FR2708387A1 - Electrical connection device, particularly for the passage of strong currents. - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connection device, in particular for the passage of strong currents, of the type comprising a fuse and two female terminals crimped onto power cables cooperating with said fuse. The device comprises a connection module 3 snapped in with a housing 2 between two positions, the first of which corresponds to the passage of the female terminals 6 through the housing 2 and the module 3 to a snap position of the female terminals 6 with the module, and the second corresponds to the displacement of the module 3 towards the interior of the housing 2 to a locking position of the female terminals 6 by a stop 32 integral with the module 3.

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE

PASSING STRONG CURRENTS

  The invention relates to an electrical connection device, particularly for the passage of strong currents. In the automotive field, electrical circuits of relatively high intensity, generally less than 100 A, are used in the starting electric circuits of vehicles. In order to interrupt these currents and to ensure the safety of the equipment, provision is made for insertion into the circuits. aforementioned electrical devices, at least one fuse of

security.

  These known fuses are externally in the form of an insulating parallelepiped on its outer surface, on one side of which open conductive flat tabs, constituting the ends of

fuse connection.

  Until now, these known fuses, were implanted in known housings, due to the fact that their connection tabs corresponded to the standardized dimensions of all fuse rated current cutoff, less than 30 A. The trend is currently towards the increase of the nominal switching currents, which prohibits the use of known packages which do not respond to the constraints imposed by the use of strong currents, causing significant heating and the use of connection tongues of large dimensions

  causing greater mechanical stress.

  The invention aims to improve the mounting of electric fuses, so as to ensure greater reliability and efficiency, allowing in particular a direct mounting under the hood of the vehicles, fuse nominal rated current close to A. L The subject of the invention is an electrical connection device, in particular for the passage of strong currents, of the type comprising a fuse and two female terminals crimped on supply cables cooperating with said fuse, characterized in that the device comprises a module of snap-in connection with a housing between two positions, the first of which corresponds to the passage of the female lugs through the housing and the module to a latching position of the female lugs with the module, and the second corresponds to the movement of the module towards the l inside the case up

  a locking position of the female pods.

  According to additional features of the invention: the device further comprises a hood covering the fuse and the module snap-fitting with the housing; the device comprises a retaining element enclosing the power cables; - The module comprises at least one locking blade with a lug adapted to engage in a housing formed in a female lug to secure it with the module; the housing comprises a guide surface for guiding the female lug in the direction of insertion, and the female lug pushes a fixed head of the module to erase it in a housing integral with the housing before arriving at said first position; snap; - The head of the module bears on a wall integral with the housing to form a rear stop preventing withdrawal of the female lug; - The locking of the female lug is provided by a stop integral with the module; the retaining element is formed by cooperation of two parts coming together along the diametral plane common to the enclosed cables; - The two parts cooperate in two latching positions, the first corresponds to a separation allowing the lateral introduction of the power cables and the second to planar joining and maintaining said cables; each part comprises a guide bar and a corresponding hole for sliding relative guidance of the two parts; each female lug has four blades for electrical contact with the fuse; the four slats are of the offset type for

  ensure the soft plugging of the fuse.

  The invention will be better understood thanks to the

  description which will follow, given as an example not

  with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents a diagrammatic view in

  exploded perspective of the device according to the invention.

  FIG. 2 represents a schematic view in partial cross-section along line II-II of FIG.

  Figure 1, a device according to the invention, assembled.

  FIG. 3 represents a schematic view in longitudinal section along line III-III of FIG. 2,

of a device according to the invention.

  FIG. 4 represents a schematic view of a female terminal that can be used in the device according to the invention. FIG. 5 represents a schematic view in longitudinal section illustrating the operation of a

  variant embodiment of the invention.

  Figure 6 shows a schematic view

  partial of a device element according to the invention.

  FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic sectional view along line VIIVII of FIG.

device according to the invention.

  With reference to FIG. 1, a connection device according to the invention compatible in particular with a fuse 1 of known type for high current, comprises a housing 2, a connection module 3, a cover 4 and a retaining element 5, intended to be assembled together

others by snapping.

