Electrical connector Number:6,764,351 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent An electrical connector that comprises a housing with a longitudinal axis that extends in the mating direction. Several terminal receiving cavities are arranged inside the housing and extend parallel to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing. An insertion chamber is defined by wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities and serves for inserting the secondary locking element from the mating side. The chamber is open toward the mating end of the housing, and with openings that are provided in the wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities define the insertion chamber and serve for receiving locking knobs of a secondary locking element inserted into the insertion chamber.<H Electrical, connector, Electrical, conn, 6764351.html, Patent, pto, 6764351

Title: Electrical connector

Abstract: An electrical connector that comprises a housing with a longitudinal axis that extends in the mating direction. Several terminal receiving cavities are arranged inside the housing and extend parallel to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing. An insertion chamber is defined by wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities and serves for inserting the secondary locking element from the mating side. The chamber is open toward the mating end of the housing, and with openings that are provided in the wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities define the insertion chamber and serve for receiving locking knobs of a secondary locking element inserted into the insertion chamber.

Patent Number: 6,764,351 Issued on 07/20/2004 to Finzer, et al.

Inventors: Finzer; Carlo (Dasing-Rieden, DE), Muninger; Peter (Bad Griesbach, DE)
Assignee: Campagnie Deutsch GmbH (Martinsried, DE)

Appl. No.: 10/228,118

Filed: August 26, 2002

Foreign Application Priority Data


Aug 27, 2001 [DE]			201 14 120 U
Aug 27, 2001 [DE]			201 14 103 U
Aug 27, 2001 [EP]			01120439

Current U.S. Class: 439/752

Current International Class: F16B 29/00 (20060101); H01R 13/62 (20060101); H01R 13/58 (20060101); H01R 13/44 (20060101); H01R 13/436 (20060101); H01R 13/502 (20060101); F16B 35/04 (20060101); F16B 37/08 (20060101); H01R 13/74 (20060101); H01R 13/453 (20060101); H01R 13/64 (20060101); H01R 13/622 (20060101)

Field of Search: 439/595,752

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


4140358	February 1979	Marechal
4500153	February 1985	Mattingly, Jr. et al.
4686738	August 1987	Bladh
5135416	August 1992	Hass et al.
5139380	August 1992	Reynolds
5496194	March 1996	Huss, Jr.
5931695	August 1999	Scully et al.
6259033	July 2001	Kassulat

Foreign Patent Documents


44 00 847	Jul., 1995	DE
94 02 108	Jul., 1995	DE
295 04 754	Sep., 1995	DE
199 30 044	Jan., 2001	DE
0 903 813	Mar., 1999	EP
1 065 426	Jan., 2001	EP
2 033 174	May., 1980	GB
22 61 775	May., 1993	GB

Primary Examiner: Patel; Tulsidas C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Quarles & Brady LLP

Claims

We claim:

1. An electrical connector comprising a housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000) extending in a mating direction of the connector along a longitudinal axis of the housing between a mating end and a terminal receiving end and having a plurality of terminal receiving cavities (160; 260; 1600, 1602; 2600, 2602) that are formed inside the housing and extend parallel to one another in direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing, an insertion chamber that is defined by wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities and is open towards the mating end of the housing for receiving a secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) which is insertable from the mating end and has a click-stop section (184; 284; 1840; 2840), and openings (165; 265; 1650, 1652; 2650, 2652) that are provided in the wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities which define the insertion chamber for allowing locking knobs (188; 288; 1880, 1882; 2880, 2882) of the secondary locking element to pass through said openings after having inserted the secondary locking in the insertion chamber and rotated therein about the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein said wall sections of said terminal receiving cavities comprise outer surfaces radially facing the longitudinal axis of the housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000), said outer surfaces, after having inserted the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) in the insertion chamber, being in engagement with said click-stop section (184; 284; 1840; 2840) of the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) for guiding the secondary locking element and providing for a click-stop rotation of the secondary locking element around the longitudinal axis of the housing, and said click-stop section (184; 284; 1840; 2840) has a cylindrical outer surface having longitudinal depressions (186; 286; 1860; 2860), each of said longitudinal depressions (186; 286; 1860; 2860) being separated from one another by a longitudinal hump (187; 287; 1870; 2870), such that when rotating the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) from a stable snap position into another stable snap position, said longitudinal humps snap over said outer surfaces of said terminal receiving cavities.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal receiving cavities (160; 260) are circularly arranged around the longitudinal axis of the housing (100; 200).

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein one of the terminal receiving cavities is provided in form of an inner terminal receiving cavity (1602; 2602) that is arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the housing (1000; 2000) and wherein the remaining terminal receiving cavities are provided in form of outer terminal receiving cavities (1600; 2600) that are circularly arranged around the inner contact receiving cavity.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said connector further comprises a secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) to be inserted into the insertion chamber of the housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000) from the mating end of the housing, said secondary locking element having a longitudinal axis extending in an insertion direction and a plurality of locking knobs (188; 288; 1880, 1882; 2880, 2882) that are circumferentially provided around the longitudinal axis of the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) and extend in a radial direction and transversely to said longitudinal axis.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800), after having been inserted, can be rotated about its longitudinal axis that coincides with the longitudinal axis of the housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000), particularly in a click-stop manner.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) can be inserted relative to the housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000) in an angular position in which the secondary locking element is located in a non-locking position, which non-locking position allows the terminals (195; 295) to be inserted into the terminal receiving cavities (160; 260; 1600, 1602; 2600, 2602) from the terminal receiving end of the housing without being impaired by the locking knobs (188; 288; 1880, 1882; 2880, 2882), and wherein the terminal receiving cavities (160; 260; 1600, 1602; 2600, 2602) are provided with primary locking means for retaining the inserted terminals within said cavities.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800), after having been inserted, can be rotated about its longitudinal axis from the non-locking position into a locking position in which the locking knobs (188; 288; 1880, 1882; 2880, 2882) protrude into the interior of the terminal receiving cavities (160; 260; 1600, 1602; 2600, 2602) through the openings (165; 265; 1650, 1652; 2650, 2652) and retain inserted terminals (195; 295) within the cavities by means of the secondary locking element.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein parts (185; 282; 1850; 2820) which are integrally formed on the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) prevent a mating connection with an electrical connector counterpart from being effected in the non-locking position of the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800).

