Mountable touch protection cover, interface, and module connector

Abstract

To increase electrical safety.SOLUTION: Provided is a touch protection cover 1 for a connection member of a module connector, wherein the touch protection cover 1 comprises a housing section 16 which forms a protective collar for the connection member, a contacting chamber 26 which is surrounded by the protective collar 18 and which is configured to receive the connection member, and a positioning section 58 within the contacting chamber 26, wherein the positioning section 58 comprises one support surface 60 which is offset from the protective collar 18 and faces inwardly with respect to the contacting chamber 26 and which is configured to abut against the connection member 14a. The positioning section 58 allows the connection member 14a to be used as a reference point when attaching the touch protection cover 1. This makes positioning precise and the protective collar 18 can reliably fulfill its touch protection function. The present invention also relates to an interface 4 with a touch protection cover 1 and an electrically conductive connection member 14a as well as a module connector with the interface 4 and a mating member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrically insulating touch-protective cover for connecting members of an electrical module connector. The present invention further relates to an interface comprising such a touch-protective cover and an electrically conductive connecting member. The present invention further relates to a module connector comprising an interface and a mating member complementary to the interface. [Background technology]

[0002] Module connectors are used in battery systems and other energy systems to connect different electrical modules together using current conductors connected by connecting members. The modules may be battery modules, control units, or current transformers or busbars. Such modules often operate at high voltages and / or currents, which can be dangerous to users, such as factory mechanics.

[0003] For this reason, touch protection is provided to cover the respective current conductors and / or connecting members of the module connector, particularly in locations where a user may be expected to come close. Such covering need only prevent user accessibility, but must not impair accessibility of the complementary mating members of the interface, as otherwise the module connector would not be able to perform its function.

[0004] Fitting and attaching touch protection to the connecting members is a critical step here, the proper and correct implementation of which can minimize the risk to the user of the module connector. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device that increases the electrical safety of modular connectors and reduces their manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, this is achieved by an electrically insulating touch protection cover for a connection member, including a fixing element, of an electrical module connector, the touch protection cover comprising a housing portion forming a protective collar for the connection member, a contact chamber at least partially surrounded by the protective collar and configured to at least partially receive the connection member, and a positioning portion for positioning the connection member relative to the protective collar, the positioning portion extending at least partially within the contact chamber, the positioning portion including at least one support surface offset from the protective collar and facing inwardly relative to the contact chamber.

[0007] The connecting member is a conductive component attached to the current conductor and, together with the touch-protective cover, forms the interface of the module connector. Furthermore, the support surface offset from the protective collar is a surface that clearly protrudes from the protective collar. The positioning portion may be a single continuous portion or a plurality of separate portions.

[0008] The solution according to the invention is advantageous because the positioning portion allows the connection member itself, i.e., the covered component, to be directly used as a reference point for positioning the touch protection cover when mounting or attaching the touch protection cover. This prevents incorrect positioning and subsequent displacement of the touch protection cover, and therefore allows the protective collar to fully and reliably perform its touch protection function. Therefore, a module connector equipped with such a touch protection cover exhibits high electrical safety and can be produced more cheaply due to less waste.

[0009] For example, the touch-protective cover can be attached to the connecting member together with its contact chamber. When the connecting member is received in the contact chamber, the positioning portion can now rest against the connecting member with its at least one inwardly facing support surface, thus accurately positioning the touch-protective cover relative to the connecting member. In other words, the positioning portion helps to accurately position the connecting member within the protective collar.

[0010] In particular, this provides for more accurate positioning compared to conventional touch protection covers in which the current conductors, rather than the connecting members, serve as the reference points, and therefore the dimensional and positional tolerances of the current conductors and the connecting members that affect the positioning of conventional touch protection covers have no effect on the touch protection cover according to the invention, which is advantageous.

[0011] The solution according to the invention can be further improved by the following independent and individually advantageous configurations and further developments.

[0012] According to a first possible embodiment, at least one surface of the touch protection cover, in particular the at least one support surface, can be configured to abut against the connecting member. For example, at least one surface of the touch protection cover, in particular the at least one support surface, can define an inner contour that at least partially corresponds to the outer contour of the connecting member. In this way, precise abutment of the at least one support surface against the connecting member can be easily ensured. In particular, at least one surface of the touch protection cover, for example the at least one support surface, can be configured to abut precisely and conformably against the connecting member, further improving the positioning accuracy of the touch protection cover.

[0013] If the connecting member has a circular outer contour, the positioning feature can also function as a centering feature. In other words, at least one surface of the touch protection cover, in particular at least one support surface, can have a corresponding inner contour, and the positioning feature therefore ensures centering of the touch protection cover relative to the connecting member having a circular outer contour. For example, the positioning feature can form a narrowing in the contact chamber, which narrowing positions the connecting member concentrically when in the attached state. The positioning feature can here narrow the contact chamber stepwise or continuously.

