Lever-operated connector assembly with two complementary connectors

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric connector assembly (1) with two complementary connectors (2, 3) of which the first (2) comprises a socket (4) for receiving the second connector (3) and the second connector (3) comprises a pivotal lever (24) with a guide groove (27) which interacts with a guide peg (13) provided in the socket in such a way that the two connectors can be partially plugged when the lever is located in an entry position in which the guide peg can be inserted into the guide groove and in such a way that, owing to the operation of the lever, the guide peg moves along the guide grooves and the complementary connectors are completely plugged, wherein a second groove (28) is provided on the pivotal lever, and a second peg (14) is provided in the socket and wherein, on operation of the lever, the peg initially moves freely in the groove and groove and peg interact as from a specific lever position and the two connectors are plugged with restricted guidance.

Description: The invention relates to a lever-operated connector assembly with two complementary connectors of which the first includes a socket for receiving the second connector where either the first or the second connector has a pivotal lever with a guide groove that interacts with a guide peg provided on the other connector in such a way that the two connectors can be partially mated when the lever is located in an entry position and, owing to the operation of the lever, the guide peg moves along the guide groove and the complementary connectors are completely mated. A lever-operated connector assembly is known from EP 618 646 B1 A first connector is provided with a socket on which a lever is rotatably fastened. The lever has a substantially U-shaped configuration and includes a guide groove in each arm. The guide grooves interact with guide pegs located on the external walls of a complementary connector. DE 38 26 332 C1 discloses a lever operated connector assembly according to the preamble of claim 1. The lever has two grooves on one side and the complementary connector has two pegs that enter the grooves when the connectors are mated. When the lever is actuated both pegs cooperate with the walls of the groove and move along the grooves from the initial position of the lever to the end position of the lever. The grooves are so dimensioned that the pegs are in contact with the walls of the groove and interact with them. US 5,727,959 A also discloses a lever operated connector assembly, the lever having two grooves on one side and the connector having two pegs. But the lever in this design is first moved transversally from one side to the other like an actuating slide and then turned around its axis. Only during the sliding operation the second groove cooperates with the peg, during the turning operation of the lever only one groove and one peg cooperate. If optical fibre ends are to be connected to one another rather than simply to electric contacts, using a lever-operated connector of this type, it is necessary to ensure that the two connectors are completely mated so that the ends are properly positioned. The object of the invention is to provide a lever-operated connector assembly which ensures complete mating of the complementary connectors. The object is achieved by a connector assembly having the characteristics of claim 1. The sub-claims provide advantageous developments. It is customary to use, for example, lever-operated connector assemblies to reduce the mating forces. If a connector assembly includes optical fibre connections, in addition to electric connections, it is also necessary to compress the springs normally provided in optical fibre connectors that press the front faces of the optical fibres against one another during the mating process. It is therefore important to ensure that the two complementary connectors will be completely mated. With a lever-operated connector assembly, the connector inserted into the socket is guided only over the walls of the socket and the link blocks, so slight play is possible. Owing to the guidance by the guide pegs, a further degree of freedom, namely the movement round the axis, is provided by the guide pegs. The utilization of a second peg, and a corresponding groove, enable this degree of freedom also to be eliminated. This ensures that the connector to be inserted into the socket can subsequently be pressed into this socket by operation of the lever. Furthermore, as described above, the degree of freedom of the movement is eliminated and a precise orientation of the two connectors relative to one another thus ensured. As the additional groove only comes into engagement with the additional peg after the lever has already reached a predetermined lever position, after the entry position but before the end position of the lever, smooth running of the lever system is not impaired by the additional groove and the additional peg. On the other hand, an additional dwell pressure and more precise guidance by the lever are provided just before complete mating of the two connectors. A particular advantage is that the lever system runs smoothly and nevertheless allows an additional dwell pressure just before complete mating of the two connectors. This is achieved because the second groove has a region in which the second peg moves freely and comprises