EP1794846B1 - Circuit board plug-and-socket device - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a printed circuit board plug-in device for connecting connecting leads of a plug-in part to printed conductors of a printed circuit board.

State of the art

In order to connect cables of a connecting cable with conductor tracks on a printed circuit board, various direct plug-in devices are known. They often consist of a strip-shaped plug-in part, which is plugged onto a patch panel, which is formed at the edge of the circuit board and in which conductor tracks are led out by contact surfaces.

Such printed circuit board direct connectors are also used when connecting telecommunications equipment. Here, when connecting an ISDN system is required that the so-called S0-Por the system either an external ISDN office or an internal S0 device is to be connected. These two connection configurations are described in the service manual for the HiPath 3000/5000 V4.0 ISDN telecommunications system. The two connections require a change in the S0-4-wire interface once the connecting lines are connected continuously and crossed once in pairs. So far, the connecting cables have been crossed by hand, ie a housing cover has been removed from the system on site and SR and SX cores in the junction box have been manually reversed. The manual transfer of the lines is not only time consuming, but can also lead to errors.

To change a pinout of a printed circuit board connector, DIL switches or multiple plug-in devices are known.

Another possible solution is provided by specially designed contacting devices. As a rule, they consist of a patch panel formed on the edge of the printed circuit board, onto which a bridge spring strip is plugged. Through a connection layout on the circuit board, the desired pin assignment of the PCB connector is specified. Such a contacting device is for example from the DE 103 17 588 known.

US 5421734 discloses a circuit board connector according to the preamble of claim 2.

From the DE 198 199 06 A1 An ISDN four-wire interface is known in which a switch between internal and external operation is carried out automatically by electronic switches.

Changing the pin assignment of a plug-in device is always associated in the known state of the art with a greater or lesser effort for additional components. One strives to keep the cost of additional components as low as possible.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a printed circuit board plug-in device for connecting connecting leads of a plug-in part to strip conductors of a printed circuit board in which a change in the pin assignment is possible in a simple manner and with low production costs.

• das Steckteil enthält Kontaktelemente, die mit den Anschlussleitungen verbunden sind,
• zur steckbaren Aufnahme des Steckteils ist an einem Rand der Leiterplatte ein Steckfeld ausgebildet,
• das Steckfeld enthält Kontaktflächen, durch die Leiterbahnen am Rand herausgeführt sind, wobei Leiterbahnen, die durch eine Kontaktfläche und Leiterbahnen, die durch zumindest zwei Kontaktflächen herausgeführt sind, vorhanden sind,
• zwischen dem Steckteil und dem Steckfeld ist eine Kodierführung ausgebildet, die eine erste Steckposition, und eine, zur ersten Steckposition seitlich in einem Abstand in Ebenen der Leiterplatte versetzte zumindest eine weitere Steckposition vorgibt, wobei den Kontaktelementen in der einen und in der zumindest einen weiteren Steckposition unterschiedliche Kontaktflächen zugeordnet sind.

This object is achieved in a printed circuit board connector of the type mentioned by the following features:

• the male part contains contact elements which are connected to the connection lines,
• for plug-in reception of the plug-in part, a plug-in field is formed on one edge of the printed circuit board,
• the plug-in field contains contact surfaces through which printed conductors are led out at the edge, conductor tracks being present through a contact surface and conductor tracks which are led out through at least two contact surfaces,
• between the plug-in part and the plug-in field, a coding guide is formed, which specifies a first plug position, and one offset to the first plug position laterally at a distance in planes of the printed circuit board at least one further plug position, wherein the contact elements in the one and in the at least one further plug position different contact surfaces are assigned.

A significant advantage of the invention is that a change in a pin assignment can be brought about simply by a lateral plugging a male part. For the male part at least two slots are provided in the patch panel. Each slot is specified in the manner of a key-lock configuration by a mechanical coding, ie only certain plug positions are allowed on the patch panel. The coding guide is made by positive connection between male and male. A connection layout connects cables on the printed circuit board with contact areas in the patch panel so that printed conductors and connecting cables can be assigned in a predefined manner. In other words, the connection layout sets the various connectivity options Tracks and connecting cables fixed. A change in the pin assignment requires only a change, but not additional components such as DIL switches or special encoding devices. Since the effort for the connection layout and for the mechanical coding is comparatively low, thereby the realization of a possibility of changing a pin assignment is possible in a simple manner. There is no expense for additional components. The production costs are low.

