Patent Publication Number: US-6655978-B2

Title: Male connector including a connector housing, a slide, and a retaining element

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a male connector having a terminal for being connected to a female connector having a terminal. The female connector includes a female connector housing with a first longitudinal axis and with a receiving chamber which is enclosed by a wall. The receiving chamber is open towards an end face of the female connector housing and, at the end remote from the open end face has a closed bottom. The female connector housing is associated with first terminals which project into the receiving chamber from the bottom so as to extend parallel to the first longitudinal axis. On the outer face of the wall enclosing the receiving chamber, there is projectingly arranged an engaging lug which comprises a stop face rising from the end face to the bottom so as to extend away from the outer face and which, towards the bottom, is provided with an engaging face extending towards the outer face. 
     EP 0 896 396 A2 describes a connecting assembly which comprises a female connector and a male connector. The female connector comprises a female connector housing and a receiving chamber enclosed by a wall. The receiving chamber opens to-wards an end face of the female connector housing and, at the end remote therefrom, is closed by a bottom. The female connector comprises a first longitudinal axis which defines a connecting direction. The female connector housing is associated with first terminals which are aligned so as to extend parallel to the first longitudinal axis and which project from the bottom into the receiving chamber. On the outer face of the wall enclosing the receiving chamber, there is projectingly arranged an engaging lug. The male connector is associated with a resiliently deflectable locking arm which can be locked by a slide when it is in the locking position, thus preventing a deflection of the locking arm from the untensioned position. The slide is associated with pressure springs which, at their ends not supported on the slide, are connected to one another by a cross arm. The locking arm comprises an inclined face which, while the male connector is inserted into the female connector, stops against the engaging lug, with the slide being in a position in which its locking face is not in contact with the locking arm. For this purpose, the locking arm is held by retaining means in a temporary position. When the male connector is inserted into the female connector, not only the locking arm with its hook-like projection stops against the engaging lug, but also the cross arm connecting the two pressure springs to one another comes to rest against the end face of the female connector. When the male connector is introduced further, the springs are pretensioned. The hook-like locking element of the locking arm slides over the engaging lug. At this stage, the locking arm has reached a position in which its locking face is able to engage behind the engaging lug. In the process, the effect of the pressure springs is also released, i.e. the retaining means release the slide, so that the latter, due to the effect of the springs, is displaced away from the engaging lug, as a result of which the locking face of the slide moves across the locking arm and se-cures same in its engaged position against being deflected. The retaining means, too, are returned into their original position, so that the load on the springs is also released. For releasing purposes, the slide has to be displaced in the direction opposed to the releasing direction of the male connector at the female connector, so that the locking arm is re-leased. To ensure a sufficiently large contact face for supporting the pressure springs, the female connector housing is provided with ribs which are arranged on the line of extension of the pressure springs, i.e. they extend parallel relative to one another in the connecting direction; they start from the end face of the female connector and extend as far as the engaging lug. 
     For releasing purposes, the slide is first displaced towards the female connector until the locking arm is released. The pressure springs are partially pretensioned and the retaining means secure the slide in said position. In this position, an unlocking portion of the slide can be acted upon, i.e. pressure can be exerted on same, as a result of which said portion acts on a locking arm projection positioned underneath. As the locking arm is suspended rocker-like, the hook-like projection is disengaged from the engaging lug at the female connector. If the male connector is now pulled, it can be separated from the female connector. This involves a complicated type of handling and especially in those cases where a safe mode of operation is required, there is a need for additional measures in the form of providing the ribs at the female connector in order to achieve secure support for the pressure springs which load the slide. Furthermore, handling is disadvantageous in that when releasing the male connector from the female connector, the slide first has to be moved against the releasing direction in order to transfer same into a position wherein, via the actuating portion associated with the slide, a force is applied to the locking arm in the sense of releasing same from the engaging lug of the female connector. At the same time, it is necessary to pull the male connector in order to release same from the female connector. 
