Plug Connector Comprising Verification Element

Abstract

A plug connector includes a housing, a locking element and a verification element. The housing has a receiving chamber, a connection piece and a duct through which fluid can flow. The locking element is movable between an open position and a fastening position, a plug can be inserted in the receiving chamber in the open position of the locking element, and a plug inserted in the receiving chamber can be fastened within the receiving chamber via the locking element in the fastening position of the locking element. In an open position of the locking element, the verification element is at least partially covered by the locking element, and in a fastening position of the locking element, the verification element can be read.

Claims

1. A plug connector, comprising a housing, a locking element and a verification element, wherein the housing has a receiving space, a connection piece and a duct through which fluid can flow, wherein the locking element is movable between an open position and a fastening position, wherein in the open position of the locking element a plug can be inserted into the receiving space and in the fastening position of the locking element a plug inserted into the receiving space can be fastened by the locking element within the receiving space, wherein the verification element in an open position of the locking element is at least partially covered by the latter and in a fastening position of the locking element is readable.

2. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the verification element is mounted on a tab which protrudes in the radial direction toward the housing.

3. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plug is fastenable in the receiving space by a latching of the locking element.

4. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking element is movable between the open position and the fastening position in a radial direction toward the housing.

5. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing and a tab are formed in one piece with the verification element.

6. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the verification element is machine-readable.

7. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the verification element has a machine-readable code based on optical information.

8. The plug connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the code is a barcode or a QR code.

9. A method for producing and verifying a plug connection comprising the following method steps in the stated order: providing a plug connector as claimed in claim 1, inserting a plug into the receiving space of the plug connector, moving the locking element from an open position into a fastening position, wherein the locking element in the fastening position interacts with the plug in the receiving space and fastens it in the receiving space, checking the fastening of the plug in the receiving space by reading the verification element on the plug connector.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the verification element is machine read.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0044] Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become clear from the wording of the claims and from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a plug connector with locking element in an open position,

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a plug connector with locking element in a fastening position,

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a plug connector with locking element in an open position,

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of a plug connector with locking element in a fastening position

[0049] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a plug connector with verification element in a two-part embodiment,

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a plug connector according to FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a plug connector 1 with a housing 2 and a locking element 3, which is in an open position and at least partly covers a verification element 4. The housing 2 has a receiving space 5 and a connection piece 6. In the embodiment shown by way of example, the connection piece 6 has a fir tree structure 7, on which there is mounted an outer seal in the form of an O-ring.

[0052] The verification element 4 is mounted in the form of an optically readable code to a tab 9 which protrudes in the radial direction relative to the housing 2. In particular the verification element 4 is arranged on a face if the tab 9 that is oriented in the axial direction of the housing 2 and thus parallel to a longitudinal extent of the housing 2 and points in the direction of the locking element 3. In the shown embodiment the code consists of a QR code.

[0053] A handle 10 for simpler handling is connected to the housing 2.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a plug connector 1 with locking element 3 in the fastening position. If the locking element 3 is pushed downward from the open position shown in FIG. 1, in the radial direction of the housing, toward the receiving space, a plug can be fastened in the receiving space. At the same time the verification element 3 is exposed. This fastening position of the locking element is made possible continuously by interaction of the locking element with a plug, not shown, so that the verification element can be read in order to check a correct fastening. In the fastening position of the locking element 3, the verification element 4 is thus readable.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a plug connector 1, wherein the locking element is in an open position and the verification element 4 on the tab 9 is at least partly covered, in particular covered to such an extent that it is not readable.

[0056] Besides the receiving space 5 and the connection piece 6, the housing has a duct 11 through which fluid can flow and which connects the receiving space 5 and the connection piece 6 to one another. The receiving space 5, connection piece 6 and duct 11 are interconnected such that fluid can flow through.

[0057] A first and second seal 12, 13 are provided in the receiving space 5, in particular in the form of O-rings, which are distanced from one another by a spacer 14.

[0058] FIG. 4 likewise shows a longitudinal section of a plug connector 1, but in contrast to FIG. 3 with the locking element in a fastening position. Here, a plug 15 is inserted into the receiving space 5. By moving the locking element 3 in the radial direction, it interacts with the plug 15, in particular latches with the plug 15. The plug is thus fastened securely and tightly in the receiving space 5 of the plug connector 1 and at the same time fixes the locking element 3 in the fastening position. In the fastening position of the locking element 3, the verification element 4 is no longer covered by the locking element and is now readable. A fastening of the plug 15 in the plug connector 1 can thus be easily verified.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a plug connector 1 according to FIG. 6. Here, the housing 2 and the tab 9 are produced separately from one another and in particular are adhesively bonded, welded or clipped to one another. The locking element 3 in FIGS. 5 and 6 is in an open position, whereby the verification element 4 is at least partly covered and in particular is not machine-readable.

[0060] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the verification element in this embodiment is affixed to a tab which protrudes radially from a ring 16, which in particular has the shape of the housing 2 at the end of the plug connector 1 at which the receiving space 5 is arranged. The ring 16, as shown in FIG. 6, is connected to the housing 2 at the end of the housing 2 at which the receiving space 5 is arranged.

[0061] As used herein, the terms general, generally, and approximately are intended to account for the inherent degree of variance and imprecision that is often attributed to, and often accompanies, any design and manufacturing process, including engineering tolerances, and without deviation from the relevant functionality and intended outcome, such that mathematical precision and exactitude is not implied and, in some instances, is not possible.

[0062] The invention is not limited to any of the previously described embodiments and can be modified in a variety of ways.

[0063] All of the features and advantageous that can be found in the claims, the description and the drawing, inclusive of structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps, may be essential to the invention both in their own right and in the wide range of combinations.

[0064] All the features and advantages, including structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps, which follow from the claims, the description and the drawing can be fundamental to the invention both on their own and in different combinations. 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.

[0065] 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.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0066] 1 plug connector [0067] 2 housing [0068] 3 locking element [0069] 4 verification element [0070] 5 receiving space [0071] 6 connection piece [0072] 7 fir tree structure [0073] 8 outer seal [0074] 9 tab [0075] 10 handle [0076] 11 duct [0077] 12 first seal [0078] 13 second seal [0079] 14 spacer [0080] 15 plug [0081] 16 ring