EP2510592B1

EP2510592B1 - Connector assembly

Info

Publication number: EP2510592B1
Application number: EP10813100.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francois Lavertu; Sébastien CHARVET; Alban Godefroy
Original assignee: Aptiv Technologies Ltd
Current assignee: Aptiv Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2009-12-09
Filing date: 2010-11-30
Publication date: 2019-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-30
Also published as: CN102754288B; CN102754288A; WO2011069611A1; EP2510592A1

Description

The present invention relates to connectors intended to be used for example in the automotive industry.
A connector is a device transmitting signals (e.g. electrical or optical) between two separate parts.
For instance a connector comprises conductive terminals and/or optical fibre terminations and is designed to mate with a counterpart connector, so as to connect its terminals/terminations with complementary terminals/terminations of the counterpart connector.
Typical connectors comprise locking means for locking the connectors when they are mated. Usually, the locking means comprises a locking pawl having a first locking stop on one connector and a second locking stop on the other connector. The first locking stop is intended to come behind the second locking stop in order to lock the connectors.
A general concern in the field of connectors is also to ensure that the connectors are properly mated, so that the two separate parts are properly connected. In particular, it is important to avoid the possibility that the connectors look like they are mated upon visual inspection, while they are not.
To this end, it is known to provide one of the connectors with a Connection Position Assurance member, or CPA member. A CPA member is an element that is only movable to a final position when the connectors are properly mated, but that is blocked before the final position when the connectors are not properly mated. For instance, the document EP 1 225 659 B1 describes an electrical connector assembly, according to the preamble of claim 1, with a CPA member having a lifting finger that slides on the second locking stop of the other electrical connector for lifting the CPA pawl of the CPA member when the electrical connectors are mated, so that the CPA member is able to reach its final position. US6077101 and EP1926183A2 also discloses a connector assembly with a CPA member.
Besides, it is also known to provide a supplemental stop, located behind the second locking stop, at a distance, so that the first locking stop goes between the second locking stop and the supplemental stop. The supplemental stop is used for limiting the clearance of the first locking stop, especially in a high vibrating environment.
An object of the invention is to provide a connector assembly with a CPA member that can be used in both cases where a supplemental stop is present or not.
According to the invention, there is provided a connector assembly according to independent claim 1. Further embodiments are described in the dependent claims.
Thus, the connector assembly of the invention is designed in such a way that, in the final mating position, the CPA pawl free end portion stands outside an area which can be occupied by a supplemental stop, when present on the second connector, having a height dimension greater than that of the first locking stop. It allows the connector bearing the CPA to be used with counterpart connectors having or not a supplemental stop. The invention improves the standardization of such connectors.
For the sake of simplification, the invention will be described based on an electrical connector assembly but the one skilled in the art will be able to transpose it for optical connectors without involving any inventive step.
Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon reading the following description of a non-limitative exemplary embodiment of the invention. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional exploded view of an electrical connector assembly according to the invention, comprising a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the first electrical connector;
FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal cross sectional view of the electrical connector assembly, with the electrical connectors wrongly mated;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the electrical connector assembly, with the electrical connectors mated and a CPA member of the first electrical connector in an initial position;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the electrical connector assembly, with the electrical connectors mated and the CPA member of the first electrical connector in a final position;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the electrical connector assembly, with the electrical connectors mated and the CPA member of the first electrical connector in an initial position, further showing the use of a screwdriver for unlocking the electrical connectors.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector assembly 100 comprises a first and a second electrical connectors 102, 104, intended to mate with each other along a mating axis XX'. In the following specification, a frontward direction FD is defined along the mating axis XX' from the first electrical connector 102 towards the second electrical connector 104, as well as an upward direction UD perpendicular to the frontward direction FD. Positional terms, such as "rear", "front", "above", etc. will refer to these directions FD, UD. Furthermore, the term "transverse" will mean perpendicularly to the plane defined by these directions FD, UD.
In reference with Figs. 1 and 2, the first electrical connector 102 comprises a two part insulating housing 106 defining terminal accommodating chambers 108 which open through a mating front face 110.
The first electrical connector 102 further comprises a locking pawl 112 comprising two essentially parallel arms. The locking pawl 112 has a rear end 114 fixed to the insulating housing 106 and projecting frontward. The connector locking pawl 112 comprises a free front end 116 and a first locking stop 118 fixed to the front end 116. More precisely, the first locking stop 118 is formed by a transverse bar joining the arms of the connector locking pawl 112.
