Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Resiliently interlocking coupling part with adjacent modular...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-13
2001-02-27
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Resiliently interlocking coupling part with adjacent modular...
C439S717000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193550
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling connector which is constituted such that a plurality of connectors are coupled to each other so as to make one set.
2. Description of the Related Art
A coupling connector which are constituted such that connectors are coupled to each other to improve a handling property of plural connectors.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show a conventional coupling connector
1
. A plurality of terminal accommodation chambers
6
and
7
are formed respectively in connector housings
4
and
5
of two connectors
2
and
3
to be coupled to each other. Electric wires
10
and
11
are led from wire harnesses
8
and
9
into the terminal accommodation chambers
6
and
7
of the respective connectors so as to be connected with terminals (not shown) in the terminal accommodation chambers
6
and
7
.
These connectors
2
and
3
are coupled to each other by sliding the connector housings
4
and
5
relative to a direction of an arrow D. In order to obtain this coupling, an engagement groove
12
is formed on an outer wall on one side of the connector housing
4
of the connector
2
, and an engagement projection
13
having a T shape which is engaged with the engagement groove
12
is formed on an outer wall of the connector housing
5
of the connector
3
which faces the engagement groove
12
. The engagement groove
12
and engagement projection
13
are extended along an engagement direction of the connector housings
4
and
5
. When the engagement projection
13
is engaged with the engagement groove
12
and they are slid together, the connectors
2
and
3
can be coupled to each other as shown in FIG.
2
. There is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.62-15774 a coupling connector using such a coupling structure.
However, in the conventional coupling connector
1
, there is a gap
14
between the engagement groove
12
and engagement projection
13
due to thermal shrinkage which occurs when the connector housing
4
and
5
are injection molded and other causes as shown in FIG.
3
. This gap causes looseness in directions of arrows
16
and
17
, thereby occurring relative displacement of the connector housings
4
and
5
as shown by a broken line. The occurrence of such looseness causes pitch displacement of the connector housings
4
and
5
. As a result, when engaged with a mating connector, the coupling connector
1
interferes with the mating connector, and they become unstable, thereby being difficult to engage with each other. Furthermore, the terminals in the terminal accommodation chambers
6
and
7
cannot come in contact with terminals of the mating connector satisfactorily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in view. It therefore is an object of the invention to provide a coupling connector having a structure so that it can be engaged with a mating connector smoothly without occurring an unstable state between connector housings to be coupled to each other.
To achieve the object, a first aspect of the invention provides a coupling connector comprising: a connector housing of a first connector having an engagement piece formed by projecting an outer wall thereof; and a connector housing of a second connector having an engagement groove formed on an outer wall thereof, the engagement piece being engaged with the engagement groove, wherein the engagement piece and engagement groove are formed so as to be engaged with each other in an engagement direction intersecting perpendicularly to a coupling direction where the first and second connectors are coupled to each other; and wherein the connector housing of the first connector is slid to the coupling direction with respect to the connector housing of the second connector so that the engagement piece is engaged with the engagement groove so that the first connector and second connector are coupled to each other.
According to this aspect of the invention, the connector housing is slid so that the engagement piece of the one connector housing is engaged with the engagement groove of the other connector housing, and thus both the connectors can be coupled to each other. Since the engagement piece and engagement groove of the present invention are arranged so that the engagement direction intersects perpendicularly to the coupling direction where the connectors are coupled to each other by sliding, after the connectors are coupled to each other, the connector housings of both the connectors are fixed to fixed positions respectively, and thus an unstable state and pitch displacement does not occur. As a result, the coupling connector can be engaged with a mating connector smoothly, and the terminals (not shown) can be brought into contact with each other satisfactorily.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the engagement piece is sufficiently elastic such that it can be deflected along the engagement direction; and the engagement piece is engaged with the engagement groove in a state where the engagement piece is deflected.
According to this aspect of the invention, since the engagement piece is engaged with the engagement groove while being deflected elastically along the engagement direction, the engagement piece closely contacts the engagement groove along the engagement direction. As a result, both connectors are coupled to each other firmly in the engagement direction, and thus the coupling without pitch displacement can be achieved.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the engagement piece is formed with a projected bar which comes into contact with the engagement groove.
According to this aspect of the invention, the projected bar comes in contact with the engagement groove precedently, and this contact increases a deflection amount of the engagement piece. As a result, the engagement piece closely contacts the engagement groove, and thus a coupling force between the connectors are increased. Moreover, the deflection amount of the engagement piece becomes large, and only the projected bars come into contact with the engagement groove so that a contact portion of the engagement piece with the engagement groove is reduced. As a result, friction, which is generated when the connector housing is slid is reduced, and the connectors can be slid smoothly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5288251 (1994-02-01), Sumida
patent: 5643015 (1997-07-01), Wakata
patent: 5788347 (1998-08-01), Rabinovitz
patent: 5893778 (1999-04-01), Mansutti
patent: 5904598 (1999-05-01), Yamanashi
patent: 62-15774 (1987-01-01), None
Okabe Toshiaki
Yamashita Tetsuya
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Vu Hien
Yazaki -Corporation
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