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the parts that are integrally formed on the secondary locking element comprise cover blades (282; 2820) that extend in a radial direction and cover an end of at least one of the terminal receiving cavities (260; 2600) at the mating end in the non-locking position.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the parts that are integrally formed on the secondary locking element comprise coding and/or guiding ribs (185; 1850) which are angularly offset relative to their intended normal position in the non-locking position.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein a radially resilient holding hook (192; 292; 1920; 2920) is integrally formed on the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) for preventing the inserted secondary locking element from falling out of the insertion chamber.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said connector further comprises a coupling ring (400) that is mountable onto an installation section (230) of the housing (200) from the mating end and, once mounted on the installation section, can be snapped into an angular position that defines a mating position between the electrical connector and an electrical connector counterpart.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, wherein a through-opening (432) is provided in the circumferential wall of the coupling ring (400) for receiving a safety pin (490) having a predetermined breaking point (493), which safety pin (490) can be firmly fitted in said through-opening (432).

14. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said connector further comprises a self-locking nut (300) that can be snapped onto a cylindrical threaded section (130) of the housing (100) from the mating end in order to attach the housing to a mounting plate.

15. An electrical connector comprising a housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000) extending in a mating direction of the connector along a longitudinal axis of the housing between a mating end and a terminal receiving end and having a plurality of terminal receiving cavities (160; 260; 1600, 1602; 2600, 2602) that are formed inside the housing and extend parallel to one another in direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing, an insertion chamber that is defined by wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities and is open towards the mating end of the housing for receiving a secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) which is insertable from the mating end and has a click-stop section (184; 284; 1840; 2840), and openings (165; 265; 1650, 1652; 2650, 2652) that are provided in the wall sections of the terminal receiving cavities which define the insertion chamber for allowing locking knobs (188; 288; 1880, 1882; 2880, 2882) of the secondary locking element to pass through said openings after having inserted the secondary locking in the insertion chamber and rotated therein about the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein said wall sections of said terminal receiving cavities comprise outer surfaces facing towards the longitudinal axis of the housing (100; 200; 1000; 2000), said outer surfaces, after having inserted the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) in the insertion chamber, being in engagement with said click-stop section (184; 284; 1840; 2840) of the secondary locking element (180; 280; 1800; 2800) for guiding the secondary locking element and providing for a click-stop rotation of the secondary locking element around the longitudinal axis of the housing, and the self-locking nut (300) has a thread that is divided into several thread segments (322) that are integrally formed onto a support ring (310) in a resilient manner and wherein the threaded section (130) of the housing (100) has a plurality of threadless chambers (134) that are spaced from one another along the circumference of the threaded section, which threadless chambers allow immersion of one of said thread segments into one of said threadless chambers for providing a self-locking effect.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 15, wherein a leading end of each thread segment (322) of the self-locking nut (300) has an inclined starting surface (324) and a trailing end of each thread segment (322) has a stopping edge (326).

17. The electrical connector according to claim 15, wherein the thread segments (322) of the self-locking nut (300) are offset radially inwardly relative to the nominal thread size.

18. The electrical connector according to claim 15, wherein the self-locking nut (300) has a thread size that is smaller than that of the threaded section (130) of the housing.

19. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said connector further comprises an end cap (500, 600; 700, 800) to be mounted on a cylindrical end section (150; 250) of the housing (100; 200), said end cap having two end cap parts that can be connected to one another.

20. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein a device (540, 640; 740, 840) for relieving mechanical tension of an electric cable is provided between said end cap parts, said tension relieving device comprises two symmetrical elastic clamping members (540, 640; 740, 840) that extend in the transverse direction relative to a tension direction of the cable, are inclined opposite to the tension direction of the cable and are slotted similar to a comb.

21. The electrical connector according to claim 20, wherein a respective one of said two clamping members (540, 640; 740, 840) is integrally formed in each of the two end cap parts (500, 600; 700, 800) and wherein the clamping members symmetrically oppose one another in the assembled end cap.

22. The electrical connector according to claim 21, wherein the two opposing members (540, 640; 740, 840) define a flat, lenticular free cross section between each another.

23. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein the end cap (500, 600; 700, 800) mounted on the end section (150; 250) of the housing (100; 200) can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the housing in a click-stop manner.

24. The electrical connector according to claims 19, wherein one end cap part forms a lower part (600; 800) and the other end cap part forms an upper part (500; 700) that can be connected to the lower part, and wherein the end cap preferably contains a recess (652; 852) into which a safety pin (590; 790) can be firmly pressed in order to secure the connection.

25. The electrical connector according to claim 24, wherein the lower part (600) contains an annular head section (610) that can be snapped onto the end section (150; 250) of the housing.

