Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-21
2001-11-20
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319041
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
The inventors of the present application filed Japanese Patent Application No. 11-138558 and the corresponding European Patent Application No. 00 110 204.5, which relate to a connector with means for locking two housings into each other. The locking means is concealed inside to make it difficult to disengage the housings from the outside. This connector of JP 11-138558 also is shown in FIGS.
11
(A) and
11
(B) of this application, and is comprised of a male connector housing
101
and a female connector housing
102
. A lock arm
103
is provided in the male housing
101
for locking the female connector housing
102
. A slider
104
also is provided in the male housing
101
for holding the lock arm
103
in a position where the lock arm
103
can lock the female connector housing
102
. The slider
104
is provided with compression coil springs (not shown) for accumulating biasing forces that act in a direction to separate the female connector housing
102
from the male connector housing
101
as the female connector housing
102
is fitted into the male connector housing
101
.
A locking surface
103
A at the leading end of the lock arm
103
engages the female connector housing
102
when the female connector housing
102
is connected properly with the male connector housing. Simultaneously, the slider
104
is displaced to the left of
FIG. 11
, where a displacement of the lock arm
103
in its disengaging direction is restricted by a pressing surface
104
A of the slider
104
. As a result, the connector housings
101
,
102
are locked into each other (see FIG.
11
(B)).
If the slider
104
is slid to the right of
FIG. 11
in this locked state, the accumulated forces of the unillustrated compression coil springs are increased, and the restriction on the displacement of the lock arm
103
by the slider
104
is released. Accordingly, the lock arm
103
is displaced in the upward direction of
FIG. 11
by a pushing force from the female connector housing
102
. As a result, the female connector housing
102
is pushed out of the male connector housing
101
by the accumulated forces of the compression coil springs (see FIG.
11
(A)).
The above-described lock arm
103
is concealed inside the male housing
101
to make it difficult to disengage the lock arm
103
from outside. Additionally, the lock arm
103
has both a locking function and an unlocking function. Specifically, the locking surface
103
A of the lock arm
103
is slightly oblique with respect to a direction normal to a disengaging direction of the female connector housing
102
. Thus, the pushing force from the female connector housing
102
on the inclined locking surface
103
A displaces the lock arm
103
upward and disengages the lock arm
103
from the female connector housing
102
to effect unlocking.
The inclined locking surface
103
A of the lock arm
103
is desirable in view of the unlocking function, but not desirable in view of the locking function.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to secure the reliability of a locking function of a lock arm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention is directed to a connector that comprises first and second connector housings that are connectable with each other. The first connector housing comprises a lock arm that is elastically deformable between a locking position where the second connector housing is locked to the first connector housing and an unlocking position where the second connector housings is not locked.
The first connector housing further comprises a slider that is movable between a displacement-restricting position, where a displacement of the lock arm from the locking position toward the unlocking position is restricted, and a displacement-permitting position, where the displacement of the lock arm toward the unlocking position is permitted. The connector housings are locked into each other by displacing the lock arm to the locking position to lock the second connector housing and moving the slider to the displacement-restricting position. The connector housings can be released from the locked state for separation from each other by moving the slider to the displacement-permitting position and displacing the lock arm to the unlocking position. A forcible displacing means is provided in the slider and/or the lock arm for forcibly displacing the lock arm from the locking position to the unlocking position as the slider is moved from the displacement-restricting position to the displacement-permitting position.
Movement of the slider from the displacement-restricting position to the displacement-permitting position, while the connector housings are fitted with each other, causes the forcible displacing means to displace the lock arm to the unlocking position. Thus, it is unnecessary for the locking portion of the lock arm and the other connector housing to perform an unlocking function, and accordingly, the locking function performed by the lock arm is more reliable.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the slider is further movable from the displacement-permitting position to a forcible displacement position, which preferably is located at substantially the opposite range of the movement of the slider from the displacement restricting position. The lock arm is displaced forcibly by the forcible displacing means as the slider is moved from the displacement-permitting position to the forcible displacement position. The forcible displacing means forcibly displaces the lock arm when the restriction on the displacement of the lock arm by the slider is released. Thus, the forcible displacing operation can be performed with high reliability.
The forcible displacing means preferably comprises a pushing portion formed on the slider and a pushable portion formed on the lock arm. At least one of the pushing portion and the pushable portion preferably are formed with a slanted surface that is inclined with respect to both the moving directions of the slider and displacing directions of the lock arm. The forcible displacing means takes advantage of the inclination of the slanted surface to displace the lock arm into the unlocking position. Thus, the construction can be simplified.
The connector may further comprise a holding means that permits movement of the slider from the displacement-permitting position toward the forcible-displacement position, but restricts movement of the slider toward the displacement-restricting position. The connector may further comprise a biasing means for biasing the slider from the forcible-displacement position toward the displacement-permitting position. The slider is held in the displacement permitting position by the biasing force of the biasing means. Thus the biasing means prevents the slider from shaking between the displacement-permitting position and the forcible-displacement position.
The restriction on the movement of the slider toward the displacement restricting position by the holding means preferably is released as the first connector housing is properly connected with the second connector housing.
The lock arm locks the housings together when the second connector housing is connected properly with the first connector housing, and, at this time, the restriction on the movement of the slider by the holding means is released. Thus, the slider is moved to the displacement restricting position by the biasing force of the biasing means. In other words, the connector housings automatically are locked together when they are properly connected, thereby saving a manual operation.
The biasing means preferably is deformed as the second connector housing is connected with the first connector housing, and thereby accumulates a biasing force. The accumulated biasing force then functions to separate the second connector housing. More particularly, the second connector housing is displaced forcibly in a separating
Ishikawa Ryotaro
Kawase Hajime
Nishide Satoru
Yoneda Takahiro
Casella Anthony J.
Hespos Gerald E.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Ta Tho D.
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