Abstract:
The invention proposes an electrical plug-type connector for making contact with a mating plug-type connector, said plug-type connector having a displaceable locking and unlocking apparatus, which exerts a constant pressure on the apparatus by means of a double-sided torsion spring in such a way that the plug-type connector is forcibly locked when contact is made between said plug-type connector and the mating plug. 
     In this case, the pressure exerted by the torsion spring legs is transferred to two axially displaceable sliding posts, which are again part of the unlocking apparatus. Furthermore, the unlocking apparatus has two sliding arms, which can be displaced in a tongue-and-groove guide, at least in regions, within corresponding recesses and flush with respect to the side faces of the plug-type connector housing.

Description:
This is a national stage of PCT/CN11/078442 filed Aug. 16, 2011 and published in English, which hereby incorporated by reference. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     The invention relates to a locking apparatus for an electrical plug-type connector, said plug-type connector being formed from a two-part housing with a cable connection side for electrical cables and a plug-in side formed from a printed circuit board and having electrical contacts, for making direct contact with a mating plug with the electrical contacts thereof, the plug-type connector being forcibly locked when plugged with the mating plug. 
     Such an electrical plug-type connector, which is also referred to as a QSFP plug-type connector, is required for transmitting signals at high bit rates, as required in Ethernet, for example. Such plug-type connectors are designed for twin-axial copper lines and also for optical waveguides and are used, for example, in a computer center or a switching center for connecting switches and computer units installed in switchgear cabinets to one another. 
     PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,699,641 B2 has disclosed an electrical plug-type connector module with an unlocking mechanism, with locking with respect to a mating plug taking place by means of two springs, which are arranged on two side walls of the plug-type connector module and which encounter the locking mechanism. 
     PROBLEM 
     The invention is therefore based on the problem of equipping a QSFP plug-type connector with an unproblematic locking and unlocking device and of presenting said QSFP plug-type connector in such a way that it can be manipulated easily. 
     This problem is solved by virtue of the fact that the two-part housing comprises a base housing and a housing upper part, within which a displaceable locking device is arranged, that the locking device has two sliding posts, on which a torsion spring acts, said torsion spring having two spring limbs and bringing about forced locking, acting in the axial direction, with the mating plug, and that the locking is released with an axially reversible movement counter to the spring action. 
     Advantageous configurations of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. 
     The invention relates to a shielded, electrical plug-type connector for high-frequency data transmissions using gigabit Ethernet technology. These plug-type connectors are extremely slim, with optical fibers and also copper wires being provided as transmission medium. The version described here uses passive copper lines which have the advantage over the fiberoptic variants of a lower current consumption. 
     The plug-in side of these so-called QSFP (QSFP=Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable) plug-type connectors has a pluggable printed circuit board, for making contact with corresponding contacts of a mating plug. 
     The plug-type connector housings are metallically shielding and are equipped with an unlocking mechanism, which can be actuated by means of a pull lug provided on the cable connection side. 
     In this case, the configuration and dimensions of the plug-in side of the plug-type connector housings are predetermined as standard. Such a plug-type connector is connected to a so-called cage, namely a cage-like, shielding mating plug, which is generally constructed in turn within a housing for switches, routers or bus adapters, i.e. in equipment in the Ethernet sector, directly on printed circuit boards, wherein the plug-type connectors can be inserted into corresponding openings in the housing and are forcibly latched with the mating plug there during insertion. 
     In addition, a spring-loaded locking mechanism with a pull lug for unlocking from the mating plug is provided. In this case, it is particularly advantageous that the locking device is arranged in the interior of the plug housing, in contrast to the prior art, with the result that parts of the locking mechanism which would otherwise be on the outside cannot be bent or damaged. 
     No further details are given in relation to the cable tie between the individual signal wires since this appears to be of no further relevance here. Mention is merely made of the fact that the individual signal wires are arranged in such a way as to be combined and potted as a block and so as to make contact with the printed circuit board. In this case, the contact tracks protruding on the plug-in side on the printed circuit board touch corresponding electric contacts of a mating plug. 
     The plug-type connector, which in this case is formed in two parts from a base housing and an upper housing and has a printed circuit board arranged in the interior for signal transmission, is advantageously hooked in by means of a mechanism formed on its plug-in side, assembled and screwed by means of two screws. 
     In this case, it has proven to be advantageous to use a torsion spring, by means of which the locking device initially performs a forced locking when the plug-type connector is plugged together with the mating plug. 
     For this purpose, the torsion spring is held in a separate spring chamber in the upper housing on a rotary journal, with the result that the spring limbs of the spring are initially directed at an angle towards the outer walls of the housing. 
     The locking device arranged within the two housing parts has two sliding posts, which each reach into the spring chamber in the upper housing through a slot. In this case, the spring limbs act on these sliding posts in such a way that the locking device is continuously pressed in the plug-in direction, and therefore is forcibly latched with the mating plug when the plugging operation of the plug-type connector is complete. 
     With a pulling movement on the pull lug in the opposite direction to the plug-in direction, the locking is released and the plug-type connector can be removed from the mating plug. 
     The locking device has two sliding arms with which it is guided axially within a corresponding recess in the side walls, advantageously in a tongue-and-groove guide, in sliding fashion between the two housings. 
    
