EP1680840B1 - Flat tip jack - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a flat blade jack ( 1 ) with a socket shaft to accommodate, in an electrically contacting manner, a flat connector. The socket shaft comprises at least one comb-like multitude of essentially parallel contact bridges ( 3 ) that extend in the direction of plugging, which comb-like multitude is arranged on at least one broad side of the socket shaft. In this arrangement the contact bridges ( 3 ) are curved towards the middle of the socket shaft. According to the invention the flat blade jack ( 1 ) is characterised in that the section of the contact bridges ( 3 ), which section is curved towards the middle of the shaft, in the region of the contact zone with the flat connector comprises more than one vertex ( 6, 7 ). Thanks to the flat blade jack according to the invention it becomes possible to particularly reliably design electrical plug-type connections, for example with contact blades of flat connectors or of fuses or relays. Apart from providing considerable improvements relating to current-carrying capacity, reliability and evenness of the force gradient during plug-in, the invention at the same time provides economic advantages due to the ability to efficiently produce flat blade jacks.

Description

The invention relates to a flat connector for electrically contacting receiving a tab according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Electrical connectors, which are composed of a blade-type receptacle and a tab or of a blade-type receptacle and a blade, have found an extremely wide spread in numerous areas of technology, especially in motor vehicle construction due to a combination of advantageous properties.

Such electrical connectors are usually relatively inexpensive to produce and can often be assembled by simply pressing with appropriate cable sets. In addition, the assembly can also be done manually with relatively simple means and hand tools, if required, for example, in the workshop. In addition, relatively high currents can be transmitted via flat connectors, which plays an important role in the low-voltage vehicle electrical system of the motor vehicle. Generic blade receptacles are also commonly used to Fuses and relays on printed circuit boards both electrically contact as well as hold mechanically.

For applications with particularly high requirements in terms of transmittable amperage, mechanical strength, vibration resistance and robustness in workshop operation flat connector are known whose socket shaft comprises a contact spring basket or lamellar basket. Such a trained socket shaft has the advantage that on the one hand, a relatively strong hold of the contact blade in the blade receptacle and on the other hand, due to the increase in the number of electrical contact points between the socket and a relatively high current strength is transferable. With a suitable arrangement and geometry of the contact springs or slats of the socket shaft, these known tabs also have a certain self-cleaning effect of the electrical contacts, which comes into play each time the electrical contact is detached or joined.

For applications with particularly high demands in terms of reliability, transferable amperage, mechanical strength and simultaneously required high cost-effectiveness, however, known tabs are only limited suitability. In addition, these are often complicated in structure, consist of a plurality of individual parts and therefore require a variety of manufacturing steps for their production, which entails correspondingly high costs.

With this background, it is the object of the present invention to provide a blade receptacle for a flat electrical connector, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art described. In particular, the electrical tabs should combine very high mechanical safety and electrical transmission reliability with high maximum current carrying capacity. In addition, the flat connector should be able to be produced inexpensively with optimal material utilization and with minimal use of production means.

This object is achieved by a flat receptacle according to the teaching of claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are subject of the dependent claims.

The flat plug socket according to the invention comprises in a manner known per se a socket shaft for receiving and electrical contacting a tab or contact blade, wherein the socket shaft has at least one disposed on at least one broad side of the socket shaft, comb-like crowd of substantially parallel, extending in the insertion direction contact webs. In a manner which is likewise known per se, the contact webs have a curved course towards the center of the socket shaft. Such flat sockets are for example in US 5,342,226 A . EP 0 343 550 A2 or EP 0 744 790 A1 disclosed.

According to the invention, however, the flat plug socket is distinguished by the fact that the curvature of the section of the contact webs bent toward the middle of the shaft has more than one vertex in the region of the contact zone with the flat plug.

