Connector arrangement for a gearbox

Abstract

Plug arrangement (2) for a transmission device (1), comprising a receiving device (3) and an electrical plug device (4) connectable or connected to the receiving device (3) with a plug housing (6) on which several plug elements (5) are arranged, wherein in a connected state the plug elements (5) of the plug device (4) are received in receiving elements (8) of the receiving device (3), comprising a separating device (10, 10') which has at least one separating element (11, 11'), in particular a partition arranged between two adjacent plug elements (5), which is designed to separate a gap (12) between two adjacent plug elements (5), in particular a direct connecting line between two adjacent plug elements (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a plug arrangement for a transmission device, comprising a receiving device and an electrical plug device connectable or connected to the receiving device, with a plug housing on which several plug elements are arranged, wherein in a connected state the plug elements of the plug device are received in receiving elements of the receiving device.

[0002] Such connector assemblies for transmission devices, especially transmission devices for motor vehicles, are generally known from the prior art. Typically, to establish the connector connection, a receiving device is connected to a plugging device of the connector assembly, the plugging device usually providing a plug housing and several plug elements housed within the plug housing. These plug elements can be inserted into receiving elements of the receiving device to establish an electrical connection between the receiving device and the plugging device. The different plug elements or different groups of plug elements may be at different potentials or transmit different signals. It is therefore essential to avoid two plug elements, for example, adjacent plug elements, that are not at the same potential.They do not transmit the same signal and are electrically connected to each other.

[0003] The connector housing of the connector assembly is fundamentally designed so that the connector elements have a defined orientation and therefore cannot come into contact with each other. However, when the connector assembly is arranged within the transmission unit, especially in an oil chamber, unintentional contact between connector elements that should not be in contact with each other can occur. For example, during operation of the transmission unit, chips can form and be distributed within the oil chamber or moved within the transmission unit by oil flow. If such a chip enters the area between two connector elements, it is essential to prevent the chip from connecting the two connector elements and thus causing a fault in the connector assembly.

[0004] It is known from the prior art to completely seal such a connector assembly against the interior of the transmission unit, so that no oil from the interior of the transmission unit can enter the interior of the connector assembly, in particular the connector housing. However, such a sealed design of the connector assembly is complex to implement and must be inspected and tested in the installed state to ensure that the connector assembly is indeed sealed, preventing the ingress of either oil or metal shavings.

[0005] The present invention is based on the objective of providing an improved plug arrangement for a transmission device, which is less complex and designed to reliably prevent a short circuit between two plug elements.

[0006] The problem is solved by a connector arrangement having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] As described, the invention relates to a connector arrangement for a transmission unit, for example, a transmission unit of a motor vehicle. Several transmission elements of the motor vehicle can be arranged in the transmission unit, for example, shafts, gears, clutches, and the like. The interior of the transmission unit is at least partially filled with oil, which is intended, for example, for cooling and / or lubricating one or more transmission elements. The connector arrangement is arranged, or can be arranged, within the interior of the transmission unit.

[0008] The connector assembly comprises a receiving device and an electrical connector assembly. In the assembled state, the connector assembly is connected to the receiving device, such that the connector elements of the connector assembly, for example, electrically conductive pins, located within the connector housing, are inserted into corresponding receiving elements of the receiving device. The connector assembly can therefore also be referred to as an "electrical connector assembly" and the receiving device as an "electrical receiving device." In the assembled state, a conductive connection is thus established between the connector elements and the receiving elements, enabling the transmission of electrical energy or signals from the connector assembly to the receiving device and vice versa.

[0009] The invention is based on the finding that a separating device is provided which has at least one separating element, in particular a partition arranged between two adjacent connector elements, which is designed to separate a gap between two adjacent connector elements, in particular a direct connection line between two adjacent connector elements. Thus, the invention proposes, in contrast to the previously described prior art, to design the connector assembly itself to be oil-permeable, for example, by making the connector housing open to the environment or by designing it without a special seal. Instead of an oil-tight design, a separating device is proposed which separates the gap between two adjacent connector elements, specifically such that a direct connection line between the two adjacent connector elements is interrupted by the separating element, for example, a partition.

