EP4376229A1

EP4376229A1 - Housing assembly for a connector, connector and connector assembly

Info

Publication number: EP4376229A1
Application number: EP22209166.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mouad NASSI; Said HAMMI; Saad BOUGHABA
Original assignee: Te Connectivity Morocco Sarl
Current assignee: Te Connectivity Morocco Sarl
Priority date: 2022-11-23
Filing date: 2022-11-23
Publication date: 2024-05-29

Abstract

The present invention relates to a housing assembly (1) for an electrical connector (2) that is intermateable with a mating connector (6), wherein the housing assembly (1) comprises a connector housing (10) and a mating aid mechanism (12) for assisting a mating process between the electrical connector (2) and the mating connector (6), wherein the mating aid mechanism (12) comprises a drive element (14) movably arranged on the connector housing (10), and at least one transmission element (16) rotatably arranged on the connector housing (10) and engaged with the drive element (14), wherein the drive element (14) is configured to be manually operated, and wherein the at least one transmission element (16) is configured to be brought into engagement with the mating connector (6). The at least one transmission element (16) can function according to the principle of an idler, effectively reversing the movement direction (102) of the drive element (14) compared to the movement direction of a comparative drive element directly engaging with the mating connector (6). This is useful in situations, where the original movement direction of the comparative drive element would be obstructed by environmental constrains. Further, the present invention relates to an electrical connector (2) with such a housing assembly (1). Moreover, the present invention relates to a connector assembly (4) comprising such an electrical connector (2) and a mating connector (6) as well as to a set (5) comprising such a connector assembly (4) and a replacement connector (96).

Description

Technical field to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to a housing assembly for an electrical connector, such as a plug connector e.g., for automotive applications. Further, the present invention relates to an electrical connector with such a housing assembly. Moreover, the present invention relates to a connector assembly comprising such an electrical connector and a mating connector as well as to a set comprising such a connector assembly and a replacement connector.
However, the applicability of the inventive concept is neither limited to electrical connectors nor to the automotive sector. The concept may also be used on other types of connectors (such as optical connectors) and may extend to other applications in the field of engineering.

Background art

In applications involving the transmission of electrical power and/or electrical signals, spaced-apart technical units may have to be electrically connected via an electrical cable in a separable fashion, using electrical connectors. When establishing such an electrical connection by intermating a pair of matching electrical connectors (i.e. connector and mating connector), certain internal resistance forces have to be overcome.
In order to facilitate this step, so-called mating aid mechanisms can be provided on the electrical connectors. These mating aid mechanisms are usually operated by hand and help to reduce the required mating force that has to be applied by an operator in order to overcome said resistance forces. Alternatively or additionally, the mating aid mechanisms offset or change the input direction of the mating force with respect to the resistance forces.
However, these mating aid mechanisms often require a certain degree of freedom at least in one spatial direction in order to function. Thus, depending on the environmental constrains, these mating aid mechanisms may be difficult to operate. For example, if multiple electrical connections are established with multiple pairs of electrical connectors close to each other, the respective mating aid mechanisms might mutually interfere, rendering the handling of the electrical connectors cumbersome.

Technical object to be solved

The object of the present invention is to improve the handling of electrical connectors.

