Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-21
2002-11-05
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06475014
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field to which the Invention Belongs
This invention relates to a connector fitting structure in which a half-fitted condition is positively prevented by a resilient force of a resilient member provided in at least one of a pair of female and male connectors to be mutually fitted together. The connector can be positively locked to the mating connector in a fitted condition, and a cancellation operation can be easily effected.
2. Related Art
Usually, many pieces of electronic equipment are mounted on a vehicle, such as an automobile. Various cables for supplying power to these equipments and for controlling these equipments, as well as female and male connectors for connecting these cables, are extensively used. Such female and male connectors have a waterproof function in view of a possibility that these connectors will be used in a severe environment involving vibrations and submergence. Also, in view of an assembling process and their maintenance, these connectors also have a function by which the connection and disconnection of the cables can be effected easily. There have been proposed various connector fitting structures capable of detecting a mutually-fitted condition of female and male connectors.
One example of such general connector fitting structures will be described with reference to
FIGS. 9
to
12
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, a male connector (one connector)
60
of the general connector fitting structure
51
includes an inner housing
62
which has terminal receiving chambers and is open to the front side thereof (arrow A shows front side and fitting direction); and an outer housing
61
which has a slider
70
(described later) slidably mounted therein above the inner housing, and forms a hood portion covering the outer periphery of the inner housing
62
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, a male connector (one connector)
60
of the general connector fitting structure
51
includes an inner housing
62
which has terminal receiving chambers and is open to the front side thereof; and an outer housing
61
which has a slider
70
(described later) slidably mounted therein above the inner housing, and forms a hood portion covering the outer periphery of the inner housing
62
.
A pair of housing locks
68
for respectively retaining engagement projections
93
(see
FIG. 10
) of a mating housing
91
(described later) are formed respectively on upper surfaces of the distal ends of the lock arms
66
. A pressing portion
69
, which is operated when canceling the fitting connection, is provided on the upper surface of the lock arms
66
at a generally central portion thereof.
A pair of retaining arms
67
for temporarily preventing the rearward movement of the slider
70
are provided at a rear portion of the slider receiving portion
63
, and extend rearwardly in the fitting direction, and each of the retaining arms
67
has a retaining projection
67
a
formed at a rear end (free end) thereof.
The slider
70
includes: a first slide member
71
, which is guided by the guide grooves
65
so as to slide within the slider receiving portion
63
; a second slide member
76
engaged with a rear portion of the first slide member
71
; and compression springs (resilient members)
83
held on the second slide member
76
.
The first slide member
71
includes: a pair of stopper arm portions
73
and
73
, which extend rearwardly, are abutted respectively against one ends of the compression springs
83
; and an interconnecting portion
74
interconnecting the stopper arm portions
73
. An abutment portion
75
, against which a pressing rib
92
of a female connector
90
(described later) can abut, is formed at a lower surface of the interconnecting portion
74
. A pair of slide grooves
72
and
72
for allowing the movement of engagement arm portions
78
(described later) of the second slide member
76
are formed in opposite ends of the interconnecting portion
74
.
The second slide member
76
includes retaining portions
77
which extend forwardly. Outer side portions of retaining portion
77
are slidably fitted in the guide grooves
65
, respectively. The distal ends of the retaining portion
77
respectively retain the housing locks
68
which are formed respectively at the distal ends of the lock arms
66
, when the lock arms are displaced. An elastic operating portion
79
which is operated when canceling the fitting connection is formed on a central portion of the upper side of the second slide member
76
. When the slider
70
is inserted into the slider receiving portion
63
, the operating portion
79
covers the pressing portion
69
of the lock arms
66
from above. distal ends of the retaining portion
77
respectively retain the housing locks
68
which are formed respectively at the distal ends of the lock arms
66
, when the lock arms are displaced. An elastic operating portion
79
which is operated when canceling the fitting connection is formed on a central portion of the upper side of the second slide member
76
. When the slider
70
is inserted into the slider receiving portion
63
, the operating portion
79
covers the pressing portion
69
of the lock arms
66
from upward.
The pair of engagement arm portions
78
and
78
, retained respectively by the stopper arm portions
73
of the first slide member
71
, are formed respectively at opposite side walls of the second slide member
76
. Spring receiving chambers
81
for respectively receiving the compression springs
83
are formed respectively in the opposite side portions of the second slide member
76
.
The female connector (the other connector)
90
includes a housing insertion port
94
open to the front side thereof(opposite to arrow A). The pressing rib
92
for abutting against the abutment portion
75
of the first slide member
71
is formed upright on an upper surface of the housing
91
at a central portion thereof. The pair of engagement projections
93
and
93
are formed respectively at opposite side portions of the pressing rib
92
, and these engagement projections
93
and
93
elastically deform the lock arms
66
, respectively, and engage the housing locks
68
, respectively.
Next, the operation for fitting the male and female connectors
60
and
90
of the above connector fitting structure
51
together will be described.
First, the slider
70
is assembled as shown in FIG.
10
. More specifically, for assembling the slider
70
, the pair of compression springs
83
are inserted respectively into the spring receiving chambers
81
in the second slide member
76
, and then the first slide member
71
and the second slide member
76
are combined together, with the stopper arm portions
73
of the first slide member
71
held respectively in the spring receiving chambers
81
.
Then, for mounting the slider
70
on the male connector
60
, the slider
70
is inserted into the slider receiving portion
63
from the front side of the male connector
60
. At this time, the opposite side portions of the stopper arm portions
73
of the first slide member
71
, the opposite end portions of the interconnecting portion
74
and the opposite side portions of the second slide member
76
are fitted in the guide grooves
65
. And the rear end of the second slide member
76
is brought into engagement with the retaining arms
67
, thus completing the mounting of the slider
70
.
Next, the operation for fitting the male and female connectors
60
and
90
of the above general connector fitting structure
51
together will be described with reference to
FIGS. 10
to
12
.
The inner housing
62
of the male connector
60
and the housing insertion port
94
in the female connector
90
are opposed to each other, and in this condition the male and female connectors begin to be fitted together in such a manner that the outer housing
61
of the male connector
60
is fitted on the housing
91
of the female connector
90
, as shown in FIG.
11
. At this time, the pressing rib
92
of the female connector
90
is fitted into an insertion notch
77
a
(see
FIG.
Kashiyama Matohisa
Tsuji Masanori
Nguyen Phuong Chi
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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