Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-27
2003-01-28
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06511332
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board-connecting connector adapted to be connected directly to a board, having a circuit formed thereon, so as to connect this board to another board.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-370972, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A board-connecting connector is adapted to connect two boards with each other, and this connector comprises a spacer member for being fixed to the board, a connector housing engaged with this spacer member, and electrically-conductive terminals received in the connector housing. One example of such board-connecting connector is shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B
.
As shown in
FIG. 8A
, this board-connecting connector
200
comprises a connector housing
60
, terminals
70
received in the connector housing
60
, and a spacer member
80
.
A strip-like projection
82
is formed on the spacer member
80
, and engagement projections
84
are formed on opposite end portions of this strip-like projection
82
, respectively, and also an engagement projection
86
is formed on a central portion of the strip-like projection
82
. Similarly, two engagement projections
84
and an engagement projection
86
are also formed on a reverse side (lower side in the drawings) of the strip-like projection
82
.
As shown in
FIG. 8B
, elastic lock arms
62
for being engaged respectively with the engagement projections
84
are formed at opposite end portions of the connector housing
60
, and lock portions
64
for being engaged respectively with the engagement projections
86
are formed on a central portion of the connector housing
60
.
The lock arms
60
and the lock portions
64
are formed integrally with opposed side walls
65
of the connector housing
60
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
which is a side-elevational view, when the connector housing
60
is fitted on the spacer member
80
, the side walls
65
are pressed by the engagement projections
84
and
86
, and are elastically bent or deformed outwardly over the entire length thereof. Therefore, when attaching the connector housing
60
, an insertion force, large enough to elastically deform the side walls
65
, is required, so that a connector-attaching force and a connector-disconnecting force increase.
And besides, the lock arms
62
and the lock portions
64
are formed integrally with the side walls
65
of the connector housing
60
, and therefore deformation, such as a sink and a warp, can develop on the relatively-thin side walls
65
during the formation of the connector housing
60
. As a result, the lock arms
62
and the lock portions
64
are deformed as a result of deformation of the side walls
65
as shown in
FIG. 10
, and this has invited a problem that the connector-connecting operation can not be carried out properly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a board-connecting connector in which the deformation of lock arms are prevented during a molding operation, and an insertion force, required for a connector-connecting operation, is reduced.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a connector housing having a pair of side walls formed on opposite sides thereof; a plurality of lock arms formed on the side walls of the connector housing; at least one terminal receiving chamber, into which a terminal is insertable, formed in the connector housing; and a spacer member engageable with the connector housing, the spacer member having a plurality of engagement portions which are respectively engageable with the lock arms of the connector housing, wherein a plurality of slits are formed in the side walls so as to partially separate the lock arms from the side walls.
In this connector, when the engagement portions are respectively engaged with the lock arms, the whole of each side wall of the connector housing is not elastically deformed, but only the lock arms are elastically deformed to engage the engagement portions, respectively. Therefore, the inserting force can be reduced. And besides, even when the lock arms and the engagement portions have slight dimensional errors, such dimensional errors will not cause a strain, such as a warp, to develop on the other portion of the connector housing, and therefore the shape precision can be maintained.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the lock arms are respectively formed on opposite end portions of the side walls, and the engagement portions are respectively formed on opposite end portions of the spacer member. In this connector, at least two of the slits may be formed in each of the side walls so that a separate portion of each of the side walls is located between the lock arms. With this construction, the connector housing and the spacer member can be connected together in a stable manner.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the lock arms are further formed respectively on central portions of the side walls, and the engagement portions are further formed respectively on central portions of the spacer member. In this connector, at least two of the slits may be formed in each of the side walls so that each of the lock arms is located between separate portions of each of the side walls. With this construction, the connecting stability of the connector is enhanced, and the connector housing and the spacer member can be connected together more positively.
Further, the slits may open toward the spacer member engaged with the connector housing.
Furthermore, the lock arms may be opposed to each other. In this case, when the spacer member is engaged with the connector housing, the lock arms can sandwich the engagement portions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4717218 (1988-01-01), Ratcliff
patent: 5755586 (1988-05-01), Knighton et al.
patent: 4826447 (1989-05-01), Forker et al.
patent: 5316489 (1994-05-01), Kachlic et al.
patent: 5692912 (1997-12-01), Nelson et al.
Bradley P. Austin
Hammond Briggitte
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Yazaki -Corporation
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