WO2008007166A1

WO2008007166A1 - Front grid of a female electrical connector

Info

Publication number: WO2008007166A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/003338
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frédéric CHAZOTTES; Christian Campfort
Original assignee: Fci
Priority date: 2006-07-10
Filing date: 2006-07-10
Publication date: 2008-01-17

Abstract

The invention proposes a front grid of a female electrical connector arranged for being mounted, on a rear side, to a front face of a body of the female connector and for receiving, from a front side, pins of a counterpart male electrical connector, the front grid comprising a front panel provided with: • connecting windows arranged for facing, at the said rear side, corresponding conductive electrical elements engaged in the body of the female connector and for receiving, from the front side, the pins of the male connector such that the pins can connect to the said elements; • testing windows associated with corresponding neighbored connecting windows such that a testing tool engaged through a testing window can contact the electrical element facing the associated connecting window; characterized in that the front grid further comprises an abutment arranged for stopping the testing tool engaged through a testing window if the position of the electrical element facing the associated connecting window is not correct.

Description

Front grid of a female electrical connector

The present invention relates to the field of the electrical connectors, and especially to the field of the female electrical connectors. More particularly, the invention relates to front grids of female electrical connectors.

Typically, such front grids comprises fixing means for being mounted to a front face of a body of the female connector.

The body of the female connector comprises channels along which conductive terminal fittings crimped on respective electrical wires are engaged and locked.

Typically, front grids comprise an internal housing opened on one side for receiving therein at least a portion of this body of the female connector.

The other side of the housing is closed by a front panel arranged for receiving the pins of a counterpart male electrical connector.

The front panel comprises transversal connecting windows arranged for facing, at one side, the said corresponding terminal fittings and for receiving, from the other side, the pins of the male connector such that the pins can connect to the terminal fittings. In order to test if the terminal fittings are in a correct position in their respective channels (i.e. if the connection between the pins and the terminal fittings is correct), transversal testing windows are further provided through the front panel. Each testing window is associated with a neighbored connecting window such that a testing tool engaged through a testing window can contact the terminal fittings facing the associated connecting window.

The testing method consists in electrically linking the end part of the testing tool opposite the terminal tip to an electrical wire engaged in the female connector via an external circuit. Then, the circuit is closed only if the terminal pin of the testing tool contacts the terminal fitting of the electrical wire. Accordingly, if a voltage is applied to this circuit, the measurement of a current will indicate that the testing tool contacts the said terminal fitting, and then the terminal fittings is in a correct position. Then, according to the position of a terminal fitting, the testing tool will be more or less engaged into the electrical connector, before it contacts to the terminal fitting (and thus before the contact is detected).

It is then the length of the testing tool engaged in the female connector that will give to the tester the information about the position of the terminal fitting in the connector.

The tester has then to deduce if the position of the terminal fitting is correct or not according to determinate specification.

This method implies then a step of deduction that would be desirable to avoid.

Furthermore, some errors about the said length value can be done.

This method is then not sufficiently reliable, especially if an important precision of the position of the terminal fitting is required.

The invention proposes to overcome these problems by proposing, according to a first aspect, a front grid of a female electrical connector arranged for being mounted, on a rear side, to a front face of a body of the female connector and for receiving, from a front side, pins of a counterpart male electrical connector, the front grid comprising a front panel provided with:

• connecting windows arranged for facing, at the said rear side, corresponding conductive electrical elements engaged in the body of the female connector and for receiving, from the front side, the pins of the male connector such that the pins can connect to the said elements;

• testing windows associated with corresponding neighbored connecting windows such that a testing tool engaged through a testing window can contact the electrical element facing the associated connecting window; characterized in that the front grid further comprises an abutment arranged for stopping the testing tool engaged through a testing window if the position of the electrical element facing the associated connecting window is not correct. Other optional characteristics of this front grid are: - the abutment is positioned and arranged such that the testing tool engaged through the said testing window contacts the said electrical element if the position of the electrical element in the body of the female connector is correct; - the front grid further comprises at least one wall extending perpendicularly to the front panel at the said rear side, wherein this wall includes said abutment;

- the abutment is the front end of a first portion of the said wall, the first portion being thicker than other portions of the wall, and the rear end of the first portion is a ramp;

- the said wall is a terminal part of a channel of the female connector along which the said electrical element is engaged;

- the front grid comprises an internal housing defined by the front panel and four lateral panels extending from the edges of the front panel to the said rear side, and the said wall is one of these lateral panels or an internal panel further provided inside the housing and extending from the front panel;

- the front grid comprises a plurality of the said abutments;

- the front grid is made of a plastic material and wherein it is integrally molded.

