The present invention relates to a connector element for an electrical plug type connector, having at least one receiving member which is open at least at one side in an introduction direction for an electrical contact element, the receiving member forming a retention portion.

The invention further relates to a contact element for an electrical connector element having a retention region for securing the contact element in a receiving member of the connector element. The invention further relates to a connector element having at least one receiving member which has a retention portion, in which an electrical contact element which is introduced into the at least one receiving member as far as the end position thereof is retained.

Connector elements and contact elements of the above-mentioned type are known from the prior art. The contact elements are, for example, inserted in the form of plug contacts into the receiving member or contact receiving member of the connector elements in order often to be retained independently at that location without the use of additional auxiliary means. For insertion, the contact elements are inserted into the receiving member in an insertion direction and arrive with the retention region thereof in the end position generally in a positive-locking and/or non-positive-locking connection with the receiving member. Retention elements of the contact element which are formed in the retention region may penetrate, for example, into a wall of the receiving member or plastically and/or resiliency deform the receiving member so that a secure arrangement of the contact elements is ensured. The contact elements are generally formed from punched sheet metal material.

For use under adverse environmental influences, such as, for example, in the automotive industry, connector elements or the inner space thereof are intended to be hermetically sealed to the greatest possible extent so that harmful substances, such as corrosive fluids and gases, cannot penetrate into the connector element. One manner of sealing the inner side of the connector element is, for example, to cast it with hypoxide resin or a thermoplastic plastics material. The cast mass can, for example, after the contact elements have been inserted in the receiving member and the contact elements have been connected to electrical conductors in the inner space of the connector element, be injected therein. When the cast mass has hardened or solidified in the inner space, the contact elements and in particular connection locations with respect to the electrical conductors are generally hermetically surrounded. The connector element and contact elements which are received therein form, owing to the cast mass, a solid, hermetically sealed component which is robust and resistant with respect to harmful environmental influences.

A problem when sealing inner spaces of connector elements according to the prior art is that the cast mass can penetrate through gaps or capillaries formed between the walls of the receiving members and the contact elements as far as an insertion face of the connector elements, which face is constructed to be able to be connected to a mating connector element. The cast mass which has penetrated into the insertion face may remain in the insertion face after hardening and contaminate the insertion regions of the contact elements at that location and/or change a contour of the insertion face. The contamination may bring about occurrences of incorrect contacting of the contact elements with counter-contact elements which are arranged in a mating connector element or impair correct electrical contact. The contour change may lead to the connector element no longer being able to be correctly connected to a mating connector element since the insertion face can no longer engage with a complementarily formed mating insertion face of the mating connector element and consequently a plug type connector comprising the connector element and mating connector element may potentially no longer be able to be moved into a correct end insertion position.

Taking into account the requirements set out above for connector elements and the problems of the prior art which arise therefrom, an object of the present invention is to provide a sealable or castable connector element in which a cast mass cannot reach the insertion face from the inner space via the receiving members for the contacts or the inner space can be protected against harmful environmental influences to the best possible extent.

This object is achieved according to the invention for the connector element mentioned in the introduction for an electrical plug type connector in that the receiving member forms following the retention portion a sealing portion which has an increased resilient expandability in the peripheral direction with respect to the retention portion. That is to say, a connector element for an electrical plug connector may be provided with at least one receiving member for an electrical contact element which can be introduced into the receiving member as far as an end position, the receiving member having a retention portion which is constructed to retain the contact element in the end position thereof. In order to solve the problem, there may be provision for the receiving member to have a resiliently deformable sealing portion which is constructed to surround the contact element in a sealing manner at least in the end position at the outer peripheral side.

With the contact element mentioned in the introduction, the object is solved by a sealing region which is constructed to be at least partially surrounded in a sealing manner by the receiving member.

With the connector element mentioned in the introduction having a contact element which is retained in at least one receiving member, the object is achieved in that the at least one receiving member has a sealing portion in which the contact element at least partially widens the at least one receiving member and is surrounded in a sealing manner by the at least one receiving member.

