WO2013139871A1

WO2013139871A1 - Female connector for vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2013139871A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/055857
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Marie Pierre SOUFFLET; LeHua SHEN
Original assignee: Delphi Connection Systems Holding France
Priority date: 2012-03-21
Filing date: 2013-03-20
Publication date: 2013-09-26

Abstract

The invention relates to a female connector for vehicle which is adapted to be inserted by the matched male connector to establish electrical connection, said female connector comprising : a housing; connecting terminals; a terminal receptacle which is supported in the housing and is adapted to receive said connecting terminals, said terminal receptacle including at least one first terminal compartment (410) and at least one second terminal compartment (420), said first terminal compartment and second terminal compartment being arranged side-by-side, and said first terminal compartment including a front end inner wall provided with a first stop (431, 432, 435, 436) and said second terminal compartment including a front end inner wall provided with a second stop (433, 434); and wherein the respective stop end faces of said first stop and second stop are located in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the male connector into the female connector respectively; and wherein said stop end face of the second terminal compartment offsets backwards from said stop end face of the first terminal compartment. The invention also relates to a connector assembly for vehicle, said connector assembly comprising a female connector according to the invention and a matched male connector thereof.

Description

FEMALE CON NECTOR FOR VEH ICLE TECHN ICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a female connector, and more particularly, to a female connector for vehicle capable of withstanding a high current.

BACKGROUND

There is a need to use electrical connectors to establish electrical connections between devices or components in many appl ication fields. In the manufacturing processes of large scale equipments, especially automobile vehicles, mating a female connector and a male connector together is a quite conventional process. However, if workers have to carry out the mating operation continuously for a long time, this undoubtedly demands for intensive labor. On one hand, especially when mating together electrical connectors capable of withstanding a high current, this demands more efforts because of the large size of such electrical connectors. On the other hand, when mating together electrical connectors with more connecting terminals, this also demands more efforts because of the increased areas for mating .

Thereby, there is a need for improving the construction of the electrical connectors, so as to l imit the efforts for the mating operation as much as possible without compromising the performance of the electrical connectors.

SUMMARY

The invention aims to reduce the efforts (insertion forces) for mating together the female and male connectors of the electrical connectors while ensuring the reliability of mating . To achieve this, the invention provides a female connector for vehicle, especially for electric vehicle, and a connector assembly for vehicle, especially an electric vehicle.

According to the invention, said female connector for vehicle is adapted to be mated with a matched male connector to establish electrical connection . Said female connector comprises a housing, connecting terminals and a terminal receptacle. The terminal receptacle is supported in the housing and is adapted to receive said connecting terminals. Said terminal receptacle includes at least one first terminal compartment and at least one second terminal compartment. Said first terminal compartment(s) and second terminal compartment(s) are arranged side-by-side. Said first terminal compartment includes a front end inner wall provided with a first stop and said second terminal compartment includes a front end inner wall provided with a second stop. The respective stop end faces of said first stop and second stop are located in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the male connector into the female connector respectively. Said stop end face of the second stop offsets backwards from said stop end face of the first terminal stop.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the at least one second terminal compartment comprises a plurality of mating guides on the second stop. Said mating guides are separated from each other, thereby defin ing a gap for inserting the corresponding connecting terminal of the male connector. Said mating guides have the end faces toward said second terminal compartment locating in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction . Said mating guides each have a thickness along the inserting direction that equals to an offset distance by which the stop end face of the second stop offsets backwards from the stop end face of the first stop. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of second terminal compartments is provided and said second terminal compartments have different offset distances. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, at least two of said second terminal compartments have the same offset distance.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention , said first stop and said second stop are respectively arranged on the respective side walls of the at least one first terminal compartment and the at least one second terminal compartment, and are formed as protrusions extending from the respective side walls.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in each of the at least one second terminal compartment, said mating guides are formed as the protrusions extending from the bottom wall and/or top wall and/or side wall of the second stop respectively.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, four mating guides are provided . Said four mating guides are respectively located where the bottom wall meets the side walls of the second stop and where the top wall meets the side walls of the second stop.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an even number of first terminal compartments are provided on two sides of the at least one second terminal compartment, thereby forming symmetric distribution .

