Detachable pin plug for electrical connector and electrical connector including such a plug.

Abstract

- Detachable pin plug for electrical connector and electrical connector including such a plug. - Each plug (1A, 1B) for an electrical connector (2A, 2B) of a connection system (3) has a plurality of through holes (T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B), each of which is suitable for receiving a pin (4A, 5A, 4B, 5B) connected to an electrical cable (9A, 10A, 9B, 10B). Each of these holes (T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B) is provided, on one insertion side (C1A, C1B), with a detachable pin (6) closing the hole, so that it is sufficient to detach the pins (6) that close the holes that will be used to house pins (4A, 5A, 4B, 5B), the other pins (6) remaining simply in place, which reduces the cost, installation time, and mass of the electrical connectors (2A, 2B) of the connection system (3). Figure for abbreviation: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: Detachable pin plug for electrical connector and electrical connector comprising such a plug. technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plug for an electrical connector and an electrical connector comprising such a plug. State of the art

[0002] An electrical connection, for example between two electrical or electronic devices or between an electrical source and an electrical or electronic device, is typically made using two complementary, cooperating electrical connectors: a male connector and a female connector. Each of these electrical connectors comprises a plug with through holes. These through holes are designed to receive pins, each connected to an electrical cable, namely male pins for the male connector and female pins for the female connector.

[0003] To be usable in various applications, a standard plug generally has a plurality of through holes, that is, holes passing completely through the plug. However, often only some of these through holes are used. Therefore, it is necessary, particularly for sealing reasons, to plug the unused through holes with caps.

[0004] This usual solution is costly, time-consuming and makes the form more cumbersome. Description of the invention

[0005] The present invention relates to a plug for an electrical connector, comprising a plurality of through holes, each of which is suitable for receiving a pin connected to an electrical cable, which makes it possible to remedy the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0006] According to the invention, each of said holes is provided, on a so-called insertion side, with a detachable pin, integrated into the plug and closing the hole.

[0007] Thus, thanks to the invention, all the holes in the plug are initially closed by pins that are integrated into the plug (i.e., that are an integral part of the plug) and that are detachable. Consequently, it is sufficient to detach the pins that close the holes that will be used to house the pins, the other pins simply remaining in place. It is therefore not necessary to install plugs to close the unused holes.

[0008] Furthermore, as detailed below, the prongs are designed to be easily detachable, and they are lighter and less expensive than conventional plugs. This plug thus addresses the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0009] Advantageously, at least one of said detachable pins is configured to be able to be detached by pinching, pulling or cutting.

[0010] The present invention also relates to an electrical connector.

[0011] According to the invention, the electrical connector comprises a plug as described above, and the plug is provided with pins in at least some of said holes whose pins have been detached.

[0012] In a first embodiment, the electrical connector is of the male type, all pins being male pins.

[0013] Furthermore, in a second embodiment, the electrical connector is of the female type, all the pins being female pins.

[0014] Furthermore, in a particular embodiment, the electrical connector includes at least one plug blocking a hole whose pin has been detached.

[0015] The present invention further relates to a connection system comprising a male type electrical connector and a female type electrical connector, as described above, said electrical connectors being complementary. Brief description of the figures

[0016] The accompanying figures will clearly illustrate how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical reference numerals designate similar elements.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a particular embodiment of a plug before its use, said plug being provided with pins closing all the holes.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of an embodiment particular of two sheets on which the pins have been detached.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a connection system comprising two electrical connectors, each of which is fitted with one of the plugs of Figure 2. Detailed description

[0020] The IA connector, which illustrates the invention and is schematically represented in a particular and simplified embodiment in [Fig.1], is intended for an electrical connector, such as the 2A electrical connector shown in [Fig.3].

[0021] The IA plate has a plurality of through holes T1A, T2A, T3A and T4A, that is, holes passing completely through the IA plate. Depending on the envisaged embodiment of the IA plate, the number of through holes varies and can reach several dozen holes. For the sake of simplicity in the drawing, only four through holes T1A, T2A, T3A and T4A are shown on the IA plate in [Fig. 1].