    
     
       EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT 
       An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be explained in more detail below. In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  shows a plug-type connector according to the invention with a mating plug, 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded illustration of the plug-type connectors, 
         FIG. 3  shows an individual base housing, 
         FIG. 4   a  shows an individual upper housing from the outside, 
         FIG. 4   b  shows an individual upper housing from the inside, 
         FIG. 5   a  shows an unlocking device containing the plug-type connector, 
         FIG. 5   b  shows the unlocking device shown in  FIG. 5   a , rotated through 180°, 
         FIG. 6  shows a pull lug provided for unlocking, 
         FIG. 7  shows a torsion spring, and 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematic view of the cable tie in the plug-type connector. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows an electrical plug-type connector  100  according to the invention and a cage-like mating plug  10  provided therefor. The plug-type connector  100  is formed from two housing halves, namely a base housing  200  and an upper housing  300 , which each have a plug-in side  102  and a connection side  104 . 
     An unlocking device  400 , which can be displaced through a certain axial range by means of a pull lug  600 , is arranged within the two housing parts. 
     In this case, the pull lug  600  can be inserted into the locking device  400  on both sides (in this case at the top or at the bottom) of the data cable  710 , which has been inserted into the plug-type connector, depending on the application case. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded illustration of an overview of the individual parts belonging to the plug-type connector. 
     Said figure firstly shows the base housing  200  with the upper housing  300  shown above this, with a plug-in printed circuit board  700  with a connecting conductor block  750  attached thereto and a data cable  710  as well as strain relief  720  surrounding the data cable being inserted between said housings. In the upper housing  300 , a torsion spring  500  has been inserted in a spring chamber  305 . 
     Furthermore, an unlocking device  400  with the pull tab  600  is shown. 
     The base housing  200  is illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 3  and has a half-open housing with two side walls  202 ,  202 ′ and a strain relief holder  209 , which is integrally formed on the cable connection side and an open plug-in side  102 . 
     A step-like formation  206  is provided on the inside of the side walls  202 ,  202 ′ in the front region of the base housing  200 , namely the region pointing towards the plug-in side, with the plug-in printed circuit board  700  resting on said step-like formation when said plug-in printed circuit board is inserted into the plug-type connector  100 , while two supports  309 ,  309 ′ are provided in the upper housing  300 , said supports fixing the plug-in printed circuit board  700  from the other side. The fixing of the plug-in printed circuit board on the plug-in side  102  is important because contact is made with the mating plug  10  using the electrical contacts  701  located on said plug-in printed circuit board. 
     In order to provide an EMC-proof housing, stepped shoulders  207 ,  317  are provided on the edges of the side walls  202 ,  202 ′ and also on the edges of the side walls  302 ,  302 ′ of the upper housing  300 , said shoulders engaging one inside the other when the two housing parts  200 ,  300  are fitted, so as to produce a type of labyrinth seal. 
       FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  show the upper housing  300 , with the inside of the upper housing being denoted by the reference symbol  300 ′. The outside of the upper housing, with the reference symbol  300 , is illustrated, with the plug-in side  102  and the cable connection side  104 . 
     A spring chamber  305  is integrated on the cable connection side  104  in  FIG. 4   a , with a torsion spring  500  being fixed in said spring chamber by means of a guiding post  307 . 
     For this purpose, the torsion spring  500  which is illustrated in enlarged form in  FIG. 7  has two spring legs  501 , which are connected to one another via a central rotary loop  502 . 
     The ends of the spring legs have only a restricted amount of play within the spring chambers, with said ends preferably being pressed in each case against the outer wall  304 ,  304 ′. 
     Next to the outer walls  304 ,  304 ′, guide slots  306  are let into the spring chamber, with sliding posts  405  of the unlocking device  400  being guided displaceably in said guide slots. 
     The unlocking device  400  is shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , with the unlocking device in  FIG. 5   b  being illustrated such that it is rotated through 180° with respect to that shown in  FIG. 5   a.    
     In this case, two sliding arms  403 ,  403 ′ are connected to one another in the form of a U by a central part  406 , the sliding arms  403 ,  403 ′ being connected so as to be perpendicular to one another and integrally with the edges and the central part  406  arranged horizontally above this. 
     In the central region of the sliding arms  403 ,  403 ′, on both sides on the edges of the guide rails  402 ,  402 ′ are integrally formed, said guide rails ensuring secure guidance of the sliding element  400  in recesses on both sides on the narrow sides of the plug-type connector  100 . 
     In each case unlocking elements  401  are integrally formed on the free ends of the sliding arms  403 ,  403 ′, said unlocking elements being provided with an unlocking bevel  401 ′. 
     The unlocking element  401  is arranged in a cutout  407  as an extension of the longitudinal recess  204  in the side wall  202  of the base element  200 , whereas the latching edges  408  and  409  are provided in front of the cutout  407  in the longitudinal recess  204  of the base housing  200  and the longitudinal recess  312  of the upper housing, with a locking hook of the mating plug  10  latching behind said latching edges. When the unlocking device  400  is drawn back, the unlocking bevel  401 ′ of the unlocking hook  401  hits the locking hook of the mating plug  10  (not shown here) and withdraws it from the cutout  407 . 
     Furthermore, the central part  406  has two sliding posts  405 , which are parallel to one another and are perpendicular to the plane and can slide along, again within the spring chamber  305 , in the guide slots  306  provided there and, from the spring legs  501  acting thereon of the torsion spring  500 , press the unlocking device  400  continuously in the plug-in direction of the electrical plug-type connector  100 . This results in forced locking of the locking hook in and with the mating plug. 
     The pull tab  600  with the actual tab  603  for unlocking the plug-type connector  100  from the mating plug  10  is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The connection between the locking device  400  and the pull tab  600  is performed by in each case two fastening cams  602  on the holding arms  601  of the pull lug, said fastening cams latching into correspondingly shaped fastening openings  404 ,  404 ′ in the sliding arms  403 ,  403 ′ of the locking device. 
       FIG. 7  once again shows the torsion spring  500  separately with its two spring legs  501 , which are bent back to the side out of a rotary loop  502  in the center. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , with the plug-side contacts  701  for making contact with the mating plug are arranged on a printed circuit board  700 , which is arranged in the front plug-in region of the plug-type connector  100 , said contacts being connected to the individual signal conductors of the data cable  710 , which is supplied to the cable connection side  104 , and initially to conductor tracks on the printed circuit board  700 . In this case, the signal conductors not shown in any more detail here are potted by means of a curing compound, with the result that a type of block  750  is produced which can be inserted with a precise fit into the two housing parts  200 ,  300 . 
     On the cable connection side  104 , the data cable  710  is held, towards the outside, by means of the strain relief  720 , which is likewise fixed within the two housing parts  200 ,  300  within a recess  316 , while the cable shield  715  with the cable fixing  209  ensures electrical contact between the cable shield and the metallic housing of the plug-type connector  100  in the interior of the two housings  200 ,  300 . 
     On the plug-in side, the two housing parts have an open latch-in mechanism, with both parts shaped correspondingly to one another, comprising a hook  301 ,  301 ′ on the upper housing  300 , said hook latching into a recess  201 ,  201 ′ in the base housing  200 , with the housing parts initially being hooked with respect to one another by means of said hook, then being assembled and finally being fixed with respect to one another using two screws  320 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
         Electrical plug-type connector 
           10  Mating plug 
           100  Electrical plug-type connector 
           102  Plug-in side 
           104  Cable connection side 
           200  Base housing 
           201 ,  201 ′ Recess left-right for  301   
           202 ,  202 ′ Side wall, bottom 
           203  Sliding groove, bottom for  402   
           204  Lower side recess for  400   
           205  Guide slot for  400   
           206  Supporting edge for printed circuit board 
           207  Labyrinth seal, groove 
           208  Screw holes 
           209  Cable fixing means 
           300  Upper housing  1  (outside) 
           301 ,  301 ′ Hook for recess 1-r  201   
           302  Side wall, top 
         
