EP0726623A2 - Connecting device for a free reconnecting of a reusable electrical connector e.g. tapping on electrical multiple-wire lines - Google Patents

Abstract

The connection device has an insulating contact carrier (25) incorporating contact elements (23) which have penetration points (24), for penetrating the insulation of respective line wires, to establish an electrical connection with the latter. The actuator-sensor-interface line (18) is clamped between cooperating halves of an insulating housing (11) which has a seating in its cover part (13) for receiving the contact carrier. A manually operated coupling element (28) is used to secure the contact carrier to the cover part of the housing and to move the contact points in the penetration direction.

Description

The invention relates to a connection device for the optional manufacture of a reusable electrical connection or tap on multi-core electrical lines with live strands, in particular so-called ASI lines, according to the preamble of claim 1.

The term ASI means "actuator-sensor interface", so it is an interface for the electrically conductive connection of actuators and sensors, for example in the context of a more complex machine control. A standardized ASI cable consists of two insulated sheathed wires, which are embedded in a common outer insulated sheath in a parallel arrangement. The entire line is very flexible and can therefore be adapted very well to the spatial conditions. Depending on the arrangement of actuators or sensors or the desired location at which voltage is to be tapped or a line is to be connected, the connecting devices can be attached to the ASI line as desired. This makes the entire system very flexible in terms of structure. Due to the contacting by means of the penetration technique by means of the penetration mandrels in the strands of the conductors, the connection devices can also be removed from the ASI line if necessary, without leaving permanent damage.

In a connection device known from prior public use with the features of the preamble of claim 1, the bottom part of the insulating housing consists of a plastic injection molded part with ribs and a channel for the positive reception of the ASI line. The cover part consists of a central plate with two side cheeks intended for positional guidance with the base part. Bottom part and cover part have openings in two diametrically opposite corner areas for engaging screws, with which the cover part is fastened to the bottom part.

In the center of the cover part there is a contact carrier made of insulating material, which is designed on the outward-facing side of the cover part as part of a connector with a union nut for the one mating connector and from the inside of the cover two indentation pins emerge for contact with the strands of the ASI conductor.

This connection device is therefore attached to the ASI line so that the bottom part is placed on one side of the ASI line and the cover part - with the interposition of a separate sealing ring - together with the plug device received in the cover part, then pressed onto the base part and then on this part Is finally fixed with the help of a screwdriver using the two screws.

With this connection device there is a plug-in connection which can be attached at any point on an ASI line are available, to which mating connectors can be connected, which are located, for example, on the assembled cable ends of sensors, such as proximity switches, stepper motors or the like.

The known connection device is reliable per se, but is quite cumbersome to handle, but above all with regard to the connection options for plugs, lines and the like. not flexible. This is where the invention comes in. It is essentially based on the object of specifying a connection device of the type outlined in the preamble of claim 1, which offers more varied connection options. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on a particularly simple handling when attaching or removing a connecting device to or from a line.

The invention solves this problem with the features of claim 1 and is primarily and essentially characterized in that the contact carrier is loose and therefore removable again in the cover part of the insulating body previously attached to the line and that a manually operable coupling member is provided , which holds the contact carrier on the cover part and moves in the correct position of the penetration mandrels to the strands in the contact position and secures them.

In contrast to the prior art, in which the contact carrier is permanently connected to the cover part as part of a connector, the Invention a separate arrangement of the cover part and contact carrier, wherein the contact carrier can be connected to the cover part if necessary with the aid of a special coupling member. Therefore, differently designed contact carriers can be optionally coupled in a modular manner with one and the same cover part or insulating housing.

As in the prior art, the contact carrier can be part of a connector which is intended to remain on the insulating housing and to which a mating connector can be connected.

Alternatively, it is also possible that the contact carrier is part of a connecting line or device-side connector, the contact elements of which form the indenting pins. In other words, this means that, for example, a plug attached to the end of a connecting cable for a proximity switch is intended for direct connection to the upper part of the insulating housing and no longer requires an additional intermediate plug, as is mandatory in the prior art. It is even possible to connect a sensor or actuator itself directly, in that its contact elements have the indentation pins directly.

