GB2189089A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector comprises a casing (1) having recesses (7) and a pin- containing insert (3) which latches into the casing (1) via resilient arms (34) which have lugs (35) for engaging respective recesses (7). The insert (3) incorporates a cable clamp having a strirrup (45) joined by a film hinge (39) to the body of the insert (3). A cover (4), for preventing access to the connector contacts (39), includes integral pivot pins (12, fig. 7 not shown) which snap into eyes (11) in the casing (1). A gap between a collar (28) of the insert (3) and the casing (1) receives a bead (20) of the cover (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Connector The invention relates to a connector, for instance of the type comprising a casing holding an insert formed with chambers receiving connector pins and a pull-relief device, and a hinged cover closing the plug-in opening and the insert.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrical connector comprising a casing, an insert for receiving connector pins, a pullrelief device, and a hinged cover for the pins, the insert having a collar for cooperating with a mating connector and at least two resilient tongues disposed on opposite sides of the collar and having locking lugs which engage in locking recesses in an inner wall of the casing.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector comprising a casing and an insert having resilient tongues for engaging recesses in the casing.

It is thus possible to provide a connectorwhich is easy to assemble. The insert may be in one piece and may self-supportingly reinforce the casing. In particular, the insert may be a one-piece injectionmoulded part containing all receiving chambers, an insertion collar, transverse walls and pull-relief device. These parts may be connected to one another in one piece and some may be foldable via film hinges, so that the insert can be brought into the operating position during assembly after injection. The tongues resiliently hold the insert in the casing, thus ensuring rapid assembly by pressing into the casing.

In order to reinforce the casing, the insert may have two transverse walls which fit positively into recesses in the casing. In this manner the casing can be relatively light and made of non-rapid material.

In order to hold the insert firmly in the casing, the tongues may be disposed on one transverse wall and may extend alongside the edge of the collar.

Long tongues may be used to ensure reliable attachment after slight deformation.

If the connector is not in use, the insertion collar may be sealed by providing a peripheral gap between the collar of the insert and the inner wall of the casing in which a bead on the cover engages.

The cover may also be made in one piece and may be pivotably mounted directly on the casing by means of two integrally moulded pivot pins engaging in eyes in the casing with a leg spring surrounding one pivot pin and having one leg bearing on an abutment in the cover and a second leg bearing on an abutment in the casing. This saves the need for a separate pivot pin for the cover.

In order reliably to secure connector pins, the insert may have chambers for receiving the pins which may be locked by resilient tongues at undercuts of the chambers.

To avoid the need for any additional pull-relief components, a pull-relief stirrup may be integrally moulded via a film hinge and a transverse wall of the insert may have a passage for the connecting lead and may be foldable.

The connecting chambers may be given reliable electrical insulation by providing a web forming a partition between connecting chambers on a longitudinal wall connecting the transverse walls inside the insert.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general view of a plug constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a section along line I1--II of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a detail of a connector insert provided by an injection-moulded part; Figure 4 is a plan view of the insert of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 4, after the transverse wall of the connector insert has been folded over; Figure 6 is a side view of the insert Figure 3; and Figure 7 shows a section along line VIl-VIl of Figure 2.

An electrical connector comprises a casing 1 of relatively non-rigid material, an integrally-formed connecting brush, a connector insert 3, and a cover 4.

The casing 1 has a rectangular cross-section. The walls of the casing 1 are comparatively thin, since the casing is reinforced by the insert 3 as described hereinafter. A rectangular end wall 5 of the casing 1 has narrow sides 6 formed with locking recesses 7.

A wide side 8 is formed with a chamber 9 for receiving the cover 4. The side walls 10 of the chamber 9 have eye-like passages 11 for pivot pins 12 of the cover. Flared grooves 13 for inserting the pins 12 are provided adjacent the passages 1 liThe pins 12 are integrally formed on the cover 4. One of the pins 12 holds the helical turns 14 of a leg spring 15. A leg 16 of spring 15 is secured in a slot 17 of cover 4, and is thus held. The other leg 18 of spring 15 abuts a side wall of the chamber 9, thus producing tension in conventional manner inside the leg spring, which thus substantially prestresses the cover 4. The cover 4 has an attached handle 19 for actuation. The cover also has a peripheral bead 20 which engages in the end wall 5 and thus seals the cover when closed.

The inner walls of casing 1 also have recesses 21 for a transverse wall 22 of the insert 3 and recesses 23 for an additional transverse wall 24 of the insert 3. The casing 1 is thus reinforced by the transverse walls 22 and 24. The casing 1 ends in a passage 25 for snapping in a sleeve 26 of the bush 2.

The insert 3 is a one-piece injection-moulded part which will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6, which show the finished injection-moulded part before assembly. Adjacent the first transverse wall 22, the insert 3 has chambers 27 with an adjacent collar 28 into which a plug (not shown) can be inserted. The two chambers 27 are substantially cylindrical and each receives a socket 29 (see Figure 1). A side wail of each chamber 27 has a lug-like projection formed with an undercut 30. The undercut 30 engages a tongue 31 of the socket 29, which is thus secured. The socket 29 ends in a connecting leg 32 which extends through a slot 33 of the chamber 27.Resilient tongues 34 are disposed on the transverse wall 22 and extend in the direction of the collar 28 and have locking lugs 35 which engage the recesses 7 in the inner wall of the casing 1.

