Electrical contact with sealing web

0001The invention relates to an electrical contact according to patent claim 1.

0002In the prior art, there are known electrical contacts in which an electrical conductor is inserted into a plastics housing. An object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical contact.

0003<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US5873752A"><text>US 5 873 752</text></patcit> discloses a tow socket connector having sealant, wherein the tow socket connector is provided for receiving a plug form a towed vehicle and having multiple electrical terminals sealed actually through the socket from one side to the other. Each terminal is locked in its associated opening in the connector by a snap member and the thickness of each terminal is expanded by jogs formed along a portion of its length to provide a slight fit and a sealant block between the terminal and its opening. Each terminal includes a horizontal opening to permit the flow of sealant in a well formed at the upper hand of the socket.

0004<patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="JPH0330387U"><text>JP H03 30387 U</text></patcit> discloses an electrical connector with a housing with a recess, wherein in the recess an electrical connector is arranged. The electrical connector is made of a double folded plate, wherein a connector section is formed by folded parts of the connector. The connector section provides four lateral walls which are adjacent at side surfaces of the recess of the housing.

0005<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="JP33651338B"><text>JP 3 3651338 B1</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="JPH09147968A"><text>JP H09 147968 A</text></patcit> disclose further electrical connectors, wherein electrical conductors are embedded in housings, wherein in one side of the housing a sealing material is arranged sealing the connectors at this side of the housing.

0006<patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="WO2008075802A1"><text>WO 2008/075802 A1</text></patcit> discloses an electronic part with an external appearance defined by a case. The case is formed with a through-hole for allowing an internal space of the case to communicate with the outside, and a terminal is installed through the through-hole. The terminal electrically connects devices within the case with the outside. The case may be manufactured from a plurality of pieces. Sealants are applied to a gap between the through-hole of the case and the terminal and around the through-hole and also two portions, where the plurality of pieces of the case are combined together.

0007<patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="US5885114A"><text>US 5,885,114</text></patcit> discloses a connector for automatic transmission. The connector comprises a housing with a plurality of cavities for receiving terminals. The cavities are separated from one another in such a manner that the cavities communicate with one another through partially notched wall portions. The housing has terminal passage holes into which the terminals are press-fitted. A rear side of the housing is filled with resin material.

0008<patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="US5000695A"><text>US 5,000,695</text></patcit> discloses a female connector with a holder that serves to hold a female terminal. The holder is made of resin or rubber having elasticity. The holder comprises at an outer peripheral surface two circumferentially extending parallel raised portions defining a recessed portion in between. The raised portions contact an inner wall of a case in which the holder is arranged. Adjacent to the holder, a sealing member is arranged within the case.

0009<patcit id="pcit0008" dnum="EP0574862A2"><text>EP 0 574 862 A2</text></patcit> discloses a sealed electrical connector with a housing, wherein a cable is arranged within the housing. Between the cable and the housing, a sealing member is arranged. Furthermore, an insert seal is arranged adjacent to the sealing member.

0010The object of the invention is achieved by the electrical contact according to patent claim 1.

0011Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

0012An advantage of the electrical contact described is that sealing material which is provided to seal an intermediate space between the electrical conductor and the housing is securely retained in a fixed region of the housing. This is achieved by the electrical conductor having a web which is arranged transversely relative to a longitudinal direction of the conductor and which protrudes by a predetermined height above a side face of the electrical conductor. Consequently, in the assembled state of the conductor, the web abuts the housing so that a flow blocking member for the sealing material is produced by means of the web. Owing to the formation of the web, on the one hand, a flow blocking member is produced and, on the other hand, owing to the free space between the conductor and the housing, simple and reliable assembly of the conductor in the housing is possible. In addition, the sealing material can be introduced into the free space, that is to say, in the intermediate space between the conductor and the housing.

0013The web protrudes to such an extent beyond the lateral face of the conductor that the web abuts a wall of the housing in a sealing manner.

0014The conductor has four lateral faces, a web being arranged on each of the four lateral faces, respectively. In this manner, it is possible to apply sealing material to four lateral faces of the conductor, without the sealing material being able to flow into inadmissible regions. Owing to the formation of the webs on the lateral faces of the conductor, a sealing of the intermediate space in the conducting housing is possible at all four lateral faces of the conductor, without the sealing material being able to flow beyond the regions delimited by the webs. Consequently, reliable and fluid-tight embedding of the conductor in the housing is enabled.

