Holding frame for a plug connector and methods of populating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10530090-B2
Application number	US-201716312697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A holding frame comprising a base frame and at least two flange parts which are attached to the base frame opposite each other is proposed, in which each flange part extends outside the base frame along an outer face of the base frame in an insertion direction, around a lower edge of the base frame, inside the base frame along an inner face of the base frame in the opposite direction to the insertion direction and beyond an edge of the base frame in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, wherein each flange part has at least one latching window, in the region extending beyond the edge of the base frame, as a latching element for receiving a latching lug of the module to fix the module in the holding frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A holding frame for a plug connector for receiving similar and/or different modules, comprising:
a base frame which defines a plane transverse to an insertion direction of a module into the holding frame, and
at least two flange parts, which are attached to the base frame opposite each other,
wherein each flange part extends outside the base frame along an outer face of the base frame in the insertion direction, around a lower edge of the base frame, inside the base frame along an inner face of the base frame in the opposite direction to the insertion direction and beyond an edge of the base frame in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, wherein each flange part has at least one latching window, in the region extending beyond the edge of the base frame, as a latching element for receiving a latching lug of the module,
wherein the flange parts are designed to undergo elastic bending and deformation between an insertion state, which allows the module to be inserted into the holding frame in the insertion direction, and a holding state in which an inserted module is fixed in place at least along the insertion direction by the latching lug engaging into the latching window.

2. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein the base frame, on the one hand, and the flange parts, on the other hand, are made at least partly of different materials.

3. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein the base frame is made at least partly by metal die casting.

4. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein the flange parts have or consist of a resilient metal plate and are made at least partly by die forming.

5. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein the flange parts are attached form-fittingly, force-lockingly and/or by material bonding to the inner face and/or to the outer face of the base frame.

6. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein each flange part has at least one slot extending in the insertion direction, which separates two flaps of the flange part from each other in at least part of the region extending beyond the edge, each flap having at least one latching window as a latching element for receiving a latching lug of the module.

7. The holding frame according to claim 6 , wherein the slot extends into the region of the flange part, which extends along the inner face of the base frame.

8. The holding frame according to claim 1 , having at least four flange parts, each two of which are attached adjacently to each other to one side of the base frame.

9. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein at least one flange part has a guide portion, which allows the module to be guided between the opposite flange parts when the module is being inserted and/or along which the latching lug of the module is guided on insertion, in order to deform the flange part into the insertion state.

10. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein at least the region of each flange part extending along the inner face of the base frame is designed to contact the inserted module at least partly to fix it in place between the opposite flange parts.

11. The holding frame according to claim 10 , wherein at least the region of each flange part extending along the inner face of the base frame has a spring portion, which is designed to contact the inserted module and to exert pressure in the direction of the inner face of the base frame.

12. The holding frame according to claim 10 , wherein at least the region of each flange part extending along the inner face of the base frame is designed to contact the surface of the inserted module continuously in the insertion direction.

13. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein each flange part has one or more latching window regions extending beyond a latching window portion of the edge of the base frame and having the at least one latching window, and one or more holding regions, each extending around a clasping portion of the edge of the base frame and fixing the flange part form-fittingly to the base frame.

14. The holding frame according to claim 13 , wherein the clasping portion of the edge of the base frame is spaced further apart in the insertion direction from the lower edge of the base frame than the latching window portion of the edge of the base frame.

15. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein the flange parts are designed such that the holding frame does not exceed a total predetermined width at least in a region from a lower edge thereof to a predetermined height, also when the flange parts are in the insertion state, wherein the total predetermined width is equal to the total width of the holding frame below the latching window.

16. The holding frame according to claim 1 , wherein each outer face of the base frame has a step, in particular such that the outer surfaces of the flange parts extending outside the base frame along the outer face of the base frame are aligned with a respectively exposed outer surface of the base frame, or the outer surfaces of the flange parts extending outside the base frame along the outer face of the base frame are offset in a direction of the interior of the base frame relative to the respectively exposed outer surface of the base frame.

17. A method of populating a holding frame for a plug connector for receiving similar and/or different modules with a module, said method comprising:
inserting the module into a base frame, which defines a plane transverse to an insertion direction of the module into the holding frame,
wherein the module is inserted between at least two flange parts, which are attached to the base frame opposite each other,
wherein each flange part extends outside the base frame along an outer face of the base frame in the insertion direction, around a lower edge of the base frame, inside the base frame along an inner face of the base frame in the opposite direction to the insertion direction and beyond an edge of the base frame in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, wherein each flange part has at least one latching window, in the region extending beyond the edge of the base frame, as a latching element for receiving a latching lug of the module,
wherein insertion includes elastic bending of the flange parts, which are supported by the base frame, into an insertion state,
wherein the method includes elastic deformation of the flange parts back from the insertion state to a holding state, and
wherein the inserted module is fixed in the holding state at least along the insertion direction by the latching lug engaging into the latching window.

Assignees

• Harting Electric Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Wolff Hanno
• Ziegenhahn Jörg
• Meier Heiko
• Tiemann Andre

Classifications

• H01R13/518 Primary

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title

• H01R43/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors (of trolley lines B60M1/28) · CPC title

• H01R13/506

  assembled by snap action of the parts · CPC title

• H01R13/514

  composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them · CPC title