EP2950400B1 - Multi-core cable and method for manufacturing a multi-core cable - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a prefabricated cable, which in particular comprises a connector or a coupling element, for transmitting electrical currents or voltages according to claim 1 and a method for producing such a cable according to claim 10.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The cables in question are used for example in motor vehicles or aircraft and are usually needed in large quantities. For cost-effective provision of appropriate cables a simple structure and ease of assembly are of great importance. Such cables must be produced reliably with high precision, as required, for example, for a high-quality measurement signal transmission. In addition, the cables are subject to high demands with regard to robustness, in particular with respect to impermeability to water or other liquids.

STATE OF THE ART

From the Laid-open specification DE 40 13 509 A1 in Example 2 presented there, so the FIGS. 6 to 9 and the associated description, a multi-core cable is known, which has an angle plug. There, in particular, a method is to be shown, which ensures an exact dimensioning and spacing of the embedded contact tongues. The construction according to the DE 40 13 509 A1 has the disadvantage, among other things, that the production of the corresponding cable is comparatively complicated.

In the published patent application US 2005/0272313 A1 a cable is shown with an angled connector having an electrically conductive screen body. This shielding body comprises a collar for contacting a shielding braid with the shielding body, wherein the contacted area is encapsulated.

The publication US 2001/0049225 A1 discloses a cable having an angled plug. The angle plug comprises two insulating shells for receiving the contact carrier and the jacket of the cable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has for its object to provide a cable, which is of high quality and yet manufacturable with relatively little manufacturing effort.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

Furthermore, a manufacturing method is to be created, which allows a feasible with relatively little effort production of high-quality cables.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 10.

According to the invention, the cable comprises a line and a connector, wherein the line has a plurality of wires and the connector has a contact carrier. Furthermore, in each case at one end of a wire, a contact is attached or are attached to the ends of the wires contacts. The contacts are received by the contact carrier so that they are arranged with a directional component, which is oriented parallel to a first direction in the contact carrier. On the contact carrier, a collar is formed, wherein the line is fixed by the collar. The collar is designed in such a way or the line is so fixed to the collar, in that the wires are deflected by the collar with a directional component which is oriented parallel to a second direction, the first direction being oriented orthogonal to the second direction.

The wires can thus be deflected in the region of the collar through the collar so that the wires are oriented in the region of the collar orthogonal relative to the contacts in the contact carrier.

In particular, during the manufacturing process of the barge serves as a positionally accurate holder for the line.

The contacts are electrically conductive end pieces of the wires or terminals of the conductors and can be designed as pins or jacks.

The contact carrier advantageously has bushings, wherein the bushings are arranged inside the contact carrier and are oriented parallel to the first direction. The contacts are accordingly accommodated in the bushings in such a way that they are arranged in the contact carrier with a directional component which is oriented parallel to the first direction.

In an advantageous design, the cable is designed so that the connector has an encapsulation and the wires are at least partially surrounded by the encapsulation. The term partially refers in particular to the length of the wires, so that therefore the wires are completely surrounded by the encapsulation at least over a longitudinal section. In addition, the collar may be at least partially surrounded by the encapsulation.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the line comprises an insulating jacket, which is removed at the end of the line. The connector has an encapsulation, wherein the wires over a length along which the jacket is removed, ie in the stripped region of the line, are surrounded by the encapsulation (in particular completely).

Furthermore, the jacket can be surrounded by the encapsulation in a partial length (of the jacket or of the line).

The cable can be designed so that the wires are bent over the length along which the jacket is removed by approximately 90 ° and in this bent region of the encapsulation (in particular completely) are surrounded.

Advantageously, the line on an insulating jacket, wherein the jacket on the collar, in particular by clamping, is fixed. The collar can thus be designed so that by this the line, in particular the jacket is clamped fixed to the contact carrier.

