Patent Publication Number: US-9899770-B2

Title: Lever-type connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-041842 filed in Japan on Mar. 4, 2016. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a lever-type connector. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, there has been a lever-type connector. As one example of the lever-type connector, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2011-70842 discloses a technique of a lever-type connector including a detection projection with which parallel plates are brought into contact by a rotating operation of a lever erroneously mounted on a connector housing in the direction reverse to an attachment direction of a wire cover, and a rotation inhibiting means that inhibits the rotation of the lever by the displacement of the parallel plates, when the parallel plates run on the detection projection that extends between a shaft and a rest hole. 
     The lever-type connector leaves much room for improvement in that the lever is attached to the housing in a desired posture. For example, it is preferable to improve workability when the lever is engaged with a member in the housing in a desired posture in assembling processes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a lever-type connector capable of improving the workability in the assembling processes. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a lever-type connector includes a housing having support holes; a fitting part provided inside the housing and fitted in a counterpart connector; a lever that includes a pair of plate-like portions facing each other in an opposed manner, a connection portion connecting the pair of plate-like portions with each other, and projection portions provided respective outside surfaces of the pair of plate-like portions, the lever being rotatably supported by the housing while the projection portions are engaged with the support holes; and sliding members each includes a guide portion that is slidably supported by the housing and engaged with a part to be guided provided to the counterpart connector, the sliding members being slid depending on a rotation of the lever to depress the part to be guided by way of the guide portion and fit the counterpart connector in the fitting part, wherein an inside wall surface of the housing has grooves each extending from an edge portion of the housing to the support holes, and the projection portions are allowed to pass through the grooves toward the support holes when a rotational position of the lever about a rotational axis of the lever is a predetermined position. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, in the lever-type connector, it is preferable that the projection portions each includes a proximal-end-side projection portion projecting from the outside surface of each of the pair of plate-like portions and formed in a circular shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the rotational axis of the lever, and a distal-end-side projection portion projecting from the proximal-end-side projection portion and formed in a belt shape as viewed in a cross sectional view orthogonal to the rotational axis, and the grooves allow the distal-end-side projection portion to pass therethrough when the rotational position about the rotational axis of the lever is the predetermined position. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the lever-type connector, it is preferable that the sliding members each includes a first gear part including a plurality of gear teeth continuously arranged along a sliding direction of the sliding members, the lever includes a second gear part provided to an end portion opposite to the connection portion in the plate-like portions and meshed with the first gear part, and rotating motion of the lever is converted into sliding motion of the sliding members in a meshing portion between the first gear part and the second gear part. 
     The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lever-type connector according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating one example of a counterpart connector; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the lever-type connector according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a housing according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the housing according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a lever according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of the lever according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a first sliding member according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is another perspective view of the first sliding member according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a second sliding member according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an electric wire holding part according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a cover according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a side view for explaining processes of attaching the lever to the housing according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the attachment of the lever to the housing is completed; 
         FIG. 15  is a side view illustrating the temporary engaged state of the lever-type connector according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a side view for explaining a first fitting process; 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view for explaining a second fitting process; and 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustrating the fitting state of the lever-type connector and the counterpart connector in the present embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, a lever-type connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is specifically explained with reference to drawings. Here, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Furthermore, components in the following embodiment include components that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art or are substantially equal to each other. 
     Embodiment 
     The embodiment is explained with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 18 . The present embodiment relates to the lever-type connector.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the lever-type connector according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating one example of a counterpart connector,  FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the lever-type connector according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a housing according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the housing according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a lever according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 7  is a plan view of the lever according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a first sliding member according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 9  is another perspective view of the first sliding member according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a second sliding member according to the present embodiment,  FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an electric wire holding part according to the present embodiment, and  FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a cover according to the present embodiment.  FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along a line V-V in  FIG. 4 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a lever-type connector  1  according to the present embodiment has a housing  2 , a lever  4 , sliding members  5 , and a cover  6 . The housing  2  is a housing that houses a fitting part  3  (see  FIG. 3 ) or the like mentioned below. The lever-type connector  1  in the present embodiment is a female connector to be fitted in a counterpart connector  100  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The counterpart connector  100  is a male connector having a male terminal  101 . The counterpart connector  100  illustrated in  FIG. 2  has a main body  102 , a tubular part  103 , parts to be guided  104 , and the male terminal  101 . The main body  102  is a housing formed in an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. The tubular part  103  is a tubular component projecting from the main body  102 . The cross-sectional shape of the tubular part  103  is a rectangular shape. The male terminal  101  projects toward the internal space of the tubular part  103  from the main body  102 . The part to be guided  104  is a projection portion projecting from the side surface of the tubular part  103 . The shape of the part to be guided  104  in the present embodiment is a columnar shape. The part to be guided  104  projects toward the outside of the tubular part  103  from each of a pair of wall portions of the tubular part  103 , the wall portions facing each other in an opposed manner. Each of the pair of wall portions includes two parts to be guided  104 . The two parts to be guided  104  are arranged on the distal end portion of the tubular part  103  in a predetermined spaced apart manner. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the lever-type connector  1  has the fitting part  3 . The fitting part  3  is held by the housing  2 . The tubular part  103  of the counterpart connector  100  is inserted into a fitting groove  23  formed between the inner surface of the housing  2  and the outer surface of the fitting part  3  thus being fitted in the fitting part  3 . The male terminal  101  of the counterpart connector  100  is inserted into an opening  31  of the fitting part  3  thus being electrically connected with the female terminal held in the inside of the fitting part  3 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the housing  2  has outer wall portions  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14 , partition walls  15  and  16 , and a holding part  17 . The outer wall portions  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14 , the partition walls  15  and  16 , and the holding part  17  are formed of a synthetic resin material or the like as an integral body. The outer wall portions  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14  constitute the outer wall of the housing  2 . The outer wall portions  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14  in the present embodiment constitute a rectangular tube formed in a rectangular shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view. The first outer wall portion  11  and the second outer wall portion  12  face each other in an opposed manner in the thickness direction of the housing  2 . The third outer wall portion  13  and the fourth outer wall portion  14  face each other in an opposed manner in the width direction of the housing  2 . The fitting part  3  mentioned above is engaged with the holding part  17 . 
