DEVICE FOR TESTING THE CORRECT FIT OF A PLUG COUPLING

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for checking the correct assembly state of a fluid plug-in coupling, comprising a fluid plug-in coupling with a male part and a female part.

[0002] Fluid couplings of this type are used in a wide variety of applications, both in industrial and automotive engineering. Examples include the VDA coupling and SAE coupling, which are standard plug-in couplings used in automotive engineering. DE 10 2017 212 004 A1 shows an example of a VDA coupling.

[0003] These couplings consist of a male and female connector that are plugged together during assembly and, when correctly connected, lock into a predetermined position. This locking action usually occurs automatically when the coupling parts are plugged together.

[0004] Incorrect assembly can lead to failures if the coupling parts are not properly locked. Therefore, there are solutions for monitoring the proper locking of the couplings. Common monitoring methods are based, for example, on optical signals that become visible or disappear when the coupling is properly locked. However, the effectiveness of such devices is not always guaranteed in difficult installation situations.

[0005] Solutions are also known in which RFID chips integrated into the plug-in coupling parts can be used to verify whether the corresponding coupling parts are plugged together. Information relating, for example, to the fluids to be pumped, temperatures, or other physical characteristics of the fluids is stored on the RFID chips, and this information can be excluded using an external reader. An example of such an arrangement is WO 2006 / 036863 A1.

[0006] However, it is not possible to check whether the two coupling parts are properly locked with this arrangement.

[0007] DE 10 2019 134 645 A1 discloses a fluid coupling comprising a coupling part provided with a receiver and / or transmitter device and a shielding element that shields the receiver and / or transmitter device. When connecting the coupling part to another coupling part, the shielding element is displaced so that the receiver and / or transmitter device can transmit and / or receive signals.

[0008] The object of the invention was to create a device of the type described above which reliably signals the proper engagement of the plug-in couplings mentioned even in confusing installation situations.

[0009] This object is achieved in that the male part has an RFID chip and the female part has an electromagnetic shield and the male part and female part coupling part can be plugged into one another and have a locking device with which a locking of the coupling parts with one another can be achieved in a predetermined position of the coupling parts relative to one another, wherein the position of the RFID chip on the male part and the position of the shielding on the female part are coordinated with one another in such a way that the RFID chip is only completely shielded by the shielding when the coupling parts are locked in the predetermined position.

[0010] This arrangement has the following advantageous properties, namely When the coupling parts are unlocked, the RFID chip is detectable by an external reader because it is not shielded by the shielding. When properly locked, the RFID chip is shielded by the shielding and thus cannot be detected by an external reader.

[0011] This arrangement makes it possible to detect the RFID chips in the event of deviations from the predetermined locking position of the coupling parts relative to each other, indicating that the coupling parts are not properly locked. Since external readers can detect distances of several meters between the RFID chips, reliable detection is still possible in visually obscure or hard-to-reach locations.

[0012] In a further development of the invention, the RFID chip is glued to the male part.

[0013] Gluing avoids the need for an expensive tool to overmold the RFID chip.

[0014] In a further development of the invention, the RFID chip has a partially ring-shaped antenna which is formed from two almost semicircular half parts which are arranged on opposite sides of the RFID chip and have a spring stiffness with which the antenna forms an annular spring similar to a snap ring, and the male part has an annular groove into which the spring-stiff antenna of the RFID chip can be clipped.

[0015] This arrangement has the advantage that the RFID chip has a reliably defined position and is well protected against abrasion by clipping it into the ring groove.

[0016] In a further development of the invention, the shielding of the female part is designed as a printed ring made of electrically shielding material.

[0017] Printing, for example with electrically conductive inks using an inkjet print head, is a particularly versatile option without the need for a complex injection molding tool.

[0018] In a further development of the invention, the shielding is designed as an electrically conductive foil which has an annular, slotted contour and a spring stiffness, and the female part has an annular groove into which the spring-stiff, slotted ring foil can be clipped.

[0019] This design enables easy production of the coupling parts without the need for a complex injection mold.

[0020] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1shows a fluid plug-in coupling 1 with male part 2 and female part 3 in a schematic diagram as a longitudinal section. A hose 4 is attached to the female part 3. Male part 2 and female part 3 are plugged together and locked together by a spring clip 5. An O-ring seal 6 seals the male part 2 against the female part 3.

[0021] The male part 2 has an annular groove 8 on its socket part 7, which is inserted into the female part 3, into which an annular, slotted annular spring 9 is clipped. An RFID chip 10 is arranged on the annular spring 9 and is electrically connected to the annular spring 9. The annular spring 9 thus acts as an antenna for the RFID chip 10.

[0022] The female part 3 also has an annular groove 11 in which a slotted annular foil 12 is arranged. The annular foil 12 has a spring stiffness and is clipped into the annular groove 11. The annular foil 11 is made of a material that provides electromagnetic shielding.

[0023] In the properly locked state of the coupling 1 shown, the antenna 9 and the electromagnetic shielding foil 12 are axially opposite each other; in this position, the shielding foil 12 shields the antenna 9 precisely against the radio waves of an RFID reader (not shown here), so that the reader cannot detect the RFID chip.

[0024] If the male part 2 and the female part 3 are not properly locked, this leads to deviations in the axial position of the antenna 9 and the shielding foil 12. This means that the antenna 9 is no longer completely shielded, so that in such a case the reader detects the RFID chip 10 and can, for example, issue a corresponding error message. List of reference symbols (part of the description)

[0025] 1 Fluid plug-in coupling 2 Male part of the fluid plug-in coupling 1 3 Female part of the fluid plug-in coupling 1 4 Hose 5 Spring clip 6 O-ring seal 7 Male part of the male part 2 8 Ring groove in the male part 7 9 Ring spring, antenna 10 RFID chip 11 Ring groove in the female part 3 12 Shielding ring foil

Claims

1. Device for checking for the correct installation state of a fluid plug-in coupling (1), having a fluid plug-in coupling (1) with a male part (2) and a female part (3), wherein the male part (2) and the female part (3) can be inserted one into the other and have a locking means (5) with which, in a predetermined position of the coupling parts (2, 3) in relation to each other, locking of the coupling parts (2, 3) to each other can be achieved, wherein the male part (2) has an RFID chip (10), characterized in that the female part (3) has an electromagnetic shield (12), wherein the position of the RFID chip (10) on the male part (2) and the position of the shield (12) on the female part (3) are matched to each other in such a way that the RFID chip (10) is completely shielded by the shield (12) only when the coupling parts (2, 3) are locked in the predetermined position.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the RFID chip (10) is adhesively bonded to the male part (2).

3. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the RFID chip (10) has a partial ring-shaped antenna (9) which is formed from two virtually semicircular half-parts, which are arranged on opposite sides of the RFID chip (10) and have a spring stiffness with which the antenna (9) forms an annular spring similar to a snap ring, and in that the male part (2) has an annular groove (8) into which the spring-stiff antenna (9) of the RFID chip (10) can be clipped.

4. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shield (12) of the female part (3) is in the form of a printed ring composed of electrically shielding material.

5. Device according to at least one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the shield (12) is in the form of an electrically conductive foil (12) which has an annular, slotted contour and a spring stiffness, and in that the female part (3) has an annular groove (11) into which the spring-stiff, slotted annular foil (12) can be clipped.