Junction box

The junction box design addresses the challenge of high profile and tool-dependent connection by reducing height through innovative shaft integration and shielding, facilitating easy installation in confined areas.

DE102024002938B3Active Publication Date: 2026-01-29TELEGAERTNER KARL GAERTNER GMBH
View PDF 7 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
DE102024002938
Authority / Receiving Office
DE · DE
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-09-09
Publication Date
2026-01-29
Estimated Expiration
2044-09-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing junction boxes for data transmission cables require special tools for connection and have a high profile, making them unsuitable for intuitive installation in limited spaces.

Method used

A junction box design with a reduced overall height achieved by extending the receiving shaft into the circuit board's free space, incorporating a shielding element, and using a housing unit with a 45° angle for simplified assembly, along with a strain relief element for mechanical protection.

Benefits of technology

Enables simple and intuitive connection of data transmission cables without special tools, reduces the junction box height, and provides effective shielding against interference, suitable for installation in small spaces.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
    Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The invention relates to a junction box (10) for connecting a multi-core data transmission cable (11, 12) with a plurality of cores (13) and for electrical connection to a mating connector with a connector unit (20) and a cable receiving unit (140, 141), wherein the cable receiving unit (140, 141) comprises a core receiving element (160) for receiving free end regions of the cores (13) of the data transmission cable (11, 12) and a cable receiving housing (142), wherein the connector unit (20) consists of a connection unit (80) surrounded by a housing unit (21), wherein the connection unit (80) consists of an insulating unit (50) surrounding a circuit board (81) on which a plurality of core connection elements (95) and a plurality of contact elements (100, 110) are arranged, and wherein the connector unit (20) has a receiving slot (120, 130) for receiving the mating connector, into which the contact elements (100,110) for electrical connection with the complementary contacts of the mating connector. To reduce the overall height of the junction box (10), it is proposed that the circuit board (81) of the connection unit (80) has a free space (85, 86) in the form of a through-opening between a top and bottom surface (82, 83) closed in the circumferential direction by boundary surfaces (87, 88), into which the receiving slot (120, 130) engages.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a junction box for connecting a multi-core data transmission cable and for electrical connection to a counterpart connector with a connector unit and a cable receiving unit.

[0002] Standard junction boxes are used particularly in telecommunications and data transmission technology. In conjunction with a complementary connector, they allow for the detachable connection of two data transmission cables. For electrical connection, the connector is inserted into the junction box's receiving slot, with the contact elements arranged in the receiving slot making contact with the complementary contacts of the connector. These contact elements can be integrated as a single unit or electrically connected via a circuit board to wire terminals, to which the conductors of a data transmission cable are connected. For this purpose, such junction boxes have a cable receiving unit into which the data transmission cable and at least one conductor can be inserted and positioned correctly relative to the corresponding wire terminal.The insertion of the cable receptacle into a connector unit creates an electrical connection between the conductors and the conductor termination elements arranged in the connector unit by cutting through the conductor insulation and subsequently penetrating the conductor of the data transmission cable. The connector unit of this type of junction box also features sockets arranged on a circuit board with a receiving slot into which, as already mentioned, the mating connectors are inserted to establish an electrical connection to another data transmission cable, for example, an RJ45 patch cable.

[0003] To protect against external interference signals, standard connection boxes and the data transmission cables connected to them have suitable shielding elements known to experts.

[0004] The data transmission cable to be connected to the junction box has one or more conductors. Each conductor consists of an electrical conductor encased in insulation. The data transmission cable can, for example, have two, four, six, or eight conductors, with each pair of conductors being twisted together to form a conductor pair. To protect the conductor pairs against crosstalk from adjacent conductor pairs, each conductor pair can be surrounded by a pair shield, which can be, for example, a conductive foil strip wrapped around the conductor pair.

[0005] The conductors of the data transmission cable are surrounded by a cable jacket made of insulating material. Between the jacket and the individual conductor pairs, which are optionally surrounded by a pair shield, a cable shield in the form of a conductive braid is often installed. This shield protects the signal current flowing through the conductors of the data transmission cable from interfering radiation that can affect the cable from the outside. Sources of such external interference include, for example, emissions from mobile phones, cell towers, or nearby incompletely shielded or unshielded data transmission equipment such as connectors.

