EP3973596A1

EP3973596A1 - Contact carrier

Info

Publication number: EP3973596A1
Application number: EP20727139.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wilhelm KLIEVER
Original assignee: Harting Electric GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Harting Electric Stiftung and Co KG
Priority date: 2019-05-21
Filing date: 2020-05-06
Publication date: 2022-03-30
Also published as: WO2020233740A1; KR102629248B1; US20220239031A1; DE102019113494A1; CN114144942A; KR20220006652A

Abstract

Contact carrier (K) for receiving and fixing at least one crimp contact (1), wherein the contact carrier (K) has a plug-in side (S) and, opposite to this, a connection side (A), and wherein the contact carrier (K) is furthermore of at least two-part design and has an insulating body (2) and a holding plate (3) which can be mounted on said insulating body on the connection side, wherein the insulating body (2) has a detent element (232) which, in the non-mounted state, can assume both a position in which the crimp contact (1) is latched and also a position in which the crimp contact (1) is unlatched, wherein the holding plate (3) has a locking element (33) which, in the mounted state, fixes the at least one detent element (232) in its position in which the crimp contact (1) is latched and in this way prevents said crimp contact from moving from the latching position to the unlatching position, wherein the detent element (232) is designed as at least one detent arm (232) which points in the direction of the connection side (A) and has a detent moulding (231) for latching in a latching groove (10) of the crimp contact (1).

Description

Contact carrier

description

The invention is based on a contact carrier according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

The invention is further based on a method for assembling a crimp contact in a contact carrier.

Such contact carriers are required to hold at least one plug contact inserted therein and to absorb the plugging forces acting on it during the plugging process. The plug contact can

on the connection side a cable connection area, namely one

Have crimp connection. Then the plug contact is a crimp contact. On the plug side, the plug contact can be a

Mating area, e.g. B. have a contact pin or a contact socket. Furthermore, the plug contact can have a locking groove arranged between the plug-in area and the cable connection area.

State of the art

In the prior art, one-piece and multi-part contact carriers are used

Known to receive and hold crimp contacts.

For fixing the aforementioned crimp contacts, latching methods are known in which a contact carrier holds such a crimp contact on its circumferential latching groove against insertion forces that occur. The locking groove is designed to be rectangular in cross section, so has two opposing locking surfaces which are at right angles to

Plug direction / axis of symmetry of the plug contact are aligned.

The disadvantage is that due to the design-related space requirements in

Contact carrier in the current state of the art only crimp contacts which are designed for the connection of electrical conductors with a cross-sectional area of up to 4 mm ² can be used. These

Crimp contacts are, however, already available in large quantities on the market and should continue to do so in particular due to their excellent long-term behavior that has been tried and tested in practice

Find use. The customer therefore requires contact carriers that can be used both for the aforementioned crimp contacts and for crimp contacts for larger conductor cross-sections, for example for conductor cross-sections of up to 10 mm ² .

The German Patent and Trademark Office researched the following prior art in the priority application for the present application:

DE 10 2017 21 1 983 A1, DE 690 32 353 T2 and FR 2 337 949 A1.

Task

The object of the invention is to design a contact carrier of the type mentioned at the outset such that it is designed for the largest possible conductor cross-sections, for example of up to 10 mm ² cross-sectional area.

Disclosure of the invention

This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.

A contact carrier is used to receive and fix at least one crimp contact. The contact carrier has a plug-in side for

Connection on the plug-side with a mating connector and on the opposite side a connection side for the connection-side insertion of a cable.

Furthermore, the contact carrier is designed in at least two parts and has an insulating body and a holding plate that can be mounted on the connection side. The insulating body has at least one latching element which, in the non-assembled state, has both a crimp contact latching and can assume a position releasing the crimp contact. The

Retaining plate has at least one locking element which, in the assembled state, fixes the at least one latching element in its position that latches the crimp contact and thus its transition from the

prevented locking position in the unlocking position.

According to the invention, the locking element is designed as at least one locking arm pointing in the direction of the connection side and has a

Snap-on molding for locking in a locking groove in the crimp contact.

