Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-01
2001-12-25
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S717000, C439S541500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332813
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a joining structure of a connector, and more particularly to a joining structure between connectors in each of which a terminal portion of a wire harness is connected and arranged within a connector housing.
Conventionally, in order to improve a handling property of a plurality of connectors, there is proposed a joining structure of a connector for joining connectors to each other.
Such joining structure of the connector includes a structure using an engaging projection and an engaging groove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a consideration of the inventors of the present application, the joining structure of the connector includes a structure in which connectors
1
and
4
are joined and combined with each other by sliding a side surface
3
of a connector housing
2
in one connector
1
along a side surface
6
of a connector housing
5
in another connector
4
, as shown in FIG.
8
.
Illustration is omitted, however, a connection metal fitting is installed and arranged in the connector housing
2
and the connector housing
5
. A terminal of a wire harness W is connected to the connection metal fitting, as shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
.
The respective connectors
1
and
4
are structured such as to be connected to separately prepared connectors (not shown) so as to be electrically connected.
These connectors
1
and
4
are joined in accordance with an operation that two engaging portions
7
and
8
having the same shape and the same size and formed on the side surface
3
of one connector
1
along a height direction are engaged with two engaged groove portions
9
and
10
having the same shape and the same size and formed on the side surface
6
of another connector
4
along a height direction.
The connector
1
and the connector
4
are joined to each other in the manner as mentioned above, thereby intending to improve an arrangement and a mounting operation of the wire harness W.
The engaging portion
7
formed on the side surface
3
in one connector
1
side is constituted by a pair of engaging pieces
7
A and
7
B and the engaging portion
8
is constituted by a pair of engaging pieces
8
A and
8
B, as shown in FIG.
8
. Further, the engaging pieces
7
A and
7
B constituting the engaging portion
7
are formed so as to protrude in an oblique direction mutually moving apart from the side surface
3
. The engaging pieces
8
A and
8
B constituting the engaging portion
8
are protruded in an oblique direction mutually moving apart in the same manner.
The engaged groove portions
9
and
10
formed on the side surface
6
in another connector
4
side are structured such that the engaging portions
7
and
8
mentioned above are slid therealong and fitted thereto.
That is, both side walls of the engaged groove portions
9
are formed in an inverted taper shape, and are structured such as to be brought into contact with inner side surfaces (surfaces opposing to the side surface
3
) of the engaging pieces
7
A and
7
B in a state of inserting the engaging portion
7
. Further, both side walls of the engaged groove portion
10
are also formed in an inverted taper shape in the same manner, and are structured such as to be brought into contact with inner side surfaces (surfaces opposing to the side surface
3
) of the engaging pieces
8
A and
8
B in a state of inserting the engaging portion
8
.
Since two sets of engaging portions and engaged groove portions are formed in the manner mentioned above, in comparison with the case that one set of engaging portion and engaged groove portion are formed, it is possible to prevent the connectors
1
and
4
from being shaky and rickety between the both.
FIG. 9
is a schematic view showing a direction between the connectors
1
and
4
in which the connector
1
and the connector
4
can be suitably jointed. As shown in
FIG. 9
, in a normally joined state, the connectors land
4
are combined with each other so that the engaging portion
7
of the connector
1
corresponds to the engaged groove portion
9
of the connector
4
and the engaging portion
8
of the connector
1
corresponds to the engaged groove portion
10
of the connector
4
.
However, in the joining structure of the connector mentioned above, since two joining portions
7
and
8
of the connector
1
have the same shape and the same size and the engaged groove portions
9
and
10
of the connector
2
have the same shape and the same size, the engaging portion
8
can engage with the engaged portion
9
and the engaging portion
7
can engage with the engaged portion
10
, respectively in the case that the connectors
1
and
4
are inversely joined in a longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG.
10
. Accordingly, it is preferable to suppose that an operator erroneously handle the direction of the connector.
Further, since in many cases, the operation of joining the connectors
1
and
4
mentioned above is performed in a narrow place where a state of the connectors
1
and
4
is hard to be recognized and it is hard to find an error in the joining direction, it is preferable to further employ any countermeasure.
Since it is hard to find the error in the joining direction when joining the connectors in which the wire harnesses W having different wiring directions are mounted to each other, the error is first found at a time of joining the combined connector to the separately prepared connector to be joined, so that a case giving a trouble to the operation can be supposed.
In the case of engaging the connectors with each other in the erroneous joining direction as mentioned above, it is necessary to take out both of the connectors and again rejoin them.
Accordingly, there is a problem that a smooth joining operation is hard to be performed in the case of the joining structure of the connector considered above.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a joining structure of a connector in which connectors can be suitably and smoothly joined and an operability is improved.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a joining structure of a connector comprising: one connector having a plurality of engaging portions; and another connector having the same number of engaging portions as the number of a plurality of engaging portions in one connector, a plurality of engaging portions in one connector and a plurality of engaging portions in another connector being mutually corresponded so as to form a plurality of engaging pairs. In this structure, a plurality of engaging portions in one connector and a plurality of engaging portions in another connector respectively have shapes so that the respective engaging portions can correspondingly engage with each other so as to form a plurality of engaging pairs in the case that one connector and another connector are joined in a proper direction, and at least one of pairs between a plurality of engaging portions in one connector and a plurality of engaging portions in another connector can not engage with each other in the case that one connector and another connector are joined in an improper direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4425018 (1984-01-01), Stenz
patent: 6077127 (2000-06-01), Wu
patent: 11-312547 (1999-11-01), None
Okabe Toshiaki
Yamashita Tetsuya
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Gilman Alexander
Paumen Gary
Yazaki -Corporation
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