Finally, it is possible for the contact carrier to be a plug-like component which has contact elements for bridging the line within the insulating housing. With the help of such a blind plug, for example, different conductors within of an insulating housing electrically connect, which will be discussed later.

Due to the described design of the contact carrier to be fixed on the cover part, a particularly advantageous design of the insulating housing itself is also readily possible, in particular in the form that the base part and cover part of the insulating housing are connected to one another in a material-uniform manner via a hinge-free hinge in the manner of a film hinge and by means of releasable locking arrangement are closable. This makes it much easier to attach the insulating material body to the ASI line, to a certain extent with a single handle and without tools, than with the screw connection required in the prior art.

If, according to a further feature of the invention, the coupling member, the coupling member rotatably fixed on the contact carrier or on the cover part, is the nut-like part of a bayonet or union screw connection, the counterpart of which is attached to the cover part or on the contact carrier, there are further considerable advantages with regard to the, again tool-free, possible , Handling and also with regard to the electrical safety of the contact between the contact elements and the conductor strands caused by the penetration technique. The nut-like coupling member can be operated with one hand, screwing or turning, with a central force effect with respect to the indenter mandrels. It is therefore excluded that the mandrels can shift in relation to the strands to be contacted with them and thus enter the strands offset or obliquely. An absolutely safe contact is guaranteed in any case. In addition, there is the advantage that, especially when a screw connection is used by means of a thread with a small pitch, the low torsional forces which have to be applied manually are translated into large actuating forces when the penetrating mandrels are driven into the conductors. These features also promote both the easier handling of the device and the electrical safety of the contact made with it.

In the prior art, connection devices of the type mentioned at the outset are known which are intended instead of connecting connecting plugs for branching off permanently connected lines. Such a connecting device, which is also obviously used, has contact elements which, in addition to at least one indenting mandrel, each have an insulation displacement fork, the indentering mandrels being intended for entry into the strands of the ASI line and the insulation displacement forks for simultaneous contacting with connecting conductors of an electrical branching in the same insulating housing Management.

This connecting device also consists of a base part and a cover part, between which two L-shaped contact elements are arranged, one leg of which has the penetration tips and the other leg has the insulation displacement fork, such that that the line to be connected or branched emerges from the insulating housing parallel to the ASI line.

With such a connecting device, the invention provides that the insulation displacement fork is laterally and vertically offset from the penetrating mandrel in such a way that the conductors to be contacted with one another are arranged crossing one another within the insulating housing. This means that the contact zones of the penetration mandrels and insulation displacement fork are arranged very close together. Apart from the fact that the contact elements themselves can be designed to be extremely compact and material-saving, there is the advantage of an overall considerably more space-saving construction of the connecting device and, in turn, the possibility of providing a union nut arrangement as a coupling member.

Fig. 1

eine Anschlußvorrichtung mit einem Steckanschluß in der Vormontagestellung,

Fig. 2

die Anschlußvorrichtung nach Fig. 1 in der Endmontagelage,

Fig. 3

eine Explosionsdarstellung der Vorrichtung nach Fig. 1 bzw. Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

einen Teilschnitt durch die Anordnung nach Fig. 2 in einer anfänglichen Montagestellung,

Fig. 5

die gleiche Darstellung in der Endmontagelage,

Fig. 6

eine Ausführung mit einem Leitungsstecker zum direkten Anschluß in der Vormontagestellung,

Fig. 7

die Vorrichtung nach Fig. 6 in der angeschlossenen Stellung,

Fig. 8 und 9

Teilschnitte der Ausführung nach Fig. 7 in zwei unterschiedlichen Montagestellungen,

Fig. 10 bis 12

Einzelheiten bezüglich einer Abdichtung der Kontaktzonen der Eindringdorne, wie sie bei allen Ausführungen vorgesehen ist,

Fig. 13 und 14

eine Anschlußvorrichtung für eine abzweigende zusätzliche Leitung,

Fig. 15 und 16

einen Längsschnitt durch die Vorrichtung nach Fig. 14,

Fig. 17

eine vergrößerte Darstellung des bei dieser Anschlußvorrichtung verwendeten Kontaktelements

Fig. 18 und 19

Darstellungen entsprechend Fig. 15 und 16, jedoch um 90^o verdreht, und

Fig. 20

eine weitere Ausführungsform, bei der ein Sensor unmittelbar mit der Anschlußvorrichtung kuppelbar ist.

