Patent · US Expired

Electrical connector enabling prevention of incomplete coupling

US4892490A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
2References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 14, 1988
Grant dateJan 9, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 14, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01R13/73
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In an electrical connector, a male connector body and a female connector body are coupled and locked together to effect the mechanical connection of electrical terminals housed in the respective connector bodies. To prevent incomplete coupling of the relevant connector bodies, a path is formed in the male connector body in such a manner as to correspond to the shape and dimension of a bracket for fixing the electrical connector to the body of an automotive vehicle or components thereof, and a rib is provided on the female connector body in such a manner as to traverse the path. This rib blocks a part of the path when the two connector bodies are improperly coupled with each other, thus making it possible to detect incomplete coupling. An electrical connector of another type has another configuration for the same purpose. In this second type of electrical connector, a support finger and a detection finger are provided on a bracket, and a path is formed in the male connector body in such a manner as to correspond to the shape and dimension of the support finger, a rib being provided on the rearward portion of the female connector body. This rib is adapted to be abutted by the detecti…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.