Socket for vehicle passenger compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634418-B2
Application number	US-201514980149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

An assembly for producing a socket for a vehicle passenger compartment comprises a metal socket body and contact element used to supply current to the metal socket body and includes fixing means and at least one electrical connection element. Each element is adapted to be fixed to the metal socket body so that only some of the fixing means of the socket body are used to fix it. With this structure, the same metal socket body may be used for differently formed connection elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for producing a socket for a vehicle passenger compartment, the assembly comprising:
at least one base;
a socket body adapted to be received in said at least one base; and
a plurality of electrical connection elements adapted to be fixed to said socket body;
said socket body comprising a plurality of attachment holds at a region thereof, each one of said plurality of electrical connection elements having a plurality of fingers or tongues for securing each of said plurality of electrical connection elements to said socket body, with each of said plurality of electrical connection elements using a different subset of said plurality of attachment holds.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of electrical connection elements being adapted to be fixed to said socket body in at least one predetermined position on said socket body such that the other of said plurality of electrical connection elements cannot then be fixed to said socket body in said at least one predetermined position corresponding to the other of said plurality of electrical connection elements.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said socket body includes at least one hole for fixing at least one of said plurality of electrical connection elements to said socket body in a predetermined position corresponding to said at least one of said plurality of electrical connection elements.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said socket body includes at least two holes, preferably four holes.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 , wherein said plurality of electrical connection elements is adapted to be fixed to said socket body by means of at least two of said at least two holes of said socket body.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of electrical connection elements comprises a plane support, at least one finger and a tongue, both projecting from said plane support.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one base is adapted to be fixed in a predetermined position to said socket body.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein said at least one base is a ring.

9. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein said at least one base includes a raised projection that forms an abutment in said socket on receiving a connector.

10. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of electrical connection elements being one or more first elements, the assembly further comprises at least two different second electrical connection elements.

11. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising at least two different caps for closing a housing of said socket.

12. A method of manufacturing said socket for a vehicle passenger compartment, wherein an assembly according to claim 1 is procured and at least one of said plurality of electrical connection elements is fixed to said socket body.

13. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said socket body includes at least one hole for fixing said plurality of electrical connection elements to said socket body in said predetermined position corresponding to said plurality of electrical connection elements.

14. The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said plurality of electrical connection elements comprises a plane support, at least one finger and a tongue, both projecting from said plane support.

15. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said plurality of electrical connection elements comprises a plane support, at least one finger and a tongue, both projecting from said plane support.

16. The assembly according to claim 2 , which further comprises at least one base adapted to be fixed in a predetermined position to said socket body.

17. The assembly according to claim 6 , which further comprises at least one base adapted to be fixed in a predetermined position to said socket body.

18. The assembly according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one base includes a raised projection that forms an abutment in said socket on receiving a connector.

19. A socket intended for a vehicle passenger compartment and comprising:
at least one base;
a socket body adapted to be received in said at least one base; and
a plurality of electrical connection elements adapted to be fixed to said socket body;
said socket body comprising a plurality of attachment holds at a region thereof, each one of said plurality of electrical connection elements having a plurality of fingers or tongues for securing each of said plurality of electrical connection elements to said socket body, with each of said plurality of electrical connection elements using a different subset of said plurality of attachment holds.

20. A group of at least two sockets according to claim 19 , said socket bodies of said at least two sockets being identical, said electrical connection element for each socket body being different from one another and each being fixed to one of said socket bodies in a predetermined position, the fixing in position of each said electrical connection element for each socket body making it impossible to fix the other of said electrical connection element to the same socket body at a corresponding position.

Assignees

• Valeo Vision

Inventors

• Demazeau Jean-Yves
• Descazeaux Benoit
• Fournier Sylvain
• Bernable Matthieu

Classifications

• H01R13/40 Primary

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

• H01R29/00

  Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, {programmable connectors} · CPC title

• H01R43/20 Primary

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H01R13/642

  by position or shape of contact members · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title