EP3405997B1 - Electrical plug-in connector and method for mounting same - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electrical connector, which can be connected to one end of an electrical line or a cable, for a plug-in device, in particular according to the standards IEC 309-1, IEC 309-2 and / or EN 60309 1 + 2.

Electrical plug devices of this type are known to be used essentially for industrial use in rooms or outdoors and are used to connect an electrical line to a device or a fixed installation or to connect two electrical, in particular flexible, lines or cables.

For this purpose, each of these plug-in devices comprises two plug-in connectors, at least one plug-in connector, namely a plug or a coupling, being connectable to an electrical line. The plug is usually the plug connector that is connected to the electrical line connected to a device or a coupling. The coupling is usually the connector that is connected to an electrical line connected to a power source.

Electrical connectors can also be provided with electrically conductive spring connection terminals, hereinafter referred to as spring terminals, which are usually each provided with a connection opening into which a free electrical wire end of an electrical line or cable to be connected can be inserted, ie can usually be pushed or plugged in this to clamp the electrical wire end to the respective spring clamp without screws. In this way, single-core or multi-core assemblies of electrical cores of electrical lines or cables are usually connected to such plug connectors.

In these connectors, the spring clips are each attached to a rear end, hereinafter also referred to as the clamping end, of an electrically conductive contact element, which in turn is inserted into a contact carrier of the connector and is held in a supporting manner.

In the case of a coupling, the front end of such a contact element, hereinafter also referred to as the contact end, is usually designed as a socket contact, and in the case of a plug it is usually designed as a contact pin complementary to the socket contact, the contact pin being pushed into the socket contact when the two are opposite one another complementary connector, that is, the coupling and the plug, are brought together along a longitudinal axis of the connector and connected to one another.

For electrical connectors of the type described above, clamping springs are preferably used, which can be moved into a second position by means of a manually operated contact opener by a first movement from a first position in which the clamping spring is released, that is, in a predefined, mostly pretensioned rest position , in which the contact opener, usually an elongated contact opener, compresses the clamping spring, so that the clamping opening for Insertion or removal of this free wire end is open, and can be brought back in the direction of the first position by means of a second movement of the manually operated contact opener, so that the clamping opening is blocked again. A wire end inserted therein when the clamping opening is open is thus clamped to the respective spring clamp when the clamping spring is released and can only be released again when the clamping opening is open.

As a result, contact openers have the function of a pressure-exerting tool and are usually elongated so that a clamping spring can be moved between the first position in which the clamping spring is released and a second position in which the spring is compressed.

In the manufacture, that is, in the assembly of electrical connectors, it has proven to be advantageous to first arrange the contact element and the clamping spring in the contact carrier, so that precisely this clamping spring is arranged at the rear end of the contact element and this along the longitudinal axis of the contact carrier , which is usually aligned at least parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connector, is inserted into this.

For further assembly of an electrical plug connector of the aforementioned type, a housing part designed in the manner of a cap or a cover is to be mounted on the rear area of the contact carrier. This housing part can be locked, screwed or locked to the contact carrier otherwise connectable in some way and has an inner surface which at least partially surrounds the clamping spring.

In addition, the respective contact openers must be introduced into the housing part during assembly, which is provided with one or more openings depending on the number of wire ends to be connected.

During a manufacturing process, depending on the number of wire ends to be connected, a large number of contact openers are to be introduced into the housing part to be fastened to the contact carrier in a correspondingly more or less complex process step.

In addition, the installation of a contact opener assigned to a clamping spring, by inserting it between an inner surface of the housing part and the clamping spring or by mounting the housing part on the contact carrier on which the contact opener is already arranged, requires an initial compression and therefore a pressure beyond the predefined rest position additional preloading of the clamping spring, which is why the clamping spring already experiences an undesirable weakening of its clamping force during assembly. DE20205805U U1 discloses such an electrical connector according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is therefore an object of the invention to further improve an electrical connector of the type described at the outset and to simplify the manufacture of such an electrical connector.

This object is achieved by an electrical connector according to independent claim 1 and by a method for its production according to the independent claim 5 solved. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the subclaims.

