US3327282A

US3327282A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: US3327282A
Application number: US374907A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ronald F Krolak
Original assignee: Amphenol Corp
Current assignee: Amphenol Corp; Allied Corp
Priority date: 1964-06-15
Filing date: 1964-06-15
Publication date: 1967-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1984-06-20
Also published as: DE1465180C3; LU48821A1; DK117308B; NL6507647A; DE1465180B2; NO115969B; CH466398A; FR1467024A; IL23630A; SE323124B; GB1116143A; DE1465180A1

Description

R. F. KROLAK June 20, i967 ELECTRI CAL CONNECTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June l5, 1964 mwa, Nh.

mh mm mw mw www 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hm. Wm. H mm.

0 fma! `fune 20, 1967 R. F. KROLAK ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed June l5, 1964 United States Patent Oil tice 3,327,282 Patented June 20, 1967 3,327,282 ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Ronald F. Krolak, North Riverside, Ill., assignor to Amphenol Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed .Iune 15, 1964, Ser. No. 374,907 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-63) This invention relates to electrical connectors. It is the general aim of the invention to provide an improved electrical connector suitable for atomic missile usage and having all lof the advantages of earlier types relating to resistance to adverse environmental conditions, ruggedness of construction, compactuess, and ease of servicing, yet having greatly increased reliability.

It is a specific object of the invention to provide a connector of the general type wherein the individual contacts may be aixed to their conductors prior to assembly in the plug or receptacle of the connector and may thereafter be quickly, easily and conveniently mounted in operating position in the plug or receptacle of the connector and as easily removed therefrom for inspection or replacement, yet with a mechanical arrangement of parts such that any malfunctioning due to misalignment of the contacts is almost entirely eliminated, and by a design wherein so-called false checkouts are eliminated.

It may be explained that in some prior types of connectors, particularly when subjected to misuse or abuse, it is possible for the plug and receptacle of the connector to be improperly coupled to each other, yet in a condition that may function intermittently in a manner not always detected by circuit tests but with latent defects that can be catastrophic in actual operation.

Obviously, the accomplishment of the foregoing objects requires the development of a connec-tor having a large number of features that are individually recognized as being desirable, =but it further requires the reconciliation of electrical, mechanical and environmental factors that have heretofore been believed to be impossible of simultaneous accomplishment, or at least so antagonistic to each other as to preclude successful combination.

As a'solution to this generally recognized dilemma, the present invention proposes utilization of a plug and receptacle wherein both sets of contacts are individually removable by application of properly designed removal tools inserted from the front face of the connector, yet withthe plug body being of the so-called hard front, closed entry type wherein the plug contacts are housed in hard, rigid dielectric material with openings sized to exclude oversize or misaligned pins, so that the likelihood of misalignment of the connector contacts during engagement of the plug and receptacle is minimized. The present invention further proposes a relationship of parts such that, should any signicant misalignment occur, it will infallibly prevent completion of the current path through the connector parts in a manner to be instantly and unquesionably apparent in the pre-flight testing of the missile circuitry.

The present preferred embodiment of `the invention speiccally designed for the control circuitry of an atomic missile is illustrated in the drawings of this application, wherein:

FIGURE l is a greatly enlarged quarter-sectional view through a multiple contact connector of the pin-andsleeve type;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmental front elevational View of the front face of the plug Ibody of the connector shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail perspective of a latch release member utilized in the illustrated connector;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of Contact removal tool adapted to be utilized with the sleeve contacts used in the plug of the connector;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged central sectional view of a contact retention clip as used in both the plug and receptacle, showing its operating relationship with a latch Irelease tube of the plug;

FIGURE 6 is a similarly enlarged detail sectional view of a contact retention clip, taken substantially on the plane of the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmental sectional view taken through a contact cavity of the plug and showing the mode of operation of the contact latch releasing means therefor; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmental sectional view similar to FIGURE 7 but showing the manner -of removal of the sleeve contact from the plug body.

