PROTECTIVE HOUSING FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective housing (1) for electrical connectors (5) of electrical cables (4). According to the invention, the protective housing (1) has an inner housing (2) which is designed to accommodate the electrical connector (5), and an outer housing (3) which is designed to accommodate the inner housing (2), wherein the inner housing (2) and the outer housing (3) are designed to permit a movement of the inner housing (2) within the outer housing (3) exclusively along a defined trajectory and to therefore bring the inner housing from an initial position to a connecting position.

Claims

1. A protective housing (1) for an electrical connector (5), having an inner housing (2) configured to accommodate the electrical connector (5) and an outer housing (3) configured to accommodate the inner housing (2), wherein the inner housing (2) and the outer housing (3) are configured to allow a movement of the inner housing (2) within the outer housing (3) exclusively along a defined trajectory and thus to transfer it from an initial position to a connecting position.

2. The protective housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the trajectory does not run linearly and, in particular, has a change of direction of 90°.

3. The protective housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the outer housing (3) has at least one sliding track (33) configured to define the trajectory of the movement of the inner housing (2) in the outer housing (3), and the inner housing (2) has at least one guide element (23) configured to be guided in the at least one sliding track (33) of the outer housing (3).

4. The protective housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the inner housing (2) has a fastening element (22), in particular a grub screw (22), configured to fix the connector (5) in the inner housing (2), and/or an actuating element (21) configured to act as an interface to a user.

5. The protective housing (1) according to claim 4, wherein the protective housing (1) is configured to allow a movement of the inner housing (2) only by two different, in particular sequentially performed movements of the actuating element (21).

6. The protective housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the outer housing (3), on one side of the protective housing (1), has a closable opening configured to open and close depending on the movement of the inner housing (2).

7. The protective housing (1) according to claim 6, wherein the closable opening is implemented by a flap (34) having in particular an over-opening element (342) configured to open the flap (34) at an angle greater than 90° depending on the position of the inner housing (2).

8. The protective housing (1) according to claim 7, wherein the flap (34) comprises a reset mechanism configured to exert a force on the flap (34) to close or keep closed the closable opening depending on the position of the inner housing (2), wherein this reset mechanism is formed in particular by means of at least one spring or at least one rubber band.

9. The protective housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein on its inner side, the outer housing (3) has a ramp (322) which is in particular wedge-shaped and which is configured to serve as a supporting surface for the inner housing (2), wherein the ramp (322) has a thick end (322a) and a thin end (322b) in the height direction and is further configured such that the inner housing (2) rests on the thick end (322a) of the ramp (322) in the initial position and on the thin end (322b) of the ramp (322) in the connecting position.

10. The protective housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the protective housing (1) has a reset mechanism configured to exert a force on the inner housing (2) to bring it into the initial position and keep it therein depending on its position, wherein the reset mechanism has in particular at least one spring or at least one rubber band.

Description

[0021] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to several figures. The figures show in detail:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the protective housing according to the invention in plan view in the initial state.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the x-line in the initial state.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the y-line in the initial state.

[0025] FIG. 4 shows the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in plan view in the connection state.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the x-line in the connection state.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the y-line in the connection state.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of the protective housing 1 according to the invention. Shown is the outer housing 3 which surrounds an inner housing 2 that is barely visible in the external view. On the one side of the outer housing 3, a cable 4 is fed out which is connected to an electrical connector 5 located in the inner housing 2. The outer housing 3 has an upper part 31 and a lower part 32 (see sectional views of FIGS. 2 and 3). An elongated hole 313 is formed in the upper part 31 of the outer housing 3, this elongated hole 313 having a widening 314 on the side facing the cable 4. Through the elongated hole 313, a view of a small part of the inner housing 2 is visible, wherein in particular a grub screw 22 (fastening element 22), which serves for fastening the electrical connector 5 in the inner housing 2, and an actuating element 21, which is elliptical in plan view, are visible. In the illustrated state of the protective housing 1, the actuating element 21 is located in the widening 314 of the elongated hole 313. The electrical contact 51 of the connector 5 cannot be seen in FIG. 1 and is located completely inside the protective housing 1. The inner housing 2 is in the initial position.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the same embodiment of the protective housing 1 according to the invention as FIG. 1 in a sectional view along the line x shown in FIG. 1. Here, the above-described division of the outer housing 3 into upper part 31 and lower part 32 is clearly visible. In this embodiment, the two parts are connected to each other by means of a plurality of connecting pins 321 in the lower part 32, which engage in corresponding connection recesses 311 of the upper part 31. In approximately the center of FIG. 2, a plug connection 312 is indicated which is also designed to connect the upper part 31 and the lower part 32. Of course, other known types of connection between the upper part 31 and the lower part 32 are also conceivable in other embodiments.

