DE102018133497A1 - Electrical connector device and electrical device herewith - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical plug connection device (1) from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket, with a housing (2) in which at least two electrical conductors (10, 11) are arranged, each at a contact point (12, 13) end, an electronic documentation device (20) for recording operating parameters (B) being arranged in the housing (2). In addition, the invention relates to an electrical device with an electrical connection, which is formed by such an electrical connector device.

Description

The invention relates to an electrical connector device from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket, according to the preamble of claim 1 and an electrical device herewith.

Electrical plug connection devices from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket are used for making and disconnecting electrical connections without tools, for example to connect electrical devices to the power grid. Plugs form the element which has electrical conductors which are inserted into receptacles in a plug coupling or socket. Plug couplings are often simply called couplings. While plugs and plug couplings mostly serve as the end piece of a flexible electrical cable, sockets are installed at stationary installation locations. This can be real estate or movables such as control cabinets, distribution boxes or machine housings.

Schuko plugs, CEE three-phase plug connectors, CEE plug devices or CeKon plugs / couplings are known from the prior art, with which many electrical devices are equipped.

A disadvantage of the prior art is that devices which are equipped with such plugs are difficult to find in the event of theft or for rental companies or construction site operators. In addition, it can usually only be roughly estimated when servicing the device is technically necessary. A change in the devices usually leads to a loss of warranty claims, so that an initial service should be waited as long as possible. With rental devices in particular, a time-based billing model is used almost exclusively nowadays, which does not take into account the actual operating time. This often leads to high rental costs for special equipment, even if it is rarely used.

The object of the invention is therefore to develop a solution with which the disadvantages of the prior art are overcome and with which at least one disadvantage is remedied, namely to enable the connected devices to be localized, or to delay initial service as far as possible , or to allow usage-based billing models. The solution should be technically simple and can be retrofitted as far as possible without loss of warranty claims.

Main features of the invention are set out in the characterizing part of claim 1 and in claim 15. Refinements are the subject of claims 2 to 14.

Proceeding from this, the invention relates to an electrical plug connection device from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket, with a housing in which at least two electrical conductors are arranged, each ending at a contact point, an electronic documentation device for recording in the housing Operating parameters is arranged.

The advantage of this documentation device according to the invention is that it documents information about the operating parameters that a person can use, depending on the type of operating parameter, for example for localizing, determining service times and usage-based billing models. The placement in the electrical connector device creates a structural unit that can be combined with any device that requires such a connector device for the energy supply. An implementation in the actual device is therefore not necessary at all. In addition, a device owner can retrofit the device simply by replacing the plug connection device.

The contact points of such plug connection device should be arranged so that they are accessible from the outside for mating contacts. This enables an electrical plug connection to be made with a counterpart.

For easy retrofitting, the electrical conductors should each have a connection point for connecting an electrical cable at the end that deviates from the contact point, for example a clamping device or another connecting element. In this way, a cable can be detached from the electrical connector device and attached to it without destroying it.

Furthermore, the electrical connector device in the housing should have a strain relief, in particular a clamping device for clamping a cable. This prevents damage caused by pulling on a connected cable.

According to a more detailed embodiment of the electrical plug connection device, it is provided that the documentation device has an electrical supply via a feed line and a discharge line, each of which is electrically connected to one of the electrical conductors preferably between its contact point and its connection point for connecting an electrical cable. The documentation device can thus be supplied with the electrical energy of the electrical conductors.

In a special design of the electrical connector device, the electrical conductors lead past the documentation device. This can prevent a connected cable from coming into mechanical contact with the documentation device during assembly on the consumer side and possibly damaging it. In addition, the position of the documentation device relative to the electrical conductors of the plug-in connector device can be predefined in a defined manner, so that electromagnetic interference can be ruled out by the manufacturer, which is not easily achieved with undefined routing of cables. ESD protection can also be provided directly, in particular in that a user cannot make any manual contact with the documentation device when installing a cable. The electrical conductors are preferably passed within the housing, and more preferably within the same housing cavity. This keeps the complexity of the housing low. According to a special design, it is provided that the electrical conductors each have a connection point for connecting an electrical cable at the end deviating from the contact point, and the documentation device is arranged spatially between the contact points on one side and the connection points of the electrical conductors on the other side . As a result, the outer design of conventional plug connectors can be used, so that third parties cannot gain knowledge of the documentation device inside. The documentation device is preferably seated in a cavity which is closed at the connection points when a cable is connected. As a result, the user cannot come into contact with the documentation device and damage it mechanically or by electromagnetic discharge. Furthermore, an embodiment is preferred in which the documentation device is arranged closer to the contact points than to the connection points. This leaves enough installation space in the area of the connection points for a cable to be connected.

Furthermore, it is provided in a particular embodiment that the documentation device has an energy store with which it can preferably record operating parameters independently of the connection of the electrical connector device to a power source. This allows the documentation device to be operated without the plug connection device being connected to an energy source. This is important, for example, in order to be able to implement localization of non-connected devices.

