DE20017533U1 - Connector for the electrical connection of lines with contact pins, in particular a cluster socket - Google Patents

Description

STENGER, WATZKE & RlI^G ·; · '· * j · !K^ei-Friedrich-Ring 70

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PATENT ATTORNEYS

DIPL.-ING. WOLFRAM WATZKE (-1999)

DIPL.-ING. HEINZ J. RING

DIPL.-ING. ULRICH CHRISTOPHERSEN

DIPL.-ING. MICHAEL RAUSCH

DIPL.-ING. WOLFGANG BRINGMANN

OT-/-N/-W/-N ζ-. i. ! /^ ,,10&Lgr; \sr^ PATENT ATTORNEYS

STOCKO Contact GmbH & Co. KG European patent attorneys

Simonshöfchen 31
42327 Wuppertal

Us. Characters 00-1 171
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Your sign
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Date 12 October 2000

Connectors for electrically connecting cables with contact pins, in particular a cluster socket

The invention relates to a connector for electrically connecting lines with contact pins, in particular a cluster socket.

Connectors are known for a wide range of applications. They are therefore used in a wide variety of designs and usually in large quantities, for example in the area of household appliances or automobile construction. With regard to their respective use, they are subject to a wide variety of requirements. For example, in addition to simple and cost-effective production, low installation height, high holding forces or fully automatic assembly, strain relief or reliable contacting are often also required.

A disadvantage of the known connectors is that they are relatively complex to assemble and take a long time to assemble, which makes cost-effective production impossible. The large number of components is a major factor in this. Another unsatisfactory feature is the complicated and often unreliable contacting of the electrical cables, for example with rigid screw or crimp connections that are not secured against loosening and generally require a lot of maintenance. A connector with such disadvantages is known from EP 0 006 297 A1, for example.

The invention is based on the object of providing a connector for electrically connecting cables with contact pins, in which a

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comparatively simple assembly and reliable electrical contact can be achieved.

To solve this problem, in accordance with claim 1, a connector for electrically connecting lines to contact pins, in particular a cluster socket, is proposed, which has a housing composed of an upper part and a lower part and at least one contact element arranged in the housing, which is provided with a first and a second connecting piece, wherein the first connecting piece is designed as an insulation displacement terminal for electrically contacting a wire of the line and the second connecting piece is designed as a receptacle for a contact pin that can be inserted through an opening in the housing, wherein the line can be clamped between the upper part and the lower part of the housing and wherein means are provided by which, when the upper part and lower part of the housing are joined together, a wire of the line can be inserted into the insulation displacement terminal and can be severed in an area away from the contact element.

Such a connector has a relatively small number of components and can therefore be assembled inexpensively. A significant contribution to this is also made by the dual design of the contact element with a first connector piece that ensures a reliable insulation displacement connection and a second connector piece that ensures reliable contact with a contact pin. In addition, the connector according to the invention makes use of the knowledge that extremely simple assembly and reliable electrical contact can be achieved if means are provided by which a wire of the cable can be inserted into the insulation displacement connection and severed in an area away from the contact element when the upper and lower parts of the housing are joined together.

The reason for this is that, due to the naturally necessary closure of the housing, a wire of the cable is simultaneously inserted into the insulation displacement terminal. This has the consequence that any insulation sheath of the wire is displaced and an electrically conductive wire strand of the wire is forced into the insulation displacement terminal, which results in a reliable solder-free electrical connection. On the other hand, the

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Joining the upper and lower parts of the housing together entails cutting the wire inserted into the insulation displacement terminal in an area away from the contact element, making it easy to produce a jumper, i.e. a predetermined connecting wire.

Advantageous further developments of such a connector are the subject matter of the subclaims. For example, with regard to pre-assembly in accordance with a modern modular design, it is particularly advantageous if the lower part of the housing has a holder into which the contact element can be inserted in a clamping manner. In order to ensure reliable electrical contact, it is also advantageous to provide the upper part of the housing with cams through which the wire of the cable can be inserted into the insulation displacement terminal. With regard to reliable contact, it is also advantageous if the cams have a groove-shaped recess adapted to the diameter of the wire, so that a secure grip of the wire can be ensured. Alternatively, the cams can be designed to be approximately V-shaped in cross section.

In a particularly useful development of the connector according to the invention, the housing has a film hinge connecting the upper part to the lower part in order to ensure that the housing can be closed easily. For this purpose, it is also useful to provide the lower part of the housing with a preferably ribbed support surface for the film hinge. This offers the advantage that when the upper and lower parts of the housing are joined together, the film hinge is supported and targeted pivoting can thus be achieved.

