Electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector (1) for connecting a multi-core cable (2) to a mating connector, a handle body (4) surrounding the cable or the conductors (3) of the cable, and a contact carrier (6) receiving a plurality of contact elements (5), wherein the individual contact elements (5) are electrically connected to the individual conductors (3), is shown and described. The connector enables particularly good data transmission because a wire guide element (8) is arranged on the side of the contact carrier (6) facing the cable (2), and several outwardly open grooves (9) are formed in the wire guide element (8) to receive and guide individual wires (3).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical connector for connecting a multi-core cable to a mating connector, to a handle body surrounding the cable or the conductors of the cable and to a contact carrier receiving a plurality of contact elements, wherein the individual contact elements are electrically connected to the individual conductors.

[0002] Electrical connectors essentially consist of two parts: the electrical connector and the mating connector. Both the connector and the mating connector each have a contact carrier with multiple contacts, which are usually either pins or corresponding sockets. Depending on whether the contact carrier contains pins or sockets, the corresponding connector is also referred to as a plug or a socket. In practice, the connector whose contact carrier contains pins (i.e., the plug) typically has a screw-type coupling with an external thread, while the connector whose contact carrier contains sockets (i.e., the socket) has an external sleeve with an internal thread.When two cables are connected using the plug connector, the outer sleeve of the socket is designed as a kind of union nut.

[0003] Electrical connectors of this type are used as industrial connectors in automation technology for both device connection and field wiring in various designs. Metric circular connectors, particularly in M8 and M12 configurations with 4, 5, 6, or even 8 contacts, are widely used. These connectors are used to connect cables with a corresponding number of conductors, each consisting of a conductor and insulation surrounding it, all enclosed in a cable sheath. The individual conductors can be either a solid wire or a stranded wire consisting of several thin individual wires. In the following text, the term "conductor" will be used consistently, regardless of whether it is a solid wire or a stranded wire.

[0004] Electrical connectors can either be freely configurable or pre-wired, in which case at least the cable and the other end (which has been stripped of its sheath) are usually overmolded by the handle body. The handle body itself can also be manufactured by overmolding.

[0005] In a connector that cannot be freely assembled by the consumer, the electrical and mechanical connection of the individual wires or conductors of a cable to the individual contact elements is achieved primarily through a soldered or crimped connection. In crimp connection technology, the stripped end of a wire is axially inserted into a corresponding terminal sleeve (crimp sleeve) or a sleeve-shaped end section of the contact element and then electrically and mechanically connected to the crimp sleeve or contact element by mechanically compressing the crimp sleeve or sleeve-shaped end section. Standardized crimping creates a solderless electrical connection, and the crimp connection can be produced using hand crimping tools as well as semi- or fully automatic crimping machines.Stripping the wires and crimping the contact elements can be done mechanically in one operation, so that crimping technology has largely pushed soldering into the background.

[0006] Electrical connectors are interfaces that transmit electrical signals or power, and these connectors must meet different requirements depending on the application. For connectors used in signal and data technology, especially those used within networks and fieldbuses, certain high-frequency boundary conditions must be considered, corresponding to the data transmission rate of the respective network or fieldbus, to ensure the reliable transmission of signals and data.

[0007] If connectors for signal and data technology are used not only in office buildings but also in harsh industrial environments, they must be correspondingly more robust and have the highest possible protection rating, preferably IP67. For this reason, standard RJ45 connectors, as commonly used in office communication, are only suitable for limited use in industrial settings.

[0008] To enable the use of metric circular connectors, which are widely used in industrial applications and offer sufficient mechanical robustness and protection class, in signal and data technology, particularly in networks and fieldbuses, their internal design must be modified to meet data transmission requirements. Especially at higher transmission rates, connectors with a larger number of contacts, particularly eight contacts, are necessary.

[0009] The present invention is therefore based on the objective of further developing an electrical connector described above in such a way that it enables the best possible data transmission, so that it is suitable for connecting data cables for signal and data transmission in harsh industrial environments.

[0010] This problem is solved in the connector described above with the features of claim 1. In the connector according to the invention, a conductor guidance element is arranged on the side of the contact carrier facing the cable, in which several outwardly open grooves are formed. The grooves serve to receive and guide the individual conductors, so that the conductors fixed in the grooves have a defined distance from each other, which does not change even during subsequent process steps for completing the connector, for example, when manufacturing the handle body.

