NL1040319C2

NL1040319C2 - Electrical connector and vehicle provided therewith.

Info

Publication number: NL1040319C2
Application number: NL1040319A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Georg Kalman Kaposvari
Original assignee: Georg Kalman Kaposvari
Priority date: 2013-07-30
Filing date: 2013-07-30
Publication date: 2015-02-02

Description

TITLE: Electrical connector and vehicle provided therewith

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electrical connector for establishing a connection with a complementary connector, the electrical connector comprising: an insulating housing; at least one conducting member arranged in the insulating housing, the conducting member being of elongated shape and having a plugging end for establishing a plugging connection with a conducting member of the complementary connector, and a fixing end for receiving an electrical wire to be fixed to the conducting member, and fixing means for fixing the electrical wire to the conducting member.

The invention further relates to a vehicle provided with such a connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical connectors as described above are well known. An example of such a connector is a trailer connector on a vehicle, which is to feed electrical signals from the vehicle to a towed trailer.

In a known trailer connector, the fixing end of the conducting member is provided with an axial hole for receiving a conducting end of the electrical wire. Further, the fixing end is provided with a screw hole whose axis is at an angle of 90 degrees with the axis of the axial hole. The screw hole allows a screw to be inserted sideways into the conducting member so as for it to enter the axial hole from the side. By inserting a screw, a conducting end of an electrical wire present in the axial hole can be pressed sideways and be thereby clamped against the side wall of the axial hole opposite the screw hole. Thus, a conducting contact can be created between the electrical wire and the conducting member. A main drawback of an electrical connector having fixing means such as those described in relation to the known trailer connector is that it does not always provide an optimal electrical contact. In case the electrical wire comprises a conductive core constituted by a number individual wire fibers, in pressing the conductive end of the electrical wire towards the side wall of the axial hole, outer fibers may move such that only fibers having a central position with respect to the screw are properly clamped between the screw and the conducting member. In such a case, use of a crimp terminal provided on the conductive end of a wire would be required in order to improve the contact.

Another drawback is that the fixing means require the conducting member to be accessible from the side, which can prove to be a problem in case one aims to design an electrical connector with a relatively compact housing. In particular, in case the electrical connector has multiple conducting members, a conducting member having a central position with respect to a number of surrounding conducting members has to have a position which is axially offset with respect to the other conducting members in order to allow for the fixing means of the central conducting member to be operated. As a result, the assembly of conducting members has a relatively large dimension in the axial direction. A problem associated with the known trailer connector is that, as a result of the conducting members having to be accessible from the side, a cover for covering the circumference of the connector is required to be a housing part that is separate from the housing part in which the conducting members are arranged. Otherwise, during connecting the electrical wires, the cover would obstruct reaching the fixing means. Two separate housing parts however are relatively costly, and furthermore a seal is required in between the two parts in order to keep moist and dirt from passing in between the two parts towards the electrical wires.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved electrical connector.

The above objective is reached with an electric connector that is characterised in that the fixing end of the conducting member is provided with an axial hole, and that the fixing means comprise a fixing screw adapted to be screwed into the axial hole, wherein the fixing screw and the conducting member are mutually adapted for clamping a conductive end of an electrical wire between the head of the fixing screw and a top end of the conducting member.

With an electric connector according to the invention, an electrical wire can be fixed to the conducting member by passing a conductive end of the wire into the axial hole formed in the conducting member, and subsequently inserting and fixing the screw in the axial hole and thereby to clamp the conductive end of the electrical wire in between the head of the screw and the top end of the conducting member. With these procedures, the conducting members need only be accessible in axial direction from the fixing end, and no side access is required. This allows for a relatively compact design of the connector in case of multiple conducting members, reduces the need for multiple housing parts, and provides for easier assembly.

In turning the fixing screw in order to clamp a conductive end of an electrical wire between the head of the fixing screw and the top end of the conducting member, outer individual wire fibers of a conductive core of an electrical wire that move sideways with respect to the core of the wire always remain in registration with the clamping surfaces formed by the head of the screw and the top end of the conducting member. As a result, with an electric connector according to the invention, the whole of the conductive core can be efficiently clamped in order to obtain a secure contact, both electrically and mechanically.

In case of a trailer connector, the whole of the housing can be injection moulded as a single part.

The concept principle of the invention is suitable for both 'two-shot'-moulding and insert moulding.

According to an embodiment of the invention, at the edge of the conducting member at the position of at least one of the plugging end and the fixing end of the conducting member, the housing may comprise a space allowing for radial deformation of the conducting member. By deforming one or both of those ends of the conducting member, the conducting member can then be axially fixed with respect to the housing.

