EP2219271B1 - Connector device for an electronic component - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a plug connection device, in particular for an electronic assembly of a commercial vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a connector device is from the document DE 39 03 839 A1 known.

The invention further relates to a method for mounting a plug connection device, in particular for an electronic assembly of a commercial vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 5.

In particular in connection with commercial vehicles find generic plug connection devices for electronic assemblies application. Such electronic assemblies are for example part of mechatronic assemblies and are preferably mounted on housings or other components of mechanical assemblies. Thus, it can be provided that the complete electronic assembly is attached, for example, to an inner side of a housing cover or of an upper housing part by means of a screw connection. The housing cover is in turn attached to a lower housing part or other component of the mechanical assembly. In order to establish an electrical connection between components of the electronic assembly and components of the mechanical assembly, such as sensors and valves, the electronic assembly comprises one or more of the generic connector devices. In this case, a plug element of the plug connection device is usually fixed to the upper housing part and coupled to the electronic module. A corresponding mating connector element of the connector device for mating with the male member is usually attached to the lower housing part and coupled for example with sensors or valves of the mechanical assembly. Assembling or assembling of the corresponding housing parts of the electronic and mechanical assembly is carried out in a conventional manner by aligning the upper housing part relative to the lower housing part, wherein the male and the mating connector element of the connector device, for example via dowel pins and insertion be led together. The juxtaposition of the connector elements for the preparation of the electrical connection is therefore due to this covering Housing parts exclusively on the aforementioned dowel pins and insertion bevels and no visual contact to the connector, so to speak, "blind". However, both the upper housing part and the lower housing part usually manufacturing and / or construction-related Dimensional deviations or high tolerances in all three dimensions or spatial directions, whereby the juxtaposition of the connector elements is difficult or impossible. Therefore, there is a danger that contacts of the connector elements will be damaged during assembly of the modules, if their contacts are not accurately guided into position. Furthermore, the upper housing part and the lower housing part are to be sealed during assembly via a seal, while the connector elements must be performed simultaneously to each other, whereby the assembly is further complicated. In order to solve this problem, it has sometimes been decided not to connect the plug elements "blindly" to one another, but to couple the plug elements together before the housing parts or other components are assembled. For example, the one connector element may be preassembled on the upper housing part. The other connector element or the mating connector element is coupled directly under visual contact with the preassembled connector element. The mating connector element in this case is a loose mating connector element coupled to a cable or to flex lines. Only after the plug element and the mating connector element are coupled together to allow an electrical connection, the corresponding housing parts are coupled together. However, in this case, there is the problem that the cables or flex cables used for the loose mating connector element can be uncontrollably arranged inside the assembly by the assembly of the housing parts and thereby possibly be jammed. Thereby can Damage to the cables or flex cables used are caused, which in the worst case, an interruption of the electrical connection is caused. Furthermore, this solution requires an additional assembly step in coupling the connector device.

Other connector devices are for example from the DE 10 2007 009 644 A1 known.

The invention is therefore the object of developing the generic connector devices and methods for mounting such connector devices such that occurring loads due to vibration in the assembled state as low as possible.

This object is solved by the features of independent claims 1 and 5.

Advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

according to the state of the art in that in the at least one direction a zero position of the plug element and / or the mating connector element is defined by a bias of the bearing. In this way, occurring vibrations can be damped, with the position of the connector device during the vibration degradation essen¬Esutlich It can be provided that the plug element in the first direction and the mating connector element are mounted floating in the second direction. By dividing the bearing on the plug element and the mating connector element, wherein the plug element and the mating connector element are mounted floating in different directions, the bearing mechanism used can be kept simple and possibly identical bearing mechanisms for the plug element and the mating connector element are used, which then, for example, only 90 degrees turned against each other.

It is provided that the plug element and / or the mating connector element are mounted floating in the first direction and in the second direction. By providing a simultaneous displaceability of the plug element and / or the mating connector element in both the first direction and in the second direction optionally the respective non-mounted element can be easily pre-assembled or the storage used in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction have smaller dimensions, as a Tolerance compensation in a certain direction can be done simultaneously via the plug element and the mating connector element.

