EP2509160A2 - Explosion-proof connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The connector has an electrical connector unit (4) provided in a housing (3), and formed as a cutting terminal unit. Another cutting terminal unit (5) is provided in the housing, where a conductor end section of a network (1) is engaged in both the cutting terminal units. Downholders (8, 9) for the conductor end section is centrally arranged between the two cutting terminal units that are arranged parallel to each other. The downholders are attached to the housing, and are attached at a printed circuit board (2). An independent claim is also included for a telephone comprising a printed circuit board.

Description

The invention relates to an explosion-proof connector, in particular for coupling a VoIP telephone to a network, with at least one housing, and with at least one first electrical connector unit in the housing, wherein at least one conductor end portion of the network engages in the electrical connector unit.

The generic state of the art after the US 4,741,031 deals with an explosion-proof telephone, which is coupled via an electrical connector unit to a network. Thereby a special interface is realized.

Explosion-proof plug-in connectors or generally explosion-proof devices are characterized in that high mechanical safety is ensured and spark formation is avoided. For this reason, specially designed devices exist for potentially explosive areas and all peripheral devices must meet the requirements described above.

By way of example only, reference should be made to "Directive 94/9 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres". There, among other things, hazardous areas are defined as areas in which the atmosphere can become explosive due to local and operational conditions. In particular, the components and equipment must be designed so that the ignition of explosive atmospheres, taking into account electrical and non-electrical sources of ignition in individual cases is prevented. In addition, for the construction of the Equipment and protective systems used materials under consideration of operationally foreseeable loads does not cause the triggering of an explosion. In addition to these general legislation, it should be noted that such connectors typically have to have "increased safety", as further specified in, inter alia, the standard DIN EN50019. In any case, there are numerous corresponding requirements that endanger the explosion-proof connectors in question for the purpose outlined above.

In practice, there is an increasing demand to connect phones, but also sensors or other electrical equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres to an already existing network, such as a computer network, the Internet, etc. This is of particular importance against the background of remote monitoring and / or integration of the devices in question. Here you have worked in practice so far with electrical connector units that connect the individual wires of a network cable or its Leiterendabschnittes by screw terminals, spring terminals, etc. with, for example, a circuit board and the conductor tracks there.

Such a procedure is technically complicated assembly and under certain circumstances problematic in terms of safety, because, for example, in screw terminals and improper attachment a wire break can occur. Even unintentional release operations with spring clips and the associated sparking can not be completely ruled out. Here, the invention aims to provide a total remedy.

The invention is based on the technical problem of an explosion-proof connector of the embodiment described above so To further develop that the assembly is simplified and all safety-relevant aspects are considered.

To solve this technical problem, an explosion-proof connector in the invention is characterized in that in addition to the first and designed as insulation displacement unit electrical connector unit at least one further second insulation displacement unit is provided in the housing, wherein the conductor end portion engages in the two insulation displacement units, and wherein an intermediate the two insulation displacement units arranged hold-down is provided for the conductor end portion.

In the context of the invention, therefore, a specially designed explosion-proof connector is used. This accesses two insulation displacement units, which are contacted with the conductor end portion of the network. The insulation displacement units are designed redundantly. That is, in case of failure of a insulation displacement unit, the contacting of a printed circuit board, an electrical device, a VoIP telephone, etc. takes place with the network via the other insulation displacement unit. As a result, spark formation is prevented in any case even if the electrical connection between the conductor end section and the one insulation displacement unit is damaged. Because the electrical connection to the other insulation displacement unit persists. As a result, the explosion-proof plug connector according to the invention is predestined for use in potentially explosive areas.

To this end, the circumstance contributes to the fact that the two insulation displacement units are accommodated together in the housing, thus protected from external access. The housing as such may be open at the front. For reasons of ease of manufacture, it has been proven that the housing is made in one piece from a sheet metal part. at This sheet metal part may be a combined metal stamping / bending part.

