GB2390492A

GB2390492A - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB2390492A
Application number: GB0311995A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gabriel Hotea; Guenther Mumper; Hartmut Ripper; Mile Trajkov
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2002-05-28
Filing date: 2003-05-23
Publication date: 2004-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-23
Also published as: DE10320460B4; GB2390492B; DE10320460A1; GB0311995D0

Abstract

An electrical connector that includes a pin housing 2 having pin contacts arranged therein and a socket housing (10) having contact receptacles for contacting the pin contacts. A contact securing means 4, 12 is received in an opening of the pin housing. The contact securing means 4, 12 slides over a given length of the pin contacts from a preliminary latched position where the contact securing means 4, 12 substantially covers the pin contacts to a latched position where the pin contacts make contact with the contact receptacles. The contact securing means 4, 12 is slid from the preliminary latched position to the latched position by the socket housing 10. The pin housing 2 may further comprise a latching tongue that abuts a step on the pin contacts to hold them in place. Stirrups may be used to latch the contact securing means 4, 12 into its two latched positions.

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

The invention relates to an electrical connector and, more specifically, to an electrical connector having first 5 and second contact securing means for securing and protecting pin contacts arranged in a contact plug.

Electrical connectors are frequently used in the automotive industry, for example, in motor vehicle seats, which are often equipped with a large number of servomotors, 10 actuators and sensors for adjustment of the seat and for enhancing comfort, and in door modules. When electrical connectors are used in motor vehicles, it is important that terminals provided therein do not slip-out of their respective cavities as a result of vibrations that occur in IS the motor vehicle.

The electrical connectors used in the door modules require a large number of plug-in contacts. Since the doors of modern motor vehicles often have a large number of actuators and servomotors, a correspondingly large number of 20 electrical supply leads, which effect electrical connections to control devices or the like of a vehicle electrical system, are also required. A fixed lead connection from a vehicle cable harness to the door is not sensible, since disconnection of the electrical supply leads has to be 41110 GB asos-p

-2- possible if the door needs to be removed. A suitable electrical connector, therefore, must be provided with an identical number of plugin contacts and electrical supply leads to facilitate disconnection of the electrical supply 5 leads.

A contact plug having pin contacts that correspond with contact blades of a contact socket is commonly used to connect a large number of contacts in a small area. The electrical supply leads are often subject to tension 10 necessitating firm anchoring of the plug contacts and pin contacts. Moreover, the pin contacts are easily damaged in this type of arrangement, which may result in a poor electrical connection. For example, the pin contacts may be bent or snapped if the contact plug is incorrectly or 15 carelessly inserted into the contact socket. If a tip of the pin contact is not positioned properly, the pin contact may also be bent when received in the contact socket. In addition, the pin contacts may be bent during insertion of the pin contacts into a housing of the contact plug. The 20 pin contacts may also be bent or warped before insertion into the housing during clipping or crimping of lead ends of a cable harness that is connected to the pin contacts.

To prevent bending or deflection of the pin contacts, centring plate" are commonly used which have openings at pin 41110 GB

-3- contact points. The centring plates are pushed over the pin contacts before the contact plug is inserted into the contact socket. During the process of plugging the contact plug into the contact socket, the centring plate is 5 displaced from its centring position in a vicinity of the contact tips onto a pin collar base. Examples of such electrical connectors are known from EP 01 64 835 Al, DE 37 05 73g C2, and US 49 73 268 A. In each of the described references, the contact plugs 10 are anchored in a latched manner and are interlocked in an insulating housing, however, special protection against bending and snapping of the pin contacts damaged before or during insertion into the contact plug is not provided. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a 15 compact electrical connector provided with a large number of pin contacts wherein the electrical connector in simple to assemble, easy to operate and is highly reliable.

