Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2003-08-05
Feild, Lynn (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06602086
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a semi-coupling detection connector wherein a semi-coupling state between a first connector and a second connector can be detected by means of a slider arrange inside the first connector in an energized state and wherein a lock release of the connectors can be securely carried out.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 11-12
shows a conventional semi-coupling detection connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-289756.
In
FIG. 11
,
51
designates a male connector and
52
designates a female connector. The male connector
51
has a female terminal
54
in a connector housing
53
made of synthetic resin, and the female connector
52
has a male terminal
56
in a connector housing
55
made of synthetic resin. The male connector housing
53
has a hood portion
57
made of synthetic resin integrally. The female connector
52
has a connector coupling chamber
58
to make coupling with the male connector housing
53
, and a tab portion
56
a
for making contact with the male terminal
56
projects in the connector coupling chamber
58
.
In the hood portion
57
of the male connector housing
53
, a slider
59
of synthetic resin to detect the connector semi-coupling is provided slidably in a back-and-forth direction (i.e. connector coupling/uncoupling direction). The slider
59
is positioned on the upper side of the male connector housing
53
and is energized forward by a compression coiled spring
60
arranged in the hood portion
57
. The slider
59
has an operating projecting portion
61
and a downward stopping projection
62
on the rear end side, a horizontal resilient abutting arm
63
in a middle portion, and a horizontal abutting wall
65
at the front end side. The abutting arm
63
has a downward abutting projection
64
at the front end side, and the abutting projection
64
has a slant plane, for sliding, on the rear side. The abutting arm
63
is vertically bendable.
The hood portion
57
is provided, in a longitudinal middle portion, with an upward guide projection
66
against which a stopping projection
62
of the slider
59
abuts. A resilient locking arm
67
extends in front of the guide projection
66
. A downward locking projection
68
to engage an upward locking projection
69
of the female connector
52
is provided on the end of the locking arm
67
. An abutting projection
70
for preventing bending is provided over the locking projection
68
. The abutting projection
70
abuts on the bottom surface of the abutting wall
65
for checking the upward bending of the locking arm
67
.
The female connector
52
is provided with the above locking projection
69
on the rear side of the upper wall of the connector coupling chamber
58
. An upward abutting projection
71
for the abutting projection
64
of the slider
59
is provided in front of the locking projection
69
. The locking projections
68
,
69
are arranged in the respective lateral centers of the connectors
51
,
52
. The abutting projection
64
is provided on both sides of the connector
51
, and the abutting projection
71
is provided on both sides of the connector
52
.
When the connectors
51
,
52
are initially-coupled from a state of
FIG. 11
, the abutting projections
64
,
71
abut on each other, and, further, when both the connectors
51
,
52
are pushed each other in the coupling direction, the slider
59
is pushed and goes back while compressing a coil spring
60
. The abutting wall
65
of the slider
59
separates from the abutting projection
70
of the locking arm
67
backward. And, since the slant plane of the abutting projection
64
slides on the slant plane of the guide projection
66
, the abutting arm
63
of the slider
59
bends upward, whereby the abutment of the abutting projections
64
,
71
is released. And, the locking projections
68
,
69
of the connectors
51
,
52
abut on each other thereby to make the locking arm
67
bend upward. Further, the locking projection
68
gets over the locking projection
69
by pressing both the connectors
51
,
52
in the coupling direction. Simultaneously with the complete coupling of the connectors
51
,
52
as shown in
FIG. 12
, the locking projections
68
,
69
engage each other thereby to lock the connectors
51
,
52
each other. And, the terminals
54
,
56
of the respective connectors
51
,
52
are connected mutually.
In a semi-coupling (i.e. incomplete coupling) state of the connectors
51
,
52
, the slider
59
is being pressed by a coil spring
60
in a connector uncoupling direction. Because the abutting projections
64
,
71
are in the abutment state, the female connector
52
is pushed out of the male connector
51
by virtue of the coil spring
60
. By this, the semi-coupling of the connectors
51
,
52
can be detected. When the connector
52
is further pushed toward the connector
51
, the connectors
51
,
52
are completely coupled.
With respect to the above prior art semi-coupling detection connector, however, when the connectors
51
,
52
are to be unlocked, they have to be strongly pulled backward. By this, the engaging plane
68
a
of the locking projection
68
of the male connector
51
slides on the engaging plane
69
a
of the locking projection
69
of the female connector
52
, and the locking arm
67
bends upward, thereby releasing the engagement of the locking projections
68
,
69
. This operation needs fairy large force. Therefore, the engaging planes
68
a
,
69
a
of the locking projections
68
,
69
slightly slant in order to lighten the uncoupling force. This, however, causes sudden and easy coming-off of the connectors
51
,
52
.
And, in the semi-coupling of the connectors
51
,
52
, because the locking projection
68
of the locking arm
67
presses the female connector
52
downward due to the restoring force of the locking arm
67
in a state that the locking projection
68
is running onto the locking projection
69
of the connector
52
, the sliding friction increases, the force pushing out the female connector
52
by the coil spring
60
weakens, and the detection accuracy of the semi-coupling lowers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a semi-coupling detection connector with a slider for detecting a connector semi-coupling state, wherein a pair of connectors can be securely locked, the connector uncoupling work can be carried out smoothly and easily with a small force, and the connector semi-coupling detection can be carried out accurately.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a semi-coupling detection connector comprises: a first connector having a resilient locking arm; a second connector having a first locking portion and being to be coupled with the first connector; and a slider provided on the first connector slidably in a connector coupling/uncoupling direction, wherein a second locking portion for the first locking portion is provided on the locking arm, a slide portion is provided, near the second locking portion, on a side portion of the locking arm, and a first guide sloping portion for the slide portion and a second guide sloping portion for the second locking portion are provided on the slider in a connector coupling direction.
As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the slider is energized in the connector coupling direction.
As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the slide portion is provided on both sides of the locking arm.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a resilient abutting arm having a second abutting portion for the first abutting portion of the second connector is provided on the slider, the second abutting portion runs onto a guide portion of the first connector when the second locking portion runs onto the second sloping portion, and abutment between the second abutting portion and the first abutting portion is released.
As a fif
Kashiyama Motohisa
Tsuji Masanori
Yoneda Takahiro
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Dinh Phuong K T
Feild Lynn
Yazaki -Corporation
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