EP4070413B1 - Plug connection for transmitting electrical energy - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a plug connection for transmitting electrical energy by detachable contacting, comprising at least one plug contact pin and at least one contact socket, wherein the at least one contact socket is accommodated in a plug connector housing and the plug connector housing interacts with a slider that can be moved relative thereto, so that the plug connection partners are housed in the plugged and secondary-locked contacting position.

Plug connections, contacting elements, pole connectors, plug sleeves, etc. are used in a wide variety of designs and variants to make contact or to create detachable electrically conductive connections. In particular, but not exclusively, for electrical contacting tasks in the higher power range, contact systems have been developed that are based on round contact geometries for accommodating a contact pin, plug contact pin, plug bolt, contact pin, ground bolt and whose starting material consists of a flat contact grid that is brought into the round contact geometry with a hyperbolic twist. These contact systems, known as RADSOK, are characterized by robust and high-density contact production due to the considerable contact surface to the respective contact pin. Alternatively, instead of the hyperbolic twist situation, inward-facing lamella geometries are known, whose lamella contact grid is aligned radially symmetrically.

These contact geometries, which are preferably used as high-current contact sockets, are known as radial contact sockets or hyperbolic contact sockets, socket contacts.

RADSOK contact systems of the aforementioned type are accommodated in connector socket sleeves via their generally cylindrical outer contours and realize the further contact on the outside via the cylindrical surfaces. Contact systems of this type are usually made up of at least one lamellar socket, contact socket, socket contact and at least one plug contact pin, plug bolt, contact pin.

The contact partner of the contact socket is usually a plug contact pin, plug bolt, contact pin with a geometry that is compatible with the lamellar socket. Since the outer surface of the contact pin is the functional surface for the lamellar sleeve, it cannot be housed or accommodated in a housing.

In order to secure the plug connection consisting of a lamella socket and contact pin in its plugged-in, current-contacting position, various locking devices, positioning measures, the so-called secondary locking, have been designed in a force-locking and/or form-locking manner. The same applies to housing measures, sealing tasks, corrosion protection and various other requirements that arise depending on the application.

Housings for the connector and/or its connector partners often serve to protect against contact. For example, the DE 10 2012 105 771 A1 discloses a plug with a contact socket that aims to protect against contact and the ingress of dirt and water. For this purpose, it is proposed to close the insertion opening of the contact socket with a pivotable cover element. By pivoting the cover element, the socket contact arranged in the contact socket is completely released so that the pin contact can be inserted into the socket contact. The protective cover is a pivotably mounted cover element with an associated spring so that the cover element is held in a closed position by the spring in which it closes an insertion opening of the contact socket and the cover element is pivoted by pushing in a pin contact against the force of the spring into an insertion position in which it releases the insertion opening.

The WO 03/047047 A1 proposes a solution for the locking task that includes different plugging forces for connecting and releasing the plug from the contact socket. In a socket element designed as a housing, housing the plug connection, a hole with a groove is made, which is arranged on an inner surface of the hole. The hole creates a shoulder between a groove base and a hole. A flat spring is arranged in the groove to define a spring cavity between the flat spring and the shoulder and a circularly inclined turn. Another, screw or spiral-shaped spring is arranged in the spring cavity. The contact pin is designed with a conical end in such a way that it interacts with the spring combination and can be pushed in and out of the arrangement. During the pushing-in movement, the force required by the screw-shaped spring for its elastic deformation to release the hole must be overcome; during the pushing-out movement, the elements of the flat spring must be deformed.

In order to make plug connections contact-safe and to be able to remove the plugged connection without the use of tools, the DE 10 2005 016 265 A1 a plug connection with a plug and a socket, whereby the plug locks into the socket when plugged in. For this purpose, a locking mechanism is attached to the circumference of the plug or socket. The locking mechanism can preferably be released using a tool and the socket and plug can then be separated from one another. When locking, there is a risk of destruction under mechanical stress, especially in connection with low temperatures.

JP 2006 260920 A discloses a connection assembly comprising a socket connector consisting of a slider and a housing with a female electrical contact, the slider having elastic portions locking a projection of the male electrical contact.

