Plug connection

[0001] The invention relates to a plug connection for a line, in particular a bus line for energy and/or data transfer.

[0002] It is an object of the invention to provide plug connection, which plug connection accomplishes an easy coupling independent of position and without auxiliary agents with highly reliable functioning capability even in case of high mechanical loads.

[0003] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become evident from the description which follows.

[0004] The present invention provides a plug connection for a line, in particular for a bus line, for energy and/or data transfer. The tubular shaped metal bush and an also tubular shaped plug part with an inner metal sleeve, a casing jacket gripping around the metal sleeve and an outer actuating ring are employed, wherein a support tube part of the metal sleeve is free of play supported in the coupling state in a guide part of the metal bush and at least one snap in hook of the casing jacket engages into a catch recess of the metal bush, wherein the snap in hook is disengageable by shifting of the actuating ring.

[0005] The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

[0011] The plug connection according to the present invention exhibits a tube shaped plug part 1 and an also tube shaped metal bush 2, which form the plug connection casing. The metal bush 2 exhibits a receiver part 3 in axial direction, wherein the diameter of the receiver part 3 is larger than a following guide part 4. The guide part 4 is delimited at the end disposed relatively remote to the receiver part 3 by a ring shaped web 5, wherein the inner diameter of the web 5 is smaller than the inner diameter of the guide part 4. The tubular piece 6 follows to the web 5, wherein the inner diameter of the tubular piece 6 is larger than the inner diameter of the ring shaped web 5 and wherein the axial length of the tubular piece 6 can be about equal to the length of the receiver part 3, of the guide part 4 and of the ring shaped web 5.

[0012] In addition, the metal bush 2 exhibits on the outside a ring shaped stop collar 7, wherein the stop collar 7 can be furnished about in the region between the end of the receiver part 3 and the beginning of the guide part 4 and wherein the stop collar 7 is furnished with a preferably trough shaped receiver 8 on the side disposed remote to the receiver part 3, wherein a seal not illustrated here can be positioned in the trough shaped receiver 8. An outer thread 9 follows this receiver 8, wherein the outer thread 9 can extend over the guide part 4 and the ring shaped web 5 and to the tubular piece 6.

[0013] Advantageously, the metal bush 2 can be spatially fixedly mounted at a wall of a distributor or transmitter casing not illustrated here by inserting the tubular piece 6 from the outside through a hole or, respectively, threaded hole formed in the wall into the casing until the stop collar 7 with the seal comes to rest at the outer face of the casing wall. Then a threaded nut not illustrated here is screwed to such extent on the outer thread 9 that the seal is correspondingly deformed and the stop collar 7 firmly rests at the casing wall such that a sealing connection is furnished. The largest part of the metal bush 2 thus is disposed in the distributor casing or in the transmitter casing and only the stop collar 7 with the seal and the receiver part 3 protrude beyond the casing outer wall.

[0014] In addition, a catch recess 10 is formed in the tubular wall of the receiver part 3, wherein the catch recess 10 can be preferably formed as a ring groove having a wedge shaped cross-section. It can be advantageous for this purpose to chamfer the free end of the tubular shaped wall of the receiver part 3 such that a leading ramp 11 is formed.

[0015] The plug part 1 is furnished with an inner metal sleeve 12 having an outer thread 13, wherein the outer thread 13 is formed at the one end region of the metal sleeve 12. A collar 14 formed somewhat larger in diameter can be finished about in the middle of the metal sleeve 12, and a bearing part 15 and a support tube part 16 follow axially to the collar 14. It can be recognize from the drawing that the inner diameter of the support tube part 16 and of the bearing part 15 is smaller as compared with the inner diameter of the remaining part of the metal sleeve 12, such that a stop 17 is formed about in the middle of the bearing part 15. The outer diameter of the bearing part 15 advantageously can be larger than the outer diameter of the support tube part 16. In addition, it can be advantageous to form a ring shaped groove 18 open toward the outside in the tubular wall of the bearing part 15, wherein a sealing ring 19 can be supported such in the groove 18 that the sealing ring 19 somewhat protrudes beyond the outer circumference of the bearing part 15.

[0016] In addition, it is to be noted that the outer diameter of the support tube part 16 of the metal sleeve 12 is smaller as compared to the inner diameter of the guide part 4 formed in the metal bush 2 and the outer diameter of the bearing part 15 of the metal sleeve 12 is equal to or only slightly smaller as compared with the inner diameter of the receiver part 3 of the metal bush 2.

[0017] The metal sleeve 12 of the plug part 1 is enveloped by a casing jacket 20, wherein the casing jacket 20 is preferably produced from a plastic material resistant to impact and exhibits a conically narrowed end part with the passage bore hole 21 for the line not illustrated here. The casing jacket 20 is furnished with an inner thread 22, wherein the metal sleeve 12 with the thread 13 is screwed into the inner thread 22 so far that the collar 14 rests at the shoulder 23 of the casing jacket 20.

[0018] The casing jacket 20 can exhibit at least one, and preferably four catch hooks 24 formed at the casing jacket 20 of the same material and arranged at equal distances distributed over the circumference. The catch hooks 24 extend from the shoulder 23 over the collar 14 and are furnished with a hook part 25 protrudingly radially toward the outside. In addition, the casing jacket 20 is furnished with at least one and preferably eight snap-in hooks 26 formed at the casing jacket 20 and made of uniform material, wherein advantageously two snap in hooks 26 can be combined closely spaced next to each other to a pair such that four snap in hook pairs are formed, wherein the four snap in hook pairs are disposed at the same distances at the circumference of the casing jacket 20. The snap in hooks 26 also extend from the shoulder 23 over the collar 14 of the metal sleeve 12 and are somewhat longer as compared with the catch hooks 24, wherein the catch hooks 24 advantageously are disposed within the distances between the snap in hook pairs. The radially inwardly directed hook 27 with a leading ramp 28 is formed at the free end of the snap in hook 26.

[0019] A sleeve shaped actuating ring 29 with a ring shaped debolting part 30 is supported at the casing jacket 20. The actuating ring 29 and the debolting part 30 can advantageously be made out of the same plastic material having impact strength as is made the casing jacket 20. The actuating ring 29 is slid so far onto the casing jacket 20 until the hook part 25 of the catch hook 24 locks snapping like and grips behind a counter support 31. The debolting part 30 is shape matching and captive held in a ring shaped recess of the actuating ring 29 with a peripheral nose 32 and exhibits a guiding inclination 33 disposed toward the sliding inclination 28 on the hook 27. It is further within the frame of the present invention to furnish the actuating ring 29 and the debolting part 30 as a single piece and of uniform material.

[0020] It can be gathered from FIG. 3 that a light guiding rod 34 is disposed in the metal bush 2, wherein the light guiding rod 34 is surrounded by a ferrite core 35, wherein the ferrite core 35 supports an electric coil 36 and wherein a ferrite core closure ring 37 is furnished. In addition, connection contacts 38 are furnished, wherein the connection contacts are disposed in the region of the tubular piece 6. The ferrite closure ring 37 is supported in the ring shaped web 5 and the light guide rod 34, the ferrite core 35 and the electric coil 36 extend axially finger shaped through the guide part 4 up into the receiver part 3. A circuit board with electronic component parts and not illustrated here can be contacted with the connection contacts 38, wherein conductor strands can be connected to the circuit board, wherein the conductor strands can protrude out of the right side end of the tubular piece 6 shown in the drawing. The part of the tubular piece 6 can be sealingly cast with a casting resin according to the requirements of explosion protection.

[0021] It can be further gathered from FIG. 3 that a light conductor 39, a ring shaped electrical coil 40, a ferrite casing 41 surrounding the electrical coil 40 and conductor connections 42 are disposed in the metal sleeve 12 of the plug part 1. A circuit board equipped with electronic device components can be contacted at the conductor connectors 42, wherein also conductor strands can be connected at the circuit board, wherein in addition at least part of the metal sleeve 12 can be sealingly cast with a casting resin according to the requirements of explosion protection.

[0022] Upon coupling together of the plug connection according to the present invention, the plug part 1, as illustrated in FIG. 3, is placed coaxially in front of the metal bush 2 and axially transported in arrow direction, such that the support tube part 16 protrudes into the guide part 4 and such that the bearing part 15 is disposed substantially free of play in the receiver part 3, wherein the sealing ring 19 rests sealingly at the inner face of the bearing part 3. The slide-on inclination 28 of hook 27 is slid onto the roll on inclination 11 of the receiver part 3 whereby the snap in hooks 26 are initially bent radially toward the outside. As soon as the plug part 1 has been inserted into the metal bush 2 up to the stop, the snap in hooks 26 move based on their spring elastic restoration force again radially inwardly, such that the hooks 27 engage into the ring shaped catch recess 10, whereby the plug part 1 locks with the metal bush 2 and the coupling process is finished. The light conductor rod 34, the ferrite core 35, and the electric coil 36 are disposed in the chamber 43 co-bordered by the coil 40 in this coupling state and the conical front part 44 of the ferrite core 35 is supported in the receiver funnel 45 following to the light conductor 39 such that the light conductor rod 34 and the light conductor 39 align exactly coaxially.

[0023] The plug part 1 is gripped with one hand during decoupling of the plug connection and the actuating ring 29 is shifted axially to some extent (about 2 mm) in the direction toward the conically narrowed end parts of the casing jacket 20. The de-bolting part 30 thereby grips under the hook 27 and the slide on inclination 28 passes onto the guiding inclination 33, whereby the snap in hook 26 is necessarily pressed radially outwardly against the spring elastic restoring force, such that the hook 27 is taken out of the catch recess 10. The plug connection is thereby de-bolting and the plug part 1 can be separated easygoing against the direction of the arrow from the metal bush 2. After the decoupling and the releasing of the actuating ring 29, then the actuating ring 29 is slid back automatically into the starting position based on the spring elastic restoring force of the snap in hooks 26.

[0024] Overall the plug connection according to the present invention can be coupled and decoupled exclusively with a hand independent of position and without auxiliary agents, wherein the preferred embodiment of the plug connection is pressure resistant encapsulated in the sense of the explosion protection or in increased safety or is formed as a cast capsule or is formed self safe. The snap in connection assures a safe and nevertheless easily disengageable coupling connection and a comparatively light and nevertheless very reliable plug connection is given, which connection exhibits a high functioning capability even under rough operating conditions and under large impact loads, based on the high impact strength of the metal bush 2 with the integrated stop collar 7 and the metal sleeve 12 as well as with the stable casing jacket 20 and the actuating ring 29, which casing jacket 20 and actuating ring 29 are made out of an impact resistant plastic. The high safety against outer impact loads is in particular also reached or, respectively, favored by having the outer diameter of the bearing part 15 substantially free of play supported in the inner diameter of the receiver part 3 of the metal bush 2 with a fitting.

[0025] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of cable system configurations and connecting procedures differing from the types described above.

[0026] While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in the context of a plug connection, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[0027] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.