CONNECTORS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a connector for providing an electrical connection to a component in a motor vehicle, such as a door handle, an engine control unit, or an airbag control unit, according to the preamble of the independent device claim. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a connector according to the preamble of the independent method claim.

[0002] Connectors with a space-optimized design often employ combined connectors, for example, using manifold gaskets in the form of mat gaskets, to save space for individual wire insulation of different contacts, as can be seen, for example, in EP 3 410 542 A1 or US 2015 / 0099384 A1. Such manifold gaskets are suitable for inserting relatively thin contacts into the female (socket) side of the connectors. On the male (plug) side of the connectors, longer and sharper contacts are used than on the socket side. During contact assembly, the contact elements are pushed through the mat gasket. This carries the risk that the contacts may damage the relatively soft mat gasket during assembly, for example, by puncturing it.For this reason, mat seals have so far only been used in conjunction with connectors on the socket (female) side. On the plug side, the contacts are usually simply encapsulated within a connector housing using a potting compound. However, this encapsulation can only be carried out after the final assembly of all contact elements in the connector housing. This restricts the assembly options for different types or numbers of contacts and precludes subsequent modification and / or maintenance of such connectors. Furthermore, the punched edges of the contacts must be carefully machined to be burr-free for insertion through the manifold seals, in order to prevent damage to the seal during contact assembly, which involves considerable manufacturing effort.

[0003] Examples of plug contacts are known from EP 3 410 542 A1 or US 2015 / 0099384 A1.

[0004] The object of the invention is therefore to overcome at least one disadvantage of a connector known from the prior art, at least partially. In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a connector for providing an electrical connection to a component in a motor vehicle, such as a door handle, an engine control unit, or an airbag control unit, which is simple, inexpensive, and quick to manufacture, which allows for automated assembly, which is reliably sealed, which has an extended service life, and which can be flexibly assembled and / or modified and is easy to maintain.

[0005] The problem according to the invention is solved by a connector for providing an electrical connection with the features of the independent device claim, in particular from the characterizing part, and by a method for manufacturing a corresponding connector with the features of the independent method claim, in particular from the characterizing part. Preferred embodiments of the invention are listed in the dependent claims. Features disclosed with respect to the individual aspects of the invention can be combined in such a way that the disclosures relating to the aspects of the invention always refer to each other.

[0006] The invention provides a connector for providing an electrical connection, particularly to a component in a motor vehicle, such as a door handle, an engine control unit, or an airbag control unit, comprising: a manifold seal, particularly in the form of a mat seal, with at least one through-opening and at least one electrically conductive plug contact, which can be inserted through the at least one through-opening of the manifold seal. According to the invention, the plug contact is provided with an assembly aid to assist and preferably guide the plug contact when it is inserted through the through-opening of the manifold seal.

[0007] The connector according to the invention is particularly suitable as a device connector, preferably on the plug side (male) or on the device side of two complementary connectors, which may have relatively long and pointed contacts that could damage the sealing ring. However, it is also conceivable that the invention could be advantageous for connectors on the socket side (female) as well, in order to increase the quality and safety of the sockets and to simplify their manufacture. In a connector according to the invention, the contact can be configured with a connecting lead on both the socket and plug sides.

[0008] The inventive concept lies in the provision of an assembly aid at the connector contact during its manufacture. This aid influences, and in particular reduces, the friction between the tip of the connector and the seal when the connector is inserted through the opening in the seal, preventing the connector tip from penetrating the seal and instead deflecting it. The assembly aid causes the connector contact to slide along the surface of the seal until the tip engages the opening and can then be gently guided through it. This can be achieved through a specific shape and / or material composition of the assembly aid.The shape of the mounting aid can also influence the angle of incidence of the connector tip on the surface of the manifold seal, which can cause the connector tip to slide off the surface of the seal instead of penetrating it. The angle of incidence can preferably be measured relative to a normal on the surface of the manifold seal. The material composition of the mounting aid can dampen the contact of the connector tip with the surface of the manifold seal and further increase the angle of incidence of the connector tip on the surface of the manifold seal. Thus, the coefficient of friction between the connector tip and the manifold seal can be advantageously reduced with the help of the mounting aid. The mounting aid can be applied to the connector tip of the plug contact as a retrofit component. It is intended that the mounting aid can be applied as a coating.This enables a connector that is simple, cost-effective and quick to manufacture, allows for automatic assembly of the connector, is reliably sealed, has an extended service life and can be flexibly assembled and / or modified and easily maintained.

