Connectors with locking element and shielding sleeve

Abstract

A plug connection formed by a connector (22) and a mating connector which can be plugged into it, wherein the connector (22) has a housing (21), wherein at least one contact carrier (4) is inserted in the housing (21), wherein at least one contact (3) is inserted into the contact carrier (4), wherein the connector (22) has a locking element (10), wherein the locking element (10) is suitable and designed such that it is only arranged in the connector (22) as intended when the contact (3) is inserted into the contact carrier (4) as intended and when a further element of the connector (22) is arranged as intended within the connector (22).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a plug connection formed by a connector and a mating connector that can be plugged together therewith, wherein the connector has a housing, wherein at least one contact carrier is inserted in the housing, wherein at least one contact is inserted in the contact carrier, according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Connectors are known in which at least one contact can be inserted into a contact carrier. Once this contact has been inserted into the contact carrier as intended, it is secured by a so-called primary locking mechanism, which in the prior art is, for example, designed as a snap-fit ​​connection. Additionally, a so-called secondary locking mechanism can also be added, which engages when the primary locking mechanism has been properly engaged.

[0003] However, during the assembly of contacts in their corresponding contact carriers, it can repeatedly happen that at least the primary locking mechanism, or possibly only the secondary locking mechanism, or even both locking mechanisms, are not properly engaged. This can cause, for example, a contact located on an electrical conductor of a cable to be pushed out of its contact carrier inside the connector housing when the connector is inserted into a mating connector to form a connection. From the outside, the connection gives the impression that the connector and mating connector have been properly inserted and that electrical contact has been established between at least one contact of the connector and the corresponding contact of the mating connector.However, if a contact within the contact carrier of the connector is not locked correctly or at all, this contact can be pushed out of the contact carrier when the connector is inserted into the mating connector, resulting in no electrical contact being made via the plug connection, which can cause a fault, for example, in the power transmission or data transmission via the plug connection.

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing an improved plug connection, in particular a shielded plug connection, which avoids the disadvantages described above.

[0005] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

[0006] According to the invention, the connector has a locking element, the locking element being designed and configured such that it is only properly positioned in the connector when the contact is properly inserted into the contact carrier and when a further element of the connector, in particular a shielding sleeve, is properly positioned within the connector. The locking element according to the invention ensures that the associated elements of the connector must first be properly and correctly assembled before the connector is inserted into the mating connector. Furthermore, the connector can only be properly and correctly inserted into the mating connector once the further element of the connector has been properly and correctly positioned there.The additional element is preferably a shielding sleeve which is electrically connected to a shield of the cable when the connector is assembled with its elements.

[0007] Further advantageous embodiments of the plug connection, in particular its connectors, are specified in the dependent claims and are described below using an exemplary embodiment, to which, however, the invention is not limited.

[0008] A preferred embodiment according to the invention is described below and illustrated by the Fig. 1 to explained in more detail

[0009] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a cable 1. The cable 1 is preferably a shielded cable, although the invention is of course also applicable to unshielded cables. An electrical conductor 2 is arranged inside the cable 1, the end of which is electrically connected to a contact 3 in a suitable manner (for example, by soldering, welding, crimping, or the like). In this embodiment, the contact 3 is designed as a round contact in the form of a socket, but it can also have other designs. The contact 3 is inserted into a contact carrier 4, the internal geometry of which largely corresponds to the external geometry of the contact 3. In this embodiment, the contact carrier 4 has at least one snap hook 5 in the insertion direction. Furthermore, at least one locking tab 6 is provided in a recess in the external geometry of the contact carrier 3.The function of the snap hook 5 and the locking tab 6 will be discussed later. The cable 3 has at least one recess 7 in its outer geometry, which will also be discussed later. As a further possible element of the connector, a connecting sleeve 8 is arranged on the cable 1. This connecting sleeve 8 may, but need not, be made at least partially or completely of an electrically conductive material. Two opposing wings 9 (optionally only one wing or more than two wings) are arranged on the contact carrier 4, projecting forward in the insertion direction. The snap hook 5 projects from the base of the contact carrier 4 in the space between these two wings 9. Optionally, two or more snap hooks 5 may be present.

