Electrical connector for attenuating vibrations, in particular for the injector of a motor vehicle engine

• US 7,785,145 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: FCI
• Inventors: Menez, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond; Briggitte R
• Application Number:
  US11/711,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 439/358, 439/352, 439/595, 439/275, 439587-589, 439/274
• US Class Current: 439/587
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5219 Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/533 Bases, cases made for use in extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environment, pressure H01R13/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6271 Latching means integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/635 by mechanical pressure, e.g. spring force

Abstract

The inventive connector includes a locking device for elastical interlocking which is provided with an axial stop surface forming jointly with the associate stop surface of the complementary locking device of a counterpart an mutual rest preventing the disconnection of the connector and the counterpart. Said connector includes an elastic vibration attenuating member arranged in such a way that it produces the mutual elastic rest force of the stop surfaces when the connector and the counterpart thereof are coupled. The invention can be used for connecting the injector of a motor vehicle internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. An electrical connector provided to be coupled with a connector counterpart by elastic interlocking along a coupling direction (X), and comprising for this purpose a device that locks by elastic interlocking and has an axial stop surface provided to create a mutual support, together with an associated stop surface of a complementary locking device of the counterpart, opposing a disconnection of the connector and the counterpart, said connector also comprising an elastic component and a peripheral seal, wherein the elastic component is arranged in such a way as to create an elastic force of mutual support of the stop surfaces, when the connector and the counterpart are coupled, characterized in that the connector comprises a casing on which is provided a locking device, and a contact-bearing module which is mounted inside the casing by an interlocking connection of the contact-bearing module with the casing, wherein the elastic component contacts a first portion of the contact-bearing module, wherein the interlocking connection is sized and shaped to allow relative axial play between the contact-bearing module and the casing, and in that the elastic component is compressed axially between the module and the casing, when the module is mounted in the casing, with the effect of locking the connector onto the counterpart, and wherein the peripheral seal is fitted onto a second different portion of the contact-bearing module.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, further characterized in that the peripheral seal is provided so as to assure tightness between the connector and the counterpart when they are coupled, and in that the elastic component is part of said seal.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, further characterized in that the peripheral seal is a lip seal.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, further characterized in that the seal is made in a single piece, particularly of an elastomer.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, further characterized in that the peripheral seal is mounted on said contact-bearing module.

6. An electrical connection device comprising an electrical connector according to claim 1, and a base forming the counterpart of said connector, said base being a base of a motor vehicle part.

7. The electrical connection device according to claim 6, further characterized in that said base is a base of an internal combustion engine part of a motor vehicle, in particular, a base of the fuel injector.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the elastic component and the peripheral seal are integrally formed as a one piece member.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the elastic component and the peripheral seal comprise separate members.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the elastic component comprises a rim forming a shoulder.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 11 wherein the first portion of the contact-bearing module comprises a peripheral rim, and wherein the rim of the elastic component contacts the peripheral rim of the contact-bearing module.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the first portion of the contact-bearing module is spaced from the second portion of the contact-bearing module.

8. An electrical connector configured to be coupled with a connector counterpart, the electrical connector comprising:

a casing comprising a locking device having a first stop surface, wherein the first stop surface is sized and shaped to engage a second stop surface of a complementary locking device of the connector counterpart for opposing disconnection of the connector and the connector counterpart, wherein the locking device is sized and shaped to lock with the complementary locking device by elastic interlocking;

a contact-bearing module movably mounted to the casing by an interlocking connection, wherein the interlocking connection is sized and shaped to allow relative axial movement between the contact-bearing module and the casing;

an elastic component located between portions of the casing and the module such that, when the connector is mounted to the connector counterpart, the module is located to be moved relative to the casing by contact of the module with the connector counterpart, and the elastic component is compressed axially between the module and the casing to thereby bias the first stop surface against the second stop surface and reduce vibrations between the connector and the connector counterpart, and wherein the elastic component contacts a first surface of the contact bearing-module; and

a peripheral seal fitted onto a second different surface of the contact-bearing module.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 8 wherein the elastic component and the peripheral seal are integrally formed as a one piece member.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 8 wherein the elastic component and the peripheral seal comprise separate members.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 8 wherein the first surface of the contact-bearing module is spaced from the second surface of the contact-bearing module.