With reference now to FIGURE l particularly, the connector receptacle 10 and plug 11 each have an exterior

tubular metal shell

12, 13, having the forward ends arranged to telescope within each other and to provide a peripheral seal for the interior of the connector by an O ring 14, carried in the internal groove 15 of the receptacle shell 12. The forward end of the receptacle shell 12 is threaded at 16 to receive a threaded coupling-collar 17 having an internal spring ring 18 seated in an internal groove 19 adapted to bear against the ange 20 of the plug shell 13 to removably draw the plug and shell into coupled relation. As shown, the receptacle shell is provided with one or more internal keyways 21 and the forward end of the plug shell has a corresponding key or keys 22 to maintain the desired angular relationship betwen the plug and its receptacle and to thus properly polarize the various individual contacts therein. As illustrated, the receptacle and plug each have a

cable support nut

23, 24 threaded to the rearmost end of the

shells

12 and 13, with rearwardly extending arms 25 and 26 to support cable clamps (not shown) in the conventional manner.

The plug and receptacle each have a multi-part dielectric insert in which the individual contacts are supported. In the receptacle 10, this insert includes a thin, flat, rigid disc 27, generally referred to as an anti-delection disc, transversely disposed in the shell 12 and carrying one or more contact retention clips 28 to support the individual pin contacts of the receptacle. The disc 27 is also preferably provided with a resilient sealing member 29 Ibondedto its forward face and, as shown, has a resilient grommet 30 similarly bonded on its rearward face. The parts 27, 29 and 30 are all locked in the shell 12 by a spring ring 31 each of these parts have aligned apertures in registry with each of the contact retention clips 28, to provide an elongated longitudinal contact cavity 32 running entirely through the insert at the location of each contact. The lrearward ends of each of these cavities, in the area of the resilient grommet 30, have a plurality of sealing risers 33 formed integrally with the grommet.

In the connector illustrated, the receptacle portion 10 carries the male contacts which, as shown, include a cylindrical sleeve 34 adapted to receive the insulating layer 3. 35 of a flexible conductor 36 which extends into a sleeve portion 37 of the contact wherein its is held by any conventional means, such as crimping. The contact illustrated has a positioning shoulder 38 from which a shank por- 'tion 39 extends forwardly to a taper 41 terminating in fa reversely facing shoulder 42 on the head portion 43 of 'the contact, which carries the forwardly projecting cylindrical contact pin 44.

The connector plug 11 also includes a multi-part di- Aelectric insert including an anti-deflection disc 51 held within the connector shell -by a locking ring 52, with a resilient sealing grommet S3 Ibonded to the rea-r face of the disc and a sealing member -54 similarly bonded on its front face, but in the plug there is also provided a so-called hard front body member 55 formed of hard, rigid, smooth-surfaced insulating material. As shown, the body 55 is of 'generally cylindrical shape, and extends from a generally flat front face 56 to a rearward face 57 whichfmay bear against or be bon-ded tothe sealing member 54. As illustrated, the body member -55 has a rearwardly and outwardly extending flange S engaging a rearwardly facing shoulder 59 on the inside of the plug shell 13 so that the

parts

51, 54 and 58 may be held clamped in pressure relationship by the locking ring 52.

The anti-deflection disc y51 of the plug is also provided with one or more contact retention clips 61. These clips may 4be identical to the clips 28 of the receptacle and are best illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, wherein it will 'be seen that each individual clip 61 consists essentially of a short tubular sleeve 62 having a segmental .mounting flange 63 adapted to be molded into the