[0010] This allows a chip from the interior of the transmission unit to enter the connector housing, for example, to reach the area of ​​a connector element. However, the separating element prevents the chip from establishing a conductive connection along the direct line of contact between the two adjacent connector elements. A short circuit between two adjacent connector elements caused by an intruding chip is prevented by the separating element, which is positioned in the space between the two connector elements in such a way that the chip cannot establish a conductive connection there.

[0011] Thus, it is acceptable that a chip may penetrate the connector assembly, but the connector assembly prevents the chip from establishing a conductive connection between two connector elements. This allows the connector assembly itself to be designed much more simply, as no means for a reliable oil-tight seal against the environment are required. Instead, the separating device can be provided with a separating element, which in its simplest embodiment is a partition, preventing a chip from one connector element from establishing a conductive connection to an adjacent connector element.

[0012] A separating element can be provided, in particular, between two connector elements that are not at the same electrical potential or that do not transmit the same electrical signal. In principle, the separating device can be provided as part of the connector assembly, the receiving device, or as a separate component of the connector assembly, as long as the at least one separating element ensures separation between the connector elements to be separated. The separating device can have several separating elements, for example, to isolate all connector elements to be separated from one another. Such a separating element, for example, in the form of a partition perpendicular to a direct connecting line, can be provided between each pair of adjacent connector elements. The direct connecting line between the adjacent connector elements can be perpendicular to the plane of the partition.

[0013] The described variety of separating elements can, for example, divide the interior of the connector housing into connector chambers, with each chamber potentially containing a single connector element or multiple connector elements at the same potential. It can also be provided that the last pin or connector element, for example, the outermost connector elements, of each row can be freestanding, as these do not need to be housed in a separate connector chamber, but only separated from the connector element adjacent in one direction. The separating device can incorporate a partition between two rows to separate the different rows of connector elements.

[0014] The described separating device can have at least two separating elements extending in different, in particular orthogonal, directions. The separating device can thus be understood as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional separating device. The separating device can, for example, provide a grid or lattice. The shape of the separating device can be determined by the shape of the connector assembly, the connector device, or the receiving device. Depending on how many rows with how many connector elements the connector device provides, the separating device can be designed accordingly. If, for example, a two-row connector device is used, the separating device can provide a central partition and partitions extending perpendicularly from the central partition, each of which engages in the spaces between two connector elements to separate them from one another.This forms connector chambers for the individual connector elements, as described above. At least in the middle of the connector assembly, the connector elements are separated by at least three separating elements or partitions: on one side by the central partition described above, and on the two sides perpendicular to it by the corresponding partitions or separating elements.

[0015] As described, it is generally possible for the connector elements of the connector assembly to be arranged in a single row, two rows, or multiple rows. In a single-row arrangement, the separating elements can extend from the central wall of the separating device in only one direction. It is also possible for the separating device to be designed in a zigzag or meandering line, providing alternating separating walls on different sides of the connector elements, which are interconnected. In a connector assembly with at least two rows, it is advantageous to provide a central wall from which separating elements project in different directions, particularly opposite or offset ones, so that the individual connector elements can be separated from one another. When extending the two-row configuration by at least one additional row, corresponding separating devices as described above can be used.Separating elements can be combined with each other.

[0016] In a further embodiment of the connector assembly, at least one groove can be provided for at least one free end of the at least one separating element. This at least one groove can be provided by the connector assembly itself, for example, in the inner surface of the connector housing, in a circuit board or printed circuit board on which the connector assembly is mounted, in the receiving device, or a combination of these possibilities. A first groove can be provided in the longitudinal direction of the separating elements, i.e., perpendicular to the center line or connecting line, so that the respective separating elements engage in the groove on the side of the separating element opposite the center wall of the separating device. Likewise, a groove can be provided in the vertical direction, i.e., in the insertion direction, into which the separating element engages.The groove can essentially form a complementary structure to the separating device, into which the separating device can engage, for example, in the insertion direction. Likewise, a gap can remain between the inner surface of the groove and the outer surface of the separating element to create an oil passage.