A very advantageous design of the connector is also provided when the upper part and the lower part of the housing can be locked together. This is because the housing can then be closed without additional means. Alternatively or additionally, the upper part and the lower part of the housing can also be connected to one another in the conventional manner by a screw connection. It has proven particularly suitable in this context to provide the lower part of the housing with a column, the tip of which can be inserted into a corresponding groove for locking the upper part and the lower part.

formed opening in the upper part of the housing. By providing the column, mutual support of the upper part and lower part can be achieved at the same time. In order to ensure good locking of the housing, it is also useful if the upper part of the housing has a spring-loaded locking lance which engages in a correspondingly formed recess in the lower part of the housing to lock the upper part and lower part together.

The housing is advantageously provided with clamping sections for clamping the cable between the upper part and the lower part of the housing, which enables effective strain relief. In a further development of the connector, it is also proposed that the upper part and the lower part of the housing are provided with projections that lie on top of one another when the housing is closed in order to cut through the wire of the cable. For this purpose, it is also expedient to design the projections as passages that pass through the upper part and the lower part of the housing.

In this way, parts of the cable that have been cut free by joining the upper and lower sections together are carried out through the passages.

In order to achieve simple assembly, it is also advantageously proposed that a cutting edge can be arranged on the upper part of the housing to cut through the wire of the cable. This is particularly important for wires with a relatively thick cross-section. It is advantageous to provide a cover with a slot to accommodate the cutting edge in the lower part of the housing to insulate the cutting edge. This avoids a short circuit in the case of cutting edges made of metal in the conventional way.

Advantageously, the cover can also be provided with bevels on its outer sides facing away from the slot. Such a design has the advantage that the ends of the severed wire are bent apart and thus spaced apart from one another, whereby sufficient creepage distances can be achieved.

30' In a particularly useful development of the connector according to the invention, locking cams are arranged on the upper part or the lower part of the housing, which engage in a recess in the cable.

The locking cams allow the cable to be positioned in the housing in a targeted manner and also provide additional strain relief. If the locking cams are arranged accordingly, it is also possible to center the upper and lower parts of the housing on one another. The housing is expediently designed as a non-conductive insulating body, at least in the area of the contact element, so that electrical insulation of the live contact element can be achieved in a simple manner. It is also expedient to form the contact element in one piece in order to ensure simple and cost-effective production.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the connector according to the invention, the contact element is U-shaped in cross section and has a base plate preferably provided with embossing. The U-shaped design of the contact element in cross section means that the first and second connection pieces can be arranged next to one another despite the differently oriented connection planes. In this way, a particularly flat design can be achieved. The embossing of the base plate increases the dimensional stability and torsional rigidity of the contact element.

A very advantageous design can also be achieved in this context if the contact element has two parallel legs in the area of the insulation displacement terminal and in the area of the receptacle, which are spaced apart from one another by the base plate, with the legs in the area of the insulation displacement terminal being provided with a slot and the legs in the area of the receptacle being provided with a curvature. The provision of two slotted legs to form the insulation displacement terminal increases the clamping force with which the wire is held and then contributes considerably to permanent contact. On the other hand, the provision of the curvature creates a receptacle for a contact pin in a comparatively simple manner.

An effortless insertion of a contact pin into the receptacle formed by the curvature of the legs can be achieved if, in a further development of the connector, the curvature at the end of the contact element on the plug face side is provided with an essentially funnel-shaped extension. It is also advantageously proposed that the legs in the area

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the holder is to be clamped against each other by means of a tongue on the front side, so that a contact pin inserted into the holder is fixed in place. In this context, it is advantageous if the legs in the area of the holder are elastic and arranged at a slight angle to each other, which allows a pre-tension to be generated.

Finally, to ensure that the cable is securely connected, it is proposed that the legs in the area of the insulation displacement terminal be provided with spikes at the end of the contact element on the mating face side. The spikes allow the penetration of a web between the wires of an electrical cable and thus the insertion of a wire into the insulation displacement terminal.

Details and further advantages of the subject matter of the present invention emerge from the following description of two preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings illustrate in detail:

Fig. 1a is a perspective view of the connector according to the invention in a first embodiment;

Fig. 1b is a perspective view of the connector according to Fig. 1a with closed housing;

Fig. 2a is a perspective view of the connector according to the invention in a second embodiment;

Fig. 2b is a perspective view of the connector according to Fig. 2a with closed housing;

Fig. 2c is an enlarged view of the area designated lic in Fig. 2a;

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of a contact element of the connector in the embodiment according to Figs. 1a and 1b and

Fig. 3b is a perspective view of a contact element of the connector in the embodiment according to Figs. 2a to 2c.