[0030] Furthermore, on the side opposite the outlet of the cable 4, the outer housing 3 has a flap 34 which is mounted by means of a joint 341 and closes the opening between the upper part 31 and the lower part 32 of the outer housing 3 in the illustrated position of the inner housing 2.

[0031] Of the inner housing 2, only a guide element 23 is visible in the sectional view shown in FIG. 2, which is firmly connected to the inner housing 2. Thus, when the guide element 23 moves, the inner housing 2 moves in the same way. The guide element 23 is located in a sliding track 33 which in the present embodiment is formed as a groove in the outer housing 3 and has the same length as the elongated hole 313 in the outer housing 3. The dimensions of the groove correspond approximately to the dimensions of the guide element 23, so that the latter has no significant play in the groove. Starting from the illustrated position of the guide element 23 in FIG. 2, the sliding track 33 initially extends in a horizontal direction and then, on the side closer to the flap 34 of the outer housing 3, has a change of direction by 90° downwards, i.e. in the direction of the lower part 32 of the outer housing 3, resulting in an engagement recess 331 which has a width slightly different with respect to the groove of the remaining sliding track 33. Thus, due to the change in direction starting from the illustrated position of the guide element 23, the sliding track 33 first allows the guide element 23 to move horizontally in the direction of the flap 34 and finally to move perpendicularly thereto downwards into the engagement recess 331.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the same embodiment of the protective housing 1 according to the invention as FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in a sectional view along the line y shown in FIG. 1. As in FIG. 2, the upper part 31 and lower part 32 can be seen, as well as the flap 34 and the joint 341 of the outer housing 3. Also visible is the engagement recess 331 of the sliding track 33. Furthermore, the lower part 32 has a substantially wedge-shaped ramp 322. The latter, in turn, as the term wedge-shaped already suggests, has a thick end 322a and a thin end 322b in the height direction (vertical direction in the drawing plane) so that the thin end 322b is closer to the flap 34 than the thick end 322a.

[0033] In the illustrated state of the protective housing 1, the inner housing 2, which is clearly visible in this sectional view, rests with its end facing the cable 4 on the thick end 322a of the ramp 322. The opposite end of the inner housing 2, thus, the one closer to the flap 34, is supported in the sliding track 33 by the guide element 23, which is not visible in this sectional view, so that the inner housing 2 is in a horizontal position inside the outer housing. The cable 4 is fed out of the outer housing from a cable opening 315.

[0034] Inside the inner housing 2 there is the connector 5, which is fixedly connected to the cable 4 and, on the side opposite the cable, has an electrical contact 51 which, in turn, projects out of the inner housing 2. In this case, the connector 5 is fastened to the inner housing 2 by a grub screw 22 (fastening means 22), so that the connector 5 moves with the inner housing 2. Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows the actuating means 21 of the protective housing 1 in more detail. It protrudes from the elongated hole 313 on the upper part 31 of the outer housing 3 already shown in FIG. 1 so that it can be operated by the user. Furthermore, it is connected to the inner housing 2 only on one side, so that in the case of vertical pressure on the actuating element 21, the connection between the actuating element 21 and the inner housing 2 can slightly deform and it can move downwards in the vertical direction in the drawing plane. In addition, the actuating element 21 has two different thicknesses, thus, a step in cross-section, with the thinner portion 211 protruding from the outer housing 3 in the illustrated initial position of the inner housing 2, and the thicker portion 212 ending flush with the outer housing 3.

[0035] FIGS. 4 to 6 show the exact same embodiment in the exact same views as FIGS. 1 to 3. However, in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inner housing 2 is in the initial position, thus, the protective housing is in the state in which no connection is possible between the electrical contact 51 of the connector 5 and the corresponding terminal, but the connector 5 is protected in the best possible way. FIGS. 4 to 6, on the other hand, show the protective housing 1 in the connection state, in which a connection between the connector 5 and the terminal is possible. Due to the great similarities between FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 4 to 6 in each case, only the differences between the figures will be discussed below.

