EP3900117A1

EP3900117A1 - Multi-part printed circuit board adapter plug

Info

Publication number: EP3900117A1
Application number: EP19831646.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Carle
Original assignee: Amphenol Tuchel Industrial GmbH
Current assignee: Amphenol Tuchel Industrial GmbH
Priority date: 2018-12-17
Filing date: 2019-12-16
Publication date: 2021-10-27
Also published as: WO2020127073A1; CN113196577A; DE102018132440A1; US11881645B2; DE102018132440B4; US20220069492A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter plug and connector for making electrically conductive contact between a printed circuit board and at least one further electrical component, having at least one contacting device for conducting current within the adapter plug, the adapter plug being in at least two parts and being geometrically constructed such that two insertion planes which are not parallel to each other are formed by the insertion directions. The invention also relates to a mounting method for making electrically conductive contact between a printed circuit board and at least one further electrical component.

Description

description

Multi-part PCB adapter plug

The invention relates to an adapter plug and plug connector for electrically conductive contacting of a printed circuit board with at least one further electrical component, comprising at least one contacting device for current conduction within the adapter plug. Furthermore, the invention relates to an assembly method for electrically conductive contacting of a printed circuit board with at least one further electrical component.

A large number of different solutions are used for contacting or producing electrically conductive connections of printed circuit boards to one another or to other electrical, electronic and current-carrying components or elements. Depending on the contacting task, required additional functions and different requirements and application environments, differently designed PCB connectors, Litzert cabling, detachable socket contact plugs in different geometrical configurations or cable-based current routing concepts are used.

DE 10 2009 058 616 B4 shows a multi-part printed circuit board connector situation. This connector designed for contacting parallel arranged printed circuit boards consists of a first and a second connector part with mutually aligned and perpendicular to the printed circuit board contact elements. The locking device integrated in the connector is also constructed in two parts and combines power and

form-fitting functional components with corresponding rear handles.

DE 20 2013 100 330 U1 discloses a modular printed circuit board connector with a basic module and a plug-on module. Both modules are designed for fastening to the circuit board on the one hand and relative to one another and have coupling means for this purpose, so that a flexibly adaptable connector arrangement is supported. Comparable to a modular system, the required connector arrangement can be set up depending on the contacting requirements. If there are requirements for the circuit board connector with regard to sealing against water and other liquids, multi-part circuit board connectors with sealing elements may be required. DE 10 2013 002 709 A1 shows a connector for printed circuit boards, comprising a housing with a sealing surface and a

corresponding sealing element. The PCB connector is supplemented by

Press-in elements and signal contacts.

Printed circuit boards as a component of electronic components are often used in components and products that are available in bulk in large quantities. Printed circuit boards to be contacted electrically can be found, for example, in controls, regulators or electronics of electric motors, household appliances, vehicles, telephones,

Telecommunications equipment, data processing equipment, consumer electronics and so on. To protect these electronic components from external influences and influences, they are often to be installed inside housings, housings or behind covers and lids. A number of result from these boundary conditions

Requirements with regard to manufacture, assembly and inexpensive construction.

In addition to the requirement for individual parts to be as small as possible in terms of the integrated design, mass-produced items today ideally have to be manufactured, installed or assembled in an automated manner. It is important that the assembly components of machines, gripping devices or robotic devices are designed so that they can be gripped, oriented and positioned. In addition, collision-free movement spaces for the gripping devices must be realized with the gripped part, component. In the case of printed circuit board connectors, this is regularly a special condition that complicates the automatic assembly. The reasons for this are plug-in directions, plug-in location and plug-in distance for realizing the electrically conductive connection. The movement space is often limited by the arrangement of the circuit board in a housing.

DE 37 23 347 A1 discloses a plug-in connection for printed circuit boards which is secure

Mounting fastening supported by pins with cylindrical areas. The pins of the fastening parts comprise a first cylindrical region, on the circumference of which are distributed spring tongues which are oriented in the axial direction and which are bent to form locking shoulders by offsets pointing in the radial direction, the cylindrical region of which being inserted into a circuit board bore after the pins have been inserted Hole is received and the locking shoulders of the tongues lock behind the circuit board. To facilitate the Connector assembly is provided that the pins / tongues overall have a greater length than the solder pins. When the connector is placed on the circuit board, the connector is first pre-centered so that the remaining soldering pins can be inserted more easily into the corresponding circuit board holes. With regard to the required handling or installation space, however, this is disadvantageous in that the space required for assembly is increased.