     In the housing  2  of the present embodiment, the “width direction” indicates a longitudinal direction of the housing  2  as viewed in a plan view, and the “thickness direction” indicates a transverse direction of the housing  2  as viewed in a plan view. The width direction and the thickness direction are orthogonal to each other. Furthermore, in the housing  2 , a “height direction” indicates an axial direction of the tube constituted of the outer wall portions  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14 , and indicates a direction orthogonal to each of the width direction and the thickness direction. In the present specification, a side of the housing  2  that is covered with the cover  6  (see  FIG. 1 ) is referred to as “upper side”, and a side of the housing  2  that is fitted in the counterpart connector  100  is referred to as “lower side.” However, the “upper side” and the “lower side” do not always coincide with an upper side and a lower side in the vertical direction in a state in which the lever-type connector  1  is actually mounted on an instrument, respectively. The counterpart connector  100  is fitted in the lever-type connector  1  from the lower side in the height direction. The direction of the relative movement of the counterpart connector  100  when being fitted is a direction in which the counterpart connector  100  relatively moves to the upper side from the lower side in the height direction with respect to the lever-type connector  1 . Accordingly, in the present specification, the upper side in the height direction is also referred to as “fitting side”, and the lower side in the height direction is also referred to as “release side.” 
     The first partition wall  15  is a wall portion that faces the first outer wall portion  11  in an opposed manner, and is arranged on the inner side of the housing  2  as viewed from the first outer wall portion  11 . One end of the first partition wall  15  in the width direction is connected to the third outer wall portion  13 , and the other end of the first partition wall  15  is connected to the fourth outer wall portion  14 . The second partition wall  16  is a wall portion that faces the second outer wall portion  12  in an opposed manner, and is arranged on the inner side of the housing  2  as viewed from the second outer wall portion  12 . One end of the second partition wall  16  in the width direction is connected to the third outer wall portion  13 , and the other end of the second partition wall  16  is connected to the fourth outer wall portion  14 . The holding part  17  holds a female terminal in the inside thereof. The holding part  17  is connected to each of the third outer wall portion  13 , the fourth outer wall portion  14 , the first partition wall  15 , and the second partition wall  16 . The holding part  17  has a plurality of insertion openings  17   a  into which the respective female terminals are inserted. In the innermost of the insertion opening  17   a , an engagement part that is engaged with the female terminal inserted to restrict the movement of the female terminal is arranged. 
     The first outer wall portion  11  includes a support hole  18 , two temporary engaging holes  19 , and an insertion hole  20 . The support hole  18  penetrates the first outer wall portion  11  in the wall thickness direction. The support hole  18  supports the lever  4  in a rotatable manner, as mentioned below. The cross-sectional shape of the support hole  18  in the present embodiment is a circular shape. The support hole  18  is located at a center portion in the width direction of the first outer wall portion  11 , and at a position above the center portion in the height direction of the first outer wall portion  11 . 
     The temporary engaging hole  19  penetrates the first outer wall portion  11  in the wall thickness direction. The temporary engaging hole  19  holds the lever  4  at a temporary engaging position, as mentioned below. The shape of the temporary engaging hole  19  in the present embodiment is a rectangular shape. The temporary engaging hole  19  is located at a position above the center portion in the height direction of the first outer wall portion  11 . One of the temporary engaging holes  19  is arranged in one end portion in the width direction of the first outer wall portion  11 , and the other temporary engaging hole  19  is arranged in the other end portion in the width direction of the first outer wall portion  11 . 
     The insertion hole  20  penetrates the first outer wall portion  11  in the wall thickness direction. The insertion hole  20  is a hole that enables, when a member is inserted into the inside of the housing  2 , insertion of the member therethrough. A plurality of cutouts  20   a  are provided to the lower edge of the insertion hole  20 . The cutout  20   a  has, as mentioned below, a function for the positioning of the sliding member  5 , and a function that restricts the sliding motion of the sliding member  5 . The cutouts  20   a  are arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction. 
