EP1458064B1 - Electrical contact device - Google Patents

Abstract

The PCB fork contact (10) comprises two rows of contact strips (20-22). Each includes a central strip (16). To this, fork springs (11) are connected at right angles. The contact strips are assembled with their flat sides resting together. This brings all forks into a mutually-flush arrangement, in which they inter-engage as a comb-like assembly.

Description

The invention relates to an electrical contacting device, in particular for the transmission of medium to high currents, with a number of mutually parallel contact springs for connecting at least one complementary flat blade contact, wherein the contacting device in one-piece cohesive assignment terminal pins for electrical and / or mechanical connection to a circuit board ,

Such a contacting device, from which the present invention proceeds, is in connection with a connector, for example US 6 210 240 B1 known. In this case, a plurality of mutually identical contacting devices are provided in an insulating housing. Each contacting device consists of a one-piece, produced by punching and bending contact body with individual, each paired resilient contact legs. The contact legs form a Einsteckspalt for a mating contact, for example, a flat blade contact of a mating connector or an electrical device. Determined and suitable are such Kontaktiervorrichtungen eg in the automotive industry in connection with housed in vehicles fuse boxes. Then such Kontaktiervorrichtungen serve to plug in the blade contacts of fuses, relays or the like.

It's over US 5,052,953 known to arrange a plurality of individual and provided with a mounting and connection pin fork spring contacts congruent side by side in their contours and so to form a contacting device.

US 3,634,814 discloses a contacting device, which consists of individual, spaced apart contact springs, which are laterally applied to conductor tracks of a printed circuit board, the contact springs can be arranged on a common central contact strip.

The object of such contacting devices is the transmission of medium currents (above 16 amperes) and high currents (above 50 amperes). Important in these contacting high contact forces that exert the contact springs on the mating contacts and also the highest possible number of contact points. An essential feature to achieve this is when Subject of the US 6 210 240 B1 It is to give the contact springs a stable grip, which achieved by a cage-like configuration of the base of the contacting and their solid embedding and locking in receiving chambers of the insulating material.

A major disadvantage of the known contacting device is that all contacts of the connector are identical to each other; This means that a specific connector must be designed and manufactured for each application. On the other hand, however, differently shaped contacting devices are required in many applications, since, for example, relays of different size have flat blade contacts and also deviating fuses generally do not have mutually identical connection blades.

Object of the present invention is essentially to provide a contacting of the presupposed as known type, which is much easier to manufacture and also universally applicable.

The invention achieves this object with the features of claim 1 and is accordingly characterized in that the contacting device is assembled from at least two contact strips, wherein each contact strip has a central strip, are connected to the - aligned transversely to this - fork springs, and that the at least two contact strips in mutual planar contact their central strips are joined together such that the fork springs of the contact strips, taking into account their congruent aligned arrangement substantially comb-like mesh.

In contrast to the prior art, the invention provides a contacting device according to the respective needs embody. This is done in principle by the fact that the invention proposes a modular fork spring contact system. A contacting device according to the invention consists in the simplest case of two adjoining contact strips of selectable width, wherein each of the two contact strips comprises a number of fork springs, which cooperate with a number of fork springs of the second contact strip. All fork springs are aligned in a row, so that there is a continuous contact gap for a flat blade contact.

If, according to this principle, a contacting device is formed by joining three contact strips, a contacting device with a number of contact zones that is 50% higher than the first variant with two contact strips can result-assuming the same width. The number of contact zones can be doubled if four contact strips are joined together, always based on the principle that the fork springs formed on the contact strip comb-like mesh to maintain a uniform, continuous male and contact channel for the contact portion of the counter-contacting device.

In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one of the at least two contact strips can be provided with connecting pins connected to the central strip. When using two contact strips to form a contactor it will be useful to provide connection pins on both contact strips. This leads to a further simplification, which is achieved according to the invention in that each at least two of the contact strips are formed identical to each other, but mirrored together.

In an assembled from three contact strips contacting device, it is advantageous if the middle contact strip with Connecting pins is provided or if the two outer contact strips are provided with connection pins.

In a contacting device composed of four contact strips, the two outer contact strips or the two inner contact strips are preferably provided with connection pins.

A particularly advantageous further feature of the invention consists in that the contact strips are formed by shortening sections of endlessly generated contact strips. In particular, it is intended to produce the shortening sections only after the joining of the individual endless contact strips to one another by means of severing the contact strip packet.

