Connector assembly

Abstract: A connector assembly (11) comprising two complementary connectors (13, 15; 115, 139) adapted to be mated in pluggable manner, with the housings thereof being sealed by a sealing ring (33; 175) disposed on one of said two housings. An operating member (25; 117) and one of said housings are provided with a guiding groove (39; 127, 129) extending obliquely with respect to the mating direction and, respectively, with a guiding projection (35; 145, 147) fitting into the guiding groove (39; 127, 129). When the guiding projection (35; 145, 147) engages in the guiding groove (39; 127, 129), movement of the operating member (25; 117) causes the two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139) to be guided towards each other or away from each other depending on the direction of movement. On said operating member (25; 117) there is provided at least one latching member (55, 57; 161) extending transversely of the mating direction, and the housing of one of said two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139) has a latching member (53; 165) cooperating therewith and extending also transversely of the mating direction. The latching members are in latching engagement with each other when said operating member (25; 117) is in its position effecting the mating position.

Description: The invention is directed to a connector assembly according to the pre-characterizing portion of claim 1. The invention relates to a connector assembly comprising two complementary connectors adapted to be mated in pluggable manner and having a housing of insulating material each containing a number of contact receiving cavities, a sealing ring disposed on one of said two housings for establishing a sealed connection between the two connectors, an operating member movable relative to said two housings transversely of the mating direction and being disposed on a first one of said two housings and receiving part of each of said two housings in the mated condition, either said operating member or said second housing being provided with at least one guiding groove extending obliquely with respect to the mating direction, and said second housing or said operating member, respectively, being provided with a guiding projection fitting into the guiding groove, and comprising a latching means adapted to latch said operating member in a position in which said two connectors are in a mated position. With such connector assemblies of conventional nature, the latching means usually is constituted by a convex bulge of the guiding groove wall on the mating side, or by a bend of the guiding groove that is overrun by the guiding projection when approaching the latching position. Overrunning of this bulge of the guiding groove wall on the mating side or of this bend of the guiding groove, respectively, is possible only by a so-called lift-over or pass-over for which a higher force expenditure is necessary. During such lift-over, the sealing ring must be compressed to a greater extent than in the latched position, i.e. in the position of the operating member in which the two connectors are in the latched position. Connector assemblies of the type described are often used for motor vehicles, and often so in the engine compartment. On the one hand, high temperature fluctuations take place there. On the-other hand, there is the risk that water penetrates into the interior of the connector assembly. This risk is not only present when splashing water enters the engine compartment during driving, but in particular also when washing of the engine is carried out at a high water pressure or steam pressure. This is why such connector assemblies must be sealed very well. This in turn has the effect that, due to the strong temperature fluctuations in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle, high pressure variations may occur in the interior of the connector assembly. In case of a vacuum or negative pressure, a force is created effecting compression of the two connectors in connector mating direction. As a result of such vacuum pressure, the guiding projection may overcome the lift-over projection in the form of the bulge of the guiding groove wall on the mating side or in the form of a corresponding bend of the guiding groove. Due to mechanical shocks and vibrations as they are always present in a motor vehicle in operation, displacement of the operating member from the latched position and thus inadvertent release of the connector assembly can easily occur. For mastering this problem, such connector assemblies have already been provided with ventilation valves which on the one hand prevent the creation of such vacuum pressure in the connector assembly and on the other hand do not impair the tightness of the connector assembly. Such ventilation valves are technically complex and correspondingly expensive. From Document US-A-4,478,473 a connector assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 which is made as a coupling nut for an electrical connector has come to be known. This known coupling nut comprises outer and inner coupling sleeves mounted for rotation about a connector shell having a plurality of ratched teeth formed on the outer periphery of an annular shoulder thereof, a plurality of equiangularly disposed, radially biased lock pins