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said female connector further includes a terminal position assurance device having an end face constructed with an opening which matches the shape of the terminal of the male connector.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said female connector further includes a sealing component provided at the connecting location where the terminal position assurance device connects the terminal receptacle and enclose the outside of the terminal position assurance device and the terminal receptacle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said female connector comprises only one second terminal compartment and two first terminal compartments, said two first terminal compartments being provided on two different sides of said one second terminal compartment and the offset distance from the stop end face of the second stop to the stop end face of the first stop is 2 mm .

On the other hand, according to the invention, said connector assembly comprises a female connector as discussed above and a matched male connector. Said male connector has corresponding connecting terminals for inserting into the connecting terminals of the female connector, and said corresponding connecting terminals of the male connector protrude the same length along the inserting direction .

According to the invention, it is achieved the following advantages over the prior art:

introducing an offset distance from the stop end face of the second stop to the stop end face of the first stop, thereby greatly reducing the insertion force expended by the operator when mating together the electrical connectors, especially when the electrical connector has large size and/or the number of the connecting terminals thereof is large, this advantage of reducing the mating efforts becomes more apparent;

introducing the mating guides, which on one hand additionally stop the connecting terminals of the female connector thereby forcing the connecting terminals of the female connector to locate in the terminal compartments; on the other hand guide the connecting terminals of the male connector, thereby preventing the connecting terminals of the male connector from being not exactly al igned with the corresponding connecting terminals of the male connector when mating together, so that the rel iability of mating is ensured .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further explained below with reference to the following drawings, in which :

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of a female connector according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is an elevation view of the female connector according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the female connector according to one embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section view of the female connector according to one embodiment of the invention .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiments of a female connector according to the invention will be described now hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First referring to Fig . 1 , Fig . 1 shows a male connector 200 on the left and a female connector 1 00 according to the invention on the right. The male connector 200 includes a housing 21 0 which matches a housing 1 1 0 of the female connector 1 00, thereby when mating the male connector 200 with the female connector 1 00, the male connector 200 can be inserted into the female connector 1 00 and the housing 1 1 0 of the female connector 1 00 partially surrounds the outside of the housing 21 0 of the male connector 200. A locking means 220 is provided on the outside of the top wall of the housing 210 of the male connector 200, whereas a locking means 1 20 is provided on the outside of the top wall of the housing 1 10 of the female connector 1 00, so that said locking means 220, 1 20 can keep the male connector 200 and the female connector 1 00 in connecting state after mating of the male connector 200 and the female connector 1 00, preventing the male connector 200 from disconnecting from the female connector 1 00 easily due to an external force. The locking means 220, 1 20 can be constructed in the way familiar to the skilled in the art. Obviously, the locking means 220, 1 20 can also be provided on the bottom wall or side wall of the male connector 200 and the female connector 1 00 respectively. It is also obvious that there can be provided with a plurality of locking means so as to further ensure the reliability of the connection .

Referring now to Fig . 2, Fig . 2 shows the exploded view of the female connector 1 00. The end of the female connector 1 00 mating the male connector 200 is defined therein as the front end of the female connector 1 00 and the other end is defined as the back end . As shown in Fig . 2, a terminal position assurance device 1 50 is fitted to the front end of the female connector 1 00. There are openings 1 51 on the end face of the terminal position assurance device 1 50, the number of the openings 1 51 being the same as the number of the connecting terminals 230 of the male connector 200 and the shape of the opening 1 51 matches the shape of the connecting terminals 230 of the male connector 200. Each connecting terminal 230 is installed in the housing of the male connector 200 via a connecting terminal receptacle and preferably protrudes the same length from the connecting terminal receptacle along the inserting direction of the male connector 200 into the female connector 1 00. In this embodiment, three connecting terminals 230 are constructed as substantial flat metal sheets. Three openings 1 51 are constructed with substantial flat transverse openings, the heights of the transverse openings being slightly larger than the thickness of the connecting terminals 230 thereby allowing the connecting terminals 230 passing therethrough . Preferably, the openings 1 51 are additionally constructed with longitudinal openings perpendicular to the transverse openings and the longitudinal openings are used to disassembly the connecting terminals if necessary. The longitudinal openings and the transverse openings of the openings 1 51 form a crisscross. The terminal position assurance device 1 50 further includes two engaging boards (not shown) perpendicular to the end face, and the two engaging boards are respectively provided with through holes for ensuring the terminal position assurance device 1 50 fits with the corresponding protruding construction in the housing 1 1 0 when inserted into the housing 1 1 0, thereby achieving the secure connection of the terminal position assurance device 1 50 and the housing 1 1 0.

