CN112242626A

CN112242626A - Plug connection with a tension release device

Info

Publication number: CN112242626A
Application number: CN202010691558.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马里奥·布林格尔; 拉尔夫·费尔德纳; 帕特里克·克林格
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact eMobility GmbH
Current assignee: Phoenix Contact eMobility GmbH
Priority date: 2019-07-18
Filing date: 2020-07-17
Publication date: 2021-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-17
Also published as: DE102019119504A1; CN112242626B

Abstract

The invention relates to a plug connector (1) for plug connection to a mating plug connector (2), comprising: a housing part (10) having a plug section (100) for plug connection to a mating plug connector (2); at least one electrical contact element (11) which can be connected to a line (14); a contact carrier (12) to which at least one electrical contact element (11) can be connected for arrangement on the plug section (100); and a housing cover (13) that can be connected to the housing part (10). The contact carrier (12) has a first clamping device (15) and the housing cover (13) has a second clamping device (16), wherein the first clamping device (15) and the second clamping device (16) are designed to receive a line (14) connected to the at least one contact element (11) between the housing cover (13) and the housing cover (13) in the connected state of the housing cover (13) to the housing part (10) and to clamp said line between the contact carrier (12) and the housing cover (13).

Description

Plug connection with a tension release device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a plug connector for plug-in connection with a mating plug connector according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background

Such a plug connector comprises a housing having a plug section which can be connected to a mating plug connector in a plug-in manner. The plug connector furthermore comprises at least one electrical contact element to be connected to a line, a contact carrier to which the at least one electrical contact element can be connected for arrangement on the plug section, and a housing cover which can be connected to the housing part.

Such plug connectors can be used, for example, in charging systems for charging electric vehicles and can be designed, for example, as so-called charging sockets which are connected, for example, to the vehicle in a fixed manner and into which charging plugs for establishing an electrical connection to a charging post can be inserted. Alternatively, however, such a plug connection can also be embodied, for example, as a charging plug which can be plugged into a corresponding charging socket.

In such a plug connector, one or more cables are connected to one or more electrical contact elements. The contact elements are arranged on the housing part in such a way that they extend into the region of the plug section and, when being connected in a plug-in manner with a corresponding mating plug connector, can thus establish an electrical connection with the mating plug connector, in particular with a mating contact element arranged thereon, via the contact elements.

In such plug connectors, it is necessary to provide the electrical line connected to the contact element with a tension release device (zumentactuang) in order to prevent forces acting on the line from being transmitted to the contact element. For such a strain relief, the line connected to the contact element needs to be fixed relative to the housing part in such a way that, for example, forces acting on the cable containing the line are conducted into the housing and do not act on the contact element.

It is desirable here to integrate the tension relief device into a component of the plug connector in such a way that it does not lead to an increase in the installation space requirement, requires as few additional components as possible or only a few additional components, and is furthermore simple to operate, so that the tension relief device can be built up in a simple manner when the plug connector is being assembled.

Furthermore, plug connectors are described, for example, in DE 102013213336 a1, DE 102011004834 a1 and DE 102010049032B 4, on which a tension release device can also be provided.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to provide a strain relief device for a line connected to a contact element in a plug connector, which strain relief device is simple in construction and easy to operate.

This object is solved by a body having the features of claim 1.

The contact carrier has a first clamping device and the housing cover has a second clamping device, wherein the first clamping device and the second clamping device are designed to receive a conductor connected to the at least one contact element between them and to clampingly fix the conductor between the contact carrier and the housing cover in the connected state of the housing cover and the housing part.

The tension release device is implemented in the plug connector by means of a clamping device, which is integrated in the contact carrier and the housing cover. The contact carrier thus has a first clamping device which interacts with a second clamping device of the housing cover in such a way that, when the housing cover is connected to the housing part, the conductor accommodated between the clamping devices is fixed and the tensile force is thereby released. By being accommodated between the clamping means of the contact carrier and the housing cover, the conductor is clamped with respect to the contact carrier and the housing cover, so that forces acting on the conductor cannot be transmitted to the contact elements which are arranged on the contact carrier and to which the conductor is connected.

