GB2028014A - Creation of Inventions and Patents with Artificial Intelligence

GB2028014A – Locking and extracting device for electrical connectors
– Google Patents

GB2028014A – Locking and extracting device for electrical connectors
– Google Patents
Locking and extracting device for electrical connectors

Download PDF
Info

Publication number
GB2028014A

GB2028014A
GB7927364A
GB7927364A
GB2028014A
GB 2028014 A
GB2028014 A
GB 2028014A
GB 7927364 A
GB7927364 A
GB 7927364A
GB 7927364 A
GB7927364 A
GB 7927364A
GB 2028014 A
GB2028014 A
GB 2028014A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
operating member
connector
base
locking
finger
Prior art date
1978-08-07
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)

Withdrawn

Application number
GB7927364A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

Bunker Ramo Corp

Original Assignee
Bunker Ramo Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
1978-08-07
Filing date
1979-08-06
Publication date
1980-02-27

1979-08-06
Application filed by Bunker Ramo Corp
filed
Critical
Bunker Ramo Corp

1980-02-27
Publication of GB2028014A
publication
Critical
patent/GB2028014A/en

Status
Withdrawn
legal-status
Critical
Current

Links

Espacenet

Global Dossier

Discuss

Classifications

H—ELECTRICITY

H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS

H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS

H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 – H01R33/00

H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement

H01R13/627—Snap or like fastening

H01R13/6275—Latching arms not integral with the housing

H—ELECTRICITY

H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS

H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS

H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 – H01R33/00

H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement

H01R13/627—Snap or like fastening

H—ELECTRICITY

H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS

H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS

H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 – H01R33/00

H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement

H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances

H—ELECTRICITY

H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS

H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS

H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 – H01R33/00

H01R13/73—Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall

H01R13/74—Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel

Abstract

A locking and extracting device for a two-part electrical connector 1,7 having mounting flanges 8 on part 7 comprises a flat mounting base with means 5 for fastening to connector part 1. An operating member 9 projects upwardly from and resiliently movable relative to the base. A connector extraction ledge 14 for lifting connector part 7 from part 1 projects from the operating member. A resilient locking finger 15 is connected to the operating member adjacent the upper end thereof, the finger projecting angularly downwardly to trap the mounting flanges 8 of the connector against the ledge 14.

