Seal-preserving contact element with a position securing element

Abstract

The invention relates to a contact element, made of an electrically conductive contact material. In order to provide a contact element which can be passed repeatedly and non-destructively through a housing or a seal of a plug connector in and/or opposite to a direction of insertion (E), a contact element is provided comprising a body extending in the direction of insertion (E) and a position securing element disposed on an upper side of the body, projecting upwards out of an opening in the body transversely to the direction of insertion (E), and that can be deflected elastically, the position securing element having a slope surface that is inclined against the direction of insertion (E), adjoining which, without any kinks or edges, are a curved section and an end section, and the end section ending with a free end within the cubature of the body.

Claims

1. A contact element made of an electrically conductive contact material as a monolithic bent stamped part to be passed repeatedly and non-destructively through a housing and a seal of a plug connector in an insert mating direction, the contact element comprising: a contact element body; the body comprising an insertion end portion, a reinforcing region portion, a position securing element and clamping end portion; the insertion end portion forming as a stamp tube; the reinforcing region portion extending from the stamp tube; the reinforcing region portion having two metal layers, the two layers overlapping directly one above another; the position securing element forming by the one of the bottom layer extending upward in a first inclined angle toward the clamping end portion; and projecting upwards out of an opening forming on a terminal body as a deflected elastically first slope surface; the slope surface of the position securing element is continuing to bent downward in a second inclined angle toward the insertion end portion at the opening to form a second slope surface; the second slope surface extending continuously in horizontal direction at the opening, along with the contact element body toward and abutting on an inner surface of the clamping end portion; the clamping end portion lying on a free end of the position securing element; a free end of the clamping end extending downward in a downward direction, which is opposite to a first inclined angle direction of the first inclined angle to prevent over excessed inserting of a cable wire.

2. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the curved section having a second curve from the convex support portion to the free end.

3. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one position securing element being plunged at least partially into the body, at least in a deflected passing through position (D).

4. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein at least the body and the position securing element being shaped as a monolithic bent stamped part.

5. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the curved section includes a rear region inclined in a direction substantially parallel to the mounting slope between the convex support portion and the free end.

6. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the free end is positioned within the cubature of the body in an initial position and in a pass through position.

7. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein an apex of the convex support portion projecting in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion (E).

8. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the position securing element is capable of being moved into the cubature such that an upper surface of the convex support portion is one of even with or below an upwardly pointing guide surface.

9. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the contact element having at least one stiffening lip which extends from a layer on the upper side towards an opposite inner wall of the body.

10. The contact element according to claim 9, wherein the at least one stiffening lip being formed from at least one layer of a guide surface.

11. The contact element according to claim 1, wherein the contact element having at least one upwardly pointing guide surface lying in front of and/or behind the slope surface in the direction of insertion (E).

12. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein a base of the position securing element being disposed beneath the at least one guide surface.

13. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein the free end extending beneath a guide surface which forms a stop for the position securing element.

14. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein the free end being made in the form of a tongue which overlaps a guide surface transversely to the direction of insertion (E).

15. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein the at least one guide surface being formed from the surface of at least one reinforcement region (V) which is shaped from at least two layers of the contact material.

16. The contact element according to claim 15, wherein the position securing element being formed from at least one of the layers of a reinforcement region (V).

17. The contact element according to claim 11, wherein at least one run-on slope inclined towards the inside (I) of the body adjoining the at least one guide surface at an end facing away from the position securing element in the direction of insertion (E).

18. The contact element according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the run-on slopes being formed from at least one layer of the contact material forming a guide surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings show as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 an embodiment of a contact element according to the invention in a diagrammatic illustration;

(3) FIG. 2 a longitudinal section through the embodiment introduced in FIG. 1 in the region around a position securing element;

(4) FIG. 3 a sectional illustration as in FIG. 2 with a position securing element in a deflected passing through position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) First of all the structure of a contact element according to the invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 shows a contact element 1 according to the invention. The contact element 1 is made from an electrically conductive material 3. The contact element 1 is produced from the contact material 3 as a monolithic bent stamped part. The body 5 of the contact element 1 extends longitudinally along the direction of insertion E. The body 5 has the opening 9 on an upper side 7.