[0010] The contact carrier 4, as it is in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, contact 3 is pushed towards cable 1 (or conversely, contact 3 is inserted into its corresponding contact chamber in contact carrier 4). This is shown in Figure 1. Fig. Figure 2 shows that the front end of the snap hook 5, which has an inwardly pointing lug, has engaged in the recess 7 of the contact 3. This ensures that the primary locking of the contact 3 in its contact carrier 4 has been properly achieved. The free end of the snap hook 5 then enters the recess 7 of the contact 3, a detail that will be important later and is described below.

[0011] In Fig. 3 is the arrangement as it appears in Fig. The locking element 10, which is shown in Figure 2 and has been pre-assembled accordingly, is shown again here. This illustration is made in connection with a locking element 10 according to the invention. The locking element 10 has a cylindrical section 11 and pins 12 projecting from it towards the cable 1. The pins 12 can extend over the wings 9 of the contact carrier 4. It can be seen that the locking element 10 initially forms a separate component from the contact carrier 4.

[0012] In Fig. Figure 4 shows that the locking element 10, with its cylindrical section 11, has been at least partially slid over the wings 9 of the contact carrier 4. In doing so, part of the free end regions of the pins 12 engages in the contact carrier 4. This temporarily positions the locking element 10 in a preliminary position on the contact carrier 4. However, its final position can only be properly reached by further axial sliding towards the contact carrier 4, as described below, provided certain assembly conditions are met, which are also described below.

[0013] It should be noted that the locking element 10 cannot be moved into its pre-position on the contact carrier 4 if the snap hook 5 of the contact carrier 4 has not properly engaged in the recess 7. If this were the case, the free end of the snap hook 5 would not engage in the recess 7 and would protrude slightly radially outwards, so that in this improper state, a free end of the pin 12 would be in contact with the free end of the snap hook 5. This would prevent the locking element 10 from being pushed into its pre-position on the contact carrier 4.This ensures that, by sliding the locking element 10 onto the contact carrier 4 in the direction of its initial position, it can be determined and checked whether the snap hook 5 has properly engaged in the recess 7 and thus the primary locking of the contact 3 in its contact carrier 4 has occurred. Only then can further assembly take place.

[0014] In Fig. Figure 5 shows that the locking element 10 has a detent arc 13 in the area of ​​its cylindrical section 11. The function of this detent arc 13 will also be discussed later.

[0015] Both in the Fig. 5 as well as in the two further Fig. 6 and Fig. Figure 7 clearly shows that the locking element 10 was able to assume its pre-position on the contact carrier 4, since the snap hook 5 of the contact carrier 4 properly engaged in the recess 7 of the contact 3, allowing a circumferential shoulder within the cylindrical section 11 of the locking element 10 to slide over the surface of the snap hook 5. In doing so, the partial ends of the pins 12 were immersed in corresponding recesses in the contact carrier 4. This immersion was possible because the respective free ends of the two pins 12 were not obstructed by the inwardly facing surface of the locking tab 6.

[0016] In Fig. Figure 8 shows that, in addition to the further element of the connector in the form of the connecting sleeve 8, another element in the form of a shielding sleeve 14 has also been pushed onto the cable 1. This shielding sleeve 14 can be pushed on from the direction of the contact 3 or from the direction of the free end of the cable 1. Fig. It can be seen from Figure 8 that the connecting sleeve 8 is fixed in its final position on the cable 1, with the shielding sleeve 14, which has at least one recess 15, still in a preliminary position.

[0017] In Fig. 9 The shielding sleeve 14 has now been pushed towards the locking element 10 without engaging with this locking element 10. It has thus reached its final position relative to the contact carrier 4. The pushing-on process is limited by a circumferential rim at the end of the contact carrier 4, from which the wings 9 project. In its final position, the shielding sleeve 14 makes contact with the connecting sleeve 8 and the shielding of the cable 1. The shielding sleeve 14 thus extends the shielding of the cable 1 towards the contact carrier 4, over its length. For this purpose, both the connecting sleeve 8 and the shielding sleeve 14 are made of an electrically conductive material.

