Contact carrier for a plug-in connector system

Abstract

The invention relates to a contact carrier (1) for mounting in a feedthrough housing, wherein the contact carrier (1) comprises a substantially hollow-cylindrical insulating body (3) in which an electrical contact element (5) is receivable, and wherein the contact carrier (1) comprises a holder cap (4) which holds the contact element (5) in the insulating body in a captive manner and by means of which the contact carrier (1) can be reversibly secured within the feedthrough housing.

Description

[0001] Applicant: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG

[0002] Title: Contact carrier for a connector system

[0003] Description

[0004] The invention relates to a contact carrier according to the preamble of independent claim 1. The invention further relates to a feedthrough housing comprising such a contact carrier according to claim 11. The invention also relates to a method for fixing and releasing a contact carrier within a feedthrough housing according to independent claim 13.

[0005] These contact carriers serve as housings for contact elements, which are primarily designed for transmitting high currents or energy. The housings of these contact carriers also function as insulators. The contact carriers are, for example, installed in bushings.

[0006] Feedthrough housings are needed to guide lines or cables from one enclosed area to another, or vice versa. A feedthrough housing according to the invention is used, for example, in the railway sector to connect two wagons via cables. The feedthrough housings are generally attached to an outer wall of the wagons and are thus exposed to the usual environmental influences.

[0007] State of the art

[0008] DE 102020 104622 A1 shows a weatherproof feedthrough housing into which contact carriers for energy transmission can be installed.

[0009] The feedthrough housings have limited installation space, making it difficult to access the interior with tools. This complicates the installation and removal of contact carriers within the feedthrough housing.

[0010] The German Patent and Trademark Office has searched the following prior art in the priority application for the present application: EP 4311 037 A1, KR 102529897 B1, DE 10256374 B3, DE 20315666 U1, DE 102018 117454 B3 and US 2024 / 0014595 A1.

[0011] Task

[0012] The object of the invention is to propose a contact carrier for a feedthrough housing which is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0013] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0014] In particular, the invention offers the advantage that contact carriers according to the invention can now be mounted and dismounted on a mounting plate of a feedthrough housing without tools. This is achieved by simple manual rotation or by a corresponding mechanism, as described in more detail below.

[0015] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0016] The contact carrier according to the invention is designed for mounting in a feed-through housing. Such a feed-through housing is used particularly in the railway sector to allow cables to be routed from one wagon to the next.

[0017] The contact carrier according to the invention generally includes an electrical contact element, which is particularly designed for transmitting high currents. For this purpose, the contact carrier must be technically safe and meet the underlying electrical requirements. In particular, appropriate clearances and creepage distances for high currents must be maintained.

[0018] The contact carrier according to the invention has a substantially hollow cylindrical insulating body. The electrical contact element is received within the insulating body. The contact element is held inside the insulating body by corresponding radially inwardly projecting contours (retaining contours) that are adapted to the geometry of the contact element.

[0019] The retaining contours are advantageously designed in such a way that the contact element has a slight amount of play, so that the required insertion tolerances are given.

[0020] The contact carrier according to the invention has a retaining cap. The retaining cap is placed on the open top or end face of the insulating body and functions, so to speak, as a lid for the insulating body.

[0021] The retaining cap securely fixes the contact element within the insulating body. Simultaneously, the retaining cap secures the contact carrier within the feedthrough housing. The retaining cap prevents the contact element from falling out of the insulating body. Both of these fixings / holding mechanisms are reversible and require no tools.

[0022] Preferably, the insulating body has at least one locking lug on its outer surface. The locking lug is designed to secure the aforementioned retaining cap, but also serves to release the retaining cap, as described in more detail below.

[0023] Preferably, the at least one locking lug has a ramp in the circumferential direction. This essentially means that the thickness of the at least one locking lug increases continuously in the circumferential direction – at least in certain areas – up to a maximum value. Initially, the locking lug therefore has a small thickness. This thickness then increases steadily to a maximum value, which then remains essentially constant until the end. The ramp allows the aforementioned retaining cap to be easily unscrewed from the insulating body, as described in more detail below – possibly in conjunction with other features.

[0024] Preferably, the retaining cap has at least one locking recess. In the locked or fixed state, the locking recess engages the at least one locking lug of the insulating body.

[0025] Advantageously, the insulating body has two opposing locking lugs. Preferably, the retaining cap has two corresponding locking recesses. This ensures that the retaining cap is fixed without tilting.

[0026] Preferably, the insulating body has an insertion limiting feature, which is preferably designed as a circumferential bead. The insertion limiting feature could also be described as an outer, radially circumferential ring.

[0027] Preferably, the retaining cap is rotatably mounted on the insulating body. This means that the retaining cap can slide on the outer surface of the insulating body with its inner surface.