In order to produce the tension relief, it is advantageously necessary to mount the housing cover on the contact carrier so that the conductor is accommodated in a clamping manner between the clamping means on the contact carrier side and on the housing cover side. The contact carrier can be already arranged on the housing part, so that the tension relief device is created by the clamping accommodation of the conductor between the clamping devices when the housing cover is mounted on the housing part. Alternatively, the contact carrier can be connected first to the housing part, so that the tension relief device is thereby created by accommodating the conductor between the contact carrier and the clamping device of the housing cover. The assembly thus formed can then be mounted on and connected to the housing part.

The tension release device can be produced by mounting the housing cover on the contact carrier, so that a simple operation for fixing the line between the housing cover and the contact carrier and thus in a tension-releasing manner relative to the housing part is achieved. The tension release device can be produced with a simple design by using integrated clamping devices on the one hand on the contact carrier and on the other hand on the housing cover, which can be formed integrally with the contact carrier and the housing cover, for example, and thus does not significantly increase the production effort.

In one embodiment, the housing part has a housing section which delimits the receiving space. In order to arrange the at least one electrical contact element on the plug section, the contact carrier can be inserted into the receiving space, so that the at least one electrical contact element is arranged in the region of the plug section of the housing part. The plurality of contact elements can be connected to one another by means of the contact carrier to form a preassembled assembly, so that the preassembled assembly thus produced is jointly mounted on the housing part and connected thereto. In the assembled state, the contact elements project into the region of the plug section of the housing part so that, by being connected in a plug-in manner with corresponding mating plug connectors, the contact elements on the plug section of the plug connector can be connected in an electrical contact manner to corresponding mating contact elements of the mating plug connector.

In one embodiment, the housing cover closes the receiving space to the outside in the connected state with the housing part. The contact carrier is therefore accommodated and enclosed in the accommodating space when the housing cover is mounted on the housing part, wherein the contact elements provided on the contact carrier project into the region of the plug section of the plug connector and are positioned and mechanically locked on the housing part by the contact carrier.

In one embodiment, the first clamping device of the contact carrier has at least one first clamping receptacle in the form of a recess, for example in the form of a groove. In addition or alternatively, the second clamping device of the housing cover can have at least one second clamping receptacle, for example in the form of a recess configured as a groove. The conductor can be accommodated clampingly between the clamping receptacles of the clamping device, so that a force-fitting, clamped connection is formed between the conductor and the contact carrier and the housing cover in order to release the pulling force.

For example, each clamping device can have a plurality of clamping receptacles, wherein each clamping receptacle of the first clamping device is in an opposing position to a corresponding clamping receptacle of the housing cover in the state in which the contact carrier and the housing cover are mounted to one another. The conductor can thus be accommodated between each pair of clamping receptacles in order to clamp the conductor between the contact carrier and the housing cover when the contact carrier and the housing cover are mounted on one another. The clamping receptacles are arranged in a row with one another, for example, in the transverse direction, and are offset from one another in the transverse direction, so that a plurality of wires can be accommodated side by side at the clamping receptacles.

In one embodiment, the first clamping device has at least one first contact section which adjoins the first clamping receptacle, and the second clamping device forms at least one second contact section which adjoins the second clamping receptacle. The contact sections form stops which limit the maximum approach travel of the housing cover relative to the contact carrier. In a state in which the clamping devices of the contact carrier and the housing cover are at their greatest possible proximity to one another, the contact sections abut one another, wherein in this state the clamping by the clamping devices can be realized in such a way that the conductor accommodated between the clamping devices is not excessively compressed.

In one embodiment, the housing cover has at least one latching device for latching connection to the housing part. The housing cover can thus be fixed to the housing part in a form-fitting manner by mounting the housing cover on the housing part and bringing the latching means, in the form of its latching projections, which are formed, for example, on the latching arms, into engagement with corresponding latching means on the housing part and thereby fixing the housing cover in a form-fitting manner relative to the housing part.

In one embodiment, the second clamping device of the housing cover is formed on the inner side of the housing cover and forms a clamping contour for clamping one or more conductors between the housing cover and the contact carrier. The inner side faces the contact carrier in the connected state of the housing cover and the housing part, and clamping devices, which form, for example, one or more clamping receptacles for receiving one or more lines, project from the inner side as projecting sections. In the case of mounting of the housing cover on the contact carrier, the clamping means of the housing cover are in an opposed position with respect to the clamping means of the contact carrier, so that one or more wires can be accommodated between the clamping means.

