WO2010146023A1

WO2010146023A1 - Latching connection arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2010146023A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/058327
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerald Busch
Original assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
Priority date: 2009-06-20
Filing date: 2010-06-14
Publication date: 2010-12-23
Also published as: DE102009025722A1; EP2443350A1; CN102803753A; CN102803753B

Abstract

A latching connection arrangement (1) has a first component (4) and a second component (5) for connecting thereto; at least one plug-in section (2) arranged on the first component (4); and at least one receiving section (3) which is arranged on the second component (5) and serves for receiving the at least one plug-in section (2). The plug-in section (2) has at least one hook element (6) with a latching hook (8) and has at least one securing element (14), and the receiving section (3) is formed with at least one latching edge (19) for interacting with the at least one hook element (6) and with at least one receiving contact section (28) for making contact with the at least one securing element (14). A length of the securing element (14) amounts to substantially one third of a length of the hook element (6).

Description

Locking connection arrangement

The invention relates to a latching connection arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such latching connection arrangements are used in a wide variety of applications. Components to be joined, such as covers and base housing of multi-part housings, in particular of electronic housings or terminal blocks, are latched to each other, for which purpose a plug-in portion is formed on a component, which cooperates detent with a receiving portion arranged on another component. By applying a joining force of the plug portion is pressed into the receiving portion and engages. A separation of the parts so joined requires a correspondingly high force to release the detent.

It is advantageous if the joining force against the holding force is minimized. Close tolerances of the individual functional parts are required, which goes hand in hand with correspondingly high tool and joining costs.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved latching connection arrangement.

The object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claim.

According to the characteristic of this claim, the receiving section has at least two opposing receiving abutment sections for abutment with at least two opposing abutment sections of the hook element.

Due to the double support of the hook element takes place when joining an arcuate deformation of the same, wherein a uniform stress distribution s occurs in the entire cross section of the hook element. This results in high holding forces with a low material stress. The joining forces remain relatively low. The plug portion further comprises at least one securing element and the receiving portion is further provided with at least one receiving contact portion for abutment of the at least one securing element.

The securing element advantageously acts as a displacement safeguard and prevents a relative movement transversely to the joining direction of the connection arrangement in the joined end position.

The securing element preferably has a length in the insertion direction which is smaller than the length of the hook element. In particular, the length of the securing element in the insertion direction is less than half the length, preferably one third of the length of the hook element.

Due to the different length of securing element and hook element, it is possible in a simple manner that the hook element leads during assembly leading, can deform elastically and relaxed in an end position in a certain way. This results in a low joining force in relation to a high holding force.

Especially the interaction of the hook element and the securing element in the above-described embodiment results in a configuration in which particularly high holding forces are achieved with a small space requirement.

The at least one hook element and the at least one securing element are preferably spaced apart from each other by a gap. As a result, the hook element during assembly can be easily curved and stretched. In addition, by selecting the dimensions of a play-free fit of the connection assembly possible without tight tolerances must be met.

For easy insertion of the receiving portion with a recording oblique to

Provided interaction with the hook element. This also serve bevels on the front ends of the hook element and securing element. The receiving portion may also be formed with a circumferential insertion bevel. The at least one receiving contact section for contacting the at least one securing element is preferably arranged opposite the at least one latching edge of the receiving section. Thus, a relative movement is prevented transversely to the joining direction. This latching geometry designed in this way therefore requires no further positioning geometries in contrast to conventional latching geometries.

Due to the short securing element, which is essentially only one third of the length of the hook element long, there is also the option of creating a very wide receiving hopper for the hook element. This centering aid allows great tolerances in positioning in the joining process.

The arrangement of the abutment sections and corresponding receiving abutment sections allows only a small material load in relation to the holding force. In the area of a connecting portion of the hook element a risk of breakage is significantly reduced.

The latching connection arrangement is preferably used for plastic parts, because here there is the advantage that each of the at least one plug-in portion with the first component and the at least one receiving portion may be formed integrally with the second component.

Alternatively, it is possible that the at least one plug-in section on the first component and the at least one receiving section on the second component are each formed attachable.

The invention also provides a housing, in particular an electronics housing or a modular terminal housing with at least one of the claimed locking connection arrangements.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereby show: 1 shows a sectional representation of a first exemplary embodiment of a latching connection arrangement according to the invention in an initial position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the latching connection arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in an intermediate position; FIG.

3 is a sectional view of the latching connection arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in an assembled end position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a receiving portion of the locking connection arrangement according to the invention of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the locking connection arrangement according to the invention.

