GB2269944A

GB2269944A - Terminal assurance for an electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB2269944A
Application number: GB9314745A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Deiss; Uwe Eggert; Reimar Grosskopf; Manfred Illg
Original assignee: Cannon Electric GmbH
Current assignee: ITT Cannon GmbH
Priority date: 1992-07-18
Filing date: 1993-07-16
Publication date: 1994-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-16
Also published as: DE4223712A1; GB9314745D0; FR2693844B1; GB2269944B; FR2693844A1; DE4223712C2

Description

2269944 1 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR The invention relates to an electrical

connector wherein two connector parts, in each of which contact elements are fixed by securing parts, are able to be connected to each other by locking means and wherein the contact elements are disposed in holes in the connector parts.

The invention seeks to provide a "go/no go,, function. This means that fitting together of the securing parts in the connector parts (plug part, socket part) is possible only if the contact elements (sockets, plugs) also f it properly. It should not be possible, if a contact element does not fit properly, to bring the securing part and the connector part into their final position by the use of force.

According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector wherein two connector parts, in each of which contact elements are fixed by securing parts, can be connected with each other by locking means and wherein the contact elements are disposed in holes in the connector parts, characterised in that, there is disposed at the end of the holes facing towards the assigned securing part at least one engagement element which is resiliently outwardly biased upon insertion of a contact element and which comprises a bead which, when the contact element is in the right position, snaps into a constriction in the element such that in this position it is able to be introduced into 2 a free space in the securing part, and wherein the engagement element has an abutment edge forming a stop surface which, when the bead lies against an area of the contact element whose thickness is greater than that of the constriction, contacts an arresting surface provided along the perimeter of the free space.

Preferably, the engagement element is an engaging hook, the area of the contact element whose thickness is greater than the constriction is circular and the abutment edge contacts an arresting surface provided along the circumference of the free space which is circular in cross section.

A refinement of the invention provides that there is provided at the end of the hole at least one shoulder which is disposed in such a way that said area of a contact element can be pushed past it, but a collar next to the constriction in the contact element in the opposite direction cannot be pushed past it.

This firstly solves the problem of the "go/no go" function. It is furthermore ensured that when the socket part and the securing part are pushed together, the contact elements (socket, plug) in the associated connector part (socket part, connector part) do not have to be pushed back again. This is undesirable because it is liable to damage the sealing elements and the seal itself.

In a further advantageous development there are provided two oppositely disposed engagement elements and similarly oppositely disposed two shoulders and that the engagement elements are disposed substantially at right angles to the shoulders.

A further advantageous development provides that the arresting surfaces in the securing part are followed by projections which, in the finally assembled condition of the connector part and the securing part, project into slots which are provided adjacent to the engagement elements in the connector part and that the engagement elements in their outwardly biased condition contact the inside of the projections.

A further advantageous development provides that the connection between the connector part and the associated securing part is made by two further engagement elements which are provided in one of the two parts and which comprise beads offset in relation to each other in the plugging-together direction which are able to engage behind beads assigned to them in a channel in the other part, the bead on the first engagement element engaging behind and holding the assigned bead in a first position and the bead on the second engagement element engaging behind and holding the assigned bead in a second position.

It is thus possible, in the case of such a connector, to llpreassemblell the connector parts in question together with the securing part, so that all the user has to do is to push in the contact elements (socket, plug) with the wire attached to them and then gently press the connector parts with the securing parts into their final position. 20 In order that the invention and its various other preferred features may be understood more easily, some embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the connector, Figure 2 is a plan view in the direction of arrows II-II in Figure 1 (i.e. as Figure 1, but turned by 900), Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a section along line IV-IV in Figure 3 (i.e. turned by 900 in relation thereto, but in a state in which connector parts 1, 2 have not yet been fully plugged together with the assigned securing parts 7,9), 4 Figure 4a is an enlarged illustration of the portion identified IVa in Figure 4, -Figure 5 is a view taken along the line V-V in 5 Figure 2, but without securing part 7 having been inserted, Figure 6 is an enlarged illustration of the portion identified VI in Figure 5, Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 5, Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7 (i.e. turned by 900 in relation to Figure 7), Figure 9 is an illustration similar to Figure 7, but with securing part 7 fully pushed in Pfinally engaged"), Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken along line X-X in Figure 9 (offset by 900 in relation thereto), and Figures lla and lib are perspective views of socket part 1 and the assigned securing part 7 in the "finally engaged", i.e. pushed- together, position (Figure lia) and in the pulled- apart position (Figure lib).

Figures 1 and 2 show a side view and a top view of a connector produced by plugging together a socket part 1 with a plug (pin) part 2. The two are held together owing to the fact that the socket part 1 is provided with two straps 3 which each comprise an opening 4 with which, when the socket part and the plug part are plugged together, they slide over projections 5, provided on the plug part 2, thus constituting a locking function.