being carried by inner coupling sleeve during coupling and being adapted to be cammed radially inwardly by said outer coupling sleeve into a locked relation with the ratchet teeth. From Document US-A-4,464,001 a connector assembly made as a coupling nut having an anti-decoupling device has come to be known. This known electrical connector assembly includes a pair of mating shells having end faces on dielectric inserts and a coupling nut rotatably mounted on a first shell. The coupling nut includes an elongated generally U-shaped passageway sized to receive a coupling pin on second shell, the passageway forming an integral cantilever latch spring of the type having adjacent its deflectable end a detent for captivating the pin. The rotation of the coupling nut brings end faces into abutment to stop axial advance, but permitting continued rotation to allow coupling pin to advance along the passageway to deflect latch spring downwardly and reach the detent whereupon latch spring springs forwardly to captivate coupling pin therein. It is the object of the invention to solve the problem indicated in technically as simple and inexpensive manner as possible. This object is solved according to the invention by a connector assembly according to the features set out in claim 1. Dependent claims 2 to 10 exhibit improvements of the subject-matter of claim 1. The invention is related to a connector assembly of the type indicated at the outset in that the latching means comprises at least one latching member on the operating member, which extends transversely of the mating direction, and a latching member on the housing of one of the two connectors, which cooperates with said first-mentioned latching member and also extends transversely of the mating direction, said latching members being in latching engagement with each other when said operating member is in its position effecting said mating position. The latching means is dimensioned such that the two latching members remain in engagement with each other across the entire distance of the longitudinal movements which the two connectors can carry out in mating direction towards each other or away from each other due to pressure changes. Due to this kind of latching means, even changing temperatures and concomitant pressure changes towards vacuum pressure or excess pressure cannot result in release of the latching condition as is the case with the known latching method. Also in case of a combination of pressure changes and shocks and/or vibrations, the connection remains effective and there is no risk of inadvertent release of the two connectors participating in the connection. The latching means according to the invention can be used with latching members instead of the conventional lift-over latching mode or in combination with the conventional lift-over latching mode. When both latching means are employed in combination, a particularly reliable latching effect is achieved. When the latching means with latching members according to the invention is used instead of the conventional lift-over latching mode, the advantage obtained is that the sealing means can be dimensioned in a better and exacter way. For, differently from the conventional lift-over latching mode, the two connectors in case of the latching means with latching members need not be moved towards each other for latching thereof to a greater extent than is necessary for the final latched position. Differently from the conventional lift-over latching mode, provisions thus need not be made for a greater yielding effect of the sealing ring for the latching operation than is necessary for bringing the two connectors into their final latched position. The latching members for the latching means may be constituted by the guiding projection and a corresponding radial latching member in the guiding groove bottom, or by latching members independent of the guiding projection and the guiding groove. In the latter case, it is possible to provide a latching projection extending transversely of the mating direction either on the operating member or on the housing of one of the two connectors, and to provide a complementary latching recess in this housing or in the operating member, respectively. The latching recess preferably is formed in a radially projecting rib that is provided with a ramp slope for the latching projection on that circumferential side from which the latching projection, upon movement of the operating member into the latching position, moves towards the latching recess. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment the flanks or sides of latching projection and latching recess are tapered for facilitating unlatching for the purpose of releasing the connection. Preferably, a plurality of circumferentially evenly distributed latching means is used. The force applied for latching and unlatching is thereby circumferentially distributed. On the other hand, lower forces act on each one of this plurality of latching means during latching and unlatching than would be necessary in case of one single latching means only. The latching means according to the invention is equally suited for connectors having a substantially cylindrical housing and for connectors having a substantially rectangular housing. With cylindrical housings, the operating member preferably is provided in the form of a rotary ring disposed in rotatable manner on one of the two housings. With connectors having a rectangular housing, the operating member is preferably provided in the form of a slide disposed on one of said two housing so as to be slidable with respect to the two housings perpendicularly to the mating direction. In case of cylindrical housings with a rotary ring as the operating member, there is provided at least one helical guiding groove extending either on the circumference of the rotary ring or on the circumference of that housing on which said rotary ring is not disposed. In case of connectors with rectangular housing, at least one obliquely extending, selectively linear or arcuate, guiding groove is formed in a sidewall of the slide or in a sidewall of that housing on which the slide is not disposed. With connectors of the type concerned here, there are provided mostly several helical, respectively linear, or arcuate guiding grooves disposed between each other. When the latching means according to the invention is realized by way of the solution using a latching elevation from the guiding groove bottom in cooperation with the associated guiding projection, preferably each guiding groove is provided with such a latching elevation upstanding from its guiding groove bottom in the event of several circumferentially distributed latching means. For being able to move the operating member outside of the rotational latching position in as unimpeded manner as possible and without specific force expenditure, a latching means is preferred in which both latching members are each constituted by a latching projection, with both latching projections being movable in unhindered manner outside of the latching position. For doing so, it is either possible to use two latching projections which overlap each other in their radial extension or extension perpendicular to the mating direction and which are moved past each other during the latching operation and then engage behind each other in the latched position. In this case, a further movement subsequent to the movement of the two latching projections past each other would remain possible at least as regards the latching means. An exacter latching effect, in which the operating member remains exactly in the latched position, is obtained when the one latching projection is formed as a latching rib having a latching recess formed therein for the other latching projection. The latching possibility requires a certain resilience of at least part of the operating member and/or of the housing of one of the two connectors. This must be considered when selecting the material for the operating member and/or said housing. The invention and further developments of the invention will now be elucidated in more detail by way of an embodiment with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal side view, in highly schematic illustration, of two cylindrical connectors constituting a conventional connector assembly, the connectors being shown in the unmated condition thereof; Figure 2 shows a view similar to Figure 1, depicting a connector assembly with a latching means according to the invention; Figure 3 shows a face end view of the connector assembly of the invention according to Figure 2, with unlatched rotary ring; Figure 4 shows a plan view according to Figure 3 with latched rotary ring; Figure 5 shows a mating side plan view of a substantially rectangular connector with slide; Figure 6 shows a side view of the assembly of connector and slide depicted in Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a mating side plan view of a connector adapted to be brought into mating connection with the connector depicted in Figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 shows a narrow side view of the connector depicted in Figures 5 and 6; Figure 9 shows a longitudinal side view of the connector depicted in Figures 5, 6 and 8, without showing the slide; Figure 10 shows a mating side plan view of the housing depicted in Figure 9, without showing the slide; Figure 11 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the slide depicted in Figures 5, 6 and 8; and Figure 12 shows a view of a detail of the slide depicted in Figure 11. The figures illustrate two embodiments of a connector assembly designed in accordance with the invention. Figures 1 to 4 depict an embodiment with cylindrical connectors and a rotary ring as operating member. Figures 5 to 12 depict an embodiment with rectangular connectors and a slide as operating member. Figure 1 shows in a longitudinal side view a connector assembly 11 comprising a first connector 13 and a second connector 15. Only a mating side portion is shown of the second connector 15. The first connector 13 has a first connector housing 17. The second connector 15 has a second connector housing 19. Both connector housings 17 and 19 consist of insulating plastics material and are of substantially cylindrical shape. Both connector housings 17 and 19 are each provided with a number of contact receiving cavities each receiving a plug-like contact element and a socket-like contact element, respectively. The contact receiving cavities and contact elements are not shown in Figure 1. Each of the two connector housings 17 and 19 has a cylindrical