WO2009015926A1 - Elongate component having an inner conductor - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an elongate component (1) for insertion in a receiving section of a structural unit or the like or for mechanically connecting two structural units (connecting element) or the like. The invention is characterized in that the component (1) consists of an electrically non-conducting material (7), at least one electric inner conductor (10) extending through it in the longitudinal direction, said inner conductor being embedded in the material (7) and being accessible at the faces (11).

Description

 description

Title Elongated component with inner conductor

The invention relates to an elongated component for insertion into a receptacle of a component according to the preamble of claim 1.

State of the art

Elongated components for insertion into a receptacle of a component or the like or for the mechanical connection of two components, ie in particular as connecting elements, are known. Here, the elongated member is used to connect two or more existing, separate components, for example, to screw or connect in the manner of a bolt. The object of the elongated component consists here in the provision of power transmission and / or supports, so that the components to be connected are held and / or the elongate component in turn a holding function independent of the to be connected

Exercises components. In the broadest sense, the elongated component in the prior art thus serves for mechanical fixation. An embodiment as a press-fit or the like is also conceivable.

Disclosure of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide an elongated component of the generic type, which has additional benefits in addition to the known functions.

For this purpose, an elongated component for insertion into a receptacle of a component or the like or for mechanically connecting two components (connecting element or the like) is proposed, wherein it is provided that the device consists of electrically non-conductive material and in the longitudinal direction of at least one, in the material embedded, to the End faces accessible, electrical inner conductor is penetrated. According to the invention, the elongated component accordingly has the advantage of having an electrical inner conductor which penetrates the elongated component in the longitudinal direction and thus allows the electrical conduction in the longitudinal direction of the component in addition to its known, other functions. For example, it is possible to electrically conductively connect to one another via the inner conductor of the component in housings or housing parts to be connected. Separate cabling and / or plug-in devices, as they are known from the prior art and mean a significant and expensive design effort, this is not required.

In one embodiment, the electrically non-conductive material is ceramic and / or plastic. In this embodiment, a particularly good electrical insulation of the electrical inner conductor relative to the components to be connected is effected, wherein the ceramic and / or the plastic can be selected depending on the application, depending on whether a particularly high tensile strength of the connecting element is required or not. In this way, in many areas and based on the particular application cost-effectively provided with an electrical inner conductor connecting elements, namely the elongated components, provide.

In a further embodiment, the component is a press-fit pin. A press-in pin is a pin which is pressed into a substantially shape-adapted recess using force, and is kept there by stimulus. When attaching the recess in a plurality of components to be connected, the stimulus is effected on all these components after pressing in the press-fit pin, so that they are held together.

In another embodiment, the device is a screw. Screws are known; they can be manufactured in the manner proposed here in virtually all possible screw geometries. As a result, the application of the device with the embedded inner conductor with almost all technical areas is opened. In a further embodiment, the inner conductor has a cylindrical or polygonal diameter. The shape of the inner conductor can be adapted to the respective requirements, in particular its cross-section can be such that it has a desired current carrying capacity and / or via its arrangement within the elongated component and the thickness of the electrically non-conductive material surrounding it a high voltage breakdown strength. It can be designed in terms of its cross-sectional configuration so that it supports the torque transmission, for example, when screwing a designed as a screw elongated device.

In a further embodiment, the inner conductor has a contact surface at at least one of its ends. In this case, a contact surface is a surface at one of the ends of the inner conductor, which serves for contacting the inner conductor with another component located in its surroundings. The contact surface can be configured differently and designed according to the respective requirements and purposes. For this purpose, it penetrates an end face of the elongate component, that is to say the electrically nonconductive material, and in this case is formed in one piece with the electrical inner conductor. It is also conceivable a multi-level training, ie such that the contact surface with the inner conductor is indeed connected, but not part of the same.

In a further embodiment, the contact surface is aligned with the associated end face of the component. This means that the contact surface of the respectively associated end face is geometrically adapted; If the end face is designed, for example, as a flat surface, then the contact surface is likewise flat and does not protrude beyond the end face, nor is it arranged in a receding manner with respect to it. By contrast, if the end face is convex, for example, the contact surface is also formed as part of the convex formation of the end face, such that it neither projects beyond the geometry of the end face nor springs back behind it. In another embodiment, the inner conductor has at least at one end a solder connection, a welding connection or a surface for wire bonding. Solder connections are known; they are used for soldering or soldering components or connections, such as connecting cables. The solder connection is therefore in the broadest sense an interface between the inner conductor and another electrical conductor. Further suitable connections are welding connections, ie those which serve for welding to another component, or surfaces for wire bonding for connection to other components by means of wire bonding. In this way, the device can be used for the most part universally and for other purposes, especially for those in which the contact is made by manual or automated soldering.

