DE2557346A1 - ELECTRONICS INSERTION ARRANGEMENT - Google Patents

Description

Robert A. Hollingsead, 2010 Lakeview Drive, La Habra , Calif., Abraham Kuchler, 1415 E. Vernon Avenue, Anaheim , Calif, and Clyde Robert Pryor, 1004 Karen Place, Anaheim , Calif., USA

Electronics slide-in arrangement

The invention relates to an aircraft device in particular provided electronics slide-in arrangement for releasably fixing an electronic device unit in a Receiving trough, with devices for moving the device unit in the trough, with a first contact carrier element which is attached to the device unit and which has several has first contacts protruding from near a surface thereof, and with one relative to the Well-attached second contact carrier element, which several of the same protruding from the vicinity of a surface has second contacts.

Electronic slide-in systems of one type or another existed soon after the introduction of instruments and Aircraft radios. Around 1936 there was one that also included the standardization of aerospace insert dimensions Specification for use by the larger ones

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commercial airlines. This work was worn from Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC) Corporation, in which United States Airlines is the majority shareholder are. Around 1940 the use of rear plug connections for electronic device units was introduced and universal racks introduced into the aircraft specifications. The Cannon Electrical Development Company created these specifications, which were met by a DPD connector with bracket.

As the number of electrical contacts or plug connections required increased, so did the early 1950s many manufacturers from the standard DPD connector to the DPX connector above. In the years that followed, the DPX connection was modified in many ways so that it could be used by both users than became acceptable to device manufacturers. This DPX connector, in a design from ITT Cannon Electric Company established itself as the recommended standard connector for the global aerospace industry out. It now bears the type designation DPX-2 connection and is in the U.S. Military Specification MIL-C-8T659A contain. A picture of this standardized aviation plug is provided in the one provided for the state of the art Part of the attached drawings included. More information can be found in an extensive treatise Background and development of aviation rack systems and connections listed under the title "AIR TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT CASES AND RACKING" on March 15, 1974 by Aeronautical Radio, Inc., 2251 Riva Road, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401.

The density of electrical connection contacts for electronic plug-in systems increased year after year to the extent that

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how the demands for signal and power connections for complex electronic modules or boxes or Device units such as computers, monitoring devices and the like increased. This increasing contact density requires great Forces during insertion to bring conventional known connectors and connector sleeves into engagement. aside from that require the large capital investments on both the aircraft and the ground side in electronic Withdrawable systems maximum operational utilization. Defective or faulty electronic units must can be easily removed and replaced. Large insertion forces often lead to contacts being bent or broken off, whereupon one or both halves of the connector have to be replaced, which may cause the Replacement of an expensive electronic device unit.

This is disclosed in the field of plug connections which operate without force when inserting and releasing Saul et al U.S. Patent No. 2,654,872 (1953) a plug connection, in which the separate connection elements are initially physically in contact position under slight pressure can be brought, and then the compressive force by means of a rotatable eccentric shaft becomes essential increased to make a good electrical connection. The Bishop et al U.S. Patent No. 2,802,189 (1957) and the Blackhall U.S. Patent No. 2,744,968 (1956) disclose multiple connectors in which different actuated Bring cam lever tongue contact switch into contact after previously non-contacting have been.

Minor modifications to these basic design principles are the subject of a plethora of patents, some examples of which are given below

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be quoted:

Anhalt U.S. Patent No. 3,587,037 (1971), Anhalt U.S. Patent No. 3,594,698 (1971), Asick U.S. Patent No. 3,392,245 (1968) Hartley U.S. Patent No. 3,629,788 (1971), Feeser et al U.S. Patent No. 3,430,183 (1969), Lockhard et al U.S. Patent No. 3,539,970 (1970), Frederick U.S. Patent No. 3, 489,968 (1970), Shlesinger Jr. U.S. Patent No. 3,217,284 (1955), Barker U.S. Patent No. 3,601,759 (1971), Miselevich et al U.S. Patent No. 3,145,067 (1964), Peterson U.S. Patent No. 3,315,212 (1967) and Walkup U.S. Patent No. 3,683,317 (1972).

