EP3404777B1 - Device connection - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device connector for an electrical device and a combination of a device connector according to the invention with a device housing of such a device. Device connectors of this type are used to connect an electrical device to the outside world. The device connections thus form the interface between the electrical device and the outside world.

Such a device connection usually has an insulating housing and at least one holding element. The device connection is generally fixed in a housing opening in the outer skin of the device housing with the retaining element. This housing opening can be arranged in a housing wall, ie in the housing cover, housing base or in a housing side wall. The retaining element is intended to ensure that the device connection is securely seated on the device housing. As a rule, the insulating housing has a plurality of electrical connection elements, for example plug contacts or socket contacts, in order to introduce electrical potential into the electrical device. There can also be connection elements for other lines in the insulating housing of the device connection, for example for data lines or also for liquid or compressed air lines.

There are, for example, from DE 20 2012 013 480 U1 Device connections are known in which the insulating housing has a sleeve with an external thread. This sleeve is pushed through the housing opening of the device housing and screwed to the housing opening with a union nut from the inside of the housing. The disadvantage here is the fact that the device connection must be easily accessible from both sides of the housing, i.e. both from the inside of the housing and from the outside of the housing, in order to place the device connection in the housing opening and then to screw on the union nut.

From the KR 10 2017 0 060 646 A a flange which can be snapped into a housing opening is known. The flange has a flange plate which, when assembled, rests on the outer skin of the device housing. A cylindrical receiving pot protrudes vertically from the flange plate. The receiving pot passes through the housing opening in the outer skin of the device housing. Several snap hooks have been cut out of the cylinder jacket of the receiving pot. These snap hooks grip behind the edge of the housing opening in the interior of the housing and thus snap the flange onto the housing. Conductors can be introduced into the receiving pot from the interior of the housing and can be connected to connection parts that can be introduced in the mounting pot from the outside. The disadvantage here is the fact that the snap hooks have to be adapted to the respective thickness of the housing wall of the insulating housing. Different flanges must therefore also be provided for device housings with different wall thicknesses.

From the DE 32 42 077 A1 a holder for a plug is known. This mount consists of a partially open housing. Two spring-elastic snap hooks are formed on two opposite side walls of the housing and protrude into the interior of the housing. These snap hooks are used to grip behind a plug inserted from the inside of the housing in the final assembly state. The disadvantage here is firstly the need to mount the plug from the inside of the housing and secondly the need to have to geometrically adapt the plug to be inserted exactly to the opening penetrating the housing wall and the two aforementioned spring-elastic hooks.

From the GB 2 224 891A Finally, a device connection consisting of an insulating housing and a retaining ring is known. The retaining ring first passes through the housing opening in the outer skin of the device housing. The retaining ring consists, on the one hand, of a closed, hollow-cylindrical ring body and, on the other hand, of spring-elastic snap hooks, which protrude in the axial direction from an opening collar of the closed ring body. To mount the retaining ring, the retaining ring is pushed through the housing opening in such a way that that the snap hooks face the interior of the housing. In the final assembly state, the closed ring body lies in the housing opening and the free ends of the snap hooks protrude into the interior of the housing. At the free ends, the snap-in hooks carry snap-in teeth which protrude radially outwards and engage behind the opening edge of the housing opening in the housing interior in a form-fitting manner. The snap hooks protrude obliquely from the closed ring element in such a way that the hollow-cylindrical receiving space for the insulating housing in the ring element in the area of the snap hooks tapers conically towards the free ends of the snap hooks. If the insulating housing is pushed into the retaining ring, the snap hooks are spread outwards from the outer casing of the insulating housing. A circumferential annular groove is made in the outer casing of the insulating housing. The snap hooks fall into this annular groove with their ends facing away from the outwardly protruding locking teeth in a lock-like manner in order to secure the insulating housing in a form-fitting manner in the retaining ring. The disadvantage here is the fact that the dimensions of the retaining ring must be matched to the wall thickness of the device housing in order to ensure that the retaining ring is securely seated in the housing wall.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to further simplify a device connection.

This object is achieved by the combination of features of claim 1 in an inventive manner. The dependent claims contain partly advantageous and partly inventive developments of this invention.

