Cable assembly, lock therefor

• US 5,104,253 A
• Filed: 06/27/1991
• Issued: 04/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Zielinski, Thomas E., Geyer, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Application Number:
  US07/723,667
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 403/49, 403/326, 403/329, 403/361, 403/368, 403/374, 403/375, 439/353, 439/354, 439/271-276
• US Class Current: 403/329
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/10 Details of socket shapes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5219 Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/606 Leaf spring

Abstract

Locking a cable socket to a cable plug in a cable assembly is affected by integrally molding a lock assembly to the socket and plug housings. A pair of overstress brackets of the socket housing prevent a resilient latch of the lock assembly from breaking if excessive force is used to move the latch from a catch post mounted on the plug housing. Also, the overstressed brackets are formed in a manner that permits a single molding operation when forming the socket housing.

Claims

1. An environmentally sealed cable assembly lock mechanism for connecting two separate cable circuits comprising:

(a) a circular environmental seal having a hole therethrough;

(b) a socket housing comprised of a one-piece molded section having a rearwardly spaced cavity region adapted to encase one of the two separate cable circuits and a frontwardly spaced cavity region which protrudes through the hole of said seal and having an outer surface adapted for mounting said seal thereon;

(c) a plug housing comprised of a one-piece molded section having a rearwardly spaced cavity region adapted to encase a second of the two separate cable circuits, said plug housing having a frontwardly spaced cavity region having an interior surface which, when said socket housing mates with said plug housing, said first and second separate cable circuits connect to form a completed circuit while said environmental seal forms a sealed region between said outer surface of said frontwardly spaced cavity region of said socket and said interior surface of said frontwardly spaced cavity region of said plug housing sealing the cable circuits from the environment;

(d) a lock mechanism comprising;

(1) a latch means integrally molded to a top surface of said rearwardly spaced cavity region of said socket housing, including a tongue means for unlocking the lock mechanism, a transverse bar means with one end connected to one end of said tongue means, and a pair of spaced-apart resilient arm members with one end of said pair of arm members integrally molded to said transverse bar means and with another end of said pair of arms integrally molded to a pair of pivot points on said top surface of said socket housing, said transverse bar means and said spaced-apart arm members forming a slotted region of said latch means, and a pair of overstress brackets also integrally molded to said top surface of said socket housing for restricting upward lateral and angular movement of said resilient arm members of said latch means prior to and after connecting said socket housing to said plug housing;

(2) a catch post means mounted to a top surface of said rear spaced cavity region of said plug housing having an inclined face for guiding said transverse bar means of said latch means over a top surface of said catch post means that permits said transfer bar means to snap downward across a tapered backface into a positive locked position, said tapered backface of said catch post means restraining upward movement of said transverse bar means.

2. A lock mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said pair of overstress brackets has a gap extending between an end of each bracket of said pair of overstress brackets which facilitate integral molding of said latch means and said overstress brackets to said socket housing as a unitary structure.

3. A method of constructing a lock mechanism for a cable assembly containing an environmental seal comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a plug housing comprising a substantially tubular structure;

(b) providing a catch post at an inboard end of said plug housing during the forming of the plug housing;

(c) providing a circular environmental seal;

(d) forming a socket housing which can be interfittingly engaged with said plug housing and to contain said environmental seal within the interfitting engagement;

(e) providing a latch means for positive locking including a tongue means for thumb releasing of the lock mechanism, a transverse bar means with one end connected to one end of said tongue means, and a pair of spaced-apart resilient arm members, with one end of said pair of arm members integrally molded to said transverse bar means and with another end of said pair of arms integrally molded to a pair of pivot points on a top surface of said socket housing, said transverse bar means and said spaced-apart arm members forming a slotted region of said latch means; and

(f) providing a pair of overstress brackets to said socket housing for restricting upward, downward, lateral and angular movement of said latch means to prevent said latch means from being flexed to a point where said resilient arm members would tear away from said socket housing prior to locking and during a process of unlocking said socket housing latch means from said plug housing catch post.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein such step of forming said plug housing and said socket housing as unitary structure is accomplished by a single manufacture injection molding operation of a suitable plastic.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein such step of securing said catch post to said plug housing and said latch member and bracket members to said socket housing as unitary structure is also accomplished by a single manufacture injection molding operation of a suitable plastic.