[0014] According to further possible embodiments, the positioning portion can adjoin the housing portion. In particular, the positioning portion and the housing portion can be connected. This connection can be integral, monolithic or materially bonded. Advantageously, the touch protection cover is therefore an integral, single-part component. Alternatively, the touch protection cover can be constructed in multiple parts.

[0015] In both the single-part and multi-part embodiments of the touch protection cover, the positioning portion can protrude from the housing portion. In particular, the positioning portion can be formed by a continuous internal flange protruding from the protective collar into the contact chamber. Alternatively, the positioning portion can be formed by at least three separate positioning protrusions, each of which protrudes from the protective collar. Each of the positioning portions or their positioning protrusions can here protrude into the contact chamber. Furthermore, each of the positioning protrusions can include a support surface and / or be located at a fixed angular distance from each other. By using at least three positioning protrusions, a unique stable position can be defined, like a tripod.

[0016] Optionally, the positioning portion can be formed by an even number of positioning protrusions, which are preferably arranged in pairs opposite to each other relative to the contact chambers, resulting in a two-sided abutment against the connecting member, which improves the stability of the touch protection cover when in the attached state.

[0017] To enhance the touch protection function, the protective collar of the housing part can extend over the connecting member in the mounted state. In addition, the protective collar can be configured as a free-standing, continuous, and complete part. For example, the protective collar can be configured as a sleeve, in particular as a cylinder. The inner diameter of the protective collar can here preferably be greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the protective housing of the mating member of the interface. When connecting the interface to the mating member, the protective collar can at least partially receive the protective housing.

[0018] In order to provide space in the contact chamber for the received connecting member of the interface as well as the protective housing of the mating member, the protective collar can be separated from the connecting member by a spacing gap, meaning that the spacing gap between the protective collar and the connecting member of the interface is configured to at least partially receive the protective housing of the mating member.

[0019] The connecting member may be a battery terminal or a pole terminal. For example, the connecting member may include a contact ring that functions as a current bridge. As mentioned earlier, the connecting member may also include a fastening element, such as a bayonet element, a bolt, a pin, a clamp, a rivet, a threaded sleeve, a screw, or a screw nut. The contact ring may at least partially receive the fastening element.

[0020] The contact ring is cylindrically shaped and has a flat face surface against which the connecting member of the fitting member, also configured as a contact ring, can come into contact. This contact preferably takes place in a contact chamber. In other words, the protective collar can be configured to at least partially surround the area where the connecting member of the interface and the connecting member of the fitting member come into contact with each other. The contact chamber is therefore configured to at least partially receive the connecting member of the fitting member in addition to the connecting member of the interface and the protective housing of the fitting member.

[0021] Each connecting element can be disposed at one end or between two ends of a respective current conductor of the module connector. The current conductors can be, for example, flat conductors, bus bars, current strips, or cables. Each current conductor leads to a different module, which is connected to each other by the module connector and its connecting element. For example, a contact ring can be pressed into the receiving opening of the associated current conductor. The press-fit between the contact ring and the current conductor is preferably reinforced by a fastening element received in the contact ring being pressed into the current conductor.

[0022] To increase stability, the housing part and the positioning part can also together form a bearing surface for the current conductor of the modular connector, which is configured as a flat conductor, a busbar, or a current strip. In particular, the housing part and the centering part can extend flush with each other in the area of ​​the bearing surface. In addition, the bearing surface can extend parallel to the main surface of the flat conductor. This allows the touch protection cover to rest on the top surface of the flat conductor at the bearing surface.

[0023] To facilitate attachment of the touch protection cover to the connecting member as described above, the contact chambers can extend in a plug-in direction along which the interface can also be connected to a complementary mating member of the modular connector. Since the at least one support surface faces inwardly relative to the contact chamber, the positioning feature, together with the at least one support surface, when attached to the contact chamber can provide a sliding or guiding surface along which the touch protection cover moves relative to the connecting member.

[0024] In addition to mounting the touch protection cover, its fastening is also a step that often ties up resources. Conventional touch protection covers require multi-part designs and / or special tools for this purpose. In a further possible embodiment, the touch protection cover according to the present invention can instead be configured to form a latch-type mating connection with the current conductors of the module connector. In particular, the housing part can form at least one latch hook including a latch protrusion and a latch arm carrying the latch protrusion.

