Modular housing devices and electrical connectors

Abstract

To allow an inserted fuse contact to better reach a contact element, providing a reliable contact.SOLUTION: A housing assembly 1 includes a peripheral housing 44 and an inner housing 46. The inner housing is configured to receive a contact element 26 that can be plugged into a plug fuse 10. The inner housing includes an insertion opening 50 into which a fuse contact 14b can be plugged. The peripheral housing includes a module chamber in which the inner housing can be arranged, and an access opening 68 leading to the module chamber. The access opening has such a size that it is possible to pass through a housing wall 70 of the peripheral housing and to insert a fuse body 16 of the plug fuse completely into the access opening along a material thickness 76 of the housing wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing apparatus for an electrical connector that is connectable to a plug fuse. The present invention further relates to an electrical connector having such a housing assembly.

Background Art

[0002] In many technical fields, it is necessary to protect circuits against false currents and / or overcurrents by means of electrical fuses. Electrical connectors may be employed to detachably connect each circuit to the corresponding fuse. Therefore, it is desirable to use so-called plug fuses which are provided with insertable fuse contacts that can be brought into contact with the contact elements of the circuit.

[0003] At this time, the electrical connector may be inserted into a fuse box in which, for example, one or more plug fuses are provided. By the contact described above, the plug fuse is conductively incorporated into the circuit. Therefore, highly reliable contact is of utmost importance.

[0004] Depending on the application, plug fuses may be present in various numbers and at various positions in the fuse box. Furthermore, although plug fuses are usually standardized components, there are size differences due to application-specific configurations. This means that diverse combinations of plug fuses can arise in the fuse box. Connectors are in many cases pre-manufactured to match.

[0005] Especially when the system complexity is high, attempts to cover all "plug fuse models" with suitable connectors result in an almost infinite product range, accompanied by significant configuration, delivery, and storage costs. Furthermore, at this time, each time the system is converted, it may be necessary to obtain new connectors.

[0006] Therefore, a connector is needed that can be adapted to fuse boxes with various plug fuse configurations. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Therefore, the present invention is based on the objective of improving connectors with respect to the reliability and flexibility of use for connecting circuits to plug fuses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This objective is satisfied by a modular housing assembly for an electrical connector that can be connected to a plug fuse of a predetermined size having multiple fuse contacts protruding from the contact surface of the fuse body. The housing assembly comprises a perimeter housing and an inner housing, the inner housing configured to receive contact elements that can be connected to a plug fuse, the inner housing having an insertion opening into which one of the fuse contacts of the plug fuse can be inserted, and the perimeter housing having a module chamber into which the inner housing can be placed, and an access opening leading to the module chamber, the access opening being sized such that it can pass through the housing wall of the perimeter housing and the fuse body of the plug fuse can be fully inserted into the access opening along the material thickness of the housing wall.

[0009] The size of a plug fuse may be defined by its dimensions or its external dimensions. The housing wall may be the outer wall of the surrounding housing, particularly the bottom wall or side wall. Complete insertion occurs when the fuse body enters the access opening over the entire length of the material thickness of the housing wall.

[0010] On the one hand, the present invention is advantageous in that, due to the modular structure of the housing assembly consisting of a surrounding housing and a separate internal housing, the housing assembly can be flexibly adapted to each application. Therefore, the internal housing can be selected to suit the application or easily replaced during connector assembly or repair. This is not possible with a single housing.

[0011] On the other hand, the present invention is advantageous in that the access opening is configured to at least partially receive the fuse body of the plug fuse. In the absence of such an access opening, the inserted fuse contact would have to completely penetrate the double wall consisting of the surrounding housing and the inner housing before reaching the contact element. This means that the fuse contact entering from the outside will not reach deep enough into the inner contact element, especially since plug fuses are usually standardized as already mentioned and therefore the fuse contact cannot be simply extended.

[0012] By receiving the fuse body into the access opening along the entire material thickness of the housing wall of the surrounding housing, the plug fuse can be pushed deeper into the housing assembly. As a result, it is only necessary to penetrate one single wall of the internal housing. This allows the inserted fuse contacts to reach the contact elements more effectively. In particular, it is possible to increase the contact overlap between the fuse contacts and the contact elements, thereby ensuring a highly reliable contact.

