Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-10-16
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302744
ABSTRACT:
This application claims priority pursuant to Title 35, United States Code, Section 119, based upon the earlier filed foreign application No. JP10-290765, filed on Oct. 13, 1998.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connecting apparatus, and more particularly to a connector system comprising a pair of first and second connectors, each of which includes a fitting portion to be fitted to a counterpart fitting portion in a mutually inserting manner to establish an electrical connection between the pair of connectors, and a polarizing key mechanism permitting only a specific combination of the first and second connectors to be connected with each other.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Conventionally, in an I/O interface of the electronic apparatus such as a personal computer, to correctly connect an electronic apparatus with a desired counterpart apparatus, it has been known that a polarizing key function is added to the I/O interface for permitting only one specific combination of connectors between an I/O cable and a circuit board. Recently, as the electronic apparatus has increasingly been smaller in size and become higher in performance, a degree of allowance of electronic components used therein is liable to lower, against an external interference such as an application of excessive voltage. Accordingly, it is important for the I/O interface of such a high performance electronic apparatus to have a function for surely preventing the erroneous connection of the apparatus, i.e., the erroneous insertion of connectors, in view of safety for avoiding in advance a failure of the electronic apparatus caused by a careless mistake.
Also, nowadays, a standardization of a digital interface has been discussed in persons pertaining to this industrial field, for connecting an information processor such as a personal computer with a display such as a liquid crystal monitor while keeping the interchangeability. Under such circumstances, it is not desirable from a point of view of a manufacturing cost, to newly develop connectors for the interface matching with a new standard, but is advantageous to basically use those of the conventional structure. In the latter case, it is necessary that the connector used for the interface of the new standard has the above-mentioned function for preventing the erroneous insertion into another connector of the same structure but used for a different use application.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (Kokai) No. 1-174880 discloses a prior art connector system having this type of a polarizing key function. In the connector system, a male connector for a cable has a shell covering a connector body, while a projection extending in the connector-fitting direction is provided at a desired position on an end surface of the shell to be fitted to the female connector. Contrarily, the female connector for a circuit board is arranged so that a fitting portion thereof to be fitted to the male connector is exposed out from an opening of a metallic panel of an apparatus housing, and has a notch groove engageable with the projection of the shell at a desired position of the periphery of the opening of the panel. Thus, a specific combination of the male and female connectors wherein positions of the projection of the shell and the notch groove of the panel coincide with each other solely permits the mutual connection of both the connectors by the engagement of the projection with the notch groove.
The prior art connector system having the above-mentioned polarizing key function is capable of preventing the male connector having the projection in the shell and the female connector having the notch groove in the panel from being connected to each other unless they satisfy the specific combination. However, if a conventional male connector of the same structure as the above-with only one exception that the shell has no projection is used for another I/O cable, the above connector system is incapable of preventing the conventional male connector from being connected with the female connector even though the notch groove is provided in the panel. Accordingly, in a case wherein a conventional connector is used for the above-mentioned new standard interface, this connector system is risky.
When male and female connectors other than the specific combination are connected to each other, there is a possibility in that the projection of the shell of And the male connector abuts to the panel to cause an unintentional rotation of the male connector about the projection, which results in a risk wherein some of the contacts in both the connectors are partially in contact with each other. Further, there is a possibility in that the projection of the shell is inadvertently inserted into the fitting portion of the female connector, which may cause a short circuit between contacts of the female connector if the entire shell or the projection thereof is made of metal. Such a partial contact or short circuit between the contacts may cause the above-mentioned failure of the high performance electronic apparatus.
In addition, the high performance electronic apparatus is required for having an increased electromagnetic shielding function in the I/O interface. However, the notch groove provided in the panel on the female connector side is liable to adversely influence the electromagnetic shielding function. Since either the projection of the shell or the notch groove of the panel is provided at a random position, it is necessary to assemble the shell with the panel while confirming the polarity of the male and female connectors so that the projection is receivable in the notch groove when both the connectors are connected to each other. This affects the workability.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector system with a polarizing key function permitting only one specific combination of connectors, capable of preventing the erroneous insertion of the connector while avoiding the partial contact or the short circuit between contacts of the connectors, whereby the safety is significantly facilitated upon the connection between small-sized and high-performance electronic apparatuses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector system with a polarizing key function permitting only one specific combination Of connectors, capable of surely preventing the erroneous insertion not only of a connector having a polarizing key function according to the present invention but also of that having no such a function.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a connector system having a polarizing key function, wherein an electromagnetic shielding function is more facilitated in an I/O interface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connector system wherein a polarizing key function can easily and correctly be added even to a connector having a polarity in a fitting portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To accomplish the above objects, the invention provides a connector system comprising a pair of first and second connectors, each of which includes a fitting portion to be fitted with a counterpart fitting portion in a mutually inserting manner to establish an electrical connection between the first and second connectors, and a polarizing key mechanism permitting only a specific combination of the first and second connectors to be connected with each other, characterized in that the polarizing key mechanism comprises a first guide member provided around the fitting portion of the first connector, the first guide member including a plurality of engaging sections; and a second guide member provided around the fitting portion of the second connector, the second guide member including a plurality of engaging sections which can be compensatingly engaged with the plurality of engaging sections of the first guide member; wherein the first and second guide members permit the first and second connectors to be connected with each other only when the engaging sections of the first gui
3M Innovative Properties Company
Figueroa Felix O.
Luebke Renee
McNutt Matthew B.
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