DE102020212760A1 - contact connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The contact connector (2) is designed in particular as a module connector for a battery for the electrical connection of a first conductor (14) to a second conductor (38) and has a bolt element, in particular a screw (22) for connecting the two conductors (14, 38 ) which has a screw head (24) and a shank (28) adjoining it in a longitudinal direction (12) and having a front end (30). The first conductor (14) is arranged in a first housing (6) made of an electrically insulating material and has a through hole (20) through which the shank (28) is guided. In a pre-assembly position in which the second conductor (38) is not contacted and the front end of the shaft (28) is accessible from below, the screw (22) is held electrically insulating from the first conductor (14) to protect against accidental contact.

Description

The invention relates to a contact connector, in particular a module connector for a battery.

High-voltage batteries (HV batteries), which are used to supply energy for an electric traction motor of a motor vehicle, typically have a battery voltage of several 100 V, for example 300-1000 V. The batteries regularly have several battery modules, which in turn are typically formed from individual battery cells connected to one another. The individual battery modules are electrically connected to each other via so-called module connectors. These are electrical connections between two battery modules via a conductor with a high current carrying capacity, for example a conductor rail or a (stranded) cable. This conductor is connected to each of the two modules via a contact connector.

Such contact connectors, module connectors, power connectors or unit connectors must have reliable contact protection for assembly. The module connectors are often designed as screw connectors, in which a first conductor, typically a first busbar, is pressed against a second conductor, typically a second busbar, with the aid of a screw in order to electrically contact the two conductors with one another. The screw is usually passed through a through hole in the first conductor and screwed into a threaded sleeve. In this case, the first conductor is typically arranged together with the screw within a first housing, which has a lower bushing, which surrounds a shank of the screw in an insulating manner. Furthermore, a second housing is provided, in which the second conductor and the threaded sleeve are held. The threaded sleeve is in turn surrounded in an insulating manner by a bushing of the second housing. In a pre-assembly position, the front end of the shank of the screw and a front end of the threaded sleeve are accessible. Since these are typically made of metal and, in the case of conventional module connectors, can already be conductively connected to the respective conductor in a pre-assembly position, special measures are required to protect against accidental contact.

From the prior art, for example DE 10 2017 210 425 A1 such a module connector can be seen. In this case, insulating caps are provided, which are fitted at the end over the screw shank or over the threaded sleeve for protection against accidental contact.

Proceeding from this, the invention is based on the object of specifying a contact connector, in particular a module connector, in which protection against accidental contact is ensured with fewer components, and in particular without requiring an insulating cap for the shank of the screw.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a contact connector for electrically connecting a first conductor to a second conductor. The contact connector generally has a bolt element, in particular a screw, for connecting the two conductors. The bolt element generally has a (bolt) head, specifically a screw head, and a shank with a front end adjoining it in a longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a first housing made of an electrically insulating material is provided, in which the first conductor lies, which has a through hole through which the shank of the bolt element is guided. The first conductor is placed in the first housing, for example. It is also conceivable for the first housing to have receiving elements which are designed to accommodate the first conductor. The first housing preferably also has an upper socket, which is open in particular upwards, ie counter to the longitudinal direction, and in which the head rests. The first housing preferably further includes a lower sleeve surrounding the shaft. In principle, the two conductors are not in electrical contact with one another in a pre-assembly position and the bare front end of the shaft is accessible from below. This means that in the pre-assembly position, the front end of the shaft can be touched by a user, for example with a finger.

In order to achieve reliable contact protection, the bolt element is now held in the pre-assembly position in an electrically insulating manner with respect to the first conductor. A special safety measure is therefore provided, so that the bolt element, which typically consists of an electrically conductive material such as metal, cannot come into electrical contact with the first conductor in the pre-assembly position. This measure therefore ensures that the bolt element cannot be under tension in the pre-assembly position, as a result of which reliable protection against accidental contact is achieved. The other contact elements, such as the first conductor, are reliably protected by the first housing, especially in combination with the upper and lower sockets.

In the present case, a bolt element is generally understood to mean a (connecting) element which extends in a longitudinal direction and has a widened head at one end, which is adjoined in the longitudinal direction by the shank. In the transition to the shaft, the head preferably points a collar that is wider than the rest of the head. In particular, the bolt element is designed as a screw with a screw head and an adjoining shaft which has a thread. As an alternative to a screw, a rivet bolt or similar connecting elements can also be used, for example. In the following, a screw is referred to as the preferred exemplary embodiment without restricting the generality.

In an expedient embodiment, at least one locking element is formed in the upper socket, which locking element holds the head in an axial position at a distance from the first conductor. The head therefore has a safe distance from the first conductor, which is intended to distance the head from the first conductor before electrical contact is made. This ensures that the head cannot come to rest on the first conductor in the pre-assembly position. In contrast, in the final assembly position, the head preferably rests directly on an upper side of the conductor. Typically, the head generally has a surrounding collar. With this he is typically in the final assembly position on the first conductor.

