Connector with interface part mounted to rotate in the casing and adapted to be actuated by a tool to slide a cap locking it onto a complementary connector

Abstract

The application comprises a mechanism for transformation of the movement in rotation by a tool of an interface part housed in the casing of a connector into movement in translation in a plane perpendicular to the coupling direction of a locking cap for locking the casing of the connector to that of a complementary connector.

Claims

1. Connector comprising: a casing with a longitudinal axis (X), comprising a front face, termed the connection face, through which is made the connection to a connector of complementary type comprising a complementary casing, and a rear face, a cap for locking the connector to the complementary connector, said cap being mounted on the casing and adapted to slide transversely relative to the longitudinal axis (X) of the casing between an unlocking position and a locking position between casing and complementary casing, a mechanism for transformation of movement in rotation into sliding of the locking cap, the mechanism comprising an interface part for a tool (H), the part being mounted to rotate freely in a housing of the casing and adapted to be rotated, around an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the casing, by the tool over an angular travel causing the locking cap to slide from its unlocking position to its locking position and vice versa.

2. The connector according to claim 1, the interface part comprising an imprint as an interface for the tool.

3. The connector according to claim 1, the interface part being adapted to be caused to rotate by a movement in rotation of the tool.

4. The connector according to claim 3, the interface part being adapted to be caused to rotate about an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the tool.

5. The connector according to claim 4, the mechanism being a sliding mechanism in which: the interface part comprises at its periphery a pin projecting toward the front face of the casing, the cap comprises a groove of complementary shape to that of the pin, the pin being mounted to slide in the groove, the shape of which is such that when the interface part is caused to rotate by the tool over the angular travel the pin sliding in the groove slides the cap from its unlocking position to its locking position and vice versa.

6. The connector according to claim 5, the end of travel position of the pin in the groove being adapted to generate for the operative effecting the locking using the tool (H) a haptic indication of finalised locking of the cap in the locking position or in the vicinity of the latter.

7. The connector according to claim 6, the pin being able to continue to slide in the groove beyond the locking position and to generate for the operative a sensation of sudden reduction of the rotational torque.

8. The connector according to claim 1, the interface part comprising at its periphery a lug projecting from the side of the rear face of the casing, the lug forming an abutment for the interface part against a relief produced in the casing or attached to the latter in the locking position and/or in the unlocking position of the cap.

9. The connector according to claim 8, the lug being visible to the operative effecting the locking using the tool (H) in any position of the cap.

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

11. The connector according to claim 10, the interface part comprising, by way of visual indicator, a visible coloured zone.

12. The connector according to claim 1, the cap and the interface part being sized so as to generate a locking force of at least 100 N.

13. The connector according to claim 1, the locking cap having in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X) a substantially U shape.

14. Electrical connection assembly, comprising: the connector according to claim 1, a complementary connector.

15. Method for assembling the connector and the complementary connector of the assembly according to claim 14, the method including the following steps: making the connection via their front face between connector and complementary connector, causing the interface part to rotate by means of a tool (H) so as to cause the locking cap to slide in translation from its unlocking position to its locking position in which it is immobilised relative to the casing of the connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 represents in perspective an example of a quarter-turn locking system used for the mutual locking between two multi-contact connectors of a prior art electrical connection assembly.

(2) FIG. 2A is a view from above and partly in section and as if by transparency of a prior art electrical connection assembly with a cap for mutual locking of the multi-contact connectors in its unlocking position.

(3) FIG. 2B is a view from above and partly in section and as if by transparency of an electrical connection assembly according to FIG. 2A with the locking cap in its locking position.

(4) FIG. 3 is a front view of an electronic equipment panel with a required example of arranging a plurality of electrical connection assemblies with multi-contact connectors.

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a plug type multi-contact connector with a locking cap in accordance with the invention to be moved by means of a hexagonal key type tool.

(6) FIG. 4A is a detail perspective view of FIG. 4 without the tool.

(7) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the casing, the locking cap and the interface part in accordance with the invention of the connector from FIG. 4.

(8) FIG. 6 is a view from the front and as if by transparency of the connector and the locking cap in the locking position, showing the sliding mechanism in accordance with the invention.

