Fastening device for fastening a connector plug to a base housing

p0001The invention relates to a fastening device for fastening a connecting plug to a base housing by means of a fastening element. Furthermore, the invention relates to a plug arrangement with such a fastening device.

p0002A connector usually has a connector housing consisting of an insulating material with at least one conductor connection element arranged therein and a plug-in contact which is connected to the conductor connection element. The connecting plug can in this case be designed as a screw connection terminal, on which a screw shaft is provided on the plug housing, via which a screw can be inserted into the interior of the plug housing. For attaching such a plug connector to a printed circuit board, a base housing can be provided, which is usually arranged on the circuit board via solder pins and has a slot for plugging on the plug connector. Such plug arrangements are used, above all, where a contact protection of the plug connector on the printed circuit board is desired.

p0003In order to establish a secure connection between the connector and the base housing, it is known to provide fastening devices which have a fastening means. For the fastening means, special receiving elements, for example in the form of openings, are usually provided on the connecting plug and / or on the base housing, into which the fastening means engages in the attached state, ie in the state when the connecting plug is fastened to the basic housing. On the one hand, this increases the design complexity of such plug arrangements and, in addition, the fastening elements are usually arranged on the connecting plug and the basic housing in such a way that they are difficult for a user to access and therefore can be operated with difficulty. Replacing the fastening elements is thereby considerably more difficult and is usually only possible with additional tools. Due to the fact that additional receiving elements are necessary for the fastening of the fastening element, retrofitting of a plug arrangement with such fastening elements is generally not possible at all. Furthermore, be required such fasteners usually a larger additional space, whereby the total required installation space of the connector assembly with the fastening element can, in particular for installation in control cabinets to big problems.

p0004From the <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US7128595B2"><text>US 7,128,595 B2</text></patcit> The object according to the preamble of claim 1 is known.

p0005The <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="EP2321875A0"><text>EP 2 321 875 A0</text></patcit> An older post-published document and, in accordance with Article 54 (3) EPC, must be taken into account for novelty. From the<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="EP2321875A0"><text>EP 2 321 875 A0</text></patcit> An electrical connector assembly is known. The plug connector module has a printed circuit board 204, a pin strip 206 which can be plugged onto the printed circuit board 204, and a cable connection 8 which can be plugged into the pin strip. The circuit board 204 has openings 258, into which the pins 228 of the pin strip 206 engage. In addition to the pins 228, the pin strip 206 has contact pins 212 for electrical connection to the printed circuit board 204 and a plug receptacle with a tab 232 having a latching lug 236 for receiving the electrical cable connector 8. By inserting the cable connection 8 into the plug-in receptacle of the pin strip 206, the latching lug 236 engages behind the housing 22 of the cable connection 8.

p0006The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a fastening device for the arrangement on a connector arrangement having a connector plug and a base housing which is distinguished by a simple constructional design, is easy to operate and is always replaced or retrofitted to an existing plug arrangement Can be securely secured.

p0007The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

p0008The device according to the invention for the arrangement on a connector arrangement having a connector plug and a base housing has a fastening element for fastening the connector plug to the basic housing, the connector having a plug housing with a screw shaft. The fastening element has a first fastening region and a second fastening region, the first fastening region has a hook element for fastening to the screw shaft of the plug housing, and the second fastening region of the fastening element can be fastened to an outer surface of the basic housing, characterized in that the hook element, in the unstressed state, Wall surface of the fastening element, and the hook element in the fastened state releases an opening on the fastening element into which the screw shaft can be clamped.

p0009By means of the fastening device according to the invention, an unintentional loosening of the connecting plug from the base housing can be prevented. The fastening device according to the invention is characterized in that, in addition to the known fastening devices, no additional receiving elements are required in this case in order to fasten a fastening element to the connecting plug and the basic housing since the elements which are already present on the plug arrangement are used for fastening purposes by the fastening element Is fastened on the one hand to the shaft opening provided on the connector and, on the other hand, is fastened to an outer surface of the basic housing without additional receiving elements being provided on the outer surface of the basic housing. As a result of the fact that elements already present on the connector arrangement are used for fastening, such a fastening device according to the invention can be retrofitted at any time to existing connector arrangements. Complex constructions for such fastening devices for fastening a connecting plug to a basic housing are thereby omitted, which saves both costs and time. Moreover, by saving additional mounting elements for the fastening element, the required space for such a fastening device can be substantially reduced.

p0010In a fastened state of the fastening element, the hook element is arranged at an angle of &lt;90 ° to the surface of the fastening element. In the attached state, the fastening element is attached to the connector and to the base housing. The hook element thereby locks on the outer surface or on an outer edge of the screw shaft so that the hook element is hooked onto the outer surface of the screw shaft and is thereby held or fixed on the screw shaft. In the hooked-in state, the hook element is spread apart from the fastening element such that the hook element is arranged at an angle of &lt;90 °, preferably at an angle of between 10 ° and 45 ° to the surface of the fastening element, in particular to the surface of the fastening element facing the plug housing .

