CONNECTION ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection assembly with a fluid plug and a fluid connector, said fluid connector being used to at least partly received the fluid plug. The connection assembly also comprises an electric plug and a receiving socket, wherein the receiving socket is used to at least partly receive the electric plug. The fluid plug and/or the fluid connector has a holder for the electric plug or the receiving socket, and the electric plug and/or the receiving socket is movably mounted relative to the other independently of a movement of the fluid connector and/or the fluid plug relative to the paired holder.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A connection assembly having a fluid male connector and a fluid connector, wherein the fluid connector is used so as to receive at least in part the fluid male connector, and having an electrical male connector and a receiving socket, wherein the receiving socket is used so as to receive at least in part the electrical male connector, wherein the fluid male connector and/or the fluid connector comprise a holder for the electrical male connector or the receiving socket and the electric male connector and/or the receiving socket are mounted so as to be able to move relative to one another with respect to their allocated holder independently of a movement of the fluid connector and/or of the fluid male connector in such a manner that in a first connecting position it is rendered possible to simultaneously connect on the one hand the fluid male connector and the fluid connector and on the other hand the electrical male connector and the receiving socket, and that in a second connecting position it is rendered possible in the case of a disconnecting procedure by means of a relative movement of the electrical male connector or the receiving socket with respect to the corresponding holder to disconnect the fluid male connector and the fluid connector separately from the procedure of separating the electrical male connector and the receiving socket.

12. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket can be removed from the holder.

13. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the holders comprises a fastening device for the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket.

14. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fastening device is embodied by means of a recess and at least one protrusion.

15. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the holders surrounds the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket at least in part.

16. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrical male connector comprises a latching device which can be brought into engagement with a mating latching device on the receiving socket.

17. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrical male connector comprises at least two poles.

18. A method for connecting a connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrical male connector and the receiving socket and also the fluid male connector and the fluid connector can be brought into engagement simultaneously during the connecting procedure.

19. A method for disconnecting a connection assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein in a first disconnecting position the fluid male connector and the fluid connector can be disengaged prior to the electrical male connector and the receiving socket that can only be disconnected from one another in a second disconnecting position.

20. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the holders comprises a fastening device for the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket.

21. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the holders surrounds the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket at least in part.

22. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the holders surrounds the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket at least in part.

23. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one of the holders surrounds the electrical male connector and/or the receiving socket at least in part.

24. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electrical male connector comprises a latching device which can be brought into engagement with a mating latching device on the receiving socket.

25. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electrical male connector comprises a latching device which can be brought into engagement with a mating latching device on the receiving socket.

26. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electrical male connector comprises a latching device which can be brought into engagement with a mating latching device on the receiving socket.

27. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrical male connector comprises a latching device which can be brought into engagement with a mating latching device on the receiving socket.

28. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electrical male connector comprises at least two poles.

29. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electrical male connector comprises at least two poles.

30. The connection assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electrical male connector comprises at least two poles.

Description

[0015] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is further explained below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the connection assembly in a position prior to the connecting procedure;

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the connection assembly after the procedure of disconnecting the fluid-carrying components and prior to the procedure of disconnecting the electrical male connector from a receiving socket; and

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the connection assembly with the electrical male connector disconnected from the receiving socket and prior to said electric male connector being re-inserted into the holder on the fluid connector.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a connection assembly 10 having a fluid male connector 20, a fluid connector 30, an electrical male connector 40 and a receiving socket 50. In this case, the connection assembly 10 is illustrated in a so-called starting position. This means that the electrical male connector 40 is arranged in a holder 33 on the fluid connector 30 (left hand side of FIG. 1), said holder comprising an opening 36 (cf. FIG. 2). The fluid connector 30 and the fluid male connector 20 are arranged in this case in an axis A23 that is arranged parallel to an axis A45 of the electrical male connector 40 and the receiving socket 50.

[0020] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, a protective cap 21 that surrounds in part the fluid male connector 20 and is used as a housing is arranged on the fluid male connector 20 and a rib-shaped rail 22 is provided on the protective cap 21. Alternatively, the protective cap 21 can also be embodied in two parts or with a flexible connection, wherein the rail 22 is then preferably formed as a film hinge. In accordance with a further alternative, the protective cap 21 can also be broader toward the rear—in other words at the end of the protective cap 21 that is opposite a front end 25 of the fluid male connector 20 and is arranged on the right hand side in the drawings.

[0021] Furthermore, a holder 23 and also a closing element 24 are provided for example in the form of a latching bracket, wherein the holder 23 engages around the protective cap 21 by means of a clamp like fastening 26. The clamp-like fastening 26 is closed in the region of the rail 22 by means of the closing element 24. In this case, prior to the closing procedure, it is possible by virtue of displacing the closing element 24 along the rail 22 to adjust the axial connecting distance of the electrical current-carrying components 40 and 50 and consequently to adapt it to the coupling distance of the fluid-carrying components 20 and 30.

[0022] Alternatively, the holder 23 can also be arranged fixedly on the fluid connector 20 and in this case the receiving socket 50 can be arranged in an adjustable manner on the holder 23.

