JP2005502181A - Electrical connector with anti-vibration performance - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connector is provided that can clearly perceive completion of coupling when the male connector and female connector are coupled to each other, and the coupling state is reliably maintained.
A male connector and a female connector each have a flexible screw segment (threaded portion) opposed to each other, and these screw segments are engaged with each other when the two connectors are coupled together. The screw segment is formed on a flexible wall, and is deformed by bending when coupled with the male connector to receive and fit with the screw segment of the male connector. A circumferential rim is formed on the overmold 14 of the male connector, and a groove is formed on the overmold 12 of the female connector.

Description

【Technical field】
[0001]
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly of the type generally referred to as "simple separation type" connectors, particularly of the type used in commercial and industrial applications in the field of industrial automation and manufacturing. About.
[Background]
[0002]
Typically, a simple separable connector of the type used for commercial and industrial purposes in connection with the present invention consists of a male connector and a mating female connector. The male connector has connector elements in the form of pins, which are received in sockets or receptacles corresponding to the respective pins embedded in the mating female connector. Typically, such a connector has 2 to 5 electrodes and ground.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
[0003]
What is important in the simple separation type connector is that the male and female connectors are firmly connected, and some mechanical connection is required in order to maintain the electrical conduction state. This type of connector typically has a female connector (or male connector) provided with a mating member (coupling nut, etc.) provided with a mating part and a threaded part, and a mating connector provided with a threaded part When a coupling is provided, thereby establishing an electrical connection, the coupling member provides a mechanical connection that strengthens the electrical connection. If the connector is operated frequently and somewhat violently, and if the connector is attached to the device and subjected to periodic or continuous vibration, the coupling nut is Looseness is likely to occur in the engagement at the threaded portion, and unexpected or unintentional separation may occur.
[0004]
In addition to the above-described problem that the male and female connectors may be separated due to vibration or handling, in the current simple separation type connector, the coupling nut of one connector is first screwed manually into the other connector. There is also the disadvantage that it takes a considerable amount of time to join firmly together. The time it takes to combine a single connector is not very significant in the absolute sense, but in a large manufacturing environment, there are actually thousands of such connectors and they are employed. Considering that existing machines and control systems are continuously reconnected, tested, and recombined for months and years, the time required to install and remove the threaded coupling nut is significant.
[0005]
The co-pending US patent application SN09 / 945,790 (2001/09/04 filed) is formed from a flexible material that can be assembled by simply pushing the male and female connectors together. A simple separation-type connector having a thread segment and excellent vibration resistance is disclosed. The female connector includes a flexible screw segment on a flexible wall surface, and the wall surface is deformed and engaged when pressed against the male connector.
[0006]
A connector in which such a flexible thread portion is formed is very good when it is assembled to a conventional connector that is provided with a screw having a pitch that matches the connector.
[0007]
In particular, such a conventional connector has a screw portion made of metal or hard plastic, and the mutual connection between the screw on the other side of the hard material and the screw segment having flexibility is an engagement operation between the two. Was simple and satisfactory, and the resistance to separation caused by vibration was acceptable. However, when a female connector is coupled to a male connector in a connector having a flexible screw, the problem relating to coupling remains for two reasons. First, there is little or no tactile sensation that the connection is complete, and second, the resistance to separation due to vibration because the flexible thread is slightly lower than the hard thread. Is smaller than expected.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
[0008]
The invention comprises a cylindrical wall in which one of the electrical connectors (in the embodiment a female connector) is separated from and surrounds the insulating insert, in which the connector element is embedded in the form of a socket. This is the main component. The female connector's cylindrical wall is made of molded plastic, such as PVC (PVC), and rotates the mating male connector so that it can accept and engage the thread segment of the mating male connector It is flexible so that it can be deformed when inserted without being twisted or twisted. On the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of the female connector, there are provided first and second separate female screw segments, each having an internal thread, arranged in the opposite positional relationship. That is, one female thread segment forming the internal thread extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical wall in a range of about 90 degrees, and the other female thread segment forming the internal thread is disposed in an opposite or opposite positional relationship, It is provided on the inner surface on the opposite side of the circumferential wall. The wall between the two screw segments is not threaded and has a smooth cylindrical surface.
