Printed circuit board plug-in connector comprising a shielding connection element

Abstract

A printed circuit board plug-in connector is provided comprising a connector installation housing, an insulating body and a shielding connection element, for the shielding connection of a plug-in connector installation housing to a printed circuit board. The shielding connection element is flat or has at least one flat deformation section which is arranged, in the plug-in direction, in a through-slit of an insulating body mounted on the printed circuit board, and protrudes out of the insulating body with two contact regions in order to electrically contact the metal plug-in connector installation housing.

Claims

1. A printed circuit board plug connector comprising: a shield connection element, which comprises at least one planar deformation section including spring arms and opposing planar contact sections that lie in a common plane of the deformation section, each of the opposing planar contact sections having a respective contact edge that is oriented perpendicular to the common plane; a plug connector installation housing, which is embodied at least in part from metal; and an insulating body, which comprises a through-going slit into which the shield connection element is inserted, wherein the insulating body is arranged with a plug-in region thereof in the plug connector installation housing, and wherein, in order for the plug connector installation housing to electrically contact a ground connection of a printed circuit board, the shield connection element electrically contacts with the contact edges of the opposing planar contact sections, which protrude on opposing sides radially out of the insulating body, the plug connector installation housing from inside at least at two sites that lie opposite one another.

2. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield connection element is able to generate a mechanical contact force that is required for electrically contacting the plug connector installation housing via an elastic deformation that occurs in the common plane of the deformation section defined by the planar deformation section.

3. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield connection element is configured as one piece.

4. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield connection element is formed from a spring-elastic sheet metal.

5. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield connection element is a stamped part.

6. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deformation section has two spring arms, wherein in each case a contact section is formed with in each case a contact region on the spring arms, and wherein the contact regions of the contact sections face away from one another.

7. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield connection element has a ground contact region on which the at least one planar deformation section is formed.

8. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the ground contact region comprises a ground contact pin for contacting the ground connection of the printed circuit board.

9. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the complete shield connection element is configured in a planar manner.

10. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield connection element is inserted into the through-going slit of the insulating body and engages with the at least one planar deformation section in a radial manner through the insulating body.

11. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulating body is configured at least in two parts so as to facilitate the insertion of the shield connection element and thus has at least two parts, namely a base body and a contact carrier, wherein the base body comprises an essentially cylindrical cut-out and wherein the contact carrier is insertable at least in part into the cylindrical cut-out of the base body.

12. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein a region of the through-going slit is arranged in the plug-in region of the base body of the insulating body, and wherein a further region of the through-going slit is arranged in the contact carrier.

13. The printed circuit board plug connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the insulating body comprises at a printed circuit board connection region an outlet for electrically contacting the ground connection of the printed circuit board via the ground contact pin of the shield connection element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is explained in detail below. In the drawings:

(2) FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate a planar shield connection element from different angles of view;

(3) FIG. 1c illustrates an angled insulating body with the shield connection element to be inserted therein;

(4) FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate the angled insulating body with the shield connection element inserted therein from two different views;

(5) FIG. 2c illustrates a cross-sectional view of the angled insulating body with the shield connection element inserted therein;

(6) FIG. 3a illustrates an oblique view of the insulating body with the shield connection element and a plug connector installation housing;

(7) FIG. 3b illustrates a cross-sectional view of the insulating body with the shield connection element and the plug connector installation housing;

(8) FIGS. 4a-4c illustrate the insulating body with separated base body and contact carrier for inserting the shield connection element;

(9) FIG. 4d illustrates the contact carrier with the shield connection element inserted therein and the base body; and

(10) FIG. 4e illustrates a cross-sectional view of the base body with the inserted contact carrier with the shield connection element inserted therein.

