GB2219445A

GB2219445A - Electrical connector housing

Info

Publication number: GB2219445A
Application number: GB8910180A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harald Bouda
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1988-05-05
Filing date: 1989-05-04
Publication date: 1989-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-05-04
Also published as: IT8920984V0; IT216543Z2; GB8910180D0; DE8905583U1; GB8810591D0; GB2219445B

Abstract

A housing (2) for mounting in an opening in a support panel has, on each of two opposite lateral faces (20), upper (22) and lower (22') panel engaging shoulders. At one end of the housing (2) is a rigid step (28) and at the opposite end a resilient cantilever arm (42) having a projecting spur (46). The opening in the panel has cutouts so that the housing (3) can be inserted into the opening from below. The housing (2) is then slid towards one end of the opening so that the step (28) engages the upper face of the panel, and the spur (42) which is resiliently depressed by the panel is cammed therebeneath, finally to resile so that the spur (46) engages the other end of the opening. Since the panel is snugly received between the upper and lower shoulders (22 and 22'), the housing (2) will not chatter against the panel under the influence of vibration. The housing also has a lower part with terminal receiving cavities (14), and a terminal retaining slide (8). <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNEcTO HOUSING This invention relates to an electrical connector insulating housing for mounting in an opening in a support panel.

There is described in US-A-3514,743 an electrical connector housing for mounting in an opening in a support panel and defining a row of electrical terminal-receiving elongate cavities each opening into a top and a bottom face of the housing, two first opposite lateral facet uf the housing each being formed with a row of spaced, panel-engaging, shoulders, alternate panel-engaging shoulders of each row being off set from one another in the direction of said top and bottom faces thereby providing upper and lower shoulders, and the xows extending at right angles to said cavities, second opposite faces of the housing, adjacent to said first opposite faces being formed with respective panel-engaging projections one of which is in the form of a downwardly facing, rigid, panel-engaging step.

The shoulders comprise rigid shoulders engaging the upper face of the panel and shoulders presented by resiliently deflectable members, engaging the lower face of the panel, the panel-engaging projections below the panel being in the form of similar deflectable members.

Since it is resiliently mounted, the housing could chatter against the panel, were it to be used in an environment where severe vibration occurs, as for example, in a motor vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connector housing which can be mounted for example in a truck where heavy vibration is likely to occur, without the possibility of the housing chattering against the panel.

According to the invention, all of said shoulders are rigid and are parallel with one another, the other panel-engaging projection being carried by a resilient cantilever arm extending from said second opposite face, longitudinally of the housing, said other panel engaging projection being in the form of a spur proximate to the end of the arm remote from said second opposite face and protruding between the two planes of the shoulders, the spur having a camming ramp facing said opposite face of the housing and a stop face facing away therefrom.

Tn use, the housing is inserted from below into an elongate opening in a panel, the opening having cutouts in the panel communicating therewith which receive therethrough said upper shoulders with the spur lying beyond an outside edge of the panel. The housing is then slid lengthwise of the opening, so that the edges thereof are received between the upper and lower shoulders and said step engages over the edge of the opening towards which the housing is slid. During the sliding movement of the housing along the opening, the camming ramp of the spur engages said edge or the panel so that the arm is deflected away from the panel whereby the spur passes there beneath, the arm finally resiling so that the stop face of the spur engages against the other end of the opening, whereby the housing is firmly secured to the panel.Since the shoulders are rigid, the housing cannot chatter against the panel if the upper and lower shoulders are spaced snugly to receive the panel.

In order to prevent electrical terminals latched in the cavities from backing out thereof under the action of vibration, the housing can be provided with a secondary locking slide having a first position in which the terminals can be inserted into the cavities and a second position in which the slide interrupts the cavities positively to retain the terminals therein, means being provided for retaining the slide firmly but releasably in its first and second positions.

The housing is preferably made up of two interengaging parts defining a space for receiving the locking slide, means being provided for relatively locating the housings and for fixedly latching them together.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is an isometric, exploded view of a housing of an electrical connector; FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electrical connector having a housing according to Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a side view of the connector when mounted in an opening in a support panel whilst being mated with a mating electrical connector; TIGUKE uRE 4 is a plan view of the support panel, drawn to a smaller scale than Figure 3; and FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, exploded, under plan view illustrating details of the housing.

