Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-17
2001-11-20
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319042
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to a contact(s) carrier (connector) for establishing a plug-in connection with an accompanying socket (receptacle, generator) while simultaneously contacting corresponding contact parts of the contact carrier and socket.
Such a contact carrier is known from DE 195 34 205 C2, and used in restraint systems (seat belts, airbags) in motor vehicles, for example. In this case, high functional reliability is required in addition to easy assembly.
This applies in particular with respect to the latching of contact carrier and socket, wherein one requirement is that the contact parts (contact springs) of the one component establish a reliable contact with the contact parts (contact pins) of the other component in an assembled (connected) position, and another requirement is to ensure that the contact carrier and socket do not become unintentionally detached from each other again.
This problem is solved in the aforementioned prior art by contacting and latching the contact carrier and socket in a first step, and, in a second step, routing an interlocking component as a so-called secondary locking means behind latching arms of the contact carrier to secure the latch against unintended release.
The object of this invention is to describe a way in which the contact carrier and accompanying socket (or respective contact parts) can be latched in a single step, while simultaneously ensuring that the contact parts come into contact and contact carrier and socket are locked only after a proper and complete assembly has been achieved.
The basic concept underlying the invention is to build a safety mechanism into the contact carrier that can only be activated if latching (locking) means of the contact carrier have latched with the accompanying latching (locking) means of the socket, and only thereafter triggering a secondary locking system if provided, while the contact carrier again detaches from the socket on its own in the event of an incomplete assembly.
In this way, the assembler reliably detects an incomplete interlocking of contact carrier and socket, and can initiate a new plug-in process. This reliably prevents incorrect interlocking and an associated safety risk.
In its most general embodiment, the invention therefore relates to a contacts carrier for establishing a plug-in connection with an accompanying socket while simultaneously contacting corresponding contact parts of the contacts carrier and socket, with the following features:
A slider is situated in the contacts carrier;
The slider can be moved parallel to the direction of movement of the contacts carrier, and loaded by at least one spring in the direction of movement of the contacts carrier;
The slider is held by an element that releases the slider loaded by the spring(s) only if latching arms of the contact carrier projecting in the plug-in direction of the contacts carrier have been latched in corresponding latching recesses of the socket, and the contacts carrier has reached its final plug-in position relative to the socket.
In other words, to assemble (interlock) the contact carrier and socket, the contact carrier (with its contact parts, e.g., contact springs) is placed on an accompanying socket and pressed forward against it, until its resilient latching arms latch into corresponding latching recesses of the socket.
Up to this point, the mentioned slider remains in its original position, namely by the cited element, which positively holds the slider up to this time.
Only when the latching arms of the contact carrier latch into the latching recesses of the socket the said element releases said slider, which is then pushed into the plug-in direction of the contact carrier by the mentioned spring. According to one embodiment, the slider has interlocking arms that freely project in the plug-in direction of the contact carrier. After the slider has been released, the interlocking arms of the slider can be routed behind the latching arms of the contact carrier, securing them against unintended release, and then trigger a secondary interlocking of the latching arms of the contact carrier.
If the plug-in procedure of contact carrier and socket was not performed completely, meaning if the latching arms of the contact carrier have not been latched into the latching recesses of the socket, the spring causes the contact carrier to again be returned from the position achieved relative to the socket to its initial position as soon as the assembler releases the contact carrier.
Therefore, there is an interaction based on the spring arrangement between the slider and contact carrier. On the one hand, the spring causes an adjustment of the slider in case of proper interlocking of contact carrier and socket. On the other hand, the spring causes the contact carrier to return in case of an incomplete plug-in connection (further detachment of the contact carrier from the socket).
According to one embodiment, one end of the spring is supported against the slider, and the other end against the contact carrier. The spring can be a plate spring (leaf spring) or spiral spring, depending on the contact carrier design. A spiral spring will be preferred in particular for a more or less cylindrical shape of the contact carrier; a plate spring can be selected if the contact carrier is offset, as shown in DE 195 34 205 C2.
The element can consist of a spigot arranged in the slider, wherein a pin connected with the contact carrier is guided in the peg, parallel to the movement of the contact carrier. The contact carrier and pin can be made as one piece. As a direct consequence, the pin follows the contact carrier (the contact carrier casing) wherever it moves.
In one embodiment, the spigot has an axial groove running parallel to the direction of movement of the contact carrier and open to the top, along which the pin is routed.
The top end of the peg can have a thickened area that lies in a corresponding recess of the slider with the contact carrier not plugged in, and holds the spring-loaded slider in place relative to the pivot (positively).
In another embodiment, the slider, spigot and pin are designed and arranged in such a way that, when the contact carrier is in its final plug-in position relative to the socket, the pin assumes a position relative to the spigot in which the spigot is released from a positive connection with the slider under the influence of the springs, and the slider is adjusted relative to the contact carrier based on the force of the springs.
In other words, given a lacking or incomplete plug-in condition of the contact carrier relative to the socket, the pin in the axial groove of the spigot assumes a position in which the pin holds the spigot in a positive connection relative to the slider. Only when the contact carrier has been advanced onto and into the socket to where its latching arms have latched in the latching recesses of the socket the pin reaches a position within the spigot where the spigot is released form the positive connection with the slider by the force of the spring, so that the slider can be adjusted in a direction toward the socket, e.g., to assume simultaneously the desired position of the secondary interlock relative to the latching arms of the contact carrier with its interlocking arms.
In the described embodiment of the spigot with the axial groove open to the top, this is achieved when the pin has reached the bottom (floor) of the axial groove, so that the two upper, thickened sections of the spigot can deform against each other (into the axial groove), and the positive fit is dissolved. Another possibility involves designing in particular the interlocking part of the spigot relative to the slider out of a resilient material, which permits a deformation during exposure to the spring load that releases the spigot from the positive fit relative to the slider once the pin has been removed from this area.
The mentioned contact carrier enables the desired interlocking with an accompanying socket in a single step, including accompanying secondary interlocking, since the slid
Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Hammond Briggitte R
Luebke Renee
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