WO2012152491A1

WO2012152491A1 - Cable connecting device, and cable connector

Info

Publication number: WO2012152491A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/054853
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heinz Reichert
Original assignee: Zf Friedrichshafen Ag
Priority date: 2011-05-09
Filing date: 2012-03-20
Publication date: 2012-11-15
Also published as: DE102011075513A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable connecting device for a transmission system, in particular for a hybrid transmission system, for connecting a cable (2) to an electronic component that is placed in a housing (1). A conductive connection can be produced between the cable (2) and an electronic component connecting part (3) placed in the housing (1) via a cable connector (4). Furthermore, a conductor (6) of the cable connector (4) is led through an opening (7) in the housing (1), said conductor being in contact with the connecting part (3) within the housing (1). The cable connector (4) has a clamping device (20) outside of the housing (1), said clamping device removably fixing the cable (2) on the conductor (6) in the clamping position. The invention further relates to a cable connector that is suitable for the aforementioned cable connecting device.

Description

Cable connection device and cable connectors

The invention relates to a cable connection device for a transmission, in particular for a hybrid transmission, for connecting a cable to an electronic component placed in a housing, wherein a conductive connection between the cable and a connector part of the electronic component placed in the housing can be produced via a cable connector. The invention further relates to a cable connector which is suitable for an aforementioned cable connection device.

In the context of the hybridization of motor vehicles, systems are also used, inter alia, for parallel hybrids, in which an electric motor provided parallel to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle is integrated in a housing of a motor vehicle transmission in a space-saving manner. At this point, the electric motor according to the known possibilities of a parallel hybrid drive for purely electrical operation of a drive train of the motor vehicle, to Bo- east when driving on the internal combustion engine, to recuperate electrical energy during a deceleration of the motor vehicle and to perform start-stop Systems used. To connect the electric motor with a lying outside of the gearbox battery, and possibly other electronic components high voltage cables and corresponding cable connection devices in the field of transmission are used, the latter via a connection of the high voltage cable to the respective electronic components of the electric motor.

From DE 10 2008 034 354 A1 a cable connection device of a hybrid transmission is known in which a high-voltage cable is connected to an electronic component of an electric motor placed in a transmission housing. In this case, the high-voltage cable is guided via a corresponding opening in the gearbox housing into the interior of the housing, where it is conductively connected via a cable connector to a connection part of the electronic component formed in the gearbox housing. This cable connector is formed by a threaded connection block, via which a connection part of the electronic components in the form of a cable lug and a cable lug of the high-voltage cable via a threaded bolt be brought into contact with each other. For this purpose, the threaded bolt is passed through each corresponding holes in the cable lugs and screwed to the threaded connection block, so that the cable lugs come into contact with each other. The threaded connection block thus forms a receiving point for the high voltage cable and a contact area for the cable lug of the electronic component.

Based on the above-described prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a cable connection device in which the least possible impairment of existing components is necessary and this also sealing problems in the region of the respective housing are avoided. In addition, this cable connection device should be accessible as easily as possible for connecting a high-voltage cable. It is another object of the present invention to provide a corresponding cable connector for implementing the aforementioned object.

This object is achieved on the basis of the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with its characterizing features. The following dependent claims give advantageous embodiments of the invention. A suitable for the solution of the task execution of a cable connector is apparent from the independent claim 5.

According to the invention, a cable connection device connects a cable to an electronic component placed in a housing. In this case, a conductive connection between the cable and a, placed in the housing connector part of the electronic component is produced via a cable connector. The cable connector has a receiving point for the cable and a contact area for connecting to the connection part of the electronic component. The housing here is in particular a transmission housing of a hybrid transmission. In addition, in the context of the invention, the cable is preferably a high-voltage cable and the electronic component is starter windings of an electric motor, which is integrated in the transmission housing as part of a parallel hybrid system. The cable is preferably connected via a terminal lug to the cable connector, while rend a connection part of the electronic component is designed in particular as a busbar in the gear housing. However, the cable connection device according to the invention can also be used for connecting a cable to other hybrid vehicle components, such as an inverter, a battery, a DC / DC converter, etc. In addition, a use with large cable cross-sections is generally conceivable in which no suitable plugs are available.

