Contact carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a contact carrier for receiving and retaining at least one plug contact, at which a line, cable can be electrically connected, the contact carrier having at least one locking device for fastening the contact carrier within a plug connector housing, the at least one locking device being formed by at least one snap hook, which, when the contact carrier is in the locked position within the plug connector housing, engages in a cutout such that the contact carrier is fastened in the plug connector housing. The invention also relates to a method for mounting a contact carrier in a plug connector housing and to a plug connection, comprising a plug connector housing and a contact carrier received and fastened therein.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a connector with a connector housing and a contact carrier received and fixed therein for receiving and holding at least one plug contact to which a line or cable can be electrically connected, comprising at least one locking device for fixing the contact carrier within the connector housing. The invention further relates to a method for assembling a connector.

[0002] Contacts generally have at least one electrically conductive contact section for detachable, temporary, or plug-in connection with a corresponding mating contact element and a shaft section adjoining the contact section for attaching an electrical conductor to the contact. Such a contact, plug-in contact, or high-current contact can be used on a charging plug or socket, for example, for charging an electric vehicle. In this case, a cable is connected to a charging station on one side and carries a connector part in the form of a charging plug on the other, which can be inserted into a corresponding mating connector part in the form of a charging socket on a vehicle to establish an electrical connection between the charging station and the vehicle.Other uses for high-current contacts arise in a variety of other high-current applications, such as for operating a high-current household appliance or for supplying power to a welding machine, compressor, water heater, etc.

[0003] Supply and charging currents can generally be transmitted as direct currents or as alternating currents, whereby charging currents and high-current areas in the form of direct current have a high current intensity, for example greater than 200 A or even greater than 300 A or even 350 A, and can lead to heating of the cable as well as of a high-current contact connected to the cable.

[0004] During the charging process of electrical energy storage devices, batteries, and high-power power supplies, heat is generated due to the high electrical power and currents transmitted, both in the cables and the high-current contacts. These high-current contacts and cables, made of electrically conductive materials such as copper alloys, heat up when electrical energy flows through them. Therefore, the contacts must be dimensioned according to the charging current to be transmitted, ensuring sufficient current-carrying capacity and limiting heating of the contact elements. The principle is that the larger the contact and the corresponding current-carrying cable, the larger the dimensioning of both.

[0005] However, scaling the contact element size with increasing charging current is limited by the associated space requirements, weight, and cost. Therefore, there is a need to transmit electrical power in general, and especially power transfers with high charging currents, using comparatively small contacts.

[0006] Besides the pursuit of small-dimensioned components for electrical energy transmission, the cross-sections of the conductors connected to the contact elements also significantly influence the design of contacts, connectors, and plug connections. For high-current contacts, it may be necessary to weld the connection between the conductors, leads, and contacts. This joining method ensures a strong, metallurgical bond and is suitable for transmitting even high power currents with reduced resistance. This joining method has also proven reliable under higher mechanical loads.

[0007] A particular disadvantage, especially with the larger conductor cross-section found in higher power ranges, is the considerable bending and deformation stiffness, which complicates the assembly of connector elements such as connector housings and plug-in modules. Another problem affecting assembly is that the contact and conductor must be welded before the connector is assembled.

[0008] WO 2016 / 135230 A1 shows a high-voltage cable set designed as a plug connection with a contact carrier in the form of a connector and a shield, which are received in a contact sleeve.

[0009] German patent application DE 10 2016 105 504 A1 describes an assembly-optimized electrical connector comprising a plug with a plastic connector housing in which at least one contact chamber is formed. The electrical connector has at least one electrical contact part for arranging the at least one contact chamber, wherein the contact part has a locking pin for releasably attaching an insert contact to the contact part. The contact part has a high current-carrying capacity of up to 180 amperes at 85°C. In this context, "high voltage" can be understood to mean an electrical voltage of at least approximately 48 volts, but preferably 60 volts or more, and more preferably 400 volts up to approximately 650 volts to 1,000 volts.

[0010] The object of the invention is to further develop the structure of a connector plug with at least one pole, so that the assembly is improved with regard to effort and / or positioning accuracy of the connector elements and the disadvantages of known solutions are at least partially reduced.

[0011] To solve the problem, the invention proposes a contact carrier that both holds and accommodates at least one plug contact, plug-in contact, plug contact pin, contact part, contact with a line or power cable attached thereto, and can be fixed in a connector housing or plug housing.