In an advantageous construction, the line comprises an insulating jacket and the collar has a stop on which the jacket rests on the front side. The jacket therefore has an end face, z. B. a cut surface, which rests against the stop of the collar, wherein the end face can be generated by previously stripping the end of the line.

Advantageously, the wires have different lengths. In addition, the cable can have cores whose conductors have different cross-sectional areas. This design can be used in particular when the cable is intended not only to transmit signals, for example analog measurement signals, but also also electrical energy or power. Frequently, then, those wires which are to serve for the transmission of electrical energy have a larger cross-sectional area.

The cable can be configured otherwise unshielded.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the contacts with the wires are connected by crimping.

• Bereitstellen einer Leitung mit mehreren Adern und darauffolgendes Befestigen jeweils eines Kontaktes an einem Ende einer Ader beziehungsweise darauffolgendes Befestigen von Kontakten an den Enden der Adern;
• Einsetzen der Kontakte in einen Kontaktträger, insbesondere in Durchführungen des Kontaktträgers, so dass die Kontakte mit einer Richtungskomponente, welche parallel zu einer ersten Richtung orientiert ist, im Kontaktträger angeordnet sind;
• Fixieren der Leitung an einem Kragen, welcher am Kontaktträger angeformt ist, in einer Weise, dass die Adern mit einer Richtungskomponente, welche parallel zu einer zweiten Richtung orientiert ist, vom Kragen umgelenkt werden, wobei die erste Richtung orthogonal zur zweiten Richtung orientiert ist;
• Umspritzen der Adern, so dass diese zumindest teilweise von der Umspritzung umgeben sind.

According to a further aspect, the invention comprises a method for producing a cable with a connector, comprising the following steps:

• Providing a lead having a plurality of leads and then attaching each one of a contact to one end of a lead and subsequently attaching contacts to the ends of the leads;
• Inserting the contacts in a contact carrier, in particular in passages of the contact carrier, so that the contacts are arranged with a directional component, which is oriented parallel to a first direction, in the contact carrier;
• Fixing the lead to a collar formed on the contact carrier in a manner such that the leads are deflected by the collar with a directional component oriented parallel to a second direction, the first direction oriented orthogonal to the second direction;
• Encasing the wires, so that they are at least partially surrounded by the encapsulation.

In a further embodiment of the method, the encapsulation is performed in a manner such that the collar is at least partially surrounded by the encapsulation. Advantageously, the collar is completely surrounded by the encapsulation.

In an advantageous further development of the method, the line comprises an insulating jacket, which is usually removed at one end of the line, wherein the collar has a stop on which the jacket is fixed so that it rests against the collar on the front side. The jacket is usually removed so that first a circumferential cut is made in the shell, along a circular line whose center is located on the longitudinal axis of the line. The circle line delimits a circular area which is penetrated orthogonally by the longitudinal axis. The cut does not necessarily have to be completely circumferential. For example, two V-shaped blades can penetrate radially into the shell, so that therefore no completely cut or incision is made by 360 °. After cutting respectively Cutting the portion of the shell is then deducted from the line, so that a substantially annular end surface is formed on the jacket, which can serve as an abutment on the collar of the collar.

Advantageously, the contacts are attached to the ends of the wires by a crimping process.

In a further embodiment of the method, the line comprises an insulating jacket, so that an end face of the jacket is produced, which serves for the lengthening of the wires as a reference. In particular, the end of the line was stripped before this step.

In an advantageous further development of the method, the wires are cut to different lengths.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention will remove the dependent claims.

Further details and advantages of the cable according to the invention or manufacturing method of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figur 1

eine Seitenansicht eines Kabels,

Figur 2

eine stirnseitige Ansicht einer Leitung in einem Zustand während des Konfektionierungsprozesses,

Figur 3

eine Seitenansicht der Leitung in einem Zustand während des Konfektionierungsprozesses,

Figur 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht der Leitung mit Kontakten in einem Zustand während des Konfektionierungsprozesses,

Figur 5

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Kontaktträgers,

Figur 6

eine Frontalansicht des Kontaktträgers,

Figur 7

eine Detailansicht eines Kragens des Kontaktträgers,

Figur 8

eine perspektivische Ansicht auf den Kontaktträger mit montierter Leitung vor dem Umspritzen.