[0025] The latch projection preferably has a hook surface facing the protective collar, thereby forming an undercut or backdraft. The distance measured in the insertion direction between the aforementioned bearing surface and the hook surface corresponds as closely as possible to the material thickness of the current conductor. This means that a current conductor configured as a flat conductor, for example, can be held with a form fit between the bearing surface and the hook surface. The latch arm can extend transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the positioning part and / or protrude from the bearing surface.

[0026] The latch arm must be sized accordingly for this required length. Additionally, the latch arm stands on the protective collar, is freestanding, and is specifically configured to be more flexible than the rest of the housing section.

[0027] The touch-protective cover can first be hooked onto the end of the current conductor by the protruding L-shaped edge of the housing part, and then engaged in a latch-type mating connection by at least one latch hook. Optionally, the housing part can also form at least two latch hooks, which are arranged opposite each other with respect to the contact chamber. The latch protrusions can face towards each other or away from each other, which means that they face inward or outward with respect to the contact chamber. According to particularly compact embodiments, the latch protrusions of the latch hook can also perform the function of positioning protrusions. In other words, in addition to the hook surface facing towards the protective collar, the latch protrusions can also provide a support surface facing into the contact chamber.

[0028] For a latch-type mating connection, the latch hooks can engage externally around the current conductor. In addition to the aforementioned receiving openings, the current conductor can alternatively have secondary holes parallel to the receiving openings. The latch hooks can then be individually inserted into the secondary holes. The secondary holes are therefore sized to allow the latch projections to pass through.

[0029] The current conductor may include a secondary hole for each latch hook. Optionally, the current conductor may have more secondary holes than latch hooks. In this case, the housing part may form at least one coding pin extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the positioning part. The at least one coding pin serves to define a predetermined orientation of the touch protection cover relative to the current conductor. The coding pin protrudes from the bearing surface. The coding pin and the latch hooks may preferably extend parallel to each other. The coding pin ensures that the touch protection cover can rest on the current conductor at the bearing surface only when the touch protection cover has a predetermined orientation in which the coding pin corresponds to the associated secondary hole. This prevents incorrect assembly of the touch protection cover.

[0030] The initially mentioned object is also achieved by an interface for a modular connector, comprising a touch protection cover according to one of the above embodiments and a conductive connecting member of the modular connector, wherein the protective collar of the touch protection cover is spaced from the connecting member by a spacing gap, and the positioning portion fills this spacing gap and abuts against the connecting member, such that the spacing gap has a constant width over the entire inner circumference of the contact chamber.

[0031] The interface benefits from the advantages of the touch protection cover described above. In particular, the positioning feature prevents the touch protection cover from shifting laterally, which would cause the gap width to become unacceptably large on one side. In the case of rotationally symmetrical connecting members, the positioning feature ensures that the touch protection cover is centered relative to the connecting member. In other words, the positioning feature thereby functions as a centering feature.

[0032] Optionally, an electrically insulating protective cap can be fitted over one end of the threaded sleeve or threads of the connecting member, which, together with the protective collar, can selectively limit the accessibility of the contact ring.

[0033] A modular connector comprising the aforementioned interface and a complementary mating member configured to be connectable to the interface along a plugging direction also achieves the initially stated objective when the mating member includes a protective housing and the gap between the protective collar and the connecting member of the interface is configured to at least partially receive the protective housing of the mating member.

[0034] Therefore, the touch-protective cover and the protective housing together can fulfill the function of touch protection and ensure the electrical safety of the module connector.

[0035] The module connector may comprise a current conductor configured as a flat conductor having the aforementioned receiving opening, into which the connecting member of the interface is attached. In addition, a touch-protective cover may be connected to the aforementioned flat conductor in a latch-type mating manner. In particular, the flat conductor may include one or more secondary holes, through which the touch-protective cover in the form of a latch hook and / or coding pin extends at least partially.

[0036] To facilitate easier handling of the module connector, the touch-protective cover of the interface can be configured to be in a pre-latched state with the protective housing of the mating member. To this end, complementary pre-latching elements can be provided on the touch-protective cover or the protective housing, respectively. The pulling force required to release the pre-latched state should be less than the pulling force required to release the latched mating connection, so that the touch-protective cover, together with the protective housing, cannot be accidentally pulled out of the interface. The two aforementioned forces are understood to act parallel to the plugging direction.

[0037] According to an advantageous embodiment, when the touch protection cover can be attached to the module connector by blind mounting, it is sufficient to have access to the flat conductors only from the aforementioned top surface. Therefore, it is not necessary to access the flat conductors from the bottom surface, which is arranged opposite to the top surface. In other words, the touch protection cover according to this embodiment can be attached to the connecting member from the top surface of the flat conductors and pressed against the connecting member to establish a latch-type mating connection. For this purpose, each latch hook preferably includes an insertion bevel, which makes it easier to insert the latch hook into the secondary hole. This further ensures compatibility with automatic placement machines (e.g., pick-and-place robots).

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on several exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawings. Different features of the exemplary embodiments can be combined with each other as needed according to the above findings. In particular, individual features can be added to the described embodiments according to the above explanations if the effects of these features are necessary for a specific application. Conversely, individual features can be omitted from existing embodiments if the technical effects of these features are not important in a specific application. Similar, identical, and functionally identical elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals as needed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a modular connector. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a module connector interface; [Figure 3] 3 is a further schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the interface of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a touch-protective cover. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the touch protection cover of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of an interface according to a further exemplary embodiment; [Figure 7] 7 is a further schematic cross-sectional side view of the interface of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an interface according to a further exemplary embodiment; [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an interface according to a further exemplary embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an electrically insulating touch-protective cover 1 for an electrical module connector 2. The touch-protective cover 1 is part of an interface 4 of the module connector 2. In addition to the interface 4, the module connector 2 includes a complementary mating member 6 configured to be connectable to the interface 4 along a plugging direction 8. The mating member 6 includes a protective housing 10 that is pluggable into the touch-protective cover 1 of the interface 4 along the plugging direction 8.

[0041] When the interface 4 and the mating member 6 are in a connected state (not shown), a conductive current path extends through the module connector 2. Thus, the module connector 2 can be used, for example, in a battery system (not shown) of an electric vehicle or another type of energy system for power transmission.

[0042] 1, the module connector 2 includes two current conductors 12a, 12b connectable to each other by conductive connecting members 14a, 14b. One current conductor 12a and one connecting member 14a each belong to the interface 4. The other current conductor 12b and the other connecting member 14b are disposed in a mating member 6 of the interface 4. As will be explained in more detail below, the touch-protective cover 1 and the protective housing 10 function to prevent unintentional contact with the respective connecting members 14a, 14b.

[0043] The touch-protective cover 1 includes a housing part 16 that forms a protective collar 18 for the connecting element 14a. The protective collar 18 of the housing part 16 extends over the connecting element 14a (see FIG. 3). As can be clearly seen in FIG. 5, the protective collar 18 can be configured as a free-standing, continuous, and integral part. In the illustrated example, the protective collar 18 is configured as a sleeve, in particular as a cylinder. An inner diameter 20 of the protective collar 18 is preferably greater than or equal to an outer diameter 22 of a housing collar 24 of the protective housing 10. Thus, when connecting the interface 4 to the mating element 6, the protective collar 18 can coaxially receive the housing collar 24.

[0044] The housing collar 24 is received in a contact chamber 26 of the touch-protective cover 1, which is surrounded by the protective collar 18. In other words, the contact chamber 26 extends through the housing part 16 in the plug-in direction 8 and is accessible to the housing collar 24. The contact chamber 26 is simultaneously configured to at least partially receive the connecting element 14a. For this purpose, the protective collar 18 is separated from the received connecting element 14a by a spacing gap 28 (see FIG. 3). The housing collar 24 of the protective housing 10 is therefore accommodated in the spacing gap 28. This means that the spacing gap 28 between the protective collar 18 and the connecting element 14a of the interface 4 is configured to at least partially receive the protective housing 10 of the mating element 6.

[0045] Thereafter, the reception of the connecting members 14a into the aforementioned contact chambers 26 occurs when the touch protection cover 1 is attached to the rest of the interface 4. In other words, the touch protection cover 1, together with its contact chambers 26, is attached to the interface 4 and its connecting members 14a.

[0046] The connecting member 14a of the interface 4 may be a current bridge 30, such as a cylindrical contact ring 32. The contact ring 32 includes a flat front side 34, with which the connecting member 14b of the fitting 6, which is also configured as a contact ring (not shown), can come into contact. This contact preferably takes place in a contact chamber 26. In other words, the protective collar 18 is configured to at least partially surround the area where the connecting member 14a of the interface 4 and the connecting member 14b of the fitting 6 come into contact with each other. The contact chamber 26 is therefore also configured to at least partially receive the connecting member 14b.

[0047] The protective housing 10 may include an interior cavity capable of at least partially receiving the connecting member 14b and the current conductor 12b. Additionally, the protective housing 10 may be configured to be two pieces to facilitate receiving the connecting member 14b and the current conductor 12b. However, a protective housing 10 configured to be a single piece is also possible.

[0048] The current conductors 12 a, 12 b are, for example, flat conductors 36, bus bars 38, current strips 40, or cables attached to the battery system. Two or more electrical modules (not shown) of the battery system can thereby be connected to each other by the current conductors 12 a, 12 b and the connecting members 14 a, 14 b. The electrical modules may be battery modules, control units, or current converters of the battery system, respectively.