The socket element in the form of a lamella socket has a socket body. The socket body has a circular cylindrical plug receiving space and a conductor receiving space. The plug receiving space has an inner plug receiving space and an outer plug receiving space. The inner plug receiving space has a smaller diameter than the outer plug receiving space. The outer plug receiving space therefore has a larger diameter than the inner plug receiving space. A stop is formed at the transition from the outer plug receiving space with the larger diameter to the inner plug receiving space with the smaller diameter. The stop is realized by reducing the diameter.

Locking means are arranged on the outer circumference of the socket body. The locking means are arranged on the outside of the socket body in the area of the stop arranged on the inside of the socket body. The conductor receiving space serves to accommodate a conductor with which the socket element can be connected to an electrical circuit. A locking element is provided in the outer plug receiving space adjacent to the stop. The locking element is preferably followed by an intermediate space on the side opposite the stop. A contact socket is located in the outer plug receiving space adjacent to the existing intermediate space. The contact socket is flush with the socket body on the outside, preferably flush. The contact socket is electrically connected to the socket body of the socket element. This creates an electrically conductive connection from the contact socket to the conductor arranged in the conductor receiving space.

The contact socket is secured in the outer plug receiving space by pressing it in. The gap serves to accommodate tolerances, so that it is ensured that the locking element still has enough play when the socket element is assembled. The outer diameter of the locking element is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer plug receiving space.

When assembling the socket element, the locking element can be inserted into the outer plug receiving space. The socket body is a turned part with a cylindrical shape and a cylindrical plug receiving space and a cylindrical conductor receiving space. The contact socket is a cylindrical RADSOK socket. Individual contact surfaces located inside the contact socket form cylindrical contact surface means. The locking element is a disk made of thermoplastic material, in particular plastic material. The locking element can also be made of bent wire or a suitably slotted metal disk. The locking element has a recess in the form of a hole.

The contact pin has a first section with a first diameter. The first section is followed by a second section with a second diameter. The second diameter is smaller than the first diameter. The second section is followed by a third section. The third section has locking means adjacent to the second section. The third section has a diameter towards the second section that is larger than the first diameter, but smaller or at most equal to the first diameter. With increasing distance from the second section or the locking means, the diameter of the third section decreases, i.e. the third section is conical. The surface of the first section forms a contact surface of the contact pin.

Many of the known plug connection solutions are optimized and conditioned to meet a specific requirement. The disadvantage of most solutions is that both plug connection partners must have a housing, which is complex and costly. Furthermore, the functional surfaces of the plug connection in both the contact socket and the plug contact pin require complex geometric shapes in both plug contact partners.

In addition to the requirements and functions already mentioned, it can be particularly important for a plug connection that the detachable plug connection only establishes or realizes electrical contact in the locked, secured or latched end position. This requirement and function can be important to prevent damage to the electrical components to be contacted, arcing or unreliable contact.

The object of the invention is to further develop the existing plug contact connections, plug connection, plug contact system, contact system and to at least partially reduce the existing disadvantages. In particular, a plug connection is to be created which excludes electrical contact between the plug connection partners before the locking position is reached.

To solve the problem, the invention proposes a plug connection according to claim 1.

Fig. 1

die Schnitt-Vorderansicht auf die Steckverbindung mit einem als Masseanschluss ausgebildeten Steckbolzen und dem Kontaktierungspartner in Form einer Lamellenbuchse in der Relativposition zueinander vor dem Steckprozess;

Fig. 2

die Schnitt-Vorderansicht auf die Steckverbindung mit einem als Masseanschluss ausgebildeten Steckbolzen und dem Kontaktierungspartner in Form einer Lamellenbuchse in einer teilweise gesteckten Situation;

Fig. 3

die Schnitt-Vorderansicht auf die Steckverbindung mit einem als Masseanschluss ausgebildeten Steckbolzen und dem Kontaktierungspartner in Form einer Lamellenbuchse in gesteckter Situation;

Fig. 4

die Schnitt-Vorderansicht auf die Steckverbindung mit einem als Masseanschluss ausgebildeten Steckbolzen und dem Kontaktierungspartner in Form einer Lamellenbuchse in gesteckter und arretierter, sekundärverriegelter Situation.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment in which the plug contact pin is designed as a ground connection, in conjunction with the figures. In the figures:

Fig. 1

the sectional front view of the plug connection with a plug pin designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket in the relative position to each other before the plugging process;

Fig. 2

the sectional front view of the plug connection with a plug pin designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket in a partially plugged situation;

Fig. 3

the sectional front view of the plug connection with a plug pin designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket in the plugged-in situation;

Fig. 4

the sectional front view of the plug connection with a plug pin designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket in a plugged and locked, secondary-locked situation.

