Connection device

Abstract

A connection device for connecting an electrical or electronic component, which is accommodated in a thick-walled housing part, through a stepped bore in the wall of the housing part, includes a connection part having a stepped cylindrical body having a first cylindrical portion with a first outer diameter corresponding to the diameter of an inner bore portion of the stepped bore and a second cylindrical portion with a second outer diameter corresponding to the larger diameter of an outer bore portion, and a separate, essentially cylindrical contact carrier part fixed in the base body, which has contact pins protruding from an inner end face located on the inside of the thick-walled housing part. A fastener detachably fastens the connection part inserted in the stepped bore in the bore of the housing part.

Claims

1. A connection device for connecting an electrical or electronic component, which is accommodated in a thick-walled housing part, through a stepped bore of a wall of the housing part, comprising: a connection part with a stepped cylindrical base body having a first cylindrical portion with a first outer diameter corresponding to a diameter of an inner bore portion of the stepped bore and a second cylindrical portion with a second outer diameter corresponding to a larger diameter of an outer bore portion, and a separate, essentially cylindrical contact carrier part fixed in the base body, which has contact pins protruding from an inner end face located on an inside of the thick-walled housing part, and a fastener configured to detachably fasten the connection part inserted in the stepped bore of the housing part.

2. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein in the first cylindrical portion of the base body of the connection part and on the contact carrier part corresponding latches are configured to form a latching connection between the base body and the contact carrier part.

3. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein a potting compound part encasing the contact pins is provided on the inner end face of the contact carrier part.

4. The connection device according to claim 3, wherein the inner end face of the contact carrier part is designed in a shape of a trough and the trough is filled with the potting compound part.

5. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the contact pins in the contact carrier part are of a Deusch-DT04-compatible contact type.

6. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein a sealing lip or a sealing ring is provided on an outer circumference of the first cylindrical portion of the base body and on or near the inner end face of the contact carrier part.

7. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a fixing disc with an opening configured to outer edges of the contact carrier part.

8. The connection device according to claim 7 wherein the fixing disc comprises a crown disc configured to an inner diameter of the outer bore section portion and shaped for locking the crown disc in the outer bore portion.

9. A hydraulic cylinder of a hydraulic system comprising: a housing part having outer walls wherein a stepped bore with an inner bore section with a first diameter and an outer bore section with a second diameter, which is larger than the first diameter, is provided in a wall of a head part of the hydraulic cylinder; an electrical or electronic assembly disposed within the outer walls, and a connection device for external connection of the electrical or electronic assembly, the connection device comprising: a connection part fixed in the stepped bore with a stepped cylindrical base body having a first cylindrical portion with a first outer diameter corresponding to the diameter of an inner bore portion of the stepped bore and a second cylindrical portion with a second outer diameter corresponding to a larger diameter of an outer bore portion, and a separate, essentially cylindrical contact carrier part fixed in the base body, which has contact pins protruding from an inner end face located on an inside of the housing part, and a fastener configured to detachably fasten the connection part inserted in the stepped bore in the bore of the housing part.

10. The hydraulic cylinder according to claim 9, wherein the electrical or electronic assembly comprises a position sensor assembly, which is connected to the contact carrier part via stranded wires which are crimped or soldered to the contact pins in the contact carrier part.

