Electrical connectors – With or comprising removable circuit modifying arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-10
2001-02-13
Patel, T. C. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With or comprising removable circuit modifying arrangement
C439S589000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, particularly a connector for use in the wiring of a vehicle such as an automobile, and a jig for assembling the connector.
2. Description of Related Art
A connector which is capable of detecting the incomplete insertion of a terminal is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-106847. In the connector, cavities are formed in a housing. A lance for preventing removal of a terminal is formed in each cavity such that the locking lance confronts an outer surface of the housing, and a retainer is installed on the outer surface of the housing. In the case where every terminal has been inserted into the normal position of each cavity, the locking lances are flush with the outer surface of the housing. In this case, the retainer can be installed on the housing without the retainer interfering with the locking lances. On the other hand, in the case where any of the terminals has not been inserted into the normal position of each cavity, the terminal bears on the locking lance and the locking lance is projected outwardly from the outer surface of the housing. In this case, when the retainer is installed on the housing it collides with the locking lance. Thus, the installation of the retainer on the housing is suspended. In this manner, it is possible to detect whether the terminal has been properly inserted by whether the retainer can be installed on the housing.
However, there remains a problem when installation of the retainer is performed at the same time that a bus bar is connected to the terminals. During installation of the bus bar, the bus bar engages the terminals. As a result, frictional resistance is generated, and the operator performing the installation may mistakenly believe that installation resistance has been caused not by the collision between the retainer and the locking lance but by the friction between the bus bar and the terminals. In this case the operator may continue with the installation of the bus bar and the retainer on the housing, and consequently the locking lance may be broken. Alternatively, the operator may mistakenly believe that installation resistance has been generated not by friction between the bus bar and the terminal fitting but by the collision between the retainer and the locking lance and may unnecessarily check the insertion state of the terminal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to reliably detect the incomplete insertion of a terminal.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a connector including a housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of resiliently deformable locking members, and a plurality of terminals. Each terminal is inserted in the respective cavity and has (a) a partially inserted position in which the terminal bears on the respective locking member to deform the locking member so that the locking member is raised with respect to a peripheral surface of the housing and (b) a fully inserted position in which the locking member snap-fits to the terminal thereby locking the terminal in the cavity. The connector further includes a bus bar holder having a sleeve and a plurality of bus bar tab pieces which are accommodated in the sleeve. The sleeve is push-fitted over the peripheral surface of the housing via a partially installed position, at which the tab pieces do not contact the terminals, to a fully installed position, at which the tab pieces contact the terminals. In this way, in the fully installed position, the bus bar holder is installed to the housing with the terminals electrically connected to each other.
In addition, each locking member is adapted so that when a terminal is in its partially inserted position with the respective locking member elevated from the peripheral surface of the housing and an attempt is made to push-fit the sleeve to the partially installed position, the sleeve bears on the locking member to prevent the sleeve from arriving at the partially installed position. The connector also includes a detent that detains the bus bar holder at the partially installed position.
During installation of the bus bar holder on the housing up to and including when the holder reaches the partially installed position, the bus bar holder is not subjected to any resistance that may be generated by the contact between the bus bar tab pieces and the terminals. However, after the bus bar holder passes the partially installed position, the tab pieces start to contact the terminals. Accordingly, it is possible to discriminate between the installation resistance on the bus bar holder due to the collision between a locking member and the sleeve, and the installation resistance that is generated due to collision or friction between the terminals and the tab pieces, because the former installation resistance would be felt before the bus bar holder reached the partially installed position. In this manner, it is possible reliably to detect the insertion state of the terminals.
In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly jig for setting thereon the connector of the first aspect of the invention and for assembling the connector by push-fitting the sleeve of the connector from the partially installed position to the fully installed position. The jig is sized so that when the sleeve of the connector is prevented from arriving at the partially installed position the connector is prevented from being set on the jig. On the other hand, when the sleeve of the connector is at the partially installed position the connector, is settable on the jig.
If the bus bar holder is prevented from arriving at the partially installed position by a collision between the sleeve and a locking member, which is in turn caused by the corresponding terminal having not been fully inserted, it is impossible to set the connector on the assembly jig. This is so even if the operator has not previously detected the incomplete insertion of the terminal. In this manner, it may be reliably detected that one or more of the terminals is in an incomplete insertion state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5201667 (1993-04-01), Endo et al.
patent: 5769650 (1998-08-01), Aoyama et al.
patent: 5788519 (1998-08-01), Stern
patent: 2-61082 U (1990-05-01), None
patent: 4-42082 U (1992-04-01), None
patent: 9-106847 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 9-213436 (1997-08-01), None
Fukatsu Yukihiro
Suzuki Izumi
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Patel T. C.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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