MULTIPOLAR CONNECTOR

Abstract

A connector comprising a cylindrically shaped socket and a plug that may be connected to the socket in a removable manner, in which a plurality of contacts are disposed being mounted in a contact block. It comprises a ring with ogive shaped parts (21) assembled in a membrane (22), the ogive shaped parts and the membrane being covered by a locking spring (25).

Claims

1. A module (20) for a connector, said module comprising a ring (23) comprising at least ogive shaped parts (21) assembled in a flexible membrane (22), the ogive shaped parts and the membrane being covered by a locking spring (25), said spring compressing said membrane in such a way as to deform said membrane.

2. The module according to the preceding claim, wherein said ring comprises three ogiver shaped parts (21) or more, said ogive shaped parts being distributed symmetrically.

3. The module according to claim 1 or 2, said flexible membrane (22) being compressed at least by moving parts (27) of the locking spring (25) and forming, by its deformation resulting from its compression, a sealing element of the ring.

4. The module according to the preceding claim, wherein the compression force of the spring (25) is determined by the moving parts (27) of the spring.

5. The module according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the moving parts (27) of the spring are sized or shaped to calibrate the applied compression force.

6. The module according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the moving parts (27) have a predetermined size, shape and/or prestressing in order to obtain the desired compression force.

7. A connector part comprising at least a module (20) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6.

8. The connector part according to the preceding claim, wherein said part is a plug (2) or a socket (3).

9. The connector part according to the preceding claim, wherein said plug (2) is angled.

10. A connector comprising at least a module (20) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6 and/or a part according to one of claims 7 to 9.

11. The connector according to the preceding claim formed from the socket (3) onto which the plug (2) is connected.

12. The connector according to the preceding claim, wherein the plug (2) is connectable such that it rotates freely around the socket (3).

13. The connector according to claim 11, wherein the plug (2) is connectable according to a limited number of orientations around the socket (3).

14. The connector according to one of claims 10 to 13, wherein one of either the plug (2) or the socket (3) comprises a plurality of contacts (35) and the other one comprises a plurality of concentrically disposed circular conductive tracks (33).

15. The connector according to the preceding claim, comprising a locking system (14, 21) allowing to block the rotation of the plug (2) with respect to the socket (3) and/or to limit said rotation and/or to prevent the unplugging of the plug (2) from the socket (3).

16. An object (4) comprising at least a module according to one of claims 1 to 6 or a part according to one of claims 7 to 9 or a connector according to one of claims 10 to 15.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a part of an embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional and perspective view from below of a locking module according to an embodiment;

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a locking module according to an embodiment;

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective rear view of a locking module according to an embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective front view of a locking module according to an embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view in partial cross-section of a module mounted on a plug connected to a socket according of an embodiment of the invention;

[0037] FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a socket;

[0038] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a connector comprising a plug and a socket connected according to the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 9 illustrates an object comprising a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a socket with locking means.

[0041] In general, the connector according to the present invention is similar to the one described in the application WO 2017/072620 in that it comprises a socket and a plug, the plug being detachably connected to the socket as described in that previous application, incorporated by reference in the present application.

[0042] In an embodiment, the invention relates to a module 20 for locking a plug onto a socket 3 in a fluid-tight manner.

[0043] The locking module 20 for connecting a plug to a socket 3 is fluid-tight in order to guarantee the possility of connection at temperatures greatly below 0° C. preventing freezing and the presence of ice or of other undesirable elements in the system.

[0044] As illustrated in the figures, the module 20 notably comprises ogive shaped parts 21 (there are six of them in the version shown, although it is possible to imagine all possible variants with regard to the number of ogive shaped parts, but preferably there are at least three of them distributed symmetrically) assembled in a flexible membrane 22 (of annular shape in this example but it is possible to imagine a version in the form of a strip which would then be rolled in such a way as to form a cylinder/ring or another equivalent way of proceeding).

[0045] The flexible membrane 22 may be produced by any type of means (injection, stamping, punching, etc.) and from all types of synthetic materials able to withstand chemical agents for example or to withstand other stresses, and to produce the desired fluid-tightness according to the principles of the present invention.

[0046] The flexible membrane may also have a shape other than the annular shape shown by way of example. It can have an oval, square of other shape depending on the circumstances and on the shape of the parts of the connector.

[0047] The ogive shaped parts 21 may have the shape shown in the figures or another shape. For example, they can have the shape of a ball, an oval shape or any other equivalent shape.

[0048] The subassembly 23 (see FIG. 1) thus constituted is positioned on a ring 24 of the plug (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

[0049] The subassembly 23 mounted on the ring 24 is then assembled in a covering locking spring 25 which makes it possible to guarantee the bearing force on the subassembly 23. The locking spring 25 can be made of any appropriate material, for example metal or synthetic material. The spring preferably comprises a fixed part 26 and moving parts 27 which provide clearance to the ogive shaped parts 21 and thus allow the connection and disconnection of the ring 24 (respectively of the plug) from a socket 3 for example. The force of the connection between the plug and the socket is notably determined by the moving parts 27 which function like springs pressing on the ogive shaped parts 21. These moving parts 27 may be sized is such a way as to calibrate the force that they apply onto the ogive shaped parts and consequently the force necessary for the connection and disconnection of the plug and the socket 3.