Since the screw is reliably stress-free in the pre-assembly position as a result of this measure, an insulating cap on the front end of the shank is also preferably dispensed with. Therefore, the shank is also in the pre-assembly position as a bare metal shank.

The head is generally held in a form-fitting manner in the longitudinal direction and preferably also counter to the longitudinal direction by the blocking element. For this purpose, the at least one blocking element is preferably arranged on the inside of the upper bushing and protrudes radially inwards into the interior space of the bushing. The head, in particular the peripheral collar, overlaps in the radial direction with the at least one blocking element, so that the form fit is formed in or counter to the longitudinal direction.

The head is expediently held in a form-fitting manner both in and against the longitudinal direction by a lower and an upper locking element. As a result, the bolt element, in particular the screw as a whole, is captively connected to the first housing. Viewed in the longitudinal direction, the lower blocking element is arranged below the head and thus below the surrounding collar, and the upper blocking element is arranged above the head, ie above the surrounding collar.

The blocking element, in particular the lower blocking element, is also designed in such a way that it can be overcome for assembly in the longitudinal direction (joining direction) or also for disassembly in the opposite direction to the longitudinal direction (release direction), i. H. the head can be guided over the barrier formed by the locking element under special conditions in order to transfer the contact connector from the pre-assembly position to the final assembly position and vice versa.

The two locking elements are arranged on the inside of the upper bushing and secure the head there in a form-fitting manner. The upper blocking element is preferably designed as an upper stop which cannot be overcome by the head, neither in nor against the longitudinal direction.

The first housing is preferably designed as a two-shell housing with an upper shell and a lower shell. The upper shell has the upper socket and the lower shell has the lower socket. For assembly, the screw is preferably inserted into the upper shell from below, for which purpose it overcomes the lower locking element counter to the longitudinal direction, so that the screw is then held in the upper shell in a form-fitting and captive manner. The first conductor is then inserted and the through-hole is threaded onto the shank of the screw. Viewed in cross section, the upper shell and also the lower shell are each preferably approximately L-shaped, with the short leg of the L being formed through the socket and the first conductor running in the long leg of the L. The two housing shells are then connected to one another in a form-fitting manner, for example by snap-in connections.

In a preferred embodiment, the contact connector also includes a second housing in which the second conductor is arranged. Also arranged in this second housing is a particularly metallic fastening element, specifically a threaded sleeve, which can also be formed by a threaded nut, for example. The fastening element is generally used for fastening the shank of the bolt element in a particularly form-fitting manner and, in the case of a screw, for screwing in the screw. In a final assembly position, the bolt element is firmly connected to the fastening element, in particular the screw is screwed into the threaded sleeve. The two conductors are at least indirectly clamped against one another by the force exerted by the bolt element, specifically by the screw, and are thus electrically conductively connected to one another. The second housing has a further socket, ie a sleeve-shaped housing part, which is directed upwards in the opposite direction to the longitudinal direction and is open at the top. In this other socket is that Fastener, specially arranged the threaded sleeve. The fastening element is generally preferably designed as a sleeve into which the shank of the bolt element dips and to which the shank is connected, for example by screwing or by forming/riveting. In order to also ensure protection against accidental contact for this sleeve in the pre-assembly position, it is preferably provided with an insulating protective cap.

For assembly, the two housings, specifically the lower socket of the first upper housing, are plugged into or over the other socket of the second lower housing and the two housings are fixed to one another, for example by latches. With the help of the bolt element, in particular the screw, the contact elements, that is to say the first and the second conductor, are pressed against one another with a predetermined clamping force. The two conductors are typically clamped at least indirectly between the head and a foot area of the (threaded) sleeve. When assembled, the entire contact connection is reliably protected by the first housing and the second housing. The head, which can also be accessible from above in the mounted position, is preferably surrounded by an insulating hood and is thereby protected.

The contact connector therefore generally has an upper part and a lower part, each of which has the first housing or the second housing and the further components located therein, in particular the two conductors.

For assembly, the head is held freely rotatably in the pre-assembly position between the upper and lower locking elements. This means that there is a sufficient axial distance between the two blocking elements so that the head can move a little in the axial direction between these two blocking elements without being lost. The screw can already be screwed into the threaded sleeve in this pre-assembly position, specifically before the lower locking element has been overcome. During this turning, therefore, the two components, namely the upper part and the lower part, are pulled against one another. Furthermore, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the lower locking element is overcome in particular simply by screwing the screw into the threaded sleeve. A force required for this is preferably applied solely by screwing in. This configuration has the particular advantage that the blocking force of the lower blocking element can be designed in such a way that manual pushing through is not possible, but rather that a high force is required, which is only applied by screwing in.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one lower locking element is resiliently mounted in the radial direction or is at least designed to be elastic. This measure allows the lower locking element to deflect radially during assembly, so that the lower locking element can be overcome.

