GB2071926A - A connector housing with contact retaining means - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a housing, comprising two relatively displaceable parts (20, 27), having apertures to receive contact members (1) having studs (3) which engage with resilient lugs (18, 18a) in the apertures. Each contact member is held firmly in position by a cover (27) which is closed over the contact member after insertion, projections (32) engaging with lateral tongues (5) formed on the sides of the contact members. The two housing parts (20, 27) may be pivotally connected by means of a hinge as shown in Figure 3, and the housing parts (27a, 19) are identical in structure to the housing parts (27, 20). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connectors The present invention relates to electrical connectors and inter alia to a male contact member of the flat type, formed by a bar or strip of metal which is a good conductor of electricity and of which one end is provided with means for its connection to an electrical conductor and to a casing element designed to contain such a male member.

Such electric contact members are very well known and are intended to be engaged in a corresponding female member, connected to an electric conductor so as to assure a connection. These male members are housed in casing elements designed to cooperate with complementary casing elements which contain the female members corresponding to the male members. Generally, the casing element designed to contain the male members is formed of a body made of moulded synthetic plastics material, having a series of passages with an intermediate partition in which is formed a socket into which the corresponding male member is inserted.

In order to lock the said male member in its socket, it is generally provided with a resilient lug cut out in the surface of said member and adapted to bear against a notch or catch in the socket.

Such an arrangement is well known and has the advantage of permitting the automatic locking of the male member in its socket in the casing element when it is introduced thereinto; nevertheless, it has been found that the locking action, in many cases, was not efficient. In practice, the resilient lugs formed during the manufacturing process may easily become damaged to a greater or lesser degree, so that when the contact member is placed in position in the casing element, they no longer serve their purpose.

The present invention seeks to provide a contact member and a cooperating casing element which, while being extremely simple, permits the disadvantage as referred to above to be overcome.

According to the present invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a casing including at least two relatively displaceable portions, a first one of said portions being formed with a socket having detent means adapted to engage with cooperating means on a contact member, and the second of said portions being adapted to engage with said first portion and said contact member so as to retain said contact member in said socket.

Preferableythe contact member is a male member of the type comprising an elongated strip of flat section, which is adapted to be inserted by a free end into the passage of a corresponding female member, while the other end comprises means for its connection to an electric conductor, and a casing element adapted to cooperate with another correponding element supporting the female contact members, the said casing element being of the type comprising a body with at least one passage adapted to receive a male member, each passage having a partition in which is formed an opening through which the corresponding male member extends, with prelocking means for the said male member, which comprises a tongue along each longitudinal edge in the vicinity of its end adjacent to the means for connection to an electric conductor, while the casing element is provided with stops for locking the male members, and characterised in that the cover comprises a pair of stops for each passage, one of which stops is adapted to bear against one tongue, and the other against the other tongue, in the closed position of the cover, while the pre-locking means are formed by a projection provided at a point intermediate of the length of the male member and adapted to cooperate with a resilient lug provided in each passage of the casing.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the introduction of the electrical contact male member into its corresponding passage ensures positive prelocking of said members, while the closing of the cover ensures a final locking. The male members do not have any resilient element which is liable to be damaged during the different handling operations, and thus ensures that all the contact members placed in position will be locked in an identical manner.

So as to facilitate the positioning of each male member in the corresponding passage of the casing element, each said passage preferably includes guide ramps.

The invention is now to be described in greater detail, with reference to one particular embodiment, which is given simply by way of example and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein; Figures 1 and 2 show a male contact member according to the invention, in elevation and in plan view, respectively, Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a casing element according to the invention, in which male contact members, such as those in Figures 1 and 2, are placed in position, Figure 4 is a view in section similar to Figure 3, the casing element being assumed to be open and the male members not being in position, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a casing element, which is partially broken away in order better to show its construction.

Represented in Figures 1 and 2 is an electric contact making male member which is adapted to be engaged in a corresponding female member, which is not shown here.

This male member is formed by a flat strip 1, which is formed with a hole 2, two stamped out parts 3 and 4 and lugs 8 and 9, which respectively permit the fixing of a conductor wire and the insulating cover of the latter.

Along its two longitudinal sides, the male member 1 has a tongue 5 which forms a stop.

Shown in the various other Figures is a casing element adapted to receive the male members, such as those shown in Figures 1 and 2, and adapted to connect with a complementary casing element equipped with corresponding female members.

In the construction shown, the casing element is designed to receive six male members and comprises three passage 11 disposed side by side, and three passages 12 disposed side by side, but opposite in relation to the passages 11.

Each passage 11 comprises a bottom wall 13, two side walls 14 and a partition 16.

The partition 16 has formed therein a slot 17, into which extend two resilient tongues 18 formed from the side of a part 19 adapted to receive, through an opening 20, a complementary casing element (not shown), which is equipped with corresponding female contact members.