[0028] The retaining cap can be detached from the insulating body by a circumferential rotation, i.e., it can be brought into an unlocked state.

[0029] Preferably, the retaining cap has two opposing retaining arms extending in the axial direction. This saves material on the one hand. On the other hand, the retaining cap is designed to be movably flexible in the area of ​​the locking recesses, which simplifies the inventive function of its "rotatability".

[0030] Preferably, the retaining arms each have a locking recess for the locking lugs of the insulating body.

[0031] The feedthrough housing according to the invention has at least one contact carrier as described above.

[0032] Preferably, a retaining plate with at least one recess is arranged inside the feedthrough housing. The contact carrier is arranged or held within this recess.

[0033] A feedthrough housing preferably has a retaining plate with at least one recess for receiving the contact carrier. The contact carrier preferably has a hollow cylindrical insulating body with an insertion limiting feature and a retaining cap. The contact carrier is then fixed in the feedthrough housing as follows:

[0034] a) The insulating body is inserted into the recess of the retaining plate up to the insertion limiting device.

[0035] b) The retaining cap is then attached to the insulating body and secured with it.

[0036] c) This presses the retaining plate between the insertion limiting device and the retaining cap, thus fixing the contact carrier to the retaining plate.

[0037] The contact carrier can be removed from the feedthrough housing as follows:

[0038] d) The retaining cap is turned clockwise or counterclockwise on the insulating body. e) This releases the locking mechanism between the retaining cap and the insulating body.

[0039] f) The retaining cap is pulled off the insulating body.

[0040] g) The insulating body is pulled out of the retaining plate.

[0041] If the retaining cap has two opposing retaining arms extending in an axial direction, and each retaining arm has a detent recess for detent lugs molded onto the insulating body, each with ramps, the contact carrier can be released as follows:

[0042] h) The retaining cap is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise on the insulating body.

[0043] i) The retaining arms are guided over the ramps of the locking lugs and thereby pushed radially away from the insulating body.

[0044] j) By continuing to turn, the locking recesses move out of the access area of ​​the locking lugs.

[0045] The process steps d and e are thus replaced or supplemented by the process steps h, i and j.

[0046] Example of implementation

[0047] An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. The drawings show:

[0048] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a contact carrier fixed to a mounting plate,

[0049] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a contact carrier according to the invention,

[0050] Fig. 3 shows a sequential representation of a locking and unlocking process of a contact carrier and

[0051] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section of the contact carrier according to the invention in the area of ​​the locking lugs. The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. In some cases, identical reference numerals are used for elements that are the same but may not be identical. Different views of the same elements may be scaled differently. Directional indications such as "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" are to be understood in relation to the respective figure and may vary in the individual representations compared to the object depicted.

[0052] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a contact carrier 1, which is fixed or mounted on a mounting plate 2. The mounting plate 2 is shown only partially and, in this case, as a circular element. The mounting plate 2 is usually arranged in a feedthrough housing (not shown), which is used in the track area.

[0053] The contact carrier 1 is shown in perspective in Figure 2. The contact carrier 1 consists of an insulating body 3 and a retaining cap 4. An electrical contact element 5, designed for transmitting high currents, is arranged inside the contact carrier 1. To transmit the required currents, the contact element 5 is solid, i.e., made of a large amount of solid material.

[0054] The insulating body 3 of the contact carrier 1 has a circumferential bead 10, which serves as an insertion limiting means into the retaining plate 2.

[0055] The insulating body 3 has two opposing locking lugs 6 on its outer surface. The locking lug 6 has a ramp 7 in the circumferential direction. In the area of ​​the ramp 7, the thickness of the locking lug changes continuously – at least in certain areas – up to a maximum.

[0056] The retaining cap 4 of the contact carrier 1 has two opposing retaining arms 8 extending in the axial direction. Each retaining arm 8 has a locking recess 9 which, in the locked state, engages the locking lug 6.

[0057] Figure 3 shows a sequential fixing and subsequent dismantling process of a contact carrier 1 according to the invention on a holding plate 2. For illustrative purposes, the holding plate 2 is shown only as a dashed line. The horizontal arrows 14 between the sequences each indicate a transition to a subsequent process step, the individual process steps being identified by Roman numerals 1-IV.

[0058] I) To fix the contact carrier 1, the insulating body 3 is inserted into a recess of the retaining plate 2 from below into the retaining plate 2 up to the insertion limiting means or the bead 10.

[0059] II) The retaining cap 4 is then placed onto the insulating body 3 from above and locked into place. The locking recesses 9 of the retaining cap 4 engage with the locking lugs 6 of the insulating body 3, thus pressing the retaining plate 2 between the bead 10 and the retaining cap 4, thereby fixing the contact carrier 1 to the retaining plate 2.

