Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means with distinct movement-actuating means to...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-23
2003-11-25
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means with distinct movement-actuating means to...
C439S157000, C439S352000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06652306
ABSTRACT:
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-155713, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power feeding connector apparatus. The power feeding connector apparatus herein means a combination of a power feeding-side connector and a power receiving-side connector, in which in the charging, for example, of an electric vehicle (EV), the power feeding-side connector and the power receiving-side connector are electrically connected together through the connection of terminals upon fitting of the two connectors relative to each other, and more particularly to a power feeding connector apparatus as well as the power feeding-side connector itself, in which the power feeding-side connector can be disconnected from the power receiving-side connector with one action without the need for changing the operator's grip on the connector.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 14
to
19
show one conventional power feeding connector apparatus
40
which comprises a power feeding-side connector
41
, connected to a power supply apparatus, and a power receiving-side connector
42
which is provided at the power-receiving side, and can fit on the power feeding-side connector
41
.
The power feeding-side connector
41
and the power receiving-side connector
42
are electrically connected together through the connection of a terminal
43
upon fitting of the power feeding-side connector
41
into the power receiving-side connector
42
.
The power feeding-side connector
41
comprises a housing
45
, mounted on a casing
44
for movement relative thereto, an operating lever
46
, swingably mounted on the casing
44
, a cancellation button
47
, and lock arms
48
.
The terminal
43
is incorporated in the housing
45
. The operating lever
46
is connected to the housing
45
, and this operating lever
46
, when swung, causes the housing
45
to move relative to the casing
44
.
The cancellation button
47
is engaged at its distal end
47
a
with a retaining portion
46
a
of the operating lever
46
, thereby retaining the operating lever
46
in a connected position. Lock claws
48
a
of the lock arms
48
are engaged with the power receiving-side connector
42
, thereby positioning the casing
44
relative to the power receiving-side connector
42
.
In this power feeding connector apparatus
40
, when the power feeding-side connector
41
is to be disconnected from the power receiving-side connector
42
, the cancellation button
47
is pressed (a first pressing operation) in the condition shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
(in which the terminal
43
is connected), so that the retaining of the operating lever
46
by the cancellation button
47
is canceled.
As a result, the operating lever
46
is swung clockwise (
FIG. 16
) from a position, indicated in a dots-and-dash line (FIG.
16
), to a position indicated in a solid line under the influence of a spring
49
. In accordance with the swing of the operating lever
46
, the housing
45
is moved relative to the casing
44
, and also the connection of the terminal
43
is canceled, so that a provisionally-retained condition is achieved as shown in
FIGS. 16 and 17
.
In the provisionally-retained condition, when the cancellation button
47
is again pressed (a second pressing operation), the distal end
47
a
of the cancellation button
47
pushes the right end portion (
FIG. 19
) of the lock arm
48
upwardly, thereby swinging the lock arm
48
toward the inside of the casing
44
.
As a result, the retaining of the casing
44
on the power receiving-side connector
42
by the lock claw
48
a
of the lock arm
48
is canceled, so that there is achieved a canceled condition (shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
) in which the power feeding-side connector
41
can be disconnected from the power receiving-side connector
42
.
However, the above conventional power feeding connector apparatus
40
has a problem that when disconnecting the power feeding-side connector
41
from the power receiving-side connector
42
, there is needed the two-action disconnecting operation in which the cancellation button
47
are operated or pressed twice.
And besides, when pressing the cancellation button
47
, the operator must change his grip on the connector during the disconnecting operation, and therefore the good operability can not be obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a power feeding connector apparatus as well as a power feeding-side connector itself in which the power feeding-side connector can be disconnected from a power receiving-side connector with one action without the need for changing the operator's grip on the connector, thereby achieving the excellent operability.
(1) The above object has been achieved by a power feeding-side connector adapted for fitting relative to a power receiving-side connector, wherein the power feeding-side connector and the power receiving-side connector are electrically connected together through a connection of terminals upon a fitting of the power feeding-side and power receiving-side connectors relative to each other, the power feeding-side connector comprising:
a casing;
a housing for accommodating the terminals, mounted in the casing so as to be movable at a predetermined displacement in a connector-fitting direction and a connector-disconnecting direction;
an operating lever swingably supported on the casing in a plane lying in the connector-fitting direction, the operating lever displacing the housing relative to the casing in the connector-fitting direction or the connector-disconnecting direction by a swing thereof; and
a lock arm swingably supported on the casing in a plane lying in the connector-fitting direction, for engaging the power receiving-side connector upon the fitting of the power feeding-side connector relative to the power receiving-side connector, thereby positioning the casing relative to the power receiving-side connector;
wherein the operating lever can be swung and positioned among three of a connected position where the terminals are connected respectively to the terminals in the power receiving-side connector, a provisionally-retained position where the connection of the terminals to the respective terminals in the power receiving-side connector is canceled, and a canceled position where the connection of the terminals to the respective terminals in the power receiving-side connector is canceled, and the retaining of the casing on the power receiving-side connector by the lock arm is canceled.
In the power feeding-side connector of this construction, when disconnecting the power feeding-side connector from the power receiving-side connector, the operating lever is swung from the connected position to the canceled position through the provisionally-retained position.
Thus, in the connected position of the operating lever of the power feeding-side connector, the terminals are connected respectively to the terminals in the power receiving-side connector, and in the provisionally-retained position of the operating lever, the connection of the terminals to the respective terminals in the power receiving-side connector is canceled.
In the canceled position of the operating lever of the power feeding-side connector, the connection of the terminals to the respective terminals in the power receiving-side connector is canceled, and the retaining of the casing on the power receiving-side connector by the lock arm is canceled.
(2) A lever stopper may be movably mounted on the operating lever of the power feeding-side connector; and
the lever stopper is selectively engagable with a predetermined portion of the casing, thereby positioning the operating lever relative to the casing, and the lever stopper can be displaced out of engagement with the casing by a gripping of the lever stopper in an operation of the operatinglever, thereby selectively canceling a positioning of the operating lever relative to the casing.
In the power feeding-side connector of this construction, wh
Karamatsu Masayuki
Mori Shigeo
Harvey James R.
Paumen Gary
Yazaki -Corporation
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