Abstract:
A low coupling force connector assembly consists of a first connector having a housing with sub connectors fixed therein, second connectors each with a boss means, and a first and second sliders each with a cam groove for guiding the boss to fit the second connectors to the sub connectors. The first and second sliders are longitudinally slidable relative to each other between a telescopically-expanded position and a telescopically-contracted position and, in the expanded position, inserted laterally into the housing of the first connector. The first slider, with the cam groove of the first and second sliders engaged with the boss, is pushed to the contracted position to make the second slider follow the first slider into the housing, whereby to fit the second connectors to the sub connectors at staggered times.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a low coupling force connector assembly in which to one connector (e.g. female connector) are fitted a plurality of other connectors (e.g. male connectors) at staggered times with a slider and, more particularly, to a low coupling force connector assembly which enables to-downsize the slider, but yet requires a reduced force for operating the slider. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There has conventionally been used a low coupling force connector assembly in which a plurality of male connectors are driven at staggered times and fitted to an integral-type female connector by means of a slider. 
     For example, a low coupling force connector assembly as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B has been proposed in Japanese U.M. Application Unexamined Publication No. 54-95894. 
     In FIG. 7A, the low coupling force connector assembly  100  consists of an integral-type female connector  110 , five male connectors  120 A to  120 E, and a slider  130  slidably mounted on the female connector  110  which, when operated, causes each male connector  120 A to  120 E to fit into the female connector  110  at staggered times. 
     As shown in FIG. 7B, the male connector  120 A to  120 E has a pair of bosses  121 ,  122  located on each side wall thereof, at different distances from the front end toward the female connector  110 . The female connector  110  is formed in each major wall thereof with five pairs of straight guide slits  111 ,  112  for guiding the respective pairs of bosses  121 ,  122  of the male connectors  120 A to  120 E. 
     Reverting to FIG. 7A, the slider  130  is provided in each major wall thereof with five pairs of cam grooves  131 ,  132  which receive the bosses  121 ,  122  of the respective male connectors  120 A to  120 E and extend transversely to the respective guide slits  111 ,  112  of the female connector  110 . The two cam grooves  131 ,  132  in each pair are of the same shape and have a slant portion at the same part thereof which has an effective drive stroke S. 
     The slant portion of the cam grooves  131 ,  132  is for driving the bosses  121 ,  122  of the male connector  120 A to  120 E when the slider  130  is operated. Because the forming positions of the slant portion are different for each pair of the cam grooves  131 ,  132 , the movement of the slider  130  is transmitted to the bosses  121 ,  122  of each male connector  120 A to  120 E at staggered times. 
     In the thus constructed conventional low coupling force connector assembly  100 , the slider  130  is assembled to the female connector  110  and its pairs of cam grooves  131 ,  132  are registered relative to the respective pairs of guide grooves  111 ,  112 , and the bosses  121 ,  122  of each male connector  120 A to  120 E are introduced into the inlets of the respective pairs of guide grooves  111 ,  112  and of cam grooves  131 ,  132 . 
     If in this condition the slider  130  is pushed in, the bosses  121 ,  122  of the male connectors  120 A to  120 E slide in succession along the respective guide grooves  131 ,  132  of the slider  130  to have the male connectors  120 A to  120 E fit to the female connector  110  at staggered times. 
     In the conventional low coupling force connector assembly  100 , however, because all the pairs of cam grooves  131 ,  132  are formed in the same slider  130 , it is necessary that the length of the effective drive stroke S for each cam groove  131 ,  132  be made equal to the entire cam-groove length L/number of male connectors. Consequently, the effective drive stroke S of each cam groove  131 ,  132  for driving the male connector  120 A to  120 E becomes short. To cope with this, it is necessary that the cam-constituting slant portion of each cam groove  131 ,  132  be formed at a steep angle, with the result that the load of coupling the male connectors  120 A to  120 E, i.e., the force required for operating the slider  130  becomes unfavorably large. 
