The invention relates to a locking element for locking and unlocking a cable connector and a counterpart, said locking element extending along a longitudinal axis between a rear side and a mating side, said mating side comprising two or more resilient beams extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and containing one or more locking structures comprising an insertion surface and a locking surface disposed at angles with said longitudinal axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,339 discloses a cable connector assembly comprising a plug connector and a push lock retained in that plug connector by a retaining portion. The push lock comprises an annular peripheral fastener disposed on elastic beams forwardly from the retaining portion for locking to a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector comprises a groove for engaging with the fastener of the plug connector. The elastic beams can be manipulated by squeezing a press portion to connect or withdraw the plug connector from the receptacle connector.
The prior art locking approach is disadvantageous in that the locking element is not generally applicable as one or more components of the cable connector assembly have to be adapted to allow the locking element to attach the components to each other, e.g. by providing an additional groove.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking element enabling locking of the components of a connector system without requiring any adaptation of these components.
This object is achieved by providing a locking element characterized in that said insertion surface and said locking surface have an inclined orientation with respect to said longitudinal axis wherein said angle of said locking surface is larger than said angle of said insertion surface but substantially smaller than 90 degrees. Such a locking element can be easily inserted by pushing in a simple hole in the counter part that is typically present for insertion of a screw or the like. The inclination of the insertion surface is small to reduce the required insertion force. The locking element may be attached to the cable connector and locks the cable connector to the counterpart by means of the locking surface that interferes with the counterpart after the locking structure has been pushed through the hole in the counterpart. As the cable connector may need to be unlocked from the counterpart, the angle of the locking surface is substantially smaller than 90 degrees, such that the locking element can be released simply by pulling. Preferably, the insertion surface and the locking surface substantially determine the shape of the locking structure. Thus the invention provides a generally applicable locking element, that may e.g. replace a screw that is conventionally applied for locking a cable connector to a counterpart, such as a board connector or panel.
In an embodiment of the invention a solid of revolution of said locking structure comprises a substantially conically shaped portion. Such a portion of the locking structure may be determined by a first solid of revolution having a first substantially conical shape and a second solid of revolution having a second substantially conical shape and wherein said insertion surface is determined by a surface of said first substantially conical shape and said locking surface is determined by a surface of said second substantially conical shape. The conical geometry of the locking structure is advantageous from a manufacturing point of view as the locking element may have a circular symmetric geometry.
In an embodiment of the invention the locking element comprises one or more slits. In such a construction of the locking element, the resilient beams are an integral part of the locking element. Preferably the resilient beams are such that they are stronger near the bottom of the slit.
In an embodiment of the invention the locking element comprises a hole at or near the mating side determining said resilient beams. Such a construction of the locking element is more robust as the beams meet at the mating end of the locking element.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the mating ends of said resilient beams are rounded off. Such a smooth interface avoids severe damage of e.g. the thread in the hole of the counterpart during the insertion of the locking element.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the locking element comprises a retaining structure adapted to keep the locking element attached to either the cable connector or the counterpart. Such a retaining structure allows for pre-integration of the locking element in either the cable connector of the counterpart as a consequence of which installation in the field is facilitated.
The invention also relates to a connector system comprising a cable connector and a board connector, wherein one or more locking elements are applied to connect said cable connector and board connector, said locking elements having a locking structure and extending along a longitudinal axis between a rear side and a mating side. The locking structure is disposed on one or more resilient beams extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis. The locking element moreover allows quick installation and removal of cable connectors from a panel as locking and unlocking is accomplished by simply pushing or pulling the locking elements enabled by the resilient beams on e.g. a backpanel in telecom industry. The connection between the cable connector and board connector may be electrical or optical.
Preferably the locking structure comprises an insertion surface and, more preferably, also a locking surface having an inclined orientation with respect to said longitudinal axis wherein the inclination angle of said locking surface is larger than the inclination angle of said insertion surface but substantially smaller than 90 degrees. In such an embodiment conventional cable connectors and board connectors can be applied while the conventionally applied screws for locking the components can be replaced by the locking element according to this embodiment. The locking element may further comprise the features as described above.