In addition, numerous known arrangements are used to produce electrical contact connections between printed circuit boards and electrical connection elements, for example from Pfred U.S. patent No. 3,188,598 (1965), Conrad et al U.S. Patent No. 3,478,301 (1969) and Mclver et al U.S. Patent No. 3,555,488 (1971).

Despite being devoted to improving electrical connections to units of equipment and aerospace rack systems The current status of electrical connectors in the The aviation withdrawable industry is best identified by referring to the recommended ARINC connector that is in the adjacent Drawings is included.

The object of the invention is to provide an electronic slide-in arrangement which is improved over the prior art to create mentioned type, in which the device units with minimal insertion force to one or more associated Signal or power sources can be connected.

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According to the invention this object is achieved in that at least some of the first and second contacts are arranged in this way are that when moving the device unit along the trough to a starting pass position of the first and second surfaces of the two contact carrier elements assume a non-contacting initial orientation; and that the device unit movement is assigned a transmission device, by means of which a subsequent After-pass relative movement of the device unit in the trough operationally on at least one of the not yet contact-making first and second contacts is transferable to the first and second contacts in electrical contact bring to.

The prior art and some preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are referred to below explained in more detail on a drawing. Show in it:

1 shows a cross section through a known connector contained in MIL-C81659 ,

Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of one according to the invention electronic slide-in system with low insertion force,

3 and 4 each an exploded view

a raised or a recessed connection housing arrangement,

Fig. 5 shows a cross section through the connection housing according to the invention in front of a non-contact-making Starting pass position,

6 shows a cross section through the connection housing in its non-contacting manner Starting pass position,

7 shows a cross section through the connection housing in their contact-making end position,

8 and 9 each show a perspective view of the raised and the recessed connection housing arrangement,

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Fig. 10 is a cross section through another Embodiment of the invention in the form of a pair of connection housings in its non-contacting initial fitting position, and

11 shows a cross section through the connection housing of Fig. 10 between its initial non-contacting position and their contact-making end position.

One of the state-of-the-art aeronautical plug-in connector assemblies Illustrative Fig. 1 is a reproduction from ARINC specification 404A, published March 1974 by the Aeronautical Radio, Inc. issued.

This connector assembly of Fig. 1 consists of a split raised connector housing 2 attached to a Aviation tray 4, while a recessed connector housing 6 is attached to a device unit 8. On the top and bottom halves of the recessed connector housing 6, a plurality of connection contacts or terminals 10 are attached so that they are aligned in corresponding, on raised connection housing 2 attached sockets 12 can be inserted. A number of guide pins 14 are located between the lower and upper half. Finally, one or more coaxial cable connections can also be used 16 be attached to the bottom of both junction boxes.

Fig. 3 shows a preferred embodiment for a raised connection housing arrangement 20 according to the invention, which is attached to the rear part of an electronic device unit 21. To the raised connection housing arrangement includes a retractable set up to accommodate a large number of electrical contacts (not shown)

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Housing element 22, the peripheral side walls 24 of which easily converge like a pyramid and from a shoulder section 26 go out. The end face of the housing element 22 contains numerous recesses 28, of which each is set up to receive a contact or connection. Furthermore, the end face of the housing element 22 have suitable centering guides, not shown, between the rows of recesses 28, if wanted.

Fig. 3 also shows a raised connection housing 30 with a lower mounting flange 32 that attaches to the rear surface of a device unit 21 leaves, as indicated in FIG. At least one lower side wall 34 includes a plurality of grooves 36 for receiving Index pins 38, which the erroneous plugging together of improper device units and receiving troughs physically impede. An outer edge 40 of the connector housing 30 is beveled to allow mating with to facilitate a matching connection housing. In the inner cavity of this raised connection housing there is a circumferential shoulder 42 which acts as a stop for the telescopic housing element 22 is used when this is retracted into the housing 30 with a force.

At the lower end of the raised connector housing assembly 20 is an integral part of the connector housing 30 molded cam housing 44 projecting into the inner cavity thereof, which has a cam track 4 6 and a pair of semicircular bearing members 48,50. A cylindrical bearing pin 52 is dimensioned so that it is housed with a tight fit in bores in the bearing elements 48 and 50.

