GB2358970A

GB2358970A - Latched electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB2358970A
Application number: GB0111101A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hugh Gearing
Original assignee: Ashley and Rock Ltd
Current assignee: Ashley and Rock Ltd
Priority date: 1999-02-05
Filing date: 2000-02-04
Publication date: 2001-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-04
Also published as: GB0111101D0; GB2358970B

Abstract

An electrical connector for use in electric lighting or power circuit systems comprises a connector and counterpart having respective sets of in-line terminals which are registered with each other by push insertion of one member into the other. The connector (shown) is provided with grippers (17, 18) located axially outboard of the in-line terminals and by means of which the connector can be manipulated for insertion and withdrawal, at least one (17) of the gripper portions being associated with a latching mechanism (19, 22, 23) in such a way that pressure on that gripper portion operates the latching mechanism. The counterpart (figure 1, not shown), may be mounted in a channel with clearance between the counterpart and the bottom of the channel. When the connector and counterpart are mated, the latching mechanism may be hidden.

Description

ELECTWAL CONNECTOR This invention relates to electrical connectors.

2358970 Most electrical connectors comprise plug and socket combinations that rely on friction to maintain both electrical and mechanical contact. In some circumstances, however, a more positive mechanical interconnection is required, and this is achieved in a variety of ways.

The Klik (L system provides for improved safety, by concealing live contacts, and mechanical interconnection via the electrical contacts by a sliding action of the plug after insertion into the socket. Cabling used between computers and peripherals in computer networks often has screw securement. Some electronics connectors, however, have latch arrangements - these are in-line connectors with tongues either end of the line on the plug latching on hook portions of the socket and being releasable by pressure on side grips. Such connectors are primarily for use with control rather than power or lighting circuitry. Problems are experienced if the tongues, or one of them, should be deformed through faulty insertion or extraction.

The present invention provides a latching electrical connector which does not suffer from the problems of conventional latch connectors and which is adapted for heavier current applications and, more particularly, a connector which is suitable for use with electric service channel systems used for example for lighting systems in commercial and industrial premises.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical connector arrangement comprising: a first member having a body part and terminals adapted for presentation to and engagement with and withdrawal from a second member having terminals corresponding to terminals of the first member, the first member having gripper portions by which it can be manipulated for insertion and withdrawal, of which at least one has an associated latch mechanism operated by pressure on said one gripper portion, the second member having a detent for said latch mechanism, the detent and a latch member of said latch mechanism being concealed within said second and said first members respectively.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a lighting or power circuitry electrical connector arrangement comprising:

a first member having a body part and a set of in-line terminals; a second member having a set of in-line terminals corresponding to the in- line terminals of the first member, engagement and disengagement of the two members and their terminals being effected by push insertion of one member into the other and and pullwithdrawal of said one member from the other; the first member having gripper portions by which it can be manipulated for insertion and withdrawal, the gripper portions being located axially outboard of the set of in-line terminals of the first member; and latching means associated with at least one of the gripper portions for latching the two members together to allow latching and unlatching to be effected during insertion and withdrawal.

The first member may be a plug, the second a socket, which may be adapted for mounting on a circuit board. The terminals may be in-line.

The second member may comprise an outer housing including said detent and an insert having apertures receiving socket terminals. Pins of the socket terminals may project through the second member and when mounted on a circuit board through to the opposite of the board for connection as by soldering to printed circuit members of the board.

The first member may have terminals with grub screw wiring securement.

These wiring arrangements give flexibility to any system incorporating the connector arrangement - fewer than the full complement of connectors (which may be, for example, seven, nine, or any other number within reason) may be used, and lighting power is wiring as well as control wiring can be accommodated. For these and other reasons the arrangements are suitable, and may be specifically adapted for use in connection with circuit boards in electric service channel systems, and, in particular, channel systems comprising an open conduit with guides along which the first member can slide for positioning - which are particularly suitable for controlled lighting systems in commercial and industrial premises.

The invention also comprises an electrical service channel system comprising an electrical connector arrangement of the invention, which may comprise an open conduit with guides for the second members (and hence for the first members when the members are engaged) along the opening thereof and which may have further guides for a circuit board in which the connector arrangement is mounted.

The system may also comprise a support channel section by which the conduit can be fixed in place, e.g. by clips secured to fixed structure.

The conduit may be an extrusion, for example, in aluminium.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment incorporating various features and aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of an electric service channel with a printed circuit board and a connector arrangement; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second, socket member of the connector arrangement; is Figure 3 is a perspective view of a socket terminal for the socket member of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a terminal for the plug member seen in Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the latch securement between the plug and socket members.

