Electrical connectors – With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-21
2002-12-10
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
C439S578000, C439S939000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06491530
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a connector with a shielding terminal and to a method for mounting such a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector with a shielding terminal is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-96895 and is identified by the numeral
1
in
FIG. 17
herein. The connector
1
includes a housing
2
and a ground terminal
3
that are mounted on an electrically conductive panel P. The housing
2
is formed with a cavity
2
A, and a shielding terminal
4
is accommodated in the cavity
2
A. The ground terminal
3
has two opposed contact pieces
3
A that extend into the cavity
2
A to establish contact with left and right side surfaces of a shielding shell
4
A of the shielding terminal
4
. The ground terminal
3
then shorts the shielding shell
4
A to the panel P.
The leading ends of the contact pieces
3
A constantly project into the cavity
2
A. Thus, these leading ends and the side surfaces of the shielding shell
4
A are held in sliding contact with each other during insertion of the shielding terminal
4
. This sliding contact increases insertion resistance of the shielding terminal
4
and results in a poor operability.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a method for mounting a connector allowing for an improved operability by reducing an insertion resistance of a shielding terminal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed a connector with a housing and a shielding terminal mounted in the housing. The shielding terminal comprises a shielding shell that substantially surrounds an inner terminal. The connector further comprises a ground terminal mounted to the housing. The ground terminal shorts the shielding shell to an electrically conductive fixed article. The ground terminal comprises a contact piece that is movable between a retracted position where it is not in contact with the shielding shell and a contact position where it is in contact with the shielding shell. The shielding terminal can be mounted into the housing when the contact piece is in the retracted position. Accordingly, an insertion resistance of the shield terminal can be reduced.
Both the housing and the ground terminal preferably are formed with mount holes through which a mounting member is inserted to fix the connector to the fixed article. The mount holes of the housing and the ground terminal preferably are not aligned when the contact piece is at the retracted position, but are substantially aligned when the contact piece is at the contact position.
The mounting member cannot fix the connector to the fixed article if the mount holes of the ground terminal and the housing are not aligned. Therefore an operator is reminded to move the ground terminal to the contact position.
A leading end of the contact piece preferably is at a detecting portion of the housing when the contact piece is at the retracted position and can be detected from the outside. Thus, an operator can determine whether the contact piece is at a proper position by projecting a light for photoelectric detection.
The contact piece preferably comprises a slanted portion that projects towards a cavity into which the shielding shell is insertable. Similarly, the housing comprises a slanted surface that corresponds to the slanted portion of the contact piece and that has substantially the same inclination as the slanted portion.
The ground terminal preferably can lock the shielding terminal in the housing when the ground terminal is being mounted on the housing.
The shielding terminal preferably is locked partly in the housing by a partly locking means and is locked fully in the housing by the ground terminal.
Most preferably, the ground terminal is mounted on the housing for movement between a first position where insertion and withdrawal of the shielding terminal are permitted and a second position where the ground terminal locks the shielding terminal.
The invention also is directed to a method for mounting a connector for fixing a shielding shell of a shielding terminal to an electrically conductive fixed article. The method comprises assembling a ground terminal to a housing of the connector for bringing the ground terminal into shorting contact with both the shielding shell and the fixed article, and moving at least one contact piece of the ground terminal between a retracted position where it is not in contact with the shielding shell and a contact position where it is in contact with the shielding shell.
The method may further comprise inserting a mounting member through mount holes formed in both the housing and the ground terminal to fix the connector to the fixed article.
Preferably, the mount holes of the housing and the ground terminal are not aligned when the contact piece is at the retracted position, but are substantially aligned when the contact piece is at the contact position.
The method may further comprise detecting whether the contact piece is in contact with the shielding shell by verifying whether a portion of the contact piece is in a detecting portion of the housing.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5722841 (1998-03-01), Wright
patent: 6083048 (2000-07-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 6171150 (2001-01-01), Saito et al.
patent: 6384335 (2002-05-01), Saito et al.
Aoyama Masahiko
Koide Takashi
Bradley P. Austin
Casella Anthony J.
Gushi Ross
Hespos Gerald E.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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