[0011] In conventional connectors, the contact elements are fixed within the contact carrier, ensuring that each contact element has a defined position and orientation relative to the others, and thus a defined distance. In contrast, the exposed conductors of the cable—that is, the portion of the conductors where the cable jacket and any external shield are removed—have no defined orientation relative to each other inside the connector body. This results in an undefined impedance between individual conductors or between the conductors and a shield element, making it impossible to reliably meet specific product specifications.

[0012] By placing a wire guide element in the connector on the side of the contact carrier facing the handle body or the cable (i.e., in front of the contact carrier from the perspective of the connected cable), the individual wires in the exposed area within the handle body can have a defined position and orientation relative to each other, and thus a defined distance. This allows the impedance between the individual wires of the connected cable to be set or adjusted reproducibly.

[0013] As explained at the outset, the electrical connector according to the invention serves to connect a multi-core cable to a corresponding mating connector or its contact elements. The multi-core cable connected to the electrical connector is, in particular, a data cable, preferably a cable with twisted conductors, for example, a twisted-pair cable. Such cables with twisted pairs are intended for symmetrical signal transmission and are less susceptible to common-mode interference due to their common-mode rejection. In addition, other types of cables, preferably with twisted conductors, can also be connected to the electrical connectors according to the invention, for example, cables in which four individual conductors are twisted together.A well-known example of a cable with a quad stranding is the so-called star quad, in which four conductors are twisted together to form two cross-stranded double conductors.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the electrical connector according to the invention, the number of slots in the conductor guide element corresponds to the number of conductors of the cable connected to the connector. This allows each individual conductor of the cable to be arranged in its own slot in the conductor guide element, so that each conductor of the cable has a defined position and thus a defined orientation relative to the other conductors of the cable. The main direction of extension of the individual slots essentially corresponds to the longitudinal extension of the conductor guide element, with the individual slots preferably being arranged concentrically to the longitudinal axis of the conductor guide element.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the slots in the wire guide element are arranged in pairs such that the distance a between two slots of a slot pair is less than the distance b between the two adjacent slots of two adjacent slot pairs. A wire guide element designed in this way is particularly advantageous when a cable with twisted pairs of wires is connected to the electrical connector. The two wires of such a wire pair are then arranged in the two slots of a slot pair, whereby the wires are no longer twisted in the area where they are arranged in the slots of the wire guide element. By appropriately selecting the distance a between two slots of a slot pair and the distance b between two adjacent slots of two adjacent slot pairs, the impedance between the wires arranged in the respective slots can be adjusted.

[0016] Another way to adjust the impedance between adjacent conductors is to form a recess or bore in the conductor guide element between two adjacent grooves. A recess is understood to be a hole cut into the conductor guide element from the outside, i.e., an outwardly open recess, while a bore is understood to be a closed recess formed within the conductor guide element. The individual recesses or bores run at least partially in the longitudinal direction of the adjacent grooves and are preferably formed between two grooves of a pair of grooves. The impedance between two adjacent conductors is then determined both by the distance between the two grooves and by the design of the recess or bore between the grooves.Furthermore, the impedance between the individual conductors can also be adjusted by a suitable choice of material for the conductor guide element.

[0017] According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of the connector, a recess is formed in the wire guide element, extending longitudinally along the wire guide element, with a shielding element arranged in the recess. The recess preferably extends over the entire length of the wire guide element, so that the recess is open at the opposite end faces of the wire guide element. This allows the shielding element, which is adapted to the dimensions of the recess, to be easily inserted from one end face into the wire guide element or into the recess formed in the wire guide element.

[0018] According to a first embodiment, the shielding element is designed as an elongated, flat plate whose width is slightly less than the diameter of the conductor guide element. Such a shielding element, inserted into the recess in the conductor guide element, divides the conductor guide element into two sections, each section having at least one groove. The conductors arranged in the grooves of the two sections are then shielded from each other by the shielding element.

[0019] The specific shape of the recess and shielding element formed in the conductor guide is preferably adapted to the number of grooves formed in the conductor guide element and thus to the number of conductors in the cable to be connected. If the cable to be connected has, for example, four or eight conductors, the recesses and the shielding element preferably each have a cross-shaped cross-section, so that the conductor guide element is divided into four sections by the cross-shaped recess, with each section having the same number of grooves, for example, one or two grooves. An arm of the cross-shaped shielding element is then arranged between each pair of adjacent sections of the conductor guide element, so that the conductors arranged in the grooves of adjacent sections of the conductor guide element are shielded from each other by the shielding element.

