Abstract:
Disclosed is a contacting connector ( 53 ) comprising a contacting plug ( 25 ) and a contacting socket ( 97 ) which is assigned, preferably joined in a defined position, to a contact carrier ( 17 ), particularly a printed board ( 16 ). The contacting plug ( 25 ) is fitted with at least one contact element ( 58 ) while the contact carrier ( 17 ) is provided with at least one contact surface ( 127 ), preferably a land ( 126 ) or a strip conductor. A receiving direction (a) that corresponds to a plug-in direction is defined between the contacting plug ( 25 ) and the contact carrier ( 17 ) while the contact element ( 58 ) lies on the contact carrier ( 17 ) with a certain contact force (F K ). The inventive contacting connector ( 53 ) is characterized in that the contact force (F K ) is independent of a force (F) acting between the contacting socket ( 97 ) and the contact carrier ( 17 ).

Description:
RELATED ART 
   The present invention relates to a contacting plug-and socket connection composed of a contacting plug and a contacting socket, which are generally known. Plug-and-socket connections, of the type made known in DE 197 09 796 A1, for example, have the disadvantage that the contact elements of the contacting plug and the contacting socket are stressed with shear forces during the joining and/or plug-in procedure. It is disadvantageous that strong forces act between the contacting elements, which may cause deformation of rather delicate contact elements made of metal plate. As a result of repeated attachment and disconnection, the deformation may result in permanent damage to the plug device, thereby impairing its function. The present invention is directed to a contacting plug-and-socket connection as described in EP 1009068 A1. 
   There are electrical devices, e.g., control devices, that do not include plug connectors. With these devices, lands located on the component side or the counter-component side are contacted directly. It has been found that, when defective printed-circuit boards of this type are replaced with intact printed-circuit boards, it is not always possible to reliably contact the lands. This could be the case, e.g., when the printed-circuit boards have different thicknesses. 
   ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
   The inventive contacting plug-and-socket connection—that is composed of a contacting plug and a contacting socket assigned to a contact carrier, i.e., a printed-circuit board in particular, and being preferably joined therewith in a defined position, the contacting plug including at least one contact element, and the contact carrier including at least one contact surface, preferably a land or a printed conductor; a receiving direction between the contacting plug and the contact carrier corresponding to a plug-in direction is defined, and the contact element lying on the contact carrier with a contact force that is independent of a force acting between the contacting socket and the contact carrier—has the advantage that different thicknesses of printed-circuit boards are tolerated, while consistently strong contact forces are nonetheless ensured. The reliability of the function is therefore ensured, even when different printed-circuit boards are used. The same applies when a contact holder defines a position of a contact element relative to the contact carrier, so that the contact force is independent of the material thickness of the contact carrier. 
   When a spring element applies a force between the contacting socket and the contact carrier, the contact force is independent of the force exerted by the spring element. 
   The inventive contacting plug-and-socket connection composed of a contacting plug and a contacting socket, which is designed to receive the contacting plug in a receiving direction, the contacting plug being designed with at least one contact holder and at least one contact element, and the latter being held by the first contact holder, has the advantage that, given that the first contact holder includes a push-in guidance element that, when the contacting plug is pushed into the contacting socket, interacts with a counter-push-in element to allow a motion of the first contact holder in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the receiving direction, a plug-and-socket connection is made possible that is largely or entirely free of shear forces. This means that no forces or hardly any forces act on the contact elements in the receiving direction while the contacting plug is pushed into the contacting socket. Damage to the contact elements caused during the plug-in procedure may therefore be at least largely ruled out, thereby enabling the plug-and-socket connection to be disconnected numerous times without affecting the quality of the connection and, particularly preferably, of the electrical contacting. This design also has the advantage that the contacting elements may be designed to be relatively lightweight and composed of a minimum of material. 
   Advantageous refinements of the contacting plug-and-socket connection according to the main claim are made possible by the measures described in the subclaims. According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the contacting plug includes a second contact holder with at least a second contact element, the second contact holder including a push-in guidance element that, when the contacting plug is pushed into the contacting socket, interacts with a counter-push-in guidance element to allow a motion of the contact holder in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the receiving direction. This type of plug design enables counter-contacts—which are connected with the contacting socket—to be contacted simultaneously in a second plane. 
   If the additional motions of the contact holder in the contacting socket of the first contact holder and the second contact holder are opposed, motion control of this type makes it possible, e.g., to contact a printed-circuit board—which is provided with counter-contacts, e.g., lands, on both sides—with the contacting plug on both sides simultaneously. This has the advantage that a particularly large number of contact connections may be established simultaneously and in a small space. 
