WO2025011812A1 - Connector for transmitting high-frequency data signals and for variable-angle coupling with a mating connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a connector assembly (3), having a connector (1) for transmitting high-frequency data signals and for variable-angle coupling with a mating connector (11). The connector (1) has a signal line unit (5), a cable outlet housing (7) and a contact housing (9). The signal line unit can be bent transversely to a longitudinal direction and has two separate signal lines (13), each with a signal line connection (17) and a contact connection (21). The cable outlet housing (7) receives an end region of a signal transmission cable (23) and a first end region of the signal line unit and comprises a first coupling section (25) of a pivot joint (27). The contact housing receives the second end section of the signal line unit, interacts with the mating connector and comprises a second coupling section (31) of the pivot joint. The pivot joint is configured such that: - the first coupling section and the second coupling section can be positioned in different angular positions relative to one another; - latching structures (33) between the first coupling section and the second coupling section interact in a preloading direction (35) in such an elastically preloaded manner as a latching means to hold the two coupling sections latched in one of the different angular positions as required; - the latching means can be temporarily released by applying force against the preloading direction in order to shift the two coupling sections into another of the different angular positions as required.

Description

CONNECTORS FOR TRANSMISSION OF HIGH FREQUENCY DATA SIGNALS AND FOR

ANGLE VARIABLE COUPLING WITH A MATING CONNECTOR

field of the invention

The present invention relates to a connector which can be electrically and mechanically coupled to a mating connector in such a way that high-frequency data signals can be transmitted via a plug connection formed thereby.

Background of the invention

There are a wide variety of different applications, for example in the automotive sector, in which data signals in the form of electrical signals changing at very high frequencies are to be transmitted between devices. For example, devices that act as information sources or transmitters can generate such data signals. Such devices can be sensors, for example. In automotive applications in particular, such devices can be lidar sensors, radar sensors, cameras or similar. Other devices that are used for information processing or information conversion and that act as receivers can further process received data signals or control actions based on them. Such devices can be control units or actuators, for example.

As applications become increasingly complex, the need for signal transmission and the data transmission bandwidth to be achieved can increase significantly. For example, there is an ever-increasing need for high-speed Ethernet cables in automotive applications. It can be important, among other things, to be able to guarantee high data rates with high signal integrity. For data transmission, therefore, specialized signal transmission cables are usually used, in which wires are used to transmit high-frequency electrical data signals, whereby the wires are designed in a suitable manner,

KU: KU arranged and/or shielded in order to achieve the desired high signal integrity. For example, signal transmission cables in the form of 2-wire systems or multi-wire systems, in which several wires are arranged parallel to one another or twisted together, are used for differential data transmission.

It has been observed that with an increasing number of signal transmission cables required for data transmission between information transmitters such as various sensors on the one hand and information receivers such as a control unit or actuators on the other, the number of boundary conditions and requirements to be met also tends to increase significantly. For example, one boundary condition can be the amount of space available to connect a signal transmission cable to one of the information transmitters or one of the information receivers or a corresponding mating connector using a connector.

Summary of the Invention and Advantageous Embodiments

There may therefore be a need for a connector for transmitting high-frequency data signals, with the aid of which signal transmission cables can be connected to different devices or different mating connectors in different configurations both mechanically and electrically. There may also be a need for a connector arrangement that has such a connector in addition to a signal transmission cable.

This need can be met by the subject matter of one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are set out in the dependent claims, the following description and the accompanying figures.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a connector for transmitting high-frequency data signals and for angle-variable coupling with a mating connector is described. The connector has a signal line unit, a cable outlet housing and a contact housing. The signal line unit can be bent transversely to a longitudinal direction. The signal line unit has at least two separate signal lines. The signal line unit has a signal line connection assigned to each of the signal lines at a first end region and has a contact connection assigned to each of the signal lines at a second end region opposite the first end region. The cable outlet housing is configured to accommodate an end region of a data cable in the form of a signal transmission cable with at least two cable lines and to accommodate the first end region of the signal line unit. The cable outlet housing comprises a first coupling section of a rotary joint. The contact housing is configured to accommodate the second end region of the signal line unit. The contact housing is further configured to interact with the mating connector in such a way that an electrical connection is established between the signal lines of the signal line unit and associated signal lines of the mating connector. The contact housing comprises a second coupling section of the rotary joint. The rotary joint is configured with its first coupling section and second coupling section in such a way that

(i) the first coupling section and the second coupling section can be positioned in different angular positions relative to each other,

(ii) locking structures between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion elastically pre-tensioned in a pre-tensioning direction such that locking interactions take place to keep the two coupling portions selectively locked in one of the different angular positions, and

(iii) the locking mechanism can be temporarily released by applying a force opposite to the preload direction in order to selectively move the two coupling sections into another of the various angular positions.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a connector arrangement for transmitting high-frequency data signals and for angle-variable coupling with a mating connector is described. The connector arrangement has a connector according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention and a signal transmission cable. The signal transmission cable is designed as a multi-wire system with several cable lines, each of the cable lines being electrically conductively connected to one of the signal line connections of the connector.

