EP3224907A1

EP3224907A1 - Plug connector for flexible conductor films

Info

Publication number: EP3224907A1
Application number: EP15808332.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jürgen Lappöhn
Original assignee: ERNI Production and Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: ERNI Production and Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 2014-11-27
Filing date: 2015-11-12
Publication date: 2017-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2035-11-12
Also published as: EP3224907B1; JP2018500730A; MX363356B; CA2967079C; MX2017005257A; US10236604B2; CN107112643B; IL251773B; CN107112643A; BR112017010992B1; WO2016082822A1; BR112017010992A2; US20170331207A1; TW201630261A; IL251773A0; JP6619812B2; DE102015100401A1; DK3224907T3; CA2967079A1; ES2715497T3

Abstract

The invention relates to a plug connector (10) for flexible conductor films (300) having film-insulated conductors, comprising a plug connector housing in which at least one plug contact element (105) is arranged, and a connection region in which blades (110, 115) electrically conductively connected to the at least one plug contact element (105) penetrate and fix at least one film-insulated conductor and produce an electrical contact. Said plug connector (10) is characterised in that the plug connector housing comprises two housing parts (100, 200) which can be pushed into one another, of which the first housing part (100) supports the blades (110, 115) and the at least one plug contact element (105) electrically conductively connected thereto, and the second housing part (200) receives and supports the flexible conductor film and has the at least one blade receptacle (210) which is adapted to the blades (110, 115) and whose boundary surfaces (211, 212) are designed such that the at least a part of the blades (110, 115) is bent towards the film-insulated conductor when the two housing parts (100, 200) are pushed into one another.

Description

Connector for flexible conductor foils

The invention relates to a connector for flexible conductor foils with foil-insulated conductors according to the preamble of claim 1.

State of the art

Flexible conductor foils with foil-insulated conductors are used today in the most diverse areas of entertainment and consumer electronics, but also in vehicle construction. Conductor films are used in particular where a very flexible conductor structure with the lowest possible weight and limited space conditions is desired. Flexible conductor foils allow an ordered parallel guidance of a plurality of separate conductor tracks, wherein larger bends are possible and thus parts are electrically conductively connected to each other, which are arranged in a very limited space. In particular, in the automotive industry such conductor films must be able to withstand major mechanical effects, such as vibrations.

In particular, the contacting of the individual foil-insulated conductors is of particular importance. Particularly in vehicle construction, this se contacting safe and against external mechanical effects, but also with respect to temperature influences and environmental influences of various kinds, be resistant.

From FR 2,956,780, the contacting of a flexible conductor foil with foil-insulated conductors is apparent, in which the individual foil-insulated conductors are pierced by knife-like tips and these tips, after they have pierced the conductors are bent over so that they the flexible conductor foil at the same time Clamp and hold the contacting of the corresponding strip conductors. This is done with the help of crimping technology. The blades are in turn electrically connected to connectors, each foil-insulated conductor is associated with a connector which is contacted by several cutting edges. After contacting the foil-insulated conductor, which is also possible automatically on a moving belt, the thus contacted connectors must be mounted in connector housings, which requires additional, independent of the contacting assembly steps. As a result, the assembly of such connectors designed consuming, which is particularly disadvantageous in terms of automated assembly.

DE 199 53 646 B4 discloses a plug connection for flexible conductor foils with foil-insulated conductors, with a plug and a mating connector, which are each provided on a conductor foil end region and can be inserted into one another for purposes of electrical contacting of the foil-insulated conductors. For this purpose, the plug and the mating connector each have a base body and a lid, which can be brought into firm contact with the base body via a fixing mechanism. At least one penetration contact element is provided between the base body and the cover, which provides at least one base plate of electrically conductive material with penetrating bodies. The penetrating bodies are triangular shaped bodies formed from the base plate material, each having a triangular tip raised from the base plate and one of the triangular tip in the base plate opposite triangle base, around which each shaped body is bent. A plurality of penetrating bodies are provided in the base plate, the triangular base of which enclose an angle with the base plate longitudinal axis in such a way that the penetrating bodies are arranged alternately at an angle of ± 60 ° relative to the base plate longitudinal axis. At the penetration contact element, a foil-insulated conductor of the conductor foil end region can be arranged before the cover is brought into contact with the base body, wherein the penetration contact element at least partially penetrates the foil-insulated conductor for purposes of fixing the electrical contacting by pressing the cover against the base body. Also in this connector several independent assembly steps are required, on the one hand for contacting the individual foil-insulated conductors of the flexible conductor foil and on the other hand connected in this way with connectors foil-insulated conductor in a connector housing.