(11) The figures illustrate in part simplified schematic views. In part, identical reference numerals are used for similar but possibly not identical elements. Different views of similar elements may be scaled differently.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate a shield connection element 1 from two different views. The shield connection element 1 has two contact sections 11 that are connected via in each case a spring arm 12 to a ground contact region 13. The two contact sections 11 have in each case a contact region 111 for mechanically and electrically contacting a plug connector installation housing 3 that is illustrated in FIG. 3a. The two contact regions 111 are facing away from one another, in other words oriented with their contact regions 111 facing outword.

(13) In the illustrated embodiment, the shield connection element 1 is configured fully in a planar manner, in other words it lies fully in a single plane. It goes without saying that its deformation section is also configured in a planar manner. In this embodiment, the deformation section is formed by way of the two spring arms 12 with the contact sections 11, which are formed thereon, with the associated contact regions 111. In this embodiment, the shield connection element 1 is stamped out of a spring-elastic sheet metal. Since it is not bent, it is also referred to as a stamped part.

(14) The contact regions 111 that are oriented outward have in each case a defined contour. As will be described below, the embodiment of the contour of the contact regions 111 and the shape, in particular the length and width and also the orientation of the spring arms 12 render it possible to very precisely adapt the special elastic characteristics of the deformation section of the shield connection element 1.

(15) FIG. 1c illustrates an angled insulating body 2 of a printed circuit board plug connector with the shield connection element 1 that is to be inserted therein. The insulating body 2 has a base body 20 with an essentially cylindrical plug-in region 21. Furthermore, the insulating body 2 has a printed circuit board connection region 22.

(16) The insulating body 2 is configured in two parts and has in addition to this base body 20 a separate contact carrier 23 that is particularly clear to see as an individual part in FIGS. 4a-4c. The contact carrier 23 likewise has an essentially cylindrical plug section 231 with which it is pushed into an essentially cylindrical cut-out 200 of the base body 20. The insulating body 2 has furthermore a through-going slit 24 that has a planar progression.

(17) One region of the through-going slit 24 is arranged in the plug-in region 21 of the base body 20 and is guided in a radial manner through this cylindrical plug-in region 21. A further region of the through-going slit 24 extends through the contact carrier 23. The through-going slit 24 is configured in a planar manner and is provided so as to receive the planar shield connection element 1.

(18) In the assembled state, if in other words the plug-in section 231 (FIGS. 4a and 4b) of the contact carrier 23 is received as illustrated in the base body 20, the through-going slit 24 extends in a radial manner through the plug-in region 21 and the plug-in section 231. Consequently, the shield connection element 1 that is inserted therein engages through the insulating body 2 at its plug-in region 21.

(19) The insulating body 2 has between the plug-in region 21 and the printed circuit connection region 22 a cylindrical holding section 25 that is part of the base body 20 and whose diameter is considerably greater than the diameter of the plug-in region 21. A region of the through-going slit 24 is likewise arranged in the holding section 25. This region of the through-going slit 24 is used so as to receive the said ground contact region 13 of the shield connection element 1. The ground contact region 13 of the shield connection element 1 is then arranged in the holding section 25. The width of the through-going slit 24 corresponds to the thickness of the shield connection element 1. As a consequence, the shield connection element 1 is held in a positive-locking manner in the insulating body 2 at least in a perpendicular manner with respect to the slit plane

(20) FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate the insulating body 2 with the shield connection element 1 inserted in its through-going slit 24 from two different views and also in a cross-sectional view. The two contact sections 11 protrude with their contact regions 111 on both sides of the plug-in region 21 out of the through-going slit 24 and thus protrude out of the insulating body 2.

(21) It is apparent from FIG. 2c that the through-going slit 24 is guided between the spring arms 12 of the inserted shield connection element 1 through the plug-in section 231 of the contact carrier 23 with the result that the two spring arms 12 may move toward one another in an elastically deforming manner. The ground contact region 13 of the shield connection element 1 is arranged in the contact carrier 23 of the insulating body 2 and protrudes with its ground contact pin 131 out of an opening that is provided for this purpose in the printed circuit connection region 22 in order to contact a ground contact of a printed circuit board.