The drawings illustrate an electrical connector arrangement 11 comprising a first member 12 having an elongated body part 13 provided with a set of in-line terminals 14 (only some of which are illustrated) and a casing 44 (only one half of which is illustrated). The terminals 14 are accommodated in receiving recesses 14a and are located in spaced relation along the axis of the body part 13. The first member 12 is adapted for presentation to and push-engagement with and pull-withdrawal from an elongated second member 15. The second member has a set of in-line terminals 16 (only one of which is illustrated in Figure 2) corresponding to terminals 14 of the first member 12, i.e. the terminals 16 are received in sleeves 16a and are spaced apart along the axis of the second member 15. In the illustrated embodiment, each set of in-line terminals will comprise seven terminals.

The first member 12 has gripper portions 17, 18 by which it can be manipulated for insertion and withdrawal, of which one, 17, has an associated latch mechanism 19 operated by pressure on said one gripper portion 17. The second member 15 has a detent 21 for said latch mechanism 19. The detent 21 and a latch member 22 (see Figure 5) of the latch mechanism 19 are concealed within said second and said first members 15, 12 when these components are assembled together.

The latch mechanism 19, seen best in Figure 5, comprises the latch member 22 on a connecting bar 23 fixed to the gripper portion 17, with a return spring (not shown) in the space 24 between the gripper portion 17 and the body part 13. The return spring serves to resiliently bias the latch mechanism to its latching position. The gripper portion 17 is located axially outboard of the in-line set of terminals 14 as considered in terms of the axis of in-line set. When pressed inwardly in the direction of the axis of the in-line terminals 14, the latch member 22 is displaced to its unlatching condition to allow release of the first member from the second member. It will be appreciated that the arrangement of the gripper portion 17 is such that, during insertion and/or withdrawal of the first member, the latch member 22 can be automatically moved into its unlatching condition if the gripper portions are "squeezed" together at the location of the gripper portion 17. If desired, by appropriate design of the latch member 22 and the detent 21 as shown in the drawings, the arrangement may be such that the latch member automatically rides over the detent during the insertion action but has to be positively displaced by means of the gripper portion 17 during release of the first member from the second member.

As illustrated, the first member 12 is configured as a plug with male terminals 14, the second member 15 as a socket with female terminals 16, as is conventional. For particular application, of course, this could be reversed.

The second member 15 is adapted - essentially by having a flat base 15a for mounting on a printed circuit board (and is seen so mounted on board 24 in Figure 1). As mentioned, the terminals 14, 16 are in-line, as is common with edge connectors for printed circuit boards, not usual for face-mounted connectors. The in-line design is, of course, entirely compatible with the provision of edge-wise gripper portions 17, 18. Should there be too many terminals to be comfortably contained within a dimension which might be dictated by the requirements of associated equipment or by manipulation requirements, a double-in-line design could be used.

The second member 15 comprises an outer housing 25 including the detent is 21 and an insert 26 comprising the sleeves 16a which afford bores 27 receiving the socket terminals 16. Pins 28, as shown in Figure 3, of the socket terminals 16 project through base 15a of the second member 15 and, when mounted on the printed circuit board 24, suitably apertured, through to the opposite side thereof for connection as by soldering to printed circuit members of the board 24. Shoulders 29 (Figure 3) of the socket members 16 locate the socket members 16, being trapped between the base 15a and the board 24.

As shown in Figure 4, the terminals 14 of the first member 12 are provided with grub-screws 3 1 for securement of wiring and pins 3 2 for insertion into the sockets 16 to provide electrical continuity between wiring connected to terminals 14 and components on the circuit board The electrical connector arrangement 11 is adapted for use in connection with circuit boards - such as board 24 - in electric service channel systems, which may comprise open conduit 33 (Figure 1) of channel-section where the open conduit is ceiling-mounted, with the opening 34 facing downwards. The opening is defined by inwardly directed flanges 39 of the channel-section and the opposed inner edges 37 of the flanges 39 are provided with guideways in the form of grooves 36. Location of the connector arrangement 11 is obtained by slidable registration of projections or flanges 35 with the guideways 36, the flanges 35 being provided on the outer housing 25 of the second member 15 so as to be axially outboard of the sets of in-line terminals 14 and 16. The first member is positively retained in coupled relation with the second member by the latching of the first member 12 after insertion into the second member 15. In this way, positive retention of the connector arrangement is achieved by simply-engineered, but effective measures, securing and maintaining the various components in place.