Further advantageous and expedient refinements of the invention are specified in the subclaims not previously cited. They also result from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to several exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a connection device with a plug connection in the preassembly position,

Fig. 2

1 in the final assembly position,

Fig. 3

2 shows an exploded view of the device according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2,

Fig. 4

3 shows a partial section through the arrangement according to FIG. 2 in an initial assembly position,

Fig. 5

the same representation in the final assembly position,

Fig. 6

a version with a cable connector for direct connection in the pre-assembly position,

Fig. 7

6 in the connected position,

8 and 9

7 in two different mounting positions,

10 to 12

Details regarding a sealing of the contact zones of the indenting mandrels, as is provided in all versions,

13 and 14

a connection device for a branching additional line,

15 and 16

14 shows a longitudinal section through the device according to FIG. 14,

Fig. 17

an enlarged view of the contact element used in this connection device

18 and 19

15 and 16, but rotated by 90 ^o , and

Fig. 20

a further embodiment in which a sensor can be coupled directly to the connection device.

A connection device 10 initially comprises an insulating housing 11 with a base part 12 and a cover part 13. These two parts are of integral material-integral construction and are connected to one another via a film hinge 14 so that they can be swiveled or folded. On the side of the insulating housing 11 facing away from the film hinge 14, a releasable locking arrangement 15 is provided for mutually fixing the two housing parts 12 and 13 to one another. In the exemplary embodiment, front side carriages 16 of the base part 12 have an outline contour 17 which corresponds to that of an ASI line 18 (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5).

The ASI line 18 consists of a flexible rubber or plastic strand 19 with conductors 20 drawn therein, each of which consists of a strand 21 with its own insulating material covering 22.

The insulating housing 11 can be attached to the ASI line 18 at any desired free location by pressing the base part 12 onto the line 18 and then locking the cover part 13 to the base part 12 after folding. The arrangement is such that the insulating housing 11 is fixed in the closed state and cannot be displaced on the line, or only with difficulty, with the application of usual forces.

For the electrical connection of plugs, lines and. The like. Contact elements 23 with indenters 24 are required. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, two contact elements 23, each with 2 indentation pins 24, are provided and embedded in a contact carrier 25 made of insulating material, which is part of a plug connection 26 intended for permanent retention on the insulating housing 11. It includes an axially fixed on the contact carrier 25 rotatable union nut 27 with which a plug, not shown, can be held on this plug connection.

A second, designated 28, coupling ring belongs to the actual connection device, and its internal thread cooperates with an external thread 29, which is arranged on a collar 30 formed integrally with the cover part 13. On the inside of the collar 30 there is a rib 31 as a spring for engaging in a groove 32 on the outside of the contact carrier 25 in order to keep it axially but non-rotatably as soon as it is inserted into the collar 30. Additionally or alternatively, the longitudinal guide 31/32 can also serve as coding, which guarantees the correct polarity of the plug connection.

The parts 23 to 28 form a prefabricated plug assembly which is connected to the insulating housing 11 fixed on the ASI line 18. The penetration tips 24 penetrate into and through windows 33, which are formed in an outer wall 34 of the upper housing part 13, and enter the interior of the housing 11 when - see Fig. 4 - the union nut 28 is placed on the external thread 29. If the union nut 28 is now tightened further, the plug connection 26 moves in the direction toward the insulating housing 11, with the result that the penetration tips 24 first penetrate the outer insulating sheath 19 of the ASI line 18 and then the insulating sheaths 21 of the conductors 20 located therein until they penetrate into their strands with electrical contact (Fig. 5). The final assembly position is now reached.

If it was mentioned above that the plug connection 26 is intended to remain permanently on the connecting device, this does not mean that it cannot be replaced or removed if necessary, but rather that the ready-to-use overall device, as shown in FIG. 2, does so shows, is intended for connecting a connector plug, which is attached, for example, as in the previous arrangement and design free at the end of a cable that leads to an actuator or sensor.

