Electrical connector and locking member of electrical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10446982-B2
Application number	US-201815873897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2018
Priority date	Jan 20, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a plug connector and a locking member. The plug connector includes a conductive outer conductor shell electrically connected to a contact of a mating connector, and the outer conductor shell includes a cylindrical fitting portion fitted to a ground contact member. An outer diameter of the fitting portion is configured to be enlarged when the fitting portion is attached to or removed from the ground contact member, and the locking member includes a regulation portion capable of regulating the enlargement of the fitting portion. A guide portion is configured to guide the movement of the regulation portion with respect to the fitting portion, as the regulation portion is moved between a regulation position and a standby position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a first connector; and
a locking member attached to the first connector,
wherein the first connector includes a first contact having a conductive property and configured to be electrically connected to a second contact of a second connector which is a mating connector, the first contact includes a cylindrical fitting portion configured to be attached to the second contact of the second connector,
wherein an outer diameter of the cylindrical fitting portion is configured to be temporarily enlarged when the cylindrical fitting portion is being attached to the second contact of the second connector,
wherein the locking member includes:
a regulation portion configured to prohibit an enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion associated with removing the cylindrical fitting portion from the second contact of the second connector; and
a guide portion configured to guide the regulation portion as it moves with respect to the cylindrical fitting portion, and

wherein the guide portion is configured to guide the regulation portion as it moves between a regulation position associated with regulating the enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion and a standby position in which the enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion is not prohibited by the regulation portion.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the regulation portion includes a pair of arm portions configured to regulate the enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion by sandwiching the cylindrical fitting portion from an outside radial direction.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2 ,
wherein a gap between the pair of arm portions is narrower than the outer diameter of the cylindrical fitting portion when it is enlarged.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3 ,
wherein the guide portion is configured to guide the movement of the regulation portion in a locking direction intersecting a direction of engagement of the cylindrical fitting portion.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4 ,
wherein the electrical connector is attached to one end of a cable, and
wherein the locking direction in which the guide portion guides the movement of the regulation portion is in an axial direction of the cable.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first connector includes a lid portion covering a surface opposite to a side of receiving the second contact of the second connector in a fitting direction of the cylindrical fitting portion and a rail portion provided in the lid portion and extending in the axial direction, and
the guide portion includes a sliding portion extending in the axial direction and sliding along the rail portion to guide the movement of the regulation portion in the axial direction.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6 ,
wherein at least one of the sliding portion and the rail portion includes a first protrusion portion protruding toward the other side and the other thereof includes an engagement portion engaging with the first protrusion portion after a position of the regulation portion reaches the regulation position by the sliding of the sliding portion.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6 ,
wherein the guide portion includes a flat portion provided to cover the lid portion configured to face the pair of arm portions in the direction of engagement and to hold the sliding portion, and
wherein the flat portion is provided with an opening.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 3 ,
wherein the guide portion includes a pair of extension portions that extend from the pair of arm portions of the regulation portion,
wherein the pair of extension portions is configured to sandwich the cylindrical fitting portion from the outside radial direction while the regulation portion is disposed at the standby position, and
wherein a gap between the pair of extension portions is wider than a gap between the pair of arm portions.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9 ,
wherein at least one of the pair of extension portions includes a second protrusion portion protruding toward the other side, and
the second protrusion portion is provided at an end portion opposite to a position continuous to the arm portion in the extension portion and protrudes to prevent the cylindrical fitting portion from passing between the pair of extension portions while contacting the cylindrical fitting position.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 3 ,
wherein the guide portion includes a pair of extension portions that extend from the pair of arm portions of the regulation portion,
wherein the pair of extension portions sandwiches the cylindrical fitting portion from the outside radial direction while the regulation portion is disposed at the standby position, and
wherein an amount of rigidity of the pair of extension portions is lower than an amount of rigidity of the pair of arm portions.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first connector is a plug connector attached to one end of a coaxial cable,
the second connector is a receptacle connector mounted on a substrate electrically connected to the coaxial cable and fitted to the plug connector, and
the second contact of the second connector is a ground contact connected to a ground terminal of the substrate.

13. An electrical connector comprising:
a first connector; and
a locking member attached to the first connector,
wherein the first connector includes a first contact having a conductive property and configured to be electrically connected to a second contact of a second connector which is a mating connector, the first contact includes a cylindrical fitting portion configured to be attached to the second contact of the second connector,
wherein an outer diameter of the cylindrical fitting portion is configured to be temporarily enlarged when the cylindrical fitting portion is being attached to the second contact of the second connector,
wherein the cylindrical fitting portion has a slit that is oriented in the direction of engagement and that is configured to become enlarged when the second contact of the mating connector is inserted into the cylindrical fitting portion,
wherein the locking member includes a regulation portion configured to prohibit an enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion associated with removing the cylindrical fitting portion from the second contact of the second connector,
wherein the regulation portion of the locking member includes a pair of arm portions configured to regulate the enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion by sandwiching the cylindrical fitting portion from an outside radial direction, and
wherein the pair of arm portions includes a pair of opposing projection portions extending toward the slit along the cylindrical fitting portion while the enlargement of the cylindrical fitting portion is regulated.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 13 ,
wherein the electrical connector is attached to one end of a cable, and
wherein the locking member is configured to move along a longitudinal axial direction of the cable.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 14 ,
wherein the locking member further includes a guide portion configured to guide the movement of the pair of arm portions from a standby position, in which the pair of arm portions is located near a base end of the cable, to a regulation position in which the pair of arm portions sandwiches the cylindrical fitting portion from the o

Assignees

• Dai Ichi Seiko Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukumoto Yasuaki
• Taguchi Satoru

Classifications

• H01R24/50

  mounted on a PCB [Printed Circuit Board] · CPC title

• H01R12/75

  connecting to cables except for flat or ribbon cables · CPC title

• H01R12/716

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title

• H01R12/7082

  Coupling device supported only by cooperation with PCB · CPC title

• H01R13/639 Primary

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title