Disclosure of invention

The object is achieved by a housing assembly for an electrical connector that is intermateable with a mating connector, wherein the housing assembly comprises a connector housing and a mating aid mechanism for assisting a mating process between the electrical connector and the mating connector, wherein the mating aid mechanism comprises a drive element movably arranged on the connector housing, and at least one transmission element rotatably arranged on the connector housing and engaged with the drive element, wherein the drive element is configured to be manually operated, and wherein the at least one transmission element is configured to be brought into engagement with the mating connector.
The above-mentioned solution is advantageous, since the at least one transmission element can be driven by the drive element and is configured to be brought into engagement with the mating connector, instead of the drive element itself, as is usually the case with manually operated mating aid mechanisms. Thus, the at least one transmission element can transfer the movement of the drive element onto the mating connector, when the at least one transmission element is driven by the drive element of the manually operated mating aid mechanism.
Firstly, the at least one transmission element is able to bridge a certain distance between the drive element and the mating connector, while establishing the above-mentioned transfer of movement. Hence, the drive element can be arranged on the connector housing further away from the mating connector and in a position with possibly better accessibility for the operator, compared to a comparative drive element directly engaging with the mating connector. All this can be achieved without having to increase the dimensions of the drive element itself. If anything, the drive element can be designed more compactly than the comparative drive element.
Further, the movement direction of the drive element is reversed compared to the movement direction of the comparative drive element directly engaging with the mating connector. That is, the movement that the drive element has to perform during the mating process it opposite to the movement the comparative drive element would have to perform, given that the layout of the mating connector remains unchanged. In other words, the at least one transmission element can function according to the principle of an idler.
This is useful in situations, where the original movement direction of the comparative drive element would be obstructed by environmental constrains (e.g. when multiple connectors are closely positioned next to each other), but the layout of the mating connector cannot be changed. By reversing the movement direction of the drive element, interference with other mating aid mechanisms of neighbouring connectors or any other obstacle in the vicinity can be advantageously prevented, if the housing assembly according to the invention is used for an electrical connector. This, in turn, can further improve the handling of said electrical connector and also solve the initial object.
The above solution may be further improved by adding one or more of the following optional features. Each of the following optional features is advantageous on its own and may be combined independently with any other optional feature.
The electrical connector is preferably intermateable with the mating connector along a mating direction. For this, the connector housing may comprise a mating face facing in the mating direction and designed complementarily to a counter-part mating face of the mating connector. Further, the at least one transmission element may be rotatable around a rotary axis, which is perpendicular to said mating direction.
According to an embodiment with a high reliability during service, the at least one transmission element may be a symmetric or asymmetric gear or gear wheel. In particular, the at least one transmission element may be a pinion. Instead of a single gear, the at least one transmission element may also be a gear train composed of multiple gears, preferably an odd number of gears. The gear train is advantageous, since it can span over and bridge an even longer distance compared to a single gear.
The drive element may be or comprise a slider with a toothed rack. The slider may be slidably held on the connector housing in a direction perpendicular or at least oblique to the mating direction. When the at least one transmission element is form-fittingly intermeshed or interlocked with the toothed rack of the slider, a movement of the slider can be transferred to the mating connector via the at least one transmission element. This is useful in case where only the slider of the housing assembly is accessible from one direction that is not parallel to the mating direction. Instead of pushing the electrical connector itself in the mating direction, the slider can be pushed resulting in a movement of the electrical connector in said very mating direction.
As an alternative to the slider, the drive element may be or comprise a lever with at least one lever arm. The lever may be pivotable about a pivot axis perpendicular to the mating direction. This allows the operator to make use of the leverage effect.
At least one lever gear segment may be formed on an end of the at least one lever arm. Preferably, the lever is pivotably held on the connector housing at said end. Further, said at least one lever gear segment may extend along an outer circumference of said end of the at least one lever arm and about the pivot axis. Thereby, the at least one transmission element may be form-fittingly intermeshed or interlocked with the drive element in order to prevent slipping and the like.
In more general terms, the at least one transmission element may comprise two transmission gear segments, wherein each transmission gear segment is configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment or the mating connector. Further, the two transmission gear segments may extend along an outer circumference of the at least one transmission element on mutually opposite sides of the at least one transmission element with respect to the above-mentioned rotary axis. In particular, each transmission gear segment may extend about the rotary axis in an arcuate manner.
