Abstract:
A mobile contact carrier ( 2 ) and a lock ( 3 ) includes two connecting elements for securing the simultaneous insertion thereof into a fixed contact carrier ( 1 ) and disconnecting elements used at the end of a connecting phase for inertially locking a connector.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a self-centering, inertial-locking connector. 
   Such a connector is provided to ensure the connection between two conductor bundles or the connection of a bundle to a printed circuit. 
   A first technical problem to be solved is that of the correct installation of the movable portion of the connector relative to the stationary portion. 
   A second technical problem posed by these connectors is that of the surface quality of the electric contact studs, whereas in each of the portions of the connector, these surfaces are in the open air before the connection. 
   A third technical problem is linked to the uniform polarization of the contacts of the movable portion of the connector by means of a shunt that should be removed at the time of connection. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One object of the invention is to propose a connector that can solve these problems simply and effectively. Another object of the invention is to propose a connector that ensures locking at the position of the connection in a virtually automatic manner at the end of the connection operation. 
   This invention has as its object a self-centering, inertial-locking connector, comprising a stationary contact terminal, a movable contact terminal and a lock, characterized in that the movable contact terminal and the lock comprise means for engagement for ensuring the simultaneous insertion of the movable contact terminal and the lock into the stationary contact terminal, and means for disengagement at the end of the connection phase for ensuring, by inertial effect, the locking of the connector. 
   According to other characteristics:
         The means for engagement consist of a lug for the movable contact terminal and a hole for the lock;   The lug comprises an outside surface in the shape of an obtuse dihedron consisting of two planar faces that respectively work with, during the insertion motion, a fourth shoulder of the stationary contact terminal and the hole to ensure a transverse motion of the movable contact terminal and the disengagement of the lock and the movable contact terminal;   The stationary contact terminal consists of a base that has stationary electric contacts and an essentially tubular upper portion whose walls have edges that are inclined toward the inside to guide the insertion of the movable contact terminal;   The rear and front walls of the stationary contact terminal respectively comprise a first shoulder and a second shoulder to ensure the guiding of the lock in the connection phase;   The front wall of the stationary contact terminal comprises a third shoulder that works with a first hollow of the movable contact terminal to ensure the transverse motion of the movable contact terminal;   The base of the stationary contact terminal has a pin working with a second hollow of the movable contact terminal to ensure the transverse motion of the movable contact terminal;   The movable contact terminal has a groove in which a shunt for the electric contacts is placed;   The lock has a tab that can detach the shunt of the electric contacts in the locking phase of the connector.       

   The invention also has as its object a process for connection and locking of an electric connector that comprises a stationary contact terminal, a movable contact terminal, and a lock, characterized by the following stages:
         To engage the lock and the movable contact terminal to form a sub-assembly,   To insert said sub-assembly into the stationary contact terminal by an axial motion,   To superimpose, by mechanical means, a transverse motion on the axial motion of insertion so as to clean the connection surfaces,   To trigger the disengagement of the lock and the movable contact terminal by this transverse motion to ensure, by inertial effect, on the one hand the end of the connection of the movable contact terminal to the stationary contact terminal, and on the other hand the continuation by the lock of the axial motion,   To lock the connector by ratcheting the lock onto the stationary contact terminal.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics will emerge from the following description given with reference to the accompanying drawings of an embodiment of a connector according to the invention, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of the connector; 
       FIG. 2  is a cutaway view along the line AA of  FIG. 1 , representing the entire connector in locked position; 
       FIG. 3  is a cutaway view along line BB of  FIG. 1 , representing the entire connector at the beginning of the connection phase; 
       FIG. 4  is a cutaway view along line CC of  FIG. 1  representing the entire connector at the beginning of the connection phase; 
       FIG. 5  is a cutaway view along line DD of  FIG. 1  representing the lock at the beginning of the connection phase; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are respectively analogous to  FIGS. 4 and 5  during the connection phase; 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are respectively analogous to  FIGS. 6 and 7  at the end of the connection phase; 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  are respectively analogous to  FIGS. 8 and 9  after deshunting; 
       FIG. 12  is a general outline of the rear, before connection, of an embodiment of a connector according to the invention for the connection of a bundle of conductors to a printed circuit; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the stationary contact terminal of  FIG. 12 , in position on the printed circuit; 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   
       
       
         
             FIG. 14  is a view of the connector of  FIG. 12  at the end of the connection. 
