LOCKING ELEMENT FOR A CONNECTOR

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking element (30) for detachably fixing a fluid-guiding plug (40) to a connector (10). To facilitate handling during coupling and decoupling, the locking element (30) has at least one spring element (37) or is connected to or engages with such an element, by means of which spring element the locking element is autonomously brought into a locking position with the plug (40) and is held in this locking position. The invention also relates to a locking system for detachable locking of a fluid-guiding plug (40) to a connector (10) in which a locking element (30) of this type is used.

Claims

1. A locking element for detachably fixing a fluid-carrying plug to a connector, wherein the locking element has at least one spring element, by means of which the locking element is moved automatically into a locking position with the connector as the plug is inserted, and held in its locking position.

2. The locking element as recited in claim 1, wherein the locking element has a limb that is moved at right angles to an axis of the connector, in which limb there is formed a bore for the plug to be led through.

3. The locking element recited in claim 1, characterized in that wherein at least one first latching element, that in some phases is engaged with a second latching element on the connector, is formed on the locking element.

4. The locking element as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one first latching element, that in some phases is engaged with a second latching element on the connector, is formed on the locking element.

5. The locking element as recited in claim 1, it wherein the locking element has at least one resilient projection or is connected to such a projection, by means of which the locking element is forced into a defined axial position with respect to the connector.

6. The locking element as recited in claim 2, wherein the locking element has at least one resilient projection or is connected to such a projection, by means of which the locking element is forced into a defined axial position with respect to the connector.

7. The locking element as recited in claim 3, wherein the locking element has at least one resilient projection or is connected to such a projection, by means of which the locking element is forced into a defined axial position with respect to the connector.

8. The locking element as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one projection effects centering of the locking element in the connector.

9. The locking element as recited in claim 1, it wherein the locking element is received and guided in a vertical aperture of the connector.

10. The locking element as recited in claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a sheet metal or of a spring steel and the spring element is formed in one piece therewith.

11. The locking element as recited claim 2, characterized in that it consists of a sheet metal or of a spring steel and the spring element is formed in one piece therewith.

12. The locking element as recited claim 3, characterized in that it consists of a sheet metal or of a spring steel and the spring element is formed in one piece therewith.

13. The locking element as recited in claim 1, wherein the plug is spring pre-loaded by at least one spring element with respect to the connector in the axial direction.

14. The locking element as recited in claim 2, wherein the plug is spring pre-loaded by at least one spring element with respect to the connector in the axial direction.

15. The locking element as recited in claim 3, wherein the plug is spring pre-loaded by at least one spring element with respect to the connector in the axial direction.

16. A locking system for detachably locking a fluid-carrying plug to a connector by means of a locking element as recited in claim 1, wherein the plug has at least one collar on the outer circumference, by means of which an actuating element for a first latching element on the locking element is actuated, by means of which the locking element is held in a defined coupling position for an insertion of the plug.

17. A locking system for detachably locking a fluid-carrying plug to a connector by means of a locking element as recited in claim 2, wherein the plug has at least one collar on the outer circumference, by means of which an actuating element for a first latching element on the locking element is actuated, by means of which the locking element is held in a defined coupling position for an insertion of the plug.

18. A locking system for detachably locking a fluid-carrying plug to a connector by means of a locking element as recited in claim 3, wherein the plug has at least one collar on the outer circumference, by means of which an actuating element for a first latching element on the locking element is actuated, by means of which the locking element is held in a defined coupling position for an insertion of the plug.

19. A locking system for detachably locking a fluid-carrying plug to a connector by means of a locking element as recited in claim 4, wherein the plug has at least one collar on the outer circumference, by means of which an actuating element for a first latching element on the locking element is actuated, by means of which the locking element is held in a defined coupling position for an insertion of the plug.

20. The locking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one inclined surface is formed on a vertical aperture of the connector, by means of which inclined surface the first latching element is guided into engagement with the second latching element on the connector as the locking is released.