     The second outer wall portion  12  includes the support hole  18  that is formed and arranged in the same manner as the case of the support hole  18  of the first outer wall portion  11 . The second outer wall portion  12  includes the temporary engaging holes  19  that are formed and arranged in the same manner as the case of the temporary engaging holes  19  of the first outer wall portion  11 . Furthermore, the second outer wall portion  12  includes a plurality of through holes each of which functions in the same manner as the case of the cutout  20   a  of the first outer wall portion  11 . 
     The third outer wall portion  13  includes two insertion holes  13   a . The insertion hole  13   a  penetrates the third outer wall portion  13  in the wall thickness direction. One of the insertion holes  13   a  is arranged between the first outer wall portion  11  and the first partition wall  15 . The other insertion hole  13   a  is arranged between the second outer wall portion  12  and the second partition wall  16 . The insertion hole  13   a  is formed in a shape that enables insertion of the sliding member  5  thereinto. One of the pair of sliding members  5  is inserted into a space portion between the first outer wall portion  11  and the first partition wall  15  through one of the insertion holes  13   a , and the other sliding member  5  is inserted into a space portion between the second outer wall portion  12  and the second partition wall  16  through the other insertion hole  13   a . The fourth outer wall portion  14  includes insertion holes same as the respective insertion holes  13   a . That is, the housing  2  in the present embodiment enables insertion of the sliding member  5  thereinto from both sides thereof in the width direction. The third outer wall portion  13  and the fourth outer wall portion  14  have a pair of engagement holes  13   b  and a pair of engagement holes  14   b , respectively. The engagement holes  13   b  and  14   b  are arranged in the respective upper ends of the outer wall portions  13  and  14 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the housing  2  has passages  22 . The passages  22  are grooves provided to the surface of the first partition wall  15  that faces the fitting part  3 , and grooves provided to the surface of the second partition wall  16  that faces the fitting part  3 . The passage  22  extends toward the upper side of the housing  2  from the bottom surface of the housing  2  in the height direction. As mentioned below, the passage  22  allows the part to be guided  104  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the counterpart connector  100  to pass therethrough, and guides the part to be guided  104  to the inside of the housing  2  to engage the part to be guided  104  with the sliding member  5 . The fitting groove  23  is formed between the inner surface of the housing  2  and the outer surface of the fitting part  3 . The fitting groove  23  is a recessed portion formed in a substantially rectangular tubular shape, the recessed portion corresponding to the tubular part  103  of the counterpart connector  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the housing  2  has grooves  21 . The grooves  21  are provided to respective inside surfaces  11   a  and  12   a  of the first outer wall portion  11  and the second outer wall portion  12 . The groove  21  of the first outer wall portion  11  extends from an upper edge portion  11   b  of the first outer wall portion  11  to the support hole  18  in the height direction. One end of the groove  21  of the first outer wall portion  11  is opened toward the upper space of the first outer wall portion  11 , and the other end of the groove  21  is opened toward the internal space of the support hole  18  provided to the first outer wall portion  11 . The groove  21  of the second outer wall portion  12  extends from an upper edge portion  12   b  of the second outer wall portion  12  to the support hole  18  in the height direction. One end of the groove  21  of the second outer wall portion  12  is opened toward the upper space of the second outer wall portion  12 , and the other end of the groove  21  is opened toward the internal space of the support hole  18  provided to the second outer wall portion  12 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the size of the clearance between the outer wall portion  11  ( 12 ) and the partition wall  15  ( 16 ) is determined as follows. In the peripheral area of the groove  21 , the size of the clearance between the first outer wall portion  11  and the first partition wall  15  is indicated by a symbol H 1 . In the area to which the groove  21  is provided, the size of the clearance between the first outer wall portion  11  and the first partition wall  15  is indicated by a symbol H 2 . That is, the distance from the bottom of the groove  21  to the wall surface of the first partition wall  15  facing the groove  21  is indicated by the symbol H 2 . The size of the clearance H 2  is larger than the size of the clearance H 1 . In the same manner as above, in the peripheral area of the groove  21 , the size of the clearance between the second outer wall portion  12  and the second partition wall  16  is indicated by a symbol H 1 . In the area to which the groove  21  is provided, the size of the clearance between the second outer wall portion  12  and the second partition wall  16  is indicated by a symbol H 2 . 
     The first partition wall  15  has guide projections  15   c . The guide projection  15   c  is arranged on the upper edge portion of the first partition wall  15 , and projects toward the first outer wall portion  11  in the thickness direction. The guide projections  15   c  are, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , arranged in a spaced-apart manner along the width direction. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the first partition wall  15  has recessed portions  15   d . The respective recessed portions  15   d  are arranged on both ends of the first partition wall  15  in the width direction. The recessed portion  15   d  is provided to the surface of the first partition wall  15  that faces the first outer wall portion  11  in an opposed manner, and extends in the height direction. The second partition wall  16  includes guide projections  16   c  arranged in the same manner as the case of the guide projections  15   c , and recessed portions  16   d  arranged in the same manner as the case of the recessed portions  15   d.    
