Abstract:
A plug connector ( 11, 12 ), having a body ( 13, 16 ) with boreholes containing contacts ( 14, 15 ), and a detent ( 23 - 26 ) that protrudes into the boreholes ( 21, 22 ) behind a contact collar ( 65 ). To make possible the locking insertion of not only thicker and therefore relatively stiff cables but also of such thin cables, for example those that are braided, which due to their relatively small cross section easily buckle when stressed in the sliding longitudinal direction, it is provided that the detent ( 23 - 26 ) can be inserted into the borehole ( 21, 22 ) in two successive positions, whereby in the first, preliminary locking position, the deflection resistance of the detent ( 23, 26 ) is smaller than it is when bringing the plug contact ( 14, 13 ) into the second, and final locking position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Applicant claims priority from German patent application no. 10 2007 039 307.7 filed Aug. 10, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a plug connector in accordance with the preamble of claim  1 . 
         [0003]    In a plug connector that is known from DE 42 06 974 C1, the detent has a clip arm, whose deflection resistance opposes the male or female plug contact being inserted into the housing via a crimped cable and being locked there. This force employed for a locking insertion of a male or female plug contact may only be applied if the cable connected with this contact is relatively stiff, so that when it is inserted it does not buckle. However, a cable having a thinner cross-section will buckle, especially if it is in the form of braids, so that a tool must be used to achieve a locking insertion of this kind of contact. 
         [0004]    In another known plug connector, the contacts are inserted loose and then are locked in place. The disadvantage in—this lies in the fact that it is difficult to keep these contacts, which have been inserted into a plug connector loose, in place long enough to carry out the locking process. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it is the objective of the present invention to create a plug connector of the aforementioned type which in a simple manner avoids the aforementioned disadvantages and makes possible the locking insertion of not only thicker and therefore relatively stiff cables but also of such thin cables, for example those that are braided, which due to their relatively small cross-section easily buckle when stress is applied in the sliding longitudinal direction. 
         [0006]    Only minimal retention forces are necessary to retain “thin cables” in the preliminary locking position. In the case of “thicker cables,” this retaining force is too small. The cables would slip out, and so they have to be placed in the end position. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    As a result of the measures according to the present invention, the detent for the plug connector has a first stage, a preliminary locking position, in which cables that buckle easily can be inserted without difficulty because they can overcome the relatively small deflection resistance of the detent without buckling. In the case of cables of this type, the detent is subsequently placed in its final locking position as the second stage. In the case of cables that are relatively stiff, either due to their cross-section or due to the fact that the core is made of solid material, the detent can be immediately placed in its final locking position, in which it can be deflected by such a relatively stiff cable to lock the contact. A further advantage of the aforementioned measures according to the present invention lies in the fact that although the cables, and the male or female plug contacts, are held in the final locking position and therefore can no longer be pulled out, nevertheless they may be pulled out of the housing without difficulty undamaged after a backward motion of the detent from its final locking position into its preliminary locking position by the overcoming of a certain locking resistance. The contacts therefore can be both installed and removed without tools. 
         [0008]    According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a simple manipulation of the detent is sufficient to move it into its two locking positions. 
         [0009]    The detent in a simple manipulation can be brought from its final locking position back into its preliminary locking position. 
         [0010]    An individual detent notch or both detent notches can accomplish their function with respect to the locking reception of the detent collar of the male or female plug contact. 
         [0011]    The preliminary locking position of the rear detent notch is retained in limited fashion and in the withdrawal direction of the detent, i.e., in the opposite direction, from the final locking step to the preliminary locking step, the front detent notch prevents an unintended complete removal of the slider from the insulating body. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, when a male or female plug contact is inserted into the insulating body the detent in its final locking position between the two guide bars can be deflected in spring-like fashion over the central area of the detent plate. 
         [0013]    Both the insertion of male or female plug contacts as well as the removal in the preliminary locking position are simplified with respect to the force that is necessary to be applied. 
         [0014]    Advantageous embodiments with respect to the arrangement of multiple rows and/or columns of male or female plug contacts, or with respect to a modular construction of the plug connector, emerge from the features of the invention. 
