EP2856574B1 - Electronic/electrical connecting arrangement - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electronic and / or electrical connection arrangement, such as an at least partially pluggable connection arrangement, according to the preamble of claim 1 and a connecting element of the connection arrangement and a modular system with at least two of the connection arrangements. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for mounting such a connection arrangement. In the connection arrangement, a first contacting element having a first conductor and a second contacting element having a second conductor are provided. In addition, a connecting element for producing a contact between the first conductor and the second conductor is provided, which for this purpose has a housing with a first housing part and a second housing part, which can be brought along a first mounting axis in a connecting position. In this connection position, the housing parts form a first connection contour, which can be connected to the first contacting element, and a second connection contour, which can be connected to the second contacting element. For this purpose, at least one connecting conductor is accommodated in the housing of the connecting element, which has first contact means on the first connecting contour, which can be brought into electrical / electronic contact with the first conductor in a first contact plane. At the second connection contour, the at least one connecting conductor has second contact means, which can be brought into electrical / electronic contact with the second conductor in a second contact plane separated from the first contact plane.

Out DE 202006018019 U1 is a connector, in particular for sensor / Aktorleitungen known by means of a printed circuit board can be connected to a cable. For this purpose, a two-part connecting element is provided with a base assembly and an actuating element displaceable therein. Furthermore, in the base assembly connecting conductors are provided with IDC contacts, the so protrude into the actuator, which is penetrated by the IDC contacts whose conductor conductors of the IDC contacts when moving the actuator with it incorporated conductors of the stripped cable whose conductor insulation. Further, the connection conductors are connected to arranged within a plug collar pin contacts that can be plugged into a complementary shaped contact socket of the circuit board.

A disadvantage of the known connection arrangement is that with different contacting elements, the connecting element depending on the shape of the contacting elements and depending on how the first and second conductors arranged in the first and second contact plane must be formed very differently or completely replaced by another connecting element. In any case, this will require many different movements during assembly of the connection arrangements, which also change with each change of the contact elements to be mounted. This leads in particular to the assembly of different pairs of contacting elements in total to a very high installation costs. In addition, the assembly of such Kontaktierungselementepaare can not or only insufficiently automate.

EP 0899827 A2 discloses an electronic / electrical connection assembly with a two-part radio frequency plug. The first connector part has an arrangement of a plurality of parallel contact slots, which can be connected, for example, with contacts of a corresponding wall socket. The second plug part is used for attachment to the end of a multi-core cable to be connected to the wall socket. The second plug part in this case has receiving means for the predetermined positioning of the different insulated conductors of the cable. The first plug part in turn has on a second plug part facing the contact side a plurality of insulation-cutting contact terminals, which separate the insulation of the held in the second plug part conductor when plugging both connector parts and thereby establish the electronic / electrical contact between the two plug parts or between the wall socket and the cable.

US 2010/0221946 A1 and EP 0690523 A1 each describe an arrangement of insulation cutting contact terminals, which are accommodated in a multi-part housing.

US 4592614 describes a multi-part mounting arrangement for connecting a cable to a terminal of an electrical / electronic device.

The object of the invention is to avoid the disadvantages mentioned in a generic connection arrangement and to simplify the assembly, especially when connecting different pairs of contacting elements.

This object is achieved by a connection arrangement with the features of claim 1. In this case, the first housing part has first mechanical connecting means and the second housing part has second mechanical connecting means, which in each case face an abutment side. These two abutment sides can be assembled for the common production of the housing of the connecting element along the first mounting axis, wherein the mechanical connection means are connectable to a connection counter contour of one of the contacting elements. In addition, the contact means at least on one of the housing parts in the direction of the Anlegeseite free contact surface, which is automatically brought in the production of the connection position along the first mounting axis with a free on the connection counter contour contact portion in electronic / electrical contact, the contact surface with a sufficient Herb is pressed against the contact section to ensure a stable electronic / electrical connection. In this way, when assembling the two housing parts of the connecting element, this can be connected simultaneously with the respective contacting element, wherein the connection between the connecting element and the contacting element both mechanically and with respect to an electrical / electrical Contact takes place. As a result, the assembly steps for the preparation of the connection arrangement are greatly simplified and can be standardized for many different Kontaktierungselementepaare.

Advantageously, the free contact surface is formed by a contact terminal, so that a secure contact and a permanent elec- tronic / electrical connection between the connecting element and contacting element can be ensured.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the contact terminal is also designed as an insulation-cutting contact terminal, so that even in the case that the exposed at the terminal counter contour of the respective Kontaktierungselementes contact portion should have insulation, the electrical / electrical contact between the connecting element and contacting element can be made automatically.

