WO2021122622A1

WO2021122622A1 - Short-circuiting bridge for plug-in connection

Info

Publication number: WO2021122622A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/086257
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Bertsch
Original assignee: Amphenol Tuchel Industrial GmbH
Priority date: 2019-12-16
Filing date: 2020-12-15
Publication date: 2021-06-24
Also published as: DE102019134559A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a short-circuiting bridge for switching a short circuit during the plug-in process of a plug-in connection, having a first short-circuiting bridge element, secured to a plug-in connector plug, and at least one second short-circuiting bridge element, secured to a plug-in connector mating plug, wherein at least one of the short-circuiting bridge elements is of rotationally encircling design and can be contact-connected to the at least one second short-circuiting bridge element, so that the short-circuit switching of the short-circuiting bridge is assisted in any desired orientation of the plug-in connection partners in relation to one another during the plug-in connection process. The invention furthermore relates to a plug-in connection with a short-circuiting bridge.

Description

description

Short-circuit bridge for plug connection

The invention relates to a short-circuit bridge for switching a short-circuit when a plug-in connection is plugged in, having a first short-circuit bridge element fixed to a connector plug and at least a second one

Short-circuit bridge element, attached to a connector mating connector. The invention also relates to a plug connection with a short-circuit bridge.

Electrical contact elements, contact arrangements, pluggable and detachable cable connection elements, as well as suitable manufacturing processes for them, are available in the known state of the art. Socket or contact elements or plug connectors can be designed in single-pole or multi-pole contact arrangements and have various types of symmetrical or asymmetrical plug-in patterns, plug faces. In connection technology for electrical contacting tasks, these plug connectors are often implemented as plugs and mating plugs, which can be detached in many ways and are available in different geometric shapes.

The plug contact elements, contact pins, contact blades can, inter alia. have round, angular, prismatic, symmetrical and asymmetrical cross-sections or be designed like a tongue. The connector housings are also of various geometrical shapes: round, elliptical, three, square and polygonal, cascade-like, modular, etc.

Not only, but especially in the case of single and multi-pole plug connections designed as high-current contact elements, it may be necessary for the plug connection partners, ie the plug and the mating plug to contact each other, to have a defined position relative to one another in order to prevent incorrect contact. Other reasons for a predetermined relative position to one another can be installation space situations, areas of movement and collision in the vicinity of the connector, cable guides and cable feeds to the connector location, etc. Another reason for the defined position of the connector partners in relation to one another during the plugging process can lie in the switching function by means of trailing contacts, so that a non-rotationally symmetrical plug-in pattern is formed by the at least two plug-in contacts required. In these known embodiments, the connector partners must be inserted in the correct position so that the short-circuit bridge can be closed. In the case of short, rigid lines, this may be difficult or even impossible due to the stiffness of the line.

Codings are often used in order to achieve this position, which is defined relative to one another, of the connector partners before and / or during the mating process. Codings in this context are preferably understood to mean geometric configurations, such as, for example, corresponding grooves and pins, which support the plugging together of the connector partners only in the correct contacting position and orientation. Another possibility of coding is the asymmetrical plug contact pattern of at least two plug contact elements in the plug contact housing.

It is known in the prior art to provide plug connectors with coding means, this often being possible in the form of coding walls, coding projections, etc. Coding means with complementary shapes are attached to a corresponding counterpart, so that electrical contacting is only possible when the coding means of the connector and the counterpart intermesh. The purpose of such coding means is to ensure that only the plug connector provided for the respective plug connection can be contacted there. In addition, such coding means also ensure the correct polarity and the correct plug-in orientation of the connector partners to one another.

The known coding solutions support the reliable definition of the position of the connector partners in relation to one another in that they can only be plugged in if the correct position or relative orientation to one another has been established beforehand. The problem that has not been solved is that in the worst case the rotational movement can be up to 180 ° or PI radians. As a result, the supply lines attached to the connectors are subjected to torsional stress, which can lead to permanent torsional stress when plugged in. The torsional stress is particularly problematic in the case of considerably stiff supply lines and / or flat cables, multi-core cables due to their pronounced flexural and / or torsional rigidity. One solution offered in the prior art for leading contacts in a rotationally symmetrical design is the so-called chinch connector. Although this known solution offers the possibility of making the plug connection independent of the orientation and in this way preventing the torsional load on the supply lines, it is not always adapted to the specific applications with the internal leading contact pin. Mains hum can be a consequence, for example, because when plugging and unplugging only the leading inner plug pin is temporarily contacted.