The solutions according to the invention have the advantage that the receiving member can resiliently engage around the contact element in the manner of a collar and gaps or capillaries between the walls of the receiving member and the contact element are closed, whereas the retention portion can be reliably retained in a non-displaceable manner by means of a positive-locking, non-positive-locking and/or frictional engagement owing to the increased rigidity thereof with respect to the sealing portion. In a method for producing sealable or castable connector elements, the solutions according to the invention may allow the receiving member, when the contact element is inserted, or at the latest when the end position of the contact element is reached, to cooperate in a sealing manner with the contact element and consequently to prevent cast mass from the inner space of the connector element between the contact element and the walls of the receiving member from being able to reach the insertion face. The sealing portion may, for example, be offset from the retention portion so that the sealing portion can be configured to perform a sealing function and the retention portion may be configured to perform a retention function.

The solutions according to the invention may be freely complemented and further improved by means of the following additional embodiments which are each advantageous per se. According to a first advantageous embodiment of a connector element according to the invention, there may be provision for the sealing portion, when viewed in an insertion direction for connection of the connector element to a mating connector element, to be arranged upstream of the retention portion. That is to say, the sealing portion may be constructed as an adjacent portion of the receiving member. The sealing portion can thus engage round the contact element in the manner of a collar and cooperate with the contact element in a sealing manner in a state as close as possible to an opening leading to the receiving member facing the inner space. Consequently, a cast mass on the sealing portion may already be prevented from penetrating between the walls and receiving member of the contact elements.

At least in a radial direction of the at least one receiving member, a flexibility of the sealing portion may be greater than a flexibility of the retention portion. The inner periphery of the sealing portion may thus be increased when the contact element is introduced into the receiving member and thereby fit closely against the outer periphery of the contact element in a sealing manner. That is to say, the sealing portion or the cross-section thereof may be constructed so as to be able to be expanded in the manner of a rubber band in order to allow a tight positive-locking connection between the contact element and sealing portion and consequently independent sealing of the contact receiving member with the contact element received therein.

At least partially, a material thickness of a wall of the at least one receiving member on the sealing portion may be smaller than on the retention portion. A smaller material thickness of the wall in the sealing region than in the retention portion may bring about increased resilience of the sealing portion with respect to the retention portion. Consequently, the sealing portion can perform the sealing function in an effective manner, whilst the retention portion owing to lower resilience than the retention portion can retain the contact element in the end position in the most rigid and secure manner possible.

An outer edge of a contact receiving member of the connector element which forms the at least one receiving member may be at least partially provided with a chamfer at least in the region of the sealing portion. The contact receiving member may, for example, protrude as a type of nozzle or sleeve-like continuation from a base of the insertion face in the insertion direction. The chamfer at the outer edge of the contact receiving member may result, in particular in the region of the sealing portion, in the provision of a material thickness of the wall of the receiving member which promotes resilient expansion and close fitting of the receiving member against the contact element.

The at least one receiving member may taper in a concave manner and/or expand in a convex manner at least partially in a projection along a longitudinal axis of the at least one receiving member. That is to say, the receiving member may be slightly narrowed or expanded in a plan view or in a view therethrough. With contact elements which have a size in the millimetre range, this narrowing or expansion may have a radius which is, for example, between 100 mm and 150 mm, that is to say, of relatively large dimensions. The radius may preferably be between 120 mm and 140 mm. A radius of a curvature of the wall of the receiving member formed by means of expansion or narrowing may be 130 mm according to one embodiment.

The receiving member, when viewed in the longitudinal direction thereof, may, for example, have a width which is substantially smaller than the length thereof, a depth of the receiving member being able to be dimensioned parallel with the longitudinal direction. The radius may, for example, be provided in a region of the wall thereof extending in the longitudinal direction of the receiving member. When the receiving member extends in the longitudinal direction when the contact element is introduced, the wall of the receiving member can consequently be extended in such a manner that the rounding is reduced or straightened and the wall consequently fits closely against the contact element at the outer side in order to cooperate in a sealing manner with an outer contour of the contact element. A cross-section of the receiving member which is potentially biconcave and/or biconvex in the insertion direction may promote independent sealing between the receiving member and contact element.

