Plug Connector

Abstract

A plug connector comprising a housing that has a channel which extends from a first end of the housing to a second end of the housing. A connection piece is provided on the first end and a connection geometry is provided on the second end. A heating zone is provided inside the channel. A heat-conducting element is arranged between the heating zone and the second end. The heat-conducting element has a heat-output section which is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve that surrounds the internal space. The cylindrical sleeve has a peripheral wall that is closed in the peripheral direction.

Claims

1. A plug connector having a housing, which has a channel which extends from a first end of the housing to a second end of the housing, wherein a connection fitting is provided on the first end and a connection geometry is provided on the second end, wherein a heating zone is provided in the interior of the channel, wherein a heat-conducting element is arranged between the heating zone and the second end, wherein the heat-conducting element has a heat-output portion which is formed as a cylinder sleeve which surrounds an interior space, wherein the cylinder sleeve has a circumferential wall which is closed in the circumferential direction.

2. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting element extends into the connection geometry.

3. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting element has a fastening portion which is plugged into the channel.

4. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting element has, along its length, an external dimension which is maximally the same size as the internal dimension of the channel.

5. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting element is held in a clamping manner.

6. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting element is formed from aluminum, copper or brass.

7. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein a heating element is arranged in the heating zone and the heat-conducting element is in heat-conducting contact with the heating element.

8. The plug connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat-conducting element is connected to the heating element in a clamping manner.

9. The plug connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein a ramp element is arranged in the channel, along which ramp element the heating element is led out of the channel, wherein the heat-conducting element has a recess which receives the ramp element.

10. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing has a locking geometry and the heat-conducting element projects into a region in which the locking geometry is arranged.

11. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection geometry has a fitting.

12. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection geometry has a receiving space for a fitting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0026] Further features, details and advantages of the disclosure are revealed in the wording of the claims and in the description below of embodiments with reference to the drawings, which show:

[0027] FIG. 1. a perspective view of a plug connector;

[0028] FIG. 2. a sectional view through the plug connector of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3. a plan view of the plug connector of FIG. 1; and

[0030] FIG. 4. a plan view of the connection fitting of the plug connector of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In FIGS. 1 to 4, an embodiment of a plug connector 10 for a fluid line, for example a urea line in a vehicle, is shown. Such a urea line guides urea from a reservoir to a consumer. The urea is used in a diesel engine for exhaust gas aftertreatment to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The plug connector 10 can connect a line section of the urea line to the consumer or to the reservoir. However, the plug connector can also connect two line sections of the urea line to one another.

[0032] The plug connector 10 has a housing 12 with a first end 14 and a second end 16. The first end 14 has a connection fitting 18, which has a fir-tree profile 20 on its outer side, by means of which a hose or a tube pushed onto the connection fitting 18 is prevented from slipping. The hose or tube can be flexibly designed. On the outside, the hose or tube can be additionally fastened to the connection fitting 18 by a tensioning element.

[0033] The second end 16 likewise has a connection geometry 22 which is formed as a connection fitting and onto which a hose or a tube can be pushed. Alternatively, the connection geometry 22 can also have a receiving space for a connection fitting of a line section, for example.

[0034] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, the ends 14, 16 are connected by a channel 24 so that a fluid can flow between the ends 14, 16. For example, the second end 16 is connected to a reservoir or a line section connected to the reservoir and the first end 14 is fluidically connected to a consumer or a line section connected to the consumer.

[0035] A heating zone 26 is provided in the channel, in which heating zone a heating element 28 is provided, as can be seen in FIG. 2. The heating element 28 in the present case is a flexible heating rod, which has at least one heating conductor which is embedded in an extruded plastics material. Two heating conductors can be provided, which are connected to one another at an end which is remote from the plug connector 10 so that an electrical connection is only necessary at one end of the heating element 28. Although the heating element 28 is flexible and bendable, it has a certain inherent rigidity so that the heating element 28, when a line section (with a heating element located therein) is pushed onto the connection fitting 18, the heating element 28 can be pushed into the connection fitting 18.

[0036] The heating element 28 must be led out of the plug connector 2 so that electrical connections (not illustrated in more detail) can be established, via which the designed heating power can be introduced into the heating element 28. Accordingly, the plug connector 10 has a heating-element exit channel 30, whereof the longitudinal axis 32 is at an angle to the longitudinal axis 34 of the plug connector 10. The angle is greater than 0 and is preferably in the range of 20 to 80.

