DE20304996U1 - Electrically conductive housing for plug and socket connection has rectangular outer flange with O-ring seal fastened to conductive plate by locking screws - Google Patents

Abstract

The rectangular flange (9,10) has a groove to accommodate a flexible O-ring seal (8) and has a locking bolt (5) at each end of the rectangle. A space (3) surrounds the centrally positioned plug connection (4). The plug connection engages a complementary connector surrounded by a flat conducting wall and the flange on the conductive housing (1) presses against it.

Description

Patent attorneys .··. ··»·

Patent attorneys .. »· ^.^ ^

GEYER, FEHNERS & PARTNER (Q&ffi · · ;. *j' . | ! \

European Patent and Trademark Attorneys ·· ·· ·· ··*

European Patent and Trademark Attorneys ·· ·· ·· ··

MUNICH-JENA

Office Munich /Munich Offices:
Perhamerstrasse 31 ■ D-80687 Munich Telephone: (089) 5 4615 20 Fax: (089)5 46 03 92 · e-mail: gefepat.muc@t-online.de

Office Jena I Jena Offices:
Sellierstrasse 1 · D-07745 Jena · Telephone: (03641) 2 91 50 ■ Fax: (03641) 2915 21 ■ e-mail: gefepat.jena@t-online.de

27 March 2003 Attorney file: GBM 2276/007 L/23/br (Ii)

FCT electronic gmbh

Treasure Arch 33

D-81829 Munich

Hood arrangement for a connector

The invention relates to a hood arrangement for a connector.

In order to create a waterproof and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) protected connection between a connector and the corresponding mating connector, it is common practice, for example, to connect the connector to a corresponding cover and then attach the system of connector and cover to the mating connector. To achieve the desired tightness against water and other liquids and EMC protection, the connector itself is waterproof and EMC protected and connected to the cover in such a way that the system of cover and connector as a whole is waterproof and EMC protected. Furthermore, the mating connector is also waterproof and EMC protected. The disadvantage here is that EMC protected and waterproof connectors and mating connectors are relatively expensive.

Based on this, it is the object of the invention to provide a hood arrangement for a connector with which a waterproof and EMC-protected connection between the connector and a mating connector can be produced at low cost.

The object is achieved by a hood arrangement for a plug connector, with an electrically conductive housing, which has a chamber in which the plug connector can be fastened, with a front chamber opening, wherein a housing edge surrounding the chamber opening is designed as a housing support surface with a circumferential groove formed therein, in which a sealing element is inserted, such that in a state of the plug-in connector fastened in the housing,

U23/br 110103

connector, the housing support surface rests on the wall to create electrical contact between the housing and the wall, and at the same time the sealing element rests sealingly against the wall to create a liquid seal.

With this cover arrangement, the liquid seal and the electrical contact are advantageously implemented via the housing support surface, which rests on the wall, so that the connector itself, which is arranged in the chamber, does not have to be EMC protected or liquid-tight. Conventional connectors that are not EMC protected and not liquid-tight can therefore be used, which are significantly more cost-effective than the EMC protected and liquid-tight connectors. The mating connector also does not have to be liquid-tight or EMC protected when using the cover arrangement according to the invention. This provides a cover arrangement with which an EMC protected and liquid-tight connection of the connector to the mating connector can be made at low cost.

In particular, in the hood arrangement according to the invention, the sealing element is designed as a circumferentially closed ring made of an elastic material, whereby the sealing element protrudes beyond the housing support surface when not attached. The sealing element can thus be implemented using standard sealing rings (e.g. conventional O-ring seals), which in turn contributes to cost reduction.

In a preferred embodiment of the hood arrangement according to the invention, the sealing element is made of a conductive material (e.g. conductive elastomers) or is mixed with a conductive material. This advantageously ensures that the electrical contact resistance between the electrically conductive housing and the electrically conductive wall can be further reduced when plugged in, thereby achieving excellent shielding.

It is particularly preferred if the circumferential groove is designed in such a way that partial surfaces of the housing support surface lie on both sides of the circumferential groove. In this way, even with certain unevennesses in the wall, very good electrical contact can be made between the housing and the wall, since at least one of the two partial surfaces always rests on the corresponding wall surface section.