[0017] As previously described, the separating device can ensure that at least one connector element in a connector chamber is separated from at least one other connector element. The separating device can divide a connector space, bounded by the connector assembly, in particular a connector housing of the connector assembly, in which the connector elements are arranged, into several connector chambers that are arranged opposite or offset from one another. With respect to the previously described central wall of the separating device, the connector chambers can be arranged opposite each other, i.e., the central wall represents a line of symmetry for the separating device, and the connector chambers are arranged accordingly by mirroring a series of connector chambers on the central wall.It is also possible to arrange the connector chambers in an offset configuration, for example, such that a separating element on one side is positioned along the central wall between two separating elements on the opposite side. The separating device, and in particular the arrangement of the separating elements, can be specifically tailored to the geometry of the connector assembly or the receiving device. Each connector chamber can contain exactly one connector element, and only connector elements of the same potential.

[0018] As described, the connector assembly can be attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) in any position, or the connector assembly can establish a conductive connection to a PCB. The receiving element can be designed as a section of a PCB, with the receiving elements being formed in the PCB and the PCB having a through-hole for the disconnecting element, which is designed, in particular, as a chip guard cover. In this embodiment, the connector assembly has a connector that is plugged onto the PCB. The receiving elements for the connector elements of the connector assembly can be located in the PCB. The PCB also has a through-hole through which the disconnecting element can pass. In other words, the disconnecting element is mounted on the side of the PCB opposite the connector assembly.The disconnecting device extends through the circuit board, specifically through the opening in the circuit board, and connects to the connector assembly. The disconnecting device provides the described structure, in particular the disconnecting elements that extend through the opening in the circuit board and thus separate the connector elements located on the opposite side.

[0019] In principle, the connector housing can be attached to the circuit board in any way, or the attachment can be achieved using the detachable component. For example, the detachable component can be snapped, clipped, screwed, or glued in place. The detachable component can be connected directly to the circuit board or through the circuit board to the connector assembly. This description can also be modified so that the circuit board provides the connector elements and, instead of the connector assembly, a receiving component. In other words, the circuit board can provide the connector elements onto which a receiving component of the connector assembly is attached.

[0020] The plug assembly can be further developed such that the receiving device is formed on a socket device, wherein the receiving elements are formed in the socket device and the disconnecting device is arranged or formed on the plug device and / or on the socket device. In the described embodiment, the plug assembly is closed by connecting the receiving device to the plug device, wherein the receiving device is a socket device. The receiving elements of the socket device thus receive the plug elements of the plug device.In principle, it is possible to implement the separating device on the socket device or the plug device or on both, for example in such a way that the ends of the separating elements arranged alternately on the plug device and receiving device, arranged in the insertion direction, lie against each other or form a defined gap.

[0021] The disconnecting device may further comprise a fluid opening through which fluid can flow into or out of at least one connector element. As described at the outset, the present invention does not aim to make the connector housing sealed against the environment, i.e., the interior of the transmission unit. On the contrary, the embodiment described above achieves a controlled exchange of fluid between the interior of the connector housing and the outside. This, in particular, prevents the formation of conductive deposits on the connector elements within the interior of the connector housing, i.e., the connector chamber, during operation of the transmission unit. These deposits could lead to a short circuit between the connector elements. While such connections are also prevented by the disconnecting device, it is nevertheless desirable to prevent such deposits.This is achieved by allowing a defined fluid exchange through the fluid opening, so that the fluid, for example oil, can flow from the outside into the connector element and from the connector element into the environment.