Guide grooves 41 in the conduit 33 can support the circuit board 24 (as illustrated) for slidable positioning and other boards or computers (not shown) may be supporting for sliding positioning by additional guide grooves 42, 43. The conduit 33 has a support channel section 50 by which it can be fixed in place on e.g. clips mounted in fixed structure.

The body part 13 of the first member 12 includes a plug portion 52 which is provided with a set of bores 54 having a configuration which complements the sleeves 16a of the second member, the arrangement being such that when the first member is pushinserted into the second member, the plug portion 52 enters recess 56 defined by the outer housing 25 and the sleeves 16a enter the bores 54. The pins 32 of the terminals 14 project into the bores 54 so that when the sleeves 16a enter the bores 54, the pins 32 register with the socket portions 58 of the tenninals 16.

The first member 12 is completed, as a plug, with a snap on case 44 moulded in two interfitting parts. The illustrated case part contains a cord grip 45 and knock-out or cut-out panelling 46 for cable entry. When the connector arrangement 11 is coupled to the conduit 33, it will be seen that the gripper portion 17 is located outboard of the channel opening 34 in overlying relation with one of the flangers 39.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the first member can be coupled 5 mechanically and electrically to the second member by a single action push insertion.

Claims

A lighting or power circuitry electrical connector arrangement comprising:

a first member having a body part and a set of in-line terminals; a second member having a set of in-line terminals corresponding to the in- line terminals of the first member, engagement and disengagement of the two members and their terminals being effected by push insertion of one member into the other and and pullwithdrawal of said one member from the other; the first member having gripper portions by which it can be manipulated for insertion and withdrawal, the gripper portions being located axially outboard of the set of in-line terminals of the first member; and latching means associated with at least one of the gripper portions for latching the two members together to allow latching and unlatching to be effected during insertion and withdrawal.

2.

each set.

An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 in which there are seven terminals in 3. A corinnector as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the second member has projections extending laterally in the direction of the axis of the inline terminals for reception in guideways in a mounting channel.

4 An electrical connector arrangement comprising a first member having a body part and terminals adapted for presentation to and engagement with and withdrawal from a second member having terminals corresponding to terminals of the first member 0 1 0 5. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 in which the second member comprises an outer housing including said detent and an insert having apertures receiving socket terminals.

the first member having gripper portions by which it can be manipulated for insertion and withdrawal, of which at least one has an associated latch mechanism operated by pressure on said one gripper portion the second member having a detent for said latch mechanism the detent and a latch member of said latch mechanism being concealed within said second and said first members respectively 6.

An arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 in which the terminals are inline.

7. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 in which the latching means is resiliently biased to the latching position.

8. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 in which the terminals of the first member are provided with grub screws for securement of wires.

9. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 in which the first member includes a casing separate from said body part.

10.

gripper portions.

11. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 10 in which the casing so arranged that the latch can be moved to its unlatched condition by gripping the first member at the location of said at least one gripper portion.

An arrangement as claimed in Claim 9 in which the casing is provided with 12. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 9, 10 or 11 in which the casing clips on to the body part of the first member.

13. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12 in which the set of 15 terminals associated with the first member have projections which extend into cylindrical bores formed in the body part of the first member.

14. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 13 in which the set of terminals associated with the second member have tubular portions which are received in 20 cylindrical sleeves formed in the second member.

15. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 14 when dependent on Claim 13 in which the cylindrical sleeves of the second member fit within said cylindrical bores of the first member when the first and second members are engaged.

16. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 15 in which coupling of the first and second members and their respective terminals is effected by a single action push insertion of said one member into the other member.

17. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16 in which decoupling of the first and second members and their respective terminals is effected by a single action pull withdrawal of said one member from the other member.

18. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 17 in which said first member is a plug and said second member is a socket.

19. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 1 to 18 in which the second member is adapted for mounting on a circuit board.

is 20. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 19 in which pins of the second member terminals project through the second member and when mounted on a circuit board through to the opposite side of the board for connection as by soldering to printed circuit members of the board.

21. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 1 to 20, adapted for use in connection with circuit boards in electric service channel systems.

22. An arrangement according to Claim 2 1, adapted for use in connection with 20 an electric service channel system comprising an open conduit with guides along which the second member can slide for positioning.

23. An electric service channel system comprising at least one electrical connector arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

24. A system as claimed in Claim 23 comprising an open conduit with guides for the second member along the opening thereof.

