Snap lock connector

• US 20070173100A1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winchester Interconnect Corporation (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Winchester Electronics Corporation (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Benham, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,329,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/633 for disengagement only in combination with safety switch H01R13/7132
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48 utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member H01R4/52 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention, in one aspect, provides a connector apparatus that can be used in, among other things, applications requiring RF or high-speed digital electrical signals.

Claims

1. A socket, comprising:

a socket housing;

an insulator disposed within said socket housing;

a first contact, wherein the insulator is configured to electrically insulate the first contact from the socket housing;

a lock ring disposed about a distal end of said socket housing; and

a shroud disposed about said distal end of said socket housing and said lock ring and moveable relative to said socket housing between a first position and a second position, said shroud having an outer wall and an inner wall, wherein, said shroud and said lock ring are configured so that when said shroud moves from said first position to said second position, said inner wall contacts said lock ring and causes said lock ring to flex outwardly, wherein

the socket is configured such that when a plug is inserted into the distal end of the socket and locked in place by the lock ring, the lock ring exerts an axial force on the plug, but the axial force does not cause a front surface of the plug to press against any (a) electrically conductive surface of the socket or (b) electrically conductive component of the socket.

2. The socket of claim 1, wherein the socket further comprises a ground contact housed within said socket housing, wherein said ground contact is metallic and is configured to electrically connect the socket housing with the plug when the plug is fully inserted into the socket housing.

3. The socket of claim 2, wherein the ground contact is housed within an annular groove located in an inner surface of the socket housing.

4. The socket of claim 3, wherein the ground contact is arranged so that it is coaxial with the socket housing.

5. The socket of claim 2, wherein the ground contact is annular.

6. The socket of claim 2, wherein the ground contact is in the form of a split ring.

7. The socket of claim 2, wherein the ground contact includes a first split ring, a second split ring and one or more generally U shaped contacts connecting the first split ring with the second split ring, wherein the split rings are arranged so that they are coaxial.

8. The socket of claim 7, wherein the first split ring and the second split ring have substantially the same inner and outer diameters, but the width of the first split ring is substantially greater then the width of the second split ring.

9. The socket of claim 8, wherein the generally U shaped contacts curve inwardly towards the central axis of the ground contact.

10. The socket of claim 1, wherein the lock ring comprises a base ring and a finger attached to the base ring, wherein the finger extends in the same general direction as the central axis of the base ring.

11. The socket of claim 10, wherein the longitudinal axis of the finger is generally parallel but not precisely parallel with the central axis of the base ring such that there is at least about a two (2) degree angle between the longitudinal axis of the finger and the central axis of the lock ring.

12. The socket of claim 11, wherein the finger has a proximal end connected to the base ring, an opposite distal end, and a lock tab spaced inwardly from the distal end, wherein the lock tab projects from an inner surface of the finger towards the central axis of the lock ring.

13. The socket of claim 12, wherein the lock tab has a planar back wall generally facing the proximal end and a planar front wall generally facing distal end, wherein the back wall lies on a plane that forms an angle Y with the central axis of the lock ring, wherein angle Y is about 90 degrees.

14. The socket of claim 13, wherein the front wall is angled towards the back wall and lies on a plane that forms an angle X with the central axis of the lock ring, wherein angle X is between about 20 and 60 degrees.

15. The socket of claim 14, wherein angle X is about 36 degrees.

16. The socket of claim 14, wherein a rounded bottom wall connects the front wall with the back wall.

17. The socket of claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the shroud has two major surfaces, an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface of the inner wall is not parallel with the inner surface of the inner wall so that the two surfaces converge to form an annular ridge.

18. A socket, comprising:

a housing having an annular groove formed in an inner surface of the housing; and

an annular ground contact disposed in the annular groove, wherein

the annular ground contact is arranged so that it is coaxial with the socket housing,

the ground contact includes a first split ring, a second split ring and two or more generally U shaped contacts connecting the first split ring with the second split ring, and

the first split ring and the second split ring have substantially the same inner and outer diameters, but the width of the first split ring is substantially greater than the width of the second split ring.

19. The socket of claim 18, further comprising:

an insulator disposed within said housing; and

a first contact, wherein the insulator is configured to electrically insulate the first contact from the socket housing.