According to a first embodiment variant, the lower locking element is a locking hook, ie a lug protruding radially inwards. Expediently, a plurality of such locking hooks are distributed over the circumference of the inner bushing. These occur in particular from a wall of the socket radially inwards. For the resilient configuration, it is provided in particular that the wall of the socket is perforated on three sides around the locking hook, so that this is connected to the wall on only one side in the manner of a clip that has been cut free.

In a preferred embodiment, the respective locking hook is designed in such a way that the locking forces it exerts are different in and against the longitudinal direction. The first blocking force it exerts, which counteracts a movement of the head in the longitudinal direction and thus in the joining direction, is greater than the second blocking force, which acts in the opposite direction and counteracts a movement of the head against the longitudinal direction and thus in the release direction. The result of this is that the loosening of the screw and the overcoming of the at least one lower locking element in the opposite direction to the longitudinal direction requires less effort than vice versa.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided in particular that a respective locking hook has an upper and a lower bevel, which are each oriented at an angle of less than 90° to the longitudinal direction and are different, so that the different angles, hereinafter also referred to as joining angle and release angle, lead to the different locking forces required. The upper slope is oriented steeper relative to the longitudinal direction, i. H. the joint angle is greater than the corresponding release angle of the lower slope, which is oriented flatter relative to the longitudinal direction.

According to an alternative embodiment variant, the lower locking element is designed in the manner of an internal thread and the head has an external thread on its circumference. For an axial offset of the screw relative to the first housing, the external thread is screwed into the internal thread and preferably screwed through, so that the screw as a whole is screwed into the opposite threaded sleeve can be. The lower locking element is therefore overcome by means of the screwing process. The internal thread is formed on the inner circumference of the upper bushing and is also referred to below as the bushing thread.

In a preferred embodiment, the head is screwed through the internal thread. For this purpose, the internal thread only extends over a short axial length. After the head has been screwed through the internal thread, the head can move freely again in the axial direction within the upper bushing.

A thread is generally formed by a helically running thread, which is typically multiple in conventional threads. In the present case, a respective thread turn of the internal thread and/or the external thread preferably extends only over an angular range of 300° to, for example, 400°, especially 360°.

The internal thread and/or the external thread are preferably each formed over a plurality of separate thread sections distributed over the circumference. There is also the possibility that only one of the two threads, specifically the internal thread, has a plurality of such thread sections and the external thread has a continuously circumferential thread turn. The individual threaded sections protrude radially inwards or outwards and only extend over a limited angular range of, for example, up to a maximum of 15° or up to a maximum of 30°. They are typically arranged evenly distributed around the circumference. A respective thread section is arranged somewhat offset axially in comparison to an adjacent thread section and runs—corresponding to a thread pitch—obliquely to the longitudinal direction.

According to a preferred development, these thread sections, particularly in the case of the internal thread, are spring-mounted or elastic.

As already described above, the screw with its screw thread is preferably already screwed into the threaded sleeve of the lower housing in the pre-assembly position, ie before the head has overcome the lower locking element. During assembly, therefore, two pairs of threads are simultaneously screwed in at least partially, namely on the one hand the external thread of the head is screwed into the internal thread of the upper bushing and on the other hand the screw thread on the shank of the screw is screwed into the threaded sleeve in the lower housing.

In order to facilitate this simultaneous screwing in, a preferred embodiment provides that the thread pitches of these two thread pairs are identical, i. H. the screw thread has the same thread pitch as the male thread on the head. The same applies to the internal thread of the upper bushing and the sleeve thread of the screw sleeve.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the individual thread sections of the internal thread (socket thread) are resiliently mounted or designed to be elastic. The resilient mounting allows the external thread to be screwed reliably into the internal thread overall. During the screwing process, when the screw thread is already screwed into the sleeve thread of the threaded sleeve, it is not necessarily ensured that the individual thread turns of the external thread and the internal thread run identically to one another or engage in one another at the same time. The springy or elastic design promotes gentler screwing of the external thread into the internal thread.

In general, the longitudinal locking force exerted by one lower locking member, and in the case of multiple lower locking members, by all of the lower locking members is such that it is sufficiently great that it cannot be relieved by manual pushing on the head longitudinally by means of the mere A user's hand can be overcome. In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that all of these lower locking elements are designed for a locking force of greater than or equal to 250 N, preferably greater than or equal to 500 N and more preferably greater than or equal to 750 N, acting counter to the longitudinal direction.