Description

SPECIFICATION
Locking and extracting device for electrical connectors
Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of locking devices for electrical connectors, and in particular concerns a locking device which is also adapted for extracting one electrical connector from another.
Background of PriorArt ofPriorA rt In all applications of connectors in electrical equipment, and especially in electrical equipment which is subject to shock or vibration, it is important to maintain good contact between two connector parts and avoid separation of one connector part from another due to such shock, vibration, or any unexpected outside forces acting upon the lead wires terminating at the connector.
A variety of devices are known in which one connector part is coupled to a mating connector part in a secure manner. This is often accomplished by cooperating snap fit elements on the connector parts, and can be as simple as a projection on one connector part entering a detent on the other connector part after the two parts are mated.
Alternatively, certain connectors are provided with flat mounting wing flanges projecting from opposite ends of the connector parts, and the two parts are coupled together by a bolt and nut arrangement inserted through aligned holes in the wing flanges.
However, when a projection/detent combination is the sole means of securing the two connector parts together, strong vibration and/or shock can still cause the connector parts to disengage from one another. For connector parts which are bolted together, a great deal of assembly and disassembly time is required, as well as additional hardware, both aspects contributing to high cost and great inconvenience.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple locking device which will maintain a secure connection between two electrical parts, even under strong vibration and shock conditions, and yet which will allow for quick disconnect of the two connector parts.
Brief Summary of the Invention
It i. thus an object of the present invention to provide a simple, but effective, device for securing one connector part to another, while simultaneously having the ability to apply extracting forces on one connector part relative to the other to effect quick and easy disconnection. Additionally, it is a further object of the invention to automatically remove the locking securement between the two connector parts as the device is operated to extract one part from the other, all in one operating motion.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a locking and extracting device especially suitable for use with an electrical connector which has flat mounting wing flanges projecting from the sides thereof and which is adapted to connect with a mating connector. The mating connector may or may not also have projecting mounting wing flanges. The device has a mounting base inclusive of fastening means for fixedly attaching the base to the mating connector, i.e., the fixed connector part to which a second connector part is to be mated. An operating member projects upwardly from, and resiliently movable relative to, the mounting base and is engagable by an operator for extracting the aforementioned second cpnnector part from the mating connector attached to the mounting base.A connector extraction ledge, preferably in the form of a rectangular plate projecting from the operating member, has a planar upper surface located at a first predetermined distance from the base. The extraction ledge extends substantially parallel to and in the direction of the base. A resilient locking finger is connected to the operating member adjacent its upper end thereof and projects angularly downwardly, also in the direction of the base, ending at a second predetermined distance from the base. The first and second predetermined ddistances are chosen to define a predetermined spacing between the lower end of the finger and the planar upper surface of the ledge.Preferably, when the two connector parts to be secured are standard winged connector parts, the first-mentioned predetermined distance is made equal to, or greater than, the wing-to-wing spacing of a mated part of standard winged connectors.
The pretermined spacing between the lower end of the finger and the planar upper surface of the ledge is chosen to be slightly greater than a standard connector mounting wing flange thickness. This will insure reliable operating of the device and yet not allow the two connector parts to pull apart any significant amount. Alternatively, the locking finger can be spaced from the extraction ledge slightly less titan the thickness of the mounting wing flange of the connector when the extraction ledge is sufficiently flexible to allow the second connector part to push it toward the mounting base a small distance sufficient to allow the locking finger to snap back to its initial position.In this manner, when the connecting insertion force is totally relieved, the locking finder will press firmly against the wing flange sandwiched between the end of the locking finger and the upper surface of the extraction ledge.
To aid in operating the device, the upper free end of the operating member may be enlarged to define a finger rest for an operator of the device.
The device is generally L-shaped when a pair of such devices are placed with the fingers thereof facing one another, while an alternative embodiment of the device is U-shaped with a pair of operating members projecting from the ends of a common mounting base.
The device may be formed of synthetic resin material or of sheet metal construction in order to give the operating members resiliency relative to the fixed base. The operating member is thus designed to be relatively thin and flat, and in order to provide a predetermined bending moment axis for the operating member, a bending relief depression is provided adjacent, but spaced from, the mounting base.
For the L-shaped embodiment, the spacing be tween the pair df mounting bases allow for clearance of cable wires terminating at the mating connector.
When the U-shaped embodiment is used, a large aperture is provided in the center of the mounting base to allow for cable connection to the mating connector.
