GB2224890A

GB2224890A - Electrical socket with multi-orientation test facility

Info

Publication number: GB2224890A
Application number: GB8826710A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Detlev Schlesinger
Original assignee: Thyssen Industrie AG
Current assignee: ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG
Priority date: 1987-04-10
Filing date: 1988-11-15
Publication date: 1990-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-15
Also published as: FR2638905A1; DE3712258A1; GB2224890B; DE3712258C2; GB8826710D0; FR2638905B1

Description

A 1 4 1 2224890 - 1 MULTIPOLAR_ELECTRICALSOCKET FOR_ROUND_CONNECTORS The

invention relates to a multipolar electrical socket for round connectors of the type which enables subsequent variation of the coding to be used for continuity and insulation testing of cables with connectors by means of cable-testing apparatus, e.g. in accordance with Connector Standard VG 95 328, in order to reduce the number of sockets required for the purposes of testing.

A cable connecting device is known in which subsequent variation of the socket coding is achieved by turning the socket at the rear within a plug sleeve, the socket being secured in the required coding position by means of an elastic ring and an abutment element.

This solution suffers from the disadvantage that turning of the socket causes torsional forces to be applied to the connected cable and to the contacts, as a result of which various types of damage can occur such as line fracture or contact bending, which can 7 - 2 1 lead in turn to connection problems. Furthermore, it is difficult to vary the coding position in the case of sockets installed in boxes when this cari only be done from the rear. Lastly, the fact that when testing cables with differently coded connectors, the rear insulating body must repeatedly be released gives rise to sealing problems and hence also to corrosion damage.

It is an object of the invention to provide a multipolar electrical connector which enables subsequent coding variation in a simple and reliab manner without affecting the connected cable.

1 e According to the invention, there is provided a multipolar electrical socket for round connectors comprising front and rear sections, a lug/groove guide between the front casing section and a round connector inserted therein, the front casing section being detachably securable to the rear casing section in a plurality of predetermined angular positions, a contact insert non-rotatably fitted in the rear casing section in a fixed position, the rear casing section having a cylindrical guide surface to slidingly receive the front casing section which is limited by an annular 1 rear abutment surface extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis (X) of the socket to cooperate with corresponding front abutment surface on the front casing section, the front and rear casing abutment surfaces having at least one projection and at least one correspondingly designed recess capable of sliding into one another in said predetermined angular positions, the cylindrical front casing section having a plurality of locking pins around its external surface and a plurality of additional grooves around its internal surface extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the socket and parallel to the lug/groove guide, its end facing the rear casing section having an outward directed cylindrical collar with the front abutment surface thereon, the rear casing section having an annular collar with an external thread thereon and the front casing section being secured to the rear casing section by means of a screwed sleeve capable of being screwed on to the threaded collar on the rear casing section, said screwed sleeve having an inwardly directed collar which abuts the cylindrical collar of the front casing section, said collar being provided with internal is -1e grooves, the number and arrangement of which corresponds with locking pins.

is The socket of the invention has the advantage that the contact insert retains its position without change when the coding is varied so that no torsional forces acting on the connected cable are generated. Setting is effected from the front and requires merely detachment of the screwed sleeve, turning of the front section of the casing into the required coding position and retightening of the screwed sleeve. In the case of sockets installed in boxes, this can be done with a single hand and without any additional tools.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 shows a socket of the invention in exploded form, Figure 2 is a sideview of the assembled socket of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of detail "A" in Figure 2, 1 Figure 4 is a front view of an assembled socket in its normal position and Figure 5 shows front views N, U, X, Y, Z of sockets according to Connector Standard VG 95328 illustrating the various possible angular positions of the contact insert in the socket casing.

The socket shown in exploded form in Figure 1 consists of a rear casing section 1, a contact insert 2, a front casing section 3 and a screwed sleeve 4. Contact insert 2 is secured in known manner, e.g. by cementing, within the cylindrical part 5 of the rear casing section 1 so that it cannot rotate.

The exterior of the front end of the cylindrical section 5 of rear casing section 1 is provided with a cylindrical guide surface 5a with which an annular collar 6 with an external thread 6a adjoins. Annular collar 6 also has a circular abutment surface 6b facing forward and extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis X of the socket, said abutment surface 6b being provided with one or several projections 6c. In the illustrated embodiment, rear casing section 1 has a rectangular attachment flange 7.

