Double lock connector and spacer detecting method therefor

Details Double lock connector and spacer detecting method therefor Double lock connector and spacer detecting method therefor

2000-12-28

2001-09-04

Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation

C439S488000, C439S910000, C324S1540PB

Reexamination Certificate

active

06283800

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a double lock connector, and more particularly to a double lock connector, which has a pair of detecting pin inserting portions for detecting the presence of a pair of terminal-engaging spacers to be inserted in a connector housing of the connector, and a detecting method for the spacers.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6
shows a conventional double lock connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 62-188186.
This double lock connector (hereinafter, a connector)
55
is made up of a male connector housing
56
made of synthetic resin, terminals
57
,
58
each having electric wire and to be inserted into a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing
56
, and a pair of side spacers (hereinafter, spacers)
59
,
60
of synthetic resin for double-locking the terminals, which spacers are inserted into the connector housing
56
from a direction crossing at right angles to an inserting direction of the terminal
57
,
58
.
The spacers
59
,
60
each are formed of a rectangular base plate portion
61
and a plurality of combtooth-like engaging rods
62
protrusively-provided on the base plate portion
61
. The length and thickness of the respective engaging rods
62
are different according to size, shape, and location of the terminals
57
,
58
. Accommodation grooves
64
for the respective base plate portions
61
of the spacers
59
,
60
and insertion holes
65
for the engaging rods
62
are formed on the longer sidewalls
63
of the connector housing
56
. The insertion holes
65
are provided on a bottom of the accommodation groove
64
, which accommodation groove
64
continues without limited by shorter sidewalls
66
. That is, both ends
64
a
of the accommodation groove
64
are positioned on the respective shorter sidewalls
66
.
The terminals
57
,
58
are of female terminals and have respective electrically contacting portions
67
,
68
on the front half thereof and connecting portions
69
,
70
, on the rear half thereof, on which electric wires
71
,
72
are pressure-weld. The terminals
57
,
58
are inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber from the back of the connector housing
56
and are engaged with resilient engaging lances (not illustrated) at respective engaging portions
73
. Subsequently, the spacers
59
,
60
are inserted, and the engaging rods
62
abut against the rear ends of the electrically contacting portions
67
,
68
of the terminals
57
,
58
. Therefore, the terminals
57
,
58
are double locked, and coming-off of the terminals
57
,
58
caused by the withdrawal of electric wires
71
,
72
is completely prevented.
The terminals
57
,
58
may be inserted into the respective terminal accommodating chambers with the spacers
59
,
60
being in a state of provisional engagement (i.e. semi-insertion) with the connector housing
56
, and then the spacers
59
,
60
may be finally engaged (i.e. complete insertion) with the connector housing
56
. When the terminals
57
,
58
are inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housing
56
, if the terminals
57
,
58
are in a state of the incomplete insertion, the ends of the engaging rods
62
of the spacers
59
,
60
abut against the electrically contacting portions
67
,
68
of the terminals
57
,
58
. That is, because the spacers
59
,
60
can not be inserted into the connector housing
56
, the incomplete insertion of the terminals
57
,
58
can be detected.
The above connector
55
is coupled to the mating female connector (not illustrated), and male terminals (not illustrated) provided inside a connector coupling chamber of the female connector are inserted into front openings
74
,
75
of the terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housing
56
so as to be connected with the electrically contacting portions
67
,
68
of the terminals
57
,
58
. A nut portion
76
to make a screw connection with the mating connector is arranged at the center of the connector housing
56
.
FIG. 7
shows a spacer detecting method of the above double lock connector
55
. This spacer detecting method is carried out with use of a terminal continuity testing member
78
. A pair of detection switches
81
each having a detecting pin
80
are provided on lower portions of a connector holding portion
79
of the terminal continuity testing member
78
, while opposing to a pair of spacers
59
,
60
inserted into the connector housing
56
. A pair of detection switch
81
having the detecting pin
80
is provided with toward the lower part of the connector holding portion
79
of the terminal continuity testing member
78
oppositely to a pair of the spacer
59
,
60
inserted into inside the connector housing
56
.
The terminal continuity testing member
78
is provided with the above connector holding portion
79
having a right-and-left pair of auxiliary guides
90
, a continuity testing portion
82
capable of sliding in the axial direction and arranged opposite to the connector holding portion
79
, horizontal guide bars
83
being put through the continuity testing portion
82
, a link
84
connected to the continuity testing portion
82
, and a lever
86
having a rotary portion
85
connected to the link
84
. The above detecting pin
80
of the detection switch
81
is upwardly slidably provided on a bottom wall
87
.
When the connector
55
is set on the connector holding portion
79
in a state that base plate portions
61
of the spacers
59
,
60
are in vertical, the ends
61
a
of the base plate portions
61
of the spacers
59
,
60
push the detecting pins
80
to activate the detection switches
81
, whereby the presence of the spacers
59
,
60
is detected.
Probe pins
89
in the continuity testing portion
82
are inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers from the front openings
74
,
75
(
FIG. 6
) of the connector housing
56
by making the continuity testing portion
82
connect with the connector
55
by operating the lever
86
and come into contact with the front ends of the terminals
57
,
58
(FIG.
6
), whereby a continuity test of the terminals
57
,
58
is carried out.
With respect to the above conventional double lock connector and the spacer detecting method therefor, however, because the accommodation grooves
64
for the base plate portions
61
of the spacers
59
,
60
are formed over the full width of the sidewalls
63
, the rigidity of the connector housing
56
is likely to become weak. If the sidewalls
63
of the connector housing
56
are formed thicker in order to enhance the rigidity, the connector housing
56
is enlarged. And, the spacers
59
,
60
are enlarged because the base plate portions
61
have to be lengthened unnecessarily.
Also, in the terminal continuity testing member
78
of
FIG. 7
, because the detection switches
81
are arranged on the right-and-left lower portions of the connector holding portion
79
, the terminal continuity testing member
78
is enlarged in height and width directions, whereby a big space is required, for example, when the wiring harness
88
is assembled and the handling becomes worse because of increase in the weight. If the pair of detection switches
81
are arranged in the auxiliary guides
90
instead of the bottom wall
87
, the structure is further enlarged.
And, the presence of the spacers
59
,
60
is inspected and subsequently the continuity of the terminals
57
,
58
is tested, which requires time and trouble and makes the structure of the terminal continuity testing member
78
complicated, thereby raising the cost and making the structure enlarged. Further, the thin ends of the detecting pins
80
have to abut against the narrow ends of the spacers
59
,
60
, the detecting accuracy is not good.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a double lock connector and a spacer detecting method therefor, wherein an enlargement of the connector and of a terminal continuity testing member caused by a detection

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