Lever-type electrical connector with connector positioning assurance member

Abstract

An electrical connector comprising a cover, a mating assist lever pivotally mounted to the cover and configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position, and a connector positioning assurance (CPA) member slideably mounted to the cover and configured to slide between an inoperative position and a locked position. The CPA member comprises a flexible locking arm that is bendable between a bent position and a rest position. The flexible locking arm comprises a blocking ramp that cooperates with a blocking shoulder on the cover to generate a first threshold force resisting the CPA member from sliding from the inoperative position to the locked position and a locking ramp that cooperates with the locking shoulder on the mate assist lever to bend the flexible locking arm from the rest position to the bent position to prevent the blocking ramp and the blocking shoulder from cooperating.

Claims

1. An electrical connector configured to mate with a complementary mating connector, said electrical connector comprising: a cover having a blocking shoulder; a mating assist lever having a locking shoulder, pivotally mounted to the cover, and configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position; a connector positioning assurance (CPA) member having a flexible locking arm configured to bend between a bent position and a rest position, slideably mounted to the cover and configured to slide between an inoperative position and a locked position, said flexible locking arm comprising: a blocking ramp having a frontal blocking side configured to cooperate with the blocking shoulder, wherein the frontal blocking side of the blocking ramp and the blocking shoulder cooperate so as to generate a first threshold force resisting the CPA member from sliding from the inoperative position to the locked position when the flexible locking arm is in the rest position, the mating assist lever is in the open position, and the CPA member is moved from the inoperative position to the locked position, and a locking ramp having a slanted frontal locking ramp configured to cooperate with the locking shoulder, wherein the slanted frontal locking ramp of the locking ramp and the locking shoulder cooperate so as to bend the flexible locking arm from the rest position to the bent position such that it prevents the blocking ramp and the blocking shoulder from cooperating when the mating assist lever is in the closed position and the CPA member is moved from the inoperative position to the locked position, wherein an angle formed by the frontal blocking side is greater than an angle formed by the slanted frontal locking ramp, wherein the bending of the flexible locking arm from the rest position to the bent position requires overcoming a second threshold force, and wherein the second threshold force is lower than the first threshold force.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the mating assist lever comprises a lever pocket and wherein the locking shoulder is arranged in an interior of the lever pocket that is configured to receive the locking ramp.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is configured such that the flexible locking arm is in the rest position when the mating assist lever is in the closed position and the CPA member is in the locked position.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is configured such that the locking ramp and the locking shoulder cooperate such as to bend the flexible locking arm from the rest position to the bent position when the mating assist lever is in the closed position and the CPA member is moved from the locked position to the inoperative position.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking ramp is arranged on a distal end of the flexible locking arm and the blocking ramp is arranged between the locking ramp and a proximal end of the flexible locking arm.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein sliding the CPA member from the inoperative position to the locked position defines a slide direction and wherein the flexible locking arm is arranged with a longitudinal axis parallel to the slide direction.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein a rotating axis of the mating assist lever is perpendicular to the slide direction.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein a mating axis between the electrical connector and the complementary electrical connector lie in a same imaginary plane with the slide direction and an angle formed between the mating axis and the slide direction is less than 90 degrees.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible locking arm comprises a first and a second blocking ramp extending sideways in opposite directions from a longitudinal axis of the flexible locking arm and wherein the cover comprises a first and a second blocking shoulder that respectively cooperate with the first and second blocking ramps.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the CPA member comprises a CPA pocket and an auxiliary shoulder, wherein the cover comprises a flexible lance configured with an auxiliary ramp, and wherein the auxiliary shoulder is arranged in an interior of the CPA pocket that is configured to receive the auxiliary ramp.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein the electrical connector is configured such that the flexible lance is in the rest position and the auxiliary ramp and the auxiliary shoulder cooperate so as to resist against the CPA member from sliding from the inoperative position to the locked position by bending the flexible lance from the rest position to the bent position when the mating assist lever is in the open position and the CPA member is moved from the inoperative position to the locked position.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein the electrical connector is configured such that the auxiliary ramp and the auxiliary shoulder cooperate such as to bend the flexible lance from the rest position to the bent position so as to provide a resistance when the mating assist lever is in the closed position and the CPA member is moved from the locked position to the inoperative position.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein the bending of the flexible lance from the rest position to the bent position requires overcoming a third threshold force and wherein the third threshold force is less than the first threshold force.

