EP1158622A1

EP1158622A1 - Multipin modular electrical connector assembly

Info

Publication number: EP1158622A1
Application number: EP01500133A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andreu Calavera Alvarez
Original assignee: Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Current assignee: Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Priority date: 2000-05-26
Filing date: 2001-05-25
Publication date: 2001-11-28
Also published as: ES1046314Y; ES1046314U

Abstract

Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly which includes a plurality of connectors (1) wherein male terminals are lodged and a plurality of connectors (1) which lodge female terminals provided with lock systems (2) for the terminals located inside them, and in which said connectors (1) are coupled to their respective male connector holders (5) and female connector holders (6) lodged in a counterpart (7) provide with lock systems (8, 9).

Description

This present invention refers, as mentioned in the heading, to a "Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly" which new characteristics in respect of its manufacture, capabilities and design meet the objective for which it has been specifically intended ensuring maximum efficacy and safety.
It is common in the current state of the art to find electrical connectors consisting in a frame wherein terminals are lodged duly fixed to their corresponding cables. Inside these connectors certain cavities are found where said cables and terminals are lodged.
When the electrical connection between different elements involves a great number of cables, it becomes necessary to control the position of such cabling during the assembly process. This is due to the fact that cables exercise pull and twist efforts which often entails that they are dislodged from their position inside the connector.
The invention purports to create a new electrical connector assembly with a modular set-up whose main objective is to ensure the connection of a great number of cables of different nature as efficiently as possible.
In broad lines, a multipin modular electrical connector assembly pursuant to this invention is made up of several connectors which lodge the male terminals and a series of connectors which lodge the female terminals. The connectors are provided with lock systems which prevent the terminals lodged inside them to become dislodged due to the movement of the cables.
The specificity of the multipin modular electrical connector assembly lies in the fact that said connectors are lodged in their corresponding male connector holders and female connector holders. These male and female connector holders are likewise lodged within a counterpart provided with the adequate lock systems whereby the connectors are held in position regarding their respective connector holders. The lock systems for these connectors consist in a rod provided of two parallel arms abutting at right angles from the tip. Between said arms a number of shorter projections are found likewise placed in parallel which are introduced appropriately in the corresponding connector holder, thus fixing in place the different connectors coupled to the same.
Pursuant to another specification of the modular assembly of the invention, this consists in a cant lever which covers the male connector holders. This level which acts as a lid is provided with some lateral extensions designed with a projection which fits in a vertical slot found in the horizontal sliders which slide in respect of the arms joined to the counterpart. In the lower section of these sliders, that is, in that side which faces the counterpart, there is an abutting surface made up of tilted planes on which certain projections of the abovementioned counterpart rest. The sliders slide when the lever is operated, wherefore the projections of the counterpart follow the path defined by such tilted planes thus favouring the latch-up of the assembly regardless of the number of existing cables.
Moreover, pursuant to another characteristic of the invention, in the lower section of the abovementioned sliders there is a flange acting as a lock which allows for the placing of the assembly in a precoupling or preliminary position.
A lid is also provided for the female connectors. This lid includes some legs which extend vertically in order to become coupled to the female connector holder.
The counterpart includes lateral outriggers with an orifice in which a clamp screw secures the assembly. Pursuant to this invention, the internal orifice of the abovementioned outriggers are provided with flanges which abut inside thus fastening the screw to the inside thread in order to prevent the cables from displacing said screw from the orifice.
With a multipin modular connector assembly as described above, the purported objectives are achieved obtaining likewise other advantages which will become clear in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment hereinafter provided, albeit not limited to the example offered referred to the drawings attached, in which:
Figure No. 1 offers a perspective quarter view of an execution of the electrical connector assembly pursuant to the invention.
Figure No. 2 provides a ground view from above of the connector assembly of Figure No. 1 in which the female connector holder lid has not been included for the sake of clarity.
Figure No. 3 is front elevation of the counterpart within the connector assembly of the invention.
Figure No. 4 is a partial perspective view of the fixed arms of the counterpart in whose ends the extensions of the cank lever are hinged (not shown) covering the male connectors.
Figure No. 5 is a lateral front elevation of the counterpart shown in Figure No. 3
Figure No. 6 is a perspective view of the group shown in Figure No. 1 assembled with the lid and lever closed over the female and male connector holders respectively.
Figure No. 7 is a partial perspective view of one of the sliders which move within the counterpart when the cank lever which covers the male connector holder is closed.
In the figures abovementioned, the following elements may be seen: (1) electrical connectors, (2) lock systems at the terminals of the electrical connectors, (3) lengthways element of the lock system of the terminals, (4) flanges of the lock systems, (5) male connector holders, (6) female connector holders, (7) counterpart, (8) lock system for the male connectors, (9) lock system for the female connectors (10) lock system rod of the female connectors, (11) lock system rod of the male connectors, (12,13,14, 15) rod arms (16,17) rod projections, (18) cank levers, (19, 20) lateral extensions of the cank lever, (21) projections found in the lateral extensions of the cank lever, (22) radial extension of the projections of the lateral extensions of the cank lever, (23) orifice found in each arm of the counterpart, (24) counterpart arms, (25, 26) sliders, (27,28) outriggers of sliders, (29) vertical slot of the outriggers, (30) inside section of the sliders, (31) tilted planes found on the inside of the sliders, (32, 33) counterpart projections, (34) lock flange found in the inner section of the sliders, (35) lid of the female connector holder, (36) legs of the lid of the female connector holder, (37) projections on the lid legs, (38) counterpart outriggers, (39) elongated orifice of the counterpart outriggers, (40) flange of the elongated orifice of the counterpart outriggers, (41) upper extension of the counterpart and (42) lid opening in the female connector holder.
