Patent Application
20150288102
The invention is generally related to a plug-type electrical connector, and more specifically, to a plug connector system having a locking mechanism.
Various embodiments of plug and socket electrical connector systems having plug connectors and complimentary socket mating connectors are conventionally known. Plug connector systems serve to produce releasable electrical or optical connections between the plug connectors and the socket mating connectors. Variations of the conventional plug connector systems have a locking mechanism that secures the plug connector to the socket mating connector in order to prevent unintentional or unauthorised separation of the plug connector from the socket mating connector. However, such conventional locking systems only provide limited utility, because they can often be unlocked unintentionally by normal operating actions. Unintentional separation of the plug connector and socket mating connector is thereby possible in spite of the locking mechanism.
A plug connector has a housing, a locking spring, and a catch spring. The locking spring is connected to the housing and has a locking position and an open position. The catch spring is connected to the housing, and has a compressed position when the locking spring is in the open position and a rest position only when the locking spring is in the open position.
The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which:
In an embodiment shown in
The plug connector 100 has a mating end 110, which is inserted in an mating direction 101 into a complimentary socket mating connector 500. A perpendicular direction 102 is orientated perpendicularly relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the mating direction 101.
The plug connector 100 has a housing 200 and a catch spring 300. The housing 200 has a first side 201, which is orientated perpendicularly relative to the perpendicular direction 102, extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector 100. The housing 200 is made of a dielectric material, such as a plastics material. The catch spring 300 is positioned on an outer surface of the first side 201 of the housing 200. The catch spring 300 is made of a metallic material.
As shown in an embodiment of
The socket mating connector 500 has an plug receiving opening 510. Furthermore, the socket mating connector 500 has a collar 520 which is arranged in a peripheral manner around the plug receiving opening 510.
The mating end 110 of the plug connector 100 has introduced into the plug receiving opening 510 of the socket mating connector 500 in order to connect the plug connector 100 to the socket mating connector 500, as shown in
In an embodiment shown in
In an embodiment shown in
The catch spring 300 has a first recess 310 and a second recess 320 disposed at an approximate mid-point. In a region of the catch spring 300 located between the first recess 310 and the second recess 320, the catch spring 300 is tapered in a direction perpendicular relative to the mating direction 101 with respect to the adjacent portions of the catch spring 300. In an embodiment, the first recess 310 and the second recess 320 are disposed on opposite longitudinally extending edges of the catch spring 300.
The first recess 310 has a first catch face 330 positioned on a mating end side. The second recess 320 similarly has a second latching face 340 positioned on the mating end side. The first catch face 330 and the second latching face 340 each extend perpendicularly relative to the mating direction 101 and extending outward in opposite directions from each other.
The first recess 310 has a first protuberance 350 positioned on a terminating end side opposite the mating end side. The second recess 320 of the catch spring 300 is similarly has a second protuberance 360 positioned on the terminating end side. In a region located between the protuberances 350, 360, the catch spring 300 has a greater width in the direction perpendicular relative to the mating direction 101 and the perpendicular direction 102 than in the adjacent portions of the catch spring 300.
The catch spring 370 has a centrally positioned opening 370 on the terminating end opposite the mating end 110. In an embodiment, the opening 370 has a rectangular cross-section. In other embodiments, the opening 370 has other known cross-sectional shapes.
In an embodiment shown in
The locking spring 400 has a securing region 460 on a terminal end side. The securing region 460 serves to secure the locking spring 400 to the housing 200 of the plug connector 100.
The locking spring 400 has resilient element 420 extending continuously from the securing region 460 towards a mating end side opposite the terminating end side. The resilient element 420 is a cantilevered bar spring have a first resilient bar 421 and a second resilient bar 422. The first resilient bar 421 and the second resilient bar 422 extend parallel with each other in the mating direction 101. The resilient bars 421, 422 of the resilient element 420 are prebent in such a manner that, in a relaxed state, they each have a curvature orientated in the perpendicular direction 102. A guiding region 423 is disposed between the first resilient bar 421 and the second resilient bar 422.
The mating end of the resilient element 420 opposite the securing region 460 is continuously connected to a planar spring body 470 of the locking spring 400. The planar portion has a projection engaging tongue 410 at the front longitudinal end of the locking spring 400 in the mating direction 101. The projection engaging tongue 410 has a projection receiving opening 411 which is constructed as an aperture in the projection engaging tongue 410. The projection receiving opening 411 extends a distance along the longitudinal axis. A cross-sectional face of the projection engaging tongue 411 is dimensioned to be complimentary to the catch projection 210, the catch projection 210 being receivable into the projection receiving opening 411.