[0009]
In the present invention, the term “screw” is not only a conventional screw that spirals around the central axis, but also a series of alternating repeating peaks provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connector. Or the top and valley (also referred to as “parallel screw”) are included. Conventional screws are preferred in that they are compatible with existing metal or hard plastic coupling nuts and male connector screws found in manufacturing plants. However, when the parallel threads are provided as separate segments as disclosed herein, they are engaged and assembled by pushing the two corresponding connectors together. This is because the screws are flexible and are provided in separate segments so that they can ride over each other when combined. Parallel screws require a desired range of separation or tension to prevent unintentional separation, and therefore can provide sufficient coupling strength. Furthermore, the term “screw” includes a combination of at least two adjacent peaks and valleys, whether parallel or spiral.
[0010]
The male connector preferably has opposing segments of external threads on the outer cylindrical surface corresponding to the female threads. Since both male and female connector inserts are keyed together, when the female connector keyway is aligned with the male connector key, the thread segments that engage each other are also aligned.
[0011]
After the respective keys and key grooves are aligned in a straight line, the male connector is inserted into the female connector by pushing the male connector directly into the female connector. When the male connector is combined with the female connector, the screw segment on the outer side of the male connector is assembled to the screw segment on the other side of the female connector, so that the wall of the female connector is curved. That is, since the internal thread of the female connector gets over the corresponding thread segment of the male connector, the outer wall of the female connector is deformed into an oval shape.
[0012]
Once the two connectors are combined, the screws engage each other (whether parallel thread type or spiral thread type). Since the male connector and the female connector are keyed to each other, the male connector cannot rotate with respect to the female connector, and this coupling is highly resistant to separation due to vibration. Furthermore, due to the hardness of the material used to mold the cylindrical wall of the female connector in which the thread segment is formed and other factors, it is possible to adjust the tensile force, but with considerable force to separate the combined connectors It has been found that forces (eg, in the range of 10-30 pounds) can be designed accordingly.
[0013]
It can be seen that with this improved connector, the time required for the combination to establish the electrical / mechanical coupling is greatly reduced. Further, the female connector (threaded) of the present invention can be combined with an existing male connector having a metal or other hard screw on the outside, and a flexible screw as a variation of this connector. In the case of the male connector having the same structure as described above, it can be assembled with the inner metal screw of the existing hard coupling nut.
[0014]
The male connector of the present invention can also be pushed directly into the coupling nut of an existing female connector, and if necessary, the coupling nut can be threaded into the thread segment of the male connector constructed according to the present invention. Can be provided.
[0015]
In order to improve the coupling between male and female connectors each having a flexible screw, the present invention preferably, but not necessarily, includes the female connector and the inner surface of the flexible wall. An annular groove is provided at the front end of the set of screw segments.
[0016]
The opposing annular rib or rim is provided at the base of the outer screw of the male connector. When the two connectors are placed in a straight line and combined by pushing linearly, the thread segments overtake one another and the outer wall of the female connector flexes to accept the male connector, and when the engagement is complete, The annular rim of the male connector snaps into engagement with the annular groove of the female connector. This provides a strong mechanical connection that is sensorially and tactilely perceived to be complete and sufficiently resists the separation of both flexible screws.
[0017]
Further, the outer surfaces of the male and female overmold parts have shapes and surface patterns that can be easily grasped and separated by fingers of both hands.
[0018]
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the figure, the part which attached | subjected the same referential mark has shown the same part.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0019]
1 to 3, reference numeral 10 indicates the entire male electrical connector, and reference numeral 11 indicates the entire female electrical connector. The connectors 10 and 11 are shown in a combined state in FIG. 1, the male connector is shown in a bottom view in FIG. 2, and the female connector is similarly shown in FIG. The term “front end” or “end” as used herein with respect to a connector refers to the coupling end, ie the end that mates to the mating connector, regardless of male or female. Also, the words “base” or “rear” refer to the portion of the connector that is close to the associated cable. Further, “top” and “bottom” are for reference and do not represent a specific use part.
[0020]
First, the female connector 11 will be described in detail in FIGS. 8 to 13. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the outer side of the female connector is indicated by reference numeral 12 surrounding a connector element to be described later. Overmolded portion (or simply “overmolded”). The connector element may be a conventional one, and is connected to each wire of the covered cable 13 in the same manner as the conventional one. As is well known, the overmold portion 12 provides a protective coating for the joint portion between the cable 13 and each connector element of the connector 11, and this will be described later. Furthermore, the overmold 12 plays a role of releasing distortion as a protective sheath for the connector. Similarly, the male connector also has an overmold portion 14 so that it can be connected to each wire of the cable 15. The overmold parts 12 and 14 are made of a molded plastic such as polyvinyl chloride.
