Housing with shielding for an electrical connector

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing for an electrical connector, characterized in that plastics surfaces of the housing form a shielding surface by surrounding a region which is designed to receive the following elements of the connector in order to electrically shield said elements: at least one plug-in contact for establishing an electrically conductive plug-in connection with a mating contact of a mating connector and an electrically conductive connection between the plug-in contact and an electrical wire of a cable; and in that said housing surfaces forming the shielding surface are coated with at least one layer of metal for the shielding and electrically conductively interconnect at least two contacting regions, of which one is designed to establish electrical contact with the shielding of the cable by means of at least one first contact and the other contacting region is surrounded by means of at least one second contact with the shielding of a mating contact, and are surrounded by plastics surfaces of the housing other than the at least one shielding surface, which are not coated with metal.

Description

[0001] KOSTAL Contact Systems GmbH & Co. KG

[0002] 1

[0003] Description

[0004] Housing with shielding for an electrical connector

[0005] The invention relates to a housing for an electrical plug, which has at least one plug contact for making an electrically conductive plug connection with a mating contact of a mating plug, as well as an electrically conductive connection between the plug contact and an electrical conductor of a cable.

[0006] Electrical connectors, plugs, or simply plugs according to the present invention are fundamentally defined by at least one plug contact, which serves to establish an electrically conductive connection with a mating contact of a mating plug, and by an electrically conductive connection between this plug contact and an electrical conductor, the "core," of a cable. In other words, plugs serve to electrically connect a cable with at least one core, i.e., a cable with at least one electrical conductor, to a specific number of contacts of a mating plug (the aforementioned mating contacts).

[0007] The at least one electrically conductive connection in the plugs between their (at least one) contact and (at least) one conductor of the cable to which the plugs are to connect via a plug connection is typically formed by (at least) one sheet metal part, which is arranged in an insulating housing, usually made of plastic. This allows the housing, made of insulating material, to be handled safely from the outside, while inside the housing the at least one electrically conductive connection (between (at least) one contact and (at least) one conductor of the cable) is installed, thus establishing electrical conduction – in the form of the aforementioned sheet metal parts, usually stamped and bent, but also, for example, in the form of cable sections that run through the plug between the contact and the cable.

[0008] In certain electrotechnical applications, it is necessary to “shield” electrical conductors: that is, to surround them as completely and continuously as possible with a separate, continuously conductive surface, the so-called shield (which conducts the so-called shielding current).

[0009] This also applies to such electrical cables in the area of ​​plug connections within the cable.

[0010] This means that connectors for shielded cables must surround the elements of the connector intended to establish the electrical connection as completely as possible with a continuously conductive surface – which also corresponds to the respective shielding of (KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG)

[0011] 2

[0012] Plug connection and in particular the plug connected) conductor elements (between which the plug connection is intended to establish electrical conduction) such as cables and / or mating plugs can be connected in a conductive manner.

[0013] Such shielding in these types of connectors is typically formed by at least one sheet metal part, which is arranged within the insulating housing, usually made of plastic. This allows the housing to be handled externally without endangering the shielding, while the shielding (which conducts the shielding current electrically) is installed within the housing – between a contact with the shielding of the mating connector and a contact with the shielding of a cable (thus providing electrical conductivity for the shielding current) – and, as mentioned, is typically also in the form of the aforementioned at least one sheet metal part, usually stamped and bent to fit into the (insulating) connector housing. Since shielding conducts a low-voltage shielding current, the shielding can (at least partially, also according to the invention) be the outer surface of the connector.In the state of the art, shielded connector housings are therefore also known to be made entirely of metal, for example.

[0014] In every known form, these shields in the connectors are complex to manufacture in every respect: Creating the required shape of the shielding elements, especially in mass production, is technically complicated, as is the appropriate shape of the housing and, last but not least, the assembly. Complete shielding is currently only technically possible with metal housings: Stamped and bent metal sheets almost always create openings and gaps.

[0015] The high weight of metal housings is also a disadvantage, and metal housings are expensive to manufacture.

[0016] The present invention is based on the objective of creating a housing for an electrically shielded connector that is as simple as possible in manufacture and assembly and reduces the aforementioned disadvantages. This objective is achieved by a connector with the features of independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0017] According to the invention, a housing for an electrical connector is provided. Such a connector, for which (and in particular all its elements) the housing according to the invention is designed, has at least one plug contact for establishing an electrically conductive connection with a mating contact of a mating connector. Furthermore, to connect the mating connector contact to an electrical conductor of a cable, such a connector also has an electrically conductive connection between its (at least one) plug contact and a conductor of a cable. KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG

[0018] 3

[0019] According to the invention, a housing is characterized in that it has surfaces made of plastic. Preferably, the housing is made entirely of plastic. Certain of the plastic surfaces of the housing form at least one (continuous) shielding surface – for creating the (shielding current-conducting) shield – by surrounding an area configured to accommodate at least the following elements of the connector in order to electrically shield them:

[0020] • at least one plug contact for establishing an electrically conductive plug connection with a mating contact of a mating plug and

[0021] • an electrically conductive connection between the plug contact and an electrical conductor of a cable,

[0022] and by coating these specific (shielding) housing surfaces with at least one layer of metal.

