DE202024100944U1 - Direct connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

Plug connector (10), in particular edge connection connector or direct plug connector for directly contacting contact fields arranged in the edge region of a circuit board,- with a plug connector housing (15) which is formed by an upper housing shell (12) and a lower housing shell (11),- with a plug receptacle (28) for the edge region of the circuit board which is formed by the plug connector housing (15) and is located at the front in the plugging direction X,- with a contact carrier (13) which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle (28) in the plugging direction X in the plugging direction X in the plugging housing (15) and carries plug contacts, the plug contacts serving on the one hand for electrically contacting contact fields of the circuit board and on the other hand carrying connection wires (18),- with a sleeve (14) which surrounds the upper and lower housing shells (11, 12) while leaving at least the plug receptacle (28) free, characterized in that the plug connector housing (15) has at least one stabilizing element (27) in its housing interior which stabilizes the housing shells (11, 12) against each other and thus protects the connector housing (15) against collapsing under pressure.

Description

• - mit einem Steckverbindergehäuse, welches von einer oberen Gehäuseschale und einer unteren Gehäuseschale gebildet ist,
• - mit einer vom Steckverbindergehäuse gebildeten und in Steckrichtung vorn liegenden Steckaufnahme für den Randbereich der Leiterplatte,
• - mit einem Kontaktträger, der in Steckrichtung der Steckaufnahme nachgeordnet im Steckverbindergehäuse angeordnet ist und Steckkontakte trägt, wobei die Steckkontakte einerseits zur elektrischen Kontaktierung von Kontaktfeldern der Leiterplatte dienen und andererseits Anschlussadern tragen, und
• - mit einer Hülle, welche die obere und untere Gehäuseschale unter Freilassung wenigstens der Steckaufnahme umgibt.

The invention relates to a connector, in particular edge connection connectors or direct connectors for direct contacting of contact fields arranged in the edge area of a printed circuit board,

• - with a connector housing which is formed by an upper housing shell and a lower housing shell,
• - with a plug-in receptacle for the edge area of the circuit board formed by the connector housing and located at the front in the plug-in direction,
• - with a contact carrier which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle in the plug-in direction in the connector housing and carries plug contacts, whereby the plug contacts serve on the one hand to electrically contact contact fields of the circuit board and on the other hand carry connection wires, and
• - with a cover which surrounds the upper and lower housing shells, leaving at least the plug receptacle free.

Direct connectors are well known from the state of the art, which cannot be documented in printed documents. They are widely used wherever circuit boards with electronic components are to be provided with connecting cables that are used to supply electricity to the circuit board components or to transmit control signals. Direct connectors, also known as edge connectors, are mounted in direct contact with the circuit board. For this purpose, contact surfaces are provided on the circuit board in a section intended for the direct connector to be placed on - usually in an edge area of the circuit board. The plug contacts of the connector contact these contact fields directly without the need for a mating connector component.

Since direct plug connections initially have a cost advantage by eliminating the need for a mating connector component, they are widely used. In addition, direct plug connections also have a significant advantage for assembly. These plug connections can be produced relatively easily using automated methods.

Compared to other connectors, there is a significant advantage that - as long as the edge of the circuit board is accessible - the connector can only be made very late in the assembly process of the circuit board or even long after the circuit board has been installed in a device. With other types of connectors, the connector must be made much earlier for technical reasons. This then means that the connecting cable harness arranged on the circuit board must be carried along throughout the entire assembly process. In partially and fully automated production, this leads to a lot of effort to prevent the connecting cables from hindering the production of the circuit board and the subsequent assembly of the circuit board in a device.

The advantage of being able to create the plug connection independently of the rest of the assembly process is particularly relevant when the circuit board is to be placed in an encapsulated housing, for example to protect it from environmental influences such as dirt and moisture. In this case, the circuit board can be placed in a suitable housing and only a plug opening in the housing needs to be left open to insert the direct plug connector. The direct plug connector is then manufactured accordingly in order to ensure the required sealing or encapsulation of the circuit board in conjunction with the housing opening.

For this purpose, the connector housings of such edge connectors are provided with appropriate sealing structures. These are often manufactured by overmolding a housing shell.

The object of the invention is to provide a direct plug connector which is easy to manufacture and which cooperates in a sealing manner, in particular in interaction with a housing plug receptacle of a circuit board housing protecting a circuit board.

The object is achieved by a connector with the features of claim 1, in particular with its characterizing features, according to which the connector housing has at least one stabilizing element in its housing interior, which supports the housing shells against one another and thus protects the connector housing against collapsing under the influence of pressure.

The connector according to the invention, whose connector housing is composed of an upper and a lower housing shell, is provided with its shell in particular by overmolding. During the overmolding process itself, a not inconsiderable pressure is created which acts on the housing shells. In addition - depending on the materials selected for the shell and shell - shrinkage processes when the shell material cools down as well as different expansion coefficients under the influence of temperature can lead to permanent or changing pressure effects. The stabilizing element over which the housing shell The fact that the two housing shells are supported against each other prevents the housing shells placed on top of each other from deforming or collapsing under the influence of this pressure. This ensures that the connector housing is highly stable. In addition, the connector can also be gripped safely by automated tools without the risk of damage from the tool pressure. Finally, the stabilizing element allows the wall thickness of the housing shells to be reduced and thus, overall - also taking into account the additional material used for the stabilizing element - material savings can be achieved.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, it is provided that the stabilizing element additionally serves as a first positioning element for the correct arrangement of the contact carrier in the connector housing.

In this particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the stabilizing element takes on a supplementary function. It holds the contact carrier in the correct position in the connector housing - possibly together with a second positioning element. This ensures that the contact carrier does not hinder the placement of the housing shells on top of one another and thus the production of the connector housing - for example by slipping during the assembly process. In particular, however, the positioning also ensures that the contact carrier is correctly aligned with the connector receptacle and ensures that the contact carrier does not slip within the connector housing when it is placed on the circuit board. This ensures that the contacts are securely arranged on their counterparts on the circuit board and that the plug connection functions properly.

Specifically, it is intended that the stabilizing element is a support web arranged transversely to the plug-in direction, which holds the contact carrier between itself and the plug-in receptacle.

If care is taken to ensure that the stabilizing element is formed by several pins arranged next to each other in a row and perpendicular to the plug-in direction, between which a guide gap is kept free for connection wires held in the contact carrier, the stabilizing element takes on another task. In an advantageous manner, the stabilizing element also serves as a guide for the connection cables located in the connector housing, which are attached to the individual plug contacts in the contact carrier.

Since the connecting wires naturally have a certain degree of rigidity and resilience, it is necessary to guide them in a structured manner within the connector housing. This is the only way to ensure that the connecting wires do not cause interference during automated assembly, particularly when placing and connecting the housing shell. This is all the more important the smaller the connectors are, especially if the connecting wires cannot be miniaturized to the same extent as the connector size in order to transmit high currents.

In this respect, it is intended that the pins arranged next to each other in a row hold the contact carrier between themselves and the plug receptacle.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the upper housing shell carries the support web and the lower housing shell carries the pins, wherein the pins rest on the support web in assembled housing shells and together form the stabilizing element of the connector housing.

In particular, it is provided that the pins pointing in the direction of the upper housing shell and the support web pointing in the direction of the lower housing shell do not exceed the height of the respective shell housing wall in their length.

The design of the stabilizing element by means of a web and pins makes it possible to arrange the cables in a structured manner in two dimensions, namely to define their vertical position (the vertical direction is defined as the vertical line pointing from the lower shell to the upper shell) and to ensure a secure transverse position (the transverse position is defined as the horizontal line running perpendicular to the plug-in direction).

In addition, stability is maintained via the support bar remaining in the upper housing shell.

Furthermore, it is provided that a second positioning element is provided which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle but upstream of the contact carrier, wherein the contact carrier is arranged essentially free of movement between the positioning elements.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the casing is formed by overmolding the assembled housing shells.

• 1: eine Explosionsdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Steckverbinders,
• 2: die untere Gehäuseschale des Steckverbinders nach 1 in perspektivischer Ansicht auf die Innenseite,
• 3: die untere Gehäuseschale des Steckverbinders in Ansicht von oben auf die Innenseite,
• 4: die perspektivische Ansicht der Unterschale nach 2 mit einliegendem Kontaktträger,
• 5: die Oberschale des Steckverbinders in perspektivischer Ansicht auf die Innenseite,
• 6: die Ansicht auf die Innenseite der unteren Gehäuseschale,
• 7: die perspektivische Ansicht gemäß 5 mit einliegendem Kontaktträger,
• 8: der Steckverbinder in konfektionierter Darstellung,
• 9: eine Schnittansicht durch den konfektionierten Steckverbinder gemäß Schnittlinie A-A in 8,
• 10: eine Schnittdarstellung des konfektionierten Steckverbinders gemäß Schnittlinie B-B in 8,
• 11: eine Darstellung der unteren Gehäuseschale nach 4 mit einliegender Anschlussleitung.

Further advantages of the invention and a better understanding thereof will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment. It shows:

• 1 : an exploded view of a connector according to the invention,
• 2 : the lower housing shell of the connector 1 in perspective view of the inside,
• 3 : the lower housing shell of the connector in top view of the inside,
• 4 : the perspective view of the lower shell after 2 with embedded contact carrier,
• 5 : the upper shell of the connector in perspective view of the inside,
• 6 : the view of the inside of the lower housing shell,
• 7 : the perspective view according to 5 with embedded contact carrier,
• 8th : the connector in assembled form,
• 9 : a sectional view through the assembled connector according to section line AA in 8th ,
• 10 : a sectional view of the assembled connector according to section line BB in 8th ,
• 11 : a representation of the lower housing shell after 4 with integrated connection cable.

In the figures, a connector according to the invention is provided overall with the reference number 10.

The connector 10 is in 1 shown in an exploded view. The connector 10 comprises a lower housing shell 11 and an upper housing shell 12, which arrange a contact carrier 13 between them. In the assembled state, the housing shells 11, 12 are surrounded by a casing 14, which is preferably produced by overmolding. The assembled housing shells 11, 12 with the casing 14 surrounding them together form the connector housing 15. In addition, a connecting line, provided with the reference number 16 in its entirety, is led into the connector housing 15, which contains several individual connecting wires 18 within an insulating casing 17.

The 1 and 2 show the lower housing shell 11 in a view of its interior, once in a perspective view and once in a view from above.

The lower housing shell 11 has a lower inlet 19 at the front in the plug-in direction X, which is part of the plug-in receptacle of the connector. At the end opposite the lower inlet 19, which is arranged at the back in the plug-in direction, the lower housing shell 11 forms a lower groove 20 as part of the outlet channel 21 formed by the connector housing 15. The lower housing shell 11 has a first base 22, on which first side walls 23 surround a first interior space 24. Between the lower inlet 19 and the lower groove 20, several pins 25 arranged next to one another extend away from the first base 22, with a guide gap 26 being formed between each two pins 25. The pins 25 are part of a stabilizing element 27 of the connector 10.

The first side walls 23 form, at least in sections, a recess 29 on their edge pointing away from the first base 22, which serves to position the lower housing shell 11 and the upper housing shell 12 on top of each other. In the present exemplary embodiment, the first side walls 23 also form a contact carrier seat 30 lying opposite one another between the lower inlet 19 and the pins 25. Each contact carrier seat has a support leg 31 aligned in the plugging direction X and a support leg 32 aligned vertically to the first base 22. The contact carrier 30 thus forms an L lying on its back.

Between the lower inlet 19 and the pins 25, the first base 22 is raised above a base level so that a step 33 is formed. The respective support leg 32 of the contact carrier seat 30 accommodates the support leg 31 between itself and the step 33 so that the step 33 can serve as a position stop for the contact carrier at the front in the plug-in direction X and the support leg 32 can serve as a position stop for the contact carrier at the back in the plug-in direction X. The support leg 31 of the contact carrier seat 30, on the other hand, supports the contact carrier 13 in the direction of the first base 22.

The 2 and 3 show further that the lower housing shell 11 carries a preferably continuously circumferential support rib 34 between the lower inlet 19 and the lower channel 20.

A first semi-annular lower web 35 and a second semi-annular lower web 36 are formed in the groove 20, which forms the part of the outlet channel of the connector housing 15 associated with the lower housing shell 11. Both lower webs 35, 36 run in the circumferential direction to the connecting line and are preferably manufactured with a slight undersize compared to the connecting line diameter. The first web 35 is part of a first annular sealing ring 37, the second web 36 is part of a second sealing ring 38. Both sealing rings 37, 38 surround the connecting line 16 which will later be located in the outlet channel 21.

A pressure web 39 is arranged in the lower housing shell between the lower webs 35 and 36. The pressure web 39 narrows the lower channel 20 asymmetrically, so that the position of the connecting line 16 arranged in the lower channel 20 in the area of the pressure web 39 is decentered by the pressure web 39.

In the 2 and 3 It can also be seen that the first lower web 35 and the second lower web 36 have an approximately wedge-shaped surface contour pointing towards the connecting line, i.e. they taper in the direction of the inserted connecting line 16. Other surface contours or cross-sections are conceivable, for example the surface contour can also be concave. The aim is to ensure a narrow to essentially linear contact surface between the webs 35, 36 or the sealing rings 37 and 38 and the insulating casing 17.

4 corresponds essentially to the presentation according to 2 Here, too, the perspective view of the interior 24 of the lower housing shell 11 is shown. In addition to 2 Here, the contact carrier 13 was inserted into the lower housing shell. In the present exemplary embodiment, the contact carrier 13 is mounted in the lower housing shell 11 via the contact carrier seats 30 and is arranged in a secure position in the plug-in direction X by the support legs 32 and the step 33. The pins 25 as part of the stabilizing element 27 are not involved in the correct position of the contact carrier 13 here. However, it is quite clearly visible that by arranging the pins 25 closer to the contact carrier 13, the pins 25 as part of the stabilizing element 27 together with, for example, the step 33 can ensure the correct position of the contact carrier 13 in the lower housing shell 11. At least the support legs 32, depending on the design of the contact carrier 13, but also the complete contact carrier seat 30, can then be dispensed with.

The 5 and 6 show the upper housing shell 12 once in a perspective view of its inside, then in a view from above of its inside.

The upper shell has an upper inlet 40 at the front in the plug-in direction X, which together with the lower inlet 19 forms the plug-in receptacle 28. On the rear side opposite the inlet 40, the upper housing shell 12 has an upper groove 41. This, together with the lower groove 20, forms the outlet channel 21 of the connector housing 15.

Analogous to the lower housing shell 11, the upper housing shell 12 forms a second base 42 on which second side walls 43 stand and surround a second interior space 44.

On the second base 42 there is a support web 45 which is arranged transversely to the insertion direction X and extends vertically to the second base 42 and together with the pins 25 forms the stabilizing element 27.

The second side walls 43 form projections 46 directed vertically towards the floor in sections. The projections 46 are designed to be complementary to the recesses 29 of the lower housing shell 11 and engage in the recesses 29 when the lower housing shell 11 and the upper housing shell 12 are assembled in order to ensure that the housing shells 11, 12 are positioned correctly relative to one another.

The upper housing shell 12 is also equipped with an upper first web 47 and an upper second web 48 in the area of the upper groove 41. These are designed in a similar way to the webs 35 and 36 already described for the lower housing shell 11 and together with them form the first sealing ring 37 and the second sealing ring 38 when the housing shells 11, 12 are assembled.

As the 5 and 6 show, an upper pressure bar is omitted in the exemplary embodiment. However, this can also be arranged in the upper housing shell 12 in the same way as the lower housing shell 11.

Finally, it should be noted that the second base 42 of the upper housing shell forms a bead 49 between the inlet 40 and the support web 45. This serves as the upper contact carrier seat 50.