[0012] The invention recognizes that assembly can be carried out in a particularly simple and reliable manner by first forming a component consisting of at least one plug contact, insertion contact, plug contact pin, contact part, contact with the respective attached line, power cable, and the contact carrier. This component is then inserted into the connector housing and correctly positioned within the housing by means of the provided locking device. The locking device is formed, for example, by one or more rear grips, engagements, and / or snap hooks, which support completely tool-free assembly and increase the locking reliability through a design that supports at least two points.

[0013] By directing the assembly movement in the opposite direction to the plug connection movement, the simplicity and reliability of the assembly are further increased. In practical terms, this means that the contact carrier with the at least one plug contact and the optionally attached cable is essentially pulled back and into the plug housing until it is secured by the locking device.

[0014] The assembly movement of the component, consisting of at least one plug contact, insertion contact, plug contact pin, contact part, contact with the respective conductor, power cable, and contact carrier, can be limited in the axial direction of the plug connection. This is achieved by a mechanical stop within the plug housing, the position of which interacts with the locking device, so that the assembly movement is limited in such a way that the locking position is reliably and precisely reached and assumed.

[0015] Another very important safety aspect concerns the correct and absolutely reliable locking of the contact carrier to the plug contact(s) within the connector housing. The invention achieves this aspect through optical locking verification. According to the invention, the locking device is optically accessible, allowing visual verification that the locking mechanism ensures the contact carrier is securely locked to the plug contact(s) within the connector housing.

[0016] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the figures. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a connector with connector housing and outer housing, and at least one plug contact protruding from the connector housing; Fig. 2 a perspective view of a connector with connector housing and outer housing, and the receptacle protruding from the connector housing for at least one conductor, power cable; Fig. 3 the three-dimensional view of the contact carrier in a two-part form with locking device and visual access; Fig. 4 in perspective exploded view of the connector with connector housing and outer housing, and the contact carrier in a two-part design with the at least one plug contact; Fig. 5 a perspective view of a connector housing with recess for the locking device and contact carrier guide; Fig. 6 a perspective view of the contact carrier with locking device; Fig.7. The sectional side view of the connector housing with outer casing.

[0017] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a connector 100 with connector housing 110 and outer housing 120, as well as at least one plug contact 20 protruding from the connector housing 110. The contact carrier 1 is received inside the connector housing 110 and secured by the locking device 10. The visual inspection 2 allows verification that the locking device 10 is correctly in its locking position, i.e., that it reliably fulfills its holding and positioning functions. In the exemplary embodiment shown, three plug contacts 20 and two visual inspections 2 are provided. This embodiment of the invention is exemplary; other numbers and combinations are also possible and supported by the invention.

[0018] The connector housing, plug housing 110, can be made from various materials, each with specific material properties such as strength, ductility, and insulation against electrical currents. One possible material is a cast material. If a metallic base material with conductive properties is used, the contact carrier 1 is made from a non-conductive material, such as plastic. The connector housing, plug housing 110, can be manufactured using die casting or injection molding. Particularly suitable materials in this context include aluminum, plastic, zinc-based materials, magnesium, and iron-based material compositions.

[0019] The plug-in contact 20 with the attached conductor 30 (not shown) is held by the contact carrier 1 inside the connector housing 110 and is enclosed by a contact sleeve 21, which may optionally, but not necessarily, be designed with one or more prongs 22. To protect a user from electric shocks, a touch protection cap 23 can be provided at the end of the plug-in contact 20.

[0020] Figure 2The figure includes a perspective view of a connector 100 with connector housing 110 and outer housing 120, as well as the receptacle protruding from the connector housing 110 for at least one conductor, power cable 30. The outer housing 120 is functionally designed to partially enclose the connector housing 110 and elements for coupling with the mating connector. The coupling elements prevent the connector housing 110 from being disconnected from a mating connector by means of a secondary locking mechanism 113, shown here by way of example by a screw.

[0021] Figure 3Figure 1 illustrates the contact carrier 1 in a three-dimensional view in a two-part form 1.1, 1.2 with a locking device 10 and visual access 2. For the purpose of explaining the invention, the contact carrier 1 is designed as an exemplary example for receiving and holding three plug contacts 20. The invention also supports different numbers of plug contacts 20. A non-parallel arrangement of the plug contacts 20 is possible and implemented in this embodiment by offsetting the central plug contact sleeve 21, which encompasses the plug contact 20, radially to the insertion direction relative to the two outer sleeves.