The partition 16 comprises two lateral grooves 21 which are aligned with the slot 17 and are intended for the guiding of the male contact members.

Each passage 12 is made in the same manner as the passage 11 and comprises two side walls 14a, a bottom wall 13a, a partition 16a with a slot 17a, two tongues 18a and two grooves 21a.

Extending into each passage 11, from the bottom wall 13 and as far as each groove 21, are two guide ramps 24. Guide ramps 25 are also provided from the free edge of the partition 16 as far as the grooves 21.

The passages 12 are provided with corresponding guide ramps 24a and 25a.

Hinged at right angles to the partition 16 are two covers 27 and 27a, which are designed for respectively closing the passages 11 and 12 and for locking the male members in their respective seatings.

The cover 27 comprises, at its ends, resilient lugs 28 in which are formed a seating 29, into which may be inserted a projection 30 of the corresponding wall of the casing element, so as to ensure the locking of the cover.

The body also comprises projections 30a which are adapted to cooperate with seatings 29a in resilient lugs 28a of the cover 27a.

On its face adapted to be turned so as to face the passages 11, the cover 27 comprises, for each passage 11, a pair of stops which are designed so as to operate with the side of the tongues 5 of the male contact members, adjacent tothe lugs 9 and 9, when the cover is closed.

As will be seen in Figure 3, it is possible to fit two male members in the passages 11, the said members being positioned one against the other, and this may be found to be of interest in certain areas.

The mounting of the male members in the casing element is effected in the following manner: The male member is first secured to the end of its conductor by the lugs 8, while the protective cover of each conductor is gripped between the suitably bent over lugs 9.

The casing element is presented with the covers 27 and 27a open and the male members are introduced from the side of the passages 11 and 12, the free end of each member being inserted into the openings 17 and/or 17a. The male contact members are thus guided into the grooves 21 until the tongues 5 come into abutment with the partitions 16. At the time of introducing the male members, the stamped out or embossed portions 3 have raised the resilient lugs 18 and these latter, when the tongues 5 abut against the partitions 16, prevent withdrawal of the male members. Thus, the said male members are accurately guided and are prelocked in the suitable position; however they would not be sufficiently fast with the casing element to prevent them being pushed back when the complementary element.

comprising the female members is placed in position. Therefore, a locking means is provided, which is formed by the stops 32 and 32a, and these stops, after closing the covers 27 and 27a, are adapted to bear against the side of the tongues 5 turned out from the side of the lugs 8. Thus, each male member is perfectly secured in position and forms an integral part of the casing element.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and illustrated, and that it will be possible to incorporate numerous modifications as regards details without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. An electrical connector comprising a casing including at least two relatively displaceable portions, a first one of said portions being formed with a socket having detent means adapted to engage with cooperating means on a contact member, and the second of said portions being adapted to engage with said first portion and said contact member so as to retain said contact member in said socket.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of socket adapted to receive a corresponding number of contact members.

3. An electrical contact member as claimed in claim 2 in which the said sockets are formed in a first portion of the casing, each of said sockets having a displaceable portion associated therewith to retain the respective contact member.

4. An electrical connector according to any preceding claim in which said casing comprises a hollow body divided into two internal regions by a partition, the said socket or sockets being formed in said partition, and the or each said contact member being adapted for mounting in said socket with one end extending into one said region and being adapted to receive a flexible electrical connection, and with other end extending into said other region and including a contact member adapted to engage with a mating contact member of another connector.

5. An electrical connector according to any preceding claim in which the detent means of the socket comprises a resilient lug and the cooperating means on the contact member comprises an embossed stud.

6. An electrical connector according to any preceding claim in which the said second portion of the casing includes inwardly projecting lugs which are - adapted to engage with outwardly projecting lugs on the contact member.

7. An electrical connector according to any preceding claim in which the relatively displaceable portions are pivotally connected.

8. A male electrical contact member of the type comprising an elongated strip of flat section, adapted to be inserted with a free end into the passage of a corresponding female member, while the other end comprises means for its connection to an electric conductor, and a casing element de signed to cooperate with another corresponding element supporting the female contact members, the said casing element being of the type comprising a body with at least one passage adapted to receive a male member, each passage having a partition in which is formed an opening through which the corresponding male member extends, with prelocking means for the said male member, which comprises a tongue along each longitudinal edge or side in the vicinity of its end adjacent to the means for connection to an electric conductor, while the casing element is provided with stops for locking the male members, characterised in that the cover comprises a pair of stops for each passage, one of which stops is adapted to bear against one tongue, and the other against the other tongue, in the closed position of the cover, while the pre-locking means are formed by a projection provided at a point intermediate of the length of the male member and adapted to cooperate with a resilient lug provided in each passage of the casing.

9. A male electrical contact member and casing element adapted to contain such a member, according to claim 1, characterised in that each passage comprises guide ramps for the male member.

10. An electrical connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.