Plug-and socket connector

• US 20070232117A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singer, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 7,326,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/42 Securing in a demountable manner
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4361 Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/18 by crimping H01R4/01, H01R4/2495 take precedence; for coaxial cables H01R9/0518

Abstract

A plug-and-socket connector (10) has a plastic housing (11) that holds electrical male or female contacts (14) in boreholes (16, 17) next to each other, and whose forward end forms a plug extension (13) or as a socket extension (113) and whose rear end receives and locks the male or female contacts (14) in the housing (11). In a plug and socket connector (10) of this type, in order to lock the male or female contacts in two ways, independently of each other, in the plastic housing (11), at the same time permitting the plastic housing (11) to be shaped using injection molding technology in a relatively simple manner, it is provided that, for receiving a male or female contact (14), a first catch (37) protrudes in the area of each borehole (16, 17) located on the other, rear housing end (12, 112), said catch being arranged on a fixed wall (36) of the rear housing end and engaging a first collar (29) of the male or female contact (14) from behind, and a second catch (41, 51) is provided on a cover (23, 24) so as to allow the radially open rear housing end (12) to be closed and covered, said catch engaging the first collar (29) or a second collar (30) of the male or female contact (14) from behind.

Claims

1. A plug-and-socket connector (10;

110) having a housing (11;

111) made of plastic, in which electrical contacts (14;

114) with collars (29, 129;

30, 130) are accommodated in boreholes (16, 17;

116) lying adjacent to each other, the housing having a forward end forming an extension (13) and having a rear end forming a rear extension (12), each extension configured to receive contacts, wherein;

said housing rear end has a first catch (37;

137) that protrudes into each borehole (16, 17;

116), said first catch lying on a fixed wall (36;

135) of the rear housing end and engaging a rear of a first collar (29;

129) of the contact (14;

114);

said housing has a cover (23, 24;

123) that can be opened and closed, said cover having a second catch (41, 51;

141, 151) that engages a rear of a second collar (30;

130) of the contact.

2. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first catch (37;

137) is provided in an area of a closed wall (36, 135) that is on the side that faces away from the cover (123).

3. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 2, wherein the first catch (37;

137) is formed in the appropriate wall area by an elastically spring-like notch (38;

138) in a wall of the housing.

4. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact has a rear crimping area (27) of smaller diameter than either of said collars, and the contact has a female, or socket, area (28;

128) at its front end, and the first collar (29;

129) of said contact (14;

114) lies between said contact rear crimping area (27;

127) and its female area (28;

128).

5. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 4, wherein the first collar (29;

129) has a contact surface (31;

131) that is opposite the contact surface (32, 132), that cooperates with the first catch (37;

137), and that makes contact at a wall (19;

119) between the rear and the forward housing end (12, 13;

112, 113).

6. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the second catch (41, 51;

141, 151) is configured on the cover (23, 24;

123) as a fixed locking projection (42, 52;

142, 152) that penetrates into the radially open borehole (16, 17;

116).

7. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 6, wherein the second catch (41;

141) is arranged on the end area of the rear housing that faces away from the forward housing end and grasps the second collar (30;

130) that forms the free end of the male or female contact (14;

114) from behind.

8. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover (23, 24;

123) is provided with a third catch (51, 41;

151, 141), which engages behind the first or second collar (29, 30;

129, 130) of the male or female contact (14;

114).

9. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 8, wherein the third catch (51, 41;

151, 141) is configured on the cover (23, 24;

123) as a fixed locking projection (52, 42;

152, 142) that penetrates into the radially open borehole.

10. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover (23, 24;

123) is configured as a leaf that is hinged on the housing (11;

111) by a film hinge (25;

125).

11. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 10, wherein the cover (23, 24;

123) is hinged in the area between the rear housing end (12;

112) and the forward housing end (13;

113).

12. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 10, wherein the cover (23, 24;

123) can be locked to the rear housing end (12;

112) at the free end of the cover facing away from the film hinge (25;

125).

13. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 12, wherein the cover (23, 24;

123) has front-end recesses, and the rear housing end (12;

112) has front-end locking nibs (44;

144) on both sides of the second catch (41, 51;

141, 151) or of the receiving boreholes (16, 17;

116).

14. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover (23, 24;

123) has sidewalls (46, 47;

146, 147), which cover the first catch (37;

137) in the wall (36;

135) of the rear housing end (12;

112).

15. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein two or more rows on top of each other, each having two adjoining receiving boreholes (16, 17), are provided with male or female contacts (14).

16. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 15, wherein two covers (23, 24), configured as leaves, are arranged on upper and lower housing walls (35, 35′

) situated opposite each other, and the first catches (37) are provided on both side walls (36) and are assigned to each receiving borehole (16, 17).

17. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 1, wherein a single row having a plurality of receiving boreholes (116) that are arranged next to each other are provided with male or female contacts (114).

18. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 17, wherein a cover (123) that is configured as a leaf is provided on a longitudinal wall (135), and the first catches (137) of each receiving borehole (116) are provided on the opposite longitudinal wall (135′

).

19. The plug-and-socket connector as recited in claim 17, wherein two plug-and-socket connectors (110) having longitudinal walls (135′

) that have the first catches (137) can advantageously be stacked on top of each other.