CONTACT PIECE, CONTACT INSERT, PLUG CONNECTOR, CUT SHEET SECTION, AND DISTRIBUTION BLOCK

Abstract

A contact piece for a contact insert of a plug connector, the contact piece having a base section, a contact pin connection, and a conductor receptacle with a conductor seating section for clamping an electrical conductor with the aid of a clamping spring. The conductor seating section being bent away from the base section and fixed on the base section and/or the contact pin connection with the aid of a support contour.

Claims

1. A contact piece for a contact insert of a plug connector, the contact piece comprising: a base section; a contact pin connection; and a conductor receptacle with a conductor seating section to clamp an electrical conductor with the aid of a clamping spring, the conductor seating section being bent away from the base section and is fixed on the base section and/or the contact pin connection via a support contour.

2. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the contact piece is designed as a single piece.

3. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin connection and the conductor receptacle are oriented with respect to each other such that a conductor insertion direction of the electrical conductor and a contact pin insertion direction run at an angle to each other.

4. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin connection is designed as a contact pin, which includes at least one contact pin arm protruding from the base section, or as a contact pin receptacle, which includes at least one contact pin receiving arm protruding from the base section.

5. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the support contour is arranged in the plane of the conductor seating section.

6. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the conductor seating section has at least two support contours arranged opposite each other, which fix the conductor seating section onto the base section and/or the contact pin connection in its bent state.

7. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the contact piece has a spring receiving section with a spring receptacle to fasten a clamping spring on the contact piece.

8. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the contact piece is configured to receive at least two clamping springs.

9. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the base section, the contact pin connection, the conductor seating section, and/or the spring receiving section are at least partially coated.

10. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the conductor seating section, a rear wall of the base section, and the spring receiving section are arranged with respect to each other in a U-shaped or C-shaped manner.

11. The contact piece according to claim 1, wherein the support contour is a latching contour.

12. The contact piece according to claim 11, wherein the support contour designed as a latching contour engages with an associated latching opening.

13. The contact piece according to claim 12, wherein the latching opening is arranged on the base section and/or the contact pin connection.

14. A contact insert for a plug connector, the contact comprising the contact piece according to claim 1 and a clamping spring inserted into the contact piece.

15. The contact insert according to claim 14, wherein the clamping spring has an open spring contour.

16. A plug connector that comprises the contact insert according to claim 14.

17. A cut sheet section to manufacture a contact piece for a plug connector, the cut sheet section, in an unbent planar state, comprising: a base section; two material tongues, which extend essentially in parallel to each other and are provided for forming contact pin arms or contact pin receiving arms for a contact pin connection of the contact piece, and protrude from the base section in a first direction; and a material strip to form a conductor seating section of a conductor receptacle of the contact piece, the material strip extending between the material tongues essentially in parallel thereto, wherein at least one material tongue, the base section, and/or the material strip have a support contour that is adapted to fix the material strip in a bent position on the base section and/or the contact pin connection after a bending operation.

18. The cut sheet section according to claim 17, wherein, in the base section, a bending surface is arranged between a material tongue and the material strip and a further bending surface is arranged between the base section and the material strip.

19. The cut sheet section according to claim 17, wherein a material tab protrudes from the base section in a second direction, which is provided to form a spring receiving section of the contact piece, including a spring receptacle to fasten a clamping spring on the contact piece.

20. The cut sheet section according to claim 17, wherein the base section, the material tongues, the material strip, and/or the material tab is/are at least partially coated.

21. The cut sheet section according to claim 17, wherein the cut sheet section is manufactured by stamping it out of a planar semi-finished product.

22. A distribution block that comprises at least two contact pieces and at least two clamping springs, the contact pieces having a base section and a conductor receptacle with at least one conductor seating section connecting the at least two contact pieces to each other for clamping electrical conductors via the clamping springs, the conductor seating section being fixed on the base sections of the contact pieces via a support contour.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] 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:

[0041] FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a contact insert for a plug connector, including a contact piece according to the invention and a clamping spring;

[0042] FIG. 2 schematically shows a cutaway side view of the contact insert;

[0043] FIG. 3 schematically shows a perspective view of a contact piece without a clamping spring;

[0044] FIG. 4 schematically shows a top view of a cut sheet section for manufacturing a contact piece;

[0045] FIG. 5 schematically shows a perspective view of a contact insert for a plug connector, including a contact piece according to the invention and two clamping springs;

[0046] FIG. 6 schematically shows a side view of the contact insert according to FIG. 5;

[0047] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a plug connector, including a contact insert and an insulating housing;

[0048] FIG. 8 schematically shows a perspective view of a contact insert for a plug connector, including a contact piece according to the invention and a clamping spring;

[0049] FIG. 9 schematically shows a perspective view of a distribution block, including two contact pieces and four clamping springs; and

[0050] FIG. 10 shows a cutaway view of the distribution block according to FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a contact insert 2 for a plug connector 18, which is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 7, and includes a contact piece 1 according to a first example and includes a clamping spring 7. FIG. 3 shows contact piece 1 according to the first example without a clamping spring. In a plug connector 18, contact insert 2 is used to connect an electrical conductor as well as a contact pin for establishing an electrical connection.