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A cam lever 54 serving as a transmission element has a receiving bore 56, is rotatably mounted in this way on the connection housing 30 and also has an actuating arm 58 and a pressure cam 60. This pressure cam 60 protrudes over the end face of the telescopic Housing element 22 at an acute angle to the receiving well surface while he is in his Is out of operation or rest position. The lower actuating arm 58 projects outwardly beyond the cam housing 44 and is thereby able to transmit a force which corresponds to the effective length ratio of Actuating arm and pressure cam is proportional.

The cam lever 54 also includes an over-center spring mechanism, which includes a spring retainer 62 attached to the body of the cam lever 54. One in one Spring housing 66 housed compression spring 64 is in connection with a roller 68, which in this way is pressed against the cam track 4 6. This cam track 46 is designed in terms of surface so that the compression spring 64 exerts an over-center effect on the cam lever 54, which pushes the pressure cam 60 either in a clockwise direction or biased in the opposite direction.

In the inner cavity of the connection housing 30, stationary auxiliary power connections can be made on both sides of the cam housing 44 70 and 72 are mounted, the exact shape and construction of which are variably adapted to the device units used can be; for example, the use of a coaxial cable or even a cooling air line is possible.

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The telescopic housing element 22 is within the raised connection housing 30 transversely to the housing longitudinal axis movable and biased into a front outer end position with the aid of four springs 74, 76, 78. All four Springs are located in their own spring channels (not shown) within the housing element 22. Means a plate 82 with screw holes accommodated in the mounting flange 32 of the connection housing 30 becomes the connection housing arrangement 20 completed in order to finally be attached to the rear of a device unit 21 will. In the preferred exemplary embodiment, the individual elements used are advantageously made of plastic produced, although individual parts or all elements can also be made of other materials For example, the cam lever 54 can be planed or cast from aluminum.

The recessed connection housing arrangement 102 shown pulled apart in FIG. 4 is on a not shown Slide-in frame or a receiving trough attached and has a movable housing 104 with several recesses 103 for receiving electrical contacts, which to those in the recesses 28 of the other Housing element 22 arranged contacts fit. In addition, the movable housing 104 has opposite Guide strips 108 formed on the sides and a cam receiving housing 110 formed on the underside. A recessed connector housing 112 has next to his circumferential mounting flange 114 has a stepped outer edge 116, and in the inner cavity a circumferential guide flange 118, which with the guide strips 108 of the movable Housing 104 cooperates centering. One between the recessed connector housing 112 and the movable one Housing 104 arranged spring 120 tensions this

movable housing 104 in an upper, non-contacting position on the guide flange 118 of the connection housing before. If desired, the pressure cam 60 can be configured to initially accommodate the recessed connector housing assembly 102 contacts and biases to an upper exit fitting position; then you can click on the spring 120 waive.

With the aid of stationary power connections 122 and 124, which are accommodated on either side of the cam housing 110 you can get a power connection to the power connections 70 and 72 of the raised connector housing 30, which are, for example, coax connectors. An actuating piece 136 protrudes into the interior of the housing between the power connections.

Index slots 126 arranged in the interior are designed to match complementary index strips 128 and thus prevent recesses and device units from being connected incorrectly. Finally, through a direct attached to the recessed junction box 112 by means of screws Plate 130 held the entire recessed junction box assembly 102 together.

It is then described in connection with FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, which are designed as cross-sectional drawings, like the raised connection housing arrangement with the recessed connection housing arrangement each has a separate starting fitting position, assume a low-force, non-contact-making fitting position, and a contact-making end position can.

In Fig. 5, the telescopic housing member 22 of the raised connector housing assembly 20 is supported by the springs

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74-80 biased into a forward position with respect to the connector housing 30, within a number of contact bores there is an arrangement of power contacts 84, each of which with a wire, not shown or electrical connection can be connected. The individual power contacts 84 and the rear side are preferred of the housing element 22 covered with insulating material. The exact configuration of the connections and their A specific arrangement within the housing element 22 can vary within the scope of the present invention fail. In Fig. 5, the power contacts 84 are attached for reasons of illustration that during the contact a certain degree of elasticity is retained.