           303 
         
           304 ,  304 ′ Outer wall of spring chamber 
           305  Spring chamber 
           306  Guide slot for  405   
           307  guiding post 
           308  Slot for spring tool 
           309 ,  309 ′ Support for printed circuit board 
           300 ′ Upper housing  2  (inside) 
           311  Screw-type bore 
           312  Sliding region for unlocking 
           313  Sliding groove at top for  402   
           314  Upper lateral recess for  400   
           315  Cable fastening means 
           316  Recess for strain relief 
           317  Opposing labyrinth seal, spring 
           320  Screws 
           400  Unlocking device 
           401  Unlocking hook 
           401 ′ Unlocking bevel 
           402 ,  402 ′ Guide rail 
           403 ,  403 ′ Sliding arm 
           404 ,  404 ′ Openings for fastening cams 
           405  Sliding posts 
           406  Central part, connection 
           407  Cutout for unlocking hook  401   
           408  Latching edge in  200  for ext. locking hook 
           409  Latching edge in  300  for ext. locking hook 
           500  Torsion spring 
           501  Spring leg 
           502  Rotary loop 
           600  Pull lug 
           601  Holding arms 
           602  Fastening cams in  404   
           603  (Lug)pull tab 
           700  Plug-in printed circuit board (printed circuit board) 
           701  Plug-in side contacts 
           710  Data cable 
           715  Shield 
           720  strain relief 
           750  Connecting conductor block, in contact/enveloped