Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-03
2003-12-09
Field, Lynn (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S364000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659810
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a multi-pole connector connected to a mating multi-pole connector by a bolt-and-nut construction to provide a connector, and more particularly to a method of assembling the multi-pole connector, formed by combining a plurality of connector housings together, and to such a multi-pole connector.
One known conventional multi-pole connector is disclosed in JP-A-62-145671. Referring to
FIG. 9
, for the purpose of enhancing the productivity, the multi-pole connector
101
is formed by combining a plurality of (for example, three) connector housings
103
A,
103
B and
103
C together.
A nut
105
is formed at a central portion of the connector housing
103
A, and fitting openings
107
and
109
for respectively receiving the connector housings
103
B and
103
C are formed in upper and lower portions of the connector housing
103
A, respectively. Elastic retaining arms
111
are formed respectively on side walls of each of the fitting openings
107
and
109
, and can be lockingly engaged respectively in retaining grooves
113
formed respectively in side walls of the corresponding connector housing
103
B,
103
C.
The connector housing
103
B and the connector housing
103
C are slidingly inserted respectively into the upper and lower portions of the connector housing
103
A, and therefore are combined with the connector housing
103
A, and then comb-like rear holders
115
and
117
are inserted through the side surfaces in order to prevent the rearward withdrawal of these connector housings
103
B and
103
C. Thus, the multi-pole connector
101
is assembled.
The thus assembled multi-pole connector
101
is fittingly connected to a mating multi-pole connector
123
(shown in
FIG. 11
) by the nut
105
, formed on the multi-pole connector
101
, and a bolt
121
, formed on the mating multi-pole connector, to form a connector.
In the above conventional construction, however, when determining the pitches of the connector housings
103
A,
103
B and
103
C, the nut
105
is used as a reference. Therefore, when determining the pitch, for example, of the connector housing
103
B, an error a in the pitch A of the connector housing
103
A from the nut
105
to the mounting position of the connector housing B and an error b in the pitch B of the connector housing
103
B are added together in an accumulated manner as shown in
FIG. 12
, and the sum of these errors become an error in the pitch of the connector housing
103
B. Therefore, there is encountered a problem that an error in the connector housing
103
B, which is the combining portion, increases. Similarly, an error in the connector housing
103
A and an error in the connector housing
103
B are added together in an accumulated manner, so that the total error for the connector housing
103
C increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problem of the conventional construction in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of assembling a multi-pole connector, as well as a multi-pole connector, in which in order that an error in the multi-pole connector, formed by combining a plurality of connector housings together, can be reduced, the alignment of the connector housings can be effected easily and accurately.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) A multi-pole connector comprising:
a first connector housing including a bolt and a bolt receiving tube; and
a second connector housing including a frame portion,
wherein the first and second connector housings are connected together so as to coaxially superimpose the frame portion on the bolt receiving tube so that a bolt guide formed on a mating multi-pole connector for connection to the multi-pole connector can be inserted into the frame portion and the bolt receiving tube.
(2) The multi-pole connector according to (1), wherein the first connector housing and the second connector housing have a connecting mechanism for connecting the first connector housing to the second connector housing before the bolt guide is inserted into the frame portion and the bolt receiving tube.
(
3
) The multi-pole connector according to (
1
), wherein a plurality of the second connector housings are connected to the first connector housing, and each of the frame portions of the plurality of the second connector housings is coaxially superimposed on the bolt receiving tube.
(
4
) A method of assembling a multi-pole connector comprising a first connector housing including a bolt and a bolt receiving tube, and a second connector housing including a frame portion, the method comprising the steps of:
connecting the first connector housing to the second connector housing so as to coaxially superimpose the frame portion on the bolt receiving tube; and
inserting a bolt guide formed on a mating multi-pole connector for connection to the multi-pole connector into the frame portion and the bolt receiving tube.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5413507 (1995-05-01), Sawada
patent: 5454733 (1995-10-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5545053 (1996-08-01), Ishii et al.
patent: 5599200 (1997-02-01), Yagi et al.
patent: 62-145671 (1987-06-01), None
Kawachi Kazuhiro
Okabe Toshiaki
Yamashita Tetsuya
Field Lynn
Nguyen Son V.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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