CONNECTOR SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR OUTDOOR APPLICATIONS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a connector system comprising a connector and an associated connection partner, which is also a connector.

[0002] Electric vehicles and other electrical devices used outdoors are often exposed to extreme environmental conditions such as high or low temperatures, UV radiation, vibrations, humidity, and rain. At the same time, such devices often require high operating or charging currents. Connector systems are used, in particular, to connect such devices to external charging portals or charging stations for charging built-in batteries. In addition to the actual charging current, a control or signal current often also needs to be transmitted.

[0003] WO 2021 / 042206 A1 discloses a connector system according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] US 4 072 381 A and DE 10 2011 056798 A1 disclose further examples of a connector system.

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a connector system of the type mentioned which is easy to manufacture and which functions reliably and durably under extreme environmental influences and weather conditions and at the same time allows the transmission of high drive and charging currents.

[0006] The object is achieved according to the invention by a connector system according to claim 1.

[0007] Accordingly, a connector system with a connector and an associated connection partner is provided, whereby the connector has a plug housing enclosing a receptacle, the receptacle is closed by a cover plate, several spring contact pins and / or sockets penetrating the cover plate are anchored in the receptacle to form electrical contacts, a number of magnets are arranged in the receptacle which surround the spring contact pins and / or sockets, the remaining space in the receptacle is cast with an electrically insulating casting compound which acts as a moisture barrier, wherein the magnets are arranged in relation to associated magnets of the connection partner such that the connector and its connection partner attract each other when the electrical contacts are correctly formed.

[0008] The advantages achieved by the invention are, in particular, that the advantages of the known and proven spring contact pins are combined with a watertight encapsulation and with a magnetic coupling, which, when the plug elements are correctly aligned, supports their cohesion when plugged together.

[0009] The encapsulation makes the connector a disposable item. If a defect occurs, the entire connector, including the connecting cable, must be replaced.

[0010] It is particularly advantageous if the magnets are arranged in relation to the corresponding magnets of the connecting partner in such a way that the connector and its connecting partner repel each other if the electrical contacts are incorrectly aligned. This makes incorrect assembly significantly more difficult or even impossible.

[0011] According to the invention, several, in particular four, of the spring contact pins and / or sockets are designed to conduct a drive or charging current with a current of more than 10 amperes. According to the invention, several, in particular eight, of the spring contact pins and / or sockets are designed to conduct a control or signal current with a current of less than 1 ampere.

[0012] Advantageously, the spring contact pins and / or sockets are anchored in a carrier plate and penetrate it.

[0013] The magnets are neodymium magnets for a high magnetic attraction or repulsion force while requiring little space.

[0014] According to the invention, the magnets are arranged in a bowl-shaped or ring-shaped space around the spring contact pins and / or sockets.

[0015] According to the invention, the magnets in the connector are two half-shell-shaped magnets.

[0016] A suitable material for the casting compound in terms of processability, electrical insulation effect and water resistance is, for example, epoxy resin.

[0017] According to the invention, the cover plate is permanently locked into the receptacle of the connector housing by means of locking hooks and advantageously has internal support surfaces for the magnets, as well as external guide and alignment elements to form a mechanical anti-twist device between the connector and its connection partner. The mechanical anti-twist device is effective in addition to the magnetic anti-twist device described above. Advantageously, when plugged together, the connection partner partially inserts into the connector. According to the invention, in the plugged-together state, a sealing ring expediently seals a gap between the connector and its connection partner, and the sealing ring is compressed by a contact force caused by the magnets to achieve maximum tightness.

[0018] The connector can be a panel connector, a plug, a coupling, or a socket. Its counterpart, the connection partner, is a connector of a matching type and is essentially constructed in a similar way.

[0019] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows: FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a built-in plug, FIG. 2 shows the built-in plug FIG. 1 in the assembled state in perspective view, FIG. 3 an associated coupling in exploded view, FIG. 4 the coupling from FIG. 3 in the assembled state in perspective view, Fig. 5 a plug housing cast with epoxy resin, Figs. 6 to 8 further variants of plug elements for plug connections.

