GB2115625A - Mounting electrical terminals in a connector housing - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connector housing (3) comprises a body (4) and a terminal retention plate (5) secured to the body (4) by means (20, 21) providing both axial and transverse movement of the plate (5) relative to the axes of passageways (7) in the body (4) as the plate (5) is moved between two positions relative to the body (4). The plate (5) is formed with keyhole-type holes (17) which permit insertion of a terminal (8) terminating a conductor (9) into each passageway (7) when the plate (5) is in one position relative to the body (4) but which will pass only the conductor (9) when the plate (5) is moved both axially towards and transverse to the body (4) to a second position, the plate (5) then serving to retain the terminals (8) in the passageways (7) in the body (4). The means (20, 21) comprises a latch mechanism shaped so as to guide the plate (5) when it is moved between the first and second positions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connector housing This invention relates to an electrical connector housing.

Many forms of electrical connector housing are well known, a common form comprising a moulded body of electrically insulating plastics material having a plurality of through passageways each to receive and retain an electrical conductor.

With such known housings the terminals are generally retained in their passageways against removal by tensile forces applied to the conductors connected to the terminals, by means of lances formed in the terminals engaging shoulders formed in the passageways in the housing. However, recently there has been a growing requirement for housings which provide a second, additional means of retaining the terminals in the passageways, such second means often also serving to ensure that the terminals are correctly received in their passageways such that the first lance and shoulder retaining means is operative.

In British Patent Specification No. 1,525,046 there is described an electrical connector housing in which the second terminal retaining means is provided by an integrally formed hinged flap in one wall of the housing, the flap carrying a plurality of projections which, when the flap is closed into the housing wall, enter passageways in the housing and engage behind respective terminals in the passageways thereby to retain the terminals in the passageways. When the flap is opened the projections are withdrawn from the passageways whereby the terminals can be inserted or withdrawn as required.

Such an arrangement is of use only when the passageways in the housing are in a straight row, and cannot readily be adapted for use with housings having a plurality of passageways arranged, for example, in a grid array.

In British Patent Specification No. 1,237,320 there is described an electrical connector in which terminals are retained in passageways in a housing by means of a plate having a plurality of keyhole-shaped holes therein respectively associated with the passageways. The plate is secured to the housing such that it is movable relative thereto between a first position in which the larger ends of the holes in the plate are aligned with the passageways such that terminals terminating conductors can be passed through the holes into the passageways, the plate then being moved to a second position in which the smaller ends of the holes in the plate are aligned with the passageways with the conductors passing through the smaller ends of the holes in the plate while the terminals engage the plate and are thus retained in the passageways.

In this known connector the plate merely slides across one face of the housing when moving between the first and second positions, and it is essential for all the terminals to be fully and correctly inserted into their respective passageways before the plate is moved to its second position.

According to this invention an electrical connector housing comprising a body having a plurality of through passageways each to receive and retain an electrical terminal terminating an electrical conductor, and a plate securable to the body in, and movable between. two positions relative to the body, the plate having a plurality of holes therein, the holes having portions of different cross-sectional area arranged such that with the plate in a first position relative to the body, terminals terminating conductors can be passed through the holes in the plate into respective passageways whereafter the plate can be moved to a second position relative to the body, in which the conductors pass through the holes in the plate while the terminals engage the plate and are thus retained in the passageways, is characterised in that the plate is secured to the body by means providing movement of the plate both axially of and transversely of the axes of the passageway as the plate is moved from its first to its second position relative to the body.

The housing of this invention has the advantage that in addition to providing retention for the terminals in the passageways, which may be in addition to other retention provided by direct co-operation between the terminals and the passageways, the plate also serves by its axial movement to ensure that all the terminals are correctly received in their passageways such that any other retention means is also operational.

This invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of two matable electrical connectors each having a housing according to this invention; and Figure 2 is a scrap view of part of either of the connectors of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows two electrical connectors 1 and 2 each comprising a housing 3 moulded from electrically insulating plastics material and comprising a body 4 and a retention plate 5 which is joined to the body 4 by flexible straps 6. The straps 6 are not essential but are convenient since they ensure that the plate 5 will not become separated from the body 4 prior to use.

Each body 4 is formed with a grid array of through passageways 7 each of which receives a respective terminal 8 terminating a conductor 9.

The terminals 8 in the connector 1 are pins having a male contact portion 10 for mating with a female socket portion (not shown) of a terminal 8 of the connector 2. Each terminal 8 is of known form and has in addition to its mating portion, a conductor-connecting portion comprising a pair of crimping ferrules 11 and 12 crimped about the core and insulating respectively of the associated conductor 9, and is formed with lances 1 3 which engage shoulders formed in the associated passageway 7 to prevent tensile forces on the associated conductor 9 withdrawing the terminal 8 from the passageway 7, in known manner.

The housings 3 are also formed with latch arms 14 which serve, in known manner, to secure the connectors 1 and 2 in apertures in a panel, not shown, if required. The housing 3 of the connector 1 also carries a pair of latch arms 1 5 on a pair of opposed faces, which latch arms 1 5 cooperate with ramps 1 6 on the housing 3 of the connector 2 to ensure positive mating and secure latching of the two connectors 1 and 2 together in the mated condition while permitting easy unmating when required as described in European Patent Appiication No. 81301667.2, Publication No. 0039548.