hood projecting beyond the mating side longitudinal end of the contact receiving cavities of the respective connector and protectively enclosing the portions of the contact elements projecting from the contact receiving cavities on the mating side. In the following, the hood of the first connector housing 17 will be referred to as first hood 21 and the hood of the second connector housing 19 will be referred to as second hood 23. On top of the first hood 21, a rotary ring 25 is disposed which is supported on the first connector housing 17 so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the first connector 13. Between first hood 21 and rotary ring 25, there is formed an annular gap 27 which is dimensioned such that the second hood 23 can be introduced into the annular gap. The annular gap 27 is confined on the one hand by the outer circumference 29 of the first hood 21 and on the other hand by the inner circumference 31 of the rotary ring 25. This is illustrated in broken lines in Figure 1. A sealing ring 33 is disposed on the outer circumference 29 of the first hood 21 in the region of the end of the annular gap 27 remote from the mating side. In the region of the mating side end thereof, a guiding projection 35 projects from the inner circumference 31 of rotary ring 25 into the annular gap 27. The outer circumference 37 of the second hood 23 is provided with a helical guiding groove 39 formed at the mating side end with an insertion opening 41 for the guiding projection 35. The guiding groove 39 with respect to groove width and groove depth is dimensioned such that it is adapted to guidingly receive the guiding projection 35. In the portion of its end remote from the insertion opening 41, the mating side guiding groove wall 43 is provided with a convex bulge 45 forming a constriction of the guiding groove. Furthermore, at the position of said bulge 45, the guiding groove 39 is bent such that it has an end portion 47 extending perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of connector 15. Practical embodiments of such connectors are provided with a plurality of guiding grooves 39 distributed about the outer circumference 37 of the second hood 23 and with a corresponding plurality of guiding projections 35 distributed about the inner circumference 31 of the rotary ring 25. Upon mating of the two connectors 13 and 15, the rotary ring 25 is first brought into such a rotational position that the or each guiding projection 35 is brought in alignment with the insertion opening 41 of the guiding groove 39 or the associated guiding groove 39, respectively. When the rotary ring 25 then is rotated such that the guiding projection 35 moves into the associated guiding groove 39, the second hood 23 is thereby drawn into the annular gap 27 until the guiding projection 35 hits the bulge 45. For enabling the guiding projection 35 to overcome the bulge 45, it is either necessary to push the second connector 15 in mating direction towards the first connector 13 to such an extent that the guiding projection 35 can pass the bulge 45 and enter the end portion 47 of the guiding groove 39. Or such a rotational force is exerted on rotary ring 25 that the guiding projection 35 passes beyond bulge 45, which again causes movement of the second connector 15 in mating direction towards the first connector 13. This movement of the guiding projection 35 across bulge 35 will be referred to as lift-over in the following. After this lift-over has been carried out, the guiding projection 35 is located in the end portion 47 of guiding groove 39. In this position the guiding projection 35 is latched in guiding groove 39. The two connectors 13 and 15 in this position are in their final mating position. In this mating position, the mating side face end 49 of the second hood 23 abuts the mating side face end 51 of the sealing ring 33, with the sealing ring 33 being resiliently compressed to a certain extent for ensuring a reliable sealing effect between sealing ring 33 and hood 23 in the final mating position of connectors 13 and 15. For unmating, the two connectors 13 and 15 must be urged towards each other against the resilient resistance of sealing ring 33 for effecting said lift-over movement which enables the guiding projection 35 to overcome bulge 45. A rotational movement of the rotary ring 25 following said lift-over results in release of the two connectors 13 and 15 from their mating position, until the guiding projection 35 finally leaves insertion opening 41. Due to the sealed design of the connector assembly, correspondingly high temperature changes, as they are usual e.g. in the engine compartment of motor vehicles, may result in the creation of a vacuum pressure in the connector assembly. The result of this vacuum pressure is that the two connectors 13 and 15 are moved towards each other, which is possible due to the elasticity of the sealing ring 33. This may effect the lift-over in which the guiding projection 35 located in the end portion 47 of guiding groove 39 is lifted in axial direction outwardly across bulge 45. The connector assembly then is unlatched. Shocks and in particular vibrations as they are unavoidable in motor vehicles may then have the effect that the then no longer latched guiding projection 35 moves up in the guiding groove in the direction