Electrical connectors – With indicating or identifying provision – Connection indicating provision
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-03-06
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With indicating or identifying provision
Connection indicating provision
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196867
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an electrical fitting detecting connector.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Conventional fitting detecting connectors have male and female parts. When the fitting operation of male and female connectors is carried out, a spring built into one of the connector housings is compressed. If the fitting operation ceases before the two connector housings are completely fitted together, the corresponding connector housing is pushed out by the spring, and this informs the operator that a correct fitting has not been achieved.
In a completely fitted state however, the spring force continues to act so that a force to separate the two housings is continually being exerted, and this is not desirable. Accordingly, connectors have been developed in which the spring is compressed during the fitting operation and reverts to its uncompressed shape when the fitting is complete. For example, one such connector is described in JP-92-306575.
If the spring detects the completely fitted state and is then released, the easiest configuration to adopt is one in which the fitting detection is carried out by using the movement of a locking arm. In such cases, as is the case in the Publication mentioned above, the locking arm and the spring are arranged in a distributed manner, so that locking arm is located in one connector, and the spring is located in the other.
Accordingly, in order to realise this kind of detecting connector, a necessary constituent of each connector housing is at least a locking arm or a spring. However, this places constraints on the configuration of the connector housings. For example, if an existing connector housing is to be replaced with one of a fitting detecting type, major design changes will have to be carried out on both the male and female connector housings.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a fitting detecting connector which has a greater degree of design freedom.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a connector housing of a male/female connector pair, the housing including a locking arm bendable from a rest condition to a bent condition on initial engagement with a locking member of a mating connector, and reverting to the rest condition on complete engagement of said locking arm and locking member, the housing further including a compression spring having one end engageable with a mating connector to urge said housing out of engagement therewith during partial fitting thereof, and a spring holder defining a releasable reaction member for the other end of said spring, said reaction member being effective during partial fitting, and being released on complete engagement of said locking arm and locking member, thereby permitting compressive stress in said spring to be reduced.
Preferably the spring holder is movable with respect to said housing in the direction of fitting thereof from an advanced to a retreated position, the locking arm being engageable with said spring holder in the bent condition to restrain movement thereof relative to said housing, and thereby make said reaction member effective, the locking arm disengaging said spring holder on reverting to the rest condition and permitting movement thereof to the retreated position.
In a preferred embodiment, the spring holder includes a bending regulating member adapted to prevent bending of said locking arm from the rest condition on complete engagement of said locking arm and locking member.
Preferably the spring holder overlies said locking arm and has a bendable member adapted to contact an abutment of said locking arm, to bend said locking arm from the rest to the bent condition.
In a preferred embodiment the bendable member includes a pushing face for receiving a bend inducing force, the plane of said face intersecting the direction of movement of said spring holder and the direction of movement of said abutment.
The bendable member may include a recess within which is located said pushing face said recess being adapted to guide an elongate release tool.
Preferably the spring holder and housing are guided with respect to each other by opposite ribs of one of the spring holder and housing, and opposite channels of the other of the spring holder and housing, said channels and ribs interengaging.
The channels may be narrowed at the end thereof corresponding to the retreated position.
The spring holder may further include latching latching means engageable with said housing to maintain said spring holder in the advanced position, said latching means being released on complete engagement of said locking arm and locking member.
Preferably the spring is a coil spring, said one end of said spring having a seat engaged therewith, and said seat being adapted to contact a mating connector.
A plurality of coil springs may be provided, each having a seat, and each seat may be pressed into the end of the spring and be retained by deformable coil engaging ribs of the seat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5183410 (1993-02-01), Inaba et al.
patent: 5820399 (1998-10-01), Shirouzu et al.
Ishikawa Ryotaro
Kawase Hajime
Nishide Satoru
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Bradley Paula
Gilman Alexander
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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