The two insulation displacement units are arranged substantially parallel to one another. The electrical connection of the conductor end portion with the two insulation displacement units is accomplished overall so that the conductor end portion engages successively in the first and then in the second insulation displacement unit. That is, one and the same conductor or one and the same core of the multicore conductor end section engages in succession in at least two insulation displacement terminals. In this case, one of the cutting terminal belongs to the first insulation displacement unit and the other insulation displacement terminal to the second insulation displacement unit. The two insulation displacement units are therefore - if you will - in relation to the respective wire connected in series and spaced ..

The contact between the respectively insulated wire of the multi-core network cable or the Leiterendabschnittes and the associated insulation displacement terminal as usual in such a way that the wire is immersed in the insulation displacement respectively is pressed and this cutting the insulation displacement of the conductor respectively the core of the conductor with their fork-shaped cutting ends of the conductor ,

In order to support this contacting process, it has proven useful if the respective insulation displacement unit is equipped with an insulation displacement connector part and a mounting plug part. For electrical contacting the respective wires of the Leiterendabschnittes are inserted into the associated insulation displacement of the insulation displacement connector part and pressed by means of the mounting connector part in the insulation displacement of the insulation displacement connector. Here, the forked cutting edges cut through the individual insulation displacement terminals as described, the insulation of the associated wires, so that the desired electrical contact between the conductor end portion and the electrical equipment to be connected to the network is made directly and quickly, and regularly without tools.

The already mentioned respective mounting plug part is advantageously formed on the housing. It has proven itself to install the mounting plug part on the roof of the housing. As a result, the assembly is made very simple. For this purpose, it is only necessary to insert the individual wires of Leiterendabschnittes in the insulation displacement of the insulation displacement connector. Subsequently, the roof of the housing is closed and connected to a bottom of the housing. In this way, the housing is closed and at the same time causes the desired electrical connection of the respective wire with the insulation displacement terminal.

Because the connection of the roof of the housing with the associated ground causes in each case inserted in the insulation displacement connector wires that these wires are pressed by means of mounted on the roof of the housing mounting connector part in the associated insulation displacement terminals. In this process, the fork-shaped cutting ends of the respective insulation displacement cut through the insulation of the wires, so that the desired electrical contact is present.

The housing is advantageously designed in cross section sigma-like. The floor has a U-shaped character. The roof is regularly L-shaped. Since the housing is advantageously designed in one piece, the roof can easily connect to the ground. For this purpose, the floor has a stop, which establishes the necessary connection with the roof. For this purpose, at least two fastening means are provided to a mechanically double-secured connection between roof and floor to provide.

As already explained, the two insulation displacement units are advantageously connected to one and the same common printed circuit board. In order to design the circuit board with the electrical / electronic components thereon explosion-proof, it has proven useful when the circuit board is enclosed by a potting compound. Then the design is made such that the two insulation displacement units emerge as the only one of the casting compound in question and enclosing the printed circuit board. As an alternative to the casting compound, however, it is also possible to work with an intrinsically safe printed circuit board. The intrinsic safety of the circuit board can be constructively - with and without recourse to potting compound - implemented so that in case of failure current and / or voltage are limited, so that sparking is reliably prevented.

The hold-down device for the conductor end section, which is arranged between the two insulation displacement units, regularly ensures that the conductor end section is securely held in the respective insulation displacement terminals of the two insulation displacement units. For this purpose, the hold-down is placed approximately centrally between the two spaced insulation displacement units. In addition, the design is regularly made so that the hold-down rests in the mounted state on the fixed between the two insulation displacement units leader end. In this case, one will usually proceed in such a way that the hold-down device lies opposite the respective insulation displacement connector parts with respect to the conductor end section located therebetween. On the other hand, the two mounting connectors are on the same side with respect to the network cable or the conductor end section. The two In contrast, insulation displacement plug connectors are arranged on the opposite side of the conductor end section.