By way of introduction, a basic idea for embodiments of the invention described herein will be briefly explained, whereby this explanation is to be interpreted as merely a rough summary and not as limiting the invention:

It has been recognized that for some applications it may be advantageous or even necessary to connect signal transmission cables to a device such as a Sensor, actuator or control unit. This allows the signal transmission cables to be connected to a mating connector provided on the respective device in different installation spaces and/or along different cable routes using a connector provided at their end.

In order to achieve this, it is proposed to design a housing of the connector in several parts. A cable outlet housing and a contact housing are to be connected to one another via a rotary joint arranged between them in such a way that an angular arrangement between the two housing parts can be changed, i.e. the cable outlet housing can be rotated or pivoted relative to the contact housing. The rotary joint is made up of a first coupling section and a second coupling section, with the first coupling section being arranged on the cable outlet housing and the second coupling section being arranged on the contact housing.

The swivel joint is specially designed in such a way that it can be positioned in different angular positions and held by a locking mechanism, whereby this locking mechanism can be temporarily released by exerting a force on the swivel joint in order to temporarily release the mechanical preload used for locking.

Accordingly, the connector can be used as an angle connector by appropriately rotating its swivel joint, whereby angles between the cable outlet housing and the signal transmission cable connected to it on the one hand and the contact housing and the mating connector plugged into it on the other hand can be set according to the application and held by the locking mechanism.

In a special embodiment, the signal line unit, which within the connector with its signal lines ensures the signal transmission between the signal transmission cable on the one hand and contacts on the mating connector on the other hand, is designed with the help of a flexible circuit board in such a way that it can be flexibly bent transversely to its longitudinal direction and can thus follow the different angular positions set between the cable outlet housing and the contact housing.

Possible configurations and advantages of embodiments are described below of the connector and the connector arrangement equipped with it are described in more detail.

The connector described herein can be suitably designed to transmit data signals at high frequencies of, for example, more than 1 MHz, preferably more than 1 GHz or even more than 10 GHz. For example, data streams of more than 1 Gbps (one billion bits per second) or even more than 10 Gbps can be transmitted via the connector.

The contact housing can be adjusted relative to the cable outlet housing at different angles via the swivel joint, for example between angle positions of +90° and -90°. The swivel joint can be configured in such a way that it can be locked in different angle positions. Between the different angle positions there can be angle intervals of, for example, between 1° and 90°, preferably between 5° and 45° or more preferably between 10° and 30°. The signal line unit arranged within the two housing parts adapts to the set angle position.

The cable outlet housing and the contact housing are designed as separate components that can be manufactured individually and then connected to one another when assembling the connector. Both housing parts can be designed as plastic components, for example as injection-molded components. Both housing parts have cavities inside them in which the elongated signal line unit can be accommodated. The cavities and the signal line unit accommodated therein extend from one end of the connector, where the signal transmission cable is to be connected to the connector, to an opposite end of the connector, where it is to be connected in mechanical and electrical contact with a mating connector.

The signal line unit is elongated and can be bent flexibly across its longitudinal direction. The signal line unit can be bent along its entire longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the signal line unit can only be bent in a partial section of its longitudinal direction. The signal line unit can be bent at least in a partial section into a curved shape with a curve radius of, for example, less than 10 cm, preferably less than 5 cm or even less than 2 cm. Deformation of the signal line unit is preferably predominantly elastic and is therefore reversible. The signal line unit comprises at least two separate signal lines, i.e. a pair of signal lines. The signal line unit can also comprise a larger number of signal lines, in particular several pairs of signal lines. A number of signal lines can preferably correspond to a number of wires that are accommodated in the signal transmission cable to be connected to the connector. The signal transmission cable and the connector provided for this can be designed as a 2-wire system or a multi-wire system for the differential transmission of high-frequency data signals. Each of the signal lines is made of electrically conductive material, in particular metal. The signal lines are laterally spaced from one another and electrically insulated from one another. The signal lines can run parallel to one another. The signal lines can be designed as conductor tracks. The signal lines can be designed with a small line cross-section of, for example, less than 5 mm ² , usually less than 1 mm ² or even less than 0.2 mm ² , since as a rule only data signals with low electrical power are to be transmitted.

Each signal line is connected at its first end region to a so-called signal line connection, via which one of the wires of a signal transmission cable can be connected to the respective signal line. The signal line connection can be designed as a crimp contact, for example. At its opposite second end region, each of the signal lines is connected to a so-called contact connection. The contact connection is preferably designed in such a way that it can be connected or plugged together with corresponding contact connections on a mating connector. The connection between the signal line and the signal line connection on the one hand and the contact connection on the other hand is designed to be electrically conductive and can be designed, for example, as a soldered connection, welded connection, bonded connection or similar.