anti-deflection disc

51 or 27 or secured between plural laminations thereof as shown in FIGURE 5. The sleeve 62 is longitudinally split, preferably by four or tive slots 64 which extend from a point near the mounting flange to the forward end of the sleeve. These lslots divide the sleeve into several independently flexible segments 65, each of which is provided with an inwardly inclined .latch tooth 66 to engage a coacting shoulder of a contact, as later described. Each of the segments 65 of the clip has a forward extending operating member or trigger 67, preferably having a cam surfaced tip inclined outwardly, as will hereinafter appear.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, the several parts of the dielectric insert of the plug are apertured in alignment with each of the contact retention clips 61 to provide elongated contact cavities 71 extending from the wire-sealing risers 72 longitudinally through the parts` 53, '51', 54 and 55 of the insert, except that in the case of the plug, the forward end of each contact cavity 71 has a restricted limiting orifice 73 dimensioned to receive the pin 44 of the male contact, but to encircle it so closely as to preclude insertion of an oversize pin. The orice 73 is provided,fhowever, with a tapered mouth 74, the angular walls of which act as a guide orY funnel to facilitate` insertion of the pin contacts into the receptacle. The walls of the mouth portions of each contact cavity also intersect the smooth, tlat front face 56 of the body member 55 in a manner to provide peripheral ridges 76 surrounding each of the contact cavities. It will thus be seen that when the connector is coupled, the pressure exerted by the screw-threaded coupling ring 17 will press the body member 55 tightly against the resilient sealing element 29, establishing an overall seal across the front face of the plug body 4with individual peripheral sealing ridges around each of the individual contact cavities. A peripheral seal around the entire contact assembly is also provided by a small forwardly projecting peripheral flange 77 at the outerl edge of the face 56 of the body member 55.

Immediately behind the limiting orice 73 of each contact cavity, the body 55 is provided with a counterbore 78 to house the sleeve-type contacts of the plug.

These sleeve contacts of the plug Iare similar to the pin contacts of the receptacle in that they have a rearward sleeve 81 to receive the insulating layer 82 of the individual flexible conductors 83 which extend into and are secured within the sleeve 84 at a point behind the collar 85. The shank 86 and taper S8 of the sleeve Contact are also similar to the corresponding parts of the pin contact, to provide a rearwardly facing shoulder 89 similar to the rearwardly facing shoulder 42 and arranged to be engaged -by the several latching teeth 66 on the contact retention clip 61. Thus, the forward cylindrical portion 90 of thersleeve contact may be any one of several types, so long as the forward end thereof is apertured to receive the pin 44.

The counterbores 78 of the plug body are of considerably larger diameter than the forward sleeve portions 90 of the individual contacts -us'ed therein, so that each cavity has a longitudinal slideway or channel 91, adapted to loosely receive a tubular release member 92 having a tapered rearward end 93 underlying each of the several trigger portions 67 on the Contact retention clip 61.

The forward end of each release tube 92 normally assumes a position as shown in FIGURE l, where it lies immediately behind, but outside of the dimensional limits of the restricted orifice 73 of the contact cavity. The tapered mouth 74 of each contact cavity is, however, provided with one or more latch release keyways, preferably in the form of radial slots 94 (FIGURE 2.) comprising extensions of the latch release channel 91. In the pre-v ferred-form of the invention illustrated these keyways are of vwidth sufciently less than the diameter of the pins 44 and corresponding apertures 73 as to preclude acceptance of an oversize pin, and are sized to extend radially at least beyond the inner diameter of therelease tubel in the contact cavity, the fins 97 function to force the.

sleeve 92 rearwardly until its cam surfaces 93 expand the retention clips and simultaneously release the several latch teeth 66 thereof from the Contact shoulder 89. This leaves the entire contact assembly free to move rearwardly, either by pulling on the individual conductors 83 or preferably by operating the collar 98 to force thepin `9( into the sleeve of the contact and push the contact rearwardly, as lbest shown in FIGURE 8.

It is believed obvious that with the form of connector illustrated, the contacts of both the plug and the receptacle may 'be put in place individually from the rear of each connector insert and may likewise be individually removed, lby access to the front of the insert only. In the case of both the plug and the receptacle, mounting of the contacts is easily accomplished simply by inserting the leading end of each contact into a cavity in the rear gronimet'of the plug or receptacle and sliding the .contact forward with an appropriate tool (not shown) until the plural latch teeth of the collet-type contact rretention clip snap into position behind the locking shoulder of the contact. In the case of the plug contacts, this action earries the release tube 92'to its forwardmost position due to a light friction drag existing between the sleeve portion 90 of the Contact and the release tube. This friction may be created in any convenient Way, as by a spring linger 99 pierced from the wall of the tube and biasedinwardly to bear against the cylindrical surface of the contact sleeve (FIGURE 3).

