Release tool

Abstract

The invention relates to a release tool for unlocking plug contacts on connector bodies. To provide a release tool for unlocking plug contacts on connector bodies, e.g., contact modules of connectors having one or more contact modules, which enables reliable removal of the plug contacts from the connector bodies after unlocking the plug contacts, it is provided that the release tool is designed with a release tool housing having a plug body receptacle for the releasable arrangement of the plug body in at least one working position, and with an actuating element adjustable between a starting position and an end position on the release tool housing.Furthermore, the release tool is designed with a release unit that is connected to the actuating element in such a way that moving the actuating element from its initial position to its end position causes the release unit to move from its disengaged position to an unlocked position. The release tool also includes a detent unit for securing the connector body in at least one working position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a release tool for unlocking plug contacts on plug bodies.

[0002] Connector bodies of the type mentioned above are known in various designs from the prior art. As contact modules, they are used, for example, in modular connectors, where their receptacles accommodate plug contacts such as pin or socket contacts. These plug contacts are usually grouped into functional units and each transmits electrical signals or currents that serve to control or supply specific functional units of a device connected to the connector. Thus, the connector can be used, for example, in a vehicle where a large number of electrical functions can be implemented variably.

[0003] The plug contacts typically have a crimped electrical conductor and are held in a contact position within the plug contact receptacles of the plug body. The plug contacts are generally locked by a spring element that engages in a corresponding recess on the plug body. In the event of a fault in individual conductors, it may be necessary to detach the plug contacts from the plug bodies. This requires releasing the existing locking connection between the plug contacts and the plug bodies, which reliably secures the plug contacts in the plug contact receptacles. Release tools, such as those known from DE 601 00 099 T2 and JP 2015-170 501 A, are used to release these locking connections.

[0004] Known release tools have the disadvantage that their use carries the risk of damaging the plug contacts and / or the wires connected to them. Based on this, the invention aims to provide a release tool for unlocking plug contacts on plug bodies, e.g., contact modules of connectors comprising one or more contact modules, which enables reliable removal of the plug contacts from the plug bodies after unlocking.

[0005] The invention solves the problem by means of a release tool with the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0006] The release tool according to the invention serves as a plug contact release tool for unlocking plug contacts that are held latched in plug contact receptacles of plug bodies. According to the invention, the release tool has a release tool housing that is designed with a plug body receptacle. The plug body receptacle serves to position the plug body in at least one working position in which, by means of the release tool, a plug contact selected on the plug body can be unlocked within the plug contact receptacle and then removed from the plug body. Depending on the number of plug contacts on the plug body, the plug body can be arranged in a corresponding number of working positions in the plug body receptacle, each of which is assigned to a plug contact or the plug contact receptacle that receives the plug contact.

[0007] In the processing position, it is then possible to adjust a release unit by operating an actuating element that is adjustable between a starting position and an end position on the release tool, by means of which the selected plug contact can be unlocked on the plug body and then removed from the plug contact receptacle.

[0008] The actuating element is connected to the release unit in such a way that moving the actuating element from its initial position to its end position moves the release unit from an out-of-engagement position to an unlocked position. In the out-of-engagement position, the release unit is positioned relative to the connector body receptacle in such a way that the connector body can be positioned in a selected machining position within the receptacle without being affected by the release unit, with each plug contact or plug contact receptacle being assigned a machining position. In the case of a connector body with only two plug contacts, it can thus be positioned in two machining positions within the plug body receptacle of the release tool housing, whereas, for example, a connector body with two plug contacts can only be positioned in two machining positions.The 12-pin connector body can be arranged in the connector body receptacle in twelve different processing positions, each of which is assigned to a plug contact.

[0009] A locking unit is provided to secure the connector body in a selected machining position. This unit allows the connector body to be detachably fixed in at least one machining position. The locking unit thus serves to align the connector body with the contact being machined relative to the release unit and to lock it in the machining position. The locking unit therefore ensures that, after selecting the machining position, the connector body remains in its position within the connector body receptacle. When the release unit is activated, the selected contact is unlocked from the connector body and can then be removed from the contact receptacle.

[0010] The release tool according to the invention is thus characterized in that the connector body is reliably positioned in a processing position corresponding to the individual plug contacts, and these can then be unlocked without malfunction. Damage to the connector body and / or the plug contacts due to incorrect alignment with respect to the release unit is effectively prevented by the release tool according to the invention.