The cable outlet housing is configured, in particular with regard to its geometric design, to accommodate an end region of the signal transmission cable to be connected to the connector and a first end region of the signal line unit. The signal line connections are provided at the first end region. Accordingly, both the signal transmission cable with its end and the part of the signal transmission unit adjacent to it can be surrounded, held and, if necessary, mechanically protected by the cable outlet housing. The contact housing is configured, in particular with regard to its geometric design, to accommodate the second end region of the signal line unit. In addition, the contact housing is configured to be able to be plugged together with a corresponding counterpart of a mating connector and thus to be able to establish an electrically conductive connection between, on the one hand, the signal lines of the signal line unit or the contact connections provided thereon and, on the other hand, corresponding contact connections on the mating connector.

In addition to their task of receiving, holding and, if necessary, protecting the various areas of the signal line unit, the cable outlet housing and the contact housing are specially designed to form the swivel joint between them in order to be able to set and lock different angular positions.

For this purpose, the cable outlet housing has a first coupling section and the contact housing has a second coupling section. The two coupling sections are designed to be complementary and interact with one another in such a way that together they form the swivel joint and thereby bring about both its variable adjustability to the various angular positions and the desired locking in the various angular positions as well as a temporary releasability of this locking.

For this purpose, the two coupling sections are designed in such a way that they can be mechanically connected to one another on the one hand, but on the other hand can be rotated or pivoted relative to one another around an axis of rotation and thus be angled in different angular positions. In addition, locking structures are provided on the coupling sections, which are elastically pre-tensioned relative to one another in a mechanically unloaded state and thus cause a locking between the two coupling sections. Due to this locking, the two coupling sections can be held mechanically loadable relative to one another in the different angular positions.

In addition, the coupling sections are designed in such a way that the locking can be temporarily released by applying a specific force in order to be able to rotate or pivot the coupling sections relative to each other and thus shift them to other angular positions. The force must be applied in the opposite direction to the pre-tensioning direction in order to temporarily release the locking. According to one embodiment, one of the two coupling sections has at least one elongated recess, the other of the two coupling sections having at least one projection. The elongated recess and the projection are designed to be complementary and can be inserted into one another. The elongated recess and the projection are designed to interact with one another in particular in such a way that when a force is applied against the prestressing direction, an elastic deformation occurs on at least one of the two coupling sections and, due to the elastic deformation, a restoring force is caused between the two coupling sections in the prestressing direction.

In other words, at least one recess and one projection are provided in the swivel joint on the two coupling sections, which are specially designed and interact with each other in such a way that they generate a restoring force due to an elastic deformation when the two coupling sections are moved against the preload direction. The elastic deformation is generated on at least one of the two coupling sections in such a way that it acts along or parallel to the preload direction. Accordingly, a locking between the coupling sections can be released on the one hand by moving the coupling sections away from each other against the preload direction. The elastic deformation caused by this and the resulting restoring force, however, mean that the coupling sections move towards each other again in the preload direction as soon as the force used for release is no longer applied, thereby causing the locking again.

The advantage here is that the restoring force is generated by an elastic deformation on at least one of the coupling sections itself when the locking is temporarily released by the external force application, so that the swivel joint automatically returns to its locked configuration when the force application is stopped. Accordingly, no additional component, i.e., for example, no additional spring or similar, needs to be used to generate the restoring force.

In particular, according to one embodiment, one of the two coupling sections can have at least one elongated groove or an elongated slot, which are tapered at least in a partial area, the other of the two coupling sections then having at least one projecting pin acting as a rotation axis. The two coupling sections are designed in such a way that the pin can be inserted into the groove or the slot in its longitudinal direction. The groove or the The slot and the pin are designed to interact with each other in such a way that when a force is applied against the preload direction, the pin is moved along the tapered portion of the groove or slot, resulting in an elastic deformation in the form of a spreading of the groove or slot and, due to the elastic deformation, a restoring force is caused between the two coupling sections in the preload direction.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment, a locking lug aligned in or against the pretensioning direction can be arranged on one of the two coupling sections, wherein a plurality of locking grooves complementary to the locking lug can be arranged on the other of the two coupling sections.

In addition, according to one embodiment, one of the two coupling sections can have a cylinder body which has a plurality of locking grooves arranged at different positions along a circumferential surface of the cylinder body and set back radially inwards. The other of the two coupling sections can then have a cylindrical inner surface which is designed to be complementary to the circumferential surface of the cylinder body and on which a locking lug is designed to project radially inwards.

In addition, according to one embodiment, a limiting element can be formed on one of the two coupling sections, which is configured such that it spatially limits a movement of the two coupling sections relative to each other, which is caused by the application of force against the prestressing direction.

Since the embodiments described above relate at least partially to possible functional and in particular geometric configurations of the rotary joint and its components, possible properties and advantages of such embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary configurations shown in the figures.

According to one embodiment, the signal line unit comprises a flexible printed circuit board, along which at least a partial section of the signal lines runs as a conductor track.

In other words, the signal line unit can be connected along its entire extension or at least along a partial segment of its extension via a flexible printed circuit board. In the first case, the signal line unit is constructed as a whole based on the flexible printed circuit board. In the second case, the signal line unit is constructed as a hybrid component, with only one sub-segment being formed with the flexible printed circuit board and one or more adjacent sub-segments being able to be designed with rigid printed circuit boards, for example. The signal lines of the signal line unit are formed by conductor tracks that extend along the flexible printed circuit board or at least a partial section thereof.