The invention now includes the technical teaching that the cable connector is passed through an opening in the housing with a current guide, which is in contact with the connection part of the electronic component within the housing. Outside the housing, the cable connector on a clamping device which fixes the cable in the clamping position releasably on the current guide. The current conductor is designed as an elongate component and has, at opposite ends in each case, the receiving location for the cable and the contact area for connection to the connection part of the electronic component. Here, the current guide is composed of at least one conductive component, wherein in the region of the receiving location, the clamping device is provided for releasably fixing the cable on the current conductor.

The inventive design of a cable connector and its passage through the housing, it is possible to place the receiving point for the cable outside the housing, so that the cable for making the connection does not have to be passed through the housing. In this case, the housing can be optimally sealed by appropriate seals, such as O-rings, are provided between the opening in the housing and the passed current guide, and other components of the cable connector. Since the cable connector is provided here stationary, these seals are thereby low loads due to at most low relative movements between the housing and Kabelanschlussbaueinheit, for example, by vibrations during operation of the transmission subject. Furthermore, a simple connection and disconnection of the cable outside the housing can be done with good accessibility. Finally, the cable connector can be provided with only minor adjustments to the housing. For the purposes of the invention, a clamping device is to be understood here as a device by means of which the cable is held at the receiving location by reducing a corresponding gap, by means of which a force-fit connection therefore takes place. Under releasable fixing is to be understood that the cable is fixed by appropriate operation of the clamping device and a concomitant transfer into the clamping position, but this fixation can be canceled by another operation of the clamping device and return of the same in a starting position.

In contrast to this, in DE 10 2008 034 354 A1, the cable must be passed through the transmission housing and a conductive connection to the connection part of the electronic component must be made within the transmission housing. Here, on the one hand, a sealing of the gear housing is difficult, since in this case the passage of the cable must be sealed. Although in the case of DE 10 2008 034 354 A1, an O-ring is placed in the leadthrough, which seals a gap between the cable and the opening of the gear housing, but this O-ring can be displaced by movements of the cable, which is usually long-running be, which endangers oil leakage of the gear housing. In addition, the connection area between the cable and the connection part of the electronic component is difficult to access, since this is provided inside the transmission housing. For a connection and disconnection of the cable, therefore, the gear housing must first be opened, which is a considerable expense.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the cable connector is releasably locked in the opening of the housing. In particular, the cable connector in this case has a Sperrfinne, which emerges upon insertion of the cable connector with the current conductor in the opening through a passage of a closure element. In a subsequent twisting of the cable connector in the breakthrough this Sperrfinne then engages behind the closure element. By means of such a configuration, it is possible to attach the cable connector in a simple manner to the housing by this inserted into the opening and then fixed on the Sperrfinne on the housing by engaging behind the closure element. In this case, the cable connector preferably also has a shoulder that comes into contact with the outer side of the housing when it is being carried out, which, together with the engaging behind the locking fin, ensures that the cable connector is secured in the passage of the housing. In particular, this closure element is provided in the housing in the region of the opening and connected to the housing. In principle, however, a placement outside the housing is conceivable.

The closure element placed inside the housing is advantageously designed as a leg spring, wherein a leg of the leg spring facing away from the cable connector has a trough. In this trough the Sperrfinne comes when twisting the cable guide with simultaneous bias of the leg spring to lie. Due to the bias of the leg spring and the cable connector is biased against the housing, thus ensuring its tight fit. In addition, a continuous contact of the current conductor with the connection part of the electronic component is ensured.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the cable connector, the clamping device is designed on a tie rod, which also forms at an opposite end of the aforementioned barrier fins. The provision of this tie rod has the advantage that it provides in the above-described locking on the trained Sperrfinne on the one hand for attachment to the housing and on the other forms the basis for the clamping device. Preferably, the tie rod is formed at least in the region of the clamping device of a plastic material to prevent unwanted conduction of electrical current to the clamping device. In the context of the invention but also a complete design of the tie rod made of a plastic material is conceivable.