p0011For fastening the hook element to the screw shaft, the hook element formed in the non-fixed state as a wall surface can be bent downwards, so that an opening is formed on the fastening element. The screw shaft is inserted into this opening in the fastened state of the fastening element, so that the screw shaft is clamped between the hook element and the side surfaces of the fastening element which are designed as ribs. The hook element is thus not a separate component, which must additionally be attached to the fastening element, but is a part of the fastening element. As a result, both material and the production effort for such a fastening element can be reduced. In addition, since the screw shaft is clamped into the opening, which is released by the hook element, the fastening element can be clamped particularly securely against the connecting plug.

p0012According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastening element is designed as a film hinge and the fastening element is pivotally mounted on the screw shaft at its first fastening region. Due to the fact that the fastening element is designed as a film hinge, it has a rather flat, plate-shaped shape so that the fastening element requires only a small installation space and can thus be used as space-saving as possible. The fastening element is preferably formed from a plastic material, so that the fastening element is electrically insulating and can thus serve as a contact protection. Furthermore, the fastening element is preferably configured resiliently, wherein the hook element is preferably designed as a spring element so that the fastening element is pivotally mounted on the screw shaft at its first fastening region. This makes a particularly simple handling of the actuating element possible for an operator. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the first fastening region can be fastened to the screw shaft by means of an adhesive connection. The hook element is preferably fastened to the screw shaft by means of the adhesive connection, so that the fastening element can be fixed particularly securely in a fixed position at its first fastening region by hooking into the screw shaft and through an adhesive connection so that slipping of the fastening element even in the case of strong, Loads can be prevented.

p0013According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fastening element is arranged in such a way that the fastening element spans a first side face of the basic housing from the first fastening region to the second fastening region, wherein, in the fastened state of the fastening element, Side face of the base housing. The base housing is thereby clamped by the fastening element and pressed onto the plug housing of the connecting plug. As a result, it is possible to firmly connect the connector plug to the basic housing without additional connecting elements being required on the basic housing. In addition, the fastening itself is easy to implement since the fastening element, which is initially fastened to the first fastening region, can be pushed over the first side face of the base housing until the part of the fastening element on which the second fastening region is provided on the second side face arranged transversely to the first side face And thus engages behind the second side face of the basic housing. The fastening element or the fastening device is thereby particularly simple to handle without the need for additional tools.

p0014In order to engage behind the second side face of the basic housing, the second fastening region preferably has a latching lug. By means of the latching lug, the connecting plug can be pressed onto the basic housing in a simple manner. The base housing is thereby clamped between the latching lug and the connecting plug.

p0015Furthermore, according to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fastening element has a bearing element which can be inserted into a corresponding bearing recess provided on the plug housing. By means of the bearing element, the fastening element can be attached to the connecting plug in the attached state in addition to its first fastening region.

p0016According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fastening element has a handle section, which is provided in the region of the first fastening area. Due to the fact that the handle is provided on the first fastening region, the detachment of the fastening element from the basic housing is particularly simple to handle, in particular if the actuating element is designed resiliently and is pivotally mounted on the screw shaft at its first fastening region. This makes it possible to actuate the fastening element alone via the handle section which is easily accessible by the operator. The release of the actuating element and thus of the connecting plug from the basic housing can thus be effected in a simple manner by actuating the handle section with a finger. The use of a tool or additional tool is therefore no longer necessary. If the hook element is designed as a spring element, it is ensured that the fastening element always remains in its fixed, locked state when the handle section is not actuated.

p0017Furthermore, the invention relates to a plug arrangement with a connecting plug and a base housing, wherein the connecting plug can be fastened to the basic housing by means of a fastening device which is developed and refined as above.

p0018The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings by means of preferred embodiments.

p0019Show it<dl id="dl0001"><dt>FIG</dt><dd>4 shows a perspective schematic representation of a fastening device according to the invention in the attached state according to a first embodiment,</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>4 is a perspective schematic representation of the embodiment shown in FIG <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> , Together with a connecting plug and a basic housing,</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>4 is a perspective schematic representation of the embodiment shown in FIG <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> Shown in the unset state, </dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>4 shows a perspective schematic representation of a fastening device according to the invention in the attached state according to a second embodiment, and FIG</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>4 shows a perspective schematic representation of a fastening device according to the invention in the attached state according to a third embodiment.</dd></dl>

p0020<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> Shows schematically a fastening device according to the invention with a fastening element 10 which is fastened to a connecting plug 12 and a base housing 14 connectable to the connecting plug 12. The connector 12 has a plug housing 16 consisting of an insulating material with conductor connections arranged therein and plug-in contacts (not shown here) connected to the conductor connection elements. The connecting plug 12 is designed as a screw connection terminal, in which three screw shafts 18 are provided on the plug housing 16, wherein in FIG<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref>, Because of the perspective shown here, two of the three screw shafts 18 are concealed by the fastening element 10. A screw is inserted into the interior of the plug housing 16 via each of the screw shafts 18. In order to fasten such a plug 12 to a circuit board (not shown here), the base housing 14 is provided, which can be attached to the circuit board by means of soldering pins 20 and has a plurality of plug-in locations, not shown here, for plugging on the plug connector 12.

