EP3804045A1

EP3804045A1 - Assembly of a plug connector part having a holding frame and having modular contact inserts that can be attached thereto

Info

Publication number: EP3804045A1
Application number: EP19728660.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sascha Aldag
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2018-06-07
Filing date: 2019-06-04
Publication date: 2021-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-04
Also published as: CN112236906B; DE102018113563A1; WO2019233971A1; CN112236906A; EP3804045B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly of a plug connector part (1) comprising: - a holding frame (3), the frame having walls (31, 32) and a frame opening (30) for receiving modular contact inserts (4) at insertion points (300) arranged next to each other along a width direction (B), which frame opening (30) is delimited by the frame walls (31, 32); and - at least one modular contact insert (4), which can be inserted into the frame opening (30) at at least one insertion point (300) and which has a housing body (42) having at least one protrusion element (420, 421) arranged thereon for engaging in an associated cut-out (310, 320) on one of the frame walls (31, 32) of the holding frame (3). The at least one modular contact insert (4) has at least one slide element (43), which is slidably guided on the housing body (42) and on which the at least one protrusion element (420, 421) is arranged. In this way, an assembly of a plug connector part is provided, which assembly enables tolerance compensation between contact inserts and the holding frame.

Description

Assembly of a connector part with a holding frame and attachable modular contact inserts

The invention relates to an assembly of a connector part according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such an assembly includes a support frame having frame walls and a frame opening bounded by the frame walls for receiving a plurality of modular contact inserts at a plurality of slots lined up along a width direction. At least one modular contact insert can be inserted into the frame opening at at least one slot and has a housing body with at least one projection element arranged thereon for engaging in an associated recess on one of the frame walls of the retaining frame.

Such support frames are used for modular recording of contact inserts on connectors. On such a support frame, one or more contact inserts can be arranged to be used together with the holding frame in a housing of a connector part and connected to the housing. In this way, contact inserts can be combined with each other in a modular manner and arranged over the holding frame in or on a connector part.

Such modular contact inserts may, for example, have one or more electrical contacts. The contact inserts are connected in this case, on the one hand, for example, with electrical lines that are fed to a connector, and on the other hand form plug contacts, via which the connector plug-in for electrical contacting with a mating connector part can be engaged.

Such modular contact inserts offer the advantage of flexible combinability and thus variable usability of connectors.

In one known from DE 10 2012 110 907 A1 support frame is provided that on a first holder frame part, the recesses for receiving Having protrusion elements of contact inserts, a second Halterahmenteil part can be applied to lock in this way in the recesses inserting protrusion elements and thus to lock on the support frame.

In a modular connector known from EP 1 353 412 B1, modules may, for example, contain switching means which assume a signal-regulating or signal-controlling function in a module. Several modules can be attached to each other attached to a support frame.

In one known from DE 10 2016 107 412 A1 connector part contact inserts are to be attached to a support frame, which have a movably arranged on a module housing contact carrier.

In a holding frame known from DE 20 2013 103 61 1 U1 holder frame parts are made of sheet metal.

In one known from EP 3 011 643 B1 connector part spring elements are arranged on a holding frame, which act on arranged on the support frame connector modules.

In conventional connectors, modular contact inserts are attached to slots of a support frame so as to provide a combination of contact inserts for providing an array of contacts, such as electrical contacts, optical contacts, pneumatic contacts or the like, to a connector part. About one or more on the housing body of each contact insert shaped projection elements in this case a coding on the contact inserts is provided, which cooperates for a correct position attachment of the contact inserts on the holding frame with associated recesses on the frame walls of the holding frame. About the protrusion elements, a contact insert can also be set detent on the support frame.

The contact inserts as well as the holding frame can have tolerances. In addition, tolerances may exist in the positioning of a holding frame in an associated housing of a connector part. It may thus be required be to compensate for tolerances in the arrangement of contact inserts in the support frame.

Object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of a connector part available that allows tolerance compensation between contact inserts and the support frame.

This object is achieved by an article having the features of claim 1.

Accordingly, the at least one modular contact insert has at least one slide element which is displaceably guided on the housing body and on which the at least one projection element is arranged.

