Connector having a short-circuiting element

Details Connector having a short-circuiting element Connector having a short-circuiting element

2000-12-15

2002-08-27

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Retaining means

C439S489000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06439914

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an electrical connector.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
JP 11-149958 describes a connector provided with a function for detecting the fitted state of connector housings and capable of releasing a short-circuiting state of terminal fittings of a first connector housing by means of a short-circuit releasing member provided on a second connector housing.
As shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16
of this specification, when two housings
101
and
102
are in separated state, terminal fittings
103
of the first housing
101
are short-circuited by shorting terminals
104
, and a fitting detecting member
105
and a short-circuit releasing member
106
are attached to the second housing
102
in a temporarily retained state. When attachment is to take place, the two housings
101
and
102
are first fitted together. Next, the short-circuit releasing member
106
is pushed in towards a return spring
107
, thereby releasing the short-circuiting state. Finally, the fitting detecting member
105
is pushed in. Pushing in the fitting detecting member
105
causes a retaining member
105
A thereof to engage with a retaining member
106
A of a short-circuit releasing member
106
, this short-circuit member
106
being locked in a state whereby it is pressed against the return spring
107
. The return spring
107
is not shown in
FIG. 16
for reasons of clarity.
If the two housings
101
and
102
are in a half-fitted state, a locking member (not shown) is bent to a wrong position and interferes with the fitting detecting member
105
, preventing the fitting detecting member
105
from being pushed in. By this means, the half-fitted state can be detected. Furthermore, if one lets go of the short-circuit releasing member
106
which has been pushed in, the return spring
107
pushes the short-circuit releasing member
106
out to a temporary retaining position, and the terminal fittings
103
return to their short-circuiting state.
When the two housings
101
and
102
are to be released from their fitted state, the fitting detecting means
105
is moved from a detecting position to a waiting position. This causes the engagement of the retaining members
105
A and
106
A to be released, the return spring
107
moves the short-circuit releasing member
106
from a short-circuit releasing position to a position allowing short-circuiting to occur, and the terminal fittings
103
are short-circuited.
In the conventional connector, the return spring
107
is the means to return the short-circuit releasing member
106
to the position allowing short-circuiting to occur. This return spring
107
is provided as a component separate from the short-circuit releasing member
106
. Consequently, there is a problem that the number of components is large.
Furthermore, separate operations are required to push in the fitting detecting member
105
and the short-circuiting member
106
, and operability is consequently poor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising two housings adapted for mutual fitting and having a resilient latch movable to a locking position to retain said housings in a fitted condition, and movable to non-locking position during movement of said housings through a half-fitted condition, the connector including a detecting member provided on one of said housings and movable from a retracted to an advanced position, the latch preventing movement of the detecting member when in the non-locking position, and permitting movement of the detecting member when in the locking position, and the connector further including a short-circuit releasing member adapted to cause or release a short-circuit condition between terminals of the other of said housings, wherein said short-circuit releasing member is engageable by said detecting member on movement from the retracted to the advanced condition, to move from a short-circuiting condition to a state in which the short-circuit condition is released. Preferably the short-circuit releasing member includes a resilient arm which deflects during movement of the detecting member from a retracted to an advanced condition.
The short-circuit releasing member is preferably ‘U’ shaped, having two such resilient arms, and insertable in one of said housings in the direction of the engagement axis of the housings. A projection of this ‘U’ shaped member is preferably engageable in a corresponding aperture of the associated housing to prevent lateral movement thereof. The arms of the ‘U’ shaped member are preferably deflectable apart to release the short-circuit condition, the tips of the arms preferably having a ramp surface for engagement with a short-circuit member and for moving the short-circuit member from a short-circuiting to a non-short circuiting condition.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6276953 (2001-08-01), Gauker et al.
patent: 196 17 820 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 734100 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 734101 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 902 506 (1999-03-01), None

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