The same components or functional parts with the same function are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

In the figures, coordinate systems are provided for better orientation to the advantageous - but with regard to its embodiment within the scope of the claim

1 variable - to describe embodiment of the figures in more detail.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of a locking connection arrangement 1 according to the invention in an initial position.

The latching connection arrangement 1 has a plug-in section 2 and a receiving section 3, which are formed on a first 4 and on a second component 5. The components 4, 5 may be an electronics housing or a terminal block and a corresponding cover or a corresponding cover or else other components to be latched to one another.

The plug-in section 2 is here formed integrally with the first component 4. The receiving portion 3, however, is formed on the second component 5 and the Receiving the plug-in section 2 for joining the first and second component 4 and 5 provided in a joining direction 29.

The components 4 and 5 are indicated here only schematically.

In connection with Fig. 5, another embodiment will be described below. For example, the components 4 and 5 are formed in this first embodiment of plastic, wherein the plug-in portion 2 with the first component 4 is in one piece. The receiving portion 3 is formed integrally with the second component 5.

The plug-in section 2 has a hook element 6 extending in the joining direction 29 (extending in the x-direction) substantially at right angles to the first component 4, which hook element is connected to the first component 4 via a connection section 7.

The hook element 6 is provided starting from the first component 4 in the x-direction with a, in the Fig. 1 left, outside to about the middle extending straight first contact portion 10. The latter passes approximately in the middle of the length of the hook element 6 into a latching section 11 which protrudes to the left in the negative y-direction from the longitudinal direction of the hook element 6 in FIG. 1 and forms a latching hook 8.

This latch hook 8 has underneath a downwardly inclined (in the x-direction) hook slope 12, which extends back in the positive y-direction and then on reaching the original thickness (y-direction) of the hook element 7 again straight in x-

Direction extends to the lower end of the hook member 6 in a front portion 9 with a slope inclined in the positive y-direction. About the angle of the hook slope 12, the size of the joining force can be varied.

The arranged in the positive y-direction longitudinal side of the hook member 6 extends straight in the x direction and forms at the front portion 9 a second abutment portion 13 which is opposite to the first abutment portion 10, that is, the first The abutment portion 10 faces outward (in the negative y direction) and the second abutment portion 13 points inward (in the positive y direction).

In addition to the hook element 6, a securing element 14 extending downwards in the same x-direction is arranged at a distance in the y direction.

The securing element 14 has a length which is substantially one third of the length of the hook element 6. This information is not mandatory. The securing element 14 should, however, always be shorter than the hook element 6.

The thickness of the securing element 14 is here in a preferred - but not mandatory - configuration greater than the thickness of the hook element. 6

The securing element 14 is formed on the first component 4 via a foot section 15.

The inside of the securing element 14 runs parallel to the inside of the hook element 6. The outside of the securing element 14 (here in FIG. 1 on the right) forms parallel to the inside of the securing element 14 and Rallel to the first contact portion 10 of the hook member 6, a third contact portion 16. The third contact portion 16 is about halfway along the securing element 14 in an inwardly inclined slope 17 via.

The receiving section 3 is arranged on the second component 5 and extends in the negative x-direction at right angles to the second component 5 in substantially the same length as the plug-in section 2.

The receiving portion 3 has, as shown in a plan view in Fig. 4, at right angles encircling receiving element 18 with two extending in the y direction longitudinal sides and two extending in the z direction end faces, which a

Determine receiving space 21 in a kind of funnel for the plug-in section 2. The receiving space 21 is here open at the bottom in the joining direction 29 (x-direction). An insertion bevel 22 is arranged at the upper entrance of the receiving space 21 on the longitudinal sides and end faces (FIGS. 1 to 4). The width of the upper portion of the receiving element 18 forms a large tolerance range 30 for the positioning of the plug-in section 2 in the

Joining process. The left end face of the receiving element 18 has in its upper third a projecting into the receiving space 21 thickening, which forms a locking edge 19 corresponding to the latching hook 8 of the hook element 6. The locking edge 19 is provided at its upper portion with a downwardly and inwardly inclined locking edge oblique 23, which the insertion slope 22 of the left

Extended front end and then merges into a first receiving attachment section 24. The receiving abutment portion 24 extends in the x-direction in a certain length which corresponds approximately to the thickness of the wall of the receiving element 18 and then passes into a slightly downwardly in the negative y-direction inclined receiving latching portion 25 which on the inner wall of the receiving element 18th ends and then goes down again in x-direction.

