WO2020035287A1

WO2020035287A1 - Connector

Info

Publication number: WO2020035287A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/070161
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Schober
Original assignee: Zf Friedrichshafen Ag
Priority date: 2018-08-17
Filing date: 2019-07-26
Publication date: 2020-02-20
Also published as: DE102018213849A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector (10) for electrically contacting a transmission control unit to a mating connector at an interface, wherein the transmission control unit has a printed circuit board having at least one contact means for electrically contacting the connector (10), a housing (20), an electrical conductor pair (18; 18.1, 18.2) having a first conductor (18.1) and a second conductor (18.2), wherein the conductors (18.1, 18.2) each have an interface-side region (22.1, 22.2) and a printed circuit board-side region (24.1, 24.2) wherein the printed circuit board-side region (24.1, 24.2) has a cross-section that is smaller with respect to the interface-side region (22.1, 22.2).

Description

Interconnects

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a connector for electrically contacting a transmission control unit with a mating connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, the object of the invention is to create a connector for electrically connecting a printed circuit board of a transmission with a transmission hydraulic, which guarantees movement compensation and / or tolerance compensation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a connector having the features of patent claim 1.

Accordingly, it is provided:

- A connector for electrically contacting a transmission control device with a mating connector at an interface, the transmission control device having a printed circuit board with at least one contact means for electrically contacting the connector, with a housing, an electrical conductor pair with a first conductor and with a second Conductors, the conductors each having an interface-side area and a circuit board-side area, the circuit board-side area having a reduced cross section compared to the interface-side area.

Vehicles in the sense of this patent application are motor-driven land vehicles. Rail vehicles are also included.

A gearbox is a machine element with which movement quantities, e.g. B. a torque can be changed. A gearbox generally has a drive to which the force to be translated is fed, and an output from which the translated force is derived.

An interface is the part of an object that interacts with another object. An interface between a connector and a mating connector is accordingly the place where the mating connector and the connector contact.

A connector is a device between at least two functional units, which are electrically and / or mechanically connected by means of the connector. A mating connector is another connector that can be connected to the connector. For example, plug or screw connections often include a connector and a mating connector.

A printed circuit board, also known as a printed circuit board, is a carrier for electronic components. A printed circuit board is used for mechanical fastening of the components and their electrical connection.

Structures with three legs, between which there is essentially a right angle, are U-shaped, two outer legs being longer than a central leg.

An insulating agent is used for the electrical insulation of parts. Accordingly, insulation is made of an electrically non-conductive material, often plastic.

A locking device is a mechanical device for releasably fastening moving parts. For example, seats in a vehicle can be moved in running tracks and then locked in the position that suits the occupants. Another application is the securing of machine or device parts. For example, detents, bolts, pins, pins, screws and clamping or tensioning devices are used for locking. When locking, there is often a play between locked parts. Snap-in connections can come loose if an application of force exceeds a certain threshold. Floating parts have play in one direction, i.e. the parts are not clearly fixed to one another in one direction. As a result, mechanical or thermal changes in length can be absorbed without the bearing becoming tense.

Knife contacts are electrical contacts with a non-circular cross-section. Knife contacts are often cut out of a plate-shaped raw material and processed further, for example by means of stamping and bending processes.

An electrical conductor pair is two electrical conductors for the transmission of electrical signals or electrical current. The conductors can be designed, for example, as stamped parts, turned parts, wire or the like.

A control unit is an electronic module for control or regulation. Control units are used in the automotive sector in all conceivable electronic areas, as well as for the control of machines, systems and other technical processes. A transmission control unit is a control unit in a transmission.

A housing is a solid shell that protects sensitive content or protects the environment from harmful content.

Thermoplastics are plastics that can be molded in a certain temperature range. This process is reversible, which means that it can be repeated as often as required by cooling and reheating to the molten state.

Hydraulic elements are used for signal, power and energy transmission and the supply of lubricant by means of liquids.

Hot caulking is one of the manufacturing processes that create permanent positive, non-positive and, in some cases, material connections. A fastening frame is used to fasten a component on the edge of the component to another component. Mounting frames can be rectangular, round, polygonal or the like.

Soldering is a thermal process for the integral joining of materials, whereby a liquid phase is created by melting a solder or by diffusion at the interfaces. A surface alloy is created, but the workpiece is not melted in depth. After the solder has solidified, a material connection is established, as with welding.