[0022] As previously described, the at least one separating element ensures that a direct connection between two adjacent connector elements is severed. The separating wall or separating element projects a defined amount beyond the direct connection line between the two connector elements. Depending on the length of this projection, the safety against conductive connections caused by chips can be increased, since a chip that would create a conductive connection between the two adjacent connector elements would have to be at least long enough to form a connection from the first connector element around the projection to the second connector element.

[0023] In a particular configuration of the connector assembly, the projection of at least one separating element beyond a center line between two adjacent connector elements can be determined based on an expected chip length, particularly a mean or maximum one. The chip length resulting from the operation of the transmission unit can be determined, for example, through tests such as field trials. In this context, it is possible to consider the chip length distribution, i.e., the number of individual chips in relation to their achieved length. Such an expected chip length can also be simulated or determined from empirical data. The described configuration allows the dimensions of the separating elements to be defined based on the expected chip length.In particular, the overhang can be set in such a way that, even with a medium or maximum expected chip length, no conductive connection can occur between adjacent plug elements, since the separating element or its overhang is chosen to be so long that even with the maximum expected chip length, the length of the chips is insufficient to create a connection around the overhang.

[0024] In addition to the described connector arrangement, the invention relates to a transmission unit, particularly for a motor vehicle, which has a previously described connector arrangement. As described, the transmission unit specifically has the connector arrangement located in a wet area, so that the connector arrangement is surrounded by oil and oil can penetrate into it. The connector arrangement can be part of a control unit, for example, mounted on or connected to a printed circuit board. Electrical signals are transmitted between two electrical devices within the transmission unit via the connector arrangement, or at least one device of the transmission unit is supplied with electrical energy via the connector arrangement. The transmission unit can, in turn, be part of a motor vehicle.Such a motor vehicle may have a transmission unit and / or a described connector arrangement. All advantages, details, and features described in relation to the connector arrangement are transferable to the transmission unit and vice versa.

[0025] The invention is explained below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. The figures are schematic representations and show: Fig. 1 a section of a longitudinal sectional view of a plug arrangement for a gearbox according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2. A section of a perspective view of the plug arrangement of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective sectional view of the plug arrangement of Fig. 1, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a sectional view of a plug arrangement according to a second embodiment; Fig. 5 a sectional view of a plug arrangement according to a third embodiment; Fig. 6 a sectional view of a connector arrangement according to a fourth embodiment; and Fig. 7 a perspective view of the plug arrangement of Fig. 6.

[0026] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a section of a gear unit 1, in the area of ​​a connector assembly 2. The connector assembly 2 comprises a receiving device 3, wherein in the connected state of the connector assembly 2, which is in Fig. Figure 1 shows an electrical connector 4 inserted into the receiving device 3. The connector 4 has a plurality of connector elements 5 arranged in a connector housing 6 of the connector 4. In other words, the connector housing 6 defines a connector space 7 within the connector housing 6 in which the connector elements 5 are received.

[0027] In the inserted state, the connector elements 5 are arranged in receiving elements 8 of the receiving device 3. In other words, the receiving elements 8 provide sockets into which the connector elements 5, for example, pins, can be inserted. In the illustrated embodiment, the receiving device 3 is formed on the side of a printed circuit board 9, i.e., the receiving elements 8 are provided in the printed circuit board 9. In the inserted state, the connector housing 6 of the connector device 4 is plugged onto the printed circuit board 9, so that the connector elements 5, for example, pins, are inserted into the receiving elements 8 in the printed circuit board 9. The connector device 4 can be fixed in the inserted state.

[0028] The connector assembly 2 further comprises a separating device 10, which in this embodiment includes several separating elements 11, for example in the form of partitions. The separating device 10 separates gaps 12 between two adjacent connector elements 5. In other words, a center line 13 that can be established between two adjacent connector elements 5 is interrupted by a separating element 11 assigned to the respective connector element 5 or the respective gap 12, so that a direct connection of the two connector elements 5 is not possible.