[0052] Contact piece 1 is designed as a single piece and manufactured from a planar cut sheet section 14, as is apparent, for example, from FIG. 4, in that the essentially two-dimensional cut sheet section 14 is bent into a three-dimensional contact piece 1 on multiple bending surfaces 16. Contact insert 1 has a base section 3, from which a contact pin connection 4 designed as a contact pin receptacle extends in a first spatial direction, base section 3 forming a pocket-shaped conductor receptacle 5 for an electrical conductor insertable in a second spatial direction. For the purpose of clamping the electrical conductor, conductor receptacle 5 has a conductor seating section 6, on whose surface the electrical conductor may be guided and clamped in place by spring force with the aid of a clamping leg of clamping spring 7.

[0053] Conductor seating section 6 is bent away from base section 3, so that conductor seating section 6 and adjacent base section 3, into which conductor seating section 6 transitions, run at an angle to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Bent conductor seating section 6 is fixed on base section 3 with the aid of a support contour 9 designed as a latching contour. In other examples, it is conceivable that conductor seating section 6 is fixed on contact pin connection 4 with the aid of a support contour 9. By fixing bent conductor seating section 6 on base section 3 or contact pin connection 4, a favorable force distribution with a high degree of self-retention may be achieved for a self-supporting contact insert 2. Due to the fact that conductor seating section 6 is fixed with the aid of support contour 9 in its bent state, it is not bent away from a clamped electrical conductor under the contact force of clamping leg 21 of clamping spring 7. Conductor seating section 6 is supported on the rest of contact piece 1.

[0054] As clarified by arrow illustrations in FIG. 2, contact pin connection 4 and conductor receptacle 5 are oriented with respect to each other in such a way that a conductor insertion direction R.sub.L of the electrical conductor and a contact pin insertion direction R.sub.K run at an angle to each other. In the illustrated example, angle ? between the two insertion directions is essentially 90?. A highly compact contact insert 2 is provided hereby.

[0055] Contact pin connection 4 designed as a contact pin receptacle is formed by two contact pin receiving arms 11, which are situated opposite each other, run toward each other, and protrude from base section 3. In the illustrated example, contact pin receiving arms 11 touch each other at a contact point, but diverge again adjacent to the contact point in order to form an insertion area for a contact pin. Contact pin receiving arms 11 are elastically deflectable by a contact pin and return to their original position after the contact pin is removed.

[0056] Conductor seating section 6 has two support contours 9 situated opposite each other and designed as latching tabs, as is apparent, in particular, in FIG. 3. Support contours 9 are designed as latching tabs which protrude laterally from conductor seating section 6 in the plane thereof. Support contours 9 engage with corresponding latching openings 10 in base section 3, which are cut out in an angular manner. Alternatively, support contours 9 may also engage behind only one contact piece edge as a latching edge without cutout latching openings 10. However, the mobility of support contours 9 on contact piece 1 is limited by latching openings 10, so that a more secure hold of support contour 9 on base section 3 is ensured. Alternatively, latching openings 10 may also be introduced into contact pin connection 4, for example into contact pin receiving arms 11.

[0057] Contact piece 1 has a spring receiving section 13, including a spring receptacle 12 designed as a through-opening, in which clamping spring 7 may be suspended. Spring receiving section 13 may have a spring support 23, against which clamping spring 7 may be additionally supported on contact piece 1. Clamping spring 7 may be securely supported hereby between spring receiving section 13 and conductor seating section 6. Clamping spring 7 has an open spring contour, the spring legs of clamping spring 7 not touching each other. As is apparent in the cutaway side view in FIG. 2, spring receiving section 13, a rear wall 25 of base section 3, and conductor seating section 6 form a (slightly interrupted) U shape. As is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 3, base section 3 also has a U shape due to two side walls 22 bent away from a rear wall 25. A pocket-shaped conductor receptacle 5 is provided hereby. It is apparent that latching openings 10 may be arranged in side walls 22 of base section 3.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a cut sheet section 14 for manufacturing contact piece 1 according to the first example. Cut sheet section 14 is stamped out of a planar semi-finished product and, in the illustrated state, is present in an unbent, planar form having defined contours. By bending cut sheet section 14, particularly in bending surfaces 16 indicated, three-dimensional contact piece 1 may be manufactured for use in a plug connector 18. Cut sheet section 14 has a base section 3, which is bendable over two bending surfaces 16 into a U shape having a rear wall 25 and two side walls 22. Two material tongues 15, which extend essentially in parallel to each other, protrude from base section 3 in a first direction R.sub.1. After bending cut sheet section 14 into contact piece 1, they form contact pin receiving arms 11 for contact pin connection 4 of contact piece 1 designed as a contact pin receptacle. A material strip 8, which may be bent away from base section 3 over a further bending surface 16, extends between material tongues 15 essentially in parallel thereto, and forms conductor receptacle 5 of contact piece 1 after bending conductor seating section 6. Material strip 8 has two material wings 26, situated opposite each other, which form support contours 9 of conductor seating section 6 after bending cut sheet section 14 into contact piece 1. In each area adjoined by a material tongue 15, base section 3 has an angular recess forming latching openings 10 after cut sheet section 14 is bent into contact piece 1, with which support contours 9 of bent conductor seating section 6 may engage for the purpose of fixing bent conductor seating section 6 on base section 3.

