EP1958296B1 - Electric connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector.

Electrical connectors are commonly used for various applications, for example for the connection of two electronic devices. For some applications, the electrical connectors comprise interfacial sealing mats, arranged at the level of the electrical contacts, which are intended to seal between the plug-in parts of the connector. These interfacial sealing mats are effective only when they are sufficiently compressed. Their compression sometimes requires the application of a large force during the connection, which implies the use of specific tools.

In addition, the manufacturing tolerance intervals may cause play between the plug-in parts, which may interfere with the locking and / or connection of the plug-in parts as well as the interfacial sealing. US 4,684,192 discloses an electrical connector according to the preamble of claim 1. The present invention aims to provide an electrical connector that avoids at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks, which allows, despite the tolerance intervals, to ensure the interfacial sealing of the coupling, connection and locking, and which does not require any tool to perform the connection and disconnection operations.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an electrical connector comprising a first plugging part or base and a second plugging part or plug, able to be electrically connected by a relative translation of the plugging parts along a pin axis. connection, said first plugging part comprising a housing whose front face is open to allow access to electrical contacts, said second plugging part comprising on the one hand a housing intended to be fitted into the housing of the first plugging part and whose front face is open to allow access to electrical contacts intended to cooperate with said electrical contacts of said first plugging part, and secondly a connection element, in which said first part of the plug plugging comprises first guide means adapted to cooperate with second guide means of a connection element of the second part of plugging, to allow relative movement of the connection element with respect to the first plugging portion between a position of release, wherein said connecting member is free with respect to said first plugging portion, and a locking position, wherein said connecting member is integral with said first plugging portion along the connection axis,
said second plugging part comprising a housing comprising third guide means adapted to cooperate with the connection element to allow relative movement of the connection element with respect to the housing along the connection axis, the second part of plugging having resilient means disposed between said housing and said connecting member, and adapted, when said connecting member is in the locking position, bias relative movement of the housing relative to the connection member such as the housing moves towards the first plugging part along the connection axis.

Preferably, said casing has a generally rectangular parallelepipedal shape, said connecting element having substantially a U-shape, the central portion of the connecting element extending transversely along a so-called upper wall of said casing, the two portions side of the connecting member extending transversely along two opposite walls called side walls of the housing.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said first plugging portion has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, the second guide means including, on each lateral portion of the connection element, a protrusion protruding towards the another lateral portion, the first guide means including, on two so-called opposite lateral walls of the first plugging portion, a recess defining on one of its edges a guide ramp, each protuberance being able to engage in the recess corresponding, and to move in the recess along the guide ramp.

Advantageously, the recess defines, in cooperation with an end of said corresponding guide ramp, a housing, the protuberance being held in position in said housing in the locking position.

Preferably, the second guide means include, on each lateral portion of the connection element, two protuberances protruding towards the other lateral portion, the two protuberances being aligned along an axis substantially perpendicular to the connection axis. , the first guide means including, on two so-called opposite side walls of the first plugging part, two recesses, each recess defining on one of its edges a guide ramp, each protrusion being able to engage in the recess corresponding, and to move in the recess along the guide ramp.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the third guide means include a guide ramp protruding from the so-called upper wall of the housing, an edge of said central portion being supported on said guide ramp, said central portion being suitable to move along said guide ramp.

Preferably, said guide ramp allows relative movement of the connection element with respect to the housing along the connection axis to allow the locking of the connection element on said first insertion part before an operation of connection between the first plugging part and the second plugging part is completed, which reduces the connection effort.

Advantageously, the third guide means include, on each so-called lateral wall, a guide ramp, a corner of each lateral portion being in abutment on the corresponding guide ramp, each lateral portion being able to move along said ramp of corresponding guidance.

According to one embodiment of the invention, each lateral portion of the connection element comprises a guide groove extending along an axis substantially perpendicular to the connection axis, each so-called lateral wall of the housing comprising a flange adapted to engaging in said corresponding guide groove with clearance along the connection axis, a spring blade being disposed in each of said guide grooves and biasing a relative movement of the connecting member relative to the housing along the axis connection.

Preferably, after locking of the connection element on said first plugging portion, the spring blades provide a relative movement between the housing and the first plugging portion to allow clearance clearance along the connection axis.

