Electrical connectors – With contact preventer or retractable cover part – Movably mounted
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-23
2003-02-18
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With contact preventer or retractable cover part
Movably mounted
C439S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520782
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a connector with a shutter mechanism, which is constituted by a pair of female and male subconnectors and aims at electrical connection of an electrically driven apparatus, such as an electric car, which needs to perform charging operations.
2. Related Art
Hitherto, an internal battery (that is, a chargeable battery) mounted in an electric car is charged by a feeder apparatus installed in a feeder station. That is, a feeder subconnector is connected to an end of a feeder cord drawn out of the feeder apparatus. Power is fed to the internal battery, which is electrically connected to a car-side receiving subconnector, by connecting this feeder subconnector to a vehicle-side receiving subconnector.
In a conventional receiving subconnector
50
illustrated in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, a cap
52
is supported by a cap pin
55
so that neither water nor dust directly enters a housing
51
into which a connecting terminal (not shown) is built.
Further, a cap lock
53
for holding the cap
52
in such a manner as to be in a closed state is supported at a side opposite to the cap
52
by a lock pin
56
. This cap
52
is always urged by a cap spring (not shown) in an opening direction. The cap lock
53
is always urged by a lock spring
54
toward the inside of the housing.
Moreover, in the conventional feeder subconnector
60
illustrated in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, a housing
61
, into which a connecting terminal (not shown) is incorporated, and a lock arm
63
, which is supported on the arm shaft
64
and used for fitting the receiving subconnector
50
into the housing and for holding the receiving subconnector
50
are built into an outer case
62
. Furthermore, an end portion
63
a
of the lock arm
63
is always urged by a lock arm spring
65
.
When the feeder subconnector
60
is inserted into the receiving subconnector
50
, the cap lock
53
is unlocked. Then, the cap
52
is opened. Subsequently, the feeder subconnector
60
is inserted thereinto. Thus, the end portion
63
a
of the lock arm
63
is stranded on a tapered surface
51
a
of the housing
51
.
Then, the end portion
63
a
of the lock arm
63
passes through the feeder subconnector
60
and is accommodated in a lock arm engaging groove
51
b
by further inserting the feeder subconnector
60
thereinto. Thus, operations of fitting the feeder subconnector
60
into the receiving subconnector
50
and connecting both the subconnectors
50
and
60
to each other are completed.
Further, when both the subconnectors
50
and
60
are disengaged from each other, by urging an operating portion
63
b
of the lock arm
63
. Thus, the lock arm
63
is turned around the arm shaft
64
, so that the end portion
63
a
upwardly moves. The subconnectors
50
and
60
can be disconnected from each other by then rearwardly pulling out the feeder subconnector
60
.
In the aforementioned conventional receiving subconnector
50
, although the cap
52
is locked by the cap lock
53
when the subconnector
50
is not fitted, there is a fear that a user's finger is brought into contact with the terminal and gets an electric shock when the cap
52
is opened by unlocking the cap lock
53
for fitting the cap
50
.
Furthermore, the cap lock
53
for locking the cap
52
is separated from the lock arm engaging groove
51
b
. Thus, there have been caused problems that the number of components increases, and that the structure of the connector becomes complex, and that the size of the housing
51
itself increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is accomplished to solve the problems of the conventional connector. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a connector with a shutter mechanism, which can prevent a user by reliably locking the shutter from getting an electric shock, and can easily unlock the lock state as both the female and male subconnectors are fitted into each other, and can perform miniaturization of both the female and male subconnectors by reducing the number of components and simplifying the structure thereof.
(1) The aforementioned problems can be solved by a connector including a first subconnector having an openable and closable cap provided at a front end portion of the first subconnector and a second subconnector to be fitted to the first subconnector, each of the first and second subconnectors including a shutter mechanism comprising: a shutter closing a chamber when the first subconnector and the second subconnector are not fitted into each other, and the shutter being adapted to turn in an opening direction when the first subconnector and the second subconnector are fitted into each other; and
a shutter lock turnably supported on a shaft in a vicinity of the shutter and urged by a spring; wherein the shutter lock prevents a turning of the shutter when the first subconnector and the second subconnector are not fitted into each other and the shutter lock turns against an urging force of the spring to thereby release lock of the shutter when the first subconnector and the second subconnector are fitted into each other.
(2) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector according to (1), further comprising a cap lock provided on a connector housing of the first subconnector for preventing a turning of the cap when the first subconnector is not fitted into the second subconnector, the cap lock serving as a fitting lock for locking the second subconnector when the first subconnector is fitted to the second subconnector.
(3) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector according to (2), wherein the cap lock is turnably supported on a shaft and urged by a spring in a direction of inside of the connector housing, and wherein a lock accommodating portion for engaging an end portion of the cap lock with a side portion of the second subconnector.
(4) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector according to (1), wherein a first shutter provided in the first subconnector is turnably supported on a first shutter shaft and urged by a spring in a closing direction, and wherein when the first and second subconnectors are fitted into each other, the first shutter is turned by a front end of the second subconnector in an opening direction.
(5) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector according to (4), wherein a first shutter lock provided in the first subconnector is turnably supported on a shaft and urged by a spring, and wherein the first shutter lock has a first lock-releasing projection, against which an end portion of the second subconnector abuts when the first and second subconnectors are fitted into each other.
(6) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector according to (4), wherein a second shutter provided in the second subconnector is turnably supported on a second shutter shaft and urged by a spring in a closing direction, and wherein a boss portion for turning the second shutter in an opening direction is provided at a side portion of the second shutter.
(7) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector according to (6), further comprising a shutter guide groove provided in the connector housing of the first subconnector for guiding a free end portion of the second shutter, which is in an open state, in the second subconnector; and
a curved cam groove provided in range with the shutter guide groove for guiding the boss portion when the first and second subconnectors are fitted into each other.
(8) The aforementioned problems can be solved by the connector with a shutter mechanism according to (1), further comprising a rib provided in the connector housing of the first subconnector for turning a second shutter lock when the first and second subconnectors are fitted into each other; and a rib receiving groove for guiding the rib provided in a connector housing of the second subconnector; wherein the second shutter lock provided is turnably supported on a shaft and urged by a spring and has a second lock-releasing projectio
Bradley P. Austin
Hammond Briggitte R.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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