EP2725294B1 - Sealed connector and LED lighting module equipped with a sealed plug connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector according to claim 1 and a sealed LED lighting module according to claim 6.

The present invention therefore relates in particular to a connector for producing an IP67 tight connection with a corresponding connector socket of an LED lighting module.

DE29923501 U1 shows a plug and a supply line, the pressure-elastic insulating jacket of the supply line allows pressure equalization. DE102011012532A1 discloses a plug connection with an integrated ventilation channel for achieving pressure equalization. DE102008041352A1 discloses an electrical connector plug with a pressure compensating element.

On the market different lighting devices are known that can be used outdoors and especially under water.

In conventional waterproof lighting modules, the lighting is placed in a sealed housing and sealed by means of a suitable seal against water ingress and ingress of moisture.

As the need for energy-saving lighting devices is increasing, more and more LED lighting modules are gaining acceptance in the market.

Most lighting modules, including LED modules, generate heat during their operation, which must be dissipated in a suitable manner. In particular, in so-called underwater lights or applications that are installed in wet areas, it is necessary to provide sealed lighting modules. In order to produce a sufficient protection against water ingress even under water, electrical and electronic devices are classified according to protection classes.

The first indicator means that touch and foreign body protection while the second code classifies the water protection. A component classified in accordance with IP67 thus has a seal which prevents the ingress of dust at a negative pressure of 20 mbar in the housing and water may not penetrate during temporary submersion or only insignificant amount, so that no harmful effects are caused.

The present invention is concerned with LED lighting modules and connectors for connection to LED lighting modules, which are at least temporarily submerged in water.

Since LED lighting modules usually have several LED's, you are surrounded by an optical lens, arises in the interior of the optical lens when heated, d. H. when operating the LED or the LED lighting device heat.

As a result of the increase in temperature, the pressure within the lens interior increases and usually causes the seals used to be pressurized and then no longer sufficiently sealed to the environment.

Conversely, when strongly cooled, a suction effect is produced because a negative pressure is created in the interior of the lens and, if appropriate, dust is sucked past the boundary surfaces of the seals.

A disadvantage of these embodiments is that such LED lighting modules are insufficiently protected against the ingress of dust and water. The result is the short life and the failure of the lighting modules well before their technical life.

Thus, LED lighting modules can typically be operated between 8,000 and 16,000 operating hours. Modern LEDs can also have an even longer life. With insufficient protection against dust and water, this lifetime is exorbitantly undercut. In some cases, the LED light module may fail during the first use.

In the prior art, different methods for sealing LED lighting modules are known. A common method is the casting with a sealant such. B. a casting resin.

Alternatively, sealed, fixed installations can be selected, in which the LED lighting modules are placed in a sealed housing enclosing the LED.

In these cases, it is particularly problematic in case of failure of an LED light module that open housing and replace the light module.

There is therefore a need for pluggable and re-releasable LED lighting modules that can be submerged briefly or even longer under water and by means of a connector releasably connectable to a supply voltage.

Object of the present invention is therefore to provide a connector for a LED lighting module, which on the one hand is sufficiently dense and on the other hand withstand the pressure fluctuations caused by heat.

The present object is solved with the features of claim 1.

Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

All combinations of at least two features specified in the description, the claims and / or the drawings also fall within the scope of the invention.

For specified value ranges, values lying within the stated limits should also be disclosed as limit values and may be claimed in any combination.

The basic idea of the present invention is therefore to provide a connector which, in its plug-in region, i. H. is provided in its mating portion with a sealing element for sealing and also has a functional portion by a pressure compensation chamber is provided.

If the pressure compensation chamber is surrounded to the outside by means of an elastomeric shell, the resulting overpressure can be introduced by suitable connecting channels in the connector according to the invention and transferred to the pressure compensation chamber when pressurized within an LED light module.

This pressure compensation chamber can then inflate, as a result of the elastomeric shell, the chamber wall is expandable like a balloon. For extremely strong cooling, the exact reverse effect may occur in which a negative pressure that would form in the lens interior is partially compensated for, that air volume can be sucked out of the pressure compensation chamber and can reach the lens interior of the LED lighting module via the aforementioned connection channels.

In this way, it is ensured on the whole that the sealed plug-in connector connected in the closed system between the LED lighting module and the sealed plug-in connector connected to the lighting module provides a kind of "pressure compensation function". The fact that the pressure compensation chamber can increase in volume, ensures that even with extreme temperature increase in the LED light module, the pressure can be reduced immediately, without causing a destructive effect of the seals on the LED light module.

