Locking device for electric connectors and electric connectors equipped with the device

Abstract

Disclosed are a locking device and an assembly of conjugated electric connectors equipped with the locking device. The device includes: at least one latch presenting a first locking relief, at least one bolt that can be inserted into the latch, and a flexible tongue received in a casing of the bold, the tongue being provided with a second locking relief forming a fitting with the first locking relief. Application includes the implementation of connectors and in particular of high-power connectors for vehicles and electric pieces of equipment.

Claims

1. A locking device for an assembly of electrical connectors in which a first connector is coupled to a second connector, the locking device comprising: at least one latch having a bolt passage, the bolt passage having a first locking relief; at least one bolt having a section received in the bolt passage of the latch, the bolt passage extending parallel to an axis of the bolt; a tongue received in a casing of the bolt, the tongue extending parallel to the axis of the bolt, said tongue being insertable into the latch conjointly with the bolt, the tongue having a second locking relief, said tongue having a flexibility so as to displace the second locking relief between a protruding position on one face of the bolt turned toward the first locking relief when the bolt is inserted into the latch and a retracted position in the casing of the bolt, the second locking relief allowing a passage along the first locking relief in the retracted position when the bolt is inserted into the latch and to occupy the protruding position behind the first locking relief in a direction of inserting of the bolt into the latch when the bolt occupies a locking position in the latch, wherein the tongue and the latch have supporting edges, the tongue having a freedom of translation in the casing of the bolt parallel to the axis of the bolt between a proximal position and a distal position, the supporting edges being in contact so as to inhibit bending of the tongue with a displacement of the second locking relief from the protruding position toward the retracted position.

2. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the supporting edges are separated in the distal position so as to allow a displacement of the second locking relief from the protruding position toward the retracted position.

3. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the proximal position of the tongue is closer to a free end of the bolt than the distal position of the tongue.

4. The locking device of claim 1, further comprising: a grip integral with the tongue, said grip adapted to allow a user to move the tongue from the proximal position toward the distal position.

5. The locking device of claim 4, wherein the grip has a median axis of traction defining and angle of between 0 and 20 degrees with the axis of the bolt.

6. The locking device of claim 1, further comprising: at least one return spring cooperative with the tongue in the proximal position.

7. The locking device of claim 1, wherein one of the first locking relief and the second locking relief has at least one incline cooperative with another of the first locking relief and the second locking relief and to push the second locking relief from the protruding position toward the retracted position upon insertion of the bolt into the latch or upon withdrawal of the bolt from the latch.

8. The locking device of claim 1, where in the latch is rigidly connected with at least one of the first and second connectors and wherein the bolt is rigidly connected with another of the first and second connectors.

9. The locking device of claim 8, each of the first and second connectors having a casing formed of an electrical insulating material, the casing of the connector having at least one electrical contact, at least one of the casings and the electrical contacts having complementary shapes so as to allow mutual insertion, wherein the bolt and the latch are integral with the casings so as to allow insertion of the bolt into the latch and for withdrawal of the bolt from the latch respectively simultaneously with the mutual insertion or withdrawal of the contact elements of the casings respectively.

10. The locking device of claim 9, wherein the bolt is rigidly connected by screws to the casings of one of the first and second connectors.

11. The locking device of claim 10, where in the latch is rigidly connected by reversible interlocking to the other of the first and second connectors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a connector with male casing and a first part of the locking device provided with a bolt and a grip, and meant to be mounted on the connector with male casing.

(2) FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1A with the first part of the locking device mounted on the connector.

(3) FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a connector with female casing and a second part of a locking device provided with a latch, and meant to be mounted on the connector with female casing.

(4) FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 2A with the second part of the locking device mounted on the connector with female casing.

(5) FIG. 3 shows in perspective the connectors of FIGS. 1B and 2B, mutually inserted, and the locking device in locked position.

(6) FIG. 4 is a center-line cross section of a part of the connectors and of the locking device of FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 5 is a partial view, in partial cross section, of the first and the second part of the locking device, engaged respectively, along a face meant to be turned towards the connectors.

(8) FIG. 6 is a view of the first part of the locking device along a face meant to be turned towards the connectors.

(9) FIG. 7 is a center-line cross section of a part of the connectors and of the locking device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) In the following description, identical or similar parts of the various figures are indicated by the same numerical references, so as to facilitate the transfer of one figure to the other. In other respects, the various figures are free-scaled.