0015In another embodiment, two identical webs are formed at two opposing lateral faces, respectively, the two types of web being constructed differently. In this manner, the type of webs can be adapted to the width of the lateral face. Tests have shown that webs which protrude to a relatively large extent beyond the lateral face on narrow lateral faces are hardly disadvantageous for the assembly and the function of the electrical contact. Consequently, on the narrow lateral faces, webs which protrude further from the lateral face can be provided. Furthermore, tests have shown that the webs on the wider lateral faces are not intended to extend too far beyond the lateral face of the conductor since assembly is otherwise made more difficult. The webs preferably protrude on the wider lateral faces to such an extent beyond the lateral faces that the webs in the assembled state of the conductor touch the associated inner walls of the housing. Depending on the embodiment selected, in the assembled state there may also be a small spacing between the webs of the wide lateral faces and the associated housing walls. Depending on the viscosity of the sealing material, in spite of the spacing of the web from the lateral wall of the housing, the sealing material is prevented from flowing past the web.

0016In another embodiment, the conductor has a groove parallel with the construction of the web. The combination of the web and groove forms an improved flow resistance for the sealing material. In addition, owing to the formation of the groove at the side of the web in the sealing region, that is to say, on the web, a particularly thick layer of sealing material is introduced. Consequently, improved sealing is achieved which in particular ensures improved sealing against impediments such as impacts, temperature fluctuations, deviations from standard geometries.

0017In another embodiment, an electrical conductor has a groove at both sides of the web.

0018In another embodiment, the groove has two lateral faces, the lateral faces being arranged substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the web, that is to say, transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the conductor. The two lateral faces of the groove have different inclinations relative to the lateral face of the conductor. The lateral face of the groove which is adjacent to the web has a shallower inclination than the lateral face directed away from the web. In this manner, improved influx and filling of the groove with sealing material are enabled. In addition, the sealing is improved by the special configuration of the lateral faces of the groove.

0019In another embodiment, the flatter lateral face of the groove has a larger width than the steeper lateral face of the groove.

0020In another embodiment, the two lateral faces of the groove have an opening angle between 50° and 80°, for example 65°, in a direction perpendicular relative to the groove. This opening angle of the groove leads, on the one hand, to good filling of the groove with sealing material and, on the other hand, to reliable and robust sealing of the intermediate space between the conductor and the housing.

0021The invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the Figures, in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref> shows a housing and an electrical conductor prior to the assembly,</li><li><figref idref="f0001">Figure 2</figref> is an enlarged illustration of a portion of the conductor,</li><li><figref idref="f0002">Figure 3</figref> is a cutout of the conductor of <figref idref="f0001">Figure 2</figref>,</li><li><figref idref="f0002">Figure 4</figref> is a cross-sectional illustration of the electrical contact,</li><li><figref idref="f0003">Figure 5</figref> is a second cross-sectional illustration of the electrical contact,</li><li><figref idref="f0003">Figure 6</figref> is an enlarged partial cutout of <figref idref="f0003">Figure 5</figref>, and</li><li><figref idref="f0003">Figure 7</figref> is an enlarged cross-section through the electrical conductor.</li></ul>

0022<figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref> is a perspective view of an electrical conductor 1 and a housing 2, the housing 2 having a recess 3 for receiving the electrical conductor 1. The housing 2 is, for example, formed from a plastics material. The electrical conductor 1 is, for example, produced as a punched component from a metal sheet and has a contact tongue 4 at a first end and contact pins 5 at the opposing second end. In the embodiment illustrated, the conductor 1 is of a rectangular cross-section. In addition, the conductor 1 is of an elongate strip form, two wide lateral faces, that is to say, an upper side 6 and a lower side 7, being opposite each other in a parallel manner. At the sides of the upper side and the lower side 6, 7, there are formed narrow lateral faces 8, 9 which are arranged parallel with each other.

0023The webs 15, 16 and the grooves 17, 18 are preferably introduced into the conductor 1 by means of a pressing operation.

