Patent Publication Number: US-8118613-B2

Title: Apparatus to connect a shielded line to a housing using a crimp sleeve with a sealing projection with a metal seal

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority based on German Patent Application 20 2009 016 970.7 filed Dec. 16, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a connecting apparatus for connecting a shielded line with a housing. The line can be electrically contacted in the housing interior. The connecting apparatus comprises at least one crimp sleeve through the sleeve hollow of which at least one conductor of the line is guidably arrangeable up into the housing interior. A free end section of a conductor shielding can be folded over a sleeve shell of the sleeve and can be fixed by means of crimping relative to the crimp sleeve and is in shielded contact with the housing. 
     As a rule, such a shielded conductor comprises a number of separately insulated lines. These lines are arranged in the conductor and are surrounded by a conductor shielding and, if necessary, by another outer shell. Such shielded conductors serve the transmission of signals or the like, which are picked off and processed further inside the housing. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the invention the corresponding conductor shielding is connected with the housing in an easy manner so as to achieve a corresponding shielded contact between the housing and the conductor shielding. The conductor shielding and the housing as a whole may hence be regarded as a shielding. Consequently, a good electrical and electronic freedom from interference is obtained for corresponding devices inside the housing as well as for the corresponding connecting apparatus with respect to the environment, see EMC. Furthermore, the specific connecting apparatus according to the invention provides for a good media resistance, that is, resistance of the connection produced by the connecting apparatus to, for instance, humidity, temperature influence or the like. 
     According to the invention the conductor shielding extends through the crimp sleeve at least until it is close to the housing. In this section the conductor shielding is separated from the conductor(s) and is folded over the sleeve shell. In the free end section of the conductor shielding the same is then fixed by means of crimping, i.e. by a corresponding mechanical connection relative to the crimp sleeve and is in shielded contact with the housing by this end section. 
     To permit a close arrangement of the crimp sleeve, for instance, in a corresponding opening of the housing, the crimp sleeve may be provided with a sealing projection which projects radially in an outward direction. 
     According to the invention the shielding contact of the connecting apparatus and the housing is accomplished by a corresponding contact of a part of the connecting apparatus with the housing. In this connection it may be an advantage if a corresponding shield conduction from the conductor shielding to the housing is achieved by means of the crimp sleeve and the fixing attachment and/or the insertion part. 
     As a rule, such a crimp connection serves the connection of corresponding components with each other by plastic deformation. Crimp connections are known per se. 
     In this context it should also be borne in mind that a possibly existing outer shell can be arranged in the crimp sleeve in a corresponding manner and has to be removed substantially only in the free end section of the conductor shielding prior to the crimping. 
     It is also possible, however, that the conductor shielding is freed from the outer shell in the entire linear section that is arranged in the crimp sleeve. 
     In order to hold the outer shell at least over a part of the length of the crimp sleeve, the crimp sleeve may be crimped onto the outer shell. 
     To permit an easy and reliable production of the crimp connection it is possible that the free end section of the shielding, which is folded over a crimp section of the outer sleeve, is fixed by means of a shield crimp sleeve. In this way the conductor shielding is led close to the housing and, after having been folded over, fixed by the shield crimp sleeve and by the crimp sleeve. 
     Folding over the corresponding end section results in a more reliable connection and a greater possible tensile stress. 
     The shield crimp sleeve may have different dimensions, whereby it may be favorable if it extends substantially between the sealing projection and a housing end of the crimp sleeve facing the housing. This allows a crimping in the entire area between the housing end and the sealing projection in order to fix the conductor shielding. Moreover, these dimensions of the shield crimp sleeve also allow a sufficient and intimate contact with the conductor shielding, which has a positive influence on a corresponding shielding contact and crimp conduction to the housing, respectively. 
     In order to be able to fix the connecting apparatus to the housing in a simplified and reliable manner the connecting apparatus may be provided with a fixing attachment which has at least one sleeve opening. The crimp sleeve can be passed through the sleeve opening and fixed to the housing by means of the fixing attachment. 
     According to a simple embodiment of such a fixing attachment the fixing attachment is provided with a substantially plate-shaped fixing part including a sealing edge which projects from a backside of the plate facing the housing in the direction towards a housing opening. When the fixing part is arranged on the housing, the sealing edge is inserted into the corresponding housing opening and seals the latter against the environment. At the same time, the corresponding sealing edge also serves as an insertion aid for the fixing part. The sealing edge correspondingly surrounds the crimp sleeve, which extends into the interior of the housing. 
     For guiding and holding the crimp sleeve at least one receiving edge may project from a front side of the plate of the fixing part. In this connection, the corresponding sealing projection of the crimp sleeve may be in contact with the receiving edge from the direction of the backside of the plate. 
