Connector

Details Connector Connector

1998-11-10

2001-07-10

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With indicating or identifying provision

Connection indicating provision

C439S188000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06257922

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a connector provided with an electrical fitting detecting function.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Conventional connectors provided with a fitting detecting function include the one described in JP 7-201414. In this kind of connector, as shown in
FIG. 7
of this specification, a resiliently movable locking arm
2
is provided on a female housing
1
, this locking arm
2
being engaged by a latching member
6
of a corresponding male housing
5
. A terminal housing chamber
3
is formed within the female housing
1
, this terminal housing chamber
3
being open in a posterior direction and housing a disconnecting terminal
4
capable of making contact with a detecting terminal
7
provided on the male housing
5
. When the female housing
1
is fitted to the male housing
5
, the locking arm
2
is pushed in and moves in a downwards direction and the disconnecting terminal
4
moves therewith in a downwards direction. If the housings
1
and
5
remain in a half-fitted state, the disconnecting terminal
4
is unable to make contact with the detecting terminal
7
. If the housings
1
and
5
are correctly fitted together, the disconnecting terminal
4
returns upwards to its original position together with the locking arm
2
and makes contact with the detecting terminal
7
. As a result, it can be detected that the housings
1
and
5
are correctly fitted together.
In the case of conventional connectors, the terminal housing chamber
3
is open in a posterior direction to permit easy installation of the disconnecting terminal
4
, etc. Consequently, there is a possibility that foreign objects enter from this posterior opening and collide against the disconnecting terminal
4
and that, in an extreme case, the disconnecting terminal
4
change shape beyond its limit of resilience. Under these conditions there was little room for improvement.
The present invention has been developed in response to the circumstances described above, and aims to prevent the disconnecting terminal from becoming accidentally or deliberately deformed, by preventing foreign objects from entering the terminal housing chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising two mutually engageable connector housings, one of said housings having a chamber containing a resilient short-circuit terminal, and the other of said housings having a detecting terminal engageable with said short-circuit terminal, said one housing further including a latch arm resiliently movable from an engaged to a disengaged condition, and being engageable with a latch member of said other housing, said latch arm and short-circuit terminal being adjacent and movable together such that said short-circuit terminal and detecting terminal are engaged only when said latch arm and latch member are engaged, wherein said chamber has a front opening facing towards said other housing, and said short-circuit terminal is insertable through said front opening.
Such an arrangement ensures that, once connected, the installation opening for the short-circuit terminal is covered by the corresponding connector. Thus there is no possibility that an object can enter through this opening to disturb the position of the short-circuit terminal.
The chamber may include a rear opening covered by a membrane, and said rear opening may be in a direction lateral to the engagement axis of the connector. In this way a latch arm of the connector may indirectly operate the short-circuit terminal via the membrane.
In the preferred embodiment a latch arm engages the body of the connector when moved through a desired operating range, this engagement both regulating the amount of latch arm movement directly, and the amount of movement of the short-circuit terminal indirectly. Preferably the latch arm strikes against a protective wall which closes a rear opening of said chamber. A retainer may be provided to latch the short-circuit terminal with respect to the respective connector housing.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4900267 (1990-02-01), Nagasaka et al.
patent: 5145356 (1992-09-01), Minnis
patent: 5562486 (1996-10-01), Saijo et al.
patent: 5613872 (1997-03-01), Fukuda et al.
patent: 5647762 (1997-07-01), Fukuda
patent: 5651693 (1997-07-01), Fukuda et al.
patent: 5709563 (1998-01-01), Saito
patent: 5743760 (1998-04-01), Inaba et al.
patent: 5863216 (1999-01-01), Tsuji
patent: 5997344 (1999-12-01), Shinozaki
patent: 624 925 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 2 305 554 (1997-04-01), None

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