According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a female connector comprising a front grid.

According to a third aspect, the invention proposes a front grid of a female electrical connector for being mounted, on a rear side, to a front face of a body of the female connector and for receiving, from a front side, pins of a counterpart male electrical connector, the front grid comprising : • an internal housing opened at its rear side for receiving therein at least a portion of the body of the female connector;

• a front panel closing the front side of the housing, and comprising: transversal connecting windows arranged for facing, at the said rear side, corresponding longitudinal conductive electrical elements engaged in the body of the female connector and for receiving, from the front side, the pins of the male connector such that the pins can connect to the longitudinal elements; transversal testing windows associated with corresponding neighbored connecting windows such that a testing tool engaged through a testing window can contact the longitudinal element facing the associated connecting window; abutments located inside the housing and close to some testing windows, arranged for stopping the testing tool engaged through a testing window if the position of the longitudinal element facing the associated connecting window is not correct. Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will clearly appear in the following detailed description of the invention, which is non limitative, illustrated by the following figures:

Figures 1 and 2 show respectively a back and a front perspective views of a front grid of a connector according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a front perspective view of a connector according to the invention.

Figure 3A shows a detail of the figure 3.

Figure 4 shows a cross-section in a (XZ) plane of a connector according to the invention, as an electrical wire is engaged therein, without being locked therein.

Figure 4A shows a detail of figure 4.

Figure 5 shows a cross-section in a (XZ) plane of a connector according to the invention, when an electrical wire is engaged and fixed therein. Figure 5A shows a detail of figure 5.

Figures 1 and 2 show respectively a back side 201 and a front side 202 of a front grid 200 of an electrical connector according to the invention.

In the following description, a direct orthogonal (XYZ) frame will be used (as shown in figures 1-3), the X-axis corresponding to the plugging direction. The connector according to the invention is a female connector, comprising different modules mounted one to the other. The front grid 200 is the terminal module.

This front grid 200 is formed by molding in an electrical insulating material, preferably a rigid plastic material. The front grid 200 has here a general parallelepipedic shape with an internal housing for receiving a counterpart module of the connector to be mounted. The housing is limited by one top wall 203, one bottom wall 204, two side walls 207-208, and a front wall 209. At the back side 201 of the front grid 200, an aperture is provided for allowing the introduction of the said counterpart module of the connector into the said housing.

Such a front grid 200 comprises some locking means 205-206 for allowing a montage to another module of the electrical connector. Lots of locking means are known per se. An example of a kind of locking means 205- 206 is shown in figures 1. The latter is of elastic means located on opposed external faces of the side walls 207-208 of the front grid 200, in order to be clipped with the counterpart module.

The front side 202 of the front grid 200 is a planar front panel 209, but other geometries of this front panel 209 might be found depending on the shape of the terminal end of the male connector to be connected to the said connector through the front grid 200.

The electrical connecting means of such another male connector to be connected are typically some connecting pins. Accordingly, the front panel 209 of the front grid 200 comprises as much connecting windows 210 as needed for the connection with these pins. For example, in figure 2, there are forty connecting windows 210 in order to receive forty corresponding connecting pins. These connecting windows are preferably ordered in the front panel 202 according to an array of lines and columns. The cross-section of such a connecting window 210 may be square, rectangular or of another shape, depending on the cross-section of the counterpart connecting pins to be received therein. The cross-section of a window may be formed to be progressively decreasing along the X-axis, when approaching to the internal housing (see figure 3A): this configuration allows to guide the said connecting pins into the said housing.

