Abstract:
A first housing ( 10 ) is formed with guiding holes ( 24 ) through which a releasing member ( 27 ) is inserted while being held in contact therewith in a movable range between a standby area and a releasing position. In the process of connecting the first housing ( 10 ) and a second housing ( 40 ), the releasing member ( 27 ) comes into engagement with the second housing ( 40 ), thereby being displaced backward relative to the first housing ( 10 ). Since the first housing ( 10 ) is formed with the guiding holes ( 24 ) through which the releasing member ( 27 ) is inserted while being held in contact therewith, the releasing member ( 27 ) is smoothly moved without being displaced and being forced.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   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. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   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. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a horizontal section showing a state before a first housing and a second housing according to one preferred embodiment are connected. 
       FIG. 2  is a vertical section showing the state before the first and second housings are connected. 
       FIG. 3  is a horizontal section showing a state at the start of a connecting operation of the first and second housings. 
       FIG. 4  is a horizontal section showing the process of connecting the first and second housings. 
       FIG. 5  is a horizontal section showing the process of connecting the first and second housings. 
       FIG. 6  is a horizontal section showing a state where the first and second housings are properly connected. 
       FIG. 7  is a horizontal section showing a state where the first and second housings are properly connected and a shorted state of male terminal fittings is released by a releasing member. 
       FIG. 8  is a vertical section showing the state where the first and second housings are properly connected and the shorted state of the male terminal fittings is released by the releasing member. 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of a main body of the first housing. 
       FIG. 10  is a rear view of a cover of the first housing. 
       FIG. 11  is a front view of the releasing member. 
       FIG. 12  is a plan view of the releasing member. 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of the releasing member. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED 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  12 A,  12 B 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  12 A,  12 B mounted on the rear surface of the main body  11 . The rear surface of the upper cover  12 A 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  12 A 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  12 A 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  FIG. 2 . Communication holes  25  are formed in the main body  11  and the cover  12 A and extend substantially perpendicularly down from ends of the respective guiding holes  24 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . The communication holes  25  communicate with the accommodating recess  17  and with the deformation spaces  19  between the connecting projection  13  and the resilient pieces  18 . 
   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  FIGS. 11–13 . The unlocking pieces  29  are inserted into the guiding holes  24  from behind and are held in sliding contact with the inner surfaces of the guiding holes  24 . Thus, the unlocking pieces are prevented from making relative vertical and transverse displacements. The locking pieces  30  are inserted into the communication holes  25  from behind. A first lock  31  projects laterally out from the outer surface of each locking piece  30 . Further, a second lock  32  projects laterally out from the outer surface of each locking piece  30  at a position behind the first lock  31 . 
   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  FIG. 1 . In this state, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the unlocking pieces  29  are inserted in the guiding holes  24 . The guiding holes  24  prevent the releasing member  27  from displacing in transverse directions relative to the first housing  10  and hence in directions substantially normal to a moving direction MD of the releasing member  27  in the first housing  10 . The moving direction MD of the releasing member  27  relative to the first housing  10  is substantially parallel to the connecting direction CD of the two housings  10 ,  40 . Further, the first locks  31  engage the restricting portions  22  from behind to hold the releasing member  27  and to prevent a forward movement of the releasing member  27  relative to the first housing  10  along the moving direction MD. The releasing member  27  can be moved back relative to the first housing  10 . However, the first and second locks  31  and  32  are in the windows  20  and the second locks  32  engage the rear edges of the windows  20  to prevent the releasing member  27  from coming backward out of the first housing  10 . Further, the pressing portion  28  is outside the accommodating recess  17  and behind the cover  12 A. At this time, a distance between the rear surface of the releasing member  27  (pressing portion  28 ) and the rear surface of the first housing  10  (cover  12 A) is more than about 1.00 mm, preferably about 1.40 mm. 
   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  FIG. 3 . At this time, a distance between the rear surface of the first housing  10  and the front surface of the second housing  40  e.g. is about 7.98 mm. 
   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  FIG. 4 . The restricting portions  22  move laterally in and away from the first locks  31  as the resilient pieces  18  deform inward. Thus, the resilient pieces  18  and the locking pieces  30  disengage. However, the second locks  32  of the locking pieces  30  contact the opening edges of the connecting recess  41  to prevent the releasing member  27  from moving towards the second housing  40 . Thus, the first housing  10  moves forward relative to the releasing member  27  as the first housing  10  approaches the second housing  40 . In the state shown in  FIG. 4 , a distance between the rear surface of the first housing  10  and the front surface of the second housing  40  is shortened up to e.g. about 6.08 mm, whereas a distance between the rear surface of the releasing member  27  and the rear surface of the first housing  10  is extended e.g. to about 1.90 mm. At this time, the releasing member  27  is in the standby area. 
   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  FIG. 5 . As a result, the resilient pieces  18  are restored resiliently outward so that the disengaging portions  23  fit into the locking recesses  44 . Additionally, the front ends of the resilient pieces  18  contact the back end surface of the connecting recess  41  to prevent any further approaching movements of the first and second housings  10  and  40 . At this time, a distance between the rear surface of the first housing  10  and the front surface of the second housing  40  e.g. is about 5.5 mm, and a distance between the rear surface of the releasing member  27  and the rear surface of the first housing  10  is extended to e.g. about 2.35 mm. 
   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  FIG. 6 . 
   The locking pieces  30  are restored resiliently out, as shown in  FIG. 7 , when the releasing member  27  reaches the releasing position. Thus, the second locks  32  fit in the locking recesses  44 , and the first and second locks  31 ,  32  engage the restricting portions  22  from the front and rear. Accordingly, the releasing member  27  cannot move forward or back relative to the first housing  10 . Further, the pressing portion  28  of the releasing member  27  is accommodated in the accommodating recess  17  and the rear surface of the releasing member  27  becomes substantially flush with the rear surface of the first housing  10 . The unlocking pieces  29  contact the shorting terminal  43  when the releasing member  27  reaches the releasing position RP to deform the shorting terminal  43  resiliently up and away from the male terminal fittings  42 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . The resilient deformation of the shorting terminal  43  releases the shorted state of the left and right male terminal fittings  42 . 
   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.