14. A connector assembly, comprising: the electrical connector according to claim 1; and an element selected from the group consisting of: an intermediate housing, a movable connection part, and the complementary mating connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exploded view of an electrical connector according to a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2a shows a partly exploded view of the electrical connector according to the first embodiment;

(4) FIG. 2b shows an exploded view of the electrical connector according to the first embodiment;

(5) FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of a connector positioning assurance (CPA) member according to the first embodiment;

(6) FIG. 3b shows a perspective view of a mating assist lever according to the first embodiment;

(7) FIG. 3c shows a perspective view of a cover according to the first embodiment;

(8) FIG. 4 shows a perspective top view of the CPA member according to the first embodiment;

(9) FIG. 5 shows a perspective bottom view of the CPA member according to the first embodiment;

(10) FIG. 6 shows a perspective bottom view of the cover according to the first embodiment;

(11) FIG. 7 shows a perspective bottom view of the mating assist lever according to the first embodiment;

(12) FIG. 8 shows a perspective side view with cut out of the mating assist lever, and

(13) FIG. 9, shows an electrical connector in perspective view with the cover, CPA member and mating assist lever being assembled and the mating assist lever in an open position and the CPA member in an inoperative position according to the first embodiment;

(14) FIG. 10, shown the electrical connector in side view with the cover, CPA member and mating assist lever being assembled and the mating assist lever in an open position and the CPA member in an inoperative position according to the first embodiment;

(15) FIG. 11, shows the electrical connector in perspective view with the cover, CPA member and mating assist lever being assembled and the mating assist lever a closed position and the CPA member in a locked position according to the first embodiment;

(16) FIG. 12 shows the electrical connector in side view with the cover, CPA member and mating assist lever being assembled and the mating assist lever a closed position and the CPA member in a locked position according to the first embodiment;

(17) FIG. 13 shows a CPA member according to a second embodiment; and

(18) FIG. 14 shows a cover according to the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(19) The present invention provides a solution or at least an alternative to above drawbacks. In particular, it provides a solution or at least an alternative to the problem of having different actuating force requirements for sliding the CPA member for different positions of the mate assist lever and the CPA member itself.

(20) FIG. 1 shows an electrical connector 1 according to a first embodiment. It shows a cover 10, a mating assist lever 20 and a CPA member 30. It further shows an intermediate housing 70 and a movable connection part 80. The electrical connector 1 according to a first embodiment comprises the CPA member 30, the mating assist lever 20 and the cover 10 as shown in FIG. 9 where the parts are in an assembled state. The electrical connector 1 is mateable with a complementary mating connector (not shown).

(21) Typically, the electrical connector 1 and the complementary mating connector operate through some form of cam groove 82 or cam follower arrangement for drawing the complementary mating connector into a mating condition with the electrical connector 1 in response to rotation of the mating assist lever 20.

(22) Here the movable connection part 80 comprises the cam 81 and the mating assist lever 20 comprises the cam groove 82. The intermediate housing 70 is arranged between the cover 10 and the movable connection part 80 as can be seen in FIGS. 2a and 2b. The movable connection part 80 is connectable with complementary mating connector (not shown). The mating assist lever 20 is pivotally mounted to the cover 10 and is pivotable between an open position and a closed position. FIGS. 9 and 10 show the mating assist lever 20 in an open position and FIGS. 11 and 12 show the mating assist lever 20 in a closed position.

(23) FIG. 3a shows a CPA member 30. FIG. 3b shows a mating assist lever 20 and FIG. 3c shows a cover 10. The CPA member 30 is slideably mounted to the cover 10. The CPA member 30 is slideable between an inoperative position and a locked position. The CPA member 30 comprises a first guiding groove 41a and a second guiding groove 41b that cooperate with respectively a first elongated guiding protrusion 43a and a second elongated guiding protrusion 43b for providing the slideable arrangement between the CPA member 30 and the cover 10. The first and second guiding protrusions 43a, 43b are provided on a top of the cover 10.

(24) The CPA member 30 furthermore comprises a flexible locking arm 32, which is shown in FIG. 4. The flexible locking arm 32 is bendable between a bent position and a rest position. The flexible locking arm 32 passes through a frontal opening 45 of the cover 10. The sliding of the CPA member 30 from the inoperative position to the locked position defines a slide direction A and the flexible locking arm 32 comprises a longitudinal axis B that is parallel with the slide direction A. Preferably, a rotating axis C of the mating assist lever 20 is perpendicular to the slide direction A.

(25) In the rest position the flexible locking arm 32 is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis B of the CPA member 30. In the bent position, the flexible locking arm 32 deforms and is curved.

