EP3659214B1 - Electrical plug connector and plug connector system - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to an electrical connector and a connector system

State of the art

The state of the art for electrical connectors and connector systems includes electrical contacts between the line of an insulated cable and a contact body using the so-called insulation displacement contact technique. The electrical and mechanical connection of the cable or its line to the contact body of the connector is created or made by an insulation displacement element instead of by crimping. This insulation displacement element is formed by a pair of opposing blades that form a slot between them. The slot is open on one side. The pair of blades thus forms a receiving opening for the cable. The pair of blades can be made, for example, by one or more slotted tabs with a width that widens towards the receiving opening. The cable is pressed into these slots. In the first part of the slot, the insulation of the cable is usually cut through or, in the case of a layer of paint, this is scraped off. In the final position, the wire then comes to rest at a narrow point in the slot and is electrically connected to the tabs or cutting edges by the high normal forces.

Such a connector is available from DE 44 139 77 A1 known.

From the DE 24 41 058 A1 An electrical connector is known in which the receiving openings of two insulation displacement elements are rotated by 180° around the longitudinal axis relative to each other.

From the FR 2 454 195 A1 An electrical connector is known in which the receiving openings of two insulation displacement elements are rotated by 0° with respect to a rotation angle around the longitudinal axis, i.e. they point in the same direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

Disclosure of the invention

The invention is based on the knowledge that when the cable moves, e.g. when the cable is bent or subjected to vibration, micro-movements can occur in the contact point, which leads to wear and thus to a reduced service life of the contact point. Movements in the slot direction are particularly critical here, since the forces counteracting the external movement are lower here.

There may therefore be a need to provide a connector with insulation displacement technology that provides reliable electrical contact for a long time, even when a cable is subjected to increased movement loads in the connector.

Advantages of the invention

This need can be met by the subject matter of the present invention according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

For the purposes of the application, the terms "comprising" and "having" are used synonymously unless expressly stated otherwise.

According to a first aspect of the invention, an electrical connector with a contact body for electrically contacting a mating contact is proposed. The contact body has a contacting section for electrically contacting the mating contact and a connection area for electrical and mechanical contacting of a cable. The connection area extends along a longitudinal axis that defines an axial direction. In the connection area, two insulation displacement elements are arranged, each of which has two opposing cutting edges. The opposing cutting edges form a pair of cutting edges. The two cutting edges of an insulation displacement element each define a receiving opening for the cable that faces outwards transversely to the longitudinal axis, with the two receiving openings of the two insulation displacement elements being rotated relative to one another by an angle around the longitudinal axis, with the angle being in a range between 40° and 140°.

In other words: the two insulation displacement elements are not aligned parallel to each other with respect to their receiving opening, but are rotated against each other.

This has the advantage of ensuring that the cable is held better and more reliably, as two clamping-cutting elements are provided instead of just one. In addition, the two insulation-clamping elements are rotated relative to each other around the longitudinal axis. This means that relative movements of the cable and contact, e.g. due to thermal loads and/or vibration loads, can be better absorbed, which means that the electrical connection between the connector and the cable is significantly more durable.

The connector can, for example, be made of a metal sheet.

The connection area can, for example, be directly connected to the contact section. However, it can also be connected to the contact section only indirectly, e.g. by means of a neck area arranged between the contact section and the connection area.

The connection area can, for example, extend to a housing of the contacting section. In other embodiments, however, it can only extend from one clamping-cutting element to the other clamping-cutting element. The longitudinal axis can, for example, be a longitudinal axis of the entire electrical connector. In this case, the contacting section and the connection area run along the longitudinal axis.

However, it is also possible that the connection area is arranged at an angle to the contacting section, e.g. bent by 30° to 150°, e.g. bent by 90°. In this case, the longitudinal axis is not parallel or even identical to a further longitudinal axis of the contacting section. Nevertheless, even in such a bent case, the functionality of the invention is preserved.

The longitudinal axis (of the connection area) can, for example, correspond to an axis along which a cable to be inserted into the two clamping-cutting elements runs in the assembled state.

The fact that the connection area is made in one piece has the advantage that the connector is particularly stable in the connection area. This increases the service life. The connection area can also be manufactured particularly easily and inexpensively.

The fact that the electrical connector is made in one piece has the advantage that the connector as a whole is particularly stable. This increases its service life. It can also be manufactured particularly easily and inexpensively.

Because the electrical connector is manufactured as a stamped and bent part, the connector can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively. For example, the connector can be made from a thin metal sheet.

The fact that the two insulation displacement elements are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction has the advantage that a cable can be inserted particularly easily between the insulation displacement elements that are twisted relative to one another. This can make the assembly process, e.g. during assembly, easier, which reduces costs.

