PLUG CONTACT SET AND METHOD FOR CHECKING A LATCHING OF THE PLUG CONTACT SET

Abstract

Plug contact set, comprising a plug contact strip (17) having several first contact elements (12, 14) that are formed as components of a circuit board (10) and are arranged in the region of a circuit board edge (19), at least one of which contact elements (12, 14) being formed in the plugging direction (S) as a checking contact (14) having a smaller length than the remaining contact elements, and having a plug connector having several second contact elements (22) that are arranged in a housing, at least one of which contact elements (22) being set up to electrically make electric contact with the checking contact (14), wherein at least one first latch element (31, 51) that is formed as part of the circuit board (10) is arranged on the circuit board edge (19) and at least one second latch element (32) is arranged on the housing, said latch elements being set up to latch with one another when the first contact elements (12, 14) are completely contacted by the second contact elements (22), and wherein a third latch element (33, 53) that is formed as part of the circuit board (10) and that is able to latch to the second latch element (32) is provided that is arranged to be spaced apart from the first latch element (31) in the plugging direction (S) in such a way that, by latching the third latch element (33, 53) to the second latch element (32), an as clearance-free as possible fixing of the housing on the circuit board (10) in the completely contacted state of the first and second plug contacts (12, 14, 22) is achieved.

Claims

1: A plug contact set, comprising a plug contact strip (17) having several first contact elements (12, 14) that are formed as components of a circuit board (10) and are arranged in the region of a circuit board edge (19), at least one of which contact elements (12, 14) being formed in the plugging direction (S) as a checking contact (14) having a smaller length than the remaining contact elements, and having a plug connector having several second contact elements (22) that are arranged in a housing (21), at least one of which contact elements (22) being set up to electrically make electric contact with the checking contact (14), wherein at least one first latch element (31, 51) that is formed as part of the circuit board (10) is arranged on the circuit board edge (19) and at least one second latch element (32) is arranged on the housing, said latch elements being set up to latch with one another when the first contact elements (12, 14) are completely contacted by the second contact elements (22), and wherein a third latch element (33, 53) that is formed as part of the circuit board (10) and that is able to latch with the second latch element (32) is provided that is arranged to be spaced apart from the first latch element (31) in the plugging direction (S) in such a way that, by latching the third latch element (33, 53) to the second latch element (32), an as clearance-free as possible fixing of the housing on the circuit board (10) in the completely contacted state of the first and second plug contacts (12, 14, 22) is achieved.

2: A plug contact set, comprising a plug contact strip (17) having several first contact elements (12, 14) that are formed as components of a circuit board (10) and are arranged in the region of a circuit board edge (19), at least one of which contact elements (12, 14) being formed in the plugging direction (S) as a checking contact (14) having a smaller length than the remaining contact elements, and having a plug connector having several second contact elements (22) that are arranged in a housing (21), at least one of which contact elements (22) being set up to electrically make electric contact with the checking contact (14), wherein at least one first latch element (31, 51) that is formed as part of the circuit board (10) is arranged on the circuit board edge (19) and at least one second latch element (32) is arranged on the housing (21), said latch elements being set up to latch with one another when the first contact elements (12, 14) are completely contacted by the second contact elements (22), and wherein a third latch element (33) that is arranged on the housing (21) and that is able to latch with the first latch element (31, 61), said third latch element (33) being arranged to be spaced apart from the second latch element (32) in the plugging direction (S) in such a way that, by latching the third latch element (33) to the first latch element (31, 61), a fixing of the housing (21) that is as clearance-free as possible on the circuit board (10) in the completely contacted state of the first and second plug contacts (12, 14, 22) is achieved.

3: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the first contact elements (12, 14) are arranged on the circuit board (10).

4: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the first and third latch elements (31, 33; 51, 53, 61) are formed in/on the circuit board (10) as a part thereof.

5: The plug contact set according to claim 4, wherein the first and third latch elements (31, 33) are in each case arranged on edges (41) which border, transversely to the plugging direction (S), a plugging tongue (40) that is formed as part of the circuit board (10).

6: The plug contact set according to claim 4, wherein the first and third latch elements (51, 53, 61) are openings in the circuit board (10).

7: The contact set according to claim 1, wherein the second latch elements (32) are arranged on the spring arms (30) arranged on the housing (20).

8: The plug contact set according to claim 2, wherein the second and third latch elements (32, 33) are arranged on the spring arms (70) arranged on the housing (20).

9: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the latch elements (31, 32, 33) are latch hooks.

10: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the plug contact strip (17) has precisely one checking contact (14).

