DE29813879U1 - Electrical connector with two-part union nut - Google Patents

Description

GR 98 G 3542

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Description

Electrical connector plug with two-part union nut

The ends of electrical cables are usually connected to each other or to electrical devices such as electric drives using electrical connectors. In addition to providing mechanically secure contact between the cables at the cable ends, such connectors may have to meet special requirements in terms of vibration resistance and ease of installation and service.

In order to enable a mechanically strong and, if necessary, detachable connection of a connector plug to a so-called connector counterpart, it is known to provide a so-called union nut on the side of the connector plug that has the electrical contact means. This allows the connector plug to be firmly connected to a connector counterpart that has a corresponding external thread for this purpose. At the same time, when the union nut is screwed on, its electrical contact means can be securely brought into engagement with the electrical counter-contact means of the connector counterpart.

If such connectors, e.g. on the housings of dynamic electric drives, are exposed to particularly strong mechanical vibrations and jolts, it may happen that the union nut of the connector becomes loose. This also endangers the contact reliability of the electrical contact means.

The invention is based on the task of further developing an electrical connector of the type mentioned above in such a way that a high vibration resistance can be achieved without additional means.

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safety is guaranteed without hindering the detachability of the connector plug.

The object is achieved with the connector plug specified in claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the subclaims.

The invention is further explained using an embodiment example shown in the following figures.

FIG 1 is a side view of an electrical connector according to the invention using the example of a so-called circular connector, and 15

FIG 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through an exemplary embodiment of a two-part union nut of a connector plug designed according to the invention.
20

Figure 1 shows an electrical connector plug constructed according to the invention in the form of a so-called round connector 3. This can be part of a two-part plug coupling, for example. For reasons of clarity, a possibly associated plug counterpart is not shown in Figure 1.

The electrical connector plug 3 is attached to the end of an electrical cable 1 and advantageously has essentially two housing parts.

A plug housing 41 is provided as a first housing part, which serves to hold at least electrical contact means 43 for the electrical cable 1. These are accessible from the left in the external view of Figure 1.

In particular, a possible connector counterpart and its

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electrical counter-contact means are connected from the left to the connector plug 3 shown. The end of the cable 1 to be contacted is inserted in Figure 1 from the right side via an insertion opening 15 into the interior of the connector housing 41 and connected to the electrical contact means 43.

As a second housing part, there is a two-part, cylindrical union nut 19 which is rotatably locked to the plug housing 41. The locking means in the transition between the two-part union nut 19 and the plug housing 41 are identified in Figure 1 with the reference number 31.

According to the invention, the union nut 19 has a first and a second nut part 23 and 25. These are connected to one another in a freely rotatable manner via first locking means 27. The two nut parts of the two-part union nut 19 advantageously have largely identical external designs and geometric dimensions. In the example in Figure 1, the union nut 19 is advantageously connected to the plug housing 41 in a freely rotatable manner via its first nut part 23 with the aid of second locking means 31.

According to the invention, first and second, flush, co-rotating internal threads are present in the first and second nut parts 23 and 25, via which the electrical connection plug 3 can be both screwed and clamped to a plug counterpart (not shown in the example in Figure 1 for reasons of better clarity).
30

In this connection, the union nut 19 is first screwed onto an external thread on the jacket of a plug counterpart in such a way that the two flush internal threads of the union nut connect with the external thread of a plug counterpart in 5. The two nut parts 23 and 25 are thus connected in the same way as in a one-piece design

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a union nut is screwed onto a plug counterpart. However, since both nut parts can be freely rotated relative to one another due to the connecting first locking means 27, both nut parts can now be clamped against one another on the external thread of a plug counterpart in a similar way to a lock nut and a counter nut. This makes it possible to achieve an effective vibration protection of the connector plug in a simple manner and one that can be easily removed if necessary.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of a two-part design of a union nut 19 according to the invention with a first and second nut part 23 and 25. In the example shown, the left side 21 of the second nut part 25 serves as an insertion opening for a plug counterpart. Its electrical counter-contact means contact in a receiving area 33 with electrical contact means of the connection plug 3. Contact means and counter-contact means are not shown in Figure 1. The plug counterpart is inserted into the receiving space so far that its external thread can be screwed into the second and first internal threads 39,37 of the nut parts 25 and 23. In the example in Figure 2, the internal threads 39,37 are located directly in the joint area of both nut parts. By means of a rotational movement in the same direction, both nut parts can be screwed onto the external thread of a plug counterpart. The two-part nature of the internal threads does not hinder this process in any way due to their flushness and uniformity.

The first locking means 27, which in the example of Figure 20 are designed in the form of two mutually directed, annular ramps 35, now enable an opposing, mutually directed rotational movement of the two nut parts 23, 25, so that they can be clamped both to each other and to an internal plug counterpart. The two-part union nut 19 shown in the example of Figure 2 is finally connected to the second locking means

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31, which are advantageously also designed in the form of a ring nose, can be locked to the plug housing 41. In Figure 2, these second locking means 31 are located on the right-hand side of the union nut 19 and enclose the entry area of the plug housing 41 into the interior of the union nut 19.

Advantageously, the plug housing 41 of the electrical connector plug according to the invention is itself designed in two parts. Such a design is already shown in the example in Figure 1. The plug housing 41 has a preferably hollow cylindrical base body 5, which serves at least to accommodate the electrical contact means 43 and, if necessary, additional clamping means acting on the cable sheath for strain relief. Furthermore, a cover cap 13 is attached to the base body at the cable-side end 15, preferably snapped on.

The preferably hollow-cylindrical base body 5, which forms the core of the connector plug 3 shown in the example in Figure 1, has, for example, three areas. A first area 7 serves to accommodate the cable end 1 to be connected and is preferably closed off by a cover cap 13 that can be snapped on. A second area 11 is accessible from the outside in the middle of Figure 1 and has a design suitable for the attachment of tools. For example, open-end wrenches can be attached to this to assemble the connector plug. Finally, the two-part union nut 19 is fastened to a third area 9, preferably also snapped on.

Claims (3)

1. Electrical connector ( 3 ) for an electrical cable ( 1 ), with a) a connector housing ( 41 ) for holding at least electrical contact means ( 43 ) for the electrical cable ( 1 ) and with b) a two-part, cylindrical union nut ( 19 ) which is rotatably locked to the plug housing ( 41 ) and which has. 1. first and second nut parts ( 23 , 25 ) which are freely rotatably connected to one another via first locking means ( 27 ), and 2. first and second internal threads ( 37 , 39 ) flush with one another in the first and second nut parts ( 23 , 25 ), via which the electrical connection plug ( 3 ) can be screwed and clamped to a plug counterpart. 2. Electrical connector plug according to claim 2, with second locking means ( 31 ) for the freely rotatable connection of the first nut part ( 23 ) to the connector housing ( 41 ). 3. Electrical connector plug according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector housing ( 41 ) has a base body ( 5 ) at least for holding the electrical contact means ( 43 ) and a cover cap ( 13 ) fastened to the base body, preferably snapped on, at the cable-side end ( 15 ).