   According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the first contact holder and, possibly, the second contact holder includes a pull-out element that, when the contacting plug is pulled out of the contacting socket, interacts with a counter-pull-out guidance element to allow a motion of the contact holder(s) in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the receiving direction. As a result, no shear forces, or only slight shear forces occur between the contact elements when the contacting plug is pulled out of the contacting socket. This measure also serves to extend the service life of the contacts. 
   To enable a good spacial assignment of a first contact holder relative to the second contact holder, which is required for insertion in particular, the two contact holders are connected by a hinge, which is preferably designed as a film hinge, i.e., as a single-piece connection between the two contact holders. 
   To ensure that a good electrical contact may be established between the contacting element and the counter-contacting element by the contacting socket, it is provided that a spring element is located on the side of the contact holder facing away from the contact element(s), the spring element applying a spring force to the contact holder that acts between the contacting socket and the contact holder. When the contacting socket includes a printed-circuit board as the element to be contacted, this may enable the contact holder to lie flush overall—via a reference surface—on the generally flat printed-circuit board. As a result, the contacting element may be held in a position that is favorable for the printed-circuit board, and a contact force may be limited. The plug-and-socket connection becomes independent of the tolerance of the printed-circuit board. The contact force may be held largely constant. This is important mainly when making replacements “in the field”, when replacing printed-circuit boards having different material thicknesses. 
   To prevent foreign objects from entering this plug-and-socket connection, it is provided that a sealing element is installed between an assembly-facilitating housing and the contacting plug-and-socket connection on the contact plug side. In an end position of insertion, the sealing element seals a seam between the contacting socket and the assembly-facilitating housing. 
   A form-fit seat of the at least one contact holder in the assembly-facilitating housing ensures that the contact holder and assembly-facilitating housing are in good positions relative to each other, which is very important for insertion. When this form-fit connection is established using a snap-in connection, this is a particularly cost-favorable and functionally reliable measure. 
   It is also provided that the contacting socket is part of a control device housing. This means that the contacting socket is connected as a single piece with the control device housing and/or with a part of the possibly multicomponent control device housing, thereby making it possible to avoid the need for additional seams—which would have to be sealed—and the typical problems associated therewith. 

   
     DRAWING 
     An exemplary embodiment of an inventive contacting plug-and-socket connection is shown in the drawing. 
       FIG. 1  shows a control device with a contacting socket formed thereon as one piece, and with an inserted contacting plug, 
       FIG. 2  shows a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting plug-and-socket connection after initiation of insertion of the contacting plug into the contacting socket, but before the contact has been established, 
       FIG. 3  shows a further longitudinal sectional view of the connecting plug-and-socket connection in the position shown in  FIG. 2 . The longitudinal sectional view in this figure intersects the contacting socket outside of the contact holder, i.e., between the contacting socket and the contacting plug, thereby resulting in a side view of the side edge of the printed-circuit board, 
       FIG. 4  shows a first and second contact holder, which is connected as a single piece using a film hinge, 
       FIG. 5  shows the contacting plug before the end position of insertion in the socket has been reached, 
       FIG. 6  shows the connecting plug-and-socket connection in the end position of insertion of the contacting plug. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a control device  10 , which, via a control device housing  13 , encloses an electronic control and/or circuit located on a printed-circuit board  16 , which is referred to in general as a contact carrier  17 . Control device housing  13  has a nearly tubular design and therefore includes a jacket  19  with an opening on a first axial end  22  that has already been closed in this case via an inserted contacting plug  25 . In this case, printed-circuit board  16  mentioned above extends out of the other end, i.e., axial end  28  diametrically opposed to first axial end  22 . At this end, printed-circuit board  16  is attached to control device housing  13  via two fastening elements  31 . Lands  34  are shown between the two fastening elements  31 , which are designed as screws in this case, and which are part of a printed-circuit board structure on printed-circuit board  16 . Lands  34  serve the purpose of being electrically connected with further, not-shown contact elements. Control device housing  13  also includes a total of four fastening segments  37 , only two of which are shown in this example. Fastening segments  37  include holes and serve to fasten control device housing  13  to a holder. As part of contacting plug  25  mentioned above, an assembly-facilitating housing  40  is shown in  FIG. 1 , and it is described in greater deal with reference to  FIG. 2 . Assembly-facilitating housing  40  serves to hold a contacting plug that is already located in control device housing  13 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . A locking mechanism  43  is provided for this purpose. Locking mechanism  43  is composed of a snap-in wedge  46  located on control device housing  13 , snap-in wedge  46  being latched around the rear by a snap-in hook  49  located and/or fastened on assembly-facilitating housing  40  such that assembly-facilitating housing  40  is captively held on control device housing  13 . Snap-in hook  49  includes a pusher handle  52  on its end pointing away from control device housing  13 , via which locking mechanism  43  may be easily released. A cabling of contacting plug  25  that is typically present is not shown here. 
