Abstract:
A lever-actuated electrical connector is disclosed having a housing mateable with a mating connector having a complementary mating terminal. A mating lever is positioned on the housing and rotatable from an initial mating position to a final mating position. A lever lock is disposed on the mating lever and latches to a mating housing of the mating connector when the mating connector and electrical connector are completely mated. A mating detection terminal is positioned on the mating lever and forms a detection circuit when in contact with the mating terminal of the mating connector. The position of the mating detection terminal is controlled by the lever lock through the operation of the mating lever, and the detection circuit is only formed when the mating lever is in a final mating position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-185946, filed Sep. 9, 2013. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a lever-actuated electrical connector, and more specifically a lever-actuated electrical connector having a mating detection circuit. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Certain electrical connectors (“connectors”) have a large number of contacts depending on connector&#39;s application. To mate or disconnect these connectors from each other, a large force is required to overcome the friction generated by the contacts. Lever-actuated connectors are often used in these applications, where the mating and disconnecting of the connector from a mating connector is performed by using the mechanical advantages provided by leverage. 
     Conventionally, a lever is mounted on a plug housing of a lever-actuated connector, such as a connector housing a female terminal, so as to pivot between an initial mating position and a final mating position. A receptacle housing of a mating connector, such as a connector housing a male terminal, is provided with a cam pin. When the connector housing and receptacle housing are in initial contact with each other with the lever held in the initial mating position, the cam pin is advanced into a cam groove provided in the lever. The lever is then rotated to the final mating position, during which a cam action is produced between the cam groove and the cam pin with each other. The cam action causes both the housings to mate with each other, and the terminals of both the connectors are electrically connected together. 
     A term “pivot” (or “pivotable”) as used herein indicates that both a clockwise swing and a counterclockwise swing are possible, and either a clockwise rotation or a counterclockwise rotation is simply referred to as rotation. 
     Since a lever-actuated connector impairs its function as a connector if used without completion of proper mating, it is necessary to make sure that the mating has been completed. 
     Various conventional mating detection methods are known, such as the one described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-150959 A, which provides a terminal to detect whether devices have been connected together. 
     Similarly, Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-117045 A discloses a lever-actuated connector having a terminal for mating detection. Prior to mating the mating detection terminal is separate from a counterpart mating detection terminal and after mating has been completed, the mating detection terminal is in contact with the counterpart mating detection terminal to form a detection circuit. The detection circuit electrically detects whether normal mating has been completed. 
     However, the connector disclosed in JP 2009-117045 A is provided with a detection arm displaced by the operation of a lever for mating, and the operation of the detection arm elastically deforms the mating detection terminal, thereby controlling contact and non-contact with the mating detection terminal of the mating connector. In addition, the lever is provided with a member necessary to operate the detection arm, such as a pressing portion and a preliminarily-pressing portion. Consequently, these conventional connectors use a large number of components that increase the complexity of the connector and results in undesirable increases in cost. 
     There is a need for a lever-actuated electrical connector with a reduced number of elements that is capable of achieving a mating detection function. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to disclose a lever-actuated electrical connector is having a housing mateable with a mating connector having a complementary mating terminal. A mating lever is positioned on the housing and rotatable from an initial mating position to a final mating position. A lever lock is disposed on the mating lever and latches to a mating housing of the mating connector when the mating connector and electrical connector are completely mated. A mating detection terminal is positioned on the mating lever and forms a detection circuit when in contact with the mating terminal of the mating connector. The position of the mating detection terminal is controlled by the lever lock through the operation of the mating lever, and the detection circuit is only formed when the mating lever is in a final mating position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the following Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1A  is front perspective view showing a male connector; 
         FIG. 1B  is a rear perspective view showing the male connector; 
         FIG. 2A  is a rear perspective view of a female connector viewed from a rear side; 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the female connector showing a lever of the female connector; 
         FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C  show a connector assembly according to the embodiment before operation of the lever, 
         FIG. 3A  is a plan view of a connector assembly before operation of the lever; 
         FIG. 3B  is a partial-sectional view of the connector assembly before operation of the lever, taken along line IIIb-IIIb in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3C  is a partial-sectional view of the connector assembly before operation of the lever, taken along line IIIc-IIIc in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a partial-sectional view of a portion of the connector assembly where the lever is in operation from a position corresponding to  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 4B  is a partial-sectional view of a portion of the connector assembly where the lever is in operation from the position corresponding to  FIG. 3C ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a partial-sectional view of a portion of the connector assembly where the lever is in operation from a position corresponding to  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 5B  is a partial-sectional view of a portion of the connector assembly where the lever is in operation from a position corresponding to  FIG. 3C ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a partial-sectional view of a portion of the connector assembly where the lever is in a final position compared to  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 6B  is a partial-sectional view of a portion of the connector assembly where the lever is in a position compared to  FIG. 3C ; 
         FIGS. 7A-1 and 7A-2  show actions of a cam contributing to mating of the connector assembly before the lever operation; and 
         FIGS. 7B-1 and 7B-2  show action of a cam contributing to mating of the connector assembly after the completion of the lever operation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An exemplary embodiment of an electrical connector includes a mating connector  10  and a connector  30 . As a reference regarding the mating connector  10  and the connector  30 , a side on which mating is performed is defined as a front side, and an opposite side as a rear side. 
