1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with a shorting terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,345 discloses a connector with first and second housings. A releasing member is provided in the first housing and is movable between a releasing position and a standby area located behind the releasing position. A shorting terminal is provided in the second housing for shorting terminal fittings. A resilient piece is provided in the first housing and engages a locking piece on the releasing member to hold the releasing member in the standby area when the housings are not yet connected. The releasing member is still in the standby area when the two housings are partly connected. However, the releasing member is moved to the releasing position to deform the shorting terminal and to release a shorted state of the terminal fittings when the two housings connected properly. Thus, movement of the releasing member to the releasing position indicates that the two housings have reached a properly connected state.
The releasing member may not move smoothly to the releasing position if the releasing member is displaced relative to the housing or if the releasing member and the housing are brought forcibly into contact. In such a case, an operator may mistakenly conclude that the housings are connected properly despite the partly connected state thereof and may leave the housings only partly connected.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to enable a releasing member to be moved smoothly.
The invention relates to a connector that comprises first and second housings that are connectable with one another. A shorting terminal is mounted to the second housing for shorting terminal fittings. A releasing member is mounted to the first housing and is movable between a releasing position and a standby area spaced from the releasing position. The first housing engages the releasing member and holds the releasing member at the standby area when the housings are not yet connected. However, the releasing member is moved to the releasing position to deform the shorting terminal and to release a shorted state of the terminal fittings when the housings are connected properly. The first housing has at least one guiding hole, and the releasing member is guided slidably through the guiding hole in a movable range between the standby area and the releasing position as the housings are being connected. The releasing member can engage the second housing to be displaced backward relative to the first housing. The guiding hole guides the releasing member smoothly without being displaced or forced.
The releasing member preferably is operable in a direction substantially parallel to the connecting direction of the housings.
At least one unlocking piece preferably is inserted in the guiding hole when the releasing member is at a standby position in the standby area on the first housing to prevent the releasing member from being displaced at an angle to a moving direction of the releasing member relative to the housing.
The releasing member can be moved back relative to the first housing. However, the releasing member preferably has at least first and second locks that are engageable with at least one window of the first housing so that the resilient member does not come back out of the first housing.
A resilient piece preferably is provided on the first housing and engages a locking piece on the releasing member to hold the releasing member in a standby area when the housings are not yet connected.
The releasing member preferably engages the second housing in the process of connecting the housings and resiliently deforms while the locking piece is not in contact with the second housing to release the interlocked state of the resilient piece and the locking piece.
The resilient piece and the locking piece preferably can deform at an angle to interlocking directions of the resilient piece and the locking piece.
The guiding hole preferably is substantially flat and wide.
The rear surface of the releasing member preferably is substantially flush with the corresponding surface of the housing when the releasing member is in the releasing position.
The invention also relates to a connector assembly comprising the above-described connector and a mating connector connectable therewith. The mating connector comprises the mating housing with the shorting terminal for shorting terminal fittings.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.
A connector assembly in accordance with the invention includes first and second housings that are identified respectively by the numerals 10 and 40 in FIGS. 1 to 13. Mating-ends of the first and second housings 10, 40 are referred to herein as the front.
The first housing 10 includes a main body 11 made e.g. of a synthetic resin, and covers 12A, 12B are mountable on the main body 11. A connecting projection 13 projects forward from the upper part of the main body 11, and left and right female terminal fittings 14 are accommodated into the connecting projection 13 from behind. Wire connecting portions 15 extend down at substantially right angles from the rear ends of the female terminal fittings 14 and are connected respectively with wires 16. The female terminal fittings 14 are covered by the covers 12A, 12B mounted on the rear surface of the main body 11. The rear surface of the upper cover 12A is recessed slightly to form an accommodating recess 17.
Left and right resilient pieces 18 cantilever forward from the upper part of the main body 11 at the opposite left and right sides of the connecting projection 13 and deformation spaces 19 are defined between the resilient pieces 18 and the connecting projection 13. The resilient pieces 18 are resiliently deformable in transverse directions towards and away from the connecting projection 13 and substantially normal to a connecting direction CD of the two housings 10, 40 with the rear ends of the resilient pieces 18 as supports. A window 20 penetrates each resilient piece 18 at a position near the supporting point of resilient deformation and a notch 21 is formed at the front end of each resilient piece 18 before the window 20. A restricting portion 22 is defined on the resilient piece 18 between the window 20 and the notch 21, and a disengaging portion 23 projects out from the outer surface of the resilient piece 18 at a position closer to the rear end than the restricting portion 22.