By simply separating contact strip sections of freely selected length, individually dimensioned contacting devices can be produced in the simplest manner. Regardless of how wide the desired contacting device should be, it is always obtained from the same starting material, namely the contact strip produced endlessly, by punching and bending and subsequent packaging and cutting to length. The number of shortening sections to be joined together can also be selected within wide limits, whereby preferably two to five stripes are likely to be suitable.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cut out of a flat contact sheet metal strip springs are entangled out of the matching with the plane of the contact sheet metal strip plane of the central strip out.

In this context, it is further provided that the fork fingers are connected via connected to their fork connecting portions to the central strip and the connecting portions asymmetrically or eccentrically to the Fork bridge are tethered. As a result, in a simple manner, the adjoining and thus unavoidably juxtaposed contact strips in different planes can still be identical and their - comb-like intermeshing - fork springs nevertheless be aligned in a single aligned row.

The design of the connection pins is in principle freely selectable. There are solder pins as well as, for example, plug-like pins with elastic press-fit or SMD soldering legs. It is advantageous if the connecting pins cut out of a flat contact sheet metal strip are bent out of the plane of the central strip matching the plane of the contact sheet metal strip. They can thus be placed laterally next to the central strip. Thus, the desired contact grid intervals can be set up in the simplest way.

In particular, in connection with connection pins according to the SMT technique (connections with SMD soldering pins), it may be advantageous to crank or bend them so that they can contact a circuit board between them on both sides.

As regards the connection of several contact strips to each other, it is proposed to join the central strips in a material-locking manner, e.g. by welding, soldering and the like., And / or non-positively, for example, by mutual engagement of knobs, slugs, tongues od. Like. Join together.

Finally, the central strips may be provided with apertures, the so-called relief breakthroughs for weight reduction as well as for facilitating the separation of the shortening sections from the continuous material.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer ersten Kontaktiervorrichtung, die aus drei Kontaktreifen zusammengefügt ist und fünf Gabelfederkontakte aufweist,

Fig. 2

eine Darstellung zur Erläuterung der Verfahrensschritte zur Erzeugung der in Fig. 1 gezeigten Kontaktiervorrichtung,

Fig. 3

eine Darstellung entsprechend Fig. 2 zur Erläuterung der Verfahrensschritte zur Erzeugung einer aus vier Kontaktstreifen zusammengesetzten Kontaktiervorrichtung, die in Fig. 6a bis 6c auch in betriebsbereitem Zustand gezeigt ist,

Fig. 4

eine Darstellung entsprechend Fig. 3, jedoch in einem darauf folgenden Herstellungsstadium,

Fig. 5

eine Darstellung entsprechend Fig. 3 und 4, jedoch in einem noch späteren Herstellungsstadium,

Fig. 6a-6c

eine mit den in Fig. 3 und 5 skizzierten Verfahrensschritten erzeugte Kontaktiervorrichtung,

Fig. 7-9

verschiedene weitere Ausführungsformen von Kontaktiervorrichtungen, jeweils in perspektivischer Absicht, und

Fig. 10

und 11 Darstellungen zur Erläuterung der Anwendung der erfindungsgemäßen Kontaktiervorrichtung am Beispiel eines Kfz-Sicherungskastens.

Moreover, the invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a first contacting device, which is assembled from three contact tires and has five fork spring contacts,

Fig. 2

a representation for explaining the method steps for generating the in Fig. 1 shown contacting device,

Fig. 3

a representation accordingly Fig. 2 for explaining the method steps for producing a four-contact strip composed contacting device, which in Fig. 6a to 6c is also shown in ready state,

Fig. 4

a representation accordingly Fig. 3 but in a subsequent stage of manufacture,

Fig. 5

a representation accordingly Fig. 3 and 4 but at an even later stage of production,

Fig. 6a-6c

one with the in Fig. 3 and 5 sketched process steps produced contacting device,

Fig. 7-9

various other embodiments of contacting, each in perspective, and

Fig. 10

and 11 representations for explaining the application of the contacting device according to the invention using the example of a motor vehicle fuse box.

A total of 10 designated contacting device comprises a number of contact springs 11, which are formed in all embodiments as fork springs and are also referred to as such. The fork springs 11 are arranged so that they all lie in alignment and have a continuous contact channel 12 for a mating contact, e.g. form a blade contact of a fuse or a relay.

The design of the contact springs 11 as fork springs is of importance insofar as such springs (in contrast to the in US 6 210 240 B1 used) can exert much higher contact forces, since the spring legs are claimed against their high edge.

Each fork spring 11 thus has in known per se configuration two fork legs 13 and one of them at the lower ends interconnecting fork web 14. The fork springs 12 are connected via connecting webs 15 with a so-called central strip 16 in material connection. The connecting webs 15 are arranged centrally or asymmetrically or off-center on the fork webs 14, that is always ensured that all Gabelfederkotakte each 'fork spring contact package' congruent in alignment, as the drawings illustrate.