The fact that the distance between the two insulation displacement elements in the axial direction is at least five times the smaller of the widths between the pairs of cutting edges of the two insulation displacement elements makes the process of fitting the cable particularly easy. This is because the distance is then large enough to easily thread a rigid cable with a rigid line into the two insulation displacement elements or into their receiving openings.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a connector system is proposed. The connector system comprises an electrical connector as described above and a cable with an electrically conductive line and a Insulating jacket surrounding the cable, whereby the cable is inserted into the two insulation displacement elements in the connection area and is electrically contacted and mechanically held there.

The proposed connector system is particularly robust and stable against thermal and vibration loads, as electrical contact is always guaranteed. By twisting the two insulation displacement elements against each other, the cable cannot be easily removed from the connector in the event of a vibration amplitude parallel to one insulation displacement element, as it is then pressed particularly well against the cutting edges of the other insulation displacement element.

The cable can have, for example, a rigid wire made of a metal as an electrical line and can comprise, for example, copper or aluminum or iron or alloys of these metals. The line can also be formed from a plurality of individual strands, which makes the line somewhat more flexible and easier to bend, viewed transversely to its direction of extension.

The insulating jacket can be made of an electrically insulating plastic, for example. It can be placed around the cable in such a way that the cable can move at least slightly relative to the insulating jacket. However, the insulating jacket can also be applied to the electrical cable as a type of coating, such as with wire for making electrical coils.

The fact that the cable is inserted into the two receiving openings of the two insulation displacement elements in such a way that at least one cutting edge of each insulation displacement element cuts through the insulation jacket of the cable down to the line and the line is electrically contacted advantageously creates a particularly secure electrical contact between the line and the connector. The connector system can be produced effortlessly and with little effort, as it is not necessary to strip the cable before fitting the connector. A crimping process and its quality control can also be dispensed with. By cutting into the insulation jacket, the cable is also advantageously fixed along the axial direction by a positive connection between the insulation jacket and/or the line on the one hand and the cutting edges on the other. In this way, a long-lasting, reliable contact can be created easily and very inexpensively. In particular with cables that contain aluminum, By scratching the cable when making the connection, an aluminium oxide layer which is not a good electrical conductor can be severed.

drawings

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of exemplary embodiments, which, however, are not to be interpreted as limiting the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1:

eine schematische Darstellung eines Steckverbinders aus dem Stand der Technik;

Fig. 2:

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines Steckverbinders gemäß der Erfindung;

Fig. 3a:

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines Steckverbindersystems gemäß der Erfindung in einem ersten Zustand bei der Montage eines Kabels;

Fig. 3b:

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines Steckverbindersystems gemäß der Erfindung in einem zweiten Zustand nach Abschluss der Montage des Kabels.

Show it

Fig.1:

a schematic representation of a connector from the prior art;

Fig. 2:

a schematic perspective view of a connector according to the invention;

Fig. 3a:

a schematic perspective view of a connector system according to the invention in a first state during assembly of a cable;

Fig. 3b:

a schematic perspective view of a connector system according to the invention in a second state after completion of the assembly of the cable.

Figure 1 shows an electrical connector 1 using insulation displacement technology from the prior art. The electrical connector 1 has a contact body 2 for electrically contacting a mating contact (not shown here). The contact body 2 has a contact section 3 for electrically contacting the mating contact and a connection area 4 for electrically and mechanically contacting a cable (not shown here). The connection area 4 extends along a longitudinal axis A, with the longitudinal axis A defining an axial direction. Directions transverse or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A can be referred to as radial directions.

A first insulation displacement element 10 is arranged in the connection area 4. The first insulation displacement element 10 has two opposing cutting edges 11a, 11b. The two cutting edges 11a, 11b of the first insulation displacement element 10 define a first receiving opening 12 transversely to the longitudinal axis A for receiving the cable (not shown here), with the first receiving opening 12 pointing outwards. The term "outwards" is to be understood here as pointing in a direction away from the longitudinal axis, i.e. a radial direction.

The cable (not shown here) can be inserted between the two cutting edges 11a, 11b together with an insulating sheath surrounding an electrical conductor of the cable. The receiving opening 12 tapers from the opening side to its first root 14 (in the figure, from top to bottom). As a result, the insulating sheath is scratched and severed by means of at least one of the cutting edges 11a, 11b, so that this cutting edge 11a, 11b can make electrical contact with the electrical conductor.

However, the connector 1 shown only has a single insulation displacement element 10. If the cable moves, e.g. due to thermal stress or vibrations, it is possible that the cable - not shown here - moves upwards in the figure, towards the receiving opening 12, and that the electrical and/or mechanical contact is then lost.