[0006] Additionally, power can be transmitted to connected devices via the conductors of the data transmission cable. The transmittable power depends on the number of conductors in the data transmission cable and the application's standards.

[0007] In installation situations with limited space, for example when used in low-profile trunking, it is advantageous if a standard junction box has the lowest possible profile. This significantly simplifies the insertion of the junction box with the connected data transmission cable into the trunking space.

[0008] In DE 101 63 861 B4, a generic connection box 10 for connecting two data transmission cables 85, 86 is proposed. The housing 12 surrounding the circuit board 56 is constructed in three parts with an intermediate part 16 arranged between the upper part 14 and the lower part 18. This intermediate part 16 holds the circuit board 56, and the lower part 18 can be fixed to it in several positions rotated relative to each other about a housing central axis 20. On the upper side of the circuit board 56 facing the upper part 14, two sockets 59, 60 are arranged, each with a receiving slot for receiving a complementary RJ45 connector. Contact elements (not shown, but known to those skilled in the art) project into each receiving slot for connection with the complementary contact elements of a mating connector in the form of an RJ45 connector.The rotatability of the lower part 18 relative to the intermediate part 16 in several positions about a housing central axis 20 advantageously enables simple and intuitive routing of the data transmission cables 85, 86 to the connection box 10 from several directions. The separate arrangement of the sockets 59, 60 on the top of the circuit board 56 is a disadvantage with regard to the overall height of the connection box.

[0009] DE 10 2022 133 141 B3 discloses a generic junction box for connecting two data transmission cables, each with eight conductors. In this proposal, the junction box has an upper housing part 30 and a lower housing part 10 that can be connected to each other. A circuit board 40 is arranged in the upper housing part 30, which has at least one socket 42 on one side with a receiving slot for a complementary mating connector and, on the opposite side, contact elements for connecting the conductors of a data transmission cable. A loading element 50, which serves to receive the end sections of the conductors, can be fixed in a plurality of positions in the lower housing part 10.To connect the two data transmission cables to the proposed junction box, the cable ends with their exposed conductors are guided through the through-holes 23 provided in the lower housing part 10, and the conductor ends are inserted into the corresponding guides 51 of the charging piece 50. Connecting the upper housing part 30 to the lower housing part 10 using the fastening screws 31 creates an electrical connection between the conductors of the data transmission cable and the contact elements 44 on the circuit board 40, which are designed as insulation displacement connectors (IDCs). This proposal enables a simple and time-saving connection of the data transmission cables to a junction box without the need for special tools, such as an LSA tool, in multiple cable exit directions. A disadvantage is the increased height of the junction box resulting from the arrangement of the connection sockets 42 on the circuit board 40.

[0010] From DE 10 2004 025 188 A1, another generic junction box for connecting a data transmission cable 17, 18 is known, comprising a housing upper part 3 and a housing lower part 4, which surround a circuit board 15 on which two sockets 25, 26 with a receiving slot for receiving and contacting a mating connector and a plurality of wire connection terminals 19 - 24 are arranged. To connect the data transmission cable 17, 18 to the junction box, the conductors are inserted through the bottom opening of the housing lower part 4 into the receiving slots of the LSA connection terminals 19 - 24 and connected to the terminals using an LSA tool. The rotatability of the housing lower part 4 relative to the housing upper part 3 also advantageously allows for a plurality of cable exit directions.In addition to the need for a special tool to connect the wires of the data transmission cable, the resulting height of the junction box from the arrangement of the sockets 25, 26 on the circuit board 15 is a disadvantage.