In one embodiment, the housing cover has a cable outlet through which at least one line can be guided. The cable outlet may, for example, have the shape of a nipple, which forms a hole through which a cable comprising a plurality of wires can be passed. The cable outlet direction defined by the cable outlet can in this case be different from the mounting direction, along which the housing cover is mounted on the housing part, and can be perpendicular to the mounting direction, for example.

In one embodiment, the contact carrier and the housing cover are first connected to one another, and the structural unit thus realized is then mounted on and connected to the housing part. When mounting the contact carrier and the housing cover to one another, a tension release of the conductor connected to the contact element is already achieved in that the conductor is accommodated clamped between the clamping devices of the contact carrier and the housing cover and is thereby fixed between the contact carrier and the housing cover in a manner that the tension is released.

The contact carrier and the housing cover can each have one or more fastening points, for example in the form of screw openings, by means of which the contact carrier and the housing cover can be connected to one another. For example, a non-positive connection can be produced between the contact carrier and the housing cover by means of the fastening points, for example by using fastening elements in the form of screws, which make it possible to fasten the contact carrier and the housing cover to one another in such a way that a sufficient, but not excessive, clamping force is provided between the clamping device for fastening the line between the contact carrier and the housing cover.

After the connection of the contact carrier to the housing part, the assembly thus realized can be mounted on the housing part, whereby the contact carrier is introduced, for example, into a receiving space formed on the housing part and the contact elements connected to the contact carrier are positioned relative to the plug section of the plug connector.

Plug connectors of the type mentioned may be part of a charging system for charging electric vehicles, for example. A plug connection of the type mentioned above may, for example, be designed as an electric vehicle-side charging socket (also referred to as a landbuchse) into which a charging plug on a charging cable can be plugged. Alternatively, however, the plug connection can also be embodied as a charging plug.

Drawings

The idea underlying the invention is explained in detail below with the aid of embodiments shown in the drawings. Shows that:

fig. 1 shows a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of a plug connector;

fig. 2 shows another perspective exploded view of the arrangement according to fig. 1;

fig. 3 shows a side view of the plug connector in the assembled state;

fig. 4 shows a top view of the plug connector;

fig. 5 shows a partial enlargement of the arrangement according to fig. 1;

fig. 6 shows a front view of the plug connector;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 6; and

fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view along line B-B in fig. 6.

Detailed Description

The exemplary embodiment of the plug connector 1 shown in fig. 1 to 8 has a housing part 10 which forms a plug section 100 in the form of a plug opening into which a mating plug connector 2 (see fig. 3) can be inserted in a plug direction E by means of a plug section 200 in the form of a plug formed on the housing part 20 in order to establish a connection between the plug connector 1 and the mating plug connector 2.

The plug connector 1 is, for example, a socket which is designed as a charging socket for installation on an electric vehicle and into which a mating plug connector 2 in the form of a plug can be inserted. In the plug-in opening formed by the plug-in section 100, plug-in domes 101 are formed in which the contact elements 11 are located when the plug connector 1 is completely assembled, so that an electrical contact with corresponding mating contact elements of the mating plug connector 2 can be established via the contact elements 11.

The plug connector 1 has a contact carrier 12 in the form of a plate-like element for combining the contact elements 11 to form a preassembled structural unit to be arranged on the housing part 10. The contact elements 11 can be positioned together on the housing part 10 by the contact carrier 12 in that the contact carrier 12 is inserted into a receiving space 103 of the housing part 10 formed by the rear housing section 102 in such a way that the contact elements 11 are guided through openings 104 on the bottom of the receiving space 103 and thus into the plug domes 101 in the region of the plug openings formed by the plug sections 100, as can be seen, for example, from the sectional view according to fig. 7.

