Electrical connection part and components of the electrical connection part

Abstract

It provides an electrical plug connector for establishing an electromechanical connection along with a corresponding pin interface. [Solution] The device comprises a plug body configured to receive one electrical conductor, a lever attached to the plug body so as to be able to rotate around a virtual axis of rotation between a locked position and an unlocked position, at least one first connection structure located on the lever at a first distance from the axis of rotation, wherein in the locked position of the lever, the plug connector and the pin interface engage with each other, and the first connection structure is configured to cooperate with at least one corresponding second connection structure located on the pin interface to hold the plug connector to the pin interface, and in the unlocked position of the lever, the first connection structure is configured to allow displacement of the plug connector relative to the pin interface, and at least one actuator component located on the lever at a second distance from the axis of rotation.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical plug connector, preferably for use in the automotive sector, in particular for high-voltage applications, and a corresponding pin interface, also known as a header. [Background Art]

[0002] In electrical engineering, there are numerous known electrical connections that serve to transmit electrical signals or voltages, and currents as required, covering the widest possible range of voltages, data rates or frequencies and currents. Especially in the automotive sector, electrical interfaces for such connections must guarantee permanent and complete transmission of electrical signals or data, and power where applicable, under significant temperature stress, high numbers of mating cycles and vibration stress. Due to the wide range of applications for connections, numerous such interfaces are known.

[0003] High-voltage interfaces (HV interfaces) are used in the automotive sector, for example, to transmit power between the drive battery and the motor of electric vehicles. In this context, connections that can be connected and disconnected without tools are preferable, for example, to simplify battery installation or necessary maintenance work during which the battery must be electrically disconnected from the vehicle. The mechanical quality of the connection plays a particularly important role here, since degradation of the connection can directly lead to reduced performance during operation. To ensure mechanical quality, plug connections of the prior art often feature mechanical locks aimed at eliminating play and relative movement at the connection and preventing accidental disconnection of the connection. The inventors have found that the mechanical locks of currently available plug connections often do not guarantee complete elimination of play and wear at the connection in the long term. [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide improved electrical plug connectors and improved electrical pin interfaces, particularly in high-voltage ranges and especially for the automotive sector. The goal here is to increase the durability and mechanical resistance of the connection. In addition, the pin interface must be inexpensive and easy to assemble. A further object of the present invention is to provide alternative electrical plug connectors and alternative electrical pin interfaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved by the electrical plug connector, particularly for the automotive sector, as described in claim 1, and the electrical pin interface, particularly for the automotive sector, as described in claim 11. Advantageous developments, additional features and / or benefits of the present invention can be found in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0006] According to the first embodiment, that is, An electrical plug connector, particularly for the automotive sector, for establishing an electromechanical connection with a corresponding pin interface, A plug body configured to accept at least one electrical conductor, A lever attached to the plug body that can rotate around a virtual axis of rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position, At least one first connecting structure is located on the lever at a first distance from the axis of rotation, and at least one first connecting structure is In the locked position of the lever, when the plug connector and the pin interface engage with each other, the plug connector cooperates with at least one corresponding second connection structure located on the pin interface to hold the plug connector to the pin interface. The lever's release position allows for displacement of the plug connector relative to the pin interface. A first connection structure configured as follows: At least one actuator component located on the lever at a second distance from the axis of rotation, the at least one actuator component is In the locked position of the lever, when the plug connector and the pin interface engage with each other, at least one elastic retaining component is flexed so that at least one elastic retaining component located on the pin interface and a corresponding retaining structure located on the plug body interact with each other in order to hold the plug connector in the pin interface. The lever's release position allows for displacement of the plug connector relative to the pin interface. At least one actuator component configured as follows: An electrical plug connector comprising the above is disclosed.

[0007] The plug connector design described above allows the mechanical position lock to absorb not only forces along the mating direction of the plug connector, but also tilt moments acting on the connection, which in conventional solutions can cause the plug connector to lift away from the pin interface, also known as the "header," in a given area. This partial lift is prevented or at least significantly reduced by the provided solution. Thus, wear and deterioration of the electrical connection are minimized.

[0008] Furthermore, there are other advantages, such as the ability to easily and repeatedly manufacture the connectors with high reliability, and the ease with which the connectors can be removed, which is advantageous in relation to maintenance work on electrical components that require disconnecting electrical connections.

