EP1863137B1

EP1863137B1 - An electrical connection device, specifically for a motor vehicle headlight

Info

Publication number: EP1863137B1
Application number: EP07109153A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luciano Cubito; Jean-Pascal Herlin
Original assignee: Automotive Lighting Italia SpA
Current assignee: Marelli Automotive Lighting Italy SpA
Priority date: 2006-05-30
Filing date: 2007-05-29
Publication date: 2011-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-29
Also published as: EP1863137A2; ITTO20060395A1; EP1863137A3

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connection device, specifically adapted to equip headlights or headlamps in motor vehicles for the purpose of allowing the rapid electrical connection to the onboard electrical circuit of the motor vehicle.
A device of the above indicated type usually includes an electrical connection plug electrically connected with the inner components of the headlight or headlamp (for instance, the lamp-holder) provided with a plurality of male pin or blade contacts, which cantileverly extend from a front face of the connection plug; the latter couples in use with a socket provided with female contacts, connected with the electrical circuit of the vehicle.
This type of electrical connection wirings of the headlights (or headlamps), which supplies the lamps or other electrical device carried by the headlights (for instance, electrical motors for the correction of the tilting of the optical axis of the lamp), is assembled, packed, stocked, transported and then assembled on headlights in high operation rate production lines. Because of the expenses, such connection wirings are generally packed all together in cardboard boxes containing on the average one hundred or more connectors without a single packaging for each connector.
This often implies that, when such wirings are manually reciprocally displaced, grouped or subdivided, manually inserted or extracted from the boxes, there often occurs a mechanical contact between blade or pins forming the male contacts of a plug with other blade or pins of other plugs or with the same power supply/electrical connection cables of the male contacts such as to cause bendings of the blade or pins.
When on the production line, at the end of the assembly, the complete headlight is subjected to the operation test of all of the lamps and the other electrical devices installed in the headlight, for instance by means of an appropriate testing apparatus, if the bent blades or pins of the plugs do not allow their insertion in the respective female sockets of the apparatus which performs the operation test, the execution of the test itself is not possible. In this case, the headlight needs to be repaired out of line, by realigning the bent blades or the pins of the plugs with considerable additional costs.
But the major drawback arises when the accidental bending of the blades or pins forming the male contacts does not occur to the extent of avoiding the successful execution of the testing, but so that the motor vehicle maker may not successfully connect the normal electrical connection of the headlight to the respective female sockets of the electrical cabling of the motor vehicle, once the headlight or headlamp is fitted on the motor vehicle. This may happen either as a consequence of the further deformation of the pins or blades of the connection plugs of the headlight occurring during the transport of the headlight itself to the motor vehicle maker, or because the deformation of the blades or pins has been sufficiently reduced so as to allow the connection to the respective contacts of the female sockets of the testing apparatus on the production line of the headlight, as such sockets may in some borderline cases have a mounting tolerance greater than the new female sockets of the electrical wiring of the motor vehicle, because they are continuously connected or disconnected.
In such circumstances, the motor vehicle maker must disassemble the headlight from the motor vehicle to replace it and send the discarded headlight to the manufacturer of the headlight, thus loading the vehicle maker with considerable additional costs.
Document JP-06333641 describes the provision of arrangement condition confirming part which makes an easy detection of the arrangement of the terminal metal fittings.
A way to overcome the described drawbacks would be, for instance, to manufacture plugs and sockets according to what is described in US 6.383.032 , in which each single male contact and female contact is enclosed in a protection sleeve, the two contacts then being coupleable one within the other. However, such a technical solution is unfeasible in the car field, both because of relatively high expenses and especially because of heavy weight and large size.
The same drawbacks occur in the solution according to JP-4347832 , in which the male contacts are protected by a lid that is automatically rotated in a retracted position upon the insertion of the plug in the socket.
Also in the solution suggested in JP9042570 consisting in covering each single male contact with a protection obtained by electrofusion, the problem is not appropriately solved, also and especially because it does not allow the execution of the in-line testing of the headlight. A similar drawback also occurs in the solution according to US 4.084.882 , besides directed to a different technical field of optical fibre wirings.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an electrical connection device which is specifically adapted to equip motor vehicle headlights or headlamps, has low production and assembly costs, light weights and limited size, is free of all of the described drawbacks and, as well as ensuring a stable and safe electrical and mechanical connection between the plug and its socket, specifically allows to totally prevent the accidental bending of the male contacts before their connection to the electrical onboard system of the motor vehicles, although allowing at the same time to carry out the in-line testing of the headlights or headlamps themselves in a rapid and effective manner and without the risk of damaging the contacts.
