EP1137114A2

EP1137114A2 - Improved fixing system for electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: EP1137114A2
Application number: EP01500012A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Josep Maria Roset Rubio
Original assignee: Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Current assignee: Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Priority date: 2000-01-31
Filing date: 2001-01-12
Publication date: 2001-09-26
Also published as: ES1045955Y; ES1045955U; EP1137114A3

Abstract

An improved fixing system for electrical connectors which have two parallel sliding elements which move with respect to a connector box. Said sliding elements have a flexible flange which extends towards the inside of the connector to hold the sliding elements in position.

Description

The present application for Patent of Invention consists, as its title indicates, of an "IMPROVED FIXING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS", whose new features of construction, shape and design fulfil the objective for which it has been specifically planned, with maximum safety and effectiveness.
Electrical connectors are known which are assembled in connector boxes basically comprising a housing made of a suitable insulating material inside which electrical terminals are arranged. Inside, the housing comprises a series of cavities through which the corresponding cables pass.
There are different ways of coupling the electrical connector box to the corresponding service box, for example, by fitting the connector box on the service box by pressure, or using a sliding body provided with inclined side guides which runs inside said connector box. Thus, when the operator activates said sliding body in the connector box, the inclination of the guides causes the said connector box to anchor in the service box as the former is forced to fit onto the latter. Another way is to use an anchoring system made up of two parallel sliding elements which can move with respect to the connector box, each sliding element including a series of inclined guides arranged conveniently parallel to each other and a mounted lever joined to the connector box and, at the same time, to the free ends of the sliding elements. The tilting of said lever element towards the connector box, caused by the application of a force by the operator, makes the sliding elements move and causes the connector box to anchor in the service box.
Even though this last system is really effective, the main object of the present invention is to provide a means to ensure that the sliding element is held in the connection position. The present invention proposes a new improved fixing system for electrical connectors of the type that consists of two parallel sliding elements which move with respect to the connector box, each sliding element including parallel inclined guides for guiding the anchoring of the connector box in the service box. The proposed improved fixing system for electrical connectors has the peculiarity that each sliding element has a flexible flange which extends, inclined, towards the inside of the connector, adapted to hold the sliding elements in position with respect to the connector in the connection position. Said flanges are wedge-shaped to facilitate the anchoring of the sliding elements in the connection position. These flexible flanges are formed at the end of the space between two of said inclined guides of each sliding element.
The features and advantages of the improved fixing system for electrical connectors which is the object of the present invention will be made clearer in the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of said anchoring system. Said description will be given, hereinafter, by way of non-restrictive example, with reference to the drawings which accompany it, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sliding elements of an electrical connector adapted to be introduced into a connector box of the type which is mounted in the corresponding service boxes.
Figure 2 is an side elevational view of the sliding elements, cross-sectioned according to the plane A-A' of figure 3.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the sliding elements of figure 2.
And figure 4 is an enlarged partial view which shows in detail the fixing system which is the object of the invention.
The elements which appear in the attached drawings are the following: (1) sliding elements, (2, 3) arms, (4) inclined parallel guides or grooves, (5) operating element, (6) flange, (7) inner space between the two sliding elements, (8) space between two guides, and (9) direction of operation of the sliding elements towards the connection position.
The drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the sliding elements (1) of a connector. The sliding elements (1) consist of arms (2, 3) provided with a series of three guides or grooves (4) arranged parallel to each other and inclined so as to cause the connection of the connector box in the corresponding service box (not shown) when a force is brought to bear on the surface of the operating element (5).
As may be observed, each sliding element (1) includes a flexible flange (6) which extends, inclined, towards the inner space (7) between the sliding elements (1). Said flanges (6) hold said sliding elements (1) in position with respect to the electrical connector in the connection position, that is, in the position in which the connector box is coupled with the service box.
In accordance with the invention, the flanges (6) are wedge-shaped to facilitate anchoring of the sliding elements (1) in the connection position defined above. With reference to figure 2 of the drawings attached to the present specification, these flanges (6) which make up the anchoring system of the invention, are formed at the end of the space (9) between two of said inclined guides (4) of each sliding element (1).
When the operator presses the operating element (5) in the direction of the arrow (9) of figure 1, the guides (4) direct the sliding elements according to projections in the connector box (not shown) in the direction of the arrow (8) and downwards, causing the connector box to anchor. During this operation, the inner profile of the connector box causes the expansion or separation of the flanges (6) outwards until they fit into the inside of the connector, blocking the sliding elements (1) and holding the arms (2, 3) with respect to the connector.
The flanges (6) may co-operate with other appropriate fixing means, for example with holding flanges formed in the connector box which project upwards with respect to each side wall of the same (not shown in the drawings).
Moreover, it must also be taken into account especially that the fixing system which is the object of the present invention is also applicable to connectors whose sliding elements (1) are operated by a lever instead of the operating element (5) described in the foregoing embodiment.
The materials of the elements which make up the improved fixing system for electrical connectors of the invention, as well as the shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements may conveniently be replaced by others which are technically equivalent, provided that they do not depart from the essential nature of the present invention, nor from the inventive concept of the same, as defined in the claims included below.

Claims

"AN IMPROVED FIXING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS", said connectors comprising two parallel sliding elements (1) which move with respect to a connector box, each sliding element (1) including parallel inclined guides (4) for guiding the anchoring of the connector box in a service box, characterised in that each sliding element (1) includes a flexible flange (6) which extends, inclined, towards the inside of the connector, and is adapted to hold said sliding elements (1) in position with respect to said connector in the connection position in which the connector box is coupled with the service box.
"AN IMPROVED FIXING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS" in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that said flanges (6) are wedge-shaped to facilitate the anchoring of the sliding elements (1) in the connection position, said flanges (6) being formed at the end of the space (7) between two of said inclined guides (4) of each sliding element (1).