[0023] Furthermore, these specific metal-coated surfaces qualify as shielding surfaces because they continuously connect at least two contact areas in an electrically conductive manner. One of these two contact areas is designed to establish an electrical contact with the shielding of the (to be connected) cable by means of at least one first contact (for example, made of stamped and bent sheet metal, in particular a clamping and / or spring-loaded contact). The other contact area is designed to establish an electrical contact with the shielding of a mating contact of the (to be connected) connector by means of at least one second contact (also made, for example, of stamped and bent sheet metal, in particular a clamping and / or spring-loaded contact).

[0024] The specific metal-coated surfaces that form the shielding surface are surrounded by other plastic surfaces of the housing (as the shielding surface) that are not metal-coated, and thus define the shielding surface – also electrically insulating.

[0025] Particularly preferably, the other surfaces not coated with metal – serving as a gripping area for the connector or as contact protection – can spatially cover and / or surround the shielding surface, at least partially. In particular, they also form the outer surface of the housing according to the invention: thus made of (insulating) plastic and therefore safe to handle and touch.

[0026] In particular, the other, non-metal-coated plastic surfaces of the housing also delineate the shielding surface from at least one conductor surface on the housing – namely, if the housing according to the invention includes not only the shielding, but also at least one of the electrically conductive connections described above between a KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG

[0027] 4

[0028] The plug contact (of the plug) and an electrical conductor of a (to be connected) cable is formed according to the invention by coating surfaces of the housing with metal.

[0029] Thus, a housing possibly designed in this way according to the invention can electrically connect both the shielding of a cable with a shielding of a mating connector, and at least one conductor or core of the same cable with respective plug contacts - without requiring conventional shielding elements in the connector, for example as sheet metal elements, and also without requiring such elements for other electrically conductive connections.

[0030] These at least two metal-coated surfaces are therefore completely separated from each other (either by a gap between two separate housing components, more on that later, or) by other, non-metal-coated plastic surfaces of the housing. The other, non-metal-coated surfaces thus serve as insulation, electrically separating the at least two conductor surfaces from one another. The metal-coated surfaces, the shielding surface, and the at least one conductor surface—each electrically conductive throughout—therefore do not touch or merge at any point.

[0031] If the housing according to the invention has at least two such shielding and conduction surfaces produced by coating with metal according to the invention, these surfaces can each be part of (at least) a separate housing component. The insulation (each of two of these shielding and conduction surfaces) can then be achieved quite simply by housing components arranged between them that are not coated with metal.

[0032] According to the invention, the shielding surface (and optionally the conductor surfaces) is thus created by specific plastic surfaces coated with metal. Both electroplating and chemical coating are possible methods – specifically, with a layer thickness of approximately 20 pm. While production is currently not economically viable for thicknesses exceeding 200 pm, it is technically feasible and thus also possible according to the invention.

[0033] They can be coated differently in different areas, with different metals and / or with varying numbers of metal layers, for example with nickel and / or copper and / or silver and / or tin and / or an alloy thereof. Nickel as a layer in direct contact with the plastic has proven particularly effective, as it adheres very well to various surfaces and can be applied both electrolytically and chemically. Furthermore, nickel is compatible with many other metals and is therefore very well suited as a base layer for further electroplated layers. Copper is particularly suitable as a second layer due to its high electrical conductivity. This second layer then forms the actual current-carrying layer. An oxidation barrier can then be applied to this (in the contact areas of KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG).

[0034] 5

[0035] especially from a contact material such as silver or tin) which has a low contact resistance and ensures a stable electrical connection.

[0036] The two contact areas of the shielding surface (and, if applicable, the conductor surfaces) can therefore be coated differently than the other conductor surfaces - for example, with an outer layer of silver that is also abrasion-resistant, advantageous for contacting with clamping and / or spring contacts, especially if the construction is subject to vibration, and enables particularly stable electrical contacting with a particularly low electrical resistance.

[0037] The other surfaces of the housing that are not coated with metal can either be affected during the manufacturing of the metal layer(s) of the housing.

[0038] • covered with a galvanically inactive lacquer or

[0039] • separated from the electroplated surfaces by means of a closed dividing line made of electrostatically inactive lacquer or

[0040] • (especially by means of multi-component injection molding) made from a different type of plastic or

[0041] • Surfaces of a separate housing component

[0042] be.

[0043] Further aspects, features, and technical advantages of the invention are described below with reference to the figures. The figures show embodiments of the invention in which the features depicted therein and described here are also, individually and independently of the respective illustrated embodiment, in accordance with the invention.

[0044] Fig. 1 shows an exploded spatial view of a plug with a housing according to the invention and

[0045] Fig. 2 shows a cutaway side view of the plug from Fig. 1 with the housing according to the invention.

