Electrical connectors – With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision – Grounding of coupling part
Patent
1995-05-26
1998-10-20
Vu, Hien
Electrical connectors
With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
Grounding of coupling part
439611, H01R 13648
Patent
active
058238050
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a light source, especially for a light source in a headlight of a vehicle.
A known electrical connector of this type is disclosed by DE 38 31 371A1. There, the light source is an incandescent lamp of the type H1, fitted into a reflector of a headlamp for vehicles. This light source has a contact pin, which serves for the electrical connection of the light source to the positive terminal of a voltage source. In addition, the light source has a base, via which the ground connection of the light source takes place. For connecting the light source to the positive terminal of the voltage source, a plug part is pushed on to its contact pin. Acting on the base of the light source is a metallic retaining clip, by which the light source is retained on the reflector and this retaining clip has a plug contact, on to which there can be pushed a further plug part, which establishes a ground connection of the light source. Consequently, for the electrical contacting of the light source, here two separate plug parts have to be fitted, which means that considerable work is involved.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector for a light source, especially for a light source used in the headlight or other lighting device of a vehicle, which avoids the above-described disadvantages.
This object and others which will become more apparent hereinafter are attained in an electrical connector for a light source, the light source having a contact element for connection with a positive terminal of a voltage source and a base for a ground connection, the electrical connector comprising a plug part having a contacting receptacle formed to fit together with the contact element, advantageously a contact pin, of the light source.
According to the invention, the plug part has an electrically insulating sheath provided with an opening for insertion of the contact element so that the contacting receptacle is contacted by the contact element, and a ground contact element arranged on the sheath. This ground contact element has a sleeve-like section arranged on the sheath, and at least one resilient contact arm extending from the sleeve-like section toward the light source and bearing under tension against the base transversely to the fitting direction of the plug part on the contact element when the contact element is plugged into the plug part.
The electrical connector for a light source according to the invention, has in comparison the advantage that only one plug part by which the connection of the light source to the positive terminal of the voltage source and the ground connection are established at the same time needs to be connected to the light source.
The electrical connector according to the invention is particularly compact because the ground contact element only slightly increases the overall size of the plug part.
Several embodiments with advantageous additional features are possible. The end region of the at least one contact arm coming to bear against the base of the light source preferably is U-shaped and curved so as to have a vertex pointing toward the base. Advantageously the sleeve-like section of the ground contact element has two of the contact arms diametrically opposed to each other and with vertices pointing toward each other. Because of these features short circuits created by the contact element or pin of the light source on insertion of it into the plug part are avoided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The objects, features and advantages of the invention will now be illustrated in more detail with the aid of the following description of the exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying figures in which:
FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectional, partially side, view of a light source and an electrical connector according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view through the electrical connector according to the invention shown in FI
REFERENCES:
patent: 4198027 (1980-04-01), Urbanek
patent: 5112251 (1992-05-01), Cesar
Ebinger Georg
Gauder Andreas
Weihing Gerhard
Striker Michael J.
Vu Hien
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