Another technical possibility as an alternative to the leading plug contacts are plug connectors with short-circuit bridges. DE 102017 120095 A1 discloses U-shaped contact pins for producing short-circuit bridges and arranged releasably in a housing cover of a connector.

Basically, there are two different types of short-circuit bridges in the prior art. On the one hand, there are connectors with short-circuit bridges that are fixed in a stationary and fixed manner in the connector and, on the other hand, there are connectors with fast-moving or leading short-circuit bridges.

DE 102005 041 472 A1 shows, for example, a plug or coupler of a plug connection for use in the vehicle sector with a short-circuit bridge, the short-circuit bridge used canceling a short circuit when it is plugged together and is held in place in both plug elements.

EP 0 708 500 A1 also shows such a short-circuit jumper of a male electrical connector which, when the male and female connectors are plugged together, is released from the contacts of the male connector and thus releases the short circuit. The short-circuit bridge remains firmly clamped between the two connector halves.

No. 4,224,486 A shows a power connector secured by means of a short-circuit bridge, which in the unmated state short-circuits two plug contacts by means of a short-circuit bar which is pressed against the contact connector with springs. When the power connector is plugged together, the short-circuit bars with appropriately shaped inclined planes are tensioned against the spring force and the short-circuit is released. DE 196 00 542 A1 shows a connector arrangement with a connection verification device, the electrical connector and electrical mating connector of which connects short-circuit contacts of a short-circuit bridge with mating short-circuit contacts of the mating connector in a plugged-in position electrically and in a movement-transmitting manner.

The known connector arrangements with short-circuit bridges are either not rotationally symmetrical and / or have an asymmetrical plug-in pattern, so that the orientation of the plug-in connector partners relative to one another in a correct position is necessary before they are plugged together. As a rule, the switching function takes place via two contacts and a bridge on the opposite side, which short-circuits the contacts. The switching contacts have a defined position there in relation to the mating face and its coding.

With these plug-in connections there is thus the unsolved problem that the plug-in connection plug-in partners have to be brought into their plug-compatible orientation by rotating movements relative to one another. In the worst case, this rotational movement can be up to 180 ° or PI radians. As a result, the supply lines attached to the connectors are subjected to torsional stress, which can lead to permanent torsional stress when plugged in. The torsional stress is particularly problematic in the case of stiff supply lines and / or flat cables, multi-core cables.

It is the object of the invention to at least partially reduce the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide a short-circuit bridge for plug connectors which at least reduces the rotational distance of movement of the plug connectors relative to one another in order to reach the plug-in position.

To solve this, the invention proposes a short-circuit bridge with a structural design that is at least partially independent of the mating face of the connector partner in that the short-circuit bridge is formed by a first short-circuit bridge element, fixed on a connector plug and at least one second short-circuit bridge element, fixed on a connector mating connector, with at least one of the short-circuit bridge elements is designed to rotate around and can be contacted with the at least one second short-circuit bridge element, so that the short-circuit circuit of the Short-circuit bridge is supported in any orientation of the connector partner to each other in the connector process.

The short-circuit bridge can be designed, for example, by a ring and at least one corresponding contact, so that the short-circuit can take place at any stele circumferentially on the ring. The connector can therefore be inserted into the counterpart in any rotational position; the short-circuit position is present regardless of the rotational position.

The teaching according to the invention provides that there is at least one short-circuit bridge element, contact, on one side of the plug face, which can be short-circuited via a further rotating short-circuit bridge element, for example a conductive ring, provided on the opposite side of the connector arrangement. Several possibilities according to the invention are available for the implementation. For example, either the at least one contact can be designed as an elastic spring element, which is short-circuited via a rigid ring, or the at least one contact is rigid or largely inelastic and is short-circuited via a resilient, elastic ring.

