Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
  • H01R13/502—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces
  • H01R13/506—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces assembled by snap action of the parts
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
  • H01R13/514—Bases; Cases composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
  • H01R13/516—Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing, hoods
  • H01R13/518—Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing, hoods for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
  • H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances
  • H01R13/62933—Comprising exclusively pivoting lever
  • H01R13/62944—Pivoting lever comprising gear teeth
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/66—Structural association with built-in electrical component
  • H01R13/68—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in fuse
  • H01R13/684—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in fuse the fuse being removable
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R2107/00—Four or more poles
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R2201/00—Connectors or connections adapted for particular applications
  • H01R2201/26—Connectors or connections adapted for particular applications for vehicles

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of connectors for motor vehicles.
• cables or harnesses also called harnesses
• cables or harnesses carry electrical power or data between different parts of the vehicle, equipment, power sources, etc. Connectors are then used to connect these cables together or to devices.
• Some connectors have modules. Each module supports one or more contacts each respectively connected to a cable (ferrules / fibers for optical connections), each contact or ferrule corresponding to a channel. This type of module is commonly called contact-holder module.
• the contact carrier modules are particularly useful for grouping together within the same module a harness part or a cable harness separately. Indeed, the wiring of each module is generally performed independently of that of the other modules. After the wiring operation, the modules are inserted into a connector housing in which they are held by locking means. The connector housing with its modules can then be manipulated as a single object. Another advantage is that the coupling force of a module is relatively large (of the order of 300N). But having a lever on each module would lead to too much space. It is therefore interesting to group several modules together and facilitate the coupling of this assembly with a counter-connector, using a single lever.
• An object of the invention is in particular to provide a solution for locking a module in a connector housing in particular when the available space for the locking means is reduced.
• a connector having a module which comprises a lug located on the front face of the module.
• a cantilever hook extending in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion of the module into the housing can then cooperate with the lug to lock the module into the housing.
• This frontal disposition of the locking means offers an alternative to the locking means generally located on the lateral faces of the module (on the top of the module, only the walls of the cavities in which the contacts are inserted are generally found, and these walls are not thick enough to incorporate a lug). This limits the size of the connector in its dimension transverse to the direction of insertion of the module into the housing. This also frees space for the passage of cables to the rear of the module.
• the cantilever hook is housed in a cavity of the housing located with respect to the direction of insertion of the module into the housing, in front of the front face of the module, that is to say the first face engaged in the housing during insertion of the module therein.
• This cavity can thus be used to house a fuse and to access the locking means. It is then possible to press the cantilever hook between a fixed point thereof secured to the housing and its free end which cooperates with the lug, in order to release the lug and allow it to escape. the hook cantilever. It is therefore possible to integrate several functions (housing for a fuse and accessibility of the locking means) in a reduced space and thus to improve the compactness of the connector according to the invention.
• the cavity is located between the side modules and in front of the central module relative to the direction of insertion of the module into the housing.
• the cantilever hook and the lug only provide a locking function, guiding and maintaining the module in the housing being provided by grooves and ribs with complementary cooperation s extending, along the direction of insertion of the module into the housing, on the lateral faces vis-à-vis respectively of the module and the housing of the module in the housing.
• the module has an advance of its end face which overhangs the lug and the end of the cantilever hook which cooperates with the lug.
• the invention in another aspect, relates to a set of male and female connectors.
• the female connector has features as set forth above.
• the male connector meanwhile, has essentially a parallelepipedal box shape with an open face through which is introduced the female connector and in the volume of which is included a space for housing the module of the locking means in the housing.
• this space corresponds to the cavity mentioned above.
• FIG. 1 shows schematically in perspective a set of male and female connectors according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows schematically in perspective the rear face of the female connector shown in Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 shows schematically in perspective essentially the front and bottom of the female connector shown in Figures 1 and 2;
• FIG. 4 shows schematically in perspective essentially the front face of the female connector shown in Figures 1 to 3, with a fuse housed in a cavity;
• FIG. 5 shows schematically in perspective the housing of the female connector of Figures 1 to 4, without the modules;
• FIG. 6 shows schematically in perspective the central module of the female connector of Figures 1 to 5;