[0009] The lever may comprise at least a first lever arm having a first end and a second end, the first lever arm being connected at the first end to a plug body so as to be rotatable around a virtual axis of rotation, and the actuator component is positioned on the lever arm such that when the lever is moved from a released position to a locked position, the actuator component traces a path movement having a movement component along the mating direction between the plug connector and the pin interface.

[0010] The actuator component may have a substantially wedge-shaped pressing area having a pointed end and a broad end, the pointed end being oriented such that it substantially faces the direction of movement when the lever is moved from the released position to the locked position.

[0011] The pressing area may have a surface inclined with respect to the direction of movement, the surface having a pointed end connected to a wider end, and the surface is configured to contact the free end of the retaining component when the lever is moved from the released position to the locked position, causing the free end to bend toward the plug body perpendicular to the direction of movement of the lever.

[0012] The actuator component may be formed integrally with the lever.

[0013] The lever arm may have a first latching element at its second end, which is configured to interact with a corresponding second latching element located on the plug body in order to hold the lever in the locked position on the plug body.

[0014] The first connecting structure is located at the first end, and the actuator components may be located between the first end and the first latch element.

[0015] In the locked position of the lever, the first connecting structure is positioned on the first side of the virtual rotation axis with respect to the main range direction of the lever, and the actuator components may be positioned on the second side opposite to the first side.

[0016] The first connecting structure may comprise at least one tooth, and the longitudinal axis of the at least one tooth is aligned radially with respect to the rotation axis.

[0017] The at least one tooth may have a free end spaced away from the rotation axis, and the free end moves with a movement component along the fitting direction of the plug connector and the pin interface while the lever is moved from the release position to the locking position.

[0018] The lever may comprise a second lever arm aligned parallel to the first lever arm and formed substantially mirror-symmetrically with respect to the first lever arm, wherein the first lever arm and the second lever arm are connected at respective second ends of the first lever arm and the second lever arm (22) to a bracket oriented substantially perpendicular to the lever arms.

[0019] The electrical plug connector may comprise a first shaft stub and a second shaft stub respectively aligned along the virtual rotation axis and respectively formed as mounting points for the first end of the first lever arm and the first end of the second lever arm.

[0020] According to a further aspect, the following is provided: An electrical pin interface, particularly for the automotive field, for establishing an electrical connection with a corresponding plug connector as described above, wherein the electrical pin interface comprises: a body, a contact assembly held by the body and comprising at least one electrical contact at least partially surrounded by the body, and comprises the body cooperates with at least one corresponding first connecting structure disposed on the plug connector to hold the plug connector on the pin interface when the plug connector and the pin interface are engaged with each other has at least one second connecting structure configured to the electrical pin interface further comprises comprising at least one elastic retaining component arranged on the lever at a third distance from the second connection structure, the at least one elastic retaining component is configured to be deflected by at least one actuator component arranged on the plug connector so as to interact with a corresponding retaining structure arranged on the plug body of the plug connector to retain the plug connector on the pin interface when the plug connector and the pin interface are engaged with each other, An electrical pin interface is disclosed.

[0021] The advantages of the pin interface are similar to the advantages of the electrical plug connector described above.

[0022] The at least one retaining component may comprise a spring arm, the spring arm extends along the fitting direction of the pin interface and the plug connector, and the spring arm has a free end capable of deflecting perpendicularly to the fitting direction and a second end spring-elastically clamped to the pin interface.

[0023] The free end may have a hook-shaped deformation portion, and the retaining structure may have a shoulder corresponding to the hook-shaped deformation portion.

[0024] The free end may have a substantially V-shaped projection oriented substantially perpendicular to the main extending direction of the spring arm, and the retaining structure may have a corresponding V-shaped recess.

[0025] The at least one retaining component may be formed on the body.

[0026] The at least one retaining component may comprise a first retaining component and a second retaining component, the first retaining component and the second retaining component are connected to each other at their respective second ends by a connecting web such that the first retaining component, the second retaining component and the connecting web form a substantially U-shaped spring clip.

[0027] The spring clip may be connected to the main body in the area of ​​the connecting web, preferably by a screw.

[0028] The spring clip can form a support portion in the area of ​​the connecting web that extends substantially perpendicular to the mating direction, and the support portion defines the endpoint position of the plug connector when the plug connector and the pin interface engage with each other.

[0029] The spring clip may be punched out from a single piece of sheet metal and have a rim formed.

[0030] The second connection structure may include at least one notch, the at least one notch corresponding to the first connection structure, and the at least one notch is positioned substantially perpendicular to the mating direction in the longitudinal direction of the at least one notch.