It show the

FIG. 1

a side view of a cable,

FIG. 2

an end view of a line in a state during the packaging process,

FIG. 3

a side view of the line in a state during the packaging process,

FIG. 4

a perspective view of the line with contacts in a state during the packaging process,

FIG. 5

a perspective view of a contact carrier,

FIG. 6

a frontal view of the contact carrier,

FIG. 7

a detailed view of a collar of the contact carrier,

FIG. 8

a perspective view of the contact carrier with mounted line before encapsulation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the FIG. 1 For example, a cable for transmitting electrical energy and signals, for example for transmitting measurement information, is shown, which is intended in particular for installation in a vehicle. The cable is designed unshielded according to the embodiment.

According to the FIG. 1 the cable comprises a line 1, which is only partially shown in the figure, and a connector 2 or a coupling element, so that the cable by the connector 2 at one end releasably connected to a corresponding counterpart of another component, for example an element of an on-board electronics in Meaning of a plug connection can be connected. At the other end of the cable, which is in the FIG. 1 not shown, a coupling element may also be provided. The connector 2 comprises a contact carrier 2.1 and an encapsulation 2.2. The encapsulation 2.2 is a component of the connector 2, which was produced by molding the contact carrier 2.1 and a part of the line 1 with a plastic material. In this way, a hermetically sealed design of the cable at its end or in the region of the connector 2 can be achieved comparatively easily.

In the FIG. 2 a view is shown on a front side of the line 1 in a state during the packaging process. The line 1 has in the illustrated embodiment, four wires 1.1. The wires 1.1 each comprise a conductor 1.11, for example in the form of a plurality of individual wires, which are surrounded by an insulating layer 1.12. Accordingly, in the illustrated embodiment, the wires 1.1 may also be referred to as strands. In the exemplary embodiment, the conductors 1.11 have two different cross-sectional areas, wherein that pair of cores 1.1 with the smaller cross-sectional area is intended for transmitting signals, while the other pair with the larger cross-sectional area is intended for transmitting electrical energy. Furthermore, the line 1 comprises an insulating jacket 1.2, which encloses the wires 1.1.

In the course of the production of the cable, the jacket 1.2 was first cut at the end of the line 1 along a peripheral line and then removed or removed. Consequently, then according to the FIGS. 2 and 3 an end-side annular (cutting) surface 1.21 at the end of the shell 1.2 before.

The front surface 1.21 serves as a stop surface for cutting the wires 1.1. These were cut off in two different lengths a4, a2 starting from the front face 1.21. Thereafter, the insulating layers 1.12 were cut along a circumferential line and removed in this end region. The cutting lines in the insulating layers 1.12 have a distance a3 or a1 from the surface 1.21.

To the thus prepared line 1 now contacts 1.13 are attached. In particular, in each case a contact 1.13 is fixed to the stripped ends of the wires 1.1 or to the conductors 1.11, here by a crimping process. Accordingly, then there is a line 1 with contacts 1.13 to the conductors 1.11 according to the FIG. 4 in front. In this FIG. 4 are the wires 1.1 according to the intended orientation in the installed state of the line 1 shown bent by 90 °.

In the Figures 5 . 6 and 7 is the dielectric contact carrier 2.1, which is designed as an injection molded part shown. The contact carrier 2.1 comprises a plurality of bushings 2.12, which in the FIG. 6 in a frontal view of the Contact carrier 2.1 are visible. In the present case, the contact carrier 2.1 six feedthroughs 2.12, wherein in the illustrated embodiment with the four-wire line 1 according to only four bushings 2.12 are fitted. This contact carrier 2.1 can alternatively be used in conjunction with a six-wire line. The bushings 2.12 are oriented parallel to a first direction x. In order for the encapsulation 2.2, which is to be applied later, to firmly enclose the contact carrier 2.1, ribs 2.13 are formed on the contact carrier 2.1.

