Patent Publication Number: US-7210948-B2

Title: Connector and connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a connector and to a connector assembly. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,696 discloses a multi-contact connector with a male housing and a moving plate movably disposed in the male housing. Male terminal fittings are mounted in male housing, and tabs of the male terminal fittings penetrate through the moving plate. Thus, the moving plate protects and positions the tabs. 
   A conventional moving plate is smaller than the receptacle by a specified amount to ensure that the moving plate can be inserted easily into the receptacle. However, this clearance can cause the moving plate to incline and move less smoothly. A smaller clearance will make the moving plate less likely to incline, but can complicate the insertion of the moving plate into the receptacle. 
   The invention was developed in view of this problem, and an object thereof is to ensure easy insertion of the moving plate without inclination. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a connector with a housing that has a receptacle for receiving a mating housing. A moving plate is disposed in the receptacle for positioning terminal fittings in the receptacle. The moving plate is moveable together with the mating housing towards the back side of the receptacle while the housing and the mating housing are being connected. Shake preventing projections are provided on at least the outer peripheral surface of the moving plate or the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle. 
   The shake preventing projections preferably are provided substantially symmetrically on at least the outer peripheral surface of the moving plate or the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle. 
   The shake preventing projections prevent inclination of the moving plate that might otherwise be attributable to the clearance. The moving plate and the receptacle contact only at the shake preventing projections. Thus, contact resistance with the mating, side is suppressed and insertion is easy. 
   The housing preferably is a male housing with a receptacle, and the mating housing preferably is a female housing that can fit into the receptacle. The moving plate preferably is configured for positioning male terminal fittings in the receptacle. The female housing and the moving plate move together toward the back side of the receptacle while the male and female housings are being connected. 
   A surrounding wall preferably is formed on the outer periphery of the moving plate and extends along the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle. The shake preventing projections preferably are formed on the surrounding wall of the moving plate and extend substantially along a moving direction of the moving plate and the connection direction of the two housings. The surrounding wall substantially prevents inclination of the moving plate and ensures that the moving plate can be moved stably towards the back side of the receptacle. 
   A movable member preferably is mounted movably on the housing and interacts with a cam follower on the mating housing to assist connection of the housing with the mating housing. The shake preventing projections may increase contact resistance. However, the movable member functions as a force multiplying member and alleviates any increase in the operation load. 
   The housing preferably has at least one escaping groove that extends from the opening end of the receptacle and the cam follower preferably has at least one cam pin formed on the moving plate. The cam pin can fit into the escaping groove. More particularly, at least one cam pin of the mating housing preferably passes through the escaping groove and unites with the cam pin of the moving plate to form an integral cam follower when the two housings are being connected. 
   The movable member preferably comprises a lever rotatably supported on the outer surface of the housing. 
   The movable member preferably is operated while the cam follower engages the cam groove of the movable member. Thus, the mating housing is connected with the housing while moving together with the moving plate. 
   The moving plate preferably is substantially rectangular, and the shake preventing projections are provided on portions of the surrounding wall corresponding to shorter sides of the moving plate. The cam pin preferably is provided on a side of the surrounding wall corresponding to a longer side of the moving plate. 
   The moving plate could make a pivotal movement with the cam pin as an axis of rotation. However, inclination of the plate can be prevented efficiently because the shake preventing projections are on the shorter sides where the pivotal displacement is expected to be largest. 
   The height or projecting distance of the shake preventing projections is set so that the shake preventing projections can bite in and deform the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle. Thus, inclination of the moving plate is prevented securely. 
   The invention also relates to a connector assembly comprising the above-described connector and a mating connector with a mating housing. 
   These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lever-type connector according to one embodiment of the invention before being connected. 
       FIG. 2  is a section showing a state where a lever is at a connection starting position. 
       FIG. 3  is a section showing a state where the lever is at a connection ending position. 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of a moving plate. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the moving plate. 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the moving plate. 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of a male connector housing. 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of a female connector housing. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view partly in section showing the state where the lever is at the connection starting position. 