In order to reliably prevent the shank of the screw from touching the first conductor in the area of the through hole, an insulating sleeve is provided which partially surrounds the shank viewed in the longitudinal direction, so that the shank is held at a distance from a wall of the through hole by the insulating sleeve. The insulating sleeve is in particular placed inside the through hole and thus between the shaft and the wall. The axial length of the insulating sleeve corresponds in particular to the axial length of the through hole, which is typically defined by the thickness of the first conductor (sheet thickness).

In particular, the insulating sleeve is fixed in the through hole and is preferably held therein in a form-fitting manner in and against the longitudinal direction.

The first conductor preferably has an upper conductor element, which is designed, for example, as a busbar, a resistance-welded stranded conductor with, for example, at least one compacted area, a terminal, or in the form of a contact shoe. The upper conductor element extends, in particular, transversely to the longitudinal direction. A contact ring, through which the screw shank is guided, adjoins this upper conductor element in the longitudinal direction. This contact ring is in particular an upper contact ring, which is often supplemented by a lower contact ring, which is part of the second conductor in the second housing.

For form-fitting fixing of the insulating sleeve, it is provided that the insulating sleeve is supported on an edge of the upper contact ring and/or that the upper conductor element has at least one radially protruding holding element as a stop in the area of an edge of the through hole. This at least one holding element is preferably formed by reshaping the hole edge of the through hole at least in certain areas. The insulating sleeve is preferably fixed between the one or more upper holding elements and the contact ring, in particular in a clamping manner.

The upper contact ring preferably has an inner diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole, so that when the through hole and the upper contact ring are arranged concentrically to one another, the latter protrudes radially inward compared to the through hole, so that the insulating sleeve rests on the edge of the upper Contact ring can support.

A radial distance between the screw shank and the live first conductor is created via the insulating sleeve. This distance is dimensioned sufficiently to reliably avoid voltage flashovers or leakage currents.

In a preferred embodiment, a special contouring of the insulating sleeve is provided to increase a creepage distance. This generally has two opposite end faces, which are preferably configured with contours, so that the creepage distance along the end face is increased in the radial direction. The end face is therefore not flat. Due to the contoured design, a distance in the radial direction along the surface of the insulating sleeve at its end face is greater than a thickness of the wall of the insulating sleeve. For the contoured design, the end face has at least one or more indentations in or counter to the longitudinal direction. The end face is, for example, stepped or wavy with several troughs and crests or pinnacles. In particular, the wall of the insulating sleeve is H-shaped when viewed in section.

The contact connector described here is preferably used as a module connector for the electrical connection of two modules of a battery, in particular of a motor vehicle. The battery is in particular a so-called high-voltage battery, which has a voltage of at least 30 V or at least 60 V and preferably a voltage of several 100 V up to 1000 V. A battery of this type has a plurality of battery cells which are connected to one another and are initially connected to one another to form battery modules. Furthermore, the battery has a number of battery modules which are also connected to one another. The battery modules are electrically connected to each other via the module connectors described here. The modules are typically arranged in a common battery housing, in which a monitoring unit, in particular a so-called battery management system, is typically also arranged for monitoring the battery. The voltage provided by the interconnected modules defines the battery voltage, which can be tapped at the battery connection poles.

The second conductor is typically a module-side conductor which is permanently connected to a respective module. The first conductor is typically a connecting or bridging conductor that provides the actual conductive connection between two modules. In the case of the second module, contact is again made via such a module connector, the second conductor of which is in turn attached to the second module. The first two conductors of the two module connectors are electrically connected to one another and form a common wiring harness. In principle, they can be formed by a common busbar. Each module connector preferably has, as the first conductor or at least as part of the first conductor, a terminal designed, for example, in the manner of a cable lug, which is located in the housing of the respective module connector. A bridging line, for example a single-core sheathed line provided with insulation, is connected to the two terminals of the two module connectors.

In a similar way, the respective second conductor is preferably also a terminal designed, for example, in the manner of a cable lug, which can also be a direct end piece of a busbar that is screwed to one pole of the module. Basically a terminal could represent any plug contact on any consumer/load or voltage source, which is configured adaptively to the interface of the module connector. The two conductors are usually surrounded by insulation, especially in the connection area to the contact connector.

• 1 eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Kontaktverbinders,
• 2 eine ausschnittsweise Schnittansicht durch den Kontaktverbinder gemäß 1,
• 3 eine ausschnittsweise Schnittdarstellung durch ein erstes Gehäuse mit darin einliegenden Komponenten des Kontaktverbinders gemäß den 1 und 2,
• 4 eine perspektivische Ansicht auf die unter Seite des ersten Gehäuses des Kontaktverbinders gemäß der 1,
• 5 eine perspektivische Ansicht auf die Oberseite des zweiten Gehäuses des Kontaktverbinders gemäß der 1,
• 6 eine perspektivische Darstellung des ersten Gehäuses des Kontaktverbinders gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsvariante,
• 7 eine Schnittdarstellung durch einen Kontaktverbinder gemäß der zweiten Variante nach 6,
• 8 eine ausschnittsweise Schnittdarstellung durch das erste Gehäuse mit darin einliegenden Komponenten der zweiten Variante gemäß 6,
• 9 eine vergrößerte, ausschnittsweise Schnittdarstellung im Bereich einer oberen Buchse des ersten Gehäuses bei der zweiten Ausführungsvariante,
• 10 eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Schraube für die zweite Ausführungsvariante sowie
• 11 eine ausschnittsweise Schnittdarstellung im Bereich einer Isolierhülse.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. These show partially simplified representations:

• 1 a perspective view of a contact connector,
• 2 a partial sectional view through the contact connector according to FIG 1 ,
• 3 a fragmentary sectional view through a first housing with inlaid components of the contact connector according to the 1 and 2 ,
• 4 a perspective view of the underside of the first housing of the contact connector according to FIG 1 ,
• 5 a perspective view of the top of the second housing of the contact connector according to FIG 1 ,
• 6 a perspective view of the first housing of the contact connector according to a second embodiment,
• 7 a sectional view through a contact connector according to the second variant 6 ,
• 8th a sectional view of a detail through the first housing with components lying therein according to the second variant 6 ,
• 9 an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view in the area of an upper socket of the first housing in the second embodiment variant,
• 10 a perspective view of a screw for the second embodiment and
• 11 a partial sectional view in the area of an insulating sleeve.

Parts that function in the same way are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

In connection with the 1-5 is a first embodiment of a contact connector 2 and in connection with the 6-10 a second embodiment of the contact connector 2 is explained. Based on 11 a special installation situation of an insulating sleeve 4 is explained in more detail, which can be used in both variants.

Both variants have in common that the contact connector 2 has a two-shell first housing 6 with an upper shell 6A and a lower shell 6B. The upper shell 6A has an upper socket 8 and the lower shell 6B has a lower socket 10 . The sockets 8, 10 are each sleeve-shaped and adjoin one another in a longitudinal direction 12, which is oriented from the upper socket 8 in the direction of the lower socket 10. Inside the first housing 6 there is a first conductor 14 which has an upper conductor element 16 designed in the manner of a flat conductor rail and an upper contact ring 18 adjoining it in the longitudinal direction 12 . The upper conductor element 16 has a through hole 20 in which the insulating sleeve 4 already mentioned is held in a form-fitting manner. In the exemplary embodiment, the contact ring 18 is designed as a separate, sleeve-shaped element. Alternatively, there is the possibility that the upper contact ring 18 is formed in one piece with the upper conductor element 16 .

In the first housing 6 there is also a screw 22 which has a screw head 24 with a radially projecting, circumferential collar 26 and a shank 28 which adjoins in the longitudinal direction 12 and extends to a front end 30 . A screw thread 32 is formed on the shaft 28 .

The two housing shells 6A, 6B are connected to one another in a latching manner via a number of latching elements 34 .

The contact connector 2 also has a second housing 36 in or on which a second conductor 38 is held. The second housing 36 has a further socket 40 which extends in the longitudinal direction 12 . A threaded sleeve 42 is arranged within this further bushing 40 and has a sleeve thread 44 into which the screw 22 with the screw thread 32 is screwed. Viewed in the longitudinal direction 12, the threaded sleeve 42 has at its lower end a foot region 46 which protrudes radially in the manner of a collar. The second conductor 38 rests on this. At its upper end, the typically electrically conductive threaded sleeve 42 has an insulating protective cap 47, which is used to protect against accidental contact.

Like the first conductor 14, the second conductor 38 has a through hole through which the threaded sleeve 42 is passed. Furthermore, a lower contact ring 48 is provided which, like the upper contact ring 18 , is part of the second conductor 38 . In the embodiment the lower contact ring 48 is designed in the manner of a separate sleeve, but can alternatively also be an integral part of the second conductor 38 . Similar to the first conductor 14, this has a lower conductor element 50 which is specially designed in the manner of a flat or curved busbar. The second conductor 38 is - in a manner not shown here - completely surrounded by insulation, similar to the first conductor 14 , which is formed, for example, in the contact area by a suitable configuration of the second housing 36 .

The contact connector 2 therefore has an upper part 2A, which is formed by the first housing 6 with the components located therein, and a lower part 2B, which comprises the second housing 36 with the components located therein.

The two housings 6, 36 are each designed as an insulating housing and are made of plastic. In the assembled end position, as shown, for example, in 2 or also in 7 is shown, the two housings 6, 36 engage in one another, specifically the lower bushing 10 of the first housing 6 engages in the further bushing 40 of the second housing 36. How special from the 4 and 5 As can be seen, the lower bushing 10 has on its outer side a plurality of webs 52 which extend in the longitudinal direction 12 and which engage in corresponding receptacles 54 which are formed on the further bushing 40 . In the exemplary embodiment, a total of four webs 52 and receptacles 54 are provided. Furthermore, a latching connection between the lower socket 10 and the further socket 40 is provided by latching elements 34 .

