Multi-lock counter connector

Abstract

A counter connector for mating with a connector has a hollow cylindrical housing. The counter connector includes at least two, and preferably three, of the following three types of locking means for locking the counter connector to the connector: (A) one that is arranged on a perimeter on a cylindrical surface of the housing or of a sleeve located inside the housing, a counter engagement part in the form of a groove, a collar, or a series of radially extending apertures, recesses or protrusions, the counter engagement part being adapted to engage with at least one engagement part or at least one latching part of the connector. (B) one that has a counter latching part that can be deflected elastically in a radial direction of the counter connector and comprises at least one of a radially extending groove, collar, aperture, recess or protrusion adapted to engage with a latching part of the connector. (C) one where a counter thread is adapted to engage with a thread of the connector. Systems can include the counter connector and at least one connector that can be mated with the counter connector, wherein the connector is of one of the following three types: a) a push-pull connector; b) a break-away connector; and c) a threaded connector.

Claims

1. A counter connector for mating with a connector, comprising: a hollow cylindrical housing; and at least the following three types of locking means for locking the counter connector to the connector: a) arranged on a perimeter on a cylindrical surface of the housing or of a sleeve located inside the housing, a counter engagement part in the form of a groove, a collar, or a series of radially extending apertures, recesses or protrusions, the counter engagement part being adapted to engage with at least one engagement part or at least one latching part of the connector; b) a counter latching part that can be deflected elastically in a radial direction of the counter connector and wherein the counter latching part comprises at least one of a radially extending groove, collar, aperture, recess or protrusion adapted to engage with a latching part of the connector; and c) a counter thread adapted to engage with a thread of the connector.

2. The counter connector of claim 1, having a shape that is round.

3. The counter connector of claim 1, wherein the groove, the collar, or the series of apertures, recesses or protrusions of locking means a), is arranged on a perimeter of a cylindrical surface of the housing.

4. The counter connector of claim 1, wherein the groove, the collar, or the series of apertures, recesses or protrusions forming the counter engagement part, is arranged on a perimeter of an outer cylindrical surface of the housing.

5. The counter connector of claim 1, wherein the groove, the collar, or the series of apertures, recesses or protrusions forming the counter engagement part, is arranged on a perimeter of an inner cylindrical surface of the housing.

6. The counter connector of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises the counter engagement part or the counter latching part being tapered or chamfered in a longitudinal direction of the counter connector.

7. A system, comprising a counter connector according to claim 1, and at least one connector that can be mated with the counter connector, wherein the at least one connector is of one of the following three types: a) a push-pull connector; b) a break-away connector; and c) a threaded connector.

8. The counter connector of claim 1 wherein at least two of the three types of locking means includes all three of types a), b), and c).

9. The counter connector of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises the counter latching part in the form of a tongue that can be deflected elastically in the radial direction of the connector.

10. The counter connector of claim 9, wherein the tongue extends in the distal direction of the counter connector.

11. The counter connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking means includes c) the counter thread, and wherein the counter thread is located on a cylindrical surface of the housing.

12. The counter connector according to claim 11, wherein the counter connector comprises at least the counter engagement part, and the counter engagement part and the counter thread are located on a same cylindrical surface of the housing.

13. The counter connector according to claim 12, wherein the counter engagement part is located on the distal side of the thread.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, further preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated through examples. The invention is not limited to these examples, however.

(2) The drawings schematically show:

(3) FIG. 1A cutaway drawing of a counter connector according to the invention; the upper part of figure shows the outside of the housing while in the lower part of the drawing the top part of the housing is cut away;

(4) FIG. 2A cutaway cross-sectional drawing of a ball-lock connector in engagement with the counter connector according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 3A cutaway cross-sectional drawing of a break-away connector in engagement with the counter connector according to the invention; and

(6) FIG. 4A cutaway cross-sectional drawing of a threaded connector in engagement with the counter connector according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(7) In the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar components.

