Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2001-05-15
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231400
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a combined-type connector in which a plurality of connector housings, each having a plurality of terminals received therein, are connected together in a multi-stage manner to provide the combined-type connector.
FIGS. 4
to
8
show a combined-type connector (see Japanese Patent Application No. 9-223764).
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of this combined-type connector, which shows a condition before it is brought into a combined condition.
FIG. 5
is an enlarged, perspective view of an important portion of an upper connector housing as viewed from the lower side thereof.
FIG. 6
is an enlarged, perspective view of an important portion of a lower connector housing as viewed from the upper side thereof.
FIG. 7
is a cross-sectional view of an important portion, which shows a condition in which press-connecting terminals are held in contact with partition walls.
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view of an important portion, which shows a condition in which the press-connecting terminal is pressed and deformed by the partition wall.
In
FIGS. 4
to
8
, the combined-type connector
1
includes the upper connector housing
2
, and the lower connector housing
3
, and a lower surface
2
a
of the upper connector housing
2
and an upper surface
3
a
of the lower connector housing
3
serve respectively as connecting surfaces opposed to each other. A plurality of terminal storage chambers
4
are formed in the upper connector housing
2
, and extend in a forward-rearward direction, and are juxtaposed in a right-left direction. These terminal storage chambers
4
are separated from one another by the partition walls
5
(shown in FIGS.
7
and
8
). A rear portion of the lower surface (connecting surface)
2
a
of the upper connector housing
2
is open to provide an opening
6
, and rear portions of the terminal storage chambers
4
are exposed through this opening
6
. The press-connecting terminals
7
(shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
) are received in the terminal storage chambers
4
, respectively, and one end portion of a wire W is press-connected to a wire press-connecting portion
7
a
formed at a rear portion of each press-connecting terminal
7
. The wire press-connecting portion
7
a
is bent into a generally U-shape, and distal ends of opposed side walls thereof project upwardly beyond the partition walls
5
.
On a front portion of the lower surface (connecting surface)
2
a
of the upper connector housing
2
, three first front retaining projections
8
of a generally trapezoidal cross-section are formed to extend in the forward-rearward direction, one of these projections
8
being disposed at a central portion of this front portion whereas the other two projections
8
are disposed respectively on opposite sides of this central projection
8
, and are spaced a predetermined distance therefrom. Second front retaining projections
9
are formed respectively on opposite ends of the front portion of the lower surface
2
a
of the upper connector housing
2
. As best shown in
FIG. 5
, each second front retaining projection
9
includes a downwardly-extending, introducing rib
9
a
of a semi-circular shape, an introducing tapering convex portion
9
b
extending obliquely from a distal end of the introducing rib
9
a
, and a flat convex portion
9
c
extending horizontally from the bottom of the introducing tapering convex portion
9
b
. Rear retaining projections
10
, each in the form of an engagement pole, are provided respectively on opposite side surfaces of the upper connector housing
2
at the rear portion thereof.
A plurality of terminal storage chambers
4
are formed in the lower connector housing
3
, and extend in the forward-rearward direction, and are juxtaposed in the right-left direction. A rear portion of a lower surface of the lower connector housing
3
is open to provide an opening
6
, and rear portions of the terminal storage chambers
4
are exposed through this opening
6
. Similarly the upper connector housing
2
, press-connecting terminals (not shown) are received in the terminal storage chambers
4
of the lower connector housing
3
, respectively.
A cover
11
is connected to the lower side of the lower connector housing
3
through hinge portions (not shown). The opening
6
can be closed by this cover
11
. A plurality of partition walls
12
are formed on a rear portion of the upper surface (connecting surface)
3
a
of the lower connecting housing
3
so as to be opposed respectively to the plurality of partition walls
5
on the upper connector housing
2
. A wire position-limiting projection
13
(shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
) is formed between any two adjacent partition walls
12
.
Three first front retaining recesses
14
of a generally inverted trapezoid-shaped cross-section are formed in a front portion of the upper surface (connecting surface)
3
a
of the lower connector housing
3
, one of these recesses
14
being disposed at a central portion of this front portion whereas the other two recesses
14
are disposed respectively on opposite sides of this central recess
14
, the other recesses
14
are spaced a predetermined distance therefrom. Second front retaining recesses
15
are formed respectively in opposite ends of the front portion of the upper surface
3
a
of the lower connector housing
3
. As best shown in
FIG. 6
, each second front retaining recess
15
includes a guide tapering recess portion
15
a
for receiving the introducing rib
9
a
and the introducing tapering convex portion
9
b
, and a horizontal recess portion
15
b
for receiving the flat convex portion
9
c
. Rear retaining arms
16
of an elastic nature are formed respectively on opposite side surfaces of the lower connector housing
3
at the rear portion thereof, and each of the rear retaining arms
16
has a rear retaining hole
17
.
In the above construction, the press-connecting terminals
7
are received respectively in the terminal storage chambers
4
formed in the connector housings
2
and
3
, and the wire W is connected at one end portion to each of the press-connecting terminals
7
, and thereafter the opening
6
in the lower connector housing
3
is closed by the cover
11
. Then, the upper connector housing
2
is set on a combining jig (not shown), with its lower surface
2
a
directed upwardly, and then the lower connector housing
3
is placed on the thus set upper connector housing
2
from the upper side, with the upper surface
3
a
thereof directed downwardly. When placing the lower connector housing on the upper connector housing, the first front retaining projections
8
, the second front retaining projections
9
and the rear retaining projections
10
of the upper connector housing
2
are generally positioned with respect to the first front retaining recesses
14
, the second front retaining recesses
15
and the rear retaining arms
16
of the lower connector housing
3
, respectively.
Then, the lower connector housing
3
is pressed downwardly, so that the opposed connecting surfaces of the two connector housings
2
and
3
are moved toward each other, and therefore in this connecting position, the first front retaining projections
8
and the second front retaining projections
9
are fitted into the first front retaining recesses
14
and the second front retaining recesses
15
, respectively. Also the rear retaining projections
10
are retainingly engaged respectively in the rear retaining holes
17
since the rear retaining arms
16
are elastically deformed. Therefore, the two connector housings
2
and
3
are combined together.
In accordance with the movement of the two connector housings
2
and
3
toward the connecting position, the partition walls
12
are moved toward the partition walls
5
, respectively, and are substantially held against the partition walls
5
at their respective distal ends. Therefore, the terminal storage chambers
4
are substantially completely separated or isolated from one another, and the short-circuiting between the adjacent press-connecting
Duverne J. F.
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Sircus Brian
Yazaki -Corporation
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