[0031] The electrical pin interface may have at least one connection socket for mounting the pin interface to a surface, specifically to the vehicle's battery housing.

[0032] In a further embodiment, namely, An electrical connection unit is disclosed, particularly for the automotive sector, comprising the aforementioned electrical plug connector and the aforementioned electrical pin interface.

[0033] The advantages of pin interfaces are similar to those of electrical plug connectors mentioned above.

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments.

[0035] The diagrams in the drawings are as follows: [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0036] [Figure 1a]This is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 1b] This is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of one embodiment of an electrical pin interface. [Figure 3a] This figure shows the components of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 3b] This figure shows the components of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 4a] This figure shows the components of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 4b] This figure shows the components of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 5a] This figure shows the components of one embodiment of an electrical pin interface. [Figure 5b] This figure shows the components of one embodiment of an electrical pin interface. [Figure 6a] This is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Figure 6b] This is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electrical plug connector and a corresponding pin interface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0037] Referring to Figures 1 to 6, the structure and operation of the electrical connections, as well as the electrical plug connectors and electrical pin interfaces, are described below in general terms. Corresponding reference numerals are used for the corresponding mechanisms.

[0038] Figure 1 shows the components of the electrical connection 1. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the electrical connection 1 is a high-voltage connection (HV connection). The electrical connection 1 comprises a plug connector 10 and a pin interface 100 of the type also known in the prior art as a "header". The terms "pin interface" and "header" can be used as synonyms for the purposes of this application. The plug connector 10 and the pin interface 100 can be connected to and disconnected from each other along the mating direction zz. The electrical connection 1 has a contact assembly 104 on the side of the pin interface 100. The contact assembly 104 comprises a first electrical contact 102 and a second electrical contact 103. In a manner not shown in detail, the first electrical contact 102 and the second electrical contact 103 may be connected via the contact portal 109 to the opposite potential of a battery, such as a drive battery for an electric motor vehicle, in an application example of the electrical connection 1.

[0039] The first electrical contact 102 and the second electrical contact 103 are both positioned on the body 101 and protected from mechanical influence and unintentional electrical contact by corresponding first wall structures 105 and second wall structures 106 that shield the respective contacts 102 and 103 perpendicular to the mating direction zz. Slot-shaped recesses 107 and 108 are positioned perpendicular to the mating direction zz in the wall structures 105 and 106 to allow intentional contact between the electrical contacts 102 and 103 along the mating direction zz by the mating electrical contact extending perpendicular to the mating direction zz.

[0040] The plug connector 10 comprises a plug body 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the plug body 11 is configured to receive two electrical conductors (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the plug body 11 has a first opening 12 for receiving a first electrical conductor corresponding to a first electrical contact 102, and a second opening 13 for receiving a second electrical conductor corresponding to a second electrical contact 103.

[0041] The electrical conductor may be configured as a rigid, knife-shaped mating contact whose main range direction extends perpendicular to the mating direction zz. In Figure 1, this main range direction extends parallel to the axis xx. As already described above, in such a configuration, slot-shaped recesses 107, 108 allow the mating contact to be inserted into the region protected by the first wall structure 105 and the second wall structure 106 of the contact assembly 104.

[0042] In the electrical connection 1 disclosed herein, the mechanical arrangement of the plug connector 10 in the pin interface 100 is achieved in such a manner that it ensures the relative motion between the two mating partners and the associated wear between contacts 102, 103 and the mating contacts are minimized, thereby enabling a consistently high level of power transmission over the long term.

[0043] The basic principle can be explained in simple terms as follows: The mechanically locking mechanism can absorb not only forces along the mating direction zz, but also tilt moments acting on the connection 1, which in known solutions in the prior art cause the plug connector to lift away from the pin interface in a given area. Such tilt moments may occur, for example, when an electrical conductor terminating within the plug connector is lifted a certain distance from the plug connector 10 in the mating direction zz. The tilt moment related to wear is already sufficient, even if this lift is as strong as the vibrations that occur during the operation of a motor vehicle.

[0044] This lifting in several areas is prevented or at least significantly reduced by the solutions provided. Wear and deterioration of electrical connections are minimized. The solutions described below offer further advantages, for example, in terms of ease of manufacture, reliability, and solveability, as can be seen from the following description.

