Molex Corporation

Minoru Sano

Masahiro Sakano

Sumitaka Ogawa

Kouji Kano

An electrical connector is equipped with a device for detecting the mating and unmating of the male an female parts of the connector. The male part has an integral latchpiece and a pair of terminal pins connected to an associated detector circuit for detecting the mating of the male and female pars of the electric connector. The female part has an integral counter latching projection and an electrical conductor mounted on the counter latching projection for electrically connecting the pair of pins upon the mating-and-looking of the male and female parts. The counter latching projection functions as switching means responsive to the mating and unmating of the male and female parts of the electrical connector permitting the detector to detect the mating and unmating of the male and female parts.

Connector engagement detecting device

Disclosed is an improved electrical connector having at least one detachable spacer. The spacer is positioned so as to leave a space large enough for terminals to be inserted into the connector housing without interference with the overlying spacer or the spacer is adapted to float in response to the insertion of terminals after the terminals are located in the final terminal setting position. The spacer is moved into the final spacer mounting position, in which position latching projection of the locking arms of the spacer are fitted into the slots of top wall of the housing and at the same time, latching projections lock the underlying terminals, in the connector housing. To remove the spacer and hence the terminals from the connector housing it suffices that the spacer is raised up by its front edge to rotate until the latching projections are released from the slots. In the electrical connector no load is applied to terminals by the overlying spacer when the terminals are inserted and moved to the final terminal-mounting positions minimizing incomplete mounting of the terminals. All the locking arms of the spacer apply equal holding forces to the terminals; and rotating of the spacer permits removal of the spacer (and hence the terminals) from the connector housing without requiring extra tools.

Connector with terminal locking spacer

Disclosed is an improved multi-pin type of water proof electric connector which is guaranteed free of shortcircuit between adjacent pin-and-contact piece connections even if water should invade to any pin-and-connector piece connection through the very small gap between the conductor and the insulation sheath of the wire by the capillary action. The electric connector comprises a male half having contact pieces and a female half having pin terminals in its cavity, and a seal member placed in the space which is to be formed between the outer surface of the plug housing and the inside surface of the socket housing when the male and female halves are coupled. The plug housing has a plurality of hollow protrusions each containing a contact piece, and the seal member encircles each of the protrusions, thereby sealing each pin-and-contact piece connection independently from adjacent pin-and-contact piece connections when the male and female halves are mated.

Growing community of inventors

Hachioji, Japan

Minoru Sano