Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-19
2001-02-27
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S153000, C439S310000, C439S346000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193530
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector mating structure in which a movable moving member is provided on one of a female connector and a male connector, cam mechanisms are respectively provided on the moving member and the other connector, and the moving force of the moving member is converted to a connector inserting force by the cam mechanisms, so as to effect the engagement of the connector with a small manipulating force.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-109445, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 13
to
17
show a connector mating structure of the above-described type, and also, the structure is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 61-203581.
FIG. 13
is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a female connector and a male connector are separated.
FIG. 14
is a cross-sectional view illustrating an early state of engagement between the female connector and the male connector.
FIG. 15
is a cross-sectional view illustrating an intermediate state of engagement therebetween.
FIG. 16
is a cross-sectional view illustrating a completed state of the engagement.
FIG. 17
is a diagram illustrating a direction of pressing by cam mechanism.
In
FIGS. 13
to
16
, a connector accommodating chamber
4
for accommodating a male connector
3
is provided in a female housing
2
of a female connector
1
, and an inserting port
4
a
for insertion of the connector is open in the connector accommodating chamber
4
. Elongated holes
5
for moving are respectively formed in opposite side walls of the female housing
2
, and cam pins
7
of a moving member
6
are respectively inserted in the elongated holes
5
. The moving member
6
comprises a pair of side plate portions
6
a
which are respectively disposed on the outer sides of the opposite side walls of the female housing
2
and a connecting plate portion
6
b
for connecting the pair of side plate portions
6
a
. The aforementioned cam pins
7
are provided on the inner surfaces of the pair of side plate portions
6
a
. As the cam pins
7
are guided and restricted by the elongated holes
5
for moving and the like, the moving member
6
moves in a direction perpendicular to a connector-inserting direction with respect to the female connector
1
.
Cam grooves
9
are respectively provided in opposite side walls of a male housing
8
of the male connector
3
, and each of the pair of cam grooves
9
has a straight groove portion
9
a
oriented in the same direction as the connector-inserting direction and an inclined groove portion
9
b
which is inclined with respect to the connector-inserting direction. The cam mechanism is formed by the pair of cam grooves
9
and the aforementioned cam pins
7
.
Next, a description will be given of the engaging operation of the above-described connector mating structure with reference to
FIGS. 14
to
16
. As shown in
FIG. 14
, the moving member
6
is fitted in the female connector
1
, and the male connector
3
is inserted into the connector accommodating chamber
4
of the female connector
1
through the inserting port
4
a
. Then, the cam pins
7
of the moving member
6
are inserted into the cam grooves
9
on both sides of the male connector
3
, and the cam pins
7
of the male connector
3
respectively pass through the straight groove portions
9
a
of the cam grooves
9
and are inserted up to immediately before the inclined groove portions
9
b
, as shown in FIG.
15
.
Next, if the moving member
6
is moved in the direction of arrow in
FIG. 15
, the cam pins
7
are subjected to a pressing force by the inclined groove portions
9
b
, and the male connector
3
is pulled into the connector accommodating chamber
4
of the female connector
1
by a component of this pressing force. Then, when the moving member
6
is moved to the position shown in
FIG. 16
, the cam pins
7
reach the terminating ends of the inclined groove portions
9
b
, and the engagement of the connector is thereby completed. In addition, terminals (not shown) are respectively provided inside the housings
2
and
8
of the connectors
1
and
3
, both terminals are set in a state of pressure contact with each other in this engaging process, thereby allowing the terminals to electrically conduct with each other.
In the above-described connector mating structure, however, since all the inclined groove portions
9
b
of the cam grooves
9
of the moving member
6
are inclined in the same direction, all the directions in which the cam pins
7
are pressed assume the same direction. Accordingly, as shown in
FIG. 17
, of components f
1
and f
2
of a pressing force F, the component f
1
which does not act in the connector pulling-in direction acts in the same direction in all the inclined groove portions
9
b
, and the resultant of these components f
1
acts on the male connector
3
and on the female connector
1
through the male connector
3
. Since the connector is engaged in the state in which the female connector
1
or the male connector
3
is normally attached to a baseplate or the like, a trouble can occur such as the breakage of an attached portion by the resultant of the components f
1
.
In addition, since the connecting plate portion
6
b
of the moving member
6
is located in such a manner as to project in an area located above (a lower position in
FIGS. 14
to
16
) the inserting port
4
a
before and after the engagement of the connector, there is a case that the connecting plate portion
6
b
is a hindrance to the wiring, a jig or the like. In addition, since the connecting plate portion
6
b
of the moving member
6
moves in the area located above (the lower position in
FIGS. 14
to
16
) the inserting port
4
a
, the bundle of wires (not shown) extending from the rear of the male connector
3
has to be oriented in a direction in which the bundle of wires does not hamper the moving member
6
, so that the engaging operation becomes troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector mating structure which permits engagement at a low inserting force without practically producing an external force other than the force acting in the engaging direction at the time of the engaging operation, thereby overcoming the above-described problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector mating structure in which a member for effecting engagement with a low inserting force, such as a moving member, does not cause a hindrance to the wiring, a jig, and the like and does not cause a hindrance to the bundle of wires of the connector.
To achieve the above objects, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector mating structure which comprises a female connector, a male connector insertable into the female connector, a first moving member and a second moving member which are provided on one of the male connector and the female connector and are movable independently from each other, an operating member pivotally mounted on the one of the male connector and the female connector, a pair of first cam mechanisms respectively connecting the operating member with the first and second moving members, the first cam mechanisms moving the first and second moving members respectively in mutually opposite directions in accordance with rotation of the operating member, and a pair of second cam mechanisms provided on the first and second moving members and the other one of the male connector and the female connector, the second cam mechanisms moving the other one of the male connector and the female connector in a connector-inserting direction as the first and the second moving members move in the mutually opposite directions.
In this connector mating structure, the male connector is inserted into the female connector until the second cam mechanisms are engaged, and if the operating member is rotated in this state
Kanbayashi Hiroyuki
Nakamura Yoko
Sakurai Kazuaki
Sasaki Atsushi
Uchida Yoshinori
Donovan Lincoln
Lee Kyung S.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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