DE29923348U1 - Electrical connector with detachable electrical contacts - Google Patents

Description

BEETZ & PARTNE*. ⁵ "!"" UZ- ' U Patent Attorneys

European Patent Attorneys Dr.-Ing. R. BEETZ Jr.

European Trade Mark Attorneys Dipl.-lng. J. SIEGFRIED

Prof. Dr.rer.nat. W. SCHMITT-FUMIAN

Steinsdorfstraße 10 - D-80538 Munich Dipl.-Phys. Dr.rer.nat. C-M. MAYR

Telephone +49 89 29 59 1 O/Fax +49 89 29 39 63 Dipl.-lng. A. PFEIFFER

Dipl.-lng. B. MATIAS (

Attorney P. KOTSCH

'866-55.377G/CM

May 4, 2000

FCI Automotive Germany GmbH D-90411 Nuremberg

Electrical connector with detachable electrical contacts

The present invention is based on an electrical connector with detachable electrical contacts designed according to the preamble of the independent claim.

Known connectors have electrical contacts that have hooks on their sides. The electrical contacts are soldered or crimped to an electrical cable, for example, and then inserted into their respective chambers. The above-mentioned hooks are shaped in such a way that there is no great resistance when the electrical contacts are inserted into their respective chambers. In order for the electrical contacts to

To prevent the electrical contacts from falling out of their chambers, they are held in place by hooks, which are usually formed from the electrical contact.

This design has the disadvantage that if the electrical contacts are incorrectly fitted in their chambers, there is no way to remove the electrical contacts from these incorrect chambers and insert them into their correct chambers. If you try to do this with this solution, the result is that either the hooks break off or the cable tears off. It is therefore not possible to change the electrical contacts without destroying the connector.

The present invention is based on the object of presenting a connector which allows electrical contacts to be inserted without increased force and, if desired, to be easily removed from the connector housing.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. The subclaims are directed to preferred embodiments of the present invention. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the schematic drawings based on the description of preferred embodiments. They show:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the electrical connector according to the invention in perspective view,

Fig. 2a is a plan view of the electrical connector according to the invention, and

Fig. 2b is a section along the line A-A of Fig. 2a of the connector according to the invention.

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Fig. 1 shows the plug connector according to the invention in an oblique perspective view. The housing 2 is essentially cuboid-shaped. The front side 17 of the housing 2 has a groove 18 running from left to right in the plug-in direction and three spring arms 7 running in the plug-in direction, which are separated by longitudinal webs 19. The groove 18 has a semicircular cross-section. In the rear area of the side surface 20, the housing has two projections 21, which only extend in the plug-in direction to a certain extent. On the opposite side of the front side 17, the housing 2 is surrounded by a further housing 3, which, as can be seen in more detail later in Fig. 2a, has a complementary shape to the housing 2 and is only shaped up to about half of the side surfaces 20 of the housing 2. It is also conceivable that the housing 3 is part of a mating connector complementary to the housing 2 and completely encloses the housing 2 up to the rear side 24. Two electrical contacts 4, in particular the contact pins 15, can be seen on the lower side of the housing 2. The side surfaces 20 of the housing 2 are extended by feet 22.

Figure 2a shows the plug connector 1 according to the invention in Figure 1 in plan view with the matching complementary housing 3. Figure 2b shows a section along the line A-A in Figure 2a. The housing 2 has six chambers 23 for receiving electrical contacts 4. Only two of these chambers 23 have been fitted with electrical contacts 4. The shape of the rear wall 26 of the housing 2 is essentially determined by the round chambers which are formed out of the rear surface. As already mentioned, the essentially U-shaped complementary housing 3 encloses the housing 2 and is a tight fit so that the inner wall of the housing 3 comes to rest on the rear wall of the housing 2.

Fig. 2b shows a section through the chambers 23 equipped with electrical contacts. The electrical contact 4 in this case consists of a contact pin 15 and a cable connection 16, both of which are connected to one another at one end by spot welding. Instead of a contact pin, a contact sleeve is also conceivable. The contact pin projects beyond the housing 2. The cable connection 16 is located completely in the chamber 23. The cable connection 16 has a crimp connection on the one hand and a collar on the other that can be used for strain relief. The spring arm 7, which is attached to the upper half of the housing, projects into the chamber 23, the free end of the spring arm 7 having a flat shoulder 5 directed towards the outside of the housing on the one hand and locking hooks 11 directed inwards on the other. The locking hook 11 is formed by a ramp 13 running obliquely in the direction of insertion and a blocking surface 12 running perpendicular to the direction of insertion, which converge in a ridge 14.

The upper of the two chambers 23 shows the electrical contact 4 in the locked position and the lower chamber 23 shows the electrical contact 4 in the loose position. This latter state occurs after the electrical contact 4 has been pushed into an empty chamber 23. In this case, it is possible to remove the electrical contact from the chamber at any time. If this contact is to be blocked, only the housing 3 is required, which is pushed onto the housing 2 and slides onto the flattened shoulder 5 and presses the spring arm into the housing interior. Since the shoulder 5 normally protrudes beyond the edge of the housing, the ridge 14 comes into contact with the cable connection 16. The spring arm not only holds the electrical contact transversely to the insertion direction, but also in the insertion direction, since the step between the contact pin 15

and cable connection 24 comes into contact with the blocking surface 12 when an attempt is made to pull the electrical contact out of the chamber. It is also conceivable that there is no play between the contact pin and the blocking surface 12.

The chambers have a cylindrical cross-section in the upper area to accommodate the collar of the cable connection and then transition into a rectangular cross-section. The cylindrical area is slightly widened towards the outside so that the electrical contacts can be inserted more easily. It should be noted that the cable connections can be made from flat strip.

Thus, the solution according to the invention results in a structurally simple connector, by means of which the disadvantages inherent in the prior art can be effectively avoided.

Claims (8)

1. Electrical connector with detachable electrical contacts with a first plug housing and a complementary second plug housing, wherein one housing at least partially encloses the other housing, characterized in that the enclosed housing ( 2 ) has at least one elastic spring arm ( 7 ) with latching hooks ( 11 ) for locking at least one electrical contact ( 4 ) located in the enclosed housing ( 2 ), wherein the latching hook ( 11 ) is blocked in the latching position by an apron of the enclosing housing ( 3 ). 2. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic spring arm ( 7 ) extends in the plug-in direction and its free end ( 10 ) has a shoulder ( 5 ) flattened towards the outside of the housing in the plug-in direction for supporting against the inner wall ( 9 ) of the skirt. 3. Connector according to claim 2, characterized in that the spring arm ( 7 ) in the locking position is substantially flush with the housing edge ( 8 ). 4. Connector according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shoulder ( 5 ) merges into a blocking surface ( 12 ) running perpendicular to the plugging direction, to which the locking hook ( 11 ) directed into the housing interior is connected. 5. Connector according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking hook ( 11 ) is formed by a ramp ( 13 ) inclined to the plugging direction and by the blocking surface ( 12 ), which converge in a ridge ( 14 ). 6. Connector according to claim 5, characterized in that the distance between the ridge ( 14 ) and the flattened shoulder surfaces ( 5 ) is selected such that in the locking position the ridge ( 14 ) presses against the electrical contact ( 4 ). 7. Connector according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical contact ( 4 ) has a contact pin ( 15 ) on the front side outside the housing ( 2 ) and a cable connection ( 16 ) on the rear side inside the housing ( 2 ), the contact pin and cable connection being connected to one another, in particular by spot welding. 8. Connector according to claim 7, characterized in that the cable connection ( 16 ) is a crimp connection with strain relief.