Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-07
2004-10-19
Duverne, J. F. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805577
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire connecting connector for connecting an electric wire.
2. Description of the Related Art
An equipment accompanying an electric wire, for example, a fuel injection valve
1
shown in
FIG. 1
which electronically controls a fuel injection amount to a combustion chamber of an engine is structured such that a fuel injection amount from a nozzle
1
c
is varied by controlling the degree of opening a needle valve
1
b
based on a control electric current applied to a solenoid coil
1
a
. The fuel injection valve
1
is structured such that a harness for applying a control electric current is connected to the fuel injection valve
1
through a wire connecting connector
2
after the fuel injection valve
1
is mounted to a cylinder head (not shown).
The wire connecting connector
2
comprises a male connector
3
shown in
FIG. 2 and a
female connector
4
shown in FIG.
3
. The male connector
3
is integrally protruded from a head portion of a housing
1
d
that carries the solenoid coil
1
a
. A pin-shaped male terminal
5
protrudes within a tubular receptor
3
a.
On the other hand, the female connector
4
is structured such that an inserting body
4
b
which is to be fitted to an inner circumference of the receptor
3
a
is provided within a housing
4
a
. The housing
4
a
is fitted to an outer circumference of the receptor
3
a
. A crimped terminal
6
as the female terminal is received within the inserting body
4
b
. A harness for applying the control electric current is connected to this crimped terminal
6
.
The connection of the wire connecting connector
2
is performed by inserting the female connector
4
to the male connector
3
, whereby the inserting body
4
b
and the receptor
3
a
are fitted to each other and the male terminal
5
is inserted into the crimped terminal
6
to be electrically connected with each other. At this time, the structure is made such that a liquid tight function with respect to an inner circumference of the receptor
3
a
is secured by a packing
8
provided on the outer circumference of the inserting body
4
b
, and a liquid tight function in a receiving portion of the crimped terminal
6
can be secured by a rubber plug
8
a
provided at the introducing portion of the harness
7
. A disengagement prevention can be achieved by engaging an engaging projection
3
b
protruded from a tip end portion of the receptor
3
a
with a recess portion
4
c
of the housing
4
a.
An elastic contact piece
6
a
is provided within the crimped terminal
6
so as to securely perform an electric connection between the terminals, and the male terminal
5
is structured such that it is inserted into the crimped terminal
6
by compressing the elastic contact piece
6
a.
However, in the wire connecting connector
2
mentioned above, the crimped terminal
6
to which the male terminal
5
is inserted is provided with a receiving portion A formed in a rectangular column shape so as to receive the elastic contact piece
6
a
, a harness fixing portion B for fixing the end portion of the harness
7
from which a coating material has been peeled of f, and an engaging shoulder
9
with which a lance C protruded from the housing
4
a
is engaged, and the like, which makes the construction of the terminal complex and leads to high production costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above consideration, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire connecting connector which can simplify a terminal structure so as to reduce a cost by forming a female terminal in a fork shape and gripping a harness and an opposing male terminal in the fork-shape part.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wire connecting connector comprising a first connecting body from which a male terminal is protruded, and a second connecting body which is fitted to the first connecting body and from which a female terminal to which the male terminal is inserted is protruded, wherein the female terminal is formed in a fork shape having an opening arranged to oppose the male terminal, wherein an acute angle portion which bursts through a coating body of a harness is provided between the tip portions of the fork part, and a conductive wire connecting portion which grips a conductive wire portion of the harness that has been burst through by the acute angle portion is provided between the base end portions of the fork part, and a terminal receptor to which the male terminal is inserted is provided between the middle portions of the fork part.
In this wire connecting connector, since the female terminal is formed in a fork shape and the acute angle portion, the conductive wire connecting portion, and the terminal receptor are respectively provided between the tip end, base end, and middle portions of the fork shape part, it can be connected to the harness by first bursting through the coating body of the harness with the acute angle portion and guiding the conductive wire portion to the conductive wire connecting portion so that it is held there. The connection of the wire connecting connector is completed by mutually fitting the first connecting body to the second connecting body in this state and inserting the male terminal to the terminal receptor. While it is necessary that the female terminal be provided with the acute angle portion, the conductive wire connecting portion, and the terminal receiving portion, it is sufficient to form them in the opposing side of the fork part, and therefore, the structure can be simplified.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wire connecting connector as recited in the first aspect, wherein a disengagement prevention means for holding a fitted state of the first connecting body and the second connecting body is provided between the first connecting body and the second connecting body.
Since the disengagement prevention means for holding the fitted state between the first connecting body and the second connecting body is provided, the electrical engagement state between the male terminal and the female terminal can be stably maintained by the disengagement prevention means.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wire connecting connector according to the second aspect, wherein the disengagement prevention means also serves as a positioning means which determines a relative rotational position between the first connecting body and the second connecting body.
According to this wire connecting connector, since the structure is made such that the disengagement prevention means also serves as the positioning means for determining the relative rotational position between the first connecting body and the second connecting body by setting a disengagement prevention position at which the male terminal and the female terminal oppose to each other when fitting the first connecting body to the second connecting body. The male terminal and the female terminal come to oppose with each other by their relative rotation toward the disengagement prevention position of the disengagement prevention means. The male terminal is securely inserted to the female terminal by relatively pressing the first connecting body and the second connecting body to each other in this state. Since the disengagement prevention means is also used as the positioning means, the structure of the wire connecting connector can be simplified.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4127312 (1978-11-01), Fleischhacker et al.
patent: 4351582 (1982-09-01), Emerson et al.
patent: 4533200 (1985-08-01), Wilson
patent: 4666232 (1987-05-01), Shyu
patent: 4688872 (1987-08-01), Pohl
patent: 4820179 (1989-04-01), Saijo
patent: 5207602 (1993-05-01), McMills et al.
patent: 5788539 (1998-08-01), Fedder
patent: 6123566 (2000-09-01), Daoud et al.
patent: 0 736 929 (1996-10-01), None
European Search Report re: EP 01 12 6445 dated Mar. 18, 2002.
Fukuda Masaru
Murakami Takao
Duverne J. F.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Yazaki -Corporation
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