PLUG CONNECTOR AND INSULATING HOUSING FOR A PLUG CONNECTOR

Abstract

A single-pole or multipole plug connector includes an insulating housing and a contact insert having a conductor receptacle. The insulating housing has a conductor insertion guide channel for guiding the electrical conductor to the conductor receptacle and a contact pin insertion guide channel for guiding the contact pin to the contact pin connection. The conductor insertion guide channel and the contact pin insertion guide channel being oriented so as to run at an angle to each other. A cover housing part is arranged on the main housing part such that the conductor insertion guide channel runs in parallel to a mounting direction of the contact insert and the contact pin insertion guide channel perpendicularly thereto. The mounting direction of the contact insert being predefined by a mounting opening of the main housing part which may be closed with the cover housing part.

Claims

1. A single-pole or multipole plug connector comprising: a contact insert having a conductor receptacle to connect an electrical conductor and a contact pin connection; an insulating housing having a conductor insertion guide channel for guiding the electrical conductor to the conductor receptacle and a contact pin insertion guide channel for guiding the contact pin to the contact pin connection, the conductor insertion guide channel and the contact pin insertion guide channel being oriented so as to run at an angle to each other, the insulating housing having a main housing part and a cover housing part, the cover housing part being arranged on the main housing part such that the conductor insertion guide channel runs substantially in parallel to a mounting direction of the contact insert and the conductor pin insertion guide channel runs substantially perpendicularly thereto, the mounting direction of the contact insert being predefined by a mounting opening of the main housing part that is adapted to be closed via the cover housing part.

2. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the conductor insertion guide channel runs toward the cover housing part.

3. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin insertion guide channel runs substantially in parallel to a main extension plane of the cover housing part.

4. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the conductor insertion guide channel and/or the contact pin insertion guide channel is/are arranged completely within the main housing part.

5. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the main housing part and/or the cover housing part have at least one cover latching element to fasten the cover housing part on the main housing part.

6. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the main housing part has a seating web for the contact insert.

7. The plug connector according to claim 5, wherein at least one cover latching element is arranged on the seating web.

8. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the main housing part and/or the cover housing part has a partition element.

9. The plug connector according to claim 6, wherein a seating web is provided on the main housing part and/or at least one partition element is provided on the main housing part or the cover housing part for each pole of the plug connector.

10. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin connection is designed as a contact pin having one or two contact pin arms protruding from a base section or as a contact pin receptacle having two contact pin receiving arms which protrude from the base section.

11. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin connection of the contact insert is a contact fork having contact fork arms.

12. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact insert has a clamping spring.

13. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact insert has a contact piece designed as a single piece.

14. The plug connector according to claim 1, wherein the insulating housing is assembled in a modular manner.

15. An insulating housing comprising a main housing part and a cover housing part for the plug connector according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 schematically shows a cutaway side view of a plug connector according to an example, including a contact insert, which is inserted into a main housing part of the plug connector;

[0038] FIG. 2 schematically shows a cutaway side view of the plug connector according to FIG. 1, including a cover housing part placed on the main housing part;

[0039] FIG. 3 schematically shows a perspective cutaway view of a plug connector according to an example without a cover housing part;

[0040] FIG. 4 schematically shows a perspective rear view of the plug connector according to the example without a cover housing part;

[0041] FIG. 5 schematically shows a perspective cutaway side view of the plug connector according to the example with the cover housing part placed on top;

[0042] FIG. 6 schematically shows a perspective rear view of the plug connector according to an example with the cover housing part placed on top;

[0043] FIG. 7 schematically shows a top view of the plug connector according to the example without a cover housing part;

[0044] FIG. 8 schematically shows a top view of the plug connector according to the example with the cover housing part placed on top;

[0045] FIG. 9 schematically shows perspective front view of a cover housing part for the plug connector;

[0046] FIG. 10 schematically shows perspective rear view of a cover housing part for the plug connector; and

