ES2354279T3 - ELECTRICAL COUPLING ADAPTER AND PLUG BOX. - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an adapter for connecting a plug and a socket comprising a different number of contacts and/or contacts having different sizes, respectively. Said adapter encompasses a hollow cylindrical adapter housing whose outer circumference is provided with at least one connecting groove which spirals like a thread on the side facing the socket and into which at least one pin that is disposed on the socket engages. A coupling insert comprising adapter contacts which are arranged therein and interconnect individual contacts of the socket and the plug is positioned in the adapter housing so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the adapter housing. Also disclosed is a socket for receiving a plug or an adapter as described above. Said socket comprises a socket housing and a cylindrical bushing with socket contacts that are located therein. The socket housing is provided with a central receiving hole for removably accommodating the bushing. At least one resilient snapping spring is placed on the outer circumference of the face of the bushing located opposite the plug or the adapter. A stop which surrounds the receiving hole and is provided with a holding window that is arranged thereupon is disposed on the socket housing such that the snapping spring locks into the holding window when the bushing is inserted into the receiving hole.

Description

 The invention relates to an adapter for connecting a plug and a plug box respectively with different number and / or different size of contacts, in which a coupling insert with adapter contacts arranged therein is arranged for Direct connection of the plug contacts and the plug box rotatably around its longitudinal axis in the adapter housing, as well as to a plug box in which a plug box socket carrying the box contacts The plug is fastened by means of elastic snap-in springs that are interlocked in fastening windows arranged on the socket housing, in the socket housing.

 The invention is based on an adapter according to the gender of claim 1.

 An adapter of this type is known from US-A-5626479. 10

 The current technical embodiments of adapters for the connection of a plug and a plug box respectively with different number and / or different size of contacts, such as those needed for example for motor vehicles with trailer coupling, which is equipped with a 13-pole electronic system for the power supply, for example of a caravan, for operating a sports equipment trailer or a transport trailer with a 7-pole electrical system on the 13-pin socket in the 15 motor vehicle , they have a cylindrical adapter housing that has on the side turned towards the socket, on its outer perimeter, a growing groove in the form of a thread and that runs approximately 90º. A plug that engages in the thread-shaped connection groove is arranged on the socket in such a way that the adapter is screwed to the socket with a turning movement of about 90 °. In this respect, the adapter has, on its side turned towards the plug box, 20 plug contacts that engage the plug box contacts of the plug box and, on its side turned towards the plug, for example from a trailer , bushing contacts comprising plug contacts. Because the plug box contacts arranged in the plug box are fixedly arranged, it is necessary to compensate for the rotating movement between the adapter housing, which is screwed into the socket, and the plug contacts that engage the contacts of stationary plug box. For this, a contact support is provided in the known embodiments of such adapters in the adapter housing that carries the plug contacts, which is arranged around the longitudinal axis of the adapter so that it can rotate from 90 ° to 120 °. In this respect, a positioning of the contact support is produced in relation to the adapter housing by means of straightening surfaces, such as grooves, teeth or heels that mutually engage each other. In order to establish three-dimensionally the electrical connection between the plug contacts on the side of the socket and the socket contacts on the plug side, it is usual to use an electric printed circuit board arranged in the adapter housing, on which the bushing contacts are connected directly or through a wiring harness, and having sliding contacts to establish the electrical connection with the plug contacts rotatably arranged. When the adapter is screwed into the socket, the plug contacts slide in this direction in a circular arc 35 on the printed circuit board and are locked in the extreme position in openings arranged on the printed circuit board, the which are equipped with electrically conductive material to establish an electrical connection with the plug contacts. In this regard, the printed circuit board is arranged on the front wall of the adapter housing that supports the socket contacts on the side of the plug.

 In this respect, a protective clapper under pressure of a spring is arranged on the side turned towards the plug, to close the opening that serves to accommodate the plug in case of non-use, as well as a fixing surface in the form of a circular segment, on which a similar cover clapper is located and interlocked, arranged on the socket and under the pressure of a spring in the case of the adapter plugged into the socket. A fundamental drawback of the adapter known in the state of the art is that the conductivity of the electrical junction, to be established by means of the adapter, during life is reduced by means of the plug contacts arranged mobilely in relation to the printed circuit board 45 adapter adapter In this regard, the transition resistance is limited by the quality of the printed circuit board and the pluggable plug contacts. Apart from the very complicated construction embodiment with printed circuit board and sliding contacts, the adapters produced according to the state of the art are constructively very long, so that, especially in the case of a transverse load on the cable connected to the plug, they act 50 great turning moments and resulting clamping forces on the socket and the adapter. By this and by means of the sliding contacts inside the adapter housing the operational reliability is reduced. An additional drawback results from the shape of the fixing surface, with which the cover flap on the side of the socket makes contact with the adapter inserted in the socket. Because the fixing surface only occupies a circular segment and the cover flap is circular, during operation dirt can accumulate in the part of the cover clapper not covered by the surface of

fixing, that after removing the adapter from the socket and suddenly closing the cover flap under the pressure of a spring, it can enter inside the socket and damage or damage the contacts of the socket.