• einen Steckabschnitt mit einem Aufnahmeraum zum Einführen in eine korrespondierende Steckverbinderbuchse;
• einem Dichtelement im Steckabschnitt;
• einen Anschlussabschnitt, in dem sich der Kabelanschlussbereich der Kontakte befindet, wobei
• benachbart zum Anschlussabschnitt ein Funktionsabschnitt vorgesehen ist, der eine Druckausgleichkammer aufweist, wobei
• wenigstens im Funktionsbereich eine elastomere Hülle als Kammerwand der Druckausgleichkammer ausgebildet ist, wodurch die Druckausgleichkammer elastisch verformbar ist.

According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a connector having a connector housing and a contact-carrying contact carrier, the connector being configured to establish an IP67-tight connection with a corresponding connector socket of an LED lighting module, the connector comprising

• a plug portion having a receiving space for insertion into a corresponding connector socket;
• a sealing element in the plug-in section;
• a terminal portion in which the cable terminal portion of the contacts is located, wherein
• adjacent to the connecting portion, a functional portion is provided, which has a pressure compensation chamber, wherein
• at least in the functional area an elastomeric shell is formed as a chamber wall of the pressure compensation chamber, whereby the pressure compensation chamber is elastically deformable.

Characterized in that the plug-in portion is provided with a sealing element, the plug contour of the connector can be sealingly attached to a corresponding mating connector on the LED light module, whereby initially a tight connection between the plug and mating connector is made.

Since the pressure compensation chamber is provided in the interior of the now closed plug connection, a pressure increase arising within the system can be absorbed by expanding the pressure compensation chamber.

Alternatively, the entire connector shell may be formed as an elastomeric shell, so that in any case the functional portion of the connector is surrounded with its pressure compensation chamber with an elastomeric shell.

Advantageously, the elastomeric shell is arranged circumferentially on the functional portion, so that the largest possible effective chamber wall can expand as pressure equalization as pressure equalization.

Advantageously, a deformable, elastomeric shell is provided as a chamber wall at least in the functional area, so that the pressure compensation chamber volume V2 of the pressure compensation chamber can adapt correspondingly to pressure changes in the pressure compensation chamber by increasing the volume to a volume V2 '.

Advantageously, the pressure compensation chamber is further connected by means of a connecting channel arranged in the interior of the connector with the receiving space in the plug-in portion. This ensures that the air from the LED light module can pass through the connector socket and the connector to the pressure compensation chamber through the connecting channel, which is arranged according to the intended purpose.

Preferably, the pressure compensation chamber is sealed directly from the environment.

It is particularly preferred that the pressure compensation chamber is sealed adjacent to the cable outlet by means of a molded cable seal towards the cable sheath out.

Particularly preferred is an embodiment in which the entire connector shell is integrally molded around the contact carrier from an elastomeric shell material. In this case, at the same time molded onto a cable sheath represent a one-sided seal the pressure compensation chamber.

According to the invention, a sealed LED lighting module is further provided.

The basic idea of the present invention is to provide a sealed light-emitting module which has a connector socket which can be plugged into the connector described above, specifically for producing an IP67-tight connection.

According to the invention therefore an LED lighting module, preferably an immediately sealed LED lighting module is provided with a plurality of cooling fins having heat sink, which further preferably forms a flat body with a top and a bottom, wherein at least one, preferably more LED's bonded on the top of the body and preferably are directly gebonded.

Further, a contact-carrying connector socket is attached to the underside of the body and at least one contact is connected to at least one of the LED's through the body through.

The connector socket is designed to make an IP67 tight connection with a corresponding connector having a pressure compensation chamber.

According to the invention, a single continuous connection channel is preferably provided between the LED lighting module of the connector socket and the corresponding connector. As a result, the air between the pressure compensation chamber in the connector and the LED light module back and forth.

According to the invention, therefore, an LED lighting module is provided in which at least one LED is covered with an IP67 dense optical lens, specifically to form a lens interior for the LED.

Advantageously, the lens interior is connected via a connecting channel with the pressure compensation chamber of a connector to be connected.

Advantageously, the LED lighting module on the main body locking recesses for locking with locking arms of the connector socket. This makes it possible to provide an exchangeable for each LED lighting module connector socket, which has suitable latching arms and latching on the body and that can be inserted into the recesses and latched there.

Advantageously, the connector socket latching arms to lock on the recesses of the body.

It is particularly advantageous to provide an LED lighting module in which the connector socket has latching arms which protrude through latching recesses of the base body and lock with their end-side latching lugs on the upper side of the base body.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, at least one of the latching arms protrudes with its end-side latching lug through the base body into the lens interior.