One or more projection elements are thus arranged on one or more slide elements and adjustably mounted on the housing body. The projection elements are thus not rigidly formed on the housing body, but can be moved by adjusting the at least one slide member to the housing body, which allows a tolerance compensation in the position of the projection elements to the housing body of the respective contact insert. In a position in which the contact insert is attached to the support frame, thus a tolerance compensation between the contact insert and the support frame is possible due to the fact that the contact insert is supported on its projection elements on the support frame and thus by adjusting the projection elements, the position of the contact insert to the support frame is variable to some extent.

One or more carriage elements are guided displaceably on the housing body. Each slide element in this case preferably carries an associated projection element, so that each projection element is adjustable via the associated slide element to the housing body and the projection elements can thus be adjusted independently of each other in their position on the housing body.

Each slide element is preferably displaceably guided by engagement of a guide pin in an associated guide groove on the housing body. In one embodiment, for example, on the housing body one or more Be formed guide grooves, in which an associated carriage member engages with one or more guide pin, so that the carriage member is guided in this manner a form-fitting manner on the housing body and can be adjusted to the housing body.

In one embodiment, the contact inserts can be inserted along an insertion direction in the holding frame. The direction of insertion here can correspond to the direction in which a (when equipped with contact inserts holding frame on a connector part created) arrangement of contact elements with an associated mating connector part can be placed in a mating connection. In this case, the at least one slide element which carries the at least one projection element is preferably displaceably guided along the insertion direction on the housing body, so that the adjustment direction of the slide element on the housing body corresponds to the insertion direction. A tolerance compensation by adjusting the position of the projection elements relative to the housing body is thus possible in particular along the insertion direction.

In one embodiment, the at least one slide element is resiliently biased along the direction of insertion relative to the housing body via a spring element. The adjustment of the carriage member to the housing body thus takes place in a spring-elastic manner, wherein - in an embodiment with a plurality of carriage elements and projection elements arranged thereon - each carriage element can be resiliently biased by a separate spring element with respect to the housing body. Each spring element may in this case be accommodated, for example, in an associated clamping receptacle on the housing body and biases the projecting element, for example, counter to the direction of insertion to the housing body.

The at least one spring element can be configured, for example, by a compression spring which is compressible when the slide element is adjusted.

In one embodiment, the housing body has a stop element which limits the adjustment path of the closing element relative to the housing body along the insertion direction. For example, in a rest position, a spring element associated with the carriage element can slide the carriage element against the carriage Press stop element, wherein the tolerance of the slide element against the spring bias of the stop element is movable away.

In an advantageous embodiment, each modular contact insert has two slide elements arranged on opposite sides on the housing body, each of which carries a projection element. The slide elements are separately and independently adjustable on the housing body and thereby advantageously biased in each case via a spring element relative to the housing body. By displacing one or both of the carriage elements relative to the housing body, the position of the projection elements on the housing body and thus the position of a contact insert on the mounting frame can thus be adapted.

For example, if a contact insert has a width that corresponds to a multiple of the width of a slot (for example, twice the width), and the contact insert occupies more than one slot in a position inserted into the holding frame, the contact insert on the opposite sides can also each having more than one slide element, each carrying a projection element and are independently adjustable on the housing body.

The projection elements on the housing body is preferably assigned in each case a recess on a frame wall of the holding frame. Correspondingly, opposite frame walls of the support frame each have (at least) a recess, so that upon insertion of a contact insert into the support frame, the projection elements on the opposite sides of the housing body of the contact insert can engage with the recesses on the opposite frame walls of the support frame in this way to support the contact insert on the frame walls of the support frame.

Here, the slots assigned to a slot of the opposite frame walls, measured along the width direction, may have different widths. Thus, a first recess assigned to a slot has a first width on a first frame wall, which differs from a second width of a recess assigned to the slot on the second frame wall opposite the first frame wall. Associated protrusion elements on opposite sides of the housing body of a contact insert insertable into the slot preferably have (also different) widths which correspond to the widths of the associated recesses of the opposing frame walls, so that a coding is created via the recesses and the associated protrusion elements, that the contact insert can be used exclusively in a single position and orientation in the slot. Only when the contact insert is attached in the correct position to the associated slot can the projection elements engage with the associated recesses, so that the contact insert can only be received in the correct position on the holding frame when it is in the correct position.

By way of an associated latching element, which is, for example, elastically resilient, the projection elements can in this case be latched in the recesses, so that a positive-locking (possibly detachable) fixing of the contact insert to the support frame is provided.