According to one embodiment of the invention, each lateral portion comprises a housing adapted to receive one end of a helical spring, the other end of said coil spring being engaged in a recess of said corresponding lateral wall, said spring being disposed along an axis substantially perpendicular to the connection axis to ensure relative movement along said axis substantially perpendicular to the connection axis of the connection element and the housing, way to move and maintain the protrusion in the housing to ensure locking.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe schématique, simplifiée et en perspective d'un connecteur électrique comportant une fiche et une embase selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique, simplifiée et en perspective du boîtier et de contacts électriques de la fiche de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3A est une vue partielle, schématique, simplifiée et en perspective montrant une portion latérale de l'étrier et des rampes de guidage de la fiche de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3B est une vue similaire à la figure 3A montrant une rainure de guidage de l'étrier ;
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique simplifiée latérale de la fiche et de l'embase de la figure 1 en position déconnectée ;
• la figure 5 est une vue similaire à la figure 4 montrant une position intermédiaire d'une opération de connexion de la fiche et de l'embase ; et
• la figure 6 est une vue similaire à la figure 4 montrant la fiche et l'embase en position connectée.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the following detailed explanatory description of an embodiment of the invention given as a purely illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.
On these drawings:

• the figure 1 is a schematic sectional view, simplified and in perspective of an electrical connector comprising a plug and a base according to one embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic, simplified and perspective view of the housing and electrical contacts of the card of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 3A is a partial, schematic, simplified and perspective view showing a lateral portion of the stirrup and guide ramps of the plug of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 3B is a view similar to the figure 3A showing a guide groove of the stirrup;
• the figure 4 is a schematic simplified side view of the plug and the base of the figure 1 in disconnected position;
• the figure 5 is a view similar to the figure 4 showing an intermediate position of a connection operation of the plug and the base; and
• the figure 6 is a view similar to the figure 4 showing the plug and the base in the connected position.

Referring to the figure 1 , we see a connector 1 having a first plugging portion, called a base 2, and a second plugging part, called plug 3. The base 2 is for example connected to an electronic device (not shown) integrated in a structure of an airplane (not shown). The base 2 is fixed relative to the structure. The plug 3 is for example connected to a harness for connecting two electronic equipment (not shown). The base 2 and the sheet 3 are intended to be connected to one another by a translation of the plug 3 relative to the base 2 in a connection direction X.

The base 2 comprises a housing 5 made, for example, of molded plastic or metal. The casing 5 has a generally rectangular parallelepipedal shape and comprises an upper wall 6, a bottom wall 7 and two side walls 8. The front face 10 of the casing 5 is open to allow access to electrical contacts 11 distributed in four rows in the embodiment shown, without the number of these rows being limiting. The electrical contacts 11 protrude from an interfacial sealing mat (not visible on the figure 1 ) located in a transverse plane of the housing 5. The interfacial sealing mat is made of a waterproof and deformable material, for example silicone. Each electrical contact 11 is surrounded by an outgrowth (not visible on the figure 1 ) of the interfacial sealing mat, substantially in the form of a chimney, projecting towards the front face 10. In a manner known per se, the electrical contacts 10 are connected at their rear part to a cable (not shown) or to an electrical circuit .

Each side wall 8 of the housing 5 has a recess 13, a lateral edge 14 of which is disposed in the plane of the front face 10, and whose upper edge defines a guide ramp 16. An end 16a of the ramp 16 is disposed in the plane of the front face 10. The ramp 16 is inclined downwards, in the direction opposite to the front face 10, by an angle α with respect to the axis X. For example, the angle α is substantially equal to 45 °. The opposite end 16b of the ramp 16 opens into a housing 20 for receiving a stud of a stirrup, as will be described in detail below.

Each side wall 8 of the housing 5 has a second recess 23, similar to the recess 13. The lateral edge 24 of the recess 23, disposed in the plane of the front face 10, is offset along an axis Z, perpendicular to the X axis and parallel to the plane of the front face 10, relative to the side edge 14. The upper edge 25 of the recess 23 defines a ramp 26 similar to the ramp 16. The ramp 26 opens into a housing 30 for receiving a second stud of the stirrup.

Referring to figures 1 , 2 , 3A and 3B , the plug 3 comprises a housing 33 made, for example, of molded plastic or metal. The casing 33 has the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped whose section is adapted to the section of the housing 5 of the base 2, so that the housing 33 of the plug 3 can be fitted into the housing 5 of the base 2. The housing 33 has an upper wall 34, a bottom wall 35 and two side walls 36.

The front face 38 ( figure 2 ) of the housing 33 is open to allow access to electrical contacts 39 intended to cooperate with the electrical contacts 11. The electrical contacts 39 are disposed in recesses 40 of substantially conical shape of a belt 41 disposed in a transverse plane of the 33. The carpet 41 is for example made of plastic. In a manner known per se, the electrical contacts 39 are connected at their rear part to a cable or an electrical circuit not shown.

