Electrical connectors – With indicating or identifying provision
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-26
2002-05-21
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With indicating or identifying provision
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390846
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector checker for detecting an incomplete insertion state of a terminal inserted in a connector, particularly to a connector checker having a main body in which a detection pin can be inserted without an undesirable looseness to prevent damage of the detection pin.
2. Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 3
to
5
, a known connector checker will be discussed hereinafter.
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of a known connector checker.
FIGS. 4A and 4B
each are a sectional view showing an operation step of the connector the checker, and
FIGS. 5A and 5B
each are an enlarged view of
FIG. 4A
or
4
B.
In
FIG. 3
, reference numeral
100
designates the connector checker having a base structure
10
provided with two guide shafts
50
,
50
. On the base structure, there are disposed a holder
20
and a checker main body
300
which are slidable along the guide shafts
50
,
50
.
The holder
20
is a frame holding a housing
81
of a connector
80
inspected therein, and each guide shaft
50
has a spring
60
mounted around it for resiliently urging the holder
20
toward the checker main body
300
.
As illustrated in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 4A
, the checker main body
300
has an engagement recess
301
engageable with a forward portion of the housing
81
of the connector
80
and has a plurality of through holes
302
each associated with one of terminal accommodation chambers
82
of the connector
80
.
As illustrated in
FIG. 5A
, each through hole
302
of the checker main body
300
accommodates a detection pin
40
. Each detection pin
40
has a continuity sensing portion
40
a
and an incomplete insertion detection portion
40
b
in a forward side thereof. The detection pin
40
is resiliently biased by a spring
41
toward the holder
20
.
The thus configured checker main body
300
, as illustrated in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
, can be moved forward and backward by an actuation lever
70
.
As illustrated in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 5A
, The connector
80
has the housing
81
formed with a plurality of the terminal accommodation chambers
82
. Each terminal accommodation chamber
82
has a resilient locking arm
83
integrally formed therein.
The terminal accommodation chamber
82
receives a terminal
84
so that the locking arm
83
engages with a slit
84
a
formed in the terminal
84
to hold the terminal
84
within the terminal accommodation chamber
82
.
Note that, when the terminal accommodation chamber
82
has incompletely received the terminal
84
, that is, when the terminal
84
has been incompletely inserted therein, the locking arm
83
does not engages with the slit
84
a
of the terminal
84
as illustrated in FIG.
5
B.
In the mean time, electrical wires
42
,
85
(see
FIG. 3
) connected to the detection pin
40
or the terminal
84
are electrically connected to an electrical continuity checking apparatus (not shown). Thus, an operator uses the checking apparatus for detecting an incomplete insertion state or an incorrect continuity state of the terminal
84
.
Next, referring to
FIGS. 4A
,
4
B and
FIGS. 5A
,
5
B, checking operations of the connector checker
100
will be discussed.
In
FIGS. 4A and 5B
, the holder
20
of the connector checker
100
receives the connector
80
to beset thereon, and pivoting the actuating lever
70
moves the checker main body
300
toward the connector
80
.
Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG.
4
B and
FIG. 5B
, the engagement portion
301
of the checker main body
300
engages with a forward portion of the connector
80
, and each terminal accommodation chamber
82
of the connector
80
receives the associated detection pin
40
.
In this state, when the terminal accommodation chamber
82
has completely received the terminal
84
, the incomplete insertion detection portion
40
b
of the detection pin
40
has advanced under the locking arm
83
. Thus, the continuity sensing portion
40
a
of the detection pin
40
contacts the terminal
84
, so that the checking apparatus indicates a correct continuity state of the connector, for example by turning on a lamp.
Meanwhile, when the terminal accommodation chamber
82
has incompletely received the terminal
84
, the incomplete insertion detection portion
40
b
of the detection pin
40
abuts against the locking arm
83
, preventing the continuity sensing portion
40
a
of the detection pin
40
from contacting the terminal
84
. Thus, the checking apparatus indicates an incorrect continuity state of the connector, for example by not turning on a lamp.
The known connector checker
100
, as illustrated in
FIG. 6
, has the detection pin
40
which is rectangular in section, while the through hole
302
of the checker main body
300
is an elongated one slightly larger than the rectangular section of the detection pin
40
. The elongated through hole
302
has an arc portion which allows looseness of the detection pin
40
within the through hole
302
. Thus, at an engagement operation of the checker main body
300
with the connector
80
, the detection pin
40
may abut an end wall of the housing
81
, disadvantageously causing damage of the pin
40
or the end wall of the housing
81
.
This problem may be eliminated by providing another through hole
302
of the checker main body
300
which has a rectangular section similar to the detection pin
40
.
However, since the through hole
302
of the checker main body
300
is machined generally by a rotating cutter of an end mill, it is difficult to form the rectangular through hole
302
by using such a tool.
Furthermore, a plurality of the through holes
302
is machined to be formed one after another in the checker main body
300
, so that the mutual distances of through holes
302
are not sufficient in precision, causing abutment of the detection pin
40
against the housing
81
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector checker that can eliminate looseness of a detection pin within the checker main body. The checker allows an improved precise positioning of the detection pin, surely preventing damage of the detection pin.
For achieving the object, a connector checker according to the invention has a main body with a block accommodating a plurality of detection pins movable forward and backward in the block each for detecting an incorrect insertion state of a terminal which is inserted in a terminal accommodation chamber of a connector by inserting the detection pin into the terminal accommodation chamber. The checker main body has a plurality of through holes vertically elongated in section and a plurality of through holes horizontally elongated in section. The vertically elongated through holes are disposed to partially overlap with the horizontally elongated through holes to define a plurality of rectangular openings. Through one of the rectangular openings, the detection pin is inserted so as to adequately limit vertical and horizontal movements of the detection pin within the terminal accommodation chamber.
The thus configured checker has the vertically elongated holes disposed perpendicular to the horizontally elongated holes. Even when each elongated hole has each end of an arc shape, the plurality of rectangular openings can be defined each as corresponding to a sectional shape of the detection pin.
The detection pin is inserted through the rectangular opening, so that the vertical and horizontal movements of the detection pin is adequately limited to eliminate the undesirable looseness of the pin within the rectangular opening. This prevents the detection pin from abutting against the connector housing, causing no damage of the pin.
The method of defining a plurality of the rectangular openings by disposing the vertically elongated holes perpendicular to the horizontally elongated holes allows a greatly improved precise positioning of the rectangular openings than a known method in which through holes for detection pins are formed one after anoth
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Nguyen P
Ta Tho D.
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