If the at least one transmission element is configured as the gear, the two transmission gear segments may have the same radius as well as the same number and size of gear teeth. Further, the two transmission gear segments may seamlessly merge on the outer circumference of the at least one transmission element.
Alternatively, the two transmission gear segments may differ from each other in terms of radius, number of gear teeth and/or size of gear teeth. This results in an asymmetric gear and allows each transmission gear segment to be independently optimized for its engagement with the lever gear segment or the mating connector.
According to another embodiment, one of the two transmission gear segments and the lever gear segment may have the same radius and/or the same number of gear teeth, preferably the same number of gear teeth per circumferential length. This applies, in particular, to the transmission gear segment configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment. Hence, a transmission ration of one between the at least one transmission element and the drive element can be achieved, resulting in a balanced strain of both elements.
Alternatively, one of the two transmission gear segments and the lever gear segment may have different radii and/or different numbers of gear teeth. This applies, in particular, to the transmission gear segment configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment. Thereby, an effect similar to a change speed gear box can be achieved with the mating aid mechanism.
Depending on the application, the radius and/or number of gear teeth of the transmission gear segment configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment may be larger or smaller than the lever gear segment. Thus, the at least one transmission element can cause a gear reduction or overdrive, respectively. For example, a gear reduction would advantageously lower the required mating force. The overdrive would increase the stroke or travel of the electrical connector, compared to a constellation with a transmission ration of one.
According to an embodiment capable of withstanding higher loads, the transmission gear segments and/or the lever gear segment may have a webbing-like reinforcement structure extending at least between two adjacent gear teeth. The reinforced structure makes this embodiment compatible with electrical connectors, which, due to high internal resistance forces, require a high mating force.
According to an embodiment with a simple structure, the connector housing may comprise at least one axle journal for rotatably holding the at least one transmission element. Further, the at least one transmission element may comprise an opening for at least partially receiving the at least one axle journal. In order to improve the relative rotatability, the at least one axle journal and the opening may comprise cylindrical sliding surfaces with matching diameters. Conversely, the at least one axle journal may be located on the at least one transmission element and the opening on the connector housing.
In order to prevent the at least one transmission element from slipping off, the at least one axle journal may comprise a distal end with a material bulge that protrudes from the cylindrical sliding surface of the at least one axle journal. When assembling the housing assembly, the at least one transmission element is pressed and forced over the material bulge onto the at least one axle journal. Once the at least one transmission element has passed the material bulge, it is rotatably held on the at least one axle journal. Optionally, the material bulge may be located on a cantilever beam that is part of the at least one axle journal and made of a material which is more flexible than the at least one transmission element.
The connector housing may comprise at least one further axle journal for pivotably holding the drive element, wherein the drive element comprises at least one further opening for at least partially receiving the at least one further axle journal.
In order to hold the drive element and the at least one transmission element in their engagement, the at least one axle journal and the at least one further axle journal are preferably arranged on the same side of the connector housing. That is, the at least one axle journal and the at least one further axle journal protrude from the same side of the connector housing in a direction perpendicular or at least oblique to the mating direction. Further, the at least one axle journal and the at least one further axle journal extend parallel, but not coaxially, and point with their distal ends into the same direction.
As an alternative to the at least one further axle journal, at least one guide channel may be formed on the connector housing for slidably holding the drive element, if the drive element is configured as a slider. In this case, the at least one guide channel preferably extends perpendicularly or at least obliquely to the mating direction.
The drive element may be at least sectionally U-shaped and may at least partially encompass the connector housing. Thereby, increased stability during handling of the electrical connector can be achieved due to a more symmetrical distribution of mechanical loads.
For example, the drive element configured as the lever may comprise two lever arms extending at least sectionally in parallel. Each lever arm may comprise a lever gear segment at one of its end. At the respective other end away from the lever gear segment, the two lever arms may be joined so as to form a structural unit. Further, the lever may be an integral component or a multipart component. In particular, the two lever arms may be configured to be separable from each other. Optionally, the lever may include a detachable connecting element via which the two lever arms are connectable to result in the above-mentioned U-shape of the lever.
Each end of the two lever arms with the lever gear segment may comprise a further opening. Accordingly, the connector housing may comprise two further axle journals for holding the U-shaped lever pivotably. Each of the two further axle journals may be at least sectionally received in one of the further openings of the lever arm ends.
Likewise, the drive element configured as the slider may comprise two slider arms extending at least sectionally in parallel. Each slider arm may form a toothed rack of its own.
