EP1972037A1

EP1972037A1 - Electric socket

Info

Publication number: EP1972037A1
Application number: EP07700061A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Oliver Dobler
Original assignee: Neutrik AG
Current assignee: Neutrik AG
Priority date: 2006-01-11
Filing date: 2007-01-10
Publication date: 2008-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2027-01-10
Also published as: US20080268692A1; CN101371407A; ES2346012T3; CN101371407B; DE102006001630A1; US7540753B2; WO2007079513A1; DE502007003722D1; WO2007079513A8; ATE467925T1; PL1972037T3; EP1972037B1

Abstract

Socket for alternatively creating an electrical plug-in connection having a first plug (1), especially in the form of an XLR plug, or having a second plug constructed in the form of a jack connector (7), whereby the socket comprises a locking arm (22) with a locking protrusion (23) that engages, in the plugged-in state of the first plug (1), into a locking recession (6) in the plug housing (5) of the first plug (1), and an actuation unit (24), that in an active position keeps the locking protrusion (23) disengaged from the locking recession (6) of the first plug (1). The socket also has a locking device for the jack connector (7) that comprises a locking extension (37) that in the plugged-in state of the jack connector (7) engages in a constriction (12) of the contact tip (10) of the jack connector (7), and a blocking part (38) that has a contact surface (39) that in a blocking position of the blocking part (38) rests against an opposite contact surface (40) of the socket. By means of the actuation unit (24), a section of the blocking part (38) adjoining the contact surface (39) can be displaced in the plug-in direction (14) and the contact surface (39) of the blocking part (38) can be made to disengage from the opposite contact surface.

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SOCKET

The invention relates to a plug socket for selectively producing an electrical plug connection with a first plug, which has at one plug-side end a plurality of plug pins and a surrounding sleeve-shaped portion of a plug housing with a locking recess, or with a second plug in the form of a jack plug, the a plug shank having a contact sleeve and a contact tip, wherein the first plug and the jack plug in a plug-in direction into the socket are inserted and wherein the socket has a locking arm with a locking projection, in the inserted state of the first connector for locking the first connector in the locking recess engages in the connector housing of the first connector, and comprises an actuating unit which is displaceable starting from a passive position in the insertion direction into an active position and in the active position on Ve engages low-locking and holds the locking projection out of engagement with the locking recess of the first connector.

Such sockets are known on the one hand, the socket has electrical contact elements for producing an electrical plug connection with a first plug, which has a plurality of electrical contact elements in the form of plug pins, and in particular in the form of an XLR connector. Such XLR connectors are especially popular for audio applications and standardized accordingly. On the other hand, the plug socket has corresponding electrical contact elements for producing an electrical plug connection with a jack plug. A jack plug has a plug shank with a contact sleeve, which represents one of the electrical contact elements of the jack plug, and an electrically insulated from this contact tip, which also represents one of the electrical contact elements of the jack plug. Furthermore, the jack plug between the contact sleeve and the contact tip can have an electrical contact ring, which represents a further electrical contact element of the jack plug. To allow insertion of either the XLR connector or the jack plug, the stacker jack has corresponding insertion openings.

Conventional sockets of this type have a lock for the XLR connector, as is common with XLR connectors, to secure the XLR connector against accidental removal. The plugged into the socket jack plug but only by a resilient element which engages in a constriction of the contact tip, locked. A pull on the cable can result in a partial or complete withdrawal of the jack plug from the socket, with the corresponding interruption of the electrical contacts. The object of the invention is to provide an improved socket of the type mentioned, in which the contact reliability is increased for an inserted jack. According to the invention, this is achieved by a socket with the features of claim 1.

A plug socket according to the invention therefore also has a locking device for the jack, wherein a locking extension of the socket engages in the inserted state of the jack plug in a constriction of the contact tip and is blocked by a locking part even with a train on the jack against squeezing out of the constriction of the contact tip. For this purpose, the locking part on a contact surface which rests in the blocking position of the locking part on a Gegenaniagefläche the socket. This contact surface can be disengaged from the counter contact surface by at least the portion of the locking member having the contact surface is displaced in the insertion direction. It is then released the locking part and thus also the locking extension for a displacement in the direction away from the central longitudinal axis of the socket. This displacement preferably takes place against the force of a spring-elastic element, which holds the locking part in its locking position when no external force acts on the locking part.

The locking of the jack plug can advantageously be released by the same actuating unit with which the locking of a plug-in socket inserted into the first connector part, which is preferably designed in the form of an XLR connector, is released.