The conducting member and the fixing screw may made of mutually the same material in order to reduce corrosion. A rivet or a crimp terminal may be provided, separating the head of the fixing screw and the top face of the conducting member in order to reduce oxidation or electrolysis effects, for instance due to brass-copper-brass contact in the case of a copper electrical conductive core of the electrical wire and a fixing screw and a conducting member made of brass.

The conducting member may be provided with a circumferential groove, wherein the housing comprises a ridge extending into the groove. Thus, axial displacement of the conducting member with respect to the housing can be prevented, and the injection moulded ridge can act as a barrier for water passing in between the housing and the conducting member.

The conducting member may also be arranged in the housing by means of a press fit.

An electrical connector may comprise a multitude of additional conducting members surrounding the at least one conducting member. Such a connector will have a relatively compact design.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained by the following description of one or more preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which same reference numerals indicate same or similar parts, and in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a longitudinal cross section through an electrical connector according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows an electrical connector 1 according to the invention, the electrical connector 1 comprising a housing 10, a conducting member and a fixing screw 30. The figure further shows part of a complementary connector 100 that is to cooperate with the electrical connector 1 to establish an electrical connection between electrical wires connected to each of these connectors 1, 100. The figure further shows an electrical wire 40 connected to the electrical connector 1.

The two connectors 1, 100 are shown in figure 1 in a configuration in which the side of the electrical connector 1 cooperating with the complementary connector 100 is shown at the bottom of the figure. In the following, this side will also be referred to as the bottom side of the electrical connector 1, or its connecting side.

The opposite side will be referred to as the top side of the electrical connector 1, or its fixing side. The same references will be used to in relation to components of the electrical connector 1. With respect to the complementary connector 100, the top side of the complementary connector 100 as shown in figure 1 also be referred to as the connecting side of that connector 100.

The housing 10 of the electrical connector 1 can take any shape that is able to cooperate with the shape of a complementary connector 100. The shape of the part of the housing 10 shown in figure 1 should therefore not be taken as limiting. A main aspect of the part of the housing 10 that should be taken notice of, is that it comprises a through-hole 11 extending from the connecting side to the fixing side of the electrical connector 1. The through-hole 11 is of elongated shape, and is defined around a central axis 12.

The conducting member 10 extends through the through-hole 11 of the housing 10 along the central axis 12. The conducting member 20 can in principle have a cross-section of any shape. In a practical embodiment, however, the conducting member 20 has a circular cross-section, so that the conducting member 20 as a whole as a substantially cylindrical shape.

The outer wall of the conducting member 20 is in contact with the inner wall of the through-hole 11 of the housing 10. Such a contact will limit water and dirt from passing in between the conducting member 20 and housing 10. In order to have improved contact, the conducting member 20 may be arranged in the housing 10 by means of a press fit. Such a fit will limit the conducting member 20 from moving axially with respect to the housing 10.

In the shown embodiment, about halfway the height of the conducting member 20, the conducting member 20 comprises a circumferential groove 25 provided in its outer surface. Extending into the groove is a ridge 15 formed on the inner surface of the through-hole 11 of the housing 10. This ridge 15 limits the axial movement of the conducting member 20 with respect to the housing 10. The rich 15 further can limit water from passing in between the conducting member 20 and the housing 10.

The conducting member 20, being of elongated shape, has a bottom end 21 and a top end 22. The bottom end 21, also referred to as the plugging end 21, is arranged for establishing a plugging connection with a conducting member 120 of the complementary connector 100. To that end, at the plugging end 21, the conducting member is provided with an axial hole 21'. As shown in figure 1, in case of a connection between the electrical connector 1 and the complementary connector 100, the conducting member 120 of the complementary connector 100, shown in figure 1 to comprise two separate parts, is received in said axial hole 21'. During connecting and disconnecting, the conducting member 120 of the complementary connector 100 is respectively inserted into and pulled from the axial hole 21' provided at the plugging end 21.

In the shown embodiment, surrounding the fixing end of the conducting member 20, the housing 10 comprises an annular space 14, allowing for radial deformation of the fixing end 21.

It is noted that the axial hole 21' in the plugging end 21 of the conducting member makes the conducting member 20 as shown to be a female member able to receive a male member. It should be noted that, according to the invention, the plugging end 21 of the conducting member may also be arranged to be a male member so as to be arranged to be inserted into a female member of the complementary connector 100. Also, an electrical connector according to the invention may also comprise a multitude of conducting members, wherein part of the members are female and part of the members are male. Of course, also, all conducting members of an electrical connector according to the invention may be female members, and all conducting members of an electrical connector according to the invention may be male members.

