EP0189593B1 - Plug assembly for an electrical apparatus, in particular a thermostatic controller - Google Patents

Abstract

A plug assembly for an electrical apparatus, in particular for a thermostatic controller, is provided with a base part (1), consisting of dielectric material, on which there are arranged, projecting at the sides, at least two flat electrically conductive contact members (21) located on the broad side, adjacent to one another, spaced apart in a common plane. In order to achieve a simple, close-tolerance manufacturing and assembly capability of the contact members, and on the other hand to allow mechanical connection of a flat plug coupling part (33), the assembly is designed such that onto the contact members there is pushed a flat covering cap (22), consisting of dielectric material, which covers the contact members at least on the broad side up to predetermined contact surface regions (32), which are limited by corresponding wall openings (31) in the covering cap. The wall openings are arranged in a terminal part (23) of the covering cap, which is equipped for the plugging on of an associated plug coupling part (33), containing separate contact elements (34), the wall openings being in a configuration and position corresponding to the arrangement and the dimensions of the contact elements (34) which come into contact with the contact surface regions. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a connector arrangement for an electrical device, in particular a thermostatic controller, with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

In a connector arrangement known from FR-A-2 437 056 with these features, a plate-shaped part designed in the manner of a cover cap is fitted onto the cylindrical connecting wires of an electrical overtemperature fuse and is intended for insertion into an associated plug-in coupling part containing separate contact elements. The connecting wires forming the contact members are cranked into an elongated U-shape in the elongated wall openings of the plate-shaped part, so that protruding areas of these offsets form exposed contact surface areas for the contact elements of the associated plug-in coupling part. Such a cranking of the contact members after sliding on the plastic cover is only possible with relatively thin connecting wires; it is also complex and difficult to assemble. In addition, it is difficult to precisely define the contact surface areas in their lateral position without subsequent adjustment.

It is known from FR-A-2 408 905 to use flat contact members in the form of resilient contact clips bent in a U-shape.

For example, with thermostatic controllers, it is common (DE-A-27 24 527) to arrange the snap switch or switches on a ceramic base and to connect the switch contacts to contact members which are made in the manner of the usual flat plug (6.3 x 0.8 mm DIN 46 244) are formed and attached to the ceramic base. Since at least two, usually three or more such flat plugs are required for the electrical connection, a corresponding number of differently shaped sheet metal parts are obtained during manufacture, which are generally punched out of 0.8 mm MS sheet metal. The manufacture and assembly of these parts on the ceramic base are therefore relatively complex.

In addition, it is not readily possible to mechanically connect the associated receptacles with the supply lines to the flat plugs, as would be desirable in view of the automation of the assembly process.

Such a mechanical connection of a plug-in coupling part connected to the connecting lines is possible on the other hand in the case of printed circuit boards contacted on the edge, the contacts of which are arranged, for example, in the known 5 mm grid and their assigned plug-in coupling part, which contains resilient contact elements arranged in a corresponding grid, simply on the Edge of the circuit board is pushed on. The use of printed circuit boards for the line connection in temperature controllers has already been proposed (DE-A-3 414 454), however, there are applications in which such printed circuit boards made of plastic material cannot be used for various reasons.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a connector arrangement for an electrical device, in particular a thermostatic controller, which is characterized on the one hand by a simple, closely tolerated possibility of manufacturing and installing the contact elements, and on the other hand allows a mechanical connection of a flat plug plug-in coupling part, without having to resort to the printed circuit boards contacted at the end or their own adapters.

To achieve this object, the connector arrangement mentioned at the outset according to the invention has the features of the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

Since the slot-like wall openings lie above the respective contact members and limit strip-like contact surface areas on their broad side, an exact, tightly tolerated position of the contact surface areas is ensured regardless of the position of the contact members within the respective tolerance range of the cover cap, because this is always given by the limitation of the wall openings.

In a preferred embodiment, the strip-like connecting part has suitable dimensions for attaching a plug-in coupling part intended for lateral connection to printed circuit board contacts.

The contact members can have a smaller thickness than the connecting part of the cover cap, which in practice means that the contact members can be punched out, for example, in the thickness of 0.8 mm standardized for flat plugs according to DIN 46 244, without having to connect one for the end Contacted printed circuit boards equipped flat plug coupling parts additional metal supports or the like. would be required. The strip-like connector has the required thickness for the connection of the plug-in coupling part of 1.5 mm, as is customary for printed circuit boards, so that a perfect fit of the plug-in coupling part on the connecting part of the cover cap and, at the same time, perfect contact with the contact members are ensured.

The contact members can be enclosed on all sides by the cover cap up to the contact surface areas, while the wall openings can also be formed only in one wall of the connection part of the cover cap, which results in similar conditions as when connecting the plug-in coupling part to a printed circuit board printed on one side.

In order to reliably adhere to the air and creepage distances prescribed between the individual contact members in the case of a narrow contact grid, for example the 5 mm grid mentioned above, the cover cap can have insulating webs between adjacent contact members and electrically isolating them from one another, which are made of plastic material on the one Cover cap are integrally formed.

In addition, the contact members can be curved and clamped frictionally or positively against adjacent wall parts of the cover cap in order to ensure that the cover cap and thus also the plugged onto it are firmly seated in a captive manner To ensure plug coupling part.

In the case of a plurality of contact members lying next to one another on one side of the base part in a common plane and leading to different contact points or switching elements, the cover cap can also be used directly for coding the line connection in that its wall openings are arranged in a distributed manner in accordance with a predetermined code. This code determines which of the adjacent contact members are connected to electrical lines of the plug-in coupling part via assigned wall openings of the cover cap and which contact members remain insulated by the cover cap against the assigned contact elements of the plug-in coupling part. Thus, by using differently coded cover caps - which are cheap plastic parts - different line connections and thus also correspondingly different switching functions of the device can be generated without the need for any intervention in the wiring or the arrangement of the contact elements themselves. This greatly simplifies storage and assembly.

As mentioned, at least one contact element can also be completely covered and insulated by the cover plate in the context of this coding, so that it is not electrically connected to a connecting line via the plug-in coupling part.

Around the cover cap one for mechanical handling and a tight fit of the plug-in coupling part To provide the required stability, it may be appropriate that it has a molded base that is free of wall openings and with which it can be connected to the base part carrying the contact members.

In principle, it is possible to manufacture the contact elements as individual parts and to mount them individually on the base part. However, since the requirements for the tolerances to be complied with are relatively high, in particular with a 5 mm contact grid, and the assembly of a large number of individual parts is complex, it is generally more advantageous if the contact members are parts of an initially one-piece stamped sheet metal part that is on the whole as a whole Base part is mounted and from which the contact members are formed after assembly by punching out predetermined intermediate pieces.

The contact members initially connected in the one-piece sheet metal stamped part have the relatively small tolerances of such a stamped part. The assembly of this one stamped sheet metal part on the insulating base part is considerably easier compared to the assembly of three individual contact members, and on top of that the connected contact members cannot change their mutual position during assembly. It is only on the assembly line that the contact members are separated from one another by punching out the intermediate pieces, onto which only the cover cap then needs to be attached, in order for one in particular mechanical connection of a circuit board flat plug coupling part to create a suitable plug arrangement.

The one-piece sheet metal stamped part can be designed in such a way that differently designed contact members, in particular standard-compliant flat plugs (DIN 46 244, 46 248), can be formed by punching out differently designed intermediate pieces.

Fig. 1

ein einstückiges, fertig gebogenes und verformtes Messingblechstanzteil für eine Steckeranordnung gemäß der Erfindung, in einer Draufsicht,

Fig. 2

das auf einen Keramiksockelteil montierte einstückige Blechstanzteil nach Fig. 1, in einer Draufsicht,

Fig. 3

einen unter Verwendung der Anordnung nach Fig.2 fertig montierten thermostatischen Regler mit anschlußbereiter Steckeranordnung, mit voneinander getrennten Kontaktgliedern in Gestalt von Flachsteckern, in einer Draufsicht und in einer Teildarstellung,

Fig. 4

die Anordnung nach Fig. 2, mit getrennten Kontaktglieder in der Ausbildung für eine Steckeranordnung gemäß der Erfindung, in einer Draufsicht,

Fig. 5

die Steckeranordnung nach Fig. 4, mit aufgesetzter Abdeckkappe und zugeordnetem Flachsteckkupplungsteil, in einer Draufsicht, und

Fig. 6

die Steckeranordnung nach Fig. 5, geschnitten längs der Linie VI-VI der Fig. 5, in einer schematischen Seitenansicht und in einem anderen Maßstab.

Exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are shown in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a one-piece, completely bent and deformed sheet brass stamped part for a connector assembly according to the invention, in a plan view,

Fig. 2

1, in a plan view, the one-piece sheet metal stamping part mounted on a ceramic base part,

Fig. 3

2 using the arrangement according to FIG. 2, fully assembled thermostatic controller with ready-to-connect plug arrangement, with separate contact members in the form of flat plugs, in a top view and in a partial view,

Fig. 4

2, with separate contact members in the training for a connector assembly according to the invention, in a plan view,

Fig. 5

4, with an attached cover cap and associated flat plug coupling part, in a plan view, and

Fig. 6

5, cut along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5, in a schematic side view and on a different scale.

The thermostatic controller shown schematically in FIG. 3 has an essentially rectangular, plate-like, ceramic base part 1, on which an electrical snap switch 2 is arranged, the switch tongue of which is designated 3 and which is fastened at 4 to the base part 1. The switching tongue 3 carries a contact piece 5, which can optionally engage with an upper and a lower fixed contact, of which the upper contact is illustrated at 6 in FIG. 6. The upper contact 6 is fastened to a cranked contact carrier arm 7, which in turn is molded onto a flat part 8 which is riveted to the base part 1. On both sides of the flat-lying part 8, two flat contact tabs 9, 10 are fastened on the base part 1 at a distance, of which the contact tab 9 is connected at 4 to the snap switch 2 and the contact tab 10 cooperates with the contact piece 5 of the tongue 3 (not shown further) lower contact piece carries.

At the end of the contact tabs 9, 10 and the flat part 8, contact members in the form of flat plugs 11, 11a (6.3 x 0.8 mm, DIN 46 244) are formed, which lie in a common horizontal plane above the associated side edge of the Protruding base part 1. The flat plug 11a is indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 3. It can be cut away if all that matters is an on-off function of the snap switch 2.

On the base part 1, a sheet metal part 12 is attached on the opposite side of the tabs 11, 11a, which carries a pivotally mounted transmission lever 14 at 13, which acts on the switching tongue 3 at 15 and whose actuation takes place through a diaphragm socket 16, which on the Sheet metal part 12 is arranged below the transmission lever 14. The membrane box 16 is connected via a capillary tube 17 to a temperature sensor, not shown.

The contact tabs 9, 10 and the contact carrier arm 7, like the flat connectors 11, 11a, are parts of a one-piece stamped sheet metal part 18 before assembly, as shown in FIG. 1. This stamped part is punched out of 0.5, 0.8 or 1.2 mm thick sheet brass in the outline shape according to FIG. 1 and pre-bent with the contact carrier arm 7 standing at a distance above the contact tab 10.

The stamped and pre-bent and provided with the upper contact piece 6 and the lower contact piece one-piece sheet metal stamped part 18 is then placed on the ceramic base part 1 during assembly and fastened together with the snap switch 2 thereon. This results in the state shown in FIG. 2.

Following this assembly step, the intermediate pieces indicated by dashed lines at 19 in FIG. 2 were punched out, as a result of which the contact tabs 9, 10 and the part 8 were separated from one another and at the same time the tabs 11, 11a were formed. After mounting the sheet metal part 12, the transmission lever 14 and the diaphragm box 16 in the manner shown in FIG. 3, the thermostatic controller is fully assembled.

The sheet metal stamped part 18 is designed in such a way that, following the assembly state according to FIG. 2, the differently designed intermediate pieces, designated by 20 in FIG. 1 and shown in broken lines, can also be punched out from it by appropriate selection of the punching tools. As a result, narrow contact members 21 connected to the two contact tabs 9, 10 and the flat part 8 are formed, which in the manner shown in FIG. 4 protrude from one another in a common horizontal plane at a distance from one another over an adjacent side edge of the base part 1. On this parallel to each other and arranged in a contact pitch of 5 mm finger-like contact members 21 is a cover made of insulating plastic material 22 is pushed (Fig. 5,6), which has a substantially strip-like, parallel-flanked connection part 23 of rectangular cross-sectional shape. The flat connecting part 23 is followed by a reinforced, also strip-like base 24, which is supported against corresponding shoulders 25 of the contact tabs 9, 10.

The flat connecting part 23 has a continuous thin, lower wall 26, to which two side walls 27 and a top wall 28 connect are connected to each other by an end wall 29 in such a way that the flat contact members 21 are enclosed on all sides by the plastic material of the cover cap 22. In the manner shown in FIG. 6, there are integrally molded intermediate webs 30 between adjacent contact members 21 in the cover cap 22, which ensure the creepage and air gaps between adjacent contact members 21 required for the mutual electrical insulation.

On the upper side of the connecting part 23 of the cover cap 22, parallel wall openings 31 are provided in the cover wall 28, which are above the respective contact members 21 and limit exposed strip-like contact surface areas 32 thereon.