An electrical connector according to the invention can be connected to one end of an electrical line or a cable, i.e. to at least one end. One end of such an electrical line or cable to be connected has at least one free wire end.

Furthermore, the connector is to be connected along a longitudinal axis to a connector that is complementary to the connector.

According to the invention, an electrical connector comprises at least one contact element, in particular an elongated contact element, which is introduced into the contact carrier parallel to this longitudinal axis and is held in a supporting manner by the latter. This contact element has a front and a rear end, a clamping spring with a clamping opening being arranged at the rear end, into which one of the at least one free wire end can be clamped.

Furthermore, an electrical connector comprises a housing part which can be fastened to the contact carrier, that is to say can be mounted thereon, and which has an inner surface which at least partially surrounds the clamping spring after the fastening or assembly.

A contact opener, in particular an elongated contact opener, which is the clamping spring, is arranged at least partially between this inner surface and the clamping spring is assigned and which is kept moveable between two positions.

The contact breaker can be moved by a first movement from a first position in which the clamping spring is released, ie in a predefined, in particular pre-tensioned rest position, into a second position in which the contact breaker compresses the clamping spring so that the clamping opening can be inserted or Detaching this free end of the wire is open. By means of a second movement, the contact breaker can be brought back in the direction of the first position that blocks the clamping opening.

According to the invention, this inner surface of the housing part also forms an area in which at least a part of the contact opener can be received in such a way that the clamping spring is released in its first position.

Advantages of the invention result on the one hand from the fact that the contact breaker, in its first position, at least partially in an area of the inner surface of the housing part which at least partially surrounds the clamping spring, finds a place, that is, a space, so that the clamping spring on the one hand released, ie in the predefined, in particular pretensioned rest position and, on the other hand, the housing part can be mounted on the contact carrier either together with the contact breaker or without it, i.e. in particular without touching the clamping spring and / or having to compress it.

Furthermore, the invention enables a simplified pre-assembly in the manufacture or assembly of an electrical connector.

For example, on the one hand, one or more contact openers can be arranged on the housing part, in particular fixed, in one method step, in order then to fasten such a preassembled unit to a contact carrier in a further method step, in which a contact element with a clamping spring arranged thereon is already inserted, without the clamping spring having to be essentially touched and / or compressed.

In a possible alternative of the invention, for example, a contact opener can then also be arranged, in particular fixed, on a contact carrier in which a contact element with a clamping spring arranged thereon is already inserted, in order then to fasten the housing part to such a preassembled unit in a further process step without the clamping spring essentially touching and / or having to be compressed.

In a further possible alternative of the invention, one or more contact openers can be arranged, in particular fixed, on the housing part, for example in one process step, in order then to attach such a preassembled unit to a contact carrier in a further process step, and only then one or more Introduce contact elements, each with a clamping spring arranged thereon, without the clamping spring essentially having to be touched and / or compressed.

A clamping spring is particularly expediently suitable for clamping free wire ends, in particular an electrically conductive clamping spring which is designed as a tension spring, in particular as a cage clamp spring, and / or as a screwless connection terminal.

Such a clamping spring can expediently have a bow spring with a clamping leg which connects a contact leg and a clamping leg to one another. A clamping or connection opening is recessed in the clamping leg of this clamping spring, which enables the clamping leg and the contact leg to cross over by means of a section of the contact leg. The connection opening of the clamping spring enables the free wire ends to be introduced. The contact leg of such a clamping spring contacts a contact surface on the rear end of a contact element which, together with the contact leg, is guided through the connection opening of the clamping leg, whereby the clamping spring can be clamped to the contact element. The free end of the wire to be clamped must also be fed into the connection opening. Such a clamping spring is usually also referred to as a cage tension spring and, as prior art for the present invention, is in particular also the EP 2 442 403 B1 from the same applicant, so that in this respect the disclosure there is fully incorporated into the disclosure of the present invention.