The fact that the hold-down is advantageously connected to the housing, the assembly of the housing or the attachment of the roof to the floor at the same time ensures that the hold-down takes the desired and required position compared to the Leiterendabschnitt.

As a result, an explosion-proof connector is provided, the two insulation displacement units are connected, taking into account true redundancy to be contacted to the leading end of the network. In this way, any and to be connected to the network electrical device in the hazardous area can be contacted properly and safely using the connector according to the invention.

In fact, the double insulation displacement unit ensures that unwanted and dangerous sparking is reliably avoided. A mechanical access is not possible because the housing accommodating and enclosing the two insulation displacement units does not allow corresponding manipulations.

All of this succeeds considering a particularly compact and inexpensive construction. Because for the assembly, it is only necessary to insert the wires to be connected of the network cable or its Leiterendabschnitt in the insulation displacement of the two insulation displacement units. As soon as the housing is closed by connecting the roof to the floor, the mounting connectors provided on the roof typically ensure that the individual wires in the housing associated insulation displacement connector can be contacted properly. At the same time, the hold-down device immersed in this process between the two insulation displacement units ensures that the conductor end section can not come loose from the one or the two insulation displacement units. Here are the main benefits.

Figur 1

den erfindungsgemäßen explosionsgeschützten Steckverbinder in einer schematischen Seitenansicht und

Figur 2

einen Schnitt durch das Gehäuse nach Fig. 1.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing only one exemplary embodiment; show it:

FIG. 1

the explosion-proof connector according to the invention in a schematic side view and

FIG. 2

a section through the housing after Fig. 1 ,

In the figures, an explosion-proof connector is shown, ie a connector that ensures in a hazardous area that a network cable 1 or a network 1 with an electrical device 2 and a circuit board 2 of the electrical device in question can be connected. For this purpose, the connector is basically equipped with a housing 3 and at least one electrical connector unit 4, 5. At least one conductor end section 6 of the network or network cable 1 engages in this electrical connector unit 4, 5.

In particular, according to the supervision FIG. 2 it can be seen that the conductor end section 6 of the network or of the network cable 1 is composed of a multiplicity of individual wires 7, which are each contacted by means of the electrical connector unit 4, 5. The electrical connector unit 4, 5 in the exemplary embodiment is a first insulation displacement unit 4 and a second insulation displacement unit 5. Basically can even more than these two insulation displacement units 4, 5 can be realized. The network or network cable 1 may be designed as a round cable, ribbon cable or the like.

Both insulation displacement units 4, 5 are arranged in the interior of the housing 3 in order to protect it against manipulation from the outside. The conductor end section 6 or its individual wires 7 engage in the two insulation displacement units 4, 5. In addition, a hold-down 8, 9 arranged between the two insulation displacement units 4, 5 is provided for the conductor end section 6. In the context of the embodiment, the hold-8, 9 composed of two webs 8, 9, which are connected to a roof 3b of the housing 3.

In fact, the housing 3 is composed of a bottom 3a and a roof 3b. The housing 3 is designed in the form of a sigma (Σ) in cross-section. The bottom 3a is predominantly U-shaped. In contrast, the roof 3b has an L-shaped design.

To connect the roof 3b to the floor 3a, a stopper 10 is provided on the floor 3a. The roof 3b is connected at one end via one or more fastening means 11 with the stop 10 in question of the bottom 3a. Indeed come at this point and for safety reasons designed as two fasteners 11 are used.

The housing 3 itself can be connected to the circuit board 2 with the aid of further fastening means 12 and in this way define a structural unit 2, 3. In fact, the circuit board 2 is wrapped in the embodiment of a potting compound 13, which of course also located on the circuit board 2 electrical respectively electronic components encloses and sealed together with the circuit board 2. In this way, the printed circuit board 2 and consequently also the electrical equipment equipped therewith is designed to be intrinsically safe overall and has the necessary explosion-proof equipment. Only the two insulation displacement units 4, 5 emerge as the only one of the circuit board 2 enclosing potting compound 13 in the embodiment.

