Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2001-11-13
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S079000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315594
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking structure formed integral with a pair of male and female electric connectors, wherein the male connector is capable of fitting at least partly in the female one to be locked in position.
2. Prior Art
In most prior art locking structures, either of a male connector and a female connector fitting in and engageable with each other comprises a housing whose side face is formed to have a locking lug. The other connector comprises a lockable cantilever arm corresponding to the locking lug, and an end of the cantilever arm capable of elastically swaying has a pawl engageable with and disengageable from the locking lug.
When unlocking such known structures, the operator has to pick up the cantilever arm with his or her fingers and/or with aid of a special tool so as to cause the end of the arm to temporarily swing outwards. Thus, releasing the pawl from the locking lug on demand has required a long time and much labor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made to resolve those problems in the prior art. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel locking structure for a pair of mating connectors that can be unlocked from each other if the operator just inserts any simple tool such as a screwdriver whose flat and narrow bit is ‘-(minus)’-shaped.
According to the present invention, either of a male connector and a female connector fitting in or on each other comprises, as usual, a housing whose side face is formed to have at least one locking lug. The other connector also comprises, as usual, on a top of its housing at least one lockable cantilever arm corresponding to the locking lug, and a free end of the cantilever arm capable of elastically swaying has a pawl engageable with and disengageable from the locking lug. However, it is a characteristic feature of the locking structure provided herein that a tapered ridge extends along and beside the cantilever arm and this ridge is shaped such that its height gradually increases inwardly towards the top of the other connector's housing as the ridge extends from the cantilever arm's portion near its basal end towards the free end of said arm. By virtue of this feature, any operator may insert a simple tool having a flat and narrow bit in between the top of the other connector's housing and the tapered ridge, from this housing's side where the basal end is located, when he or she wants to separate the connectors from each other. In detail, due to a wedge-like function of the tapered ridge, the tool's flat and narrow bit will force outwards the free end until its pawl is disengaged and unlocked from the locking lug.
Preferably, two locking lugs formed on one of the connectors are disposed side by side and spaced apart from each other, and correspondingly, two lockable cantilever arms are formed on the other connector. Further, it is also desirable that these cantilever arms have their portions located adjacent to the free ends and integrally connected to each other by a tie-bridge disposed between them, and the tapered ridge protrudes from an inner side of this tie-bridge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4448467 (1984-05-01), Weidler
patent: 4449767 (1984-05-01), Weidler
patent: 5186645 (1993-02-01), Bixler
patent: 5342215 (1994-08-01), Silbernagel et al.
patent: 5380217 (1995-01-01), Yagi et al.
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Japan Solderless Terminal Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Vu Hien
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