Connection Arrangement and Method for Connecting a Connection Arrangement to a Component

Abstract

A connection arrangement comprising a metallic flat conductor having an at least quadrangular cross-sectional profile and at least two opposing surfaces extending longitudinally parallel to each other at least in an end region, a first through-opening between the surfaces in the end region, the first through-opening being formed for receiving a bolt, at least one second through-opening between the surfaces in the end region, the second through-opening being formed to receive a metallic terminal, the terminal being formed as a flat part and bearing flatly with a contact surface against one of the surfaces of the flat conductor in the end region.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A connection arrangement comprising: a metallic terminal, and a metallic flat conductor having an at least quadrangular cross-sectional profile and at least two opposing surfaces running, at least in one connection region, parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction, a first through-opening between the surfaces in the connection region, the first through-opening being formed to receive a bolt, at least one second through-opening between the surfaces in the connection region, the second through-opening being formed to receive the metallic terminal, wherein the terminal is formed as a flat part and lies flat with a contact surface against one of the surfaces of the flat conductor in the connection region, wherein the terminal has a first through-recess, which is arranged in alignment with the first through-opening, the terminal has at least one projection projecting from the contact surface of the terminal, and the projection is arranged in the second through-opening, wherein the at least one projection, starting from the contact surface, has a longitudinal extent which is equal to the distance between the surfaces of the flat conductor in the connection region, the terminal is materially bonded to the flat conductor at at least the contact surface.

17. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the projection projects substantially vertically from the contact surface.

18. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the projection is essentially cylindrical or hollow cylindrical.

19. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the projection bears with its outer lateral surface at least partially or completely against an inner lateral surface of the second through-opening, in particular in that the projection and the second through-opening have a transition fit or an interference fit.

20. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the projection is integral with the flat part and is formed from the flat part.

21. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein an end face of the projection is flush with the surface.

22. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the number of said second through-openings and said projections is the same.

23. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a geometrical arrangement of the projections around the through recesses is congruent with a geometrical arrangement of the second through-openings around the first through-opening.

24. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein at least two, preferably at least three second through-openings are arranged at angular distances from each other around the first through-opening.

25. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the bolt is arranged within the first through-opening, a second flat part is arranged on the surface of the flat conductor opposite the terminal, the bolt has a flange-like bolt head and a bolt pin extending from the bolt head the second flat member is formed to receive the bolt pin, the bolt pin is guided through the second flat part, the first through-opening and the first through-recess and is connected to a component in such a way that the second flat part is held clamped between the bolt head and the projection.

26. The connection arrangement according claim 25, wherein the bolt is a screw bolt.

27. The connection arrangement according to claim 25, wherein the bolt presses the second flat part against the projection in the connected state.

28. The connection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the first through-opening and/or the first through recess are formed as a round hole or as an elongated hole.

29. A method for connecting a component to a connection arrangement according to claim 16, comprising the steps, arranging the contact surface of the terminal on the flat conductor, wherein the at least one projection is arranged in the at least one second through-opening so that the first through-opening and the first through-recess are aligned with each other, and wherein the at least one projection, starting from the contact surface, has a longitudinal extent which is equal to the distance between the surfaces of the flat conductor in the connection region, materially bonding the contact surface of the terminal to the flat conductor, placing a second flat member having a hole at the through-opening on the surface of the flat conductor opposite to the terminal, inserting the bolt into the hole, the first through-opening, and the through-recess to connect the bolt to the component so that the flat member is clamped between the bolt and the projection.

Description

[0038] Hereinafter, the subject matter will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing embodiments. In the drawing show:

[0039] FIG. 1a, b flat conductors with connection areas;

[0040] FIG. 2 a top view of a flat conductor with a first through-opening and four second through-openings;

[0041] FIG. 3a, b a terminal;

[0042] FIG. 4 a flat conductor with a connected terminal;

[0043] FIG. 5 a longitudinal section through a connection arrangement with a component.

[0044] FIG. 1a shows a flat conductor 2 with an insulation 4. The flat conductor 2 with the insulation 4 can also be referred to as a flat cable. In FIG. 1a, the flat cable is stripped in an end region so that the flat conductor 2 is blank in an end region. This end region may be referred to as the connecting region 6.

[0045] It can be seen that the flat conductor 2 has a rectangular cross-sectional profile, but square or other polygonal cross-sectional profiles are also conceivable. The flat conductor 2 has two opposite wide surfaces 2a, 2b, which run parallel to each other in the connection area 6.

[0046] FIG. 1b shows the flat conductor 2 in which the connecting area 6 lies between two areas with insulation 4. Here, too, the flat conductor 2 is blank in the connection area 6. Also in this case, wide surfaces 2a, 2b are parallel to each other.

[0047] To provide a connection arrangement, it is now proposed that the flat conductor 2 is provided in the connecting region 6 as shown in FIG. 2 with a first through-opening 8 and at least one, in the example shown four, second through-openings 10. The through-openings 8, 10 can be punched, milled, drilled or cut out of the flat conductor 2. It can be seen that the second through-openings 10 surround the first through-opening 8. In particular, the second through-openings 10 are angularly spaced from each other around the first through-opening 8. In this regard, the second through-openings 10 may, for example, lie on an arc around the first through-opening 8.

[0048] After the connection area 6 with the through-openings 8, 10 has been produced, a terminal 12, as shown in FIGS. 3a, b, can be applied to the flat conductor 2. FIG. 3a shows a view of a terminal 12. The terminal 12 has a through-recess 14. The through-recess 14 can be shaped to correspond to the through-opening 8. In particular, the through-recess 14 has a geometrically congruent or geometrically similar shape to the first through-opening 8. This can be a round hole or an elongated hole, but other shapes are also possible, in particular angular shapes.

[0049] The terminal 12 further comprises at least one, preferably more, projections 16. The projections 16 are arranged around the through-opening 14. The geometrical arrangement of through-openings 14 and projections 16 with respect to each other is in particular geometrically congruent with the geometrical arrangement of the first through-opening 8 with respect to the second through-openings 10. The terminal 12 can thus be inserted with its projections 16 into the second through-openings 10. Then, the first through-opening 8 can be aligned with the through-opening 14. On the side of the projections 16, the terminal 12 has a contact surface 18.

[0050] FIG. 3b shows a top view of the contact surface 18. It can be seen that the projections 16 are hollow cylindrical in shape. The projections 16 are formed integrally from the terminal 12, in particular by means of punching, bending or the like. The terminal 12 is in particular made of copper or a copper alloy, whereas the flat conductor 2 is in particular made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy. Suitable metallic coatings, in particular tin-plating, nickel-plating or the like, are alternatively or cumulatively possible both on the flat conductor 2 in the connection area 6 and on the terminal 12 at the contact area 18.

[0051] To connect the terminal 12 to the flat conductor 2, it is inserted with its projections 16 into the second through-openings 10.

[0052] A top view of the surface 2a of the flat conductor 2 is shown in FIG. 4. It can be seen that the projections 16 are inserted in the second through-openings 10.

[0053] A cross-section in the longitudinal direction to the flat conductor 2 as shown in FIG. 4 can be seen in FIG. 5. It can be seen that the terminal 12 rests with its contact surface 18 against the flat conductor 2. The projections 16 are arranged in the second through-openings 10. In particular, the contact surface 18 is joined to the surface 2b of the flat conductor 2 by a material bond. This can be done, for example, by means of ultrasonic welding, resistance welding or the like.

[0054] It can be seen that the projections 16 are flush with the surface 2a of the flat conductor 2.

[0055] After the flat conductor 2 has been joined to the terminal 12, a washer 20 or other flat part is placed on the flat conductor 2 and the projections 16. Then, a screw having a screw head 22a and a screw pin 22b is screwed into a component 24. In the process, the screw head 22a is pressed onto the washer 20, which in turn is pressed against the end faces of the projections 16. The projections 16 absorb the vertical contact pressure force, so that the washer 20 is clamped between the screw head 22a and the projections 16 and the flat conductor 2.

[0056] By absorbing the contact pressure forces through the projections 16, a long-term stable connection between the flat conductor 2 and the component 24 is made possible.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0057] 2 flat conductor [0058] 4 insulation [0059] 6 connection area [0060] 8 first through-opening [0061] 10 second through-opening [0062] 12 terminal [0063] 14 through-recess [0064] 16 projection [0065] 18 contact surface [0066] 20 washer [0067] 22 screw [0068] 24 component