Plug connector comprising polarisation element, and system and method for mounting, for plugging, and for separating said plug connector

Abstract

Disclosed is a plug connector which can be latched to a mating plug connector having a plug connector housing having a plurality of sides each having a flat shape, a plug connector insert which is fixed or at least can be fixed in the plug connector housing, and an unlocking sleeve which engages around the plug connector housing and is held thereon so as to be displaceable counter to the plugging direction. At least one polarization element is mounted on a side of the unlocking sleeve. Also disclosed is a system, a method for mounting, a method for plugging, and a method for separating plug connectors and mating plug connectors.

Claims

1. A plug connector, which can be latched to a mating plug connector, having a plug connector housing with a plurality of sides which each have a planar form, a plug connector insert, which is fastened, or at least can be fastened, in the plug connector housing, and a release sleeve, which reaches around the plug connector housing and is retained on the plug connector housing such that it can be displaced contrary to the mating direction for releasing the plug connector from the mating plug connector, wherein the release sleeve has at least one polarization element configured to cooperate with both the plug connector housing and the mating plug connector in a polarizing manner, and wherein the polarization element is configured to be inserted into a recess which is arranged on one side of the mating plug connector housing.

2. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one polarization element is arranged internally on the release sleeve.

3. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polarization element is a substantially cuboidal molded portion on the locking sleeve.

4. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polarization element is conically tapered, at least in certain areas.

5. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polarization element has a mating-side end portion with a conical taper.

6. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug connector is a push-pull plug connector.

7. A system comprising a plug connector as claimed in claim 1 and a mating plug connector.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mating plug connector has a mating plug connector housing with two mutually opposing outer sides, which differ from one another in terms of their respective external contours and cooperate with the contours of the release sleeve in a polarizing manner.

9. A method for assembling a plug connector as claimed in claim 1, which comprises the following steps: a) inserting the plug connector insert into the plug connector housing, b) latching the plug connector insert in the plug connector housing, c) inserting the plug connector housing into the release sleeve with the correct polarization, with cooperation between the contours of the release sleeve and the plug connector housing, and d) latching the plug connector housing in the release sleeve.

10. A method for mating a plug connector of a plug connector previously assembled according to claim 9 to a mating plug connector, which comprises the following steps: e) inserting the plug connector housing into a housing of the mating plug connector in certain areas, f) bringing the plug connector housing and the housing of the mating plug connector into mechanical contact first via the release sleeve, g) establishing cooperation between the polarization element of the release sleeve and the housing of the mating plug connector such that they can slide inside one another and therefore bring the plug connector housing and the housing of the mating plug connector together with the correct polarization, h) latching the release sleeve on the housing of the mating plug connector, and simultaneously i) latching the plug connector to the mating plug connector using at least one latching hook, whilst j) the plug connector housing is simultaneously located in its final relative position with respect to the housing of the mating plug connector, which is intended for the mated state, and k) the plug connector insert is simultaneously located in its final relative position with respect to an insert of the mating plug connector, which is intended for the mated state.

11. A method for separating a plug connector from a mating plug connector, which were previously mated according to claim 10, which comprises the following steps: a) releasing the plug connector from the mating plug connector by drawing the release sleeve contrary to the mating direction, b) disengaging the latching mechanism between the plug connector and the mating plug connector, and c) separating the plug connector and the mating plug connector.

12. The plug connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polarization element is a substantially cuboidal molded portion on the locking sleeve.

13. The plug connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polarization element is conically tapered, at least in certain areas.

14. The plug connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polarization element has a mating-side end portion with a conical taper.

15. The plug connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plug connector is a push-pull plug connector.

16. A system comprising a plug connector as claimed in claim 2 and a mating plug connector.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mating plug connector has a mating plug connector housing with two mutually opposing outer sides, which differ from one another in terms of their respective external contours and cooperate with the contours of the release sleeve in a polarizing manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1 a perspective illustration of the plug connector housing and release sleeve;

(3) FIG. 2 a sectional illustration through the plug connector housing and release sleeve;

(4) FIG. 3 a sectional illustration through the plug connector housing and release sleeve;

(5) FIG. 4 a perspective illustration of the release sleeve and mating plug connector;

(6) FIG. 5 a perspective illustration of the release sleeve and mating plug connector.

(7) The figures contain partially simplified schematic illustrations. Identical reference signs are sometimes used for elements which are similar but possible not identical. Different views of similar elements can be drawn to different scales.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a plug connector housing 1 and a release sleeve 2, which are constituent parts of the plug connector. The release sleeve 2 is illustrated at the front in FIG. 1 and the plug connector housing 1 is illustrated at the rear. The release sleeve 2 and the plug connector housing 1 are shown separated from one another in this figure. To ensure the clarity of the figures, the plug connector housing is illustrated without the plug connector inserts in all figures. The plug connector inserts are essentially configured such that they can be received and reliably fastened in the plug connector housing 1. Plug connector inserts for plug connector housings are sufficiently known in a wide variety of embodiments to the person skilled in the art of plug connectors, although their respective configuration is not significant for the function of the plug connector as described in this embodiment.

(9) On the cable connection side, a cable insertion area with a thread of a cable gland is integrally molded on the plug connector housing 1. The mating side is arranged opposite the cable connection side. The plug connector housing 1 has a rectangular cross-section and has four sides arranged orthogonally and/or parallel to one another, namely two wide sides and two narrow sides, which are not denoted by reference signs for reasons of clarity. In this case, the two wide sides and the two narrow sides are parallel opposite one another.

(10) The release sleeve 2 has a rectangular cross-section and therefore four sides arranged orthogonally and/or parallel to one another, namely two narrow and two wide sides, which are parallel opposite one another in each case. The sides walls are not denoted by reference signs for reasons of clarity. However, due to the perspective, only one inner side of these two narrow sides, which will be referred to below as the coding side, is visible in the drawing. The polarization element 3, which is shown more precisely in FIG. 2, is integrally molded internally on the coding side. Parallel opposite the coding side, the release sleeve 2 has the second narrow side, which will be referred to below as the guide side.

(11) FIG. 2 shows the release sleeve 2 and the plug connector housing 1 in a connected state and latched together by means of at least one latching hook 6 in a sectional illustration. The section of this sectional illustration is positioned through the release sleeve 2 and the plug connector housing 1 such that both the above-mentioned latching mechanism and the polarization element 3 can be seen.

(12) The cable connection side of the plug connector housing 1 is illustrated on the left side of the drawing; the associated mating side is arranged correspondingly opposite. The plug connector housing 1 in this exemplary embodiment is retained in the release sleeve 2 by means of two latching hooks 6 on the one side and likewise one latching hook on the associated opposite side, see FIG. 3. In this case, the latching hooks 6 point in the mating direction and prevent unintentional withdrawal of the release sleeve 2 from the plug connector housing 1.

(13) The polarization element 3 is integrally molded centrally on a side of the release sleeve 2. In FIG. 2, the polarization element 3 is positioned centrally between the two latching hooks 6. In the sectional illustration, the polarization element 3 is designed to be conically tapered at least in certain areas, namely towards its end. The form in this example is realized by an elongated rectangle on which an isosceles trapezoid is integrally molded in the direction of the mating side. The narrower side of the two parallel sides is aligned in the direction of the mating side. This form is provided with bevels at the edges in its three-dimensional configuration, so that the insertion of the polarization element 3 into a recess 5 on a mating plug connector 4 is facilitated. This can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

(14) FIG. 3 shows the plug connector in a view which is rotated with respect to the previous illustration, looking onto the previously hidden side in a corresponding sectional illustration.

(15) On the side shown, the plug connector housing 1 has a latching hook 6. This is arranged centrally on the release sleeve 2 and opposite the polarization element 3. The effective direction of the one latching hook 6 on this side is identical to the effective direction of the two latching hooks 6 on the other side. A respective guide rail, which simplifies the insertion of the plug connector housing 1 into the release sleeve 2 for the user, is integrally molded at the side of the latching hook 6 in each case.

(16) FIGS. 2 and 3 show the advantage of the polarization element 3 when assembling the plug connector housing 1 with the release sleeve 2. Incorrect assembly thus prevented.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a mating plug connector 4, more precisely a mating plug connector housing, and the release sleeve 2 in a perspective illustration. For the sake of clarity, the two elements are shown separated in this figure. They are shown intermated in FIG. 5. In this case, the release sleeve 2 corresponds to the release sleeve 2 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

(18) The mating plug connector 4 is shown, in each case, without a plug connector insert in FIGS. 4 and 5. The plug connector inserts are therefore configured such that they can be received and reliably fastened in the housing of the mating plug connector 4. Plug connector inserts for plug connector housings and corresponding mating plug connector housings are sufficiently known in the prior art. By way of example, the housing of the mating plug connector 4 which is shown is an attachment housing for assembling on the wall of a device, an installation or the like. Instead of an attachment housing, the housing of the mating plug connector 4 can also be a socket housing or a feed-through housing or a support sleeve. The said housing types are sufficiently known in the prior art. The housing of the mating plug connector 4 has to be selected so that it corresponds to the plug connector housing.

(19) The housing of the mating plug connector 4 has, on one side, a recess 5 into which the polarization element 3 of the release sleeve 2 engages and with which it cooperates. The recess 5 is a rectangular cutout in the wall of the housing of the mating plug connector 4.

(20) In FIG. 5, likewise a perspective illustration, the elements which are still separated in FIG. 4, the housing of the mating plug connector 4 and the release sleeve 2, are intermated. It can be seen in this figure how the recess 5 and the polarization element 3 cooperate. This cooperation defines the correct mating. Incorrect mating of the plug connector and the mating plug connector 4 is thus prevented.

(21) Even where combinations of various aspects or features of the invention are shown in combination in the figures in each case, it is clear to the person skilled in the art—unless indicated otherwise—that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible combinations. In particular, mutually corresponding units or feature complexes from different exemplary embodiments can be interchanged with one another.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(22) 1 Plug connector housing 2 Release sleeve 3 Polarization element 4 Mating plug connector 5 Recess 6 Latching hook