Again, an automatic production is not readily possible.

Disclosure of the invention

Advantages of the invention

The connector according to the invention for flexible conductor foils with the features of claim 1 has the advantage that not only a simple and in particular an automatic production accessible contacting the foil-insulated tracks, in particular a simultaneous contacting several juxtaposed in the flexible conductor foil foil-insulated conductor tracks with simultaneous assembly the connector in the connector housing is possible, but in particular a very effective, electrically excellent and gas-tight contacting of the corresponding plug contacts can be realized, which also me- can withstand mechanical loads and, for example, can also be used in the automotive industry.

This excellent gas-tight contact is realized by bending the cutting in the direction of the foil-insulated conductor. By bending the cutting edges, a pressure is exerted on the contact surface and the electrical contact surface increases. As a result, a gas-tight contacting is realized. At the same time, the blades are held under a certain tension in the connector housing. The preparation of the electrical contacts through the electrically conductive connected to the connector cutting takes place in a very advantageous manner simultaneously during assembly of the connector housing by telescoping the two connector housing parts.

The measures listed in the dependent claims advantageous refinements and improvements of the connector specified in the independent claim are possible. Thus, an advantageous embodiment provides that the second housing part has a receiving space adapted to the conductor foil, which has an opening for receiving the conductor foil in at least one housing wall. In this way, the flat flexible conductor foil can be inserted into the second housing part and is held there in the receiving space adapted to it. The opening and the receiving space are arranged in the second housing part such that a conductor foil arranged in the receiving space comes to rest substantially perpendicular to the cutting edges. In this way, an assembly pre-positioning of the flexible conductor foil in the second housing part by inserting the flexible conductor foil in the second housing part feasible, because the flexible conductor foil is already arranged in the second housing part in an initial position, the immediate and automated contacting of the foil-insulated conductor allows. Advantageously, it is provided that the cutting edge receptacles have curved boundary surfaces.

These boundary surfaces are also preferably designed as sliding surfaces for at least a portion of the cutting.

It is very advantageous provided that the boundary surfaces which form the sliding surfaces, run in a funnel shape, that two blades are bent towards each other while they slide along the boundary surfaces. This adapted to the cutting edge training of the blade holders allows the optimal gastight contacting of the foil-insulated conductor with the at least one plug-in contact during assembly of the second connector housing part to the first connector housing part.

In particular, this assembly can also be automated.

In this case, according to an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the cutting edges are arranged one behind the other along a line such that a foil-insulated conductor is cut through at several points during the assembly of the second connector housing part on the first connector housing part.

In this case, a very advantageous embodiment provides that the cutting edges have different lengths, in each case a shorter cutting edge is in each case surrounded by two longer cutting, which are spaced from each other and whose length is so large that they are at the boundary surfaces of a respective blade holder for conditioning come.

In principle, such a cutting receptacle with three cutting edges, one shorter and two longer, would be sufficient to realize a good and safe and in particular gas-tight contacting of the foil-insulated conductor with the plug contact. A particularly advantageous embodiment sees However, before that the second housing part has a plurality in the longitudinal direction of the foil-insulated conductor arranged one behind the other cutting receptacles. In this way increases the contact surface and thus the contact reliability. In addition, increases the current carrying capacity of the contact thus produced in this way.

To form a strain relief of the flexible conductor foil in the mounted state in the connector clamping elements are provided in the first and / or second housing part, which clamp the flexible conductor foil in the assembled state of the two housing parts in the area between the foil-insulated conductors.

These clamping elements can be formed purely in principle in various ways and arranged in the housing parts.

