Lever connector

A lever connector includes a first connector housing, a second connector housing that includes a distal fitting portion intended for a distal end of the first connector housing to be fittedly connected thereto, and is adapted to be attached to a connector attaching plate in a state of inserting the second connector housing through a connector attaching hole of the connector attaching plate, a lever adapted to fit the first connector housing into the second connector housing by a pivoting operation, and a grommet for ensuring a waterproofing property of an inside of the first connector housing. The lever includes a lever body, a pivoting connection portion, and a lever locking piece. The grommet is fitted and mounted on the lever and includes a lever covering portion, and a tubular.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lever connector, in which a first connector housing is fittedly connected to a second connector housing by a pivoting operation of a lever, and a waterproof grommet is mounted on the first connector housing.

BACKGROUND ART

FIGS. 6 to 8show an example of a lever connector according to the related art.

A lever connector100shown in the figures is that disclosed in PTL1 as described below, and is used for connecting cables (electric wires)160inside and outside a connector attaching plate (panel)150, such as a door panel for vehicles.

In the lever connector100, a fitting connection between a first connector housing110and a second connector housing120is obtained by a pivoting operation of a lever130attached to the first connector housing110.

As shown inFIG. 6, the lever130has a cover shape adapted to accommodate the first connector housing110. As shown inFIG. 7, a grommet140for waterproofing the first connector housing110is mounted on the lever130in which the first connector housing110is accommodated.

As shown inFIG. 8, the lever connector100, in which the fitting connection between the first connector housing110and the second connector housing120has been completed, is attached to the connector attaching plate150in a state in which the grommet140is mounted on the lever130.

The grommet140has a panel fitting portion141adapted to be pressed into a connector attaching hole151of the connector attaching plate150, when the lever connector100is attached to the connector attaching plate150. The panel fitting portion141is tightly fitted on a peripheral edge of the connector attaching hole151, thereby waterproofing the connector attaching hole151through which the lever connector100is inserted.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

However, in the lever connector100disclosed in PTL1, an operation of pressing the panel fitting portion141into the connector attaching hole151takes time, thereby causing a problem in which mounting efficiency of the grommet140is poor.

In addition, fixation of the lever connector100to the connector attaching plate150is obtained via the panel fitting portion141of the grommet140, and thus a tensile load or a bending load, which is exerted to the lever connector100from the cable160connected to the lever connector100, is also applied to the panel fitting portion141, thereby causing a problem in which the grommet140is easily damaged.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a lever connector, in which a grommet is not required to be pressed into a connector attaching hole of a connector attaching plate, a mounting efficiency of the grommet is good, and also, the grommet can be prevented from being damaged by a load which is exerted to a connector housing through a cable.

Solution to Problem

The object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration.

a first connector housing;

a second connector housing that includes a distal fitting portion intended for a distal end of the first connector housing to be fittedly connected thereto, and is adapted to be attached to a connector attaching plate in a state of inserting the second connector housing through a connector attaching hole of the connector attaching plate;

a lever adapted to fit the first connector housing into the second connector housing by a pivoting operation; and

a grommet for ensuring a waterproofing property of an inside of the first connector housing;

wherein the lever includes:

a lever body that is formed independently of the first connector housing and is adapted to press a rear end of the first connector housing, which is abutted on the second connector housing attached to the connector attaching plate, toward the second connector housing;

a pivoting connection portion that pivotally connects one end of the lever body to the connector attaching plate, so that the lever body performs a lever behavior for pressing the rear end of the first connector housing toward the second connector housing; and

a lever locking piece that is provided on the other end side of the lever body and is adapted to fix the other end side of the lever body to the connector attaching plate when fitting between the first connector housing and the second connector housing has been completed by the lever behavior of the lever body;

wherein the grommet is fitted and mounted on the lever and includes:

a lever covering portion that is coupled to the lever body by a lip having a groove adapted to be fitted on an outer peripheral edge of the lever body; and

a tubular that is integrally formed with the lever covering portion and is adapted to receive a cable connected to the first connector housing; and

wherein when fitting between the connector housings has been completed by the lever behavior of the lever, the lip is tightly contacted with a peripheral edge of the connector attaching hole to ensuring the waterproofing property of the inside of the first connector housing.

