US 8,894,431 B2Granted

Connector assembly and corresponding assembly

AssigneeStaubli Faverges

InventorsAlain-Christophe Tiberghien, Christophe Durieux, Igor Bahno

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

This connector assembly (4) comprises a connecting plate (12) provided with at least one electrical (16) and/or fluid (14) connection element, which defines a direction of connecting (Z) to a complementary connection element (18, 20), a support (22) and a floating device (26). The plate (12) is able to be displaced in relation to the support (22) in an offset position in a plane (X-Y). The floating device (26) recenters the plate (12) in an idle position in disconnected configuration and comprises a recentering element (28) integral with an element (12, 22) and means of recalling (30) a cam surface (38) of the recentering element (28) in contact with a cam follower surface (40) arranged on an element (12, 22). The surface (38) and/or the surface (40) is inclined (α) in relation to the direction (Z), and the recentering element (28) is mobile according to the direction (Z) in relation to the plate (12) and in relation to the support (22) between the idle and offset positions.

Connector assembly (4) comprising:

a connecting plate (12) provided with at least one electrical (16) and/or fluid (14) connection element, with the connection element defining a direction of connecting (Z) to a complementary electrical (18) and/or fluid (20) connection element,
a support (22), the connecting plate (12) able to be displaced in relation to the support (22) in an offset position in a plane (X-Y) perpendicular to the direction of connecting for the connection of the connection elements (14, 16, 18, 20) and
a floating device (26) between the connecting plate and the support,
with the floating device (26) able to recentre the connecting plate (12) in a determined idle position of the connecting plate in relation to the support in disconnected configuration of the connecting plate, from said offset position of the plate (12),
characterised in that the floating device comprises
on the one hand a recentring element (28) integral in the plane (X-Y) with the connecting plate (12) and
on the other hand means of elastic recalling (30) of a cam surface (38) of the recentring element (28) in contact with a cam follower surface (40) arranged on the support (22), the connecting plate (12) and the support (22) being separate, in that the cam surface (38) and/or the cam follower surface (40) is inclined (α) in relation to the direction of connecting (Z), in that the connecting plate (12) is fixed according to the direction of connecting (Z) in relation to the support (22), in that the recentring element (28) is mobile according to the direction of connecting (Z) in relation to the connecting plate (12) and in relation to the support (22) between the idle position and said offset position of the plate (12), in that a stop plate (32) and the connecting plate (12) are arranged on either side of the support (22) according to the direction of connecting (Z), and in that the recentring element (28) is arranged between the stop plate (32) and the support (22).

4 more elements

Facts

Application

13/890,911Filed 9 May 2013

Priority

FR 12 5453716 May 2012

Published

US 2013/0309886 A121 Nov 2013

Granted

25 Nov 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H01R 12/91
Coupling devices: allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating or self aligning
F16L 37/56
Couplings of the quick-acting type: for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
H01R 13/6315
For engagement only: allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection
H01R
Electrically-conductive connections

Abstract

Claims15