     DE 198 28 968 A1 concerns a connector assembly having a female connector and a male connector, wherein the female connector is associated with a leaf-spring-like retaining element which, at the same time, serves as a short circuit bridge for the contacts of the female connector. The retaining element comprises two engaging arms which each come into contact with a projection of the male connector and, in the course of connection, undergo deformation, so that the projections are able to move across a kink in the engaging arm, thus permitting renewed resilience, so that the male connector is secured in the female connector. Furthermore, there are provided terminal arms which, in the unconnected condition of the male connector and female connector, are connected to the terminals of the female connector and form part of the retaining element which is produced from metal and is thus electrically conducting. In the unconnected condition, there thus occurs short-circuiting between the terminals via the terminal arms. When the male connector is inserted, said terminal arms are moved out of contact with the terminals of the female connector. 
     DE 100 52 970 A1 describes a connector assembly which comprises a female connector and a male connector, wherein the male connector is associated with a slide which is formed so as to be integral with a pressure spring and which, in the course of being connected, is first pretensioned and generates a sliding-out force for as long as the final state of connection has not yet been achieved. Furthermore, in the connected condition, the slide acts as a retaining element. The resilient portion provided in the form of a pressure spring comprises a leaf-spring-like portion which is bent like a snake. 
     EP 1 089 393 A1 concerns a female connector which is provided with a receiving chamber enclosed by a wall and into which a male connector can be inserted. To achieve a waterproof assembly, the male connector, on its portion entering the receiving chamber of the female connector, is provided with a seal which establishes contact with the inner face of the receiving chamber. The cross-section of the male connector portion entering the receiving chamber of the female connector is tapered as compared to the male connector portion which is set back relative thereto. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a male connector for a standard female connector, i.e. a female connector comprising only one engaging lug. The male connector is easy to handle and, as long as the final connection has not yet taken place, generates a force which releases the male connector from the female connector. 
     The objective is achieved by providing a male connector comprising 
     a male connector housing having a second longitudinal axis, 
     which, with the second longitudinal axis extending parallel relative to the first longitudinal axis of the female connector, comprises a first housing portion insertable into the receiving chamber and having an end face from which there are accessible second terminals matching the first terminals and serving to be connected to same, 
     the male connector housing further comprising a resiliently deflectable locking arm with engaging means, wherein the locking arm, by means of its end remote from the engaging means, is integrally connected to the first housing portion or to a intermediate housing portion formed so as to be integral with the first housing portion and, in the untensioned condition, extends parallel to the second longitudinal axis and wherein, in the transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis, the locking arm is arranged at a distance from the first housing portion, with the engaging means of the locking arm, when being connected to the female connector housing, being positioned opposite the engaging lug, and 
     which further comprises a releasing face which is positioned near the end of the locking arm remote from the engaging means and which away from the engaging means diverges from the second longitudinal axis, 
     a slide 
     which is held on the outside of the male connector housing so as to be adjustable to a limited extent along the second longitudinal axis, 
     which, in the locked position, prevents the locking arm from being deflected from the untensioned condition and releases same in a position deviating therefrom, 
     at least one pressure spring 
     which, in parallel to the second longitudinal axis, is supported on the male connector housing on the one hand and on the slide on the other hand and loads the slide towards assuming its locking position, and 
     a leaf-spring-like retaining element made of steel 
     which is fixed to the slide by means of a fixing portion and, starting therefrom, comprises at least one spring arm which is resilient transversely to the second longitudinal axis and which comprises an adjoining retaining face and a setting face at its end remote from the fixing portion, with the retaining face serving to contact the end face of the female connector housing when the spring arm is in the untensioned condition, which retaining face can be moved out of contact with the end face by causing the setting face to move onto the releasing face of the male connector housing. 
     The advantage of this embodiment is that the male connector can be used in connection with standard female connectors comprising only one engaging lug, so that, without having to modify same, it is ensured that the male connector is separated from the female connector as long as the final locking position has not been reached. Furthermore, handling is simplified in that, in the course of the connecting procedure, only the male connector housing is acted upon in that it is moved relative to the female connector housing, i.e. towards the bottom of same. For finally securing the locking arm, the slide is released automatically as a function of the position of the male connector housing relative to the female connector housing in that the leaf-spring-like retaining element is disengaged from the end face of the female connector housing, as a result of which the force of the pressure springs effective between the male connector housing and the slide is released. The slide is displaced relative to the female connector housing and male connector housing in such a way that the locking arm is secured to prevent displacement into the unlocked position. Said position is easy to abolish in that, in order to release the male connector from the female connector, the slide has to be acted upon in the releasing direction only. 
