Adaptive connector

Abstract

An adaptive connector comprising a contact jack and a lamella comb, wherein the lamellae of the lamella comb electrically contact the contact jack, characterised in that the contact jack is connected in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner with the lamella comb. The contact jack can be pivoted relatively to the lamella comb with an angular range of more than 2 degrees while maintaining contact between the contact jack and the lamellae of the lamella comb, and/or the contact jack can be moved translationally relatively to the lamella comb in at least one direction within a translational range of more than 1 millimetre. Moreover, an adaptive connector comprising two or more adapter elements that are electrically separate from each other. Each adapter element comprises a connection jack or a connection lamella device at each of two ends of the adapter element, the connection jack or connection lamella device of one end being electrically connected to the connection jack or connection lamella device of the other end. The adapter elements are connected with each other in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner. Any of the adapter elements can be pivoted relatively to at least one other of the adapter elements with an angular range of more than 4 degrees and/or any of the adapter elements can be moved translationally relatively to any other of the adapter elements in at least one direction by more than 2 millimetre. Finally, a system comprising the adaptive connector and a counter connector.

Claims

1. An adaptive connector comprising: at least one adapter element with a contact portion at a first end of the at least one adapter element, wherein the contact portion is a pin or sleeve; a stud or socket that is fixed, wherein the stud or socket comprises at least one lamella comb, wherein the at least one lamella comb electrically contacts the contact portion of the at least one adapter element; and an elastic biasing element for biasing the at least one adapter element in a resting position, wherein the contact portion of the at least one adapter element is connected to the stud or socket in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner, wherein an alignment of the pin or sleeve relative to the stud or socket is changeable within an angular range of more than 2 degrees while maintaining contact between the contact portion and the stud or socket, and/or the pin or sleeve is translationally moveable relative to the stud or socket in at least one direction within a translational range of more than 1 millimeter.

2. The adaptive connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one lamella comb is a lamella basket.

3. The adaptive connector of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one adapter element is at least partially surrounded by the housing, and wherein the at least one biasing element biases a respective adapter element against the housing.

4. The adaptive connector of claim 1, further comprising a connection element at a second end of the at least one adapter element, wherein the connection element is a connection pin or sleeve, or a connection stud or socket.

5. The adaptive connector of claim 4, wherein the connection element comprises two lamella combs, wherein each lamella comb extends along a straight line, and wherein the straight lines of the two lamella combs are parallel to each other.

6. The adaptive connector of claim 4, further comprising one or more seals that seal the at least one adapter element against the housing to prevent a fluid from getting from the first end to the second end or from the second end to the first end of the at least one adapter element.

7. The adaptive connector of claim 4, wherein the at least one adapter element is a plurality of adapter elements, each with a respective contact portion at the first end and a respective connection element at the second end.

8. The adaptive connector of claim 7, wherein the plurality of adapter elements are electrically separate from each other and wherein the plurality of adapter elements are connected with each other in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner.

9. An adaptive connector comprising: two or more adapter elements that are electrically separate from each other, wherein each adapter element of the two or more adapter elements comprises a first end and a second end, wherein at the first end is a first connection element, wherein at the second end is a second connection element, the first connection element being electrically connected to the second connection element, wherein each of the first and second connection elements is a pin or sleeve, or a stud or socket, wherein the two or more adapter elements are connected with each other in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner, wherein an alignment of any of the two or more adapter elements relative to at least one other of the two or more adapter elements is changeable within an angular range of more than 4 degrees, and/or any of the two or more adapter elements is translationally moveable relative to any other of the two or more adapter elements in at least one direction within a translational range of more than 2 millimeters, and wherein at least one adapter element of the two or more adapter elements is provided with an elastic biasing element for biasing the at least one adapter element in a resting position.

10. The adaptive connector of claim 9, wherein, for at least one adapter element of the two or more adapter elements, the first connection element is circularly-symmetrical and the second connection element is non-circularly-symmetrical.

11. The adaptive connector of claim 9, wherein, for at least one adapter element of the two or more adapter elements, the first connection element is a stud or socket and the second connection element is a stud or socket.

