Contact Assembly For A Connector Housing, Connector Housing As Well As Connector Assembly And Modular Connector Set With Such A Connector Housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021281003-A1
Application number	US-202117189495-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A contact assembly for a connector housing includes an adapter element and a contact element. The adapter element has a sleeve with a lead-through opening extending in an axial direction of the sleeve and with a threaded bore extending perpendicularly to the lead-through opening through the sleeve. The contact element is adapted to be inserted into the lead-through opening and latched to the sleeve. The contact element may exhibit varying types of a cable connection section and/or a contact section. The adapter element is receivable within the connector housing and may accept the contact element regardless of the type of cable connection section and/or contact section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A contact assembly for a connector housing, comprising:
an adapter element having a sleeve with a lead-through opening extending in an axial direction of the sleeve and with a threaded bore extending perpendicularly to the lead-through opening through the sleeve; and a contact element adapted to be inserted into the lead-through opening and latched to the sleeve.

2 . The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the contact element has a cable connection section and one of a male and female contact section opposite to the cable connection section.

3 . The contact assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the cable connection section is a crimp-type connection section configured to be crimped onto a conductor of an electrical cable.

4 . The contact assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the cable connection section is a screw-type connection section, having a screw hole adapted to receive a screw extending through a circumferential surface of the contact element at the cable connection section.

5 . The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a screw is provided that extends through the threaded bore of the adapter element and into an interior of the contact element.

6 . The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an axial slit extends along the axial direction of the sleeve of the adapter element.

7 . The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one latching flap obliquely protrudes outwards from the sleeve of the adapter element.

8 . The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter element is a stamped and bent part.

9 . The contact assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a contact set including the adapter element and at least two different contact elements from the group comprising:
a contact element having a male contact section; a contact element having a female contact section; a contact element having a crimp-type connection section; and a contact element having a screw-type connection section, any of the at least two contact elements are adapted to be inserted and latched to the adapter element.

10 . A connector housing comprising:
a contact assembly including:
an adapter element having a sleeve with a lead-through opening extending in an axial direction of the sleeve and with a threaded bore extending perpendicularly to the lead-through opening through the sleeve; and
a contact element adapted to be inserted into the lead-through opening and latched to the sleeve, the adapter element is received within the connector housing and the contact element is inserted into the lead-through opening of the adapter element received within the connector housing.

11 . The connector housing according to claim 10 , further comprising a lateral slot aligned with the threaded bore of the adapter element received within the connector housing.

12 . A connector assembly, comprising:
a connector housing having:
a contact assembly including:
an adapter element having a sleeve with a lead-through opening extending in an axial direction of the sleeve and with a threaded bore extending perpendicularly to the lead-through opening through the sleeve; and
a contact element adapted to be inserted into the lead-through opening and latched to the sleeve, wherein the adapter element is received within the connector housing and the contact element is inserted into the lead-through opening of the adapter element received within the connector housing; and

a back shell coupled to the connector housing.

13 . The connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the back shell is coupled to the connector housing by a rotational coupling.

14 . The connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein a latching structure configured to secure a relative rotational position of the connector housing and the back shell is formed on each of the connector housing and the back shell.

15 . The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the latching structures of the connector housing and of the back shell are configured to automatically engage at an end position of the rotational coupling.

16 . A modular connector set comprising:
a first connector assembly and a second connector assembly, each of the first and second connector assemblies including:
a connector housing having contact assembly including an adapter element having a sleeve with a lead-through opening extending in an axial direction of the sleeve and with a threaded bore extending perpendicularly to the lead-through opening through the sleeve; and
a contact element adapted to be inserted into the lead-through opening and latched to the sleeve, the adapter element is received within the connector housing and the contact element is inserted into the lead-through opening of the adapter element received within the connector housing; and
at least one male contact and at least one female contact configured to be mated to the at least one male contact, the at least one male contact and the at least one female contact being configured to be selectively inserted into the lead-through opening of the adapter element received within any one of the connector housing of the first connector assembly and the connector housing of the second connector assembly.

17 . The modular connector set of claim 16 , wherein the connector housing further includes a back shell coupled to the connector housing, the connector housing of the first connector assembly being configured to be mounted on the connector housing of the second connector assembly.

18 . The modular connector set of claim 17 , therein the back shell is coupled to the connector housing by a rotational coupling.

19 . The modular connector set of claim 16 , wherein the connector housing of the first connector assembly comprises at least one latching hook adapted to engage in a latching connection with the connector housing of the second connector assembly.

20 . The modular connector set of claim 19 , wherein the connector housing of the second connector assembly comprises at least one button for disengaging the latching connection.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Nederland Bv
• Tyco Electronics Ltd Uk

Inventors

• Zucca Marco
• Mungarwadi Subhash
• Catchpole Jonathan

Classifications

• H01R13/02 Primary

  Contact members · CPC title

• H01R13/40

  Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members · CPC title

• H01R13/502

  composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/207

  by screw-in connection · CPC title

• H01R4/184

  comprising a U-shaped wire-receiving portion · CPC title