Ring lock connector

Abstract: A connector is insertable into a hole in a base to securely mount therein while enabling removal and secure re-installation. The base hole has an undercut groove. A connector mount portion has a recess that holds a snap ring having a gap therein that allows the ring to contract during insertion bent to then expand to lock into the undercut groove in the base. An elastomeric spring ring lies between the bottom of the recess in the mount portion and the radially-inner surface of the snap ring to prevent the snap ring from falling off prior to installation of the connector. The spring ring is readily compressed when the snap ring is compressed during installation. A pair of contacts of the connector include vertical and horizontal portions connected by a middle portion that is bent at a right angle. The contacts are originally straight and inserted vertically into the connector, and then the top is pushed sidewardly to bend the middle portion against a corner portion of the frame. Thereafter, a cap part of the frame upper portion can be pivoted on a living hinge to a closed position.

Description: This invention relates to connectors in or for use with base structures to form securely locked assemblies. The invention also relates to methods of constructing such connectors. The invention is especially but not exclusively applicable to the connections made to automobile air bags. Automobile air bags are inflated by an initiator having a squib that is electrically ignited by currents from an initiator circuit. In a commonly used design, the initiator is mounted on the lower end of a base that has a hole whose upper end receives a connector. The connector has contacts that engage squib terminals, and that are connected through wires to the initiator circuit. Currently, the connector comprises a moulded frame with moulded-in retainer tines that lock into an undercut groove in the base hole. The connector cannot be removed from the base without permanently damaging the connector frame. A connector device is disclosed in European Patent Specification number 0050575 A1 in which a spring ring is employed to engage a concave recess on a mating port. A connector which could be securely locked in a base hole and yet which could be removed and re-used, would be of considerable value. Such connector construction would be useful not only in airbag squib connectors, but in other applications where secure locking and/or removable locking is required. According to the invention there is provided a connector for cooperation with a base, which base has a hole therein with a top and with an annular groove below the top, wherein the connector has a frame with a mount portion for fitting into the hole and a snap ring lying about the mount portion for snapping into the groove when the mount portion is installed on the base, characterised in that the snap ring is formed of non-elastic material and has a gap in it and the frame mount portion has a recess that holds the snap ring while allowing the snap ring to contract and expand and wherein the connector includes an easily radially compressed spring ring that is much more easily compressed than the snap ring and that lies between the snap ring and the mount portion to help prevent the snap ring from falling off the mount portion while allowing the snap ring to contract in diameter during its movement down into the hole until it snaps into the groove. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a connector is provided which can mount in a base that has a hole with a groove, wherein the connector can be securely locked in the base and preferably is removable and re-installable therein. The connector includes a frame having a mount portion for insertion in the base hole, the mount portion having an annular recess on its outside. A snap ring with a gap therein, lies in the recess. A continuous elastomeric spring ring lies in the recess immediately within the snap ring. The elastomeric spring ring keeps the snap ring centred on the mount portion to prevent its loss during handling, and yet enables large compression in the diameter of the snap ring during its installation. The connector contacts have vertically-extending and horizontally-extending portions connected by a middle portion having a substantially 90° bend. The contacts are originally straight, and are installed by inserting them vertically into a passage of the frame, and then bending the contacts so their upper portions are bent to extend horizontally. The frame has a corner portion against which the middle portion is bent. The contact middle portion can be provided with a protrusion that extends around the bend, to avoid spring-back after the contact has been bent. The upper portion of the contact includes a cap part connected to the rest of the upper portion by a living hinge, but narrower than the rest of upper portion. The cap part is latched closed after the spring contacts have been bent. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a connector assembly including a connector as previously defined and a base having a hole thereon with a top and with a substantially circular undercut groove below the top for receiving the mount portion of the frame and the rings, until the snap ring lies in the groove. The invention will be best understood from the following description of one exemplary embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a connector and base assembly showing them in a commonly used position and also indicating how a screwdriver blade can be used to remove the connector from the base; Figure 2 is an exploded isometric view of the connector and base of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the connector and base of Figure 2, shown in their fully assembled position; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the connector of Figure 3, taken on the line 4 - 4 thereof, but without the snap ring and spring ring thereof; Figure 5 is a view taken on the line 5 - 5 of Figure 3, with the cap part not shown; Figure 6 is a bottom view of the connector of Figure 4, with the rings installed thereon; Figure 7 is a plan view of the rings of the connector of Figure 3; Figure 8 is a partial sectional view of the connector and base of Figure 3, showing the connector during the course of its installation on the base; Figure 9 is a front elevation view of one of the contacts of the connector of Figure 3, showing it lying on a carrier strip; Figure 10 is a side elevation view of just the contact of Figure 9, and showing in phantom lines, how a portion of the contact can be bent; and Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11 - 11 of Figure 9. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates an assembly of a connector 12 and base 14. The base holds an initiator 16 which is used to inflate an airbag (not shown) in an automobile. The base 14 is often mounted in the orientation shown in Figure 1, although it can be mounted in other orientations. As shown in Figure 2, the base 14 which is formed of metal such as aluminum has a hole 20 for receiving a portion of the connector 12. The connector includes a moulded frame 22 with a mount portion 24 that can fit into the hole. A snap ring 26 on the mount portion 24, can snap into an undercut groove 30 formed in the base hole to resist removal of the connector after it has been installed. The frame has an upper portion 32 that lies on top of the base 14, with a pair of wires 34, 36 extending from the upper portion. The wires 34, 36 connect to contacts that engage corresponding terminals 94, 96 of the initiator, to carry current to the initiator when the airbag is to be inflated. The base hole has an axis 40 which is shown as extending vertically in all the drawings except for Figure 1. The terms such as "vertical, "horizontal", etc. are used in the following description of the invention to aid in describing the parts as shown in most of the drawings, but it should be understood that the connector and base can be used in other orientations with respect to gravity. As shown in Figure 3, the mount portion 24 of the connector frame has an annular recess 42 that holds the snap ring 26 to allow the snap ring to expand and contract radially with respect to the connector axis 44 (which lies concentric with the base hole axis 40 after installation). When the snap ring expands fully without constraint, it expands to the position shown at 26A, wherein it still lies within the recess 42, and the recess helps prevent the snap ring from falling off the connector. A spring ring 50 which is formed of soft elastomeric material, and which is shown as being in the form of an O-ring, lies radially between the snap ring 26 and the mount portion 24 of the frame. A major purpose of the spring ring 50 is to prevent loss of the snap ring 26 during handling, as will be described below. Figure 7 shows the shape of the snap ring 26 and of the spring ring 50 as viewed along the axis 44 of the connector. It can be seen that the snap ring 26 has a large gap 52 that extends by an angle of about 30° relative to the axis 44. This gap 52 is provided to enable considerable contraction of the snap ring to enable it to be installed in the base hole. The spring ring 50 is preferably continuous, without any gap. The radially outer surface or periphery 54 of the spring ring substantially abuts the radially inner surface or inside 56 of the snap ring, i.e. the snap ring lies closely around the spring ring. This assures that so long as the spring ring 50 remains concentric with the axis 44, the snap ring 26 will also remain concentric with the axis 44, to prevent the snap ring from falling off the connector mount portion. The spring ring 50 is constructed so it lies closely around the mount portion of the connector to keep it substantially concentric with the connector axis. Figure 8 shows the assembly during installation of the connector mount portion 24 in the base hole 20. The base hole has a top portion with a constriction location 60 where the hole is of minimal diameter above the groove 30. As the connector is pushed down, a bevelled surface 62 on the snap ring contracts the snap ring until the periphery 64 of the snap ring passes the constriction location. During such compression of the snap ring, the elastomeric spring ring 50 undergoes large compression and deformation, until it achieves the hat-shape cross-section shown, which includes an upstanding hat portion 66 which lies in a radially inner portion 68 of the recess 42, and a hat rim 70 which lies in the radially outer portion 72 of the recess. The radially outer portion of the recess has a greater length B parallel to the connector axis, than the length A of the radially inner portion 68. With the orientation of Figure 8, it may be said that the radially outer portion has a greater height B than the height A of the radially inner portion. The height B of the outer portion is chosen to position the snap ring, while the height A of the inner portion is chosen to position the spring ring near the middle of the height of the snap ring. The snap ring 26 is constructed of a non-elastomeric resilient material, and preferably of a high strength engineering plastic which has a Young's modulus at least on the order of 300,000 psi in tension and shear, and usually about 300,000 psi. A wide variety of engineering plastics can be used, such as a nylon, polystyrene, polyethersultone, polyetherimide, or polymethylmethacrylate. The elastomeric spring ring 50, on the other hand, is preferably formed of an elastomer, which has a Young's modulus on the order of 3,000 psi or less, and usually less than 3,000 psi. It is preferred to use a silicone rubber having a durometer of about 40, and a Young's modulus of about 500, which defines a soft rubber that can be easily deformed. Referring