Electrical plug connection

Abstract

An electrical plug connection includes a plug including a housing with a plurality of electrical plug contacts and including an operating element moveably fastened on the housing and including a sliding track that includes first and second sections oriented such that plugging the plug into the plug module or detaching the plug from the plug module is carried out by two movements of the operating element that are in two opposite movement directions; and a plug module with a plurality of complementary plug contacts that electrically contact the electrical plug contacts in a plugged-in position and attached to a pin that is guided in the track. During a movement of the operating element relative to the housing, a force is transmittable from the sliding track to the pin so that the plug and plug module move toward each other or move away from each other.

Claims

1. An electrical plug connection comprising: a plug that includes: a housing that includes a plurality of electrical plug contacts; and an operating element that is moveably fastened onto the housing and that includes a sliding track; a plug module that includes a plurality of complementary plug contacts, which, in a completely plugged-in position of the plug on the plug module, electrically contact the electrical plug contacts; a pin attached to the plug module and that is guided in the sliding track, such that, during a movement of the operating element relative to the housing, a force is transmittable from the sliding track to the pin so that the plug and the plug module are movable toward each other in a plug-in direction and movable away from each other opposite to the plug-in direction, wherein the sliding track includes at least one first section and at least one second section oriented such that plugging of the plug into the plug module in the plug-in direction and detaching of the plug from the plug module opposite to the plug-in direction each is carried out by two movements of the operating element respectively in a first movement direction and in a second movement direction that is opposite the first movement direction, wherein the operating element is a lever that is rotatable relative to the housing of the plug.

2. The electrical plug connection of claim 1, wherein the operating element is designed in such a way that it exerts a first force on the pin in the first section during a movement in the first movement direction and it exerts a second force, which is oriented in the same direction as the first force, on the pin in the second section during a movement in the second movement direction.

3. The electrical plug connection of claim 1, wherein the first section of the sliding track and the second section of the sliding track are connected via a buckle in the sliding track.

4. The electrical plug connection of claim 1, wherein the operating element is a slide that is slidable in a slide direction relative to the housing of the plug.

5. The electrical plug connection of claim 4, wherein the slide direction extends transversely to the plug-in direction.

6. The electrical plug connection of claim 1, wherein the operating element includes a plurality of identically shaped sliding tracks.

7. The electrical plug connection of claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section are of different lengths.

8. A plug for an electrical plug connection, the plug comprising: a housing that includes a plurality of electrical plug contacts; and an operating element that is moveably fastened onto the housing and that includes a sliding track in which a pin is guidable, wherein the operating element is a lever that is rotatable relative to the housing of the plug, wherein the sliding track includes at least one first section and at least one second section oriented such that plugging of the plug into a plug module in a plug-in direction and detaching of the plug from the plug module opposite to the plug-in direction each is carried out by two movements of the operating element respectively in a first movement direction and in a second movement direction that is opposite the first movement direction.

9. The electrical plug connection of claim 1, wherein: the first section and the second section are curved in an arc shape, the first movement direction is a first rotation of the operating element in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction in which the pin moves from an initial position at an entrance of the sliding track to an intermediate position that is displaced from the entrance along the sliding track, and the second movement direction is a second rotation of the operating element in another one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction in which the pin moves to a further position within the sliding track that is further from the entrance than is the intermediate position.

10. The plug as recited in claim 8, wherein: the at least one first section is at least one first curved section, the at least one second section is at least one second curved section in communication with the at least one first curved section, when the pin is engaged in an entrance of the sliding track: a first rotation of the operating element in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction causes the pin to be moved away from the entrance along the sliding track, and a second rotation of the operating element in another one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction causes the pin to continue moving farther away from the entrance along the sliding track.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A schematically shows a side view of an electrical plug connection according to an example embodiment of the present invention in an applied position.

(2) FIG. 1B schematically shows the electrical plug connection from FIG. 1A in a middle position, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 1C schematically shows the electrical plug connection from FIG. 1A in a completely plugged position, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 2A schematically shows a side view of an electrical plug connection according to another example embodiment of the present invention in an applied position.