An inner periphery of the sealing portion may be at least partially larger than an inner periphery of the retention portion. Consequently, on the one hand, the thickness of the wall of the contact receiving element may be reduced in the region of the sealing portion in order to increase the flexibility of the sealing portion and its tendency to fit closely against the contact element. Furthermore, an increased inner periphery of the sealing portion with respect to the retention portion may bring about greater flexibility of the sealing portion with respect to the retention portion since the sealing portion may have a larger surface than the retention portion. Between the sealing portion and the retention portion, a shoulder may be formed in order to delimit the function of the sealing portion clearly from that of the retention portion.

With the contact element mentioned in the introduction, the solution according to the invention may be further improved in that the sealing region has at least one sealing projection, which protrudes substantially transversely relative to an introduction direction for introducing the contact element into the receiving member on the contact element. The sealing projection may help to expand the sealing portion of the receiving member and to ensure a tight abutment of the inner contour of the receiving member against the sealing region.

The above statements relating to connector elements and contact elements according to the invention each substantiate individually and in combination method steps of a method according to the invention for independently sealing a receiving member when a contact element is introduced, at the latest when the end position thereof is reached. A person skilled in the art will thus recognise that, with a method according to the invention for providing a connector element with at least one receiving member and an electrical contact element arranged therein, the above-mentioned device features of the connector element and contact element may each constitute steps for the formation and assembly thereof or method steps of a method according to the invention for independent sealing between the contact receiving member and contact element.

The invention is explained in greater detail below by way of example with reference to a plurality of embodiments with reference to the appended drawings. The embodiments are only possible embodiments, in which individual features, as described above, can be implemented and omitted independently of each other. In the description of the embodiments, for the sake of simplicity features and elements which are the same have been given the same reference numerals. Features and elements with the same or at least similar functionality generally have the same reference numeral or the same reference letters, which is/are provided with an apostrophe in order to identify another embodiment.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective cross-section of a connector element according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a contact receiving member of the connector element shown in Figure 1 according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of the contact receiving member shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the contact receiving member shown in Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 is a schematic cross-section of the contact receiving member shown in Figures 2 to 4; Figure 6 is a schematic cross-section of the connector element shown in Figure 1 , whose contact receiving member is provided with electrical contact elements according to the invention;

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-section of a detail V marked in Figure 6 of a receiving member according to the invention for a contact element, which receiving member is provided with a contact element according to the invention;

Figure 8 is a schematic cross-section of another embodiment of a connector element according to the invention;

Figure 9 is a schematic cross-section of another embodiment of a contact receiving member according to the invention;

Figure 10 is a schematic cross-section of a detail V of the contact receiving member shown in Figure 9 together with the contact element which is arranged therein in the end position;

Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-section of a receiving member according to the invention with a contact element received therein according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 12 is a schematic plan view of a receiving member according to the invention, in the non-expanded state; and

Figure 13 is a schematic plan view of a receiving member according to the invention in the expanded state.

An embodiment of a connector element 1 according to the invention will first be described with reference to the schematic, perspective cross-section thereof in Figure 1 . The connector element 1 has a housing member 2. An insertion portion 3 and a contact receiving portion 4 are formed on the housing member 2. The insertion portion 3 is separated from the contact receiving portion 4 by means of a base 5. In the region of the base 5, there are formed a plurality of contact receiving members 6 which are arranged in a row 6a.

The insertion portion 3 comprises a wall 7, whose inner contour 7a terminates a mating connector receiving member 8 for a mating connector element (not shown) which can be connected to the connector element 1 at the peripheral side. In an edge region 7b of the wall 7 directed in an insertion direction P of the connector element 1 , an opening 9 leading to the mating connector receiving member 8 is formed, a mating connector being able to be introduced in a counter-insertion direction P' through the opening 9 into the mating connector receiving member 8. The mating connector receiving member 8 forms an insertion face (not yet shown here) of the connector element 1 together with an upper side 5a of the base 5, the wall 7 and contact elements (not yet shown here) which are introduced as far as an end position E in an introduction direction I into the contact receiving members 6, which upper side 5a is directed in the insertion direction.

