Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an plug-in module for adjusting motors, in particular for electric-motor operated windows to be used in a motor vehicle.  
           [0002]    Such an insertion module is disclosed for example in German patent document DE 197 46 518. The insertion module is formed with a plug composed of a plug housing of synthetic plastic material and contact elements which are injection molded in it, and also with motor contacts. The plug housing further has a receptacle in which a support element for electronic components is inserted and at least indirectly is in electrical connection directly with the contact elements and motor contacts.  
           [0003]    The contact elements with freely located end portions extend into a receiving shaft which is limited by a circumferential collar for an accurate position association of the end portions with a counterplug insertable into the receptacle. The motor contacts extend with the freely located end portions, without a guiding element to surround them, in form of tongues outwardly beyond a rear wall of the plug housing.  
           [0004]    When the plug-in module is inserted in a housing, in particular in a transmission housing of a window opener, said position association of the motor contacts with the associated counter contacts becomes difficult because of the mounting gap of the insertion module, and the danger of damages of the motor contacts with the possible loss of operation of the insertion module exists.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an plug-in module for adjusting motors of the above mentioned general type, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.  
           [0006]    In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in an insertion module which is provided with a plug whose motor contacts on the freely located end portions are provided each with a spring portion which faces the synthetic plastic housing of the plug and with a contact portion on the end side.  
           [0007]    Thereby the motor contacts can be deviated in a housing in the position transverse to the mounting direction of the insertion module. This facilitates contacting with the associated counter contacts and eliminates alignment problems, so that a damage of the motor contacts which can lead to operational loss of the plug-in module is avoided.  
           [0008]    The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of an plug-in module in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of a part of the plug-in module with an inserted motor contact.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    Plug-in module for adjusting motor, for example for an electric-motor operated window opener is shown in FIG. 1. It includes a plug  12  with a plug housing  13  composed of synthetic plastic material. The plug housing  13  has a central part formed as a plate-shaped receptacle  14  with mounting openings  16  for fixing the plug and the plug module  11  in a not shown housing, for example in a transmission housing of a window opener.  
         [0012]    A parallelopiped-shaped connection body  18  extends from an end side  17  of the receptacle  14 . On its free end it has a circumferential thin-walled collar  19 . The collar  19  surrounds a connection shaft  21 , in which the freely located first end portion  22  extends from the contact element  23 . The latter is partially injection molded in the plug housing  13 . The first end portion  22  is provided for contacting with a not shown connecting plug, which is inserted in the connection shaft  21 . Therefore the collar  19  is guided first to provide an accurate position association to the first end portion  22 .  
         [0013]    Second end portions  26  of the contact element  23  extends from a rear side  24  of the receptacle  14 . They are guided in an angled form contact openings  27  of a printed circuit board  28  and are contacted in a material-connection way. The printed circuit board  28  is supported in a not shown manner in a receptacle  14  and extends horizontally from the rear side  24 . The printed circuit board  28  forms a carrier element which carries electronic components  29 , for example a relay  31  or a sensor  32 . The sensor  32  can be a Hall effect sensor. It is arranged on the printed circuit board  28  in form of SMD, so that with an inserted plug-in module  11 , for example in a transmission housing of a window opener, it is coupled with ring magnets mounted there.  
         [0014]    Motor contacts  33  are electrically connected in a not shown manner with the printed circuit board  28 , at least indirectly. The motor contacts  33  are injection-molded in the plug housing  13 . Two freely located connection portions  34  of the motor contacts  33  are shown in FIG. 1. They extend perpendicular to the mounting direction which is identified with an arrow  36  in FIG. 2 and arranged so that they are offset and horizontal to the plane of the drawing. The electronic input signals of the plug-in module  11  are transmitted through the connection portion  34  to a adjusting motor. In FIG. 2 only a countercontact  37  is shown symbolically to identify the adjusting motor.  
         [0015]    With the insertion of the plug-in module  11  in the not shown housing, in which the adjusting motor is rigidly supported, the motor contact  33  meet the associated stationary counter contacts  37 . In order to provide an exact position association between the motor contact  33  and the countercontacts  37  despite the size tolerances which are unavoidable because of the movement gap between the plug-in module  11  and the housing during an insertion process, the motor contacts  33  are designed so that they can perform position changes in a sufficient range transversely to the mounting direction of the plug-in module  11 .  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows in detail one connection portion  34  of an individual motor contact  33 . After the exit from the plug housing  11 , it has with regard to the direction of the possible position change transversely to the mounting direction, a wide foot portion  38 , a small spring portion  39 , and a wide contact portion  41 .  
         [0017]    The spring portion  39  is formed by a slot  42  transversely to the mounting direction. It subdivides the connection portion  34  which originally is formed in the same width, into the portions  38 ,  39 , and  41 .  
         [0018]    The contact portion  41  has a base web  43  which extends transversely to the mounting direction. A spring web  44  projects at one side and is oriented in the mounting direction. The spring webs  44  which initially extend parallel relative to one another, in a further continuation are provided in a symmetrical arrangement with inwardly oriented beads  46 . Between the beads  46 , a narrow contact location  47  is formed. The free distance between the beads  46  in the region of the contact location  47  is smaller than the extension of the countercontacts  37  transversely to the mounting direction. Thereby the spring web  44  springs somewhat back, when the counter contact  37  passes the contact location  47 .  
         [0019]    For providing an easier guidance of the counter contact  37  to the contact location, the distance between both spring webs  44  increases from the contact location  47  to the free ends, so that a contact funnel is formed.  
         [0020]    When the counter contact  37  as shown in FIG. 2 extends off-center on the contact location  47 , the countercontact meets the contact funnels  48  off center. Since the thickness of the spring web  44  transversely to the mounting direction and the thickness of the base web  43  in the mounting direction is correspondingly greater than the thickness of the spring portion  39  transversely to the mounting direction, the connection portion  34  in the spaced portion  39  yields so that the spring portion  39  can be considered as a spring point, from which a turning movement of the contact portion  41  along the direction of a double arrow  49  is performed, until the countercontact  37  can be inserted into the contact point  47 .  
         [0021]    Thereby a tolerance compensation between each motor contact  33  and the associated countercontact  37  is possible. Therefore an operation loss of the plug-in module  11  in the case of a not-aligned guidance of the motor contact  33  to the associated countercontacts  37  by damaging of the contact  33 ,  37 , is avoided.  
         [0022]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.  
         [0023]    While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in plug-in module for adjusting motor, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0024]    Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Technology Category: h