26. The electrical connector according to claim 25, wherein elastically flexible sections (620) that have the shape of ring segments and contain end sections that protrude radially inwardly are integrally formed on the head section (610).

27. The electrical connector according to claim 24, wherein a flexible bracket (825) is integrally formed on the lower part (800) for mounting the lower part on the installation section (150; 250) of the housing.

28. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein the two end cap parts (500, 600) are connected to one another in a captive fashion by means of a flexible strap (56).

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of European Patent Application No. EP 01 120 439.3 and German Utility Model Application Nos. DE 201 14 120.5 and DE 201 14 103.5, all filed on Aug. 27, 2001.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to electrical connectors, in particular, highly stressed electrical plug-type connectors for motor vehicles and the like, which serve for transmitting control signals and/or for power supply.

Standards in which important dimensions and codes for interchangeability are defined apply to plug-type connectors of this type. For example, a German standard for highly stressed two-pole to four-pole electrical connectors for road vehicles which contain round contacts and a bayonet coupling is DIN Standard 72585-1 and -2 of March, 1996. Seven-pole embodiments are also used. These connectors are intended for providing an electrical connection with components that are directly mounted on an internal combustion engine. Consequently, the connectors must be able to withstand high thermal and dynamic stresses. However, high stresses also occur when the connector is used on other fixed installations and with free-floating connectors within the line system or main system.

Primary and secondary locking elements are provided for the connector terminals in order to improve the reliability of the connector. Such secondary locking elements or retainers frequently have a complicated design and are difficult to insert.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector, in particular, according to DIN Standard 72585, which can be easily handled. The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are defined in the dependent claims.

The electrical connector according to the invention cannot only be handled much easier, but also provides significant technical advantages as described in greater detail below. The disclosed design of the electrical connector provides efficient use of material for manufacturing the components and thus allows an economic use of the materials.

In contrast to conventional designs in which the secondary locking element is inserted from the terminal receiving end of the housing corresponding to the side of the housing where the connecting leads protrude, the invention of claim 1 provides a connector housing in such a manner that the secondary locking element can be inserted from the opposite mating end of the housing. This simplifies and accelerates the assembly because it is no longer required to thread the connecting leads through the secondary locking element. Until now, the secondary locking element was commonly inserted from the terminal receiving end and locked in position after the housing was equipped with the terminals provided with the leads. An insertion chamber for receiving the secondary locking element, in combination with openings in the terminal receiving cavity walls, allows insertion of the secondary locking element with one hand from the mating end of the housing that is free of leads and to lock the terminals therein by means of "secondary interlocking," namely with the aid of locking knobs or lugs that protrude through said openings.

It is preferred that the secondary locking element can be inserted in an angular position relative to the housing in which the secondary locking element is located in a non-locking position. In this non-locking position, the terminal receiving cavities can be equipped with the terminals from the terminal receiving end of the housing without being obstructed by the locking knobs. The terminals are then retained in the terminal receiving cavities by means of "primary locking". This provides the advantage that the secondary locking element can be inserted before the housing is equipped with the terminals and can subsequently be rotated into its locking position.

It is preferred that parts which prevent effecting a connection with an electrical connector counterpart are integrally formed on the secondary locking element. In the non-locking position, radially extending "cover blades" cover the mating side end of at least one terminal receiving cavity, preferably three terminal receiving cavities, such that the terminal receiving cavities can only be accessed from the mating end in said locking state. In an exclusively four-pole embodiment, it is possible to provide only a single cover blade. However, the number of cover blades needs to be chosen such that no more than one empty, not occupied cavity is exposed in the non-locking position. This additional further development relates, in particular, to a secondary locking element for a socket housing which is described further below.

Alternatively, coding and/or guide means which commonly are integrally formed on the housing are provided on the secondary locking element of the present invention and said means being angularly offset relative to their normal intended position in the non-locking position of the secondary locking element. The angular offset is only removed when the secondary locking element is in the locking position and in this locking position a connection with the connector counterpart can be effected. This additional feature relates, in particular, to a secondary locking element for a pin housing that is described further below. In the non-locking position, the secondary locking element is secured from falling out of the housing by a catch tab.

The handling and the assembly of a connector system are additionally simplified due to a special design of a coupling ring that can be snapped into an angular position which exactly defines the mating position or so-called zero position in which the electrical connector can be electrically connected to an electrical connector counter part.

A through-opening in the coupling ring which accommodates a firmly fitted safety pin with a predetermined breaking point can be used as an alternative to the commonly used system with complicated and hardly manipulation-proof lead sealings with a lead wire and lead eyelets. This advantageous further development of the present invention also represents an independent solution for increasing the safety against manipulations on connectors with a coupling ring in general, which can be easily handled (without tools or assembly aids). If tensile or torsional forces are exerted upon the safety pin according to the invention, fracturing or shearing occurs at the predetermined breaking point such that a manipulation can be easily detected.

According to another and also independent aspect of the invention, the handling of electrical connectors to be mounted is significantly improved due to an elastically deformable self-locking snap-on nut. The self-locking nut according to the invention does not have to be screwed over all thread turns of an outer thread until it is in the tightened position, but can be snapped onto the outer thread into a lowest position in a click-stop manner and can subsequently be tightened.

Threadless chambers of the outside thread and resiliently and integrally formed-on or molded-on thread segments of the self-locking nut are provided for achieving a self-locking effect. The handling also becomes easier and more reliable by providing an inclined starting surface at the leading end and a stopping edge at the trailing end of the thread segments of the nut as defined in corresponding dependent claims.

