GB2347281A

GB2347281A - Locking clip for a plug-in connector

Info

Publication number: GB2347281A
Application number: GB0003353A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Markus Zink; Frank Andrae
Original assignee: Contact GmbH
Current assignee: Contact GmbH
Priority date: 1999-02-23
Filing date: 2000-02-15
Publication date: 2000-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-15
Also published as: DE10006433A1; GB2347281B; FR2790145B1; FR2790145A1; GB0003353D0; DE29903253U1

Abstract

An electrical connector 11 has a locking clip 10. The locking clip rotates about a pin 14 and has a surface (18) to pull a detente (17) on a counterpart towards the connector, a surface to latch the counterpart in place, and a surface (24) to push the counterpart away. The clip is mounted on pin 14 by a bearing surface (15) and an elongate resilient arm 26. The arm can deflect to allow the pin in but in its rest position holds the clip on the pin.

Description

Locking clip for a pluq-in connector The invention relates to a locking clip for a plug-in connector according to the preamble of claim 1 as well as to a plug-in connector according to claim 9.

From DE 196 33 827 C1 a locking clip for a plug-in device having a limb is known. The limb has an outwardly open recess, by means of which it is mountable onto a bearing pin. A detent spring is moreover fastened to the limb and partially projects into the recess which receives the bearing pin. Said detent spring in its position of rest holds the bearing pin in the recess. The limb is removable from the bearing pin in that the detent spring is deflected and clears the recess. The detent spring is an independent component which is to be fastened by bolts or rivets to the limb. The separate detent spring entails additional manufacturing and assembly outlay.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking clip, which is particularly inexpensive to manufacture, easily mountable on and removable from a plug-in connector and reliably secured on the plug-in connector.

Said object is achieved according to the invention by a locking clip and a plug-in connector which have the features of claims 1 and 9 respectively.

The basic idea behind the locking clip described in claim 1 is not to secure the limb on the bearing pin by means of a separate component but to provide said function by means of a part of the limb itself. To said end, an as such known stop spring is no longer fastened to the limb but forms a part of the limb itself. By said means, both the manufacturing and assembly outlay are reduced and a more cost-effective solution is provided. Said solution is moreover operationally more reliable because the stop spring cannot become lost.

In a particularly advantageous manner the stop spring is at least partially fashioned as a leaf spring so that during assembly it is deflected by the bearing pin to be introduced into the bearing recess and then springs back into its position of rest, in which it blocks the bearing pin and prevents it from sliding out of the bearing recess.

The blocking portion disposed on the stop spring advantageously comprises a lead-in bevel or lead-in curve so that the bearing pin may easily be introduced into the preferentially funnel-shaped bearing recess.

To enable removal of the locking clip from the bearing pin, a lead-out bevel or lad-out curve is advantageously also formed on the blocking portion.

Such a locking clip is particularly suitable for a plug-in connector having a surface-mounting housing as well as a plug-in housing, of which a detent pin is receivable by a detent recess formed on the limb. By said means, a reliable and durable connection of the two plug-in connector parts is guaranteed.

The bearing recess is advantageously designed so as to be open substantially in the opposite direction to the detent recess so that, upon locking home of the detent recess on the detent pin, the bearing pin is simultaneously pressed into the bearing recess.

In the locked position of the locking clip, the bearing recess together with the line connecting the centres of bearing pin and detent pin includes an open mouth angle of 90 or less. In the locked position, the bearing pin is then hooked in the bearing recess and the stop spring is not loaded by clamping forces, which ensure locking.

The locking clip advantageously comprises a gripping piece as well as two limbs, which are disposed on either end of the gripping piece approximately at right angles to the gripping piece. Thus, uniform, symmetrical locking of a plug-in connector at two detent pins may be effected.

An embodiment of the invention is now described in greater detail with reference to the diagrammatic drawings. Said drawings show: Fig. 1 the perspective view of a limb of a locking clip according to the invention which is mounted on a surface-mounting housing.