[0020] FIG. 1shows an exploded view of a male panel connector 2 intended for permanent installation in a device housing. Panel connector 2 is a representative example of a connector 1. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the panel connector in the assembled state. FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a corresponding female counterpart or connection partner 44, namely a coupling 4, which is mounted on one cable end. FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the coupling 4 in the assembled state, as well as a top view of the plug contact field. The built-in plug 2 and the coupling 4 are components of a connector system and, when connected to each other, form an electrical plug connection.

[0021] Those elements of the connecting partner 44 which are analogous to those of the FIGS. 1 and 2 connector 1 shown are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 marked with a line.

[0022] The central component of the connector system is a plurality of spring contact pins 6, also known as pogo pins, and associated sockets or contact partners. In the present example, the male panel connector 2 (chassis socket) has four so-called power pins 8, namely comparatively large spring contact pins 6, each designed for the flow of an electrical current, in particular a drive or charging current, with a current of, for example, up to 10 amperes at a voltage of 48 volts. The coupling 4 has associated sockets for the four spring contact pins 6 mentioned. Furthermore, the coupling 4 has eight so-called control pins 10, namely somewhat smaller spring contact pins 6, each designed for the flow of a control or signal current with a current of, for example, up to 0.5 amperes at a voltage of 48 volts.The panel connector 2 has corresponding sockets for these eight spring contact pins 6. In this case, the male connector for the power pins 8 is female for the control pins 10, and vice versa. However, this is not mandatory. Rather, the panel connector 2 could have both spring contact pins 6 for the power pins 8 and for the control pins 10, thus being completely male, while the corresponding sockets are all located in the connector 4—or vice versa.

[0023] In a top view of the contact field characterizing the connection assignment according to the selected detail in FIG. 4 The four power pins 8 and the eight control pins 8 are arranged next to each other in a regular pattern, whereby different patterns can be realized depending on the connector type.

[0024] Typically, each spring contact consists of three components: a guide tube (also called a pin sleeve or housing), a compression spring, and a plunger. The three components are assembled together using special crimping techniques, for example, in such a way that they cannot come apart, while the plunger can still freely move longitudinally for a certain amount of spring travel. When the individual components are assembled, the compression spring is preloaded, giving the spring contact pin a certain initial force in its zero position – commonly referred to as preload. Once the connection is established, the compression spring presses the plunger, with its front-facing probe, firmly against the corresponding contact of the opposite socket, creating a reliable electrical connection. Pogo pins have an extremely high tolerance and thus significantly reduce the likelihood of malfunctions, even under strong vibrations.They also have a significantly longer service life than comparable connector types due to the low abrasion between the connector parts.

[0025] The built-in plug 2 has FIG. 1a plug housing 12 (plug basket) intended for installation in a wall or a device housing, with a cylindrical receptacle 14 open at the front, wherein a feedthrough for a connecting cable 16 is formed on the open rear. The multi-core connecting cable 16 has, within a cable sheath 18, four wires 20 intended for connection to the power pins 8 and eight wires 20 intended for connection to the control pins 10. The wire ends led out of the cable sheath 18 and stripped are thus connected, in particular soldered, to the corresponding spring contact pins 6 and / or sockets in the assembled state. The spring contact pins 6 and / or sockets - both the power pins 8 and the control pins 10 - are held or fixed in the desired position relative to one another by a common carrier plate 22 through which they are inserted.In the final assembly state, the carrier plate 22 sits centrally in the cylindrical receptacle 14. At the front, the spring contact pins 6 and / or sockets are guided through precisely fitting recesses in a cover plate 24 which is provided to cover the cylindrical receptacle 14.

[0026] The built-in plug 2 and the coupling 4 are each designed as magnetic plugs which, when the coupling 4 is inserted into the built-in plug 2, attract each other when properly aligned, i.e. at the correct angle of rotation relative to each other, thus supporting a reliable electrical contact. However, if the alignment is incorrect, a strong repulsion occurs which, in conjunction with a mechanical anti-twist device described below, makes incorrect assembly impossible. For this purpose, two half-shell-like magnets 26 are provided within the receptacle 14 in the built-in plug 2. When assembled, these magnets form a shell which is aligned concentrically to the central axis of the plug and surrounds the contact area with the carrier plate 22 and the spring contact pins 6 and / or sockets. FIG. 1For example, the north pole of the upper magnet 26 points forward toward the cover plate 24, while the south pole points backward toward the connecting cable 16. For the lower magnet 26, the reverse is true, so that both magnets 26 mutually attract each other within the receptacle 14, thereby stabilizing the shell configuration in which they are located.

