ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ARRANGEMENT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical connection arrangement which has at least two adjacent connection housings and at least one strip-shaped connecting profile for permanently connecting the adjacent connection housings, wherein the connecting profile spans the adjacent connection housings and the connecting profile is permanently fastened to the adjacent connection housings by means of a laser welding process.

[0002] It is known to form an electrical connection arrangement from several adjacently arranged connection housings. Different types of connection elements can be arranged within the connection housings, by means of which conductors or cables can be electrically connected. The connection elements can be designed, for example, as spring-cage connections, screw connections, or plug-in connections. The connection housings can be designed, for example, in the form of a plug housing or a printed circuit board connection housing.

[0003] The terminal housings can be disc-shaped so that they can be arranged in series. To connect the terminal housings to one another, it is known that pins are formed on the outer surface of the terminal housings, which engage in openings formed in the adjacent terminal housings. The terminal housings can thus be releasably connected to one another by plugging them together. However, this type of connection of the terminal housings has only low mechanical stability and strength, so that the terminal housings can easily become accidentally detached from one another.

[0004] From WO 2017 / 019605 A1, a connection arrangement is known in which several connection housings can be arranged next to one another in a frame, wherein the connection housings can be attached to the frame by means of a laser welding process.

[0005] US 2009 / 035997 A1 discloses a connection arrangement in which a plurality of adjacent connection housings are positioned in a housing and enclosed by the housing.

[0006] US 2016 / 020546 A1 discloses an electrical connection arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an electrical connection arrangement in which the mechanical strength of the connection between adjacently arranged connection housings is improved.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention with the features of the independent claim. Expedient embodiments and advantageous further developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0009] The electrical connection arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that the connecting profile is made of a laser-transparent material.

[0010] According to the invention, it is now provided to use a connecting profile designed as an additional component which firmly connects the adjacently arranged connection housings to one another so that they can no longer be separated from one another. The connecting profile thus enables a very high level of mechanical strength to be achieved between the connection housings. The connecting profile is strip-shaped so that it can extend flatly along the adjacently arranged connection housings. The connecting profile spans the connection housings in such a way that the connecting profile extends along an outer surface of the connection housings. The connecting profile thus rests on the outside of the connection housings. Due to its strip-shaped design, the connecting profile requires very little installation space. The connecting profile is permanently attached to the connection housings.Thanks to the permanent fastening, the connecting profile can achieve a particularly high flexural rigidity for the connection arrangement, so that the connection arrangement can be prevented from breaking apart, especially under deflection stress. The permanent connection is achieved by attaching the connecting profile to the adjacent connection housings using a laser welding process. The connecting profile is thus attached to the connection housings via a welded connection. Compared to an adhesive connection, the welded connection can also absorb high shear forces, so that a particularly secure connection of the connection housings can be achieved using the welded connecting profile. The laser welding process enables fast welding in a small installation space with the lowest possible distortion.The connecting profile is preferably welded to the connection housings using a laser transmission welding process.

[0011] Preferably, the connection arrangement comprises two or more such connecting profiles. If two such connecting profiles are provided, these connecting profiles are preferably arranged opposite one another on the adjacently arranged connection housings. By permanently connecting two such connecting profiles to the adjacently arranged connection housings, the mechanical strength of the connection arrangement can be further improved and, in particular, the flexural rigidity of the connection arrangement can be significantly increased.

[0012] The connecting profile is preferably arranged on a transverse side of the connection housing. The connection housings are preferably disc-shaped and abut one another with their longitudinal sides. The connecting profile can then span the connection housings along one of their transverse sides. If two connecting profiles are provided, the two connecting profiles preferably each extend along opposite transverse sides of the connection housing.

[0013] In order to achieve precise, particularly needs-based positioning of the connecting profile on the junction boxes, the junction boxes preferably have a defined welding surface for receiving the connecting profile. The welding surface is preferably formed on an outer surface, in particular on an outer surface of a transverse side of the junction boxes. The defined welding surface significantly simplifies the installation of the connecting profile on the junction boxes and prevents incorrect installation. In addition, the defined and thus predetermined welding surface enables particularly secure and stable attachment of the connecting profile to the junction boxes. If two or more connecting profiles are to be attached to the junction boxes, the number of defined welding surfaces per junction box increases accordingly.

[0014] The welding surface is preferably characterized by particularly good melting behavior.

[0015] Preferably, the welding surface is formed, at least in part, from a laser-absorbing material. By forming the welding surface at least in part from a laser-absorbing material, the welding surface can selectively absorb the energy of the laser beam during the welding process to achieve good melting behavior in the area of ​​the welding surface. For example, soot particles can be added to the welding surface to achieve high laser absorption behavior of the welding surface.

[0016] In order to be able to achieve defined welding areas within the welding surface, the welding surface according to the invention has at least one melting rib and melting depressions adjacent to the melting rib. The melting rib can specifically provide material for melting during the laser welding process. The melting ribs are preferably designed in the form of elevations that protrude beyond the melting depressions. The molten material of the melting rib can flow into the adjacent melting depressions in a controlled manner during the welding process, so that the molten material can be distributed evenly in the area of ​​the welding surface and, at the same time, escape of the molten material from the welding surface can be prevented. Preferably, two or more melting ribs are provided in the area of ​​a welding surface. Melting depressions and melting ribs are then preferably arranged alternately.

