Abstract:
A junction block assembly includes a junction block holding at least two first connectors, and at least two second connectors that mate with the first connectors. To reduce the force required to assemble the connectors, first and second cam levers are rotatably mounted to the junction block. The first and second cam levers each engage one of the second connectors and pull the engaged second connector into connection with a mating one of the first connectors. An arm of the second cam lever travels past an arm of the first cam lever during rotation.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   This invention relates to a junction block assembly, such as an electrical connection box assembly mounted on a vehicle or the like. 
   In various assembly processes, such as automobile assembly processes, many cable connections must be made, e.g., within the electrical system of a vehicle. Connections are often made using connectors, such as plug-in-type connectors. In some configurations, it is difficult to see whether proper alignment of the connectors has been achieved prior to pressing the connectors together. If the alignment is incorrect, damage to components such as terminal pins or surrounding plastic parts, and/or improper connection resulting in a “no-start” condition, can occur. Additionally, it is sometimes difficult for an assembly technician to determine whether the connectors have been completely engaged with each other. 
   Force multiplying technology has been applied to connectors to reduce the actual force that must be applied by a human operator to connect connectors together. For example, in some assemblies, a cam lever fixed relative to one connector includes a cam groove that engages a cam post fixed relative to a mating connector. When the cam lever is rotated, the interaction of the cam groove and cam post pulls the connectors into engagement with each other. 
   SUMMARY 
   However, when several pairs of mating connectors are placed side by side, it may become problematic, in some configurations, to use such cam levers, because the cam lever for one pair of connectors may interfere with the cam lever for an adjacent pair of connectors. 
   To address this situation, exemplary embodiments of this invention provide a junction block assembly, including a junction block holding at least two first connectors, at least two second connectors that mate with the first connectors, and first and second cam levers rotatably mounted to the junction block. The first cam lever engages one of the second connectors and pulls the engaged second connector into connection with a mating one of the first connectors, and the second cam lever engages one of the second connectors and pulls the engaged second connector into connection with a mating one of the first connectors. An arm of the second cam lever travels past an arm of the first cam lever during rotation. The second connectors may move independently of each other while being pulled into connection with mating ones of the first connectors. 
   Because the arm of the second cam lever travels past an arm of the first cam lever during rotation, a compact configuration can be achieved, while maintaining the advantage of providing a concentrated engaging force at each of the second connectors individually. 
   Additionally, from the position of the cam levers and/or cam pins, the assembly technician can easily determine whether proper alignment has been achieved, and whether the first and second connectors have been completely engaged with each other. 
   These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention are described in or apparent from the following description of embodiments. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like parts, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a junction block assembly; 
       FIG. 2  is an elevation view of various parts of the junction block assembly of  FIG. 1 , in a disassembled state; 
       FIG. 3  is an elevation view that illustrates an initial engagement state of connectors of the junction block assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an elevation view that illustrates an intermediate engagement state of connectors of the junction block assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is an elevation view that illustrates a final, complete engagement state of connectors of the junction block assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a junction block assembly  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the junction block assembly  10  includes cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126 , a junction block  14 , and connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 . The junction block  14  includes connectors  162 ,  164  and  166 , which mate respectively with the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 . The connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  may be assembled together in a connector assembly  16 . The junction block  14  may also include a junction block base  140 . Various parts of the junction block assembly  10  may be made of plastic or any other suitable material. The junction block assembly  10  may include relays, fuses and/or other electrical devices (not labeled), installed as appropriate to make various desired connections between terminals of the connectors  162 ,  164  and/or  166 . The junction block assembly  10  may include one or more cover members (not shown), or may be accommodated in an outer casing (not shown). 
   The cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  respectively include arms  1222 ,  1242  and  1262 . As shown best in  FIG. 1 , the arms of each cam lever include a pair of parallel arms respectively joined by connection members  1224 ,  1244  and  1264 . The arms  1242  and connection member  1244  of the cam lever  124  are longer than the arms  1222  and connection member  1224 , respectively, of the cam lever  122 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , mounting holes  1226 ,  1246  and  1266  are provided respectively in the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  for rotatably mounting the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  respectively to mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  that are provided on the junction block  14 . In this embodiment, the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  are provided on the junction block base  140  of the junction block  14 . In other embodiments, the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  could be provided on an upper portion of the connector assembly  16  of the junction block  14 . Although not fully depicted, it will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  are provided in pairs on opposite sides of the junction block  14 , i.e., each of the depicted mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  is paired with a corresponding mounting post provided on the undepicted opposite side of the junction block  14 . The mounting posts  144  in this embodiment are longer than the mounting posts  142  and  146 , to allow the arms  1242  of the cam lever  124  to travel past the arms  1222  of the cam lever  122 . However, in other embodiments, the mounting posts may all be made the same length, and the arms  1242  of the cam lever  124  may be formed so as to curve inward to the junction block  14  at the attachment end so as to reach the mounting posts  144 , while still being far enough from the junction block at other points to travel past the arms  1222  of the cam lever  122 . 