The spring body 470 further has a first wing 430 and a second wing 440. The first wing 430 and the second wing 440 are oriented parallel with the mating direction 101, are positioned on mutually opposing side edges of the locking spring 400, and are bent approximately perpendicular relative to the planar portion of the locking spring 400 in each case in such a manner that the first wing 430 and the second wing 440 extend in the perpendicular direction 102.
The spring body 470 further has an tool engaging tongue 450. The tool engaging tongue 450 is positioned adjacent to the resilient element 420, extending from the spring body 470 toward the guiding region 423 between the first resilient bar 421 and the second resilient bar 422. In an embodiment, the tool engaging tongue 450 is slightly raised in the perpendicular direction 102 with respect to the spring body 470. However, in other embodiments, the tool engaging tongue 450 can be constructed differently. The tool engaging tongue 450 is provided as an engagement location in order to apply a force in the mating direction 101 to the spring body 470.
In an embodiment shown in
The catch spring 300 of the plug connector 100 is shown in
The collar 520 of the socket mating connector 500 has a first latch 530 and a second latch 540. The first latch 530 and the second latch 540 each extend from the collar 520 partially over the plug receiving opening 510. The first latch 530 has a first latching face 531 which is directed towards the inner side of the socket mating connector 500. Similarly, the second latch 540 has a second latching face 541 which faces the inner side of the socket mating connector 500. The first latching face 531 and the second latching face 541 are consequently orientated in the mating direction 101. In addition, the first latch 530 has a first inclined surface 532 which is orientated in an inclined manner counter to the mating direction 101 and the perpendicular direction 102. The second latch 540 has in a symmetrical manner a second inclined surface 542 which is orientated in a similar manner.
The first catch face 330 of the catch spring 300 of the plug connector 100 is engaged behind the first latch 530 on the first latching face 531. Accordingly, the second latching face 340 of the catch spring 300 is also engaged behind the second latch 540 on the second latching face 541. Owing to the engagement of the latching faces 330, 340 of the catch spring 300 of the plug connector 100 behind the latches 530, 540 of the collar 520 of the socket mating connector 500, the plug connector 100 is fixed to the socket mating connector 500 and secured against being removed from the plug receiving opening 510 of the socket mating connector 500.
During the introduction of the mating end 110 of the plug connector 100 in the plug receiving opening 510 of the socket mating connector 500, the catch spring 300 was pressed by the inclined surfaces 532, 542 of the latches 530, 540 of the socket mating connector 500 from a rest position 301 of the catch spring 300 (shown in
The movement of the catch spring 300 from the rest position 301 into the compressed position 302 during mating of the plug connector 100 and socket mating connector 500 is possible by the fact that the locking spring 400 of the plug connector 100 was located in an open position 402 while the plug connector 100 and socket mating connector 500 were being joined together. In the open position 402 of the locking spring 400, the projection engaging tongue 410 of the locking spring 400 is engaged on the catch projection 210 at the first side 201 of the housing 200. In this instance, an edge of the projection receiving opening 411 adjoins the latching face 201 of the catch projection 210. The resilient element 420 is resiliently tensioned in the open position 402 of the locking spring 400. In this instance, the resilient bars 421, 422 of the resilient element 420 extend in the mating direction 101. The securing region 460 of the locking spring 400 is rigidly connected to the housing 200 of the plug connector 100. The resilient bars 421, 422 in the open position 402 thereby apply a force which is orientated in the direction counter to the mating direction 101 to the projection engaging tongue 410 of the locking spring 400.
In the open position 402 of the locking spring 400, the first wing 430 and the second wing 440 of the locking spring 400 are arranged in such a manner movement of the catch spring 300 from the rest position 301 into the compressed position 302 is not blocked. In an embodiment shown of
If the plug connector 100 is pressed from the partially mated position (shown in
This force, acting on the locking spring 400 in the direction counter to the mating direction 101, releases the projection receiving opening 411 of the projection engaging tongue 410 from the catch projection 210 of the housing 200. The release of the projection receiving opening 411 from the projection engaging tongue 410 is supported by the chamfering of the latching face 211 of the catch projection 210. The projection engaging tongue 410 of the locking spring 4000 is thereby disengaged. The locking spring 400 moves from the open position 402 in the direction counter to the mating direction 101 into an intermediate position.