[0027] In the corresponding coupling 2 according to FIGS. 3 and 4 There is a corresponding magnet arrangement which is aligned in such a way that the described attraction or repulsion effect develops depending on the correct alignment of the connecting partners to each other.

[0028] In order to achieve permanently high forces of attraction or repulsion, the magnets 26 are preferably neodymium magnets or comparable permanent magnets.

[0029] Let us now turn again FIGS. 1 and 2When assembled, the electrical contact elements connected to the wires 20 and the magnets 26 surrounding them sit in the receptacle 14 of the connector housing 12 and are covered at the front by the cover plate 24. The cover plate 24 is provided on the edge with inwardly directed locking hooks 28 which, when inserted into the receptacle 14, engage behind associated locking projections or recesses in the wall of the receptacle 14 and thus permanently lock into place. Internal guide and alignment elements can be used to force a desired angular alignment of the cover plate 24 relative to the receptacle 14. The cover plate 24 also has contours on its inside which serve as support surfaces for the magnets 26 and fix or stabilize them in a desired position.

[0030] After the basic assembly of the built-in plug 2 has been completed, i.e., after inserting the spring contact pins 6 and / or sockets, connecting the wires 20, inserting the magnets 26, and inserting the cover plate 24, the interior of the receptacle 14, which is delimited at the front by the cover plate 24 and circumferentially by the wall or outer surface of the plug housing 12, is cast by introducing a hardening epoxy resin or other electrically insulating and liquid-sealing casting compound 42. The casting compound is introduced through the open rear end of the plug housing 12, with the cover plate 24, which lies sufficiently tightly against the housing wall, preventing the casting compound from leaking out at the front end.Thus, the connector housing 12, together with the components located in the receptacle 14—in particular, the carrier plate 22, spring contact pins 6 and / or sockets, wires 20, and magnets 26—forms a compact unit in which the components are secured against slipping and simultaneously protected against water ingress and other environmental influences. The unit thus formed, in which the pogo pins and the connecting wires are hermetically sealed, is shown as an example in . FIG. 5 shown.

[0031] Furthermore, on the outside of the cover plate 24, there are guide and alignment elements 30 in the form of projections or recesses, webs, cams, or the like, which, in interaction with complementarily shaped guide and alignment elements on the outside of a similarly constructed cover plate of the coupling 4, force the correct insertion of the coupling 4 into the built-in plug 2. In other words, this creates mechanical anti-twist protection in addition to the magnetic anti-twist protection.

[0032] In the final assembly state, the cover plate 24 sits countersunk at a defined depth in the receptacle 14 of the connector housing 2. A circumferential projection in the wall of the receptacle 14 forms a stop for the desired seating of the cover plate 24. In this way, the outer wall section of the receptacle 14 in the connector housing 12 forms a frame 32 for the front insertion section 34 of the coupling 4.

[0033] The FIG. 3in exploded view and in FIG. 4The coupling 4 shown in the assembled state as an example of a connection partner 44 for the plug connector 1 is fundamentally constructed analogously to the built-in plug 2. Here, too, the plug housing 12', which accommodates and holds the electrical connections, spring contact pins 6' and / or sockets as well as the magnets 26', is provided at the front with a cover plate 24' and cast with epoxy resin or the like. The essential differences to the built-in plug 2 are that the coupling 4 is mounted on a free cable end and is not intended for installation in a surrounding housing or the like. In addition, as already mentioned, an insertion section 34 is formed at the front end of the plug housing 12' of the coupling 4 for insertion into the plug housing 12 of the built-in plug 2. A rearwardly offset circumferential radial projection 36 or annular web delimits the insertion section 34, onto which a sealing ring 38 or O-ring is pushed.A conical anti-kink sleeve 46, which surrounds the connecting cable 16' and is screwed onto the connector housing 12' from behind, has the function of preventing the connecting cable 16' from breaking when exiting the connector housing 12' in the event of strong bending radii.

