Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-04-03
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210184
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multipolar and miniature connector structure which enables the fitting and release of, for example, connectors of an instrument panel side (a wire harness side) and connectors of a meter side (a dashboard side) of a vehicle with a small operating force.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-72660, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
as an example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 6-325822 discloses a connector of the above-described type shown in
FIGS. 4A
to
7
. The connector
1
includes levers
3
pivotably supported by an axis
2
a
extending toward opposite sides of the connector
1
, a male connector housing
2
and a female connector housing
6
. The male connector housing
2
is attached movably in a front-to-rear direction relative to the inside panel
5
a
of an instrument panel
5
of a vehicle via a bracket
4
. The female connector housing
6
has projections
6
a
,
6
b
on its sides. The projections
6
a
,
6
b
can respectively slide on a pair of arm portions
3
a
,
3
a
of levers
3
while holding the arm portions
3
a
,
3
a
therebetween. The male connector housing
2
is fitted to and released from a hood portion
6
c
by the female connector housing
6
.
Under the female connector housing
6
, there is provided a rail portion
9
for supporting movably back and forth a slider
8
pivoted by a screw member
7
at its distal end. The slider
8
is adapted to receive a rod-like slider attaching portions
3
b
of the lever
3
in a recess
8
a
thereof. As shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, when the lever
3
is turned in a front-to-rear direction of both male and female connector housings
2
and
6
by rotation of the screw member
7
, the fitting and releasing operations of both housings
2
and
6
are performed, via the projections
6
a
,
6
b
, with a small force by action of leverage (an assistor).
As shown in
FIG. 7
, a meter (a dash board) M is attached through bolts and nuts (not shown) under the inside panel
5
a
of the instrument panel
5
.
In the above-described connector
1
, however, since the levers
3
are actuated by rotating the screw member
7
with a tool such as a screw driver or the like, an area is needed for operating the levers
3
, so that the connector structure is relatively large. Further, since the screw members are independent for fitting both male and female connector housings
2
and
6
and securing the meter M to the underside of the inside panel
5
a
of the instrument panel
5
, the attachment operation is troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the present invention has been made to solve the above mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector structure, in which the entire structure is miniaturized, the fitting and releasing of both male and female connectors may be performed with a single screw member, and electric equipment may be easily attached to the side of a body which is to be attached.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector structure which enables to fit together and release from each other one of male and female connectors provided on one frame side and the other one of the male and female connectors provided on the other frame side. More specifically, the connector structure preferably comprises a first frame including a first connector and a first cam follower, a second frame including a second connector fittable to the first connector, a slanting cam along which the first cam follower is moved, and a reversely slanting cam slanting in non-parallel with the slanting cam, a screw member having a body penetrating the second frame, and a slider attached onto the body of the screw member, the slider being slidable on the body of the screw member by screwing the screw member, and the slider having a second cam follower which is moved along the reversely slanting cam when the screw member is rotated, wherein, when the screw member is screwed, the second frame is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to a connector fitting direction of the first and second connectors in accordance with movement of the second cam follower along the reversely slanting cam, and is moved in the connector fitting direction in accordance with movement of the first cam follower along the slanting cam.
According to the above-described connector structure, both the male and female connectors may be fitted and released with a small operating force. Furthermore, the second frame is provided with the slanting cam, while the first frame is provided with the cam follower moving along the slanting cam, and since these members are not largely protruded outward, the entire body of the connector structure may be simplified and miniaturized in comparison with the related connector structure employing the lever mechanism.
Furthermore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, preferably, the first frame is attached to an attachment body having an engagement portion and a tightening portion, the first frame has an elastic retaining portion which is engaged with the engagement portion when the first frame is attached to an attachment body, and the screw member is penetrated through an attaching portion to which an electric equipment is connected, and is engaged with the tightening portion, and wherein the second frame is moved by screwing the screw member to the tightening portion.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the electric equipment can be easily secured to the attachment body by the screw member, and therefore the number of the component parts is saved thereby, and the cost reduced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3209302 (1965-09-01), Uberbacher
patent: 4990096 (1991-02-01), Bujtas et al.
patent: 5618194 (1997-04-01), Maue et al.
patent: 5997322 (1999-12-01), Kashiyama et al.
patent: 6-325822 (1994-11-01), None
TDB NN9211148 Nov. 1, 1991 IBM Corporation.
Kodama Shinji
Sato Kei
Abrams Neil
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
Zarroli Michael C.
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