[0020] The external dimensions of the wire guide element are adapted in particular to the external dimensions and pole configuration of the contact carrier on the one hand, and to the dimensions, i.e., the diameter, of the cable on the other. For example, the wire guide element can be frustoconical in shape, with the wire guide element preferably having a larger diameter on its side facing the contact carrier than on its side facing away from the contact carrier.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, the conductors arranged in the individual grooves are securely fixed in the grooves or to the conductor guide element by ensuring that the grooves have a width at their upper edge that is less than the maximum width of the grooves or less than the outer diameter of the conductor being held. By selecting an appropriate plastic material for the conductor guide element, it can be ensured that the individual conductors can be inserted into the grooves without excessive force, while the slightly narrower width of the upper, open area of ​​the grooves ensures that the conductors are nevertheless held securely in the grooves. Alternatively or additionally, constrictions can be formed at the upper edge of the grooves to prevent the conductors from unintentionally slipping out of the grooves after being inserted.

[0022] To enable a secure mechanical connection between the electrical connector and a corresponding mating connector, the connector preferably has a sleeve-shaped locking element that can be connected to a corresponding sleeve-shaped locking element of the mating connector. The sleeve-shaped locking element of the connector can, for example, be a rotatably arranged cap screw with an external thread that can be screwed into an outer sleeve of the mating connector, the outer sleeve then having an internal thread corresponding to the external thread. However, other types of locking between the connector and a corresponding mating connector are also possible, such as a push-fit connection or a snap-fit ​​connection instead of a screw connection.

[0023] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the electrical connector, it has a cylindrical sleeve that surrounds the contact carrier. Preferably, a shielding element extending longitudinally along the sleeve, and in particular a cross-shaped one, is arranged within the cylindrical sleeve. This shielding element divides the contact carrier into individual sections, with the contact elements accommodated in the individual sections of the contact carrier being shielded from each other by the shielding element or the corresponding sections of the shielding element. If the connector has a sleeve-shaped threaded section, this threaded section is rotatably arranged relative to the sleeve and surrounds the cylindrical sleeve.

[0024] In detail, there are several ways to design and further develop the electrical connector according to the invention. Reference is made to both the dependent claims and the following description of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. The drawing shows Fig. 1. A perspective view of an electrical connector, Fig. 2 the connector according Fig. 1 with attached cable, in sectional view, Fig. 3 an exploded view of the essential elements of the connector according to Fig. 1, Fig. 4 a perspective view of the connector according to Fig. 1, without handle body, Fig. 5 a perspective view of the connector according to Fig. 4, with connected wires, Fig. 6 two perspective views and a front view of the wire guide element, and Fig. 7 Two perspective views of a shielding element.

[0025] The figures show an electrical connector 1 for connecting a multi-core cable 2 to a mating connector (not shown). The electrical connector 1 has a grip body 4 surrounding the cable 2 or the cores 3 of the cable 2, a contact carrier 6 that receives and holds several contact elements 5, and a rotatably arranged threaded part 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the threaded part 7 is designed as a union screw, so that the electrical connector 1 can be connected to a mating connector by screwing the union screw 7 with its external thread 71 into an outer sleeve belonging to the mating connector, which has a corresponding internal thread.

[0026] As shown in the sectional view according to Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, the cable sheath 21 is removed from the free end of the cable 2, which is surrounded by the handle body 4, so that the individual conductors 3 are exposed. The conductor insulation 31 is also removed from the free end of the conductors 3, so that each individual conductor 32 is electrically connected to a contact element 5.

[0027] The electrical connector 1 includes a wire guide 8 for receiving and guiding the individual wires 3, which is arranged on the side of the contact carrier 6 facing the cable 2. The wire guide 8 has a number of outwardly open grooves 9 corresponding to the number of wires 3, in which the individual wires 3 are arranged. This ensures that the individual wires 3 have a defined position within the grip body 4 and thus a defined distance from each other, allowing the impedance between the individual wires 3 of the connected cable 2 to be reproducibly determined.

