Shield clamp for fixing electrical cables, kit consisting of a shield clamp and a cable harness, power electronics unit and electric drive train

Abstract

The invention relates to a shield clamp (1) for securing electrical conductors (2), comprising an upper shell (3) and a lower shell (4) formed integrally with the upper shell (3), wherein the shells (3, 4) form a receiving section (5) for holding a cable harness (6) consisting of a plurality of electrical conductors (2) and each have two plate-shaped mounting sections (7, 8) arranged on either side of the receiving section (5). The invention also relates to a kit comprising a shield clamp (1) described above and a cable harness (6) comprising a plurality of electrical conductors (2), wherein the shield clamp (1) has a receiving section (5) in which a section of the cable harness (6) is positioned. The invention also relates to a power electronics unit comprising a power electronics module (34) and a kit described above, wherein the cable harness (6) is connected to the power electronics module (34).The invention also relates to an electric drive train (32) for a motor vehicle, comprising a previously described power electronics unit, a housing (33) and a cable harness (6) formed from a plurality of electrical conductors (2) connected to the power electronics (34), wherein the shield clamp (1) is attached to the housing (33).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a shield clamp for fixing electrical cables, preferably for use in motor vehicles.

[0002] In principle, the use of shield clamps for electrical shielding is already known. They are also used in the automotive sector. To prevent expected interference with the electromagnetic compatibility of electrical devices, shield clamps are used to shield electrical cables, for example, to establish ground contact with other components.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a shield clamp that requires less installation space and allows simplified assembly.

[0004] This is achieved in a present shield clamp in that the shield clamp has an upper shell and a lower shell formed as a single piece with the upper shell, wherein the shells form a receiving section for holding a cable harness consisting of a plurality of electrical lines and each have two plate-shaped fastening sections arranged on both sides of the receiving section.

[0005] The single-piece design of the shield clamp simplifies and reduces the complexity of handling during assembly. Furthermore, the mounting sections on both sides provide robust support for the shield clamp. Furthermore, the formation of an upper and lower shell provides extensive shielding for the electrical wires in the cable harness.

[0006] Further advantageous embodiments are claimed in the subclaims and are explained in more detail below.

[0007] It is advantageous if the upper shell is elastically connected to the lower shell by means of an (integral) hinge section. The shield clamp can be brought into an open state and a closed state. The open state describes a delivery state of the shield clamp in which the upper shell and lower shell are positioned at an angle to one another, which is ensured by the hinge section. An opening is formed on one side of the shield clamp through which cables can be positioned in the receiving section. The closed state describes an assembled / installed state in which the previously described opening is closed and the upper shell and lower shell are arranged parallel to one another. This allows flexible assembly of the shield clamp.

[0008] Furthermore, the hinge section can be formed on a side of the two overlapping fastening sections facing away from the receiving section. This creates a one-sided hinge, which facilitates the opening and closing of the shield clamp. The hinge section is preferably formed on a first end side, a front side of the fastening section, of the shield clamp. Particularly preferably, the width of the hinge section is smaller than the width of the fastening section. This provides a particularly space-saving variant of the hinge section.

[0009] In addition, the upper shell and the lower shell can each have a corrugated inner contour with multiple recesses that jointly form the receiving section, with at least two recesses in the upper shell and the lower shell, i.e., at least one recess per shell, being designed / cooperating to accommodate at least one line (in the form of a cable). This ensures that the electrical lines are held in a dimensionally stable manner in the shield clamp. Overall, the installation of the shield clamp is simplified because the recesses facilitate positioning.

[0010] The inner contours preferably have curved sections in which the individual cables can be positioned. Due to the curved design of the sections, the cables are extensively surrounded by the shield clamp along their outer contours. The number of recesses is selected depending on the application, for example, three recesses to position a total of three electrical cables of the cable harness.

[0011] It is advisable for the lower and upper shells to have an identical shape. This simplifies the production of the shield clamp. The shield clamp is preferably shaped symmetrically around all three axes. This allows the shield clamp to be mounted in any orientation.

