Pressure contact connector

Details Pressure contact connector Pressure contact connector

1999-03-29

2001-01-23

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Plural-contact coupling part

C439S903000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176745

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a pressure contact electrical connector.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
FIG. 14
of this specification shows an electrical connector as shown in JP-2-148583. This connector comprises an outer member
101
, and two inner members
102
which are housed within the outer member
101
. The anterior portion
104
of the outer member
101
is tubular, and terminal housing chambers
103
are formed on the upper posterior side of portion
104
in order to house pressure contact terminal fittings (not shown). The two inner members
102
can be housed within the portion
104
, and fitting holes
106
are formed on side walls in order to support and maintain the inner members
102
, by engagement with protrusions
107
.
Terminal housing chambers
103
, capable of housing terminal fittings, are formed also on the inner members
102
. Locking protrusions
108
protrude from the posterior ends of the two side walls of the inner members
102
.
In addition to the members
101
and
102
, the connector is provided with a locking member
105
which fits with the locking protrusions
108
and supports the connection of the members
101
and
102
. Locking holes
109
are formed on this locking member
105
, these fitting together with the locking protrusions
108
of the two inner members
102
and the outer member
101
.
When the connector, configured as described above, is assembled, the terminal fittings are first housed within each terminal housing chamber
103
. Next, the inner members
102
are inserted into the attachment member
104
. This causes the fitting holes
106
to fit together with the fitting protrusions
107
, which fixes the position of the anterior ends of the inner members
102
in an up-own and anterior-posterior direction. Next, the locking member
105
is attached from above the outer member
101
, this causing the locking holes
109
and the locking protrusions
108
to fit together. This strengthens the connecting force between the two members
101
and
102
, and fixes the position of the posterior ends of the inner members
102
in an up-down and anterior-posterior direction. Two sets of fitting holes
106
are provided to give temporary and final fitting positions of the inner members
102
.
It is possible for the inner members
102
to be inserted in an inverted state. In such a situation, the opening of the terminal housing chambers
103
faces the wrong direction, and the pressure connection of wires to the terminals cannot be performed. Consequently, the connector which has already been assembled must be separated, and the inner members
102
re-inserted correctly. This is a troublesome operation.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a pressure contact connector in which the inner members cannot be inserted upside-down, and in which operability is improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a pressure contact electrical connector comprising a tubular outer housing, and an inner housing insertable therein, said inner housing comprising an inner body adapted to contain pressure contact terminal fittings and a cover latchable to the inner body, wherein the inner housing has protrusions on opposite sides thereof, and the outer housing has opposite recesses adapted to receive said protrusions in one respective orientation of said outer housing and inner housing only. Such a connector avoids the prior art problems, and ensures that the terminals face in the correct direction for pressure crimping.
Preferably the protrusions protrude to the exterior and are adapted to be gripped or pinched to permit removal of the inner housing.
Most preferably the protrusions also act as a resilient latch for the cover of the inner housing. Separate means of fixing the cover is thus not required, and the moulding can be simplified.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5122077 (1992-06-01), Maejima et al.
patent: 5957732 (1999-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 35 26 664 (1986-02-01), None
patent: 951 100 (1998-04-01), None

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