With this type of tension spring, the spring force acts as a tension spring force on the clamping leg. To clamp the free wire end, the clamping leg of the bow spring is compressed. This shifts the clamping leg, which in particular opens the connection opening of the bow spring on an opposite side with respect to the side on which the contact leg contacts a contact surface, and the associated free wire end can be inserted into the connection opening or clamping opening. The energy stored during compression is at least partially released again when the bow spring is released and results in a tension spring force on the clamping leg. The bow spring pulls the clamping leg again in the direction of the side of the rear end of the contact element opposite the contact surface, whereby the free wire end, which was previously passed through the connection opening, is also clamped on this electrical contact surface. This side opposite to the contact surface on the rear end of a contact element thus expediently forms the electrical contact surface for the wire end.

For mounting on the contact element, a cage tension spring can be clamped by compressing the clamping leg of the bow spring in the direction of the clamping leg and by pushing the contact surface of the rear end of the contact element through the connection opening and by releasing or releasing the clamping leg at the rear end of the contact element, see above that the clamping spring is arranged or fixed on the contact element and is carried by this.

According to the invention is on the inner surface, which the clamping spring at least partially surrounds, and on a side of the contact opener facing this inner surface, hereinafter also referred to as the first longitudinal side, a surface at least partially oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis is formed, this inner surface and the side of the contact opener facing this inner surface corresponding to one another and, in practical implementation, expediently any shape may have, in particular are cam-shaped or arcuate.

In this case, in order to actuate the clamping spring along the longitudinal direction, a sliding and sliding movement of the clamping opener is made possible on the surface of the inner surface of the housing part that is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis.

According to the invention, a first movement of the contact opener is configured as a pulling movement along the longitudinal axis, which takes place in the direction of view of the rear end of the contact element, and the second movement is configured as a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis, which takes place in the direction of view of the front end of the contact element.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the contact breaker lies directly or indirectly on the clamping spring on a side of the contact breaker opposite this inner surface facing the second longitudinal side, i.e. the second longitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side of the contact breaker and / or the contact breaker is made in one piece.

In a particularly expedient embodiment of the electrical connector, a side of the contact opener facing this inner surface, opposite second longitudinal side of the contact carrier, i.e. a second longitudinal side of the contact breaker opposite the first longitudinal side, has a flat surface which is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis.

The invention furthermore also comprises a method for the production, that is to say for the assembly of an electrical plug connector as described above.

According to a first alternative of the method according to the invention, the housing part, which has an inner surface which at least partially surrounds the clamping spring after assembly, as well as a contact opener, is attached to the contact carrier, in which at least one contact element is inserted parallel to the longitudinal axis and is supported by this , which is arranged on this inner surface of the housing part, to be mounted on the contact carrier in that, in one process step, on the housing part arranged contact opener assigned to the clamping spring and the housing part and the arranged contact opener is aligned with this clamping spring.

In a further method step of the method according to the invention, the housing part and the contact opener arranged on it are then to be brought together with the contact carrier in its first position along the longitudinal axis, so that this inner surface at least partially surrounds the clamping spring.

According to the invention, the contact opener is fixed to this inner surface of the housing part before the housing part is mounted on the contact carrier and / or is already fixed to this inner surface of the housing part when the housing part is mounted on the contact carrier.

For example, on the one hand, one or more contact openers can be arranged, in particular fixed, on the housing part in one method step, in order then to fasten such a preassembled unit to a contact carrier in a further method step, in which a contact element with a clamping spring arranged thereon is already inserted, without the clamping spring having to be essentially touched and / or compressed.

According to a second alternative of the method according to the invention, in a method step the contact opener is arranged or preassembled in its first position on the contact carrier and / or on the clamping spring, with at least one contact element already inserted parallel to the longitudinal axis in the contact carrier and is supported by this and wherein the clamping spring is arranged at the rear end.

In a further method step of this method according to the invention, the housing part is mounted on the contact carrier in that the housing part and the contact carrier are brought together along the longitudinal axis so that the inner surface of the housing part at least partially surrounds the clamping spring.

According to the invention, the contact breaker is fixed to the clamping spring and / or to the contact carrier prior to the assembly of the housing part on the contact carrier and / or is arranged to be fixed to the contact carrier during assembly of the housing part.

