Patent Publication Number: US-7722368-B2

Title: Device for connecting with secure access

Description:
FIELD 
   The invention relates to, generally, the fields of connections and of security. 
   More precisely, the invention relates to a device for connecting with secure access, comprising a socket, a movable plug selectively engaged in the socket, a protective case that is fixed in relation to the socket and of which a front face is equipped with a mobile flap, and locking members, the socket being housed in the case, the case being designed to adopt selectively an open configuration and a closed configuration wherein respectively the flap authorizes and prohibits the access of the plug to the socket, and the locking members being designed to authorize or to prohibit selectively the open and closed configurations of the case, this device adopting selectively a state of use wherein the case is in open configuration and wherein the plug is engaged in the socket. 
   A device of this type is known to those skilled in the art by patent FR 2 526 234. 
   Although such a device does make it possible to effectively prohibit the access of a plug to a free socket, it is however improper in preventing the accidental or malicious operation which consists in removing a plug engaged in the socket in order to be able to introduce another therein. 
   The invention, which lies within this context, has for purpose to offer a device designed to meet this additional need. 
   SUMMARY 
   For this purpose, the device of the invention, moreover in accordance with the generic definition that the preamble hereinabove provides, is substantially characterized in that the locking members include a mobile latch, a runner, and a key, in that the key is designed to be selectively linked to the latch in translation and to imprint to this latch a sliding, prohibited by default, in the runner between a locked position and an unlocked position, in that the flap and the plug comprise respective retaining reliefs, and in that, in its locked position, the latch retains the retaining relief of the flap in the closed configuration of the case, and retains the retaining relief of the plug in the state of use of the device. 
   More preferably, the key is trapped by the runner in the unlocked position of the latch and is freely extractible from the runner in the locked position of the latch. 
   In an embodiment of the invention, it is possible to provide that the latch have a cross-through hole shaped in order to be penetrated by a key-bit of the key and arranged, in the locked position of the latch, across from an opening made in the front face of the case, that the runner have, across from the hole of the latch in the locked position of this latch, at least one catch elastically recalled to a rest position wherein it retains this latch in its locked position, that the opening of the front face of the case be extended by a slot made in this face parallel to the runner, that the key-bit of the key be shaped in order to displace, once inserted into the hole of the latch, each catch from its rest position, and that the presence of the key-bit in the hole of the latch link the key and the latch in translation, which results in that a sliding of the key in the slot provokes a sliding of the latch in the runner. 
   The slot advantageously has a width less than that of the key-bit, of which the dimensions are themselves less than those of the opening of the front face of the case, in such a way that the key-bit, once inserted into the hole of the latch, can be extracted from it only through the opening of the front face of the case. 
   The flap is for example slidably mounted in the front face of the case and returned to a closed position by a return spring. 
   In order to better fulfill its function, the runner can include at least two catches. 
   The latch has for example a collar and a bolt attached to the collar, the hole being made in the collar, and the bolt retaining selectively the flap or the plug. 
   In a possible embodiment, the socket is snapped onto the case. 
   The retaining relief of the plug comprises for example an elastic tab used to maintain this plug in the socket. 
   In the privileged application of the device for connecting of the invention, the socket is a multi-conducting socket, adapted for the parallel transfer of data. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics and advantages and of the invention shall result from the description of it which is provided hereinafter, for the purposes of information and in no way exhaustive, in reference to the annexed drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a general exploded view and in perspective of a device in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the device shown in  FIG. 1 , observed from the front; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the device shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an elevational view of the device shown in the preceding figures, observed from the front and in the closed configuration of the case; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the device shown in the preceding figures, observed from the rear and in the closed configuration of the case; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the device shown in the preceding figures, observed from the front and in the open configuration of the case; and 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the device shown in the preceding figures, observed from the front and in its state of use. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As announced hereinabove, the invention relates to a device for connecting with secure access, comprising a socket  1 , a movable plug  2 , a protective case  3 , and locking members for which details will be provided later and on which are substantially concentrated the advantages of the invention. 
   The movable plug  2 , which is visible in  FIG. 7 , is designed to be able to be engaged into the socket  1 , itself for example constituted by a multi-conducting socket, adapted to the parallel transfer of data. 
   The socket  1  is housed in a fixed manner in the case  3 , for example via mutual snapping of this socket and of this case. 
   The case  3 , which has a front face  30  equipped with a mobile flap  4 , can as such adopt as desired an open configuration, wherein the flap  4  is in open position ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) and authorizes the access of the plug  2  to the socket  1 , and a closed configuration, wherein the flap  4  is a closed position ( FIGS. 2 ,  4 , and  5 ) and prohibits the access of the plug  2  to the socket  1 . 
