Connector device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9893469-B2
Application number	US-201715488542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2017
Priority date	May 12, 2016
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A connector device comprises a connector and a mating connector. The connector comprises a housing formed with an axis portion and holding a power terminal and a detection terminal. The mating connector comprises a mating housing formed with a mating axis portion and holding a mating power terminal and a mating detection terminal. When the axis portion and the mating axis portion are combined, the connector is turnable from an opened position to a closed position via a predetermined position. When the connector is located at the opened position, the power terminal and the detection terminal are unconnected to the mating power terminal and the mating detection terminal, respectively. When the connector is turned to the predetermined position, the power terminal is connected to the mating power terminal. When the connector is turned to the closed position, the detection terminal is connected to the mating detection terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector device which comprises a connector and a mating connector which are mateable with each other, wherein:
the connector comprises a housing, a power terminal and a detection terminal;
the housing is formed with a bearing portion;
the power terminal and the detection terminal are held by the housing;
the mating connector comprises a mating housing, a mating power terminal and a mating detection terminal;
the mating housing is formed with a shaft portion;
when the bearing portion and the shaft portion are combined with each other, the connector is turnable on the shaft portion relative to the mating connector between an opened position and a closed position;
the mating power terminal and the mating detection terminal are held by the mating housing;
when the connector is located between the opened position and the closed position, the connector is located upward of the mating connector in an upper-lower direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft portion;
when the connector is located at the opened position, the power terminal is unconnected to the mating power terminal, and the detection terminal is unconnected to the mating detection terminal;
when the connector is located at a predetermined position between the opened position and the closed position, the power terminal is connected to the mating power terminal, but the detection terminal is unconnected to the mating detection terminal; and
when the connector is located at the closed position, the power terminal is connected to the mating power terminal, and the detection terminal is connected to the mating detection terminal.

2. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
each of the power terminal and the detection terminal is fixed to the housing and is unmovable relative to the housing; and
each of the mating power terminal and the mating detection terminal is fixed to the mating housing and is unmovable relative to the mating housing.

3. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the bearing portion and the power terminal is shorter than another distance between the bearing portion and the detection terminal.

4. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the housing is provided with a guide portion;
the mating housing is formed with a mating guide portion;
one of the guide portion and the mating guide portion is a projection, and a remaining one of the guide portion and the mating guide portion is a channel which has an arc-like shape; and
when the connector is turned, the projection is moved in the channel to guide a turn of the connector.

5. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the housing is formed with a guide path which guides the shaft portion to the bearing portion; and
when the connector is located at the opened position, the guide path extends along the upper-lower direction and opens downward.

6. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein when the connector is located between the predetermined position and the closed position, the power terminal is in contact with the mating power terminal in the axial direction.

7. The connector device as recited in claim 6 , wherein:
the shaft portion is formed with a flange which protrudes in a perpendicular plane perpendicular to the axial direction;
the bearing portion is formed with a guide face which extends in the perpendicular plane; and
when the connector is turned between the opened position and the closed position, the guide face guides a movement of the flange in the perpendicular plane.

8. The connector device as recited in claim 6 , wherein:
the power terminal has a blade which extends in a perpendicular plane perpendicular to the axial direction;
the blade has a first chamfered portion and a second chamfered portion; and
when the connector is located at the closed position, the first chamfered portion intersects with the upper-lower direction, and the second chamfered portion intersects with a front-rear direction perpendicular to both the upper-lower direction and the axial direction.

9. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the housing is formed with a regulated portion;
the mating housing is formed with a regulation portion; and
when the connector is turned from the closed position to the predetermined position, the regulated portion is brought into abutment with the regulation portion so that the regulation portion regulates a movement of the connector toward the opened position beyond the predetermined position.

10. The connector device as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the housing is formed with an additional regulated portion;
the mating housing is formed with an additional regulation portion; and
when the connector is turned from the opened position to the predetermined position, the additional regulated portion is brought into abutment with the additional regulation portion so that the additional regulation portion regulates a movement of the connector toward the closed position beyond the predetermined position.

11. The connector device as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the housing is provided with a base portion and a spring portion which is resiliently deformable;
the regulated portion is supported by the spring portion;
the spring portion is provided with a release portion;
when the connector is located at the closed position, the spring portion extends upward from the base portion, and the release portion is located at an upper end of the spring portion; and
when the release portion is moved outward in a radial direction of a turn of the connector, the spring portion is resiliently deformed, and a regulation of the regulated portion by the regulation portion is released.

12. The connector device as recited in claim 11 , wherein:
the mating housing is provided with a block portion;
when the connector is located at the closed position, the block portion is located inward of the release portion in the radial direction to block an operation of the release portion; and
when the connector is located at the predetermined position, the release portion is apart from the block portion in a circumferential direction of the turn of the connector and is operable without being blocked by the block portion.

13. The connector device as recited in claim 12 , wherein:
the mating housing has a wall portion which extends in the upper-lower direction;
each of the regulation portion and the block portion is provided on the wall portion;
the block portion is located at an upper end of the wall portion; and
when the connector is located at the closed position, the block portion is located at a position same as that of the release portion in the upper-lower direction.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tabata Yuya
• ISHIGAKI Akito
• Tabata Kiminobu
• Igarashi Koki

Classifications

• H01R13/639

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

• H01R13/703

  operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, {e.g. dual-continuity coupling part}(H01R13/71 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/6335

  comprising a handle · CPC title

• H01R13/7035

  comprising a separated limit switch · CPC title

• H01R13/629 Primary

  Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} · CPC title