[0047] FIG. 11 schematically shows a cutaway side view of a contact insert for a plug connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a plug connector 1 according to a first example, including an insulating housing 2, into which a contact insert 3 is inserted. Contact insert 3 has a contact piece 10, designed as a single piece, which is manufactured from a planar cut sheet section by stamping and bending and is provided as a power rail of plug connector 1. Contact insert 3 also has a clamping spring 15, which is suspended in contact piece 10 and, as illustrated in FIG. 11, has a contact leg 16 for contacting contact piece 10 and insulating housing 2 as well as a clamping leg 17 for clamping an electrical conductor to contact piece 10. Contact insert 3 forms a conductor receptacle 4 at the provided connecting point of the electrical conductor. In addition, contact insert 3 forms a contact pin connection 5 with the aid of contact piece 10, in that two elastically deflectable contact fork arms 14 integrally formed with contact piece 10 protrude from contact piece 10, starting at a fork base, which form a contact fork for a contact pin to be plugged in.

[0049] As is apparent on the basis of FIGS. 1 and 2, insulating housing 2 has a main housing part 2a and a cover housing part 2b. Contact insert 3 is inserted into main housing part 2a. Main housing part 2a is closed with cover housing part 2b, so that insulating housing 2 encloses contact insert 3 when cover housing part 2b is arranged on main housing part 2a.

[0050] Insulating housing 2, main housing part 2a in the illustrated example, has a conductor insertion guide channel 6 for guiding to conductor receptacle 4 a conductor to be connected. The conductor is thus guided through a conductor insertion opening and through conductor insertion guide channel 6 to conductor 4, where it is clamped to contact piece 10 with the aid of clamping leg 17 of clamping spring 15. Insulating housing 2, main housing part 2a in the illustrated example, has a contact pin insertion guide channel 7 for guiding to contact pin connection 5 a contact pin to be connected. The contact pin is thus conducted through a contact pin insertion opening and through contact pin insertion guide channel 7 to contact pin connection 5, where it is clamped to contact piece 10 with the aid of contact fork arms 14 of contact piece 10. Conductor insertion guide channel 6 and contact pin insertion guide channel 7 run at an angle ? to each other, i.e., their central longitudinal axes are at an angle ? to each other. In the illustrated example, angle ? is approximately 90?; conductor insertion guide channel 6 and contact pin insertion guide channel 7 run predominantly perpendicularly to each other. In the illustrated example, conductor insertion guide channel 6 and contact pin insertion guide channel 7 are arranged completely in main housing part 2a. As is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 2, cover housing part 2b is arranged above contact pin insertion guide channel 7 in such a way that cover housing part 2b does not form a subsection of contact pin insertion guide channel 7. Only a contact pin connection space adjacent to contact pin insertion guide channel 7, in which contact pin connection 5, including contact fork arms 14, is arranged, is closed by cover housing part 2b.

[0051] On its side facing away from the conductor insertion opening, main housing part 2a has a mounting opening 18, through which contact insert 3 may be inserted into main housing part 2a in a mounting direction M. Mounting opening 18 is closed by cover housing part 2b by placing cover housing part 2b on top. Mounting direction M runs predominantly in parallel to a longitudinal extension direction of conductor insertion guide channel 6 and is diametrically opposed to a conductor insertion direction L. Conductor insertion direction L and mounting direction M are situated predominantly perpendicularly to a contact pin insertion direction K. Contact pin insertion guide channel 7 runs predominantly perpendicularly to mounting direction M of contact insert 3. Mounting direction M of contact insert 3 into main housing part 2a is predefined by mounting opening 18. Conductor insertion guide channel 6 converges on cover housing part 2b when the latter is fastened on main housing part 2a, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0052] As indicated by an arrow representation in FIG. 2, cover housing part 2b has a main extension plane H, which extends predominantly in parallel to contact pin insertion guide channel 7 or contact pin insertion direction K. Main extension plane H of cover housing part 2b is spanned by its length and width extensions, which are each greater than the depth extension of cover housing part 2b. A conductor insertion direction L may run predominantly perpendicularly to main extension plane H.