[0017] To prevent the molten material from escaping from the welding surface when attaching the connecting profile to the connection housing, the welding surface is preferably delimited by a non-weldable edge area. The edge area can form a kind of border around the welding surface, which partially or completely encloses the welding surface. The edge area can also form a kind of stop surface for the connecting profile attached to the connection housing, so that the connecting profile can rest firmly on this edge area when attached.

[0018] Furthermore, it can preferably be provided that the welding surface is formed in a recess formed on an outer surface of the connection housing. The recess allows a defined placement of the connecting profile on the connection housing. The placement of the connecting profile can be such that the connecting profile arranged in the recess is flush with the outer surface of the connection housing, so that no overhang is formed by the connecting profile. In the case of two or more connecting profiles, such a recess can be formed on an outer surface of the connection housing for each connecting profile.

[0019] According to the invention, the connecting profile is made of a laser-transparent material. The energy of the laser beam can then pass through the material of the connecting profile and be directed directly onto the welding surface. By making the connecting profile of a laser-transparent material, melting of the connecting profile during assembly of the connecting profile to the terminal housings is prevented, allowing the connecting profile to remain essentially dimensionally stable.

[0020] To improve the handling of the connection assembly, the connecting profile can have a gripping area so that the connection assembly can be grasped via the gripping area of ​​the connecting profile. The gripping area can be formed by bending one or both edge areas of the strip-shaped connecting profile. The connecting profile can then have a U-shaped or L-shaped cross-section. However, the gripping area can also be formed by a different profiling of the connecting profile.

[0021] In order to achieve pre-adjustment of the adjacent connection housings during assembly before fastening using the connecting profile, the adjacent connection housings can have guide domes and corresponding guide openings so that the adjacent connection housings can be connected to one another using guide domes and guide openings. The guide domes and guide openings are preferably formed on the long sides of the connection housings, via which the adjacent connection housings lie flat against one another in the assembled state. The guide domes engaging in the guide openings can also prevent torsion and displacement of the connection housings relative to one another.

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings using preferred embodiments.

[0023] It shows Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an electrical connection arrangement according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a further electrical connection arrangement according to the invention, Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a connection housing of a Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shown connection arrangement, and Fig. 4A - 4C a schematic representation of connection profiles with different cross-sectional shapes.

[0024] Fig. 1 and 2 Each shows an electrical connection arrangement 100 with several, here five, connection housings 10 arranged side by side, so that these connection housings 10 are arranged in a row. The connection housings 10 are disc-shaped and lie flat against the adjacent connection housings 10 with their longitudinal sides 11.

[0025] The connection housings 10 can contain differently designed connection systems. Fig. 1In the embodiment shown, the terminal housings 10 have a printed circuit board connection system, so that the terminal housings 10 can be arranged in an electrically contacting manner via soldering legs 12 on a printed circuit board (not shown here). Fig. 2 In the embodiment shown, the connection housings 10 have a plug system with a plug-in attachment 13. All of these connection housings 10 have a conductor insertion opening 14 through which a conductor or a cable can be inserted into the connection housing 10 in order to be able to electrically connect the conductor or the cable in the interior of the connection housing 10, for example by means of a spring-loaded clamping system.

[0026] The connection housings 10 arranged next to one another in a row are permanently connected to one another by means of a strip-shaped connection profile 15. The connection profile 15 is made of a plastic material, in particular a thermoplastic material, such as polyamide or polypropylene. The connection profile 15 is arranged on the connection housings 10 in such a way that it spans them, in that the connection profile 15 extends along the length of the connection arrangement 100. The connection profile 15 is designed as an additional component that is permanently connected to the connection housings 10 by means of a laser weld.

[0027] At the Fig. 1 and 2In the embodiment shown, two connecting profiles 15 are provided, which are arranged on opposite transverse sides 16, 17 of the connection housing 10, so that one of the two connecting profiles 15 is attached to an upper side of the connection arrangement 100 and the other of the two connecting profiles 15 is attached to an underside of the connection arrangement 100. The two connecting profiles 15 are arranged on the connection housing 10 such that they run parallel to one another.

[0028] In order to achieve a targeted, positionally accurate fastening of the connecting profiles 15 to the connection housings 10, a defined welding surface 18 is formed on the connection housings 10 for each connecting profile 15, onto which the connecting profiles 15 are placed and welded during assembly.

[0029] The two connecting profiles 15 are permanently attached to the connection housings 10 using a laser transmission welding process. For this purpose, the connecting profiles 15 are made of a laser-transparent material, and the welding surfaces 18 are made, at least in some areas, of a laser-absorbing material. The material of the connecting profiles 15 is transparent to the laser wavelength used during the welding process. The laser can thus pass through the material of the connecting profiles 15 almost unhindered. Due to the transparency of the material of the connecting profiles 15, the connecting profiles 15 hardly heat up during the welding process. The laser-absorbing material of the welding surface 18, on the other hand, absorbs the radiation from the laser beam. The laser-absorbing material of the welding surface 18 absorbs the energy of the laser beam, causing it to begin to melt.The heat generated during melting is transferred by heat conduction to the connecting profile 15 resting on the respective welding surface 18. This causes the connecting profiles 15 to melt in the contact area of ​​the connecting profiles 15 on the respective welding surface 18, whereby the melt of the welding surface 18 forms a material bond with the melted edge area of ​​the connecting profile 15, thereby forming a weld seam.

