Electrical Connector Assembly

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a high voltage connector for installation in a panel cutout in the field, wire connection to the connector being made by crimping individual wires to individual contact members and locking each of the contact members into the connector housing by means of locking tines on the contact member and shoulders in the housing. The housing further includes a pair of ears for locking the housing into the panel and a flange on each housing portion to hold the housing portions together when mated. The connector is formed from polarized male and female members which connect together.

Description

This invention relates to a high voltage electrical connector for use in a panel and, more specifically, to an electrical connector capable of easily receiving field installed wires, installable in panels such as on electronic filters and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With increased costs of labor and material, the art is constantly attempting to not only provide electrical connectors of high quality and reduced cost, but is also constantly attempting to provide electrical connectors which can be installed with minimum labor requirement. Often cost must be sacrificed for labor saving and vice versa.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector for use in the field in about the 10KV range which can be installed in the field into a panel and have wires connected thereto in a minimum period of time, the connector being relatively inexpensive to produce in addition. Briefly, the above is accomplished by providing a pair of polarized, interfitting housing members, one of the members being lockable onto a panel by mere insertion therein, the housing members being held within each other by a pair of overlapping locking detent members. The interior of each housing portion includes either a pin or socket receiving hollow tubular portion coaxial therewith, each hollow portion having a shoulder for locking onto a locking tine formed in each of the pin and socket positioned therein. Wires are connected to the pin and receptacle by standard crimping techniques and the wires extending from the rear of each housing portion are sealed by a heat shrinkable material or the like which extends around the wires and the rear of the housing portion.

It is therefore and object of this invention to provide an electrical connector which is easily installed and yet inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electrical connector which can be installed with a minimum of labor or tooling in the field.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a high voltage electrical connector which is relatively small in size.

The above objects and still further objects of the invention will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art after consideration of the following preferred embodiment thereof, which is provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of the female electrical connector portion of FIG. 1 positioned in a panel;

FIG. 3 is a view as in FIG. 2 with the connector portions mated;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 4.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there are a male housing portion 1 and a female housing portion 3 of the electrical connector. The housing portions are preferably formed of thermoplastic polyester such as VALOX, sold by General Electric Company though other suitable material could be used. Wires 5 extend into housing portion 1 via plug portion 7 of the housing 1. The housing portion 1 also includes a locking detent 9 which locks with a locking detent 11 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) of housing 3 for locking the housing portion together when mated. The female housing portion 3 includes a pair of ears 13 for locking said housing portion into a panel. Wires 15 enter the rear of housing portion 3 via plug portion 17 of the housing 3. The barrel 19 of the housing portion 1 is shaped to conform to the shape of the aperture 21 of housing portion 3 in order to polarize the housing portions and permit connection in only one direction.

The housing portion 3 is locked into a panel 23 by means of the ears 13 and the flange 25 thereon as shown in FIG. 2 whereupon the housing portion 1 is inserted therein as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown the interior of the housing portions 1 and 3. The wire 5 is crimped to a socket 27. The socket 27 has a tine 29 which locks onto the shoulder 31 of the housing portion. The housing 27 includes a funnel shaped forward portion 43 to lead the pin 35 (to be discussed later) thereinto. The wire 5 is externally crimped onto socket 27 and the socket is then inserted into housing portion 1 from the rear thereof until the tine 29 locks onto the shoulder 31. A shoulder 33 of the socket 27 prevents further forward movement of the socket after locking.

Referring now to the interior of the female housing portion 3, there is shown the wire 15 which is crimped to the pin 35. The pin 35 has a tine 37 thereof for locking onto shoulder 39 of the housing portion 3. The pin 35 also includes a shoulder 41 for preventing forward travel of pin 35 after the tine 37 has locked onto shoulder 39. The wire 15 is crimped to the pin 35 externally and the positioned in the housing 3 as shown.

As best shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, when the housing portions 1 and 3 are mated, the pin 35 and socket 27 connect together electrically, the housing portions being locked together by the overlapping of locking detents 9 and 11 therein.

It can be seen there there has been provided a relatively inexpensive connector which can be assembled and installed in the field with a minimum of labor or tooling.

Though the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment thereof, many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A high voltage electrical connector, comprising:

a pair of polarized mateable housing portions of insulating material,

one of said housings having a continuous outer wall and open at one end,

a hollow tubular member extending forwardly from a wall closing the other end of the housing spaced from the inner wall of the housing and terminating intermediate the ends thereof,

the tubular member having a radially inwardly extending flange at its free end with a central opening therethrough,

a first elongated cylindrical contact member extending through the opening and terminating within the housing,

a locking tine on the contact member on one side of the flange and a shoulder thereon located on the opposite side of the flange,

the other of the housings being of an outer dimension to be snugly received within the one housing and an inner dimension to snugly receive the tubular member when inserted through an opening in one end thereof,

an outwardly extending wall about the other housing spaced rearwardly from the one end thereof a distance equal to that between the forward end of the first housing and its closing end wall, so that a waterproof enclosure is provided when the housing portions are mated with the outwardly extending wall about the other housing seated against the open end of the one housing,

and a second cylindrical contact member within the second housing portion mateable with the first contact member,

said second cylindrical contact member extending toward, but terminating a distance spaced from the open end of the second housing portion and provided with a tine on one side of a shoulder on the inner wall of the second housing and a stop member on the opposite side of the shoulder.

2. A high voltage electrical connector as set forth in claim 1 including means to lock said housing portions together comprises a locking detent in each of said housing portions, said detents riding over each other when said housing portions are mated.

3. A high voltage connector according to claim 1 wherein the one housing is provided with an outwardly extending flange thereabout and a resilient tine spaced therefrom for locking it within an opening in a wall.