Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
  • H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances
  • H01R13/62905—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances comprising a camming member

Definitions

• the present invention relates to electrical connection systems and in particular to an electrical connection system of a sub-assembly of a vehicle.
• an electrical connection system to a main electrical circuit distributed inside the body structure of a vehicle, of an auxiliary electrical circuit associated with a sub-assembly, such as in particular a seat of the vehicle, for supplying electrical equipment belonging to this sub-assembly, this system comprising a first upper connector formed by a body and a contact-carrying element; and a second lower connector, complementary to the upper connector and, formed of a body, carried by the structure, and of a contact carrier, housed in the body and of the type in which the coupling of the two connectors takes place in an axial coupling direction during an assembly operation of the sub-assembly on the structure.
• connection operation of two complementary connectors in a connection system, is generally carried out manually.
• the operator performs several manipulations such as gripping and assembling the two connectors. But the execution times being very short on the workstations, the operator must handle the connectors very quickly, which is likely to lead to a bad connection, or to a degradation of the material.
• the document FR-A-2 786 933 describes a arrangement for the automatic connection of two electric circuits of a motor vehicle. This system offers a fully automatic connection between the seat connector and the body connector, when the seat is mounted on the body. However, this system is only applicable for certain types of vehicles having particular refocusers.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a system for the electrical connection of a sub-assembly of an improved vehicle.
• the present invention provides an electrical connection system of the type described above, characterized in that the upper connector comprises a mechanism, operated from outside the body, and which causes the upper contact carrier to move from an original position towards a connection position, in order to establish a connection between the two contact carriers.
• the contact carriers are moved themselves from the outside of the connector in particular with no separate part to be used for locking.
• the device comprises a contact-carrying element of the upper connector is movably mounted in the body of said upper connector.
• the device according to a second characteristic, comprises a mechanism comprising a contact carrier which is movably mounted in the body between an original high position and a low connection position.
• the device according to a third characteristic, comprises a mechanism comprising an operating member linked in translation with the movable upper contact carrier.
• the mechanism is of the cam type and cam follower element.
• the cam is a light produced in an operating lever which is movably mounted on the body of the upper connector.
• the upper connector comprises a spring which biases the contact carrier towards its low connection position, and a retractable zipper which retains the contact carrier in the original high position, against the force exerted by the spring, and a part of which forms a handle extends outside the body for its operation.
• the device comprises an operating member comprising a pull tab which is pushed or pulled so that the upper connector is locked on the lower connector.
• the device comprises a pull tab defining a rupture zone adapted to break after locking.
• the contact carrier is mounted movable, along the coupling axis, in the body of the lower connector, against a return spring in the high position.
• Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 after coupling of the two connectors.
• Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 after connection of the two contact carriers.
• Figure 4 is a view similar to those of Figures 2 and 3 which illustrates an alternative embodiment of the drive mechanism of the contact carrier of the upper connector.
• Figure 5 is a schematic representation of an upper connector having a pull tab.
• FIG. 1 is a view of the electrical connection system according to the invention, applied to a seat, offering electrical services, in a vehicle.
• This connection system comprises an upper connector 10, comprising a body 12 and a contact carrier 14, which consists of an insulating block 15 and electrical contact elements, such as male pins 17.
• the body 12 of the connector upper 10 is integrated, in part, in the seat 16 of the vehicle. For example, it is fixedly mounted in the lower part of the seat, to be placed opposite the lower connector 18, located below the seat 16.
• This connector 18, complementary to the upper connector 10 comprises a body 20, carried by the body structure 22 of the vehicle, for example in a vehicle floor element, on which the seat 16 is mounted.
• This body 20 comprises an upper part flared 21, designed to receive the free lower end of the body 12 of the upper connector 10, when the seat 16 is lowered.
• the body 20 of the lower connector 18 comprises a contact carrier 24, the insulating block 25 of which carries contact cards 19, complementary to the pins 17 of the contact carrier 14.
• the upper connector comprises a member 26 for maneuvering enabling the mechanism causing the movement of the upper contact carrier 14 to be actuated from its original high position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, towards its low connection position shown in FIG. 3.
• This member 26 is placed so as to be accessible, on the assembly line, to an operator, or a robot, who will actuate it in order to cause the movement of the contact carrier 14.
• this member 26 is a pull tab fixed to the contact carrier 14, and which can be operated along a slot made in the body 12 of the connector. Starting from the position of FIG.
• the coupling of the two connectors (10, 18) takes place in a vertical coupling direction, represented by the right (AA), during the assembly operation of the seat in the vehicle.
• This operation consists in introducing, for example automatically and by means of robots, the seat 16 into the vehicle, according to the determined coordinates which depend on the final position of the seat in the vehicle, and thus orienting the upper connector along the vertical coupling direction (AA) relative to the lower connector.
• Figure 2 shows the electrical connection system according to the invention in coupling position.
• the seat is in the final position, in the vehicle, relative to the body floor 22, and the body 12 of the upper connector is assembled to the body 20 of the lower connector 18.
• the contact carrier 14 is always in the high position original in the body 12. In this position, it can be seen that the pins 17 and the plugs 19 are aligned with a view to the final connection step or operation.
• connection of the two contact carriers (10,18) is then carried out by means of the mechanism, operated manually from outside the body 12 or automatically, which causes the upper contact carrier 14 to move from its high original position to its low connection position, in order to establish the connection between the two contact carriers (14, 24).
• FIG. 3 illustrates the connection system described above, in the connection position in which the upper contact holder is in the lower connection position and is connected with the lower contact holder 24, that is to say that the pins 17 of electrical contact of the upper insulating block 15 are inserted in the electrical contact plugs 19 of the lower insulating block 25.
• the operating mechanism may include a cam which gives movement to a cam follower element to cause the descent from the upper contact carrier to the lower contact carrier.
• the cam is a light 28, produced in an operating lever 26, which is articulated on the body 12 of the upper connector 10.
• a transverse lug 32 of the upper contact carrier 14 received at sliding in the light 28 causes the movement of the insulating block 15 of the upper contact carrier 14, vertically downwards towards the lower contact carrier.
• the upper connector comprises a spring which permanently biases the contact carrier towards its low connection position, and a retractable pull tab which retains the contact carrier in the original high position.
• the spring relaxes and pushes the upper contact carrier towards the lower contact carrier, in order to make the connection of the two entities.
• an elastic means such as a spring, is placed under the contact carrier 24, of the lower connector 18 in order to permanently apply to it a vertical thrust, in the direction of coupling, from the contact carrier 24 to the upper connector 10, and thus guarantee a good connection of the two contact carriers whatever the manufacturing and assembly tolerances.
• FIG. 5 an example of a pull tab 260 connected to the operating member of the upper connector 10 is shown with a rupture zone 262 adapted to rupture after locking.
• the advantage of this characteristic is that an operator can make the remote connection and can thus simply pull the pull tab 260 by breaking it to leave it locked.

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• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)

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Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32088278

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Cited By (1)

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Citations (3)

• 2002
  • 2002-10-25 FR FR0213373A patent/FR2846474B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-10-16 WO PCT/FR2003/003051 patent/WO2004040713A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2003-10-16 EP EP03780229A patent/EP1565964A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

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