Abstract:
The invention relates to a connector comprising a first insulating body, and first contact elements supported by said first insulating body, said first insulating body comprising: at least one guiding or catching area having a perimeter defining and limiting said catching area, said catching area being adapted to assure that even for a certain amount of misalignment between said first connector and a second connector supporting second contact elements and adapted to be coupled to said first connector a proper engagement and connection of said first and second, contact elements occurs, thus forming a connector system due to the fact that said guide means provided on said second connector cooperate with said catching area, and guide said first and second connectors into engagement wherein the outer perimeter of said catching area has the shape of one of a square and a rectangle.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a connector, and in particular to a plug-in connector. The invention also relates to a connection system formed by two connectors.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Connectors are frequently used to provide electrical connections of all kinds. Plug-in connections formed by a first connector and a second connector in the form of a plug-in connector are frequently used in connection with switch cabinets Generally speaking, switch cabinets comprise a plurality of said first connectors which are mounted at a frame of a switch cabinet in a predetermined position defining a plug-in direction. Second connectors in the form of plug-in connectors are, for instance, provided at one or more drawer(s) which can be pushed into and out of the switch cabinet. The movement of a drawer into the switch cabinet provides for a plug-in motion of a second connector mounted on the drawer into a first connector mounted at the frame of the switch cabinet. The engagement of the first connector with the second, or plug-in, connector provides for a desired connection system.  
           [0003]    Due to various reasons, during the operating life of said connectors, misalignments occur between the respective first and second connectors. In case such a misalignment occurs, the desired connection is either not possible, or is difficult to achieve. For this reason, plug-in connections were developed which are provided with circular catching regions which will provide, within certain tolerances, for proper plug-in connections at the time a drawer is moved into the frame of the switch cabinet.  
           [0004]    However, the use of the circular catching areas requires a certain amount of space on the connectors which is consequently lost for other purposes.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    In a first embodiment of the invention, a plug-in connection is provided using a first connector adapted to be mounted on a frame of a switch cabinet, and a second connector mounted on a drawer adapted to be pushed into and pulled out of said cabinet. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, one of the said first and second connectors is provided with a catch area of rectangular shape. According to a second embodiment of the invention, the catching area is of square shape.  
           [0006]    In accordance with the invention, a catching area of ±2.5 mm can be realized using up a minimum of space.  
           [0007]    In a further embodiment of the invention, a balance of the tolerances can be obtained in all directions by providing that a catching surface defining the catching area is asymmetrical, i.e. the catching surface defined by the catching area in the form of a conus, at the end of which, in plug-in direction, a catching hole is provided with the conus- or funnel-shaped catching surface being asymmetric, i.e. the catching hole being located close to the lower side of the catching area.  
           [0008]    In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the second, or plug-in, connector, is mounted movably with respect to the drawer, so as to provide for a stroke, allowing a relative translational movement between the second connector and the drawer. Due to the stroke length, the plug-in connection between the first and the second connectors will not be immediately released if the drawer is pulled out of the frame of the switch cabinet, but has to carry out first the stroke whereupon then the plug-in connection will be separated.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a schematic view onto the guide or catching area of a first connector typically mounted at the frame of a switch cabinet.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a top plan view onto the connecting surface of a first connector having four catching areas according to the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2A is a side elevation view of a bolt used in the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing schematically the insertion of guide pins;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the plug-in side of a second connector mounted in the frame and showing a square with a funnel- or cone-shaped surface having a guide hole at the bottom of the funnel;  
         [0014]    FIGS.  5 - 7  show schematically different guide or catching situations for the second connector;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a connector body of a first, female connector adapted to be mounted on the frame of a switch cabinet;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the connector FIG. 8;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic representation of a second connector, also called a plug-in connector, which is adapted to be mounted on a drawer, a part of which is shown schematically;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the connector of FIG. 10;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 shows a part of a frame of a switch cabinet with a first, female, connector mounted thereon, and with a second, male, or plug-in, connector slidably mounted on a part of a drawer;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 discloses the partial insertion of the second, male connector in the first, female connector;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 14 discloses the plug-in connection system in its final position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 15 discloses the first stage of removal of the second, or plug-in, connector from the female connector with the part of the drawer having moved the complete length of a stroke, so that a continued movement of the part of the drawer would remove the second, or plug-in, connector from the first, or female, connector as it is shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 16 shows the female connector and the male connector not forming a plug-in connection system anymore.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    Initially, reference will be made to FIGS. 12 and 14, which disclose a perspective view of a part  500  of a frame  8  of a switch cabinet, and also a part  600  of a drawer  9 . The drawer  9  is adapted to be pushed into the switch cabinet. During this movement the drawer  9  is guided, by guide means which are not shown, but are provided between part  500  and part  600 . A first, or frame, connector  11  in the form of a female connector is mounted to part  500  of the frame. For cooperation with the first connector  11 , a second, or drawer, connector  12 , in the form of a male connector, also called a plug-in connector, is mounted on part  600 . The drawer connector  12  further cooperates with two guide pins  30  and  31 , which are received in respective guide holes  731  and  732  (see FIGS. 10 and 11), provided by the drawer connector  12 .  