   A contacting plug-and-socket connection  53  is shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  shows a partial sectional view of control device housing  13  and contacting plug  25 . In contrast to  FIG. 1 , contacting plug  25  and assembly-facilitating housing  40  have not yet been inserted into control device housing  13  so far that snap-in hook  49  has engaged behind snap-in wedge  46 . Assembly-faciliating housing  40  includes—as part of contacting plug  25 —a first contact holder  55  and a second contact holder  55 . Contact holders  55  are positioned with mirror symmetry relative to each other, and they are separated by a gap  56 . As the name says, each of the two contact holders  55  includes at least one contacting element  58 . Contacting elements  58  serve to electrically connect not-shown cables guided through assembly-facilitating housing  40  with printed-circuit board  16 . Contacting elements  58  will be discussed in detail below. Contacting elements  58  are held stationary in contact holder  55 , and they each include a U-shaped section  61 , which, due to its design, is designed to be resilient to a normal force or contact force F K  that acts thereon and is exerted by the printed-circuit board. U-shaped sections  61  of the two diametrically opposed contacting elements  58  of the two diametrically opposed contact holders  55  face each other. Contacting elements  58  accommodate printed-circuit board  16  between them, which will be described below. Each contact holder  55  has a contact surface  64 , the two contact surfaces  64  facing each other and subsequently serving to enable an essentially constant contact pressure between U-shaped section  61  and printed-circuit board  16  by the fact that contact surfaces  64  come to rest on printed-circuit board  16 , in order to adjust a distance between parts of contact elements  58  and the surface of the printed-circuit board. Contact holder  55  defines the position of a contact element  58  relative to contact carrier  17 . Contact force 
   F K  is therefore independent of a material thickness S 16  of contact carrier  17 . The adjusted distance in this case is the distance between the back side of contacting element  58  facing away from printed-circuit board  16  and the surface of printed-circuit board  16 . The back side of contacting element  58  is the point at which contact holder  55  introduces force F K  into contacting element  58 . 
   In this exemplary embodiment, the two contact holders  55  are connected with each other as a single piece by that fact that they are connected with each other as a single piece at their common end facing away from printed-circuit board  16  and U-shaped sections  61 . In this case, the single-pieced connection is formed by a hinge  67 , which is designed as a film hinge in this case. Contact holders  55  are fastened to assembly-facilitating housing  40  in a form-fit manner using a snap-in connection  70 . At least one spring element  73  is located on the side of contact holder  55  facing away from contact element  58 . Spring element  73  is shown in sections in  FIG. 2 . 
   Contact element  58  includes essentially three sections along its length: The first section is U-shaped section  61  mentioned above. A second section, which faces away from U-shaped section  61 , serves at the other end of contact element  58  to fasten a cable mentioned above, but which is not shown in  FIG. 2  and is designed as a crimp connection  76 . A middle section  77  is located between U-shaped section  61  and crimp connection  76 . Middle section  77  is limited by a stop  79  in the direction toward U-shaped section  61 . In interaction with a locking clamp  82 —two legs  85  of which are shown in FIG.  2 —stop  79  prevents contacting elements  58  from being pulled out of contact holder  55  when excessive pulling forces act on crimp connection  76 . 
   Assembly-faciliating housing  40  includes several functional housing sections. A first outer sleeve section  88  facing away from contact holders  55  serves on its outer circumference to enable, e.g., a sealing cuff in this case, to be installed via a form-fit connection using holes  91  shown here. Outer sleeve section  88  is followed—in the direction toward contact holders  55 —by an outer stop  94 , which, in interaction with control housing device  13 —which is designed as a contacting socket  97 —determines a maximum receiving depth of assembly-facilitating housing  40  and, therefore, contact holder  55  in contacting socket  97 . Outer stop  94  serves, with short sections, as a swivel hinge for snap-in hook  49  or pusher handles  52 . Outer stop  94  is followed by an axial stop  100 , which is a stop for a sealing element  103 . In Example 3, this sealing element serves, on sealing lips  106  formed in its outer circumference, to seal a seam  109  between contacting socket  97  and assembly-facilitating housing  40 . Sealing element  103  is seated on an outer circumference, which is smaller than outer sleeve section  88 . Sealing element  103  is located in nearly the same axial position as snap-in connection  70  mentioned above. 
