Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact – Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-24
2001-10-02
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296502
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector used for electrically connecting various electrical-component modules to a panel of a car body.
2. Description of the Related Art
During conventional processes for assembling a meter panel, a door module, an overhead module, or the like, after connectors of a wire harness of a panel of a car body (for example, a dashboard, a door panel, or a roof panel) have been manually coupled to connectors of a wire harness of a panel of an electrical-component module (for example, an instrument panel or an inner panel), a panel of an electrical-component module is attached to the panel of the car body. A necessity for manual coupling of connectors imposes a problem in terms of the ease of assembly. Further, a wire harness of connectors requires slack, and slack in the wire harness may cause unusual noise and raises a possibility that electric wires could be caught during assembly of panels. Preventing such problems has required various countermeasures.
To this end, there have been proposed connectors which can be coupled together simultaneous with attachment of an electrical module to a stationary panel of a car body (see unexamined Japanese Patent publication No. Hei. 5-54933. The sole point of characteristic of this invention is that connectors are mounted on each panel in a longitudinal direction (in a direction in which panels are mutually opposed). A wide connector coupling space must be ensured between panels (i.e., in a depth wise direction of panels).
Moreover, there have been proposed connectors which can be coupled together simultaneous with attachment of an electrical module to a stationary panel of a car body (see unexamined Japanese Patent publication No. Hei. 10-242040).
According to the Japanese publication No. 10-242040, the connectors are embodied by means of a first connector provided on a first mount member and a second connector provided on a second mount member. When the first and second mount members are caused to approach each other, the first connector is connected to the second connector. More specifically, the first connector is mounted on the first mount member while being oriented laterally, and a holder is mounted on the second mount member. The holder supports the second connector so as to be able to deflect in a forward direction while being oriented horizontally. When the first and second mount members are caused to approach each other, the second connector is connected to the first connector while being oriented laterally and deflected in a forward direction.
Specifically, the connectors are embodied by means of a connector (first connector)
304
of an overhead module (e.g., a room lamp) module
303
(shown in
FIGS. 26A and 26B
) being connected to a connector (second connector)
303
of a roof panel
301
(shown in FIGS.
27
A and
27
B).
A support base
305
is mounted on the upper surface of the overhead module
303
, and an insert shoe groove
305
a
is formed in the support base
305
. A shoe
304
b
formed on the bottom of the connector
304
is inserted into the support base
305
, and an engagement projection
4
c
of the connector
4
(see
FIG. 28A
) is engaged with an engagement hole
4
b
. As a result, the connector
304
is fixed on top of the support base
305
while being oriented laterally.
A square-box-shaped holder
306
is attached to the lower surface of the roof panel
301
. A guide pin
302
b
of the connector
302
is engaged with and guided by a cam slot
306
a
of the holder
6
. An engagement section
302
a
of the connector
302
is engaged with an engagement section
304
a
of the stationary connector
304
while being moved in a forward direction (designated by arrow F) and being oriented laterally.
As shown in
FIG. 28A
, the holder
306
of the roof panel
301
temporarily holds the connector
302
in an initial position while being oriented laterally, and the connector
304
of the overhead module
303
is secured laterally.
As shown in
FIG. 28B
, when the overhead module
303
is caused to approach the roof panel
301
in parallel (as designated by arrow A), the engagement section
304
a
of the connector
304
is fitted into the engagement section
302
a
of the connector
302
.
When the overhead module
303
is caused to approach the roof panel
301
further, the guide pin
302
b
is guided, as shown in
FIG. 29A
, by the cam slot
306
a
of the holder
306
and is moved in forward direction F while being oriented laterally. In association with approaching of the overhead module
303
to the roof panel
301
, the engagement section
302
a
of the connector
302
is engaged with the engagement section
304
a
of the connector
304
, wherewith terminals of the engagement section
302
a
of the connector
302
are connected to terminals of the engagement section
304
a
of the connector
304
.
As shown in
FIG. 29B
, when the overhead module
303
is caused to approach the roof panel
301
to a further extent, the connector
302
is moved further in the forward direction F while being oriented laterally. The engagement section
302
a
of the connector
302
is deeply engaged with the engagement section
304
a
of the connector
304
, wherewith terminals of the connector
302
and terminals of the connector
304
are completely connected together. Thus, connection of the connector
304
to the connector
302
is completed.
As mentioned above, if the overhead module
303
is caused to approach the roof panel
301
, the engagement section
302
a
of the connector
302
is engaged with the engagement section
304
a
of the connector
304
while being moved in the forward direction F and being oriented laterally. Therefore, the connectors
302
and
304
remain lateral before and after coupling. Thus, there is obviated a necessity for ensuring a wide connector coupling space between the roof panel
301
and the overhead module
303
(in a depth wise direction thereof). The connectors
302
and
304
can be connected even in a narrow depthwise space.
In a connector, a terminal engagement member is usually inserted from one side of a housing, and an electrode terminal housed in a cavity is engaged with the housing.
In a known connector, in the case where a terminal engagement member for engaging an electrode terminal in the housing is inserted to an insufficient extent; in other words, to a predetermined position in the housing, the terminal engagement member fails to engage the electrode terminal in the housing.
Moreover, if relative vertical and/or horizontal positional displacements arise between the connectors
302
and
304
, when the connector
302
cannot be smoothly engaged with the connector
304
while the overhead module
303
is being caused to approach the roof panel
301
. For this reason, demand exists for the connectors
302
and
304
having self-alignment functions.
Also, in connection with commercialization, this connector construction has room for improvement in terms of ease of assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been conceived to solve such a problem of the related art and, and an object of the invention is to provide a connector which prevents insufficient insertion of a terminal engagement member for engaging an electrode terminal, thereby engaging the electrode terminal in the housing without fail.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector comprising:
a first connector mounted on a first mount, and
a second connector mounted on a second mount, in which, when the first and second mounts are caused to approach each other, the first connector is connected to the second connector, the connector comprising:
a holder for sustaining at least one of the first and second connectors;
a terminal engagement member for locking, in a housing, an electrode terminal which is inserted from one side of the housing of the connector and is to be housed in the connector;
a press protuberance provided on a holder for pushing the terminal engagement member; and
an insuff
Kato Katsutoshi
Takata Kensaku
Harness Systems Technologies Research, Ltd.
Le Thanh-Tam T
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Sircus Brian
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