         [0024]    As shown in FIG. 14, a connection system  10  is formed by the frame connector  11  and the drawer connector  12 , after the drawer connector  12  has been fully inserted into the frame connector  11 .  
         [0025]    The frame connector  11  is movably mounted at the frame part  500  for movement in a plane perpendicularly with respect to the plug-in and pull-out (short: plug) direction, indicated by arrow  2  in FIG. 14. The drawer connector  12  is translationally movably mounted within and relative to drawer part  600  of the drawer  9 , in said plug direction  2 , i.e. the drawer connector  12  is reciprocally moveably mounted in part  600 , but is not movable perpendicularly to the plug direction  2 .  
         [0026]    The frame connector  11  comprises a first insulating body  13  adapted to receive contact elements which are not shown. The first insulating body  13  will be referred to below as female, or simply as a frame insulating body  13 , inasmuch as in the preferred embodiment shown and described, the frame connector  11  carries female contact elements. The drawer connector  12  comprises a second insulating body  14 , which will be referred to below as a male, or simply as a drawer insulating body  14 , because in the shown preferred embodiment, the drawer connector  12  uses male contact elements. It is clear for the person skilled in the art that the design of the connection or connection system  10  could be different, i.e. the frame connector  11  could be designed as a male connector and the drawer connector  12  could be designed as a female connector.  
         [0027]    Following this introductory note concerning the environment within which the invention is used, attention is now drawn to FIG. 1, which schematically discloses a top plan view of a catching, or guiding, area  20  provided on e.g. a frame insulating body. The catching area  20  is required for the following reasons. When establishing a plug-in connection like connection  10  between a first, or frame, connector and a second, or drawer, connector, it is necessary to properly align both connectors, so that the respective female contact elements and male contact elements achieve proper engagement. To a certain degree, the prior art as represented by FIG. 1, obtains with the circular catching area  20  some guidance for achieving said connection.  
         [0028]    Assuming (see FIG. 1) that at the frame connector a catching area of ±2.5 mm in x and y directions had to be realized, for the full tolerance in x and y direction, the circle  20 , forming the outer perimeter of the catching area  20 , would have to be so large that the guide pins provided at the drawer connector would still be caught by the catching area  20  of the frame connector. If the prior art, for instance, provides, as shown in FIG. 1, a circular catching area  20  with the diameter of 5 mm, then no tolerance of ±2.5 mm in x and y direction is admissible. For an area of tolerance of ±2.5 mm in x and y direction, a circle is required which has a significantly larger diameter D than 5 mm. The consequence is that otherwise useful space is lost on the frame insulating body. By providing, in accordance with the invention, a rectangular or square catching area  21 , a catching area of ±2.5 mm can be realized with the least possible amount of space being lost.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a frame insulating body  13 , according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, which comprises a substantially square catching area  21 , at the bottom end of which guide holes  26  are shown. FIG. 2 shows further the influence of gravity. As can be seen the frame insulating body  13  is adapted to be floatingly supported at frame part  500  (not shown in FIG. 2). The frame insulating body  13  is supported on bolts  23 , which are threadedly connected with the frame part  500 . As can be seen in FIG. 2A, each of the two bolts  23  used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 comprises a head  24  and a support section  25 , on which the frame insulating body  13  rests. The bolt  23  also has a threaded end by means of which bolt  23  is fixedly connected to the part  500  of the frame.  