(26) The flexible locking arm 32 comprises a stiffening bar 46, which is shown in FIG. 3a and FIG. 5, for providing additional stiffness to the flexible locking arm 32 and for generating a resistance against bending. The size and shape of the stiffening bar 46 may be changed to generate a desired amount of stiffness or resistance against bending of the flexible locking arm 32. The stiffening bar 46 is received in an elongated recess 47 in the cover 10 when the CPA member 30 and the cover 10 are in the assembled state.

(27) The cover 10 comprises a blocking shoulder 11 as shown in FIG. 6. Here the blocking shoulder 11 is comprised of a first blocking shoulder 11a and a second blocking shoulder 11b that are arranged opposite with respect to each other.

(28) The flexible locking arm 32 comprises a blocking ramp 34 for cooperating with the blocking shoulder 11 as shown in FIG. 4. Here the blocking ramp 34 is comprised of a first blocking ramp 34a and a second blocking ramp 34b. The first and second blocking ramp 34a, 34b cooperate respectively with the first and second blocking shoulder 11a, 11b of the cover 10. The first and second blocking ramps 34a, 34b extend sideways in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis B of the flexible locking arm 32.

(29) When the mating assist lever 20 is in the open position and the CPA member 30 is moved from the inoperative position to the locked position, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the flexible locking arm 32 is in the rest position and the blocking ramp 34 and the blocking shoulder 11 cooperate so as to generate a first threshold force resisting the CPA member 30 from sliding from the inoperative position to the locked position.

(30) As shown in FIG. 4, the blocking ramp 34 comprises a frontal blocking side 50 and a rear blocking side 51. The frontal blocking side 50 is substantially perpendicular with respect to the slide direction A. This may result in generating a relative large first threshold force when cooperating with the blocking shoulder 11. The frontal blocking side 50 may be arranged in more slanted way; however this results in a lower first threshold force compared with the perpendicular frontal blocking side 50.

(31) The mating assist lever 20 comprises a locking shoulder 21 which is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. The flexible locking arm 32 comprises a locking ramp 35 for cooperating with the locking shoulder 21. Here the locking ramp 35 comprises a slanted frontal locking side 53.

(32) When the mating assist lever 20 is in the closed position and the CPA member 30 is moved from the inoperative position to the locked position, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the locking ramp 35 and locking shoulder 21 cooperate so as to bend the flexible locking arm 32 from the rest position to the bent position such that it prevents the blocking ramp 34 and the blocking shoulder 11 to cooperate. This is advantageous as in a desired position of the mating assist lever 20 and of the CPA member 30 with respect to the cover 10, the CPA member 130 may be moved from the inoperative position to the locked position. When the mating assist lever 20 is in the closed position and the CPA member 130 is in the inoperative position, the locking ramp 35 and locking shoulder 21 cooperate such as to unblock the blocking ramp 34 with the blocking shoulder 11.

(33) The locking ramp 35 is arranged on a distal end 38 of the flexible locking arm 32 and the blocking ramp 34 is arranged between the locking ramp 35 and a proximal end 39 of the flexible locking arm 32. As the locking ramp 35 moves in an outward direction due to the cooperation with the locking shoulder 21, the blocking ramp 34 is therefore also moved outward and is not able to cooperate with the blocking shoulder 11 anymore. Having the locking ramp 35 at the distal end 38 is also advantageous as it allows the flexible locking arm 32 to be partly received in an interior 27 of a lever pocket 26 in the mating assist lever 20 as will be further explained below.

(34) The bending of the flexible locking arm 32 from the rest position to the bent position requires overcoming a second threshold force. Preferably, the second threshold force is lower than the first threshold force.

(35) The frontal blocking side 50 is more slanted than the slanted frontal locking side 53 resulting in the second threshold force being smaller that the first threshold force. Preferably, the frontal blocking side 50 is perpendicular or not slanted and the slanted frontal locking side 53 is slanted or not perpendicular.

(36) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the mating assist lever 20 comprises a lever pocket 26. The locking shoulder 21 is arranged in an interior 27 of the lever pocket 26. The interior 27 of the lever pocket 26 is arranged to receive the locking ramp 35. By receiving the locking shoulder 21 as well as the locking ramp 35 in the interior 27 of the lever pocket 26, the locking ramp 35 and the locking shoulder 21 are able to cooperate. Moreover, by receiving the locking ramp 35 in the interior 27 enables the flexible locking arm 32 to be in the rest position while the mating assist lever 20 is in the closed position and the CPA member 30 is in the locked position. This is advantageous, as during a mating state of the electrical connector 1 and the complementary connector, the flexible locking arm 32 may be in an unstressed condition as it is in the rest position. This may allow for a longer life time of the CPA member 30. In other words, the electrical connector 1 is arranged such that when the mating assist lever 20 is in the closed position and the CPA member 30 is in the locked position the flexible locking arm 32 is in the rest position.

