Electrical device and connection arrangement including an electrical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9935397-B2
Application number	US-201415117087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

An electrical device, in particular a switching unit or control unit for a motor vehicle, including a housing, which includes a connection area for electrically contacting the housing with a connecting plug, the connection area including at least one receiving contour, which has a circumferential wall area, for the connecting plug, the wall area encompassing electrical connecting elements, and at least one fixing or locking element being provided in the connection area, which is designed to connect the connecting plug to the housing in the connection area. It is provided that at least one fixing or locking element is situated in each case both inside and outside the wall area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical device, comprising:
a housing;
a single wall that is formed on an exterior surface of the housing, extends away from the exterior surface of the housing to an end of the single wall, and circumferentially surrounds a connection area;
electrical connecting elements in the connection area within the single wall and extending longitudinally away from the surface of the housing to respective ends configured for alternatively mating with corresponding respective electrical connecting elements of a plurality of connecting plugs that are each alternatively pluggable onto or into the single wall in a direction from the end of the single wall towards the surface of the housing, to thereby provide an electrical connection between the electrical device and the connecting plug;
wherein at least one first fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix a first one of the connecting plugs to the housing by preventing withdrawal of the first one of the connecting plugs from the housing in a direction from the surface of the housing towards the end of the single wall, is formed on an interior surface of the single wall within the connection area, and at least one second fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix a second one of the connecting plugs to the housing by preventing withdrawal of the second one of the connecting plugs from the housing in the direction from the surface of the housing towards the end of the single wall, is formed on an exterior surface of the single wall.

2. The electrical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electrical device is a switching unit or control unit for a motor vehicle.

3. The electrical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first fixing or locking element and the at least one second fixing and locking element are fastened directly on the wall.

4. The electrical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first fixing or locking element and the at least one second fixing and locking element are molded in one piece on the wall.

5. An electrical device comprising:
a housing;
a wall that is formed on an exterior surface of the housing, extends away from the exterior surface of the housing to an end of the wall, and circumferentially surrounds a connection area;
electrical connecting elements in the connection area within the wall and extending longitudinally away from the surface of the housing to respective ends configured for alternatively mating with corresponding respective electrical connecting elements of a plurality of connecting plugs that are each alternatively pluggable onto or into the wall in a direction from the end of the wall towards the surface of the housing, to thereby provide an electrical connection between the electrical device and the connecting plug;
wherein:
at least one first fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix a first one of the connecting plugs to the housing, is formed on an interior of the wall within the connection area;
at least one second fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix a second one of the connecting plugs to the housing, is formed on an exterior of the wall;
the wall defines a generally rectangular shaped receiving contour and includes at least two wall sections parallel to each other;
the at least one first fixing or locking element includes a section on each of the two parallel wall sections; and
the at least one second fixing or locking element includes a section on each of the two parallel wall sections.

6. The electrical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first fixing or locking element is designed differently than the at least one second fixing or locking element.

7. The electrical device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first fixing or locking element and the at least one second fixing or locking element each has a respective recess for a formfitting accommodation of a respective counter element of a respective one of the connecting plugs.

8. An electrical device comprising:
a housing;
a wall that is formed on an exterior surface of the housing, extends away from the exterior surface of the housing to an end of the wall, and circumferentially surrounds a connection area;
electrical connecting elements in the connection area within the wall and extending longitudinally away from the surface of the housing to respective ends configured for alternatively mating with corresponding respective electrical connecting elements of a plurality of connecting plugs that are each alternatively pluggable onto or into the wall in a direction from the end of the wall towards the surface of the housing, to thereby provide an electrical connection between the electrical device and the connecting plug;
wherein:
at least one first fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix a first one of the connecting plugs to the housing, is formed on an interior of the wall within the connection area;
at least one second fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix a second one of the connecting plugs to the housing, is formed on an exterior of the wall;
the at least one first fixing or locking element includes a first pair of elements situated on respective areas of the wall that are directly opposite each other and face each other; and
the at least one second fixing or locking element includes a second pair of elements situated on respective areas of the wall that are directly opposite each other and face away from each other.

9. A connection arrangement, comprising:
a first connecting plug; and
an electrical device that includes:
a housing;
a single wall that is formed on an exterior surface of the housing, extends away from the exterior surface of the housing to an end of the single wall, and circumferentially surrounds a connection area;
electrical connecting elements in the connection area within the single wall and extending longitudinally away from the surface of the housing to respective ends configured for alternatively mating with corresponding respective electrical connecting elements of (a) the first connecting plug and (b) a second connecting plug, each of the first and second connecting plugs being alternatively pluggable onto or into the single wall in a direction from the end of the single wall towards the surface of the housing, to thereby provide an electrical connection between the electrical device and the respective connecting plug;

wherein:
at least one first fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix one of the first and the second connecting plugs to the housing by preventing withdrawal of the one of the first and second connecting plugs from the housing in a direction from the surface of the housing towards the end of the single wall, is formed on an interior surface of the single wall within the connection area, and at least one second fixing or locking element, which is designed to fix the other of the first and second connecting plugs to the housing by preventing withdrawal of the other of the first and second connecting plugs from the housing in the direction from the surface of the housing towards the end of the single wall, is formed on an exterior surface of the single wall; and
the first connecting plug includes at least one component that is designed to form fittingly interact with the at least one first fixing or locking element or with the at least one second fixing or locking element.

10. The connection arrangement as recited in claim 9 , wherein the electrical device is a switching unit or a control unit for a motor vehicle.

11. The connection arrangement as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one component of the fir

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Gueckel Richard
• Kroeckel Markus

Classifications

• H01R13/62938

  Pivoting lever comprising own camming means · CPC title

• H01R27/02

  for simultaneous co-operation with two or more {dissimilar} counterparts · CPC title

• H05K5/0069 Primary

  having connector relating features for connecting the connector pins with the PCB or for mounting the connector body with the housing · CPC title

• B60R16/0215

  Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor · CPC title

• H01R13/639

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title