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the first outer wall portion  11  and the first partition wall  15  are connected to each other in the lower portions thereof in the height direction. The portion where the first outer wall portion  11  and the first partition wall  15  are connected to each other constitutes a lower guide groove  15   a  that guides the bottom end portion of the sliding member  5 . Furthermore, the first partition wall  15  has an upper guide groove  15   b . Each of the lower guide groove  15   a  and the upper guide groove  15   b  extends in the width direction. The upper guide groove  15   b  guides the upper end portion of the sliding member  5 . The second outer wall portion  12  and the second partition wall  16  are connected to each other in the lower portions thereof in the height direction. The portion where the second outer wall portion  12  and the second partition wall  16  are connected to each other constitutes a lower guide groove  16   a  that guides the bottom end portion of the sliding member  5 . Furthermore, the second partition wall  16  has an upper guide groove  16   b . Each of the lower guide groove  16   a  and the upper guide groove  16   b  extends in the width direction. The upper guide groove  16   b  guides the upper end portion of the sliding member  5 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , the lever  4  has a pair of plate-like portions  41  and  42 , a connection portion  43 , projection portions  44 , and engaging claws  45 . The pair of plate-like portions  41  and  42  face each other in an opposed manner. The plate-like portions  41  and  42  have respective circular portions  41   a  and  42   a  arranged at the distal ends thereof. Each of the circular portions  41   a  and  42   a  is a constitutional portion formed in a substantially semicircular plate-like shape. Each of the circular portions  41   a  and  42   a  includes the projection portion  44  arranged in the center of the circular arc thereof. The projection portion  44  of the circular portion  41   a  projects from an outside surface  41   b . The outside surface  41   b  is a surface of the circular portion  41   a  that is opposite to the circular portion  42   a  side of the circular portion  41   a . The projection portion  44  of the circular portion  42   a  projects from an outside surface  42   b . The outside surface  42   b  is a surface of the circular portion  42   a  that is opposite to the circular portion  41   a  side of the circular portion  42   a.    
     The projection portion  44  has a proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  and a distal-end-side projection portion  44   b . The proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  is a projection that projects from each of the outside surfaces  41   b  and  42   b , and is formed in a circular shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to a rotational axis X 1  of the lever  4 . That is, the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  in the present embodiment is formed in a columnar shape, and projects in the direction orthogonal to each of the outside surfaces  41   b  and  42   b . The rotational axis X 1  constitutes a central axis line of the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a . The proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  is supported by the housing  2  in a rotatable manner about the rotational axis X 1 . 
     The distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is a projection that projects from the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a , and is formed in a belt shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the rotational axis X 1 . The distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  in the present embodiment is formed in a truncated pyramid shape, and projects in the direction orthogonal to the distal-end surface of the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a . The distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is a projection portion with a predetermined width, the projection portion extending toward both sides from the rotational axis X 1  in the radial direction. The distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is formed in a substantially rectangular shape as viewed in the direction of the rotational axis X 1 , and inserted into the groove  21  of the housing  2  along the longitudinal direction thereof. The distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  in the present embodiment has a width W 1  (see  FIG. 6 ) that is constant. The length of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is longer than the width W 1 . The width W 1  of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is, for example, approximately one-half of the length of the diameter of the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a . The length of the base of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b ; that is, the length of the hem portion of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  in the longitudinal direction, is identical with the size of the diameter of the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a . The end portion of distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  includes a leading inclined portion. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , with respect to the projection portion  44  of the first plate-like portion  41 , the thickness from an inside surface  41   d  of the first plate-like portion  41  to the distal-end surface of the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  is indicated by a symbol D 1 , and the thickness from the inside surface  41   d  to the distal end of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is indicated by a symbol D 2 . In the same manner as above, with respect to the projection portion  44  of the second plate-like portion  42  also, the thickness D 1  from an inside surface  42   d  to the distal-end surface of proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a , and the thickness D 2  from the inside surface  42   d  to the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  are specified. In the lever-type connector  1  according to the present embodiment, the sizes of the clearances H 1  and H 2  (see  FIG. 5 ) of the housings  2 , and the thicknesses D 1  and D 2  of the lever  4  are determined so that the following expressions (1) is satisfied. That is, the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  collides against the outer wall portion  11  ( 12 ) of the housing  2  in an area other than the groove  21 , and is incapable of being inserted into the clearance between the outer wall portion  11  ( 12 ) and the partition wall  15  ( 16 ).