• FIG. 7 shows schematically in longitudinal section the housing and the central module of the female connector of Figures 1 to 6.
• the same references are used to designate identical or similar elements.
• the invention is illustrated below with the aid of an example of an electrical connector for motor vehicles. This example is of course not limiting. In particular, the locking function presented below is independent of the nature of the connections that can be electrical and / or optical.
• Figure 1 shows a set 1 of female connectors 200 and 100 male not yet coupled.
• the male connector 200 has essentially a parallelepipedal box shape having an open face 210 through which is introduced, to be coupled, the female connector 100.
• the female connector 100 comprises a housing 1 10 and a lever 120 which cooperates, in a known manner , thanks to a rack system with the male connector 200 to facilitate their coupling.
• the female connector 100 is shown by its rear face 1 1 1. It comprises three housings 1 12, 1 13, 1 14, respectively two lateral housing 1 12, 1 14 and a central housing 1 13 interposed between the two lateral housing 1 12, 1 14. Lateral modules 122, 124 are inserted in the lateral housings 1 12, 1 14. A central module 123 is inserted into the central housing 1 13.
• the lateral modules 122, 124 and 123 are guided and maintained in their respective housings through grooves 131 and ribs 132 complementary extending along the direction of insertion D (see Figures 5 and 6).
• Each module, lateral 122, 124 or central 123 has cavities in which are inserted female contacts attached to the cable end 140.
• FIG two only a portion of the cables is shown.
• the modules 122, 123, 124 receive contacts attached to cables of 0.75 mm 2 section (for contacts of 0.64mm) and 2.5mm 2 of section (for contacts of 2.8mm).
• the modules 122, 123, 124 are inserted in the lower part 1 15 of the housing 1 12, 1 13, 1 14, the upper part 1 16 being cleared for the passage of the cables 140. As can be seen, little space is available in the upper part 1 16 of this already compact connector to receive something other than the cables 140.
• locking means 125, 126 are provided at the side walls 134, 135 of the housing. These include a cantilevered hook 127, 128 resiliently connected to the side walls 134, 135 of the housing 1 10 (see Figures 1 and 5). A lug 129 placed on each of the outer lateral faces 150, 151 of the lateral modules 122, 124, near their rear face, is engaged in each cantilever hook 127, 128.
• the side walls of the central housing 1 13 are on the other hand too thin to be provided with locking means similar to those of the side modules 122, 124.
• the locking means 160 have therefore been placed at the front face 161 of the central module 123.
• the housing 1 10 has a cavity 162 (see Figures 3, 4 and 7 for example).
• This cavity 162 is located in the extension of the central housing 1 13, with respect to the insertion direction D of the central module 123 in the central housing 1 13.
• the cavity 162 is located between the side modules 122, 124 and essentially in front the central module 123 with respect to the direction of insertion D.
• the cavity 162 is located in front of the front face 161 of the central module 123.
• this cavity 162 is completely located in the volume of the male connector, once the male and female connectors are mated (see Figure 1).
• the locking means 160 of the central module 123 in the central housing 1 13 of the housing 1 10 comprise a cantilever hook 163 and a lug
• the cantilever hook 163 is located in the cavity 162 located in the extension of the central housing 1 13.
• the cantilever hook 163 has a U-shape whose ends of the branches 167, 168 are fixed and integral with the housing 1 10 (see 5) and whose bottom of the throat cooperates with the lug
• the branches 167, 168 of this U are flexible so as to move elastically the end cooperating with the lug 164.
• a pressure P exerted (see arrow P in Figure 7) on a portion of the hook door-to- 163, located between its fixed ends and its end cooperating with the pin 164, allows to release it and thus to unlock the central module 123.
• the fixed points of the cantilever hook 163 and the pin 164 are the opposite. one of the other relative to the area on which the pressure P is exerted, and not on the same side as in the locking means of the prior art and like those 125, 126 side modules 122, 124.
• the cavity 162 can accommodate a fuse 170. It is located in the lower part of the cavity 162, under the locking means 160 of the central module 123. It is therefore completely protected, once the male connectors 200 and female 100 coupled.
• the central module 123 has on its front face 161 an advance 169.
• This advanced 169 overhangs the lug 164 and the end of the hook cantilever 163 cooperating with the lug 164.
• the lug extends perpendicular to the direction of insertion D, from the lower face 171 of the advance 169. It is considered in this document that the lower face 171 is a portion of the front face 161.
• this advance 169 makes it possible to protect the locking means 160 of the central module 123.
• a protective wall 172 extends under the locking means 160 of the central module 123, longitudinally in the insertion direction D of the central module 123 in the central housing 1 13 and laterally between the two walls 165, 166 of the housing 1 10 vis-à-vis delimiting the cavity 162.
• This protective wall 172 is interposed between the locking means 160 of the central module 123 and the fuse 170. It protects the locking means 160 of the central module 123 in case the fuse 170 would not be fully coupled to the male connector 200.

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• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
• Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=49237269

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2013
  • 2013-05-17 FR FR1354432A patent/FR3005796B1/fr active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-05-15 EP EP14724434.7A patent/EP2997629B1/de active Active
  • 2014-05-15 CN CN201480028479.8A patent/CN105393410B/zh active Active
  • 2014-05-15 WO PCT/EP2014/059926 patent/WO2014184283A1/fr active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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