Patent Publication Number: US-6213792-B1

Title: Connector fitting structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector fitting structure where multipolar male and female connectors are engaged with and disengaged from each other by sliding a slide member reciprocatively. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 8-167635 discloses the conventional connector fitting structure where male and female connectors can be engaged with each other by sliding a slide member mounted on a hood assembly. 
     In the disclosed structure, the hood assembly is assembled to the female connector, provided with the slide member having a guide groove formed therein. In use, when sliding the slide member, then the male connector is drawn to engage with the female connector. 
     The female connector for engaging a plurality of terminals therein is provided with a hood for covering respective leading ends of the terminals. While, the hood assembly is provided with a flange to be engaged with the hood. By sliding the hood assembly to one direction while engaging the flange with the hood of the female connector, some engagement holes formed in the hood assembly can be engaged with engagement projections formed on the female connector, respectively. With this engagement, the hood assembly can be assembled to the female connector. During the sliding of the hood assembly, since some press plates formed on the hood of the female connector do press restricting parts of the hood assembly, which are disposed inside the flange of the hood assembly, the hood is interposed between each restricting part and the flange, thereby causing the female connector and the hood assembly from rattling to or poorly connecting with each other. 
     In the above-mentioned conventional structure, however, there is a case that the hood of the female connector is positioned inside the hood assembly due to the rattling between the female connector and the hood assembly. In such a case, the leading end of the male connector being drawn into the hood assembly may butt against the hood in the hood assembly. Consequently, there is caused a problem that a manipulating force required for fitting the female and male connectors to each other is increased to cause the difficulty or impossibility of fitting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector fitting structure which allows the male and female connectors to be engaged with each other certainly and also easily while surely preventing the female connector and the hood assembly from rattling to each other. 
     The object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a fitting structure for connectors, comprising: 
     a female connector; 
     a male connector for engagement with the female connector; 
     a hood assembly having an opening to be assembled to an assembling port provided on either one of the male and female connectors, the hood assembly including at least one slide member adapted so as to slide therein and provided with one or more guide grooves; and 
     one or more guide pins formed on the other of the male and female connectors; 
     wherein respective interior dimensions defining the assembling port of the one of the male and female connectors are respectively larger than respective interior dimensions defining the opening of the hood assembly, thereby providing a step in a boundary area between the hood assembly and the one of the male and female connectors; 
     whereby the engagement and disengagement between the male and female connectors can be accomplished by reciprocatively moving the slide member while the one or more guide pins are retained in the one or more guide grooves. 
     In the above-mentioned structure, since the slide member does slide while the guide groove(s) of the slide member engages with the guide pin(s), the other of the male and female connectors is drawn into the one of the connectors through the hood assembly, so that both connectors can be engaged with each other. 
     According to the present invention, the hood assembly is assembled to one connector, for example, the female connector by assembling the opening of the hood assembly to the assembling port of the female connector. Regarding this assembling, since the interior dimensions defining the assembling port of the female connectors are respectively larger than respective interior dimensions defining the opening of the hood assembly, the step is produced in the boundary area between the hood assembly and the female connector. Thus, there is no possibility that the female connector is positioned inside the hood assembly, so that the other connector, for example, the male connector draw into the hood assembly does not butt against the female connector. Consequently, the male connector can be fitted to the female connector smooth and certainly. 
     In the above-mentioned fitting structure, preferably, the assembling port of the one of the male and female connectors is in the form of a frame, while the opening of the hood assembly is provided with a cover for covering the frame of the one of the male and female connectors, the cover being opened on one side thereof, so that the hood assembly can be assembled to the one of the male and female connectors by sliding the frame relatively to the hood assembly through the opened side of the cover. In this way, since the assembling of the hood assembly to one connector, for example, the female connector can be attained by the sliding movement of either one of the hood assembly and the female connector in only one direction, the assembling operation can be simplified. 