 
D1&lt;H1&lt;D2&lt;H2  (1)
 
     The engaging claw  45  is arranged on the proximal-end side of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ) in a spaced-apart manner from the circular portion  41   a  ( 42   a ). The engaging claw  45  of the first plate-like portion  41  projects toward the outside of the first plate-like portion  41 ; that is, the engaging claw  45  of the first plate-like portion  41  projects in the direction toward the side opposite to the second plate-like portion  42  side of the first plate-like portion  41  from the second plate-like portion  42  side of the first plate-like portion  41 . The engaging claw  45  of the second plate-like portion  42  projects toward the outside of the second plate-like portion  42 ; that is, the engaging claw  45  of the second plate-like portion  42  projects in the direction toward the side opposite to the first plate-like portion  41  side of the second plate-like portion  42  from the first plate-like portion  41  side of the second plate-like portion  42 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the first plate-like portion  41  and the second plate-like portion  42  face each other in an opposed manner in the direction of the rotational axis X 1 , and are arranged in parallel to each other. The connection portion  43  connects the proximal end of the first plate-like portion  41  and the proximal end of the second plate-like portion  42  in the direction parallel to the rotational axis X 1 . The inside surface of the connection portion  43  includes an engaging projection  43   a . The lever  4  is integrally formed of a raw material having flexibility, such as a synthetic resin material. The lever  4  is subject to a flexure deformation when an external force is applied to the plate-like portions  41  and  42  in the direction of the rotational axis X 1  such that the plate-like portions  41  and  42  are brought close to each other. The flexure deformation is a deformation such that a distance L 1  between the distal ends of the pair of projection portions  44  decreases. The distance L 1  between the distal ends of the projection portions  44  is a distance from the distal-end surface of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  of the first plate-like portion  41  to the distal-end surface of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  of the second plate-like portion  42 . The lever  4  is attached to the housing  2  in a state in which the lever  4  is subject to the flexure deformation. 
     The lever  4  has second gear parts  46 . The second gear part  46  is provided to the end portion of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ) that is opposite to the connection portion  43  side of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ), and meshes with a first gear part  51   e  (see  FIG. 8 ) mentioned below. The second gear part  46  in the present embodiment is arranged on each of the circular portions  41   a  and  42   a . The second gear part  46  of the first plate-like portion  41  has a plurality of gear teeth  41   c . The plurality of gear teeth  41   c  project from the outer peripheral face of the circular portion  41   a , and are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. The second gear part  46  of the second plate-like portion  42  has a plurality of gear teeth  42   c . The plurality of gear teeth  42   c  project from the outer peripheral face of the circular portion  42   a , and are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. 
     The sliding member  5  has a first sliding member  51  illustrated in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , and a second sliding member  52  illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Each direction illustrated in  FIG. 8  to  FIG. 10  is a direction in a state in which the sliding member  5  is housed in the housing  2 . Each of the first sliding member  51  and the second sliding member  52  is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material or the like. Each of the first sliding member  51  and the second sliding member  52  is a member formed in a substantially rectangular plate-like shape. The shape of the first sliding member  51  and the shape of the second sliding member  52  are in plane symmetry. As illustrated in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , the first sliding member  51  is a plate-like member, and has a bottom flange portion  51   c , the first gear part  51   e , and guide portions  53 . 
     The bottom flange portion  51   c  projects from an outside surface  51   a  of the first sliding member  51 . The outside surface  51   a  is a surface that faces outward in a state in which the first sliding member  51  is housed in the housing  2 ; that is, a surface that faces the first outer wall portion  11  of the housing  2  in an opposed manner. The bottom flange portion  51   c  is arranged on the lower end of the outside surface  51   a , and extends in the width direction. The bottom flange portion  51   c  has an engaging projection  51   f . The engaging projection  51   f  is provided to one end of the bottom flange portion  51   c  in the width direction. The engaging projection  51   f  projects in the thickness direction. 
     The first gear part  51   e  is a gear part provided to the upper side surface of the bottom flange portion  51   c . The first gear part  51   e  has a plurality of gear teeth  51   d  provided to the upper side surface of the bottom flange portion  51   c . The plurality of gear teeth  51   d  project upwardly from the bottom flange portion  51   c , and are continuously arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the guide portion  53  is a groove provided to an inside surface  51   b  of the first sliding member  51 . The guide portion  53  has an entrance portion  53   a , an inclined portion  53   b , and a holding portion  53   c . The entrance portion  53   a  extends upwardly from the lower end of the first sliding member  51  in the height direction. The inclined portion  53   b  extends obliquely in the upper direction from the upper end of the entrance portion  53   a . The holding portion  53   c  extends in the width direction from the upper end of the inclined portion  53   b.    
     As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the second sliding member  52  includes a guide portion  54  provided to an inside surface  52   b  thereof, the guide portion  54  being identical with the guide portion  53  of the first sliding member  51 . In a state in which the first sliding member  51  and the second sliding member  52  are housed in the housing  2 , the guide portion  53  and the guide portion  54  are in plane symmetry with respect to a surface orthogonal to the thickness direction. The guide portion  54  has an entrance portion  54   a , an inclined portion  54   b , and a holding portion  54   c  in the same manner as the case of the guide portion  53  of the first sliding member  51 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , an electric wire holding part  7  has a plurality of lead-out ports  71  and a plurality of claw parts  72 . The lead-out port  71  is an opening from which an electric wire W connected to the female terminal is led out. The electric wire holding part  7  is engaged with the housing  2  by way of the claw parts  72 . The electric wire holding part  7  is inserted into the housing  2  from above in the height direction. The respective claw parts  72  are engaged with the engagement holes  13   b  and  14   b  of the third outer wall portion  13  and the fourth outer wall portion  14  and hence, the electric wire holding part  7  is held by the housing  2 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the cover  6  has a pair of sidewall portions  61 , and a casing portion  62 . Each direction illustrated in  FIG. 12  is a direction in a state in which the cover  6  is attached to the housing  2 . The casing portion  62  covers the upper opening of the housing  2  from above in the height direction. The casing portion  62  connects the upper ends of the sidewall portions  61  with each other. The casing portion  62  includes an engaging claw  62   a  provided to the upper surface thereof. The engaging claw  62   a  is raised upwardly in the height direction. The sidewall portion  61  includes an upper side projection  63  and a lower side projection  64  that are provided to an inside surface  61   a  thereof. Each of the upper side projection  63  and the lower side projection  64  extends in the width direction. The upper side projection  63  and the lower side projection  64  face each other in a spaced-apart manner with a predetermined distance therebetween in the height direction. The projection height of the lower side projection  64  is smaller than the projection height of the upper side projection  63 . 
