A connector engagement detecting apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A male connector housing has a resilient lock arm and a movable piece mounted slidably on the lock arm. The rear end of the resilient lock arm is provided with a short-circuit path. The movable piece has two separate connecting electric paths, each of which has its one end attached to the underside of a top plate portion of the movable piece and the other end extending to the bottom of leg portions of the movable piece. The bottom portions of the two separate connecting electric paths are in sliding contact with terminal lugs installed in adjacent terminal accommodating chambers. As the two mating connector housings begin to be engaged, an engagement frame formed at the front end of the female connector housing pushes the movable piece backward and at the same time a lock projection formed at the upper surface of the lock arm advances into the engagement frame, deflecting the resilient lock arm downwardly. When the two connector housings are connected completely, the lock projection is received into an engagement hole in the engagement frame and the lock arm snaps back to its original shape, causing the rear end of the lock arm to engage with the underside of the movable piece. This short-circuits the two connecting electric paths on the underside of the movable piece, completing a detection circuit.

Inventors

• 👤 Yoshihiro Murakami

Bibliographic Details