[0046] Figures 1 and 2 show an electrical plug 2 with a housing 4. The plug 2 has two plug contacts 6 for establishing an electrically conductive connection with each of the corresponding contacts 8 of a mating plug 10. To connect each of these two mating plug contacts 8 to an electrical conductor 12 of a cable 14 by means of the plug 2, such a plug also has an electrically conductive connection 16 between each of its two plug contacts 6 and the respective electrical conductor 12 of the cable 14.

[0047] The housing 4 consists entirely of plastic and provides shielding 18 for the aforementioned elements 6, 8, 16: It is characterized by the fact that certain 18 of the plastic surfaces of the housing 4 form a (continuous, electrically conductive) shielding surface 18KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG

[0048] 6

[0049] They form - to produce the shielding that conducts a shielding current - by being coated with a layer of metal.

[0050] In order to form the shielding 18 geometrically (or spatially), the metal-coated surfaces 18 (which form the shielding surface 18 of the housing 4) surround an area of ​​the housing 4 which is designed to accommodate all (the aforementioned) elements 6, 8, 16 of the plug 2, which it has in accordance with its intended purpose (to electrically connect at least one mating contact 8 by means of a plug contact 6 and an electrically conductive connection 16 in the plug 2 to at least one electrical conductor 12 of a cable 14) - in order to electrically shield these elements.

[0051] Furthermore, these specific metal-coated surfaces 18 qualify as shielding surfaces 18 by electrically connecting two contact areas 20. One of these two contact areas 20' is configured to establish an electrical contact with the shielding 24 of the (to be connected) cable 14 by means of at least one first contact 22' (made of stamped and bent sheet metal, for example, of copper, clamping and spring-loaded). The other contact area 20" is configured to establish an electrical contact with the shielding 26 of the mating contact 8 of the (to be connected) mating connector 10 by means of a second contact 22" (also made of stamped and bent sheet metal, for example, of copper, in particular clamping and / or spring-loaded).

[0052] The two contacting areas 20 of the shielding surface 18 are coated differently than the other conductor surfaces - namely with an outer layer of silver which is particularly abrasion-resistant, advantageous for contacting with clamping and spring contacts 28 of the contacts 22, especially when the construction is subject to vibration.

[0053] The specific metal-coated surfaces 18, which form the shielding surface 18, are surrounded by other housing surfaces 30 made of plastic that are not metal-coated. They also enclose the shielding surface 18 – and are electrically insulating.

[0054] In particular, these other (non-metal-coated) surfaces 18 spatially cover and surround the shielding surface 18 – serving as a gripping area for the connector 2, and thus also as contact protection. They also form the outer surface of the housing 4: therefore made of (insulating) plastic and thus safe to handle and touch. KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG

[0055] 7 List of reference symbols

[0056] 2 plugs

[0057] 4 cases

[0058] 6 plug contacts

[0059] 8 Counter-contact

[0060] 10 mating plugs

[0061] 12-core, electrical conductor of a cable

[0062] 14 cables

[0063] 16 Electrically conductive connection in the plug

[0064] 18 Shielding, metal-coated housing surface 20 Contact area

[0065] 22 Contact

[0066] 24 cable shielding

[0067] 26 Counter-contact shielding

[0068] 28 Clamping and spring contact of a contact

[0069] 30 Non-metal coated housing surface

Claims

KOSTAL Contact Systems GmbH & Co. KG 8 Patent claims 1. Housing (4) for an electrical plug (2), characterized in that surfaces (18) of the housing are made of plastic • form a shielding surface by surrounding an area designed to accommodate the following elements of the connector in order to electrically shield them: • at least one plug contact (6) for making an electrically conductive plug connection with a mating contact (8) of a mating plug (10) and • an electrically conductive connection between the plug contact and an electrical conductor (12) of a cable, and that these housing surfaces (18) forming the shielding surface are • coated with at least one layer of metal for shielding and • electrically connect at least two contact areas (20) to each other, one (20') of which is configured to make electrical contact with the shielding (24) of the cable by means of at least one first contact (22') and the other contact area (20") by means of at least one second contact (22") with the shielding (26) of a mating contact (8), and • are surrounded by other plastic surfaces (30) of the housing (4) than the at least one shielding surface (18) which are not coated with metal.

2. Housing according to claim 1, characterized in that the other surfaces (30) as an area for gripping the plug spatially cover and / or surround the at least one conductor surface at least partially.

3. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shielding surfaces (18) are coated differently in certain areas.

4. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contacting areas (20) of the shielding surface (18) are coated differently than the rest of the shielding surface.

5. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shielding surfaces (18) are electroplated and / or chemically coated, and / or with nickel and / or copper and / or silver and / or tin and / or gold and / or an alloy thereof. KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG 9 6. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastic surfaces (18) of the housing (4) are coated with metal in a layer thickness greater than 20 pm.

7. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the other plastic surfaces (30) of the housing (4) besides the shielding surfaces (18) which are not coated with metal are either • covered with a galvanically inactive lacquer or • separated from the electroplated surfaces by means of a closed dividing line made of electrostatically inactive lacquer or • made from a different type of plastic or • Surfaces of a separate housing component are.

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