     Moreover, it may prove to be an advantage if the sealing web is, at the same time, in a sealing contact with an inner circumference of a plate opening. 
     In order to be able to secure the corresponding components to each other even better and hold them relative to each other, an insertion part may be inserted into the sealing edge and fixed to the fixing attachment, particularly in a detachable manner. In other words, the insertion of the insertion part is accomplished from the direction of the housing, and if the insertion part is correspondingly fixed to the fixing attachment the crimp sleeve may be located and fixed relative to the fixing attachment at the same time. 
     For passing through the crimp sleeve the insertion part is provided with an opening. Moreover, this opening may have an at least partially circumferential opening edge, wherein, when the insertion part is fixed to the fixing attachment, the crimp sleeve is arranged in the opening and is surrounded by the opening edge. 
     To permit, in this connection, an easy holding of the crimp sleeve, the opening edge may laterally contact the sealing projection with its free end. In this way the sealing projection is held between the opening edge and the receiving edge. 
     The corresponding arrangement and holding of the crimp sleeve may further be simplified if the receiving edge is provided with an inwardly projecting stop with which the sealing projection is in lateral contact when the connecting apparatus is fixed to the housing. 
     According to a simple possibility of realizing a corresponding sealing edge, the sealing edge is provided with a sealing flange on the outer circumference of which at least one sealing element can be arranged. The sealing element may be a ring seal which may simply be pushed over the outer circumference of the sealing flange. The sealing element may extend over the total length of the sealing flange, or end spaced away from the free end of the sealing flange. The sealing element provides for a sufficient sealing between the sealing edge and the housing opening. 
     To permit an easy contact with the conductor(s) in the interior of the housing a conductor crimp sleeve can be placed onto an inner end of the conductor associated with the housing and crimped onto the same for fixing it. The conductor crimp sleeve is, in this connection, simply placed onto the inner end and then correspondingly mechanically deformed. 
     A corresponding electrical contacting of the conductor crimp sleeve may be accomplished in different ways. A simple and reliable electrical connection can be achieved if the conductor crimp sleeve is provided with a specifically pin-shaped connecting device at its connection end facing away from the crimp sleeve. Thus, housing contact devices can be connected by screwing or the like, which then correspondingly produce the electrical contact with the conductor. 
     Corresponding conductor crimp sleeves and contact devices are usable for each conductor of the line. 
     When the conductor crimp sleeve is placed onto the inner end of the conductor the sleeve may comprise a substantially circumferential insertion edge which represents the stop. 
     An advantageous embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below by means of the figures shown in the drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective exploded view of an inventive connecting apparatus with a partially illustrated housing in a first view. 
         FIG. 2  shows the connecting apparatus of  FIG. 1  in another view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective exploded view of the inventive connecting apparatus  1 . This apparatus serves to fix a line  2  to a housing  3 . The conductor  2  is passed into a housing interior  4  by means of a crimp sleeve  5 . In the housing interior  4  the conductor is electrically contacted and serves, for instance, the transmission of signals to devices for the further processing thereof arranged in the housing  3 . 
     The line  2  comprises at least one conductor  35 , a conductor insulation  42  and a conductor shielding  8 . In addition to the conductor shielding  8  an outer shell may furthermore be provided on the outside of the conductor shielding. 
     The conductor  35  and the conductor insulation  42  are passed through a corresponding sleeve hollow  6  of the crimp sleeve  5  into the housing interior  4 . On an approximately central section the crimp sleeve  5  comprises a radially outwardly projecting and circumferential sealing projection  11 . On its outer circumference the sealing projection  11  is provided with corresponding sealing elements  39 ,  40 , for instance, in form of one or more O-rings  40  and a metal seal  39 . The crimp sleeve  5  is provided with a crimp section  12  at its housing end  14  facing the housing  3 . This crimp section  12  has a smaller diameter as compared to the rest of the crimp sleeve  5  so that a shield crimp sleeve  13  can be arranged in the crimp section  12 , the outer circumference of which substantially corresponds to the rest of the crimp sleeve  5 . 
     A certain free space is formed between the crimp section  12  and the shield crimp sleeve  13 . 
     The conductor shielding  8  comprises an end section  9  which can be folded over a sleeve shell  7  in the direction of the crimp section  12  and which can be arranged in the corresponding free space between the crimp section  12  and the shield crimp sleeve  13 . 
     By mechanically deforming the shield crimp sleeve  13  the corresponding end section  9  can then be fixed mechanically. Moreover, a corresponding deformation of the crimp sleeve  5  also relative to the outer shell of the line can be achieved by a corresponding deformation (crimping), by means of which the line is fixed in the crimp sleeve. 