Removal of any individual contact is equally simple. In the case of the receptacle, it is only necessary to slip a sleeve-like tool (not shown) on the contact pin 44 and slide it back over the-head portion 43 of the contact, so that the leading edge of the tubular tool engages the several triggers 67 of the contact retention clip and flexes them outwardly in a manner to release the latch teeth '66 thereof and allow the contact to be drawn rearwardly from the connector insert.

In the case of the connector plug, the restricted pinlimiting apertures 73 and tapered mouth portions 74 of Ithe hard front plug body 55 are so formed as to permit easy insertion of property sized pin contacts 44 and, in fact, to guide the forward tips of such contacts into prefectly mating alignment with the sleeves 90 Ias the plug is coupled to the receptacle. The apertures 73 are sized to prevent insertion of an oversize pin in the contact sleeves 90, however, as seen in FIGURE 2, from which it is apparent that the dimensional limits of the apertures (the inner diameter of the arcuate portions forming the orifice 73) corresponds to the maximum diameter of the contact pin, although the radial keyway slots 94 extend beyond these dimensional limits to permit actuation of the sleeve 92 by insertion of a properly keyed latch release tool. Thus, the latch release tool 95 and the latch release tube 92 coact to form latch releasing instrumentalities extending from the forward face 56 of the dielectric insert to the latching means comprising the teeth 66 of the contact retention clips 61.

The mechanical advantages of the connector outlined above are accomplished in the present invention, however, without sacrifice of electrical excellence, and by an arrangement that provides unusually great reliability in operation. It should first be observed that while the dielectric inserts of both the plug and receptacle consist of several individual parts, these coact in a manner whereby the interfacing surfaces may be permanently bonded to each other so that the resilient gommet and resilient sealing members positioned on the opposite sides of each of the

anti-deflection discs

27 and 51 coact toencapsulate the retention clips and latching mechanisms surrounding each individual contact so that all contacts are effectively isolated from each other without air voids permitting the formation of electrical leakage paths.

Upon coupling of the plug and receptacle the contact pins 'are normally guided in a manner to enter the sleeves of the contacts in accurate alignment, but the arrangement is such that, should one or more of the pin co-ntacts be so deformed as to fail to enter its proper aperture, it cannot possibly establish an intermittent connection. It follows that any defects will invariably be detected during preilight check-out of the circuitry, assuring what has come to be known as go-no-go reliability.

It will also be seen (FIGURE l) that the face portion and tapered mouth apertures of the connector plug are formed so that, as the plug is tightened into the receptacle, concentration of pressure occurring at the peripheral ridges 76 surrounding each of the contact apertures accomplishes an effective vapor seal whereby each contact cavity and its keyways are electrically isolated from all other contacts. Similarly, the marginal fiange 77 of the hard front dielectric is embedded into the sealing member 29 to isolate the entire group of contacts from the connector shell.

I claim:

l. In an electrical connector, a dielectric body having a front face consisting of hard, rigid insulating material; said body having at least one contact cavity extending longitudinally therethrough, and latching means within said cavity; with each said cavity having a tapered mouth at the forward end thereof leading to a restricted orifice of fixed dimensions: said cavity also having an enlarged counterbore extending rearwardly from said orifice with at least one narrow radial keyway slot extending outwardly from said restricted orifice and entering said counterbore; said counterbore in said body containing a sleeve contact therein, with said sleeve contact having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by the aforesaid latching mean-S, and being of substantially smaller diameter than the counterbore to provide a slideway channel therebetween; at least one latch releasing member permanently housed in the aforesaid channel and longitudinally shiftable therein, while engageable with the latching means and extending therefrom to a location adjacent to and accessible from the keyway on the front face of the body.

