Electric connecting device

p0001The invention relates to an electrical connecting device according to the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.

p0002A connecting device of this type is shown in FIG <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="WO9508910A1"><text>WO 9508910 A1</text></patcit> Described.

p0003Due to the elastic arrangement of the contact elements of at least one device, several contacts can also be optimally aligned with one another and a very good surface contact can be produced. In this way, even higher amperes can be transmitted or forwarded.

p0004The present invention is based on the object of further improving the previously known electromechanical connecting device, in particular for serial production and for a plurality of contact connections.

p0005According to the invention, this object is achieved by the fact that a plurality of contact elements of at least one of the two devices are arranged side by side in a grid-like configuration, in that the contact elements inserted into the grid-shaped configuration are elastically supported; and that the grid-shaped configuration adjoins the side facing away from the contact elements Of a press bridge.

p0006By arranging the contact elements of at least one device in the grid-shaped configuration, a large number of contact connections can be created in a narrow space. In practice, the contact elements, such as the letters of a printing press, are arranged next to one another, whereby the length can be chosen virtually arbitrarily. Due to the elastic mounting, the individual contact elements are freely movable from one another, as a result of which optimum contact connections with surface contact are obtained. The press bridge also ensures perfect surface contact due to the common support or support of the contact elements on their rear side. The requisite elasticity for the contact elements can be achieved in a very advantageous embodiment of the invention in that the press bridge is elastic. By means of a flexible press bridge, in addition to a very good surface contact, tolerance inaccuracies can also be compensated. At the same time, the pressure is evenly distributed over the individual contact elements.

p0007Additionally or alternatively, the contact elements may be at least partially embedded in an elastic enclosure.

p0008If necessary, the device can be lengthened in accordance with the grid-shaped skeleton, similar to font-type printing.

p0009In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the current or data transmitter device and the current sampling or data collection device are each provided with magnetic bodies, wherein the magnetic bodies of the current sampling or data sampling device are arranged opposite the magnetic bodies of the current generator or data transmitter device.

p0010With the device according to the invention, it is possible to achieve a precise contact with the surface, also blindly, over a very short distance and tolerating larger tolerances of the parts to be electrically connected.

p0011In an advantageous constructive embodiment it can be provided that the grid-shaped configuration is formed by a skeleton, wherein the skeleton can have at least approximately a meandering shape running with a right-angled winding.

p0012As a result of the meandering shape according to the invention, a grid-shaped skeleton can be formed practically as a metering material, which skeleton can be cut to length in any desired length. The contact elements are then inserted into the individual meanders and advantageously provided with the elastic sheathing in the injection molding process, whereby the individual meanders can be filled with the injection molding. However, the rearwardly open meanders can also be freed, whereby an increase in the elasticity is achieved by the air gap thus present. If the meander width is thereby made narrower than the thickness of the contact elements, they are securely held in the forwardly projecting meanders by clamping action.

p0013For contact with the surface contact, it may be provided that two adjacent contact elements are connected to one another by a conductive bridge part.

p0014Of course, in this case, two contact elements of the other device are also connected to each other by a conductive bridge part. In this way, a significantly larger contact area is created, as a result of which even higher currents can be transmitted at this point.

p0015Instead of a connection of the current or data transmitter device with the current take-off or data collection device via the magnetic bodies by generating a magnetic adhesive force, the two devices can, of course, also be connected to one another in any other way, such as, for example, a non-positive or positive connection with or without interlocks.

p0016Advantageous refinements and refinements can be derived from the remaining subclaims and from the exemplary embodiment described in principle below with reference to the drawing.

p0017It shows:<dl id="dl0001" compact="compact"><dt>FIG</dt><dd>2 a longitudinal section through the electrical connecting device according to the invention along the line II of FIG <figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref>; </dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A cross section through the electrical connection device according to the invention according to FIG <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> According to the line II-II; and</dd></dl>

p0018The <figref idrefs="f0001">FIGS</figref> and <figref idrefs="f0002">2</figref> Each show a current or data transmitter device 1 with a housing 2 in which a plurality of contact elements 3, which are formed side by side as contact contacts, are arranged. Two magnet bodies 4 or, as the case may be, a plurality of magnetic bodies 4 in the form of iron cores or magnets are arranged at a distance from each other in the housing housing 2.

p0019For an electrical connection, a current take-off or data collection device 5 with a receiver housing 6 is arranged such that the magnets or magnetic elements 7, which are arranged in the receiver housing 6, are arranged opposite the current or data transmitter device 1, in the housing housing 2 , Are opposite. If the magnetic bodies 7 are designed as magnets, and the magnetic bodies 4 as iron cores, it is not necessary to pay attention to a counter-polarity. If the magnetic bodies 4 are also designed as magnets, care must be taken that mutually opposite poles are arranged oppositely.

p0020In order to reinforce the magnetic force, the magnets 7 can additionally be sheathed with an iron sheath 8 in order to obtain a magnetic force increase. Such designs of magnets are generally known, which is why they are not discussed in more detail here.

p0021For the sake of simplicity, only a flow-generating device 1 and a current-taking device 5 are discussed below. The two devices are, of course, also suitable for data transmission in the sense of a data transmitter device and a data sampling device.

p0022Magnetic bodies generally designate magnets, magnetizable parts or magnetic parts, which react magnetically under the influence of a magnet. What is essential is merely that the magnetic bodies 4 of the current-generator unit 1 and the current-taking device 5 cooperate in such a way that a magnetic force is applied to both parts by a magnetic field.