An advantageous embodiment provides that the clamping elements are each arranged between conductor tracks of the flexible conductor foil.

It can be provided that the clamping elements are each associated with rows of cutting.

A very advantageous embodiment provides that in the first housing part first clamping elements and in the second housing part with the first clamping elements cooperating second clamping elements are arranged. In this way, to a certain extent a clamping of the flexible conductor foil is produced automatically during the assembly of the second to the first housing part.

The formation of the first and second clamping elements can be designed very differently. An advantageous embodiment provides that the first clamping elements are clamping teeth with rounded clamping tooth surfaces and that the second clamping elements are attached to the clamping teeth. fit, in the second housing element arranged openings. By such a design of the clamping elements can be a particularly effective and easy to manufacture clamp and thus strain relief of the flexible conductor foil in the connector housing part can be achieved.

In this case, it is advantageously provided that the clamping teeth have a height which is dimensioned such that in the assembled state of the two housing parts to each other between the first and the second housing part arranged flexible conductor foil is deformed so that the deformed flexible conductor foil in the region of the openings slightly protrudes into the openings arranged in the second housing part.

A very advantageous embodiment further provides that the second housing part can be latched to the first housing part.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a connector according to the invention for flexible conductor foils prior to assembly of the two housing parts.

Fig. 2 is the sectional view of a connector according to the invention shown in Figure 1 after the assembly of the two housing parts.

Fig. 3 to Fig. 8 in isometric, partially broken away view of successive steps of mounting a flexible conductor foil in a making use of the invention connector as well as partial detail enlargements and Fig. 9 in isometric view of the connector shown in Figs. 3 to 7 complete.

Embodiments of the invention

A designated as a whole with 10 connector has a housing which consists of two parts. In a first connector housing part 100 plug contacts in the form of spring contacts 105 are arranged in a conventional manner. With the plug contacts 105 are electrically connected cutting edges 1 10, 1 15, which are arranged one behind the other in a line, each with a shorter cutting edge 1 15 is surrounded by two longer blades 1 10.

A second connector housing part 200 is formed as a separate part. The second connector housing part 200 is designed so that it can be fixed by being pushed into a corresponding opening in the first connector housing part 100 at this and can be locked with this. The second connector housing part 200 has on a side wall 220 an opening 222 which serves to receive a flexible conductor foil 300. In the opposite side wall 230, an opening 232 is likewise arranged, which is accessible from the interior of the second connector, more precisely from a receiving space 240 arranged in the interior and adapted to the conductor foil 300. Both openings 222, 232 thus open into the arranged in the second connector housing part, adapted to the conductor foil 300 receiving space 240, the dimensions of which essentially correspond to the externa ßeren dimensions of the conductor foil. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1, the outwardly accessible opening 222, into which the conductor foil is introduced, is formed in a funnel shape such that insertion of the conductor foil 300 into the second connector housing part 200 is facilitated.

In addition, in the second connector housing part 200, two cutting receptacles 210 are provided, which are also used as a cutting receptacle. spaces can be designated. These cutting receptacles 210 have funnel-shaped curved boundary surfaces 21 1, 212, which are spaced apart from one another so that they are adapted to the distance between the two longer cutting edges 110 which surround the shorter cutting edge 15. The two longer blades 110, which respectively surround the shorter blade 15, thus "fit" into the blade holders 210 as it were, with the longer blades 10 engaging the boundary surfaces 21 1 and 212. The condition before the final assembly The second connector housing part 200 on the first connector housing part 100 is shown in Fig. 1. Mounting is now done by pushing the second connector housing part 200 in the direction of the first connector housing part 100. The blades 110, 15 cut through a foil-insulated conductor track of the conductor foil During the telescoping slide the two outer, the shorter cutting edge 1 1 surrounding longer cutting 1 10 at the two boundary surfaces 21 1, 212 of the cutting receptacles 210, wherein they are bent towards each other, as shown in FIG 2 is shown. In the finished mont In the state where the second connector housing part 200 is locked to the first connector housing part 100, the outer blades 110 surrounding the shorter inner blade 15 are bent toward each other. Because of this bend, the two outer cutting edges 110 cut in the direction of the conductor foil and thus not only increase the contact surface and thus increase the contact reliability and also the current carrying capacity, but they are under prestress. As a result, a pressure is exerted on the contact surfaces and this in turn allows a gas-tight contacting. This type of contacting thus allows a relation to external influences, in particular mechanical loads, resistant electrical contacting, which - and this is particularly noteworthy - can also be done automatically.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 7 show various steps of assembling the flexible conductor foil 300 in an isometric and partially broken-away illustration shown. 9 shows the flexible conductor foil 300 in a completely mounted connector, ie after the attachment of the housing part 200 to the housing part 100 to form the electrical contacting of foil-insulated conductors 310 of the conductor foil 300 and fastening of the conductor foil 300 in the manner described above.

