EP1139500B1 - Pièce de rétention pour un connecteur électrique - Google Patents

Pièce de rétention pour un connecteur électrique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1139500B1
EP1139500B1 EP20010500081 EP01500081A EP1139500B1 EP 1139500 B1 EP1139500 B1 EP 1139500B1 EP 20010500081 EP20010500081 EP 20010500081 EP 01500081 A EP01500081 A EP 01500081A EP 1139500 B1 EP1139500 B1 EP 1139500B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
blocking element
connector
terminals
electrical
electrical connectors
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP20010500081
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1139500A3 (fr
EP1139500A2 (fr
Inventor
Josep Maria Roset Rubio
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Original Assignee
Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL filed Critical Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Publication of EP1139500A2 publication Critical patent/EP1139500A2/fr
Publication of EP1139500A3 publication Critical patent/EP1139500A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1139500B1 publication Critical patent/EP1139500B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
    • H01R13/436—Securing a plurality of contact members by one locking piece or operation
    • H01R13/4361—Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion

Definitions

  • the present patent application consists, as its title indicates, of an "Improved blocking element for electrical connectors", whose new characteristics of construction, shape and design fulfill the object for which it has specifically been planned, with maximum safety and effectiveness.
  • electrical connectors are intended to serve as a junction point for a set of terminals joined to the ends of the corresponding electrical cables in order to establish contact between the different parts of the electrical system of, for example, a car.
  • the coupling of terminals inside the connectors is carried out manually or automatically, by introducing the terminals through one of the lower bases of the connector until they are completely inserted inside in a specific cavity of the connector adapted to house said terminals.
  • the United States patent number US5,989,066-B describes an electrical connector that includes terminals in a housing with a terminal position assurance member backing up the resilient latches holding the terminals in housing cavities.
  • the terminal position assurance member inserted through the housing mating face, is shiftable between a partially inserted position, in which terminals can be inserted into cavities 16 through the housing rear face and a locked position after all terminals have been properly inserted.
  • the terminal position assurance member includes a horizontal wall insertable behind the housing latches and panels on either side. To shift the terminal position assurance member to the locked position, the panel must deflect outwardly about a fixed front edge and a fixed base edge to permit an inwardly extending panel latching projection to pass a housing shoulder. To prevent plastic deformation of the latching projection, the latching projection upper surface is inclined and its height, measured relative to the panel increases with distance away from the horizontal wall.
  • the present invention has been developed to exploit the remarkable advantages offered by this type of blocking elements, but configuring them with a new conception to facilitate fitting, especially in the case of a large number of units to be fitted.
  • the improved blocking element for electrical connectors that is the object of the present invention has a configuration that is made up of an extended body with two opposite ends.
  • Said blocking element is conveniently designed to be housed, by sliding, inside the body of an electrical connector of the type used, for example, in the electrical installations of cars. Once completely coupled inside the connector, this blocking element serves to hold cables and terminals in place, thus ensuring a safe and effective connection. Therefore, the blocking element is provided with a number of projections which, in blocked position, are arranged so as to coincide with cavities in the connector for the passage of the cables with their corresponding terminals, thus holding them in place.
  • the peculiarity of the blocking element of the invention is that both opposite ends of said blocking element fit tightly with respect to the connector body, while the central part of the blocking element has a certain play to facilitate coupling of the same inside the connector.
  • the blocking element of the invention is provided with an end which has a stepped area. Said stepped area has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the end of the aperture of the connector body where the blocking element is coupled. Both ends of the blocking element and of the connector have substantially similar dimensions in order to provide a tight fit.
  • the opposite end of the blocking element of the invention is also provided with an area that fits tightly with the connector body.
  • Said opposite end also incorporates an operating surface perpendicular to the blocking element, adapted so that the user moves the blocking element to a blocked position to cause the terminals to be held in place, or releases it from said position to an unblocked position to allow the cables to be inserted in the connector.
  • insertion can be achieved with great speed, mainly due to the substantial play in most of the travelling distance of the same, which allows it to be guided into the connector, since the contact surface between the parts is reduced and thus the operator will find it much easier to guide it.
  • the good fit provided by the ends of the blocking element ensures the adequate holding of the same, which positively influences the reduction of connection errors when the terminals are placed in the cavities of the connector, since they can only enter in one position. Therefore, withdrawn positions of the terminals are eliminated and their immobilisation is ensured in a much easier way than with conventional blocking elements.
  • the elements appearing in the attached drawings are the following: (1) electrical connector, (2) connector-holding module, (3) body of the connector, (4) cavities of the electrical connector, (5) outer grooves of the body of the electrical connector, (6) inner projections of the connector-holding module, (7) blocking element, (8) end of the blocking element, (9) end of the blocking element, (10) central area of the blocking element, (11) end of the cavity of the connector body for the blocking element, (13) notch of the end of the blocking element, and (14) operating surface of the blocking element.
  • the connector comprises a body (3) provided with a plurality of prismatic cavities (4) for housing electrical terminals fixed to the corresponding cables.
  • the body (3) of the connector (1) includes outer grooves (5) adapted to be coupled with corresponding inner projections (6) of the connector-holding module (2).
  • the connector (1) is provided with a blocking element (7) which serves to hold in place the terminals (not shown) inside the body (3) of the connector (1) when it is completely inserted inside the connector (1), as shown in figure 3, thus providing a safe and effective connection.
  • the blocking element (7) in the embodiment of the drawings has a configuration that is made up of an extended body with two opposite ends (8, 9) and a central area (10) as shown in said figure 3.
  • the two ends (8, 9) fit tightly with respect to the respective ends (11, 12) of the cavity of the body (3) of the connector (1).
  • the central part (10) of the blocking element (7) has a certain play which serves to facilitate its sliding inside the body (3) of the connector (1).
  • the fitting provided by the ends (8, 9) of the blocking element (7) ensures the correct fixing of the same and, therefore, the holding in place of the terminals in the connector.
  • the end (8) of the blocking element (7) has a stepped area defined by a notch (13) coupled tightly in the connector when the blocking element (7) reaches its final position, that is, when it reaches the blocked position shown in figure 3.
  • the stepped area has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the end (11) of the aperture of the body (3) of the connector (1), both ends having substantially similar shapes and dimensions so as to provide said tight fit.
  • the opposite end (9) of the blocking element (7) of the present invention also has an area that fits tightly with the body (3) of the connector (1).
  • said end (9) incorporates an operating surface (14), as illustrated in figures 1, 3 and 6 of the drawings.
  • the operating surface (14) is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the blocking element (7) and serves to allow the user to move the blocking element (7) to the blocked position shown in figure 3, thus causing the terminals to be held in place.