[0013] An electrical connector having a housing assembly and contact element according to the present invention also satisfies the objective set forth at the beginning. Here, the contact element has a contact surface for electrically contacting a plug fuse, the contact surface is located in an internal housing and is accessible by one of the fuse contacts of the plug fuse through an insertion opening in the internal housing.

[0014] Such connectors may be part of the circuit to be protected and benefit from the advantages of the housing assembly. These advantages come into play when the electrical connector is used in a fuse device that includes a plug fuse and a fuse box in addition to the connector according to the present invention, by arranging the contact surfaces in an internal housing. The fuse box may be a fuse block, panel, and / or holder. The plug fuse is positioned in the fuse box such that its fuse contacts face the connector. When the connector is plugged into or has been plugged into the fuse box along the plugging direction, contact of the fuse contacts occurs at the contact surface. As already described, the structure of the housing assembly according to the present invention ensures sufficient contact overlap.

[0015] The present invention can be further improved by the following embodiments, which are advantageous individually and can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0016] According to one possible embodiment of the present invention, the volume (cubature) of the access opening may correspond to a casing for at least a portion of the contact surface of the fuse body. In this case, the fuse body may be received in the access opening with a precise fit. The casing is preferably configured to be a rectangular parallelepiped shape in order to obtain a simple geometry. For example, the access opening is surrounded by a rectangular outer edge and is sized such that the contact surface of the fuse body can be inserted at least partially behind the outer edge of the access opening.

[0017] The depth of the access opening is preferably corresponding to the material thickness of the surrounding housing wall. Therefore, the access opening opens directly into the module chamber. The depth of the access opening is measured in the insertion direction from the outer edge of the access opening. The length and width of the access opening extend perpendicular to the depth, and the length and width are also perpendicular to each other.

[0018] A plug fuse typically comprises two fuse contacts that protrude from the contact surface of the fuse body and are aligned parallel to the length of the access opening. The two fuse contacts may be connected, for example, by a fusible conductor extending through the fuse body. One of the two fuse contacts is used to insert into the contact element of the connector through the access opening and insertion opening. The other fuse contact is in constant contact with the conductor of the fuse box and is not accessible by the connector. According to a further possible embodiment, it is sufficient that the access opening be sized such that at least half of the contact surface of the fuse body can be inserted into the access opening. The contact surface of the fuse body is typically planar.

[0019] The plug fuse may be a blade fuse for the automotive sector, conforming to standards such as ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077. This includes, for example, so-called ATO fuses, ATOF fuses, Maxi fuses, Maxi+ fuses, or Mini fuses.

[0020] The access opening may be sized to allow insertion of the contact surface of the fuse body of the largest plug fuse conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. In particular, the width of the access opening may be greater than the maximum width of the contact surface of the fuse body of the largest plug fuse conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. As a result, in this embodiment, all smaller fuse bodies conforming to the relevant standards can also be inserted into the access opening.

[0021] Of course, the access opening may be smaller than the contact surface of the fuse body of the largest plug fuse conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. In this embodiment, the access opening is sized to allow insertion of the contact surface of the fuse body of a plug fuse conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards, and its fuse contacts are shorter than the fuse contacts of the largest plug fuse conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards by a length exceeding the extended length of the material thickness of the housing wall.

[0022] According to further possible embodiments, the internal housing may function as a contact holder. In other words, the internal housing receives a contact element inside, and an insertion opening leads to that interior. The insertion opening may be a slot passing through the module wall of the internal housing, configured to be complementary to the fuse contact. Optionally, the outer contour of the fuse contact corresponds at least partially to the inner contour of the insertion opening. Furthermore, the outer contour of the fuse body corresponds at least partially to the inner contour of the access opening. Their contours correspond to each other if their width, radius, volume, and / or cross-section are the same, including a + / - 10% deviation.