The plug 3 comprises a connection element, called stirrup 43 ( figure 1 ). The yoke 43 is generally U-shaped. The central portion 44 of the U is disposed substantially transversely along the upper wall 34 of the casing 33. The lateral portions 45 of the U extend transversely along the lateral walls 36 of the casing 33.

Each portion 45 has two studs 46 and 47 ( Figures 3A and 3B ), projecting towards the other portion 45, able to engage in the housings 20, 30, respectively, of the corresponding side wall 8. For the sake of clarity, only one portion 45 has been shown on the Figures 3A and 3B .

Each portion 45 comprises a guide rail 51 arranged substantially along the axis Z. A flange 52 of the housing 33, projecting radially in a transverse plane of the housing 33, is inserted into the guide rail 51 with play, so that the connection between the guide rail 51 and the flange 52 allows movement along the X axis of the yoke 43 relative to the housing 33. A blade 53 of substantially parabolic spring shape, which is for example made of metal, is disposed in the guide rail 51. The end 53a of the blade 53 is fixed to a wall of the guide rail 51. The end 53b of the blade 53 is disposed substantially parallel to the wall of the guide rail 51 and is slidable relative to the wall of the guide rail. The central portion of the blade 53 bears against the rear face 54 of the flange 52. The shape of the blades 53 allows the rise of the stirrup 43, as will be described in detail below.

The rear edge 55 of the central portion 44 of the yoke 43 is supported on a guide ramp 57 of the front face 58 of the rim 52 and is able to move along of the guide ramp 57 during a relative movement of the stirrup 43 relative to the housing 33. The guide ramp 57 is inclined by an angle β ( figure 2 ) relative to the Z axis, so that when the yoke 43 makes a Z-axis movement in a direction opposite to the housing 33, the yoke 43 moves simultaneously along the X axis in a direction opposite to the face before 38 of the housing 33.

The lower corner 60 of the rear edge 50 of each portion 45 bears on a guide ramp 61 of the front face 58 of the flange 52 and is able to move along the guide ramp 61 during a relative movement of the stirrup 43 with respect to the housing 33. The ramp 61 is inclined by the angle β relative to the axis Z.

One end of a helical spring 62 is housed in a housing 63 of each side wall 36 of the housing 33, the opposite end of the spring 62 being housed in a housing 64 of the corresponding portion 45 of the stirrup 43. The spring 63 tends to move the stirrup 43 from the housing 33 along the axis Z.

We will now describe a connection operation of the base 2 and the plug 3 according to the embodiment.

In the release position, that is to say when the pads 46, 47 are not engaged in the ramps 16, 26, the return springs 62 push the stirrup 43 along the Z axis in the direction opposite to the housing 33 and the blades 53 push back the stirrup 43 along the X axis in the opposite direction to the front face 38 of the housing 33. The stirrup 43 is in the high position, ie it bears on the upper parts of the ramps 57,61.

When, from this position, a user places the front face 38 of the housing 33 of the plug 3 to the right of the front face 10 of the housing 5 of the base 2, so that the studs 46, 47 are at the ends 16a, 26a of the ramps 16, 26, the distance d1 ( figure 4 ) between the upper wall 6 of the housing 5 of the base 2 and the portion 44 of the stirrup 43 is maximum, which corresponds to a high position of the stirrup 43.

When, starting from this position, the user moves the plug 3 in the direction of the base 2 along the X axis, the studs 46, 47 engage in the ramps 16, 26 and then move along the ramps 16 , 26 by compressing the springs 62. The distance between the upper wall 6 of the housing 5 of the base 2 and the portion 44 of the caliper 43 decreases. Note that the ramps 16, 26 allow alignment and stability of the plug 3 and the base 2 during the connection operation.

At the same time, the stirrup 43 moves along the ramps 57, 61. In other words, the stirrup 43 carries relative to the housing 33 a movement according to 2 degrees of freedom, that is to say a translation according to the X axis and a translation along the axis Z. This has the effect of amplifying the advance of the stirrup 43, that is to say that the displacement of the housing 33 relative to the housing 5 is less than the displacement of the caliper 43 relative to the housing 5. Thus, the penetration of the protrusions of the sealing mat in the recesses 40 of the belt 41 is limited, which reduces the effort that the user must exercise. In other words, the locking position is reached without requiring overcompression of the sealing mat. This reduces the connection effort. The blades 53 are compressed and thus acquire the potential energy necessary for the coupling of the system to ensure later compression of the interfacial sealing mat of the base 2 and the belt 41, as will be described in detail below. .