[0034] When establishing the plug connection, the plug-in section 34 of the coupling 4 is inserted into the precisely fitting frame 32 of the plug housing 12 of the built-in plug 2, forming the desired contact between the spring contact pins 6, 6' and their mating contacts. The magnetic and mechanical anti-twist devices force the plug to be inserted in the correct position. The magnets 26, 26' also ensure that the plug connection is held securely together under the designed operational load by attracting the two connecting partners. The sealing ring 38 located between the circumferential projection 36 of the coupling 4 and the front (mounting) flange 40 of the built-in plug 2 is compressed by the magnetic contact pressure in such a way that a strong sealing effect against the ingress of liquid or moisture is achieved.

[0035] So far, a panel-mounted plug 2 and an associated coupling 4 have been described. It is understood that the described features can also be implemented in other connector combinations. For example, the male part can be a plug that belongs to a free cable end, and the female part can be a socket that is intended for permanent installation in a device housing. Examples of corresponding variants are shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 shown.

[0036] The described plug combinations are particularly suitable for use with electric golf trolleys (electric golf trolleys). The weather conditions in this application area are challenging, including outdoor temperatures between 0°C and 45°C, direct UV light exposure, vibrations, and humidity (fog, rain, heavy rain, etc.). Tests have shown that the described plug combinations easily meet these requirements. However, the plug combination can also be used with various other electrical outdoor devices, such as garden tools, lawn mowers, pumps, motors, and the like. It is also suitable for use with electric bicycles, electric scooters, and similar vehicles. List of reference symbols

[0037] 1 Connector 2 Panel-mounted plug 4 Coupling 6 Spring contact pin 8 Power pin 10 Control pin 12 Connector housing 14 Receptacle 16 Connecting cable 18 Cable sheath 20 Wire 22 Support plate 24 Cover plate 26 Magnet 28 Snap-in hook 30 Guiding and alignment element 32 Bezel 34 Insertion section 36 Projection 38 Sealing ring 40 Flange 42 Casting compound 44 Connection partner 46 Anti-kink sleeve

Claims

1. A connector system with a connector (1) and an associated connecting partner (44), which is also a connector, wherein ▪ the connector (1) comprises a plug housing (12) enclosing a receptacle (14), ▪ the receptacle (14) is closed by a cover plate (24), ▪ a plurality of spring contact pins (6) and / or sockets penetrating the cover plate (24) for the formation of electrical contacts are anchored in the receptacle (14), ▪ a number of magnets (26) are arranged in the receptacle (14) which surround the spring contact pins (6) and / or sockets, ▪ the magnets (26) are arranged in relation to assigned magnets (26') of the connecting partner (44) in such a way that the connector (1) and its connecting partner (44) attract each other when the electrical contacts are correctly formed, ▪ the magnets (26) in the connector (1) are two half-shell-shaped magnets which surround the spring contact pins (6) and / or sockets in an annular or shell-like manner, wherein a plurality, in particular four, of the spring contact pins (6) and / or sockets are designed for conducting a drive or charging current with a current strength of more than 10 amperes, furthermore a plurality, in particular eight, of the spring contact pins (6) and / or sockets are designed for conducting a control or signal current with a current strength of less than 1 ampere, characterised in that ▪ the remaining space in the receptacle (14) is cast with an electrically insulating casting compound (42), which acts as a moisture barrier, ▪ when plugged together, a sealing ring (38) compressed by means of a contact force caused by the magnets (26) seals a gap between the connector (1) and its connecting partner (44), ▪ the cover plate (24) is locked inseparably in the receptacle (14) by means of snap-in hooks (28), ▪ the magnets (26) are neodymium magnets.

2. The connector system according to claim 1, wherein the connector (1) and its connecting partner (44) repel each other if the electrical contacts are incorrectly assigned.

3. The connector system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring contact pins (6) and / or sockets are anchored in a carrier plate (22) and penetrate the latter.

4. The connector system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the casting compound (42) is an epoxy resin.

5. The connector system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover plate (24) comprises on the outside guide and alignment elements (30) for the formation of a mechanical anti-rotation device between the connector (1) and its connecting partner (44).

6. The connector system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover plate (24) comprises on the inside support surfaces for the magnets (26).

7. The connector system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting partner (44) partially dips into the connector (1) when plugged together.