         
       
     
  
   In these drawings, the connector according to the invention essentially comprises three mechanical parts, in addition to snap-on electric contacts and an optional shunt designed to keep the electric contacts of the movable portion of the connector at the same potential. These three mechanical parts are a stationary contact terminal  1 , a movable contact terminal  2  and a lock  3 . 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , stationary contact terminal  1  is a hollow body, essentially parallelepipedic in shape, with a base  4  that has the stationary electric contacts, and with an upper portion  5 , essentially tubular, for receiving the movable contact terminal  2  and the lock  3 . The opening of the upper portion  5  of the stationary contact terminal  1  comprises edges  6  that are inclined toward the inside to constitute ramps for guiding movable contact terminal  2 . 
   On the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1 , the edges  6  constitute stops for holding the movable contact terminal  2  at the end of the connection phase. 
   On the lateral walls  8 ,  9  of the stationary contact terminal  1 , the edges  6  constitute stops for holding the lock  3  at the end of the locking phase. 
   In the vicinity of the lateral walls  8 ,  9  (section line DD,  FIG. 5 ), the upper portion  5  of the stationary contact terminal  1  presents: on the rear wall  7 , a section with a first shoulder  10 , whereby the wall essentially has the thickness of the inclined edge  6  above the shoulder  10  and a smaller thickness below; and on the front wall  11 , a section with a second shoulder  12 , whereby the wall has essentially the thickness of the inclined edge  6  above the shoulder  12  and a larger thickness below. The second shoulder  12  of the front wall  11  is located between the inclined edge  6  and the plane  13  of stationary contacts, toward the upper third, whereas the first shoulder  10  of the rear wall  7  is located toward the lower third of the space encompassed between the inclined edge  6  and the plane  13  of stationary contacts. 
   In the plane of the section line CC ( FIG. 4 ), the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1  is uniformly thin and set back relative to the inclined edge  6 , thus providing a catch  14  for locking the movable contact terminal  2  under the inclined edge  6 . The front wall  11  has, above the plane  13  of stationary contacts, a third shoulder  15 , whereby the wall  11  is thin above the shoulder  15  and thicker below. 
   In the plane of the section line BB ( FIG. 3 ), the stationary contact terminal  1  has, in relief above the plane  13  of the stationary contacts, a pin  16  behind the stationary contacts, and on the front wall  11 , just below the inclined edge  6 , a fourth shoulder  17 , whereby the wall is thicker below the shoulder  17 . 
   Stationary electric contacts  18 , perpendicular to the plane  13  of the stationary contacts, are placed in the base  4 . These contacts  18  are preferably snap-on, i.e., their contact studs extend above the plane  13  and are able to move elastically when supported by the movable contacts. 
   The movable contact terminal  2  has a general parallelepipedic shape. It comprises movable electric contacts  19  that are preferably snap-on and that are able to rest on the stationary contacts  18 . These contacts  19  are housed in the central portion of the movable contact terminal  2  and extend below the lower face  20  of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   The movable contact terminal  2  is designed to be introduced into the upper portion  5  of the stationary contact terminal  1  and to be moved toward the rear wall  7  after engaging with the locking catch  14  ( FIG. 4 ). For this purpose, the rear wall  21  has in its lower portion a first beveled edge  22  that is designed, in cooperation with the inclined edge  6  of the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1 , to facilitate the centering of the movable contact terminal  2  and its introduction into the stationary contact terminal  1 . Likewise, the front wall  23  of the movable contact terminal  2  has in its lower portion a second beveled edge  24  ( FIG. 3 ) that is designed to work with the inclined edge  6  of the front wall  11  of the stationary contact terminal  1 . 
   In its upper portion ( FIG. 4 ), the rear wall  21  of the movable contact terminal  2  has a fifth shoulder  25  that is rounded and designed to work with the locking catch  14  of the stationary contact terminal  1 . 
   In the plane of the section line CC ( FIG. 4 ), the front wall  23  of the movable contact terminal  2  has a first hollow  26 , with a curved section, designed to work with the third shoulder  15  of the stationary contact terminal  1  to ensure the motion toward the rear of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   A shunt  28  in the form of an elastically deformable blade, whose bent lower edge is in contact with the movable electric contacts  19  when the connector is not locked, is placed in a groove  27  of the movable contact terminal  2  ( FIG. 6 ). 
   In the median portion, corresponding to the section line BB ( FIG. 3 ), the movable contact terminal  2  has, in its lower portion, a second hollow  29  with a curved section, designed to work with the pin  16  of the stationary contact terminal  1  to ensure the motion toward the rear of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   In its front portion, the movable contact terminal  2  has an arm  30  that is inclined outward relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector, whereby this arm  30  is integral with the lower portion of the movable contact terminal  2 , near the lower face  20 . At its free end located toward the top, the arm  30  has a lug  31  extending outward by means of a curved section  32 . 
   This lug  31  has, facing outward, a surface in the shape of an obtuse dihedron, consisting of two planar faces  33  and  34 . 
   The lower face  33  is able to work with the fourth shoulder  17  of the stationary contact terminal  1 , and the upper face  34  is able to work with the lock  3  to accompany the motion toward the rear of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   The lock  3  comes as one part that consists of three flaps: a central flap  35  and two lateral flaps  36  and  37 . 
   The central flap  35  is inserted between the front wall  11  of the stationary contact terminal  1  and the movable contact terminal  2 . In its median zone ( FIG. 3 ), it has a hole  38  that can receive the lug  31  before insertion of the movable contact terminal  2  into the stationary contact terminal  1 . 
   The lateral flaps  36  and  37  are inserted between the lateral walls  8  and  9 , respectively, of the stationary contact terminal  1  and the movable contact terminal  2  ( FIG. 2 ). In their lower portion, they have a beveled edge, respectively  39  and  40 , to facilitate the centering of the movable contact terminal  2  during its insertion into the stationary contact terminal  1 . In their upper portion, they consist of two walls that are separated by an open space at the top so as to allow an elastic deformation of the outside walls  41  and  42  respectively. The outside walls  41  and  42  each have an outside catch  43  and  44  respectively that is able to work with the inclined edge  6  of the corresponding lateral wall  8 ,  9  respectively, of the stationary contact terminal  1  to ensure the locking in the connection position of the connector. On their lower face, the lateral flaps  36  and  37  each have a catch ( FIG. 2 ) that works with a corresponding catch that is placed on the outside face of the movable contact terminal  2  to ensure the insertion of the mobile contact terminal into the stationary contact terminal  1 . 
   The lateral flaps  36 ,  37  have a polygonal contour to be able to be inserted between the front wall  11  and the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1 , which each comprise a shoulder,  12  and  10  respectively, and a variation of thickness at their respective shoulder. 
   Thus, the flap  36  has an upper portion that consists of a rectangular trapezium, with an upper edge  45  that is horizontal to  FIG. 5 , a vertical front edge  46 , and a rear edge  47  that is vertical and longer than the front edge  46 . The front edge  46  and the rear edge  47  each extend toward the bottom via a segment  48 ,  49  respectively, oblique toward the rear. The two segments  48  and  49  are approximately equal and are parallel to one another. The segment  48  extends via a straight segment  50 , parallel to the front edge  46 , which extends up to the height of the edge  51  that limits the segment  49 . Then, two oblique segments  52  and  53  converge toward the horizontal lower edge  54  of the flap  36 . 
   The shortest distance between the front wall  11  and the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1  in the plane of the section line DD is equal to the length of the upper edge  45  of the flap  36  after the connector is locked ( FIG. 11 ). It is equal to the distance between the stop  51  and the straight segment  50  at the beginning of the connection ( FIG. 5 ). During the connection phase, the two oblique segments toward the rear,  48  and  49 , follow the stops of the shoulders  12  and  10  respectively to ensure the motion toward the rear of the lock  3  and, consequently, of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   To the right of the section line CC, the lock  3  has a tab  55  that is designed, in the locking phase of the connector ( FIG. 10 ), to detach the shunt  28  of the electric contacts of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   The operation of the connector is analyzed in the following manner. 
   Whereby the stationary contact terminal I is in place, the sub-assembly that consists of the movable contact terminal  2  and the lock  3  is presented and brought close to, for example manually, the upper opening of the stationary contact terminal  1 . The beveled edges  22 ,  24 ,  39 ,  40  work with the inclined edges  6  to guide the insertion of the movable contact terminal  2  into the stationary contact terminal  1 . Then, the oblique segment  52  slides over the second shoulder  12  to guide the flap  36  between the front walls  11  and rear walls  7  until the stop  51  reaches the rear wall  7 . 
   In the beginning connection phase ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ), the flap  36  is guided by the support of the straight segment  50  against the front wall  11  below the second shoulder  12  and by the support of the stop  51  on the rear wall  7 . Furthermore, the rear wall  21  of the movable contact terminal  2  slides over the inclined edge  6 , and the lock  3  slides against the front wall of the upper portion  5  of the stationary contact terminal  1 . 
   In the connection phase ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ), the oblique segments  48  and  49  slide respectively over the stops of shoulders  12  and  10 . The result is a motion toward the rear of the movable contact terminal  2 , which is combined with the resulting downward motion of the pressure, manual for example, exerted on the lock  3 . Simultaneously, the first hollow  26  works with the third shoulder  15  ( FIG. 6 ) and the second hollow  29  works with the pin  16  ( FIG. 3 ) to force the movable contact terminal  2  to move toward the rear. 
