EP3701595B1 - Holding frame for an industrial electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

The invention is based on a holding frame for an industrial connector for receiving similar and / or different connector modules according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

Such connector modules are required as part of a modular connector system in order to be able to flexibly adapt a connector, in particular a heavy rectangular connector, also called an industrial connector, to certain requirements with regard to signal and energy transmission, e.g. between two electrical devices. For this purpose, connector modules are usually inserted into corresponding holding frames, which are sometimes also referred to as connector modular frames, hinged frames, module frames or modular frames. The holding frames thus serve to accommodate several connector modules of the same type and / or different from one another and to fasten them securely to a surface and / or in a connector housing or the like.

The connector modules generally each have a substantially cuboidal insulating body. These insulating bodies can serve, for example, as contact carriers and receive and fix contacts of the most varied of types. The function of a connector formed in this way is therefore very flexible. For example, pneumatic modules, optical modules, modules for the transmission of electrical energy and / or electrical analog and / or digital signals can be accommodated in the respective insulating body and can thus be used in the holding frame. Connector modules are also increasingly taking on measurement and data technology tasks.

In the prior art, said modular connector systems with such connector modules using such a holding frame, also known as a holding frame, module frame, hinged frame or module frame, are disclosed in numerous publications and publications, shown at trade fairs and are often used in the industrial environment in the form of heavy-duty connectors . For example, they are in the publications DE 10 2013 106 279 A1 , DE 10 2012 110 907 A1 , DE 10 2012 107 270 A1 , DE 20 2013 103 611 U1 , EP 2 510 590 A1 , EP 2 510 589 A1 , DE 20 2011 050 643 U1 , EP 0 860 906 A2 , DE 29 601 998 U1 , EP 1 353 412 A2 , DE 10 2015 104 562 A1 , EP 3 067 993 A1 , EP 1 026 788 A1 , EP 2 979 326 A1 , EP 2 917 974 A1 described.

From the said publication EP 0 860 906 B1 a holding frame in the form of an articulated frame for holding connector modules and for installation in connector housings or for screwing onto wall surfaces is known. The connector modules are inserted into the holding frame. Retaining means are provided on the connector modules which cooperate with windows provided on opposite side parts of the retaining frame, the windows being in recesses which are designed as openings in the side parts of the retaining frame that are closed on all sides.

The pamphlet DE 10 2015 114 703 A1 discloses a further development of such a holding frame designed as an articulated frame. The holding frame disclosed therein has at least one fixing means, via which the frame halves can be fixed to one another in two positions, an open position and a closed position, which considerably simplifies handling.

The pamphlet DE 20 2013 103 611 U1 shows two frame halves that can be screwed together extremely stably, can be manufactured inexpensively using stamping and bending technology and can be screwed together, which are suitable for holding pneumatic modules, among other things. The holding frame mounted in this way has only very low creep properties even under high long-term mechanical stress. However, it is disadvantageous that the effort involved in adding or replacing a connector module is extremely high.

However, it has been shown in practice that such holding frames require complex operation during assembly.

The pamphlet EP 1 801 927 B1 discloses a one-piece support frame made from plastic material. The holding frame is designed as a circumferential collar and has several wall segments separated by slots on its plug-in side. In each case two opposing wall segments form an insertion area for a plug connector module, the wall segments having window-like openings which serve to accommodate projections formed on the narrow sides of the modules. Furthermore, a guide groove is provided in each of the wall segments. The guide groove is formed above the openings by means of an outwardly offset window web which has an insertion bevel on the inside. In addition, the connector modules have latching arms which act on the narrow sides in the direction of the cable connections, are formed and latch below the lateral collar wall, so that two independent latching means fix the connector modules in the holding frame.

The JP 2009 117 218 A shows a device connector with a housing frame that has receptacles for various insulating bodies. The insulating bodies are inserted into the receptacles and fixed in each case using a bent piece of wire.