If the configuration of the side wall mounting of a device connector or connector is present, further disadvantageous problems can arise. Side wall mounting is understood to mean the connection of the plug connection on the side edge of the printed circuit board, which means that the plugging direction takes place in the printed circuit board level. The plug connector is often lying in the circuit board level when plugged in and can be connected via the

Protruding the PCB side edge. If the circuit board with such

If the plug-in constellation is installed in a housing that frames the edges of the circuit board, the connector usually has to be preassembled, since the required space is no longer available after the circuit board has been installed in the housing. Preassembled connectors can hinder the assembly process of the circuit board due to the adjacent cables and the side contour of the preassembled circuit board connector combination that is enlarged by the connector cantilever. A desirable but unresolved need here is to bypass the pre-assembly of the connector and provide an alternative solution.

It is an object of the invention to make contact or manufacture electrically conductive

Improve connections of printed circuit boards with one another or with other electrical, electronic and current-carrying components or elements or device connectors in contact with housing walls of devices in such a way that the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art are at least partially reduced and / or an improved, in particular automated, installation of the To support contacting agents even under limited handling space conditions. The object is achieved in that an at least two-part

PCB connector is used, which in a preferred application connects a standard M16 device part with different numbers of poles via one

Adapter plug implemented on a circuit board.

The invention proposes that an adapter plug be used which contacts any standard M16 device part or device parts with such a screw connection, for example a screwed housing connection with a printed circuit board. Any number of poles are supported, especially 8 and 14 poles.

The design provides that the adapter plug has special contacts on the

Connection side of the M16 screw connection, which are designed like a socket on the front and a pin on the back. The contacts are formed on the conductor side as solder or press-in contacts and on the device connector side as resilient contact sockets, which are connected or realized in an electrically conductive manner via a right-angled connection and preferably in one piece.

The inside of the adapter plug has socket contacts on the plug-in side, which are provided with contact pins and pin contacts on the opposite end and thus on the receiving side or connection side. Furthermore, the adapter plug on the connection side to the printed circuit board is designed in such a way that special contacts reverse the connection direction of the printed circuit board contact pattern, as well as in terms of minimum installation space and maximized tolerance in a plane perpendicular to the printed circuit board plane and - in the assembled situation of the printed circuit board in the housing - perpendicular to the housing wall in the plug-in direction are.

Correspondingly, the contacts and / or the contact areas are the

PCB connector designed as socket contacts and configured to insert the pin contact ends of the device connector. The invention recognizes that a contact insert on the circuit board side of the adapter plug can be designed by a multi-part design, which enables simple assembly even without machine support. A contact insert of the adapter plug is designed in such a way that the contacts are exactly aligned in the plugging direction. In addition to one

automated assembly by means of different handling devices, the invention also supports manual assembly and can optionally be used for this purpose

asymmetrical contact arrangements and / or additional features are faulty

Prevent them from being put together geometrically.

As a result of the contacting via the adapter plug according to the invention, it is possible for particularly favorable starting situations for automated assembly of the

to provide contact-producing components between printed circuit boards and their contact partners. A possible automated assembly sequence can follow a

PCB assembly in one direction or plane is done by mounting the adapter plug before the PCB is installed. The adapter plug can be designed in such a way that the plug-in directions of the adapter plug to the printed circuit board in one another

deviating spatial directions. For example, in the mounting direction

Device connector thought of a right-angled position, so that the PCB adapter is mounted in the vertical direction and the M16 connector is mounted in the horizontal direction. Previous solutions provide that the contact on the circuit board via direct

Contact is established with the contact partner. The solution is independent of the thickness of the board or printed circuit board and can therefore be used universally. The assembly space required can also be reduced considerably in this way.

The simplified assembly process achieved by the invention supports not only manual but also automated assembly and is suitable for reducing the assembly space required for assembly. This can also be used in tight spaces

Space conditions - for example, printed circuit boards arranged within electronics housings or smartphones - to establish the electrical contact. Stranded wiring is no longer required when using the proposed adapter plug between the device plug and the printed circuit board plug or the printed circuit board. Not only this fact reduces costs, but also the independence of the electrical contacting from the PCB thickness, so that only one adapter plug has to be provided for the contacting task. If conventional circuit board connectors are used in the direct contact path and / or connectors are provided for use on the edge of the circuit board, these contacting means depend on the board thickness or must be adapted to this. The invention

The contact structure, on the other hand, is independent of this and can therefore be used for all geometrical designs and thickness variants of the printed circuit boards to be contacted.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of two exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the figures. Show:

Fig. 1a left side of the front view and right side of the sectional view of the

An example of an adapter connector is an 8-pin connector

PCB connector with two non-parallel mating levels or mating directions;

Fig. 1 b right side of the rear view and left side of the side view

Adapter plug;

2a shows the front view on the left-hand side and the sectional side view on the right-hand side of the plug connector corresponding to the adapter plug shown in FIG. 1 as an exemplary circular plug;

Fig. 2b left side view and right side rear view of the

Connector;

Fig. 3a left side of the front view and right side of the sectional view of the

Adapter plug, for example, designed as a 14-pin connector

PCB connector with two non-parallel mating levels or mating directions; Fig. 3b right side of the rear view and left side view of the

Adapter plug;

4a left side the front view and right side the side sectional view of the connector corresponding to the adapter plug shown in FIG. 3 as a circular connector and

Fig. 4b left side view and right side rear view of the

Connector.

