Connectors

Abstract

Connectors (10), in particular edge connectors or direct connectors for direct contacting of contact fields arranged in the edge area of ​​a printed circuit board, - with a connector housing (15) which is formed by an upper housing shell (12) and a lower housing shell (11), - with a plug receptacle (28) formed by the connector housing (15) and located at the front in the insertion direction X for the edge area of ​​the printed circuit board, - with a contact carrier (13) which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle (28) in the connector housing (15) in the plug-in direction X and carries plug contacts, wherein the plug contacts serve on the one hand to electrically contact contact fields of the printed circuit board and on the other hand carry connecting wires (18), - with a casing (14) which surrounds the upper and lower housing shells (11,12) leaving at least the plug receptacle (28) uncovered, wherein - the connector housing (15) has at least one stabilizing element (27) in its interior which supports the housing shells (11, 12) against each other and thus protects the connector housing (15) against collapse under pressure, characterized in that - the stabilizing element (27) is formed on the one hand by several pins (25) arranged next to each other in a row and perpendicular to the insertion direction X, between which a guide gap (26) is kept free for connecting wires (18) that can be held in the contact carrier (13), - the stabilizing element (27) is formed by a support web (45) whose longitudinal extension is oriented transversely to the insertion direction X, - the upper housing shell (12) carries the support rib (45) and the lower housing shell (11) carries the pins (25), wherein the pins (25) in the case of compound housing shells (11,12) rest against the support rib (45) and together form the stabilizing element (27) of the connector housing (15).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a connector having the features according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] From US patent 5,244,415 A, it is known to assemble a connector from two housing parts and overmold it. Pins are arranged inside the housing to prevent it from collapsing during overmolding and to guide the connecting conductors of a cable.

[0003] EP 1 775 799 A1 shows a connector whose connector housing is fitted with a partition inside.

[0004] US 2003 / 0 224 649 A1 shows a connector without support structures inside the housing.

[0005] Direct connectors are widely used wherever printed circuit boards (PCBs) containing electronic components need to be connected to supply power to these components or transmit control signals. Direct connectors, also known as edge connectors, are mounted directly to the PCB. For this purpose, contact pads are provided on the PCB in a designated area for the direct connector – usually at the edge of the board. The connector's contacts make direct contact with these pads without the need for an intermediate mating component.

[0006] Since direct connectors offer an initial cost advantage by eliminating the need for a mating component, they are widely used. Furthermore, direct connectors also offer significant advantages for assembly. These connectors can be manufactured relatively easily using automated processes.

[0007] Compared to other connector types, the significant advantage is that – as long as the PCB edge is accessible – the connector can be made very late in the PCB assembly process, or even well after the PCB has been installed in a device. With other connector types, the connection must be made much earlier for technical reasons. This means that the connecting wires attached to the PCB must be carried along throughout the entire assembly process. In semi- and fully automated manufacturing, this results in considerable effort to prevent the connecting wires from interfering with PCB production and subsequent installation in a device.

[0008] The advantage of being able to create the connector independently of the rest of the assembly process is particularly relevant when the circuit board is to be housed in an encapsulated enclosure, for example, to protect it from environmental influences such as dirt and moisture. In this case, the circuit board can be placed in a suitable enclosure, and only a plug opening needs to be left open in the enclosure for inserting the direct connector. The direct connector is then manufactured accordingly to ensure, in conjunction with the enclosure opening, the required sealing or encapsulation of the circuit board.

[0009] For this purpose, the connector housings of such edge connectors are provided with appropriate sealing structures. These are often manufactured by overmolding a housing shell.

[0010] The object of the invention is to create a direct connector that is easy to manufacture and that, in particular, acts in a sealing manner in conjunction with a housing receptacle of a printed circuit board housing protecting a printed circuit board.

[0011] The problem is solved by a connector having the features of claim 1, in particular its characterizing features, wherein - the stabilizing element is formed on the one hand by several pins arranged side by side in a row and perpendicular to the insertion direction, between which a guide gap is kept free for connecting wires that can be held in the contact carrier, - the stabilizing element, on the other hand, is formed by a support rib whose longitudinal extension is oriented transversely to the insertion direction, - the upper housing shell carries the support rib and the lower housing shell carries the pins, with the pins resting against the support rib in the case of compound housing shells and together forming the stabilizing element of the connector housing.

