Contact support, electrical connector insert and electrical connector

Abstract

The invention relates to a contact support, comprising a bus bar (2) and a contact spring (10), which has a clamping leg for clampingly contacting an electrical conductor between the clamping leg and a contact surface (4) on the bus bar (2) and which has a mounting leg (9) for permanently fixing the contact spring (10) on a fastening surface (4) of the bus bar (2), the mounting leg being connected to the clamping leg, wherein at least one snap element is formed on the mounting leg (9) and at least one counter-surface (12) which interacts with the snap element is formed on the fastening surface (4) such that, when the mounting leg (9) is fixed on the fastening surface (4), the snap element engages behind the counter-surface (12) in order to close a snap connection, and wherein, when the snap connection is closed, a stop (20) disposed on the mounting leg (9) at a longitudinal distance from the snap element in the longitudinal direction (16) of the mounting leg (9) is firmly seated against a counter-stop (13) formed on the fastening surface (4) and eliminates the longitudinal movability of the mounting leg (9) relative to the fastening surface (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a contact carrier, a connector insert, and a connector. A contact carrier, in turn, consists of an electrically conductive busbar and a contact spring. The busbar serves as an electrical conduction element between an electrical line and contact elements or the like. Electrical lines, in turn, consist of individual electrical wires bundled to form an electrical conductor and one or more insulating sheaths surrounding these wires. The insulating sheaths are stripped at the end of the electrical line in order to connect the bundled wires to the busbar. If the wires are easily bendable, a wire end ferrule is pushed over the wire in order to be able to connect a dimensionally stable cable end to the busbar. As an alternative to bundled wires, electrical conductors designed as solid conductors are also equally encompassed in the context of this invention.

[0002] The contact spring is used to clamp the stripped wire or the wire inserted into a wire end ferrule in place. The contact spring usually has a clamping leg that can be pivoted elastically against a contact surface on the busbar. If the clamping leg is moved away from the contact surface, a clamping space opens up for the stripped wire or wire end ferrule to be connected. The wire end ferrule allows the clamping leg to be pivoted away from the contact surface when the conductor is inserted, thus briefly opening the clamping space until the wire end ferrule has assumed its final connection position relative to the contact surface. This is referred to as a "push-in" contact. The contact spring also has a bearing leg connected to the clamping leg. This bearing leg mounts, i.e. fastens, the contact spring to a mounting surface on the busbar.According to the applicant's internal state of the art, a bearing window is cut out in the bearing leg of the contact spring. A tab protruding from the mounting surface of the busbar engages this bearing window, thus forming a kind of suspension for the contact spring on the busbar. However, this suspension is not free of play.

[0003] Since pre-assembled contact carriers are typically transported and handled in bulk, the possibility of the contact spring accidentally detaching from the busbar cannot be ruled out. Due to the play in the suspension, the contact spring can also inadvertently become tilted relative to the busbar, which usually goes unnoticed and can later lead to the failure of the contact carrier.

[0004] The German Patent and Trademark Office has searched the following prior art in the priority application for the present application: DE 19 17 503 B2, DE 102015 108 630 A1 , DE 10 2021 105 734 A1, DE 20 2017 006 317 U1 and EP 3 375 045 B1 .

[0005] Based on this, the invention is based on the object of improving the fit of the contact spring on the busbar by means of a firmer fixation.

[0006] This object is achieved by the contact carrier according to claim 1, the connector insert according to claim 8 and the connector according to claim 9. The subject matter in the dependent claims further develop the invention.

[0007] The invention is based on the basic idea of ​​fixing the contact spring to the busbar with a snap connection. Snap connections of this type are known, for example, from “BAUER - Handbook of Connection Technology; Hanser Verlag Munich Vienna 1991 - ISBN 3-446-14609-1 , p. 294 ff.” What is common to snap connections according to the invention is that a protruding part of a part, e.g. a hook or a bead, is briefly deflected during assembly and snaps into, for example, a recess (undercut) of the connection partner. According to the invention, a snapper, hereinafter referred to as a snap element, is formed on the bearing leg of the contact spring and interacts with a mating surface formed on the fastening surface of the busbar and adapted to the snapper to form a snap connection.