In a further embodiment, the inner conductor protrudes beyond the electrically non-conductive material with at least one end. In contrast to a previously described embodiment, the inner conductor is therefore not aligned with the associated end face, but projects beyond it. As a result, for example, training as a pin for laser welding or as a piercing pin for contacting and / or realize with Flexfolien, as well as training as a solder pin or pin for insulation displacement connections. The end face of the inner conductor projecting beyond the end face is in this case adapted to the respectively required contact-making form, for example conical or pointed or flat.

Further advantageous embodiments will become apparent from the dependent claims and combinations thereof.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments and figures. Show it

Figure 1 is an elongate component in longitudinal section with embedded

Inner conductor; Figure 2 shows an elongated component in longitudinal section with the electrically non-conductive material superior inner conductor;

FIG. 3 shows an elongate component designed as a plug pin with a rectangular cross section and a corresponding contact surface;

Figure 4 is designed as a plug pin elongate component with two embedded, the electrically non-conductive material on one side superior inner conductors and

FIG. 5 shows a head of such a component, in which two inner conductors each have a solder connection.

Embodiment (s) of the invention

FIG. 1 shows an elongated component 1, which is designed as a screw 2. The screw 2 is a machine screw 3 with a screw head 4 and a Schraubengwinde 5. The screw head 4 and the screw thread 5 together form the screw body 6, which consists of electrically non-conductive material 7, for example made of plastic 8. In the longitudinal direction, is symmetrical to a Component longitudinal axis 9, embedded in full length of the screw 2, an electrical inner conductor 10 which passes through the screw 2 in axial extension. The electrical inner conductor 10 has, not visible here, a cylindrical or polygonal cross-section. It is accessible at the end faces 11 of the component 1, so there is not covered by the electrically non-conductive material 7, from which the screw 2 consists. As a result, contact surfaces 13 form at ends 12 of the electrical inner conductor 10, namely regions 14 in which the ends 12 of the electrical inner conductor 10 come to light at the end faces 11 of the component 1. This makes it possible to effect a through-connection of the one, lower end 15 of the electrical inner conductor 10 to its other, upper end 16 and thus not shown joining parts, which are connected by the screw 2, via the screw 2, namely the inner conductor 10, electrically connectable to each other mechanically connect. The electrically non-conductive material 7 of the screw body 6 in this case preferably has a such tensile strength as required for the particular application.

FIG. 2 shows an elongate component 1 in a design as a screw 2, wherein the screw 2 has a screw head 4 which is convex on the upper side. The screw 2 is in turn penetrated by the electrical inner conductor 10, wherein the upper end 16 has a convex configuration corresponding to the head-side end face 11 of the screw 2, ie convex in the geometry of the screw head 4 receives and this does not dominate, but a form adapted to the screw head 4 , this neither protruding nor receding contact surface 13 forms. At the opposite end face 11 of the screw 2, namely at the lower end 15 of the electrical conductor 10, this is designed as a piercing pin 17, which projects beyond the front end 11 forming a front end of the screw 18. The piercing pin 17 serves for contacting, for example, flex foils or other conductive contact elements, which are at least partially compliant, in that the piercing pin 17 presses into these contact elements at least in sections and thereby establishes an electrical contact. The impressions of the Piercingstiftes 17 is preferably carried out in the course of screwing the screw 2, so that in one operation connecting parts not shown here in the course of screwing as well as the electrical contacting of the electrical inner conductor 10 via the piercing pin 17 with not shown, with the piercing pin 17 cooperating contact elements.