  After snap-fitting, the connection module 3 and the fuse 1 are trapped inside a casing constituted by assembling the cap 4 with the casing 2, while female lugs 6a, 6b crimped at the end of cables. 7a, 7b supplied with annular seals 8a, 8b for sealing and holding are snapped inside the connection module 3, the cables 7a, 7b, carrying the female lugs 6a, 6b being

  mechanically held by the retaining element 5.

  For this purpose, the cover 4 comprises two resilient levers 9a, 9b carrying lugs cooperating with corresponding conformations 10a, 10b of the housing 2, so as to snap the cover 4 with the housing 2 by simply pushing and to disengage the cover 4 by driving the ends 11a, 11b of the levers 9a, 9b and by simply pulling upwards. The levers 9a, 9b are mounted in protective housings preventing any accidental release of the cap 4 and may comprise, in a preferred embodiment, metal blades springing to apply the aforementioned pins in the conformations 10a, 10b. A housing 12 for a seal is provided in the cover 4 to prevent unwanted penetration of liquids, grease, or other soiling. A fastening element 13 is provided on the housing 2 for fixing the device according to the invention to the body of a vehicle comprising strips, plates or brackets. The attachment element 13 can also be fixed on the housing of another connection device of the same type. At the end of the housing 2, opposite the cover 4, a peripheral edge 14 adapted to receive a sealing means cooperates with corresponding conformations 15a, 15b of the retaining element 5 to effect the locking of the element of

retained 5 on the housing 2.

  With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the connection module 3 comprises flexible lugs 16a, 16b, provided with lugs intended to hook into corresponding recesses 17a, 17b formed in the female lugs 6a, 6b so as to secure these female lugs 6a, 6b with the connection module 3 before inserting the fuse 1 into

these female pods 6a, 6b.

  With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the lugs 6 are preferably of the type with four flexible contact strips 18 comprising a raised edge formed by folding at right angles to two edges 19a, 19b situated opposite the contact strips 18 compared to the recess

hanging 17.

  The four strips 18 are of the offset type, which places the connection device according to the invention in

the technology of soft plugging.

  The two edges 19a, 19b stiffen the female lug 6 and constitute a stop surface protecting the contact strips 18 when the metal conductor 20 is injected or covered with an insulating sealing compound

  or an equivalent viscous product.

  Preferably, the crimping 21 of the insulator 22 is carried out overlap, which allows the use of the female lug 6 with cables of different outside diameters, especially cables of "high temperature" class (-40 to +135 C ), while crimping the conductor 20 is performed by means of a clamp 23 so as to compress the conductor strands and ensure the

  electrical contact with all strands simultaneously.

  The retaining element 5 is fixed to the casing 2 by the cooperation of the corresponding bearing surfaces 14, 15 so as to compress the seal 8 and to hold the cable 7 to prevent the transmission of the external forces to the lug 6, while the cover 4 covers the edge 24 of the housing 2 by compressing a seal 12. Referring to Figure 5, an alternative embodiment of the invention adaptable on blocks grouping a plurality of connection modules 3 comprises a housing 2

  comprising a housing by corresponding module 3.

  When the female lug 6 is inserted into the casing 2, a guiding surface 30 aligns the female lug 6 with the direction of insertion symbolized by the reference arrow A. By progressing in the direction A, the female lug 6 pushes a first flexible blade 31 whose head 32 disappears in a housing 33 by pivoting in the direction of the arrow B. Due to this deletion, the female lug 6 continues to progress until its housing 17 s' hooks in the lug of the flexible lug 16: the female lug 6 is then latched, but can still be disengaged by traction in the direction opposite to the arrow A, if

  the tongue 16 is lifted using a tool.

  By pushing the connection module 3 inside the housing 2 in the direction of the arrow C, the connection module 3 progresses by a distance corresponding to the progression of the retaining catch 34 which emerges from the housing 35 to enter the housing. housing 36. Having accomplished this stroke, the head of the flexible blade 31 is supported on the surface 37 and constitutes a rear stop preventing the release of the female lug 6, shown in dashed lines; the female lug 6 is then completely locked and can not be released by pulling on the cable 21 in the opposite direction to the arrow A. If the female lug 6 is not put in place correctly, that is to say is not snapped as a result of an insufficient progression stroke, the flexible blade 31 remains biased outwardly by the female lug 6. The head 32 of the blade 31 remains in the housing 33. If the module 3 is then pushed back into the housing 2, the head 32 abuts on the bottom of the housing 33 and prevents the

  progression of module 3 in the housing 2.