 Normally a plug box for use together with such a plug connection is composed of a plug box housing, on which a cover clapper is arranged under the pressure of a spring. A cylindrical-circular housing is formed in the socket housing that can be closed by means of the cover clapper with cylindrical plug box contact support, disposed therein, which protrudes in the housing with respect thereto and in which Plug box contacts are arranged. The plug box forms, in this respect, together with the adapter, by means of the mutual enclosure of the plug box housing, adapter housing, housing and contact support of the plug box, a moisture-tight maze. A sealing ring is arranged in this connection between the plug housing contact housing and housing. In this respect, the plug box contacts are fixedly connected to the integral plug box housing, which at the same time comprises the housing and the plug box contact support, such that normally the twisted wires of the cable bundle to be connected to the plug box contacts they are connected, by means of threaded tightening joints, to the plug socket contacts 15. In order to lay the cable bundle in a motor vehicle, for example, it is useful in this respect, first to guide the cable bundle through the body and through body openings and then individually attach it to the socket, mounted on the support. of the socket provided for this in the motor vehicle. The drawback of this solution is that the plug box socket can only be used in conjunction with a plug box contact that can be attached to a twisted cable by means of a threaded tightening union, with which the twisted wire is fixedly Removable, with a large workload, by means of a screw that engages in an internal cylindrical recess of the plug box contact. In this regard there is a risk that the threaded tightening joint will rust, thereby modifying the transition resistance between braided cable and plug box contact, which can lead to local heating and other unwanted side effects. The adapters and plug boxes known in the state of the art can thus be summarized as unsatisfactory in relation to costs and complexity, in terms of production and traffic safety.

 The invention is therefore based on the task of developing an adapter and an outlet box that, on the one hand, offer greater reliability of operation and, on the other hand, can be produced more easily or with a lower mounting complexity.

 The task is completely solved by means of the adapter according to the invention with the characterizing features of claim 1.

 The adapter according to the invention has in relation to the prior art the advantage that a coupling insert is arranged in the adapter housing, arranged so that it can rotate at least 90 ° around its longitudinal axis, with adapter contacts arranged inside it and that directly connect to each other isolated contacts of the socket and plug. In this connection, the coupling insert has 35 connection channels to accommodate the adapter contacts. The adapter can be equipped with a clapper under the pressure of a spring, to close the housing for the plug in case it is not used and to immobilize the plug in the housing, if used, by coupling the clapper under the pressure of a spring behind a recess on the housing of the plug inserted in the housing. An additional advantage of the adapter according to the invention in relation to the state of the art is obtained from the especially short construction length 40, which clearly reduces the moments acting on the socket produced by cables arranged on the oblique plug or laterally, especially on an electrical connection between a tractor vehicle and a trailer, for example forces that act during a sharp steering wheel turn during reverse and, thus, the risk of damage is clearly reduced. The reduced construction length prevents, in particular in the case of use in the motor vehicle, an excessive bending of the electrical connection cable 45 arranged on the trailer and elongated by means of an adapter, thereby preventing sliding or scraping on the road . In this regard, a cylindrical-circular fixing surface is arranged externally on the adapter housing, with which a cover plate under pressure of a spring closing the plug housing is made to contact on its entire surface, in if the adapter is plugged into the socket, so that no dirt can accumulate on the inside of the cover plate. The core of the invention is in this respect that a coupling insert is arranged in the adapter housing so that it can rotate about the longitudinal axis, which carries both the plug contacts and the bushing contacts. In this regard, the plug contacts and the bushing contacts are connected to each other directly in the coupling insert, respectively in pairs or also according to the application case also by groups, without the presence of electrical interconnections between construction pieces arranged in a stationary manner. or rotating.

