1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector and to a connector assembly provided with a partial connection preventing function.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,542 and FIGS. 21 and 22 herein show a connector used in an airbag circuit of an automotive vehicle and constructed to prevent the connector from being left partly connected during a connecting operation. With reference to FIGS. 21 and 22, the connector has male and female housings 1 and 2 that are connectable with one another. The male housing 1 has a lock arm 3 that is deformed resiliently by a lock 4 of the female housing 2 as the male and female housings 1, 2 are being connected. A slider 5 is assembled with the male housing 1 and is biased forwardly by a spring 6. The deformed lock arm 3 prevents a backward movement of the slider 5. A rib 7 of the female housing 2 compresses the spring 6 during connection and a biasing force for separating the housings 1, 2 is accumulated in the spring 6. The biasing force in the spring 6 is released if the connecting operation is interrupted with the two connectors 1, 2 only partly connected to separate the housings 1, 2 forcibly. This prevents the two housings 1, 2 from being left partly connected.
The lock arm 3 returns resiliently to its original shape and engages the lock 4 when the connectors 1, 2 are connected properly. Thus, the lock arm 3 is disengaged from the slider 5, and the biasing force of the spring 6 is released to move the slider 5 back. At this time, a restricting portion 8 of the slider 5 enters a deformation space above the lock arm 3 and prevents the lock arm 3 from deforming. In this way, the two housings 1, 2 are held in a properly connected condition, and the connection reliability of the airbag circuit can be improved.
The two housings 1, 2 may have to be separated for maintenance or other reason. Separation is achieved by moving the slider 5 forward to retract the restricting portion 8 from the lock arm 3. The lock arm 3 then is deformed and disengaged from the lock 4 and the male housing 1 is pulled back.
The slider 5 must be pushed forward and the male housing 1 must be pulled back in succession to separate the two housings 1, 2. The need to operate the male housing 1 and the slider 5 in completely opposite directions creates difficulties and operational inefficiencies.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to improve separation operability.
The invention relates to a connector with a housing formed with a resilient lock arm. The housing is connectable with a mating housing formed with a lock. The lock arm deforms and moves onto the lock of the mating housing in the process of connecting the two housings. The lock arm then resiliently returns toward an undeformed condition and engages the lock when the housings are connected properly. A slider is assembled to the housing and is movable forward and back substantially along a connecting direction of the housings between a deformation preventing position where the slider enters a deformation space for the lock arm to prevent deformation of the lock arm and a deformation permitting position where the slider is retracted from the deformation space to permit deformation of the lock arm. At least one curved biasing member is mounted between the slider and the mating housing.
The two housings can be aligned with one another for connection with the slider at the deformation permitting position. Connection begins by moving the housings toward one another along the connecting direction. As a result, the lock arm moves onto the lock and deforms. The deformed lock arm engages the slider and prevents the slider from moving forward to the deformation preventing position. Accordingly, the biasing member is compressed between the mating housing and the slider and accumulates a biasing force to separate the housings. The lock arm returns to and undeformed condition and engages the lock when the housings are connected properly. Thus, the slider is freed, and the biasing force accumulated in the biasing member is released to move the slider forward to the deformation preventing position and prevents further deformation of the lock arm. Consequently, the housings are locked firmly together.
The connecting operation could be interrupted halfway. In this situation, the biasing force accumulated in the biasing member is released to separate the two housings. This prevents the two connectors from being left partly connected.
The biasing member preferably is curved through an arc of over 120xc2x0. Thus, the slider is moved forward by the biasing force of the biasing member when the housings are connected properly. Accordingly, the slider is operated in substantially the same direction as the mating housing is separated, thereby making separation operability better.
The housings can be separated by moving the slider back from the deformation preventing position to the deformation permitting position. The lock arm then is deformed and the housing is pulled back from the mating housing.
Opposite ends of the curved biasing member preferably face forward. One end preferably is received by a receiving portion of the slider and the other end is pushed by a pushing portion of the housing. Thus, the biasing member is compressed between the pushing portion and the receiving portion.
The slider preferably comprises a holding arm for engaging a holding portion of the mating housing and preventing the slider from moving forward from the deformation permitting position. At least one of the holding arm and the holding portion has a guide for guiding the holding arm through a resilient deformation to disengage the holding arm from the holding portion when a force of a specified intensity or higher acts on the slider to move the slider forward.
The slider can be held at the deformation permitting position until the housings are connected. Thus, the connecting operation can be performed with the slider at the deformation permitting position, thereby improving connection operability. The holding arm is guided through a resilient deformation and disengages automatically from the holding portion when the biasing force of the biasing member moves the slider forward during the connecting operation. As a result the slider moves forward to the deformation preventing position. The holding arm and the holding portion have a semi-locking construction. Hence, operability is better then a case where the holding arm must be deformed separately.
The slider preferably has a pushable portion to push the lock arm and to deform the lock arm when the slider is at the deformation permitting position.
The pushable portion is operated while the slider is moved back from the deformation preventing position to the deformation permitting position for separating the housings. Thus, the lock arm can be pushed and deformed, and operability is better than a case where the lock arm needs to be pushed after the slider is moved back.
The lock arm preferably comprises a disengagement guide that is pushed by the slider as the slider is moved toward the deformation permitting position for separating the housings. The disengagement guide guides the lock arm through a deformation that disengages the lock arm from the lock. Thus, the lock arm is deformed automatically by moving the slider back, and separation operability is improved as compared to a case where an operation of resiliently deforming the lock arm must be performed separately.
The slider may have a protecting portion to substantially cover at least part of the lock arm and the holding arm to prevent the lock arm and the holding arm from being inadvertently operated.
A seal ring may be mounted on the housing to provide water tightness between the housings.
A moving stroke of the slider may be substantially the same as a maximum compression of the biasing member. Accordingly, the biasing member can be returned to the substantially same state as before the connecting operation.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.