The printed circuit board (sometimes referred to as PCB) is flexible and can be designed, for example, in the form of a thin film-like circuit board (sometimes referred to as FPC). Such a flexible printed circuit board usually comprises a flat, electrically insulating substrate, for example in the form of a plastic film, on which electrically conductive structures in the form of conductor tracks, which consist of metal, for example, are applied. The substrate typically has a small thickness of usually less than 1 mm, often less than 0.3 mm, and is therefore elastically bendable in a direction transverse to its plane of extension due to its small thickness and its plastic material. The conductor tracks are also very thin, i.e. usually significantly thinner than the substrate, and are therefore also elastically bendable. The width of the conductor tracks can also be small, with adjacent conductor tracks being laterally spaced from one another and thus electrically insulated from one another. Geometric and/or electrical properties of the conductor tracks and their arrangement can be optimized in such a way that signal integrity and/or impedance matching are achieved in the best possible way.

Due to the elastically bendable property of the flexible circuit board, the signal line unit can follow the different angular positions between the contact housing and the cable outlet housing when the swivel joint is rotated through elastic and correspondingly reversible local deformations. The axis of rotation around which the swivel joint is rotated and the plane of extension of the flexible circuit board should coincide as much as possible, so that when the connector is bent, the flexible circuit board only bends and does not twist. This avoids excessive material fatigue on the flexible circuit board, which could otherwise occur when the connector is repeatedly bent into different angular positions. The signal line unit can therefore contribute to the longevity of the connector due to the properties of its flexible circuit board.

According to one embodiment, the signal line connections can be designed as crimp connections, to each of which one of the cable lines of the signal transmission cable designed as a multi-wire system can be crimped.

In other words, the signal line connections arranged in the first end region of the signal line unit can be designed as crimp connections. Such crimp connections are typically made of a plastically deformable and electrically conductive material such as a suitably punched and bent metal sheet and are shaped in such a way that they can be brought into a shape by plastic deformation in which they mechanically grip one or more wires, for example of a multi-wire system, and thereby establish an electrical connection to them. With the help of such crimp connections, the signal transmission cable with its multiple wires can be attached to the connector in a simple and industrially feasible manner by crimping the wires to one of the crimp connections on the signal line unit.

A geometric design of the crimp connections, a geometric arrangement of the crimp connections relative to one another, such as a pitch between adjacent crimp connections and/or a number of crimp connections to be provided, can be selected for specific applications and optimized if necessary, for example to take into account the circumstances of a chamber geometry and/or to minimize disruptive interactions between the crimp connections. The same applies analogously to the contact connections provided in the second end region of the signal line unit.

According to one embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board can have an electrically conductive shielding layer on opposite surfaces.

The shielding layer can be designed, for example, in the form of one or more cover layers made of an electrically conductive material, in particular as a thin metal layer. The shielding layers provided on the opposite surfaces of the flexible circuit board can surround or enclose the areas of the flexible circuit board running between them. Each shielding layer can be designed with regard to its geometric and electrical properties in such a way that it prevents or at least substantially attenuates the coupling and/or decoupling of electromagnetic radiation into or out of conductor tracks of the flexible printed circuit board.

In a specific embodiment of a connector arrangement formed with such a connector, the connector arrangement can further comprise a shielding sleeve which, on the one hand, is electrically conductively connected to a shield surrounding the signal transmission cable and which, on the other hand, is electrically conductively connected to at least one of the shielding layers.

The shielding sleeve is made of an electrically conductive material. For example, the shielding sleeve can be made of a suitably punched and bent metal sheet or as a metal braid. The shielding sleeve is used to establish an electrically conductive connection to a shield that typically encloses the signal transmission cable. In addition, the shielding sleeve is used to establish an electrical connection with at least one or preferably all shielding layers on the flexible circuit board of the signal line unit in the connector. In this way, the shielding sleeve can connect a shielding signal or a grounding between the signal transmission cable and the signal line unit in the connector.

According to a specific embodiment, the shielding sleeve can cover the first end region of the signal line unit.

Because the shielding sleeve covers the first end region of the signal line unit and the signal line connections arranged there, sufficient electromagnetic shielding can be ensured in this position in particular and in particular it can be avoided that electromagnetic signals are coupled in or out at the signal line connections which may otherwise not be shielded.

According to one embodiment, the flexible circuit board further comprises at least one shielding contact electrically connected to the shielding layer and protruding from the flexible circuit board.

Such a shielding contact can preferably protrude laterally from the flexible printed circuit board and serve to connect at least one or preferably all shielding layers to to be able to make electrical contact with the flexible printed circuit board from outside the connector. For example, the shielding contact can be used to establish an electrical connection between shielding layers on the signal line unit of the connector on the one hand and a corresponding shield on a mating connector with which the connector is plugged together.

The shielding contact can thus be used in particular for contacting and transmitting a ground signal between the connector arrangement described herein and a mating connector.