(22) FIG. 3a illustrates the insulating body 2 from the preceding illustration with a metal plug connector installation housing 3. The plug connector installation housing 3 has a housing plug-in region 31 for mating with a mating connector and also a screw nut 32 for attaching and electrically connecting the plug connector installation housing 3 to a device housing of an electrical device (not illustrated). The plug connector installation housing 3 extends in a slightly tapering conical manner toward its plug-in region 31.

(23) It is easily apparent that by virtue of inserting the insulating body 2 into the plug connector installation housing 3 the contact regions 111 of the contact sections 11 that protrude in a radial manner out of the insulating body 2 come into electrical contact with the metal plug connector installation housing 3.

(24) By virtue of inserting the plug-in region 21 of the insulating body 2 further inward, the contact sections 11 may be moved toward one another in an elastic manner in accordance with the contour of their contact regions 111. As a consequence, the shield connection element 1 generates the pressing force that is required to secure the electrical contact arrangement.

(25) FIG. 3b illustrates the insulating body 2 with the inserted shield connection element 1 and plug connector installation housing 3 in a cross-sectional view, wherein the insulating body 2 is finally inserted with its plug-in region 21 into the plug connector installation housing 3. The shield connection element 1 engages through the insulating body 2 in a radial manner and contacts the plug connector installation housing 3 on both sides with its contact regions 111. The mechanical and electrical contact is illustrated at this site by way of a slight overlapping arrangement. It is easily feasible that the two spring arms 12 move toward one another in an elastic manner in the through-going planar slit 24 during the procedure of inserting the insulating body 2 into the plug connector installation housing 3 and generate a pressing force/contact force with respect to the plug connector installation housing 3. This contact force is dependent upon the spring constants of the two spring arms 12 and upon the extent of their deflection. The deflection is in turn dependent upon the shape of the contact regions 111. In particular, the force during the insertion procedure is also determined by its shape. The spring force of the two spring arms 12 is determined by their shape, in particular by their length and/or width. Since the shield connection element 1 is stamped out of a sheet metal, these parameters may be adjusted during the manufacturing process in a very simple manner by virtue of configuring the stamped shape in a precise manner.

(26) Broadly speaking, the planar shield connection element 1 that is inserted into the insulating body 2 lies in a deformation plane that corresponds to the slit plane. In this case, the shield connection element 1 is able to generate a mechanical contact force that is required for electrically contacting the plug connector installation housing 3 and is in the form of a counter force to an elastic deformation, wherein this deformation occurs exclusively in the deformation plane. The slit plane and the deformation plane are oriented parallel to the plug-in axis of the printed circuit board plug connector. As a consequence, the shield connection element 1 may not tilt against it during the procedure of inserting said shield connection element into the plug connector installation housing 3 with its contact sections 11.

(27) In the printed circuit board connection region, the through-going slit 24 of the insulating body 2 has a further exit opening through which the ground contact pin 131 is guided so as to electrically contact the ground connection (not illustrated) of the printed circuit board (not illustrated). Consequently, the plug connector installation housing 3 may be grounded via the shield connection element 1 at the printed circuit board.

(28) The procedure of assembling the plug connection is illustrated in FIGS. 4a-4e.

(29) FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c illustrate the base body 20, the contact carrier 23 and the shield connection element 1 as separate components. During the assembly procedure, the shield connection element 1 is initially plugged into the contact carrier 23. The contact carrier 23 is then inserted together with the shield connection element 1 with its plug-in section 231 into a cylindrical cut-out 200 of the base body 20 that is clearly visible in FIG. 4d. During the insertion procedure, the deformation section of the shield connection element 1 deforms accordingly in order to render it possible to insert the contact carrier 23 into the base body 20. In the inserted state, the contact sections 11 protrude with their contact regions 111 on both sides out of the plug-in region 21 of the insulating body 2, as is illustrated in FIG. 4e, in order to mechanically and electrically contact the plug connector housing 3, as is illustrated in FIG. 3b.

(30) In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.