         [0015]    The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of a plug connector device made up of a first plug connector having female plug contacts situated above and next to each other and a second plug connector having male plug contacts situated above and next to each other, in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the insulating body of the first plug connector without detent and in a position that is rotated by 180° from  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are enlarged isometric views of the detent of the plug connector device of  FIG. 1 , which can be slid into the insulating body, in a standing or lying arrangement. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  depicts a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  depicts a cutaway view along the line V-V of  FIG. 1 , but in the preliminary locking position of one detent and in the final locking position of the other detent. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a partial isometric view showing a detent bar of  FIG. 3A  approaching the area behind the rear of a contact collar. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Plug connector device  10 , depicted in the drawing in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is made up of a plug connector  11  having female plug contacts  14  and a mating plug connector  12  having male plug contacts  15 . Both in the case of plug connector  11  as well as in the case of mating plug connector  12 , four female plug contacts  14  and male plug contacts  15 , arranged in pairs so as to lie next to each other, i.e. forming a square, are arranged in one insulating body  13  or  16 , which constitutes a housing. 
         [0023]    Insulating bodies  13  and  16  are configured so that they each with their front end  17  or  18  (female or male attachment) can plug into the other in locking fashion. During such plugging, the front ends of female plug contacts  14  and male plug contacts  15  are simultaneously inserted into each other. The female plug contacts  14  and male plug contacts  15  are each connected in crimped fashion to a cable (not shown) and are inserted into boreholes  21  and  22  in rear ends  19  and  20  of plug connector  11  and mating plug connector  12 . The contacts are retained in their respective insulating body  13  and  16  by a detent  23  and  24  or  25  and  26 . Both plug connector  11  as well as mating plug connector  12  have identical detents  23  to  26 . The detents lie on opposite sidewalls  27  and  28  or  29  and  30  of main part  31  and  32  of insulating body  13  and  16 , situated between front end  17  and  18  and rear end  19  and  20 . Thus it is sufficient in what follows for further depiction of the invention if only plug connector  11  is described with its detents  23  and  24 . 
         [0024]    Detent  24 , depicted in detail in partial  FIGS. 3A and 3B , has the shape of a detent slider  36 , which has an activation plate  37 . A guide plate  38  and two detent plate  39  and  40  are provided on the activation plate  37 . Each detent plate has detent elements  41 . Guide plate  38  and detent plates  39  and  40  are each of equal length, whereby detent plates  39  and  40  as well as their detent elements  41  are identical. Guide plate  38  and exterior detent plate  40  lie at the side edges of activation plate  37 , which is essentially rectangular, whereas detent plate  39  is arranged roughly in the center. Guide plate  38  and detent plates  39 ,  40  are also configured so as to be rectangular, whereby the longitudinal side runs in direction A and B of the sliding motion. Detent elements  41  of detent plate  39  and  40  are arranged on the lateral surface that is facing guide plate  38  and central detent plate  39 . 
         [0025]    Detent elements  41 , which are identical in detent plates  39 ,  40 , each has a detent bar  42 , which runs in the longitudinal direction of detent plates  39 ,  40  and is arranged roughly laterally in the center. The length of detent bar  42  roughly corresponds to the length of detent plate  39  and  40 . At the front end, in the direction of motion A or B, detent bar  42  has a guide bevel  43 , which acts in direction of motion A and B, and on both sides a chamfer  44  and  45 . Detent element  41  also has a front detent projection  46  in direction of motion A and B and a rear detent projection  47 , which are arranged at a specific distance from each other. Front detent projection  46  is configured so as to be roughly wedge shaped, whereby the wedge surface is situated forward in the direction of motion, whereas rear detent projection  47  is configured so as to be roughly semicylindrical. Detent projections  46  and  47  protrude diagonally with respect to direction of motion A and B beyond guide surface  48  of detent bar  42 . Detent elements  41  together constitute one integral piece along with detent plates  39  and  40 , whereby detent slider  36  in its totality is configured in one piece and is made of plastic. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  depicts in greater detail the configuration of insulating body  13  and its main part  31  (which is identical to main part  32  of insulating body  16 ). The body main part  31  receives detent slider  36  of detent  24 . For this purpose, main part  31  of insulating body  13  is provided with a guide slot  58  for guide plate  38  and with detent slots  59 ,  62  for detent plates  39  and  40 , including detent bars  42 . All slots  58  to  60  protrude through the wall of main part  31  transverse with respect to the longitudinal extension of boreholes  21  and, according to  FIG. 5 , over the entire diameter of boreholes  21 . In this context, detent slots  59  and  60  each partially intersect assigned boreholes  21 , whereas guide slot  58  ( FIG. 2 ) runs past borehole  21 . Slots  58  and  60  begin at the base of a recess  51  that is provided in relevant sidewall  28 , in which activation plate  37  is accommodated in its final locking position. Recess  51  ( FIG. 2 ) is open at front end  17  of insulating body  13 , so that activation plate  37  can be grasped and moved in accordance with arrows A and B. 