[0011] US Patent 7,946,859 B1 discloses an Ethernet adapter 30 comprising a two-part housing consisting of an upper 38 and a lower cover 40, and a printed circuit board 36 on which an RJ45 socket with a receiving slot 60 for connection to a complementary RJ45 plug 48 is arranged. To optimize the overall height of the Ethernet adapter, parts of the receiving slot 60 of the RJ45 socket are integrated into the lower and upper covers. Simultaneously, an open space at the end face of the printed circuit board 36 advantageously allows for a space-saving arrangement of the receiving slot 60 of the RJ45 socket within the housing, thus enabling the design of a very flat Ethernet adapter.

[0012] From DE 10 2007 002 466 A1, an RJ45 connector socket 1 with a plug receptacle 3 for receiving an RJ45 plug is known, into which a plurality of contact springs 4 project for electrical connection with complementary contacts of the RJ45 plug. The housing 2 of the RJ45 connector socket surrounds a shielding plate 19 with elastic shielding contact springs 18 for electrical connection with the shielding housing of the RJ45 plug for effective shielding of the connector against interfering radiation. To improve the vibration resistance of the connector for industrial applications, the contact springs 4 of the RJ45 connector socket each have an additional chamfer, offset from the first chamfer.

[0013] The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop a generic connection box in such a way that it enables a simple and intuitive connection of the data transmission cable without the use of special tools and allows installation in critical and small installation spaces due to its low height.

[0014] This problem is solved according to the invention in a generic junction box with the features of claim 1.

[0015] In an embodiment according to the invention, the mere fact that an outer wall of the receiving shaft extends into the free space of the circuit board leads to a reduction in the overall height of the junction box.

[0016] It is particularly advantageous if, in an embodiment according to the invention, the contact elements extend into or through the free space of the circuit board in a space-saving manner.

[0017] In one embodiment according to the invention, the receiving shaft is formed from the housing unit and the insulating unit of the connection unit. This is particularly advantageous with regard to embodiments in which the receiving shaft forms an angle of, for example, 45° to the circuit board, as assembly and manufacturing are considerably simplified.

[0018] The construction of the housing unit, consisting of an upper and a lower housing part, facilitates the assembly of the connector unit according to the invention. The connection between the upper and lower housing parts can be detachable or non-detachable, using means known to those skilled in the art, such as snap-fit, rivet, or screw connections.

[0019] In a further embodiment according to the invention, a shielding element is arranged on the housing unit, which establishes an electrical connection to the shielding contact of the mating connector and to the housing unit, which consists of a metallic conductive material. In this way, the connection unit arranged in the connector unit is effectively protected in the circumferential direction against interfering radiation.

[0020] In an embodiment according to the invention, the arrangement of a strain relief element on the cable receiving housing of the cable receiving unit enables the protection of the data transmission cable connected to the junction box against unwanted mechanical stresses.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment, the receiving slot has exactly two contact elements for electrical connection with the complementary contacts of a mating connector. This enables the design of junction boxes for Single Pair Ethernet (SPE). In this case, the receiving slot of the junction box is designed to accommodate and connect complementary SPE connectors. An exemplary embodiment of such SPE connectors is known to those skilled in the art from DE 10 2022 004 461 B4. The reduction to two contact elements in the receiving slot leads to a significant reduction in the width of the receiving slot and the SPE junction box.

[0022] To facilitate assembly, in an advantageous embodiment the insulating unit can consist of an insulating housing and an insulating mount. Alternatively, the insulating housing and the insulating mount can also be joined in one piece via a film hinge known to those skilled in the art.

[0023] Additionally, a ground connection can be provided on the housing unit in the form of a plug-in terminal. The design of such plug-in terminals is described, for example, in DE 101 63 861 B4, Fig. 5, Item 50 is known. A plurality of ground connections on the housing unit enables the ground connections of several junction boxes to be connected.

[0024] The following description of advantageous embodiments of the invention serves, in conjunction with the drawing, for further explanation.