It is inventively provided, the storage in the first direction and the second direction is combined. Due to the combined storage, the number of parts necessary for storage can be reduced, so that the assembly or the structure of the connector device on the first part or on the second part of the assembly is simplified.

It is inventively provided that the bearing comprises an elastic compensation element and a holding device. With the help of the elastic compensation element and the holding device is a floating storage feasible in a simple manner.

It is particularly preferred that the plug connection device comprises insertion bevels. Through the insertion bevels can be used in the merging of the connector device provided by the floating support in the plane perpendicular to the direction of insertion game automatically to compensate for the existing tolerances between the male member and the mating connector while the first part and the second part remain aligned against each other unwanted force peaks, which could lead to damage of the connector device, can be avoided.

Advantageously, it can be provided that the movement of the plug element and / or the mating connector element is limited perpendicular to the insertion direction by holding stops. In this way accidental assembly of the assembly without closing the connector device is effectively avoided, since the male member and the mating connector element is not in the insertion direction due to the holding stops can move past each other when the first part and the second part are aligned with each other.

The assembly according to the invention, which is in particular an electronic assembly of a commercial vehicle, comprises the plug connection device according to the invention. For example, one of the plug elements is connected to electronics of the electronic module, for example a printed circuit board. The electronics can furthermore be connected to a first part, for example an upper housing part or an upper housing part. By contrast, the other of the plug elements is electrically coupled to a conductor carrier or a flexible printed circuit board or a stamped grid, which is incorporated, for example, in a plastic holder. For example, one of the plug elements can be coupled to a line carrier, which in turn is attached to a second part, for example a lower housing part or a lower housing part, or to another component.

The inventive method for mounting a plug connection device is based on the generic state of the art by the characterizing features of claim 5. In this way, the advantages and special features of the plug connection device according to the invention are also implemented in the context of a method for mounting the plug connection device. This also applies to the following particularly preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention.

It is preferably provided that the plug element and the mating connector element are centered in the plug-in direction perpendicular to the plug-in direction by insertion bevels when assembling the electronic module.

It is particularly preferred that the movement of the plug element and / or the mating connector element is limited perpendicular to the insertion direction by holding stops.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to preferred embodiments.

Figur 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Steckverbindungsvorrichtung gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel im Querschnitt, die zur Durchführung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens geeignet ist; und

Figur 2

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Steckverbindungsvorrichtung gemäß einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer Draufsicht, die zur Durchführung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens geeignet ist; und

Figur 3

eine schematische Darstellung einer nicht erfindungsgemäßen Steckverbindungsvorrichtung in einer Draufsicht.

Show it:

FIG. 1

a schematic representation of a connector device according to the invention according to a first embodiment in cross section, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention; and

FIG. 2

a schematic representation of a plug connection device according to the invention according to a second embodiment in a plan view, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention; and

FIG. 3

a schematic representation of a non-inventive connector device in a plan view.

