Abstract:
A plug connector ( 11, 12,  FIG.  1 ) has insulators ( 16,26 ) that hold male or female contacts ( 13, 14,  FIG.  3 ) received in boreholes ( 19, 29,  FIGS.  4 A,  4 B)). A rear insulator holds a male or female contact ( 13, 14 ), which receives cables ( 45, 55,  FIG.  3 ). The boreholes ( 19, 29 ) form fingers ( 78, 98,  FIGS.  4 A and  6 ) that can be radially spread apart to detachably hold the connector contacts ( 13, 14 ) in a preliminary locking manner. The plug connector also has a front insert ( 60, 80 ) with a front borehole ( 65, 85 ) aligned with the rear boreholes ( 19, 29 ) and being able to be placed in a non-detachable preliminary locking position that makes possible the attachment of the connector contacts ( 13, 14 ) and in a final locking position that holds the connector contacts ( 13, 14 ) in a non-releasable fashion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Applicant claims priority from German patent application no. 10 2007 063 207.1 filed Dec. 20, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a plug connector. By way of example, it is known from DE 10 2006 016 82 A1 to provide a plug connector with two latches for the connector contacts, whereby the first latch results in a non-detachable connection of the connector contacts with the insulating member, whereas the second latch functions to ensure that all the connector contacts are set in the prescribed, correct position via the first latch. 
         [0003]    In particular, in the case of plug connections that can be joined to a multiplicity of connector contacts, it is desirable that the customer himself see to the placement in the plug connectors of connector contacts that are already provided with cables. In this context, it seems to be necessary that said placement initially occur through a preliminary locking step, which in the event of errors occurring in the placement can be modified without difficulty, by being able to separate the connector contacts in question once again from the preliminary locking position. A final locking of the connector contacts is then only achieved when components are correctly placed in the preliminary locking position. A plug connector of this type, as indicated in the preamble of Claim  1 , has already been proposed and used. In this context, the front end of the insulating member receives an insert which can change the preliminary locking position to a final locking position, in which the connector contacts can no longer be separated from the insulating member. In this context, although the insert is designed to be able to be moved once again with respect to the insulating member so that it is possible to return to the preliminary locking position in order to correct faulty placement results, nevertheless this has turned out to be possible only at significant expense, it is impeded by the cables that are connected to the connector contacts, and it cannot be accomplished without destruction in all cases. 
         [0004]    The objective of the present invention is therefore to indicate a plug connector of the aforementioned type, in which even after the final locking position is achieved it is possible without difficulty to return to the preliminary locking position, permitting components to once again be placed, without great expense and without being impeded by the cables. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    As a result of the measures according to the present invention, it is achieved that the insert, from the front end of the insulating member, i.e., without being impeded by the cables that have already been inserted into the insulating member, can be returned from a final locking position to its preliminary locking position, with no element being destroyed. The plug connector is configured so that this type of return is possible multiple times, from the final locking position to the preliminary locking position, and vice versa. 
         [0006]    An advantageous design for achieving this emerges from the features according to Claim  2 . In this way, it is possible in a simple manner to engage the final locking hooks of the insert from the outside and therefore to reliably unlock them. 
         [0007]    Advantageous embodiments for this purpose emerge from the features of one or more of Claims  3  to  5 . 
         [0008]    Advantageous embodiments with respect to the design arrangement of the preliminary-locking cams, on the one hand, and the final locking hooks, on the other hand, emerge from the features of one or more of Claims  6  to  8 . 
         [0009]    The features in accordance with Claim  9  and, as appropriate, those of Claim  10  assure a simple design of the locking mechanism of the preliminary-locking fingers in an insert that has been slid into its final position, whereby a locking cone or taper is advantageously employed. 
         [0010]    With respect to sealing the plug connector made up of a male and a female connector from the outside, advantageous embodiments emerge from the features of Claim  11  and/or  12 . 
         [0011]    One preferred embodiment of the connector contacts emerges from the features of Claim  13 , whereby in accordance with the features of Claim  14  a seal is achieved from the rear side of male or female connectors in the direction of the connector contacts. 
         [0012]    Further details of the invention may be derived from the following description, in which the invention is described and explained in greater detail on the basis of the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of a first plug connector having male connector contacts, and of a second plug connector having female connector contacts of a plug connector device, in accordance with one preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view of the first male connector of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3A  is a side elevation view of a male contact of the first male connector of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3B  is a side elevation view of a female contact of the second female connector of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 4A  is an isometric sectional view of the first male connector of  FIG. 1  in a preliminary locking position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4B  is an isometric section view similar to  FIG. 4A  but with a male connector in a final locking position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an exploded isometric view of the second plug connector of  FIG. 1B . 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is an isometric sectional view of the second plug connector of  FIG. 1  shown in final locking position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of the connector of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the connector of  FIG. 4B . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    Plug connector device  10 , as depicted in the drawing, is made up of a first plug connector  11  having male connector contacts  13  in accordance with  FIG. 1A , and a second, or counter, plug connector  12  having female connector contacts  14  in accordance with  FIG. 1B . Both plug connectors  11  and  12  in the exemplary embodiment are designed as having  19  poles (contacts), whereby connector contacts  13  and  14  are arranged so as to be uniformly distributed above and next to each other over a surface that is round when seen in a frontal view. 