[0012] Alternatively, the recesses in the shells can be of different sizes and / or the number of recesses per shell can be different. This provides an even more flexible shield clamp that can be used with the existing cable harness designs. This allows, among other things, a preferably pyramid-shaped bundling of individual electrical wires and / or the use of electrical wires with different cross-sectional sizes.

[0013] Furthermore, the fastening sections can have holes with a round and / or oval / elongated cross-section. Depending on the available installation space, a hole with an oval / elongated cross-section can simplify assembly, as this cross-section facilitates flexible positioning of the shield clamp. The holes are preferably in the form of through holes. This allows the shield clamp to be fastened (to other components). Particularly preferably, the through holes are formed in the first and second fastening sections. The shield clamp can be secured by means of fastening means that can be positioned in the through holes. This holds the shield clamp in the closed state.

[0014] It is advantageous if the shield clamp is made of a flexible / elastic material, where the shield clamp has a self-retaining function due to the material, so that the upper shell and the lower shell can remain in their position relative to each other.

[0015] The invention also includes a kit comprising a previously described shield clamp and a wiring harness having a plurality of electrical wires, wherein a portion of the wiring harness is positioned in the receiving portion of the shield clamp. This kit facilitates assembly because the shield clamp is already arranged on the wiring harness at the electrical wires.

[0016] The invention also encompasses a power electronics unit with power electronics and a previously described kit, wherein the wiring harness is connected to the power electronics. Alternatively, the kit can be formed from the wiring harness and the shield clamp, with the shield clamp being separate from the wiring harness. This describes the condition in which the shield clamp is not in contact with the wiring harness and thus not with the electrical lines.

[0017] The invention also encompasses an electric drive train for a motor vehicle, comprising a previously described power electronics unit, a housing, and a cable harness formed from a plurality of electrical lines connected to the power electronics. The shield clamp is attached to the housing. The electrical load can be, for example, pumps for a rear axle of a motor vehicle. For electrical shielding, the shield clamp is attached to the housing in order to establish contact via the housing to ground with shield braids, which are preferably arranged around the individual electrical lines.

[0018] Various advantageous embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing with figures.

[0019] They show: Fig. 1 a shield clamp in a perspective view in the open state, Fig. 2 the shield clamp Fig. 1 in a side view, Fig. 3 the shield clamp Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.when closed, Fig. 4 the shield clamp Fig. 3 in a side view with fastening means, Fig. 5 the shield clamp in the installed state in an electric drive train, Fig. 6 the electric drive train with the shield clamp in a sectional view, and Fig. 7 the electric drive train with the shield clamp in a second embodiment in a sectional view.

[0020] The figures are merely schematic and serve solely to facilitate understanding of the invention. The same elements are provided with the same reference numerals. Features of the individual embodiments can be interchanged and used alternatively / cumulatively.

[0021] The Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a shield clamp 1 according to the invention for fixing electrical cables 2 (shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6), with an upper shell 3 and a lower shell 4 formed integrally with the upper shell 3, wherein the shells 3, 4 form a receiving section 5 for holding a cable harness 6 consisting of a plurality of electrical lines 2 and each have two plate-shaped fastening sections 7, 8 arranged on both sides of the receiving section 5.

[0022] The shield clamp 1 in this case has a length 14, a width 11, and a height 12. To better clarify the following description, a longitudinal direction 9, a direction 10 of the width 11, and a direction 13 of the height 12 are defined. The longitudinal direction 9 describes the direction of the length 14 of the shield clamp 1, while the direction of the width 10 is aligned horizontally to the longitudinal direction 9 and describes the width 11. A direction 13 of the height 12 is aligned vertically to the longitudinal direction 9 and describes the height 12 of the shield clamp 1.

[0023] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows the shield clamp 1 in an open state, a delivery state. The open state is defined by an opening 15 on one side of the respective fastening sections 8 in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] The fastening sections 7, 8 are divided into a first fastening section 7 and a second fastening section 8. The upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 each have a first fastening section 7 and a second fastening section 8. The upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 have an identical shape, whereby the basic structure of these two shells 3, 4 is identical. Structural embodiments apply to both shells 3, 4. Thus, the upper shell 3 has the first fastening section 7 and the second fastening section 8, and the lower shell 4 has the first fastening section 7 and the second fastening section 8.