     The mating connector  10  includes a mating housing  11 , a mating hood  13  to be used for mating with the connector  30 , a plurality of pin type signal terminals  15 , and a pair of mating detection terminals  16  for detecting completion of proper mating of the mating connector  10  with the connector  30  (see  FIGS. 4A-6B ). The signal terminals  15  are held by the mating housing  11  in a press-fitting manner, a first portion of the signal terminal  15  is positioned inside the mating hood  13 , and a second portion of the signal terminal  15  is disposed outside the mating housing  11 . 
     The mating housing  11  is formed by injection molding of insulating resin. A housing  31  and a mating lever  50  of the connector  30  are formed in the same manner. The signal terminals  15  and the mating detection terminals  16  are formed from a metal material having excellent conductivity and elasticity, such as a copper alloy. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the mating housing  11  includes two mating hoods  13  ( 13   a ,  13   b ) arranged side by side in a width direction X, and the mating hoods  13   a ,  13   b  are mated as one with the connector  30 . The mating hoods  13   a ,  13   b  have receiving chambers  14   a ,  14   b  into which members of the connector  30  are inserted. For reference purposes, the two mating hoods  13   a ,  13   b  are collectively referred to as the mating hood  13 , and the two receiving chambers  14   a ,  14   b  are collectively referred to as the receiving chamber  14 . 
     The pair of mating detection terminals  16  are press-fitted to the mating housing  11  and held by the mating housing  11 , and are arranged parallel to each other in a height direction Z with a space therebetween at one end in the width direction X of the mating housing  11 . A first portion of each mating detection terminal  16  extending forward from a fixed portion held by the mating housing  11  is disposed along a side face of the mating hood  13   a . A second portion of each mating detection terminal  16  extending backward from the fixed portion projects out of the mating housing  11 . A distal end of the second portion is connected to a device for detection. The pair of mating detection terminals  16  are not electrically connected until a mating detection terminal  40  of the connector  30  comes into contact with the mating detection terminals  16 , but when the mating detection terminal  40  comes into contact with both the two mating detection terminals  16 , the mating detection terminal  40  and the mating detection terminals  16  function as a detection circuit. 
     The mating housing  11  is provided with a pair of locking projections  17  between which the pair of mating detection terminals  16  are disposed. The locking projections  17  latch with locking projections  55   b  of the mating lever  50 , thereby preventing the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  from disconnecting from each other. 
     The mating housing  11  further includes cam grooves  12  in the mating hood  13   b . The cam grooves  12  are positioned in upper and lower corners of the mating hood  13   b  facing the mating hood  13   a.    
     When the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10 , the mating lever  50  is engaged with the mating hood  13   b  by inserting cam pins  51   b  provided on the mating lever  50  into the cam grooves  12 . Then, by rotating the mating lever  50  in a predetermined direction, the cam pins  51   b  are urged within the cam grooves  12 , thereby producing a leverage effect. 
     The connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10  through the mating hood  13 , and includes a plurality of socket-like terminals (“female terminals” (not shown)) to be connected to the plurality of signal terminals  15  to transmit a signal. The connector  30  is a lever-actuated electrical connector provided with the housing  31  holding the plurality of female terminals. A mating lever  50  is pivotally mounted on the housing  31  and used when the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10 . 
     The connector  30  is provided with two portions, a first mating portion  31   a  and a second mating portion  31   b , corresponding to the two mating hoods  13   a ,  13   b  of the mating connector  10 . 
     The mating lever  50  is pivotally mounted on the housing  31 , and functions as a leverage mechanism by being operated when the connector  30  is mated with or unmated from the mating connecter  10 . 
     The mating lever  50  is pivoted between a initial mating position shown in  FIGS. 2A-3C  and a final mating position shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The connector  30  is properly mated with the mating connector  10  when the mating lever  50  is rotated clockwise from the initial mating position to the final mating position, while the connector  30  and the mating connector can be unmated when the mating lever  50 , in the properly-mated state, is rotated counterclockwise from the final mating position to the initial mating position. 