 An advantageous configuration of the adapter according to the invention provides that the coupling insert has on its outer perimeter at least one safety groove, peripheral at least 90 ° and that at least one safety pivot is inserted on the adapter housing, which penetrates from the cylindrical wall inwards in the hollow cylinder and engaging in the safety groove to limit the travel in the direction of rotation, where the groove ends in one direction and in the other direction continues in a 90 ° inflection in the direction from the longitudinal axis 5 of the cylinder to a front end of the coupling insert, such that the pivot can be guided in the groove in the case of a frontal implantation of the coupling insert in the adapter housing, where in the region of the An inflection of 90º is provided a flattening for the overcoming by means of the pivot a greater force must be applied, so that a release Unforeseen attachment of the coupling insert towards the outside of the adapter housing, at the same time as free access in the direction of rotation 10 around the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. The safety slot forms in this respect at the same time a limit stop of the angle of rotation, against which the coupling insert arranged in the adapter housing collides around its longitudinal axis, so as not to exceed a certain angle of rotation, with which it is no longer possible to fit the socket on the socket or it would only be possible after complicated handling.

 An advantageous configuration of the adapter according to the invention provides that the adapter contacts 15 arranged in the coupling insert respectively have a plug contact turned towards the socket, a socket contact turned towards the plug and a plastically deformable bridge, which connect the plug contact and the socket contact.

 Another advantageous configuration of the adapter according to the invention provides that channels for housing the bridges are formed in the coupling insert. The channels can serve in this respect additionally for the guidance and support of the adapter contacts, especially in the state of the coupling insert not yet assembled.

 A further advantageous configuration of the adapter according to the invention provides that the adapter contact consisting respectively of a plug contact, socket contact and bridge is made integral. In this regard, the coupling insert is composed of two frontally assembled parts, a plug part and a bushing part, where the integral and preformed adapter contacts are placed in recesses formed on one of the joint surfaces in the part plug or in the socket part, before assembly to form the coupling insert. The plug part has in this respect a guiding heel on the side of the plug box and the socket part a guiding heel on the side of the plug, where the plug part has a safety slot on its perimeter, in which 30 a safety pin arranged on the adapter housing and directed inwards.

 For the bridge connecting the plug contact and the bushing contact, channels are preferably arranged in at least one of the joint surfaces. The adapter contacts are preferably manufactured in this respect with a sheet to which the desired basic shape is first conferred by stamping. This basic form presents in this respect a ribbon, which forms the bridge, as well as two flanges arranged on both sides of the ribbon. The flanges are then formed by rollers to form the plug contact and the bushing contact.

 An especially advantageous configuration of the adapter according to the invention provides that the coupling insert is made integral, where the adapter contacts are structured at least respectively in two parts, with plug contact and bushing contact, and are inserted by inserting them 40 frontally in the coupling insert, where the bridge that respectively joins the plug contact to the bushing contact is made integrally with one of the two contacts, or the adapter contacts are integral, and are inserted into the mold of the coupling insert during its manufacture.

 fig. one

 a perspective view of a plug box housing, from the remote side of the adapter or plug,

 fig. 2

 a perspective view of a plug socket consisting of a socket housing and plug socket contacts disposed therein,

 fig. 3

 a perspective view of a bushing housing,

 fig. 4

 a perspective view of plug box contacts with crimp capability, which can be arranged in the socket housing,

 fig. 5

 a detailed view of a plug box contact disposed in the socket housing, in a longitudinal section,

 fig. 6

 a longitudinal cut through the socket housing of a plug socket,

 fig. 7

 a perspective view of an adapter according to the invention,

 fig. 8

 a perspective view of a coupling insert according to the invention, which can be arranged in the adapter housing, comprising a plug part and a bushing part,

 fig. 9

 a perspective view of a plug part according to the invention of the coupling insert according to the invention,

 fig. 10

 a perspective view of integral adapter contacts that can be arranged in the coupling insert according to the invention, composed of plug part, socket part and bridge,

 fig. eleven

 a perspective view of a sleeve part according to the invention of a coupling insert according to the invention, as well as

 fig. 12

 a longitudinal cut through a plug connection of a plug to a plug box, using an adapter according to the invention.

