EP2069843A1

EP2069843A1 - Plug system for connecting at least one optical fibre

Info

Publication number: EP2069843A1
Application number: EP07803605A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andreas Bausewein; Henryk Frenzel; Joachim Hahn; Pia Kopf; Thorsten Krah; Heinrich Probst
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH; Continental Automotive GmbH
Current assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH; TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2006-09-27
Filing date: 2007-09-25
Publication date: 2009-06-17
Also published as: DE102006046004A1; WO2008037712A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plug system for connecting at least one optical fibre. It is proposed to provide two securing elements (4) for permanently pressing the plug (2) against a stop (17) inside the female interface component (3), which are arranged such that they lie opposite one another and can move substantially at right angles to a pressing force, in order to provide a coupling element in the form of a plug system which is small and easy to handle and is cost-effective to produce despite the high demands on its long-term reliability.

Description

description

Plug-in system for coupling at least one optical fiber

The present invention relates to a plug-in system for coupling at least one optical fiber. It is known from the prior art with various embodiments that such plug-in systems are equipped with a male plug head and a female interface designed as a receptacle for the plug or an interface.

By using optical fibers, plug-in systems or connectors can also be used, for example, in crash sensors of modern passenger vehicles. Without limiting its field of application, the present invention will now be described only with reference to the automotive sector. However, the automotive and motor vehicle sector is particularly hard due to the requirements, but also offers very large sales figures, so that this constellation is justified on only this one application by the economic conditions.

Since pedestrian and cyclist vehicles represent a not inconsiderable hazard potential and a relatively large number of vehicle-to-pedestrian accidents are fatal, legislation has initiated measures aimed at alleviating accidents involving pedestrians. For example, certain limit values have been defined which must not be exceeded in the event of a pedestrian crash. These provisions will be introduced gradually and then apply to newly imported vehicles.

To reach the limit values, the vehicle must prove crashworthiness with the pedestrian. The technical implementation of these requirements can be realized in different ways. On the one hand, it is possible to solve this "passively" or "actively". In the so-called passive solution is the Vehicle front and hood designed so that the impact is intercepted due to the compliance in the limits. This requires a special bonnet and deformation space under the bonnet. In the active solution, the pedestrian crash is detected and after detection

Measures taken to intercept the pedestrian within the limits. This is e.g. about putting the bonnet e.g. pyrotechnic, implemented by electrical actuators or in any other way. The raised hood creates a space between itself and the relentless parts in the engine compartment and thus realizes the necessary space for the "gentle" interception of the pedestrian.

The detection of the crash with a pedestrian can be done by means of various sensor principles. Thus, the crash can be detected on the one hand by suitably arranged acceleration or G sensors or by so-called contact sensors which are arranged in the region of the possible impact. For this reason, the contact sensors are possibly placed over the entire front area in the front bumper area. This area is very critical of the environmental conditions for shock, water, humidity, etc.

A typical implementation of the contact sensor consists of the actual contact sensor and an electronics box. The contact sensor is in this case a fiber-optic sensor, short FOS, and is coupled to the electronics via a so-called opto-electronic interface, short OE interface, with the circuit board on which another circuit is arranged by printed interconnects.

Since the entire sensor principle is based on evaluating events such as crashes by short-term and small changes in the intensity of the light signal transmitted through the fiber and received on the other side, the elements that are not directly involved in the sensing must not have a short-term cause acute and / or rapid changes. It follows for a coupling element of the fibers to the transmitter and receiver LEDs within the OE interface that this must be robust and secure with respect to short-term and fast but also large long-term changes.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a coupling element in the form of a plug-in system, which is small and easy to use, but despite the high demands on its Dau- er reliability in its production is inexpensive.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

In the case of an optoelectronic plug, the goal is to fix a plug in such a way that the polished fiber ends are fixed in a positionally stable manner to the LEDs and photodiodes provided in an interface in a defined position. It would be advantageous if a fiber connector would always pressed rattling against a stop within the OE interface part. Such a pressure could be realized by the skilled person in general via at least one screw or by means of springs. Any such solution, however, would require either several manipulations in the course of fixing a plug in the associated interface and thus a considerable working time with tool insert, or in the production of the number of components either in the area of the interface, or on the fiber connector increase and thus make the plug-in system more expensive overall.

According to the invention, however, this pressing and fixing is provided by means of two separate fixing elements for permanently pressing the plug against a stop within the female interface component, wherein the fixing elements are arranged opposite one another and movable substantially perpendicular to a contact pressure. One An inventive plug-in system with a male plug head and a female interface designed as a receptacle for the plug or an interface is thus characterized in that two fixing elements for permanent pressing of the plug to a stop, which are arranged within the female interface component is provided opposite to each other on the plug head or the receptacle. An operation is facilitated by the fact that the fixing elements are designed to be movable substantially perpendicular to the pressing force.