FIG. 1a shows the front view on the left-hand side and the sectional side view of the adapter plug 100 on the right-hand side as an 8-pin circuit board connector with two non-parallel plug-in levels or plug-in directions SV, SL. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the plug-in levels SL, SV are arranged at right angles to one another. Any other positions are possible, regardless of the number of poles, for example arrangements that are skewed or deviate from the right-angled orientation.

The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1a has an 8-pin

Contact picture in axisymmetric design for vertical and asymmetrical design for horizontal. In this way, both the position and the orientation of the plug position of adapter plug 100 and plug connector 110 with respect to one another are geometrically defined. Different numbers of poles and arrangements are also supported by the invention.

The adapter plug housing is constructed in at least two parts and is formed by a basic housing 10 and at least one conductor guide 20. Optionally, this can be done

The adapter plug housing can be supplemented or completed by a rear wall 30, which cooperates functionally with the basic housing 10 and / or the conductor guide 20 with regard to the locking of the inner contacting elements and the rear side

Ensures housing. Depending on the plugging situation and environmental conditions, the

Rear wall 30 can also be dispensed with. It is preferably considered to fix the at least two housing elements relative to one another by means of locking devices 40, so that a structural unit is formed which supports simplified and reliable manual or automatic handling and assembly. The locking devices can be formed, for example, by snap lugs, rear handles or locking hooks so that either a non-positive and / or positive locking is achieved. 1b comprises the rear view on the right-hand side and the side view of the adapter plug 100 on the left-hand side. The contacts K which are electrically conductively connected to the poles P within the adapter plug 100 are designed in such a way that the connection direction is reversed and requires minimal installation space and also high tolerance in Plug direction SL are designed.

On the circuit board side, the adapter plug 100 can also be equipped with at least one plug pin 11. One piece, preferably with the adapter plug base housing 10

executed at least one pin 11 can be arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically with respect to the hole pattern and have a prismatic or cylindrical cross section. If several plug pins 11 are provided, the safety and reliability of the plug connection from adapter plug 100 to the printed circuit board can be increased.

When using a plurality of plug pins 11, it is advantageous to design them in different cross sections, for example round and triangular and polygonal cross sections. In this way, the correct plug-in orientation is forced by the adapter plug 100 relative to the printed circuit board.

The adapter plug 100 is formed on its circuit board side by a three-part contact insert and is designed in such a way that simple assembly is possible without machine support. The adapter plug 100 is formed on its connector side by a two-part contact insert and designed in such a way that the exact alignment of the contacts of the connector 110 is ensured for the engagement in the poles P. An additional feature can also optionally be integrated on the connector side of the adapter plug 100 in order to avoid incorrect insertion in the sense of the orientation of the plug partners to one another.

Figure 2a illustrates the left side of the front view in the direction of the contact

Device connector and on the right the side sectional view of the with the in Figure 1

shown adapter plug 100 corresponding connector 110 as a circular connector exemplified here. A contact insert 120 is accommodated in a connector housing 111 and has poles P and associated pole pins PS in a manner corresponding to the adapter plug 100 according to FIGS. 1a, 1b. The poles P are designed as special contacts on the plug side as sockets and pin-shaped on the back. The connector housing 111 can optionally have an orientation aid 112, here exemplarily designed as a semicircular recess in the flange area of the connector housing 111. The contact insert 120 with the poles P and the pole pins PS can optionally also have an orientation aid 122, which prevents incorrect insertion and / or supports a defined position of the contact insert 120 within the connector housing 111.

FIG. 2b shows the side view on the left-hand side and the rear view on the right-hand side of the connector 110. If the connector 110, as shown, is designed as a circular connector, it can be provided with a thread Gl (here: metric internal thread) for securing purposes, that is to say via a positive connection to the contacting partner be the one with the corresponding (external) thread GA of the connector

Contacting partner is screwed.

FIG. 3a comprises the front view on the left side and the side sectional view of the adapter plug 100 on the right side, for example in the form of a 14-pin circuit board connector with two non-parallel plug levels or plug directions. This

Embodiment shows that the invention also in connection with 14-pin

Contacting tasks correspond. Ultimately, the invention can be implemented regardless of the number of poles and is likewise not limited to symmetrical pole plug-in images.