[0025] The first fastening section 7 is characterized in that the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 are connected to one another at this first fastening section 7 by a hinge section 16 designed as a clamp element. The hinge section 16 is arcuate and engages the circumference / end face of the first fastening section 7 of the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4.

[0026] The following description of the design of the fastening sections 7, 8 is based on one of the shells 3, 4. The first fastening section 7 and second fastening section 8 are defined by a rounded portion / semicircular contour on their respective end sides 17, 18, first end side 17 and second end side 18. By means of this clamp element, an angle 19 is formed between the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 in the open state, more precisely between an underside 20 of the upper shell 3 and the top side 21 of the lower shell 4. This arrangement forms the opening 15 on the side of the second fastening sections 8.

[0027] The first fastening section 7 has a bore 22 with a circular cross-section, while a bore 23 on the second fastening section 8 has an oval cross-section. These bores 22, 23 are each formed in the form of a through hole. The extension of the oval cross-section is in the longitudinal direction 9.

[0028] In the longitudinal direction 9, the receiving section 5 is formed between the two fastening sections 7, 8. In the present embodiment of the shield clamp 1, the receiving section 5 is formed by means of recesses 24 introduced into the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4, thereby creating a corrugated inner contour 26 of the receiving section 5. The inner contours 26 have arcuate partial sections 25. In addition to the corrugated inner contour 26, which is formed on a region of the shield clamp 1 running in the longitudinal direction 9, an outer contour 27 of the shield clamp 1 is also corrugated in the same region. In the present case, a total of three recesses 24 are provided, with individual electrical lines 2 being positionable in each of the arcuate partial sections 25.

[0029] In the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is the one from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows the shield clamp 1 in a closed state, an assembled state. In the closed state, the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 are spaced from one another in the direction 13 of the height 12 by a gap 28. The gap 28 is formed between the underside 20 of the upper shell 3 and the top side 21 of the lower shell 4, since these sides 20, 21 are arranged parallel to one another and spaced from one another in the closed state. The bores 22, 23 of the fastening sections 7, 8 of the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4, which are arranged relative to one another, are aligned congruently with one another in the closed state so that fastening means 29 can be positioned in these bores 22, 23.

[0030] The Fig. Figure 4 shows, by way of example, the arrangement of fastening means 29, in this case screws, arranged in the bores 22, 23 of the fastening sections 7, 8 of the shield clamp 1. In the present embodiment, a head section 30 of the fastening means 29 rests against an upper side 31 of the respective fastening section 7, 8 of the upper shell 3.

[0031] Since the upper shell 3 and lower shell 4 have an identical shape, the exact assignment of upper shell 3 and lower shell 4 is flexible, since the arrangement of the shield clamp 1 remains identical when rotated by 180° according to the longitudinal direction 9.

[0032] The Fig. 5 shows a concrete installation situation of the shield clamp 1 according to the invention in an electric drive train 32. In the present embodiment, the electric drive train 32 has a housing 33 through which the cable harness 6 formed in the form of electrical lines 2 is guided and connected to an electrical consumer (not shown here). Another side of the cable harness 6 is connected to power electronics 34. In the present embodiment, the cable harness 6 has three lines 2, each line being surrounded by a shielding braid 35. The housing 33 has on an upper side 36 connection points 37 for the shield clamp 1 in the form of elevations in the direction 13 of the height 12, wherein the elevations each have a blind hole to which the fastening means 29 according to Fig. 4 are attached and the shield clamp 1 is held.

[0033] In Fig. 6 is the installation situation according to Fig. 5 is shown in a section, illustrating the specific, small installation space between the top 36 of the housing 33 and a cover 38 attached to the housing 33. The shield clamp 1 is arranged in the free space between the top 36 of the housing 33 and the cover 38.