Moreover, there is also a sealing component 140 used to seal the connecting position of the terminal position assurance device 1 50 and the housing 1 1 0 after the connection of the terminal position assurance device 1 50 and the housing 1 1 0 (that is, after the terminal position assurance device 1 50 is fitted into the housing 1 1 0).

A terminal receptacle is provided in the housing 1 10 of the female connector 1 00 for receiving the connecting terminals 1 20 of the female connector 1 00 and part of the electrical wires. The construction of the connecting terminal 1 20 matches that of the connecting terminal 230, so that a connecting terminal 230 can be inserted into a connecting terminal 1 20 in order to establ ish electrical connection . Fig . 3 is an elevation view of the female connector 1 00, wherein the terminal position assurance device 1 50 and the sealing component 140 are not shown . Corresponding to the connecting terminal 1 20 of the female connector 1 00, the terminal receptacle of the female connector 1 00 includes three terminal compartments 41 0, 420, 430 which are used to receive the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 22, 1 23 of the female connector 1 00 respectively. The terminal compartments 41 0 and 430 are identically constructed, whereas the terminal compartment 420 is differently constructed . It can be seen from Fig . 3 that the terminal compartment 420 is additionally arranged with mating guides 421 , 422, 423 and 424.

Figure 5 is a cutaway view of the female connector along the direction A-A of Fig . 4. The end where the front end face of the connecting terminal 1 20 is located after fitting the connecting terminal 1 20 into the terminal compartment is defined therein as the front end of the terminal compartment. The terminal compartment 41 0 defines a space for receiving one connecting terminal 1 21 by the top wall, bottom wall and two side walls. At the front end of the terminal compartment 41 0, stops 431 , 432 are provided on the two side walls of the terminal compartment 41 0. The stop

431 is formed as a protrusion extending from one side wall and the stop

432 is formed as a protrusion extending from the other side wall, and the stop end faces of the stops 431 , 432 are located in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the male connector into the female connector. As used herein, the stop end face refers to the end face of the stop contacting with the connecting terminals. When fitting the connecting terminal 1 21 into the terminal compartment 41 0, the connecting terminal 1 21 is inserted into the terminal compartment 41 0 until the front end face of the connecting terminal 1 21 contacts with the stop end faces of the stops 431 , 432. The terminal compartment 430 is identically constructed to the terminal compartment 41 0. The terminal compartment 430 is provided with stops 435, 436 for stopping the connecting terminal 1 23.

Preferably, the stop end faces of the stops 431 , 432 of the terminal compartment 41 0 and that of the stops 435, 436 of the terminal compartment 430 are located in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the male connector into the female connector.

Preferably, the stops 431 , 432, 435, 436 are continuously extending from the top wall to the bottom wall all the way. As long as the end faces of the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 23 can be stopped reliably respectively when the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 23 are fitted into the terminal compartment 41 0, 430 so that the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 23 respectively locate into the terminal compartments 41 0, 430, it is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the stops 431 , 431 , 435, 436 can be discontinuous; and that the stops can also be arranged on the bottom wall and the top wall of the terminal compartments respectively or the stops can be arranged on the top wall, bottom wall and two side walls, with stop end faces of the stops locating in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the male connector into the female connector.

In the terminal compartment 420, the stop end faces of the stops 433, 434 offset backwards from the stop end faces of the stops 431 , 432 (or stops 435, 436), with an offset distance L. Preferably, the offset distance L is 2 mm. When mating the male connector 200 and the female connector 1 00 together, due to the offset distance L, the connecting terminals 231 , 233 of the male connector 200 firstly contact with the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 23 of the female connector 1 00, then the connecting terminal 232 of the male connector 200 contacts with the connecting terminal 1 22 of the female connector 1 00, that is to say, the times when respective connecting terminals of the male connector 200 contact with the respective connecting terminals of the female connector 1 00 are different from each other due to the offset distance L. By this way, the efforts expended by the operator when mating together the male connector 200 with the female connector 1 00 is greatly reduced . Indeed, not all the terminals are mated at the same time. The maximum insertion force required for mating the connectors is reduced . For example, when the workers in the plant need to assembly large quantities of the electrical connector continuously, especially when the electrical connector has a large size or the number of the connecting terminals is large, this advantage in particular becomes apparent.