In contrast to conventional nuts, the inside diameter of the self-locking nut according to the invention is, in the preferred embodiment, smaller than the nominal size or dimension of the thread. This is achieved by offsetting the thread segments radially inwardly relative to the nominal thread size. When the nut is screwed on, the self-locking effect is achieved due to the fact that a thread segment engages or immerses into one of the aforementioned threadless chambers. The curvature radius of the thread segments of the self-locking nut preferably is identical to the curvature radius of the mating thread, in this case, the threaded section of the connector housing.

The self-locking effect may, according to an alternative embodiment, also be achieved by providing the self-locking nut with a slightly smaller thread size than that of the mating thread. However, this has the disadvantage, in particular, with smaller thread sizes, that the handling becomes more complicated. In certain instances, it may even become impossible to screw on the nut.

The design of an end cap that can be mounted on a cylindrical end section of the housing and comprises a specially designed tension relieving device for an electric cable represents another independent aspect of the invention. Particularly, the invention is also directed to a tension relieving device for an electric cable independent of its application. Hence, the cap or parts of the cap are only an example of any suitable mounting or installation base or component.

According to the invention, the tension relieving device comprises two symmetrical, elastically flexible clamping members in the form of webs, ribs or fins that extend transversely and are obliquely inclined opposite to the direction of the tensile force, i.e. with respect to the longitudinal direction or axis of the cable to be relieved. The clamping members or webs are preferably slotted like a comb. More particularly, each clamping member has a free end and a mounting or attachment portion that is integrally formed on a mounting base. Beginning from the end the clamping members are slotted in direction towards the mounting end. Preferably, the slots extend parallel to one another so that the comb teeth formed due to the slots also extend parallel to one another and are preferably in one plane. Due to this feature, the cables are secured against tensile forces more reliably than it is the case with conventional transverse ribs that extend vertically.

Cables of different diameters can be reliably held according to an additional further development in which one clamping web of the previously described type respectively is integrally formed in each of the two end cap parts. In this case, the clamping webs symmetrically oppose one another in the assembled end cap and preferably define a flat, lenticular free cross section. In this manner, the comb teeth of the slotted webs circumferentially surround the cable. The short axis of this cross section corresponds to the minimum diameter of cables that can be held in position, with the long axis corresponding to the maximum diameter.

According to the invention, an annular self-locking head section of an end cap part of the connector also ensures a simplified handling. The end cap part provided with the annular head section can be mounted on the housing before the housing is equipped with the contacts. This preassembly was impossible in conventional solutions with hinged end cap parts, namely because these end cap parts can only be attached after the housing has been equipped with terminals and cables. This aspect of the invention advantageously can be generally applied to connectors with an end cap, i.e. it is also an independent aspect of the present invention.

The head section preferably contains elastically deformable catch blades that have the shape of ring segments. According to a further development, the mounted head section is secured by means of a safety pin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a four-pole pin connector according to the invention with a self-locking nut and a secondary locking element;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a four-pole pin housing of the pin connector according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through the pin housing along line 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross section through the pin housing along line 4--4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is another cross section through the pin housing along the line 5--5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective representation of the secondary locking element for the four-pole pin connector according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the secondary locking element of the pin according to FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section through the secondary locking element of the pin along the line 8--8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is another longitudinal section through the secondary locking element of the pin along the line 9--9 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a perspective representation of the pin connector according to FIG. 1 with inserted pin terminals and an inserted secondary locking element in the non-locking state;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal section through the pin connector according to FIG. 1 with inserted pin terminals and inserted secondary locking element in the non-locking state;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a four-pole socket connector according to the invention with the coupling ring, the secondary locking element and the safety pin;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the four-pole socket housing of the socket connector according to FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the socket housing according to FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal section through the socket housing along the line 15--15 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a cross section through the socket housing along the line 16--16 in FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is another cross section through the socket housing along the line 17--17 in FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a perspective representation of the secondary locking element of the four-pole socket connector according to FIG. 12;

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the secondary locking element of the socket according to FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal section through the secondary locking element of the socket along the line 20--20 in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is another longitudinal section through the secondary locking element of the socket along the line 21--21 in FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a top view of the socket connector according to FIG. 12 with inserted socket terminals and inserted secondary locking element in the non-locking state;

FIG. 23 is a longitudinal section through the socket connector according to FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a top view of the socket connector according to FIG. 12 with inserted socket terminals and inserted secondary locking element in the locking state;

FIG. 25 is a longitudinal section through the socket connector according to FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a perspective representation of the coupling ring shown in FIG. 12 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 27 is a perspective representation of the safety pin shown in FIG. 12 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 28 is a longitudinal section through the safety pin according to FIG. 27 in the installed state;

FIG. 29 is a perspective representation of the pin connector according to FIG. 1 and the matching socket connector according to FIG. 12 with attached coupling ring, namely in a position in which both connectors are aligned such that they can be connected to one another;

FIG. 30 is a representation of the two connectors which is comparable to that shown in FIG. 29, namely in an initial phase of the connecting process in which the two connectors can no longer be rotated relative to one another and the coupling ring of the socket connector is slightly pushed onto the housing of the pin connector;

FIG. 31 is a representation of the two connectors which is comparable to those shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, namely in a position in which the two connectors are completely inserted into one another and the safety pin shown in FIG. 27 can be installed, wherein this position is reached after rotating the coupling ring about the connector housing in the direction of an arrow shown in FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is a perspective representation of the pin housing of the connector according to FIG. 1 and the matching self-locking nut;