(37) The electrical connector 1 is arranged such that when the mating assist lever 20 is in the closed position and the CPA member 30 is moved from the locked position to the inoperative position, the locking ramp 35 and the locking shoulder 21 cooperate such as to bend the flexible locking arm 32 from the rest position to the bent position. For this purpose, the locking shoulder 21, in this case comprised of a first locking shoulder 21a and a second locking shoulder 21b, comprises of a slanted front locking shoulder 61. The locking ramp 35 comprises a rear locking side 54 that cooperates with the slanted front locking shoulder 61. The rear locking side 54 is arranged non-slanted or perpendicular.

(38) A mating axis D between the electrical connector 1 and the complementary electrical connector lie in a same imaginary plane with the slide direction A. The mating axis D and the slide direction A are arranged under an angle of preferably substantially 90 degrees, more preferably substantially 80 degrees and in a further preference substantially 60 degrees. In FIG. 10 it is shown that the slide direction A is angled with respect to the mating axis D.

(39) The mating assist lever 20 comprises a first and a second locking shoulder 21a, 21b that cooperate with the locking ramp 35. Here, the locking ramp 35 is shaped as an elongated bar that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis B.

(40) In a variant, not shown here, the flexible locking arm comprises a first and a second locking ramp extending sideways in opposite directions from a longitudinal axis of the flexible locking arm. The first and second locking shoulder cooperate respectively with the first and second locking ramp.

(41) FIGS. 13 and 14 show a second embodiment of the electrical connector 101 according to the invention. The second embodiment if similar to the first embodiment, however a CPA member 130 now comprises a CPA pocket 36 and an auxiliary shoulder 33 and a cover 110 comprises a flexible lance 12 arranged with an auxiliary ramp 13. Similar components are indicated with the same reference numbers as in the first embodiment.

(42) The auxiliary shoulder 33 is arranged in an interior of the CPA pocket 36 and the interior 37 of the CPA pocket 36 is arranged to receive the auxiliary ramp 13.

(43) The electrical connector 101 is configured such that when the mating assist lever 20 is in the open position and the CPA member 130 is moved from the inoperative position to the locked position, the flexible lance 12 is in a rest position and the auxiliary ramp 13 and the auxiliary shoulder 33 cooperate so as to resist against the CPA member 130 from sliding from the inoperative position to the locked position by bending the flexible lance 12 from the rest position to a bent position.

(44) The electrical connector 101 is arranged such that when the mating assist lever 20 is in the closed position and the CPA member 130 is moved from the locked position to the inoperative position, the auxiliary ramp 13 and the auxiliary shoulder 33 cooperate such as to bend the flexible lance 12 from the rest position to the bent position so as to provide a resistance. The bending of the flexible lance 12 from the rest position to the bent position requires overcoming a third threshold force, wherein the third threshold force is smaller than the first threshold force.

(45) While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. does not denote any order of importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(46) Electrical connector . . . 1 Cover . . . 10 Blocking shoulder . . . 11 Mating assist lever . . . 20 Locking shoulder . . . 21 Connector positioning assurance (CPA) member . . . 30 Flexible locking arm . . . 32 Blocking ramp . . . 34 Locking ramp . . . 35 Lever pocket . . . 26 Interior of the lever pocket . . . 27 Distal end of the flexible locking arm . . . 38 Proximal end of the flexible locking arm . . . 39 Slide direction . . . A Longitudinal axis . . . B Rotating axis . . . C Mating axis . . . D First locking shoulder . . . 21a Second locking shoulder . . . 21b First blocking ramp . . . 34a Second blocking ramp . . . 34b First blocking shoulder . . . 11a Second blocking shoulder . . . 11b CPA pocket . . . 36 Interior of the CPA pocket . . . 37 Auxiliary shoulder . . . 33 Auxiliary ramp . . . 13 Flexible lance . . . 12 Slanted front locking shoulder . . . 61 Frontal blocking side . . . 50 Rear blocking side . . . 51 Slanted frontal locking side . . . 53 Rear locking side . . . 54 First guiding groove . . . 41a Second guiding groove . . . 41b First elongated guiding protrusion . . . 43a Second elongated guiding protrusion . . . 43b Frontal opening . . . 45 Stiffening bar . . . 46 Elongated recess . . . 47 Intermediate housing . . . 70 Movable connection part . . . 80 Cam . . . 81 Cam groove . . . 82