towards the insertion opening 41 so that the two connectors 13 and 15 are released from each other. Furthermore, there is the fact that the sealing ring 33 must be dimensioned such that it is capable of resiliently taking up the lift-over movement. Figure 2 shows a modification of the connector assembly shown in Figure 1, in which the lift-over latching means of Figure 1, including the guiding projection 35 and the bulge 45, is omitted. Instead of this, there is provided a latching means having a radial latching projection 53 on the second connector housing 19 and a radial latching recess 55 (Figures 3 and 4) in a radial latching rib 57 on the inner circumference 31 of rotary ring 25. The latching projection 53 is located at the longitudinal end of the second hood 23 remote from the mating side. The latching rib 57 with latching recess 55 is located at the end of the rotary ring 25 remote from the mating side. The axial position of the latching projection 53 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the second connector 15 and the axial length of the rotary ring 25 are dimensioned such that the latching projection 53 can latchingly engage in latching recess 55 when the two connectors 13 and 15 are brought into their final mating position by rotation of rotary ring 25. In the embodiment depicted in Figure 2, the guiding groove does not have a bulge 45, but a bend of the end portion 47. The end portion 47 of the guiding groove 39 in this section extends parallel to the mating side face end 49 of the second hood 23, i.e., no latching effect whatsoever takes place between guiding projection 35 and guiding groove 39 and, accordingly, no lift-over movement whatsoever is necessary for moving the two connectors 13 and 15 into their final mating position or for releasing them therefrom. With the exception of the differently configured guiding groove 39 and the latching means with the latching projection 53 and the latching recess 55 in latching rib 57, the two connectors 13 and 15 in Figure 2 correspond to the two connectors 13 and 15 in Figure 1. In so far, it is not necessary to give a further description of the connector assembly depicted in Figure 2, and the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 can be used in Figure 2. When the two connectors 13 and 15 of Figure 2 are to be mated, the guiding projection 35, as in case of the connector assembly according to Figure 1, is introduced into insertion opening 41 by a corresponding rotation of rotary ring 25, and the rotary ring 25 is then rotated further so that the guiding projection 35 slides into guiding groove 39. The two connectors 13 and 15 thereby move towards each other in mating direction until the latching projection 53 hits latching rib 57 and on continued rotation enters the latching recess 55. By means of the end portion 47 of guiding groove 39 extending parallel to the face end 49, neither the clamping force of seal 33 nor changes in internal pressure result in any tangential forces whatsoever having an effect on the cooperation between latching projection 53 and latching rib 57 or latching recess 55. For reaching this latched position, no lift-over is required at all. It is therefore not necessary to dimension the annular seal 33 to be compressible to a greater extent than is necessary for reaching the final mating position of both connectors 13 and 15. The sealing ring 33 can thus be dimensioned with greater accuracy than in case of the solution employing said lift-over latching mode. It is therefore possible to select for sealing ring 33 a configuration and/or material which would be less favorable for a lift-over movement. When these aspects with respect to the dimensioning of sealing ring 33 are of no importance, latching with particularly high safety can be achieved by using both latching means, viz. both the lift-over latching method according to Figure 1 and the latching means with radial latching members 53 and 55, 57 according to Figure 2. The circumferential positioning and the specific shape of a preferred embodiment of a latching means according to the invention are shown in Figures 3 and 4. These figures illustrate a face end plan view of the second connector housing 19 as seen from the mating side, along with the second hood 23 and the rotary ring 25 which actually is disposed on the first connector housing 17 that is not shown in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 shows the rotary ring 25 in a first unlatched rotational position, whereas Figure 4 shows the rotary ring in a latched rotational position. Both figures show a multiplicity of contact receiving cavities 59 which are surrounded by the second hood 23. Additional constructional details of the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 are not significant for the invention proper and will not be discussed here in more detail. In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, three latching projections 53 are uniformly distributed about the circumference of the second hood 23. Each latching projection 53 protrudes from the outer circumference 37 of the second hood 23 and is of substantially triangular configuration, with the tip of the triangle being flattened. Each latching projection thus has two oblique side flanks 61 and 63. In the following, flank 61 will be referred