   Contacting socket  97  is the counterpiece to contacting plug  25 . Printed-circuit board  16  is located nearly in the center in this contacting socket  97 . Printed-circuit board  16  is centered between two supports  112  and  115 . One support  115  is designed as a sleeve in this case, which includes a through-hole  118  that ends on the outer surface of contacting socket  97 . Through-hole  118  may serve, e.g., to accommodate a screw, by way of which printed-circuit board  16  may be clamped between columns  112  and  115 . Printed-circuit board  16  includes printed conductors  120  on its two surfaces. At their end  123  that is directed toward the opening of contacting socket  97  that accommodates contact plug  25 , printed conductors  120  end in lands  126  described above. Lands  126 , which are located on both sides of printed-circuit board  16 , serve as a contact surface  127  for contacting elements  58 . 
   Socket  97  includes a total of three inner sections, which will be described below. First inner section  130  serves to enclose and protect the contact point between lands  126  and contacting elements  58 . This first inner section is followed—in the direction of axial end  22 —by a second inner section  133 , which is designed larger in terms of its inner dimensions than first inner section  130 . This second inner section serves as a countersurface for sealing lips  106  of sealing element  103  and, therefore, as a sealing surface. Third inner section  136  is formed by a step  136 , which connects first inner section  130  and second inner section  133  with each other. This step  136  serves to generate a pressure force or force F, which acts on spring elements  73  from the outside, in order to subsequently press the two contact holders  55  onto printed-circuit board  16 . Spring element  73  produces force F between contacting socket  97  and contact carrier  17 . 
   A somewhat offset longitudinal sectional view of plug-and-socket connection  53  is shown in  FIG. 3 , in the same position as in  FIG. 2 . The cutting plane is located in seam  109 , but in a position at a maximum distance away from pusher handles  62 . This sectional view reveals a side view of certain functional elements of this plug-and-socket connection. On both sides of printed-circuit board  16 , for example, socket  97  includes a counter-push-in guidance element  140 , which interacts with a push-in guidance element  143 . Push-in guidance element  143  is integrally formed on contact holder  55 . Counter-push-in guidance element  140  is part of the surface of a wedge  146 , on which contact holder  55  guides when inserted into socket  97  with a sliding surface  149 . Contact holder  1 o  55  is pressed by spring element  73  onto counter-sliding surface  152 . When contact holder  55  is now slid further into socket  97 , a position is reached at which push-in guidance element  143  bears against counter-push-in guidance element  140 . When contact holder  55  is pushed in further, the wedge effect of guidance elements  143  and  140  causes contact holder  55  to be pushed away from wedge  146 , thereby displacing it in the direction toward first inner section  130 . When contact holder  55  is slid in further, a second sliding surface  155  is pushed over counter-sliding surface  152  so far that wedge  146 —after it has passed a constriction point  158  formed by second sliding surfaces  155 —reaches its end position in an end recess  161 . Printed-circuit board  16  is accommodated in gap  56  between the two contact holders  55 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a spacial view of two interconnected contact holders  55 , which were described above with reference to  FIG. 2 . In the plane in which contact holders  55  are diametrically opposed to each other, contact holders  55  form a channel  159  for wedge  146 , which spreads the two contact holders  55  apart via push-in guidance elements  143 . Wedge  146  ultimately reaches end recess  161 . The procedure for pulling out contact holder  55  takes place in reverse. Two pull-out guidance elements  164  act on counter-pull-out guidance elements  167  on wedge  146 ,  FIG. 3 , such that, when contact holders  55  are pulled out of socket  97 , contact holders  55  are spread apart once more, thereby allowing decoupling to take place. A channel  159  of this type is preferably provided on either side of contact holder  55 . 
     FIG. 5  shows the position of contacting plug  25  at the point at which a push-in guidance element  143  just presses against a counter-push-in element  140 , so that contact holders  55  therefore experience a second component of motion. The first component of motion is the receiving direction, as indicated in  FIG. 5 . This direction is the direction of insertion, as also indicated as “a” in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1 . Via push-in guidance elements  143  and counter-push-in guidance elements  140 , a second direction of motion b is forced on contact element  55 , which is essentially perpendicular to receiving direction a. 
   A contacting plug-and-socket connection  53  composed of a contacting plug  25  and a contacting socket  97  is therefore provided, which is designed to receive contacting plug  10   25  in a receiving direction a, contacting plug  25  being provided with at least one first contact holder  55  and at least one contact element  58 , the latter being held by first contact holder  55 . 
