CONNECTOR PROVIDED WITH A CAP FOR LOCKING TO A COMPLEMENTARY CONNECTOR AND WITH ONE OR MORE MEANS FOR SECURING THE LOCKING AND THE ASSOCIATED COUPLING BETWEEN CONNECTORS

Abstract

Connector provided with a cap for locking to a complementary connector and with one or more means for securing the locking and the associated coupling between connectors. The application includes a means that makes it possible to secure, preferably by mechanical interference, the fact that the locking cap effectively locks the casing of the connector to that of a complementary connector.

Claims

1. A connector) comprising: a casing of longitudinal axis (X), comprising a front face, called connection face, via which the connection by coupling along the longitudinal axis (X) to a connector of complementary type comprising a complementary casing, is made, and a rear face, a cap for locking the connector to the complementary connector, said cap being mounted on the casing and designed to slide, transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis (X) of the casing, between an unlocking position and a locking position between casing and complementary casing, at least one means for securing the coupling and the locking, the one or more securing means being designed to mechanically block the sliding of the locking cap before it reaches its locking position, in the event of at least partial deformation of the cap that is caused by incorrect coupling.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the means for securing the coupling and the locking consist of a means for mechanical interference between at least one deformed part of the cap and an element of the connector casing.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking cap is, in the non-deformed state, in section in a plane perpendicular to the axis X, substantially U-shaped, with a back and two parallel wings connected to the back and each designed to slide on one of the longitudinal faces of the casing from the locking position.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the casing having at least one relief of which the lateral edge forms the means for mechanical interference with the free end of one of the two wings and/or of a tongue and/or rib arranged at said free end.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the relief comprises a guiding groove in which the guiding tongue arranged at the free end is designed to be inserted in the correct locking position.

6. The connector according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the two wings comprises one or more guiding tongues designed to be inserted and slide in a guiding slideway provided on the casing and/or in a guiding slideway provided on the casing of the complementary connector.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a stud, the locking cap comprising a through-hole in which the stud of the casing is housed protruding from the cap in its locking position, forming a haptic locking indicator.

8. The connector according to claim 1, comprising at least one visual indicator arranged so as to be visible to an operator in any position, from the unlocking position of the cap to its locking position in which it is concealed.

9. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the visual indicator is a visible colored zone realized on the cap.

10. The connector according to claim 1, comprising a mechanism for transforming rotational movement into sliding of the locking cap, the mechanism comprising an interface piece that interfaces with a tool (H), the piece being mounted so as to be free to rotate in a housing of the casing and designed to be caused to rotate by the tool, along an angular travel that causes the locking cap to slide from its unlocking position to its locking position and vice versa.

11. The connector according to claim 1, being a multi-contact connector.

12. An electrical connection assembly, comprising: a connector according to claim 1, of plug type, a complementary connector, of receptacle type.

13. A method for joining the connector and the complementary connector of the assembly according to claim 12, the method comprising the following steps: i/ making the connection by at least partial coupling of their front face between connector and complementary connector, ii/ causing the locking cap to slide in translation from its unlocking position toward its locking position, iii/—if the sliding of the cap according to step ii/ is blocked by the securing means, then reiterating steps i/ and ii/; otherwise reaching the locking position in which the cap is immobilized with respect to the casing of the connector.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the casing comprises a stud, the locking cap comprising a through-hole in which the stud of the casing is housed protruding from the cap in its locking position, forming a haptic locking indicator, the method further comprising, once the locking position according to step iii/ has been reached, the following step: iv/ verifying the locking by means of the haptic indicator and/or a visible indicator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view an exemplary quarter-turn locking system used for the mutual locking between two multi-contact connectors of an electrical connection assembly according to the prior art.

[0073] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an electrical connection assembly according to the prior art, with a cap for mutual locking of the multi-contact connectors in its unlocking position.

[0074] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an electrical connection assembly according to FIG. 2A but with the locking cap in its locking position.

[0075] FIG. 2C is a perspective view of another electrical connection assembly according to the prior art, with a locking cap actuated from its rear face by a mechanism for transforming the rotational movement into a translational movement by a tool.

[0076] FIG. 3 is a view in transverse cross section showing a step of a fastening a connector receptacle according to the prior art to a panel, FIG. 3 showing the pressing of two fingers of an operator for this fastening step.