The term "connection side" is included and in the following

to be understood on the cable connection side, i.e. at the respective

Cable connection side and / or at least inclined or aligned in the direction of the respective cable connection side. The term

“Connection side” basically stands for cable connection side.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

An additional advantage of the contact carrier is that it can also be used for certain crimp contacts already on the market that are designed for electrical conductors with cross-sectional areas of up to 4mm ² .

The contact carrier has the retaining plate and the insulating body. The at least one locking arm is part of the insulating body. The latching arm can have an inner latching flange as a latching molding. This inner locking flange is used to engage positively in the circumferential locking groove of the crimp contact for a particularly stable locking.

The retaining plate also has at least one locking element, which in the assembled state, the at least one locking arm in its

Crimp contact fixed locking position and so its transition from the locking position prevented in the unlocking position. In the assembled state, the locking element can be inserted non-positively and in particular also positively between the latching arm and an inside of a preferably cylindrical through opening of the insulating body. As a result, the latching arm is in turn locked in its latching state.

The locking element can be a locking sleeve or at least a sleeve segment. This is particularly advantageous because the locking element can be inserted not only in a non-positive, but in particular also in a form-fitting manner between the at least one, preferably hollow cylinder segment-like, latching arm on the one hand and one of the inside of a preferably cylindrical through opening of the insulating body.

The insulating body preferably has at least two, in particular at least three, for example at least four, latching arms for latching the inserted crimp contact against movement in the plugging direction. "In the plug-in direction" means both in the direction of the plug-in side and in the direction of the connection side, so it gives the direction in the sense of an axis of movement, but not the orientation of the

Motion vector.

To facilitate assembly, the retaining plate can, in a preferred embodiment, be latched on the insulating body in two different positions, namely in an equipping position and in one

Locking position. In the equipping position, the crimp contact can be inserted and latched into the contact carrier on the connection side. The locking position, on the other hand, corresponds to the mounted state in which the locking element is in its the by the locking element

Crimp contact is fixed in the locking position in the plug-in direction and thereby the crimp contact is finally held stable in the contact carrier. For this purpose, the holding plate can also have at least one fastening plate with two locking windows, namely a first locking window and a second locking window. On the outside, the insulating body can have at least two corresponding locking pins, namely

have at least one first locking pin and at least one second locking pin. The retaining plate is located in the

Fitting position when the at least one fastening plate latches with its first latching window on the second latching pin. The retaining plate is in its locking position when the first latching window latches on the first latching pin and the second latching window latches on the second latching pin. In this way, particularly convenient operability is ensured during assembly with simple means.

The holding plate can have a rectangular base plate which has at least one insertion opening for inserting the at least one crimp contact. On two mutually opposite sides of the base plate, one of the fastening plates formed at right angles to the base plate and extending in the plugging direction can be arranged. These two fastening plates then point in the same direction as the at least one locking element.

A method of assembling a crimp contact in one

Contact carrier is characterized by the following steps:

A. Latch the retaining plate on the insulator in its

Placement position;

B. Introducing at least one crimp contact crimped on the connection side with an electrical stranded conductor into the insulating body; C. releasable locking of the at least one crimp contact with its circumferential locking groove on the at least one locking arm;

D. Moving the retaining plate from its placement position to its

final locking position;

E. Fixing the at least one locking arm in its locking position by the locking element of the retaining plate;

F. particularly stable holding of the at least one crimp contact in the contact carrier and absorption of high insertion forces acting on the at least one crimp contact by the insulating body.

The invention is of particular advantage because the at least one crimp contact may latch on the insulating body in this way instead of on the holding plate. For its part, the mounted retaining plate only ensures that the at least one locking arm of the insulating body is fixed in its position in which the crimp contact is locked by means of the locking element. The retaining plate itself does not absorb any insertion forces.

As a result, the contact carrier can absorb the forces occurring in the plugging process particularly effectively, because the retaining plate is naturally in the direction of the connection side - and thus in its

Dismantling direction - acting insertion forces relieved.