This means in other words that each of the webs of the web of the socket shaft not, as in the prior art, only a vertex and thus only a point of contact with the tab or with the contact blade, but that rather several web, preferably two per web , Contact points or contact zones for the transmission of electrical power are available. This is also advantageous in that higher mechanical clamping forces can be achieved between the flat plug socket and the flat plug or contact blade in this way, which promotes both the mechanical and the electrical safety of the plug connection.

However, the higher clamping forces are achieved thanks to the invention, without necessarily the necessary insertion forces increase to the same extent. For when inserting the contact blade in the flat receptacle according to the invention, for example, two vertices of the contact webs must not be overcome by the contact blade simultaneously, but rather can be successively successively overcome. As a result, the force-displacement curve is smoothed when inserting the contact blade in the socket shaft, which greatly facilitates the manual production of the connector.

Initially, it is not essential to the invention how the electrical or mechanical connection of the blade receptacle to adjacent components takes place, as long as the current flow can be permanently ensured and forces acting on the plug connection can be absorbed. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blade terminal is characterized by solder legs or press-fit for electrically contacting mounting of the blade terminal, in particular on a circuit board. The solder legs or press-in pins are arranged in extension of at least one of the two broad sides of the blade receptacle. In this case, the soldering legs or press-in pins are particularly preferably one-piece with the respective one. Broad side of the blade receptacle formed.

This leads to a particularly simple manufacturability of the blade terminal and thus to low production costs. In addition, this arrangement of the solder legs or press-fit pins results in a particularly robust connection between blade receptacle and PCB, especially when both broad sides of the blade receptacle wear solder legs or press-fit pins.

As an alternative to soldering, crimping webs can also be used for the electrically contacting assembly of the flat plug socket. This is particularly suitable for contacting at a cable end.

According to a further, likewise preferred embodiment of the invention, the flat connector is a one-piece stamped and bent part educated. The stamped and bent part is bent perpendicular to the plug-in direction of the connector between flat receptacle and tab to a rectangular box profile. This embodiment has the particular advantage that it is extremely inexpensive and efficient to manufacture. In addition, results in a one-piece design of the blade connector and a particularly large robustness and stability of the blade terminal.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the closure of the rectangular box profile of the flat connector is formed by a positive mating of at least one notch and at least one tab. In this case, the notch on an undercut, and the tab is designed to correspond to the notch. In this way, both a simple producible and robust closure of the box profile of the blade receptacle is obtained, since the closure elements are integrally formed on the rectangular box profile of the blade receptacle, wherein the closure elements can also be prepared already during stamping. Also, no further elaborate operations such as welding are required in this way for closing the box section.

According to further particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the positive pairing of notch and tab is arranged on a narrow side of the socket shaft and the pairing of notch and tab is additionally impressed positively after joining. Both leads to a particularly high rigidity, in particular torsional rigidity and bending stiffness, of the box profile of the blade-type receptacle.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the flat plug socket comprises at least one end-side arranged on the bushing shaft support spring. By the support spring, a further mechanical and / or electrical contact zone between flat receptacle and tab is formed. This results in an even higher, By means of the connector transferable rated current, better management of the contact blade when making the connector and a higher security against accidental removal of the contact blade from the blade terminal. The at least one support spring is particularly preferably also integrally formed on a narrow side of the socket shaft, which can be done for example by notching already during punch bending of the sheet material of the socket shaft.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the socket shaft, in addition to the extending between the ends of the socket shaft contact webs, axially extending stabilizing webs. These stabilizing webs connect the two axial ends of the socket shaft firmly and at a constant distance from each other.

This is advantageous insofar as thanks to the stabilization by the stabilizing webs no change in length of the socket shaft can take place when inserting the contact blade. In addition, the stabilizing webs prevent deformation of the socket shaft, which could otherwise occur especially in case of mis-insertion or non-coaxial insertion of the contact blade. In addition, it is prevented by the stabilizing webs that bending forces can be transferred to the solder joints between blade receptacle and circuit board, since the stabilizing webs ensure a dimensional stability of the socket shaft and thus for constant distance and angle of the solder legs. Finally, the stabilizing webs also make it possible to achieve even higher contact forces between the contact webs and the contact blade, especially since the stabilizing webs reliably prevent axial length changes of the socket shaft due to the deformation of the contact webs when inserting the contact blade.