This and other objects are solved by an electrical connector, particularly for use in motor vehicles, that 20 includes a pin housing having pin contacts arranged therein and a socket housing having contact receptacles for contacting the pin contacts. A contact securing means is received in an opening of the pin housing. The contact securing means slides over a given length of the pin 41110 GB 38039-sp

contacts from a preliminary latched position where the contact securing means substantially covers the pin contacts to a latched position where the pin contacts make contact with the contact receptacles. The contact securing means is 5 slid from the preliminary latched position to the latched position by the socket housing.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in greater detail herein with reference to the following figures, in which: 10 Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector; Figure 2 in a perspective cross-sectional view of a pin housing of the electrical connector with a partially cut away lever inserted into lever guides; 15 Figure 3 in a perspective cross-sectional view of the pin housing of the electrical connector with the partially cut-away lever inserted into the lever guides; Figure 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the pin housing of the electrical connector; 20 Figure 5 is a cros"-sectional view of the pin housing of the electrical connector; Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pin housing of the electrical connector; 41110 GB 80a,-.p

-5- Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the part of the pin housing outlined in Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a perspective cros=sectional view of the electrical connector with a socket housing received in the pin housing.

Figure l shows an electrical connector. The electrical connector has a pin housing 2 and a socket housing 10. The pin housing 2 has a cuboidal contour and has an opening 21 on one side. Side faces 22 of the pin housing 2 are 10 provided with lever guides 23. A plurality of pin contacts 20 (shown in Figures 3 through 5; only one pin contact is illustrated) is arranged in the pin housing 2. The pin contacts 20 are held in position by a first contact securing means that includes a latching tongue 32 and a step 201 15 (shown in Figure 3). The pin contacts 20 are protected against bending or snapping by a second contact securing means having an upper part 12 and a lower part 4. The upper part 12 of the second contact securing means is associated with the socket housing 10, and the lower part 4 of the 20 second contact securing means is associated with the pin housing 2. A covering cap 6 is provided at a rear end of the pin housing 2. The covering cap 6 has a cable guide 61 for bundling and guiding electric leads (not shown) out of the pin housing 2.

41110 GB soss-sp

-6- The socket housing 10 has a corresponding number of contact receptacles for the pin contacts 20. The socket housing 10 has a plug-in element lOl and is arranged in a recess 141 of a sheet metal cutout 14. The upper part 12 of 5 the second contact securing means in positioned in the plug-

in element lot. A slider 16 locks the socket housing 10 in position. A sleeve 18 is pushed over a rear side 102 of the socket housing 10. The sleeve 18 ham guided bundled electric leads (not shown) extending therefrom. The plug-in 10 element 101 is arranged in the opening 21 of the pin housing 2 and locked thereto by a lever 8. The lever 8 ha" arms 82 and is pivotably mounted in the lever guides 23 such that lugs 81 engage with engagement areas 103 on sides of the plug-in element 101 to ensure locking of the pin housing 2 15 in the socket housing 10.

The individual elements of the electrical connector will now be described in greater detail. As shown in Figure 2, inside the opening 21 of the pin housing 2 is an insert 24. The insert 24 has a top 25, which forms a base for the 20 lower part 4 of the second contact securing means.

Projecting out of the top 25 of the insert 24 are two first spacing stirrups 26. The first spacing stirrups 26 have two leg portions 27 connected by a semicircular portion. The first leg portion has first and second latch projections 28, 41110 GB 3803g-p

-7- 29 projecting therefrom, and the second leg portion has third and fourth latch projections 30, 31 projecting therefrom. As shown in Figure 2, the lower part 4 of the second 5 contact securing means is positioned inside the opening 21 of the pin housing 2 to form a guide for insertion of the pin contacts 20. The lower part 4 of the second contact securing means has two slots 42 that receive the first spacing stirrups 26. The first spacing stirrups 26 extend lo beyond a first surface of the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means when received therein. A lugtype projection 43, best shown in Figure 4, is formed on a narrow side of each of the slots 42. A protrusion 46 in formed on the lower part 4 of the second securing means, as shown in 15 Figure 7 that corresponds to the third and fourth latching projections of the first spacing stirrups 26. As shown in Figure 5, securing pins 45 extend from a bottom 44 of the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means.