(8) The counter connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a hollow circular cylindrical housing 2 with three types of locking means for locking the counter connector 1 to a connector 3: a) A counter engagement part 4 in the form of a groove arranged on the perimeter on an outer cylindrical surface 5 of the housing 2 of the counter connector 1, b) A counter latching part 6 in the form of a tongue that can be deflected elastically in a radial direction of the counter connector 1, and c) A counter thread 7.

(9) The counter connector 1 is an electrical connector and therefore comprises soldering lugs 8 for attaching leads of a cable (not shown) to the counter connector. A nut 9 that engages with a mounting thread 10 and a seal 16 of the counter connector 1 can be used to apply the counter connector 1 to the housing (not shown) of an apparatus, for example a connector panel of such apparatus housing.

(10) In FIG. 2, the counter engagement part 4 of the counter connector 1 is shown in engagement with an engagement ball 11 of a ball-lock connector 3. The counter engagement part 4 is an annular full groove with chamfered sides. The engagement ball 11 is clamped between the groove of the counter engagement part 4 and a conical support part 12 of the connector 3. Since the groove is at the distal side of the counter thread 7 also shown in FIG. 2, it is not in the way of the engagement ball 12 when the counter connector 1 and the connector 3 are mated with or removed from each other. A rubber seal ring 13 of the connector 3 engages with a sealing surface 14 of the counter connector 1 to prevent fluids and dust to enter the region between the connector 3 and the counter connector 1.

(11) In FIG. 3, the counter latching part 6 of the counter connector 1 is shown in engagement with a latching part 15 of a break-away connector 3. The counter latching part 6 is provided in the form of multiple tongues that can be deflected elastically in a radial direction of the counter connector 1.

(12) The tongues are attached to a sleeve 17 located inside the counter connector housing 2 and rigidly attached to this housing 2. The sleeve 17 is electrically connected (not shown) to the soldering lug 8 for the shield or a ground wire of the cable. The tongues extend in the distal direction of the counter connector and are formed by mean of longitudinal slits 18 provided in the sleeve 17, the slits 18 extending from the distal end of the sleeve 17. A rubber seal ring 19 of the counter connector 1 engages with a sealing surface 20 of the connector 3 to prevent fluids and dust to enter the region between the connector 3 and the counter connector 1.

(13) As be best seen in FIG. 1, the ends of the tongues are provided with protrusions 21 that extend in outward radial direction. The protrusions 21 engage with a flat chamfered groove 22 in the inner cylindrical surface 23 of the connector's 3 housing. The protrusions 22 are likewise chamfered in particular on their distal side to provide for easy engagement when the counter connector 1 is locked to the connector 3. Another chamfer on the proximal side of the counter connector 1 and a corresponding chamfer the proximal side of the groove of the connector 3 together with the elasticity of the tongues and the seal ring 19 define the force required to unlock the counter connector 1 from the connector 3 by pulling the two apart from each other.

(14) In FIG. 4, the counter thread 7 is shown in engagement with the thread 24 of a threaded connector 3. The threads 24, 7 of both the connector 3 and the counter connector 1 are three-start threads. The counter thread 7 of the counter connector 1 is located on the outer cylindrical surface of the housing 2 of the counter connector 1, which is the same surface on which the annular groove of the counter engagement part 4 is located.

(15) The thread 24 of the connector 3 is located on an inner cylindrical surface of a nut 25 rotatably attached to the housing of the connector 3. A rubber seal ring 13 of the connector 3 engages with a sealing surface 14 of the counter connector 1 to prevent fluids and dust to enter the region between the connector 3 and the counter connector 1.

(16) Due to the three types of locking means provided in the counter connector 1 shown in the Figures, it can be used with three types of connectors 3, namely a push-pull connector, a break-away connector and a threaded connector. The locking means are arranged on the counter connector 1 in a way that they do not interfere with each other or the corresponding locking means of the three types of connectors 3. Thereby, the counter connector 1 can increase the range of applications it can be used for. As a standard counter connector 1 for different types of connectors 3 it can advance standardization, improve convenience and entail cost savings.