GB2398679A

GB2398679A - Coupling device with latching plate

Info

Publication number: GB2398679A
Application number: GB0401191A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dirk Duenkel; Marc Reinhardt
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2003-01-29
Filing date: 2004-01-20
Publication date: 2004-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2024-01-20
Also published as: DE10303382A1; FR2850492B1; GB0401191D0; DE10303382B4; FR2850492A1; GB2398679B

Abstract

A coupling device (1) has a slider (2) therein moveable transversely to a direction of insertion of a connector (4). The slider (2) is moveable between an open position where the connector (4) is inserted into the coupling device (1) and a closed position where the connector (4) is actuated into electrical contact with the coupling device (1). The slider (2) has a latching plate (3) movable transversely to a direction of movement of the slider (2). The latching plate (3) is moveable into latching engagement with the coupling device (1) when the slider (2) is in the closed position to secure the slider (2) in the closed position.

Description

COUPLING DEVICE WITH LATCHING PLATE

The invention relates to a coupling device. More particularly, the invention relates to a coupling device with a slider for actuating a connector into electrical contact with the coupling device wherein the slider has a latching plate for securely latching the slider in a closed position.

Coupling devices are commonly used in the automobile industry to electrically connect a cable in the coupling device with another cable arranged, for example, in a control unit, assembly, or connector. One example of such a coupling device is described in DE 101 08 285 Al. Because the amount of force needed to connect the coupling device with the connector increases with the number of contacts to be connected, mechanical assistance mechanisms are provided to facilitate the connection therebetween.

The mechanical assistance mechanism is typically formed as a slider. The slider is mounted on the coupling device and moves transversely to a direction of mating of the connector with the coupling device. The slider is moveable between an open position where the connector is inserted into the coupling device and a closed position where the slider engages with the connector to bring the connector into electrical contact with the coupling device. A complementary latching mechanism is arranged on the slider _. - 2

and the coupling device that secures the slider in the closed position to ensure optimal electrical contact between the connector and the coupling device. The complementary latching mechanism typically consists of a pair of resilient arms or latching hooks that are arranged on the slider and engage with corresponding recesses on the coupling device.

Because the slider and the coupling device are typically exposed to temperature changes and/or vibrations, the shape of the slider and the coupling device can become deformed. When the slider and/or the coupling device become deformed, the slider can disengage from the coupling device.

If the slider becomes disengaged from the coupling device, the electrical contact between the coupling device and the connector can become faulty, which is particularly a problem in safety-critical connections, for example, between a control unit of a passenger restraint system or an ignition pill of an airbag.

To solve this problem, it is known to use an additional position-securing device known as a connector position assurance (CPA) device. The CPA device consists, for example, of a separate clip that locks the coupling device with the slider in the closed position. Although the CPA device largely prevents the risk of the slider becoming unintentionally released from the coupling device, use of the CPA device increases the amount of steps required to . assemble the coupling device. Additionally, the CPA device typically has edges that protrude beyond an outside edge of the coupling device. As a result, the CPA device may cause damage to or interfere with other cables or CPA devices.

For example, when assembling or disassembling the coupling device, there is a risk that the CPA device will catch on other cables resulting in damage to the other cables and/or the position-securing device.

It is therefore an object of the invention is to provide a coupling device that has a mechanism for reliably and easily securing a slider in a closed position. This and other objects are achieved by a coupling device having a slider moveable transversely to a direction of insertion of a connector therein. The slider is moveable between an open position where the connector is inserted into the coupling device and a closed position where the connector is actuated into electrical contact with the coupling device. The slider has a latching plate movable transversely to a direction of movement of the slider. The latching plate is moveable into latching engagement with the coupling device when the slider is in the closed position to secure the slider in the closed position.

The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - 4 Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a coupling device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of a slider and a latching plate taken along a central longitudinal groove of a web of the slider and along a latch engagement hook and a position-securing device of the latching plate; Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the slider and the latching plate taken along an external longitudinal groove of the web of the slider and along a hook of the latching plate; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coupling device with the slider in an open position; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the coupling device with the slider in a closed position; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the coupling device with the latching plate in latching engagement with the coupling device; Fig. 7a is a partial schematic view of a latching plate and a slider of a second embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention; and Fig. 7b is a partial schematic view of the latching plate and the slider of Figure 7a with the latching plate in latching engagement with the coupling device.

