Overvoltage protection module for a modular plug connector

Abstract

A connector module for a modular plug connector is provided having an overvoltage protection with at least one earth connection. A connector and a modular plug connector having a connector module of the above type is also provided.

Claims

1. A plug module of a modular plug connector having a retaining frame formed from an electrically conductive material, the plug module comprising: an overvoltage protection circuit arranged on a printed circuit board such that the plug module is an overvoltage protection module; a module housing made from an electrically insulating material which encloses the printed circuit board, the module housing having a window opening in a lateral side that faces the retaining frame when the plug module is received therein; and at least one contact spring which is connected electrically conductively to a ground connection of the overvoltage protection circuit for conducting away overvoltages, the at least one contact spring including one or more contact arms that project outwardly through the window opening of the module housing and contact the retaining frame when the plug module is received therein.

2. The plug module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overvoltage protection circuit has at least one diode and at least one gas arrester and is arranged on the printed circuit board.

3. A plug for a modular plug connector, wherein the plug is suitable for accommodating a plurality of plug modules and has at least one plug module as claimed in claim 1.

4. A modular plug connector, wherein the modular plug connector has a plug as claimed in claim 3 and a mating plug with a plurality of mating plug modules, wherein in each case a plug module of the plug and a mating plug module of the mating plug form a plug module pair, wherein the plug and the mating plug can assume a state in which they are connected to each other and in which the plug module and the mating plug module of each plug module pair are connected to each other and can assume a state in which they are separated from each other and in which the plug module and the mating plug module of each plug module pair are detached from each other, wherein in the case of the plug module pair with the overvoltage protection module, in the connected state of the plug and mating plug, the overvoltage protection module establishes an electrically conductive plugged connection and is connected to an electrical device to be protected against overvoltage.

5. The plug as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plug comprises the retaining frame in which the plug modules are held.

6. The plug as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plug modules are held positively or frictionally in the retaining frame.

7. The plug as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plug has a metal plug connector housing, wherein the retaining frame can be held in the plug connector housing.

8. The plug as claimed in claim 7, wherein the retaining frame can be held positively and/or frictionally in the plug connector housing and consequently can be electrically contacted therewith.

9. The plug as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plug connector housing consists of a mounting housing and a mating plug housing, and wherein the retaining frame with the plug module can be held positively and/or frictionally in the mounting housing.

10. A plug for a modular plug connector, wherein then plug comprises a retaining frame formed from an electrically conductive material which is suitable for accommodating a plurality of plug modules and has at least one plug module configured as an overvoltage protection module, wherein the overvoltage protection module has a printed circuit board, and wherein the overvoltage protection circuit is arranged on the printed circuit board, wherein the overvoltage protection module has at least one contact spring for conducting away overvoltages, and wherein the printed circuit board has at least one ground connection which is connected electrically conductively to the contact spring as a component of the overvoltage protection circuit, wherein the overvoltage protection module has a module housing, made from an electrically insulating material, which encloses the printed circuit board in the mounted state, wherein in the mounted state the module housing has at least one window opening in a lateral side thereof facing the retaining frame through which one or more contact arms of the at least one contact spring project for contacting the retaining frame, and wherein the one or more contact arms of the contact spring automatically electrically contact the retaining frame by virtue of the overvoltage protection module being held in the retaining frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

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

(2) FIGS. 1a, b show a plug module and a mating plug module;

(3) FIGS. 2a-e show the plug module in an exploded view and in the assembled state;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the plug module, inserted in a retaining frame, with a grounding spring;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the grounding spring in a separate view;

(6) FIGS. 5a, b show the plug module and the mating plug module, which are each inserted in a retaining frame, in a side view;

(7) FIGS. 6a, b show a mounting housing and mating plug housing with the retaining frame installed therein, in oblique views; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a plug connector, with the mounting housing and the mating plug housing plugged and locked thereto, in a side view.

(9) The drawings contain partially simplified schematic views. Identical reference numerals are used partly for identical, but possibly non-identical elements. Different views of the same elements could be at a different scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1a shows a plug module 1 and FIG. 1b shows a mating plug module 2 which can be plugged thereto. The plug module 1 has an overvoltage protection circuit such that the plug module 1 is an overvoltage protection module. This overvoltage circuit is covered in this view by a module housing. The module housing is made from an electrically insulating material, for example plastic, and is formed from a first housing part 11 and a second housing part 13 joined together therewith. The second housing part 13 has two large latching lugs 132, 133, with different independent polarities, which are integrally formed on two opposite narrow side parts of the second housing part 13 and only the first one 132 of which can be seen in FIG. 1a. Moreover, pin contacts 111 are pressed into the first housing part 11 and thus form a plug face of the plug module 1. In an alternative embodiment not shown in the drawings, the plug module 1 has socket contacts.

(11) The mating plug module 2 shown in FIG. 1b has a corresponding plug face with socket contacts 211. In the abovementioned alternative embodiment not shown in the drawings, the mating plug module has pin contacts. Two such latching lugs 232, 233 are likewise integrally formed on the housing of the mating plug module 2.

