Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-06
2001-10-16
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302720
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an electrical plug connection, particularly for motor vehicle applications, with a plug housing, a contact housing complementary to the plug housing and a transverse slide for locking the plug housing in the contact housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Plug connections of this kind are mainly used in a wall of a housing in order to connect to external conductors electrical connections of a device in the housing. For example, plug connections of this kind are used for pre-cabling for motor vehicle transmissions. It is particularly in the area of motor vehicle transmissions that intense vibrations occur in addition to relatively high operating temperatures and may result in the plug connections loosening or breaking away.
To secure the connection, known plug connections have locking devices which are intended to ensure that the plug housing is secured in the contact housing. On assembly, of course, care must be taken to ensure that the locking device really is engaged. In practice it may happen that the fitter brings the locking device only into an intermediate position in which although the plug housing has been pushed into the contact housing the locking device is not in its catch position. In that case the plug connection may automatically break away due to the high vibrations occurring in the operation of the motor vehicle.
The object of the invention is to provide an electrical plug connection wherein assembly faults caused by incomplete closure or engagement of the locking device are reliably avoided.
This problem is solved by the features of claim
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The plug connection according to the invention comprises a plug housing, a contact housing complementary to the plug housing and a transverse slide for locking the plug housing in the contact housing. At least one spring element acts on at least one movable carriage, said spring element exerting an increasing stress on the slide during the closing of the latter and pushing it back into its open position in the event of an incomplete closing operation. The slide is locked in its closed position only on complete closure.
The co-operation of the slide, spring element and carriage according to the invention has the effect that the electrical plug connection and its locking device are always in a defined state and this state is unmistakably indicated to the fitter. If the slide is inserted only incompletely, coupling of the carriage to the slide by way of the spring element causes the latter to exert a force on the slide which, after the manual insertion force has ceased, automatically pushes it back into its open position. This indicates to the fitter that the locking device has not been engaged and hence cannot fulfil its securing function.
Another special feature of the invention is that on the insertion of the slide the two main parts of the plug connection, namely the plug housing fixed on a housing wall, and the contact housing, are clamped together, this being achieved by the configuration of guides in the slide to receive studs on the plug housing.
This leads to the advantageous possibility of making the connection between electrical contacts of the plug part and the electrical contacts of the contact part only when the slide is inserted. If the housings are simply plugged together (plug housing, contact housing) and the slide is in the open position, there is no electrical connection between the contacts. Because of the restoring force of the spring element the slide occupies two defined positions, namely the open position and the closed position. The configuration of the guide groove has the effect that the two housings are guided together on insertion of the slide and are separated on the rise of the slide. Similarly, the electrical contacts of the main parts are brought into electrical connection on the insertion and separated from one another on the rise of the slide. There is consequently a direct relationship between the position of the slide and the electrical connection of the corresponding electrical contacts. Thus in the closed position the contacts are interconnected while in the open position they are not. If current now flows through the plug connection, that simultaneously confirms that the slide is completely closed.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are indicated in the sub-claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5575676 (1996-11-01), Tsukakoshi et al.
patent: 5681184 (1997-10-01), Pamart et al.
patent: 5823807 (1998-10-01), Yamasaki et al.
patent: 5928011 (1999-07-01), Flask et al.
patent: 19530334 A1 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 19756494 A1 (1998-07-01), None
Framatome Connectors International
Nguyen Son V.
Perman & Green LLP
Sircus Brian
LandOfFree
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