[0022] It is possible to manufacture contact carrier 1 as a single piece or as many as desired; a two-part concept is shown here. Contact carrier 1 in Figure 3The assembly consists of a first contact carrier element 1.1 and a corresponding second contact carrier element 1.2, both of which can be locked together by means of a locking mechanism 3, 3'. The plug contacts 20 with their respective attached leads 30 (not shown) are received and secured in the cavities formed between the contact carrier elements 1.1 and 1.2.

[0023] The locking device 10 is provided on the outside of the first contact carrier element 1.1 and is aligned with the visual, optical access point 2 when the contact carrier elements 1.1, 1.2 are joined together. One of several suitable arrangements is the one chosen here: A locking device 10 is located in the area adjacent to two plug-in contact receiving chambers.

[0024] Figure 4Figure 1 shows a perspective exploded view of the connector 100 with connector housing 110 and outer housing 120, as well as the contact carrier 1 in a two-part version 1.1, 1.2 with at least one plug contact 20. The two-part contact carrier 1 shown here can be supplemented by a plug-in bridge 4.

[0025] Figure 5Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a connector housing 110 with a recess 111 for the locking device 10 and contact carrier guide 112. The two recesses 111 used here as an example are designed in their position and shape to correspond to the locking device 10, so that in the locking position of the contact carrier 1, the contact carrier 1 is secured and held within the connector housing 110. In the locking position, the locking device 10 engages in the recess 111, which is designed as a rear grip, engagement, or snap hook opening, with a corresponding snap hook 11, thus securing the contact carrier 1 within the connector housing 110. According to the invention, the correct engagement of the snap hook 11 in the recess 111 is visually verifiable by a visual, optical access point 2, which is implemented as an opening in the contact carrier 1.

[0026] The connector housing 110 can have an internal guide 112 for the contact carrier 1, which guides the contact carrier 1 into the locking position during axial movement. The axial movement, i.e., the contact carrier assembly movement direction KMB, is opposite to the contacting movement direction, connector insertion movement direction SSB. Because the contact carrier 1's assembly movement KMB is opposite to the connector insertion movement direction SSB, it is possible to mount the contact carrier 1 into the connector housing 110 in a particularly secure, simple, and tool-free manner.

[0027] The illustrated embodiment of the connector housing 110 with its guide 112 and the two diametrically opposed recesses 111 for the snap hooks 11 of the locking devices 10 results in a three-point support with a particularly stable and secure retention of the contact carrier 1 in the connector housing 110.

[0028] Figure 6 The upper illustration shows a perspective view of the contact carrier 1, 1.1 with locking device 10, and the lower illustration shows an enlarged detail view of locking device 10.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first contact carrier element 1.1 is equipped with two locking devices 10 in the form of snap hooks 11. The locking devices 10 are each arranged in the area between the plug contacts 20 and aligned with the areas between the contact sleeves 21 of the second contact carrier element 1.2, and are spaced apart from each other. In this way, the three-point support, which is very advantageous for the stability of the mounting of the contact carrier element 1.1 in the connector housing 110, can be achieved with the locking devices 10 being designed to guide both diametrically opposed and spaced apart.

[0030] The locking device 10 is designed for the simple, tool-free assembly of the contact carrier 1 in the connector housing 110 by its assembly movement (KMB) opposite to the connector insertion direction (SSB). A snap hook 11 is provided, which is arranged at the end of a snap hook arm 12. The snap hook contour is geometrically matched to the corresponding recess 111 in the connector housing 110, so that the snap-in is reliable and the holding force against axial forces acting on the contact carrier 1 in the connector insertion direction (SSB) is maximized. The snap hook arm 12 is approximately twice as long as the longitudinal extension of the snap hook 11 and is coupled to the first contact carrier element 1.1 via a cantilever 12'. This cantilever coupling is significantly advantageous for the function of the locking device 10. The extension 12' couples the snap hook 11 to the contact carrier element 1.1 in a particularly elastic manner, so that the radial deflection movement of the snap hook 11 is particularly well supported in the purely elastic range and without the plastic deformation components that must be avoided at all costs; the extension 12' provides the snap hook 11 with at least the required minimum radial distance to the outer wall of the contact carrier element 1, which must correspond at least to the radial hook height of the snap hook 11 - only in this way can the snap-in travel of the snap hook 11 into the recess 111 of the connector housing 110 be made large enough to ensure reliable locking even under large axial forces acting on the contact carrier 1; the elastic behavior of the locking device 10 can be specifically adjusted by the arc-shaped design of the extension 12' over the amount of the radius of curvature.