  The latching fault of the female lug 6 is thus detected during the locking operation

module 3 in the housing 2.

  A stop 60 is provided in the housing 2 to limit the translation of the module 3 in the direction of the arrow C and ensure that the retaining catch 34 engages well in the housing 36. In addition, the conformation of the retaining catch 34 is such that any translational movement in the opposite direction to that of the arrow C is prevented if the retaining notch has not been previously pressed by means of a tool like screwdriver. In this variant embodiment, a single cover, for example, covering a plurality of connection modules 3 or a single retaining element imprisoning, is produced for example.

two rows of cable 21.

  This modular structure envisaged by the invention is deduced by repetition of the structure

  described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

  With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a device holding element 5 according to the invention is constituted by means of two identical parts 50 assembled by snapping in a longitudinal plane of symmetry passing through

  substantially by the diameters of the cables 7 to maintain.

  Each portion 50 comprises a flexible ratchet blade 51 provided with a head 52 forming a retaining lug and two recessed recesses 53 and 54 of corresponding conformation. The flexible blade 51 of a portion 50 cooperates with the housings 53 and 54 of the other part 50, so as to provide a first holding position shown in dashed lines and a second final closed position not shown, in which the parts are contiguous to each other according to their plan of symmetry. In the first holding position, the parts 50 are integral with each other, but spaced apart by a distance allowing the lateral insertion in the direction

  of the arrow D of the power supply cables 7.

  Advantageously, so as to limit the oblique force applied to the ratchet blades 51 and to avoid their torsion, each portion 50 has two guide bars 55, 56 and two holes 57, 58 corresponding: each bar 55 or 56 of a part 50 cooperates with a hole 57 or

58 of the other party 50.

  The tightness around the cables 21 can be ensured by means of a unitary seal 8, but also by injection of hot melt resin so as to constitute a plug. In alternative embodiment according to the ivention, it

  It is possible not to use the Retention Element 5.

  In this case the tightness around the cables 7 and their maintenance can be ensured by overmolding a resin, for example, or by provision on the cables of a thermofusible sleeve, and by covering the cables and the peripheral edge 14 of the housing 2 by means of a

heat-shrinkable sheath.

Claims (12)

  1. Electrical connection device, in particular for the passage of strong currents, of the type comprising a fuse and two female terminals crimped on power cables cooperating with said fuse, characterized in that the device comprises a connection module (3) snapped with a housing (2) between two positions, the first of which corresponds to the passage of the female terminals (6) through the housing (2) and the module (3) to a latching position of the female terminals (6) with the module (3), and the second corresponds to the displacement of the module (3) towards the inside of the housing (2) until a   locking position of the female terminals (6).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device further comprises a cover (4) covering the fuse (1) and the module (3) by snap with the housing (2).   3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the device comprises a retaining element (5) enclosing the cables supply (7a, 7b).   4. Device according to one of the claims   previous, characterized in that the module (3) comprises at least one locking blade (16) with a lug adapted to catch in a housing formed in a female lug   (6) to secure it with the module (3).   5. Device according to one of the claims   previous, characterized in that the housing comprises a guide surface (30) for guiding the female terminal (6) in the direction of insertion (A), and in that the female terminal (6) pushes a head (32). secured to the module (3) to erase it in a housing (33) integral with the housing (2) before reaching said first position snap.   6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the head (32) of the module (3) bears on a wall (37) integral with the housing (2) to form a rear stop preventing the withdrawal of the female terminal (6).   7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking of the female lug (6) is provided by a stop (32) integral with the module (3). 8. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the retaining element (5) is formed by cooperation of two parts (50) coming together along the diametrical plane common to the enclosed cables (21). 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the two parts (50) cooperate in two latching positions, the first corresponds to a separation allowing the lateral insertion (D) of the power cables (7) and the second to the plan and maintaining said cables (7).   10. Device according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that each portion (50) comprises a guide bar (55 or 56) and a corresponding hole (57 or 58) for guiding relative to   sliding the two parts (50) together.   11. Device according to one of the claims   preceding, characterized in that each female lug (6) has four blades (18) of electrical contact with the fuse (1).   12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the four strips (18) are of the type   offset to ensure smooth insertion of the fuse (1).