Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-20
2001-04-03
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210185
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector connecting structure in which movable moving members are provided at one of male and female connectors, and an operating member, interlocked to the moving members, is provided at the one connector, and by operating this operating member, the two connectors can be fitted together with a small operating force.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector connecting structure of the above type (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 10-12320) which is shown in
FIGS. 10
to
16
(
b
) has been proposed.
FIG. 10
is a perspective view showing male and female connectors separated from each other,
FIG. 11
is a cross-sectional view showing the male and female connectors fitted together, and
FIG. 12
is an exploded, perspective view of the male connector.
In
FIGS. 10
to
12
, the connector connecting structure comprises the male connector
1
and the female connector
2
, and the male connector
1
can be inserted and fitted into the female connector
2
. The male connector
1
has a hood portion
4
formed on an outer periphery of a male housing
3
, and moving member chambers
5
, as well as connector insertion chambers
6
communicating respectively with the moving member chambers
5
, are formed respectively at upper and lower portions of the hood portion
4
. Each of the moving member chambers
5
has an open end
7
a
(for inserting the moving member) at one side surface (end surface) of the male connector, and also has guide ports
7
b
at a connector-fitting side (front side) of the male connector. Each of the connector insertion chambers
6
has an insertion port
8
at the connector-fitting side.
A pair of moving members
9
a
and
9
b
are movably received in the upper and lower moving member chambers
5
, respectively. Three cam grooves
10
a
are formed in the moving member
9
a
whereas three cam grooves
10
b
are formed in the moving member
9
b
. A central portion of the cam groove
10
a
or
10
b
is inclined relative to a connector-fitting direction, and the direction of inclination of the cam grooves
10
a
in the upper moving member
9
a
is opposite to the direction of inclination of the cam grooves
10
b
in the lower moving member
9
b.
A pin portion
11
is formed at one end of each of the moving members
9
a
and
9
b
, and these pin portions
11
are rotatably supported respectively in slots
12
a
formed in an operating member
12
. The pair of slots
12
a
are disposed at respective positions shifted relative to a direction perpendicular to the connector-inserting direction, and extend on a line interconnecting the pair of slots
12
a
and
12
a
. The operating member
12
has a rotation hole
12
b
disposed at a middle point of the line interconnecting the pair of slots
12
a
, and a pin portion
13
a
of an operating-member mounting portion
13
of the hood portion
4
is fitted in the rotation hole
12
b
. The operating member
12
is turned or pivotally moved between a preset position shown in FIG.
13
(
a
), and a set position shown in FIG.
16
(
a
), and the pair of moving members
9
a
and
9
b
are moved respectively in the opposite directions by this turning operation.
A number of press-connecting terminals (female terminals)
14
are fixedly mounted at a central portion of the male housing
3
of the male connector
1
, and pin insertion holes (not designated by a reference numeral) are formed in the connector-fitting side or surface of the male housing
3
, and are aligned respectively with the press-connecting terminals
14
.
Three cam pins
16
a
are formed on an upper surface of an insertion portion
15
a
of a female housing
15
of the female connector
2
whereas three cam pins
16
b
are formed on a lower surface thereof. The upper cam pins
16
a
are arranged to correspond respectively to the cam grooves
10
a
in the moving member
9
a
whereas the lower cam pins
16
b
are arranged to correspond respectively to the cam grooves
10
b
in the moving member
9
b
. A number of pin terminals (male terminals)
17
are fixedly mounted at a central portion of the female housing
15
, and one end portions of these pin terminals
17
project outwardly from a connector-fitting side of the female housing.
Next, the fitting operation of the above connector connecting structure will be described with reference to FIGS.
13
(
a
) to
16
(
b
). FIGS.
13
(
a
),
14
(
a
),
15
(
a
) and
16
(
a
) mainly show the position of the operating member
12
, and FIGS.
13
(
b
),
14
(
b
),
15
(
b
) and
16
(
b
) are plan views corresponding respectively to the above figures, and show the relation between the cam grooves
10
a
and the cam pins
16
a
and the relation between the cam grooves
10
b
and the cam pins
16
b.
As shown in FIG.
13
(
a
), the operating member
12
is disposed in the preset position in which its distal end is spaced from the upper surface of the hood portion
4
. In this condition, when the insertion portion
15
a
of the female housing
15
of the female connector
2
is inserted into the hood portion
4
of the male connector
1
, the cam pins
16
a
are introduced respectively into the cam grooves
10
a
in the moving member
9
a
through the respective guide ports
7
b
in the hood portion
4
while the cam pins
16
b
are introduced respectively into the cam grooves
10
b
in the moving member
9
b
through the respective guide ports
7
b
. When the operating member
12
is turned from the position of FIGS.
13
(
a
) and
13
(b) toward the set position, the upper moving member
9
a
is moved right (as indicated by arrow R) while the lower moving member
9
b
is moved left (as indicated by arrow L). In accordance with these movements, the cam pins
16
a
and
16
b
on the female connector
2
move respectively along the cam grooves
10
a
and
10
b
, and simultaneously with this movement, the female connector
2
is drawn into the male connector
1
.
When the operating member
12
is further turned from the position of FIGS.
14
(
a
) and
14
(
b
), each cam pin
16
a
or
16
b
on the female connector
2
passes through the inclined portion of the associated cam groove
10
a
or
10
b
as shown in FIGS.
15
(
a
) and
15
(
b
), so that the movement of the female connector
2
relative to the male connector
1
in the inserting direction is completed. The pin terminals
17
in the female connector
2
are inserted respectively in the press-connecting terminals
14
in the male connector
1
, so that the two connectors
1
and
2
are electrically connected together.
When the operating member
12
is further turned from the position of FIGS.
15
(
a
) and
15
(
b
) into the set position as shown in FIGS.
16
(
a
) and
16
(
b
), each cam pin
16
a
or
16
b
reaches the inner end of the associated cam groove
10
a
or
10
b
, so that the fitting operation of the connector connecting structure is completed. A connector disconnecting operation can be effected by turning the operating member
12
in a direction opposite to the above-described direction.
In the conventional connector connecting structure, however, the fitting operation is started with the operating member
12
located in the preset position, and when this fitting operation s finished, the operating member
12
is located in the set position. Therefore, the rotational position of the operating member
12
at the time of starting the fitting operation is different from that at the time of finishing the fitting operation. Therefore, when the fitting operation is to be started with the operating member
12
kept in the set position, the operating member
12
must be once turned into the preset position before this fitting operation is effected. Thus, the fitting operation has been cumbersome. Generally, the place, at which the connector connecting structure is produced, is different from the place where the connector connecting structure is assembled, and therefore the connector connecting structure is transferred or conveyed with the operating member
12
kep
Kanbayashi Hiroyuki
Nakamura Yoko
Sakurai Kazuaki
Sasaki Atsushi
Uchida Yoshinori
Nguyen Khiem
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
Zarroli Michael C.
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