     The mating lever  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , has a pair of cam plates  51  and an operating rod  53 . The operating rod  53  joins distal ends of the pair of cam plates  51  together, and has a gate shape. 
     A shaft receiving hole  51   a , into which a supporting shaft  31   d  formed integrally on a side walls  31   c  of the housing  31  is inserted, penetrates through both the front and rear surfaces of each cam plate  51 . The mating lever  50  is supported on the housing  31  and is capable of pivoting about the supporting shafts  31   d.    
     Each cam plate  51  has a cam pin  51   c  positioned on a side facing the housing  31 , as shown in  FIGS. 7A-1-7B-2 . The camp pin  51   c  is inserted into a cam groove  31   e  formed in the side wall  31   c  of the housing  31 , 
     Each cam plate  51  also has the cam pin  51   b  positioned on an inner surface. The cam pin  51   b  is provided on opposite side of the shaft receiving hole  51   a  (supporting shaft  31   d ) with respect to the cam pin  51   b.    
     The cam pin  51   b  is inserted into the cam groove  12  of the mating housing  11 , and the cam pin  51   c  is inserted into the cam groove of the housing  31 . In addition, the cam plate  51  (mating lever  50 ) has its center of rotation at the shaft receiving hole  51   a  (supporting shaft  31   d ) between the cam pin  51   b  and the cam pin  51   c . Therefore, once the operating rod  53  is operated in a mating direction, the cam pin  51   b  moves along the cam groove  12  into a deeper side of the cam groove  12 , thereby providing the supporting shaft  31   d  with force pressing the housing  31  into the mating connector  10 , and thus the mating is achieved. 
     The operating rod  53 , as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , has an operating portion  54  and an acting portion  55 . 
     When the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10 , a user pushes the operating portion  54  to rotate the mating lever  50 . The operating portion  54  is positioned on a rear side in a direction in which the mating lever  50  rotates upon mating. 
     The acting portion  55  has a pair of lever locks  55   a  that latch onto the locking projections  17 ,  17  of the mating connector  10  to block the mating lever  50  from rotating in an unmating direction when the mating lever  50  is in the final mating position. The respective lever locks  55   a  have a space in the width direction X, and a pair of locking projections  55   b  on a front end in the rotating direction upon mating. When the mating lever  50  is in the final mating position, the locking projections  55   b  are latched directly on the locking projections  17 . 
     Once the mating lever  50  reaches the final mating position, as shown in  FIG. 6B , a latching face  55   c  of the locking projection  55   b  faces a latching face  17   c  of the locking projection  17 . 
     The acting portion  55  includes a mating detection terminal  40  to be electrically connected with the mating detection terminals  16  of the mating connector  10  once the mating lever  50  reaches the final mating position, as shown in  FIG. 6B . The mating detection terminal  40  is positioned between the pair of lever locks  55   a  and held in a mating detection terminal chamber  56 . The mating detection terminal chamber  56  is open on an inner peripheral side of the operating rod  53 , and a portion of the mating detection terminal  40  is exposed to the outside. 
     The mating detection terminal chamber  56  is defined widthwise by the lever lock  55   a . The mating detection terminal chamber  56  includes an upper wall  56   a  defining a radial direction and a retaining wall  56   b  defining a front side in the rotating direction upon mating. 
     The mating detection terminal  40 , as shown in  FIG. 6A , is provided with a folded portion  40   c  bent in a U shape at a longitudinal substantially-central portion of the mating detection terminal  40 , a contact portion  40   a  provided on one side continuous from the folded portion  40   c , and a catching portion  40   b  provided in front of the contact portion  40   a . The contact portion  40   a  is a region projecting upward and coming into direct contact with the mating detection terminal  16  of the mating connector  10 . The mating detection terminal  40  is also provided with a supporting portion  40   d  on the other side continuous from the folded portion  40   c . The one side of the mating detection terminal  40  is bifurcated from the folded portion  40   c , and the contact portion  40   a  and the catching portion  40   b  are provided in each of the bifurcated portions. 
     The supporting portion  40   d  on the other side of the mating detection terminal  40  is supported on the upper wall  56   a  inside the mating detection terminal chamber  56 . The catching portion  40   b  of the mating detection terminal  40  is positioned on the retaining wall  56   b . When the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10 , the locking projections  55   b  ride onto the locking projections  17  of the mating connector  10 , causing the folded portion  40   c  to elastically deform and to displace the contact portion  40   a  upward. The contact portion  40   a  in this position does not interfere with the mating detection terminal  16  in a height direction Z. Once the load from the mating lever  50  is removed, the contact portion  40   a  elastically returns to its initial position. 