Fig. 2 the front view of the limb shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a surface-mounting housing 11 of a plug-in connector, which is suitable for receiving electrical contact tubes and is fastened e. g. to an electrical appliance. A plug-in housing (not shown), which carries e. g. contact pins of a plug, may be introduced-in relation to Fig. 1-from above into the surface-mounting housing. Pressed into a first side wall 19 of the surfacemounting housing 11 is a first rivet 14, which protrudes from the side wall 19 and forms a bearing pin. A second rivet 21 is fastened to a second side wall 23 lying opposite the first side wall 19.

Mounted on the bearing pin 14 is a limb 10, which is part of a locking clip for locking the surface-mounting housing 11 to the plug-in housing. The limb 10 is punched from approximately 2 mm thick, galvanized Ck67 (C67E) 1.1231 or X46Crl3 1.4034 sheet material.

As Fig. 2 reveals, the limb 10 has a substantially U-shaped bearing recess 12, which is open at the edge and has a mouth 13. The base of the bearing recess 12 is fashioned in the shape of a segment of a circle, wherein said closed end 15 in the shape of a segment of a circle includes slightly more than 180 . The illustrated bearing pin 14, which is circular in cross section, is accommodated with slight play in the closed end 15. The limb 10 is therefore pivotally supported on the bearing pin 14.

Formed in the-in relation to Fig. 2-top part of the limb 10 is a U-shaped detent recess 16, which is likewise open at the edge but in the opposite direction to the mouth 13 of the bearing recess 12. The detent recess 16 is suitable for receiving a detent pin 17, which is shown in cross section by dashes and is fastened to the plug-in housing. The detent recess 16 at one flank has a capture curve 18, which narrows the detent recess 16 in an inward direction. Formed at the inner end of the capture curve 18 is a detent cam 19, behind which the detent recess 16 widens. Formed at the opposite side of the detent recess 16 to the capture curve 18 is an outwardly convex unlocking curve 24, the radius of which in relation to the centre of the bearing pin in the locked state of the locking clip increases in an outward direction from the inner region of the detent recess 16.

Further formed on the limb 10 is a lever portion 20, which is remote from the detent recess 16 and is provided at its opposite end to the detent recess 16 with a detent tooth 22 for holding and securing a plastic handle (not shown).

Fastened to the plastic handle is a second limb (not shown) which, in a similar manner to the limb 10, is mounted on the rivet 21 of the opposite-lying second side wall 23.

The surface-mounting housing 11 and the plug-in housing of the plug-in connector are connected and latched or locked together as follows. First, the limb 10 is swivelled at the plastic handle in direction A about the bearing pin 14.

The detent pin 17 may therefore be introduced into the detent recess 16 when the plug-in housing is introduced from above into the surface-mounting housing 11. Then the limb 10 is swivelled in direction B so that the detent pin 17 of the plug-in housing is captured by the capture curve 18. Upon further swivelling in direction B, the detent pin is drawn-in relation to Fig. 1-downwards by the capture curve 18 and the plug-in housing is drawn against and/or into the surface-mounting housing. The limb 10 is swivelled further so that the detent cam 19 moves over the detent pin 17. The detent pin 17 is therefore latched and held securely in the detent recess 16.

Unlatching of the plug-in connector is effected in that the limb 10 is swivelled, at the plastic handle, back in direction A so that the detent cam 19 and the detent pin 17 come free of one another.

Upon further swivelling in direction A, the detent pin 17 comes into contact with and is pushed-in relation to Fig.

2-upwards by the unlocking curve 24 of the limb 10 and hence displaces the plug-in housing out of the surfacemounting housing.

Formed on the limb 10 at the mouth 13 of the bearing recess 12 is a stop spring 26 having a blocking portion 28 which, in the position of rest shown in Fig. 2, projects into the mouth 13. The blocking portion 28 is connected by a spring portion 30 to the lever portion 20 of the limb 10. The spring portion 30 acts like a leaf spring. To allow the blocking portion 28 to spring, in the limb 10 a circular relief 32 is formed adjacent to the spring portion 30 and an arc-shaped relief 34 is formed next to the blocking portion 28. The blocking and spring portions 28 and 30 are designed as a part of the limb 10. The spring portion may alternatively be formed from elastic material in that the limb is formed at least partially from said material. The blocking portion may moreover be formed by the spring portion itself.