[0049] Each connection member 14a, 14b is disposed at one end 42 or between the two ends of the respective current conductors 12a, 12b. Furthermore, each connection member 14a, 14b includes a fastening element 44, for example, a fastening element 44 for a threaded connection. For example, the connection member 14a of the interface 4 includes a threaded sleeve 46 having an internal thread 48, and the other connection member 14b includes a matching screw 50 having an external thread.

[0050] Optionally, an electrically insulating protective cap 52 can be attached to one end of the threaded sleeve 46. Similarly, the screw 50 can carry a protective cap (not shown) at one end. The protective cap 52, together with the protective collar 18, can particularly limit the accessibility of the connecting member 14a. Here, the contact chamber 26 and the connecting member 14a are accessible only via an annular access slot 54, which extends between the protective collar 18 and the protective cap 52 and opens into the spacing gap 28 (see FIG. 3).

[0051] The width 56 of the access slot 54 depends on the desired / specified protection rating (e.g., IPXXB) to be achieved by the touch protection cover 1. The protection rating can be verified using a standardized test finger (not shown) that simulates a user's finger. The smaller the test finger cannot penetrate the access slot 54 from all sides, the better / higher the protection rating. For example, standard DIN EN60529:2000 specifies a test finger with a length of 80 mm and a diameter of 12 mm. Other relevant standards may be VDE0470 part 1 or part 2, IEC / EN60034-5, IEC / EN60065, IEC / EN60335, IEC / EN60529, IEC / EN60745-1, IEC / EN60950, IEC61010, and IEC / EN61032.

[0052] Because the access slot 54 is defined by the protective collar 18 and the protective cap 52, its width 56 is locally dependent on the relative positions of the protective collar 18 and the protective cap 52. If the touch protection cover 1 is misaligned laterally, the access slot 54 may have an unacceptably large width 56 on one side. To prevent this, it is advantageous to accurately position the touch protection cover 1 when attaching it to the connecting member 14a.

[0053] For this purpose, the touch-protective cover 1 comprises a positioning portion 58 which extends at least partially within the contact chamber 26 and adjoins, for example, the housing part 16. As can be seen in FIG. 4 , the positioning portion 58 comprises at least one support surface 60, sliding surface 62 or guide surface 64, respectively, which is offset from the protective collar 18 and faces inwardly towards the contact chamber 26. In other words, the positioning portion 58 can protrude from the housing part 16 into the interior of the contact chamber 26. The positioning portion 58 and the housing part 16 can here in particular be connected integrally, monolithically or by material bonding. With a touch-protective cover 1 manufactured as an injection-molded part made of plastic material, an integrally formed monolithic connection can be easily implemented.

[0054] The at least one support surface 60 is configured to abut the connecting member 14a in a particularly precise and conforming manner (see FIG. 3). For example, the at least one support surface 60 can define an inner contour 66 (see FIG. 5) that at least partially corresponds to an outer contour 68 (see FIG. 1) of the connecting member 14a. When the connecting member 14a is received in the contact chamber 26, the positioning portion 58 rests against the connecting member 14a with its at least one support surface 60, and thus can directly use the connecting member 14a as a positioning reference point.

[0055] When the inner contour 66 and the outer contour 68 each have rotational symmetry, the positioning portion 58 can also function as a centering portion 70. This results in more accurate centering of the touch protection cover 1 compared to a conventional touch protection cover (not shown) in which the current conductor 12a functions as the reference point for centering. Therefore, the dimensional tolerances and position tolerances between the current conductor 12a and the connecting member 14a that affect the centering of a conventional touch protection cover have no effect at all, or at least have a small effect, on the touch protection cover 1 according to the present invention.

[0056] 3, it can be seen that the centering portion 70 fills the above-mentioned spacing gap 28 and abuts the connecting member 14a with an exact fit. Furthermore, the centering portion 70 can form a narrowing 72 in the contact chamber 26, which narrowing 72 is preferably concentric with the contact chamber 26 (see FIG. 5). In particular, the centering portion 70 can narrow the contact chamber 26 in a stepwise or continuous manner, so that the connecting member 14a is received in the contact chamber 26 with as little play as possible. This allows for a centered arrangement of the above-mentioned touch-protective cover 1 relative to the connecting member 14a.