[0030] The welding surface 18 has melting ribs 19 and melting depressions 20 formed adjacent to the melting ribs 19. The melting ribs 19 provide defined melting material, which can flow into the melting depressions 20 in a controlled manner during melting, so that a controlled, defined melting surface can be formed in the region of the welding surface for a material-to-material connection to the connecting profile 15. In particular, the melting ribs 19 are formed from a laser-absorbing material. The melting ribs 19 project beyond the melting depressions 20. The melting ribs 19 and the melting depressions 20 are arranged alternately, with two melting ribs 19 and three melting depressions 20 being provided in the embodiment shown here.

[0031] The welding surface 18 is delimited by a non-weldable edge region 21. In the embodiment shown here, the non-weldable edge region 21 is formed by two opposing edge webs. These extend transversely to the longitudinal extent of a welded connecting profile 15. The edge region 21 or the edge webs are positioned adjacent to the adjacently arranged connection housings 10. The edge region 21 or the edge webs can serve as a support surface for the connecting profiles 15.

[0032] The welding surface 18 is formed in a recess 22 or cutout on an outer surface 23 of the transverse side 16 of the connection housing 10. The recess 22 has a rectangular shape and represents a depression in the connection housing 10. The recess 22 allows a defined placement of the connecting profiles 15 on the connection housing 10 by inserting the connecting profile 15 into the recess 22. The placement of the connecting profiles 15 is carried out in such a way that the connecting profile 15 arranged in the recess 22 is flush with the outer surface 23 of the connection housing 10, as shown in particular in Fig. 1 and 2 can be seen.

[0033] For better gripping of the connection arrangement 100, the connecting profile 15 can have a gripping area 24. In the embodiments shown here, the gripping area 24 is formed by a bevel of one or both edge areas of the strip-shaped connecting profile 15.

[0034] In Fig. 2 and Fig. 4B An embodiment of a connecting profile 15 is shown in which an edge region of the strip-shaped connecting profile 15 is bent, so that a grip region 24 is formed only on one longitudinal side of the connecting profile 15. In this embodiment, the connecting profile 15 has an L-shaped cross-section.

[0035] In Fig. 4C A design of a connecting profile 15 is shown in which the two opposite edge regions of the strip-shaped connecting profile 15 are beveled, so that a gripping region 24 is formed on each of the two longitudinal sides of the connecting profile 15. In this design, the connecting profile 15 has a U-shaped cross-section.

[0036] At the Fig. 1 and Fig. 4A In the configuration of a connecting profile 15 shown, no grip area is formed.

[0037] For pre-adjustment or pre-assembly of the connection housings 10 before fastening with the connecting profile 15, guide domes 25 and guide openings 26 are formed on the long sides 15 of the connection housings 10, into which the guide domes 25 can engage. The guide domes 25 of an adjacent connection housing 10 can thus engage the guide openings 26 of a connection housing 10. List of reference symbols

[0038] Connection arrangement 100 Junction box 10 long side 11 soldering leg 12 Plug-in attachment 13 Conductor insertion opening 14 Connection profile 15 short side 16 short side 17 Welding surface 18 melt rib 19 Enamel depression 20 peripheral area 21 recess 22 exterior surface 23 Grip area 24 Leadership Dome 25 Guide opening 26

Claims

1. Electrical connection arrangement (100), having at least two connection housings (10) arranged next to each other and having at least one strip-like connecting profile (15) for non-detachably connecting the connection housings (10) arranged next to each other, wherein the connecting profile (15) spans the connection housings (10) arranged next to each other and the connecting profile (15) is non-detachably fastened to the connection housings (10) arranged next to each other by means of a laser welding process, wherein the connecting profile (15) is formed from a laser-transparent material and wherein the connection housings (10) have a defined welding area (18) for receiving the connecting profile (15), characterized in that the welding area (18) has at least one melt rib (19) and melt recesses (20) adjacent to the melt rib (19).

2. Electrical connection arrangement (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the connecting profile (15) is fastened to a transverse side (16, 17) of the connection housings (10).

3. Electrical connection arrangement (100) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the welding area (18) is formed from a laser-absorbing material at least in regions.

4. Electrical connection arrangement (100) according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the welding area (18) is delimited by a non-weldable edge region (21) .

5. Electrical connection arrangement (100) according to any of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the welding area (18) is formed in a recess (22) formed on an outer surface (23) of the connection housings (10).

6. Electrical connection arrangement (100) according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the connecting profile (15) has a grip area (24).

7. Electrical connection arrangement (100) according to any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the connection housings (10) arranged next to each other are connected to each other by means of guide domes (25) and guide openings (26).