12. An adaptive connector, comprising: at least one adapter element with a first contact portion at a first end of the at least one adapter element, wherein the first contact portion is a first pin or first sleeve; a second contact portion that is fixed, wherein the second contact portion is a second sleeve if the first contact portion is the first pin, wherein the second contact portion is a second pin if the first contact portion is the first sleeve; and an elastic biasing element for biasing the at least one adapter element in a resting position, wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion electrically contact each other, wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are connected in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner with each other, and wherein an alignment of the first contact portion relative to the second contact portion is changeable within an angular range of more than 2 degrees while maintaining the electrical contact, and/or the first contact portion is translationally moveable relative to the second contact portion in at least one direction within a translational range of more than 1 millimeter.

13. A connector system, comprising: an adaptive connector, comprising at least one adapter element with a contact portion at a first end of the at least one adapter element, wherein the contact portion is a pin or sleeve; a stud or socket that is fixed, wherein the stud or socket comprises at least one lamella comb, wherein the at least one lamella comb electrically contacts the contact portion of the at least one adapter element; an elastic biasing element for biasing the at least one adapter element in a resting position; and a connection element at a second end of the at least one adapter element, wherein the connection element is a connection pin or sleeve, or a connection stud or socket, wherein the contact portion of the at least one adapter element is connected to the stud or socket in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner, wherein an alignment of the pin or sleeve relative to the stud or socket is changeable within an angular range of more than 2 degrees while maintaining contact between the contact portion and the stud or socket, and/or the pin or sleeve is translationally moveable relative to the stud or socket in at least one direction within a translational range of more than 1 millimeter; and a counter connector comprising, if the connection element of the at least one adapter element is a pin or sleeve, a matching connection element that is socket or stud, or if the connection element of the at least one adapter element is a stud or socket, a matching connection element that is a sleeve or pin, wherein the adaptive connector is able to mate with the counter connector to establish an electrical contact between: each connection pin or sleeve of the adaptive connector with the matching connection socket or stud of the counter connector, and/or each connection stud or socket of the adaptive connector with the matching connection sleeve or pin of the counter connector.

14. The connector system of claim 13, further comprising one or more seals that seal the matching connection element of the counter connector against a housing of the adaptive connector to prevent a fluid from getting from an outside of the housing of the adaptive connector and the counter connector to the matching connection element of the counter connector.

15. An adaptive connector comprising: at least one adapter element with a stud or socket attached at a first end of the at least one adapter element, wherein the stud or socket comprises at least one lamella comb; a contact pin or contact sleeve that is fixed; and an elastic biasing element for biasing the at least one adapter element in a resting position, wherein the stud or socket of the at least one adapter element is connected to the contact pin or contact sleeve in a mechanically inseparable but movable manner, and wherein an alignment of the stud or socket relative to the contact pin or contact sleeve is changeable within an angular range of more than 2 degrees while maintaining contact between the stud or socket and the contact pin or contact sleeve, and/or the stud or socket is translationally moveable relative to the contact pin or contact sleeve in at least one direction within a translational range of more than 1 millimeter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, further preferred embodiments of invention are illustrated by means of examples. The invention is not limited to these examples, however.

(2) The drawings schematically show:

(3) FIG. 1 A cross-sectional view of an adaptive connector with three identical adapter elements, each being provided with contact pins on both sides;

(4) FIG. 2 A cross-sectional view of the adaptive connector of FIG. 1 with a counter connector attracted;

(5) FIG. 3 A cross-sectional view of an adaptive connector with an adapter element that is provided with non-circularly-symmetrical connection sockets and non-circularly-symmetrical connection pins on both ends;

(6) FIG. 4 A perspective cut-away view of the adaptive connector of FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 5 A cross-sectional view of an adapter element that is provided with a circularly-symmetrical connection socket mated with a matching contact pin on each end;

(8) FIG. 6 A cross-sectional view of an adapter element that is provided with a circularly-symmetrical contact pin mated with a matching circularly-symmetrical socket on each end;

(9) FIG. 7 A cross-sectional view of an adapter element that is provided on one end with a circularly-symmetrical stud mated with a matching circularly-symmetrical contact sleeve, and on the other end with a non-circularly-symmetrical socket mated with a matching contact pin;

(10) FIG. 8 A cross-sectional view of the adapter element of FIG. 7 rotated by an angle of 90° about the adaptor's longitudinal axis; and

(11) FIG. 9 A cross-sectional view of an adapter element that is provided on one end with a circularly-symmetrical stud mated with a matching circularly-symmetrical contact sleeve, and on the other end with a circularly-symmetrical socket with a matching contact pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(12) In the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar components. For clarity, in the case of multiple identical parts in the figure generally only one of these parts is provided with a reference numeral.