The contact receiving portion 4 comprises an inner space 10 of the connector element 1 or the housing member 2 thereof. The inner space 10 is delimited in the insertion direction P from a lower side 5b of the base 5. At the peripheral side, the inner space 10 is surrounded by an additional wall 1 1 of the connector element 1 or the housing member 2 thereof. An inner contour 1 1 a of the additional wall 1 1 surrounds the inner space 10. A rear edge 1 1 b of the additional wall 1 1 is directed counter to the insertion direction P. The connector element 1 may further have a base 12, whose upper side 12a is directed in the insertion direction P and whose lower side 12b is directed counter to the insertion direction P. The base may, for example, be used to assemble the connector element 1 and/or be part of a structural element or module, in which the connector element 1 may be integrated. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , the insertion direction P extends parallel with a vertical direction Z of the connector element 1 . The row 6a of the contact element 6 extends in a lateral direction X of the connector element 1 . The lateral direction X extends at right-angles relative to a transverse direction Y of the connector element 1 . The lateral direction X, transverse direction Y and vertical direction Z together define a Cartesian coordinate system of the connector element 1 . In the embodiment shown here, contact elements (not yet shown here) may be introduced into the contact receiving members 6 in the introduction direction I extending in the insertion direction P. A longitudinal axis L ₆ of the contact receiving members 6 extends parallel with the vertical direction Z through the contact receiving members 6. Figure 2 is a schematic side view from the left of one of the contact receiving members 6 together with a portion of the base 5. The contact receiving members 6 form a continuation 13 which extends from the lower side 5b of the base 5 counter to the introduction direction I. The continuation 13 is formed by a portion of a wall 14 of the contact receiving members 6 whose inner contour 14a (not yet shown here) forms a receiving member 15 (not yet shown here) or contact element receiving member for at least one electrical contact element (not yet shown here). A lower edge 14b of the wall 14 is directed counter to the introduction direction I. An outer contour 14c of the wall 14 forms an outer portion of the nozzle-like continuation 13.

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of the contact receiving member 6. The contact receiving member 6 or the receiving member 15 thereof (not yet shown here) forms a retention portion 16 for securing a contact element and a sealing portion 17 for surrounding the contact element in a sealing manner. The retention portion 16 protrudes through the base 5. In the retention portion 16, a thickness of the wall 14 according to the invention is greater than in the sealing portion 17. In the region of the sealing portion 17, recesses 18a are provided in the outer contour 14c of the wall 14 or the continuation 13 which consequently tapers at both sides facing in the lateral direction X or counter to the lateral direction X counter to the introduction direction I. Edge portions of the continuation 13 are formed as chamfers 19 which contribute to further tapering of the continuation 13 and in particular the sealing portion 17.

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the contact receiving member 6. It can be seen that the wall 14 with the inner contour 14a thereof defines the receiving member 15 in the form of a parallelepipedal contact receiving member for an electrical contact element (not yet shown here). The receiving member 15 has a length li ₅ which is measured parallel with the lateral direction X and which exceeds a width bi ₅ of the receiving member 15 measured parallel with the transverse direction Y. From the inner space 10 of the housing member 2, the receiving member 15 is accessible via a rear opening 15b. From the mating connector receiving member 8, the receiving member 15 is accessible via a front opening 15a (not yet shown here). In the region of the rear opening 15b, the lower edge 14b of the wall 14 is provided with an inclined entry member 19a in the form of a chamfer which surrounds the rear opening 15b, in order to make it easier to introduce an electrical contact element into the receiving member 15 in the introduction direction I via the rear opening 15b of the receiving member 15. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-section of the contact receiving member 6 along the line of section A-A illustrated in Figure 4. The receiving member 15 extends from the front opening 15a thereof as far as the rear opening 15b thereof with transverse walls 15c formed by the inner contour 14a and longitudinal walls 15d of the receiving member 15. The transverse walls 15c are directed in or counter to the lateral direction X and extend substantially parallel with the transverse direction Y and vertical direction Z. The longitudinal walls 15d are directed in or counter to the transverse direction Y and extend substantially parallel with the lateral direction X and vertical direction Z.