The housing 2, which comprises two inter-engaging, elongate housing parts 4 and 6 and a terminal retention slide 8 all made from insulating material, is adapted to be mounted in an elongate opening 1U in a support panel 12 (best seen in Figure 4) which may be or metal. The opening 10 communicates with opposed pairs of rectangular cut outs 11 spaced from each other intermediate the ends 13 and 15 of the opening 10, the end 13 being proximate to an external edge 17 of the panel 12.

The parts 4 and 6 of the housing 2 cooperate to define two rows of elongate, parallel, terminal-receiving cavities 14. As best seen in Figure 2, eacn cavity 14 opens into a top face 16 and a bottom face 18 of the housing 2, the cavities 14 of each row being constantly spaced longitudinally of the housing parts 4 and 6, and the cavities 14 of each row being offset from those of the other row. Two opposite lateral faces 20 of the housing part 4 are each formed with a row of spaced panel-engaging upper shoulders 22 and lower shoulders 22', alternate shoulders of the row being offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the cavities 14 by a distance which only very slightly exceeds the thickness of the panel 12 so that the panel 12 can be fitted snugly between the shoulders 22 and 22' in a manner described below.The shoulders 22 ad 22' face in opposite directions for engagement with the upper side and the lower side, respectively, of the panel 12. Each row of shoulders 22 and 22' extends transversely of the cavities 14. Each shoulder 22 on one face 20 is directly opposite to a shoulder 22 on the other face 20, each shoulder 22' on one face 20 being directly opposite to a shoulder 22' on the other face 20, the shoulders 22 being coplanar and the shoulders 22' also being coplanar. Each shoulder 22 and 22' is reinforced by a pair of triangular shaped end struts 24 to provide a rigid, generally stirrup-shaped structure formed integrally with the respective face 20.

The shoulders 22 and 22' of each row are constantly spaced from one another lengthwise of the housing part 4, that is to say transversely of the length of the cavities 14. One end face, 26 of the housing part 4, is formed with a pair of rigid steps 28 coplanar with the shoulders 22 and being spaced from one another transversely of the length of the housing part 4 on either side of a rectangular blind opening 30 in the face 26. The step. 28, which face downwardly, for engagement with the upper side of the panel 12, are provided on noses 32 projecting from parallel spaced cheeks 34 projecting from the face 26 and having end edges 35. A skirt 36 projecting from the housing part 4, below the cheeks 34, for receiving one end of the housing part 6, is formed with a rectangular, through, latching opening 38.From the opposite end face 4Q of the housing part 4 there projects longitudinally thereof, a resilient, cantilever, latch arm 42 having a central longitudinal opening 44 on either side of which there upstands from the arm 42 a spur 46 having a camming ramp 48 which slopes from a rectangular summit 50 down towards the face 40, each summit lying between the plane of the shoulders 22 and 22'. Each spur 46 has opposite to its ramp 48, a stop surface 51 extending from the summit 50 to the arm 42 normally thereof, for engaging an the end 13 of the opening 10 as described below.Back from thc face 40, the housing part 4 1s formed with a rectangular, box-like emplacement 52 for receiving a beak 108, as described below, on an electrical connector 106 (Figure 3), the face 40 having a rectangular, through, laterally offset opening 54 for receiving the tip 110 of the beak 108. There projects from the housing part 4, below the emplacement 52, a skirt 37 for receiving the other end of the housing part 6 and having a latching opening 39. Each face 20 is provided with a depending U-shaped latch arm 56 and a depending tapered flange 58 defining in cooperation with the skirt 36, a rectilinear guideway 60.The housing part 4 has a lower face 62 from which, as will be apparent from Figures 2, 3 and 5, there projects near eitner end of said part 4, a peg 64, each peg 64 being laterally offset towards the upper (as seen in Figure 5) face 20.

