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
  • H01R13/62—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
  • H01R13/62955—Pivoting lever comprising supplementary/additional locking means
• • 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
  • H01R13/639—Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of connectors for motor vehicles.
• cables or bundles of cables (also called harnesses) convey 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.
• the invention is presented below with the help of examples taken in the field of electrical connectors. But the invention is easily transposable to optical connectors, or both optical and electrical. For optical connections, simply replace the electrical contacts and cables respectively with ferrules and fibers.
• terminal is used to denote either an electrical contact or an optical ferrule.
• switch refers to both a cable or wire or optical fiber.
• Connectors then comprise a terminal-holder housing for receiving terminals respectively equipping the end of a cable.
• Some connectors further comprise a cover protecting and guiding the cables connected to the terminals, while leaving these cables out at the rear or on the sides of the connectors.
• the cable management cover may be integral with the housing or may be a separate element mounted on the housing.
• a lever can be mounted on the connector to cooperate with a counter connector, through a gear system.
• the lever itself can then have a U-shape with three branches: two branches forming a lever and a transverse actuating branch.
• the transverse branch connects the two branches forming the lever.
• Each of the two lever branches extends between a hinge end having a substantially circular hole adapted to cooperate with a pivot located on the housing and another end connected to the transverse branch. All three branches are then straddling the cable management cover.
• the lever is rotatably mounted on the connector.
• a pin is sometimes used to lock the lever in the coupling position.
• the pin comprises a rod extending longitudinally substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the lever. It is for example guided and maintained by guide means located on the cable management cover, in a locking position in which it participates in locking the lever in its coupling position.
• An object of the invention is to provide a solution for locking the lever in the coupling position, with a pin, in a constraining environment in terms of ergonomics, size and molding.
• a connector comprising pin guide means having at least two stops limiting the travel of the pin of the pin in a first direction perpendicular to the axis of the rod, and at least two surfaces substantially facing each other and limiting the deflection of the pin shaft in a second direction, perpendicular to the axis of the rod and distinct from the first direction, one of these second surfaces being carried either by the lever or by a hook or latch locking the lever in the coupling position.
• guiding means are provided which, as in a rail or conduit, limit the deflections of the pin in at least two directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pin.
• the longitudinal axis of the pin corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the rod and also to the direction of insertion of the pin between the guide means.
• the substantially reduced guide means to abutments and surfaces are compatible with compact connectors in which the need to maximize the passage sizes for many cables and / or bulky cables limits the space left for a pin.
• the pin When in addition the first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other, the pin is guided during its implementation by an operator.
• the guide means of the pin can be carried by a cable cover, they are then advantageously placed on an outer surface of the cover so as not to interfere with the cables passing inside the cover.
• the cable guide cover has a chute located in the extension of the longitudinal axis of the pin of the pin, it is not necessary that the pin passes through an opening in the chute.
• the pin can indeed allow a locking of the lever in the coupling position without having to cross the cover from side to side.
• the guide means according to the invention are indeed sufficient to guide and maintain a pin shorter than those of the prior art.
• the guide means may also comprise at least three stops extending longitudinally parallel to the axis of the rod and arranged alternately on either side of this axis. This arrangement makes in particular the design of an easier mold.
• it may have a hook or latch to lock the lever in the coupling position.
• the pin then cooperates with the hook to lock the lever in the coupling position.
• the hook extends for example between a fixed end connected to the cable guide cover and a free end covering at least partly the length of the rod.
• the hook plays both the role of a primary locking of the lever and guide during the establishment of the pin.
• the free end of the hook extends longitudinally parallel to the axis of the rod. If the guide stops of the pin and the free end of the hook extend longitudinally respectively on a first and a second length, the second length corresponds to at least 50% of the first length, preferably to 80% of the first length. , or is substantially equal to the first length.
• the hook may be partially located between the two branches forming a lever. Thus, it locks the lever cooperating with its transverse branch and the pin blocks the hook to maintain it in cooperation with the transverse branch.
• the stops of the guide means of the pin may be located on a support extending between two troughs forming cable guides.
• the arrangement of the guide means according to the invention is suitable for configurations in which the connector is particularly constrained in terms of space.
• FIG. 1 shows schematically in perspective a set of male and female connectors according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows schematically in perspective and partially the female connector shown in Figure 1, with a lever in the coupling position;
• FIG. 3 shows schematically in perspective the female connector shown in Figures 1 and 2, without lever;
• Figure 1 shows a set 1 of female connectors 100 and 200 male not yet coupled.
• the male connector 100 essentially has 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 to help coupling which cooperates, in known manner, through a rack system with the male connector 200 to reduce the coupling forces.