The contact connector 2 serves as a high-voltage contact connector, specifically for connecting modules of a high-voltage battery, in particular a battery of a vehicle, specifically an electric or hybrid vehicle with an electric drive motor. The contact connector 2 is therefore part of a high-voltage battery installed in such a vehicle. The high-voltage battery typically has a voltage of several 100 V up to 1000 V, for example. During assembly, individual modules of the battery are electrically connected to one another, which is done via the contact connector 2 described here. The second conductor 38 is in each case designed as a module-side conductor and is connected to a respective module, for example a connection pole of a respective module. Two modules are electrically connected to one another using two contact connectors 2 . The actual electrical connection is made via the first conductor 14 .

In a pre-assembly position, as for example in the 3 and 8th is shown, the upper part 2A is still separate from the lower part 2B. During assembly, the first conductor 14 can already be live. It is therefore necessary that there is reliable protection against accidental contact. The screw, which is typically made of metal, is particularly critical here. In the pre-assembly position, this is typically accessible from above on the screw head 24 and also from below on the front end 30 . Although the lower bushing 10 encompasses the shaft 28, the inner diameter of the bushing 10 is too large to prevent a user's finger from touching the front end 30. In the exemplary embodiment, the lower bushing 10 ends in the pre-assembly position at the level of the front end 30.

First, an insulating cap 56 is formed as part of the screw head 24 in both variants for protection against accidental contact in a conventional manner, as shown in FIG 8th is shown. This is slipped over the metallic inner part of the screw head 24 and in particular has a tool attachment point so that the screw can be screwed in using a tool. i.e. the tool grips the insulating cap 56.

In a final assembly position, as in the 2 is shown, the screw head 24 rests with its collar 26 on the upper side of the first conductor 14 and is therefore in conductive connection with it.

In the case of conventional contact connectors 2, such an electrically conductive connection between the screw 22 and the first conductor 14 already exists in a pre-assembly position.

In order to ensure reliable contact protection, it is now provided in both variants that the screw head 24 is held in a form-fitting manner within the upper bushing 8, so that the screw head 24, in particular the collar 26, in the pre-assembly position ( 3 and 8) reliably and securely spaced from the first conductor 14 in the longitudinal direction 12 .

For this purpose, the upper bushing 8 has at least one lower locking element in both variants. In the case of the first variant, this is designed as a locking hook 58 and in the case of the second variant as an internal thread 60.

In both variants, in addition to this lower locking element 58, 60 acting in the longitudinal direction 12, an upper locking element 62 is also formed, which positively secures the screw head 24 against the longitudinal direction 12. The upper locking element 42 is preferably designed as a ring-shaped peripheral collar or alternatively by individual stops distributed around the circumference.

How special from the 2 and 3 as can be seen, in the first embodiment variant the locking hooks 58 are designed in the manner of lugs projecting radially inwards on the inner wall of the upper bushing 8 . The locking hooks 58 are designed in such a way that they can move outwards in the radial direction. They are specifically designed to be resilient. A total of several locking hooks 58 distributed around the circumference are provided, for example 4-8 pieces. A respective locking hook 58 extends in the circumferential direction only over a small angular range of, for example, 10-30°. For the resilient design of the locking hooks 58, these are in particular connected in one piece to the wall of the upper bushing 8, but are cut free on two or three sides by incisions in the bushing wall, so that they are only connected to the upper end or their upper and lower ends with the Socket wall are connected, so that the area with the radially inwardly protruding nose can dodge.

Furthermore, the respective locking hooks 58 are designed in such a way that they exert a different locking force in and against the longitudinal direction 12, the locking force in the loosening direction of the screw 22, i.e. against the longitudinal direction 12, being lower than in the joining direction of the screw 22, i.e. if this is in the longitudinal direction 12 is guided downwards.

The locking hooks 28 generally have an upper slope 64 and a lower slope 66 (see in particular 3 ), which are each oriented at an angle to the longitudinal direction 12 and are in the interior. The partial area of the locking hooks 58 protruding radially into the interior forms a kind of triangular cross-sectional area overall. The two bevels 64, 66 are each oriented at an angle of less than 90° to the longitudinal direction and thus to the base of this triangle, with the upper bevel 64 being oriented at a joining angle which is greater than a corresponding release angle at which the lower bevel 66 to the Longitudinally 12 is oriented. The upper slope 64 is therefore steeper than the lower slope 66 with respect to the longitudinal direction 12.