FIG. 3 shows the component 1 in an embodiment as a screw 2, the screw head 4 being designed as a countersunk screw head 19. This means that the screw head 4 has such a geometry, which tapers axially from the end face 11 of the screw 2 towards the screw thread 5 in diameter, whereby a retraction of the screw 2 in the uppermost lying, not shown joining part is effected. In particular, in applications in soft and / or flexible joining parts, such as wood or plastic, such an application may be advantageous; but it is also used in other, non-compliant parts such as metals, when the associated bore has a corresponding countersink and a in Essentially flush-fitting, in any case the corresponding joining part not outstanding screw is desired. The screw 2 has the electrical inner conductor 10 as described above, wherein the electrical inner conductor 10 has a surface flush with the end face 11 of the screw head 4 and hereby forms the contact surface 13. The electrical inner conductor 10 is of substantially rectangular cross-section, which results in addition to a high current carrying capacity and a support of torque transmission in the course of screwing. The current carrying capacity of the electrical inner conductor 10 is dependent on its cross section and the appropriate choice of material, while the dielectric strength, ie in particular the dielectric strength, essentially depends on a wall thickness w of the electrically conductive inner conductor 10 surrounding electrically non-conductive material 7 of the device 1 and of the Choice of material of the electrically non-conductive material 7. These sizes can be selected according to the particular requirements that the component 1 has to fulfill for the respective application.

FIG. 4 shows the component 1 in an embodiment as a press-fit pin 20. In the embodiment as a press-fit pin 20, the component 1 does not have a screw thread, but a lateral surface 21 of a component elongated body 22, which is substantially smooth or structured only for specific holding purposes of the press-fit pin 20 1, two electrical inner conductor 10 are embedded, which enforce the device 1 in axial extension. On the upper side, ie in the region of a component head 23, the two electrical inner conductors 10 have planar contact surfaces 13 which do not protrude beyond the end face 11 on the component head 23. At the respective lower end 15, both electrical inner conductors 10 have an embodiment as Piercingstift 17, and thus serve the contacting of previously described, at least partially compliant and / or elastic, with the piercing pins 17 cooperating, not shown here

Contact elements. The fact that the press-fit pin 20 is pressed in the course of pressing to effect the joining operation of not shown joining elements, but not screwed (rotated), a unique or in at least rough strokes unique positioning of the electrical inner conductor 10 and / or the Piercingstifte 17 relatively to these piercing pins 17 each associated, not shown contact elements, so that a multi-pole, in the present example two-pole, connection / through-connection by means of the electrical inner conductor 10 by the joining parts, not shown, is possible. The components to be considered as joining parts are then penetrated by the press-fit pin 20, which in turn is interspersed in turn by the electrical inner conductors 10. In this way, of the contact elements, not shown here, which cooperate with the Piercingstiften 17, a through-connection through these components / joining parts to the contact surfaces 13 on the device head 23 is possible. This is particularly advantageous if, for example, a supply voltage, a grounding or the like has to be looped through by several components, for example to supply a circuit in one of the parts to be joined or to contact corresponding circuits, for example light-emitting diodes. In a further embodiment, a semiconductor element for generating light, that is to say a light-emitting diode, can be arranged on the end face 11 or can also be integrated in the end face 11 in such a way that it does not protrude beyond the end face 11. Thus, the screw 2 can be used as an easy-to-install component with an integrated light source, since with a suitable screwing an electrical contact to the light emitting diode on the front side 11 can be produced directly.

Figure 5 shows the device 1 in its configuration as a press-fit pin 20, as described above, wherein the contact surfaces 13 are provided with solder terminals 24, which project beyond the contact surfaces 13. The solder terminals 24 are used for universal contacting, in particular namely the soldering, the electrical inner conductor 10 with outside, namely in the surrounding area associated with the device head 23 other contact means and / or electrical circuits. The representation of the solder terminals 24 is merely exemplary; In particular, any possible for known and / or useful electrical connections training the solder terminals 24 is possible.

Claims

claims 1. elongated component for insertion into a receptacle of a component or the like or for mechanically connecting two components (connecting element) or the like, characterized in that the component (1) consists of electrically non-conductive material (7) and in the longitudinal direction of at least one, in the material (7) embedded, on the end faces (11) accessible, electrical inner conductor (10) is penetrated. 2. The component according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrically non-conductive material (7) ceramic and / or plastic (8). 3. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component (1) is a press-fit pin (20). 4. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component (1) is a screw (2). 5. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner conductor (10) has a cylindrical or polygonal diameter. 6. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner conductor (10) on at least one of its Ends (12,15,16) has a contact surface (13). 7. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface (13) with the associated end face of the component (1) is aligned. 8. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner conductor (10) at least at one end (12,15,16) has a solder connection (24), a welding connection or a surface for wire bonding. 9. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner conductor (10) protrudes with at least one end (12,15,16) over the electrically non-conductive material (7). 10. The component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component (1) on a front side (11) has a light source.