The mating aid mechanism may comprise two transmission elements, preferably on mutually opposite sides of the connector housing, wherein the drive element engages with each of the two transmission elements. Again, the resulting symmetrical load distribution advantageously reduces the strain of each transmission element.
Accordingly, a pair of coaxial axle journals may be provided on mutually opposite sides of the connector housing for rotatably holding the two transmission elements along the rotary axis. Alternatively, the two transmission elements may be positioned on a separate axle element extending through the connector housing and protruding with both its axle ends at the mutually opposite sides of the connector housing.
Optionally, the connector housing may comprise at least one latching element for securing the drive element in a pre-defined position, such as a start position and/or end position. This further improves the ease of use by clearly indicating the correct start position and/or end position of the drive element to the operator.
As an alternative to the gear, the at least one transmission element may also be a friction wheel, which is easier to manufacture than a gear. Consequently, a segment of a friction wheel may be formed on the end of the at least one lever arm. Further alternatively, the at least one transmission element may be an eccentric cam wheel. Accordingly, a segment of a cam mechanism complementary to the cam wheel may be formed on the end of the at least one lever arm instead.
The underlying object defined at the beginning can also be achieved by an electrical connector with a housing assembly according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein at least one electrical contact element for contacting a mating contact of the mating connector is positioned in the connector housing. Depending on the field of use of the electrical connector, a plurality of contact elements may optionally be arranged in the connector housing. Due to the functionality and advantages of the housing assembly, which have already been explained above, the electrical connector according to the present invention can be handled easily.
The object of the present invention defined at the beginning can further be achieved by a connector assembly comprising an electrical connector according to one of the preceding embodiments and a mating connector that is configured to be intermateable with the electrical connector, wherein the mating connector is provided with at least one driven element that is arranged to be engageable with the at least one transmission element of the mating aid mechanism. For example, the at least one driven element is a toothed rack extending in or obliquely to the mating direction and being in engagement with one of the transmission gear segments of the at least one transmission element. Alternatively, the at least one driven element may be a segment of a friction beam or cam mechanism.
The connector assembly according to the present invention also benefits from the advantages of the housing assembly and, thanks to the interaction between the mating aid mechanism and the at least one driven element, the connector assembly can be readily used to establish an electrical connection with ease.
According to one embodiment of the connector assembly, each transmission element of the mating aid mechanism is arranged between the drive element of the mating aid mechanism and the respective driven element of the mating connector. In this constellation, each transmission element fulfills the function of an idler, as already described above.
Lastly, a set comprising a connector assembly according to any one of the above embodiments and a replacement connector also achieves the object of the present invention. The replacement connector is configured to be intermateable with the mating connector, in the place of the electrical connector. In other words, the replacement connector is configured exchangeable with the electrical connector. Further, the replacement connector comprises a replacement housing and a replacement drive element movably arranged on the replacement housing, and wherein the replacement drive element is configured to be manually operated and to be brought directly into engagement with the mating connector, in particular, with the at least one driven element of the mating connector. In other words, the replacement connector does not comprise any transmission element like the electrical connector.
Thus, from a functional point of view, the electrical connector and the replacement connector differ in the movement direction of their respective drive elements. That is, the movement directions are reversed with respect to each other. Consequently, the set according to the invention allows a selection of the desired movement direction of the drive element by deciding to use the electrical connector or the replacement connector, when establishing the electrical connection with the mating connector. Hence, it is possible to choose the connector, which better suits the environmental constrains surrounding the mating connector. The resulting electrical connection is therefore improved in terms of handling.
Except for the absence of the at least one transmission element and all directly related components, such as the at least one axle journal, the replacement connector may be identical to the electrical connector. Hence, the selection between the electrical connector and the replacement connector has only a minimal impact on all other functional aspects of the resulting electrical connection.
In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown and described are for explanatory purposes only. The combination of features shown in the embodiments may be changed according to the foregoing description. For example, a feature which is not shown in an embodiment but described above, may be added if the technical effect associated with this feature is beneficial to a particular application. Vice versa, a feature shown as part of an embodiment may be omitted as described above if the technical effect associated with this feature is not needed in a particular application.
In the drawings, elements that correspond to each other with respect to function and/or structure have been provided with the same reference numeral.
In the drawings,