The insulation displacement units 4, 5 are in turn connected to the circuit board 2 respectively go with electrical contacts 14 a respective connection with existing on the circuit board 2 interconnects. The two insulation displacement units 4, 5 are each perpendicular to the circuit board 2 and are evidently the FIG. 2 arranged substantially parallel and equidistant from each other. In this way, the conductor end section 6 of the network or the network cable 1 engages successively first in the first insulation displacement unit 4 and then and finally in the second insulation displacement unit 5. In the assembled state, the hold-down 8, 9 dives or dip the two provided at this point webs 8, 9 centrally between the two insulation displacement units 4, 5 a.

In the assembled state, the holding-down device 8, 9 rests against the conductor end section 6 which is guided free of fixing between the two insulation displacement units 4, 5. In fact, in the exemplary embodiment, the two insulation displacement units 4, 5 are composed of an insulation displacement connector part 4a, 5a and a mounting plug part 4b, 5b. Based on the sectional view to FIG. 1 it can be seen that the respective mounting connector parts 4b, 5b are connected to the housing 3. In fact, both mounting connector parts 4b, 5b have a connection with the roof 3b of the housing 3.

In this connection, a detachable connection of the respective mounting plug part 4b, 5b can be realized in order, depending on the inserted insulation displacement plug part 4a, 5a, to use the respectively fitting mounting plug part 4b, 5b or to be able to use it. In any case, the respective mounting plug part 4b, 5b ensures that when inserted into the corresponding insulation displacement plug part 4a, 5a respective wires 7, the wires 7 are pressed into the associated fork-shaped cutting the insulation displacement terminals that the insulation is severed by the fork-shaped cutting. The respective wire 7 enters the desired electrical connection with the associated insulation displacement terminal. This basic mode of operation is well known, for which only by way of example not restricting to the DE 197 44 754 C1 is pointed out.

It can be seen that the hold-down 8, 9 or the two webs 8, 9 are arranged approximately centrally between the two insulation displacement units 4, 5. In addition, the holding-down device 8, 9 is located on an upper side of the conductor end section 6 or lies against this upper side of the conductor end section 6. Also at the top of the Leiterendabschnittes 6 are the two mounting connector parts 4b, 5b.

In contrast, on the underside of the conductor end portion 6, the two insulation displacement connector parts 4a, 5a are arranged. In this way, the holding-down device 8, 9 act on the conductor end section 6 guided without fastening between the two insulation displacement units 4, 5 in such a way that the conductor end section 6 rests against the hold-down 8, 9 with its upper side or even from the hold-down device 8, 9. slight) force in the direction of the respective insulation displacement connector parts 4a, 5a is applied. In any case, the hold-down 8, 9 ensures that the conductor end portion 6 in mounted Condition can not slip out of the insulation displacement of the insulation displacement connector parts 4a, 5a or otherwise can be torn out.

The hold-down 8, 9 is positioned as soon as the roof 3 b is connected to the bottom 3 a of the housing 3 by resorting to the fastening means 11. At the same time this unification process of roof 3b and bottom 3a of the housing ensures that the wires 7 of the conductor end section 6 are contacted in the insulation displacement terminals of the respective insulation displacement connector part 4a, 5a. The assembly is so easy and succeeds without additional installation tools.

The housing 3 is typically open at the front. For reasons of simple production, it has proven useful if the housing 3 is produced in one piece from a sheet metal part and in particular a metal stamped / bent part. The downholder 8, 9 may also be defined in the sheet metal part in the course of a common punching / bending step. This can be done by making and bending corresponding notches in the roof 3b of the housing 3, which define the hold-down 8, 9.