11: The plug contact set according to claim 10, wherein the checking contact (14) is arranged centrally in the plug contact strip (17).

12: The plug contact set according to claim 10, wherein all remaining first plug contacts (12) have the same length.

13: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the second plug contacts (22) all have the same length in the plugging direction (S).

14: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the checking contact (14) is formed to be so short that it does not come into electric contact with a second plug contact (22) when the at least one first latch element (31) is not latched to the at least one second latch element (32).

15: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein it has a first latch point, a second latch point and a third latch point, wherein the at least one first latch element (31) is latched in all three latch points to the at least one second latch element (32) and wherein, in the first latch point, there is not a second plug contact (22) in electrical contact with a checking contact (14) in which second latch point at least one second plug contact (22) comes into electrical contact with a checking contact (14) and, in the third latch point, all first and second plug contacts (12, 14; 22) have come into contact with one another and the two housing parts (11, 21) are fixed to one another.

16: The plug contact set according to claim 1, wherein the first contact elements (12, 24) are contact surfaces on the circuit board (10) and the second contact elements (22) are spring contact elements.

17: A method for checking a latching of the at least one first latch element (31) to the at least one second and third latch element (32, 33) of the plug contact set according to claim 1, comprising energizing a checking contact (14) checking whether a current is flowing between the checking contact (14) and a second plug contact (22), and determining that a latching is present when a current flow has been detected.

18: A method for checking a latching of the at least one first latch element (31) to the at least one second and third latch element (32, 33) of the plug contact set according to claim 1, comprising energizing a second plug contact (22) which is configured to come into electrical contact with a checking contact (14), checking whether a current is flowing between the checking contact (14) and this second plug contact (22), and determining that a latching is present when a current flow has been detected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is depicted in the drawings and is explained in more detail in the description below.

[0025] FIG. 1a shows an isometric depiction of a first variant of a plug contact set according to the invention from a circuit board direct plug connector and circuit board in the not yet plugged state;

[0026] FIG. 1b shows the plug contact set depicted in FIG. 1a in the not completely plugged state and

[0027] FIG. 1c shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 1b in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the non-plugging of the checking contact;

[0028] FIG. 1d shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 1b and 1c in the completely plugged state in its end position;

[0029] FIG. 1e shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 1d in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the complete plugging of all plug contacts;

[0030] FIG. 2a shows an isometric depiction of a second variant of a plug contact set according to the invention from a circuit board direct plug connector and circuit board in the not yet plugged state;

[0031] FIG. 2b shows the plug contact set depicted in FIG. 2a in the not yet completely plugged state and

[0032] FIG. 2c shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 2b in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the non-plugging of the checking contact;

[0033] FIG. 2d shows the plug connector set according to FIGS. 2b and 2c in the completely plugged state in its end position;

[0034] FIG. 2e shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 2d in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the complete plugging of all plug contacts;

[0035] FIG. 3a shows an isometric depiction of a third variant of a plug connector set according to the invention from a circuit board direct plug connector also shown separately and circuit board in the not yet plugged state;

[0036] FIG. 3b shows the plug contact set depicted in FIG. 3a in the not yet completely plugged state and

[0037] FIG. 3c shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 3b in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the non-plugging of the checking contact;

[0038] FIG. 3d shows the plug connector set according to FIGS. 3b and 3c in the completely plugged state in its end position;

[0039] FIG. 3e shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 3d in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the complete plugging of all plug contacts;

[0040] FIG. 4a shows an isometric depiction of a fourth variant of a plug connector set according to the invention from a circuit board direct plug connector also shown separately and circuit board in the not yet plugged state;

[0041] FIG. 4b shows the plug contact set depicted in FIG. 4a in the not yet completely plugged state and

[0042] FIG. 4c shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 4b in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the non-plugging of the checking contact;

[0043] FIG. 4d shows the plug connector set according to FIGS. 4b and 4c in the completely plugged state in its end position;

[0044] FIG. 4e shows the plug connector set according to FIG. 4d in a partially broken-away state for illustrating the complete plugging of all plug contacts;