       FIG. 10  is a side view partly in section showing the state where the lever is at the connection ending position. 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view showing a state where the moving plate is mounted in the male connector housing. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A lever-type connector according to the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 11 . The connector has a male housing  10  with an upwardly open receptacle  11  of substantially rectangular cross section. Male terminal fittings  12  are mounted in the male housing  10  so that male tabs  12 A of the male terminal fittings  12  project up along a connecting direction CD in the receptacle  11 . A moving plate  30  is accommodated in the receptacle  11  for movement vertically substantially along the connecting direction CD while permitting the male tabs  12 A to penetrate through the moving plate  30 . Two shafts  13  project from the opposite outer side surfaces of the male housing  10  that correspond to the longer sides of the receptacle  11  and two escaping grooves  14  are formed in these surfaces. The escaping grooves extend substantially straight and vertically along the connecting direction CD towards the shafts  13  from the upper ends of these surfaces, as shown in  FIG. 7 . A wire cover  15  is mounted on the bottom surface of the male housing, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   A female housing  40  is formed to fit into the male housing  10 , and female terminal fittings  45  are accommodated in the female housing  40  for connection with the male terminal fittings  12 . A wire cover  41  is mounted on a surface of the female housing  40  substantially opposite a mating surface with the male housing  10  to specify a drawing direction of wires connected with the female terminal fittings  45 . Steps  46  project out slightly from widthwise intermediate parts of side surfaces of the female housing  40 , as shown in  FIG. 8  and cam pins  42  project from intermediate positions of the bottoms of the steps  46 . The cam pins  42  are columns of substantially elliptic cross section 
   The connector also includes a lever  20  with an operable portion  21  and two plate-shaped arms  22  that extend from opposite ends of the operable portion  21 . Bearing holes  23  are formed close to the base ends of the arms  22 . The bearing holes  23  can be mounted rotatably to the shafts  13  of the male housing  10  so that the lever  20  can be rotated between a connection starting position CSP ( FIG. 9 ) and a connection ending position CEP ( FIG. 10 ). Furthermore, the lever  20  can be locked releasably at both positions. Cam grooves  24  are formed in the inner surfaces of the arms  22  and partly surround the bearing holes  23 . Entrances  25  of the cam grooves  24  face towards the mating housing along the connecting direction CD to permit entry of cam pins  33 ,  42  when the lever  20  is at the connection starting position CSP. The cam grooves  24  extend clockwise and opposite to a rotating direction from the connection starting position CSP to the connection ending position CEP. Each cam groove  24  has an extended area  24 C for receiving the cam pin  33 , and the lever  20  can be mounted to the male housing  10  at the ends of the extended areas  24 C. Specifically, the shafts  13  and the bearing holes  23  are aligned substantially congruently at a position where the lever  20  can be mounted so that the shafts  13  can fit into the bearing holes  23 . However, the shafts  13  and the bearing holes  23  are not aligned congruently between the connection starting position CSP and the connection ending position CEP to hold the lever  20  engaged. At the position where the lever  20  can be mounted, the lever  20  is rotated so that a cam follower  43  is moved into the extended areas  24 C to avoid causing the leading end of the lever  20  to project from the outer side surface of the male housing  10  (e.g. by arranging it in a close relationship to the male housing  10 ). 
   The moving plate  30  has a substantially rectangular bottom wall  38  formed with positioning holes  31  that receive and position the male tabs  12 A in the receptacle  11 . A surrounding wall  32  projects up substantially normal to the bottom wall  38  and extends around substantially the entire periphery of the bottom wall  38 . The surrounding wall  32  is formed so that substantially the entire outer periphery of the surrounding wall  32  extends along the inner surfaces of the receptacle  11 . Bulges  39  are formed at positions on the surrounding wall  32  corresponding to the escaping grooves  14  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ), and can fit into the respective escaping grooves  14 . Holding edges  39 A bulge out over substantially the entire height range at the opposite widthwise ends of each bulge  39  (see  FIGS. 4 and 11 ), and opening edges  14 A of the escaping groove  14  are held tightly held between the surrounding wall  32  and the holding edges  39 A to guide the movement of the moving plate  30 . 