In the position of rest of the stop spring 26, the blocking portion 28 prevents the bearing pin 14 from sliding out of the bearing recess 12 during latching and unlatching. The stop spring 26 enables the limb 10 to be guided with its bearing recess 12 onto the bearing pin or released from the latter in that the blocking portion 28 springs into the arc-shaped relief 34 and clears the mouth 13.

To facilitate introduction of the bearing pin 14 into the bearing recess 12, the blocking portion 28 at the mouth 13 has a lead-in curve 36, which may alternatively take the form of a bevel. The opposite side of the bearing recess 12 to the lead-in curve 36 takes the form of a straight line 38.

To enable detachment of the limb 10 from the bearing pin 14, a lead-out curve or lead-out bevel 40 is formed at the end of the blocking portion 28 directed towards the bearing pin 14. During ejection, the lead-out curve 40 slides over the round bearing pin 14, with the result that the stop spring 26 is deflected out of its position of rest and the blocking portion 28 clears the mouth 13 for the bearing pin 14.

Under"normal"load conditions, i. e. during latching and unlatching of the plug-in connector, the force exerted by the stop spring 26 is sufficient to prevent the bearing pin 14 from sliding out of the bearing recess 12. The bearing pin 14 may moreover be held without play by the stop spring 26.

The mouth 13 of the bearing recess 12 is open in the opposite direction to the opening of the detent recess 16.

In said case, in the locked state of the locking clip, the mouth 13 together with the line 42 connecting the centres of bearing pin 14 and detent pin 17 includes an opening angle of less than 90 . Given an opening angle of 90 or more, the bearing pin 14 would slide out of the bearing recess 12 and/or load the stop spring 26. As illustrated, in the locked state of the locking clip, the limb 10 mounted on the bearing pin 14 is hooked on the bearing pin 14 and in said case the stop spring 26 is not loaded by forces, which ensure latching. To ensure that the limb 10 does not slide off the bearing pin 14 in the locked state, the straight line 38 is formed as a secant to the closed end 15, in the shape of a segment of a circle, of the bearing recess 12 so that the bearing pin 14 is actually hooked in the closed end 15 in the shape of a segment of a circle.

Claims

Claims 1. Locking clip for a plug-in connector, -which comprises at least one limb (10) having a bearing recess (12) for receiving a bearing pin (14), wherein -the bearing recess (12) comprises a mouth (13) and a closed end (15), which is capable of receiving a portion of the bearing pin (14) of the plug-in connector, and -a stop spring (26) having a blocking portion (28) is provided on the limb (10), wherein -the stop spring (26) is fastened to the limb (10), in the state of rest at least partially closes the mouth (13) and in the deflected state clears the mouth (13), and -the stop spring (26) is formed by a part of the limb (10).
2. Locking clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop spring (26) comprises a spring portion (30) in the form of a leaf spring.
3. Locking clip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the blocking portion (28) has a lead-in bevel or lead-in curve (36), which facilitates guiding of the bearing pin (14) into the bearing recess (12).
4. Locking clip according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the blocking portion (28) has a lead-out bevel or lead-out curve (40), which facilitates guiding of the bearing pin (14) out of the bearing recess (12).
5. Locking clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plug-in connector comprises a surface-mounting housing having the bearing pin (14) as well as a plug-in housing having a detent pin (17), which is capable of engaging into a detent recess (16) of the limb (10).
6. Locking clip according to claim 5, characterized in that the bearing recess (12) is open substantially in the opposite direction to the detent recess (16).
7. Locking clip according to claim 6, characterized in that, in the locked position of the locking clip, the mouth (13) of the bearing recess (12) together with the line (42) connecting the centres of bearing pin (14) and detent pin (17) includes an opening angle of 90o or less.
8. Locking clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking clip comprises a gripping piece as well as two limbs (10), which are disposed on either end of the gripping piece approximately at right angles to the gripping piece.
9. Plug-in connector with a locking clip having the features of one or more of the preceding claims.
10. Plug-in connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.