The invention recognizes that a practically lagging contacting of the short-circuit bridge with any rotational position to one another enables the connector partners to be plugged together without aligning the orientation. In this way, the rotational movements relative to one another in a plug-compatible orientation are not required, and the torsional load, particularly acting on the supply lines, is reduced or eliminated entirely.

The invention is explained in more detail below using a preferred exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the figures. Show:

1 shows a front view and the sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a plug connection with the short-circuit bridge according to the invention for a plug connector in an open position; 2 shows a front view and the sectional illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a plug connection with the short-circuit bridge according to the invention for a plug connector in a closed position;

3 shows the perspective view of the connector housing as an element of the plug connection with a plug contact pin; FIG. 4 shows the perspective view of the base mating connector as an element of FIG

Plug connection with a round contact;

FIG. 5a shows the detailed sectional representation of the short-circuit bridge according to the invention for a plug connector in an open position according to the situation shown in FIG. 1;

5b shows the detailed sectional illustration of the short-circuit bridge according to the invention for a connector in a closed position according to the situation shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 1 forms a front view (lower illustration) and the sectional illustration (upper sketch) of an exemplary embodiment of the plug connection 1 with the short-circuit bridge 300 according to the invention for a connector in an open position. The short-circuit bridge 300 is designed lagging in this example, so that the short-circuit bridge 300 is (still) open and the plug contact pin 141 and the round contact 155 are already in contact while they are being plugged together.

The connector 1 is primarily formed by plug-in connector elements in the form of a connector plug 140 and a connector mating connector 150. Independent of the short-circuit bridge 300 according to the invention and thus functionally possible, but not absolutely necessary for the invention, a locking system 100 with at least one bayonet ring 110 and locking ring 119 and Backdrop 151.

FIG. 2 shows a front view and the sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the plug connection 1 with the short-circuit bridge 300 according to the invention for a plug connector analogous to FIG. 1, but in a closed position of the short-circuit bridge 300. In the closed position of the short-circuit bridge 300, its elements are contacted and the electrically conductive connection for the short-circuit contact is established. FIG. 3 includes the perspective view of the plug connector housing 140 as an element of the plug connection 1. The plug connector housing 140 of this exemplary embodiment has a plug contact pin 141 corresponding to a round contact 155 of the plug connector mating connector 150.

The connector housing 140 has an element of the short-circuit bridge 300 in the form of a short-circuit contact ring 310. Other configurations corresponding to the further element of the short-circuit bridge 300 are also possible, for example partially circumferential rings, polygonal contacts, cylindrical contact sections. The short-circuit contact ring 310 can be largely rigid or at least partially elastic, i. H. be designed to be resilient or deformable, an electrically conductive material being preferred as the base material.

FIG. 4 shows the perspective view of the base mating connector, connector mating connector 150 as an element of the plug connection 1 with a round contact 155. This exemplary embodiment is designed with a flange plate 153 and has components of the optional locking system 100 in the form of at least one gate 151.

In order to implement the short-circuit bridge 300 according to the invention for plug connectors, at least one short-circuit contact finger 320 is provided, preferably with an internal alignment and extension in the axial direction. In order to ensure the reliability of the short-circuit contacting, several short-circuit contact fingers 320 can be provided; the example in FIG. 4 shows two short-circuit contact fingers 320.

The invention supports various configurations of the at least one short-circuit contact finger 320 with regard to geometry and deformation properties. The short-circuit contact finger 320 can be designed to match its contact partner, ie in this example the short-circuit contact ring 310, largely rigid or at least partially elastic, resilient, deformable, an electrically conductive material being preferred as the base material. All configurations that support the contact, for example tongue shapes, projections, bulges and the like, come into consideration as the geometric shape. FIG. 5a illustrates the detailed sectional view of the short-circuit bridge 300 according to the invention for a connector 1 in an open position according to the situation shown in FIG. 1. The at least one short-circuit contact finger 320, exemplarily designed here as a tongue, extends in the arrangement largely parallel to the central axis M in the axial direction and is located not (yet) in the contacting situation with the short-circuit contact ring 310.

