DE102021108916A1 - Contact arrangement for transmitting an electrical voltage and connection module with contact arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention, which relates to a contact arrangement for transmitting an electrical voltage and a connection module with a contact arrangement, is based on the object of specifying a solution with which a secure electrical connection of an electrical consumer arranged in a sealed housing with a voltage source arranged outside the housing is achieved. The object is achieved by a contact arrangement (29) which has at least one fork contact (11) with a first U-shaped and flat end (16) and a second end (17) opposite the first end (16) with a cylindrical contact surface . The fork contact (11) is arranged with the first end (16) outside and with the second end (17) inside the housing. The object is also achieved by a connection module (1) which has a base (2) with at least one depression (12). A head (13) of a fastening element (6) is arranged in the depression (12). The connection module (1) has a partial wall (15) that can be connected to a rear wall (4). At least one fork contact (11) is arranged in the rear wall (4).

Description

The invention relates to a contact arrangement for transmitting an electrical voltage to an electrical consumer arranged in a housing.

The invention also relates to a connection module which has at least one contact arrangement and is arranged on a housing. An electrical load to be supplied with an electrical voltage is arranged inside the housing.

Such an electrical consumer is understood to mean, for example, a motor or an electrical assembly, such as an inverter, with which a motor can be controlled, for example.

Compressors for mobile applications, in particular for air conditioning systems in motor vehicles, for conveying refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit, also referred to as refrigerant compressors, are known from the prior art. Such compressors are driven either via a belt pulley, which is connected to a drive unit of the motor vehicle via a belt, or electrically.
In addition to an electric motor for driving the respective compression mechanism, an electrically driven compressor usually also has what is known as an inverter, which is also referred to as an inverter. The inverter is used to convert a DC voltage from a vehicle battery arranged in the vehicle electrical system into an AC voltage, with which the electric motor of the compressor is driven. Controlled operation of the electric motor, particularly in motor vehicles with vehicle electrical system voltages of 48 V or more than 60 V, is possible with appropriate control of the inverter.

The present invention relates in particular to electrical contact arrangements and connection modules in vehicles in which direct voltages of, for example, 48 V, 60 V or more are required to operate electrical assemblies, as may be the case specifically in electrically powered vehicles or vehicles with a so-called hybrid drive.

The use of a power inverter or inverter to drive electric motors with high voltage, particularly in vehicles with vehicle electrical system voltages of more than 60 V, involves so-called high-voltage applications, or HV applications for short, particularly in the motor vehicle sector. Such a high-voltage application or high-voltage component is, for example, an inverter for an electrically driven refrigerant compressor in a motor vehicle.

Designs of electrically driven refrigerant compressors with a housing in which both the inverter and the electric motor of the refrigerant compressor are arranged are known. Provision is made for the housing, in particular the compressor housing, to be impervious to moisture and dirt. Since the inverter arranged in the housing must be supplied with a voltage from an on-board network of, for example, 48 V or 60 V and above for operation, so-called bushings must be provided, which on the one hand allow the voltage to be transmitted into the housing and on the other hand do not affect the tightness of the housing .

An electrical feedthrough is understood to mean, for example, an electrical conductor or a similar means for electrically connecting an electrical consumer arranged in a sealed housing to an electrical conductor of an on-board network of a motor vehicle arranged outside of the housing. In this way, for example, a voltage of a battery arranged in the vehicle electrical system of the motor vehicle is transmitted to an electrical consumer arranged in a sealed housing. The load arranged in the housing can be an electrical assembly, such as the inverter for driving an electric motor.

The transmission can take place with insulated lines or line wires, which are arranged with an appropriate seal, such as an O-ring, within a lead-through opening in the housing. The lead-through opening, the seal designed as an O-ring and the cable are matched in terms of dimensions, especially the diameters, so that the lead-through or voltage lead-through through the housing is sealed to prevent moisture and/or dirt from penetrating the housing impede. The line wires are, for example, soldered or pressed to a supply line from the vehicle electrical system.

In order to improve the options for connecting a supply line from the vehicle electrical system to a bushing, it is known to provide a connection module on the compressor housing or in a corresponding opening in the compressor housing. The connection module has at least one passage and is designed to be sealed to the housing. In addition, such a connection module can be equipped with fixed clamp connection options or screw connection options be formed to firmly connect, for example, a voltage supply line from the vehicle electrical system by means of appropriate eyelets or cable lugs with the terminal connection options or screw connection options. The connection should be easy to detach for service purposes, for example. Such a connection module usually has two bushings.

The screw connection options can be in the form of screws or threaded bolts which are connected on one side, for example firmly, to the connection module. The screws or threaded bolts are electrically conductively coupled to the bushing. The line of the vehicle electrical system, which is designed with eyelets or cable lugs, can be fastened to the screws or threaded bolts.

The concept of a contact arrangement is understood to mean the components for transmitting an electrical voltage from outside the housing to an electrical load arranged in the housing. Such a contact arrangement, which also has a bushing, can be the insulated wire, which is arranged with a seal, such as an O-ring, within a corresponding bushing opening in the housing. When using a connection module, as set out above, the contact arrangement has the screws or threaded bolts and electrical conductors connected to the screws or threaded bolts, which are guided into the interior of the sealed housing in the form of a bushing.

Connection modules known from the prior art often require a large number of different components, which have to be connected in several steps in order to then be mounted on the housing or in an opening in the housing of an electrical assembly of a motor vehicle.

A large number of components of such a connection module with corresponding contact arrangements leads to high material costs and also to high production costs due to a large number of assembly steps.

In addition, the connection modules known from the prior art are not fully compatible, so that the connection modules have to be provided with different connection options for the lines of the vehicle electrical system. For example, a refrigerant compressor with a special connection module or a connection module with a special contact arrangement cannot be connected to every vehicle electrical system of a motor vehicle.

According to the prior art, contacts, for example in refrigerant compressors with a supply voltage of 48 V, are designed in such a way that an inverter circuit board arranged in the housing of the refrigerant compressor is electrically connected via lines or rigid busbars. This is also intended to achieve axial compensation for manufacturing tolerances between the current-transmitting elements. However, lateral compensation of the manufacturing tolerances of the individual current-transmitting elements is not possible in this way. This design has a high production cost and assembly cost and is difficult to automate.

In such solutions, it is provided to insert two screws into the connection module through two adjacently arranged openings in the connection module in order to provide two bushings. At the same time as inserting the screws, a conductor with a cable lug must be placed in a radial alignment with the respective screw so that the screw can also be guided through the opening in the cable lug when it is inserted into the opening of the connection module. When both elements are placed, the screw heads are cast in the connection module and the cast area is covered with a cover element. The actual bushings are formed by the two conductors with the cable lugs, which are sealed and routed through the connection module into the interior of the housing. The part of the conductor protruding into the interior of the housing is to be contacted with the electrical consumer arranged in the housing. Known methods such as soldering, screwing or pressing are suitable for connecting.

Accordingly, there is a need for a unified, universal, and improved contact assembly, particularly an improved contact assembly in a connector module.

The object of the invention is to provide a contact arrangement or a connection module with a contact arrangement with which an electrical load arranged in a sealed housing can be securely electrically connected to a voltage source arranged outside of the housing. In particular, the contact arrangement or the connection module with a contact arrangement should not affect the tightness of the housing. In addition, the cost of materials and the time required for manufacturing and assembling the contact arrangement or the connection module with a contact arrangement and thus the costs for production are to be reduced. One A further task of the contact arrangement or of the connection module with a contact arrangement is to ensure tolerance compensation when assembling the individual components.

The object is achieved by an object having the features according to patent claim 1 and by an object having the features according to patent claim 7 . Further developments are specified in the dependent patent claims.

The invention provides a contact arrangement and a connection module with a contact arrangement through which correspondingly high currents, for example for operating an electrically driven refrigerant compressor in a motor vehicle, can be conducted. Currents can range from -150A to 150A. In this case, the components of the contact arrangement are formed with a suitable cross section.

According to the concept of the invention, the contact arrangement has at least one fork contact which is U-shaped and flat at a first end and has a cylindrical contact surface at the second end opposite the first end.

With the first U-shaped and flat end, the fork contact is advantageously pushed in a radial direction onto a fastening element arranged in the connection module, such as a screw or a threaded bolt. The fastening element is at least partially surrounded by the U-shaped and flat first end of the fork contact.
A supply line from the vehicle electrical system can be plugged onto the fastening element using appropriate cable lugs. Using a corresponding counterpart to the fastening element, such as a nut for the screw, the respective cable lug of the supply line can be connected to the first end of the fork contact, in particular screwed, and a firm and electrically conductive connection can be produced in this way.

Such a fork contact can be stamped out as a stamped part from sheet metal in a first working step. In a subsequent step, the fork contact is bent over to form a cylinder at the second end, in particular rolled, so that the stamped sheet metal part has the desired cylindrical contact surface at the second end.

According to an alternative embodiment, such a fork contact could also be composed of two parts, such as a U-shaped and flat first part and a second part having the cylindrical contact surface. The cylindrical contact surface could be provided, for example, by a wire with a corresponding diameter, while the U-shaped, flat first part is provided as a stamped sheet metal part. Both parts can be connected to one another by a soldering process or a welding process.

According to the invention, at least the U-shaped and flat first part of the fork contact is arranged in the connection module and outside the sealed housing, while the second part of the fork contact with the cylindrical contact surface is arranged in the connection module and inside the housing.

According to a development of the invention, the fork contact between the first part and the second part has a transition area in which the U-shaped flat first part gradually merges into the cylindrical contact surface of the second part. The transition area of each fork contact can be arranged tightly in a partial wall of the connection module. Such a partial wall of the connection module can be designed as a separate part of the connection module. After the arrangement of the fork contacts with the transition region in the partial wall, the partial wall can be connected to the other elements of the connection module and the connection module can be completed in this way. The partial wall can be provided with corresponding openings, into which the fork contacts are inserted with sealing means in order to form the sealed passage.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fork contact is arranged in openings of the connection module or passed through a partial wall of the connection module by means of a suitable sealant, which is arranged in particular in an oval or round transition region of the fork contact, sealing and surrounding the fork contact. The sealant is designed to seal the opening. A feedthrough is thus provided which enables power to be routed to an electrical consumer in a sealed housing.

Alternatively, the sealant can also surround the fork contact in a sealing manner in a first part that is flat and has a rectangular cross section and can be arranged in the opening of the connection module or in the partial wall of the connection module.

To produce an electrically conductive connection between the fork contact and an electrical consumer in a housing, such as an inverter in an electrically driven refrigerant compressor, the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact is advantageously surrounded by a spring contact element with elastically deformable lamellar contact springs, in particular the spring contact element is fitted onto the cylindrical contact surface.

Another advantage of the invention is that the unit consisting of the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact with the attached spring contact element is inserted or pressed into a hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve, which is arranged on or in a circuit board or printed circuit board of an electrical consumer.

The hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve is preferably arranged in a through hole in the board or printed circuit board. In this case, the contact sleeve is electrically contacted with conductor tracks of the circuit board or printed circuit board. The electrical contact can be made by means of a soldering process.
The unit consisting of the cylindrical contact surface with the attached spring contact element is inserted or pressed into the hollow cylindrical contact sleeve soldered into the printed circuit board, so that from the first flat and U-shaped part of the fork contact via the transition area to the second part, the cylindrical contact surface and over the attached spring contact element an electrically conductive connection is formed for the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve with the connected conductor track.

In addition to the fork contact, the contact arrangement preferably also has the attached spring contact element and the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve. The contact arrangement thus represents a feedthrough for supplying an electrical voltage from the outside to an electrical consumer arranged in a sealed housing.

The spring contact element advantageously has elastically deformable lamellar contact springs made of an electrically conductive and elastic material. The lamellar contact springs of the spring contact element are in the form of strips in the axial direction of the spring contact element and are preferably connected to one another at opposite ends. The connections of the lamellar contact springs can each be designed in the form of a circular ring in the area of the ends or front sides of the spring contact element.

The outer diameter of the circular ring is preferably smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve, so that the spring contact element can be pushed into the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve. The outer diameter of the circular ring is dimensioned in such a way that the lamellar contact spring fix the spring contact element securely and firmly in the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve in a state of elastic deformation within the contact sleeve. The hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve has an inside diameter that is constant over its length.

In an initial state, the lamellar contact springs of the spring contact element are preferably designed to bulge outwards or partially inwards in the area between the ends in a radial direction, in particular uniformly over the length. The initial state is to be understood as the unmounted state of the spring contact element.

The circular rings of the spring contact element advantageously have a slot-shaped opening running in the axial direction. With the formation of the slot-shaped opening, the inside diameter of the circular rings of the spring contact element can be slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact. When the spring contact element is slid onto the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact, the circular rings can widen and thus ensure a secure hold of the spring contact element on the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact in the end position. The spring contact element is clamped onto the contact surface of the fork contact.

A circular ring of the spring contact element can have a detent which forms a stop when the spring contact element is pushed onto the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact.

In addition, the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve advantageously has a flange-like or bead-like circumferential formation. The formation serves as a stop when inserting the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve into the through hole of the printed circuit board, in particular in a state before the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve is soldered.

According to a development of the invention, the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact and the spring contact element arranged on the contact surface are aligned coaxially with one another and consequently have a common longitudinal axis. In addition, the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact, the spring contact element arranged thereon and the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve are coaxial to each other on a common longitudinal axis aligned. The spring contact element enables manufacturing tolerances to be compensated in such a way that, for example, a deviation of the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact from the longitudinal axis of the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve is compensated for, since the lamellar contact springs establish reliable electrical contact of the fork contact with the contact sleeve even if the longitudinal axes deviate from one another.
Reliable electrical contact with one another is also maintained in the event that the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact with the spring contact element arranged thereon cannot be fully inserted into the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve, which can also occur due to manufacturing tolerances.

The contact arrangement thus enables an electrical connection in the form of a bushing and, at the same time, both axial and lateral tolerance compensation of the individual components.

The object of the invention is also achieved by a connection module according to the invention with at least one contact arrangement. Two of the contact arrangements are preferably provided in one connection module.

According to the concept, the connection module has a partial wall in which the at least one contact arrangement is arranged, preferably in the form of a sealed bushing. When two or more contact arrangements are formed, the contact arrangements are placed at a distance from one another.
The partial wall is designed as a single element which is connected to the connection module, in particular a rear wall of the connection module. Such a partial wall can, for example, also form a surface like the rear wall of the connection module. The partial wall is preferably screwed to the connection module or attached to the connection module by means of a click mechanism.

The connection module is advantageously arranged with the partial wall on a housing which encloses the load to be supplied with electrical voltage via the bushing to be formed. The connection module is arranged in a sealed manner on the housing.

According to the invention, the connection module has at least one formation, specifically a depression, in which a head of a fastening element, particularly a hexagonal threaded screw, is introduced and fixed. The fastening element incorporated in the molding enables the production of an electrically conductive and fixed connection between the U-shaped first end of the fork contact and a cable lug of a supply line from the vehicle electrical system, for example using a nut complementary to the hexagonal threaded screw. Appropriate securing means can be used to prevent an unintentional loosening of such a connection, in particular a screw connection.

The object is also achieved by a method according to the invention for installing the connection module.
During assembly of the connection module, the fastening element, in particular, for example, a hexagonal threaded screw or two hexagonal threaded screws, is introduced into the respective formation, in particular indentation, and fixed. The partial wall, in which, for example, two fork contacts have been arranged and fixed with appropriate sealing means, can then be joined together as a rear wall with the connection module. The U-shaped first end of the fork contact is pushed over the fastening element, in particular the thread of the hexagonal screw, and the hexagonal screw is locked in such a way that it is held in the respective shape, even in the event that the alignment or The position of the connection module is changed. This is achieved in that the U-shaped first end of the fork contact is pushed in the radial direction over the thread of the hexagon head screw. In this case, the U-shaped first end of the fork contact is preferably arranged in an area close to the respective head of the hexagonal threaded screw.
The connection module is then arranged on the housing with the partial wall having the feedthrough or the at least one fork contact, which is preferably done using additional sealants and, for example, screws which are guided through prepared through-openings in the connection module and screwed to the housing. In this way, an opening provided in the housing for the bushings is sealed in a correspondingly tight manner, with the bushings being formed in the form of the fork contacts introduced tightly in the connection module.

• 1 a bis 1c: ein Anschlussmodul nach dem Stand der Technik jeweils in perspektivischen Ansichten,
• 2a: ein erfindungsgemäßes Anschlussmodul mit Gabelkontakten in einer perspektivischen Ansicht sowie
• 2b: eine Detaildarstellung von in einem Boden des Anschlussmoduls ausgebildeten Vertiefungen,
• 3: zwei Gabelkontakte des Anschlussmoduls aus 2a in einer perspektivischen Ansicht,
• 4: das Anschlussmodul aus 2a in einer weiteren perspektivischen Ansicht,
• 5: eine beispielhafte Ausführungsform eines Federkontaktelements,
• 6: eine Ausführungsform einer hohlzylindrischen Kontakthülse und
• 7: das Anschlussmodul im montierten Zustand mit zwei vollständigen Kontaktanordnungen.

Further details, features and advantages of embodiments of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the associated drawings. Show it:

• 1 a until 1c : a connection module according to the prior art, each in perspective views,
• 2a : a connection module according to the invention with fork contacts in a perspective view and
• 2 B : a detailed representation of indentations formed in a base of the connection module,
• 3 : two fork contacts of the connection module off 2a in a perspective view,
• 4 : the connection module off 2a in another perspective view,
• 5 : an exemplary embodiment of a spring contact element,
• 6 : an embodiment of a hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve and
• 7 : the connection module in assembled condition with two complete contact arrangements.

In the 1a , 1b and 1c a connection module 1' from the prior art is shown in perspective views. The connection module 1' has a base 2, two side surfaces 3 and a rear wall 4 or a rear surface. The connection module 1 ′ is designed with a partition wall 5 for spatially separating the electrical connections from one another. The partition wall 5 also enables the separate arrangement of fastening elements 6, such as threaded bolts or hexagonal screws, via which an electrical connection can be made to a supply line (not shown) from an on-board network of a motor vehicle.

In the case of the connection module 1', the passage is formed by means of a contact 7, which has an eyelet at a first end. The eyelet is arranged out over the fastening element 6 . The contact 7 is formed at a second end, located inside a sealed housing, in such a way that a connection to an electrical load can be made by soldering, screwing or pressing. The connection module 1' is attached to the rear wall 4 on the housing. The contact 7 is tightly arranged in the rear wall 4 of the connection module 1′, for example using appropriate sealing means (not shown), so that a correspondingly tight passage is formed.

In the 1a two through-openings 8 for receiving fastening elements, such as screws, with which the connection module 1' can be screwed onto the housing, which is not shown, are shown as an example.

When assembling the connection module 1', the two contacts 7 are inserted with the lugs first through corresponding openings provided in the rear wall 4 into the connection module 1', as is shown in FIG 1b is shown. the 1b shows the connection module 1 'from a to 1a different perspective. Subsequently, the fastening elements 6 embodied as hexagonal threaded screws are each inserted through an opening provided in the base 2 of the connection module 1′ and the eyelet of the contact 7 in the direction shown by an arrow.

To fix the fastening elements 6 and to seal the bottom 2 of the connection module 1 ′, the area of the heads of the fastening elements 6 is cast in a sealing manner and a cover 9 is attached in the area of the stepped bottom 2 .

In the 1c the individual parts of the connection module 1' from the prior art are shown in an exploded view. In addition to the already explained components of the connection module 1', two sleeves 10 are shown which, depending on the design of the connection module 1', can be designed as spacer elements, securing elements or screw elements, such as a nut.

Such a connection module 1 'is very expensive to produce and requires a large number of assembly steps, which usually can not be automated or only with considerable effort.

the 2a shows a connection module 1 according to the invention with two fork contacts 11 in a perspective view. the 2 B shows a detailed representation of indentations 12 formed in a base 2 of the connection module 1.

The connection module 1 has the base 2 , two side surfaces 3 and a partition wall 5 . The bottom 2 is closed instead of with openings for the passage of fastening elements 6 and is therefore designed to be sealed and has correspondingly shaped depressions 12 for receiving a fastening element 6 in each case. Fastening elements 6 designed as hexagonal threaded screws are introduced into the depressions 12 with the hexagonal head 13 . Such a fastening element 6 can, for example, be a so-called machine screw with a metric thread.

During assembly, the fasteners 6 with the heads 13 first, as in FIG 2 B is shown by the arrows, moved in the direction of the bottom 2 of the connection module 1 and ent speaking aligned in the associated hexagonal recesses 12 arranged. The shape and the inner dimensions of the depression 12 and the shape and the outer dimensions of the head 13 of the fastening element 6 correspond to one another.

The inner dimensions of the recess 12 can each be slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the head 13 so that the head 13 is pressed into the recess 12 during assembly and the fastening element 6 is fixed in the base 2 of the connection module 1 . The fastening element 6 is arranged firmly with the head 13 in the depression 12 and connected to the connection module 1, so that the fastening element 6 is prevented from becoming detached from the connection module 1, for example during further assembly steps.

The rear panel 4 of the connection module 1 is designed to be partially or completely removable. If the rear wall 4 is designed to be only partially removable, the rear wall 4 is provided with one or two openings. The formation of the rear wall 4 with two openings 14 is particularly 4 shown.

The detachable part of the rear wall 4 is referred to as a partial wall 15 of the connection module 1, which is firmly connected to the rear wall 4, for example by screws, gluing or a click mechanism, and in this way the complete housing of the connection module 1 can be formed.

The partial wall 15 is provided for receiving, for example, two fork contacts 11, which are arranged parallel and spaced apart from each other in the partial wall 15, as shown in FIG 2a is shown. The fork contacts 11 each have a first U-shaped and flat end 16 and a second end 17 which is arranged opposite the first end and has a cylindrical contact surface.

The fork contacts 11 are passed through the partial wall 15 and arranged tightly within the partial wall 15 . Corresponding sealing means 18 are provided between the fork contacts 11 and the respective associated opening within the partial wall 15 .

the 2a and 2 B 12 also show passage openings 8 for receiving fastening means, such as screws, with which the connection module 1 can be fastened, in particular screwed, to a housing that is not shown.

When the connection module 1 is assembled, in a first assembly step the heads 13 of the fastening elements 6 embodied as hexagonal threaded screws are inserted or pressed into the depressions 12 . Parallel to the first assembly step, the fork contacts 11 are inserted with appropriate sealing means 18 into the openings provided in the partial wall 15 in a sealing manner. Subsequently, the unit consisting of the partial wall 15 with the fork contacts 11, with the first ends 16 first inserted into the connection module 1 by the unit in the with the arrows in the 2a direction shown is moved into the connection module 1. The U-shaped and flat first end 16 of the fork contacts 11 is first pushed through the openings 14 formed in the rear wall 4 of the connection module 1, which are specifically in 4 are clearly shown, and below on the fasteners 6, in particular the hexagonal screws, out.

In the 2a In addition to the sealing means 18 described, further ring-shaped sealing means 18a are shown, which can be used in addition or as an alternative to the sealing means 18 and ensure sealing of the connection module 1 in the area of the partial wall 15 with respect to the housing, which is not shown.

In the 3 two fork contacts 11 of the connection module 1 are off 2a shown in a perspective view.

Each fork contact 11 has a first end 16 which is U-shaped and flat. A second end 17 of the respective fork contact 11 is formed with a cylindrical contact surface. Between the first end 16 and the second end 17 there is a transition area 19 in which the flat shape of the fork contact 11 changes into the cylindrical shape.

In a first work step, the fork contact 11 is stamped out as a stamped part from sheet metal. The U-shaped and flat first end 16 of the fork contact 11 is already fully formed. In a subsequent step, the fork contact 11 is deformed accordingly at the second end 17, in particular rolled, so that the stamped sheet metal part is formed at the second end 17 with the desired cylindrical contact surface. The fork contact 11 is thus produced in a few work steps and at reduced costs. If such a fork contact were to be produced from a plurality of components, a further work step of joining the elements would be necessary and the production outlay would be correspondingly higher.

The Indian 3 The fork contact 11 shown also has a bead between the first end 16 and the transition region 19, which improves the stability of the fork contact 11 and enables the second end 17 to be shaped better.

In the 4 are those in the 2a illustrated components of the connection module 1 shown in a further perspective view. In particular, the openings 14 formed in the rear wall 4 of the connection module 1 are clearly visible, into which the fork contacts 11 are inserted with the first ends 16 first.

The housing, not shown, on which the connection module 1 is arranged, has two through-openings for the fork contacts 11 to pass through. The respective second end 17 of the fork contacts 11 is guided through through-openings into the interior of the housing. In addition, a cylindrical section 20 of a formation of the partial wall 15 is received in the respective through-opening of the housing, so that in the 4 portion 21 shown is arranged within the housing or within the through-opening of the housing. The passage through the housing is sealed in each case by means of the annular sealing means 18a. To the others in the 4 illustrated elements of the connection module 1 is on the explanations 2a referred.

the 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a spring contact element 22. The spring contact element 22 has a plurality of elastically deformable lamellar contact springs 23 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the spring contact element 22. The lamellar contact springs 23 of the spring contact element 22 are designed in the form of strips in the axial direction of the spring contact element 22 and are preferably connected to one another at opposite ends. The connections of the lamellar contact springs 23 in the area of the ends or front sides of the spring contact element 22 are each designed in the form of a circular ring 24 .

The circular rings 24 of the spring contact element 22 have a slot-shaped opening 25 running in the axial direction. This opening 25 makes it possible for the inside diameter of the circular rings 24 of the spring contact element 22 to be slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the cylindrical contact surface 17 of the fork contact 11 . When the spring contact element 22 is pushed onto the second end 17, in particular the cylindrical contact surface of the fork contact 11, the circular rings 24 can widen and in this way ensure that the spring contact element 22 is held securely on the cylindrical contact surface 17 of the fork contact 11 in their end position.

A circular ring 24 of the spring contact element 22 can have a detent 26 which forms a stop when the spring contact element 22 is pushed onto the cylindrical contact surface 17 of the fork contact 11 .

the 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve 27. Such a contact sleeve 27 can be arranged on a printed circuit board, not shown, and soldered, for example, to a conductor track in an electrically conductive manner. In this case, the contact sleeve 27 can be inserted into a through hole made in the printed circuit board. The through hole within the printed circuit board is designed in such a way that the diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the contact sleeve 27.

The hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve 27 has a flange-shaped or bead-like circumferential formation 28 . The formation 28 serves as a stop when inserting the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve 27 into the through hole formed in the printed circuit board, in particular in a state before the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve 27 is soldered to a conductor track.

In the 7 the connection module 1 is shown in the assembled state with two complete contact arrangements 29 . For a description of the individual elements of the connection module 1, reference is made to the statements on the 2a and 4 referred.

The contact arrangements 29 each having a fork contact 11 with the first end 16, the transition area 19 and the second end 17 are also each formed with the spring contact element 22 plugged onto the respective second end 17 and the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve 27 . The contact arrangements 29 thus each represent an electrically conductive connection and a feedthrough for supplying an electrical voltage to an electrical consumer arranged in the sealed housing.

The two parallel and spaced apart contact arrangements 29 are arranged in the connection module 1 . The formation of three or more contact arrangements 29 in a connection module 1 is also possible.

With the U-shaped design of the first end 16 of the fork contacts 11, the contact arrangements 29 each allow an axial compensation 30 of assembly tolerances and manufacturing tolerances.
In addition, the contact arrangements 29 with the lamellar contact springs 23 formed on the spring contact elements 22 and arranged in the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeves 27 allow a lateral compensation 31 of assembly tolerances and manufacturing tolerances.

Reference List

1.1'

connection module

2

floor

3

side face

4

back panel

5

partition wall

6

fastener

7

Contact

8th

passage opening

9

cover

10

sleeve

11

fork contact

12

deepening

13

head

14

opening

15

partial wall

16

first end, U-shaped flat part

17

second end, cylindrical contact surface

18, 18a

sealant

19

transition area

20

cylindrical section of partial wall 15

21

subarea

22

spring contact element

23

lamellar contact spring

24

annulus

25

slotted opening

26

detent

27

hollow cylindrical contact sleeve

28

molding

29

contact arrangement

30

axial tolerance compensation

31

lateral tolerance compensation

Claims (15)

Contact arrangement (29) for transmitting an electrical voltage to an electrical consumer arranged in a housing, characterized in that the contact arrangement (29) has at least one fork contact (11) which has a first U-shaped and flat end (16) and a second end (17) opposite the first end (16) with a cylindrical contact surface, wherein the fork contact (11) is arranged with the first end (16) outside and with the second end (17) inside the housing. Contact arrangement (29) after claim 1 , characterized in that the fork contact (11) between the first end (16) and the second end (17) has a transition region (19). Contact arrangement (29) after claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the fork contact (11) is arranged with the second end (17) within a spring contact element (22). Contact arrangement (29) after claim 3 , characterized in that the fork contact (11) with the second end (17) and the spring contact element (22) is arranged in a hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve (27). Contact arrangement (29) after claim 4 , characterized in that the hollow-cylindrical contact sleeve (27) is arranged on or in a printed circuit board, which is arranged connected to the electrical consumer in the housing. Contact arrangement (29) after claim 5 , characterized in that the circuit board is designed as a control unit of an inverter, which is connected to an electric motor of a refrigerant compressor. Connection module (1), which has at least one contact arrangement (29) according to one of Claims 1 until 6 and which is arranged on a housing in which an electrical consumer to be supplied with an electrical voltage is arranged, characterized in that the connection module (1) has a base (2) which is formed with at least one depression (12), wherein a head (13) of a fastening element (6), in particular a screw head of a hexagonal threaded screw, is arranged in the depression (12), and that the connection module (1) has a partial wall (15) that can be connected to a rear wall (4), wherein at least one fork contact (11) is arranged in the rear wall (4). Connection module (1) according to claim 7 , characterized in that a sealing means (18) is arranged between the fork contact (11) and the partial wall (15). Connection module (1) according to claim 7 or 8th , characterized in that the first end (16) of the fork contact (11) is arranged on the fastening element (6), the U-shaped and flat first end (16) of the fork contact (11) being radial to a longitudinal axis of the fastening element (6) is arranged and wherein the U-shaped first end (16) of the fork contact (11) encloses the fastening element (6) at least partially. Connection module (1) according to one of Claims 7 until 9 , characterized in that the fastening element (6) of the connection module (1) is connected to a supply line, in particular a cable lug of the supply line, of an on-board network of a motor vehicle. Method for mounting the connection module (1) according to one of Claims 7 until 10 , having the following steps: - introducing a head (13) of a fastening element (6) into a recess (12) formed in a base (2) of the connection module (1) and fixing the fastening element (6), - arranging at least one fork contact (11 ) in a partial wall (15) with sealing means (18) and fixing the fork contact (11) in the partial wall (15), - sliding the partial wall (15) with the at least one fork contact (11) into the connection module (1), wherein a U-shaped first end (16) of the fork contact (11) is pushed through an opening (14) formed in a rear wall (4) of the connection module (1) and over the fastening element (6), in particular a thread of a hexagonal threaded screw, - locking the fastening element (6) and joining the partial wall (15) to the connection module (1) and - arranging the connection module (1) with the partial wall (15) having at least one fork contact (11) on a housing, in particular on an outside of the G housing, as well as fixing the connection module (1) to the housing and sealing the connection module (1) to the housing. procedure after claim 11 , characterized in that the head (13) of the fastening element (6) is pressed into the recess (12). procedure after claim 11 or 12 , characterized in that the U-shaped first end (16) of the fork contact (11) is pushed in the radial direction over the fastening element (6). Procedure according to one of Claims 11 until 13 , characterized in that the U-shaped first end (16) of the fork contact (11) is arranged in a region of the head (13) of the fastening element (6). Procedure according to one of Claims 11 until 14 , characterized in that the connection module (1) is guided with a second end (17) of the fork contact (11) through a through opening formed in the housing into the interior of the housing, a cylindrical section (20) of a formation of the partial wall (15) received in the passage opening of the housing and the passage is sealed with a sealant (18a).

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