The front end 116 and the first locking stop 118 are able to elastically rise in the upward direction UD, so as to lock the first electrical connector 102 to the second electrical connector 104, as it will be explained later.
The connector locking pawl 112 further comprises a front element 119 fixed to the front end 116. More precisely, the front element 119 is a transverse bar joining both arms of the connector locking pawl 112. The front element 119 comprises an upwardly slanted rear wall 121. The front element 119 is located at a distance upward and frontward with respect to the first locking stop 118, so that an aperture 123 is defined between the first locking stop 118 and the front element 119. This aperture is designed so as to allow its engagement with a screwdriver.
The first connector 102 further comprises a CPA member 120 slidably mounted on the insulating housing 106, so as to be movable frontward from an initial rear position. The CPA member 120 comprises a CPA pawl 122 projecting frontward from a fixed rear end 124. The CPA pawl 122 is received in between the two arms of the connector locking pawl 112 when the CPA member 120 is mounted on the first connector 102. The CPA member 120 further comprises a coupling detecting system 126 for detecting the mating of the connectors 102, 104, as it will be explained later. The coupling detecting system 126 comprises a lifting finger 128 projecting downward from the CPA pawl 122. The CPA pawl 122 further comprises a free front portion 130 extending frontward with respect to the lifting finger 128.
The CPA member further comprises a CPA locking pawl 131 intended to engage the front element 119 so as to lock the CPA member in a final front position (see FIG. 5).
As shown on Fig. 1, the second connector 104 is a socket connector comprising an insulating housing 132 defining a cavity for receiving the housing 106 of the first connector 102.
The second connector 104 further comprises a second locking stop 134 projecting upwards from an external surface 136 of the housing 132. The second locking stop 134 is intended to be engaged by the first locking stop 118, so as to lock the connectors 102, 104 when they are mated.
In the illustrated embodiment, the second connector 104 further comprises a supplemental stop 138, located at a distance rearward with respect to the second locking stop 134. In other embodiments, there could be no supplemental stop.
When the first locking stop 118 engages the second locking stop 134, the first locking stop 118 is received in a space defined between the second locking stop 134 and the supplemental stop 138 (See Fig. 3). The supplemental stop 138 is used for limiting the clearance of the first locking stop 118, especially in a high vibrating environment. As shown in Fig. 4, the height of the supplemental stop 138, along UD direction, is greater than that one of the first locking stop 118.
When the first locking stop 118 engages the second locking stop 134, the connector locking pawl 112 defines a rectangular area Z (see Fig. 4) configured to cover a part of the supplemental stop 138 extending above the first locking stop 118. More precisely, the rectangular area Z is delimitated by a frontward distance d1 from the first locking stop 118, and an upward distance d2 from a top 140 of the first locking stop 118 so as to correspond with at least the size of the portion of the supplemental stop 138 lying above the first locking stop 118. For instance, the frontward distance d1 is equal to or greater than 1 mm, and the upward distance d2 is equal to or greater than 0.3 mm,
As it can be seen from FIG. 4, the front element 119 of the connector locking pawl 112 is also located above the area Z.
Referring to FIG. 2 and 3, when the connectors 102, 104 are not mated, the CPA pawl 122 abuts against the locking pawl 112 so as to block a frontward movement of the CPA member 120.
More precisely, as illustrated on FIG. 2, when the connectors 102, 104 are not mated at all, the front portion 130 of the CPA pawl 122 is still stopped by the front element 119.
As illustrated on FIG. 3, when the connectors 102, 104 are partially mated, the first locking stop 118 stands on the second locking stop 134, so that the front portion 130 of the CPA pawl 122 is stopped by the first locking stop 118.
When the connectors 102, 104 are mated, i.e. properly mated, the coupling detecting device 126 is allowed to move over the second locking stop 134, so that the CPA pawl 122 does no longer abut against the locking pawl 112 and is able to reach the final position illustrated on FIG. 5, in which the CPA pawl 122 lies outside the zone Z. In this position the lifting finger 128 is located above the first locking stop 134. In another embodiment, it could be located rearward with respect to the first locking stop.
More precisely, when the CPA member is moved frontward from the initial position, the lifting finger 128 slips over the second locking stop 134 for lifting the CPA pawl 122 so that, instead of being stopped by the front element 119, the front end portion 130 of the CPA pawl reaches the upwardly slanted rear wall 121 and slips on it, until the front portion 130 leans on the front element 119. In this way, the front portion 130 is located above the front element 119, therefore ensuring the CPA pawl, and in particular its front portion 130, lies outside the zone Z, so that it will not collide with the supplemental stop 138 if it is present.
Referring to FIG. 6, a screwdriver 150 is inserted from behind between the two arms of the connector locking pawl 112. The material and the shape of the first connector housing are chosen so that the housing is elastically deformable; thus when the screwdriver 150 engages the lifting finger 128, it is capable to push the CPA pawl 112 upwardly (in fact, on Fig. 6, the lifting finger is not shown in the position that it would have in reality) and then enter the aperture 123 so as to come under the front element 119. It is then possible to lift up the first locking pawl 122, so as to disengage the first locking stop 118 from the second locking stop 134, by lifting the front element 119 by means of the screwdriver 150.