Fig. 1: shows a schematic illustration of a perspective sectional view of a housing assembly according to one possible embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 2: shows a schematic illustration of a detailed view of the housing assembly shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3: shows a schematic illustration of a sectional side view of a connector assembly according to one possible embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig. 4: shows a schematic illustration of another sectional side view of the connector assembly shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5: shows a schematic illustration of another sectional side view of the connector assembly shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 6: shows a schematic illustration of a sectional side view of a set according to one possible embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Fig. 7: shows a schematic illustration of a perspective view of a housing assembly according to another possible embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the following, the structure of a housing assembly 1 is explained with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 7. The structure of an electrical connector 2, a connector assembly 4 as well as a set 5 according to the present invention will be explained making reference to Figs. 3 to 6.
Fig. 1 shows a slightly diagonal sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the housing assembly 1 according to the present invention. The housing assembly 1 may be used for the electrical connector 2 that is intermateable with a mating connector 6 along a mating direction 8 (cf. Fig. 3).
As shown in Fig. 1, the housing assembly 1 comprises a connector housing 10. The connector housing 10 may be an injection-molded plastic part and may comprise as such a mating face 18. The mating face 18 may face in the mating direction 8 and may be designed complementarily to a counter-part mating face 20 of the mating connector 6 (cf. Fig. 3).
The housing assembly 1 further comprises a mating aid mechanism 12 for assisting a mating process between the electrical connector 2 and the mating connector 6. The mating aid mechanism 12 comprises a drive element 14 movably arranged on the connector housing 10 and at least one transmission element 16 rotatably arranged on the connector housing 10. Both the drive element 14 and the at least one transmission element 16 may also be injection-molded plastic parts.
The drive element 14 is configured to be manually operated. In the shown embodiment of Fig. 1, the drive element 14 is a lever 22 with at least one lever arm 24. The lever 22 may be pivotable about a pivot axis 26 perpendicular to the mating direction 8. For this, the connector housing 10 may comprise at least one axle journal 28 and the drive element 14 may comprise at least one opening 30 for at least partially receiving the at least one axle journal 28.
Preferably, the lever 22 is pivotably held on the connector housing 10 at an end 32 of the at least one lever arm 24. Accordingly, the at least one opening 30 may be formed on said end 32. Further, at least one lever gear segment 34 may be formed on said end 32. In particular, said at least one lever gear segment 34 may extend about the pivot axis 26 and along an outer circumference 36 of the end 32 of the at least one lever arm 24 (see Fig. 3).
As an alternative to the lever 22, the drive element 14 may also be a slider 38 with a toothed rack 40 (see Fig. 7). The slider 38 may be slidably held on the connector housing 10 in a direction 42 perpendicular or at least oblique to the mating direction 8. For this, at least one guide channel 44 may be formed on the connector housing 10 for slidably holding the slider 38. In this case, the at least one guide channel 44 preferably extends perpendicularly or at least obliquely to the mating direction 8.
The at least one transmission element 16 may be rotatable around a rotary axis 46, which is perpendicular to the mating direction 8. In particular, the connector housing 10 may comprise at least one axle journal 48 for rotatably holding the at least one transmission element 16. Accordingly, the at least one transmission element 16 may comprise an opening 50 for at least partially receiving the at least one axle journal 48. In order to improve the relative rotatability, the at least one axle journal 48 and the opening 50 may comprise cylindrical sliding surfaces 52 with matching diameters (see Fig. 1). The at least one axle journal 28 and the at least one opening 30 may also comprise cylindrical sliding surfaces 52 with matching diameters.
In order to prevent the at least one transmission element 16 from slipping off, the at least one axle journal 48 may comprise a distal end 54 with a material bulge 56 that protrudes from the cylindrical sliding surface 52 of the at least one axle journal 48 (see Fig. 1). When assembling the housing assembly 1, the at least one transmission element 16 is pressed and forced over the material bulge 56 onto the at least one axle journal 48. Once the at least one transmission element 16 has passed the material bulge 56, it is rotatably held on the at least one axle journal 48. The lever 22 may be prevented from slipping off the axle journal 28 in a similar manner by a material bulge 58 on the axle journal 28 (see Fig. 1).
As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 7, the at least one transmission element 16 is engaged with the drive element 14. In order to hold the drive element 14 and the at least one transmission element 16 in their engagement, the axle journals 28, 48 are preferably arranged on the same side 60 of the connector housing 10 (see Fig. 3). That is, the axle journals 28, 48 protrude from the same side 60 of the connector housing 10 in a direction perpendicular or at least oblique to the mating direction 8. Further, the axle journals 28, 48 extend parallelly, but not coaxially, and point with their distal ends 54 into the same direction.