[0021]
Next, the female connector 11 shown in FIGS. 8 to 13 will be described. The female connector 11 is a rigid member that receives and holds each female connector element 19 which is a conventional sleeve or receptacle, and a separate center sleeve 20 for grounding. It has an insulating insert body 18 made of plastic. With particular reference to FIG. 11, the female insert 18 has a base 22 on which the overmold 12 is formed. In order to achieve a strong mechanical connection with the overmold 12, a groove is provided in the periphery of the base portion 22 of the insert as indicated by reference numeral 24 in FIG. 11. The insert 18 extends forward (leftward in FIG. 11) and has a substantially cylindrical protrusion 25 integral with the base 22 to form a rigid body for holding and supporting the electrical connector elements 19 and 20. doing.
[0022]
As best shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, a keyway or slot 27 is formed in the cylindrical protrusion 25, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the base 22 in the illustrated embodiment. Is formed. Furthermore, a cylindrical wall 28 surrounding the protruding portion 25 of the insert 18 is formed at the front end portion of the overmold 12. The inner cylindrical surface 29 of the overmolded cylindrical wall 28 is disposed away from the cylindrical surface of the protrusion 25 of the insert 18 and forms an annular space indicated by reference numeral 30 that accommodates the peripheral wall of the male connector described later. ing.
[0023]
Referring now specifically to FIGS. 8-10, the inner cylindrical surface 29 integrally molds the first and second segments of the internal thread therein. These two segments are denoted by 33 and 34 respectively. This threaded portion can also be formed in a continuous spiral screw (screw) pattern. In other words, the shape of the crest and trough of the threaded portion of the segment 33 is provided on the extension line having the same pitch as the threaded portion of the segment 34, but the threaded portion is not connected. Further, the thread portion may be a standard screw used in a conventional screw type connector having a coupling nut provided with an inner thread portion. The screw portion in this case is of course a hard and continuous screw such as a conventional 12 m × 1 screw.
[0024]
Alternatively, the threaded portions may be parallel to be positioned on a plurality of surfaces in a direction orthogonal to the connector axis indicated by reference numeral 35 in FIG. Since the screw segments 33 and 34 are integrally formed with the overmold 12, they are made of the same material and have flexibility. As the molding material, polyvinyl chloride having a durometer ratio of Shore hardness A in the range of 70 to 100 can be used. With the standard screw size described above, if the durometer rate for Shore Hardness A is 80, 15 pounds of tensile force is required to forcefully pull the female connector out of the male connector. When the durometer rate of Shore hardness A is 92 in the above structure, a tensile force of about 25 pounds is required to separate the male and female connectors.
[0025]
By adjusting the number of threads, the angle at which the thread segment extends in the circumferential direction, and the hardness of the molding material of the overmold, the required tensile force can be designed over a wide range. Those skilled in the art will understand. Depending on the size and application, a hardness in the range of 30-40 Shore Shore A to 75 Shore Shore D can be applied, but a large or small tensile force is required depending on the hardness.
[0026]
Referring now to FIG. 9, the thread segments 33 and 34 formed on the inner surface 29 of the circumferential wall 28 are similar to the threads formed on a rigid coupling nut of the type currently on the market. However, the thread segments 33 and 34 are not continuous along the inside of the circumferential wall 28 and are also molded from a flexible plastic material integrally with the inner surface 29 of the circumferential wall 28.
[0027]
The annular groove 32 is formed circumferentially on the cylindrical inner surface 29 of the flexible wall 28 outside the overmold, as shown in FIGS. 7A, 11 and 13. However, the groove 32 need not be provided along the entire circumference of the wall 29. This is because the two connectors do not need to be twisted together as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. That is, if the engaging rib or rib sector of the mating connector described later is engaged with the corresponding groove or groove sector, the groove extends to the segment or sector portion like a threaded portion. be able to.
[0028]
The tip of the wall 28 so that it becomes a guide wall or central positioning surface when connecting the male and female connectors and also engages the chamfered surface 50 of the male connector (FIGS. 14 and 15). May be chamfered as indicated by reference numeral 37 in FIG. Thus, the engagement interface is not a pressure seal, but is sealed from dust, dirt and water. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a female connector similar to FIG. 11, but rotated 90 degrees around the connector axis (compare the cutting lines of FIGS. 10 and 12).
[0029]
As best shown in FIG. 1, the overmold material 14 of the female connector 11 is formed to include an indicator 36 in the shape of an arrow in the illustrated embodiment. Indicator 36 is collinear with a similar shape formed on the male connector. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 9 and 13, the outer surface of the overmold 12 of the female connector 11 is a contoured rotational surface as shown at 54 and has a circumference. The diameter decreases from the large inner end 55 toward the front of the connector. The surface provides a concave grip 56 that is jagged or angled so that it can be easily grasped with the thumb and other fingers of one hand. The outer surface of the overmold 14 of the male connector will be apparent from the following description, but it is a mirror image when combined with the female connector as shown in FIGS. 1, 14 and 15, but has the same shape as the female connector. It is. An indicator corresponding to the aforementioned indicator in the shape of an arrow is disposed on the male connector 10 and is indicated by the numeral 38.
