Appeal No. 2002-2118 Page 9
Application No. 09/010,614
from the cover plate 8 to form a general U-shaped structure. The engagement legs 6
may be considered as comprising two distinct sets of legs which engage the connector
2. One set, a first set of first engagement legs 6, may include gripping portions 112 at
their lower ends 114 which may further extend slightly inwardly. Each connector
sidewall 4 has recesses 4c disposed in its outer surface 4a which receive the gripping
portions 112 of the engagement legs 6. The main engagement legs 6 are formed near
the corners of the cover plate 8 with a spacing between opposing aligned legs which is
slightly less than the width W (Figure 6) of the connector housing 2 so as to create a
slight inward bias to resiliently engage the connector sidewalls 4 in a manner in which
the sidewalls 4 are sandwiched therebetween.
In order to resist any deformation which may be induced in the connector
sidewalls 4 by virtue of the inwardly directed forces exerted thereupon by the main
engagement legs 6, Ikesugi includes a second set of auxiliary engagement legs 9 which
depend downwardly from the cover plate 8 and primarily provide support for the
connector sidewalls 4. Each of the auxiliary support legs 9 is preferably aligned with
and spaced part from a corresponding main engagement leg 6 so as to create an
intervening space 12 therebetween which is generally aligned with the longitudinal axes
of each connector sidewall 4. These spaces, 12 as seen in Figure 6, receive and
support the connector sidewalls 4 therein from the interior along their inner surfaces 4b.
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