Coupling member and an electrical connector

• US 4,448,470 A
• Filed: 12/28/1981
• Issued: 05/15/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Bendix Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Ann E.
• Primary Examiner(s): McQuade, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US06/334,868
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 339/89 R, 339/89 M, 339/90 R, 339/91 R, 285/319, 285/DIG. 22
• US Class Current: 439/345
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6271 Latching means integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/921 Snap-fit

Abstract

A coupling member (30) includes four equiangularly spaced fingers (42) at one end and two deflectable tabs (50) at the other end which cooperate to couple a pair of connectors (10, 20) of the type having medial of their ends a flange (18, 28) one flange (18) being provided with four openings (48) for receiving the fingers therethrough and the other flange being of a smaller diameter than the sleeve inside diameter for receiving the tabs thereover, the coupling member telescoping over the connectors and causing the tabs to deflect over their flange (28) and the fingers to be radially deflected and abut their flange (18).

Claims

1. An assembly comprising a coupling member (30) and a pair of housings (10, 20), each said housing having a forward end portion (12, 22), a rear end portion (16, 26) and at least one electrical contact (11, 21) mounted therein, the forward end portion and the contact of one said housing (10) and the forward end portion and the contact in the other said housing (20) being disposed in mated relation, the coupling member being disposed around the forward end portions (12, 22) and having a rearward portion (36) and a forward portion (34), the assembly being characterized by:

at least one resilient finger (42) extending axially from the forward portion (34) of said coupling member (30), said finger being radially deflectable inwardly and outwardly relative to the electrical connector central axis and including a transverse abutment shoulder (46);

at least one resilient tab (50) extending from the rearward portion (36) of said coupling member (30), said tab extending radially inwardly towards the central axis;

means (18,

     48) on said one connector housing for retaining the abutment shoulder (46) and receiving the finger (42), said retaining means comprising said one connector housing (10) including a first radial flange (18) having an opening (48) disposed therein; and

means (28) on the other connector housing (20) for receiving the tab (50), said receiving means comprising said other connector housing (20) including a second radial flange (28) having an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the coupling member (30) to allow the tab (50) to be received thereover, said finger (42) being sized to pass through said opening (48) to allow the abutment shoulder (46) to engage the first radial flange (18), said finger (42) securing the coupling member to said one connector housing and said tab (50) securing the coupling member to said other connector housing whereby said connector housings (10,

     20) are coupled and secured together.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the coupling member (30) is an integral one-piece body comprised of thermoplastic.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the coupling member (30) includes four equiangularly disposed fingers (42) the first radial flange (18) includes four openings (48) disposed so as to be in register with the fingers.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the coupling member (30) includes two equiangularly disposed tabs (50).

5. A coupling member for an electrical connector of the type comprising first and second connector housings (10, 20) having respective forward end portions (12, 22) adapted to mate, each said connector housing having a medial radial flange (18, 28) and carrying an electrical contact (11, 21) with the contact (11) in the first connector housing (10) being adapted to mate with the contact (21) in the second connector housing (20), each said medial radial flange (18, 28) having, respectively, an end face (19, 29) thereof facing rearwardly from its forward end portion, the coupling member characterized by:

a tubular sleeve (32) including first and second end portions (34,

     36), the first end portion (34) being sized to telescope about the forward end portion (12) of said first connector housing (10) and including a pair of radially outwardly disposed abutment shoulders (46), the abutment shoulders being adapted to extend behind the first radial flange (18) and seat against the end face (19) thereof when the sleeve is fitted thereto, and the second end portion (36) being sized to telescope about the forward end portion (22) of said second connector housing (20) and including a pair of radially inwardly directed tabs (50), the tabs being adapted to extend axially rearward of and seat behind the second radial flange (28) when the sleeve is fitted thereto.

6. The coupling member as recited in claim 5 wherein the first end portion (34) of the tubular sleeve (32) includes an annular end face (40) and a pair of fingers (42) extending therefrom, the fingers having a hooked portion (45) thereof spaced axially from the end face, said hooked portion including said abutment shoulders.