Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-07-17
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S489000, C439S353000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261116
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of connector position assurance elements for mated male and female electrical connector housings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Male and female electrical terminal connector housings are often provided with releasable locking structure to lock them in their fully engaged position. The locking structure frequently takes the form of a flexible lock arm on one of the housings with a finger-operable release tab. This locking engagement is typically performed on automated assembly lines, and the housings must be checked to see if they are fully engaged. Accordingly, an additional part known as a “CPA” or connector position assurance element is sometimes used in the assembly process to detect or assure this locking engagement, indicating complete electrical connection of the terminals.
A first type of CPA element is pre-locked to one of the housings in association with the locking structure on that housing. When that housing is properly and fully engaged with the other housing, the CPA element is released from its pre-locked engagement with the one housing and can be withdrawn. The absence of this CPA or “detecting spacer” indicates a properly locked connector. An example of such a detecting spacer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,369 to Nozaki et al.
A different type of CPA is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,255 to Kouda et al. A CPA in the form of a lock detecting slider is partway mated with a male connector, and the male connector is subsequently inserted into a female connector. When the male and female connectors are in complete electrical connection, the slider can be advanced to a lock indicating position where a mark on the slider can be viewed through an opening in the locking mechanism on the male connector.
A further type of CPA member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,404 to Takenouchi et al. A CPA is mounted on a male connector in a pre-engaging position. A female connector releases flexible fingers on the pre-engaged CPA as the connectors mate, and the CPA member can then be further pushed to engage the female connector. The CPA then enhances the locking connection between the male and female connectors, while a base portion of the CPA prevents a male connector lock arm from being unintentionally released.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,127 to Blasko et al. discloses a male connector lock arm with a built-in release-preventing member in the form of a T-shaped thumb pad which prevents the connector arm from being accidentally disengaged by virtue of elevated guard surfaces on either side of the thumb pad. This lock arm does not use a separate CPA-type member as in the above-described patents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a mating connector lock arm and CPA structure, in which the CPA functions in three stages to assure the complete connection of a female connector housing with a male connector housing and to prevent a lock arm on one of the housings from being accidentally disengaged.
The CPA is designed for use with a two-part connector system comprising male and female connector housings. In an exemplary form, the female housing has a flexible, detent-type lock arm which snaps into place over mating locking structure on the male housing. An outer operating tab on the lock arm can normally be depressed to release the locking engagement between the two connector housings.
The CPA is first preferably placed in a pre-set position on the female housing before the male housing is mated with the female housing. In this pre-set position the CPA cannot be moved into further engagement with the lock arm, nor can it be easily withdrawn.
As the male housing is mated with the female housing, lock arm engaging structure on the male housing moves the CPA on the female housing to a neutral position in which the housings are locked and the lock arm structure normally preventing the CPA from being further inserted is bypassed. This can be described as a pre-locked condition.
Finally, the CPA can be pushed into a full-locked position in which 1) the visually-observable relationship of the CPA to the operating tab on the end of the lock arm proves terminal connection, 2) the operating tab on the lock arm cannot be depressed so as to disengage the locking connection between the male and female housings, and 3) accidental release of the CPA itself from the full-locked position is prevented by a surrounding protective well and by a removal-hindering connection between the CPA and the lock arm and female housing.
The CPA can be removed in two stages, but only by deliberately grasping the CPA and overcoming a frictional interference with the lock arm until the CPA is partway removed to a pre-removal position. From this pre-removal position (in which the CPA is out of engagement with the lock arm operating tab) the CPA can then be fully removed, but only by pulling it up and out in an arcuate motion different from the motion used to withdraw the CPA from the full-locked to the pre-removal position.
In a preferred form, the CPA itself looks like a three-pronged “sled”, having two flat outside prongs and an upwardly-curved or angled middle prong. The “rear” end of the “sled” comprises a vertically-extending, generally T-shaped operating handle. The underside of the CPA preferably includes a channel with an internal detent for engaging a portion of the female housing.
The female housing includes an integral, flexible lock arm secured at its interior end to the housing and having an exterior, free end terminating in a finger-operated release tab. In the CPA pre-set position, the underside detent on the CPA slides over and snaps down on a mating detent on the female housing, while a pawl on the forward end of the middle CPA prong abuts a transverse stop bar on the lock arm. Further advancement of the CPA requires the female connector housing to be fully inserted into a male housing, in which a portion of the male housing forces the transverse stop bar in the lock arm down; rides over the depressed stop bar, which then pops back up into locking engagement with the male housing; and, finally rides over and depresses the pawl on the middle prong of the CPA, thereby forcing it down below the transverse stop bar and allowing the CPA to be further inserted to its full-engaged position. At this point the middle prong of the CPA pops back up on the opposite side of the transverse stop bar to positively lock the CPA to the female housing. At the same time, the T-shaped operating handle on the CPA drops into a notch formed in the operating tab, and a shoulder on the CPA slides underneath the operating tab to prevent the tab from being depressed.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon further reading of the specification in light of the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4946404 (1990-08-01), Takenouchi et al.
patent: 4950179 (1990-08-01), Takenouchi et al.
patent: 5030127 (1991-07-01), Blasko et al.
patent: 5120255 (1992-06-01), Kouda et al.
patent: 5330369 (1994-07-01), Nozaki et al.
patent: 5507666 (1996-04-01), Yamanashi
patent: 5803651 (1998-09-01), Saito
patent: 5879180 (1999-03-01), Iwahori et al.
patent: 6045388 (2000-04-01), Higgins et al.
Gilman Alexander
Paumen Gary F.
Yazaki North America, Inc.
Young & Basile P.C.
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