[0036] It can be seen in FIG. 4 that the flap 34 of the outer housing 3 has opened due to the position of the inner housing 2 including the connector 5, which position has changed in contrast to FIG. 1. Part of the connector 5, in particular the electrical contact 51, now protrudes from the outer housing 3 in order to be connected to the corresponding terminal. Consequently, the position of the actuating element 21 has also changed. Compared to FIG. 1, it is now located at the other end of the elongated hole 313.

[0037] In contrast to the illustration in FIG. 2, the illustration in FIG. 5 shows an open flap 34 (see also FIG. 4) and a changed position of the guide element 23 in the sliding track 33. The guide element 23 is now located in the engagement recess 331. In this view, the advantage of such a recess also becomes clear. As already mentioned, the protective housing 1 in the form illustrated in FIG. 5 is in the connection state in which the terminal is connected to the connector 5. To achieve this, a slight force must be applied to the connector 5 (see also FIG. 6), which force acts in a substantially horizontal direction from left to right in the drawing plane.

[0038] In FIG. 6, it can be seen that in the connecting position, the entire inner housing 2 is in a lower position than in the initial position. This can be seen, on the one hand, from the fact that the actuating element 21 is sunk significantly further into the outer housing in the connection state and, on the other hand, from the fact that the inner housing 2 rests on the bottom of the outer housing 3. Here, in contrast to FIG. 3, the rear part of the inner housing 2, thus the part which is further away from the flap 34, no longer rests on the thick end 322a of the ramp 322, but on the thin end 322b or even the lower part 32 of the outer housing 3 in front of the thin end 322b of the ramp. The cable 4 is still fed out of the protective housing 1 through the cable opening 315, even though this is not shown in the simplified illustration of FIG. 5.

[0039] As can be seen, the inner housing 2 together with the connector 5 is slightly inclined in the connecting position so that the electrical contact is oriented slightly upwards in the drawing plane, thus away from the flap 34. This has the advantage that the electrical contact thus moves slightly more away from the flap 34, making it easier to connect the terminal to the connector 5. In addition, the mechanism of the engagement recess 331 already explained in connection with FIG. 5 is thus improved. Since the force applied to the connector 5 when connecting the terminal always acts in the direction of the connector 5, the inclination of the connector 5 can reduce the likelihood of the guide element 23 slipping out of the engagement recess 331. The inclination is due to the fact that the difference in height between the thick end 322a and the thin end 322b of the ramp 322 is greater than the distance between the respective lower edges of the engagement recess 331 and the remaining sliding track 33.

[0040] Finally, the transfer of the protective housing 1 from the initial state to the connection state by a user is explained below with reference to all figures.

[0041] As already explained, the actuating element 21 has a step in cross-section (FIG. 3) and the elongated hole 313 has a widening 314 (FIG. 1). The dimensions of the actuating element 23 are selected such that the thicker (lower) portion 212 can protrude into the widening 314 but cannot be fed through the narrow portion of the elongated hole 313. The dimensions of the thinner (upper) portion 212, on the other hand, are selected such that it can be fed through the elongated hole 313.

[0042] To enable movement of the actuating element 23 along the elongated hole 313 and thus movement of the inner housing 2 including the connector 5, the user must first press the actuating element 23 in the vertical direction (in the drawing plane) since the thicker portion 212 of the actuating element 21 does not fit through the narrower elongated hole 313. This is made possible by the fact that the actuating element 21 is fastened to the inner housing 2 only on one side, which slightly deforms by the pressure (see explanations for FIG. 3 above). Once the thicker portion 212 is fully sunk in the outer housing 3, the actuating element 21 can be fed by the user in a horizontal (level) direction through the elongated hole 313 (translation of the actuating element 23). By the principle that an implementation of the change of state is only possible by the sequential execution of two movements (push then slide), the risk of an unintentional change of state of the protective housing 1 is greatly reduced and a “simple child lock-type device” is implemented. Of course, combinations of other movements, such as turning/sliding, sliding in direction 1/sliding in direction 2, as well as simultaneous and non-sequential execution of the movements are also possible to achieve the described goal.

