DE8803966U1 - Two-part, multi-pole electrical coupling device - Google Patents

Description

G 3537/88 Gbm "' ¹ ^ 4 ¹ *-
22 March 1988

Description

The following is a two-part, multi-pole electrical coupling device, consisting of a plug-in part and a receptacle part as well as connecting cables inserted into these, with plug pins in the plug-in part and with these corresponding receptacles in the receptacle part, which at least partially encompass the plug pins in a sliding interaction to make contact.

The proposed coupling device is used in particular in spatially limited areas, for example in houses or groups of houses in which electrical consumers are operated that are connected to the local high-voltage network and are simultaneously connected to one or more special networks to which they send consumer-relevant information or from which they receive such information. For example, a telex or a television set require electrical cables to function _{, but} at the same time they are connected via cables to a telex or television cable network, without which they could not fulfill their task.

Until now, consumers have been defined as devices, machines, electrical and electronic equipment in a building.

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to obtain the electrical energy they require, they are connected to the national power grid via a main distributor using fixed or flexible connecting cables. For this purpose, cables, sub-distribution boards, switch boxes, sockets, etc. are required behind this distributor within the building. Completely separate from these high-voltage installations, there are several different networks for the transmission of information in the same building, e.g. a control network, the telephone network, a telex network, the telecopy network, a monitoring network and other systems, and there may also be data transmission networks of various types. In the interests of safety and for legal reasons, the information networks have so far been strictly separated from the power grid; there are therefore separate cable ducts next to one another for these different networks, and walls on which up to 5 or more different sockets for different purposes are arranged next to one another are not uncommon. This separation is expensive in terms of construction and maintenance, it is a major hindrance to network expansions and it requires complicated device handling. The crucial problem here is the coupling devices, namely the sockets or couplings on the one hand and the associated plugs with connecting cables, which have a different design for the power network and for each of the various information networks.

The invention is based on the object of designing an electrical coupling device which not only serves to transmit high current, but also enables the transmission of information which is used to control the consumer.

To solve the problem, a two-part, multi-pole electrical coupling device is used, consisting of a plug-in part and a receptacle part as well as connecting cables inserted into these, with plug pins in the plug-in part and

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with these corresponding receptacles in the receptacle part, which at least partially enclose the plug pins in a sliding manner to make contact. The task is solved in that an optical waveguide is embedded in at least one plug pin of the plug part, the head of which lies in an opening in the tip of the plug pin, that at least one receptacle of the receptacle part carries an optical waveguide, the end of which lies in a hole in the base of the receptacle and that when the plug part is inserted into the receptacle part, the head and the ends of the two optical waveguides lie opposite one another at a short distance from one another and axially aligned. This coupling device is the key component for integrating fiber optic technology into spatially limited high-voltage distribution networks, because both the high-voltage connection and the fiber optic connection are established using the same plug pins and receptacles. Using this coupling device, electricity consumers of all kinds can be connected to the high-voltage network and the information network at the same time using the same socket and the same power plug, so that all consumers in a house can be controlled and regulated via a common information network and can feed consumption-related data back to the information network. Using the coupling device described, a television, a telephone system, a data processing device, etc. can also be connected to the high-voltage network and the information network at the same time. It is no longer necessary to lay the two networks separately, because the high-voltage cables and the fiber optic cables can be laid and routed next to each other without any safety concerns. The proposed coupling device is the basic prerequisite for each Vex consumer connected to the appropriately designed power network to be controlled and to be able to transmit data to the information network.

The connector pin is designed to be cylindrical and

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has a central longitudinal hole for the optical fiber. The connector pins can also have a square or rectangular cross-section.

Advantageously, the holder is designed as a bushing with a cylindrical inner wall, which has longitudinal slots for suspension.

Spring elements are conveniently provided on the inner wall of the socket, which are arranged in a ring-like manner and have their free ends directed towards the centre of the socket, thus acting as a cover. These ends are pushed open and bent back by the retracting plug pin.

The holder can have a chamber next to its base. This chamber is able to collect dirt particles which could - for example when using extension cables - interfere with the light transmission.

The optical fiber used is a plastic fiber with a diameter of about one millimeter. With such optical fibers it is already possible to transmit data rates of up to 5 megahertz over distances of up to 50 meters. This performance is completely sufficient to set up an information network within a building.

To reduce the transition loss, the head and the end of the two optical fibers should be flush with the tip of the connector tip or the base of the receptacle.

In order to overcome larger distances and to compensate for the transition losses, according to a further essential feature of the invention, a light wave intermediate amplifier is arranged in the receiver and/or in the receiving part.

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The optical fiber repeater advantageously has an integrated low-voltage power supply.

The low-voltage power supply is conveniently connected to the two plug pins or the two receptacles using electrical leads.

The connecting cables contain light guides, each of which is inserted into an insulating tube, which is surrounded by a narrow wire tube, to which a connecting wire is connected, over which a flexible insulating tube is arranged.

Another wire hose can be provided above the insulating tube, which is surrounded by a protective sheath made of insulating material and to which another connecting wire is connected. This coaxial connecting cable therefore has two high-current conductors for conducting the high current and one or two optical fibers for transmitting information.

The proposed coupling device is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawing. In this drawing, each in a longitudinal section:

Fig. 1 a plug-in part with two plug pins

ten, in each of which an optical waveguide is embedded;

Fig. 2 «tin receiving part with two ale book

sen formed receptacles, each with a base in whose hole the end of an optical fiber sits.

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The electrical coupling device intended for use in an integrated power and information network consists of two structurally and functionally coordinated parts, namely a plug-in part 1 and a receiving part 2 with connecting cables 3 and 4 inserted into both. The plug-in part 1 and the receiving part 2 have a housing 5 and 6 made of a suitable insulating material. In Figure 1, the plug-in part 1 is shown as a plug and the receiving part 2 as a coupling, with any necessary protective devices (protective contacts) being omitted for reasons of clarity. The receiving part 2 can equally well be designed as a socket for surface and flush mounting or as an appliance socket.

The two-pin plug part 1 has two plug pins 7 and 8, which are cylindrical and each have a central longitudinal bore 9 with a clear width of around one millimeter. In this longitudinal bore 9 sits an optical fiber 10 in the form of a plastic fiber, the diameter of which is also around one millimeter. The head 11 of this optical fiber 10 lies in the opening at the tip 12 of the plug pin 7 or 8 and is flush with the tip 12 or the opening.

Each plug pin 7, 8 has a clamping device on the side, consisting of a blind hole 13 with a transverse grub screw 14, with the help of which a wire 15 or a strand belonging to the connecting cables 3 for high current is clamped on. The wire 15 has an insulation 16 and is led backwards out of the plug part 1.

Inside the plug-in part 1 there is a light wave repeater 17, which is equipped with a low-voltage power supply 18. This low-voltage power supply 18 is connected to the plug pins with two electrical supply lines 19.

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7 and 8, their task is to reduce the mains voltage from the power network to the low voltage required by the light wave repeater 17 and also to rectify it. A commercially available, integrated electronic component serves as the light wave repeater 17 and therefore does not require any further description.

The two optical fibers 10 embedded in the connector pins 7 and 8 are led through the connector pins 7 and 8 and into the optical fiber amplifier. Two optical fibers 20 emerge from the optical fiber amplifier 17, they are covered with an insulating tube 20 and, together with the wires 15, are led backwards out of the plug-in part 1. These optical fibers 20 can also be represented by a plastic fiber of approximately one millimeter diameter.

The two-pole receiving part 2 has two cylindrical receptacles 22 and 23 in its housing 6, each of which carries an optical waveguide 24 in the form of a plastic fiber of approximately one millimeter diameter. Each of these receptacles 22, 23 is designed as a rear-closed socket with a cylindrical inner wall 25, which has longitudinal slots 26 for spring-loaded contact in sliding interaction with the plug pins 7 and 8. The receptacles 22, 23 or the holes have a base in which a hole 28 is provided, in which the optical waveguide 24 lies with its end 29 flush with the base 27.

A ring of spring elements 25a is attached to the inner wall 25 of the socket, the free ends of which point towards the longitudinal axis of the socket and close it when the plug pins 7 and 8 are not inserted, so that no extraneous light can fall on the ends 29 - i.e. the cutting surfaces - of the optical waveguides 24. This optical closure formed by the spring elements 25a is pushed into the receptacles 22 and 23.

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nen stack pins 7 and β, whereby the spring elements 25 a are pressed back against the inner wall 25.

Each receptacle 22, 23 or socket has, next to its base 27, a small chamber 30 in the form of a cylindrical hollow space, which prevents dirt particles from accumulating in the center, i.e. on the window of the optical waveguide 24, and covering it.

The two receptacles 22 and 23, like the connector pins 7 and β, have lateral clamping devices 31 with a blind hole and a transverse grub screw, which serve to clamp a wire or strand 32 belonging to the connecting lines 4 for the high current.

Also provided inside the receiving part 2 is a light wave intermediate amplifier 33 with a low-voltage power supply 34, which is connected to the receptacles 22 and 23 with two supply lines 1 !>. The two light wave conductors 24 penetrating the bases 27 of the receptacles 22 and 23 are led into the light wave intermediate amplifier 33, and two light conductors 35 emerge from the light wave intermediate amplifier 33, are covered with insulating tubes 36 and led out of the receiving part 2 together with the wires 32.

The arrangement of the plug-in part 1 and the receiving part 2 is such that when the plug-in part 1 is inserted into the receiving part 2, the receptacles 22 and 23 grip the plug pins 7 and 8 in a spring-loaded manner and the heads 11 and the ends 23 of the two optical waveguides 10 and 24 are axially aligned opposite one another at a more or less small distance apart. Visible light as well as its infrared range used in fiber optics can pass from one optical waveguide 10 into the opposite optical waveguide 24 and vice versa at this point without the heads 11 and the ends 23 touching one another; it is sufficient to maintain a distance of approximately

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two millimeters or less. The losses that occur in this connector are easily compensated by the two light wave amplifiers 17 and 33.

The light guides 35, which are located in the connecting cable 4 and are each covered with an insulating tube 36 made of flexible plastic, are surrounded by a narrow braided wire tube 37 made of copper wires, over which a flexible insulating tube 38 is provided. Above this insulating tube 38, there is a second, wider wire tube 39, which is surrounded by a thicker protective sheath 40 made of elastic insulating material. The wire 32 clamped to one receptacle 22 is connected to the narrow wire tube 37, and the other wire 32 connected to the second receptacle 23 is connected to the wide wire tube 39. In this design, the connecting cable 4 forms a coaxial cable with two integrated optical fibers 36 for the information network and the two wire tubes 37 and 39 as conductors for the power network, with one optical fiber serving for the outward transport of the information and the second for the inward transport of the information.

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G 3537/88 Gbm ." , 3 Vf3.'- '■ '' ^h '

22 March 1988

ftusamroenetoll of the reference numbers used

1 Plug-in part 2 Recording part Jk -._!_ 1..A1.JJ ^j niiauiuuuici (.unveil 4 Connecting cables 5 Housing 6 Housing 7 Connector pin 8th Connector pin 9 Longitudinal drilling 10 optical fiber 11 Head 12 Great 13 blind hole 14 Grub screws 15 Wire, strand 16 isolation 17 Optical fiber repeater 18 Low-voltage power supply 19 Supply lines 20 Light guide 21 Insulating hose 22 Recording 23 Recording 24 optical fiber 25 Interior wall 25 a Spring elements 26 Longitudinal slots 27 Floor 28 Hole

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29 End 30 Kaiener 31 Clamping device 32 wire 33 Light wave - sound amplifier 34 Low-voltage power supply 35 Light guide 36 Insulating hoses 37 Wire hose, narrow 36 xinsulation pipe 39 Wire hose, wide 40 Protective coat

Claims (12)

G 3537/88 Gbm 22. March 1988 Herbert Graf Two-part, multi-pole electrical coupling device Claims 1. Two-part, multi-pole electrical coupling device, consisting of a plug-in part and a receptacle part as well as connecting cables inserted into these, with plug pins in the plug-in part and with corresponding receptacles in the receptacle part, which in sliding interaction at least partially encompass the plug pins for making contact, characterized in that that an optical waveguide (10) is embedded in at least one connector pin (7 or 8) of the plug-in part (1), the head (11) of which lies in an opening in the tip (12) of the connector pin (7, 8), that at least one receptacle (22 or 23) of the receiving part (2) carries an optical waveguide (24), the end (29) of which lies in a hole (28) in the bottom (27) of the receptacle (22, 23), and that when the plug-in part (1) is inserted into the receiving part (2), the head (11) and the end (29) of the two optical waveguides (10 and 24) are axially aligned with one another at a small distance from one another. Il Il I I I » I ( ti Il Il I I I 1 I I I I I I I t* I· I I I I III! IfI &bull; I · * t t I (Ml ti I overlie. 2. Coupling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug pin (7 or 8) is cylindrical and has a central longitudinal bore (9) for the optical waveguide (10). 3. Coupling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the receptacle (22 or 23) is designed as a bushing with a cylindrical inner wall (25) which has longitudinal slots (26). 4. Coupling device according to claim 3, characterized in that spring elements (25 a) are arranged on the inner wall (29) of the bushing. 5. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the receptacle (22 or 23) has a chamber (30) next to its base (27). 6. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the optical waveguide (10 or 241) is a plastic fiber with a diameter of about one millimeter. 7. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the head (11) and the end (23) of the two optical waveguides (10 or 24) are flush with the tip (12) of the plug pin (7 or 8) or the bottom (27) of the receptacle (22 or 23). 8. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that in the plug-in part (1) and/or a light wave intermediate amplifier* (17 or 33) is arranged in the receiving part (2). 9. Coupling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the light wave intermediate amplifier (17 or 33) has a low-voltage power supply (1θ or 34). 10. Coupling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the Nlederyoit power supply (18 or 34) is connected with electrical supply lines (19) to the two plug pins (8 and 9) or the two receptacles (22 or 23). 11. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that in the connecting lines (3 or 4) light guides (20 or 35) are provided, each of which is inserted into an insulating tube (21 or 36) which is surrounded by a narrow wire tube (37) to which a connecting wire (32) is connected, over which a flexible insulating tube (38) is arranged. 12. Coupling device according to claim 11, characterized in that a further wire hose (39) is provided above the insulating tube (38), which is surrounded by a protective sheath (40) made of insulating material and to which another connecting wire (41) is connected.