(6) The directional designation “upwards” used in the following relates to the direction in which the upper side 7 points away from the contact element 1 and is marked by “O” in FIG. 1.

(7) The elastically deflectable position securing element 11 projects upwards from the opening 9 of the body 5 at least in the initial position A. The position securing element 11 has a slope surface 13 inclined against the direction of insertion E. The slope surface 13 has no kinks or edges and does not have any sharp edges. A curved section 15, which likewise has no kinks or edges, adjoins the slope surface 13. The end section 17 and the free end 19 adjoin the curved section 15 against the direction of insertion E. The free end 19 lies within the cubature of the body 5. The configuration of the position securing element 11, in particular the configuration of the curved section 15 and the end section 17, are described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

(8) In the region around the position securing element 11 the body 5 is box-shaped and has a box-shaped cross-section (not shown). The contact element 1 has a guide surface 21 lying in front of the slope surface 13 and a guide surface 21′ lying behind the slope surface 13 in the direction of insertion E. The guide surfaces 21, 21′ extend parallel to the direction of insertion E and point upwards.

(9) Lying in front of the slope surface 13 in the direction of insertion E the contact element 1 has a reinforcement region V. The reinforcement region V is formed from two layers 23, 23′ of the contact material 3 lying parallel and lying against one another. The layers 23, 23′ are respectively formed from the side walls 24, 24′ and respectively extend towards the opposite side walls 24′, 24. The upwardly pointing surface 25′ of the layer 23′ of the reinforcement region V lying at the top forms the guide surface 21. The run-on slope 27 adjoins the guide surface 21 in the direction of insertion E. The run-on slope 27 is inclined towards the inside of the body 5. The run-on slope 27 is formed integrally with the layer 23′ of the reinforcement region V.

(10) The side walls 24, 24′ are bent towards one another at the tip 26 so that the tip 26 is rounded in the direction of insertion.

(11) In order to connect the contact element 1 electrically to a printed circuit board (not shown here), a contact arm 28 that can be deflected elastically downwards extends between the side walls 24, 24′ in the tip region S.

(12) In order to protect the contact arm 28 against deflecting upwards, the side walls 24, 24′ are bent towards one another in an upper protective section 30 and are engaged with one another by means of an undercut arrangement 32.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section parallel to the direction of insertion E through the position securing element 11 shown in FIG. 1 in the initial position A perpendicular to the slope surface 13 and to the surfaces 25, 25′.

(14) The position securing element 11 is disposed beneath the guide surface 25. It is formed integrally with the layer 23 of the reinforcement region V and extends from the latter against the direction of insertion E. In the direction of insertion E the base 34 lies opposite the free end 19 of the end section 17.

(15) The guide surface 21′ is located behind the slope surface 13 in the direction of insertion E. The stiffening lip 33 extends from the layer 29 the surface 31 of which forms the guide surface 21. The stiffening lip 33 extends towards the opposite inner wall 35. The stiffening lip 33 is disposed between the side walls 24 and 24′ and supports the latter with respect to one another. The body 5 of the contact element 1 is thus advantageously stiffened. The stiffening lip 33 runs perpendicularly to the side walls 24, 24′. It can be configured continuously up to the inner wall 35. The stiffening lip 33 can be produced by bending around the layer 29 of contact material 3. The bending produces the run-on slope 27′ which extends over the guide surface 21′ and the stiffening lip 33.

(16) The layer 29 from which the stiffening lip 33 extends forms a stop 37 for the free end 19 of the end section 17 of the position securing element 11. Therefore, the free end 19 lies beneath the guide surface 21. The free end 19 is configured as a tongue 39 and is substantially parallel to the direction of insertion E. The tongue 39 and the guide surface 21′ overlap transversely to the direction of insertion E.