In the second variant (cf 6-10 ) the lower blocking element is formed by the internal thread 60 already mentioned. This in turn has a plurality of threaded sections 68 which are distributed around the circumference. Similar to the locking hooks 58, these threaded sections are also each spring-mounted, ie they are in particular partially cut free from the socket wall. The individual threaded sections 68 are in turn distributed around the circumference, with only a limited number of, for example, 6-12 threaded sections 68 being provided. A respective thread section 68 only extends over a limited angular range, with different thread sections 68 being able to extend over different thread areas, as is the case, for example, in FIG 9 is shown. The individual threaded sections 68 are offset from one another in the longitudinal direction 12 to form the internal thread 60 . The internal thread 60 formed as a result has a predetermined, defined thread pitch. Overall, a helical thread created by the individual thread sections preferably only extends over about one revolution, ie only over an angular range of z. B. 300 ° to 420 ° and in particular over 360 °.

Corresponding to the internal thread 60, an external thread 70 is formed on the screw head 24, in particular on the collar 26, specifically on the collar of the insulating cap 56, which in turn extends in particular over only one revolution. In the exemplary embodiment, a continuous thread is formed for this purpose, which extends continuously around the circumference, as can be seen in particular from FIG 10 can be seen.

During assembly, the upper part 2A is first in both variants in the 3 such as 8th shown pre-assembly provided. First, the upper part 2A is placed on the lower part 2B. Here, the front end 30 of the screw 22 already engages somewhat in the threaded sleeve 42 . The screw 22 with the screw thread 32 is then screwed into the sleeve thread 44 . The individual dimensions of the individual parts of the contact connector 2 are coordinated in such a way that initially the screw head 24 can rotate freely within the upper bushing 8, namely still in the position in which the collar 26 is positively locked between the locking elements 58, 60 and 62 is held. This situation is for example in the 7 illustrated based on the second embodiment.

By screwing the screw thread 32 further into the sleeve thread 44, the lower locking element 58, 60 is overcome until finally the final assembly position is reached, as is the case, for example, in connection with the first embodiment variant in FIG 2 is shown. The collar 26 rests on the first conductor 14 in this final assembly position. The two conductors 14, 38 are braced against each other via the screw 22 and the threaded sleeve 42, so they are clamped between the collar 26 and the foot area 46 a. The two contact rings 18, 48 are in contact with one another.

In both embodiment variants, the lower locking element 58, 60 is overcome by screwing the screw 22 into the threaded sleeve 42. In the first case, the locking force is overcome and the locking hooks 58 are pushed radially outwards. In the second embodiment variant, the collar 26 is rotated with its thread turn forming the external thread 70 through the corresponding internal thread 60 .

The screw thread 32 and the external thread 70 and overall the two pairs of threads have the same thread pitch. While the external thread 70 of the collar 26 is screwed into and through the internal thread 60 of the upper bushing 8, the screw thread 32 is already in engagement with the threaded sleeve 42. The resilient mounting of the individual threaded sections 68 is of particular importance for a reliable screwing process . If the external thread 70 reaches the internal thread 60 during the screwing process, there is the possibility that a respective start of the external thread 70 and the internal thread do not correspond exactly to one another. By turning the screw 22 further, it is displaced further in the longitudinal direction 12. A certain force is exerted on the individual threaded sections 68 by the external thread 70, whereby these can be partially or completely pushed away radially until the external thread 70 engages in the internal thread 60. The resilient mounting of the threaded sections 68 thus ensures, in particular, that the screwing in takes place in a force-saving manner and, in particular, damage to the internal thread 60 and/or the external thread of the is avoided.

Another aspect can be seen in the insulating sleeve 4, the best in the 9 and 11 can be seen. First, the insulating sleeve 4 is held in the through hole 20 in a form-fitting manner, being held specifically between two stops in and against the longitudinal direction 12 . The lower stop is formed by a peripheral edge 72 of the upper contact ring 18 that protrudes radially inward. As a result of the reshaping, individual inwardly projecting stop lugs are formed, which form the holding elements 74 . For example, 3-5 and optionally also more holding elements 74 are formed distributed around the circumference.

In order to reliably and safely avoid in the pre-assembly position that the screw 22 is placed under tension, for example via leakage currents, a contouring of the insulating sleeve 4 is also provided in a preferred embodiment. This has opposite end faces 76 which are contoured. In particular, these end faces 76 are each--viewed in a cross section--step-shaped or wavy with at least one indentation or one elevation or also several indentations/elevations. In a preferred embodiment, the wall of the insulating sleeve 4 is H-shaped when viewed in cross section, as can be seen, for example, in FIGS 9 , 11 emerges.

The invention was explained in more detail here using the two exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, but it is not limited to these. Other variants within the scope of the claims are also included.