In one embodiment, a plug-in section is formed on the housing body of at least some of the contact inserts, with which the contact insert can be plugged into an associated mating connector part. An array of contact inserts may be combined on a support frame and mounted in a housing of a connector portion to thereby populate the connector portion with an array of, for example, electrical contacts. By plug-in connection of the connector part, the plug portions of the contact inserts are placed on the holding frame with associated mating plug portions on a mating connector part in a mating connection, so that in this way a connection between the connector part and the mating connector part is made and, for example, electrical, optical or other contact elements are contacted.

One or more contact elements, for example electrical contact elements, optical contact elements, pneumatic contact elements or other contact elements may be arranged on the housing body of one or more contact inserts. Thus, contact elements for plug-in connection with associated mating contact elements are fastened to the housing body. On the rear side of a plug-in section formed on the housing body, one or more plug-in openings can be formed on the housing body, via which, for example, electrical or optical lines can be connected to contact elements on the housing body.

On the support frame several along the width direction lined up slots are defined. In principle, each slot serves to accommodate a contact insert, so that in this case the pitch of the slots corresponds to the pitch of the contact inserts. In one embodiment, however, a contact insert may also have a width that corresponds to the multiple of the width (for example, twice the width) of a slot. If such a contact insert is attached to the holding frame, then the contact insert occupies the space of two or more adjacent slots in the inserted position and is accordingly held on two or more adjacent slots on the holding frame.

The holding frame forms a plurality of mutually offset along the width direction slots for receiving a plurality of contact inserts. Each slot is assigned, for example, a spring element serving for latching on a frame wall such that contact inserts can be inserted individually into the slots and locked in the slots and also removed from the slots again. The holding frame advantageously has a substantially rectangular shape. Frame walls in this case form side surfaces along the longitudinal sides of the holding frame, on which two spring elements are arranged opposite each other for locking for each slot.

A connector part may have a holding frame according to the manner described above in one embodiment. In the holding frame, a plurality of modular contact inserts are used, of which at least some have a connectable in a direction of insertion with a mating connector part plug-in portion arranged thereon contact elements for contacting with the mating connector part. At the contact inserts, for example, electrical, optical, hydraulic, pneumatic or other contacts can be provided. Due to the fact that the plug connector part is brought into engagement with an associated mating plug connector part, there is a Contacting between the holding in the holding frame contact inserts and associated mating contacts on the side of the mating connector part.

The idea underlying the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures. Show it:

Figure 1 is a view of a connector part with a holding frame and inserted therein contact inserts.

FIG. 2 shows a view of a holding frame with contact inserts inserted therein; FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 2, viewed from above; FIG.

Fig. 4 is a view of an embodiment of a contact insert with a

Housing body and disposed thereon, the projection elements carrying carriage elements;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the arrangement of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the arrangement of FIG. 4;

7A is an end view of the arrangement of FIG. 4;

Fig. 7B is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 7A;

8A is a plan view of the arrangement of FIG. 4; and

Fig. 8B is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 8A.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a connector part 1, which has a housing 10 and an inserted into the housing 10 holding frame 3. In the housing 10 leads - in this embodiment - an electrical line 11 into it, in which a plurality of electrical leads that open in the housing 10 may be enclosed, so as to electrically contact the arranged on the support frame 3 contacts. The connector part 1 can be placed in an insertion direction S plugged with an associated mating connector part 2 in connection. The holding frame 3 of the connector part 1 is used for receiving modular contact inserts 4, as shown in an embodiment in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The contact inserts 4 are attached to the support frame 3 and have outwardly projecting plug portions 40 with arranged thereon contact elements 400, which serve for plug-in connection and electrical contact with associated mating contact elements of the mating connector part 2.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the contact inserts 4 have a modular design and can be of different designs. The contact inserts 4 each have a housing body 42, which has plug-in openings 41 on a side facing into the housing 10 of the connector part 1 side, can be inserted into the line wires of the line 11 for electrical contact. On the opposite, outwardly facing side of the plug portions 40 are provided with the contact elements 400 disposed thereon of the housing body 42, which serve for plug-in engagement with the mating connector part 2.

The contact inserts 4 may differ in the form of the plug portions 40 with the contact elements 400 disposed thereon, in the number of contact elements 400 or in their basic function. For example, via the contact inserts 4 no electrical contacts, but for example optical mechanical or pneumatic contacts are provided.

The contact inserts 4 can be attached to a support frame 3 in a modular manner in a different combination. The holding frame 3 has along a width direction B parallel to each other extended frame walls 31, 32 which are spaced along a depth direction Q to each other and receive the contact inserts 4 between them. On the front side, the frame walls 31, 32 are connected to each other via wall parts 33, 34, so that a rectangular frame is formed with an opening 30 into which the contact inserts 4 can be inserted in an insertion direction E. Along the width direction B, the contact inserts 4-in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3-have the same pitch, in particular the same width. However, this is not mandatory.

On the frame walls 31, 32 - in pairs opposite each - recesses 310, 320 are formed, into which the contact inserts 4 can be inserted with protrusion elements 420, 421, so arranged in the support frame 3 contact inserts 4, the contact inserts 4 with their projection elements 420, 421 each in a pair of opposed recesses 310, 320 come to rest.

The recesses 310, 320 of the opposite frame walls 31, 32 have - as measured along the width direction B - different widths A1, A2 (see FIG. 3). In this way, a coding is provided which allows insertion of a contact insert 4 only in a predetermined position and orientation in a created between the frame walls 31, 32 slot 300. Thus, a first protrusion element 420, measured along the width direction B, can be inserted into the recesses 310 on the first frame wall 31, while a second protrusion element 421 arranged on the opposite, other side of the housing body 42 can only be inserted into the recess 320 due to its width A2 can be used on the second frame wall 32.

On the recesses 310, 320 associated with, arranged on the frame walls 31, 32 spring elements (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) can here a latching of the contact inserts 4 are provided with the holding frame 3 by the projection elements 420, 421 each detent in the associated recesses 310, 320 are locked.

Attachment points 330, 331, 340, 341 are provided on the end wall parts 33, 34, which serve for fastening the holding frame 3 to the housing 10 of the connector part 1 and, for example by means of suitable screw connections, fixing the holding frame 3 with contact inserts 4 arranged thereon on the housing 10 allow. On the front wall parts 33, 34 are also connection means 332, 342 provided, via which, for example, a neutral conductor (so-called PE-contacting) can be connected to the support frame 3 and via which, when the connector part 1 is connected to the mating connector part 2, a ground connection between the connector part 1 and the mating connector part 2 is created.

In an exemplary embodiment of a contact insert 4 illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8A, 8B, protrusion elements 420, 421 can be adjusted in a spring-elastic manner relative to a housing body 42 of the contact insert 4. Each projection member 420, 421 is formed on an associated slide member 43, the projection members 420, 421, as previously described with reference to Figs. 1-3, projecting outwardly from the housing body 42 on opposite sides and engaging with associated recesses 320, 321 serve on the lateral frame walls 31, 32 of the holding frame 3.

Each slide element 43 has a body 430 from which guide pins 431, 432 protrude to different sides. Via the guide pins 431, 432, the carriage element 43 is displaceably guided on guide grooves 440, 442 within an associated guide track 44 of the housing body 42 along the insertion direction E and is prestressed elastically with respect to the housing body 42 via a spring element 45.

Each guide pin 431, 432 engages in a separate, associated guide groove

440, 442 on opposite sides of the guide track 44, so that above the carriage member 43 along the insertion direction E is guided on the housing body 42. The guide grooves 440, 442 each have an opening at an outer edge

441, 443, which make it possible to insert the respective carriage element 43 for mounting the contact insert 4 in the guide grooves 440, 442. In the inserted position, the carriage element 43 is slidably guided on the guide grooves 440, 442.

From the body 430 of each carriage member 43, a support member 433 projects inwardly. About the support member 433, the associated spring element 45 is supported on the carriage member 43, as can be seen in particular from Fig. 7B and 8B, wherein the associated spring element 45 between the Supporting member 433 on the carriage member 43 and a bottom 446 of a clamping receptacle 444 of the housing body 42 extends. In the clamping receptacle 444, the spring element 45 is accommodated in the manner of a cage and fixed on the floor 446 via a fixing pin 447.

About the associated spring element 45, each slide member 43 against the insertion direction E against the housing body 42 is resiliently biased. The displacement of the carriage member 43 against the insertion direction E is limited by stop elements 445 at the end of the guide pin 431 associated guide grooves 442.

