DE102022117860B3 - Socket part for an electrical plug connection and electronic control unit with such a socket part - Google Patents

Abstract

Socket part (BU) for an electrical plug connection with a complementary plug part (kST), the socket part (BU) having a contact carrier (1) with contact elements (8), a socket housing (2), a support sleeve (6), an axial spring (5) , a sealing system with a sealing element (7) and a holder (4) with flexible holding jaws (3), the contact carrier (1) being surrounded by the socket housing (2), the axial spring (5) being located inside the socket housing ( 2), the axial spring (5) being held by the support sleeve (6) in the socket part (BU), the support sleeve (6) being held by a plug end (9) of a complementary plug part (kSt) when the socket part ( BU) is arranged with the complementary plug part (kSt) elastically deformable sealing element (7), wherein the holder (4) is arranged with flexible holding jaws (3) in the socket housing (2), the holding jaws (3) being cut into a threaded section (12) of the complementary plug part (kSt) can intervene in order to enable a quick connection between the socket part (BU) and the complementary plug part (kST) without screwing and with adequate sealing by means of the sealing system also being ensured when the socket part (BU) and the complementary plug part (kST) are not fully engaged.

Description

The invention relates to a socket part for an electrical plug connection for connecting it to a complementary plug part according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

The present invention preferably relates to circular connectors for industrial applications, in particular cable plugs, cable sockets and cable bushings for and in housings of all kinds.

The circular connectors in question have been known for a long time and are also manufactured by the applicant and sold, among other things, with the series designation “ecolink”.

The product range of the "ecolink" series includes cable sockets, cable plugs, connecting cables and central distributors in M8 and M12 designs for automation technology. The range is divided according to the respective area of application. In addition to connection technology for general industrial applications, there are versions for use in hygienic and wet areas in the food and beverage industry, for use in machine tools and the metalworking industry, for use in welding systems, mobile machines and also in potentially explosive areas.

In order to ensure the reliability required for the applications mentioned, in particular to prevent accidental loosening, these connectors have a vibration protection whose mode of operation is described in the DE 10 2005 056 563 B3 is described by the applicant. The socket part described in this document can only be screwed and is not suitable for quick connection technology (direct connection by plugging in without having to screw). Fast connection technology always requires downward compatibility; ie both directly pluggable and standardized screwable to be connected to each other. In the solution described in this document, a sealing element rests against the bottom of an annular gap 14 (referred to here as the bottom of the thread).

The DE 10 2017 200 741 A1 and also the DE 10 2018 100 910 A1 describe circular connectors for electrical connection and mechanical locking with a standard counterpart.

Due to the mechanical play that occurs with this plug-in connection between approx. 1.05 mm for brass connectors, which are suitable for industrial applications, and approx. 1.25 mm for stainless steel connectors, which are suitable for use in the food and beverage industry, sealing using a pressed elastomeric sealing element is not readily possible here.

In the JP H11135196 A describes a watertight cylindrical connector with a locking system comprising a spring connected to the bottom of the connector housing, whereby the connector housing is pushed out of the connector housing when the connection is not made. There is no locking system to secure the connector against accidental detachment and to ensure a reliable seal. The quick connector allows only a pluggable connection, not a screwable connection, since there is no threaded section or any other attachment system compatible with connectors with a rotating threaded sleeve.

The DE 102 33 075 A1 describes a quick connector having threaded and unthreaded sections on the inside of the plug shell and threaded and unthreaded sections on the outside of the plug shell. The unthreaded sections allow the counterpart and thread to connect and secure by screwing. The plug must have this special design for the quick connection to work. The invention does not have a secure seal or vibration protection. Vibration could loosen the connection anyway.

The US 3519975A describes a connector that consists of a matable socket and plug part, in which insulating bodies are used, which contain socket and plug pins. Contamination is to be prevented by protective layers, which are pierced by the contact elements when the plug-in connection is actuated. The plug connector shown does not contain a holder with flexible holding jaws which can engage in a threaded section in order to be able to produce a secure connection.

In the CN 213692451 U a sealing system with a sealing element and an axial spring is shown. The disclosure does not reveal whether and how the sealing system can be used as an electrical plug connection.

The DE 102007049677 A1 describes an electrical plug connection which can be screwed by means of a radially displaceable ball which engages in a thread. The invention does not disclose an axial spring and does not have a secure seal or vibration protection. The connection could therefore loosen due to vibration.

The US10826230B1 shows a socket part with retaining jaws, but the connection has no thread.

The US6267612B1 describes a coupling mechanism for connection with a thread. The font does not have an axial spring and does not have a vibration protection, so that the connection can loosen under vibration loads.

The EP 3 358 682 B1 describes a quick connect without a seal and with threaded and unthreaded sections on the inside of the male socket. The connector does not have an unthreaded section, instead it has a specially designed latch that fits through an unthreaded section to the bottom of the connector where the latch engages a groove. Threaded plugs must still be screwed.

The Post-Released DE 10 2021 105 505 A1 Applicant shows another form of quick connector.

The DE 103 24 794 B3 describes a quick connection concept based on the M12 connector standard (described in the DIN EN 61067-2-101 standard). This quick connection technology makes it possible to plug in the matched plug-socket combination directly. An element designed as a spring ring, which is installed in the socket, engages in a correspondingly designed locking groove on the plug. In order to release the plug connection, an unlocking mechanism must be actuated, which pushes the lugs of the spring ring outwards out of the locking groove and thus releases the plug. Standard M12 connectors must still be screwed in. Unplugging could occur by accidentally pulling the release mechanism. In addition, a conventional plug, or even a plug specially designed according to this principle, could be held in place by the spring ring, but the contact and sealing would then not be optimal because, when the plug reaches the bottom of the plug, the spring ring could not be properly clamped into the thread or groove of the plug.

The object of the invention is to overcome this disadvantage and to specify a socket part for an electrical plug-in connection, which enables the plug-in connection described in the above-mentioned documents to be sealed by means of a preferably elastomeric sealing element. The socket part should be standard-specifically compatible with all standard-compliant plugs of a plug standard (i.e. a socket part according to the invention that is specifically intended for the M12 connection should be compatible with all standard-compliant M12 plugs). In addition, it should be easy to handle, mechanically locked, and therefore vibration-proof and sealed against the ingress of media in accordance with the ANSI 60529 or EN 60529 standards. The IP67 degree of protection should be achievable here.

This object is achieved with the arrangement specified in patent claim 1 and the electronic control unit specified in patent claim 5 .
Claims 2 to 4 relate to the advantageous embodiment of the invention.

The essential idea of the invention is, on the one hand, to exclude the axial play between the threaded sleeve and the contact carrier (pin carrier) and, on the other hand, to seal the plug axially at the end section of its thread, hereinafter referred to as the plug collar, with a sealing element being pressed in an expedient manner.

This arrangement is advantageous due to the interaction between the sealing element and the extremely time-saving (plug) connection of a socket part with a standard-compliant plug part.

The invention thus relates to a socket part for an electrical plug connection with a complementary plug part, the socket part having a contact carrier with contact elements and the contact carrier being surrounded by a support sleeve, with an annular gap being provided between the contact carrier and socket housing, which is used to accommodate a threaded section of a threaded sleeve provided on the plug part and the threaded section of the threaded sleeve of the plug part having an external thread which conforms to standards, and when the plug-in connection is being made, a sealing element resting on the base of the annular gap is elastically displaced from a threaded section of the Connector part provided end portion (connector collar) is deformed, wherein the base of the annular gap is axially resiliently mounted according to the invention.

In an advantageous embodiment, the spring deflection at least compensates for the play provided on the connector part between the contact carrier and the threaded sleeve, so that the spring effect remaining after the compensation is sufficient to reliably ensure the sealing function.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that even if the connection is not fully engaged - i. H. if the plug has not fully compressed the spring during the mating process, which can happen if the person operating the connection is in a hurry - the connection is still secure and the seal is maintained by the spring.

• 1 zeigt ein erfindungsgemäßes Buchsenteil für M12-Rundsteckverbinder im Schnitt,
• 2 zeigt das Buchsenteil mit einem normgerechten M12-Stecker im ungesteckten Zustand,
• 3 zeigt, das Buchsenteil mit einem normgerechten M12-Stecker während des Steckvorgangs,
• 4 zeigt das Buchsenteil mit einem normgerechten M12-Stecker beim Loslassen des Steckers.
• 5 zeigt eine elektronische Steuereinheit AL 1100 aus dem Produktsortiment der Anmelderin

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

• 1 shows a socket part according to the invention for M12 circular connectors in section,
• 2 shows the socket part with a standard-compliant M12 plug in the unplugged state,
• 3 shows the socket part with a standard-compliant M12 plug during the plugging process,
• 4 shows the socket part with a standard-compliant M12 plug when releasing the plug.
• 5 shows an electronic control unit AL 1100 from the product range of the applicant

The 1 shows a socket part BU (female) according to the invention for M12 circular connectors (male), without restricting the invention to this thread design or size. It is compatible with all standard M12 connectors and is easy to use because the connector only has to be inserted as far as it will go. Thanks to the spring effect (spring force), it is vibration-proof and sealed against penetrating media.

The socket part BU, a contact carrier 1, the socket housing 2, flexible holding jaws with a thread contour 3, a holder 4, an axial spring 5, a support sleeve 6, a sealing element 7, the contact elements 8 are shown.