Preferably, two or more shielding contacts can be provided on the flexible circuit board, whereby these can protrude from the flexible circuit board in opposite directions, for example. A shielding contact can preferably be designed as a spring contact. The spring contact or the multiple spring contacts can be designed in addition to this in order to be able to attach the signal line unit with its flexible circuit board to at least one of the housing parts, in particular to the contact housing, for example by the protruding shielding contact engaging or snapping into a correspondingly suitable recess in the housing part.

According to one embodiment, the connector arrangement described herein may additionally comprise a coding housing which is mechanically connected to the contact housing.

The coding housing can have a specific shape or contour, which can also be referred to as a "face" and which is adapted to be able to be plugged together with a correspondingly complementary coding housing of a mating connector. By providing such a coding housing, it can be ensured that the connector arrangement can only be plugged together with mating connectors that have a correspondingly equipped complementary coding housing. The coding housing can be designed as a simple plastic component, for example as an injection-molded component. In particular, the coding housing can be designed to be complementary to the contact housing of the connector in such a way that both can be reversibly or irreversibly joined together, for example by a simple plug-on process. The coding housing and the contact housing can be designed to be suitable in order to fix both to one another in a locking manner. It is pointed out that possible features and advantages of various embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to a connector designed according to the invention and a connector arrangement provided with the same. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features described for individual embodiments can be suitably transferred to other embodiments in an analogous manner, can be adapted and/or exchanged in order to arrive at further embodiments of the invention and possibly synergistic effects.

Short description of the drawings

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the explanations are to be interpreted as limiting the invention in any way.

Figure 1 shows a sectional view through a connector arrangement according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a cable outlet housing and a contact housing of a connector according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of a signal line unit of a connector arrangement according to the invention.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a signal line unit of a connector arrangement according to the invention.

Figure 5(a)-(e) shows different angular positions of a connector according to the invention.

Figure 6(a)-(d) shows successive stages of an assembly process for manufacturing a connector arrangement according to the invention.

The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. The same reference symbols in the various drawings indicate the same or equivalent features. Description of advantageous embodiments

Figure 1 shows a connector arrangement 3 with a connector 1 and a signal transmission cable 23 attached thereto for transmitting high-frequency data signals.

The connector 1 comprises a signal line unit 5, a cable outlet housing 7 and a contact housing 9. Figure 2 illustrates details of the cable outlet housing 7 and the contact housing 9. Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrate details of the signal line unit 5 and its connection to the signal transmission cable 23.

The cable outlet housing 7 and the contact housing 9 are designed as separate components and are connected to one another via coupling sections 25, 31. A first coupling section 25 is provided on the cable outlet housing 7, whereas a second coupling section 31 is provided on the contact housing 9. The respective coupling sections 25, 31 are designed in one piece with a plastic component that forms the cable outlet housing 7 and the contact housing 9 respectively. The two coupling sections 25, 31 together form a rotary joint I, with the aid of which the cable outlet housing 7 and the contact housing 9 can be rotated or pivoted into different angular positions relative to one another.

The signal line unit 5 runs through internal cavities within the cable outlet housing 7 and the contact housing 9. A first end region 15 of the signal line unit 5 is accommodated in the interior of the cable outlet housing 7, whereas an opposite second end region 19 is accommodated in the interior of the contact housing 9. A plurality of signal line connections 17 are provided on the signal line unit 5 at the first end region 15. In this case, a signal line connection 17 is provided for each of at least two signal lines 13 that extend along the signal line unit 5. As a result, one of a plurality of cable lines 29 in the signal transmission cable 23 can be electrically connected to the respective signal line 13 of the signal line unit 5 via the signal line connection 17. A plurality of contact connections 21 are provided on the signal line unit 5 at the second end region 19. Again, for each of the signal lines 13, an associated contact connection 21 is provided, via which an electrically conductive connection can be established to a signal line 39 provided in a mating connector 11. The rotary joint I formed by the first coupling section 25 and the second coupling section 31 is designed such that the contact housing 9 connected to the cable outlet housing 7 via this rotary joint ZI can be positioned in different angular positions relative to the cable outlet housing 7 and the signal transmission cable 23 connected to it. Figure 5 illustrates different angular positions with angles of 90°, 45°, 0°, -45° and -90° between the two housing parts.

The rotary joint ZI has locking structures 33 which act between the first coupling section 25 and the second coupling section 31. These locking structures 33 are elastically tensioned relative to one another in a pretensioning direction 35 and thereby bring about a locking, due to which the two coupling sections 25, 31 can be selectively locked in one of several available angular positions and thus reversibly releasably fixed.

The two coupling sections 25, 31 and the locking structures 33 provided there are designed in such a way that the locking can be temporarily released by applying force in a force application direction 37 opposite to the pre-tensioning direction 35. By releasing the locking, the two coupling sections 25, 31 can then be rotated against each other and thus the cable outlet housing 7 adjoining it on the one hand and the contact housing 9 adjoining it on the other hand can be moved to a different angular position.