The connector shown in Fig. 1a to 2c is used to electrically connect a line 300 to contact pins 410 of a cluster socket 400 with a round cross-section. The cluster socket 400 is to be understood as an electrical three-phase connection, such as is used for example in a motor hermetically encapsulated in a compressor, such as a refrigerator or freezer. The line 300 is designed as a flexible flat cable which has two wires 310 separated from one another by a web 312. The wire 310 is understood to be an electrical conductor with insulation including any conductive layers present.

The connector of a first embodiment shown in Fig. 1a and 1b has a housing 100 made of plastic by injection molding and thus designed as an insulating body, which is composed of an upper part 110 and a lower part 120. In the lower part 120, two holders 121 arranged parallel to one another are provided, into each of which a contact element 200 shown in more detail in Fig. 3a is inserted. The housing 100 also has a film hinge 130, by means of which the upper part 110 is pivotably connected to the lower part 120. In order to support the film hinge 130 when the upper part 110 is pivoted towards the lower part 120 to close the housing 100, the lower part 120 is provided with a ribbed support surface 122 in the area of the film hinge 130.

When the housing 100 is closed, the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 are locked together. For this purpose, the lower part 120 is provided with a column 124, the tip of which has an undercut that engages in a correspondingly designed opening 115 in the upper part 110. The upper part 110 is also provided with a spring-loaded locking lance 114, which, when the housing 100 is closed, engages in a correspondingly designed recess 123 in the lower part 120 in order to be secured behind a locking shoulder, for example.

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The housing 100 is further provided with clamping sections 116, by means of which the flat cable 300 can be clamped between the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 for the purpose of effective strain relief. The clamping sections 116, which are arranged complementarily on the upper part 110 and lower part 120 of the housing 100, each have depressions at their two ends for the non-destructive reception of the wires 310 of the flat cable 300 and a sharp-edged middle section extending between the depressions for the force-fitting and, under certain circumstances, also form-fitting fixation of the web 312 of the flat cable 300.

As can be seen in particular in Fig. 3a, the contact element 200, which is made in one piece from metal by bending and punching and can thus be produced economically, has a first and a second connection piece.

The first connector is designed as an insulation displacement terminal 210 for electrically contacting a wire 310 of the flat cable 300, whereas the second connector functions as a receptacle 220 for a contact pin 410 of the cluster socket 400 that can be inserted through an opening (not shown) on the underside 120 of the housing 100.

The contact element 200 is U-shaped in cross section and has a base plate 230 provided with embossings 231. The contact element 200 also has two parallel legs 211, 221, both in the area of the insulation displacement terminal 210 and in the area of the receptacle 220, which are spaced apart from one another by the base plate 230. The legs 211 located in the area of the insulation displacement terminal 210 are each provided with a slot 212 and with tips 213 arranged on the end of the contact element 200 on the plug face side for penetrating the web 312 of the flat cable 300. The legs 221 located in the area of the receptacle 220, however, have a curvature 222 which is provided with a substantially funnel-shaped extension 223 at the end of the contact element 200 on the plug-face side, the end of the contact element 200 on the plug-face side in the area of the receptacle 220 being diametrically opposite the end of the contact element 200 on the plug-face side in the area of the insulation displacement terminal 210. The legs 221 are also clamped against one another in a force-fitting manner in the area of the receptacle 220 by a tongue 224 on the front side in order to receive the contact pin 410 in a force-fitting manner.

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In order to insert the wire 310 of the flat cable 300 into the slots 212 of the insulation displacement terminal 210 when the upper part 110 and lower part 120 of the housing 100 are joined together, the upper part 110 is provided with cams 111 which are spaced apart from one another by gaps approximately corresponding to the thickness of the legs 211 and have a groove-shaped recess 113 corresponding to the diameter of the wire 310. The cams 111 are arranged in such a way that when the housing 100 is closed, the tips 213 of the insulation displacement terminal 210 come to rest in the gaps between the cams 111 and thus the wire 310 held in a form-fitting manner in the recess 113 is forced into the slots 212 of the insulation displacement terminal 210.

In order to cut the wire 310 of the flat cable 300 in an area away from the contact elements 200, the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 are provided with passages 117, 125 which lie on top of one another when the housing 100 is closed and which pass through the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 between the holders 121. In this way, when the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 are joined together, the passages 117, 125 are pressed against one another. As a result, the part of the flat cable 300 located in the area of the passages 117, 125 is cut free and the wire 310 is consequently cut free. The cut free part of the flat cable 300 is carried out of the housing 100 through the passages 117, 125.

