WO1998052252A1

WO1998052252A1 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: WO1998052252A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/009791
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hiroshi Kitamura
Original assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
Priority date: 1997-05-14
Filing date: 1998-05-14
Publication date: 1998-11-19
Also published as: JP3301594B2; JPH10312847A; AU7385498A; TW368765B

Abstract

An electrical connector having retention members allow the use of automatic machines for its assembly, thereby facilitating the assembly process. Electrical connector (1) has retention members (12, 14) fabricated as an integral part of a housing (2) in the mold in an open state. When the housing (2) is ejected from the mold in the direction (B), the retention members (12, 14) interfere with an inside surface (82) of the mold (80) which presses them in the direction (C), thus forcing a step (12c) to engage with an edge (30a) of the housing (2), thereby automatically placing the retention members in a temporary-retention position relative to the housing (2).

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR This invention relates to electrical connectors, especially to electrical connectors having a retention member intended for the retention of contacts, the retention member is fabricated as an integral part of the housing and connected thereto by means of a hinge .

Electrical connectors having a retention member intended for the retention of contacts which is formed as an integral part of the housing are known as, for example, the electrical connector 200 disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 95-19964 and shown in Figure 13 has a retention member 202 formed as an integral part of the housing 204 and connected thereto by means of a hinge 206. In the side wall 208 of the housing 204, lugs 210 for temporary retention and lugs 212 for full retention are formed. The retention member 202 has a slot 214 provided for the disposition of therein lugs 210, 212. The retention member 202 is mounted so that it is first engaged with the lug 210 for the temporary-retention position. Next, the retention member 202 is pressed diagonally so that it is engaged with the full-retention lug 212 whereby it assumes the full-retention position. In this position, shoulder 216 engages an electrical contact (not shown) , thereby retaining the contact in a contact-receiving cavity of the housing. In this conventional connector, the retention member operates as a two-step retainer.

In the conventional connector described above, the retention member 202 is connected to the housing by a long hinge 206 formed in the process of molding, and it must be set in the temporary-retention position by hand. This involves an additional assembly operation. Another problem is that the retention member 202 located at a front end of the hinge 206 is at a distance from the housing 204. This can result in tangling with other units after the molding, thus requiring additional work, or even in the breaking of the hinge. The fact that in order to move the retention member from the temporary- retention position to the full-retention position requires a shift in direction which also can result in defective workmanship.

It is difficult to automate the operation of placement of the retention member 202 in the temporary- retention position rather than perform it manually because the position of the retention member 202 after the molding is uncertain. Since, as mentioned above, the placement of the retention member from the temporary- retention position to the full-retention position involves switching direction, the automation of this operation presents even more problems.

The purpose of the present invention is to offer an electrical connector free of the above-mentioned disadvantages which would provide ease in handling, be suitable for automatic assembly and be subject to mass-scale industrial production.

An electrical connector according to this invention has electrical contacts that are retained in contact- receiving cavities of the housing by means of a retention member which is connected by a hinge to an insulating housing as an integral part thereof, and the retention member is connected to an outside wall of the housing in a pivotal manner and can assume a temporary- retaining position in which the contacts can be inserted in the contact-receiving cavities and a full-retaining position in which the contacts are secured in the contact-receiving cavities of the housing, with each of the positions being attainable due to an interaction between the housing and the retention member when the retention member is moved generally in the direction of its pivoting rotation.

In addition, the housing of the electrical connector according to this invention is molded with the retention member being in an open position, but during extraction of the housing from the mold, the retention member is pressed to the temporary-retaining position due to interference with an inside wall of the mold and remains in this position.

It is desirable that a free end of the retention member according to this invention has a step for the temporary-retention position and another step for the full-retention position.

An electrical connector housing has contact- receiving cavities for receiving electrical contacts therein, a retention member is hingedly mounted to the housing and being moved to a full-retention position to retain the electrical contacts in the contact-receiving cavities, wherein the retention member and the housing have first members for retaining the retention member in a temporary-retention position during the molding of the housing so that the electrical contacts can be inserted into the respective contact-receiving cavities, and second members for retaining the retention member in a full-retention position to retain the electrical contacts in the contact-receiving cavities.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of an electrical connector according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a back view of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a side view of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along 6-6 of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a retention member in the molded position during the molding.

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the retention member in the temporary-retention position.

Figure 11 is a part cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the electrical connector.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of practical use of the electrical connector shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a part side view of a conventional electrical connector.