[0077] FIG. 4 is a perspective view in transverse cross section of the casing and of the receptacle fastened to the panel according to the prior art.

[0078] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a configuration of incorrect coupling and locking between complementary connectors according to the prior art.

[0079] FIG. 5A is a detail view of FIG. 5.

[0080] FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the configuration in FIG. 5.

[0081] FIG. 7 is a side view of the configuration in FIG. 5.

[0082] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a connector forming a plug provided with a cap for locking to a complementary receptacle, according to the invention.

[0083] FIGS. 9A to 9F illustrate various steps of connection and correct locking between complementary connectors according to the invention.

[0084] FIGS. 10 and 10A illustrate a configuration for detecting incorrect locking with complementary connectors according to the invention.

[0085] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector forming a plug provided with a cap for locking to a complementary receptacle, according to a variant embodiment of the invention.

[0086] FIGS. 12 and 12A illustrate a configuration for detecting incorrect locking with the variant according to FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] Throughout the present application, the terms “vertical”, “lower”, “upper”, “bottom”, “top”, “below” and “above” should be understood with reference to an electrical connector according to the invention with a casing and its locking cap in a horizontally arranged configuration.

[0088] Likewise, the terms “internal” and “external” should be understood with respect to the casing of the electrical connector according to the invention.

[0089] For the sake of clarity, one and the same reference numeral is used for one and the same element of an electrical connection assembly according to the prior art and of an electrical connection assembly according to the invention.

[0090] FIGS. 1 to 7 have already been described in detail in the preamble. They will therefore not be commented on below.

[0091] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary connector of plug type according to the invention, denoted overall by the reference 2.

[0092] The multi-contact connector 2 of male type, in particular a plug, is intended to be connected to a complementary connector 3 of female type, in particular a receptacle.

[0093] The connectors 2 and 3 are intended to house contacts that convey optical, radiofrequency or electrical signals, or power. The contacts may be of the same type. As a variant, signals or power of different types may be conveyed by the connectors 2, 3 and contacts of different size and type are then simultaneously implemented.

[0094] These contacts may be simple or multiple contacts, such as coaxial or triaxial contacts, quadrax contacts, RJ45 contacts, or any type of high throughput contact. These contacts (not shown) may also be optical contacts with lens-equipped contacts of “expanded beam” type or “physical contact” contacts of ARINC 801 or EN 4531 type, or else optoelectronic contacts.

[0095] The multi-contact connector 2 extends along a longitudinal axis X and comprises a casing 20 that is, in the example described, made in one piece from plastic material. The front face 24 and the rear face 25 of the casing 20 are parallel and extend perpendicular to the axis X.

[0096] An insert 5 with a plurality of cells is housed in the casing 20. Each cell is intended to house part of a contact that is not shown, of which another part that is housed in a cell 200 of the casing 20 protrudes beyond the front connection face 24 of the casing 20.

[0097] A locking cap 4 is mounted so as to slide on the casing 20, transverse to the longitudinal axis X for coupling the plug with the receptacle, i.e. along an axis Y perpendicular to the axis X, so as to mutually lock the connectors 2 and 3 when they are in the connected configuration, i.e. coupled to one another. The locking cap 4 can also assist with or finalize the coupling of the connector 2 onto the complementary connector 3, then mutually lock the connectors 2 and 3 once they are coupled.

[0098] The locking cap 4 of the connector 2 comprises, as visual locking indicator, a visible colored zone Z, i.e. one that is visible to an operator, from the unlocking position of the cap 4 to its locking position in which the zone Z is concealed by the casing 20, as detailed below.

[0099] As illustrated, the locking cap 4 is, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X), substantially U-shaped.

[0100] The cap 4 thus has a back 41 that faces a lateral face of the casing 20 and two parallel wings 42, 43 that respectively face a part of the upper longitudinal face 26 of the casing 2 and a part of the lower longitudinal face 27 of the casing 20. Thus, each wing 42, 43 of the U of the cap 4 is intended to slide along a longitudinal face 26, 27 of the casing 20.

[0101] Each of the wings 42, 43 of the U internally comprises apertures/grooves 40 with shapes that are designed to each cooperate with a lug 32 provided on one of the longitudinal faces 31 of the casing 30 of the receptacle 3, as explained below.

[0102] A wing 42, 43 may have on each of its longitudinal edges one or more guiding tongues/ribs 44 extending continuously or otherwise along an axis Y perpendicular to the axis X.