     The cover  6  is attached to the housing  2  while being slid in the width direction. To be more specific, first of all, the cover  6  is inserted into the housing  2  from above in the height direction, and sandwiches the guide projections  15   c  ( 16   c ) between the upper side projection  63  and the lower side projection  64  thereof. The lower side projection  64  preferably includes a cutout portion through which the guide projection  15   c  ( 16   c ) is capable of passing when the cover  6  is attached to the housing  2 . The cover  6  is guided by the guide projections  15   c  and  16   c  in the width direction. The sidewall portion  61  includes engaging projections (not illustrated in the drawings) corresponding to the respective recessed portions  15   d  ( 16   d ) (see  FIG. 4 ), the engaging projections being provided to the inside surface  61   a  of the sidewall portion  61 . The cover  6  is fixed to the housing  2  by engaging the engaging projection with the recessed portion  15   d  ( 16   d ) thus restricting the sliding motion thereof. The cover  6  is, for example, attached to the housing  2  after the completion of attaching the lever  4  and the electric wire W to the housing  2 . 
       FIG. 13  is a side view for explaining processes of attaching the lever to the housing in the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the lever  4  is attached to the housing  2  from above in the height direction. In the present embodiment, the lever  4  is subject to the flexure deformation thus enabling the lever  4  to be inserted into the housing  2 . To explain the present embodiment with reference to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , the distance L 1  between the distal ends of the projection portions  44  illustrated in  FIG. 7  is smaller than a distance L 2  between the grooves  21  illustrated in  FIG. 5  thus enabling inserting the lever  4  into the housing  2 . The distance L 2  between the grooves  21  is a distance from the bottom surface of the groove  21  of the first outer wall portion  11  to the bottom surface of the groove  21  of the second outer wall portion  12  in the thickness direction. The distance L 1  between the distal ends of the projection portions  44  when the lever  4  is situated in a free state is larger than the distance L 2  between the grooves  21 . An assembling worker attaches the lever  4  to the housing  2  while bringing the first plate-like portion  41  and the second plate-like portion  42  of the lever  4  closer to each other so that the lever  4  is subject to the flexure deformation. When the distance L 1  between the distal ends of the projection portions  44  is equal to or smaller than the distance L 2  between the grooves  21  due to the flexure deformation, the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  of the first plate-like portion  41  is capable of entering into the groove  21  of the first outer wall portion  11 , and the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  of the second plate-like portion  42  is capable of entering into the groove  21  of the second outer wall portion  12 . In this case, the flexure amount of the lever  4  is within the range of an elastic deformation. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , a groove width W 2  of the groove  21  is larger than the width W 1  of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b . Accordingly, the groove  21  allows the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  to pass therethrough. The size of the groove width W 2  is set within the range such that the desired gear tooth  41   c  of the second gear part  46  can be led to the desired tooth space of the first gear part  51   e  so as to prevent the meshing position of the first gear part  51   e  and the second gear part  46  from deviating from a desired meshing position. 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the attachment of the lever to the housing is completed. The assembling worker causes two distal-end-side projection portions  44   b  to enter into respective two grooves  21 , and to pass through the respective grooves  21  downwardly in the height direction. The assembling worker loosens his/her grip by which the flexure deformation of the lever  4  is caused when two distal-end-side projection portions  44   b  are entered into the respective grooves  21 . When the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  passes through the groove  21  and the projection portion  44  moves to the position corresponding to the support hole  18 , the restoring force of the lever  4  causes two projection portions  44  to enter into respective two support holes  18 . The inside diameter of the support hole  18  is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a . Accordingly, the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  is, as illustrated in  FIG. 14 , entered into the support hole  18 , and slidably supported by the inner peripheral face of the support hole  18 . Two proximal-end-side projection portions  44   a  are supported by respective two support holes  18  and hence, the lever  4  is capable of rotating about the rotational axis X 1 . 