In a further development of the invention, the clamping device is formed by a rotatably mounted on a U-shaped projection of the tie rod clamping lever, which has a clamping cam. This Klemmnocken reduced at a transfer to a clamping position by turning the clamping lever in the U-shaped approach a gap opening between them and the receiving point, which then leads to the intentional terminals of the cable. The use of a clamping lever has the advantage that a manageable introduction of force for clamping the cable is possible. By the two-sided storage of the clamping lever in the U-shaped approach it is also ensured that the gap opening does not unintentionally widened after transferring the clamping lever in the clamping position. According to the design of the cross section of the clamping cam, a correspondingly desired force profile can be designed when transferring the clamping lever into the clamping position. In particular, a design of the clamping cam with a parabolic-like cross-section is conceivable. Finally, a material attachment is preferably provided in the region of an axis of rotation on the clamping lever, which ensures a displacement of the center of gravity of the clamping lever in the vicinity of the axis of rotation to prevent inadvertent or independent release of the clamping connection by, for example, vibrations.

In a further development of the invention, the clamping cam is located with a vertex in the clamping position on a plane passing through an axis of rotation of the clamping lever. Such positioning of the clamping cam relative to the axis of rotation of the clamping lever has the advantage that the clamping lever is thus in the clamping position in self-locking, so that its independent snap back is prevented. As an alternative or complementary measure, the clamping device is accommodated in a mounted on the housing connection housing, wherein a cover of the connection housing in the assembled state holds the clamping device in the clamping position. In this case, therefore, this cover blocks snapback and thus unintentional opening of the clamping device, which could occur during operation, for example as a result of impacts, vibrations, etc. As a further measure against unintentional loosening of the clamping device, a corresponding fixation on the clamped power cable could take place even after the transfer of the clamping lever into the clamping position.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the clamping cam is provided at a vertex with a knob. As a result, the clamping force acting on the cable in the gap opening of the receiving point can be further increased. In addition, in combination with a corresponding bore on the cable, in particular on the cable lug, in addition to the frictional also a form-fitting connection are designed and also provided for a clamping of the cable in the correct position.

In a further development of the invention, the current conductor is surrounded by an insulator at least over a predominant part of its longitudinal extent. This measure ensures reliable insulation of the current-carrying components relative to the housing. This insulator can be designed in particular as a socket in which the other components are added.

The invention is not limited to the specified combination of the features of the independent claims or the dependent claims. It also results in ways to combine individual features, even if they emerge from the claims, the following description of embodiments or directly from the drawings. The reference of the claims to the drawings through the use of reference numerals is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which refers to the figures shown in the drawings. It shows:

1 is a sectional view of the cable connecting device according to the invention according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of individual parts of a cable connector of the cable connection device according to FIG. 1; FIG.

3A, 3B are views of a closure element of the cable connection device according to FIG. 1; and

4 shows a sectional view of a cable connection device according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a cable connecting device according to the invention according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. These Cable connection device is arranged on a hybrid transmission, in the housing 1 a - not shown here - electric motor of a parallel hybrid system is added. An electronic component of this electric machine, in particular a stator, is likewise arranged inside the housing 1 and communicates conductively with a cable 2 located outside the housing. For this purpose, the - not further shown - electronic component via a connection part 3, which is indirectly connected via an intermediate cable connector 4 with a cable lug 5 of the cable 2.

The cable connector 4 is for this purpose passed through a passage 7 of the housing 1 with a current guide 6, wherein this current guide 6 composed of a current sleeve 8 and a contact disc 9. The current sleeve 8 and the contact disk 9 are in this case in each case as electrically conductive components, preferably made of a metal, and insulated by an insulator in the form of a surrounding sleeve 10 relative to the housing 1. The current sleeve 8 forms on the part of the connection part 3, a contact region 1 1 of the current conductor 6 and the contact disc 9 on the part of the cable lug 5, a receiving point 12 of the current conductor 6.

