ROTARY DEVICE FOR PLUG CONNECTORS

Abstract

A coding device for plug connectors that has at least one first coding mechanism and a second coding mechanism assigned to the first, wherein the coding mechanism are each provided on one of the plug connector elements to be connected, wherein the at least one first coding mechanism is rotatably coupled to the plug connector plug, such that the orientation of the plug connector partners relative to one another can be produced via a rotation of at least sections of the coding mechanism relative to the plug connector plug in order to create the plug contact. A plug connector assembly that has a coding device that can be rotated relative to the plug connector.

Claims

1. A coding installation for plug connectors, comprising: at least one first coding mechanism and one second coding mechanism assigned to the first coding mechanism, wherein the coding mechanism are in each case provided on one of the plug connector elements to be plugged, wherein the at least one first coding mechanism is coupled so as to be rotatable in relation to a plug connector plug such that a mutual orientation of plug connector partners for establishing a plug-connection contact, is able to be established by rotating the first coding mechanism at least in portions relative to the plug connector plug.

2. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coding installation is disposed outside the plug face.

3. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first coding mechanism is established on a closure ring of the closure system that is rotatably coupled to a plug connector plug.

4. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one first coding mechanism, for implementing the primary locking action of the plug connection, is disposed at a defined arcuate spacing from at least one locking element coupled to the closure ring of the closure system.

5. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one first coding mechanism is coupled to the inside of the closure ring and extends radially inward.

6. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 3, wherein a plurality of the first coding mechanisms are coupled symmetrically or asymmetrically to the closure ring.

7. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coding mechanism is formed by at least one first coding stud coupled to the closure ring, and at least one first coding groove assigned to the coding stud and coupled to the plug connector mating plug.

8. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one coding groove is configured so as to be U-shaped such that the kinematics of the movement of the closure system is assisted by the closure ring of the latter and the at least one locking element.

9. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one coding groove has at least two mutually different groove widths such that the kinematics of the movement of the closure system is assisted by the closure ring of the latter and the at least one locking element.

10. The coding installation for plug connectors as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one coding groove on an end side has in each case one entry opening and one exit opening such that the kinematics of the movement of the closure system is assisted by the closure ring thereof and the at least one locking element.

11. A plug connection having a plug connector having a closure system and a plug connector mating plug and a coding installation, wherein the coding installation is configured as claimed in claim 1, such that the mutual orientation of the plug connector partners for establishing the plug-connection contact is able to be established by rotating the first coding mechanism at least in portions relative to the plug connector plug.

Description

[0021] The invention will be explained in more detail hereunder by means of a preferred exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the figures, in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the coding according to the invention for a plug connector having a closure system;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the front view of an exemplary plug connector having a closure system and coding according to the invention in the upper illustration, as well as a sectional illustration in the region of the plug contact zone;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the front view in the upper illustration, and in the lower illustration shows the right-hand view of an exemplary plug connector mating plug; and

[0025] FIG. 4 shows the left-hand view of an exemplary plug connector from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the coding 200 according to the invention for a plug connector 1 having a closure system 100. The plug connector is preferably but not mandatorily a round plug connector. The core elements include a bayonet ring 110 having a closure ring 119 which is disposed so as to be rotatable on the plug connector housing 140 and has locking components 111, 120, 121, 122 as well as coding components 220.

[0027] FIG. 2 in the upper illustration shows the front view of an exemplary plug connector 1 having a closure system 100 and coding 200 according to the invention, as well as a sectional illustration in the region of the plug contact zone in the lower illustration.

[0028] The bayonet ring 110 together with the closure ring 119 are at least in part rotatable on the plug connector housing 140. The closure ring 119 conjointly with the at least one coding stud 220 thereof is rotated until the latter is axially aligned with the respectively assigned, at least one, coding groove 230 of the plug connector mating plug 150 such that the plug connection can be contacted in that the plug connector partners can be pushed into one another and locked. This means that the locking elements, at least formed by at least one locking pin 120, as well as the coding elements, at least formed by at least one coding stud 220, within the bayonet and closure ring 110, 119 have in each case to be simultaneously aligned with the at least one gate 151 and the coding groove 230 of the plug connector mating plug 150.

[0029] Coding variations can be achieved in a simple manner by different spacings of the coding installation 200 and the locking elements 120 on the circumference of the closure ring 119, so that mating plug partner allocations and/or relative mutual coding positions are able to be generated in a wide variation spectrum.

[0030] An electrical connection is established only once the closure ring 119 can be pushed onto the plug connector mating plug 150. The plug connection 1 is reduced in terms of torsional stress because the plug face having the lines attached thereto does not have to be rotated in practical terms.