FIG. 33 is a representation that is comparable to that shown in FIG. 32, wherein the self-locking nut is snapped onto the threaded section of the pin housing;

FIG. 34 is a longitudinal section through the pin housing according to FIG. 33 with attached self-locking nut;

FIG. 35 is a schematic side view of the self-locking nut;

FIG. 36 is a schematic top view of the self-locking nut according to FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is a cross section through the self-locking nut along the line 37--37 in FIG. 36;

FIG. 38 is another cross section through the self-locking nut along the line 38--38 in FIG. 36;

FIG. 39 is an exploded view of an angled end cap with safety pin and the matching socket housing for a sealable version;

FIG. 40 is an exploded view of the angled end cap with safety pin and the socket housing according to FIG. 39 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 41 is a perspective representation of the upper part of the angled end cap according to FIG. 39;

FIG. 42 is a bottom view of the upper part according to FIG. 41;

FIG. 43 is a top view of the inside of the upper part according to FIG. 41;

FIG. 44 is a perspective representation of the safety pin shown in FIG. 39;

FIG. 45 is a longitudinal section through the safety pin according to FIG. 44 in the installed state;

FIG. 46 is a perspective representation of a lower part of a straight end cap;

FIG. 47 is a perspective representation of an upper part of the straight end cap which matches the lower part according to FIG. 46;

FIG. 48 is a perspective representation of the straight end cap consisting of the lower part according to FIG. 46 and the upper part according to FIG. 47;

FIG. 49 is a perspective representation of a seven-pole pin housing of a seven-pole pin connector according to the invention;

FIG. 50 is a perspective representation of the pin housing according to FIG. 49 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 51 is a longitudinal section through the pin housing according to FIG. 49;

FIG. 52 is a cross section through the pin housing according to FIG. 49 in which the terminal receiving cavities are viewed from the mating side;

FIG. 53 is a perspective representation of a secondary locking element of the pin for the seven-pole pin housing according to FIG. 49;

FIG. 54 is a perspective representation of the secondary locking element of the pin according to FIG. 53 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 55 is a longitudinal section through the secondary locking element of the pin according to FIG. 53;

FIG. 56 is a perspective representation of a seven-pole socket housing that matches the seven-pole pin housing according to FIG. 49;

FIG. 57 is a perspective representation of the socket housing according to FIG. 56 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 58 is a longitudinally sectioned perspective representation of the socket housing according to FIG. 56;

FIG. 59 is a perspective representation of a secondary locking element of the socket for the seven-pole socket housing according to FIG. 56;

FIG. 60 is a perspective representation of the secondary locking element of the socket according to FIG. 59 from a different viewing angle;

FIG. 61 is a cross section through the secondary locking element of the socket according to FIG. 59, and

FIG. 62 is a longitudinal section through the secondary locking element of the socket according to FIG. 59.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-11 show a plug-type electrical connector according to the invention in the form of a four-pole pin connector. FIG. 1, in particular, shows that the connector consists of a pin housing 100, a maximum of four pin terminals or pin terminals or contact pins 195, of which only two are shown in FIG. 1, and a secondary locking element 180. The embodiment shown relates to a so-called fixed connector that, for example, can be flanged onto a not-shown mounting plate. For this purpose, a flange 140 with three fastening sections 142 is integrally formed on the pin housing 100, with a self-locking nut 300 also being provided. This self-locking nut is snapped onto a threaded section 130 of the pin housing 100 which borders on the flange 140 and can subsequently be tightened relative to a not-shown mounting plate situated between the flange 140 and the nut 300. The fastening sections 142 of the flange are not absolutely required.

FIGS. 1 and 2, in particular, show that the pin housing consists of several essentially cylindrical sections that are provided adjacent to on one another and fulfill different functions. A sleeve-shaped receiving section 110 is provided at the end of the pin housing 100 on the mating side. The outside of the receiving section 110 contains three grooves 116 that form part of a bayonet coupling. A lead sealing section 120 that is provided in the form of an annular groove 122 between the receiving section 110 and the aforementioned threaded section 130 is adjacent the receiving section 110. Three perforated lead sealing eyelets 124 are provided in the annular groove 122. The flange 140 is provided adjacent the threaded section 130. Another lead sealing section 121 that is also provided in the form of a circumferential annular groove 123 with perforated lead sealing eyelets 125 is arranged on the side of the flange 140 which lies opposite of the threaded section 130. A ring section 150 that is provided adjacent the lead sealing section 121 forms an end section of the pin housing 100 on the terminal receiving end thereof. The ring section 150 essentially consists of an annular web 156 and an annular groove 152 between the annular web 156 and the lead sealing section 121. Three catch tabs 154 that are circumferentially offset relative to one another are integrally formed in the annular groove 152. The ring section 150 serves for receiving the end of an end cap which faces the pin housing 100, with said end cap being described in greater detail below.

FIGS. 1, 3, 10 and 11, in particular, show that the inside circumference of the receiving section 110 defines an essentially cylindrical receiving opening 111 for receiving a matching section of a socket connector housing that is described further below. Adjacent to the receiving opening 111, four terminal receiving cavities 160 that are arranged in parallel to one another longitudinally extend through the pin housing 100, namely up to the end of the pin housing on the terminal receiving side. The terminal receiving cavities 160 are symmetrically arranged around the longitudinal axis of the pin housing. The outer side of the respective terminal receiving cavities 160 is connected to the inner side of the pin housing 100 by means of radially outward extending webs 174 (FIG. 4), one of which is integrally formed on each contact chamber.