[0050] For example, the moving parts 27 may be more or less long or more or less short, more of less thick, may have a special shape or cutout, or may be prestressed etc. in order to determine their bearing force. All of these parameters are adaptable according to the circumstances and the desired construction.

[0051] Thus, the dimensions and characteristics of the spring 25 (in particular of the moving parts 27) make it possible, on the one hand, to define the bearing force on the ogive shaped parts 21 and therefore the locking force of the fluid-tight locking module 20 and, on the other hand, the compression force of the spring 25 (this is of the moving parts 27) will also compress the flexible membrane 22 by the intermediary of the ogive shaped parts 21 and the deformation of the membrane 22 by compression will notably extend it in the direction perpendicular to that of the compression force which will have a beneficial consequence on the fluid-tightness of the ring 24. More precisely, the membrane 22 deforms in compression in the direction parallel to that of the compression force of the spring 25 and in expansion in the direction perpendicular to that of the compression force which produces the desired fluid-tightness around the ogive shaped parts 21 and in the ring 24.

[0052] Seals 30, 31, 32, of the O-ring type for example, may be disposed in appropriate places of the ring 24 in order to maintain fluid-tightness.

[0053] The assembly thus constituted can be connected to a counterpart, for example a socket 3, having a groove 28 whose geometry contributes to defining the locking force, said groove receiving the ogive shaped parts 21 as can be seen in FIG. 6.

[0054] The fitted assembly of a module 20 on a socket 3 is shown by way of example in FIG. 6 and the module is typically a part of the plug which will be connected to the socket according to the principles described in WO 2017/072620. FIG. 7 shows an example of such a socket 3 seen from above with circular and concentric tracks 33.

[0055] According to the embodiments shown in the present application, the plug 2 comprises several contacts and the socket comprises several tracks 33, for example in a way that is similar to that described in WO 2017/072620.

[0056] FIG. 8 shows a plug 2 and a socket 3 connected according to the principles of the present invention. The plug 2 notably comprises a module 20 such as described with reference to the preceding figures with its ring and its ogive shaped parts 21. The plug 2 also comprises contacts which are in contact with the tracks 33 of the socket, according to the principles of WO 2017/072620.

[0057] It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to this configuration. It also covers connectors comprising at least one contact.

[0058] Similarly, the dimensions of the connector according to the invention can be any whatsoever.

[0059] The connector according to the invention has the feature of not necessitating a prior orientation of the plug (for example a wired element) with respect to the socket 3 (for example on an equipment casing, or on a product like an item of clothing 4 or another product). This advantage results from the cylindrical/circular geometry of the socket and of its conductive face (see for example FIG. 1 of WO 2017/072620). Once connected, the relative rotation of the socket 3 and the plug 2 may be free or blocked by the intermediary of an appropriate system, for example of the bistable type to mention a non-limiting example, for example locking by lateral pressure and unlocking by axial pressure, a system of notches or again a manually actuated system. Locking between the plug 2 and the socket 3 can also be used in order to prevent the “unplugging” of the plug 2. An example of embodiment is the so-called “push-pull” system. The blocking system can also be used for a combined utilization, that is to say for simultaneously limiting or blocking a relative rotation and also for preventing an unplugging.

[0060] An orientation may however be given and limit the possibilities of plugging in to a finite number of different angular positions (for example four positions separated by 90° or 12 positions separated by 30°) as described on FIG. 2 of WO 2017/072620.

[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates a socket 3 with tracks 33 and an example of blocking means between the socket 3 and the plug 2. In this example, these means comprise housings 14 in which the ogive shaped parts or balls 21 of the plug 2 (see FIG. 8) may lodge in order to block or limit the relative rotation between the plug 2 and the socket 3 and/or to prevent an unplugging (for example below a certain traction force). The number of housings 14 may for example be a multiple of the number of ogive shaped parts 21.

[0062] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of use of a connector according to the present invention: in this non-limiting example, the socket 3 is fixed on a vest 4 and the plug 2 is ready to be connected to the socket 3 in order to get into the configuration shown in FIG. 8.

[0063] The invention is not of course limited to the illustrative and non-limiting embodiments and examples described in the present application. Variations are possible within the context of the protection conferred and claimed, notably by using equivalent means. The embodiments can also be combined with each other and technical features of one of the embodiments can be used in another embodiment.

[0064] For example, in embodiments, the construction of the plug and of the socket is reversed: that is to say the contacts 35 may be on the socket 3 and the tracks 33 on the plug 2. In such a case, the construction described in the present application is found again but is reversed, that is to say that elements of the plug 2 (notably shown in FIGS. 1 to 5) are placed on/in the socket 3 and elements of the socket 3 (notably the tracks 33, housings 14, FIG. 7) are placed on/in the plug 2 and the principles of the present invention such as described in this application do not change and apply in a corresponding manner to these embodiments.

[0065] Other variants are of course possible in the frame of the present invention.