     In the present invention, preferably, the hood assembly comprises a hood serving as a housing of the hood assembly and a manipulating lever pivotably mounted on the hood stopper, for sliding the slide member. In this case, owing to the provision of the manipulating lever, it will be possible to simplify the sliding operation of the slide member. 
     In the present invention, preferably, the guide groove consists of an inlet portion opening perpendicularly to one side of the slide member, a slanted portion slanted to a direction to slide the slide member and an end portion succeeding the slanted portion in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the slide member. 
     With the constitution of the guide groove, the sliding movement of the slide member can be converted to a force to drawing the other connector into the hood assembly. 
     In the present invention, preferably, the guide groove is provided, on one side of the inlet portion, with a flexible projection for temporary engagement with the guide pin. 
     In this case, owing to the provision of the flexible projection, it will be possible to engage the guide pin at the inlet portion of the guide groove, for the time being. 
     In the present invention, preferably, the frame is shaped to be rectangular and also provided, on both sidewalls thereof, with projections, while the cover of the hood assembly is provided, on both sidewalls thereof, with engagement holes for respective engagement with the projections on the frame. 
     With the above structure of the frame and the cover, it is possible to engage the frame with the cover securely. 
     In the present invention, preferably, the assembling port is constituted by at least one male-connector fitting chamber of which length and height correspond to the interior dimensions of the assembling port, while the opening of the hood assembly is constituted by at least one male-connector accommodating chamber of which length and height correspond to the interior dimensions of the opening. 
     With the above constitution of the assembling port and the cover, it will be possible to produce the above step in the boundary area between the hood assembly and the female connector. 
     In the present invention, preferably, the hood assembly includes two slide members arranged on upper and lower sides of the hood and the manipulating lever is mounted on the hood in order to slide the slide members in opposite directions to each other. 
     In this case, owing to the provision of the plural slide members, it is possible to draw the other connector, for example, the male connector into the hood assembly certainly. 
     These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector fitting structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2A is an explanatory diagram of a slide member, viewed from the side of guide grooves; 
     FIG. 2B is an explanatory enlarged view of a part IIB of the slide member of FIG. 2A; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing a condition that a hood assembly is assembled to a female connector; and 
     FIG. 4 is an explanatory enlarged view of a part IV of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Now referring to FIG. 1, the connector fitting structure of the embodiment comprises a female connector  30 , a male connector  40  and a hood assembly  10 , all of which are wholly made of synthetic resin. In assembly, the male connector  40  is drawn into the female connector  30  through the intermediary of the hood assembly  10 . 
     The hood assembly  10  includes a hood  11  in the form of a rectangular cylinder, also serving as a female connector housing having a front opening  18  for fittingly fixing the female connector  30  and a rear part into which the male connector  40  is to be inserted, upper and lower slide grooves  12 ,  12  formed on the hood  11 , a pair of slide members  13 ,  13  for sliding in the slide grooves  12 ,  12  reciprocatively and a synthetic manipulating lever  20  allowing the respective slide members  13 ,  13  to reciprocatively slide for engagement or disengagement of the multipolar female connector  30  with the multipolar male connector  40 . 
     The interior of the hood  11  is divided into two “male-connector” accommodating chambers  11   b ,  11   b  through a partition wall  11   d . Each slide groove  12  has a pair of step parts  12   a ,  12   a  formed to retain thin-walled portions of each slide member  13  on both sides thereof, respectively. Thus, the pair of slide members  13 ,  13  are adapted so as to reciprocatively slide into the pair of slide grooves  12 ,  12  in the mutual opposite directions. 
