Self-aligning connector

• US 20060199415A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Kotaro, Ishikawa, Shigeru, Noguchi, Takamitsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,390,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/350
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

A self-aligning connector, comprising: a female connector which is adapted to include at least one electrical component and to be optionally secured to one securing portion; a male connector connectable to the female connector, the male connector being adapted to include at least one electrical component and to be optionally secured to another securing portion; and at least one connector cover and at least one slide plate, which are disposed between the one securing portion and the another securing portion; wherein the at least one connector cover includes a plurality of resilient pawls, which has distal ends located in the vicinity of a connector cover center portion in front-rear and left-right directions in the plane of the at least one connector cover; wherein the at least one slide plate includes a receiving portion in which resilient pawls are inserted and engaged; and wherein the resilient pawls absorb deviations in the front-rear and left-right directions occurring at the time of connecting the female and the male connectors to properly align the female and the male connectors.

Claims

1. A self-aligning connector comprising:

a female connector which is adapted to include a plurality of electrical components which is secured to one securing portion;

a male connector connectable to the female connector, the male connector being adapted to include a plurality of electrical components which is secured to another securing portion; and

a connector cover and a slide plate, which are disposed between the one securing portion and the another securing portion;

wherein the connector cover includes a plurality of resilient pawls, which has distal ends located in the vicinity of a center portion of the connector cover in front-rear and left-right directions in the plane of the connector cover;

wherein the slide plate includes a receiving portion in which the resilient pawls are inserted and engaged; and

wherein the resilient pawls absorb deviations in the front-rear and left-right directions occurring at the time of connecting the female and the male connector.

2. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector cover and the slide plate are disposed at at least one position between the one securing portion and the female connector and between the another securing portion and the male connector.

3. The self-aligning connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector cover and the slide plate are provided between the another securing portion and the male connector.

4. The self-aligning connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector cover is secured to the male connector, and the slide plate is secured to the another securing portion.

5. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the receiving portion includes an opening and a slot.

6. The self-aligning connector according to claim 5, wherein the connector cover includes a frame body located at a substantial center of the connector cover, and the fame body is formed with three resilient pawls, which are inserted and engaged in the opening of the slide plate.

7. The self-aligning connector according to claim 6, wherein amounts of elastic deformations of the three resilient pawls are settable by way of the clearance the frame body and each of the three resilient pawls.

8. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector cover and the slide plate are disposed at one position between the one securing portion and the female connector and where another connector cover and another slide plate are disposed at a second position between the another securing portion and the male connector.

9. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resilient pawls include three pawls on one side of the connector plate and one pawl on the other side of the connector plate.

10. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resilient pawls include three pawls positioned within a U-shaped opening of the connector cover, and where distal ends of the three pawls abut respectively three side surfaces of a centrally-located extended piece of the slide plate.

11. The self-aligning connector according to claim 10, wherein two of the three pawls positioned within the U-shaped opening of the connector cover are separated from each other and disposed along the front-rear direction in the plane of the connector cover, whereas the third pawl is disposed along a left-right direction in the plane of the connector cover.

12. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the female connector has at least one flange which is inserted into and hooked over at least one latching portion of the connector cover to secure the connector cover to the male connector, where the at least one latching portion is disposed at at least one short side of the connector cover, which is a rectangular shape.

13. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the slide plate having the plurality of resilient pawls include one pawl having a bulbous portion of a distal end where the one pawl is positioned in the vicinity of the center of the connector cover, such that the bulbous portion of the distal end of the one pawl is fitted in a slot formed in a lower plate of the slide plate.

14. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resilient pawls are formed such that proximal ends of each of the plurality of resilient pawls are connected to an inner side of a frame body, where the fame body is formed so as to stand upright from a center portion of an upper surface of the connector cover and each of the plurality of resilient pawls is extended parallel to the frame body from a junction with respect to the frame body, and has a bulbous portion at the distal end thereof.

15. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein the slide plate has a U-shaped opening formed at an upper surface side of the side plate so that the extended piece is centrally-located and formed, where the plurality of resilient pawls are set within the opening such that the distal ends thereof touch the three side surfaces of the extended piece.

16. The self-aligning connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of resilient pawls has an amount of elastic deformation which is settable by way of a clearance between a frame body of the connector cover and each of the plurality of resilient pawls.

17. A self-aligning connector comprising:

a finale connector which is adapted to include at least one electrical component;

a male connector connectable to the female connector, the male connector being adapted to include at least one electrical component; and

at least one connector cover and at least one slide plate;

wherein the connector cover includes a plurality of resilient pawls, which has distal ends located in the vicinity of a connector cover center portion in front-rear and left-right directions in the plane of the connector cover;

wherein the slide plate includes a receiving portion in which at least two of the plurality of resilient pawls are inserted and engaged; and

wherein the plurality of resilient pawls align the female and the male connectors.