Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-26
2001-04-10
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S188000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213791
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lever coupling type connector in which female and male connector housings each having multiple poles are coupled with or uncoupled from each other by a small force by a revolution of a lever (action of lever) and more particularly to a coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector, having a coupling detecting means and the like for confirming whether or not both the connector housings are completely coupled with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-8882 has disclosed this kind of the coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector. A lever coupling type connector for use in this coupling detecting structure comprises a synthetic resin male connector housing in which a pair of engaging pins are erected in the center of upper and lower faces thereof and a pair of connecting state detecting terminals are provided on a rear portion of both sides of the upper and lower faces, a synthetic resin female connector housing with which the male connector housing is to be coupled, a synthetic resin, U-shaped lever rotatably supported by the upper and lower faces of the female connector housing through each supporting shaft, a contact piece which is a conductive piece inserted in each slit on both side portions of the lever and a connector connection detecting circuit connected to the pair of the connecting state detecting terminals through lead wire.
Furthermore, an arc-shaped eccentric cam groove in which each engaging pin is to be inserted is formed around each supporting shaft on both the side portions of the lever. The U-shaped contacting piece made of conductive material is inserted in each slit inside both the side portions of the lever. Both ends of this contacting piece are contact points.
Then, if each engaging pin of the male connector housing is inserted into each eccentric cam groove of the lever supported rotatably by the female connector housing and the lever is revolved toward the side of the male connector housing, each engaging pin of the male connector housing is moved along each eccentric cam groove of the lever, so that the male connector housing and female connector housing each having multiple poles are coupled with each other. When both the connector housings are coupled with each other, each contact points of the U-shaped contacting piece provided between both the side portions of the lever comes into contact with each contact point of a pair of the connecting state detecting terminals . By this contact, a connector connection detecting circuit is actuated turning on a light emitting diode or dispatching a connection complete detection signal so as to inform that both the connector housings are completely coupled with each other.
However, because in the aforementioned conventional lever coupling type connector, the U-shaped contacting piece is installed to each slit of both the side portions of the lever, the coupling of both the connector housings cannot be confirmed steadily because the contacting piece is often loose off the connecting state detecting terminal. Further, because the connecting state detecting terminal, the metallic conductive contacting piece and components of the connector connection detecting circuit are indispensable to confirm the coupling of both the connector housings the number of the necessary parts increases so that production cost also increases. Further, because such a special circuit wire as lead wire for connecting the connecting state detecting terminal with the connector connection detecting circuit is necessary, the production cost increases correspondingly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in mind.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector capable of confirming a coupling state between female and male connector housings easily and securely at a low cost.
To achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector, comprising: a first connector housing accommodating terminal; a second connector housing accommodating terminal, the second connector housing having an engaging portion; a lever having an engaging portion engaging with the engaging portion of the second connector housing, the lever being rotatably supported through supporting shafts by the first connector housing, the lever being revolved with respect to the engaging section between the engaging portion of the lever and the engaging portion of the second connector housing as a fulcrum point so that both of the connector housings are capable of being freely coupled with each other; and a detecting circuit detecting the coupling state of both of the connector housings, wherein a pair of conductive members are provided on the second connector housing; a conductive member which comes into a contact with the pair of the conductive members only when both the connector housings are coupled with each other is provided on the lever; and the pair of conductive members and the conductive member provided on the lever constitute a part of the detecting circuit.
In this coupling detecting structure of the lever coupling type connector, the conventional connecting state detecting terminal, metallic conductive contacting piece and components of the connector connection detecting circuit are not necessary, so that the number of the necessary parts decreases correspondingly. Further, there hardly occurs a looseness between the conductive members so that the coupling state of both the connector housings can be carried out always stably at a low cost.
Furthermore, the construction of the coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector according to the present invention can be simplified, so that the cost thereof can be also reduced.
According to a second aspect of the invention, as it depends from the first aspect, the coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector, further comprising: a printed circuit board; and a plurality of the second connector housings are disposed and fixed on the printed circuit board through a pair of conductive members, wherein the pair of the conductive members of each of the second connector housings are connected in series through circuit patterns on the printed circuit board and the conductive member of the lever, and a coupling detecting means for detecting a coupling state of both of the connector housings is provided on the detecting circuit in which the circuit patterns and the conductive members are disposed in series.
In this coupling detecting structure of the lever coupling type connector, because the detecting circuit is disposed on the circuit pattern on the printed circuit board, production cost is lower than the conventional type using wire. By disposing the circuit patterns on the printed circuit board and respective conductive members in series, it is possible to detect couplings of plural connectors with a single coupling detecting means. Therefore, the cost of the construction of the coupling detecting structure of a lever coupling type connector according to the present invention can be further reduced.
According to a third aspect of the invention, as it depends from the first aspect, further comprising: a printed circuit board; and a plurality of the second connector housings are disposed and fixed on the printed circuit board through a pair of conductive members, wherein at least one of the pair of the conductive members of each of the second connector housings is connected in series through a circuit pattern provided on the printed circuit board between the printed circuit board and each of the second connector housings and the conductive member of the lever; and a coupling detecting means for detecting a coupling state of both of the connector housings is provided on the detecting circuit in which the
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Nguyen Khiem
Nguyen Son V.
Yazaki -Corporation
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