[0057] Optionally, the positioning portion 58 can be formed by at least three positioning protrusions 73. Accordingly, the positioning portion 58 functioning as the centering portion 70 can be formed by at least three centering protrusions 74. The positioning protrusions 73 or centering protrusions 74 can each protrude from the protective collar 18 as a ring segment and / or a partial flange, and in particular into the contact chamber 26. The positioning protrusions 73 or centering protrusions 74 can be uniformly distributed on the protective collar 18 and can have a uniform angular distance from each other in pairs. In addition, each of the positioning protrusions 73 or centering protrusions 74 can include a support surface 60, so that the entire positioning protrusions 73 or centering protrusions 74 define the inner contour 66 described above.

[0058] Optionally, the positioning portion 58 can be formed by an even number of positioning protrusions 73. Similarly, the positioning portion 58 functioning as the centering portion 70 can be formed by an even number of centering protrusions 74, whereby the centering protrusions 74 can be arranged in pairs opposite each other with respect to the contacting chamber 26. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, four centering protrusions 74 are provided, which are arranged opposite each other left and right and above and below in the plane of the drawing. According to an alternative embodiment (not shown), the centering portion 70 can be formed by a continuous inner flange or a full flange protruding from the protective collar 18 into the contacting chamber 26.

[0059] In order for the touch-protective cover 1 to be stably seated on the flat conductors 36 of the module connector 2, the housing part 16 and the positioning part 58, in particular the centering part 70, together can form a bearing surface 76 for the flat conductors 36. Furthermore, the housing part 16 and the positioning part 58 or the centering part 70, respectively, can extend flush with one another in the region of the bearing surface 76 (see FIG. 3 ). In addition, the bearing surface 76 can extend parallel to the main surface 78 of the flat conductors 36. Thereby, the touch-protective cover 1 can rest on an upper surface 80 of the flat conductors 36 with the bearing surface 76.

[0060] 3, the contact ring 32 includes a shoulder 82, which is pressed into a receiving opening 84 of the current conductor 12a. The press fit between the contact ring 32 and the current conductor 12a is further reinforced by the threaded sleeve 46 being pressed onto the contact ring 32. A flange 86 at one of the other ends of the threaded sleeve 46, located opposite the protective cap 52, clamps the current conductor 12a together with the shoulder 82 of the contact ring 32, thus holding the connecting member 14a in the receiving opening 84 of the current conductor 12a by form-fitting engagement in addition to the frictional engagement due to the press fit.

[0061] It is clear from FIG. 1 that the current conductor 12a includes at least one secondary hole 88 extending parallel to the receiving opening 84. In particular, the receiving opening 84 can be surrounded by a plurality of such secondary holes 88. The secondary holes 88 serve to attach the touch protective cover 1 to the current conductor 12a. For the same purpose, the touch protective cover 1 can extend at least partially through the secondary holes 88. In particular, the housing part 16 can form at least one latch hook 90 including a latch protrusion 92 and a latch arm 94 carrying the latch protrusion 92. The at least one latch hook 90 can be inserted into one of the secondary holes 88. The secondary hole 88 is preferably sized to allow the latch hook 90, in particular its latch protrusion 92, to be inserted therein.

[0062] The latching projections 92 preferably include hook surfaces 96 configured to establish a latch-shaped mating connection with the flat conductors 36 of the modular connector 2 after the latching projections 92 are fully inserted into the secondary holes 88. The hook surfaces 96 face toward the protective collar 18 and may form an undercut or backdraft. Here, a distance 98 measured in the insertion direction 8 between the aforementioned bearing surfaces 76 and the hook surfaces 96 corresponds as closely as possible to a material thickness 100 of the flat conductors 36 (see FIG. 7 ).

[0063] The latch arms 94 should be sized to be appropriately long. Additionally, the latch arms 94 are configured to stand on the protective collar 18, be freestanding, and be particularly flexible relative to the remainder of the housing portion 16. As shown in FIG. 7 , the latch arms 94 do not entirely fill the secondary holes 88 through which the latch projections 92 are inserted. For example, the latch arms 94 only fill the secondary holes 88 to the extent that the free cross-sectional area 102 of the secondary holes 88 corresponds to the hook regions 96. If necessary, the latch arms 94 can then be deflected in the secondary holes 88, which can pull the hook regions 96 away from under the flat conductors 36, releasing the latch-form mating connection, and ultimately, the latch hooks 90 can be withdrawn from the secondary holes 88.

[0064] The aforementioned deflection of the latch arms 94 and the subsequent step allow the touch-protective cover 1 to be removed without damage, for example as part of maintenance or repair of the interface 4. Here, it is desirable to make the latch hooks 90 accessible from the underside 104 of the flat conductors 36, opposite the aforementioned upper side 80. Access to the underside 104 of the flat conductors 36 is not necessary to attach the touch-protective cover 1. In particular, the touch-protective cover 1 can be attached to the module connector 2 by blind attachment. In other words, it is advantageously sufficient to attach the touch-protective cover 1 to the connecting member 14a from the upper side 80 of the flat conductors 36 and press to establish a latch-type mating connection. To this end, at least one latch hook 90 preferably includes an insertion bevel 106 to facilitate easier insertion of the latch hook 90 into the secondary hole 88 and ensure compatibility with automated placement machinery (e.g., a pick-and-place robot).