The stabilizing webs are preferably formed by the longitudinal edges of the rectangular box profile. This is beneficial because of this Way optimal use of space in the area of the socket shaft takes place. In addition, a socket shaft with maximum bending strength and maximum torsional strength is obtained.

The flat receptacle according to the invention can in principle be produced from a wide variety of conductive materials. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the blade receptacle is made of highly conductive material, which at the same time has a particularly high specific elasticity. In this way, high rated currents can be transmitted, and there is also high failure safety against mechanical overloads of the connector.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrative drawings.

Fig. 1

in isometrischer Darstellung eine Ausführungsform einer Flachsteckbuchse gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 2

in schematischer Darstellung die Flachsteckbuchse gemäß Fig. 1 in der Seitenansicht;

Fig. 3

in einer Fig. 2 entsprechenden Darstellung die Flachsteckbuchse gemäß Fig. 1 und 2 im Längsschnitt;

Fig. 4

in einer Fig. 2 und 3 entsprechenden Darstellung die Flachsteckbuchse gemäß Fig. 1 bis 3 mit Blick auf die Verschlussseite des Buchsenschachts;

Fig. 5

in einer Fig. 1 entsprechenden Darstellung die Flachsteckbuchse gemäß Fig. 1 bis 4 mit Blick auf die Verschlussseite des Buchsenschachts; und

Fig. 6

in einer Fig. 2 bis 4 entsprechenden Darstellung die Flachsteckbuchse gemäß Fig. 1 bis 5 in der Draufsicht.

Show it:

Fig. 1

an isometric view of an embodiment of a blade receptacle according to the present invention;

Fig. 2

in a schematic representation of the flat connector of Figure 1 in side view.

Fig. 3

in a representation corresponding to FIG. 2 , the blade receptacle according to Figures 1 and 2 in longitudinal section.

Fig. 4

in a representation corresponding to Figures 2 and 3 , the blade-type receptacle according to Figures 1 to 3 with a view of the closure side of the socket shaft.

Fig. 5

in a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 , the flat plug socket according to FIGS . 1 to 4 with a view of the closure side of the socket shaft; and

Fig. 6

in a representation corresponding to Fig. 2 to 4 , the blade receptacle according to Fig. 1 to 5 in plan view.

Fig. 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a blade receptacle 1 according to the present invention, viewed from obliquely down on the solder legs or press-in pins 2. It can be seen first that the blade receptacle 1 is designed as a one-piece sheet-stamped bent part, wherein the stamped and bent part a rectangular box profile is bent.

In each case a responsible for both the mechanical and the electrical contact between blade receptacle 1 and a flat connector, not shown crowd of contact webs 3 extends continuously from the head end 4 to the foot of each 5 broad side of the box-shaped socket shaft of the blade terminal 1. In this case, each of the contact webs 3 in Area of its bent to the center of the socket shaft section two vertices 6, 7 and thus two contact points with the contact blade of a tab.

As a result, both electrically and mechanically particularly reliable contact between contact blade and blade receptacle 1 is achieved. In this case, when inserting the contact blade first the head end 4 of the blade receptacle nearer lying group 6 of the vertices 6, 7 contacted, with the foot end 5 of the blade receptacle 1 facing group 7 of the vertices 6, 7 dodge at this time still to the center of the socket shaft can.

Only upon further insertion of the contact blade is the second group 7 of the vertices 6, 7, which is closer to the foot end 5 or closer to the solder legs 2 of the blade receptacle 1, contacted and also displaced from the middle of the socket shaft to the outside. In this case, due to the mechanical connection between two apexes 6, 7 via the contact web 3 at the same time also the contact pressure the first group 6 of the vertices 6, 7 of the contact strip 3 further increased.

