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 coupling, comprising a fluid plug 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 settings and in automotive manufacturing. Examples include the VDA coupling and the SAE coupling, which are used as standard plug-in couplings in automotive engineering. DE 10 2017 212 004 A1 shows an example of a VDA coupling.

[0003] The couplings mentioned have a male and a female part that are plugged together during assembly and, when correctly connected, lock into a predetermined position relative to each other. This locking usually occurs automatically when the coupling parts are plugged together.

[0004] Incorrect assembly can lead to failures if the coupling components are not properly locked. Therefore, solutions exist to monitor 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 coupling components allow verification that the corresponding coupling parts are connected. These RFID chips store information relating, for example, to the fluids being conveyed, their temperatures, or other physical properties, which can be read using an external reader. WO 2006 / 036863 A1 is an example of such an arrangement.

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

[0007] DE 10 2019 128949 A1 discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0008] The invention was based on the objective of creating a device of the type described above that reliably signals the proper locking of the aforementioned plug-in couplings even in confusing installation situations.

[0009] This task is solved by the fact that the parent part has an RFID chip whose antenna has a predetermined length, which is matched to the RFID chip such that, when excited by an RFID reader, the RFID chip emits a predetermined first signal or no signal, and the mother part has an antenna arrangement, wherein the antenna arrangement has a length that differs from the predetermined length of the RFID chip's antenna, and furthermore, when the parent part is inserted into the mother part and properly locked, the RFID chip is operatively connected to the mother part's antenna arrangement, and the length of the mother part's antenna arrangement is matched to the RFID chip such that, when excited by an RFID reader, the RFID chip emits a predetermined second signal that differs from the first signal.where, with proper locking of the parent part inserted into the parent part, the functional connection between the RFID chip and the antenna arrangement of the parent part is formed by electromagnetic induction.

[0010] This arrangement has the advantage that it is clearly distinguishable whether the connector is properly locked, as this is only the case upon detection of the second RFID signal. Since external readers can also detect RFID chips at distances of several meters, reliable detection is still possible in visually obscured or difficult-to-access locations.

[0011] This arrangement has the advantage that no mechanical connection between the antenna arrangement and the RFID chip is necessary, so that the functional connection is not endangered by wear and tear of contacting components.

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

[0013] The adhesive application avoids the need for an expensive tool for overmolding the RFID chip. In a further development of the invention, the RFID chip has a slotted, ring-shaped holder formed from two nearly semicircular half-parts arranged on opposite sides of the RFID chip. These half-parts have a spring stiffness with which the holder forms a ring spring similar to a snap ring. The male part has an annular groove into which the spring-stiff holder of the RFID chip can be clipped.

[0014] This arrangement has the advantage that the RFID chip has a reliably defined position and is well protected against abrasion by being clipped into the ring groove.

[0015] In a further development of the invention, the antenna arrangement of the mother part is designed as a printed ring made of electrically conductive material.

[0016] Printing, for example with electrically conductive inks using an inkjet printhead, is a particularly versatile option without the need for a complex injection molding tool.

[0017] In a further development of the invention, the antenna arrangement is designed as an electrically conductive film or electrically conductive wire, wherein the electrically conductive film or electrically conductive wire has an annular, slotted contour and a spring stiffness, and the nut part has an annular groove into which the spring-stiff, slotted annular contour of the electrically conductive film or electrically conductive wire can be clipped.

[0018] This design allows for the simple production of the coupling parts without the need for a complex injection molding tool.

[0019] In a further development of the invention, the RFID chip has two electrical contacts on its side facing the antenna arrangement, which are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, wherein the circumferential distance between the electrical contacts is greater than the width of the slot, so that a reliable electrical contact of the RFID chip with the antenna arrangement of the parent part is ensured even when the RFID chip, when the parent part is clipped into the parent part, comes to lie opposite the slot of the electrically conductive film of the antenna arrangement.

[0020] If the distance between the electrical contacts of the RFID chip is greater than the width of the slot in the antenna assembly, this ensures that a reliable electrical contact between the RFID chip and the antenna assembly always exists when the parent and mother parts are properly locked.

[0021] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a fluid quick-connect coupling 1 with male part 2 and female part 3 in a schematic longitudinal section. A hose 4 is attached to the female part 3. Male part 2 and female part 3 are connected and locked together by means of a spring clip 5. An O-ring seal 6 seals the male part 2 against the female part 3.

