Connector position assurance (CPA) and plug connector arrangement having a CPA

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10230197-B2
Application number	US-201515301382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A connector position assurance (CPA) for ensuring the contact position of a plug housing on a mating plug housing includes a housing configured to be pushed onto the plug housing in a mounting direction and a locking element configured to block a latching element of the plug housing. The housing of the CPA has a passage opening configured to receive the plug housing during the mounting process. The locking element is arranged on the housing of the CPA and has a free end that extends along the mounting direction. The locking element is offset toward the outside transverse to the mounting direction in relation to the housing of the CPA in order to keep the risk of interlocking as low as possible. A plug connector arrangement includes the CPA.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector position assurance (CPA) for securing the contact position of a plug housing on a mating plug housing, comprising:
a housing configured to be slid in a plugging-on direction onto the plug housing, the housing defining a through-going aperture configured to receive the plug housing while the housing is slid onto the plug housing; and
an interlocking element configured to block a latching element of the plug housing,
wherein the interlocking element (i) is arranged on the housing of the CPA, (ii) includes a free end that extends along the plugging-on direction, and (iii) is offset outwards in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction with respect to the housing of the CPA.

2. The CPA as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the through-going aperture is delimited by a peripheral wall of the housing.

3. The CPA as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the interlocking element is offset outwards with respect to the peripheral wall of the housing,
the peripheral wall defines (i) a foremost end of the housing located in an opposite direction to the plugging-on direction and (ii) a rearmost end of the housing located in the plugging-on direction, and
the interlocking element protrudes along the plugging-on direction beyond the rearmost end.

4. The CPA as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an inner wall of a peripheral wall of the housing faces the through-going aperture and wherein at least one guiding element configured to axially guide the housing with respect to the plug housing while the housing is slid onto the plug housing is arranged on the inner wall of the housing.

5. The CPA as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one guiding element protrudes in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction of the housing from the inner wall into the interior of the housing.

6. The CPA as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one guiding element is embodied as a rib-like protrusion that extends along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

7. The CPA as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one guiding element lies entirely in the region that is encompassed by the inner wall of the housing.

8. The CPA as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the peripheral wall of the housing comprises an end face on an end that is located in an opposite direction to the plugging-on direction, the end face entirely arranged in a plane that is perpendicular with respect to the plugging-on direction.

9. The CPA as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interlocking element is configured as one piece with the housing.

10. The CPA as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interlocking element arranged on the housing is precisely one interlocking element.

11. The CPA as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the free end of the interlocking element comprises a protrusion that points inwards in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction, and
an outer surface of the protrusion comprises (i) a transverse section that extends in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction and is offset with respect to an end face of the free end in an opposite direction to the plugging-on direction, (ii) an inserting section that extends inclined inwards in the opposite direction to the plugging-on direction, and (iii) a withdrawing section that extends inclined outwards, the inserting section connecting to the transverse section and the withdrawing section.

12. A plug connector arrangement, comprising:
a plug housing; and
a connector position assurance (CPA) including:
a housing configured to be slid in a plugging-on direction onto the plug housing, the housing defining a through-going aperture configured to receive the plug housing while the housing is slid onto the plug housing,
an interlocking element configured to block a latching element of the plug housing, the interlocking element (i) arranged on the housing of the CPA, (ii) including a free end that extends along the plugging-on direction, and (iii) offset outwards in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction with respect to the housing of the CPA,

wherein the plug housing comprises a base section along the plugging-on direction and a slide section that connects to the base section and is configured to plug the CPA.

13. The plug connector arrangement as claimed in claim 12 , wherein:
a wall of the housing of the CPA in a state in which the CPA is entirely plugged onto the plug housing encompasses the slide section of the plug housing, and
an outer surface of the wall of the housing connects flush along the plugging-on direction to an outer surface of the base section of the plug housing.

14. The plug connector arrangement as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the wall has an end face that is remote from the interlocking element and connects essentially flush to an end of the plug housing that is remote from the base section.

15. The plug connector arrangement as claimed in claim 12 , wherein:
a latching device is arranged on the plug housing on an outer side,
the latching device comprises at least one latching element that is configured to be tilted in a rocking-like manner in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction,
the at least one latching element extends along the plugging-on direction and comprises a latching protrusion configured to engage behind a latching aperture of a mating plug housing, and
a gap that is complementary to the interlocking element of the CPA is provided between the latching device and the plug housing and configured to insert the CPA.

16. The plug connector arrangement as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a mating plug housing having a latching aperture and a ramp that protrudes outwards and is arranged in an opposite direction to the plugging-on direction above the latching aperture, wherein:
the free end of the interlocking element of the CPA comprises a protrusion that points inwards in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction,
an outer surface of the protrusion comprises (i) a transverse section that extends in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction and is offset with respect to an end face of the free end in the opposite direction to the plugging-on direction, (ii) an inserting section that extends inclined inwards in the opposite direction to the plugging-on direction, and (iii) a withdrawing section that extends inclined outwards, the inserting section connecting to the transverse section and the withdrawing section,
a latching device is arranged on the plug housing on an outer side, the latching device comprises at least one latching element that is configured to be tilted in a rocking-like manner in a transverse manner with respect to the plugging-on direction, the at least one latching element extends along the plugging-on direction and comprises a latching protrusion, and
the transverse section of the protrusion of the free end of the interlocking element initially comes into contact with the latching protrusion of the latching element when plugging together the plug connector arrangement and after latching the latching protrusion of the latching element in the latching aperture the latching element of the CPA is configured to be deflected outwards when plugging on further by the inserting section by the ramp of the mating plug housing so that the CPA is configured to be relocated along the plugging-on direction into an end position.

17. The CPA as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one guiding element does not protrude in the plugging-on direction be

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Saur Martin
• Oberender Jens

Classifications

• H01R13/641 Primary

  by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement · CPC title

• H01R13/6272

  comprising a single latching arm · CPC title

• H01R13/4361 Primary

  Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion · CPC title

• H01R13/64 Primary

  Means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title