     The hood  11  has a bottom wall  11   f  formed to oppose a top wall  11   h . On both sides of the bottom wall  11   f , a pair of sidewalls  11   g ,  11   g  are formed to stand upright, integrally with the bottom wall  11   f . Similarly, the bottom wall  11   h  has a pair of sidewalls  11   i ,  11   i  formed to stand upright on both sides of the wall  11   h , integrally. The upper slide groove  12  is disposed between the sidewalls  11   i  and  11   i , while the lower slide groove  12  is disposed between the sidewalls  11   g  and  11   g . The respective ends of the opposing sidewalls  11   g ,  11   g  are connected to each other through a plurality of bridging ribs  19 , . . .  19 . Similarly, the respective ends of the opposing sidewalls  11   i ,  11   i  are also connected to each other through a plurality of bridging ribs  19 , . . .  19 . Each bridging rib  19  is arranged so as to extend perpendicularly to the sliding direction of each slide member  13 . The bridging ribs  19 , . . .  19  are disposed apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the sidewalls  11   g ,  11   g ,  11   i ,  11   i.    
     In this way, since both sidewalls  11   g ,  11   g , and  11   i ,  11   i  interposing the upper and lower slide grooves  12 ,  12  respectively are connected to each other by the bridging ribs  19 , . . . ,  19 , it is possible to prevent both sidewalls  11   g ,  11   g , and  11   i ,  11   i  from curving or tumbling inward. Thus, owing to the provision of the bridging ribs  19 , . . . ,  19 , it is possible to exclude a possibility that both sidewalls  11   g ,  11   g , and  11   i ,  11   i  tightly come into contact with or gnaw into the slide members  13 ,  13  in the slide grooves  12 ,  12 . 
     On the rear (the male connector&#39;s) side of the hood  11 , the sidewalls  11   g ,  11   i  are respectively provided with a plurality of notch guides  11   e , . . . ,  11   e . Each notch guide  11   e  is arranged in a position opposing to each of inlet portions  14   a  of a plurality of guide grooves  14  respectively formed in the upper and lower slide members  13 ,  13 . 
     Again, each slide member  13  is provided, on a surface thereof opposing the other slide member  13 , with the plural guide grooves  14  each inclining to a direction to insert each slide member  13  by a predetermined angle. As shown with solid lines and chain lines in FIG. 2A, the inclining direction of each guide groove  14  of the upper slide member  13  is opposite to the inclining direction of each guide groove  14  of the lower slide member  13 . In addition, each guide groove  14  consists of the inlet portion  14   a  opening perpendicularly to one side of the slide member  13 , a slanted portion  14   b  succeeding the inlet portion  14   a  and an end portion  14   c  succeeding the slanted portion  14   b  in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the slide member  13 . 
     On one side of each inlet portion  14   a  through which a guide pin  44  mentioned later is to be inserted into the guide groove  14 , a temporary engagement means  15  is provided for temporary engagement with the guide pin  44 . As shown in FIG. 2B, the temporary engagement means  15  is constituted by a flexible projection  15   a  integrally projecting so as to be in parallel with the inlet portion  14   a  and a pair of notches  15   b ,  15   b  on both sides of the flexible projection  15   a.    
     The manipulating lever  20  serves to reciprocatively slide the pair of slide members  13 ,  13  in the opposite directions to each other and has a pivot center hole  23  formed at a center of the base part of the lever  20 . Inserted into the pivot center hole  23  is a support shaft  17  which extends from the hood  11  and through which the manipulating lever  20  is carried so as to rotate up and down, by the hood  11 . In the vicinity of the support shaft  17 , a pair of long holes  24 ,  24  are respectively formed so as to put the hole  23  therebetween. The upper and lower slide members  13 ,  13  are respectively provided with column-shaped attachment bosses  13   a ,  13   a  which are inserted into the long holes  24 ,  24  in the lever  20 , respectively. With the engagement of the lever  2  with the upper and lower slide members  13 ,  13 , they can be slid in the opposite directions to each other by pivoting the manipulating lever  20  up and down. 
     Further, the manipulating lever  20  is provided, on one sidewall close to a leading end of the lever  20 , with a rectangular engagement hole  25  for engagement with a not-shown engagement protrusion integrally formed on the sidewall  11   i  of the top wall  11   h  of the hood  11 . 
     As mentioned before, the hood  11  is provided, on a front side thereof, with the opening  18  which is assembled to the female connector  30 . The opening  18  is communicated with the male-connector accommodating chambers  11   b ,  11   b , being the same size as the chambers  11   b ,  11   b . About the opening  18 , an elongated U-shaped cover  16  is provided to have an upper face  16   a  and right and left side faces  16   b ,  16   b , opening downward. 
