Board connector module and board socket module for a board connector device

Abstract

The invention relates to a board connector module (100) for a board connector device (300), comprising: - a connector housing (10) extending along a first axis (Z), - a connector board (20) with a connector unit (21), wherein the connector housing (10) has a first holding element (11) which holds the connector board (20) to prevent movement of the connector unit (21) in a first direction along the first axis (Z), wherein the connector housing (10) has a first elastic spring element (FE1) and a connector contour stop (SK) to prevent movement of the connector unit (21) in a direction transverse to the first axis (Z), wherein the first elastic spring element (FE1) is in contact with the connector unit (21) and the connector contour stop (SK) is in contact with the connector board (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a board connector module and a board socket module for a board connector device.

[0002] In analytical measurement technology, particularly in water management, environmental analysis, industrial applications such as food technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, as well as for a wide variety of laboratory applications, measured variables such as pH, conductivity, or the concentration of analytes, such as ions or dissolved gases in a gaseous or liquid medium, are of great importance. These measured variables can be recorded and / or monitored using electrochemical sensors, such as optical, potentiometric, amperometric, voltammetric, or coulometric sensors, or conductivity sensors.

[0003] An inductive conductivity sensor typically consists of a sensor element with a process flange and a head assembly. A mechanical and electronic connection must be established between the two assemblies. The mating plane where the two assemblies meet is surrounded by housing parts, so mating must be done "blindly," i.e., without any visual inspection. However, if the two assemblies are not mated reliably, significant problems can arise during operation of the conductivity sensor due to faulty contacts between the electrical connections. This scenario must be completely eliminated under all circumstances.However, reliably connecting the electrical connectors is by no means a trivial problem, since the electrical contacts are arranged on a printed circuit board and thus at least six components, namely the housing, the circuit board and the electrical contact of the respective assemblies, must be perfectly aligned with each other.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the invention to propose a device which enables a reliable, secure and cost-effective connection of electronic contacts.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention by the circuit board connector module for a circuit board connector device according to claim 1.

[0006] The board connector module according to the invention comprises: - a connector housing extending along a first axis, - a connector board with a connector unit, wherein the connector housing has a first holding element which holds the connector board to prevent movement of the connector unit in a first direction along the first axis, wherein the connector housing has a first elastic spring element and a connector contour stop to prevent movement of the connector unit in a direction transverse to the first axis, wherein the first elastic spring element is in contact with the connector unit and the connector contour stop is in contact with the connector board.

[0007] The circuit board connector module according to the invention enables a secure, reliable, and cost-effective electrical connection to be established between two assemblies of a conductivity sensor. Thanks to the connector contour stop and the first spring element, the connector board can be arranged exactly at a predetermined position in the connector housing and is also held there thanks to the spring force of the first spring element. This guarantees that the connector unit is always precisely aligned. Thanks to the first holding element, it is also possible to prevent the connector board from slipping or giving way when the circuit board connector module is plugged in. This prevents, in particular, plug contacts of the connector unit from tilting when the circuit board connector module is plugged into the circuit board socket module.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connector housing has a key extending parallel to the first axis and adapted to be received by a groove.

[0009] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first spring element comprises an arcuate web.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the holding element comprises two snap hooks, and the connector board has two recesses which are complementary to the two snap hooks.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connector board extends substantially parallel to the first axis.

[0012] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a circuit board socket module for a circuit board connector device according to claim 6.

[0013] The circuit board socket module according to the invention comprises: - a socket housing extending along a first axis, - a socket board with a socket unit, wherein the socket housing has a second holding element which holds the socket board to prevent movement of the socket unit in a first direction along the first axis, wherein the socket housing has a second elastic spring element and a socket contour stop to prevent movement of the socket unit in a direction transverse to the first axis, wherein the second elastic spring element is in contact with the socket board and the socket contour stop is in contact with the socket unit.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the socket housing has a groove which extends parallel to the first axis and is suitable for receiving a key.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second elastic spring element comprises two bent fingers.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the socket board extends substantially parallel to the first axis.

[0017] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a circuit board connector for a conductivity sensor according to claim 10.

[0018] The circuit board connector device according to the invention comprises: - a board connector module according to the invention, - a circuit board socket module according to the invention, whereby the plug unit is connected to the socket unit.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following description of the figures.

[0020] They show: - Fig. 1: a sectional drawing of the circuit board connector device according to the invention, - Fig. 2: a spatial representation of the Fig. 1 shown board connector device with the board plug module and the board socket module, - Fig. 3: a top view and a spatial representation of the Fig. 2 shown board connector module, - Fig. 4: a top view and a spatial representation of the Fig. 2 shown board socket module.