Modifications to the basic device construction is possible in order to increase the resiliency of certain parts thereof. For example, a split may be provided in the extraction Idge for increasing its resiliency. For increasing the resiliency of the operating member, especially when metallic sheet metal construction is preferred, a slot can be punched in the operating member adjacent the base. This will serve to reduce the amount of material near the bending axis and therefore reduce the forces required to operate the device.
When necessary, a stop member can be attached to the operating member on one side of the bending relief depression and extend over the depression to abut the operating member on the other side of the depression when the bending movement of the operating member exceeds a predetermined amount.
BriefDescription ofthe Drawings
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings representing preferred embodiments of the locking and extracting device according to the present invention.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a pair of mating connector parts showing a securing device of the prior art;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the locking and extracting device according to the present invention
in two connector parts are shown securely connected and locked together;
Figure 3 is a side elevational view showing a connector being inserted between a pair of devices according to the present invention, the connector
being shown on its downward travel, i.e., moving toward a mating position;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing a pair
of devices in an operative position to apply extract
ing forces to one of the connector parts;
Figure 5shows an alternate embodiment of the
invention in which a pair of devices are formed in a
unitary construction having a common mounting
base; and
Figure 6 shows an alternate form of the invention
similar to that of Figure 5, but made of different
material and accommodating a connector part which
is void of mounting wing flanges.
Detailed Description of the Invention
In Figure 1, a form of securing means on a pair of
connector parts a and c is shown as a projection b on
the outer wall of one of the connector parts a, and a
hole don the outer wall of the other connector part c.
When coupled together, the projection b falls into
hole dto form a semi-secure locking arrangement
which is typical of prior art devices. However, when
coupled in this manner, the inter-engagement of the
projection band hole dcannot be made sufficiently secure, since in order to do so would make it extremely difficult when the two connector parts are to be disconnected. Accordingly, to allow for ease of extraction of one connector part from the other, it is essential that the securement be light and thus insufficient to prevent the connectors from disengaging due to unexpected outside forces
A perspective view of the invention with a pair of mating connector parts fully connected is shown in
Figure 2.The illustrative example of Figure 2 shows a female connector part 1 having flat mounting wing flanges 2 fastened to a panel 4 having a lead wire or cable hole 3 directly beneath the female connector 1.
Screws 5 and nuts 6 (see Figure 3) are used to secure the female connector 1 to the panel 4.
Male connector 7 is shown as the connector part which is to be attached and secured to the fixed female connector part 1. Male connector 7 has flat mounting wing flanges 8 projecting from either end, which is typical of such connectors, the wing flanges being generally used to secure the connector to the apparatus panel.
The locking and extracting device of this invention is generally indicated by a numeral 9 in the drawings. The device can be made of synthetic resin or of metal as will be explained later.
The device has a mounting base 10 and an operating member 11 formed in a generaly L shape, and in Figures 2-4, a pair of such devices are shown in facing relationship. Each operating member 11 is shown to have a locking finger 15 projecting angularly downwardly from the free end of operating member 11, and a finger rest 12 for the operator is shown at the extreme upper end of the operating member 11 as an enlargement thereof. A bending relief depression 13 is provided in operating member 11 near mounting base 10 to define a bending
moment axis for flexure of the operating member 11.
Spaced a predetermined distance above mounting base 10 is an extraction ledge 14which projects substantially parallel to the mounting base 10 and in the same direction.
In the embodiment of Figures 2-4, the mounting base 10 is assembled to be sandwiched between the female connector mounting wing flanges 2 and the panel 4 using screw 5 and nut 6 fastening means. If desired, rather than a pair of facing locking and extracting devices 9 as shown in Figures 2-4, a single device of unitary construction and having a pair of operating members 11 attached to the ends of a common mounting base 17, as shown in Figure 5, can be used.
Referring again to Figures 2-4, the extraction ledge
14 which projects at a right angle from operating
member 11 and preferably of unitary construction with operating member 11 is made suff ciently long to accommodate the mounting wing flanges 8 of the
male connector 7 when the male and female connec
tors are coupled. Figure 2 also indicates that any
inadvertent forces tending to remove male connec
tor 7 from female connector 1, i.e., forces in the
direction of arrow A, would be ineffective to discon
neck the connector parts due to the engagement of
wingflanges 8 against the bottom of locking fingers
15.
The side elevational view of Figure 3 shows a male connector 7 being forced downwardly upon female connector 1, and in this figure the connectors are not yet fully connected. Upon continuation of the travel of male connector 7, wing flanges 8 push against locking fingers 15 to force fingers 15 in the direction of arrow B, and when connector 7 is fully engaged in connector 1, a snap action of the locking fingers 15a direction opposite arrow B causes the tips of the fingers 15 to return returntotheirinitialstateand be positioned above mounting wing flanges 8 as shown in Figure 2.