Landscapes

  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)

Claims (3)

  1. Elément d'enclenchement amélioré pour des connecteurs électriques formés par un corps étendu qui a deux extrémités (8, 9) opposées, ledit élément (7) d'enclenchement étant adapté pour être logé dans le corps (3) d'un connecteur (1) électrique, ledit élément (7) d'enclenchement étant destiné à assurer sur place les terminaux électriques insérés dans le connecteur (1), caractérisé en ce que ledit élément (7) d'enclenchement est formé par un corps étendu avec des extrémités (8, 9) opposées qui s'emboítent de manière ajustée dans le corps (3) du connecteur (1), tandis que la partie (10) centrale de l'élément (7) d'enclenchement a un certain jeu pour faciliter le glissement de celui-ci dans le corps (3) du connecteur (1).
  2. Élément d'enclenchement amélioré pour des connecteurs électriques selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce qu'il a une extrémité (8) pourvue d'une zone échelonnée ayant une forme qui est complémentaire de la forme de l'extrémité (11) de l'ouverture du corps (3) du connecteur (1) dans laquelle est accouplé l'élément (7) d'enclenchement.
  3. Élément d'enclenchement amélioré pour des connecteurs électriques selon l'une quelconque des revendications antérieures, caractérisé en ce l'extrémité (9) opposée à l'extrémité (8) échelonnée de l'élément (7) d'enclenchement est pourvue d'une zone qui s'emboíte de manière ajustée dans le corps (3) du connecteur (1) et elle a une surface (14) opérationnelle perpendiculaire à l'élément (7) d'enclenchement, adaptée de manière à ce que l'utilisateur puisse déplacer ledit élément (7) d'enclenchement jusqu'à une position d'enclenchement pour assurer les terminaux à leur place ou le libérer de ladite position à une position debloqueé pour permettre que les câbles soient insérés dans le connecteur (1).
EP20010500081 2000-03-28 2001-03-27 Pièce de rétention pour un connecteur électrique Expired - Lifetime EP1139500B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES200000824 2000-03-28
ES200000824 2000-03-28

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1139500A2 EP1139500A2 (fr) 2001-10-04
EP1139500A3 EP1139500A3 (fr) 2002-01-16
EP1139500B1 true EP1139500B1 (fr) 2004-09-22

Family

ID=8492990

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20010500081 Expired - Lifetime EP1139500B1 (fr) 2000-03-28 2001-03-27 Pièce de rétention pour un connecteur électrique

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1139500B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE60105679T2 (fr)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0770334B2 (ja) * 1989-12-27 1995-07-31 矢崎総業株式会社 端子係止具付コネクタ
US5989066A (en) * 1997-12-18 1999-11-23 The Whitaker Corporation Electrical connector with dual position latched terminal position assurance
FR2778501A1 (fr) * 1998-05-05 1999-11-12 Framatome Connectors Int Connecteur electrique a verrouillage des bornes de contact

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1139500A3 (fr) 2002-01-16
EP1139500A2 (fr) 2001-10-04
DE60105679T2 (de) 2005-10-06
DE60105679D1 (de) 2004-10-28

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