[0065] 7, the housing portion 16 can form at least two latch hooks 90, which are disposed opposite one another with respect to the contact chamber 26 and whose latch protrusions 92 face toward one another. According to an optional embodiment (not shown), the latch protrusions 92 of the latch hooks 90 can perform the function of the centering protrusions 74, or at least support that function. To this end, the inwardly facing latch protrusions 92 can not only provide a hook surface 96, but also a support surface 60 extending perpendicular to the hook surface 96. Alternatively, the latch protrusions 92 of the oppositely disposed latch hooks 90 can face away from one another (not shown).

[0066] 4 and 5, it can be seen that the illustrated touch-protective cover 1 includes a total of four latch hooks 90, with the four centering projections 74 and the four latch hooks 90 distributed alternately around the inner circumference 108 of the contact chamber 26. Of course, a different number or distribution is possible.

[0067] As can be seen in Fig. 7, the latch hooks 90 can be arranged below the protective collar 18 in the plug-in direction 8. According to an alternative embodiment of Fig. 9, the latch hooks 90 can be arranged further outwards of the protective collar 18 and can engage from the outside around the flat conductors 36 instead of penetrating them at the secondary holes 88. In this case, the secondary holes 88 in the flat conductors 36 can be omitted. According to a further alternative embodiment of Fig. 8, the touch-protective cover 1 can first be hooked onto the ends 42 of the current conductors 12a by the protruding L-shaped edges 109 of the housing part 16, and then a latch-fit connection can be made by the single latch hook 90.

[0068] A further possible use of the one or more secondary holes 88 is to define a predetermined orientation of the touch protective cover 1. In addition to or instead of the latch hook 90, the housing part 16 can form at least one coding pin 110 extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the centering part 70 (see Figure 4). In addition, the coding pin 110 preferably protrudes from the bearing surface 76. If both the coding pin 110 and the latch hook 90 are present, the coding pin 110 and the latch hook 90 can extend parallel to each other.

[0069] The coding pins 110 ensure that the touch protection cover 1 can rest on the flat conductors 36 at the bearing surfaces 76 only when the touch protection cover 1 has a predefined orientation in which the coding pins 110 match the associated secondary holes 88. This makes it possible to prevent incorrect assembly of the touch protection cover 1.

[0070] To facilitate handling of the aforementioned fastening element 44, the touch-protective cover 1 of the interface 4 can be configured to be pre-latched with the protective housing 10 of the mating member 6. To this end, complementary pre-latch elements 112a, 112b can be provided on the touch-protective cover 1 or the protective housing 10, respectively. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , each pre-latch element 112a is a latch tab 114 that projects radially from the outer surface of the protective collar 18, perpendicular to the insertion direction 8. The other pre-latch element 112b complementary to the pre-latch element 112a can be a respective latch window 116 formed in the protective housing 10.

[0071] Thus, the interface 4 and its mating part 6 can first be provisionally attached by a pre-latch, and then final fixing can be achieved by the fixing element 44. In this case, the pulling force Fz required to release the pre-latch should be smaller than the pull-out force Fa required to release the latch-type mating connection, so that the touch-protective cover 1, together with the protective housing 10, cannot be accidentally pulled off from the interface 4. The forces Fz, Fa are each understood to act parallel to the plug-in direction 8.

[0072] In addition to the touch-protective cover 1, the interface 4 may optionally include a shipping cover 118 that can be attached to the touch-protective cover 1 when not in use and that can close the contact chamber 26. The shipping cover 118 includes pre-latch elements 112b that are configured similarly to the latch windows 116 of the protective housing 10 and that engage with latch tabs 114 of the touch-protective cover 1 (see FIG. 6 ). The shipping cover 118 thereby further prevents dust and other foreign matter from entering the contact chamber 26.