[0022] Each of the holes T1 A, T2A, T3A and T4A, for example cylindrical in shape, of the plug IA, is suitable for use as a housing to receive a standard 4A, 5A pin connected to a 9A, 10A electrical cable (or wire), as shown in [Fig.3].

[0023] In [Fig. 2], two connectors IA and IB are shown, designed to cooperate as detailed below. In Figures 2 and 3, the references mentioned are the same for similar or identical elements, to which the letter A has been added for those relating to connector IA and / or the associated connector 2A and the letter B for those relating to connector IB and / or the associated connector 2B.

[0024] Each of these IA, IB cards has two sides, namely: - a first side, called the insertion side CIA, C1B, through which pins 4A, 5A, 4B, 5B, linked to electrical cables 9A, 10A, 9B, 10B ([Fig.3]), are inserted into the IA, IB connector, as specified below; and - a side called the connection side C2A, C2B, opposite the insertion side CIA, C1B, by which the plug will be brought into contact with a plug of another connector to establish an electrical connection, as shown for the IA and IB plugs in [Fig.2].

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig. 1] for the IA connector, before its use, each of the holes T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A of the IA connector is provided, on the CIA insertion side, with a pin 6 which seals (watertightly) the hole T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A so that access to it is blocked by the CIA insertion side. Moreover, each of these pins 6 is integrated into the connector and is detachable.

[0026] In the context of the present invention, the following definitions apply: - by pin 6, a protruding element which is integrated into the IA, IB pin at the level of a hole T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B (on the insertion side CIA, C1B) and which is formed to close the hole; - by pin 6 integrated into the IA, IB connector, a pin 6 which is one piece (or a single unit) with the IA, IB connector and which is preferably made of the same material as at least part of the IA, IB connector, for example plastic; and - by detachable pin 6, the fact that pin 6 is configured so that it can be easily detached by an operator, i.e. it can be easily removed, as specified below, while ensuring the integrity of the rest of the IA, IB plug, to free access to the corresponding hole (via the insertion side pin CIA, C1B), as shown for holes T2A, T3A, T2B and T3B on [Fig.2].

[0027] To do this, the separation is carried out at the level of a so-called detachment zone 7. In a particular embodiment, the detachment zone 7 of each stud 6 can be a deliberately weakened zone, for example with a reduced thickness of material or with a groove made in the material, in order to facilitate detachment.

[0028] More particularly, in the context of the present invention, the detachment can be carried out by an operator, in particular by carrying out one of the following operations: - pinching, by pinching the detachment zone 7 to break it, as shown by arrows E on the [Fig.1]; - a pull-out, by pulling on the pin 6 in the direction of an arrow F in [Fig. 1], to pull out the pin 6 by complete rupture of the detachment zone 7. An operator can also simultaneously perform a pinching action and a pull-out action; and - a cut of the detachment area 7, using a standard cutting tool.

[0029] Other usual operations such as twisting or manually rotating the pin, for example, allowing complete breakage of the detachment zone 7, are also conceivable.

[0030] Consequently, the pins 6 can be detached easily and quickly from the IA, IB connector.

[0031] Each electrical connector 2A, 2B has, as shown in [Fig.3], a plug IA, IB. The plug IA, IB has pins 4A, 5A, 4B, 5B in at least some of its holes whose pins 6 have been detached.

[0032] In the example of [Fig.3] showing a connection system 3 comprising electrical connector 2A and electrical connector 2B: - The 2A electrical connector is of the female type. All its pins 4A, 5A are standard female pins; - The electrical connector 2B is of the male type. All its pins 4B, 5B are standard male pins, which are complementary to the female pins 4A, 5A of the electrical connector 2A, that is to say, which are configured so that they can all be inserted into an associated female pin 4A, 5A to establish an electrical connection.

