U.S. patent number 3,714,617 [Application Number 05/184,382] was granted by the patent office on 1973-01-30 for snap in polarizing member for electrical connectors.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Bendix Corporation. Invention is credited to Edward J. Bright, LeRoy W. Fairbairn.
United States Patent |
3,714,617 |
Bright , et al. |
January 30, 1973 |
SNAP IN POLARIZING MEMBER FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS
Abstract
A guidance and polarizing means for the main parts of a
separable electrical connector which carry mating electrical
contacts. The polarizing means has two polarizing members (male and
female) mounted in predetermined positions on the respective
connector parts. Each member has a portion which interfits with the
other member to permit connector parts to be mated only when the
correct connector parts are presented to each other. In the
embodiments shown, one polarizing insert is made of yieldable
plastic material having projections thereon which extend into a
recess in the connector body. This permits the polarizing insert to
be snapped into a bore in the connector body and retained by the
projections which are held captive in said recess.
Inventors: |
Bright; Edward J. (Bainbridge,
NY), Fairbairn; LeRoy W. (Sidney, NY) |
Assignee: |
The Bendix Corporation
(N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
22676660 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/184,382 |
Filed: |
September 28, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/681 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/6453 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/645 (20060101); H01r 013/64 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/184,186 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Purser; Ernest R.
Assistant Examiner: Staab; Lawrence J.
Claims
Having described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. In an electrical connector of the type having first and second
separable assemblies each of which have a bore wherein disposed on
a common axis when said assemblies are connected in mated
relationship, said second assembly having a polygonal bore, and
adjustable male and female polarizing members, said male polarizing
member having a nonround pin at one end and adjustably mounted at
the other end in said bore in said first assembly and said female
polarizing member adjustably mounted in said polygonal bore in said
second assembly, the improvement comprising:
a recess in said bore in said second assembly; and
said female polarizing member comprises an elongated polygonal
member having a nonround hole therein for receiving the nonround
pin on said male member and at least one projection thereon that
extends radially from at least one of said sides of said polygonal
female member into said recess, said at least one projection
smaller than the recess and extending a radial distance from said
common axis of said bore greater than the radial distance of the
inner diameter of said bore but less than the radial distance of
the diameter of said recess whereby said female polarizing member
is retained in said bore by said projections which extend into said
recess.
2. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said female
polarizing member has a plurality of projections annularly arranged
around the outside thereof.
3. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said
projections are resiliently deformable whereby said at least one
projection is depressed when said female polarizing member is
inserted into said bore and whereby said at least one projection is
restored to its original shape upon reaching said recess thereby
retaining said female polarizing member within said bore.
4. The combination as recited in claim 2 wherein each of said
projections are resilient whereby said projections are depressed
when said female polarizing member is inserted into said bore and
whereby said projections are restored to their original shape upon
reaching said recess thereby retaining said female polarizing
member within said bore.
5. In an electrical connector of the type having first and second
separable assemblies at least one of which has a polygonal bore
therein and an adjustable polarizing member mounted in said bore,
the improvement wherein said bore includes a recess therein; and
wherein said polarizing member comprises an elongated polygonal
member having an axial hole with a nonround opening in one end of
said member for receiving a male member and a plurality of
annularly aligned projections on the opposite end portion that
extends radially from at least one of said sides of said polygonal
member into said recess, said projections smaller than the recess
and extending a radial distance from the axis of said bore which is
greater than the radial distance of the inner diameter of said
bore, but less than the radial distance of the diameter of said
recess, whereby said polarizing member is not rigidly retained in
said bore by said projections which extend into said recess.
6. The combination as recited in claim 5 wherein said multisided
polarizing member has a projection on each side thereof.
7. The combination as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said
projections are resilient whereby said projections are depressed
when said polarizing member is inserted into said bore and whereby
said projections are restored to their original shape upon reaching
said recess thereby retaining said polarizing member within said
bore.
8. The combination as recited in claim 6 wherein each of said
projections are resilient whereby said projections are depressed
when said polarizing member is inserted into said bore and whereby
said projections are restored to their original shape upon reaching
said recess thereby retaining said polarizing member within said
bore in a manner that permits limited radial movement of said
polarizing member.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to separable electrical connectors, and more
specifically relates to polarizing and guidance means for the main
parts of such connectors. The invention is characterized by
polarizing members which are inserted, in a predetermined manner,
into a bore in a plug and receptacle of an electrical connector to
prevent the interconnection of a receptacle with a plug which is
not properly polarized. The polarizing member is characterized by
the fact that it is retained in the plug and/or receptacle by a
plurality of radially extending projections which extend into a
recess located within the bore in the plug and/or receptacle that
locates the polarizing member.