   The mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  may have flanges  1422 ,  1442  and  1462 , respectively, which restrict the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  from being easily pulled off after assembly. To facilitate assembly, the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  and/or flanges  1422 ,  1424  and  1426  may have any known or later-developed configuration. For example, the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  may have slotted ends (not shown), such that tips of the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  can be slightly squeezed together to allow the tips of the mounting posts  142 ,  144  and  146  to pass through the mounting holes. As another example, the relative sizes of the flanges  1422 ,  1424  and  1426  and the mounting holes  1226 ,  1246  and  1266  may be set such that the flanges  1422 ,  1424  and  1426  can resiliently deform to pass respectively through the mounting holes  1226 ,  1246  and  1266 . 
   The cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  respectively include cam grooves  1228 ,  1248  and  1268 , which engage respectively with cam posts  1822 ,  1842  and  1862  provided respectively on the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 , as described in more detail below. The cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  may also include stiffening ribs  1223 ,  1243  and  1263  to strengthen various portions of the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126 . 
   The cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  may also respectively include detent mechanisms  1225 ,  1245  and  1265 . The detent mechanisms  1225 ,  1245  and  1265  may resiliently engage with corresponding pins or the like (not shown) provided on the junction block  14 , or on another surrounding structure, to hold the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  in a pre-staged position (e.g., the position shown in  FIG. 3 ) and/or in a fully engaged position (e.g., the position shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
   The connector assembly  16  may be attached to the junction block base  140  by any suitable mechanism, such as, for example, resilient locking members (not shown). In this embodiment, the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  respectively fit inside the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166 . The connectors  162 ,  164  and  166  have respective slots  1622 ,  1642  and  1662  through which the cam posts  1822 ,  1842  and  1862  of the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  laterally slide during connection of the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166  with the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 . It will be appreciated that if the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  respectively fit over, rather than inside, the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166 , then the slots  1622 ,  1642  and  1662  will not be needed. 
     FIG. 3  is an elevation view that illustrates an initial engagement state of the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166  with the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 . In this initial state, the cam posts  1822 ,  1842  and  1862  of the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  engage open ends of the cam grooves  1228 ,  1248  and  1268  cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126 . An assembly technician can easily confirm alignment of the connectors, simply by observing the relative positions of the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  and cam posts  1822 ,  1842  and  1862 . 
     FIG. 4  is an elevation view that illustrates an intermediate engagement state of the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166  with the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 . In this state, the cam levers  122  and  124  have been rotated counter-clockwise, and the cam lever  126  has been rotated clockwise, thereby pulling the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  into partial connection with the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166 , respectively. As depicted, the arms  1242  of the cam lever  124  travel past the arms  1222  of the cam lever  122  during rotation. 
     FIG. 5  is an elevation view that illustrates a final engagement state of the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166  with the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186 . In this state, the cam levers  122  and  124  have been further rotated counter-clockwise, and the cam lever  126  has been further rotated clockwise, thereby pulling the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  into complete connection with the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166 , respectively. 
   During the above-described engagement, the connectors  182 ,  184  and  186  move independently of each other while being pulled into connection with mating ones of the connectors  162 ,  164  and  166 . This is advantageous because the force of each cam lever  122 ,  124  and  126  may be concentrated on a single connector  182 ,  184  or  186 , without having to simultaneously coordinate the movement of the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126 . 
   When the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  have reached the final positions shown in  FIG. 5 , the assembly technician can easily confirm complete engagement of the connectors simply by observing and/or feeling that the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  have reached their full length of travel in the engagement direction. 
   It will be appreciated that, to disengage the connectors, the cam levers  122 ,  124  and  126  are rotated in the directions opposite to their respective engagement directions. 
   While specific embodiments have been described, these embodiments should be viewed as illustrative and not limiting. Various changes, substitutes, improvements or the like are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention.