EP0209691B1 - Electrical interconnection assembly for work stations - Google Patents

Abstract

This connecting device consists of a connector (V3) which has at least two plug connectors (A1, A2, B1, B2) into which fitting coupling elements (K1, K2, K3) are to be inserted. The latter are fixedly connected to connecting cables (1, 2, 3, 4) and have connectable elements (A, B, E, F) on the other end which fit into the plug devices of the electrical apparatuses (X, Y, Z). The connector (V3) considerably reduces the large number of individual lines to be held in store with different connecting elements on the two ends. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a connecting device for the electrical connection of electrical connections of electrical devices with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

For connecting different electrical devices, e.g. Parts of a radio stereo system are usually used for connecting or connecting cables, which each have one or more connecting elements individually assigned to the electrical devices, e.g. Have plug connections. Such plug connections vary greatly from device to device, but also from company to company, especially when combining old and newer electrical devices. In this case, but in particular in the case of multiple connections by means of plugs, it is difficult to correctly assign the individual electrical connecting or connecting conductors of the cable to the different plug connections of the electrical devices, in particular new electrical devices, or to provide them with corresponding plug connections. Due to the lack of clarity, incorrect connections and incorrect connections are often to be obtained. This difficulty already occurs with a small number of electrical devices to be connected to one another.

A connecting device of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 is known from GB-A-21 39 017. This shows a metal or plastic housing, in the walls of which several socket elements are arranged. Inside the case there is a printed circuit that carries connecting lines between the various external elements. The connection between the socket elements and the printed circuit is made via connecting pins which are soldered into the printed circuit in a conventional manner. The device is obviously intended to act as a distributor or switch. Tapping is intended in particular for test purposes. Any selection regarding the type of connected or connectable electrical devices is not possible. In addition, the distributor is comparatively complicated, namely it is designed in the manner of an electrical device.

From DE-A-29 43 787 a connector coupling for connecting similar connection cables with the aid of a support element which carries continuous support elements is known. There is no encodability in the direction of improving clarity, nor is it suggested.

US-A-36 54 586 shows sockets / plug elements, that is to say no connecting device in the sense of the present application, with a connector and with connecting cables having connecting elements. Groove and socket elements are used here, however, to ensure that incorrect mating is prevented. Any possibility of extending it to more than two connecting conductors or even to a grouping or family formation is neither specified nor suggested.

The invention is therefore based on the object of designing a connecting device in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that greater clarity and universality is obtained with regard to the connection and connection arrangement using a small number of connecting cables for many electrical connections and this with constructive, assembly- and production-technically simple design of the parts required for this.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features listed in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Advantageous developments of the invention result from the subclaims.

Due to the inventive design of the connecting device, in particular the special structure of the connector and the coupling elements of the connecting cables, it is possible to use one and the same connector, at least for a selected group, of conceivable connections between electrical devices, which is achieved by the coding elements. In addition, the structure is extremely simple since the printed circuit is itself part of the respective connection arrangement between the printed circuit and the coupling element.

This combination of encodability on the one hand and simple structure on the other represents a new system overall.

A major advantage is the universality of the connection device, since all types of electrical devices can be connected to one another using a connection device according to the present invention.

This type of connection has the advantages that only one connection cable is provided for each output or input on the electrical device that requires a specific plug or coupling in terms of shape. The correct electrical connection is made exclusively by the connector. This makes it possible to produce a large number of different electrical connections with a small number of connecting cables. By means of the connecting device according to the invention, in particular the clarity of the connection and connection arrangement compared to conventional connecting devices is significantly increased, and the wiring of the electrical devices can easily be made by the user himself. In the case where, for example, a user purchases a new electrical device that requires the same connection cables as his old device, but requires a different electronic circuit, all that is required is a new connector. In addition, storage is simplified since the number of connection cables with different connection elements at the two ends is greatly reduced.

The special structural design of the connector provides an easily producible, inscribable and mountable structural unit, in particular when using a connection board in the form of a contact blade which can be locked with the connector housing, so that the clarity of the various connections to be made is further improved significantly.

Further advantageous refinements of the invention result from the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing and described below.

Fig. 1 und 2

zwei unterschiedliche Gerätekombinationen, die durch erfindungsgemäße Verbindungsvorrichtungen elektrisch miteinander verbunden sind,

Fig. 3 eine

erste Ausführungsform der Verbindungsvorrichtung in Teil-Schnittansicht,

Fig. 4 eine

zweite Ausführungsform der Verbindungsvorrichtung in Teil-Schnittansicht,

Fig. 5 und 6

einen Verbinder als Einzelheit in zwei unterschiedlichen Schnittdarstellungen,

Fig. 7 bis 10

unterschiedliche Kodiereinrichtungen am Verbinder gemäß Fig. 5 und 6,

Fig. 11 und 12

ein Kupplungselement als Einzelheit in zwei unterschiedlichen Ansichten,

Fig. 13 bis 16

das Kupplungselement gemäß Fig. 11 und 12 mit unterschiedlichen Kodiereinrichtungen,

Fig. 17 einen

Teil eines Verbinders mit eingestecktem Kupplungselement mit Schnittdarstellung im Verbindungsbereich,

Fig. 18

die Frontansicht eines Verbinders gemäß einer weiteren Ausgestaltung,

Fig. 19

die Schnittdarstellung einer Variante von Verbinder und Kupplungselement,

Fig. 20

beispielhaft die bevorzugte Ausführung der Platine der gedruckten Schaltung,

Fig. 21

ein Beispiel der Beschriftung der Platine,

Fig. 22

die elektrische Schaltung der Ausführung der Kupplungselemente bei 2-poligen elektrischen Steckanschlüssen, und

Fig. 23

die elektrische Schaltung der Ausführung der Kupplungselemente bei 5- oder 6-poligem Steckanschluß.

Show it:

1 and 2

two different device combinations which are electrically connected to one another by connecting devices according to the invention,

Fig. 3 a

first embodiment of the connecting device in partial sectional view,

Fig. 4 a

second embodiment of the connecting device in partial sectional view,

5 and 6

a connector as a detail in two different sectional views,

7 to 10

different coding devices on the connector according to FIGS. 5 and 6,

11 and 12

a coupling element as a detail in two different views,

13 to 16

11 and 12 with different coding devices,

17 a

Part of a connector with inserted coupling element with sectional view in the connection area,

Fig. 18

the front view of a connector according to a further embodiment,

Fig. 19

the sectional view of a variant of connector and coupling element,

Fig. 20

the preferred version of the printed circuit board, for example,

Fig. 21

an example of the labeling of the board,

Fig. 22

the electrical circuit of the execution of the coupling elements with 2-pin electrical plug connections, and

Fig. 23

the electrical circuit of the execution of the coupling elements with 5- or 6-pin plug connection.

In Fig. 1, two electrical devices Y and Z are indicated schematically, the electrical connections a, b and e, f are to be connected to one another by electrical connecting cables. For this purpose, connecting cables 1, 2, 3 and 4 are used, which are provided at one cable end with the different plug connections a, b, e, f of the electrical devices Y and Z corresponding plug connections A, B, E, F. The other cable ends are provided with coupling elements K1, K2 and K3, which are designed as uniform plug connections. For the electrical connection of the functionally assigned connecting cables 1, 3 and 2, 4, a connector V3 is used, in whose plug connections A1, A2, B1 and B2 the aforementioned coupling elements can be inserted and are connected to one another by the conductor tracks described (a printed circuit).

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, the plug connections e and f of the electrical device Y are to be electrically connected to the plug connections a, b and c and d of two electrical devices X and Z. For this purpose, the connecting cables 1, 2, 3 and 4 are used, furthermore connecting cables 7, 8 branch off from the connecting cables 3, 4. The electrical connection between the electrical devices Y and Z is identical to the connection arrangement shown in Fig.1. For the electrical connection of the Electrical devices X and Y serve a further connector V6, which has plug connections A1, A2, B1 and B2, into which in turn coupling elements K1 and K3 and K5 can be inserted. The coupling elements K3 and K5 are in turn connected to connecting cables 5 and 6 which can be inserted into the plug connections c and d of the electrical device X. The electrical devices determine the type of connection cable by the type of plug-in connections at the inputs and outputs, which for this purpose must be provided with corresponding plug-in connections on the one hand and coupling elements on the other hand. The correct electrical or electronic connection to the other electrical device is established by the connector.

In the previous embodiments, the connectors V3 and V6 each have two plug connections on each side for the plug connection of two coupling elements. Of course, there is no restriction in the number of plug connections of the connector arranged next to and / or one above the other, as illustrated in FIG. 18. In the embodiments described below, a connector, e.g. V3, two plug connections on both sides.

Figure 3 shows the detail of the connector V3 together with coupling elements K1. The connector V3 has two housing parts 9, 10, which are assembled in a form-fitting manner and in which a circuit board forming a printed circuit 11 is held. The printed circuit consists of insulating material and has, for example in the form of rectilinear, parallel and strip-like metal coverings, printed conductors corresponding to the number and arrangement of the coupling elements or their contact springs. The electrical connection from one side to the other of the connector V3 takes place via these conductor tracks. For the electronic adaptation of the electrical connection, components 12 can be applied to the circuit board and connected to the conductor tracks. The coupling elements that can be plugged on both sides of the connector V3 K1 each consist of a coupling housing 13 with a front, continuous plug-in slot 14, one or more, for example three, contact springs 15 produced in the stamping process being provided for each electrical connection. Each contact spring 15 is fork-shaped to the contact side and has a soldering lug 16 on the opposite side for the soldered connection to a wire 17 of the corresponding connecting cables 1, 3. As explained in more detail below, the fork-like sections of the contact spring are located on both sides of the plug slot 14 within the coupling housing 13. The soldering joint and part of the cable end are surrounded by an insulating sleeve 18. For the coupling process, the two opposite ends of the circuit board 11 serve as Contact knife, on which the slotted coupling elements K1 can be plugged, the contact springs 15 coming into electrical contact with the conductor tracks of the printed circuit 11. In this embodiment, the end flanges 19 of the insulating sleeves 18 butt against the stop collar 20 of the connector housing parts 9, 10.

The only difference between the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4 and the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3 is that the housing parts 9 ', 10' are provided with integrally molded insertion sleeves 21, into which the respective coupling elements K1 can be inserted, these extended insertion sleeves providing the locking of the coupling elements K1 and improve the electrical shielding of the contacting or soldering area, in particular when, as explained below, the entire connector is provided with an electrical shield.

5 to 10 show the connector V3 as a detail. Its two housing parts 9, 10 have on the mutually facing sides, for example, latching or form-fittingly fitting and pluggable connecting parts 10a, 10a ', 10b, 10b' and corresponding connecting parts on the housing part 9, which engage when the housing parts 9, 10 are plugged together. 6 and 7a show, the housing parts 9 and 10 are identical.

As FIG. 7a shows, the housing part 10 has an outer, raised connecting part 10a, which moves around half of the housing circumference in a U-shape, and on the other housing half also a raised, likewise U-shaped connecting part 10a ', which is offset inwards by the width of the connecting part. In continuation of the outer connection part 10a, a groove-like outer connection part 10b is provided and in continuation of the connection part 10a 'an inner, also groove-like connection part 10b' is provided. The housing part 9 is also formed in the same way. This makes it possible to assemble one of these housing parts, e.g. 9, opposite the other housing part, e.g. 10 to tilt and plug together by 180 degrees, the raised connecting parts engaging in the groove-like connecting parts and in this way holding the housing parts together.

6 and 7, each identically designed housing part 9, 10 has a pair of guide projections 22 on both sides of the rectangular, hollow housing part for guiding the circuit board of the printed circuit 11 in the center of the cavity 23 (see also FIG. 5). The printed circuit 11 has a stop projection 24 on both sides, which strikes a stop 25 when the printed circuit 11 is inserted into one of the housing parts, for example 10. Here, two locking knobs 26 snap with their pointed ends in a locking opening 27 of the circuit board 11. Each housing part 9, 10 has a pair of such facing locking knobs 26. In the final assembly position according to FIGS. 5 and 6, the locking knobs 26 also lock in here the corresponding latching opening 27, and the two housing parts are axially fixed to one another by positive interlocking and by latching the latching knobs 26. In addition, it is provided that the circuit board 11 is locked with locking shoulders 28 behind locking cams 29.

As FIG. 7 shows, the connector V3 has two insertion openings or insertion cavities 30, 31 for two coupling elements described below. Each housing part, for example 10, has a guide groove 32 on the mutually opposite walls of the cavities 30, 31, which is arranged eccentrically to the cavity axes. These guide grooves 32 come into alignment with one another when the two housing parts 9, 10 are tilted during assembly. The guide grooves 32 interact with corresponding guide elements on the coupling elements. In the variants according to FIGS. 7 to 10, coding ribs 33 are formed on the mutually opposite walls of the insertion cavities 30, 31 in different geometrical arrangements, which with corresponding coding elements or coding grooves in the coupling elements for the purpose of unmistakably connecting the connector plug connection and the corresponding coupling element work together. 8 to 10 only one half of the connector is shown in each case.

In a similar way to Figs. 5 to 10, Figs. 11 to 16 show the design of a coupling element, e.g. K1, as well as various coding variants of the same, the coding elements of the connector according to FIGS. 7 to 10 matching with the coding elements of the coupling element K1 according to FIGS. 13 to 16. As already mentioned, the coupling housing 13, which is made of insulating material, has a continuous slot 14 on the front. The fork-shaped contact ends of the contact springs 15 are located at a spring distance from the inner surfaces of the plug slot 14. The free ends of these contact springs 15 have contact tips 34. As shown in FIG. 13 , In the exemplary embodiment, three contact springs 15 are used in each coupling housing 13, which are spaced apart by a grid spacing of 2.5 mm. This grid spacing corresponds to the spacing of the conductor tracks of the printed circuit 11 in the connector V3. At the non-free end, the coupling housing 13 has a projection 35 for positive connection with the insulating sleeve 18 produced by extrusion coating. This insulating sleeve 18 encloses a part of the coupling housing 13, the soldering point at 16 and a part of the connecting cable 3, which thus fixes and firmly with the coupling element K1 is connected. 13 to 16 are designated by 36 guide ribs which cooperate with corresponding guide grooves of the connector. Coding grooves 37 are formed on the opposite side of the coupling housing 13 and cooperate with corresponding coding ribs of the connector in the various coding variants.

17 shows a part of the connector V3 and a coupling element K1 inserted therein. It can be seen that the housing part 9 is surrounded on the outer circumference by a sleeve 37 which in Spraying process is made or consists of a shrink tube. Between the casing 37 and the connector housing 9 there is a metal foil 38 serving as an electrical shield. Instead, the connector housing can also consist of an electrically conductive plastic with the casing 37 as external insulation. In the case of FIG. 4, the electrical shielding preferably also extends over the insertion sleeves 21. The electrical connection to the printed circuit 11 can take place via the locking knobs 26, which are also provided with an electrically conductive coating for this purpose.

18 that a connector V3 ″ can be expanded in terms of the number of plug connections by widening (dash-dotted lines) and / or by a plurality of levels 39, 40 with a plurality of printed circuits.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 19, a connector housing 41 consists of two housing parts 42, 43 which can be plugged together. A printed circuit is arranged in the housing part 42 and is connected at the soldering point 44 to the wires of the connecting cable 1. The other housing part 43 can be plugged onto this housing part 42 and is provided with a coupling housing 45 projecting over this housing part 43 with contact springs 15 inserted therein, so that a plug connection is produced in the manner described. These contact springs 15 are connected to the printed conductors of a further printed circuit 11 ′, for example also by soldering, at points 46 in an electrically conductive manner. 47 designates an insulating sleeve, which is designed, for example, as an encapsulation, and which surrounds part of the clutch housing 45, the printed circuit 11 'and part of a further clutch housing 45' fastened on the opposite side. Similarly, part of the housing part 42 is surrounded by an insulating sleeve 48, which is used to fasten the connecting cable 1. The printed circuit 11 'is also with the further cantilevered coupling element 45 'electrically connected, on which in turn a plug connection element in the form of the housing part 42' with printed circuit and connecting cable 3 can be plugged, as indicated by dash-dotted lines.

The following table makes the connection and connection order easily manageable, with the designations used in this case corresponding to the designations in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 20 shows the circuit board of the printed circuit 11 with the conductor tracks 60 applied to it. FIG. 21 shows an example of the design of the identification field 70. Three conductor tracks are provided for the coupling element for recording, three more for playback. Abbreviations for recording, eg "Auf.", "Rec.", "Enré", and for playback, eg "Wdg.", "Repro", are visible on the left-hand side of the labeling field. The conductor tracks belonging to the recording, R = right channel, ⊥ = ground, L = left channel, are visible on the right side of the labeling field, as are the corresponding labels for the conductor tracks for playback. The ground conductor track is preferably in the middle between the two other conductor tracks.
22 shows the electrical design of the coupling element 30 with a two-pole plug connection. The electrically correct connection from a stereo device to a mono device is achieved in that the left-hand conductor track L is connected to the right-channel conductor track R.
23 shows the electrical design with five- or six-pole plug connections 80. Here, the contacts for receiving are brought onto the coupling element 3a, those for reproduction onto the coupling element 3b. Coupling elements 3a and 3b differ in a preferred embodiment by the color, as is generally the case for the coupling elements. Several adjacent coupling elements can also be connected to one another in one piece during manufacture or subsequently using brackets.
It is particularly advantageous if at least one contact spring, for example the middle, in particular ground potential, leading spring is formed slightly protruding in the coupling elements, so that it first makes contact with the printed circuit. In addition, this training also achieves a distribution of the force required for the assembly.

