Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-01
2002-12-03
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488524
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a half-fitting prevention connector for use in an electric system of a vehicle or the like, which comprises a pair of male and female connectors having a half-fitting prevention function.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-342314, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, half-fitting prevention connectors have been known as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 5-81967 and Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 10-189145. Such a conventional half-fitting prevention connector is shown in FIG.
5
. The half-fitting prevention connector
51
comprises a pair of male and female connectors
54
and
55
, and male terminals
52
are mounted within the male connector
54
while female terminals
53
are mounted within the female connector
55
. Springs
56
are mounted in the female connector (one connector)
55
, and serve to urge the mating connector in an anti-fitting direction, and a lock mechanism
57
is provided on the male and female connectors
54
and
55
.
The male connector (the other connector)
54
has a box-shape defined by a top plate
58
, a bottom plate
59
and side plates
60
, and has open front and rear sides. This male connector, having the plurality of male terminals
52
received therein, can be fitted into the female connector
55
. When the male and female connectors
54
and
55
are fitted together, the male terminals
52
are respectively fitted into and electrically connected to the plurality of female terminals
53
received in the female connector
55
.
Notches are formed in each of the opposite side plates
60
at a central portion thereof, and a retaining piece portion
61
, lying between the notches, is formed integrally with the side plate
60
, and extends forwardly, the retaining piece portion
61
forming part of the lock mechanism
57
. A distal end of this retaining piece portion
61
is disposed slightly rearwardly of a front edge of the side plate
60
, and the retaining piece portion
61
has such elasticity as to be flexed slightly outwardly. A retaining claw
62
is formed at a front end of the retaining piece portion, and projects inwardly.
Spring receiving portions
63
, each receiving the spring
56
and supporting a rear end of the spring
56
, are formed at opposite sides of the female connector
55
, respectively. A forwardly-extending spring guide rod
64
is provided within each of the spring receiving portions
63
. A movable cover
65
, having open front and rear sides, is mounted on the outer periphery of the female connector
55
so as to slide forward and rearward. Spring receiving portions
66
are formed respectively at opposite side portions of the movable cover
65
, and cover the outer peripheral portions of the spring receiving portions
63
, respectively. The front end of each spring
56
urges the front end of the associated spring receiving portion
66
forward. Retaining holes
70
, forming part of the lock mechanism
57
, are formed respectively in opposite side plates of the female connector
55
.
Slots
67
, formed in a top plate of the movable cover
65
, and projections
68
, formed on a top plate of the female connector
55
, cooperate with each other to limit the forward movement of the movable cover
65
caused by the resilient force of the springs
56
.
In the half-fitting prevention connector
51
of the above construction, when the pair of male and female connectors
54
and
55
are mated with each other at their front ends, and are fitted together, the front portion of the female connector
55
is first fitted into the front portion of the male connector
54
, and then the retaining claws
62
are brought into sliding contact with the opposite side plates
69
of the female connector
55
, respectively, while outwardly elastically deforming the retaining piece portions
61
, respectively. As a result, the distal ends of the retaining piece portions
61
, as well as the retaining claws
62
, abut respectively against the front end surfaces of the spring receiving portions
66
, so that the movable cover
65
is moved rearward while compressing the springs
56
.
At this time, when the male and female connectors
54
and
55
are further pushed toward each other, the springs
56
are further compressed, and also the retaining claws
62
are retainingly engaged in the retaining holes
70
, respectively, and the elastically-deformed retaining piece portions
61
are restored into their initial condition, and therefore the front ends of the retaining piece portions
61
are disengaged from the front end surfaces of the spring receiving portions
66
, respectively. Then, when the above fitting force is weakened or removed, the movable cover
65
is returned to its initial position by the resilient force of the springs
56
, and the male and female connectors
54
and
55
are completely fitted together, and the male terminals
52
are electrically connected to the female terminals
53
, respectively. The outer surfaces of the opposite side plates
60
are held in contact with the inner surfaces of the spring receiving portions
66
, respectively, and therefore the retaining piece portions
61
can not be flexed outwardly. Therefore, each retaining claw
62
will not be disengaged from the retaining hole
70
, and the male and female connectors
54
and
55
are completely retained relative to each other by the lock mechanism
57
.
However, if the pushing force is weakened or removed during the fitting operation before the retaining claws
62
of the lock mechanism
57
are retainingly engaged respectively in the retaining holes
70
, that is, in a half-fitted condition of the male and female connectors
54
and
55
, the male connector
54
is pushed back by the resilient force of the springs
56
, and therefore such a half-fitted condition can be detected.
In the above half-fitting prevention connector, however, the two retaining piece portions
61
are provided respectively at the right and left sides spaced from each other, and therefore there are occasions when the right and left forces are not applied uniformly, depending on the mounting position of the male and female connectors
54
and
55
and the direction of fitting of the two connectors. And besides, in some cases, the retaining claws
62
are fitted respectively into the retaining holes
70
at different timings, or only one of the retaining claws
62
is fitted into the corresponding retaining hole
70
because of the presence of a play in the upward, downward, right or left direction. This has invited a problem that a half-fitted condition is mistaken for the completely-fitted condition, and is overlooked.
And besides, it is difficult to achieve a compact design since the movable cover
65
and the springs
56
are both required, and the number of the component parts increases, which leads to a problem that the cost increases.
Furthermore, when the movable cover
65
is damaged, the locking can not be effected, and this problem, which should be overcome in order to enhance the reliability of the connector, remains unsolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a half-fitting prevention connector in which a pair of male and female connectors are prevented from being kept in a half-fitted condition during a fitting connection between the two connectors, and also the locking of the two connectors in a completely-fitted condition is positively effected.
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 including a first housing, a second connector including a second housing fittable to the first housing, a pair of lock arms elastically deformable inwardly and downwardly, the lock arms being formed on an upper portion of the first housing, lock
Dinh Phuong K T
Patel Tulsidas
Yazaki -Corporation
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