0024<figref idref="f0001">Figure 2</figref> is an enlarged view of the conductor.

0025The width of the contact tongue 4 is constant as far as the central region of the conductor 1. In a central region of the conductor 1, the lateral faces 8, 9 have a first recess 10. In the direction towards the contact pins 5, there follows with a fixed spacing relative to the first recess 10 a second recess 11 in the lateral faces 8, 9. Adjacent to the second recess 11, there follow two catch projections 12, 13. After the second catch projection 13, with spacing in the direction towards the contact pins 5, there follows a third catch projection 14 which is also formed on the first and second lateral face 8, 9. The first and the second catch projections 12, 13 serve to lock the conductor 1 in the housing 2. The first and second lateral faces 8, 9 are constructed in an identical manner. At the height of the third catch projection 14, a web 15, 16 is formed on the upper and lower side 6, 7, respectively. The third catch projections 14 of the two lateral faces 8, 9 and the first and second webs 15, 16 of the upper and lower side 6, 7 which are arranged at the same height form a flow blocking member which is arranged so as to extend around the conductor 1.

0026<figref idref="f0002">Figure 3</figref> is an enlarged view of the cutout of the conductor 1 in the region of the webs 15, 16 and the third catch projections 14. In the embodiment illustrated, a first or a second groove 17, 18 is formed at both sides of each web 15, 16 in the upper side 6 and in the lower side 7.

0027<figref idref="f0002">Figure 4</figref> is a cross-section through an electrical contact 19, in which the conductor 1 is mounted in the housing 2 and sealing material 21 is further introduced into the housing 2 in a portion 20 of the recess 3. The sealing material 21, owing to the webs 15, 16 and the third catch projections 14, can flow only as far as the webs 15, 16. Consequently, only an upper portion 20 of the recess 3 is filled with sealing material 21.

0028In <figref idref="f0002">Figure 4</figref>, the engagement of the catch projections 12, 13, 14 in correspondingly narrow lateral walls of the recess 3 of the housing 2 can clearly be seen.

0029<figref idref="f0003">Figure 5</figref> is another cross-section through the arrangement of <figref idref="f0002">Figure 4</figref>. It can clearly be seen that the webs 15, 16 abut the associated lateral walls of the recess 3 of the housing 2.

0030<figref idref="f0003">Figure 6</figref> is an enlarged illustration of the region of the webs 15, 16 of <figref idref="f0003">Figure 5</figref>. In this instance, the protrusion of the webs 15, 16 beyond the upper side 6 and lower side 7 of the conductor 1 can clearly be seen, respectively.

0031<figref idref="f0003">Figure 7</figref> is a schematic illustration of a cutout of the conductor 1.

0032With reference to <figref idref="f0003">Figure 7</figref>, it can be seen that the grooves 17, 18 are arranged parallel with the transverse extent of the webs 15, 16. In addition, the grooves 17, 18 have differently inclined first and second groove faces 22, 23 perpendicularly relative to the webs 15, 16. The opening angle of the groove faces 22, 23 may be in a range between 50 and 80 degrees, for example, 65 degrees. The first groove face 22 which faces the respective web 15, 16 has a smaller inclination than the second groove face 23 with respect to a longitudinal axis of the conductor 1. In this manner, both improved filling of the groove is achieved and more robust sealing is enabled.

0033Depending on the embodiment selected, it is also possible to dispense with the grooves 17, 18. In addition, the grooves may have groove faces which are arranged at different cross-sections, for example, symmetrically.

0034As a sealing material, it is possible to use, for example, liquid adhesive or hot-melt adhesive.

0035In addition, instead of the two contact pins 5, only one contact pin or another shape of the contact may also be provided.

0036The angle of inclination of the second groove face 23 is in the range between 90° and 130° with respect to a line perpendicular to the upper side 6. In addition, the angle of inclination of the first groove face 22 may be between 150° and 100° with respect to a line perpendicular to the upper side 6.

0037The webs 15, 16 preferably have in a sealing region, which abuts the housing 2, a rounded contour in cross-section perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal extent of the respective web 15, 16. Reliable and robust sealing with respect to the housing is thereby achieved.

0038The webs 15, 16 protrude by, for example, from 1% to 15% of the thickness of the conductor from the upper side 6 or lower side 7.