US3441661A

US3441661A - Electrical connector housing

Info

Publication number: US3441661A
Application number: US690244A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilhelmus Johannes Brummans
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1966-12-15
Filing date: 1967-12-13
Publication date: 1969-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 1986-04-29
Also published as: SE337242B; DE1615662C3; ES145058Y; DK122695B; FI47937B; DE1615662B2; CH456716A; JPS5212390B1; AT268418B; BE706716A; ES145058U; GB1135975A; FI47937C; DE1615662A1; NL6617646A

Description

April 29, 1969 w. J. BRUMMANS 3,441,661

' ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING Filed Dec. 13, 1967 v: .w. "1 II United States Patent US. Cl. 174138 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector housing comprises a body of resilient, electrically insulating material formed with a connector-receiving passageway and having a wall bounding the passageway cut to define an integrally hinged flap dimensioned such that on pressing the free end of the flap into the passageway it is held therein by a part of the flap engaging a part of the wall.

The present invention relates to an electrical connector housing of the kind comprising a body of insulating material formed with a passageway for receiving a removable electrical connector.

In one form of connector housing of this kind the housing is formed with a substantially rigid projection which extends into the passageway. An electrical connector for use with the housing has an integral flexible lance extending away from one surface. After the connector is secured to a wire it is inserted in the passageway, the lance flexing as it passes over the projection and subsequently returning to its unflexed position at which it engages the projection and prevents the connector from being withdrawn from the passageway. If it is desired later to remove the connector from the housing, an appropriate tool is inserted into the passageway to depress the lance sufficiently to enable it to pass over the projection as the connector is withdrawn from the passageway.

In another form of connector housing it has been proposed to provide an integral, flexible projection or lance on the housing to extend into the passageway. With this construction no lance is required on the connector which, after it has been secured to a wire, is inserted into the passageway and pushed past the projection which flexes to permit the connector to pass. The projection on returning to its unflexed position engages the connector and retains it in the housing. To remove the connector an appropriate tool is inserted in the passageway to flex the projection sufficient for the connector to be withdrawn.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the manner of applying them in practical use so that they may modify them in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

Embodiments of the invention are now described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of an electrical connector housing according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 shows a section, similar to that of FIG- URE 2, of another electrical connector housing accord ing to the invention.

The connector housing of FIGURES l and 2 consists of a body 1 of resilient, electrically insulating material formed with a passageway 2 to receive an electrical connector 3. The material is such so as to provide the housing with stiflly-flexible characteristics and an example of such material is nylon or the like. The passageway 2 is open at one end 4 and is closed at the other by a wall '5 having an opening 6 through which a second connector (not shown) can be inserted to mate with the connector 3. A wall 7 of the housing is cut through to define an integrally hinged flap 8. The angle of cut is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing 7 so that the outer surface 8a of the flap 8 is longer than the inner surface 81). Thus, on depressing the flap 8 into the passageway 2 the outer surface 8a of the flap 8 engages behind the inner surface of the wall 7 and the flap 8 is held extending into the passageway 2.

In use, an electrical connector 3 is secured at one end to a wire 9, for example by a crimping technique, and is then passed into the passageway 2 through the opening at the end 4 until the free end of the connector 3 abuts the wall 5. The flap 8 is then depressed into the passageway 2 until the outer surface 8a of the flap 8 engages behind the inner surface of the wall 7. In this position, the flap 8 engages the connector and prevents it from being withdrawn from the passageway 2.

Should it be desired to remove the connector 3 from the housing, the flap 8 is returned to its original position so that the connector is free to be withdrawn.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 3 is generally similar to that previously described except that the flap 8 is defined by a cut extending substantially normal to the wall 7 and is formed at its free end with a projection 10 in accordance with conventional plasticforming techniques. The projection 10 is dimensioned such that on pressing the flap 8 into the passageway 2 the distance from a hinge line 11 of the flap 8 to the tip of the projection 10 is longer than the distance from the hinge line 11 to the opposed end-face 12 of the wall 7 and the flap 8 is retained projecting into the passageway 2 by the projection 10 engaging behind the wall 7.

The housing of FIGURE 3 is used in the same manner as has been described for the housing of FIGURES 1 and 2.

A connector housing according to the invention is simple to manufacture by one of the conventional molding processes, because there are no shoulders or projections ex tending into the passageway to present difiiculties on removing the finished housing from the mold. Also, as both the passageway of the housing and the connector are free of projections on assembly and disassembly there is substantially no resistance to the movement of the connector along the passageway at such times. This is of particular importance if the wire to which the connector is secured is very flexible for with previous housing constructions it would have been necessary to use an insertion tool to overcome the resistance to entry of the connector.

Thus, with the present housing, no special tools are required for inserting, retaining or releasing the connector. Once the connector has been secured to a wire and inserted in the housing, a small screwdriver or similar tool may be used to depress the flap to retain the connector and the same tool may be used to return the flap to its original position to permit the connector to be withdrawn.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a housing having a single connector-receiving passageway, it is equally applicable to a housing having a row of passageways or to a housing having two parallel rows of passageways. Also, more than one wall can be provided with a flap to provide plural flaps for engagement with spaced sections of an electrical connector when positioned in a passageway of the housing.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

1. An electrical connector housing comprising a body of resilient, electrically insulating material having stifllyflexible characteristics and provided with a connector-receiving passageway, a wall bounding the passageway and being cut through to provide an opening having sides and an edge to define an integrally hinged flap, and mating parts provided by said opening and said flap so that on pressing the free end of the flap into the passageway it is held therein by said part of the flap engaging said part of the opening.

2. A housing according to claim 1, in which the free end of the flap is defined by a cut inclined with respect to the wall, so that the outer surface of the flap is longer than the inner surface.

3. A housing according to claim 1, in which the free end of the flap is provided with a cut substantially normal to the wall and is formed on its outer surface with a projection so that, when the flap is depressed to extend into the passageway, the distance from the hinge line of the flap to the tip of the projection is longer than the distance from the hinge line to the opposed edge of the opening in said wall thereby maintaining said free end disposed within said passageway.

4. A housing for housing a connector comprising a body of stifily-flexible plastic material having a passageway extending therethr-ough for receiving said connector therein, means provided by said passageway for engagement by an area of said connector for limiting movement of said connector, when positioned in said passageway, in one direction therein, flap means provided by wall means of said body, said flap means being cut out from said wall means and being integrally connected along one end to said wall means so as to be free for movement into said passageway for engagement with another area of 'said connector to limit movement of said connector in a direction opposite to the said one direction, and means provided at a free end of said flap means and said wall means adjacent said free end to maintain said free end of said flap means in said passageway after said free end has been positioned in said passageway for engagement with said another area of said connector.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,682,038 6/1954 Johnson 339-204 3,263,205 7/ 1966 Chandler 339205 X FOREIGN PATENTS 468,350 9/ 1950 Canada.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 339213, 217