Due to the design of the contact carrier according to the invention, both the crimp contacts that are already on the market with crimp cross-sections of up to 4 mm ² and new crimp contacts that are able to accommodate cable cross-sections of up to 10 mm ² can be used. The latter is made possible in particular by the fact that the locking element is designed as at least one locking arm pointing in the direction of the connection side. Ultimately, this creates enough space in the connection area of the contact carrier, to accommodate cables with these relatively large cross-sectional areas.

For this reason, the use of a circumferential latching groove of the crimp contact is particularly advantageous because the at least one latching arm can hold the contact on its circumferential latching groove both in the connection-side and in the plug-side direction with high holding force in this orientation.

In a preferred embodiment, the insulating body can be a

cuboid basic shape with a preferably substantially

have cylindrical through-opening which extends from the connection side to the plug-in side, that is, the axis of symmetry of which runs in the plug-in direction if necessary. The locking arm is formed on the inside of the through opening and is used for locking the

Crimp contact, in particular with the latching flange formed thereon on the inside, protrudes into the through opening. The insulating body preferably has at least two such latching arms. In another

Design are at least three, in particular at least four locking arms or more on the inside in the respective crimp contact

Formed through opening of the insulating body, with all locking arms pointing in the direction of the connection side. By using a large number of locking arms, the insertion and removal forces can be absorbed by the insulating body even more evenly.

In particular, the insulating body thus has at least two, in particular at least three, preferably at least four, so for example two, three, four, five, ..., n latching arms for latching each inserted one

Crimp contact on its circumferential locking groove and thus to

Prevention of movement of the respective crimp contact in the direction of the connection side of the contact carrier and also in the opposite direction. In a further preferred embodiment, the holding plate itself can be latched on the insulating body in two different positions, namely in an equipping position and a locking position. In the

Position of the crimp contact on the connection side in the

Contact carrier insertable and initially latched on the latching element. The

The locking position corresponds to the assembled state in which the crimp contact is finally held stable in the contact carrier. In this assembled state (locking position), the contact carrier can thus absorb particularly high insertion forces.

As already mentioned, for this purpose the holding plate can have the two said fastening plates which are attached to each other

opposite sides of the base plate are arranged at right angles to this. For the purpose of the aforementioned multi-stage latching, latching elements, in particular the two latching windows, namely the first latching window and the second, can be attached to each fastening plate

Locking window, be arranged. The insulating body can each have one on the connection side on two mutually opposite outer sides

have subsequent recesses that are open to the outside and run in the direction of the plug-in side and are delimited by two outer webs. In the respective recess is then to assemble the

Contact carrier each one of the mounting plates of the retaining plate

in particular, can be inserted between the webs with a precise fit. In the area of the recess, two each corresponding to the locking windows of the mounting plates are on the respective outside of the insulating body

Locking pins arranged offset to one another in the insertion direction, namely a first and a second locking pin. Of course, differently configured latching means are also conceivable. E.g. In a further refinement, the fastening plates could have latching formations and latching recesses corresponding therewith on the insulating body

be arranged, which fulfill a comparable function. The assembly of the contact carrier with the crimp contact can take place in a particularly preferred embodiment as follows:

When inserting the mounting plates of the retaining plate into the

Recesses in the insulating body are initially locked by the respective first locking pin of the insulating body in the second locking window of the respective mounting plate. In this state, the holding plate on the insulating body is in its equipping position.

The crimp contact, which is a pin or socket contact, for example, can be crimped on the connection side with an electrical stranded conductor of an electrical cable. The crimp contact provided with the cable can then be inserted with its plug-in area first through the insertion opening of the holding plate into the through-opening of the insulating body and locked in its final position in the insulating body by the at least one latching arm. To

The locking arms engage with their inner flange in the circumferential locking groove of the crimp contact. This means that the crimp contact is both in the direction of the plug-in area and in the direction of the

Connection area fixed.