According to the invention, an insulating housing and a holding element are mounted on one another in a longitudinally displaceable manner. The holding element and the insulating housing are matched to one another in terms of their structure in such a way that the insulating housing can be pushed lengthwise into the holding element. The outer surfaces of the insulating housing slide along the inner surfaces of the holding element. If the insulating housing is moved into the holding element, partial areas of the insulating housing can also continue to be arranged outside of the insulating housing. The holding element in turn has one or more resilient projections. These projections have sliding bevels on their inner walls. These slide bevels run obliquely inwards, so that the interior space of the holding element tapers in cross-section in the direction of the free ends of the spring-elastic projections. If the insulating housing is pushed into the holding element, the sliding bevels on the insides of the projections slide over the outer surfaces of the insulating housing, as a result of which the insulating housing presses the projections outwards. The insulating housing is thus pushed like a carriage with its outer surfaces along the spring-elastic projections into the device housing, so that in particular the free ends but also the other areas of the projections spring apart or spread apart.

The outer sides of the projections facing away from the sliding bevels on the projections in turn form clamping jaws. If the insulating housing—as described above—slides over the sliding bevels on the insides of the projections in the manner of a carriage with its outer surfaces, the projections spring apart and thus form an expanding cone or clamping wedge. If the projections are spread apart, the outer sides of the projections, which act as clamping jaws, diverge and thus form a spread fit in the housing opening of the device housing.

If the device connector is pushed into a housing opening of an electrical device with the retaining element before its projections are spread apart and the projections are then spread outwards by the carriage-like insulating housing, the housing opening and the spread-apart projections form a press fit with one another, so that the device connector is separated from the spread projections is stuck in the housing opening of the housing.

The invention is initially based on the idea of spreading the spring-elastic projections out of their starting position into their assembly end position with the aid of a cam mechanism. Each of the sliding bevels attached to the inside of the projections serves as a control cam for the cam mechanism. When The insulating housing, which is longitudinally displaceable along the sliding bevels, serves as a gear drive in the manner of a sliding carriage in the holding element. According to the invention, the insulating housing thus has the dual function of an insulating housing accommodating a connecting element on the one hand and a drive element for a cam mechanism on the other. The projections also have multiple functions. On the one hand, the inner sides of the projections carry the sliding bevels and the outer sides carry the clamping jaws. As a result of their elasticity, the projections act--as described above--together with the insulating housing in the manner of a gear. At the same time, the insulating housing and the clamping jaws form a clamping wedge for fixing the device connection in a housing opening of an electrical device.

On the other hand, the invention is based on the further consideration of being able to completely mount the device connection from the outside of the device housing. For this purpose, in a first assembly step, the lines running in the housing to the individual devices or parts arranged in the housing must be provided with ends that can be routed out of the housing interior through the housing opening in the device housing. These ends can, for example, be connected to the connection elements in the device connection using screw connections, clamp connections or any other connection technology. If the device-internal lines are connected to the device connection in this way, the device connection is simply pushed lengthwise into the housing opening of the electrical device. The insertion direction for the device connection runs in the longitudinal direction from the outside of the housing into the interior of the housing. First, the projections, which remain in their starting position, pass through the housing opening and, in their assembly end position, project from the housing opening into the housing. In the push-in direction, the insulating housing is pushed into the interior of the holding element in a next step. The outer surfaces of the insulating housing slide along the sliding bevels on the inner sides of the spring-elastic projections. In this way, the projections are spring-loaded outwards by the cam mechanism formed between the sliding bevels and the outer surfaces of the insulating housing and are thus spread apart in their assembly end position. The projections are spread out so far that a movement of the Device connection against the insertion direction is no longer possible. The device connection is secured in the housing opening with its clamping jaws in a positive and non-positive manner. Then only the connection elements arranged in the insulating housing have to be connected to the external lines. Connectors that are provided with corresponding pin and socket contacts are particularly suitable for this purpose. The plug connector then only has to be pushed into the insulating housing in the direction of insertion. A portion of the insulating housing can also protrude from the housing opening in order to be able to plug in an external connector. With the invention it is therefore possible to mount the entire device connection in one connection direction, namely the insertion direction, from the outside of the device housing, which represents a significant simplification compared to the device connections known from the prior art.