The hood arrangement according to the invention can have a cable passage through which a cable harness to be connected to the connector can be introduced into the chamber in a manner sealed against liquids. This not only provides a liquid seal in the area of the connector, but also in the area of the

Cable passage is achieved so that the housing is absolutely liquid-tight when plugged in.

In particular, the cable passage can act as a strain relief for the cable harness that is routed through it. This advantageously prevents the cable ends connected to the connector from tearing off cables routed in the cable harness.

In a special design of the cable passage, the housing has a cable outlet that is essentially hollow-cylindrical and has an external thread, onto which a nut is screwed, which has a through hole for the cable harness to pass through, with a pressure disk and an annular seal being arranged between the nut and the cable outlet in such a way that screwing on the nut leads to an axial displacement of the pressure disk, which presses the annular seal onto a tapering inner section of the cable outlet. This means that the annular seal is then pressed onto the cable harness and thus has a sealing effect. With a cable passage designed in this way, the otherwise usual cable screw connection for sealing the cable harness that is passed through can be omitted, so that the cover arrangement according to the invention or the housing as a whole can be designed to be more compact and smaller.

In the hood arrangement according to the invention, an electrically conductive shielding element (preferably captive) can be connected to the housing in the chamber, which can be contacted with a cable shield of the cable harness in a spring-loaded manner. This ensures excellent shielding, which is necessary for good EMC protection, from the housing contact surface to the cable passage.

The shielding element is preferably in contact with an electrically conductive fastening element, in particular a clamping element that is in contact with an exposed section of the cable shield. A conventional cable clamp can be used as a fastening element, for example, which presses or clamps the cable shield, which can be folded over from a stripped end, onto the insulation of the cable harness, thereby creating excellent electrical contact. Excellent shielding can thus be achieved with the simplest components.

In particular, two shielding elements can be provided in the chamber, which clamp the fastening element in a spring-loaded manner. This spring-loaded clamping can be implemented, for example, as a spring-loaded snap-in connection. This ensures a permanent

-A-

Contacting or connection of the cable shield with the electrically conductive housing is ensured.

In particular, the spring-loaded contact of the fastening element can also be designed as an additional strain relief, so that an unintentional pulling out of the cable harness from the hood housing is prevented.

Furthermore, it is preferred that in the hood arrangement according to the invention the connector can be fastened in the chamber in such a way that the distance between the housing support surface and a connector support surface of the connector ensures a minimum degree of insertion of the connector and mating connector in the plugged-in state. This minimum degree of insertion can be selected in particular in such a way that the plug-in area is guaranteed for secure contact in accordance with DIN 41652 Part 1.

In particular, the hood arrangement can be designed with adapted housing dimensions for cases where the mating connector is mounted on the wall from the rear or from the front. Of course, it is also possible to use only one housing dimension and, for example, to provide spacer elements when fastening the connector in the chamber or not.

In the hood arrangement according to the invention, the connector in particular can already be fastened in the chamber, e.g. when the cable harness is guided through the cable passage and the individual wires are soldered or crimped to the contacts of the connector.

The housing can be made of metal. Alternatively, it is also possible for the housing to be made of a metallized plastic. For example, ABS electroplated with nickel can be used as the plastic. Of course, all other materials known to those skilled in the art that can be used to produce an electrically conductive housing can also be used.

The invention is explained in more detail below by way of example with reference to the drawings. They show:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the hood arrangement according to the invention with a connector mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the hood arrangement of Fig. 1, which is plugged onto a mating connector mounted on a housing wall;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of detail A of Fig. 2;
5

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of detail B of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 and 6 Cross-sectional views to explain the fastening of the connector in

the hood, as well as
10

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the hood assembly.

As can best be seen from Fig. 1 to 3, in the embodiment shown the hood arrangement comprises an electrically conductive housing 1 which has a chamber 2 with a chamber opening 3. The plug connector 4, which in the embodiment described here is a D-SUB miniature plug connector, is locked into the chamber 2. The locking screws 5 serve to attach it to the mating plug 11.