         [0030]    Both FIGS. 2 and 4, the latter of which shows an enlarged portion of FIG. 2, disclose a tapered guide or catching surface  22  (also called funnel- or cone-shaped) leading to a guide and receiving hole  26 , adapted to receive one of said guide pins  30 ,  31 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 discloses, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a frame insulating body  130 , having a rectangular catching area  202  without the asymmetric design of the catching surfaces  22  of the catching area  21 , as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3, like FIG. 2, discloses that the frame insulating body  130  is provided with cutouts  27  and  28 , allowing for a certain movement of the frame insulating body  13  in a plane perpendicular to plug direction  2 . Within the cutouts  27  and  28 , each one bolt  23  is located, of which only the support section  25  is shown. The catching surfaces  202 , defining the catching area  200 , extend symmetrically into the plane of the drawing towards a guide and receiving hole  260  for one of the guide pins  30 ,  31 , provided on the drawer.  
         [0032]    As is shown in FIG. 3, there are nine positions referred to by numbers  1 - 9 , which represent positions which the guide pin  30 , and in a preferred embodiment the two guide pins  30 ,  31 , can assume when the drawer  9  is moved into the switch cabinet. These nine positions show different positions of misalignment. For the positions  1 - 6  of the guide pins  30 ,  31 , an alignment will be possible at the time the pins  30 ,  31 , reach the catching area  200 . For the positions  7 - 9 , an alignment is not possible, inasmuch as this would require a downward movement of the frame insulating body  130 , so that the arriving guide pins  30 ,  31  could enter the guide holes  260 . A movement of the frame insulating body  130  downward is not possible because the frame insulating body  130  is already in abutment with the upper sides of the areas of movement defined by the cut outs  27 ,  28 , which abut at the support sections  25  of the bolts  23 .  
         [0033]    To overcome the disadvantage of the just-described embodiment of the invention, the preferred embodiment is provided in FIGS. 2 and 4. An asymmetric catching or guide surface  22 , also called an asymmetric catching funnel or cone, which is provided by the frame insulating body  13 , in which the catching holes  26  are located adjacent to the lower perimeter section  222  of the catching area (see FIG. 4).  
         [0034]    Each of FIGS.  5 - 7  disclose in each of the respective left sketches a frame insulating body  13  located in a center position. In case a drawer, together with a drawer connector, represented here only by the two guide pins  30 ,  31 , is moved towards said frame insulating body  13 , depending on the kind of misalignment, different “catching positions” are shown in the right-hand sketches of FIGS.  5 - 7 . These FIGS.  5 - 7  disclose in the right-hand sketches some of the relative positions of the frame insulating body  13 , with respect to the support section  25  of each of said bolts  23 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 8 and 9 are, respectively, perspective and top plan views of the frame insulating body  13 . The frame insulating body  13  comprises a base section  130  in which the cutouts  27  and  28  are provided. The cutouts  27 ,  28  are preferably square-shaped and adapted to receive, as is shown in FIG. 9, the bolts  23 , of which the support section  25  is schematically shown.  
         [0036]    Projecting perpendicularly away from the base section  130 , as is shown in FIG. 8, tube-shaped elements  131  are provided which are adapted to receive preferably female contact elements. Further, approximately square-shaped elements  132  are formed diagonally opposite to each other at the base section  130 , forming in their free end the catching surfaces  22  of asymmetrical design, as was explained in connection with FIG. 4. The catching surfaces  22  end in catching holes  26 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIGS. 10 and 11 disclose the drawer insulating body  14  which also comprises tube-shaped elements  141  adapted to receive male contact elements, i.e. contact pins, not shown. The tube-shaped elements  141  extend perpendicularly from a surface of a substantially square-shaped surface of a base section  33  from which a support section  34  projects away in the opposite direction. In the base section  33  of the drawer insulating body  14 , the guide pin holes  731 ,  732  are provided which extend through the base section  140  in plug-in direction  2 , as referred to in FIG. 14. The support section  34  has a substantially rectangular cross-section and has the form of a parallelepiped. It is located about centrally at the base or head section  33 . The head section  33  defines adjacent to the location where the support section  34  extends from the head section  33  abutment surfaces  36 . The upper surface of the head section  33  is provided with an arrow  38  of orientation.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 10 discloses, as do FIGS.  12 - 16 , that the support section  34  of the drawer insulating body  14  has a predetermined length which provides for a certain amount of stroke length L, as shown in FIG. 15. One end of the stroke length L is defined by resilient detent hooks  50 . Preferably, as shown in FIG. 16, the resilient detent hooks  50  are located diametrically opposite to each other, i.e. on the upper and lower right-hand corners of the free end. (FIG. 10) of the support section  34 . The resilient detent hooks  50  make it possible for the drawer to be placed on the support section  34 , or stated differently, the support section  34  can be inserted in a respective rectangular hole  60  (FIG. 12) provided in the drawer part  600 . This placement process is simplified by detent guide surfaces  52 , which are inclined and cause the detent hooks  50  to resiliently move inwardly during the insert operation of the support section  34  into the hole  60  of the part  600  of the drawer. The shape of the opening  60  corresponds to the shape of the support section  34  to readily receive said support section  34 , allowing for a relative movement between the support section  34  and part  600 , as is shown in FIGS.  12 - 16 .  