to as leading flank since this flank hits the latching rib 57 first upon rotation of the rotary ring 25 into the latched rotational position, i.e. upon rotation thereof in counterclockwise direction as illustrated by rotational arrow A. The second flank 63 will be referred to as trailing flank in the following. Each of the three latching recesses 55 has a groove shape that is complementary with respect to the associated latching projection 53, with the groove walls 65 and 67 being oblique in a manner corresponding to flanks 61 and 63. The sidewalls of the latching ribs 57, in which the latching recesses 55 are formed, have oblique flanks 69 and 71, respectively, on both sides thereof. These flanks act as ramp slopes for the oblique flanks 61 of the latching projections 53. In the region outside of the latching ribs 57, the rotary ring 25 has an internal diameter dimensioned such that the rotary ring 25 can freely move over the latching projections 53. Preferably, the dimensioning is selected such that the inner circumference 31 of rotary ring 25 slides on the flattened tips of the latching projections 53 so that a slight support of the rotary ring 25 on the latching projections 53 is established. Upon mating of the two connectors 13 and 15 from the separate position according to Figure 2, rotation of the rotary ring 25 along with engagement of the guiding projection 35 in the guiding groove 39 results in relative movement between rotary ring 25 and second connector housing 19, comprising an axial movement component and a cirumferential rotational movement component. In the course of this combined relative movement, the latching projections 53 enter annular gap 27. In doing so, a rotational position as shown in Figure 3 is reached prior to latching. Upon further rotation of the rotary ring in the direction of rotational arrow A, the leading flanks 61 of the latching projections 53 contact the oblique areas 69 of the latching ribs 57. During further rotation of the rotary ring 25 in this direction, the resilient elasticity of rotary ring 25 causes the flattened tips of latching projections 53 to move onto the portion of the latching ribs 57 between the oblique flanks 69 of the latching ribs 57 and the oblique groove walls 67 of the latching recesses 55. Upon further rotation of rotary ring 25, the latching projections 53 finally become latched in the latching recesses 55. This condition is illustrated in Figure 4. When in the latched condition, an axially directed relative movement between the two connectors 13 and 15 occurs due to pressure changes within the connector assembly caused by temperature changes, this, in contrast to the latching method depicted in Figure 1, cannot lead to unlatching. Latching in the connected position of the connector assembly remains guaranteed with certainty. Care has to be taken only that the latching projections 53 and the latching recesses 57 have such positioning with respect to each other and are of such axial length that they remain in latching engagement also in case of such axial relative motions between both connectors 13 and 15 caused by pressure changes. Unlatching from the latched position shown in Figure 4 by rotation of rotary ring 25 in clockwise direction is facilitated again by the flanks 63 of the latching projections 53 acting as ramp slopes and by the oblique groove walls 67 of the latching recesses 55. An example of a connector assembly according to the invention with substantially rectangular connector housings is shown in Figures 5 to 12. This example is illustrated by way of a four-pole connector assembly. The invention, of course, is also applicable to connector assemblies having a different number of poles. Figure 5 shows a mating side plan view of a first housing 113 of a first connector 115. A slide 117 serving as operating member is disposed on housing 113 so as to be slidable relative to said housing 113 transversely of the mating direction of connector 115. Housing 113 has four juxtaposed contact receiving cavities 119 provided therein. Slide 117 is of substantially U-shaped configuration, having two free legs 121 and 123 interconnected by means of a web 125. In the inner wall of each of said two legs 121, 123, there are formed two arcuate guiding grooves 127, with each groove having an insertion opening 131 and 133, respectively. Depending on the desired transmission ratio, the guiding grooves may also be linear. While Figure 5 depicts only the insertion openings 131, 133, the side view of connector 115 with slide 117, as shown in Figure 6, illustrates the arcuate configuration of guiding grooves 127. The guiding grooves 127 at the closed ends thereof have end portions 135 extending parallel to the mating side end face 137. Figure 7 shows a second connector 139 adapted to be mated with the first connector 115. At both longitudinal sides 141 and 143 thereof, connector 139 is provided with two guiding projections 145 and 147, respectively, each, which upon mating of the two connectors are adapted to be introduced into guiding grooves 127 via the insertion openings 131, 133. By a sliding motion of the slide 117, the second connector 139 then is moved in mating direction relative to the first connector 115. Depending on the sliding direction of slide 117, this results in the two connectors 