Light source integrated connector

• US 9,831,616 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kurita, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad
• Application Number:
  US14/699,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20150321601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 439360, 439490, 362544
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/748 using one or more screws H01R13/746 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

A connector (10) includes a main body (30) having a mounting plate (31) to be mounted on a body of a vehicle and a fitting (32) that penetrates through the mounting plate (31) in a front-back direction and a display plate (50) mounted on an outer peripheral side of the connector fitting (32) and on a front side of the mounting plate (31). The display plate (50) includes a display (52), a receptacle (53) provided to be open backward from the display (52) and a light source unit (70) having a light source configured to irradiate the display (52) with light from behind and to be locked from behind by the mounting plate (31) in a state accommodated in the receptacle (53).

Claims

1. A light source integrated connector, comprising:

a connector main body including a mounting plate having opposite front and rear sides, the rear side to be mounted on a body of a vehicle;

at least one connector fitting penetrating through the mounting plate from the rear side to the front side and configured to accommodate terminals therein;

a display plate mounted on an outer peripheral side of the connector fitting and on the front side of the mounting plate, the display plate including at least one display portion on a front side of the display plate, and a receptacle open rearward and away from the display portion; and

at least one light unit accommodated in the receptacle and locked to the front side of the mounting plate, the at least one light unit having at least one light source configured to irradiate the display portion with light.

2. The light source integrated connector of claim 1, wherein the mounting plate comprises a plurality of protrusions protruding toward an outer peripheral side substantially with the connector fitting portion as a center, and the light unit is locked from behind by at least two adjacent protruding portions.

3. The light source integrated connector of claim 1, wherein the light unit includes at least one locking portion to be locked from the front to at least one locked portion on the receptacle.

4. The light source integrated connector of claim 1, wherein the light unit is sandwiched in the front-back direction by the display portion and the mounting plate.

5. The light source integrated connector of claim 1, wherein the light source unit includes at least one light element substrate having at least one light element mounted thereon and a back lid arranged behind the light element substrate, and wherein the light element substrate is held in contact with the display portion.