As shown in Figure 3, the pin housing has a latching 20 tongue 32. Each of the pin contacts 20 has a foot 202 with a step 201 that is wider than the latching tongue 32. In the embodiment illustrated, the foot 202 and the step 201 of the pin contact 20 take the form of a tab connector. The tab connector has a rear wire connection zone 203. The rear 41110 GO 80g- gp

-8- wire connection zone 203 includes a ferrule that is crimped onto an electrically conductive core of an insulated electric lead 204.

As best shown in Figure 7, the upper part 12 of the 5 second contact securing means has second spacing stirrups 121. The second spacing stirrups 121 are arranged such that the second spacing stirrups 121 are positioned above the first spacing stirrups 26 when the socket housing 10 is mated with the pin housing 2. The second spacing stirrups 10 121 each have two leg portions connected by a semicircular portion. The semicircular portion of the second spacing stirrups 121 is larger than the semicircular portion of the first spacing stirrups 26 such that the semicircular portion of the first spacing stirrups 26 lies within the 15 semicircular portion of the second spacing stirrups 121 when the pin housing 2 and the socket housing 10 are mated. Each of the second spacing stirrups 121 have a projection 123 on an inner side of a straight portion 122 of the leg portion 26 that corresponds to the third and fourth latching 20 projections of the first spacing stirrups 26.

The assembly and operation of the electrical connector will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 2 through 8. As best shown in Figure 3, the pin contacts 20 are inserted into the insert 24 from below the 41110 GB 3B039-sp

- 9 - pin housing 2. During insertion, the latching tongue 32 is biased inward by the foot 202 that is wider than the latching tongue 32. The latching tongue 32 resiles as soon as the foot 202 passes the latching tongue 32. The step 201 ---- -5-- abutsthe latching tonque-Z t<revent-hen contact-

from slipping out of the insert 24. In this position, the contact pin 20 is locked.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is pushed in the manner of a 10 slide over the pin contacts 20 to position the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means in a preliminary latched position. As the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is slid over the pin contacts 20, the securing pins 45 provided on the underside 44 of the lower 15 part 4 is received in a space between the latching tongue 32 and the pin housing 2 to hold the latching tongues 32 in position, as best shown in Figure 5. Because the latching tongues 32 are each fixed in position, the pin contacts 20 are also fixed in position. In the preliminary latched 20 position, the pin contacts 20 extend above a first surface 141 of the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means by only a small extent.

As the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is slid over the pin contacts 20, the lug-type 41110 GB 38039-sp

-10- projection 43, best shown in Figure 4, abuts an outer eide of one of the leg portions 27 between the first latching element 28 and the second latching element 29. The lug-type projection 43 lies between the first latching element 28 and 5 the second latching element 29 such that the lower part 4 of the second contact securing can only be displaced a height corresponding to the spacing between the first and second latching elements 28, 29. The lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is prevented from falling-out of the lo pin housing 2 by the first latching element 28.

In the preliminary latched position, the electrical connector is in an inactive state and the pin contacts 20 are guided and thereby protected from snapping or bending.

The pin contacts 20 are not conductively contacted in the 15 preliminary latched position, since the pin contacts 20 extend almost completely in the slide-like guides of the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means. The preliminary latched position typically represents the state in which the cable harness (not shown) provided with the pin 20 contacts 20 are connected with the pin housing 2.

Figures 4 and 5 each show the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means inserted further into the pin housing 2 such that the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is located in a centring position. When the 41110 GB 38039-sp

-11 socket housing 10 having the second part 12 of the second contact securing means arranged therein is inserted into the pin housing 2, the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is pushed toward the insert 24 of the pin 5 housing 2. As the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is pushed downwards by the upper part 12 of the second contact securing means, the lug-type projection 43 comes into contact with the lower latching element 29.