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a coupling device 1 and a connector 4 according to the invention. The coupling AGO. - 5 -

device 1 includes a slider 2 with a latching plate 3. The connector 4 is illustrated as a plug connector herein and may function, for example, as a terminal connector of a control device. The connector 4 has outer pins 41a, 41c and an inner pin 41b. The pins 41a, 41b, 41c are formed on opposing sides of the connector 4, and the outer pins 41a, 41c are arranged symmetrically.

As shown in Figure 1, the coupling device 1 has a plurality of contact chambers 14 for receiving female contact elements (not shown). The contact chambers 14 are arranged to correspond with male contact elements (not shown) of the connector 4. A clamping bracket 15 is formed on a top surface of the coupling device 1 for fixing a cable (not shown) that is connected to the female contact elements (not shown). Flexible, parallel lugs 11 that have recesses 12 formed on outside surfaces thereof protrude outward from the coupling device 1. Between the parallel lugs 11 is arranged a displacement element 13 that protrudes from a surface of the coupling device 1. The displacement element 13 corresponds to a recess 223, to be described later.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the slider 2 is mounted on the coupling device 1 such that it moves transversely to an insertion direction of the connector 4. As shown in Figure 1, the slider 2 is substantially U-shaped and has two side faces 21 connected by a web 22. Each side face 21 has first - 6 and second grooves 25, 26. A thickened wall borders the first and second grooves 25, 26, and a thin reinforcing wall 27 is formed in a lower region of the second grooves 26.

The thickened wall borders and the thin reinforcing wall 27 serve to stabilize the slider 2 against loads occurring during actuation. Between the side faces 21 and parallel thereto are restraining hooks 24 that are formed as resilient arms. Two mutually opposing hooks 23 project beyond the side faces 21 from the web 22 and are orientated towards the respective side face 21.

As shown in Figure 2, the web 22 has a front side 221 and a plate-shaped reverse side 222. The reverse side 222 has a recess 223. The front side 221 has a central longitudinal groove 28 and outer longitudinal groove 29. At a lower end of the central longitudinal groove 28 is a chamfer 280. As shown in Figure 3, at lower ends of the outer longitudinal grooves 29 are chamfers 290.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the latching plate 3 is mounted between the front side 221 and the reverse side 222.

The latching plate 3 has a latch engagement hook 31 formed on a central region thereof, secondary hooks 32 formed on an upper region thereof, and a position-securing device 33 in the form of a hook formed on a lower region thereof. The latch engagement hook 31 is received in the central longitudinal groove 28 of the slider 2. The secondary hooks 32 are received in the outer longitudinal grooves 29 and engage behind the chamfers 290 at the lower ends of the outer longitudinal grooves 29 to prevent the latching plate 3 from falling downwards out of the slider 2. The position securing device 33 is received in the recess 223. A front side of the latching plate 3 is provided with a ribbed surface to facilitate operation thereof.

The operation of the coupling device will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 4-6.

As shown in Figure 4, the slider 2 is inserted into the coupling device 1 and is held in an open position by the restraining hooks 24 engaging with corresponding counter- elements (not shown) in the coupling device 1. The restraining hooks 24 and the counter-elements (not shown) are designed such that the slider 2 is moveable between the open position shown in Figure 4 and a closed position shown in Figures 5 and 6. Removal of the slider 2 from the coupling device 1 in the open position is prevented by the engagement of the counter-elements (not shown) with the restraining hooks 24.

In the open position, the connector 4 is inserted into the coupling device 1. The connector 4 is inserted such that the pins 41a, 41c are received in the first and second grooves 25, 26 of the slider 2, respectively. The slider 2 is actuated to the closed position shown in Figure 5. The - 8 slider 2 is actuated transversely to the insertion direction of the connector 4 to facilitate insertion of the connector 4 into the coupling device 1. For example, in the illustrated arrangement, the pin 41b is guided by the first groove 25, and the pin 41c is guided by the second groove 26 so that the pin 41c is pushed past the thin reinforcing wall 27. As the slider 2 is actuated, the connector 4 is positively driven by the slider 2 into a contact position where the connector 4 makes electrical contact with the coupling device 1. The use of the first and second grooves 25, 26 on each of the side faces 21 prevents skewing of the connector 4 during assembly. Additionally, because the connector 4 has the opposing sides provided with the outer pins 41a, 41c arranged symmetrically, the connector 4 may be inserted from either direction into the coupling device 1.

