GB2180657A

GB2180657A - Apparatus for checking the fitting of connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2180657A
Application number: GB08622346A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shinichi Kato
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 1985-09-17
Filing date: 1986-09-17
Publication date: 1987-04-01
Also published as: GB8622346D0; JPH0535554B2; JPS6264082A

Abstract

A first connector 1 with a plurality of first terminals has a groove 1b formed between two adjacent first terminals 14,17, which have opposite contact elements 9a,9b projecting into the groove 1b. A mating second connector 2 with second terminals 15a,15b .... corresponding to the first terminals has a projection 4a insertable into the groove 1b to perform disconnection for connection) of the opposite contact elements 9a,9b when the connectors 1,2 are fitted together at a predetermined position. An electrical device warns of incomplete fitting of the connectors 1,2 in accordance with the connection (or disconnection) of the contact elements 9a,9b. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for checking the fitting of connectors The present invention relates to an apparatus for confirming the fitting state of connectors.

Connectors are used to electrically connect various electrical parts, disposed in avehicleforexample,to each other. The connectors usually consist of male and female connectors fitted to each other in an electrical connection.

A locking mechanism may be disposed between both male and female connectors to securely fit them to each other. Such a locking mechanism may have a locking arm disposed on the housing ofthefemale connector and a receiver disposed on the housing of the male connectorto receive the locking arm ofthe female connector. The locking arm and the receiver are locked togetherwhen the male and female connectors are completely fitted to each other. In such a conventional apparatus, the complete fitting of the male and female connectors is confirmed by a click heard orfeltwhen the locking arm is locked into the receiver member, or by looking at the locked state between the male and female connectors.

However, there may be often many noises in the place where the connectors are used so that it may be difficult for the operator assembling the connectors to confirm the locking click in such a place. Further, when the connectors are disposed in a place where they cannot be seen from the outside, such as on the back panel side of an instrument, the connectors must befitted to each other by groping and it is impossible to confirm the fitting state of the connectors bysight.

To overcome the problems mentioned above, an object of the present invention isto provide an appar- atus for confirming the fitting of connectors in which the fitting state of the connectors can be reliably confirmed.

The present invention provides apparatusforcon firming thefitting of connectors comprising firstcon nector means having a pluraiity of firstterminals therein and a groove formed between two adjacent firstterminals,saidtwoadjacentfirstterminalsrespectively having opposite contact elements projecting into the groove, second connector means having second terminals corresponding to said firstterminalstherein and a projection inserted into the groove ofthe first connector means to perform one of connection and disconnection between said opposite contact elements of the first connector means when thefirstand second connector means are in an operative position, and means forforming the incomplete fitting of the first and second connector means in accordance with the other of connection and disconnection between said opposite contact elements of the first connector means caused when the projections is not inserted into the groove.

The invention will be described further, byway of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is an electrical circuit showing an embodiment of apparatus for confirming the fitting of connectors; Figure 2A is a perspective view of a female connector in the confirming apparatus; Figure2B is a perspective view of a male connector oftheconfirming apparatus; Figure3A is a sectional view taken along line A-A ofthefemaleconnectorof Figure2A; Figure3B is a sectional viewtaken along lineA-Aof Figure 2A in the fitting state of the male and female connectors; and Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a female terminal confirming the fitting of the connectors and disposed in the female connector of Figure 2A.

In Figure 1, an apparatus for confirming the fitting of connectors comprises a buzzer 7 for annunciating an abnormal state of a sensor 8 for detecting the liquid level of engine cooling water in a radiator. The buzzer7 is actuated to give an alarm when the male and female connectors are not fitted into each other in a connector device to be described below. The buzzer 7 is used as a means for warning of a deficiency ofthe engine cooling water and is activated and de-activated by the liquid level sensor 8. In Figure 1, the present invention is applied to an apparatus for confirming the fitting states of five connector devices, by way of example. A battery 5 is electrically connected to the buzzer 7through a fuse 6.The buzzer 7 is electrically connected to the liquid level sensor 8 and to five contacts 9 - 13 respectively disposed in the five connectordevicess and each confirming the fitting state of each of the five connector devices. Each connector device has male and female connectors.

The five contracts 9 - 13 are electrically connected in parallel to each other between the buzzer 7 and the ground. Each ofthe contacts9- 13 isopenedwhen the corresponding male and female connectors are fitted to each other, and is closed when the corresponding male and female connectors are notfitted to each other. The buzzer 7 is actuated to give an alarm when the male and female connectors are not fitted to each other in at least one ofthefiveconnec- tor devices.

Figures 2Ato 4 show the structure of a connector device with the contact 9 having male and female connectors.

Figures 2Ashows afemale connector 1 with a pluralityoffemaleterminals,inthiscasesixfemale terminals, including adjacentfemaleterminals 14 and 1 7 for confirming the fitting of th e fema I e co n- nector 1 and a male connector 2 shown in Figures 2B.

The six female terminals are supported by respective support arms 16 integral with the housing 1 a ofthe female connector 1 as shown in Figure3A.Agroove 1 b is disposed between the adjacentfemaleterminals 14 and 17 in the housing 1a of the female connector 1.The maleconnector 1 to befitted intothe female connector 1 has six maleterminals 15a - 15f corresponding to the sixfemaleterminals ofthe female connector 1, and thetwo adjacent maleterminals '15a and 1 sub correspond to the adjacent femaleterminals 14and 17.The male connector 2 has a projection 4a projecting toward the space between the male terminals 1 5a and 1 sub within the housing 2a of the male connector 2. The projection 4a ofthe male connector2 is fitted into the groove 1 b of the female connector 1 when the male and female connectors 1 and 2 are fitted to each other. In this embodiment, the female terminal 17 is a terminal for the ground. in Figures 2A and 2B, a locking arm 3 formed ontothe female connector 1 is engageable as a snap-fit with a receiver 4 disposed in the male con nector 2 together with the fitting ofthe projection 4a into the groove 1 b when the male and female connectors 2 and 1 are fitted to each other.