Advantageously, second positive locking means are provided on the housing parts, which can be brought into engagement with second counter-form-locking means, which are arranged on the connection counter contour. In this way, a positive connection can be made between the connecting element and the respective contacting element, which ensures a permanently stable fixing of the connecting element to the contacting element.

Advantageously, at least two connecting conductors are accommodated in the housing parts, which can be brought into contact in particular from opposite sides along the first mounting direction with a respective exposed contact portion of the contacting elements when connecting the housing parts. In this way, more than one electronic / electrical contact can be made when attaching the connecting element to the connection counter contour of the respective contacting element.

Furthermore, it is favorable if the respective other connection contour along a second mounting axis with the respective other contacting element in electrical / electronic contact can be brought, which is preferably perpendicular to the first mounting axis. In this way, a particularly simple production of the electronic / electrical connection between the two contacting elements via the connecting element is possible, which is also relatively easy at least partially automated feasible.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the respective other connection contour has a plug-in device for producing a plug connection with a mating plug device of the respective other contacting element. In this way, the connecting element, for example, with one of the contacting elements by receiving its connection counter contour in the receiving space formed by the housing parts permanently stable, while the connecting element is connected to the other contacting element via a quick and easy to produce and also releasable connector. The connecting element is in this way a kind of adapter which is attached to one of the contacting elements in order to be able to connect the first contact plane arranged therewith to the second contact plane arranged on the second contacting element even with different contact means.

In addition, the object is achieved by a connection element which is suitable for use in a connection arrangement in one of the embodiments described above, wherein the housing parts form at least one conductor receptacle in which one of a plurality of different embodiments of the connection conductor can be accommodated. In this way, the connecting element can be adapted to different embodiments of the contacting elements or their exposed contact sections merely by exchanging the conductor receptacle.

Advantageously, the two housing parts and, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, the connection conductors accommodated therein are also known as Identical parts formed, whereby the manufacturing cost of the connecting element and thus the connection arrangement can be reduced overall.

Moreover, it is favorable if the housing parts have first positive locking means and first counter-form-locking means, for example in the form of latching means and counter-locking centers, by means of which they can be fixed to one another in the connecting position. In this way, the receiving space formed by the housing parts can be kept permanently stable closed with the recorded counter-contour of the contacting element therein

Furthermore, the object is achieved by a modular system having at least two connection arrangements according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments, which differ from each other in at least one of the contacting elements, wherein the first and second mounting axis are addressed accordingly in both connection arrangements. By this coincidence in the orientation of the mounting axis, the at least two connection arrangements of the modular system can be mounted in a consistent manner. Thus, during assembly, even when changing the embodiments of the connection arrangements no significant changes must be made, which on the one hand simplifies the assembly and in particular allows at least partially automated assembly.

It is advantageous if the connecting elements of both connecting arrangements have a matching length, which in addition to the orientations of the mounting axes and the lengths of the assembly movements can be brought at least partially in accordance, which in particular an automated assembly of different connection arrangements is greatly simplified.

It is particularly advantageous if the connecting elements have matching housing, which allows a particularly simple and, for example, fully automated assembly of different connection arrangements.

In an advantageous embodiment, the free contact sections and the contact means of one of the connection arrangements are matched to one another such that this connection arrangement has at least one contact plane displaced relative to the contact planes of the other connection arrangements. This can be achieved in particular by a different arrangement of the contact means of the connecting element. As a result, the modular system which can be assembled from matching assembly steps can also comprise contacting elements with very different terminal counter contours, whereby the modular system can extend over a particularly wide range of connecting elements.

It may also be advantageous if the respective displaced contact plane is formed in addition to the first contact plane, whereby the modular system can be made even more variable. The formation of the displaced contact planes can be done, for example, by the positioning of first contact means or second contact means at different heights.

Furthermore, the stated object is achieved by a method for producing a connection arrangement in one of the abovementioned embodiments, wherein in a first step the connection conductor is fixed with contact means adapted to the provided contact elements in the housing parts of the connection element and in a subsequent step the housing parts in between lying terminal counter contour of one of Kontakterungselemente along the first mounting direction are fixed together. In this case, the mechanical connection means of the connecting element are fixed to the connection counter contour of the respective contacting element and at the same time the contact means of the connecting element are pushed onto the contact portion of the contacting element. By doing this connection of the two housing parts of the connecting element with the interposition of the connection contour of a contacting element, the simultaneous mechanical fixing of the connecting element on the contacting element and the electronic / electrical contacting of both elements possible.