According to the configuration of the above (1), the grommet ensuring the waterproofing property of preventing that infiltration of water or the like into the first connector housing is formed independently of the first connector housing, is fitted and mounted on the lever pivotally attached to the connector attaching plate, and thus is tightly contacted with the connector attaching plate by a pivoting operation of the lever, thereby exhibiting the waterproofing property.

Therefore, an operation of pressing the grommet into the connector attaching hole of the connector attaching plate is not required, and thus as compared to conventional cases in which a portion of the grommet is pressed into the connector attaching hole of the connector attaching plate, the grommet can be easily mounted, thereby enhancing assembly efficiency.

In addition, the grommet is attached to the connector attaching plate, independently of the first connector housing and the second connector housing. In other words, because the first connector housing and the second connector housing are attached to the connector attaching plate, not via the grommet, it is difficult for a load, which is exerted to the connector housings through a cable, to be applied to the grommet. As a result, the grommet can be prevented from being damaged by the load, which is exerted to the connector housings through the cable.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of a lever connector according to the present invention will be now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A lever connector1according to the embodiment is used for connecting cables (electric wires), not shown, inside and outside a connector attaching plate3which is, for example, a panel for vehicles, and as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, includes a first connector housing10, a second connector housing20, a lever30, and a grommet40.

The first connector housing10is a connector housing intended for a cable outside the connector attaching plate3to be connected thereto. The first connector housing10has a distal end11fitted into the second connector housing20as described below.

The second connector housing20is a standby connector adapted to wait on the connector attaching plate3to be fittedly connected to the first connector housing10. The second connector housing20has a distal fitting portion21intended for the first connector housing10to be fittedly connected thereto. In addition, the second connector housing20, as shown inFIG. 1, is engaged and fixed to the connector attaching plate3in a state of inserting the distal fitting portion21through a connector attaching hole3aof the connector attaching plate3.

In the present embodiment, the second connector housing20has panel fixing pieces22adapted to perform a fixation to the connector attaching plate3, when the distal fitting portion21is inserted through the connector attaching hole3awhile the second connector housing20is not connected to the first connector housing10. The panel fixing pieces22are provided on both side of the distal fitting portion21.

The lever30, in short, forces the first connector housing10to be fitted into the second connector housing20by a pivoting operation. The lever30according to the present embodiment is a component independent of the first connector housing10, and, as shown inFIG. 3, includes a lever body31, a pivoting connection portion32and a lever locking piece33.

The lever body31is formed independently of the first connector housing10. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the lever body31is a plate-shaped member for pressing a rear end of the first connector housing10, which is abutted on the second connector housing20attached to the connector attaching plate3, toward the second connector housing20. The lever body31has a generally elliptical shape, and as shown inFIG. 1, is provided on a central portion thereof with an opening31aformed for allowing a cable to be inserted therethrough.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the pivoting connection portion32is constituted of an arm portion32asubstantially vertically extended from the lever body31on one end side of the lever body31, and a locking claw portion32bprovided in a hook shape on a distal end of the arm portion32a. As shown inFIG. 3, the locking claw portion32bis engaged in a first lever supporting hole3b(seeFIG. 1) provided in the connector attaching plate3, so that the one end of the lever30can be pivotally connected to the connector attaching plate3.

The pivoting connection portion32, as described above, pivotally connects the one end of the lever body31to the connector attaching plate3, so that the lever body31can perform a lever behavior (a lever manner operation) for pressing the rear end of the first connector housing10toward the second connector housing20as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4.

An arrow R as shown inFIG. 3indicates a pivoting direction when the lever30performs the lever behavior.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the lever locking piece33is constituted of an arm portion33asubstantially vertically extended from the lever body31on the other end side of the lever body31, and a locking protrusion33bprotruded from a distal end of the arm portion33atoward the outside perpendicular to the arm portion33a.

