EP1016168A1

EP1016168A1 - Electric contacting device and insulation displacement contacting process

Info

Publication number: EP1016168A1
Application number: EP98943800A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wilfried Schwant
Original assignee: Volkswagen AG
Current assignee: Volkswagen AG
Priority date: 1997-09-20
Filing date: 1998-07-29
Publication date: 2000-07-05
Also published as: DE19741603A1; US6196863B1; WO1999016150A1

Abstract

An electric contacting device has a contact housing in one or several parts into which a cable, in particular a multicore flat cable, can be set in an at least partially form-fitting manner, as well as one or several insulation displacement contacts which, when actuated, can displace the insulation of the cable, cutting or penetrating into the cable core and establishing a contact therewith. Also disclosed is an insulation displacement contacting process. In order to establish safe and corrosion-resistant contacts with ring circuits at any location of the ring circuit without cutting the same, a gel reservoir (24) to which pressure can be applied is provided and arranged in such a way that the cable (30) is arranged between the gel reservoir (24) and the cutting elements (11) before the latter are actuated.

Description

Electrical contact device and method for producing cutting contact

The invention relates to an electrical contact device with a one-part or multi-part contact housing, in which a cable, in particular a multi-core ribbon cable, can be inserted at least partially in a form-fitting manner, and with one or more cutting contacts via which the insulation of the cable or cables is cut when actuated and can be contacted or penetrated into the cable core, as well as a method for producing cut contact, according to the preamble of patent claims 1 and 9.

Electrical contact or contacting devices of the generic type mentioned are widely known. In automotive engineering in particular, cables in the form of in-vehicle bus cable systems are being used to a considerable and increasing extent. For this purpose, it has proven to be useful to use so-called ring lines which are installed in the same during the manufacture of the vehicle. These ring lines are continuous lines that usually do not yet contain any contact interfaces. This is essentially because automobiles are not ordered with the same, but with different equipment by the customer and then also manufactured. Based on this requirement, the so-called bus line is initially routed universally as a ring line. Depending on the equipment features, more or less individually placeable contact devices are required in the manufacture of a vehicle at corresponding positions within the vehicle, for example to connect electrical window regulators or other equipment-dependent electrical elements to the ring line. The use of a ring line saves the so-called known cable harnesses, at least in certain sections within the vehicle. Such a procedure not only has advantages in terms of production technology, but also advantages that become apparent in the later operation of the vehicle. If, for example, an electrical unit fails during the later operation of a vehicle, a large number of cables would have to be searched and measured when using conventional cable harnesses in order to find a possible contact problem. In the case of a bus ring line, only that to the respective defective unit must be used Appropriate contact element are sought in order to be able to measure or possibly determine mechanical incorrect contacts, or whether the respective unit is defective.

The starting point when using such a bus ring line is the connection of the corresponding locally arranged electrical unit to the bus line, i.e. the establishment of contacts.

For this purpose, a contacting device is known from DE 30 30 236 A1, in which a plurality of cables are contacted via cutting elements. The cutting elements, which in this case represent the contacts, are brought up to the cable in such a way that the insulation is cut through and the cutting elements either touch the cable core or, in some cases, cut in for better contacting. The cutting elements themselves then form the actual contacts, which produce electrical contact between the respective individual cables and a further cable branch or the like connected to them.

When using bus cables in motor vehicles, they also have to withstand the harsh everyday conditions. This essentially means an alternating thermal load in a temperature range from approximately minus 40 degrees up to sometimes 100 degrees Celsius, for example close to the engine. It is known that environmental fluctuations caused by moisture or corrosive substances act particularly quickly when subjected to changes in temperature, and strongly influence the contacting created in this way by permanent corrosion. In automotive engineering, however, there is a requirement to be able to guarantee reliable contacting under these influences in a time range of at least 15 years.

It is not sufficient to simply house such a contact point.