As a result, according to this possible alternative of the invention, a contact opener can then also be arranged, in particular fixed, on a contact carrier in which a contact element with a clamping spring arranged thereon is already inserted, in order to subsequently fasten the housing part to such a preassembled unit without the clamping spring has to be essentially touched and / or compressed.

In a further possible alternative of the invention, one or more contact openers can be arranged, in particular fixed, on the housing part, for example in one method step, in order then to attach such a preassembled unit to a contact carrier in a further method step, and then one or more contact elements each with one arranged on it Clamping spring can be introduced without the clamping spring essentially touching and / or having to be compressed.

Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following exemplary description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

• Figur 1 eine rückseitige Ansicht auf den erfindungsgemäßen Kontaktverbinder,
• Figur 2 eine perspektivische Ansicht auf einen erfindungsgemäßen Kontaktverbinder gemäß Figur 1,
• Figur 3 einen Längsschnitt A - A durch einen erfindungsgemäßen Kontaktverbinder gemäß Figur 1.
• Figur 4 einen Längsschnitt durch einen Kontaktverbinder nach dem Stand der Technik.

In the figures show:

• Figure 1 a rear view of the contact connector according to the invention,
• Figure 2 a perspective view of a contact connector according to the invention according to Figure 1 ,
• Figure 3 a longitudinal section AA through a contact connector according to the invention according to Figure 1 .
• Figure 4 a longitudinal section through a contact connector according to the prior art.

It should be noted that the same components are given the same reference symbols in the figures.
the Figures 1 to 3 show an example of a preferred embodiment of a connector according to the invention that can be connected to one end of an electrical line or a cable, ie to at least one end, the end to be connected having at least one free wire end, and the connector along a longitudinal axis (L) with a is to be connected to the connector complementary connector. The one in the

The connector shown in the figures can be connected in particular to five free wire ends of an electrical line or a cable. For the sake of clarity, however, neither a line or a cable nor a connector designed to be complementary to the electrical connector according to the invention is shown in the figures.

Figure 1 shows a rear view of this exemplary connector according to the invention, which in the present case is designed as a coupling.

This plug connector has a contact carrier 1 which, in an expedient embodiment, is designed as a one-piece housing of the connector, whereby according to the invention a contact carrier can also be introduced separately in a housing of a connector, for example.

Figure 2 FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the connector according to FIG Figure 1 , which can be connected along the longitudinal axis L with a complementary plug connector designed as a plug for this purpose. For example, a protective cover 6 is also provided, which must be opened for this purpose, ie for connection, and which is expediently connected to the contact carrier 1 at a hinge 61.

At least one contact element is introduced into the contact carrier 1 parallel to this longitudinal axis L and is held in a supporting manner by this. Since five wire ends are to be connected in the present example, five contact elements 3 (in the Figures 1 and 2 not visible in Fig. 3 one is visible) each introduced parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the contact carrier, so that they are held therein in a load-bearing manner. Each contact element 3 has a front end 31 and a rear end 32, wherein, as in particular the Figures 1 and 3 can be seen, at the rear ends of each clamp springs 4, 4 ', 4 ", 4"",4""" with clamping openings 41, 41', 41 ", 41"",41""are attached are, in each of which a free wire end of the electrical line or cable to be connected can be clamped. The rear end 32 can therefore also be referred to as the clamping end and the front end of the contact element 3 as the contact end.

the Figures 1 to 3 also show the further housing part 2, which is mounted on the contact carrier 1 and which has one or more inner surfaces 22 ( Fig. 3 ) which at least partially surround the clamping spring or the clamping springs 4, 4 ', 4ʺ, 4 ‴, 4ʺʺ. As can be seen, the housing part 2 can also be at least partially mounted in the contact carrier.

