Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact – Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-03-27
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206712
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector coupling apparatus for example used in a vehicle door and preferable for fitting female and male connectors having multiple poles to each other and releasing them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This kind of connector fitting structure has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 9-55262. In the connector coupling apparatus disclosed therein, as shown in
FIG. 1A
, a female connector
5
provided on an electrical device is fit to a male connector
1
inserted into an insertion hole
8
a
of a connector mounting plate
8
through a mounting opening
9
a
of an instrumental panel
9
. This male connector
1
has a flexible engaging piece
2
. Prior to fitting of the male connector
1
, a protrusion
2
a
provided on the engaging piece
2
is engaged with the insertion hole
8
a
of the connector mounting plate
8
. As shown in
FIGS. 1B
,
1
C, the female connector
5
is inserted through the mounting opening
9
a
of the instrumental panel
9
and fit to the male connector
1
. As a result, when the male connector
1
is normally fit to the female connector
5
, the engaging piece
2
deflects downward so that a hook portion
3
on a front end of the engaging piece
2
is embedded into a recess hole
6
of the female connector
5
. When the electrical device
4
is further pressed from this condition, as shown in
FIG. 1D
, the male connector
1
is forced up to an assembly position, so that the female connector
5
is locked within the mounting opening
9
a
of the instrumental panel
9
through a locking piece
4
a
of the electrical device
4
.
However, in the above described conventional connector fitting structure, because there is formed a tapered face
2
b
on a rear portion of the protrusion
2
a
of the engaging piece
2
of the male connector
1
, the male connector
1
is likely to retract halfway when fitting together both the connectors
1
,
5
, so that it is difficult to install both the connectors
1
,
5
at a normal position where both the connectors are fit to each other completely, thus the reliability of connection is low. Therefore, if the fitting between both the connectors
1
and
5
is released for maintenance and inspection, the male connector
1
remains drooping behind the connector mounting plate
8
, so that it is impossible to fit both the connectors
1
,
5
to each other when the maintenance and inspection is completed. If the wire harness connected to the male connector
1
is pulled for some reason after both the connectors
1
,
5
are fit to each other, there is a fear that the fitting of both the connectors
1
,
5
may be lost because there is no locking means provided between both the connectors
1
and
5
. Further, because both the, connectors
1
,
5
are fit to each other by only a holding force between a female terminal (not shown) of the male connector
1
and a male terminal
7
of the female connector
5
, the fitting force between both the connectors
1
and
5
is insufficient so that it is weak against a vibration, thereby often producing looseness, abnormal noise and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It therefore is an object of the present invention is to provide a connector coupling apparatus having a high reliability, which enables fitting of female and male connectors to each other and releasing thereof securely and easily and is capable of ensuring the fitting condition of both the connectors when they are fit to each other.
To achieve the object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a connector coupling apparatus in which one of female and male connectors is installed on a mounting base in a waiting condition through a holder such that the other connector is freely attachable to or detachable from the one connector, the connector coupling apparatus being so constructed that the one connector is provided freely slidably in the holder; the holder and one connector are provided each with an engaging means for maintaining the waiting condition of the one connector; the other connector is provided with a holding means for maintaining an engagement condition of each engaging means when both the connectors are fit to each other and a holding releasing means for releasing the engagement condition of each engaging means when the fitting of both the connectors is completed; and both the connectors are freely slidable toward the mounting base relative to the holder when the fitting of both the connectors is completed.
According to the first aspect, the engagement condition between the engaging means of the holder and the one connector is maintained securely until the fitting of both the connectors is completed by the holding means of the other connector. Therefore, the fitting of both the connectors can be ensured, thereby improving reliability. When the fitting of both the connectors is completed, the engagement condition between the engaging means of the holder and the one connector is released by the holding releasing means of the other connector. Thus, when both the connectors slide relative to the holder, it can be confirmed that the fitting of both the connectors is completed, so that it is easy to confirm the fitting condition of both the connectors.
In this connector coupling apparatus, the engagement condition between the engaging means of the holder and one connector is maintained securely until the fitting of both the connectors is completed by the holding means of the other connector. Therefore, the fitting of both the connectors is ensured, thereby improving reliability. When the fitting of both the connectors is completed, the engagement condition between the engaging means of the holder and the one connector is released by the holding releasing means of the other connector. Thus, when both the connectors slide relative to the holder, it is evident that the fitting of both the connectors is completed, so that it is easy to confirm the fitting condition of both the connectors.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector coupling apparatus according to the first aspect wherein the engaging means of the holder is constituted by a flexible arm having an engaging portion at a front end thereof; the engaging means of the one connector is constituted by a flexible engaging piece having an engaging portion which is fit to or released from the engaging portion of the flexible arm; the holding means and holding releasing means of the other connector are constituted by the same protrusion; and the waiting condition of the one connector is maintained by an engagement between the engaging portion of the flexible arm and the engaging portion of the flexible engaging piece.
According to the second aspect, the retraction position of the one connector in the projected waiting position is restricted by the engagement between the engaging portion of the flexible arm of the holder and the engaging portion of the flexible engaging piece of the one connector. Thus, it is easy to fit both the connectors to each other. Further, because the flexible arm of the holder and the flexible engaging piece of the one connector are disposed at the same place and the holding means and holding releasing means of the other connector are constituted by the same protrusion, the overall size of the connectors can be reduced.
In this connector coupling apparatus, the retraction position of the one connector in the projected waiting position is restricted by the engagement between the engaging portion of the flexible arm of the holder and the engaging portion of the flexible engaging piece of the one connector. Thus, it is easy to fit both the connectors to each other. Further, because the flexible arm of the holder and the flexible engaging piece of the one connector are disposed at the same place and the holding means and holding releasing means of the other connector are constituted by the same protrusion, the overall size of the connectors can be reduced.
According to a third aspect o
Kodama Shinji
Norizuki Teruhisa
Okabe Toshiaki
Gilman Alexander
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Paumen Gary
Yazaki -Corporation
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