Depending on the pin layout and / or the number of poles, it may be necessary that

Adapter connector housing in turn is constructed at least in two parts and is then supplemented by at least one further housing component. As with the adapter plug 100 in an 8-pin configuration, the 14-pin variant in the plug-in direction to the printed circuit board SL is designed with respect to the contacts K and the plug pins 11 at least in 2 plug rows - here specifically in 4 rows. By arranging the tongue contact elements K and / or the plug pins 11 in at least two plug levels, the contact surface of the adapter plug 100 to the printed circuit board can be increased, so that tilting of the plug partners relative to one another during the plug-in process is reduced and secure support when plugged in is improved. FIG. 3b includes the rear view on the right-hand side and the side view of the adapter plug 100 in its exemplary 14-pin variant shown on the left-hand side. The contacts K, which are electrically conductively connected to the poles P within the adapter plug 100, are designed, as in the 8-pole exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1 b, in such a way that the

Reverse the connection direction and are designed both for the minimal installation space required and for a high tolerance in the SL plug-in direction. In an analogous manner to FIGS. 2a and 2b with the connector 110 in 8-pole

4a and 4b show an exemplary variant in a 14-pole design which has poles P and associated pole pins PS in a manner corresponding to the adapter plug 100 according to FIGS. 3a, 3b.

Reference list

10 basic housing

11 pin

20 leadership

30 rear wall, rear adapter plug housing element 40 locking device

100 adapter plugs, PCB connectors

110 connectors, circular connector

11 1 connector housing

112 Orientation guide connector housing

120 contact insert

122 Orientation guide contact insert

GA thread outside

Gl thread inside

K contact, tongue contact element

P Pol, connector contact

PS pole pins, connector pins

SL plug level, plug direction to the PCB

SV mating level, mating direction to the connector

Claims

Expectations

1. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component, comprising at least one

Contacting device (P, K) for power conduction within the adapter plug (100), characterized in that the adapter plug (100) is constructed at least in two parts and is geometrically designed such that two plug-in levels which are not parallel to one another are formed by the plug-in directions (SV, SL).

2. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 1, characterized

characterized in that the plug directions (SV, SL) are arranged at an angle of less than, equal to 90 ° to each other.

3. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 1, characterized

characterized in that the at least two housing parts (10, 20, 30) by

Locking devices (40) can be fixed relative to one another, so that a structural unit is formed which is a simplified and reliable manual or automatic

Handling and assembly supported.

4. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 1, characterized

characterized in that the adapter plug (100) has at least one plug pin (11) in the plugging direction of the printed circuit board (SL).

5. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 1, characterized

characterized in that the adapter plug (100) has at least one contact insert which comprises at least contacts (K) and poles (P).

6. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 5, characterized

characterized in that the adapter plug (100) has a plurality of contacts, tongue contact elements (K) in the circuit board plug-in direction (SL), the number of which corresponds to the number of poles to be contacted and are arranged in at least one row of plugs.

7. adapter plug (100) for electrically conductive contacting of a circuit board with at least one further electrical component according to claim 5, characterized

characterized in that the contacts, tongue contact elements (K) of the contact insert are designed in such a way that the connection direction of the printed circuit board contact pattern is reversed, and with regard to minimum installation space and maximized tolerance in

Plug direction is designed.

8. Adapter plug (100) for electrically contacting a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 5, characterized

characterized in that the contact insert on the circuit board side (SL) of the adapter plug (100) is formed by a multi-part design.

9. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 5, characterized

characterized in that the contact insert on the connector side (SV) of the adapter plug (100) is designed such that the poles (P) are exactly aligned in the direction of insertion.

10. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 5, characterized

characterized in that the contacts (K) of the contact insert are angled and on the connector side (SV) of the adapter plug (100) socket contacts are provided for connection to the connector pins of the device connector.

11. Adapter plug (100) for electrically conducting contact with a circuit board

at least one further electrical component according to claim 1, characterized

characterized in that the further electrical component is a printed circuit board or a device part.

12. Connector (110) for contacting an electrical component on the connector side (SV) of an adapter connector (100) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a connector housing (111) and a contact insert (120), thereby

characterized in that the contact insert (120) is formed on the device side by at least one pole (P) and on the adapter plug side by at least one pole pin (PS).

13. Connector (110) for contacting an electrical component according to claim 12, characterized in that at least one orientation aid (112, 122) is provided.

14. Assembly method for the electrically conductive contacting of a printed circuit board with at least one further electrical component comprising the assembly steps a. Contacting the circuit board with the adapter plug (100) according to one of the preceding claims in its circuit board plug-in level (SL) in such a way that a pre-assembled component unit is formed, b. Installation of the prefabricated component unit in a housing for receiving at least one circuit board, c. Contacting the pre-assembled component unit in the

Connector plug level (SV) of the adapter plug (100) with a

Device connector.

15. Assembly method for electrically conductive contacting of a circuit board with at least one further electrical component according to claim 14, characterized in that in the assembly step a. or before assembly step c. a connector (110) in the

Connector plug level (SV) of the adapter plug (100) is contacted.