EP1049212A1 - Plug for electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer - Google Patents
Plug for electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1049212A1 EP1049212A1 EP00106412A EP00106412A EP1049212A1 EP 1049212 A1 EP1049212 A1 EP 1049212A1 EP 00106412 A EP00106412 A EP 00106412A EP 00106412 A EP00106412 A EP 00106412A EP 1049212 A1 EP1049212 A1 EP 1049212A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- contact
- casing
- holder body
- plug
- abovementioned
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
- H01R13/625—Casing or ring with bayonet engagement
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
- H01R13/502—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces
Definitions
- This invention relates to a plug for electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer, of the type comprising a casing, a contact-holder body and a bayonet connection portion for the connection of the plug to a socket, and in which the bayonet connection portion can be rotated with respect to the contact-holder body between a position of insertion of the plug into the socket and a position in which the plug is locked in the socket.
- Plugs of this kind are made in compliance with ISO standard 11446-1993 and one form of a plug of the type specified above is described in the document EP-A-0249181.
- the casing comprises a front section and a rear section composed of two separate elements joined together by a threaded connection.
- the contact-holder body is fixed with respect to the casing and is gripped axially between the front section and the rear section.
- the bayonet connection section is formed on a ring which is mounted rotatably on the front section of the casing.
- the object of this invention is to provide a plug which complies with the technical specifications of ISO standard 7638-1985 and which is simpler, less costly and made up of a smaller number of components compared with the plug described in the abovementioned document EP-A-0249181.
- this object is achieved by a plug with the characteristics forming the subject of the main claim.
- the reference number 10 indicates a plug for the electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer.
- the plug 10 comprises a casing 12 and a contact-holder body 14, both made of injection-moulded plastic material.
- the contact-holder body 14 is made up of a monolithic element including a base wall 16 from which an annular side wall 18 with a cylindrical outer surface 20 and a cylindrical inner surface 22 protrudes.
- This rib is designed to engage with a longitudinal groove formed in a socket (not illustrated) so as to align the contact-holder body 14 and the socket with each other.
- Each aperture 26 is associated with its own spring retention portions 30 for engaging with re-entering portions 32 of the contacts 28 to axially lock the contacts when these have been inserted into the respective apertures 26 in the direction indicated by the arrows 34 in figure 4.
- Each contact 28 is provided, in a known manner, with a hole for the insertion of an electric conductor which is fixed to the contact by tightening a little transverse screw 36.
- the contact-holder body 14 has an annular edge 38 protruding radially out from the cylindrical outer surface 20 and arranged at the opposite end of the wall 20 from the base wall 16.
- At least one longitudinal groove 40 (figure 5) is formed on the cylindrical outer wall 20 of the contact-holder body 14 and runs parallel to the longitudinal axis 42 of the contact-holder body.
- the contact-holder body is provided with two or more angularly equidistant grooves 40. Each groove 40 extends from the rear edge 44 of the cylindrical surface 20 to the protruding annular edge 38.
- the contact-holder body 14 has at least one circumferential groove 46 preferably arranged adjacent to the protruding annular edge 38.
- the contact-holder body 14 is provided with two circumferential grooves 46 each of which communicates with a respective longitudinal groove 40.
- Each circumferential groove 46 has a step 48 arranged in the vicinity of its respective longitudinal groove 40.
- the step 48 has a surface in the form of a moderately inclined ramp 48a turned towards the longitudinal groove 40 and a steep stop surface 48b turned towards the circumferential groove 46.
- Each circumferential groove 46 terminates against a stop surface 50.
- a pair of small opposed teeth 52 protrude from the side walls of each circumferential groove 46.
- Each contact-holder body 14 also has one cable grip formed in an integral manner, including two elastically deformable opposed arms 54 protruding from the base wall 16 of the contact-holder body 14. At their respective ends, the arms 54 have enlarged head portions 56 suitable for gripping a cable 58 between them.