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

A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the coding guide is formed by a coding web formed in the receiving shaft of the plug-in part, which cooperates with corresponding Kodierausnehmungen in the patch panel. Each approved plug position corresponds to a pin assignment when tapping the electrical signals conducted to the contact surfaces in the patch panel.

For an ISDN connection, the printed circuit board plug-in device is characterized as follows in a preferred embodiment: The plug-in field has 6 contact surfaces. Of these, a first contact surface with a first conductor track and a second contact surface with a second conductor track is connected. A contact surface pair adjacent to the first contact surface is connected to a third conductor track and a contact surface pair adjacent to the second contact surface is connected to a fourth conductor track. On both sides adjacent to the first contact surface each have a Kodierausnehmung is formed, in which the Kodiersteg is inserted. As a result, two plug positions are coded in the patch panel, in which either a continuous or a pairwise crossed connection is made. To change the pin assignment, it is only necessary that the male part between the first and the second slot is reconnected. The SO port of an ISDN connection can thus be easily reconfigured between a connection of an ISDN exchange and a connection of an ISDN device. It eliminates a manual crossing of connecting cables. The technical realization is cost-effective. The male part is preferably made of plastic injection molding. The Kodiersteg can be easily manufactured during the injection molding of the male part. The coding recesses in the plug-in field can be easily produced by milling the printed circuit board.

A small width of the male part can be achieved in that the contact surfaces and Kodierausnehmungen are rectangular and are arranged parallel to each other in the patch panel in the plug direction.

It is preferred if the Kodiersteg connects opposite broad surfaces of the receiving shaft. As a result, the Kodiersteg also serves as a stiffening in the receiving shaft in addition to the mechanical coding. The walls of the receiving shaft can thereby be formed very thin-walled, which requires less material in the production.

In order to make the threading of the Kodiersteges in a Kodierausnehmung as simple as possible when plugging the male part, it is advantageous if the Kodiersteg is guided to the opening plane of the receiving shaft. If the Kodierausnehmungen are slot-shaped, the dimensions may advantageously be selected so that the, lying in the opening plane of the male part face when inserted forms a stop surface. An electrical contact between contact elements and contact surfaces is only made when the male part is placed correctly in the selected insertion position.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that the receiving shaft is wider than the patch panel. The dimensions are selected so that in an inserted position, an inner side surface of the receiving shaft rests against the facing side surface of the patch panel.

In order to connect connecting cables, which are already connected to a connector of the type RJ-45, to the plug-in part, a variant of the invention provides that the plug-in part has a mini-Western socket (in accordance with DIN) at a rear side facing away from the opening of the receiving shaft EN 60603-7), in which a Miniwesternstecker with connected leads is pluggable. The male part here forms an adapter, the pin assignment can be changed easily by simply repositioning between the first and the second plug position on the patch panel.

To connect leads directly to the male part is provided in another variant, that the male part is provided with screw terminals.

With regard to the contact properties and the mechanical definition of the male part on the patch panel, it is advantageous if the contact elements are designed as fork-shaped contact springs. As a result, the contact springs embrace the outer edge of the patch panel in a plugged position and hold the plug-in part by spring force.

And to further improve the contact properties and maintain them for the longest possible service life, it may be beneficial if the contact springs and / or the contact surfaces are provided with a corrosion-resistant coating, particularly preferably with a coating of gold or a gold alloy.

As a material for the male part, a fire-retardant, polymeric material is preferably used. The production in large numbers can be done with advantage by plastic injection molding.

Preferably, the circuit board connector according to the invention is applied to an ISDN telecommunications system to set up the S0 port for either an external (external) digital terminal or for an (internal) ISDN terminal terminal.

Convenient is when the first and the second Kodierausnehmung spaced in a pitch and adjacent to the first contact surface is arranged. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that the male part can not be pushed onto the patch panel in a position rotated by 180 degrees.