The pamphlet DE 10 2013 113 976 B4 discloses a holding frame for an industrial connector for receiving similar and / or different connector modules. The holding frame consists of a base frame with a rectangular cross-section, which is divided by two having opposite side panels. A cheek part, consisting of a flexible material, in particular resilient sheet metal, is attached to each of the side parts. When inserting a connector module into the holding frame perpendicular to the frame plane, these cheek parts are first bent outwards away from the side part. In particular, the cheek parts can have tabs with locking windows, which are suitable for locking the connector modules individually to their locking lugs in the holding frame. The connector modules can thus be pushed individually and with little effort out of the cable connection direction and in the plugging direction into the holding frame and removed again in the opposite direction. The plugged-in connector module is held firmly and stably by the base frame of the holding frame in the frame plane. In their insertion direction, perpendicular to the plane of the frame, they can lock with their locking lugs between two opposing tabs. This design basically has the advantage that the connector modules can be inserted and removed individually without affecting the attachment of the other modules. The design also allows the holding frame to be made of metal and thus enables said protective grounding.

Furthermore, the modules in such known holding frames basically have a certain "play", ie they are held in the holding frame with a certain mechanical tolerance. From a technical point of view, at least to a certain extent, this is also to be regarded as necessary for most applications, since it serves to compensate for corresponding tolerances with respect to the mating connector during the plugging process. However, if this tolerance becomes too large, as can sometimes be observed in the case of the last-mentioned prior art, this can lead to the fixation of the connector modules via the above-mentioned cheek parts The requirements of some industrial areas are not sufficient. Too much play within the base body of the holding frame can often result in too high insertion and pulling forces when the connector and mating connector are joined or separated. As a result, the contact elements can continue to tilt, for example during the plugging process, which also results in greater abrasion and, after some time, possibly even the risk of an overvoltage arc. From a data point of view, too, the said game can be disadvantageous when using certain data technology plug-in connector modules, since this tolerance may make an electronic bus connection considerably more difficult.

All of the above-mentioned holding frames are designed to be equipped with multiple and in some cases with different connector modules. The holding frame must therefore have a certain mechanical stability and a certain durability in its locking means for the connector modules.

If a holding frame is to be fitted with connector modules only a few times or even only once, the holding frames from the prior art are on the one hand too complex to operate and on the other hand are technically oversized and therefore too expensive.

Task

The object of the invention is to propose a holding frame that can be easily equipped with connector modules and at the same time inexpensively manufactured.

The object is achieved by the characterizing features of independent claim 1.

Advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The holding frame according to the invention is intended for use in industrial connectors, also called heavy-duty connectors, which are particularly suitable for transmitting high electrical currents. Similar and / or different connector modules can be reversibly inserted into the holding frame. This means that an industrial connector can be put together variably depending on the area of application and customer requirements. According to the invention, the holding frame consists essentially of a three-dimensionally curved wire frame.

The wire frame consists of a single, connected piece of wire. A piece of wire of a certain length is brought into the desired three-dimensional shape by one or more bending machines. The wire material is inexpensive and the manufacturing process can be operated inexpensively, so that a holding frame according to the invention can be manufactured inexpensively. The piece of wire can be cut from a wire roll to the required length.

The wire frame is preferably formed from a wire whose diameter is at least in some areas at least 1 millimeter up to a maximum of 2 millimeters. This gives the wire frame a certain mechanical stability.

The wire advantageously consists of a conductive, metallic material. The material is preferably flexible and resilient.

The wire frame preferably has a frame-like basic shape with two opposing end faces and two each other opposite side surfaces. The term surfaces is not to be understood literally here. There are sections of the wire frame in one plane, which are referred to here as surfaces for the sake of simplicity. The side surfaces each have fastening contours which are essentially formed by wire loops that narrow in regions. At the closed end of the respective fastening contours, the constriction creates recesses in which locking lugs of connector modules can be received.

The latching lugs of the connector modules can get into the recesses of the fastening contours in various ways. The connector modules are usually inserted into the holding frame from the direction of the closed end of the fastening contour (that is, on the connection side). The opposite fastening contours are first pressed outwards by the connector module - perpendicular to the side surfaces. The fastening contours are then reset by the restoring force and the recesses located at the ends of the fastening contours engage over the latching lugs of the connector modules. As a result, the connector modules are reversibly fixed in the holding frame.

If the connector modules are inserted into the holding frame from the direction of the open end of the fastening contour (i.e. on the plug-in side), the constrictions of the respective fastening contour are initially widened by the respective latching lugs of the connector modules until the latching lugs are in the respective recesses of the fastening contours. The constriction then recedes due to the restoring force of the wire material and the connector modules are fixed in the holding frame. Similarly, the connector modules can be removed from the holding frame on the plug-in side. If necessary, the geometry of the respective Recess of the fastening contour and the locking lugs of the connector modules are optimized in a professional manner and coordinated with one another.

The holding frame according to the invention sometimes has a lower mechanical stability than the known holding frames. The holding frame shown here will therefore not offer any advantages over the prior art in applications with high mating cycles. In particular, use with high insertion and withdrawal forces must be carefully considered in advance. As described above, however, the connector modules can be inserted into and removed from the holding frame on both sides. The holding frame presented here shows its strengths in areas of application where only small mating cycles are necessary. The ability to equip on both sides clearly distinguishes the holding frame described here from the holding frame known from the prior art.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the wire frame has a loop in each of the corner areas, in each of which a fastening element is held. The fastening element is preferably a screw. The holding frame can thus be reversibly attached in a connector housing. The loops can easily be included in the manufacturing bending process.

The holding frame preferably has two side walls which are each fastened to the side surfaces of the wire frame. The side walls are preferably made of plastic and are therefore inexpensive to manufacture. The holding frame gains overall rigidity through the side walls. The side walls can be attached to the wire frame easily and reversibly without tools using suitable fixing means. It is particularly advantageous if the holding frame has a PE contact element. The PE contact enables protective grounding of the holding frame or a connector. Of course, the holding frame must also have electrically conductive properties and be made from an electrically conductive wire, for example.

The wire frame preferably has a loop-shaped recess on one end face, in which the PE contact element is held. The loop can easily be included in the manufacturing bending process.

In a particularly preferred variant of the invention, the PE contact element has a cylindrical contact pin, which in turn has a circumferential, roughened area. Through this roughened area, the PE contact element is held captive in the loop provided for it.

The roughened area can be thickened, i.e. have a larger diameter than the remaining part of the contact pin. The roughened area is preferably knurled or configured in the shape of a toothed ring. Such a construction can be easily integrated into the manufacturing process of the PE contact element.

Embodiment

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Halterahmens mit einer fehlenden Seitenwand,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Darstellung des erfindungsgemäßen Halterahmens mit beiden Seitenwänden,

Fig. 3

ein perspektivische Darstellung eines PE-Kontaktelements,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer zweiten Ausführungsvariante des erfindungsgemäßen Halterahmens und

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer dritten Ausführungsvariante des erfindungsgemäßen Halterahmens.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a holding frame according to the invention with a missing side wall,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the holding frame according to the invention with both side walls,

Fig. 3

a perspective view of a PE contact element,

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a second embodiment of the holding frame according to the invention and

Fig. 5

a perspective view of a third embodiment of the holding frame according to the invention.

The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. In some cases, identical reference symbols are used for identical, but possibly not identical elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently.

The Figures 1 and 2 show a perspective view of a first embodiment of a holding frame 1 according to the invention Figure 4 showed a second embodiment and the Figure 5 shows a third embodiment of the holding frame 1 ', 1 "according to the invention.

The holding frame 1 consists of a three-dimensionally curved wire frame. The wire frame is formed from a single, coherent piece of wire 2, which, for example, has previously been cut to the appropriate length from a wire roll. The piece of wire can be brought into almost any desired three-dimensional shape using bending machines.

The wire frame forms a frame-like basic shape with two opposite end regions or end faces and two opposite side regions or side surfaces. Side walls 3 are fixed to the respective side areas. The side walls are reversibly fixed here on the wire frame by means of clamping arms 16. A wire loop, in which a PE contact element 4 is retained in a captive manner, is formed on one end region. The PE contact element has a screw connection 5 for a grounding conductor (not shown) and a contact pin 6 for ground contact with a mating connector (not shown). Alternatively, the PE contact element 4 can be used instead of a contact pin 6 ( Figure 1 ) also with a contact socket 6 '( Figure 2 ) be equipped.

The PE contact element 4 has a thickening 7 between the screw connection 5 and the contact pin 6. The thickening 7 serves to fix the PE contact element 4 in the wire loop 8 in the front area of the holding frame 1. The thickening 7 is optional and is, for example, in the second variant of the invention ( Figure 4 ) not provided.

At the corner areas of the holding frame 1, the wire frame forms loops 10 in each of which screws 9 are held. The holding frame 1 can be reversibly fixed in a housing of an industrial connector (not shown) by means of the screws 9.

In the side areas, the holding frame 1, 1 ', 1 "has several fastening contours 11, 11', 11" on both sides. In the exemplary embodiments, three such fastening contours 11, 11 ', 11 "are shown per side surface. However, fewer or more such fastening contours 11, 11', 11" can also be present.

