Connector structure

• US 5,857,857 A
• Filed: 05/07/1997
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuda, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US08/852,282
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 439/188, 439/189, 439/862
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7032 making use of a separate bridging element directly cooperating with the terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/08 Short-circuiting members for bridging contacts in a counterpart

Abstract

A connector structure, having a short-circuiting member, includes a housing, terminal receiving chambers formed in the housing, a short-circuiting member receiving chamber communicating with the terminal receiving chambers, the short-circuiting member having resilient contact plate portions formed thereon, the short-circuiting member being received in the short-circuiting member receiving chamber, so that the contact plate portions project respectively into the terminal receiving chambers to be press-contacted respectively with terminals mounted respectively in the terminal receiving chambers, and a contact plate portion urging unit urging the contact plate portions against a resilient force thereof to thereby limit an amount of projection of the contact plate portions into the terminal receiving chambers to a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A connector structure, COMPRISING:

a housing;

terminal receiving chambers formed in said housing;

a short-circuiting member receiving chamber communicating with said terminal receiving chambers;

a short-circuiting member having resilient contact plate portions which are resiliently urged in the same direction, said short-circuiting member being received in said short-circuiting member receiving chamber, so that said contact plate portions project respectively into said terminal receiving chambers to be press-contacted respectively with terminals to be mounted respectively in said terminal receiving chambers; and

means for urging said contact plate portions against a resilient force of said contact plate portions thereby limiting an amount of projection of said contact plate portions into said terminal receiving chambers prior to insertion of said terminals to be mounted respectively in said terminal receiving chambers.

2. A connector structure according to claim 1, in which said contact plate portion urging means is one selected from the group consisting of step portions provided on said housing and projections provided on said housing.

3. A connector structure according to claim 1, in which said contact plate portion urging means includes holder portions provided respectively on said contact plate portions, said holder portions being press-contacted with said housing.

4. A connector structure according to claim 3, wherein said holder portions are formed on respective opposite side edges of said contact plate portions, said holder portions extending toward each other away from the respective side edges of the contact plate portions.