Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Coupling part with relatively pivotable concentric...
Patent
1997-09-23
1999-09-28
Stephan, Steven L.
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Coupling part with relatively pivotable concentric...
H01R 1362
Patent
active
059577169
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a locking coupling, especially vibration resistant locking couplings suitable for use with electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or optical couplings.
It is common practice to connect multiple electrical conductors together simultaneously with a two-part electrical coupling comprising a pair of electrical connectors in which the conductors terminate and which are pushed together and held together longitudinally by a coupling nut on one connector which engages a thread on the other. A harness assembly in the form of a protective sleeve may cover the conductors and be connected to the electrical connector at one end. It is also known to provide such electrical couplings with a backshell assembly which provides a transition between the conductors usually within a harness assembly, and the electrical connector in which they terminate. A backshell assembly is typically tubular in construction and is attached to the rear of the connector by a coupling nut. The rear end of the backshell assembly may also carry a fitting, such as a coupling nut, for engagement with other components of the harness assembly, such as a cable clamp.
Where electrical couplings and backshell assemblies are subjected to shock or vibration in use, there is the risk that coupling nuts may work loose, and for this reason some form of locking means is sometimes provided to prevent counter-rotation of the coupling nut once it has been tightened up. Many different forms of locking means have been proposed, but these can be complicated to manufacture, assemble and use.
An object of the present invention is to provide a locking coupling with improved locking means.
According to the present invention, a locking coupling comprises a body adapted for connection to a separate body, a coupling collar rotatably mounted on said body and adapted to cooperate with said separate body to hold it in axial connection with said body, a locking collar mounted on said body and longitudinally movable thereon between locking and unlocking position, bias means that urges the locking collar towards the locking position, and locking formations on the locking collar and coupling collar that interengage axially when the locking collar is moved to the locking position so as to restrain the coupling collar against rotation on said body.
Preferably, the locking collar can be retained in the unlocking position by retention formations on the locking collar and body that interengage longitudinally. For example, the retention formations may comprise keying means that guide the locking collar longitudinally on the body and allow rotation of the locking collar on the body only in the unlocking position, when the keying means then cooperate longitudinally to retain the locking collar in the unlocking position.
Preferably, the locking collar is held captive longitudinally on the body by the coupling collar, and the coupling collar in turn is held captive on the body by a separate fastener such as an internal circlip.
Preferably, the locking formations comprise axially extending teeth which may have a saw-tooth form so as to restrain the coupling collar against rotation in one sense which would otherwise allow uncoupling of said separate body. The teeth comprise a long sloping side and a short side which is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the connector. The short side may be undercut (i.e. inclined in the same sense as the long sloping side) to enhance the locking action of the coupling.
An additional preferred feature of the invention comprises indicator means on said body which is covered by the locking collar and only exposed as a warning when the locking collar is in the unlocking position.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a part side elevation and part axial section of a locking coupling according to the invention with the locking collar in the locking position;
FIG. 2 is an enlargement of part of the drawing of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a similar view to th
REFERENCES:
patent: 4648671 (1987-03-01), Torban et al.
patent: 5399096 (1995-03-01), Quillet et al.
patent: 5435760 (1995-07-01), Miklos
Buckley Paul Philip
Collier Malcolm Wilfrid
Hall Rex
Byrd Eugene G.
Stephan Steven L.
Ultra Electronics Limited
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