The locking elements may have different lengths along the longitudinal axis, thereby allowing to match different reference planes in the connector system.
The cable connector and the board connector may connect to each other via an aperture in a panel, such as a backpanel. The locking element may comprise a retaining structure that is adapted to keep said locking element attached to said panel. In this reverse situation the locking element is part of or integrated in the backpanel and engages with e.g. a hole in the cable connector.
The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the attached drawings, which shows a preferred embodiments according to the invention. It will be understood that the locking element and the connector system according to the invention are not in any way restricted to this specific and preferred embodiment.
The angles α and α′ are such that the angle of the locking surface is larger than the angle of the insertion surface but substantially smaller than 90 degrees. As an example the angle α for the insertion surface 50 may be 14 degrees and for the angle α′ 20 degrees. The insertion and unlocking forces may also be dependent on the friction that is experienced between the surfaces 50, 51 and the counterpart 3,7. A pin 8, 9 with such an angle α for insertion surface 50 can be easily inserted by pushing in a simple hole 11, 11′ or 10, 10′ of the board connector 3 or panel 7 respectively that is typically present for insertion of a screw or the like. The inclination of the insertion surface 50 is small to reduce the required insertion force for the pin 8,9. The pin 8, 9 may be attached to the board connector 3 or panel 7 by means of the locking surface 51 that interferes with the board connector 3 or panel 7 after the locking structure 44 has been pushed through the hole 11, 11′ or 10, 10′ respectively. As the pin 8,9 it to be unlocked, the angle α′ of the locking surface 51 should be substantially smaller than 90 degrees, such that the pin 8, 9 can be released simply by pulling. However, as α′ exceeds α the force to release the pin 8, 9 is larger than the force required for insertion of the pin 8, 9.
In operation the pins 8, 9 can be used instead of a conventionally applied jack screw, without a need for modifying or adapting the components 2, 3 of the connector system 1. The pins 8, 9 can replace the screws in the cable connector 2 on locations provided by the recesses 35 (see
Instead of accommodation of the locking element 8, 9, 60 in the cable connector 2 before locking, an embodiment of the invention also allows the accommodation of the locking element 8, 9, 60 in the counterpart, such as the board connector 3 or the panel 7.
In operation, a cable connector 2 can be locked to the panel 7 by inserting the locking element 60 through the holes, defined by the recesses 35 when the housing parts 30, 31 meet. The inclination of the insertion surface 67 with the longitudinal axis 63 is such that insertion through the holes in the cable connector is facilitated, while the inclination of the locking surface 68 is such that it provides both appropriate locking and the possibility to withdraw the cable connector from the panel 7. The retainer structure 69 fixates the locking element 60 to the panel 7.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1023937 | Jul 2003 | NL | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2004/051354 | 7/5/2004 | WO | 00 | 9/22/2006 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2005/015694 | 2/17/2005 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3394337 | Miller | Jul 1968 | A |
3810073 | Zajac et al. | May 1974 | A |
4655527 | Vandame | Apr 1987 | A |
4669797 | Bourdon | Jun 1987 | A |
4980800 | Furuta | Dec 1990 | A |
5044975 | DiBene et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
5411402 | Bethurum | May 1995 | A |
5601446 | Wright | Feb 1997 | A |
6007364 | Wu | Dec 1999 | A |
6012939 | Kunert et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
6074236 | Wu | Jun 2000 | A |
6347955 | Huang | Feb 2002 | B1 |
6669510 | Yamawaki et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
7040910 | Nagata et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
20010006857 | Eppe et al. | Jul 2001 | A1 |
20040087202 | Baccei et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0 709 928 | May 1996 | EP |
1 133 025 | Sep 2001 | EP |
1 282 200 | Feb 2003 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070059962 A1 | Mar 2007 | US |