Claims (17)

1. A connecting device for connecting up the electrical connections of electrical appliances by means of connecting cables fitted with plug-in connections, comprising coupler elements (K1, K2, K3) each fixed at one of the connecting cables (1, 2, 3, 4), respectively,
   a connector (V3) comprising at least two plug-in connections (A1, A2, B1, B2) for receiving the coupler elements (K1, K2, K3) of at least two connecting cables (1, 2, 3, 4), and
   a printed circuit board (11) within the connector (V3), which contains the connecting leads between the plug-in connections (A1, A2, B1, B2),
   characterized in that printed conductors (60) of the printed circuit board (11) form the plug connection elements of the plug-in connections (A1, A2, B1, B2) and are designed in the manner of a contact blade for the correspondingly built coupler elements (K1, K2, K3),
   the housing (9, 10) of the connector (V3) is equipped in the area of the plug-in connections (A1, A2, B1, B2) with guide grooves (32), coding slots, guide fins or coding fins (33) extending in the plug-in direction for the coupler elements (K1, K2, K3) which are equipped with corresponding guide elements (36) or individually compatible coding elements (37), and
   the connecting cables also comprise connecting elements (A, B, E, F) for electrical connection with the electrical appliances (X, Y, Z).
2. A connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that for each input and output connection (a, b, e, f) of the electrical appliance a connecting cable (1, 2, 3, 4) is provided which comprises a coupler element (K1, K2, K3), and the coupler elements of all connecting cables (1-4) can be plugged into the plug connections (A1, A2, B1, B2) of the connector (V3).
3. A connecting device according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the connecting cables (1-4) comprises at least two coupler elements (K1, K3) which can be plugged into the plug connections of different connectors (V3, V6).
4. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that for 5- or 6-pole electrical connections two coupler elements (K1, K2, K3) are provided.
5. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the connector (V3) has at least two pairs of plug-in connections which are electrically connected by a connecting lead, respectively, and which are arranged on oposite sides of the housing (9, 10) of the connector (V3).
6. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the printed circuit (11) comprises at least one locking opening (27) into which a locking burl (26) of the sleeve-shaped housing (9, 10) is locked.
7. A connecting device according to claim 6, characterized in that the connector housing consits of two housing sections (9, 10) which can be assembled in a form-locking manner, enveloped for example in a sleeve (37), preferably injection-molded, or by a shrink-on sleeve, at least in the region of the points of seperation, an that each housing section has at least one locking burl (26) and the printed circuit (11) as at least two locking openings (27).
8. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the connector housing (41) consists of two housing sections (42, 43) which can be assembled, wherein one housing section (42) is provided with the printed circuit (11) which is firmly connected, for example by soldering, to a connecting cable (1) and the other housing section (43) is designed as a coupler element (45) adapted to be mounted on the one housing section (42) and connected to another connecting cable.
9. A connecting device according to claim 8, characterized in that the other housing section (43) is equipped with two coupler elements (45) and can be joined on either side with housing sections (42) incorporating printed circuits (11).
10. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the connector housing (9, 10; 41) is made of transparent plastic and/or that the printed circuit (11) carries inscriptions.
11. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the connector (V3) is provided with electrical shielding (38), in particular with a shielding coating on the connector housing (9, 10; 41).
12. A connecting device according to claim 11, characterized in that the connector housing is wrapped in metal foil (38) or is made of electrically conductive plastic covered with an insulating layer.
13. A connecting device according to claims 6 or 7 and 11 or 12, characterized in that the printed circuit (11) is electrically connected to the shielding (38) via the locking burl(s) (26).
14. A connecting device according to any of claims 5 to 14, characterized in that the connector housing (9, 10) has plug-in sleeves (21) projecting over the plug connections (A1, A2, B1, B2) for at least one coupler element (K1).
15. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the coupler element (K1) has a coupler housing (13) with a plug-in through slot (14) at the front and incorporates preferably several contact clips (15) extending fork-like on the opposite sides of the plug-in slot (14) and having each a contact point (16), preferably a soldering point, for securing contact with the assigned connecting cable (3).
16. A connecting device according to claim 15, characterized in that the end of the coupler housing (13) opposite the plug-in slot (14) and the contact points are enveloped in a preferably extrusion-coated insulation cover (18).
17. A connecting device according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the electrically correct connection between appliances with a 2-pole plug connection and appliances with a 3-pole plug connection is established by a suitable electrical circuit (30) on the printed circuit board (11).

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