The slide 8, which is slidable in a space 6b defined between the face 62 of the housing part 4 and an opposite face 66 of the housing part 6 (Figure 2), is formed with two rows of through openings 68 equal in number to the cavities 14 and being spaced from each other in the same way thereas. Each opening 68 has, as best seen in Figure 5, a narrower portion 70 bounded on each side by a terminal locking edge 71, and which merges with a wider portion 72, the openings 68 of each row being offset from those of the other row in the same way as the cavities 14.

At each end of the slide 8 is a peg receptacle 74 (best seen in Figure 5) opening into a leading edge 7G of the slide 8 and defining an outer arcuate opening 78 debouching into the edge 76 and an inner arcuate opening 80, cusps 8; projecting between the openings 78 and 80, one side of each of which openings is defined by a resiliently outwardly deflectable latch arm 84. Opposite to the leading edge 76, the slide 8 has a raised bead 86 extending along its trailing edge, as best seen in Figure 1. There depends from each end of the slide 8, a slide guide lug 88.

The housing part 6 is formed at one end with a box-like structure 90 for the reception in the skirt 36 of the housing part 4, and at its other end with a box-like structure 92 for reception in the skirt 37 or the housing part 4. The structure 90 has a latch member 92 for latching reception in the opening 38 of the skirt :36, the structure 92 having a latch member 94 for latching reception in the opening 39 of the skirt 37. Each structure 90 and 92 defines a guide surface 96 for a respective guide lug 88 of the slide 8, each surface 96 being bounded by a guide lug stop shoulder 97. The structure 90 has depending therefrom, a cable strain relief support 98 about which a cable tie (not shown) can be secured.The housing part 6 also has projecting therefrom an upstanding flange 100 for reception in the guideway 60 of the housing part 4, and a latch member 102 for latching engagement in the latch arm 56 of the housing part 4 (Figure 3).

With the housing parts 4 and 6 latched together in mating relationship, about the slide 8, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and with the slide 8 in a retracted, terminal insertion position as shown in Figure 2, that is to say in a rightward (as seen in Figure 2) position, with the lugs 88 engaging the stop shoulders 96 bounding the guide surfaces 96 so that the portions 72 of the openings 68 coincide with the cavities 14, an electrical terminal T crimped to a cable C is inserted into each cavity la, through the lower face 18 of the housing 2, in the direction of the arrows A in Figure 2, with mating tab portions M of the terminals T, leading.In the terminal insertion position of the slide 8, the pegs 64 are resiliently engaged in the outer openings 78 of the peg receptacles 74 so that the slide 8 is releasaly held in its terminal-insertion position. During the loading of the housing 2 with terminals T, each inserted terminal is latched in its cavity 14 by means of a latching tongue LT projecting obliquely from the terminal T and engaging a shoulder 104 in the housing part 4, as shown in Figure 2.

The cables C are then secured to the support 98 by means of the cable tie.

The terminals T having been so loaded into the cavities 14, the slide 8 is advanced in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 2, by the operator pressing against the bead 86 with hits thumb, so that the slide 8 assumes a terminal-locking position in which the pegs 64 are received in the inner openings 80 of the receptacles 74, the pegs 64 having engaged the cusps 82, thereby camming the latch-arms 84 outwardly, to allow the pegs 64 to pass the cusps 82. In the terminal locking position of the slide 8, the narrower portions 70 of the openings 68 coincide with the cavities 14, so that the terminal locking edges 71 of the slide 8 engage behind behind lugs L on the terminals T so that they cannot back out from their cavities 14 even if the latching tongues LT are defective or are dislodged from the shoulders when the connector is in use.

The connector comprising the housing 2, when it has been loaded with terminals T, as described above is introduced through the opening 10 in the pancl 12 from beneath the panel 12, so that the upper shoulders 22 pass through the sut outs 11 of the panel 12. Zn this position of the housing 2, the spur5 46 lie just beyond the said external edge 17 of the panel 12. The housing 2 is then slid lengthwise of the opening 10, towards the and 15 thereof, with the skirt 36 leading, so that the panel 12 is snugly received between the lugs 22 and 22', the steps 28 engaging the upper side of the panel 12 at the and 15 of the opening 10, the edges 35 of the cheeks 34 lying against the end 15, and the stop surfaces 51 of the spurs 46 lying against the end 13 of the opening 10, as shown in Figure 3.As the housing 2 is being slid towards the end 15, the ramps 48 engage against the edge 1o of the panel 12 so that the arm 42 is resiliently depressed, finally to resile so that the stop surfaces 51 engage the end 13 of the opening 10. The housing 2 is thus rirmly secured in the opening 10.

