EP1245061A1

EP1245061A1 - Electric connector

Info

Publication number: EP1245061A1
Application number: EP00985221A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Epe; Gerhard Birkenmaier; Wolfgang Schmid; Hans-Joachim Martin
Original assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH and Co KG; ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Current assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH and Co KG; ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Priority date: 2000-01-07
Filing date: 2000-12-20
Publication date: 2002-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2020-12-20
Also published as: US20030049960A1; JP4558252B2; DE50006439D1; DE20000160U1; AU2170001A; EP1245061B1; WO2001052363A1; JP2003520402A; US6609930B2

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric connector comprising a contact housing (2) having electrical contacts (K) for contacting contacts that are contained in said connector and engage with said connector. The inventive connector also comprises a guide sleeve (3) which is held by the contact housing (2) and is designed for penetrating an assembly opening (23) that is inserted into a wall (GW). The guide sleeve (3) engages into a receiver (15) for the guide sleeve, whereby said receiver pertains to the contact housing (2). The guide sleeve is locked in said receiver (15) by means of a locking member (7). The connector (1) is fixed to the wall (GW) after the assembly thereof. The inventive connector is characterised in that the guide sleeve (3) is arranged in said receiver (15) of the contact housing (2) in the axial direction and in a such a way that said sleeve is supported. The guide sleeve is provided with a locking stop (18) at a distance from said support arrangement. The locking stop acts against the effective direction of the support arrangement. A locking member (7; 8a; 9a) that is spring elastic in the axial direction of the guide sleeve (3) rests on said stop and rests on a stop (19) that serves as an abutment and belongs to the contact housing, for impinging upon the support arrangement of the guide sleeve (3) with a pretension.

Description

Electrical connector part

The invention relates to the field of electrical connectors for achieving an electrical connection between two electrical regions separated by a partition. In particular, the invention relates to an electrical plug connection part comprising a contact element housing with electrical contact elements for contacting contact elements contained in a plug connection part interacting with this plug connection part and comprising a guide sleeve held by the contact element housing and designed to reach through a mounting opening made in a wall and which fits into a guide sleeve receptacle of the Contact element housing engages and is locked in the guide sleeve receptacle by a locking member, which connector part is attached to the wall after its installation.

Such electrical connector parts are required, for example, when using transmission control systems in motor vehicles. In such a case, the transmission wall is the partition between an electrical plate located within the transmission housing, on the plug part of which, with its pin contact and carrying an electrical plug contacts, is arranged with the plug housing, and the connection side. To make contact with the electrical plug contacts of the plug part, a socket part is provided, which can be plugged onto the electrical plug contacts with the contact sockets contained in the socket part in order to produce the desired electrical plug connector. The socket part is arranged at one end of a cable harness, the other end of which is connected to the inputs and outputs of control electronics for monitoring and controlling the electronics contained in the transmission housing.

Such a connector is known from German utility model 297 21 908.1. In the electrical connector described in this document, the one connector part - the connector part - is part of the electrical board from which the electrical connector contacts to the projecting from the drive wall. The plug contact arrangement is limited by a web-like receiving edge. This receiving edge forms both a receptacle for the front section of the socket part and one for receiving a guide sleeve. The guide sleeve is arranged so that it protrudes upward through the transmission wall from this receptacle and borders on the inside on the receptacle edge. The guide sleeve is connected to the receiving edge by means of a clamp-like clamp clip that is elastic in the radial direction. However, the guide sleeve is not arranged in the axial direction in the guide sleeve receptacle without play. With a section having locking grooves on the outside, the guide sleeve protrudes from the transmission wall on the side opposite the electrical plate. The locking grooves serve to lock a bayonet ring assigned to the socket part to secure the electrical plug connection created.