   The locking members have precisely for function to authorize or to prohibit the open and closed configurations of the case  3 . 
     FIG. 7  shows the device of the invention in its state of use, defined by the fact that the case  3  is in an open configuration and that the plug  2  is engaged in the socket  1 . 
   According to the invention, the locking members include substantially a mobile latch  5 , a runner  6 , and a key  7 . 
   The latch  5  has for example a collar  51  and a bolt  52  that is attached to this collar  51 . 
   The key  7  has for function to all for a sliding of the latch  5  in the runner  6  between a locked position (which is visible in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  7 ) and an unlocked position (which is visible in  FIG. 6 ), this sliding being prohibited by default. 
   When the case is in its closed configuration and the latch  5  in its locked position, the bolt  52  of this latch is engaged in a retaining relief  41  of the flap  4  ( FIG. 5 ), and maintains therefore this flap  4  in its closed position. 
   When the case is in its open configuration, the latch  5  in its locked position, and the device in its state of use, the bolt  52  of the latch  5  is engaged in a retaining relief  21  of the plug  2  ( FIG. 7 ), for example constituted by the elastic tab which is used to maintain this plug  2  in the socket  1 . 
   In these conditions, the bolt  52  of the latch  5  maintains as such the plug  2  in its position of insertion in the socket  1 , thus prohibiting the extraction of this plug outside of the socket. 
   For this, the collar  51  of the latch  5  has for example a cross-through hole  510 , which is shaped in order to be penetrated by a key-bit  70  of the key  7 . 
   In the locked position of the latch  5 , this hole  510  is arranged across from an opening  300  made in the front face  30  of the case  3  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
   As is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the runner  6  has two catches  61   a  and  61   b , of which each is elastically recalled to a rest position wherein it retains the latch  5  in its=locked position. 
   Each of these catches  61   a  and  61   b  is arranged across from the opening  300  of the front face  30  of the case  3 , i.e. again across from the hole  510  of the latch  5 , in the position that this hole adopts for the locked position of this latch. 
   The key-bit  70  of the key  7  is shaped in order to be able to displace the catches  61   a  and  61   b  from their rest position when it is inserted into the opening  300  and pushed into the hole  510  of the latch  5 . 
   This opening  300  is moreover extended by a slot  301 , which is made in the front face  30  of the case  3 , parallel to the runner  6 . 
   As the insertion of the key-bit  70  into the hole  510  of the latch  5  links the key  7  and the latch  5  in translation, the sliding of the key  7  in the slot  301  thus makes it possible to slide the latch  5  in the runner  6  to its unlocked position, once the catches  61   a  and  61   b  displaced from their rest position by the key-bit  70 . 
   This arrangement can be perfected by providing that the key  7  be trapped by the runner  6  in the unlocked position of the latch  5 , and that it be freely extractible from this runner  6  in the locked position of the latch  5 . 
   For this, it is sufficient to provide the slot  301  with a dimension, or width, that is less than that of the key-bit  70  according to the direction transversal to the sliding of the latch  5 , the key-bit having itself of course dimensions that are less than those of the opening  300  of the front face  30  of the case  3  in order to be introduced therein. 
   As such, once inserted into the hole  510  of the latch  5 , the key-bit  70  can be extracted from it only through the opening  300  of the front face  30  of the case  3 . 
   Finally, as is shown in  FIG. 5 , the flap  4  is for example slidably mounted in the front face  30  of the case  3  and recalled to its closing position by a return spring  42 . 
   The instructions for the device of the invention are as follows. 
   When the socket  1  is not used, the device is in the state shown in  FIG. 5 , the case being in closed configuration, and the person specifically authorized to use this socket having the key  7  exclusively. 
   In this configuration, the bolt  52  of the latch  5  retains the flap  4  in its closed position. 
   When the authorized user of the socket  1  desires to engage therein the plug  2 , he introduces the key-bit  70  of the key  7  into the opening  300  of the case  3 , pushes this key-bit into the rear of the hole  510  of the latch  5 , displaces as such the catches  61   a  and  61   b  from their rest position, then displaces the key  7  in the slot  301 , thus bringing the latch to its unlocked position shown in  FIG. 6 . 
   The authorized user of the socket  1  can then engage the plug  2  into the socket  1 , the key  7  being still trapped in the slot  301 . 
   Then, this user replaces the latch  5  in its locked position be displacing the key  7  in this slot  301  until it is across from the opening  300 . 
   The user can then remove his key  7 , leaving the device in its configuration of use such as is shown in  FIG. 7 , and wherein the bolt  52  of the latch  5  prohibits the extraction of the plug  2  outside of the socket  1 .