[0011] The design of the locking unit for locking the plug body in the plug body receptacle in a selected machining position is, in principle, freely selectable, as is the design of the unlocking unit, whereby it is adapted to the design of the plug contacts and the plug body as well as the arrangement of the locking elements that secure the plug contacts in the plug body receptacles.

[0012] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the unlocking unit comprises an engagement element which, in the unlocked position, can be brought into engagement with a locking element of a plug contact arranged in the plug body receptacle. The engagement element, which, depending on the design of the locking elements on the plug contacts, can be, for example, pin-shaped (point-like contact) or blade-like (line-like contact), serves to move the locking element on the plug contact from its locked position, which holds the plug contact in the plug contact receptacle, to a release position, which then makes it possible to pull the corresponding plug contact out of the plug contact receptacle.

[0013] Particularly preferably, the unlocking unit has two engagement elements spaced apart from each other in the insertion direction of the plug contact into the plug contact receptacle of the connector body. The use of two engagement elements makes it possible to unlock plug contacts in a single operation even on connector bodies where the plug contacts also lock in an intermediate position with their detent elements. The second engagement element thus prevents the detent element of the plug contact from locking when it is pulled out of the plug contact receptacle in the intermediate position. The second engagement element therefore prevents locking in the intermediate position and enables convenient and trouble-free removal of the plug contact from the plug contact receptacle.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the actuating element, by means of which the unlocking unit is adjustable between the disengaged position and the unlocked position, is biased towards the initial position, in particular spring-biased. Due to the coupling of the actuating element with the unlocking unit, this embodiment of the invention ensures that, in the unactuated state of the unlocking tool, it is reliably positioned in the initial position in which the unlocking unit is in its disengaged position. In the unactuated state of the unlocking tool, a connector body can thus be inserted into or removed from the connector body receptacle without interference from elements of the unlocking unit.

[0015] The arrangement of the connector body in the connector body receptacle and its adjustability relative to the locking unit are generally freely selectable. However, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connector body receptacle has at least one guide rib for the adjustable arrangement of the connector body. According to this embodiment, a guide rib enables adjustable, positionally secure displacement and fixation of the connector body in the connector body receptacle relative to the locking and unlocking unit. Particularly advantageously, the guide rib extends along the connector body receptacle in such a way that a connector body formed with a corresponding groove adapted to the guide rib is repositioned relative to the locking unit in the connector body receptacle during longitudinal displacement along the guide rib between the individual machining positions.According to this embodiment of the invention, the connector body receptacle can have a U-shaped cross-section and be open on both sides, which allows for convenient insertion and removal of the connector bodies along the guide ribs.

[0016] Particularly when the connector body is advantageously pre-tensioned to lock it in the individual machining positions, the connection between the connector body and the release tool housing via the guide rib and the adapted groove forms a counter bearing, which allows for a particularly reliable arrangement of the connector body in a machining position. This design also offers the possibility of one-handed operation of the release tool with a connector body positioned in the connector body receptacle. Furthermore, the use of guide ribs enables particularly precise positioning of the connector body relative to the release unit, especially the engagement elements preferably provided on the release unit, so that reliable unlocking can be carried out.This reliably prevents the plug body from shifting perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the webs, ensuring that the plug contacts are aligned exactly opposite the release unit perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the webs.

[0017] The design of the locking unit for securing the connector bodies in a selected machining position is generally freely selectable. However, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the locking unit has a locking element with at least one locking projection adapted to the dimensions of the plug contact receptacles. According to this embodiment of the invention, the locking element serves to secure the connector bodies in the individual machining positions. In a machining position, the locking element engages with a locking projection in a plug contact receptacle and thus positions the selected plug contact relative to the release unit. Designing the locking projection according to the dimensions of the plug contact receptacle enables a virtually backlash-free arrangement of the connector body in the machining position and thus additionally increases the reliability of the release mechanism.In the advantageously intended use of the guide ribs, the locking element serves to fix the plug bodies in the longitudinal axis direction of the guide ribs.

[0018] The locking element can be designed such that the locking projection engages in the plug receptacle whose plug contact is to be removed. It is also possible to provide multiple locking projections on the locking element or to position the locking projection on a plug receptacle whose plug contact is not to be unlocked.