[0009] Furthermore, the invention provides that, in the case of a connector, the assembly aid is designed in the form of a section of the plug tip of the plug contact, in order to position the plug contact at the through-opening of the manifold seal before it is inserted through the opening. Advantageously, the section can be made softer than the rest of the plug contact. It is conceivable that the section forms an extension of the plug tip and / or constitutes an outer material layer at the plug tip. This ensures that, when the plug contact is placed on the surface of the manifold seal, the section of the plug tip first comes into contact with the manifold seal. If the through-opening is not reached, the section of the plug tip is elastically deformed without piercing the manifold seal.The elastic contact of the connector tip with the surface of the mat seal facilitates the slippage of the connector tip, allowing it to slide along the surface until it is positioned at the through-hole. In other words, the connector tip serves not only as an elastic damping element and a sliding element, but also as a positioning aid.

[0010] Furthermore, the invention can provide that, in the case of a connector, the assembly aid has a sliding surface which, due to its geometric design or shape and / or material composition, ensures that the plug contact impacts the surface of the manifold seal at a larger angle of incidence with respect to a normal to the surface of the manifold seal than the typical friction angle on the surface of the manifold seal. This ensures that the manifold seal is not damaged during assembly and that the connector is reliably sealed.

[0011] Furthermore, the invention provides that the assembly aid of a connector is made of a plastic or silicone. Since the mat seal is usually made of relatively soft silicone, a favorable material pairing with the silicone can be achieved using plastic or silicone, resulting in a low coefficient of sliding friction. Such methods are simple and cost-effective and advantageously allow for an assembly aid with a relatively smooth sliding surface. This also offers the advantage that the punched end of the plug contact does not necessarily need to be burr-free. Thus, the manufacturing effort for producing a plug contact can be reduced.

[0012] Furthermore, within the scope of the invention, it is conceivable that the assembly aid could have electrically conductive inserts. Conductive fibers within the material of the assembly aid could serve as inserts. This would allow the plug contact with the assembly aid to remain at the plug tip in the finished connector even after the manifold seal has been pierced. This would eliminate the need for an assembly step to remove the assembly aid.

[0013] The assembly aid according to the invention is designed in the form of a material layer on the plug tip of the connector. Furthermore, it is provided that the assembly aid is applied as a coating, e.g., by spraying or painting. This provides a particularly smooth sliding surface on the plug tip.

[0014] Furthermore, the invention can provide that the plug contact has an adhesive geometry at the plug tip to hold the mounting aid securely in place, at least when the plug contact is inserted through the through-opening of the manifold seal. The adhesive geometry can ensure that the mounting aid does not slip off the plug tip when the plug contact is inserted through the through-opening. The adhesive geometry can serve for a positive and / or non-positive connection of the mounting aid to the plug tip. It is conceivable that the adhesive geometry could have a droplet shape or a polygonal shape to which the mounting aid can be attached like a coating. After the plug contact has been inserted through the through-opening of the manifold seal, the mounting aid can then be removed from the plug tip.Instead of or in addition to the adhesion-promoting geometry, an adhesion-promoting surface structure, e.g., in the form of a roughened surface, can be provided at the plug tip of the connector to ensure better adhesion of the mounting aid to the plug tip. Furthermore, it is conceivable that a material-bonded connection between the mounting aid and the plug tip can be provided to securely attach the mounting aid to the plug tip. A material-bonded connection between the mounting aid and the plug tip can be particularly advantageous if the mounting aid is electrically conductive and does not need to be retrieved.

