Electrical connection for motor vehicles

• US 5,730,625 A
• Filed: 04/01/1996
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delphi Automotive Systems LLC (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Automotive Systems LLC (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sikora, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Katrina
• Application Number:
  US08/578,635
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 439/271, 439/275, 439/595, 439/680, 439/744
• US Class Current: 439/595
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4364 Insertion of locking piece from the front

Abstract

The electrical connection comprises a male part and a female part. The female part comprises a receptacle for the insertion profile of the male part, in which at least one contact pin is located. During coupling, the contact pin moves axially into the male part and is made contact with there by a contact sleeve assigned to it. The male part comprises a housing having at least one tubular channel for the contact sleeve, and an end plate, which has at least one through-hole, for the contact pin of the female part. This end plate is displaceable with respect to the housing between two axial positions, for which purpose longitudinal guide elements are provided, namely between an extended position and a pushed-in position. In the extended position, axial insertion assembly of the contact sleeve in the housing is possible until a sprung tongue, which is integrally formed on the housing, snaps behind a shoulder on the contact sleeve which is fitted in a defined assembly position. In the pushed-in position, a longitudinal guide element which is located on the end plate passes into the spring path of the tongue and locks the contact sleeve in its assembly position.

Claims

1. An electrical connection, in particular for motor vehicles, having a male part (10) and having a female part (40),

whose female part (40) has a receptacle (41) which is complementary to the insertion profile (11) of the male part (10) and has at least one contact pin (42),

which, in the coupled case (42'"'"') moves into the male part (10) and makes contact there with a contact sleeve (12) assigned to it,

and whose male part (10) comprises a housing (20) having at least one tubular channel (21) for the contact sleeve (12), and an end plate having at least one through-hole (32) for the contact pin (42) of the female part (40),

the end plate is connected to the housing (20) by means of complementary longitudinal guide elements and is displaceable between at least two axial positions with respect to the housing (20),

namely on the one hand, an extended position which allows axial insertion assembly (22) of the contact sleeve (12) in the housing (20) until a sprung tongue which is located on the housing (20) snaps behind a shoulder (16) on the contact sleeve (12) which is located in a defined assembly position,

and, on the other hand, a pushed-in position in which the longitudinal guide elements which are located on the end plate enter the spring path of the tongue and in consequence lock the contact sleeve (12) in its assembled position,

wherein,

the end plate is formed by the apex wall (31) of a cap (30) which has a U-shaped profile and whose side walls (33,33'"'"',33") are longitudinally guided on the outer contour (44) of the housing (20),

the tubular wall (23) of the housing (20) is longitudinally split (24) in one section and forms, between two gaps (24), an outward-sprung tongue (25) which extends in the longitudinal guide region (39) of the cap side wall (33 to 33") on the housing (20),

the spring path (48) of the tongue (25) extends radially beyond the outer contour (44) of the housing (20),

and, although the cap releases the spring path (48) of the tongue (25) in its extended position (30) by means of its cap side wall (33) facing the tongue (25), it at least partially covers the tongue (25), however, in its pushed-in position (30'"'"').

2. The connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap side wall (33) has a window (49) which, in the extended position (30) of the cap, lies over the free end of the tongue (25), (FIG. 3).

3. The connection as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tongue (25) has an undercut (27) ramp (26) pointing into the tube interior of the housing, on which ramp (26) the shoulder (16) of the contact sleeve (12) moves up during its insertion assembly (22) and, at the same time, presses the tongue (25) into the window opening (49) of the cap, which is located in its extended position (30), until the shoulder (16) engages behind undercut (27) the ramp (26).

4. The connection as claimed in one or more of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap has an end flange (35) which, in the pushed-in position (30'"'"'), presses an annular seal (50), which surrounds the housing (20), against a housing step (18).

5. The connection as claimed in one or more of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular wall (28) of the housing (20) has a longitudinal slot (29) into which, for the purpose of push-in assembly such that rotation cannot take place, a tab (17) which is seated on the contact sleeve (12) moves, (FIG. 4).

6. The connection as claimed in claim 5, wherein the longitudinal slot (29) has a closed slot end (19) which, during the push-in assembly (22), forms a stop for the tab (17).

7. Connection as claimed in one or more of claims 1 to 6, wherein coding grooves (58) and ribs (59) are provided in order that the cap (30) is fitted onto the housing (20) such that it cannot rotate.

8. The connection as claimed in one or more of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tubular wall of the housing (20) has a longitudinal cutout (45) which is bounded by an end web (47), and the end web (47) interacts with latching projections (36,37) which are seated on the inner surface of the cap side wall (33") and determine the pushed-out position (30) and/or the pushed-in position (30'"'"') of the cap on the housing (20).