This special plug-in behavior of the flat receptacle 1 according to the invention combines a smooth and uniform insertion process with a simultaneously achievable maximum electrical and mechanical contact reliability between blade receptacle 1 and contact blade of a tab.

1 , one of the arranged on the narrow sides of the socket shaft, also integrally formed with the blade receptacle lateral support springs 8, which can be used in addition to power transmission. In addition, the support springs 8 ensure better guidance of the contact blade in the socket 1 and improve safety against unintentional withdrawal of the contact blade from the blade receptacle. 1

Finally, it can also be seen from FIG. 1 how the bushing shaft is reinforced by the axially extending stabilizing webs 9. The stabilizing webs 9, which are formed in the illustrated embodiment by the four longitudinal edges 9 of the rectangular box profile of the socket shaft, ensure that the length and shape of the socket shaft, especially during insertion of a tab, but also during operation of the connector, remain invariable. In this way, the stabilizing webs 9 contribute significantly to the robustness and to increase the mechanical or electrical failure safety of the connector.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the blade receptacle 1 of FIG. 1. The blade receptacle 1 is arranged by means of their press-fit pins or solder legs 2 in the breadboard of a printed circuit board 10. In the illustration of Fig. 2 can be seen well the structure of the blade receptacle 1, which integrally includes both contact webs 3, support springs 8, stabilizing webs 9 and press-fit pins or solder legs 2.

In Fig. 3, which shows a longitudinal section through the blade receptacle according to Fig. 1 and 2 along the line AA of FIG. 2 , the shape of the contact webs 3 can be seen particularly well, according to the invention in each case two vertices 6, 7 and two Contact points 6, 7 for contacting the contact blade also not shown here have the tab.

When inserting the contact blade, the vertex points 6 of the contact webs 3, which are closer to the head region 4 of the tab receptacle 1, are first displaced outward. In this case, the maximum spring tension of the contact webs 3 is not yet reached, since the closer to the foot area 5 of the blade receptacle 1 further apexes 7 of the contact webs 3 can initially dodge still towards the center of the socket shaft. Only upon further insertion of the contact blade and the second group 7 of the vertices 6, 7 is displaced from the middle of the socket shaft to the outside, which gives rise to the maximum spring forces in the contact webs 3. These spring forces then also act on the contact force between the first group 6 of the vertices 6, 7 and the contact blade back to increase the force.

Since the stabilizing webs 9 (FIG. 2) formed by the four longitudinal edges 9 of the socket basket prevent any extension of the distance between the head region 4 and the foot region 5 of the flat socket 1, the contact webs 3 are not only under bending stress, but also by the insertion of a contact blade set under axial compressive stress, which further improves the electrical contact and the mechanical clamping behavior between the contact blade and contact webs 3.

Fig. 4 shows that narrow side of the blade receptacle according to FIGS. 1 to 4, on which the connecting elements 11, 12 are located for the closure of the rectangular box profile.

It can be seen in particular the shape of the closure elements 11, 12 of the rectangular box profile of the blade receptacle 1. The stamped and bent part, from which the blade receptacle 1 is formed, this has on one of its two narrow sides two undercut notches 11 which are arranged in rectangular extensions of the stamped and bent part. In the undercut notches 11 engage two on the other narrow side of the stamped and bent part integrally formed to form the notches form-fitting tabs 12, wherein the tabs are formed on the drawing-related left side of the rectangular box profile. This results in a positive connection between the two narrow sides of the stamped and bent part, and a bending and torsionally rigid rectangular box is formed.

The robustness of this connection can be further increased by the mutually contacting edges of tab 12 and notch 11 are embossed together by means of a suitable tool. The resulting overlapping of the edges of tab 12 and notch 11 creates an extremely intimate and backlash-free connection of the two narrow sides of the stamped and bent parts of the rectangular box profile.