According to the present invention, there is therefore provided an electrical connection device according to claim 1.
Specifically, the electrical connection device according to the invention comprises a connection plug provided with a plurality of male electrical contacts, for instance of the pin- or blade-shaped type, which axially cantileverly extend from a front face of the connection plug, substantially perpendicular to the face itself, so as to be insertable in use, for the whole length thereof, in a power supply or electrical connection socket for the electrical andr mechanical coupling with respective female electrical contacts of the socket; and a removable protection element comprising a plate which may be frontally coupled in abutment with the front face of the connection plug and a plurality of through holes obtained through the plate, in the direction of the thickness thereof, so as to be arranged in use substantially perpendicular to the front face of the connection plug, each hole being adapted to throughly receive a respective male contact so that, when the plate is coupled in abutment against the front face of the connection plug, the male contacts are housed for the most part of their length within the plate, though having respective free ends cantileverly extending out from the plate, on the side opposite to the front face of the connection plug to the extent of allowing at least the electrical connection of the male contacts to the above mentioned socket or, at least, to a testing socket for the connection plug, for instance to the socket of an in-line testing apparatus for a headlight or headlamp, typically a motor vehicle headlight.
The removable protection element further comprises holding means adapted to allow the introduction/removal thereof on/from the connection plug and, possibly, may also comprise releasable snapping coupling means to the connection plug.
Alternatively, the safe mechanical connection between the plug and the protection element, is ensured by the fact that the holes display size such as to couple in a slightly forced manner with the male contacts when the latter throughly engage the same, so as to avoid the accidental removal of the protection element from the male contacts; for such a purpose the removable protection element is preferably formed by a synthetic plastic material at least partially elastically deformable.
Therefore, the present invention substantially suggests the use of a connection plug of the traditional type, to which there is although added a plate having through apertures for the blades or pins forming the male cantilevered contacts of the connection plug. This plate is inserted by the manufacturer of the connection plug on the corresponding blades or pins and has a height such as not to allow that such blades or pins are deformed following accidental mechanical contacts, of the type previously described, but, especially according to the qualifying aspect of the invention, such as to allow the partial extension in any case of the blades or pins out from the additional plate.
Such an extension is limited to the minimum length such as to allow the correct insertion in the power supply socket for the execution of the operation test of the headlight at the end of the assembly line by the headlight manufacturer.
In this manner, the headlight comprehensive of male connectors (connection plugs provided with the additional plate) is sent to the motor vehicle maker, who only during the assembly step of the headlight on the motor vehicle, removes the additional plate with through apertures for the blades or pins thus restoring the normal arrangement of the connection plug and performs the normal electrical connection of the headlight to the respective electrical wiring of the motor vehicle.
At that time, it is certain that the male contacts have maintained the correct and preset positioning tolerances and, especially, in the case of any malfunctioning due to the deformation of the contacts, the manufacturer of the headlight of headlamp (in this case the headlight) may be relieved of any responsibility, being at that point sure that the deformations of the contacts may not have occurred but along the production line of the motor vehicles.
Substantially, the additional protection element according to the invention not only allows to solve in a simple and cost-effective manner and with limited bulk the problem of the accidental bending of the contacts, but also serves as a sort of "tamper-evident seal" in favour of the headlight/headlamp manufacturer.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a non-limitative embodiment thereof, set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an axonometric and exploded view of three thirds of the front of an electrical connection device made according to the dictates of the invention;
Figure 2 shows the device in figure 1 on an enlarged scale and with removed parts, in an assembled configuration;
Figure 3 shows two orthogonal views a) and b) of a first component of the device in figure 1; and
figures 4 and 5 respectively show two orthogonal views a) and b) of a second and third component of the device in figure 1.