In order to be able to implement the described functionalities, one of the two coupling sections 25, 31 can have at least one elongated recess 41 and the other coupling section 31, 25 can have a matching projection 43 so that the projection 43 can be pushed into the elongated recess 41 along its longitudinal direction. In the example shown, the elongated recess 41 is designed as an elongated groove or elongated slot 45 and is provided on the cable outlet housing 7 on its first coupling section 25. The projection 43 is designed in this example as a protruding pin 47, which acts as a rotation axis for the rotary joint ZI, and is provided on the contact housing 9 on its second coupling section 31.

The elongated recess 41 in the form of the elongated slot 45 and the projection 43 in the form of the projecting pin 47 interact with each other in such a way that when a force is applied in the force application direction 37, an elastic deformation occurs on at least one of the two coupling sections 25, 31 Due to this elastic deformation, a restoring force is caused which elastically prestresses the two coupling sections 25, 31 of the rotary joint I towards each other in the prestressing direction 35.

Specifically, the pin 47 can be inserted into the slot 45 in its longitudinal direction and can be displaced within this slot 45. The slot 45 and the pin 47 are suitably shaped and dimensioned so that they interact with one another in such a way that when a force is applied in the force application direction 37, an elastic deformation in the form of a spreading of the slot 45 occurs.

To achieve this, a tapered partial region 49 is formed on the slot 45, that is, a region in which the slot 45 becomes increasingly narrower in a direction away from an end of the slot 45. In other words, in the tapered partial region 49, opposite edges that delimit the slot 45 are not aligned parallel but rather at an angle to one another, so that a width of the slot 45 gradually decreases in a direction away from its end. Due to this tapered design of the partial region 49, the pin 47 inserted into the slot 45 tends to move towards the end of the slot 45, that is, the pin 47 is elastically prestressed in the prestressing direction 35. If the two coupling sections 25, 31 are moved against this pre-tensioning direction 35 by an external force, an elastic deformation occurs in the form of a spreading of the slot 45 due to the pin 47, which is moved against the tapered portion 49. This elastic deformation in turn causes the desired restoring force between the two coupling sections 25, 31.

In order to implement the locking structures 33 with the described functionality, a locking lug 51 aligned in or against the prestressing direction 35 is arranged on one of the two coupling sections 25, 31 and a plurality of locking grooves 53, which are shaped complementarily to the locking lug 51, are arranged on the other of the two coupling sections 31, 25.

In the example shown, a locking lug 51 is formed so as to protrude from an inner surface 59 on the first coupling section 25. On a peripheral surface 57 of a cylinder body 55 forming the second coupling section 31, locking grooves 53 are formed at several different positions in the circumferential direction of this peripheral surface 57, each of which is set back inwards. In the assembled state of the connector 1, the cylinder body 55 of the second coupling section 31 is placed against the inner surface 59 of the first coupling section 25, which is designed to complement its peripheral surface 57. Both coupling sections 25, 31 are elastically prestressed towards each other in the prestressing direction 35 as described above. Accordingly, the protruding locking lug 51 engages in one of the recessed locking grooves 53 and leads to the desired locking between the two coupling sections 25, 31.

However, by temporarily displacing the two coupling sections 25, 31 against the preload direction 35 by applying an external force, this engagement can be released so that the two coupling sections 25, 31 can be rotated against each other until the locking lug 51 can engage in another of the recessed locking grooves 53 by terminating the external force application and the swivel joint I can thus lock in the new angular position.

In order to prevent the two coupling sections 25, 31 from being moved excessively far in the force application direction 37 relative to one another or even the pin 47 from being pulled out of the slot 45, a limiting element 61 is formed on at least one of the two coupling sections 25, 31. This is configured in such a way that it spatially limits a movement in the force application direction 37 of the two coupling sections 25, 31 relative to one another.

In the example shown, limiting elements 61 in the form of protruding knobs are provided on the first coupling element 25 for this purpose. These limiting elements 61 are arranged near an outer edge of the circular region of the first coupling section 25 and laterally adjacent to the slot 45 provided there and protrude parallel to a rotation axis of the rotary joint TI towards the adjacent cylinder body 55 of the second coupling element 31. Accordingly, the limiting elements 61 prevent the cylinder body 55 from being pulled out of the first coupling element 25 excessively. However, the limiting elements 61 are positioned such that the two coupling elements 25, 31 can be displaced at least sufficiently relative to one another to allow the locking to be released.

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the signal line unit 5 comprises a flexible printed circuit board 63. The signal lines 13 are provided on this in the form of conductor tracks 65. The signal line connections 17 provided on the first end region 15 of the signal line unit 5 are in the form of crimp connections 67. Cable lines 29 of the signal transmission cable 23 designed as a multi-wire system are crimped to these crimp connections 67.

At the opposite second end region 19 of the signal line unit 5, the contact connections 21 provided there are designed to interact as plug contacts or socket contacts with correspondingly complementary contacts on signal lines 39 of a mating connector 11.

Accordingly, the signal line unit 5 can be used to create an electrical connection from the cable lines 29 of the signal transmission cable 23 via the signal lines 13 of the signal line unit 5 to the signal lines 39 of the mating connector 11.