     The process in which the mating detection terminals  16  and the mating detection terminal  40  come into contact with each other when the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3A-6B . 
     Before the mating operation is started, the connector  30  is positioned and inserted into the mating hood  13  of the mating connector  10 . Prior to the mating operation, when the connector&#39;s  30  insertion depth is shallow, as shown in  FIG. 3A-3C , the mating lever  50  is separated from the lever locks  55   a , and the lever locks  55   a  and the mating detection terminal  40  are in their initial positions. 
     The connector  30  is then pushed into the mating connector  10  until the cam pins  51   b  and the cam pins  51   c  are inserted into the respective corresponding cam grooves, and then the mating lever  50  is rotated. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3( a )-6( b ) , the mating lever  50  is rotated clockwise. 
     When the mating lever  50  is rotated, the cam pins  51   b  move along the cam grooves  12  into the deeper side of the cam grooves  12 , thereby causing the supporting shafts  31   d  to push the housing  31  toward the final mating position on a deep side of the mating hood  13  of the mating connector  10 . See  FIG. 7A-1 . The mating detection terminal  40  is activated through the actions of the lever locks  55   a  following the operation of the mating lever  50 . 
     The lock projections  55   b  of the lever locks  55   a  are pushed upward while sliding on guide faces  17   a  of the lock projections  17 . See  FIGS. 4A-5B . Following upward displacement of the locking projections  55   b , the retaining wall  56   b  and catching portion  40   b  are displaced upward, resulting in the contact portion  40   a  of the mating detection terminal  40  also being displaced upward. Before the final mating position is reached, the contact portion  40   a  of the mating detection terminal  40  reaches a position in which the contact portion  40   a  can interfere with the mating detection terminal  16  in a front-back direction Y. See  FIGS. 5A and 5B . However, since the distal end of the contact portion  40   a  is pushed down to a position higher than the mating detection terminals  16 , the mating detection terminals  16  and the mating detection terminal  40  are not electrically connected. 
     When the mating lever  50  is rotated until the locking projections  55   b  of the lever locks  55   a  ride over the locking projections  17  of the mating connector  10 , the mating lever  50  reaches the final mating position shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . Then, the connector  30  moves to the deepest side of the mating hood  13  of the mating connector  10 , and the mating of the mating connector  10  and the connector  10  is completed. 
     The lever locks  55   a  elastically return to the initial positions and, accordingly, the mating detection terminal  40  also elastically returns toward the initial position, and the contact portion  40   a  comes into contact with the mating detection terminals  16 . A detection circuit is formed by the mating detection terminal  16  and the mating detection terminal  40  in this manner, so the completion of proper mating of the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  can be verified. 
     Further, since the locking projections  55   b  and the locking projections  17  are latched to each other, the rotation of the mating lever  50  in the unmating direction is restricted. 
     As described above, in the electrical connector assembly  1 , the mating detection terminal  40  provided in the connector  30  does not come into contact with the mating detection terminals  16  of the mating connector  10  in the course of mating from the start of mating the connector  30  with the mating connector  10  before the final mating position is reached. However, the mating detection terminal  40  does contact the mating detection terminals  16  when the final mating position has been reached. Therefore, according to the present invention, if the user stops operating the mating lever  50  in the course of the mating, an electrical conduction is not detected, alerting the user of an incomplete mating. However, when the mating is complete, the electrical connection is detected alerting the user of the completion of the mating. 
     The connector  30  uses the lever lock  55   a  latching to the mating lever  55  to actuate the mating detection terminal  40 . Since the mating lever  50  and the lever locks  55   a  are members necessary for the lever-actuated electrical connector, and the connector  30  uses these members to cause the mating detection terminal  40  to act, it is unnecessary to provide a special member to actuate the mating detection terminal  40 . Therefore, according to the connector  30 , a lever-actuated electrical connector having a mating detection function is achieved using a minimal number of parts. 
     While exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that any of the structures described in the above embodiments can be selected or changed to another structure as appropriate without departing from the essence of the present invention. 
     The structures of the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  are merely exemplary embodiments and not limiting. For example, the number of mating hoods is not limited to two and may be any number, including one or three or more. The mating detection terminal  40  also may have any structure as long as the mating detection terminal  40  constitutes a detection circuit in combination with the mating detection terminals  16  of the mating connector  10 , and can take necessary actions in the course of the mating.