Electrical connecting device having mating state indication means

• US 7,854,623 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FCI Automotive Holding
• Original Assignee: FCI
• Inventors: Regnier, Frédéric, Radenne, Jean-Pierre, Guillanton, Erwan, Casses, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Phuong K
• Application Number:
  US11/989,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,975 Days
• Field of Search: 439/489, 439/488
• US Class Current: 439/489
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629

Abstract

This connecting device has a connector and a counterpart connector suitable to mate therewith, and at least one RFID tag attached to one of said connectors and suitable to communicate with reader, said RFID tag including an antenna. The device further includes a switch adapted to put the RFID tag either in a first communication state or in a second communication state, depending on the full or incomplete mating state of the connectors.

Claims

1. Electrical connector assembly comprising:

a connector and a counterpart connector suitable to mate therewith, and

at least one RFID tag attached to one of said connectors and suitable to communicate with a reader, said RFID tag comprising an antenna,

characterized in that the assembly further comprises switching means, adapted to put the RFID tag either in a first communication state or in a second communication state, depending on the full or incomplete mating state of the connectors,

wherein said switching means comprise short-circuit means, which can be either in a disabling state or in an enabling state, depending on the full or incomplete mating state of the connectors, for shunting a corresponding RFID antenna in the disabling state, whereby the communication between the RFID tag and the reader is disabled, while said short-circuit means do not shunt the corresponding antenna in the enabling state, whereby the communication between the RFID tag and the reader is enabled.

2. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, comprising at least two such RFID tags and respective short-circuit means, wherein one short-circuit means are in the enabling state while the other are in the disabling state, whereby only a first of the two RFID tags can communicate with a reader in the full mating state, and only the second RFID tag can communicate with a reader in the incomplete mating state.

3. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the short-circuit means comprise a flexible conductive blade which is urged against the corresponding antenna in the disabling state, and spaced apart from said antenna in the enabling state.

4. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector has an insulating housing, and the RFID tag is attached on said insulating housing.

5. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the RFID tag is attached on an outer surface of the insulating housing.

6. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein short-circuit means associated to one RFID tag is attached on the insulating housing of the connector.

7. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the connector and the counterpart connector each have an insulating housing, and the insulating housing of the counterpart connector has an operating member, which is adapted to bring the short-circuit means from one state to the other upon completion of the mating of the connectors.

8. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the connector and the counterpart connector each have an insulating housing, and the short-circuit means associated to one RFID tag is attached on the insulating housing of the counterpart connector.

9. Electrical connector assembly comprising:

a connector and a counterpart connector suitable to mate therewith, and

at least one RFID tag attached to one of said connectors and suitable to communicate with a reader, said RFID tag comprising an antenna,

characterized in that the assembly further comprises a switch, adapted to put the RFID tag either in a first communication state or in a second communication state, depending on the full or incomplete mating state of the connectors,

wherein said switch comprises a short-circuit, which can be either in a disabling state or in an enabling state, depending on the full or incomplete mating state of the connectors, for shunting a corresponding RFID antenna in the disabling state, whereby the communication between the RFID tag and the reader is disabled, while said short circuit does not shunt the corresponding antenna in the enabling state, whereby the communication between the RPM tag and the reader is enabled.