Contact element for a plug connector

0001The invention relates to a contact element for a connector.

0002The starting point as the state of the art is <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="DE102006053152B3"><text>DE 10 2006 053 152 B3</text></patcit>. <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US4472017A"><text>U.S. 4,472,017 A</text></patcit> discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1. Although the contact element from this known prior art also has a first base part, this base part is provided with two wave crests. A second base part, also with two wave crests, is assigned to the first base part. A detent spring material layer is attached to this second base part, with which the contact element is fixed in a contact chamber of a connector. Overall, the contact element known from this prior art offers a structure that is sufficient in terms of assembly and contact reliability, but can be improved.

0003In contrast, the object of the invention is to provide an improved contact element for a plug connection.

0004Basically, a plug connector is constructed in such a way that it has a housing which has at least one, usually several contact chambers. Contact elements are inserted into these contact chambers and locked once, often twice, in this contact chamber. The contact element itself is arranged at the end of an electrical line, an electrical conductor of the line being in electrical contact with the contact element, for example by soldering, crimping or the like.

0005This object is achieved by the features of patent claim 1.

0006According to the invention it is provided that in a contact area the contact element has a resilient contact geometry for a counter-contact element, this contact geometry being present twice. As a result, on the one hand, the expenditure of force which is required to introduce the counter-contact element into the contact area is reduced because both contact geometries are designed to be resilient. This resilient design of the contact geometry also has the advantage that sufficient contact forces permanently act on the mating contact element, so that a reliable electrical contact is realized between the contact area of ​​the contact element and the mating contact element.

0007In a further development of the invention, this contact geometry has an undulating course. In a particularly advantageous manner, the undulating course of the resilient contact geometry is symmetrical (viewed in the section of the contact element). This advantageously increases the contact reliability to a significantly greater extent than if contact points of an undulating course of a contact geometry are opposite one another in such a way that one wave crest is fixed and the other wave crest that is opposite is resilient.

0008In a further development of the invention it is provided that the contact area is formed by a base part, from which a first resilient contact part extends, and a second fixed base part, from which a second resilient contact part extends, the two base parts being connected to one another via a connecting part oriented perpendicular thereto are. On the one hand, this embodiment has the advantage that such a contact element can be produced quickly, inexpensively and efficiently using a conventional method, such as a stamping and bending method, for example. At the same time, a contact geometry that is significantly improved compared to the prior art can be achieved by forming two fixed base parts, on each of which a resilient contact part protrudes, and the two base parts are connected to one another via a connecting part oriented perpendicular thereto.

0009In a further development of the invention, an angled area is provided at one end of the second base part. With this angled area, the contact element is fixed at least once in the contact chamber of the connector when it has been moved into there, in particular pushed into it. As a result, the assembly of such an improved connector can also be further improved.

0010The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment.

0011The <figref idref="f0001">Figures 1</figref> and <figref idref="f0002">2</figref> show, as far as shown in detail, a contact element 1 for a connector. Such a contact element 1 is produced from an electrically conductive material, for example in a stamping and bending process from a flat starting material.

0012The contact element 1 has a crimping area 2 with which it is attached to an electrical conductor of a line. The outer jacket of the line is passed between two wings 3, which are bent over after the electrical conductor has been fixed in the crimping area 2 in order to create strain relief in this way. Instead of the crimping area 2, it is conceivable not to make electrical contact with the electrical conductor or not only by a mechanical crimping process, but also by other methods, such as, for example, by soldering, to make electrical contact with the contact element. The wings 3 for the purpose of strain relief can, but need not be present.

0013The contact element 1 has a contact area 4 which is designed as follows.

0014Starting from the crimping area 2, there is a fixed first base part 5 which, in its axial extension, can, but does not have to, have slots that are transverse thereto. Starting from the first base part 5 (more precisely at the end facing away from the crimping area) there is a first resilient contact part 6. This first resilient contact part 6 is implemented, for example, by a bending process. Furthermore, a second fixed base part 7 is present. On the one hand, a second resilient contact part 8 is provided on the second stationary base part 7. The second stationary base part 7 can also have at least one or more slits aligned transversely thereto in its axial course.

0015Both the first base part 5 and the second base part 7 are thus designed to be fixed to one another, also with regard to the entire contact element 1, since they are connected to one another via a vertically aligned connecting part 9.

0016The two contact parts 6, 8 are designed to be resilient in that their one end extends from the first base part 5 and the second base part 7 into the interior of the contact area 4. This extension is realized in that a tab-shaped structure is bent over by approximately 180 ° from the base parts 5, 7, so that the contact parts 6, 8 are thereby created. The respective free end of the contact parts 6, 8 can be limited by the associated areas of the fixed base parts 5, 7.