In one embodiment of the invention the connector, which has a bore
in one portion thereof, and the polarizing means, which includes at
least one polarizing member of resilient yet rigid material,
comprises: an annular recess located within the bore located in the
connector, and an elongated polarizing member having a plurality of
radial projections thereon arranged about a common point on the
longitudinal axis of the member, the projections extending a radial
distance from the longitudinal axis which is greater than the
radius of the bore, but less than the radius of the recess, whereby
the polarizing member is retained in the bore by the projections
which extend into the recess.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide
polarizing members that are snapped into position in a connector
without the use of tools.
Among the other objects of the invention is the provision of a
novel polarizing and guidance means for the parts of a separable
electrical connector.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a polarizing
and guidance means which is readily adjusted to a plurality of
different polarizing positions.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a polarizing
and guidance means having mating polarizing inserts arranged for
indexing upon the respective connector parts, the inserts being
securely retained in each of their indexed positions.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a
programable keying and guidance device capable of positioning a
connector body so that it will mate only with a predetermined
member without binding.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a connector
polarization and guide pin device that when fully mated and in use
will allow each connector half to move axially or float with
respect to the other, a predetermined amount. This is to prevent
assembly tolerances or external movement from bending or causing
strain on the connector components and associated hardware.
The above and further objects and novel features of the invention
will more fully appear from the following description when the same
is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be
expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the
purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition
of the limits of the invention.
In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts
throughout the several views.
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a separable
electrical connector with the two parts or bodies thereof aligned
and about to be mated, such connector being provided with an
embodiment of a polarizing means in accordance with the invention.
A portion of both bodies of the connector being broken away to show
the respective parts of the polarizing means;
FIG. 2 is a view in horizontal transverse section through the upper
body of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal transverse section through the lower
body of the connector of FIG. 1, certain of the parts being shown
in elevation.
Separable electrical connectors of the type shown herein are
frequently employed, as in computer and control installations.
Frequently, many such connectors are used, the connector bodies of
one type being stacked and mounted on a panel whereas the connector
bodies of the other type, which are connected to respective printed
circuit boards, are selectively mated with the respective ones of
the fixedly mounted connector bodies. Unless the connector bodies
are correctly mated, malfunctioning of the apparatus will result;
the apparatus may also be severly damaged or ruined.
The connector polarizing means in accordance with the invention
makes it possible to make all of the connectors of the same
construction, thereby permitting their economical production and
stocking. The polarizing means, in accordance with the invention,
includes pluglike parts or members which are received in aligned
seats or bores in the connector bodies, the seats and the pluglike
parts being of such shape that the parts can be disposed in any one
of a number of different angular positions in the seat. The outer
end portions of such parts are of such configuration that they are
mateable when the connector bodies are aligned and moved toward
each other and when the two parts of the polarizing means are
correctly oriented relative to each other. When the polarizing
members are not correctly oriented relative to each other, they
interfere and prevent the mating of the connector bodies.
Turning now to the embodiment of electrical connector shown in FIG.
1, the connector includes a plug or body 10 and a receptacle 11,
the body 10 having a projecting portion 12 thereon which is
receivable in a recess 14 in body 11. Portion 12 has a plurality of
spaced bores 15 on the blind end wall of the projection
therethrough which receive socket contacts, not shown. A plurality
of pin contacts, 13, mounted in the recess 14, are disposed to be
received within the sockets when the connector bodies are fully
mated. In the installation herein described, the connector plug 10
is secured to a chassis panel whereas the connector receptacle 11
is secured to a flexible cable or to a printed circuit board.
Outwardly beyond the ends of portion 12 of body 10 there are ears,
one of which is shown at 16. The body 11 has two end portions
beyond the outer ends of recess 14, one such end portion being
shown at 17. When bodies 10 and 11 are mated, the ear 16 is
disposed in alignment with the end portion 17. Mounted in the ear
16 is male polarizing member 18 retained by a snap ring 19, shown
disassembled. Mounted in ear 17 is the female polarizing member 20
which is rigid yet resilient. In this embodiment, the male member
18 includes a large stem portion 24 that extends beyond the
surfaces 12 and 22 of connector body 10.