[0021] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows the circuit board connector device 300 according to the invention for a conductivity sensor, which comprises a circuit board plug module 100 and a circuit board socket module 200.

[0022] The board connector module 100 comprises a connector housing 10 and a connector board 20. In Fig. 1, the board socket module 200 is shown above the dashed horizontal line.

[0023] The connector housing 10 extends along a first axis Z. The connector housing 10 is preferably substantially sleeve-shaped, wherein the sleeve has a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0024] The connector housing 10 has a first retaining element 11 and is adapted to retain the connector board 20 to prevent movement of the connector unit 21 in a first direction along the first axis Z. Preferably, the retaining element 11 has two snap hooks 12, and the connector board 20 preferably has two recesses 22 complementary to the two snap hooks 12.

[0025] The connector housing 10 has a first elastic spring element FE1 and a connector contour stop SK to prevent movement of the connector unit 21 in a direction transverse to the first axis Z. The first elastic spring element FE1 is in contact with the connector unit 21 and the connector contour stop SK is in contact with the connector board 20. The first spring element FE1 preferably has an arcuate web (see Fig. 3). The arcuate web is preferably made of the same material as the connector housing 10. The connector contour stop SK is preferably U-shaped, so that the connector board 20 is supported at two contact points by the connector contour stop SK in its radial position relative to the first axis Z. The connector housing 10 has a first diameter D1.

[0026] According to the Fig. 2 and Fig. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the connector housing 10 preferably has a key PF1. The key PF1 extends parallel to the first axis Z and is adapted to be received by a groove N1 of the printed circuit board socket module 200, i.e., the socket housing 50. The groove N1 extends parallel to the first axis Z and is adapted to receive the key PF1 of the printed circuit board connector module 100.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the connector housing 10 extends along the first axis Z over a first height H1 (see Fig. 2). The key PF1 extends along the first axis Z along a second height H2, wherein the second height H2 is smaller than the first height H1. This creates a stop through the key PF1, since the key PF1 is formed inwards on the connector housing 10, i.e., towards the first axis Z, and thus tapers the diameter of the connector housing 10 (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3). This has the advantage that, thanks to the key PF1, the plug housing 10 can only be plugged onto the socket housing 50 up to the stop, i.e., up to the first height H1, if the plug housing 10 and the socket housing 50 are plugged on while twisted relative to each other, i.e., if the key PF1 is not aligned with the groove N1. In addition, the pins of the plug unit 21 extend along a third height H3, which is less than the second height H2 of the key PF1. Because the pins are shorter than the stop of the key PF1, the pins are protected from bending if the plug housing 10 is plugged onto the socket housing 50 while twisted.

[0028] The groove N1 extends along the first axis Z and has a third height H3. The third height H3 corresponds to the second height H2. If the plug housing 10 is now oriented radially to the socket housing 50 such that the feather key PF1 is aligned with the groove N1, the feather key PF1 engages in the groove N1. In this case, the plug housing 10 and the socket housing 50 can be inserted into one another relative to one another over the third height H3 or fourth height H4 along the first axis Z, so that the plug unit 21 of the board plug module 100 is connected to the socket unit 61 of the board socket module 200. Thanks to this configuration, tilting of the plug housing 10 and socket housing 50 is possible even when the plug housing 10 and socket housing 50 are blindly inserted, and the pins of the plug unit 21 are protected from bending.

[0029] The connector board 20 has a connector unit 21. The connector unit 21 has, for example, one or more rows of electrical pins, which are directly attached to the connector board 20, i.e., preferably soldered. The pins extend parallel to the first axis Z. The connector board 20 preferably extends in a plane which is parallel to the first axis Z. The pins are then, as in Fig. 2, angled. Of course, according to an alternative embodiment not shown, it is also possible to arrange the connector board 20 in a different position, for example, transversely to the first axis Z, provided that the pins continue to be aligned parallel to the first axis Z, in order to enable insertion into an electrical counterpart (i.e., the socket unit 61). The above-mentioned two recesses 22 are particularly necessary when the connector board 20 extends in a plane that is aligned parallel to the first axis Z.

[0030] According to an optional embodiment, which is also described in Fig. 1 to 3, the printed circuit board connector module 100 has a first guide contour FK1. The first guide contour FK1 is preferably groove-shaped, in particular as a recess in the connector housing 10, in particular in an outer surface of the connector housing 10. The first guide contour FK1 extends parallel to the first axis Z. The groove N1 is preferably also formed in the first guide contour FK1. Particularly preferably, the first guide contour FK1 is formed from two recesses on the connector housing 10 that are essentially opposite one another. The first guide contour FK1 prevents unwanted twisting about the first axis Z of the printed circuit board connector module 100 relative to the printed circuit board socket module 200 when the printed circuit board connector module 100 is inserted into the printed circuit board socket module 200. The printed circuit board connector module 100 is thus guided radially when plugged together with the printed circuit board socket module 200.