 The connection of a plug box 1 to a plug 3, which has a number and / or size of electrical contacts different from those of the plug box 1, is carried out by means of an adapter 2 consisting of an adapter housing 210 essentially cylindrical, in which a coupling insert 220 is arranged so that it can rotate approximately 90 ° to 120 ° around the longitudinal axis of the cylinder and which is composed of a sleeve part 222, joined in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cylinder axially to 5 a plug part 221. In this respect the plug part 221 corresponds to the recesses and the contacts of the plug box 1, and the socket part 222 with the recesses and contacts of the plug 3. The plug part 221 and the bushing part 222 are connected in this respect to each other, fixedly or detachably, by the connecting elements 225. The connecting elements 225 may be configured in this respect. cto as threaded joint, riveted joint or plug-in connection under pressure of a spring, for example in the form of a fungus 10 formed integrally with the basic material of the plug part 221 or the socket part 222, which with its hat it is coupled from behind in a recess recessed to the other corresponding part. Inside the coupling insert 220, embraced by the plug part 221 and the socket part 222, electrical adapter contacts 223 are arranged. These electrical adapter contacts 223 are respectively manufactured integrally with an electrically conductive material, for example a copper or 15 iron plate, and have a socket contact 229 as well as a bridge 230 that joins the plug contact 228 and the socket contact 229. Both the plug contact 228 and the socket contact 229 respectively have a longitudinal slit 233 respectively, so that the plug contacts 228 and the socket contact 229 can be flexibly and elastically widened, in the case of plugging the plug box contacts 140 and the plug contacts 3 into each other, in order to establish a reliable electrical connection 20. The plug contact 228 is disposed in this respect on the bushing part, and the bushing contact 229 on the bushing part of the coupling insert 220, preferably on the boundary surface with the plug part 221 on the bushing part. socket 222. The exact position of the rotating coupling insert 20 in relation to the socket of the socket 130 arranged in the socket of the socket 110 of the socket 1, is guaranteed by a guide heel 224 on the side of the plug housing disposed on the 25 plug portion 221 of the coupling insert 220, which corresponds to a guide groove 133 formed on the plug housing bushing 130. By mutually engaging in positively shaped connection of the guiding heel 224, on the side of the socket, the plug contacts 228 are discharged in the guiding groove during screwing of the adapter 2 into the socket 1, since the necessary torque for Rotate the coupling insert 220 inside the adapter housing 210 is transmitted from the plug socket 130 130 stationary, through the guide bead 224 on the side of the plug box and the guide slot 133. When the adapter 2 is screwed into the socket 1, the entire coupling insert 220 thus rotates in relation to the adapter housing 210, whereby complicated connection or wiring between the plug contacts 228 and the contacts can be dispensed with of bushing 229, as usual in the state of the art. To position exactly the plug 3 in its turning position in relation to the coupling insert 220 of the adapter 2 disposed in the adapter housing 210, a guide bead 227 is arranged on the socket portion 227 on the side of the plug, the which engages in a corresponding recess not shown on the plug housing 3. The recess on the plug 3 is arranged in this respect, preferably, on the line of the socket housing 3 divided longitudinally and structured with two semi- housings, where the two semi-housings have a stop edge that collides with the adapter housing 210, in the case of the plug 3 inserted in the adapter 2, and comprise an inner socket chamber in which a cable of several

wires guided to the plug 3, from the side of the plug 3 away from the adapter 2 and the socket 1, is detachably connected to the contacts that engage in the socket contacts 229 of the adapter 2. The two half-housings they are connected in this respect on one side to a hinge, which runs parallel to the longitudinal axis, and are held together on the other side by means of a bolt, for example in the form of a threaded joint, where at the end they present for example a threaded joint part, on which a sleeve is removably disposed.

