EP0527332B1 - Jack with resilient one-piece guide means - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a plug socket element (11) having a retaining body (12) and a number of contacts (13) which are located side-by-side, into which plug socket element (11) both a plug (20), which corresponds in shape and number to the contacts, and a narrow plug (21), with a smaller number of contacts and a smaller dimension in the row direction of the contacts (13), can be inserted. In order to prevent lateral play between the narrow plug (21) and the inner walls of the plug socket element (11), spring guide means (14; 14') are integrally formed on the retaining body (12) and/or the contact insert (18) on both sides of the push-in part of the narrow plug (21). These guide means (14; 14') are constructed from elastic material in such a manner that they form a lateral guide for relatively narrow plugs (21) but in contrast are pressed down, for example via a lifting incline (15), during the insertion of broad plugs (20). The guide means (14; 14') according to the invention thus ensure reliable contact-making between narrow plugs and broad socket elements in the event of movement of the plug in the inserted state. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a socket element with guide means for plugs according to the preamble of claim 1.

Socket elements based on the Western principle - in some cases according to the IEC 603.7 standard - are available with different numbers of poles, eg 6 poles. and 8 pol., known. Together with the associated plugs, these are installed for various tasks, for example in telecommunications networks. Here it happens that outlets with 8-pin socket elements are used as a standard in a cable network for economic reasons, although the associated subscriber terminals only need and have a 6-pin connector. The mechanical design of the 8-pin connector element allows the 6-pin connector to be received and locked. There is only a lateral play due to the 2-pole narrower plug to the inner walls of the 8-pin socket element, which unsettles the contact between the plug and socket contacts during mechanical plug movement. To avoid this are Guide means known in socket elements, each of which fills the space on the side of the 6-pin connector to the inside walls of the socket and can be removed again when 8-pin connectors are used. For example, the inner walls of the socket elements are provided with a groove for a dovetail connection, into which elongated tongue profiles are inserted in the thickness of the space to be filled between the plug and socket side walls.

Here two relatively small guide profiles are to be used, the manual handling of which is complex.

If the guide profiles are no longer required when changing networks or changing services - using subscriber terminals with 8-pin plugs - they can be removed by pulling. Special care must be taken to ensure that the adjacent socket contacts are not deformed.

Furthermore, guide means in the form of a frame-shaped attachment mask are known which, for guiding the 6-pin connector, have tabs which are integrally formed and protrude into the socket element and which impart the desired guidance to the connector. The disadvantage of this guide means is a relatively high production cost, combined with resilient properties of the tabs in the directions in which the plug is to be guided well.

The invention has for its object to develop a socket element according to the preamble of claim 1 such that no loose additional parts are required to properly 6-pin and 8-pin connector type mechanically and to ensure consistently good contact.

This object is achieved by a socket element according to claim 1.

An advantageous embodiment is achieved in the invention in that both-sided guide means for lateral guidance of narrower plugs with a smaller number of poles than the socket element are integrally and resiliently formed on the receiving body or the contact insert.

When a narrow 6-pin plug is inserted, it is held in the desired position by the guide means. When a wide 8-pin connector is introduced, the housing will press the resiliently molded guide means downward, for example via a run-on slope, so that the connector can then be inserted as desired until it locks. After unlocking and pulling the 8-pin connector, the guide means will spring back up to the starting position.

Another advantage of the invention is that the guide means do not spring laterally to the sides of the receiving body, but fill the space between the outer wall of the plug and the inner wall of the receiving body with little play. This ensures that a narrow 6-pin connector is reliably guided and contact is guaranteed.

According to a preferred embodiment, the guide means are integrally formed in the rear connection area of the receiving body and project freely in the direction of the insertion area. In a further arrangement of the guide means, economical manufacture is made possible by inserting the guide means into the receiving body from the insertion area and connecting it to the latter.

An embodiment in which the guide means are part of a contact insert is particularly advantageous. This construction of the socket element enables the receptacle body and the assembly of the electrical contacts to be produced separately as relatively simple molded parts. In order to be able to subsequently assemble both parts, the contact insert and the receptacle body are fitted with two mating guide profiles, e.g. a dovetail guide. Due to the design of the guide means as an integral part of the contact insert, they can be mounted in the receiving body by simply inserting the contact insert into the receiving body.

The guide means are preferably on both sides of the contact insert at both ends via film hinge webs on the contact insert or Shaped body integrally. As a major advantage of this form of guide means, they cannot be bent laterally when the plug and socket are inadvertently put together, but form a stable guide for a narrow plug.

Further details, features and advantages of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Steckbuchsenelements mit angeformten Führungsmitteln am Aufnahmekörper;

Fig. 2

eine der Fig. 1 entsprechende Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Steckbuchsenelements, bei dem die Führungsmittel am Kontakteinsatz angeordnet sind;

Fig. 3

den Aufnahmekörper des in Fig. 2 dargestellten erfindungsgemäßen Steckbuchsenelements in perspektivischer Darstellung;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Kontakteinsatzes mit angeformten Führungsmitteln;

Fig. 5

eine Vorderansicht des in Fig. 2 dargestellten Steckbuchsenelements mit eingestecktem, breiten, 8 pol.-Steckergehäuse;

Fig. 6

eine Vorderansicht des in Fig. 2 dargestellten erfindungsgemäßen Steckbuchsenelements mit eingestecktem, 6 pol.-Steckergehäuse; und

Fig. 7

einen weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Kontakteinsatz mit beiderseitig angeformten Führungsmitteln in perspektivischer Darstellung.