[0030]
Referring now to FIGS. 14-17, the male insert 40, preferably made of a suitable hard insulating plastic, is generally cylindrical in shape and elongated in the axial direction as shown in FIG. The male insert 40 has a cavity at the front end indicated by a generally cylindrical reference 42 which accommodates a plurality of male contacts, ie a connector element in the form of a pin 43, and a central ground pin 44. It has become. The protective overmold 14 is formed around the outer cylindrical surface 45 of the male insert 40, and the male insert 40 may be further provided with a groove 45 to improve the mechanical bond strength with the overmold 14. The front end of the male insert 40 is formed as a circumferential flange 41 extending outward. A front end portion of the overmold 14 is provided with a first segment and a second segment of male threads respectively indicated by reference numerals 46 and 47 in FIG.
[0031]
The thread segment 46 is shown in FIG. 14 and is formed on the outermost cylindrical surface 49 of the foremost portion of the overmold 14. In front of the indicator 38 and inside the cylindrical surface 49 is a chamfered or frustoconical surface 50 that engages and seals with the female connector coupling surface 37 described above.
[0032]
Male thread segments 46 and 47 are formed as continuous male thread segments having the same pitch, thread size, and diameter as the corresponding internal threads formed in the female connector, and are also correspondingly conventional female threads. It is formed as a continuous male screw thread segment having the same pitch, screw size and diameter as the formed screw of the hard metal connector of the connector, or as a parallel thread in the form of a crest / valley. The range of the screw segment or screw sector formed on the peripheral surface of the male connector may be 90 ° as in the case of the corresponding female screw segment. However, the thread segment range can be varied within a range of approximately 60 degrees to 120 degrees, corresponding to the variation in tensile force required to pull the bond apart.
[0033]
The male insert 40 includes a key 51 that extends in the axial direction of the connector, which is sized to be received in the keyway 27 of the female insert (see FIGS. 8 and 16).
[0034]
Next, referring to FIG. 4, when the male connector 10 is combined with the female connector 11, the key 51 of the male insert 40 is received in the corresponding keyway 27 of the female insert 18 as shown in FIG. 4. This is not only to accurately direct or position the corresponding connector elements, but also to prevent twisting and rotation of the connectors that are coupled together once they are coupled together. Male connector elements, i.e. pins, are respectively received in female connector elements, i.e. sockets, and frustoconical surfaces 37, 50 are in contact.
[0035]
As shown in FIGS. 7, 7A, 14 and 15, the circumferential rim 53 is formed at the base of the male connector overmold 14, that is, at the rear ends of the outer thread segments 46 and 47. It protrudes above the screw so as to fit in the annular groove 32 of the connector on the side (FIG. 7A).
[0036]
FIG. 6 shows a relationship in which the male connector and the female connector are partially coupled. Both the male thread segment and the mating female thread segment are provided as partial segments rather than continuous threads, and the cylindrical wall 28 in which the female thread portion is formed is also flexible, thereby providing two connectors. Are arranged in a straight line and pushed into each other, the flexible cylindrical wall 28 of the female connector becomes somewhat oval. That is, the male screw portions 46 and 47 press the female screw segments 33 and 34 respectively and push them outward, and the portion of the wall 28 that does not form the opposing screw portions is shown by the broken line in FIG. Will approach. The method of combining the male connector with the female connector is that the thread of one screw segment climbs over the thread of the mating screw segment of the mating female connector and enters the valley, making a sense that the user has made a normal tactile combination. give. Further, when each of the male connector and the female connector has a flexible thread segment or sector and they are coupled together, the annular rib 53 (or raised portion) is the annular shape of the female connector overmold. It is received in the groove 32 (recessed portion) and the concave and convex are fitted, and as a result, it is possible to obtain a feeling that the connection between the male and female connectors is firmly completed. The flexibility of the female connector wall 28 allows extension of the groove to receive the rib. Therefore, the mechanical coupling and the sealing performance can be improved by making the width of the groove of the opening wider than the cross-sectional dimension of the corresponding rib.
