interpreted as an annular extension of the mating plug. Inside the housing, the electrical contacts are held in a structure whose design is not disclosed or cannot be understood. According to the explanation of the drawings, it is an integral part of the plug housing.

[0007] EP2431777A1 describes a plug device in which, in the housing of a built-in plug socket, an annular insertion opening for an insertion extension of a mating plug is designed. The contacts are held in a central part of the housing which serves as a contact carrier.

[0008] CN204615057U discloses a plug connector, in which a contact carrier is inserted into a housing as a separate component, wherein on the insertion side, an annular intermediate space is formed between the inner wall of the housing and the outer surface of the contact carrier, as an intermediate space for the annular extension of the mating plug connector. The contact carrier contains electrical contacts and is fixed in a housing having only one wall by a back cover, and the contact carrier can be connected to the housing by a latch connector. On the insertion side, a protruding mounting flange is arranged on the housing. Summary of the invention

[0009] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a device which can simplify the structure of an electrical plug connector and in which each component can be optimally configured according to requirements.

[0010] The above-mentioned objects are achieved by a device according to the claims.

[0011] The essential features of the device according to the invention are: two concentrically arranged housing parts; a base connecting the housing parts at the ends of the housing parts opposite to the at least one insertion opening; an annular intermediate space between the concentric housing parts, which forms an annular receiving opening for the plug extension of the complementary plug connector; and a receiving space for the contact carrier inside the inner housing part. Thus, the housing, which is primarily responsible for mechanical stability, which is also particularly important for establishing and releasing the plug connection in a simple manner, can be optimally designed for this purpose. This also includes the choice of material. However, the contact carrier can be fully adapted to the electrical requirements and realize the fixing of the electrical contacts and their electrically insulating arrangement in the housing alone. Since the design of the housing is independent of the electrical requirements of the contact carrier, it can always have the same design, in particular with regard to the dimensions inside the inner housing part of the housing, and can therefore be provided as a standard component suitable for many types of plugs.

[0012] Preferably, the contact carrier is designed as an insertion part, and a guide structure may be formed between the inner wall of the inner housing part and the contact carrier. This facilitates the assembly of the housing and the contact carrier and ensures the correct positioning of the contact carrier in the housing.

[0013] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that a connection means is provided between the contact carrier and the housing in order to reliably hold the contact carrier in position during the insertion and removal operation.

[0014] This can be achieved in a simple and functionally reliable manner by preferably configuring the connection mechanism as a latching and / or snap connection.

[0015] According to a further optional feature of the invention, by advantageously providing at least one stop for the contact carrier, it is ensured that the positioning of the contact carrier in the housing is identical for all plug connectors of identical design.

[0016] A preferred embodiment of the plug connector according to the invention provides for its configuration as a built-in plug connector or plug-in box receptacle and features a mounting flange which projects radially from the outer housing part, which is preferably positioned on the insertion-side end of the outer housing part.

[0017] Preferably, in this design there is a seal which covers the front side of the mounting flange and has at least one through-hole corresponding to the insertion opening.

[0018] According to a further optional feature, a front plate covering the front face of the mounting flange and possibly also the seal towards the front serves to protect the underlying components and the stability of the entire device.

[0019] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the plug connector is characterized by a locking mechanism for an inserted complementary plug connector, the locking mechanism comprising at least one locking element, which is preferably arranged on the contact carrier.

[0020] Preferably, however, in this embodiment there is also an unlocking element which protrudes from the locking element through a recess in the housing and possibly through the front plate and / or the front plate on the front side of the housing.

[0021] In this regard, in the embodiment with a seal and a front plate, an integrally formed dome is advantageously arranged on the seal to maintain a good sealing effect, the dome is used to accommodate the unlocking element and protrudes forward. Preferably, the dome protrudes through the front plate on its front side.

[0022] An advantageous embodiment provides a plug connector having a contact carrier designed for XLR contacts.

[0023] A different advantageous embodiment provides a plug connector having a contact carrier which is designed for contacts of a data plug, in particular an RJ45 plug. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to better understand the present invention, it will be explained in more detail with reference to the following drawings.

[0025] The figures are shown in very simplified schematic diagrams:

[0026] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of a built-in plug connector according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front view of a housing of a built-in plug;

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A rear view of a housing of a built-in plug connector;

[0029] Figure 4 It passes through Figure 1 A longitudinal section of the housing of the built-in plug connector in a vertical center plane,

[0030] Figure 5 is based on Figure 4 Through Figure 1 A longitudinal section of a built-in plug connector;

[0031] Figure 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a built-in plug connector according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A three-dimensional rear view of a built-in plug connector;

[0033] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 An exploded view of the built-in plug connector;

[0034] Fig. 9 It passes through Figure 6 Longitudinal section of a built-in plug connector in a vertical center plane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] First, it should be noted that in the different embodiments described, the same parts have the same reference numerals and / or the same component names, and the disclosure contained in the entire specification can be similarly transferred to the same parts with the same reference numerals and / or the same component names. In addition, the position descriptions selected in the description, such as at the top, at the bottom, at the side, refer to the views directly described and depicted, and in the event of a change in position, these position descriptions should be similarly transferred to the new position.