[0008] In order to improve the fixing of the contact spring to the busbar, a stop is also formed on the snap-in or snap-in element, which, when the snap connection is closed with the snap-in element snapped to the counter surface, rests firmly against a counter-stop formed on the fastening surface.

[0009] This allows the busbar and contact spring to be joined easily, securely, and cost-effectively during pre-assembly or parts production. In the final assembly state with the snap connection closed, the interaction of the stop and counter-stop effectively eliminates the longitudinal mobility of the contact spring along the busbar, and the snap connection securely and positively fixes the contact spring to the busbar.

[0010] The contact surface and the fastening surface on the busbar are expediently part of a contact cage with a rectangular hollow cross-section. Such a contact cage promotes a compact design of the contact carrier and is particularly well suited to safely and reliably dissipating the high clamping forces. In addition, the cage walls or cage side walls can fulfill other technical functions or support technical components. In an advantageous further development, a guide surface is arranged in front of the fastening surface on the busbar. Preferably, both surfaces run parallel to one another and, in the final assembly state of the contact carrier with the snap connection closed, accommodate the bearing leg of the contact spring between them and thus additionally guide the bearing leg on the busbar. Expediently, both surfaces flank the bearing leg like clamping jaws when the snap connection is closed.

[0011] A first embodiment of the contact carrier comprises a T-shaped tab bent out from the mounting surface at a substantially right angle. The inner side of the hammer-head-shaped T-shaped crossbar facing the mounting surface forms the guide surface for the bearing leg of the contact spring. The T-shaped longitudinal bar, which forms a constriction between the hammer head and the mounting surface, forms the counter surface for the snap connection with its underside, and the counter stop for the snap connection with its upper side.

[0012] The free end of the bearing leg of the contact spring is slotted with a V-shaped slot. The V-shaped slot widens towards the free end of the bearing leg and tapers towards a preferably rectangular bearing eye cut out of the bearing leg such that the narrow end of the slot virtually opens into the bearing eye. The V-contour of the slot forms an insertion bevel for the bearing leg, with which the bearing leg is pushed longitudinally over the constriction of the T-shaped tab during assembly. Adjacent to the V-contour is a straight slot section running longitudinally of the bearing leg. This straight slot section opens into the bearing eye. The lower edge of the bearing eye is split in two in the middle by the straight slot section and forms two snap surfaces, each at a right angle to the slot.These snap surfaces, the straight slot area and the adjoining V-shaped slot area form the parting line between two snap hooks at the lower end of the bearing leg.

[0013] In the final assembly position of the bearing leg, the constriction of the T-shaped tab completely fills the bearing eye. The underside of the constriction, which serves as the counter surface of the snap connection, is engaged behind by the two snap surfaces of the snap hooks, each perpendicular to the slot in the bearing leg. The spring-elastic snap hooks form the snap elements of this snap connection.

[0014] The upper edge of the bearing eye, opposite and parallel to the snap surfaces, rests firmly against the upper edge of the constriction of the T-shaped tab as a bearing leg-side stop. The upper edge of the constriction thus forms the counter-stop on the contact spring's mounting surface. The snap hooks, which rest firmly against the counter-surface, and the bearing eye's stop, which rests firmly against the counter-stop, fix the bearing leg in its final assembly position on the mounting surface. The inner side of the hammer head, facing the mounting surface, rests against the bearing leg of the contact spring as an additional guide surface. The guide surface and the mounting surface thus guide the bearing leg between them.

[0015] A second embodiment of the contact carrier, in a basic variant, comprises a locking window cut out of the mounting surface of the busbar. A locking tab is bent out of the bearing leg of the contact spring as a snap-in element, corresponding to this locking window in the final assembly state. During assembly, the bearing leg is simply pushed along the mounting surface until the locking tab snaps into the locking window and the upper edge of the locking tab engages behind the upper edge of the locking window as a counter surface on the mounting surface. In this final assembly position, the front side of the free end of the bearing leg rests against a counter stop bent out of the lower edge of the mounting surface as a stop for the bearing leg.