[0031] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show the board socket module 200, which includes a socket housing 50 and a socket board 60. In Fig. 1, the board socket module 200 is shown below the dashed horizontal line.

[0032] The socket housing 50 extends along the first axis Z. The socket housing 50 is preferably designed to complement the plug housing 10, so that they can be partially plugged into one another. The socket housing 50 has a second diameter D2, which is preferably smaller than the first diameter D1 of the plug housing 10 (see Fig. 1. This allows the plug housing 10 and the socket housing 50 to be partially plugged into each other.

[0033] The socket board 60 has a socket unit 61. The socket unit 61 is preferably a pin socket configured to receive the pins of the plug unit 21. The socket board 60 extends substantially parallel to the first axis Z. The socket board 60 preferably carries a transmitting coil and a receiving coil (not shown) of the conductivity sensor.

[0034] The socket housing 50 has a second holding element 51 which holds the socket board 60 to prevent movement of the socket unit 61 in a first direction along the first axis Z. The second holding element 51 is preferably designed as a U-shaped stop element (see Fig. 4). The second holding element 51 preferably has dimensions that correspond to the dimensions of the socket unit 61, so that the socket unit 61 is held in at least one direction transverse to the first axis Z. The second holding element 51 is therefore preferably designed to be complementary or form-fitting to the socket unit 61.

[0035] The socket housing 50 has a second elastic spring element FE2 and a socket contour stop BK to prevent movement of the socket unit 61 in a direction transverse to the first axis Z. The second elastic spring element FE2 is in contact with the socket board 60, and the socket contour stop BK is in contact with the socket unit 61.

[0036] The second spring element FE2 is preferably designed as two bent fingers 52 (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 4). List of reference symbols 10 connector housings 11 first holding element 12 snap hooks 20 connector board 21 Plug unit 22 recesses 50 socket housings 51 second holding element 52 bent fingers 60 socket board 61 socket unit 100 PCB connector modules 200 PCB socket module 300 PCB connectors BK bushing contour stop D1 first diameter D2 second diameter FE1 first spring element FE2 second spring element FK1 first guide contour FK2 second guide contour H1 first height H2 second height H3 third height H4 fourth height N1 groove PF1 key SK connector contour stop Z first axis

Claims

[1] Board connector module (100) for a board connector device (300), comprising: - a connector housing (10) extending along a first axis (Z), - a connector board (20) with a connector unit (21), wherein the connector housing (10) has a first holding element (11) which holds the connector board (20) in order to prevent movement of the connector unit (21) in a first direction along the first axis (Z), wherein the connector housing (10) has a first elastic spring element (FE1) and a connector contour stop (SK) in order to prevent movement of the connector unit (21) in a direction transverse to the first axis (Z), wherein the first elastic spring element (FE1) is in contact with the connector unit (21) and the connector contour stop (SK) is in contact with the connector board (20). [2] Board connector module (100) according to claim 1, wherein the connector housing (10) has a key (PF1) extending parallel to the first axis (Z) and adapted to be received by a groove (N1). [3] Board connector module (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first spring element (FE1) comprises an arcuate web. [4] Board connector module (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding element (11) comprises two snap hooks (12), and the connector board (20) has two recesses (22) which are complementary to the two snap hooks (12). [5] Board connector module (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector board (20) extends substantially parallel to the first axis (Z). [6] Board socket module (200) for a board connector device (300), comprising: - a socket housing (50) extending along a first axis (Z), - a socket board (60) with a socket unit (61), wherein the socket housing (50) has a second holding element (51) which holds the socket board (60) in order to prevent movement of the socket unit (61) in a first direction along the first axis (Z), wherein the socket housing (50) has a second elastic spring element (FE2) and a socket contour stop (BK) in order to prevent movement of the socket unit (61) in a direction transverse to the first axis (Z), wherein the second elastic spring element (FE2) is in contact with the socket board (60) and the socket contour stop (BK) is in contact with the socket unit (61). [7] The board socket module (200) according to claim 6, wherein the socket housing (50) has a groove (N1) extending parallel to the first axis (Z) and adapted to receive a key (PF1). [8] Board socket module (200) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second elastic spring element (FE2) comprises two bent fingers (52). [9] Board socket module (200) according to one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the socket board (60) extends substantially parallel to the first axis (Z). [10] Board connector device (300) for a conductivity sensor, comprising: - a board connector module (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, - a board socket module (200) according to one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the plug unit (21) is connected to the socket unit (61).

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