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.
A connector engagement detecting apparatus comprising: a first connector housing and a second connector housing, said first and second connector housing being adapted to be joined together; a resilient lock arm provided to the first connector housing; an engagement portion provided to the second connector housing to cooperate with said resilient lock arm; a movable piece for detecting the correct engagement of the two mating connector housings, said movable piece being mounted on the first connector housing so that it can be moved relative to the resilient lock arm; two connecting electric paths formed on said movable piece and having elastic contact ends; slots formed between a displacement permitting space for the resilient lock arm and adjacent terminal accommodating chambers, said slots being used to accommodate the contact ends of the two connecting electric paths so that the contact ends are in sliding contact with terminal lugs contained in the terminal accommodating chambers; and a short-circuit conducting path provided to a free end of the resilient lock arm, said short-circuit conducting path being adapted to engage with the two connecting electric paths when the first and second connector housings are connected completely.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A connector engagement detecting apparatus comprising: a first connector housing and a second connector housing, said first and second connector housing being adapted to be joined together; a resilient lock arm provided to the first connector housing; an engagement portion provided to the second connector housing to cooperate with said resilient lock arm; a movable piece for detecting the correct engagement of the two mating connector housings, said movable piece being mounted on the first connector housing so that it can be moved relative to the resilient lock arm; two connecting electric paths formed on said movable piece and having elastic contact ends; slots formed between a displacement permitting space for the resilient lock arm and adjacent terminal accommodating chambers, said slots being used to accommodate the contact ends of the two connecting electric paths so that the contact ends are in sliding contact with terminal lugs contained in the terminal accommodating chambers; and a short-circuit conducting path provided to a free end of the resilient lock arm, said short-circuit conducting path being adapted to engage with the two connecting electric paths when the first and second connector housings are connected completely.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
A connector engagement detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engagement detection movable piece is formed into a gate-like contour and movably straddled on the resilient lock arm, said two connecting electric paths provided to the movable piece extend from a top plate portion down to leg portions of the movable piece, and said elastic contact ends of the connecting electric paths are projected at the lower ends of the leg portions of the movable piece.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A connector engagement detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resilient lock arm is made of an elastic material and formed as a cantilever that has a sufficient recovering force.