A semicircular bore 21, in female member 20, extends inwardly below
the surface 25 of body 11, and receives stem 24 of male member 18
when the connector bodies 10 and 11 are properly oriented an in
mated relationship. It is preferred that female member 20 be
comprised of a rigid yet resilient material such as nylon or
plastic.
The male member 18 comprises: a square base portion 23, a
semicircular stem 24 extending from said base 23, which has a
height substantially greater than the height of base portion 23.
The stem 24 is about one-half the round section 26, of male member
18 and is sized to fit into opening 21 of the female member 20.
Member 18 is selectively mounted in a desired angular position in
counter bore 27 of body 10 by being inserted from the rear of part
10 into the octagonal shaped counterbored hole 27. The base portion
23 of male member 18 is so dimensioned to permit positioning member
18 in various positions in the octagonal shaped counterbored hole
27. Male member 18 is retained in a desired position by assembling
a snap ring 19 into a groove 28, formed below the surface 26 of
part 18.
Similarly, female member 20 is mounted in a predetermined angular
position in connector body 11 by being snapped into an octagonal
seat 29. The female member 20 is retained within connector body 11
by snapping the resilient projections 30 thereon into a formed
undercut 31 in the octagonal seat 29 of body 11. This is
accomplished by inserting the female member 20 into the bore 29
which depresses the resilient projections 30 until they read the
recess 31 where by restorative resilience they return to their
original size and thereby retain the female polarizing member
within the bore 29. This type of retention allows the polarizing
member to retain a greater degree of radial movement than members
which are locked into place. The movement of the polarizing members
allows for polarization of the plug and receptacle while at the
same time permits the plug and receptacle to move sufficiently
enough to allow mating of the electrical contacts associated
therewith. Generally, the female member 20 is octagonally shaped
and has a semicircular bore 21 formed through one-half of its
longitudinal axis so that it does not rotate once it is mounted in
the bore 29.
When the bodies 10 and 11 are aligned as shown, the semicircular
portion 21 of the female member 20 and the semicircular portion 24
of the male member are aligned to be connected in mated
relationship. As can be seen in FIG. 1, either the male member 18
or female member 20 may be placed in a connector body 10, 11 in a
manner that permits or prevents the connector bodies 10, 11 from
mating.
It is apparent that the octagonal polarizing members 18 and 20
permit any one of numerous polarized connections of the connector
bodies 10, 11. If similar mating polarizing parts 18 and 20 are
also used in the ear and end portion at the other end of the
bodies, a total of 64 arrangements are possible. It is obvious that
the members 18 and 20 may have sections of other polygonal
configurations, with more or less than eight sides.
The male polarizing member 18 is securely but removably retained in
the octagonal shaped counterbored hole 27 of connector body 10 by a
shoulder formed by snap ring 19 in groove 28. This assembly
technique leaves the stem 24, free to float radially because of
clearances between the diameter 26 of male member 18 and the
diameter 26 of male member 18 and the diameter hole 32 of body
10.
When the polarizing members 18 and 20 are mated, the outer end
surface 33 of stem 24 is appreciably spaced from the bottom of
octagonal seat 29 in end portion 17.
The semicircular bore in polarizing member 20 has dimensions which
substantially exceed those of the semicircular stem 24 of male
member 18. As a result, the stem 24 of male member 18 is free to
enter the opposing semicircular bore 21.
The stem 24 of male member 18 and the closed portion of the bore 21
of part 20 prevent the mating of connector bodies 10, 11 containing
polarizing parts 18 and 20 which are not oriented for mated
relationship.
Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated
in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing
specification, it is to be especially understood that various
changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the parts, materials
used, and the like, as well as the suggested manner of use of the
apparatus of the invention, may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be apparent
to those skilled in the art. For example, although only the female
member 20 is shown to have radial projections for retaining the
member in the connector, the male member 18 could also have this
feature, Further, although the polarizing parts or inserts 18 and
20 are disclosed as being of regular polygonal section, they can be
made of other shapes. Thus, the inserts and the seats which receive
them may be of any multisided cross-sectional shapes such that the
opposing inserts may be securely retained in any one of a number of
complementary mating positions.
* * * * *