The basic idea of the invention is to create a connector which ensures that electrical contacts can move. In this way, firmly connected electrical conductors of the connector can compensate for movements or manufacturing tolerances of a transmission hydraulics to be connected or a circuit board to be connected.

The invention provides circuit board-side contact areas and interface-side contact areas, the circuit board-side contact areas having a reduced cross section compared to the interface-side contact areas.

This enables a particularly robust connection of the printed circuit board-side contact areas on a printed circuit board, since the cross section of the contact areas to be contacted on the printed circuit board is reduced. For example, it is conceivable to solder the contact areas on the printed circuit board side to a printed circuit board, the soldering eyes being of small dimensions.

Advantageous refinements and developments result from the further subclaims and from the description with reference to the figures of the drawing.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the area on the circuit board side is curved and in particular has a U-shaped section. Due to this corresponding arc shape of the contact areas on the circuit board side, these forces can be absorbed particularly well and thus compensate for movements of valves in the event of a load change, vibrations and the like. If there is an effect of force, the force is largely absorbed by the arcuate structure of the contact areas on the printed circuit board side and accordingly the connection of the contact area on the printed circuit board side to the printed circuit board is protected.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing has a stop in order to limit movement of the connector relative to a printed circuit board. This helps prevent excessive stress.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connector has an electrical insulating means which electrically insulates the conductors from one another. The insulating means can be formed as a wall made of plastic between the conductors. This prevents sparks or short circuits between the conductors, for example due to electrically conductive chips. Accordingly, the insulating means can be designed to ensure protection against chips. This means that additional components to protect against short circuits can be saved.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the housing has a latching means for latching with the printed circuit board, which is in particular floating. The latching means can be designed, for example, as a snap or bracket with spring properties and can be configured to reach through a printed circuit board. Locking means can be set up to take up forces for releasing the connector from the mating connector. This prevents damage to the connection points of the contact areas on the printed circuit board side for connection to the printed circuit board if the connector is to be detached from a mating connector. It is often necessary to disconnect the connector when servicing or repairing gearbox control units.

A floating mounting of a locking device ensures that a certain flexibility or freedom of movement is maintained. According to a preferred development of the invention, the conductors in the area on the interface side are each designed as knife contacts. Knife contacts can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively, for example by means of stamping and bending processes.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the area on the interface side and the area on the printed circuit board side of the conductors are each connected via a soldered connection. Alternatively, it can be provided that the conductors are cut out of a workpiece and therefore no further connection point is required.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the connector has a mounting frame for attachment to the circuit board, the connector being attachable to the mounting frame on a circuit board, in particular by hot caulking and / or screwing. A mounting frame enables a particularly robust and simple attachment of a connector to a circuit board. In particular, different connectors of different dimensions can be fastened to a printed circuit board in a fastening frame. Thus, a connector can be expanded to a connector module with a plurality of connectors.

It goes without saying that connector modules with a plurality of connectors which are fastened to one another are particularly advantageous on account of a reduced mounting wall or a standardized mounting method.

The connector is particularly suitable for contacting a printed circuit board which is equipped with several electronic components for controlling a transmission hydraulics. Accordingly, the invention also relates to a control device for a vehicle transmission with a printed circuit board which is equipped with at least one electronic component for controlling a transmission hydraulic system, a connector being fastened to the printed circuit board. CONTENTS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiments specified in the schematic figures of the drawings. It shows:

Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of an embodiment of the inven tion;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

The accompanying drawings are intended to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, in connection with the description, serve to explain the principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the advantages mentioned arise with regard to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown to scale with respect to one another.

In the figures of the drawings, elements, features and components that are the same, have the same function and have the same effect — unless stated otherwise — are each provided with the same reference symbols. DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EXAMPLES

Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a connector 10 which can be mounted on a circuit board (not shown). The connector 10 comprises a housing 20 and can be fastened to the circuit board by means of fastening domes 34 by hot caulking. The connector 10 also has a pair of conductors 18 with two electrical conductors 18.1 and 18.2 for transmitting electrical current or electrical signals. The conductors 18.1 and 18.2 are soldered in one through-hole of the circuit board. The plated-through hole forms a contact means of the circuit board. Instead of plated-through holes, solder pads can alternatively or additionally be provided.