When, starting from this position, the user continues to advance the plug 3 in the direction of the base 2 along the X axis, the pads 46, 47 reach the ends 16b, 26b of the ramps 16, 26. This position is a critical locking position, in which the springs 62 and the blades 53 are constrained to the maximum. The ends 16b, 26b are hard points. The distance d2 between the central portion 44 and the upper wall 6 of the housing 5 is minimal. The stirrup 43 is in the low position ( figure 5 ).

When the studs 46, 47 have passed the ends 16b, 26b forming hard points, the springs 62 relax by causing a movement of the stirrup 43 relative to the base 2 along the axis Z. The studs 46, 47 are engaged in the housings 20, 30. The stirrup 43 is in a locking position in which it is secured to the housing of the base 2. The stirrup 43 is in the up position ( figure 6 ).

In this position, the blades 53 relax, which has the effect of a force directed along the X axis which causes a displacement of the housing 33 relative to the stirrup 43 along the axis X. The housing 33 moves relative to to the housing 5 along the X axis towards the housing 5.

During the connection operation, the protuberances of the interfacial sealing mat of the base 2 fit by deforming into the conical recesses 40. The potential energy stored by the blades 53 ensures the coupling and the minimum compression of the interfacial sealing mat. The return force of the blades 53 is balanced with the insertion forces of the electrical contacts 11, 39 and the compressive forces of the interfacial sealing mat. The return to equilibrium blades 53 thus ensures the coupling between the base 2 and the plug 3 and the compression of the interfacial sealing mat.

The interfacial compression force is thus controlled during the locking. This ensures minimal compression of the interfacial sealing mat. The minimum compression is the compression needed to ensure interfacial sealing. The compression must cause a sufficient penetration distance of the excrescences of the interfacial sealing mat of the base 2 in the conical recesses 40. The minimum penetration distance is for example of the order of one-tenth of a millimeter.

The blades 53 make it possible to compensate for the play that may exist between the different parts along the X axis. The connection operation thus makes it possible to guarantee the interfacial sealing, the electrical connection and the locking, by controlling the forces, taking into account the tolerance ranges, especially manufacturing, which can be for example of the order of a millimeter. This mechanism ensures minimal compression of the interfacial mat despite the play that can exist between the different parts.

We will now describe a disconnection operation of the base 2 and the plug 3 according to the embodiment.

When, starting from the locking position, a user exerts pressure on the stirrup 43 which brings it back to the low position, the studs 46, 47 come out of the housings 20, 30. In this position, the plug 3 and the base 2 are no longer integral and a movement along the X axis allows disconnection. In this position, when the user releases the stirrup 43, the stirrup 43 returns to the release position.

The connection and disconnection operations are performed manually and do not require the use of a tool.

Other variants are possible.

The connector can be an electrical connector of any type, and can be intended for various applications. In particular, the shape of the housing of the base can be arbitrary, the shape of the housing of the plug being adapted to allow a connection of the base and the plug. The dimensions of the housings can be arbitrary. The electrical contacts of the base can be male or female, the electrical contacts of the plug being adapted to allow the connection of the base and the plug.

The connection operation can be performed by pressing on the stirrup 43. In this case, the user places the front face 38 of the housing 33 at the right of the front face 10 of the housing 5 and bears on the stirrup 43. When the studs 46, 47 are at the right of the housings 20, 30, the user releases the stirrup 43 and the studs engage in the housings 20, 30. Note that in this connection operation variant, the studs 46, 47 do not necessarily follow the ramps 16, 26.

The inclination of the ramps 16 and 26 may be different. For example, the ramps 16, 26 may be inclined upwards.

The base 2 is not necessarily fixed with respect to a structure and the connection and disconnection operations can be carried out according to the case by a displacement of one of the insertion parts, the plug or the base, by relative to the other plug-in part, the base or the plug respectively, or by a simultaneous movement of the two plug-in parts.

The shape of the housings, the number of electrical contacts, and their arrangement can be any.

A visual cue (shown in Figures 4 to 6) may allow the user to view in a simple manner that the bracket 43 is in the locking position. The visual cue can be provided on the housing 5 and include a word "NO" arranged along the Z axis and a word "CONNECTED" arranged along the X axis. When the yoke 43 moves along the X axis in the direction of the housing 5, it gradually masks the word "NO". When the caliper is in the locking position or at least in the slots 20, 30, the word "NO" is completely hidden, the word "CONNECTED" being visible. In particular, the visual cue facilitates the connection operation for a non-professional user. The visual cue may also allow a user to determine when to release the caliper when the connection operation is performed by pressing the caliper.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment, it is obvious that it is not limited thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations if they are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

