Electrical connectors – With stress relieving means for conductor to terminal joint – Conductor gripped by or entirely within connector housing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2001-01-16
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With stress relieving means for conductor to terminal joint
Conductor gripped by or entirely within connector housing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174193
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interfitting structure of a connector made of synthetic resin and having an engaging structure of a connector housing and a cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
As this type of connector there is that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No, 7-298450 and shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The connector illustrated in
FIG. 1
is constituted by a connector housing
2
and a cover
3
whose cross section is horizontally U shaped and which opens and closes a rear surface
2
a
side of the connector housing
2
. On upper and lower surfaces on the rear surface
2
a
side of the connector housing
2
there are protectively formed a plurality of engaging pawls
4
. Also, at the positions, opposed to the respective engaging pawls
4
, of upper and lower side portions of the cover
3
there are projectively formed, respectively, square-frame like engaging arms
5
that are engaged with or disengaged from their corresponding respective engaging pawls
4
.
And, by engaging the respective engaging arms
5
of the cover
3
with their corresponding respective engaging pawls
4
of the connector housing
2
, a wire harness W drawn out from the rear surface
2
a
of the connector housing
2
is protected by the cover
3
.
Also, a connector
1
′ illustrated in
FIG. 2
is constituted by a connector housing
2
′ and a cover
3
′ whose cross section is horizontally U shaped and which opens and closes a rear surface
2
a
side of the connector housing
2
′. On upper and lower surfaces on the rear surface
2
a
side of the connector housing
2
′ there are protectively formed a plurality of first engaging portions
6
. At the positions biased toward one side portion of the upper and lower surfaces there are projectively formed second engaging portions
7
each consisting of a tapered engaging portion
7
a
and a stopper
7
b
. Also, at the positions, opposed to the first engaging portions
6
, located inside the upper and lower side portions of the cover
3
′ there are protectively formed, respectively, first engaging portions
8
that are engaged with their corresponding first engaging portions
6
. At the positions, opposed to between the tapered engaging portions
7
a
and their corresponding stoppers
7
b
of the second engaging portions
7
, located inside the upper and lower side portions of the cover
3
′ there are projectively formed second engaging portions
9
each engaged with and disengaged from between the tapered engaging portion
7
a
and the stopper
7
b
and concurrently serving as a stopper.
And, the respective first engaging portions
8
of the cover
3
′ are inserted in a direction indicated by an arrow A in
FIG. 2
between the respective first engaging portions
6
of the connector housing
2
′. Then, the cover
3
′ is slid in its longitudinal direction (the direction indicated by an arrow B in
FIG. 2
) to thereby cause the second engaging portions
9
of the cover
3
′ to be retained by or engaged with between the tapered engaging portions
7
a
and their corresponding stoppers
7
b
of the second engaging portions
7
. As a result of this, a wire harness not illustrated that has been drawn out from the rear surface
2
a
of the connector housing
2
′ is protected by being covered by the cover
3
′.
However, the conventional interfitting structure of the conventional connector
1
had the drawback that upon application of an impact force to the cover
3
due to a drop-down or the like the engaging arms
5
of the cover
3
spread outward and as a result the engaging arms
5
were disengaged from the engaging pawls
4
of the connector housing
2
or this impact force was received directly by the engaging arms
5
and as a result the engaging arms
5
were damaged.
Also, although the above-described conventional connector
1
′ has a high strength against an impact applied thereto at the time of, for example, a down strop as well as against the disengagement, since the stopper
7
b
of the second engaging portion
7
of the connector housing
2
′ and the second engaging portion
9
of the cover
3
′ are not coaxial with the first engaging portion
6
of the connector housing
2
′ and the first engaging portion
8
of the cover
3
′, at the time of forming the connector housing
2
′ and cover
3
′ by the use of resin the structure of a forming mold becomes complex, followed by an increase in the cost of the connector. On the other hand, since the cover
3
′ is slid with respect to the connector housing
2
′ in the letter “L” directions (the arrows A, B indicated directions in
FIG. 2
) and engaged therewith, the direction in which the wire harness is drawn out is limited with the result that it was difficult to fix the wire harness by the cover
3
′.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in mind.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide an interfitting structure of an inexpensive connector which can reliably prevent the disengagement and damage of the engaging portions of the cover and can increase the degree of freedom associated with the direction in which electric wires are drawn out.
To attain the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides an interfitting structure of a connector which comprises: an engaging portion provided on a connector housing; an engaging portion provided on a cover opening and closing one surface side of the connector housing; and a rib provided on an inner side of the engaging portion of the cover, the rib abutting against an inner side wall of the engaging portion of the connector housing, wherein the one surface side of the connector housing is covered by the cover by engagement of the both engaging portions with each other, thereby constructing a connector; wherein a first clearance is provided between an inner side wall of the engaging portion of the cover and an outer side wall of the engaging portion of the connector housing; and wherein a second clearance is provided between the inner side wall of the engaging portion of the connector housing and the rib.
In this connector, since an impact force applied from the outside due to, for example, a down drop is absorbed by abutment of the rib of the cover against the inner side wall of the engaging portion of the connector housing, there is no possibility that the engaging portion of the cover will be disengaged from the engaging portion of the connector housing or the engaging portion of the cover will be damaged. Also, by the rib of the cover the state of engagement between the engaging portion of the connector housing and the engaging portion of the cover is reliably held.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, as it depends from the first aspect, there is provided the interfitting structure of a connector wherein the first clearance has been so set as to become larger than the second clearance.
In this connector, by abutment of the rib of the cover against the inner side wall of the engaging portion of the connector housing, the impact force applied from the outside due to, for example, a down drop is reliably absorbed, with the result that there is no possibility that the engaging portion of the cover will receive the impact force from the engaging portion of the connector housing.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, as it depends from the first aspect or the second aspect, there is provided the interfitting structure of a connector wherein the connector housing and the cover are formed by a mold with the use of a synthetic resin; wherein one of the engaging portion of the connector housing and the engaging portion of the cover is made into a hook-shaped engaging pawl; and wherein the other engaging portion is made to be an engaging recessed portion with or from which the engaging pawl is engaged or disengaged.
In this connector, since the eng
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Paumen Gary F.
Yazaki -Corporation
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