Reference List

2

contact connector

2A

top

2 B

lower part

4

insulating sleeve

6

first housing

6A

Upper shell

6B

bottom shell

8th

upper socket

10

lower bushing

12

longitudinal direction

14

first leader

16

upper ladder element

18

upper contact ring

20

through hole

22

screw

24

screw head

26

collar

28

shaft

30

face end

32

screw thread

34

locking elements

36

second housing

38

second leader

40

another jack

42

threaded sleeve

44

sleeve thread

46

footer

47

protective cap

48

lower contact ring

50

lower ladder element

52

web

54

Recordings

56

insulating cap

58

locking hook

60

inner thread

62

upper locking element

64

upper slope

66

lower slope

68

threaded sections

70

external thread

72

edge

74

holding element

76

end faces

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102017210425 A1 [0004]

Claims (17)

Contact connector (2), in particular a module connector for a battery, for the electrical connection of a first conductor (14) to a second conductor (38), having - a bolt element, in particular a screw (22) for connecting the two conductors (14, 38), which has a head (24) and a shaft (28) adjoining it in a longitudinal direction (12) with a front end (30) - a first housing (6) made of an electrically insulating material, in which the first conductor (14) which has a through hole (20) through which the shank (28) is guided, wherein -- in a pre-assembly position the second conductor (38) is not contacted and the front end (30) of the shank (28) is accessible from below is characterized in that - the bolt element is held in the pre-assembly position in an electrically insulating manner with respect to the first conductor (14). Contact connector (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first housing (6) has an upper socket (8) in which the head (24) rests and that in the upper socket (8) at least one locking element (58, 60, 62) holding the head (24) in an axial position spaced from the first conductor (14). Contact connector (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front end (30) is free of an insulating cap. Contact connector (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a second housing (36) in which the second conductor (38) is arranged, wherein in the second housing (36) a fastening element for fastening the shaft (28) , in particular a threaded sleeve (42) for screwing in the screw (22) is arranged, wherein in a final assembly position the bolt element is attached to the fastening element and the two conductors (14, 38) are electrically conductively connected to one another. Contact connector (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one lower blocking element (58, 60) and at least one upper blocking element (62) are formed, between which the head (24) has a positive fit in and counter to the longitudinal direction (12) are held. Contact connector (2) according to claims 4 and 5 , characterized in that the head (24) is held freely rotatably in the pre-assembly position between the at least one upper and the at least one lower locking element (58, 60, 62), and that the bolt element is designed as a screw (22) and the screw (22) can already be screwed into the fastening element designed as a threaded sleeve (42) during assembly, before the lower locking element (58, 62) is overcome, and that by screwing the screw (22) into the threaded sleeve (42), the lower locking element (58, 60) is overcome. Contact connector (2) according to one of Claims 5 until 6 , characterized in that the at least one lower locking element (58, 60) is mounted resiliently in the radial direction or is designed to be elastic. Contact connector (2) according to one of Claims 5 until 7 , characterized in that the at least one lower locking element is designed as a locking hook (58). Contact connector (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the locking hook (58) is designed in such a way that it opposes a first locking force to the head (24) during a movement in the longitudinal direction (12) and that it acts on the head (24). a movement counter to the longitudinal direction (12) opposes a second blocking force, the first blocking force being greater than the second blocking force. Contact connector (2) according to one of Claims 5 until 7 , characterized in that the lower locking element is designed in the manner of an internal thread (60) and that the head (24) has an external thread (70) on its periphery, and that the head (24) is screwed into the internal thread (60) and can preferably be screwed through in order to overcome the lower locking element (60). Contact connector (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a plurality of separate threaded sections (68) distributed around the circumference are formed to form the internal thread (60) and are in particular resiliently mounted. Contact connector (2) according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the bolt element is designed as a screw (22) and the screw (22) on the shaft (28) has a screw thread (32) with the same thread pitch as the external thread (70). on the head (24). Contact connector (2) according to one of Claims 5 until 12 , characterized in that one or more lower locking elements (58, 60) and that all of the blocking elements (58, 60) are designed for a blocking force of greater than or equal to 250 N and preferably greater than or equal to 500 N acting counter to the longitudinal direction (12). Contact connector (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an insulating sleeve (4) partially surrounds the shaft (28) and the insulating sleeve (4) holds the shaft (28) at a distance from a wall of the through hole (20). Contact connector (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first conductor (14) has an upper conductor element (16) and an upper contact ring (18) adjoining it in the longitudinal direction (12) and the insulating sleeve (4) on a edge of the upper contact ring (18) and/or the upper conductor element (16) is deformed at least in regions in the area of an edge of the through-hole (20), so that at least one holding element (74) is formed which protrudes radially beyond the insulating sleeve (4). Contact connector (2) according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating sleeve (4) has end faces (76) which are contoured so that a creepage distance along the end face (76) is increased, with a wall of the insulating sleeve ( 4) is particularly H-shaped when viewed in cross section. Contact connector (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is used as a module connector for the electrical connection of two modules of a battery, in particular of a vehicle.

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