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US-12627097-B2 - Electrical equipotential connection device

US12627097B2US 12627097 B2US12627097 B2US 12627097B2US-12627097-B2

Abstract

An electrical equipotential connection device having: a connector ( 1 ) that includes: a first electrical connector element ( 2 ); at least one resilient tab ( 4 ); a socket ( 9 ) that includes: a contact surface ( 12 ); a second electrical connector element ( 20 ); at least one housing ( 14 ) suitable for cooperating with the at least one resilient tab ( 4 ); a disconnection track ( 17 ) adjacent to the housing ( 14 ) and extending substantially parallel to the insertion direction ( 21 ). The connector ( 1 ) is rotatable with respect to the base ( 9 ), about the insertion direction ( 21 ), between: a stable locking position in which the resilient tab ( 4 ) is inserted into the housing ( 14 ); an unlocking position in which the resilient tab ( 4 ) is resiliently deformed and disposed on the disconnection track ( 17 ).

Inventors

  • JAY NICHOLAS

Assignees

  • LATELEC

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20210926
Priority Date
20201001

Claims (6)

  1. 1 . An electrical equipotential connection device comprising: a connector ( 1 ) having a first electrical connecting element ( 2 ) including a contact rod projecting from a flange ( 3 ); and at least one elastic tab ( 4 ) protruding from the flange ( 3 ), the contact rod is made of a conductive material and extends outside the connector by a crimping portion ( 7 ), the crimping portion ( 7 ) connects the contact rod to a braided cable ( 6 ), a sealing device ( 8 ) is located at a base of the contact rod ( 2 ) inside the flange ( 3 ); a socket ( 9 ) made of a conductive metallic material, the socket ( 9 ) having: a head ( 10 ) and a threaded portion ( 11 ), the head ( 10 ) includes at a base and around the threaded portion ( 11 ) a contact surface ( 12 ) designed to mechanically and electrically connect the contact surface ( 12 ) to a structure with a reference potential, which is desired to connect the braided cable ( 6 ), the contact surface ( 12 ) is surrounded by an O-ring ( 13 ); a second electrical connecting element ( 20 ) electrically connected to the contact surface ( 12 ), and coupled with the first electrical connecting element ( 2 ) in an insertion direction ( 21 ), the second electrical connecting element ( 20 ) includes a bore ( 20 ) for passing the contact rod to connect with the contact surface ( 12 ); wherein the socket ( 9 ) has: at least two recesses ( 14 ) designed to cooperate with said at least one elastic tab ( 4 ); and a disconnection track ( 17 ) adjacent to the recesses ( 14 ), situated between the two recesses ( 14 ), the disconnection track ( 17 ) extends along a first stage ( 18 ) of the socket ( 9 ) and along a second stage ( 19 ) of the socket ( 9 ), being situated between two facets ( 24 ) of a rotation actuation imprint; wherein the at least one recess ( 14 ) has a bottom wall ( 15 ) and two oblique lateral walls ( 16 ) connecting the bottom wall ( 15 ) with the disconnection track ( 17 ); wherein the first electrical connecting element ( 2 ) and the second electrical connecting element ( 20 ) rotate one inside the other during the rotation of the connector ( 1 ) relative to the socket ( 9 ) between: a stable locking position in which the elastic tab ( 4 ) is engaged in one of the recesses ( 14 ) and an unlocking position in which the elastic tab ( 4 ) is elastically deformed and is disposed on the disconnection track ( 17 ); and wherein the electrical equipotential connection device maintains a same equipotential at all positions of the connector relative to the socket.
  2. 2 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connector ( 1 ) has a plurality of said elastic tabs ( 4 ) angularly distributed in a regular manner around the first electrical connecting element ( 2 ), and the plurality of said recesses ( 14 ) are angularly distributed in a regular manner over the head ( 10 ) and the plurality of recesses ( 14 ) cooperate with an elastic tab ( 4 ).
  3. 3 . The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one recess ( 14 ) has a bottom wall ( 15 ) and two oblique lateral walls ( 16 ) connecting the bottom wall ( 15 ) with the disconnection track ( 17 ).
  4. 4 . An electrical equipotential connection device comprising: a connector ( 1 ) having a first electrical connecting element ( 2 ); and at least one elastic tab ( 4 ); a socket ( 9 ) having: a contact surface ( 12 ) associated with a fastening ( 11 ) designed to mechanically and electrically connect the contact surface ( 12 ) to a structure; a second electrical connecting element ( 20 ) electrically connected to the contact surface ( 12 ), and coupled with the first electrical connecting element ( 2 ) in an insertion direction ( 21 ); wherein the socket ( 9 ) has: at least two recesses ( 14 ) designed to cooperate with said at least one elastic tab ( 4 ); and a disconnection track ( 17 ) adjacent to the recesses ( 14 ), situated between the two recesses ( 14 ), radially away from the recesses ( 14 ), and extending substantially parallel to the insertion direction ( 21 ); and wherein the connector ( 1 ) rotates relative to the socket ( 9 ), around the insertion direction ( 21 ), between: a stable locking position in which the elastic tab ( 4 ) is engaged in one of the recesses ( 14 ) and an unlocking position in which the elastic tab ( 4 ) is elastically deformed and is disposed on the disconnection track ( 17 ); wherein the socket ( 9 ) has, in the axial direction, a first stage ( 18 ) on which said at least one recess ( 14 ) is situated, and a second stage ( 19 ) having a rotation actuation imprint-; wherein the at least one elastic tab ( 4 ) has at its end a tooth ( 5 ) having a stop surface ( 29 ), and in that the socket ( 9 ) has a collar ( 28 ) between the first stage ( 18 ) and the second stage ( 19 ), the stop surface ( 29 ) of the tooth ( 5 ) being designed to abut against the collar ( 28 ) so as to stop the translational movement in the insertion direction ( 21 ); and wherein the rotation actuation imprint has facets ( 24 ) and in that a fillet ( 27 ) connects at least one facet ( 24 ) to the collar ( 28 ).