In a special implementation, it is provided that the documentation device is essentially or completely formed by a circuit board equipped with electronic components. This enables miniaturization, which can be integrated without changing the outer shell of housings of previously known plug connection devices. The electronic components can be, for example, MEMS systems (microsystems).

The supposedly most frequently used variant of the electrical connector device is the configuration as an electrical connector at the end of a flexible cable.

According to a variant of the electrical plug connection device, this is a 16 A CEE or a 32 A CEE connection device from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket. These are particularly important plug-in connection devices for high-quality machines, for which the documentation of operating parameters is of increasing importance.

In one possible embodiment, the documentation device has an ammeter and / or a voltmeter, which is designed in particular to record the current intensity and / or the voltage over time as an operating parameter. This allows the intensity of the use of a device to be documented that is connected to the power grid via the electrical connector. Among other things, a usage-based maintenance program can be implemented. Residual currents can also be documented. For example, a device failure can be recognized promptly and possible consequential damage can be prevented, for example when a drainage pump is operated. By knowing the intensity of use, usage-based billing models can also be used, for example for machine rental companies.

In another or additional possible embodiment, the documentation device has an operating time meter, for example an operating hours counter, which is designed in particular to record the operating time as an operating parameter. Usage-based maintenance intervals or billing models can also be implemented with this.

According to a further alternative or additional embodiment, the documentation device has a status determiner, which is designed in particular to record the connection status of the connection device as an operating parameter, preferably the status “connected” or “not connected”. In this way, the activation of a device operated via the electrical connector device can be recognized.

A further alternative or additional embodiment can consist in the documentation device having a position receiver, for example a GPS receiver (GPS = Global Positioning System) or a GSM receiver (GSM = Global System for Mobile Communications), which is used in particular to record the location is designed as an operating parameter. With the help of the position receiver, the location of the connector device can be determined. The electrical connector device, for example, including the connected device, can thus be located and tracked in the event of theft. Better planning and logistics of devices on construction sites or other operating devices is also possible, for example.

There is also the possibility that the documentation device has a data memory for storing the recorded operating parameters. This allows a time-delayed evaluation of the operating parameters, for example by a machine rental company when the machine is returned. In addition, for example, a permanent connection for transmitting the operating parameters can be dispensed with. The stored operating parameters are preferably digital values.

In one possible embodiment, the data memory is a buffer, which is preferably designed such that buffered operating parameters are deleted and / or overwritten by the documentation device after transmission to a central database arranged externally from the housing. As a result, operating parameters can be evaluated with a delay and the storage space required for the documentation device remains small. With a preferred transmission of digital operating parameters, the susceptibility to errors during evaluation is low.

In a special embodiment, the documentation device has a transmission device for transmitting the operating parameters to a central database, in particular a wireless transmission device. Operating parameters can thus be evaluated externally by the electrical connector device. In addition, operating parameters of several electrical plug-in connection devices can be stored and analyzed for comparison. A wireless transmitter can be a radio signal, for example a wireless local area network (WLAN), or a signal that is compatible with the telephone network, for example according to the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard. In the case of the latter, the documentation device preferably has a GSM module. For example, the documentation device can also have a SIM card holder for this purpose (SIM card = subscriber identity module or subscriber identity module). This leaves the user free to choose the telecommunications service provider.

According to a possible implementation, the operating parameters stored in the central database are stored so that they can be called up for a user application of an evaluation device. The user can thus carry out the evaluation without being in the vicinity of the electrical connector device. The evaluation device is preferably a computer, a laptop, a notebook, a tablet or a smartphone. This means that no special hardware has to be provided or purchased for the evaluation, so that in many cases the user can work with a device that is already carried along.

The invention also relates to an electrical device with an electrical connection, the electrical connection being formed by an electrical plug connection device, as described above and below. The advantages of the electrical connector device also apply to this electrical device in accordance with the optional design variants used in each case. Electrical devices are to be understood in particular as electrical machines. The electrical connector device is preferably arranged at the end of a flexible cable which is connected at the other end to the electrical device.

• 1 eine Steckverbindungseinrichtung mit einer zentralen Datenbank und einer Auswerteeinrichtung.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention emerge from the wording of the claims and from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the drawing. It shows:

• 1 a connector device with a central database and an evaluation device.

In 1 you can see an electrical connector 1 , which is in particular an electrical connector of the 16A CEE design. The electrical connector device 1 has a housing 2nd , in the five (shown schematically) electrical conductors 10 , 11 are arranged, each at a contact point 12th , 13 end up. The electrical conductors 10 , 11 are especially visible because a partial section through or a visual breakout from the housing 2nd was made. The contact points 12th , 13 are from outside the housing 2nd arranged accessible. The electrical conductors 10 , 11 point at the contact point 12th , 13 different end a connection point 14 , 15 (are hidden in the housing 2nd ), via which they can be detached with conductors of an electrical cable K are connected. There is also strain relief in the housing in this area 2nd intended.