- Figure 5 illustrates the arms 54 in their undeformed rest position, in which they are bent outwards in such a way as not to obstruct the insertion of the pins through the apertures formed in the base wall 16. After connecting the electric conductors and their respective contacts 28, the two head portions 56 are fixed to each other by screws 60 and clamp the cable 58 between them as shown in figure 2.
- the casing 12 is formed by a monolithic body in a rigid plastic material and includes a platform 62 on which the cover of a socket (not illustrated) is intended to rest in the configuration in which the plug 10 is inserted in the socket.
- the casing 12 has a cylindrical cavity 64 which receives the cylindrical outer surface 20 of the contact-holder body 14 with a little play.
- At least one tooth 66 protruding radially inwards is formed on the cylindrical surface of the cavity 64.
- the number of the teeth 66 is equal to the number of the longitudinal grooves 40 formed on the contact-holder body 14. Therefore, in the embodiment illustrated as an example in the drawings, there are two teeth 66 staggered angularly 180° apart.
- the teeth 66 are intended to engage in the circumferential grooves 46 in a way which will be described below, so as to axially retain the contact-holder body 14, nevertheless leaving the possibility of relative rotation between the casing 12 and the contact-holder body 14.
- the casing 12 has a bayonet connection portion 68 formed in an integral manner with the casing and including three helical grooves 70 staggered angularly from each other, each having an end 70a open on the front edge 62 of the casing 12 and a second closed end 70b.
- the plug 10 also comprises a sealing element 74 in a soft plastic material with a plurality of circumferential lips 76 which establish a tight contact with the inner cylindrical wall 64 of the casing 12.
- the sealing element 74 has an outer annular groove 78 in which is inserted an annular relief 80 formed at one end of the casing 12, to axially hold the sealing element 74 firmly on the casing 12.
- the sealing element 74 also has a through aperture 82 provided with annular sealing lips 84 which establish a tight contact with the outer surface of the cable 58.
- the through aperture 82 of the sealing element 74 has two or more different diameters decreasing progressively towards that end of the sealing element 74 which is furthest from the casing 12 in such a way that the sealing element 74 can be adapted to cables with different diameters simply by cutting the part or parts of the sealing element with a smaller through aperture diameter than the diameter of the cable.
- the assembly of the plug according to this invention is as follows.
- the contacts in pin form 28 are inserted into their respective apertures 26 in the contact-holder body 14 and are held in a snap-in manner by the elastically deformable formations 30 (figure 4).
- a length of the end of the electric cable 58 is passed through the cavity in the casing 12 and through the sealing element 74.
- the ends of the conductors of the cable 58 are then connected to their various contacts 28 and then the cable-grip portions 56 are fixed together by tightening the screws 60.
- the sealing element 74 is then inserted into the casing 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow 86 in figure 4 until the annular protrusion 80 is inserted into the casing 12 in the outer annular groove 78 of the sealing element 74.
- the contact-holder body 14 is then inserted into the cavity 64 of the casing 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow 86 in figure 4.
- the longitudinal grooves 40 To be able to insert the contact-holder body 14 into the cavity 64 it is necessary for the longitudinal grooves 40 to be aligned with the protruding teeth 66.
- the teeth 66 then engage in the longitudinal grooves 40 during the axial movement of the contact-holder body 14 with respect to the casing 12.
- the teeth 66 are aligned with the circumferential grooves 46.
- a relative rotation is applied between the contact-holder body 14 and the casing 12 in such a way that the teeth 66 pass over the steps 48 and enter the respective circumferential grooves 46.
- the contact-holder body 14 can be gripped using a tool formed in such a way as to engage with the inner radial rib 24.
- the casing 12 can rotate with respect to the contact-holder body 14 between a position of insertion of the plug into the socket and a position in which the plug is locked with respect to the socket.
- the little teeth 52 formed on the side walls of the circumferential grooves 46 define the position of insertion of the plug 12.
- the teeth 66 can pass over the little teeth 52 with the application of a much smaller force than that required to pass over the step 48.