(5) FIG. 2B schematically shows the electrical plug connection from FIG. 2A in a middle position, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 2C schematically shows the electrical plug connection from FIG. 2A in a completely plugged position, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows an electrical plug connection 10 including a plug 12 and a plug module 14. Plug 12 includes a plurality of plug contacts 16, and plug module 14 includes a plurality of complementary plug contacts 18, which can be brought into electrical contact by plugging plug 12 in a plug-in direction R into plug module 14. For example, plug contacts 18 can be provided in the form of a male multipoint connector.

(8) Plug module 14 is attached, for example to an electrical device and the plug is connected, for example, to a wiring harness. The electrical device can be connected to the wiring harness using electrical plug connection 10.

(9) Plug contacts 16, 18 are schematically shown adjacent to plug 12 and plug module 14. However, plug contacts 16 are located inside a housing 20 of plug 12 and plug contacts 18 are located inside a housing 22 of plug module 14. Housing 22 of plug module 14 includes a collar 24, onto which housing 20 of plug 12 can be plugged and which guides plug 12 in plug-in direction R. The two housings 20, 22 can be manufactured from plastic.

(10) An operating element 26 in the form of a slide 26 is attached to plug 12. Slide 26 is slidable transversely to plug-in direction R and essentially orthogonally to plug-in direction R in relation to housing 20 of plug 12. For example, slide 26 can be guided in a groove 28 in housing 20. Operating element 26 or the slide can be manufactured from plastic.

(11) Operating element or slide 26 has a plurality of sliding tracks 30, which can each be designed as a recess, a depression in operating element 26 or two spaced-apart protrusions on operating element 26. Sliding tracks 30 have a zigzag shape (approximately recumbent V, i.e., > or <), are spaced apart equally from one another, and/or extend in parallel to one another.

(12) A plurality of pins 32, which are designed for the purpose of each being guided in one of the sliding tracks, is fastened on collar 24 of housing 22 of plug module 14. Pins 32 are also spaced apart equally from one another.

(13) Embodiments having only one sliding track 30 and one pin 32 are also possible (not shown here).

(14) Each of sliding tracks 30 has a first section 34a and a second section 34b, which merge into one another at a buckle 36. First section 34a has an entry 38, at which particular pin 32 can be inserted into sliding track 30 in a start position and/or merges at its end at buckle 36 into second section 34b. Second section 34b ends at an end point 40 of sliding track 30, at which pin 32 can no longer be moved further in an end position.

(15) FIGS. 1A-1C show how plug connection 10 is joined together by actuating slide 26. FIG. 1A shows plug connection 10 in an applied position, in which plug 12 is applied to plug module 14 and pins 32 are located in entry 38 of sliding track 30. Plug contacts 16, 18 are not yet mechanically connected to one another and also not yet electrically connected to one another.

(16) Slide 26 is moved in a first movement direction S1 out of an initial position and moved further up to a middle position. Pins 32 travel along first section 34a of sliding track 30 (or sliding track 30 is displaced along pin 32), until they are located at buckle 36, i.e., the transition between first section 34a and second section 34b, as shown in FIG. 1B. Plug connection 10 is now located in a middle position, in which plug 12 can already be partially inserted into plug module 14, but plug contacts 16, 18 do not yet have to have established an electrical contact. In the middle position, slide 26 is maximally deflected out of the initial position.

(17) After a change of the movement direction of slide 26 from first movement direction S1 to second movement direction S2 opposite to first movement direction S1, the joining process is continued until pins 32, which have traveled through second section 34b, have reached end points 40 of sliding tracks 30 in their end position, as shown in FIG. 1C.

(18) Plug connection 10 is located in a completely plugged position, in which plug 12 is inserted maximally into plug module 14 and electrical contacts 16, 18 are electrically contacted. Slide 26 is again located in the initial position, in which it occupies minimal installation space.