(12) The two plug faces furthermore also have plug-side polarization means (not described in detail) in the form of polarizing tabs and recesses/slots.

(13) FIG. 2 shows the plug module 1 in an exploded view. FIG. 2a shows the first housing half and the pin contacts 111 from their connection side. A rectangular printed circuit board 12 with the overvoltage protection circuit, constructed from diodes 122 and gas arresters 123, can be clearly seen in FIG. 2b. For connection to the connection side of the pin contacts 111, the printed circuit board has corresponding connection pads 121, on one of its narrow sides, which are connected electrically conductively to the protective circuit via strip conductors. Two grounding springs 4, which are also shown as a separate component in FIG. 4, are situated opposite each other and each is connected to a ground connection of the printed circuit board 12.

(14) The printed circuit board 12 with its connection pads 121 is soldered to the pin contacts 111 in FIG. 2c. On its opposite narrow side, the printed circuit board 12 has a cable connection element 124, the connections of which are connected electrically conductively via further strip conductors to the overvoltage protection circuit, namely to a connection of the diodes 122.

(15) FIG. 2d shows the second housing part 13, wherein the second 133 of the two latching lugs 132, 133 can be seen in this view. On the cable connection side, the second housing part 13 has a connection window 134. At its opposite opening, which is provided for insertion of the printed circuit board 12 into the second housing part 13, or in other words for plugging the second housing part 13 onto the printed circuit board 12, the second housing part 13 has, on both sides on two opposite side parts, in each case a slot-like opening 131 and moreover a latching mechanism not described in detail for fastening it on the first housing part 11. In the plugged-together, i.e., mounted state which is shown in FIG. 2e, a window opening remains at least in the end region of the slot-like opening 131. In the mounted state, the window opening thus formed also allows parts of the contact spring 4 to project in order to contact the ground.

(16) Contacting the ground when the plug module 1 is held with a metal retaining frame 3 is shown in FIG. 3. The latching lugs 132, 133 of the plug module 1 are held in latching windows 33 of the retaining frame 3, as a result of which the plug module 1 is fixed in the retaining frame 3.

(17) The contact spring 4 of the plug module with its two spring arms 41 is shown in dashed lines inside the retaining frame 3, wherein the contact spring 4 electrically contacts the retaining frame 3 with its spring arms 41. This makes it possible to conduct away an electrical overvoltage through the overvoltage protection circuit via the retaining frame 3 and hence possibly also to a plug connector housing 5 shown in FIG. 7.

(18) FIG. 4 shows the contact spring 4. It is a stamped and bent part made from resilient sheet metal which is essentially rectangular in shape in its unbent state. In a part region, a window 42 is stamped therefrom on three sides, parallel to three outer sides, such that a three-sided rectangular frame 43 is formed on these three sides, and a resilient tab is formed on the fourth side. Dividing this tab into two halves creates two parallel spring arms 41, each standing free on three sides, which at their base are bent out from the plane of the window 42 in a first direction and, toward their ends, are bent back slightly in the opposite direction toward the frame 43 of the contact spring 4.

(19) A second part region has two parallel slots extending in the direction of the window 42, by which three parallel tabs are first formed. The two outer tabs are then bent at a first bending edge at right angles and in an opposite direction to the first direction, as a result of which fastening feet 44 bent at right angles are formed. The inner tab is bent at a second bending edge in the same direction, as a result of which a right-angled soldering tag 45 is formed at a different distance from the window 42, wherein the first bending edge is further away from the window 42 than the second bending edge by the thickness of the printed circuit board 12. The contact spring can thus be clamped laterally to the printed circuit board 12, on the one hand with its fastening feet for example below the printed circuit board 12 and, on the other hand, with its soldering tag 45 for example above the printed circuit board 12, as a result of which retention is readily ensured. The soldering tag 45 can then be soldered to the respective ground contact of the printed circuit board 12 for ground contacting the contact spring 4, as a result of which fastening of the contact spring 4 on the printed circuit board 12 is also strengthened.

(20) FIG. 5 shows two identical retaining frames 3, 3 in a side view. The first retaining frame 3 is equipped with a plug module 1. The second retaining frame 3 is equipped with a mating plug module 2. The two retaining frames 3, 3 and the two modules 1, 2 are each suited for being mutually plugged together.

(21) FIG. 6 shows a plug with a mounting housing 51 and a mating plug with a mating plug housing 52. The retaining frame 3 with the plug module 1 is installed in the mounting housing 51. The second retaining frame 3 with the mating plug module 2 is installed in the mating plug housing 52. The mounting housing 51 has a locking bracket 513. The mating plug housing 52 has locking lugs 523 which are provided to interact with the locking bracket 513. The mating plug housing 52 can thus be plugged and locked to the mounting housing 51.

(22) FIG. 7 shows the plug connector with its plug connector housing 5 in the plugged and locked state.

(23) Even when different aspects or features of the invention are shown in each case in combination in the drawings, unless otherwise stated it is apparent to a person skilled in the art that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or groups of features from different exemplary embodiments can be exchanged with one another.

(24) 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.