It is advantageous if, when creating the receiving space on the connection counter contour a positive connection between the connecting element and the contacting element is made, which allows a permanently stable attachment of the connecting element to the contacting element.

In this case, it is furthermore advantageous if the contact section of the conductor of the contacting element which is exposed on the connection countercontour has a main longitudinal extension and the contact means are pushed onto it substantially perpendicular to the main longitudinal extension when the two housing parts are fixed to one another and / or if in a further subsequent step the connection countercontour of the other contacting element along the second mounting axis is connected to the other terminal contour of the connecting element, wherein the second mounting axis is directed perpendicular to the first mounting axis.

In a further advantageous embodiment, when connecting the other contacting element with the connecting element, moreover, the contact means of the connecting element are applied to the conductor of the other contacting element and at the same time a positive connection is established in the direction of the second mounting axis. In this way, a permanently stable connection between the contacting elements via the connecting element can be ensured for the entire connection arrangement both in mechanical and in electronic / electrical terms.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Verbindungsanordnung ,

Fig. 2

eine explodierte Darstellung der Verbindungsanordnung nach Fig. 1 und

Fig. 3

eine explodierte Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Baukastensystems.

In the figures, an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a connection arrangement according to the invention,

Fig. 2

an exploded view of the connection arrangement according to Fig. 1 and

Fig. 3

an exploded view of a modular system according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a connection assembly 2 with a first contacting element 4, which is exemplified by a functional unit such as a sensor, and a second contacting element 6, which is exemplified by a connection unit with a connected supply / data cable. In the illustrated endmonierten state of the connection assembly 2, the first contacting element 4 with the second contacting element 6 via a connecting element 8 mechanically and electronically or electrically connected.

As in particular from Fig. 2 can be seen, the first contacting element 4, a first electronic / electrical conductor 10 with a plurality of insulated strands 11 which project beyond a free contact portion 12 away from a housing 14 of the first contacting element 4 out. Alternatively, the electronic / electrical conductor 10 in the contact portion 12 also have solid wires or round contacts.

The second contacting element 6 has a housing 16 in which an electronic unit 18 is accommodated with a printed circuit board forming a second electrical conductor 20.

To produce an electronic / electrical contact between the first conductor 10 and the second conductor 20, the connecting element 8 has connecting conductors 22 which at their ends respectively form first contact means 24 for contacting the first conductor 10 and second contact means 26 for contacting the second conductor.

In the illustrated embodiment of the connection arrangement 2, a total of four connecting conductors 22 are provided, which are received in pairs in each case in a first housing part 28 and a second housing part 30 of the connecting element 8.

The two housing parts 28, 30, which together form a two-part housing of the connecting element 8, each have a conductor receptacle 32 in which various embodiments of the connecting conductors 22 can be accommodated in order to be able to adapt the connecting element 8 to various embodiments of the contacting elements 4, 6 ,

In the illustrated embodiment, the first contact means 4 facing first contact means 24 insulation cutting contact terminals. With these, the insulated strands 11 of the first conductor 10 can be electronically / electrically contacted at the free contact portions 12 by penetrating the respective insulation and contact with the respective core.

On the second contacting element 6 side facing the paired second contact means 26 each form a resilient contact terminal, in the corresponding free contact portions 34 of the second conductor 20 can be inserted.

In addition, the first housing part 28 forms a first subspace 36, which is open to a landing side S1 of the first housing part 28, and the second housing part 30 a second subspace 38, which is open to an abutment side S2 of the second housing part 30.

In addition, hook-shaped first positive locking means 40 are provided on both housing parts 28, 30 in the region of the subspaces 36, 38. The subspaces 36, 38 and the first positive locking means 40 function together as a mechanical connection means for fixing the connecting element 8 to the first contacting element 4 and form in a composite state, a common connection contour 41 of the connecting element.

The first positive locking means 40 of the housing parts 28, 30 can be brought into engagement with complementary shaped first counter-form-locking means 42, which are embedded in one side of the housing 14 of the first contacting element 4, on which protrude and the free contact portions 12 of the first conductor 10. This side of the housing 14 thus forms a connection contour 41 that is at least partially complementary to the connection contour 41.

Furthermore, both housing parts 28, 30 each have a second positive locking means 44 formed by a latching nose, which can be latched in a connecting position with a second counter-form-locking means 46 of the respective other housing part 30, 28 formed by a latching receptacle. In a preferred embodiment of the connecting element 8, the two housing parts 28, 30 may be formed by the same parts, which can be locked together in a mutually rotated by 180 ° position (not shown).