   This motion toward the rear, whereas the electric contacts are in contact, ensures a cleaning of the connection surfaces. The continuation of the pressure on the lock  3  and the correlative motion of the movable contact terminal  2  toward the rear ensure ( FIG. 3 ) that the lug  31  is retracted little by little and ceases being held by the fourth shoulder  17 . Under the pressure transmitted by the lock  3 , and as the reaction exerted by the fourth shoulder  17  disappears, the movable contact terminal  2  descends and retracts. The lower planar face  33  of the lug  31  then slides over the fourth shoulder  17  and accentuates the removal of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   This removal causes the lug  31  to retract into the hole  38  of the lock  3 . The upper planar face  34  begins to emerge from the hole  38 , which disengages the lock  3  from the movable contact terminal  2 . The lock  3 , continuing its downward motion, slides over the upper planar face  34  and pushes the movable contact terminal  2  back toward the rear. The disengagement of the lock  3  and the movable contact terminal  2  brings about an inertial effect and ensures the completion of the connection operation until the connector is locked. The movable contact terminal  2  completes its downward, retracting motion toward the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1 ; thanks to its fifth rounded shoulder  25 , the rear portion of the movable contact terminal  2  is inserted under the locking catch  14 . 
   In the end-of-connection phase ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ), the motions of the movable contact terminal  2  are ended, and the locking catch  14  ensures the holding of the movable contact terminal  2  and the pressure on the electric contacts. This arrangement makes it possible to ensure that the connection is maintained and the number of parts in the reassembly of the sides is reduced. The front edge  46  of the flap  36  is supported on the front wall  11  of the stationary contact terminal  1  below the second shoulder  12 , and the rear edge  47  of the flap  36  is supported on the rear wall  7  of the stationary contact terminal  1  above the first shoulder  10 . 
   In the locking phase ( FIGS. 10 ,  11  and  2 ) and always by inertial effect, the downward motion of the sole lock  3  continues until the catches  43  and  44  of the outside walls  41  and  42  of the lateral flaps  36  and  37  respectively engage with the inclined edges  6  of the stationary contact terminal  1  and come to be locked there. During this last downward motion, the lock  3  entrains the tab  55  that lifts the shunt  28  and ensures the shunt  28  is detached from the electric contacts. 
   The unlocking of the connector is carried out by application of a manual pressure to the outside walls  41 ,  42  of the lateral flaps  36 ,  37  for drawing them close to one another and for releasing the catches  43 ,  44  of the inclined edges  6 . The lock  3  is then drawn off manually. During its extraction motion, on the one hand, it releases the shunt  28  that is reinstalled on the electric contacts, and on the other hand it reengages with the lug  31  and brings about the extraction of the movable contact terminal  2 . 
   Thus, the initial engagement of the lock  3  and the movable contact terminal  2  ensures the correct connection of the movable contact terminal  2  in the stationary contact terminal  1 , and then, during the same motion, which is continued by inertial effect after disengagement from the lock  3  and the movable contact terminal  2 , the locking in the connector position. 
   The connector according to the invention was described in a particular embodiment that is in no way limiting, whereby the technical equivalents enter into the scope of this invention. 
   In the embodiment of the  FIGS. 12 to 14 , the stationary contact terminal  1  has a limited height. Actually, the plane  13  of the stationary contacts is the plane of a printed circuit  56 , and the body of the stationary contact terminal  1  is attached to the support of the printed circuit  56 . 
   The downward motion of the lock  3  cannot extend below the plane of the printed circuit. So that the locking takes place under the same conditions as for the connector of  FIGS. 1 to 11 , the structure elements of the stationary contact terminal  1  that work with the lock  3  are offset upward. Thus, the locking kinematics is the same as in the example that is described in  FIGS. 1 to 11 . 
   The invention also has as its object a process for connection and locking of an electric connector that comprises a stationary contact terminal ( 1 ), a movable contact terminal ( 2 ) and a lock ( 3 ), characterized by the following stages:
         To engage the lock  3  and the movable contact terminal  2  to form a sub-assembly,   To insert said sub-assembly into the stationary contact terminal  1  via an axial motion,   To superimpose, by mechanical means, a transverse motion on the axial motion of insertion so as to clean the connection surfaces,   To trigger the disengagement of the lock  3  and the movable contact terminal  2  by this transverse motion to ensure, by inertial effect, on the one hand the end of the connection of the movable contact terminal  2  on the stationary contact terminal  1 , and on the other hand the continuation by the lock of the axial motion,   To lock the connector by ratcheting the lock onto the stationary contact terminal  1 .