Round connector having a receptacle for a data connector

Abstract

The invention relates to a system, which consists of a round connector and a data connector (6), the round connector having an insulating body (1, 1') in which apertures (10) for receiving contact elements and at least one receiving region (13) for a data connector (6) or a data connector jack (15) are provided.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] The invention is based on a system consisting of a circular connector and a data connector according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

[0003] The invention further relates to a circular connector according to the preamble of independent claim 9.

[0004] Circular connectors are used primarily in device connection technology. Circular connectors can transmit both power and signals to a machine.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] DE 203 18 593 U1 shows a circular connector in which the individual conductors of a connected, multi-core cable are each electrically contacted or connected via insulation displacement terminals.

[0007] For data transmission, delicate contact elements with a small cross-section are generally used, while for energy transmission, more solid contact elements with a larger cross-section are used.

[0008] Due to the use of different contact elements in the connector, their application area is limited.

[0009] The German Patent and Trademark Office has searched the following prior art in the priority application for the present application: US 6,175,078 B1, US 6,257,923 B1 and EP 1 830 437 A2.

[0010] The object of the invention is to propose a circular connector that can be manufactured flexibly and inexpensively.

[0011] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims and the following description.

[0013] The system according to the invention consists of a circular connector and a data connector. The circular connector has an insulating body in which openings are provided for accommodating contact elements. These openings are also referred to as contact element receptacles.

[0014] Furthermore, the insulating body has at least one receiving area designed to receive a data connector or a data connector socket. This means that the data connector or the data connector socket can be inserted or pushed into the receiving area and preferably secured therein.

[0015] The data connector according to the invention and the data connector socket according to the invention each have a locking arm. This locking arm is suitable for—and preferably originally intended for—reversibly locking the data connector according to the invention and the data connector socket according to the invention to one another in the plugged-in state. However, in the sense of the invention, the locking arm is used to reversibly lock the data connector or the data connector socket in the insulating body. As a result, the locking arm can no longer fulfill its originally intended function, namely locking the plug connection between the data connector and the data connector socket.

[0016] The locking of a plug connection between a circular connector and a corresponding mating connector is achieved by a locking lever on the housing of a circular connector. This locking lever then also assumes the function of the locking arm originally intended for the data connector.

[0017] When inserted or secured, the data connector should preferably be flush with the insulating body on the mating side. This ensures good guidance during the mating process with a mating connector.

[0018] Advantageously, the data connector socket protrudes axially from the insulating body when inserted. This creates an insertion area for the mating connector.

[0019] Preferably, the receiving area of ​​the insulating body has at least one locking edge, to which the locking arm of the data connector or the data connector socket is secured. This locking edge is preferably matched to the locking arm of the commercially available data connector.

[0020] Preferably, the insulating body is substantially cylindrical and has a substantially circular cross-section.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the

[0022] Data connector is an RJ45 connector and the

[0023] The data connector socket is an RJ45 connector socket. It is advantageously a commercially available RJ45 connector and / or a commercially available data connector socket. "Commercially available" in this case means that such connectors are well-known and available from various manufacturers. The RJ45 connectors and RJ45 connector sockets are compatible and have the same locking means. The invention thus allows data connectors from different manufacturers to be used and, if necessary, combined with each other.

[0024] The insulating body is preferably formed as a single piece. This allows it to be manufactured cost-effectively from plastic using an injection-molding process.

[0025] It is further advantageous if the receiving area of ​​the insulating body has at least one insertion edge that limits the insertion depth of the data connector or data connector socket into the insulating body. This simplifies the assembly of the data connector into the insulating body.

[0026] The locking arm of the data connector is preferably made of plastic and is molded directly onto the data connector. Advantageously, the locking arm of the data connector socket is formed from a metal tab that is bent outward from a stamped and bent part surrounding the data connector socket. Both locking arm variants are available on commercially available data connectors, eliminating the need for special designs.

[0027] Independently of the system described above, a circular connector according to the invention comprises an insulating body, which in turn has openings for receiving contact elements and precisely one receiving area for a data connector. The data connector can be designed as described above. The insulating body according to the invention can also have a receiving area for the data connector, which is designed as in the system described above.

[0028] Example

[0029] An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail below. They show:

[0030] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a standard RJ45 connector,

[0031] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an insulating body according to the invention with a receiving area for a data connector socket,

[0032] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an insulating body according to the invention with a receiving area for a data connector socket,

[0033] Fig. 4 perspective view of an insulating body and an RJ45 connector socket mounted therein and

[0034] Fig. 5 Perspective view of an insulating body and a rusted RJ45 connector inside.

[0035] Some of the figures contain simplified, schematic representations. Identical reference symbols are used for similar, but possibly not identical, elements. Different views of the same elements may be scaled differently. Directional references such as "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" are to be understood with reference to the respective figure and may vary in the individual illustrations relative to the object depicted.

[0036] Figure 1 shows a commercially available data connector 6, which in this embodiment is commonly referred to as an RJ45 connector. The RJ45 connector has contact elements for data transmission. The contact elements are connected to individual conductors of a multi-core cable 19. Such RJ45 connectors are used particularly for data transmission in computer networks.