 The socket 1 has a socket case 110 with a cover clapper 120 under pressure of a spring disposed thereon, wherein the socket case 110 presents a centrally arranged housing opening 150, which runs in the longitudinal direction of the plug connection. On the side of the socket 1 facing away from the adapter 2 there are uniformly arranged, around the edge of the housing opening 150, three fastening advantages 111. The socket of the socket 130 available in the housing opening 150 is composed in this respect, in a variant embodiment, of a bushing housing 131 closed on one side, in the form of a bucket and hollow cylinder, and of a bushing cap that closes the bucket or the front side that remains open, where the contact openings 134 lead through both the bushing cover and the closed front side of the bushing housing 131. In another preferred embodiment 15 and shown in Figures 3 to 6, the plug housing bushing 130 is made of an integral 131 shell housing. In this respect, the outer cylinder side of the sleeve housing 131 has a depression that serves as a guide groove 133 in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder. On the outer perimeter of the right part in Figures 3, 5 and 6 of the bushing housing 131, away from the adapter 2 or the plug 3, three elastic springs 136 are uniformly distributed over the perimeter, the 20 of which are interlocked in the fastening windows 111 in the case of the plug box socket 130 inserted from the rear side, right in figure 1, into the housing opening 150 of the socket box housing 110. To prevent the socket box socket from Plug 130 slides through the housing opening 150, a peripheral stop 114 is arranged around the housing opening 150, which penetrates perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis in the housing opening 150. In this regard a shoulder 112 penetrates the opposite side to the cover clapper 120, up into the housing opening 150, through the edge of the edge 114 that engages in the guide groove 133 of the socket 1 30. In an alternative embodiment, an actuator 113 of a microswitch 115, disposed in the socket housing 110, is inserted into the housing opening 150, such that in the case of the adapter 2 inserted in the housing of plug 1 the microswitch 115 is activated and, in the case of the inserted adapter 2, it is not activated. The plug housing 110 has a gasket 116 on the side of the stopper 114 away from the adapter 2. The bushing housing 131 of the socket housing 130 which has the guide groove 133 has, on its front sides, contact openings cylindrical through-holes, which have approximately an appendix 135 in the center of the bushing housing 131 that narrows the diameter, which serves as a shock edge and a coupling edge at the rear for the plug box contacts 140, available in the bushing plug box 130. The 35 plug box contacts 140 are held in the contact openings 134 by contact springs 141, flexo-elastically configured and integral by means of spacer joints on the plug box contacts 140, the contacts being introduced of socket 140 from the right side in figure 5 in the contact openings 143 until the stop 143 collides with the appendix 135 and the springs of Contact 141 is interlocked in Appendix 135 coupling behind. Similar to the case of the adapter contacts 223, 40, a slot 142 is also arranged on the plug case contacts 140, so that the plug box contact 140 can be elastically widened by a mutual fit to the establish an electrical connection. Apart from this, the plug box contacts 140 have an inward convex region 144, which can also be produced by separating joints and which, by flexo-elastic deformability, improves the reliability of the electrical connection in the case of mutual fit. The use of the adapter 2 according to the invention to connect a plug box 1 to a plug 3, which has a different number and / or size of electrical contacts from that of the plug box 1, is not only limited to the connection between the plug box described above and the plug described above, but can also be used and adapted for alternative embodiments.

 The invention is industrially applicable especially in the field of manufacturing plug connections 50 and electrical adapters for trailer couplings of motor vehicles.

 55

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

 one

 Switch socket

 2

 Adapter

 3

 Plug

 110

 Plug box housing

 111

 Clamping window

 112

 Highlight

 113

 Drive device

 114

 Stop, top, maximum as a noun, top as an adverb

 115

 Microswitch

 116

 meeting

 117

 Plug

 120

 Deck clapper

 130

 Plug socket

 131

 Bushing housing

 133

 Guiding groove

 134

 Contact opening

 135

 Appendix

 136

 Elastic spring

 140

 Plug box contact

 141

 Contact spring

 142

 Slit

 143

 Stop, top, maximum as a noun, top as an adverb

 144

 Convex region

 150

 Accommodation opening

 210

 Adapter housing

 220

 Coupling insert

 221

 Plug part

 222

 Cap part

 223

 Adapter contact

 224

 Guiding heel on the side of the socket

 225

 Connecting element

 226

 Channel

 227

 Guiding heel on the side of the plug

 228

 Plug contact

 229

 Bushing contact

 230

 Bridge

 231

 Security slot

 232

 Junction slot

 233

 Longitudinal slit

Claims (7)

 1.- Adapter (2) for the connection of a plug (3) and a plug box (1) respectively with different number and / or different size of contacts (140), with a shaped adapter housing (210) hollow cylinder, which on its outer perimeter on the side turned towards the plug box (1) has at least one peripheral thread groove (232) in the form of thread, in which at least one pin (117) arranged on the socket 5 (1), characterized in that in the adapter housing (210) a coupling insert (220) is arranged rotatably arranged around its longitudinal axis with adapter contacts (223) disposed therein, which connect respective contacts of the socket (140) and the socket together.  2. Adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling insert (220) has on its outer perimeter at least one security slot (231), peripheral at least 90 ° and on the adapter housing 10 (210) is arranged at least one safety pivot, which penetrates from the cylindrical wall inwards into the hollow cylinder and that engages in the safety groove (231).  3. Adapter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adapter contacts (223) arranged in the coupling insert (220) respectively have a plug contact (228) turned towards the plug box (1), a contact of socket (229) turned towards the plug (3) and a bridge (230) plastically deformable 15, which connects the plug contact (228) and the socket contact (229).  4. Adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that in the coupling insert (220) channels (226) are formed for the accommodation of the bridges (230).  5. Adapter according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the adapter contact (223) respectively composed of plug contact (228), socket contact (229) and bridge (230) is made integral.  6. Adapter according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coupling insert (220) is made integral.