Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-13
2001-06-26
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S700000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250945
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a half-fitting prevention connector in which a half-fitted condition of two connectors is prevented.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-169932, 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.
Various half-fitting prevention connectors, capable of detecting a half-fitted condition of the female and male connectors, have been used, and such half-fitting prevention connectors are disclosed, for example, in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. Hei. 5-53157 and Hei. 5-81967, and Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 9-55261.
For example, a completely-fitting connector, disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 5-53157, comprises a plate, slidable in connector fitting and disengaging directions, and springs (torsion springs) urging this plate in the disengaging direction. During the fitting connection between the two connectors, the plate is abutted against an abutment portion of a lock lever of the mating connector, and if the fitting operation is stopped in this half-fitted condition, the connector and the mating connector are moved away from each other by the resilient force of the springs.
In a half-fitting prevention connector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 5-81967, a movable cover for parallel movement in a fitting direction is mounted on an outer periphery of a second housing in a pair of connectors (to be fittingly connected together) through springs (compression springs) urging the movable cover in the fitting direction. With this construction, during a fitting operation, the movable cover normally urges a first housing in a disengaging direction.
In a connector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 9-55261, return springs (zigzag springs) are mounted in one connector housing, and extend in a direction of insertion of the other connector housing. Elastic arms are formed integrally on the other connector housing so as to face the return springs, respectively. With this construction, during a fitting operation, the reaction force of the return springs produce a force tending to return the other connector housing.
Each of the above half-fitting prevention connectors comprises the pair of connector housings, and the spring members for producing the reaction force. During the fitting operation, the pushing force is produced by the reaction force of the spring members, and therefore if the connector fitting operation is finished in a half-fitted condition of the connectors, the two connectors in this half-fitted condition are disengaged from each other by the reaction force of the spring members, so that the two connectors are prevented from being kept in a half-fitted condition.
In the above half-fitting prevention connectors, however, even when the pair of connectors are incompletely fitted together, pin contacts in one of the two connector housings are fitted respectively in socket contacts in the other connector housing.
Therefore, the spring members, which serve to disengage the two connectors from each other in a half-fitted condition of the connectors, need to produce the sufficient reaction force to disengage the pin contacts from the socket contacts, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that a large operating force is required for the connector fitting operation.
And besides, each of the above half-fitting prevention connectors requires the spring members, and a movable member, such as a slider, for canceling the reaction force of the spring members, and therefore the number of the component parts increases, and also the number of assembling steps increases. This has invited a problem in that the production cost increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems, and more specifically to provide an improved half-fitting prevention connector in which an operating force, required for fitting two connectors together, is reduced, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the fitting operation, and besides the number of component parts is reduced, thereby reducing the production cost.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a half-fitting prevention connector which comprises a first connector housing including a terminal-fitting port formed therein, a first connection 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 terminal receivable in the second connector housing, and fittable to the first connection terminal, the second connection 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 terminal-fitting port of the first connector housing when the retaining projection is urged by the second connector housing, and opening the terminal-fitting port to allow the first connection terminal to fit to the second connection terminal through the terminal-fitting port when the retaining projection is engaged with the engagement portion.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the spring portion may be formed integrally with the second connection terminal.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the second connection terminal includes a contact portion for connecting with the first connection terminal, and a wire clamping portion for clamping a wire, and wherein the spring portion may be formed between the contact portion and the wire clamping portion.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the lock arm may be formed in a cantilever-like manner on an outer surface of the first connector housing to extend obliquely upwardly from the outer surface of the first connector housing in a natural condition in which no external force acts on the lock arm, so that the screen plate opens the terminal-fitting port of the first connector housing.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the first and second connector housings are in a half-fitted condition, the retaining projection of the lock arm abuts against an inner surface of the second connector housing so that the lock arm is downwardly urged toward the outer surface of the first connector housing thereby closing the terminal-fitting port with the screen plate, and the second connection terminal is abutted against the screen plate, and when the first and second connector housings are in a completely-fitted condition, the retaining projection is engaged with the engagement portion formed in the inner surface of the second connector housing so that the screen plate opens the terminal-fitting port to allow the first connection terminal to fit to the second connection terminal through the terminal-fitting port.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the first and second connector housings are in a half-fitted condition, the spring portion of the second connection terminal is compressively deformed along the terminal fitting direction, and the first and second connector housings are pushed back away from each other by a resilient force of the spring
Fukuda Masaru
Murakami Takao
Abrams Neil
Duverne J. F.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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