As a result of the axial extension of the at least one short-circuit contact finger 320 largely parallel to the center axis M and the circumferential design of the short-circuit contact ring 310, the connector partners 140, 150 can be plugged into each other in any rotational position and the short-circuit bridge 300 can be short-circuited or contacted. Thus, in the case of a rotationally symmetrical and / or at least orientation-independent plug-in contact pattern of the contacting partner 141, 155, plugging of the plug-in connection 1 in any orientation to one another is supported. In this way, the invention achieves a plug-in situation that largely dispenses with rotational movements of the plug-in connection plug-in partners relative to one another in their plug-in-compatible orientation and torsional loads hardly occur or not at all.

FIG. 5b illustrates the situation of the short-circuit bridge 300 according to the invention for a plug connector 1 in a closed position, according to the plug-in arrangement shown in FIG.

In order to increase the contacting force radially to the center axis M in the direction of the surface of the short-circuit contact ring 310, the tongue end 322 of the short-circuit contact finger 320 rests against a housing section of the connector mating connector 150, so that the contacting force corresponds to the spring effect of the elastic deformation of the tongue 321 caused when the tongue 321 is plugged together. Other geometric configurations are also supported by the invention, for example spiral-shaped or U-shaped short-circuit contact fingers 320.

The extension space provided for the at least one short-circuit contact finger 320 is designed in such a way that there is a head gap in the plugged-in state, ie a gap greater than zero in the axial direction for the tongue end 322. This head gap is ensured by housing projections or housing lugs, which are designed as stops. LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS. Plug connector, plug connection

100 locking system for connectors

110 bayonet ring

119 lock ring

140 connector housings, connector plugs

141 Contact, round contact, plug contact pin

150 socket, socket mating connector, connector mating connector

151 setting, bayonet setting, bayonet slot, control setting

153 Base plate, flange plate

155 Contact, round contact, lamellar contact socket

300 short-circuit bridge

310 short-circuit contact ring, first short-circuit bridge element

320 short-circuit contact finger, second short-circuit bridge element

321 tongue

322 end of tongue

M central axis

Claims

ok

Expectations

Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug-in connection (1), comprising a first short-circuit bridge element (310) attached to a connector plug (140) and at least one second short-circuit bridge element (320) attached to a connector mating plug (150), characterized that at least one of the short-circuit bridge elements (310, 320) is designed to rotate around and can be contacted with the at least one second short-circuit bridge element (320), so that the short-circuit circuit of the short-circuit bridge (300) is supported in any orientation of the connector partners to each other during the plug-in connection process.

Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug-in connection (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the short-circuit bridge elements (310, 320) is designed to be elastically deformable at least in some areas, so that reliable contacting of the elements is supported.

Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug connection (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that two or more short-circuit bridge elements (320) are arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically in the plug connection (1).

Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug connection (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that a short-circuit bridge element is designed as a short-circuit contact ring (310) in a rotating manner.

Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug connection (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the short-circuit contact ring (310) provides a contacting section for at least one second short-circuit bridge element (320) at least in some areas on its outer surface. 6. Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug connection (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one second short-circuit bridge element is designed as a short-circuit contact finger (320).

7. Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug connection (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the short-circuit contact finger (320) with a tongue (321) is tongue-shaped and is largely parallel to the center axis of the plug connection (1) extends.

8. Short-circuit bridge (300) for switching a short circuit during the plugging process of a plug connection (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the short-circuit contact finger (320) has a tongue end (322) which can be placed against a housing section, so that the contacting force of the short-circuit contact finger ( 320) corresponds to the elastic deformation of the tongue (321) caused when it is plugged together.

9. Plug connection (1), comprising a first and at least one second connector partner (140, 150) with connector contacts (141, 155) and a short-circuit bridge (300) according to one of the preceding claims.

10. Plug connection (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the short-circuit bridge elements (310, 320) of the short-circuit bridge (300) with respect to the connector contacts (141, 155) of the plug connection (1) are arranged lagging.

11. Plug connection (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the short-circuit bridge elements (310, 320) of the short-circuit contact bridge (300) and the connector contacts (141, 155) of the plug connection (1) has a symmetrical, in particular rotationally symmetrical plug-in pattern, so that the Connector elements (140, 150) can be plugged to one another in any orientation.