Now the holding plate is moved from its loading position into its final locking position. The contact carrier is then finally mounted and the crimp contact is fixed in its final position with the desired high holding force in the contact carrier. For this purpose, the locking element is arranged between the locking arms and the inside of the through opening. As a result, the locking element prevents outwardly directed movement of the locking arms, that is to say leading to the inside of the through opening. The locking arms are therefore locked against a transition into their unlocking position. The crimp contact cannot push the latching arms apart even under the action of particularly high insertion forces. It is therefore particularly stable in the contact carrier held. The high insertion forces are possibly absorbed by the insulating body on which the locking arms are finally arranged. Thus, the holding plate does not experience any unlocking / dismantling forces.

The locking element can be a locking sleeve or a plurality of sleeve-shaped segments.

If there is a subsequent removal of the already installed

An unlocking tool is provided. First of all, the retaining plate can be brought into its assembled state so that the locking arms can be unlocked. Then they can be pressed apart with a hollow cylindrical unlocking section of the unlocking tool. To this end, it is advantageous on the one hand if the locking arms are tapered at their free ends. Furthermore, it is also advantageous if the cylinder wall of the hollow cylindrical unlocking section also tapers to a point towards the free end of the latching arm. Unlocking can then take place by inserting the unlocking tool on the connection side and the crimp contact can be removed from the cable crimped to it

Contact carriers are pulled.

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that the need for an unlocking tool could be avoided if the circumferential locking groove of the crimp contact did not have parallel, but outwardly opening, inclined, i.e. non-parallel, locking surfaces and, in particular, the inner locking flange of the locking arms to the outside would be designed to taper off. Then the crimp contact would still be through the installed state

Locking element secured, but could also be unlocked in the fitted state without an unlocking tool with a certain amount of force, for example by pulling the cable. But this is in The preferred embodiment is not desired because, in accordance with the above-mentioned requirement, the crimp contacts already on the market with crimp connections of up to 4 mm ² are to be used and their circumferential locking groove ultimately runs rectangular in cross section.

In general, subsequent dismantling is rather uncommon anyway. In contrast, stability and operational safety must be given priority.

Embodiment

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show it:

1 a - b show a crimp contact in two different views; 2a-d show an insulating body in different views and in one

Sectional view;

FIGS. 3a-c show a holding plate from different angles; FIG. 3d shows a contact carrier in the fitted state from the outside and FIGS. 4a - b in a sectional view each in the fitted state and in the assembled state;

5a-b show the contact carrier in the state of being fitted with a

Unlocking tool. The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. Partly for the same, but possibly not identical

Identical reference numerals are used for elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently. FIGS. 1 a and 1 b show a crimp contact 1 which is designed as a socket contact. His plug-in area 1 1 is thus formed by a contact socket and is designed to be hollow-cylindrical and segmented by several slots. Its connection area 12 is designed as a crimp connection for connecting an electrical conductor, for example the strand of an electrical cable. The crimp contact 1 has a circumferential one between the connection area 12 and the plug-in area 11

Locking groove 10.

2a to 2d show an insulating body 2 with several

Through openings 20, which are provided as contact receptacles. This insulating body 2 has two recesses 28 with a rectangular cross section on two opposite outer narrow sides. Each of the two recesses 28 is delimited by two lateral webs 29. In these two recesses 28 are in each other

Two locking pins 284, 284 ^' , namely a first locking pin 284 and a second locking pin 284 ^' , are arranged in an offset direction. These each have a slide-on slope which, for reasons of clarity, is not provided with a reference number.

Furthermore, on the plug-in side S, the insulating body has a plurality of hollow-cylindrical plug-in sections 21 through which one of the through-openings 20 runs.

Within each through opening 20, two locking arms 232 each pointing in the direction of the connection side A (that is, in the direction on the cable connection side) are arranged opposite one another. As can be seen from FIG. 2a, these locking arms 232 have a basic shape similar to a hollow cylinder segment. On the inside, this basic shape is part of the

Through opening 20 protruding locking flange 231 for fixing the respective crimp contact 1 on its circumferential locking groove 10 is formed. From FIG. 2d it can be seen particularly clearly that the locking arms 232, coming exclusively from the direction of the plug-in side S, point with their free-standing end in the direction of the connection side A. This creates a particularly large amount of space in the connection area, since it is free of latching arms 232 or parts thereof. Crimp contacts 1 with particularly large connection areas / crimp areas 12 and electrical conductors / cables with particularly large cross-sections can thus be used.