13- 25. A system as claimed in Claim 24 in which the channel has further guides for a circuit board on which the connector arrangement is mounted.

26. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 23 to 25 comprising a support channel section by which the conduit can be fixed in place.

27. A system as claimed in Claim 26 in which the support channel section is located along one side of the conduit.

28. A system according to any one of Claims 23 to 26 in which the conduit is an extrusion.

29. An electric lighting or power circuit channel system comprising an open conduit provided with guides along opposed sides thereof for mounting at least one is electrical connector arrangement comprising:

a first member having a body part and a set of in-line terminals; a second member having a set of in-line terminals corresponding to the in- line terminals of the first member, engagement and disengagement of the two members and their terminals being effected by push insertion of one member into the other and and pullwithdrawal of said one member from the other; the first member having gripper portions by which it can be manipulated for insertion and 25 withdrawal; and latching means being associated with at least one of the gripper portions for latching the two members together to allow latching and unlatching to be effected during insertion, said at least one gripper portion being movable in the direction of the axis of the set of in-line terminals of the first member to effect latching and unlatching.

30. An electric lighting or power circuit channel system comprising an open 5 conduit provided with guides along opposed sides thereof for mounting at least one electrical connector arrangement comprising:

a first member having a body part and a set of in-line terminals; a second member having a set of in-line terminals corresponding to the in- line terminals of the first member, engagement and disengagement of the two members and their terminals being effected by push insertion of one member into the other and and pullwithdrawal of said one member from the other; the second member having projections located axially outboard of its inline terminal set for reception in said guides so that, when the second member is mounted by the conduit, the axis of the in-line terminal set extends laterally of said guides; the first member having gripper portions by which it can be manipulated for insertion and 20 withdrawal; and latching means being associated with at least one of the gripper portions for latching the two members together to allow latching and unlatching to be effected during insertion.

31.

A system as claimed in Claim 29 or 30 in which the latching means comprises a latch member associated with said at least one gripper portion and a detent provided on the second member, the detent and latch member being concealed within said second and said first members respectively.

32. A system according to Claim 29, 30 or 31 in which the second member comprises an outer housing including said detent and an insert having apertures receiving socket terminals.

33. A system according to any one of Claims 29 to 32 in which the gripper portions are located axially outboard of the first member set of in-line terminals terininals.

34. terminals in each set.

A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 33 in which there are seven 35. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 34 in which the latching means is resiliently biased to the latching position.

36. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 35 in which the terminals of the first member are provided with grub screws for securement of wires.

37. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 36 in which the first member includes a casing separate from said body part.

38.

portions.

A system as claimed in Claim 37 in which the casing is provided with gripper 39. A system as claimed in Claim 3 8 in which the casing so arranged that the latch can be moved to its unlatched condition by gripping the first member at the location of said at least one gripper portion.

40. A system as claimed in Claim 37, 38 or 39 in which the casing clips on to the body part of the first member.

41. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 40 in which the set of terminals associated with the first member have projections which extend into cylindrical bores formed in the body part of the first member.

42. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 41 in which the set of terminals associated with the second member have tubular portions which are received in cylindrical sleeves formed in the second member.

43. A system as claimed in Claim 42 when dependent on Claim 40 in which the cylindrical sleeves of the second member fit within said cylindrical bores of the first member when the first and second members are engaged.

44. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 43 in which coupling of the first and second members and their respective terminals is effected by a single action push insertion of said one member into the other member.

45. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 44 in which decoupling of the first and second members and their respective terminals is effected by a single action pull withdrawal of said one member from the other member.

46. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 45 in which said first member 25 is a plug and said second member is a socket.

47. A system according to any one of Claims 29 to 46 including an electrical lighting or power handling circuit board accommodated within the conduit and coupled to the second member.

48. A system as claimed in Claim 47 in which pins of the second member terminals project through the second member for connection to printed circuit members of the board.

49. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 29 to 48 in which the opening of said conduit is bounded by inwardly directed flanges of the channel and in which said at least one gripper portion is located outboard of the channel opening and overlies one of said flanges when the first and second members are coupled together.

50. The use of an arrangement or system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 49 in electrical or power handling circuitry.

The use as claimed in Claim 50 in which the electrical connector arrangement also serves to connect control wiring through the terminals thereof 52. The use as claimed in Claim 50 or Claim 51 in which the channel system is of the type comprising an open conduit with guides along which the second member can slide for positioning.

53. An electrical connector arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described 25 with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

54. An electric lighting or power circuit channel system susbstantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.