         [0024]    First plug connector  11  ( FIGS. 1A and 2 ) contains an insulating housing  16 , whose rear end  17  on the exterior periphery is provided with bayonet-type grooves  18  for a longitudinal sleeve of a bunched cable and on the interior side with a multiplicity of through boreholes  19  ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ), into which male connector contacts  13 , each of which is provided with an individual cable core  21  ( FIG. 3A ), are inserted. Front end  23  ( FIG. 1 ) of insulating housing  16  is configured as a female piece, thus as a hollow cylinder, and also possesses around its exterior periphery bayonet-type grooves  24  for a coupling nut  35  of counter plug connector  12 . Between rear end  17  and front end  23  of single-piece insulating housing  16 , an attachment plate  25  is provided in the exemplary embodiment for installation and mounting on a device wall or the like. 
         [0025]    Second plug connector  12  ( FIGS. 1B and 5 ) also contains an insulating housing  26 , whose rear end  27  on its exterior periphery is provided with bayonet-type grooves  28  for a bunched cable sleeve and on its interior side is also provided with axial through boreholes  29  ( FIG. 6 ) that are arranged so as to be uniformly distributed on a circular surface when seen from a top view, in order to insert female connector contacts  14 , which are provided with cable cores  31  ( FIG. 3B ). Front end  33  ( FIG. 5 ) of insulating housing  26  is configured as a hollow cylinder and functions as the male piece to allow it to be inserted into female piece  23  ( FIG. 1 ) of insulating housing  16  of plug connector  11  so as to achieve a plug connection. Supported above or around insulating housing  26  is coupling nut  35 , which is supported so as to be axially fixed although rotatable and which functions to hold both plug connectors  11  and  12  together and to draw them towards each other in a plug connection. 
         [0026]    Before turning specifically to the providing of plug connectors  11  and  12 , and their insulating housings  16  and  26  with either male connector contacts  13  or female connector contacts  14 , including their cable cores  21  and  31 , male and female connector contacts  13  and  14  of this type will be described on the basis of  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
         [0027]    Male connector contact  13  in accordance with  FIG. 3A  has a male end  36  having a guiding collar  37 , which via an intermediate piece  38  that has a smaller diameter passes into a detent collar  39 , whose exterior diameter is greater than the exterior diameter of guiding collar  37 . Whereas segments  36  to  39  coaxially fit into one another so as to form a single piece, a crimping segment  40  eccentrically contacts detent collar  39 , whose first connecting end  41  surrounds core  21 , or the braided wire of a cable  45 , so as to be mechanically crimped in such a way that it is fixed, and whose second connecting end  42  tightly holds an area of a sealing lip  43 , which is pushed over the insulation of cable  45 . 
         [0028]    In a female connector contact  32  according to  FIG. 3B , a hollow cylindrical, female end  46  forms an integral part with a guiding collar  47 , whereby female end  46  and guiding collar  47  have the same exterior diameter. Connected to guiding collar  47  is an intermediate piece  48  of a smaller diameter which passes over into a detent collar  49 , whose exterior diameter is greater than the exterior diameter of female end  46  and guiding collar  47 . Connected in an eccentric manner to detent collar  49  is once again a crimping segment  50 , whose first connecting end  51  mechanically holds insulated core  31  of a cable  55 , so that said core is fixedly crimped and electrically connected, and whose second connecting end  52  axially holds a sealing lip  53  over the insulation of cable  55 . 
         [0029]    In accordance with  FIG. 2 , first plug connector  11  has an insulating insert  60 , which it is possible to axially slide, or insert, into front, female end  23  of insulating housing  16  to achieve a preliminary locking and a final locking of male connector contacts  13  in insulating housing  16  in two different axial positions. Insulating insert  60  has a locking cylinder  61  having a relatively thick base  62 , which around the exterior periphery supports a sealing ring  64 , for example in the form of an O-ring, in a groove  63 . Base  62  is provided in the axial direction with stepped through boreholes  65 , which are uniformly distributed over its surface and whose borehole segments  66 , proceeding from within locking cylinders  61 , have a smaller diameter than borehole segments  67  ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ), which are facing male connector contacts  22  and which have a conical form that tapers from outside to inside. 
