EP3224907B1 - Plug connector for flexible conductor films - Google Patents

Description

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. Especially in vehicle construction this must Contact safely and against external mechanical effects, but also with respect to temperature influences and environmental influences of various kinds, be resistant.

From the FR 2 956 780 shows the contacting of a flexible conductor foil with foil-insulated conductors, in which the individual foil-insulated conductors are pierced by knife-like tips and these tips, after they have pierced the conductors are bent so that they clamp the flexible conductor foil while contacting the corresponding conductors and hold. 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.

From the DE 199 53 646 B4 is a plug connection for flexible conductor foils with foil-insulated conductors, with a plug and a mating connector, which are respectively provided on a Leiterfolienendbereich and are plugged into each other 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 of 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 lid 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 lid 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.

From the DE 29 07888 A1 is a connector with a contact elements overlapping main body and a lockable with the main body pressure closure member known, which are formed on the plug portions exhibiting contact elements cutting, between each of which a wire under local destruction of Isolierumhüllung and thereby bewirkter electrically conductive connection is pressed and wherein the pressure closure member secured in a closed position with the main body, the loading of the wire ends in the cutting and in which the plug portions of the contact elements are arranged substantially perpendicular to the cutting and substantially coaxial or axially parallel to the recorded by the cutting wire ends and the pressure closure member mounted as a pivotally mounted on the base body , at least the cutting areas of the contact elements overlapping lid is formed.

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 withstands mechanical stresses and can be used for example 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 in at least one housing wall has an opening for receiving the conductor foil. 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, that a foil-insulated conductor during assembly of the second connector housing part is cut at the first connector housing part in several places.

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 Schneidaufnahme 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. However, a particularly advantageous embodiment provides 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 adapted to the clamping teeth, arranged in the second housing element 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 arranged between the first and the second housing part 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

• Fig. 1 eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Steckverbinders für flexible Leiterfolien vor der Montage der beiden Gehäuseteile;
• Fig. 2 die in Fig. 1 dargestellte Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Steckverbinders nach der Montage der beiden Gehäuseteile;
• Fig. 3 bis Fig. 8 in isometrischer, teilweise weggebrochener Darstellung aufeinanderfolgende Schritte der Montage einer flexiblen Leiterfolie in einem von der Erfindung Gebrauch machenden Steckverbinder sowie teilweise Ausschnittvergrößerungen und
• Fig. 9 in isometrischer Darstellung den in den Fig. 3 bis 7 dargestellten Steckverbinder komplett.

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

• Fig. 1 a schematic sectional view of a connector according to the invention for flexible conductor foils before mounting the two housing parts;
• Fig. 2 in the Fig. 1 illustrated sectional view of a connector according to the invention after the assembly of the two housing parts;
• Fig. 3 to Fig. 8 in isometric, partially broken away view, successive steps of mounting a flexible conductor foil in a connector making use of the invention as well as partially enlarging and enlarging
• Fig. 9 in isometric representation in the Fig. 3 to 7 complete connector shown.

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 110, 115, which are arranged one behind the other in a line, each with a shorter cutting edge 115 is surrounded by two longer cutting 110.

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 an opening on a side wall 220 222, 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 correspond substantially to the outer dimensions of the conductor foil. How the particular Fig. 1 2, the outward-accessible opening 222, into which the conductor foil is inserted, is funnel-shaped so that insertion of the conductor foil 300 into the second connector housing part 200 is facilitated.

In the second connector housing part 200, moreover, two cutting receptacles 210 are provided, which can also be referred to as cutting receiving spaces. These cutting receptacles 210 have funnel-shaped curved boundary surfaces 211, 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 115. The two longer cutting edges 110, which each surround the shorter cutting edge 115, so to speak "fit" into the cutting receptacles 210, wherein the longer cutting edges 110 come to rest on the boundary surfaces 211 and 212, respectively. The state before the final mounting of the second connector housing part 200 to the first connector housing part 100 is in Fig. 1 shown. The assembly is now carried out in that the second connector housing part 200 is pressed in the direction of the first connector housing part 100. The cutting edges 110, 115 cut through a foil-insulated conductor track of the conductor foil and thus contact the conductor foil with the plug contact 105. During the telescoping, the two outer longer cutting edges 110 surrounding the shorter cutting edge 115 slide on the two boundary surfaces 211, 212 of the cutting receptacles 210 they are bent on each other as in Fig. 2 is shown. In the assembled state, in which the second connector housing part 200 is locked to the first connector housing part 100, the outer edges 110 surrounding the shorter inner cutter 115 are bent towards each other. Due to this bending, 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.

In the Fig. 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 Various steps of assembling the flexible conductor foil 300 in isometric and partially broken-away representation are shown. Fig. 9 shows the flexible conductor foil 300 in a completely assembled connector, ie after 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 attachments 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. Again Fig. 3 it can be seen, the foil-insulated conductor 310 in the flexible conductor foil 300 are arranged side by side. Each foil-insulated conductor 310 is associated with respective cutting edges 110, 115 in order to contact and clamp the foil-insulated conductors 310. In each case, each row of cutting edges 110, 115 are assigned clamping teeth 410. The Clamping teeth 410 thus lie between the cutting edges 110, 115, for example in the region of the flexible conductor foil 300, in which no foil-insulated conductor 310 is arranged. In Fig. 3 In each case, three rows of cutting edges 110, 115 and rows of clamping teeth, which are likewise arranged one after the other and run essentially parallel to the rows of the cutting edges 110, 115, are shown. It is understood that for the in Fig. 3 shown flexible conductor foil 300 four such rows are provided, the fourth row is however broken away and not shown for the sake of clarity. This also applies to the Fig. 4 . 5 and 7 ,

In the second housing part 200 of the clamping teeth 410 respectively associated openings 510 are provided, which are adapted to the clamping teeth 410 so that the clamping teeth of these openings 510 can be accommodated.