Figure 1 is front view of electrical connector 1 according to this invention shown with electrical contacts removed. In the insulating housing 2 molded from a suitable synthetic resin, contact-receiving cavities 4 accommodating the contacts (not inserted) are arranged in two rows. Inside each cavity 4, a housing lance 6 is formed facing inside the housing 2 for the purpose of primary retention of contacts therein. Cavities 4 located in different rows are shifted relative to each other and fabricated with a high precision to avoid interference between lances 6. Along an upper surface 8 and bottom surface 10 of the housing, retention members 12, 14 for the retention of contacts are provided which extend outwardly from the surfaces. In the retention members 12, 14, gaps 18 are located to fit over partitions 16 between cavities 4 when the retention members are closed. In Figures 1-11, the retention members 12, 14 are shown in a temporary- retention position.

In Figure 2, the retention member 12 located along the upper surface 8 of the housing can be seen. Retention member 12 is connected to the housing 2 as an integral part thereof by means of a hinge 20 shown by the chain line extending along the substantially entire length of the retention member. In the upper surface 8 of the housing 2, slots 22 aligned with cavities 4 are provided. The purpose of the slots 22 is to prevent the contacts from being inserted backwards, in other words, to accommodate lugs preventing incorrect insertion of the contacts. Such lugs can be seen, for example, in Figure 11 as lug 182 of the contact 180.

In Figure 3, the retention member 14 is shown along the bottom surface 10 of the housing 2. Similar to the retention member 12, the retention member 14 is also connected to the housing 2 by means of hinge 21 as an integral part thereof. Also similar to Figure 2, slots 23 corresponding to each cavity 4 are located. On both ends of the housing 2, ribs 24 are located extending from the front surface (that is the mating surface) 26 to the back surface 28. The ribs 24 are provided to prevent incorrect mating of the connector 1 with a mating connector.

Figure 4 is the back view of the connector 1 shown in Figure 1. Slots 22, 23 in upper walls 30 and bottom walls 32 of the cavities 4 can be seen. Figure 5 is a side view of the connector shown in Figure 1 as seen along the arrow A. In the side wall 34, a latching arm 36 is provided obliquely extending from the mating surface 26 the purpose of which is to secure the connector 1 in the connected position. Figure 6 shows the arrangement of lances 6 inside cavities 4, whereas Figure 7 clearly shows the arrangement of lances 6 in cavities 4. At the front end of the lance 6, a lug 6a is provided which engages the contact 180 (Figure 11) thereby forming a primary retention of the contact. It is seen from Figure 7 that the portion of the retention member 14 corresponding to the partition 16 is a gap 18. In the bottom surface 12a of the retention member 12, a groove 12b is formed which is aligned with the slot 22. The width of groove 12b is practically the same as that of the slot 22. The purpose of the groove is to accommodate the polarity lug of the contact . Figure 8 shows that the retention member 12 is engaged with an upper wall 30 of the housing 2 by means of a step 12c at a location away from the slot 22 to form the temporary-retention position. In the bottom retention member 14, a groove 14b is provided aligned with the slot 23. Similar to the retention member 12, retention member 14 is also engaged with a bottom wall 32 by a step at a location away from the slot 23. Detailed explanations concerning these positions of the retention members 12, 14 are given with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the retention member 12 during the molding process. The cross section of the retention member 12 is nearly triangular. At a free end (that is the front end) of the retention member 12, two steps 12c and 12d are formed for the temporary-retention position and the full- retention position, respectively. The retention member 12 is molded as an integral part of the housing 2. A portion of mold 80 is shown in Figure 9. The front facing surfaces of steps 12c and 12d are slightly tapered backwards in order to provide positive engagement with the housing 2.

After the completion of molding process, the housing 2 is ejected from the mold in the direction shown by arrow B by means of an ejection pin or other suitable device. During the ejection, surface 12e of the retention member 12 interferes with an inside surface of the mold 80 which presses the retention member 12 in the direction shown by arrow C. As a result, the step 12c engages against edge 30a of the upper wall 30. Therefore, when the connector 1 is removed from the mold, the retention member 12 is automatically placed in the temporary-retention position. This substantially reduces the danger of entanglement of housings 2 with each other by retention members.

Figure 10 illustrates the retention member 12 in the temporary-retention position. When the retention member 12 is in the temporary retention position, the contacts are inserted in the cavities 4 and become engaged with lances 6; thereafter, the retention member 12 is pressed in the direction shown by arrow D so that the step 12d engages against the edge 30a, thus forming the full-retention position. In order to attain the full-retention position, it is sufficient to simply push the retention member 12 in the direction shown by the arrow D which can be performed either manually or automatically since its initial position is well ascertained. This makes it possible to substantially streamline the assembly process. Detailed explanations concerning the retention member 14 are identical and are not provided herein. Figure 11 shows connector 100, another embodiment of the present invention. Configuration and operation of retention member 112, 114 of the connector 100 are slightly different. Since the retention members 112, 114 are identical, an explanation concerning only the retention member 112 is provided. In Figure 11, retention members 112, 114 are shown in the position during the molding process. On a lower surface at a front end of the retention member 112, a rib 116 is formed which extends inside. And on a side wall of housing 102, a rib 118 for temporary retention and a rib 120 for full retention are provided. Similar to the connector 1, when the retention member 112 is ejected from the mold, surface 112e is pressed down by the inside surface of the mold so that the rib 116 is latched at the temporary-retention position. That is, it overrides the rib 118 and is positioned between the rib 118 and the rib 120. In this position the connector 100 is extracted from the mold. After that, contacts 180 are inserted as in the contact-receiving cavities 104 of housing 102 of the connector 100, the retention member 112 can be pressed inwardly to the full-retention position by an automatic machine tool. Housing lances 106 are located in contact-receiving cavities 104 as primary latching or retention members.