Under the housing element 22 and next to the grooves 36, the cam housing 44 holds the cam lever 54 in a pretensioned manner Position. The roller 68 attached to the cam lever 54 exercises a counterclockwise direction The preload force is dependent on the compression spring 64 and the position of the receiving bore 56. The cam lever 54 forms a mechanical translation around the receiving bore 56, which is dependent on the force exerting Contact position along the length of the pressure cam 60. Immediately below the cam housing there are the already mentioned grooves 36, which match the index strips 128. Grooves 36 and index strips 128 prevent any wrong connection between receiving trays and device units.

In the recessed connector housing assembly 102, the spring 120 pushes the movable housing 104 upward to the inner upper limit of the connection housing 112, where this movement is limited by the contact of the guide strips 108 on the guide flange 118 of the housing 112.

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In the preferred embodiment, the housing 104 moves transversely to the plane of the trough and the axis of movement of the device unit. However, it should be noted that that the secondary movement of the movable housing 104 take place at an angle to this transverse plane as long 12, how an electrical contact 132 can operatively connect to the power contacts 84. The pass surface of the movable housing 104 has an arrangement of recesses or contact bores 134, which are designed to match the contact bores 86 of the housing element. From the surface of the movable housing 104 protrude pin contacts 138 which are suitably embedded in an insulating material within the relevant recesses 134 can be attached or embedded.

The cam receiving housing integrally formed on the movable housing 104 110 is located so that there is the pressure cam 60 of the cam lever 54 attached to the raised Terminal housing assembly 20 can accommodate. One or more of the already used are used for secure alignment described index strips 128 in the vicinity of the actuating piece 136 on the recessed connection housing 112.

In the low-force, non-contacting fitting position between the housing element 22 and the movable housing 104 achieved in FIG. 6, the pin contacts 132 have already penetrated into the contact bores 86 of the housing 22 without making contact. This aligned, but not yet making contact, position is achieved with minimal push-in force. The power connections 70, 72 and 122, 124, which are not shown in this figure and are each attached to the raised or recessed connection housing arrangement, may or may not

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be partially connected, which depends on the individual execution of each contact. According to Figure 6 is located the lower actuating arm 58 of the cam lever 54 is in a position where it the actuating piece 136 of the recessed connector housing 112 touches.

In FIG. 7, finally, the recessed connection housing arrangement 102 has a connection housing arrangement opposite the raised connection housing arrangement 20 reaches its contact-making end position in which the device unit inserted into the trough up to moved into its furthest insertion position in the trough has been, and where further this movement by the lower actuating arm 58 of the cam lever 54 to at least some the contacts have been surgically transferred to engage them. In detail, the pressure cam has 60 of the cam lever 54 pressed the movable housing 104 downward against the force of the spring 120 while at the same time the telescopic housing element 22 is held stationary against the relative movement of the device unit while the compression springs 74-80 are compressed. Thus, the contacts 84 and 132 become one another moved into electrical contact position, caused by the subsequent adjustment relative movement of the Device unit in its receptacle. The special shape the cam track guarantees that an over-center force has been transmitted to the cam lever 54 and thereby a locked operating position has been reached.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention explained in connection with FIGS. 10 and 11, the raised junction box assembly and cam lever 54 are both attached to raised junction box 30. the recessed junction box arrangement is the same as in the embodiment example discussed above.

Fig. 10 shows the connector housing in the low-force non-contact Home mating position where contacts and 86 align and overlap. Between the sublime and the recessed housing arrangement is still a gap X in this initial fitting position, as shown in FIG. shows. This gap X is necessary for the Nockenbzw. Transmission device actuation. Namely will the raised housing assembly with pressure beyond the initial fitting position shown in Fig. Against the recessed Housing assembly pressed, then presses the transmission device and the cam lever 54, respectively, the movable housing 104 of the recessed connector housing assembly 102 down or across the raised housing arrangement, in this way to the contacts associated with one another to be engaged with each other as shown in FIG. With continued movement of the sublime in the direction of the recessed housing arrangement, a wiping process occurs between the contacts 86 on the one hand and 132 on the other hand, which contributes to contact cleaning. In the contact-making end position shown in FIG. 11 are the contacts of the recessed junction box arrangement against the other contacts of the raised junction box arrangement biased with a force that ensures good electrical contact, even if the entire Terminal arrangement is exposed to external forces, for example due to accelerations or vibrations.