In one embodiment of the invention, these fixing elements are resilient locking levers, which are arranged either on the interface or on the plug so that they engage in corresponding oblique recesses on the respective other element latching and thereby build a permanent acting contact pressure , These fixing elements are preferably integrally connected to the relevant element of the plug-in system.

In a preferred embodiment, however, the fixing elements are designed as U-, C- or V-shaped fixing lever, which are displaceably mounted in at least one recess of the interface between an open and a fixed position. Due to the opposition of the displacement movements of the oppositely arranged fixing levers substantially perpendicular to a contact force to be generated, it is advantageously ensured under improved dosability of the applied force that a fixing force itself does not have a printed circuit board or PCB or other sensitive Parts or components is intercepted. Rather, the force is absorbed completely and reliably in the area of the plug connection, in particular in the interface, without any mechanical stress or even deformation of other elements. To secure these in one embodiment as separate elements and thus not integral with their support fixing elements against falling out, locking means and / or retaining lug are provided on the fixing elements. This creates a limitation of a displacement movement between two defined end positions.

Fixing elements of the above-mentioned type are preferably formed before stoffstofflich ^¬ . So they consist of the same plastic material, such as the interface and the Fa ^¬ serstecker.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawing to illustrate other advantages and features. In the drawing show:

1 shows a simplified 3-dimensional view of a plug-in system to ^¬ sammengebauten without optical waveguide and circuit substrate;

FIG. 2 shows an illustration of a longitudinal section through the assembled connector according to FIG. 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the interface part of the plug ^¬ systems without the plug in an open and non-locked state;

FIGS. 4a and 4b show a two-dimensional view of a locked, non-assembled plug-in system without optical waveguides and circuit carriers;

Figures 5a - 5c: A sequence of figures for assembling and locking a plug-in system without representation of Lichtwel ^¬ lenleiter and circuit winners; Figures 6a and 6b: two embodiments of a detail of Figure 5c and

Figures 7a and 7b: two simplified 3-dimensional views of a fixing element for the representation of an internal structure as well as externally visible in use visible surfaces.

Throughout the various figures and exemplary embodiments, the same reference numerals and designations are used below for the same functional or assembly groups and method steps.

In a known conventional electronic plug-in system, a female plug and a male plug are relatively undefined with each other. One reason for this is that these plugs realize a relatively tight fit at a respective pad and, due to appropriate design, selectively press a metal contact of the femur onto a male contact. Due to the relatively loose outer seat in the area of the plastic housing parts over-determination of the contact point is prevented.

1 shows a simplified three-dimensional view of an assembled plug-in system 1 from a male plug head 2 or fiber plug and a female interface or interface 3 designed as a receptacle for the plug. For the sake of clarity, the plug head is shown 2 without optical waveguide and the interface 3 without the circuit board or PCB carrying them and in the interface 3 even without transmitting and receiving LEDs contained therein as well as associated electronics. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the two separate and oppositely arranged fixing elements 4 are realized in the form of sliders, which fix the fiber connector 2. The slides 4 have a substantially U-shaped basic structure. They are displaceably designed in the interface 3 such that the fixing force for pressing the fiber connector 2 against the interface 3 is not intercepted by the circuit carriers or a PCB or by other sensitive parts or components. The corresponding mechanical force pull closes due to the opposing arrangement of the slides 4 within the interface component 3 and thus lifts outwards without effect. Due to the opposing arrangement of the two fixing elements 4 and the required for locking the fiber head 2 in the interface 3, opposite movement of the two locking lever such a power train is maintained even when closing or opening the fixing elements 4.

The interface 3 has four connecting portions 6 from which solderable punching legs 7 protrude in pairs for connection to a circuit carrier a standard hole button accordingly. However, these connection areas 6 only serve to mechanically fix the interface component 3 on the carrier of a printed circuit, but not to absorb or dissipate forces that occur in the interface 3 as part of a fixing and locking of a fiber connector 2. Depending on the application, the punching legs 7 can be introduced or pressed into recesses of a circuit carrier (not shown) for positioning the entire interface component 3, wherein soldering is subsequently provided at least for electrical connections 8 of an electronic unit (not shown). Due to the requirement that the fixation of the fiber head 2 in the interface 3 should be ensured without defects over the lifetime of the overall system as well as over a wide temperature range and strong vibrations, the pressure forces and the Design should be designed so that all mechanical influences are compensated. This is realized by supporting the fixing elements 4 designed as slides within the OE interface 3 and the oblique plane between the slides and the plug 2 to be fixed. The opposing forces required for locking the fiber connector 2 in the interface 3 cancel each other out in the interface 3 as a carrier, without in particular stressing the electrical connections 8 etc. by a moment.