[0023] The internal housing and contact elements together form a contact module. Therefore, the internal housing simultaneously corresponds to a module housing. The surrounding housing, in the form of an external housing or plug housing, functions as a module holder for the contact module. For this purpose, the internal housing is positioned within the module chamber of the surrounding housing. As a result, the housing assembly may be at least partially double-walled.

[0024] The formation of this double wall occurs particularly when the inner housing abuts against the housing wall. For example, the inner housing may rest on the bottom wall of the surrounding housing. At this time, the surrounding housing supports the inner housing. At other locations, the inner housing may laterally abut against one or more side walls of the surrounding housing. The housing wall having the access opening extends at least partially parallel to the module wall having the insertion opening. However, in the region of the access opening, the housing assembly is merely a single wall due to the module wall.

[0025] According to an embodiment that is easy to manufacture, the access opening may be formed by a recess, a cutout, or a notch in the housing wall. In particular, the access opening may be bordered by three mutually perpendicular adjacent edges of the housing wall, and may be open, uncovered, or recessed at the fourth edge. In other words, the fourth edge is offset in the insertion direction relative to the other three edges, and is in particular countersunk. The abutment surface of the fuse body may abut against this fourth edge, while facing away from the opposite side of the other three edges. Furthermore, the abutment surface of the fuse body may lie flat against the inner housing, in particular against the module wall, which ensures sufficient stability.

[0026] The surrounding housing preferably has an assembly opening through which the inner housing can be inserted into the module chamber. Optionally, the assembly opening may be covered by a housing cover. Optionally, the inner housing can only be inserted through the assembly opening and cannot pass through the access opening. From the perspective of the inner housing, the access opening is merely a window.

[0027] Similar to the access opening, the assembly opening may open directly into the module chamber. Furthermore, the assembly opening is preferably arranged on the other side of the access opening in the peripheral housing. In other words, the assembly opening and the access opening are disposed on opposite sides of the module chamber. As a result, the inner housing can be inserted through the assembly opening into the module chamber with the insertion opening facing forward, such that the insertion opening is aligned with the access opening. In particular, at this time, the insertion opening and the access opening are aligned in the insertion direction. Optionally, the insertion opening may be coaxial with the access opening, and an axis extending through the center of the insertion opening and the center of the access opening is preferably parallel to the insertion direction.

[0028] Both the alignment and coaxiality of the access opening and the insertion opening make it easier to insert the fuse contact. This is further facilitated when the contact surface of the previously mentioned contact element at least partially surrounds the contact receiving region, which is aligned with the insertion opening, particularly in the insertion direction. The contact element may be configured, for example, as a contact sleeve, a clamp, or a fork.

[0029] Depending on the application case, the housing assembly may comprise a plurality of inner housings. In other words, the housing assembly may comprise an inner housing and at least one further inner housing. Accordingly, the housing assembly has at least one inner housing.

[0030] A respective contact element may be received in each inner housing. At this time, the electrical connector comprises a plurality of contact modules, and the fuse device naturally also has a plurality of plug fuses. Advantageously, a plurality of circuits can be connected to these plug fuses at the same time.

[0031] The surrounding housing may have a module chamber for each internal housing. Alternatively, to save installation space, some or all of the internal housings may share a common module chamber. In either case, the surrounding housing has at least one module chamber, where each module chamber may provide one or more module spaces.

[0032] A housing assembly may be part of a set that comprises more internal housings than the module space in the surrounding housing. The internal housings in the set may differ from one another in terms of the shape, size, position, and / or number of insertion openings and receivable contact elements. These provide options when mounting contact modules to the connector. In other words, only internal housings suitable for their respective applications are selectively mounted in the module space in the surrounding housing, while unsuitable internal housings in the set remain unused. Optionally, the remaining internal housings in the set may be used in another set to avoid waste.

[0033] Conversely, the surrounding housing may have more module space than the number of internal housings present. Unoccupied module space may be filled later according to the value chain.

[0034] In further possible embodiments, the perimeter housing may have at least one access opening for each module chamber. Alternatively, one or more common “cross-chamber” access openings may be provided. All access openings are preferably located on one side of the perimeter housing, particularly facing in the plugging direction. This allows multiple circuits to be connected to their plug fuses simultaneously with a single plugging operation.

