Multi-conductor cable of reduced diameter and contact apparatus for same

Abstract

An electrical multi-conductor cable comprising a plug-in connector, in particular a line with a charging plug for electric vehicles. The cable has a central cable core, a number of conductors which are arranged concentrically in relation to one another in a ring around the cable core and are composed of individual wires, and in each case one insulation between the conductors. According to the invention, the contact apparatus has two clamping shell parts which, on the inner side thereof, have a plurality of receptacles which are radially stepped from one another. In each case one contact body is received in the receptacles of a clamping shell part and makes contact with one of the concentric conductors. Each contact body has a channel shape with a longitudinal extent and a curved cross-sectional profile around an associated conductor. A closure connects the clamping shell parts and fastens said clamping shell parts in the closed position, wherein the clamping shell parts coaxially hold the contact bodies and press each contact body against the respectively associated concentric conductor for contact-making purposes.

Claims

1. An electrical multi-conductor cable with contact apparatus for a plug-in connector, in particular a line with a charging plug at a charging station for electric vehicles, comprising: a central cable core, a number of conductors which are arranged concentrically relative to each other in an annular shape around the cable core and comprising individual wires, and a respective insulation between the conductors, wherein the contact apparatus includes two contact shell portions which at their inside have a plurality of receiving means which are stepped radially from each other, arranged in the receiving means of at least one clamping shell portion is a respective contact body associated with one of the concentric conductors for contacting purposes, wherein each contact body has a channel shape with a longitudinal extent and of a curved cross-sectional configuration around a peripheral portion of the associated conductor, there is provided a closure for connecting the clamping shell portions, which fixes the clamping shell portions to each other in a closed position, the clamping shell portions in the closed position hold the contact bodies in coaxial relationship with each other and press each contact body for contacting purposes against the respectively associated concentric conductor, wherein surface electrical contacting of the channel shape of the contact bodies with the respectively associated conductor is achieved by clamping force produced by the closure and transmitted by the clamping shell portion on to the contact body, on to the peripheral surface of the respectively associated conductor, and wherein the channel shape of the contact bodies extends over a peripheral portion of at least 20% to a maximum of 80% of the periphery, in particular a peripheral angle of at least 120° to a maximum of 270°, of the associated concentric conductor, or the channel shape of the contact bodies extends over a peripheral portion of about 60% to 95% of the periphery of the associated concentric conductor and two oppositely disposed receiving means of the clamping shell portions respectively receive and press such a contact body.

2. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the closure is in the form of: a quick-action closure which can be closed without a tool in the form of a non-releasable quick-action closure, a non-releasable rivet connection, or a releasable screw connection.

3. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the channel shape of the contact bodies is of an arcuately curved cross-section, in particular a cross-section curved in the shape of a circular arc, or an irregularly curved cross-section.

4. The cable according to claim 3, wherein the contact bodies are respectively produced in one piece.

5. The cable according to claim 1, wherein in a first region the contact bodies have the channel shape and in an opposite second region they include contact pins or contact sockets for a plug-in connector.

6. The cable according to claim 5, wherein the clamping shell portions of the contact apparatus form component parts of a multi-part plug connector housing, the plug connector housing comprising the clamping shell portions.

7. The cable according to claim 6, wherein the contact apparatus has precisely two clamping shell portions which are produced in the form of half-shells.

8. The cable according to claim 5, wherein in a first region the clamping shell portions have the receiving means and in an opposite second region form housing portions of a plug or a coupling and in the second region include at least one end contact carrier for a contact pin or a contact socket.

9. The cable according to claim 8, wherein the clamping shell portions have at least one seal at their interface and/or a strain relief means at the cable end of the first region.

10. The cable according to claim 1, wherein there is provided at least a number of receiving means corresponding to the number of concentric conductors in each clamping shell portion and at least some receiving means of each clamping shell portion respectively receive the channel shape of a contact body and the peripheral portion, surrounded thereby, of the associated conductor.

11. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the cable core includes a further conductor comprising individual wires.

12. The cable according to claim 1, wherein for each insulation between a pair of adjoining concentric conductors there is provided a support layer which prevents individual wires from being pressed into the insulation.

13. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the individual wires decreases outwardly from one concentric conductor to the next concentric conductor.

14. The cable according to claim 1, wherein each conductor comprises braided individual wires with an alternately opposite winding direction from one conductor to the next and braided on to the interposed insulation.

15. The cable according to claim 1, wherein at least three concentric conductors are arranged around the cable core, wherein two conductors of a respective overall annular cross-section of at least 20 mm.sup.2 serve as a power supply conductor.

16. The cable according to claim 15, wherein there is provided at least one signal conductor for data transmission of markedly smaller overall cross-section.

17. The cable according to claim 1 disposed at a charging station for electric vehicles.

18. The cable according to claim 1 as a charging cable for electric vehicles.

19. An electrical multi-conductor cable with contact apparatus for a plug-in connector, in particular a line with a charging plug at a charging station for electric vehicles, comprising: a central cable core, a number of conductors which are arranged concentrically relative to each other in an annular shape around the cable core and comprising individual wires, and a respective insulation between the conductors, wherein the contact apparatus includes two contact shell portions which at their inside have a plurality of receiving means which are stepped radially from each other, arranged in the receiving means of at least one clamping shell portion is a respective contact body associated with one of the concentric conductors for contacting purposes, wherein each contact body has a channel shape with a longitudinal extent and of a curved cross-sectional configuration around a peripheral portion of the associated conductor, there is provided a closure for connecting the clamping shell portions, which fixes the clamping shell portions to each other in a closed position, the clamping shell portions in the closed position hold the contact bodies in coaxial relationship with each other and press each contact body for contacting purposes against the respectively associated concentric conductor, wherein in a first region the contact bodies have the channel shape and in an opposite second region they include contact pins or contact sockets for a plug-in connector, and wherein in a first region the clamping shell portions have the receiving means and in an opposite second region form housing portions of a plug or a coupling and in the second region include at least one end contact carrier for a contact pin or a contact socket.

20. An electrical multi-conductor cable with contact apparatus for a plug-in connector, in particular a line with a charging plug at a charging station for electric vehicles, comprising: a central cable core, a number of conductors which are arranged concentrically relative to each other in an annular shape around the cable core and comprising individual wires, and a respective insulation between the conductors, wherein the contact apparatus includes two contact shell portions which at their inside have a plurality of receiving means which are stepped radially from each other, arranged in the receiving means of at least one clamping shell portion is a respective contact body associated with one of the concentric conductors for contacting purposes, wherein each contact body has a channel shape with a longitudinal extent and of a curved cross-sectional configuration around a peripheral portion of the associated conductor, there is provided a closure for connecting the clamping shell portions, which fixes the clamping shell portions to each other in a closed position, the clamping shell portions in the closed position hold the contact bodies in coaxial relationship with each other and press each contact body for contacting purposes against the respectively associated concentric conductor, and wherein at least three concentric conductors are arranged around the cable core, wherein two conductors of a respective overall annular cross-section of at least 20 mm.sup.2 serve as a power supply conductor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous features and effects of the invention are described more fully hereinafter by means of an embodiment by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A-1B show purely by way of example a cross-section through a conventional multi-conductor cable (FIG. 1B) and a multi-conductor cable according to the invention (FIG. 1A);

(3) FIGS. 2A-2C show diagrammatic views of an embodiment of a contact apparatus for a multi-conductor cable as shown in FIG. 1A;

(4) FIGS. 3A-3B show diagrammatic views of a plurality of contact bodies for a contact apparatus according to the invention as a side view (FIG. 3A) and a front view (FIG. 3B); and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic front view of a further contact body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1B shows as conventional multi-conductor cable 1 having three wires 2, 3, that is to say conductors consisting of individual wires with a respective insulation 4. They are guided in mutually parallel juxtaposed relationship in an outer casing 5. Depending on the respectively required conductor cross-section of the wires 2, 3 there is a given overall diameter D2.

(7) In comparison the concentric cable structure according to the invention as shown in FIG. 1A affords a perceptible reduction in the overall diameter D1 with the conductor cross-section remaining the same. FIG. 1A shows a multi-conductor cable 10 having a first inner conductor 11 comprising individual wires as the core, a second conductor 12 which is disposed concentrically on the insulation 14 of the inner conductor 11 and which is of substantially identical conductor cross-section to the conductor 11. In addition, a third concentric conductor 13 is also arranged in ring form around the central axis (perpendicularly to FIG. 1B) as a protective conductor on the insulation 14 of the second conductor 12, wherein the conductor cross-section of the third conductor 13 can be less. In comparison with the overall diameter D2 of the conventional cable structure shown in FIG. 1B the cable is of a diameter D1 which is reduced by about 20% to 25%, measured at the outer casing 15. That increases amongst other things the flexibility and thus handleability of the cable 10. Naturally cables with more than three conductors can also be similarly constructed (not shown).

(8) FIGS. 2A-2C show purely by way of example a contact apparatus 20 according to the invention for simplified assembly of a special cable 10 as shown in FIG. 1A.

(9) The contact apparatus 20 here has two clamping shell portions 21A, 21B in the form of half-shells of substantially identical structure, for example in the form of plastic identical portions produced by injection molding. At the inside the clamping shell portions 21A, 21B have a plurality of receiving means 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 which are radially stepped relative to each other, here being of a cylindrical trough-like configuration. The radius of the receiving means 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 decreases from the cable end inwardly in a stepped configuration, corresponding to a stepped casing arrangement around the individual conductors 11, 12, 13 of the special cable 10. In FIGS. 2A-2C received in each receiving means 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 is a corresponding contact body 23-1, 23-2, 23-3, associated with a respective one of the concentric conductors 11, 12, 13 for the purposes of contacting with the plug-in connector (see below).

(10) Contact bodies 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 by way of example are shown in FIGS. 3-4. In a first region each contact body 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 is substantially of a channel shape 24 with a longitudinal extent (in the plane in FIG. 3A) and of curved cross-sectional configuration (FIG. 3B/4) along a peripheral portion, to be contacted, of the associated conductor 11, 12, 13. In FIG. 3B the channel shape 24 extends over a peripheral angle of about 180° so that one or two contact bodies 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 can be selectively provided in both clamping shell portions 21A, 21B. Produced in an opposite second region are contact pins 25 (or also contact sockets) integrally connected to the contact body 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 and by way of a bar to the channel shape 24. The contact pins 25 are provided for a plug-in connector 26 (FIGS. 2A-2B). In the structure shown in FIG. 3B, depending on the respective conductor 11, 12, 13 and the position of the contact pin 25, the appropriate contact body 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 is selected or produced in the finished plug-in connector 26. The variant illustrated in FIG. 4 shows a contact body 23′, the channel shape 24 of which extends in the first region over a peripheral angle of about 320-340° so that it is possible to provide in each receiving means 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 only one respective contact body 23′. Here the position of the contact pin 25 can be adjusted by rotation about the main axis of the cable 10 or the plug-in connector 26 in the receiving means 22-1, 22-2, 22-3, so that a separate contact body is possibly not necessary for each conductor 11, 12, 13. The channel shape 24 can involve a cross-section curved in the form of a circular arc (FIG. 3B/4), or can also be of an irregularly curved configuration, for example with a tooth configuration, if contacting over a large area in force-locking relationship with the outer peripheral surface of the respective conductor 11, 12, 13 is ensured.

(11) As can best be seen from FIG. 2A-2C the two clamping shell portions 21A, 21B at the same time form a plug connector housing with contact carriers of suitable configuration for the contact pins 25. They are disposed in the region of a plug 26 which is opposite the receiving means 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 or the through opening for the special cable 10. As an alternative to the configuration in the form of the plug 26 a jack or socket is also possible in a completely similar fashion, in which case the clamping shell portions 21A, 21B can provide any desired plug connectors. The clamping shell portions 21A, 21B can thus be housing portions of a plug-in connector 26.

(12) As a possible closure for fixedly connecting the clamping shell portions 21A, 21B, for example to provide a closed housing, and at the same time also to produce an electrically sufficiently contacting pressing force in respect of the contact bodies 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 or 23′ respectively on the respectively exposed outside surface of the associated conductor 11, 12, 13, FIG. 2C shows purely by way of example a screw closure with four clamping screws 27 arranged at corners, and nuts 28. Alternatively, for example similarly to a clamping shell, it is possible to provide a hinge at a longitudinal side of the clamping shell portions 21A, 21B, while disposed at the opposite side is a clamping lever arrangement for more quickly and securely closing the clamping shell portions 21A, 21B. Further features are not shown in greater detail, like for example an integrated strain relief arrangement at the end for the end of the special cable 10, seals for particular IP protective classes, the passage means and arresting means for the contact pins 25 and so forth.

(13) When the clamping shell portions 21A, 21B are connected in a closed position (not completely closed in FIG. 2C), each contact body 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 or 23′ respectively is pressed for the purposes of contacting against the respectively associated concentric conductor 11, 12, 13, by the closure 27, 28. By virtue of the integral structure, the plug connector 26 is also made at the same time with the contact pins 25 so that a considerable reduction in terms of assembly involvement is achieved and the special cable 10 is reliably contacted.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(14) FIGS. 1A-1B

(15) 1 conventional multi-conductor cable 2, 3 wires 4 insulation 5 outer casing 10 concentric special cable 11, 12, 13 annular conductors 14 insulation 15 outer casing D1, D2 overall diameter
FIGS. 2A-2C and FIGS. 3-4 20 contact apparatus 21A, 21B clamping shell portions 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 receiving means 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 contact body 24 channel shape 25 contact pin 26 plug-in connector 27, 28 closure (clamping screws)