20. The socket of claim 19, further comprising a lock ring disposed about a distal end of said housing.

21. The socket of claim 20, further comprising a shroud disposed about said distal end of said housing and said lock ring and moveable relative to said housing between a first position and a second position, said shroud having an outer wall and an inner wall, wherein, said shroud and said lock ring are configured so that when said shroud moves from said first position to said second position, said inner wall contacts said lock ring and causes said lock ring to flex outwardly.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the inner wall of the shroud has two major surfaces, an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface of the inner wall is not parallel with the inner surface of the inner wall so that the two surfaces converge to form an annular ridge.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the lock ring comprises a base ring and a finger attached to the base ring, wherein the finger extends in the same general direction as the central axis of the base ring.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the longitudinal axis of the finger is generally parallel but not precisely parallel with the central axis of the base ring such that there is at least about a two (2) degree angle between the longitudinal axis of the finger and the central axis of the lock ring.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the finger has a proximal end connected to the base ring, an opposite distal end, and a lock tab spaced inwardly from the distal end, wherein the lock tab projects from an inner surface of the finger towards the central axis of the lock ring.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the lock tab has a planar back wall generally facing the proximal end and a planar front wall generally facing distal end, wherein the back wall lies on a plane that forms an angle Y with the central axis of the lock ring, wherein angle Y is about 90 degrees.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the front wall is angled towards the back wall and lies on a plane that forms an angle X with the central axis of the lock ring, wherein angle X is between about 20 and 60 degrees.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein angle X is about 36 degrees.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein a rounded bottom wall connects the front wall with the back wall.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the ground contact is in the form of a split ring.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the generally U shaped contacts curve inwardly towards the central axis of the ground contact.

32. A contact, comprising:

a first ring;

a second ring; and

a plurality of generally U shaped contacts connecting the first ring with the second ring, wherein

the rings are arranged so that they are substantially coaxial, and

the first ring and the second ring have substantially the same inner and outer diameters, but the width of the first ring is substantially greater than the width of the second ring.

33. The contact of claim 32, wherein the first ring is a split ring and the second is a split ring.

34. The contact of claim 33, wherein the generally U shaped contacts curve inwardly towards the central axis of the contact.

35. The contact of claim 34, wherein the contact is housed within an annular groove located in an inner surface of a socket housing.

36. A connector apparatus comprising:

a socket, comprising;

a socket housing;

an insulator disposed within said socket housing;

a first contact disposed within said insulator;

a lock ring disposed about a distal end of said housing;

a shroud disposed about said distal end of said socket housing and said lock ring and moveable relative to said socket housing between a first position and a second position, said shroud having an outer wall and an inner wall, wherein, said shroud and said lock ring are configured so that when said shroud moves from said first position to said second position, said inner wall contacts said lock ring and causes said lock ring to flex outwardly; and

a plug comprising;

a generally cylindrical, conductive plug housing that houses an insulator and a contact disposed within the insulator, wherein, on its outer wall, the plug housing has a protuberance having a first sloping surface on one side thereof and a second sloping surface on an opposite side thereof,

wherein, the socket is configured such that when the plug is inserted into the distal end of the socket and locked in place by the lock ring, the lock ring exerts an axial force on the protuberance of the plug housing, but the axial force does not cause the front surface of the plug housing to press against (a) any electrically conductive surface of the socket or (b) any electrically conductive component of the socket.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the socket further comprises a ground contact housed within said socket housing, wherein said ground contact is metallic and is configured to electrically connect the socket housing with plug housing when the plug housing is fully inserted into the socket housing.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the ground contact is housed within an annular groove located in an inner surface of the socket housing.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the ground contact is arranged so that it is coaxial with the socket housing.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the ground contact is annular.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the ground contact is in the form of a split ring.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the ground contact includes a first split ring, a second split ring and one or more generally U shaped contacts connecting the first split ring with the second split ring, wherein the split rings are arranged so that they are coaxial.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the first split ring and the second split ring have substantially the same inner and outer diameters, but the width of the first split ring is substantially greater then the width of the second split ring.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the generally U shaped contacts curve inwardly towards the central axis of the ground contact.

45. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the lock ring comprises a base ring and a finger attached to the base ring, wherein the finger extends in the same general direction as the central axis of the base ring.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the longitudinal axis of the finger is generally parallel but not precisely parallel with the central axis of the base ring such that there is about a two (2) degree angle between the longitudinal axis of the finger and the central axis of the lock ring.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the finger has a proximal end connected to the base ring, an opposite distal end, and a lock tab spaced inwardly from the distal end, wherein the lock tab projects from an inner surface of the finger towards the central axis of the lock ring.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the lock tab has a planar back wall generally facing the proximal end and a planar front wall generally facing distal end, wherein the back wall lies on a plane that forms an angle Y with the central axis of the lock ring, wherein angle Y is about 90 degrees.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the front wall is angled towards the back wall and lies on a plane that forms an angle X with the central axis of the lock ring, wherein angle X is between about 20 and 60 degrees.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein angle X is about 36 degrees.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein a rounded bottom wall connects the front wall with the back wall.

52. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the inner wall of the shroud has two major surfaces, an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface of the inner wall is not parallel with the inner surface of the inner wall so that the two surfaces converge to form an annular ridge.