[0025] They show: Fig. 1: a perspective view of the junction box in a first advantageous embodiment; Fig. 2: Another perspective view of the junction box Fig. 1; Fig. 3: Another perspective view of the junction box Fig. 1. in the style of an exploded view; Fig. 4: a perspective view of the connector unit Fig. 3 in the style of an exploded view; Fig. 5: A perspective view of the upper housing of the connector unit made of Fig. 4; Fig. 6: An enlarged view of detail X from Fig. 5; Fig. 7: Another perspective view of the connector unit from Fig. 4; Fig. 8: a sectional view of the connector unit made of Fig. 7; Fig. 9: An enlarged view of detail Y from Fig. 8; Fig. 10: a perspective view of the connection unit from Fig. 4; Fig. 11: another perspective view of the connection unit from Fig. 10; Fig. 12: a perspective view of the connection unit from Fig. 10 in the style of an exploded view; Fig. 13: a perspective view of the insulating housing made of Fig. 12; Fig. 14: A perspective view of the circuit board with the wire connection elements and contact elements made of Fig. 12 in the style of an exploded view; Fig. 15: a side view of the first contact element to the mating connector made of Fig. 14; Fig. 16: a side view of the second contact element to the mating connector made of Fig. 14; Fig. 17: A perspective, partially broken view of the cable intake unit with connected data transmission cable made of Fig. 3; Fig. 18: another perspective view of the cable intake unit from Fig. 17 in the style of an exploded view; Fig. 19: another perspective view of the cable intake unit from Fig. 18; Fig. 20: a perspective sectional view of the cable housing made of Fig. 19; Fig. 21: a perspective view of the wire pickup element of the cable pickup unit Fig. 18; Fig. 22: another perspective view of the wire pickup element of the cable pickup unit from Fig. 21;

[0026] In the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12, Fig. 13, Fig. 14, Fig. 15, Fig. 16, Fig. 17, Fig. 18, Fig. 19, Fig. 20, Fig. 21 to Fig. Figure 22 is a first advantageous embodiment of a connection box according to the invention for connecting two data transmission cables 11, 12 and for connecting to one or two mating connectors, shown schematically and overall designated by reference numeral 10.

[0027] The Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. Figure 3 shows the junction box 10 in its assembled state with a connector unit 20 and two identical cable receptacles 140, 141, each with a data transmission cable 11, 12 connected to it. The connector unit 20 has a total of two receptacles 120, 130 for receiving a mating connector each. The receptacles 120, 130 are designed, by way of example, to receive an RJ45 mating connector according to DIN IEC 60603-7. A shielding element 190 is arranged on the upper housing 22 of the housing unit 21 of the connector unit 20 at the open end faces of the receptacles 120, 130 that face the mating connector.

[0028] The Fig. Figure 4 discloses the structure of the connector unit 20, comprising a housing upper part 22, a connection unit 80, a housing lower part 40, and a shielding element 190. The housing upper part 22, which is firmly connected to the housing lower part 40 by a rivet connection 23 known to those skilled in the art, forms the housing unit 21. The connection unit 80 consists of a printed circuit board 81 surrounded by an insulating unit 50. In the exemplary embodiment, the insulating unit 50 comprises an insulating housing 51 and an insulating receptacle 61, which are connected to each other by means of four snap-fit ​​elements 65 and cover the upper and lower surfaces 82, 83 of the printed circuit board 81.

[0029] According to the Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 The upper housing part 22 extends vertically between a boundary surface 28 and an end face 35 as an octagonal, rounded hollow profile, covered on one side by the boundary surface 28. This hollow profile has a total of four recesses 36 at its end face 35, into which complementary projections 44 of the lower housing part 40 engage in a form-fitting manner during assembly. A cover plate 25, planar to the boundary surface 28 and with a total of eight fastening openings 26, 27, surrounds the aforementioned hollow profile and serves to fasten the junction box 10, for example, in a cavity wall box known to those skilled in the art.