[0012] Advantageously, the stabilizing element also serves as a guide for the connecting cables located in the connector housing, which are attached to the individual plug contacts in the contact carrier.

[0013] Since the connecting wires naturally exhibit a certain stiffness and elasticity, it is necessary to guide them in a structured manner within the connector housing. This is the only way to ensure that the connecting wires do not cause problems during automated assembly, especially when attaching and connecting the housing shell. This is all the more important the smaller the connectors are made, particularly when the connecting wires cannot be miniaturized to the same extent as the connector size to transmit high currents.

[0014] The design of the stabilizing element by means of a bridge and pins also makes it possible to arrange the cables in a structured manner in two dimensions, namely to define their height (the vertical direction is defined as the vertical pointing from the lower shell to the upper shell) and to ensure a secure transverse position (the transverse position is defined as the horizontal line running perpendicular to the insertion direction).

[0015] Furthermore, stability is maintained via the support rib remaining in the upper housing shell.

[0016] Further advantages of the invention, as well as a better understanding of it, will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment. The figures show: Fig. 1: an exploded view of a connector according to the invention, Fig. 2: the lower housing shell of the connector after Fig. 1 in perspective view of the inside, Fig. 3: The lower housing shell of the connector, viewed from above, looking inside, Fig. 4: the perspective view of the lower shell according to Fig. 2 with embedded contact carrier, Fig. 5: The upper shell of the connector in a perspective view of the inside, Fig. 6: View of the inside of the lower case shell, Fig. 7: the perspective view according to Fig. 5 with embedded contact carrier, Fig. 8: the connector in assembled form, Fig. 9: a sectional view through the assembled connector according to section line AA in Fig. 8, Fig. 10: a sectional view of the assembled connector according to section line BB in Fig. 8, Fig. 11: a representation of the lower housing shell according to Fig. 4 with integrated connecting cable.

[0017] In the figures, a connector according to the invention is provided with the reference numeral 10.

[0018] Connector 10 is in Fig. Figure 1 shows an exploded view. The connector 10 comprises a lower housing shell 11 and an upper housing shell 12, between which a contact carrier 13 is arranged. In the assembled state, the housing shells 11 and 12 are surrounded by a sleeve 14, which is preferably produced by overmolding. The assembled housing shells 11 and 12 with the surrounding sleeve 14 together form the connector housing 15. Additionally, a connecting cable, designated with the reference numeral 16, is inserted into the connector housing 15, which contains several individual connecting wires 18 within an insulating sheath 17.

[0019] The Fig. 1 and Fig. Figures 2 show the lower housing shell 11 in view of its interior, once in perspective view and once in view from above.

[0020] The lower housing shell 11 has a lower inlet 19 at its front in the insertion direction X, which forms part of the connector's receptacle. At the end opposite the lower inlet 19, located at the rear in the insertion direction, the lower housing shell 11 forms a lower groove 20 as part of the outlet channel 21 formed by the connector housing 15. The lower housing shell 11 has a first base 22 on which first side walls 23 surround a first interior space 24. Between the lower inlet 19 and the lower groove 20, several pins 25 arranged side by side extend from the first base 22, with a guide gap 26 formed between each pair of pins 25. The pins 25 are part of a stabilizing element 27 of the connector 10.

[0021] The first side walls 23 form a recess 29 at least partially at their edge pointing away from the first base 22, which serves to position the lower housing shell 11 and the upper housing shell 12 relative to each other. In the present embodiment, the first side walls 23 also form opposing contact carrier seats 30 between the lower inlet 19 and the pins 25. Each contact carrier seat has a support leg 31 oriented in the insertion direction X and a support leg 32 directed vertically to the first base 22. The contact carrier 30 thus forms an L lying on its back.

[0022] Between the lower inlet 19 and the pins 25, the first base 22 is raised relative to a ground level, forming a step 33. The respective support leg 32 of the contact carrier seat 30 receives the support leg 31 between itself and the step 33, so that the step 33 can serve as a forward-facing position stop (in the insertion direction X) and the support leg 32 as a rear-facing position stop (in the insertion direction X) for the contact carrier. The support leg 31 of the contact carrier seat 30, on the other hand, supports the contact carrier 13 in the direction of the first base 22.

[0023] The Fig. 2 and Fig. Figure 3 further shows that the lower housing shell 11 carries a preferably continuous circumferential support rib 34 between the lower inlet 19 and the lower groove 20.

[0024] In the groove 20, which forms the portion of the outlet channel of the connector housing 15 associated with the lower housing shell 11, a first semi-ring-shaped lower web 35 and a second semi-ring-shaped lower web 36 are formed. Both lower webs 35, 36 extend circumferentially to the connecting cable and are preferably manufactured with a slight undersize relative to the connecting cable diameter. The first web 35 is part of a first annular sealing ring 37, and the second web 36 is part of a second sealing ring 38. Both sealing rings 37, 38 surround the connecting cable 16, which is subsequently inserted in the outlet channel 21.

[0025] A pressure rib 39 is arranged in the lower housing shell between the lower webs 35 and 36. The pressure rib 39 narrows the lower channel 20 asymmetrically, so that the position of the connecting line 16 arranged in the lower channel 20 in the area of ​​the pressure rib 39 is decentered by the pressure rib 39.

[0026] In the Fig. 2 and Fig. Figure 3 further shows that the first lower web 35 and the second lower web 36 have a roughly wedge-shaped surface contour pointing towards the connecting cable, thus tapering in the direction of the inserted connecting cable 16. Other surface contours or cross-sections are conceivable; for example, the surface contour could also be concave. The aim is to ensure a narrow to essentially linear contact surface between the webs 35, 36 or the sealing rings 37 and 38 and the insulating covering 17.

[0027] Fig. 4 essentially corresponds to the representation according to Fig. 2. Here too, the perspective view of the interior 24 of the lower housing shell 11 is shown. In addition to Fig. In the present embodiment, the contact carrier 13 was inserted into the lower housing shell. In this embodiment, the contact carrier 13 is supported in the lower housing shell 11 by the contact carrier seats 30 and secured in the insertion direction X by the support legs 32 and the step 33. The pins 25, as part of the stabilizing element 27, are not involved in the correct positioning of the contact carrier 13. However, it is quite evident that by arranging the pins 25 closer to the contact carrier 13, they, as part of the stabilizing element 27, together with, for example, the step 33, can ensure the correct positioning of the contact carrier 13 in the lower housing shell 11. Depending on the design of the contact carrier 13, at least the support legs 32, and even the entire contact carrier seat 30, can then be omitted.

[0028] The Fig. 5 and Fig. Figure 6 shows the upper case shell 12, first in perspective view on its inside, then in view from above on its inside.

[0029] The upper shell has an upper inlet 40 located at the front in the insertion direction X, which together with the lower inlet 19 forms the insertion receptacle 28. On the rear side opposite the inlet 40, the upper housing shell 12 has an upper groove 41.

[0030] Together with the lower channel 20, this forms the output channel 21 of the connector housing 15.

[0031] Analogous to the lower housing shell 11, the upper housing shell 12 forms a second base 42, on which second side walls 43 stand and surround a second interior space 44.

[0032] On the second floor 42 there is a support rib 45 arranged transversely to the insertion direction X, which extends vertically to the second floor 42 and together with the pins 25 forms the stabilizing element 27.

[0033] The second side walls 43 form projections 46 that extend vertically towards the ground in sections. The projections 46 are complementary to the recesses 29 of the lower housing shell 11 and engage in the recesses 29 when the lower housing shell 11 and the upper housing shell 12 are assembled, in order to ensure correct positioning of the housing shells 11 and 12 relative to each other.

[0034] The upper housing shell 12 is also equipped in the area of ​​the upper channel 41 with an upper first web 47 and an upper second web 48. These are designed analogously to the webs 35 and 36 already described for the lower housing shell 11 and, together with these, form the first sealing ring 37 and the second sealing ring 38 when housing shells 11 and 12 are joined.

[0035] As the Fig. 5 and Fig. As shown in Figure 6, an upper pressure rib is omitted in the exemplary embodiment. However, this can also be arranged in the upper housing shell 12, analogous to the lower housing shell 11.

[0036] Finally, it should be noted that the second base 42 of the upper housing shell forms a groove 49 between the inlet 40 and the support rib 45. This serves as the upper contact carrier seat 50.

[0037] Analogous to the lower housing shell 11, the upper housing shell 12 also has an outer circumferential upper support rib 51. The upper support rib 51 is aligned with the lower support rib 34, so that when the housing shells 11 and 12 are placed one on top of the other, the support ribs 34 and 51 together form a circumferential support flange 52.

[0038] In Fig. 7 is once again the view according to Fig. Figure 5 of the upper housing shell 12 is shown. However, the contact carrier 13 is arranged between the support rib 45 and the upper inlet in the groove 49. In the exemplary embodiment, the contact carrier is held securely in position by the groove 49 parallel to the insertion direction. Based on Fig. However, it is also evident from Figure 7 that the support rib 45 can be part of the positioning aid for the contact carrier 13 if the support rib 45 is moved closer towards the upper inlet 40.

[0039] Fig. Figure 8 shows the connector 10 in its assembled state. First, the connecting wires 18 of the connecting cable 16 were attached to the plug contacts of the contact carrier 13. Then, the contact carrier 13 was inserted either into the lower housing shell 11 or the upper housing shell 12. Insertion into the lower housing shell 11 is preferred, as this allows the connecting wires 18 to pass through the guide slots 26. Next, the housing shells 11 and 12 are joined together. The engagement of the projections 46 with the recesses 29 helps to position the housing shells 11 and 12 correctly relative to each other. The support rib 45 rests on the pins 25, so that the pins 25 and the support rib 45 together form the stabilizing element.The connecting cable 16 is routed through the exit channel 21 at the end of the housing shells 11, 12 opposite the plug receptacle 28, with the insulating sheath surrounding the connecting wires 18 being enclosed by the sealing rings 37 and 38. The housing shells 11, 12 are then overmolded with a suitable material, with the support flange 52 preventing the injection molding compound from penetrating in the insertion direction X. The resulting shell 14 also forms a kink protector 53 in the area of ​​the insulating sheath 17 extending from the connector housing 15.

[0040] Fig. Figure 9 shows a section view along the section line AA. Fig. 8. This sectional view shows how the lower shell 11 and the upper shell 12 are positioned relative to each other. It also reveals that the overmolding shell 14 extends only as far as the support flange 52, which prevents the injection molding material from escaping in the insertion direction X during the injection molding process. The support web 45 is aligned with the pins 25, so that they act against each other and together as a stabilizing element 27 to counteract compressive forces. The connecting wires 18 are guided through the guide slots 26. The connecting cable 16, with its insulating sheath 17, lies in the discharge channel 21 of the connector housing 15 and is enclosed by the sealing rings 37 and 38.

[0041] Fig. Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view through connector 10 along section line BB. This section differs from the representation according to Figure 10. Fig. 9 solely by the position of the cutting line, which here was laid through the guide gap 26. The contact carrier 13 rests securely in the groove 49 of the upper housing shell 12 on the one hand and in the contact carrier seat 30 of the lower shell 11 on the other, with retaining structures not specified in detail. It is secured against displacement parallel to the insertion direction X, in particular by the support leg 32.

[0042] Fig. Figure 11 shows another representation of the lower housing shell 11 analogous to Fig. 4. In addition to the contact carrier 13 located in the lower housing shell 11, the connecting cable 16 is also shown here. Besides the guidance of the connecting wires 18 in the guide slots 26, particular attention should be paid here to the connecting cable 16 located in the output channel 21.

