Patent Publication Number: US-7588446-B2

Title: Connector and a connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a connector and to a connector assembly. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006-0154505 discloses a connector with a male housing that has a forwardly open tubular receptacle and male terminal fittings that project into the receptacle. The connector also includes a female housing that can fit into the receptacle from the front. A moving plate is accommodated in the receptacle and is movable in forward and backward directions. The moving plate includes a plate-like main body formed with positioning holes. The leading ends of male terminal fittings are inserted through the positioning holes to project from the front surface of the main body before the male housing is connected with the female housing. An electrical connection test is performed at this initial position by pressing a probe pin against the leading ends of the male terminal fittings projecting from the front surface of the main body. 
   The leading ends of the male terminal fittings project from the front surface of the main body so that the electrical connection test can be performed. However, a corner of the female housing can contact and deform the leading ends of the male terminal fittings if the female housing is inserted into the receptacle in an improper or inclined posture. 
   The present invention was developed in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to prevent male terminal fittings from being deformed in a connector provided with a moving plate. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a connector with a housing that includes a forwardly open receptacle for receiving a mating housing. At least one moving plate is provided for positioning terminal fittings in the receptacle. The moving plate includes a main body formed with positioning holes. The leading ends of the male terminal fittings project through the positioning holes and from the front surface of the main body when the moving plate is at an initial position. However, the moving plate is movable towards the back of the receptacle as the mating housing is fit into the receptacle. At least one protection wall projects from the front surface of the main body for protecting the leading ends of the terminal fittings projecting at the initial position. The protection wall is permitted to escape into a recess of the mating housing. 
   The mating housing may be inserted into the receptacle in an improper posture oblique to a fitting direction while the moving plate is accommodated at the initial position in the receptacle. However, the corner of the mating housing will contact with the projecting end of the protection wall to prevent damage or deformation of the terminal fittings. 
   The projecting end of the protection wall preferably is at least as far forward as the leading ends of the terminal fittings at the initial position. 
   The protection wall preferably includes at least two opposite walls arranged to extend substantially along two opposite sides of the main body. 
   A corner of the mating housing that is inserted into the receptacle in an improper posture preferably contacts the opposite walls while crossing over the terminal fittings between the opposite walls. 
   The protection wall preferably is arranged to surround a group of positioning holes. Thus, the main body is stronger and is not likely to be deformed plastically by external factors. 
   The connector preferably comprises a movable member that can be operated to perform or assist the connection of the housing with the mating housing. The moving plate preferably is displaced by the operation of the movable member. 
   The invention also relates to a connector assembly comprising the above described connector and a mating connector. The housing of the mating connector preferably is formed with a recess for receiving the protection wall. 
   These and other features of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view in section showing a state before a connecting operation of two male and female housings is started in a first embodiment. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view in section showing a state where the connecting operation of the two housings is started. 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the female housing having a moving plate and a lever mounted. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the moving plate. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view in section showing a state where the female housing is inserted in an improper posture into a receptacle. 
       FIG. 6  is a horizontal section showing a state where the female housing is inserted in the improper posture into the receptacle. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A connector assembly in accordance with the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 6 . The connector assembly has a male housing  10  and a female housing  60  that are connectable with each other along connecting and separating directions CSD. Ends of the housings  10 ,  60  to be connected are referred to as the front ends in the following description. 
   The female housing  60  is made e.g. of synthetic resin and is substantially in the form of a block that is long and narrow in the vertical direction in  FIG. 1 . Cavities  61  are formed substantially side by side in the female housing  60  and are arranged at several stages in the height direction of the female housing  60  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The cavities  61  are configured for accommodating female terminal fittings  75 . The front openings of the cavities  61  are aligned in the front surface of the female housing  60 . Substantially U-shape recesses  62  are formed in the front surface of the housing  60  around groups of the cavities  61 . The recesses  62  are retracted slightly from the front openings of the cavities  61 . 