     When the projection portion  44  is entered into the support hole  18 , as illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the second gear part  46  of the lever  4  meshes with the first gear part  51   e  of the sliding member  5 . When the lever  4  is attached to the housing  2 , the sliding member  5  is fixed at a predetermined initial position in the width direction. The position at which the lever  4  is fixed is achieved by engaging the engaging projections  51   f  (see  FIG. 8 ) of the sliding member  5  with the cutout  20   a  (see  FIG. 4 ) of the housing  2 . When the lever  4  is attached to the housing  2 , before the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  has passed through the groove  21 , the tooth tip of the gear tooth  41   c  of the second gear part  46  enters into a space between the gear teeth  51   d , which are arranged adjacent to each other, of the first gear part  51   e . That is, the gear tooth  41   c  determined in advance meshes with a tooth space, which is determined in advance, of the first gear part  51   e . Namely, while the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  passes through the groove  21 , the rotational position of the lever  4  about the rotational axis X 1  is restricted to a predetermined position. Accordingly, while the rotational position of the lever  4  is fixed to the predetermined position, the second gear part  46  is capable of meshing with the first gear part  51   e . In the following explanation, the position of the lever  4  illustrated in  FIG. 14  is referred to as “initial rotation position”, wherein the rotational position of the lever  4  is fixed to the predetermined position, the projection portion  44  is engaged with the support hole  18 , and the second gear part  46  is meshed with the first gear part  51   e.    
     The second gear part  46  is constituted so that the second gear part  46  is meshed with the first gear part  51   e  while the projection portion  44  is engaged with the support hole  18 . Accordingly, when the lever  4  is rotated about the rotational axis X 1  in a state in which the projection portion  44  is supported by the support hole  18 , the sliding member  5  is slid in the width direction depending on the rotation of the lever  4 . The gear teeth  41   c  ( 42   c ) of the second gear part  46  are arranged along the circumferential direction, and the gear teeth  51   d  of the first gear part  51   e  are arranged along a straight line. Due to such a constitution, the rotating motion of the lever  4  is converted into the sliding motion of the sliding member  5  in a meshing portion between the first gear part  51   e  and the second gear part  46 . 
     The lever  4  according to the present embodiment is, as viewed from the direction of the rotational axis X 1 , constituted so that the plate-like portions  41  and  42  are inclined with respect to the height direction at the initial rotation position of the lever  4 . As such a constitution of the lever  4 , to be more specific, the longitudinal direction of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is inclined with respect to the extending direction of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ). The plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ) is inclined with respect to the height direction and hence, the lever  4  is prevented from being obstructive in a wire connection process that connects electric wires to the lever-type connector  1 . 
     The lever  4  is rotatable toward both directions about the rotational axis X 1  from the initial rotation position illustrated in  FIG. 14 . That is, the lever  4  is rotatable in both the rotational direction indicated by an arrow Y 1  and the rotational direction indicated by an arrow Y 2  in  FIG. 14 , from the initial rotation position. The rotational direction indicated by the arrow Y 1  is a rotational direction such that the angle of inclination of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ) with respect to the height direction is increased. 
       FIG. 15  is a side view illustrating the temporary engaged state of the lever-type connector according to the present embodiment. When the lever  4  is rotated in the Y 1  direction from the initial rotation position illustrated in  FIG. 14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 15 , the engaging claw  45  of the lever  4  is engaged with the temporary engaging hole  19  of the housing  2 . Due to such constitution, the rotation of the lever  4  is restricted, and the sliding motion of the sliding member  5  is restricted. The position of the lever  4  illustrated in  FIG. 15 ; that is the position of the lever  4  when the engaging claw  45  is engaged with the temporary engaging hole  19 , is referred to as “temporary engagement rotational position.” 
     The wire connection process with respect to the lever-type connector  1  is, for example, performed in a state in which the lever  4  is located at the temporary engagement rotational position. The electric wire W led out from the lever-type connector  1  is drawn out toward a direction indicated by an arrow Y 3  illustrated in  FIG. 15 ; that is, a direction opposite to the direction toward the side where the lever  4  is fallen down in the width direction. The wire connection process is completed and thereafter, the cover  6  is attached to the housing  2 . 
     The rotational direction indicated by the arrow Y 2  in  FIG. 14  is a rotational direction where the angle of inclination of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ) with respect to the height direction is decreased. When the lever  4  is rotated in the Y 2  direction, the plate-like portions  41  and  42  of the lever  4  are rotated about the rotational axis X 1  toward the direction orthogonal to the upper surface of the housing  2 . In a fitting process explained below, the lever  4  is rotated in the Y 2  direction. 
     The fitting process is explained with reference to  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 . Here, in  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 , although the cover  6  is omitted, the fitting process is actually performed in a state in which the cover  6  is mounted on the housing  2 . The fitting process is a process in which the lever-type connector  1  and the counterpart connector  100  are fitted in each other. The fitting process in the present embodiment includes a first fitting process in which the lever-type connector  1  and the counterpart connector  100  are temporarily fitted in each other, and a second fitting process in which the lever-type connector  1  and the counterpart connector  100  are completely fitted in each other.  FIG. 16  is a side view for explaining the first fitting process, and  FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view for explaining the second fitting process.  FIG. 17  illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along a line XVII-XVII in  FIG. 14 . 
     The first fitting process is performed is a state in which the rotational position of the lever  4  is, as illustrated in  FIG. 16 , located at the initial rotation position. In the first fitting process, the counterpart connector  100  is inserted into the lever-type connector  1  from below in the height direction. When the lever  4  is located at the initial rotation position, the passages  22  of the housing  2  and the respective guide portions  53  ( 54 ) of the sliding member  5  are communicated with each other. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 17 , the entrance portion  53   a  of the first sliding member  51  opens toward the extension of the passage  22  of the first partition wall  15 . Due to such constitution, in the first fitting process, the part to be guided  104  of the counterpart connector  100  enters into the inner side (upper edge) of the entrance portion  53   a  ( 54   a ) through the passage  22 . 