(9) FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a step of mounting a connection assembly in accordance with the invention in an electronic equipment panel.

(10) FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a step after the step from FIG. 7A of mounting the connection assembly in the electronic equipment panel.

(11) FIG. 7C repeats FIG. 4A and illustrates the unlocking position of the locking cap in accordance with the invention, with the visual indication for an operative of that position.

(12) FIG. 7D is a perspective view showing a mounting step after the step from FIG. 7C, in which the connection between the two connectors of the connection assembly has been made and the locking of the two connectors of the connection assembly has not yet been effected (locking cap in open position).

(13) FIG. 7E repeats FIG. 4A but illustrates the locking position of the locking cap in accordance with the invention with the visual indication for an operative of that position.

(14) FIG. 8A is a detail perspective view of the rear of a connector and of the cap with the locking tool, in the unlocking position.

(15) FIG. 8B is a detail perspective view of the rear of a connector and of the cap with the locking tool, in an intermediate position between the unlocking position and the locking position.

(16) FIG. 8C is a detail perspective view of the rear of a connector and of the cap with the locking tool, in the locking position.

(17) FIG. 9A, corresponding to FIG. 8A, is a view from the front and as if by transparency of the connector and the locking cap in the unlocking position.

(18) FIG. 9B, corresponding to FIG. 8B, is a view from the front and as if by transparency of the connector and the locking cap in an intermediate position between the unlocking position and the locking position.

(19) FIG. 9C, corresponding to FIG. 8C, is a view from the front and as if by transparency of the connector and the locking cap in the locking position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(20) Throughout the present application the terms “vertical”, “lower”, “upper”, “low”, “high”, “below” and “above” are to be understood with reference to an electrical connector in accordance with the invention with its casing and its locking cap in a horizontally arranged configuration.

(21) Likewise, the terms “internal” and “external” are to be understood relative to the casing of the electrical connector in accordance with the invention.

(22) For clarity, the same reference number is used for the same element of a prior art electrical connection assembly and an electrical connection assembly in accordance with the invention.

(23) FIGS. 1 to 3 have already been described in detail in the preamble. They will therefore not be commented on hereinafter.

(24) There has been represented in FIG. 4 an example of a plug type connector in accordance with the invention, globally designated by the reference 2.

(25) The male type multi-contact connector 2, in particular a plug, is intended to be connected to a female type complementary connector 3, in particular a receptacle.

(26) The connectors 2 and 3 are intended to convey optical, radio-frequency, electrical or power signals.

(27) This multi-contact connector 2 extends along a longitudinal axis X and comprises a casing 20 that in the example described is made in one piece from plastic material. The front face 24 and the rear face 25 of the casing 20 are parallel and extend perpendicularly to the axis X. An insert 26 with a plurality of cells is housed in the casing 20. Each cell is intended to house a contact that is not represented.

(28) A locking cap 4 is mounted to slide on the casing 20, transversely to the longitudinal axis X, to lock the connectors 2 and 3 together when they are in the connected configuration, that is to say coupled to one another. As illustrated, the locking cap has a substantially U shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X.

(29) In accordance with the invention, a sliding mechanism 6 is provided to transform the movement in rotation of a tool H into a movement in translation of the locking cap 4 from its unlocking position in which the two connectors 2, 3 are unlocked to its locking position in which they are locked.

(30) The sliding mechanism 6 firstly comprises an interface part 60 that is able to cooperate with the tool H, which is preferably a hexagonal section key. The interface part 60 is mounted to rotate freely in a housing 200 of the connector casing 20.

(31) To be more precise, the interface part 60 further comprises an interface imprint 61 for the tool H, preferably a hollow hexagonal imprint. In the example illustrated the imprint 61 is arranged on the side of the rear face of the casing, on a lateral edge of the latter.

(32) The interface part 60 comprises as its periphery a pin 62 projecting toward the front face 24 of the casing 20.

(33) The locking cap 4 comprises inside the bottom 41 of the U shape a groove 42 having a shape complementary to that of the pin.