At the top end 22 of the conducting member 20 opposite the plugging end 21, the conducting member 20 comprises a fixing end 22 for receiving an electrical wire 40 to be fixed to the conducting member 20. The electrical wire 40 comprises a conductive end 41 extending into an axial hole 22' provided in the conducting member 20 at the fixing end 22. Also extending into the axial hole 22' is a fixing screw 30 comprising a head 31 and a threaded shank 32, with the head 31 of the screw 30 clamping the conductive end 41 of the electrical wire 40 onto a top face 24 of the conducting member 20. The screw 30 is held fixed inside the axial hole 22' by a threaded portion 23 of the axial hole 22' interacting with the threaded shank 32 of the screw 30.

In the shown embodiment, the top face 24 of the conducting member 20 has an inverted cone shape, so as to be able to provide a close fit with the bottom surface 33 of the head 31 of the fixing screw 30, which bottom surface 33 is also shaped like an upsidedown cone. It is noted that such a shape of the top face 24 of the conducting member 20 and allows for easy placement of the conductive end 41 of the electrical wire 40 inside the axial hole 22' of the conducting member 20. It is however, noted that the bottom surface 33 of the head 31 of the screw 30 and the top face 24 may also have other complementary shapes as long as they are able to clamp a conductive end of an electrical wire in between them. For instance, the two surfaces 24, 33 may also be flat.

In fixing the screw 30 inside the axial hole 22', the screw 30 may be turned with such force that the conducting member 20 may deform at its outer edge so as to expand radially outward into an annular space 13 provided in the housing 10, surrounding the conducting member 20 at the position of the top face 24. This may provide a good fit between the screw 30 and the conducting member 20, as well as deform the conducting member 20 so as to be axially fixed with respect to the housing 10. In order for such a deformation to provide optimal results, and outer diameter of the head 31 of the fixing screw 30 may be at least of a size equal to the inner diameter of the axial hole 22' provided at the fixing end, with an additional diameter of, for instance, half the wall thickness of the conducting member 20 at the location of the fixing end 22.

In any case, in turning the screw 30, it is desired to obtain good contact, both mechanically and electrically, between the screw 30 the electrical wire 40 and the conducting member 20. Depending on the materials used and the dimensions of the different components, a good contact can also be obtained at a circumferential location away from the wire 40, meaning that the head 31 of the fixing screw 30 is indirect contact with the top face 24 at those other locations. In order to further improve the contact, the conductive end 41 of the electrical wire 40 may also be provided with a crimp terminal 50 having a shape corresponding with the contact surface between the head 31 of the fixing screw 30 and the top face 24 of the conducting member 20. Also, a rivet 50 may be provided having such a shape.

It is noted that in figure 1, at the right-hand side of the figure direct contact with the conductive end of the wire 40 is depicted. That the left-hand side of the figure, contact through a rivet or crimp terminal 50 is depicted.

It should be clear to a person skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments discussed above, but that several variations and modifications are possible within the protective scope of the invention as defined in the appending claims. Even if certain features are recited in different dependent claims, the present invention also relates to an embodiment comprising these features in common. Any reference signs in a claim should not be construed as limiting the scope of that claim.

Claims

An electrical connection device (1) for effecting a connection with a complementary connection device (100), the electrical connection device (1) comprising: an insulating housing (10); at least one guide member (20) disposed in the insulating housing (10), the guide member (20) having an elongated shape and having a plug-fitting end (21) about a plug-fitting connection to a guide member (120) of the complementary connection device (100), and a fastening end (22) for receiving an electrical wire (40) to be fastened to the guide member (20), and fastening means (30) to fasten the electrical wire (40) to the guide member (20), characterized in that the fixing end (22) of the guide member (20) is provided with an axial hole (22 '), and in that the fixing means (30) comprise a fixing screw (30) adapted to be screwed into the axial hole (22 '), the fastening screw (30) and the guide member (20) being mutually matched about a conductive end (41) of an electrical wire (40) between the head (32) of the fastening screw (30) and an upper surface (24) of the guide member (20).

The electrical connection device (1) according to claim 1, wherein at the edge of the guide member (20) at the position of at least one of the plugging end (21) and the fixing end (22) of the guide member (20) the housing (20) 10) comprises a space (13, 14) that allows radial deformation of the guide member (20).

An electrical connection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide member (10) and the fixing screw (20) are made of the same material.

An electrical connection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide member (20) and the fixing screw (30) are made of mutually the same material to limit corrosion.

Electrical connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which a ring (50) or a crimp connection terminal (50) is provided, which is the head (31) of the fixing screw (30) and the top surface (24) of the guide member (24) 20).

An electrical connection device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide member (20) is provided with a peripheral groove (25), the housing (10) comprising a ledge (15) extending into the groove (25).

Electrical connection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide member (20) is arranged in the housing (10) by means of a press fit.

An electrical connection device (1) comprising a plurality of additional guide members that surround the at least one guide member (20).

A vehicle provided with an electrical connection device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims as a trailer socket.