As can be seen from the enlarged illustration according to fig. 5, the contact carrier 12 has a holding section 120 in the form of a recess, into which the contact element 11 is inserted. In the exemplary embodiment shown, each contact element 11 has a contact section 110, an intermediate section 112 following the contact section 110, and a following connection section 111, the contact section 110 projecting forward from the contact carrier 12 in the direction of the plug arch 101 and being in the form of a contact socket for plug-in connection with a mating contact element of the mating plug connector 2, the connection section 111 being intended for connection with a line 14 assigned to the respective contact element 11. The contact element 11 is inserted into the corresponding holder 120 of the contact carrier 12 by means of the intermediate section 112 and is thereby fixed on the contact carrier 12. The connection section 111 of the contact element 11 projects from the contact carrier 12 on the side facing away from the contact section 110 and the contact element is connected to the corresponding line 14 via the connection section 111.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the receiving space 103 of the housing part 10 is closed by the housing cover 13, so that the contact carrier 12 is enclosed in the receiving space 103. The housing cover 13 has a plurality of latching means 130 in the form of latching arms on which latching projections are formed, which can be attached to corresponding latching means 105 on the outside of the housing section 102, in order in this way to establish a latching, positive-locking connection between the housing cover 13 and the housing part 10.

As can be seen from fig. 1 and 2, the housing cover 13 has a plurality of fastening points 133 through which fastening elements 17 in the form of screws for connection with the fastening points 121 of the contact carrier 12 can be passed in order to fix the housing cover 13 in a force-fitting manner relative to the contact carrier 12 by means of a screw connection.

For assembly, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the contact carrier 12 is first provided with a contact element 11, to which the line 14 has already been connected, by inserting the contact element 11 into a corresponding holder 120 on the contact carrier 12. The housing cover 13 is then connected to the contact carrier 12, so that the assembly thus realized can be jointly mounted on the housing part 10 in order to position the contact element 11 relative to the housing part 10. The assembly takes place in an assembly direction M (see fig. 1 and 2), in which the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 are mounted to one another and the assembly thus produced is connected to the housing part 10.

The housing cover 13 has a cable outlet 131 through which the lines 14 (which are integrated in the cable, for example) connected to the contact elements 11 can be guided in order to guide the lines 14 away from the plug connector 1. The cable outlet 131 defines a cable outlet direction which is directed at least approximately perpendicularly to the mounting direction M and the plugging direction E.

As can be seen in particular from fig. 2, on the inner side 132 facing the contact carrier 12, the housing cover 13 has a clamping device 16 with clamping receptacles 160 in the form of recesses of the groove type which are aligned with one another and offset from one another transversely to the mounting direction M for receiving the wires 14 connected to the contact elements 11. As can be seen in particular from fig. 5, the contact carrier 12 furthermore has a clamping device 15 in the form of a projecting tab, which has a clamping receptacle 150 in the form of a recess of the groove type for engagement with the clamping device 16 of the housing cover 13.

As can be seen from the sectional view according to fig. 8, the clamping receptacle 160 of the clamping device 16 of the housing cover 13 is opposite the clamping receptacle 150 of the clamping device 15 of the contact carrier 12 in the connected state of the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12, so that the conductor 14 connected to the contact element 11 is received in the clamping

receptacle

150, 160 and is thus clamped between the clamping

devices

15, 16. The line 14 is thereby fixed between the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 in such a way that the tensile force is released, so that the forces acting on the line 14 can be dissipated into the housing cover 13 and thus into the housing part 10, without causing a load on the contact element 11.

One or two

abutment sections

151, 161 adjoin each clamping

receptacle

150, 160 of each clamping

device

15, 16, the

respective clamping receptacle

150, 160 being retracted as a recess relative to the abutment sections. If the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 are maximally close to each other, as can be seen from the sectional view according to fig. 8, the

contact sections

151, 161 come into contact with each other, so that the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 cannot come closer to each other any further.

When the housing cover 13 is connected to the contact carrier 12 by means of the screw connection produced by the fastening element 17, the

clamping devices

15, 16 are placed opposite one another, so that the conductor 14 received between the clamping

devices

15, 16 is clamped between the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 and is thereby fixed in a manner such that the tensile force is released. The fastening element 17 can be tightened until a sufficient clamping is set, wherein the clamping is limited by the

contact portions

151, 161 and thus an excessive compression on the line 14 is avoided.

The tension release device is automatically established by the

clamping devices

15, 16 when the contact carrier 12 and the housing cover 13 are mounted to one another, without additional assembly steps being required for this purpose. Before the contact carrier 12 and the housing cover 13 are mounted on one another, the conductor 14 is inserted into the clamping receptacle 150 of the clamping device 15 of the contact carrier 12, and when the housing cover 13 is mounted, the conductor 14 is automatically clamped between the clamping

devices

15, 16 and is thus fixed between the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 in a manner that the tensile force is released.

The structural unit formed by the housing cover 13 and the contact carrier 12 is therefore mounted on the housing part 10 with the tension release device already set up. If the contact carrier 12 is mounted together with the housing cover 13 on the housing part 10, the contact element 11 is fixed on the contact carrier 12 and the conductor 14 is clamped between the clamping

devices

15, 16 and is thus fixed between the contact carrier 12 and the housing cover 13 in a manner that the tensile force is released.

The idea on which the invention is based is not limited to the embodiments described above but can also be implemented in other ways.

A strain relief device of the type described can be realized on a plug connection in the form of a charging socket or a charging plug. However, such a tension release device can also be used in completely different plug connectors.

The contact carrier can be mounted as a separate component to the housing part. However, it is also conceivable and possible to integrate the contact carrier, for example, into the housing part, so that the contact carrier is an integral part of the housing part. The tension release device is in this case established when the housing cover is mounted on the housing part.

Description of the reference numerals

1 plug-in connection

10 shell parts

100 splicing section (splicing opening)

101 inserting arch part

102 housing segment

103 accommodating space

104 opening

105 locking device

11 contact element

110 contact section

111 connecting section

112 middle section

12 contact support

120 holding part

121 fixed part (bolt hole)

13 casing cover

130 locking device

131 cable outlet

132 inner side

133 fixing part (bolt hole)

14 electrical lead

15. 16 clamping device

150. 160 clamping receptacle

151. 161 abutting section

17 fixing element

2 mating plug-in connection

20 shell parts

200 splicing section (plug)

E direction of insertion

M assembly direction

Claims

1. Plug connector (1) for plug connection to a mating plug connector (2), comprising: a housing part (10) having a plug section (100) for plug-in connection with a mating plug connector (2); at least one electrical contact element (11) which can be connected to a line (14); a contact carrier (12) to which at least one electrical contact element (11) can be connected in order to be arranged on the plug section (100); and a housing cover (13) which can be connected to the housing part (10), characterized in that the contact carrier (12) has a first clamping device (15) and the housing cover (13) has a second clamping device (16), wherein the first clamping device (15) and the second clamping device (16) are used to accommodate a conductor (14) which is connected to at least one contact element (11) between the first clamping device and the second clamping device and is clampingly fixed between the contact carrier (12) and the housing cover (13) in the connected state of the housing cover (13) to the housing part (10).

2. The plug connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing part (10) has a housing section (102) which defines an accommodation space (103), wherein the contact carrier (12) can be inserted into the accommodation space (103) in order to arrange at least one electrical contact element (11) on the plug section (100).

3. The plug connector (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the contact carrier (12) can be inserted into the receiving space (103) together with at least one electrical contact element (11).

4. The plug connector (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the housing cover (13) closes the receiving space (103) to the outside in the connected state with the housing part (10).

5. Plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first clamping device (15) has at least one first clamping receptacle (150) for receiving a conductor (14) and/or the second clamping device (16) has at least one second clamping receptacle (160) for receiving a conductor (14).

6. The plug connector (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the at least one first clamping receptacle (150) and/or the at least one second clamping receptacle (160) is/are shaped as a recess.

7. The plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first clamping device (15) has at least one first contact section (151) which adjoins the first clamping receptacle (150), and the second clamping device (16) has at least one second contact section (161) which adjoins the second clamping receptacle (160), wherein the at least one first contact section (151) and the at least one second contact section (161) approach one another in the connected state of the housing cover (13) and the housing part (10).

8. Plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing cover (13) has at least one latching device (130) for latching connection to the housing part (10).

9. The plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second clamping device (16) is formed on an inner side (132) of the housing cover (13), which inner side faces the contact carrier (12) in the connected state of the housing cover (13) and the housing part (10).

10. The plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing cover (13) has a cable outlet (131) through which the at least one conductor (14) can be passed.

11. Plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact carrier (12) has at least one first fixing point (121) and the housing cover (13) has at least one second fixing point (133), wherein the at least one first fixing point (121) and the at least one second fixing point (133) can be connected to one another in a force-fitting manner by means of a fixing element (17).