Motion transmission mechanism and low insertion force connector

Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C439S314000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06224402

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a -motion transmission mechanism utilizing cam grooves and guide pins, and also relates to a low insertion force connector using this motion transmission mechanism. More specifically, the invention relates to a motion transmission mechanism and a low insertion force connector, in which the concentration of a stress on guide pins due to a notch effect is alleviated while achieving a compact design of the device.
2. Related Art
There is known a motion transmission mechanism in which cam grooves are formed in a driver (which imparts a motion to other member in the mechanism), and guide pins are formed on a follower (which is moved by the driver), and the guide pins are engaged respectively in the cam grooves, and such a motion transmission mechanism has been used in various mechanical devices and apparatuses.
In this motion transmission mechanism, when the driver is moved, the guide pins are moved along the respective cam grooves to thereby move the follower.
Such a motion transmission mechanism has heretofore been extensively used as a so-called low insertion force mechanism, and one example thereof is proposed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Hei. 4-319271.
A low insertion force connector, disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Hei. 4-319271, will be described with reference to
FIG. 5
which is an exploded, perspective view.
In this Figure, the conventional low insertion force connector comprises two male connectors
10
A and
10
B, a rectangular frame-like holder
20
for receiving the male connectors
10
A and
10
B, a female connector
30
for fitting on the male connectors
10
A and
10
B received in the holder
20
, and a generally U-shaped slider
40
for inserting and withdrawing the male connectors
10
A and
10
B relative to the female connector
30
.
Guide pins
121
and
121
are formed on each of upper and lower side walls of the holder
20
, and insertion holes
31
and
31
are formed through each of opposite end walls of the female connector
30
, and cam grooves
41
and
41
for respectively receiving the associated guide pins
121
on the holder
20
are formed in each of upper and lower side walls of the slider
40
.
In the conventional low insertion force connector of the above construction, the slider
40
is inserted into a predetermined position in the female connector
30
, and the guide pins
121
on the holder
20
are fitted respectively in the cam grooves
41
in the slider
40
.
Then, when the slider
40
is pushed into the female connector
30
, the guide pins
121
are moved respectively along the cam grooves
41
, so that male connectors
10
A and
10
B, received in the holder
20
, are fitted into the female connector
30
.
In the above conventional low insertion force connector, the boundary between the holder
20
and each guide pin
121
is an angle portion
121
b
as shown in FIG.
6
(
a
), and therefore when the slider
40
is slid, a notch effect is produced, and more specifically a stress, imparted to the guide pin
121
by the cam groove
41
, concentrates on the angle portion
121
b
, which results in a problem that the strength is reduced.
Therefore, in order to alleviate the concentration of the stress on the guide pin due to the notch effect, there has heretofore been used a method in which the proximal end portion of a guide pin
122
is chamfered to form a radiused (curved) portion
122
b.
As shown in FIGS.
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
), the conventional guide pin
122
comprises a pin body
122
a
, substantially serving as a guide, and the radiused portion
122
b
for alleviating the stress.
In order that the pin body
122
a
can substantially serve as the guide, the pin body
122
a
must have a length equal to that of the guide pin
121
shown in FIG.
6
(
a
).
Therefore, the length of projecting of the guide pin
122
is increased by an amount equal to the height of the radiused portion
122
b
, which results in a problem that the overall size of the low insertion force connector is increased.
In the case where a large stress is applied to the guide pin
122
, it is necessary to increase the length of the pin body
122
a
and also to increase the size of the radiused portion
122
b
, and therefore there is encountered a problem that the overall size of the low insertion force connector is more increased.
And besides, a clearance, equal to the height of the radiused portion
122
b
, is formed between the slider
40
and the holder
20
(that is, the surface from which the guide pin
122
projects), and therefore when the slider
40
is slid, a load is concentrated on those surfaces of each guide pin
122
and the associated cam groove
41
which are held in sliding contact with each other, and this results in a problem that an abnormal sound is produced by the friction between the guide pin and the cam groove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a motion transmission mechanism and a low insertion force connector, in which the concentration of a stress on guide pins due to a notch effect is alleviated while achieving a compact design of the device, and also the production of an abnormal sound is positively prevented.
The above object of the invention has been achieved by a motion transmission mechanism wherein cam grooves are formed in a driver for imparting a motion, and guide pins are formed on a follower for receiving the motion, and the driver and the follower are connected together, with the guide pins engaged respectively in the cam grooves, and when the driver is moved, the guide pins are moved respectively along the guide grooves, thereby moving the follower; and radiused grooves of an arcuate cross-section are formed in those surfaces from which the guide pins project, each of the radiused grooves being continuous with a proximal end of the associated guide pin.
In this construction, that portion around the proximal end of each guide pin is chamfered to form the radiused groove, and by doing so, the length of projecting of the guide pin can be reduced.
With this construction, the concentration of a stress on each guide pin due to a notch effect can be alleviated while achieving a compact design of the device.
And besides, the radiused groove will not interfere with the driver, and therefore any clearance will not be formed between the driver and the surface from which the guide pin projects.
Therefore, when the driver is in contact with the surfaces, from which the guide pins project, and is moved, the load, acting on those surfaces of each cam groove and the associated guide pin which are held in contact with each other, can be reduced, and therefore the production of an abnormal sound due to the friction between the cam groove and the guide pin is positively prevented.
In the motion transmission mechanism of the present invention, when the driver is moved linearly, the follower is moved linearly. In the motion transmission mechanism of the present invention, when the driver is rotated, the follower is moved linearly.
With either of these constructions, the concentration of the stress on each guide pin due to a notch effect can be alleviated while achieving the compact design of the device, and also the production of an abnormal sound is positively prevented.
The above object of the invention has also been achieved by a low insertion force connector wherein cam grooves are formed in an operating member for imparting a motion, and guide pins are formed directly or indirectly on a connector for receiving the motion, and the operating member and the connector are connected together, with the guide pins engaged respectively in the cam grooves, and when the operating member is moved, the guide pins are moved respectively along the guide grooves, so that the connector is moved to be fitted in a mating connector; and radiused grooves of an arcuate cross-section are formed in those surfaces from which the guide pins project, each of the radi

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