Plug-in connection system for plug-in connectors

A plug-in connection system for a two-piece plug-in connection, comprising a plug-in connector and a matching mating connector, wherein the plug-in connector includes a latching unit with latching hooks provided thereon, which engage in groove areas on the mating connector. Here, a plurality of groove areas is circumferentially provided on the mating connector implemented in a sleeve-type way, which are offset relative to each other by a certain distance ds in relation to the plug-in edge of the mating connector. In the case of groove areas which are arranged in multiple pairs on the external side of the plug-in sleeve, only one latching hook pair engages at any one time during the plug-in operation into a latching groove in the groove area, whereas the other latching hooks respectively remain on a sawtooth flank before or after the one occupied latching groove.Thus, a very sensitive slide-on latching up to the mutual stop of any desired contacts becomes possible and a complex reception of the contacts is no longer necessary.Unlatching is carried out by lifting the latching hooks engaging in the latching grooves while withdrawing the external sleeve of the plug-in connector out of the latching grooves by means of opening hooks.

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a plug-in connection system according to the preamble of independent claim1.

A plug-in connection system of this kind is necessary in order to plug a plug-in connection, in particular in the case of fibre-optical cables, together in an intended manner, in order to achieve an optimal signal transmission, without a complex spring design being necessary, and in order to connect fibre-optical cable plug-in systems having different dimensions with each other.

PRIOR ART

A plug-in connector for fibre-optical cables, in particular for contacting opto-electric converters, is known from DE 10 2009 011 388 B3, wherein separately spring-loaded ferrules are respectively provided in one ferrule housing each, which in turn are mounted in a sliding housing to which a further compression spring is applied, so as to be able to compensate for manufacturing-related dimensional tolerances in the case of different insertion depths between ferrule housings and opto-electrical converters.

From DE 20 2006 005 177 U1, a plug-in connector is known which includes a locking hook that is latched into an integrally moulded recess of the mating connector. A latching plate, on which the locking hook is provided, can be lifted by withdrawing a sleeve, as a result of which the locking hook is released from the recess.

From DE 203 00 326 U1 a connector is known which can engage, by means of beads, into a threaded section of threads of a mating connector. The beads are here formed so as to correspond to the shape of the threads.

From DE 10 2007 009 947 A1 a connector element is known which engages, by means of a thread engagement portion, into the threads of a mating plug-in connector. The engagement of the thread engagement portion may be enabled or blocked by means of an actuating sleeve, wherein the actuating sleeve enables or blocks thread engagement protrusions that are integrally moulded onto the thread engagement portion.

What is of disadvantage here is that systems of a complex design are required in order to design, as intended, plug-in connections for fibre-optical cables, which are at least sealed against the environment, wherein different mechanical dimensions of fibre-optical cable components have to be connected together and wherein a shortening or an extension of the conductor within the plug-in connector housing has to be realised.

OBJECT

The invention is therefore based on the object o forming a plug-in connection that allows contacting in a simple manner, wherein the different structural design conditions of the contacting systems have to be bridged, and which at the some time offers a compact size.

This object is achieved by the characterising part of independent claim1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are provided in the dependent claims.

The invention relates to a plug-in connection of two plug-in connectors, in particular a plug-in connector and a mating connector, which is here provided for being mounted to a housing, and therefore has a special form with a screw-on flange.

The contacts contained within the plug-in connector, here fibre-optical cable ferrules, are suspended in such a way that manufacturing tolerances and slightly different dimensions of ferrules coming from different manufacturers are compensated. However, according to the invention the type of contacts is not just limited to fibre-optical cable ferrules, and for this reason the latter can in principle be replaced with almost any other type of contacts.

The advantages achieved by the invention consist in particular in the fact that this plug-in connection, due to the formation of the mechanical interaction of the two plug-in connectors, includes a soft plug-in mechanism that allows successive contacting of electrical and optical connections.

Another advantage is that by means of the plug-in operation following an initial mating phase of the two plug-in connectors, an immediate latching of the plug-in connection occurs. This is advantageously achieved by means of a latching mechanism, wherein latching hooks on one plug-in connector latch into corresponding latching groove areas of the other plug-in connector.

In order to achieve a very fine resolution for this latching connection, a plurality of fingers with attached latching hooks are provided within the first plug-in connector on a latch ring, whereas a plurality of latching groove areas are provided on the second plug-in connector, into which the latching hooks can latch during the plug-in operation. The latching grooves are provided on the plug-in connector in such a way that the latching hooks will access them in a pairwise manner and whilst being opposite each other, and in that a plurality of latching grooves is circumferentially provided on this plug-in connector, and each of the latching groove pairs has a defined offset relative to the other one(s) of the latching groove pair(s). Thus it is ensured that always just one latching hook pair will completely engage in a latching groove pair, whereas the other latching hook pairs will only partially rest on the tooth flanks of the corresponding latching grooves.

As a result of this circumferentially alternating latching, a very advantageous and fine resolution during an axial sliding movement of the two plug-in connectors relative to each other becomes possible.

This is advantageous in particular in the case of plug-in connectors which contact optical plug-in connections, because it has to he ensured here that, in particular if different makes with different dimensions are being combined, an optimal mutual contacting of the optical coupling surfaces is achieved.

As a result of the novel latching mechanism of the plug-in connection system according to the invention, a spring-loaded system of a complex design as already known from the prior art for accommodating the contact elements is no longer necessary.

Preferably, the plug-in connection is implemented in a hexagonal shape, so that different plug-in systems can be inserted in a simple manner by means of a contact sleeve to be inserted therein, and at the same time in a torsionally secure manner.