     If the entire length of the slider  130  is made large, a wide space can be obtained on the slider  130  so that each cam groove  131 ,  132  is formed with a longer effective drive stroke S and at a less steep slant angle. In this case, however, there arises a drawback that the slider is upsized. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention has been accomplished to overcome the above drawbacks and an object of this invention is to provide a low coupling force connector assembly which provides cam grooves on a slider with a long effective drive stroke and at a less steep slant angle and reduces the force required for operating the slider, and which downsizes the slider. 
     In order to attain the object, according to this invention, there is provided a low coupling force connector assembly which comprises: a first connector having a housing with a plurality of sub connectors fixed therein; a plurality of second connectors, each having a boss means, corresponding to the sub connectors; and a first and second sliders, each having a cam groove means which guides therealong the boss means of a respective one or ones of the second connectors to fit the second connectors to the sub connectors, the first and second sliders, the latter inside the former, being longitudinally slidable relative to each other between a telescopically-expanded position and a telescopically-contracted position, wherein the first and second sliders, in the telescopically-expanded position, are inserted into the housing of the first connector from a direction traverse to a fitting direction of the first and second connectors, and the first slider, with the cam groove means of the first and second sliders engaged with the boss means of the second connectors, is pushed and moved to telescopically-contracted position so as to make the second slider follow the first slider into the housing, whereby to fit the second connectors to the sub connectors of the first connector at staggered times. 
     With the thus constructed low coupling force connector assembly, through the operation (pushing into the first connector housing) of the first slider, the related one or ones of the second connectors are first fitted to the first connector, and through the subsequent operation of the second slider, the remainder of the second connectors are fitted to the first connector at staggered times. 
     With such a low coupling force connector assembly, because a plurality of sliders (first and second sliders) are employed which are slidable relative to one another in a telescopic manner, a wide space can be secured on each slider for forming a cam groove means. As a result, the cam groove means can be formed with an elongated effective drive stroke for driving the boss means of the related second connector(s) and at a less-steep slant angle, leading to a reduced force required for operating the sliders. 
     Because it is arranged that the first and second sliders are operated at differed times, the second connectors are coupled with the respective sub connectors of the first connector at staggered times, also contributing to a reduction in the force required for operating the sliders. 
     Further, because the sliders are longitudinally slidable relative to one another and become shortened in a telescopic manner when pushed into the housing of the first connector, the sliders and thus the connector assembly can be downsized. 
     Incidentally, the number of sliders employed according to this invention is not limited to two (first and second sliders), but three or more sliders may be employed in a longitudinally-extendable (telescopic) manner relative to one another. 
     Preferably, the cam groove means of at least one of the first and second sliders comprises two or more cam grooves in a longitudinally-spaced arrangement. 
     Preferably, the two or more cam grooves are located at different distances from an end in a width direction of the related slider or sliders toward the second connectors, and the boss means of the second connectors are correspondingly located at different distances from ends of the related second connectors toward the first connector. 
     Preferably, the two or more cam grooves are located closer to the end in the width direction of the related slider or sliders in order of proximity to a proximal end of the related slider or sliders. 
     Preferably, the two or more cam grooves slant at slant angles which become steeper in order of proximity to a proximal end of the related slider or sliders. 
     Preferably, at least one of the first and second sliders has a cutout formed therein at a position corresponding to the cam groove means of the other slider to avoid interference of the one slider with the boss means of one of the second connectors during its sliding along the cam groove means of the other slider. 
     Advantageously, one of the first and second sliders has a projection means, and the other slider has a corresponding slide groove means in which the projection means slides to move the first and second sliders relative to each other within limits of an entire length of the cam groove means. 