As can also be seen in Figs. 3 and 7, the at least one transmission element 16 is form-fittingly intermeshed or interlocked with the lever gear segment 34 of the lever 22 (see Fig. 3) or the toothed rack 40 of the slider 38 (see Fig. 7), respectively. Further, the at least one transmission element 16 is configured to be brought into engagement with the mating connector 6.
For this purpose, the at least one transmission element 16 may comprise two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b, wherein each transmission gear segment 62a, 62b is configured to be brought into engagement either with the lever gear segment 34 of the lever 22, the toothed rack 40 of the slider 38 or the mating connector 6. Further, the two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b may extend along an outer circumference 64 of the at least one transmission element 16. In particular, each transmission gear segment 62a, 62b may extend about the rotary axis 46 in an arcuate manner.
According to an embodiment capable of withstanding higher loads, the transmission gear segments 62a, 62b and/or the lever gear segment 34 may have a webbing-like reinforcement structure 66. Said reinforcement structure 66 may extend laterally along the outer circumferences 36, 64. Further, the reinforcement structure 66 may extend at least partially between two adjacent gear teeth 68a, 68b.
The two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b may both have the same radius as is shown in Fig. 3. But, the two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b may differ from each other in terms of number of gear teeth and/or size of gear teeth. This allows each transmission gear segment 62a, 62b to be optimized for its engagement with the lever gear segment 34 of the lever 22, the toothed rack 40 of the slider 38 or the mating connector 6, respectively.
Alternatively, the two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b may have the same number and size of gear teeth. Further, the two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b may seamlessly merge on the outer circumference 64 of the at least one transmission element 16. For example, the at least one transmission element 16 may be a simple symmetrical gear or gear wheel (not shown). In particular, the at least one transmission element 16 may be a pinion. Instead of a single gear, the at least one transmission element 16 may also be a gear train (not shown) composed of multiple gears, preferably an odd number of gears.
One or both of the two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b and the lever gear segment 34 may have different radii. Thereby, an effect similar to a change speed gear box can be achieved. In the shown embodiment of Fig. 3, for example, the radius 70 of the transmission gear segment 62a configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment 34 is smaller than the radius 72 of the lever gear segment 34. Thus, the at least one transmission element 16 can cause a gear reduction and advantageously lower the required mating force.
According to an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, one or both of the two transmission gear segments 62a, 62b and the lever gear segment 34 may have the same radius and/or the same number of gear teeth, preferably the same number of gear teeth per circumferential length. This applies, in particular, to the transmission gear segment 62a configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment 34. Hence, when the at least one transmission element 16 is form-fittingly intermeshed or interlocked with the lever 22, a transmission ration of one can be achieved.
According to another alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the radius 70 of the transmission gear segment 62a configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment may be larger than the radius 72 of the lever gear segment 34. This would result in an overdrive, effectively increasing the stroke or travel of the electrical connector, compared to a constellation with a transmission ration of one.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, when the at least one transmission element 16 is form-fittingly intermeshed or interlocked with the toothed rack 40 of the slider 38, a movement of the slider 38 can be transferred to the mating connector 6 via the at least one transmission element 16. This is useful in case where only the slider 38 of the housing assembly 1 is accessible from one direction 74 that is not parallel to the mating direction 8. Instead of pushing the electrical connector 2 itself in the mating direction 8, the slider 38 can be pushed in said direction 74 resulting in a movement of the electrical connector 2 in the mating direction 8.
As an alternative to the at least one transmission element 16 with the transmission gear segments 62a, 62b, the at least one transmission element 16 may also be a friction wheel (not shown). Consequently, a segment of a friction wheel (not shown) may be formed on the end of the at least one lever arm. Further alternatively, the at least one transmission element 16 may be an eccentric cam wheel (not shown). Accordingly, a segment of a cam mechanism (not shown) complementary to the cam wheel may be formed on the end of the at least one lever arm instead.
Fig. 3 shows the connector assembly 4 comprising the electrical connector 2 and the mating connector 6 that is configured to be intermateable with the electrical connector 2. The electrical connector 2 comprises the housing assembly 1, wherein one or more electrical contact elements (not shown) for contacting one or more mating contacts (not shown) of the mating connector 6 are positioned in the connector housing 10.