The bayonet ring has at its insertion end a support flange which is supported on the outer surface of the gear wall. The bayonet lock is designed so that the guide sleeve is pulled out of the gearbox wall to a certain extent when the bayonet ring is put on or when it is turned to produce a lock. On the gearbox wall, notches pointing towards the electrical plate are arranged which have a similar effect and which engage in corresponding centering and fastening sockets assigned to the electrical plate. When the bayonet ring is locked on the guide sleeve and the resulting pulling out of the guide sleeve or pulling the electric plate towards the gear wall, the notch-like elements are pressed into the centering and fastening bushings assigned to them. After the bayonet ring has been put on, the plug-in connection part is fastened to the gearbox wall by the associated electrical plate.

To ensure long-term trouble-free operation of such a transmission, it is necessary to arrange the electrical connector part on the transmission wall without play. If there is no backlash-free fastening, the elements that can be moved against each other can be damaged by gear vibrations. Even if with that Known connectors such a play-free attachment of the electrical board or the electrical connector on the gear wall can be achieved, the reliability of the attachment to gear vibrations is largely dependent on the quality of the frictional engagement between the outer surface of the notch-like elements and the cylindrical inner surfaces of the centering and mounting bushings dependent. If a connection that is able to withstand high pull-out forces is to be established, this dimension configuration of the elements with a similar effect to the notched nail and the centering and fastening bushings is required, since the former have to be pressed into the latter with high force. With the number of fastening points used - usually around three are provided - the force required to establish the connection also increases. Manual assembly is then not always possible. In addition, manufacturing tolerances in the arrangement of the centering and fastening bushings and the notch-like elements can result in the electrical plate being undesirably under tension after the gearbox wall has been put in place.

Based on this discussed prior art, the invention is therefore based on the object of proposing an electrical plug connector part of the type mentioned, which not only enables play-free fastening of the individual elements to one another in the relevant direction, but also simplifies its assembly.

This object is achieved in that the guide sleeve is arranged in a supporting manner in the axial direction in the guide sleeve receptacle of the contact element housing and, at a distance from this supporting arrangement, has a locking stop acting counter to the effective direction of the supporting arrangement, against which a resilient locking member rests in the axial direction of the supporting sleeve. which supports the application of a prestress acting on the support arrangement of the guide sleeve to a stop of the contact element housing serving as an abutment, that the plug-in connection part is assigned a carrier fixed on the wall, which corresponds to the direction of action of the support arrangement between the guide sleeve and the contact element housing on the contact element housing is supported and one against the direction of action This support arrangement has a locking stop, against which a resilient locking member rests in the axial direction of the guide sleeve, which is supported on a stop of the contact element housing serving as an abutment for applying a prestress acting on the support arrangement of the carrier, and that the locking members in a guide as Part of the contact element housing or the carrier are kept movable.

In contrast to the known prior art, the guide sleeve is not only inserted into the receptacle assigned to the contact element housing, but is supported in the receptacle in the axial direction. At a distance from this support arrangement, the guide sleeve is assigned a locking stop, the effective surface of which is arranged pointing in the opposite direction of the surface effective for realizing the support arrangement between the guide sleeve and the guide sleeve receptacle. The locking member bears against the locking stop and is spring-elastic in the axial direction. A stop assigned to the contact element housing serves for the locking member as an abutment for applying a prestress acting on the guide sleeve in the direction of the support arrangement for a play-free locking of the guide sleeve in the guide sleeve receptacle. The locking member is held in a guide carried by the contact element, in which it can be brought into its locking position, for example by moving it. A connector is assigned to the plug-in connection part for fixing the contact element housing to the wall, for example the inside of the gearbox wall, in which an assembly opening is arranged for the passage of the guide sleeve, which is fastened to the wall by a screw connection, for example, and which corresponds to the guide sleeve is connected to the contact element housing in the axial direction without play. After the two locking members have been actuated, the guide sleeve is locked in the guide sleeve receptacle without play in the axial direction or the support is fixed to the contact element housing without play in the axial direction.

