Low-insertion force connector

Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C439S347000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06244880

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low-insertion force connector in which a force to provisionally retain a slider, provided for fitting male and female connectors together with a low operating force, is increased so as to prevent the slider from being accidentally pushed into a connector housing.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-220778, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12
shows a conventional low-insertion force connector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 61-203581.
This low-insertion force connector
51
comprises a male connector housing
52
, a female connector housing
53
, and a slider
54
, these parts being made of a synthetic resin. Follower projections
55
are formed on the male connector housing
52
, and guide grooves
56
for respectively guiding the follower projections
55
are formed in the female connector housing
53
, and extend in a connector fitting direction. Slanting guide holes
57
for respectively receiving the follower projections
55
are formed in the slider
54
. When the slider
54
is pushed or inserted into the female connector housing, the follower projections
55
are guided or moved in the connector fitting direction along the respective guide holes
57
and also along the respective guide grooves
56
, so that the two connector housings
52
and
53
are fitted together.
Actually, female terminals (not shown), each connected to a wire, are received in the male connector housing
52
, and male terminals (not shown), each connected to a wire, are received in the female connector housing
53
, and tab-like contact portions of the male terminals (not shown) project into a connector fitting chamber
58
in the female connector housing
53
. The male connector housing
52
and the associated terminals jointly form a male connector while the female connector housing
53
and the associated terminals jointly form a female connector. A large force is required for fitting many male and female terminals together, and therefore the guide holes
57
have a length larger than the connector-fitting distance, and with this construction the low insertion force design of the connector is achieved.
The slider
54
is inserted into the connector fitting chamber
58
. A provisionally-retaining arm
59
and a completely-retaining arm
60
for the slider
54
are provided on the female connector housing
53
, and extend in a slider inserting direction. The provisionally-retaining arm
59
has an abutment projection for engagement with a step portion
61
of the slider
54
, and the completely-retaining arm
60
has an engagement recess for engagement with a projection
62
of the slider
54
.
The slider
54
is initially inserted into the connector fitting chamber
58
while flexing (elastically deforming) the provisionally-retaining arm
59
, and the projection of the provisionally-retaining arm
59
is engaged with the step portion
61
of the slider
54
, thereby preventing the rearward withdrawal of the slider
54
. In this condition, the male connector housing
52
is initially fitted into the connector fitting chamber
58
. In this condition, the male terminals (not shown) are not yet fitted in the female terminals (not shown), respectively. When the slider
54
is further inserted, the follower projections
55
are moved in the connector fitting direction along the respective guide holes
57
as described above, and the two connector housings
52
and
53
are fitted together, so that the male terminals are connected to the female terminals, respectively. When the slider
54
is completely inserted into the female connector housing, the projection
62
is engaged with the completely-retaining arm
60
, thereby preventing the rearward withdrawal of the slider
54
.
In the above conventional construction, for example, the slider
54
is attached in an initially-inserted condition to the female connector housing
53
while the male connector housing
52
is not connected to the female connector housing
53
, and during the transport of the connector in this condition (for example, in the form of a wire harness assembly), the slider
54
can be easily pushed or inserted into the completely-retained condition upon slight interference with an external object. As a result, when the male connector housing
52
is to be fitted into the female connector housing
53
in a vehicle-assembling process, the slider
54
must be returned to the initially-inserted condition, and therefore extra time and labor are required, thus lowering the efficiency of the operation. And besides, if the operator is not sufficiently skilled, there is a possibility that the completely-retained condition of the slider can not be canceled, or the slider may not be sufficiently returned, and as a result the two connectors can not be properly fitted together.
FIGS. 13A
,
13
B,
14
A and
14
B show another conventional low-insertion force connector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 6-215827.
This low-insertion force connector
65
comprises a male connector housing
66
, a female connector housing
67
, and a slider
68
. The male connector housing
66
has follower projections
69
, and the slider
68
has slanting guide holes
70
for respectively receiving the follower projections
69
, and also has retaining arms
71
which extend in a connector fitting direction so as to retain the male connector housing
66
. Engagement holes
73
for engagement respectively with retaining projections
72
of the retaining arms
71
are formed in the male connector housing
66
. Provisionally-retaining recesses
75
for engagement respectively with the distal ends of the retaining arms
71
are formed respectively in flanges
74
formed at a peripheral edge portion of an opening in the female connector housing
67
.
In a condition shown in
FIG. 13
, the distal ends of the retaining arms
71
are engaged respectively in the recesses
75
, thereby provisionally retaining the slider
68
relative to the female connector housing
67
. When the male connector housing
66
is initially fitted into the female connector housing
67
, the follower projections
69
are engaged respectively in inlet portions of the guide holes
70
, and also the engagement projections
72
of the retaining arms
71
are pressed by the male connector housing
66
, and therefore the retaining arms
71
are flexed outwardly, so that the provisionally-retained condition is canceled.
In this condition, when the slider is pushed into the female connector housing as indicated by arrow A (FIG.
14
B), the follower projections
69
are moved in the connector fitting direction along the respective guide holes
70
, so that the two connectors (each having associated terminals (not shown) each connected to a wire) are completely fitted together. Simultaneously when the two connectors are thus completely fitted together, the projections
72
of the retaining arms
71
are engaged in the engagement holes
73
, respectively, so that the male connector housing
66
is locked against withdrawal, and also the slider
68
is completely retained.
In the above conventional construction, however, although there is provided the means for provisionally retaining the slider
68
, the provisionally-retained condition is achieved by the engagement of the distal end of each retaining arm
71
in the recess
75
in the flange
74
of the female connector housing
67
, and therefore the provisionally-retaining force is small. Therefore, there has been a possibility that the slider
68
is accidentally pushed into and withdrawn from the female connector housing upon interference with an external object during the transport of the connector as described above for the first-mentioned conventional construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low-insertion force connector in which a forc

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