[0037] The RJ45 connector has a locking arm 7, which can be locked into a standard RJ45 connector socket. The RJ45 connector has a release lever 11, which can be used to release the locking arm 7 from its locking connection, allowing the RJ45 connector to be removed from the RJ45 connector socket. The release lever 11 partially covers the locking arm 7. The release lever 11 can be used to push the locking arm 7 down, thereby releasing the locking connection between the RJ45 data connector and the RJ45 connector socket.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an insulating body 1 into which an RJ45 connector socket 15 can be latched. The RJ45 connector socket 15 is inserted into the insulating body 1 in the insertion direction E. The system consisting of the insulating body 1 and the RJ45 connector socket 15 can be seen in the rusted state in Figure 4.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an insulating body 1' into which an RJ45 connector 6 can be latched. The RJ45 connector 6 is inserted into the insulating body 1' in the insertion direction E. The system consisting of the insulating body 1' and the RJ45 connector 6 can be seen in the rusted state in Figure 5.

[0040] In the sense of the invention, the release lever 11 can be used to release the RJ45 connector 6 or the RJ45 connector socket from its rusting with the insulating body 1, 1'.

[0041] The insulating body 1, 1' has openings 10 in which contact elements (not shown) for energy transmission are arranged. By combining contact elements for energy transmission and a commercially available data connector 6 or a

[0042] Data connector socket 15, a resulting

[0043] Circular connectors are used for power and data transmission.

[0044] The insulating body 1, 1' has a receiving area 13 into which a commercially available RJ45 connector 6 or a commercially available RJ45 connector socket 15 can be inserted in the insertion direction E. The insertion depth is limited by an insertion edge 14 arranged on the plug-in side. When the RJ45 connector or the RJ45 connector socket abuts the insertion edge 14, the locking arm 7 of the RJ45 connector rests on the locking edge 12 or the locking opening 16 of the insulating body 1, 1'.

[0045] The RJ45 connector sockets 15 have a housing manufactured using a stamping and bending process. The housing, in turn, has locking arms 7' that engage in corresponding locking openings 16 of the insulating body 1.

[0046] The insulating body 1, which is intended to accommodate the RJ45 connector socket 15, has external grooves 2 with which it can be fastened in a connector housing (not shown). The external web 3 serves as a guide for inserting the insulating body 1, 1' into the connector housing.

[0047] Although various aspects or features of the invention are shown in combination in the figures, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art—unless otherwise stated—that the illustrated and discussed combinations are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or feature complexes from different embodiments can be interchanged.

[0048] 1 insulating body

[0049] 2 grooves

[0050] 3 bridge

[0051] 4

[0052] 5

[0053] 6 data connectors

[0054] 7 locking arm

[0055] 8

[0056] 9

[0057] 10 openings

[0058] 11 Release lever

[0059] 12 locking edge

[0060] 13 Recording area

[0061] 14 Insertion edge

[0062] 15 Data connector socket

[0063] 16 locking opening

[0064] 17

[0065] 18

[0066] 19 cables

[0067] E Insertion direction

Claims

Claims 1 . System consisting of a circular connector and a data connector (6), wherein the circular connector has an insulating body (1, 1') in which openings (10) for receiving contact elements and at least one receiving area (13) for a data connector (6) or a data connector socket (15) are provided.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the data connector (6) and the data connector socket (15) each have a locking arm (7, 7') with which the data connector (6) or the data connector socket (15) can each be reversibly locked in the receiving area of ​​the insulating body (1, 1').

3. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that in the receiving area (13) of the insulating body (1 ') at least one locking edge (12) is provided, on which the locking arm (7) of the data connector (6) is located.

4. System according to claim 2, characterized in that in the receiving area (13) of the insulating body (1) a latching opening (16) is provided, on which the locking arm (7') of the data connector socket (15) rusts.

5. System according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the data connector (6), in the inserted state, is flush with the insulating body (1') on the plug-in side.

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data connector socket (15), in the inserted state, protrudes axially from the insulating body (1) on the plug-in side.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data connector (6) is an RJ45 connector and / or that the data connector socket (15) is an RJ45 connector socket.

8. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data connector (6) is a commercially available RJ45 connector and / or that the data connector socket (15) is a commercially available RJ45 connector socket.

9. Circular connector, with an insulating body (1, 1') which has openings (10) for receiving contact elements and exactly one receiving area (13) for a data connector (6).

10. Circular connector according to the preceding claim 9, characterized in that the data connector (6) is an RJ45 connector.

11. Circular connector according to claim 9, characterized in that the data connector socket (15) is an RJ45 connector socket.

12. Circular connector according to one of the three preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating body (1, 1') is substantially cylindrical and has a substantially circular cross-section.

13. Circular connector according to one of the four preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating body (1, 1') is formed in one piece.

14. Circular connector according to one of the four preceding claims, characterized in that at least one insertion edge (14) is provided in the receiving area (13) of the insulating body (1, 1'), which edge limits the insertion depth of the data connector (6) or the data connector socket (15).

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