Two-part contact carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a plug-in connector and to a method for producing such a plug-in connector, which comprises a contact carrier, wherein the contact carrier contains at least one contact chamber (3) for receiving a contact partner and the contact partner is arranged at one end of an electrical conductor, in particular relates to a plug-in connector comprising multiple contact chambers (3) with a contact partner inserted in each of them, characterized in that the contact carrier is designed as a two-part contact carrier, consisting of two components (1, 2), for providing long contact chambers (3).

Description

[0001] Two-part contact carrier

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a connector having a contact carrier, wherein at least one contact chamber for receiving a contact partner is arranged in the contact carrier and the contact partner is arranged at one end of an electrical conductor, as well as a method for producing such a connector, according to the features of the respective preamble of the independent patent claims.

[0004] In practice, such connectors have several contact chambers, each with a contact partner inserted into it.

[0005] Problem: Contact chambers for narrow, elongated contact partners (so-called blades with masses of, for example, 0.5x0.4mm) require core inserts in the injection molding tool to produce the contact carrier using the plastic injection molding process. These core inserts are only a few tenths thicker than the blade itself. As the length of the blades and the required depth of the contact chambers increase, the stability of these core inserts also decreases (bending or even breakage), so that a reliable series production process is not feasible.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a solution to the problem outlined above. This object is achieved by the features of the two independent patent claims.

[0007] With regard to the connector, the contact carrier is designed as a two-part contact carrier consisting of two components to create long contact chambers. Each of these two components can be advantageously aligned, manufactured, and assembled according to its function (forming a stable base for the contact carrier on the one hand, and creating a sufficiently long and narrow contact chamber on the other).

[0008] In a further development of the invention, the first component forms the first three sides of a respective contact chamber, and the fourth side of the contact chamber is completed by the second component after assembly. This allows the first component to be optimally manufactured in an injection molding process with regard to the long contact partners, since one side remains open and the finished component can be easily removed from the injection mold. This would not be possible, or not easily possible, when manufacturing long contact chambers if these were provided in a single contact carrier that is closed on all sides (apart from at least one opening or exactly two openings into which the contact partner is inserted after production, or a cable on which the contact partner is arranged is led out).The second component can thus also be manufactured in an optimized manner and form the closure of the side that remained open in the first component.

[0009] According to the invention, a two-part plastic contact carrier is used, in particular, to create long (L>5-10 mm) contact chambers for small blades (pins) with dimensions of, for example, 0.5 x 0.4 mm, so that these can be reliably manufactured by injection molding in series production. This ensures that these contact partners fit perfectly into the long contact chambers of the two-part contact carrier, which features long contact chambers optimally matched to the injection molding process. "mm" stands for millimeters.

[0010] In a further development of the invention, the contact carrier has at least one recess. This saves material and weight while maintaining the stability of the contact carrier.

[0011] Regarding the production of the connector, two components are manufactured to form the contact carrier, so that the contact carrier is designed as a two-part contact carrier for the realization of long contact chambers. This process also allows the aforementioned advantages to be realized.

[0012] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail and an embodiment to which the invention is not limited is described.

[0013] Figures 1 to 4 show the two-part contact carrier. Once completed and fitted with at least one contact partner (not shown in the figures), this contact carrier forms a connector. The contact carrier is inserted, for example, into a housing. However, it is also conceivable to implement the connector using only the contact carrier and its contact partners, which are arranged at the end of each electrical conductor.

[0014] The two-part design allows for thick, stable core inserts to be used in the first component 1 of the contact carrier (Figure 1), in which the thin geometries are directly connected to a stable core. This core forms the first three sides of the contact chambers. The fourth side of the contact chamber is then completed after assembly via the second component 2 (Figure 2). This results in two injection-molded components that form the contact chambers for the elongated, narrow contact partners (blades) thanks to their stable, simple, and process-reliable geometries.

[0015] Figures 3 and 4 show the assembled contact carrier. It can be seen how the two components form the sides of the contact chambers 3. Figure 4 shows that there are exactly eight contact chambers 3 around a recess 4. This number can vary. Furthermore, the contact chambers 3 can be arranged around a respective recess 4, but this is not necessary. This can be seen in Figure 4 at the top right and bottom right, respectively.

[0016] List of reference symbols

[0017] 1. First component

[0018] 2. Second component

[0019] 3. Contact chamber

[0020] 4. Recess

Claims

Two-part contact carrier Patent claims 1. A connector having a contact carrier, wherein at least one contact chamber (3) for receiving a contact partner is arranged in the contact carrier, and the contact partner is arranged at one end of an electrical conductor, in particular a connector having a plurality of contact chambers (3), each with a contact partner inserted therein, characterized in that the contact carrier is designed as a two-part contact carrier consisting of two components (1, 2) for the realization of long contact chambers (3).

2. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the first component (1) forms the first three sides of a respective contact chamber (3) and the fourth side of the contact chamber (3) is completed via the second component (2) after assembly.

3. Connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the contact chamber (3) L > 5 to 10 mm.

4. Connector according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the contact partners are designed as blades with dimensions of, for example, 0.5x0.4mm.

5. Connector according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the contact carrier has at least one recess (4), 6. Method for producing a plug connector which has a contact carrier, wherein in the contact carrier at least one contact chamber (3) for receiving a contact partner and the contact partner is arranged at one end of an electrical conductor, in particular a plug connector with a plurality of contact chambers (3), each with a contact partner inserted therein, characterized in that two components (1, 2) are produced to form the contact carrier, so that the contact carrier is designed as a two-part contact carrier for the realization of long contact chambers (3).

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