     According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a low coupling force connector assembly which comprises: a first connector having a housing with a plurality of sub connectors fixed therein; a plurality of second connectors, each having an upper and lower bosses projecting thereon, corresponding to the sub connectors; and a first and second sliders, each having a pair of opposed slider plates with one or more pairs of opposed cam grooves formed thereon, the cam grooves guiding therealong the bosses of a respective one or ones of the second connectors to fit the second connectors to the sub connectors, the pairs of opposed slider plates of the first and second sliders, the latter inside the former, being longitudinally slidable relative to each other between a telescopically-expanded position and a telescopically-contracted position, wherein the pairs of opposed slider plates of the first and second sliders, in the telescopically-expanded position, are inserted into the housing of the first connector from a direction traverse to a fitting direction of the first and second connectors, and the pair of opposed slider plates of the first slider, with the cam grooves of the first and second sliders engaged with the bosses of the second connectors, is pushed and moved to the telescopically-contracted position so as to make the pair of opposed slider plates of the second slider follow the pair of opposed slider plates of the first slider into the housing, whereby to fit the second connectors to the sub connectors of the first connector at staggered times. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a separated perspective view of a low coupling force connector assembly according to one embodiment of this invention; 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B are a plan and side views, respectively, of a first slider of the connector assembly in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are a plan and side views, respectively, of a second slider of the connector assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4A is a perspective view of male connectors and a female connector of the connector assembly in FIG. 1, about to be coupled together; 
     FIG. 4B is a view similar to FIG. 4A, showing the male connectors and the female connector fully coupled together; 
     FIGS. 5A,  5 B and  5 C are a series of explanatory views of the action of the first and second sliders in the process of coupling together the male connectors and the female connector; 
     FIGS. 6A,  6 B and  6 C are a series of explanatory views of the action of the first and second sliders in the process of decoupling the male connectors from the female connector; 
     FIG. 7A is a general side view of a conventional low coupling force connector assembly; and 
     FIG. 7B is a partial enlarged view of the conventional connector assembly in FIG.  7 A. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a low coupling force connector assembly  1  of this embodiment consists of a female connector  10  provided on a device such as, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU), first to third male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and a first and second sliders  50 ,  60 . These constituent parts are all molded of synthetic resin to be of single-piece structure. 
     The female connector  10  has a housing  11  integral with the casing of the above-mentioned device and sub connectors  10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c  fixed in the housing  11 , the housing opening to the front to receive the first to third male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40 . On its one side wall, the housing  11  has a pair of vertically-spaced insertion slits  11   b ,  11   b  for insertion therethrough of the first and second sliders  50 ,  60  into the receiving chamber  11   a.    
     The first to third male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  each has a respective pair of bosses  21 ,  31 ,  41  projecting on its upper and lower walls. As will be described later, because in the present embodiment two cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  are formed on the first slider  50 , at different distances from the front edge of the first slider (the edge in a width direction of the first slider toward the male connectors), the bosses  21 ,  31  of the first and second male connectors  20 ,  30  corresponding to the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  are likewise located at rearward and forward positions on the first and second connectors  20 ,  30 , respectively. 
     The first and second sliders  50 ,  60  are of different sizes and combined in use such that the second slider  60  is longitudinally slidable inside the first slider  50  in a telescopic manner. The first slider  50  serves to fit the first and second male connectors  20 ,  30  to the female connector  10  (sub connectors  10   a ,  10   b ), and the second slider  60  serves to fit the third male connector  40  to the female connector  10  (sub connector  10   c ). 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 to  2 B, the first slider  50  includes a side wall  51  and a pair of opposed slider plates  52 ,  52  extending in parallel at the upper and lower ends of the side wall  51 . The slider plates  52  have formed thereon the cam grooves  52   a  for the bosses  21  of the first male connector  20 , the cam grooves  52   b  for the bosses  31  of the second male connector  30 , and non-interference cutouts  52   c  which overlap respective cam grooves  62   c  of the second slider  60 . 