Contact openers 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5‴, 5ʺʺ ( Fig. 2 ), which are preferably elongated. Such a contact breaker 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5 ‴ and 5ʺʺ is assigned to one of the clamping springs 4, 4', 4ʺ, 4 ‴ or 4ʺʺ. Each contact breaker is furthermore arranged at least partially between such an inner surface 22 and the respectively assigned clamping spring and is held movably between two positions in the assembled state. For manual operation of the contact opener 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5 ‴, 5ʺʺ point appropriately the rear ends of which protrude from the housing part 2 actuation sections, for example also with a recess into which a tool such as a screwdriver, etc. can engage.

By a first movement, for example in the direction of view of the rear end of the contact element, each contact breaker 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5‴ and 5ʺʺ is out of a first predefined position, ie in a preferably pre-tensioned rest position in which the respectively assigned clamping spring 4, 4 ', 4ʺ, 4 ‴ or 4ʺʺ is released and their respective clamping openings 41, 41', 41ʺ, 41 ‴ or 41ʺʺ are blocked ( Fig. 3 ), movable into a second position in which a contact breaker 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5‴, 5ʺʺ compresses the clamping springs 4, 4', 4ʺ, 4‴, 4ʺʺ so that the clamping openings 41, 41 ', 41ʺ, 41 ‴, 41ʺʺ are open for inserting or removing the free wire ends (corresponding to Figure 1 ). Each contact breaker 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5 ‴ and 5ʺʺ can then be brought back in the direction of the first, the clamping opening blocking position by a second movement.

In particular, the contact openers 5, 5 ', 5ʺ, 5‴, 5ʺʺ can then be brought back in the direction of the first predefined position in which the clamping springs 4, 4 ', 4ʺ, 4 ‴, 4ʺʺ are released again, so that their clamping openings are blocked again, ie for connecting or inserting and loosening the wire ends are locked. A previously connected or inserted wire end is consequently clamped in this state.

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section AA through a contact connector according to the invention according to FIG Figures 1 and 2 with a single, in this exemplary embodiment elongated, contact element 3. This is inserted along the longitudinal axis L into the contact carrier 1 and is held therein in a supporting manner. At the rear end 32 of the contact element 3, the clamping spring 4 is arranged, which has the clamping opening 41 into which the free wire end of the electrical line or cable to be connected can be inserted and clamped. Fig. 3 shows a state in which the clamping opening 41 is blocked for connecting or inserting a wire end.

The clamping spring 4 according to Figure 3 is expediently designed as a cage tension spring with a bow spring 43 and is mounted on the rear end 32 of the contact element 3. Accordingly, this clamping spring 4 has a clamping leg 42 with a clamping opening 41 for a wire end to be clamped, for this purpose a free wire end is to be introduced through a housing opening 20 in the housing part. As a result, the bow spring 43 acts as a tension spring on the clamping leg 42. To connect or insert a wire end and to loosen a connected wire end, the clamping opening 41 must first be aligned with the housing opening 20 in the example shown. The contact breaker 5 must consequently for this purpose by a first movement from the in Fig. 3 illustrated first position, in which the clamping spring 4 is released, can be moved into the corresponding second position, in which of the contact opener 5 compresses the clamping spring 4 so that the clamping opening 41 is aligned with the housing opening 20 and this free wire end is thereby opened for insertion or removal.

In particular, according to the illustration Fig. 3 the bow spring 43 for clamping a free wire end by means of a manual actuation of the contact opener 5, which is held movably between two positions, are compressed.

For this purpose, the contact opener 5 is arranged between an inner surface 22 of the housing part 2 mounted on the contact carrier 1, which partially surrounds the clamping spring, this inner surface 22 forming an area in which at least a part of the contact opener 5 can be accommodated in order to be in its first position to release the clamping spring 4.

This area is expediently formed in that on this inner surface 22 and on a side 5a of the contact opener 5 facing this inner surface 22, surfaces 51 are formed which are oriented or extending transversely to the longitudinal axis L.

As a result, the contact opener 5 is expediently activated by a first movement along the longitudinal axis L (according to FIG Fig. 3 especially to the right) from a first position according to FIG Figure 3 , in which a part of the contact opener 5 is received in the area of the inner surface 22 and the clamping spring 4 is released, slidably movable into a second position in which the contact opener 5 is vertical is or is offset to the longitudinal axis and to the clamping spring 4 and thus compresses the clamping spring 4. This opens the connection opening 41 of the cage tension spring 4 and the associated free wire end can be inserted into the connection opening 41.