[0103] These guiding tongues 44 are designed to slide along guiding slideways 36 provided for this purpose respectively in the casing 30 of the receptacle 3.

[0104] The back 41 of the cap 4 has a through-hole 45 passing through it so as to let a stud 29 pass that protrudes from the lateral face of the casing 20, such that when the cap 4 is in its locking position, the stud 29 protrudes beyond the back 41 of the cap 4, thus forming a haptic finalized locking indicator, which is detectable blindly by an operator.

[0105] According to the invention, at least one of the longitudinal faces 26, 27 of the casing 20 comprises, on its lateral edge opposite the one facing the back 41 of the cap 4, a relief 7, 8 protruding relative to said face 26, 27.

[0106] Each relief 7, 8 has an L-shaped overall section of which the interior forms a locking groove 70, 80 and a lateral edge 71, 81 forming a mechanical interference means as explained below.

[0107] At least one wing 42, 43 of the cap 4 comprises, at its longitudinal end, a guiding tongue 46, 47.

[0108] In the example illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10A, the guiding tongue 46 is in the form of an L-shaped tab projecting from the wing 42 toward the inside of the cap, while the guiding tongue 47 is made up of the very end of the wing 43, which may optionally be curved toward the inside. A rib 48 is arranged protruding and set back from the longitudinal end 47.

[0109] In the event of correct locking, each guiding tongue 46, 47 is housed in a groove 70, 80, at the end of sliding travel of the cap 4, in the locking position. In particular, the end 47 of the wing 43 is housed in the groove 80.

[0110] In the event of incorrect coupling, i.e. in the event of deformation/deflection of at least one of the wings 42, 43 of the cap 4 that separates it from the longitudinal face 26, 27 of the casing 4 on which it should slide, then the guiding tongue 46, 47, and if appropriate the rib 48, comes into abutment against the mechanical interference means 71, 81, preventing incorrect locking.

[0111] This deformation of one and/or the other of the wings 42, 43 can be caused previously by incorrect coupling of the connectors 2, 3 with each other, which is itself caused by incorrect initial fastening of the connector forming the receptacle 3 to a fastening panel, as detailed below.

[0112] Likewise, as described below, in addition to the mechanical interference realized by abutment between guiding tongues 46, 47 and mechanical interference means 71, 81, provision can be made that in the event of incorrect locking: [0113] the stud 29 does not protrude from the cap 4 and therefore the haptic indicator is not detectable by an operator, and/or [0114] the visible colored zone Z is visible and therefore the visual locking indicator is still visible to the operator.

[0115] There is now described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9F the method of fastening, connecting and correctly locking a connection assembly with the two complementary connectors 2, 3 according to the invention to a panel.

[0116] It is specified here that the panel is not shown per se, but that it corresponds to a panel like that of the prior art shown P with an opening O in FIG. 5 and that it is for example integrated into a casing of an item of electronic equipment, for example an item of equipment on board an aircraft or in a disconnect panel.

[0117] Step 1/: the operator brings the receptacle 3 with its casing 30 in which is housed at least one insert 9 with cells for housing contacts toward the opening in the panel.

[0118] Step 2/: the operator then inserts the receptacle 3 into the opening in the panel, centers it by means of the guiding studs 34 and the mating device 35, and then fastens it to the panel. To do this, the operator first of all positions the casing 30 facing the opening in the panel and simultaneously presses with a finger on each of the two tongues 61, thus bringing the two hooking pieces 6 closer to one another.

[0119] Then the operator introduces the casing 30 in part into the opening in the panel while at the same time maintaining the pressure on the two tongues 61. If appropriate, the guiding stud 34 and the mating device 35 are used for guiding/centering, each cooperating with an opening lateral to the opening in the panel.

[0120] Once the casing 30 is housed in part in the opening in the panel with, if appropriate, its protuberances 33 bearing against the rear face of the panel, the operator releases the pressure on the two tongues 61.

[0121] The fastening hooks 60 then bear against the edge of the opening in a deployed fastening position, this position being determined as a function of the thickness of the panel P and the dimensions of the opening.

[0122] Thus, in this correct mounting position, the fastening hooks 60 hook the panel, as it were.

[0123] Step 3/: the operator then grasps the plug type connector 2 with its locking cap 4 in its unlocking position.