[0028] The electrical connector 1 shown in the figures is designed for connecting a cable 2, which has a total of eight conductors 3, wherein two conductors 3 are twisted together within the cable 2, so that it is a 4 x 2-core twisted pair cable. Correspondingly, the conductor guide element 8 has a total of eight slots 9, wherein the slots 9 are arranged or formed in pairs in the conductor guide element 8 such that the distance a between two slots 9 of a slot pair 10 is less than the distance b between two adjacent slots 9 of second adjacent slot pairs 10, as can be seen in particular from Fig. 6b is evident.

[0029] The two adjacent slots 9 of a slot pair 10 serve to receive the two conductors 3 of a twisted pair of conductors in the cable 2. The two conductors 3 are first untwisted before being pressed into the slots 9 in the conductor guide element 8. The impedance between the individual conductors 3 of a conductor pair can thus be influenced by appropriately selecting the distance a between two slots 9 of a slot pair 10. Similarly, the impedance between the conductors 3 of adjacent conductor pairs can be influenced by appropriately selecting the distance b between two adjacent slots 9 of two adjacent slot pairs 10.

[0030] From the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 and the separate illustration of the wire guide element 8 according to Fig. Figure 6 further shows that a recess 11 is formed or arranged in the conductor guide element 8 between two adjacent grooves 9 of a pair of grooves 10, extending longitudinally along the adjacent grooves 9. The design of the recess 11 also allows the impedance between adjacent conductors 3 arranged in a pair of grooves 10 to be adjusted. Finally, the impedance between the individual conductors 3 can also be influenced by a suitable choice of material for the conductor guide element 8.

[0031] The previously described arrangement of the individual conductors 3 in the grooves 9 of the conductor guide element 8 is also shown in the two illustrations of the electrical connector 1 according to Fig. 4 and Fig. Figure 5 shows that the handle body 4 is omitted. Due to the arrangement of the wire guide element 8 on the side of the contact carrier 6 facing the cable 2, the individual wires 3 have a position and location within the handle body 4 in the area where the wires 3 are exposed by removing the cable sheath 21. This position is defined by the specific design of the wire guide element 8 or can be predetermined by a corresponding choice of the distances a and b as well as a corresponding dimensioning of the recess 11.

[0032] To ensure that the conductors 3 are securely held in the individual slots 9, the slots 9 have a width at their upper edge that is slightly less than the maximum width of the slots 9 or the diameter of the individual conductors 3. This causes the conductors 3 to lock into place in the slots 9 after being pressed into the open slots 9. This effectively prevents the conductors 3 from unintentionally falling out of the slots 9.

[0033] From the illustration of the conductor guide element 8 in Fig. 6a and Fig. Figure 6b also shows that a continuous recess 12 is formed in the wire guide element 8, extending longitudinally along the wire guide element 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the recess 12 has a cross-shaped cross-section, so that the wire guide element 8 is divided into four sections 81, 82, 83, 84 by the cross-shaped recess 12. Each of these four sections 81, 82, 83, 84 has a pair of grooves 10 and thus two grooves 9, so that each of the two wires 3 of an originally twisted wire pair can be received in one section 81, 82, 83, 84 of the wire guide element 8.

[0034] The continuous recess 12 formed in the conductor guide element 8 serves to receive a shielding element 13, which, in the illustrated embodiment, also has a cross-shaped cross-section corresponding to the recess 12. Because the recess 12 extends over the entire length of the conductor guide element 8, so that the recess 12 is open at the opposite end faces of the conductor guide element 8, the shielding element 13 can be inserted into the shielding element 13. Fig. 7 separately shown shielding elements 13 simply from the in Fig. The shielding element 13 is inserted into the recess 12 shown on the front side in Figure 6b. When the shielding element 13 is arranged in the recess 12 in the conductor guide element 8, an arm 14 of the cross-shaped shielding element 13 is located between each pair of adjacent sections 81, 82, 83, 84 of the conductor guide element 8. The shielding element 13, inserted into the recess 12 in the conductor guide element 8, shields the conductors 3, which are arranged in different pairs of grooves 10, from each other, thereby preventing or at least largely suppressing crosstalk between these conductors 3.

