Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-25
2001-03-27
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206716
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for connecting automotive wiring harnesses and the like, and more particularly to a connector in which a resilient locking arm for locking female and male connector housings is protected from deformation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In
FIG. 5
, there is shown a male connector housing a with terminal receiving cavities a
1
formed therein. Terminal lugs of a female type attached to wire ends of a wiring harness are received and locked in these terminal receiving cavities. The male connector housing a is fitted to a mating female connector housing containing terminal lugs of a male type (not shown) therein. On its upper wall, the male connector housing a has a resilient locking arm b which is elastically vertically movable relative to the upper wall and which engages with a female connector housing locking portion thereby to lock the connector housings together.
With the male connector housing a, if the resilient locking arm b is provided exposed on the housing upper wall, wires tend to catch an operating grip b
1
at the rear end of the locking arm during assembly of the connector including insertion and locking of terminals, storage and transportation of wiring harnesses with such connectors, and the like, so that a sudden external force acts on, and damages to the resilient locking arm b. Arm protector walls c, c are thus provided on laterally opposite sides of the resilient locking arm b.
The male connector housing a′ as shown in
FIG. 6
has, in place of such arm protector walls c, a vertical recess d provided in an upper wall thereof for protecting a resilient locking arm b′ therein.
Further, the male connector housing a as shown in
FIG. 7
is featured by a pair of arm protector walls c, c provided on opposite sides of a resilient locking arm b″ and a protector bridge e which links the protector walls at a rear side thereof.
With the conventional male connector housings a, a′, as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, however, a foreign body of a width smaller than that w between the protector walls c, c, or that of the vertical recess d, for example, a branch of a wiring harness, may enter between the protector walls c, c or the vertical recess d, resulting in an external force causing deformation of the resilient locking arms b or b′.
With the male connector housing a″ of
FIG. 7
, the bridge e disposed on the protector walls c, c to cover the locking arm b″ adds to the height of the connector housing. In addition, the operating grip b
1
″ needs be located outside, beyond the bridge e, for the operation of the locking arm b″. As a result, the connector becomes large in size, not complying with an increasing demand of miniaturization.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been accomplished to overcome the above drawbacks and an object of this invention is to provide a connector in which a foreign body of a width smaller than a width of resilient locking means is prevented from coming inside the width of the locking means and exerting a sudden external force on the locking means, and which suppresses an increase in the connector size.
In order to attain the object, according to this invention, there is provided a connector which comprises: a first connector housing fittable to a second connector housing; a resilient locking means for locking the first and the second connector housings together, provided on an outer wall of the first connector housing, the resilient locking means rising at a forward base portion thereof and extending rearwardly in a fitting direction of the first and the second connector housings, the resilient locking means including an operating means provided at a rear end thereof; a deformation prevention means provided on the outer wall of the first connector housing, within a width of the resilient locking means for preventing an external force from acting on the resilient locking means; and catching prevention means provided on laterally opposite sides of the operating means for keeping the operating means from catching a foreign body.
Preferably, the resilient locking means comprises a pair of resilient locking arms extending parallel to each other in the fitting direction of the first and the second connector housings, the operating means interconnects the pair of resilient locking arms at an end of the locking arms, and the deformation prevention means is interposed between the pair of resilient locking arms.
Preferably, the deformation prevention means comprises a horizontal rib extending parallel to the resilient locking arms and a vertical rib provided at a rear end of the horizontal rib, the vertical rib standing upright on a front side of the operating means.
Preferably, the operating means has a recess formed at a front side thereof and the vertical rib is located standing upright in side the recess.
Preferably, the connector further comprises a pair of locking segments provided on the respective resilient locking arms and together constituting a locking frame engageable with a corresponding locking means provided on the second connector housing to lock the first and the second connector housings together.
Preferably, the deformation prevention means comprises a vertical rib standing upright inside a recess formed at a front or a rear side of the operating means.
Preferably, the connector further comprises a locking frame provided in one piece on the resilient locking arms and engageable with a corresponding locking means provided on the second connector housing to lock the first and the second connector housings together.
Preferably, the operating means has a height greater than that of the locking frame provided on the resilient locking arms.
Preferably, the horizontal rib and the vertical rib have heights substantially flush with, or slightly greater than, those of the resilient locking arms and the operating means, respectively.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5487678 (1996-01-01), Tsuji et al.
patent: 5672071 (1997-09-01), Ceru
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Nguyen Khiem
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Connector does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Connector, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Connector will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2489199