The housing edge 6 surrounding the chamber opening 3 has a recess or circumferential groove 7 running along the entire housing edge, in which an O-ring seal 8 is inserted. The circumferential groove 7 is designed such that the housing edge 6 has partial surfaces 9, 10 lying in one plane on both sides of the circumferential groove 7, which together form a housing support surface. The sealing ring 8 is designed such that it protrudes slightly beyond the housing support surface 9, 10, as can be seen from Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows the state of the connector 4 connected to the housing 1 when plugged onto a mating connector 11, which is mounted on the back of an electrically conductive housing wall 12. As can be seen from this illustration, the partial surfaces 9 and 10 of the housing support surface rest on the wall 12, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the wall 12 and the housing 2, and at the same time the O-ring seal 8 seals, since it seals against the wall 12 between the partial surfaces

8, 9. This is particularly evident from the enlarged cross-sectional view of detail A in Fig. 3.

The distance D1 between a plug contact surface F of the connector 4 and the housing contact surface

9, 10 of the housing 1 is selected such that in the plugged-on state shown in Fig. 2 and 3 a desired minimum plug-in area for secure contact is ensured.

Furthermore, it can be seen in particular from Fig. 3 that a further O-ring seal T is provided for sealing in the area of the locking screw 5.

The housing 1 has, as can be seen in particular from Fig. 1-3, a hood-shaped section S with the opening 3 which laterally surrounds the connector 4 and whose wall is laterally spaced from the connector 4. The connector 4 can, but does not have to, protrude with its contact area beyond the edge 6.

The enlarged cross-sectional view in Fig. 4 shows the cable passage and its liquid-tight design for the cable harness 13 to be introduced into the chamber 2 (the cable harness 13 is not shown in Fig. 1-3 to simplify the illustration). The housing 1 comprises a housing cable outlet 14 which is essentially hollow-cylindrical in its end region and has an external thread 15, wherein it has a tapered inner section 17 spaced from its upper end 16. A nut 18 with a through hole 19 for the cable harness 13 to pass through is screwed onto the external thread 15, and a pressure disk 20 and an annular seal 21 are arranged between the nut 18 and the housing cable outlet 14, wherein the annular seal rests against the tapered inner section 17 and the pressure disk 20 presses onto the annular seal 21 from above. When the nut 18 is screwed onto the external thread 15, it presses the pressure disk 20 downwards so that the pressure disk 20 presses on the ring seal 21, which presses radially inwards on the cable harness due to the tapered inner section 27 and thus creates the liquid seal. In addition to the liquid seal, the cable passage also acts as a strain relief when the sealing effect is achieved.

The fastening of a connector in the hood housing 1 is described below in connection with Fig. 5 and 6. First, the cable harness 13 is pulled through the cable passage and the end of the cable harness 13 facing the connector 4 is stripped. Then the cable shield 25 is folded back (to the left in Fig. 5) and pressed onto the insulation of the cable harness 13 with a cable clamp 22. The individual wires of the cable harness are connected to the contacts of the connector 4 in the conventional manner. They can be soldered or crimped on, for example. The connector is then pulled into the housing 1 or the chamber 3 by pulling on the cable harness protruding from the cable passage. This is carried out until the cable clamp 22 snaps into place between two shield plates 23 and 24 provided in the chamber 3, which are designed to be spring-loaded at least in the contact area with the cable clamp 22. The shielding plates 23 and 24 are electrically conductive, so that a permanent electrical connection of the cable shield 25 to the

Housing 1 is implemented. This ensures EMC protection from the housing contact surface 9, 10 to the cable outlet. In particular, the nut 18 can also be designed to be electrically conductive, e.g. it can be made of metallized plastic (e.g. in the same way as the housing 1).
5

Fig. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the hood arrangement according to the invention. This embodiment differs from the embodiment described in connection with Figs. 1 to 6 only in that the distance D2 between the plug contact surface F and the housing contact surface 9, 10 is smaller than the distance D1 and is thus adapted to the fact that the mating plug 11 in this embodiment is attached to the front of the wall 12 and thus protrudes somewhat further upwards than in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. The smaller distance D2 is achieved by making the section S shorter in the plugging direction (i.e. from top to bottom in Fig. 7) than in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 6.