[0030] From the boundary surface 28 rises a prism-shaped projection 29 with a centrally arranged recess 30 for receiving the fastening tab 193 of the screen element 190. The rivet cylinder 31 arranged in the recess 30 enables a rivet connection 24 of the housing upper part 22 to the screen element 190 by means of a controlled deformation. Starting from and perpendicular to the cover surface 32, which is arranged at an angle of 45° to the boundary surface 28, the receiving channels 120, 130 extend into the prism-shaped projection 29. Each receiving shaft 120, 130 is defined in its horizontal extent by the boundary surfaces 122, 123 and in its vertical extent by the boundary 121, wherein the boundary surface 124 opposite the boundary 121 is formed by the insulating housing 51 of the connection unit 80 in the assembly. This is evident from the Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 to Fig. 9. The design of the recess 125 and the stop 126 results from the specifications of the aforementioned DIN IEC 60603-7. The lateral boundary surfaces 122, 123 also have recesses 127 for receiving the shield contact elements 197 of the shield element 190.

[0031] In front of the prism-shaped protrusion 29, a recess 33 with three free spaces 34 is provided, into which the complementarily shaped fastening elements 198 engage and fix the shielding element 190 to the upper part of the housing 22.

[0032] From two opposing recesses 36, a rivet bolt 37 protrudes from each, which, in assembly with the connecting unit 80 and the lower housing part 40, passes through the rivet holes 45 and, through controlled deformation, creates a riveted connection 23. This is shown in the Fig. 7 especially clearly.

[0033] Inside the upper part of the housing 22, a total of six support ribs 38 are arranged, which, in conjunction with the connection unit 80, enable the cable receiving unit 140, 141 to be pressed into the connector unit 20, whereby the contact surfaces of the six support ribs 38 facing the lower part of the housing 40 come into contact with the top 52 of the insulating housing 51.

[0034] The lower housing part 40 extends with a rounded octagonal hollow profile 41 between the mounting surface 42 and the cover 43. Four projections 44 rise from the mounting surface 42, which, when assembled with the upper housing part 22, engage in a form-fitting manner with the complementary recesses 36 of the upper housing part 22. Two cable routing recesses 47 extend along the entire length of the lower housing part 40, allowing cables from other junction boxes to be routed past it, for example, when installed in a floor box.

[0035] Within the lower part of the housing 40, a total of two receiving chambers 48 are provided for receiving the cable receiving unit 140, 141.

[0036] Each receiving chamber 48 has two opposing locking elements 49 for vertically securing the cable receiving unit 140, 141 to the connector unit 20. This is achieved by the locking elements 49 engaging in the complementary recesses 148 and locking elements 149 of the cable receiving housing 142. A release recess 46 is arranged on the end faces of each receiving chamber 48, which, in conjunction with the guide element 147 of the cable receiving housing 142, enables the cable receiving unit 140, 141 to be released from the connector unit 20.

[0037] The upper housing part 22 and the lower housing part 40 can, for example, be designed as zinc die-cast parts.

[0038] The Fig. 10, Fig. 11 to Fig. Figure 12 discloses the construction of the connection unit 80 with a printed circuit board 81, which is surrounded by an insulating unit 50 formed from an insulating housing 51 and an insulating receptacle 61, wherein a total of eight contact elements 100 and eight contact elements 110 for electrical connection with a mating connector and sixteen wire connection elements 95 are arranged on the printed circuit board 81. The insulating receptacle 61 is mechanically connected to the printed circuit board 81 by means of four locking elements 65. The mechanical connection of the insulating housing 51 is effected by the engagement of two locking components 58 in the complementary openings 92 of the printed circuit board 81.

[0039] The insulating housing 51 extends with an octagonal, plate-like profile 54 between a top 52 and a bottom 53. The lateral boundaries are interrupted by four recesses 55 to provide clearance for the locking elements 65 of the insulating receptacle 61. On two opposite sides, two recesses 57 are provided to accommodate the rivet bolts 37 of the housing top 22. The two through-openings 56 form clearance for the guide pins 67 of the insulating receptacle 61.

