Abstract:
A plug connector comprising a first contact support, in which contacts are disposed, which enter an electrical connection with mating contacts of a second contact support, when the contact supports are joined. The first contact support comprises first coding device, which interacts with a second coding device of the second contact support and assures a defined joining of the contact supports in order to connect the contacts and the mating contacts.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from and incorporates by reference German patent application serial No. DE 10 2008 054 015.3, filed on Oct. 30, 2008 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a plug connector with a first contact support, in which contacts are disposed, which enter an electrical connection with mating contacts of a second contact support, when the contact supports are joined, wherein the first contact support includes a first coding device, which interacts with a second coding device of the second contact support and assure defined joining of the contact supports for connecting contacts and mating contacts. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A plug connector of this type is known e.g. from DE 196 07 381 C2, which relates to a plug connector according to the Rast 5-Standard. Plug connectors of this type according to the invention can also be provided according to the Rast 2.5-Standard, which differ from the preceding plug connectors substantially only through the width of the contact pattern. 
     Plug connectors according to the Rast 5- or the Rast 2.5-Standard have become widely used in particular in electrical household- and kitchen appliances, heating system controls and internal system wiring solutions in the automotive industry. 
     Such plug connectors typically comprise a plug (second contact support) and a plug socket (first contact support), typically in a multi-pole configuration respectively. The term “plug” thus refers to the configuration of the “male” contact component, wherein the “socket” comprises “female” contact components. Since the socket is the component which is e.g. inserted into contact sections of a circuit board or onto a multi-pin strip in the major number of the Rast-plug connectors used on the market, the socket is subsequently designated as plug socket. Consequently, also circuit boards, multi-pin strips are similar are considered as plugs or plug devices according to the invention. 
     In order to assure an assembly of plug device and plug socket, which is safe against polarity reversal, both components comprise coding devices. In particular for a polarity safe attachment at circuit boards, their coding devices are configured as circuit board recesses or incisions in the contact portion of the circuit board, which vary with respect to their position, length and width. For each coding of a plug section of a circuit board, a mating plug socket is fabricated, whose housing forms coding walls mating with the recesses. 
     Color coding is used as a supplement for said form of mechanical coding quite frequently. Color markings are disposed at the plug devices, which are configured as adhesive labels, color bars or as colored plug socket housings. Thus, it is indicated for the assembly process that plug sockets, which are identified accordingly, have to be inserted onto the plug devices, e.g. the circuit board, at a location with identical color. Thus, the color marking can be configured as a supplemental optical, quasi redundant coding for unmistakable joining of plug socket and plug device, or it can be used for coding mechanically identically coded plug sockets or plug devices for additional differentiation. 
     The mechanical coding and the color coding have proven to be particularly advantageous, since a quasi error free assembly, this means a polarity reversal safe assembly of plug device and plug socket is assured. Meanwhile, however, the perception is that the fabrication of such plug connectors requires improvement. 
     In production, respective batches with a certain mechanical and/or color coding are fabricated. Thereafter setup times are required at the fabrication equipment for fabricating a batch with a different mechanical and/or color coding. As long as the color coding is performed by means of adhesive labels or color bars, this is a process step in need of improvement as well. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to simplify the fabrication of plug connectors, in particular of plug connectors with mechanical coding devices. 
     The object is accomplished by a plug connector according to claim  1 , which is in particular characterized in that at least one contact support comprises a receiver for a coding device, configured as a separate component. 
     It is the essential advantage of the invention that the standard contact supports and the mechanical contact devices can be fabricated separately, so that the setup times of the production equipment are eliminated. Depending on the desired mechanical coding, a contact support with a respective coding is assembled from a standard contact support and from a separate coding device. 
     It is provided for a substantially permanent disposition of the coding devices, that they can be snap locked in the contact support. 
     The position stabilized support can be accomplished in that the contact support comprises guides which are engaged by the coding devices in portions. 
     The invention relates in particular to a plug connector, whose first contact support is a housing of a plug socket. Said housing is advantageously provided with snap lock devices at the bottom for supporting the coding devices. 