[0043] As already mentioned, a pressure rib 39 is arranged between the first lower web 35 and the second lower web 36, which narrows the free diameter of the discharge channel 21. The effect of the pressure rib 39 is described in Fig. 11 clearly visible. The connecting cable 16 is routed off-center in the area of ​​the pressure bridge. The inherent elasticity and material stiffness of the connecting cable 16, in conjunction with the pressure bridge 39 and the off-center cable routing, leads to an increase in the contact pressure between the insulating covering 17 and the bridges 35 and 36, and, when the upper housing shell 12 is attached, to the upper bridges 47 and 48 located therein. Consequently, this results in an increased contact pressure of the insulating covering against the sealing rings 39 and 38, which are formed by the bridge pairings 35 / 47 and 36 / 48.

[0044] This further increases the system pressure already present due to the aforementioned undersize of the sealing rings 37, 38 compared to the insulating covering 17.

[0045] In the aforementioned manufacturing process of the connector, the superimposed housing shells 11, 12 are preferably joined together by ultrasonic welding or friction welding. In particular, the increased contact pressure of the insulating sleeve 17 against the sealing rings 37 and 38, caused by the pressure rib, also leads to a sealing cross-linking between the sealing rings 37, 38 and the insulating sleeve 17 during the welding of the housing shells 11, 12. This ensures that the ingress of fluids, especially liquids, along the connecting cable 17 into the interior of the connector housing 15 is reliably prevented by the welding process itself. The overmolded sleeve 14 produced around the housing shells 11, 12 further improves the sealing of the connector 10 and also serves, in particular, to prevent leakage into the Fig. 9 and Fig. Ten sealing lips, designated with the reference numeral 54, are to be created. These sealing lips 54 serve, when making the connector connection with a printed circuit board (not shown), to create a seal between the connector 10 and the inlet of a housing in which the printed circuit board to be connected is located.

[0046] The penetration of the sealing rings 37 and 38 into the insulating covering 17 of the connecting cable 16 is shown schematically in the sectional views of the Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 shown. Reference symbol list 10 connectors 11 lower case shell 12 upper case shell 13 contact carriers 14 case 15 connector housings 16 Connection cable 17 Insulating covering 18 connecting wire 19 lower entrance 20 lower channel 21 Exit channel 22 first floor 23 first side walls 24 first interior 25 pens 26 guide gap 27 Stabilizing element 28 Plug socket 29 Jump back 30 Contact carrier seat 31 support legs 32 support legs 33rd level 34 Support rib 35 first lower bridge of 11 36 second lower bridge of 11 37 first sealing ring 38 second sealing ring 39 Pressure bridge 40 upper entrance 41 upper gutter 42 second floor 43 second side walls 44 second interior 45 Support bridge 46 lead 47 upper first bridge 48 upper second bridge 49 groove 50 upper contact carrier seat 51 upper support rib 52 circumferential support flange 53 Bend protection 54 sealing lips X Plug direction

Claims

Connectors (10), in particular edge connectors or direct connectors for the direct contacting of contact fields arranged in the edge region of a printed circuit board, - with a connector housing (15) formed by an upper housing shell (12) and a lower housing shell (11), - with a plug receptacle (28) formed by the connector housing (15) and located at the front in the insertion direction X for the edge region of the printed circuit board, - with a contact carrier (13) which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle (28) in the connector housing (15) in the insertion direction X and carries plug contacts, wherein the plug contacts serve on the one hand for the electrical contacting of contact fields of the printed circuit board and on the other hand carry connecting wires (18), - with a cover (14) which surrounds the upper and lower housing shells (11, 12) leaving at least the plug receptacle (28) uncovered,wherein- the connector housing (15) has at least one stabilizing element (27) in its interior, which supports the housing shells (11, 12) against each other and thus protects the connector housing (15) against collapse under pressure, characterized in that- the stabilizing element (27) is formed on the one hand by several pins (25) arranged side by side in a row and transversely to the insertion direction X, between each of which a guide gap (26) is kept clear for connecting wires (18) that are held in the contact carrier (13),- the stabilizing element (27) is formed on the other hand by a support rib (45) whose longitudinal extension is oriented transversely to the insertion direction X,- the upper housing shell (12) carries the support rib (45) and the lower housing shell (11) carries the pins (25), wherein the pins (25) in the case of compound housing shells (11,12) rest against the support rib (45) and together form the stabilizing element (27) of the connector housing (15).

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