11. A method of manufacturing a hydraulic cylinder assembly, comprising: providing a housing part of the hydraulic cylinder having outer walls wherein a stepped bore with an inner bore section with a first diameter and an outer bore section with a second diameter, which is larger than the first diameter, is provided in a wall of a head part of the hydraulic cylinder, providing an electrical or electronic assembly and a connection device for external connection of the electrical or electronic assembly, the connection device having a connection part with a stepped cylindrical base body part having a first cylindrical portion with a first outer diameter corresponding to the diameter of an inner bore portion of the stepped bore and a second cylindrical portion with a second outer diameter corresponding to a larger diameter of an outer bore section of the stepped bore, and a separate, essentially cylindrical contact carrier part fixed in the base body, which has contact pins protruding from an inner end face located on an inside of the housing part, and producing a stranded wire connection between the electrical or electronic assembly and the contact pins of the contact carrier part, inserting the contact carrier part and component connected via the stranded wire connection into the hydraulic cylinder from its open end to a base of the hydraulic cylinder, while simultaneously guiding the contact carrier part out through the stepped bore to an outside of the wall, placing the base body of the connection part on the contact carrier part and fix the contact carrier part in the base body to form an assembled connector, inserting the assembled connector from an outside of an outer wall of the hydraulic cylinder into the stepped bore until the second cylindrical portion is seated on an annular bottom of the outer bore section, and fastening the assembled connector in the stepped bore using a fastener.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein after producing the stranded wire connection, potting of a connection area of the contact pins with wire strands is carried out with potting compound.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein before producing a stranded connection, placing a sealing ring on the contact carrier part on or near an inner face thereof, and before placing the base body of the connection part on the contact carrier part, inserting a sealing ring on the annular bottom of the outer bore section is carried out.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein fastening the assembled connector comprises as hammering a fastening washer over the second cylindrical portion of the base body into the outer bore section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Advantages and usefulness of the invention will also be apparent from the following description of an example of an embodiment based on the figures, where:

(2) FIGS. 1A-1D are two perspective views and a front and side view of an embodiment of the connection part of the connection device,

(3) FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a hydraulic cylinder in which a connection device with a connection part according to FIG. 1A—1D is installed,

(4) FIG. 2A is a detailed view of a portion of FIG. 2,

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastening means of the connection device, and

(6) FIGS. 4A-4E are stages in the manufacture of the hydraulic cylinder according to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

(7) FIGS. 1A-1D show on the one hand a base body 1 of the connection device. The base body 1 has a first base body section 1a with a first outer diameter and an adjoining second cylindrical (disc-shaped) base body section 1b with a second, larger outer diameter. A plug part 2 of a standardised design projects from the second, disc-shaped base body section 1b of the base body 1 and comprises a plug housing 2a made preferably of a thermoplastic material. The plug housing 2a is in particular integrally molded onto the base body 1.

(8) A circumferential annular groove 1c in the lower base body section 1a serves to receive an outer sealing ring 4a, which is used to seal the base body 1 in a bore of a housing part where it is mounted (cf. FIGS. 2 and 2A and the description below).

(9) Furthermore, these figures show a separate contact carrier part 3, which together with the base body 1 forms the connection part. The contact carrier part 3 is essentially cylindrical, with an outer diameter such that it can be slid into the first base body section 1a of the base body. In the assembled state of the connector, the contact carrier part 3 is inserted into the base body 1 to such an extent that its upper end face is at the level of the disc-shaped second base body section 1b of the base body.

(10) Four longitudinal slots 3a in the contact carrier part separate its wall over most of its height into four separate wall sections. Of these, two opposite ones each have an annular projection 3b of triangular cross-section running parallel to the end face of the contact carrier part. When the contact carrier part 3 is inserted into the base body 1, the annular extensions 3b slide along the inner wall of the base body 1 and finally spring into an annular groove (not shown) with a corresponding cross-section provided in a suitable position there. This locks the contact carrier part 3 into the base body 1 and thus fixes it. A circumferential annular groove 3c on the circumference of the contact carrier part 3 serves to receive an inner sealing ring 4b, which seals the contact carrier part 3 from the base body 1 in the assembled state.

(11) In the version shown, the contact carrier part 3 carries four contact pins 3d in a standardised version, in this case the so-called German-DT04 version, which in the assembled state project through corresponding holes in the end face of the contact carrier part 3 into the plug part 2. A flexible, bendable conductor (a contact strand) 5 is soldered or crimped to the free (lower left in FIG. 1A) ends of the contact pins 3d.

(12) FIG. 1A also shows (symbolically as a separate part) a potting compound element 3e, which is formed after insertion of the plug pins 3d into the contact carrier part 3 by potting the interior of the contact carrier part 3 with a potting compound which fills the interior of the contact carrier part 3 and sealingly encloses the contacts.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a crown washer 6 which serves as a fastener of the connector device. The crown washer 6 has a circular central opening 6a, the inner contour of which is adapted to the cross-sectional shape (outer contour) of the connector part 2, and a toothed outer circumference 6b, which is configured to the outer diameter of the second cylindrical section 1b of the basic body 1 (and thus at the same time to the diameter of a bore mentioned further below) in such a way that the crown washer 6 locks into the said bore when appropriate force is applied (see also further below).

