Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-08
2001-06-05
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
C439S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241551
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a divided-type connector and more particularly to a construction for a divided-type connector that can reduce a coupling force required for coupling between a male connector and a female connector so as to obtain good coupling operability.
2. Related art
As a conventional divided-type connector
80
, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI. 5-234634 discloses a divided-type connector. As is shown in
FIG. 9
, this divided-type connector comprises a male connector
81
and a female connector
82
that can be fitted on the male connector
81
.
The male connector
81
is divided-type into two connector units
83
,
84
, which are incorporated into a common connector frame
85
. The respective connector units
83
,
84
of the male connector
81
are individually operated for coupling (or fitting in). In other words, a coupling between the male connector
81
and the female connector
82
is performed in two stages for the respective connector units
83
,
84
, whereby a fitting force is reduced that is required for the male connector
81
to be fitted in the female connector.
In the conventional divided-type connector
80
described above, although the fitting force needed when the male connector
81
is fitted in the female connector
82
can be reduced, since the respective connector units
83
,
84
of the male connector
81
are independently fitted in the female connector
82
, there still remains a problem that good coupling operability cannot be obtained.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a divided-type connector that can provide good coupling operability while reducing a fitting force needed when the male connector is coupled to the female connector.
With a view to attaining the aforesaid object, according to the present invention, there is provided a divided-type connector comprising a male connector and a female connector, one of the connectors being divided-type into a plurality of connector units, so that each of the connector units so divided-type is coupled to the other connector, wherein the one of the connectors comprises a fixing part having an opening hole formed in a coupling face thereof and a moving part adapted to be received in the opening hole for locking therein with a part thereof being left projecting from the coupling face in a coupling direction, and wherein after the moving part is coupled to the other connector, the fixing part is coupled to the other connector while the moving part is being moved in the fixing part.
In this divided-type connector, either of the male and female connectors comprises the fixing part having the opening hole and the moving part adapted to be locked on the fixing part with a part thereof being left projecting. In this construction, the projecting moving part is first coupled to the other connector, and thereafter the fixing part is coupled to the other connector with the moving part being moved in a direction opposite to a coupling direction. Therefore, since a fitting force required when the male and female connectors are coupled to each other is divided, this serves to reduce the needed fitting force, and since the moving part and the fixing part can be coupled to each other in a single inserting operation, a good coupling operability can be obtained.
An invention according to the present invention, there is provided a divided-type connector, wherein the moving part is locked on the fixing part by means of locking means disposed on sides of the moving part, and wherein the locking of the locking means with the fixing part is released when the moving part is fitted in the other connector, so that the locking means are then fixed to the other connector.
In this divided-type connector, the moving part is first locked on the fixing part with the locking means, and the locking of the moving part with the fixing part is released when the moving part is coupled to the other connector for fixation to the other connector. Thus, the locking means are used not only for locking with the fixing part but also for fixing to the other connector, thereby making it simplify the construction of the connector.
According to the present invention, there is provided a divided-type connector, wherein said one of the connectors comprises first fixing means disposed on external sides thereof for securing a coupled state with the other connector, and wherein the first fixing means can come to be fixed for the first time when not only the moving part but also the fixing part is coupled to the other connector.
In this divided-type connector, the first connector means can come to be fixed for the first time in a state in which the one of the connectors is coupled to the other connector when not only the moving part but also the fixing part is coupled to the other connector, whereby a half-coupled state of the moving part and the fixing part can easily be detected, thereby making it possible to prevent a failure in electric connection between the connectors.
According to the present invention, there is provided a divided-type connector, wherein the one of said connectors and the other connector are adapted to be coupled together at a wall face via a connector mounting hole, the other connector having second fixing means adapted to be fixed at the wall face, wherein the one of the connectors is fixed at the wall face by means of the first fixing means until it is coupled to the other connector, and wherein the fixation effected by the first locking means is released as a coupling operation between the one of the connectors and the other connector proceeds, the other connector being fixed to the wall face by means of the second fixing means when the coupling of the other connector with the one of the connectors is completed.
In this divided-type connector, the one of the connectors is fixed in the connector mounting hole by means of the first fixing means before the respective connectors are coupled to each other. In this state, the fixation by means of the first fixing means is released when the one of the connectors and the other connector are operated to be coupled to each other, and the other connector, which has completed the coupling with the one of the connectors, is fixed to the wall face by means of the second fixing means. Thus, one of the connectors and the other connector are fixed at the wall face by means of the second fixing means via the connector mounting hole. For instance, therefore, when the connector is mounted on the vehicle body, a mounting operation of the connector to the vehicle body can be simplified to a large extent, and moreover the respective connectors can be coupled to each other in a more secured fashion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6033241 (2000-03-01), Iwata et al.
patent: 5-234634 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 9-293567 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 9-306582 (1997-11-01), None
Bradley Paula
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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