To realize a strain relief and secure attachment of the flexible conductor foil 300 in the connector housing, formed from the first housing part 100 and second housing part 200 fastened thereto, fastening elements in the form of clamping teeth 410 are provided in the first housing part, which have rounded clamping tooth surfaces 415. These clamping teeth 410 are respectively positioned in the spaces between the foil-insulated conductors 310 to clamp the flexible conductor foil 300 there. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the foil-insulated conductors 310 are arranged next to one another in the flexible conductor foil 300. Each foil-insulated conductor 310 are each associated with cutting edges 1 10, 15 in order to contact and clamp the foil-insulated conductors 310. In each case, each row of cutting edges 1 10, 1 15 are assigned clamping teeth 410. The clamping teeth 410 are thus between the cutting 1 10, 1 15, approximately in the region of the flexible conductor foil 300, in which no foil-insulated conductor 310 is arranged. In Fig. 3 are each three rows of blades 1 10, 1 15 and rows of clamping teeth, which are also arranged one behind the other and substantially parallel to the rows of blades 1 10, 1 15, shown. It will be understood that four such rows are provided for the flexible conductor foil 300 shown in FIG. 3, but the fourth row is broken away and not shown for the sake of clarity. This also applies to FIGS. 4, 5 and 7.

In the second housing part 200, respective openings 510 are provided for the clamping teeth 410, which are adapted to the clamping teeth 410 so that the clamping teeth can be received by these openings 510. First, the conductor foil 300 is mounted in the second housing part 200 by being inserted in the receiving space 240 in the manner described above. This is shown schematically in FIG.

Then, the second housing part 200 is moved in the direction of the first housing part 100. In this case, the electrical contact is made in the manner described above by the cutting edges 1 10, 1 15 penetrate the foil-insulated interconnects 310 and then bent in the direction of the foil-insulated conductor 310, ie in the conductor direction.

This step is shown schematically in FIG. FIG. 6 shows an enlargement of the detail designated VI in FIG. 5. In particular, in this enlarged section is shown how the clamping tooth surfaces 415 of the clamping teeth 410 are formed in the manner of a roof tapering upwards. Of course, the invention is not limited thereto, rounded or otherwise upwardly tapering clamping teeth can be provided. This taper serves for optimal clamping of the flexible conductor foil 300. This clamping is shown schematically in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, which is an enlargement of the section indicated by VII I in FIG. 7.

7 shows the completely assembled connector with flexible conductor foil 300. The isometric view is cut in two planes in order to clearly show how not only the cutting edges 110, 15 run in rows parallel to the foil-insulated conductors 310, but assigned to this and also arranged in rows and arranged parallel to the foil-insulated conductors 310 extending. The clamping teeth 410, with their upwardly tapering portions 415, slightly deform the conductor foil 300, with the deformed portions 333 slightly projecting into the opening 510 provided in the second case member 200. For this purpose, the clamping teeth 410 have a height which is dimensioned such that in assembled state of the two housing parts to each other is arranged between the first and the second housing part flexible conductor foil 300 is deformed so that the deformed portions 333 of the flexible conductor foil 300 slightly into the openings 510 protrude, as shown in Fig. 7 and 8. This type of clamping takes place evenly distributed over the entire conductor foil 300, resulting in a very stable attachment of the conductor foil 300 to form a strain relief.

