US3002175A - Electrical connector housing - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1961 J. J. BERTRAM ET AL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING Filed Sept. 24, 1958 lNVENTORS JOSEPH J.BERTRAM SEYMOUR ROSENF'ELD ,4 TQRNEV 3,002,175 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING Joseph J. Bertram, Norwalk, Conn., and Seymour Rosenfeld, New York, N.Y., assignors to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 763,071 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-126) This invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors employing a plurality of mating contacts disposed within an insulating panel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simplified connector in which the contact panel is assembled within a shell or a frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector assembly which can be easily assembled and disassembled.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for mounting an electrical connector panel member within a housing.

One of the features of our invention is the provision of an easily assembled multiple contact electrical connector which comprises an insulating panel, containing the contacts, having projections thereon which cooperate with projections on a housing to limit movement of the panel within the housing in one direction and which, together with a locking member, limit direction of the panel within the housing in the other direction.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of our invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the plug and receptacle portion of an electrical connector utilizing our invention; and

FIG. 2 is a rear end view of the assembled connector.

Referring to the form of our invention shown in the drawing, an exploded view of an electrical connector in accordance with the principles of our invention is therein shown to comprise a receptacle for cooperation with a plug 12. The receptacle portion 10 has three main elements: a shell or frame member 14, an insert or panel member 16 in which are mounted a plurality of electrical contact members and a locking member 18. The plug 12 is composed of three similar members: a shell 20, insert 22 and locking member 24. The insert 16 of the receptacle 10 has a plurality of bores therein, each adapted to contain one of a plurality of identical electrical contacts or, more particularly, sockets 26 while the insert 22 of the plug 12 has a plurality of bores therethrough, each adapted to contain mating electrical contacts or pins 40. The electrical contacts are restrained within the panel by molding or other means well known to those skilled in the art of electrical connectors. The insert or panel 16 may be composed of a suitable insulating material such as plastic and includes on its outer surface a shoulder 28 having a front locking surface 27 and a rear locking projecting surface 31. The shoulder 28 has three discontinuities 29, one on one side of the insert and two on the opposite side (not shown).

The frame member 14 includes a metal shell made of a suitable material such as aluminum and has on its inner surface a peripheral rear locking shoulder 30 and a front locking shoulder 32. Front locking shoulder 32 may be discontinuous, as shown, for convenience in molding, or may be continuous. Rear locking shoulder 30 must be discontinuous and consists of projections adapted to clear insert shoulder discontinuities 29 when the insert is thrust into the shell. A mounting flange 34 is provided for ease in mounting the connector shell to a bulkhead or wall. A locking mem er ,18, generally U 3,02,l75 Patented Sept. 26, 1961 shaped, has its legs positioned between the rear shoulder face 31. and the projections of rear locking shoulder 30 to lock the panel insert 16 in the housing 14.

The plug member 12 is constructed in a generally similar manner to the receptacle 10. The insert 22 includes a plurality of bores therethrough in which are disposed the male or pin contact members 40 which cooperate with the sockets 26 to provide electrical continuity between the plug and receptacle portions of the connector to electrically connect a plurality of electrical circuits. A shoulder 42 having three discontinuities 43, one on one side and two on the opposite side (not shown) is formed on the insert 22 to provide front and rear locking surfaces. The housing 20 of the plug 12 includes a rear locking shoulder 44 and a forward locking shoulder 46. Front locking shoulder 46 may be discontinuous, as shown, for convenience in molding, or may be continu ous. Rear locking shoulder 44 must be discontinuous and consists of projections adapted to clear insert shoulder discontinuities 43 when the insert is thrust into the shell. A flange 48 is provided for ease in mounting the connector to a chassis. The locking member 24'is generally U-shaped and has a bend 50 therein.

To assemble receptacle 10, the insert or panel 16 is moved axially into the housing 14 until the forward edge 27 of the shoulder 28 abuts the shoulder 32 on the inner surface of the shell 14. In order to allow the shoulder 28 of the insert 16 to pass the rear shoulder projections 30, the discontinuities 2,9 are formed in the shoulder 28. These discontinuities in conjunction with th rear shoulder projections 30 also serve the function of polarizing the insert within the shell and ensuring proper orientation. The distance between the forward shoulder 32 and the rear shoulder projections 30 on the inner periphery of the shell 14 is greater than the width of the shoulder 28, or in other words, more than the distance between the forward edge 27 and the rear edge 31. Thus when edge 27 abuts shoulder 32, edge 31 is spaced slightly away from projection 30. When in this location, the locking bar 18 may have one of its legs inserted between the rear edge 31 and the rear shoulder projections 30, and its other leg may be inserted into the small space between the rear edge 31 and the locking shoulder projections 30 and thus prevent longitudinal movement of the insert 16 relative to the shell 14 in the rearward direction, at the same time permitting lateral float for proper alignment with mating plug.

The bend 38 in the locking member 18 cooperates with the opening 36 in the housing to maintain the locking member 18 in position when the connector is assembled. Since the locking member 18 has spring-like characteristics, it functions as a shock absorber as well as a holding device.

In a similar manner the plug 12 is assembled so that the insert 22 has its front edge of the shoulder 42 abutting front locking shoulder 46. The locking member 24 is inserted into the small space between the shoulder 42 and the rear locking shoulder projections 44. The bend 50 in locking member 24 maintains the locking bar 24 in position. Thus as shown in FIG. 2, the spring element 24 has its legs locked behind the locking projections 44 of the housing and in front of the shoulder 42 of the insert to prevent withdrawal of the insert without prior retrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of our invention, and therefore, we claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of our invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

We claim:

1. In an electrical connector a housing shell having a forward peripheral shoulder on the inner surface thereof, at least one rearward projection on the inner surface of said shell longitudinally spaced from said forward shoulder; an insert adapted to carry an electrical contact for disposition within said shell into abutment with said forward peripheral shoulder by insertion past said rearward projection including a shoulder having a longitudinal width less than the longitudinal spacing between said forward shoulder and said rearward projection and including at least one discontinuity therein which is longitudinally aligned with said rearwad projection on said shell, and a removable locking member disposed between said insert shoulder and said rearward projection for locking said insert in said shell.

2. A connector assembly comprising an insulating plug having an external shoulder with at least one discontinuity therein, a shell having at least one projection on its inner surface to cooperate with said shoulder to limit forward movement of said plug into said shell, and at least one additional projection longitudinally spaced from said first mentioned internal projection a distance greater than the longitudinal width of said shoulder and disposed opposite and in longitudinal alignment with said discontinuity in said plug shoulder; and a removable locking member insertable between the rear of said plug shoulder and said additional projection when said plug is inserted in said shell to limit rearward movement of said plug within said shell.

3. A three-part connector assembly comprising an insert having a peripheral shoulder thereabout, with discontinuities therein; a shell member having on its inner surface a front projecting means abutting said insert shoulder and rear projecting means disposed opposite and in longitudinal alignment with said discontinuities and spaced from said front projecting means; and a removable substantially U-shaped locking member the legs of which are disposed on opposite sides of said insert and between said rear projecting means and the rear of said shoulder.

4. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 3 wherein said substantially U-shaped member and shell includes cooperative means to hold said locking memher in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,940 Paiste Apr. 27, 1909 1,736,370 Sachs Nov. 19, 1929 1,909,270 Guett May 16, 1933 2,160,713 Bentley May 30, 1939 2,171,331 Folsom Aug. 29, 1939

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