Connector assembly and corresponding assembly

• US 8,894,431 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Staubli Faverges (Stã¤Ubli Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Staubli Faverges (Stã¤Ubli Holding AG)
• Inventors: Tiberghien, Alain-Christophe, Durieux, Christophe, Bahno, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US13/890,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20130309886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 439/247, 439/248, 439/374, 439/378
• US Class Current: 439/247
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/56 for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/91 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating or self aligning for coupling devices not specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R13/6315 takes 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

Abstract

This connector assembly (4) comprises a connecting plate (12) provided with at least one electrical (16) and/or fluid (14) connection element, which defines a direction of connecting (Z) to a complementary connection element (18, 20), a support (22) and a floating device (26). The plate (12) is able to be displaced in relation to the support (22) in an offset position in a plane (X-Y). The floating device (26) recenters the plate (12) in an idle position in disconnected configuration and comprises a recentering element (28) integral with an element (12, 22) and means of recalling (30) a cam surface (38) of the recentering element (28) in contact with a cam follower surface (40) arranged on an element (12, 22). The surface (38) and/or the surface (40) is inclined (α) in relation to the direction (Z), and the recentering element (28) is mobile according to the direction (Z) in relation to the plate (12) and in relation to the support (22) between the idle and offset positions.

Claims

1. Connector assembly (4) comprising:

a connecting plate (12) provided with at least one electrical (16) and/or fluid (14) connection element, with the connection element defining a direction of connecting (Z) to a complementary electrical (18) and/or fluid (20) connection element,

a support (22), the connecting plate (12) able to be displaced in relation to the support (22) in an offset position in a plane (X-Y) perpendicular to the direction of connecting for the connection of the connection elements (14, 16, 18, 20) and

a floating device (26) between the connecting plate and the support,

with the floating device (26) able to recentre the connecting plate (12) in a determined idle position of the connecting plate in relation to the support in disconnected configuration of the connecting plate, from said offset position of the plate (12),

characterised in that the floating device comprises

on the one hand a recentring element (28) integral in the plane (X-Y) with the connecting plate (12) and

on the other hand means of elastic recalling (30) of a cam surface (38) of the recentring element (28) in contact with a cam follower surface (40) arranged on the support (22), the connecting plate (12) and the support (22) being separate, in that the cam surface (38) and/or the cam follower surface (40) is inclined (α

) in relation to the direction of connecting (Z), in that the connecting plate (12) is fixed according to the direction of connecting (Z) in relation to the support (22), in that the recentring element (28) is mobile according to the direction of connecting (Z) in relation to the connecting plate (12) and in relation to the support (22) between the idle position and said offset position of the plate (12), in that a stop plate (32) and the connecting plate (12) are arranged on either side of the support (22) according to the direction of connecting (Z), and in that the recentring element (28) is arranged between the stop plate (32) and the support (22).

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cam surface (38) is a surface of revolution and wherein in particular the cam surface (38) is a tapered or conical external surface.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recentring element (28) is provided with a central bore (39) and is slidably mobile on a guiding shaft (36) fixed to the connecting plate (12).

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle (α

) of inclination of the cam surface (38) and/or of the cam follower surface (40) in relation to the direction of connecting (Z) is between 30° and

60°

.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam follower surface (40) cooperates with the cam surface (38) of the recentring element (28) in idle position and in offset position of the plate (12).

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam follower surface (40) and the cam surface (38) are complementary, in particular inclined by the same angle (α

).

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting plate (12) is fixed according to the direction of connecting (Z) in relation to the support (22), to the nearest operating clearances.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting plate (12) and the stop plate (32) form a floating integral assembly mounted sandwiched around the support (22).

11. The assembly as claimed in any preceding claim 1, wherein the means of elastic recalling (30) are housed at least partially in a recess (44) of the recentring element (28).

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising, for each recentring element (28), a guide column (34) coaxial to the associated recentring element (28).

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support (22) comprises a surface forming an abutment according to a direction (X, Y) perpendicular to the direction of connecting (Z) to the connecting plate (12) in relation to the support (22) in an offset position of the plate (12).

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising a receiving slide (24) fixed to the support (22) extending in the direction of connecting (Z) and adapted to guide the complementary electrical (20) and/or fluid (18) connection element to the connection element in the coupling phase.

15. Assembling (2) of an assembly as claimed in claim 1 and a complementary ensemble (6), with the complementary ensemble comprising at least one fluid and/or electrical connection complementary with each electrical (16) or fluid (14) connection element fixed to a tank (8) of liquid.

7. The assembly as claimed in any 1, wherein the recentring element (28) comprises an extension (48, 50), according to the direction of connecting (Z) in relation to the cam surface (38), forming a guiding surface of the recentring element (28) according to the direction of connecting (Z).

8. The assembly as claimed in any 1, wherein the means of elastic recalling include a spring (42) arranged between the recentring element (28) and an integral element (32) of the recentring element (28) in the plane (X-Y).