In the following drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a plug connection device 32 according to the invention according to a first embodiment in cross section, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. In this case, the plug connection device 32 according to the invention is designed as a flat plug connection or round plug connection and arranged in an electronic assembly 10 of a commercial vehicle. The assembly 10 may receive one or more of the connector devices 32 according to the invention, wherein for the sake of simplicity only a connector device 32 in FIG. 1 is shown. The plug connection device 32 has an integrally produced plug element 18 and a mating plug element 16, via which an electrical connection can be made in the assembled state. The mating connector element 16 in this case comprises two connector element components 36 and 38 which are movable relative to one another within a play, namely a first connector element component 36 and a second connector element component 38. Preferably, the male member components 36, 38 are movable in a plug-in direction 62, eg, the z-direction, of the male connector 32 relative to each other within the game. In order to enable the relative mobility of both plug element components 36, 38 in the plugging direction 62, the plug element components 36, 38 are equipped with a guide device 42. In particular, the guide device 42 is embodied such that the first plug element component 36 can be moved with a stop face 44 of the first plug element component 36 around the play up to a stop face 46 of the second plug element component 38 in the direction of the second plug element component 38. If the abutment surface 44 of the first connector element component 36 and the abutment surface 46 of the second connector element component 38 are in contact with each other, then the first and second connector element components 36, 38 are pushed or pushed together to a maximum extent. Furthermore, the guide device 42 is configured such that the first plug element component 36 can be moved away from the second plug element component 38 by a clearance until a stop 48 of the first plug element component 36 is brought into contact with a further stop surface 50 of the second plug element component 38 at a fastening device 24, which is essentially defined by the guide means 42 in connection with the stop surface 50 and the stop 48. In this case, the first and second connector element components 36, 38 have moved apart to a maximum extent. Furthermore, the first and second connector element components 36, 38 receive a spring element 22, in particular a helical spring, which pretensions the first and second connector element components 36, 38 in the unassembled state, ie the abutment 48 of the first connector element component 36 with the abutment surface 50 of FIG second Steckerelementhauteils 38 brings into contact. In this state, the spring element 22 has a certain spring length 14, resulting from the constructive Design of the first and second connector element component 36, 38, in particular the stop surface 50 and the stopper 48, results. The mobility of the two connector element components 36, 38 in the insertion direction 62 is optional and can be omitted. The plug element 18 comprises plug cavity contact elements, not shown in detail, in the corresponding plug pin contact elements of the mating connector element 16 in a plug-in direction 62 to produce. In addition, the first plug element component 36 includes a contact surface 40 for abutment with a first part 12 of the electronic assembly 10, for example an upper housing component, wherein the contact surface 40 is provided on a side facing away from the stop surface 44 of the male member member 36. Furthermore, the plug element 18 is immovably coupled via a corresponding attachment with a line carrier 20 or another part of the assembly 10. In addition, the plug element 18 is connected to on or in the line carrier 20 extending lines via corresponding plug contact elements. The conductor carrier 20 is further immovably coupled to a second part 26, for example, a lower housing part or a lower housing part or any other component. The mating connector element 16 is preferably electrically coupled to a printed circuit board, not shown, wherein the printed circuit board in turn may be coupled to the upper housing part or the first part 12 or any other component. Furthermore, each plug contact elements of the mating connector element 16 are electrically coupled to lines of the printed circuit board, not shown. How out FIG. 1 it can be seen, the male member 18 and the mating connector member 16 each insertion bevels 28 in the form of sliding surfaces or chamfers, whereby a mating of the connector elements 16, 18 is facilitated. Moreover, the first and second parts 12, 26 are, for example as the upper and lower housing part 12, 26, coupled together in the installed state, in the case shown, this coupling is not yet made. Between the first part 12 and the second part 26 may be provided in the installed state, a seal, not shown, which prevents ingress of moisture. An elastic compensation element 52 acting on the first plug element component 36, which is supported in the plane perpendicular to the plug-in direction 62 on the first part 12 via a holding device 58, is shown in dashed lines. Via the elastic compensation element 52, a force in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 is exerted on the mating connector element 16, if the mating connector element 16 when merging the assembly 10 due to the insertion bevels 28 in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 from its defined by the elastic compensation element 52 zero position is deflected. The mating connector element 36 is therefore mounted floating in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 under a bias to a zero position, wherein the contact surface 40 is not fixed in particular with respect to the first Tei 12. Alternatively, it would also be conceivable to provide the elastic compensation element 52 or an additional further elastic compensating element for the floating mounting of the plug element 18. Due to the floating bearing defined by a bias zero position in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 also acting on the connector device 32 vibration forces in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 are collected and damped, whereby the load on the connector device 32 is reduced. If the plug connection device 32 is also movable in the plugging direction 62, the vibration load for the plug connection device 32 can be further reduced.

