Socket or plug for a high-current connector with contact lamella ring with 8-shaped contact lamellas in cross-section

Abstract

A socket (1) for a high-current plug connection to a plug (9) is described. The socket (1) has an elongated sleeve (3) and a contact lamella ring (5) arranged in the sleeve (3). The contact lamella ring (5) has a plurality of contact lamellas (7) extending in the longitudinal direction (X) of the sleeve (3) and projecting from the sleeve (3) toward the interior of the sleeve (3).Each of the contact blades (7) has a substantially figure-8-shaped cross-section, wherein each of the contact blades (7) has two blade segments (21, 23) which are arranged adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction (x) and have a partially circular cross-section, wherein a first end (27) of a first blade segment (21) is connected to a first end (29) of a second blade segment (21) and second ends (31, 33) of the first and second blade segments (21, 23) are arranged adjacent to one another in a cantilevered manner, so that when the contact pin (11) is inserted into the sleeve (3), both partially circular blade segments (21, 23) are pressed downwards and the two cantilevered second ends (31, 33) can come into contact with one another.

Description

Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to a socket or a plug which form a high-current plug connection when plugged together.Prior ArtHigh-current plug connections can serve to establish a mechanical and electrical connection between two electrical conductor elements, which can be easily plugged together and disconnected again and which is designed to transmit high currents of, for example, more than 200 A. The socket is formed by an elongate sleeve, for example a cylindrical sleeve, into which the plug can be inserted with its likewise elongate contact pin, for example a cylindrical one.In order to achieve both a mechanical hold of the plug in the socket and a good electrical connection between the sleeve of the socket and the contact pin of the plug, usually elastically flexible lamellae are provided between the sleeve and the contact pin, which lamellae can be elastically deformed when the plug is inserted into the socket and thereby produce a mechanically prestressed connection between the sleeve of the socket and the contact pin of the plug.Features of a conventional high-current plug connection and of high-current plug connections formed according to the invention are described below predominantly using the example of correspondingly formed sockets and contact blades provided thereon. However, a person skilled in the art understands that the underlying ideas and ideas can also be transferred analogously to corresponding configurations of plugs. In particular, a contact blade ring, which serves for establishing a reliable mechanical and electrical contact between the sleeve of the socket and the contact pin of the plug, can be arranged both on the inside of the sleeve and thus form part of the socket and also on the outside of the contact pin and thus form part of the plug.Referring to Fig. 1, a socket 101 for a conventional high current plug connection is shown. A contact blade ring 105 is arranged within a cylindrical sleeve 103, with the aid of which a plurality of contact blades 107 extending in a longitudinal direction of the sleeve 103 is formed. Fig. 2 shows the bushing 101 with a partly cut-away sleeve 103 in side view. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a part of the socket 101 with a contact pin 111 of a plug 109 inserted into the sleeve 105. Each of the contact blades 107 projects in an arc-shaped manner inward into the sleeve 103 and in the process makes contact at a point 113 with the contact pin 111 of the plug 109.A current of, for example, more than 200 A flowing between a socket 101 and a plug 109 via the contact blades 107 in high-current applications can lead to severe heating due to thermal losses at transition resistances. The transition resistances should therefore be kept as low as possible within the high-current plug connection.Moreover, an absolute positional deviation between the contact pin 111 of the plug 109 and the sleeve 103 of the socket 101 can be relatively large because of the dimensions of the components which are substantially larger in high-current plug connections than in normal-current plug connections. For example, in plug connections in which a plurality of sockets are combined in a common socket housing and are plugged together with a plurality of plugs combined in a common plug housing, it may occur, for example due to manufacturing tolerances, that the contact pins 111 of the plugs 109 cannot always be introduced centrally and exactly in the longitudinal direction into the sleeves 103 of the sockets 101. Despite such possible position deviations, a sufficient number of contact points should be formed between the sleeve 103 and the contact pin 111 via the contact lamellae 107, and a contact resistance should be kept low in the process, wherein it may also be important to generate a sufficient contact force, i.e. a normal force, at each contact point between a contact lamella 107 and the adjacent sleeve 103 or the adjacent contact pin 111.DE 10 2004 002 404 B3 discloses a spring element having an annular base section made of sheet metal and having a plurality of contact tongues fastened thereto, each of which has an arcuate shape which runs along a lateral surface of an envelope of the spring element describing a rotational body.From JP S 6427868 U a further spring element is known.From US 4 714 441 A an electrical socket is known having a plurality of contact elements with curved beams at each end which cooperate to form resilient passages for receiving a pin. The contact elements are arranged on a pane, on both sides of which beams are located. A cavity in the housing receives the disc and the associated contact elements. An opening in the disc is sized so that the pin passing through cannot wobble and over-load the beams.Disclosure of the InventionEmbodiments of the socket according to the invention proposed herein or of a plug of corresponding design can make it possible, inter alia, to advantageously meet the above-mentioned requirements for high-current plug connections.According to a first aspect of the invention, a socket for a high current plug connection to a plug is proposed, wherein the socket has an elongate sleeve and a contact blade ring arranged in the sleeve. The contact blade ring has a plurality of contact blades extending in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve, which project from the sleeve toward the interior of the sleeve. The bushing is characterized in that each of the contact blades has a substantially 8-shaped cross section.According to a second aspect of the invention, an analogously configured plug for a high-current plug connection with a socket is proposed, which plug has an elongate contact pin and a laminated ring arranged on the outside of the contact pin. The contact blade ring may have the same features as are regularly