p0023The current-taking device 5 is also provided with contact elements 9 in the form of surface contacts, which are arranged side by side in the receiver housing 6 such that they are arranged opposite the contact elements 3 of the current generator unit 1 when the current-

p0024The <figref idrefs="f0001">FIGS</figref> and <figref idrefs="f0002">2</figref> Show the position just before contacting the current-generating device 1 with the current-taking device 5 and thus shortly before a contact connection between the contact elements 3 and 9.

p0025The contact elements 3 of the current transmitter device 1 are arranged in a grid-shaped configuration in the form of a grid-shaped rib 10 in the recesses thereof. The grid-shaped skeleton 10 has a meandering shape with right-angled coils, the contact elements 3 being inserted, preferably clamped, in a meander or a recess between two ribs 11 and 12. As a result of the meandering shape, a gap 13 is produced correspondingly to the next meander with the next contact element 3, on the rear side, through which there is a mobility of the contact elements 3. The contact elements 3 are clamped into the front meanders, which face the current removal device 5.

p0026In addition, for better guidance, however, while maintaining elasticity, the contact elements 3 in each case in the front region are surrounded by an elastic sheathing 14, which extends to just before the contact surfaces 15 of each contact element 3.

p0027The elastic sheathing 14 can, for example, be introduced or introduced as a plastic by means of injection molding. Of course, the elastic covering can also be applied in a different way, such as, for example, in a prefabricated manner, the contact elements then being inserted into the plastic accordingly. In this case too, any desired lengths of the raster-shaped frame formed in this way are possible.

p0028The grid-shaped framework 10 is connected in a manner not shown in detail, for example by gluing, to a press bridge 16 on its rear side. Instead of a grid-shaped frame, other embodiments can also be provided within the scope of the invention. It is only essential that a plurality of contact elements 3 are arranged in a raster-like manner one behind the other in an elastic enclosure.

p0029The press bridge 16 can be formed elastically and slightly concavely as a rubber bridge and is arranged correspondingly in the housing housing 12 between the two magnetic bodies 4, thus extending over the entire length of the grid-shaped rib 10.

p0030As a result of the elastic sheathing 14, the air gap 12 and the press bridge 16, a reliable surface contact for all the contact elements 3 with the contact elements 9 of the current removal device 5 is achieved when the current-generating device 1 is connected to the current- The elastic sheathing 14 can also provide a moisture-tight or watertight connection. At the same time, it serves as a corset for the contact elements 3 while retaining an elasticity.

p0031As can be seen, this is independent of the number of adjacent contact elements 3 and 9, respectively.

p0032In the present exemplary embodiment, the contact elements 3 of the current generator device 1 have been described as being arranged elastically in the grid-shaped frame 10. It is, of course, within the scope of the invention that, as an alternative, the current collector device 5 can also be provided with correspondingly elastically arranged contact elements 9 while the contact elements 3 of the current generator device 1 are fixedly arranged in the housing housing 2. Likewise, it is also possible to store all the contact elements 3 and 9 elastically in grid-shaped ribs 10.

p0033As from the <figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref> The contact elements 9, but also the contact elements 3, can be designed in the form of thin disks with lateral extensions 17. Via the side extensions 17, the current supply or discharge leads 18 are then fed to a consumer (not shown).

p0034The grid-shaped skeleton 10 can be formed from an elastic plastic part. For the contact elements 3 and 9, brass parts, possibly silvered, can be used as simple stamped parts.

p0035For precise mechanical feeding or connection of the current-generating device 1 to the current-taking device 5, the current-generating device 1 can be provided with one or more conical recesses 19, on the lower end of which a respective magnetic body 4 is located. Conversely, the current removal device 5 has one or more conical extensions 20, which are adapted to the cone angles of the conical recesses 19. In each cone-like extension 20, a magnetic body 7 is located in each case. For the electrical connection, the conical extensions 20 are correspondingly inserted into the cone-shaped recesses 19 in a self-centering manner, the magnetic bodies 4 and 7 lying one on the other at the end of the insertion; 9 stable and safe. By means of this embodiment, practically a "blind" contacting of the contact elements 3 and 9 is achieved without error possibility.

p0036If very high currents are to be transmitted, two adjacent contact elements 3 can be connected to one another by means of a conductive contact bridge 21. (See the dashed representation in FIG<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref>). The same applies to the contact elements 9 which cooperate therewith. A contact bridge 21 can also be used for cases in which two output currents (or several, in the case of longer contact bridges) of equal output currents or vice versa are to be transmitted from a common input current.

p0037A further safety against faulty connections or a contacting of mutually non-mutually matching current generator devices 1 with current removal devices 5 is achieved when the magnetic bodies 4 and 7 are "coded". By "coded" is meant that each magnetic body is composed of a plurality of individual magnetic particles of different polarity, the opposing magnetic bodies 7 and 4 being arranged opposite to each other. Such coding is, for example, from the<patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="WO0103249A1"><text>WO 01/03249 A1</text></patcit> In FIG. Also in the<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="EP0573471A"><text>EP 0 573 471</text></patcit> (12.10.94), such encoded magnets are described. In this way, a contact connection can only take place when the correctly coded magnets meet each other.

p0038The above-described embodiment is described in combination with the magnetic bodies 4 and 7. The magnetic bodies 4 and 7 can, of course, also be omitted, if necessary, and a connection or holding force between the two devices can also be carried out in a different manner, such as, for example, interlocks or latches, after the current-taking or data-taking device has been placed on the current or data transmitter device.