Plug and plug system

Abstract

Plug (10) for establishing an electrical connection with a plug-in module, the plug (10) comprising: a plurality of electrical lines; a plug body (12) having a contact carrier upper part (24) with a plurality of channels (29c) for receiving the plurality of electrical lines and a plug base (14) designed to receive a collar of the plug-in module; a contact carrier lower part (26) having a plurality of channels (29d) for receiving the plurality of electrical lines, wherein the channels (29c) of the contact carrier upper part (24) open into the channels (29d) of the contact carrier lower part (26) and thereby form continuous channels (29c, 29d) for receiving the plurality of electrical lines, wherein the contact carrier lower part (26) is designed to be enclosed by the collar of the plug-in module and to receive a plurality of electrical contacts of the plug-in module in order to establish electrical connections between the plurality of electrical lines in the plug (10) and the plurality of electrical contacts of the plug-in module; and at least one locking element (18a, 18b) which can be inserted from an outside into the plug body (12) of the plug (10) and which is designed to fix the plurality of electrical lines in the channels (29c, 29d), characterized in that the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) extends partly in the contact carrier upper part (24) and partly in the contact carrier lower part (26).

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a connector for establishing an electrical connection with a plug-in module, such as a wiring harness connector for a control unit in a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a connector system comprising such a connector. State of the art

[0002] In a vehicle, numerous electrical and electronic control units are installed in the engine compartment and body compartment, which must be electrically connected to each other and to other components of the vehicle, such as sensors and actuators.

[0003] For this purpose, a control unit can be equipped with a plug-in module, whose male connector can contain several hundred electrical contacts, for example, for power supply and signal transmission. A corresponding connector, connected to a wiring harness, can be plugged onto the plug-in module to establish an electrical connection.

[0004] To prevent a control unit failure due to a power supply or signal transmission failure, a durable and stable electrical connection between the wiring harness and the connector must be ensured. To achieve this, electrical wires in the connector are often secured using a secondary locking mechanism at a position inside the connector, ensuring that the electrical wires in the connector are connected to the electrical contacts of the plug-in module when the connector is plugged into the plug-in module.

[0005] From US 2012 / 0 003 860 A1 a connector with a housing, with connecting terminals, with conductors and with a holding element is known.

[0006] From DE 10 2006 003 616 A1 a strain relief device for an electrical connection plug and / or an electrical connection socket is known, which can be used for the wiring of furniture lights. Disclosure of the invention

[0007] Embodiments of the invention advantageously make it possible to provide a connector for a wiring harness of a vehicle and a connector system comprising such a connector, which can ensure a reliable electrical connection, in particular in a miniaturized design of the connector.

[0008] Embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and from the following description.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the plug has a plurality of electrical lines and a plug body, which in turn has a contact carrier upper part with a plurality of channels for receiving electrical lines and a plug base, wherein the plug base is designed to receive a collar of a plug-in module when the plug is plugged onto the plug-in module to establish an electrical connection. Furthermore, the plug has a contact carrier lower part that has a plurality of channels for receiving the electrical lines, wherein the channels of the contact carrier upper part open into the channels of the contact carrier lower part and thereby form continuous channels for receiving the electrical lines.The contact carrier lower part is designed to be enclosed by the collar of the plug-in module and to accommodate a plurality of electrical contacts of the plug-in module in order to establish electrical connections between the plurality of electrical lines in the plug and the plurality of electrical contacts of the plug-in module. Furthermore, the plug has at least one locking element that can be inserted into the plug body of the plug from an outside and that is designed to fix the plurality of electrical lines in the channels. For this purpose, the at least one locking element extends partially in the contact carrier upper part and another part in the contact carrier lower part.

[0010] Overall, the connector can be designed, among other things, to provide a durable and stable electrical connection between the electrical wires of a wiring harness in a vehicle and a control unit. The locking element allows the wires to be reliably secured in the channels, especially in compact connectors.

