Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-07-03
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254407
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector usable, for example in the automobile industry, and relates more particularly to an improvement in such electrical connectors whereby the wedging action between one connector part and another is better effected by the action of a laterally sliding cam slide which interengages with a blocking detent moved to a non-blocking mode when relative inward movement between the two housing parts occurs.
In assembling connectors of the type wherein a harness or the like is used to capture and connect the ends of a plurality of wires or cables to corresponding ones, it is often the situation that such connections are to be made in highly cramped and tight quarters, making the connection between connecting parts hard to manipulate.
This is in the case, such as found for example with a connection between the wire bundles in the automobile assembly process wherein connection between electrical wires must be made in cramped quarters, such as found in an under the dash board or console situation. Here, the assembly person usually has but a single hand free to cause a operative connection to be made, thus requiring that the connection between parts be made with a single hand.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector which is capable of connecting first and second connector housing parts in a way which allows the user to affect the connection between the connector housing parts preferably using only single hand manipulation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrical connector of the aforementioned type wherein mated components of first and second connector housing parts are otherwise in a locked condition by the action of a caming slide to effect connection.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a typical connection of the aforementioned type wherein a resilient and structurally strong device can be provided to effect connection between corresponding connector housing parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in an electrical connector assembly of the type having first and second connector housing parts which can be readily drawn together through the use of a camming slide which is otherwise locked in a normally opened condition and released for full engagement with the first part upon the insertion of the second connector housing part within the first housing part. More specifically, the electrical connector assembly is of the type having first and second connector housing parts each of the housings having a plurality of electrical terminals therein. The connector assembly further includes a caming slide for moving the housings toward and away from one another along a first path to mate and unmate the housings. The caming slide is moveable along a cam slide path extending transversely to the first path. The caming slide is slidably received within a way formed in the first housing part and has at least one caming slot formed in a surface thereof. The caming slot opens to a leading side edge of the caming slide facing the second housing part. The second housing part has at least one upstanding projection postionable initially within the at least one caming slot and driveably movable along the first path when engaged by the caming slide. A releasable detent is disposed on the first housing part and on the caming slide for releasably locking the caming slide in a first position while mounted on the first housing part corresponding to an open condition of the first housing part.
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Framatome Connectors Interlock Inc.
Gushi Ross
Perman & Green LLP
Vu Hien
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