As shown in Figure 5, when the slider 2 is moved to the closed position, the hooks 23 of the slider 2 engage with the recesses 12 of the lugs 11 to latch the slider 2 to the coupling device 1. Because the lugs 11 are flexible, the lugs 11 guide the hooks 23 past the lugs 11 and into the recesses 12. The flexibility of the lugs 11, however, creates a risk that any vibrations and/or changes in temperature may cause the lugs to bend inward and thereby release the hooks 23 from the recesses 12. - 9 -

To further latch the slider 2 in the closed position, the latching plate 3 is brought into latching engagement with the coupling device 1. As shown in Figure 6, the latching plate is moved upwards or transversely to the direction of movement of the slider 2. In order to move the latching plate 3 upwards, the position-securing device 33 of the latching plate 3 is released from the recess 223 by the displacement element 13. Because the displacement element 13 protrudes from the coupling device 1 in a position corresponding to the recess 223, when the slider 2 is moved to the closed position, the displacement element 13 pushes the position-securing device 33 out of the recess 223. The latching plate 3, therefore, can only be brought into latching engagement with the coupling device 1 when the slider 2 is in the closed position, which helps eliminate malfunctions.

After the displacement element 13 pushes the position- securing device 33 out of the recess 29, the latching plate 3 is moved upward and is received between the lugs 11 of the coupling device 1 to prevent the lugs from bending inward.

As the latching plate 3 moves upward, the latch engagement hook 31 moves upward and latches on the chamfer 280 in the central longitudinal groove 28 to prevent the latching plate 3 from moving downward. Because the latching plate 3 prevents the lugs 11 from bending inward, the slider 2 is - 10 reliably secured in the closed position with very little effort. Because the latching plate 3 is integral with the slider 2, there are no additional or separate position securing devices with protruding edges.

To release the latching plate 3, a tool, such as a precision screwdriver, is inserted into the central longitudinal groove 28 and the latch engagement hook 31 is pressed out of its latching position. Because a tool must be used to release the latching plate 3, the latching plate 3 reliably secures the slider 2 in the closed position.

Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of a coupling device of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the coupling device 5 has a slider 6 with an upwardly movable latching plate 7. The latching plate 7 engages behind a chamfer 51, which protrudes outwards from the coupling device 5. The latching plate 7 can only be pushed past the chamfer 51 when the slider 6 is in a closed position. The latching plate 7 is fixed in position by complementary latching elements (not shown) formed on the slider 6 and the latching plate 7. It is also conceivable to form the complementary latching elements (not shown) on the chamfer 51 and the latching plate 7.

Claims

1. A coupling device having a slider moveable transversely to a direction of insertion of a connector therein, the slider being moveable between an open position where the connector is inserted into the coupling device and a closed position where the connector is actuated into electrical contact with the coupling device, wherein: the slider has a latching plate movable transversely to a direction of movement of the slider, the latching plate being moveable into latching engagement with the coupling device when the slider is in the closed position to secure the slider in the closed position.

2. The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the slider has hooks for engaging corresponding recesses in the coupling device when the slider is in the closed position.

3. The coupling device according to claim 2, wherein the recesses are formed on flexible lugs and the latching plate abuts the lugs when the slider is in the closed position.

4. The coupling device according to claim 3, wherein the latching plate has a latch engagement hook that secures the latching plate against the lugs. - 12

5. The coupling device according to claim 4, wherein the latch engagement hook is formed to receive a tool for releasing the latching plate from engagement with the lugs.

6. The coupling device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the latching plate has a position- securing device formed to prevent the latching plate from moving when the slider is in the open position and to release the latching plate for movement when the slider is in the closed position.

7. The coupling device according to claim 6, wherein the positionsecuring device includes a hook that engages with a recess on the slider, the coupling device includes a displacement element formed to release the hook from the recess when the slider is in the closed position.

8. The coupling device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slider is substantially U shaped and has a web connecting two side faces thereof, the latching plate being mounted on the web.

9. The coupling device according to claim 8, wherein the web has a front side and a reverse side and the latching plate is mounted therebetween. 13

10. The coupling device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the web has a plurality of chamfers formed to engage the latching plate to secure the latching plate in the web.

11. The coupling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the latching plate has a ribbed surface to facilitate movement of the latching plate.

12. The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling device has a chamfer projecting outwards which engages behind the latching plate when the latching plate is in latching engagement with the coupling device.