It shows:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a socket element with molded guide means on the receiving body;

Fig. 2

a representation corresponding to Figure 1 of a socket element according to the invention, in which the guide means are arranged on the contact insert.

Fig. 3

the receiving body of the socket element according to the invention shown in Figure 2 in a perspective view.

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a contact insert according to the invention with molded guide means;

Fig. 5

a front view of the socket element shown in Figure 2 with inserted, wide, 8-pin connector housing.

Fig. 6

a front view of the socket element according to the invention shown in Figure 2 with inserted, 6-pin connector housing. and

Fig. 7

a further contact insert according to the invention with mutually molded guide means in a perspective view.

The socket element 11 shown in FIG. 1 has a receiving body 12 for a series of electrical contacts 13 lying next to one another. The electrical contacts 13 arranged in the receiving body 12 and on the underside of the receiving body 12 are connected to one another in one piece. A guide means 14; 14 'arranged in the insertion area 16 of the receiving body 12. The guide means 14; 14 'are integrally formed with one end in the rear connection area 17 and run freestanding essentially parallel to the electrical connection contacts 13 to in front of the insertion area 16 of the socket element 11. At their free end in the insertion area 16 these guide means 14; 14 'with bevels 15. The guide means 14; 14 'have a recess at a certain distance from their front ends. On the side of the receptacle body 12 opposite the electrical contacts 13, a profile is provided which corresponds to the profile of the plug, so that it can only be inserted into the receptacle body 12 in the correct direction.

In the socket element 11 shown in FIG. 2, the guide means 14; 14 'part of a separate contact insert 18 (Fig. 4) with which it is in one piece are connected. The separate contact insert 18 can be inserted into the receiving body 12 via a guide profile 22, for example a dovetail guide, whereby the position of the guide means 14; 14 'is fixed in the receiving body 12. In this embodiment of the socket element 11, the receiving body 12 is slotted in the longitudinal direction on its underside, both edges of this slot being designed as a guide profile for the contact insert 18, as shown in FIG. 3. The guide profile 22 is located on the side opposite the standard connector profile. The contact insert 18 is provided on its underside with the counterpart of the guide 22 and can thus be inserted into the receiving body 12 along this guide. The guide means 14; 14 'are arranged laterally on the contact insert 18 and are integrally connected to the contact insert at one of their ends. Furthermore, the guide means 14; 14 'formed from elastic material so that they can be deflected in the direction of movement indicated by 19, but still spring back into the starting position when a wide 8-pin connector 20 is pulled out of the socket element 11.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cross section of the receptacle body 12 is adapted to the cross section of an 8-pin (wide) plug 20 such that it is accommodated in the receptacle body 12 with a precise fit. 5 clearly shows how the wide, 8-pin connector 20 guides 14; 14 'in the direction of the guide profile 22, while, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide means 14; 14 'in the case of a narrow, 6-pin plug are not pressed down in the direction of the guide profile 22, but instead guide the plug housing 21 to the side.

7 shows another form of connection of the guide means 14; 14 'shown on the contact insert 18. Here, the guide means 14; 14 'molded onto the contact insert 18 on both sides via film hinge webs 24, 24'. The webs 24 ′ facing the insertion area 16 are inclined in the direction of the webs 24 and thus form run-up bevels for the plugs. In Fig. 7 the position of an elastic guide means 14 is also shown, which it assumes by the spring movement 19 when a wide connector 20 is inserted.

Claims (8)

1. Socket element, with

   - a receptacle body (12) with a receiving chamber

   - in which are arranged a number of contacts (13) located adjacent to each other and

   - in which both a first plug (20) can be inserted, latched or locked, of which the number of contacts corresponds to that of the socket element and of which the cross-section is adapted to the cross-section of the receiving chamber, and a second plug (21) with a lower number of contacts than that of the socket element (11) can be inserted, of which the dimensions in the row direction of the contacts (13) are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the receiving chamber of the socket element (11),

   characterised in that

   - in the receiving chamber of the socket element (11) is arranged at least one guide means (14, 14') which is designed and arranged in such a way that

   - on insertion of the second plug (21) it comes into contact with the latter and in the direction of insertion effects guiding of this plug in the receiving chamber of the socket element (11),

   - whereas on insertion of the first plug (20) it springs away resiliently vertically to the direction of insertion.
2. Socket element according to claim 1, characterised in that guide means (14, 14') are mounted on both sides in the receptacle body (12).
3. Socket element according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide means (14, 14') is arranged in the insertion region (16) of the receptacle body (12).
4. Socket element according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the guide means (14, 14') is formed integrally in the lodging region (17) opposite the insertion region (16).
5. Socket element according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide means (14, 14') comprises approach ramps (15).
6. Socket element according to claim 1, characterised in that guide means (14, 14') on both sides of a separate contact insert (18) are formed integrally on the latter.
7. Socket element according to claim 7, characterised in that the contact insert (18) can be inserted in the receptacle body (12) by means of a guide profile (22).
8. Socket element according to claim 6, characterised in that guide means (14, 14') are formed integrally and resiliently at both ends by webs (24, 24').

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