Electrical connectors – For interfitting with uninterrupted support rail or... – Coupling part with actuating means urging contact surface to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-03
2001-07-24
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
For interfitting with uninterrupted support rail or...
Coupling part with actuating means urging contact surface to...
C439S157000, C439S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264482
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector coupling device which couples one connector provided on the electronic equipment side to the other connector provided on the side of a case such as an instrument panel for storing the electronic equipment therein.
The present invention is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei 9-258328 and Hei 10-10649, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-241756, there is disclosed such a connector coupling device as shown in FIG.
16
.
In
FIG. 16
, reference character
31
designates electronic equipment and
32
stands for a case for storing the electronic equipment
31
therein, while, when the electronic equipment
31
is stored into the case
32
, the former is pushed from the front surface of the latter.
On the bottom surface of the electronic equipment
31
, there is disposed one connector
33
to be coupled and, on the bottom wall
37
of the case, there is mounted the other connector
34
to be coupled at a position opposed to the connector
33
. If these two connectors
33
and
34
are fitted with each other, then an electric wire
35
is connected to the electronic equipment
31
. By the way, reference character
36
designates an adapter for guidance, that is, when the connector
33
is fitted with the connector
34
, the adapter
36
guides the connector
33
for alignment with the connector
34
, thereby facilitating their mutual fitting engagement.
In the conventional connector coupling device, by pushing the electronic equipment
31
toward the connector
34
mounted on the case side, the connector
34
on the case side and the connector
33
on the electronic equipment side are coupled together.
In such coupling method, since a force applied when the electronic equipment
31
is pushed in, that is, a force necessary for storage of the electronic equipment
31
and fitting engagement between the connectors is wholly transmitted to the connector
34
mounted on the case side, there is a possibility that the case
32
or the connector
34
mounted on the case side can be deformed or damaged, thereby making it impossible to couple the two connectors
33
and
34
together smoothly. For this reason, in coupling together multi-terminal connectors each having a large number of connecting terminals, the case must be structured such that it is stronger than necessary for protection of the electronic equipment.
Also, conventionally, there is also proposed such a connector coupling device as shown in
FIGS. 17 and 18
, which is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 9-17508.
This conventional connector coupling device is a device in which a slide plate
92
is slidablly stored within one connector
91
and, by means of insertion and removal of the slide plate
92
, one connector
91
can be fitted with and removed from the other connector
93
with a low insertion/removal force.
However, in this conventional connector coupling device, there is a fear that the slide plate
92
, which has been projected from one connector
91
before the two connectors
91
and
93
are fitted with each other, can be contacted or entangled with an electric wire or other parts (not shown) while the coupling device is being delivered; that is, due to such contact or entanglement, the slide plate
92
itself, one connector
91
or the other connector
93
can be broken. Also, when lock mechanisms (not shown) are respectively provided in the two connectors
91
and
93
in order to prevent the slide plate
92
from being removed from one connector
91
, the two connectors
91
and
93
are complicated in structure, so that the manufacturing cost of a forming metal mold (not shown) becomes high. Further, for example, when means for prevention of wrong insertion is formed in one connector
91
(or the other connector
93
) which is to be inserted into an equipment mounting opening (not shown) formed in the instrument panel, there arises an inconvenience that the connector (
91
or
93
) itself becomes bulky in shape.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above circumstances of the conventional connector coupling devices, it is an object of the invention to provide a connector coupling device which can couple connectors together accurately and smoothly without increasing the strength of a case such as an instrument panel or the like for storing electronic equipment therein.
It is another object of the invention to provide a connector coupling device which prevents the slide plate from projecting out from the connector prior to mutual fitting engagement between the two connectors and also prevents the wrong insertion of the connector into the equipment mounting opening.
In order to the above object, there is provided a connector coupling device comprising: a first connector in which a slide plate having a cam groove is provided being capable of sliding so as to traverse the first connector; a second connector having a fitting projection which is engaged with the cam groove for coupling the second connector with the first connector when the slide plate is slid toward a first direction, and which is removed from the cam groove for removing the second connector from the first connector when the slide plate is slid toward a second direction opposed to the first direction; a coupling case having a first opening into which the first connector is inserted and a second opening into which the second connector is inserted and slidablly mounted therein; and a fitting support member urging one end portion of the slide plate toward the first direction while the first connector is pushed toward the second connector inside of the case in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions for coupling the first connector with the second connector. The fitting support member is one inner side wall of the coupling case being inclined toward the first direction and abutting against the one end portion of the slide plate while the first connector is pushed toward the third direction.
If the first connector is inserted into the coupling case, then the slide plate is urged and slid by the inclined inner wall, due to the sliding motion of the slide plate, the fitting projection of the second connector is pulled in along the cam groove of the slide plate toward the first connector, so that the two connectors can be coupled together. This eliminates the possibility that the force used when mounting the electronic equipment can be applied directly to the coupling case, which in turn avoids the need to increase the strength of the case itself specially. Thanks to this, not only the case or connectors can be prevented against breakage but also the two connectors can be fittingly engaged with each other accurately and smoothly.
In the device, the first connector includes a recess and the slide plate includes a projection engaging with the recess when the coupling of the first connector and the second connector is completed. When the two connectors are fittingly engaged with each other, the projection is engaged with the recess to thereby generate an engaging sound. Due to the thus generated engaging sound, it is possible to confirm that the two connectors are fittingly engaged with each other perfectly. That is, it is possible to prevent the incomplete engagement of the two connectors.
In the device, the first connector includes a securing member securing with the first opening after the projection engages with the recess.
Since the securing member is secured with the first opening of the coupling case after the projection is engaged with the recess, it is possible to inform an operator of the completion of the connectors mutual engagement, thereby preventing the half or incomplete connectors mutual engagement.
In the device, a handle portion is provided at the one end portion of the slide plate for pulling the slide plate toward the second direction.
Therefore, when removing the fitting engagement betwee
Akeda Nobuyuki
Fukuda Kiyohito
Kodama Shinji
Kumakura Hideto
Watanabe Hiroshi
Gushi Ross
Paumen Gary F.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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