3a to 3c show a holding plate 3 as an individual part from several different perspectives. Fig. 3d shows the holding plate 3 together with the insulating body 2 in their fitting position. The holding plate 3 and the insulating body 2 together form the contact carrier K.

The holding plate 3 has a rectangular base plate 32 with several insertion openings 330, which in FIG. 3d from the direction of

Connection side A can be seen particularly well. These

Insertion openings 330 are used to insert the crimp contacts 1 during assembly. Each insertion opening 330 closes one another

opposite two hollow cylinder segment-like locking elements 33 which protrude at right angles from the base plate 32.

On each of two opposite narrow sides of the base plate 32, a fastening plate 38 is at right angles to the base plate 32

molded. For multi-stage locking are on each

Fastening plate 38 each have two locking windows 384, namely a first

Locking window 384 and a second locking window 384 ^' are arranged. For the construction of the contact carrier K, the fastening plates 38 are in particular precisely fitted between the lateral webs 29 in the

Depressions 28 of the insulating body 2 can be inserted, the

Locking window 384, 384 ^'can lock onto the locking pin 284, 284 ^' . At the same time, the locking elements 33 are in the respective

Through openings 20 can be introduced.

3d shows the contact carrier K, which has the insulating body 2 and the holding plate 3 latched thereon in an equipping position, whereby the contact carrier K is in an equipping state. 4a shows the same arrangement in cross section. In this

When the contact carrier K is fitted, the crimp contact 1 can be inserted into the contact carrier K from the connection side A. The crimp contact 1 is usually crimped beforehand at its crimp connection 12 with an electrical stranded conductor, not shown in the drawing.

In the fitted state, the first locking windows 384 of the

Holding plate 3 on the second locking pin 284 ^'of the insulating body 2. The locking elements 33 are only partially in this state

Passage opening 20 is introduced and in this position do not yet lock the locking arms 232 against movement into their unlocking position. In this state, the crimp contact 1 can be inserted into the contact carrier K from the direction of the connection side A.

By moving the retaining plate 3 further in the plugging direction, ie in the direction of this plugging side S, the first latching window 384 latches on the first latching pin 284 and the second latching window 384 ^' on the second latching pin 284 ^' . Then the holding plate 3 assumes a position relative to the insulating body 2 as shown in FIG. 4b. The holding plate 3 is thus in its locking position. The locking arms 232 are now prevented from a disengaging movement by the locking elements 33. The contact carrier K is then together with the inserted crimp contact 1 in its assembled state, in which the crimp contact 1 is fixed in the contact carrier 3 with particularly high holding forces both against a movement in the direction of the connection side A and against a movement in the direction of the plug side S. . 5a and 5b show an unlocking by means of a

Unlocking tool 4. The contact carrier K is in its assembled state. The unlocking tool 4 has at its free-standing end a hollow cylindrical unlocking section 41, the diameter of which corresponds to the distance between the opposing locking hooks 232 and the outer wall of which tapers at the end, namely is flattened inward. The locking pegs 232 are advantageously likewise tapered towards their end, namely flattened outwards. The depth of the latching flange 231 does not exceed the width of the outer wall of the unlocking section 41 of the unlocking tool 4. Thus, the crimp contacts 1 are through

Inserting the unlocking tool 4 into the respective

The insertion opening 330 can be unlocked from the locking arms 232.

Even if various aspects or features of the invention are each shown in combination in the figures, it is clear to the person skilled in the art - unless otherwise stated - that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or feature complexes from different exemplary embodiments can be exchanged with one another.

