EP0726619B1 - Electrical connector having a contact locking piece and a sliding cam - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector rectangular of the type called insertion and extraction assisted, with a plug, a base and an insertion drawer and forced extraction of the plug. We already know many connectors of this type, for example the one described in document FR-A-2 424 643.

The invention relates more particularly to connectors the plug of which has a grid intended to lock plug contacts when fully inserted on the card. Often such a grid is designed to be able to take a pre-locking position, in which it remains hung on the card and authorizes however the establishment or removal of the contacts. he is important not to plug in the connector while the grid does not lock the contacts because it is not fully depressed. Indeed, the contacts are only retained only elastically. The grid may remain incomplete pressed either due to an oversight in the pre-locking position, either because his movement was stopped by a misplaced contact.

The invention aims in particular to eliminate the risk of coupling the plug and socket while the grid is not in its fully inserted position.

• une fiche ayant un boítier rectangulaire dans lequel sont ménagés des passages, parallèles à une direction d'insertion, destinés à recevoir des premiers contacts électriques et une grille de verrouillage des premiers contacts, destinée à être introduite dans le boítier de la fiche, en sens inverse de la direction d'insertion, jusqu'à une position de verrouillage des contacts dans la fiche,
• une embase ayant un boítier dans lequel sont ménagés des passages de réception de seconds contacts électriques, parallèles à la direction d'insertion, ladite embase délimitant une cavité de réception de la fiche, et
• un tiroir déplaçable dans l'embase transversalement à la direction d'insertion, ayant des flancs dans lesquels sont ménagés des couloirs ayant une partie oblique de déplacement forcé de pions appartenant au boítier de la fiche, de façon que le déplacement du tiroir dans un sens provoque l'enfoncement de la fiche dans la cavité, et dans l'autre sens, l'extraction de la fiche ;

   caractérisé en ce que la grille présente au moins un ergot destiné à constituer une butée pour le tiroir et à arrêter l'insertion de la fiche avant engagement des pions dans les couloirs, lorsque la grille est incomplètement enfoncée.To this end, the invention notably proposes an electrical connector comprising:

• a plug having a rectangular box in which are formed passages, parallel to an insertion direction, intended to receive first electrical contacts and a grid for locking the first contacts, intended to be introduced into the plug housing, in the direction reverse of the insertion direction, up to a locking position of the contacts in the plug,
• a base having a housing in which are formed passages for receiving second electrical contacts, parallel to the direction of insertion, said base delimiting a cavity for receiving the plug, and
• a drawer movable in the base transversely to the direction of insertion, having sides in which are formed corridors having an oblique part of forced displacement of pins belonging to the housing of the plug, so that the movement of the drawer in one direction causes the plug to sink into the cavity, and in the other direction, the plug to be extracted;

characterized in that the grid has at least one lug intended to constitute a stop for the drawer and to stop the insertion of the plug before engagement of the pins in the corridors, when the grid is not fully depressed.

The side or each side of the stirrup may have a cutout, allowing the passage of the lug when the drawer is fully depressed, having a sliding edge of the lug parallel to the oblique part of the ramp.

In general, each side of the drawer carries a lug. It is sufficient, especially when the cut has an edge of guide, that each side has a single corridor intended for receive a corresponding pawn. In an advantageous mode of realization, the two pawns are arranged in a diagonal of a virtual rectangle and the next two pins the other diagonal.

To allow easy engagement of the pawns in the corridors, these advantageously have an entrance area parallel to the insertion direction. The corridors, beyond of the oblique part which constitutes a ramp, may have a terminal portion substantially parallel to the direction drawer movement, so perpendicular to the direction of insertion, preventing vibrations from straining to separate the plug from the base by driving out the drawer.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective du connecteur désaccouplé, alors que le tiroir est en position d'attente et que la grille de la fiche est en position de pré-verrouillage ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective de la fiche, dans une position renversée par rapport à celle de la figure 2, alors que la grille est en position de verrouillage ;
• la figure 3 est un schéma en perspective, destiné à montrer l'aspect général de la grille de la fiche ;
• les figures 4A à 4E sont des schémas en élévation, destinés à montrer l'emplacement respectif du tiroir et de la fiche au cours de différentes phases d'introduction ;
• la figure 5, similaire à une fraction de la figure 1, montre l'embase munie d'une grille ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective éclatée, montrant une fraction de la fiche, du tiroir et de la grille d'un connecteur suivant une variante de réalisation.

Still other characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the uncoupled connector, while the drawer is in the standby position and the grid of the plug is in the pre-locking position;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the plug, in an inverted position relative to that of Figure 2, while the grid is in the locked position;
• Figure 3 is a perspective diagram, intended to show the general appearance of the sheet grid;
• FIGS. 4A to 4E are diagrams in elevation, intended to show the respective location of the drawer and the plug during different phases of introduction;
• Figure 5, similar to a fraction of Figure 1, shows the base with a grid;
• Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a fraction of the plug, the drawer and the grid of a connector according to an alternative embodiment.

The connector shown in Figure 1 has a base 10 and a form 12. The terms "form" and "base" are used for convenience and in no way imply that the base constitutes the fixed element of the connector. The base carries a drawer 14 for insertion and extraction, in the shape of a stirrup, having a bottom 16 and two sides 17.

The base 10 comprises a box with rectangular section lying down. Two windows are cut out from one of the small sides. They allow passage to the sides 17 of the drawer 14, which slides against the inner sides of the long sides and is guided by an internal rim on the long sides. So the drawer 14 can move in direction F, but is retained in the direction of insertion and extraction, orthogonal to F.

The plug 12 also has a box 22 with a rectangular section. Its external surface is mostly smooth. His part forward is intended to slide into a base cavity, sliding against the short sides and against the internal edges of the base housing, which guide the drawer.