As soon as the catch spring 300 has returned from the compressed position 302 completely into the rest position 301 thereof, and the protuberances 350, 360 of the catch spring 300 are thereby located above the wings 430, 440 of the locking spring 400 in a perpendicular direction 102. Additionally, the locking spring 400 is moved by the resiliently relaxing resilient bars 421, 422 from the intermediate position further into a locking position 401. In this instance, the projection engaging tongue 410 of the locking spring 400 moves further in the direction counter to the mating direction 101.
In an embodiment shown in
In the embodiments shown in
When in the locking position 401, the first wing 430 and the second wing 440 of the locking spring 400 are positioned in a perpendicular direction 102 below the first protuberance 350 and the second protuberance 360 of the catch spring 306, which is located in the rest position 301 thereof. A movement of the catch spring 300 from the rest position 301 to the compressed position 302 is prevented by the wings 430, 440 of the locking spring 400. A movement of the catch spring 300 in the direction counter to the perpendicular direction 102, would result in the protuberances 350, 360 of the catch spring 300 striking the wings 430, 440.
Since, in the locking position 401, a movement of the catch spring 300 from the rest position 301 into the compressed position 302 is consequently made impossible, engagement between the latching faces 330, 340 of the catch spring 300 and the latching faces 531, 541 of the latches 530, 540 of the socket mating connector 500 cannot be released. Removal of the plug connector 100 from the plug opening 510 of the socket mating connector 500 is thereby prevented. The plug connector 100 is consequently engaged or locked by the catch spring 300 in the plug receiving opening 510 of the socket mating connector 500, this locking action being additionally ensured by the locking spring 400 in the locking position 401.
In order to separate the plug connector 100 from the socket mating connector 500, the locking spring 400 of the plug connector 100 must firstly be moved from the locking position 401 into the open position 402. The resilient bars 421, 422 of the resilient element 420 of the locking spring 400 are tensioned in this instance. In the open position 402 of the locking spring 400, the projection engaging tongue 410 is engaged on the catch projection 210 of the plug connector 100 by the projection receiving opening 411 of the projection engaging tongue 410 being moved over the catch projection 210. This is facilitated by the chamfered ramp face 212 of the catch projection 210. If the locking spring 400 is located in the open position 402, the catch spring 300 has moved from the rest position 301 into the compressed position 302. In the compressed position 302, the latching faces 531, 542 of the socket mating connector 500 are no longer in abutment with the latching faces 330, 340 of the catch spring 300. Removal of the plug connector 100 from the plug receiving opening 510 of the socket mating connector 500 is thereby enabled.
A first locking mechanism tool 600 serves to move the locking spring 400 from the locking position 401 into the open position 402. The first locking mechanism tool 600 has an operating handle 620 and a blade 610. An operator can introduce the blade 610 through the opening 370 in the catch spring 300 in an mating direction 101 inside the plug connector 100. In this instance, the blade 610 of the first locking mechanism tool 600 is guided in the guiding region 423 of the locking spring 400 between the first resilient bar 421 and the second resilient bar 422 of the resilient element 420. At the mating end of the guiding region 423, the blade 610 of the first locking mechanism tool 600 contacts the tool engaging tongue 450 of the locking spring 400. Using the first locking mechanism tool 600, the operator can apply a force directed in the mating direction 101 to the tool engaging tongue 450 to move the projection engaging tongue 410 in the direction of the catch projection 210 of the housing 200.
In an embodiment shown in
In an embodiment shown in
In an embodiment (not shown), the socket mating connector 500 lacks the collar 520 and consequently lacks the latches 530, 540. In this embodiment, the catch spring 300 of the plug connector 100 engages at another location of the socket mating connector 500. The insertion and engagement of the plug connector 100 in the socket mating connector 500 occurs while the locking spring 400 of the plug connector 100 is already located in the locking position 401. In order to unlock the catch spring 300 and to separate the plug connector 100 from the socket mating connector, the steps explained with reference to the embodiments in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2012 223 739.9 | Dec 2012 | DE | national |
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) or (f) to International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2013/076834, dated Dec. 17, 2013, and to German Patent Application No.: DE 10 2012 223 739.9, dated Dec. 19, 2012.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2013/076834 | Dec 2013 | US |
| Child | 14744959 | US |