[0035] Depending on the number of plug fuses, the surrounding housing may have an even or odd number of access openings. Preferably, the access openings are arranged in a row, for example, perpendicular to the insertion direction. The aforementioned recesses of each access opening may be located on the same side as the recesses of other access openings in that row. If an even number of access openings exist, it is also possible to arrange the access openings in two parallel rows. In this case, the access openings in the two rows have their respective recesses on different, particularly opposing, sides of the surrounding housing.

[0036] Where necessary, access openings may be configured to accept fuse bodies of different predefined sizes. For example, each access opening may be configured to accept different fuse bodies conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. This means that multiple standards can be met in a single housing assembly.

[0037] Any reference to standards and specifications (e.g., ISO standards) in this application refers to the version of the corresponding standard or specification that was applicable at the time of filing.

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, based on several embodiments. The various features of these embodiments may be combined with each other as necessary, in accordance with the above findings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a connector in a fuse box according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a further schematic perspective view of the connector and fuse box. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view of a housing assembly according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view detail of the connector shown in Figure 1, into which a plug fuse is inserted. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view passing through the cross-section V in Figure 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the schematic structure of the housing assembly 1, electrical connector 2, and fuse device 4 will be described below.

[0041] Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a connector 2 according to the present invention, configured to be pluggable into a fuse box 6 along the insertion direction 8. One or more plug fuses 10 are provided in the fuse box 6 (see Figure 2). The connector 2, together with the fuse box 6 and the plug fuses 10, forms a fuse device 4. As will be described in more detail below, the connector 2 is connectable to the plug fuses 10.

[0042] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the plug fuse 10 is shown as a blade fuse 12 for the automotive sector. In particular, these may be blade fuses 12 conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. For example, these may be commercially available ATO fuses, ATOF fuses, Maxi fuses, Maxi+ fuses, or Mini fuses. Of course, the concept of the present invention may also be applied to other plug fuses conforming to other standards or types.

[0043] The plug fuse 10 functions to protect a circuit (not shown) from erroneous and / or overcurrents. To do this, the plug fuse 10 must be electrically integrated into each circuit. For this purpose, each plug fuse 10 comprises at least one fuse contact 14, for example, two fuse contacts 14a, 14b (see Figure 2). In addition, each plug fuse 10 comprises a fuse body 16 having a contact surface 18.

[0044] The fuse contacts 14, 14a, and 14b protrude from the contact surface 18 and are preferably aligned parallel to each other. Optionally, the fuse contacts 14, 14a, and 14b are arranged adjacent to each other in a line along the alignment direction 20. Furthermore, the fuse contacts 14, 14a, and 14b are connected by a fusible conductor (not shown) extending, for example, through the fuse body 16.

[0045] Each plug fuse 10 itself, as well as the fuse contacts 14, 14a, 14b, the fuse body 16, and the contact surface 18, have predetermined sizes. The sizes of the plug fuse 10, the fuse contacts 14, 14a, 14b, the fuse body 16, and the contact surface 18 may be defined by their dimensions or their outer dimensions. The dimensions of the contact surface 18 consist of its length 22 (see Figure 4) and width 24 (see Figure 5). The length 22 is measured parallel to the contact surface 18 and along the alignment direction 20 of the fuse contacts 14, 14a, 14b. The width 24 is also measured parallel to the contact surface 18 and perpendicular to the length 22.

[0046] One of the two fuse contacts, 14a, is in constant contact with a conductor (not shown) of the fuse box 6 and is not accessible by the connector 2. The other fuse contact, 14b, is intended to be connected to the connector 2.

[0047] Connector 2 is part of the circuit to be protected and has a contact element 26 for each plug fuse 10 (see Figure 5). The contact element 26 may be configured as, for example, a contact sleeve, clamp, or fork 28. The contact element 26 has a contact surface 30 for electrically contacting the fuse contact 14b of the plug fuse 10. The contact surface 30 at least partially surrounds a contact receiving area 32 where contact is established. For this purpose, the fuse contact 14b needs to be inserted into the contact receiving area 32. When this occurs, the plug fuse 10 is conductively incorporated into its respective circuit.

