Contact carrier for providing electrical contact for wiring in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11916339-B2
Application number	US-202016925930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Jul 11, 2019
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A contact carrier includes a carrier body receiving a plurality of contacts and a fastening element fastening the carrier body to a carrier element. The fastening element includes a first clamping element connected to the carrier body, a second clamping element formed on the carrier body in a shiftable manner and opposite the first clamping element, and a locking device locking the second clamping element in a position relative to the first clamping element. A distance between the first clamping element and the second clamping element can be varied by a relative movement of the second clamping element in relation to the first clamping element. The first clamping element and the second clamping element, by the locking device, exert a clamping force onto the carrier element arranged between the first clamping element and the second clamping element to hold the carrier element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact carrier comprising:
a carrier body receiving a plurality of contacts; and
a fastening element fastening the carrier body to a carrier element, the fastening element includes:
a first clamping element connected to the carrier body;
a second clamping element formed on the carrier body in a shiftable manner and opposite the first clamping element; and
a locking device having an insertion axis locking the second clamping element in a position relative to the first clamping element, a distance between the first clamping element and the second clamping element can be varied by a relative movement of the second clamping element in relation to the first clamping element along the insertion axis, the first clamping element and the second clamping element, by the locking device, exert opposing clamping forces in a force direction parallel to the insertion axis and onto the carrier element arranged between the first clamping element and the second clamping element to hold the carrier element,
wherein the carrier body has a guide and the second clamping element has a guiding body that interacts with the guide and is shiftable along the guide in a guiding direction relative to the carrier body, the guiding body including a sliding body and a sliding bar, the sliding body is formed as a U-shaped body and has a bridge element and a pair of flank elements angled at the bridge element, the bridge element is formed on the sliding bar and is arranged parallel to the sliding wall, the sliding body connected to the sliding wall of the second clamping element via the sliding bar, the sliding body can be fitted and is shiftable in the guiding space and the sliding bar can be fitted and is shiftable in the guiding gap.

2. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the guide has a first guiding element and a second guiding element opposite the first guiding element, the first guiding element and the second guiding element are formed on the carrier body along the guiding direction and define a guiding space between them.

3. The contact carrier of claim 2 , wherein the guiding body can fit in the guiding space and is shiftable along the guiding direction in the guiding space.

4. The contact carrier of claim 3 , wherein the first guiding element and the second guiding element each have a first guiding wall and a second guiding wall forming an angle with one another, the first guiding walls of the first guiding element and the second guiding element are arranged opposite one another and are formed at a third guiding wall of the carrier body.

5. The contact carrier of claim 4 , wherein a guiding gap is defined between the second guiding walls, the guiding space communicates with the guiding gap and is defined between the first guiding walls, the second guiding walls, and the third guiding wall.

6. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein, when the sliding body is shiftably fitted into the guiding space, the bridge element abuts on an inner surface of the second guiding walls, the flank elements each abut on an inner surface of the first guiding walls, and the sliding wall abuts on an outer surface of the second guiding walls.

7. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the second clamping element has a guiding rail arranged laterally distanced from the guiding body on the sliding wall, the guiding rail abuts on an outer surface of the first guiding wall of the first guiding element and/or the second guiding element when the sliding body is shiftably fitted in the guiding space.

8. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the guide has a first guiding element and a second guiding element, wherein the first and second guiding elements each have a second guiding wall, and the contact carrier also has a securing element spatially limiting a shifting of the guiding body on the guide, the securing element preventing the guiding body from sliding out of the guide and preventing the second clamping element from separating from the carrier body.

9. The contact carrier of claim 8 , wherein the securing element has a detent lug formed at an end of the second guiding wall of the first guiding element and/or the second guiding element.

10. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the second clamping element can be released from the carrier body.

11. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the fastening element is arranged on a side of the contact carrier, the contact carrier having a plurality of contact elements.

12. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the carrier body and/or the first clamping element and/or the second clamping element are made of plastic.

13. The contact carrier of claim 1 , wherein the locking device is substantially cylindrical in cross-section.

14. A contact carrier comprising:
a carrier body receiving a plurality of contacts; and
a fastening element fastening the carrier body to a carrier element, the fastening element includes:
a first clamping element connected to the carrier body;
a second clamping element formed on the carrier body in a shiftable manner and opposite the first clamping element, wherein the first clamping element has a receiving space receiving the locking device and the second clamping element has a guiding aperture guiding the locking device; and

a locking device locking the second clamping element in a position relative to the first clamping element, a distance between the first clamping element and the second clamping element can be varied by a relative movement of the second clamping element in relation to the first clamping element, the first clamping element and the second clamping element, by the locking device, exert a clamping force onto the carrier element arranged between the first clamping element and the second clamping element to hold the carrier element, wherein the locking device can be introduced through the guiding aperture of the second clamping element into the receiving space of the first clamping element and can be locked in the receiving space, and wherein the locking device is a screw element with an externally threaded section and the receiving space has a receiving sleeve element with an internally threaded section for interlocking with the externally threaded section of the screw element.

15. The contact carrier of claim 14 , wherein the guiding aperture has a guiding sleeve element with a securing section for guiding the locking device in the guiding aperture and for securing the locking device on the second clamping element.

16. The contact carrier of claim 15 , wherein the guiding sleeve element is made of metal.

17. A contact carrier comprising:
a carrier body receiving a plurality of contacts, wherein the carrier body has a guide having a first guiding element and a second guiding element opposite the first guiding element, the first guiding element and the second guiding element formed on the carrier body along a guiding direction and defining a guiding space between them, and a second clamping element has a guiding body, the guiding body interacts with the guide and is shiftable along the guide in the guiding direction relative to the carrier body; and
a fastening element fastening the carrier body to a carrier element, the fastening element includes:
a first clamping element connected to the carrier body;
the second clamping element formed on the carrier body in a shiftable manner and opposite the first clamping element; and
a locking device locking the second clamping element in a position relative to the first clamping element, a distance between the first clamping element and the second clamping elem

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Buck Carsten
• Veihl Maximilian

Classifications

• H01R13/74 Primary

  Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel · CPC title

• F16B5/02

  by means of fastening members using screw-thread ({F16B5/0004 takes precedence}; construction of screw-threaded connections F16B25/00 - F16B39/00) · CPC title

• F16B5/06

  by means of clamps or clips ({F16B5/0004 takes precedence}; friction-grip releasable fastenings in general F16B2/00) · CPC title

• F16B2200/40

  Clamping arrangements where clamping parts are received in recesses of elements to be connected · CPC title

• H01R13/748 Primary

  using one or more screws (H01R13/746 takes precedence) · CPC title