a lateral wall along which the second peg is guided when the lever is operated from a predetermined lever position to the end position. A further particular advantage is that both the operation of the lever for joining the connectors and the operation of the lever for separating the connectors takes place very uniformly and without hooking and particular extreme force. This is achieved in that the guide groove comprises two lateral walls with different curvatures and that the guide peg moves along one lateral wall on operation of the lever for connecting the connectors and moves along the other lateral wall on opening of the lever. A further particular advantage is that the lever is capable of locking in the entry position and in the end position. This is achieved in that complementary locking elements are provided on the lever and on the lever-carrying connector. A further particular advantage is that a respective lever of identical or symmetrical design is provided on opposing walls and the two levers are connected to one another at their free ends. This allows particularly uniform insertion of a connector into the socket. An exemplary embodiment will now be described with reference to the figures. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lever-operated connector assembly, the two connectors being shown separate from one another and the lever being shown in an entry position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in which the second connector is inserted partially into the first connector and the lever is located in the entry position. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through Fig. 2, wherein the external lateral wall of the socket has been removed, as indicated by the broken line A-A of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a cross-section along section line C-C in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section along section line B-B in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a lever-operated connector assembly wherein the two connectors are shown separated from one another and the lever is located in the end position. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lever-operated connector assembly in the completely mated state. Fig. 8 is a cross-section corresponding to Fig. 3 but in which the lever is located in the end position. Fig. 1 shows a lever-operated connector assembly 1. The connector assembly 1 consists of two complementary connectors 2 and 3. The first connector 2 comprises a socket 4 for receiving the second connector 3. The socket 4 consists of a tank-like casing with four lateral walls 5 to 8. The tank base 9 comprises contact blades 10 and contact pins toward the side of the tank. Contact pins 11, allowing for assembly to a circuit board, also project outwardly from the opposite side of the tank base. In addition to the contact blades 10 and contact pins, two pairs of optical fibre ends 12 are also provided in corresponding modules in the tank base. A guide peg 13 and a further peg 14 are located on the interior of two opposing lateral walls 6, 8 of the socket 4. A locking element 15 for locking the first connector 2 on a circuit board is located on the underside of the first connector 2 remote from the socket. In this embodiment, therefore, the first connector 2 is designed as a pin receptacle comprising optical modules in addition to the contact pins and blades. It is suitable for assembly on a circuit board. In the present embodiment, the second connector 3 is accordingly designed as a complementary housing. It also has sockets for two optical fibre modules 16 with two respective optical fibre ends. The second connector 3 also comprises sockets 17 for female modules and chambers 18 for further female contacts. The second connector 3 has a substantially cuboid configuration with lateral walls 19 to 22. On opposing lateral walls 20, 22 there is a respective anchor 23 on which a pivotal lever 24 is fastened. The pivotal levers 24 are connected to one another by a grip plate 26 at the free end 25 of the pivotal levers 24. The lever 24 has a plate-like configuration in the region of the lateral walls of the second connector 3 and comprises a first guide groove 27 and a second groove 28. These grooves 27, 28 can be designed both as recesses or as slots. Fig. 1 shows the lever 24 in the entry position. The lever comprises locking recesses 29 and 30. Each lateral wall 22, 22 comprises a corresponding extension 40 with a locking projection 31. The locking projection 31 locks in the locking recess 30 in the entry position. In this position, the second connector 3 can be partially inserted into the first connector 1. The guide peg 13 and the peg 14 are already partially inserted into the guide groove 27 or the groove 28 during introduction of the second connector 3 into the first connector 2. This state is shown in Fig. 3. The peg 14 is located in the groove 28 but without touching the groove walls. The guide peg 13 is located inside the guide groove 27 and strikes against the lateral wall 32 of the groove. To simplify insertion of the second connector 3 into the first connector 2, the second connector 2 has guide ribs 33 on the lateral walls 20 and 22. These guide ribs engage in corresponding guide grooves 34. For operating the lever 24, the lock between the locking projection 31 and the recess 30 is initially released. During further operation of the