As shown inFIG. 4, the locking protrusion33bis engaged in a second lever supporting hole3c(seeFIG. 1) provided in the connector attaching plate3, so that the other end side of the lever30can be fixed to the connector attaching plate3.

The lever locking pieces33, as described above, is provided on the other end side of the lever body31, and when fitting between the first connector housing10and the second connector housing20has been completed as shown inFIG. 4, fixes the other end side of the lever body31to the connector attaching plate3.

The grommet40is fitted and mounted on the lever30, thereby preventing infiltration of water or the like into the first connector housing10.

The grommet40is made of an elastic material, such as a synthetic rubber, having a waterproofing property, and as shown inFIGS. 2 and 5, includes a lever covering portion41adapted to be fitted and mounted on the lever30, and a tubular portion42integrally formed with the lever covering portion41. The tubular portion42receives the cable connected to the first connector housing10.

As shown inFIG. 5, the lever covering portion41has a lip41bformed on the entire circumference of an outer peripheral edge of a generally elliptical-shaped covering portion body41aadapted to cover an outer surface of the lever body31.

As shown inFIG. 2, the lip41bhas a groove411adapted to be fitted on an outer peripheral edge of the lever body31, and a ridge412extending toward the connector attaching plate3.

The lever covering portion41is fixed to the lever30by fitting the groove411of the lip41bon the outer peripheral edge of the lever body31.

The grommet40mounted on the lever30, as described above, is adapted such that the ridge412of the lip41bis tightly contacted with a peripheral edge of the connector attaching hole3awhen fitting between the connector housings has been completed by the lever behavior of the lever30, thereby ensuring the waterproofing property of preventing infiltration of water or the like into the first connector housing10.

According to the lever connector1of the present embodiment as described above, the grommet40ensuring the waterproofing property of the inside of the first connector housing10is formed independently of the first connector housing10, is fitted and mounted on the lever30pivotally attached to the connector attaching plate3, and thus is tightly contacted with the connector attaching plate3by a pivoting operation of the lever30, thereby exhibiting the waterproofing property.

Therefore, an operation of pressing the grommet40into the connector attaching hole3aof the connector attaching plate3is not required, and thus as compared to conventional cases in which a portion of the grommet140is pressed into the connector attaching hole151of the connector attaching plate150(seeFIG. 8), the grommet40can be easily mounted, thereby enhancing assembly efficiency.

In addition, according to the lever connector1of the present embodiment as described above, the grommet40is attached to the connector attaching plate3, independently of the first connector housing10and the second connector housing20. In other words, because the first connector housing10and the second connector housing20are attached to the connector attaching plate3, not via the grommet40, it is difficult for a load, which is exerted to the connector housings through the cable, to be applied to the grommet40. As a result, the grommet40can be prevented from being damaged by the load, which is exerted to the connector housings through the cable.

Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment, but appropriate changes, modifications or the like thereof can be made. In addition, material, shape, dimension, number, installation position and the like of each of the components of the foregoing embodiment are not limited but arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved.

For example, an installation position of the second connector housing is not limited to a panel of vehicles or the like, but may be a wall surface or the like of a case for various electronic and electrical equipment.

In addition, this application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-032358 filed on Feb. 17, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Industrial Applicability

According to the lever connector of the present invention, the grommet ensuring the waterproofing property of the inside of the first connector housing is fitted and mounted on the lever pivotally attached to the connector attaching plate, and thus is tightly contacted with the connector attaching plate by a pivoting operation of the lever, thereby exhibiting the waterproofing property.

Therefore, an operation of pressing the grommet into the connector attaching hole of the connector attaching plate is not required, and thus as compared to conventional cases in which a portion of the grommet is pressed into the connector attaching hole of the connector attaching plate, the grommet can be easily mounted, thereby enhancing assembly efficiency.

In addition, because the first connector housing and the second connector housing are attached to the connector attaching plate, not via the grommet, it is difficult for a load, which is exerted to the connector housings through a cable, to be applied to the grommet. As a result, the grommet can be prevented from being damaged by the load, which is exerted to the connector housings through the cable.

REFERENCE NUMERALS LIST