[0053] Main housing part 2a has a seating web 11, on which contact piece 10 is supported and, for this purpose, rests on seating web 11 with a seating area. Contact fork arms 14 are guided past seating web 11 and each project in the direction of contact pin insertion guide channel 7 on one side of seating web 11. Seating web 11 extends below conductor receptacle 4 in the direction of cover housing part 2b and protrudes into mounting opening 18. In the area of mounting opening 18 of main housing part 2a, seating web 11 has a cover latching element 8 designed as a latching hook and configured to engage with a latching opening 9 of cover housing part 2b for the purpose of latching cover housing part 2b on main housing part 2a. In addition, a further cover latching element 8, also designed as a latching hook, is provided on main housing part 2a on a side of contact insert 3 opposite seating web 11 for the purpose of further optimizing the fastening of cover housing part 2b on main housing part 2b. Plug connector 1 also has an actuating lever 13 for actuating the spring-force clamping connection by displacing clamping leg 17 of clamping spring 15.

[0054] FIGS. 3 through 8 show a plug connector 1 according to a further example. Plug connector 1 is provided with a multipole design and has multiple contact inserts 3, specifically three according to the example. In FIGS. 3 and 5, plug connector 1 is shown in a cutaway view in the area of third contact insert 3. To better understand the figures, only one contact insert 3 is shown in FIG. 3 and only two contact inserts 3 are shown in FIG. 4, inserted into insulating housing 2. Insulating housing 2 has a main housing part 2a, into which multiple contact inserts 3 are inserted, and a cover housing part 2b for fastening to main housing part 2a. Main housing part 2a has a mounting opening 18, by means of which a mounting direction M of contact inserts 3 in insulating housing 2 is predefined. Main housing part 2a has partition elements 12 designed as planar partition walls, which separate and insulate contact inserts 3 from each other. An extension plane of partition elements 12, which is defined by their length and width extensions, which are greater than the depth extension of partition elements 12, runs predominantly perpendicularly to mounting direction M and predominantly in parallel to a contact pin insertion direction K.

[0055] As in plug connector 1 according to the first example, contact insert 3 in plug connector 1 according to the second example has a contact piece 10 with a conductor receptacle 4 and a contact pin connection 5, contact pin connection 5 being formed by a contact fork having contact fork arms 14. It is clear in FIG. 4 that contact fork arms 14 are each guided past one side of seating web 11 and are supported on seating web 11 by a fork base. Main housing part 2a has one conductor insertion guide channel 6 and one contact pin insertion guide channel 7 for each contact insert 3. A supporting web 11 having a cover latching element 8 as well as a further cover latching element 8 is provided for each contact insert 3 on an end of main housing part 2a opposite contact pin insertion guide channel 7. An actuating lever 13 for actuating the spring-force clamping connection of contact inserts 3 is provided for each contact insert 3.

[0056] Plug connector 1 according to the second example, with the cover housing part 2 planed on top, is apparent in FIGS. 5 and 6. Cover housing part 2b has a main extension plane H. Main extension plane H of cover housing part 2b is spanned by its length and width extensions, which are each greater than the depth extension of cover housing part 2b. Cover housing part 2b has two latching openings 9 for each contact insert 3, with which cover latching elements 8 of main housing part 2b may engage.

[0057] Plug connector 1 according to the second example without cover housing part 2 and with cover housing part 2b placed on top, is apparent in FIGS. 7 and 8. It is clear that cover housing part 2b forms a closure of main housing part 2a for the purpose of forming an insulating housing 2 encompassing contact inserts 3. In addition, cover housing part 2b is shown in an isolated manner in FIGS. 9 and 10 in a front and rear view, so that the structure of cover housing part 2b is made clear. It is apparent that, in the illustrated example, cover housing part 2b also has partition elements 12, which adjoin partition elements 12 of main housing part 2a during a mounting of cover housing part 2b on main housing part 2a and thus improve the insulation of contact inserts 3.

[0058] Contact insert 3 is additionally shown without an insulating housing 2 in FIG. 11 to improve the understanding of the invention. The one-piece compact form of contact piece 10 is clear, including suspended clamping spring 15, bent conductor receptacle 4, and the also integrally shaped contact fork arms 14 of contact piece 10. Illustrated contact insert 3 is a self-supporting contact insert 3, in which the contact force applied during the clamping of an electrical conductor is conducted predominantly into contact insert 3 instead of into surrounding insulating housing 2.

[0059] Based on the figures, it is clear that the mounting of plug connector 1 according to the invention is greatly simplified over comparable plug connector solutions, in which contact insert 3 is inserted from the side, according to the prior art. A highly compact plug connector 1 may also be provided, due to the changed mounting situation.

[0060] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.