EP0884806B1 - Electrical connector with improved contact security - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector formed of two parts intended to cooperate with each other by their respective front sides, each of said parts comprising a housing and at least one contact comprising a retaining flange and held in the housing by an insulator in which the contact is plugged in from the rear side and retained by said flange.

For the general structure of such connectors, as well as their contacts which can, for example, be directly attached to ends of the conductors to be connected, it is possible to refer for example in documents FR-A-2 115 556 and FR-A-2 575 912.

One problem with such connectors is ensuring that the contacts are correctly inserted in the parts connectors. Indeed, despite all the possible so-called controls electrical continuity, it turns out that it still still exists, on such connectors, bad contacts which are mainly due to incomplete plug-in contacts, giving rise, in operation, under the effect of vibrations, to micro-cuts manifesting in the form of random faults, the location of which is extremely difficult.

This is the reason why the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector of simple structure providing, by a particular conformation of the connector, increased security as to the correct insertion of the contacts in the connector parts and this makes contact security significantly improved.

a) ne pas agir sur les moyens de rétention de la partie arrière dans ladite première position, et

b) à coopérer avec les moyens de rétention de la partie arrière pour

b1) interdire le passage de ladite première position à ladite seconde position lorsqu'une collerette de retenue d'un contact n'a franchi que partiellement les moyens de rétention de la partie arrière, et

b2) interdire à une collerette de retenue d'un contact de franchir les moyens de rétention de la partie arrière dans ladite seconde position.

The electrical connector according to the invention, defined by claim 1, is formed of two parts intended to cooperate with each other by their respective front sides, each of said parts comprising a housing and at least one contact comprising a flange retaining and held in the housing by an insulator in which the contact is plugged in from the rear side and retained by said flange. The insulator is divided transversely to the direction of insertion of the contact into a front part and a rear part comprising positioning means making it possible to maintain them in a first reciprocal position in which they are spaced from one another and in a second reciprocal position in which they are brought together. The rear part comprises, for each contact, retention means allowing passage of the contact flange while undergoing an elastic deformation when they are crossed by the flange. The front part comprises, for each contact, locking means which are designed so as to

a) not act on the means for retaining the rear part in said first position, and

b) to cooperate with the retention means of the rear part for

b1) prohibiting the passage from said first position to said second position when a contact retaining flange has only partially crossed the retaining means of the rear part, and

b2) prohibiting a contact retaining flange from crossing the retention means of the rear part in said second position.

Thus, to allow the insertion of the contacts in the parts of the connector according to the invention, the two parts of the insulation must must be in the first position, since it is not that in this position that the retention means provided on the rear part allow the passage of the retaining flange every contact. The fact that the crossing of means of detention by the contact retaining flange implies a deformation elastic retention means, this crossing is clearly noticeable to the operator. Only then, in a second time, that the operator brings the two parts of the insulation to the second position, this transition from the first to the second position not being possible as long as the retaining flanges have completely crossed the means of retention.

a) à pouvoir recevoir ledit doigt uniquement lorsque le doigt n'est pas déformé par une collerette de retenue d'un contact, et

b) à immobiliser le doigt à l'état non déformé lorsqu'il y est engagé.

Preferably, the retention means on the rear part of the insulation include, for each contact, a through hole for contact with its retaining flange and at least one flexible finger extending from said hole towards the part before so that said finger undergoes elastic bending in the passage of the retaining flange. The locking means on the front part of the insulation include for each contact a hole in said part to receive the part of the contact located in front of the retaining flange and, behind this hole, a housing shaped so

a) being able to receive said finger only when the finger is not deformed by a contact retaining flange, and

b) immobilizing the finger in the non-deformed state when it is engaged therein.

According to a preferred embodiment, the retention means on the rear part of the insulation include, for each contact, several fingers distributed like petals on a circle, and the housing in the front part of the insulation consists of a recess of revolution able to receive said fingers.

Preferably, said housing is connected to the hole receiving the part of the contact located in front of the retaining flange by a shoulder serving as stop for limiting the insertion depth of the contact.

