Interlocking electric connectors

• US 4,357,070 A
• Filed: 07/29/1980
• Issued: 11/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tokai Electric Wire Company Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Kazunobu, Motokawa, Masatomo
• Primary Examiner(s): McQuade, John
• Application Number:
  US06/173,285
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 339/47 R, 339/47 C, 339/276 T, 339/278 T
• US Class Current: 439/816
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/213 by bayonet connection

Abstract

An electric connector comprising a pair of interlocking crimp-type terminals having bolt holes in flat contact portions which are brought into concentric relationship when the terminals are locked by means of interlocking lugs each extended from the outer circumference of each terminal. The bolt hole of one or a large terminal has a pair of diametrically opposite notches so that the flat contact portion of the other or a small terminal is partially inserted into the hole of one terminal in such a way that the flat contact portions of the terminals overlap each other with the concentric bolt holes and the interlocking lugs engage with each other, preventing the displacement of the terminals.

Claims

1. An electric connector comprising a pair of substantially flat ring terminals each adapted to be secured to the end of an electric conductor wire, one of said terminals having an unobstructed bolt hole therethrough and the other of said terminals having an unobstructed hole therethrough through which a portion of said one terminal may be passed, each of said terminals including on its outer periphery an interlocking lug, the lug on said one terminal being on said portion thereof, the arrangement being such that said one terminal portion can be passed through the opening in said other terminal and said interlocking lugs engaged to maintain said one terminal in flatwise overlapping and underlapping engagement with said other terminal and with said bolt hole unobstructed for reception of a bolt therethrough.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 including a detent projection extending from a flat surface of one of said terminals for engagement with edge means on the other of said terminals when said terminals are assembled with the lugs in interlocking engagement to restrain disassembly thereof.

3. An electric connector as defined in claim 1 in which each terminal includes a portion adapted to be crimped onto the end of an electric conductor wire.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 including a wire harness comprising first and second harness elements having ends to which said terminals are respectively connected.