Otherwise, the entire connection device is designed to be protected against moisture with a high degree of protection IP67, specifically in the area of the screw connections by means of two O-rings 35 and 36 and in the area of penetration of the penetration tips 34 into the ASI line 18 by a special feature according to the invention, as in FIG. 10 to 12 is shown clearly.

On the inside of the lid part 13 is in the area of the window 33 and accordingly in the area of the Penetration tips 24 formed a circumferential, bead-shaped rib 37, which presses into the soft material of the ASI line 18 and thus forms an annular seal with this, which simultaneously seals all penetration areas to the outside. Instead of a single rib 37 surrounding all penetration areas at the same time, the penetration points 24/33 could of course be surrounded individually or in pairs by a separate rib-shaped sealing bead.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 5 to 9 has the same insulating housing 11 as the basic component of the connection device and differs only in the configuration of the connector 38 instead of the connector 26 of the previously described embodiment. As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the connector 38 is ready-made at the end of an electrical line 39, at the other end, not shown, of which, for example, a proximity switch can be attached as a sensor. In the handle body 40 of the connector 38, the contact elements 41 are cast in directly, and only their penetration tips 24 protrude from the plug side of the connector body 40. The connector 38 is attached and attached to the insulating housing 11 in the same way as that of the connector 26 by means of a union nut 28.

The main difference is therefore that a connector 40 directly belonging to the device or to the device line 39, with the intermediary of the insulating housing 11, for connection to the ASI line is determined and no 'intermediate plug' in the form of the plug connection 26 is required.

A third embodiment variant is described in FIGS. 13 to 19. This also consists of an insulating housing 11 with a base part 12 and a cover part 13 for connecting to an ASI line 18, but additionally has a branch 42 (so-called 'PG screw connection') for a further line 43 to be connected to the ASI line Fixed connection for an actuator or sensor attached to its free end.

The contact carrier 25 having the contact elements with the penetration tips 24 is here part of a blind plug 44, which consists of the contact carrier 25 and a rotatable but axially fixed coupling ring 28 which, as in the previous versions, on the collar thread 29 of the insulating housing 11 can be screwed on.

In this exemplary embodiment, the contact elements 45, which are snapped into the insulating material of the contact carrier 25 or also cast in, are used for the electrically conductive connection of one wire 20 of the ASI line 18 to one wire 46 of the two-wire cable 43.

If the dummy plug 44 is not yet screwed on at first, the two are freed from the outer insulating sheath 47 of the line 43, but in each case conductors surrounded with their own insulation are inserted from the outside into the branch connector 42 and on supports 48 pushed on, which distance the insulated conductor ends from the ASI line 18, as can be seen from FIGS. 15 and 16 and 18 and 19, laterally and in height. The wires of the line 43 thus cross with a height offset and with a lateral distance from the wires 20 of the ASI line 18.

The contact is now made when the union nut 28 is screwed onto the threaded collar 29 of the insulating housing essentially simultaneously on all conductors. For this purpose, the contact elements 45 are essentially U-shaped in accordance with the height offset, with an insulation displacement slot 49, which makes the contact element 45 two-legged, the extensions of the legs forming indenting mandrels 24. As screw nut 28 progressively screws in, the driving tips 24 penetrate into the strands of the ASI line 18, at the same time the insulation displacement gap 49 cuts into the insulating sheath of the wires 46 of the line 43 and establishes the electrically conductive contact with the line wire.

Due to the lines 20, 46 crossing each other within the insulating body 11, a very compact connector arrangement and thus a very small insulating housing 11 can be realized. The individual contact elements 45 are also very small and require little material.

In this exemplary embodiment, the contact carrier 25 preferably consists of a transparent plastic material, so that it also serves as a viewing window serves, through which one can control the contacts and the safe contact from the outside at any time.

An O-ring 50 between the contact carrier 25 and the collar 30 and a PG screw connection of the high degree of protection IP67 with sealing plug 51 and screw sleeve 52 between the branch connector 42 and the line 43 are used for the moisture-tight design. In the area of the into the ASI line 18 penetrating tips 24, the sealing arrangement already explained with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 is realized by means of a sealing bead 37.