The fingers constituting the retention means can advantageously converge towards their free end and have an interior boss between their location connection to the through hole of the rear part of the insulation and their free end. This boss constitutes a hard point which is clearly noticeable by the operator when plugging in.

Preferably, the means for positioning the two parts of insulating it from each other in the first and in the second reciprocal positions, may include latching means made in one piece with said parts.

Said positioning means can in particular include on one part of the insulation, a cantilever tab projecting towards the other party and carrying a tooth at its end free and on the other part two transverse notches spaced so as to allow, by bending of said tab, the snap-fastening of the tooth of this last in both of said notches.

Said tab can preferably be formed on one of the parts of the insulation so as to flex outwards and in such a position that this bending is prevented by the housing when the two parts of the insulation are mounted in the housing.

la figure 1 est une section axiale d'un connecteur conforme à l'invention, dans la position de verrouillage des deux parties de connecteur l'une sur l'autre;

les figures 2 et 3 sont des vues en perspective des deux parties de l'isolant de chacune des deux parties de connecteur, sans les boítiers et sans les contacts;

la figure 4 est une section axiale des deux parties de l'isolant des deux parties de connecteur, les parties arrière de l'isolant se trouvant en position reculée et les collerettes de retenue des contacts n'ayant pas encore franchi les doigts de rétention;

la figure 5 est une section analogue à celle de la figure 4, après franchissement des doigts de rétention par les collerettes de retenue des contacts;

la figure 6 est une section analogue aux figures 4 et 5, les parties arrière de l'isolant se trouvant en position avancée.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, there will be described below in more detail an illustrative and nonlimiting embodiment of a connector according to the invention; on the drawings:

Figure 1 is an axial section of a connector according to the invention, in the locking position of the two connector parts one on the other;

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the two parts of the insulation of each of the two connector parts, without the housings and without the contacts;

Figure 4 is an axial section of the two parts of the insulation of the two connector parts, the rear parts of the insulation being in the retracted position and the contact retaining flanges having not yet crossed the retention fingers;

Figure 5 is a section similar to that of Figure 4, after crossing the retaining fingers by the contact retaining flanges;

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figures 4 and 5, the rear parts of the insulation being in the advanced position.

The connector as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a first part 1 and a second part 2, the first part 1 being here a fixed part comprising female contacts 3 and the second part 2 being a movable part carrying male contacts 4.

The first part 1 comprises a housing 5 in which the contacts 3 are maintained by an insulator composed of a front part 6 and a rear part 7.

Correspondingly, the second part 2 comprises a housing 8 in which the contacts 4 are held by a compound insulator a front part 9 and a rear part 10. The housing 8 carries by elsewhere a locking ring 11 which makes it possible to lock the two housings 5 and 8 one on the other, in the coupled position of the two connector parts 1 and 2. This locking is not part of the present invention and will not be described in more detail.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the two parts 6, 7 and 9, 10 of the insulation of the two connector parts 1 and 2 are intended for a round connector with two contacts.

The two insulating parts 6, 7 of the connector part 1 differ from the two insulating parts 9, 10 of the connector part 2, essentially by the length of the front parts 6, 9 and by the dimensions of the holes provided in these parts 6, 9 to receive, one female contacts 3 and the other male contacts 4. Apart from these differences, the general structure of parts 6 and 9, 10 on the one hand and 7 and 10, on the other hand, is identical, as is the way in which these parts cooperate with each other, with contacts 3, 4 and with boxes 5 and 8. This is the reason why the description that goes follow will be given only for connector part 1, i.e. for parts 3, 5, 6 and 7, but this description applies also to connector part 2, i.e. to parts 4, 8, 9 and 10, respectively.

Contact 3 includes, for its maintenance in the part of connector 1, a retaining flange 12 by which the contact 3 is positioned axially with respect to the two parts 6 and 7.

The front part 6 has, for each contact 3, an axial hole 13 which receives the part of contact 3 located in front of the flange 12, this hole 13 connecting at the rear, by a shoulder 14, to a tapered enlargement 15. Externally, the front part 6 comprises a cylindrical front portion 16 to which it is connected, towards the rear, via a shoulder 17, a portion 18 cylindrical of increased diameter, carrying three bosses 19 distributed at 120 ° from each other. At the location of the bosses 19, three legs 20 in overhangs protrude rearward, each of these legs 19 bearing at its free end an inner tooth 21 of trapezoidal shape.