Furthermore, the invention has the advantage that the device connection can be used completely independently of the respective wall thickness of the housing wall of the electrical device. Since the insulating housing acting as a drive carriage continuously widens the projections, the projections are only very slightly widened in the case of high wall thicknesses, while the projections widen or spread out to a greater extent in the case of small wall thicknesses. Due to this continuous widening or spreading, larger tolerances in the bore diameter can also be easily compensated.

Of course, it is just as well possible to initially install the device connection ready-made in the housing opening of the device housing. For this purpose, the device connection—as described above—is again inserted in the longitudinal direction into the housing opening of the electrical device. The insertion direction for the device connection runs in the longitudinal direction from the outside of the housing into the interior of the housing. The projections pass through the housing opening and, in their assembly end position, protrude from the housing opening into the housing. In the insertion direction, the insulating housing is again pushed into the interior of the holding element. In turn, the outer surfaces of the insulating housing spread as a result of the sliding bevels sliding over them on the inside the resilient projections. The lines to be connected in the housing can then be connected to the corresponding connections of the device connection. It is also possible to use an adapter to connect the connection elements in the device connection to the lines in the housing.

In an advantageous embodiment, a cylindrical insulating housing is used. The holding element is then preferably designed as a hollow cylinder. It is particularly advantageous to configure the retaining element from a retaining ring and from retaining arms projecting axially from the retaining ring. The retaining arms then protrude from the retaining ring in the manner of fastening tabs and form the elastic projections. In the starting position, ie when the insulating housing is completely moved out of the retaining ring and the retaining arms, the retaining arms with their sliding bevels on their inner sides form an interior space of the retaining element that tapers conically towards the free ends of the retaining arms. If, on the other hand, the insulating housing is moved into its assembly end position, i.e. moved as far as possible into the retaining ring and the holding arms, the insulating housing rests with its outer surfaces on the sliding bevels and spreads the holding arms outwards. The holding arms then form a cylindrical inner space of the holding element with their slide bevels, while the clamping jaws diverge on the outsides of the holding arms, so that the outsides of the holding arms widen in a funnel shape when viewed from the holding ring.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the outer diameter of the retaining ring is larger than the outer diameter of the partial circle formed by the retaining arms in the initial state, so that the retaining ring acts as a stop when inserting the device connector into a housing opening.

In a further advantageous development, the insulating housing is divided in two on its outside by a flange-like disk. An inner housing area can be moved into the holding element in the manner of a carriage, while an outer housing area is formed on the other side of the flange-like disc Housing opening fixed device connector is arranged outside of the electrical device, so protrudes from the device housing. This outer housing area can have further fastening elements, for example a receiving groove for a cam of a bayonet lock.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the retaining ring on the retaining element forms a stop for the device connection both in relation to the housing opening in the device housing and for the flange-like disk of the insulating housing. In the assembly end position, ie when the device connection is completely fixed to the device housing, the retaining ring then lies between the edge of the housing opening and the flange-like disk. In the final assembly position, the retaining arms are fully spread and thus secure the device connection to the device housing.

The invention relates both to the device connection as an individual part and to a device housing provided with such a device connection. In the final assembly position of the device connection in the device housing, the device and housing and the device connection are combined with one another according to the invention.

The holding element is first pushed into the housing opening and thus lies in the housing opening. The resilient projections protrude both into the housing opening and into the housing interior of the device housing. The insulating housing is pushed into the holding element so that the outer surfaces of the insulating housing rest against the sliding bevels of the projections or, in a preferred embodiment, the holding arms. In this way the projections or preferably holding arms are spread apart. The outer sides of the projections or preferably of the retaining arms, which act as clamping jaws, are braced and braced against the inner wall of the housing opening and the opening edge of the housing opening in the area of the housing interior. In this way, the device connection and the housing opening work together in the manner of a press fit. In this way, the device connection is clamped in the housing opening in the manner of a clamping wedge.