[0015] Furthermore, the problem according to the invention is solved by a method for manufacturing a connector comprising: a manifold seal with at least one through-opening and at least one electrically conductive plug contact, which is passed through the at least one through-opening of the manifold seal. For this purpose, it is provided according to the invention that an assembly aid is used when passing the plug contact through the through-opening of the manifold seal in order to guide the plug contact precisely through the through-opening of the manifold seal. The same advantages are achieved by means of the method according to the invention that were described above in connection with the connector according to the invention. To avoid repetition, reference is made to these descriptions in full hereafter.

[0016] Furthermore, the procedure may include at least one additional step: a) Remove the mounting aid after passing the plug contact through the through-opening of the collective seal.

[0017] This offers the advantage that the assembly aid can be made from any non-conductive, elastic material, which advantageously reduces the sliding friction between the plug contact and the manifold seal during the assembly of the manifold seal.

[0018] Further measures improving the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the figures and the preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0019] The features mentioned in the claims and the description can each be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. It should be noted that the figures are purely descriptive and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a plug contact as it passes through a manifold seal, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a plug contact passing through a manifold seal at an incorrect angle, Fig. 3 a first embodiment of a non-inventive assembly aid for a plug contact when assembling a collective seal of a connector, Fig. 4 a second embodiment of a non-inventive assembly aid for a plug contact when assembling a collective seal of a connector, Fig. 5 a third embodiment of an assembly aid according to the invention for a plug contact when assembling a collective seal of a connector, and Fig. 6 an advantageous further development of a plug contact outside the scope of the invention.

[0020] In the following figures, identical reference numerals are used for the same technical features, even in different embodiments.

[0021] The Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a connector 100 being fitted with an electrically conductive plug contact 30 into a manifold seal 10 in the form of a mat seal 10. The mat seal 10 has several through-holes 11, each for a plug contact 30, which can be optionally fitted or left empty. The mat seal 10 is held by a retaining element 20 with corresponding openings 21. Together, the mat seal 10 and the retaining element 20 are housed in a connector housing 50, which is shown in the view of the Figure 3 is shown.

[0022] The manifold seals 10 are conventionally fitted with relatively thin plug contacts 30 in the connectors 100 on the socket side (female). For the connectors 100 on the plug side (male), longer and more pointed plug contacts 30 are used than on the socket side. When such thicker contact elements 30 are inserted through the mat seal 10, it is possible that the plug contacts 30 could damage the relatively soft mat seal 10, for example, by puncturing it. This situation is in the Figure 2 indicated.

[0023] The invention provides a connector 100 which is used in the Figures 3 to 6 shown, and which makes it possible to gently equip the collective seal 10 even with a connector 100 on the plug side with relatively thick plug contacts 30, without damaging the collective seal 10.

[0024] The connector 100 according to the invention is received in a connector housing 50, which is located at the bottom of the Figure 3 As shown, a mat seal 10 is inserted into the connector housing 50 to protect or seal the interior of the connector housing 50 from external influences. The mat seal 10 is held in place by a retaining element 20. The mat seal 10 has at least one, preferably several, through-opening(s) 11 in which (each) an electrically conductive plug contact 30 can be received to provide an electrical contact to the outside (e.g., to a plug socket).

[0025] The invention is characterized in that the plug contact 30 is provided with a mounting aid 40 to assist the plug contact 30 when passing through the through-opening 11 of the collective seal 10.

[0026] The connector 100 according to the invention serves to provide an electrical connection, in particular to a component in a motor vehicle, such as a door handle, an engine control unit, or an airbag control unit. However, it is also conceivable that the connector 100 according to the invention could be designed in the form of a plug socket. In the case of a plug contact 30 according to the invention, the plug contact 30 can be designed with a connecting lead 33 on both the socket and plug sides, which extends into the Figures 1 to 3 is indicated.