[0045] A lever 20, which can rotate around a virtual axis of rotation yy between a locked position and an unlocked position, is located on the plug body 11. In the example shown in Figure 1b, the lever is shown in the locked position. In the locked position, the lever 20 is substantially parallel to the main range direction of the plug body 11. In Figure 1b, this main range direction is parallel to axis xx. In the unlocked position, the lever is at a predetermined angle from the plug body 11, for example, an angle in the range of 80 degrees to 90 degrees. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1a, the lever 20 is shown in an intermediate position between the unlocked position and the locked position.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the lever 20 has a first lever arm 21 and a second lever arm 22 that are positioned parallel to each other and substantially mirror-symmetric to each other. At the first end 23 of the first lever arm 21, the first lever arm 21 is connected to the plug body 11 so as to be rotatable about a virtual axis of rotation yy. For this purpose, a stub shaft 160 is positioned in the plug body 11 and received by a through hole positioned in the lever arm 21. The second lever arm 22 is similarly connected at its first end so as to be rotatable about a virtual axis of rotation yy, in a manner not shown in the drawings.

[0047] The first lever arm 21 and the second lever arm 22 are connected at their respective second ends 24 and 25 to a bracket 26 that is oriented substantially perpendicular to the lever arms 21 and 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the bracket 26 serves as the actuation point for the user. As seen in Figures 1 and 6, the first lever arm 21 and the second lever arm 22 are positioned on two opposite outer surfaces of the plug body 11, and in the locked position, the lever arms 21 and 22 and the bracket 26 are flat relative to the plug body 11. In this way, accidental release of the lever 20 is prevented, at least significantly.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1a and 1b, for example, the first connecting structure is located at the respective first ends of each lever arm 21, 22. In the illustrated embodiments, this first connecting structure is configured as a tooth 31 in each case, and therefore, hereafter, the first connecting structure will be referred to as tooth 31. However, it should be noted that in alternative embodiments not shown, the first connecting structure may be configured differently, for example, as a series of teeth, a hook, an undercut, or a pin. Since the tooth 31 located on the first lever arm 21 and the second lever arm 22 are identical in design, tooth 31 will also be referred to in the singular hereafter, and the described features are present in both the tooth 31 located on the first lever arm 21 and the tooth 31 located on the second lever arm 22 (not shown).

[0049] The teeth 31 of each lever arm 21, 22 are configured to establish a mechanical connection with a corresponding second connecting structure located on the pin interface 100 in order to hold the plug connector 10 to the pin interface 100 when the plug connector 10 and the pin interface 100 are engaged with each other and the lever 20 is in the locked position. In the embodiments shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the second connecting structure is a notch 111 located on two opposite outer surfaces 114, 115 of the pin interface 100. For this reason, the second connecting structure is also referred to as the notch 111 hereafter. In alternative embodiments not shown, the second connecting structure may be configured as a group of teeth or notches, or an undercut, etc.

[0050] In the locked position of lever 20, as seen in Figures 1b and 6a, the teeth 31 engage with the notch 111, preventing relative displacement of the plug connector 10 with respect to the pin interface 100 along the mating direction zz.

[0051] On the other hand, in the release position of the lever 20, the teeth 31 rotate out of the corresponding notch 111 so as to be able to displace along the mating direction zz of the plug connector 10 relative to the pin interface 100, and thus the plug connector 10 can be released from or engaged with the pin interface 100 as needed.

[0052] The mechanism operable by lever 20 functions as follows during the transition between the unlocked and locked positions:

[0053] Each tooth 31 has a longitudinal axis that is radially aligned with respect to the rotation axis yy, as shown in Figure 1, and a free end 32 that is away from the rotation axis yy and makes a movement with a component of movement along the mating direction zz when the lever 20 is moved from the release position to the locked position. Specifically, when the lever 20 is moved from the release position to the locked position, the free end 32 moves in the opposite direction to the direction in which the plug body 11 is moved during the establishment of the connection. This can be understood, for example, by comparing the position of the tooth 31 in Figure 1a with the position of the tooth 31 in Figure 1b. In the configuration shown in Figure 1b, the free end 32 of the tooth 31 is closer to the side where the plug connector 10 is positioned on the pin interface 100 with respect to the mating direction zz, in other words, it is "above" the position shown in Figure 1a with respect to the rotation axis yy.

[0054] Thus, when the lever 20 is moved from the released position to the locked position, the free end 32 engages with the notch 111 and pulls the plug body 11 toward the pin interface 100 along the mating direction zz.

[0055] The lever 20 has first locking elements 27 at the second ends 24 and 25 of the first arm 21 and the second arm 22, respectively. The first locking elements 27 interact with a corresponding second locking element 28 located on the plug body 11 to hold the lever 20 in the locked position on the plug body 11.