     On both side faces  16   b ,  16   b  of the cover  16 , engagement holes  16   c  are formed for respective engagement with projections  33  of the female connector  30 . Additionally, the cover  16  is provided, on both side faces  16   b ,  16   b , with respective guide ribs  16   d ,  16   d  which operate to guide the hood assembly  10  when assembling it to the female connector  30 . Note, the assembling of the hood assembly  10  to the female connector  30  can be accomplished by inserting a frame part  31  of the connector  30  through the above-mentioned opening underside of the cover  16  as shown with arrow of FIG.  1 . 
     In the female connector  30 , the frame part  31  engages with and carries a large number of pin-terminals  32  soldered to a printed wiring baseplate (not shown). The frame part  31  operates as an assembling entrance to which the cover  16  of the hood  11  is assembled. The frame part  31  is shaped in the form of a rectangular frame consisting of top and bottom walls  31   a ,  31   b  and both of left and right sidewalls  31   c ,  31   c.    
     Owing to the provision of a partition wall  31   d  opposing the partition wall  11   d  of the hood  11 , the interior of the frame  31  is divided into a pair of “male-connector” fitting chambers  31   e ,  31   e  for respective engagement with two connector housings  41 ,  41  of the male connector  40 . Furthermore, on respective exterior faces of the left and right sidewalls  31   c ,  31   c  of the frame  31 , the above-mentioned projections  33 ,  33  are formed to engage in the engagement holes  16   c ,  16   c  of the hood  11 , respectively. 
     The frame  31  is arranged on the rear side of a casing  34  fixed on the printed wiring baseplate through fixings (not shown). Defined between the rear side of the casing  34  and the frame  31  is a clearance  36  which is longer than the frame  31 . Both ends of the clearance  36  in the longitudinal direction constitute guide recesses  36   a ,  36   a  for guiding the guide ribs  16   d ,  16   d  of the hood  11 , respectively. 
     As to the dimensions of the frame  31  (i.e. an assembling port) of the female connector  30  and the opening  18  (i.e. the male-connector accommodating chamber  11   b ) of the hood  11 , respective dimensions of the interior of the frame  31  are established larger than respective dimensions of the interior of the opening  18 , respectively. In detail, providing that the length of the “male-connector” fitting chambers  31   e ,  31   e  of the frame  31  are respectively represented by the alphabets A, B and the height of each chamber  31   e  is represented by the alphabet D, while the length of the “male-connector” accommodating chambers  11   b ,  11   b  of the opening  18  are respectively represented by the alphabets a, b and the height of each chamber  11   b  is represented by the alphabet d, there are established the following relationships of: 
     A&gt;a, B&gt;b and D&gt;d 
     With the above dimensional relationships of the interiors, when the hood assembly  10  is assembled to the female connector  30 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is possible to produce a step  38  in a boundary area between the opening  18  and the frame  31 , corresponding to a difference in dimension (height) therebetween. 
     Again, the male connector  40  is provided with the pair of connector housings  41 ,  41  which are respectively inserted into the male-connector accommodating chambers  11   b ,  11   b  separated from each other by the partition wall  11   d  of the hood  11 . These connector housings  41 ,  41  are to be inserted into the hood  11  from a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the slide members  13 ,  13 . Note, engaged and carried in the interior of each connector housing  41  are a plurality of terminals (not shown) into which the pin-terminals  32  of the female connector  30  are to be inserted in order to attain the electrical connection between the female connector  30  and the male connector  40 . 
     On both upper and lower faces of the connector housing  41 , the plural guide pins  44  are formed to respectively match the notch guides  11   e  and movably engage in the guide grooves  14  of the slide members  13 . Note, a plurality of wires are connected to the terminals in the connector housing  41  and withdrawn out of the housing  41  in the form of a bundle since they are covered with a cover  46 . 