The receiving member 15 has a depth ti ₅ . The depth ti ₅ of the receiving member 15 is produced substantially from a sum of the depth ti ₆ of the retention portion 16 and a depth ti7 of the sealing portion 17 measured in the vertical direction Z or introduction direction I. The retention portion 16 has an upper portion 16a, which is arranged within the base 5. Furthermore, the retention portion 16 has a lower portion 16b which protrudes as part of the continuation 16 from the lower side 5b of the base 5 counter to the introduction direction I. Furthermore, the receiving member 15 has a longitudinal axis L ₅ which coincides in this instance with the longitudinal axis L ₆ of the contact receiving member 6.

Figure 6 shows the housing member 2 of the connector element 1 having in each case an electrical contact element 100 which is introduced in the introduction direction I as far as an end position E into one of the contact receiving members 6 or the receiving member 15. The contact elements 100 each have an insertion region 101 , a retention region 102, a sealing region 103 and a connection region 104.

The insertion region 101 is constructed as an insertion contact in the form of a pin or flat contact which protrudes beyond the upper side 5a of the base 5 into the mating connector receiving member 8. In a state arranged in this manner in the mating connector receiving member 8, the contact elements 100 form with the insertion regions 101 thereof together with the structure of the insertion portion 3 determined by the housing member 2 an insertion face 20 of the connector element 1 directed in the insertion direction P.

The plug region 101 cooperates in each case in a securing manner with the contact receiving members 6 or the receiving members 15 thereof in order to retain the contact elements 100 in the end position E thereof in a non-displaceable manner. The sealing region 103 cooperates in a sealing manner with the contact receiving members 6 or the receiving members 15 thereof in order to prevent cast mass introduced into the inner space 10 from being able to reach the mating connector receiving element 8 between the wall 14 of the contact receiving members 6 and one of the contact elements 100 received therein via the receiving member 15.

The connection region 104 is further constructed so as to be able to be connected to an electrical conductor (not shown). The electrical conductor may, for example, be a strip conductor or a pressing sleeve which is connected thereto on a printed circuit board (PCB), an electrical cable or the like. The connection region 104 protrudes beyond the lower side 5b of the base 5 into the inner space 10 of the housing member 2.

Figure 7 is a cross-section of one of the contact elements 100 inserted into contact receiving members 6 in the end position E according to a detail V marked in Figure 6. In the receiving member 6, the retention region 102 rests in the retention portion 16 and the sealing region 103 in the sealing portion 17. There are formed in the retention region 102, at both sides of the contact element 100, an upper retention projection 102a and a lower retention projection 102b, respectively, which protrude from a channel 105 of the contact element 100 extending along a longitudinal axis L ₁₀₀ of the contact element 100 in or counter to the lateral direction X. The retention projections 102a and 102b penetrate in each case into the wall 14 of the receiving member 6 and thus ensure a positive-locking and/or non-positive-locking connection between the contact element 100 and the housing member 2.

In the sealing region 103 at both sides of the contact element 100 there is formed in each case a sealing projection 103a which protrudes from the channel 105. The sealing projection 103a widens the receiving member 6 in a lateral direction X and thus brings about a lengthening of the receiving member 6 with respect to the initial state thereof shown in Figure 4 with the length l ₅ , so that it now has a length l _{15 E} in the end position E, at least in the sealing portion 17. The lengthening of the receiving member 6 results in the centre thereof measured in the lateral direction X being narrower than the one shown in Figure 4 and now being able to have a width b^ at which the longitudinal walls 15d fit closely against the sealing region 103 of the contact element 100.

It can further be seen that the height hi ₀₂ a, hi _02b and hi _03a of the upper retention projection 102a, lower retention projection 102b or sealing projection 103a measured in and counter to the lateral direction X from the channel 105 increases. That is to say, the heights of the sealing projection 103a, the lower retention projection 102b and the upper retention projection 102a decrease in the introduction direction I. It is consequently ensured that an expansion or widening of the receiving member 6 in and counter to the lateral direction X decreases in the introduction direction I or increases counter to the introduction direction I. The expandability of the receiving member 6 in and counter to the lateral direction X also decreases in the introduction direction I or increases counter to the introduction direction I since the upper retention portion 16a is arranged inside the base 5 and provides great resistance against deformation in and counter to the lateral direction X. The lower retention portion 16b which is located below the upper retention potion 16a is arranged in the region of the continuation 13, whereby the wall 14 of the contact receiving member 6 is in this instance more flexible than in the upper retention portion 16a. The sealing portion 17 which is located below the lower retention portion 16b is in turn provided with weakening elements in the form of recesses 18a, chamfers 19 and inclined entry members 19a, which result in the sealing portion 17 being more flexible than the lower retention portion 16b which is in turn more flexible than the upper retention portion 16a.