[0056] The connection point between the tooth 31 and the notch 111 is located at a first distance close to the axis of rotation yy, and is substantially centered above the contact assembly 104 when the plug connector 10 engages with the pin interface 100. In this way, the connection structure mechanically secures the plug connector 10 against a central force that would otherwise cause the plug connector 10 to lift evenly along the mating direction zz.

[0057] In alternative embodiments not shown, the lever 20 comprises only a single lever arm positioned on one side of the plug body 11. However, the structure shown with two lever arms 21, 22 has the advantage that the plug body 11 is held symmetrically on both sides of the pin interface 100, rather than just one side.

[0058] As already mentioned above, in order to absorb eccentric lifting forces and to prevent relative tilting between the pin interface 100 and the plug connector 10 that would cause wear, at least one elastic retaining component is positioned on the pin interface 100 and mechanically interacts with a corresponding retaining structure positioned on the plug body 11 to hold the plug connector 10 to the pin interface 100. The retaining component and retaining structure are positioned perpendicular to the mating direction zz and along the main range direction xx of the plug body 11, away from the teeth 31 and notches 111, so that a lever arm is formed between the two force transmission points. In Figure 1b, this lever arm, which is the sum of two distances D1 and D2 and is substantially identical to distance D3 shown on the side of the pin interface 100, allows for the absorption of tilting moments and thus prevents the plug connector 10 from tilting relative to the pin interface 100.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the two retaining components are positioned opposite each other on the extensions of the opposite outer surfaces 114, 115 of the pin interface 100, and are configured as a first elastic spring arm 121 and a second elastic spring arm 122, respectively. Therefore, when referring to one or more retaining components hereafter, the spring arms 121, 122 are also referred to. The first elastic spring arm 121 and the second elastic spring arm 122 each have free ends 123, 125 that can flex perpendicular to the mating direction zz, and second ends 124, 126 that are spring-elastically clamped to the pin interface 100. Each spring arm 121, 122 extends substantially from the body 101 in the mating direction zz.

[0060] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 5, the free ends 123 and 124 each have a first hook deformation portion 141 and a second hook deformation portion 142 that are inclined toward the opposite spring arms 12 and 122, respectively.

[0061] The two spring arms 121 and 122 are connected to each other at their second ends 124 and 126 by a connecting web 127 such that the first spring arm 121, the second spring arm 122, and the connecting web 127 form a substantially U-shaped spring bracket 120. The spring bracket 120 is connected to the body 101 in the area of ​​the connecting web 127 by pin-type connecting means, such as screws or rivets. In the embodiments of Figures 3a and 4a, a hole 129 is provided in the connecting web 127 for fastening and is connected to the body 101 by a screw 140.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will understand that the spring clip 120 shown in Figures 3a, 4a, and 5a can, in a given embodiment, be formed by punching and bending a single piece of sheet metal.

[0063] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 3b, the retaining structure positioned on the plug body 11 is configured as a shoulder portion 50 of the plug body 11, positioned to be at the same height as the corresponding free ends 123 and 125 with respect to the mating direction zz when the plug connector 10 and the pin interface 100 engage with each other.

[0064] The flexible free ends 123 and 125 are positioned to bend toward the plug body 11 by corresponding actuator components 40 located on the lever 20 at a second distance from the rotation axis yy when the lever 20 is in the locked position. In this way, the hook deformation portions 141 and 142 engage with the shoulder portion 50, as indicated by arrow F in Figure 3b, thus preventing the plug connector 10 from being lifted away from the pin interface 100 in the mating direction zz in the region where the spring arms 121 and 122 are fastened to the pin interface 100. Since the spring arms 121 and 122 are positioned at a distance from the fixed axis formed by the teeth 31 and notches 111 with respect to the main range direction xx of the plug body 10, the lifting of the plug body 11 as a result of tilting can therefore be kept to a minimum. When the lever 20 is in the release position and the actuator component 40 does not flex the free ends 123 and 125 of the spring arms 121 and 122, the plug body 11 is free in the area of ​​the shoulder portion 50 and can move along the mating direction zz. This configuration is shown in Figure 3b.