[0027] The assembly aid 40 according to the invention Figures 3 to 6The purpose of the mounting aid 40 is to reduce friction between the plug tip 31 of the contact plug 20 and the mounting seal 10 when the plug contact 30 passes through the through-opening 11 in the mounting seal 10. This prevents the plug tip 31 from penetrating the mounting seal 10 because it is deflected by the mounting aid 40. The mounting aid 40 causes the plug contact 30 to slide down the surface of the mat seal 10 until the plug tip 31 engages the through-opening 11 in the mat seal 10 and can then be gently inserted through this opening 11. This even enables automated assembly of the mounting seal 10.

[0028] The inventive concept can be realized by a particular shape of the assembly aid 40 and / or by a specific material composition of the assembly aid 40. The shape of the assembly aid 40 can advantageously influence the angle of incidence α of the plug tip 31 onto the surface of the manifold seal 10. The angle of incidence α can be, as shown in the Figure 4 The measurement is shown between the sliding surface 44 of the assembly aid and a normal to the surface of the collective seal 10.

[0029] A suitable material composition of the assembly aid 40 can cause a damped or elastically compliant contact of the plug tip 31 with the surface of the collective seal 10 and furthermore increase the angle of incidence α of the plug tip 31 with the surface of the collective seal 10 or reduce the bearing angle α' of the sliding surface 44 of the assembly aid 40 with the surface of the collective seal 10.

[0030] In this way, the assembly aid 40 according to the invention can advantageously reduce the coefficient of friction between the plug tip 31 and the collective seal 10.

[0031] The Figure 3 Figure 1 shows a possible embodiment outside the invention, according to which the assembly aid 40 can be designed as a removable cap 41 for the plug tip 31, which can be removed after the plug contact 30 has been passed through the through-opening 11 of the collective seal 10.

[0032] Within the scope of the invention, it is conceivable that the assembly aid 40 could be made of a plastic, e.g. silicone.

[0033] According to an embodiment outside the invention, it is conceivable that the mounting aid 40 can be applied to the plug tip 31 as a sheathing 42 (see Figures 4 and 6 ), e.g. by means of an injection molding process or a coating process.

[0034] However, it is also conceivable that the mounting aid 40 can be applied as a material layer 43, e.g. a lacquer layer, to the plug tip 31 of the plug contact 30.

[0035] All embodiments of the assembly aid 40 according to the Figures 3 to 6 What is common is that the assembly aid 20 can be formed in the form of a section 41, 42, 43 of the plug tip 31 of the plug contact 30.

[0036] The design of the assembly aid 40 is not limited to the examples shown. Rather, it is conceivable that the assembly aid 40 could have different rounded geometries that provide a substantially smooth sliding surface 44. In principle, any plastic material is conceivable for the assembly aid 40, provided that its material compatibility with the material of the mat seal 10 allows for a low coefficient of friction.

[0037] The mounting aid 20, in the form of a section 41, 42, 43 of the plug tip 31, enables the mounting aid 20 to make contact with the mat seal 10 first when the plug contact 31 is placed on the surface of the mat seal 10. If the through-hole 11 is not reached, the section 41, 42, 43 of the plug tip 31 allows the plug tip 31 to slide off without piercing the mat seal 10. Furthermore, the elastically compliant contact of the mounting aid 40 with the surface of the mat seal 10 facilitates the plug tip 31 sliding along the surface of the mat seal 10 until it is correctly positioned at the through-hole 11.

[0038] Furthermore, the invention can provide that the assembly aid 40 can have electrically conductive inserts 45, e.g. in the form of fibers, as is the case with the Figure 4schematically indicated. Conductive fibers are conceivable as inserts 45, which can be distributed in the material of the assembly aid 40. This makes it possible for the assembly aid 40 to remain at the connector tip 31 in the finished connector 100.

