EP1565964A1

EP1565964A1 - System for electrical connection of a vehicle subassembly

Info

Publication number: EP1565964A1
Application number: EP03780229A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bruno Buon
Original assignee: Renault SAS
Current assignee: Renault SAS
Priority date: 2002-10-25
Filing date: 2003-10-16
Publication date: 2005-08-24
Also published as: FR2846474B1; FR2846474A1; WO2004040713A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for electrical connection to a main electrical circuit distributed inside the structure of a vehicle, a secondary electrical circuit associated with a subassembly, such as in particular a vehicle seat, for powering electrical equipment features pertaining to said subassembly. Said system comprises a first upper connector (10) consisting of a body (12) and of a contact-bearing element (14); and a second lower connector (18), complementary to the upper connector (10) consisting of a body (12), borne by the structure, and of a contact-bearing element (24), housed in the body (20) and of the type wherein the coupling of the two connectors is carried out along an axial coupling direction when the subassembly is being mounted on the structure. The invention is characterized in that the upper connector (10) includes a mechanism maneuvered from outside the body (12), and which moves the upper contact-bearing element (14) from a starting position to a connecting position for providing a connection between the two contact bearing elements (14, 24).

Description

SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING A SUB-ASSEMBLY OF A VEHICLE

The present invention relates to electrical connection systems and in particular to an electrical connection system of a sub-assembly of a vehicle.

More particularly, it relates to an electrical connection system, to a main electrical circuit distributed inside the body structure of a vehicle, of an auxiliary electrical circuit associated with a sub-assembly, such as in particular a seat of the vehicle, for supplying electrical equipment belonging to this sub-assembly, this system comprising a first upper connector formed by a body and a contact-carrying element; and a second lower connector, complementary to the upper connector and, formed of a body, carried by the structure, and of a contact carrier, housed in the body and of the type in which the coupling of the two connectors takes place in an axial coupling direction during an assembly operation of the sub-assembly on the structure.

Currently, on vehicle assembly lines, the connection operation of two complementary connectors, in a connection system, is generally carried out manually. The operator performs several manipulations such as gripping and assembling the two connectors. But the execution times being very short on the workstations, the operator must handle the connectors very quickly, which is likely to lead to a bad connection, or to a degradation of the material.

To solve this problem, automatic connection systems have been made. The document FR-A-2 786 933 describes a arrangement for the automatic connection of two electric circuits of a motor vehicle. This system offers a fully automatic connection between the seat connector and the body connector, when the seat is mounted on the body. However, this system is only applicable for certain types of vehicles having particular refocusers.

In document US-6305957B 1 an electrical connector is presented in which an improper contact carrier and a female contact carrier are mounted flush. The connector comprises two separate pushers which are introduced into the female part of the connector and driven by an external lever to link the two parts of the connector. One of the drawbacks of this system is that it is necessary to introduce the pushers as separate parts, which increases the number of parts and operations required on a production line.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system for the electrical connection of a sub-assembly of an improved vehicle.

The present invention provides an electrical connection system of the type described above, characterized in that the upper connector comprises a mechanism, operated from outside the body, and which causes the upper contact carrier to move from an original position towards a connection position, in order to establish a connection between the two contact carriers. One of the advantages of the present invention is that the contact carriers are moved themselves from the outside of the connector in particular with no separate part to be used for locking.

The device, according to a first characteristic, comprises a contact-carrying element of the upper connector is movably mounted in the body of said upper connector. The device, according to a second characteristic, comprises a mechanism comprising a contact carrier which is movably mounted in the body between an original high position and a low connection position. The device, according to a third characteristic, comprises a mechanism comprising an operating member linked in translation with the movable upper contact carrier.

In a particular embodiment, the mechanism is of the cam type and cam follower element. According to another aspect of the invention, the cam is a light produced in an operating lever which is movably mounted on the body of the upper connector.

In another embodiment, the upper connector comprises a spring which biases the contact carrier towards its low connection position, and a retractable zipper which retains the contact carrier in the original high position, against the force exerted by the spring, and a part of which forms a handle extends outside the body for its operation.

The device, according to a fourth characteristic, comprises an operating member comprising a pull tab which is pushed or pulled so that the upper connector is locked on the lower connector.

The device, according to a fifth characteristic, comprises a pull tab defining a rupture zone adapted to break after locking.

According to another aspect of the invention, the contact carrier is mounted movable, along the coupling axis, in the body of the lower connector, against a return spring in the high position. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, given solely by way of example, and for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic representation, in section in a vertical plane, of the system object of the invention which is illustrated before coupling of the two connectors.

Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 after coupling of the two connectors. Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 after connection of the two contact carriers.

Figure 4 is a view similar to those of Figures 2 and 3 which illustrates an alternative embodiment of the drive mechanism of the contact carrier of the upper connector. Figure 5 is a schematic representation of an upper connector having a pull tab.

In the description and the views which follow, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "lower" and "upper" will be used without limitation, with reference to the figures in order to facilitate understanding of the description and the claims.

FIG. 1 is a view of the electrical connection system according to the invention, applied to a seat, offering electrical services, in a vehicle.

This connection system comprises an upper connector 10, comprising a body 12 and a contact carrier 14, which consists of an insulating block 15 and electrical contact elements, such as male pins 17. The body 12 of the connector upper 10 is integrated, in part, in the seat 16 of the vehicle. For example, it is fixedly mounted in the lower part of the seat, to be placed opposite the lower connector 18, located below the seat 16. This connector 18, complementary to the upper connector 10, comprises a body 20, carried by the body structure 22 of the vehicle, for example in a vehicle floor element, on which the seat 16 is mounted. This body 20 comprises an upper part flared 21, designed to receive the free lower end of the body 12 of the upper connector 10, when the seat 16 is lowered.

