Patent Publication Number: US-8986035-B2

Title: Securing member for a connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 102208036, filed on May 1, 2013. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a securing member, more particularly to a securing member for a connector in compliance with IEC60320. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a standard connector including a male connector member  5  and female connector member  6 . The female connector member  6  has an annular insertion groove  61  surrounding an axis, and a plurality of first terminals  62  surrounded by the insertion groove  61 . The male connector member  5  has a surrounding wall  51  surrounding the axis and having an open end portion that is inserted removably into the insertion groove  61 , and a plurality of second terminals  52  surrounded by the surrounding wall  51  and connected respectively, electrically and removably to the first terminals  62 . 
     IEC60320 standards require a gap to exist when the surrounding wall  51  of the male connector member  5  is inserted into the insertion groove  61  of the female connector member  6 . However, the connection between the surrounding wall  51  and the insertion groove  61  can be loose without any securing mechanism and the male connector member  5  can easily disconnect from the female connector member  6  and cause a breakage in the electrical connection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a securing member that allows the male connector member to be connected to the female connector member securely. 
     Accordingly, a securing member of the present invention is adapted for use with an IEC60320 connector. The connector includes a female connector member and a male connector member. The female connector member has an insertion groove surrounding an axis and a plurality of first terminals surrounded by the insertion groove. The male connector member has a surrounding wall surrounding the axis and has an open end portion that is inserted removably into the insertion groove. The male connector member further has a plurality of second terminals surrounded by the surrounding wall and connected respectively, electrically and removably to the first terminals. The open end portion has an inner surface, an outer surface surrounding the inner surface, and a distal surface interconnecting the inner and outer surfaces. 
     The securing member includes a main body that includes an inner wall, an outer wall and an end wall interconnecting the inner and outer walls. The inner, outer and end walls cooperatively define a receiving space adapted for receiving fittingly and separably at least part of the open end portion of the surrounding wall of the male connector member, and abutting respectively and separably against the inner, outer and distal surfaces of the open end portion of the surrounding wall of the male connector member. The main body is adapted to engage the insertion groove of the female connector member fittingly and removably. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary existing IEC60320 connector, illustrating a female connector member and a male connector member; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a securing member according to the present invention, illustrating relationships among the female connector member and the male connector member of the IEC60320 connector and the securing member; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating the securing member assembled to the male connector member; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a securing member according to the present invention similar to  FIG. 2 , except the shape of the insertion groove is different; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment similar to  FIG. 3 , except the shape of the insertion groove is different; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of a securing member according to the present invention similar to  FIG. 2 , except the main body includes two sub-bodies; 
         FIG. 7  is perspective view of the third preferred embodiment similar to  FIG. 3 , except the main body includes two sub-bodies; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a securing member according to the present invention similar to  FIG. 6 , except the shape of the insertion groove is different; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a securing member according to the present invention similar to  FIG. 7 , except the shape of the insertion groove is different. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first preferred embodiment of a securing member  100  according to the present invention allows a male connector member  8  to be connected to a female connector member  9  securely. The female connector member  9  has an insertion groove  91  surrounding an axis (A) and a plurality of first terminals  92  surrounded by the insertion groove  91 . The male connector member  8  has a surrounding wall  81  surrounding the axis (A) and having an open end portion  83  that is inserted removably into the insertion groove  91 , and a plurality of second terminals  82  surrounded by the surrounding wall  81  and connected respectively, electrically and removably to the first terminals  92 . The open end portion  83  has an inner surface  813 , an outer surface  812  surrounding the inner surface  813  and a distal surface  814  interconnecting the inner surface  813  and the outer surface  812 . 
     The securing member  100  includes a main body  1  that includes an inner wall  12 , an outer wall  11  and an end wall  13  interconnecting the inner wall  12  and the outer wall  11 . The inner wall  12 , the outer wall  11  and the end wall  13  cooperatively define a receiving space  14  adapted for receiving fittingly and seperably at least part of the open end portion  83  of the surrounding wall  81  of the male connector member  8 . The inner wall  12 , the outer wall  11  and the end wall  13  abut respectively and seperably against the inner surface  813 , the outer surface  812  and the distal surface  814  of the open end portion  83  of the surrounding wall  81  of the male connector member  8 . 