Description

[0016] In the following text, by using FIGS. 1 to 4, a locking operation of the plug 40 in the connector 10 will be described. In FIG. 1, the locking element 30 is pushed into the aperture 20 of the housing 12. The latching hook, serving as first latching element 34, rests on the latching projection, serving as second latching element 22. In this receiving or coupling position, the aperture 33 is aligned with the receptacle 18, so that the plug 40 can be inserted easily into the bore 14. The aligned arrangement of the aperture 33 with the receptacle 18 is always ensured in an accurately defined manner determined by the system in the present invention, irrespective of a manual operating operation, and contributes to increased security and an ability to be handled more easily when coupling and uncoupling a plug 40.

[0017] In FIG. 3, the collar 44 forces the lever arm 341 to the right. At the same time, the first latching element 34 is moved out of engagement with the second latching element 22. As a result of the spring pre-loading of the locking element 30 upward by means of the spring elements 37, after the collar 44 has forced the lever arm 341 to the side and the first latching element 34 has come out of engagement with the second latching element 22, the locking element 30 is automatically forced upward into the locking position. This locking position is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this position, the widening 36 rests from below on the outer side of the collar 44 and thus holds the plug 40 in a defined axial locking position with respect to the connector 10. The spring elements 37 are guided by the recess 24 on the housing 12.

[0018] To unlock, the locking element 30 is forced downward by its horizontal limb 31 out of the locking position illustrated in FIG. 4, counter to the spring force of the spring elements 37. The first latching element 34 slides downward over the inclined surface 21 and comes into engagement with the second latching element 22 again. Since, at the same time, the widening 36 is displaced downward and the aperture 33 comes into an aligned arrangement with respect to the receptacle 18, the plug 40 can again be pulled to the left out of the bore 14.

[0019] An alternative configuration of the first and second latching element is shown in FIG. 6 as a second embodiment. Here, the first latching element 34 on the locking element 30 is formed by a latching recess 34. In a ready position for guiding a plug 40 in and out, corresponding to the position shown in FIG. 1, the latching recess 3401 engages around the latching projection 2201 on the left-hand wall of the housing 12 of the connector 10. To release the locking and to prepare for uncoupling the plug 40, as the locking element 30 is moved downward, the vertical limb 32 of the latter is guided into engagement with the latching projection 2201 again by the inclined surface 21, counter to the pressure of the projections 35.

[0020] As a result of the engagement of the latching recess 3401 on the latching projection 22, the locking element 30 remains captively connected to the connector 10 and is ready for a renewed coupling operation of a plug 40. The coupling operation is simplified by the locking system according to the invention since, as the plug 40 is pushed in, the locking element 30 does not have to be moved manually but is moved automatically into the locking position by at least one pre-loaded spring element 37 or spiral spring 37A.

[0021] The at least one further first alternate spring element 38 or second alternate spring element 39 can particularly advantageously be formed directly on the locking element 30, for example in the form of a flare formed on the edge of the aperture 33 or as a separate component connected to or in engagement with the latter.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0022] 10 Connector

[0023] 12 Housing

[0024] 14 Bore

[0025] 16 Longitudinal axis

[0026] 18 Receptacle

[0027] 20 Aperture

[0028] 21 Inclined surface

[0029] 22 (Second) latching element

[0030] 2201 latching projection

[0031] 23 Guide

[0032] 24 Recess

[0033] 30 Locking element

[0034] 31 (Horizontal) limb

[0035] 32 (Vertical) limb

[0036] 33 Aperture

[0037] 34 (First) latching element

[0038] 3401 latching recess

[0039] 341 lever arm

[0040] 342 Cut

[0041] 35 Projection

[0042] 36 Widening (of 33)

[0043] 37 Spring element

[0044] 37A spiral Spring

[0045] 38 first alternate Spring element

[0046] 39 second alternate Spring element

[0047] 40 Plug

[0048] 41 Front side (of 40)

[0049] 42 Bore

[0050] 44 Collar

[0051] P Ice pressure