An electrical connector sealed with a gel is known from the prior art, for example from DE 44 27 675 A1. Here, a cable end or a plug is inserted into a plug device and sealed with gel by means of a pressing or stuffing device. A disadvantage of an embodiment according to this prior art is that the device as a whole is complex and cannot be used when using a ring line, since this is a separate, two-section electrical cable routing, which otherwise only provides one cable.

Furthermore, an electrical connector is known from EP 07 31 531 A 2, in which a cable can be pushed into a sleeve on a plug contact arranged within this sleeve. In this case, a housed gel reservoir is arranged within this sleeve, which is placed in such a way that when the cable is inserted, this gel reservoir is pierced first, and only then, d. that is, when the cable is pushed further, the contacting lug is reached. Thereafter, pressure is also exerted on the gel reservoir via a tamping device, so that the gel is distributed within the plug. The disadvantage here is that when the cable is inserted, the gel reservoir is pierced first. Here the cable is already wetted with the gel and the cable wetted in this way is only then contacted. Such a procedure can lead to incorrect contacts. But here, too, it is essential that such a device cannot be used for contacting a ring line, since here too the line routing consists of two line sections to be connected to one another.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing safe and corrosion-resistant contacting for ring lines, which can be arranged at any point on the ring line without separating the same.

The object is achieved in an electrical contact device of the generic type according to the invention in that a pressurizable gel reservoir is provided and arranged so that the cable is arranged between the gel reservoir and the cutting elements in the state prior to actuation of the cutting elements, according to the characterizing features of patent claim 1.

In a method-related manner, in a method of the generic type, the object is achieved according to the invention by essentially proceeding in three successive steps, namely

1. Creation of cutting contacts,

2. compression of the sealing gel reservoir simultaneously with the creation of the cutting contact, 3. Cutting the gel reservoir after the cutting contact has been created,

according to the characterizing features of claim 9.

In terms of equipment, the essence of the invention is that the cable is placed between the cutting elements and the gel reservoir in the unactuated state. If the cutting elements are now actuated, that is to say moved towards the cable, this geometrical placement of the individual elements mentioned according to the invention ensures that the insulation of the cable or the individual cable is cut first, and the cutting elements are then in contact with the interior of the cable , so make the contact and only pierce the gel reservoir after actuation across the cable level. This means that the sealing gel, on which pressure has already been applied simultaneously with this lifting movement, is only released into the contacting space after the electrical contact has already been made. In other words, the cutting elements are absolutely clean when the electrical contact is made and the actual contact surface is surrounded by the gel to be sealed, but the interfaces of the contacts are not wetted. This leads to an extraordinarily good electrical contact and, moreover, to a very good, precisely placed seal of the cut insulation.

In addition, there is the enormous advantage in solving the problem that, with such a placement between cutting elements, cables and gel reservoir, a ring line can be contacted and the contact point can also be sealed with gel. The bus line therefore does not need to be disconnected, as would be the case if the above-mentioned prior art were used.

In this respect, both the seal and the ring line contact are met cumulatively at any point in the manner according to the invention. It is also advantageous that even if such a contact point is damaged, repair can be carried out simply by opening the defective contact point and shifting it by a few millimeters or centimeters, and contacting the cable again. The old contact point is then only healed or sealed with a pasty sealing material.