1 1 is The exterior of the front casing section 3 has a cylindrical collar 3a on it which faces the rear casing section 1, recesses 3f (not shown) being arranged on its abutment surface 3e extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis X of the socket, whereby said recesses 3f correspond with projections 6c on the rear casing section 1. Front casing section 3 has several locking pins 3b around the periphery of its outside surface and several longitudinal grooves 3c on its inside surface, as well as a main guide groove 3d, said grooves being arranged in accordance with the appropriate Connector Standard, e.g. VG 95328.

Screwed sleeve 4 has an inner thread 4a corresponding with the outer thread 6a, as well as an inner collar 4b. Said inner collar 4b is provided with grooves 4c extending to the root of the thread, whereby the number and arrangement of said grooves corresponds to the number and arrangement of locking pins 3b on the front casing section 3.

The arrangement of the recesses 3f on the one hand and the corresponding projections 6c on the other hand has been chosen in such a way as to ensure that, in relation to J 7 the stationary contact insert 2, several defined angular positions can be set between the front and rear casing sections 1 and 3. By tightening the screwed sleeve 4, the angular relationship between front casing section 3 and rear casing section 1 required for a given case is ensured by positive engagement. As a result, the socket is ready to receive a connector with a corresponding contact pattern and angular setting.

is Figure 2 is a side view of the rear casing section 1. contact insert 2, front casing section 3 and screwed sleeve 4 in the assembled state. "A" designates the gap between the front face of the contact insert 2 and the front face of front casing section 3 as specified in the Connector Standard.

Figure 3 shows detail A in Figure 2 enlarged and in section. Cylindrical pin 6c projects from abutment face 6b of rear casing section 1, said pin 6c projecting into a corresponding local recess 3f in the adjointing frontal abutment surface 3e on collar 3a of the front casing section 3. The screwed sleeve is not shown in Figure 3.

1 j - 8 Figure 4 is a front view of a socket in angular position n, which is the standard position according to Connector Standard VG 95328. With this arrangement, the main guide groove 3d of the front casing section 3 faces in the direction of arrow N on attachment flange 7.

After releasing screwed sleeve 4, the front casing section 3 can be turned at will into any one of the angular positions according to Connector Standard VG 95328, which on attachment flange 7 bear the designations N. W, X, Y and Z, and can in that position again be secured positively by engaging pin 6c in recess 3f and tightening screwed sleeve 4.

Figure 5 shows possible angular positions far N, W, X,' Y and Z between main guide groove 3d and contact insert 2. The corresponding angle data concerning the various contact inserts 2 are contained in tables in Connector Standard VG 95328, which have not been reproduced in this document.

J

Claims

1. A multipolar electrical socket for round connectors comprising front and rear sections, a lug/groove guide between the front casing section and a round connector inserted therein, the front casing section being detachably securable to the rear casing -section in a plurality of predetermined angular positions, a contact insert non-rotatably fitted in the rear casing section in a fixed position, the rear casing section having a cylindrical guide surface to slidingly receive the front casing section which is limited by an annular rear abutment surface extending at right angles to-the longitudinal axis (X) of the socket to cooperate w-i,, h a corresponding front abutment surface on the front casing section, the front and rear casing abutment surfaces having at least one projection And,: least one correspondingly designed recess capabile of' sliding into one another in said predetermined angular positions, the cy-indrical front casing section having .,o 4 1 1 - P a plurality of locking pins around its external surface and a plurality of additional grooves around its internal surface extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the socket and parallel to the lug/groove guide, its end facing the rear casing section having an outward directed cylindrical collar with the front abutment surface thereon, the rear casing section having an annular collar with an external thread thereon and the front casing section being secured to the rear casing section by means of a screwed sleeve capable of being screwed on to the threaded collar on the rear casing section, said screwed sleeve having an inwardly directed collar which abuts the cylindrical collar of the front casing section, said collar being provided with internal grooves, the number and arrangement of which corresponds with locking pins.

1 C 11 -

2. A multipolar electrical socket for round connectors substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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