[0033] The female-type electrical connector IA and the male-type electrical connector IB are complementary, that is, they are designed to be connected to each other to establish electrical connections. The standard-type electrical cables (or wires) 9A, 10A, 9B, 10B, of which only a portion is shown in [Fig. 3], which are connected at one end to pins 4A, 5A, 4B, 5B, are typically connected at their other end to an electrical or electronic device (not shown) or to an electrical source (not shown), to establish an electrical connection, for example between two electrical devices or between an electrical device and an electrical source.

[0034] To form an electrical connector 2A, 2B using such a plug IA, IB, an operator performs the following operations: - for all the holes in the IA, IB connector that are intended to house a pin, it detaches the corresponding 6 removable pins, to free the holes on the insertion side CIA, C1B; and - in each of the holes from which pin 6 has been detached, he inserts a pin attached to an electrical cable.

[0035] These operations are carried out for each of the electrical connectors 2A and 2B forming the connection system 3, as shown in [Fig.3].

[0036] Thus, for the connection system 3 of [Fig.3], the operator detaches the pins 6 from the holes T2A, T3A of the plug IA and the pins 6 from the holes T2B, T3B of the plug IB and inserts the pins 4A, 5A, 4B and 5B (related to the electrical cables 9A, 10A, 9B, 10B) into these holes T2A, T3A, T2B and T3B.

[0037] For sealing reasons in particular, it is necessary, for all holes T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B of each IA, IB plug, that the hole be either closed or provided with a pin, when used in a 2A, 2B connector.

[0038] Also, in the event that a pin 6 is detached from a hole which is not used as a housing for a pin, for example due to an operator's error, a usual plug 8A, 8B is put in place to close this hole, in particular by inserting it partly into the hole, as shown for holes T4A and T4B in [Fig.3].

[0039] Therefore, in a particular embodiment, the electrical connector IA, IB may include at least one plug 8A, 8B closing a hole T4A, T4B whose pin 6 has been detached and which is not used as a housing.

[0040] The IA and IB plugs, as described above, and the 2A and 2B electrical connectors which include these IA and IB plugs, offer numerous advantages, including the following: - all holes in the IA and IB connectors are initially closed by pins 6. Therefore, an operator only needs to detach the pins 6 that close the holes that will be used to house pins, the other pins 6 simply remaining in place; - it is not necessary to arrange plugs to close unused holes, except in the case of erroneous detachment of a pin; - the 6 prongs are easily detachable; - the 6 pins are lighter and less expensive than usual plugs, which helps to reduce the cost and mass of the 2A, 2B electrical connector.

Claims

Demands

1. Plug for electrical connector, said plug IA, IB) having a plurality of through holes (T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B) each of which is suitable for receiving a pin (4A, 5A, 4B, 5B) connected to an electrical cable (9A, 10A, 9B, 10B), characterized in that each of said holes (T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B) is provided, on a so-called insertion side (CIA, C1B), with a detachable pin (6) integrated into the plug (IA, IB) and closing the hole (T1A, T2A, T3A, T4A, T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B).

2. A clip according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said detachable pins (6) is configured to be able to be detached by pinching, pulling or cutting.

3. Electrical connector characterized in that it comprises a plug (IA, IB) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, and in that the plug (IA, IB) is provided with pins (4A, 5A, 4B, 5B) in at least some of said holes (T2A, T3A, T2B, T3B) whose pins (6) have been detached.

4. Electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises at least one plug (8A, 8B) closing a hole (T4A, T4B) whose pin (6) has been detached.

5. Electrical connector according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that it is of the male type, all pins (4B, 5B) being male pins.

6. Electrical connector according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that it is of the female type, all pins (4A, 5A) being female pins.

7. Connection system, characterized in that it comprises a male type electrical connector (2B) according to claim 5 and a female type electrical connector (2A) according to claim 6, said electrical connectors (2A, 2B) being complementary.