FR2846473A1 - Moulded plastic electrical connector element unit having channels/electrical contacts and shutter/locking elements with shutter two positions driven/feet held maintaining extension position - Google Patents

Abstract

The electrical connector element unit is in moulded plastic with channels and electrical contacts (3). There is a shutter (16) with locking elements. The shutter has aligned axes (23,24) driven between two positions (18,19) and connected by feet (26,27) maintaining the body (1) extension position.

Description

The present invention relates to a housing element

electrical connector.

  The invention relates to a housing element 5 of a double-locking connector comprising a male housing element with tracks receiving electrical contact members, each track having a pre-locking member for electrical contact members and a flap articulated on one side of the housing element and carrying pins intended to be inserted in lights

  of the latter and to cooperate with said electrical contact members in a closed position of the flap to ensure the final locking of said members.

  Generally the flap is hingedly connected by flexible bands to the body, the assembly being molded in one

single piece.

  It has been found that the flexible strips being fragile and that after a certain number of maneuvers of the

shutter, they were deformed.

  One of the aims of the present invention is to remedy this drawback.

  The connector housing element according to the invention is made of molded plastic and is of the type comprising a body provided with a series of channels intended to each receive an electrical contact member 30 provided at one end , means for crimping an electrical conductor and having an opening and a window, each channel comprising an elastic tongue provided with a lug intended to cooperate with the opening to ensure pre-locking of said electrical contact member, a flap being articulated on one of the sides of the housing element and comprising a series of fingers intended, in a closed position of the flap, to pass through a slot and to be inserted in the windows of the electrical contact members to ensure the final locking thereof, said housing member being characterized in that the flap comprises, on two opposite edges, aligned axes engaged in pins of two cheeks of the body, said flap being connected to the cheeks by legs so as to maintain it in a position situated in the extension of the body and liable to be broken when the said flap is closed, the assembly being molded in one one time. Thanks to this arrangement, a joint is produced which is not liable to be damaged during the maneuvers of the shutter. In addition, the flap is held in a position facilitating the establishment of the contact members. 20 When the housing elements are stored in bulk, they

  are not likely to overlap with each other.

  Finally, such an embodiment makes it necessary to provide a certain clearance between the edges of the flap provided with the pins and the cheeks of the body, clearance which can be detrimental to the kinematics of the cover. Thanks to the legs, this game is in

part caught up.

  The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to a particular embodiment given by way of example only and shown in

attached drawings.

  Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector element, according to the invention, the latter being shown

  in the position it occupies at the outlet of the mold release.

  Figure 2 shows in perspective the element of Figure 1 in the closed position. Figure 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3

of figure 1.

  Figure 4 shows in perspective a female electrical contact member intended to be inserted in the

connector element tracks.

  In the figures, a connector element is shown comprising a body 1 in which extend a series of channels 2 intended to each receive a member for

electrical contact 3.

  The body 1 has, on its face 6, a series of

  elastic tabs 5 opening into the tracks 2 and provided, on their face facing the track, with a lug 7.

  The face 6 of the body 1 is provided with a slot 8 25 extending transversely to the tracks 2.

  The electrical contact members 3 are presented

  in the form of a box 10 with, at one end, an elastic clamp 11 and, at the other end, lugs 12 30 for crimping an electrical conductor.

  On one side, the box has an opening 13 intended to receive the lug 7 of the elastic tab and a window 14 intended to receive the fingers 15 of a flap 16, said fingers passing through the slot 8 when the flap is tilted in position closing. In the prior art, the flap and the body are molded in one piece and said flap is connected to the

body by flexible legs.

  It was found that the flexible tabs were fragile and that after several maneuvers of flaps, they broke so that the fingers 15 risked no longer

fulfill their office.

  According to the invention, the body 1 is provided

  of two cheeks 18 and 19 comprising holes 20 and 21 which constitute pins for axes 23 and 24 of the flap 16.

  The shutter, the body, the axes and the pins are molded in one piece; however, to facilitate the installation of the members 3, it is desired that the flap 16 extends in the extension of the body. So that said vo25 let can be maintained in this position, it is connected, on the one hand, to the cheek 18 by a lug 26 and, on the other hand, to the cheek 19 by a lug 27. These lugs are made at molding and have thinned parts 28 and 29 respectively which can be easily broken. 30 Thus, after the installation of the members 3, the flap 16 is tilted so that the fingers 15 are inserted into the windows 14 and said flap being locked by means provided on a flange 30 cooperates with means provided on one end 31 of the body 1. It is understood that the flap thus mounted on the body can be operated a large number of times without risk

to be damaged.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to

  embodiment which has just been described and represented.

  Many detailed modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 15

Claims (1)

CLAIM   Electric connector housing element of molded plastic material of the type comprising a body (1) provided with a series of channels (2) each intended to receive an electrical contact member (3) provided, at one end, with means for crimping an electrical conductor and having an opening (13) and a window 10 (14), each channel (2) comprising an elastic tongue (5) provided with a lug (7) intended to cooperate with the opening (13) for pre-locking said electrical contact member (3), a flap (16) being articulated on one of the sides of the housing element (1) and 15 comprising a series of fingers (15) intended , in a closed position of the shutter, through a slot (8) and to be inserted in the windows (14) of the electrical contact members to ensure the final locking thereof, characterized in that the shutter (16 ) comprises, 20 on two opposite edges, aligned axes (23, 24) engaged in trunnions of two cheeks (18, 19) of the body (1), said flap (16) being connected to the cheeks by lugs (26, 27) so as to maintain it in a position situated in the extension of the body (1 ) and liable to be broken 25 when said shutter is closed, the assembly being molded in only once.