When inserting the jack plug, when the actuating unit is in its passive position, the contact tip of the jack plug advantageously rides against the locking extension, whereby a force component acting in the plug-in direction is exerted on the locking projection and thus also on the blocking member connected to it. The locking member is thereby displaced in the insertion direction and the contact surface of the locking member is disengaged from the Gegenaniagefläche the socket. Thus, the locking extension can now together with the locking part of the depressed contact tip of the jack to the outside, i. from the central longitudinal axis, and the jack plug can be fully inserted until the locking projection engages the constriction of the contact tip.

Further advantages and details of the invention are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this show:

Figure 1 is a view of an embodiment of a socket according to the invention from the front.

Fig. 2, the socket from the rear;

Figures 3 and 4 are sections taken along lines A-A and B-B of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an oblique view of the socket from obliquely behind and above.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the socket in an oblique view;

FIG. 7 shows the insertion part comprising the locking extension and the locking part from a perspective changed with respect to FIG. 6; FIG. Figure 8 shows the contact carrier without the elements inserted therein from obliquely behind and above.

Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 first and second insertable into the socket connector in oblique view;

Fig. 11 shows the first plug and the socket in the assembled state, partially torn open (along the section line A-A of Fig. 1). Fig. 12 shows the second plug and the socket in the mated state, wherein the second socket is shown in section A-A of Figure 1.

Fig. 13 is an illustration corresponding to Fig. 12, but during the insertion of the second connector;

14 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 12, but in the active position of the actuating unit.

In the figures is a Ausführungsbeispie! a socket according to the invention shown. Such a socket can be mounted on a housing or chassis of an electrical device. Optionally, first and second plugs, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, can be plugged into this socket. In the inserted state of the first and second connector contact electrical contact elements of the first and second connector with these cooperating electrical Kontaktiemente the socket to make the electrical connections.

The first connector 1 has on its insertion side a plurality of electrical contact elements of the first connector 1 forming connector pins 2, which are each arranged at a distance from the central longitudinal axis 3 of the first connector 1. A sleeve-shaped section 4 of the plug housing 5 surrounds these forming 'plug pins 2. In this sleeve-shaped portion 4 of the plug housing 5, a locking recess 6 is formed, which is formed in the embodiment shown, the first connector 1 in the form of a window recess. It could also be a depression on the longitudinal axis 3 facing inside of the plug housing 5 may be present, which forms the locking recess.

The first plug shown in FIG. 9 is a plug according to the XLR standard. Such XLR connectors are known with different numbers of poles, in particular from three to seven-pole.

The second plug shown in FIG. 10 is a jack plug 7. Such a plug 7 has a plug shank 8 which in any case comprises a contact sleeve 9 and a contact tip 10 which is electrically insulated therefrom and form electrical contact elements of the jack plug 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the jack plug 7 is formed three-pole and between the contact sleeve 9 and the contact tip 10, a contact ring 11 is arranged, which is electrically insulated from both the contact sleeve 9 and the contact tip 10 and forms another electrical contact element of the jack plug 7 The contact tip 10, which is also referred to as a contact bulb, has a circumferential groove or constriction 12, as is usual with jack plugs, wherein at the lowest point of the constriction in the direction of the male end of the contact tip 10 a Slanted surface connects The plug-in end of the contact tip 10 is formed conically, whereby a further inclined surface is formed.

The contact socket has on its insertion side or front side a central insertion opening 13, into which the plug shank 8 of the jack plug 7 can be inserted in a plug-in direction 14, further away from the central longitudinal axis 15, insertion openings 16, 17, 18 for the plug pins 2 of FIG the first plug 1, wherein the insertion openings 16, 17, 18 directly connect to the central insertion opening 13 and partially overlap with this, and further an annular insertion opening 19 for the section 4 of the connector housing 5 of the first connector 1. The first connector 1 is in the Plug-in direction 14 in the insertion openings 16, 17, 18 and 19 can be inserted.

The insertion openings 13, 16, 17, 18, 19 are formed in an existing of an electrically insulating material contact carrier 20 of the socket. This contact carrier 20 forms in the Ausführungsbeispiei shown the housing of the socket. On the outside of the contact carrier 20 Anschraubflansche 21 are formed, with which the contact carrier 20 is mounted on the chassis of an electrical device.

It could also be provided an additional, for example, metallic housing, in which the contact carrier 20 is inserted.