The drawer 14 and the plug 12 include cooperating means intended to cause, in response to the displacement of the drawer 14 in the direction of arrow F, insertion and locking of the plug and to cause the extraction of the plug by moving the drawer in the opposite direction.

The means carried by the plug include pawns 28 protruding from the large faces of the housing. In the embodiment shown, two pawns are provided, one on each side. They are offset from each other in the direction of arrow F and equidistant from the middle of the large faces. These pins 28 are intended to engage in corridors 30 formed in the sides of the drawer 14 and opening along the edge of the flanks which is on the side of sheet 12.

The corridors 30 have, in the embodiment shown in Figures 4A-4E, a composite shape. Their entry is parallel to the insertion direction. The corridors then have a oblique part, intended to constitute a cam ramp. Finally, an end section of the corridors is advantageously parallel to direction F.

Sheet 12 includes, in addition to its housing 22, a contact locking grid 32. The grid shown in Figures 1,2 and 3 is in one piece. She may be regarded as having a bottom 34 pierced with passage slots electrical contacts of the plug and two tabs 36 parallel to the insertion direction, having a cross section T shape allowing them to slide in windows in form of slides arranged in the long sides of the housing 22. Lugs or notches, not visible in FIGS. 1 to 5, are provided on the tabs and are intended to engage in holes 38 on the long sides. These holes are placed so as to elastically retain the grid 32 either in the pre-locking position where it is shown in the figure 1, either in the fully locked position of the contacts where it is shown in Figure 2.

To prevent the plug from being coupled in a inverted position, so-called polarization or coding, are generally provided. In the case shown on FIG. 2, they have one or two internal ribs 40, of the housing 22 intended to engage in slots 42 of the base unit. They can be supplemented by coding ribs 43.

The connector according to the invention comprises means intended to prohibit mating when grid 32 is not fully pressed. The means represented on Figures 1 to 4 have two pins 44. In the case illustrated, the two pins 44 and the two pins 28 are arranged along the two diagonals of a rectangle, and not not in opposite couples. In each side 17 of drawer 14 is made a notch 46 (Figures 4A-4E) whose location is such that it is not yet opposite the lug 44 when the pawns 28 are opposite the entrance to the corridors 30. When the gate 32 is only partially depressed, i.e. in the position where it is shown in the figure 1, the pins come into contact with the edge of the drawer before the pawns 28 have gone into the game oblique of the corridors (Figure 4A). If on the contrary the grid 32 is fully inserted, the lugs 44 are still distance from the edge of the drawer 14 when the pins 28 enter the corridors (Figure 4B and 4C). Movement of the drawer and the engagement of the plug placed in the base 10 can continue (Figure 4B). When lug 44 arrives in the space taken up by drawer 14, it is opposite notch 46. It is only at the end of the insertion of the drawer (Figure 4A) that the lug 44 is again in stop, against the bottom and the end face of the notch 46.

If it is inadvertent, and not as a result of blockage by a badly engaged contact, that the grid remained in the pre-locking position, the pressure exerted by the corridor can in most cases complete the engagement.

In an advantageous embodiment, shown in FIG. 4A, the notch or cutout 46 has a parallel edge at the oblique part of lane 44. The lug can slide on this section and participate in guiding the file for his engagement.

The base 10 may also include a grid 50 (Figure 5) intended to lock the contacts of the base.

The invention is susceptible of numerous variants of production. In the case illustrated in Figure 6, where the organs corresponding to those already shown in Figures 1 to 5 have the same reference number assigned to index a, the housing 22a of the plug 12a comprises two pins 28a of each side. These pawns are intended to engage in corresponding corridors 30a of drawer 14a. Grid 32a also has a lug 44a which cooperates with a notch 46a from the drawer. The notch shown has a shape more complex than in the case of FIGS. 4, so that leave a finger between the notch and the wall closer to one of the corridors 30a. Reception slides tabs 36a may include notches 52 intended to fix one the pre-locking position, the other the fully locked position of the gate 32a.

Claims (5)

1. Electrical connector comprising:

   a plug (12) having a casing (22) in which passages parallel to a direction of insertion are made, these being intended to accommodate first electrical contacts, and a contact-locking grid (32) intended to be introduced into the casing of the plug, in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion, as far as a contact-locking position,

   a socket (10) having a casing in which passages, for accommodating second electrical contacts, are made, these passages being parallel to the direction of insertion, and the said socket defining a cavity for accommodating the plug, and

   a slide-in unit which can move in the socket transversely to the direction of insertion, having side walls in which slots are made, these slots having an oblique part for the forced movement of studs (28) belonging to the casing of the plug, so that the movement of the slide-in unit in one direction causes the plug to be pressed right into the cavity and in the other direction causes the plug to be extracted;

   characterized in that the grid has at least one lug (44) intended to form a stop for the slide-in unit and to arrest the insertion of the plug (12) before the studs (28) engage in the slots (30), when the grid is incompletely pressed in.
2. Connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the side wall or each side wall (17) of the slide-in unit (14) has a recess (46) for accommodating the corresponding lug (44).
3. Connector according to Claim 2, characterized in that each recess has an edge for the lug (44) to slide, parallel to the oblique part of the slot which forms a ramp.
4. Connector according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that each of the two long sides of the casing (22) of the plug (12) bears a single stud (28) and in that the two studs are placed along one diagonal of a rectangle, the two lugs (44) being placed along the other diagonal.
5. Connector according to Claim 4, characterized in that the grid (32) has a bottom (34) pierced with through-holes for the contacts of the plug and two tabs (36) bearing the lugs, which tabs are intended to slide in windows forming slideways in the casing (22) of the plug, these slideways being provided with means (52) for elastic retention in a locking position and in a prelocking position.

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