As an example of practical application, the connectors 1, 100 can be used as modules. For example, as shown in Figure 12, connectors 100' similar to connectors 100 can be arranged in spaces 152 of a rectangular frame 150 made of a suitable plastic material. The retention member differs only by the fact that the surface of the retention member is tapered. On the front end of the frame 150, openings 154 are provided for reception of pin contacts (not shown) of a mating connector. When the connectors 100' are completely inserted in the spaces 152 of the frame 150, tapered inside surfaces 156, 158 of the frame 150 engage with respective surfaces 112e, 114e of the retention members 112, 114. If at this time the retention members 112, 114 are not fully inserted, that is if contacts 180 are not properly inserted in their contact-receiving cavities, the retention members 112, 114 will interfere with the inside surfaces 156, 158 of the frame 150, thus making it impossible to insert the connectors 100' inside the spaces in the frame. This can be used as an indicator of incomplete insertion of contacts 180. When connectors 100' are inserted in the frame 150, lugs (not shown) made on an inner surface of the frame 150 are engaged with the latching arms 36 (Figure 6) , thus securing the connectors in the frame 150.

Above, explanations concerning preferred embodiments of the electrical connector according to this invention have been provided; however, various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the hinges extend almost the entire width of the retention member; however hinges can be made in the form of part connections arranged at several locations. The retention members as described in these embodiments are designed for two-step retention; however it is possible to use retention members with only a one step retention. Configuration of steps 12c, 12d also can be changed as required or made in a curved shape. It is also possible to provide a stop member located on the outside surface of the housing restraining the pusher of the automatic machine tool pressing down the retention members 12, 14 when the connectors are designed for automatic assembly. It is also possible to provide for an arrangement allowing for the placement of the retention members in the full-retention position by means of an automatic machine disposed on the sides of the housing. The electrical connector according to the present invention has retention members connected to a housing in a pivotal manner which can assume a temporary- retention position allowing for the insertion of contacts and a full-retention position securing the contacts in the housing, thereby featuring the following effects.

Electrical connectors are easy to handle and assembly operations are simplified therefore making it possible to use automatic machines for assembly. Due to the fact that the retention members interfere with the inside surfaces of the mold when the housing of the electrical connector according to this invention is extracted from the mold, the retention members are automatically placed in a temporary- retention position, thus improving productivity, facilitating assembly and making it possible to automate the assembly of the electrical connectors.

Claims

1. An electrical connector housing (2, 102) having contact-receiving cavities (4, 104) for receiving electrical contacts therein, a retention member (12, 112) hingedly mounted to the housing and being moved to a full-retention position to retain the electrical contacts in the contact-receiving cavities; characterized in that the retention member (12, 112) and the housing (2, 102) have first members (12C, 30a, 116, 118) for retaining the retention member in a temporary-retention position during the molding of the housing so that the electrical contacts can be inserted into the respective contact-receiving cavities, and second members (12d, 30a, 116, 120) for retaining the retention member in the full-retention position to retain the electrical contacts in the contact-receiving cavities.

2. An electrical connector housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first members (12c, 30a) include a step (12c) at a front end of the retention member (12) and an edge (30a) of a wall (30) of the housing (2) .

3. An electrical connector housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first members (116, 118) include a rib (116) on the retention member and a rib (118) on the housing (102) .

4. An electrical connector housing as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second members (12d, 30a) include a step (12d) at the front end of the retention member (12) and an edge (30a) of a wall (30) of the housing (2) .

5. An electrical connector housing as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second members (116, 120) include the rib (116) on the retention member and a rib (120) on the housing (102) .

6. An electrical connector housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein housing lances (6, 106) are located in the contact-receiving cavities (4, 104) as primary retention members.

7. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention member (12, 112) is positioned at the temporary-retention position when the electrical connector housing (2, 102) is removed from the mold in which the electrical connector housing is molded as a result of the interference between the mold and the electrical connector housing during the removal of the electrical connector housing from the mold.