         [0039]    As is shown, for instance in FIG. 16, the part  600  of drawer  9  is provided with the two earlier-mentioned guide pins  30 ,  31  in the following manner. The guide pins  30 ,  31  are mounted at part  600  of the drawer  9 , by means of nuts  310  (only one is shown). The guide pins  30 ,  31  project through the openings  731 ,  732  in the base section  33  of the drawer insulating body  14  and extend out of said openings  731 ,  732  as is shown in FIG. 12. By means of said guide pins  30 ,  31 , which project away from the drawer insulating body  14  in plug-in direction  2 , provided the misalignment between the drawer insulating body  14  and the frame insulating body  13  is not too great, alignment can be achieved. The free ends of the guide pins  30 ,  31  will engage within the asymmetric catching area  22 , i.e. the catching surface and will move, if no perfect alignment is present, the frame insulating body  13  in the same manner as shown in FIGS.  5 - 7 .  
         [0040]    A continued translational movement of the drawer (a part of which is shown at  600 ) towards the part  500  of frame  8  of the switching cabinet will eventually lead to an engagement between the female contacting elements of the frame connector  11  and the male contact elements of the drawer connector  12 , as is shown in FIG. 14. This engagement will be caused by the pushing force of the operator imparted upon the handles at the drawer  9  to the drawer connector  12  by the interaction of the part  600  of the drawer  9  coming into engagement with the abutment surfaces  36  of the drawer connector  12 .  
         [0041]    So as to make it possible that the drawer  9  can be moved by a certain amount out of the contact position shown in FIG. 14, however without opening the plug connection between the frame connector  11  and the drawer connector  12 , the drawer insulating body  14  is provided with said parallelepiped-shaped section  34 , having detent hooks  50 . The length of said support section  34 , together with the position of the detent hooks  50 , define the possible stroke length L, which is available when withdrawing the drawer  9  from the position shown in FIG. 14.  
         [0042]    The opening or unplugging of the plug-in connection  10  can occur after the defined stroke length L has been traveled. After the defined stroke, the drawer insulating body  14  will be pulled out of the frame insulating body  13 , thus opening the connection between the female and male contact elements in the respective insulating bodies. Prior art designs, however, require numerous individual components and a costly assembly process, which will lead to expensive connectors.  
         [0043]    By the integration of the detent hooks  50  in the plastic material forming the drawer insulating body  14 , it is possible to provide for the stroke length L without additional components. During assembly, the drawer insulating body  14  is inserted with its free end through the hole  60  into the part  600  of the drawer, such that the detent hooks  50  are depressed and then spring back into their original position, thus mounting the drawer insulating body  14  on the part  600  of the drawer  9 .  
         [0044]    As referred to above, the two guide pins  30 ,  31  are inserted into the guide holes  731 ,  732  of the support section  34  and the ends of the guide pins opposite to the free ends, or plug-in ends are mounted at the drawer  9 , preferably by a thread connection as shown in FIG. 15. For this purpose, the ends of the guide pins  30 ,  31  which extend to corresponding holes in the drawer  9  are provided with threads, onto which the nuts  310  are screwed, to fixedly mount the guide pins  30 ,  31  at drawer  9 , as shown at  301  and  302  in FIG. 15. Thus, the drawer insulating body can reciprocate on the guide pins  30 ,  31 . The relative translational movement between support section  34  and part  600  is limited on the one hand side by the abutment surfaces  36  and on the other hand side by abutments  51  formed by the detent hooks  50 . As is shown, the detent hooks  50  have a spring arm which extends in longitudinal, or plug-in direction. At the free end of the spring arm, a detent nose is provided which forms the detent guide surface  52  and the abutment surface  51 .