Fig. 1

eine im Maßstab vergrößerte Schnittdarstellung des erfindungsmäßigen Geräteanschlusses in seiner Ausgangsstellung vor dem Einbau in ein Gehäuse,

Fig. 2

die Schnittdarstellung des Geräteanschlusses aus Fig. 1 in deutlich verkleinertem Maßstab sowie eine Schnittdarstellung einer Gehäuseöffnung in der Außenhaut des Gerätegehäuses,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht des in Fig. 1 und Fig. 2 dargestellten Geräteanschlusses und des in Fig. 2 dargestellten Ausschnitts der Außenhaut des Gerätegehäuses,

Fig. 4

eine Schnittdarstellung des Geräteanschlusses mit in die Gehäuseöffnung eingeführtem Halteelement vor dem Aufspreizen der Haltearme,

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Ansicht der in Fig. 4 dargestellten Einbausituation,

Fig. 6

eine Schnittdarstellung des Geräteanschlusses in seiner Montageendstellung in der Gehäuseöffnung mit aufgespreizten Haltearmen sowie

Fig. 7

die Einbausituation aus Fig. 6 in perspektivischer Ansicht.

Based on the embodiment shown in the drawing figures the invention explained in more detail. Show it:

1

an enlarged scale sectional view of the device connection according to the invention in its initial position before installation in a housing,

2

the sectional view of the device connection 1 on a significantly reduced scale and a sectional view of a housing opening in the outer skin of the device housing,

3

a perspective view of the in 1 and 2 shown device connection and the in 2 illustrated section of the outer skin of the device housing,

4

a sectional view of the device connection with the retaining element inserted into the housing opening before the retaining arms are spread apart,

figure 5

a perspective view of in 4 illustrated installation situation,

6

a sectional view of the device connection in its final assembly position in the housing opening with spread-out retaining arms and

7

the installation situation 6 in perspective view.

The device connection consists initially of an insulating housing 1 and a longitudinal direction 2 in the representation of 1 holding element 3 adjoins the insulating housing 1 on the right. The holding element 3 in turn consists of a holding ring 4 and holding arms 5 formed on the holding ring 4 and protruding from the holding ring 4 in the longitudinal direction 2. The elastic projections are therefore designed as holding arms 5 in the exemplary embodiment. The insulating housing 1 is divided by a flange-like disc 6 in the longitudinal direction 2 into an in 1 to the right of the disc 6 arranged inner housing area 7 and in a representation of 1 left of the disc 6 arranged outer housing area 8 subdivided.

The insulating housing 1 and the holding element 3 are connected to one another in a longitudinally displaceable manner in the longitudinal direction 2 . The inner walls of the holding arms 5 bear in 1 very clearly recognizable sliding bevels 9. If the insulating housing is 1 in 1 moves to the right into the holding element 3 , the outer surface 10 of the inner housing area 7 slides on the slide bevels 9 and thus spreads the holding arms 5 apart in the transverse direction 11 running at right angles to the longitudinal direction 2 . The holding arms 5 spread apart in the transverse direction 11 are shown in FIG 6 good to see. The outer sides of the holding arms 5 facing away from the insides of the holding arms 5 with sliding bevels 9 are designed and effective as clamping jaws 17 .

The assembly of the device connection in a housing opening 12 of a housing wall 13 of a device housing is realized as follows. From his in 1 , 2 and 3 The starting position shown is that the device connection with the retaining element 3 is pushed into the housing opening 12 in the housing wall 13 in the longitudinal direction 2 until the retaining ring 4 strikes the edge of the housing opening 12 in the longitudinal direction 2 . Show the intermediate assembly position thus achieved 4 and 5 .

To move the device port to its in 6 and in 7 To move to the final assembly position shown, the insulating housing 1 is pushed to the right in the longitudinal direction 2 in the figures, so that the inner housing area 7 slides into the holding element 3, with the outer surface 10 of the inner housing area 7 of the insulating housing 1 resting on the sliding bevels 9 of the holding arms 5 in the longitudinal direction 2 slides along. Since the sliding bevels 9 extend obliquely in the longitudinal direction 2 into the interior of the holding element 3 and thus create a conically tapering interior of the holding element 3 towards the free end of the holding element 3, the holding arms 5 are held by the insulating housing 1 spread outwards in the transverse direction 11 . As a result of this spreading of the holding arms 5, the clamping jaws 17 form a press fit in the housing opening 12 of the housing wall 13. In this way, the device connection with the contacts on the inner wall of the housing opening 12 and its opening edge is on the inside 18 of the housing wall 13 Clamping jaws 17 are fixed in the housing wall 13 by clamping. The housing opening 12 has a flat area 14 to prevent rotation. Correspondingly, the holding arms 5 and the inner housing area 7 of the insulating housing 1 have flat areas 14'.