It can further be seen in Figure 7 that there are formed at both sides of the channel 105 of the contact element 100 shoulders 106 which each form a stop 106a. The stop 106a may prevent the contact element 100 from being introduced too far in the introduction direction I or beyond the end position E into the receiving member 15 by the stop 106a moving into abutment with the lower edge 14b of the wall 14 and consequently delimiting the path of the contact element 100 in the introduction direction I. Figure 8 is a schematic, perspective cross-section of another embodiment of a connector element 1 ' according to the invention. In contrast to the connector element 1 , the connector element 1 ' is provided in a housing member 2' which, in contrast to the housing member 2, is provided with a series 6a' of contact receiving members 6'.

Figure 9 is a schematic cross-section of one of the contact receiving members 6' along the longitudinal axis L ₆ ' thereof. In contrast to the contact receiving member 6, the contact receiving member 6' has a receiving member 15' which is provided in a sealing portion 17' of the contact receiving member 6' with a shoulder 21 which subdivides the sealing portion 17' into an upper sealing portion 17a and a lower sealing portion 17b, whereby the contact receiving member 6' has a changed inner contour 14a'. The upper sealing portion 17a is located in the introduction direction E behind the lower sealing portion 17b and has a length L _17a measured in the lateral direction X. The lower sealing portion 17b has a length L _17b measured in the lateral direction X which at the same time corresponds to a length L _15b ' of a rear opening 15b' leading to the receiving member 15'. Consequently, the wall 14' in the region of the lower sealing portion 17b at least at a transverse wall 15c' of the receiving member 15' measured in a lateral direction X is narrower than in the upper sealing region 17a. The lower sealing region 17b may thereby have greater flexibility than the upper region 17a and promote resilient and/or plastic deformation of the sealing portion 17'. Figure 10 shows in a similar manner to Figure 7 a detail V of the housing member 2' of the connector element 1 ', the contact element 100 which is inserted as far as the end position E into the contact receiving member 6' or the receiving member 15' thereof being illustrated in a state enlarged in cross-section along the longitudinal axis Li ₀₀ thereof or the longitudinal axis L ₆ ' of the contact receiving member 6' and the longitudinal axis Ι_ι ₅ ' of the receiving member 15'. As illustrated in Figure 7, the upper retention projections 102a and the lower retention projections 102b are in engagement with the retention portion 16 of the receiving member 15'. In contrast to the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the sealing projections 103a are arranged at the height of the lower sealing portion 17b, which is offset by the shoulder 21 from the upper sealing portion 17a.

When the contact element 100 is inserted into the receiving member 15', the upper and lower retention projections 102a and 102b, owing to the length L _15b ' of the rear opening 15b' which is increased with respect to the length L ₅ of the receiving member 15, come into contact or engagement with the inner contour 14a' of the receiving member 15' only when the retention portion 16 is reached. That is to say, the upper and lower retention projections 12a or 12b only come into engagement with the receiving member 15' after they have passed the lower sealing portion 17b. Consequently, the sealing projections 103a alone bring about a deformation or expansion and/or widening of the sealing portion 17' and in particular of the lower sealing portion 17b. This helps to minimise the forces required to insert the contact element 100 into the receiving member 15' and to separate the retention function of the retention portion 16 from the sealing function of the sealing portion 17'.