   The subject is characterized by the fact that first contact holder  55  includes a push-in guidance element  143  that, when contacting plug  97  is pushed into contacting socket  97 , interacts with a counter-push-in guidance element  140  to allow an additional motion b of first contact holder  55  in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to receiving direction a. 
   It is also provided that contact holder  55  is lockable in a fixed position directly or indirectly with a counter-contact holder. As described above, the contact holder is lockable in a fixed position directly, i.e., via assembly-facilitating housing  40 , with a counter-contact holder, which has been described in this case as control device housing  13  and contacting socket  97 . It is also feasible for contact holder  55  to be fastened, e.g., directly to a printed-circuit board  16 . Printed-circuit board  16 , with its lands  126 , is a counter-contact holder. 
   The exemplary embodiment described so far includes two contact holders  55 , which are positioned relative to each other with mirror symmetry. The contacting plug-and-socket connection shown here may be used in other ways in addition to this symmetrical manner. As an alternative, it may be provided that the contacting plug is designed only with an upper—as shown in FIG.  2 —half of the variant of contacting plug  25  shown there. This would mean that the lower portion of plug  25  starting at hinge  67  would not be present, but if so, only such that lower contact holder  55  with contacting elements  58 , spring elements  73  would not be present. In this case, only an upper contact holder  55 , for example, would perform the motions on a wedge  146 —only half of which may be present. As an alternative, it is provided that contacting plug  25  includes a second contact holder  55  with at least a second contact element  58 , second contact holder  55  including a push-in guidance element  143  that, when contacting plug  25  is pushed into contacting socket  97 , interacts with a counter-push-in guidance element  140  to allow an additional motion b of contact holder  55  in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to receiving direction a. When the two contact holders  55  are positioned with mirror symmetry relative to each other ( FIG. 2 ), the additional motions of first contact holder  55  and second contact holder  55  are opposed to each other. 
   It is provided that first contact holder  55  and, possibly, second contact holder  55 , each includes a pull-out guidance element  164  that, when contacting plug  97  is pulled out of contacting socket  97 , interacts with a counter-pull-out guidance element  167  to allow an additional motion b of first contact holder(s)  55  in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to receiving direction a. As described above, it is provided that two contact holders  55  are connected via a hinge  67 , which is preferably designed as a film hinge. 
   A spring element  73  is coated on the side of contact holder  55  facing away from contact element  58 . Spring element  73  is designed essentially as a “V” or a “U”, and includes two legs  74  and  75 . Leg  75  located closer to the printed-circuit board serves to support and fix spring element  73  in position in contact holder  55 . Leg  74 , due to its position between contact holder  55  and contacting socket  97 , induces a pressure force between contacting element  58  and printed-circuit board  16  and its lands  126 . 
     FIG. 6  shows contacting plug  25  in contacting socket  97  in the end position of insertion. In this end position of insertion, at least one contact element  58  contacts a land  126  of printed-circuit board  16 . At least one contact holder  55  lies flush via its contact surface  64  on printed-circuit board  16 . As mentioned above, this design—independently of the material thickness of printed-circuit board  16 —ensures that a nearly constant contact force F K  is applied by contact element  58  to land  126 . Contact force F K  is independent of a force F, which acts between contacting plug  25  and contact carrier  17 . 
   The subject presented here is a direct plug-and-socket connection. That is, a plug connector is not provided, and a cable assembly or contacting plug  25  is contacted directly on the printed-circuit board. Via the insertion motion or insertion procedure, contact elements  58  are moved via superposed second additional motion b such that contact elements  58  come to rest on countercontacts with minimal shear force. During the insertion procedure, contacting element  58  is not contacted with printed-circuit board  16  or its lands  126  until very late, thereby protecting them from potential damage. Any oxidation layers that may be present on the contact surfaces may be broken through via the relative, sliding motion between lands  126  and contact elements  58  that take place during the insertion procedure. Printed-circuit boards typically include relatively large fluctuations in terms of width and thickness. As such, the subject described here need not compensate for the tolerances of printed-circuit board  16 . This takes place via outer spring elements  73 , which always bring contact holder  55  into the defined end position defined by the surface of the printed-circuit board and/or the shape of printed-circuit board  16 . 
   The subject described here may be sealed, e.g., between the cables and the plastic housing with the aid of elastomers or with gel. As such, as shown in  FIG. 6 , for example, the inner region of sleeve section  88  may be sealed off from cables  170  guided through, using a perforated seal  173 . Instead of a perforated seal  173 , a casting may be applied as a sealing mass at this point. Via the preload of spring elements  73  at step  136 , contact holders  55  slid toward each other along pull-out guidance elements.