As can be seen from Figure 3, a multiplicity of -sockets 6 are disposed within the socket part 1. These are secured within the socket part 1 by a securing part 7.

t Within the plug part 2 there is disposed a multiplicity of plugs (pins) 8 which are secured in the plug part 2 by a securing part 9. In Figure 3, however, f or the sake of clarity, only one plug 8 and one socket 6 are drawn in.

It must be ensured that when the socket part 1 and the plug part 2 are f itted together into the position drawn, the sockets 6 in the socket part 1 and the plugs 8 in the plug part 2 are secured in precisely the right position by the securing parts 7 and 9 respectively. If they do not fit exactly it must not be possible to press the parts together by using force. This is described as a "go/no go" function.

Figure 4 shows a part of the socket part 1 with securing part 7 on the one side and plug part 2 with securing part 9 on the other side, but turned by 900 in relation to Figure 3. In Figure 4 the situation is that both the socket 6 in the socket part 1 and the plug 8 in the plug part 2 do not "fit properly". Consequently the socket part 1 and the plug part 2 cannot be completely pushed together in such a way that the straps 3 can engage over the proj ections 5, allowing the connector to be completely fitted together. This is achieved by the following measures: two flexible engaging hooks 11, 12 are assigned to each hole 10 provided in the socket part 1 f or a socket 6 (see Figure 4). They are separated in relation to the body of the socket part 1 by slots 13, 14. These engaging hooks 11, 12 can also be seen in Figure 6, which, looking from the front face, shows a hole 10, but without an inserted socket 6. The two engaging hooks 11, 12 (see Figure 4a) comprise internally, i.e. on the side facing each other, a bead 15 or 16 respectively. Towards the open side (on the right in Figure 4a) there is adjacent to the beads 15, 16 a partly cylindrical area 17,18 which is in each case terminated by a stop surface 19, 20 running substantially at right angles to it.

So long as the cylindrical part 21 of the socket 6 has not yet been fully pushed into hole 22 in the securing part 7, i.e. until it nearly lies against a shoulder 23, the 6 beads 15, 16 rest externally on the cylindrical part 21 of the socket 6. In this condition the two engaging hooks 11, 12 are- urged so far apart that, upon further pushing together in the direction of the arrow 47, the stop surf aces 191 20 hit against the arresting surfaces 24, 25 in the securing part 7. The f ront ends of each of the engaging hooks 11, 12 then lie, on the outside against inner surfaces 26, 27 of projections 28, 29. These are provided on the securing part 7.

First the socket 6, led by its cylindrical part 21, is pressed into the hole 22 until the beads 15, 16 can spring together and occupy the space left on the socket 6 by constriction 30. That is their untensioned position. Then the securing part 7 is fitted on or inserted until the end of the cylindrical part 21 of the socket 6 projects as far as the shoulder 23 (see Figure 9). The free ends 31, 32 (see Figure 4) of the engaging hooks 11, 12 then f it into the free annular space 33 which is provided in the securing part 7 and which has a larger diameter than the hole 22.

The arresting stop which was provided by the hitting of the stop surfaces 19,20 against the arresting surfaces 24, 25 in Figures 4, 4a is removed and the securing part 7 can then be pushed fully into or along the socket part 1, so that the two (1, 7) lie with their surfaces against each other. The projections 28, 29 then engage in the funnel-shaped widenings of the slots 13, 14. This situation is illustrated by Figure 9.

If the situation shown in Figure 9 is turned by 900, we obtain Figure 10. The front view of the hole 10 in the socket part 1, as shown in Figure 10, corresponds to Figure 6. In the section shown in Figure 10 the opening of the hole 10 towards the securing part 7 is limited by the two edges 34, 35 (Figure 10a). The hole 10 is therefore not continued with the same cross section into the (Figure 10) right hand side surface of the socket part 1 but comprises at its front end, formed by edges 34, 35, shoulders 36, 37 against which bead 38 of the socket 6 lies from the left.

7 The position of the socket 6 within the socket part and the plug part 7 in the pushed-together position (Figures 3, 9, 10) is, thus determined as follows: in one direction the shoulders 36, 37 just described, when the bead 38 of the 5 socket 6 lies against them, prevent shifting to the right. In the other direction the engaging hooks 11, 12, through the fact that the beads 15, 16 lie in the constriction 30 and thus at the left end of the cylindrical part 21 of the socket 6, prevent displacement to the left. It is thus ensured that when the socket 6 is fitting correctly and the securing part 7 is fully inserted - the socket 6 is properly fitted. It is therefore impossible, if the connector is pulled apart and then fitted together again, for the socket 6 to be moved in either direction within the socket part 1.

