Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Patent
1998-03-16
1999-09-07
Donovan, Lincoln
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
439595, H01R 13514
Patent
active
059477768
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention is based on an electric plug-in connector element conceived in accordance with the preamble of the main claim.
A plug-in connector element of this type attached to an electric lead is intended primarily to establish an electro-conductive, detachable connection to an appertaining electrical unit by way of a plug-in connector mating element attached to a further electric lead.
An electric plug-in connector element is known in the art in DE 44 26 624 A1 in which the locking element is fixed to the insulating housing (1) in such a way that it can be slid between an unlocked and a locked position and moved into its unlocked position by effecting a sliding motion from the plug-in side parallel to the plug-in direction. By way of interlocking engaging elements moulded onto the locking element and the insulating housing the locking element is temporarily retained in the unlocked position on the insulating housing. In the unlocked position it is a simple matter to equip the chambers of the insulating housing with plug-in contact elements or remove the plug-in contact elements from their chambers. In order to transfer the locking element from the unlocked position to the locked position it must be pushed further onto the plug-in area of the insulating housing, parallel to the plug-in direction. This measure keeps the electric plug-in contact elements interlocked in their chambers. With a plug-in connector element developed in this way the coinciding movement sequence to achieve the unlocked and the locked position can however cause the locking element to move involuntarily or unintentionally to its locked position even though the plug-in contact elements still have to be installed, or their assembly completed. If this is not noticed in time, a troublesome and time-consuming unlocking process and a new assembly procedure are necessary to carry out correct assembly. For the same reason it is also possible for a plug-in connector element which has not been properly assembled to be coupled to a plug-in connector mating element, even though the locking element was originally in its unlocked position during the coupling procedure. This is due to the fact that the locking element can be moved unnoticed from its unlocked position into its locked position during the coupling process.
The present invention is therefore based on the task of creating a plug-in connector element with a locking element which can only be moved from its unlocked position to its locked position by effecting a deliberately controlled motion sequence; which is locked very securely in that position and which is designed as a one-piece construction in such a way that the plug-in connector element can only be coupled with appropriately designed plug-in contact mating elements intended expressly for such a connection.
In accordance with this invention the task is solved by the features detailed in the characterizing part of the main claim. The advantage of such a construction is that it is possible to effect various discreet assignments to different plug-in contact mating elements solely by replacing the locking element, consequently making it feasible to realize a system of plug-in contact elements using simple means.
Further markedly advantageous constructions of the subject of this invention are detailed in the subclaims. The invention is described in detail on the basis of an exemplary version shown in the drawing and demonstrated in
FIG. 1 as a cross section of a plug-in connector element
FIG. 2 as a front view of a plug-in connector element acc. to FIG. 1 with a locking element in the unlocked position
FIG. 3 as a front view of a plug-in connector element acc. to FIG. 1, with a locking element in the locked position
As is evident from the drawing, such a plug-in connector element consists essentially of an insulating housing 1 of which the chambers 2 are designed as receptacles for plug-in contact elements 3, and whose plug-in area 4 holds a fixed sealing element 5 and a locking element 6 which is shifted between an unlocked and a loc
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Donovan Lincoln
Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
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