[0048] Each contact element 26 is received by a contact holder 34. The contact elements 26 and the contact holder 34 together form a contact module 36. In this configuration, the contact holder 34 functions as a module housing 38.

[0049] The fuse box 6 may be a fuse block, panel, and / or holder. The plug fuses 10 are placed in the fuse box 6 such that their fuse contacts 14a, 14b face the connector 2. When the connector 2 is inserted into the fuse box 6 along the insertion direction 8, or has already been inserted, contact with each fuse contact 14b occurs at the corresponding contact surface 30.

[0050] Depending on the application, the plug fuses 10 may be present in various numbers and positions within the fuse box 6. Furthermore, due to application-specific configurations, there may be size differences between the plug fuses 10. This means that a variety of combinations of plug fuses 10 can occur within the fuse box 6.

[0051] To enable this versatility, connector 2 has a modular configuration and is therefore flexibly configurable. For this purpose, connector 2 may include a plurality of interchangeable contact modules 36, each of which is configured for different or identical plug fuses 10 with respect to the contact elements 26 and module housing 38.

[0052] Depending on which plug fuse 10 is present in the fuse box 6, the appropriate contact module 36 may be attached to the connector 2. For this purpose, the connector 2 further includes a plug housing 40 that holds the contact module 36. Thus, the plug housing 40 functions as a module holder 42.

[0053] Due to their relative spatial arrangement, the plug housing 40 will hereafter be referred to as the periphery housing 44, and the module housing 38 will hereafter be referred to as the internal housing 46. The periphery housing 44 and the internal housing 46 form a modular housing assembly 1.

[0054] As already described, each contact element 26 is received into an internal housing 46 that functions as a contact holder 34, specifically into the interior 48 of the internal housing 46. The internal housing 46 also includes an insertion opening 50 into which the fuse contact 14b can be inserted. The insertion opening 50 leads to the interior 48 of the internal housing 46. The contact receiving area 32 of the contact element 26, as already described, is aligned with the insertion opening 50, particularly in the insertion direction 8. The insertion opening 50 may be a slot 52 passing through the module wall 54 of the internal housing 46, configured to be complementary to the fuse contact 14b (see Figure 3). Optionally, the outer contour 56 of the fuse contact 14b corresponds at least partially to the inner contour 58 of the insertion opening 50.

[0055] For each internal housing 46, the surrounding housing 44 includes a module chamber 60 in which the internal housing 46 can be placed. In Figure 3, six separate internal housings 46 are arranged in the module chamber 60 of the surrounding housing 44. Alternatively, some or all of the internal housings 46 may share a common module chamber (see Figure 5). In other words, each module chamber 60 provides one or more module spaces 62 corresponding to one internal housing 46, which may optionally have contact elements 26 as contact modules 36. Optionally, multiple internal housings 46 can be connected via a material bridge 64.

[0056] In addition, the surrounding housing 44 preferably has assembly openings 66 into which each internal housing 46 can be inserted into its corresponding module chamber 60. The assembly openings 66 open directly into the module chamber 60 or a plurality of module chambers 60. Optionally, the assembly openings 66 may be covered by a housing cover (not shown).

[0057] For each module chamber 60, the surrounding housing 44 may have at least one access opening 68 that passes through the housing wall 70 of the surrounding housing 44. The housing wall 70 may be the outer wall 72 of the surrounding housing 44, in particular the bottom wall 74.

[0058] The access openings 68 are optionally all located on one side of the surrounding housing 44 and are particularly oriented in the insertion direction 8 (see Figure 3). Preferably, each internal housing 46 can only be inserted through the assembly opening 66 and not through its corresponding access opening 68. According to alternative embodiments not shown, one or more common “cross-chamber” access openings may be provided.