[0022] The male part 2 has an annular groove 8 on its stub section 7, which is inserted into the female part 3. An annular, slotted ring spring 9 is clipped into this groove. An RFID chip 10 with an internal antenna (not shown) is mounted on the ring spring 9. The antenna is tuned so that, when stimulated by an external reader (not shown), the RFID chip 10 either returns a signal or no signal at all. The slotted ring spring 9 is made of a non-conductive material, so that in this position, the RFID chip 10 only has its internal antenna exposed.

[0023] The mother part 3 also has an annular groove 11 in which a slotted, ring-shaped wire 12 is arranged. The slotted ring wire 12 has spring stiffness and is clipped into the annular groove 11. The slotted ring wire 12 is made of electrically conductive material.

[0024] In the properly locked state of the coupling 1 shown, the RFID chip 10 and the electrically conductive ring wire 12 are axially opposite each other. The ring wire 12 is only in electrically conductive contact with the RFID chip in this precise position, thus acting as an antenna for the RFID chip 10. Therefore, the RFID chip 10 no longer only has its internal antenna and, when stimulated by an external reader, returns a second signal, different from the first.

[0025] If male part 2 and female part 3 are not properly locked, this leads to deviations in the axial position of RFID chip 10 and ring wire 12 relative to each other. Consequently, there is no longer an electrical contact between RFID chip 10 and ring wire 12, so that in such a case the reader receives only its first signal or no signal at all from RFID chip 10 instead of its second signal.

[0026] Such an arrangement makes it possible to accurately determine whether the parent and mother parts are properly locked by detecting a position-dependent signal from the RFID chip 10 by the external reader. Reference symbol list (Part of the description)

[0027] 1 Fluid connector 2 Male part of fluid connector 1 3 Female part of fluid connector 1 4 Hose 5 Spring clip 6 O-ring seal 7 Male part of connector 2 8 Ring groove in male part 7 9 Ring spring 10 RFID chip 11 Ring groove in female part 3 12 Slotted, ring-shaped spring wire; antenna assembly

Claims

1. Apparatus for testing the correct mounting state of a fluid plug-in coupling (1), comprising a fluid plug-in coupling (1) having a parent part (2) and a nut part (3), wherein the parent part (2) has an RFID chip (10), the antenna of which has a predetermined length which is matched with the RFID chip (10) in such a way that the RFID chip (10) emits a predetermined first signal or no signal when excited by an RFID reader and the mother part (3) emits a predetermined antenna order (12) wherein the antenna arrangement (12) has a length deviating from the predetermined length of the antenna of the RFID chip (10), wherein further, if the connector is exactly properly locked from the parent part (2) inserted into the mother part (3) with the nut part (3), the RFID chip (10) is in electrically conductive contact with the antenna arrangement (12) of the parent part (3) and the length of the antenna arrangement (12) of the parent part (3) is matched to the RFID chip (10) in such a way, that the RFID chip (10) emits a predetermined second signal deviating from the first signal when excited by an RFID reader, characterized by thisthat if the parent part (2) inserted into the nut part (3) is exactly properly locked, the active connection between the RFID chip (10) and the antenna arrangement (12) of the mother part (3) is formed by electromagnetic induction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the RFID chip (10) is glued to the parent part (2).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the RFID chip (10) has a slotted, ring-shaped holder (9) consisting of two nearly semicircular half-parts arranged on opposite sides of the RFID chip (10) and having a spring stiffness with which the holder (9) forms a ring spring (9) similar to a snap ring and the parent part (2) has a ring groove (8), into which the spring-stiff holder (9) of the RFID chip (10) can be clipped.

4. An apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the antenna assembly (12) of the parent part (3) is formed as a printed ring of electrically conductive material.

5. An apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the antenna arrangement (12) is formed as an electrically conductive foil or electrically conductive wire (12), wherein the electrically conductive foil or wire (12) has a ring-shaped, slotted contour and a spring stiffness, and the nut part (3) has a ring-shaped groove (11) into which the spring-stiff, slotted ring-shaped contour of the electrically conductive film or the electrically conductive wire (12) can be clipped in.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the RFID chip (10) has two electrical contacts on its side facing the antenna arrangement (12) which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, wherein the distance in the circumferential direction between the electrical contacts is greater than the width of the slot, so that a secure electrical contact of the RFID chip (10) with the antenna assembly (12) of the parent part (3) is also given then, if the RFID chip (10) comes to rest opposite the slot of the electrically conductive foil or the electrically conductive wire (12) of the antenna arrangement (12) when clipping the parent part (2) into the mother part (3).