Still referring to the cross-section view of Fig . 5, the mating guides 422, 423 are located where the two side walls meet the bottom wall and are separated from each other. The mating guides 422, 423 are integrally constructed with the terminal compartment 420 and are formed as protrusions extending from the bottom wall and the side walls. The thickness of each of the mating gu ides 422, 423, in the mating direction, is substantially equal to the offset distance L. The mating guides 421 , 424 (not shown) are located where the two side walls meet the top wall and are constructed similar to the mating guides 422, 423.

The mating guides provide the guiding function when the male connector 200 mates with the female connector 1 00. When the male connector 200 mates with the female connector 1 00, there is a risk due to the offset distance L that the connecting terminal 232 of the male connector 200 is not exactly aligned with the connecting terminal 1 22 of the female connector 1 00, which leads to undesirable mating and even potentially damages of either one of or both connecting terminals 232, 1 22. The guiding function of the mating guide mitigates the above risk, thereby ensuring ideal mating while reducing the plugging force. The mating guides may optionally provide additional stop function, which stops the connecting terminal 1 20 when the connecting terminals 1 20 are inserted into the terminal compartments.

Furthermore, a locking means is provided in the terminal compartments 41 0, 420, 430, which matches the locking means in the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 22, 1 23 respectively, therefore, the connecting terminals 1 21 , 1 22, 1 23 are fixed into the terminal compartments 41 0, 420, 430 via locking when they are fitted into the terminal compartments 41 0, 420, 430. The construction of the locking means is familiar to those skilled in the art. Moreover, there is provided a groove in the bottom wall of each terminal compartment 41 0, 420, 430, and the groove is used to provide operating space for disassembly tools.

While the disclosure has described and explained the invention with reference to particular embodiments, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the details shown . Rather, various modifications to the details can be made falling within the scope of the equivalent of the appended claims, without departing from the invention .

Claims

1 . A female connector for vehicle, adapted to be mated with a matched male connector to establish electrical connection, said female connector comprising : a housing;

connecting terminals; and

a terminal receptacle which is supported in the housing and is adapted to receive said connecting terminals, said terminal receptacle including at least one first terminal compartment and at least one second terminal compartment, said first terminal and second terminal compartments being arranged side-by-side, and said first terminal compartment including a front end inner wall provided with a first stop and said second terminal compartment including a front end inner wall provided with a second stop; wherein the respective stop end faces of said first stop and second stop are located in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction of the male connector into the female connector respectively;

characterized in that said stop end face of the second terminal compartment offsets backwards from said stop end face of the first terminal compartment.

2. The female connector for vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one second terminal compartment is constructed with a plurality of mating guides on the second stop, wherein said mating guides are separated from each other, thereby defining a gap for inserting the corresponding connecting terminal of the male connector; and that said mating guides have the end faces toward said second terminal compartment locating in one plane perpendicular to the inserting direction; and wherein said mating guides each have a thickness along the inserting direction that equals to an offset distance by which the stop end face of the second stop offsets backwards from the stop end face of the first stop.

3. The female connector for vehicle of claim 2, comprising a plurality of second terminal compartments, said second terminal compartments having different offset distances.

4. The female connector for vehicle of claim 2, comprising a plurality of second terminal compartments, at least two of said second terminal compartments having the same offset distance.

5. The female connector for vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein said first stop and said second stop are respectively arranged on the respective side walls of at least one first terminal compartment and the at least one second terminal compartment, and are formed as the protrusions extending from the respective side walls.

6. The female connector for vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein, in each of the at least one second terminal compartment, said mating guides are formed as the protrusions extending from the bottom wall and/or top wall and/or side walls of the second stop respectively.

7. The female connector for vehicle of claim 6, comprising four mating guides, said four mating guides being respectively located where the bottom wall meets the side walls of the second stop and where the top wall meets the side walls of the second stop.

8. The female connector for vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein there are only one second terminal compartment and two first terminal compartments, and wherein said two first terminal compartments are provided on two sides of the second terminal compartment.

9. The female connector for vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 8, further including a terminal position assurance device, said terminal position assurance device includ ing an end face constructed with an opening which matches the shape of the terminal of the male connector.

1 0. A connector assembly for vehicle, comprising a female connector according one of claims 1 to 9 and a matched male connector, said male connector having a corresponding connecting terminals for inserting into the connecting terminals of the female connector, and said corresponding connecting terminals of the male connector protruding the same length along the inserting direction .