Extracting the male connector 7 from female connector 1 is accomplished by moving the operating members 11 in the direction of arrow C in Figure 4. As the operating members 11 flex outwardly, the tips of locking fingers 15 fall outside the extremities of wing flanges 8, and the upper surface of extraction ledges apply forces against the underside of mounting wing flanges 8 in a direction of arrow D seen in Figure 4.Due to the bending relief depression 13 in each operating member 11 located adjacent to, but spaced from, mounting base 10, operating members 11 are permitted to pivot about a bending moment axis at the depression 13 until extraction ledges 14 raise male connector 7 a distance away from female connector 1 to effect release therebetween, whereupon release of pressure against operating members 11 will allow them to tend to return to their initial position with the extremities of mounting wing flanges 8 touching the inwardly directed flat faces of locking fingers 15 to thereby avoid being again captured underthe free ends of fingers 15.
It can be appreciated that, in accordance with the above discussion, locking the male connector securely against inadvertent forces tending to disconnectthe connector parts is performed simply be inserting the male connector onto the female connector part. In doing so, locking fingers 15 deflect outwardly until they snap back inwardly over wing flanges 8 to a secure locking position preventing disconnection of the two connector parts caused by an extracting force induced by unexpected outside conditions. Additionally, extraction of the male connector is simply accomplished by the operator moving operating members 11 outwardly.A further advantageous aspect of the invention can be appreciated by the fact that the operating members 11 project above the coupled male and female connectors 1 and 7 sufficiently for an operator to easily apply extracting forces, even when there is little space for fingers or an external extracting tool to act upon the connector parts themselves.
Thus far, the locking and extracting device has been described in the form of L-shaped bodies which are used, in a practical application, in pairs of independent left and right facing devices. Figure 5 shows that the device can be a single unitary body having a common mounting base 17 and spaced operating members 11. In such an embodiment, in order to have room for the lead wires of a cable terminated at the fixed connector part 1, an aperature 16 is provided. Figure 6 shows a similar arrangement of a unitary device in which a connec torI is shown fixed to the common base 17 by securing a portion ofthe connector body in aperature 16. Any of a variety of fastening means (not shown) can be used to fix the connector 1 to mounting base 17.
Various modifications and improvements of the basic device can be made, and some of these improvements are shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5, as well as Figure 2, shows the device made of a synthetic resin material, while Figure 6 illustrates that the device can be formed from sheet metal material. Also, the foregoing description has considered thatthe fixed connector is a female connector and the secured connector part is male. However, the present invention can be applied to the case when the male connector is secured to the panel and the female connector is to be inserted for coupling.
By selecting the length of the locking fingers 15 and the spacing of the extraction ledges 14, any desired thickness of mounting wing flanges ofthe connector parts can be accommodated.
Whether made of plastic or metal material, a reasonable amount of bending moment can be obtained without the need of providing relief depressions 13, and therefore these depressions are not essential to the invention where the material of the device is very flexible.
Figure 5 shows a stop member 18 having one end attached to the operating member 11 above depression 13 and extending outwardly and then downwardly so that its free end is spaced from operating member 11 below depression 13. In this manner, the operating member 11 is prevented from exceeding a predetermined amount of bending.
In the metallic version of the device as seen in
Figure 6, the bending relief depression can be provided with a slot 19 to increase the flexibility of the operating members 11.
As mentioned in the preceeding description, inserting connctor 7 between locking fingers 15 until the mounting wing flanges 8 pass by the tips of fingers 15, permits the locking fingers to snap back to their original position. In order to make this operation easier, or to allow for a tight clamping of the locking finger 15 against wing flanges 8, extraction ledge 14 can be made more flexible to bend downwardly as the connector 7 is inserted, to thereby exert a lifting force against the bottom of wing flange 8 and against the tip of locking finger 15.
For this purpose, a slit 20 can be provided in each ledge 14 as seen in Figure 5. The slit, of course, should not be so designed as to limit the extracting forces necessary to lift a connector, however.
From the foregoing, it can be readily realized that this invention can assume various embodiments.
Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described therein, but is to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A locking and extracting device for an electrical connector which has flat mounting wing flanges projecting from the sides thereof and which is adapted to connect with a mating connector, said device comprising: a flat mounting base haviang fastening means for fixedly attaching said base to said mating connector; an operating member projecting upwardly from, and resiliently movable relative to, said base; a connector extraction ledge projecting from said operating member, having a planar upper surface located at a first predetermined distance from said base, and extending substantially parallel to, and in the direction of, said base; and a resilient locking finger connected to said operating member adjacent the upper end thereof, said finger projecting angularly downwardly and ending at a second predetermined distance from said base, said first and second predetermined distances being chosen to define a predetermined spacing between the lower end of said finger and said planar upper surface of said ledge.

2. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said upper end of said operating member is enlarged to define a finger rest for an operator of said device.

3. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said operating member projects upwardly from said base at a right angle.

4. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said locking finger projects angularly downwardly from said upper end of said operating member at an acute angle relative to said operating member.

5. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said operating member is formed of thin, relatively flat, material and has a bending relief depression adjacent, but spaced from, said base to provide a bending moment axis for said operating member.

6. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said device is of a synthetic resin and of a single unitary construction.

7. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said device is constructed of sheet metal with said finger punched outer a portion of said operating member.

8. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said mounting base is elongated and has a pair of said operating members projecting upwardly therefrom on opposite ends of said base, said operating members having their locking fingers facing one another, said fastening means being defined by an aperture therein for receiving said mating connector and a securing means for securing said mating connector to said base.

9. The device as claimed in Claim I,wherein 1, wherein said fastening means is defined by a hole in said base through which a fastener can be inserted to attached said base to a projecting wing flange of said mating connector.

10. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said connector extraction ledge has a slit therein for increasing the resiliency of said ledge.

11. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said operating member has a slot therein adjacent said base for increasing the resiliency of said operating member.

12. The device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said operating member inciudes a stop member attached to said operating member on one side of said depression and having an end spaced from said operating member adjacent the other side of said depression, said spaced end of said stop member arranged to abut said operating member at said other side of said depression when the bending moment of said operating member exceeds a predetermined amount.

13. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said predetermined spacing between said lower end of said finger and said planar upper surface of said ledge is chosen to be slightly greater than a standard connector mounting wing flange thickness.

14. The device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the distance between the free ends of said pair of locking fingers is less than the end-to-end dimension of a standard winged connector.

15. The device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said first predetermined distance is equal to, or greater than, the wing-to-wing spacing of a mated pair of standard winged connectors.

GB7927364A
1978-08-07
1979-08-06
Locking and extracting device for electrical connectors

Withdrawn

GB2028014A
(en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title

JP1978107465U

JPS5722707Y2
(en)

1978-08-07
1978-08-07

Publications (1)

Publication Number
Publication Date

GB2028014A
true

GB2028014A
(en)

1980-02-27

Family
ID=14459871
Family Applications (1)

Application Number
Title
Priority Date
Filing Date

GB7927364A
Withdrawn

GB2028014A
(en)

1978-08-07
1979-08-06
Locking and extracting device for electrical connectors

Country Status (4)

Country
Link

JP
(1)

JPS5722707Y2
(en)

DE
(1)

DE2931631A1
(en)

FR
(1)

FR2433248A1
(en)

GB
(1)

GB2028014A
(en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

FR2540680A1
(en)

1983-02-09
1984-08-10
Amp France

ASSEMBLY OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AND EJECTION BAR FOR THIS ASSEMBLY

US6368124B1
(en)

2001-11-26
2002-04-09
Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Card edge connector with daughter board retainer

EP3163686A1
(en)

2015-10-30
2017-05-03
Thales
Device for locking and extracting an electric connector

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

JPS5941552Y2
(en)

1978-03-18
1984-11-30
飯塚電気工業株式会社

on off switch

JPS634350Y2
(en)

1981-05-08
1988-02-03

DE3618360C1
(en)

1986-05-31
1987-06-11
Licentia Gmbh

Connector holder

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

JPS4899440U
(en)

1972-02-28
1973-11-24

1978

1978-08-07
JP
JP1978107465U
patent/JPS5722707Y2/ja
not_active
Expired

1979

1979-08-03
DE
DE19792931631
patent/DE2931631A1/en
not_active
Withdrawn

1979-08-06
GB
GB7927364A
patent/GB2028014A/en
not_active
Withdrawn

1979-08-06
FR
FR7920113A
patent/FR2433248A1/en
active
Pending

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

FR2540680A1
(en)

1983-02-09
1984-08-10
Amp France

ASSEMBLY OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AND EJECTION BAR FOR THIS ASSEMBLY

EP0116426A1
(en)

1983-02-09
1984-08-22
AMP INCORPORATED (a New Jersey corporation)
An electrical connector assembly and an ejector bar therefor

US4582378A
(en)

1983-02-09
1986-04-15
Amp Incorporated
Electrical connector assembly and an ejector bar therefor

US6368124B1
(en)

2001-11-26
2002-04-09
Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Card edge connector with daughter board retainer

EP3163686A1
(en)

2015-10-30
2017-05-03
Thales
Device for locking and extracting an electric connector

FR3043263A1
(en)

2015-10-30
2017-05-05
Thales Sa

DEVICE FOR LATCHING AND EXTRACTING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

US9954314B2
(en)

2015-10-30
2018-04-24
Thales
Electrical connector having a locking and extraction device with mobile gripping jaws mounted on a pivot and actuated by a lever for rotation

Also Published As

Publication number
Publication date

FR2433248A1
(en)

1980-03-07

JPS5524738U
(en)

1980-02-18

JPS5722707Y2
(en)

1982-05-17

DE2931631A1
(en)

1980-02-28

Contact information