[0031] The at least one locking pin 120 is received in a bore 114 of the closure ring 119 so as to be axially movable and functionally interacts with a spring element 121 as well as an optionally assigned sleeve 122 that preferably encases the spring element in regions. The spring element 121 and the sleeve 122 are received in a pocket 111 of a bayonet ring 110 that externally encompasses the closure ring 119 and, in a bayonet ring orientation that corresponds to the opened position, so as to bear on the external end side of the locking pin 120. The locking pin 120 in this bayonet ring orientation is movable radially in relation to the plug connector housing 140 and counter to the spring force of the spring element 121 such that the locking pin 120 in terms of the kinematics of the movement thereof can compensate for dissimilar depth levels of the gate, the bayonet groove 151. The bayonet ring 110 in the unlocked position (shown here), as a result of the degree of freedom of the locking pin 120 present in this instance, facilitates the movement of the locking pin 120 through the gate 151 in a manner independent of the height level in said gate 151.

[0032] A symmetrical arrangement of three locking pins 120 on the circumference of the plug connector housing 140, or so as to be uniformly distributed on the circumference, respectively, is shown in FIG. 2. This design which is often advantageous for reasons of statics can also be constructed in a variable manner, depending on the field of application or the environmental conditions, for example so as to be asymmetrical or with one, two or more than three functionally interacting locking pin arrangements. The same applies to the coding installation 200, or the coding stud 220 on the closure ring 119, respectively.

[0033] FIG. 3 in the upper illustration shows the front view and in the lower illustration shows the right-hand view of an exemplary plug connector mating plug 150. At least one gate 151 having in each case one end-side entry opening and one exit opening is incorporated in the plug connector mating plug 150 on the external circumference of the latter. The gate 151 in terms of the profile thereof between the entry opening and the exit opening is Z-shaped and embodied having mutually dissimilar depth extents in the radial direction, said depth extents transitioning into one another by way of ramp-shaped portions.

[0034] The at least one coding groove 230 of the coding installation 200 is incorporated on the external circumference of the plug connector mating plug 150 so as to have a defined arcuate spacing relative to the at least one gate 151. The exemplary embodiment shown in a symmetrical arrangement on the circumference comprises three coding groove 230 and three gates 151. The respective mutual arcuate spacing of the coding groove 230 and the gate 151 is adapted to the respective arcuate spacing of the at least one coding stud 220 and of the at least one locking pin 120, or the bore for the locking pin 114 in the closure ring 119 of the plug connector plug 140 to be assigned thereto, respectively.

[0035] Coding variations can be achieved in a simple manner by different arcuate spacings on the circumference of the closure ring 119 and assigned thereto on the plug connector mating plug 150, such that plug partner allocations and/or relative mutual coding positions are able to be generated in a wide variation spectrum.

[0036] The coding groove 230 on the circumference of the cylindrical portion of the plug connector mating plug 150 is configured so as to be U-shaped having in each case one end-side entry opening and one exit opening.

[0037] The coding groove 230 is preferably provided, and illustrated in FIG. 3, so as to be implemented with an inconsistent groove width. The guiding of the coding stud 220 in the movement profile within the coding groove 230 is of secondary importance in terms of the coding task such that a suitable width of the guiding groove is not required. Rather, the following is important: [0038] that the contours of the coding stud 220 and of the coding groove 230 are mutually adapted with a view to pairing their movements; [0039] that the same applies to the tolerances to be chosen with a view to play in the movement; [0040] that the width of the coding groove in the U-shaped portion is configured for providing the degree of freedom of movement for the necessary kinematics in terms of the movement of the closure system 100; [0041] the defined, mutually aligned circumferential position.

[0042] The coding groove 230 is configured so as to be U-shaped in a manner adapted to the gate 151 so as to assist the rotational as well as axial-linear degree of freedom of movement of the at least one locking pin 120 in the Z-shaped gate 151. For this purpose, the respective circumferential spacings of the end-side entry opening and exit opening of the coding groove 230 and the gate 151 are mutually adapted.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates the left-hand view of an exemplary plug connector 1 from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The electrically conducting contact in the example shown is implemented by a round contact in the form of a lamella contact socket 141 into which a suitably shaped plug contact blade is incorporated. The plug connection 1 can be embodied as a high-voltage or high-tension plug connection.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0044] 1 Plug connector, plug connection [0045] 100 Closure system for plug connectors [0046] 110 Bayonet ring [0047] 111 Pocket [0048] 114 Bore (for locking pin) [0049] 119 Closure ring [0050] 120 Locking element, locking pin [0051] 121 Spring element [0052] 122 Sleeve [0053] 140 Plug connector, plug connector housing, plug connector plug [0054] 141 Contact, annular contact, lamella contact socket [0055] 150 Base, base mating plug, plug connector mating plug [0056] 151 Gate, bayonet gate, bayonet groove, control gate [0057] 153 Base plate, flanged plate [0058] 154 Bore [0059] 200 Coding for plug connector, coding installation [0060] 220 First coding means, coding stud [0061] 230 Second coding means, coding groove