         [0027]    Detent plates  39  and  40  each have on their side surface facing away from detent elements  41  two parallel longitudinal bars  53  and  54  ( FIG. 4 ), which essentially run over the entire length of detent plates  39 ,  40  and which are arranged in the vicinity of the transverse edges of detent plates  39 ,  40 . 
         [0028]    Identically configured detent slots  59  and  60  ( FIG. 2 ) are made up of a longitudinally running elongated rectangular slot part  61  and a transverse slot part  62 , perpendicular thereto in the longitudinal center. The length of longitudinal slot part  61  corresponds to the width of detent plate  39 ,  40 , whereas the width of longitudinal slot part  61  is equal to the thickness of detent plate  39 ,  40 , including longitudinal bars  53 ,  54 , as can be seen in  FIG. 4 . The width of transverse slot part  62  ( FIG. 2 ) corresponds to the width of detent bar  42  of detent elements  41 , which also applies to the depth of transverse slot part  62  in relation to the thickness of detent bar  42 . In other words, clearance h of longitudinal slot part  61  and transverse slot part  62 , added together, is equal to thickness d ( FIG. 3A ) of detent plate  39 ,  40  plus that of longitudinal bars  53 ,  54  and of detent bar  42 , in other words without the protruding amount of detent projections  46 ,  47 . 
         [0029]    As can be seen from  FIG. 5 , longitudinal slot part  61  of detent slots  59 ,  60  runs past its respective borehole  21 , whereas transverse slot part  62  intersects its respective borehole  21 . In addition, it is depicted that detent slider  36  of respective detent  24  can occupy a first, or preliminary locking position, which is depicted in  FIG. 5  on top, and a final locking position, going further in the direction of motion A and B, which is depicted in  FIG. 5  on the bottom. While in the “top” preliminary locking position, activation plate  37  of detent slider  36  is arranged at a distance from relevant sidewall  28 . The projection  46  projects a small distance J into the borehole  21 . In the “bottom” final locking position, activation plate  37  of detent slider  36  is accommodated in recess  51  of relevant sidewall  27  in a form-locking manner. The projection  47  then projects a further distance K into the borehole  21 . 
         [0030]    In the preliminary locking position, front detent projection  46  grips the end of transverse slot part  62  that opens into borehole  21  from behind, whereas rear detent projection  47 , due to the lesser depth of transverse slot part  62 , makes contact at its open edge in recess  51 . In this way, due to rear detent projection  47 , the result is a defined first locking action in the preliminary locking position. Due to front detent projection  46 , an undesirable withdrawal of detent slider  36  from insulating body  13  is prevented in the event that detent slider  36  is brought from the final locking position to the preliminary locking position in direction of motion A or B. 
         [0031]    In the final locking position, as defined by the contact of activation plate  37  within recess  51 , rear detent projection  47  grips the edge of transverse slot part  62 , that opens into borehole  21 , from behind. 
         [0032]    As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , both female plug contacts  14  as well as male plug contacts  15 , have front end  66 ,  67  which facilitate insertion connection into the respective other end  67 ,  66 . Their rear crimping end  68 ,  69  are for the crimping attachment of a cable, and have a larger-diameter detent collar  65 . The collar exterior diameters essentially correspond to the interior diameter of boreholes  21 ,  22 . The same applies to a rear collar  64  at crimping end  68 ,  69 , which exclusively performs guide tasks during the insertion of female plug contacts or male plug contacts. Front detent collar  65 , assisted by a cable connected thereto, facilitates the locking retention of contacts  14 ,  15  within insulating body  13 ,  16  with the assistance of detents  23 ,  24  or  25 ,  26 . As can be seen, detent collar  65  ( FIG. 4 ) of contacts  14 ,  15  is in a locking position in insertion direction C behind the cutaway line of boreholes  21 ,  24  and transverse slot part  62 , i.e., behind respective detent elements  41  ( FIG. 3B ) (detent bar  42  and detent projections  46 ,  47 ) which engage in boreholes  21 ,  22 . 