With reference to the figures from 1 to 5, numeral 1 indicates as a whole an electrical connection device, specifically intended to equip a motor vehicle headlight or headlamp, for instance a known headlight (not shown for the sake of simplicity), comprising a connection plug 2 provided with a plurality of electrical male contacts 3, which are pin- or blade-shaped in the non-limitative example shown and axially cantileverly extend from a front face 4 of the connection plug 2, substantially perpendicular to the face 4 itself, so as to be insertable in use, for the whole length thereof, in a power supply or electrical connection socket 5 of the known type, for the electrical and mechanical coupling with respective female electrical contacts 6 of the socket 5.
According to the invention, the device 1 further comprises a removable protection element 10, comprising in turn a plate 11, in this case non-limitedly shown as being substantially parallelepipedal, which is frontally coupleable in abutment with the front face 4 of the connection plug 2, and a plurality of through holes 12 obtained through the plate 11, in the direction of the thickness thereof, so as to be arranged in use substantially perpendicular to the front face 4 of the connection plug 2.
Each hole 12 is adapted to throughly receive a respective male contact 3 so that, when the plate 11 is coupled in abutment against the front face 4 of the connection plug 2, the male contacts 3 are housed for the most part of their length within the plate 11, though having respective free ends 13 cantileverly extending out from the plate 11, on the side opposite to the front face 4 of the connection plug 2, so as to (i.e. by a segment long enough to) allow at least the electrical connection (even if not a stable mechanical connection) of the male contacts 3 to the socket 5, to which the plug 2 is intended in use to couple, or at least to a known testing socket (not shown for the sake of simplicity) for the connection plug 2, similar to the socket 5 except for the fact, for instance of providing for female contacts 6 having higher assembly tolerances.
According to an aspect of the invention, the removable protection element 10 further comprises holding means 20 adapted to allow the introduction in, and the removal from, the connection plug 2. Specifically, the removable protection element 10 comprises a fin 20 obtained integrally with the plate 11 and axially cantileverly extending from the same, parallelly to the holes 12, on the side opposite to a face 22 of the plate 11 intended in use to couple in abutment against the front face 4 of the connection plug 2.
According to what is shown in detail in figures 1 and 2, the connection plug 2 comprises a first element 30, substantially configured as a parallelepipedal cap, which carries the male contacts 3 integrally and defines the front face 4 of the connection plug 2; and a second element 32, configured as a sleeve, carrying in use the first element 30 snappingly inserted (figures 2 and 4a) within a first open end 34 thereof and with the male contacts 3 cantileverly extending from the front face 4 within a second open end 36 of the element 32, opposite to the end 34.
Specifically, the second open end 36 of the element 32 forms a protection collar for the male contacts 3, because, when elements 30 and 32 are coupled to form the plug 2, it extends parallelly to the contacts 3, though by a length longer than the length of the projection of the contacts 3 from the front face 4 of the element 30.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the removable protection element 10 may be housed within the end 36 of the element 32 forming the mentioned protection collar (figure 2); the fin 20 extends from the plate 11 by a length such that it extends at least partially out from the end 36, when the plate 11 is coupled in abutment against the front face 4, specifically with a segment of the free end 40 thereof having a length such that it may be manually gripped by an operator when the element 10 is housed fitted within the end 36 to allow in use, as already mentioned, the removal (or the assembly) of the removable protection element 10 from/onto the connection plug 2.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the removable protection element 10 (see figures 5a and 4b) may comprise releasable snapping coupling means 50 to the connection plug 2, which in this case is provided, for instance within the open end 36, with complementary coupling means 52; for instance, the means 50, 52 are snapping coupling means of the known type, for instance of the same type of the coupling means between element 30 and element 32, in this case shown to be formed by elastic fins 60 adapted to hook coupling teeth 62 (figures 3 and 4).
Preferably, however, a mechanical connection between the elements 10 and 30 is obtained because the holes 12 display size such as to couple in a slightly forced manner with the male contacts 3 when the latter throughly engage the same.
Specifically, the removable protection element 10 is formed by a synthetic plastic material, at least partially (i.e. at least at the holes 12 of the plate 11) elastically deformable, so as to allow in use an elastic widening of the holes 12 when the same are engaged by the male contacts 3; besides, the holes 12 are made so as to display, in undeformed conditions, transversal size smaller than that of the male contacts 3; in this manner, in use, the accidental removal of the removable protection element 10 from the connection plug 2 is avoided, for instance following accidental knocks or stresses.
Finally, in order to, for instance, facilitate the testing and assembly operations of the device 1 as a whole, the latter may also comprise, as an integrated element thereof, the power supply or electrical connection socket 5 or the similar testing socket (not shown); in this case, at least the latter (i.e. at least the testing socket) is made so as to allow the electrical connection between the free ends 13 cantileverly extending out from the plate 11 of the male contacts 3 and the female contacts 6 without carrying out the removal of the removable protection element 10 from the male contacts 3, for instance because it is provided internally (figure 1) with a housing seat 70 for the fin 20.
In this case, a stable mechanical coupling will not be possible between the plug 2 and the socket 5, because it is prevented by the presence of the element 10, and only the electrical coupling (even if limited to the ends 13) between the contacts 3 and 6 will be possible, for instance by manually retaining the plug 2 and the socket 5 in contact. In this manner, the testing of the device 1 and of the headlight or headlamp connected thereto is possible, for instance through electrical cables 80 carried at the back of the element 30 and electrically and mechanically connected (for instance, welded or crimped) each to a respective contact 3.
In any case, the thickness of the plate 11 is chosen so as to engage in use within the holes 12 a portion of the male contacts 3 having a length sufficient to prevent any lateral flexion of the same even following the application of peak loads to the same, for instance because of the accidental introduction of cables or other elements in the open end 36, for instance during the transport of the device 1 towards the assembly line.

