Connector

• US 9,431,777 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgos-Guntin, Nelson R
• Application Number:
  US14/715,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20150349470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 439/353, 439/489, 439/490, 439/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6273 comprising two latching arms
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor

Abstract

A detector (60) configured to be pressed and moved by a second housing (40) in the process of connecting first and second housings (10, 40) and separate the second housing 40 from the first housing (10) when a connecting operation of the first and second housings is stopped halfway is mounted on the first housing (10). The detector (60) integrally includes a resilient arm (61) configured to apply a separation force to the second housing (40) in a direction to separate the second housing (40) from the first housing (10) by sliding on a guiding surface (27) in one of the first and second housings (10, 40) to be deflected and deformed in a direction intersecting a connecting direction of the first and second housings (10, 40) in the process of connecting the first and second housings (10, 40).

Claims

1. A connector, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing connectable to the first housing along a connecting direction and configured to be held connected to the first housing at a proper connection position; and

at least one detector mounted on the first housing and configured to be pressed by the second housing when connecting the first and second housings, the detector having two spaced apart resilient arms configured to slide on at least one guiding surface on one of the first and second housings when connecting the first and second housings and to be deflect resiliently toward one another in directions intersecting the connecting direction when connecting the first and second housings, resilient restoring forces of the deflected resilient arms applying a separation force to the second housing in a direction to separate the second housing from the first housing so that the deflected resilient arm of the detector separates the second housing from the first housing when the first and second housings are not connected completely, thereby detecting an incomplete connection of the first and second housings.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first housing includes a lock arm and the second housing is configured to be held connected to the first housing by being locked by the lock arm at the proper connection position.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the guiding surface is provided in the first housing and defines a slant for deflecting and deforming the resilient arm portion inward on the first housing.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the detector includes at least one regulating portion configured to regulate deflection and deformation of the lock arm in a direction to release a locked state to the second housing by contacting the lock arm when the first and second housings are connected properly.

5. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a resilient member between the resilient arms and configured to be pressed and deformed resiliently by the resilient arms and to assist separation forces by the resilient arms.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the resilient member is a single torsion spring.

7. A connector of claim 5, wherein the first housing includes a housing main body configured to define a deflection space for the lock arm between a lock piece of the lock arm and the housing main body, and the resilient member being arranged between the lock piece and the housing main body at least before the detector is moved.