[0059] In a section direction R.sub.2, which is opposite first direction R.sub.1, a material tab 17 protrudes on a side of base section 3 opposite material tongues 15, essentially opposite one material tongue 15 in this example. Material tab 17 forms a spring receiving section 13 of contact piece 1 over a further bending surface 16 after bending cut sheet section 14 into contact piece 1 and, in particular, after a bending of material tab 17 away from base section 3. An opening is stamped into material tab 17, which forms spring receptacle 12 for fastening clamping spring 7 on contact piece 1. Material tab 17 also contains a material section, which forms spring support 23 after a bending of cut sheet section 14 into contact piece 1.

[0060] Cut sheet section 14 may be at least partially coated, in particular in its planar, not yet bent state, so that it has one or multiple coatings over a wide area or in areas. In particular, different sections of cut sheet section 14 may be coated individually and independently of each other in the planar state.

[0061] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second example of contact insert 2, including a structurally adapted contact piece 1. In this example, two clamping springs 7 are provided for a common contact piece 1, which are arranged on both sides of conductor seating section 6 and may each clamp one electric conductor on conductor seating section 6. Base section 3 is designed to be larger compared to the first example, so that the contact piece may provide a common base section 3 for both clamping springs 7 and form two pocket-shaped conductor receptacles 5 for an inserted electrical conductor. In addition, contact piece 1 has two spring receiving sections 13, each including one spring receptacle 12 for suspending clamping springs 7 and one spring support 23 for additionally supporting clamping springs 7 via contact piece 1. Spring receiving sections 13 may be bent away from two side walls 22 of base section 3 situated opposite each other. With the second example, it is possible not only to implement two conductor terminals using one contact piece 1, but also to facilitate a symmetrical introduction of force into conductor seating section 6, so that the self-retention of the self-supporting contact system made up of contact insert 1 and clamping springs 7 may be further improved.

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a plug connector 18, which includes an insulating housing 19, into which a contact insert 2 having a contact piece 1 and a clamping spring 7 is inserted, insulating housing 19 being depicted in this illustration without a cover part closing a mounting opening. Insulating housing 19 insulates contact insert 2 and protects it against external environmental influences. In addition, insulating housing 19 may absorb residual contact forces of contact insert 2, in that, for example, conductor seating section 6 is additionally supported against a support bar 24 of insulating housing 19.

[0063] FIG. 8 shows a contact insert 2 for a plug connector 18, including a contact piece 1 according to the invention and a clamping spring 7 according to a third example. In this example, support contour 9 is designed as a bearing projection of contact piece 1 on a side of conductor seating section 6 opposite a clamped conductor. The bearing projection may be formed in the manner of a web and be bent away from base section 3, for example from a side wall 22 of base section 3 or contact pin connection 4. Two bearing projections may also be bent away from side walls 22 of the base section situated opposite each other. Conductor seating section 6 is supported on support contour 9 and thus permits an improved self-retention of contact insert 2.

[0064] Within the scope of the present invention, combinations of the described design variants are also conceivable. For example, multiple different support contours 9 may be provided on contact piece 1, so that conductor seating section 6 includes support contours 9 designed as latching contours, latching openings 10 are provided in side walls 22 of base section 3, and bearing projections additionally project from base section 3 as further support contours 9. The fixing of conductor seating section 6 on contact piece 1 may be further optimized hereby.

[0065] FIGS. 9 and 10 show a distribution block 20, which includes two contact pieces 1 and four clamping springs 7, in a perspective view and a cutaway view. Contact pieces 1 are arranged side by side and have a base section 3 as well as a conductor receptacle 5 with a conductor seating section 6, which connects the two contact pieces 1 to each other. Contact pieces 1 are thus bridged with the aid of conductor seating section 6. Conductor seating section 6 is provided with a web-shaped or strip-shaped design and engages with groove-shaped openings 27 of base sections 3 of contact pieces 1 with a subsection forming a support contour 9, so that conductor seating section 6 is fixed on base sections 3 of contact pieces 1. In each case, two clamping springs 7 assigned to one contact piece 1 are arranged on both sides of conductor seating section 6 and may each clamp one inserted electrical conductor in conductor receptacle 5 with the aid of a clamping leg 21 of clamping spring 7 on conductor seating section 6. Contact pieces 1 additional have two spring receptacles 12 and two spring supports 23 for the two clamping springs 7. Distribution block 20 may be inserted into an insulating housing.

[0066] 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.