Figure 1 1 shows a detail of a contact element 100 which is inserted as far as a front position D into the receiving member 15, 15' of the contact receiving member 6, 6'. The contact element 100 has not yet reached its end position E and consequently the sealing region 103 has not yet reached the sealing portion 17, 17'. For example, in this state, the insertion region 101 and/or a portion of the channel 105 may be introduced into the receiving member 15, 15'. In the front position D, the receiving member 15, 15' has a width bis or bi ₅ ' measured in the transverse direction Y which may be greater than a width bioo of the portion of the contact element 100 located in the receiving member 15, 15'. Consequently, there is provided between the wall 14, 14' of the receiving member 15, 15' and the contact element 100 or the lateral faces 107 thereof a gap 22 with a width b ₂₂ measured in the transverse direction Y. The gap 22 may facilitate introduction of the contact element 100 into the receiving member 15, 15'. Figure 12 is a schematic plan view of the contact receiving member 6, 6' in the front position D or without the contact element 100 in the receiving member 15, 15'. In the state shown in Figure 12, the receiving member 15, 15' has in particular in the sealing portion 17, 17' a length l ₁₅ , _D or li ₅ , _D ' and a width bi ₅ , D or bi ₅ , D' - The longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' may be formed in a biconvex manner. That is to say, the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' may be curved away from a centre point M of the receiving member 15, 15' located on the longitudinal axis l_i ₅ or L^. The curvature may have a radius R, which may be, for example, between 100 mm and 150 mm.

In a similar manner to Figure 12, Figure 13 is a plan view of the contact receiving member 6, 6'. In contrast to the state of the contact receiving member in Figure 12, the contact receiving member 6, 6' in Figure 13 is illustrated in the end position E. It can be seen in this instance that a contact element 100 or the sealing region 103 thereof located in the receiving member 15, 15' and in particular in the sealing portion 17, 17' may have pressed outwards and consequently curved the transverse walls 15c, 15c' away from the centre point M. A maximum length l _{5 E} , l _{5 E} ' of the receiving member 15, 15' in the end position E may thus be greater than the length l _{15 D} , l _{15 D} ' in the front position D. Consequently, the receiving member 15, 15', in particular in the sealing portion 17, 17' is widened or expanded in the lateral direction X. This may result in the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' being extended in the lateral direction X and consequently being straightened. The curvature of the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' with the radius R may thus substantially be neutralised, whereby the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' may fit closely against the respective lateral faces 107 of the contact element 100 and may be in abutment in a sealing manner at that location. In the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d', tension zones 23 are thus produced.

In the context of the notion of the invention, deviations from the embodiments described above are possible. A connector element 1 , 1 ' may thus be constructed with any number of housing members 2, 2' which are constructed as desired and which may form insertion portions 3 and contact receiving portions 4, 4' and which may be separated from each other by means of a base 5. The housing member 2, 2' may be provided with any number of contact receiving members 6, 6' which are arranged in rows 6a, 6a'. The wall 7 of the insertion portion may be freely formed in order to form a mating connector receiving member 8 and an opening 9 to the mating connector receiving member. An inner space 10 may be freely formed by another wall 1 1 . A base 12 is not absolutely necessary, but may be advantageous for assembly of the connector element. The contact receiving members 6, 6' do not necessarily have to be formed with a continuation 13, but this is advantageous in order to construct each contact receiving member 6, 6' to be expandable per se in the context of the invention, without impairing adjacent contact receiving members 6, 6'. A wall 14, 14' of the contact receiving members 6, 6' may be constructed so as to comply with the respective requirements, in order to form an inner contour 14a, 14a', a lower edge 14b, an outer contour 14c and consequently a receiving member 15, 15' which may be formed so as to correspond to or comply with the requirements and dimensions of a contact element 100. The receiving member 15, 15' may be subdivided into a retention portion 16 and a sealing portion 17, 17' of any shape and length, the sealing portion being able to be constructed for sealing between the inner contour 14a, 14a' and the contact element 100 and the retention portion 16 being able to be constructed for securing the contact element 100 in the receiving member 15, 15', but with both portions also being able to perform a dual function.

There may be provided, in accordance with the respective requirements, chamfers 19 and inclined entry members 19a on the contact receiving member 6, 6' in order to facilitate the introduction of the contact element 100 into the receiving member 15, 15', or the expansion and/or deformation thereof. It is advantageous to construct longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' to be longer than transverse walls 15c, 15c' of the receiving member 15, 15' so that, owing to an expansion in the lateral direction X, a close abutment of the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' against the lateral faces 107 of the contact element 100 can be brought about. Owing to this operation, the gap 22 between the contact element 100 and the inner contour 14a, 14a' of the receiving member 15, 15' may be closed and consequently sealed between the contact element 100 and the receiving member 15, 15'.