For electronically / electrically effective connection of the connection arrangement 2, in the illustrated embodiment, first the connection conductors 22 are inserted into the conductor receptacles 32 in such a way that the first contact means 24 in the respective subspace 36; 38 are arranged. At the same time, in this case, the second contact means 26 are arranged on a slot-shaped plug-in device 48, which is inserted into the housing parts 28, 30 at a side remote from the first positive-locking means 40.

Subsequently, the two housing parts 28, 30 are brought along a first mounting axis M1 on the connection counter contour 43 of the first contacting element 4 in a connecting position in which the first positive locking means 40 of the resulting common first connection contour 41 with the first counter-form-locking means 42 of the connection counter-contour 43 of the first contacting element. 4 get in touch. At the same time, the first contact means 24 along the first mounting axis M1 on the free contact portions 12 is moved, wherein the first mounting axis M1 is directed substantially perpendicular to a main longitudinal extent of the free contact portions 12. Here, the insulation of the free contact portions 12 is severed and an electronic / electrical contact between the first conductor 10 and the connection conductor 22 is made. In addition, when the connection position is reached, both housing parts 28, 30 are latched to one another via the second positive locking means 44 and counter-form locking means 46, so that they are held positively in the direction of the first mounting axis M1 and also the positive locking between the first positive locking means 40 and the positive locking counter 42 can not be solved. The connecting element 8 is in this connection position according to Fig. 1 Stably permanently connected to the first contacting element 4 both in mechanical and in electronic / electrical regard.

On the side remote from the first contacting element 4, the two housing parts 28, 30 with the slot-shaped plug-in device 48 form a second connection contour 50 which can be connected to a second connection counter-contour 52 of the second contacting element 6. The second connection counter contour is essentially formed by a mating plug device 54, which can be connected to the plug-in device 50 of the connecting element 8 along a second mounting axis M2 to an easily connectable and easy-to-disconnect plug connection. The mating plug device 54 is in turn formed by the free contact portions 34 of the second conductor 20, which come into contact with the second contact means 26 of the connecting conductor 22 during insertion into the plug-in device 48 along the second mounting axis M2.

Finally, the housing 16 of the second contacting element 6 can then be pushed over the electronics 18 and brought about fixing means 56 with fixing counter means 58 of the housing 14 of the first contacting element 4 in a positive connection, which acts in the direction of the second mounting axis M2.

In the assembled state of the connection arrangement 2, the first contact means 24 define with the first conductor 10 of the first contacting element 4 thus a first contact plane KE1 and the second contact means 26 with the second conductor 20 of the second contacting element 6 a spaced and perpendicularly directed second contact plane KE2 Fig. 1 , which is connected via the connecting element 8 electronically / electrically connected to the first contact plane.

Fig. 3 shows a modular system 60 with at least two of the connecting assemblies 2 according to the invention, which are mounted along matching first and second mounting axes M1, M2, but different first and second contacting elements 4, 6 and different free contact portions 12, 34 have.

In order nevertheless to enable a matching assembly process, different connecting conductors 22 with respectively adapted first and second contact means 24, 26 are accommodated in the connecting elements 8. These may be formed, for example, from contact terminals, spring contacts, direct plug contacts or any other known and suitable types of contact.

The free contact sections 12, 34 and the contact means 24, 26 can be matched to one another in at least one of the connection arrangements 2 such that at least one of the contact planes KE1, KE2 is displaced, as in FIG Fig. 1 represented by KE1A and KE2A. In addition, the contact sections 12, 34 and the contact means 24, 26 may be matched to one another such that at least one of the connection arrangements 2 has at least two contact planes KE1, KE1A offset from one another or at an angle to one another. KE2, KE2A trains.

Claims (20)