     Not illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a diameter reduction of the crimp sleeve  5  adjacent to the sealing projection  11  as junction to the crimp section  12 . This diameter reduction brings about a special adaptation to the line, without an outer shell in this area. 
     A fixing attachment  15  serves to fix the crimp sleeve  5  to the housing  3 . This attachment comprises at least one sleeve opening  16  in which the crimp sleeve  5  can be arranged. 
     The fixing attachment  15  further comprises a substantially plate-shaped fixing part  17 , which is rectangular and includes bores in corresponding corners for fixing the fixing attachment  15  to an outer side of the housing  3  by means of a number of fixing screws  24 . A sealing edge  19  projects from a backside of the plate  18  of the fixing part  17 , which backside of the plate  18  faces the housing  3 , in the direction of a housing opening  20  of the housing  3 , also see  FIG. 2 . The sealing edge  19  can be inserted into the housing opening  20 . After this insertion the fixing attachment is fixed by means of the fixing screws  24 . The sealing edge  19  comprises a sealing flange  30  which projects in the direction of the housing opening  20 , see  FIG. 1 , on the outer circumference  31  of which a sealing element  32  is arranged, for instance in form of a silicone seal. This sealing element  32  serves to seal the fixing attachment  15  inside the housing opening  20 . 
     The sealing edge  19  further serves the arrangement of an insertion part  25 , which has an analogous shape and can be detachably fixed by means of additional fixing screws  24  inside the sealing edge  19  to the backside of the plate  18  of the fixing attachment  15 . 
     A receiving edge  21  projects from the front side of the plate  22 , which is opposite the backside of the plate  18 , in the direction of the crimp sleeve  5 . This receiving edge  21  comprises an inwardly projecting stop  29  with which the sealing projection  11  is in contact when the crimp sleeve  5  is arranged in the sleeve opening  16 . In this connection, the crimp sleeve  5  and the sealing projection  11  are, at the same time, sealed by a corresponding inner circumference  23  of the sleeve opening  16 . In this corresponding position of the crimp sleeve  5  relative to the fixing attachment  15  the insertion part  25  presses the sealing projection  11  into the corresponding contact with the stop  29 . To this end, the insertion part  25  is provided with an opening edge  27  which surrounds an opening  26 , whose free end  28  relative to the side of the housing opening  20  is laterally adjacent to the sealing projection  11 . 
     In the fixed position of the insertion part  25  the shield crimp sleeve  13  as well as the crimp section  12  of the crimp sleeve  5  are arranged inside the opening  26 , also see  FIG. 2 . 
     If the crimp sleeve  5  is fixed to the housing  3  by means of the fixing attachment  15  an inner end  34  of the conductor  35  extends into the housing interior  4 . A conductor crimp sleeve  33  can be placed onto this inner end  34  where it can be fixed by means of deformation. The conductor crimp sleeve  33  further comprises a circumferential insertion edge  38  from which a substantially pin-shaped connection end is projecting. This serves the electrical contacting of the conductor  33  and thus the electrical connection to devices arranged in the housing  3 , for instance, by screwing or the like. 
     Apart from the connecting apparatus  1  shown in an exploded view,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate additional connecting apparatus  1  which are already mounted on the housing  3 . These comprise only one crimp sleeve  5 , while the other connecting apparatus  1  has two crimp sleeves  5  with corresponding additional devices arranged on top of each other, which are fixed to the housing by means of a fixing attachment  15 . 
     In the additional connecting apparatus  1  according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  corresponding fixing attachments  15  and insertion parts  25  each have only one opening, see sleeve opening  16  and opening  26 , respectively. 
     Apart from that, the rest of the statements with regard to the connecting apparatus also apply to the other connecting apparatus according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates another perspective view of the connecting apparatus  1  according to  FIG. 1 . The shield crimp sleeve  13  is pushed onto the crimp sleeve  5 , whereby the corresponding free space for inserting the folded over end section  9  of the conductor shielding  8  is formed between them, where the end section  9  is crimped. 
     In other respects, reference is made to the statement relating to  FIG. 1 . 
     The connecting apparatus according to the invention provides for an easy and reliable transfer of the shielding of the line by the conductor shielding to the corresponding housing  3 . This transfer is particularly achieved by shield conduction to the housing by the shield crimp sleeve and the crimp sleeve with a metal seal and the fixing attachment and/or the insertion part. Thus, the housing as well as the connecting apparatus according to the invention are media-resistant and fulfill corresponding requirements with respect to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). 
     According to the invention this is particularly achieved by means of the inventive connecting apparatus which allows the shield conduction of the conductor shielding to the housing in an easy and reliable manner.