Such moving back and forth is undesirable, because it would constantly expose sealing beads 39 to an alternating stress and thus lead to a situation where a medium against which a seal is to be provided can penetrate along the seal surfaces. This would be a particular disadvantage if such connectors were used in the interface between dry and wet areas. The securing function of the securing part 7 in the socket part 1 will now be explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8: 25 The section shown in Figure 7 runs firstly through hole 40 (as can be seen from Figure 5) in which there fits socket 6, and then through two further pairs of engaging hooks 41, 42 which project into a channel 43 in the securing part 7. In the position shown in Figure 7, the so-called llpreengagedll position, a bead 44 on the engaging hook 41 engages behind an assigned bead 48 in the channel 43. In this position, therefore, the securing part is,loosely" secured to the socket part 1. That is a kind of 11preassembly" position in which the parts of the connector are supplied by the manufacturer to the customer. The socket 6 does not yet have to be inserted in this position. Only when the connector is to be employed by the f inal user is 8 the socket 6 attached to an appropriate wire end and then (as shown in Figure 7) introduced from left to right into the hole 40 until it assumes the position shown there, which has already been explained with reference to Figure 9. 5 A socket 6 has thus now been pushed into the socket part 1 and assumes there the position shown in Figure 7 and in Figure 8. only then is the securing part 7 pushed to the left from the position shown in Figures 7 and 8, so that it then assumes the already- described position shown in Figures 9 and 10. Bead 45 then engages behind bead 49.

That is the "finally engaged" position. In this connection the exact fixing of the socket 6 in the socket part 1, even before the securing part 7 has assumed its finally-engaged position, is of great importance. This securing means that, if the securing part 7 is displaced to the left, the socket 6 can no longer be displaced with it.

Figures lla and lib show once again, in a perspective cross-section view, to further facilitate comprehension, the spatial allocation of the engaging hooks 11, 12, one of the edges 24 and the shoulders to the free annular space 33 and the hole 40in both the plugged- together position (Figure lia)and the pulled-apart position (Figure lib).

The fixing of plugs 8 in plug part 2 takes place in exactly the same way as the f ixing of the sockets in the socket part 1. In so far as the parts in question are shown, the same reference symbols are used. This is made possible through the fact that the plugs 8 are also correspondingly provided with a cylindrical part 21, a constriction 30 and a hollow 38. The connecting of the securing part 9 with the plug part 2 also takes place in the same way as has been described above for the connecting of the securing part 7 with the socket part 1.

In view of the fact that-the locking of the sockets 6 in the socket part 1 with the aid of the securing part 7 takes place in the same way as the locking of the plugs 8 in 9 the plug part 2 with the aid of the securing part 9, the patent claims always say "contact element" instead of "socketor plug" and "connector part" instead of "socket part or plug part" as the case may be, in order to achieve 5 simplification of expression.

t

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electrical connector wherein two connector parts (1,2), in each of which contact elements (6,8) are fixed by securing parts (7,9), can be connected with each other by locking means (3,4,5) and wherein the contact elements (6,8) are disposed in holes (10) in the connector parts(1,2), characterised in that, there is disposed at the end of the holes (10) facing towards the assigned securing part (7,9) at least one engagement element which is resiliently outwardly biased upon insertion of a contact element (6,8) and which comprises a bead (15,16) which, when the contact element is in the right position, snaps into a constriction (30) in the element such that in this position it is able to be introduced into a free space (33) in the securing part (7), and wherein the engagement element (11,12) has an abutment edge forming a stop surface (19,20) which, when the bead lies against an area (21) of the contact element (6,8) whose thickness is greater than that of the constriction (30), contacts an arresting surface 20 (24,25) provided along the perimeter of the free space (33).

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the engagement elements (11,12) is an engaging hook, the area (21) of the contact element (6,8) whose thickness is greater than the constriction (30) is circular and the abutment edge contacts an arresting surface (24, 25) provided along the circumference of the free space (33) which is circular cross section.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that there is provided at the end of the 30 hole (10) at least one shoulder (34,35) which is disposed in such a way that said area (21) of a contact element (6,8) can be pushed past it, but a collar (38) next to the constriction (30) in the contact element in the opposite direction cannot be pushed past it (34,35). 35

4. A connector as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that there are provided two oppositely disposed engagement elements (11, 12) and similarly oppositely 11 disposed two shoulders (34, 35) and that the engagement elements (11, 12) are disposed substantially at right angles to the -shoulders (34, 35).

5. A connector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the arresting surfaces (24,25) in the securing part (7,8) are followed by projections (28,29) which, in the finally assembled condition of the connector part (1,2) and the securing part (7,9), project into slots (13,14) which are provided adjacent to the engagement 10elements (11, 12) in the connector part (1,2) and that the engagement elements (11,12) in their outwardly biased condition contact the inside of the projections (28,29).

6. A connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connection between the connector part (1,2) and the associated securing part (7,8) is made by two further engagement elements (41,42) which are provided in one of the two parts (1,2;7,8) and which comprise beads (44,45) offset in relation to each other in the plugging- together direction (47) which are able to engage behind beads (48,49) assigned to them in a channel (43) in the other part (1,2;7,8), the bead (44) on the first engagement element (41) engaging behind and holding the assigned bead (48) in a first position and the bead (45) on the second engagement element (42) engaging behind and holding the assigned bead (49) in a second position.

7. A connector substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.