Electrical connectors – With circuit component or comprising connector which fully... – Termination circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-06
2001-09-04
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With circuit component or comprising connector which fully...
Termination circuit
C439S752500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283794
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector for an electrical fuse ignition device which instantly activates a so-called airbag or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a connector for electrically connecting an electrical initiating device side with an electrical system side which supplies the initiating device with an electrical current.
CONVENTIONAL ART
So-called airbags are used as one type of passenger protection apparatus for vehicle collisions. An airbag, for example, can be a bag (airbag) composed of flexible materials accommodated in the vicinity of the central portion of a steering wheel, which instantly fills with gas in the event of a collision or the like so as to prevent the passengers from sustaining impacts or flying out.
In order to instantly fill the airbag with gas, an explosive mixture is used, and an electrical fuse ignition device is used to ignite this mixture when required. Generally, the electrical system of the vehicle such as a battery or the like is used as the power supply to the electrical fuse, so that the fuse, upon being electrified, is instantly heated and detonates the mixture. Additionally, a sensor is provided in the circuit between the electrical system which is the power supply and the electric fuse, the sensor ordinarily cutting off the circuit, but upon detecting an acceleration of above a predetermined value or the like, turning on the power supply line and supplying a current to the ignition device.
According to a typical structure of a driver protection apparatus using an airbag, the folded airbag, explosive mixture and electrical fuse ignition device are housed in the vicinity of the steering wheel axis, while the sensor is located in the wiring connected to the vehicle electrical system in the vicinity of the central potion of the vehicle body. The wiring which connects to the electrical system from the battery via the sensor passes through the steering column and is connected by means of a connector in the vicinity of the central portion of the steering wheel to reach the electrical fuse ignition device.
While airbags must work reliably in the event of an emergency such as a collision, they ordinarily have absolutely no opportunity for operation from day to day. Additionally, it is dangerous for the airbag to be activated accidentally when there is no emergency. In order specifically to prevent accidental triggering, the effect of external electromagnetic waves is often eliminated by covering the connecting portions of the connectors with ferrite or the like so that an unexpected current will not be induced by the wiring to the ignition device reacting to electromagnetic waves, microwaves and the like.
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
Here, the problem lies in that whereas the airbag must work reliably in the case of an emergency but must not be activated otherwise, there is the possibility of faulty connections in the connector not being discovered during ordinary times. In order to resolve this problem, care has been taken so as to prevent mistakes when making connections by color-coding the leads protruding from the ignition device toward the connector, but this has not been sufficient to completely eliminate the possibility of wiring errors.
MEANS FOR RESOLVING THE PROBLEMS
The present invention has the object of resolving the above-described problems, and offers a connector for an electrical fuse ignition device wherein the shapes of the connector conductors which grip and electrically connect the free ends of a pair of wires protruding from the electrical fuse ignition device have different shapes to the left and right, and the distances between the holes respectively provided in the ferrite member for accommodating one end of said conductors and in the connector trunk portion for accommodating the other end are different. The present invention further offers a connector wherein a projecting portion is provided in the vicinity of the mouth portion of the connector member so that the projecting portion interferes to make it impossible to insert the connector conductors if the axially-aligned holes in the connector trunk portion into which the connector conductors are to be inserted are not correct.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
When the connector according to the present invention is used, if an attempt is made to mistakenly connect a lead which is different from a predetermined lead to the connector, the distance between the terminals and the distance between the terminal receiving holes will not match, thus making it impossible to make the connection. As a result, it is possible to completely eliminate errors in which the leads are mistakenly connected in an reversed manner. Furthermore, in the case of a connector provided with a projecting portion in the connector trunk portion, the projecting portion will interfere to obstruct insertion unless the relationship between the connector conductors and the axially-aligned holes into which they are to be inserted is correct, thereby even more completely eliminating connection errors.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3850498 (1974-11-01), Schor
patent: 4443050 (1984-04-01), Taylor
patent: 4846701 (1989-07-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 5087212 (1992-02-01), Hanami
patent: 5102354 (1992-04-01), Crane et al.
patent: 5586902 (1996-12-01), Hopf et al.
Abrams Neil
Duverne J. F.
Framatome Connectors International
Perman & Green LLP
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