[0065] The embodiment of the spring bracket 120 shown in Figure 4a differs from the embodiment shown in Figure 3a in that no hook deformation portions are formed on the free ends 123 and 125, and instead, a first projection 143 and a second projection 144 are formed, respectively, which are substantially V-shaped and oriented substantially perpendicular to the main range direction of the respective spring arms 121 and 122. The first projection 143 and the second projection 144 are arranged such that the flanks 143a, 143b and 144a, 144b that form the V-shaped projections 143 and 144 extend in directions opposite to each other with respect to the fitting direction zz, as can be seen in Figure 4a. As shown in Figure 4b, the retaining structure on the plug body 11 is configured as a corresponding V-shaped recess 51 that precisely receives the V-shaped projections 143, 144 when the free ends 123, 125 of the actuator component 40 bend toward the plug body 11. Regarding the depiction in Figure 4b, note that the second lever arm 22 is shown in Figure 4b without the actuator component 40, and therefore, on the right side of Figure 4b with respect to the z-axis, the spring clip 120 is not bending toward the y-axis. This depiction was chosen to show how the actuator component 40 and the spring clip 120 interact with each other, based on a combined view of the right and left sides of the pin interface 100 in Figure 4b. While a unilateral arrangement of such actuator components is also conceivable, the embodiment in which the actuator component 40 is positioned on each of the two lever arms 21 and 22 is preferred in terms of their mechanical operating modes, and therefore, in the locked position of the lever 20, both protrusions 143 and 144 of the spring clip 120 flex toward the corresponding recesses 51.

[0066] The interaction between the V-shaped projections 143, 144 and the V-shaped recess 51 functions substantially the same as that of the hook deformations 141, 142 described above. One advantage of the V-shaped projections 143, 144 is that the opposing flanks 143a, 143b and 144a, 144b of the V-shaped projections 143, 144 prevent relative displacement of the V-shaped projections 143, 144 with respect to the corresponding V-shaped recess 51 in both directions along the mating direction zz, whereas the hook deformations 141, 142 simply prevent lifting of the plug body 11 along the mating direction zz. Therefore, it can generally be assumed that the embodiment shown in Figure 4 absorbs vibrations even better than the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

[0067] Figures 5a and 5b show one embodiment in which the spring clip 120 forms a support portion 150 in the center of the connecting web 127, extending substantially perpendicular to the mating direction zz and defining the endpoint position of the plug connector 10 when the plug connector 10 and the pin interface 100 engage with each other. As shown in Figure 5a, the support portion 150 forms a trough having a trough base 151 oriented substantially perpendicular to the mating direction zz and walls 152, 153 extending from the trough base 151 in the mating direction zz. Beveled surfaces 154, 155 on the edges of the walls 152, 153 away from the trough base 151 form contact surfaces with the plug body 11.

[0068] As shown in Figure 5b, the support portion 150 protrudes from the connecting web 127 in the main range direction xx of the plug body 11 so as to react elastically when subjected to pressure perpendicular to the protruding portion. This means that by slightly tilting the support portion 150 in the mating direction zz, the support portion 150 is preloaded relative to the plug connector 10 when the plug connector 10 and the pin interface engage with each other. This makes it possible to neutralize any play in the electrical connection 1 that may otherwise be caused by vibration.

[0069] The design of the free ends 123 and 125 is basically unaffected by the design of the support portion 150, and the hook deformation portions 141 and 142, as well as the V-shaped projections 143 and 144, can be used in combination with the support portion 150.

[0070] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, unlike the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5, the retaining component is formed as a spring arm 121' of the main body 101, rather than being formed as a separate spring clip 120. The main body 101 can be made from a plastic that is suitable for collision and impact resistance in at least some areas, and is also elastic and non-conductive. The spring arm 121' is clamped to the material of the main body 101 at the second ends 124', 126' by an integrated design of the spring arms 121', 122'. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6b, the free ends 123', 125' are configured with hook deformations 141', 142' that interact with the corresponding shoulders of the plug body 11 (not shown), in a similar manner to the hook deformations 141, 142 using the shoulders 50 in the embodiment shown in Figure 3b. In some embodiments, the free ends 123' and 125' of the spring arms 121' and 122' formed on the main body 101 are formed with V-shaped projections similar to those in the embodiment shown in Figure 4a.

[0071] The configuration of the actuator component 40 positioned on the lever 20 will be described in more detail below. As already described and as seen, for example, in Figure 1b, the actuator component 40 is positioned at a second distance D2 from the rotation axis yy, which is different from the first distance D1 from the rotation axis yy where the first and second connecting structures, i.e., the teeth 31 and the notch 111, are positioned. This creates a lever arm as the sum of the distances D1 and D2 between each mechanical fixed part, as already mentioned above.