List of reference symbols

1 crimp contact

10 circumferential locking groove

1 1 plug area, contact socket

12 Connection area, crimp connection

2 insulators

20 through opening

21 plug-in section

231 inner locking flange

232 locking element, locking arm

284, 284 ^' first, second locking pin 3 holding plate

32 base plate

33 locking element

330 insertion openings

38 mounting plate

384, 384 ^' first, second locking window

4 unlocking tool

41 Unlocking contour

K contact carrier

A connection side

S mating side

Claims

Expectations

1. Contact carrier (K) for receiving and fixing at least one crimp contact (1), wherein the contact carrier (K) has a plug-in side (S) and opposite a connection side (A) and wherein the contact carrier (K) is also designed in at least two parts and one Insulating body (2) and one on the connection side

has mountable retaining plate (3), wherein the insulating body (2) has at least one locking element (232) which, in the non-mounted state, can assume both a position that locks the crimp contact (1) and a position that unlocks the crimp contact (1), the holding plate (3) has at least one locking element (33) which, in the assembled state, fixes the at least one locking element (232) in its position locking the crimp contact (1) and thus prevents its transition from the locking position to the unlocking position, characterized in that the

Latching element is designed as at least one latching arm (232) pointing in the direction of the connection side (A) and having a latching molding (231) for latching in a latching groove (10) of the crimp contact (1).

2. Contact carrier (K) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking element (33) in the assembled state is arranged non-positively between the at least one latching arm (232) and an inside of a through opening (20) of the insulating body (2), and that it the locking element is a locking sleeve (33) or at least one sleeve segment (33 ^' ).

3. Contact carrier (K) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one latching arm (232) is designed as a hollow cylinder segment and that its latching molding by a inside locking flange (231) is formed, with which it protrudes into the interior of the through opening (20) of the insulating body (2) and which is used to engage positively in the locking groove (10) of the pin contact (1) for locking.

4. Contact carrier (K) according to claim 3, characterized in that the insulating body (2) has at least two locking arms (232) for locking the inserted crimp contact (1) against movement in

Has plug direction.

5. Contact carrier (K) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the retaining plate (3) can be latched on the insulating body (2) in two different positions, namely in an equipping position and a locking position, wherein in the equipping position the crimp contact (1) can be inserted into the contact carrier (K) on the connection side (A) and is latchable, and where the

The locking position corresponds to the assembled state in which the locking arm (232) is fixed by the locking element (33) in its position locking the crimp contact (1) and the crimp contact (1) is thus finally held stable in the contact carrier (K).

6. Contact carrier (K) according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding plate (3) has at least one fastening plate (38) with two locking windows (384,384 ^' ), namely a first locking window (384) and a second locking window (384 ^' ) and that the insulating body (2) on the outside has at least two corresponding

Latching pin (284, 284 ^' ), namely at least one first locking pin (284) and at least one second locking pin (284 ^' ), and that the holding plate (3) is in the equipping position when the at least one fastening plate (38) with its first Latching window (384) latches on the second latching pin (284 ^' ), and that the retaining plate (3) is in its locking position when the first latching window (384) is on the first latching pin (284) and the second latching window (384 ^' ) latches on the second latching pin (284 ^' ).

7. Contact carrier (K) according to claim 6, characterized in that the holding plate (3) has a square or at least rectangular base plate (32) with an insertion opening (330) for inserting the crimp contact (1), and that on two of each other

opposite sides of the base plate (32) each have a mounting plate (38) extending at right angles to the base plate (32), these two mounting plates (38) pointing in the same direction as the at least one locking element (33).

8. Method for assembling a crimp contact (1) in one

Contact carrier (K) according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized by the following steps:

A. Latch the retaining plate (3) on the insulator (2) in their

Placement position;

B. Introducing the at least one connection side with one

electrical stranded conductor crimped crimp contacts (1) in the insulating body (2);

C. releasable locking of the at least one crimp contact (1) with its beveled central collar (13) on the at least one locking element (232);

D. moving the retaining plate (3) from its loading position to its final locking position;

E. Fixing the at least one locking element (232) in its locking position by the locking element (33) of the retaining plate (3);

F. particularly stable holding of the at least one crimp contact

(1) in the contact carrier (K) and absorption of high insertion forces acting on the crimp contact (1) by the insulating body

(2).