- the inner radial rib 24 of the contact-holder body 14 engages in a corresponding groove in the socket which defines the position of alignment of the contacts 28 with the corresponding socket contacts.
- the helical grooves 70 of the bayonet connection portion 68 are engaged by respective radial pins borne by the socket.
- the casing 12 rotates with respect to the contact-holder body 14 and with respect to the socket, from the insertion position to a locked position.
- the angular amplitude of the rotation of the casing 12 is identical to the angular amplitude of the helical grooves 70.
- 88 indicates an auxiliary closing cover which can be used for closing the plug 10 when the latter is not coupled with the socket.
- the cover 88 has a cylindrical inner surface 90 from which a plurality of pins 92 protrude to engage in the helical grooves 70 formed on the casing 12, in the same way as these grooves are engaged by the pins formed on the socket.
- the closing cover 88 has a longitudinal groove 94 formed on a protruding annular wall 96.
- the groove 94 is made in such a way as to couple with the radial rib 24 (figure 4) of the contact-holder body 14.
- the closing cover 88 can be advantageously used as a tool for assembling and disassembling the contact-holder body 14 from the casing 12 because, owing to the engagement of the groove 94 with the rib 24, the cover 88 can be used to keep the contact-holder body 14 still when applying the necessary torque on the casing 12 so that the teeth 66 pass over the corresponding steps 48.
- the closing cover 88 is preferably fitted with protruding flanges 98 provided with holes 100 which can be used for fixing the cover 88 to the trailer, in such a way that the cover 88 is not lost when the plug 10 is engaged with the socket.
- the socket 10 can be fitted onto the cover 88 to prevent the entry of water or dirt in the area of the contacts 28.
- the plug according to this invention can also be utilized for making an adapter device which allows a plug and a socket with different numbers of poles to be connected up. For example, it is frequently necessary to establish an electrical connection between a 7-pole plug fitted on a trailer with a 13-pole socket fitted on a towing vehicle.
- an adapter device of the type shown in figure 9 is used, having on one side a plug 10 with the right number of poles for coupling with the socket mounted on the towing vehicle (13 for example) and on the other side a socket 110 with the right number of holes for coupling with the plug mounted on the trailer (7 for example).
- the plug 10 is made in much the same way as described above.
- the only difference consists in the fact that there is no sealing element 74 in soft material and the casing 12 has a portion 112 to which a standard socket 110 is fitted.
- An electric cable is housed inside the casing 12 to connect the contacts 114 of the socket 110 with the corresponding contacts 28 of the plug 10.
- connection between the contact-holder body 14 and the casing 12 can be made in any way suitable for axially retaining the contact-holder body 14 with respect to the casing 12, while still permitting freedom of relative rotation between them.
- the circumferential grooves 46 could be formed on the inner surface of the casing 12 and the teeth 66 on the outer surface of the contact-holder body 14.
- the bayonet connection portion 68 of the casing 12 could be formed on a component separate from the casing and fixed to the remaining part of the casing in a permanent manner or in a removable manner.
Landscapes
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
- Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
- Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to a plug for electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer, of the type comprising a casing, a contact-holder body and a bayonet connection portion for the connection of the plug to a socket, and in which the bayonet connection portion can be rotated with respect to the contact-holder body between a position of insertion of the plug into the socket and a position in which the plug is locked in the socket.
- Plugs of this kind are made in compliance with ISO standard 11446-1993 and one form of a plug of the type specified above is described in the document EP-A-0249181.
- In the plug described in that document, the casing comprises a front section and a rear section composed of two separate elements joined together by a threaded connection. The contact-holder body is fixed with respect to the casing and is gripped axially between the front section and the rear section. The bayonet connection section is formed on a ring which is mounted rotatably on the front section of the casing.
- The object of this invention is to provide a plug which complies with the technical specifications of ISO standard 7638-1985 and which is simpler, less costly and made up of a smaller number of components compared with the plug described in the abovementioned document EP-A-0249181.
- According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a plug with the characteristics forming the subject of the main claim.