         [0030]    Around the exterior periphery, locking cylinder  61  ( FIG. 2 ) is provided with three locking cams  70  and locking hooks  71  which are uniformly distributed over the periphery. Locking cams  70  and locking hooks  71  are spaced both in the circumferential direction as well as in the axial direction. 
         [0031]    Locking cams  70  determine, or border, a preliminary locking position of insulating insert  60  within front female end  23  of insulating housing  16  for the insertion of male connector contacts  13  to the preliminary locking position. Locking hooks.  71  determine, or border, the final locking position of insulating insert  60  in front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 . In the final locking position, male connector contacts which had been in the preliminary locking position are fixed in their non-detachable position with respect to insulating housing  16 . The axial distance between locking cams  70  and locking hooks  71  determines the axial path between the preliminary locking position and the final locking position of insulating insert  60  within front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 . 
         [0032]    Whereas locking cams  70  ( FIG. 2 ) are molded on the exterior periphery of locking cylinders  61  in the vicinity of base  62  so as to project radially in a direct manner, locking hooks  71  are each molded so as to protrude radially in the vicinity of the free end of a spring-acting bar  72 , which at its end faces away from locking hook  71  is connected to the exterior periphery of locking cylinder  61 . To provide for the possibility of a radial motion of bar  72  and therefore of locking hook  71 , the wall of locking cylinder  61  is configured so as to be recessed in the area of bar  72 . Of the three bars  72 , arranged over the periphery of the locking cylinder, one of them is configured so as to be narrower in order to provide for assembly coding. At the free end edge  77  of locking cylinder  61 , three radially protruding ears  73 , arranged uniformly over the periphery, are provided for the sake of the non-rotating fixation of insulating insert  60  in end-face recesses  79  of insulating housing  16  ( FIG. 1A ). 
         [0033]    Front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 , to receive bars  72  that are provided with locking hooks  71 , has corresponding axial grooves in the wall on the interior periphery and windows  75  and  76 , uniformly distributed over the periphery, for locking cams  70  and locking hooks  71 , as counter locks in the wall of front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 . 
         [0034]    Windows  75  and  76  are spaced both on the periphery as well as axially. Whereas windows  75 , to permit locking cams  70  to be axially received in a movable manner, are configured so as to be longitudinal in the axial direction, windows  76  for receiving locking hooks  71  are dimensioned so that in the locking position no substantial axial play is permitted for locking hooks  71  within windows  76 . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict the two different positions of insulating insert  60  within insulating housing  16 , whereby in the preliminary locking position male connector contacts  13 , which are provided with cores  21  ( FIG. 3A ), are inserted into insulating housing  16  ( FIG. 1 ) from rear end  17  to achieve the preliminary locking position, and they can be removed and once again inserted in the event of a faulty placement. This position is shown in  FIG. 4A , in which locking cams  70  are located within window  75 , whereas locking hooks  71  are still located axially in front of end face  77  of front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 . As depicted, through boreholes  19  within rear end  17  of insulating housing  16  at their exiting end are extended into female end  23  by means of three locking fingers  78 , which are arranged so as to be distributed on the periphery of through boreholes  19  and whose interior clearance tapers in conical fashion towards their free ends. Locking fingers  78  have a cylindrical base and a segment, connected thereto, that tapers in conical fashion at the exterior periphery. When a male connector contact  13  is inserted, locking fingers  78  expand due to their detent collars  39 , whereby the free ends of locking fingers  78  spring back once again after being released by detent collar  39 , so that their free end faces engage behind detent collar  39 . The expansion elasticity of locking fingers  78  as well as any contouring at their locking end face make it possible for locking fingers  78  to release male connector contact  13  by overcoming a radial clamping pressure once said contact is withdrawn by core  21  ( FIG. 3A ). Thus in the preliminary locking position of insulating insert  60  within insulating housing  16 , the placement of insulating housing  16  having male connector contacts  13  can be changed at any time. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4B  indicates the so-called final locking position of insulating insert  60  within insulating housing  16 , in which locking hooks  71  of insulating insert  60  are positioned in windows  76  of front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 . In this position, borehole segments  76  of stepped through boreholes  65  within base  62  of insulating insert  60 , which have a larger diameter and are conical, are axially moved to the inside over detent collars  39  of male connector contacts  13  and over partially conical locking fingers  78 . In this way, each larger-diameter borehole segment  67  surrounds locking finger  78  without significant play, such that a radial expansion of locking finger  78  and therefore a withdrawal and removal of male connector contact  13  by means of core  21  is prevented. In this way, detent collars  39  of male connector contacts  22  are held without significant play between the end face of locking fingers  78  and the shoulder in the area between both borehole segments  67  and  66  of stepped through boreholes  65  within insulating insert  60 . 
