Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Coupling part housing hinged for coupling part assembly
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-31
2001-08-14
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Coupling part housing hinged for coupling part assembly
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273755
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Description of Related Art
A connector that is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-54283 has a terminal accommodation housing for accommodating a terminal therein, an electric-wire accommodation housing integrated with the terminal accommodation housing, and a cover for covering a rear-surface opening of the electric-wire accommodation housing.
The terminal accommodation housing is shaped like a character T. And this housing has a central space portion for preventing the occurrence of deformation due to warpage, palpus, etc. at the time of injection molding and a plurality of mutually independent terminal accommodation portions located around the central space portion. Each terminal accommodation portion has a terminal insertion opening that a mating terminal (male terminal) is inserted into.
The electric-wire accommodation housing that has an opening and that is shaped like a rectangular block has an electric-wire accommodation chamber for accommodating therein an electric wire that has been connected to its corresponding terminal, and an engaging/retaining projection for having attached thereto a cover for covering the opening and protecting the electric-wire accommodation chamber.
The cover is openably or closably connected to the electric-wire accommodation housing via a hinge. An engaging/retaining frame portion equipped with an engaging hole portion that is engaged with the engaging/retaining projection of the electric-wire accommodation housing is formed on the cover in such a way as to oppose this projection. The engaging/retaining projection of the electric-wire accommodation housing being engaged with the engaging hole portion of the engaging/retaining frame portion, the cover is mounted on the electric-wire accommodation housing in a state of its closing the opening.
According to the above-described connector, shutting the cover and closing the opening, the direction in which each electric wire accommodated within the electric-wire accommodation chamber is taken out is regulated, with the result that the respective electric wires are prevented from getting intertwined with one another.
2. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, in the above-constructed connector, when the electric wire has been pulled away with some irresistible force or another, e.g., when the connector is fitted to a mating connector, the following possibilities come up. Namely, it is possible that the electric wire will be moved into between the electric-wire accommodation housing and the cover and that this will cause damages to the electric wire. Further, it is also possible that the engagement of the engaging/retaining projection and the engaging/retaining frame portion will get released and that as a result the cover will be made open.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that prevents the electric wire from being moved into between the housing and the cover without making the configuration of the housing complex and that therefore reliably keeps the electric wire intact and prevents the cover from getting disengaged from the housing.
To attain the above object, a first aspect of connector according to the present invention has first and second housings, a cover, and a projection. A terminal is accommodated within the first housing. The second housing has an electric-wire accommodation chamber for accommodating an electric wire connected to the terminal, and an opening for being used with respect to the electric-wire accommodation chamber. The second housing is provided integrally with the first housing. The cover is connected to the second housing via a hinge so that the cover may be freely opened or closed with respect thereto. And the cover closes the opening of the second housing. The projection protrudes from an inner surface of the cover into the interior of the electric-wire accommodation chamber of the second housing to thereby prevent the electric wire within the second housing from being positionally displaced.
According to this construction, even when the electric wire within the electric-wire accommodation chamber has been pulled with some irresistible force or another, the electric wire comes into contact with the projection, whereby the positional displacement of the electric wire is prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the positional displacement of the electric wire with a simple construction without making up the housing into a complex configuration.
In a second aspect of connector according to the present invention, when the electric wire has been pulled toward the opening, the projection comes into contact with an inner wall of the electric-wire accommodation chamber.
According to this construction, when the electric wire has been pulled toward the opening, the projection abuts on an inner wall surface of the electric-wire accommodation chamber to thereby prevent the cover from getting open. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electric wire from being moved into between the second housing and the cover. Accordingly, the electric wire and the cover are reliably prevented from being damaged and getting disengaged from the opening, respectively.
In a third aspect of connector according to the present invention, the second housing has a plurality of mutually independent electric-wire accommodation chambers. The projection protrudes into the electric-wire accommodation chamber that adjoins to an open end of the second housing opposing a hinge.
In a fourth aspect of connector according to the present invention, the second housing has a plurality of mutually independent electric-wire accommodation chambers. The cover has a plurality of projections that protrude into the electric-wire accommodation chambers, respectively.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3920306 (1975-11-01), Barnett, Jr. et al.
patent: 4226494 (1980-10-01), Mazzeo et al.
patent: 4702712 (1987-10-01), Ghorbani et al.
patent: 5759065 (1998-06-01), Hatagishi et al.
patent: 6027374 (2000-02-01), Nagai et al.
patent: Sho 63-54283 (1988-04-01), None
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Nguyen P
Paumen Gary
Yazaki -Corporation
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