Furthermore, a collar 2.11 is integrally formed on the one-piece or monolithic contact carrier 2.1. The collar 2.11 has, as shown in FIG. 7, a concave surface 2.111. The concave surface 2:111 is curved about an axis Y, which is oriented parallel to a second direction y. The concave surface 2.111 is at least partially spaced with a radius r from the axis Y.

Furthermore, the collar 2.11 has a stop element 2.112, which has a smaller distance from the axis Y than the concave surface 2.111. The stop element 2.112 has, in particular, an area orientated orthogonally to the direction y (the relevant area consequently has a normal vector parallel to the direction y). At the contact support 2.1 ribs are also provided 2.113.

In the further progress of the manufacturing process of the cable, the contacts are 1.13 in the contact carrier 2.1, or in the bushings 2.12, used, so that the contacts are arranged parallel to the first direction x in the contact carrier 2.1 1.13. The bushings 2. 12 are designed in such a way that they surround the contacts 1. 13 at least in a section extending along the direction x, over their circumference (FIG. FIG. 8 ). Accordingly, an introduction of the contacts 1.13 can take place only from the axial direction (direction x) and not from the radial or tangential direction. As a result of this design, an extremely high degree of precision can be achieved with regard to a positionally accurate position of the end pieces 1.1.

Then the line 1 is fixed to the collar 2.11 in particular by clamping. The concave surface 2.111 of the collar 2.11 surrounds the jacket 1.2. The jacket 1.2 has according to the FIG. 3 a diameter D, which is slightly larger than twice the radius r of the concave surface of the collar 2.111 2.11 according to the FIG. 7 , By this dimensioning the line 1 is clamped elastically in the collar 2.11. This clamping is based on the principle of a clip and can be performed without tools.

Furthermore, the end face 1.21 of the shell 1.2 abuts on the stop element 2.1112 or on the surface of the stop element 2.1112 oriented orthogonally to the direction y, so that a tailor-made positioning of the line 1 relative to the contact carrier 2.1 is produced. If the line 1 is fixed in this way, the wires 1.1 are elastically deformed by the holding forces introduced by the collar 2.11 and deflected so that they are oriented parallel to the second direction y in the region of the collar 2.11. The bending forces of the cores 1.11 are intercepted solely by contact carrier 2.1, so that the holding force of the collar 2.11 must be at least so great that the bending forces of the cores 1.11 can be absorbed.

The positionally accurately fixed to the contact carrier 2.1 line 1 is inserted into an injection molding machine. It is ensured by the special construction of the line 1 and the contact carrier 2.1 that an undesirable even minor displacement of the line 1 relative to the contact carrier 2.1 in this manufacturing step (or between the manufacturing step fixing the line 1 and encapsulation of the wires 1.1) are practically excluded can.

Subsequently, the line 1 and the contact carrier 2.1 partially with dielectric material (eg., With plastic or with an elastomer), so that the collar 2.11, bent by approximately 90 ° wires 1.1 and the remaining end of the shell 1.2 of the Encapsulation 2.2 are surrounded. In the presented embodiment, the overmolded area of the jacket 1.2 extends to a length b (FIG. FIG. 3 ) of 11 mm.

The Indian FIG. 3 with ξ designated area at the end of the line 1 is completely encapsulated.

The encapsulation 2.2 thus surrounds first regions of the cores 1.1, in which the cores run with a directional component which is oriented parallel to a first direction x. In addition, the encapsulation surrounds 2.2 second portions of the wires 1.1, in which the wires with a direction component, which is oriented parallel to a second direction y, run. The first regions of the cores 1.1 are the areas in which the cores 1.1 or their contacts enter 1.13 in the contact carrier 2.1, the second areas of the cores 1.1 are those areas in which the line 1 is held by the collar 2.11 and where the jacket of the Encapsulation 2.2 is surrounded (section b in FIG. 3 ).