[0031] The locking device 10 according to the invention makes it possible to mount and lock the contact carrier 1 in the opposite direction to the connector insertion movement SSB, in the contact carrier mounting movement direction KMB. Furthermore, the assembly process can be carried out without tools, i.e., without tools. The assembly is achieved by applying a force-displacement force to the contact carrier 1 in the direction of KMB into the connector housing 110.

[0032] In order to be able to carry out the particularly function-relevant control of the correct and reliable retention of the contact carrier 1 in the connector housing 110, at least one visual, optical access 2 is provided, through which the correct snapping in and the perfect fit of the snap hook 11 within the recess 111 can be optically checked.

[0033] Figure 7The diagram includes a sectional side view of the connector housing 110 with outer housing 120. To illustrate the diametrically opposed position of recess 111 and guide 112 to each other, the section line is offset through the connector housing 110. Reference symbol list

[0034] 1 Contact carrier 1.1 First contact carrier element 1.2 Second contact carrier element 2 Visual, optical access 3 Locking 4 Plug-in bridge 10 Locking device 11 Snap hook 12 Snap hook arm 12 Boom 20 Plug-in contact, plug-in contact, plug-in contact pin, contact part, contact 21 Contact sleeve 22 Tin 23 Touch protection cap 30 line, power cable 100 plug connectors 110 Connector housing, plug housing 111 Recess for locking device 112 Guide for contact carrier 113 Secondary locking, screw 120 Outdoor housing KMB contact carrier mounting movement direction; SSB connector insertion movement direction

Claims

1. Plug connector having a contact carrier (1) arranged in a plug connector housing (110) of the plug connector for receiving and holding at least one plug contact (20), to which a line or cable (30) can be electrically conductively connected, having at least one locking device (10) for fixing the contact carrier (1) within the plug connector housing (110), wherein the at least one locking device (10) is formed by at least one snap hook (11) which, in the locking position of the contact carrier (1) within the plug connector housing (110), engages into a cut-out (111) such that the contact carrier (1) is fixed in the plug connector housing (110), characterized in that the snap hook (11) is attached to the end of a snap hook arm (12) via an arcuate extension arm (12') having a radius of curvature and formed on the contact carrier (1).

2. Plug connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one snap hook (11) is geometrically formed in its snap hook contour in such a way that snapping into the corresponding cut-out (111) of the plug connector housing (110) is assisted at the end of the assembly section in the contact carrier assembly movement direction (KMB).

3. Plug connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact carrier assembly movement direction (KMB) for mounting the contact carrier (1) into the plug connector housing (110) is opposite to the plug connector plug-in movement direction (SSB).

4. Plug connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact carrier (1) is designed to receive and hold three plug contacts (20).

5. Plug connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact carrier (1) is formed by a first contact carrier element (1.1) and at least one second contact carrier element (1.2).

6. Plug connector according to Claim 5, characterized in that the contact carrier elements (1.1, 1.2) can be fixed to one another by means of a lock.

7. Plug-in connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact carrier (1) is guidable in a guide (112) of the plug connector housing (110) and, lying diametrically opposite thereto at a distance from one another, has two locking devices (10), such that a three-point support is realized in the locking position.

8. Plug connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one locking device (10) is assigned a visual or optical access (2), such that the locking end position of the locking device (10) can be checked visually.

9. Method for assembling a plug connector according to one of the preceding claims, having the following steps: a. introducing the contact carrier (1) with its side facing away from the plug contact into the opening, facing the plug-in direction, of the plug connector housing (110); b. force-displacement loading of the contact carrier (1) in the contact carrier assembly movement direction (KMB), which is effected counter to the plug-in direction of the plug connector; c. fixing or holding the contact carrier (1) by the locking device (10) in the end position or assembly end position.

10. Method for assembling a plug connector according to Claim 9, characterized in that step b. and / or c. take / takes place without the use of a tool.

11. Method for assembling a plug connector according to Claim 9, characterized in that the locking position of the locking device (10) can be checked visually by a visual or optical access (2).

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