[0059] Each access opening 68 exists primarily to allow the fuse contact 14b to be inserted into the insertion opening 50 of the internal housing 46. For this purpose, the insertion opening 50 and the access opening 68 are aligned in the insertion direction 8 (see Figure 3). The housing wall 70 having the access opening 68 may extend at least partially parallel to the module wall 54 having the insertion opening 50. In particular, the insertion opening 50 and the access opening 68 are coaxial, and the axes extending through the centers of the insertion opening 50 and the access opening 68 are parallel to the insertion direction 8. As a result, the contact surface 30 located in the internal housing is easily accessible by the fuse contact 14b.

[0060] In addition, each access opening 68 is sized such that the fuse body 16 can be fully inserted into the access opening 68 in the insertion direction 8 along the material thickness 76 of the housing wall 70. Complete insertion occurs when the fuse body 16 enters the access opening 68 along the entire extended length of the material thickness 76 of the housing wall 70 (see Figure 5).

[0061] As can also be seen in Figure 5, each internal housing 46 may abut against the housing wall 70 of the surrounding housing 44. For example, an internal housing 46 may rest on the bottom wall 74 of the surrounding housing 44. In addition, an internal housing 46 may abut laterally against one or more side walls 78 of the surrounding housing 44. As a result, the housing assembly 1 is at least partially double-walled. However, in the area of ​​the access opening 68, the housing assembly 1 is simply single-walled due to the remaining module walls 54.

[0062] Without the access opening 68, the inserted fuse contact 14b would have to completely penetrate the double walls of the surrounding housing 44 and the inner housing 46 before reaching the contact element 26. This would result in the fuse contact 14b entering from the outside not reaching the inner contact element 26 sufficiently.

[0063] This is the advantage of the access opening 68, which is configured to at least partially receive the fuse body 16 of the corresponding plug fuse 10. By receiving the fuse body 16 into the access opening 68 along the entire material thickness 76 of the housing wall 70, the plug fuse 10 can be pushed deeper into the housing assembly 1 because it only needs to penetrate the module wall 54 of the internal housing 46. This allows the inserted fuse contact 14b to reach the contact element more effectively. In particular, it is possible to increase the contact overlap between the fuse contact 14b and the contact element 26, thereby ensuring a highly reliable contact.

[0064] The outer contour 80 of the fuse body 16 may correspond at least partially to the inner contour 82 of the access opening 68. In particular, the volume 84 of the access opening 68 may correspond to a surrounding body 86 for at least a portion of the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16. The surrounding body 86 is preferably configured to be rectangular in shape. For example, the access opening 68 is surrounded by a rectangular outer edge 88 and is sized such that the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 can be inserted at least partially behind this outer edge 88 of the access opening 68. In many cases, it is sufficient to make the access opening 68 sized such that at least half of the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 can be inserted into the access opening 68. Here, the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 is usually planar.

[0065] The depth 90 of the access opening 68 preferably corresponds to the material thickness 76 of the housing wall 70. In this case, the access opening 68 opens directly into the module chamber 60 or a plurality of module chambers 60. The depth 90 of the access opening 68 is measured in the insertion direction 8 from the outer edge 88 of the access opening 68. The length 92 and width 94 of the access opening 68 extend perpendicular to the depth 90, and the length 92 and width 94 are also perpendicular to each other. As can be seen in Figure 2, the fuse contacts 14, 14a, and 14b are aligned parallel to the length 92 of the access opening 68.

[0066] Optionally, the access opening 68 may be sized to allow insertion of the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 of the largest plug fuse 10 conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. In particular, the width 94 of the access opening 68 may be greater than the maximum width 24 of the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 of the largest plug fuse 10 conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards. As a result, in this embodiment, all smaller fuse bodies 16 conforming to the relevant standards can also be inserted into the access opening 68.

[0067] As can be seen in Figure 3, each access opening 68 may be formed by a recess 96, cutout 98, or notch 100 in the housing wall 70. In particular, the access opening 68 may be bordered by three mutually perpendicular adjacent edges 9a, 9b, and 9c of the housing wall 70, and may be open, open, or recessed at a fourth edge 9d. In other words, the fourth edge 9d is offset in the insertion direction 8 relative to the three other edges 9a, 9b, and 9c, and is in particular countersunk. The contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 may abut against this fourth edge 9d, while the contact surface 18 faces away from the three other edges 9a, 9b, and 9c (see Figure 4). Furthermore, the contact surface 18 of the fuse body 16 may abut flat against the internal housing 46, in particular against the module wall 54 (see Figure 5).

