GB2092392A

GB2092392A - Clicker connector

Info

Publication number: GB2092392A
Application number: GB8102854A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Cannon Electric Great Britain Ltd
Current assignee: Cannon Electric Great Britain Ltd
Priority date: 1981-01-30
Filing date: 1981-01-30
Publication date: 1982-08-11
Also published as: FR2499322A1

Abstract

A cylindrical electrical connector element of the click-stop-type has three balls (12) held in holes in an annular flange on the element's barrel (3). These balls co-operate with a ring of holes (14) in a locking plate (13) locked to and rotatable with the coupling nut (5), being urged against the plate by a wave spring (9). The holes are pear- shaped to minimise wear, and are formed by etching, which gives them chamfered edges. The plate (13) is locked to the nut (5) by differently-sized tabs (17) which co-operate with differently sized slots in the nut to prevent incorrect assembly. Between the wave spring (9) and another flat surface of the nut there is an indicator ring (8) which is visible through viewing slots in the nut to indicate to the user when the element is properly mated to another element. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clicker connector The present invention relates to a cylindrical electrical connector element of the so-called "click-stop"type.

In such a connectorthe coupling nut which provides the inter-connection between the elements includes a set a balls uniformly spaced about the periphery which set co-operates with recesses or holes to provide a click-stop effect as the coupling nut is tightened. An object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical device of the above type.

According to the present invention there is provided a cylindrical electrical connector element, which includes a coupling nut for securing the element to a further connector element with which it is to be mated, which includes an annular locking plate having a number of holes closely spaced about its periphery, which plate fits over the cylindrical barrel of the connector element and is locked to the nut so as to be rotatable therewith, at least three balls each located in a hole or recess in an annular flange on the barrel of the element, which flange is parallel to and adjacent to the locking plate, said balls being uniformly located about the annular flange, and an annular or part-annular wave spring so arranged that when the element is assembled and the nut is rotated the locking plate and the flange are urged towards each other, wherein the wave spring also urges an annular indicator ring which fits over the barrel against another flange on the inner surface of the nut, wherein the nut has one or more moving slots in its outer surface via which the indicator ring indicates when the element is properly mated to another element, and wherein the holes in the locking plate are pear-shaped, thus reducing wear on that plate during engagement.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a part-sectioned view of a connector element embodying the present invention, while Figure 2 is a perspective view of the element of Figure 1 with certain parts broken away.

The element shown, see Figure 1, is a socket contact element, which carries a number of socket contacts, such as 1, located in an insulator assembly part of which is shown at 2. This assembly is itself located in a metal, e.g. stainless steel, barrel 3, which has an outer screw-threaded region 4, which receives a coupling nut 5.

Each contact such as 1 is retained in place in its bore of the connector's insulation 2 by a retaining clip 6, and the insulator is held in place by one or more further retaining clips such as 7.

The clip-stop arrangement is intended to provide a progressive "clicker" locking device which allows free rotation of the coupling nut at the commencement of the coupling, but becomes effective during the last one or two turns of the coupling nut. As will be seen later, the device also provides a visual indication of complete coupling.

The click-stop arrangement which is located within the coupling nut includes a coupling indicator ring 8 to the left-hand portion of which is knuired and painted. Adjacent to this ring there is a cylindrical wave spring 9, held in place by an annular spacer washer 10. Next in succession there is an outwardly extending flange 11 on the barrel 3 of the element, with three holes evenly spaced about its circumference, each of which receives a ball such as 12.

On the outside of the flange 11 and its three balls 12, there is a locking plate 13, which is an annulus of metal in which are etched a number of pear-shaped holes such as 14. These holes co-operate with the balls in the locking plate, and each has a chamfered surface due to the etching process: this facilitates the movement of the balls into and out of the holes.

The pear-shape reduces wear on the locking plate during the earlier stages of engagement when the element is being mated, and also delays the enablement of an anti-vibration feature until final mating engagement occurs. On the outside of the plate 13 there is a retaining washer 15, which is held in place by the rim of the coupling nut, which is spun over, as indicated at 16.

The locking plate 13 is held in place, so that it cannot rotate by two locking tabs, one of which is shown at 17. Each of these tabs is received in a slot in the coupling nut, as can be seen in Figure 2, the nut's rim not being spun over at these points. The two tabs are of different sizes, with the remaining slots of correspondingly different sizes. Further, the slots are unsymmetrically located on the nut, and the tabs are correspondingly located on the locking plate. Hence the locking plate is fixed against rotation and can only be assembled the right way round.