115, 119 being moved towards each other or away from each other. Figure 8 shows a side view of the narrow side of connector housing 113 located on the left side in Figure 6, with the slide 117 being disposed thereon. In the upper portion of Figure 8, the two longitudinal sidewalls of connector housing 113 are each provided with two guiding rails 149 engaging in pairs in one guiding channel 151 each which is located on the inside of the respectively opposed free leg 121, 123 of slide 117. With the aid of the guiding rails 149 and the guiding channels 151 the slide 117 is movable relative to housing 113 transversely of the mating direction. Each leg 121, 123 is provided with a spring tongue 153 in the region of its guiding channel 151 in the vicinity of its free end. Each spring tongue 153 is cut out from the sidewall of the associated guiding channel 151 and is connected to the associated sidewall of slide 117 only at the end shown on the left side in Figure 6. The spring tongues 153 thus are resilient transversely of the sliding direction of slide 117. Each spring tongue 153 has an upper tongue portion 155 with respect to Figure 6 and a lower tongue portion 157 with respect to Figure 6. Upper tongue portion 155 of each spring tongue 153 is provided with an inwardly projecting locking projection 159 in the region of the free end of spring tongue 153. The lower spring portion 157 of each spring tongue 153 is provided with a latching projection 161. In the embodiment shown, the upper tongue portion 155 and the locking projection 159 constitute essentially an L-shape. Latching projection 161 is substantially of triangular shape, with a flattened tip. The shape of the spring tongues 153 with their locking projections 159 and their latching projections 161 is visible particularly well in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 shows the profile of locking projections 159 and latching projections 161. Figure 12 clearly shows the distribution of locking projection 159 and latching projection 161 to the (with respect to Figure 6) upper tongue portion 155 and the (with respect to Figure 6) lower tongue portion 157 of the spring tongues 153, respectively. In Figure 11, the portion of the spring 153 provided with locking projection 159 is shown at the bottom, whereas the portion of the spring tongue 153 provided with latching projection 161 is shown at the top. Figure 9, depicting a side view of the housing 113 only, i.e. without slide 117, shows between the guiding rails 149 a locking cam 163 and a counter-latching projection 165. The locking cam 163 and the latching projection 165 are located on different sides on the one hand from a central line 167 between the two guiding rails 149 and on the other hand from a longitudinal axis 169 of housing 113. For providing symmetrical load conditions, the locking cam can be split to two locking cam parts each positioned adjacent one of the two guiding rails 149. The latching projection 165 then is disposed centrally between the guiding rails 149. The shape of the locking cams 163 and the counter-latching projections 165 can be gathered more exactly from Figure 10 showing a plan view of the housing 113 as seen from the cable insertion side. The (with respect to Figure 6) upper guiding rails 149 on both longitudinal sides of housing 113 are partly cut away for making the locking cams 163 and the counter-latching projections 165 visible. In an open position of slide 117, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, each locking projection 159 engages between a stop 171 and an elevation 173 of the associated locking cam 163. The slide 117 is thus locked in the open position so that it cannot be inadvertently detached from the housing 113. When the slide 117 is in the closed position in which guiding projections 145, 147 of the second connector 139 have reached the end portions 135 of the guiding grooves 127, the latching projection 161 on spring tongue 153 and the counter-latching projection 165 on housing 113 are latched with each other. Due to the fact that the slide 117 is latched with housing 113 in this position, the guiding projections 131 and 133 are retained in the arcuate guiding grooves 127 of the slide 117. The connector assembly with connectors 115 and 139 remains thus latched. Figure 8 shows a sealing ring 175 abutting a shoulder 175 of housing 113, said shoulder 175 being directed towards the complementary connector. When the two connectors 115 and 139 are in their mated condition, a mating side face end of the second connector 139 abuts said sealing ring 175. When a vacuum pressure is formed in the connector assembly due to temperature changes, the second connector 139, as in case of the known cylindrical connector assembly according to Figure 1, is urged closer towards the first connector 115, thus compressing the sealing ring 175. However, due to the fact that latching of the two connectors 115 and 139 with the aid of the latching projections 161 and the counter-latching projections 165 is effected transversely of the mating direction, this latching condition is not affected by a movement of the two connectors 115 and 139 towards each other that is caused by vacuum pressure. Latching of the two connectors 115 and 139 thus is not affected by pressure changes, in particular vacuum pressure.