The two insulation displacement units 4, 5 are designed redundantly, so that the printed circuit board 2 or an electrical device equipped with the printed circuit board 2 can communicate with the network 1 or the network cable 1 both via the first insulation displacement unit 4 and the second insulation displacement unit 5. In this case, the respective contact resistances between the individual wires 7 of the conductor end section 6 and the insulation displacement terminals of the associated insulation displacement unit 4, 5 are designed and dimensioned such that particularly low contact resistances are observed and overall the risk of sparking does not exist.

In principle, the contact resistance between the conductor tracks of the printed circuit board 2 and the insulation displacement units 4, 5 or the wires 7 of the network or network cable 1 can be measured. For this purpose, a control unit may be implemented which is not explicitly shown and, for example, may be part of a computer connected to the network 1. In this case, since the contact resistance increases, for example in the event that an insulation displacement unit 4, 5 is not or no longer connected to the associated wire 7, the control unit can issue an alarm signal via the network 1 to a remote control center.

This will alert a user to any problems with the explosion proof connector without compromising its basic function in any way. Even a possible sparking is excluded. Nevertheless, the control unit allows the reliable monitoring and reporting of damage to or in the area of the explosion-proof connector according to the invention, which can be monitored remotely.

The invention also relates to a telephone, in particular a VoIP telephone, which is equipped with a printed circuit board 2 and the connector described above. The circuit board 2 may carry the necessary for the usual function of a telephone electrical and electronic components. The VolP telephone in question is suitable for telephoning over the network or computer network 1, wherein the telephony is based on the Internet standard. In this context, information typical for telephony, that is voice and control information, is transmitted over the network 1. Among the participants in the conversation can be both computers, IP telephony specialized telephone terminals as well as special adapters connected classic phones make the connection. This is basically known, including on the WO 2006/045810 A1 by way of example.

Claims (15)

Explosion-proof connector, in particular for coupling a VolP telephone to a network (1), with at least one housing (3), and with at least one first electrical connector unit (4) in the housing (3), wherein at least one conductor end portion (6) of the network (1) engages in the connector unit (4), characterized in that in addition to the first and as insulation displacement unit (4) formed electrical connector unit (4) at least one further second insulation displacement unit (5) in the housing (3) is provided, wherein the conductor end portion (6) in the two insulation displacement units (4, 5) engages, and wherein between the two insulation displacement units (4, 5) arranged down device (8, 9) for the conductor end portion (6) is provided. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the two insulation displacement units (4, 5) are arranged substantially parallel to each other. Connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the conductor end portion (6) engages successively in the first insulation displacement unit (4) and then in the second insulation displacement unit (5). Connector according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hold-down (8, 9) is arranged approximately centrally between the two insulation displacement units (4, 5). Connector according to claim 4, characterized in that the hold-down device (8, 9) is connected to the housing (3). Connector according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hold-down (8, 9) in the assembled state at the between the two insulation displacement units (4, 5) without fasteners guided leader end portion (6) is applied. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing (3) in cross-section sigma-like with a preferably U-shaped bottom (3a) and a particular L-shaped roof (3b) is formed. Connector according to claim 7, characterized in that the roof (3b) is connected to a stop (10) on the bottom (3a). Connector according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that for the connection of the roof (3b) and bottom (3a) at least two fastening means (11) are provided. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the housing (3) is frontally open. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the housing (3) is made in one piece from a sheet metal part. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the two insulation displacement units (4, 5) each with a insulation displacement connector part (4a, 5a) and a mounting plug part (4b, 5b) are equipped. Connector according to claim 12, characterized in that the respective mounting plug part (4b, 5b) on the housing (3), in particular on the roof (3b) of the housing (3), is provided. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the two insulation displacement units (4, 5) emerge as the only one of the printed circuit board (2) enclosing potting compound (13). Telephone, in particular VolP telephone, with a printed circuit board (2), characterized in that the printed circuit board (2) is connected to a network (1) by resorting to an explosion-proof plug connector according to one of Claims 1 to 15.

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