Each of the in this embodiment in the form of sliders realized fixing element 4 has a substantially U- or C-shaped basic structure with a connector 10 and two legs 11 with free leg ends 12, as will be described below with reference to Figures 7a and 7b , FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the fiber connector 2 according to FIG. 1, composed of two individual connectors by latching, for the representation of recesses 13 in the interface 3 and recesses 14 on the fiber connector 2, into which one leg 11 with two free leg ends 12 of a slider 4 engage at the same time. The selected basic structure of the fixing element 4 secures very effectively against jamming with good guidance of this element and also provides several positions for arranging latching means 15, which will be discussed below. In any case, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, two fixing elements 4, by means of their four legs 11 with the free leg ends 12, also have four regions, via which a sufficient force can be transmitted to the fiber plug 2. For this purpose, the free leg ends 12 of each fixing element 4 are guided in the groove-shaped recesses 13 in the interface 3 and held secured against falling out in a first end position, for example, before the fiber plug 2 is inserted into the interface 3. Then grab thickened flanks 15 of the legs 11 in the corresponding four recesses 14 on the fiber connector 2 a. An overall force acting on the fiber plug 2 is divided into four uniformly acting, split smaller forces F, which attack in a common plane at different points of the fiber connector 2. Under this after completion of the fixation permanently persistent total force is an end portion of the fiber connector 2 over the lifetime away safely in defined Anpressbereichen A stops 17 pressed within the interface component 3, as indicated in Figure 2 by the dashed circles.

Despite this internal structure results in a relatively simple overall structure for the interface 3 of the connector system 1, which is shown in the figure of Figure 3 in a plan view without the fiber connector 2 in an open and not latched state. FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate the compact structure of fiber plug 2 and interface 3 on the basis of two clear 3-dimensional views of a locked but not assembled plug-in system without optical waveguides and circuit carriers.

The sequence of FIGS. 5a-5c illustrates a time sequence of the simple substeps during assembly and locking of the plug-in system 1 of FIG. 1, again for the sake of clarity, without depiction of optical waveguide and circuit carrier. In FIG. 5a, the fiber plug 2 is inserted into the interface 3, wherein at a free end 18 of the fiber connector 2, a chamfer 19 is provided to facilitate positioning. Further, the fiber plug 2 has a nose 20 which, together with a recess 21 on the interface 3 causes a safety catch in the stage in which the plug-in system 1 is not yet locked. In the figure of Figure 5b, the nose 20 engages in the recess 21 already, so that the position of the two elements is at least temporarily secured to each other. In this position, a force of 2F can now be exerted on each of the two fixing elements 4, so that the fiber plug 2 is pressed into the interface 3 with the assured total force of 4F, is shown in section in FIG. Figure 5c shows Finally, the stationary end position in which the latched fixing elements 4 exert on the fiber connector 2 a contact force by which the fiber plug 2 is securely fixed in a defined position in the interface 3 under substantially elastic preload over the life.

FIGS. 6a and 6b show two embodiments of a detail of FIG. 5c. It can already be seen in the representation of FIG. 4a that a limb 11 of the fixation element 4 has a phase 23 in the region of the thickened flank 15. FIGS. 4a and 4b show that, in this exemplary embodiment, the recesses 14 on the fiber connector 2 run parallel to a force effect according to FIGS. 5a to 5c. In Figure 6a, the recess 14 on the fiber connector 2 at least in an initial region an oblique position by an angle α, which corresponds approximately to the angle of the chamfer 23 on the thickened edge 15 of the leg 11 of the fixing element 4. Facilitates a chamfer positioning for insertion, so the indicated formation of an edge of the recess 14 on the fiber connector 2 also forms a kind Finding funnel. This Findungstrichter can also be omitted, or conversely, the chamfer on the leg 11 can be omitted when providing a Findungstrichters. Both measures do not require each other, but they are reinforced in the effect. In the construction according to FIG. 6a, which in each case builds up a pressing force on the fiber connector 2 to be fixed under pretension, the fixing element 4 is permanently under the action of a restoring force.

In the transition to the embodiment of Figure 6b, the Findungstrichter recess 14 opens on the fiber connector 2 in a parallel to the direction of action of the force F aligned course. By contrast, a return force on the fixing element 4 is not present in the design according to FIG. 6b since the boundary surfaces are in contact with each other when the fixing element 4 is pressed in fully. Rallel and normal to the desired contact force are aligned.