1. Electronic and/or electrical connecting arrangement (2) with a first contacting element (4) comprising a first conductor (10), a second contacting element (6) comprising a second conductor (20), and a connecting element (8) for establishing a contact between the first conductor (10) and the second conductor (20), which for this purpose comprises a housing with a first housing part (28) and a second housing part (30), which can be assembled along a first installation axis (M1) and can be brought into a connection position in which they form a common first connection contour (41) which can be connected to the first contacting element (4), and a second connection contour (50) which can be connected to the second contacting element (6),
   wherein, for this purpose, a connecting conductor (22) is accommodated in the housing of the connection element (8),
   and comprises first contacting means (24) at the first connection contour (41), which can be brought into electronic and/or electrical contact with the first conductor (10),
   wherein the electronic and/or electrical contacts lie in a first contact plane (KE1),
   and comprises second contact means (26) at the second connection contour (50), which can be brought into electronic and/or electrical contact with the second conductor (20), wherein the electronic and/or electrical contacts lie in a contact plane (KE2) which is different from the first contact plane (KE1).
   wherein the first housing part (28) comprises first mechanical connection means and the second housing part (30) comprises second mechanical connection means, which in each case face towards a contact side (S1, S2), and the two contact sides (S1, S2) can be assembled along the first installation axis (M1) to form jointly the housing of the connection element (8), characterised in that
   the mechanical connection means can be simultaneously connected to a connection counter-contour (43) of one the contacting elements (4; 6), lying between the housing parts (28, 30), and
   the contact means (24, 26) comprise, at least at one of the housing parts (28, 30), a contact surface which is free in the direction of the contact side (S1, S2), which, at the establishment of the connection position, can automatically be brought into electronic and/or electrical contact, along the first installation axis (M1), with a contact section (12) lying freely at the connection contour (43).
2. Connecting arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the free contact surface is formed by a contact terminal.
3. Connecting arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that the contact terminal is configured as an insulation-cutting contact terminal.
4. Connecting arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that first positive fit means (40) are provided at the housing parts (28, 30), which can be brought into engagement with first counter-positive fit means (42), which are arranged at the connection counter-contour (43).
5. Connecting arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that at least two connection conductors (22) are accommodated in the housing parts (28, 30).
6. Connecting arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the respective other connection contour (50) in each case can be brought into electronic and/or electrical contact with the respective other contacting element (6) in each case along a second installation axis (M2).
7. Connecting arrangement according to claim 6, characterised in that the respective other connection contour (50) in each case comprises a plug device (48) for establishing a plug connection with a counter-plug device (54) of the respective other contacting element (6).
8. Connecting element for a connecting arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that at least one conductor receiver (32) is provided, into which one of several embodiment forms of the connecting conductor (22) can be inserted.
9. Connecting element according to claim 8, characterised in that the two housing parts (28, 30) are configured as identical parts.
10. Connecting element according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the housing parts (28, 30) comprise second positive fit means (44) and second counter-positive fit means (46), by means of which they can be secured to one another.
11. Modular system with at least two connecting arrangements (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which differ from one another in at least one of the contacting elements (4, 6), characterised in that the first and second installation axis (M1, M2) are aligned in the same manner in both connection arrangements (2).
12. Modular system according to claim 11, characterised in that the connection elements (8) of both connecting arrangements (2) exhibit matching lengths.
13. Modular system according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the connection elements (8) exhibit matching housings.
14. Modular system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterised in that the free contact sections (12, 34) and the contact means (24, 26) of one of the connecting arrangements (2) are matched to one another in such a way that this connecting arrangement (2) exhibits at least one contact plane (KE1A, KE2A) which is displaced in relation to the contact planes (KE1, KE2) of the connecting arrangement (2).
15. Modular system according to claim 14, characterised in that the offset contact plane (KE1A, KE2A) is formed additionally to the contact plane (KE1, KE2)
16. Method for producing a connecting arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that

    a) In a first step, the connecting conductor (22) comprises contacting means (24, 26) which are matched to the contacting elements (4, 6) and is secured to the housing parts (28, 30) of the connection element (8).

    b) in a subsequent step, the housing parts (28, 30) are secured to one another along the first installation direction (M1) by the connection counter-contour (43), located in between, of one of the contacting elements (4), wherein the mechanical connecting means of the connection element (8) are secured to the connection counter-contour (43) of the contacting element (4) concerned, and, at the same time, the contact means (24) of the connecting element (4) are pressed onto the contact section (12) of the contacting element (4).
17. Method according to claim 16, characterised in that, at the securing of the mechanical connection means to the connection counter-contour (43), a positive fit connection is established between the connection element (8) and the contacting element (4).
18. Method according to claim 16 or 17, characterised in that the contact section (12), lying freely at the connection counter-contour (43), of the conductor (10) of the contacting element (4) exhibits a main longitudinal extension, and the contact means (24), at the securing of the two housing parts (28, 30) to one another, are pushed onto them essentially perpendicular to the main longitudinal extension.
19. Method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterised in that, in a further subsequent step, the connection counter-contour (52) of the respective other contacting element (6) is connected along the second installation axis (M2) to the other connection contour (50) of the connection element (8), wherein the second installation axis (M2) is aligned perpendicular to the first installation axis (M1).
20. Method according to claim 19, characterised in that, at the connecting of the other contacting element (6) to the connecting element (8) of which the contact means (26) is in contact with the conductor (20) of the other contacting element (6), and, at the same time, a positive fit connection is established in the direction of the second installation axis (M2).

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