   A wire cover  63  is mounted on a rear part of the female housing  60 , and draw-out directions of wires  76  connected with the female terminal fittings  75  are defined by the wire cover  63 . Connection ribs  64  are formed on the outer surface of the female housing  60  and extend in forward and backward directions, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The connection ribs  64  guide a connecting operation of the two housings  10 ,  60  and prevent an erroneous connection of the two housings  10 ,  60 . First cam pins  65  project in substantially middle parts of the opposite side surfaces of the female housing  60  and extend in substantially forward and backward directions. The first cam pins  65  have substantially oblong cross section. 
   The male housing  10  is made e.g. of a synthetic resin and includes a long narrow block shaped terminal holding portion  11  and a rectangular tubular receptacle  12  projects forward from a peripheral edge of the terminal holding portion  11 . Male terminal fittings  15  are accommodated substantially side by side in the height direction in the terminal holding portion  11 . The male terminal fittings  15  have main bodies  16  and long narrow tabs  17  that project unitarily forward from the terminal main bodies  16  into the receptacle  12 . The tabs  17  are connectable with the corresponding female terminal fittings  75 . Two supporting shafts  13  project in intermediate positions of the opposite side surfaces of the receptacle  12  in the height direction, and these side surfaces are cut straight from the front opening edge of the receptacle  12  towards the supporting shafts  13  to form two escape grooves  14 . The first cam pins  65  enter the corresponding escape grooves  14  when connecting the housings  10 ,  60 . 
   The connector also includes a lever  80  made e.g. of synthetic resin. The lever  80  has left and right plate-like arms  81  and an operable portion  82  connecting the arms  81  to define a substantially U-shape, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Each arm  81  has a bearing hole  83  for receiving the corresponding supporting shaft  13  so that the lever  80  is rotatable about the supporting shafts  13  between a standby position and a connection position. The arms  81  stand up in the height direction when the lever  80  is in the standby position. However, the arms  81  cross the opposite outer side surfaces of the female housing  60  and the operable portion  82  is located behind the wire cover  63  when the lever  80  is in the connection position. An arcuate cam groove  84  is formed in the inner surface of each arm  81  and is substantially centered on the bearing hole  83 . The cam groove  84  opens at the peripheral edge of the arm  81 . 
   The connector also includes a moving plate  50  made e.g. of synthetic resin and arranged in the receptacle  12  for positioning the tabs  17  in height and width directions. The moving plate  40  is movable forward and backward in the receptacle  12  substantially parallel to the connecting and separating directions CSD of the housings  10 ,  60 . More particularly, the moving plate  50  includes a substantially rectangular plate-like main body  42  aligned substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the moving plate  40  and a substantially rectangular tubular surrounding wall  43  that projects forward from the periphery of the main body  42 . The outer peripheral surface of the surrounding wall  43  slides substantially in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle  12  upon connecting the two housings  10 ,  60 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , receiving grooves  44  are formed in the inner surface of the surrounding wall  43  at positions corresponding to the connection ribs  64 . Outer surfaces of the surrounding wall  43  bulge out at positions corresponding to the receiving grooves  44 , and inner surfaces of the receptacle  12  are formed with recesses  19  for receiving the bulges of the surrounding wall  43 . 
   Introducing grooves  45  extend in forward and backward directions in intermediate positions of the substantially opposite outer side surfaces of the surrounding wall  43  in height direction. The introducing grooves  45  open at the front edge of the surrounding wall  43  and are disposed and configured to receive the first cam pins  65 . Second cam pins  46  project from the opposite outer side surfaces of the surrounding wall  43  and cross over the introducing grooves  45 . The second cam pins  46  are substantially U-shaped when viewed from front, and the first cam pins  65  can fit therein. Thus, the second cam pins  46  can be fit into the cam grooves  84  of the lever  80  while being united with the first cam pins  65  until the two housings  10 ,  60  are connected completely. Thereafter, the female housing  60  and the moving plate  40  move together as the lever  80  is rotated. 