When the connector element is to be mated to another element, a cylindrical rim of that other element fits between the left-hand end of the barrel 3 and the nut 5, and a screw thread on its outer surface engages the screw thread 20 on the inside of the nut.

Rotation of the nut 5 draws the element into proper mating relationship.

During the first stages of coupling the element to a mating element the coupling nut 5 rotates freely on the barrel 3. As the nut is screwed over the barrel, the front of the barrel 3 presses against the indicator ring 8, urging it back against the pressure of the wave spring 9.

In the final stages of the coupling, the spacer 10 and the flange 11 are pressed back against the locking plate 13, the locking plate rotating with the nut as it is keyed thereto by the tabs such as 17. The three equi-spaced balls such as 12 which are carried by the flange 11 register in the locking plate 13, which locks the coupling nut so as to be secure against vibration. The indicator ring 8 is now pressed fully back, i.e. leftwards in the figures, which enables the knurled ring 21 to appear and be visible through one of two viewing slots such as 23. The portion of the ring 8 adjacent to the knurled ring 21 is painted, in one case blue. Indication of full engagement is given by the appearance of the painted-knurled portion through the viewing slots such as 23 and also by the disappearance of the blue band. The latter appears on the mating half of the connector pair and is covered by the leading edge of the coupling nut 5 when this is tightened.

Due to the pear-shape of the holes such as 14 in the locking plate 13, it is easy to tighten the nut when coupling, but accidental unscrewing from the mated position is not permitted.

Claims

1. A cylindrical electrical connector element, which includes a coupling nut for securing the element to a further connector element with which it is to be mated, which includes an annular locking plate having a number of holes closely spaced about its periphery, which plate fits over the cylindrical barrel of the connector element and is locked to the nut so as to be rotatable therewith, at least three balls each located in a hole or recess in an annular flange on the barrel of the element, which flange is parallel to and adjacent to the locking plate, said balls being uniformly located about the annular flange, and an annular or part-annular wave spring so arranged that when the element is assembled and the nut is rotated the locking plate and the flange are urged towards each other, wherein the wave spring also urges an annular indicator ring which fits over the barrel against another flange on the inner surface of the nut, wherein the nut has one or more moving slots in its outer surface via which the indicator ring indicates when the element is properly mated to another element, and wherein the holes in the locking plate are pear-shaped, thus reducing wear on that plate during engagement.

2. A connector element as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the holes are chamfered.

3. A connector element as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking plate has outwardly extruding tabs which are received in slots in the nut, and wherein the tabs are of different sizes with the slots of correspondingly-different sizes, the tabs and slots are being correspondingly unsymmetrically located so that wrong assembly is prevented.

4. A connector element as claimed in claim 1,2, or 3, and wherein the locking plate is backed by a retaining washer fitted over the barrel and held in place by a spun-over rim on the nut.

5. A connector element as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator ring has its outer surfaces knurled and coloured, thus giving an indication, via the viewing slot or slots, of the state of coupling.

6. An electrical connector element, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A cylindrical electrical connector elements, including (a) a coupling nut rotatably mounted on the barrel of the connector element, said nut being rotatable in one direction to secure said element to a mating connector element; (b) an annular flange on said barrel having at least three holes therein each receiving a ball, said holes being uniformly located about said flange; (c) An annular locking plate rotatable with said coupling nut and arranged parallel with and adjacent to said flange, said locking plate having pear-shaped holes therein, and said locking plate being mounted over the barrel in a position such that its said holes are so orientated that the tapered portions thereof trail when the coupling nut, and hence said plate, rotate about said barrel in said one direction; (d) spring means urging said locking plate toward said flange; and (e) outwardly extending tabs on said locking plate, which tabs are unsymmetrically located about the locking plate and are of different sizes, the tabs fitting into corresponding different-sized slots in said coupling nut so that said locking plate may be mounted over said barrel in only said predetermined position.

8. A connector element as claimed in claim 7, wherein said tabs and said corresponding slots have different widths.

9. A connector element as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the edges of said pear-shaped holes are chamfered at least on the edge of said locking plate facing said flange.

10. A connector element as claimed in claim 7,8 or 9, wherein a washer is mounted behind said locking plate; and the rear of said coupling nut is spun-over to provide an integral flange behind said washer.