A second movement of the contact opener 5 opposite to the first movement along the longitudinal axis L (according to FIG Fig. 3 in particular to the left) this can be brought back in the direction of the first position, whereby the contact opener 5 is or is again offset vertically away from the longitudinal axis away from the clamping spring 4 and can thus be received again at least partially in the area of the inner surface 22, whereby it releases the clamping spring 4 again, so that the clamping spring 4 is completely relaxed and the clamping opening 41 is blocked or at least partially relaxed again when the wire end is inserted and a free wire end inserted in the clamping opening 41 is clamped.

the Figure 3 also shows that the first sliding movement is expediently a pulling movement along the longitudinal axis L, which takes place in the direction of view of the rear end 32 of the contact element 3, and the second sliding movement is expediently a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis L, which is in the direction of view of the front end 31 of the contact element 3 takes place.

Figure 3 furthermore shows an embodiment in which the contact opener 5 expediently rests directly on the clamping spring 4 on the second longitudinal side 5b opposite the first longitudinal side 5a of the contact opener 5, ie on a side of the contact breaker facing the inner surface 22, and is expediently designed in one piece, it can also rest only indirectly on the clamping spring 4, for example via a further component which transmits forces, and / or can be configured in several parts.

In addition, a second longitudinal side 5b of the contact opener 5 opposite the first longitudinal side 5a expediently has a flat surface, which is preferably aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis L, so that when the electrical connector is installed, a contact opener 5 arranged on the housing part 2 is attached to the clip spring can be guided along by a movement along the longitudinal axis L without essentially touching the clamping spring and / or the clamping spring having to squeeze. The bringing together of the contact breaker and the clamping spring can consequently preferably take place between the two without any force or resistance. When studying the description, it becomes apparent to the person skilled in the art that other advantageous geometrical configurations of the second longitudinal side 5b of the contact opener 5 are also conceivable for this purpose.

It can be seen that the housing part 2 and the contact breaker 5 must be mounted on the contact carrier 1 for the assembly of the electrical connector.

Here, the housing part 2, which has the inner surface 22, which after assembly at least partially surrounds a respective clamping spring 4, as well as a contact opener 5, which is already arranged on this inner surface 22 of the housing part, can basically be attached to the contact carrier, in which at least one Contact element 3 with clamping spring 4 is inserted parallel to the longitudinal axis L and is supported by this, to assemble, that the contact opener 5 arranged on the housing part 1 is assigned to the clamping spring 4 and the housing part 2 and the contact opener 5 arranged thereon are correspondingly aligned with this clamping spring 4 will.

In a further process step of the assembly, the housing part 2 and a contact opener 5 already arranged on it can then be brought together in its first position along the longitudinal axis L with the contact carrier 1, so that this inner surface 22 at least partially surrounds the clamping spring 4.

According to the invention, the contact breaker 5 is fixed to this inner surface 22 of the housing part 2 before assembly and / or is arranged fixedly thereon during assembly. During the initial start-up, after the connector has been assembled, this fixing can then be destroyed again by applying a small amount of force, so that the contact breaker (s) is released for movement again. The use of an injection molding process, in particular a plastic injection molding process, in which one or more contact openers 5 are injected onto the housing part 2 is particularly expedient for such a pre-assembly.

In this way, a one-piece component, consisting of the housing part 2 and one or more contact openers 5, can first be produced, and the contact opener (s) 5 can then be detached again from the rest of the component, ie from the housing part 2, after the connector has been assembled, to the extent that this is released for movement according to the invention between the two positions. Depending on the injection mold, the transition between housing part 2 and contact breaker 5 and their shape can also be such that right from the start, i. H. without any loosening, freedom of movement according to the invention of the contact breaker 5 is given and this is in its first position and an inner surface 22 is given which forms a region.