The cable connector 4 further comprises a tie rod 13, via which the cable connector 4 is locked in the opening 7 of the housing 1. For this purpose, the tie rod 13 enters at a lower end with a closure element in the form of a leg spring 14 in operative connection, via which the tie rod 13 and with this the cable connector 4 are biased against the connecting part 3. The operative connection between the tie rod 13 and the spring 14 will now be described in more detail with reference to the perspective view of Fig. 2, as well as the views of the leg spring 14 in Figs. 3A and 3B.

As is apparent from the perspective view of Fig. 2, the tie rod 13 has at a lower end via a Sperrfinne 15, which is formed by two transversely extending from the tie rod 13 sections. It can be seen from the views in FIGS. 3A and 3B that the leg spring 14 has a passage 16 which corresponds in cross section to the diameter of the tie rod 13 in the lower region with the locking fin 15 attached thereto. If the tie rod 13 now at Assembly of the cable connector 4 inserted into the housing 1 through the opening 7, so the Sperrfinne 15 can dive in overlap with the passage 16 through this and thus through the leg spring 14 therethrough. If the cable connector 4 and thus also the tie rod 13 is then rotated, then the Sperrfinne 15 rotates relative to the bushing 16 and can not return through this. During the rotation of the tie rod 13, the Sperrfinne 15 also moves along a lower leg of the leg spring 14 until it comes to rest on either side in a trough 17, as indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1. By adjusting this bias of the leg spring 14 and the tie rod 13 is biased in the direction of the connection part 3 and pushes the current sleeve 8 by means of an intermediate spring member 18 on the connector part 3. In this way a continuous contact between the connector part 3 and the current sleeve 8 is ensured. In addition, by the bias of the cable connector 4 in the opening 7 and a tightness of the housing 1 in combination with correspondingly provided O-rings between sleeve 10 and breakthrough 7, between sleeve 10 and power sleeve 8 and between power sleeve 8 and tie rod 13 guaranteed.

At one of the fin 15 opposite end of the tie rod 13 also leads to a U-shaped projection 19 a clamping device 20, which by a in

U-shaped projection 19 rotatably mounted clamping lever 21 is formed. In particular, from Fig. 1 it can be seen that this clamping lever 21 has near its axis of rotation via a clamping cam 22 which reduces a gap opening between itself and the receiving point 12 when rotating the clamping lever 21 from an open position into the clamping position shown in FIG. Upon reaching the clamping position, the gap opening between the clamping cam 22 and the receiving point 12 is reduced such that the positioned in this area cable lug 5 of the cable 2 is pressed onto the contact disc 9 and fixed non-positively in this position. Since the contact disk 9 is pressed onto the current sleeve 8 by the clamping force applied by the clamping cam 22, an electrically conductive connection between the connecting part 3 via the current sleeve 8 and the contact disk 9 to the cable lug 5 and thus to the cable 2 is ensured. The strength of the clamping force is defined by the contour of the clamping cam 22, which is parabolic in this case. In order to prevent unwanted snapping back of the clamping lever 21 after fixing the cable lug 5, the clamping cam 22 is arranged relative to the clamping lever 21, that a vertex 23 of the clamping cam 22 in the clamping position shown in Fig. 1 on a through the axis of rotation of the clamping lever 21st extending level lies. As a result, a self-locking of the clamping lever 21 is achieved, which prevents the unwanted loosening during operation, for example due to vibrations or shocks. However, in order to further increase safety, the clamping lever 21 is also held in the clamping position by a cover 24 of a connection housing, which is not further illustrated here and serves to receive the clamping lever 21 and other parts of the cable connector 4.

Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows a second preferred embodiment of a cable connection device according to the invention. In contrast to the variant described in advance, in this case, a nub 27 is provided on a clamping cam 25 at the apex 26 thereof, which in the clamping position of the clamping lever 21 shown in FIG. 4 engages in a bore 28 of the cable lug 5. As a result of this bordering, in addition to the frictional connection via the clamping force of the clamping cam 25, a positive connection between the cable lug 5 and the clamping cam 25 is also formed. Thus, the risk of accidental slipping out of the cable 2 from the receiving point 12 is significantly reduced. In addition, this can ensure that the cable 2 is clamped in a correct position.

By means of the embodiments of a cable connection device according to the invention, an electrically conductive connection can be formed between the respective cable and a connection part of an electronic component, without an oil-tightness of a housing of the respective hybrid transmission being impaired. In addition, this connection is easily accessible by the inventive design of a cable connector, so that a simple connection and disconnection of the cable can be made. In addition to the application in the field of a hybrid transmission, however, the application of the cable connection device according to the invention in the range of other hybrid components comes into consideration, such as inverters, batteries, DC / DC converters, etc. REFERENCE CHARACTERS

casing

electric wire

connector

cable connectors

lug

current leader

breakthrough

power sleeve

contact disc

Rifle

contact area

receiving location

tie rods

Leg spring

blocking Finn

execution

trough

spring element

U-shaped approach

clamping device

clamping lever

clamping cams

vertex

cover

clamping cams

vertex

burl

drilling

Claims

claims

1 . Cable connection device for a transmission, in particular for a hybrid transmission, for connecting a cable (2) to an electronic component placed in a housing (1), wherein a cable connector (4) has a conductive connection between the cable (2) and one in the housing ( 1), the cable connector (4) is guided through an aperture (7) in the housing (1) with a current guide (6), which within the housing (1) with the Connecting part (3) is in contact, wherein the cable connector (4) outside the housing (1) has a clamping device (20) which fixes in the clamping position, the cable (2) releasably on the current guide (6).

2. Cable connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cable connector (4) in the opening (7) of the housing (1) is releasably locked.

3. Cable connection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cable connector (4) has a Sperrfinne (15) which upon insertion of the cable connector (4) with the current conductor (6) in the opening (7) through a passage (16). a closure element dives and upon rotation of the cable connector (4) in the opening (7) engages behind the closure element.

4. Cable connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the closure element as in the housing (1) placed leg spring (14) is executed, wherein a cable connector (4) facing away leg of the leg spring (14) has a recess (17), in which the Sperrfinne (15) upon rotation of the cable connector (4) under bias of the leg spring (14) comes to rest.

5. cable connector (4), with a receiving point (12) for a cable (2) and with a contact region (1 1) for connection to a connection part (3) of an electronic component, characterized in that the receiving point (12) and the contact area (1 1) are formed at each opposite end of an elongate current conductor (6), which is composed of at least one conductive component, wherein in the region of the receiving point (12) a clamping device (20) for releasably fixing the cable (2) on the current guide (6) is configured.

6. Cable connector according to claim 5, characterized in that the clamping device (20) on a tie rod (13) is configured, which also forms at a opposite end a Sperrfinne (15).

7. Cable connector according to claim 6, characterized in that the clamping device (20) by a on a U-shaped projection (19) of the tie rod (13) rotatably mounted clamping lever (21) is formed, which via a clamping cam (22; has, when transferred to a clamping position by turning the clamping lever (21) reduces a gap opening between itself and the receiving point (12) of the current conductor (6).

8. Cable connector according to claim 7, characterized in that the clamping cam (22; 25) with a vertex (23; 26) in the clamping position on a through an axis of rotation of the clamping lever (21) extending plane.

9. Cable connector according to claim 7, characterized in that the clamping cam (25) at a vertex (26) with a knob (27) is provided.

10. Cable connector according to claim 7, characterized in that a center of gravity of the clamping lever (21) is positioned near a rotational axis of the clamping lever (21).