Half-fitting detection connector

Details Half-fitting detection connector Half-fitting detection connector

2000-06-21

2001-07-03

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With indicating or identifying provision

Connection indicating provision

C439S352000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06254424

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a half-fitting detection connector in which a half-fitted condition of two connectors can be detected. More particularly, the present invention relates to a half-fitting detection connector provided with a connection detection device which detects a half-fitted condition of the two connectors by detecting an electrical connection between connection detection contacts retained respectively in predetermined positions in the two connectors.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-182037, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Usually, various electronic equipments are mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and therefore, naturally, various types of female and male connectors are provided at connection ends of various kinds of wires forming wire harnesses or the like.
FIGS. 6
to
8
show a conventional half-fitting detection connector provided with a connection detection device for checking whether or not male and female connectors are completely fitted together.
This half-fitting detection connector
1
is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 7-142122. When the amount of fitting of the pair of male and female connectors
3
and
4
relative to each other reaches a predetermined value, a lock projection
8
on an elastic lock arm
7
, formed on a housing
13
of the male connector
3
, is engaged in a retaining hole
11
in a housing
14
of the female connector
4
, so that the pair of housings
13
and
14
are locked together in a connected condition, and also connection detection contacts (contact elements)
16
and
17
, held respectively in predetermined corresponding positions in the male and female connectors
3
and
4
, contact each other simultaneously when the engagement of the lock arm
7
is completed.
The male and female connectors
3
and
4
are multi-pole connectors each having a plurality of connection terminals received and retained therein at predetermined intervals. One of the plurality of connection terminals, retained in the housing
13
, serves as the connection detection contact
16
whereas one of the plurality of connection terminals, retained in the housing
14
, serves as the connection detection contact
17
.
A resilient contact piece portion
16
a
of the connection detection contact
16
in the male connector
3
is connected at one end to the lock arm
7
, and this contact piece portion
16
a
is displaced in accordance with the flexing (elastic deformation) of the lock arm
7
.
When the fitting operation further proceeds from an initially-fitted condition (shown in
FIG. 6
) of the pair of male and female connectors
3
and
4
, the lock arm
7
on the male connector
3
is flexed (elastically deformed) toward the housing
13
as shown in
FIG. 7
until the amount of fitting of the two connectors relative to each other reaches a predetermined amount. In the flexed condition of the lock arm
7
during the fitting operation, the connection detection contacts
16
and
17
are kept out of contact with each other as shown in the drawings.
Then, when the amount of fitting of the male and female connectors
3
and
4
reaches the predetermined amount, the lock projection
8
on the lock arm
7
is fitted in the retaining hole
11
in the female connector
4
as shown in
FIG. 8
, so that the flexing of the lock arm
7
is canceled, and also the withdrawal of the lock arm
7
is prevented by the engagement of the lock projection
8
in the retaining hole
11
. As a result, the housings
13
and
14
of the male and female connectors
3
and
4
are locked to each other in a mutually-fitted condition.
When the lock projection
8
on the lock arm
7
is thus engaged in the retaining hole
11
in the female connector
4
, the flexing of the lock arm
7
is canceled, so that the connection detection contact
16
in the male connector
3
contacts the connection detection contact
17
in the female connector
4
, and this electrical connection is detected by a detection electric circuit (not shown).
In the half-fitting detection connector
1
provided with the above connection detection device, all of the connection detection terminal
17
and the connection terminals
18
and
19
, provided at the female connector
4
, are plate-like tab terminals.
The normal connection terminals
20
, provided at the male connector
3
, are socket contacts, each having a socket portion
20
a
for fitting on the associated tab terminal when the two connectors are fitted together, whereas the connection detection contact
16
has the leaf spring-like, resilient contact piece portion
16
a
which is displaced in a direction of the thickness thereof in accordance with the flexing of the lock arm
7
, and is pressed against the surface of the connection detection contact
17
.
Therefore, for example, when a foreign matter
22
is deposited on the surface of the plate-like connection terminal
17
, this foreign matter
22
is held between the resilient contact piece portion
16
a
of the connection detection contact
16
and the terminal
17
, as shown in FIG.
9
. Even when the fitting connection between the male and female connectors
3
and
4
is properly completed in this condition, the connection detection contacts
16
and
17
fail to be electrically connected together. Accordingly, since the detection electric circuit detects a non-electrically-connected condition, there is a possibility of erroneously judging the two connectors to be in a half-fitted condition.
Namely, in the above half-fitting detection connector
1
, there is a possibility that the reliability of the connection detection device, comprising the connection detection contacts
16
and
17
, is lowered, for example, by the intrusion of a foreign matter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems, and more specifically to provide a half-fitting detection connector provided with a good connection detection device in which connection detection contacts, mounted respectively in predetermined positions, will not fail to properly contact each other because of the intrusion of a foreign matter, and a fitted condition of two connectors can be accurately detected.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a half-fitting detection connector which comprises a first connector housing including a fitting port formed therein, a first connection-detection terminal receivable in the first connector housing, a second connector housing fittable to the first connector housing, the second connector housing including an engagement portion, a second connection-detection terminal receivable in the second connector housing, and fittable to the first connection-detection terminal, the second connection-detection terminal including a spring portion which can be compressively deformed along a terminal fitting direction, a lock arm formed on the first connector housing, and substantially extending in a fitting direction of the first and second connector housings, the lock arm including a retaining projection, the lock arm retaining the first and second connector housings in a fitted condition when the retaining projection is engaged with the engagement portion of the second connector housing, and a screen plate formed on a distal end of the lock arm, the screen plate closing the fitting port of the first connector housing when the retaining projection is urged by the second connector housing, and opening the fitting port to allow the first connection-detection terminal to fit to the second connection-detection terminal through the fitting port when the retaining projection is engaged with the engagement portion.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the half-fitting detection connector further comprises a third connection terminal receivable in the first connector housing, and a fourth connection termi

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