The right end face of the receiving element 18 has a wall 20, the inside of which, starting from the insertion bevel 22, runs parallel to the x-direction over a short distance and forms a third receiving attachment section 28. A distance from the upper edge of the receiving element 18 and the wall 20 to the lower end of the third receiving abutment portion 28 is substantially slightly larger than the length of the third abutment portion 16 of the securing element 14 of the male portion 2. From the lower end of the third receiving abutment portion 28 then extends a into the receiving space 21 inclined receiving slope 27, which merges at its lower end in a straight in the x-direction extending second receiving attachment portion 26. This second receiving abutment section 26 has a length which in this example corresponds approximately to 1.5 times the thickness of the hook element 6.

The receiving slope 27 is here branched off from the wall 20 down to form a recess. The receiving space 21 in the form of a funnel is fixed in the z-direction by the longitudinal sides of the receiving element 18. In po the receiving space 21 is limited by the wall 20 of the one end face with the third receiving abutment portion 28, the receiving bevel 27 and the second receiving abutment portion 26. In the negative y-direction, the other end face of the receiving element 18 forms a boundary of the receiving space 21 with the latching edge 19 and a section running perpendicularly below it in the x-direction.

To insert the plug-in section 2 into the receiving section 3 for connecting the components 4 and 5, the plug-in section 2 with the hook element 6 in front (since it is approximately two to three times longer than the securing element 14) into the receiving space 21 of the receiving element 18 in Joining direction 29 inserted. 2 illustrates a sectional view of the inventive latching connection arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1 in an intermediate position. The insertion bevel 22 facilitates the insertion process. First, the front section 9 of the hook element 6 contacts the second abutment section 13 with the receptacle oblique 27 and is bent in a negative y-direction.

At the same time the hook bevel 12 of the hook element 6 contacts the locking edge bevel 23 of the locking edge 19 and is bent in the positive y-direction. This arcuate, elastic deformation of the hook element 6, with the support by the second contact section 13, results in a uniform stress distribution in the entire cross section of the hook element 6, the cross section of which is, for example, rectangular. The arcuate deformation of the hook element 6 in the region of the connection section 7 is made possible by the intermediate space 34 between the hook element 6 and the securing element 14.

The securing element 14 is inserted with its slope 17 through the insertion bevel 22 in the upper portion of the receiving space 21 and lies in the intermediate position shown in Fig. 2 with the third abutment portion 16 on the third receiving abutment portion 28, so that a displacement of the plug-in portion 2 in posi - Tive y-direction by the curved, under tension hook element 6 is not possible. A sectional view of the locking connection arrangement 1 according to the invention

Fig. 1 in an assembled end position is shown in Fig. 3.

By further insertion of the plug-in section 2 in the receiving element 18 of the locking portion 11 slides under the locking edge 19 on the receiving load portion 25 and thus engages. By the obliquely formed latching portion 11 and the corresponding slope of the receiving load portion 25, the hook member 6 and thus the plug portion 2 is additionally drawn by the clamping force of the elastic deformation of the hook member 6 further into the receiving space 21. In this case, the inside of the component 4 rests on the upper side of the receiving element 18.

In this end position of the connecting portion 7 of the hook member 6 is relaxed, or he is under a pre-definable bias, which results in a play-free fit of the plug-in portion 2 in the receiving portion 3. The first abutment portion 10 of the hook member 6 and the first receiving abutment portion

24 of the locking edge 19 are in contact with each other. Likewise, the latching portion 11 and the receiving load portion 25 remain under the locking edge 19 in contact. The area of the latching hook 8 is also relaxed or it is under a pre-definable bias as the above-mentioned connection portion 7. The pre-section 9 of the hook element 6 is now with its second contact portion

13 in contact with the second receiving abutment portion 26 and is also relaxed. Also this area can be under a pre-definable bias voltage. In addition, the third abutment portion 16 of the securing element 14 remains in contact with the third receiving abutment portion 28 of the wall 20, wherein the Fußab- section 15 of the securing element 14 is under tension, whereby a displacement safety of the male section 2 in the receiving portion 3 transversely to the joining direction, ie in y Direction, is formed. A displacement protection of the plug-in section 2 in the receiving section 3 in the z-direction is given by the geometry of the hook element 6 and securing element 14 corresponding to the receiving element 18. The so-called latching geometry of the latching connection arrangement 1 therefore requires no additional positioning geometries. In this end position results so only a small material load in relation to the holding force of this locking connection arrangement 1 opposite to the joining direction. A risk of breakage in the region of the connection section 7 of the plug section 2 is considerably reduced. The joining force is low compared to the holding force. With a small space requirement, a high holding force is made possible in this way.

For example, in FIG. 3, a height 31 may be 6 mm in one embodiment. The associated further dimensions of the receiving portion 3 in this example in Fig. 4 in a plan view of a receiving portion 3 of the locking connection arrangement 1 according to the invention of FIG. 1 in a width 32 in the z-direction 3 mm and

5 mm in a length 33 in the y direction.