described herein in connection with bushings configured according to the invention.The idea and ideas regarding embodiments of the socket according to the invention or of the plug according to the invention proposed herein can be seen, inter alia, in the fact that the contact blades are no longer formed as simple inwardly curved structures, as in conventional high-current plug connections, but instead have a more complex 8-shaped geometry. In this way, it can be achieved, among other things, that each of the contact blades comes into contact not only at a single point, as in conventional contact blades, with the corresponding mating component of the high-current plug connection, i.e. the plug or the socket, but at two points spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction. As a result, inter alia, transition resistances can be reduced. In addition, the special 8-shaped geometry can achieve an improved elastic deformability of the contact blades, so that a sufficiently good mechanical and electrical contact can be ensured even if a plug is not correctly positioned with respect to a socket.An 8-shaped cross section can be understood to mean that each of the contact blades has a contour in a plane perpendicular to a direction of rotation of the contact blade ring, which contour approximately corresponds to the contour of the number "8". The 8-shaped contact lamella can thus have two thickened regions, at which it projects further towards the interior of the sleeve than in a waist-like tapered region between the two thickened regions. At the thickened regions projecting further inwards, each of the contact blades can thus be in contact with the contact pin of the plug on an inner side and in contact with the sleeve of the socket on an outer side and thus generate two contact points in each case. The waist-like tapered portion therebetween can provide a desired advantageous elastic deformation behavior of the contact blade as described in detail below.According to the invention, each of the contact blades has two blade segments which are arranged adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction and are approximately part-circular in cross section. A first end of a first plate segment is connected to a first end of a second plate segment, whereas the second ends of the first and of the second plate segment are arranged adjacently to one another in a cantilevered manner, i.e. are not intended to be connected to one another. According to the invention, it is provided that the second ends of the first and of the second lamella segment are arranged adjacently to one another in a cantilevered manner, so that when the contact pin is inserted into the sleeve, both partially circular lamella segments are pressed downward and the two cantilevered second ends can come into contact with one another in this case. The two partially circular lamella segments can thereby respectively form the loops of an "8" and the first and second ends of the lamella segments can be interpreted as forming the transition between a first and a second loop of the "8". It should be noted here that the structure of the contact blades does not necessarily contract completely at the waist, as in the case of an "8", that is to say the first and second ends of the blade segments meet at an intersection point, but it may be sufficient for the function of the contact blades if the 8-shaped contact blades at least partially taper between two thickened regions in a waist region.The second ends of the plate segments can be designed and arranged in such a way that they can move relative to one another on deformation of the contact plate due to radially outwardly acting pressure on the contact plate. In other words, the cantilevered second ends of the two blade segments should be able to move relative to one another when the contact pin of the plug is inserted into the sleeve of the socket and thereby exerts a radially outwardly acting pressure on the contact blade received therebetween, as a result of which the contact blade will elastically deform in regions. In particular, the two second ends should be able to move relative to one another in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the socket or of the plug.Due to such a movement possibility, the contact blade can advantageously deform when the high-current plug connection is plugged together, so that even if the contact pin of the plug is not inserted centrally or obliquely into the sleeve of the socket, a secure contact of the contact blade against the two components of the high-current plug connection can be ensured.According to one embodiment, mutually adjacent contact plates of the contact plate ring can be connected to one another by webs running transversely to the longitudinal extent of the bushing. In other words, the webs can form a mechanical connection between contact blades arranged next to one another and preferably parallel to one another. Preferably, at least two webs are formed in each case between two adjacent contact plates, wherein in each case one web protrudes laterally toward the adjacent contact plate in the region of one of the thickened portions of the 8-shaped contact plate. As a result, a high mechanical stability of the contact plate ring can be achieved, among other things.According to one embodiment, the contact plate ring can be formed integrally. The contact blade ring should consist of an electrically conductive and mechanically elastic material. For example, the contact blade ring can be manufactured from a metal sheet. The contact blade ring can be manufactured in a simple manner from the metal sheet, for example, by punching and bending processes.According to one embodiment, the sleeve of the bushing can have two inwardly projecting projections arranged offset with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction. The contact disk ring can be held within the sleeve between the two projections against axial displacement. The projections may be formed, for example, integrally with the remainder of the sleeve of the bushing. For example, the projections can be formed as annularly encircling structures, for example in the form of annular grooves, on the sleeve.It is noted that possible advantages and features of embodiments of the invention are described herein in part with respect to a socket and in part with respect to a plug of a high current plug connection. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features can be combined or exchanged with one another in a suitable manner and can be transferred from the socket in an analogous manner to the plug and vice versa, in order to be able to arrive in this manner at further embodiments and possibly synergy effects.Brief Description of the DrawingsEmbodiments of the invention are described below in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein neither the description nor the drawings are to be interpreted as restricting the invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bushing. Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away side view of a conventional bushing. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a partial area of a conventional high-current plug connection. FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a socket according to the invention for a high-current plug connection in the non-plugged-together state between the socket and the plug. FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a stamped metal sheet for a contact plate ring of a bushing according to the invention. FIGS. 6 a, b show a sectional view in the viewing direction A from FIG. 5 of a contact blade before and after bending to an 8-shape. FIG. 7 shows a sectional view in the viewing direction B from FIG. 5 of the metal sheet from FIG. 5 bent to form the contact plate ring. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate high current plug connections with mated plugs and sockets according to the invention.The figures are schematic only and not to scale.Embodiments of the InventionFIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a socket 1 according to the invention for a high-current plug connection to a plug 9. A contact disk ring 5 is accommodated within the sleeve 3. The contact plate ring 5 fits tightly against an inner side of a wall 4 of the sleeve 3.On the inside of the wall 4 of the sleeve 3 there are also formed two annular inwardly projecting projections 13, 15 which are offset relative to one another in the longitudinal direction X. The contact disk ring 5 is arranged between the two projections 13, 15 and is secured by these against axial slipping.The contact blade ring 5 has a plurality of elongate contact blades 7 which are arranged next to one another in the circumferential direction and extend in the longitudinal extent X. As can be seen in particular in the enlarged illustration from FIG. 4, each of the contact blades 7 has a structure which is 8-shaped in cross section. Thickened regions 17, 19 at which the contact plate 7 projects further to the interior of the sleeve 3 are formed by plate segments 21, 23 of approximately part-circular cross-section. The two lamella segments 21, 23 adjoin one another in a waist-like tapered region 25. A first end 27 of the first disk segment 21 is connected to a first end 29 of the second disk segment 23 and is preferably formed integrally therewith. A second end 31 of the first plate segment 21 and a second end 33 of the second plate segment 23 are not connected to one another, but are arranged adjacently to one another in a cantilevered manner.Possible structures of the contact plate ring 5 and the production thereof are described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. The contact blade ring 5 can be manufactured from a mechanically elastic and electrically highly conductive material, such as a metal sheet. The metal sheet may first be stamped into a suitable shape as shown in Figure 5. In this case, linear regions which later form the contact blades 7 and webs 35 connecting these linear regions are produced. As shown in the side views shown in FIGS. 6 a, b, which are taken in the viewing direction A shown in FIG. 5, the regions of the metal sheet (FIG. 6 a), which are initially formed linearly, can be bent into the desired 8-shape by applying suitable forces, as are indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6 b. Subsequently or optionally also beforehand, the metal sheet can be bent into a ring shape, as is illustrated in FIG. 7 taken in viewing direction B from FIG. 5.FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the formation of an electrical and mechanical contact between a sleeve 3 of a socket 1 and a contact pin 11 of a plug 9 with the aid of the contact blades 7 of a contact blade ring 5. In FIG. 8, the plug 9 is inserted centrally and straight into the socket 1, whereas in FIG. 9, the plug 9 is inserted eccentrically and obliquely into the socket 1. In both cases, the contact pin 11 comes into contact with the contact plate 7 at two points 37, 39; a pressing between the contact pin 11 and the sleeve 3 results in elastic deformation of the partially circular plate segments 21, 23, which are pressed in the thickened regions 17, 19 by the inserted contact pin 11 toward the sleeve 3.As can be clearly seen in FIG. 9, in particular, the elastic deformations of the two partially circular lamella segments 21, 23 can be independent of one another, so that the contact points 37, 39 can also be displaced independently of one another and can conform to the position of the contact pin. Therefore, the 8-shaped contact lamella 7 can contact the contact pin 11 approximately equally well at both points 37, 39 without these having any influence on one another. This can be advantageous in particular if the contact pin 11 is introduced slightly obliquely into the sleeve 3.The 8-shaped geometry of the contact plate 7 also makes it possible that when the contact pin 11 is inserted into the sleeve 3, both partially circular plate segments 21, 23 are pressed downward. The two cantilevered second ends 31, 33 can come into contact with one another and optionally also into contact with the underlying first ends 27, 29, i.e. the waist of the 8-shaped contact lamellae is pressed together to form a common contact point 41. this can result in additional mechanical support for the two cantilevered second ends 31, 33, as a result of which a deformation resistance of the contact lamella 7 can be amplified. As a result, the normal force produced by the contact lamella 7 can increase at the contact points 37, 39.Most of the elastic deformation of the contact plate 7 usually occurs in the thickened regions 17, 19 of the two part-circular plate segments 21, 23. The higher the compressive forces occurring when the socket 1 and the plug 9 are plugged together, the more the part-circular lamella segments 21, 23 are deformed into an oval shape. In addition, the contact blades 7 in the middle, i.e. in the region of the waist, are likewise elastically deformed in the vicinity of the contact point 41 there, since a part of the deformation forces occurring acts via the cantilevered second ends 31, 33 in the region of this contact point 41, with the result that said contact point is also pressed downward. Therefore, this waist-tapered portion 25 of the contact blade 7 is also elastically deformed.The total elastic deformation capacity of the 8-shaped contact plate 7 is thus greater than in the case of conventional contact plates. This can be advantageous in particular if a contact pin 11 with a large position deviation is inserted into a sleeve. In this case, the contact blades 7 can be deformed very strongly on the side on which a gap between the contact pin 11 and a contact inner side is smaller. In such a case, a large elastic deformation capability of the contact blade 7 is required, since otherwise a plastic deformation would possibly be forced in partial regions of the contact blade. After such a plastic deformation, however, problems could arise during later plug-together processes in the effect of a sufficient normal force between the contact blades 7 and the plug-in connection components.