The method for mounting the illustrated connector device 32 in the assembly 10 is as follows. First, for example, the printed circuit board, not shown, attached to the upper housing part 12 and brought into electrical connection with the mating connector element 16. Furthermore, the plug element 18 is attached to the cable carrier 20. The conductor carrier 20 is fixed to the lower housing part 26. Thus, the male member 18 is pre-fixed to the lower housing part 26, while no fixed coupling between the mating connector member 16 and the first part 12 is made. The mating connector element 16 is then at least partially inserted into the plug element 18 for producing the electrical connection, the first part 12 subsequently being guided to the second part 26 or being installed with the second part 26. As a result, the first part 12 comes into contact with the contact surface 40 of the first connector element component 36 of the mating connector element 16, as shown in FIG FIG. 1 is shown. In the alignment of the first part 12 relative to the second part 26 tolerances in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 are visible in that the male member 18 and the mating connector element 16 are not exactly aligned with each other. When merging the first part 12 and the second part 26, however, this alignment is made via the insertion bevels 28, wherein the mating connector member 16 is moved in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 and guided by the floating bearing, wherein by the deflection of the zero position a bias in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 is applied to the connector device 32. The first part 12 is moved further in the direction of the second part 26 and installed with this. As a result, the first plug element component 36 of the mating plug element 16 is moved against the bias of the spring element 22 in the direction of the plug element 18. The spring force of the spring element 22 is increased by the change in length 34, whereby the second male member member 38 is completely pushed into the male member 18 and 22 is further pressed into the male member 18 due to the bias of the spring element. Thereby, the electrical connection between the connector elements 16,18 ensured by the bias of the spring element 22, since this permanently compresses the connector elements 16, 18 by the support on the first part 12.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a plug connection device 32 according to the invention according to a second embodiment in a plan view, wherein the plug connection device 32 according to the invention is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. In addition to the plug connection device 32, contact clips 60 of the plug element are also shown. The plug-in connection device 32 according to the invention comprises the elastic compensation element 52, which is in particular designed to extend in at least one first direction 54 perpendicular to the plug-in direction 62 of the plug-in connection device 32 and / or a second direction 56, for example in the x and y direction. elastically deform, provided that the elastic compensation element 52 is brought into abutment with the first part 12, for example a housing part. In this way, a zero position of the connector device 32 is defined in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62 and provided a restoring force in the form of a bias voltage, if the connector device 32 is deflected from this zero position. In particular, the elastic compensating element 52 may be formed by at least one holding portion coupled to the connector device 32 and an elastic portion engageable with portions of the first portion 12, as shown in FIG FIG. 2 is apparent. For this purpose, the first part 12 the holding device 58 with two holding stops 54 ', 56', wherein the holding stop 56 'can deform the compensation element 52 such that the compensation element 52, the plug connection device 32 in the second direction 56 applied with a force, and the retaining stop 54', the compensation element 52nd can deform so that the compensation element 52, the plug connection device 32 in the first direction 54 applied with a force. As a result, the compensating device 52 causes the plug-in connection device 32 to be urged by the compensating device 52 in its zero position, ie in the desired installation position provided for the plug connection device 32. The elastic compensating element 52, together with the retaining stops 54 ', 56', forms a bearing 64, which supports the first plug element component 36 in the first direction 54 and in the second direction 56 in a floating manner, with a bias occurring if a deflection occurs from the zero position.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a non-inventive connector device in a plan view, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. In the example shown, the plug element 18 is mounted floating relative to the second part 26 in the first direction 54 and the second direction 56. The floating mounting of the mating connector element 18 in the first direction 54 takes place via retaining stops 54 ', 54 "in the first direction 54 and elastic compensating elements 52, 66 and further elastic compensating elements 52', 66 'in the opposite direction define a maximum play of the plug element 18 in the first direction 54, ie the maximum allowable offset of the plug element 18 with respect to the second part 26. In the second direction 56 is one of the floating Storage in the first direction 54 is achieved by holding stops 56 ', 56 "and an elastic compensating element 68 and another elastic compensating element 68. Due to the symmetrical arrangement of the components of the bearing 64, a deflection of the plug element 18 from its rest position always results at least one elastic compensating element 52, 52 ', 66, 66', 68, 68 'generates restoring force which keeps the plug element 18 movable in its zero position. <br/><br/> The floating mounting can in principle also be provided in a different manner familiar to a person skilled in the art is only the mobility in the plane perpendicular to the insertion direction 62nd