     According to a further embodiment, it is proposed that the locking arm is frame-like having two longitudinal struts, that the retaining element is arranged between the two longitudinal struts of the locking arm and that the engaging means form part of a transversely extending engaging strut which connects the free ends of the longitudinal struts. 
     In order to ensure that the locking arm is positively released from engaging the engaging lug, it is proposed that the slide comprises at least one releasing projection which, in the sense of releasing the engaging means from the engaging lug, act on the locking arm when the female connector is released from the male connector by displacing the slide. 
     As, in the final locked condition between the male connector and the female connector, the steel retaining element is resiliently deflected from its normal position, i.e. as long as the female connector and male connector are connected to one another, said retaining element is tensioned, it is advantageous for the retaining element to consist of high-grade steel. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the fixing portion of the retaining element is bent to form a spring arm, in particular, it is bent to be u-shaped, and comprises an engaging arm. The retaining element, together with the fixing portion and the associated engaging arm, can be inserted into a retaining recess of the slide; it is laterally guided therein and to prevent same from being extracted, it is held by the engaging arm which, by means of its end face, is supported against a sup-porting face in the region of the recess of the slide. The free end of the spring arm forms a retaining face and a set-ting face. To achieve this, it is proposed that the free end of the spring arm, by being angled several times, forms the retaining face and the setting face. Alternatively, it is pro-posed that the free end of the spring arm, by means of a rolled-in portion, forms the retaining face and the setting face. 
     Furthermore, it is proposed that the first housing portion, towards the intermediate portion to which the locking arm is integrally connected, is provided with a seat portion for receiving a seal, which seat portion comprises a reduced cross-section. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment is diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing wherein 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of the female connector; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the male connector housing, including a view of the locking arm and of the pressure springs as well as of the locking element; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the male connector housing, including a view of the male connector side facing away from the locking arm; 
     FIG. 4 is a first perspective illustration of the slide; 
     FIG. 5 is a second perspective illustration of the slide; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective illustration of the leaf-spring-like retaining element; 
     FIG. 7 shows the relative positions of the male connector and female connector in their initial state of connection; 
     FIG. 8 shows a state of connection which is more advanced as compared to FIG.  7  and wherein the engaging means of the locking arm of the male connector have reached the position where they contact the engaging lug of the female connector; 
     FIG. 9 shows an even more advanced position wherein the engaging means of the locking arm have passed the engaging lug of the female connector; 
     FIG. 10 shows a further connecting position at the start of the release of the holding means by the releasing face at the male connector housing; 
     FIG. 11 shows the final locking position in which the locking arm is secured by the slide in the locked position to pre-vent any deflection; 
     FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the retaining element in a perspective illustration; and 
     FIG. 13 is a side view of the retaining element according to FIG.  12 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A standard female connector is shown in FIG.  1 . The female connector  1  comprises a female connector housing  2  with a longitudinal axis  3 . Furthermore, it comprises a wall  4  which encloses a receiving chamber  5  having an approximately rounded rectangular (i.e., oval) opening cross-section, as is shown in FIG.  1 . The receiving chamber  5  is open towards the end face  6  and at the end opposite thereto it is closed by a bottom  8 . From the bottom  8 , there project first connecting terminals  7  in the form of pins. They extend parallel to the first longitudinal axis  3 . On the outer face  9  of the wall  4 , there is arranged an engaging lug  10  which, towards the end face  6 , comprises an inclined stop face  11  which rises from its end facing the end face  6  towards the bottom  8  while extending away from the outer face  9 . Said stop face  11  is followed by an engaging face  12  which extends towards the outer face  9 , i.e. it preferably extends perpendicularly relative thereto and, optionally, even comprises an undercut. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 show the male connector housing  14  of the male connector  13  (see FIGS.  7 - 11 ). The male connector housing  14  has the second longitudinal axis  15 . It comprises a first housing portion  16  which, when being connected to the female connector  1 , enters the receiving chamber  5  according to FIG.  1 . The first longitudinal axis  3  and the second longitudinal axis  15  are in alignment. The first housing portion  16  starts from an end face  17  in which there are provided openings which are connected to terminal receiving chambers in which there are received second terminals  18  in the form of bush-like terminals which are secured by a locking element  29 . 