Fig. 5 shows again in an isometric view of the tabs according to Fig. 1 to 4, also with a view towards that narrow side of the tabs on which the connection or closure elements 11, 12 of the rectangular box profile. Also clearly visible in Fig. 5, the course of the contact springs 3, the stabilizing webs 9 and a support spring. 8

1 to 5 Fig. 6 shows the flat plug socket according to FIG. In the plan view of the head portion 4. This shows in particular the all-round coverage for the contact blade of a flat plug which together through the vertices 6, 7 and the contact points 6, 7 of the contact webs 3 with the lateral support springs 8 is formed. In this way, both a secure electrical contact and a robust mechanical anchorage of the contact blade scored in the socket basket of the flat connector 1.

As a result, it is clear that it is possible thanks to the flat receptacle according to the invention, electrical connections, for example, with contact blades of tabs or fuses or relays to make very reliable.

The invention provides not only considerable improvements in terms of transmittable amperage, electrical and mechanical safety and uniformity of the force curve when plugging in at the same time significant profitability advantages due to the rational production of the flat plug socket according to the invention.

The invention thus combines improvements in the properties of tabs with significant cost savings potential in manufacturing and assembly.

Claims (13)

1. A flat blade jack (1) with a socket shaft to accommodate, in an electrically contacting manner, a flat connector, with the socket shaft comprising at least one comb-like multitude of essentially parallel contact bridges (3) that extend in the direction of plugging and are connected to the socket shaft at both ends, which comb-like multitude is arranged on at least one broad side of the socket shaft, wherein the contact bridges (3) are curved towards the middle of the socket shaft,
   characterised in that
   the sections of the contact bridges (3), which sections are curved towards the middle of the shaft, in the region of the contact zone with the flat connector each comprise more than one vertex (6, 7).
2. The flat blade jack according to claim 1,
   characterised by
   soldering legs (2) or push-in pins (2) for the electrically contacting installation of the flat blade jack (1) in particular on a printed circuit board (10), wherein the soldering legs (2) or push-in pins (2) are arranged as a prolongation of at least one of the two broad sides of the flat blade jack (1).
3. The flat blade jack according to claim 2,
   characterised in that
   the soldering legs (2) or push-in pins (2) are designed in one piece with the respective broad side of the flat blade jack (1).
4. The flat blade jack according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
   characterised in that
   the flat blade jack (1) is a single-piece stamped bent part that has been bent perpendicular to the direction of plug-in so as to form a rectangular box profile.
5. The flat blade jack according to claim 4,
   characterised in that
   a locking mechanism of the rectangular box profile is formed by pairing, having positive fit, comprising at least one notch (11) with an undercut and at least one strap (12) designed so as to be complementary in shape to the notch.
6. The flat blade jack according to claim 5,
   characterised in that
   pairing, having positive fit, comprising notch (11) and strap (12) is arranged on a narrow side of the socket shaft.
7. The flat blade jack according to claim 5 or 6,
   characterised in that
   pairing, having positive fit, comprising notch (11) and strap (12) is stamped so as to be non-positive.
8. The flat blade jack according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
   characterised by
   at least one support spring (8) arranged on the narrow side of the socket shaft, by which support spring (8) a further mechanical and/or electrical contact zone with the flat connector is formed.
9. The flat blade jack according to claim 8,
   characterised in that
   the support spring (8), of which there is at least one, is formed in a single piece to the flat blade jack (1).
10. The flat blade jack according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
    characterised in that
    the socket shaft comprises axially extending stabilisation bridges (9).
11. The flat blade jack according to claim 10,
    characterised in that
    the stabilisation bridges (9) are formed by the longitudinal edges of the rectangular box profile.
12. The flat blade jack according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
    characterised in that
    the flat blade jack (1) is made from highly conductive material of good specific elasticity.
13. The flat blade jack according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
    characterised by
    crimp bridges for electrically contacting installation of the flat blade jack, in particular to the end of a cable, wherein the crimp bridges are arranged as a prolongation of at least one of the two broad sides of the flat blade jack.

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