In a starting position shown in Fig. 4 and 6 to 8A, 8B, each slide member 43 is pressed via the associated spring element 45 against the stop elements 445 on the associated guide grooves 442 and is to change the position against the spring bias of the spring element 45 in the direction of insertion E of the Stop elements 445 movable away.

About the carriage members 43, the protrusion elements 420, 421 independently to the housing body 42 of the contact insert 4 in position variable, so tolerances on the contact inserts 4, on the support frame 3 and also in the position of the support frame 3 within the housing 10 of an associated connector part 1 can be balanced flexibly.

On the housing body 42 of the contact insert 4 shown in Fig. 4 to 8A, 8B, a plug portion 40 is formed, through which the contact insert 4, when the contact insert 4 together with other contact inserts 4 attached to a support frame 3 and the support frame 3 within the housing 10 of a connector part 1 is received, can be connected to an associated mating connector part 2 by plugging. In this case, one or more electrical, optical or other contact elements (possibly also in the form of connectors) can be arranged on the housing body 42, so that a mating face of contact elements on the holding frame 3 is created via a combination of contact inserts 4. The idea underlying the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but can also be realized in a completely different manner. One or more contact inserts of the same type or different types can be accommodated on a holding frame in order in this way to create a desired arrangement of contact elements by combining modular contact inserts. Such a support frame can be mounted with contact inserts disposed thereon in a housing of a connector part, to provide in this way a desired configured connector.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 connector part

10 housing

1 1 line

1 10 conductors

2 mating connector part

20 housing

3 holding frames

30 opening

300 slot

31, 32 frame wall

310, 320 recess

33 wall part

330, 331 attachment points

332 contact device

34 wall part

340, 341 attachment points

342 contact device

4 modular contact inserts

40 plug-in section (mating face) 400 contact elements

41 plug-in openings

42 housing body

420, 421 projection element

43 carriage element

430 body

431, 432 guide pins

433 support element

44 guideway

440 guide groove

441 recess

442 guide groove

443 recess

444 clamping fixture 445 stop element

446 soil

447 Fixing pin 45 Spring element A1, A2 Width

B width direction E insertion direction Q depth direction

Claims

claims

An assembly of a connector part (1) having a support frame (3), the frame walls (31, 32) and a through the frame walls (31, 32) limited frame opening (30) for receiving a plurality of modular contact inserts (4) on a A plurality of slots (300) juxtaposed along a width direction (B), and at least one modular contact insert (4) insertable into the frame opening (30) on at least one slot (300) and a housing body (42) having at least one arranged thereon projection element (420, 421) for engagement in an associated recess (310, 320) on one of the frame walls (31, 32) of the holding frame (3), characterized in that the at least one modular contact insert (4) at least one displaceable on the housing body (42) guided slide member (43) on which the at least one projection element (420, 421) is arranged.

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one slide element (43) by engagement of a guide pin (431, 432) in an associated guide groove (440, 442) on the housing body (42) is displaceably guided.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one contact insert (4) along an insertion direction (E) in the holding frame (3) is insertable, wherein the at least one carriage element (43) along the insertion direction (E) the housing body (42) is displaceable.

4. Assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one slide element (43) via a spring element (45) is resiliently biased along the insertion direction (E) relative to the housing body (42).

5. Assembly according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the housing body (42) has at least one stop element (445) for limiting the movement of the carriage member (43) along the insertion direction (E) to the housing body (432).

6. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one modular contact insert (4) has two on opposite sides of the housing body (42) arranged slide elements (43) each carrying a projection element (420, 421).

7. An assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the carriage elements (43) are independently displaceable on the housing body (42).

8. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that mutually opposite frame walls (31, 32) of the holding frame (3) for each slot (300) each have a recess (310, 320).

9. An assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the one slot

(300) associated recesses (310, 320) of the opposite frame walls (31, 32), measured along the width direction (B), different widths (A1, A2).

10. An assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that each recess (310, 320) is associated with a projection element (420, 421) on the housing body (42) having a corresponding width (A1, A2).

11. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one contact insert (4) has a plug-in portion (40) for plug-in connection with a mating connector part (2).

12. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one contact insert (4) has at least one electrical contact element (400).

13. Connector part (1) with an assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector part (1) has a housing (10) on which the holding frame (3) is attached.