(17) The curved section 15 of the position securing element 11 has a convex support region 41 that projects against the direction of insertion E. The rear region 43 runs between the support region 41 and the end section 17. In the rear region 43 the curved section 15 initially runs towards the slope surface 13. The second curve 45 adjoins the rear region 43. The second curve 45 constitutes a cross-over region between the rear region 43 and the end section 17 running parallel to the direction of insertion E. Overall, the end section 17, the second curve 45, the rear region 43, the support region 41 and the region of the position securing element 11 which forms the slope surface 13 form an S-shaped profile.

(18) FIG. 3 shows the position securing element 11 from FIGS. 1 and 2 in a passing through position D. In the passing through position D the position securing element 11 is plunged into the body 5 of the contact element 1. The free end 19 is deflected away from the stop 37 into the interior I of the body 5. The position securing element 11 can be deflected because the contact material 3 from which the contact element 1 is produced has thin walls and is elastic. At the same time or alternatively, the region of the position securing element 11 which forms the slope surface 13 can be more elastic than the rest of the contact material 3. This can be achieved, for example, by at least part of the position securing element 11 having a smaller material thickness than the contact material 3 in the rest of the contact element 1.

(19) In the following the function of a contact element 1 according to the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3:

(20) Upon passing a contact element 1 through a seal along the direction of insertion E the tip region S with the tip 26 is first of all pushed through the seal. In this way the seal can already be expanded somewhat. The run-on slope 27 widens the seal to such an extent that the reinforcement region V can be pushed through and the seal slides over the guide surface 21 on the upper side 7. If the seal reaches the slope surface 13, it slides over the slope surface 13 and is thereby either expanded more or the position securing element 11 plunges somewhat into the body 5 of the contact element 1. As soon as the position securing element 11 has passed through the seal, the seal slides over the guide surface 21′ and the run-on slope 27′. Therefore, the contact element 1 has passed through the seal in the direction of insertion E.

(21) If the contact element 1 is inserted into a housing of a plug connector 5 in the direction of insertion E, this happens in substantially the same way as the passing through a seal. Since the housing is generally less elastic than a seal, the position securing element 11 is deflected into a passing through position D so that the contact element 1 can pass through the housing of the plug connector. If the contact element 1 is inserted into the plug connector to such an extent that a detent opening or some other detent element is disposed over the opening 9, the position securing element 11 is deflected back elastically into its initial position A. The support region 41 then lies against a wall of a detent opening or a detent element so that the contact element 1 cannot be moved against the direction of insertion E so long as a maximum force against the direction of insertion E is not exceeded.

(22) If the contact element 1 is to be released again from the housing of the plug connector, tension is exerted upon the contact element 1 against the direction of insertion E. If the support region 41 lies against an inner wall of a detent opening or some other detent element, when the tensile force exceeds a maximum force, the curved section 15 deforms elastically in the direction of insertion E. The free end 19, which rests against the stop 37, thereby prevents the position securing element 11 from being bent out of the body 5. If the curved section 15 is deformed so strongly that the rear region 43 is inclined in the direction of insertion E, the position securing element 11 is deflected into the inside of the body 5 and adopts the passing through position D. In this way the contact element 1 can be released from the housing of the plug connector.

(23) Upon passing through a seal in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion E, the seal can slide over the run-on slope 27′ and the guide surface 21′ to the position securing element 11. The seal can slide smoothly over the position securing element 11 because the support region 41 is convex in form and does not have any edges or kinks. The contact element 1 can therefore be released from a seal and a housing of a plug connector without damaging these elements or the contact element itself being damaged.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(24) 1 contact element 2 contact material 5 body 7 upper side 9 opening 11 position securing element 13 slope surface 15 curved section 17 end section 10 free end 21, 21′ guide surface 23, 23′ layers 24, 24′ side wall 25, 25′ surface 26 tip 27, 27′ run-on slope 28 contact arm 20 layer 30 upper protective section 31 surface 32 undercut arrangement 33 stiffening lip 34 base 45 inner wall 37 stop 39 tongue 41 support region 43 rear region 45 second curve A initial position D passing-through position E direction of insertion I inside of the body O top S tip region V reinforcement region