From Fig. 4, the rectangular shape of the receiving element 18 with the longitudinal sides in the length 33 and the end faces in the width 32 can be seen. A thickness of the walls is approximately equal, with the left end face having the locking edge 19.

Between this and the receiving slope 27 with the wall 20 of the funnel-shaped receiving space 21 is arranged. The insertion bevel 22 is encircling, wherein it passes at the locking edge in the locking edge bevel 23 (see Fig. 1).

Finally, FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the latching connection arrangement 1 according to the invention in the form of a terminal block with a cover plate which has conductor connections.

In this case, the cover plate forms the first component 4, on which four plug-in sections 2 are arranged at different positions in different orientations, which are arranged correspondingly with associated receiving sections 3, which are connected to the terminal block, the second component 5. For joining the first component 4 is rotated according to the arrow direction about its longitudinal axis and applied in the joining direction 29 on the second component 5, wherein the plug portions 2 are inserted into the corresponding receiving portions 3. By a corresponding, applied joining force on the latching connection assembly 1, the two components 4 and 5 are then joined together. The cover plate 4 may also be a side wall of another extension terminal. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but is modifiable within the scope of the appended claims.

It is conceivable that the hook element 6 has more than one latching hook 8, which cooperate with a corresponding number of latching edge 19. It is also possible for a plurality of hook elements to be arranged next to one another in the z-direction, with a corresponding number of securing elements 14 or a correspondingly wide (in the z-direction) securing element 14 being provided.

Thus, it is also possible that the plug-in section 2 can be applied to the first component 4 and the receiving section 3 to the second component 5 in different ways.

The components 4 and 5 of the locking connection sanordnung 1 can also be made of a different material than plug-in section 2 and receiving section 3, which in turn may have different materials.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 snap connection arrangement

2 plug-in section

3 recording section

4 First component

5 second component

6 hook element

7 connection sab cut

8 snap hooks

9 front section

10 First investment section

11 latching section

12 hook slope

13 Second investment section

14 selement

15 foot section

16 Third investment section

17 slope

18 receiving element

19 locking edge

20 wall

21 recording room

22 insertion bevel

23 locking bevel

24 First recording section

25 receiving section

26 Second recording attachment section

27 recording slopes

28 Third reception section

29 joining direction

30 tolerance range

31 height Latitude Longitude Interspace coordinates

Claims

claims

1. latching connection arrangement (1) with: a) a first component (4) and a second to be connected thereto

Component (5); b) at least one plug-in section (2) arranged on the first component (4); and c) at least one receiving section (3) formed on the second component (5) for receiving the at least one plug-in section (2), d) wherein the plug-in section (2) has at least one hook element (6) with a latching hook (8), and e) wherein the receiving portion (3) with at least one locking edge (19) for cooperation with the at least one hook element (6) is formed, characterized in that f) the receiving portion (3) at least two opposite receiving abutment sections (24, 26) for conditioning of at least two opposite abutment sections (10, 13) of the hook element (6).

2. latching connection arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug portion (2) further comprises at least one securing element (14) and that the receiving portion (3) further with at least one receiving contact portion (28) for conditioning the at least one securing element (14) is formed ,

3. latching connection arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the securing element (14) in the insertion direction is smaller than the length of the hook element.

4. latching connection arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the securing element (14) in the insertion direction less than half the length, preferably one third of the length of the hook element (6).

5. latching connection arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one hook element (6) and the at least one securing element (14) by a gap (34) are spaced from each other.

6. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving portion (3) with a receiving meschräge (27) for cooperation with the hook element (6) is provided.

7. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one receiving contact portion (28) for abutment of the at least one securing element (14) the at least one latching edge (19) of the receiving portion (3) is arranged opposite.

8. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latching hook (8) of the at least one hook element (6) has a latching portion (11) corresponding to a receiving load portion (25) of the latching edge (19), wherein the latching portion (11) and the receiving load section (25) are each provided with a slope.

9. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one hook element (6) and the at least one securing element (14) for a play-free seat in the receiving portion (3) are formed under bias.

10. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one hook element (6) and / or the at least one securing element (14) with bevels for insertion are provided, wherein the receiving portion (3) is formed with a circumferential insertion bevel (22).

11. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one plug-in portion (2) with the first component (4) and the at least one receiving portion (3) with the second component (5) are each formed in one piece.

12. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the at least one plug-in portion (2) on the first component (4) and the at least one receiving portion (3) on the second

Component (5) are each formed attachable.

13. latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latching connection arrangement (1) is made of a plastic material.

14. Housing, in particular electronics housing or terminal block housing with a latching connection arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims