CONTACT ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRICAL PLUG-IN CONNECTOR AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL PLUG-IN CONNECTOR

Abstract

A contact assembly (9) for an electrical plug-in connector (2), having a sleeve-shaped contact element (4, 5) made from a metallic first material. The contact element (4, 5) has a first lateral surface (10) for making electrical and mechanical contact with a mating contact element (7, 8) of a mating electrical plug-in connector (3) and a second lateral surface (11) different from the first lateral surface (10). It is provided that the contact assembly (9) has a delimiting element (12) preferably made of a second material different from the first material. The delimiting element (12) is fastened to the second lateral surface (11) of the contact element (4, 5) at least in certain portions and has a higher high-temperature strength than the contact element (4, 5).

Claims

1. A contact assembly for an electrical plug-in connector, comprising: a contact element being sleeve-shaped and made of a metallic first material, wherein the contact element has a first lateral surface for making electrical and mechanical contact with a mating contact element of a mating electrical plug-in connector and a second lateral surface different from the first lateral surface; and a delimiting element fastened to the second lateral surface of the contact element at least in certain portions and has a higher high-temperature strength than the contact element.

2. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second material has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the first material.

3. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first lateral surface: a) is an inner surface of the contact element, and the second lateral surface is an outer surface, facing away from the inner surface, of the contact element; or b) is an outer surface of the contact element, and the second lateral surface is an inner surface, facing away from the outer surface, of the contact element.

4. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the delimiting element has a sleeve-shaped form or is at least partially in the form of part of a ring.

5. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second material of the delimiting element is a metallic material, preferably an iron material, steel material or brass material.

6. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the delimiting element extends annularly circumferentially along the second lateral surface of the contact element, and wherein the delimiting element rests on the second lateral surface at least in certain portions.

7. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the delimiting element is fastened to the second lateral surface of the contact element by a force fit, preferably by means of an interference fit between the delimiting element and the contact element.

8. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the delimiting element is fastened to the second lateral surface via a threaded connection formed between the delimiting element and the second lateral surface of the contact element.

9. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the delimiting element is fastened to an axial end portion of the contact element that is intended for connection to the mating contact element.

10. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact element has a first axial stop, axially directly adjoining the second lateral surface, for the delimiting element.

11. The contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the delimiting element is made from a second material different from the metallic first material of the contact element.

12. An electrical plug-in connector, in particular high-voltage plug-in connector, comprising: at least one contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact element of at least a first one of the contact assemblies mentioned is in the form of an external conductor contact element and/or wherein the contact element of at least a second one of the contact assemblies is in the form of an internal conductor contact element arranged within the external conductor contact element.

13. An electrical plug-in connection, having an electrical plug-in connector according to claim 12 and the mating electrical plug-in connector.

14. The electrical plug-in connection according to claim 13, wherein the contact element of the electrical plug-in connector is connected by a force fit to the mating contact element of the mating electrical plug-in connector in the connected state of the electrical plug-in connection, preferably by means of an interference fit between the contact element and the mating contact element.

15. A method for producing an electrical plug-in connector, comprising: providing a sleeve-shaped contact element made of a metallic first material, which has a first lateral surface for making electrical and mechanical contact with a mating contact element of a mating electrical plug-in connector and a second lateral surface different from the first lateral surface; providing a delimiting element having a higher high-temperature strength than the contact element; and fastening the delimiting element to the second lateral surface of the contact element at least in certain portions.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the contact element is produced by a die casting method, preferably from zinc, aluminum or an alloy comprising zinc and/or aluminum.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the delimiting element is made from a second material different from the metallic first material of the sleeve-shaped contact element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0095] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0096] The figures each show preferred exemplary embodiments in which individual features of the present invention are illustrated in combination with one another. Features of one exemplary embodiment can also be implemented in isolation from the other features of the same exemplary embodiment and can accordingly be readily combined with features of other exemplary embodiments by a person skilled in the art to form further expedient combinations and sub-combinations.

[0097] Functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference signs in the figures.

[0098] In the figures, schematically:

[0099] FIG. 1 shows a perspective sectional illustration of an electrical plug-in connection composed of an electrical plug-in connector and a corresponding mating electrical plug-in connector, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein the plug-in connector has multiple contact assemblies according to the invention;

[0100] FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional illustration of an electrical plug-in connection composed of an electrical plug-in connector and a corresponding mating electrical plug-in connector, according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein the plug-in connector has multiple contact assemblies according to the invention;

[0101] FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of an electrical plug-in connection composed of an electrical plug-in connector and a corresponding mating electrical plug-in connector, according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein the plug-in connector has precisely one contact assembly according to the invention; and

[0102] FIG. 4 shows a method according to the invention for producing an electrical plug-in connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENTS

[0103] FIG. 1 shows a perspective sectional illustration of an electrical plug-in connection 1, which has an electrical plug-in connector 2 and a mating electrical plug-in connector 3. This advantageously involves a high-voltage plug-in connection for the transmission of high electrical currents, in particular in vehicle engineering. In principle, however, the electrical plug-in connection 1 can also be suitable for high-frequency engineering or for any desired other electrotechnical applications.

[0104] The electrical plug-in connector 2 and the mating electrical plug-in connector 3 may in principle have any desired configuration, and in particular have any desired number of contact elements 4, 5, and mating contact elements 7, 8. In the exemplary embodiments, the electrical plug-in connector 2 purely by way of example has a sleeve-shaped external conductor contact element 4, in which run two internal conductor contact elements 5, which have a sleeve-shaped contact region. To fasten or guide the contact elements 4, 5 and to electrically insulate them from one another, in the exemplary embodiments the internal conductor contact elements 5 run through a dielectric 6 or through an insulator.

[0105] The mating plug-in connector 3 has a corresponding design to the plug-in connector 2 and has a (mating) external conductor contact element 7 and two (mating) internal conduct contact elements 8.

[0106] In the exemplary embodiments, to connect the plug-in connector 2 to the mating plug-in connector 3, a force fit is provided, preferably an interference fit between the respective contact elements 4, 5 and mating contact elements 7, 8. However, this should not be understood as limiting, since in principle the invention can be suitable for use with electrical plug-in connections 1 that are connected to one another in any desired way, for example also screwed to one another or latched to one another.

[0107] The contact element 4, 5 may be in particular a contact element 4, 5 produced by means of a die casting method, preferably from zinc, aluminum or an alloy comprising zinc and/or aluminum. A contact element 4, 5 of this type is generally not especially thermally stable, as a result of which the mechanical and electrical connection to the respective corresponding mating contact element 7, 8 can deteriorate at high temperatures. For example, sometimes temperatures of above 140° C. can arise in the event of high currents that occur in a high-voltage plug-in connector. In particular from 85° C., the materials produced in the course of a die casting method can easily lose their shape.

[0108] It is proposed in the present case to equip the electrical plug-in connector 2 with at least one contact assembly 9, which has a respective sleeve-shaped contact element 4, 5 made of a metallic first material, which contact element has a first lateral surface 10 for making electrical and mechanical contact with the corresponding mating contact element 7, 8 and a second lateral surface 11 different from the first lateral surface 10. The contact assembly 9 moreover has a delimiting element 12 made of a second material different from the first material, the second material having a higher high-temperature strength than the first material. In particular, the second material has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the first material. This delimiting element 12 is fastened to the second lateral surface 11 of the contact element 4, 5 at least in certain portions. In this way, the thermal stability of the contact element 4, 5 can be improved.

[0109] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, three contact assemblies 9 for the electrical plug-in connector 2 are provided. In this case, a first contact assembly 9 has the external conductor contact element 4, a second contact assembly 9 has the first internal conductor contact element 5 and a third contact assembly 9 has the second internal conductor contact element 5. In principle, however, just one support only for the external conductor contact element 4 may be sufficient, for example.

[0110] In accordance with the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact elements 4, 5 of the contact assemblies 9 are designed to be plugged onto the corresponding mating contact element 7, 8 of the mating plug-in connector 3 (cf. in particular FIG. 2). The first lateral surface 10 of the respective contact element 4, 5 is therefore an inner surface of the contact element 4, 5 and the second lateral surface 11 for fastening the delimiting element 12 is an outer surface of the contact element 4, 5 that faces away from the inner surface. The respective contact element 4, 5 is therefore arranged between the respective delimiting element 12 and the corresponding mating contact element 7, 8, as a result of which the desired support is produced.