[0072] Each actuator component 40 is further positioned on the lever arm 20 such that, when the lever is moved from the released position to the locked position, the actuator component 40 traces a path movement having a movement component along the mating direction zz between the plug connector 10 and the pin interface 100. As seen in Figure 1b, this movement component is in the opposite direction to the movement component performed by the free end 32 of the teeth 31. This is because, in the illustrated embodiment, in the locked position of the lever 20, the first connection structure is positioned on the first side of the virtual rotation axis yy with respect to the main range direction of the lever, which coincides with the xx axis in Figure 1b, and the actuator component 40 is positioned on the second side opposite to that first side.

[0073] The actuator component 40 further has a substantially wedge-shaped pressing area 41 having a pointed end 42 and a broad end 43, as shown in Figure 3b, wherein the pointed end 42 is oriented such that when the lever 20 is moved from the release position to the locked position, the pointed end substantially faces the direction of movement.

[0074] The pressing area 41 has a surface 44 that is inclined with respect to the direction of movement. The surface 44 has a pointed end 42 connected to a wide end 43 and is configured to contact the free ends of the spring arms 121, 121', 122, and 122', causing them to bend toward the plug body 11 and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the lever 20.

[0075] The actuator component 40 may be formed integrally with the lever 20, or it may be attached to the lever 20 as a separate component.

[0076] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described and illustrated. Rather, the exemplary embodiments further encompass all technical developments within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Further embodiments may be conceivable that include further modifications and combinations of features in addition to the embodiments described and illustrated.

Claims

1. An electrical plug connector (10), particularly for the automotive sector, for establishing an electromechanical connection (1) together with a corresponding pin interface (100), A plug body (11) configured to receive at least one electrical conductor, A lever (20) is attached to the plug body (11) so that it can rotate around a virtual axis of rotation (y-y) between the locked position and the unlocked position, The first connection structure (31) is located on the lever (20) at a first distance (D1) from the rotation axis (y-y), and the first connection structure (31) is In the locked position of the lever (20), when the plug connector (10) and the pin interface (100) engage with each other, the lever (20) interacts with at least one corresponding second connection structure (111) located on the pin interface (100) to hold the plug connector (10) in the pin interface (100). In the release position of the lever (20), the displacement of the plug connector (10) relative to the pin interface (100) is permitted. A first connection structure (31) is configured as follows: At least one actuator component (40) is positioned on the lever (20) at a second distance (D2) from the rotation axis (y-y), and the at least one actuator component (40) is In the locked position of the lever (20), when the plug connector (10) and the pin interface (100) engage with each other, the at least one elastic retaining component (121, 122, 121', 122') located on the pin interface (100) is bent so that it interacts with the corresponding retaining structure (50) located on the plug body (11) in order to hold the plug connector (10) in the pin interface (100). In the release position of the lever (20), the displacement of the plug connector (10) relative to the pin interface (100) is permitted. At least one actuator component (40) is configured as follows: An electrical plug connector (10) is provided.

2. The lever (20) comprises at least a first lever arm (21) having a first end (23) and a second end (24, 25), the first lever arm (21) being connected to the plug body (11) at the first end (23) so as to be able to rotate around the virtual axis of rotation (y-y), The actuator component (40) is positioned on the first lever arm (21) such that when the lever (20) is moved from the release position to the locked position, the actuator component (40) traces a path movement having a movement component along the mating direction (z-z) between the plug connector (10) and the pin interface (100). The electrical plug connector (10) according to claim 1.

3. The actuator component (40) has a substantially wedge-shaped pressing area (41) having a pointed end (42) and a broad end (43), and the pointed end (42) is oriented such that when the lever (20) is moved from the release position to the locked position, the pointed end substantially faces the direction of movement. The electrical plug connector (10) according to claim 2.

4. The pressing region (41) has a surface (44) inclined with respect to the direction of movement, the surface (44) having a pointed end (42) connected to a wide end (43), and the surface (44) is positioned to contact the free ends (123, 125, 123', 125') of the retaining components (121, 122, 121', 122') while the lever (20) is moved from the release position to the lock position, causing the free ends (123, 125, 123', 125') to bend toward the plug body (11) perpendicular to the direction of movement of the lever (20). The electrical plug connector (10) according to claim 3.

5. The first lever arm (21) has a first latch element (27) at its second end (24), and the first latch element (27) is configured to interact with a corresponding second latch element (28) located on the plug body (11) in order to hold the lever (20) in the locked position of the plug body (11). An electrical plug connector (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The first connection structure (31) is located at the first end (23) of the first lever arm (21), and the actuator component (40) is located between the first end (23) of the first lever arm (21) and the first latch element (27). The electrical plug connector (10) according to claim 5.