lever 24, the guide peg 13 slides along the lateral wall 32 of the guide groove 27. The peg 14 moves freely in the groove 28. After a certain predetermined angular position of the lever 24 is reached, the peg 14 slides along the lateral wall 35 from the upper end of the lateral wall 35 (see Fig. 3) to the lower end of the lateral wall 35. Once it has reached the lower end of the lateral wall 35, the lever is located in the final position. The guide peg 13 is then located in the end of the guide groove 27. The locking projection 31 is located in the locking recess 29 and the two connectors are completely mated. The fact that the peg 14 runs along the lateral wall 35 of the groove 28 ensures that the second connector 3 is also reliably located on the lower stop in the socket 4 of the first connector 2. Subsequent pressing is permitted by the additional groove and the additional peg. All degrees of freedom are also eliminated. The completely mated connectors are shown in Fig. 7 and 8. To ensure that the two connectors 2 and 3 also remain in this completely mated position, the grip plate 26 additionally locks with the lateral wall 7 of the first connector. Fig. 8 shows a corresponding section. The grip plate 26 comprises a flexible arm 36 which is actuable by a pressure on the free end 37 of the grip plate. On the lateral wall 7 of the first connector 2 is an angled chamfer 38 behind which the flexible arm 36 locks when the lever 24 is located in the end position. When the lever is opened, the guide peg 13 does not slide along the lateral wall 32 of the guide groove 27, but along the opposing lateral wall 39. The lateral walls 32 and 39 have different shapes, allowing particularly steady joining and opening of the connection. This also avoids the need to overcome relatively high peaks of force on operation of the lever. The lever 24 is locked in the end position via the locking projection 31 with the locking recess 29. The locking projection 31 is located on the extension 40 of the lateral wall 20 or 22 of the second connector 3. Rather than being provided on the second connector 3, the lever with the grooves can also be provided on the pin tank and the pegs accordingly on the female housing. Pegs and grooves can also be interchanged. In this case, the pegs would be provided on the lever and the grooves accordingly on the housing.

Claims: A lever-operated connector assembly (1) with two complementary connectors (2, 3) of which the first (2) comprises a socket (4) for receiving the second connector (3) and the second connector (3) comprises a pivotal lever (24) with two guide grooves (27, 28) which interact with two guide pegs (13, 14) provided in the socket in such a way that the two connectors can be partially mated when the lever is located in an entry position in which the guide pegs (13, 14) can be inserted into the guide grooves (27, 28), owing to the pivotal operation of the lever from the entry position to an end position, the first guide peg (13) moves along the first guide groove (27) and the complementary connectors are mated, characterised in that on operation of the lever (24) between the entry position and a predetermined angular position of the lever, the second peg (14) moves freely in the groove (28) and in that on operation of the lever (24) between the predetermined lever position and the end position of the lever the second groove (28) and peg (14) interact and the two connectors are completely mated with restricted guidance. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the second groove (28) has a region in which the second peg (14) moves freely and comprises a lateral wall (35) along which the second peg (14) is guided when the lever (24) is operated from a predetermined lever position to the end position. The connector assembly according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the guide groove (27) comprises two lateral walls (32, 39) with different curvatures and in that the guide peg (13) moves along one lateral wall (32) for connection of the connector (2, 3) on operation of the lever (24) and moves along the other lateral wall (39) on opening of the lever (24). The connector assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that complementary locking elements (29, 30, 31) which enable the lever (24) to lock in the entry position and in the end position are provided on the lever (24) and on the second connector (3). The connector assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that complementary locking elements (36, 38) which enable the lever (24) to lock in the completely plugged position of the two connectors (2, 3) and end position of the lever (24) are provided on the lever (24) and on the first connector (2). The connector assembly according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that one respective lever (24) is provided on opposing lateral walls of the connector (3) carrying the lever, the levers (24) being connected to one another at their free ends (25). The connector assembly according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that at least one of the connectors (2, 3) is modular in construction and comprises a module with electric contacts as well as a module with optical fibres.

Inventors: HAHN JOACHIM ALFRED, MATERN MATTHIAS, RIES ANNETTE CAROLA, HAHN, JOACHIM ALFRED, MATERN, MATTHIAS, RIES, ANNETTE CAROLA
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R13