A longitudinal wall 36 adjacent the wall 22 has a partition web 37 which separates two connecting chambers 38 adjacent the chambers 27. The wall 36 also bears the transverse wall 24, which is secured via a film hinge 40 and has a passage 41 for a connecting lead 42. The hinge 40 can be used to fold the wall 24 at right-angles to the direction of wall 36.

The wall 24 is laterally reinforced by webs 43, which fit into the recesses 23 and thus help to secure the insert 3 and to reinforce the casing 1. A pull-relief web 44 is disposed on the transverse wall 24 and, via a film hinge 39, is integrally moulded with a pullrelief stirrup 43 having passages 46 for pull-relief screws.

Figures 3,4 and 6 show the insert 3 as an injection-moulded part. The complete connector is assembled starting from the connector insert. The sockets 29 are pushed into the chambers 27 until each tongue 31 locks behind an undercut 30. The leg 32 is passed through the slot 33 and projects into the chamber 38. The wall 24 is folded round the hinge 40 into the position in Figure 5. Plug-in or spade terminals 47 formed on the connecting cores of the lead 42 are inserted in the manner shown in Figure 1. The terminals 47 are pushed over the legs 32. The stirrup 45 is then folded around the hinge 39.

Screws are inserted into the passages 46 and corresponding passages in the web 44 and firmly clamp the stirrup 45 and thus hold the lead 42.

The device is then inserted into the end wall 5 of the casing 1. The transverse walls 22, 24 fit into the recesses 21,23 and thus centre the insert 3 inside the casing 1. The lugs 35 of the tongues 34 enter the recesses 7 of the wall 5 and thus lock the insert 3. A gap 48 is left free between the collar 28 and the inner side of the wall 5. The insert 3 has now been completely assembled. The casing 1 is reinforced by the insert 3. The walls 22,24 of the insert 3 are firmly secured inside the casing 1 and are thus also braced against one another.

The cover 4 closes the end of the casing 1 and its bead 20 fits into the gap 48 between the wall 5 and the collar 28, thus closing the coupler in sealingtight manner.

In order to insert a plug, the cover 4 is opened by using the handle 19. A plug can then be inserted into the collar 28, whereupon the plug slots or pins engage in the sockets 29.

The electrical connector thus needs only a smaller number of components. The insert is a single part, which can be brought into its final shape by folding the connector parts during assembly. Any arrangement of pins may be provided in place of the female pins or sockets 29 shown in the drawing.

Thus, a male connector (plug), female connector (socket), or mixed connector having any desired number of ways or poles may be provided.

Claims (9)

1. An electrical connector comprising a casing, an insert for receiving connector pins, a pull-relief device, and a hinged cover for the pins, the insert having a collar for cooperating with a mating connector and at least two resilient tongues disposed on opposite sides of the collar and having locking lugs which engage in locking recesses in an inner wall of the casing.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, in which the insert has two transverse walls which fit positively into recesses in the casing.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 2, in which the tongues are disposed on one of the transverse walls and extend alongside the edge of the collar.

4. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a peripheral gap between the collar of the insert and the inner wall of the casing is provided for receiving a bead on the cover.

5. A connector as claimed in claim 4, in which the cover has two integrally moulded pivot pins engaging in eyes in the casing and a leg spring surrounding one pivot pin has one leg bearing on an abutment in the cover and a second leg bearing on an abutment in the casing.

6. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the insert has chambers for receiving the connector pins which are locked by resilient tongues at undercuts of the chambers.

7. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which a pull-relief stirrup is integrally moulded via a film hinge and a transverse wall of the insert has a passage forthe connecting lead and is foldable.

8. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, in which a web forming a partition between connecting chambers is provided on a longitudinal wall connecting transverse walls inside the insert.

9. A connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. A connector comprising a casing and an insert having resilient tongues for engaging recesses in the casing.

10. A connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: (b) New or textually amended claims have been filed as foliows:-- CLAIMS

1. An electrical connector comprising a casing, an insert for receiving connector pins, a pull-relief device, and a hinged coverforthe pins, the insert having a transverse wall and a collar for cooperating with a mating connector wherein at least two resilient tongues are disposed on the transverse wall and extend alongside opposite sides of the collar, the tongues having locking lugs which engage in locking recesses in an inner wall of the casing.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, in which two transverse walls fit positively into recesses in the casing.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a peripheral gap between the collar of the insert and the inner wall of the casing is provided for receiving a bead on the cover.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 3, in which the cover has two integrally moulded pivot pins engaging in eyes in the casing and a leg spring surrounding one pivot pin has one leg bearing on an abutment in the cover and a second leg bearing in an abutment in the casing.

5. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the insert has chambers for receiving the connector pins which are locked by resilient tongues at undercuts of the chambers.

6. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which a pull-relief stirrup is integrally moulded via a film hinge and a transverse wall of the insert has a passage for the connecting lead and is foldable.

7. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which a web forming a partition between connecting chambers is provided on a longitudinal wall connecting transverse walls inside the insert.

8. A connector comprising a casing and an insert having resilient tongues for engaging recesses in the casing.