[0019] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the locking element is pre-tensioned, in particular spring-tensioned, in the direction of the engagement position with a connector body receptacle. This embodiment of the invention ensures reliable positioning of the connector body in the selected machining position. Particularly in an advantageous embodiment where the guide webs extend perpendicular to the adjustment direction of the locking element, this embodiment ensures particularly reliable fixation of the connector body in the machining position, whereby the connector body is "clamped" by the spring-tensioned locking element between the locking element and the guide web due to the spring preload.When using an advantageously provided guide rib, the plug body can be guided along the guide rib past the locking element, whereby the locking projection, due to its spring preload, engages successively in individual plug contact receptacles to lock into a processing position.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the locking element is arranged interchangeably on the release tool housing. In this embodiment, the locking element is detachably arranged in a corresponding receptacle, allowing for easy replacement if necessary. This enables the use of a single release tool to process connectors with different numbers of poles. Replacing the locking element with appropriately adapted locking protrusions allows for the selection of the connector bodies to be processed, ensuring reliable positioning in the varying processing positions required for different connectors.

[0021] According to a further embodiment of the invention, a pointer element is arranged on the release tool housing, which serves to identify the plug contact of the connector body in the working position. In this embodiment of the invention, the pointer element indicates the plug contact receptacle whose plug contact can be unlocked by means of the release tool in the selected working position. This further enhances the ease of use of the release tool, as an operator can select and identify, with particular ease, which plug contact can be unlocked using the release tool.

[0022] An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a release tool in a starting position of an actuating element; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the unlocking tool of Fig. 1 in an end position of the actuating element; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the unlocking tool of Fig. 1 with a plug body that is out of engagement; Fig. 4 a perspective view of the unlocking tool of Fig. 1 with the plug body arranged in a plug body receptacle; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the unlocking tool of Fig. 1 without release tool housing in the starting position of the actuating element; Fig. 6 a perspective view of the unlocking tool of Fig. 1 without release tool housing in the end position of the actuating element and Fig. 7 an exploded view of another embodiment of a release tool.

[0023] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a release tool 1a with a release tool housing 3 and an actuating element 5 adjustable thereto, which is positioned between the Fig. 1, Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 shown starting position and the one in Fig. 2 and Fig. The end position shown in section 6 is adjustable.

[0024] The in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. The release tool housing 1a shown in Figure 6 is used to release plug contacts on a 12-pin connector body 2, which can be positioned in a connector body receptacle 4 for this purpose. The connector body receptacle 4 has an upper and a lower guide rib 11, 12, which project from opposite side surfaces of the U-shaped, open-ended connector body receptacle 4 towards the connector body receptacle 4. The upper and lower guide ribs 11, 12 serve to slidably hold the connector body 2 in the connector body receptacle 4, with the upper guide ribs 11 engaging in a groove 24 and the lower guide rib 12 engaging in a groove 25 on the connector body 2.The connector body 2 is slidably mounted along the guide webs 11, 12 within the connector body receptacle 4 by means of the connection of the guide webs 11, 12 with the grooves 24, 25 and is fixed in its distance transverse to the longitudinal axis of the guide webs 11, 12 from an end face connecting the side faces.

[0025] The end face of the connector body receptacle 4 has a recess 14 within which a locking element 8a is arranged. This locking element projects into the connector body receptacle 4 of a connector body 2 arranged in a machining position with a locking projection 10a. The locking element 8a is biased towards the connector body receptacle 4 by means of helical compression springs 27 supported in the release tool housing 3. The adjustability of the locking element 8a of the locking unit 7 is limited by the formation of a groove 29, via which the locking element 8a is adjustably mounted on a bolt 26 on the release tool housing 3.The locking projection 10a is adapted to the size of the plug contact receptacles 23 of the plug body 2 and thus, in the embodiment shown here, allows the plug body 2 – viewed in the longitudinal axis direction of the guide web – to be detachably locked in the plug body receptacle 4 in six different machining positions. Upon flipping the plug body 2, i.e., after inserting the plug body 2 and rotating it by 180°, the second row of the twelve plug contact receptacles can be machined.

[0026] In the definable processing positions, the plug body 2 is arranged on a carrier 19 in such a way that, when the actuating element 5 is moved from the starting position to the end position, the actuating elements 9a, 9b of the carrier 19 connected to the actuating element 5 engage in engagement openings 22a, 22b on the plug body 2 and move the locking elements of the plug contact to be removed into a release position, so that the plug contact can be removed from the plug contact receptacle 23.