In a further preferred embodiment, the use of a two-component injection molding process has proven to be special expediently shown in which the housing part 1 and the contact opener 5 are thus in particular made of different materials. In this way, the material for the housing part 2 and one or more contact openers 5 can be specified differently depending on the specifications in the simplest way and these can nevertheless be produced in advance as a component. The contact breaker (s), in particular depending on the type of material selected, can then furthermore be released and released for movement again from the rest of the component, ie from the housing part 2, by a maximum of only a minimal expenditure of force.

In an alternative method for assembling the electrical connector, the contact opener 5 is arranged or preassembled in its first position on the contact carrier 1 and / or on the clamping spring 4 in a method step, with at least one contact element 3 already parallel to the longitudinal axis in the contact carrier 1 L is introduced and held by this in a load-bearing manner, and wherein the clamping spring 4 is arranged at the rear end 32.

In a further method step of this alternative method according to the invention, the housing part 2 can be mounted on the contact carrier 1 in that the housing part 2 and the contact carrier 1 are brought together along the longitudinal axis L so that the inner surface 22 of the housing part 2 at least partially surrounds the clamping spring 4.

According to the invention, the contact breaker is thus before Assembly of the housing part on the contact carrier on the clamping spring and / or fixed on the contact carrier and / or is arranged fixed on it during assembly.

In a further possible alternative of the invention, one or more contact openers 5 can again initially be arranged, in particular fixed, on the housing part, for example in one step, in order then to attach such a preassembled unit to a contact carrier 1 in a further step, although only then then one or more contact elements 3, each with a clamping spring 4 arranged thereon, can be introduced without essentially touching the clamping spring and / or having to compress the clamping spring.

To illustrate the advantages of the invention, the following is based on Figure 4 an exemplary connector according to the prior art will be briefly described.

Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section through such a connector according to the prior art, which in contrast to the electrical connector according to the invention according to the Figures 1 to 3 has a housing part 2 ′ with an inner surface on which no area is formed in which at least a part of the contact opener 7 can be received in order to release the clamping spring 4.

Furthermore, such a contact connector usually has a contact opener 7 with a recess 8, which the bow spring 43 in the first position, in which the Clamping spring is released, encloses, as well as an elevation 9, which compresses the clamp spring 4 in a second position in which the contact breaker 7 is pulled out along the longitudinal axis L. Furthermore, the contact breaker 7 has a head with a certain protrusion, which provides a stop against the contact breaker 7 dipping too far into the housing part 2 '.

As a result, an electrical connector according to Figure 4 In none of the positions to be assumed by the contact opener 7, a force-free installation of a contact opener or the installation of an electrical connector with such a contact opener, which for this purpose is arranged or preassembled on the housing part and / or a contact carrier and / or a clamping spring without the clamping spring being here is compressed and therefore experiences a preload that goes beyond the predefined rest position.

Reference number:

1

Contact carrier

2, 2 '

Housing part

20th

Housing opening

22nd

Inner surface

3

Contact element

31

Front end

32

Back end

4, 4 ′, 4ʺ, 4 ‴, 4ʺʺ

Clamp spring

41, 41 ′, 41ʺ, 41 ‴, 41ʺʺ

Clamp opening

42

Clamp leg

43

Bow spring

5, 5 ′, 5ʺ, 5 ‴, 5ʺʺ

Contact opener

5a

First long side of the contact opener

5b

Second long side of the contact opener

6th

Protective cover

61

hinge

7th

Another contact opener

8th

Recess

9

Elevation

L.

Longitudinal axis

Claims (5)

1. Electrical plug-in connector which can be connected to one end of an electrical line or a cable, wherein the end to be connected has at least one free wire end, and wherein the plug-in connector is to be connected to a plug-in connector complementary to the plug-in connector along a longitudinal axis (L), comprising the following features:

   - a contact support (1);

   - at least one contact element (3) which is inserted in the contact support (1) in parallel with this longitudinal axis (L) and is held thereby in a supporting manner, wherein the contact element (3) has a front and a rear end (31, 32), and wherein the rear end (32) has a clamping spring (4) with a clamping opening (41) in which the at least one free wire end can be clamped;