The flexible printed circuit board 63 is elastically bendable and can thus be curved within the cable outlet housing 7 and the contact housing 9 in such a way that it can adapt to the various adjustable angular positions of the connector 1.

In order to largely prevent electromagnetic radiation from being coupled into or out of the signal lines 13 on the signal line unit 5, electrically conductive shielding layers 71 are provided on opposing surfaces 69 of the flexible circuit board 63. The shielding layers 71 cover the flexible circuit board 63 and the conductor tracks 65 running along it in the form of thin metal layers, and are electrically insulated from the conductor tracks 65, for example by an intermediate layer.

In order to electrically connect the shielding created by the shielding layers 71 within the connector 1 to a shielding 77 of the signal transmission cable 23, a shielding sleeve 75 is provided in the connector arrangement 3. This shielding sleeve 75 can be designed as a suitably punched and bent sheet metal part or as a wire mesh. At one end, the shielding sleeve 75 is electrically connected to the shielding 77 of the signal transmission cable 23, for example by a crimp 87. At an opposite end, the shielding sleeve 75 is electrically connected to the shielding layers 71 on the signal line unit 5 via a connection 81. The shielding sleeve 75 covers the first end region 15 of the signal line unit 5 and at least parts of the signal line connections 17 provided there in order to be able to achieve good electromagnetic shielding in this region. Shielding contacts 73 are also provided on the flexible circuit board 63, which are electrically connected to the shielding layers 71 of the signal line unit 5 and protrude laterally from the flexible circuit board 63. In the assembled state of the connector 1, these shielding contacts 73 engage in lateral openings 85 in the contact housing 9 and protrude slightly laterally beyond the contact housing 9. These shielding contacts 73 can be used in particular to create an electrical connection to a shield (not shown) in the mating connector 11.

In addition, the flexible printed circuit board 63 in the example shown has a cylindrical thickening 83, by means of which it can be suitably held within the cable outlet housing 7 or the contact housing 9.

Finally, with reference to Figure 6, steps of a possible process for assembling the connector assembly 3 are described.

The cable housing 7 is pushed onto one end of the signal transmission cable 23. Then, the cable lines 29 of the signal transmission cable 23 are crimped to the signal line terminals 17 of the signal line unit 5 (see Figure 6 (a)).

Subsequently, the second end region 19 of the signal line unit 5 is inserted into the contact housing 9. When the signal line unit 5 reaches an end position within the contact housing 9, the laterally protruding shielding contacts 73 engage in the lateral openings 85 of the contact housing 9 (see Figure 6 (b)).

The cable outlet housing 7 is then pushed towards the contact housing 9. The pins 47, which protrude from the cylinder body 55 on the second coupling section 31 of the contact housing 9 on opposite sides, engage in the longitudinal slots 45 on the first coupling section 25 of the cable outlet housing 7 and are displaced along the slot 45 until they reach its end. Due to the shape of the slot 45 tapering at least in partial areas 49, the pins 47 are held in this end position or, if they are pulled out of this end position by an external force, are mechanically prestressed in the direction of this end position (see Figure 6 (c)).

Finally, a coding housing 79 is pushed onto the contact housing 9. The described connector arrangement and the way in which it can be assembled enables, among other things, a variability of the number of contacts of the connector system formed thereby, in particular through the possible use of tape goods. Furthermore, the contact chamber of the connector formed by the cable outlet housing and the contact housing can be fitted in one operation. In addition, the two-part nature of the concept allows strain relief and relief of the cable in the form of kink protection. The bendable connector concept described here allows overall more freedom for a designer and better handling for a worker. Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having", "comprising" etc. do not exclude other elements or steps and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. It should also be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with features or steps that have been described with reference to other of the above embodiments. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as a limitation.