At the contact carrier 20 is an elastic locking arm 22 which has on its side remote from the central longitudinal axis 15 of the socket side a locking projection 23, with its one end ^' set. In the inserted state of the first connector 1, the locking projection 23 engages in the locking recess 6 in section 4 of the plug housing 5 and thereby secures the first plug 1 against being pulled out of the socket, cf. In order to enable a snap-in of the locking projection 23 in the locking recess 6 when inserting the first connector 1, the locking projection 23 has a starting slope in a known manner. The locking projection 23 is thus formed nose-shaped.

In order to bring the locking projection 23 out of engagement with the locking recess 6 and release the first connector 1 for withdrawal from the socket, an actuating unit 24 is provided, which starting from a, for example in Fig. 3 and Fig. 11 shown passive position in the insertion direction 14 is displaced until it reaches its active position shown in Fig. 14. When the actuating unit 24 is displaced from its passive position into its active position, an inclined surface 25 of the actuating unit 24, which cooperates with an inclined surface 26 of the locking arm 22, displaces the locking projection 23 in the direction of the central longitudinal axis 15, thereby disengaging it from the locking recess 6 arrives. When the operating unit 24 is released by the user again, the resilient locking arm 22 moves back to its original position, whereby it also shifts the operating unit 24 back into its passive position.

Instead of co-operating inclined surfaces 25, 26, only one of the locking arm 22 or the actuating unit 24 could have such an inclined surface 25, 26 and the other of these two parts could have a projection cooperating with the inclined surface. There could also be a separate resilient element which, when released by the user, returns the actuator unit to its passive position.

The locking arm 22, which preferably consists of metal, extending in the illustrated embodiment, starting from its attachment point on the contact carrier 20 in the direction of the rear end of the socket. Instead, it could also extend in the direction of the insertion side of the socket.

Instead of a resilient design of the locking arm 22, this could also be mounted pivotably on the contact carrier 20 and be acted upon by a separate spring element in the position in which it engages in the locking recess 6 of the inserted first connector 1.

The actuating unit 24 is slidably mounted parallel to the insertion direction 14 in a recess of the contact carrier 20 for displacement between its passive and active position. The actuating unit comprises an operating part 28, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is at right angles to the longitudinal axis 15 of the socket, an actuation arm 29 connected to the operating part 28 and a separate transmission part 30 (the purpose of which will be explained below).

In the embodiment shown, the actuating unit 24, which is in its passive position, is secured against further displacement against the insertion direction 14 by a stop element 27 cooperating with the contact carrier 20.

The electrical contact elements 31, 32, 33 for contacting the connector pins 2 of the first connector 1 are supported by the contact carrier 20 and formed in the embodiment shown in the form of fork contacts. These contact elements 31, 32, 33 are inserted from the back into corresponding recesses of the contact carrier 20 and lock in this.

A further electrical contact element 34 serves to make contact with the section 4 of the plug housing 5 by means of a contact tongue 35. This contact element 34 is likewise inserted from the rear side into a corresponding recess in the contact carrier 20 and latched in the latter A tip 36 of the contact element 34 serves for Contacting the chassis to which the contact socket is mounted. The socket further comprises a locking device for an inserted into the socket jack plug 7. This locking device comprises a locking projection 37 which engages in the inserted state of the jack plug 7 in the constriction 12 of the contact tip 10. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this locking extension 37 is curved in the shape of a circular arc. Furthermore, the locking device for the jack plug 7 comprises a blocking part 38 which cooperates with the locking extension 37, preferably being rigidly connected. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking projection 37 and the locking member 38 are integrally formed

At the end directed away from the locking extension 37, the locking part has a contact surface 39. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 38 is formed plate-shaped and the contact surface 39 is formed by the front edge of the plate-shaped locking member 38

In a blocking position of the locking member 38, which is shown for example in Figs. 3 and 12, the abutment surface 39 of the locking member 38 abuts against a counter-bearing surface 40 of the socket. This counter-contact surface 40 points in the direction of the central longitudinal axis 15 of the socket. Thus, starting from the locking position of the locking member 38, a relative to the longitudinal axis 15 radially outwardly directed displacement of the locking member 38 and thus also the locking extension 37 is not possible. This can not be pushed out of the constriction 12 of the contact tip 10 and the car connector with a force applied to the inserted jack plug 7 against the insertion direction 14 of the locking projection 37 of the following at the deepest .Punkt the constriction in the direction of insertion side end of the contact tip 10 bevelled surface 7 is locked in the socket. A displacement of the locking member 38 against the insertion 14 is not possible due to its support on the contact carrier 20.