[0018] In Fig. 10 is a section of the arrangement according to Fig. Figure 9 shows that the locking element 10 is still in its initial position on the contact carrier 4. It is also evident that a lug 16, located in the free end region of the locking tab 6 of the contact carrier 4, is engaged in the recess 15 of the shielding sleeve 14. This, as will be shown and described below, clears the path for the free ends of the pins 12 of the locking element 10 towards the cable 1. If the shielding sleeve 14 were not properly positioned and secured on the contact carrier 4, the engagement of the lug 16 of the locking tab 6 in the recess 15 of the shielding sleeve 14 would be blocked, thus preventing the pins 12 from engaging further in the contact carrier 4.This means that the locking element 10 can only be moved from its previous preliminary position to its final position on the contact carrier 4 when the shielding sleeve 14 has also been properly fixed to the contact carrier.

[0019] Furthermore, in Fig. Figure 10 shows the construction of the cable 1 and the shielding. An insulation 17 is provided around the electrical conductor 2, and a shield 18, for example a shielding foil or a shielding braid, is arranged coaxially around this insulation. This shield 18 is in turn protected from external influences by an outer sheath 19. At the end of the cable 1, a portion of the insulation 17, the shield 18, and the outer sheath 19 is removed so that a free end of the electrical conductor 2 can be electrically connected to the contact 3 in a suitable manner. The insulation 17 remains behind this free end of the electrical conductor 2, and the shield 18 is exposed over this remaining insulation 17 and folded back radially around the connecting sleeve 8.This means that the shielding 18 of the cable 1 runs coaxially both inside and outside the connecting sleeve 8, with the outer coaxial path of the shielding 18 coming into contact with the inner geometry of the shielding sleeve 14. This ensures that the shielding 18 of the cable 1 is electrically contacted with the shielding sleeve 14, so that the area of ​​the contact carrier 4 facing the mating face is also shielded from external electrical influences. Since this shielding of the contact carrier 4 is very important, it is also important that further assembly of the connector can only take place if the shielding sleeve 14 is properly secured to the contact carrier 4. This, in turn, is made possible when the lug 16 of the locking tab 6 of the contact carrier 4 is engaged in the recess 15 of the shielding sleeve 14. This prevents further axial movement of the connecting sleeve 10 towards the contact carrier 4.However, if the shielding sleeve 14 has been incorrectly mounted with respect to the contact carrier 4, this further axial displacement would not be possible, since the respective free end of the pin 12 of the locking element 10 runs against the inwardly deflected detent tab 16. In this fault case, the detent tab 16 is deflected inwards because the lug 16 abuts the inner surface of the connecting sleeve 14 but cannot engage in its recess 15. The contact arrangement according to... Fig. 10, in which the locking element 10 is still in its forward position, is provided with the reference numeral 20.

[0020] In the Fig. 11, Fig. 12 to Fig. Figure 13 shows that the contact arrangements 20 are inserted into a housing 21 of the connector. Fig. 11 the contact arrangement 20 is still in a pre-assembly position, whereas in the Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 is properly arranged and secured in its final position within the housing 21. This is done in Fig. 13 again clearly shows that the locking element 10 is still in its forward position with respect to the contact carrier 4.