[0034] The individual cables 2 of the cable harness 6 are positioned on the curved sections 25 of the inner contour 26 and rest there.

[0035] In Fig. Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the shield clamp 1 in the installed state. Compared to the previously described embodiment, the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 have a different shape. The electrical lines 2 shown (shown here in a simplified form and only partially arranged in the shield clamp 1) have different cross-sectional sizes, as a result of which the recesses 24 are designed to be different sizes and thus the height 12 of the shield clamp 1 varies along the longitudinal direction 9. In the present case, the cable harness 6 is formed from three electrical lines 2, wherein the first of the electrical lines 2 is bundled from three further individual lines.

[0036] The bundled electrical line 2 is arranged in a pyramid shape. Accordingly, the upper shell 3 has a total of three recesses 24, and the lower shell 4 has four recesses 24, since in the lower shell 4, a total of four electrical lines 2 are positioned in the recesses 24 and abut the curved sections 25, while in the upper shell 3, only three are positioned and abut the curved sections 25.

[0037] The cross-sectional sizes of the electrical cables 2 are different from each other. The representation according to Fig.However, the arrangement of the electrical lines 2 in the longitudinal direction 9 of the shield clamp 1 is flexible, allowing the size and number of recesses 24 to be flexibly changed. In the present case, the fastening means 29 are tightened such that the gap 28 no longer exists and the fastening sections 7, 8 of the upper shell 3 and the lower shell 4 abut one another. List of reference symbols 1 umbrella clamp 2 electrical cables 3 upper shell 4 lower shell 5 Recording section 6 Wiring harness 7 first fastening section 8 second fastening section 9 Longitudinal direction 10 Direction of width 11 Width 12 height 13 Direction of height 14 length 15 Opening 16 Hinge section 17 first end page 18 second end page 19 angles 20 subpage 21 Top 22 Hole 23 Hole 24 recesses 25 arched sections 26 inner contour 27 Outer contour 28 gap 29 fasteners 30 head section 31 Top 32 electric drivetrain 33 housings 34 Power electronics 35 shielding braid 36 Top 37 connection point 38 lids

Claims

[1] Shield clamp (1) for fixing electrical lines (2), with an upper shell (3) and a lower shell (4) formed as a single piece with the upper shell (3), wherein the shells (3, 4) form a receiving section (5) for holding a cable harness (6) consisting of a plurality of electrical lines (2) and each have two plate-shaped fastening sections (7, 8) arranged on both sides of the receiving section (5). [2] Umbrella clamp (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the upper shell (3) is elastically connected to the lower shell (4) by means of a hinge section (16). [3] Umbrella clamp (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat the upper shell (3) and the lower shell (4) each have a corrugated inner contour (26) which jointly forms the receiving section (5) and has a plurality of recesses (24), wherein two recesses (24) in each of the upper shell (3) and the lower shell (4) are designed / interact to receive at least one line (2). [4] Umbrella clamp (1) according to claim 3, characterized by that the inner contours (26) have arcuate sections (25) in which the individual lines (2) can be positioned. [5] Umbrella clamp (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the upper shell (3) and the lower shell (4) have an identical shape. [6] Umbrella clamp (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by that the recesses (24) in the shells (3, 4) have different sizes from one another and / or the number of recesses per shell (3, 4) is different. [7] Umbrella clamp (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fastening sections (7, 8) have bores (22, 23) with a round and / or oval / elongated cross-section. [8] Kit comprising a shield clamp (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 and a cable harness (6) having a plurality of electrical lines (2), wherein a portion of the cable harness (6) is positioned in the receiving portion (5) of the shield clamp (1) [9] Power electronics unit with a power electronics (34) and a kit according to claim 8, wherein the cable harness (6) is connected to the power electronics (34). [10] Electric drive train (32) for a motor vehicle, comprising a power electronics unit according to claim 9, a housing (33) and a cable harness (6) formed from a plurality of electrical lines (2) connected to the power electronics (34) with electrical consumers, wherein the shield clamp (1) is fastened to the housing (33).

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