         [0037]    It is possible without using an un-depicted tool to radially move locking hooks  71 , which are held at elastic bars  72 , to the inside from the exterior periphery side of insulating insert  60  through windows  76 , in such a way that it is possible to unlock insulating insert  60  within insulating housing  16  and therefore to cause an axial reverse motion of insulating insert  60  from insulating housing  16 . This axial reverse motion, however, can only occur up to the locking limit stop of locking cams  70  ( FIG. 2 ) at the transverse border of window  75 , i.e., from the final locking position to the preliminary locking position, in which latter position once again it is possible to alter the placement. 
         [0038]    According to  FIG. 5 , second plug connector  12 , i.e., the counter plug connector, has an insulating insert  80 , which can be inserted into front male plug end  33  of insulating housing  26  with the same goal and purpose and in the same locking positions, namely in a preliminary locking position and in a final locking position. Insulating insert  80 , as also depicted in  FIG. 6 , has an essentially cylindrical locking block  81 , which is provided with stepped through boreholes  85 , which from the point of view of the end face are uniformly distributed, and which have axially longer borehole segments  86 , having a smaller diameter, and axially shorter borehole segments  87 , having a larger diameter and a conical form that tapers from the outside to the inside. Around the exterior periphery, insulating insert  80  also has fixed locking cams  90  and radially movable locking hooks  91  on elastic bars  92 . In this context, the configuration of locking cams  90  and locking hooks  91 , including bars  92 , is essentially identical to that of locking cams  70 , locking hooks  71 , and bars  72 . 
         [0039]    In addition, one end of insulating insert  80  has ears  93  molded so as to radially protrude to the outside. Insulating insert  80  is accommodated within insulating housing  26  in the same way as insulating insert  60  within insulating housing  16 . In other words, front male plug end  33  of insulating housing  26  is also provided with axial grooves  90  for bars  92  and with windows  95  and  96  for locking cams  90  and locking hooks  91 . Ears  93  in the final locking position of insulating insert  80  within insulating housing  26  are positioned within end-face recesses  99  to ensure the non-rotatability of insulating insert  80  within front male plug end  33  of insulating housing  26 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  depicts the final locking position of insulating insert  80  within insulating housing  26 , which corresponds to the aforementioned final locking position of insulating insert  60  within insulating housing  16 . This also applies to the preliminary locking position of insulating insert  80  within insulating housing  26 . The insertion of female connector contacts  14  into rear end  27  of insulating housing  26  is carried out in the same way as the insertion of male connector contacts  13  into rear end  17  of insulating housing  16 . In addition, through boreholes  29  within insulating housing  26  are axially extended by expandable locking fingers  98 , so that they carry out the preliminary-locking function for detent collars  49  of inserted female connector contacts  14 , and they do so as long as insulating insert  80  is arranged in its preliminary locking position within insulating housing  26 . According to  FIG. 6 , in the final locking position of insulating insert  80 , locking fingers  78 , which to the outside are partially conical or cone shaped, are overlapped by larger-diameter borehole segments  87 , which are partially conical as they extend forward, of stepped through boreholes  85  of insulating insert  80 , so that detent collar  49  of female connector contacts  14  is held between locking fingers  98  and the shoulder in the area between borehole segments  86  and  87 . 
         [0041]    In this second plug connector  12 , it is also possible to use a tool to return insulating insert  80  from the final locking position to the preliminary locking position by radially pressing and therefore unlocking bars  92  ( FIG. 5 ), which are provided with locking hooks  91 , so that a change in the placement of second plug connector  12  having female connector contacts  32  is possible. As can be seen from  FIG. 1B , this is possible here due to the radial distance between the interior periphery of coupling nut  35  and the exterior periphery of front plug end  33  of insulating housing  26 , seen from this front end. 
         [0042]    Using coupling nut  35 , which has bayonet-like interior projections that are not depicted in detail, it is possible to pull both plug connectors  11  and  12  towards each other, by screwing coupling nut  35  onto front female end  23  of insulating housing  16  like a bayonet. In this way, an annular seal  100  ( FIG. 5 ), which is arranged around the exterior periphery over front plug end  33  of insulating housing  26  and which contacts a collar of insulating housing  26 , is clamped between this collar and the end face of front female end  23  of insulating housing  16 . 
         [0043]    In the case of a 19-pole plug connector in accordance with the depicted exemplary embodiment, it is obvious that plug connectors having greater or lesser numbers of poles can be executed. In addition, in the case of such plug connectors it is also possible to mix thicker power-contact elements and thinner signal-contact elements, because the two locking positions are identical. In addition, by modifying insert  60  to  80 , it is also possible to transform a plug connector  11  having male connector contacts  13  into one having female connector contacts  14  within the same insulating housing  16 , and back again. In the case of an appropriate modification of insert  60  or  80 , a mixture of male and female connector contacts  13 ,  14  would also be possible. 
         [0044]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.