[0016] Finally, a guide tab is bent out from each of the two cage side walls, which connect the contact surface and the busbar mounting surface at the edges and complement the contact cage, toward the interior of the cage. The surface of the guide tabs facing the busbar mounting surface forms a guide surface. In the final assembly state, with the locking tab snapped into the locking window, these guide surfaces and the busbar mounting surface flank the bearing leg of the contact spring between them, effectively clamping it between them.

[0017] A modified version of the second embodiment, compared to this basic version, features two locking windows cut out of the mounting surface at the edges, each formed in pairs, and two locking tabs bent out at the edges on the bearing leg as snap-in elements. The guide tabs with the guide surfaces of the basic version remain unchanged in the modified version.

[0018] In a further development of all embodiments and their variants, contact pins or contact sockets are attached and connected to the busbar in a conventional manner. These contact pins and contact sockets serve as electrical and mechanical coupling elements of a plug-in coupling and further develop the contact carrier into a connector insert. This connector insert can be inserted into a corresponding insulating housing and thus further developed into a connector. Based on the details shown in the drawing figures,

[0019] The invention is explained in further detail in the following exemplary embodiments. They show:

[0020] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the contact cage of a first embodiment of the invention,

[0021] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the corresponding

[0022] Contact spring of this first embodiment,

[0023] Fig. 3 is a partially sectioned perspective view of the first embodiment of the contact carrier,

[0024] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the contact cage of the

[0025] Basic variant of a second embodiment of the invention,

[0026] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the corresponding

[0027] Contact spring of this basic variant of the second embodiment,

[0028] Fig. 6 is a partially sectioned perspective view of this

[0029] Basic variant of the second embodiment of the contact carrier,

[0030] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the contact cage of a modified variant of the second embodiment of the invention,

[0031] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the corresponding

[0032] Contact spring of this modified variant of the second embodiment and

[0033] Fig. 9 is a partially sectioned perspective view of this modified variant of the second embodiment of the contact carrier.

[0034] Fig. 1 shows a contact cage 1 as a component of a busbar 2 with a contact surface 3 and a fastening surface 4 on the busbar. This contact cage 1 has a rectangular hollow cross-section. The contact surface 3 and the fastening surface 4 form a front and a rear cage wall of the contact cage 1. These cage walls are connected to each other at their edges by cage side walls 5, which run at right angles to the cage walls, and complement the rectangular hollow cross-section of the contact cage 1.

[0035] In a first embodiment of the contact carrier shown in Fig. 3, a T-shaped tab 6 is bent out essentially at a right angle from the fastening surface 4. The inner side of the T-crossbar, designed in the manner of a hammer head 7, facing the fastening surface 4 forms a guide surface 8 for a bearing leg 9 of a contact spring 10 shown in Fig. 2. The T-longitudinal bar, which forms a constriction 11 between the hammer head 7 and the fastening surface 4, forms with its underside a counter surface 12 for a snap connection and with its upper side a counter stop 13 for this snap connection.

[0036] The free end of the bearing leg 9 of the contact spring 10 is slotted by means of a V-shaped slot 14. The V-shaped slot 14 widens towards the free end of the bearing leg and tapers towards a rectangular bearing eye 15 cut out of the bearing leg such that the narrow end of the slot 14 virtually opens into the bearing eye 15. The V-contour of the slot 14 forms an insertion bevel for the bearing leg 9, with which the bearing leg 9 is pushed in its longitudinal direction 16 over the constriction 11 of the T-shaped tab 6 during assembly.