(13) The adaptive connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises three lamella carriers to each of which a busbar 2 is attached by means of a screw 3. Both the lamella carriers and the bus bars 2 are of a conductive material, preferably copper or a copper alloy. The lamella carrier comprises a first 4 and a second part 5, between which a one-sided lamella basket 6 is clamped.

(14) The lamella basket 6 is formed of a slotted and bent metal sheet and is resiliently elastic. Each of the lamellae of the lamella basket has a first end, where the lamellae are fixed relatively to each other, and a second, free end. The lamellae extend in mainly the direction of the symmetry axis of the lamella basket 6 and inwardly. The lamellae extend generally along the inner sidewalls of the sleeve-shaped second part 5 of the lamella carrier with the free ends pointing towards a mating opening 7 end of the lamella carrier.

(15) Moreover, three adapter elements 8 are provided that have contact jacks in the form of contact pins 9, 10 on both ends. The contact pins 9 on one end of each adapter element 8, through the respective mating openings 7 of the lamella carriers, extends into the inside of the lamella baskets 6. The lamellae are elastically biased against the contact pins 9 to provide for a reliable electrical contact. The elasticity of the lamellae and the space between the lamellae and the wall of the second part of the lamella carriers 5 allows the contact pin 9 to be pivoted and translationally moved relatively to the lamella carrier while maintaining contact.

(16) The three lamella carriers are fixed in a shared housing 11 and the first parts 4 of the lamella carriers are accessible from the outside of the housing 11 so that the busbars 2 can easily be screwed to the lamella carriers. The adapter elements extend in cylindrical cavities in the housing 11 from the end of the housing 11 where the lamella carriers are located to the opposite end of the housing 11. The contact pins 10 on the ends of the adapter elements 8 opposite those that contact the adaptive connector's 1 lamella carriers are exposed to the outside of the housing 11. They therefore constitute connection pins in the sense of the present invention.

(17) Near the connection pins, each adapter element 8 is provided with a radially extending collar 12 that cooperates with a constriction 13 of the housing's 11 cylindrical cavity to limit the motion of the adapter element 8 in its longitudinal direct and prevent the adapter element to fall out of the housing 11. The diameter of the constriction 13 is larger than that of the part of the adapter element 8 that passes through the constriction; this allows for a tilting and a radial translational motion of the adapter element 8 relatively to the housing 11. Yet, the difference between the diameter of the constriction 13 and the diameter of the part of the adapter element 8 that passes through the constriction also sets limits to the tilting and the translation of the adapter element 8.

(18) At a location along each of the adapter elements 8 between the two contact pins 9, 10, there is provided a silicon rubber collar 14 that serves three functions: It acts as a seal of the adapter element 8 against the housing 11 in order to prevent a fluid from getting from one end to the other end of the adapter element 8; it acts as a dampening element for dampening the motion of the adapter element 8, for example under the influence of vibration; and it acts as a biasing element for biasing the adapter element 8 in a resting position. The resting position of the adapter element 8 is the central position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 from which the adapter element 8 can, essentially by the same amount in opposite directions, be pivoted and moved translationally in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the adapter element 8. In the longitudinal direction, the rubber collar 14 biases the adapter element 8 in the position of maximal distance from the lamella basket 6.

(19) In FIG. 2, the adaptive connector 1 is joined with a counter connector 15 that has three connection sockets matching the connection pins 10 of the adaptive connector 1. Each connection sockets comprise a lamella basket 16 arranged in a lamella carrier 17 similarly to the lamella basket and the lamella carriers of the adaptive connector. The connection sockets are fixed in a shared housing 18 of the counter connector 15. The adapter element 8 of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the lamella baskets 6, 16 and the lamella carriers 5, 17 of the adaptive connector 1 and the counter connector 15 is also shown in FIG. 6.