[0124] Step 4/: the operator then brings the plug 2, with its contacts inserted and fastened in the insert 5 housed in the casing 20, to face the receptacle 3 in such a manner as to mutually couple them, at least partially, via their front face 24, 37 so as to make the connection (FIG. 9A).

[0125] Step e/: once mutual coupling has been, at least partially, carried out, the operator can then proceed to the mutual locking thereof by causing the locking cap 4 to slide on the casing 3 from its unlocking position (FIGS. 9B to 9D) to its locking position (FIGS. 9E and 9F).

[0126] Thus, the operator exerts either, with their finger, a lateral thrust force on the back 41 of the cap 4 from its distant extreme, unlocking position, or, with a tool, a rotation transformed by a mechanism into a translational movement of the cap 4 from its distant extreme unlocking position. This can be a mechanism with a cam as described in the patent application EP3879639A1.

[0127] During the sliding of the cap 4, the guiding tongues 44 slide in slideways 28, 36 respectively of the casing 20 of the plug 2 and of the casing 30 of the receptacle 3.

[0128] The cap 4 is immobilized in its close-up extreme position, which is the locking position, by the wedging of each lug 32 of the casing 30 in an aperture 40 of the cap 4.

[0129] In this correct locking position, the guiding tongues 46, 47 are inserted into the grooves 71, 81 respectively of the casing 20 of the plug 2.

[0130] The operator is assured that the cap 4 is indeed in the locking position and that this and the prior coupling between connectors 2, 3 are correct because on the one hand the stud 29 housed in the hole 45 protrudes beyond the cap 4 and on the other hand the colored zone Z is completely invisible to the operator because it is concealed. In other words, the haptic indicator and the visual indicator can be detected by the operator.

[0131] FIGS. 10 and 10A show a configuration of incorrect locking between connectors 2, 3 described above, following incorrect coupling between them.

[0132] In this configuration, at least one of the two wings of the cap 4, the one referenced 42 in the example illustrated, is deflected and therefore is separated from the longitudinal face 26 of the casing 20 to the point that, on the one hand, at least one of the guiding tongues 44 is moved out of the slideway 36 and, on the other hand, the stud 32 is moved out of the aperture 40 in the cap 4.

[0133] This deflection causes the abutment B of the guiding tongue 46 against the mechanical interference means formed by the edge 71 provided for this purpose.

[0134] Furthermore, the stud 29 cannot protrude beyond the cap 4 and therefore the haptic indicator that it forms cannot be detected by the operator.

[0135] Finally, the colored zone Z remains visible to the operator.

[0136] Thus, the operator is informed by one and/or the other of the haptic and visual indicators that the locking and therefore the coupling between the two connectors 2, 3 has not been correctly carried out.

[0137] FIG. 11 illustrates a variant according to which, for each of the two wings 42, 43, the guiding tongue 47 is made up of the very end of the wing 42, 43, which may optionally be curved toward the inside. A rib 48 is arranged protruding and set back from the longitudinal end 47 for each wing 42, 43.

[0138] FIGS. 12 and 12A illustrate a configuration of incorrect locking between connectors 2, 3 with the cap 4 according to the variant in FIG. 11, following incorrect coupling between them.

[0139] Here again, the wing 42 of the cap 4 is deflected and therefore is separated from the longitudinal face 26 of the casing 20 to the point that, on the one hand, at least one of the guiding tongues 44 is moved out of the slideway 36 and, on the other hand, the stud 32 is moved out of the aperture 40 in the cap 4.

[0140] This deflection causes the abutment of the guiding tongue 47 and/or of the rib 48 against the mechanical interference means formed by the edge 71 provided for this purpose. If appropriate, the guiding tongue 47 can for its part move outside the edge 71.

[0141] Here likewise, the stud 29 cannot protrude beyond the cap 4 and the colored zone Z is visible to the operator. The haptic and visual indicators therefore also indicate to the operator that the locking and therefore the coupling between the two connectors 2, 3 has not been correctly carried out.

[0142] Other variants and improvements may be provided without however departing from the scope of the invention.

[0143] For example, there may be provided as mechanical interference means a single stop 70/71 for detecting incorrect coupling on one face of the casing 20. It is also possible to envisage it on the opposite face or on both opposite faces.

[0144] The expression “having a” should be understood as being synonymous with “having at least one”, except when the contrary is specified.