         [0033]    If detent slider  36  is in its preliminary locking position, as seen in the upper part of  FIG. 5 , and if then a female plug contact  14  ( FIG. 4 ) is inserted by being pushed onto a cable, connected thereto, in the direction of arrow C, then detent collar  65  in opposition to the detent effect of front detent projection  46  ( FIG. 5 ), which is deflected, is brought behind front detent projection  46  in locking fashion, whereby at another location within insulating body  13  a limit stop is provided for female plug contact  14 . This deflecting of front detent projection  46  during the insertion motion in the direction of arrow-C of a female plug contact  14  via or by means of a cable is associated with relatively small deflection resistance, which could also be overcome in the other direction for purposes of removal. An unintended withdrawal of female plug contact  14 , however, is prevented. In addition, the deflection resistance in direction of insertion motion C is so small that, in the case of a female plug contact  14  or male plug contact  15 , which is connected to a very thin cable and therefore one possessing minimal breaking resistance, for example a braided cable, the grasping of the cable during insertion does not lead to buckling. 
         [0034]    After this preliminary locking position, detent slider  36  is brought into its final locking position in the direction of arrow A and B, in which detent bar  46  and both detent projection  46 ,  47  grasp detent collar  65  from behind, as can be seen from the lower part of  FIG. 5 , so that a withdrawal of contact  14 ,  15  by the cable is not possible without destruction. 
         [0035]    If a cable that has greater buckling resistance is inserted into insulating body  13 ,  14 , for example, one that is thicker or has a solid-wire cross-section, then detent slider  36  can be in the final locking position immediately. By deflecting detent bar  42  and by bending detent plate  39 ,  40  between longitudinal bars  53 ,  54 , it is achieved that detent collar  65  can arrive behind detent bar  42  and detent projections  46 ,  47  of relevant detent sliders  36 . This relatively greater deflection force can be overcome without difficulty during the insertion process by using a cable that has greater buckling resistance, without the cable buckling. In this final locking position, the cable cannot be withdrawn without destroying t, as was mentioned. In the event that a contact  14 , of this type is able to be withdrawn, detent slider  36  is returned from its final locking position to its preliminary locking position. 
         [0036]    Usually, depending on the thickness at rear crimping end  68 ,  69  of the cable being used, or attached, female plug contacts  14  and male plug contacts  15  are used that have varying interior diameters for receiving the insulated conductor of the cable and that have various exterior diameters, beyond which crimping results. However, the -arrangement and the exterior diameter of detent collar  65  as well as of rear guide collar  64  remains the same. Therefore, in every case, between the exterior diameter of rear crimping end  68 ,  69  and the exterior diameter of detent collar  65  there remains a sufficient annular surface behind which detent bar  46  and detent notches  46 ,  47  of detent slider  36  engage. 
         [0037]    From the exemplary embodiment depicted, it can be seen that in each case a detent slider  36  is assigned to two adjoining boreholes  21 ,  22  and contacts  14 ,  15 , so that in a plug connector  11 ,  12  having four contacts  14 ,  15  that are arranged along a square, two locking sliders  36  are used that can be attached to opposite sidewalls  27 ,  28 . 
         [0038]    According to one un-depicted exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by way of example, four, six, or more contacts  14 ,  15  are arranged in a row, so that one detent slider  36  is assigned to each pair of two adjacent contacts  14  or  15 . The same applies if the multiple pairs of contacts  14 ,  15  run in two rows, one over the other. 
         [0039]    It is also possible that a detent slider, instead of two adjacent contacts  14 ,  15 , grasps three or more adjacent contacts, whereby detent slider  36  is expanded to more than two detent plates that have detent elements. 
         [0040]    It is also possible in such plug connector devices  10  to construct individual plug connectors  11 ,  12  as modules and to detachably connect them to each other next to each other and/or over each other. 
         [0041]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.