EP0718920A1 - Connector with secondary locking grid for terminals - Google Patents

Abstract

The connector, which is intended to be connected to a complementary connector, comprises the insulating body and a grid. The insulating body has a rectangular section and is pierced by at least one row of holes parallel to the direction of insertion. Two parallel side walls which are cut to form pawls with sufficient elasticity to allow insertion of the contacts which are then retained. The locking grid (16) is formed in a single piece with a base which is intended to be applied to the terminal face of the body, and a row of holes aligned with those of the main body.

Description

The present invention relates to electrical connectors intended to be connected to a complementary connector by plugging. It relates more particularly to electrical connectors having an insulating body of rectangular section pierced with at least one row of passages parallel to the direction of insertion, intended to receive contact terminals, and at least one side wall of which is cut to form lugs, the elasticity of which tends to keep them in a projecting position inside the passage where they hold the terminals in abutment against a rearward facing shoulder formed in the passages.

In miniature connectors which are more and more used in electronics, and in particular in the automobile field, the latches have a very small thickness and are fragile. They may allow the contacts to escape either by bending or by breaking.

Connectors have already been proposed, further comprising a part, often called a grid, which covers the front end part of the body and prevents the latches from bending and releasing the contacts when this grid is in place. The grid is generally designed so that it can only be inserted if all the terminals are fully pushed in and locked. Otherwise, the grid abuts against the tabs bent outwards.

The invention aims in particular to provide a connector comprising a grid fulfilling these functions in a simple manner, and moreover ensuring a locking which one can qualify as secondary, much more energetic than the locking effected by the latches and which one can qualify as "primary".

The invention therefore provides a connector comprising a grid of the kind defined above, characterized in that the locking grid in one piece, has a bottom intended to be applied against a front end face of the body and pierced with holes in alignment with the passages, two lateral flanks of spacing such that they frame the two walls of the body orthogonal to the row or to the rows, and two lateral flaps connected to the bottom by flexible parts, intended for apply against the external walls of the body parallel to the row, each having terminal internal extensions intended to penetrate through windows of the body to retain the grid and block the terminals of a row, said flaps also prohibiting the lifting of the latches from the position where they protrude into the passages.

• la figure 1 montre un connecteur complet, en coupe suivant la ligne I-I de la figure 2, le corps de connecteur étant monté en élévation à droite de la figure ;
• la figure 2 montre également un connecteur complet, en coupe suivant la ligne II-II de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une représentation à grande échelle d'un fragment de la figure 2, avec une borne de contact en place ;
• la figure 4 est une vue du corps de connecteur, en coupe suivant la ligne IV-IV de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe du corps de connecteur, suivant le plan indiqué par V-V sur la figure 2 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessous de la grille du connecteur, à l'état déployé, c'est-à-dire dans l'état où elle se trouve à la sortie d'un moule de fabrication ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne VII-VII de la figure 6 ;
• la figure 8 montre la grille en coupe suivant la ligne VIII-VIII de la figure 7 ou de la figure 9,l'un des volets étant déployé et l'autre rabattu,
• la figure 9 est une vue de dessus de la figure 8 ;
• la figure 10 est une vue de détail, en coupe suivant la ligne X-X de la figure 9 ;
• la figure 11 est une vue de détail dans la direction de la flèche XI de la figure 9.

The above arrangements as well as others will appear better on reading the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting example. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 shows a complete connector, in section along line II of Figure 2, the connector body being mounted in elevation to the right of the figure;
• Figure 2 also shows a complete connector, in section along line II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a large-scale representation of a fragment of Figure 2, with a contact terminal in place;
• Figure 4 is a view of the connector body, in section along the line IV-IV of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a sectional view of the connector body, along the plane indicated by VV in Figure 2;
• Figure 6 is a bottom view of the connector grid, in the deployed state, that is to say in the state it is at the outlet of a manufacturing mold;
• Figure 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII of Figure 6;
• FIG. 8 shows the grid in section along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 or of FIG. 9, one of the flaps being deployed and the other folded down,
• Figure 9 is a top view of Figure 8;
• Figure 10 is a detail view, in section along line XX of Figure 9;
• FIG. 11 is a detail view in the direction of the arrow XI in FIG. 9.

The connector 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is intended to be coupled by plugging in a complementary connector, the size of which is shown schematically in dashes. This complementary connector 12 is for example of the type described in the patent application filed on the same day as the present application under the title "Connector for locking the terminals by grid". It will subsequently be assumed that the connector 10 is intended to receive female contact terminals 13 in the form of a cage (FIG. 3), while the complementary connector 12 is intended to receive contact terminals in the form of a tongue, not shown. But this provision is by no means exclusive.

The connector 10 can be viewed as comprising a body 14 made of insulating material (generally filled plastics material) produced by molding, a locking grid 16, a grommet 18 and a plate 20 intended to keep the grommet in compression. The connector 10 shown also includes an annular interfacial seal 22, made of elastomer, intended to ensure a tight connection with the complementary connector 12. The grommet 18, the plate 20 and the interfacial seal 22 will not be further described, because they can have a classical constitution and are not directly concerned with the invention.