[0037] Adjacent to the V-contour is a straight slotted section 17 running in the longitudinal direction 16 of the bearing leg 9. This straight slotted section 17 terminates in the bearing eye 15. The lower edge of the bearing eye 15 is split in two in the middle by the straight slotted section 17 and forms two snap surfaces 18, each perpendicular to the slot 14. These snap surfaces 18, the straight slotted section 17, and the adjoining V-shaped widened slot 14 thus form the joint between two spring-loaded snap hooks 19 at the lower end of the bearing leg 9 of the contact spring 10.

[0038] In the final assembly position of the bearing leg 9, the constriction 11 of the T-shaped tab 6 completely fills the bearing eye 15 in the bearing leg 9. The underside of the constriction 11, as the counter surface 12 of a snap connection, is engaged behind by the two snap surfaces 18 of the snap hooks 19, each extending at right angles to the slot 14 in the bearing leg 9. The snap hooks 19 form the snap elements of this snap connection.

[0039] The upper edge of the bearing eye 15, which is opposite the snap surfaces 18 in the longitudinal direction 16 and runs parallel to the snap surfaces 18, rests firmly as a bearing leg-side stop 20 on the upper edge of the constriction 11 of the T-shaped tab 6. The upper edge of the constriction 11 thus forms the counter-stop 13 on the fastening surface 4 of the contact spring 10. The snap hooks 19, which rest firmly on the counter surface 12, and the stop 20 of the bearing eye 15, which rests firmly on the counter-stop 13, thus fix the bearing leg 9 in its final assembly position on the fastening surface 4. The inner side of the hammer head 7, which faces the fastening surface 4, rests as an additional guide surface 8 on the bearing leg 9 of the contact spring 10. The guide surface 8 and the fastening surface 4 thus guide the bearing leg 9 between them.

[0040] A second embodiment of the contact carrier shown in Fig. 6 comprises, in a basic variant, a latching window 21 cut out of the fastening surface 4 of the busbar 2. A latching tab 22 corresponding to this latching window 21 in the final assembly state is bent out of the bearing leg 9 of the contact spring 10 shown in Fig. 5 as a snap-in element. During assembly, the bearing leg 9 is simply pushed along the fastening surface 4 in the longitudinal direction 16 until the latching tab 22 snaps into the latching window 21 and the upper edge of the latching tab 22 engages behind the upper edge of the latching window 21 as a counter surface 12. In this final assembly position, the front side of the free end of the bearing leg 9 rests as a stop 20 of the bearing leg 9 against a counter stop 13 bent out of the lower edge of the fastening surface 4.

[0041] Finally, a guide tab 23 is bent out from each of the two cage side walls 5, which connect the contact surface 3 and the fastening surface 4 of the busbar 10 at the edges and complement the contact cage 1, in the direction of the cage interior. The surface of the guide tabs 23 facing the fastening surface 4 of the busbar 10 forms a guide surface 8. In the final assembly state, with the locking tab 22 snapped into the locking window 21, these guide surfaces 8 and the fastening surface 4 of the busbar 2 each flank the bearing leg 9 of the contact spring 10 and, as it were, clamp it between them.

[0042] Fig. 7, Fig. 8, and Fig. 9 show a modified version of the second embodiment compared to the basic version shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6. The contact carrier shown there comprises two locking windows 21 cut out of the mounting surface 4 at the edges, each formed in pairs, and correspondingly, on the bearing leg 9, two locking tabs 22 bent out at the edges as snap-in elements. The guide lugs 23 with the guide surfaces 8 of the basic version shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6 are retained unchanged in the modified version. Applicant: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG

[0043] Title: Contact carrier, connector insert and connector

[0044] List of reference symbols

[0045] 1 contact cage

[0046] 2 busbar

[0047] 3 Contact surface

[0048] 4 Mounting surface

[0049] 5 Cage side wall

[0050] 6 tab

[0051] 7 Hammerhead

[0052] 8 Guide surface

[0053] 9 bearing legs

[0054] 10 contact spring

[0055] 11 Constriction

[0056] 12 Counter surface

[0057] 13 Counter stop

[0058] 14 slot

[0059] 15 Bearing eye

[0060] 16 Longitudinal direction

[0061] 17 straight slot area

[0062] 18 Snap surface

[0063] 19 snap hooks

[0064] 20 stops

[0065] 21 rest windows

[0066] 22 locking tab

[0067] 23 guide tabs

Claims

Claims: Contact carrier comprising a busbar (2) and a contact spring (10) with a clamping leg for clamping contact of an electrical conductor between the clamping leg and a contact surface (4) on the busbar (2) and with a bearing leg (9) connected to the clamping leg for permanently fixing the contact spring (10) to a mounting surface (4) of the busbar (2), characterized in that at least one snap element is formed on the bearing leg (9) and at least one counter surface (12) cooperating with the snap element is formed on the mounting surface (4) such thatthat the snap element engages the counter surface (12) when the bearing leg (9) is fixed to the mounting surface (4) to close a snap connection, and that a stop (20) arranged longitudinally (16) of the bearing leg (9) at a longitudinal distance from the snap element on the bearing leg (9) rests firmly against a counter stop (13) formed on the mounting surface (4) when the snap connection is closed, thus eliminating the longitudinal movement of the bearing leg (9) relative to the mounting surface (4). Contact carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact surface (3) and the mounting surface (4) of the busbar (2) form opposing cage walls of a contact cage (1) with a rectangular hollow cross-section and are each terminated at their ends by a right-angled connection to the contact surface (3). and cage side wall (5) extending to the mounting surface (4) are connected to each other. Contact carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one guide surface (8) opposite the mounting surface (4) is formed on the busbar (2), and that the mounting surface (4) and the guide surface (8) flank the bearing leg (9) of the contact spring (10) on opposite sides and guide it between them when the snap connection is closed. Contact carrier according to claim 3, characterized by a T-shaped tab (6) bent out from the mounting surface (4) of the busbar (2), with a hammerhead (7) as the T-crossbar and a constriction (11) between the hammerhead (7) and the mounting surface (4) as the T-longitudinal bar.by a bearing eye (15) cut out of the bearing leg (9) of the contact spring (10) with a hollow cross-section complementary to the cross-section of the constriction (11) and with a V-shaped slot (14) converging towards the bearing eye (15) in the free end of the bearing leg (9) adjoining the bearing eye (15) to form two opposing snap hooks (19) which engage behind the T-shaped tab (6) in the area of ​​its constriction (11) when the snap connection is closed, wherein the lower side of the constriction (11) forms the counter surface (12) for the snap hooks, wherein the upper end of the bearing eye (15) forms the stop (20) and the upper side of the constriction (11) forms the counter stop (13), and wherein the partial surfaces facing the mounting surface (4) flank the constriction (11) laterally The hammerhead (7) forms the guide surfaces (8) for the bearing journal (9). Contact carrier according to claim 3 characterized by at least one locking window (21) cut out from the mounting surface (4) of the busbar (2), by at least one locking tab (22) bent out on the bearing leg (9) of the contact spring (10) such that, when the snap connection is closed, the locking tab (22) projects into the locking window (21) and the free end of the locking tab (22) rests against the upper edge of the locking window (21) and at the same time the end face of the free end of the bearing leg (9) rests against the lower end of the mounting surface (4) bent out as a stop (20) as a counter stop (13), and by at least one guide flap (23) bent out from a cage side wall (5) towards the interior of the contact cage (1) such that the surface of the guide flap (23) facing the mounting surface (4) forms the guide surface (8).A contact carrier according to claim 5, characterized in that two locking windows (21) are arranged in pairs in the mounting surface (4) of the busbar (2), two locking tabs (22) bent from the contact spring (10), and one guide flap (23) bent from each of the two cage side walls (5). A contact carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by at least one contact pin connected to the busbar (2) or a contact socket connected to the busbar as part of a plug connector.

8. Connector insert with a contact carrier according to one of claims 1 to 6 and with a contact pin or a contact socket connected thereto according to claim 7.

9. Connector with an insulating housing and with a Insulating housing connector insert according to claim 8.

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