   Positioning holes  47  penetrate the main body  42  at positions for receiving the tabs  17 . More specifically, the positioning holes  47  are widened towards the rear surface of the main body  42  for guiding the insertion of the respective tabs  17  and are narrowed towards the front surface of the main body  42  for positioning the respective tabs  17 . The moving plate  40  moves during the connection of the two housings  10 ,  60  from an initial position IP where the main body  42  is distanced from the back surface of the receptacle  12  to an end position at the end of the connecting operation where the main body  42  substantially contacts the back surface of the receptacle  12 . The tabs  17  are kept in the positioning holes  47  at all position along a moving path of the moving plate  40  to position the tabs  17  reliably. Leading ends of the tabs  17  project from the front surface of the main body  42  and face towards a connection surface as shown in  FIG. 5  when the moving plate  40  is at the initial position IP so that an electrical connection test may be conducted in this state. The leading ends of the tabs  17  are aligned at substantially the same position in the receptacle  12  in forward and backward directions. 
   The positioning holes  47  are divided into two equal groups  48  arranged in the height direction of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . A tab protection  41  is formed on the front surface of the main body  42  to face the female housing  60 . The tab protection  41  includes two first protection walls  41 A that extend in the height direction substantially parallel to the opposite longer side walls  21  of the receptacle  12 . The first protection walls  41 A are at positions laterally outward from the protection holes  47  and extend sufficiently far in the height direction to protect tabs  17  in all of the protection holes  47 . The tab protection  41  also includes second protection walls  41  B that extend in the width direction and parallel to shorter side walls  22  of the receptacle  12 . The second protection walls  41 B are substantially normal to the first protection walls  41  a and are at positions above, below and between the two hole groups  48 . The second protection wall  41 B between the two hole groups  48  is formed with a slit  49  that extends in the width direction and has a depth from the projecting end of this second protection wall  41 B to the front surface of the main body  42 . 
   The tab protection  41  projects substantially straight forward a short distance with a specified thickness. The entire projecting end of the tab protection  41  is at substantially the same position in forward and backward directions, and chamfers  51  are defined at the inner and outer surfaces of the projecting end. The protection walls  41 A and  41 B of the tab protection  41  fit into the recesses  62  of the female housing  60  during connection of the housings  10 ,  60 . 
   The projecting distance of the tabs  17  from the front surface of the main body  42  when the moving plate  40  is at the initial position IP is less than the projecting distance of the protection wall  41 . Thus, the projecting ends of the tabs  17  are retracted back from the projecting ends of the protection walls  41 A and  41 B, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Conversely, the projecting end of the protection wall  41  is more forward than the projecting ends of the tabs  17  when the moving plate  40  is at the initial position IP. 
   The outer peripheral surface of the surrounding wall  43  is moved along the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle  12  to set the moving plate  40  at the initial position IP, as shown in  FIG. 1 , prior to connecting the male and female housings  10  and  60 . Additionally, the lever  80  is held at the standby position. The female housing  60  then is inserted into the receptacle  12  along the connecting and separating directions CSD from the front. The front surface of the female housing  60  preferably is aligned normal to the connecting and separating directions CSD during this insertion. As a result, the female housing  60  fits into the moving plate  40  with the side surfaces of the female housing  60  surrounded by the surrounding wall  43  and with the front surface of the female housing  60  opposed to the front surface of the main body  42 . In this state, the first cam pins  65  enter the cam grooves  84  of the lever  80  and fit into the introducing grooves  45 . Thus, the first and second cam pins  65 ,  46  unite with each other engage with the cam grooves  84 . 