Figure 1 shows the sectional front view of the plug connection 100 with a plug pin 10 designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamella socket 20 in the relative position to each other before the plugging process. The position of the contact pin 10 aligned and perpendicular to the contact socket 20 is the positioning before the plugging process, ie the contact partners are not (yet) engaged. The assembly unit, consisting of at least the slide 110, the socket housing 120 and the socket contact 20 accommodated therein as well as the spring 101, is brought into the plugging position above the plug pin 10.

The spring 101 is designed as a helical spring, compression spring and is preloaded accordingly, so that the slide 110 is displaced in the position shown into an end position relative to the socket housing 120 and against the stop, formed from at least one shoulder 112 and at least one projection 122.

In this positioning situation, the slider 110 is supported in a force-fitting manner with its at least one support hook 111 against the cone 11 and/or the bevel 12 of the contact pin 10, so that the assembly unit consisting of at least the slider 110, the socket housing 120 and the socket contact 20 accommodated therein as well as the spring 101 is arranged in a defined position relative to the plug pin 10. Likewise, the support of the at least one support hook 111 is relevant to the force flow for the compression of the spring 101, since it acts as an abutment for the spring 101 with regard to the movement force and the relative movement path of the housing 120.

The continuation of the electrical contact to a voltage source, an electrical consumer or a ground connection, earthing connection can be carried out via a cover 130. For this purpose, the socket housing cover 130 is equipped with contacting means for the lamellar contact socket 20, which at least partially encompass the outer contour of the lamellar contact socket 20.

On the contact pin side, ie on the plug side of the plug connection 100, all locking and support geometries 11, 12 are integrated into the contact pin 10 itself; there is no surrounding additional geometry in the form of a contact pin housing or the like in which these functions are accommodated. Figure 1 shows a free-standing ground bolt 10, for example welded to a vehicle body.

Figure 2 includes the sectional front view of the plug connection 100 with a plug pin 10 designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket 20 in a partially plugged situation. The plug connection 100 is partially plugged in because the plug path of the plug pin 10 into the lamellar contact socket 20 has not (yet) been completed to its end position in the contact socket 20. The end position is preferably reached after the maximum possible plug path and the locking, secondary locking, is preferably also implemented in the end position.

The amount of the partial plug path, shown in Figure 2 , corresponds to the distance that the plug pin 10 is inserted into the lamellar contact socket 20. The slider 110 is axially displaced relative to the housing 120 with the plugging movement and against the spring force of the spring 101. In this plugging situation, the at least one locking hook 121 rests with a hook bevel 121' on the bevel 12 of the cone 11. The hook bevel 121' and the bevel 12 are coordinated with one another in terms of their bevel such that the deflection of the locking hook 121 is supported with further plugging in the direction of the end position of the plug pin 10 in the lamellar contact socket 20. For this purpose, it is necessary that the angle of attack of the hook bevel 121' is small enough in relation to the axial line so that self-locking of the beveled surface on the bevel 12 is reliably excluded. Typically and depending on the surface condition and smoothness of the surfaces moving relative to each other, an inclination angle of less than 45° is possible.

If the plugging process, for example in the Figure 2 shown situation, aborted, because the external plugging force to overcome further compression of the spring 101 against its already achieved spring preload is no longer exerted, the result is that the plug connection and the contacting situation is terminated. The spring 101 pushes the housing 120 with the lamellar bushing 20 in the axial direction out of the contacting position as a result of the stored spring force, the achieved preload and the force flow support of the at least one support hook 111 on the bevel 12 of the cone 11.

Figure 3 shows the sectional front view of the plug connection 100 with plug pin 10 and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket 20 in the plugged-in situation in the end position. The contact pin 10 is inserted into the contact socket 20 by the maximum possible insertion path. The spring 101 is compressed up to the block position, the housing 120 is inserted into the slide 110 as far as possible and rests against the slide base at the front.