     The first housing portion  16  is followed by an intermediate portion  19 , with a seat portion with a reduced cross-section for a seal  20  (see FIG. 7) being arranged therebetween. The cross-section of the first housing portion  16  is adapted substantially to that of the receiving chamber of the female connector housing, i.e. it comes close to a rounded rectangular (i.e., oval). On one wide face of said member, there is arranged a locking arm  22  which is frame-like and comprises two longitudinal struts  24  which are arranged in parallel and at a distance from one another and which, by means of one end at the intermediate portion  19 , remote from the end face  17 , are formed so as to be integral with the male connector housing  14 . The ends of the two longitudinal struts  24 , which are close to the end face  17 , are connected to one another by a transversely extending engaging strut  23  which serves as an engaging element for engaging the engaging lug  10  of the female connector  1 . 
     In the region of the ends of the longitudinal struts  24 , which are close to the engaging strut  23 , there are provided locking projections  26 . In the region opposed thereto, there are arranged releasing faces  27  which adjoin the longitudinal struts  24  and which extend away from the end face  17  and from the second longitudinal axis  15 . Furthermore, said region is provided with two first spring supporting bearings  28  which extend to one side of the longitudinal struts  24  of the locking arm  22  and which serve to support the pressure springs  37  at one end. On its underside, the engaging strut  23  comprises a setting face  25  which extends away from the first spring supporting bearings  28  and away from the second longitudinal axis  15  (see FIG.  7 ). The locking element  29  additionally shown in FIG. 2 which can be inserted transversely into the housing portion, away from the end face  17 , (see also FIG.  7 ), serves to prevent the second terminals  18  received in the first housing portion  16  from being extracted. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the face of the male connector housing  14  facing away from the locking arm  22  is provided with an arm with a hook-shaped stop  21 . 
     The structure of the slide  30  is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It can be seen that the slide  30  is tubular in shape, and in its interior, towards an end face, it comprises two spring supporting bearings  31  which support the other ends of the pressure springs  37 . The face positioned opposite the second spring supporting bearings  31  is provided with a setting recess  32  which cooperates with the stop  21  when the slide  30  is fitted in the male connector housing  14 . Furthermore, FIG. 7 shows locking abutments  33  which, when the female connector  1  is finally connected to the male connector  13 , secure the locking arm  22  at the female connector housing  2  against being displaced, i.e. they cooperate with the locking projections  26 . 
     At its end comprising the second spring supporting bearings  31 , the slide  30  is associated with two releasing projections  34  which serve to release the locking arm  22  when the male connector  13  is in the process of being released from the female connector  1 . When the slide is pulled in the releasing direction, said locking arm  22  is moved so as to be released from the engaging projection of the female connector before the male connector housing can be withdrawn from the female connector housing. Furthermore, the slide comprises a retaining recess  35  with a supporting face  36  (see FIG.  7 ). 
     FIG. 6 shows a retaining element  38  which is made of high-grade steel, which is leaf-spring-like and angled several times, so that the spring arm  40  and, respectively, the two spring arms  40 , together with the fixing portion  39 , form a u-shape, with the fixing portion  39  being associated with an engaging arm  42  which is punched out of same and serves to prevent extraction in a retaining recess  35  of the slide  30  in accordance with FIGS. 4 and 5. A portion forming the retaining face  41  is angled relative to, and connected to, the spring arms  40  which, in turn, are followed by two substantially inclined or curved portions each having a setting face  43 . 
     FIG. 7 shows the initial state of connection between the female connector  1  and the male connector  13 . It can be seen that the slide  30  is fitted to the male connector housing  14 . The slide  30  encloses the male connector housing  14 . A movement parallel to the second longitudinal axis  15  is delimited by the stop  21  engaging the setting recess  32 . The springs  37  load said stop  21  to enable same to assume its position relative to the male connector housing  14  as shown in FIG. 7, with an end face close to the end face  17  of the first housing portion approximately finishing with the end face  17 . 
     It can be seen that the first housing portion  16  has already been partially introduced into the receiving chamber  5  of the female connector housing  2 . The end face  17 , however, is clearly positioned before the ends of the first male terminals  7 . The first longitudinal axis  3  and the second longitudinal axis  15  are, however, aligned relative to one another. It is also possible to see the fitted seal  20 . 