In the plug-in connection part according to the invention, the carrier is fixed to the contact element housing on the inside, with for example, a gear housing before the guide sleeve is passed from the other side through the mounting opening and inserted into the guide sleeve receptacle of the contact element housing. If the guide sleeve is inserted with its front end section into the guide sleeve receptacle, the locking members can be actuated in order to fix the individual elements - guide sleeve, contact element housing, carrier - to one another in the axial direction without play and to bring about an effective locking at least with respect to the guide sleeve. A bolt can be actuated in a simple manner, for example by inserting a forked bolt member, the arms of which can be displaced tangentially to the guide sleeve or to the carrier. It should be taken into account that the locking elements used are preferably held captively in a guide carried by the contact element housing. Before installation, there is a single module on the inside of the wall, so that no further additional elements have to be guided to the inside of the wall to bring about the locking.

The two locking members can be arranged at an axial distance from one another. In an expedient embodiment, however, it is provided that the two locking members form a physical unit and are formed by the two arms of a forked locking member. To provide their elasticity, the two locking arms have a curvature and consist of a spring-elastic material, for example spring steel. The stops of the contact element housing serving as abutments are in such a configuration in one plane, as is the locking stop of the guide sleeve or that of the carrier. In this way, the two inner sections of the locking arms can be used to lock the guide sleeve with the contact element housing and the two outer sections of the locking arms can be used to lock the contact element housing with the carrier. In this embodiment, there is a simultaneous locking between the guide sleeve and the contact element housing and the contact element housing with the carrier.

The carrier can represent a housing for the contact element housing. Locking means can be arranged in the guide of a locking member so as to prevent actuation of a locking member without the guide sleeve inserted into the guide sleeve receptacle. The blocking effect of the blocking means is canceled by the guide sleeve used as intended. If a locking element is designed in the manner of a leaf spring with a spring-elastic curvature, the locking actuation can be blocked, for example, by a stop pin. In such a configuration, the guide sleeve is assigned an unlocking member, by means of which the locking member is lifted against its material elasticity so that it can be freely actuated, so that the locking effect of the pin is released.

Further refinements and advantageous developments are part of further subclaims and the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached figures. Show it:

1: A three-dimensional view of a connector part consisting of a guide sleeve, a contact element housing and a carrier,

2: The arrangement of Figure 1 without a guide sleeve,

Fig. 3: A cross section through the connector part of Figure 1 along the line A-B, the guide sleeve extends through a gear wall and

Fig. 4: An enlarged side view of Figure 1, but without the

Carrier 4 represents the locking between the contact element housing and the guide sleeve.

An electrical connector part 1 is part of an electrical connector for contacting the electrical / electronic components located within a motor vehicle transmission. The plug connection part 1 essentially consists of a contact element housing 2, in which - as can be seen from FIG. 2 - a number of contact pins K are arranged, a guide sleeve 3, a carrier 4 and a locking device device 5. The locking device 5 is used to lock the guide sleeve 3 with the contact element housing 2 without play in the axial direction and for play-free fixing in relation to the axial extent of the guide sleeve 3 of the carrier 4 on the contact element housing 2. The carrier 4 is a housing for the Contact element housing 2 formed and attached to the inner wall of the gear housing.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the locking device 5 is realized by a slide 6, on the one end of which a locking member 7 is arranged. The locking member 7 is forked to form a U-shaped recess for gripping around the guide sleeve 3 to form two locking arms 8, 9. Each locking arm 8, 9 is divided into two sections 8a, 8b and 9a, 9b, which are separated from one another by a slot 10. The locking arms 8, 9 have a resilient curvature 11 through which the pretension necessary for the elements of the plug-in connection part 1 to be locked is applied.

The locking sections 8a, 8b and 9a, 9b are connected to each other at the two ends of the respective locking arm 8, 9. Through the slot 10, which extends at least over the area of the curvature 11 of each locking arm 8, 9, the individual locking sections 8a, 8b and 9a, 9b can be loaded independently of one another.

The slide 6 with its locking member 7 is mounted in a guide 12 formed on the contact element housing 2 so as to be displaceable radially to the longitudinal axis of the guide sleeve 3. In order to stabilize the guide 12 projecting from the contact element housing 2, the guide 12 is additionally held by retaining webs 13, 14 formed on the carrier 4.