[0040] On the underside 53, two locking components 58 are provided, which enable a locking connection of the insulating housing 51 to the circuit board 81, as is familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0041] On the upper surface 52, two prism-shaped projections 59, 60 are arranged, which, in conjunction with the housing upper part 22, form part of the receiving slots 120, 130 and extend into or through the free space 85, 86 of the circuit board 81. This applies to the horizontal boundary surfaces 122', 123', 132', 133', the vertical boundary 124, the boundary in the insertion direction S by the contact surface 128 and the outer wall 129, 139 of the receiving slots 120, 130. This is particularly evident from the Fig. 8, Fig. 9 to Fig. 10 clearly. On the installation surface 128, in each receiving shaft 120, 130, two stops 128' are also arranged, which result from the specifications of DIN IEC 60603-7.

[0042] According to the Fig. 11 and Fig. The insulating receptacle 61 extends between a top and bottom surface 62, 63 as a rounded, plate-shaped octagonal profile 64, with four support collars 66, 66' each rising from the top surface 62 and the bottom surface 63, the four support collars 66 being penetrated by the locking elements 65. A total of four locking elements 65 are provided in the support collars 66' for mechanical connection to the printed circuit board 81. The two guide pins 67 rising from the top surface 62 serve to guide the insulating receptacle 61 to the printed circuit board 81 by means of a pre-engagement of the guide pins 67 into the openings 91 provided for this purpose during the assembly of the insulating receptacle 61 onto the printed circuit board 81. The sixteen through-holes 68 extending between the top and bottom surfaces 62, 63 serve to allow the wire connection elements 95 to pass through during the assembly of the connection unit 80.The two through-openings 69 form a space for the snap-fit ​​components 58 of the insulating housing 51, which is fixed to the circuit board 81. On two opposite sides of the octagonal profile 64 are recesses 70 for the rivet bolts 37 of the housing upper part 22 to pass through.

[0043] Two recesses 71, 73 extend from the upper surface 62 into the octagonal profile 64, on the bases of which a stop block 72, 74 is arranged. This stop block is intended to prevent overloading of the contact elements 100, 110 projecting into the receiving shaft 120, 130 during contact with the complementary contacts of the mating connector by acting as a mechanical stop. This is particularly evident from the Fig. 9 clearly.

[0044] From the underside 63 of the insulating receptacle 61 rise two U-shaped guide collars 75, 77, each with a coding element 76, 78, for the positive-locking reception of the conductor receptacle 160 of the cable receptacle unit 140, 141. Between the upper and lower sides 62, 63 extend two through-openings 79, which are penetrated by the outer walls 129, 139 of the insulating housing 51 during assembly of the connection unit 80.

[0045] The insulating housing 51 and the insulating receptacle 61 can be provided as injection-molded parts and made, for example, from a polyamide.

[0046] The Fig. Figure 14 shows the printed circuit board 81 as an octagonal profile 84 extending between the top surface 82 and the bottom surface 83. The printed circuit board 81 is penetrated by two rectangular recesses 85, 86, which are designed as through-holes and are surrounded circumferentially by four closed boundary surfaces 87, 88. Above and below the recesses 85, 86, there are eight through-holes 89 for receiving the sixteen wire connection elements 95 and eight through-holes 90 for receiving the contact elements 100, 110. The connection of the wire connection elements 95 and the contact elements 100, 110 to the receiving holes 89 and the through-holes 90 to the printed circuit board 81 can be effected, for example, by positive locking and frictional contact through press-fitting or by material-fit connection through soldering. The lateral recesses 93 are penetrated by the rivet bolts 37 of the housing upper part 22 during assembly.

[0047] The circuit board 81 can be made from an FR4 material and have a multiple of layers.

[0048] According to the Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 The contact elements 100, 110 with a rectangular profile 103, 113 extend along a guide line 104, 114 between the end faces 101, 102 and 111, 112. The contact elements 100, 110 have an arc-shaped contact area 105, 115 for electrical contacting the complementary contact of a mating connector.

[0049] The contact elements 100 and 110 can be designed as stamped and bent parts and, for example, made of brass. In contact areas 105 and 115, they can partially have a nickel-plated gold surface.