The connector of a second embodiment shown in Fig. 2a to 2c differs from the connector according to Fig. 1a and 1b primarily in the design of the contact element 201 and the means that introduce the wire 310 of the flat cable 300 into the insulation displacement terminal 210 and cut it in an area away from the contact elements 201. As can be seen in particular in Fig. 3b, the contact element 201 of the connector according to the second embodiment is provided with legs 211 in the area of the insulation displacement terminal 210, which are flat at the end of the contact element 201 on the plug face side. Penetration of the web 312 of the flat cable 300 is therefore not possible with these legs 211. In order to ensure reliable insertion of a wire 310 of the flat cable 300 into the slots 212 of the insulation displacement terminal when assembling the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 of the housing 101,

210, the flat cable 300 is provided with a recess 311 in the area of the web 312.

In addition, the housing 101 of the connector according to the second embodiment has locking cams 129 which engage in the recess 311 of the flat cable 300 in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner. In addition to centering the flat cable 300 between the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 of the housing 101, this results in a strain relief which acts in addition to the clamping sections 116. The upper part 110 of the housing 101 is provided with cams 112 for inserting the wire 310 of the flat cable 300 into the slots 212 of the insulation displacement terminal 210, which, in contrast to the cams 111 of the first embodiment of the connector described above, are approximately V-shaped in cross section. Furthermore, in contrast to the housing 100 of the first embodiment, the housing 101 has a film hinge 131 that connects the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 to one another in a pivotable manner and does not rest on a support surface of the lower part 120. The provision of a support surface is not necessary in the second embodiment, since the appropriate arrangement of the locking cams 129 also makes it possible to center the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 on one another. Reliable closing of the housing 101 by locking is thus also possible, which is why it is also not necessary to provide a locking lance for locking the housing 101 in the second embodiment.

In contrast to the first embodiment of the connector, a metal cutting edge 118 is arranged on the upper part 110 of the housing 101 for cutting through the wire 310 of the flat cable 300, which comes to rest in an insulating cover 127 provided in the lower part 120 of the housing 101 when the housing 101 is closed. As can be seen in particular from Fig. 2c, the cutting edge 118 engages in a slot 126 of the cover 127 in order to be electrically shielded. The cover 127 is provided with bevels 128 on its outer sides facing away from the slot 126.

This results in the severed ends of the wire 310 bending slightly upwards in order to create a sufficient distance between them with regard to the desired creepage distances.

The connector described above is characterized by extremely simple and automated assembly in both the first and second embodiments. One of the factors contributing to this is that the connector is contacted with the flat cable 300 by means of an insulation displacement connection, which is created by joining the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 of the housing 100, 101. The simultaneous severing of the wire 310 of the flat cable 300 in an area between the contact elements 200, 201 ensures that the jumper is created in an extremely simple manner. In addition, the small number of components and the possibility of pre-assembly lead to reduced assembly times and an overall relatively low manufacturing effort compared to conventional connectors. Last but not least, the design of the contact elements 200, 201 also ensures secure contact with the round contact pins 401 of the cluster socket and takes a flat design into account.

List of reference symbols

100 housings

101 Housing

110 Top

111 cams

112 cams

113 Deepening

114 Locking lance

115 Opening

116 Clamping section

117 Passage

118 Cutting edge

120 Bottom part

121 Bracket 122 Support surface

123 Recess

124 Column

125 passage

126 Slot

127 Coverage

128 slope

129 locking cams

130 film hinge

131 Film hinge

200 contact element

201 Contact element

210 insulation displacement terminal

211 Legs

212 Slot

213 Peak

220 Recording

221 legs

222 Curvature

223 funnel-shaped extension

224 Tongue

230 Base plate

231 Embossing

300 Line

310 wire

311 recess

312 Bridge

400 cluster socket

410 contact pin

Claims (24)

1. Plug connector for electrically connecting lines ( 300 ) to contact pins ( 410 ), in particular a cluster socket ( 400 ), with a housing ( 100 , 101 ) composed of an upper part ( 110 ) and a lower part ( 120 ) and at least one contact element ( 200 , 201 ) arranged in the housing ( 100 , 101 ), which is provided with a first and a second connecting piece ( 210 , 220 ), wherein the first connecting piece is designed as an insulation displacement terminal ( 210 ) for electrically contacting a wire ( 310 ) of the line ( 300 ) and the second connecting piece ( 220 ) is designed as a receptacle ( 220 ) for a contact pin ( 410 ) that can be inserted through an opening in the housing ( 100 , 101 ), wherein the line ( 300 ) can be clamped between the upper part ( 110 ) and the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ), and wherein means ( 111 , 112 , 117 , 125 , 118 ) are provided by which, when the upper part ( 110 ) and lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ) are joined together, a wire ( 310 ) of the line ( 300 ) can be inserted into the insulation displacement terminal ( 210 ) and can be severed in an area away from the contact element ( 210 , 220 ). 2. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ) has a holder ( 121 ) into which the contact element ( 200 , 201 ) can be inserted in a clamping manner. 3. Connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper part ( 110 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ) is provided with cams ( 111 , 112 ) through which the wire ( 310 ) of the cable ( 300 ) can be inserted into the insulation displacement terminal ( 210 ). 4. Connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the cams ( 111 ) have a groove-shaped recess ( 113 ) adapted to the diameter of the wire ( 310 ). 5. Connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the cams ( 112 ) are approximately V-shaped in cross section. 6. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the housing ( 100 , 101 ) has a film hinge ( 130 , 131 ) connecting the upper part ( 110 ) to the lower part ( 120 ). 7. Connector according to claim 6, characterized in that the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 ) is provided with a preferably ribbed support surface ( 122 ) for the film hinge ( 130 ). 8. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the upper part ( 110 ) and the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ) can be locked together. 9. Connector according to claim 8, characterized in that the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ) is provided with a column ( 124 ), the tip of which engages in a correspondingly formed opening ( 115 ) of the upper part ( 110 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ) for locking the upper part ( 110 ) and lower part ( 120 ). 10. Connector according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the upper part ( 110 ) of the housing ( 100 ) has a resilient locking lance ( 114 ) which engages in a correspondingly designed recess ( 123 ) of the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 ) for locking the upper part ( 110 ) and lower part ( 120 ). 11. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the housing ( 100 , 101 ) is provided with clamping sections ( 116 ) for clamping the line ( 300 ) between the upper part ( 110 ) and the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 , 101 ). 12. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that for severing the wire ( 310 ) of the line ( 300 ), the upper part ( 110 ) and the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 ) are provided with projections ( 117 , 125 ) which lie on top of one another when the housing ( 100 ) is closed. 13. Connector according to claim 12, characterized in that the projections are designed as passages ( 117 , 125 ) penetrating the upper part ( 110 ) and the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 100 ). 14. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a cutting edge ( 118 ) is arranged on the upper part ( 110 ) of the housing ( 101 ) for severing the wire ( 310 ) of the line ( 300 ). 15. Connector according to claim 14, characterized in that for insulating shielding of the cutting edge ( 118 ) a cover ( 127 ) provided with a slot ( 126 ) receiving the cutting edge ( 118 ) is provided in the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 101 ). 16. Connector according to claim 15, characterized in that the cover ( 127 ) is provided with bevels ( 128 ) on its outer sides facing away from the slot ( 126 ). 17. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that locking cams ( 129 ) are arranged on the upper part ( 110 ) or the lower part ( 120 ) of the housing ( 101 ), which engage in a recess ( 311 ) of the line ( 300 ). 18. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the housing ( 100 , 101 ) is designed as a non-conductive insulating body at least in the region of the contact element ( 200 , 201 ). 19. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the contact element ( 200 , 201 ) is formed in one piece. 20. Connector according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the contact element ( 200 , 201 ) is U-shaped in cross section and has a base plate ( 230 ) preferably provided with embossings ( 231 ). 21. Connector according to claim 20, characterized in that the contact element ( 200 , 201 ) in the region of the insulation displacement terminal ( 210 ) and in the region of the receptacle ( 220 ) each has two parallel legs ( 211 , 221 ) spaced apart from one another by the base plate ( 230 ), the legs ( 211 ) in the region of the insulation displacement terminal ( 210 ) being provided with a slot ( 212 ) and the legs ( 221 ) in the region of the receptacle ( 220 ) being provided with a curvature ( 222 ). 22. Connector according to claim 21, characterized in that the curvature ( 222 ) at the mating face end of the contact element ( 200 , 201 ) is provided with a substantially funnel-shaped extension ( 223 ). 23. Connector according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that the legs ( 221 ) are clamped against one another in a force-fitting manner in the region of the receptacle ( 220 ) by a tongue ( 224 ) on the front side. 24. Connector according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the legs ( 211 ) are provided with tips ( 213 ) in the region of the insulation displacement terminal ( 210 ) at the mating face end of the contact element ( 200 ).