In the execution which is herein shown an electrical connector assembly with a modular set-up is proposed as may be seen from the quarter views of Figure No.1, intended for the connections required when using a great amount of cables of different characteristics.
More specifically, the multipin modular electrical connector assembly shown in the drawings of this invention includes a number of connectors (1) with a different set-up, which purely by way of example, may consist in three pins, fourteen pins, forty pins, etc depending on the requirements.
Inside those connectors (1) a lock system is provided (2) which prevents the terminals inside these from becoming dislodged due to movements of the cables (not shown). These lock systems may consist in a lengthways element provided with multiple flanges (4), so that the insertion of such lengthways element in the connector (1) makes the flanges (4) hold the terminals in position (not shown).
The electrical connectors (1) are lodged in their corresponding male connector holders (5) and female connector holders (6). The male connector holders (5) and the female connector holders (6) are lodged in a counterpart referred to as (7), as may be seen in Figure No.1.
The electrical connectors (1) are lodged in their respective connector holders (5, 6) without being able to move due to the existence of a locking system jointly referred to by (8,9) in Figure 1 of the drawings attached to this Technical Memorandum
The abovementioned lock systems (8,9) hold the electrical connectors in place preventing these from dislodged from the connector holders (5,6) following twist and pull movements exercised by the cables found in the assembly.
As may be seen, the lock systems (8,9) consist in a rod (10, 11) with two parallel arms projecting from the tip ends (12, 13, 14, 15) at right angles in respect of the rods (10, 11). These arms (12, 13, 14, 15) are provided with numerous projections (16, 17) shorter in length than said arms, and arranged in a parallel lay-out. The insertion of these rods (10, 11) in their respective connector holders (5,6) ensures that the projections (16, 17) hold in place the connectors (1).
The lower section of the electrical connector assembly is provided with a cank lever (18) which covers the connectors (1) assembled on the male connector holders (5). The cank lever (18) acts as a lid for the connectors (1) and its lateral extension is provided with two vertical abutments (19, 20) with a projection (21) found in each of them. This projection (21) has a cylindrical lay-out with a radial elongation (22) which substantially represents a prism.
The projection (21) of the extensions (19, 20) abovementioned is lodged in an orifice (23), please refer to Figure No. 4, found in each arm (24) of the counterpart (7). With specific reference to Figure No. 4 of the drawings, the orifice (23) of those arms (24)is provided with a complementary lay-out to the shape of the projection (21) in order to prevent the lever (18) from becoming dislodged from the counterpart (7).
One of the ends of the said sliders (25,26) has an extension consisting in an outrigger (27, 28) with a vertical slot (29). As may be seen in Figure No. 7, the lower section (30) of the sliders (25,26) is designed so that a series of tilted planes (31) define the part which the projections (32, 33) created in the counterpart (7) must cover, as shown in Figure No.1. Moreover, within this inner section (30) of the sliders (25, 26) a lock flange is found (34) which allows for the arrangement of the assembly in a preliminary position, that is, in a previous coupling position.
The sliders (25, 26) run between the arm (24) of the counterpart (7) and the counterpart itself (7) when the cank lever (18) is operated. When this takes place, the sliders (25, 26) are obliged to run between the projections (32, 33) of the counterpart (7) and these traverse the planes (31) located in the inner section (30) of the sliders. The particular shape of the inclined planes (31) contributes to the locking of the assembly regardless of the number of existing cables, reducing the pressure to be applied on the lever (18) when the number of cables is high. Please note in particular that there are two projections (32, 33) on each side of the counterpart (7), in respect of which the two tilted planes (31) created in each of the sliders (32, 33 )travel, thus providing an adequate support to the lock system.
We now refer again to Figure No.1 of the drawings, in which we see that the assembly is also equipped with a lid (35) which covers the female connector holders (6). The lid (35) includes legs (36) which extend vertically and are coupled to the abovementioned female connector holders (6). To that end, those legs (36) are provided by inclined projections at their ends (37) which prevent the lid (35) from being removed once this has been pressure locked to the female connector holders (6).
The Counterpart (7) is provided with lateral outriggers (38) in which an elongated orifice is found (39). This elongated orifice (39) is intended for a screw which shall fix this assembly to the motorcar by means, for example, of a billet suited to that end. The elongated orifice (39) found inside each outrigger (38) of the counterpart (7) includes a number of flanges (40) inside the same, as may be seen in Figure No. 3. These flanges (40) found in the inside of the orifices (39) extend inside these in order to fasten the connector to the screw at the beginning of the thread so that the cables do not dislodge the connector.
As may be seen in Figure No. 6, the upper area of the back section of the counterpart (7) is provided with an extension (7) which helps to secure the cables which protrude from the opening (42) of the lid (35), thus avoiding any movements.
Although the figures herein shown represent an execution of the multipin modular electrical connector assembly consisting in connectors which lodge male terminals and connectors which lodge female terminals provided said terminals with lock systems, in which the connectors are coupled to male connector holders and the female connector holders are inserted in a counterpart, it is evident, that without moving away from the embodiment of this invention nor from the inventive concept of the same defined in the claims set out hereinafter, the materials of the elements included in the assembly may be conveniently modified, as is the case with the shapes, size and other accessory elements provided that they are always technically equivalent.

