Method for Establishing a Connection, and Arrangement

Abstract

A plug element (10) includes a housing (10a, 10b) and two contact spring wires (17a, 18a) arranged and fixed in the housing (10a, 10b). The housing (10a, 10b) includes laterally arranged openings (25, 26), and the contact spring wires (17a, 18a) form spring pressure contacts (17a, 18a) in the area of the lateral openings (25, 26).

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A device for establishing an electrical connection and a mechanical connection to an actuator (19, 29) for a transmission control unit of a transmission, comprising a plug element (10, 20) that comprises a housing (10a, 10b, 20a, 20b) and a pair of contact spring wires (17a, 18a, 27a, 28a) arranged and fixed in the housing (10a, 10b, 20a, 20b), wherein the housing (10a, 10b, 20a, 20b) comprises a pair of laterally arranged openings (25, 26, 45, 46), and each of the contact spring wires (17a, 18a, 27a, 28a) forms a spring pressure contact (17a, 18a, 27a, 28a) proximate a respective one of the lateral openings (25, 26, 45, 46).

13. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the contact spring wires (17a, 18a, 27a, 28a) is connected to a respective electrical lead (11, 12).

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the plug element (10, 20) has a longitudinal or plug-in axis (a) and a pressure direction (F) of the electrical spring pressure contacts (17a, 18a, 27a, 28a) extends essentially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (a).

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the plug element (10, 30) comprises detent or snap-in elements (13, 33a, 33b).

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the housing (10a, 10b, 20a, 20b) comprises two housing halves (10a, 10b, 30a, 30b), which are joinable to each other and between which the contact spring wires (17, 18, 37, 38) are accommodated and fixed.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein a continuous labyrinth sealing (23, 24, 43, 44) is arranged between the contact spring wires (17, 18, 37, 38).

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the labyrinth sealing is a continuous groove (24, 44) and a ridge (23, 43) engaging into the groove (24, 44).

19. An arrangement for establishing an electrical connection and a mechanical connection between an actuator (19, 39), comprising electrical connection contacts (22, 42) and the device of claim 12, wherein the actuator (19, 39) comprises a contact housing (21, 41) on a face end of the actuator (19, 39), the plug element (10, 30) insertable into and fixable within the contact housing (21, 41).

20. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the electrical connection contacts of the actuator (19, 39) are configured as contact pins (22, 42), which form contacts together with the spring pressure contacts (17a, 18a, 37a, 38a) of the plug element (10, 30).

21. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the contact housing (21, 41) comprises detent or snap-in elements, which correspond to detent or snap-in elements (13, 33a, 33b) of the plug element (10, 30).

22. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein labyrinth sealings (14, 34) are arranged between the contact housing (21, 41) and the plug element (10, 30).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawing and are described in greater detail in the following, wherein further features and/or advantages can result from the description and/or the drawing. Wherein

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the invention for a plug element including connecting lines;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows single parts of the plug element according to FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows an electrical and mechanical connection between the plug element and an actuator;

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the invention for a modified plug element;

[0022] FIG. 5 shows single parts of the plug element according to FIG. 4; and

[0023] FIG. 6 shows an arrangement for the electrical and mechanical connection between the plug element and an actuator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows, as a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, a plug element 10, which is provided for an electrical contacting of an actuator (not represented here), preferably of a hydraulic control unit of a transmission for motor vehicles. The plug element 10 includes two connecting lines 11, 12 of any length, which can be connected, at the ends, to an electronic connecting arrangement (not represented), in particular a printed circuit plate of an electronic transmission control unit. The plug element 10 is provided for actuators, which are arranged at a greater spatial distance with respect to the printed circuit plate. A retaining clamp 13, also referred to as a detent lug 13, for fixing the plug element 10 with respect to a contact housing 21 (FIG. 3) is arranged on the top side of the plug element 10, which is visible in the drawing. Moreover, a ridge 14 is arranged on the top side of the plug element 10, which is part of a labyrinth sealing and engages into a groove (not represented) in the contact housing 21 (FIG. 3). The plug element 10 further includes lateral guide slots 15, 16, which are utilized for the longitudinal guidance and fixing of the plug element 10 with respect to the contact housing 21 (FIG. 3).