With the connector so mounted to the panel 10. the connector 106 having at one end the beak 108 and at its other end a latch arm 112 having a latching barb 114, is mated with the housing 2. As shown in Figure 3, the tip 110 of the beak 108 is inserted through the opening t4 in the face 40 and the connector 106 is then pivoted about said tip 110 in a clockwise (as seen in Figure 3) sense so that the barb 114 of the latch arm 112 latchingly engages in the blind opening 30 in the face 26 of the housing 2, whereby the connector 6 and the housing 2 are secured in mating relationship, with terminals (not shown) in the connector 6 mating with the portions M of the terminals 41 in the housing 2.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electrical connector insulating housing (2) for mounting in an opening (10) in a support panel (12) and defining a row of electrical ter::inal-rcceiving, elongate, cavities (14) each opening into a top and a bottom face (16 and 18) of the housing (2), two first opposite lateral faces (20) of the housing (2) each being formed With a row of spaced, panel engaging, shoulders (22 and 22'), alternate panel engaging shoulders (22 and 22') of each row being offset from one another in the direction of said top and bottom faces (16 and 18) thereby providing upper shoulders (22) and lower shoulders (22'), the rows extending at right angles to said cavities (14), second opposite faces (26 and 40) of the housing (2), adjacent to said first opposite faces (20) being formed with respective panel engaging projections (2R and 46) one of which is in the form of a downwardly facing, rigid panel-engaging step (28), characterized in that all of said shoulders (22 and 22') are rigid and are parallel with one another; and in that said other panel engaging projection (46) is carried by a resilient cantilever arm (42) extending from said second opposite face (40), longitudinally of the housing (2), and being in the form of a spur (42) proximate to the end of the arm (42) remote from said second opposite face (40) and protruding between the two planes of the shoulders (22 and 22'), the spur (42) having a camming ramp (48) facing said opposite face (40) of the housing (2) and a stop surface (51) racing away therefrom.

2. A housing according to claim 1, characterized in that the cantilever arm (42) is formed with a central longitudinal opening (44), a spur (46) projecting upwardly therefrom on each side of said opening (46).

3. A housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each shoulder (22 and 22') is presented by a stirrup-shaped structure (22 or 22', 24) formed integrally with the respective lateral face (20).

4. A housing according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it comprises two interlocking parts (4 and 6) upon one of which said shoulders (22 and 22') and said projections (28 and 46) are providcd, the other part (6) being latched to the one part (4) and the parts (4*and 6) defining between them, a space (86) intersecting said cavities (14), a secondary locking slide (8) in said space (86) having a first position in which openings (72) in the locking slide (8) are aligned with the cavities (14), and second position in which parts (71) of said slide (8) interrupt said cavities (14), the slide (8) having at each end thereof a resilient receptacle (74) receiving a peg (64) on one of the parts (4) of the housing (2) in each position of the slide (8), and a guide lug (88) engaging a guide surface (96) in the other part (6) of the housing (2).

5. A housing according to claim 4, characterized in that one part (4) of the housing (2) has a U-shaped latch arm (56) receiving a latch member (102) on the other part (6) of the housing (2), the other part (6) of the nousing (2) having a tapered flange (loO) received in a guide channel (60) in-the one part (4) of the housing (2), said latch arm, said latch member (56) and said guide channel (60) being provided on one of said opposite lateral faces (20) and one of said housing parts (4 and 6) having opposite end structures (36 and 37) embracing respective end structures (90 and 92) of the other housing part (6).

6. A housing according to claim 4 or s, characterized in that the housing is mated with a further housing (106) having at one end a hooked beak (108) for pivotal engagement in an opening (54) in an Xnd wall (40) of the one housing part (4) and at its other end a latch arm (112) engageable in an opening (30) at the other ond of the one housing part (4).

7. An electrical connector housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.