The mating connector 6 is provided with at least one driven element 76 that is arranged to be engageable with the at least one transmission element 16 of the mating aid mechanism 12. In the shown embodiment, the at least one driven element 76 is a toothed rack 78 extending in the mating direction 8 and being in engagement with one of the transmission gear segments 62b of the at least one transmission element 16. As can be seen, the at least one transmission element 16 of the mating aid mechanism 12 is arranged between the drive element 14 of the mating aid mechanism 12 and the respective driven element 76 of the mating connector 6.
Figs. 3 to 5 represent a sequence showing the interaction between the mating aid mechanism 12 and the at least one driven element 76, when establishing an electrical connection between the electrical connector 2 and the mating connector 6. First, the electrical connector 2 is placed on the mating connector 6 with the mating face 18 lightly engaging the counter-part mating face 18, while the lever 22 is in a start position 80 (see Fig. 3).
Next, the transmission gear segment 62b of the at least one transmission element 16 is brought into initial engagement with the toothed rack 78 of the mating connector 6 and the lever 22 is pivoted (see Fig. 4). This pivoting movement of the lever 22 is transferred to the mating connector 6 via the at least one transmission element 16. As a result, the electrical connector 2 is pulled towards the mating connector 6 until reaching a fully mated state, when the lever 22 arrives in an end position 82 (see Fig. 5).
The drive element 14 configured as the lever 22 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is at least sectionally U-shaped and at least partially encompass the connector housing 10. In particular, the lever 22 may comprise two lever arms 24a, 24b extending at least sectionally in parallel (see Fig. 2). Each lever arm 24a, 24b may comprise a lever gear segment 34 at one of its end 32. At the respective other end 84 away from the lever gear segment 34, the two lever arms 24a, 24b may be joined by a handle 86 so as to form a structural unit 88. Further, the lever 22 may be an integral component.
According to an embodiment not shown, the lever 22 may alternatively be a multipart component. In particular, the two lever arms may be configured to be separable from each other. Optionally, the lever may include a detachable connecting element via which the two lever arms are connectable to result in the above-mentioned U-shape.
Each end 32 of the two lever arms 24a, 24b with the lever gear segment 34 may comprise an opening 30. Accordingly, the connector housing 10 may comprise, on mutually opposite sides 60a, 60b, two axle journals 28a, 28b for holding the U-shaped lever 22 povitably. Each of the two axle journals 28a, 28b may be at least sectionally received in one of the openings 30 of the lever arm ends 32.
As can be seen in Fig, 7, the drive element 14 configured as the slider 38 may also be at least sectionally U-shaped and at least partially encompass the connector housing 10. For this, the slider 38 may comprise two slider arms 92a, 92b extending at least sectionally in parallel. Each slider arm 92a, 92b may form a toothed rack 40.
In embodiments with the U-shaped drive element 14, the mating aid mechanism 12 may comprise two transmission elements 16a, 16b, preferably on the mutually opposite sides 60a, 60b of the connector housing 10. As is shown in Fig. 1, the U-shaped drive element 14 may engage with each of the two transmission elements 16a, 16b.
Accordingly, a pair of coaxial axle journals 48a, 48b may be provided on the mutually opposite sides 60a, 60b of the connector housing 10 for rotatably holding the two transmission elements 16a, 16b. In an alternative embodiment not shown, the two transmission elements 16a, 16b may be positioned on a separate axle element extending through the connector housing 10 and protruding with both its axle ends at the mutually opposite sides 60a, 60b of the connector housing 10.
Optionally, the connector housing 10 may comprise latching elements 94a, 94b for securing the drive element 14 in pre-defined positions. For example, the latching element 94a is configured to secure the drive element 14 in the start position 80 (see Fig. 1). The latching element 94b, in turn, is configured to secure the drive element 14 in the end position 82 (see Fig. 2).
Finally, the above-mentioned set 5 is explained. The set 5 comprises a connector assembly 4 according to any one of the above embodiments and a replacement connector 96. The replacement connector 96 is configured to be intermateable with the mating connector 6, in the place of the electrical connector 2. In Fig. 6, the replacement connector 96 is shown in the fully mated state with the mating connector 6. The electrical connector 2 is omitted in Fig. 6, but may be configured similar to the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5.
As can be seen in Fig. 6, the replacement connector 96 comprises a replacement housing 98 and a replacement drive element 100 movably arranged on the replacement housing 98. The replacement drive element 100 is configured to be manually operated and to be brought directly into engagement with the mating connector 6, in particular, with the at least one driven element 76 of the mating connector 6. In other words, the replacement connector 96 does not comprise any transmission element 16 like the electrical connector 2.
Thus, from a functional point of view, the electrical connector 2 and the replacement connector 96 differ in the movement direction 102 of their respective drive elements 14, 100. That is, the movement directions 102 are reversed with respect to each other, as can be seen by juxtaposing Figs. 5 and 6. Consequently, the set 5 allows a selection of the desired movement direction 102 of the drive element 14 by deciding to use the electrical connector 2 or the replacement connector 96, when establishing the electrical connection with the mating connector 6. Hence, it is possible to choose the connector, which better suits the environmental constrains surrounding the mating connector 6.
While the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without affecting the spirit and scope of the invention.