[0027] The adjustment movement of the engagement elements 9a, 9b is limited by the groove 28 on the carrier 19, which serves to receive a bolt 15 mounted in the release tool housing 3. The bolt 15 is fixed in a bore 17 in the release tool housing 3, with the actuating element 5 being fixed to the carrier 19 by a bolt 16, the bolt 16 extending through a bore 18 in the actuating element 5. A bolt 21, mounted at one end on the actuating element 5 and at the other end on the release tool housing 3, also serves to guide the adjustment movement of the actuating element 5 between the initial position and the end position. The actuating element 5 is biased towards the initial position by helical compression springs 20, which are supported at one end on the actuating element 5 and at the other end on the release tool housing 3.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment of the 12-pin connector, the locking element 8a engages with the connector body 2 in six different machining positions. To identify the plug contact receptacle 23 aligned with the release unit 6 for unlocking, a pointer element 13a is arranged on an end face of the release tool housing 3, which indicates to the operator which plug contact receptacle 23 is aligned for unlocking.

[0029] In Fig. Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of a release tool 1b, which serves to release plug contacts on 2-pole plug bodies 2, which is why the locking element 8b differs from the locking element 8a of the one shown in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig.The release tool 1a shown in Figure 6 has a wider detent projection 10b. Otherwise, the design corresponds to the release tool 1a shown above. Reference symbol list 1a, 1b Release tool 2 connector bodies 3 release tool housings 4 Plug body receptacle 5 Actuating element 6 unlocking unit 7 detent unit 8a, 8b Latching element 9a, 9b Intervention element 10a, 10b Rastvorsprung 11 upper guide rail 12 lower guide bridge 13a, 13b Pointer element 14 recess 15 bolts 16 bolts 17 bore 18 bore 19 carriers 20 helical compression springs 21 bolts 22a, 22b Incision opening 23 Plug contact receptacle 24 Nut 25 Nut 26 bolts 27 helical compression spring 28 Nut 29 Nut

Claims

[1] Unlocking tool for unlocking plug contacts on plug bodies (2), with - a release tool housing (3) with a connector body receptacle (4) for releasably arranging the connector body (2) in at least one machining position, - an actuating element (5) which is adjustable between a starting position and an end position on the release tool housing (3), - a release unit (6) which is connected to the actuating element (5) in such a way that an adjustment of the actuating element (5) from the initial position to the end position causes an adjustment of the release unit (6) from the out-of-engage position to an unlocked position and - a locking unit (7) for fixing the plug body (2) in at least one processing position. [2] Unlocking tool according to claim 1, characterized by, that the unlocking unit (6) has an engagement element (9a, 9b) which can be brought into engagement with a locking element (8a, 8b) of a plug contact arranged in the plug body receptacle (4) in the unlocked position. [3] Unlocking tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the unlocking unit (6) has two engagement elements (9a, 9b) spaced apart from each other in the insertion direction of the plug contact into a plug contact receptacle (4) of the plug body (2). [4] Unlocking tool according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the actuating element (5) is biased in the direction of the starting position, in particular spring-biased. [5] Unlocking tool according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the connector body receptacle (4) has at least one guide rib (11, 12) for adjustable arrangement of the connector body (2). [6] Unlocking tool according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the locking unit (7) has a locking element (8a, 8b) with at least one locking projection (10a, 10b) adapted to the dimensions of the plug contact receptacles (23). [7] Unlocking tool according to claim 6, characterized by , that the locking projection (10a, 10b) is arranged in the plug body receptacle (4) such that in the locking position it secures the plug contact receptacle (23) in a machining position relative to the unlocking unit (6). [8] Unlocking tool according to claim 6, characterized by , that the locking element (8a, 8b) is pre-tensioned in the direction of the engagement position with a plug-in body receptacle (23), in particular spring-pre-tensioned. [9] Unlocking tool according to claim 6 or 8, characterized by , that the locking element (8a, 8b) is interchangeably arranged on the release tool housing (3). [10] Unlocking tool according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by a pointer element (13a, 13b) arranged on the release tool housing (3) for marking the plug contact of the plug body (2) in the machining position.

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