The rear part 7 comprises, for each contact 3, a hole for cylindrical passage 22 extended forwards by four fingers 23 in cantilevered. The diameter of the hole 22 is very slightly greater than the diameter of the collar 12 of the contacts 3 and the fingers 23 converge so that the reciprocal distance of the fingers 23 opposite to the free ends of the latter, corresponds substantially to the diameter of the part of contact 3 located behind the flange 12. Each finger 23 also has, on the inner side, a boss 24 between its connection to the rear part 7 and its free end.

Externally, the rear part 7 has a lateral surface cylindrical having the same diameter as the portion 18 of the portion before 6, but with three notches 25 which correspond to the three legs 20 of the front part 6 and have a notch 26 whose profile corresponds to the shape of the tooth 21, and a rear flank 27.

Furthermore, the rear part 7 has, in its lateral surface outside, in three places offset from the notches 25, three locking tabs 28 projecting rearwardly and having an outer shoulder 29 by which the legs 28 can be supported in a groove 30 of the housing 5 in the position according to Figure 1, position in which the cylindrical portion 16 of the front part 6 is fully engaged in the front portion 31 cylindrical housing 5, its shoulder 17 bearing against a shoulder 32 of the housing 5.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6, we will describe below the different steps for inserting the contacts 3 in the connector 1 (plugging contacts 4 into connector part 2 the same way), only the two parts of the insulation two connector parts 1 and 2 being illustrated in these figures.

Before inserting the contacts 3, the two parts 6 and 7 of the insulation are spaced from each other, this position being defined by latching of tooth 21 of lugs 20 of part 6 in notch 26 notches 25 of part 7. In this position, the fingers 23 are clear of housing 15. Contacts 3 can be engaged from the rear, through the holes 22 of the rear part 7 until the flanges 12 come to bear against the bosses 24 of the fingers 23 (Figure 4), which constitute a clearly perceptible hard point.

After this hard point has been crossed by applying a increased thrust at contacts 3, plugging in of these can continue, by means of an elastic spacing of the fingers 23 by the flanges 12, until the flanges 12 press against the shoulders 14 at the bottom of the housings 15, shoulders which constitute the stop for contacts 3 (figure 5).

Then, by pushing on part 7 towards the part 6, with a view to reconciling them, it is possible to release the teeth 21 from the notches 26, by bending the legs 20 towards the outside, and bringing the two parts 6, 7 to the reciprocal position according to Figure 6 in which the two parts are brought together from one another and are held by snap-fastening of the teeth 21 behind the shoulders 27. During this movement of rapprochement parts 6, 7, the fingers 23 are pressed into the housings 15, behind the flanges 12 of the contacts 3, which means that the flanges 12 are trapped between the shoulders 14 and the ends free of fingers 23. The latter, in this position, are blocked by the housing 15 which surrounds them (see FIG. 1) and prevents them from move aside to allow the passage of a flange 12.

It should be noted that, if for any reason in the position of the parts 6, 7 according to FIG. 5, a contact 3 did not been inserted enough for its collar 12 to have crossed the free ends of the fingers 23, its flange 12 would be immobilized between the fingers 23 and would keep the latter apart; the two parts 6 and 7 could not then be brought to the close position according to Figure 6, because the fingers 23 rejected could not be engaged in housing 15. The operator would thus be warned with certainty of this situation and could do whatever is necessary to remedy this.

It is only when the two parts 6, 7 of the insulation have been brought to the reciprocal close position according to FIG. 6, that the assembly comprising the two parts 6, 7 and the contacts 3, is inserted in the housing 5 and blocked in the latter by the tabs 28, as shown in figure 1.

After the same operations as those described for the connector part 1 were made on connector part 2, the two connector parts 1 and 2 can be coupled and locked in the coupled state using the ring 11, as illustrated by figure 1.