Claims

Socket (1) for a high-current plug connection to a plug (9), comprising: an elongate sleeve (3), a contact blade ring (5) arranged in the sleeve (3) with a plurality of contact blades (7) extending in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve (3), which blades project from the sleeve (3) towards the interior of the sleeve (3), characterized in that each of the contact blades (7) has a substantially 8-shaped cross section, wherein each of the contact blades (7) has two blade segments (21, 23) arranged adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction (x) and partially circular in cross section, wherein a first end (27) of a first blade segment (21) is connected to a first end (29) of a second blade segment (21) and second ends (31, 33) of the first and of the second blade segment (21, 23) are arranged adjacent to one another in a cantilevered manner, so that when the contact pin (11) is inserted into the sleeve (3), both partially circular lamella segments (21, 23) are pressed downwards and the two self-supporting second ends (31, 33) can come into contact with one another.Bushing according to claim 1, wherein the second ends (31, 33) of the lamella segments (21, 23) are designed and arranged in such a way that they can move relative to one another during a deformation of the contact lamella (7) due to radially outwardly acting pressure on the contact lamella (7).Bushing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein mutually adjacent contact blades (7) are connected to one another by webs (35) running transversely to the longitudinal direction (x).Bushing according to the preceding claim, wherein at least two webs (35) are formed in each case between two adjacent contact plates (7).Bushing according to one of the preceding, wherein the contact plate ring (5) is integral.Bushing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact blade ring (5) is manufactured from a metal sheet.Bushing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve has two inwardly projecting projections (13, 15) which are arranged offset with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction (x), and wherein the contact plate ring (5) is held between the two projections (13, 15) so as to be prevented from axial displacement.Plug (9) for a high-current plug connection to a socket (1), having: an elongate contact pin (11), a contact blade ring (5) arranged on the outside of the contact pin (11), having a plurality of contact blades (7) which extend in the longitudinal direction (x) of the contact pin (11) and project from the contact pin (11) outwards from the contact pin (11), characterized in that each of the contact blades (7) has a substantially 8-shaped cross section, wherein each of the contact blades (7) has two blade segments (21, 23) which are arranged adjacently to one another in the longitudinal direction (x) and are part-circular in cross section, wherein a first end (27) of a first blade segment (21) is connected to a first end (29) of a second blade segment (21) and second ends (31, 33) of the first and of the second blade segment (21, 23) are arranged adjacently to one another in a cantilevered manner, so that when the contact pin (11) is inserted into the sleeve (3), both partially circular lamella segments (21, 23) are pressed downwards and the two self-supporting second ends (31, 33) can come into contact with one another.

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