     To attach the securing member  100  to the male connector member  8 , the open end portion  83  moved towards the end wall  13  along the axis (A) until the distal surface  814  of the open end portion  83  abut against the end wall  13 . Removal of the securing member  100  is achieved by moving in the opposite direction. With the abutment between the distal surface  814  and the end wall  13 , it is ensured that the securing member  100  does not move any further towards a cable  7  connected to the male connector member  8 . Therefore, the main body  1 , together with the surrounding wall  81 , fit in the insertion groove  91  of the female connector member  9  when the male connector member  8  is inserted into the female connector member  9 . Because the main body  1  fills the gap between the surrounding wall  81  and the insertion groove  91 , the male connector member  8  engages the female connector member  9  fittingly and securely. 
     The main body  1  further includes projecting ribs  16  formed on the outer wall  11 , extending in the direction of the axis (A) and made of a deformable material to add flexibility in thickness to the main body  1 . In this embodiment, the securing member  100  is made of plastic and is slightly deformable when pressed. 
     The securing member  100  further includes an extending segment  15  extending from the outer wall  11  in a direction away from the end wall  13  and extending outwardly of the insertion groove  91  of the female connector member  9 . The surrounding wall  81  is fittingly sandwiched by the outer wall  11  and inner wall  12  of the main body  1 . It is possible that the main body  1  remains inside the insertion groove  91  of the female connector member  9  when the male connector member  8  is removed from the female connector member  9 . The extending segment  15  can be held in assistance to remove the securing member  100  from the female connector member  9 . The securing member  100  is shown to include one extending segment  15  in this embodiment. However, the number of the extending segment  15  is not to be limited in the present invention. In this embodiment, the main body  1  is molded as one piece. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the second preferred embodiment of the securing member  100  according to the present invention is similar to the first preferred embodiment, except that the shape of the main body  1  is different to be useable with a connector of a different standard. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the third preferred embodiment of the securing member  100  according to the present invention is similar to the first preferred embodiment, except that the main body  1  has two sub-bodies. Each of the sub-bodies has an inner wall  12 ′ that is adapted to abut against the inner surface  813  of the open end portion  83  of the surrounding wall  81  of the male connector member  8 , an outer wall  11 ′ that surrounds the inner wall  12 ′ and that is adapted to abut against the outer surface  812  of the open end portion  83  of the surrounding wall  81  of the male connector member  8 , and an end wall  13 ′ that interconnects the inner wall  12 ′ and the outer wall  11 ′ and that is adapted to abut against the distal surface  814  of the open end portion  83  of the surrounding wall  81  of the male connector member  8 . The inner walls  12  of the sub-bodies cooperatively define the inner wall  12 ′ of the main body  1 . The outer walls  11 ′ of the sub-bodies cooperatively define the outer wall  11  of the main body  1 . The end walls  13 ′ of the sub-bodies cooperatively define the end wall  13  of the main body  1 . Therefore, the receiving space  14  is cooperatively defined by the inner walls  12 ′, the outer walls  11 ′ and the end walls  13 ′ of the sub-bodies. Each of the sub-bodies includes an extending segment  15  so that overall, the main body  1  includes two extending segments  15  in this embodiment. 
     Each of the sub-bodies further has projecting ribs  16  that extend in the direction of the axis (A) and that are made of a deformable material, and an extending segment  15  that extends from the outer wall  11 ′ in a direction away from the end wall  13 ′ and that extends outwardly of the insertion groove  91  of the female connector  9 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the fourth preferred embodiment of the securing member  100  according to the present invention is similar to the third preferred embodiment, except that the shape of the main body  1  cooperatively defined the sub-bodies is different to be used with a connector in compliance with a different standard. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.