[0043] Due to this horizontal movement, the connector 5 contacts the flap 34 and opens it as the movement continues, thereby pushing the electrical contact 51 out of the protective housing 1. The steady sliding of the inner housing 2 down the ramp 322 of the outer housing 3 results in an ever-increasing inclination of the connector 5. As soon as the guide element 23 of the inner housing 2 reaches the engagement recess 331, it sinks into it.

[0044] In FIGS. 2 and 5, it can be seen that, as already mentioned above, the engagement recess 331 is wider than the diameter of the guide element 23, which is round in cross-section. The result of this is that even after the guide element 23 has engaged in the engagement recess 331, a slight movement of the inner housing 2 in the horizontal direction is possible. Furthermore, the flap 34 has an over-opening element 342 formed from a nose projecting from the flap 34 and a plane adjoining the nose. When the guide element 23 is moved further in the horizontal direction in the engagement recess 331 until it reaches the front edge (towards the flap 34) of the engagement recess 331, the plane surface of the over-opening element 342 aligns with the plane surface of the contacting inner housing 2, resulting in an opening of the flap 34 with an opening angle greater than 90° (“over-opening”). The opening angle is measured between the flap position during the over-opening and the flap position in the closed state. Due to the over-opening, the distance between the flap 34 and the electrical contact 51 of the connector 5 increases and improves the user-friendliness. In this state, the terminal can thus be connected.

[0045] All movement of the inner housing 2 is performed against the force of a reset mechanism which is not shown in the figures. The reset mechanism can be implemented, for example, by means of rubber bands or springs between the inner housing 2 and the outer housing 3 and has the task of automatically resetting the system to its initial state as soon as no terminal is connected to the connector 5 or the user does not deliberately work against the reset mechanism.

[0046] By the guide element 23 engaging in the engagement recess 331 of the sliding track 33, it can be achieved that the substantially horizontally acting force of the reset mechanism between the inner housing 2 and the outer housing 3 is not able to independently reset the system to the initial state, since this would require the application of a force acting vertically upwards in the drawing plane.

[0047] However, this force can be applied by a reset mechanism of the flap 34 which, for example, is likewise implemented by a spring or a rubber band and which is configured in such a manner that it always exerts a force in the closing direction on the flap 34 opening downwards in the drawing plane. Thus, the reset mechanism strives to always close the flap 34 and keep it closed. Thus, when the protective housing is transferred from the initial state to the connection state, this force must also be overcome. When the flap 34 is closed by the reset mechanism, it abuts against the connector 5 from below and thus exerts a force component acting vertically upwards on the connector 5. In this case, the force required to lift the guide elements 23 out of the engagement recess 331 into the horizontally extending groove of the guide track 33 can also be transmitted by a positioning lever which is fastened directly to the flap 34 and, when the force is applied to the flap by the reset mechanism, contacts the connector 5 and transmits the force before the flap itself comes into contact with the connector 5.

[0048] In the case where the electrical terminal is connected to the connector 5, the flap 34 is kept open by the weight of the terminal against the force of the reset mechanism of the flap 34. When the terminal and the connector 5 are disconnected, the flap 34 is pushed by its reset mechanism from below (in the drawing plane) against the connector 5, causing the latter and thus the inner housing to experience a vertical upward force (in the drawing plane). This upward force causes the guide element 23 to be lifted out of the engagement recess 331, whereby the reset mechanism of the inner housing is able to return the inner housing to its initial position. Thus, no user intervention is required during the transfer from the connection state to the initial state.

REFERENCE LIST

[0049] 1 protective housing

[0050] 2 inner housing

[0051] 21 actuating element

[0052] 211 thinner portion (of the actuating element)

[0053] 212 thicker portion (of the actuating element)

[0054] 22 fastening element/grub screw

[0055] 23 guide element

[0056] 3 outer housing

[0057] 31 upper part (of outer housing)

[0058] 311 connection recess

[0059] 312 plug connection

[0060] 313 elongated hole

[0061] 314 widening

[0062] 315 cable opening

[0063] 32 lower part (of outer housing)

[0064] 321 connecting element

[0065] 322 ramp

[0066] 322a thick end (of ramp)

[0067] 322b thin end (of ramp)

[0068] 33 sliding track

[0069] 331 engagement recess

[0070] 34 flap

[0071] 341 joint

[0072] 342 over-opening element

[0073] 4 cable

[0074] 5 (electrical) connector

[0075] 51 electrical contact