Claims (12)

1. Cable comprising a line (1) and a plug connector (2), wherein the line (1) comprises a plurality of cores (1.1) and an insulating jacket (1.2), and the plug connector (2) has a contact carrier (2.1), wherein the plug connector (2) has an injection-moulded encapsulation (2.2) and the cores (1.1) are at least partially surrounded by the injection-moulded encapsulation (2.2), wherein furthermore contacts (1.13) are fastened to the ends of the cores (1.1) and the contacts (1.13) are held by the contact carrier (2.1) such that the contacts (1.13) are arranged in the contact carrier (2.1) with a directional component which is oriented parallel to a first direction (x), characterized in that
   the contact carrier (2.1) is of integral design,
   a collar (2.11) is integrally formed on the contact carrier (2.1), wherein the line (1) is fixed by the collar (2.11),
   the collar (2.11) is designed in such a way that the cores (1.1) are deflected from the collar (2.11) with a directional component which is oriented parallel to a second direction (y), wherein the first direction (x) is oriented orthogonally to the second direction (y), and
   the collar (2.11) has a stop (2.111) against which the jacket (1.2) abuts by way of an end side.
2. Cable according to Claim 1, wherein the collar (2.11) is at least partially surrounded by the injection-moulded encapsulation (2.2).
3. Cable according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the line (1) comprises an insulating jacket (1.2) which is at a distance from the end of the line (1), wherein the cores (1.1) are surrounded by the injection-moulded encapsulation (2.2) over a length (a2, a4) along which the jacket (1.2) is at a distance.
4. Cable according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the line (1) has an insulating jacket (1.2), and the jacket (1.2) is fixed to the collar (2.11).
5. Cable according to Claim 4, wherein the jacket (1.2) is fixed to the collar (2.11) in a clamping manner.
6. Cable according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cores (1.1) have different lengths (a2, a4).
7. Cable according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contacts (1.13) are connected to the cores (1.1) by crimping.
8. Method for producing a cable having a plug connector (2), comprising the following steps:

   - providing a line (1) having a plurality of cores (1.1) and also having an insulating jacket (1.2);

   - fastening contacts (1.13) to the ends of the cores (1.1);

   - inverting the contacts (1.13) into an integral contact carrier (2.1) in such a way that the contacts (1.13) are arranged in the contact carrier (2.1) with a directional component which is oriented parallel to a first direction (x);

   - fixing the line (1) to a collar (2.11), which is integrally formed on the contact carrier (2.1), in such a way that the cores (1.1) are deflected from the collar (2.11) with a directional component which is oriented parallel to a second direction (y), wherein the first direction (x) is oriented orthogonally to the second direction (y), wherein the collar (2.11) has a stop at which the jacket (1.2) is fixed to the collar (2.11) such that the said jacket (1.2) abuts against the collar (2.11) by way of an end side;

   - encapsulating the cores (1.1) by injection moulding, so that the said cores are at least partially surrounded by the injection-moulded encapsulation (2.2).
9. Method according to Claim 8, wherein the injection-moulded encapsulation operation is performed in such a way that the collar (2.11) is at least partially surrounded by the injection-moulded encapsulation (2.2).
10. Method according to either of Claims 8 and 9, wherein the contacts (1.13) are fastened to the ends of the cores (1.1) by a crimping process.
11. Method according to one of Claims 8 to 10, wherein the line (1) comprises an insulating jacket (1.2) which is at a distance from an end of the line (1), so that an end-side surface (1.21) of the jacket (1.2) which serves as a reference for cutting the cores (1.1) to length is produced.
12. Method according to one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the cores (1.1) are cut to different lengths.

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