[0011] By inserting the locking element into the connector, you can also ensure that the electrical wires in the connector are correctly positioned, so that electrical connections can be established between the electrical contacts of the plug-in module and the electrical wires in the connector when the connector is plugged into the plug-in module. If the electrical wires in the connector are not correctly positioned, the locking element cannot be inserted into the connector or can only be inserted with excessive force. The locking element can therefore be used to check the position of the electrical wires in the connector.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the locking element for fixing the plurality of electrical lines is designed in a comb-like manner with a plurality of prongs which can be inserted into at least a partial region of a cross section of the channels for receiving electrical lines, whereby the electrical lines are pressed against the contact carrier lower part and the contact carrier upper part and are thereby fixed.

[0013] Ideas for embodiments of the invention can be considered, among other things, based on the findings described below: The number of sensors and actuators installed in vehicles, as well as corresponding control units that process information from the sensors and can control the actuators, is constantly increasing. However, the space available for sensors, actuators, and control units in a vehicle can be very limited, so these vehicle components are increasingly being manufactured in miniaturized designs. This also applies to the associated connectors and plug-in modules that can be used to establish electrical connections between the components.For example, it has been shown that the prongs of the locking element of cable harness connectors, especially in miniaturized designs, can easily break off when inserted into the connector if the locking element is guided exclusively in the contact carrier lower part, as has been the case up to now, and therefore has a relatively small cross-section.

[0014] By guiding the locking element in the contact carrier upper part and the contact carrier lower part according to the invention, the cross-section of the locking element's prongs can be advantageously enlarged, so that the locking element and in particular the prongs of the locking element can be made more robust. Furthermore, the enlargement of the cross-section of the prongs advantageously improves the guidance of the locking element, ensuring a stable, durable, and thus reliable electrical connection.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the locking element fixes the plurality of electrical lines in the plug predominantly by static friction.

[0016] By locating the locking element in both the upper and lower sections of the contact carrier, and thereby increasing the cross-section of the prongs, the surface area with which the electrical wires are secured in the connector by means of static friction and the surface area with which the locking element itself is held in place in the connector can be increased. This makes it almost impossible for the electrical wires in the connector to slip, for example, due to vibration, and the locking element can be reliably secured in the connector. This can, in turn, advantageously increase the stability and service life of the electrical connection.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, both the contact carrier upper part and the contact carrier lower part have recesses which are aligned with one another at an interface between the contact carrier upper part and the contact carrier lower part and which are adjacent to each of the channels and into which the locking element can be inserted.

[0018] By inserting the prongs into the aligned recesses, the electrical cables can be pressed against the walls of the channels in both the upper and lower parts of the contact carrier and thus fixed.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the prongs of the locking element are designed to engage positively in the recesses.

[0020] Due to the positive engagement of the prongs of the locking element in the recesses, on the one hand the entire surface of the prongs can be used to fix the electrical cables and the locking element and on the other hand an exact positioning or position of the electrical cables in the plug can be ensured, since in the event of small deviations from the correct position the locking element can no longer be inserted into the plug or can only be inserted with excessive force.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the plug and the locking element are designed such that the locking element can be inserted into the plug transversely to a longitudinal extension direction of the channels.

[0022] This can result in one prong of the locking element being able to secure multiple electrical lines in multiple channels simultaneously. If the prongs were inserted along the longitudinal extent of the channels, one prong would have to be provided on the locking element for each channel. Furthermore, in the embodiment according to the invention, the cross-section of the prongs can be larger than in a design in which the prongs are inserted along the longitudinal extent of the channels, since the diameter of the channels can be relatively small, particularly in a miniaturized connector design.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least two locking elements can be inserted into the plug on two opposite sides of the plug.