The retention plate 5 of each housing 3 is formed with a plurality of parallel elongate slots 1 7 which align with the rows of passageways 7 in the associated housing body 4. Each slot 1 7 has alternating portions 1 8 and 1 9 of respectively relatively large and relatively small cross-sectional area, the large portions 1 8 being capable of passing a terminal 8 with the conductor 9 connected thereto while the small portions 1 9 will pass the conductor 9 but not the terminal 8 and in particular not the crimped ferrule 12 of the terminal 8.

Although in the housings 3 shown in the drawing the plates 5 are formed with slots 1 7 they can otherwise be formed with a plurality of keyhole-shaped apertures respectively associated with the passageways 7 in the body 4 of the housing 3, each keyhole-shape aperture providing a relatively large and a relatively small crosssectional area portion as described above.

Each plate 5 is formed at its periphery with four legs 20 all extending in the same direction and perpendicular to the plane of the plate 5, these legs 20 being receivable in individual hoops 21 formed on the associated body 4 of the housing 3.

The outwardly facing surface of each leg 20 is formed with three transverse ribs 22 which provide a ratchet action as the leg 20 passes through the associated hoop 21. The ribs 22 are spaced to provide two positions of the plate 5 relative to the body 4 axially of the passageways 7, the first position being spaced from the opposed face of the body 3, as shown for the connector 1, and the second position being in engagement with the opposed face of the body 3, as shown for the connector 2.The side edges of each leg 20 are formed with cam surfaces 23 which engage the associated hoop 21 as the leg 20 passes therethrough to move the plate 5 between two positions relative to the body 4 transversely of the axes of the passageways 7, the first position, shown for the connector 1, aligning the larger portions 1 8 of the slots 1 7 in the plate 5 with the passageways 7, and the second position, shown for the connector 2, aligning the smaller portions 19 of the slots 1 7 in the plate 5 with the passageways 7.

Thus, with the plate 5 held by the ribs 22 on its legs 20 engaging the hoops 21, in the first position axially and transversely of the passageways 7, as shown for the connector 1, the terminals 8 with the conductors 9 connected thereto can be passed through the larger portions 1 8 of the slots 1 7 in the plate 5 into their respective passageways 7 in the body 4. The plate 5 is then urged towards the body 4 into its second position axially of the passageways 7, as shown for the connector 2, during which movement the cam surfaces 23 on the legs 20 engage the associated hoops 21 and move the plate 5 into its second position transversely of the passageways 7, in which position, as shown for the connector 2, the conductors 9 connected to the terminals 9 pass through the smaller portions 1 9 of the slots 1 7 in the plate 5.However, the crimped ferrule 12 of each terminal 8 will not pass through the smaller portion 19 of the slot 1 7 in the plate 5, and thus the plate 5 serves to retain the terminals 8 in their respective passageways 7, the plate 5 being latched in its second position axially and transversely of the passageways 7 by the co-operation between the ribs 22 on the legs 20 of the plate 5 and the associated hoops 21 on the body 4 of the housing 3.

The plate 5 thus provides a retaining means additional to the terminal retention provided by the co-operation between the lances 13 on the terminals 8 and the co-operating shoulders in the passageways 7.

When a terminal 8 is to be removed from the associated passageway 7 the plate 5 is urged back into its first portion axially and transversely of the passageways 7 such that after release of the lances 13, in known manner, the terminal 8 can be withdrawn through a larger portion 1 8 of a slot 17 in the plate 5. The legs 20 in the plate 5 have cam surfaces 23 which co-operate with the hoops 21 to effect movement of the plate 5 from its second to its first position transversely of the passageways 7 as the plate 5 is moved from its second to its first position axially of the passageways 7, the plate 5 being held in its first and second positions by co-operation between the ribs 22 on the legs 20 and the associated hoops 21.

Referring now to Figure 2, this shows that if a terminal 8 is not correctly seated in the associated passageway 7, that is with the lances 1 3 on the terminal 8 engaging the co-operating shoulders in the passageway 7, then on movement of the plate 5 from its first to its second position the crimped ferrule 12 of the terminal 8 will be engaged by the plate 5 such that the movement of the plate 5 axially of the passageways 7 serves to urge the terminal 8 further into the passageway 7 until it is correctly received therein.

Claims (6)

Claims

1. An electrical connector housing comprising a body having a plurality of through passageways each to receive and retain an electrical terminal terminating an electrical conductor, and a plate securable to the body in, and movable between, two positions relative to the body, the plate having a plurality of holes therein, the holes having portions of different cross-sectional area arranged such that with the plate in a first position relative to the body, terminals terminating conductors can be passed through the holes in the plate into respective passageways whereafter the plate can be moved to a second position relative to the body, in which the conductors pass through the holes in the plate while the terminals engage the plate and thus retained in the passageways characterised in that the plate is secured to the body by means providing movement of the plate bath axially of and transversely of the axes of the passageways as the plate is moved from its first to its second position relative to the body.

2. A housing as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the means securing the plate to the body comprises legs on the plate received in hoops on the body, the legs being formed with ribs which provide a ratchet action with the associated hoops axially of the axes of the passageways in the body as the plate is moved between its first and second positions relative to the body, and the legs being formed with cam surfaces which engage the associated hoops to move the plate transversely of the axes of the passageways in the body as the plate is moved between its first and second positions relative to the body.

3. A housing as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the passageways in the body are in a grid array, there being a single elongate slot having a plurality of portions of each of two different cross-sectional areas associated with each row of passageways in the array.

4. A housing as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that each passageway has an individually associated hole in the plate.

5. A housing as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the body and plate are integrally formed joined by flexible straps.

6. An electrical connector housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.