DE10035726A1 - Contact carrier for seat belts, air bags in motor vehicles, has slider held by element that releases slider loaded by spring, when latching arms projected in plug-in direction is received at latching recess of socket - Google Patents

Abstract

A slider (18) is moved parallelly to the movement direction of a contact carrier (10) by a spring (30). The slider is held by an element (22) that releases the slider loaded by the spring, when the latching arms (14) projected in the plug-in direction is received at the corresponding latching recesses (54) of a socket (50).

Description

The invention relates to a contact carrier (Steckver binder) for plug connection with an associated socket (Squib) with simultaneous contacting correspon dating contact parts of contact carrier and socket.

Such a contact carrier is from DE 195 34 205 C2 known and is used, for example, in restraint systems (Belt tensioners, airbag) used by motor vehicles. In addition to easy assembly, high Functional reliability required.  

This applies in particular with regard to the locking of Contact carrier and socket, whereby on the one hand it is required that the contact parts (contact springs) of a component securely with the contact parts (contact pins) of the other Contact in the assembled (plugged) state animals and on the other hand it must be ensured that Kon clock carrier and socket do not accidentally separate from each other solve again.

This problem is solved in the above-mentioned state the technology solved in that the contact carrier and Contact the can with each other in a first step be locked and locked in a second work step a locking member as a so-called secondary interlocked behind locking arms of the contact carrier to prevent the lock against unintentional loosening to back up.

One possibility with the present invention is to be shown how the contact carrier and the associated Box (or the respective contact parts) in can be locked in a single step, while at the same time it should be ensured that a mutual contacting of the contact parts and ver Contact carrier and socket only snap when properly moderate and complete assembly.

The basic idea of the invention is in the contact carrier to install a safety mechanism that only then can be activated if the means of engagement of the contact carrier  associated locking means of the can are locked and only then an optional secondary lock is triggered while in the event of an incomplete Assembly of the contact carrier independently from the box is solved.

In this way, the fitter recognizes an incomplete one Locking of contact carrier and socket reliably and can initiate a new mating process. A mistake locking and a related security risk are reliably prevented.

In its most general embodiment, the invention then relates to a contact carrier for the plug connection with an associated socket with simultaneous contacting of corresponding contact parts of the contact carrier and socket, with the following features:

• A slide is arranged in the contact carrier,
• - The slide is parallel to the direction of movement of the Contact carrier movable and in the direction of movement Contact carrier acted on by at least one spring,
• - The slide is held by an organ that the Only then slide under the action of the spring (s) free there when locking arms of the contact carrier, which in plug project in the direction of the contact carrier, in Corresponding locking recesses of the box snapped into place are and the contact carrier its complete Has reached the plug position opposite the socket.

In other words: for the assembly (locking) of Contact carrier and socket becomes the contact carrier (with its Contact parts, for example contact springs) on one attached can and put it against it, until its resilient locking arms in corresponding locking Snap the recesses in the can.

Up to this point, the named slide remains in its original position, namely by said Organ, which slides the slide up to this Records time.

Only at the moment when the contact's locking arms the carrier into the recesses in the box the organ releases the slide which, under the effect of the spring now in the direction of insertion of the contact Carrier is updated. According to one embodiment the slide points in the direction of insertion of the contact carrier freely projecting locking arms. After approval of the Slider can use the slider's locking arms be guided behind the locking arms of the contact carrier and secure and effect these against unintentional loosening then a secondary locking of the locking arms of the Contact carrier.

The mating process of contact carrier and socket was incomplete are constantly executed, the locking arms of the contact carrier not snapped into the recesses in the box, causes the spring, as soon as the fitter the contact carrier lets go of the contact carrier again from its up then reached position opposite the can in the off gear position is returned.  

There is therefore an interaction due to the Spring arrangement between slide and contact carrier. On the one hand, the spring causes proper Ver locking of the contact carrier and socket a tracking of the Slider, on the other hand, causes the spring to be incomplete constant insertion a return of the contact carrier (releasing the contact carrier from the socket again).

According to one embodiment, the spring is supported one end against the slider and another end against the contact carrier. The spring can, depending on Formation of the contact carrier, for example a sheet spring or a spiral spring. A spiral spring will yourself especially with a more or less cylin offer a dry design of the contact carrier; a sheet spring can be selected, for example, if the Contact carrier is angled, as shown in DE 195 34 205 C2 is shown.

The organ can consist of a pin arranged in the slide exist, one in the pin with the contact carrier connected pin parallel to the movement of the contact carrier gers is led. The contact carrier and the Pen be formed materially. It follows immediately that the pen corresponding to the movement of the Contact carrier (the housing of the contact carrier) each is carried along.