Claims: A connector assembly (11) comprising two complementary connectors (13, 15; 115, 139) adapted to be mated in pluggable manner and having: a) a housing each containing a number of contact receiving cavities (59; 119), b) an operating member (25; 117) movable relative to said two housings transversely of the mating direction and being disposed on a first one (17; 113) of said two housings and partly receiving both housings in the mated condition of said two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139), c) either said operating member (25; 117) or said second housing being provided with at least one guiding groove (39; 127) extending obliquely with respect to the mating direction, and said second housing or said operating member (25; 117), respectively, being provided with a guiding projection (35; 145, 147) fitting into said guiding groove (39; 127), so that, when said guiding projection (35; 145, 147) engages in said guiding groove (39; 127), movement of said operating member (25; 117) causes the two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139) to be guided towards each other or away from each other depending on the direction of said movement, d) and comprising a latching means adapted to latch said operating member (25; 117) in a position in which said two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139) are in a mated position, e) said latching means comprising at least one first latching member (55, 57; 161), which extends transversely of the mating direction, and a second latching member (53; 165) on the housing of one of said two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139), which cooperates with said first-mentioned latching member and also extends transversely of the mating direction, one of the latching members being biasable in a direction transverse to the mating direction in order to enable latching engagement of the members, f) said latching members being in latching engagement with each other when said operating member (25; 117) is in its position effecting said mating position, characterized by g) a sealing ring (33; 175) disposed on one of said two housings for establishing a sealed connection between the two connectors (13, 15; 115, 139), h) the housing being of insulating material, i) said first latching member (55, 57; 101) being integral with said operating member (25, 117). A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said two housings (17, 19) each are of substantially cylindrical configuration, that said operating member is constituted by a rotary ring (25) adapted to be rotated about the cylinder axis, and in that said latching members (53, 55, 57) each extend in radial direction. A connector assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the second housing (15) or the rotary ring (25) is provided with a helical guiding groove (39) having an insertion opening (41) located on the mating side. A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the housings of the two connectors (115, 139) each are of substantially rectangular configuration, that said operating member is constituted by a slide (117) slidable transversely of the mating direction, and in that said latching members (161, 165) extend perpendicularly to the mating direction. A connector assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the housing of said second connector (139) or the slide (117) is provided with at least one linear or arcuate guiding groove (127) having an insertion opening (130, 133) located on the mating side. A connector assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said latching member on the operating member (25; 117) or on the housing (19; 113) is constituted by a latching projection (53; 161) extending in radial direction or transversely of the mating direction, respectively, and the latching member on the housing (19; 113) or on said operating member (25; 117), respectively, is constituted by a radial latching recess (55) that is complementary with respect to said latching projection (53; 161). A connector assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several pairs of cooperating latching members (53, 55; 161, 165) are distributed about the circumference of said operating member (25; 117) and the circumference of said housing (19; 113). A connector assembly according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that each latching recess (55) is formed in a latching rib (57) radially projecting from the inner circumference (31) proper of said operating member (25) or from the outer circumference (37) proper of the housing (19) and provided with a ramp (63) for the latching projection (53) on that circumferential side from which the latching projection (53), upon movement of said operating member (25; 117) into the latching position, moves towards said latching recess (55). A connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that one of said latching members is constituted by the guiding projection (35; 145, 147) and the other latching member is constituted by a latching elevation which upstands from the guiding groove bottom and is to be overcome by the guiding projection (35; 145, 147) when said operating member (25, 117) approaches its latched position. A connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that an additional latching means is constituted by a convex bulge (45) of the guiding groove wall (43) on the mating side and/or by a bend of the guiding groove (39) which is passed by the guiding projection (35) when the latter approaches the latched position, such that for unmating the two connectors (13, 15) by movement of the operating member (25) out of said latched position, the two connectors (13, 15) at first must be moved towards each other so that the guiding projection (35) is capable of overcoming the convex bulge (45) and/or the bend.

Inventors: BADERSCHNEIDER KURT PETER, KUEMPEL DIETRICH WILHELM, PFAFF MATTHIAS, BADERSCHNEIDER, KURT PETER, KUEMPEL, DIETRICH WILHELM, PFAFF, MATTHIAS, Kümpel, Dietrich Wilhelm
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R13