The at least one support hook 111 of the slide 110 is in a partially deflected situation, which is caused by the inner sleeve 123 of the housing 120 depending on the insertion path of the plug pin 10 into the lamella bushing 20. In the deflection situation shown, the support hook 111 is (still) in the function of the abutment for the spring 101 and holds the slide 110 in the position in which it accommodates and encompasses the housing 120, as far as geometrically possible.

The locking function, i.e. the secondary locking of the plug connection 100, is achieved in the end position according to this embodiment and is caused by the latching hook 121 engaging behind the cone 11 on its conical surface 11' as seen in the plugging direction and holding the housing 120 in a releasable, force-fitting manner.

Figure 4 illustrates the sectional front view of the plug connection 100 with a plug pin 10 designed as a ground connection and the contact partner in the form of a lamellar socket 20 in a plugged and locked, secondary locked situation. With the deflection of the at least one support hook 111 out of its support position on and against the cone 11 and/or the bevel 12 of the contact pin 10 and consequently out of its abutment function, the slide 110 is displaced axially and relative to the housing 120 by the pre-tensioned spring 101, so that the part of the plug pin 10 that was still exposed until then is enclosed. The slide end position is preferably defined by a stop, The installation on a vehicle body part is shown. A stop on the housing 120 of the plug connection is also possible.

The residual spring preload as well as the length ratios of the housing 120 and the slide 110 in the axial direction are coordinated in such a way that the plug contact system 100 is stress-free in the secondary locked end position.

reference sign

10

contact pin, plug contact pin, plug bolt, contact pin, ground bolt

11

cone, locking geometry

11'

conical surface, locking surface

12

chamfer, support geometry

20

contact socket, lamellar socket, socket contact

21

receiving space for plug contact pin

100

plug connection, plug contact system, contact system

101

Feather

110

slider

111

support hooks

112

Paragraph

120

socket housing, connector housing, housing

121

locking hook

121'

hook slope

122

projection

123

inner sleeve

130

cover, socket housing cover

Claims (11)

1. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy by means of a releasable contacting arrangement, having at least one plug contact pin (10) and at least one contact socket (20), wherein the at least one contact socket (20) is received in a plug connector housing (120) and the plug connector housing (120) has a slider (110) which is movable relative thereto, with the result that the plug connector partners (10, 20) are housed in a plugged and secondary-locked contacting position, wherein a socket contact (20) and a spring (101) are arranged in the plug connector housing (120), and at least one latching and support geometry (11, 12) is integrated in the plug contact pin (10) and the plug connector housing (120) is supported on the latching and support geometry by at least one latching hook (121) of the plug connector housing (120), with the result that the contacting partners (10, 20) are separated from one another if their relative position with respect to one another is outside the secondary-locking position and the force for separating the contacting partner (10, 20) is a spring force of the spring (101).
2. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one latching hook (121) having the at least one support geometry, designed as a cone (11), realizes a releasable, at least non-positive latching arrangement, secondary-locking arrangement.
3. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one latching and support geometry (11, 12) cooperates with at least one support hook (111) of the slider (110), with the result that the slider (110) is pushed in at least in part into the plug connector housing (120) during the insertion movement of the at least one plug contact pin (10) into the contact socket (20).
4. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one support hook (111) is outward deflected by means of at least one inner sleeve (123) in the secondary-locking position of the contacting partners (10, 20), with the result that the slider (110) is movable out of the plug connector housing (120) in the direction of the enclosing position.
5. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 4, characterized in that the movement of the slider (110) out of the plug connector housing (120) is limited by means of a stop, formed by at least one shoulder (112) and at least one protrusion (122).
6. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the spring force is brought about by means of a spring (101) that is a compression or helical spring.
7. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the spring (101) is arranged at least in part in the slider (110) of the plug connection (100).
8. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 1, characterized in that the plug contact pin (10) is a mass pin, fixed by welding to a vehicle body.
9. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 1, characterized in that the socket housing (120) has a socket housing cover (130) having contacting means for electrically contacting the contact socket (20).
10. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact socket (20) is a lamella contact socket.
11. Plug connection (100) for transmitting electrical energy according to Claim 1, characterized in that the secondary-locking contacting position of the plug connection partners (10, 20) is an end position of the plug connection (100) at the end of the plugging movement.

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