  5. 5 . The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the disconnection track ( 17 ) extends along the first stage ( 18 ) of the socket ( 9 ), being situated between two of said recesses ( 14 ), and along the second stage ( 19 ) of the socket ( 9 ), being situated between two facets ( 24 ) of the rotation actuation imprint.
  6. 6 . A method for disconnecting a device in accordance with claim 1 , the method comprising the following steps: driving the connector ( 1 ) in rotation inside the socket ( 9 ) from the stable locking position to the unlocking position; moving the connector ( 1 ) in translation in the insertion direction, in a direction of separation of the connector ( 1 ) relative to the socket ( 9 ), the at least one elastic tab ( 4 ) traveling over the disconnection track ( 17 ).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a national stage entry of PCT/EP2021/076425 filed Sep. 26, 2021, under the International Convention claiming priority over French Patent Application No. 2010038 filed Oct. 1, 2020. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the field of electrical connectors and more particularly targets devices allowing the equipotential bonding of equipment used in particular in aeronautics. Equipotential connection devices (or “bonding devices”) are devices that are common in electrical installations, and their function is to connect electrical equipment to a reference potential. This operation may also be commonly referred to as “grounding”. Equipotential connection operations are essential for obtaining a safe distribution of the charges and intensities over the various metal elements of a structure. In aeronautics, for example, the majority of the bundles of electrical cables and of the electrical equipment of an aircraft have to be electrically connected to the structure of the aircraft by such equipotential connection devices, with a high level of safety. PRIOR ART Equipotential bonding is generally realized during the assembly of an aircraft by an operation called “metallization” consisting of: sanding or brushing a contact surface of the structure on which the equipotential bonding has to be realized; cleaning this contact surface with a suitable grease; positioning on the contact surface a terminal as one with the equipment to be connected; screwing a fastening of the terminal; applying a protective varnish to the connection zone and allowing this varnish to dry. These operations are relatively long and meticulous, they require specific equipment and products, and are furthermore based on manual execution which can suffer from random reproducibility. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aim of the invention is to improve the equipotential connection devices and methods of the prior art. To this end, the invention targets an electrical equipotential connection device having: a connector that comprises: a first electrical connecting element; at least one elastic tab;a socket that comprises: a contact surface associated with a fastening designed to mechanically and electrically connect the contact surface to a structure; a second electrical connecting element, electrically connected to the contact surface, and able to be coupled with the first electrical connecting element in an insertion direction; at least two recesses designed to cooperate with said at least one elastic tab; and a disconnection track adjacent to the recesses, situated between the two recesses, radially away from the recesses, and extending substantially parallel to the insertion direction. The connector is also able to rotate relative to the socket, around the insertion direction, between: a stable locking position in which the elastic tab is engaged in the recess; an unlocking position in which the elastic tab is elastically deformed and is disposed on the disconnection track. According to another subject, the invention targets a method for disconnecting a device as described above, this method involving the following steps: driving the connector in rotation relative to the socket from the stable locking position to the unlocking position;moving the connector in translation in the insertion direction, in a direction of separation of the connector relative to the socket, the at least one elastic tab traveling over the disconnection track. Such a device allows the equipotential connection of equipment to a structure very quickly. The equipotential connection is realized by simply plugging the connector onto the socket. By way of example, the metallization operations of the prior art require a realization time of the order of 10 to 15 minutes, by an experienced operator, for each equipotential connection, and the manufacture of an airplane requires several hundred of these equipotential connections. In this context, the electrical equipotential connection device provides a significant time saving over all of the equipotential connections, leading to a reduction in costs and in production times. Furthermore, the device according to the invention allows an equipotential connection that is safe (the risk of anomaly in the connection is very low) and reproducible (it depends little on the person carrying out the operation), and can easily be automated. The device according to the invention furthermore provides a connection that is more stable over time, having better dynamic resistance, in particular to vibrations. With regard to the disconnection operations, the invention allows quick and easy disconnection while at the same time providing control safety, because the disconnection movement ensures that disconnection is indeed desired by the operator. Specifically, the operator has to demonstrate his or her intention to disconnect by moving the connector from its stable locking position to its unlocking