Electrical connector housing, electrical connector, and connector assembly

A split electrical connector housing comprises a first housing and a second housing independent from the first housing. The first housing has a plurality of contact receiving compartments and a projection extending from an outer surface thereof. The second housing has a first housing receiving opening that receives the first housing. An elastic arm is formed on an outer surface of the second housing. The elastic arm has a protrusion that extends into the first housing receiving opening and engages the projection as the first housing is received in the first housing receiving opening. The elastic arm is biased upward by the projection to change a contour of the outer surface of the second housing when the first housing is partially received in the second housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an electrical connector having a split electrical connector housing and a connector assembly comprising the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditionally, electrical connectors having a split electrical connector housing comprise a first housing independent from a second housing. The split electrical connector housing creates a connection between mated connectors for a wire harness in use in an automobile and the like. As more sensors are being installed in automobiles, the number of electrical connectors needed for wire harnesses also increases. Consequently, a greater number of electrical connectors must be mated with their counterparts in an automobile assembly line, which results in lower productivity.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-331989 discloses a technique to prevent incorrect connection between the first and second housings of the electrical connector. In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-231372 the electrical connector has a common second housing that can receive different types of first housings. However, when one or more of the first housings are accommodated in the second housing in a different assembly line, partially inserted first housings can still pass a continuity test. Because the first housings are not fully inserted, the connection can become further disengaged due to later occurring vibrations.

Various techniques have been proposed to detect partial insertion of an electrical connector in a mating connector. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-251876 discloses a structure wherein contacts provided in a housing of each of the connectors are not connected to their counterpart until the connectors are fully mated with each other. When the contacts are connected, an electric circuit is actuated to detect complete mating of the connectors. While it is possible to employ such a technique to the first housing and the second housing of an electrical connector having a split electrical connector housing, the installation of a detecting circuit would unduly complicate the configuration of the electrical connector.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector having a split electrical connector housing. The split electrical connector housing comprises a first housing and a second housing independent from the first housing. The first housing has a plurality of contact receiving compartments and a projection extending from an outer surface thereof. The second housing has a first housing receiving opening that receives the first housing. An elastic arm is formed on an outer surface of the second housing. The elastic arm has a protrusion that extends into the first housing receiving opening and engages the projection as the first housing is received in the first housing receiving opening. The elastic arm is biased upward by the projection to change a contour of the outer surface of the second housing when the first housing is partially received in the second housing.

It is further an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector assembly comprising a mating connector and an electrical connector. The mating connector has a housing with a connector engaging section and an edge adjacent to the connector engaging section. The electrical connector has with a split connector housing that is received in the connector engaging section. The split connector housing includes a first housing and a second housing independent from the first housing. The first housing has a plurality of contact receiving compartments and a projection extending from an outer surface thereof. The second housing has a first housing receiving opening that receives the first housing. An elastic arm is formed on an outer surface of the second housing. The elastic arm has a protrusion that extends into the first housing receiving opening and engages the projection as the first housing is received in the first housing receiving opening. The elastic arm is biased upward by the projection and engages the edge of the mating connector when the first housing is partially received in the second housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.FIG. 1shows a connector assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention. The connector assembly comprises an electrical connector10and a mating connector50. The electrical connector10includes a split electrical connector housing100. The split electrical connector housing100consists of a first housing110formed independent from a second housing120. The first housing110corresponds to a housing of an electrical connector for a wire harness and has a plurality of contact receiving compartments111that accommodate a plurality of contacts200with cables300extending therefrom (FIG. 9). As shown inFIGS. 2 and 6, a projection112extends outward from an outer surface110aof the first housing100. The projection112has an inclined front surface112aand an inclined top surface112b.

As shown inFIG. 6, the second housing120has a first section with a first housing receiving opening123and a second section that may be provided with a plurality of contact receiving compartments121that accommodate a plurality of contacts (not shown), as shown inFIG. 1. An empty space122that communicates with the first housing receiving opening123is formed inside the second housing120. An elastic arm124is provided on an outer surface120aof the second housing120and may be formed, for example, by cuts made on the outer surface120a. A tip of the elastic arm124faces the first housing receiving opening123and has a protrusion1241that extends downward. The protrusion1241has an inclined rear surface1241athat has a greater slope than the inclined front surface112aof the projection112.

As shown inFIG. 1, the mating connector50comprises a housing500. The housing500has aligned connector engaging sections510. One of the connector engaging sections510is formed to receive the electrical connector10. An opening510acommunicates with the connector engaging section510that receives the electrical connector10. The opening510ahas an edge520. The mating connector50is provided with a plurality of contacts (not shown).

FIG. 1shows the first housing110partially inserted in the second housing120. The first housing110is inserted into the opening123in the second housing120. Specifically inFIG. 6, the first housing110is pushed from the right side to the left side of the figure. As the first housing110is inserted into the opening123, the first housing110comes into abutment with the protrusion1241of the elastic arm124of the second housing120. As the first housing110is further inserted, the projection112of the first housing110lifts the protrusion1241of the elastic arm124of the second housing120to an outside thereof. The inclined front surface112aof the projection112of the first housing110lifts the protrusion1241of the elastic arm124prior to the first housing110being received in the empty space122. As the first housing110is further inserted, the protrusion1241of the elastic arm124of the second housing120, which is already lifted by the projection112of the first housing110, slides over the top surface112bof the projection112. Since the top surface112bis slanted downward toward the upstream of the pushing direction, the lifted elastic arm124descends gradually by its own elasticity as the first housing110is further inserted. The first housing110is inserted into the opening123in the second housing120until it reaches the empty space122, as shown inFIG. 7.

In the electrical connector10, the contour of the second housing120changes depending on whether the first housing110is fully received in the second housing120. Because the elastic arm124of the second housing120is lifted by the projection112of the first housing110when the first housing110is not yet fully inserted into the second housing120, if an operator tries to fit the electrical connector10into the connector engaging section510of the mating connector50before the first housing110is fully inserted into the second housing120, the elastic arm124will engage the edge520of the opening510aof the mating connector50thereby preventing insertion therein. Accordingly, it is possible for an operator to notice partial insertion of the first housing110in the second housing120during insertion of the electrical connector10into the mating connector50.

When the projection112of the first housing110has passed the protrusion1241of the elastic arm124, the elastic arm124descends gradually by its own elasticity to its original state so that the elastic arm124is released from the edge520of the opening510aand can enter into the opening123of the second housing120so that the split electrical connector housing100of the electrical connector10and the housing500of the mating connector50can be fully mated, as shown inFIG. 8. In this position, an operator cannot forcibly pull the first housing110from the second housing120, because the protrusion1241of the elastic arm124engages the projection112of the first housing110and locks the first housing110in position.

The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the elastic arm124may be integrally formed in the outer surface120aof the second housing120or may be formed separately from the outer surface120a. Additionally, the first housing110is not limited to use with a wire harness or with the type of contacts shown inFIG. 9. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.