1. An electrical connector including a first plug part or base (2) and a second plug part or plug (3), which are able to be electrically connected by a relative translation of the plug parts (2, 3) along a connection axis (X), said first plug part (2) including a casing (5) whereof the front face is open to allow access to electrical contacts (11), said second part including, on the one hand, a casing (33) intended to be nested in the casing (5) of the first plug part (2) and whereof the front face is open to allow access to electrical contacts (39) intended to cooperate with said electrical contacts (11) of said first plug part (2), and on the other hand, a connection element (43), wherein
   said first plug part (2) includes first guide means (16, 26) able to cooperate with second guide means (46, 47) of said connection element (43) of the second plug part (3), to allow the relative movements of the connection element (43) with respect to the first plug part (2) between a released position, in which the connection element (43) is free relative to said first plug part, and a locked position, in which said connection element (43) is secured to said first plug part (2) along the connection axis (X), characterized in that
   said casing (33) of said second plug part (3) comprises third guide means (57, 61) able to cooperate with the connection element (43) to allow a relative movement of the connection element (43) with respect to the casing (33) along the connection axis (X), the second plug part (3) including elastic means (53) positioned between said casing (33) and said connection element (43) and able, when said connection element (43) is in the locked position, to elicit a relative movement of the casing (33) with respect to the connection element (43) such that the casing moves toward the first plug part (2) along the connection axis (X).
2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that said casing (33) has a globally parallelepiped rectangle shape, said connection element (43) being substantially U-shaped, the central portion (44) of the connection element (43) extending transversely along a so-called upper wall (34) of said casing (33), the two side portions (45) of the connection element (43) extending transversely along two opposite so-called side walls (36) of the casing (33).
3. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that said first plug part (2) has a globally parallelepiped rectangle shape, the second guide means including, on each side portion (45) of the connection element (43), a protuberance (46) protruding toward the other side portion (45), the first guide means including, on two opposite so-called side walls (8) of the first plug part (2), a recess (13) defining, on one of its edges, a guide ramp (16), each protuberance (46) being able to be engaged in the corresponding recess (13), and to move in the recess along the guide ramp.
4. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the recess (13) defines, in cooperation with one end (16b) of said corresponding guide ramp (16), a casing (20), the protuberance (46) being kept in position in said casing (20) in the locking position.
5. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the second guide means include, on each side portion (45) of the connection element (43), two protuberances (46, 47) protruding toward the other side portion (45), the two protuberances (46, 47) being aligned along an axis (Z) substantially perpendicular to the connection axis (X), the first guide means including, on two opposite so-called side walls (8) of the first plug part (2), two recesses (13, 23), each recess defining, on one of its edges, a guide ramp (16, 26), each protuberance (46, 47) being able to engage in the corresponding recess (13, 23), and to move in the recess along the guide ramp.
6. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that the third guide means include a guide ramp (57) protruding from the so-called upper wall (34) of the casing (33), one edge of said central portion (44) bearing on said guide ramp (57), said central portion (44) being able to move along said guide ramp (57).
7. The connector according to claim 6, characterized in that said guide ramp (57) allows a relative movement of the connection element (43) with respect to the casing (33) along the connection axis (X) to allow the locking of the connection element (43) on said first plug part (2) before a connection operation between the first plug part (2) and the second plug part (3) is complete, which makes it possible to decrease the connection forces.
8. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that the third guide means include, on each so-called side wall (36), a guide ramp (61), a corner (60) of each side portion (45) bearing on the corresponding guide ramp (61), each side portion (45) being able to move along said corresponding guide ramp (61).
9. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that each side portion (45) of the connection element (43) includes a guide slot (51) extending along an axis (Z) substantially perpendicular to the connection axis (X), each so-called side wall (36) of the casing (33) including a rim (52) able to engage in said corresponding guide slot (51) with play along the connection axis (X), a blade (53) forming a spring being positioned in each of said guide slots (51) and eliciting a relative movement of the connection element (43) with respect to the casing (33) along the connection axis (X).
10. The connector according to claim 8, characterized in that, after locking of the connection element (43) on said first plug part (2), the spring-forming blades (53) provide a relative movement between the casing (33) and the first plug part (2) to make it possible to react play along the connection axis (X).
11. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that each side portion (45) includes a casing (63) able to receive one end of a helical spring (62), the other end of said helical spring (62) being engaged in a housing (64) of the corresponding so-called side wall (36), said spring (62) being positioned along an axis (Z) substantially perpendicular to the connection axis (X) to provide a relative movement along said axis (Z) substantially perpendicular to the connection axis (X) of the connection element (43) and the casing (33), so as to move and maintain the protuberance (46) in the housing (20) to provide locking.

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