Claims

Connector assembly comprising first and second connectors (102, 104) intended to mate with each other along a mating axis (XX'), a frontward direction (FD) being defined along the mating axis (XX') from the first connector (102) towards the second connector (104),
the first connector (102) comprising a connector locking pawl (112) with a first locking stop (118) intended to raise in an upward direction (UD) perpendicular to the frontward direction (FD), so as to engage a second locking stop (134) of the second electrical connector (104) when the connectors (102, 104) are mated,
the first connector (102) further comprising a CPA member (120) movable frontward, the CPA member (120) comprising a CPA pawl (122) projecting frontward and which, when the connectors (102, 104) are not mated, engages the connector locking pawl (112) so as to block a frontward movement of the CPA member (120),
the CPA member (120) further comprising a coupling detecting system (126), configured to engage, when the connectors (102, 104) are mated, the second locking stop (134) in such a way to clear the CPA pawl (122) from the connector locking pawl (112),
wherein the connector locking pawl (112) comprises a front element (119) and the CPA member comprises a CPA locking pawl (131) to engage the front element (119) so as to lock the CPA member (120) in a final front position, characterized in that
in the final position the CPA pawl (122) is outside an area (Z) delimitated by:
a frontward distance (d1) from the first locking stop (118), which is equal to or greater than 1mm,

an upward distance (d2) from a top (140) of the first locking stop (118), which is equal to or greater than 0.3mm, but limited so that the front element (119) is located above the area (Z), wherein the coupling detecting system (126) comprises a lifting finger (128) projecting downward from the CPA pawl (122), wherein the lifting finger (128), in the final position of the CPA member (120), is located above the first locking stop (118) or rearward with respect to the first locking stop (118), wherein the CPA pawl (122) comprises a free front portion (130) that rests on the front element (119) when the CPA member (120) is in final position, wherein the front element (119) comprises an upwardly slanted rear wall (121),wherein the coupling detecting system (126), when engaging the second locking stop (134), lifts the CPA pawl (122) so that the free front portion (130) of the CPA pawl (122) reaches the upwardly slanted rear wall (121).
Connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first locking stop (118) and the front element (119) are respectively formed by a transverse bar joining two arms of the connector locking pawl (112), the front element (119) being located upward with respect to the first locking stop (118) so that an aperture (123) is defined between the first locking stop (118) and the front element (119) and the free front portion (130) is stopped by either the first locking stop (118) or the front element (119) of the locking pawl (112) so as to block a frontward movement of the CPA member 120, when the first and second connectors (102, 104) are not mated or only partially mated, and wherein the free front portion (130) is located above the front element (119) when the CPA member (120) is in final position.
Connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the aperture (123) designed so as to allow its engagement with a screwdriver.
Connector assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the second connector (104) comprises a supplemental stop (138) and wherein the area (Z) is configured to cover a part of the supplemental stop (138) extending above the first locking stop (118) when the connectors are mated.