EP2876744B1

EP2876744B1 - Connector with a connector position assurance device

Info

Publication number: EP2876744B1
Application number: EP13194306.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jae-Yup JUNG; Ryan Kim; Min-Young Lee; Joo-Hyon Park; Ju-Won Seo; Jae-Hun Yoon; Hyun-Chul Baek
Original assignee: Aptiv Technologies Ltd
Current assignee: Aptiv Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2013-11-25
Filing date: 2013-11-25
Publication date: 2019-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2033-11-25
Also published as: EP2876744A1

Description

Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to the art of connectors and, particularly, to connectors with a connector position assurance device (CPA). Such CPA devices are often used with electrical connectors, but they can be used with optical connectors as well. This invention also relates to connector assemblies, since CPA devices are aimed to check that two connectors, or a connector and a mateable counterpart, of a connector assembly are mated.

Background of the Invention

Various uses of electrical or optical connectors require that some form of assurance system be provided which absolutely assures that the connectors are mechanically engaged and fully mated and can be used to indicate such mating. In particular, it can be easily understood that for connectors involved in security systems, it is necessary to take measures to prevent incomplete fitting and locking or an incomplete mating, and when fully and properly mated, to prevent inadvertent unlocking.
For the sake of simplicity, the invention will be disclosed and explained for an electrical connector, but the one skilled in the art will easily transpose it to any kind of connectors, including optical connectors.
A connector of the prior art is disclosed in WO2013/148298A1 . This prior art connector includes a housing on the top of which is integrally molded a latch arm pivoting about a fulcrum with respect to the housing. The latch arm has a latch portion essentially located on one side of the fulcrum and a lever portion essentially located the other side of the fulcrum. The latch portion is designed to engage a tooth located on a counterpart (connector or device) of the connector so as to prevent the unmating of the connector and its mated counterpart. The latch arm is pivotally mounted on the connector housing for a pivoting movement into and out of engagement with the tooth of its counterpart.
The lever portion has a pressing area. When a force is exerted on this pressing area, a leverage effect (i.e. lever arm effect) operates on the latch arm. This makes the tooth free, and the connector and its mated counterpart can be unmated. A connector position assurance (CPA) device is slidingly mounted on the housing between an initial position and a final position. More precisely, the CPA device is slidably mounted on the latch arm for movement between its initial and final positions. In the initial position of the CPA device, the connector and its counterpart can be mated or unmated. In its final position, the CPA device blocks the latch arm and prevents it from pivoting. As a consequence, the connector and its counterpart can no longer be unmated. The CPA device cannot be moved from its initial position to its final position as long as the connector and its counterpart are not properly and fully mated. The CPA device has a pushing portion, on which a user can push in order to move the CPA device between the initial and final positions and vice-versa.
Documents EP 0 889 557 A2 , EP 1 209 770 A2 and WO 2010/032088 A1 all disclose connectors with latch arms and connector position assurance devices according to the preamble of claim 1.
There is a continuous trend toward the miniaturization of connectors. One aim of the invention is to provide a connector which can be small whilst having a latch arm which can be easily manipulated and is reliable.
This aim is achieved by a connector according to independent claim 1, wherein in the initial position of the CPA device, the CPA device extends in cantilevered position and increases the leverage effect of the lever portion. In other words, the CPA makes the lever arm of the lever portion longer in the initial position of the CPA, than when it its final position. In its initial position, the CPA device engages the latch arm so that the pushing portion of the CPA device can be pressed by a user for actuating the latch arm and for releasing the tooth of the counterpart. Again, in other words, the CPA device is telescopic (i.e. retractable) over the latch arm. When retracted, in its final position it is barely longer than the lever portion of the latch arm (it can even be completely brought in the volume of the remaining part connector). When extended, in its initial position, the CPA device further lengthen the lever arm and the pushing portion of the CPA increase the room/surface for pressing the lever portion and pivoting the latch arm.
The invention contemplates the provision of complementary features such as a lever portion of the latch arm having a free end which is blocked by the CPA device, in its final position, the CPA device being itself blocked by a static portion of the housing. This way, the latch arm can no longer be pivoted with the consequence that the connector and its counterpart are securely mated and cannot be unmated without having previously pushed the CPA back to its initial position. For example, the CPA device, in its final position, and the static portion of the housing engage each other through at least one set of two complementary shapes (groove and rib or cavity and protrusion, stops, etc.), respectively located on one or the other of the CPA device and a static portion of the housing. The latch arm is attached to the housing at at least one static pivoting point and the lever slides over at least one sliding area located in front of the static pivoting point relatively to the latch. This feature allows a shorter lever potion and consequently helps reducing the connector size. If a first connector with at least one of the above features is mated with a second connector or counterpart connector having a skirt getting at least partially into the housing of the first connector, this skirt may have a tooth engaged with the latch portion of the first connector, when the first and second connector are fully mated. The CPA device may have a first and a second locking arms. The first locking arm may then press, in a first direction, over the tooth and the latch when the CPA device is in its final position. And the second locking arm may then press, in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, against a housing wall of the first connector when the CPA device is in its final position. This way, the CPA device can no longer move freely and cannot make noise when submitted to vibrations.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pair of first and second mating connectors in an electrical connector assembly of the invention, with the CPA removed from its supporting connector to facilitate the illustration;
FIGURES 2A and 2B are fragmented sections taken in the axial or mating direction through the connectors, on the left hand side, prior to mating of the connectors and with the CPA in a pre-mounting position, and the right hand side, with the CPA mounted on the first connector in its initial position;
FIGURES 3A to 3C is a sequential view, similar to that of Figure 2 or 3, with the second connector having its skirt slightly getting into the first connector housing (the CPA still being in its initial position); with the second connector tooth and the latch portion of the first connector mutually engaged (the CPA still being in its initial position), and with the CPA device in its final position;
FIGURE 4 is a similar view to that of Figure 1, with the connectors mated;
FIGURE 5A and 5B are views respectively similar to Figures 1 and 3, with the CPA device in its initial position and pressed by a user; FIGURE 5C is a schematic view from above the connector of Figures 51 and 5B;
FIGURES 6A and 6B are respectively a front view of the first connector when the CPA is its final position, and a schematic cross-section, taken perpendicularly to the axial or mating direction of the connector assembly;
FIGURE 7 is a schematic cross-section, taken in the axial or mating direction through the first connector when the latch arm in its locking position and in its releasing position;
FIGURE 8 is a schematic cross-section, similar to Figure 7, but with counterpart connector and the CPA in its final position.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to Figure 1, the connector assembly comprises a first connector 100 and a second connector 200 designed to mate along a mating direction A. Both the first 100 and second 200 connectors have a front and a rear sides (respectively), the front sides corresponding to their mating sides. A CPA device 300 is designed to be mounted on the first connector, from its rear side. The first and second connectors are molded of dielectric material, such as plastic or the like.
The first connector 100 is a plug connector and comprises a housing with an inner housing 110 essentially for accommodating electrical terminals (not shown) and an outer housing 120 for supporting a latch arm 130 and the CPA device 300.
The latch arm 130 has a pressing area 132 at its rear end (close to the rear side of the first connector 100) and accessible by an operator finger so that pushing down on the pressing area 132 causes, as it is explained below, a latch portion 134 of the latch arm 130 to pivot upwardly.
The second connector 200, or counterpart connector or any device with a counterpart portion adapted to mate the first connector 100, is a receptacle connector and includes a housing 210 with skirt 220 extending forwardly (i. e. toward the first connector 100 when the first 100 and second 200 connectors are about to be mated). The skirt 220 has a top wall 222 with a tooth 224. The tooth 224 has a forwardly facing chamfered surface which is located generally centrally of and projects upwardly from the top wall 220. The second connector accommodates electrical terminals (not shown).
The CPA device 300 is molded of dielectric material, such as plastic or the like. It has a pushing portion 310 designed to be accommodated at the rear side of the first connector 100. The CPA device 300 has first 320 and second 330 locking arms and two guiding ribs 340 extending forwardly from the pushing portion 310. The first locking arm 320 has a first locking section 322 designed to engage, as it will explained below, a catch 136 located at the front end of the latch arm 130 (see figure 2A). The second locking arm 330, extending partially over the first locking arm 320, is designed to engage, as it will be explained below, the latch arm 130. Each one of the guiding ribs 340 is laterally located on a respective side of the first 320 and second 330 locking arms. The guiding ribs 340 are designed to engage guiding grooves 122 located on lateral sides of the outer housing 120 (see figure 6B).
As shown on Figure 2A, the latch arm 130 extends forwardly from the pressing area 132 to the catch 136. More precisely, the catch 136 has a U-shape with two branches 138 (only one is represented on Figure 2A) extending essentially forwardly from the pressing area 132 and joined at a front end by a transverse branch 139. The transverse branch 139 has a slanted front surface 140 and an upright rear surface 142. When the CPA device 300 is mounted on the outer housing 120, from its rear side, the first 320 and second 330 locking arms are inserted below the pressing area 132. The first 320 and second 330 locking arms are flexible so that they can elastically deform.
As shown on Figure 2B, once the free end of the first locking arm 320 abuts the upright rear surface 142 of the catch 136, a prong 332 located at the free end of the second locking arm 330 is received in an opening 144 of the pressing area. The CPA device 300 is then in its initial position where it is maintained trapped in the outer housing 120.
As shown on Figure 3A, when the second connector 200 is mated to the first connector 100, its skirt 220 gets at least partially under the outer housing 120 of the first connector 100. The forwardly facing chamfered surface 226 of the tooth 224 inserts below the catch 136 and moves the catch 136 up (see Figure 3B). The first locking section 322 of the first locking arm 320 has a shoulder 324 engaged with the catch 136 so that when the catch 136 is moved up, the first locking arm 320 is pulled up too. The first 100 and second 200 connectors come then in abutment and are fully mated. At this stage, the catch 136 falls behind the tooth 224 and the first locking section 322 is on top of the tooth and the transverse branch 139 of the catch 136 (at this stage, the upper respective surfaces of the catch 136 and the tooth 224 are essentially at the same level), the CPA device 300 which is no longer blocked by the catch 136 can be pushed forward in its final position (see Figures 3C and 4).
As shown on Figure 4, the latch arm 130 has a lever portion 146 with a free end (here corresponding to the pressing area 132 too) which is blocked by the CPA device 300, in its final position, the CPA device being itself blocked by a static portion 124 of the outer housing 120. The CPA device 300 has wings 350 engaged in notches 126 of the outer housing 120, forming complementary shapes, respectively located on the CPA device 300 and a static portion 124 of the (outer) housing 120, so that is in its final position the pressing area 132 can no longer be pushed down by an operator. The latch arm 130 is blocked and can no longer be pivoted, so that the tooth 224 cannot be released from the catch 136 (see Figure 3C). The first 100 and second 200 connectors are locked together. The interaction of the wings 350 with the notches 126 also limits vibrations of the CPA device 300 in the outer housing 120 and reduces or cancels vibration noises. One can notice that if the first 100 and second 200 connectors are not fully mated, the catch 136 cannot fall behind the tooth 224 and the CPA device 300 remains blocked in its initial position.
For unmating the first 100 and second 200 connectors, the CPA device 300 is pulled backwardly. The slanted front surface 140 of the transverse branch 139 helps the first locking section 322 of the first locking arm 320 to slide over the transverse branch 139 of the catch 136 and the tooth 224 when the CPA is pushed back to its initial position. The second locking arm keeps the CPA locked on the outer housing in its initial position. In this position, the wings are no longer engaged in the notches of the outer housing (see Figure 3C).
As shown on Figure 5A, the pushing portion 310 of the CPA device 300 makes the lever arm of the lever portion 146 of the latch arm 130 longer than when it its final position (see Figure 5A and 5B), so that pivoting the latch arm 130 is easier (both because the pressing area 132, increased with extended surface or operating area 148 of the CPA device 300 in its initial position, for the operator finger is larger - see figure 5C- and because the leverage effect is larger).
The CPA device 300 and the latch arm 130 are engaged with each other for pivoting the latch arm 130 about fulcrum 150 when the pushing portion 132 is pressed downwardly by a user. For example, the latch arm has a pair of slots 152a, each one respectively receiving a rib 342 of the CPA device 300 (see Figure 6A).
An operator can then press both the pushing portion 310 of the CPA device 300 and the pressing area 132 of the latch arm 130. The latch arm 130 pivots and releases the tooth 224, so that the first and second connectors can be unmated (see Figure 5B).
As shown on Figure 7, the lever portion 146 is located essentially above the latch portion 134. The latch portion 134 pivots essentially about two bridges 152 (one on each side of the latch arm - see also Figure 6A) linking the latch arm 130 to the outer housing 120.
The lever portion 146 pivots and, at the same time slides on the top of two sliding surfaces 156, each one of which being located on a respective support 158 (one on each side of the latch arm 130) extending from an inner surface 160 of the outer housing 120 (see also Figure 6A). When the pressing area 132 of the latch arm 130 is pressed, the lever portion 146 pivots and slides over the two sliding surfaces 156. These sliding surfaces 156 are located in front of and above the bridges 152 relatively to the latch portion 134. In other words, when the lever portion 146 pivots and slides on sliding surfaces 156 located on the top of the supports 158, the latch portion 134 is pulled up and pivots about fulcrums 150 corresponding essentially to the bridges 152. Rather than having a lever portion on one side of the fulcrum and the latch portion on the other side, the lever portion 146 overlaps the fulcrum 150 and a section of the latch portion 134, resulting in a connector with a shorter length.
As shown on Figure 6B, the housing of the first connector has two grooves 162, located on the outer housing 120 (on a part which is different from the latch arm 130) within which strengthening ribs 352 of the CPA device 300 are inserted. This has the advantage that if the CPA device 300 is caught by accident, it is maintained by these grooves 162 and strengthening ribs 352 in order to prevent the CPA device 300 and/or the latch arm 130 to be broken. It also limits vibrations of the CPA device 300 in the outer housing 120 and reduces, or even cancels, vibration noises.
As shown on Figure 8, when the CPA device 300 is in its final position, the first 320 and second 330 locking arms of CPA device 300 are elastically stressed over the catch 136 and/or the tooth 224 on the one hand and on a lower surface 133 of the pressing area 132, on the other hand. In other words, the first locking arm 320 has a section pressing, in a first direction, over the tooth 224 and the catch (i.e. a portion of the latch arm) when the CPA device 300 is in its final position, and the second locking arm 330 pressing, in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, against a housing wall of the first connector 100 when the CPA device 300 is in its final position. As a consequence, the CPA device 300 cannot move or vibrate and this contributes to the cancellation of vibration noises.

Claims

Connector (100) having a rear side and including a housing having a latch arm (130) having a latch portion (134) being a catch (136) located at a front end of the latch arm (130) and a lever portion (146) to exert a leverage effect on the latch arm (130), the connector (100) further including a connector position assurance - CPA device (300) designed to be mounted on the connector (100) from its rear side and slidingly mounted on the housing between an initial position in which the latch portion (134) can be actuated when the lever portion (146) is operated and a final position in which it prevents the actuation of the latch portion (134) by preventing a release of a tooth (224) provided on a counterpart connector (200) from the catch (136), the CPA device (300) having a pushing portion (310), wherein in its initial position, the CPA device (300) engages the latch arm (130), extends in cantilevered position and increases the leverage effect of the lever portion (146), characterized in that the latch arm (130) has a pressing area (132) at a rear end of the latch arm (132) accessible by an operator finger for upwardly pivoting the latch portion (134) when the pressing area (132) is pushed down thereby releasing the tooth (224) allowing unmating of the connector and the counterpart connector, and by the pressing area (132) being extended by the pushing portion (310) of the CPA device (300), both forming an operating area (148) which is larger in the initial position of the CPA device (300) than in its final position.
Connector according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion (146) of the latch arm (130) has a free end which is blocked by the CPA device (300), in its final position, the CPA device (300) being itself blocked by a static portion (124) of the housing.
Connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the CPA device (300), in its final position, and the housing engage each other through at least one set of two complementary shapes (350, 126), respectively located on one or the other of the CPA device (300) and a static portion (124) of the housing.
Connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the latch portion (134) is attached to the housing at at least one fulcrum (150) and the lever portion (146) slides over at least one sliding surface (156) located in front of the fulcrum (150) relatively to the latch portion (134).
Connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing has at least one groove (162), located on a part which is different from the latch arm (130) and within which at least one strengthening rib (352) of the CPA device (300) is inserted.
Connector assembly comprising a first connector (100) according to any preceding claim and a second connector (200) having a skirt (220) getting at least partially into the housing of the first connector (100) and the skirt (220) having a tooth (224) engaged into the latch portion (130) of the first connector (100), when the first (100) and second (200) connector are fully mated, the CPA device having a first (320) and a second (330) locking arms, the first locking arm (320) pressing, in a first direction, over the tooth (224) and a portion of the latch arm (130) when the CPA device (300) is in its final position, and the second locking arm (330) pressing, in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, against a housing wall (133) of the first connector (100) when the CPA device (300) is in its final position.