list of reference symbols

I connector

3 connector arrangement

5 signal line unit

7 cable outlet housings

9 contact housings

II mating connector

13 Signal line on the signal line unit

15 first end area of the signal line unit

17 Signal line connection

19 second end area of the signal line unit

21 contact connection

23 signal transmission cables

25 first coupling section

27 swivel joint

29 cable line

31 second coupling section

33 locking structures

35 preload direction

37 Force application direction

39 Signal line on the mating connector

41 Verhefung

43 lead

45 groove / slot

47 pen

49 tapered section

51 locking lug

53 locking groove

55 cylinder bodies

57 peripheral surface

59 inner surface

61 boundary element

63 flexible circuit boards

65 conductor tracks

67 crimp connection

69 Surface of the flexible circuit board

71 shielding layer 73 shielding contact

75 shielding sleeve

77 Shielding of the signal transmission cable

79 Coding housing 81 Connection between shielding sleeve and shielding layer

83 thickening

85 side opening in contact housing

87 Crimping

Claims

claims 1. Connector (1) for transmitting high-frequency data signals and for angle-variable coupling with a mating connector (11), wherein the connector (1) has: a signal line unit (5), a cable outlet housing (7), and a contact housing (9), wherein the signal line unit (5) is bendable transversely to a longitudinal direction, has at least two separate signal lines (13), has a signal line connection (17) assigned to each of the signal lines (13) at a first end region (15) and has a contact connection (21) assigned to each of the signal lines (13) at a second end region (19) opposite the first end region (15), wherein the cable outlet housing (7) is configured to receive an end region of a signal transmission cable (23) with at least two cable lines (29) and to receive the first end region (15) of the signal line unit (5), wherein the cable outlet housing (7) has a first coupling section (25) of a rotary joint (27), wherein the contact housing (9) is configured to receive the second end region (19) of the signal line unit (5) and to cooperate with the mating connector (11) such that an electrical connection is established between the signal lines (13) of the signal line unit (5) and associated signal lines (39) of the mating connector (11), wherein the contact housing (9) comprises a second coupling section (31) of the rotary joint (27), wherein the rotary joint (27) with its first coupling section (25) and second coupling section (31) is configured such that - the first coupling section (25) and the second coupling section (31) can be positioned in different angular positions relative to each other, - locking structures (33), which are each provided on the first coupling section (25) and the second coupling section (31), between the first coupling section (25) and the second coupling section (31) in a prestressing direction (35) so as to cooperate elastically as a locking mechanism in order to keep the two coupling sections (25, 31) selectively locked in one of the different angular positions, - locking by applying force against the preload direction (35) is temporarily detachable in order to selectively move the two coupling sections (25, 31) to another of the various angular positions. 2. Plug connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein one of the two coupling sections (25, 31) has at least one elongated recess (41) and wherein the other of the two coupling sections has at least one projection (43), wherein the elongated recess (41) and the projection (43) are designed to be complementary and insertable into one another, and wherein the elongated recess (41) and the projection (43) are designed to interact with one another in such a way that when a force is applied against the prestressing direction (35), an elastic deformation occurs on at least one of the two coupling sections (25, 31) and, due to the elastic deformation, a restoring force is caused between the two coupling sections (25, 31) in the prestressing direction (35). 3. Plug connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the two coupling sections (25, 31) has at least one elongated groove or an elongated slot (45), which are tapered at least in a partial area (49), and wherein the other of the two coupling sections (31, 25) has at least one projecting pin (47) acting as a rotation axis, wherein the two coupling sections (25, 31) are designed such that the pin (47) can be inserted into the groove or the slot (45) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and wherein the groove or the slot (45) and the pin (47) are designed to interact with one another in such a way that when force is applied against the prestressing direction (35), the pin (47) is moved along the tapered partial area (49) of the groove or the slot (45), elastic deformation in the form of a spreading of the groove or slot (45) occurs and due to the elastic deformation a restoring force is caused between the two coupling sections (25, 31) in the prestressing direction (35). 4. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a locking lug (51) aligned in or against the pretensioning direction (35) is arranged on one of the two coupling sections (25, 31), and wherein a plurality of locking grooves (53) complementary to the locking lug (51) are arranged on the other of the two coupling sections (31, 25). 5. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the two coupling sections (25, 31) has a cylinder body (55) which has a plurality of locking grooves (53) arranged at different positions along a circumferential surface (57) of the cylinder body (55) and set back radially inwards, and wherein the other of the two coupling sections (31, 25) has a cylindrical inner surface (59) which is designed to be complementary to the circumferential surface (57) of the cylinder body (55) and on which a locking lug (51) is designed to project radially inwards. 6. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a limiting element (61) is formed on one of the two coupling sections (25, 31), which is configured such that it spatially limits a movement of the two coupling sections (25, 31) relative to one another, which is caused by the application of force against the prestressing direction (35). 7. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal line connections (17) are designed as crimp connections (67) to which one of the cable lines (29) of the signal transmission cable (23) designed as a multi-wire system can be crimped. 8. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal line unit (5) comprises a flexible printed circuit board (63), along which at least a partial section of the signal lines (13) each runs as a conductor track (65). 9. Connector (1) according to claim 8, wherein the flexible printed circuit board (63) has an electrically conductive shielding layer (71) on each of its opposite surfaces (69). 10. Connector (1) according to claim 9, wherein the flexible circuit board (63) further comprises at least one shielding contact (73) electrically connected to at least one of the shielding layers (71) and protruding from the flexible circuit board (63). 11. Connector arrangement (3) for transmitting high-frequency data signals and for angle-variable coupling with a mating connector (11), wherein the connector arrangement (3) comprises: a connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, and a signal transmission cable (23), wherein the signal transmission cable (23) is designed as a multi-wire system with several cable lines (29), wherein each of the cable lines (29) is electrically conductively connected to one of the signal line terminals (17) of the connector (1). 12. Connector arrangement (3) according to claim 11, wherein the connector (1) is designed according to claim 9 and further comprising a shielding sleeve (75) and a shield (77), wherein the shielding sleeve (75) is on the one hand electrically conductively connected to the shield (77) surrounding the signal transmission cable (23) and on the other hand is electrically conductively connected to at least one of the shielding layers (71). 13. Connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein the shielding sleeve (75) covers the first end region (15) of the signal line unit (5). 14. Connector arrangement according to one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a coding housing (79) which is mechanically connected to the contact housing (9).