Course description of the drawing

Figur 1

die erfindungsgemäße Leiterplattensteckvorrichtung, bei der das Steckteil vor dem Einschieben in die erste Steckposition dargestellt ist;

Figur 2

die erfindungsgemäße Leiterplattensteckvorrichtung, bei der das Steckteil vor dem Einschieben in die zweite Steckposition dargestellt ist;

Figur 3

das auf das Steckfeld aufgesteckte Steckteil in einer Schnittzeichnung, wobei das Anschlusskabel durch ein RJ-45-Verbindung angeschlossen ist;

Figur 4

das auf das Steckfeld aufgesteckte Steckteil in einer Schnittzeichnung, wobei das Anschlusskabel durch eine Schraubklemmverbindung angeschlossen ist.

To further explain the invention, reference is made in the following part of the description to the drawings in which further advantageous embodiments, details and further development of the invention with reference to an illustrated embodiment are shown. It shows:

FIG. 1

the circuit board connector device according to the invention, in which the male part is shown prior to insertion into the first insertion position;

FIG. 2

the circuit board connector device according to the invention, in which the male part is shown prior to insertion into the second insertion position;

FIG. 3

the plug-in part plugged into the patch panel in a cross-sectional drawing with the connection cable connected through an RJ-45 connection;

FIG. 4

the plug-in part plugged into the patch panel in a sectional drawing, wherein the connecting cable is connected by a Schraubklemmverbindung.

Embodiment of the invention

In the FIGS. 1 and 2 an embodiment of the circuit board connector according to the invention is characterized as a whole by the reference numeral 1, as used for example in an ISDN telecommunications system for configuring a pin assignment of an ISDN connection.

The spatial representations in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a strip-shaped plug-in part 3, which is in each case in a position before plugging on the patch panel 4 of the circuit board 2. At the male part 3, a connection cable 20 is struck with connecting lines 26. The male part 3 has a cuboid receiving shaft 15, in which four contact elements 11,12,13,14 can be seen. In the receiving shaft 15, a Kodiersteg 23 is further formed, which extends between opposite broad sides of the receiving shaft 15. In the illustrated application of an ISDN connection, the four contact elements 11, 12, 13, 14 of the plug-in part (3) face six contact surfaces 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 on the plug-in field 4, wherein the contact surfaces are arranged in a row next to each other.

The patch panel 4 projects tongue-shaped from an edge 24 of the circuit board 2. The contact surfaces 5,6,7,8,9,10 are rectangular in shape and connected to four interconnects 31,32,33,34 of the circuit board 2.

Further, the patch panel 4 is provided with two Kodierausnehmungen 21 and 22. This Kodierausnehmung 21 and 22 are arranged at a distance 25 and made by milling on the patch panel 4. They run on both sides to and parallel to the contact surface 9. They form a key groove for the Kodiersteg 23rd

Due to the selected asymmetrical arrangement of the Kodiersteges 23 and the Kodierausnehmungen 21,22 is excluded that the male part 3 can be plugged in a 180 degrees rotated position.

In the presentation of the FIG. 1 the Kodiersteg 23 is in an insertion position for insertion into the first Kodierausnehmung 21. Die FIG. 2 shows the other hand, the laterally shifted to the left second insertion position. The Kodiersteg 23 is here opposite the second Kodierausnehmung 22. The Kodiersteg 23 has a width of 0.7 mm. The first and second Kodierausnehmung 21,22 is slightly wider than the Kodiersteg so that the male part 3 by hand can be easily attached to the patch panel 4. The two Kodierausnehmungen 21 and 22, and the contact surfaces 5,6,7,8,9,10 are each spaced in the grid (1.27 millimeters to 3.5 millimeters). The contact surfaces 5,6,7,8,9,10 are shown in the Embodiment led out on an upper side of the conductor; but it is also conceivable that the contact surfaces are led out at the top and / or at the bottom.

The connection between the contact surfaces 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and the conductor tracks 31, 22, 33, 44 is predetermined by a connection layout 30 on the printed circuit board 2. How out FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 can be seen in the present application by this connection layout 30, the contact surface 6 only with the conductor 31 (ISDN signal SX2) and the contact surface 9 only with the conductor 33 (ISDN signal SX1). In contrast, the conductor 32, which leads the ISDN signal SR2, led out in the patch panel 4 by two contact surfaces 5 and 7. Likewise, the conductor 34, which leads the ISDN signal SR1, led out twice in the patch panel 4, namely by the connection with the contact surface 8 and by the connection with the contact surface 10. In other words, in the patch panel contact surfaces are present only with a conductor track are connected (contact surfaces 6 and 9) and on the other hand there are conductor tracks 32 and 34, which open in the patch panel 4 respectively in two contact surfaces 5 and 7 or 8 and 10. As a result of this assignment, the ISDN signals SX1 and SX2 in the patch panel 4 each at a contact surface, the ISDN signals SR1 and SR2, however, are each tapped at two contact surfaces.

