BREAK-AWAY ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

• US 20110059642A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hines, Donald E., Amurgis, Charles, Danzak, Jon J., Slippy, Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,262,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/353
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5808 formed by a metallic element crimped around the cable H01R4/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members

Abstract

An electrical connector for electrically connecting a terminal to a cord of a peripheral device, the electrical connector including a plug member, a lever arm pivotally attached to the plug member, and a biasing member. The plug member and lever arm each include an engagement claw adapted to engage complementary surfaces on the terminal, and the biasing member imparts a biasing force on the lever arm to force the engagement claws to close onto the complementary surfaces on the terminal. The lever arm advantageously includes a first gripping surface with a contoured concave profile for a user to apply a releasing force against the biasing force to remove the plug member from the terminal. A second surface includes a concave surface for engaging a user'"'"'s finger and forming a grip bump.

Claims

1. A connector comprising:

a plug member and a socket portion configured for mating with the plug member;

the plug member including a first engagement claw having a first angled surface positioned to engage a first complementary angled surface of the socket portion;

a lever arm pivotally mounted on the plug member and movable between a first position for coupling the plug member to the socket portion and a second position for uncoupling the plug member from the socket portion, the lever arm including a second engagement claw having a second angled surface configured to engage a second complementary angled surface of the socket portion when said lever arm is in said first position;

the lever arm including a first gripping surface having a concave profile portion and raised rear lever portion, the first gripping surface creating a force to direct the plug member away from the socket portion when the lever arm is moved to second position;

a biasing member disposed between said plug member and said lever arm for biasing said lever arm toward said first position with a biasing force,

the plug portion being adapted to uncouple from the socket portion when a break-away force is applied to the plug member to cause said second angled surface to slide over the second complementary angled surface of the terminal connector portion by overcoming the biasing force.

2. The connector of claim 1 wherein the plug member includes a second gripping surface generally opposite the first gripping surface, the second gripping surface including at least one concave surface for engaging a user'"'"'s fingers when the lever arm is manually actuated.

3. The connector of claim 2 wherein the second gripping surface includes multiple concave surfaces for engaging a user'"'"'s fingers when the lever arm is manually actuated.

4. The connector of claim 2, wherein at least one of the said first gripping surface and said second gripping surface include raised bumps configured to improve a user'"'"'s grip on the connector.

5. The connector of claim 1 wherein the plug member includes a plug housing with a cavity to contain the lever, the raised rear lever portion being configured to project beyond said cavity in said plug housing when said lever arm is in the second position.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein said second engagement claw includes chamfered side edges with angled surfaces that are configured to allow said second angled surface to slide over the second complementary angled surface of the terminal connector portion when the break-away force is applied to the connector.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein said connector is configured to uncouple from the terminal connector portion when a magnitude of the break-away force is at least 4%-5% of the rated failure load of the cord coupled to the peripheral device.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein said connector is configured to uncouple from the terminal connector portion when a magnitude of the break-away force is between about 3 pounds and about 15 pounds.

9. A connector comprising:

a plug member and a socket portion configured for mating with the plug member;

the plug member including a first engagement claw having a first angled surface positioned to engage a first complementary angled surface of the terminal connector portion;

a lever arm pivotally mounted on the plug member and movable between a first position for coupling the plug member to the socket portion and a second position for uncoupling the plug member from the socket portion, the lever arm including a second engagement claw having a second angled surface configured to engage a second complementary angled surface of the socket portion when said lever arm is in said first position;

the lever arm also including a chamfered side edge that forms at least one angled surface at a side of the second angled surface;

a biasing member disposed between said plug member and said lever arm for biasing said lever arm toward said first position with a biasing force;

the plug portion being adapted to uncouple from the socket portion when a break-away force is applied to the plug member to cause said second angled surface, an angled surface of the chamfered side edge, or a combination of those angled surfaces to slide over the second complementary angled surface of the terminal connector portion by overcoming the biasing force.

10. The connector of claim 9, wherein said connector is configured to uncouple from the terminal connector portion when a magnitude of the break-away force is at least 4%-5% of a rated failure load of the cord coupled to the peripheral device.

11. The connector of claim 9, wherein said connector is configured to uncouple from the terminal connector portion when a magnitude of the break-away force is between about 3 pounds and about 15 pounds.

12. The connector of claim 9, wherein the angled surface of the chamfered side edge is angled approximately 28°

from said second angled surface.

13. The connector of claim 9 further comprising chamfered side edges on both sides of the second angled surface to form angled surfaces at the sides of the second angled surface.

14. A cable assembly comprising:

a cord having at least one electrical conductor extending in an insulation layer having an end;

a tension member extending in the insulation layer generally alongside of the conductor;

an end of the tension member extending out of the end of the insulation layer and extending along an external surface of the insulation member;

a securing element to couple the end of the tension member with the insulation layer to maintain pre-tension on the tension member;

a plug member secured at the end of the cord, a portion of the plug member being molded over the end of the tension member and the securing element.

15. The cable assembly of claim 14 wherein the tension member is a Kevlar strand.

16. The cable assembly of claim 14 further comprising a tensioning element, the end of the tension member engaging the tensioning element to create a pre-tension force on the tension element, the portion of the plug member being molded over the tensioning element and the end of the tension member.

17. The cable assembly of claim 16 wherein the tensioning element is a coil spring, the end of the tension member engaging the coil spring to compress the spring for creating the pre-tension force.

18. The cable assembly of claim 14 wherein the securing element includes a crimping member configured to be crimped around the end of the tension member and the insulation layer to maintain pre-tension on the tension member.