Figures 7a and 7b show in magnification two simplified 3-dimensional views of a fixing element 4 for the representation of an internal structure and from the outside in the use of visible surfaces again. The fixing element 4 comprises, as a C-shaped or U-shaped component, a connecting piece 10 with limbs 11 arranged at the end. It would thus be constructed almost mirror-symmetrically, but is constructed asymmetrically with regard to various latching means. In the inserted state in an interface 3, two fixing elements 4 are provided, which are arranged point symmetrical to each other in correspondingly leading recesses in the body of the interface component 3 are used. With optimized space utilization, the two legs 11 of a fixing element 4 thus have different tasks with their latching means: a resilient latching arm 25 prevents the fixing element 4 from slipping out of the interface component 3 in the opened state, eg. during transport or during assembly on a circuit board. The fixing element 4 has with the latching arm 25 a means for pre-locking of the fixing element 4 in a recess 26 of the interface component 3 in an open starting position.

A locking lug 27 on a slot 28 results in a resiliently formed in engagement with a recess 29 latching in a closed end position. Due to the shape of the latch, the fixation can also be canceled, but not automatically uncontrollably solvable.

The housing components of fiber connector, interface and fixing elements in the present embodiment einstofflich from only one plastic, here polybutylene terephthalate, PBT or PBTP short. PBT is a material that is better suited than PET for injection molding because of its more favorable cooling behavior has very high dimensional stability and offers a low sliding resistance at the same time high strength and rigidity. In addition, PBT has the properties advantageous for electrical applications of a high thermal conductivity low creepage tendency, which remains constant due to resistance to water and water vapor, and a high flame retardancy. For the application described above, PBT is therefore particularly suitable as a material.

The above exemplified solution according to the present invention guarantees a simple and safe operation of a plug-in system 1. Expensive and / or cumbersome and comparatively time-consuming fixation methods, such as e.g. Screws, springs or even gluing, are not required according to the invention. The fixation is also solvable again. The OE interface 3 is despite the many advantages and tough requirements due to the manageable number of items relatively inexpensive to produce. Possibly by the operation or fixation of the plug-in system 1 occurring harmful forces or mechanical stresses are not forwarded to other components or even a circuit board. Due to the connection areas, the compact interface provides sufficient protection even for the electrical connections to a circuit board for continuous operation with mechanical loading of the plug-in system.

Claims

claims

1. plug-in system for coupling at least one optical fiber, which is formed with a male plug head and a receptacle designed for the female plug

Interface or interface is equipped because you hchgekennzeichnet that two fixing elements (4) for permanently pressing the plug (2) to a stop (17) within the female interface component (3) are provided, which are opposite to each other and in Are arranged substantially perpendicular to a contact force movable.

2. Plug system according to claim 1, since you rchge - indicates that the fixing elements (4) are designed as resilient latching levers which are arranged either on the interface (3) or on the plug (2) and in accordance with the structure a contact force obliquely extending recesses of the respective other element detent engaging are formed.

3. Plug-in system according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing elements (4) as U-, C- or V-shaped fixing lever (4) are formed, which are displaceably mounted in at least one recess of the interface component (3).

4. plug-in system according to the preceding claim, da - you rchgekennzeichnet that the fixing element (4) in a stationary end position in a recess (14) on the fiber plug (2) is formed engaging at least in an initial region an inclined position at an angle (α ) with respect to a movement axis of the fixing element (4) to build up a minimum contact pressure.

5. Plug-in system according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that at the recess (14) on the fiber connector (2) a kind of determination funnel for facilitating a positioning and for introducing the fixing element (4) is provided.

6. Plug-in system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a fixing element (4) has at least one latching means (25, 26).

7. Plug-in system according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that a fixing element (4) between detents (25, 26) with an open and a fixed closed position in a recess (13) in the interface (3) is displaceably mounted.

8. Plug-in system according to one of the preceding claims 3 -

5, that a fixing element (4) has at least one means for pre-locking the fixing element (4) in at least one recess (26) of the interface component (3) in an opened initial position.

9. Plug-in system according to one of the preceding claims 2 -

6, that a latching lug (27) over a slot (28) is a latching in a closed end position of the fixing element, which is formed resiliently and in particular again canceled in engagement with a recess (29).

10. Plug-in system according to one of the preceding claims, since you rchgekennzeichnet that the interface (3) at least two connection areas (6) each having at least one metallic punching leg (7), which is designed for fixing the interface component (3) in the context of a soldering on a PCB oa.

11. Plug-in system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that four groups of pairs of punching legs (7) are provided as four connecting areas (6) on an interface (3), in particular in its corner areas.