[0024] By inserting two locking elements on two opposite sides of the plug, the prongs of the respective locking elements can be made shorter. This allows the locking elements to be designed more stable and robust, and the prongs are less likely to break than in a design in which only one locking element with significantly longer prongs is provided, since the leverage forces can be lower in the design according to the invention. However, the length of the prongs of the two locking elements does not have to be identical; rather, different lengths of the prongs of both locking elements can be provided. The prongs of an individual locking element can also differ in terms of their length. However, a design of the plug with only one locking element is certainly conceivable, particularly in a miniaturized plug design.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, in the embodiment described above, the two locking elements differ with respect to a number of prongs that can be inserted into the plug.

[0026] Typically, a plug houses electrical wires for various purposes, such as power lines and signal transmission. These wires can vary in both number and diameter. Due to the different diameters of the electrical wires, the channels for routing the wires can also have different diameters. For example, to largely separate power lines from signal lines within the plug, one section of the plug can contain only power lines, and another section can contain only signal lines. These wires can differ in diameter and the number of rows in which they are arranged next to each other.This may require that locking elements with a different number of prongs, which may correspond to the number of rows of channels in the respective section of the plug, must be inserted into the plug in order to correctly position and fix all electrical wires.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the locking element is formed in one piece.

[0028] By constructing the locking element as a single piece, the stability of the locking element can be further increased and the manufacturing process for the connector can be simplified, as fewer individual components are required. This can also reduce manufacturing costs.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, the locking element consists of a plastic.

[0030] Due to its material properties as a resilient yet somewhat flexible material, plastic can advantageously meet the requirements of the locking element. Furthermore, plastic can be molded into the desired shape at relatively low production costs, for example, through injection molding, allowing for a cost-effective manufacturing process. However, other materials for locking elements are certainly conceivable.

[0031] A further aspect of the invention relates to a connector system comprising a connector according to the invention and a plug-in module for receiving the connector. The connector system can be used, for example, to establish an electrical connection between a wiring harness and a control unit in a motor vehicle. The plug-in module can be attached to the control unit, and the connector can be connected to the vehicle's wiring harness.

[0032] It should be noted that possible features and advantages of embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to different configurations of a plug or a plug system. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the described features can be combined or interchanged in a suitable manner to achieve further embodiments and, where appropriate, synergistic effects. Short description of the drawings

[0033] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the description nor the drawings are to be interpreted as limiting the invention. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a plug according to an embodiment of the invention Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the connector from Fig. 1 Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of a part of the connector from Fig. 2 Fig. Figure 4 shows a cross-section along a median plane through the part of the plug from Fig. 3 Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of part of the cross-section through the plug from Fig. 4

[0034] The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. Identical or similar parts are generally designated by the same reference numerals. Embodiments of the invention

[0035] Fig. Figure 1 shows a connector 10 with a connector cover 11, a connector lever 13, and a connector body 12. The connector body 12 has a connector base 14 that can be plugged onto a plug-in module (not shown) to establish an electrical connection. The connector cover 11 has a receiving opening 15 through which electrical lines of a wiring harness can be routed into the connector body 12.

[0036] The plug base 14 further comprises a recess 16, over which a locking element 18a (see Fig. 2) can be inserted into the plug 10 from the outside.

[0037] The connector lever 13 surrounds the connector body 12 in a U-shape with two arms 17, each with a shaft 19 at its end. The two shafts 19 are mounted on two opposite sides of the connector base 14. The arms 17 are connected to a crossbar 21, in which a connector lock 23 is mounted.

[0038] The connector lever 13 is designed to be moved from a start position to an end position and thereby pull the connector 10 onto the plug-in module. The connector lever 13 in the Fig. 1 is shown in the end position, with the plug lock 23 locked to secure the electrical connection to the plug-in module.

[0039] The Fig. 2 shows the connector 10 from Fig. 1 without the plug cover 11. The plug body 12 has a contact carrier upper part 24, which in turn has a receiving area 25 into which a pressure plate 27 is inserted. The pressure plate 27 has channels 29a for passing electrical lines into the plug body 12.