At the lower longitudinal sides of the central strip 16 connecting pins 17 are cut out and possibly bent. How out Fig. 1 it can be seen, these grip in the illustrated embodiment in holes 18 of a circuit board 29 for mechanical attachment and electrical connection with this. With 19 are in Fig. 1 Also referred to as relief breakthroughs, which are provided in the respective central strip 16. They have the purpose of weight reduction and facilitating the severing of the Central strip 16, if - as described below - are cut off Endlostreifen cut sections.

The contacting device 10 in Fig. 1 is composed of three contact strips 20, 21 and 22 in such a way that the central strips 16 each lie flat against each other, which illustrates the drawing well.

With 23 places or areas are indicated, which are intended to indicate connections or fasteners with which the contact strips 20, 21 and 22 are secured in the region of their central strip 16 together. This attachment can be made cohesively, for. by welding, soldering, gluing or the like. and / or non-positively by intermeshing pins, tongues, lobes and openings or nubs and slugs.

The structure of the contacting device 10 is further still with reference to the Fig. 2 to 5 described, which should also explain the manufacturing process.

Fig. 2 shows the emergence of the three contact strips 20, 21 and 22 for the structure of the contacting after Fig. 1 , (According to the layered structure of the contacting after Fig. 1 However, one has to imagine the contact strip 21 between the contact strips 20 and 22).

From a sheet of rectangular cross-section, in particular contact spring bronze, a central strip 16 and fork contact springs 11 are first punched out. In the case of contact strips 20 and 22, the connecting pins 17 are also punched out at the longitudinal edges opposite the contact springs 11. This stage shows the pictures in Fig. 2 in their areas, each labeled A.

In the further course of the manufacturing process, the fork springs 11 are entangled relative to the central strip 16 about their respective longitudinal axis. This manifests itself in a twisting of the connecting webs 15. In the case of the contact strips 20 and 22, moreover, the connecting pins 17 are bent so that they emerge laterally out of the surface plane of the contact strip, as shown in FIG Fig. 2 is recognizable. This stage is in the respective section area B of the stripes in Fig. 2 shown.

Endless belts of the respective configuration shown in section B then serve as starting materials for the packaging of a contacting device 10. These strips are joined together in planar contact with their central strips 16 in such a way that all the fork contact springs 11 -a single, continuous insertion gap-lie side by side in parallel to one another , as Fig. 1 this already illustrated. Now the strip-shaped package is going along in Fig. 2 cut arbitrarily registered lines 24, so that the individual package strips are present as cut sections 25.

With reference to Fig. 2 is to be mentioned that the contact strips 20 and 22 may be identical and are arranged only mirror images of each other oriented, wherein the third contact strip 21 is inserted as a central strip between the two contact strips 20 and 22.

Fig. 3 illustrated in an analogous manner to Fig. 2 the generation and arrangement of the individual elements of a contacting device with four contact strips 20, 21, 21 'and 22. In this embodiment, a contacting device 10 is thus composed of four contact strips. In this case, the two outer contact strips 20 and 22 may be identical to each other as well as the two centrally arranged contact strips 21 and 21 'may be identical. As with the previous one Embodiment, the terminal pins having outer contact strips 20 and 22 are then set mirror images of each other. This now also applies to the two middle contact strips 21 and 21 '.

While Fig. 3 in each left section of the four contact strips nor the raw state shows stamped in the original plane fork contact springs, shows Fig. 4 the areas of the later shortening sections, which are already completely worked out and only need to be attached to each other. Fig. 5 shows the same arrangement in each closer ge moved state of the four contact strips 20, 21, 21 'and 22. In particular, from this figure, the already highlighted comb-like meshing of the individual fork contact springs 11 is clearly visible.

From the above it is clear that, depending on the number and width of the design of a contacting device 10 to be provided contact strip 20, 21, possibly 21 ', 22 numerous different contacting devices can generate in a simple manner. Differences exist - assuming equal starting materials - on the one hand in the variable width dimension and on the other hand in the number and spacing of the individual fork contact springs 11 to each other. In an extreme case, the layering can be such that all the contact springs 11 touch each other. In this case, the largest possible contact zone density results.

The Fig. 6a to 6c illustrate a contacting device 10, which from the four based on the Fig. 3 to 5 explained contact strip 20, 21, 21 'and 22 is joined together.