     According to the shown embodiment, as shown with the arrow with no reference numeral or alphabet of FIG. 1, the hood assembly  10  can be assembled to the female connector  30  by overlaying the front cover  16  of the hood assembly  10  on the rear frame  31  of the female connector  30  from its upside. Then, with the movement of the guide ribs  16   d ,  16   d  on both sides of the cover  16   16   d  of the hood assembly  10 , the hood assembly  10  can be lowered without producing any positional deviation between the rear frame  31  and the cover  16  in plan view. With the hood&#39;s lowering, the projections  33  of the frame  31  engage in the engagement holes  16   c  of the cover  16 , so that the opening  18  of the hood assembly  10  is assembled and fixed to the assembling port of the female connector  30 , that is, the frame  31 . 
     In the so-assembled condition, since the interior dimensions of the frame  31  of the female connector  30  are larger than the interior dimensions of the cover  16  of the hood assembly  10 , the step  38  is formed at the boundary between the walls  31   a ,  31   b  and the sidewalls  31   c ,  31   c  of the female connector  30  and the opening  18  of the hood assembly  10 , so that the respective walls  31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ,  31   c  come into contact with the end face of the hood  11 . Thus, there is no possibility that the walls  31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ,  31   c  enter into the opening  18  of the hood assembly  10 . 
     Consequently, since the male connector  40  drawn into the male-connector accommodating chamber  11   b  of the hood assembly  10  does not butt against the walls  31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ,  31   c  of the female connector  30 , there can be eliminated a possibility of increasing the manipulation force required in fitting the male connector  40  to the female connector  30 , while the male connector  40  can be fitted to the female connector  30  certainly. In addition, even if the hood  11  is curved inwardly, the step  38  could absorb such an inward curve, thereby allowing the male connector  40  to be withdrawn into the hood  11 . 
     After assembling the female connector  30  to the hood assembly  10 , the male connector  40  is inserted into the hood  11  from the opposite side to the female connector  30 , so that the guide pins  44  of the male connector  40  enter into the inlet portions  14   a  of the guide grooves  14  of the slide members  13 ,  13  through the notch guides  11   e  of the hood  11 . Under this condition, when rotating the manipulating lever  20  to the downside, the slide members  13 ,  13  are slid in the upper and lower slide grooves  12 ,  12  of the hood  11  in the reciprocating direction. With the movements of the slide members  13 , each guide pin  44  moves from the inlet portion  14   a  to the end portion  14   c  through the slanted portion  14   b , so that the male connector  40  is drawn into the hood  11  for the mutual engagement of the connectors  30 ,  40 . 
     The engagement between the multipolar female connector  30  and the multipolar male connector  40  can be certainly locked since the projection on the hood  11  is engaged in the engagement hole  25  in the sidewall  22  of the manipulating lever  20  at the time of the completion of rotating the manipulating lever  20  downward. 
     On the contrary, when rotating the manipulating lever  20  upward, the respective slide members  13 ,  13  slide in the upper and lower slide grooves  12  in the hood  11  in the mutual reciprocating directions. With the slide movements of the slide members  13 ,  13 , each guide pin  44  moves from the end portion  14   c  to the inlet portion  14   a  through the slanted portion  14   b , so that the male connector  40  is separated from the hood  11  for the disengagement of the connectors  30 ,  40 . 
     In the above-mentioned ways, the engagement and disengagement between the female connector  30  and the female connector  40  can be accomplished. 
     Finally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description is related to one preferred embodiment of the disclosed fitting structure for connectors, and that various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. 
     For example, in one modification of the embodiment, the male connector  40  may have the above-mentioned frame  31 , while the hood assembly  10  has the opening  18  to be assembled to the frame  31 . In such a case, one or more guide pins would be provided on the female connector  30 . 
     Additonally, two slide mambers  13 ,  13  of the hood assembly  10  may be replaced with a single slide member in the modification. Similarly, the slide member  13  may be provided with a single guide groove corresponding to a single guide pin formed on the male connector  40 .