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0045] In FIGS. 1a to 1e, a first variant of a plug contact set made from a circuit board direct plug connector 20 and a circuit board 10 is depicted. The circuit board 10 has a recess 70 on a circuit board edge 19, a protrusion in the shape of a plugging tongue 40 being arranged in said recess 70, on which plugging tongue 40 in turn a plug contact strip 17, consisting of a checking contact element 14 and plug contact elements 12, is arranged. The checking contact element 14 and the plug contact elements 12 are, for example, conducting surfaces on the surface of the circuit board 10. The circuit board direct plug connector 20 has a housing 21 on which spring arms 30 are springily hinged towards the plugging tongue 40. On their lower end, the spring arms 30 have two latch elements 32 in the shape of latch hooks. First latch elements 31 are arranged on the plugging tongue 40 on the bordering edges 41 thereof, in each case perpendicular to the plugging direction S. Third latch elements 33 are arranged to be spaced apart from the first latch elements 31 in the plugging direction S. Both the first latch elements 31 and the third latch elements 33 are formed as latch hooks that engage with the latch hooks formed as second latch elements 32. In doing so, the spring hinging of the spring arms 30 has proved to be particularly advantageous. The circuit board direct plug connector 20 is pushed in the plugging direction S onto the plugging tongue 40 until the first latch elements 31 and the second latch elements 32 are latched. In this state, the plug contacts 12 are electrically connected to corresponding contact elements 22 of the circuit board direct plug connector 20 that are formed as spring contact elements. The corresponding plug contact element 22 and the checking contact 14 are not connected to be electrically conductive.

[0046] The function of the checking contact 14 will be addressed below. Firstly, however, an alternative plug contact set to the circuit board direct plug connector 20 and circuit board 10 is described with respect to FIGS. 2a to 2e. Here the same elements are provided with the same reference numerals such that reference can be made to their description above. In contrast to the solutions depicted in FIG. 1a to 1e, here the third latch element 33, however, is not arranged on the edges 41 of the plugging tongue 40, but rather as a part of the spring arms 30. The third latch element 33, in this case, is spaced apart from the second latch element 32 against the plugging direction S while, with the first solution according to the invention, it is spaced apart from the latch element 31 in the plugging direction S.

[0047] FIGS. 2b and 2c, in turn, show a plugging in which contact elements 12 are electrically connected to corresponding contact elements 22 of the circuit board direct plug connector 20, however the checking contact 14 is not electrically connected to the corresponding contact element 22.

[0048] In FIGS. 1d and 1e, in each case the end positions are depicted in which the circuit board direct plug connector 20 is completely plugged onto the corresponding contact strip 17 of the circuit board 10. In this case, the latch elements 32 that are arranged on the spring arms 30 are latched to the latch elements 33 on the circuit board 10. In this state, all contact elements 12 and the checking contact 14 are electrically connected to the corresponding contact elements 22 of the circuit board direct plug connector 20.

[0049] In FIGS. 2d and 2e, a complete plugging of the second solution according to the invention is depicted. In this case, the third latch elements 33 that are formed on the spring arms 30 are latched to the first latch element 31 that is formed on the circuit board 10.

[0050] In FIGS. 3a to 3e and 4a to 4e, a third or a fourth exemplary embodiment of the plug contact according to the invention are depicted.

[0051] The same elements are provided with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1a to 1e or 2a to 2e, such that reference can be made to their description above.

[0052] As can be seen from FIGS. 3a to 3e and 4a to 4e, here the contact elements 12 and the checking contact 14 are not arranged on a plugging tongue, but directly on the edge of the circuit board itself. Furthermore, the latch elements are not arranged as latch hooks on the edge bordering the plugging tongue, but as openings 51, 53 in the circuit board. Thus, the latch elements 31 correspond to the openings 51 and the third latch elements 33 to the openings 53 in FIG. 1a to 1e. In the further embodiments described in FIGS. 4a to 4e, the contact elements 12 and the checking contact 14 are also formed on the board edge next to one another and form the plug contact strip 17. Here the first contact elements 61 are formed as elongated holes and the second and third latch elements 32, 33 are formed on the circuit board plug connector 20 on the spring arms 30 arranged there. In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 3a to 3e, the plugging processes corresponds to those of the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1a to 1e and the plugging processes of the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 4a to 4e substantially correspond to those of the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2a to 2e, such that reference will be made to this extent below.

[0053] The housings 21 of the circuit board direct plug connector 20 according to FIG. 1a to 1e and 2a to 2e differ slightly to those of the circuit board direct plug connector according to FIGS. 3a to 3e and FIGS. 4a to 4e. These are, however, only constructive embodiments. The principle of the functionality is identical.

[0054] As emerges from the figures, the contact element 14 formed as a checking contact, labelled as checking contact 14 for short below, is formed in the plugging direction S to be shorter than the contact elements 12. It is formed to be so short that, during a plugging in which only the first and second latch elements 31, 32 are latched to one another, no electric contact between the checking contact 14 and the corresponding contact element 22 is produced. Only when a complete plugging is present, i.e. when the third latch elements 33 or 33 are latched, is the checking contact 14 also contacted.