     The cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b , which are formed in a longitudinally spaced arrangement, extend from the front edge of the slider plates  52  in a generally slanting manner toward the side wall  51  and, as mentioned above, are located at different distances from the front edge of the slider plates  52 , the cam grooves  52   a  being generally located closer to the front edge. This arrangement allows an effective use of the cam-groove-forming space on the slider plates  52  so that the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  are provided with an elongated effective drive stroke S and at a less-steep slant angle. 
     In the present embodiment, the cam grooves  52   a  has a steeper slant angle than the cam grooves  52   b  so that the first male connector  20  is fitted, prior to the second male connector  30 , to the female connector  10 . 
     The non-interference cutouts  52   c  are provided at that part of the slider plates  52  which overlaps the cam grooves  62   c  of the second slider  60  so as to prevent interference of the slider plates  52  with the bosses  41  of the third male connector  40  during the bosses  41  being guided along the cam grooves  62   c.    
     A pair of slide grooves  52   d ,  52   d  are provided on the inner surface of each slider plate  52  to extend in parallel from the side of the slider plate  52  where the side wall  51  is located, to provide a total of four slide grooves  52   d ,  52   d  ( 52   d ,  52   d ). A further description of these slide grooves  52   d ,  52   d  will be made later in connection with the second slider  60 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  3 A and  3 B, the second slider  60 , like the first slider  50 , includes a side wall  61  and a pair of opposed slider plates  62 ,  62  extending in parallel at the upper and lower ends of the side wall  61 . The second slider  60  is fitted in between the slider plates  52 ,  52  of the first slider  50 . The slider plates  62  have formed thereon interference cutouts  62   a  of substantially slit-like shape which overlap the cam grooves  52   a  of the first slider  50 , interference cutouts  62   b  of substantially triangular shape which overlap the cam grooves  52   b  of the first slider  50 , and the cam grooves  62   c  for the bosses  41  of the third male connector  40 . 
     The non-interference cutouts  62   a ,  62   b  are provided at those parts of the slider plates  62  which overlap the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b , respectively, of the first slider  50  to prevent interference of the slider plates  62  with the bosses  21 ,  31  of the first and second male connectors  20 ,  30  during the bosses  21 ,  31  being guided along the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b.    
     The cam grooves  62   c  extend short in a longitudinal direction of the slider plates  62  as compared with the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  of the first slider  50  and slant at a steep angle so that, subsequent to coupling the first and second connectors  20 ,  30  by means of the first slider  50 , the second slider  60 , when moved by a short distance left for it to cover, may cause the third connector  40  to fit to the female connector  10 . 
     The side wall  61  of the second slider  60  is provided at four corners thereof with vertically extending projections  61   a ,  61   a ,  61   a ,  61   a  which slidably engage in the respective slide grooves  52   d  of the first slider  50  mentioned above. 
     The second slider  60 , when fitted inside the first slider  50 , can slide in the longitudinal direction of the first slider  50  through the engagement of its projections  61   a  in the slide grooves  52   d , so that the first and second sliders  50 ,  60  slide relative to each other in a telescopic manner by a distance corresponding to the length of the slide grooves  52   d.    
     The side wall  51  side ends of the slide grooves  52   d , in use, come into abutment against the projections  61   a  of the side wall  61  to make the second slider  60  follow the advancement of the first slider  50  into the housing  11  of the female connector  10 . 
     The coupling and decoupling of the male and female connectors of the low coupling force connector assembly according the present embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4A to  6 C. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the first and second sliders  50 ,  60  are combined, with the second slider  60  drawn out in a telescopic manner from the first slider  50 , so that the side walls  51 ,  61  are spaced from each other. The slider plates  52 ,  62  of the thus combined first and second sliders  50 ,  60  are then inserted through the insertion slits  11   b  into the housing  11  of the female connector  10 . 
     Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A, the first to third connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  are set in the receiving chamber  11   a  of the female connector  10 , with their bosses  21 ,  31 ,  41  introduced into the inlets of the respective cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b ,  62   c  of the first and second sliders  50 ,  60  as well as in the inlets of the non-interference cutouts  62   a ,  62   b  of the second slider  60  overlapping the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b.    