Inside the pin housing 100, a transverse wall 170 is integrally formed at the outer side of the sleeve-shaped chambers 160 and the inner side of the pin housing 100 in a region between the threaded section 130 and the flange 140. In other words, the transverse wall 170 fills out or occupies the entire clear cross section of the pin housing in these regions in front of the flange, however, with the exception of the terminal receiving cavities that extend through the transverse wall. A longitudinally aligned central pin 172 that protrudes from the transverse wall 170 in direction of the receiving opening 111 is integrally formed on the transverse wall 170.

The inside contour of the terminal receiving cavities 160 changes in the longitudinal direction of the pin housing 100, namely such that a contact pin 195 that is inserted from the terminal receiving end is fixed in the terminal receiving cavity by means of a primary locking arrangement. For this purpose, the pin terminals 195 are provided in the form of round contacts which respectively comprise several locking tongues 196 that resiliently protrude outward, as well as a collar 197. FIG. 11, in particular, shows that the outer ends of the locking tongues 196 engage a shoulder 161 inside of the terminal receiving chamber 160 in the installed state of the pins, with the collar 197 being in contact with another shoulder 163. An installed contact pin is secured from being longitudinally displaced in the terminal receiving cavities in this manner.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show that radially inwardly directed openings or slots 165 are arranged in the walls of the terminal receiving cavities 160 between the transverse wall 170 and the shoulder 163. FIG. 4, in particular, shows that the openings 165 extend over an angle of almost 90.degree. relative to the central axis of the terminal receiving cavities 160. The openings 165 provide a shoulder 173 that is provided adjacent to the shoulder 163 within the space between the terminal receiving cavities 160. In other words, the shoulders 163 and 173 are located at the same point along the longitudinal axis, namely in the approximate center of the threaded section 130.

FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5 show that two coding ribs or strips 112 and 114 and two guiding ribs or strips 113 and 115 are integrally formed on the inside of the pin housing 100, wherein said ribs extend in the longitudinal direction of the pin housing 100 from the transverse wall 170 up to almost the end of the receiving opening 111 on the mating side. However, this does not apply to the guiding rib 115 which does not extend into the receiving opening 111, but only as far as the terminal receiving cavities 160 (FIG. 10). As described in greater detail below, a guiding rib 185 which is integrally formed on the secondary locking element 180 takes over the function of the guiding rib 115 in the receiving opening 111 when the secondary locking element 180 is inserted into the pin housing 100 and located therein in the locking position. Different arrangements of the coding ribs 112 and 114 conventionally serve for coding different contact pin or pin terminal installations in accordance with DIN 72585.

The outside contour of the four terminal receiving cavities 160 circumscribes a chamber between the transverse wall 170 and its end on the mating side. The secondary locking element 180 can be inserted into this chamber from the end of the pin housing 100 on the mating side and rotated about its longitudinal axis such that it clicks in position. The secondary locking element 180 effects a secondary locking of the pin terminals 195 inserted into the terminal receiving cavities 160 of the pin housing 100 in addition to the previously described primary locking effect.

FIGS. 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9, in particular, show that the secondary locking element 180 consists of an essentially cylindrical, profiled insertion body, on one end of which a disk-shaped blocking flange 182 is integrally formed. The blocking flange 182 is provided in a radial plane that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the insertion body. The blocking flange 182 is connected to a section 183 of the secondary locking element 180 which has the shape of a segment of an arc by means of a narrow web 181 that extends radially outwardly. The web 181 and the segment-shaped section 183 are located in the same plane as the disk-shaped blocking flange 182 (FIG. 6). On its side that faces away from the insertion body, the segment-shaped section 183 carries the above-mentioned guiding ribs 185 which essentially extends in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the profiled insertion body.

The insertion body of the secondary locking element 180 comprises a click-stop section 184 that adjoins the disk-shaped blocking flange 182. The click-stop section 184 comprises eight longitudinal depressions 186 that are respectively offset relative to one another by 45.degree. and are formed on the circumference of said click-stop section. These longitudinal depressions extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insertion body and approximately have a hollow profile in the shape of a circular arc. A longitudinal hump 187 that is slightly curved outwardly is respectively formed between each one of the longitudinal depressions 186. This means that the click-stop section 184 has, if viewed in cross section, a slightly undulated profile with eight depressions that correspond to the longitudinal depressions 186 and eight elevations that correspond to the longitudinal humps 187 (FIG. 7).

A further section that, if viewed in cross section, has a cruciform profile located adjacent to the click-stop section 184. The cruciform profile is achieved due to the fact that, with the exception of a cylindrical core that has a smaller diameter than the average diameter of the click-stop section 184, only the material of every second longitudinal depression 186 is preserved in the form of four longitudinal ribs that are circumferentially offset relative to one another by 90.degree.. On the end that faces away from the click-stop section 184, a locking knob or lug 188 that protrudes radially outwardly is integrally formed on each longitudinal rib. In addition, a central guide opening 189 is provided in the secondary locking element 180 on the end that is provided with the locking knobs 188. A resilient tongue 190 is integrally formed in a recess 191 between two adjacent longitudinal ribs, wherein said tongue extends in the longitudinal direction of the secondary locking element 180, namely from the click-stop section 184 into the recess 191, in a cantilevered manner (FIG. 9). The tongue comprises a holding hook 192 that extends radially outwardly on its free end. A central opening 194 that has the shape of a slot and serves for inserting a not-shown tool is provided at the end of the profiled insertion body on the blocking flange side.