   An introducing groove  35  is formed substantially in the widthwise center of each bulge  39  and extends substantially vertically along the connecting direction CD. Each introducing grooves  35  is open at the upper edge of the bulge  39  to receive the cam pins  42  of the female housing  40 . The cam pin  33  is formed at the bottom of each introducing groove  35  to cross over the introducing groove  35 . The cam pins  33  are U-shaped, as shown in  FIG. 4 , and inner spaces thereof define fitting recesses  34  to receive the cam pins  42 . Entry of the cam pins  42  into the fitting recesses  34  enable the cam pins  33  and the cam pins  42  to unite as cam followers  43  that function together throughout the connection of the two housings  10 ,  40 . The lever  20  is moved to the connection ending position CEP after the cam followers  43  are introduced into the cam grooves  24 . As a result, the cam followers  43  move along the cam grooves  24  to display a cam action for connecting the two housings  10 ,  40 . At this time, the steps  46  of the female housing  40  are fit to extend along the inner side surfaces of the bulges  39 . Guiding projections  36  are provided at the opposite widthwise sides of each bulge  39  and extend substantially vertically along the connecting direction CD over substantially the entire vertical length of the surrounding wall  32 . Each guiding projection  36  has a substantially rectangular cross section. As shown in  FIG. 4 , two guiding projections  36  are provided at each side of the surrounding wall  32 . The distance between the guiding projections  36  on one side of the surrounding wall  32  differs from the distance between the guiding projections  36  on the other side to prevent and inverted mounting of the moving plate  30  into the male housing  10 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , two spaced-apart shake preventing projections  37  are formed on the shorter outer side surfaces of the surrounding wall  32 . The shake preventing projections  37  are columns of substantially semicircular cross section and extend over substantially the entire vertical length of the surrounding wall  32 . The height of the shake preventing projections  37  is slightly larger than a corresponding dimension of a clearance between the receptacle  11  and the surrounding wall  32 . Hence, the shake preventing projections  37  can be pressed into contact with the inner side surfaces of the receptacle  11  over substantially their entire lengths. 
   The male and female housings  10 ,  40  are connected with each other after the lever  20 , the moving plate  30  and the wire cover  15  are assembled with the male housing  10 . The female housing  40  is fit lightly into the receptacle  11 . As a result, the cam pins  42  pass through the escaping grooves  14  and the introducing grooves  35  of the moving plate  30  and unite with the cam pins  33  to form the cam followers  43 . If the lever  20  is pivoted in this state, the female housing  40  is pulled into the receptacle  11 . The two housings  10 ,  40  are connected properly when the lever  20  reaches the connection ending position CEP. 
   The guiding projections  36  of the moving plate  30  engage the respective receiving portions  16  and tightly hold the opening edges  14 A of the escaping grooves  14  between the surrounding wall  32  and the holding edges  39 A to guide the movement of the moving plate  30 . The shake preventing projections  37  can move between the surrounding wall  32  of the moving plate  30  and the receptacle  11  while sliding in contact with the inner surfaces of the receptacle  11 . Thus, movement of the moving plate  30  in an inclined posture is prevented. Further, the dimension of the shake preventing projections  37  along the connecting direction CD is larger than the corresponding dimension of the clearance between the surrounding wall  32  of the moving plate  30  and the receptacle  11 . Thus, there is a possibility of increasing an operation load due to an increased resistance due to the sliding contact. These dimensions are set in view of molding errors or assembling error of the moving plate  30  and the receptacle  11 . However, the increased resistance resulting from the overlaps is canceled by a force multiplying mechanism of the lever  20 . 
   The lever  20  engages the protuberances  44  of the wire cover  41  of the female housing  40  when the lever  20  reaches the connection ending position. Thus, the lever  20  is locked releasably at the connection ending position CEP. 
   As described above, the shake preventing projections  37  are on the surrounding wall  32  of the moving plate  30  and prevent the moving plate  30  from shaking due to peripheral clearances. Further, the moving plate  30  and the receptacle  11  contact only at the shake preventing projections  37 . Therefore, contact resistance is low. The projecting distance of the shake preventing projections  37  exceeds the corresponding dimension of the clearance between the surrounding wall  32  and the receptacle  11  to prevent the moving plate  30  from tilting. Any increase in connection resistance resulting from this setting is offset by the lever  20 . The shake preventing projections  37  are at the shorter sides of the moving plate  30  where a pivotal displacement is expected to be largest. Thus, the move plate  30  should not pivot about the cam pins  33 . 
   The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments are also embraced by the technical scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Beside the following embodiments, various changes can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the claims. 
   The shake preventing projections are on the moving plate in the foregoing embodiment, but they may be in the receptacle. 
   The shake preventing projections are on the shorter sides of the surrounding wall in the foregoing embodiment. However, they may be on the longer side surfaces of the surrounding wall. 
   The shake preventing projections have a substantially semicircular cross section in the foregoing embodiment. However, they may have another shape that can suppress a contact area and may, for example, have a rounded, triangular or substantially polygonal section. 
   The shake preventing projections extend over the entire vertical length of the surrounding wall in the foregoing embodiment, but they may extend along part of the entire vertical length of the surrounding wall. 
   The lever is mounted rotatably to the housing in the foregoing embodiment. However, any other movable member displaying a cam action or force multiplying force may be provided, such as a slider or a movable member movable along a substantially linear, elliptical or other path. 
   The invention is equally applicable to female connectors in which female terminal fittings are supported by a movable plate.