   - a housing part (2) which is assembled on the contact support (1) and has an inner surface (22) which at least partially surrounds the clamping spring (4) after assembly; a contact opener (5), in particular an elongate contact opener (5), which is to be allocated to the clamping spring (4), is arranged at least partially between this inner surface (22) and the clamping spring (4) and, after assembly, is held so as to be movable between two positions;
   wherein a first movement is a pulling movement of the contact opener (5) along the longitudinal axis (L), which occurs in the viewing direction of the rear end (32) of the contact element (3), and a second movement is a pushing movement of the contact opener (5) along the longitudinal axis (L) which occurs in the viewing direction of the front end (31) of the contact element (3);
   wherein the inner surface (22) forms a region in which at least one part of the contact opener (5) is accommodated in a first position of the contact opener (5) so that the clamping spring (4) is released;
   characterised in that

   - a surface (51) oriented at least partially transverse to the longitudinal axis (L) is formed in each case on this inner surface (22) and on a side (5a) of the contact opener (5) facing this inner surface (22),
   whereby in order to actuate the clamping spring along the longitudinal direction, the contact opener (5) can be moved by a first sliding movement on the surface (51) of this inner surface (22) oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis (L) from the first position in which the clamping spring (4) is released to a second position in which the contact opener (5) compresses the clamping spring (4) so that the clamping opening is opened for insertion or removal of this free wire end, and the contact opener (5) can be moved back towards the first position blocking the clamping opening by a second sliding movement on the surface (51) of this inner surface (22) oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis (L).
2. Electrical plug-in connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping spring is a cage tension spring which is clamped on the contact element.
3. Electrical plug-in connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the contact opener (5) lies indirectly or directly against the clamping spring (4) on the second longitudinal side (5b) opposite the first longitudinal side (5a) of the contact opener (5) and/or the contact opener (5) is formed in one piece.
4. Electrical plug-in connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a second longitudinal side (5b) of the contact opener (5) opposite the first longitudinal side (5a) has a planar surface which is oriented in parallel with the longitudinal axis (L).
5. Method for assembling an electrical plug-in connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
   either:

   - in one method step at least one contact element (3) is inserted into the contact support (1) in parallel with the longitudinal axis (L) and as a result is held thereby in a supporting manner, wherein the clamping spring (4) is arranged on the rear end (32),

   - in a further method step the housing part (2) and the contact opener (5), which is already arranged on this inner surface (22) of the housing part, is assembled on the contact support (1) in that

   the contact opener (5) arranged on the housing part (1) is allocated to the clamping spring (4) and the housing part (1) and the contact opener (5) arranged thereon is oriented with respect to this clamping spring (4), and

   the housing part (2) and the contact opener (5), which is arranged thereon, in the first position thereof are combined with the contact support (1) along the longitudinal axis L, and so this inner surface (22) at least partially surrounds the clamping spring (4), or

   - in one method step the contact opener (5) is arranged in the first position thereof on the contact support (1) and/or on the clamping spring (4), wherein at least one contact element (3) is inserted in the contact support (1) already in parallel with the longitudinal axis (L) and is held thereby in a supporting manner, wherein the clamping spring (4) is arranged on the rear end (32), and

   - in a further method step the housing part (2) is assembled on the contact support (1) in that
   the housing part (2) and the contact support (1) are combined along the longitudinal axis L, and so this inner surface (22) at least partially surrounds the clamping spring (4),
   or

   - in one method step one or more contact openers (5) are arranged on the housing part (2),

   - in a further method step such a preassembled unit is attached to a contact support (1), and

   - only then are one or more contact elements (3) inserted, each with a clamping spring (4) arranged thereon,
   and so this inner surface at least partially surrounds the clamping spring (4), wherein the one or more contact openers (5) are arranged between this inner surface (22) and the clamping spring (4) in the first position thereof,
   wherein the contact opener(s) (5) is/are fixed to this inner surface (22) of the housing part (2), to the clamping spring (4) or to the contact support (1) prior to assembling the housing part (2) on the contact support (1).

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