Circular field wireable electrical connector

Abstract

circular field wireable electrical connector, comprising three threaded parts: a first part is a connector body (2) containing a terminal housing (5) within at least one contact pin (4) with a screw (41) for connection with a stranded cable, which contact pin (4) is extending through the terminal housing (5) and a pin carrier (10), whereby the pin carrier (10) and the terminal housing (5) are non-releasably connected along a circular area during the production process, a second part is a threaded sleeve (8) containing the pin carrier (10) and a wave ring (9), wherein the wave ring (9) coincides with the pin carrier (10) forming a vibration protection, a third par is a locking ring (7) making the connection between the connector body (2) and the threaded sleeve (8),characterized in that the locking ring (7) has a snap (71) for locking within the threaded sleeve (8), while the lock with the connector body (2) is achieved through screwing, where the snap (71) lodges into a groove (81) situated in the part of the threaded sleeve (8) which gets in contact with the locking ring (7), and the snap (71) is maintained in place by a thread extension (3) on the end of the connector body (2) which gets in contact with the locking ring (7), the thread extension (3) having a chamfer (31) on its end matching the internal shape of the snap (71) for a distribution of the compression force from the treaded extension (3) on the surface of the snap (71), wherein the threaded sleeve (8), the locking ring (7) and the thread extension (3) of the connector body (2) form an overlapping circular area strengthening the connector (1) in the bonding area between the pin carrier (10) and the terminal housing (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to circular field wireable electrical connectors, especially circular field wireable electrical connectors with quick assembly of components.

[0002] Circular field wireable connectors, also called rewireable connectors, are used by clients who want to assemble the connectors, link to the wires, and implement them into a connector body to their convenience. It allows a highly customizable implementation on site, where sometimes there are limited conditions for use of conventional connectors.

[0003] Circular field wireable connectors, like the connector in CN112310717A, are usually composed of a connector body containing a terminal housing with pins passing through a pin carrier. The pin carrier is usually placed in a sleeve allowing connection with a counter-connector. A locking element makes usually the contact between the connector body and the sleeve.

[0004] Those connectors have to respect some mechanical requirements like bending stiffnes for a minimum load applied on the connectors body perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the connector. It also has to resist in pull out tests. Field wireable connectors are also subjected to vibrations while in use, hence the necessity to build a vibration protection system into the connector, just like in the connector described in US7413457B2. The vibration protection consisting of two complementary components. The first component is a nonrotatable sleeve mounted on the contact or pin carrier, which has a ratchet tooth contour where the teeth have a relatively moderate inclination in the closing direction of rotation and an almost 90° inclination in the loose direction of rotation. The threaded parts cooperating with this sleeve have a trapezoidal toothing more complimentary to the serrated contour. This design has proven itself on the market as a safe locking method. However, its use in rewireable connectors has turned out to be complicated due to the geometric conditions of the components.

[0005] In some solutions, like DE29913409U1, the connector body, which integrates the pin carrier with the terminal housing, is monolithic, which together with the supporting threaded sleeve gives the system high mechanical strength against bending. During the assembly process, the threaded sleeve is inserted from the fastening side of the plug onto the connector body, causing its elastic deformation. The threaded sleeve is attached to the plug body via a snap connection. An additional contact point is the plug collar, which maintains the threaded sleeve axially. The issue in this kind of connector is that integration of vibration protection is not possible due to the mounting method.

[0006] Field wireable connectors also tend to have systems of quick assembling, since usually the different parts of a connector are screwed together. Those systems can be latches such as in US2021376519A1, where laches get pushed toward pockets into which they lodge. The latches can disengage from pockets by screwing. This system may still loosen with vibrations.

[0007] The objective of the present invention is to provide a circular field wireable connector with a vibration protection, a higher resistance to mechanical constraints, especially pull out, and a quick assembling of connector elements, which overcomes the disadvantages of the known connectors according to the state of the art.

[0008] This objective is achieved by the valve connector according to claim 1.

[0009] Advantageous embodiments are specified in the further dependent claims.

[0010] According to the present invention, the circular field wireable connector comprises a locking ring which has a snap for locking within the threaded sleeve, while the lock with the connector body is achieved through screwing. The snap lodges into a groove situated in the upper part of the threaded sleeve which gets in contact with the locking ring, and the snap is maintained in place by a thread extension on the ending of the connector body which gets in contact with the locking ring. The thread extension has a chamfer on its end, which matches the internal shape of the snap. The coincidence of surfaces of the contact area between the thread extension and the snap allows a distribution of the compression force applied by the treaded extension on the surface of the snap in the contact area.

[0011] Maintaining the snap in place by means of the threaded extension of the connector body prevents the snap from getting out of the groove and loosening the lock between the threaded sleeve and the locking ring.

[0012] The threaded sleeve, the locking ring and the thread extension of the connector body form an overlapping circular area strengthening the connector in the bonding area between the pin carrier and the terminal housing. This strengthening enhances mechanical resistance of the connector in bending and pull out, even if the bonding between the pin carrier and the terminal housing during production process would be failed.

[0013] The use of a locking ring with a snap allows a quick assembling of the connector elements, still being able to disassemble it if needed.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment terminal housing and pin carrier are attached to each other by mechanical (welding or else) or chemical process (gluing or else).