[0039] How will the Figure 6 As shown, the plug tip 31 of the plug contact 30 can have an adhesive geometry 32 to enable a secure hold of the mounting aid 40 on the plug tip 31, at least when the plug contact 30 is inserted through the through-opening 11 of the manifold seal 10. The adhesive geometry 32 can enable a positive and / or force-fit connection between the plug tip 31 and the mounting aid 40. It is conceivable that the adhesive geometry 32 has a droplet shape (as shown above in the Figure 6 ) or a polygonal shape (below in the Figure 6The mounting aid 40 can be attached to the plug tip 31 like a cover. After the plug contact 30 has been inserted through the through-opening 11 of the manifold seal 10, the (elastically shaped) mounting aid 40 can be easily pulled off the plug tip 31. Instead of or in addition to the adhesion-promoting geometry 32, an adhesion-promoting surface structure, e.g., in the form of a roughening, can be provided on the plug tip 31 of the plug contact 30 to ensure better adhesion of the mounting aid 40 to the plug tip 31. Furthermore, it is conceivable that a material-bonded connection between the mounting aid 40 and the plug tip 31 can be provided, e.g., by heating the plug tip 31 before applying the mounting aid 40. If the mounting aid 40 has electrically conductive inserts 45, then it does not need to be removed.In this case, a material-bonded connection between the mounting aid 40 and the plug tip 31 may be advantageous.

[0040] The preceding description of the figures describes the present invention solely by way of examples. Naturally, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, provided it is technically feasible, without departing from the scope of the invention. Reference symbol list

[0041] 100 connectors 10 Collective seal, mat seal 11 Through opening(s) 20 Retaining element 21 Opening(s) 30 Plug contact 31 Plug tip 32 Contact geometry 33 Connection cable 40 Mounting aid 41, 42, 43 Section, 41 Cap 42 Sheathing 43 Material layer 44 Sliding surface 45 Electrically conductive inserts αAngle of incidence α'Angle of contact

Claims

1. Plug-in connector (100) for providing an electrical connection, comprising: a collective seal (10) having at least one through-opening (11) and at least one electrically conductive plug-in contact (30) which can be guided through the at least one through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10), wherein the plug-in contact (30) is designed with an assembly aid (40) in order to support the plug-in contact (30) as it is guided through the through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10), wherein the assembly aid (40) is designed in the form of a portion (43) of a plug-in tip (31) of the plug-in contact (30) in order to position the plug-in contact (30) at the through-opening (11) before it is guided through the through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10), characterized in that the assembly aid (40) is designed in the form of a material layer (43) on a plug-in tip (31) of the plug-in contact (30), wherein the assembly aid (40) is applied as a coating layer.

2. Plug-in connector (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the assembly aid (40) has a sliding surface (44) which, due to its geometric design and / or material composition, ensures that the plug-in contact (30) abuts the surface of the collective seal (10) at a greater angle of incidence (α), relative to a normal to the surface of the collective seal (10), than the typical friction angle on the surface of the collective seal (10).

3. Plug-in connector (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assembly aid (40) is made of a plastics material or a silicone, and / or in that the assembly aid (40) has electrically conductive inserts (45).

4. Plug-in connector (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plug-in contact (30) has an adhesion-promoting geometry (32) on a plug-in tip (31) in order to hold the assembly aid (40) securely on the plug-in contact (30), at least as the plug-in contact (30) is guided through the through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10).

5. Method for producing a plug-in connector (100), comprising: a collective seal (10) having at least one through-opening (11) and at least one electrically conductive plug-in contact (30) which is guided through the at least one through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10), wherein as the plug-in contact (30) is guided through the through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10), an assembly aid (40) is used in order to guide the plug-in contact (30) through the through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10) in a targeted manner, wherein the assembly aid (40) is designed in the form of a portion (43) of a plug-in tip (31) of the plug-in contact (30) in order to position the plug-in contact (30) at the through-opening (11) before it is guided through the through-opening (11) of the collective seal (10), characterized in that the assembly aid (40) is designed in the form of a material layer (43) on a plug-in tip (31) of the plug-in contact (30), wherein the assembly aid (40) is applied as a coating layer to a plug-in tip (31) of the plug-in contact (30).