- The characteristics and advantages of this invention will be evident in the course of the detailed description which follows, given purely by way of non-restrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
- figure 1 is a perspective view of a plug according to the present invention,
- figure 2 in an exploded perspective view of the plug in figure 1,
- figure 3 is a section on the plane marked III-III in figure 1,
- figure 4 is an exploded longitudinal section through the plug in figure 3,
- figure 5 is a view on a larger scale of the contact-holder body indicated by the arrow V in figure 2,
- figure 6 is a section on the plane marked VI-VI in figure 5,
- figure 7 is a plan view of the cover indicated by the arrow VII in figure 1,
- figure 8 is a section on the plane marked VIII-VIII in figure 7,
- figure 9 is a lateral view of an adapter device including a plug according to the invention, and
- figures 10 and 11 are views indicated by the arrows X and XI of figure 9.
- With reference to figures 1 to 4, the
reference number 10 indicates a plug for the electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer. Theplug 10 comprises acasing 12 and a contact-holder body 14, both made of injection-moulded plastic material. - As can be seen in particular in figure 4, the contact-
holder body 14 is made up of a monolithic element including abase wall 16 from which anannular side wall 18 with a cylindricalouter surface 20 and a cylindricalinner surface 22 protrudes. Arib 24 parallel to the axis of theannular wall 18 protrudes radially inwards from the cylindricalinner surface 22. This rib is designed to engage with a longitudinal groove formed in a socket (not illustrated) so as to align the contact-holder body 14 and the socket with each other. There is a plurality of apertures 26 in thebase wall 16 of the contact-holder body 14 for receiving respective metal contacts inpin form 28. Each aperture 26 is associated with its ownspring retention portions 30 for engaging withre-entering portions 32 of thecontacts 28 to axially lock the contacts when these have been inserted into the respective apertures 26 in the direction indicated by thearrows 34 in figure 4. Eachcontact 28 is provided, in a known manner, with a hole for the insertion of an electric conductor which is fixed to the contact by tightening a littletransverse screw 36. - With reference to figures 5 and 6, the contact-
holder body 14 has anannular edge 38 protruding radially out from the cylindricalouter surface 20 and arranged at the opposite end of thewall 20 from thebase wall 16. At least one longitudinal groove 40 (figure 5) is formed on the cylindricalouter wall 20 of the contact-holder body 14 and runs parallel to thelongitudinal axis 42 of the contact-holder body. Preferably, the contact-holder body is provided with two or more angularlyequidistant grooves 40. Eachgroove 40 extends from therear edge 44 of thecylindrical surface 20 to the protrudingannular edge 38. Again referring to figures 5 and 6, the contact-holder body 14 has at least onecircumferential groove 46 preferably arranged adjacent to the protrudingannular edge 38. In the example illustrated in the figures, the contact-holder body 14 is provided with twocircumferential grooves 46 each of which communicates with a respectivelongitudinal groove 40. Eachcircumferential groove 46 has astep 48 arranged in the vicinity of its respectivelongitudinal groove 40. Thestep 48 has a surface in the form of a moderately inclined ramp 48a turned towards thelongitudinal groove 40 and asteep stop surface 48b turned towards thecircumferential groove 46. Eachcircumferential groove 46 terminates against astop surface 50. A pair of smallopposed teeth 52 protrude from the side walls of eachcircumferential groove 46. - Each contact-
holder body 14 also has one cable grip formed in an integral manner, including two elastically deformable opposedarms 54 protruding from thebase wall 16 of the contact-holder body 14. At their respective ends, thearms 54 have enlargedhead portions 56 suitable for gripping acable 58 between them. Figure 5 illustrates thearms 54 in their undeformed rest position, in which they are bent outwards in such a way as not to obstruct the insertion of the pins through the apertures formed in thebase wall 16. After connecting the electric conductors and theirrespective contacts 28, the twohead portions 56 are fixed to each other byscrews 60 and clamp thecable 58 between them as shown in figure 2. With reference to figures 1 to 4, thecasing 12 is formed by a monolithic body in a