Connector device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9484668-B2
Application number	US-201514820898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A connector device comprises a connector and a mating connector connectable with each other. The mating connector comprises a mating primary terminal and a mating secondary terminal. The connector comprises a primary terminal, a secondary terminal, an operation member and a push-back mechanism. The operation member changes its state from an initial state to a second state via a second state. When the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the primary terminal is connected to the mating primary terminal. When the state of the operation member is changed to the second state, the secondary terminal is connected to the mating secondary terminal. When the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the push-back mechanism applies a push-back force to the operation member to change the state of the operation member back toward the initial state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector device comprising a connector and a mating connector connectable with each other, wherein:
the mating connector comprises a mating housing, a mating primary terminal and a mating secondary terminal;
the mating primary terminal and the mating secondary terminal are held by the mating housing;
the connector comprises a housing, a primary terminal, a secondary terminal, an operation member and a push-back mechanism;
the primary terminal is held by the housing;
the operation member is attached to the housing;
a movement of a part or whole of the operation member relative to the housing causes a state of the operation member to be changed from an initial state to a first state, and another movement of a part or whole of the operation member relative to the housing causes the state of the operation member to be changed from the first state to a second state;
when the operation member is in the initial state, the primary terminal is unconnected to the mating primary terminal, and the secondary terminal is unconnected to the mating secondary terminal;
when the state of the operation member is changed from the initial state to the first state, the primary terminal is moved relative to the mating primary terminal to be connected to the mating primary terminal;
when the state of the operation member is changed from the first state to the second state, the secondary terminal is moved relative to the mating secondary terminal to be connected to the mating secondary terminal; and
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the push-back mechanism applies a push-back force to the operation member, wherein the push-back force pushes back the operation member to change the state of the operation member back toward the initial state.

2. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
under a condition where the operation member is in the first state and the operation member receives a maintaining force which resists the push-back force, the operation member takes a controlled posture; and
under another condition where the operation member is in the first state and the operation member receives no maintaining force, the operation member takes a released posture which is different from the controlled posture.

3. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the push-back mechanism is provided to the operation member; and
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the push-back mechanism presses the housing to cause the push-back force.

4. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the operation member includes a lever and a slider;
the lever is attached to the housing and is movable between a first position and a second position each of which is a position relative to the housing;
the slider is attached to the lever and is movable between a first relative position and a second relative position each of which is a position relative to the lever;
when the operation member is in the initial state, the lever is located at the first position and the slider is located at the first relative position;
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the lever is moved to the second position;
when the state of the operation member is changed to the second state, the slider is moved to the second relative position; and
the push-back mechanism applies the push-back force directly or indirectly to the lever, wherein the push-back force pushes the lever back toward the first position.

5. The connector device as recited in claim 4 , wherein:
the push-back mechanism is provided to one of the slider and the housing; and
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the push-back mechanism presses a remaining one of the slider and the housing to cause the push-back force.

6. The connector device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the push-back mechanism is provided to the slider.

7. The connector device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the push-back mechanism is a spring piece which is integrally formed with the slider.

8. The connector device as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
the connector is provided with a receiving space;
when the operation member is in the initial state, the spring piece has an initial shape;
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the spring piece is resiliently deformed from the initial shape; and
when the slider of the operation member in the first state is moved to the second relative position, the spring piece is received, at least in part, in the receiving space to return to the initial shape.

9. The connector device as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
when the state of the operation member is changed from the first state to the second state, the slider is moved forward in a front-rear direction from the first relative position to the second relative position;
the housing is provided with a projecting portion which projects upward in an upper-lower direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction;
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the spring piece presses the projecting portion downward;
the projecting portion has a front side formed with a slope;
the lever has a sloping portion formed with a slope; and
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the sloping portion is located forward of and below the slope of the projecting portion.

10. The connector device as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
the spring piece has an engaging portion;
the lever has an engaged portion;
when the operation member is in the initial state, the engaging portion engages the engaged portion to prevent the slider from being moved from the first relative position to the second relative position; and
when the state of the operation member is changed to the first state, the engaging portion, which comes off the engaged portion, allows the slider to be moved from the first relative position to the second relative position.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kamei Yuji
• Kuwahara Akira
• Kawahara Makoto
• Fujii Ryo

Classifications

• H01R24/005

  requiring successive relative motions to complete the coupling, e.g. bayonet type · CPC title

• H01R31/08

  Short-circuiting members for bridging contacts in a counterpart · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/502

  composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/62938 Primary

  Pivoting lever comprising own camming means · CPC title