Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2002-05-21
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
C439S595000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390860
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a connector having a terminal vibration preventing mechanism which is applied to an automobile or the like, and more particularly to a connector having a terminal vibration preventing mechanism which is used at a low current electrical connection section of an automobile or the like.
BACKGROUND ART
A conventional connector used at a low current electrical connection section is as shown in
FIGS. 18 through 23
.
In
FIG. 18
, reference numeral
270
designates a male type connecting terminal which is inserted into a connector which is used in a conventional low current electrical connection section. The connecting terminal
270
is made of a metal plate as one unit, and its one end portion is a tab-shaped contact section
171
while its other end portion is wire punching section. The wire punching section is made up of a cover punching section
272
a
adapted to punch the cover portion of a wire
290
, and a conductor punching section
272
b
adapted to punch the conductor of the wire.
The connecting terminal
270
includes a substantially box-shaped locking section
273
at the middle, a locking hole
274
formed in the lower surface of the locking section
273
, and a guide piece
275
which is formed by cutting and raising a part of the lower surface in such a manner that the guide piece
275
is protruded downwardly from a part of the side surface. Furthermore, with respect to the locking section
273
and the tab-shaped contact section
271
, the upper surface thereof is lower on the tab-shaped contact section side, and the right and left side surfaces are narrower on the tab-shaped contact section side. And the locking sections
273
and the contact section
271
are coupled through a coupling section
276
which is symmetrical.
FIG. 19
is a sectional side view of a housing
260
forming the connector.
FIG. 20
is a view of the housing taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG.
19
.
FIG. 21
is an enlarged view of essential parts of the housing (
FIG. 19
) taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG.
19
.
FIG. 22
is an enlarged sectional view showing another example of the housing (FIG.
21
).
FIG. 23
is an explanatory diagram for a description of the vibration of the connecting terminal which occurs when the connecting terminal is inserted into the connector.
As shown in
FIGS. 19 through 23
, the housing
260
is substantially cylindrical. The housing
260
has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers
261
, and a hood section
262
which is extended from the terminal accommodating chambers. The latter
261
are adapted to accommodate connecting terminals which is connected to wires. The hood section
262
accommodates the mating connector. On the lower surface
263
of each of the terminal accommodating chambers
261
, a flexible locking piece
264
and an guide groove
265
are provided. The flexible locking piece
264
is extended inwardly from the inserting inlet of the connecting terminal
170
. The guide groove
265
is formed along the flexible locking piece. The guide piece
175
of the connecting terminal
270
is slid along the guide groove
265
.
The free end portion of the flexible locking piece
264
of the terminal accommodating chamber
261
has a locking protrusion
266
, and a flexible space
267
is formed below the latter
266
. The hood section
26
has a upright inner wall
268
at the deep. The inner wall
268
has a plurality of contact section engaging holes
269
. Through the latter
269
, the tap-shaped contact sections of the contact terminals
270
(which are accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers
261
) are protruded into the hood section
262
.
FIG. 21
is an enlarged sectional view showing the configuration of the contact section engaging hole
269
shown in
FIG. 20
; more specifically, the relationships between the tab-shaped contact section
271
and the inner wall
268
.
In the above-described connector, the housing
260
and the connecting terminal
270
are constructed as described above. Hence, when the connecting terminal
270
is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber
261
of the housing
260
, the lower surface of the locking section
273
of the connecting terminal bends the flexible locking piece
264
downwardly (in the direction of the arrow B) which is provided on the lower surface of the terminal accommodating chamber
261
, so that the connecting terminal is allowed to move forwardly. When the locking hole
274
formed in the lower surface of the locking section comes to the locking protrusion
266
which is formed at the free end portion of the flexible locking piece, the locking protrusion is allowed to rise, thus engaging with the locking hole
274
. Hence, the connecting terminal
270
is supported in the terminal accommodating chamber
261
, and is prevented from coming off the latter
261
.
However, as was described above, when the locking protrusion
266
of the flexible locking piece
264
is engaged with the locking hole
274
of the connecting terminal
270
, the connecting terminal
270
is prevented from coming off the terminal accommodating chamber
261
, and therefore it is vibrated in the direction of bending of the flexible locking piece
264
. Hence, as shown in
FIG. 23
, the tab-shaped contact section
271
of the connecting terminal
270
is swung in the contact section engaging hole
269
formed in the inner wall
268
, thus being inclined &thgr; degrees with respect to the central line C of the regular position; that is, so-called “terminal vibration” occurs.
This problem may be solved by employing the following method: The width of the contact engaging hole
269
is made equal to the width of the tab-shaped contact section
271
as much as possible, or the latter is engaged with the former in a press-fit mode; however, the latter method makes the insertion characteristic of the connector.
On the other hand, because of the recent tendency of miniaturization of connecting terminals, the width of the locking protrusion
266
of the flexible locking piece
264
is substantially equal to the width of the tab-shaped contact section
271
of the connecting terminal
270
, or the width of the tab-shaped contact section
271
is decreased, and the width of the contact section engaging hole
269
of the inner wall has the same dimension. Therefore, if a flexible space for the flexible locking piece
264
is obtained, then it is impossible to obtain a space for correcting the vibration of the terminal. For instance, as shown in
FIG. 22
, by decreasing the width of the flexible locking piece
264
the space for correcting the vibration of the terminal can be obtained; however, the holding force of the flexible locking piece
264
; that is, the connecting terminal
270
may come off backwardly.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to correct the postures of the connecting terminals in the housing, and to positively support the connecting terminals in the housing, thereby to prevent the end portions of the connecting terminals from being vibrated from their regular positions.
The foregoing object of the invention has been achieved by the provision of a connector having a vibration preventing mechanism which comprises:
a connecting terminal which is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of a resin housing, and comprises
an elongated tab-shaped contact section which is inserted into a hood section, a fixing section adapted to fix the end portion of a wire, and a locking section having locking hole in the lower surface of the substantial middle portion thereof which is engaged with a flexible locking piece formed in the housing, and
a contact section engaging hole formed in the inner wall forming the deep section of the hood section which is adapted to engaged with an mating connector, and in which the tab-shaped contact section is inserted;
in which
near the junction of the tab-shaped contact section of the connecting terminal and the locking section, a vibration preventing piece is fo
Sato Kei
Shindoh Satoru
Shirouzu Kouichi
Yamagami Hidehisa
León Edwin A.
McGinn & Gibb PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Connector with a terminal deflection preventing mechanism does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Connector with a terminal deflection preventing mechanism, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Connector with a terminal deflection preventing mechanism will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2881178