rigid plastic material and includes aplatform 62 on which the cover of a socket (not illustrated) is intended to rest in the configuration in which theplug 10 is inserted in the socket. Thecasing 12 has acylindrical cavity 64 which receives the cylindricalouter surface 20 of the contact-holder body 14 with a little play. At least onetooth 66 protruding radially inwards is formed on the cylindrical surface of thecavity 64. The number of theteeth 66 is equal to the number of thelongitudinal grooves 40 formed on the contact-holder body 14. Therefore, in the embodiment illustrated as an example in the drawings, there are twoteeth 66 staggered angularly 180° apart. Theteeth 66 are intended to engage in thecircumferential grooves 46 in a way which will be described below, so as to axially retain the contact-holder body 14, nevertheless leaving the possibility of relative rotation between thecasing 12 and the contact-holder body 14. - The
casing 12 has abayonet connection portion 68 formed in an integral manner with the casing and including threehelical grooves 70 staggered angularly from each other, each having anend 70a open on thefront edge 62 of thecasing 12 and a second closedend 70b. - The
plug 10 also comprises asealing element 74 in a soft plastic material with a plurality ofcircumferential lips 76 which establish a tight contact with the innercylindrical wall 64 of thecasing 12. Thesealing element 74 has an outerannular groove 78 in which is inserted anannular relief 80 formed at one end of thecasing 12, to axially hold the sealingelement 74 firmly on thecasing 12. The sealingelement 74 also has athrough aperture 82 provided withannular sealing lips 84 which establish a tight contact with the outer surface of thecable 58. Preferably, thethrough aperture 82 of thesealing element 74 has two or more different diameters decreasing progressively towards that end of thesealing element 74 which is furthest from thecasing 12 in such a way that thesealing element 74 can be adapted to cables with different diameters simply by cutting the part or parts of the sealing element with a smaller through aperture diameter than the diameter of the cable. - The assembly of the plug according to this invention is as follows.
- As has already been explained above, the contacts in
pin form 28 are inserted into their respective apertures 26 in the contact-holder body 14 and are held in a snap-in manner by the elastically deformable formations 30 (figure 4). A length of the end of theelectric cable 58 is passed through the cavity in thecasing 12 and through thesealing element 74. The ends of the conductors of thecable 58 are then connected to theirvarious contacts 28 and then the cable-grip portions 56 are fixed together by tightening thescrews 60. Thesealing element 74 is then inserted into thecasing 12 in the direction indicated by thearrow 86 in figure 4 until theannular protrusion 80 is inserted into thecasing 12 in the outerannular groove 78 of thesealing element 74. - The contact-
holder body 14 is then inserted into thecavity 64 of thecasing 12 in the direction indicated by thearrow 86 in figure 4. To be able to insert the contact-holder body 14 into thecavity 64 it is necessary for thelongitudinal grooves 40 to be aligned with the protrudingteeth 66. Theteeth 66 then engage in thelongitudinal grooves 40 during the axial movement of the contact-holder body 14 with respect to thecasing 12. When the outerannular protrusion 38 of the contact-holder body 14 is stopped by thefront edge 72 of thecasing 12, theteeth 66 are aligned with thecircumferential grooves 46. In this condition, a relative rotation is applied between the contact-holder body 14 and thecasing 12 in such a way that theteeth 66 pass over thesteps 48 and enter the respectivecircumferential grooves 46. To make theteeth 66 pass over thesteps 48, it is necessary to apply a certain degree of torque. To do this, the contact-holder body 14 can be gripped using a tool formed in such a way as to engage with the innerradial rib 24. When theteeth 66 of thecasing 12 have entered thecircumferential grooves 46 the assembly of the plug is complete. The contact-holder body 14 is axially held on thecasing 12 thanks to the engagement of theteeth 66 in thecircumferential grooves 46. However, thecasing 12 can rotate with respect to the contact-holder body 14 between a position of insertion of the plug into the socket and a position in which the plug is locked with respect to the socket. Thelittle teeth 52 formed on the side walls of thecircumferential grooves 46 define the position of insertion of theplug 12. When theteeth 66 are retained between thestop surface 48b and thelittle teeth 52, theplug 10 is ready to be inserted in a socket. - The
