Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Coupling part with relatively pivotable concentric...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2001-09-18
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Coupling part with relatively pivotable concentric...
C439S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290525
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical plug connector with a substantially sleeve-shaped male plug part having electrical contacts of a connecting cable arranged therein and with a female plug part in which the sleeve-shaped male plug part is received. The female plug connector is preferably a plug part incorporated into an electric device. The female plug part comprises electrical counter contacts matching the electrical contacts of the male plug part. It also has at its inner circumferential surface a locking edge which is engaged by locking tabs of an outer sleeve of the male plug part in the connected state of the plug connector. The locking tabs engaging the locking edge prevent a separation of the plug connector as long as the locking tabs are subjected to radial forces of cone-shaped locking surfaces of a locking sleeve supported within the outer sleeve. These forces result when the locking sleeve moves axially relative to the outer sleeve as a result of an axial loading of the connecting cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known plug connector of this kind, as illustrated in
FIGS. 7 through 10
of the drawing, the sleeve-shaped male plug connector
1
has electrical contacts (not shown in detail) provided on a connecting cable
2
. At its outer side the male plug part
1
has an axially movable outer sleeve
3
with locking tabs
4
at its end face. As shown schematically in
FIG. 8
, the male plug part
1
can be inserted into the female plug part
5
having electrical counter contacts (not shown in detail in the drawing). The female plug part is preferably embodied as a component of an electric device. The female plug part
5
has a machined groove
6
, and one of the limiting edges of the groove
6
acts as a locking edge
7
for the locking tabs
4
of the outer sleeve
3
of the plug part
1
inserted into the female plug part
5
.
Especially
FIG. 9
shows that the male plug part
1
has coordinated therewith a locking sleeve
8
positioned within the outer sleeve
3
and enclosing the connecting cable
2
. The locking sleeve
8
comprises a conical sleeve portion
9
. When the connecting cable
2
is axially loaded in the direction of arrow
10
, the locking sleeve
8
with the conical sleeve portion
9
is entrained in the axial direction so that a radial force is exerted onto the locking tabs
4
by the conical sleeve portion
9
which consequently prevents a separation of the plug connector parts
1
,
5
in the area of the locking edge
7
of the groove
6
, indicated by the large arrow
11
. Only when, as illustrated in
FIG. 10
, the cable
2
and thus the conical sleeve
9
remain axially free of a load, is it possible to realize a radial deflection of the locking tabs
4
in the area of the locking edge
7
by axially loading only the outer sleeve
3
according to arrow
12
. The plug connector can be opened, i.e., the male plug part can be disconnected, in this way.
This known embodiment requires a separate manufacture of the locking sleeve
8
with conical sleeve portion
9
, and the sleeve (
8
,
9
) must be mounted in a cumbersome way from the front end of the plug part
1
on the other plug part components and must be secured thereat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to further develop a plug connector of the aforementioned kind such that a simple configuration and an easier assembly are provided.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the locking sleeve has several tongue-shaped thickened portions, distributed about the circumference of the sleeve and having at their outer side a respective cone-shaped locking surface, that the locking tabs of the outer sleeve are spaced from one another in the circumferential direction by a spacing which allows the tongue-shaped thickened portions of the locking sleeve to pass axially therethrough, and that the locking sleeve can be rotated relative to the outer sleeve by an angular range which corresponds to half the angular spacing of the locking tabs.
Such a plug connector makes it possible to insert the locking sleeve with its cone-shaped locking surface formed by the tongue-shaped thickened portions from the rear through the outer sleeve, wherein the tongue-shaped thickened portions pass between the locking tabs, and to then rotate the two sleeves relative to one another such that the tongue-shaped thickened portions will come to rest beneath the locking tabs.
It is, of course, possible to manufacture the locking sleeve and/or the outer sleeve of metal. However, it is especially favorable to produce the locking sleeve and/or the outer sleeve of synthetic (plastic) material. These parts can thus be produced very economically by injection molding.
In a very beneficial further embodiment of the plug connector, the outer sleeve and the locking sleeve are provided with a rotational securing device comprised of rotational securing elements, formed unitarily on the plug parts, for limiting the rotational angle between the locking sleeve and the outer sleeve.
Moreover, it should be mentioned that in an especially expedient embodiment the locking edge of the female plug part is realized by a limiting edge of a machined or molded groove.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3639890 (1972-02-01), Stevens et al.
patent: 4531801 (1985-07-01), Baur
patent: 4927374 (1990-05-01), Batty
patent: 5447447 (1995-09-01), Guss, III et al.
patent: 5620339 (1997-04-01), Gray et al.
patent: 5810615 (1998-09-01), Ohta
patent: 6083030 (2000-07-01), Wright
Odu-Mini-Snap, Miniature Cylindrical Connectors with Push-Pull-Locking, p. 4, No. 8S.
Friedrich Kueffner
Otto Dunkel GmbH Fabrik fur Elektrotechnische Gerate
Patel Tulsidas
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