[0035] In particular from the exploded view according to Fig. Figure 3 shows that the electrical connector 1 also has a cylindrical sleeve 15 in which the contact carrier 6 is received. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact carrier 6 consists of four individual contact carrier parts, each having an approximately quarter-circle base and each receiving two individual contact elements 5. A cross-shaped shielding element 16 is arranged between the individual contact carrier parts in the cylindrical sleeve 15. This shielding element protects the individual contact carrier parts, and thus the contact elements 5 arranged in them, from each other, preventing or at least largely suppressing crosstalk between the contact elements 5 arranged in the different contact carrier parts.The threaded part 7, designed as a union screw, is arranged on the outside of the cylindrical sleeve 15 in such a way that the union screw 7 can be rotated relative to the sleeve 15 but can only be axially displaced to a limited extent.

[0036] From the Fig. 3 and in particular from Fig.Figure 6a also shows that the wire guide element 8 is frustoconical in shape, with the wire guide element 8 having a slightly larger diameter on its side facing the contact carrier 6 than on the opposite side facing away from the contact carrier 6. The outer dimensions of the wire guide element 8 are specifically adapted to the outer dimensions and pole configuration of the contact carrier 6 on the one hand, and to the dimensions, i.e., the diameter, of the cable 2 to be connected to the connector 1 on the other. Since the shielding element 13 is arranged in the recess 12 in the wire guide element 8, the outer dimensions of the shielding element 13 are adapted to the corresponding dimensions of the wire guide element 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the shielding element 13 therefore also has a larger cross-section on its end face facing the contact carrier 6 than on its opposite end face. Reference sign 1. Connectors 2. Cable 21. Cable sheath 3. Veins 31. Wire insulation 32nd Leader 4. Handle body 5. Contact element 6. Contact carrier 7. Threaded part 71. External thread 8. Wire guide element 81. Sections 9. Nut 10. pair of grooves 11. In-depth study 12. Exclusion 13. Shielding element 14. Arm of the shielding element 15. cylindrical sleeve 16. Shielding element

Claims

[1] Electrical connector (1) for connecting a multi-core cable (2) to a mating connector, to a grip body (4) surrounding the cable (2) or the cores (3) of the cable (2) and to a contact carrier (6) receiving a plurality of contact elements (5), wherein the individual contact elements (5) are electrically connected to the individual cores (3), characterized by , that a wire guide element (8) is arranged on the side of the contact carrier (6) facing the cable (2), and that several outwardly open grooves (9) are formed in the conductor guidance element (8) which serve to receive and guide individual conductors (3). [2] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the number of slots (9) in the wire guide element (8) corresponds to the number of wires (3) of the cable (2) connected to the connector (1). [3] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the grooves (9) in the conductor guide element (8) are arranged in pairs such that the distance a between two grooves (9) of a pair of grooves (10) is less than the distance b between the two adjacent grooves (9) of two adjacent pairs of grooves (10). [4] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 3, characterized by , that between two adjacent grooves (9), in particular between two grooves (9) of a pair of grooves (10) a recess (11) or a bore is formed in the conductor guide element (8), wherein the recess (11) or the bore runs at least partially in the longitudinal direction of the adjacent grooves (9). [5] Electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by, that a recess (12) is formed in the conductor guidance element (8) which extends in the longitudinal direction of the conductor guidance element (8) and that a shielding element (13) is arranged in the recess (12). [6] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the recess (12) and the shielding element (13) each have a cruciform cross-section, wherein the conductor guide element (8) is divided into four sections (81, 82, 83, 84) by the cruciform recess (12), wherein at least one groove (9) is formed in each section (81, 82, 83, 84) and wherein an arm (14) of the cruciform shielding element (13) is arranged between adjacent sections (81, 82, 83, 84) of the conductor guide element (8). [7] Electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by, that the conductor guide element (8) is frustoconical in shape, wherein the conductor guide element (8) has a larger diameter on its side facing the contact carrier (6) than on its side facing away from the contact carrier (6). [8] Electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that the wire guide element (8) is made of plastic. [9] Electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the grooves (9) have a width at their upper edge which is less than the maximum width B of the grooves (9). [10] Electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that a sleeve-shaped threaded part (7) rotatable relative to the contact carrier (6) is provided, wherein the sleeve-shaped threaded part (7) can be screwed to a corresponding sleeve-shaped threaded part of the mating connector. [11] Electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by , that the contact carrier (6) is surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve (15) and that a cross-shaped shielding element (16) extending in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve (15) is preferably arranged in the sleeve (15).

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