Reference Numerals

1: housing assembly
2: electrical connector
4: connector assembly
5: set
6: mating connector
8: mating direction
10: connector housing
12: mating aid mechanism
14: drive element
16, 16a, 16b: transmission element
18: mating face
20: counter-part mating face
22: lever
24a, 24b: lever arm
26: pivot axis
28, 28a, 28b: axle journal
30: opening
32: end
34: lever gear segment
36: outer circumference
38: slider
40: toothed rack
42: direction
44: guide channel
46: rotary axis
48, 48a, 48b: axle journal
50: opening
52: sliding surface
54: distal end
56: material bulge
58: material bulge
60, 60a, 60b: side
62a, 62b: transmission gear segment
64: outer circumference
66: reinforcement structure
68a, 68b: gear tooth
70: radius
72: radius
74: direction
76: driven element
78: toothed rack
80: start position
82: end position
84: end
86: handle
88: structural unit
92a, 92b: slider arm
94a, 94b: latching element
96: replacement connector
98: replacement housing
100: replacement drive element
102: movement direction

Claims

A housing assembly (1) for an electrical connector (2) that is intermateable with a mating connector (6), wherein the housing assembly (1) comprises:
- a connector housing (10) and

- a mating aid mechanism (12) for assisting a mating process between the electrical connector (2) and the mating connector (6),
wherein the mating aid mechanism (12) comprises:
- a drive element (14) movably arranged on the connector housing (10), and

- at least one transmission element (16) rotatably arranged on the connector housing (10) and engaged with the drive element (14),
wherein the drive element (14) is configured to be manually operated, and wherein the at least one transmission element (16) is configured to be brought into engagement with the mating connector (6).
The housing assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmission element (16) is a pinion.
The housing assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive element (14) is a lever (22) with at least one lever arm (24) and at least one lever gear segment (34) formed on an end (32) of the at least one lever arm (24).
The housing assembly (1) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one transmission element (16) comprises two transmission gear segments (62a, 62b), and wherein each transmission gear segment (62a, 62b) is configured to be brought into engagement with the lever gear segment (34) or the mating connector (6).
The housing assembly (1) according to claim 4, wherein one of the two transmission gear segments (62a, 62b) and the lever gear segment (34) have the same or a different radius (70, 72) and/or number of gear teeth.
The housing assembly (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the transmission gear segments (62a, 62b) and/or the lever gear segment (34) have a webbing-like reinforcement structure (66) extending at least between two adjacent gear teeth (68a, 68b).
The housing assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connector housing (10) comprises at least one axle journal (48) for rotatably holding the at least one transmission element (16) and the at least one transmission element (16) comprises an opening (50) for at least partially receiving the at least one axle journal (48).
The housing assembly (1) according to claim 7, wherein the connector housing (10) comprises at least one further axle journal (28) for pivotably holding the drive element (14), wherein the drive element (14) comprises at least one further opening (30) for at least partially receiving the at least one further axle journal (28), and wherein the at least one axle journal (48) and the at least one further axle journal (28) are arranged on the same side (60) of the connector housing (10).
The housing assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the drive element (14) is U-shaped and at least partially encompasses the connector housing (10).
The housing assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the mating aid mechanism (12) comprises two transmission elements (16a, 16b), and wherein the drive element (14) engages with each of the two transmission elements (16a, 16b).
The housing assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the connector housing (10) comprises at least one latching element (94a, 94b) for securing the drive element (14) in a pre-defined position (80, 82).
An electrical connector (2) with a housing assembly (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 11, wherein at least one electrical contact element for contacting a mating contact of the mating connector (6) is positioned in the connector housing (10).
A connector assembly (4) comprising an electrical connector (2) according to claim 12 and a mating connector (6) that is configured to be intermateable with the electrical connector (2), wherein the mating connector (6) is provided with at least one driven element (76) that is arranged to be engageable with the at least one transmission element (16) of the mating aid mechanism (12).
The connector assembly (4) according to claim 13, wherein each transmission element (16, 16a, 16b) of the mating aid mechanism (12) is arranged between the drive element (14) of the mating aid mechanism (12) and the respective driven element (76) of the mating connector (6).
Set (5) comprising a connector assembly (4) according to claim 13 or 14 and a replacement connector (96) that is configured to be intermateable with the mating connector (6), wherein the replacement connector (96) comprises a replacement housing (98) and a replacement drive element (100) movably arranged on the replacement housing (98), and wherein the replacement drive element (100) is configured to be manually operated and to be brought into engagement with the mating connector (6).