When assembling the pin connector, the secondary locking element 180 is initially inserted into the insertion chamber between the terminal receiving cavities 160 of the pin housing 100 such that its end on the locking knob side (at 188) is the leading end during insertion. Element 180 is inserted to such a depth that the disk-shaped blocking flange 182 adjoins the terminal receiving cavities 160 and the holding hook 192 enters the opening 165 of the terminal receiving chamber 160 and engages behind the shoulder 173. The holding hook 192 that is integrally formed on the resilient tongue 190, in combination with the shoulder 173, prevents the secondary locking element 180 from unintentionally falling out when it is initially inserted into the pin housing 100.

During the initial phase of this inserting process, the guide pin 172 on the transverse wall 170 of the pin housing 100 engages into the guide opening 189 of the secondary locking element 180. Due to the outside contour of the terminal receiving cavities 160 and the outside contour of the profiled insertion body of the secondary locking element 180, the initial insertion of the secondary locking element 180 is only possible in an angular position in which the locking knobs 188 are rotated by 45.degree. relative to the central longitudinal axes of the terminal receiving cavities 160 about the common longitudinal axis of the pin housing 100 and the secondary locking element 180. This means that the locking knobs 188 are respectively arranged between two adjacent terminal receiving cavities 160 while the angular position of the holding hook 192 is aligned with one of the terminal receiving cavities 160 such that the holding hook is able to engage or grip behind the shoulder 173. FIG. 10 also shows that, in the initially inserted state, the guiding rib 185 of the secondary locking element 180 is offset by 45.degree. relative to the guiding rib 115 in the direction of the guiding rib 113 which is, as well as guiding rib 115, integrally formed onto the pin housing.

The secondary locking element 180 being inserted into the pin housing 100 is retained in the initial angular insertion position due to the fact that the terminal receiving cavities 160 engage into the longitudinal depressions 186 of the secondary locking element 180 which are located between the locking knobs 188. This engagement is effected such that the outside wall sections of the cavities 160, which are located opposite of the click-stop section 184 of the secondary locking element 180 engage into said depressions.

The disk-shaped blocking flange 182, the bridge-shaped web 181 and the section 183 in the form of an arc segment have such dimensions that, as shown in FIG. 10, in the initial insertion state of the secondary locking element 180 into the pin housing 100, the terminal receiving cavities 160 can be provided with the pin terminals 195 which are locked in the terminal receiving cavities 160 by primary locking means. After the terminal receiving cavities are equipped with the pin terminals as shown in FIG. 10, the secondary locking element 180 is rotated from its initial position into a position in which the guiding rib 185 is aligned with the guiding rib 115 and the locking knobs 188 protrude into the openings 165 of the terminal receiving cavities 160 and grip behind the collars 197 of the pin terminals 195. This is achieved by rotating the secondary locking element by 45.degree. by means of a tool inserted into the actuating opening 194, for example, a screwdriver. FIG. 11 shows this locking position in which the pin terminals 195 are not only retained in the pin housing 100 by means of a primary locking means, but also by a secondary locking effect achieved by means of the secondary locking element 180.

In the locking position, the secondary locking element 180 is engaged with the pin housing 100 due to the fact that the terminal receiving cavities 160 engage into the longitudinal depressions 186 that are aligned with the locking knobs 188, namely with their outer wall sections that are located opposite of the click-stop section 184. The secondary locking element 180 is rotated from the initial position or non-locking position according to FIG. 10 into the locking position according to FIG. 11 by exerting a corresponding force with the tool inserted into the actuating opening 194 such that the contact pressure of the longitudinal humps 187 which are curved radially outwardly and located between the longitudinal depressions 186 is overcome. In this case, the outside contours of the terminal receiving cavities 160 and the click-stop section 184 are adapted to one another in such a manner that, when turning the secondary locking element by means of the tool, the secondary locking element snaps from one stable snap position into the other stable snap position, i.e., from the non-locking position according to FIG. 10 into the locking position according to FIG. 11, and is clicked in a precisely defined angular position.

The width of the bridge-like web 181 between the disk-shaped blocking flange 182 and the section 183 in the form of an arc segment is chosen such that the rotation of the secondary locking element 180 is not impaired by the pin terminals 195 protruding into the receiving opening 111. In addition, the dimension of the segment-shaped section 183 in the circumferential direction is chosen such that the secondary locking element 180 can only be inserted into the pin housing 100 in an angular position in which the guiding rib 185 is situated in the region of its associated guiding rib 115.

FIG. 12 shows a socket connector that matches the pin connector according to FIG. 1. The socket connector shown essentially consists of a socket housing 200, a secondary locking element 280 and socket terminals 295. The socket connector also comprises a coupling ring 400 that forms part of a bayonet coupling and an optional safety pin 490. The socket connector consisting of the socket housing 200, the secondary locking element 280 and the socket terminals 295 is described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 13-25.

FIG. 14, in particular, shows that the socket housing 200 contains a plug-in section 210 that can be inserted into the receiving or mating opening 111 of the pin housing 100, an installation section 230 that is adjacent the plug-in section 210 and serves for guiding the mountable coupling ring 400 and an adjacent ring section 250 that corresponds to and has the same purpose as the ring section 150 of the pin housing 100.

FIGS. 12-15, in particular, show that the socket housing 200 consists of an essentially cylindrical profiled member. Coding grooves 212 and 214 and guiding grooves 213 and 215 which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the socket housing 200 are provided on the outer surface of the sleeve-shaped plug-in section 210. The position and shape of the two coding grooves 212 and 214 are complementarily matched to the coding ribs 112 and 114 of the pin housing 100. The position and shape of the guiding groove 213 are also provided such that they match those of the guiding rib 113 of the pin housing 100. Likewise, the shape of the guiding groove 215 is provided such that it matches that of the guiding rib 185 of the secondary locking element 180 of the pin housing. The guiding groove 215 assumes a position that corresponds to that of the guiding rib 185 when the secondary locking element 180 of the pin housing is located in the above-mentioned locking position.