By a displacement of at least the portion of the locking member 38 having the contact surface 39 in the plug 14, the contact surface 39 is disengaged from the mating contact surface 40 and the locking member and thus the Verriegelungsεfortsatz 37 are then compared to the position of the locking extension 37th or the locking member 38 occupy when the locking projection 37 engages the constriction 12 of the contact tip 10, further away from the central longitudinal axis 15 movable. Such a displacement of the locking member 38 may be effected by the actuator unit 24. When the actuator unit 24 is moved from its passive position to its active position, so it comes from the insertion of the socket remote end 41 into abutment against the locking member 38 and presses the abutment surface 39 adjacent portion in the insertion direction 14, so that the contact surface 39 disengaged with the counter-bearing surface 40 passes. Overall, while the locking member 38 (and the locking projection 37) is pivoted in the embodiment shown, namely to a contact point of the locking projection 37 at the contact tip 10. This state is shown in Fig. 14. Starting from this state, the locking projection 37 and the locking part 38 can be displaced away from the central longitudinal axis 15. A force component directed away from the central longitudinal axis is defined by the oblique surface of the lacing 12 caused when pulling out the jack plug 7 from the socket, so that the locking projection 37 is pushed out of the constriction 12 in this way.

In order to insert the jack plug 7 into the socket and to lock in it, an actuation of the operating unit 24 is not required. When inserting the jack plug 7, the inclined surface at the plug-in end of the contact tip 10 runs against the locking projection 37. As a result, a force component acting in the insertion direction 14 is also exerted on the locking extension 37 and thus on the blocking part 38, as a result of which the blocking part is displaced in the insertion direction 14 and its engagement surface 39 is disengaged from the opposing contact surface 40. The further radially outward force component can then move the locking projection 37 and the locking member 38 in the direction away from the central longitudinal axis 15. In Fig. 13, the state is shown, take the locking projection and the locking part 38 when the jack plug 7 is inserted and the locking projection 37 just applied at the location of the largest diameter of the contact tip 10

When no external force is applied to the locking member 38, the locking member 38 is held by a resilient member 42 in its locking position. This spring-elastic element 42 is formed in the embodiment shown by a bent in the unloaded state extending leaf spring. The one end of this bent leaf spring is in this case connected to the locking part 38 and the other end of the bent leaf spring is connected to a support member 43. This support member 43 is supported by the contact carrier 20. For this purpose, the support part 43 is preferably inserted into a corresponding recess of the contact carrier 20 from the rear side of the plug socket and latched to the contact carrier 20.

Preferably, the locking member 38, the resilient member 42 and the support member 43 are rigidly connected together, in the embodiment shown, these parts are integrally formed Here, the locking member 38, the locking extension 37, the resilient EIe- element 42 and the support member 43 parts of a metallic insert part which is inserted into the contact carrier. The locking projection 37 in this case represents an electrical contact element for electrically contacting the contact tip 10 of the jack plug 7. In the embodiment shown, a further electrical contact element for contacting the contact tip 10 of the jack plug 7 is present, in the form of a starting from the support member 43 contact spring 44th This lies against the locking part 38 opposite side of the contact tip 10 of the jack plug 7 and represents another part of the insert part.

Further electrical contact elements 45, 46 for producing electrical contacts with the plug shank 8 and optionally the contact sleeve 9 of the jack plug 7 are inserted into corresponding recesses of the contact carrier 20, preferably in turn from the rear side of the contact carrier 20. All electrical contact elements of the contact socket are led out at the back of the contact socket and have corresponding connection ends for producing an electrical contact with an electrical line or an electrical conductor track of a circuit board.

The separate transmission part 30 is used in the embodiment shown also for insulation and therefore consists of electrically insulating material, preferably plastic. If the transmission part 30 would be designed to be electrically conductive, interference from the outside, for example static charges, would directly reach the contact tip 10 of the jack plug when the control unit 28 was actuated and would lead to disturbing noises. The actuating arm 29 and the ^(J- bertragungsteil 30 may also be integrally formed. The electrical insulation between the actuator unit 24 and the locking means and contact tip 10 would then have to be carried out in other ways.

