Matable electrical connector means with inertia lock

• US 4,010,998 A
• Filed: 01/26/1976
• Issued: 03/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Plyler, Robert G., Tolnar, Emil J. Jr., Heilman, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desmond, E. F.
• Application Number:
  US05/652,387
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 339/75 R, 339/75 M, 339/91 R
• US Class Current: 439/358
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6273 comprising two latching arms

Abstract

Matable electrical connector means having an "inertia" lock with a self-reject feature comprise first and second connector bodies respectively retaining matable male and female terminals having a predetermined terminal engage force. The connector bodies include a deflectable latch arm and generally triangular lock ramp respectively which cooperate to lock the connector bodies together and retain the terminals in a fully mated position. During assembly, the latch arms are deflected outwardly, by the leading portion of the triangular ramps producing a force which resists connection of the connector bodies. This latter resistance force reaches a maximum magnitude of about twice the terminal engage force when the latch arms engage the peaks of the ramps. The terminals do not engage in a way which produces any appreciable resistance force prior to the latch arms passing the peaks whereupon the latch arms produce a force assisting locking of the connector bodies together.

Claims

1. Matable electrical connector means having lock means comprising

a first connector body of moldable insulating material having a given number of first longitudinal open ended terminal receiving cavities, each of which has a first terminal retained therein having a forward female portion,

a second connector body of moldable insulating material having a corresponding number of second longitudinal open ended terminal receiving cavities, each of which has a second terminal retained therein having a forward male portion,

one of said first and second connector bodies having a forward portion engaging a forward portion of the other of said connector bodies when said connector bodies are in a mated position whereat said first and second cavities are longitudinally aligned and said male portion(s) is received by said female portion(s) and biasingly engaged by resilient portions thereof,

said first and second terminals having a predetermined terminal engagement force resisting connection of said connector bodies produced by insertion of said male portion(s) in said female portion(s) during assembly,

one of said first and second connector bodies having integral cantilevered latch arm means and the other of said first and second connector bodies having protruding generally triangular locking ramp means which cooperate to lock said connector bodies in said mated position,

said latch arm means having free end portion means engaging said ramp means and being deflected outwardly thereby during assembly producing a maximum predetermined force resisting assembly of said connector bodies into said mated position, and

said ramp means being profiled and located on said other connector body such that during assembly said maximum predetermined force occurs prior to biased engagement of said male portion(s) by said female portion(s) and is about twice as great as said predetermined terminal engagement force.

2. Matable electrical connector means having lock means comprising

a first connector body of moldable insulating material having a given number of longitudinal open ended terminal receiving cavities each of which has a first terminal retained therein having a forward female portion,

a second connector body of moldable insulating material having a corresponding number of longitudinal open ended terminal receiving cavities each of which has a second terminal retained therein having a forward male portion,

one of said first and second connector bodies having a forward socket portion receiving a forward plug portion of the other of said connector bodies when in a mated position whereat said cavities are longitudinally aligned and each of said male portion(s) is received by a female portion and biasingly engaged by resilient portions thereof,

said first and second terminals having a substantially constant predetermined frictional force resisting connection of said connector bodies produced by insertion of said male portion(s) into said female portion(s) during assembly,

one of said first and second connector bodies having integral cantilevered latch arm means and the other of said first and second connector bodies having protruding generally triangular shaped locking ramp means which cooperate to retain said connector bodies in said mated position,

said latch arm means having free end portion means engaging said ramp means and being deflected outwardly thereby during assembly producing a maximum predetermined force resisting assembly of said connector bodies into said mated position which is about twice as great as said predetermined terminal engagement force, and

said triangular ramp means having peak means between leading outwardly and rearwardly sloped portion means and inwardly and rearwardly sloped portion means, said peak means being located on said other connector body such that during assembly, said free end portion means of said latch arm means engages said peak means simultaneously with initial engagement of said male portion(s) with said female portion(s) whereby said maximum predetermined force resisting assembly occurs prior to commencement of said predetermined terminal engagement force.

3. Matable electrical connector means having lock means comprising

a first connector body of moldable insulating material having terminal receiving cavity means in which first terminal means having forward female means is retained,

a second connector body of moldable insulating material having terminal receiving cavity means in which second terminal means having forward male means is retained,

one of said first and second connector bodies having a forward portion engaging a forward portion of the other of said connector bodies when said connector bodies are in a mated position whereat said first and second cavities are in communication and said forward male means is received by said forward female means and biasingly engaged by resilient portions thereof,

said first and second terminal means having a predetermined terminal engagement force resisting connection of said connector bodies produced by insertion of said forward male means in said forward female means during assembly,

one of said first and second connector bodies having integral deflectable portion means and the other of said first and second connector bodies having protruding portion means which cooperate to lock said connector bodies in said mated position,

said deflectable portion means engaging cam surface means of said protruding portion means and being deflected thereby during assembly producing a resistance force resisting assembly of said connector bodies into said mated position, and

said protruding portion means being located on said other connector body and said cam surface means being profiled such that during assembly the resistance force produced by said deflectable portion means reaches a maximum value prior to biased engagement of said forward male means by said forward female means producing said predetermined terminal engagement force resisting connection of said connector bodies, said maximum value being about twice as great as said predetermined terminal engagement force.

4. The matable electrical connector means as defined in claim 3 wherein said cam surface means are profiled such that said deflectable portion means produce an assistance force assisting assembly subsequent to the resistance force produced thereby reaching a maximum value, which assistance force commences at least as soon as said predetermined terminal engagement force.

5. The matable electrical connector means as defined in claim 4 wherein said assistance force produced by said deflectable portion means commences substantially simultaneously with said predetermined terminal engagement force and counteracts such with a greater force at least initially.