The Fig. 7 to 9 illustrate contacting devices 10 with differently shaped connection pins 17. Die Kontaktiervorrichtung 10 der Fig. 7 has rectilinear soldering pins as connection pins 17. At the in Fig. 8 shown Contacting device 10, the terminal pins 17 are also formed substantially pin-shaped, but here have so-called press-in zones 26 with an elastic deformation of these zones enabling slots 27. Such contacts are known per se.

In the contacting device 10 of Fig. 9 are the connection pins 17 formed as SMD soldering legs and bent out substantially perpendicular from the central plane of the central webs 16 and cranked. The shaping could also be carried out in such a way that the soldering pins 17 of the contact strip 20 could contact one side of a printed circuit board and the soldering pins 17 of the contact strip 22 could contact the other side of the same printed circuit board.

The 10 and 11 show the contacting device according to the invention in a practical application. With 28 here is a box referred to as part of the fuse box of a car. In this box 28, a printed circuit board 29 is arranged, on which a plurality of contacting devices 10 according to the invention are mounted. The printed circuit board 29, but also the individual contacting devices 10 are deprived of access from an upper cover wall 30 of the box 26. However, the top wall 30 has openings 31 for engagement and passage of flat blade contacts 32 of electrical components as shown in the example of a fuse 33 and a relay 34th

The 10 and 11 also illustrate that a fuse 33 with two flat blade contacts 30 are associated with two matched contacting devices 10. The relay 34 has three flat blade contacts 32, which are also oriented differently. Accordingly, there are three contactors 10 for the relay 34, which are tuned to the location and size of the corresponding relay flat blade contacts 32.

In summary, it should be noted that the invention introduces a low-cost to be manufactured novel modular system for variant rich design compact contactors. It is not insignificant that is primarily intended to use the Kontaktiervorrichtungen without their own customized insulating.

Claims (14)

1. Electrical contacting device (10), in particular for transmission of medium to high currents, with a number of contact springs (11) arranged parallel to each other for connecting at least one complementary flat blade contact, the contacting device (10) being put together out of at least two contact strips (20, 21, 22), each contact strip (20, 21, 22) having a central strip (16), to which contact springs which are aligned transversely to the contact strip and in the form of forked springs (11) are connected, and a contact strip having connecting pins (17) in one-piece substance-to-substance assignment, for electrical and/or mechanical connection to a printed circuit board, characterized in that the contacting device (10) is put together out of at least two contact strips (20, 21, 22) in mutual plane arrangement of their central strips (16), in such a way that the forked springs (11) of the contact strips (20, 21, 22) engage with each other essentially like a comb, taking account of their congruently aligned arrangement.
2. Contacting device according to Claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the at least two contact strips (20, 22) is provided with connecting pins (17), which are connected to the central strip (16).
3. Contacting device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least two of the contact strips (20, 22; 21, 21') are of identical form to each other, but are joined to each other as mirror images.
4. Contacting device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the case of a contacting device (10) which is put together out of three contact strips (20, 21, 22), the middle contact strip (21) is provided with connecting pins (17).
5. Contacting device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the case of a contacting device (10) which is put together out of three contact strips (20, 21, 22), the two outer contact strips (20, 22) are provided with connecting pins (17).
6. Contacting device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the case of a contacting device (10) which is put together out of four contact strips (20, 21, 21', 22), the two outer contact strips (20, 22) or the two inner contact strips (21, 21') are provided with connecting pins (17).
7. Contacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact strips (20, 21, 21', 22) are formed from shortened sections (25) of endlessly generated contact strips.
8. Contacting device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the shortened sections (25) are generated after the individual endless contact strips are joined to each other, by cutting through the contact strip package.
9. Contacting device according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the forked springs (11), which are cut out of a plane contact sheet metal strip, are crossed out of the plane of the central strip (16), which corresponds to the plane of the contact sheet metal strip.
10. Contacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, in particular according to Claim 8, characterized in that the forked springs (11) are connected via connecting sections (15), which are connected to their fork bridge (14), to the central strip (16), and the connecting sections (15) are connected asymmetrically or eccentrically to the fork bridge (14).
11. Contacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting pins (17), which are cut out of a plane contact sheet metal strip, are cranked out of the plane of the central strip (16), which corresponds to the plane of the contact sheet metal strip.
12. Contacting device according to Claim 11, characterized in that the contact pins (17) of two contact strips of the contacting device (10) are cranked or bent over in such a way that they can contact a printed circuit board on both sides between them.
13. Contacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central strips (16) are joined in a substance-to-substance manner, e.g. by welding, soldering or similar, or in a friction-locked manner, e.g. by mutual engagement of knobs, buttons or similar.
14. Contacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central strips (16) are provided with relief openings (19).

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