Since both the second latching element 29 and the lug-type 10 projection 43 each have mutually facing bevelled bearing surfaces, the lug-type projection 43 may be pushed over the second latching element 29 by deforming the corresponding leg portion 27 of the first spacing stirrup 26.

As shown in Figure 7, the second spacing stirrups 121 15 are arranged such that the second spacing stirrups 121 are above the first spacing stirrup 26 when the socket housing 10 is pushed onto the pin housing 2. The semicircular portion of the first spacing stirrup 26 lies within the semicircular portion of the second spacing stirrups 121. The 20 projection 123 on the second spacing stirrups 121 forces the third latching element 30 formed on the leg portion 27 inwards when the socket housing 10 is inserted so that the fourth latching element 31 is released from a latching connection with the protrusion 46 on the lower part 4 of the 41110 GB BO39-sp

-12- second contact securing means at the same time. When the first spacing stirrup 26 is in a relaxed state, the latching connection of the fourth latching element 31 and the protrusion 46 ensures that the lower part 4 of the second 5 contact securing means cannot be pushed fully down onto the top 25 of the insert 24 and into a final latched position.

In this way, the pin contacts 20 are well protected from being bent or snapped in the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means until final insertion of the socket 10 housing 10.

When the cable harness (not shown) provided with the pin contacts 20 that have already been inserted into the pin housing 2 is supplied to a vehicle manufacturer for installation in a motor vehicle, the lower part 4 of the 15 second contact securing means is in the centring position so that the pin contacts 20 are well protected. Because movement of the pin contacts 20 is greatly reduced by the second contact securing means 4, 12, the pin contacts 20 are scarcely at any risk of damage before, during and after 20 installation in the motor vehicle.

By pushing the socket housing 10 further into the pin housing 2, the upper part 12 of the second pin contact securing means pushes the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means further over the pin contacts 20, so that the 41110 GB 38O39-ap

-13- pin contacts 20 make contact with the contact receptacles in the socket housing 10. In this final latched position, shown in Figure 8, the pin contacts 20 are free over the majority of their length. Lower end faces 124 of the second 5 spacing stirrups 121 are aligned with a bottom surface of the upper part 12 of the second contact securing means and press the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means such that the projection 123 on the second spacing stirrups 121 comes to lie between the third and fourth latching 10 elements 30, 31 on the first spacing stirrups 26 and the first spacing stirrup 26 is returned to a relaxed state.

The lever 8 is then shifted by the arms 82 such that the lugs 81 engage in corresponding recesses on an outside of the pin housing to releasable lock the pin housing 2 to 15 the socket housing 10.

The first spacing stirrup" 26 each have latching projections 28, 29, 30, 31, which correspond with a projection or a protrusion on a lower part 4 of the second contact securing means. By means of the projection and the 20 protrusion, the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means may be fixed in three positions, a preliminary latched position, in which the contact pins are concealed to a considerable extent by the lower part 4 of the contact securing means, a centring position, and a final latched 41110 GB soss-p

-14 position. In the final latched position, the contact pins 20 project the furthest out of the top of the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means, such that the upper part 12 of the contact securing means may optionally be 5 pushed thereover with a sufficient length still remaining to effect electrical contact with the contact receptacles. If the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means is located in the centring position, movement of the pin contacts 20 is considerably reduced, such that incorrect 10 positioning of the socket housing 10 is scarcely able to damage the contact pins 20. By inserting the socket housing 10 into the pin housing 2, the latching elements securing the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means deflect so that the lower part 4 of the second contact 15 securing means is pushed by the socket housing 10 into the final latched position. The upper part 12 of the second contact securing means extends in part into the lower part 4 of the second contact securing means so that the lower part 4 is unlocked and locked by the upper part 12. The 20 unlocking and locking may optionally also be performed solely with the socket housing 10, i.e. without the upper part 12 of the second contact securing means. After removal of the socket housing 10, the contact securing means remains in the final latched position.

41110 GB 3eo3s-Bp

-15 The electrical connector is optionally of a lockable construction and is suitable in particular for use in motor vehicles, for example to effect releasable electrical connection of the electrical and electromechanical 5 components of a door module or the like with an electrical cable harness of the vehicle. The slide-like second contact securing means 4 prevents pin contact" 20, which have been bent before being inserted into the pin housing 2, from being snapped off. The slide- like second contact securing 10 means 4 also prevents the pin contacts 20 from being bent or snapped-off before being contacted. The risk of damage to the pin contacts 20 is thus greatly reduced in the event i that the socket housing 10 is not accurately positioned.

If, on the other hand, the socket housing is pushed on 15 fully, the second contact securing means given and allows the pin contacts 20 to come free.

The second contact securing means 4, 12 may be locked in this final latched position. The second contact securing means 4, 12 according to the invention is able to ensure 20 that the pin contacts 20 connected with the cable harness (not shown) of the vehicle may be arranged securely and without damage in the pin housing 20 and latched by means of the first contact securing means 32, 201. Typically, the cable harness (not shown) with the pin contacts 20 crimped 41110 GB

-16- thereon is further manipulated in such a way that the pin contacts 20 are then inserted into the pin housing 2. The ready-prepared cable harness (not shown) is then supplied in this state to the respective vehicle manufacturer, who 5 installs the cable harness (not shown) when assembling the vehicle. If individual pin contacts 20 are already damaged before delivery of the ready-prepared cable harness (not shown), the cable harness (not shown) has to be repaired at relatively high cost. If the damage is noticed when the lo cable harness (not shown) has already been fitted, even higher repair costs are incurred. These problems may be largely prevented with the electrical connector according to the invention.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment 15 described herein. For example, any desired number of pin contacts may be provided in the pin housing or socket housing. Further, the locking connection, which is activated by the lever 8, may optionally be of a completely different construction or even be omitted entirely.

41110 GB 38039-ap

Claims

-17 CLM 1. An electrical connector, comprising: a pin housing having pin

contacts arranged therein; 5 a socket housing having contact receptacles for contacting the pin contacts; and a contact securing means that is received in an opening of the pin housing, the contact securing means slides over a given length of the pin contacts from a 10 preliminary latched position where the contact securing means substantially covers the pin contacts to a latched position where the pin contacts make contact with the contact receptacles, the contact securing means is slid from the preliminary latched position to 15 the latched position by the socket housing.
2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact securing means includes a lower part in the pin housing and an upper part in the 20 socket housing, the upper part slides the lower part to the latched position when the socket housing is mated with the pin housing.

41110 GB a80g-up

-18
3. The electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact securing means is slid to a centering position by the socket housing before being slid to the latched position.
4. The electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pin contacts are fixed in the pin housing by a latching tongue that abuts a step on the pin contacts.
5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that the contact securing means includes securing pins that press the latching tongue into abutment with the step.
6. The electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pin housing includes first spacing stirrups that are received in slots of a lower part of the contact securing means and project 20 from a top surface thereof.
7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, characterized in that the first spacing stirrups have 41110 GB asoas-.p

-19 latching projections that secure the lower part of the contact securing means to the pin housing.
8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, 5 characterized in that the socket housing includes second spacing stirrups corresponding to the first "pacing stirrups, the second spacing stirrups having projections that engage the latching projections to unsecure the contact securing means such that the contact securing means can 10 slide from the preliminary latched positioned to the latched position.
9. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 6 through 8, characterized in that the stirrups include two 15 leg portions joined by a semicircular portion, the leg portions having the projections provided thereon.

1O. The electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lever locks the 20 pin housing to the socket housing.

41110 GB 38039-ap