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the separating element 11 is positioned perpendicular to the center line 13. Due to the multitude of separating elements 11 provided by the separating device 10, the individual connector elements 5 are each subdivided into connector chambers 14 or separated within them. If a chip enters the connector space 7, it is separated in one of the connector chambers 14, so that the chip cannot establish a direct connection between two adjacent connector elements 5, as this direct connection is prevented by the separating element 11 located there.

[0030] In the Fig. In the first embodiment shown in Figures 1-4, the disconnecting device 10 is provided by a protective cover 15, which is attached to the circuit board 9 on the side of the circuit board 9 opposite the connector housing 6, or alternatively through the circuit board 9 to the connector device 4. The disconnecting elements 11 engage through a through-hole 16 in the circuit board 9 into the connector compartment 7 in the connector housing 6 and thus disconnect the connector elements 5 from each other in the manner described above. Fig. Figure 2 shows a perspective view with the chip guard cover 15 and the separating device 10 hidden. The opening 16 is clearly geometrically shaped in the way in which the separating device 10 will subsequently penetrate the circuit board 9 to separate the connector elements 5 from each other.

[0031] Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic sectional view from the side of the connector assembly 2, on which the connector housing 6, i.e., the connector device 4, is located. The separating device 10 with the separating elements 11 engages in the spaces 12 between the connector elements 5, so that no direct connection along the center line 13 between two adjacent connector elements 5 is possible. Thus, even if a chip enters the connector housing 6, it is trapped within one of the connector chambers 14.

[0032] The length of the separating elements 11 parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board 9, in particular perpendicular to the center line 13, can be determined depending on the expected chip length. An overhang 18 can be defined by which the respective separating element 11 extends beyond the center line 13, for example, from a central wall 17 of the separating device 10. The overhang 18 can also be determined depending on a maximum expected chip length or an average expected chip length. If, for example, a maximum expected chip length is used, the overhang 18 can be selected such that even a maximum chip length cannot establish a connection between two adjacent connector elements 5, since the path around the separating element 11 is longer than the maximum expected chip length.

[0033] Fig. Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment in which the separating elements 11 engage at their free end 19 in grooves 20, which can be provided, for example, on or in the inner wall of the connector housing 6. This increases the previously described projection 18, since the separating elements 11 can be made longer from the central wall 17. Accordingly, the penetration 16 is increased. Furthermore, the probability is reduced that a chip entering one of the connector chambers 14 will find the gap between the separating element 11 and the groove 20 and pass from one connector chamber 14 through the gap between the free end 19 and the groove 20 into the adjacent connector chamber 14.

[0034] For example Fig. If the plug element 1 can be removed, a further groove 21 can be provided in the vertical direction, into which the separating device 10 can engage. In combination, this results in a three-dimensional separating device 10, which offers particularly reliable protection against a short circuit of the plug elements 5 caused by an incoming chip. The described details can be combined with one another as desired. It is evident that plug elements 5 located on the outside of the plug device 4 can only be delimited on one side by separating elements 11, whereas plug elements 5 located inside the plug housing 6, i.e., all plug elements 5 except those arranged at the corners, are delimited on at least three sides by the separating device 10.

[0035] Alternatively, it may also be possible to limit the plug elements 5 arranged in the corner areas on three sides from the separating device 10. As shown, the design according to Fig. 1-4 a two-row plug. The principle can also be transferred to a single-row plug, for example by omitting one row of separating elements 11. Likewise, by adding at least one further intermediate wall 17, for example to the free end 19 of one of the rows of separating elements 11, the principle can also be transferred to multi-row plug devices 4 or plug arrangements 2.

[0036] Fig. Figure 5 shows a plug arrangement 2 according to a third embodiment. Here, a first disconnecting device 10 is arranged on a chip guard cover 15, as previously described in relation to Fig. 1-4 described. Additionally, a further disconnecting device 10' is provided, which is arranged on the connector housing 6. The free ends of the disconnecting elements 11, 11' meet in the opening 16. Furthermore, in Fig. Figure 5 shows that in the connector arrangement 2, several connector elements 5 can be at the same potential, and therefore the formation of isolating elements 11 in this area is not necessary. All connector elements 5 that are at their own potential can therefore be arranged in the same connector chamber 14, and adjacent connector elements 5 that are at different potentials are separated from each other by isolating elements 11.

