TERMINAL CONNECTOR AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A TERMINAL CONNECTOR

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a terminal connector for connecting one or more spring connections of a plug connector to one or more contact connections of an interface module. The terminal connector may include a printed circuit board including a lower side, an upper side, and one or more strip conductors, where each strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors is configured to be electrically connected to a contact connection of the one or more contact connections of the interface module. The terminal connector may also include one or more metal pins, where each metal pin of the one or more metal pins is connected, in an electrically conductive and integrally bonded manner, to a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors of the printed circuit board, where the one or more metal pins extends from the lower side of the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A terminal connector for connecting one or more spring connections of a plug connector to of one or more contact connections of an interface module, comprising: a printed circuit board comprising a lower side, an upper side, and one or more strip conductors, wherein each strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors is configured to be electrically connected to a contact connection of the one or more contact connections of the interface module; one or more metal pins, wherein each metal pin of the one or more metal pins is connected, in an electrically conductive and integrally bonded manner, to a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors of the printed circuit board, wherein the one or more metal pins extend from the lower side of the printed circuit board and are configured to be inserted into the one or more spring connections of the plug connector.

2. The terminal connector according to claim 1, further comprising: an interface contact arranged on the upper side of the printed circuit board, wherein the one or more strip conductors of the printed circuit board are electrically connected and integrally bonded to the one or more contact connections of the interface module.

3. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein the one or more strip conductors run along the upper side of the printed circuit board, or along the upper side and in at least one interlayer of the printed circuit board.

4. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein the interface module is a flat-ribbon cable (FLK) connector, an insulation-displacement contact (IDC) connector, a D-Subminiature (SUB) connector or an ELCO connector.

5. The terminal connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a drill hole formed in the lower side of the printed circuit board is configured for each metal pin of the one or more metal pins, wherein the drill hole extends at least to a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors and/or or cuts through a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors, and wherein each metal pin of the one or more metal pin is inserted into the corresponding drill hole.

6. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein each metal pin of the one or more metal pins comprises a base section configured to be inserted into a spring connection of the one or more strip connections and a strip conductor section that contacts a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors, wherein the strip conductor section is angled relative to the base section.

7. The terminal connector according to claim 6, wherein the strip conductor section is angled relative to the base section within an angular range of 10 to 20.

8. The terminal connector according to claim 6, wherein the base section of each metal pin of the one or more metal pins comprises a larger diameter than the strip conductor section.

9. The terminal connector according to claim 6, wherein the base section is disposed at an angle relative to the lower side.

10. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein the one or more metal pins comprise a round or a quadrangular cross section.

11. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein the upper side of the printed circuit board is covered by a touch guard plate.

12. The terminal connector according to claim 11, wherein the touch guard plate is separated from the upper side of the printed circuit board using spacers that are arranged laterally on the upper side of the printed circuit board.

13. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein the plug connector is a strip terminal connector.

14. The terminal connector according to claim 1, wherein the one or more spring connections of the plug connector and the metal pins the comprise a same geometric configuration, and the metal pins are configured to be concurrently inserted into the one or more spring connections.

15. A plug connector assembly, comprising: a plug connector comprising one or more spring connections; and a terminal connector comprising a printed circuit board with a lower side, an upper side, and one or more strip conductors, and one or more metal pins each connected to a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors, wherein the one or more metal pins of the terminal connector are configured to be inserted into the one or more spring connections and held in the one or more spring connections by force.

16. A method for producing a terminal connector for connecting one or more spring connections of a plug connector to one or more contact connections of an interface module, comprising: providing a printed circuit board comprising a lower side, an upper side, and one or more strip conductors, wherein each strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors is electrically assigned a contact terminal of the one or more contact terminals of the interface module; and integrally bonding the one or more metal pins to the one or more strip conductors to connect, in an electrically conductive and integrally bonded manner, each metal pin of the one or more metal pins to a strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors of the printed circuit board, wherein the one or more metal pins extend from the lower side of the printed circuit board and are configured to be inserted into the one or more spring connections of the plug connector.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: forming one or more drill holes in the printed circuit board, wherein each drill hole of the one or more drill holes is provided for one respective metal pin; inserting the one or more metal pins into the one or more drill holes; and integrally bonding the one or more metal pins after the one or more metal pins are inserted into the one or more drill holes.

18. The terminal connector according to claim 7, wherein the strip conductor section is angled relative to the base section by 15.

19. The plug connector assembly according to claim 15, wherein the plug connector comprises a strip connector.

20. The plug connector assembly according to claim 15, wherein each strip conductor of the one or more strip conductors is configured to be electrically connected to a contact connection of one or more contact connections of an interface module, and wherein the one or more metal pins extend from the lower side of the printed circuit board and are configured to be inserted into the one or more spring connections of the plug connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Further examples will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a terminal connector in side view comprising a printed circuit board and a metal pin connected to the printed circuit board according to one example of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a metal pin according to one example of the present disclosure; and

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a method for producing a terminal connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following detailed description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and in which specific examples for implementing the disclosure are shown by way of illustration. It is understood that other examples may also be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the concept of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is therefore not to be understood in a limiting sense. It is further understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, the features of the various examples described herein can be combined with one another.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a terminal connector 100 in side view and comprising an attached printed circuit board 110 and a plug connector 102 according to one example of the present disclosure; the terminal connector 100 for connecting a number of spring connections 104 of the plug connector 102 to the number of contact connections 108 of an interface module 106. The following will reference the terminal connector 100 depicted in FIG. 1.