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the plug element 10 including parts of the plug element 10, namely a first housing half 10a, a second housing half 10b, and contact spring wires 17, 18, which form spring-loaded, outwardly extending spring pressure contacts 17a, 18a. The plug element 10 has a longitudinal or plug-in axis a and is inserted in the direction of the plug-in axis a into the contact housing 21 (FIG. 3). The pressure direction of the spring pressure contacts 17a, 18a, which are designed as arched bending springs, is marked by arrows F, i.e., transversely to the longitudinal axis a. For this purpose, the two housing halves 10a, 10b include lateral openings 25, 26. The contact spring wires 17, 18, which are accommodated by the two housing halves 10a, 10b in indentations (without a reference number) in a form-locking manner, are electrically conductively connected to the connecting lines 11, 12.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows the connection of the plug element 10 to an actuator 19, which is arranged on a housing 20, preferably a hydraulic control unit 20. On the face end of the actuator 19, preferably a solenoid valve 19, a contact housing 21 is arranged, which partially accommodates the plug element 10, wherein the plug element 10 is secured in position in the longitudinal direction by the lockable retaining clamp 13. The actuator 19 includes two contact pins, of which only the contact pin 22 is visible; the contact pin 22 is in pressure contact with the electrical contact 17a.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the invention for a plug element 30 including connecting lines 31, 32. A ridge 34 for a labyrinth sealing with respect to the contact housing 41 (FIG. 6) is arranged on the outer side of the plug element 30. Detent or snap-in elements 33a, 33b are provided on the plug element 30, on the face end, for the fixation in the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the plug element 30 include guide slots 35, 36 for a guidance and fixation on the contact housing 41 (FIG. 6).

[0029] FIG. 5 shows parts of the plug element 30, namely a first housing half 30a, a second housing half 30b, and two contact spring wires 37, 38, which form electrical contacts designed as spring pressure contacts 37a, 38a and are electrically conductively connected to the connecting lines 31, 32. The first housing half 30a includes a ridge 43 arranged centrally between the contact spring wires 37, 38, while the second housing half 30b includes a corresponding groove 44. The ridge 43 and the groove 44 form a labyrinth sealing as a debris guard. The two housing halves 30a, 30b include detent elements 33a, 33b and lateral openings 45, 46 for the spring pressure contacts 37a, 38a.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows the connection of the plug element 30 including the contact housing 41 of the actuator 39, which is arranged on a housing 40. The detent lugs 33a, 33b are locked with respect to the face ends of the contact housing 41 and bring about a fixation of the plug element 30 in the longitudinal or plug-in direction. The connection contact of the actuator 39, which is designed as a contact pin 42, is contacted by the spring pressure contact 37a. The compressive forces resulting from the spring pressure contacts transversely to the longitudinal direction of the plug element 30 are therefore absorbed by the two contact pins.

[0031] Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. In the claims, reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description and the drawings may be recited. Such reference characters are enclosed within parentheses and are provided as an aid for reference to example embodiments described in the detailed description and the drawings. Such reference characters are provided for convenience only and have no effect on the scope of the claims. In particular, such reference characters are not intended to limit the claims to the particular example embodiments described in the detailed description and the drawings.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0032] 10 plug element [0033] 10a first housing half [0034] 10b second housing half [0035] 11 connecting line [0036] 12 connecting line [0037] 13 retaining clamp/detent element [0038] 14 ridge (external) [0039] 15 guide slot [0040] 16 guide slot [0041] 17 first contact wire [0042] 17a electrical contact [0043] 18 second contact wire [0044] 18a electrical contact [0045] 19 actuator [0046] 20 housing [0047] 21 contact housing [0048] 22 contact pin [0049] 23 ridge (internal) [0050] 24 groove [0051] 25 lateral opening [0052] 26 lateral opening [0053] 30 plug element [0054] 30a first housing half [0055] 30b second housing half [0056] 31 connecting line [0057] 32 connecting line [0058] 33a detent element [0059] 33b detent element [0060] 34 ridge [0061] 35 guide slot [0062] 36 guide slot [0063] 37 first contact wire [0064] 37a electrical contact [0065] 38 second contact wire [0066] 38a electrical contact [0067] 39 actuator [0068] 40 housing [0069] 41 contact housing [0070] 42 contact pin [0071] 43 ridge (internal) [0072] 44 groove [0073] 45 lateral opening [0074] 46 lateral opening [0075] a longitudinal or plug-in axis [0076] F pressure direction