The annular installation section 230 has a front guide shoulder 232 and a rear guide shoulder 234 for the mounted coupling ring 400. In addition, an arc-shaped recess 236 is provided in the installation section 230, which recess is open to the end on the mating side and provided with an integrally formed catch tab 238 (FIG. 13). The recess 236 is provided such that the installation section 230 can receive an arresting projection 438 (FIG. 12) arranged on the inner side of the mounted coupling ring 400. The catch tab 238 cooperates with the arresting or catch projection 438 of the coupling ring 400 and serves for releasably locking or retaining the coupling ring 400 on the socket housing 200 in an angular position in which the socket housing 200 with the coupling ring 400 can be coupled to the receiving section 110 of the pin housing 100. In this context, it should also be mentioned that the coupling ring 400 is not attached or mounted to the socket housing 200 from the terminal receiving end as one may assume from FIG. 12, but rather from the mating side.

Analogous to the ring section 150 of the pin housing 100, the ring section 250 serves for mounting an end cap that is described further below. For this purpose, the ring section contains an annular groove 252 with three locking or indexing teeth 254 that protrude radially outwardly and an annular shoulder, flange or web 256 that adjoins the annular groove 252 (FIG. 14).

Four parallel terminal receiving cavities 260 are symmetrically arranged around the longitudinal axis of the socket housing inside the socket housing 200. Each terminal receiving chamber 260 is integrally formed on the inner wall of the socket housing 200 by means of a respective web 274. The terminal receiving cavities 260 extend from the end on the mating side to the end of the socket housing 200 on the terminal receiving end and have a position which corresponds to that of the terminal receiving cavities 160 of the pin housing 100.

Analogous to the terminal receiving cavities 160, the terminal receiving cavities 260 have an inside contour with two shoulders 261 and 263 that serve for the primary locking of the socket terminals 295. A transverse wall 270 is integrally formed on the outer walls of the terminal receiving cavities 260 and on the inner wall of the socket housing 200 at the level of the installation section 230. The transverse wall 270 carries a longitudinally extending central guide pin 272 that protrudes from the transverse wall 270 in a direction towards the end of the socket housing 200 on the mating side. Radially inwardly directed openings 265 are provided in the walls of the terminal receiving cavities 260 between the transverse wall 270 and the shoulder 263. FIG. 16, in particular, shows that the openings 265 extend over an angle of almost 90.degree. relative to the central axis of the terminal receiving cavities 260. The openings 265 provide a shoulder 273 that is adjacent to the shoulder 263 in the interspace between the terminal receiving cavities 260.

The secondary locking element 280 essentially consists of a cylindrical profiled body or member. FIGS. 18-21, in particular, show that the secondary locking element 280 comprises an essentially cylindrical snap- or click-stop section 284 on which eight longitudinally extending depressions 286 are provided. These longitudinal depressions are respectively separated from one another by a longitudinal hump 287. The eight longitudinal depressions 286 are circumferentially offset relative to one another by 45.degree..

Three blocking or cover blades 282 that protrude radially outwardly are integrally formed on the upper end of the click-stop or indexing section 284, with said cover blades being circumferentially offset relative to one another by 90.degree.. The blocking or cover blades 282 are respectively aligned with one of the longitudinal depressions 286.

At its end opposite to the cover blades 282, the click-stop section 284 adjoins a section that, if viewed in cross section, has a cruciform profile. The cruciform profile is achieved due to the fact that, with the exception of a cylindrical core that has a smaller diameter than the average diameter of the click-stop section 284, only the material of every second longitudinal depression 286 is preserved in the form of four longitudinal ribs that are offset relative to one another by 90.degree. and offset relative to the cover blades 282 by 45.degree.. At the end of the secondary locking element 280 which is opposite to the locking blades 282, locking knobs 288 that protrude radially outwardly are integrally formed on these longitudinal ribs.

FIG. 19, in particular, shows that one depression of the eight longitudinal depressions 286 is neither angularly aligned with one of the locking knobs 288 nor one of the cover blades 282. In a recess 291 that is located between two adjacent longitudinal ribs that carry locking knobs 288, this longitudinal depression passes over into an elastic tongue 290 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the secondary locking element 280 and in a cantilevered fashion and comprises a holding tab 292 that protrudes radially outwardly from its free end. The tongue 290 is slightly shorter than the longitudinal ribs that carry the locking knobs 288.

At the end of the secondary locking element 280 which comprises the cover blades 282, a central opening 294 is provided for inserting a tool. At the opposite end on the side of the locking knobs, a central opening 289 is provided in the secondary locking element 280.

The previous description shows that the secondary locking element 280 of the socket housing essentially has the same design as the secondary locking element 180 of the pin housing. The cover or blocking blades 282 of the secondary locking element 280 correspond to the blocking flange 182 of the secondary locking element 180. Due to its use in a socket housing, the secondary locking element 280 does not contain parts that correspond to the parts 181, 183 and 185 of the secondary locking element 180.

Analogous to the pin terminals 195, the contact sockets or socket terminals 295 are round contacts and each socket terminal 295 also comprises several resilient locking tongues 296 that protrude radially outwardly and a projecting collar 297 (FIG. 12).

When a