[0040] Furthermore, the Fig. 2 shows two locking elements 18a, 18b which can be inserted into the plug 10 via recesses 16 (only one shown) on two opposite sides of the plug 10 via the plug base 14 and which are designed to fix the electrical lines in the plug 10.

[0041] The locking elements 18a, 18b each have a plurality of prongs 20a, 20b, which are connected to a crossbar 22a, 22b and protrude from the crossbar 22a, 22b in a comb-like manner. The two locking elements 18a, 18b can differ in the number and length of the prongs.

[0042] The Fig. Figure 3 shows the connector 10 without the connector cover 11 and the connector lever 13 in an exploded view. A mat seal 31 can be inserted into the receiving area 25 of the contact carrier upper part 24 of the connector body 12, between the contact carrier upper part 24 and the pressure plate 27.

[0043] The mat seal 31 has channels 29b for sealingly passing electrical cables through. A contact carrier lower part 26, which has channels 29d for receiving electrical cables, can also be inserted into the plug base 14. When the pressure plate 27 and the mat seal 31 are inserted into the receiving area 25 of the contact carrier upper part 24, the channels 29a of the pressure plate 27 open into the channels 29b of the mat seal 31, and the channels 29b of the mat seal 31 in turn open into channels 29c of the contact carrier upper part 24, which in turn open into the channels 29d of the contact carrier lower part 26, thus forming continuous channels 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d.

[0044] The electrical wires of a cable harness can thus be guided through the receiving opening 15 of the connector cover 11 through the continuous channels 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d into the connector body 12, whereby the course of the channels 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d defines an axial direction of the connector 10. If the connector 10 is plugged onto a plug-in module, electrical contacts (not shown) of the plug-in module are received by the contact carrier lower part 26 in order to establish an electrical connection between the electrical contacts of the plug-in module and the electrical wires in the channels 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d of the connector body 12.

[0045] The contact carrier upper part 24, the pressure plate 27, the mat seal 31 and the contact carrier lower part 26 can each have channels with different diameters, which can serve to pass through or accommodate electrical lines with different diameters, such as lines for a power supply and / or lines for transmitting signals.

[0046] Furthermore, a sealing element 33 can be inserted into the plug base 14 between the contact carrier upper part 24 and the contact carrier lower part 26, which sealing element 33 runs around the contact carrier upper part 24 in the interior of the plug body 12 and which is designed to be received between a collar (not shown) of the plug-in module and the plug base 14, so that the plug 10 plugged onto the plug-in module is sealed with respect to the environment.

[0047] The Fig. 4 shows a cross section along a median plane parallel to the axial direction through the Fig. 3, wherein the pressure plate 27 and the mat seal 31 are inserted into the receiving area 25 of the contact carrier upper part 24, and the contact carrier lower part 26 is inserted into the connector base 14, so that the channels 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d each open into one another and form continuous channels for the passage of the electrical lines. The channels 29b of the mat seal 31 further each have a tapered area 35, which is designed to sealingly enclose the electrical lines within the mat seal 31.

[0048] Furthermore, the locking element 18b is inserted into the plug 10 adjacent to an interface between the contact carrier upper part 24 and the contact carrier lower part 26, wherein the prongs 20b of the locking element 18b are inserted into recesses 28 which are adjacent to each of the channels 29c, 29d and are each aligned with one another. The prongs 20b of the locking element 18b therefore run, with regard to their cross section, partly in the contact carrier upper part 24 and another part in the contact carrier lower part 26. The prongs 20b of the locking element 18b engage in the channels 29c, 29d transversely to a longitudinal extension direction of the channels 29c, 29d, i.e. normal to the axial direction, so that a partial area of a cross section of the channels 29c, 29d is occupied by the prongs 20b. The electrical lines in the channels 29c, 29d are each pressed against a wall of the channels 29c, 29d so that they are fixed by means of static friction.

[0049] The Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of the interface between the contact carrier upper part 24 and the contact carrier lower part 26, in which the prongs 20b of the locking element 18b inserted into the aligned recesses 28 can be clearly seen.