In a further advantageous embodiment, there is a seal at the sealing plane between the connector socket and the underside of the base body.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, this seal is formed around the latching recess of the latching arm, the lens interior is sealed relative to the environment at the sealing or connecting plane between the connector socket and the bottom.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a connection channel between the lens interior and the contact receiving space of the connector socket is provided.

It is also advantageous if a part of the connecting channel is formed by a latching recess. In other words, there is a detent recess in the sealed interior, the provided with a connector, sealed device consisting of LED light module, connector socket and plugged connector.

Fig. 1

zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht eines LED-Leuchtmoduls mit einem Steckverbinder;

Fig. 2

zeigt das LED-Leuchtmodul aus Fig. 1 in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von unten;

Fig. 3

zeigt eine Schnittansicht durch ein erfindungsgemäßes LED-Leuchtmodul;

Fig. 4

zeigt eine Schnittansicht ähnlich der Fig. 3, bei dem die elastomere Hülle in der Druckausgleichkammer aufgebläht ist;

Fig. 5

zeigt eine perspektivische Schnittansicht durch ein erfindungsgemäßes LED-Leuchtmodul mit einer verrasteten Steckverbinderbuchse.

Further advantages, features and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the figures, the claims and the figures. These show in:

Fig. 1

shows a perspective view of an LED lighting module with a connector;

Fig. 2

shows the LED light module off Fig. 1 in a perspective view from below;

Fig. 3

shows a sectional view through an inventive LED lighting module;

Fig. 4

shows a sectional view similar to the Fig. 3 in which the elastomeric sleeve in the pressure balance chamber is inflated;

Fig. 5

shows a perspective sectional view through an inventive LED lighting module with a latched connector socket.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of an LED lighting module according to the invention 1. The LED lighting module 1 comprises a heat sink 2 with cooling fins 3. In the present embodiment, there are translucent cooling fins 3. The heat sink 2 further comprises a base body 4th

In the present embodiment, the base body 4 is formed as a ceramic base body. At the corners of the base body 4 are mounting holes 5, which are open to the outside. The main body 4 has an upper side 4a and a lower side 4b. On the main body 4, a connector socket 30 is locked. In the connector socket 30 is in Fig. 1 an inventive connector 50 inserted.

In Fig. 2 is the LED light module 1 off Fig. 1 shown in a perspective view from below. It can be seen that at the bottom 4b, an optical lens 6 is mounted, which surrounds the LEDs 7, not shown in this figure. The optical lens 6 forms an outwardly sealed lens interior 8 for the LED's 7 therein. The lens interior 8 has at normal ambient temperature a normal atmospheric pressure corresponding to the ambient pressure during assembly. Furthermore, the lens interior 8 comprises a volume V1. On the base body 4, a recess 11 is attached. The latching recess 11 is configured in the present embodiment as an opening passing through the base body 4 opening. Another recess 11 is shown in FIG Fig. 2 not apparent, since it is in the region of the lens interior 8, thus mounted below the optical lens 6. By the in Fig. 2 apparent latching recess 11 protrudes a latching hook 33 of the latching arms 34 of the connector socket 30. The latching hook 33 locks it on the bottom 4b. between the connector socket 30 and the upper side 4a of the main body 4 is preferably a as in Fig. 5 shown seal 36 is arranged. Advantageously, the seal is formed as a compressible in its thickness seal 36 so that when snapping the connector socket 30 with its locking arms 34 in the base 4 and in the recess 11 of the body 4 a restoring torque of the seal 36 is exerted on the connector socket 30. By such an embodiment, the connector socket 30 is held on the one hand sealingly and on the other hand spring-loaded by the restoring force of the seal 36 on the base body 4.

In Fig. 5 Furthermore, the basic structure of the LED lighting module 1 according to the invention can be seen. The main body 4 is formed as a flat base body 4, which has a circumferential collar portion 12.