The body 14 of the connector 10 shown is pierced with two rows of passages 24 extending parallel to the direction of insertion. These passages have a substantially constant rectangular section over their entire length. They open, through the front face of the body, through holes of reduced dimensions, sufficient to allow passage to the tabs of the connector 12. A shoulder 28 between each passage 24 and the corresponding hole constitutes a stop for limitation of the movement of the terminals 13 forwards. The body shown in Figure 1 has a longitudinal rib 30 in each passage. This rib is intended to engage in a notch of the corresponding terminal and to allow the insertion of the terminal only in one orientation.

In each of the walls of the body parallel to the rows are cut lugs 32 having a notch 34 directed inwards, projecting in the passage when the latch is relaxed. At the rear the notch has a slope allowing the insertion of the terminal 13. At the front it has an abrupt face intended to prevent the withdrawal of the terminal 13 once the notch is engaged in a locking window 36 of terminal.

The two faces of the body orthogonal to the rows each have a hooking spout 38 having a face inclined towards the front and an abrupt face towards the rear, intended to retain the locking grid 16, as will be seen below.

The locking grid 16 shown in Figures 6 to 11 is intended to be able to be manufactured in one piece by molding, generally of plastic material which may contain fillers. This grid can be viewed as having a bottom 40 intended to be applied against the front face of the body, two sides oriented at 90 ° from the bottom and intended to hang on the spouts 38 and two folding flaps 44 intended to come s '' press against the faces of the body parallel to the rows and lock the terminals. The flaps 44 are connected to the bottom by portions of the grid thinner than the rest of the grid, intended to constitute flexible hinges 46.

The bottom 40 of the grid is of substantially constant thickness and is pierced with holes 48 placed in the extension of the passages and of dimensions sufficient to be crossed by the tongues of the complementary connector 12. The two sides 42 each have an internal spout 50 intended to hang on a respective spout 38 of the body. To facilitate the engagement of the grid, the spouts 50 have an inclined front face (in the direction of engagement of the grid on the body). The rear face is on the contrary abrupt and it is at a distance from the bottom such that the bottom of the grid is substantially in abutment against the front face of the body when the spouts 38 and 50 are mutually hooked (Figures 1 and 2). The elasticity of the connection zones of the sidewall with the bottom is sufficient to allow engagement.

The flaps 44 have a central part intended to be applied against a face of the body parallel to the rows. Each central part has at its end internal projections 52 each intended to pass through a corresponding window of the body and to engage in a notch 56 of a respective terminal to lock the terminal (Figure 3).

Means are provided for retaining the flaps 44 in the position where they lock the terminals. In the case illustrated in the figures, these means comprise two wings 58 on each flap 44. These wings are bent at 90 ° so that their end part comes to bear against the external face of the sides 42. Notches 60 of the wings come then snap onto notches 62 projecting outwards, coming from molding with the sides 42.

The mounting of the connector is apparent from the above description. The terminals, provided with their wires which pass through the grommet 18 are inserted one by one until each terminal is retained by a respective latch 32 which ensures sufficient primary locking to prevent the terminals from escaping. The grid is then fitted onto the body, with the flaps 44 in the deployed state, until the spouts 38 and 50 are in mutual engagement. The flaps 44 are then folded down. Each flap can only be completely folded down insofar as all the latches carried by the adjacent face of the body are in the position shown in FIG. 2. Once the flaps 44 are in the position where they are shown in Figure 2, their projections 52 prohibit the removal of the terminals 13, thus ensuring a secondary locking. In addition, they strengthen the primary lock by preventing the latches from bending outward. At the end of the folding of the flaps 44, the notches 60 come to hang on the corresponding fingers 62 and immobilize the grid on the body.

The grid is advantageously constructed so that it can be produced by molding in a mold having a reduced number of movable drawers. For this, the grid is molded in the deployed state where it is represented in FIG. 6. As shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, all the spaces intended to receive material to constitute the internal projections can be delimited by two molding sides.

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which has been shown and described by way of example. For example, the body may have more than two rows of passage: in this case the grid will include additional partitions transverse to the bottom, intended to engage in slots in the body to retain the latches of the row or central rows of passages.

Claims (5)

Connector intended to be connected to a complementary connector, comprising: - a body of insulating material (14) with rectangular section, pierced with at least one row of passages (24) parallel to the direction of insertion and intended to receive terminals (13) and two side walls parallel to the rows and of which at at least one is cut to form latches (32) whose elasticity tends to keep them protruding in the passages; and - a locking grid (16), in one piece, having: a bottom intended to be applied against an end face of the body and pierced with holes in the alignment of the passages; two lateral flanks of spacing such that they frame the two walls of the body orthogonal to the row; and two side flaps connected to the bottom by flexible parts, intended to be applied against the external walls of the body parallel to the row, each having terminal internal extensions intended to penetrate through windows of the body to retain the grid and block the terminals of a row, said flaps also prohibiting the lifting of the latches from the position where they protrude in the passages. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that said flaps (44) are connected to the bottom (40) of the grid (16) by thin portions forming hinges. Connector according to claim 2, characterized in that each flap (44) has a central part and wings (58) provided with projections intended to hang on corresponding projections of the sides (42) at the end of folding of the flaps. Connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sides of the grid have internal spouts (50) intended to hang on corresponding spouts (38) from the side walls of the body perpendicular to the rows. Connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two rows of passages and in that the lugs associated with each row are cut from one of the two side walls of the body parallel to the rows.

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