L e g e to the reference numbers:

1 first plug 25 inclined surface

2 pin 26 inclined surface

3 longitudinal axis 27 stop element

4 Section 28 Keypad

5 connector housing 29 actuating arm

6 locking recess 30 transmission part

7 jack plug 31 contact element

8 plug shank 32 contact element

9 contact sleeve 33 contact element

10 contact tip 34 contact element

11 contact ring 35 contact tongue

12 constriction 36 point

13 central insertion opening 37 locking extension

14 insertion direction 38 locking part

15 longitudinal axis 39 bearing surface

16 insertion opening 40 counter contact surface

17 insertion opening 41 end

18 insertion opening 42 spring-elastic element

19 annular insertion 43 support member

20 contact carrier 44 contact spring

21 Screw-on flange 45 Contact element

22 locking arm 46 contact element

23 locking projection

24 operating unit

Claims

claims:

1. socket for selectively producing an electrical connector having a first connector (1) having at a plug-side end a plurality of plug pins (2) and a surrounding sleeve-shaped portion (4) of a plug housing (5) with a locking recess (6) , or with a second plug formed in the form of a jack plug (7), which has a plug shank (8) with a contact sleeve (9) and a contact tip (10), wherein the first plug (1) and the jack plug (7) in a plug-in direction (14) can be inserted into the socket and the socket a locking arm (22) with a locking projection (23), in the inserted state of the first plug (1) for locking the first plug (1) in the Verriege- ment recess ( 6) in the plug housing (5) of the first plug (1) engages, and an actuating unit (24) which, starting from a passive position in the insertion direction (14) in a e active position is displaceable and engages in the active position on the locking arm (22) and the latching projection (23) out of engagement with the Verriege- ment recess (6) of the first connector (1) holds, characterized in that the plug socket further comprises a locking device for the jack plug (7) having a locking projection (37) which engages in the inserted state of the jack plug (7) in the constriction (12) of the contact tip (10) of the jack plug (7), and a locking part (38), the a contact surface (39) which abuts in a blocking position of the locking part (38) on a counter-contact surface (40) of the socket, wherein the locking extension (37) in the blocking position of the locking part (38) from the locking part (38) into engagement the constriction (12) of the contact tip (10) of the jack plug (7) is held and against a squeezing out of the constriction (12) is blocked, and which by a displacement z at least one of the contact surface (39) adjacent portion of the locking member (38) in the plug (14) out of engagement with the counter-bearing surface (40) can be brought, with a pressing out of the locking projection (37) from the constriction (12) of the contact tip (10 ) of the jack plug (7) is released, and that the actuating unit (24) moves in its displacement from its passive position to its active position at least one of the contact surface (39) adjacent portion of the locking member (38) in the plug (14) and the contact surface (39) of the locking part (38) out of engagement with the counter-bearing surface (40) brings

2. Socket according to claim 1, characterized in that for the electrical contacting of electrical contact elements of the inserted first plug (1) or the inserted jack plug (7) serving electrical contact elements (31, 32, 33, 45, 46) of the socket of one consisting of an electrically insulating material

Contact carrier (20) of the socket are worn.

3. Socket according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuating unit (24) in a recess of the contact carrier (20) parallel to the insertion direction (14) is displaceably mounted.

4. Socket according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the abutment surface (39) of the locking part (38) on the locking extension (37) directed away end of the locking part (38) is arranged

5. Socket according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the counter-surface (40) is formed by a directed to the central longitudinal axis (15) of the socket socket surface of the socket.

6. Socket according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking part is held in its non-loaded state by a resilient element (42) in its locking position.

7. Socket according to Claim 6, characterized in that the resilient element (42) is formed by a, preferably bent in the unloaded state extending, leaf spring.

8. Socket according to claim 7, characterized in that one end of the resilient element (42) with the locking part (38) and the other end of the resilient element (42) with a support member (43) is connected, which from the contact carrier (20 ) is worn.

9. Socket according to claim 8, characterized in that from the support member (43) projects a contact spring (44) for electrical contacting of the contact tip (10) of the inserted into the socket jack plug (7).

10. Socket according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the locking part (38), the locking extension (37), the resilient element (42) and the support member (43), preferably also the contact spring (44), parts of a metallic Insert are used, which is inserted into the contact carrier (20) and which is preferably formed in one piece.

11. ^' socket according to one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the locking part (38), starting from its blocking position against displacement against the insertion direction (14) by the contact carrier (20) is secured.

12. Socket according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that the counter-contact surface is arranged on the contact carrier (20)