[0036] Figures 1 to 5 A first advantageous embodiment of the built-in plug connector according to the invention is shown as a female part of a plug connection and / or as a built-in socket, in a variant of the XLR standard, with three contacts.

[0037] As an example for an electrical plug connector according to the present invention, Figures 1 to 5The built-in socket of has a housing 1 with at least one insertion opening 2 for a complementary plug connector. In the housing 1, there is a contact carrier 3 for electrical contacts accessible through its contact insertion opening(s) 4. The contact carrier 3 is designed for a plug connection according to the XLR standard and is shown in this example with three contacts.

[0038] The housing 1 consists of two concentrically arranged housing parts (outer housing part 5 and inner housing part 6) spaced apart from each other by an annular gap 7 forming an annular insertion opening in the form of a socket for a plug projection of a complementary cable connector. An annular base 8 connects the two housing parts 5, 6 at the end of the housing 1 opposite the insertion opening 2. A cylindrical volume inside the inner housing part 6 forms a receiving space 9 for the contact carrier 3.

[0039] Here, a mounting flange 10 with a square profile is shown by way of example at the front end of the housing 1, which radially protrudes from the housing 1, in particular from the outer housing part 5, and in which a mounting hole 11 may be recessed. Other profiles are also possible, such as a circular or rectangular profile. It is also possible to arrange only one or more small mounting lugs on an otherwise separate cylindrical housing 1.

[0040] The front side of the housing 1 and / or the mounting flange 10 can advantageously be covered by a seal 13 which seals the built-in plug connector against the wall on which the socket is mounted and fixed. Preferably, the seal 13 has a plate-like portion 14 overlapping the mounting flange 10, which also has a through hole 15 at the location of the mounting hole 11 and a central cutout 16 for the passage of a complementary cable plug connector. Preferably, flexible strips 17 start from the plate-like portion 14, at the ends of which sealing plugs 18, for example in the form of a pot, are provided for insertion into the central cutout 16 of the seal and preferably also into the annular gap 7 between the inner housing part 6 and the outer housing part 5, so as to be able to tightly close the built-in plug connector when the complementary plate-like portion is not inserted.

[0041] For fixing the seal and for better mechanical stability of the entire device, preferably there is a front plate 19 which covers the front side of the mounting flange 10 and possibly also the seal 13 towards the front, in particular its plate-like part 14. This front plate 19 also has its own mounting holes 20 at the location of the mounting holes 11 of the mounting flange 10 and possibly also at the location of the through holes 15 of the seal 13. There are also cut-out holes as insertion openings.

[0042] Preferably, the plug connector according to the invention also has a locking mechanism 22 for the inserted complementary plug connector to prevent unintentional extraction of the cable plug connector and thus the release of the plug connection. The mechanism 22 comprises at least one locking element 23, which is preferably arranged on the contact carrier 3. In order to intentionally unlock and allow the cable plug connector to be extracted, an unlocking element 24 operatively connected to the locking element 23 is integrated in the locking mechanism 22. The unlocking element 24 protrudes from the locking element 23 through a recess and / or a protrusion 25 in the housing 1 and a radial recess 26 in the central cutout 21 of the front plate 19 of the front side of the housing 1 and / or the front plate 19, from where the user can access the unlocking element 24 for actuation.

[0043] In order not to impair the sealing effect when doing so, the part of the unlocking element 24 protruding through the front plate 19 is covered by a dome 27, which is integrally formed on the seal 13, in particular on the plate-shaped part 14 for accommodating the unlocking element 24, and the dome 27 protrudes forward and preferably protrudes through the front plate 19 beyond its front side.

[0044] exist Figure 1 and Figure 5 As can be seen in FIG, the contact carrier 3 is preferably designed as an insertion part, and a guide structure may be formed between the inner wall of the inner housing part 6 and the contact carrier 3. Preferably, a connection mechanism can act between the contact carrier 3 and the housing 1 in order to firmly hold the contact carrier 3 in the housing 1. If necessary, this can be done by pressing the rear edge of the housing 1 radially inwards onto the peripheral edge of the inserted contact carrier 3. Another alternative is that the connection mechanism is designed as a latch and / or snap connection.

