Cam-equipped connector

• US 5,575,676 A
• Filed: 01/11/1995
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Betsui, Kazuhisa, Tsukakoshi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): PIRLOT, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/371,248
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 439/152-160, 439/259, 439/260, 439/362, 439/345, 439/347
• US Class Current: 439/347
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4361 Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62911 U-shaped sliding element
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement

Abstract

In order to prevent deformation of contacts of connectors during their joining and to reduce the effort required for their connection without resorting to an increase in size, a cam-equipped connector has a facility for an intermediary joining. To prevent deformation of contacts, the female connector 10, equipped with a cam device 30, has protrusions 14 extending from the bottom surface 11a of a joining cavity 11 which are longer than contact sections of the male contacts. Cavities 24 intended for reception of the protrusions 14 are made in the joining surface 21 of the male connector 20. The protrusions 14 and the cavities 24 have maintaining steps 14a and maintaining lugs 24a for an intermediary joining of the connectors 10, 20.

Claims

1. A cam-equipped connector assembly comprising a female connector for male contacts and a male connector for female contacts, one of which is equipped with a cam device which makes it possible, by operating said cam device, to join said connectors from an intermediary-joined position to the fully-joined position using only minor effort,

characterized in that protrusions are located on a bottom surface of a joining cavity of the female connector adjacent the middle of said joining cavity, which are longer than the length of contact sections of the male contacts,

on a joining surface of said male connector, cavities are provided for reception of said protrusions, and that

said protrusions and cavities are matched to each other and have intermediary retaining devices to temporarily retain both connectors in the intermediary joined position.

2. A cam-equipped connector assembly comprising a female connector for male contacts and a mating male connector, one of said female and male connectors being equipped with a cam device for moving said connectors from an intermediary-joined position to the fully-joined position,

characterized in that at least one protrusion extends from a bottom surface of a joining cavity of the female connector adjacent the middle of said joining cavity, the protrusion being longer than the length of the contact sections of the male contacts and extending beyond the contact sections of the male contacts,

at least one cavity in a joining surface of said male connector, said cavity receiving said protrusions when said female and male connectors are joined, and that

said protrusions and said male connector cavity are matched to each other defining an intermediary-retaining device to temporarily retain both connectors in the intermediary-joined position.

3. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said cam device is mounted in said female connector.

4. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said cam device slides laterally and perpendicular to said protrusion when said connectors are moved from said intermediary-joined position to said fully-joined position.

5. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said male connector includes pins received in cam grooves on said cam device, said pins being insertable into said cam grooves when said male and female connectors are in said intermediary-joined position.

6. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein pins are located on said male connector, said pins engaging said cam device to prevent insertion of said male connector into said female connector if said cam device is in the position corresponding to said fully joined position before said connectors are mated.

7. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said female connector includes a pin on the female connector and the cam device includes an opening, said pin protruding through said cam device opening when the cam device is shifted to a position corresponding to said fully-joined position.

8. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said protrusion extends from the bottom surface of said joining cavity adjacent the middle of said joining cavity.

9. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 8 wherein the joining cavity is formed in pan by upper and lower front edges extending from the bottom surface of the joining cavity, said protrusions being spaced from said upper and lower front edges.

10. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 9 wherein said cam device comprises upper and lower walls connected by a side wall, the upper and lower walls being positioned adjacent said upper and lower front edges of the joining cavity of said female connector, said cam device sliding in a lateral direction along said upper and lower front edges of said joining cavity.

11. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 2 wherein said intermediary retaining device comprises an interengaging lug and a step.

12. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 11 wherein said lug is located in said male connector cavity and said step is located on said protrusion.

13. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 12 wherein said lug is shifted away from said step as said female and male connectors are moved from said intermediary-joined position to said fully-joined position.

14. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 8 wherein two protrusion extend side-by-side in the joining cavity.

15. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 14 wherein said protrusions are located between two rows of male contacts in said female connector.

16. The cam-equipped connector assembly of claim 15 wherein male contacts are located on each side of each said protrusions.

17. A female connector for use in a cam-equipped connector assembly, said female connector having a female housing with a female-joining cavity into which a mating male connector can be inserted when said male and female connectors are joined, said female connector being equipped with a cam device for moving said connector from an intermediary-joined position to the fully-joined position,

characterized in that at least one protrusion is located in said joining cavity of said female connector adjacent the middle of said joining cavity, said protrusion extending to the front of the joining cavity to engage the male connector and prevent insertion of said misaligned male connector into either said intermediary-joined position or said fully-joined position when said cam device is in a fully-inserted position, and that

said protrusion includes an intermediary retaining device engagable with said male connector to temporarily retain said female and male connectors in the intermediary-joined position.

18. The female connector of claim 17 wherein contacts are positioned in said joining cavity of said female connector, said protrusion extending beyond a contact section of said contacts so that a misaligned male connector will not damage said contacts when said male connector is joined to said female connector.