(19) Detaching of plug 12 from plug module 14 can be achieved by a movement of operating element 26 or slide 26 opposite to the plugging in of plug 12. The same movement sequence of operating element 26 is thus necessary: initially a movement along first movement direction S1 and subsequently a movement along second movement direction S2.

(20) During the movement of operating element 26 or slide 26, a force is effectuated by operating element 26 on pins 32, which acts in parallel to the plug-in direction and/or results in the plugging in or detaching of plug 12. Sections 34a, 34b of sliding track 30 act as a mechanical force transmission, in which a force on slide element 26 along movement directions S1, S2 is converted into the force parallel to plug-in direction R.

(21) The transmission ratio of the force is dependent on the angle of sections 34a, 34b in relation to plug-in direction R (or the local angle at which pin 32 is located in sliding track 30).

(22) The two sections 34a, 34b can be linear and can each have the same positive and negative angle in relation to plug-in direction R. It is also possible that the angle between section 34b and the straight line defined by direction R is greater than the angle between section 34a and this straight line. This can be advantageous if a large amount of force has to be applied at the end of the plugging procedure, in order to bring the plug contacts mechanically into contact. For example, if plug contacts 16, 18 are arranged in such a way that the plug contacts contact and are pushed one inside another from the middle position and a higher friction force thus has to be overcome.

(23) In this case, a higher force transmission takes place in second section 34b than in first section 34a. If pin 32 is located in second section 34b, for example, an installer has to apply less operating force than with pin 32 in first section 34a, in order to generate the same plugging force between plug 12 and plug module 14. With the same operating force, the plugging force between plug 12 and plug module 14 is greater if pin 32 is located in second section 34b. Conversely, the ratio between actuating path and plugging path is less for second section 34b than in first section 34a. In other words, a relatively large amount of actuating path has to be covered for relatively little plugging path in second section 34b in comparison to first section 34a.

(24) Slide 26 can be moved directly by an operator or can be moved via a lever, which can also be attached to housing 20 of plug 12, via a toothed rack.

(25) FIGS. 2A-2C show a plug connection 10 similar to FIGS. 1A-1C. However, plug connection 10 of FIGS. 2A-2C includes a lever 26 as operating element 26, which is attached around a rotational axis 42 on housing 20 of plug 12. Operating element 26 is thus fastened so it is movable (specifically rotatable) on housing 20 (specifically via rotational axis 24). Otherwise, plug connection 10 of FIGS. 2A-2C can include the same elements as that of FIGS. 1A-1C, in particular also plug contacts 16, 18.

(26) Lever 26, which is located in an initial position in FIG. 2A, can be moved via a first movement S1 into a middle position and subsequently can be moved back into the initial position by an opposing movement. Plug 12 moves because of pin 32 running in sliding track 30 using the two sections 34a, 34b in plug-in direction R from the applied position into the middle position and subsequently into the completely plugged-in position.

(27) The force effect from lever 26 on pin 32 is dependent on a mechanical transmission ratio, which is determined by the distance of pin 32 in sliding track 30 in relation to rotational axis 42.

(28) Sections 34a, 34b can be curved having different radii of curvature, which results, for example, in an epsilon-shaped () or multiple-arc sliding track, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. Different transmission ratios can be set on pin 32 in different positions of lever 26 by different radii of curvature.

(29) In contrast to the example embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, first section 34a and second section 34b can be curved in such a way that the distance of pin 32 from rotational axis 42, which is displaced during the plugging movement of plug 12 in relation to the pin along plug-in direction R, remains essentially the same. In this case, the mechanical transmission ratio between lever 26 and pin 32 remains essentially the same.

(30) Similarly to FIGS. 1A-1C, the transmission ratio can also be selected in FIGS. 2A-2C in such a way that the force effect on pin 32 is elevated between the middle position and the completely plugged-in position (in relation to the force effect between the applied position and the middle position), to thus compensate for elevated friction.

(31) In the present document, terms such as having, including, etc. do not exclude other elements or steps and terms such as a or an do not exclude a plurality.