초록 ▼

A high durability drawer connector is capable of blind mating and has a receptacle connector half having a plurality of spring arm contact terminals extending forwardly of a mating face, and a plug connector half having a like plurality of contact terminals having planar contact portions to engage t

A high durability drawer connector is capable of blind mating and has a receptacle connector half having a plurality of spring arm contact terminals extending forwardly of a mating face, and a plug connector half having a like plurality of contact terminals having planar contact portions to engage the spring arm contacts upon mating. Guide pins forwardly of the plug housing enter alignment recesses of the receptacle housing and align the plug connector which is floatingly mounted to a drawer end panel. At a first unmated position the spring arms enter plug housing passageways and just engage the plug\s contacts under low insertion force. A camming bearing surface on one of the plug\s guide pins bears against a cooperating surface of the receptacle housing and cams the plug connector in a selected axially normal direction. The plug\s contacts then firmly engage the spring arms from laterally thereof biasing them to achieve contact force, and the connectors are fully mated. An improved plug connector floating mounting means is also provided which centers the plug prior to mating, and can be used on standard drawer connectors requiring alignment.

대표청구항 ▼

A drawer connector having a plug housing means and a mating receptacle housing means, each having a plurality of matable electrical contact terminal means, one of said plug and said receptacle housing means being mountable on the end panel of a drawer and the other thereof being mountable on a panel

A drawer connector having a plug housing means and a mating receptacle housing means, each having a plurality of matable electrical contact terminal means, one of said plug and said receptacle housing means being mountable on the end panel of a drawer and the other thereof being mountable on a panel of a cabinet capable of receiving said drawer axially theretowards, comprising: a dielectric plug housing means having a plurality of terminal-receiving passageways extending therethrough in communication with a mating face and a rear surface thereof, mounting means proximate said rear surface to enable mounting thereof to a first panel, and guide means extending forwardly of said mating face thereof; first contact terminal means terminated to first electrical conductor means and secured in respective said terminal-receiving passageways of said plug housing means with said first conductor means extending rearwardly from said rear surface, said first contact terminal means having contact portions proximate said mating face; first securing means for securing said plug housing means to said first panel in cooperation with said mounting means thereof; a dielectric receptacle housing means having a like plurality of terminal-receiving passageways extending therethrough in communication with a mating face and a rear surface thereof, mounting means proximate said rear surface to enable mounting thereof to a second panel, hood means extending forwardly from the periphery of said mating face, and alignment means on said hood means associated with said guide means of said plug housing means; second contact terminal means terminated to second electrical conductor means and secured in respective said terminal-receiving passageways of said receptacle housing means with said second conductor means extending rearwardly from said rear surface, said second contact terminal means having contact portions proximate said mating face; and second securing means for securing said receptacle housing means to said second panel in cooperation with said mounting means thereof; each said second contact terminal means includes a cantilever spring arm forward portion extending forwardly of said mating face and biasable in a common selected axially normal direction, the respective said contact portion of each said second contact terminal means being disposed on a surface of said forward portion forwardly of said mating face and facing the opposite direction from said selected direction; at least one of the cooperating combinations of first securing means and first mounting means, and second securing means and second mounting means, is adapted to permit floating movement of a respective at least one of said plug housing means and said receptacle housing means with respect to and along the plane of its corresponding panel; said guide means of said plug housing means and respective said alignment means of said receptacle housing means are capable of aligning said plug housing means to a first position during a first stage of mating said plug housing means and said receptacle housing means whereupon ends of said forward portions of at least signal ones of said second contact terminal means enter said terminal-receiving passageways of said plug housing means and engage said contact portions of respective signal ones of said first contact terminal means under low insertion force; camming surface means is disposed on said plug housing means forwardly of said mating face thereof, and cooperating camming surface means is disposed on said receptacle housing means, capable of cammingly engaging to provide axially normal movement of said plug housing means in said selected direction relative to said receptacle housing means to a second position and causing said contact portions of said first contact terminal means to firmly engage respective said contact portions of said second contact terminal means and bias said forward portions thereof in said selected direction whereupon substantial contact force is obtained therebetween, whereby an assured electrically mated condition is achieved.