Method for Producing a Connector Part for Electrical Installations, Connector Part, and Connection of a Connector Part to a Cable

Abstract

The subject matter relates to a method for producing a connection part for electrical equipment, in particular for an on-board electrical system of a motor vehicle, comprising: deep-drawing a sheet-metal blank to produce a sleeve having a first end region and a second end region, the first end region having a bottom and the second end region being open, deforming, in particular pressing, the second end region to produce a tab, and introducing a through-hole into the tab. The subject matter also relates to a connection part for electrical installations, in particular for an on-board network of a motor vehicle, and to a connection of a connection part according to any one of the preceding claims to a cable formed from a plurality of wires or strands.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. Method of manufacturing a connection part for electrical installations, in particular for a board net of a motor vehicle, comprising: deep-drawing a sheet metal blank to produce a sleeve having a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region has a bottom and wherein the second end region is open, forming, in particular pressing, the second end region to produce a lug.

19. Method according to claim 18 characterized in that a through hole is introduced in the lug.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the second end region of the sleeve is formed in such a way that wall inner sides of the lug at least partially abut one another and the cross-section of the lug is formed substantially elliptically, a wide plane defining the maximum cross-sectional width of the lug.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the through hole is introduced in the lug substantially orthogonally to the wide plane.

22. Method according to claim 19, wherein the lug is deformed one or more times, preferably bent, in particular after the through hole has been introduced.

23. Method according to claim 20, wherein the lug is deformed, in particular bent, about an axis lying in the wide plane and running essentially in the transverse direction of the connection part.

24. Method according to claim 18, wherein the sleeve after deep drawing has a wall thickness of at least 1 mm.

25. Connection part for electrical installations, in particular for a board net of a motor vehicle, comprising: a connection part formed in one piece, with a first end region and with a second end region, wherein the first end region is deep-drawn as a closed, U-shaped tube section, and the second end region is formed as a lug.

26. Connection part according to claim 25, wherein the lug has a substantially elliptical cross-section.

27. Connection part according to claim 25, wherein the lug has a through hole.

28. Connection part according to claim 25, wherein an outer diameter of the first end region is larger than an outer diameter of the second end region.

29. Connection part according to claim 25, wherein a transition region is arranged between the first end region and the second end region, and the transition region substantially tapers from the first end region towards the second end region.

30. Connection part according to claim 29, wherein the first end region, the transition region and at least a part of the second end region are arranged substantially mirror-symmetrically along a longitudinal axis of the connection part.

31. Connection part according to claim 28, wherein the outer diameter of the first end region is at most 25 mm, in particular at most 8 mm.

32. Connection part according to claim 25, wherein the connection part is formed from aluminium, from copper, from an aluminium alloy or from a copper alloy.

33. Connection part according to claim 25, wherein the connection part is formed as a preferably closed tubular cable lug.

34. Connection of a connection part according to claim 25 to a cable formed from a plurality of wires or strands, wherein the cable is enclosed by a support sleeve for receiving an end face of the cable in such a way that the wires or strands of the cable are held in the support sleeve, wherein the end face of the first end region of the connection part is welded by means of a weld seam to the end face of the cable and/or the end face of the supporting sleeve.

35. Connection according to claim 34, wherein the weld seam is a friction weld seam.

36. Connection according to claim 34, wherein the end face of the cable is substantially flush with the end face of the support sleeve.

37. Connection according to claim 34, wherein the cable is stripped in the region of the supporting sleeve.

Description

[0033] In the following, the object is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing examples of embodiments. The drawing shows:

[0034] FIG. 1a a side view of an embodiment example of a sleeve during a subject process after deep drawing in section,

[0035] FIG. 1b a front view of the example of the sleeve shown in FIG. 1a after deep drawing,

[0036] FIG. 2a a side view of the embodiment example of the sleeve shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b after pressing in section,

[0037] FIG. 2b a front view of the embodiment example of the sleeve shown in FIG. 2a after pressing,

[0038] FIG. 3a a top view of the previously illustrated embodiment example of the sleeve after insertion of a through hole,

[0039] FIG. 3b a rotated front view of the embodiment example of the sleeve shown in FIG. 3a after insertion of the through hole,

[0040] FIG. 4a a first process step of joining an embodiment example of the subject connector to a cable by means of a rotational friction welding process in a side view,

[0041] FIG. 4b a second process step of the joining shown in FIG. 4a,

[0042] FIG. 4c a third process step of the joining shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b,

[0043] FIG. 5a a side view of an embodiment of the connection part in question,

[0044] FIG. 5b a top view of the example of the connector shown in FIG. 5a,

[0045] FIG. 6a a side view of a further example of the connection part in question,

[0046] FIG. 6b is a top view of the example of the connector shown in FIG. 6a,

[0047] FIG. 7a a side view of a further example of the connection part in question,

[0048] FIG. 7b is a top view of the example of the connector shown in FIG. 7a,

[0049] FIG. 8a a side view of a further example of the connection part in question, and

[0050] FIG. 8b is a top view of the example of the connection part shown in FIG. 8a.