[0050] The prongs 20b have a cross-section with a rectangular upper region 30 extending in the contact carrier upper part 24, a rectangular lower region 32 extending in the contact carrier lower part 26, and a trapezoidal central region 34 extending at the interface between the contact carrier upper part 24 and the contact carrier lower part 26 and connecting the upper region 30 to the lower region 32. The rectangular upper region 30 is smaller than the rectangular lower region 32 in terms of one edge length.

[0051] The recesses 28 are also designed according to the cross section of the tines 20b, so that the tines 20b engage positively in the recesses 28.

[0052] However, the cross-section of the prongs 20b of the locking element 18b and the cross-section of the recesses do not necessarily have to be designed as described above. For example, the prongs 20b can also be completely trapezoidal, triangular, rectangular, or any other shape with regard to their entire cross-section, with the recesses 28 being designed to correspond to the cross-section of the prongs 20b so that the prongs 20b can engage positively in the recesses 28 and thus fix the electrical lines in the connector 10.

Claims

[1] Plug (10) for establishing an electrical connection with a plug-in module, the plug (10) comprising: a plurality of electrical lines; a plug body (12) having a contact carrier upper part (24) with a plurality of channels (29c) for receiving the plurality of electrical lines and a plug base (14) designed to receive a collar of the plug-in module; a contact carrier lower part (26) having a plurality of channels (29d) for receiving the plurality of electrical lines, wherein the channels (29c) of the contact carrier upper part (24) open into the channels (29d) of the contact carrier lower part (26) and thereby form continuous channels (29c, 29d) for receiving the plurality of electrical lines, wherein the contact carrier lower part (26) is designed to be enclosed by the collar of the plug-in module and to receive a plurality of electrical contacts of the plug-in module in order to establish electrical connections between the plurality of electrical lines in the plug (10) and the plurality of electrical contacts of the plug-in module; and at least one locking element (18a, 18b) which can be inserted from an outside into the plug body (12) of the plug (10) and which is designed to fix the plurality of electrical lines in the channels (29c, 29d), characterized by , that the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) extends partly in the contact carrier upper part (24) and partly in the contact carrier lower part (26). [2] Plug (10) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) for fixing the plurality of electrical lines is designed in a comb-like manner with a plurality of prongs (20a, 20b) which can be inserted into at least a partial area of a cross section of the channels (29c, 29d), whereby the plurality of electrical lines are pressed against the contact carrier upper part (24) and the contact carrier lower part (26) and are thereby fixed. [3] Plug (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) fixes the plurality of electrical lines predominantly by static friction. [4] Plug (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein both the contact carrier upper part (24) and the contact carrier lower part (26) have recesses (28) at an interface between the contact carrier upper part (24) and the contact carrier lower part (26) adjacent to each of the channels (29c, 29d), into which the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) can be inserted, wherein the recesses of the contact carrier upper part (24) are aligned with the recesses of the contact carrier lower part (26). [5] Plug (10) according to claim 4, wherein the prongs (20a, 20b) of the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) are designed to engage positively in the recesses (28). [6] Plug (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) can be inserted into the plug body (12) of the plug (10) transversely to a longitudinal extension direction of the channels (29c, 29d). [7] Plug (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two locking elements (18a, 18b) of the plug (10) can be inserted into the plug body (12) of the plug (10) on two opposite sides of the plug (10). [8] Plug (10) according to claim 7, wherein the at least two locking elements (18a, 18b) differ with respect to a number of prongs (20a, 20b) insertable into the plug body (12) of the plug (10). [9] Plug (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) is formed in one piece and / or wherein the at least one locking element (18a, 18b) consists of a plastic. [10] Plug (10) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the at least two locking elements (18a, 18b) are each formed in one piece and / or wherein the at least two locking elements (18a, 18b) each consist of a plastic. [11] Plug-in system with a plug (10) according to one of the preceding claims and a plug-in module for receiving the plug (10).

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