Contact element comprising a sensor

Abstract

An electrical contact element with an integrated sensor is provided. The contact element has a groove, at least a portion of which extends on a plug-in side of the contact element. An optical fiber is provided in the groove. The optical fiber is designed in such a way as to be suitable as a sensor for measuring the temperature or the air humidity.

Claims

1. An electrical contact element comprising at least one groove with an optical fiber running in the groove wherein the optical fiber is designed as a sensor, and the groove starts at a connection side, remote from a plug-in side, of the contact element and runs to the plug-in side and ends again at the connection side.

2. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the start and end of the groove run in parallel from the connection side to the plug-in side and are connected to each other on the plug-in side.

3. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove forms a loop on the plug-in side.

4. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the groove forms a loop on the plug-in side.

5. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is pressed into the groove.

6. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is bonded into the groove.

7. The electrical contact element as claimed claim 1, wherein the optical fiber has a Bragg grating.

8. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is designed as a temperature sensor.

9. The electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is designed as a humidity sensor.

Description

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in detail below. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the plug-in side of a contact element;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the plug-in side of a contact element in a further view;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through a contact element with an optical fiber;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through a contact element;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a contact element with a view of the plug-in side; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a further contact element.

(8) The drawings contain partially simplified schematic views. Identical reference numerals are used in part for the same, but possibly not identical, elements. Different views of the same elements can be at different scales.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a plug-in side 1.1 of a contact element 1 according to the invention. A groove 2 in the contact element 1 runs along the plug-in side 1.1. The groove 2 runs as far as the tip (shown on the left) of the plug-in side 1.1. At the tip, the groove 2 runs onto the rear side and from there back to where it started.

(10) According to the invention, an optical fiber 3 is embedded in the groove 2. The optical fiber 3 is preferably pressed or bonded into the groove 2 and runs in the latter. The course is shown again in FIG. 2. The contact element 1 is shown from a different side. The course of the groove 2, how it runs in the right-hand region parallel to the left-hand tip of the contact element 1, can be seen here. At the tip of the contact element 1, the groove 2 runs once around the tip and continues on the rear side.

(11) A cross-section of a contact element 1 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The groove 2 receives the round optical fiber 3. Depending on the design of the groove 2, the optical fiber 3 is automatically clamped in the groove 2 or is fixed in the latter, for example using adhesive.

(12) As a result of the rounded tip of the contact element 1, a curved course of the groove 2 and the optical fiber 3 is produced at the tip. The temperature of the whole plug-in side 1.1 of the contact element 1 can be measured particularly advantageously owing to the course of the groove 2 and the optical fiber 3 over the tip of the contact element 1.

(13) A whole contact element 1 is additionally shown in in FIG. 6. The right-hand connection side 1.2 is provided for contacting an electrical line and designed as a crimped connection. In addition, the groove 2, into which the optical fiber 3 is inserted in the connection region 1.2, begins in the connection region 1.2.

(14) The groove 2 and the optical fiber 3 run from the connection side 1.2 to the plug-in side 1.1. The groove 2 and optical fiber 3 form a loop at the tip of the plug-in side 1.1 and run on the rear side of the contact element 1 back to the connection side 1.2.