The device connection in the housing wall 13 has reached the assembly end position when the flange-like disk 6 bears against the outer wall of the retaining ring 4 facing away from the housing wall 13 . In the outer housing area 8 of the insulating housing 1 protruding from the housing wall 13 in the final assembly state, a locking groove 15 for receiving locking elements of a mating connector is formed. Finally, coding 16 for a plug connector, for example, can also be seen in the interior of the outer housing area 8 .

From the combined consideration of 2, 4 and 6 or the 3, 5 and 7 it can be seen that the assembly of the device connection is carried out simply by a plugging movement in the longitudinal direction 2 into the housing opening 12 of the housing wall 13 . As soon as the holding element 3 is completely as in the intermediate position according to 4 pushed in, the inner housing area 7 of the slide-like insulating housing 1 begins to spread the holding arms 5 apart in the transverse direction 11 and thus spreads or clamps the entire device connection with the clamping jaws 17 in the housing opening 12 of the housing wall 13. This installation is extremely easy and quick feasible. The assembly proceeds in a plug-in direction running in the longitudinal direction 2 from left to right in the exemplary embodiment. In addition, no assembly measures are required in the interior of the housing of the electrical device.

Reference List

1

insulating housing

2

longitudinal direction

3

holding element

4

bracket

5

holding arm

6

disc

7

inner housing area

8th

outer housing area

9

sliding slope

10

outer surface

11

transverse direction

12

case opening

13

housing wall

14, 14'

flattening

15

locking groove

16

encoding

17

jaw

18

inside

Claims (8)

1. Device connection for an electrical device with an insulating housing (1) and with a holding element (3) wherein the insulating housing (1) is mounted in the holding element (3) so as to be longitudinally displaceable in such a way that that the outer surfaces (10) of the insulating housing (1) slide along the inner surfaces of the holding element (3) when moving, that the holding element (3) has one or more resilient projections, that the inner walls of the projections carry sliding bevels (9), which the interior of the holding element (3) in the direction of the free ends the projections taper in cross-section in such a way that that with the outer surfaces (10) resting on the sliding bevels (9) of the insulating housing (1) spread the projections apart with their free ends, characterized in that the outer sides of the projections facing away from the sliding bevels (9) form clamping jaws (17).
2. Device connection according to Claim 1, characterized in that that the spread apart projections form a clamping wedge with their clamping jaws (17) and the insulating housing (1) resting against the sliding bevels (9) with its outer surfaces (10).
3. Device connection according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized by a cylindrical insulating housing (1) and through a holding element (3) consisting of a retaining ring (4) and axially protruding from the retaining ring (4), resilient retaining arms (5).
4. Device connection according to Claim 3, characterized in that that the outer diameter of the retaining ring (3) is greater than the outer diameter of the pitch circle formed by the retaining arms (5) in their position not spread apart.
5. Device connection according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by an insulating housing (1) divided into two by a flange-like disk (6) with an inner housing area (7) that can be pushed into the holding element (3) and with an outer housing area (8) protruding from the disk (6).
6. Device connection according to Claim 4 and Claim 5, characterized in that that the retaining ring (4) forms a stop for the flange-like disc (6).
7. Device housing of an electrical device with a device connection according to one of Claims 1 to 6 arranged in a housing opening (12) in a housing wall (13) characterized, that the retaining element (3) rests in the housing opening (12) and the resilient projections protrude into the housing opening (12) and into the interior of the device housing, that the outer surfaces (10) of the insulating housing (1) rest against the bevels (9) of the projections and spread the projections apart, so that the outer sides of the projections forming the clamping jaws (17) partially fit and clamp on the inner wall of the housing opening (12) and on the opening edge of the housing opening (12) and clamp the device connection in the housing opening (12).
8. Device housing according to Claim 7, characterized in that that the retaining ring (4) rests against the opening edge of the housing opening (12) on the outside of the housing in the manner of a flange-like washer.

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