The body 20 of the lower connector 18 comprises a contact carrier 24, the insulating block 25 of which carries contact cards 19, complementary to the pins 17 of the contact carrier 14. As shown in diagram 1, the upper connector comprises a member 26 for maneuvering enabling the mechanism causing the movement of the upper contact carrier 14 to be actuated from its original high position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, towards its low connection position shown in FIG. 3. This member 26 is placed so as to be accessible, on the assembly line, to an operator, or a robot, who will actuate it in order to cause the movement of the contact carrier 14. Advantageously, this member 26 is a pull tab fixed to the contact carrier 14, and which can be operated along a slot made in the body 12 of the connector. Starting from the position of FIG. 1, the coupling of the two connectors (10, 18) takes place in a vertical coupling direction, represented by the right (AA), during the assembly operation of the seat in the vehicle. This operation consists in introducing, for example automatically and by means of robots, the seat 16 into the vehicle, according to the determined coordinates which depend on the final position of the seat in the vehicle, and thus orienting the upper connector along the vertical coupling direction (AA) relative to the lower connector.

This leads to the position illustrated in Figure 2, which shows the electrical connection system according to the invention in coupling position. In this diagram, the seat is in the final position, in the vehicle, relative to the body floor 22, and the body 12 of the upper connector is assembled to the body 20 of the lower connector 18. The contact carrier 14 is always in the high position original in the body 12. In this position, it can be seen that the pins 17 and the plugs 19 are aligned with a view to the final connection step or operation.

When the seat 16, and consequently the body 12 of the upper connector, is in the final position, the connection of the two contact carriers (10,18) is then carried out by means of the mechanism, operated manually from outside the body 12 or automatically, which causes the upper contact carrier 14 to move from its high original position to its low connection position, in order to establish the connection between the two contact carriers (14, 24).

FIG. 3 illustrates the connection system described above, in the connection position in which the upper contact holder is in the lower connection position and is connected with the lower contact holder 24, that is to say that the pins 17 of electrical contact of the upper insulating block 15 are inserted in the electrical contact plugs 19 of the lower insulating block 25.

Alternatively, the operating mechanism may include a cam which gives movement to a cam follower element to cause the descent from the upper contact carrier to the lower contact carrier.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cam is a light 28, produced in an operating lever 26, which is articulated on the body 12 of the upper connector 10. When the operator actuates the lever 26, for example by pushing it towards the lower connector, a transverse lug 32 of the upper contact carrier 14 received at sliding in the light 28, causes the movement of the insulating block 15 of the upper contact carrier 14, vertically downwards towards the lower contact carrier.

In another embodiment, not shown, the upper connector comprises a spring which permanently biases the contact carrier towards its low connection position, and a retractable pull tab which retains the contact carrier in the original high position. When the operator or the robot removes the zipper, the spring relaxes and pushes the upper contact carrier towards the lower contact carrier, in order to make the connection of the two entities.

In another variant of the invention, not shown, an elastic means, such as a spring, is placed under the contact carrier 24, of the lower connector 18 in order to permanently apply to it a vertical thrust, in the direction of coupling, from the contact carrier 24 to the upper connector 10, and thus guarantee a good connection of the two contact carriers whatever the manufacturing and assembly tolerances.

In FIG. 5, an example of a pull tab 260 connected to the operating member of the upper connector 10 is shown with a rupture zone 262 adapted to rupture after locking. The advantage of this characteristic is that an operator can make the remote connection and can thus simply pull the pull tab 260 by breaking it to leave it locked.

Claims

1. Electrical connection system, to a main electrical circuit distributed inside the body structure of a vehicle, of an auxiliary electrical circuit associated with a sub-assembly, such as in particular a vehicle seat, for the supply of electrical equipment belonging to this sub-assembly, this system comprising:

- a first upper connector (10) formed by a body (12) and a contact-carrying element (14);

- And a second lower connector (18), complementary to the upper connector (10) and, formed of a body (12), carried by the structure, and of a contact carrier (24), housed in the body (20 ) and of the type in which the coupling of the two connectors takes place in an axial direction of coupling during an assembly operation of the sub-assembly on the structure, characterized in that the upper connector (10) comprises a mechanism, operated from outside the body (12), which causes the upper contact carrier (14) to move from an original position to a connection position, in order to establish a connection between the two carriers contacts (14, 24).

2. Electrical connection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact-carrying element (14) of the upper connector (10) is movably mounted in the body (12) of said upper connector.

3. Electrical connection system according to claim 2, characterized in that said contact carrier (14) is movably mounted in the body (12) between an original high position and a low connection position.

4. Electrical connection system according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the mechanism comprises a movable member (26) for maneuver linked in translation with the upper contact carrier (14) movable.

5. Electrical connection system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mechanism is of the cam type and cam follower element.

6. Electrical connection system according to claim 5, characterized in that the cam is a slot (28) produced in a lever (30) for maneuver which is movably mounted on the body (12) of the upper connector.

7. Electrical connection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper connector (10) comprises a spring which biases the contact carrier (14) towards its low connection position, and a retractable pull tab (26) which retains the contact carrier in the original high position, against the force exerted by the spring, and a part of which extends outside the body for its operation.

8. Electrical connection system according to claim 7, characterized in that the operating member (26) comprises a pull tab (260) which is pushed or pulled so that the upper connector (10) locks onto the lower connector (18).

9. Electrical connection system according to claim 8, characterized in that the pull tab (260) defines a rupture zone (262) adapted to break after locking.

10. Electrical connection system according to claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the contact carrier (24) of the lower connector (18) is mounted movable, along the coupling axis, in the body (20), against a return spring in the high position.