     The first slider  50  alone is then pushed into the housing  11  of the female connector  10  to move the bosses  21 ,  31  along the respective cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  of the first slider  50 , at which time because the cam grooves  52   a  slant at a steeper slant angle than the cam grooves  52   b , the first male connector  20  is drawn, prior to the second male connector  30 , into the receiving chamber  11   a.    
     During the above, the projections  61 a slide in the slide grooves  52   d  so that the side wall  51  side ends of the slide grooves  52   d  abut against the projections  61 a to thereby push the second slider  60 , along with the first slider  50 , deeper into the housing  11  of the female connector  10 , at which time the bosses  41  of the third male connector  40  slide along the cam grooves  62   c  of the second slider  60  to draw the third male connector  40  into the housing  11   a  at a time delayed from the times when the first and second male connectors  20 ,  30  are drawn into the receiving chamber  11   a.    
     Then, on fully pushing the first and second sliders  50 ,  60  into the housing  11  of the female connector  10  as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5C, the first to third male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  are fully coupled with the respective sub connectors  10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c  in the receiving opening  11   a.    
     In order to detach the first to third connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  from the female connector  10 , the first slider  50  is first drawn from the housing  11  of the female connector  10 , i.e., from the position as shown in FIG. 6A, with the second slider  60  left unmoved, so that the bosses  21 ,  31  slide along the respective cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  of the first slider  50  as shown in FIG. 6B to push the first and second male connectors  20 ,  30  in a direction apart from the female connector  10 , and that the projections  61   a  of the second slider  60  abut against the distal ends of the respective slide grooves  52   d  of the first slider  50 , with the result that the second slider  60  starts to be drawn out in conjunction with the first slider  50 . Consequently, the bosses  41  slide along the cam grooves  62   c  of the second slider  60  to push the third male connector  40  in a direction out of the female connector  10  at a time delayed from the first and second male connectors  20 ,  30 . 
     When the first slider  50 , along with the second slider  60 , is drawn out of the housing  11  of the female connector  10  up to the position shown in FIG. 6C, it becomes possible to remove the first to third male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  from the female connector  10 . 
     With the construction as mentioned above, because a plurality of sliders  50 ,  60  are employed, a wide space can be secured on each slider for forming the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b ,  62   c . As a result, the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b ,  62   c  can be formed with an elongated effective drive stroke S and at a less-steep slant angle, leading to a reduced force required for operating the sliders  50 ,  60 . 
     Because it is arranged that the plurality of sliders  50 ,  60  are operated at staggered times, the male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  are coupled with the female connector  10  at staggered times, also contributing to a reduction in the force required for operating the sliders  50 ,  60 . 
     Because the sliders  50 ,  60  become shortened in a telescopic manner when pushed into the housing  11  of the female connector  10 , the sliders and thus the connector assembly can be downsized. 
     Because the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  are formed on each slider plate  52 , at different distances from the front end of the slider plate (the end in a width direction of the slider plate toward the male connectors  20 ,  30 ), an effective use of the space on the same slider plate  52  can be made, so that the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  are formed with an elongated effective drive stroke S and at a less steep slant angle, leading to a reduction in the force required for operating the slider  50  even when the slider has two cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b  formed thereon. 
     Because non-interference cutouts  52   c ,  62   a ,  62   b  are formed in the slider plates  52 ,  62 , an interference of the slider plates  52 ,  62  with the bosses  21 ,  31 ,  41  of male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40  during their sliding along the cam grooves  52   a ,  52   b ,  62   c  can be prevented, leading to a smooth operation of the sliders  50 ,  60 . 
     The low coupling force connector assembly of this invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiment as described above. For example, while in the embodiment, there are employed two telescopic sliders  50 ,  60  for three male connectors  20 ,  30 ,  40 , it is also possible to use three or more sliders for three or more male connectors. 
     Having now fully described the invention, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth herein.