Irrespective of this, however, any other prudent shaping from an angled via a polygonal up to a circular cross-sectional shape is conceivable for this type of releasable latching condition.

Further there is the possibility of producing the fingers with the latching hooks of the latch ring in a pairwise manner with graded lengths, which will then engage with latching groove areas evenly provided on the mating connector from the plug-in edge.

InFIG. 1, a plug-in connection1is shown in an exploded sectional view, which plug-in connection1is formed from a plug-in connector2and a mating connector5, wherein the plug-in connector2comprises a connector body20, a latch ring40and a sliding ring30as well as a cable screw mechanism21. The cable screw connection is completed by a pressure screw22which has a sealing insert23for sealing against the environment.

Further, a sleeve insert60is provided, in which contact elements are used which are not shown herein in any more detail.

The latch ring40is pushed onto the connector body20in a latching manner either as a separate part by means of several latching hooks24or it is integrally connected to the connector body.

The latch ring40is formed from a ring41, onto which a plurality of axially aligned fingers42are moulded, the free ends of which in turn have latching hooks43acting into the centre thereof.

Above the latch ring40, an external sleeve3, which can be slided in sections as a sliding ring30, is provided in a captive manner on the connector body20.

On the plug-in side, the sliding ring30has a plurality of inwardly acting opening hooks33, by means of which the latching of the plug-in connection can be released. In the course of this, as the sliding ring30is being withdrawn, the opening hooks33that are integrally moulded on the plug-in side engage under the latching hooks43of the fingers42of the latching ring40and lever them out of the latching grooves53, so that the plug-in connector2can be withdrawn from the plug-in sleeve51.

Further, an O-ring25is provided on the plug-in side of the connector body20, recessed in a groove, for sealing the plug-in contacts on the inside of the connector sleeve51and of the connector body20.

Further, the sectional view shows the mating connector5, which is here formed as a flange housing so as to be screwed onto larger housings or the like.

However, what is also contemplated as a mating connector is a form of plug which as a cable connection is similar to the plug-in connector1shown.

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2cshow details of the functioning mode of the latching mechanism of the plug-in connector.

In this context, three pairs of identical fingers42are provided on the latch ring40, which are spread over an hexagonal structure of the plug-in sleeve51, wherein latching groove areas52are provided on each of the sides of the mating connector which is here formed as a flange housing50. In the top view of FIG.2b, the surface pairs A-A, B-B and C-C are shown, which in the assembled state form the hexagonal plug-in sleeve51.

InFIG. 2c, portions of several latching groove areas of the plug-in sleeve51, identified with A, B, C, are shown, which merely a pair half of the groove areas shown.

What is of interest here is the gradation of the latching grooves relative to each other, which are here identified with D1, D2, D3, and the respective distance of the first latching groove of a latching groove area, here B, A, C, from the plug-in edge54of the plug-in sleeve51.

The distance between d1and d2as well as d2and d3is here identified with ds and ultimately constitutes the effective and thus smallest latching distance when sliding the plug-in connector on the plug-in sleeve of the mating connector.

The effects of these gradations are shown in more detail inFIGS. 3a, 3b. Here, part of the latch ring40of the plug-in connector2is shown, together with the plug-in sleeve51of the flange housing or of the mating connector50.

Thus, the latching hook pair in illustration A-A shows a latching hook43that is supported, over approximately a third of the sawtooth flank55, below the latching groove53′, whereas in the illustration B-B, the latching hook43exactly or positively hooks into the latching groove53′, and in illustration C-C, the latching hook43rests, over approximately a third of the sawtooth flank55, above the latching groove53′.

With each further pushing on of the latching ring40, respectively the plug-in connector2, onto the mating connector5, in each case one next latching hook pair completely locks into the following latching groove53and stays there until the next latching groove53is advanced by a further pushing in of the plug-in connector.

Thus, an axial dislocation with simultaneous latching of the plug-in connection may effected with a very fine gradation, which here amounts to approximately 0.5 mm and constitutes the effective latching distance ds.

This means that during the latching operation of the plug-in connector2or to the mating connector5, the specified distance s of the latching grooves53is effectively reduced to a smaller latching distance ds. The distance ds results here from the latching groove distance ds divided by the number of different latching groove pairs.

In this way, in the case of optical plug-in connection, for example any possibly additional axial travel that results from component-related differences can be compensated, a difference that could otherwise only be realised by means of an additional compression spring.

InFIG. 4a, a plug-in connector2in a spatial part-section is shown, whereasFIG. 4bandFIG. 4crespectively show a detailed view of the latched sliding ring30or of the latched latch ring40. What can be seen inFIG. 4ais the part-section in a spatial view, with only the sliding ring30and the latch ring40having been out approximately in half. The connector body40and the O-ring25are shown uncut.

The latching of the sliding ring30on the latch ring40is shown in detail inFIG. 4b. In this figure, latching protrusions32on the sliding ring30can he seen, which latch behind the ring latching hooks44on the latch ring40, As a result of this, the sliding ring30is retained on the latching ring40in a captive manner and can still be displaced for unlatching the plug-in connection1against the plug-in direction. Both the ring latching hooks44and the latching protrusions32are multiply distributed over the circumference of the latch ring40.

InFIG. 4c, the latching of the latch ring40on the connector body20is shown in detail. Here, too, a plurality of latching means are spread over the circumference of the connector body20. These means are formed by latching hooks24, behind which the ring41of the latch ring40is latched and thus fixed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

21Cable screw connection

31Ring latching on connector body

52Latching groove areas, offset against each other in a pairwise manner

54Plug-in edge on the plug-in sleeve

d1,d2,d3Distance of the latching groove areas52from the edge54

s Latching groove distance

ds Effective latching distance