At the vicinity of at least one of these connecting windows 210, a testing window 220 is provided. The cross-section of a testing window 220 must be sufficient to engage within a testing tool 1000, as shown in figure 4A.

The front side 202 of the front grid 200 can further be provided with other types of apertures 260. For example, some external additional blocks of connecting windows 60 may be provided to be clipped into these apertures, as shown in figure 3.

Each connecting window 210 and each testing window 220 are axial apertures between the outside and the housing of the front grid 200. Moreover, at least one abutment 290 is provided in the housing at a determinate distance "e" from a corresponding testing window 220 (see figures 1 and 4) such that, when a determinate longitudinal testing tool 1000 is engaged into the housing of the front grid 200 through the testing window 220, it stops at the said abutment 290. Then the testing tool 1000 can not go further away in the housing. In fact, the abutment 290 leaves a free surface, in prolongation of the testing window 220, that is smaller than the cross-section of the ended part of the testing tool 1000 (for illustration, figure 4A shows the said free surface which has a height "hi" and the cross-section of the terminal part of the testing tool 1000 which has a height "h3", "h3" being greater than "hi").

The abutment 290 is preferably a wall extending in a (YZ) plane from a base surface at the said distance "e" from the testing window 220. This base surface can be an internal face of the bottom wall 204, an internal face of the top wall 203, and/or an internal face of one or both of the side walls 207-208.

Alternatively or in combination, the said base plane can be an internal panel

240 extending in the housing, according to a (XY) plan, from the internal side of the front panel 209. In this last case, one abutment 290 can be provided on each side of the internal panel 240 (see figure 4). Some testing windows 220 should then be provided in the front panel 209 at the prolongation of the abutment 290.

This abutment 290 can be an end wall of a rigid tab 230-230'-230" extending in a (XY) plane and outwardly from the front side 202 of the front grid

200. This tab 230-230'-230" is attached to the said base surface. The other end of the tab 230-230'-230" can be a rear ramp 280 whose height is progressively decreasing until reaching the said base plane.

Advantageously, the base of the tab 230-230'-230" is integrally formed with the tab 230-230'-230".

Figures 3-5 show an example of a connector 900 according to the invention.

A rear grid 700 is mounted by clipping onto the back side of a contact holder 100. Preferably, a sealing plug 600, made from a resilient material, is interfaced between the rear grid 700 and the contact holder 100 in order to prevent from any dust and moisture. A cover 300 is then provided for covering the back side of the rear grid 700, and a U-bolt 400 cooperates with the cover 300 for holding the cover 300 and the assembly. At least one lateral sealing plug 800 can be added for improving the tightly of the connector 900. Channels 710, 610 and 190, parallel to the X-axis, are provided through, respectively, the rear grid 700, the sealing plug 600 and the contact holder 100 so as to form single channels once all these modules are assembled together. Thus, some electrical wires 1100 can be introduced from the back side of this assembly (from the cover 300) into the different channels and reach the front side of this assembly.

Some terminal fittings 1110, made of electrical conductive materials, known per se, are crimped on the end parts of the electrical wires. If the electrical wire 1100 is in position in the connector 900, its terminal fitting 1110 is located at the end of the channel 190 of the contact holder 100 (i.e. close to the front of the connector 900) in which it was engaged.

Then, the front grid 200 is mounted on the contact holder 100, via the said locking means 205-206, each connecting windows 210 facing the end of each channel 190. Thus, if a connecting pin of a male connector (not shown) is engaged into the channel 190 (via the corresponding connecting window 210), the connecting pin contacts the terminal fitting 1110 and the electrical connection is then established.

In order to lock the electrical wire 1100 inside the channel 190, some lateral walls of some channels may be provided with flexible safety latch 130 that are swatted once the terminal fitting 1110 is engaged in the channel 190. The front grid 200, when mounted, can comprise means for covering the end part of the safety latches 130, ensuring then a double-locking of the terminal fitting 1110.