In the embodiments described so far, the mating connector 11 is mounted on the front or rear of the housing wall 12. The mating connector 11 and the plug 4 can also be swapped so that the mating connector 11 is fastened in the housing 1 and the plug connector 4 is fastened to the housing wall. Furthermore, it is also possible for both the plug connector 4 and the mating connector 11 to be mounted in a housing 1, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, a so-called floating connection that is liquid-tight and EMC-protected can be created.

The housing 1 can be designed in one piece or in multiple pieces, with a two-piece design being particularly advantageous in the case of a multiple-piece design.

Claims (13)

1. Hood arrangement for a plug connector ( 4 ), with an electrically conductive housing ( 1 ) which has a chamber ( 2 ) in which the plug connector ( 4 ) can be fastened, with a front chamber opening ( 3 ), wherein a housing edge surrounding the chamber opening ( 3 ) is designed as a housing support surface ( 9 , 10 ) with a circumferential groove ( 7 ) formed therein, in which a sealing element ( 8 ) is inserted, such that in a state of the plug connector ( 4 ) fastened in the housing ( 1 ) plugged onto a mating connector ( 11 ) which is fastened to a conductive wall ( 12 ), the housing support surface ( 9 , 10 ) lies on the wall ( 12 ) in order to produce an electrical contact between the housing ( 1 ) and the wall ( 12 ), and at the same time the sealing element ( 8 ) is sealingly attached to the wall ( 12 ) to create a fluid seal. 2. Hood arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element ( 8 ) is designed as a circumferentially closed ring made of an elastic material and, in the non-attached state, protrudes beyond the housing support surface ( 9 , 10 ). 3. Hood arrangement according to one of the above claims, in which the sealing element ( 8 ) is formed from a conductive material or is mixed with conductive material. 4. Hood arrangement according to one of the above claims, in which the circumferential groove ( 7 ) is designed such that partial surfaces ( 8 , 9 ) of the housing support surface lie on both sides of the circumferential groove ( 7 ). 5. Hood arrangement according to one of the above claims, in which a cable passage is provided through which a cable harness ( 13 ) to be connected to the plug connector ( 4 ) can be guided into the chamber ( 3 ) in a manner sealed against liquids. 6. Hood arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the cable passage for the cable harness ( 13 ) guided through acts as a strain relief. 7. Hood arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, in which the cable passage comprises a housing cable outlet ( 14 ) which is essentially hollow-cylindrical in shape and has an external thread, onto which a nut ( 18 ) is screwed, which comprises a through-bore ( 19 ) for the cable harness ( 13 ) to pass through, wherein a pressure disk ( 20 ) and an annular seal ( 21 ) are arranged between the nut ( 18 ) and the cable outlet ( 14 ) in such a way that screwing on the nut ( 18 ) leads to an axial displacement of the pressure disk ( 20 ) and this presses the annular seal ( 21 ) onto a tapering inner section of the cable outlet ( 14 ). 8. Hood arrangement according to one of the above claims, in which an electrically conductive shielding element ( 23 , 24 ) is connected to the housing ( 1 ) in the chamber ( 3 ) and can be resiliently contacted with a cable shield ( 21 ) of the cable harness ( 13 ). 9. Hood arrangement according to claim 8, wherein an exposed portion of the cable shield ( 21 ) is contacted with an electrically conductive fastening element ( 22 ), in particular a clamping element, which is in contact with the shielding element ( 21 ). 10. Hood arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, in which at least two shielding elements ( 23 , 24 ) are provided in the chamber ( 3 ), which resiliently clamp the fastening element ( 22 ). 11. Hood arrangement according to one of claims 8 to 10, in which the resilient contact of the fastening element ( 22 ) acts as a strain relief. 12. Hood arrangement according to one of the above claims, in which the plug connector ( 4 ) can be fastened in the chamber ( 3 ) such that the distance (D1, D2) between the housing support surface ( 9 , 10 ) and a plug support surface ( 12 ) of the plug connector ( 4 ) ensures a minimum degree of insertion of the plug connector ( 4 ) and the mating plug ( 11 ) in the plugged-in state. 13. Hood arrangement according to one of the above claims, in which the connector ( 4 ) is fastened in the chamber ( 3 ).