[0035] According to FIG. 1, the terminal connector 100 comprises a printed circuit board 110 having a lower side Ill and an upper side 112 as well as a number of strip conductors 114, wherein each strip conductor 114 is electrically connectable to a contact connection 108 of the interface module 106. Each of the metal pins 116 depicted in FIG. 1 are connected to a strip conductor 114 of the printed circuit board 110 in electrically conductive and integrally bonded manner. The metal pins 116 thereby extend from the lower side 11 of the printed circuit board 110 and are insertable into the spring connections 104 of the plug connector 102.

[0036] According to FIG. 1, the interface contact 108 is preferably arranged on the upper side 112 of the printed circuit board 110. The strip conductors 114 of the printed circuit board 110 are thereby electrically connected, in particular electrically connected and integrally bonded, to the contact connections 108 of the interface module 106. The interface module 106 can thereby be designed as an FLK connector, an IDC connector, a D-SUB connector or an ELCO connector.

[0037] According to one example, the strip conductors 114 run along the upper side 112 of the printed circuit board 110 or along the upper side and in at least one interlayer 120 of the printed circuit board 110.

[0038] As FIG. 1 shows, a drill hole 122 is provided in the lower side Ill of the printed circuit board 110 for the metal pin 116 which extends to at least to a strip conductor 114 and cuts through a strip conductor 114 and whereby the metal pin 116 is inserted into the drill hole 122.

[0039] In the terminal connector 100 depicted in FIG. 1, the upper side 112 of the printed circuit board 110 is covered by a touch guard plate 128. This preferably serves in protecting the printed circuit board from impurities or damages by external influences such as high or low temperatures or liquids which could damage a respective cohesive contact connection between the printed circuit board 110 and a metal pin 116. The touch guard plate 128 is spaced at a distance from the upper side 112 of the printed circuit board 110 by means of spacers 130. Said spacers 130 are preferably arranged laterally on the upper side 112 of the printed circuit board 110. However, other positions are possible.

[0040] The plug connector 102 according to FIG. 1 can preferably be a strip terminal connector.

[0041] The spring connections 104 of the plug connector 102 as well as the metal pins 116 can preferably exhibit the same geometric configuration so that the metal pins 116 can be concurrently inserted into the spring connections 104.

[0042] The terminal connector 100 and the plug connector 102 may be a component part of a plug connector assembly (not depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3). The plug connector 102 can in particular be thereby designed as a strip connector having a number of spring connections 104 and the terminal connector 100 can exhibit metal pins 116, wherein the metal pins 116 of the terminal connector 100 are inserted into the spring connections 104 and held in said spring connections 104 by force.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a metal pin 116 according to one example of the present disclosure. The metal pin 116 according to FIG. 2 comprises a base section 124, which can be inserted into a spring connection 104 as suggested in FIG. 1, as well as a strip conductor section 126 which contacts a strip conductor 114, whereby the strip conductor section 126 is angled relative to the base section 124. The strip conductor section 126 is preferably angled relative to the base section 124 within an angular range of 10 to 20, in particular 15, which is of advantage in being able to produce smaller and thus space-saving drill holes. The base section 124 of a metal pin 116 preferably exhibits a larger diameter than the strip conductor section 126. The base sections 124 can furthermore be disposed at an angle relative to the lower side 111. The metal pins 116 can preferably exhibit a round or a quadrangular cross section. A quadrangular cross section is advantageous as it thereby allows providing a larger bearing surface for the respective metal pins 116. Doing so enables preventing or at least minimizing a slipping or shifting of the metal pins 116.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a method 200 for producing a terminal connector 100 for connecting a number of spring connections 104 of a plug connector 102 to the number of contact connections 108 of an interface module 106. The method 200 comprises a first step of providing 202 a printed circuit board 110 having a lower side 111 and an upper side 112 as well as a number of strip conductors 114, whereby each strip conductor 114 is electrically allocated to a contact terminal 108 of the interface module 106. The method 200 comprises a second step 204 of integrally bonding the number of metal pins 116 to the number of strip conductors 114 in order to connect each metal pin 116 to a strip conductor 114, in particular to exactly one strip conductor 114, of the printed circuit board 110 in an electrically conductive and integrally bonded manner, wherein the metal pins 116 extend from the lower side 111 of the printed circuit board 110 and are insertable into the spring connections 104 of the plug connector 102. The method 200 can additionally comprise a third step 206 of forming drill holes 122 in the printed circuit board 110, wherein one drill hole 122 is provided for one respective metal pin 116. The method 200 can comprise a fourth step 208 of inserting the metal pins into the drill holes 122. The method 200 can comprise a fifth step 210 of integrally bonding the metal pins 116 subsequent to the metal pins 116 being inserted into the drill holes 122.

[0045] The terminal connector 100 is designed to be producible by the above-cited method 200.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0046] 100 terminal connector [0047] 102 plug connector [0048] 104 spring connection [0049] 106 interface module [0050] 108 contact connection/interface contact [0051] 110 printed circuit board [0052] 111 lower side of printed circuit board [0053] 112 upper side of printed circuit board [0054] 114 strip conductor [0055] 116 metal pin [0056] 120 interlayer [0057] 122 drill hole [0058] 124 base section [0059] 126 strip conductor section [0060] 128 touch guard plate [0061] 130 spacer [0062] 200 method [0063] 202 producing a terminal connector [0064] 204 integrally bonding the number of metal pins [0065] 206 forming drill holes [0066] 208 inserting the metal pins [0067] 210 integrally bonding the metal pins