Left and right guiding holes 24 penetrate the main body 11 of the first housing and the upper cover 12A in forward and backward directions. The guiding holes 24 have a wide transverse dimension and a smaller vertical dimension. The guiding holes 24 of the cover 12A communicate with the accommodating recess 17, and the lower inner peripheral edges of the guiding holes 24 of the main body 11 are substantially flush with and continuous with the upper surface of the connecting projection 13, as shown in
The first housing 10 has a releasing member 27 that is made e.g. of a synthetic resin. The releasing member 27 includes a plate-shaped pressing portion 28 to be accommodated in the accommodating recess 17. Left and right substantially flat unlocking pieces 29 cantilever forward from upper-end positions of the pressing portion 28, and left and right locking pieces 30 cantilever forward from the left and right edges of the pressing portion 28, as shown in
The releasing member 27 is movable forward and back relative to the first housing 10 along a moving direction MD that is substantially parallel with a connecting direction CD of the two housings 10, 40. A releasing position RP is defined at the forward end of the movable range of the releasing member 27 and a standby area is defined behind the releasing position RP. The releasing member 27 is held at a standby position SP in the standby area before the first housing 10 is connected with the second housing 40.
The second housing 40 is made e.g. of a synthetic resin and has a connecting recess 41 that opens in the front surface. Left and right long narrow male terminal fittings 42 project forward in the connecting recess 41. Likewise, a shorting terminal 43 is provided in the connecting recess 41 above the male terminal fittings 42 for shorting the male terminal fittings 42. The shorting terminal 43 is held resiliently in contact with both male terminal fittings 42 when the first and second housings 10, 40 are not connected or partly connected, thereby electrically connecting and shorting the male terminal fittings 42. Further, locking recesses 44 are formed in the left and right inner wall surfaces of the connecting recess 41.
The releasing member 27 initially is mounted in the first housing 10 at the standby position SP shown in
The first housing 10 is brought closer to the second housing 40 along the connecting direction CD to fit the connecting projection 13 lightly into the connecting recess 41. Thus, the disengaging portions 23 of the resilient pieces 18 contact the opening edges of the connecting recess 41, as shown in
Fingers can be placed on the rear surface of the first housing 10 in this state to push the first housing 10 in the connecting direction CD towards the second housing 40. The connecting recess 41 interferes with the disengaging portions 23 and causes the resilient pieces 18 to deform inwardly into the deformation spaces 19 and in a direction intersecting the connecting direction CD, as shown in
The first housing 10 can be pushed in this state so that the two housings 10, 40 reach a properly connected state, as shown in
The rear surface of the releasing member 27 can be pushed in this state in the mounting direction MD to move the releasing member 27 forward relative to the first housing 10 and towards the second housing 40. In the meantime, the inner wall surfaces of the connecting recess 41 interfere with the second locks 32 and cause the locking pieces 30 to deform resiliently in towards the connecting projection 13, as shown in
The locking pieces 30 are restored resiliently out, as shown in
As described above, the shorting terminal 43 is provided in the second housing 40 for shorting the male terminal fittings 42. The releasing member 27 is provided in the first housing 10 and is movable between the releasing position RP and the standby area behind the releasing position. The first housing 10 engages the releasing member 27 and holds the releasing member 27 in the standby area when the first and second housings 10, 40 are not yet connected. However, the releasing member 27 is moved to the releasing position RP to resiliently deform the shorting terminal 42 and to release the shorted state of the male terminal fittings 42 when the first and second housings 10, 40 are connected properly.
The first housing 10 is formed with guiding holes 24 that slidably receive the releasing member 27 in the movable range between the standby area and the releasing position RP. The releasing member 27 engages the second housing 40 in the process of connecting the first and second housings 10, 40 and is displaced back relative to the first housing 10. Additionally, the guiding holes 24 guide the releasing member 27 so that the releasing member 27 can be moved smoothly without being displaced or being forced.
The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For example, the dimensions described above are intended to show only relative positions and relative movements of the housings 10, 40 and the releasing member. Actual dimensions can vary from these examples.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-236592 | Aug 2005 | JP | national |