Furthermore, the sealing portion 17, 17' may be divided into upper sealing portions 17a and lower sealing portions 17b, for example, by means of shoulders 21 . Tension zones 23 are not necessarily limited to the longitudinal walls 15d, 15d' of the contact receiving member 6, 6' but instead may be formed on the transverse walls 15c, 15c' of the contact receiving member 6, 6'.

The contact element 100 may further be provided with insertion regions 101 , retention regions 102, sealing regions 103 and connection regions 104 which are constructed in accordance with the respective requirements and which may form upper retention projections 102a, lower retention projections 102b and sealing projections 103a, which extend away from a channel 105 in order to be brought into engagement with the inner contour 14a, 14a' of the receiving member 15, 15'. The upper and lower retention projections 102a, 102b and sealing projections 103a may be constructed, as shown here, as projections, or alternatively as hooks, teeth or other protrusions. The contact element 100 may be provided with shoulders 106 and corresponding stops 106a of any shape and arrangement in order to ensure that the end position E is reached. The lateral faces 107 may be constructed in accordance with the respective requirements in order to facilitate sealing between the receiving member 15, 15' and the contact element 100.

Finally, the insertion direction P, counter-insertion direction P', introduction direction I, longitudinal axes L ₆ , L ₁₅ , L ₁₀₀ , radii R, lateral direction X, transverse direction Y and vertical direction Z may be selected in accordance with the respective requirements in order to form a connector element 1 , 1 ' so as to be able to be connected to a mating connector element and in the most complementary manner possible, and to enable introduction of one of the contact elements 100 into the receiving member 15, 15'. The width bis, b ₁₅ , length l ₁₅ , l ₁₅ . and depth ti ₅ , t^ of the receiving member 15, 15' and the depth tie of the retention portion and depth ti ₇ , Ι _π · of the sealing portion 17, 17' may be sized in accordance with the respective requirements in order to enable co-operation of the contact element 100 and receiving member 15, 15' in accordance with the invention.

List of reference numerals

1 , 1 ' Connector element

2, 2' Housing member

3 Insertion portion

4 Contact receiving member portion

5 Base

5a Upper side of the base

5b Lower side of the base

6, 6' Contact receiving member

7 Wall of the insertion portion

7a Inner contour

7b Edge region

8 Mating connector receiving member

9 Opening of the mating connector receiving member

10 Inner space

1 1 Additional wall

1 1 a Inner contour of the additional wall

1 1 b Rear edge

12 Base

12a Upper side of the base

12b Lower side of the base

13 Continuation of the base

14, 14' Wall of the contact receiving members

14a, 14a' Inner contour

14b Lower edge of the wall

14c Outer contour

15, 15' Receiving member

15a Front opening of the receiving member

15b, 15b' Rear opening of the receiving member

15c, 15c' Transverse wall of the receiving member

15d, 15d' Longitudinal wall

16 Retention portion

16a Upper retention portion

16b Lower retention portion 17, 17' Sealing portion

17a Upper sealing portion

17b Lower sealing portion

18a Recesses

19 Chamfer

19a Inclined entry member

20 Insertion face

21 Shoulder

22 Gap

23 Tension zone

100 Contact element

101 Insertion region

102 Retention region

102a Upper retention projection

102b Lower retention projection

103 Sealing region

103a Sealing projection

104 Connection region

105 Channel

106 Shoulder

106a Stop

107 Lateral faces D Front position/non-expanded state

E End position/expanded state

I Introduction direction

L ₆ Length of the contact receiving members

L ₅ Length of the receiving members L ₁₀₀ Length of the contact elements

P Insertion direction

P' Counter-insertion direction

R Radius

X Lateral direction

Y Transverse direction

Z Vertical direction Width of the receiving member Length of the receiving member Depth of the receiving member Depth of the retention portion Depth of the sealing portion