[0037]
Once the screw segments are assembled, the corresponding screw segments are engaged in their entirety by the positioning function of the key, the key groove and the chamfered engaging surfaces described above. The separation or pulling force, i.e., the force required to separate the male and female connectors, depends on the factors described above if both connectors are formed as described herein. However, in any case, the connector of the present invention is made of a conventional hard material, with regard to unforeseen vibrations and unforeseen separations, which is more than a connector that is threaded all around and uses a coupling nut. Has great resistance.
[0038]
The tensile force required for separating the simple connector will be changed according to the purpose of application and the intention of the manufacturer. Furthermore, the male connector 10 (with a flexible thread segment) can be used in combination with an existing female connector having a hard coupling nut, and the female connector 11 is widely used in the current industrial automation field. It can be used in the same manner in existing commercially available connectors with hard external threads, which are almost universally used in the sensor bodies employed.
[0039]
In the illustrated embodiment, the female connector is provided with a flexible wall and an inner thread segment, and the male connector is provided with an outer thread segment. Can be obtained.
[0040]
Thus, although some of the embodiments in the invention have been disclosed in detail, those skilled in the art will modify some of the previously disclosed structures and make the disclosed substances or elements equivalent thereto. It is possible to implement without departing from the basics of the present invention. Accordingly, such modifications and substitutions are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
[0041]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a combination of a male connector and a female connector constructed according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the male connector of FIG.
3 is a bottom view of the female connector of FIG. 1. FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the male and female connectors of FIG. 1 combined, showing a portion along line 4-4 of FIG.
5 is a complete end view of the male and female connectors viewed from the right side of FIG.
6 is a complete cross-sectional view of the male and female connectors of FIG. 1 taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 with the screws partially engaged.
7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the cable omitted and the screw fully engaged.
7A is an enlarged view of a circle 7A in FIG.
8 is an end view of the connection end of the female connector of FIG. 1. FIG.
9 is a side view showing a part of the connection end side of the female connector in FIG. 1 in section, and is a view cut along a cutting line 9-9 in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8, showing the flexure of the flexible wall connection.
11 is a cross-sectional view of the female connector taken along section line 11-11 in FIG.
12 is a side view of the female connector of FIG. 1. FIG.
13 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 13-13 in FIG.
14 is an enlarged side view of the male connector of FIG. 2. FIG.
15 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 15-15 in FIG.
16 is an enlarged end view of a connection end portion of the male connector of FIG. 2. FIG.
17 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 17-17 in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
[0042]
10 Male electrical connector 11 Female electrical connector
12, 14 Overmold 18 Female insert
27 Keyway 28 Cylindrical wall
32 Annular groove 33, 34 Internal thread segment
40 Male insert 46, 47 Male thread segment
51 key 53 annular rib

Claims (11)

An insert made of a non-conductive material;
A plurality of electrical connector elements carried by the insert;
A protective overmold portion extending at least partially around the insert and extending circumferentially around the connector element to define a substantially cylindrical surface;
The overmold part is an electrical connector formed by defining first and second segments of a flexible thread part formed on the cylindrical surface in a mutually opposite positional relationship. The connector element is a female, the connector is a female connector, and the protective overmold part has a cylindrical flexible wall, and the flexible wall is located inside the cylindrical wall. The connector of claim 1, wherein said connector defines an annular area for defining a mating surface and for receiving a male insert of a mating male connector away from an opposing surface of said insert. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said thread segment defines a discontinuity in a helical thread. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said thread segment comprises a discontinuous parallel thread. The connector element is a male, the connector is a male connector, the protective overmold portion has a cylindrical outer wall, the outer wall provides the cylindrical surface on the outer surface, and an annular space of a mating female connector 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is adapted to be received in a housing. The apparatus further includes a female connector provided with a female insert carrying a female connector element, and an overmold portion having a flexible cylindrical wall, and a thread portion at a portion where the cylindrical wall faces Of the opposite segments of
When the male and female connectors are assembled together and the respective thread segments of the male and female connectors are engaged with each other, the female insert is on the outer side of the male connector away from the cylindrical outer wall. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus defines a flexible wall. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tensile force required to separate the male and female connectors from being coupled together is in the range of 10-30 pounds. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each thread segment extends in the range of 60-120 degrees around the cylindrical overmold surface on which it is formed. The circumferential wall of the female connector defines a first frustoconical surface, and the overmolded portion of the male connector defines a second frustoconical surface, the second frustoconical 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the shaped surface engages and closely contacts the first surface when the male and female connectors are combined. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a circumferential groove on the cylindrical surface inside the wall for coupling with an annular rib of the mating connector. 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the flexible wall of the overmold portion is bent when the groove accommodates a mating rib to form a strong bond with the rib.