The dimensions of the flat connecting part 23 are chosen such that a flat plug coupling part indicated at 33 in FIG. 5 can be plugged on and is held captively in the plugged-on state. The flat plug coupling part 33 is a coupling part standardized for producing a plug connection in the case of printed circuit boards contacted on the edge, which carries resilient contact elements 34 arranged in a 5 mm grid, which are connected to the conductors of a ribbon cable 35 in a manner known per se.

The slot-like wall openings 31 are dimensioned and arranged such that when the plug-in coupling part 33 is plugged onto the connecting part 23, its contact elements 34 rest on the contact surface regions 32 of the contact members 21 and make electrical contact with them.

The cover cap 22 can be coded in the area of the connecting part 23 in that the wall openings 31 are arranged distributed according to a predetermined code. 5, this means that either all three wall openings 31 shown can be present or only two wall openings or even one wall opening - each in a different arrangement - can be present, whereby an electrical connection with the contact members 21 is only established in accordance with the predetermined code becomes. A further coding and at the same time a protection against rotation are made possible by the respective outer shape of the connecting part 23.

The base 24 of the cover cap 22 is then designed in the manner shown in FIG. 5 in such a way that the plug-in coupling part 33 is securely seated on the connecting part 23.

Finally, the contact elements 21 having a smaller thickness (0.8 mm) than the connecting part 23 (1.5 mm), as can be seen from FIG. 6, are slightly curved, so that there is a frictional jamming of the contact members 21 with the cover cap which has been pushed on 22 results. In addition, a positive locking connection can be provided so that unintentional removal of the cover cap 22 is excluded.

If, as in the exemplary embodiment described, the sheet-metal stamped part 18 is punched out of 0.8 mm brass sheet, then in the case of the controller which is partially preassembled in accordance with FIG (Fig. 3) or a connector assembly with the contact members 21 shown in FIG. 4. In the latter connector arrangement, the contact members 21 are thinner than a printed circuit board (1.5 mm), but the thickness dimension (1.5 mm) required for the connection of the flat plug coupling part 33 is produced according to a printed circuit board by the connecting part 23 of the cover cap 22.

The connector arrangement was described above using a temperature controller. It goes without saying that it can in principle also be used in a corresponding manner for other electrical devices in which the electrical line connection is made via flat plugs.

Claims (13)

1. Plug assembly for an electrical apparatus, in particular a thermostatic controller, comprising a base part consisting of insulating material and having arranged thereon so as to protude laterally at least two electrically conductive contact members (21) which lie in spaced relation alongside one another in a common plane and on which there is placed a flat cap (22) consisting of insulating material and covering said contact members (21) substantially except for contact surface regions (32) which are exposed by corresponding wall openings (31) of said cap (22), said wall openings (31) being arranged in a connection part (23) of said cap (22) designed for plug connection with an associated plug connector part (33) containing separate contact elements (34), characterized in that said contact members (21) are flat, and in that said parallel, slot-like wall openings (31) lie above said respective contact members and there are formed on the respective broad side thereof strip-like contact surface regions (32) which are delimited by said parallel, slot-like wall openings (31).
2. Plug assembly as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said strip-like connection part (23) has suitable dimensions for a plug connector part designed for lateral connection to printed circuit board contacts to be pluged onto it.
3. Plug assembly as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said contact members (21) are less thick than said connection part (23).
4. Plug assembly as defined in claim 3, characterized in that said contact members (21) are enclosed on all sides by said cap (22) except for said contact surface regions (32).
5. Plug assembly as defined in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wall openings (31) are formed in only one wall (28) of said connection part (23) of said cap (22).
6. Plug assembly as defined in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cap (22) has insulating bridges (30) lying between adjacent contact members (21) and insulating these from one another electrically.
7. Plug assembly as defined in claim 3, characterized in that said contact members (21) are arched and clamped in a frictionally or positively connected manner against adjacent wall parts of said cap (22).
8. Plug assembly as defined in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wall openings (31) are distributed in accordance with a predetermined code.
9. Plug assembly as defined in claim 8, characterized in that at least one contact member (21) is completely covered by said cap (22).
10. Plug assembly as defined in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cap (22) has a base (24) formed thereon which is free of wall openings.
11. Plug assembly as defined in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said contact members (21) are parts of an initially integral punched part (18) which is assembled as a whole on said base part (1) and from which said contact members (21) are formed after assembly by punching out predetermined intermediate pieces (20).
12. Plug assembly as defined in claim 11, characterized in that said punched metal part (18) is of such shape that by punching out intermediate pieces (19) of a different shape, contact members of a different shape, for example, standardized flat plugs (11, 11a) can be selectively formed.
13. Plug assembly as defined in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a positively locking connection between contact members (21) and said cap (22).

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