[0050] According to the Fig. In the exemplary embodiment, each of the cable receiving units 140, 141, which are identical in design, has a cable receiving housing 142, a conductor receiving element 160, and a strain relief element 180. The data transmission cable 11 connected to the cable receiving unit 140 consists of a cable sheath 18 through which eight conductors 13 are penetrated in the axial direction, each conductor 13 having conductor insulation 14 through which a conductor 15 is penetrated. Two conductors 13 each form a total of four conductor pairs, each of which is circumferentially surrounded by a pair shield foil 16. A braided shield 17 is provided between the pair shield foils 16 and the cable sheath 18, which is Fig. 17 was knocked back over the cable sheath 18.

[0051] The in the Fig. 18, Fig. 19 to Fig. The cable receiving housing 142 shown in Figure 20 has a rectangular, frame-like hollow profile 145, which is rounded on one side by an arcuate cable support element 146 and extends between a top surface 143 and a bottom surface 144. A guide element 147 is provided on the front face of the cable receiving housing 142, which projects beyond the top surface 143 and engages in the release recess 46 of the lower housing part 40 when the cable receiving unit 140, 141 is assembled with the connector unit 20. This is shown in the Fig. 2 is evident.

[0052] On each of the two opposite sides of the hollow profile 145, a recess 148 extending over the entire profile height is provided, in which a locking element 149 is provided as a projection, which in conjunction with the complementary locking element 49 of the lower part of the housing 40 enables the cable receiving unit 140, 141 to be secured to the connector unit 20 in a vertical mounting direction.

[0053] The conductor receiving space 152 of the hollow profile 145 has four receiving elements 150 arranged in the corners, each with a receiving opening 151 for receiving the four connecting pins 167 of the conductor receiving element 160. The receiving openings 151 are dimensioned such that they form a tight connection with the connecting pins 167, for example, by means of an interference fit. Alternatively, a material-bonded connection between the connecting pins 167 and the receiving openings 151 can also be provided. For unambiguous, coded assembly, one receiving opening 151 and the complementary connecting pin 167 can have a different dimension than the remaining three receiving openings 151 and connecting pins 167.

[0054] The underside 144 of the cable receiving housing 142, when assembled with the connector unit 20, assumes a position parallel to the boundary surface 28 and serves as a reference surface for pressing the cable receiving unit 140, 141 into the connector unit 20, whereby the clamping surfaces of a parallel closing pliers come into contact with the boundary surface 28 and the underside 144.

[0055] The arc-shaped cable assembly element 146, arranged on an end face of the hollow profile 145, projects vertically beyond the underside 144 and has a cable assembly 154 on its interior for radially securing the cable sheath 18 of the data transmission cable 11, 12 to be connected. A pivot pin 155, connected via a connecting element 156, is arranged at the end face of the cable assembly element 146 for rotatably receiving the complementary pivot receptacle 187 of the strain relief element 180. A locking element 157 and a semi-open locking recess 158 are also provided at the end face of the cable assembly element 146. The locking bar 185 with the locking projections 186 engages in this recess to create a positive connection between the strain relief element 180 and the cable receptacle housing 142. The cable system 154 has an access opening 153 to the conductor receiving room 152.

[0056] The cable receptacle housing 142 can be designed as a zinc die-cast part.

[0057] The Fig. 21 and Fig. Figure 22 reveals the wire receiving element 160, which extends with a rectangular hollow profile 163 between the top 161 and the bottom 162. A coding recess 164 is provided on the outside of one end face of the hollow profile 163, which is designed to be complementary to the coding element 76, 78 and enables unambiguous assembly of the cable receiving unit 140, 141 into the connector unit 20. Two intersecting ribs 165 are arranged in the wire receiving opening 168 of the hollow profile 163, which divide the interior space between the top 161 and the rib bottom 169 into four chambers, into which the wire pairs of the data transmission cable 11, 12 to be connected are divided and then inserted into the eight wire chambers 166. Four connecting pins 167 extend from the underside 162, which are designed to be inserted into the complementary receiving openings 151 of the cable receiving housing 142.

[0058] The conductor receiving element 160 has a total of eight conductor chambers 166 for receiving the eight conductors 13 of the data transmission cable 11, 12. The structure of such conductor chambers is known to those skilled in the art, for example, from EP 4 054 017 B1.