It is also advantageous that in a further embodiment of the invention the contact housing from a lower housing part, in which the gel reservoir and also an upper one Housing part in which the cutting contacts are arranged. These two housing parts can then be moved relative to one another, so that contacting and gel sealing can take place in one actuation stroke of the assembly of the housing parts. This is a significant simplification compared to conventional other approaches. It is also advantageous here that a contoured surface or indentation is arranged in the lower part of the contact housing, into which the cable can be inserted at least partially in a form-fitting manner for precise positioning in relation to the corresponding cutting contact. The cable thus takes up a well-positioned position so that the cutting elements also hit the right cable in the right place and the cable cannot slip during the contacting process.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower contact housing parts are connected to one another via a hinge in such a way that the actuation stroke runs along an arc. In this way, the multi-part nature of the contact device is eliminated. Such a hinge can also be a so-called film hinge, for example, which consists of a wedge-shaped thinned point between the upper and lower housing parts. In this way, it is possible to manufacture the upper and lower housing parts in one piece, for example from plastic. The two-piece design and the movement of the upper and lower housing parts towards one another would continue to be guaranteed by the said film hinge.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, piston-cylinder-like elements are arranged or molded or molded in the upper and lower housing part, so that the pressure on the gel reservoir takes place along the actuation stroke. Thus, compared to the prior art cited at the outset, there is the further advantage that the filling with gel does not have to be carried out in a separate operation, but takes place here along one and the same actuation stroke of the contact device, namely during the movement towards one another and in the end position, clipping together the housing top and -Bottom. In the last advantageous embodiment of the invention, channels are arranged within the housing both in the lower part and also in the upper part of the housing, in such a way that, after cutting open the gel reservoir, gel fulfills the inner contact space both above and below the cable, wherever the cutting contacts have passed through the insulation of the cable. The invention is illustrated in the drawing and described in more detail below.

It shows:

Figure 1 embodiment according to the invention with separate housing upper and lower part.

FIG. 2 embodiment according to the invention with a housing upper and lower part connected via a film hinge.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment according to the invention with a separate upper part 10 of the contact housing and a lower part 20 of the contact housing 20. The cutting contacts 11 are arranged in the upper part 10 of the contact housing. These are in turn provided with cables and lead to the ultimate consumer, who is not shown here. The underside of the cutting contacts are sharp tips or cutting edges with which the insulation of the inserted cable 30 is pierced. In the lower part 20, the gel reservoir 24 is placed below the cable 30. In this way, the geometric alignment according to the invention arises that, in the case that has not yet been contacted, the cable lies between the cutting contact elements 11 and the gel reservoir 24. The cable, which is indicated here as a multi-core ribbon cable 30, lies in a contoured surface 21 of the lower housing part 20. This system results in a partial positive fit, because the outer contour of the ribbon cable 30 is replicated there in a complementary manner. Such contouring 15 is also arranged in the upper housing part 10.

The gel reservoir 24 is filled with an appropriate sealing gel, for example silicone, or possibly also with a vulcanizing gel. This reservoir is closed via membranes 22 and 23 in the unactuated state.

To make contact, the inserted cable is now brought into the appropriate position and the upper housing part 10 is moved towards the lower housing part 20 in the direction A. In this case, the cutting contacts 11 cut through the insulation of the cable 30 and reach the cable cable 31. The cable cable 31 is then either pierced or scored, and contact is made in this way. Upon further actuation in the direction A shown, the cutting contacts 11 penetrate the cable entirely, but without the cable core 31 cut through. Upon further actuation in the direction A shown, the cutting tips of the cutting contacts 11 now penetrate into the gel reservoir 24. That is, the gel reservoir or its covering is perforated. At the same time, ie along the actuation direction A to the extent of the necessary stroke, the small piston elements 12 and 13, which are arranged on the upper part, are pressed onto the membranes 22 and 23 in the lower part 20. The membranes are either pierced or pushed downwards or deformed into them, in any case, however, in such a way that pressure is exerted on the at least partially filled gel reservoir. If the cutting contacts 11 now reach the gel reservoir, the gel penetrates through the perforations where the cutting contacts have perforated the gel reservoir. The cable is immediately sealed.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one of the pistons, here, for example, piston 13 of the upper housing part 10, is provided with a channel 14 which, from a certain pressure on the membrane and penetration thereof, also removes gel from the gel reservoir 24 through the channel 14 into the transported upper housing part 10 and also seals the pierced areas of the cable from above.

Optionally, silicone can be used as the gel, but self-vulcanizing gels, which bring about a permanent seal, are also particularly advantageous. If the target position, and thus the end position of the two upper and lower housing parts 10 and 20 which are moved towards one another and pinch and contact the cable, clip elements 40 are provided, for example, which hold the housing upper part 10 on the housing lower part 20 when the target position is reached. The connection is permanent.

However, this connection can be opened again by opening the clip elements.