(14) The semi-circular recesses in the circumferential edge of the first base body section 1b of the base body 1 (FIG. 1A) (not described separately) serve to implement another type of fastening of the connection device. In this other type of fastening, fastening screws engage in these recesses and are used to screw the connection device into the thick-walled housing part. Here, the screw heads rest half on the first base body section 1b and half on the surrounding housing wall.

(15) FIG. 2 shows in a longitudinal sectional view a general view of a hydraulic cylinder 7 as a version of a thick-walled housing part in which the connection device is inserted. The hydraulic cylinder 7 has a cylinder base 7a and a cylinder closure 7b, through which a piston rod 9a of a hydraulic piston 9 passes centrally. Near the cylinder base 7a, a stepped bore 8 is formed in the wall of the hydraulic cylinder 7, which has an inner section 8a with a smaller diameter and an outer section 8b with a larger diameter.

(16) A position sensor assembly 10 is used to determine the position of the hydraulic piston 9 with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 7 and for this purpose cooperates with a position magnet 11 which is inserted in the piston rod 9a. The exact construction and function of the position sensor assembly 10 and the position magnet 11 are not relevant to the explanation of the present invention and are therefore not described here. It should be mentioned, however, that connection strands 5 are led out of the position sensor assembly 10, the ends of which (as already mentioned above) lead to the ends of the contact pins in the contact carrier 3 of the connection part and are connected to these in a form-fitting and/or material-fitting manner.

(17) As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the connecting part 1/3 is seated in the bore 8 of the hydraulic cylinder 7 in such a way that its first base body section 1a (see FIG. 1B) is seated in the inner section 8a of the bore 8 and the second base body section 1b is inserted in the outer bore section 8b and rests on the annular end face of the outer bore section. In this position, the connector is held in place by the engaged crown washer 6. The sealing ring 4a, which is seated in a groove in the first base body section 1a, seals the connecting part 1/3 in the inner bore section 8a.

(18) FIGS. 4A-4D show the steps of manufacturing the connection device in a manner similar to the FIGS. 1A-3 explained above. In these figures, only a few reference numbers are inserted; with regard to the other parts/sections of the components shown, reference is made to FIGS. 1A-3 and the above explanations.

(19) Before carrying out the process steps shown in the above figures and described further below, the above-mentioned radially stepped bore 8 is created in the peripheral wall of the hydraulic cylinder 7, at the end of a stepped axial bore 7c near the cylinder base 7a. Furthermore, the contact carrier part 3 is connected in advance with the already inserted contact pins 3d to the connection strands 5 of the position sensor assembly 10 and cast with the potting compound 3e.

(20) FIGS. 4A and 4B show how the position sensor assembly 10, with lead wires 5 soldered thereto, is axially aligned with and inserted centrally into the hydraulic cylinder 7. FIG. 4B shows that the position sensor assembly 10 has arrived at its destination on the cylinder base 7a of the hydraulic cylinder 7, where it is seated in the further section of the stepped axial bore 7c that is adapted to its external shape. During insertion, at the same time, the connection strands 5 with the contact carrier part 3 are guided outwards through the stepped radial bore 8 through the wall of the cylinder base.

(21) FIGS. 4C and 4D show that the base body 1 with the plug section 2 is placed on the contact carrier part 3 guided through the bore 8 to the outside of the hydraulic cylinder 7 in such a way that the components of the connection part engage in each other and are then positively connected. FIG. 4E shows how the fully assembled connection part 1/3 is inserted into the hole 8. The curved arrows P1, P2 in FIG. 4E show that the connection part 1 is largely free to rotate in the bore 8 and can be brought into a desired angular position in the outer wall of the hydraulic cylinder 7.

(22) The connecting part 1/3 is then fixed in the bore 8 using the crown washer shown in FIG. 3 in the manner described in U.S. Ser. No. 10/727,630, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The final state of the hydraulic cylinder with mounted connection device is shown in FIG. 3.

(23) Although the subject matter has been described in language directed to specific environments, structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the environments, specific features or acts described above as has been held by the courts. Rather, the environments, specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.