Analogous to the lower housing shell 11, the upper housing shell 12 also has an upper support rib 51 running around the outside. The upper support rib 51 is arranged in alignment with the lower support rib 34, so that the support ribs 34, 51 together form a circumferential support flange 52 when the housing shells 11, 12 are placed on top of one another.

In 7 is once again the view according to 5 the upper housing shell 12. However, the contact carrier 13 is arranged between the support web 45 and the upper inlet in the bead 49. The contact carrier is in the embodiment of the bead 49 is held securely in position parallel to the plugging direction. 7 However, it is also apparent that the support web 45 can be part of the position securing of the contact carrier 13 if the support web 45 is correspondingly moved closer in the direction of the upper inlet 40.

8th shows the connector 10 in the assembled state. To do this, the connecting wires 18 of the connecting cable 16 were first attached to the plug contacts of the contact carrier 13. The contact carrier 13 was then inserted into either the lower housing shell 11 or the upper housing shell 12. Inserting it into the lower housing shell 11 is preferred because the connecting wires 18 can then be guided through the guide gaps 26. The housing shells 11, 12 are then joined together. The engagement of the projections 46 in the recesses 29 helps to position the housing shells 11, 12 correctly relative to one another. The support web 45 rests on the pins 25 so that the pins 25 and the support web 45 together form the stabilizing element. The connecting cable 16 is led out through the outlet channel 21 at the end of the housing shells 11, 12 opposite the plug receptacle 28, whereby the insulating sheath surrounding the connecting wires 18 is surrounded by the sealing rings 37 and 38. The housing shells 11, 12 are now overmolded with a suitable material, whereby the support flange 52 prevents the injection molding compound from penetrating in the plugging direction X. The resulting sheath 14 also forms a kink protection 53 in the area of the insulating sheath 17 made from the connector housing 15.

9 shows a sectional view along the section line AA from 8th . This sectional view first shows how the lower shell 11 and the upper shell 12 lie on top of one another. In addition, it can be seen that the casing 14, produced by overmolding, only extends as far as the support flange 52, which prevents the injection molding material from escaping in the direction of insertion direction X during the injection molding process. The support web 45 is aligned with the pins 25 so that they act on one another and together as a stabilizing element 27 against compressive forces. The connecting wires 18 are guided through the guide gaps 26. The connecting cable 16 lies with its insulating sheath 17 in the outlet channel 21 of the connector housing 15 and is enclosed by the sealing rings 37 and 38.

10 shows a sectional view through the connector 10 along the section line BB. This section differs from the representation according to 9 merely by the position of the cutting line, which here was laid through the guide gap 26. The contact carrier 13 rests securely with unspecified holding structures in the bead 49 of the upper housing shell 12 on the one hand and the contact carrier seat 30 of the lower shell 11 on the other. It is secured against displacement parallel to the insertion direction X by the support leg 32 in particular.

11 shows again a representation of the lower housing shell 11 analogous to 4 . In addition to the contact carrier 13 located in the lower housing shell 11, the inserted connecting cable 16 is also shown here. In addition to the routing of the connecting wires 18 in the guide gaps 26, particular attention should be paid here to the connecting cable 16 located in the outlet channel 21.

As already mentioned, a pressure bar 39 is arranged between the first lower bar 35 and the second lower bar 36, which narrows the free diameter of the outlet channel 21. The effect of the pressure bar 39 is in 11 clearly visible. The connecting cable 16 is decentered in the area of the pressure web. The inherent resilience and material rigidity of the connecting cable 16, in conjunction with the pressure web 39 and the decentered cable routing, leads to an increase in the contact pressure between the insulating cover 17 and the webs 35 and 36 and, when the upper housing shell 12 is in place, the upper webs 47 and 48 arranged there, thus resulting in an increased contact pressure of the insulating cover on the sealing rings 39 and 38, which are formed by the web pairs 35/47 and 36/48.

Thus, the contact pressure already present due to the aforementioned undersize of the sealing rings 37, 38 compared to the insulating casing 17 is further increased.