p0021The fastening element 10 is designed as a film hinge made of a plastic material, which has a first fastening region 22 and a second fastening region 24. By means of the first fastening region 22, the fastening element 10 can be fastened to the connecting plug 12. The first fastening region 22 of the fastening element 10 has a hook element 26. The hook element 26 is preferably embodied as a flat, the side surfaces 28 of the fastening element 10 being designed as webs, by means of which the fastening element 10 has sufficient stability. In the non-fixed state of the fastening element 10, ie, when the fastening element 10 is not fastened to the plug arrangement, the hook element 26 is designed as a wall surface of the fastening element 10. For fastening the hook element 26 to the screw shaft 18, the hook element 26, which is designed as a wall surface in the non-fixed state, can be bent downwards, so that an opening 30 is formed on the fastening element 10. In this opening 30 is fastened, as in FIG<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> At least a part of the screw shaft 18, in particular the part of the screw shaft 18, which is arranged so as to be elevated by the outer surface of the plug housing 16, so that the screw shaft 18 is clamped between the hook element 26 and the side surfaces 28 of the fastening element 10, The hook element 26 is designed as a spring element, so that the fastening element 10 is pivotally mounted on its first fastening region 22 on the screw shaft 18. The fastening element 10 can function as a kind of rocker. Due to the pivot point of the fastening element 10 on the first fastening region 22, the fastening element 10 is able to remain in its position during the application of a tensile force on the connecting plug 12 and / or on the base housing 14 and does not become detached from the latter.

p0022The second fastening portion 24 of the fastener 10 is provided opposite the first fastener portion 22 at the other end of the fastener 10. The second fastening region 24 has a latching lug 32 which in the fixed state of the fastening element 10 rests against an outer surface of the base housing 14 such that the latching lug 32 engages behind the base housing 14 so that the base housing 14 is clamped between the connection plug 12 and the latching lug 32 .

p0023As in <figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref> , The fastening element 10 is first hooked onto the screw shaft 18 of the connecting plug 12 with the first fastening region when the fastening element 10 is transferred from the unfastened state into the fastened state. The rest of the fastening element 10 is pushed over preferably the entire length of a first side face 34 of the base housing 14 until the latching lug 32 comes to rest against the second side face 36 of the basic housing 12 arranged transversely to the first side face 34, Second side surface 34 of the base housing 14.

p0024In order to realize a particularly secure, in particular non-slip, secure attachment of the fastening element 10 to the connecting plug 12, the hook element 26 additionally has a bearing element 38 which can be inserted into a corresponding bearing recess (not shown here) provided on the plug housing 16.

p0025In the region of the first fastening region 22, the fastening element 10 also has a handle portion 40. Due to the fact that the handle section 40 is provided in the region of the first fastening area 22, the grip section 40 projecting beyond the edge area of ​​the plug housing 16 of the plug connector 12, the fastening element 10 can be easily actuated by hand and the plug connector 12 can be easily detached from the basic housing 14 will. This is particularly advantageous if, for example, the plug arrangement is arranged in a switch cabinet in such a way that there is very little clearance between the end face of the plug arrangement and the housing wall of the switch cabinet. By virtue of the fact that the fastening element 10 can be actuated simply by means of a finger on the handle section 40, no additional tool is required to loosen the connector plug 12. The handle section 40 preferably has groove-shaped depressions as a gripping aid and anti-skid device when the grip section 40 is actuated.

p0026<figref idrefs="f0004">FIG</figref> and <figref idrefs="f0005">FIG</figref> Show two further possible embodiments for such a fastening device, in particular for such a fastening element 10, wherein the embodiments shown in FIG <figref idrefs="f0004">FIG</figref> and <figref idrefs="f0005">FIG</figref> Have a shorter length than that shown in FIG <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> Shown embodiment of a fastening element. In<figref idrefs="f0005">FIG</figref> The fastening element 10 does not span the entire length of the first side face 34 of the base housing 14 in the fixed state. <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><table frame="none"><title>Reference list</title><tgroup cols="2" colsep="0" rowsep="0"><colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="60mm" /><colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="18mm" /><tbody><row><entry>Fastening element</entry><entry align="right">10</entry></row><row><entry>connector</entry><entry align="right">12</entry></row><row><entry>Basic housing</entry><entry align="right">14</entry></row><row><entry>Connector housing</entry><entry align="right">16</entry></row><row><entry>screw shaft</entry><entry align="right">18</entry></row><row><entry>soldering pin</entry><entry align="right">20</entry></row><row><entry>First mounting area</entry><entry align="right">22</entry></row><row><entry>Second mounting area</entry><entry align="right">24</entry></row><row><entry>hook element</entry><entry align="right">26</entry></row><row><entry>Side surface of the fastening element</entry><entry align="right">28</entry></row><row><entry>opening</entry><entry align="right">30</entry></row><row><entry>ratchet</entry><entry align="right">32</entry></row><row><entry>First side surface of the base housing</entry><entry align="right">34</entry></row><row><entry>Second side surface of the base housing</entry><entry align="right">36</entry></row><row><entry>bearing element</entry><entry align="right">38</entry></row><row><entry>handle section</entry><entry align="right">40</entry></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>