[0068] The assembly opening 66 may be located on the side of the surrounding housing 44 (see Figure 2). Alternatively, the assembly opening 66 may be located on the other side of the access opening 68 in the surrounding housing 44. In other words, the assembly opening 66 and the access opening 68 may be located on opposite sides of the module chamber 60 (see Figure 3). As a result, each internal housing 46 can be inserted into the corresponding module chamber 60 through the assembly opening 66 with the insertion opening 50 facing forward, such that the insertion opening 50 is aligned with the access opening 68. At this time, the contact receiving area 32 of the contact element 26, as described above, is also aligned with the access opening 68, particularly in the insertion direction 8 (see Figure 5).

[0069] As already described, the housing assembly 1 comprises one or more internal housings 46. The housing assembly 1 may, in particular, be part of a set comprising more internal housings 46 than the module space 62 present in the surrounding housing 44. The internal housings 46 in the set may differ from one another in terms of the shape, size, position, and / or number of insertion openings 50 and receivable contact elements 14. The module space 62 in the surrounding housing 44 may be selectively fitted with internal housings 46 suitable for their respective applications, while the unsuitable internal housings 46 in the set remain unused.

[0070] Conversely, the surrounding housing 44 may have more module spaces 62 than the number of existing internal housings 46. Unoccupied module spaces 62 may be further fitted later according to the value chain.

[0071] The surrounding housing 44 shown in Figure 3 has six access openings 68 arranged in two parallel rows. The two rows extend, for example, perpendicular to the insertion direction 8. The aforementioned recesses 96 of each access opening 68 may be located on the same side as the recesses 96 of other access openings 68 in the same row.

[0072] When connector 2 is plugged into or has been plugged into fuse box 6, the fuse contacts 14b of each plug fuse 10 protrude into housing assembly 1. In particular, the fuse contacts 14b protrude through access openings 68 in the surrounding housing 44 and are inserted into insertion openings 50 in the inner housing 46. In other words, the fuse contacts 14b pass through the access openings 68 and insertion openings 50 so as to be inserted into the corresponding contact elements 26 of connector 2.

[0073] The fuse body 16 is at least partially received into the access opening 68. The other fuse contact 14a remains outside the housing assembly 1. In particular, each plug fuse 10 protrudes to the opposing side of the surrounding housing 44 (see Figure 4).

[0074] According to an alternative embodiment not shown, an odd number of access openings 68 may be provided in the surrounding housing 44. In this case, the access openings 68 may be arranged in a row, for example, extending perpendicular to the insertion direction 8.

[0075] If necessary, the access openings 68 may be configured to accept fuse bodies 16 of different predefined sizes. For example, each access opening 68 may be configured to accept different fuse bodies 16 conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards.

[0076] Any references to standards and specifications (e.g., ISO standards) in this application refer to the applicable version of the relevant standard or specification at the time of filing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1 Housing Assembly 2 connectors 4 Fuse devices 6. Fuse box 8. Insertion direction 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d edges 10 Spark Plug Fuses 12 Blade Fuses 14, 14a, 14b fuse contacts 16 Fuse body 18 Contact surface 20 Alignment direction 22 Length 24 width 26 Contact Elements 28 Contact Fork 30 Contact surface 32 Contact Acceptance Area 34 Contact holder 36 Contact Modules 38 Module Housing 40 Connector Housing 42 Module holder 44 Surround Housing 46 Internal Housing 48 Internal 50 Insertion opening 52 slots 54 Module Wall 56 Outer contour 58 Inner contour 60 Module Chambers 62 Module Space 64 Material Bridge 66 Assembly opening 68 Access openings 70 Housing Walls 72 Exterior Wall 74 Bottom wall 76 Material Thickness 78 Side wall 80 Outer contour 82 Inner contour 84 volume 86 Encirclement 88 Edge 90 depth 92 Length 94 width 96 Cutout section 98 recess 100 Notches