[0073] References in this application to standards and norms (e.g. DIN / IEC / EN standards) refer to the version of the respective standard or norm applicable at the time of filing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Touch Protective Cover 2 Module Connector 4. Interface 6 Fitting member 8 Insertion direction 10 Protective Housing 12a, 12b Current conductors 14a, 14b Connection members 16 Housing section 18 Protective Collar 20 Inner diameter 22 outer diameter 24 Housing Colors 26 Contact chamber 28 Spacing Gap 30 Current Bridge 32 Contact Ring 34 Front side 36 Flat conductor 38 Busbar 40 Current Strip 42 End 44 Fixed Elements 46 Threaded sleeve 48 Female thread 50 screws 52 Protective cap 54 Access Slots 56 width 58 Positioning part 60 Support surface 62 sliding surface 64 Guide surface 66 Inner Contour 68 Outer contour 70 Centering section 72 Stenosis 73 Positioning protrusion 74 Centering protrusion 76 Bearing surface 78 Main Surface 80 Top 82 Shoulder 84 Receiving opening 86 flange 88 Secondary hole 90 Latch Hook 92 Latch protrusion 94 Latch arm 96 Hook surface 98 distance 100 material thickness 102 Cross-sectional area 104 Bottom surface 106 Insertion Slope 108 inner circumference 109 Edge 110 coding pin 112a, 112b Pre-latch elements 114 Latch tab 116 Latch window 118 Transport Cover Fa Pull-out force Fz tensile force

Claims

1. An electrically insulating touch-protective cover (1) for a connecting member (14a) of an electrical module connector (2) including a fixing element (44), comprising: The touch protection cover (1) a housing part (16) forming a protective collar (18) for said connecting member (14a); a contact chamber (26) at least partially surrounded by said protective collar (18) and adapted to at least partially receive said connecting member (14a); a positioning portion (58) for positioning the connecting member (14a) relative to the protective collar (18); Equipped with The positioning portion (58) extends at least partially within the contact chamber (26), and the positioning portion (58) includes at least one support surface (60) that is offset from the protective collar (18) and faces inward toward the contact chamber (26).

2. 2. The touch-protective cover (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one support surface (60) defines an inner contour (66) that at least partially corresponds to an outer contour (68) of the connecting member (14a).

3. The touch-protective cover (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning portion (58) forms a constriction (72) in the contact chamber (26).

4. 4. The touch protection cover (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positioning portion (58) is formed by at least three positioning protrusions (73), each of the positioning protrusions (73) protruding from the protective collar (18).

5. The touch-protective cover (1) according to claim 4, wherein the positioning portion (58) is formed by an even number of positioning protrusions (73), the positioning protrusions (73) being arranged in pairs opposite each other relative to the contact chamber (26).

6. 6. The touch protection cover (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing portion (16) and the positioning portion (58) together form a bearing surface (76) for the flat conductors (36) of the module connector (2).

7. 7. The touch-protective cover (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing part (16) forms at least one latch hook (90) comprising a latch protrusion (92) and a latch arm (94) carrying the latch protrusion.

8. 8. The touch-protective cover (1) according to claim 7, wherein the housing part (16) forms at least two latch hooks (90), the latch hooks (90) being arranged opposite each other with respect to the contact chamber (26), and the latch protrusions (92) pointing towards each other or away from each other.

9. 9. The touch-protective cover (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing part (16) forms at least one coding pin (110) extending transversely to the positioning part (58).

10. An interface (4) for a module connector (2), comprising: A touch-protective cover (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The conductive connecting member (14a) of the module connector (2) Equipped with The protective collar (18) of the touch protection cover (1) is spaced from the connecting member (14a) by a spacing gap (28), and the positioning portion (58) fills the spacing gap (28) and abuts against the connecting member (14a) so that the spacing gap (28) has a constant width (56) throughout the inner circumference (108) of the contact chamber (26).

11. A module connector (2), An interface (4) according to claim 10, a mating member (6) configured to be connectable to the interface (4) along a plug-in direction (8) and complementary to the interface (4); Equipped with The mating member (6) includes a protective housing (10), and the spacing gap (28) between the protective collar (18) and the connecting member (14a) of the interface (4) is configured to at least partially receive the protective housing (10) of the mating member (6).

12. 12. The module connector (2) according to claim 11, wherein the module connector (2) comprises a flat conductor (36) having a receiving opening (84) into which the connecting member (14a) of the interface (4) is attached, and the touch-protective cover (1) is in latching connection with the flat conductor (36).

13. 13. The module connector (2) of claim 12, wherein the touch-protective cover (1) of the interface (4) is configured to be in a pre-latched state with the protective housing (10) of the mating member (6), and a pulling force (Fz) required to release the pre-latched state is less than a pulling force (Fa) required to release the latched connection.

14. 14. The modular connector (2) of claim 12 or 13, wherein the flat conductor (36) includes at least one secondary hole (88) extending parallel to the receiving opening (84), and the touch-protective cover (1) extends at least partially through the secondary hole (88).

15. The module connector (2) according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the touch-protective cover (1) is attached to the module connector (2) by blind attachment.

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