Direct plug-in element with integrated locking mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9608365-B2
Application number	US-201214232692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2012
Priority date	Jul 14, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a direct plug-in element comprising: a plug housing ( 3 ), a direct contact ( 4 ) with a contact tongue ( 5 ), the contact tongue ( 5 ) having at least one contact section ( 50 ) for directly contacting an exposed contact area on a counterpart, and a catch device ( 6 ) for an interlocked connection between the plug housing ( 3 ) and the direct contact ( 4 ), in order to retain the direct contact ( 4 ) in the plug housing ( 3 ), the direct contact ( 4 ) being arranged in the plug housing ( 3 ), the contact tongue ( 5 ) having a first and second flat side ( 52, 53 ) and a first and second narrow side ( 54, 55 ), the catch device ( 6 ) comprising a first catch element ( 60 ) on the direct contact ( 4 ) and a second catch element ( 61 ) formed on the plug housing ( 3 ) complementary to the first catch element ( 60 ), the first catch element ( 60 ) being arranged on one of the flat sides ( 52, 53 ) of the direct contact ( 4 ), and the contact section ( 50 ) being arranged on one of the narrow sides ( 54, 55 ) of the contact tongue ( 5 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A direct plug-in element, comprising:
a plug housing ( 3 ),
a direct contact ( 4 ) having a contact tongue ( 5 ), wherein the contact tongue ( 5 ) has at least one electrical contact portion ( 50 ) for directly contacting an exposed electrical contact region on a counterpart within the plug housing, and
a latching mechanism ( 6 ) for a latching connection between the plug housing ( 3 ) and the direct contact ( 4 ) in order to keep the direct contact ( 4 ) in the plug housing ( 3 ),
wherein the direct contact ( 4 ) is arranged in the plug housing ( 3 ),
wherein the contact tongue ( 5 ) has a first and second flat side ( 52 , 53 ) and a first and second narrow side ( 54 , 55 ),
wherein the latching mechanism ( 6 ) has a first latching element ( 60 ) on the direct contact ( 4 ) and a second latching element ( 61 ), which is formed in a complementary manner to the first latching element ( 60 ), on the plug housing ( 3 ),
wherein the first latching element ( 60 ) is arranged on one of the flat sides ( 52 , 53 ) of the direct contact ( 4 ) and
wherein the contact portion ( 50 ) is arranged on one of the narrow sides ( 54 , 55 ) of the contact tongue ( 5 ), wherein the contact portion ( 50 ) is formed by a contour region ( 5 C) of an outer contour ( 5 B) of the contact tongue ( 5 ), and wherein an end portion ( 5 D) of the contour region ( 5 C) is bent round by 180° in the plane of one of the flat sides ( 52 , 53 ).

2. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the contact tongue ( 5 ) has a first and a second contact portion ( 50 , 51 ), wherein in each case one of the contact portions ( 50 , 51 ) is arranged on one of the narrow sides ( 54 , 55 ) of the contact tongue ( 5 ).

3. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that the contact tongue ( 5 ) is formed in a curved manner and has resilient characteristics in a direction of the latching mechanism ( 6 ).

4. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the first latching element ( 60 ) is arranged on a convex region ( 5 A) of the curved contact tongue ( 5 ).

5. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that the latching mechanism ( 6 ) is releasable.

6. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 5 , characterized in that the plug housing ( 3 ) has an end-face opening ( 3 A).

7. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the contact tongue ( 5 ) is formed in a curved manner and has resilient characteristics in a direction of the latching mechanism ( 6 ).

8. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the latching mechanism ( 6 ) is releasable.

9. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the plug housing ( 3 ) has an end-face opening ( 3 A).

10. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the direct contact ( 4 ) is aligned substantially in a direction of a cable ( 8 ) which is fixed on the direct contact ( 4 ).

11. An electric arrangement, comprising the counterpart with exposed contact regions and the direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 .

12. The direct plug-in element as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the direct contact ( 4 ) is aligned substantially in a direction of a cable ( 8 ) which is fixed on the direct contact ( 4 ).

13. The direct plug-in element of claim 1 , wherein the contact portion protrudes laterally parallel to the plane of one of the flat sides.

14. A method for producing a direct contact ( 4 ) comprising a contact tongue ( 5 ) with at least one electrical contact portion ( 50 , 51 ) configured to directly contact an exposed electrical contact region on a counterpart within a plug housing, and one latching element ( 60 ), said method comprising the steps:
punching out an outer contour ( 5 B) of the direct contact ( 4 ) from a strip material ( 10 ) and punching or embossing a region ( 60 A) for the latching element ( 60 ) on a flat side ( 53 ) of the direct contact ( 4 ), wherein the direct contact ( 4 ) is still suspended from a balance of the strip material ( 10 ′),
producing the contact portion ( 50 , 51 ) by bending round an end portion ( 5 D) of at least one contour region ( 5 C) of the outer contour ( 5 B) by 180° in the plane of one of the flat sides ( 52 , 53 ),
producing the latching element ( 60 ) by pressing out the region ( 60 A),
rotating the direct contact ( 4 ), which is still suspended from the balance of the strip material ( 10 ′), about an angle with respect to the balance of the strip material ( 10 ′) such that the contact portion ( 50 , 51 ) protrudes out of a strip material plane (E),
coating the contact portion ( 50 , 51 ) of the direct contact ( 4 ) with an electrically conductive material, and
forming a portion of the direct contact in a curved manner such that the latching element is arranged on a convex region of the direct contact.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , characterized in that the angle is 90°.

16. A method for producing a direct contact ( 4 ) comprising a contact tongue ( 5 ) with at least one electrical contact portion configured to directly contact an exposed electrical contact region on a counterpart within a plug housing, and one latching element ( 60 ), said method comprising the steps:
embossing a dome-like recess ( 5 E) in a strip material ( 10 ),
punching out an outer contour ( 5 B) of the direct contact ( 4 ) from the strip material ( 10 ), the outer contour including a contour region ( 5 F) in which the recess ( 5 E) is embossed, and punching out a region ( 60 A) for the latching element ( 60 ) on a flat side ( 53 ) of the direct contact ( 4 ),
punching out the recess ( 5 E) from the strip material,
producing the at least one electrical contact portion by bending round the contour region ( 5 F) by 180° in the plane of one of the flat sides ( 52 , 53 ),
rotating the direct contact, which is still suspended from the balance of the strip material ( 10 ′), about an angle with respect to the balance of the strip material ( 10 ′) such that the contact portion ( 50 , 51 ) protrudes out of a strip material plane (E),
coating the contact portion ( 50 , 51 ) of the direct contact ( 4 ) with an electrically conductive material, and
forming a portion of the direct contact in a curved manner such that the latching element is arranged on a convex region of the direct contact.

Assignees

• Kroeckel Markus
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Kroeckel Markus

Classifications

• H01R43/26

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title

• H01R13/62 Primary

  Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement · CPC title

• Y10T29/49224

  with coating · CPC title

• H01R13/428 Primary

  by resilient locking means on the contact members; by locking means on resilient contact members · CPC title