In the base body 4 is located in the collar portion 12, a recess 11 and in the region below the optical lens 6, a second recess 11. The two recesses 11 are used for locking the connector socket 30. The recesses 11 are formed as passing through the base body 4 openings. On the bottom 4b of the main body 4, a plurality of LED's 7 are bonded directly to the bottom 4b of the base body 4 by means of connections 10 (bonding). The connections 10 are electrically connected to the contact pins 31 of the connector socket 30, provided that the connector socket 30, as in Fig. 5 in its latched position with the base body 4. The optical lens 6 surrounds the LED's 7 to form a lens interior 8. The lens interior 8 has a volume V1. If the lens interior 8 were completely closed, the pressure in the lens interior 8 would increase significantly during operation of the LED lighting module 1 and the heat generated by the LED's 7. For this purpose, a connecting channel 39 is attached through the base body 4. The connecting channel 39 extends within the sealed interior of the lens interior 8 to the sealed interior of the connector socket 30th

As in Fig. 5 can be seen, the connecting channel 39 is surrounded by a seal 36, so that also takes place on the connecting surface between the connector socket 30 and the top 4a of the base body 4, a sealing effect to the outside. The connector socket 30 has contact pins 31 which are electrically connected to the LEDs 7 of the LED lighting module 1. The contact pins 31 are held by a contact body 32. The contact pins 31 protrude into a contact receiving space 35. The connector socket 30 has, as previously explained, via latching arms 34 with latching hooks 33 and, as in Fig. 5 shown by means of two locking arms 34 fixed to the base body 4 and latched on the underside 4b with the latching hooks 33.

The following will be on the FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 Referenced. Shown is a sectional view through the LED lighting module 1 according to the invention. On the underside 4b of the main body 4, a plurality of LED's 7 are visible, which, as described above, are sealed by an optical lens 6. The optical lens 6 forms a lens interior 8 in its interior.

In the connector socket 30, an inventive connector 50 is inserted. The plug-in connector 50 has a front plug-in section 53, subsequently a connection section 60, on which the cable connection region of the contacts 52 is located and adjacent thereto a functional section 61. The functional section 61 serves the function of pressure equalization. Therefore, the functional section 61 has a pressure compensation chamber 56. The pressure compensation chamber 56 is surrounded by an elastomeric shell 55. The pressure compensation chamber 56 is connected to the lens interior 8 via a connecting channel 39. The connecting channel 39 extends from the lens interior 8 through the connector socket 30 and the plug portion 53 and the connecting portion 60 of the connector 50 to the pressure compensation chamber 56 of the connector 50th

In the present embodiment, the connector housing 51 is formed as an elastomeric shell 55. The elastomeric shell 55 is a shell that has been injected around the contact carrier 59 by means of an extrusion coating process. The connector 50 forms in the region of its plug contour a cylindrical plug contour 53, which is also formed from the elastomeric sleeve 55. Inside the plug contour 53 circumferential sealing lips 37 are arranged.

This ensures that when mating the connector 50 with the connector socket 30 of the connector 50 with its plug contour 53, the connector socket 30 seals.

Furthermore, this ensures that the connecting channel 39 extends completely within a sealed space. When operating the LED lighting module 1, the air in the lens interior 8 heats up. At the same time, the pressure in the sealed room increases. Since there is a connecting channel 39 to the pressure compensation chamber 56, the pressure increase can be intercepted by the fact that the volume V2 in the region of the pressure compensation chamber 56 increases to V2 '.

The pressure compensation chamber 56 is formed in the present embodiment, directly by injection molding the elastomeric shell 55 to the cable 58 to form a cable seal 57.

In the region of the connection section 60, the contacts 52 form a crimp connection for a crimp connection 54 for connection to a cable 70. Adjacent to the pressure compensation chamber 56 is the cable outlet 62. At the cable outlet 62, the aforementioned cable seal 57 is formed. The present connector 50 is designed as a 90 ° angled connector, resulting in a particularly compact design for the LED light module 1.

1

LED-Leuchtmodul

2

Kühlkörper

3

Kühlrippen

4

Grundkörper

4a

Oberseite

4b

Unterseite

5

Montagelöcher

6

optische Linse (Linse)

7

LED

8

Linseninnenraum (Volumen V1)

9.

Leiterplatte (integriert)

10

Verbindungen (Bondings)

11

Rastausnehmungen

12

Kragenabschnitt

30

Steckverbinderbuchse

31

Kontaktstifte

32

Kontaktkörper

33

Rasthaken

34

Rastarme

35

Kontaktaufnahmeraum

36

Dichtelement (Dichtung)

37

Dichtung

39

Verbindungskanal

50

Steckverbinder

51

Steckverbindergehäuse (umspritzt)

52

Kontakte

53

zylinderförmige Steckkontur

54

Crimpverbindung

55

elastomere Hülle

56

Druckausgleichkammer

57

Kabeldichtung

58

Kabel

59

Kontaktträger

60

Anschlussabschnitt

61

Funktionsabschnitt

62

Kabelabgang

70

Kabel

V2

Volumen vor Druckanstieg

V2'

Volumen nach Druckanstieg

Alternative methods or designs for sealing the pressure compensation chamber 56 may also be formed. It is also possible to make the connector housing 51 so that only the front part and that the cylindrical plug contour 53 is formed of an elastomeric material and the pressure compensation chamber 56 is encapsulated circumferentially or only partially with an elastomeric shell 55.

