Patent Publication Number: US-8979599-B2

Title: Connector having insertion detection

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a National Phase Entry of International Application No. PCT/FR2011/052212, filed on Sep. 23, 2011, which claims priority to French Patent Application Serial No. 10/57725, filed on Sep. 24, 2010, both of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of connectors, more particularly intended for electrical connections, and specially the connection of electrical sockets in the field of automobiles. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Connectors are known, in the state of the art, which are intended for receiving electrical contacts crimped onto a power supply wire. Such connectors of the state of the art comprise a body made of moulded plastic material provided with recesses for receiving the electrical contact and locking the latter after the insertion thereof. A second locking is provided by a hinged flap folding over the recess intended for housing the electrical contacts. Such foldable flap is provided with inner protrusions preventing the tilting thereof when the contacts are not correctly positioned. 
     The drawback of the prior solutions relates to the production of a part including a foldable flap. Such parts must resist various mechanical and thermal constraints, which makes the presence of a moulded hinge not much adapted. More particularly, the production of a moulded hinge is an obstacle to the utilisation of filled plastic materials since this would entail too low mechanical resistance of the area exposed to bending. 
     SUMMARY 
     The solution brought by the present invention consists in producing a connector as two translatably mobile pre-assembled elements, with no hinge or deformable portion. The invention, in its broadest sense, relates to an electrical connector consisting of a moulded body comprising at least one recess for receiving an electrical contact crimped onto a power supply wire, the body comprising a flap that is mobile between a position allowing the insertion of a contact into the recess, and a locked position in which the flap locks the contact in the recess, wherein the flap is translatably mobile relative to the body and forms a single hinged part with the latter. Advantageously, the flap is provided with two side flanks connected by a transversal flank, the side flanks cooperating with the side surfaces of the body by forming guiding slides, with the side flanks being provided, at the lower ends thereof, with longitudinal stops preventing the removal of the mobile flap relative to the body. 
     Preferably, the body is provided with complementary longitudinal stops for holding the longitudinal stops of the flap. According to a particular embodiment, the body is further provided, in the lower part thereof, with two peripheral extensions cooperating with the longitudinal stops to lock the flap by clipping on the body. According to a preferred alternative solution, the flap is provided, on the inner surface thereof, with two cleats having sections matching hollows provided on the electrical contacts. 
     The invention also relates to a system including a bulb provided with a complementary connection socket and a connector consisting of a moulded body comprising at least one recess for receiving an electrical contact crimped onto a power supply wire, the body comprising a flap that is mobile between a position allowing the insertion of a contact into the recess, and a locked position in which the flap locks the contact in the recess, wherein the flap is translatably mobile relative to the body and forms a single hinged part with the latter, and the socket is provided with a recess for inserting the connector, with the section of the recess being so configured as to prevent the insertion of the connector when the flap is not in the locked position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be best understood when reading the following description, while referring to the appended drawings relative to a non limiting exemplary embodiment, where: 
         FIG. 1  shows a three-quarters back view of a connector according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a three-quarters front view of a connector according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view through a recess. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show three-quarters back and three-quarters front views, respectively, of a connector according to the invention. It is composed of a main body  1  made of a moulded plastic material, and a translatably mobile flap  2 . The main body is provided, on the front part thereof, with an interface area  3  having a section matching that of the device intended to be powered, for instance the socket of a bulb of the H9 or H11 types. The body  1  is provided with two longitudinal recesses  6 ,  7  opening at the front in the interface area  3  and opening at the back in order to enable the insertion of electrical contacts  4 ,  5  previously crimped onto the power supply wires. The electrical contacts  4 ,  5  are provided, as shown in  FIG. 3 , with two protruding noses  8  positioned on the opposite faces of the contact, and clipped in the inner wall of the recess  6 . 
     The main body  1  cooperates with a mobile flap  2  forming a frame overlapping the rear part  9  of the body  1 . Such flap is provided with two side flanks  10 ,  11  connected by a transversal flank  12 . The side flanks  10 ,  11  cooperate with the side surfaces  13 ,  14  of the body  1  and form guiding slides. The side flanks  10 ,  11  are provided, at the lower ends thereof, with longitudinal stops  15 ,  16  preventing the removal of the mobile flap relative to the body  1 . For this purpose, the body  1  is provided with complementary longitudinal stops  17 ,  18 . 
     The body is further provided, in the lower part thereof, with two peripheral extensions  19 ,  20  cooperating with said longitudinal stops  15 ,  16  for locking the flap  2  by clipping on the body  1 . The inner surface of the flap is provided with two cleats  21 ,  22  having sections matching hollows  23 ,  24  provided on the electrical contacts  4 ,  5 . Such cleats have two functions. On the one hand, they limit the motion of the flap  2  when the contacts are not properly engaged. As a matter of fact, they are stopped by the contact  4 ,  5  areas placed in front of the recesses  23 ,  24 . On the other hand, they lock the contacts  4 ,  5  since the cleats engage, when the flap is in the lower position, into the hollow space of the recesses  23 ,  24  and thus prevent the longitudinal motion of the contacts  4 ,  5  in the recesses  6 ,  7  and, more specially the sudden removal of the contacts. 
     The connector is provided, when in locked position, with a section matching the section of the complementary electrical means, for instance the socket of a H9 or H11 bulb. On the contrary, when the flap is not in the locked position, it forms a protrusion preventing the insertion of the connector into the matching female part. The body  1  is further provided with a locking area  30  extending in a longitudinal direction and having a shape matching a receiving area provided on the lamp base, or more generally an area for receiving the female element to be connected. 
     The body  1  and the flap  2  compose two hinged and pre-assembled elements of a single part produced by moulding in an injection mould in a main direction and including a sliding box. The injection in a first longitudinal direction  25  makes it possible to mould the front part of the body and more particularly the front part of the recesses  6 ,  7  and the male interface area  3 , as well as the area of the flap provided with the cleats  21 ,  22 . The injection in the second longitudinal direction  26  makes it possible to mould the rear part of the body and the rear part of the recesses  6 ,  7  as well as the rear of the flap  2 , more particularly the frame defined by the transversal flank and the upper part of the side flanks. It also makes it possible to form the longitudinal stops  15 ,  16  of the flap  2  as well as the stops  17 ,  18  and  19 ,  20  of the body  1 . 
     The sliding box of the mould which is mobile in a direction  27  perpendicular to the two main directions makes it possible to unmould the cleat holders  21 ,  22  as well as the flap-guiding slides relative to the body  1 . The second part of the sliding box which is mobile in a direction  28  perpendicular to the two main directions makes it possible to unmould the second part of the flap slides.