The conductors 18.1 and 18.2 each have an interface to a conductor of a mating connector (not shown) and are made from two parts, an interface-side region 22.1, 22.2 and a circuit-board region 24.1, 24.2. The area 22.1 or 22.2 on the interface is soldered to the area 24.1 or 24.2 on the circuit board side. In the interface area 22.1,

22.2, the conductors 18.1, 18.2 are each designed as knife contacts. In the area 22.1 22.2 on the circuit board side, the conductors 18.1, 18.2 are designed as thinner connection contacts with a cross section that is reduced compared to the knife contacts.

The conductors 18.1 and 18.2 each have a U-shaped section 25 in the area 24.1, 24.2 on the circuit board side. The U-shaped section 25 is designed to dampen movements or vibrations from the interface-side or conductor-board end of the connector 10 by the U-shaped section 25 yielding to the action of a force.

The housing 20 also has an insulating means 28, which is designed as a wall, which insulates the conductors 18.1 and 18.2 from one another. In order to lock the housing 20 on a circuit board, a locking means 26, which is designed as a snap hook, is provided. The snap hooks are set up to latch in a bore in a printed circuit board and to absorb forces which arise when the connector 10 is released from the mating connector.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a connector 10 according to FIG. 1. The connector 10 is shown in a fastening frame 36 for fastening on a printed circuit board. The fastening frame 36 can be fastened to a printed circuit board by means of fastening domes 34. The attachment can be done by screwing or hot caulking. The fastening frame 36 also has spring areas 38, which are set up to absorb or absorb forces acting on the connector 10. The spring regions 38 form a curved section of the fastening frame 36. The curved section can optionally have predetermined buckling edges in order to absorb forces even more effectively.

The connector 10 or the housing 20 also has a plurality of stops 30, which are set up in cooperation with a printed circuit board, to allow a connector to move freely, e.g. by tilting it.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic bottom view in a perspective view of a connector 10 according to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of a connector 10 according to FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a connector module 100 with six connectors 10 according to FIGS. 1-5. In FIG. 5, the six connectors 10 are mounted in a mounting frame 36 with six slots or mounting locations. Reference connector

conductor pair

ladder

casing

interface side area

PCB-side area

U-shaped section

latching means

insulation

attack

The bosses

mounting frame

Spring area connector module

Claims

claims

1. Connector (10) for electrically contacting a transmission control device with a mating connector at an interface, the transmission control device having a printed circuit board with at least one contact means for electrically contacting the connector (10), with a housing (20) and with

an electrical conductor pair (18; 18.1, 18.2) with a first conductor (18.1) and with a second conductor (18.2), the conductors (18.1, 18.2) each having an interface-side region (22.1, 22.2) and a circuit-board-side region (24.1, 24.2), the area (24.1, 24.2) on the circuit board side having a reduced cross section compared to the area (22.1, 22.2) on the interface side.

2. Connector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board-side region (22.1, 22.2) is curved and in particular has a U-shaped section (25) to absorb a force.

3. Connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (20) has a stop (30) to limit movement of the connector (10) relative to a printed circuit board.

4. Connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (10) has an electrical insulating means (28) which electrically insulates the conductors (18.1, 18.2) from one another.

5. Connector (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (20) has a latching means (26) for latching with the circuit board, which is particularly floating in relation to a circuit board.

6. Connector (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conductor (18;

18.1, 18.2) in the interface-side area (22.1, 22.2) are each designed as knife contacts.

7. Connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the section-side area (22.1 22.2) and the circuit board-side area (24.1 24.2) of the conductors (18.1, 18.2) are each connected via a soldered connection.

8. Connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (10) has a fastening frame (36) for fastening to a printed circuit board, the connector (10) on the fastening frame (36) can be fastened to a printed circuit board, in particular by hot caulking and / or screwing.

9. Connector (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (20) is formed as an encapsulation, which has a thermoplastic.

10. The connector module (100) with a plurality of connectors (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of connectors of the connector module (100) are fastened to one another.

11. Control device for a vehicle transmission with a printed circuit board which is equipped with at least one electronic component for controlling a transmission hydraulic system, a connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1-9 being fastened to the printed circuit board.