According to one embodiment, the pin has a parallel extending to the direction of movement of the contact carrier, open upward axial groove along which the pin is led.  

The spigot can have a ver at its upper end Thickness, which in the unplugged state of the Contact carrier in a corresponding recess of the Slider is inserted and the slider against the action of Holds the spring against the pin (form-fitting).

According to a further embodiment, slides, pins and pin designed and arranged so that the pin when the contact carrier is fully inserted occupies a position relative to the pin above the can, in which the pin from a positive connection is released with the slide under the action of the spring and the slider relative due to the action of the spring is tracked to the contact carrier.

In other words: not yet or not fully constantly inserted state of the contact carrier the box takes the pin in the axial groove of the pin Position at which the pin in the form of conclusive connection against the slide. First if the contact carrier as far as on and in the box was pushed that his locking arms into the recesses the can is snapped into place, the pin reaches one Position within the tenon where the tenon is below the load of the spring from the positive connection with the slide is released so that the slide in the direction can be tracked on the can, for example the desired with its locking arms Position of the secondary locking device in relation to the locking arms of the contact carrier.  

In the described embodiment of the pin with this is achieved when the axial groove is open at the top Pin has reached the bottom (bottom) of the axial groove, see above that the two upper, thickened sections of the pin deform against each other (into the axial groove) can and the positive connection is released. Another possibility Lichity is in particular the pin in its Locking part opposite the slide from one form elastic material, which under the load the spring allows a deformation that the pin from the Positive locking against the slide releases when the pin is led out of this area.

The contact carrier mentioned enables the desired Ver locking with an associated box in one Work step, including associated secondary ver locking because of the slide, as stated, due to the effect of the spring is automatically tracked once the contact carrier has its proper locking reached position opposite the can.

If necessary, the contact carrier nonetheless to release from the can at a later time offers the Invention for this an embodiment in which the Slider has at least one approach, which is in an externally accessible opening of the contact carrier extends. Then, for example, via the opening Tool to be introduced to grab the approach and to move away from the can so that the secondary lock released and then the contact carrier out of the Can be pulled out.  

This embodiment can be further developed in that that the slider is at least one, through the opening of the contact carrier outwardly extending approach has, preferably two, diametrically opposite Approaches that are then taken by hand to move the slider away from the can and release the secondary lock. Then the Contact carrier deforming its locking arms from the Locking recesses of the can be brought out.

The approaches of the slide mentioned are for example arranged perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slide. This makes it easier to manually return the slider.

Although the contact carrier in a single operation, as described, can be locked with the box, there is a two-stage locking process, näm Lich first the latching of the contact arm gers in the recesses of the can and then the Secondary locking via the locking arms of the Slider.

This technique can be further developed in that Locking arms of the slide arranged and out are that they are immediately before reaching their Secured position in relation to the locking arms of the contact carrier an associated short-circuit spring between the con Loosen the clock parts (contact pins) of the socket.  

This will ensure that the Short circuit spring only formed short circuit bridge is solved casually, even if the secondary locks effective, i.e. a proper locking of contact carrier and socket as well as a proper con The mutual contact parts were clocked Has.

In a further embodiment, the contact carrier a disassembly slide on the slide and the Spring (s) acting on the slide at least laterally overlaps and at its end facing the can reaches under the corresponding approach of the slide.

In this way it is avoided that the slide at Assembly is blocked when the fitter Contact carrier grips laterally. The disassembly slide protects the components of the Contact carrier. The named form of the disassembly slide ensures that the slide with the help of Disassembly slide from the locked position can be pulled out, but otherwise the slide is freely movable relative to the dismantling slide. At the same time, the slide is protected against accidental Touch protected.  

Further features of the invention emerge from the note paint the subclaims and other registration documents.

The invention is based on two embodiments examples explained in more detail.

Here, FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c and 2a, 2b and 2c, each in a schematic sectional view showing two alternative mappings of a contact carrier into a can during plugging in three different mounting positions.

FIG. 2d is a perspective view of the contact carrier corresponding to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 2a to 2c. The same or equivalent components are identified by the same reference numerals.

The reference numeral 10 denotes a contact carrier, while reference numeral 50 describes an associated socket.

The contact carrier 10 , the contact springs are not Darge, comprises a housing 12 , from which, in the direction of the socket 50 , two locking arms 14 project with outwardly projecting locking projections 16 .

Inside the housing 12 , a slide 18 is net angeord, which extends coaxially to the central longitudinal axis M of the Kontaktträ gers 10 and comprises a two-part base part, wherein the two sections 18 a, b of the base part 18 are angled outwards at the upper end by 180 ° and merge into two locking arms 20 , each of which has its free end in the direction of the socket 50 and is aligned parallel to the central longitudinal axis M of the contact carrier 10 .

In the mounting position shown in Fig. 1a (before the plugging process), the slide 18 is cut accordingly from 12 a from the housing 12 .

Between the two parts 18 a, 18 b of the base part, a pin 22 is arranged which, coaxially with the central longitudinal axis M, has an upwardly open slot 24 , in the upper end of which a pin 12 s rests, which is material-locking with the remaining parts of the housing 12 is.

With its lower end, the pin 22 is supported on a web 53 which protrudes upward from a base 50 b of the can 50 coaxially with the central longitudinal axis M.

Two springs 30 are supported with their lower end against the upper end face of the slide 18 . With their upper end, the springs 30 lie against an upper section 12 o of the housing 12 .

Between the socket 50 and the contact carrier 10 there is an insulating ring 40 which extends into the socket 50 like a pot and rests with its lower portion 40 u on the bottom 50 b of the socket 50 .

In the box 50 two contact pins 52 can be seen, which run parallel to the central longitudinal axis M in the direction of the contact carrier 10 and are arranged so that associated (not shown) contact springs of the contact carrier 10 con in the further plug-in operation on the contact pins 52 and these reach over and contact.

In the starting position shown in FIG. 1 a, the locking arms 20 of the slide 18 rest with their outside against the inside of the locking arms 14 .

To lock the contact carrier 10 and socket 50 , the fitter grips the housing 12 and presses it in the direction of the socket 50 ( FIG. 1b). In this 14 10 first run, the latching arms of the contact carrier on the insulating ring 40, and behind it disposed projections 50 v of the can 50 (wherein they are respectively deformed inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1b) before they then engage in corresponding latching openings 54 of the can 50 .

Up to this point in time, the position of the slide 18 remains unchanged, specifically because of the locking action of the pin 22 , which lies in corresponding recesses 26 of the slide 18 with thickened portions 22 v at the upper end.

Shortly before or during the compression of the locking arms 14 into the locking openings 54 , the springs 30 are tensioned according to FIG. 1b and thus, at the moment when the locking arms 14 deflect into the locking recesses 54 , a movement of the slider 18 in the direction of the box 50 , the locking arms 20 of the slider 18 (again) behind the locking arms 14 of the Kontaktträ gers 10 ( Fig. 1c).

The movement of the slide 18 is made possible by the fact that the pin 12 s has reached its lowest position within the slot (the groove) 24 at this point in time and the thickened portions 22 v of the pin 22 can spring inwards and thus be released from the recesses 26 are ( Fig. 1b).

At the same time, the springs 30 relax again ( FIG. 1c).

Fig. 1c shows the fully and securely inserted state of the contact carrier 10 and socket 50 , in which the (not shown) contact springs of the contact carrier 10 con grip the contact pins 52 of the socket 50 and contact.

In addition, the locking arms 20 of the slide bers 18 during their movement in the direction of the can 50 that immediately before reaching the maximum engagement position of the slide 18 in the can 50, a short circuit bridge (not shown) formed between the contact pins 52 is released.

If the contact carrier 10 is not (yet) fully inserted into the socket 50 ( FIG. 1b) and the plugging process is interrupted at this point, for whatever reason, the tensioned springs 30 ( FIG. 1b) automatically cause a return of the contact carrier 10 in the starting position shown in Fig. 1a, so that an incomplete plug position is safely avoided.

Insofar as it should be necessary to completely detach the contact carrier 10 from the socket 50 once the contact carrier 10 and socket 50 have been completely inserted, this can be done by means of arms 19 of the slide 18 projecting perpendicularly to the central longitudinal axis M, which lead into corresponding openings in the housing 12 are, the arms 19 can be gripped by hand from the outside. As soon as the slide 18 has been detached from the socket 30 by hand in this way, the secondary securing for the latching arms 14 of the contact carrier 10 is dispensed with, which can then be released from the socket 50 again accordingly.

The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 2a-d corresponds in its basic structure to that of FIGS. 1a-c, so that only supplemented / changed design features are described below.

The slide 18 rests only on the housing 12 with its upper, end arms 19 (at 12b).

Adjacent to this housing part 12 b and the arms 19 is a dismantling slide 60 , which has two side surfaces 60 a, b and an upper cover 60 c, which has a recess 62 in which the upper housing section 12 o lies in FIG. 2 a. The side surfaces 60 a, b have hooks 60 h running inwards at their lower end (in the direction of the can 50 ), on which the slide 18 rests with its arms 19 in FIG. 2 a.

For assembly, proceed as described in FIGS. 1a-c. The disassembly slide 60 is gripped and guided downwards in the direction of the can 50 . The housing 12 is carried along until the locking arms 14 deflect into the recesses 54 . Alternatively, the assembly can also be carried out by pressure on the housing part 120 . The disassembly slide 60 is carried along. Now the slide 18 releases from the pin 22 and slides down due to the action of the springs 30 and secures the locking arms 14 . The springs 30 relax in parallel ( FIG. 2b).

The dismantling slide 60 , which is guided upwards (away from the 50) and with its hooks 60, takes the slider 18 with it for dismantling ( FIGS. 1c, 1d).

Claims (14)

1. Contact carrier ( 10 ) for plug connection with an associated socket ( 50 ) while simultaneously contacting corresponding contact parts ( 52 ) of contact carrier ( 10 ) and socket ( 50 ) with the following features:

• 1. 1.1 in the contact carrier ( 10 ) is a slide ( 18 ) is arranged,
• 2. 1.2 the slide ( 18 ) is movable parallel to the direction of movement of the contact carrier ( 10 ) and acted upon in the direction of movement of the contact carrier ( 10 ) by at least one spring ( 30 ),
• 3. 1.3 the slide ( 18 ) is held by an organ ( 22 ) which only releases the slide ( 18 ) under the action of the spring (s) ( 30 ) when locking arms ( 14 ) of the contact carrier ( 10 ) protrude in the plug-in direction of the contact carrier ( 10 ), are engaged in corresponding locking recesses ( 54 ) in the socket ( 50 ) and the contact carrier ( 10 ) has reached its complete plug-in position relative to the socket ( 50 ).

2. Contact carrier according to claim 1, the supported with one end against the slide (18) and with another end against the contact carrier (10, 120) in which the slide (18) which acts (n) spring (s) (30) . 3. Contact carrier according to claim 1, wherein the member ( 22 ) from a in the slide ( 18 ) arranged pin be, in which one with the contact carrier ( 10 ) verbun dener pin ( 12 s) parallel to the movement of the contact carrier ( 10 ) is feasible. 4. Contact carrier according to claim 3, wherein the pin ( 22 ) has a parallel to the direction of movement of the contact carrier ( 10 ), upwardly open axial groove ( 24 ), along which the pin ( 12 s) can be guided. 5. Contact carrier according to claim 3, wherein the pin ( 22 ) is thickened at its upper end, this thickening ( 22 v) in the unplugged state of the contact carrier ( 10 ) in a corresponding recess ( 26 ) of the slide ( 18 ) engages and holds the slide ( 18 ) against the action of the spring (s) ( 30 ) relative to the pin ( 22 ). 6. Contact carrier according to claim 3, in which the slide ( 18 ), pin ( 22 ) and pin ( 12 s) are designed and arranged so that the pin ( 12 s) with the plug-in position of the contact carrier ( 10 ) completely opposite the socket ( 50 ) takes a position relative to the pin ( 22 ) in which the pin ( 22 ) is released from a positive connection with the slide ( 18 ) under the action of the spring (s) ( 30 ) and the slide ( 18 ) due to the action of the spring (s) ( 30 ) relative to the contact carrier ( 10 ). 7. Contact carrier according to claim 3, wherein the pin ( 22 ) is arranged so that it is supported during the plugging process of the contact carrier ( 10 ) on an associated bearing ( 53 ) of the socket ( 50 ). 8. Contact carrier according to claim 1, wherein the slide ( 18 ) has at least one extension ( 19 ) which extends into an externally accessible opening of the contact carrier ( 10 ). 9. Contact carrier according to claim 8, wherein the slide ( 18 ) has at least one, through the opening of the contact carrier ( 10 ) outwardly extending extension ( 19 ). 10. Contact carrier according to claim 8, wherein the extension ( 19 ) extends perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slide ( 18 ). 11. Contact carrier according to claim 1, wherein the slide ( 18 ) in the insertion direction of the contact carrier ( 10 ) has standing locking arms ( 20 ) which are guided after the release of the slide ( 18 ) behind the locking arms ( 14 ) of the contact carrier ( 10 ) and secure them against unintentional loosening. 12. Contact carrier according to claim 11, in which the locking arms ( 20 ) of the slide ( 18 ) are arranged and designed so that they have an associated short-circuit spring between the contact parts immediately before reaching their securing position relative to the latching arms ( 14 ) of the contact carrier ( 10 ) Loosen ( 52 ) the can ( 50 ). 13. Contact carrier according to claim 1 with one, the slide ( 18 ) and the slide ( 18 ) acting (s) spring (s) ( 30 ) at least laterally overlapping dismantling slide ( 60 ) on his, the box ( 50 ) facing End engages under a corresponding extension ( 19 ) of the slide ( 18 ). 14. Contact carrier according to claim 13, wherein the disassembly slide ( 60 ) has such a height that it receives the at least one spring ( 30 ) and the spring ( 30 ) end-limiting components ( 18 , 19 , 120 ).