[0037] Fig. 6, Fig. Figure 7 shows a connector arrangement 2 according to a fourth embodiment, wherein the connector arrangement 2, as connector device 4 as previously described, provides a connector housing 6 with connector elements 5 received therein. Instead of integrating the receiving device 3 into a circuit board 9, the receiving device 3 in this embodiment is a socket device that provides several receiving elements 8 into which the connector elements 5 of the connector device 4 are inserted accordingly. In the illustrated embodiment, a separating device 10 is provided on the part of the connector device 4, which comprises separating elements 11 by which the spaces 12 between the connector elements 5 are separated. In principle, the preceding description can be arbitrarily applied to the fourth embodiment according to Figure 7. Fig. 6, Fig.7 transferable. Instead of providing the separating device 10 on the side of the plug device 4, it is also possible to provide corresponding grooves 20, 21 in the plug device 4 and instead the separating elements 11 in the receiving device 3.

[0038] The advantages, details, and features shown in the individual embodiments can be combined, interchanged, and transferred to one another as desired. As described, the transmission unit 1 can be a component of a motor vehicle (not shown in detail), which motor vehicle can have the transmission unit 1 and therefore also the connector arrangement 2. Reference sign 1 Gearbox unit 2 Connector arrangement 3. Receiving facility 4 Plug-in device 5 connector element 6 connector housings 7 Plug compartment 8 Recording element 9 printed circuit board 10, 10' Separation device 11 Separating element 12 spaces 13 Center line 14 plug chamber 15 chip protection covers 16. Access 17 Middle wall 18 Overhang 19 End 20, 21 Nut

Claims

[1] Plug arrangement (2) for a transmission device (1), comprising a receiving device (3) and an electrical plug device (4) connectable or connected to the receiving device (3) with a plug housing (6) on which a plurality of plug elements (5) are arranged, wherein in a connected state the plug elements (5) of the plug device (4) are received in receiving elements (8) of the receiving device (3), characterized by a separating device (10, 10') which has at least one separating element (11, 11'), in particular a partition wall arranged between two adjacent plug elements (5), which is designed to separate an intermediate space (12) between two adjacent plug elements (5), in particular a direct connecting line between two adjacent plug elements (5). [2] Plug arrangement (2) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the separating device (10, 10') has at least two separating elements (11, 11') extending in different, in particular orthogonal, directions. [3] Plug arrangement (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the plug elements (5) of the plug device (4) are arranged in a single row, a double row or multiple rows. [4] Plug arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the plug arrangement (2) has at least one groove (20, 21) for at least one free end (19) of the at least one separating element (11, 11'). [5] Plug arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byin that the separating device (10, 10') divides a plug space (7) delimited by the plug device (4), in particular a plug housing (6) of the plug device (4), in which the plug elements (5) are arranged, into a plurality of plug chambers (14) which are arranged opposite one another or offset from one another. [6] Plug arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the receiving device (3) is designed as a section of a printed circuit board (9), wherein the receiving elements (8) are formed in the printed circuit board (9) and the printed circuit board (9) has a passage (16) for the separating device (10, 10'), which is designed in particular as a chip protection cover (15). [7] Plug arrangement (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized bythat the receiving device (3) is formed on a socket device, wherein the receiving elements (8) are formed in the socket device and the separating device (10, 10') is arranged or formed on the plug device (4) and / or on the socket device. [8] Plug arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the separating device (10, 10') has at least one liquid opening through which liquid can flow into at least one plug element (5) or out of a plug element (5). [9] Plug arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a projection (18) of at least one separating element (11, 11') beyond a center line (13) between two adjacent plug elements (5) is determined based on an expected chip length, in particular an average or maximum chip length. [10] Transmission device (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a plug arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims.

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