[0037] The heating-element exit channel 30 is arranged in a fitting 36 which is aligned at the angle to the longitudinal axis 34 of the plug connector 10. An O-ring (not illustrated here) can be provided in the fitting 36, which O-ring abuts against the heating element 28 in a sealing manner and prevents fluid from exiting out of the heating-element exit channel 30. The O-ring is secured in the heating-element exit channel 30 with the aid of a plug.

[0038] A ramp element 38, which is integrally formed with the housing 12, is arranged in the channel 24. The ramp element 38 has a guide surface 40 which is curved, i.e. formed without kinks. The guide surface 40 extends from the underside of the channel 24, i.e. the side opposite the heating-element exit channel 30, to the heating-element exit channel 30 and continues in a wall of the heating-element exit channel 30. The tip of the heating element 28 can therefore slide along the guide surface 40 without being impeded by steps, kinks, grooves or the like. If the heating element 28 is pushed into the channel 24, a front end comes into contact with the guide surface 40 and is deflected by this as the heating element 28 is pushed further into the heating-element exit channel 30 so that the heating element 28 can exit out of the heating-element exit channel 30 and be connected to an energy supply.

[0039] A fluid flowing through the channel 24 can be heated by the heating element 28. The heating zone 26 is defined as the region in which the heating element 28 can heat the fluid in the channel 24. Accordingly, the heating zone 26 in the channel 24 extends from the first end 14 to the ramp element 38.

[0040] A heat-conducting element 42 is furthermore provided in the channel 24, which heat-conducting element extends from the second end 16 to the ramp element 38 or to the heating element 28. The heat-conducting element 42 consists of a heat-conducting material, for example a highly heat-conductive metal such as aluminum, copper, brass or a metal alloy.

[0041] The heat-conducting element 42 has a fastening portion 44, with which the heat-conducting element can be plugged into the channel 24 and fastened therein. The external dimensions of the fastening portion 44 along the length of the heat-conducting element 42 can be maximally the same size as the internal dimension of the channel 24, so that the heat-conducting element is held in the channel 24 in a clamping manner. The fastening portion 44 can have for example a recess extending the longitudinal direction from one end so that the fastening portion 44 can be pushed into the channel 24 on both sides of the ramp element 38, whereby it is pushed past the ramp element 38 to the heating element 28.

[0042] In a manner not illustrated in more detail, the fastening portion 44 has a geometry which is adapted to the geometry of the heating element 28 in the region of the ramp element 38 so that the fastening portion 44 can be clamped on the heating element 28. The heat-conducting element 42 is then in heat-conducting communication with the heating element 28 so that heat from the heating element 28 can be transferred to the heat-conducting element 42.

[0043] The heat-conducting element 42 furthermore has a heat-output portion 46 which is formed as a cylinder sleeve and projects into the connection geometry 22. The cylinder sleeve can be a circular cylinder. The cylinder sleeve has a circumferential wall 48 which is fully closed in the circumferential direction. In the circumferential direction, the the heat-output portion 46 abuts circumferentially against the channel inside wall by means of the circumferential wall 48 and thus forms the channel 24 in sections. Since the heat-conducting element 42 is connected to the heating element 28 in a heat-conducting manner, heat from the heating element 28 is conducted into the heat-conducting element 42 so that it is heated. The heat-output portion 46 can output the heat to a fluid flowing in via the second end 16 so that this fluid is heated.

[0044] The heat-output portion 46 is fully closed in the circumferential direction, particularly good heat transfer to the fluid is possible. The fluid flows past the heat-transfer element 42 or through this so that the fluid is reliably heated.

[0045] In combination with the heating element 28, heating of the fluid thus take place in the whole of the channel 24. To this end, the heat-output portion 46 extends to the second end 16.

[0046] The invention is not restricted to one of the embodiments described above, but can be modified in a variety of ways. It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

[0047] As used in this specification and claims, the terms for example, for instance, such as, and like, and the verbs comprising, having, including, and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.

[0048] LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS [0049] 10 Plug connector [0050] 12 Housing [0051] 14 First end of the housing [0052] 16 Second end of the housing [0053] 18 Connection fitting [0054] 20 Fir-tree profile [0055] 22 Connection geometry [0056] 24 Channel [0057] 26 Heating zone [0058] 28 Heating element [0059] 30 Exit channel [0060] 32 Longitudinal axis [0061] 34 Longitudinal axis [0062] 36 Fitting [0063] 38 Ramp element [0064] 40 Guide surface [0065] 42 Heat-conducting element [0066] 44 Fastening portion [0067] 46 Heat-output portion [0068] 48 Circumferential wall