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

electronic assembly

12

first part

14

spring length

16

Mating connector element

18

male member

20

busbar

22

spring element

24

fastening device

26

second part

28

bevels

32

Connector device

34

Change in length of the spring element

36

first connector element component

38

second connector element component

40

contact surface

42

guide means

44

Stop surface of the first connector element component

46

Stop surface of the second connector element component

48

Stop of the first connector element component

50

Stop surface of the second connector element component

52

elastic compensation element

52 '

another elastic compensation element

54

first direction

54 '

Hold stop in a first direction

54 "

another stop in a first direction

56

second direction

56 '

Hold stop in a second direction

56 "

another stop in a second direction

58

holder

60

Contact clips of the plug element

62

plug-in direction

64

camp

66

elastic compensation element

66 '

another elastic compensation element

68

elastic compensation element in the second direction

68 '

another elastic compensation element in the second direction

Claims (7)

1. Plug-in connector device (32), in particular for an electronic module (10) of a utility vehicle, comprising at least one plug element (18) disposed on a first part (12) of said electronic module (10) and one mating connector element (16) disposed on a second part (26) of said electronic module (10), via which an electrical connection can be established in the assembled state, wherein said plug element (18) and/or said mating connector element (16) is float-mounted via a bearing (64) relative to said first part (12) or said second part (26), respectively, in a first direction (54) orthogonal on a plug-in direction (62) and in a second direction (56) orthogonal on said plug-in direction (62), with said bearing (64) including a resilient compensating element (52) and a retaining means (58), with a neutral position of said plug element (18) and/or of said mating connector element (16) being defined by a bias of said bearing (64), characterised in

   - that the mounting in said first direction (54) and in said second direction (56) takes place in a combined form,

   - with said retaining means (58) including a first retaining stop (54') that deforms said resilient compensating element (52) in such a way that said resilient compensating element (52) acts upon the plug-in connector device (32) with a first force in said first direction (54), and

   - with said retaining means (58) including a second retaining stop (56') which deforms said resilient compensating element (52) in such a way that said resilient compensating element acts upon the plug-in connector device (32) with another force in said second direction.
2. Plug-in connector device (32) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the plug-in connector device (32) comprises introduction chamfers (28).
3. Plug-in connector device (32) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the movement of said plug element (18) and/or of said mating connector element (16) is restricted by said retaining stops (54', 56') in a direction orthogonal on said plug-in direction (62).
4. Module (10), in particular an electronic module (10) of a utility vehicle, comprising at least one plug-in connector device according to any of the preceding Claims.
5. Method of mounting a plug-in connector device (32), in particular for an electronic module (10) of a utility vehicle, comprising at least one plug element (18) disposed on a first part (12) of said electronic module (10) and one mating connector element (16) disposed on a second part (26) of said electronic module (10), via which an electrical connection is established in the assembled state, wherein, when said plug-in connector device is united in a plug-in direction (62), said plug element (18) is moved relative to said first part (12) of said electronic module (10) and/or said mating connector element is moved relative to said second part (26) of said electronic module (10) in a first direction (54) orthogonal on said plug-in direction (62) and in a second direction (56) orthogonal on said plug-in direction, with a neutral position of said plug element (18) and/or of said mating connector element (16) is defined in at least one direction (54, 56) by a bias of said bearing (64), characterised in

   - that the mounting in said first direction (54) and in said second direction (56) takes place in a combined form,

   - with said retaining means (58) including a first retaining stop (54') that deforms said resilient compensating element (52) in such a way that said resilient compensating element (52) acts upon the plug-in connector device (32) with a first force in said first direction (54), and

   - with said retaining means (58) including a second retaining stop (56') which deforms said resilient compensating element (52) in such a way said resilient compensating element acts upon the plug-in connector device (32) with another force in said second direction.
6. Method according to Claim 5, characterised in that said plug element (18) and said mating connector element (16) are centred by introduction chamfers (28) in a direction orthogonal on the plug-in direction (62) when said electronic module (10) is assembled along the plug-in direction.
7. Method according to Claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the movement of said plug element (18) and/or said mating connector element (16) is restricted by said retaining stops (54', 56') in a direction orthogonal on the plug-in direction (62).

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