Electrical plug connector

Details Electrical plug connector Electrical plug connector

2000-08-09

2001-12-04

Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With coupling separator

Including retainer or joiner

C439S372000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06325647

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an electrical plug connector and in particular an electrical plug connector with a U-shaped locking clip.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Electrical plug connectors having locking clips are used, for example, for motor vehicles, where they are often located at points where access is difficult, for example on the rear face of the dashboard. For space reasons, the connector housing may often project from the mating connector housing, when the plug connector is mated, to such a small extent that it cannot be gripped well enough to pull it out conveniently.
Such a plug connector has been disclosed in the document EP 0 273 999 A2, which has a plug housing and a socket housing, with at least one toothed rod being arranged on one of the two housings, which toothed rod can be moved at right angles to the insertion direction and engages with a pinion area on an operating pivoting lever, which is mounted such that it can pivot about the pinion shaft, between an open position and a closed position.
Furthermore, a lockable plug connection has been disclosed in the document EP 0 692 846 A2, which likewise has a connector housing about which a lever is hinged at the side, for locking. The connector housing and the lever furthermore have a latching tab and a latching hole for fixing in the prelatched position.
In this case, it is disadvantageous that, in the former case, no latching elements are provided in order to fix the operating pivoting lever in a prelatched position so that it can engage such that it fits its toothed rods. In the second case, the latching tabs and the latching holes are not large enough, which allows the pivoting lever to be released during transportation. In this case, the fitter has to move the pivoting lever back to its prelatched position. When inserting the connector into the mating connector, the fitter also has to overcome the latching elements of the locking clip, in addition to this insertion resistance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide an electrical plug connector having a locking clip, which on the one hand is fixed in its prelatched position, and on the other hand can be pivoted out of this position when required.
The electrical plug connector according to the invention comprises a U-shaped locking clip which may have two mutually parallel running limbs and a base running essentially at right angles to them. Furthermore, this electrical plug connector may have a connector housing having two pins which are integrally formed on its opposite side surfaces, pointing outwards on a pivoting shaft, and on which the free ends of the limbs are hinged, and a mating connector housing, which has an apron in which the locking clip and the mating connector housing have complementary engagement elements for inserting the connector housing into the mating connector housing. Furthermore, the clip and the mating connector housing may have complementary engagement elements for inserting the connector housing into the mating connector housing. In this case, at least one of the two limbs may have an elastic lever arm which can pivot about a rotation shaft, with the rotation shaft essentially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the limb. The mechanical connection can be released between the head end of the lever arm and a latching element fitted on the corresponding side surface of the connector housing in that the apron extends onto the foot end of the lever when the connector housing is inserted into the mating connector housing.
The invention offers the advantage that, on the one hand, the locking clip is fixed firmly in its prelatched position on the connector housing and, on the other hand, this fixing is released simply by inserting the connector housing into the mating connector. In the process, the locking clip is even automatically pivoted somewhat, so that the fitter can grip it better.
Further advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 19704312 A1 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 29802142 U1 (1999-07-01), None
patent: 0273999 A2 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 0676830 A2 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 0692846 A2 (1996-01-01), None

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