[0045] The contact carrier 3 has a shoulder 31 which extends over a large part of the circumference and is formed by an increase in diameter between the longitudinal section on the insertion side and the section connected thereto. In a complementary manner, a shoulder 32 is formed on the inner side of the housing 1 approximately at the level of the base 8 which connects the inner housing part 6 to the outer housing part 5. The shoulder 31 of the contact carrier 3 stops at this shoulder 32 when inserted into the housing 1, thereby ensuring the desired positioning of the two components relative to each other.

[0046] In particular, a frontal recess 34 present in the XLR contact carrier 3 is covered by a stop plate 28 protruding toward the center of the insertion opening 2, to which recess a bearing area for the locking mechanism 22 is connected. The stop plate 28 can advantageously have two guides 33 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing 1, between which guides 33 in particular a spring of the locking mechanism 22 is guided and held.

[0047] Figures 6 to 91 shows a further and possible independent embodiment of a built-in plug connector according to the invention, wherein likewise the same reference numerals and / or component names are used as above. Figures 1 to 5 In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, reference is made to the detailed description of the preceding figures. Figures 6 to 9 A built-in socket for a data plug, in particular an RJ-45 plug, is shown.

[0048] The contact carrier 3 of this form of the built-in plug and socket according to the present invention is covered and protected by a contact feed-through device 29 and a rear cover 30 on the back side of the housing 1 .

[0049] The exemplary embodiments illustrate possible implementation variations, in which respect it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these specifically illustrated implementation variations, but rather, various combinations of individual implementation variations are feasible and the possibility of such variations resulting from the technical teachings provided by the present invention is within the capabilities of a technician in this technical field.

[0050] The scope of protection is determined by the claims. However, the description and the drawings are used to interpret the claims. Individual features or feature combinations from the different exemplary embodiments shown and described may represent independent inventive solutions. The basic purpose of these independent inventive solutions can be obtained from the description.

[0051] Reference numerals list

[0052] 1-housing; 2-insertion opening; 3-contact carrier; 4-insertion opening; 5-external housing part; 6-inner housing part; 7-annular gap; 8-base; 9-receiving space; 10-mounting flange; 11-mounting hole; 13-seal; 14-plate-shaped part; 15-through hole; 16-center cutout; 17-strip; 18-sealing plug; 19-front plate; 20-mounting hole; 21-center cutout; 22-locking mechanism; 23-locking element; 24-unlocking element; 25-protrusion / recess; 26-radial recess; 27-dome; 28-brake pad; 29-contact feed-through; 30-cover; 31-shoulder; 32-shoulder; 33-guide; 34-recess.

Claims

1. An electrical plug connector, comprising a housing (1) and a contact carrier (3) arranged in the housing (1), the housing (1) having at least one insertion opening (2) for a complementary plug connector, the contact carrier (3) being for electrical contacts accessible through the insertion opening, wherein the housing (1) has two housing parts (5, 6) which are arranged concentrically and overlap in the longitudinal direction, wherein a base (8) connects the housing parts (5, 6) to each other at the ends opposite to the at least one insertion opening (2), and wherein an annular intermediate space (7) is formed between the concentric housing parts (5, 6), the annular intermediate space (7) forming an annular receiving space for a plug extension of the complementary plug connector, characterized in that A receiving space (9) for the contact carrier (3) is formed by a cylindrical volumetric body at the overlapping range of the concentric housing parts (5, 6) inside the inner housing part (6), and the contact carrier (3) extends into the longitudinal part of the inner housing part (6) overlapping with the outer housing part (5), wherein the contact carrier (3) is formed for XLR contacts or for contacts of an RJ45 plug.

2. The plug connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact carrier (3) is formed as an insert part, and a guide structure may be formed between the inner wall of the inner housing part (6) and the contact carrier (3).

3. The plug connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A connection mechanism between the contact carrier (3) and the housing (1).

4. The plug connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connection mechanism is configured as a latch connection or a snap connection.

5. The plug connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: At least one stop (32) for the contact carrier (3).

6. The plug connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A mounting flange (10) protrudes radially from the outer housing part (5), the mounting flange (10) being preferably located on the insertion-side end of the outer housing part (5).

7. The plug connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sealing member (13) covers the front surface of the mounting flange (10) and has a through hole (16) corresponding to at least one of the insertion openings (2).

8. The plug connector according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: A front plate (19) covers the front face of the mounting flange (10) and possibly also the seal (13) towards the front.

9. The plug connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: An unlocking element (24) protrudes from the locking element (23) through a recess in the housing (1) and possibly through the front plate (19) or the front plate (19) on the front side of the housing (1).

10. The plug connector according to claim 7 or 8 and 9, characterized in that: The seal (13) has an integrally formed dome (27) for accommodating the unlocking element (24), the dome (27) protruding forwards and preferably through the front plate (19) beyond its front side.

11. The plug connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The housing is adapted to receive different contact carriers having different electrical requirements.

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