     Furthermore, FIG. 7 shows the way in which the retaining element  38  with the fixing portion  39  is arranged in the retaining recess  35  of the slide  30 , with the engaging arm  42 , by means of its end face, being supported against the supporting face  36  of the retaining recess  35 . By means of its retaining face  41 , the retaining element  38  rests against the end face  6  of the female connector  1 . The spring arms  40  are in the untensioned condition. The locking arm  22 , together with the engaging strut  23 , is still close to the outer face  9  of the wall  4  of the female connector  1 , which wall  4  delimits the receiving chamber  5 , and is secured against being deflected out of the position transversely to the second longitudinal axis  15  by the locking abutments  33  positioned so as to oppose the locking projections  26 . 
     If the male connector housing  14  is now acted upon in the direction of insertion, i.e. in the connecting direction, so that the first housing portion  16  enters the receiving chamber  5  more deeply, i.e. by means of its end face  17  moves even closer to the bottom  8 , the slide  30 , due to the retaining face  41  of the retaining element  40 , resting against the end face  6  of the female connector  1 , remains in a stationary position relative to the female connector  1 , i.e. it stays behind relative to the male connector housing  14 . It can be seen in FIG. 8 that the male connector housing  14 , by means of its end face  17 , has further approached the bottom  8  of the female connector  1 , so that the setting face  25  of the engaging strut  23  of the locking arm  22  is already in contact with the stop face  11  of the engaging lug  10 . The end face of the slide  30 , which faces the female connector  1 , is no longer in one plane with the end face  17  of the housing portion  16 , but is already positioned close to the engaging strut  23 . 
     This condition continues until the position according to FIG. 9 has been reached in which the engaging strut  23  has passed the engaging lug  10  and, away from the bottom  8 , is supported on the face  12  of the engaging lug  10 , so that the engaging strut  23  is positioned in front of the adjoining end face of the slide  30 . This movement causes the first terminal  7  to be introduced more deeply into the housing portion  16  of the male connector housing  14 . The seal  20 , too, is already partially in the receiving chamber  5  of the female connector housing  2  in order to achieve a sealing effect. 
     Furthermore, the releasing face  27  of the male connector housing  14  has approached the setting face  43  of the retaining element  38 , so that, as the male connector housing  14  is further inserted into the receiving chamber  5  and as the end face  17  approaches the bottom  8  of the female connector  1 , the retaining element  38  reaches the position of contact as illustrated in FIG. 10, and as the retaining element  38  is inserted further, it is deflected, so that its retaining face  41  loses its contact with the end face  6  of the female connector  1 , so that the pressure springs  37  which were pretensioned while the male connector housing  14  was introduced into the female connector  1  become effective, with the slide  30  being adjusted relative to the male connector housing  14  towards the bottom  8 , with the retaining element  38  sliding on the outer face  9  of the female connector  1 . In this position, the pressure springs  37  are untensioned and the slide  30 , relative to the male connector housing  14 , assumes the position as shown in FIG. 7, in which position the locking arm  22  is secured against being displaced away from the second longitudinal axis  15 . 
     For releasing the male connector  13  comprising the male connector housing  14  and the slide  30  as well as the retaining element  38  and the seal  20  from the female connector  1 , the slide  30  is acted upon in the releasing direction, i.e. in the direction opposite to the connecting direction, so that the slide  30  is moved away from the bottom  8 . On the way back from the position according to FIG. 9, the releasing projections  34  act on the longitudinal struts  24  and lift up the locking arm  22 , so that the engaging strut  23  becomes disengaged from the engaging lug  10 . If one continues to act on the slide  30  by pulling same against the connecting direction, i.e. away from the bottom  8 , the male connector housing  14  is released from the female connector  1 . 
     FIGS. 12 and 13 show a perspective view and, respectively, a side view of an alternative embodiment of the retaining element  138  as compared to the retaining element  38  according to FIG.  6 . The retaining element  138  is also made of high-grade steel. It also comprises a fixing portion  139  with an engaging arm  142  which is punched out and angled relative to the fixing portion  139  and which is to be fixed in the recess  35  of the slide  30 . However, it comprises only one single continuous spring arm  140  which is thus stiffer than that of the retaining element  38 . At the free end of the spring arm  140 , there is provided a rolled-in portion which forms the retaining face  141  and simultaneously the setting face  143  which is circumferentially offset.