teeth 66 can pass over thelittle teeth 52 with the application of a much smaller force than that required to pass over thestep 48. During insertion, the innerradial rib 24 of the contact-holder body 14 engages in a corresponding groove in the socket which defines the position of alignment of thecontacts 28 with the corresponding socket contacts. During the insertion of the plug into the socket, thehelical grooves 70 of thebayonet connection portion 68 are engaged by respective radial pins borne by the socket. During insertion, thecasing 12 rotates with respect to the contact-holder body 14 and with respect to the socket, from the insertion position to a locked position. The angular amplitude of the rotation of thecasing 12 is identical to the angular amplitude of thehelical grooves 70. When the pins reach theends 70b of thehelical grooves 70 thecasing 12 has reached the locked position in which theplatform 72 is aligned with the cover of the plug. In the locked position, thefront edge 38 of the contact-holder body 14 is pressed axially against a gasket (not illustrated) on the socket. - With reference to figures 1, 7 and 8, 88 indicates an auxiliary closing cover which can be used for closing the
plug 10 when the latter is not coupled with the socket. Thecover 88 has a cylindricalinner surface 90 from which a plurality ofpins 92 protrude to engage in thehelical grooves 70 formed on thecasing 12, in the same way as these grooves are engaged by the pins formed on the socket. In accordance with an advantageous characteristic of this invention, theclosing cover 88 has alongitudinal groove 94 formed on a protrudingannular wall 96. Thegroove 94 is made in such a way as to couple with the radial rib 24 (figure 4) of the contact-holder body 14. In this way, theclosing cover 88 can be advantageously used as a tool for assembling and disassembling the contact-holder body 14 from thecasing 12 because, owing to the engagement of thegroove 94 with therib 24, thecover 88 can be used to keep the contact-holder body 14 still when applying the necessary torque on thecasing 12 so that theteeth 66 pass over the corresponding steps 48. Theclosing cover 88 is preferably fitted with protrudingflanges 98 provided withholes 100 which can be used for fixing thecover 88 to the trailer, in such a way that thecover 88 is not lost when theplug 10 is engaged with the socket. When the trailer is detached from the towing vehicle, thesocket 10 can be fitted onto thecover 88 to prevent the entry of water or dirt in the area of thecontacts 28. - With reference to figures 9 to 11, the plug according to this invention can also be utilized for making an adapter device which allows a plug and a socket with different numbers of poles to be connected up. For example, it is frequently necessary to establish an electrical connection between a 7-pole plug fitted on a trailer with a 13-pole socket fitted on a towing vehicle. In this case, an adapter device of the type shown in figure 9 is used, having on one side a
plug 10 with the right number of poles for coupling with the socket mounted on the towing vehicle (13 for example) and on the other side asocket 110 with the right number of holes for coupling with the plug mounted on the trailer (7 for example). Theplug 10 is made in much the same way as described above. The only difference consists in the fact that there is no sealingelement 74 in soft material and thecasing 12 has aportion 112 to which astandard socket 110 is fitted. An electric cable is housed inside thecasing 12 to connect the contacts 114 of thesocket 110 with the correspondingcontacts 28 of theplug 10. - The plug according to the present invention can be the subject of numerous constructional variants compared with what has been described above. In particular, the connection between the contact-
holder body 14 and thecasing 12 can be made in any way suitable for axially retaining the contact-holder body 14 with respect to thecasing 12, while still permitting freedom of relative rotation between them. For example, thecircumferential grooves 46 could be formed on the inner surface of thecasing 12 and theteeth 66 on the outer surface of the contact-holder body 14. Furthermore, thebayonet connection portion 68 of thecasing 12 could be formed on a component separate from the casing and fixed to the remaining part of the casing in a permanent manner or in a removable manner.