to Figure 8, it can be understood that when the periphery 64 of the snap ring passes down below the constriction 60, the bevelled upper surface 63 of the snap ring will snap into the groove 30 and securely retain the snap ring, and therefore the connector, to the base 14. Although it is preferred to use an elastomer for the spring ring, it is conceivable that the spring ring could have other constructions such as where it is formed of a helical spring. The construction of the snap ring enables removal of the connector from the base, and its re-installation in the base. Removal can be accomplished by applying a screwdriver as shown in Figure 1, so the tip of the blade 80 lies in a blade-receiving indentation 82 (Figure 3) at a first end 84 of the frame upper portion 32. The opposite second end 86 of the connector upper portion has a foot 88 that lies against the base 14. When a blade lies in the indentation 82 and is used to pry up the first end 84, the foot 88 near the extreme second end 86 minimises pivoting of the connector to facilitate contraction of the snap ring and its upward passage through the most constricted location along the base hole. As shown in Figure 5, the connector has two contacts 90, 92 which serve to connect a corresponding one of the wires 34, 36 to a corresponding one of two terminals 94, 96 (Figure 2) of the initiator. As shown in Figure 3, each contact such as 90 has vertically and horizontally extending portions 100, 102 lying in corresponding vertically and horizontally extending passage portions 104, 106 of a connector frame passage 108. The vertically and horizontally extending portions of the contact are joined by a middle portion 110 which forms a substantially 90° bend. The contact 90 is initially formed in the straight configuration shown in phantom lines at 90A, wherein the two elongated contact portions 100, 102 both extend vertically and the middle portion 110 is straight rather than bent. After the portion 100 is fully installed on the initiator terminal 94, the middle portion is bent by moving what is to be the horizontally-extending portion 102 along the curve shown at 113 to the final position. A convex wall or corner 112 of the frame lies closely within the bend and supports the contact middle portion during its bending. As shown in Figure 9, the contacts at 90A are formed from a metal sheet which includes a carrier 114, that holds multiple contacts together, which can be wound on to a spool. As shown in Figure 10, the contact has sidewardly extending portions 115, 116 that partially envelop the contact axis 118 (which is aligned with the connector axis when seen in Figure 3), except along the strip-like middle portion 110 where strip portions merge. By not forming the 90° bend until the vertically extending portion has been installed, the multiple contacts can be more easily handled when held on a single carrier 114. After the contact has been bent to its final position shown in Figure 3, a cap part 120 of the frame upper portion 32 is pivoted down about a living hinge 121 until it latches to a lower part 122 of the frame upper portion 32. Figure 4 shows latches or latch means 124 that snap below shoulders 126 on the lower part 122 of the frame. As shown in Figure 1, the cap part 120 is narrower than the lower part 122 of the frame upper portion. As a result, the lower part 122 surrounds the cap part, at least at its opposite sides 120a, 120b. This is advantageous in that it minimises exposed edges on which loose wires could snag. The middle part 110 (Figure 9) of the contact has an elongated protrusion 130 in the otherwise strip-shaped middle. The purpose of the protrusion is to minimise spring-back of the middle portion 110 after it has been bent about 90°. Referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that a ferrite element 140 is installed around each terminal 94, 96 of the initiator 16. A ferrite element, which is well known in the art, serves to add inductance to the terminal and contact, to minimise the spike of any pulsed current induced in the terminal. The terminal is largely shielded by the large metal base 14. However, electromagnetic energy can still pass largely downwardly through the hole constriction 60. The ferrite element tends to intercept much of such electromagnetic energy, by dissipating it to smooth out any spike. It may be noted that the initiator has a key at its top, which is received in a keyway 132 (Figure 6) formed at the bottom of the mount portion 24 of the connector frame. The size and shape of the base and initiator are generally fixed by automobile manufacturers, and the connector is designed to fit the base and initiator of given specifications. The particular automobile airbag initiator-holding base 14 has a hole whose constriction location 60 has a diameter of 0.436 inch, and relative other dimensions as illustrated in Figure 3. A connector of the illustrated configuration has been constructed which could be pulled out with a force of fifty pounds and thereafter reliably re-installed. Thus, the invention provides a connector which can be installed in a hole of a base and locked therein, and which can be removed and securely re-installed. The connector includes a frame with a mount portion having a recess, and a snap ring with a gap that lies within the recess and that is designed to snap into an undercut groove formed in a hole of the base. A spring ring, preferably of soft elastomeric material which is at least two orders of magnitude more deformable that the material of the snap ring, lies between the inside of the snap ring and the radially inner surface of the recess. The spring ring keeps the snap ring centred in the recess so it does not fall out during handling, and keeps the snap ring centred in the recess during installation to aid in such installation. The connector includes at least one contact with vertically and horizontally extending portions and a middle portion bent by about a 90° angle. The middle portion is bent against a convex wall of the frame, where vertically and horizontally extending passage portions of the frame meet. The frame includes an upper portion lying over the base and having a cap part that can pivot on a living hinge against a lower part, to cover the bent contact, the cap part preferably being narrower than the lower part and surrounded on opposite sides by the lower part. Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated herein various modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims: A connector for cooperation with a base, which base has a hole therein with a top and with an annular groove below the top, wherein the connector has a frame (22) with a mount portion (24) for fitting into the hole and a snap ring (26) lying about the mount portion for snapping into the groove when the mount portion is installed on the base, characterised in that the snap ring (26) is formed of non-elastic material and has a gap (52) in it and the frame mount portion (24) has a recess (42) that holds the snap ring while allowing the snap ring to contract and expand and wherein the connector includes an easily radially compressed spring ring (50) that is much more easily compressed than the snap ring (26) and that lies between the snap ring and the mount portion (24) to help prevent the snap ring from falling off the mount portion while allowing the snap ring to contract in diameter during its movement down into the hole until it snaps into the groove. A connector as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the spring ring (50) comprises a ring formed of elastomeric material. A connector as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the frame (22) is moulded to include the recess (42) which is of annular form, the spring ring (50) is of a continuous form lying closely in the annular recess (42) and the snap ring (26) is formed of a non-elastomeric resilient material and lies closely around the spring ring. A connector assembly characterised by a connector as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, and a base (14) having a hole (20) thereon with a top and with a substantially circular undercut groove (30) below the top for receiving the mount portion (24) of the frame (22) and the rings (26,50), until the snap ring lies in the groove. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the spring ring (50) is of smaller height than the snap ring (26) and the recess (42) in the mount structure has a radially outer portion (72) which closely guides the snap ring (26) in radial expansion and contraction, and has a radially inner portion (68) of smaller height, than the outer portion, with the spring ring lying partially in the inner portion. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the base hole (20) has a constriction location (60) of minimum diameter above the annular groove (30) and which the snap ring (26) must pass across during installation of the connector in the base and the recess (42) and rings (26,50) are constructed so that when the snap ring (26) lies within the constriction location (60) the spring ring is compressed into a hat-shape cross-section with the upstanding hat part (66) of the hat lying in the inner recess portion (68) and the hat rim (70) lying in the outer portion (72) of the recess. A connector, or assembly, as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the connector has at least one sheet metal contact (90,92) lying in the frame (22) and having vertically and horizontally extending portions (100, 102) and a middle portion (110) bent at substantially a right angle and wherein the frame has a vertically-extending passage portion (104) that closely receives the vertically-extending contact portion (100) and has a horizontally-extending passage portion (106) that received the horizontally-extending contact portion (102) and wherein the frame forms a convex wall (112) lying closely within the bend to support the contact bent middle portion (110) during its bending from a substantially straight configuration to substantially a right angle after the vertically-extending contact portion is inserted into the vertically extending passage portion. A connector, or assembly, as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the contact bent middle portion (110) comprises a flat strip portion (110) with an elongated protrusion in the strip portion extending around the bend of the middle portion whereby to minimize spring-back after bending. A connector, or assembly as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the frame has an upper portion (32) that lies over the base and that forms the horizontally-extending passage portion (106) the upper portion including a lower part (122) fixed to the mount portion and forming a lower half of the horizontal passage portion, and a cap part (120) forming a living hinge integral with the lower part and forming an upper half of the horizontal passage portion and wherein the cap part has latch means (124) for locking it against the lower part when pivoted about the living hinge. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the base hole (20) has an axis (40) and the spring ring has an axis (44) the main frame has an upper portion (32) which lies over the base (14) and which has first and second opposite ends (84,86), the first end having a recess (82) for receiving a screwdriver blade to pry out the connector from the base, and the second end (86) being spaced from the base except that the second end has an extreme second end portion (88) forming a foot which abuts the base when the axis of the spring ring is aligned with the axis of the base hole.

Inventors: MUZSLAY STEVEN ZOLTAN, MUZSLAY, STEVEN ZOLTAN
Applicants: ITT, ITT INDUSTRIES, INC. (A DELAWARE CORPORATION)
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: F16B21, B60R21, H01R13