[0111] The proposed delimiting elements 12 may have, as illustrated, a sleeve-shaped or a ring-shaped form or at least have the form of part of a ring. The second material of the delimiting elements 12 is preferably a metallic material, in particular an iron material, steel material or brass material. The delimiting elements 12 extend circumferentially along the second lateral surface 11 of the respective contact element 4, 5 and rest on the second lateral surface 11 preferably over their entire surface area.

[0112] The delimiting element 12 may be fastened to the second lateral surface 11 of the contact element 4, 5 in particular directly by a force fit, for example by means of an interference fit between the delimiting element 12 and the contact element 4, 5, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0113] A possible alternative is shown in the second exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, according to which the delimiting element 12 is fastened to the second lateral surface 11 via a threaded connection 13 formed between the delimiting element 12 and the second lateral surface 11 of the contact element 4, 5. However, the precise connecting technique between the delimiting element 12 and the contact element 4, 5 is fundamentally not important, provided that the delimiting element 12 makes it possible to correspondingly stabilize the contact element 4, 5 in the connected state.

[0114] For particularly good support of the contact element 4, 5, the delimiting element 12 is preferably fastened to an axial end portion of the contact element 4, 5 that is intended for connection to the mating contact element 7, 8. The delimiting element 12 may also extend for example from an axial end of the contact element 4, 5, as is illustrated with respect to the external conductor contact elements 4 in FIGS. 1 to 3. However, it is not absolutely necessary for the delimiting element 12 to extend from the axial end of the contact element 4, 5 (cf internal conductor contact elements 5 in FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0115] The use of multiple delimiting elements 12, which for example each run annularly around the circumference of the second lateral surface 11 and which are axially spaced apart from one another, in particular arranged axially offset in relation to one another, may also be provided.

[0116] In order to simplify the mounting and to provide a particularly robust plug-in connector 2, it may be provided that the contact element 4, 5 has a first axial stop 14, axially directly adjoining the second lateral surface 11, for the delimiting element 12. It is optionally also possible to provide a second stop 15 for the mating contact element 7, 8 of the mating plug-in connector 3.

[0117] The exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 each show the contact elements 4, 5 being supported on the outside. In principle, however, it is also possible to provide support for the contact element 4, 5 over the inner surface of the contact element 4, 5, as indicated in the third exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3. Consequently, the first lateral surface 10 of the contact element 4, 5, in FIG. 3 the external conductor contact element 4, may be an outer surface of the contact element 4, 5, and the second lateral surface 11 may be an inner surface facing away from the outer surface. This configuration can advantageously be suitable, for example, if the external conductor contact element 4 of the plug-in connector 2 is intended to be plugged into a mating contact element 7, in the form of a housing assembly, of the mating plug-in connector, as indicated in FIG. 3.

[0118] As is clear from the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, it is also not absolutely necessary to provide that all of the contact elements 4, 5 involved are made suitable by a delimiting element 12. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the internal conductor contact elements 5 are in the form of straight pin contacts, for example, which can be plugged into corresponding mating contact elements 8 of the mating plug-in connector 3.

[0119] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method sequence for producing a corresponding electrical plug-in connector 2.

[0120] According to a first method step S1, first of all the sleeve-shaped contact element 4, 5 can be provided. The contact element 4, 5 may preferably be produced by a die casting technique, in particular from zinc, aluminum or an alloy comprising zinc and/or aluminum.

[0121] In a second method step S2, which can be carried out in parallel with, but optionally also before or after, the first method step S1, the delimiting element 12 can be provided.

[0122] In a third method step S3 that follows the first two method steps S1, S2, the delimiting element 12 can be fastened to the second lateral surface 11 of the contact element 4, 5 at least in certain portions.

[0123] In principle, in the course of the proposed method, it is also possible to provide yet further method steps for producing the electrical plug-in connector 2. For example, the electrical plug-in connector 2 may be connected to an electrical cable and/or to a busbar. In principle, the proposed method can be combined with any desired known method steps for producing any desired electrical plug-in connectors.