As shown in Figure 4, the female terminal 14 of the female connector 1 has an elastic contact arm 9a in tes ray with thefemale terminal 14. The contact arm 9a is electrically connected to the buzzer 7 as shown in Figure 1 Thefemaleterminals 17 ofthefemale connector 1 also has an elastic contact arm 9b in tegralwiththefemaleterminal 17 and electrically connected to the ground. The contact arms 9a and 9b project into the groove 1 b.

As shown in Figure 3A, when the male connector2 is notfitted into the female connector 1, the contact arms 9a and 9b are in the closed state and therefore electrically connected to each other, thereby closing their contact 9. When the male and female connectors 2 and 1 are fitted to each other as shown in Figure3B,theprojection4aofthemaleconnector2is fitted into the groove 1 b of the female connector 1 and the contact arms 9a and 9b are elastically deflected by the projection 4a from their original positions.

When the male and female connectors 2 and 1 have been completely fitted to each other at a predetermined position,thecontactarms9a and 9b are separated from each other so that the contact arms 9a and 9b are in the open state, thereby opening their contact 9. In this state, the contact portions 1 4a and 17a of the female terminals 14 and 17 and the contact portions ofthe remaining fema le terminals in the female connector 1 simultaneously electrically contactthe respective male terminals 1 5a - 1 5f ofthe male connector 2.

According to the apparatus in the embodiment mentioned above, when the male and female connectors have been completelyfittedto each other at a predetermined positiion in each of the five connector devices, the corresponding contacts 9 - 13 are opened so that the buzzer 7 is not actuated and does not give an alarm. However, when there is at least one connector device in which the male and female connectors are not completelyfitted to each other, the corresponding contact remains closed so that the annunciating buzzer7 is actuated and gives an alarm for informing of the incomplete fitting of the female and male connectors in that connector device.

In the above embodiment, a buzzerforwarning of a deficiency of the liquid level of engine cooling water in a radiator is used as an annunciating buzzer, but anotherannunicating buzzer may be used. Furthermore, instead of a buzzer, a chimeora 1 mp orany other audible orvisible warning device may be used as an annunciating means.

Although, in the above embodiment, the contact forconfirmingthefitting of male and female connectors is opened and closed when these connectors are respectively fitted and not fitted into each other, such a contact may instead be constructed such that the contact is closed and opened when the male and female connectors are respectively fitted and notfitted into each other.

Furthermore, although, in the above embodiment, thefemaleterminals 14 and 17 are used for confirm- ingthefitting ofthe male and female connectors, in steadfemaleterminalsfortransmitting a signal in a connector device may be used for confirming the fitting ofthe male and female connectors. In addition, although the female terminal 17 is also used as a there minal forthe ground, the female terminal 17may be used instead solely as a terminal for confirming the fitting oftheconnectors.

Claims

1. Apparatus for confirming the fitting of connectors, comprising; first connector means having a plurality offiretter- minaistherein and a groove formed between two adjacentfirstterminals, the said two adjacent first terminals respectively having opposite contact elements projecting into the groove; second connector means having second terminals therein, corresponding to the first terminals, and a projection insertable into the groove of the first connector means to perform disconnection or connection between the said opposite contact elements of the first connector means when the first and second connector means are fitted to each other at a predetermined position; and means for informing of the incomplete fitting of the first and second connector means in accordance with the connection or disconnection of said opposite contact elements ofthe first connector means caused when the projection is not inserted into the groove.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second connector means respectively comprisefemaleand maleconnectors.

3. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the said opposite contact elements of the first connector means are electrically disconnected from and connected to each other when the projection of the second connector means is respectively inserted and not inserted into the groove of the first connector means.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the informing means comprises an audible or visible warning device electrically connected to one of the said opposite contact elements of the first connector means, the other opposite contact element being electrically connected to the ground.

5. Apparatus for confirming the fitting of connectors, comprising; (a) a plurality of connector devices each comprising; (i) first connector means having firstterminals, a contactwith a pair of contact elements oppositely disposed in two of the adjacentfirstterminals, and a grooveformed between the said two adjacentfirst terminals, the said pair of contact elements projecting into the groove, the contacts of the connector devices being electrically connected in parallel to each other; and (ii) second connector means having second ter minals, corresponding to the first terminals ofthe first connector means, and a projection insertable into the groove of the first connector means to perform one of connection and disconnection ofthe contact ofthe first connector means when the first and second connector means are fitted to each other art a predetermined position; and (b) meansforinforming ofthe incomplete fitting of the first and second connector means in at leastone of the connector devices in accordance with the other of connection and disconnection of the contact of each first connector means caused when the projection of the second connector means is not inserted into the groove of the first connector means.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the first and second connector means are respectively female and male connectors, and the first and second terminals are respectively female and maleterminals, one of the said contact elements in each female connector being electrically connected to the said informing means and the other of the said contact elements being electrically connected to the ground.

7. Apparatusforconfirmingthefitting ofcon nectors, substantially as described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.