(11) FIG. 1A shows a first connector 110 including a male casing 112. The male casing 112 presents a male insertion part 114 which houses female contact elements 116 in the form of sockets or sleeves. The female contact elements 116 are susceptible to receive conjugated male contact elements such as pins, not visible on the figure. The male insertion part 114 presents also a positioning member 118 configured for selective compatibility with the female casings, notably in terms of voltage and/or current. The male casing is made of an electrically insulating material, for example of plastic material, so it can be grasped by an operator.

(12) In contrast to the male insertion part 114, the first connector 110 presents passages 120 for electric cables, not shown.

(13) A first part 132 of the locking mechanism is represented as detached from the first connector 110 so as to show its removable character. The first part 132 of the locking mechanism also features a male part in the form of a bolt 134. The bolt 134 is integral with a base element 136 which allows fastening the first part 132 of the locking mechanism on a connector housing. The base element 136 presents centering blocks 138, susceptible of cooperating with corresponding indentations 140 of the male casing 112. Screws 141 going through the indentations 140 of the male casing are provided for joining the base element 136 with the male casing 112.

(14) The first part 132 of the locking mechanism also presents a grip 142 extending opposite the bolt 134. One can observe that a median axis of traction 143 of the grip 142 forms a small angle, in the range of 0 to 20 degrees, with an axis 150 of the bolt 134. The axis 150 of the bolt passes through the bolt and is located in a symmetric plane of the first part 132 of the locking mechanism.

(15) FIG. 1B shows a first connector 110 and the first part 132 of the locking mechanism assembled and rigidly integral with each other. The axis 150 of the bolt is located in a symmetric plane of the first connector and extends parallel to the axes of female contact elements 116 of the first connector 110.

(16) The bolt 134 extends along the male insertion part 114 of the male casing 112. It presents a flattened shape essentially perpendicular to the symmetric plane of the first connector.

(17) One is also able to observe that the bolt 134 presents a hollow central part forming a housing 152 and receiving a tongue 154.

(18) FIG. 2A shows a second connector 210, conjugated to the first connector of FIG. 1A, and including a female casing 212. The female casing 212 presents a female insertion part 214 which houses male contact elements 216 in the form of pins. The female insertion part presents complementarity of shape with the male insertion part of the male casing of FIGS. 1A and 1B, for mutual insertion of the casings and the contact elements. The female insertion part 214 also presents a positioning member 218 configured as conjugated to the positioning member of the male insertion part of the first connector.

(19) FIG. 2A also shows a second part 232 of the locking mechanism provided with a latch 234. The latch 234 is integral with a ring 236 sized so it can slide over an outside wall of the female insertion part 214 of the second connector 210 so as to fasten to it the latch 234. The fastening ring 236 presents pads 238, only one of which is visible on FIG. 2A. The pads 238 are configured to work together with the corresponding depressed indentations 240 in the wall of the female casing 212 so as to produce an irreversible fitting. The irreversible fitting makes the ring 236 and thus the latch rigidly integral with the female casing. According to another possibility, not shown, the second part 232 of the locking mechanism can also be screwed to the female casing 212.

(20) FIG. 2B shows the second part 232 of the locking mechanism in place on the female casing 212 of the second connector 210. One is able to observe that the latch presents a first relief 256 next to one end of the female insertion part. The latch also presents a pontoon 258 linking lateral walls of the latch. The pontoon 258 extends essentially parallel to the first relief 256. Between the first relief and the pontoon a passage 260 is provided to receive the bolt of the first connector described in reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

(21) FIG. 3 shows the first and the second connector 110, 210 assembled. The male insertion part of the male casing 112 is completely received in the female insertion part of the female casing 212 and the bolt 134 is received in the latch 234. One is able to observe on the female casing 212 of the second connector 210, passages 220 for electric cables. The electrical cables are not shown.

(22) FIG. 4 shows in a cross-section along a median plane, the first and the second connectors 110 and 210 assembled with the locking device 132, 232 in locked position. The male insertion part 114 of the male casing, on the right of the figure, is completely inserted in the female insertion part 214 of the female casing on the left of the figure. The male and female contact elements are not visible on FIG. 3 because they are positioned on either side of the cross-section plane. The cross-section plane passes through the positioning members 118, 218.