[0021] In the Fig. 14, Fig. 15, Fig. 16 to Fig. The further assembly sequence is shown in section 17. Fig. Figure 14 shows that the locking element 10 has been moved from its initial position to its final position. This movement was permitted because the free ends of the pins 12 could penetrate further into the contact carrier 4, as the shielding sleeve 14 was properly secured to the contact carrier 4. After the primary locking of the contact 3 in the contact carrier 4 has also been properly achieved by the insertion of the snap hook 5 of the contact carrier 4 into the recess 7 of the contact 3, the detent arc 13 of the locking element 10 can slide over this snap hook 5. Once the locking element 10 has reached its final position, the free transverse end of the detent arc 13 is further secured to the end of the snap hook 5 after this transverse end has been slid over the snap hook 5. This is shown in Figure 14. Fig. 15 shown, where in Fig. It is evident from Figure 16 that the free ends of the pins 12 of the locking element 10 could fully immerse themselves in the contact carrier 4 in the end position of the locking element 10, as they were not blocked by the detent tab 6, since its nose 16 was immersed in the recess 15 of the shielding sleeve 14. This is evident from Figure 16. Fig. 17 is shown in connection with the contact arrangement 20 used in the housing 21.

[0022] According to Fig. Figure 16 also shows that the locking element 10, more precisely its pins 12, not only performs a locking function. It also performs a safety function, because the shielding sleeve 14 cannot be removed without removing the pins 12, since pressing down the locking tab 6 and thus moving the locking lug 16 out of the recess 15 is blocked as long as the locking element 10 is in its end position. The locking element 10 can only be moved out of this end position if the connector is not inserted into the mating connector. This has the advantage that the shielding sleeve 14 can only be removed when the connector is not plugged in and therefore inactive.

[0023] Fig. Figure 18 finally shows a connector 22 according to the invention, in which several contact arrangements 20 are inserted into the housing 21 of the connector 22. In this embodiment, the contact carriers 4 of the respective contact arrangement 20 are designed to receive only one contact 3, and the contact carriers 4 are inserted individually into the housing 21 of the connector 22. Alternatively, it is conceivable that only a single contact carrier 4 or a group of contact carriers 4 is provided, wherein the single contact carrier 4 or the group of contact carriers 4 receives more than one contact 3. The design of the locking element and the assembly of the individual elements of the connector 22 are carried out in the same way in the latter two cases as described above for the embodiment of the connector 22 with single contact carriers 4.

[0024] Regarding connector 22, as it is described in Fig.As shown in Figure 18, all elements of the connector 22 have been properly assembled so that it can be plugged into a mating connector (not shown) to form a plug connection. Reference symbol list 1 cable 2 Electrical conductor 3 Contact 4 contact carriers 5 snap hooks 6 Rastlatsche 7 Exclusion 8 Connecting sleeve 9 wings 10 locking element 11 Cylindrical section 12 pens 13 Rastbogen 14 Shielding sleeve 15 Exclusion 16 Nose 17 Insulation 18 Shielding 19 Outer shell 20 Contact arrangement 21 cases 22 connectors

Claims

A plug connection formed by a connector (22) and a mating connector that can be plugged into it, wherein the connector (22) has a housing (21) wherein at least one contact carrier (4) is inserted in the housing (21) wherein at least one contact (3) is inserted into the contact carrier (4), characterized in that the connector (22) has a locking element (10) wherein the locking element (10) is suitable and designed such that it is only arranged in the connector (22) as intended when the contact (3) is inserted into the contact carrier (4) as intended and when a further element of the connector (22) is arranged as intended within the connector (22). Plug connection according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one wing (9), preferably two opposing wings (9), are arranged on the contact carrier (4) pointing forward in the plugging direction. Plug connection according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the case of two opposing wings (9), at least one snap hook (5) projects in the space between these two wings (9), also starting from the base of the contact carrier (4), preferably two or more snap hooks (5) project. Connector according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the locking element (10) has a cylindrical section (11) and pins (12) projecting from this section towards a cable (1) on which the connector (22) is arranged. Plug connection according to claim 4, characterized in that the pins (12) extend over the wings (9) of the contact carrier (4). Plug connection according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the locking element (10) has a locking arc (13) in the area of ​​its cylindrical section (11). Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a connecting sleeve (8) is arranged on the cable (1) as a further element of the connector (22), wherein this connecting sleeve (8) is formed at least partially or completely from an electrically conductive material. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a shielding sleeve (14) is pushed onto the cable (1) as a further element of the connector (22).

Images