The fully assembled connector in its complete state, ie without partially cut away areas, is shown in Fig. 9.

The interaction of the contacting by the cutting edges 1 10, 1 15 with the clamping by the clamping teeth 410 allows a very good, reliable, durable and stable attachment and contacting of a flexible conductor foil in a connector with simple installation.

Claims

claims

1 . Connector (10) for flexible conductor foils (300) with foil-insulated conductors, with a connector housing in which at least one plug-in contact element (105) is arranged, and with a connection region in which electrically connected to the at least one plug-in contact element (105) cutting (1 10, 1 15) penetrate and fix at least one foil-insulated conductor to produce an electrical contact, characterized in that the connector housing comprises two telescoping housing parts (100, 200) whose first housing part

(100) supports the cutting edges (1 10, 15) and the at least one plug-in contact element (105) electrically conductively connected thereto and the second housing part (200) of which receives and supports the flexible conductor foil (300) and which at least one of the cutters ( 1 10, 1 15) adapted cutting receptacle (210) whose boundary surfaces (21 1, 212) are formed so that at least a portion of the cutting edges (1 10, 1 15) when telescoping the two housing parts (100, 200) in the direction the foil-insulated conductor is bent.

2. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the second housing part (200) to the conductor foil (300) adapted receiving space (240), in two opposite housing walls (220, 230) has two aligned openings (222, 232 ) for receiving the conductor foil (300).

3. Connector according to claim 2, characterized in that the two aligned openings (222, 232) are arranged so that in the receiving space (240) arranged conductor foil (300) substantially perpendicular to the cutting edges (1 10, 1 15) lie comes.

4. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the boundary surfaces (21 1, 212) of the cutting receptacles (210) are curved.

5. Connector according to claim 4, characterized in that the boundary surfaces (21 1, 212) of the cutting receptacles (210) form sliding surfaces for at least a portion of the cutting edges (210, 215).

6. Connector according to claim 5, characterized in that the boundary surfaces (21 1, 212) of the cutting receptacles (210) extend in a funnel shape, that two cutting edges (1 10) are bent towards each other, while at the boundary surfaces (21 1, 212) glide along.

7. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting edges (1 10, 1 15) are arranged one behind the other along a line such that a foil-insulated conductor during assembly of the second housing part (200) on the first housing part (100). is cut in several places.

8. Connector according to claim 7, characterized in that the cutting edges (1 10, 1 15) have different lengths, wherein in each case a shorter cutting edge (1 15) in each case by two longer cutting edges (1 10) is surrounded, which are spaced from each other and whose length is so large that they come to rest on the boundary surfaces (21 1, 212) of a cutting receptacle (210).

9. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the second housing part (200) has a plurality of longitudinally of the foil-insulated conductor arranged one behind the other cutting receptacles (210).

10. Connector (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the first and / or second housing part (100, 200) clamping elements (410, 510) are provided which the flexible conductor foil (300) in the assembled state of the two Clamp housing parts (100, 200) together in the area between the foil-insulated conductors (310).

1 1. Connector (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the clamping elements (410, 510) between conductor tracks (310) of the flexible conductor foil (300) are arranged.

12. Connector (10) according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the clamping elements (410, 510) are each associated with rows of cutting edges (1 10, 1 15)

13. Connector (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that in the first housing part (100) first clamping elements (410) and in the second housing part (200) with the first clamping elements cooperating second clamping elements (410) are arranged ,

14. Connector (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that the first clamping elements clamping teeth (410) extending in the direction of the flexible conductor foil (300) clamping tooth surfaces (415) and that the second clamping elements adapted to the clamping teeth, in the second Housing element (200) arranged openings (510).

15. Connector (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that the clamping teeth (410) have a height which in the assembled state of the two housing parts (100, 200) to each other arranged between the first and the second housing part flexible conductor foil (300) deform so that the deformed rich (333) of the flexible conductor foil slightly into the in the second housing part (200) arranged openings (510) protrude.

16. Connector (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second housing part (200) with the first housing part (100) is locked in the mounted state.