(34) As shown in FIG. 6, the pin 62 is mounted to slide in the groove 42. The shape of the groove 42 is such that when the interface part 60 is caused to rotate by the tool H over an angular travel of at least 180° in the example illustrated the pin 62 sliding in the groove 42 slides the cap from its unlocking position to its locking position as described hereinafter.

(35) The interface part 60 comprises at its periphery a lug 63 projecting from the side of the rear face 25 of the casing 20. This lug 63 abuts against a relief 27 fastened to or integral with the casing 20 both in the locking position and in the unlocking position of the cap 4.

(36) The interface part 60 finally comprises, by way of visual indicator, a visible coloured zone 64, i.e. one that is visible to an operative, from the unlocking position of the cap 4 to its locking position, in which the zone is concealed by the relief 27 and/or the casing 20 itself.

(37) There is now described with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8F the method in accordance with the invention of fixing, connecting and locking a connection assembly to a panel P. The panel P is for example integrated into the casing of electronic equipment, for example equipment onboard an aircraft, or into a disconnect panel.

(38) Step a/: the operative moves toward the opening O in the panel P the receptacle 3 with its casing 30 in which is housed at least one insert 35 with cells for housing contacts (FIG. 7A).

(39) Step b/: the operative then inserts the receptacle 3 in the opening O in the panel P, centres it, and then fixed it to the panel with fixing screws (FIG. 7B).

(40) Step c/: the operative then picks up the plug type connector 2 with its locking cap 4 in its unlocking position (FIG. 7C). The operative is sure that the cap 4 is indeed in that unlocking position because on the one hand the lug 63 is abutted against the relief 27 and on the other hand the coloured zone 64 is completely visible, which indicates visually to the operative said unlocking position.

(41) Step d/: the operative then offers up the plug 2 with its contacts inserted in and fixed into the insert 26 housed in the casing 20 facing the receptacle 3 in such a manner as to couple them together via their front face 24, 34 to make the connection (FIG. 7D).

(42) Step e/: once this connection has been made, the operative can then proceed to the mutual locking thereof by causing the locking cap 4 to slide on the casing 3 from its unlocking position (FIG. 7D) to its locking position (FIG. 7E).

(43) To this end they insert a hexagonal key H into the hexagonal imprint 61 and effect a rotation of at least 180°.

(44) The operative is sure that the cap 4 is indeed in the locking position because on the one hand the lug 63 is abutted against the relief 27 and on the other hand the coloured zone 64 is completely invisible to the operative because concealed (FIG. 7E), and finally they have felt the sudden reduction of the rotation torque to be applied.

(45) Locking proper is effected by immobilising the cap 4 in its locking position obtained by wedging the casing 30, that is to say by wedging each lug 32 of the casing 30 inside a groove 40 of the cap 4.

(46) The operation of the sliding mechanism 6 is explained with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C.

(47) In the unlocking position of the cap 4 the lug 63 is abutted against the relief 27 and the coloured zone 64 is completely visible, which indicates visually to the operative said unlocking position (FIG. 8A). The pin 62 is accommodated in a central part of the groove 42 (FIG. 9A).

(48) When the operative has turned the key H through an angle of approximately 90°, the cap 4 is in an intermediate sliding position, the lug 63 is then free of any abutment and the coloured zone 64 is still visible, which indicates visually to the operative that they have not reached the locking position (FIG. 8B). The pin 62 is accommodated in the bottom end of the groove 42 (FIG. 9B).

(49) When the operative has turned the key H by an additional angle of approximately 90°, i.e. a travel of approximately 180° from the unlocking position, the cap 4 is in its locking position, the lug 63 is then abutted against the relief 27 at the bottom and the coloured zone 64 is completely concealed (FIG. 8C). The pin 62 is accommodated in the top part of the groove 42 (FIG. 9C).

(50) The end of travel position of the pin 62 in the groove 42 advantageously makes it possible to create a haptic indication of finalised locking in the vicinity of the locking position of the cap 4.

(51) Indeed, when this complete locking position is reached and the cap 4 locked by wedging it, the pin 62 can continue to move in the groove 42, which is reflected for the operative in a sensation of sudden reduction of the force, that is to say a much lower rotation torque.

(52) Other variants and improvements may be provided without this departing from the scope of the invention.