Fig.2 shows an embodiment of a connector 1 according to the invention. The connection area 4 of the connector 1 extends along a longitudinal axis A, wherein the longitudinal axis A defines an axial direction. Directions transverse or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A can be referred to as radial directions. In the embodiment shown, the contacting section 3 and the connection area 4 are arranged directly one after the other, viewed along the longitudinal axis A. They both extend along the longitudinal axis A.

In this case, two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 are arranged in the connection area 4. A first insulation displacement element 10 and a second insulation displacement element 20. The two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction, with a distance D between them. The two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 are connected to one another via an intermediate element 13. The intermediate element 13 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis A. The intermediate element 13 can be designed as a sheet metal strip, for example. It can be designed in the form of a tab. The two receiving openings 12, 22 can be designed in such a way be such that, viewed along the longitudinal axis A, they are at least partially aligned with one another, so that when a cable is mounted, the cable can run straight in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis A, ie without bending transverse to the longitudinal axis A.

The first insulation displacement element 10 has two opposing cutting edges 11a, 11b and the second insulation displacement element 20 also has two opposing cutting edges 21a, 21b. The two cutting edges 11a, 11b of the first insulation displacement element 10 define a first receiving opening 12 transversely to the longitudinal axis A for receiving a cable not shown here (see Figs. 3a and 3b ), with the first receiving opening 12 pointing outwards - it points upwards in the figure. In the same way, the two cutting edges 21a, 21b of the second insulation displacement element 20 define a second receiving opening 22 transversely to the longitudinal axis A for receiving the same cable, not shown here, with the second receiving opening 22 also pointing outwards - to the left in the present figure. The two receiving openings 12, 22 of the two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 are thus rotated relative to one another by an angle α about the longitudinal axis A. In the present exemplary embodiment, the angle α is 90°. The angle α can be in a range between 20° and 160°, preferably between 40° and 140° and very particularly preferably between 60° and 120°. This non-parallel alignment of the two receiving openings 12, 22 of the two clamping-cutting elements 10, 20 prevents increased wear at the contact points between the cable and the sheaths 11a, 11b, 21a, 21b when the cable (not shown here) moves in one of the directions of one of the receiving openings 12, 22. It is also advantageous to prevent the cable from slipping out of both clamping-cutting elements 10, 20 or losing electrical contact when moving in one direction.

The first receiving opening 12 has a first height H1, which extends from its first root 14 to the opening of the receiving opening 12. In the embodiment shown, the first root 14 is the point that is furthest away from the opening to the outside of the first receiving opening 12 through which the cable is inserted. Similarly, the second receiving opening 22 has a second height H2 and a second root 24.

The first receiving opening 12 has a first width B1. In the illustrated embodiment, this is determined by the distance between the two cutting edges 11a, 11b in the section of the first clamping-cutting element 10 in which a fully assembled cable is secured. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the receiving opening 12 has two different areas: an outwardly open insertion area which has a large width and acts like an insertion funnel. This is followed inwards (i.e. towards the longitudinal axis A) by a cutting area. In this cutting area, the width is greatly reduced, so that here the cutting edges 11a, 11b can sever an insulating jacket of an inserted cable and score the cable so that it is electrically contacted and mechanically held. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cutting edges 11a, 11b run essentially parallel to one another in this cutting area and end inwards in a U-shape in the first root 14 of the receiving opening 12. The first width B1 is thus determined in the cutting area. If the cutting edges 11a, 11b do not run parallel in the cutting area, the average of the widths in the cutting area must be formed in order to determine the first width B1. Similarly, the second receiving opening 22 has a second width B2.

The distance D between the two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 in the axial direction can be at least 3 times, preferably at least 5 times and very particularly preferably at least 7 times the smaller of the widths B1, B2 between the pairs of cutting edges 11a, 11b; 21a, 21b of the two insulation displacement elements 10, 20. The distance D can, for example, be at most 100 times, preferably at most 30 times and very particularly preferably at most 10 times the smaller of the widths B1, B2 between the pairs of cutting edges 11a, 11b; 21a, 21b of the two insulation displacement elements 10, 20.

The connection area 4 with the two clamping-cutting elements 10, 20 can be manufactured in one piece. The connection area 4 can be manufactured, for example, as a stamped and bent part. It can be made of a metal sheet. In the embodiment shown, the connection area 4 extends to a housing of the contacting area 3, into which, for example, a counter-contact (not shown here) can be inserted. However, the connection area 4 at least extends between the two clamping-cutting elements 10, 20 and then includes the two clamping-cutting elements 10, 20 and the intermediate element 13.

It is also possible that the connector 1 is manufactured in one piece with its contact body 2, the contact area 3 and the connection area 4. The Connector 1 can be manufactured, for example, as a stamped and bent part. It can be made of a metal sheet.