In the present application, this means that when on the S0 board of a communication system, either an external ISDN office or an internal SO device to be connected, so the required pairwise crossing of connection lines can be achieved simply by the male part 3 with the Kodiersteg 23 either in the first Kodierausnehmung 21 or laterally offset in the second Kodierausnehmung 22 is inserted. The arrow 29 indicates in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the plug-in direction.

The result is the following assignment between contact elements and ISDN signals:

In the first plug-in position of the Kodiersteg 23 is inserted in the first Kodierausnehmung 21 ( FIG. 1 ). contact elements contact area ISDN signal 11 6 SX2 12 7 SR2 13 9 SX1 14 10 SR1

In the second plug-in position of the Kodiersteg 23 is inserted in the second Kodierausnehmung 22 ( FIG. 2 ). contact elements contact area ISDN signal 11 5 SR2 12 6 SX2 13 8th SR1 14 9 SX1

As can be seen from the comparison of the two tables, the ISDN signals picked up by the contact elements 11, 12, 13, 14 of the plug-in part 3 are crossed in pairs in the respective plug-in positions, which equates to manual swapping of connection wires.

Since the male part 3 can only be plugged into this first or second plug position on the patch panel 4, are errors when configuring the ISDN connection, as it can occur during manual swapping of the connecting wires, excluded.

As in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 drawn, the cuboid receiving shaft 15 of the male part 3 side walls 16 and 17. The width of the receiving shaft 15 is wider than the width of the patch panel 4. The Kodiersteg 23 divides the receiving shaft 15 asymmetrically in a, seen in the direction of view larger left and a smaller right compartment. In the left part of the shaft are the contact elements 11,12 and 13. Between the contact elements 12 and 13, a grid space is free; Also, the outer surface lying to the inner surface 16 and 17 is left free in each compartment. The contact elements 11,12 and 13,14 and the contact surfaces 5,6,7,8,9,10 and Kodierausnehmungen 21,22 are each spaced at a distance 25 (pitch) arranged side by side.

In the in FIG. 1 The first insertion position shown, the inner side surface 16 is aligned with the corresponding side surface 18 of the patch panel 4. The dimensions are chosen so that during the insertion process (arrow 29), the surfaces 16 rests on the surface 18. In this way, an additional guide when inserting. The same applies to the in FIG. 2 dagstellte second insertion position. When plugged into this slot is the, seen in the viewing direction right side surface 17 of the male part 3 on the side surface 19 of the patch panel 4. Again, the system of surfaces 17 and 19 forms an additional guide.

The Kodiersteg 23 has an end face 36 which terminates flush with the opening plane of the receiving shaft 15. The elongated depth of the Kodierausnehmung 21 and 22 is so dimensioned that the end face 36 acts as a stop at Einsteckecken.

The connection lines 26 of the cable 2 can be either pluggable or permanently connected to the male part 3. The sectional drawing in FIG. 3 shows in a first variant the connection of the connection cable 20 through an RJ-45 connector 27. In the FIG. 4 In a second variant, the connection is made by a screw clamp 28. The connector 27 and the screw 28 are each formed on a receiving shaft 15 facing away from the side of the male part 3. As can be seen from the sectional view, the contact elements are fork-shaped.

Of course, the mechanical coding 23, 21, 22 can also be realized by a different design of the mating field between the plug-in field 4 and the receiving shaft 15. For example, the Kodierausnehmungen be formed by formed in the patch panel 4 and extending in the insertion direction 29 grooves. In these grooves then engages - instead of Kodiersteges 23 - in the receiving shaft in the direction of the patch projecting coding or a similarly congruent trained coding approach.