In the exemplary embodiments, the holding frames 1, 1 ', 1 "are each equipped with the same connector modules 12 for the sake of simplicity. Of course, different plug-in connector modules, also in mixed form, can be fixed in the holding frames 1, 1', 1".

The connector modules 12 are generally inserted into the holding frame 1, 1 ', 1 "in the direction of the arrow 13 from the direction of the closed end of the fastening contour 11, 11', 11" (i.e. on the connection side). introduced. The opposing fastening contours 11, 11 ', 11 "are initially pressed outward by the connector module 12. The fastening contours 11, 11', 11" then move back into their original position due to the restoring force of the wire material. The recesses 14, 14 ', 14 "located at the ends of the fastening contours 11, 11', 11" engage over the locking lugs 15 of the connector modules 12. As a result, the connector modules 12 are reversibly fixed in the holding frame 1, 1 ', 1 ".

In the embodiments according to Figures 1, 2 and 5 There is also a possibility of inserting the connector modules 12 into the holding frame 1, 1 ', 1 "on the plug-in side, i.e. against the arrow 13. Likewise, the plug-in connector modules 12 can also be removed from the holding frame 1, 1', 1" on the plug-in side. If the connector modules 12 are inserted into the holding frame 1, 1 ″ from the direction of the open end of the fastening contour (i.e. on the plug-in side against the arrow 13), the constrictions of the respective fastening contour 11, 11 ″ are initially widened by the respective locking lugs 15 of the connector modules 12 until the locking lugs 15 are located in the respective recesses 14 of the fastening contours 11, 11 ″. The constriction is then receded by the restoring force of the wire material and the connector modules 12 are fixed in the holding frame 1, 1 ″. Similarly, the plug-in connector modules 12 can be removed from the holding frame 1, 1 ″ on the plug-in side (in the direction of arrow 13). If necessary, the geometry of the respective recess 14, 14 ″ of the fastening contour 11, 11 ″ and the latching lugs 15 of the connector modules 12 can be expertly determined Way to be optimized.

Even if various aspects or features of the invention are each shown in combination in the figures, it is clear to the person skilled in the art - unless otherwise stated - that the illustrated and the combinations discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or feature complexes from different exemplary embodiments can be exchanged with one another.

List of reference symbols

1

Holding frame

2

Piece of wire

3

Side wall

4th

PE contact element

5

Screw connection

6th

Contact pin

6 '

Contact socket

7th

thickening

8th

Wire loop

9

screw

10

loop

11

Fastening contour

12th

Connector module

13th

arrow

14th

Recess

15th

Locking lug

16

Clamp arms

Claims (9)

1. A holding frame (1, 1' 1") for an industrial connector, for accommodating similar and/or different connector modules (12),
   characterized in that
   the holding frame (1, 1', 1") is essentially comprised of a three-dimensionally bent wire frame and
   the wire frame is constituted of a single and continuous piece of wire (2).
2. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 1
   characterized in that
   the wire frame is constituted of a piece of wire (2), the diameter of which is at least in regions of at least 1 millimeter, and up to 2 millimeters.
3. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the preceding claims
   characterized in that
   the wire frame comprises a frame-like base structure, having two mutually opposing end surfaces and two mutually opposing lateral surfaces.
4. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in the preceding claim
   characterized in that
   the wire frame, in its corner regions, respectively comprises a loop (10, 10', 10"), in which a fixing element, preferably a screw (9), is held in each case for the reversible fastening of the holding frame (1, 1', 1") in a connector housing.
5. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the two preceding claims
   characterized in that
   the holding frame (1, 1', 1") comprises two sidewalls (3), which are respectively attached to the lateral surfaces of the wire frame.
6. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in one of the preceding claims
   characterized in that
   the holding frame (1, 1', 1") comprises a PE-contact element (4).
7. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in the preceding claim
   characterized in that
   the PE-contact element (4) comprises a cylindrical contact pin, which incorporates a thickening (7).
8. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in the preceding claim
   characterized in that
   the thickening (7) assumes a knurled or a sprocket wheel-shaped surface.
9. The holding frame (1, 1', 1") as claimed in claim 3 and 5
   characterized in that
   the wire frame, at one end face, incorporates a loop-shaped recess (8), in which the PE-contact element (4) is held.

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