[0059] The wire receiving element 160 can be provided as an injection-molded part and can be made, for example, from a polyamide.

[0060] The in Fig. The strain relief element 180 shown in Figure 18 extends between an upper and lower surface 181, 182 as an arc-shaped profile, which is limited in its radial extent by the cable mounting surface 183 and the outer surface 184. A locking bar 185 with locking projections 186 is provided on the outer surface 184, which can be engaged with the complementary locking element 157 of the cable mounting housing 142 in a positive locking manner. A radially inwardly projecting clamping rib 188 is provided on the cable mounting surface 183, which reinforces the clamping effect of the strain relief element 180 against the data transmission cable 11, 12. The partially open pivot joint receptacle 187 serves to rotatably receive the pivot pin 155 of the cable mounting housing 142.

[0061] The strain relief element 180 can be designed as an injection-molded part and, for example, made of a polyamide.

[0062] The in Fig.The shielding element 190 shown in Figure 4 extends as a rectangular plate between a front and back surface 191, 192 and has a bent mounting tab 193 on its upper surface with an opening 194 through which the rivet cylinder 31 passes to connect it to the upper housing part 22, thus creating the riveted connection 24. The rectangular plate also has two openings 195, 196 providing access to the receiving slots 120, 130. Four shielding contact elements 197 are provided on each of the side surfaces of the openings 195, 196 for contacting the shielding element of a mating connector. Three fastening elements 198 extend from the underside of the rectangular plate to secure the shielding element 190 to the upper housing part 22 of the connector unit 20.

[0063] The umbrella element 190 can be designed as a stamped and bent part and can be made, for example, from a brass material.

Claims

[1] Junction box (10) for connecting a multi-core data transmission cable (11, 12) with a plurality of cores (13) and for electrical connection to a mating connector with a connector unit (20) and a cable receiving unit (140, 141), wherein the cable receiving unit (140, 141) comprises a core receiving element (160) for receiving free end regions of the cores (13) of the data transmission cable (11, 12) and a cable receiving housing (142), wherein the connector unit (20) consists of a connection unit (80) surrounded by a housing unit (21), wherein the connection unit (80) consists of an insulating unit (50) surrounding a printed circuit board (81) on which a plurality of core connection elements (95) and a plurality of contact elements (100, 110) are arranged, wherein the connector unit (20) has a receiving slot (120, 130) for receiving the mating connector, into which the contact elements (100,110) project into the electrical connection with complementary contacts of the mating connector, wherein the circuit board (81) of the connection unit (80) has a free space (85, 86) into which the receiving slot (120, 130) engages for receiving the mating connector, and wherein the free space (85, 86) extends as a circumferentially closed through-opening between a top (82) and a bottom (83) of the circuit board (81) by boundary surfaces (87, 88). [2] Junction box (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that an outer wall (129, 139) of the receiving shaft (120, 130) engages in the free space (85, 86) of the circuit board (81). [3] Junction box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the contact elements (100, 110) protrude into the free space (85, 86) of the circuit board (81). [4] Junction box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the receiving shaft (120, 130) of the connector unit (20) is formed from the housing unit (21) and the insulating unit (50) of the connection unit (80). [5] Junction box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the housing unit (21) consists of a housing upper part (22) and a housing lower part (40) which can be connected to each other. [6] Junction box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a shielding element (190) is arranged on the housing unit (21), which establishes an electrical connection to the shielding contact of the mating connector and to the housing unit (21) which consists of a metallic conductive material. [7] Junction box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a cable strain relief element (180) is arranged on the cable receiving housing (142) of the cable receiving unit (140, 141).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • junction box

    DE10163861B4

  • Connection socket for data or communication network, has upper part of housing which can be fixed to lower part in several rotated positions, and circuit board carrier which can be fixed in several positions

    DE102004025188A1

  • connector socket of industrial information network technology with at least two contact points

    DE102007002466A1

  • Connector core and connector

    DE102022004461B4

  • Connection box for a data and communication network

    DE102022133141B3