Connector

Details Connector Connector

1998-11-24

2001-03-06

Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Contact comprising cutter

Insulation cutter

C439S395000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06196860

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a connector provided with a cover for electric wires.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIG. 9
, a conventional example of a connector provided with a cover for electric wires comprises terminal fittings
2
inserted into a housing
1
, an electric wire
4
attached by pressure contact to a pressure contact blade
3
at the posterior end of each terminal fitting
2
, and a cover
5
attached to the housing
1
to cover the pressure contact portion thereof.
The portions of the electric wire
4
which extend upwards and downwards from the pressure contact blade
3
are respectively bent in an anterior direction so as to lead out through a space between an outer peripheral face of the housing
1
and an inner peripheral face of the cover
5
, and are then folded back and distributed along the outer peripheral face of the cover
5
. The electric wires
4
are then gathered together with tape
6
into a bundle at the posterior of the cover
5
.
In this connector, a distribution space
7
is required for the electric wires
4
in between the outer face of the housing
1
and the inner face of the cover
5
. Accordingly, ribs
8
are provided on the inner face of the cover
5
, and these make contact with the outer face of the housing
1
, thereby defining the distribution space
7
. However, the ribs
8
are formed only on the cover
5
, and there is the danger that, in the case where the end faces of the housing
1
and cover
5
are square and a position fixing means has not been provided, the cover
5
may be attached to the housing
1
upside down.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and in a first aspect aims to present a means of preventing the electric wire cover
5
from being attached incorrectly to the housing
1
.
FIG. 10
illustrates another problem with the prior art device. Conventionally the cover
5
is attached to the housing
1
by a flexible locking arm
9
which engages a projection of a mating connector housing. In order to release the cover
5
, the locking arm
9
is depressed. In order to prevent accidental release of the locking arm
9
by contact with another structure, side walls
10
are provided. These walls require a finger to be inserted between them so as to depress the locking arm. However, due to miniaturisation, the space between the walls may be too small to allow the locking arm to be depressed, and accordingly operability is reduced.
The present invention also aims to provide a solution to this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect, the invention provides an electrical connector comprising a housing, a terminal fitting within said housing and having a protruding end for engagement with an electrical wire, and a cover for said protruding end, said cover and housing defining a wire distribution space therebetween, wherein said cover and housing have opposed projections adapted to prevent said cover being fitted upside down on said housing.
Such a connector ensures that the cover cannot be filled upside down, and thus trap or otherwise damage the electrical wires enclosed thereby.
Preferably the projections comprise upstanding and depending ribs of the cover and housing, and each rib may define a wire distribution space on either side thereof. In this way the ribs can serve the double function of preventing incorrect fitting of the cover, and separating adjacent wires. The cover may include a planar projection which, in conjunction with the rib of the housing, can define a wire distribution space more precisely.
In a second aspect, the invention provides an electrical connector comprising a housing, a terminal fitting in the housing and having a protruding end for engagement with an electrical wire, and a cover for said protruding end, said connector further including a resilient cantilevered locking arm of the housing having a protrusion engageable with an abutment of a mating connector, said housing having upstanding walls on either side of said arm to prevent accidental depression thereof, wherein said walls include a cut-away portion just sufficient to permit depression of said locking arm by a single finger.
Such a connector overcomes a problem of miniaturisation whereby a finger cannot fit between the walls in order to depress the locking arm.
The locking arm may extend over the cover in use, and the cover may also include upstanding protective walls. The finger recess may be provided at the junction of the housing and cover, and be partially provided on the cover and partially on the housing. The upstanding walls of the cover preferably have the second function of providing a guide channel to guide wires from the housing away therefrom.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3824530 (1974-07-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 4066316 (1978-01-01), Rolings
patent: 4343085 (1982-08-01), Lucius et al.
patent: 4380361 (1983-04-01), Asick et al.
patent: 5573432 (1996-11-01), Hatagishi
patent: 5702265 (1997-12-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 5775930 (1998-07-01), Model et al.
patent: 5915990 (1999-06-01), Beer et al.
patent: 5947763 (1999-09-01), Alaksin
patent: 0 470 887 (1991-07-01), None
patent: 60-240072 (1985-11-01), None
patent: 62-198063 (1987-09-01), None

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