Claims

Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly which comprises a plurality of connectors (1) wherein male terminals are lodged and a plurality of connectors (1) which lodge female terminals provided with lock systems (2) inside these, characterised in that said connectors (1) are coupled into the corresponding male connector holders (5) and female connector holders (6) which are lodged, at the same time, in a counterpart (7) provided with lock system (8, 9) which hold said connectors (1) in the right position in respect of the connector holders (5,6), comprising said lock system (5, 6) a rod (10, 11) provided with two parallel arms at its ends (12, 13, 14, 15) which emerge perpendicular to said rod (10, 11) and provided too with a plurality of projections (16, 17) with shorter length and arranged parallel between said arms (12, 13, 14, 15) which are inserted in their corresponding connector holders (5, 6), holding the different connectors (1) coupled inside the same.
Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a balance lever (18) which covers the male connectors (5) provided said lever with two lateral extensions (19, 20) with a projection (21) which is inserted in a vertical slot (29) in sliders (25, 26) suited to slide along the arms (24) fixed to the counterpart (7), being the inside part (30) of the sliders (25, 26) provided with an abutting surface made of tilted planes (31) on which rest the projections (32, 33) of said counterpart (7) intended to help the closing of the balance lever (18) when those sliders (25, 26) are moved when the lever (18) is balanced.
Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that it includes a lid (35) which covers the female connector holders (6) provided said lid (35) with a set of legs (36) which extend vertically in order to become coupled in those female connector holders (6).
Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the counterpart (7) is provided with lateral outriggers (38) with an orifice (39) adapted to house a clamp screw which fastens the whole assembly, being this orifice (39) provided with flanges (40) which extend inwardly in order to hold the screw at the beginning of the thread so that the cables do not get the screw out from the orifice (39).
Multipin Modular Electrical Connector Assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the inside part(30) of the sliders (25, 26) is provided with a lock flange (34) which ensures that the assembly remains in a precoupling position.