Electrical connector having locking claw

• US 7,252,556 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies Operations Luxembourg S.a.r.l. (Aptiv PLC), Furukawa Automotive Systems Incorporated (Furukawa Electric Company Limited), Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: FCI, Mitsubishi Cable Industries Limited (Mitsubishi Materials Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirose, Tetsu, Tanaka, Yoshikazu, Casses, Claude, Anbo, Tsugio, Mulot, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US10/560,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20060281373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 439/752, 439/357
• US Class Current: 439/752
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4367 Insertion of locking piece from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap

Abstract

A front end 7 of a locking arm 4 provided on a rear holder 1 is inserted into a hole portion 25 formed in a main housing 21, and the locking arm 4 is supported like as a bridge. The main housing 21 is inserted into a hood portion 44 of a cooperating housing 41 and connecting terminals are connected to each other to establish the electrical connection. A locking claw 5 formed on the locking arm 4 is once resiliently moved downward to pass through a locking claw 43 of the cooperating housing 41 and is then restored into an original posture to engage the locking claw 5 with the locking claw 43. Once the main housing 21 is engaged with the cooperating housing 41, these housings could not be released accidentally.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a main housing and a cooperating housing each having connecting terminals installed therein, said connecting terminals being connected to each other by engaging these housings with each other, characterized in that a rear holder is coupled with a rear portion of the main housing to prevent the connecting terminals installed therein from being removed backwardly, that a locking arm having a resiliency is provided on the rear holder such that a free end of said locking arm extends forwardly, said locking arm being locked with a locking portion of the cooperating housing and said free end of the locking arm is inserted into a part of said main housing, and that a locking claw is provided on the locking arm at a middle portion thereof such that the locking claw is engaged with the locking portion of the cooperating housing.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said rear holder includes locking lances for preventing the connecting terminals from being removed from the main housing.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said free end of the locking arm is engaged with the main housing by inserting the free end into a hole portion formed in the main housing.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a lock-releasing push portion is provided on said main housing, and the engagement of the main housing and cooperating housing is released by pushing said lock-releasing push portion downward to deform said locking arm such that said locking claw is moved downward.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the engagement of said locking claw of the locking arm and said locking portion of the cooperating housing is confirmed by inserting the rear holder with a large force.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a projecting portion is formed at a rear end of said locking arm and a lock-releasing push portion is formed on the main housing, and the engagement of said locking claw of the locking arm with said locking portion of the cooperating housing is confirmed by a click noise, which is generated by hitting the lock-releasing push portion of the main housing with a recovering movement of said projecting portion of the locking arm after once being moved downward.