Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-02
2001-06-05
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S489000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241547
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a connector fitting construction in which a half-fitted condition is positively prevented by a resilient force of a resilient member mounted in at least one of a pair of connectors to be fitted and connected together, and the connector, fitted on the mating connector, is positively locked.
2. 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, in which a condition of fitting between female and male connectors, can be detected, have been used, and one such example is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication Hei. 5-81967.
This conventional half-fitting prevention connector includes a pin-type connector, having a plurality of juxtaposed pin contacts mounted therein,. and a socket-type connector having a plurality of juxtaposed socket contacts mounted therein. A movable cover is mounted on the outer periphery of the female connector for movement back and forth. Spring receiving portions are provided at opposite side portions of this movable cover, respectively, and compression springs are received respectively in these spring receiving portions, and extend in a forward-rearward direction.
In this half-fitting prevention connector, however, although the half-fitted condition can be prevented by the resilient force of the compression springs, there is encountered a problem that when trying to fit the two connectors together while holding the opposite side surfaces of the movable cover with the hand, the movable cover can not be moved, and therefore the efficiency of the fitting operation is low.
The Applicant of the present application has proposed a connector fitting construction (disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 10-50408) which solves the above problem.
A female connector
21
(one of two connectors of the half-fitting prevention connector), shown in
FIG. 6
, comprises a housing
23
which includes a connector housing
23
a
, having a terminal receiving chamber, and an exclusive-use housing (slider housing)
23
b
formed above the connector housing
23
a
, the exclusive-use housing
23
b
forming a slider receiving portion
24
for slidably receiving a slider
30
(described later). Guide grooves
25
for respectively guiding opposite side portions of a body of the slider
30
are formed respectively in opposite side portions of the exclusive-use housing
23
a
, and a spring receiving portion
23
c
of a tubular shape is formed at a rear end of each of the guide grooves
25
.
A lock arm
26
is formed integrally with the exclusive-use housing
23
b
at a widthwise central portion thereof, and extends in a fitting direction, the lock arm
26
having an elastic, free end portion. The lock arm
26
has a lock beak
27
formed on an upper surface thereof, and the lock beak
27
has a slanting surface, and a housing lock
28
for retaining engagement with the mating connector is formed on a lower surface of the lock arm at a distal end thereof. Displacement prevention projections
28
a
for preventing the displacement of the lock arm
26
are formed on the upper surface of the lock arm
26
, and face away from the housing lock
28
. Side spaces
24
a
for receiving part of the slider
30
are formed at opposite sides of the lock arm
26
, respectively.
The slider
30
includes an elastic slider arm
32
provided at a generally central portion of the slider body
31
, and the slider arm
32
has a pair of abutment projections
34
formed respectively at opposite side portions of a lower surface thereof at a front end thereof. The slider includes a pressing portion
35
, which is formed on an upper surface thereof at a rear end thereof, and is operated when canceling the fitting connection, and a slide groove
33
formed in the slider arm
32
and the pressing portion
35
. Spring retaining portions
36
for respectively retaining compression springs
29
are formed respectively at opposite side portions of a lower portion of the slider body
31
at the rear end thereof. A displacement prevention portion
37
for prevention the displacement of the lock arm
26
is formed at the front end of the slider body
31
.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, the male connector (the other connector)
22
includes a housing
41
having a terminal receiving chamber, a pair of stopper projections
42
, which are formed on a surface of the housing
41
so as to abut respectively against the abutment projections
34
of the slider
30
during the connector-fitting operation, a slanting projection
43
, which is provided between the stopper projections
42
, and has a slanting surface for flexing the lock arm
26
, and an engagement groove
44
which is formed at a rear side of the slanting projection
43
so as to be engaged with the housing lock
28
.
When the slider
30
, having the compression springs
29
held respectively on the spring retaining portions
36
, is pushed into the slider receiving portion
24
of the female connector
21
from the front side thereof as shown in
FIG. 6
, the slider body
31
moves along the guide grooves
25
toward the rear end of the female connector. At this time, the abutment projections
34
, formed at the lower surface of the slider arm
32
, are received respectively in the side spaces
24
a
formed respectively at the opposite sides of the lock arm
26
. Then, the compression springs
29
are received in the spring receiving portions
23
c
, respectively, and the lock beak
27
is fitted in the slide groove
33
, so that the slider
30
is slidably mounted in the female connector.
In this mounted condition, the slider
30
is urged forward by the resilient force of the compression springs
29
as shown in
FIG. 7
, and the front end of the pressing portion
35
is retainingly held against the lock beak
27
in the slide groove
33
, and the displacement prevention projections
28
a
, formed at the distal end of the lock arm
26
, abut against the displacement prevention portion
37
formed on the lower surface of the slider
30
at the front end thereof, thereby preventing the upward displacement of the lock arm
26
.
Then, when the operation for fitting the female and male connectors
21
and
22
together is started as shown in
FIG. 7
, the stopper projections
42
of the male connector
22
are inserted respectively into the side spaces
24
a
(see FIG.
6
), formed respectively at the opposite sides of the lock arm
26
of the female connector
21
, and these stopper projections
42
abut against the abutment projections
34
of the slider
30
, respectively. From this time on, the resilient force of the compression springs
29
is produced. At this stage, pin contacts
51
, mounted in the male connector
22
, are not yet fitted respectively in socket contacts
50
mounted in the female connector
21
.
Then, when the fitting operation further proceeds, the slider
30
is pushed rearwardly against the bias of the compression springs
29
, so that the housing lock
28
, formed at the distal end of the lock arm
26
, abuts against the slanting projection
43
of the male connector
22
. If the pushing operation is stopped in this half-fitted condition, the female and male connectors
21
and
22
are returned or moved away from each other (that is, in a disconnecting direction opposite to the fitting direction) by the resilient force of the compression springs
29
, and therefore such half-fitted condition can be easily detected.
Then, when the fitting operation further proceeds as shown in
FIG. 8
, the slider arm
22
of the slider
30
is flexed (elastically deformed) upwardly by the lock beak
27
, so that the abutting engagement of the stopper projections
42
with the abutment projections
34
of the slider
30
is canceled. Then, under the influence of the compression springs
29
, the slider arm
32
Gilman Alexander
Paumen Gary F.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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