For some reasons (misalignment of some modules of the connector 900, defaults in the manufacturing of module, deformation of the terminal fittings

1110, dusts in the connector 900, the wire 1100 was badly engaged,...), it can occur that the electrical wire 1100 is not suitably locked. Then the terminal fitting

1110 is located in a position that is slightly offset from the normal position, and particularly the terminal fitting 1110 is farer from the connecting window 210 than it should be (it is the situation depicted in figures 4 and 4A). The quality of the connection is then affected.

If this offset position is below the position of the said abutment 290, then the testing tool 1000 comes into abutment onto the abutment 290 without contacting the terminal fitting 1110 (figures 4 and 4A). Then no current circulate in the testing tool 1000, contrary to the case of the terminal fitting 1110 is suitably locked into the channel 190 (figures 5 and 5A).

Furthermore, it is to be noticed that the said tabs 230-230'-230" are terminal parts of lateral walls of the said channels 190.

Additionally, thanks to the rear ramp 280 of the tab 230, the presence of the abutment 290 according to the invention does not impede the engagement of the terminal fitting 1110 into the channel 190.

As seen previously, the abutment 290 according to the invention improves the testing method of an electrical connector 900.

Furthermore, as the abutments 290 are located inside the housing of a front grid 200 and are then accessible from the back side 201 of the front grid 200, there is no problem of manufacturing of such abutments by molding. A simple adjustment of the molding of the front grid 200 is only necessary. Accordingly, the invention improves the testing method of the connector, with low-cost means.

Claims

1. A front grid of a female electrical connector arranged for being mounted, on a rear side, to a front part of a body of the female connector and for receiving, from a front side, pins of a counterpart male electrical connector, the front grid comprising a front panel provided with:

• connecting windows arranged for facing, at the said rear side, corresponding conductive electrical elements engaged in the body of the female connector and for receiving, from the front side, the pins of the male connector such that the pins can connect to the said elements; • testing windows associated with corresponding neighbored connecting windows such that a testing tool engaged through a testing window can contact the electrical element facing the associated connecting window; characterized in that the front grid further comprises an abutment arranged for stopping the testing tool engaged through a testing window if the position of the electrical element facing the associated connecting window is not correct.

2. The front grid according to the previous claim, wherein the abutment is positioned and arranged such that the testing tool engaged through the said testing window contacts the said electrical element if the position of the electrical element in the body of the female connector is correct.

3. The front grid according to one of the previous claims, further comprising at least one wall extending perpendicularly to the front panel at the said rear side, wherein this wall includes said abutment.

4. The front grid according to the previous claim, wherein the abutment is the front end of a first portion of the said wall, the first portion being thicker than other portions of the wall, and wherein the rear end of the first portion is a ramp.

5. The front grid according to the previous claim, wherein the said wall is a terminal part of a channel of the female connector along which the said electrical element is engaged.

6. The front grid according to one of the three previous claims, wherein the front grid comprises an internal housing defined by the front panel and four lateral panels extending from the edges of the front panel to the said rear side, and wherein the said wall is one of these lateral panels or an internal panel further provided inside the housing and extending from the front panel.

7. The front grid according to one of the previous claims, comprising a plurality of the said abutments.

8. The front grid according to one of the previous claims, wherein it is made of a plastic material and wherein it is integrally molded.

9. Female connector comprising a front grid according to one of the previous claims.

10. A front grid of a female electrical connector for being mounted, on a rear side, to a front side of a body of the female connector and for receiving, from a front side, pins of a counterpart male electrical connector, the front grid comprising :

• an internal housing opened at its rear side for receiving therein at least a portion of the body of the female connector;

• a front panel closing the front side of the housing, and comprising: transversal connecting windows arranged for facing, at the said rear side, corresponding longitudinal conductive electrical elements engaged in the body of the female connector and for receiving, from the front side, the pins of the male connector such that the pins can connect to the longitudinal elements; transversal testing windows associated with corresponding neighbored connecting windows such that a testing tool engaged through a testing window can contact the longitudinal element facing the associated connecting window;

• abutments located inside the housing and close to some testing windows, arranged for stopping the testing tool engaged through a testing window if the position of the longitudinal element facing the associated connecting window is not correct.