Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-11-20
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S928000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319071
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a joint connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional joint connector, there has been known a branch connector shown in FIG.
1
and disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JU-A) No. 1-103168. In this branch connector, a plurality of conductors
1
are sandwiched between an upper case
2
and a lower case
3
, connectors
5
are accommodated in connector insertion portions
4
, and the connectors
5
are fitted in the connector insertion portions
4
. The connectors
5
are respectively attached with wires
7
, each wire
7
having one end with a U-shaped terminal
6
.
When the connector
5
is inserted into the connector insertion portion
4
, the terminal
6
of the one end of the wire
7
projects below the connector insertion portion
4
to be connected to a corresponding conductor
1
positioned at a predetermined position and sandwiched between the upper case
2
and the lower case
3
.
As the connector
5
, there are a rectangular tubular one illustrated in FIG.
1
and tubular ones with an upper large diameter portion and a lower small diameter portion illustrated in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
. Two connecting plates
6
A,
6
B integrally formed with a terminal
6
are provided in a connector
5
A illustrated in FIG.
2
A. Terminals
9
A,
9
B of conductors
8
A,
8
B are fitted to the connecting plates
6
A,
6
B so that branching and/or connecting of a circuit is performed.
A connecting plate
6
C integrally formed with the terminal
6
is provided in a connector
5
B illustrated in
FIG. 2B. A
terminal
9
C of a conductor
8
C is fitted to the connecting plate
6
C so that branching and connecting of a circuit are performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, in the conventional joint connectors (branch connectors), a plurality of housing members such as the upper case
2
, the lower case
3
, the connectors
5
(
5
A,
5
B) and the like are required and a plural kinds of the terminals
6
must be prepared, which results in increase in the number of parts. Accordingly, manufacturing, management and/or assembling work of these many parts are made complicated, so that it becomes difficult to reduce manufacturing cost.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a joint connector at a low cost, which has an excellent productivity and whereby various circuit configurations can be assembled and secure connection can easily be performed.
In order to attain the above object, a joint connector of the present invention comprises upper and lower housings stacked, and conductive terminals respectively connected with wires. The terminals are accommodated in each housing. The terminals in each housing can mutually be connected to one another. Each terminal has a portion to be connected and a connecting portion projecting below the housing. The terminals include an upper terminal in the upper housing and a lower terminal in the lower housing corresponding to the upper terminal. In a state where the housings have been stacked at a predetermined position, the connecting portion of the upper terminal is disposed such that it can be connected to the portion to be connected of the lower terminal.
According to the above structure, as terminals accommodated in each housing are connectable among the terminals, wire connecting and wire branching are allowed in the housing. Also, as a connecting portion of an upper terminal is connectable to a portion to be connected of a lower terminal between upper and lower housings stacked at the predetermined position, wire connecting and wire branching are easily performed between the upper and the lower housings. Furthermore, when terminals having the same structure and housings having the same structure are prepared, the number of configuration parts can be reduced. Accordingly, productivity is improved and manufacturing cost is reduced.
The terminals are formed integrally in a multi-connected manner, and they can be separated according to a circuit configuration required.
According to the above structure, a single terminal and a plurality of terminals mutually connected are provided without connecting work among terminals, which results in reduction in working or manufacturing cost.
The connecting portion may be configured with a connecting plate, and the portion to be connected may be configured with spring pieces sandwiching the connecting portion.
According to the above structure, a connecting plate is inserted between spring pieces of a lower terminal so that upper and lower terminals are easily connected electrically to each other. Accordingly, a pattern of a circuit configuration is expanded.
The housings approach to each other along a stacking direction to reach the predetermined position, so that the connecting portion of the upper terminal may be engaged with the portion to be connected of the lower terminal.
The housings are moved relative to each other along a direction intersecting the stacking direction to reach the predetermined position, so that the connecting portion of the upper terminal may be engaged with the portion to be connected of the lower terminal.
The connecting portions may be cut off according to a circuit configuration required.
According to the above structure, a connecting portion of an upper terminal is cut off so that a circuit configuration where upper and lower terminals are not connected to each other is obtained. Accordingly, a circuit configuration can easily and appropriately be modified.
Each housing may have openings, and the connecting portions in one housing may be caused to pass through the openings of the one housing.
According to the above structure, connecting portions of terminals respectively pass through openings of a housing, so that the connecting portions project below the housing. A connecting portion passes through an opening of a housing, so that an edge of the opening is prevented from movement of a terminal and the terminal is maintained at a proper position in the housing.
Each housing may have protecting walls for protecting the connecting portions passing through the openings respectively formed at peripheral edges of the openings.
According to the above structure, deformation of a connecting portion passing through an opening is prevented by a protecting wall.
The joint connector may have engaging means for holding the housings in the stacked state at the predetermined position.
According to the above structure, as housings are held by engaging means in a stacked state at a predetermined position, a connecting state between upper and lower terminals is securely maintained when the upper and lower terminal are connected to each other.
Each terminal may have a wire holding portion for holding the wire.
According to the above structure, a wire is easily and securely held by a terminal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4558919 (1985-12-01), Pohl
patent: 4707043 (1987-11-01), Reed
patent: 5030138 (1991-07-01), Capp et al.
patent: 61-39705 (1986-02-01), None
patent: 01-103168 (1989-07-01), None
patent: 08-064314 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 2000-150055 (2000-05-01), None
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Gilman Alexander
Paumen Gary
Yazaki -Corporation
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