(20) As can be seen in FIG. 2, an O-ring 19 are provided to seal the counter connector 15 against the adaptive connector 1. Moreover, the counter connector 15 is provided with seals 20 that, when the counter connector 15 is attached to the adaptive connector 1, prevents fluids from getting from the outside of the housings 11, 18 into the connection socket of the counter connector 15. These seals 20 of the counter connector seal the outside walls parts of the counter connector 15 that, upon joining the counter connector 15 with the adaptive connector 1, enter into parts of the cavities of the adaptive connector 1 surrounding the connection pins 10, against the inside walls of these parts. Alternatively, the seals 20 can be provided on the adaptive connector 1.

(21) An embodiment of the accommodating connector 1 with adapter elements that have connection lamella elements in the form of non-circularly-symmetrical connection sockets 21 on both ends is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As in the case of the adaptive connector 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the adaptive connector 1 of FIGS. 3 and 4 comprises three adapter elements 8 in a shared housing 11. Also as in the previous case, at a location along each of the adapter elements 8 between the two connection sockets 21 there is provided a silicon rubber collar 14 that serves as a seal between the adapter element 8 and the housing 11 in order to prevent a fluid from getting from one end to the other end of the adapter element 8, as a dampening element for dampening the motion of the adapter element 8, and as a biasing element for biasing the adapter element 8 in a central resting position and at an extreme position in the longitudinal direction of the adapter element 8.

(22) Each connection socket 21 comprises two parallel one-sided lamella combs 22, which are welded to a lamella carrier 23. The lamellae of each comb 22 of the pair of combs 22 extend mainly along an inner wall of the lamella carrier 23 and towards the other one of the pair of combs 22. They can preferably be elastically biased against a matching non-circularly-symmetrical connection pin inserted between the pair of lamella combs 22. The ends 24 of busbars serve as such connection pins. These ends 24 each are essentially rectangular in cross section.

(23) An alternative embodiment of an adapter element 8 is shown in FIG. 5. Unlike the adapter element 8 of FIGS. 3 and 4, the lamella combs are circularly-symmetrical lamella baskets 26. There is one lamella device at each end of the adapter element 8, each lamella device comprising the lamella basket 26 and a lamella carrier 23. This is also in contrast to the adapter element 8 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, where there are circularly-symmetrical contact pins 9, 10 at each end. FIGS. 5 and 6 both show how a contact pin 25, 9, 10 interacts with the lamella basket 26, 6, 16 when the contact pin 25, 9, 10 is slightly tilted relatively to the lamella basket 26, 6, 16. The lamellae are elastically biased against the contact pin 25, 9, 10, thereby compensates for the tilting and ensuring a reliable connection between the lamella basket 26, 6, 16 and the contact pin 25, 9, 10.

(24) The adapter element 8 in FIGS. 7 and 8 is provided on one end with a lamella device in the form of a circularly-symmetrical stud 27 with a lamella basked 28 in a lamella carrier 29. The lamella device is mated with a matching circularly-symmetrical contact sleeve 30. On the other end, the adapter element 8 has the non-circularly-symmetrical socket 21 with a matching contact pin 24 similar to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIGS. 7 and 8 are different views of the same adapter element and matching contact sleeve 30 and contact pin 24; the view of FIG. 8 is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the adapter element by 90° relatively to the view of FIG. 7. As a result, the lamella comb 22 hidden in FIG. 7 behind the contact pin 24 can be seen in FIG. 8.

(25) Finally, in FIG. 9 an adapter element 8 is shown that has contact jacks on both sides, namely a contact pin 33 on one and a contact sleeve 34 on the other end. The adapter's 8 contact pin 33 is slotted, the slot 35 extending perpendicularly to the paper plane and in longitudinal direction of the contact pin. Similarly, the contact sleeve 34 of the adapter is provided with four equidistant slots 36, two of which can be seen in the figure. Apart form the slots 35, 36, the contact pin 33 and the contact sleeve 34 are circularly-symmetrical in cross-section. The adapter's 8 contact pin 33 and contact socket 34 are mated with a corresponding non-slotted contact sleeve 37 and a non-slotted contact pin 38, respectively. These, too, are essentially circularly-symmetrical.

(26) The features described in the above description, claims and figures can be relevant to the invention in any combination. Their reference numerals in the claims have merely been introduced to facilitate reading of the claims. They are by no means meant to be limiting.