Claims (14)
- Plug for electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer, comprising a casing (12), a contact-holder body (14) and a bayonet connection portion (68) for the connection of the plug (10) to a socket, in which the bayonet connection portion (68) can be rotated with respect to the contact-holder body (14) between a position of insertion of the plug into the socket and a position in which the plug is locked in the socket, characterized in that the bayonet connection portion (68) is fixed with respect to the casing (12) and in that the casing (12) and the contact-holder body (14) are fitted with mutually engaging means of retention (66, 46) which axially hold the contact-holder body (14) on the casing (12) and leave freedom of relative rotation between the contact-holder body (14) and the casing (12) between said insertion and locked positions.
- Plug according to Claim 1, characterized in that said means of retention comprise at least one radial tooth (44) borne by the casing (12) or by the contact-holder body (14) and engaging with at least one circumferential groove (46) formed on the contact-holder body (14) or on the casing (12).
- Plug according to Claim 2, characterized in that the abovementioned circumferential groove (46) communicates with an axial groove (40) which permits the insertion of the radial tooth (66) into the circumferential groove (46) following a relative movement in the axial direction of the contact-holder body (14) and of the casing (12).
- Plug according to Claim 3, characterized in that the abovementioned circumferential groove (46) has a step (48) over which the abovementioned radial tooth (66) passes as a result of the application of a predetermined torque between the contact-holder body (14) and the casing (12).
- Plug according to Claim 4, characterized in that it also comprises a pair of small teeth (52) formed in said circumferential groove (46) to retain the abovementioned radial tooth (66) in the abovementioned position of insertion of the plug (10) into the socket.
- Plug according to any of Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the abovementioned circumferential groove (46) is formed on an outer surface (20) of the contact-holder body (14) and in that the abovementioned radial tooth (66) is formed on an inner surface (64) of the casing (12).
- Plug according to Claim 1, characterized in that the abovementioned bayonet connection portion (68) is formed in an integral manner with the casing (12).
- Plug according to Claim 1, characterized in that the abovementioned contact-holder body (14) is formed by a monolithic element with a base wall (16) provided with a plurality of holes (26) suitable for receiving and retaining respective contacts (28) in a snap-in manner.
- Plug according to Claim 8, characterized in that the abovementioned contact-holder body (14) comprises a pair of integral deformable arms (54) suitable for gripping a cable (58).
- Plug according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a sealing element in deformable material (74) fixed to the casing (12) by the engagement of an annular protrusion (80) from the casing (12) in an annular groove (78) on the sealing element (74).
- Plug according to Claim 10, characterized in that the abovementioned sealing element (74) has at least one annular sealing lip (76) suitable for establishing a tight contact with an inner surface (64) of the casing (12).
- Plug according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary closing cover (88) provided with means (94) for engaging the contact-holder body (14).
- Plug according to Claim 1, characterized in that the abovementioned auxiliary closing cover (88) has an axial groove (94) for engaging an axial rib (24) protruding from an inner surface (22) of the contact-holder body (14).