It is also in the housing 2nd an electronic documentation facility 20 for recording operating parameters B arranged. It consists of one with electronic components 25th assembled circuit board 24th . This is via a supply line 21st and a derivative 22 (each shown schematically) supplied with energy, each with one of the electrical conductors 10 , 11 are electrically connected. The connection of the supply and discharge 21st , 22 lies between the contact points 12th , 13 and the connection points 14 , 15 the respective electrical conductor 10 , 11 .

The electrical conductors 10 , 11 are inside the case 2nd at the documentation facility 20 passed by. Regardless of the further features of the exemplary embodiment, the electrical conductors can be different 10 , 11 are preferably flexible conductors or dimensionally stable conductor elements.

You can see that the documentation facility 20 also spatially between the contact points 12th , 13 on one side and the connection points 14 , 15 the electrical conductor 10 , 11 is arranged on the other side.

In addition to the supply via the supply line 21st and derivation 22 instructs the documentation facility 20 an energy storage 23 on, with the help of which they are independent of the connection of the electrical connector device 1 to a power source operating parameters B can capture.

• - ein Strommesser 251 und ein Spannungsmesser 252 zur Erfassung der Stromstärke und der Spannung in wenigstens einem der elektrischen Leiter 10, 11 über der Zeit als Betriebsparameter B;
• - ein Betriebszeitmesser 253 zur Erfassung der Betriebszeit als Betriebsparameter B;
• - ein Statusermittler 254 zur Erfassung des Verbindungszustands der elektrischen Steckverbindungseinrichtung als Betriebsparameter B, nämlich der Status „verbunden“ oder „nicht-verbunden“; und
• - ein Positionsempfänger 255, nämlich ein GPS-Empfänger, zur Erfassung des Standortes als Betriebsparameter B.

To the electronic components 25th the circuit board equipped with this 24th belong here:

• - an ammeter 251 and a voltmeter 252 for detecting the current strength and the voltage in at least one of the electrical conductors 10 , 11 over time as an operating parameter B ;
• - an operating timer 253 for recording the operating time as an operating parameter B ;
• - a status investigator 254 to detect the connection status of the electrical connector device as an operating parameter B , namely the status "connected" or "not connected"; and
• - a position recipient 255 , namely a GPS receiver, to record the location as an operating parameter B .

However, designs are also possible in which at least one of these electronic components 25th missing or additional electronic components are included.

The documentation facility 20 has as another electronic component 25th a data store 26 for storing the recorded operating parameters B in the form of digital values. It is in particular an intermediate store which is designed in such a way that temporarily stored operating parameters B after transmission to a central database 50 from the documentation facility 20 deleted and overwritten. For this transmission, the documentation facility instructs 20 as another electronic component 25th a wireless transmitter 27 to transmit the digital operating parameters B to the central database 50 on. The one in the central database 50 stored operating parameters B are for a user application 61 an evaluation device 60 retrievable filed. The central database communicates for this 60 wired and / or wireless with the evaluation device 60 .

The invention is not limited to one of the above-described embodiments, but can be modified in many ways.

For example, it is also possible to use the documentation device 20 to be arranged in a plug coupling or socket.

All of the features and advantages arising from the claims, the description and the drawing, including structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps, can be essential to the invention both individually and in the most varied of combinations.

Reference list

1

electrical connector device

2nd

casing

10th

electrical conductor

11

electrical conductor

12th

Contact point

13

Contact point

14

Liaison

15

Liaison

20

electronic documentation facility

21

Supply

22

Derivative

23

Energy storage

24th

populated circuit board

25th

electronic components

251

Ammeter

252

Tension meter

253

Operating timekeepers

254

Status investigator

255

Position receiver

26

Data storage

27

Sending device

50

central database

60

Evaluation device

61

User application

B

Operating parameters

K

electric wire

Claims (15)

Electrical plug connection device (1) from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket, with a housing (2) in which at least two electrical conductors (10, 11) are arranged, each of which ends at a contact point (12, 13), characterized in that an electronic documentation device (20) for recording operating parameters (B) is arranged in the housing (2). Electrical connector device (1) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the documentation device (20) has an electrical supply via a feed line (21) and a discharge line (22), each of which is electrically connected to one of the electrical conductors (10, 11). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the Claims 1 or 2nd , characterized in that the electrical conductors (10, 11) lead past the documentation device (20). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has an energy store (23). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) is essentially or completely formed by a circuit board (24) equipped with electronic components (25). Electrical plug connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a 16 A CEE or a 32 A CEE connection device from the group of electrical plugs, electrical plug coupling and electrical socket. Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has an ammeter (251) and / or a voltmeter (252). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has an operating timer (253). Electrical plug connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has a status determiner (254). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has a position receiver (255). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has a data memory (26) for storing the detected operating parameters (B). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data memory (26) is an intermediate memory. Electrical plug connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the documentation device (20) has a transmission device (27) for transmitting the operating parameters (B) to a central database (50). Electrical connector device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating parameters (B) stored in the central database (50) are stored for a user application (61) of an evaluation device (60). Electrical device with an electrical connection, characterized in that the electrical connection of an electrical connector (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 14 is trained.

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