The contact element housing 2 comprises a guide sleeve receptacle 15 into which the front section of the guide sleeve 3 is inserted, as can be seen from the cross section in FIG. The guide sleeve receptacle 15 is designed as a concentric annular groove to the contact pin arrangement. The guide sleeve 3 is sealed on the outside by a sealing ring 16 against the outer wall of the guide sleeve receptacle 15. The guide sleeve 3 is supported with its front end face 17 on the bottom of the guide sleeve receptacle 15. For locking the guide sleeve 3 in the guide sleeve receptacle 15 without play, the guide sleeve 3 has a locking stop 18, the effective surface of which is arranged to point away from the front end face 17. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking stop 18 is designed as an annular groove. In the locking position of the locking member 7, of which the two locking member sections 8a, 8b and 9a, 9b can be seen in FIG. 3, the two inner locking arm sections 8a, 9a engage in the groove of the guide sleeve 3 forming the locking stop 18 , so that the curvature 11 bears against the locking stop 18. As an abutment for applying the desired prestress acting on the guide sleeve 3, the two inner locking arm sections 8a, 9a are supported on a flange 19 which serves as a repeater and is formed on the contact element housing 2 (cf. also FIG. 4). The clear width between the underside of the flange 19 and the locking stop 18 is dimensioned so that it is less than the height of the curvature in the unloaded state. In the locked position, the guide sleeve 3 is connected to the contact element housing 2 without play in the axial direction.

Correspondingly, the carrier 4, which is designed as a surrounding housing with respect to the contact element housing 2, is connected to the contact element housing 4. To provide support, the contact element housing 2 has a lower circumferential groove 20, in which a support flange 21 of the carrier 4 is arranged to engage. The upper edge, which is located in one plane with the locking stop 18 of the guide sleeve 3, serves as the locking stop 22 for the carrier 4. The two outer locking arm sections 8b and 9b serve to fix the carrier 4 to the contact element housing 2 without play, based on a fixation in the axial direction. These locking arm sections 8b, 9b are supported with their curvature on the upper side of the carrier 4 serving as a locking stop 22. The flange 19 of the contact element housing 2 in turn serves as an abutment for this support. Due to the two-part design of each locking arm 8, 9, different tolerances between the contact element housing 2 and the guide sleeve 3 on the one hand and between the contact element housing 2 and the carrier 4 on the other hand can be individually balanced.

The summary of the necessary locking elements for bringing the two locks into one objective unit shown in the illustrated embodiment has the advantage that the three components can be locked together by a single locking movement.

In the cross section shown in FIG. 3, a gearbox wall GW is additionally shown, into which an assembly opening 23 is made for the guiding sleeve to pass through. The guide sleeve 3 is sealed off from the inside of the assembly opening 23 by two sealing rings 24.

The locking arrangement between the contact element housing 2 and the guide sleeve 3 is shown in an enlarged detail in the manner of a side view in FIG. 4. The locking member 7, of which the locking arm section 9a is shown, is in the locking position. The locking arm 9 and thus also the locking arm section 9a are guided in a tangential groove of the contact element housing 2. This groove represents a breakthrough in the guide sleeve receptacle 15, so that the locking arm section 9a can be brought into engagement with the locking stop 18 of the guide sleeve 3. To illustrate this support, the contact element housing 2 is shown in the region of the arch 11 in the figure. The underside of the resilient curvature 11 of the locking arm section 9a lies on the locking stop 18 of the guide sleeve 3. The two other sections of the locking arm section 9a rest on the underside of the support flange 19 of the contact element housing 2, so that this arrangement acts on the guide sleeve 3 in the direction of the support arrangement formed in the guide sleeve receptacle 15 (see arrow in FIG. 4). In this way, the guide sleeve 3 is connected to the contact element housing 2 without play in its axial direction.