2. In an electrical connector, a dielectric 'body having a front face consisting of hard, rigid insulating material; said body having at least one contact cavity extending longitudinally therethrough, and latching means within said cavity; with each said cavity having a tapered mouth at the forward end thereof leading to a restricted orifice of fixed dimensions: said cavity also having an enlarged counterbore extending rearwardly from said orifice with at least one narrow radial keyway slot extending outwardly from said restricted orifice to the edge of the tapered mouth, and entering said counterbore; said counterbore in said body containing a sleeve contact therein, with said sleeve contact having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by the aforesaid latching means, and being of substantially smalle-r diameter than the counterbore to provide a slideway channel therebetween; at least one latch releasing member permanently housed in the aforesaid channel and longitudinally shiftable therein, while engageable with the latching means and extending therefrom to a location adjacent to and accessible from the keyway on the front face of the body: said latch releasing member comprising a sleeve received within the aforesaid counterbore of the contact cavity and slidable on but frictionally secured to the forward portion of said sleeve contact.

3. In an electrical connector comprising a plug and receptacle, each having a tubular metal shell adapted to couple in telescoping relation with the other; said plug and receptacle each having a dielectric insert including a relatively thin, rigid disc with at least one retention clip for mounting telescoping pin and sleeve contacts uniting the plug and the receptacle; with a yieldale resilient grommet on the rearward face of each of said discs and a yieldable resilient sealing member on the forward face of each of said discs coacting to encapsulate the retention clips thereon; the combination of a front face piece of the dielectric body consisting of hard, rigid insulating material; said piece having a rearward surface bearing against the sealing member of the plug and having lat least one contact cavity extending longitudinally therethrough and leading to a closed-entry orifice closely fitting the diameter of the aforesaid pin but having a larger counterbore extending rearwardly from said orifice; with at least one keyway in the front face piece; each of said counterbores in said body containing an aforesaid sleeve contact therein, with said sleeve contacts of substantially smaller diameter than the counterbores to provide a slideway therebetween; said sleeve contacts having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by at least one latching device carried by `an aforesaid Contact retention clip; together with at least one latch releasing member permanently housed in the aforesaid slideway and longitudinally shiftable therein, while en- -gageable with a trigger portion of the latching device and extending therefrom to a location accessible from the front face of the body, to release said latching device and permit removal of the contact; said latch releasing member having a forward end normally projecting beyond the forward end of the contact to a location adjacent the mouth of the contact cavity and underlying at least a portion of the aforesaid keyway therein.

4. In an electrical connector comprising a plug and receptacle, each having a tubular metal shell adapted to couple in telescoping relation with the other; said plug and receptacle each having a dielectric insert including a relatively thin, rigid disc with at least one retention clip for mounting telescoping pin and sleeve contacts uniting the plug and the receptacle; with .a yieldable resilient grommet on the rearward face of each of said discs and a yieldable resilient sealing member on the forward face of each of said discs coacting to encapsulate the retention clips thereon; the combination of a front face piece of the dielectric ybody consisting of hard, rigid insulating material; said piece having a rearward surface bearing against the sealing member of the plug and having at least one contact cavity extending longitudinally therethrough, with said cavity having a tapered mouth at the forward end thereof leading to a closed-entry orifice having a minor dimension closely fitting the diameter of the aforesaid pin contact and a major dimension substantially greater; but having a larger counterbore extending rearwardly from said orice; with at least one narrow radial keyway slot in the tapered mouth, and a smooth, at forward face with a peripheral edge surrounding the mouth of each entrance orice and adapted to bear against the resilient sealing member of the receptacle ofthe connector to isolate each contact cavity; and a marginal flange on said body engageable with said sealing member to isolate the entire face thereoffrom the shell; each of said counterbores in said body containing an aforesaid sleeve contact therein, with said sleeve contacts of substantially smaller diameter than the counterbores to provide a slideway therebetween; said sleeve contacts having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by at least one latching device carried by an aforesaid contact retentionclip together with at least one latch releasing member permanently housed in the aforesaid slideway and longitudinally shiftable therein, while engageable with a trigger portion of the latching device and extending therefrom to `a location accessible from the front face of the body, to release said latching -device andvpermit withdrawal of the contact rearwardly thro-ugh the aforementioned resilient grommet; saidy latch releasing member comprising a sleeve within the aforesaid counterbore of the Contact cavity and slideable on but frictionally secured to the forward portion of said sleeve contact; said sleeve having a forward end normally projecting beyond the mouth of the contact cavity and underlying at least a portion of the aforesaid radial keyway slot therein.

5. In an electrical connector comprising a plug and receptacle, each having a tubular metalshell adapted to couple in telescoping relation with the other.; said plug and receptacle each having a dielectric insert surroundingV at least one electrical contact of telescoping type 4and including a relatively thin, rigid disc carrying at least one retention `clip for mounting said telescoping contacts uniting the plug and the receptacle, with a yieldable resilient grommet on the rearward face of each of said discs and a yieldable resilient sealing member on the forward face of each of said discs coacting to encapsulate the contacts and retention clips thereonythe combination of a front piece for one of said dielectric inserts consisting of hard, rigid insulating material; said front piece having at least one contact aperture extending longitudinally therethrough and having a rearward face bearing against one of thel aforesaid sealing members and a front face adapted to bear against the other of said resilient sealing members of the connector; with each said contact aperture having an enlarged tapered mouth at the front face with a peripheral edge indenting the resilient sealing member to isolate each contact cavityv from the others and a marginal ange on said front piece engageable with said sealing member `to isolate the entire face thereof from the shell.

6, In an electrical connector comprising a plug andreceptacle, each having a tubular metal shell adapted to couple in telescoping relation with the other; said plug and receptacle each having a dielectric insert surrounding at least one electrical Contact lof telescoping type and including la relatively thin, rigid disc carrying at least oneretention clip for mounting said telescoping contacts uniting the plug and the receptacle, witha yieldable resilient grommet on the rearward face of each of said discs and a yieldable resilient sealing member onthe forward face of each of said discs coacting to encapsulate the contacts and retention clips thereon; the combination of a front piece for one of said dielectric inserts consisting of hard, rigid insulating material; said front piece having at least one contact aperture extending longitudinally therethrough and having a rearward face bearing against one of the aforesaidsealing members and a front face adapted to bear against the other of said resilient sealing members of the connector; with each said contact aperture having a peripheral edge indenting the resilient sealing member to isolate each Contact cavity from the others.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS' 2,352,618 7/1944 Daenz 339-193 2,691,147 10/1954 lSutton et al. 339-217 2,762,206 9/1956 Knohl 339-217 2,944,241 7/1960 Londell 339-258 X 3,170,752 2/1965 Van Horssen l 339-217 3,221,292 11/1965 Swanson et al. 339-217 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, A DIELECTRIC BODY HAVING A FRONT FACE CONSISTING OF HARD, RIGID INSULATING MATERIAL; SAID BODY HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONTACT CAVITY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH, AND LATCHING MEANS WITHIN SAID CAVITY; WITH EACH SAID CAVITY HAVING A TAPERED MOUTH AT THE FORWARD END THEREOF LEADING TO A RESTRICTED ORIFICE OF FIXED DIMENSIONS: SAID CAVITY ALSO HAVING AN ENLARGED COUNTERBORE EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID ORIFICE WITH AT LEAST ONE NARROW RADIAL KEYWAY SLOT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID RESTRICTED ORIFICE AND ENTERING SAID COUNTERBORE; SAID COUNTERBORE IN SAID BODY CONTAINING A SLEEVE CONTACT THEREIN, WITH SAID SLEEVE CONTACT HAVING A SHOULDER ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE AFORESAID LATCHING MEANS, AND BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE COUNTERBORE TO PROVIDE A SLIDEWAY CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN; AT LEAST ONE LATCH RELEASING MEMBER PERMANENTLY HOUSED IN THE AFORESAID CHANNEL AND LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE THEREIN, WHILE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE LATCHING MEANS AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TO A LOCATION ADJACENT TO AND ACCESSIBLE FROM THE KEYWAY ON THE FRONT FACE OF THE BODY.