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 in Fig. 4 shown schematically.

Then, the second housing part 200 is moved in the direction of the first housing part 100. In this case, the electrical contacting is produced in the manner described above by the cutting edges 110, 115 penetrate the foil-insulated conductor tracks 310 and then bent in the direction of the foil-insulated conductor 310, ie in the conductor direction.

This step is schematic in Fig. 5 shown. Fig. 6 shows an enlargement of the in Fig. 5 Section marked VI. 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 the flexible conductor foil 300. This clamping is shown schematically in FIG FIGS. 7 and 8 , which is an enlargement of the in Fig. 7 shown with VIII section shown.

Fig. 7 shows the completely assembled connector with flexible conductor foil 300. The isometric view is cut in two planes to clearly show how not only the cutting edges 110, 115 run in rows parallel to the foil-insulated conductors 310 over this, but also assigned to them arranged in rows and arranged to extend parallel to the foil-insulated conductors 310. 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 the assembled state of the two housing parts to each other between the first and the second housing part arranged flexible conductor foil 300 is deformed so that the deformed portions 333 of the flexible conductor foil 300 slightly into the Open openings 510, as in FIGS. 7 and 8 is shown. 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 in Fig. 9 shown.

The interaction of the contacting by the cutting edges 110, 115 with the clamping by the clamping teeth 410 allows a very good, reliable, durable and stable attachment and contacting a flexible conductor foil in a connector with simple installation.

Claims (16)

1. Plug connector (10) for flexible conductor films (300) having film-insulated conductors, with a plug connector housing in which at least one plug contact element (105) is arranged, and with a connection region in which blades (110, 115) which are electrically conductively connected to the at least one plug contact element (105) penetrate and fix at least one film-insulated conductor by producing electrical contact, wherein the plug connector housing comprises two housing parts (100, 200) that 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 of which the second housing part (200) receives and supports the flexible conductor film (300), and has the at least one blade receptacle (210) adapted to the blades (110, 115), characterised in that the blade receptacle boundary surfaces (211, 212) are configured in such a way that the at least a part of the blades (110, 115) is bent in the direction towards each other when the two housing parts (100, 200) are pushed into one another.
2. Plug connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the second housing part (200) has a receiving space (240) adapted to the conductor film (300), which has two aligned openings (222, 232) in two housing walls (220, 230) situated opposite each other for receiving the conductor film (300).
3. Plug connector according to claim 2, characterised in that the two aligned openings (222, 232) are arranged in such a way that a conductor film (300) arranged in the receiving space (240) comes to lie substantially perpendicular to the blades (110, 115).
4. Plug connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the boundary surfaces (211, 212) of the blade receptacles (210) are bent.
5. Plug connector according to claim 4, characterised in that the boundary surfaces (211, 212) of the blade receptacles (210) form sliding surfaces for at least a part of the blades (210, 215).
6. Plug connector according to claim 5, characterised in that the boundary surfaces (211, 212) of the blade receptacles (210) run in such a funnel-shaped way that two blades (110) are bent towards each other while they slide along the boundary surfaces (211, 212).
7. Plug connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the blades (110, 115) are arranged in such a way one behind the other along a line that, during the installation of the second housing part (200) on the first housing part, a film-insulated conductor is penetrated in several sections.
8. Plug connector according to claim 7, characterised in that the blades (110, 115) are of different lengths, wherein respectively a shorter blade (115) is respectively enclosed by two longer blades (110) which are spaced apart in such a way and are so long that they come into contact with the boundary surfaces (211, 212) of a blade receptacle (210).
9. Plug connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the second housing part (200) has several blade receptacles (210) arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the film-insulated conductor.
10. Plug connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that clamping elements (410, 510) are provided in the first and/or second housing part (100, 200), which clamp the flexible conductor film (300) in the region between the film-insulated conductors (310),when the two housing parts (100, 200) are installed on each other,.
11. Plug connector (10) according to claim 10, characterised in that the clamping elements (410, 510) are arranged between the conductive paths (310) of the flexible conductor film (300).
12. Plug connector (10) according to claim 11, characterised in that the clamping elements (410, 510) are respectively assigned to rows of blades (110, 115).
13. Plug connector (10) according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterised in that first clamping elements (410) are arranged in the first housing part (100), and second clamping elements (410), which interact with the first clamping elements, are arranged in the second housing part (200).
14. Plug connector (10) according to claim 13, characterised in that the first clamping elements are clamping teeth (410) with clamping tooth surfaces (415) extending in the direction of the flexible conductor film (300), and that the second clamping elements are openings (510) arranged in the second housing element (200) and adapted to the clamping teeth.
15. Plug connector (10) according to claim 14, characterised in that the clamping teeth (410) are of a height that, when the two housing parts (100, 200) are installed on each other, deforms the flexible conductor film (300) arranged between the first and the second housing part in such a way that the deformed regions (333) of the flexible conductor film slightly protrude into the openings (510) arranged in the second housing part (200).
16. Plug connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second housing part (200) is latched to the first housing part (100) when installed.

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