The invention, which can of course also differ from the exemplary embodiments described within the scope claimed, relates to a brief summary an electronics plug-in connection system, in which a first connection housing element with a plurality of electrical Connections is attached to a receptacle. One The electronic device unit is housed in this receptacle recess in an exchangeable manner and has a complementary one

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second connection housing arrangement is provided, which also contains electrical contacts. The device unit can be in Course of the trough can be displaced with relatively little force to the two connection housing elements to each other to bring into an initial fitting position in which the electrical contacts overlap and not yet Give contact. There is a transmission facility to move the connection housing elements transversely to one another and in this way the contacts with one another to be brought into engagement while the device unit past the initial fitting position towards the second Terminal housing element is moved. The transmission facility is preferably activated automatically during the insertion operation.

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Claims (10)

CLAIM. E. \ J Electronics slide-in arrangement, in particular for aviation equipment, for the releasable fixing of an electronic device unit in a receiving recess, with devices for moving the device unit in the recess, with a first contact carrier element attached to the device unit, which is several of the same near a surface having protruding first contacts, and having a second contact carrier member mounted relative to the well having a plurality of second contacts protruding from near a surface thereof, characterized in that at least some of the first and second contacts (84, 132) are so arranged that when the device unit (21) is moved along the trough to an initial fitting position (FIG. 6) of the surfaces of the two contact carrier elements (22; 104) they assume a non-contacting initial orientation; and that the device unit movement is assigned a transmission device (54) by means of which a subsequent adjustment relative movement of the device unit in the trough can be operatively transmitted to at least one of the not yet contacting first and second contacts in order to electrically transfer the first and second contacts To bring contact. 2. Slide-in arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that that in addition to the transmission device (54) means (64 ...) for the common movement of both contact 60 * 826/0794 Beam elements in one direction belong to a secondary To generate relative movement of one contact carrier element (104) with respect to the other (22) and the bringing first and second contacts (84, 132) into electrical contact with one another. 3. Insertion arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by locking means (46 ...) for holding the first and second contacts (84, 132) in their electrical contact-making position when the device unit (21) is stationary in the trough. 4. slide-in arrangement according to claim 3, characterized by an additional device (120) for the positive separation of the first and second contacts (84, 132) in dependence of a retraction movement of the device unit (21) in the course the trough. 5. slide-in arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that that in addition to the means for moving the contact carrier elements (22; 104) together, a cam element (60) for touching the one contact carrier element (104) and to its transverse movement with respect to the other contact carrier ^ element heard (Fig. 6). 6. Slide-in arrangement according to at least one of the claims 2-5, characterized in that at least one of the two contact carrier elements (22; 104) is elastically guided is to enable the relative movement of this contact carrier element (104) against a biasing force. 7. slide-in arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by an elastic element (64) for applying a pretensioning force to the cam element (60). 608826/0794 8. slide-in arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the elastic element is a spring (64), which is arranged to act with an over-center force on the cam element (60). 9. Slide-in arrangement according to at least one of the claims 5-8, characterized in that a cam track (46) and a sensing element to support the spring (64) (68) for generating the variable over-center force on the cam element (60). 10. Electronics slide-in arrangement for the detachable fixation of an electronic device unit in a receptacle, with means for moving the device unit in the trough, with a first attached to the device unit Contact carrier element which has a plurality of first contacts protruding from the vicinity of a surface thereof, and with a relative to the trough mounted second contact carrier element, which several of the Has protruding second contacts near a surface thereof, characterized in that at least some of the first and second contacts (84, 132) are arranged so that when the device unit (21) is moved along the trough to an initial fitting position of the surfaces of the two contact carrier elements (22, 104) adopt non-contacting initial alignment; and that a device (54 .-.) for moving both contact carrier elements together in one direction relative to the device unit is present in order to achieve a secondary relative movement of the one contact carrier element (104) with respect to the other and to bring the contacts into electrical contact with one another. 608826/0794 1 "T · ι Blank page