Electrical connector with a locking mechanism

Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Coupling part with relatively pivotable concentric...

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C439S314000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06203349

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector with a locking mechanism, and more particularly to an electrical connector with a locking mechanism by which a coupling state with a counter electrical connector is locked by conducting a given rotation operation after the electrical connector is insertedly connected to the counter electrical connector. The present invention relates also to an electrical connector with a locking mechanism in which only a given rotation operation is required for enabling a locking state to be naturally canceled by a spring force.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 10
diagrammatically shows a prior art electrical connector with a locking mechanism. In the connector C
3
of the figure, a cylindrical lock ring
110
is attached to the connector body
100
so as to be longitudinally movable. The connector C
3
is insertedly connected to a counter electrical connector C
4
, and a female thread
111
of the lock ring
110
is then screwed with a male thread
112
formed on the counter electrical connector C
4
. As a result, the connectors C
3
and C
4
are locked to each other so as not to drop off.
FIG. 11
diagrammatically shows another prior art electrical connector with a locking mechanism. When the connector C
5
of the figure is insertedly connected to a counter electrical connector C
6
, an engaging piece
210
formed on the connector body
200
is automatically engaged with an engaging portion
220
of the counter electrical connector C
6
, and the connectors C
5
and C
6
are locked to each other so as not to drop off. When a pressing portion
230
formed on the connector body
200
is pressed by a finger in the locking state so as to bend inwardly the engaging piece
210
, the locking state is canceled and the connector C
5
can be extracted from the counter electrical connector C
6
.
FIG. 12
diagrammatically shows a further prior art electrical connector with a locking mechanism. The connector C
7
of the figure has one pole
325
. A cylindrical lock ring
310
is attached to the connector body
300
of the connector C
7
so as to be rotatable and axially movable. The lock ring
310
is always urged toward the illustrated initial position in the retracting direction, by a spring member (not shown) which is interposed between the connector body
300
and the lock ring
310
. A slot
320
which elongates in the spiral direction is opened in the lock ring
310
. An engaging holding face
322
is sectionally formed in the hole wall face
321
of the slot
320
. When the connector C
7
is insertedly connected to a counter electrical connector C
8
and the lock ring
310
is then rotated, the entire wall face
321
of the slot
320
is engaged with an outward projection
324
disposed on the counter electrical connector C
8
, so that the lock ring
310
is moved forward, whereby the outward projection
324
is engaged with the engaging holding face
322
, with the result that the connectors C
7
and C
8
are locked to each other so as not to drop off. When the lock ring
310
in the locking state is reversely rotated, the locking state is naturally canceled by the spring force and the connector C
7
can be extracted from the counter electrical connector C
8
.
Among the above-described prior art connectors C
3
, C
5
, and C
7
of
FIGS. 10
,
11
, and
12
, the connector C
7
of
FIG. 12
has excellent locking operability because a locking operation can be completed only by insertedly connecting the connector to the counter electrical connector C
8
and then slightly rotating the lock ring
310
. Furthermore, the connector C
7
has an advantage that, when the outward projection
324
of the counter electrical connector C
8
and the slot
320
of the lock ring
310
of the connector C
7
are formed in two places which are separated from each other by 180°, high locking stability is obtained wherein an offset load hardly occurs.
In the connector C
7
of
FIG. 12
, in the case where the connector has a single pole
325
as illustrated, even when the lock ring
310
at its initial position is rotatable with respect to the connector body
300
, the locking operation can be conducted by insertedly connecting the connectors C
7
and C
8
to each other at a position where the outward projection
324
of the counter electrical connector C
8
can be fitted into the slot
320
of the lock ring
310
, and then rotating the lock ring
310
. In the case where the connector C
7
is a multipolar connector having plural poles, when the connectors C
7
and C
8
are to be insertedly connected to each other, it is required to conduct a two-step positioning operation in which the fitting positions in the peripheral direction of the connectors are first determined in order to enable the poles (not shown) of the connectors to be adequately connected to each other, and the lock ring
310
is then rotated so as to adjust the position of the slot
320
in the peripheral direction to the position where the outward projection
324
of the counter electrical connector CB can be fitted into the slot. This prevents the connection work from being conducted rapidly and smoothly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances.
It is an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector with a locking mechanism in which the basic structure of the connector C
7
of
FIG. 12
that has a single pole is employed as it is, and the lock ring at the initial position can be positioned in the rotation direction.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector with a locking mechanism in which, even in the case of a multipolar electrical connector with a locking mechanism, when the electrical connector with a locking mechanism is to be connected to a counter electrical connector, the connectors can be surely connected and locked to each other without requiring an adjustment of a lock ring in the rotation direction, only by determining a fitting position where poles of the connectors can be adequately connected to each other.
In the electrical connector with a locking mechanism according to the present invention, the presumption portion has a configuration comprising:
a cylindrical fitting portion which can be fitted into a cylindrical fitted portion of a counter electrical connector;
a cylindrical lock ring which is attached to the fitting portion so as to be rotatable and axially movable;
a guide face which is formed on the lock ring, which elongates in a spiral direction, and to which, when the fitting portion is fitted into the fitted portion, an outward projection disposed on the fitted portion is opposed;
a cam face and an engaging face which is continuous with the cam face, the cam face and the engaging face being sectionally formed in the guide face, and, when the lock ring is rotated, being engaged with the outward projection to guide the lock ring toward a lock position in an advancing direction; and
a spring member which always urges the lock ring toward an initial position in a retracting direction.
The configuration of the presumption portion is formed also in the prior art connector C
7
which has been described with reference to FIG.
12
. According to the electrical connector with a locking mechanism of the present invention having this configuration, a locking operation can be completed only by insertedly connecting the connector to the counter electrical connector and then slightly rotating the lock ring, and hence the connector has excellent locking operability. Furthermore, the connector has an advantage that, when the outward projection of the counter electrical connector and the slot of the lock ring are formed in two places which are separated from each other by 180°, high locking stability wherein an offset load hardly occurs is obtained. When the lock ring in the locking state is reversely rotated, the locking state is naturally canceled by the spring force and the connector can be extracted from the

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