[0051] In the following description of the various embodiments, components and elements with the same function and the same mode of operation are given the same reference signs, even if the components and elements may differ in dimension or shape in the various embodiments.

[0052] FIG. 1a shows a side view of an embodiment example of a sleeve 2 during a subject process after deep drawing. The sleeve 2 is tubular and has a substantially circular wall 4. This can be seen in the front view of the sleeve 2 shown in FIG. 1b. Furthermore, the sleeve comprises a first end region 6, which has a bottom 8, and a second end region 10, which is open. The sleeve 2 has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile and is preferably formed of copper, aluminium or alloys thereof. The wall thickness of the sleeve 2 is preferably at least 1 mm.

[0053] FIG. 2a shows a side view of the embodiment example of the sleeve 2 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b after pressing. It can be seen that the inner walls 12 or the inner lateral surface of the wall 4 are substantially in contact with each other in the second end region 10. As a result of the pressing, a tab 14 with a substantially elliptical cross-section has formed in the second end region 10 (cf. FIG. 2b). The first end region 6 tapers substantially conically by means of a transition region 16 and then merges into the second end region 10 or the tab 14. The transition area 16 and the first end area 6 enclose an internal cavity 18. In FIG. 2b it can further be seen that the outer diameter d1 of the first end region 6 is larger than the outer diameter d2 of the second end region 10 or the tab 14. Preferably, the outer diameter d1 is at most 10 mm, in particular at most 8 mm.

[0054] In FIG. 3a, a top view of the previously illustrated embodiment example of the sleeve 2 is shown after the insertion of a through hole 20. After inserting the through hole 20, all process steps have been completed, so that a connecting part 22 has now been produced. The through hole 20 is inserted centrally in a wide plane E of the tab 14. The wide plane E of the tab 14 is shown in FIG. 3b and runs along the maximum cross-sectional width of the tab 14. The longitudinal axis X of the connecting part 22 preferably runs centrally through the through-hole 20.

[0055] FIGS. 4a to 4c show the connection of a subject connector 22 to a cable 24 by means of a rotation friction welding process. The cable 24 is preferably a battery cable of a motor vehicle, in particular for connecting a battery to a starter, a generator or also to another electrical line of a motor vehicle. The cable 24 is composed of a plurality of strands or wires 26 sheathed in insulation 28. In the end region of the cable 24, the insulation 26 is removed so that the wires 26 are exposed and enclosed by a support sleeve 30. The support sleeve 30 is preferably round and formed of aluminium, copper or alloys thereof. It can be seen that the end face 30a of the support sleeve 30 is flush with the end face 24a of the cable 24.

[0056] Preferably, the support sleeve 30 is crimped so that the wires 26 are close together within the support sleeve 30. In a first process step of the rotational friction welding process, the connector 22 is rotated whereas the cable 24 is rotationally fixed in a holder (not shown).

[0057] In the process step shown in FIG. 4b, the connection part 22 is brought into contact with the cable 24 in such a way that the end face 22a of the connection part 22 comes into contact with the end face 30a of the support sleeve 30 and the end face 24a of the cable 24. To do this, the cable 24 is moved towards the connection part 22 in the direction of the arrow Y.

[0058] Due to the rotation of the connector 22, friction occurs between the connector 22 and the cable 24 or the support sleeve 30, which causes the materials in contact with each other to heat up and plasticise. This causes the connection part 22 to be welded to the cable 24 and to the support sleeve 30 by means of a friction weld 32. FIG. 4c shows a corresponding friction weld 32.

[0059] In FIGS. 5a to 8b, various examples of embodiments of a connection part 22 are shown. The connecting parts 22 differ only in the bending processes to which they have been subjected. It is possible to provide the bending processes simultaneously with the insertion of the through hole 20 or after the insertion of the through hole 20.

[0060] The connection part 22 shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b has not been subjected to any bending process. It thus corresponds essentially to the connection part 22 shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b and 4a to 4c.

[0061] The connection part 22 shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b or the tab 14 of the connection part 22 was bent around two bending axes B1 and B2. It can be seen that the bending axes B1 and B2 run in the transverse direction of the connection part 22, with the bending axis B1 lying in the plane E shown in FIG. 3b and the bending axis B2 extending parallel to the bending axis B1. The double bending of the tab 14 allows for an offset screw-on surface for the through hole 20, with the axis passing through the through hole 20 continuing to run in the transverse direction of the connector part 22.

[0062] The embodiment example of the connector part 22 shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b has been bent substantially 90° about a bending axis B3, so that the axis running through the through hole 20 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the connector part 22.

[0063] FIGS. 8a and 8b show a connector 22 whose tab 14 has been bent around a total of three bending axes B4, B5 and B6. This allows the lug 14 to be adapted to special structural conditions. It can be seen that the axis running through the through hole 20 is oblique to the longitudinal and the transverse axis of the connecting part 22.