Claims

An electrical connection device (1) comprising a connection plug (2) provided with a plurality of male electrical contacts (3), for instance pin- or blade-shaped, which axially cantileverly extend from a front face (4) of the connection plug, substantially perpendicular to the face itself, so as to be insertable in use, for the whole length thereof, in a power supply or electrical connection socket (5) for the electrical and mechanical coupling with respective electrical female contacts (6) of the socket; wherein it further comprises a removable protection element (10) comprising a plate (11) and a plurality of through holes (12) obtained through the plate, in the direction of the thickness thereof, so as to be arranged in use substantially perpendicular to the front face (4) of the connection plug, each hole (12) being adapted to throughly receive a respective said male contact (3) characterised in that said plate (11) is frontally coupleable in abutment with the front face (4) of the connection plug (2) and has a thickness such that, when the plate (11) is coupled in abutment against the front face (4) of the connection plug, the male contacts (3) are housed for the most part of their length within the holes (12) of the plate (11), though having respective free ends (13) cantileverly extending out from the plate (11), on the side opposite to the front face (4) of the connection plug, so as to allow at least the electrical connection of the male contacts (3) to said socket (5) or, at least, to a testing socket for the connection plug (2); the thickness of said plate (11) being anyway chosen so as to engage in use within said holes (12) a portion of said male contacts (3) having a sufficient length to prevent each lateral flexion of the same even following the application of peak loads to the same.
A device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said removable protection element (10) further comprises holding means (20) adapted to allow the introduction/removal on/from the connection plug (2).
A device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said removable protection element (10) further comprises releasable snapping coupling means (50) to said connection plug (2).
A device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said holes (12) display size such as to couple in a slightly forced manner with said male contacts (3) when the latter throughly engage the same, so as to prevent in use an accidental removal of said removable protection element (10) from said connection plug (2).
A device according to claim 4, characterised in that said removable protection element (10) is made in a synthetic plastic material at least partially elastically deformable, so as to allow in use an elastic widening of said holes (12) when the same are engaged to said male contacts (3); said holes (12), in undeformed conditions, displaying transversal size smaller than that of said male contacts.
A device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said connection plug (2) comprises a first element (30), substantially configured like a cap, which integrally carries said male contacts (3) and defines said front face (4) of the connection plug; and a second element (32), configured as a sleeve, carrying in use the first element (30) snappingly inserted within a first open end thereof (34) and with the male contacts (3) cantileverly extending from said front face (4) within a second open end (36) of the second element (32) opposite to the first; said second open end (36) of the second element (32) forming a protection collar for said male contacts (3) extending parallelly to the male contacts by a length longer than the protruding length of the male contacts from said front face (4).
A device (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that said removable protection element (10) may be housed within said second end (36) of said second element forming said protection collar, and comprises a fin (20) obtained integrally with said plate (11) and axially cantileverly extending from the same, parallelly to said holes (12), on the side opposite to a face (22) of said plate intended in use to couple in abutment against said front face (4) of said connection plug; and for a length such as to extend at least partially out from said second end (36) of the second element forming said protection collar, when the plate (11) is coupled to said front face (4) of the connection plug, and to an extent such as to be manually gripped by an operator to allow the removal or the assembly of the removable protection element (10) from/on the connection plug (2).
A device (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that it further comprises said power supply or electrical connection socket (5) as well or at least said testing socket; when at least the latter is made so as to allow at least the electrical connection between the free ends (13) cantileverly extending out from the plate (11) of said male contacts (3) and the female contacts (6) without carrying out the removal of said removable protection element (10) from said male contacts (3).