During the aforementioned manufacture of the connector, the housing shells 11, 12 placed on top of one another are preferably bonded together by ultrasonic welding or friction welding. In particular, the contact pressure of the insulating cover 17 on the sealing rings 37 and 38, which is increased by the pressure web, also leads to a sealing network between the sealing rings 37, 38 and the insulating cover 17 when the housing shells 11, 12 are welded, so that the penetration of fluids, in particular liquids, along the connecting line 17 into the interior of the connector housing 15 is reliably prevented by the welding process. The cover 14 produced by overmolding around the housing shells 11, 12 further improves the sealing of the connector 10 and also serves in particular to 9 and 10 to create sealing lips provided with the reference number 54. These sealing lips 54 serve, when establishing the plug connection with a circuit board (not shown), to create a seal between the connector 10 and the inlet of a housing in which the circuit board to be connected is arranged.

The penetration of the sealing rings 37 and 38 into the insulating sheath 17 of the connecting cable 16 is shown schematically in the sectional views of the 9 and 10 shown.

List of reference symbols

10

Connectors

11

lower housing shell

12

upper housing shell

13

Contact carrier

14

Covering

15

Connector housing

16

Connection cable

17

Insulating cover

18

Connection wire

19

lower inlet

20

lower gutter

21

Exit channel

22

first floor

23

first side walls

24

first interior

25

Pen

26

Guide gap

27

Stabilizing element

28

Plug-in socket

29

Return

30

Contact carrier seat

31

Support legs

32

Support leg

33

Level

34

Support rib

35

first lower bridge of 11

36

second lower bridge of 11

37

first sealing ring

38

second sealing ring

39

Pressure bar

40

upper inlet

41

upper gutter

42

second floor

43

second side walls

44

second interior

45

Support bridge

46

head Start

47

upper first bridge

48

upper second bridge

49

Bead

50

upper contact carrier seat

51

upper support rib

52

circumferential support flange

53

Anti-kink protection

54

Sealing lips

X

Plug direction

Claims (8)

Plug connector (10), in particular edge connection connector or direct plug connector for directly contacting contact fields arranged in the edge region of a circuit board, - with a plug connector housing (15) which is formed by an upper housing shell (12) and a lower housing shell (11), - with a plug receptacle (28) for the edge region of the circuit board which is formed by the plug connector housing (15) and is located at the front in the plugging direction X, - with a contact carrier (13) which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle (28) in the plugging direction X in the plugging direction X in the plugging housing (15) and carries plug contacts, the plug contacts serving on the one hand for electrically contacting contact fields of the circuit board and on the other hand carrying connection wires (18), - with a sleeve (14) which surrounds the upper and lower housing shells (11, 12) while leaving at least the plug receptacle (28) free, characterized in that the plug connector housing (15) has at least one stabilizing element (27) in its housing interior which stabilizes the housing shells (11, 12) against each other and thus protects the connector housing (15) against collapsing under pressure. Connectors according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the stabilizing element (27) additionally serves as a first positioning element for the correct arrangement of the contact carrier (13) in the connector housing (15). Connectors according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the stabilizing element (27) is a support web (45) arranged transversely to the plug-in direction X, which holds the contact carrier (13) between itself and the plug-in receptacle (28). Connectors according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the stabilizing element (27) is formed by a plurality of pins (25) arranged next to one another in a row and transversely to the plugging direction X, between each of which a guide gap (46) is kept free for connection wires (18) held in the contact carrier (13). Connectors according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the pins (25) arranged next to one another in a row hold the contact carrier (13) between themselves and the plug receptacle (28). Connectors according to Claim 3 and 4 , characterized in that the upper housing shell (12) carries the support web (45) and the lower housing shell (11) carries the pins (25), wherein the pins (25) rest on the support web (45) when the housing shells (11, 12) are assembled and together form the stabilizing element (27) of the connector housing (15). Connectors according to Claim 2 , characterized in that a second positioning element is provided which is arranged downstream of the plug receptacle (28) but upstream of the contact carrier (13), wherein the contact carrier (13) is arranged substantially free of movement between the positioning elements. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing (14) is formed by overmolding the assembled housing shells (11, 12).

Images