[0055] In order to now determined whether a proper contacting is present, the checking contact 14 or alternatively the contact element 22 corresponding to the checking contact 14 is energised and it is determined whether a current flow between the checking contact 14 and corresponding contact element 22 is present, or vice versa from the contact element 22 to the checking contact 14. If this is the case, a proper plugging is assumed. If this is not the case, there is a contact disruption between the checking contact 14 and the corresponding contact element 22. In this case, a half-plugging or an improper plugging must be assumed. Such an improper plugging or even a half-plugging can be labelled as the first latch point. In a second latch point, a complete plugging is achieved. In this case, the first and second latch elements 31, 32 respectively 51, 32 or 61, 32 are latched to each other. Now, a clearance is provided that has a certain length in the plugging direction S that enables a movement of the second latch element 32 relative to the first latch element 31 respectively 51 or 61 in and against the plugging direction S. This clearance is 0.9 mm to 1.0 mm, for example. This is due to the functional sequence during the plugging process in conjunction with the checking contact 14. Firstly, a latching of the first and second latch elements 31, 32 respectively 51, 32 or 61, 32 takes place. This latching takes place by the mentioned amount, i.e. between 0.9 mm and 1.0 mm in front of the end positions (completely plugged state) in order to ensure that all utility contacts, i.e. all plug contact elements 12 are indeed electrically connected to the corresponding contact elements 22, however not the shorter checking contact 14 that, in this plug position, should never already be touching the corresponding contact element 22 in the plug connector 20. This state is respectively depicted in FIGS. 1c and 2c respectively 3c and 4c. Then, during assembly, the plug connector 20 is pushed completely onto the circuit board 10. In a complete pushing of the circuit board direct plug connector 20 onto the circuit board 10 onto the base, i.e. effectively as far as the stop, all plug contact elements 12 and also the checking contact 14 are electrically connected to the corresponding contact elements 22, i.e. contacted. Then, during assembly, the undesired case can occur that on the plug connector and/or on the cables that lead to it are pulled such that the plug connector 20 can be dislodged somewhat from the plug contact strip 17, i.e. dislodged somewhat from the circuit board 10. Dislodging thus takes place after an initially proper plugging. It could also occur that, during assembly of the plug connector 20 on the circuit board 10, it could indeed result in a latching of the latch element 32 and the latch element 31 respectively 51 or 61, the plug connector 20, however, not being plugged in so deep that the checking contact 14 and the corresponding contact element 22 are electrically connected to each other. During assembly, this plugging is determined and signalled as a disruption. Here, this is indeed a pseudo error that is also labelled as such since the contact elements 22 of the circuit board 10 and the plug connector 20 are correctly contactedexcept for the checking contact 14. During assembly, a non-contacting of the checking contact 14 is, however, recognised as an error. In this case, the assembler would have to press the plug connector 20 again completely onto the circuit board 10 by exerting a corresponding pressure in the plugging direction S. It is obvious that, in particular with a very large number of such plug contact sets, as are installed in vehicles, for example, such an readjusting is a waste of time and not desirable for the assembly of vehicles on the assembly line.

[0056] In order to avoid this, the invention provides a third latch element 33, 33 in the form of a further latch nose. In the completely plugged state, i.e. when the plug connector 20 has been completely plugged onto the circuit board 10 and all contact elements 12, 14, 22 are electrically connected to one another, the third latch element 33 respectively 33 latches into the latch element 31, 51, 61, 32 and fixes the circuit board direct plug connector 20 on the circuit board 10 to be as clearance-free as possible.

[0057] The third latch element 33 respectively 33 thus enables a fixing in the complete plugged state, i.e. in a third latch point that differs from the second latch point, which is depicted in FIG. 1c, 2c respectively 3c and 4c in that, during assembly, it is ensured that the plug contact sets are completely plugged, which can be recognised by detecting a plugged checking contact 14. This state is depicted in FIG. 1d respectively 3d and in FIG. 2e respectively 4e. Thus, the circuit board direct plug connector is fixed on the circuit board 10 and indeed in such a way that even a shaking load or other mechanical load, for example a vibration load or similar, does not allow the plug connector 20 to dislodge from the circuit board 10.

[0058] A proper plugging can be determined by either energising the checking contact 14 or its corresponding contact element 22 in the plug connector 20. Here it is checked whether a current is flowing between the checking contact 14 and the corresponding contact element 22. If this is not the case, then there is no proper plugging present.

[0059] This enables an automatic checking of the plug contact set according to the invention for the presence of a half-plugging, for example, or an improper plugging. If this is detected, then the half-plugging or the improper plugging can still be corrected during the assembly process.