The counter contact, not shown here, can be, for example, a pin or a blade of a male connector and can be inserted, for example, into the contact body 2 of the connector 1. However, the counter contact can also be, for example, a through hole in a circuit board, into which one end of the contact body 2 is pressed as a press-in connection pin.

In principle, it is of course possible for the connection area 4 to be arranged at an angle relative to the contact section 3, e.g. bent by 30° to 150°, e.g. bent by 45° or 60° or 90° or 105° or 120° or 135°. In this case - not shown here - the longitudinal axis A does not run parallel or even identical to another longitudinal axis of the contact section 3. Nevertheless, the functionality of the invention is maintained even in such a bent case. The longitudinal axis A (of the connection area 4) can, for example, correspond to an axis along which a cable 30 to be inserted into the two clamping-cutting elements 10, 20 runs in the assembled state (see Fig. 3b ).

Figure 3a shows a connector system 100 in a first state during assembly. The connector system 100 has a connector 1, as shown for example in Figure 2 Furthermore, a cable 30 with an electrically conductive line 32 and an insulating jacket 31 surrounding the line 32 is provided. The cable 30 is mounted in the two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 by being inserted into the two receiving openings 12, 22, preferably in a radially inward direction.

Figure 3b shows a second state of the connector system 100. Here, the cable 30 is inserted into the two insulation displacement elements 10, 20 in the connection area 4 and is electrically contacted and mechanically held there. The cable runs parallel to the longitudinal axis A, since the two receiving openings 12, 22 are aligned with one another in the direction of extension of the cable 30.

In this case, at least one cutting edge 11a, 11b, 21a, 21b of each insulation displacement element 10, 20 has severed the insulating jacket 31 of the cable 30 as far as the line 32 and electrically contacts the line 32. The line 32 can be formed, for example, from a plurality of electrically conductive strands.

However, the line 32 can also consist of an electrically conductive single line and the insulating jacket 31 can be designed as a coating that conducts electrical current several orders of magnitude worse than the single line.

The height of the two pairs of cutting edges 11a, 11b and 21a, 21b is at least 50%, preferably at least 75% and very particularly preferably at least 100% of the diameter of the line 32. This height is to be understood as the distance that extends from the respective root 14, 24 to the section at which the cutting edges 11a, 11b and 21a, 21b move away from each other in order to form the insertion funnel of the receiving openings 12, 22.

Claims (8)

1. Electrical plug-in connector having a contact body (2) for electrically contacting a mating contact, wherein the contact body (2) has:

   -- a contacting section (3) for electrically contacting the mating contact, and

   -- a connection region (4) for electrically and mechanically contacting a cable (30),

   wherein the connection region (4) extends along a longitudinal axis (A), which defines an axial direction, wherein two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20) are arranged in the connection region (4), the insulation-displacement elements each having two opposing blades (11a, 11b, 21a, 21b),

   wherein the two blades (11a, 11b, 21a, 21b) of an insulation-displacement element (10, 20) in each case define a receiving opening (12, 22), which points outwards transverse to the longitudinal axis, for the cable (30),

   characterized in that the two receiving openings (12, 22) in the two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20) are rotated relative to one another about the longitudinal axis (A) through an angle (α),

   wherein the angle (α) is in a range of between 40° and 140°.
2. Electrical plug-in connector according to Claim 1, wherein the connection region (4) is formed in one piece.
3. Electrical plug-in connector according to Claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the electrical plug-in connector (1) is formed in one piece.
4. Electrical plug-in connector according to Claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the electrical plug-in connector (1) is manufactured as a stamped and bent part.
5. Electrical plug-in connector according to any of the preceding claims,
   wherein the two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20) are at a distance from each other in the axial direction.
6. Electrical plug-in connector according to the preceding claim,
   wherein a distance (D) between the two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20) in the axial direction is at least five times the smaller of the widths (B1, B2) between the pairs of blades (11a, 11b; 21a, 21b) of the two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20).
7. Plug-in connector system, comprising:

   -- an electrical plug-in connector (1) according to any of the preceding claims,

   -- a cable (30) having an electrically conductive line (32) and an insulating sheath (31) surrounding the line, wherein the cable (30), in the connection region (4), is inserted into the two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20) and held there mechanically and with electrical contact in each case.
8. Plug-in connector system according to the preceding claim,
   wherein the cable (30) is inserted into the two receiving openings (12, 22) in the two insulation-displacement elements (10, 20) in such a way that in each case at least one blade (11a, 11b, 21a, 21b) of each insulation-displacement element (10, 20) cuts through the insulating sheath (31) of the cable (30) as far as line (32) and electrically contacts the line (32).

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