Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-02-06
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183276
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector structure having a mechanism member for mutually engaging multi-polar male and female connectors with each other and a method of assembling the male and female connectors to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that the use of a mechanism member for drawing one connector into another connector is one way in view of improving the operability in engaging the multi-polar connectors having many terminals with each other. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 6-267610 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (kokai) No. 6-5148 discloses the conventional connector structures adopting the mechanism member.
In the former publication, there is shown a mechanism member of a general U-shaped cross section, which is provided, on upper and lower opposing faces thereof, with a plurality of cam grooves and attachment ribs. According to the disclosed structure, it is possible to assemble the above mechanism member to a male connector by sliding the member with respect to the male connector while respectively inserting the attachment ribs into grooves formed on top and bottom faces of the male connector.
While, a female connector shown in the publication has a plurality of terminals partially drawn out of a body of the female connector. The terminals are soldered to a printed board, so that the installation of the female connector on the board can be completed. In assembling, the male connector equipped with the mechanism member is temporary engaged with the female connector on the printed board and thereafter, the mechanism member
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is slid in the longitudinal direction of the male connector
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. In this way, with the respective engagement of cam projections on the female connector with the cam grooves of the mechanism member, the male connector is fitted into the female connector.
In the latter publication, a female connector is provided, at the interior of a housing thereof, with upper and lower accommodation spaces into which a mechanism member is to be inserted. Similarly to the former publication, the mechanism member has a general U-shaped cross section and is provided, in opposing faces thereof, with cam grooves formed. In order to assemble the female connector to a male connector, the opposing faces of the mechanism member are inserted into the accommodation spaces through the side face of the female connector, so that the mechanism member is assembled to the female connector temporarily.
After assembling of the mechanism member, the female connector is integrated with a printed board by soldering terminals drawn out of the female connector to the printed board. On installation of the female connector on the printed board, the male connector is fitted to a front opening of the female connector temporarily. Subsequently, the depression of the mechanism member into the female connector in the lateral direction allows the mechanism member to draw the male connector, whereby the female connector and the male connector can be fitted to each other.
In common with the above-mentioned conventional structures, however, it is necessary that the connector being assembled to the mechanism member has a wide portion overlapping with the mechanism member due to the arrangement where the whole mechanism member is to be overlapped with the connector, thereby causing a depth of the connector to be lengthened. Furthermore, due to a large sliding area of the mechanism member with the connector, there is a problem of large sliding resistance, so that the smooth sliding of the mechanism member is obstructed.
In addition, there is a possibility that due to the structure where the connector is integrated with the printed board by soldering the terminals, the connector housing and the mechanism member are deformed by heat at the time of soldering. In such a case, the deformation may cause the sliding resistance in fitting to be increased, thereby causing the difficulty in fitting the male and female connectors to each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector structure which is capable of decreasing an overlapping portion of the mechanism member with the connector and which does not influence the fitting of the male and female connectors in spite of thermal deformation occurring when soldering the terminals to the printed board, whereby the fitting of the connectors can be completed smoothly.
Additionally, it is another object to provide a method of assembling the male connector to the female connector in accordance with the above connector structure.
The former object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a connector structure comprising:
a printed board;
a first connector having a frame in which one or more terminals are engaged, respective ends of the terminals being soldered to a wiring pattern on the printed board to assemble the first connector to the printed board; and
a mechanism member being assembled to the first connector, the mechanism member having a mechanism part to draw a second connector being mated with the first connector into the mechanism member to fit the first connector and the second connector to each other;
wherein the mechanism member and the connector are constituted in different bodies, while the mechanism member is provided with a hood part which can engage with the frame of the first connector and which allows the mechanism member to be assembled to the first connector.
According to this invention, since the mechanism member is assembled to the first connector while the hood part of the mechanism member overlaps the frame of the first connector, it is unnecessary to put the mechanism part of the mechanism member on the first connector, whereby the depth of the connector can be reduced. Additionally, since the mechanism part for drawing the second connector thereinto is not overlapped with the connector, it is possible to reduce the sliding resistance between the first connector and the second connector, whereby the mechanism member can operate smoothly.
Furthermore, since the mechanism member and the first connector are constituted by the different bodies, the heat generated in soldering the terminals of the connector to the printed board does not act on the mechanism member. Therefore, there is no possibility that the function of the mechanism member to draw the second connector thereinto is influenced. That is, even if the first connector is deformed due to the heat at soldering, it is possible to fit the first connector to the mating connector smoothly.
In the present invention, preferably, the frame of the first connector is fixed on the printed board, while the frame is covered with the hood part in the completed assembly of the mechanism member and the first connector.
In this case, there is no need to put the mechanism part of the mechanism member on the printed board. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a portion of the printed board being occupied by the first connector, thereby reducing the size of the printed board.
In the present invention, preferably, the frame of the first connector is provided with at least one key, while the hood part of the mechanism member is provided with at least one key groove for slidable engagement with the key. In this case, owing to the engagement between the key and the key groove, it is possible to connect the hood part with the frame precisely and smoothly.
In the present invention, preferably, the frame of the first connector is provided with at least one projection, while the hood part of the mechanism member is provided with at least one engagement hole for engagement with the projection. In this case, owing to the engagement between the projection and the engagement hole, it is possible to connect the first connector to the mechanism member through the hood part and the frame. Therefore, the workability in assembling the connector and the mating connector can be improved.
In the present invention, p
Sugiyama Osamu
Tsuji Masanori
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Nguyen Son V.
Sircus Brian
Yazaki -Corporation
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