[0015] The description is based on figures representing the male contact, but the protection is also suitable for the female contact, as the invention is applied the same way on female and male parts.

[0016] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] It shows schematically: Figure 1 Exploded view of a field wireable electrical connector Figure 2 Plane section of a field wireable connector assembly Figure 3 3D section of a field wireable connector Figure 4 zoom on the overlapping zone between the threaded sleeve, the locking ring and the thread extension of the connector body

[0018] In the following description of the preferred embodiments, identical reference signs denote identical or comparable components.

[0019] Figure 1 represents a field wireable connector 1 composed of a connector body 2 which contains a terminal housing 5 with several contact pins 4 (up to 8). An O-ring 6 is places on the lower part of the terminal housing 5 sealing the contact zone between the terminal housing 5 and the connector body 2. The lower end of the connector body 2 has a threaded extension 3. The contact pins 4 have each a screw 41 which allows to make the connection with a stranded cable while wiring the connector 1. The contact pins 4 extend through the terminal housing 5 into the pin carrier 10. The pin carrier 10 is surrounded by a threaded sleeve 8 which makes the connection with a counter-connector (not represented). On the upper part of the pin carrier 10 is overlayed a wave ring 9, which cooperates with a toothed element on the circumference of the pin carrier 10 acting as a vibration protection system. The locking ring 7 locks the whole connector 1 by attaching to the connector body 2 by a threading and to the threaded sleeve 8 by a snap 71. A groove 81 is situated on the upper part of the threaded sleeve 8 into which fits the snap 71. This snap 71 is able to be removed from the groove 81. In order to keep the snap 71 in the groove 81 and stabilize the connector 1, when the connector body 2 is screwed together with the locking ring 7, the threaded extension 3 lodges into the snap 71 behind the teeth of the snap 71 and stabilizes the teeth, in a way that they lodge firmly in the groove 81 and the snap 71 can't pe pulled out anymore.

[0020] Figure 2 represents the connector 1 in an assembled state. The contact pins 4 are clearly represented with the screw 41 allowing connection with stranded cable.

[0021] In figure 3, the zone I marks the bonding area between the pin carrier 10 and terminal housing 5. The bonding in this area is usually made by a chemical or mechanical process, for example ultrasonic welding. Zone II frames an overlapping circular area strengthening the connector 1 in the bonding area between the pin carrier and the terminal housing is formed by the threaded sleeve 8, the locking ring 7 and the thread extension 3.

[0022] Figure 4 is a zoom of the zone II presented in figure 3. The chamfers on the parts are visible.

[0023] The chamfer 82 on the threaded sleeve 8 allows pressing of the snap 71 onto the threaded sleeve 8. The purpose of chamfer 31 on the end of the threaded extension 3 is to assure a greater surface of contact with the teeth of the snap 71, when the teeth are pushed toward the threaded sleeve 8 inside the groove 81 by the threaded extension 3. This chamfer 82 allows a greater distribution of force on the surface of contact between the threaded extension 3 and the snap 71. The chamfer 83 follows the geometry of the lower part of the terminal housing 5 providing a contact surface between the threaded sleeve 8 and the terminal housing 5, where the threaded sleeve 8 supports the terminal housing 5 in case of a bending force applied from outside on the connector body 2, in a way that it strengthens the construction of the connector 1.Reference marks

[0024] 1circular field wireable electrical connector 2connector body 3thread extension 4contact pin 5terminal housing 6O-ring 7locking ring 8threaded sleeve 9wave ring 10pin carrier 41screw 71snap 81groove 31, 82, 83chamfers

Claims

1. circular field wireable electrical connector, comprising three threaded parts a first part is a connector body (2) containing a terminal housing (5) within at least one contact pin (4) with a screw (41) for connection with a stranded cable, which contact pin (4) is extending through the terminal housing (5) and a pin carrier (10), whereby the pin carrier (10) and the terminal housing (5) are non-releasably connected along a circular area during the production process a second part is a threaded sleeve (8) containing the pin carrier (10) and a wave ring (9), wherein the wave ring (9) coincides with the pin carrier (10) forming a vibration protection, a third par is a locking ring (7) making the connection between the connector body (2) and the threaded sleeve (8), characterized in that the locking ring (7) has a snap (71) for locking within the threaded sleeve (8), while the lock with the connector body (2) is achieved through screwing, where the snap (71) lodges into a groove (81) situated in the part of the threaded sleeve (8) which gets in contact with the locking ring (7), and the snap (71) is maintained in place by a thread extension (3) on the end of the connector body (2) which gets in contact with the locking ring (7), the thread extension (3) having a chamfer (31) on its end matching the internal shape of the snap (71) for a distribution of the compression force from the treaded extension (3) on the surface of the snap (71), wherein the threaded sleeve (8), the locking ring (7) and the thread extension (3) of the connector body (2) form an overlapping circular area strengthening the connector (1) in the bonding area between the pin carrier (10) and the terminal housing (5).

2. circular field wireable electrical connector according to claim 1, where the pin carrier (10) and the terminal housing (5) being bonded together by a mechanical process3. circular field wireable electrical connector according to claim 1, where the pin carrier (10) and the terminal housing (5) being bonded together by chemical process

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