     It is provided that the coding device for the housing is configured as an insertable coding wall, wherein in particular the plug socket housing comprises grooves disposed in pairs relative to said coding wall, which grooves are engaged by partial portions of the coding wall inserted into the plug socket housing for positional stabilization. Thus, it is advantageous when the coding wall comprises snap lock devices in insertion direction for disposing the coding wall in the plug socket housing. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment, the coding wall can be used as a face wall for a laterally open plug socket housing. 
     Since plug sockets with different depths are known, it is provided that the coding wall comprises a shortening section attached through a zone where the material is weakened, by which the coding wall can be shortened when using it in a housing which is by the length of the shortening section less deep, than the length of the coding wall. 
     It is provided for an additional or alternative fixation of the coding wall, that the coding wall comprises shoulders at its longitudinal side contacting the housing of the plug socket, which shoulders enter a snap lock connection with protrusions in the socket housing. 
     It is envisioned to use this form of a snap locked connection in particular for coding walls used as a face of the housing. 
     The plug connector according to the invention is preferably a plug connector according to the Rast 5-Standard or according to the Rast 2.5-Standard. 
     When the coding device is provided colored, the color coding described supra can be performed by respectively colored coding devices, in particular coding walls. This eliminates setup times for the production of batches of contact supports with different colors. 
     When the first contact support is configured as a plug socket housing, the second contact support is a plug device, in particular a plug or a circuit board. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages of the invention are evident from the subsequent description of the drawings, wherein: 
         FIGS. 1 &amp; 2  show a contact support according to the invention in the form of a housing of a plug socket in top view or a perspective view with a first mechanical coding; 
         FIGS. 3 &amp; 4  show a housing of a plug socket in top view and in a perspective view with a second mechanical coding; 
         FIG. 5  shows a housing of a plug socket of a plug connector according to the invention with coding bars in an exploded view; 
         FIG. 6  shows the housing according to  FIG. 5  in an alternative embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  shows the coding walls according to  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows the coding walls according to  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIGS. 9 &amp; 10  show embodiments of snap locked connections of coding walls in housings of a plug socket; and 
         FIGS. 11 &amp; 12  show embodiments of plug sockets with mechanical coding deviating from one another for insertion into contact sections of a circuit board. 
     
    
    
       FIGS. 1-4  show the housing of a prior art plug socket and designate it overall with the reference numeral  100 . 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The housing  100  initially forms a plug-in opening  101  for receiving a plug device which is not shown. The plug-in opening  101  is formed by two parallel walls offset from one another, which walls respectively support a contact spring  102  (contact support walls  109 ), optional face walls  107  connect the contact support walls  109 . 
     The plug device to be received by the plug-in opening  101  is mostly a plug, a multi-pin strip or a circuit board. Within the plug-in opening  101 , a plurality of contact springs  102  is disposed in series adjacent to one another. Said contact springs establish an electrical connection with mating contacts of a plug device, which mating contacts are not shown. The housing  100  itself is made from an insulating material, mostly plastic. The contact support walls  109  form slot shaped recesses  103  for the contact springs  102 . The contact springs  102  are electrically insulated from one another by means of material bars  104  formed between the recesses  103 . 
     Cable insertion openings  105  are used for connecting electrical conductors to the contact springs  102 . For this purpose, the contact springs  102  comprise clamping contacts with sharp cutting edges at their backs; this means at their sides oriented away from the plug-in opening, by means of which sharp cutting edges the contact springs  102  are contacted with the conductors inserted into the cable insertion opening  105 . 
     The plug socket illustrated in  FIG. 1  comprises various coding devices. These are initially coding walls  106 , which are integrally configured with the housing  100  within the plug-in opening or as the face wall  107  of the housing. They extend into the housing  100  at least to the bottom. Other coding devices configured as coding lugs  108  are formed on the outer circumference of the housing  100 . 
     As a matter of principle, the core idea of the invention relates to any mechanical coding devices known in the prior art, thus e.g. also the coding lugs  108 . It is advantageous as a matter of principle, when the coding devices of the contact supports, e.g. in the form of the housing  100  or the corresponding plug devices, are supported replaceable thereon or therein. When not shown differently, the following drawing description refers to coding devices in the form of coding walls  106  or their equivalents in the subsequent description of the embodiments according to the invention. 