0017The two contact parts 6, 8 are configured in a wave-like manner, with this configuration in each case resulting in two wave crests which each form a contact point 10 for the mating contact element.

0018One base part, namely the second base part 7, also has an angled area 11 in its one end area. This area 11 forms a type of latching lug with which the contact element 1 is fixed in a contact chamber, not shown, in a connector, also not shown.

0019In <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref> a projection is provided protruding from the angled area 11 which engages in an opening of the connecting part 9. As a result, the movement of the angled area 11, which is also arranged resiliently starting from the second fixed base part 7, is limited in a defined manner.

0020<figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref> shows in section the contact area 4 according to <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref>, a contact pin 12 being shown schematically as a mating contact element. In the final assembled state of a plug connection, this contact pin 12 is present within the entire contact area 4 and is electrically contacted due to the contact points 10. If the mating contact element, in particular the contact pin 12, has come to rest in the contact area 4 between the contact points 10, the wave-shaped geometry and the resilient design of the contact parts 6, 8 have the effect that their free end areas are on a stop 13 on the first fixed base part 5 and, on the other hand, come to rest against a stop 14 of the second fixed base part 7. On the one hand, this increases the contact forces when the mating contact element, in particular the contact pin 12, is located completely in the contact area 4. The mating contact element is preferably located completely in the contact area 4 when its free end reaches the second (when viewing the<figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref> has passed over the right wave crest with the associated contact points 10). This means that, for example, when looking at the contact pin<figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref> is introduced from left to right into the contact area 4 and initially the first, that is, when looking at the <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref> the left contact point 10 sweeps over. If it is introduced further into the contact area 4, it also passes over the right contact point 10, whereby at the beginning of the introduction of the contact element into the contact area 4, the free ends of the two contact parts 6, 8 did not yet come to rest on the stops 13, 14. Only when the two contact points 10 have been swept over and the mating contact element (contact pin 12) has reached its end position are the free ends of the two contact parts 6, 8 pressed against the stops 13, 14, which means that initially during the insertion of the mating contact element in the contact area 4 the forces were lower than they are still necessary afterwards to bring the mating contact element into its end position. As a result, the mating contact element is not only permanently contacted in an improved manner, but also mechanically fixed in the contact area 4 in an improved manner.

0021In other words, the contact element according to the invention is distinguished on the one hand by the fact that it has a crimping area with which it is attached to the electrical conductor of the line. In the contact area, the contact element according to the invention has a contact geometry for a counter-contact element, this contact geometry being present twice. This contact geometry, in particular for a contact pin as a mating contact element, has a wave-shaped profile, the wave shape being selected so that two wave crests point in the direction of the mating contact element, in particular the contact pin, and these wave crests therefore rest against the mating contact element. At the same time, a latching element is formed by the contact area, with which the contact element is arranged in a latching manner in the contact chamber of the connector. The two mutually facing contact lugs of the contact element, which have the wave shape, are arranged pointing from the insertion area of ​​the mating contact element in the plug-in direction backwards in the direction of the crimping area and run approximately parallel to each other. Above one end of the contact tab there is an angled area which forms the latching lug for latching the contact element in the contact chamber of the connector.

0022The entire contact element consists of an electrically conductive material, for example a corresponding sheet metal material, which is initially designed flat and is fed to a stamping-bending process so that the entire contact element can be produced in one piece with the help of the stamping-bending process. As an alternative to this, it is conceivable, in particular, to design the contact tabs and / or the latching area as separate elements, which are joined together to form a one-piece contact element after their manufacture.

List of reference symbols:

0023<dl id="dl0001" compact="compact"><dt>1.</dt><dd>Contact element</dd><dt>2.</dt><dd>Crimping area</dd><dt>3.</dt><dd>wing</dd><dt>4.</dt><dd>Contact area</dd><dt>5.</dt><dd>Base part</dd><dt>6.</dt><dd>First contact part</dd><dt>7.</dt><dd>Second basic part</dd><dt>8.</dt><dd>Second contact part</dd><dt>9.</dt><dd>Connecting part</dd><dt>10.</dt><dd>Contact point</dd><dt>11.</dt><dd>Angled area</dd><dt>12.</dt><dd>Contact pin</dd><dt>13.</dt><dd>attack</dd><dt>14.</dt><dd>attack</dd></dl>