The 2 shows a socket part BU (female) with a compatible standard-compliant M12 plug (male) in the unplugged state. The body of the connector kST is labeled GK.

The flexible holding jaws 3 are arranged radially to the socket housing 2, so that the inner diameter is smaller than the core diameter of an M12 x 1 fine thread.

Since the inner sides of the holding jaws 3 are designed in such a way that they adapt to the fine thread of the plug part kST (plug) and lock when plugged in.

The axially acting spiral spring 5 is pretensioned and is held in position by a support sleeve 6 and by a narrowing in the socket housing 2 .

The 3 shows the socket part BU (female) with the M12 plug (male) kST during the plugging process. Here, the flexible holding jaws 3 are simultaneously pushed down and up in the insertion direction into their natural position and hold the connector in place.

In addition, the threaded sleeve 11 of the complementary plug part kST is pressed by the holding jaws 3 towards the grip body GK. The holding jaws 3 jump over the thread profile of the threaded section 12 of the threaded sleeve 11

The sealing element 7 is pressed through the plug end 9 and pressed down with the support sleeve 6 . In this case, the coil spring 5 is compressed further, but can be protected from over-pressing by the support sleeve 6 .

The 4 shows the socket part BU with the standard-compliant M12 plug kST when the plug is released. Here, the axial spring 5 pushes the connector kST upwards. The flexible holding jaws 3 snap into the thread profile 12 of the threaded sleeve 11 and thereby return upwards to their original state.

As a result, they become wedged in the threaded sleeve 11 and block the threaded section 12 during the axial movement of the plug. The sealing element 7 is now pressed with constant force against the sealing contour of the plug kST.

A stop to protect the sealing element 7 is not necessary since the force acting on the sealing element 7 is constant. The plug-in connection can only be released by unscrewing the threaded sleeve 11.

An axially acting vibration protection 10 on the plug part kST locks the plug connection and thus protects it from unintentional (independent) loosening. The axial spring 5 produces the mechanical (basic) prestressing which is absolutely necessary for the function of the vibration safety device 10 acting as a snap latch and which acts like a snap lock.

The 5 shows an IO-Link box AL1100 from the applicant's above-mentioned product range. This is an electronic control unit for automation technology, which has several sockets with M12 threads. The socket part 2 according to the invention is to be used in future in such control units. The annular gap 13, which is always present in the plug-in connections in question, is indicated for a better understanding of the invention.

Reference List

BU

Socket part for an electrical plug connection

1

contact carrier

2

socket housing

3

holding jaw(s)

4

bracket

5

axial spring (axial spiral spring)

6

support sleeve

7

sealing element (seal)

8th

contact element (contact spring)

9

plug end

10

vibration protection

11

threaded sleeve

12

Threaded section on the standard-compliant complementary plug part kST

13

annular gap

GC

grip body

kSt

Complementary plug part, standard-compliant and complementary to socket part 2

Claims (5)

Socket part (BU) for an electrical plug connection with a complementary plug part (kST), the socket part (BU) having a contact carrier (1) with contact elements (8), a socket housing (2), a support sleeve (6), an axial spring (5), a sealing system with a sealing element (7) and has a holder (4) with flexible holding jaws (3), the contact carrier (1) being surrounded by the socket housing (2), the axial spring (5) being located inside the socket housing (2), the axial spring (5) being held in the bush part (BU) by the support sleeve (6), the sealing element (7), which can be elastically deformed by a plug end (9) of a complementary plug part (kSt) when the socket part (BU) is connected to the complementary plug part (kSt), is arranged on the support sleeve (6), the holder (4) with flexible holding jaws (3) being arranged in the socket housing (2), wherein the holding jaws (3) can engage in a threaded section (12) of the complementary plug part (kSt), to enable a quick connection between the socket part (BU) and the complementary plug part (kST) without screwing and whereby a sufficient sealing is ensured by means of the sealing system even when the socket part (BU) and the complementary plug part (kST) are not fully engaged. Socket part (BU) for a plug connection claim 1 , the sealing system being effective through the contact between the male end (9) and the axial sealing sealing element (7) under the force exerted by the male end (9) and the opposing force exerted by the axial spring (5) on the support sleeve (6) and having a radial seal at the periphery of the support sleeve (6). Socket part (BU) for a plug connection claim 1 and 2 , wherein the sealing system has a sealing force controlled by the plugging force exerted on the plug part (kST) and seals an annular gap (13) of the socket part (BU) when the socket part (BU) and the complementary plug part (kST) are engaged with one another. Socket part (BU) for an electrical plug connection according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the elastic retaining jaws (3) allow a screwable and pluggable connection of the socket part (BU) with a standard-compliant complementary plug part (kST). Electronic control unit for automation technology, characterized in that at least one socket part (BU) according to one of Claims 1 until 4 is provided for an electrical connection.

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