Compilation of the reference numbers used

1

PCB plug-in device

2

circuit board

3

male member

4

Steckfeld

5,6,7,8,9,10

contact surfaces

11,12,13,14

contact elements

15

receiving shaft

16

Side surface in 15

17

Side surface in 15

18

Side surface of 4

19

Side surface of 4

20

connection cable

21

First coding recess

22

Second coding recess

23

keying

24

Edge of 2

25

Distance between 21 and 22

26

Connecting cables from 20

27

RJ-45 connector

28

screw

29

Arrow, plug-in direction

30

connection layout

31

second trace

32

fourth trace

33

first trace

34

third trace

35

face

Claims (14)

1. Circuit board plug and socket device for the connection of connecting leads of a plug-in with conductor paths of a PCB, wherein:

   a) The plug-in (3) comprises contact elements (11, 12, 13, 14) which are connected to the connecting leads (26),

   b) A plug-in field (4) is embodied on an edge (24) of the PCB (2) for the pluggable accommodation of the plug-in field (4),

   c) The plug-in field (4) comprises contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), by means of which the conductor paths (31, 32, 33, 34) are guided out at the edge (24), where conductor paths which are guided out by means of a contact surface and conductor paths which are guided out by means of at least two contact areas are present, characterised in that

   d) a coding guide (21, 22, 23) is embodied between the plug-in (3) and the plug-in field (4), which has a first plug-in position and at least one further plug-in position offset laterally at a distance (25) from the first plug-in position at levels of the PCB (2), where different contact surfaces are assigned to the contact elements in the one and in the at least one further plug-in position.
2. Circuit board plug and socket device according to claim 1, characterised in that
   the coding guide (21, 22, 23) is embodied by means of a coding bar (23) embodied in the receiving slot (15) of the plug-in (3), which can be introduced either into a first (21) or a second coding cut-out (22) embodied in the plug-in field (4).
3. Circuit board plug and socket device according to claim 2, characterised in that the plug-in field (4) has six contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) arranged at the same distance from each other, of which a first contact surface (9) is connected to a first conductor path (33) and a second contact surface (6) is connected to a second conductor path (31), where a first pair of contact surfaces (8, 10) adjacent to the first contact surface (9) is connected to a third conductor path (34) and a second pair of contact surfaces (5, 7) adjacent to the second contact surface (6) is connected to a fourth conductor path (32), such that the first coding cut-out (21) is embodied between the first contact surface (9) and the adjacent contact surface (10) and the second coding cut-out (22) is embodied between the first contact surface (9) and the adjacent contact surface (8), and such that four contact elements (11, 12, 13, 14) are arranged in the receiving slot (15) in such a way that by replugging the plug-in (3) between the first and second coding cut-out, a crossed pair electrical connection can be created between connecting leads (26) and conductor paths (31, 32, 33, 34).
4. Circuit board plug and socket device according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) and the first and second coding cut-out are embodied in rectangular form, and are arranged parallel to each other in the plugging direction (29).
5. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of claims 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the coding bar (23) connects opposite width surfaces of the receiving slot (15).
6. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that a front surface (35) of the coding bar (23) ends flush with the level of the opening of the receiving slot (15), so that in a plugged-in state, the front surface (35) forms a stop in a coding cut-out (21, 22) embodied in the form of an elongated hole.
7. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that the receiving slot (15) has internally located lateral surfaces (16, 17), which in a plugged-in state in each case abut the adjacent lateral surfaces (18, 19) of the plug-in field (4).
8. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the connecting leads (26) are fitted into a Mini-Western plug (27), which is accommodated in pluggable form in a Mini-Western socket (RJ-46 socket) embodied in the plug-in (3).
9. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the plug-in (3) has screw clamps (28), to which the connecting leads (26) are connected.
10. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact elements (11, 12, 13, 14) are embodied as contact springs of fork-like form, which in a plugged-in situation abut assigned contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) by means of spring force.
11. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact elements (11, 12, 13, 14) and/or the contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10) are coated with a corrosion-resistant coating, in particular a gold alloy.
12. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the plug-in (3) is manufactured, using injection-moulding technology, of a fire-resistant polymer material.
13. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that signals from an ISDN-S0 interface (SX1, SX2, SR1, SR2) are routed to the contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).
14. Circuit board plug and socket device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact surfaces (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), the contact elements (11, 12), the contact elements (13, 14) and the coding cut-outs (21, 22) are in each case arranged at a distance from each other in the grid dimension.

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