ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM COMPRISING A SECONDARY LOCKING DEVICE

• US 20180062314A1
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi International Operations Luxembourg S.à r.l.
• Inventors: Schmidt, Rainer Q
• Granted Patent: US 10,109,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical connector system comprising a plug connector and a second locking device. The plug connector comprises at least one row of terminal cavities for receiving terminals and a plug connector housing having a flexible arm arranged in a sidewall of the plug connector housing, and having primary locking means adapted to provide a primary locking function. The secondary locking device is arranged between an end of the at least one row of terminal cavities and the flexible arm, and has a flexible leg with secondary locking means for providing a secondary locking function. The flexible arm comprises a blocking device and the flexible leg comprises an abutment device adapted to engage with the blocking device for said blocking.

Claims

1. An electrical connector system, comprising:

a plug connector, including;

at least one row of terminal cavities for receiving terminals, and

a plug connector housing having;

a flexible arm arranged in a side wall of the plug connector housing,

a primary locking means configured to provide a primary locking function when the plug connector is in a mated position with a corresponding counter-connector, and

a secondary locking device arranged between an end of the at least one row of terminal cavities and the flexible arm, the secondary locking device being arranged movable relative to the plug connector housing between an open position and a closed position, said secondary locking device having a flexible leg with a secondary locking means configured to provide a secondary locking function when the plug connector is in the mated position with the corresponding counter-connector, wherein the flexible arm of the plug connector housing comprises a blocking device configured to block the secondary locking device from moving from the open position to the closed position when the plug connector is in an unmated position with a counter-connector, wherein the flexible leg of the secondary locking device comprises an abutment device configured to engage with the blocking device for said blocking.

2. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the primary locking means and the secondary locking means each comprise a protrusion, wherein said protrusions are configured to cooperate with a primary opening and a secondary opening in the counter-connector respectively, and wherein the primary opening and the secondary opening are arranged in a corresponding side wall of the counter-connector.

3. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the secondary locking means are arranged on an outwardly facing side of the flexible leg and the abutment device is arranged on an opposing inwardly facing side of the flexible leg.

4. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the blocking device is arranged on an inwardly facing side of the flexible arm and the primary locking means is arranged on an opposing outwardly facing side of the flexible arm.

5. The electrical connector system according to claim 4, wherein the blocking device protrudes inwardly and sideward towards the flexible leg of the secondary locking device.

6. The electrical connector system according to claim 5, wherein the abutment device protrudes inwardly and sideward towards the flexible arm of the plug connector housing.

7. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the plug connector housing comprises an elongated first slot arranged in the side wall of the plug connector housing and extending in a mating direction, wherein the secondary locking means are configured to protrude outwardly through the elongated first slot.

8. The electrical connector system according to claim 7, wherein the elongated first slot is arranged adjacent to the flexible arm of the plug connector housing.

9. The electrical connector system according to claim 8, wherein the plug connector housing comprises an elongated second slot adjacent to the flexible arm and extending in the mating direction, wherein the flexible arm is arranged between the elongated first- and second slot.

10. The electrical connector system according to claim 7, wherein the flexible arm extends from a first end to a free end opposite to the mating direction and wherein the flexible leg extends from the first end to the free end in the mating direction.

11. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the blocking device and the abutment device are configured to release the secondary locking device allowing the secondary locking device to move from an open to the closed position and allowing the secondary locking device to move from the closed position to the open position when the flexible arm is in a rest condition and the flexible leg is in a flexed condition.

12. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the blocking device and the abutment device are configured to block the secondary locking device from moving from an open to the closed position when the flexible arm and the flexible leg are in a rest condition or when the flexible arm and the flexible leg are in a flexed condition.

13. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, wherein the flexible leg of the secondary locking device is a first flexible leg and the secondary locking device comprises a second flexible leg and wherein the flexible arm of the plug connector housing is provided between the first flexible leg and the second flexible leg.

14. The electrical connector system according to claim 13, wherein the secondary locking device comprises a reinforcement bridge provided between and integral with the first flexible leg and the second flexible leg.

15. The electrical connector system according to claim 14, wherein the reinforcement bridge comprises a sloping ramp surface configured to bend the first flexible leg and the second flexible leg when the sloping ramp surface engages the blocking device and comprises a blocking surface for engaging the blocking device for said blocking.

16. The electrical connector system according to claim 15, wherein each flexible leg comprises the abutment device at the free end, wherein the abutment device comprises the blocking surface at a first end for engaging the blocking device and the sloping ramp surface at a second end for bending the flexible legs when the sloping ramp surface engages the blocking device, and wherein the sloping ramp surface are defined by recesses in the flexible leg.

17. The electrical connector system according to claim 16, wherein the blocking device of the flexible arm comprises two protruding blocking devices each configured to cooperate with the abutment device.

18. The electrical connector system according to claim 1, further comprising the counter-connector configured to at least partly receive the plug connector and the secondary locking device.

19. The electrical connector system according to claim 18, wherein the counter-connector comprises a counter-connector housing having at least one side wall, wherein the at least one side wall comprises:

a primary opening for receiving the primary locking means, and

a secondary opening for receiving the secondary locking means.

20. The electrical connector system according to claim 19, wherein the primary opening and the secondary opening are separated from one another.

21. The electrical connector system according to claim 19, wherein the primary opening and the secondary opening are formed as a single opening.

22. The electrical connector system according to claim 19, wherein the primary opening is slot shaped and extends perpendicular to a mating direction and wherein the secondary opening is slot shaped and extends parallel to the mating direction.

23. The electrical connector system according to claim 19, wherein the secondary opening extends perpendicular to the mating direction and the primary opening extends parallel to the mating direction.