20 shows a special embodiment for the direct connection of an actuator or sensor to the insulating housing 11 of a connecting device 10. A proximity switch as the sensor 53 is shown. On the cover part 13 of the insulating housing 11 clipped onto the ASI line 18, a screw ring 28 can be rotated, but is axially fixed stored. It serves as a union nut for screwing to the external thread 29 on the jacket of the sensor 53. The contact elements with the penetrating mandrels 24 are mounted directly in the sensor body, for example cast therein. The sensor 53 is plugged into the insulating housing 11 until the penetration tips enter the window 33 and the nut 28 engages. A coding rib 31 ensures correct polarity. If the nut 28 is now turned by hand, it pulls the sensor against the insulating housing and the indentation pins of its contact elements into contact position within the strands of the ASI line 18 and secures this position.

The exemplary embodiments were described using an ASI line. However, this is not a mandatory requirement for the implementation of the invention. The connecting device according to the invention can also be connected to other, multi-core lines by means of penetration technology. Depending on the design, an adaptation to the geometry of the special line must then be carried out, in particular also in order to make it possible to connect the insulating housing to the line in question.

Claims (14)

Connection device for the optional manufacture of a reusable electrical connection or tap on multi-core electrical lines with live strands, in particular so-called ASI lines, by means of contact elements embedded in a contact carrier made of insulating material with indentation spikes for penetrating the conductor insulation sheaths and for contacting entry into the strands as well with a form-fitting and / or clamp-fit insulating housing with the line between the bottom part and the cover part, the contact elements being at least indirectly assigned to the cover part, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) is loose and therefore removable in the cover part (13) of the previously attached to the line (18) insulating body (11) can be used and that a manually operable coupling member (28) is provided which holds the contact carrier (25) on the cover part (13) and in the correct assignment of the Penetration mandrels (24) moved to the strands (21) in the contact position and this secures. Connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling member (28) rotatably fixed on the contact carrier (25) or on the cover part (13) is the nut-like part of a bayonet or union screw connection, the counterpart (29) of which on the cover part (13) or on Contact carrier (25) is attached. Connection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) and / or the penetrating mandrels (24) at least over part of the coupling member travel path in which the penetrating mandrels (24) against the line (18) and in the strands thereof (21) are moved in, is held in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the cover part (13). Connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) is non-rotatably axially guided on the cover part (13) by means of a form-fitting guide, for example in the manner of a tongue and groove arrangement. Connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the penetrating mandrels (24) are guided on the cover part (13) in a rotationally fixed manner as a result of engagement and penetration into and through windows (33). Connection device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the windows (33) on their side facing the line (18) are surrounded by at least one peripheral rib (37) which presses into the soft insulating material of the line (18) and thus with it forms a seal. Connection device according to Claim 1 or one of the subsequent claims, characterized in that the base part (12) and cover part (13) of the insulating housing (11) are made of material-integrally and cohesively via a hinge without hinges in the manner of a film hinge (14) are foldably connected to one another and can be closed by means of a releasable latching arrangement (15). Connection device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) is part of a plug connection (26) which is intended to remain on the insulating housing (11) and to which a mating connector can be connected. Connection device according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) is part of a connecting plug (38) on the connecting line or device side, the contact elements (41) of which form the penetrating pins (24). Connection device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) is an integral part of an actuator or sensor (53). Connection device according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) is a plug-like component (dummy plug 44) which has contact elements (45) for bridging the lines within the insulator housing (11). Connection device according to claim 11, wherein the contact elements in addition to at least one penetrating mandrel (24) for contacting a first conductor (18) additionally have an insulation displacement fork for connection to a further conductor, characterized in that the insulation displacement gap (49) of the insulation displacement fork is arranged laterally and in height to the penetrating mandrel (24), and that the conductors (20, 46) to be contacted with one another are arranged crossing one another within the insulating housing (11). Connection device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the insulation displacement gap (49) of the insulation displacement fork is formed centrally between two penetrating mandrels (24) and in a common plane with the latter, such that the latter form the elongated legs of the insulation displacement fork. Connection device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the contact carrier (25) consists of transparent material and thereby forms a viewing window on the contact arrangement.

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