[0023] The front end 25 of the fluid male connector 20 faces the direction of the fluid connector 30. The fluid connector 30 is formed by a housing 31 having an opening 32 and a holder 33 that is arranged on the housing 31 and is used to receive the electrical male connector 40. The construction and function of the fluid connector 30 are described in detail for example in WO 2016/038226 A1, the content of which in this respect is part of the disclosure content of this application. The front end 25 is in this case fixed with its protruding collar 27 in the opening 32 of the fluid connector 30 by means of a spring-like connecting element.

[0024] Two hook-shaped protrusions 35 that extend parallel to the axis A45 are arranged on the holder 33 and each of said protrusions comprises on their front end a rounded lug that protrudes inward. Furthermore, a U-shaped notch 34 is provided on the holder 33 on the side remote from the receiving socket 50.

[0025] The electrical male connector 40 that in FIG. 1 is inserted into the holder 33 comprises in the illustrated exemplary embodiment two poles 42 that are used so as to provide the connection to a respective electrical conductor (not illustrated). A recess 45 on the electrical male connector 40 is arranged directly below the protrusion 35 of the holder 33 for an engagement of the fastening device that is formed by the recesses 45 and the protrusions 35. A collar 41 (cf. FIG. 3) of the electrical male connector 40 is arranged on the inner wall of the holder 33 and preferably has the identical width as the holder 33. Consequently, a collar 37 of the holder 33 and a collar 47 of the electrical male connector 40 terminate flush in one plane and a latching device 44 is arranged in a congruent manner with the notch 34.

[0026] The receiving socket 50 that is arranged on the holder 23 of the fluid male connector 20 and has a housing 51 comprises an opening 52, a mating latching device 54 and a rim 57.

[0027] In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the holder 23 can also be embodied as a separate component. Furthermore, a one piece construction of fluid male connector 20 and receiving socket 50 is also possible, wherein the holder 23 is then embodied as a bridge-like binding element between the two.

[0028] The procedure of connecting the two fluid-carrying components 30 having 40 that are illustrated in FIG. 1 and the two electrical connecting elements 20 having 50 is performed in a direction R1. In this case, the fluid connector 30 is pushed onto the front end 25 of the fluid male connector 20 and a rear end 43 of the electrical male connector 40 is inserted into the opening 52 of the receiving socket 50. The electrical connecting elements 40 and 50 are latched via the latching device 44 of the electrical male connector 40 and the mating latching device 54 of the receiving socket 50. The mating latching device 54 can be embodied in this case as a resilient latching hook. As an alternative thereto, the mating latching device 54 is embodied as a fixed component and a latching device 44 that is embodied for example as a resilient tongue engages around it.

[0029] In the state in which the connection of the connection assembly 10 is complete, the latching device 44 of the electrical male connector 40 is congruent with the notch 34 of the holder 33. This state is not illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0030] The connection assembly 10 is latched together overall by means of the spring-like connecting element—for example in the form of a latching spring—(not illustrated but described in WO 2016/038226 A1), wherein the front end 25 of the fluid male connector 20 is received in a sealing manner and fixed with its protruding collar 27 by means of the spring-like connecting element in the opening 32 of the fluid connector 30.

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates the connection assembly 10 in a first disconnecting position in which the electrical male connector 40 is still connected to the receiving socket 50 but the fluid connector 30 has already been disconnected by means of disconnecting the latching spring (not illustrated) and a movement in the direction R2. In this case, the latching device 44 of the electrical male connector 40 is connected to the mating latching device 54 of the receiving socket 50. A guiding surface 48 of the electrical male connector 40 and guiding surfaces 38 of the fluid connector 30 render it possible to simply push (cf. FIG. 1) the electrical male connector 40 into the holder 33. It is thus possible to prevent the components tilting or rotating relative to one another.

[0032] In FIG. 3, in a second disconnecting position, the electrical male connector 40 is also disconnected from the receiving socket 50 and consequently is apparent as a dedicated—separate—component. In a next step of the disconnecting procedure, the electrical male connector 40 has been moved into the holder 33 of the fluid connector 30 and pushed into the opening 36 until the rim 47 lies against a stop rib 39 on the holder 33. It is now possible to repeat a further connecting procedure from the prepared connecting position illustrated in FIG. 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0033] 10 Connection assembly [0034] 20 Fluid male connector [0035] 21 Protective cap [0036] 22 Rail [0037] 23 Holder [0038] 24 Closing element [0039] 25 (Front) end (of 20) [0040] 26 Fastening (clamp-like) [0041] 27 Collar [0042] 30 Fluid connector [0043] 31 Housing [0044] 32 Opening [0045] 33 Holder [0046] 34 Notch [0047] 35 Protrusion (common with 45 part of the fastening device) [0048] 36 Opening [0049] 37 Rim [0050] 38 Guiding surface [0051] 39 Stop rib [0052] 40 Electrical male connector [0053] 41 Collar [0054] 42 Pole [0055] 43 (Rear) end (of 40) [0056] 44 Latching device [0057] 45 Recess (common with 35 part of the fastening device) [0058] 47 Rim [0059] 48 Guiding surface [0060] 50 Receiving socket [0061] 51 Housing [0062] 52 Opening [0063] 54 Mating latching device [0064] 57 Rim [0065] A23 Axis (through 20 and 30) [0066] A45 Axis (through 40 and 50) [0067] R1 (First) direction [0068] R2 (Second) direction