• the terminal-holder housing (or contact carrier) 1 10 has cavities adapted to receive terminals (not shown).
• This housing 1 10 comprises a front face 1 12, a rear face 1 14, a coupling face 1 16 and two side faces 1 18, 1 19.
• Two pivots (only one of which is visible 130 in Figure 1) s' each extend respectively from a side face of the housing 1 18 or 1 19, towards the outside of the housing 1 10, in opposite directions.
• the housing 1 10 also has a cap 140 cable guide.
• the cover cable guide 140 may be integral with the housing 1 10.
• the cover cable guide defines an opening 142 (towards the rear face 1 14) to let the cables out of the connector 100.
• the lever 120 (or yoke) comprises two branches forming a lever 122, 124. These two branches forming a lever 122, 124 are interconnected by a transverse actuating branch 123. The set of three branches forms a U .
• Each leg forming arm 122, 124 comprises at its free end a hinge end 125.
• Each of the hinge ends 125 comprises a hole 126 adapted to cooperate with a pivot 130.
• the lever 120 is movable around a axis of rotation, between a pre-coupling position and a coupling position.
• the cable guide cover 140 comprises two troughs 142, 143 forming cable guides arranged laterally on either side of a cavity 144.
• One 143 of chutes has a substantially convex outer surface.
• the other 142 has a concave zone forming a groove 141 adapted for the passage of a pin 150.
• the convex trough 143 is larger and is adapted to receive cables of larger section (thus with a greater radius of curvature) that the other.
• the pin 150 comprises a rod 152 extending longitudinally substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the lever.
• the groove 141 is closed at one of these ends, that located near the cavity 144, by a wall or wall 145 having an orifice 146 allowing the passage of the pin 150.
• the longitudinal axis of the groove 141 passing substantially through the center of the orifice 146 corresponds to the axis of insertion of the pin.
• One of the troughs 143 is located in the extension of the axis of insertion of the pin 150. In this way, there is no risk of interference between the cables passing in this chute 143 and the pin 150.
• a support 160 extends between the two troughs 142, 143 in the cavity 144 substantially parallel to the coupling face 1 16.
• the support 160 is carried by the cable cover 140 and is more particularly placed under the orifice 146, substantially tangent to the edge thereof.
• the guide means of the pin 150 are arranged on the support 160 to guide it during its introduction and keep it in a locking position in which it participates in locking the lever 120 in its coupling position.
• the guide means of the pin comprise three stops 171, 172, 173.
• a long stop 172 is disposed on one side of the insertion axis of the pin. pin 150.
• Two other stops 171, 173, shorter than the previous 172, are disposed on the other side of the axis of insertion of the pin 150, with respect to the long stop 172.
• These three stops 171, 172, 173 s extend longitudinally along a first length, parallel to the axis of insertion of the pin 150.
• the stops limit the deflection of the pin 150 in a first direction D1 perpendicular to the axis of insertion of the pin 150.
• two surfaces 180, 182 essentially vis-à-vis -vis restrict the movement of the rod 152 of the pin 150 in a second direction D2 perpendicular to the axis of insertion of the pin 150.
• One 182 of these surfaces is carried by a hook 190, while the other 180 corresponds to a surface of the support 160. According to a variant of the invention not shown, it is a surface of the lever itself that could have been in direct vis-à-vis the support.
• These surfaces 180, 182 of the support 160 and the hook 190 or the lever 120 allow both to guide the pin 150 during its introduction, and to lock the lever 120 in the coupling position.
• the first D1 and second directions D2 are here substantially perpendicular to each other.
• the hook 190 consists essentially of a tongue integrally with the cable guide cover 140. It is at least partly located between the two branches forming a lever 122, 124.
• the hook 190 extends in a direction between a fixed end 192 connected to the cable guide cover 140 and a free end 194 covering at least partly the length of the rod 152 of the pin 150. Its free end 194 s extends longitudinally in another direction, substantially perpendicular to the previous one, over a second length, parallel to the axis of insertion of the pin 150.
• This second length corresponding to at least 50% of the first length (the one defined above as corresponding to the length of all three stops).
• the second length corresponds to 80% of the first length. It can also be substantially equal to the first length, as in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4.
• the hook 190 is connected to the cable guide cover 140 with a certain elasticity that allows it to fade under the pressure of the transverse branch 123 when the lever 120 is tilted to the coupling position, then to return to position of rest (in which he is not constrained) to retain, thanks to a tooth 196, the transverse branch 123 in this coupling position. It thus locks the lever 120 by cooperating with the transverse branch 123.
• the rod 152 of the pin 150 can then be housed under the hook 190 to prevent the transverse leg 123 from escaping the tooth 196, if the hook 190 is pressed to the support 140.
• the pin 150 therefore blocks the hook 190 to maintain it in cooperation with the transverse branch 123, if the lever was to be tilted to its pre-coupling position.
• the guide means in this embodiment, therefore include the stops 171, 172, 173, the hook 190, the support 140 and the orifice 146. They are therefore carried by the cable cover.

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• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)

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• 2013
  • 2013-05-17 FR FR1354433A patent/FR3005798B1/fr active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-05-15 EP EP14726907.0A patent/EP2997630B1/de active Active
  • 2014-05-15 WO PCT/EP2014/059927 patent/WO2014184284A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2014-05-15 CN CN201480028478.3A patent/CN105379028B/zh active Active

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