Claims

1. A modular housing assembly (1) for an electrical connector (2) that can be connected to a plug fuse (10) of a predetermined size having a plurality of fuse contacts (14, 14a, 14b) protruding from a contact surface (18) of the fuse body (16), The modular housing assembly (1) comprises a peripheral housing (44) and an internal housing (46), The internal housing (46) is configured to receive a contact element (26) that can be connected to the plug fuse (10), and the internal housing (46) has an insertion opening (50) into which one of the fuse contacts (14b) of the plug fuse (10) can be inserted. The surrounding housing (44) includes a module chamber (60) in which the internal housing (46) can be placed, and an access opening (68) leading to the module chamber (60). The access opening (68) is sized such that it can pass through the housing wall (70) of the surrounding housing (44) and the fuse body (16) of the plug fuse (10) can be partially inserted into the access opening (68) along the material thickness (76) of the housing wall (70). The access opening (68) consists of a first edge (9a), a second edge (9b), a third edge (9c), and a fourth edge (9d) of the housing wall (70), and the access opening (68) is bordered by the adjacent first edge (9a) and second edge (9b) perpendicular to each other, the adjacent second edge (9b) and third edge (9c) perpendicular to each other, and the first edge (9a) and third edge (9c) parallel to each other. The fourth edge (9d) is offset from the first edge (9a), the second edge (9b), and the third edge (9c) in the direction of insertion of the fuse body (16) into the access opening (68), and the contact surface (18) of the fuse body (16) facing the insertion direction is configured such that the contact surface (18) extending between the plurality of fuse contacts (14, 14a, 14b) abuts against the fourth edge (9d). Modular housing assembly (1).

2. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the access opening (68) is sized to allow the contact surface (18) of the fuse body (16) of the largest plug fuse (10) conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284, or SAE J2077 standards to be inserted.

3. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 2, wherein the width (94) of the access opening (68) is greater than the maximum width (24) of the contact surface (18) of the fuse body (16) of the largest plug fuse (10) conforming to ISO 8820-3, ISO 8820-10, SAE J1284 or SAE J2077 standards.

4. Within the module chamber (60), The internal housing (46) is in contact with the inside of the side wall (78) of the peripheral housing (44) that extends in the direction of insertion of the fuse contact (14b) into the insertion opening (50), in a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and The internal housing (46) partially abuts in the insertion direction against the inside of the housing wall (70) of the surrounding housing (44) which extends in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the fuse contact (14b) into the insertion opening (50), The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the internal housing (46) is positioned in the module chamber (60) of the periphery housing (44) such that the modular housing assembly (1) is at least partially double-walled.

5. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the internal housing (46) abuts against the housing wall (70).

6. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the access opening (68) is formed by a recess (96) in the housing wall (70).

7. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the insertion opening (50) is aligned with the access opening (68).

8. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the insertion opening (50) is coaxial with the access opening (68).

9. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of internal housings (46), and the surrounding housing (44) comprising a module chamber (60) for each internal housing (46).

10. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 9, wherein the perimeter housing (44) comprises at least one access opening (68) for each module chamber (60), and all of the access openings (68) are located on one side of the perimeter housing (44).

11. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein the surrounding housing (44) comprises an even or odd number of access openings (68) arranged in a row.

12. The modular housing assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein the access opening (68) is configured to receive fuse bodies (16) of different predetermined sizes.

13. An electrical connector (2) having a modular housing assembly (1) and contact elements (26) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The contact element (26) is provided with a contact surface (30) for electrically contacting the plug fuse (10), The contact surface (30) is located in the internal housing (46) and is accessible through the insertion opening (50) by one of the fuse contacts (14b) of the plug fuse (10). Electrical connector (2).

14. The electrical connector (2) according to claim 13, wherein the contact surface (30) at least partially surrounds the contact receiving area (32), and the contact receiving area (32) is aligned with the insertion opening (50).

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