1

LED light module

2

heatsink

3

cooling fins

4

body

4a

top

4b

bottom

5

mounting holes

6

optical lens (lens)

7

LED

8th

Lens interior (volume V1)

9th

Printed circuit board (integrated)

10

Connections (bonding)

11

recesses

12

collar section

30

connector socket

31

contact pins

32

Contact body

33

latch hook

34

locking arms

35

Contact receiving space

36

Sealing element (seal)

37

poetry

39

connecting channel

50

Connectors

51

Connector housing (molded)

52

contacts

53

cylindrical plug contour

54

crimp

55

elastomeric shell

56

Pressure equalization chamber

57

cable seal

58

electric wire

59

contact support

60

connecting section

61

function section

62

cable outlet

70

electric wire

V2

Volume before pressure increase

V2 '

Volume after pressure increase

Claims (15)

1. Plug connector (50) comprising a plug connector housing (51) and a contact carrier (59) which carries contacts (52), the said plug connector being designed to establish an IP67-sealed connection to a corresponding plug connector socket (30) of an LED lighting module (1), which has the following:

   - a plug section (53) for insertion into a corresponding plug connector socket (30);

   - a sealing element (37) in the plug section (53);

   - a connection section (60) which contains the cable connection region of the contacts (52), wherein

   - a functional section (61) which has a pressure compensation chamber (56) is arranged adjacent to the connection section (60), characterized in that an elastomeric sleeve (55) in the form of a chamber wall of the pressure compensation chamber (56) is formed at least in the functional region (61), as a result of which the pressure compensation chamber (56) is elastically deformable.
2. Plug connector (50) according to Claim 1, characterized in that a deformable elastomeric sleeve (55) in the form of a chamber wall of the pressure compensation chamber (56) is formed at least in the functional region (61), so that the pressure compensation chamber volume V2 of the pressure compensation chamber (56) can be correspondingly adjusted in the event of changes in pressure in the pressure compensation chamber (56).
3. Plug connector (50) according to at least one of the preceding Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the pressure compensation chamber (56) is connected to the accommodation space in the plug section (53) by means of a connecting channel (39) which is arranged in the interior of the plug connector (50).
4. Plug connector (50) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure compensation chamber (56) is sealed off from the surrounding area.
5. Plug connector (50) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure compensation chamber (56) is sealed off with respect to the cable jacket adjacent to the cable output (62) by means of an injection-moulded cable seal (57).
6. Sealed LED lighting module (1) comprising a heat sink (2) which has a plurality of cooling ribs (3) and forms a flat main body (4) with a top face (4a) and a bottom face (4b), wherein at least one LED (7) is bonded onto the top face (4a) of the main body (4), wherein the LED lighting module (1) is formed with a plug connector (50) according to one of Claims 1 to 5, and wherein the plug connector socket (30) with contacts (31) is fitted to the bottom face (4b) of the main body (4), and at least one contact (31) is connected to at least one LED (7) through the main body (4).
7. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that at least one LED (7) is covered by an IP67-sealed optical lens (6), specifically so as to form a lens interior (8).
8. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the main body (4) has latching recesses (11) for latching by latching arms (34) of the plug connector socket (30).
9. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the main body (4) has latching recesses (11) for latching by latching arms (34) of the plug connector socket (30).
10. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claim 9, characterized in that the plug connector socket (30) has latching arms (34) which project through the latching recesses (11) in the main body (4) and, by way of their end-side latching hooks (33), latch on the top face (4a).
11. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the latching arms (34), by way of its end-side latching hooks (33), projects into the lens interior (8).
12. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to one of Claims 6 to 11, characterized in that a seal (36) is arranged between the plug connector socket (30) and the bottom face (4b).
13. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the seal (36) is arranged around the latching recess (11) of the latching arm (34) which projects into the lens interior (8), in order to seal off the lens interior (8) from the surrounding area at the connecting plane between the plug connector socket (30) and the bottom face (4b).
14. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claim 7, characterized in that a connecting channel (39) is provided between the lens interior (8) and a contact receiving space (35) of the plug connector socket (30).
15. Sealed LED lighting module (1) according to Claim 14, characterized in that a portion of the connecting channel (39) is formed by one of the latching recesses (11) of the main body (4).

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