[0060] III) To release the contact carrier 1, the retaining cap 4 is turned clockwise (in the direction of arrow 11) on the insulating body s. The retaining arms 8 then slide over the ramp 7 of the locking lugs 6 in the area of ​​the locking recesses 9, thus disengaging the locking lugs 6 from the engagement area of ​​the locking recesses 9.

[0061] IV) Subsequently, the retaining cap 4 can be pulled off the insulating body 3 in the direction of arrow 12, and the insulating body 3 can then be pulled out of the retaining plate 2 in the opposite direction. Even though the figures show various aspects or features of the invention in combination, it is apparent to those skilled in the art – unless otherwise indicated – that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or sets of features from different embodiments can be interchanged. Applicant: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG Title: Contact carrier for a connector system

[0062] Reference symbol

[0063] 1 contact carrier

[0064] 2 Mounting plate

[0065] 3 insulating bodies

[0066] 4 retaining cap

[0067] 5 Electrical contact element

[0068] 6 Rastnase

[0069] 7 Run-on slope of the locking nose 6

[0070] 8 Support arm

[0071] 9 rest recess

[0072] 10 Circumferential bead

[0073] 11 Arrow

[0074] 12 Arrow

[0075] 13

[0076] 14 Arrow

Claims

Applicant: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG Title: Contact carrier for a connector system Claims 1. Contact carrier (1 ) for mounting in a feedthrough housing, wherein the contact carrier (1) has a substantially hollow cylindrical insulating body (3) in which an electrical contact element (5) can be received and wherein the contact carrier (1) has a retaining cap (4) which securely holds the contact element (5) in the insulating body and by means of which the contact carrier (1) can be reversibly fixed within the feedthrough housing.

2. Contact carrier (1) according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the insulating body (3) has at least one locking lug (6) on its outer surface.

3. Contact carrier (1) according to the preceding claim characterized by the fact that which has at least one locking lug (6) and a ramp (7) in the circumferential direction.

4. Contact carrier (1) according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that the retaining cap (4) has at least one locking recess (9) which, in the locked state, overlaps at least one locking lug (6) of the insulating body (3).

5. Contact carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the insulating body (3) has two opposing locking lugs (6) and the retaining cap (4) has two corresponding locking recesses (9).

6. Contact carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the insulating body (3) has an insertion limiting means, which is preferably designed as a circumferential bead (10).

7. Contact carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the retaining cap (4) has two opposing retaining arms (8) extending in an axial direction.

8. Contact carrier (1) according to claim 2 and the preceding claim characterized in that The retaining arms (8) each have a locking recess (9) for the locking lugs (6) of the insulating body (3).

9. Contact carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the retaining cap (4) is rotatably mounted on the insulating body (3).

10. Contact carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the retaining cap (4) can be detached from the insulating body (3) by a rotation in the circumferential direction, i.e. can be brought into an unlocked state.

11. Feedthrough housing with at least one contact carrier (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims.

12. Feedthrough housing according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a retaining plate (2) with at least one recess is arranged inside the feedthrough housing and the contact carrier is held inside the recess.

13. Method for fixing a contact carrier (1) within a feedthrough housing, - wherein the feedthrough housing has a retaining plate (2) with at least one recess for receiving the contact carrier (1), - wherein the contact carrier (1 ) has a hollow cylindrical insulating body (3) with an insertion limiting means and a retaining cap (4), with the following procedural steps: a) The insulating body (1) is inserted into the recess of the retaining plate (2) until the insertion limiting element is reached. b) The retaining cap (4) is then placed onto the insulating body (3) and secured to it. c) This presses the retaining plate (2) between the insertion limiting means and the retaining plate (2), thereby fixing the contact carrier (1) to the retaining plate (2).

14. Method for releasing a contact carrier (1) fixed according to the preceding claim, comprising the following method steps: d) The retaining cap (4) is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise on the insulating body (3). e) This releases the locking mechanism between the retaining cap (4) and the insulating body (3). f) The retaining cap (4) is pulled off the insulating body (3). g) The insulating body (3) is pulled out of the retaining plate (2).

15. Method for releasing a contact carrier (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the retaining cap (4) has two opposing retaining arms (8) extending in an axial direction, wherein the retaining arms (8) each have a locking recess (9) for locking lugs (6) formed on the insulating body (3) with each a ramp (7), with the following process steps supplementing the above process step d: h) The retaining cap (4) is rotated on the insulating body (3) clockwise or counterclockwise. i) The retaining arms (8) slide over the ramps (7) of the locking lugs (6) and are thereby pushed radially away from the insulating body (3). j) By continuing to turn, the locking recesses (9) are removed from the access area of ​​the locking lugs (6).

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