7. In the locked position of the lever (20), the first connecting structure (31) is positioned on the first side of the virtual rotation axis (y-y) with respect to the main range direction of the lever (20), and the actuator component (40) is positioned on the second side opposite to the first side. An electrical plug connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The first connecting structure (31) comprises at least one tooth, the longitudinal axis of the at least one tooth being radially aligned with respect to the rotation axis (y-y), An electrical plug connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The at least one tooth (31) has a free end (32) away from the axis of rotation (y-y), and the free end (32) moves along the mating direction (z-z) between the plug connector and the pin interface (100) when the lever (20) is moved from the release position to the locked position. The electrical plug connector (10) according to claim 8.

10. The lever (20) comprises a second lever arm (22) positioned parallel to the first lever arm (21) and formed substantially mirror-symmetric with respect to the first lever arm (21), and the first lever arm (21) and the second lever arm (22) are connected at their respective second ends (24, 25) to a bracket (26) oriented substantially perpendicular to the lever arms (21, 22). An electrical plug connector (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 9.

11. An electrical pin interface (100) for establishing an electrical connection together with a corresponding plug connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, particularly for the automotive sector, wherein the electrical pin interface (100) is The main unit (101) and A contact assembly (104) having at least one electrical contact (102, 103) held by the main body (101) and at least partially surrounded by the main body (101) and Equipped with, The main body (101) is, When the plug connector (10) and the pin interface (100) engage with each other, the plug connector (10) has at least one second connection structure (111) configured to cooperate with at least one corresponding first connection structure (30) disposed on the plug connector (10) in order to hold the plug connector (10) on the pin interface (100), The aforementioned electrical pin interface (100) further, The second connecting structure (111) comprises at least one elastic retaining component (121, 122, 121', 122') positioned on the lever (20) at a third distance (D3), The at least one elastic retaining component (121, 122, 121', 122') is When the plug connector (10) and the pin interface (100) engage with each other, the plug connector (10) is configured to bend by at least one actuator component (40) located on the plug connector (10) so as to interact with corresponding retaining structures (50, 51) located on the plug body (11) of the plug connector (10) in order to hold the plug connector (10) in the pin interface (100). Electrical pin interface (100).

12. The at least one retaining component (121, 122, 121', 122') comprises a spring arm (121, 122, 121', 122'), the spring arm (121, 122, 121', 122') extending along the mating direction (z-z) between the pin interface (100) and the plug connector (10), the spring arm (121, 122, 121', 122') having a free end (123, 125, 123', 125') capable of bending perpendicular to the mating direction (z-z), and a second end (124, 126, 124', 126') that is spring-elastically clamped to the pin interface (100). The electrical pin interface (100) according to claim 11.

13. The free ends (123, 125, 123', 125') have hook-shaped deformed portions (141, 142), and the holding structure has shoulder portions (50) corresponding to the hook-shaped deformed portions (141, 142), or The free ends (123, 125, 123', 125') have substantially V-shaped projections (143, 144) that are substantially perpendicular to the main range direction of the spring arms (121, 122, 121', 122'), and the retaining structure has corresponding V-shaped recesses (51). The electrical pin interface (100) according to claim 12.

14. The at least one retaining component (121', 122') is formed on the main body (101), An electrical pin interface (100) according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. The at least one retaining component comprises a first retaining component (121) and a second retaining component (122), the first retaining component (121) and the second retaining component (122) are connected to each other by a connecting web (127) at their respective second ends (124, 126) such that the first retaining component (121), the second retaining component (122), and the connecting web (127) form a substantially U-shaped spring clip (120), the spring clip (120) is preferably connected to the body (101) in the area of ​​the connecting web (127), and more preferably screwed to the body (101). An electrical pin interface (100) according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

16. The spring clip (120) has a support portion (150) extending substantially perpendicular to the mating direction (z-z) in the region of the connecting web (127), the support portion (150) defining the endpoint position of the plug connector (10) when the plug connector (10) and the pin interface (100) engage with each other. The electrical pin interface (100) according to claim 14 or 15.

17. The second connection structure (111) comprises at least one notch (111), the at least one notch (111) corresponds to the first connection structure (31), and the at least one notch (111) is positioned substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction (z-z) in the longitudinal direction of the at least one notch (111). An electrical pin interface (100) according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

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