   The lever  80  then is rotated towards the connection position, and a cam action of the second cam pins  46  and the cam grooves  84  moves the female housing  60  towards the back side of the receptacle  12 . As a result, the two housings  10 ,  60  move closer together. At this time, the protection wall  41  of the main body  42  is fit into the recesses  62  of the female housing  60  and the moving plate  40  is positioned with respect to the female housing  60  to move parallel towards the back of the receptacle  12 . The tabs  17  are kept in the respective positioning holes  47  while the moving plate  40  is moving and are held at substantially correct positions. Thus, the tabs  17  are inserted gradually into the female terminal fittings  75  from the leading ends thereof to increase a depth of connection with the female terminal fittings  75 . The two housings  10 ,  60  are connected properly when the lever  80  reaches the connection position. At this time, the moving plate  40  reaches the end position and the tabs  17  are fit to proper depths in the female terminal fittings  75 . As a result, the male and female terminal fittings  15 ,  75  are connected electrically. 
   The female housing  60  could be inserted into the receptacle  12  in an improper posture. For example, one of opposite end corners  66 ,  67  of the female housing  60  in the height direction could enter the receptacle  12  earlier than the other corner to incline the front surface of the female housing  60  with respect to the forward and backward directions. As a result, the leading corner  66  will contact the projecting ends of the first protection walls  41 A of the tab protection  41 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . At this time, the leading corner  66  is located to cross over the tabs  17  arranged between the first protection walls  41 A as shown in  FIG. 6 . As a result, the opposite widthwise ends of the leading corner  66  are held in contact with the first protection walls  41 A, but widthwise intermediate parts of the leading corner  66  cannot contact the tabs  17 . Accordingly, even if the female housing  60  is inserted in an improper posture into the receptacle  12 , the leading corner  66  of the female housing  60  does not contact the leading ends of the tabs  17  and the tab protection  41  protects the tabs  17 . The front surface of the female housing  60  could be inclined in the width direction with respect to the proper connection surface and/or displaced in height direction. However, this front surface will contact the opening edge of the receptacle  12  and the female housing  60  will not enter the receptacle  12 . Therefore, it is sufficient to consider only the above case where the front surface of the female housing  60  is inclined in forward and backward directions with respect to the proper connection surface as a mode in which the female housing  60  is inserted in an improper posture into the receptacle  12 . 
   If the female housing  60  is inserted in an improper posture into the receptacle  12  from front, the corner  66  of the female housing  60  contacts the projecting end of the tab protection  41  to avoid contact with the tabs  17  of the male terminal fittings  15 . Therefore, the tabs  17  will not be deformed plastically or otherwise damaged. 
   The projecting end of the protection wall  41  is more forward than the leading ends of the tabs  17  when the moving plate  40  is at the initial position IP. Thus, the corner  66  of the improperly oriented female housing  60  cannot contact the tabs  17 . 
   Further, if the female housing  60  is inserted in an improper posture into the receptacle  12 , the corner  66  of the female housing  60  contacts the first protection walls  41 A while crossing over the tabs  17  of the male terminal fittings  15  arranged between the first protection walls  41 A. Therefore, the corner  66  of the female housing  60  will not contact the leading ends of the tabs  17  and damage (e. g. plastic deformation) of the tabs  17  is prevented more reliably. 
   Furthermore, the tab protection  41  is surrounds the groups  48  of positioning holes  47 . Thus, the strength of the main body  42  is increased and plastic deformation of the main body  42  due to an external factor is prevented. 
   The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments are also embraced by the technical scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. 
   Even if the projecting end of a part of the protection wall is retracted from the leading ends of the tab when the moving plate is at the initial position, enough protection can be given if the deformation of the tabs can be prevented by the other part of the protection wall. 
   The protection wall may be formed to intermittently or only partly surround the hole groups instead of continuously or fully surrounding them. 
   Protection walls may be provided individually for the respective positioning holes or, conversely the protection wall may be formed to correspond to all the positioning holes. 
   The protection wall may be comprised of either the first protection walls or the second protection walls. 
   The projecting ends of the protection wall and the leading ends of the tabs may be substantially aligned at the same position. 
   The present invention is also applicable to connectors that are not lever-type connectors.