FIG. 2 shows essentially the same elements, however, clip elements 40 are not arranged on both sides, as in FIG. 1, but only on one side, a so-called film hinge 50 being provided on the corresponding other, ie opposite side. The upper housing part 10 and lower housing part 20 of the contacting device are connected to one another. The "movement towards one another" of housing part 10 and housing lower part 20 takes place along an arc. The positions of the cutting contacts 11 and the cable or the cable core must be on it O

be coordinated. The pistons 13 and 12 are also formed accordingly, in order to ensure that there is no clamping but rather a conclusive penetration movement into the gel reservoir 24 along this circular arc movement. The pistons can be designed to be slightly curved accordingly. The advantage of such an arrangement is the one-piece construction of the contact element, which is much easier to handle in automobile production.

Corresponding contouring of the pistons is also not problematic in this exemplary embodiment, since such parts are produced by the injection molding process and an appropriately designed injection mold has to be produced only a few times anyway. As a result, complicated contours, such as curved pistons, are not a problem.

Both embodiments according to the invention combine the two advantages, on the one hand to be able to establish electrical contact in a bus ring line without breaking it, and on the other hand to reliably close the insulation separated at the corresponding contact points again. The essence of the invention, which is also realized in both embodiments, lies in the simultaneous fulfillment of these two requirements. The contact device can thus not only be used advantageously in automobile construction, although it unfolds most of the advantages there for the reasons mentioned above.

Claims

P A T E N T A N S P R Ü C H E

Electrical contact device with a one-part or multi-part contact housing, in which a cable, in particular a multi-core flat ribbon cable, can be inserted at least partially in a form-fitting manner, and with one or more cutting contacts, via which the insulation of the cable or the cables is cut and into the cable core when actuated Can be contacted penetrating or cutting, characterized in that a pressurizable gel reservoir (24) is provided and arranged so that the cable (30) is arranged between the gel reservoir (24) and the cutting elements (11) in the state prior to the actuation of the cutting elements (11) .

Electrical contact device according to Claim 1, characterized in that cutting elements (11), cables (30) and the position of the gel reservoir (24) are selected relative to one another such that the cutting elements (11) penetrate into the cable (30) during a first actuating partial stroke and Only perforate the gel reservoir (24) in the subsequent actuation partial stroke.

Electrical contact devices according to claim 2, characterized in that the contact housing consists of a lower housing part (20) in which the gel reservoir (24) and an upper housing part (10) in which the cutting contacts (11) are arranged.

4. Electrical contact devices according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the lower contact housing part (20) a contoured surface (21) is arranged, in which the cable (30) for exact positioning to the corresponding cutting contact (11), at least partially positive , can be inserted.

5. Electrical contacting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper and lower contact housing part (10, 20) can be moved relatively towards one another.

6. Electrical contacting device according to claim 5, characterized in that the upper and lower contact housing part (10, 20) are connected to one another via a hinge (50) in such a way that the actuation stroke runs along an arc.

7. Electrical contacting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the upper housing part (10) piston-like elements (12, 13) are arranged or molded on, and opposite corresponding openings with membranes (22, 23) of the gel reservoir (24) are arranged such that the piston-like elements (12, 13) act on the membranes (22, 23) along the actuation stroke, so that the gel reservoir is pressurized in this way.

8. Electrical contacting device according to claim 7, characterized in that channels in the upper housing part, with the gel reservoir are arranged so as to be connectable, in such a way that gel penetrates into the inner contacting space after cutting open or perforating the gel reservoir or after penetration of the piston elements where the cutting contacts have passed through the insulation or the cable.

9. A method for creating an electrical contact of a single or multi-core, in particular ribbon cable, which is held in position to cutting elements, which are then moved towards the cable and cut through the insulation and make the electrical contact cutting or touching the electrical contact, characterized in that in a first step, the cutting contact is produced in such a way that a compression or pressurization of the gel reservoir takes place simultaneously with the creation of the cutting contact, and that after pressure build-up the gel reservoir is perforated in such a way that the gel exits into the contact area.