A locking pin 25 is provided, projecting downward from the plane of the support flange 19, against which the front end of the locking arm 9 or locking arm section 9a rests when the guide sleeve 3 is not inserted into the guide sleeve receptacle 15. This prevents the locking member 7 from being in its locking position before the guide sleeve 3 is inserted into the guide sleeve receptacle 15 of the contact element housing 2. Instead of the locking pin 25 shown in the figure, a bead or the like can also be provided. To release the locking arm 9 or the locking arm section 9a, the guide sleeve carries a driver, by means of which the front section of the locking arm section 9a is moved away from its contact with the supporting flange 19 with the insertion movement of the guide sleeve 3, so that the locking arm 9 or the locking arm section subsequently 9a can be actuated for the intended locking of the guide sleeve 3.

Compilation of the reference symbols

1 electrical connector

2 contact element housing

3 guide sleeve

4 carriers

5 locking device

6 sliders

7 bolt link

8 latch arm

8a, 8b latch arm section

9 latch arm

9a, 9b latch arm section

10 slot

11 curvature

12 leadership

13 landing stage

14 landing stage

15 guide sleeve holder

16 sealing ring

17 Front face

18 locking stop

19 flange

20 groove

21 support flange

22 locking stop

23 assembly opening

24 sealing ring

25 locking pin

GW gear wall

K contact pins

Claims

claims

1. Electrical plug connection part comprising a contact element housing (2) with electrical contact elements (K) for contacting contact elements contained in a plug connection part interacting with this plug connection part and comprising a contact element housing (2) held for reaching through into a wall (GW ) introduced mounting opening (23) designed guide sleeve (3), which in a

The guide sleeve receptacle (15) of the contact element housing (2) engages and is locked in the guide sleeve receptacle (15) by a locking member (7), which connector part (1) is attached to the wall (GW) after it has been installed, characterized in that the Guide sleeve (3) in the axial direction in the

Guide sleeve receptacle (15) of the contact element housing (2) is arranged in a supporting manner and, at a distance from this support arrangement, has a locking stop (18) which acts counter to the direction of action of the support arrangement and on which a spring-elastic locking member (7; 8a; 9a) in the axial direction of the guide sleeve (3) ), which, in order to apply a prestress acting on the support arrangement of the guide sleeve (3), is supported on a stop (19) of the contact element housing (2) serving as an abutment, that the plug-in connection part (1) has a support (1) fixed to the wall (GW) 4) is assigned, which is arranged to support the contact element housing (2) in accordance with the direction of action of the support arrangement between the guide sleeve (3) and the contact element housing (2) and has a locking stop (22) acting against the direction of action of this support arrangement, on which a in the axial direction of the guide sleeve (3) resilient R sealing element (7; 8b; 9b) rests, which is supported for applying a prestress acting on the support arrangement of the carrier (4) to a stop (19) of the contact element housing (2) serving as an abutment, and that the locking elements (7, 8a, 9a; 7, 8b, 9b) are movably held in a guide (12) as part of the contact element housing (2) or the carrier (4).

2. Plug connection part according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking member (7) is forked to form two locking arms (8a, 9a; 8b, 9b), which locking arms (8a, 9a; 8b, 9b) an elastically deformable curvature (11th ), one side of which is located on a locking stop (18, 22) and the other

Side is supported on the stop (19) of the contact element housing (2) serving as an abutment, and is displaceably mounted tangentially to the contact element housing (2).

3. Plug connection part according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stops (19) of the contact element housing (2) serving as abutments are arranged in the same plane.

4. Connector part according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking stop (18) of the guide sleeve (3) and

Locking stop (22) of the carrier (4) are arranged in one plane.

5. Plug connector part according to claim 4, characterized in that the two locking members (8a, 9a; 8b, 9b) a physical

Form unit and the locking arms (8a, 9a; 8b, 9b) of the locking members are arranged parallel to each other in one plane.

6. Plug connection part according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking arms are separated from one another at least in the region of their curvature (11) by a slot (10).

7. Plug connection part according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the carrier is a housing enclosing the contact element housing.

8. Plug connection part according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the guide of a locking member locking means for preventing locking operation without a guide sleeve inserted into the guide sleeve receptacle and the guide sleeve release means are assigned to cancel the locking effect.