It goes without saying that the embodiment illustrated and described has not been given as an indicative and non-limiting example and that many modifications and variants are possible within the framework of the invention. Thus, the connector part 1 could comprise by example of male contacts instead of female contacts, or male contacts and female contacts, the other connector part 2 with additional contacts. The connector could also be a non-circular connector and the number of contacts could be different from two.

We recognize in particular in Figures 2 and 3, means of coding provided on parts 6, 7 and 9, 10 of the insulation of the two connector parts, but these means are not described in the to the extent that they are not within the scope of the present invention.

Other embodiments would also be conceivable in with regard to the reciprocal positioning means of the two insulator parts of each connector part, and fingers 23 as well as the housing 15 which receives said fingers with a view to their blockage, could be replaced by other means of retention flanges 12 of the contacts and by other locking means or blockage of these means of retention.

A considerable advantage of the embodiment shown and described consists in the fact that all parts of the connector and particular the two parts 6, 7 and 9, 10 of each connector part 1, 2, can be made of plastic by simple molding, without resuming machining. Each connector half is made up like this a minimum number of simple manufacturing parts, which reduces the cost of the connector as a whole.

Claims (7)

1. Electrical connector formed of two connector parts (1, 2) each including an insulator body (5, 6, 7; 8, 9, 10) into which at least one electrical contact (3,4) comprising a retaining collar (12) is plugged from the rear side and held at the level of its collar, the insulator body of each connector part (1, 2) being divided transverse to the contact plug-in direction into a rear part (7, 10) and a front part (6, 9) including positioning means (21, 27) allowing them to be held in a reciprocal position in which they are brought close together, the rear part having for each contact a retention means including several cantilevered pins (23) projecting like petals towards the front part in such a way as to separate by resilient distortion when a contact collar is passed over them, and the front part having for each contact an immobilisation means to immobilise said retention component in said reciprocally close position, including a housing (15), configured in such a way that said pins are not able to separate when they are engaged in said housing in said reciprocally close position, said housing ending on the side away from the rear part with a shoulder (14) acting as a stop limiting the depth to which the contacts can be plugged in, characterised by the fact that said rear part (7, 10) and said front part (6, 9), together constituting an insulator intended to be mounted in a casing (5, 8) of each connector part (1, 2) include at the same time positioning means (21, 27) for holding them in said reciprocally close position and positioning means (21, 26) for holding them in a reciprocal position in which said two parts (6, 9; 7, 10) are spaced apart from each other, said positioning means (21; 26, 27), said pins (23) and said housings (15) being configured in such a way that

   a) said housings do not engage with said pins and offer no resistance to the separation of said pins by resilient distortion when a contact collar is passed over them, in said reciprocally separated position of the two insulator parts, and

   b) engage with said pins in said reciprocally close position of the two insulator parts in order to

   b1) not only prevent a contact collar from passing over said pins in said reciprocally close position but again

   b2) prevent transfer from said reciprocally separated position to said reciprocally close position when a contact collar has passed only partially over said pins.
2. Connector according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that each pin (23) comprises, on the inner side, a projection (24) between its connection to the rear part and its free end.
3. Connector according to any one of the previous claims, characterised by the fact that the positioning means on the two parts (6, 7; 9, 10) of the insulator include ratchet means made of a single piece with the two parts.
4. Connector according to claim 3, characterised by the fact that the ratchet means include, on one of the parts, a cantilevered lug (20), projecting towards the other part in such a way as to be able to bend resiliently, this lug bearing a tooth (21) at its free end, and on the other part two transverse notches (26, 27) spaced out in such a way as to allow said tooth to ratch itself into one and the other of said notches.
5. Connector according to claim 4, characterised by the fact that said lug (20) is formed on one of the two parts in such a way as to bend outwards, in a position such that this bending is inhibited by the casing (5,8) when the two parts are mounted in the casing.
6. Connector according to any one of the previous claims, characterised by the fact that means (28) for locking the two parts (6, 7; 9, 10) of the insulator in the casing (5, 8), in said second position, are formed on one of said parts.
7. Connector according to any one of the previous claims, characterised by the fact that the two parts (6, 7; 9, 10) of the insulator are moulded in a plastic material, without further machining, with said positioning, retention, immobilisation and locking means.

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