- Adapter device for electrical connection between a plug and a socket with different numbers of poles, characterized in that it comprises a plug (10) according to one or more of the previous claims.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IT1999TO000340A IT1308457B1 (en) | 1999-04-27 | 1999-04-27 | PLUG FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN A TRAILING VEHICLE AND A TRAILER |
ITTO990340 | 1999-04-27 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1049212A1 true EP1049212A1 (en) | 2000-11-02 |
EP1049212B1 EP1049212B1 (en) | 2002-09-11 |
Family
ID=11417759
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP00106412A Expired - Lifetime EP1049212B1 (en) | 1999-04-27 | 2000-03-24 | Plug for electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1049212B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE224111T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60000425T2 (en) |
IT (1) | IT1308457B1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1300915A1 (en) * | 2001-10-08 | 2003-04-09 | Menber's S.p.A. | Adapter for the electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer |
ES2194606A1 (en) * | 2002-05-03 | 2003-11-16 | Division Electrica S A I | Coupling between aerial base or current take-off plug and support body finds application in current take-off systems for industrial uses |
WO2004105195A1 (en) * | 2003-05-21 | 2004-12-02 | Saip & Schyller S.P.A. | Coupling device for the contact block and the handle of an electrical connector |
EP1686658A2 (en) * | 2005-01-31 | 2006-08-02 | ERICH JAEGER GmbH & Co. KG | Socket |
EP1978603A2 (en) * | 2007-04-05 | 2008-10-08 | Wieland Electric GmbH | Connection system with a connector |
EP3242360A1 (en) | 2016-05-03 | 2017-11-08 | Eaxtron | Locking device for electrical connectors and electrical connectors provided with the device |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE202005001567U1 (en) †| 2005-01-31 | 2005-03-31 | Jaeger Erich Gmbh & Co Kg | socket |
DE102012013653A1 (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2014-01-16 | Westfalia-Automotive Gmbh | Adapter for a socket of a trailer hitch |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0369257A2 (en) * | 1988-11-15 | 1990-05-23 | Dietrich Gebhard | Plug for the electrical connection of trailers |
EP0383154A1 (en) * | 1989-02-15 | 1990-08-22 | Dietrich Gebhard | Connector for the electrical connection of motor vehicle trailers |
EP0620615A2 (en) * | 1993-04-16 | 1994-10-19 | Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. | Connector having rotation guide |
-
1999
- 1999-04-27 IT IT1999TO000340A patent/IT1308457B1/en active
-
2000
- 2000-03-24 EP EP00106412A patent/EP1049212B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-03-24 DE DE60000425T patent/DE60000425T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-03-24 AT AT00106412T patent/ATE224111T1/en active
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0369257A2 (en) * | 1988-11-15 | 1990-05-23 | Dietrich Gebhard | Plug for the electrical connection of trailers |
EP0383154A1 (en) * | 1989-02-15 | 1990-08-22 | Dietrich Gebhard | Connector for the electrical connection of motor vehicle trailers |
EP0620615A2 (en) * | 1993-04-16 | 1994-10-19 | Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. | Connector having rotation guide |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1300915A1 (en) * | 2001-10-08 | 2003-04-09 | Menber's S.p.A. | Adapter for the electrical connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer |
ES2194606A1 (en) * | 2002-05-03 | 2003-11-16 | Division Electrica S A I | Coupling between aerial base or current take-off plug and support body finds application in current take-off systems for industrial uses |
WO2004105195A1 (en) * | 2003-05-21 | 2004-12-02 | Saip & Schyller S.P.A. | Coupling device for the contact block and the handle of an electrical connector |
EP1686658A2 (en) * | 2005-01-31 | 2006-08-02 | ERICH JAEGER GmbH & Co. KG | Socket |
EP1686658A3 (en) * | 2005-01-31 | 2006-08-16 | ERICH JAEGER GmbH & Co. KG | Socket |
EP1978603A2 (en) * | 2007-04-05 | 2008-10-08 | Wieland Electric GmbH | Connection system with a connector |
EP1978603A3 (en) * | 2007-04-05 | 2010-09-01 | Wieland Electric GmbH | Connection system with a connector |
EP3242360A1 (en) | 2016-05-03 | 2017-11-08 | Eaxtron | Locking device for electrical connectors and electrical connectors provided with the device |
US10050380B2 (en) | 2016-05-03 | 2018-08-14 | Eaxtron (Sarl) | Locking device for electric connectors and electric connectors equipped with the device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ITTO990340A0 (en) | 1999-04-27 |
DE60000425D1 (en) | 2002-10-17 |
ATE224111T1 (en) | 2002-09-15 |
IT1308457B1 (en) | 2001-12-17 |
EP1049212B1 (en) | 2002-09-11 |
DE60000425T2 (en) | 2003-06-05 |
ITTO990340A1 (en) | 2000-10-27 |
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