(23) One is able to observe that, conjointly with the mutual insertion of the male and female insertion parts of the connectors, the bolt 134 seats itself in an adjusted manner in the latch 234. Inside the latch 234, a free end of the bolt 134 comes to rest against the pontoon 258 of the latch 234. One is also able to observe that the tongue 154 of the bolt presents a second locking relief 156 which, in the locked position, is seated behind the first locking relief 256 of the latch 234. The second locking relief 156 is located on one side of the first locking relief 256, opposite the free end of the second connector 210. At the time of insertion of the bolt 134 in the latch 234, the tongue is slightly bent towards the inside of the seat 152 of the bolt. The bending of the tongue is accompanied by a displacement of the second locking relief 156 perpendicular to the axis 150 of the bolt and allows its passage along the first locking relief 256. When the insertion is complete, the second locking relief 156 inserts itself behind the first relief 256 in its protruding position, under the effect of a spring force exerted by the tongue 154.

(24) Edges 162, 262 of the locking reliefs present a wedge shape. At the time of insertion of the bolt 134 in the latch 234, the wedges constitute inclines which come into contact and which facilitate the displacement of the second locking relief 156 from its protruding position to its retracted position in the casing of the bolt.

(25) FIG. 4 shows the locking device in locked position. In this position, tension on the male and female casings 112, 212 does not permit separation of the connectors 110, 120. Interaction between the edges 164, 264 with respect to the first locking relief 256 and to the second locking relief 156 prevents any movement of the bolt 134 trying to extract it from the latch along its axis.

(26) Furthermore, an interaction between a supporting edge 166 of the end of the tongue 154 with a conjugated supporting edge 168 of the bolt prevents any new bending of the tongue and hence any new passage of the second locking relief 156 above the first locking relief, in a direction of extraction of the bolt.

(27) A separation of the first and of the second connector is possible only by exercising a pulling action on the grip 142 of the first connector, the second connector being kept fixed. Release of the lock through pulling on the grip is better understood by referring to FIGS. 5 and 6.

(28) FIG. 5 shows the locking mechanism along a face meant to be turned towards the connectors. On this figure the fastening ring 236 of the latch 234 appears in a partial cross-section.

(29) The first part of the locking mechanism 132 is engaged with the second part of the locking mechanism 232, the bolt 134 being engaged in the latch 234.

(30) One notices that the tongue 154 is integral with the grip 142, whereas it presents freedom of translation in the socket of the bolt, in relation to the end of the bolt especially. Translation occurs along the axis 150 of the bolt. More precisely, the tongue presents freedom of translation between a proximal position, shown on FIGS. 4 and 5, and a distal position shown on FIG. 6. In the proximal position the end 166 of the tongue touches the supporting edge 168 of the bolt and prevents it from bending. Return springs 170, 172 seated between the base element 136 integral with the bolt 134 and a portion of the grip 142 integral with the tongue 154 return and keep the tongue in its proximal position.

(31) FIG. 6, which shows only the first part of the locking mechanism, shows the distal position of the tongue 154, in which its end 166 is separated from the conjugated supporting edge 168 of the bolt, and in which bending of the tongue is possible. Displacement of the tongue in the distal position is performed by pulling on the grip 142 in a direction opposite to the end of the bolt 134 while keeping fixed one of either the base element 136 or the first connector or the second connector when it is assembled to the first connector. In effect, when the second connector, and hence the female casing is kept fixed the same pulling action on the grip allows not only to move the tongue 154 into the distal position but also to subsequently withdraw the bolt from the latch, to withdraw the male casing from the female casing and to separate the first and the second connector.

(32) Displacement of the tongue 154 in the distal position enables the displacement of the second locking relief 156 from its protruding position to its retracted position along an axis perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 6. At the time of extraction of the bolt from the latch, the passage of the second relief above the first relief is facilitated by a beveled configuration of the opposing edges 164, 264 of the locking reliefs. This characteristic is visible on FIG. 4.

(33) As also mentioned in reference to FIG. 4, and in a comparable manner, the edges 162 and 262 of the locking reliefs 156, 256 which come into contact at the beginning of the insertion of the bolt 134 into the latch 234, also present a bevel. They can thus serve as an incline for lifting the second relief from its protruding position to the retracted position.

(34) The edges 162, 262 of the locking reliefs do however have another function at the beginning of the insertion of the bolt 134 into the latch 234. This function, when the reliefs come into contact, is to slightly push back the tongue 154 from its proximal position to its distal position. The force necessary for pushing the tongue back comes from the force exerted in order to couple the connectors 110, 210 together. Thus, at the time of engagement of the male casing 112 into the female casing 212 and at the time of the concomitant engagement of the bolt 134 into the latch 234, no action on the grip 142 is necessary to release the tongue 154.