Electrical connectors – Having circuit interrupting provision effected by mating or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-02
2001-05-22
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Having circuit interrupting provision effected by mating or...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234814
ABSTRACT:
SPECIFICATION
The invention concerns an electrical connector, in particular for a connection between a receptacle (squib) and an electrical control for restraint systems in motor vehicles, for example air bags.
Such a connector is known from DE 195 13 358 C2. It comprises a housing for receiving electrical cables as well as contact springs connected thereto, the contact springs serving for receiving contact pins of the associated receptacle. Furthermore, catching means for securing the housing to the receptacle as well as a locking member are provided, which secures the catching means against an accidental detachment after being inserted into a corresponding opening of the housing. According to the patent mentioned above, the locking member is formed as a sleeve which is disposed coaxially with the housing and can be displaced axially on the housing.
Often, connectors of said type which serve for connecting an air bag in vehicles, for example, are coded to avoid a wrong connection. For that purpose, the connectors have an asymmetric structure. Accordingly, the contact pins of the receptacle can only be guided into the contact springs on the housing, if they are aligned in a special way.
If such a connector is used for a side air bag, for example, problems may result inasmuch as the associated receptacle has to be put-on in a position offset by 180° on both sides. Corresponding problems of the connections result therefrom.
In the known connector, the locking member has an essentially U-shaped cross section, the connecting leg being elongated with respect to the side legs, in order to remove a shorting bar being effective between the contact pins of the receptacle in pushing-on the locking member.
It is clearly obvious that said connector can only be fabricated with a specific alignment.
It is an object of the invention to provide a connector of the mentioned type, which enables the contact springs and the contact pins to contact, even if the parts are to be mounted offset by 180° with respect to each other.
Starting out from an electrical connector, in particular for a connection between a receptacle (squib) and an electrical control for restraint systems in motor vehicles, having the following features:
a housing having a plugging portion facing the receptacle,
whereby contact springs are disposed in the plugging portion of the housing, and
first catching means are provided on the plugging portion of the housing for catching corresponding second catching means being formed on a plugging portion of the receptacle, and
the plugging portion of the receptacle has a number of contact pins corresponding to the number of contact springs,
wherein a locking member is provided on the plugging portion between the contact springs and the first catching means, which secures the catching means against an accidental detachment in the plugged condition of the housing and the receptacle and after being displaced axially,
the invention is characterized by the following three structural features:
1. the plugging portions of the housing and the receptacle correspond to each other and each has an axial-symmetric shape,
2. the locking member extends in a plane prependicular to a plane in which the contact springs and the contact pins are situated,
3. the plugging portion of the receptacle has a shorting bar guided resiliently, which is situated against the contact pins in the unplugged condition of the housing and the receptacle and which can be removed from the contact pins by the locking member in the plugged condition of the housing and the receptacle, when the locking member is moved to its locking position.
Here, a first essential feature is the symmetric structure of the corresponding plugging portions of the housing and the receptacle. First, it becomes possible thereby to bring the contact springs of the housing into contact with the contact pins of the receptacle in a first position as well as a second position offset by 180°, as it is known from conventional house sockets and associated plugs.
However, said symmetric structure of the plugging portions alone does not provide a solution for the object of the invention, because it has to be taken into consideration to adapt the other components so that the function of the locking member is preserved and the shorting bar can be removed when both parts are exactly in engagement with each other.
Because of that the locking member is to be placed in a plane perpendicular to a plane in which the contact springs and the contact pins are situated.
It that manner it is possible to provide the shorting spring with corresponding resilient arms being then situated in the path of the locking member that is outside the actual contact zone.
Accordingly, the shorting spring has a shape in accordance with the third feature mentioned above.
Usually, the locking member has two locking arms being spaced apart and extending in parallel, according to the condition of an axial-symmetric shape.
Accordingly, it is sufficient to form the shorting spring in such a manner that a portion of it is situated in the path of displacement of a locking arm. Even in bringing the contact pins to the spring contacts in a manner offset by 180°, the (other) locking arm will then charge the respective portion of the shorting spring to move the shorting spring out of the shorting position.
But in this embodiment a distortion of the shorting spring may occur, because of which another embodiment is proposed, wherein the shorting spring has resilient arms on both sides starting from the portion contacting the contact pins, which serve as leading surfaces for the locking member.
In this way, a symmetric distribution of force by the locking arms onto both resilient arms is always provided and a simultaneous and uniform removal of the shorting bar from both contact pins is obtained thereby—regardless of the plugging position of the receptacle.
In order to prevent a torsion of the shorting spring during its mechanical actuation, an embodiment provides for resilient arms of the shorting spring being connected by a web being separated from that portion of the contact spring contacting the contact pins.
In this sense, an embodiment wherein the resilient arms of the shorting spring have a conical geometry is also of advantage.
Altogether, a relatively simple structure of the connector results, which enables the mutual components to contact and catch reliably. Two plugging positions (offset by 180°) are possible for attaching the connector part to the squib. An inclined or turned plugging is prevented by the corresponding shape of the plugging portions of the housing and the receptacle. Also, the shorting spring is still active in the final contact position and engagement of the two components. Only when the locking member is brought to its end position, a secondary securing of the catching elements (secondary locking) on one hand and a removal of the shorting position of the shorting spring on the other hand are effected by the shorting spring being moved away from the contact pins of the squib. Experience shows that a short distance of displacement is sufficient, which can be less than 1 mm.
Further characteristics of the invention follow from the features of the subclaims as well as the other description documents.
In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with an embodiment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5613865 (1997-03-01), Dullin et al.
patent: 5647757 (1997-07-01), Chrysostomou
patent: 5702265 (1997-12-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 5720623 (1998-02-01), Polenick et al.
patent: 5746618 (1998-05-01), Gauker
patent: 5924885 (1999-07-01), Pacher
patent: 5993230 (1999-11-01), Gauker et al.
patent: 5997334 (1999-12-01), Goto
patent: 195 13 358 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 0 591 948 (1994-04-01), None
Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Donovan Lincoln
Le Thanh-Tam
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