     The problem solved by the invention can be described very well, when comparing the prior art embodiments according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The prior art according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  comprises three coding walls  106 , wherein two coding walls form the face walls  107  of the housing  100 . Contrary thereto, the prior art embodiment according to  FIGS. 3 and 4  comprises only two coding walls  106 , thus one coding wall configured as a face wall  107  and an additional coding wall  106  supported in the plug-in opening. In order to alternate from the production of housings  100  with mechanical coding according to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  to a plug socket housing  100  with mechanical coding according to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a substantial setup effort is required in the production equipment. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5-12 , different embodiments of the invention are being described, which overcome said disadvantage. 
     For a contact support in the sense of claim  4 , the first contact support in the form of a housing of a plug socket is designated herein overall with the reference numeral  10 . 
     The housing  10  of the plug socket comprises a contact support  11  made of an insulating material, in particular plastic, which contact support comprises a plug-in opening  12  for receiving a plug device which is not shown, e.g. a plug, a multi-pin strip or a circuit board section. As shown in the prior art, according to  FIGS. 1-4 , also the housing according to the invention is formed by two parallel contact support walls  26 , which are offset from one another, so that they form a gap, and possibly by face walls  24 . Cable insertion openings  13  are configured vertical to the plug-in opening  12 , analogous to the reference numeral  105  in the prior art, through which openings conductors, which are not shown, are inserted for electrically contacting contact springs  14  supported in the plug-in opening  12 . The contact support  11  of the housing  10  forms cable holders  16  connected to the cable insertion openings  13 . The cable ends can be arranged in parallel alignment with the plug-in opening  12  at the contact support  11  by means of the cable supports  16 . 
     The contact support  11  of the housing  10  forms integral coding protrusions  15  on the outer circumference in the outlet portion of the plug-in opening  12 . These correspond to the recesses of a mating plug device housing and assure a polarity reversal safe assembly of plug socket housing and plug device housing. 
     The coding devices designated as  17  are particularly important, which coding devices are inserted into the plug-in opening  12 . For this purpose, the contact support walls  26  initially form guide grooves  19 , initially disposed in pairs opposite to one another within the plug-in opening  12 . Said guide grooves  19  are oriented in the insertion direction of the plug device which is not shown and receive corresponding wall sections  20  of the coding walls  18  for stabilizing their positions. The coding walls  18  are provided with snap lock devices  21  in insertion direction, which are used for anchoring them in the base of the plug-in opening  22 . 
     As evident from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the plug-in opening  12  is open at its narrow sides  23 . Particularly configured coding walls  18  form face walls  24  by means of which the narrow sides of the plug-in opening  12  can be closed for plug coding. 
       FIG. 6  shows a housing  10  according to the invention of a plug socket in a revised embodiment. The housing  10  of  FIG. 6  comprises a contact support  11  which is configured slightly different in certain details, wherein only the subsequently described differences are relevant for the invention. 
     Initially, it is appreciated that the depth of the plug-in opening  12  in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  is less than the one shown in  FIG. 5 . The coding walls  18  also used as face walls  24  contrary to those of  FIG. 5  do not comprise snap lock devices at their ends disposed in insertion direction. Instead, the wall sections  20  of the face walls  24  oriented in the direction of the contact support walls  26  are provided with snap lock shoulders  27 . Said snap lock shoulders  27  reach behind respective protrusions  28  in the guide grooves  19 , which, however, are not illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Due to the smaller depth of the plug-in opening  12 , the coding walls  18  are also configured shorter overall. 
     The coding walls  18  according to  FIG. 5  are illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The coding walls  17  according to  FIG. 6  are illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Special attention has to be paid to the coding walls  18  configured as face walls  24  in  FIG. 7 . These comprise zones with weakened material  29 , where a shortening section  30  is connected at the end opposite to the insertion direction or at the end facing away from the snap lock device  21 . 
     In housings  10  according to  FIG. 5  with a plug in opening  12 , which is less deep, face walls  24  with identical configurations, can be inserted. These then have to be shortened during or after the assembly through separation along the zone of reduced strength material in order to shorten the section  30  ( FIG. 7 ). A similar configuration of the face walls  24  illustrated in  FIG. 8  is conceivable, wherein a shortening section which is not shown here is connected at the end opposite to the insertion direction. 
       FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  show the housing  10  of the plug socket according to  FIG. 6  in a sectional view.  FIG. 9  shows the section plane in insertion direction of the face wall  24  in the face wall plane.  FIG. 10  shows the section plane in insertion direction of the coding wall  18  in its plane. 
       FIG. 9  clearly shows the snap locking of the face wall  24  in the housing  10  according to  FIG. 6 . The guide grooves  19  into which the face wall  24  is inserted for positional stabilization comprise protrusions  28 , behind which shoulders  27  reach and snap lock. This is shown particularly clearly in detail IX of  FIG. 9 . 
     The snap locking of the coding wall  18  illustrated in  FIG. 6  works differently. Also, said coding wall  18  is inserted for positional stabilization into opposite guide grooves  19  provided in the contact support walls  26 , the snap locking, however, is performed through an opening in the base  22  of the plug-in opening  12 . In the portion of the opening, there are engagement protrusions  31 , behind which the snap hooks  32  of the coding wall  18  reach in inserted state. Said condition is clearly shown in the enlarged detail X of  FIG. 10 . 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  show typical applications for the housing  10  according to the invention. A plug device  35  in the form of a circuit board  34  comprises a contact zone  36  oriented towards the housing  10  with a plurality of conductor paths disposed adjacent to one another which are not shown. The contact zone is recessed by coding devices  17  provided as recesses  37 . Coding walls  18  inserted into the insertion opening of the plug-in opening  12  mate with the recesses  37 , which coding walls can also be provided in the form of face walls  24 . The arrangement is configured, so that the housing  10  can only be placed over the contact zone  36  of the circuit board  34  in one orientation. Thus, the recesses  37  and the coding walls  18  of the housing  10  or of the circuit board  34  are respectively disposed in different positions in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . Consequently, it is impossible to place the housing  10  of the plug socket of  FIG. 12  onto the circuit board  34  of  FIG. 11 , or to place the housing of  FIG. 11  onto the circuit board  34  of  FIG. 12 . Thus, the coding of the circuit board  34  and of housing  10  is not only used for polarity reversal safe placement at the respective location of the circuit board, but it also prevents the placement of a housing with a different coding. 
     To sum it up, a contact support  11  in the form of a housing  10  of a plug socket is shown, which can be produced as a standard component and whose coding is subsequently performed with coding devices in the form of coding walls  18 . In production, this has the significant advantage that few standard components can be produced without setup times on the production equipment continuously. Contrary to that, when producing prior art plug connectors of said type, the production equipment has to be reconfigured, since the coding walls  18  disposed within the plug in opening  12  are configured integral with the contact support  11 . 
     Furthermore, there is the option to color the coding walls  18 , which can be produced in a rather simple manner, and also to implement a color coding through inserting them into a housing  10  with a standard color. The coding walls  18  only have a small volume and can therefore also be easily stored in high volumes. The expensive setup times at production equipment for producing differently colored contact supports  11  or housings  10  become redundant. The plug connector according to the invention with coding devices  17 , which are configured as separate components, facilitates much more cost effective production and inventory management. 
     REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS 
     
         
         
           
               100  housing of a prior art plug socket 
               101  plug-in opening 
               102  contact spring 
               103  recess 
               104  material bar 
               105  cable insertion opening 
               106  coding wall 
               107  face wall of  101   
               108  coding lug 
               109  contact support wall 
               10  plug socket housing according to the invention 
               11  contact support 
               12  plug-in opening 
               13  cable insertion opening 
               14  contact spring 
               15  coding protrusions 
               16  cable support 
               17  coding device 
               18  coding wall 
               19  guide grooves 
               20  wall sections of  18   
               21  snap lock device 
               22  bottom of plug in opening 
               23  narrow sides of  12   
               24  face walls 
               25  receiving slot of  12   
               26  contact support wall 
               27  snap lock shoulders 
               28  protrusions of  19   
               29  reduced material strength zone 
               30  shortening section 
               31  snap lock protrusions 
               32  snap hooks 
               34  printed circuit board 
               35  plug device 
               36  contact zone 
               37  recess