Electrical Connector having a Locking Clip

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical connector (1), having at least one first cut-out introduced in the electrical connector housing (2), a bolt (11) movably arranged in said first cut-out, and a locking clip (3), which is pivotably attached to the electrical connector housing (2) and which has at least one second cut-out, wherein the at least one first cut-out and the at least one second cut-out are aligned with each other in a state of locking to a mating electrical connector and the bolt (11) arranged in the at least one first cut-out protrudes into the at least one second cut-out of the locking clip (3), whereby the locking clip (3) is fastened in the pivoting motion thereof.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A plug connector, comprising: a plug connector housing; at least one first cutout incorporated in the plug connector housing; a bolt movably arranged within the at least one first cutout; and a locking clip, which is pivotably attached to the plug connector housing and has at least one second cutout, wherein the at least one first cutout and the at least one second cutout are aligned mutually flush in a locked state with a mating plug connector, and wherein the bolt arranged in the at least one first cutout thereby projects into the at least one second cutout of the locking clip, whereby the locking clip is fixed in terms of its pivotal movement.

12. The plug connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bolt is arranged in a trough part and wherein the trough part is arranged in the at least one first cutout of the plug connector housing.

13. The plug connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bolt is arranged on a spring in the trough part.

14. The plug connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the trough part projects into a mating area of the plug connector in an unmated state.

15. The plug connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein a guide element is arranged in the at least one first cutout of the plug connector, the guide element being operatively connected to the trough part in a resilient manner.

16. The plug connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein the bolt is movably mounted in the guide element.

17. The plug connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein an actuator is movably mounted in the at least one second cutout of the locking clip.

18. The plug connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein a force can be exerted on the bolt via the actuator, whereby the bolt can be removed from the at least one second cutout of the locking clip.

19. The plug connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plug connector has a cover which seals a mating face of the plug connector in a media-tight manner in an unmated state.

20. A system, comprising the plug connector as in claim 11 and a matching mating plug connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. The drawings show:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional illustration along the axial axis of a plug connector.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective sectional illustration along the radial axis of a plug connector.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a sectional illustration of a cutout in the plug connector housing and a cutout, flush therewith, in the locking clip.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a further sectional illustration of the cutout in the plug connector housing and the cutout, flush therewith, in the locking clip.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a sectional illustration of a cutout of an alternative plug connector housing and cutout, flush therewith, in the locking clip.

[0026] FIG. 6 shows a system of a plug connector in the mated state with a mating plug connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The figures contain partially simplified, schematic illustrations. Identical reference signs are sometimes used for elements which are similar, but possibly not identical. Varying views of similar elements could be drawn to different scales.

[0028] A sectional illustration in the axial direction through the mating area of a plug connector 1 is shown in FIG. 1. A substantially U-shaped locking clip 3 is pivotably mounted on the plug connector housing 2. A cover 4 is pivotably fastened to the plug connector housing 2 on the mating side. The mating face of the plug connector 1 can be closed in a media-tight manner via the cover 4. The cover 4 is operatively connected to a spring 5 fastened to the plug connector housing 2. The cover 4 is loaded with a force by the spring 5, which drives the cover 4 into its closed sealing position. The cover 4 has pins 6 on the side, which extend within a guide groove 7 of the locking clip 3. The cover 4 is thereby pivoted away from its sealing position when the locking clip 3 is pivoted correspondingly away from the plug connector housing 2, along the arrow 8.

[0029] Contact elements 22, which transmit the electrical currents or signals, are arranged in the plug connector housing 2. However, contact elements 22 which transmit pneumatic or FOC signals can also be provided.

[0030] The plug connector housing 2 has at least one cutout, in which a guide element 12 is fastened in a captive, for example screw-connected, manner. A bolt 11 is movably mounted in the guide element 12. A trough part 13 is latched or held on the guide element 12 on the mating-area side such that it is displaceable in the radial direction. The guide element 12 and the trough part 13 are operatively connected via a spiral spring 15. A spiral spring 14, which operatively connects the trough part 13 and the bolt 11, is arranged within the bolt 11, which has a hollow design. A guide element 16 is fastened in a cutout of the locking clip 3. A substantially T-shaped actuator 17 is captively fastened in the guide element 16 with the aid of a blocking ring 18.

[0031] The trough part 13 is pressed into the mating area of the plug connector 1 by the spring force of the spiral spring 15. By inserting a mating plug connector 10 into the mating area of the plug connector 1, the trough part 13 is pressed radially outwards out of the mating area.

[0032] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the respective cutouts of the plug connector housing 2 and the locking clip 3 are mutually flush. In FIG. 3, the bolt 11 is initially still located within the plug connector housing 2.

[0033] With flush cutouts and in the mated state of the plug connector 1, the bolt 11 is pressed into the cutout of the locking clip 3 by the spiral spring 14, whereby this locking clip is fixed in place. A further pivotal movement of the locking clip 3 is no longer possible in this situation. The flush cutouts of the plug connector housing 2 and locking clip 3 are arranged such that, in this case, the locking clip 3 is in a position in which it acts on the pins 9 of a mating plug connector 10. In this locked state, the system comprising the plug connector 1 and mating plug connector 10 can no longer be inadvertently opened and mutually disconnected.

[0034] The bolt 11 located in the cutout of the locking clip 3 can be pressed back into a position within the plug connector housing 2—in opposition to the spring force of the spiral spring 14—by the actuator 17. The locking clip 3 can then be pivoted away from the mating plug connector 10 again. The plug connector 1 and the mating plug connector 10 can be mutually disconnected. By actively releasing a mating connection via an actuator 17, this is a conscious action on the part of a user. An inadvertent “removal under load” is thus prevented.

[0035] An alternative embodiment of the actuating mechanism on the locking clip 3 is shown in FIG. 5. The hollow body in the trough part 13′ is configured in such a way that the spring 14′, which drives the bolt 11′ for locking the locking clip 3, and the spring 15′, which drives the trough part 13′ into the mating area of the plug connector 1, are both supported on the base of the trough part 13′. The actuator 17′ is configured in two parts and comprises a guide bolt 20, which is mounted in the guide element 16′. A blocking ring 18—such as that in the first embodiment—can thus be omitted. The actuator is connected to the guide bolt 20 via a screw 21. The cutout in the locking clip 3 can be sealed via an optional seal 19.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0036] 1 Plug connector [0037] 2 Plug connector housing [0038] 3 Locking clip [0039] 4 Cover [0040] 5 Spring [0041] 6 Pin [0042] 7 Guide groove [0043] 8 Arrow [0044] 9 Pin [0045] 10 Mating plug connector [0046] 11 Bolt [0047] 12 Guide element [0048] 13 Trough part [0049] 14 Spiral spring [0050] 15 Spiral spring [0051] 16 Guide element [0052] 17 Actuator [0053] 18 Blocking ring [0054] 19 Seal [0055] 20 Guide bolt [0056] 21 Screw [0057] 22 Contact element