     The second fitting process is performed in a state in which the part to be guided  104  enters into the inner side of the entrance portion  53   a  ( 54   a ). In the second fitting process, the assembling worker rotates the lever  4  in the Y 2  direction. The sliding member  5  is slid in the direction indicated by an arrow Y 4  in  FIG. 17  in an interlocking manner with the rotation of the lever  4  in the Y 2  direction. Thereafter, in the first sliding member  51 , a lower wall surface  53   d  of the inclined portion  53   b  is brought into contact with the part to be guided  104  to depress the part to be guided  104  upwardly (toward the fitting side) in the height direction. That is, the first sliding member  51  is slid depending on the rotation of the lever  4  thus depressing the part to be guided  104  by way of the guide portion  53  thereof. In the same manner as above, the second sliding member  52  is slid depending on the rotation of the lever  4  thus depressing the part to be guided  104  by way of the guide portion  54  thereof. The guide portion  53  ( 54 ) depresses the part to be guided  104  thus moving the counterpart connector  100  to the fitting side relative to the lever-type connector  1 , and fitting the counterpart connector  100  in the fitting part  3 . The guide portion  53  ( 54 ) in the present embodiment is constituted so that while the part to be guided  104  is moved to the upper end of the inclined portion  53   b  ( 54   b ), the male terminal of the counterpart connector  100  and the female terminal of the lever-type connector  1  are electrically contacted with each other. 
     When the lever  4  is further rotated in the Y 2  direction, the part to be guided  104  enters into the holding portion  53   c  ( 54   c ). The holding portion  53   c  ( 54   c ) holds the part to be guided  104 , and restricts the movement of the part to be guided  104  to the lower side (release side) in the height direction. To explain with reference to  FIG. 17 , even when the part to be guided  104  is forced to move to the release side, a lower wall surface  53   e  of the holding portion  53   c  is brought into contact with the part to be guided  104 , and restricts the movement of the part to be guided  104  to the release side. Due to such constitution, the lever-type connector  1  and the counterpart connector  100  maintain the electrically connected state thereof. 
       FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustrating the fitting state of the lever-type connector and the counterpart connector in the present embodiment. In the second fitting process, as illustrated in  FIG. 18 , the lever  4  is rotated to the position where the lever  4  is engaged with the cover  6 . The engaging projection  43   a  of the lever  4  is engaged with the engaging claw  62   a  of the cover  6  and hence, the lever  4  is locked with respect to the cover  6 , and the rotation of the lever  4  is restricted. In a state in which the engaging projection  43   a  is engaged with the engaging claw  62   a , the part to be guided  104  of the counterpart connector  100  is located in the holding portion  53   c  ( 54   c ) of the sliding member  5 . Accordingly, even when an external force is applied in the direction such that the lever-type connector  1  and the counterpart connector  100  are separated from each other, the holding portion  53   c  ( 54   c ) is brought into contact with the part to be guided  104  to restrict the relative movement of the counterpart connector  100  thus maintaining the fitting state of the lever-type connector  1  and the counterpart connector  100 . 
     As explained heretofore, the lever-type connector  1  according to the present embodiment has the housing  2 , the fitting part  3 , the lever  4 , and the sliding members  5 . The housing  2  has the support holes  18 . The fitting part  3  is provided in the inside of the housing  2 , and fitted in the counterpart connector  100 . The lever  4  has the pair of plate-like portions  41  and  42  that face each other, the connection portion  43  that connects the plate-like portions  41  and  42  with each other, and the projection portions  44  provided to the respective outside surfaces  41   b  and  42   b  of the plate-like portions  41  and  42 . The projection portion  44  is engaged with the support hole  18  and hence, the lever  4  is rotatably supported by the housing  2 . 
     The sliding member  5  is slidably supported by the housing  2 , and has the guide portions  53  ( 54 ) each of which is engaged with the part to be guided  104  provided to the counterpart connector  100 . The sliding member  5  is slid depending on the rotation of the lever  4  thus depressing the part to be guided  104  by way of the guide portion  53  ( 54 ) thereof to fit the counterpart connector  100  in the fitting part  3 . The inside surface  11   a  ( 12   a ) that constitutes an inside wall surface of the housing  2  has the groove  21  that extends from the edge portion  11   b  ( 12   b ) of the housing  2  to the support hole  18 . The projection portion  44  is allowed to pass through the groove  21  toward the support hole  18  when the rotational position of the lever  4  about the rotational axis X 1  is a predetermined position. Due to such constitution, according to the lever-type connector  1  in the present embodiment, the lever  4  can be attached to the housing  2  in a desired posture thus improving the workability in an assembling process. The flexure direction of the lever  4  in inserting the lever  4  into the housing  2  is not a direction such that the plate-like portions  41  and  42  are deflected toward the outside thereof but a direction such that the plate-like portions  41  and  42  are deflected toward the inside thereof. Accordingly, the assembling worker can easily deflect the lever  4  while holding the lever  4 . 
     The projection portion  44  according to the present embodiment has the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  that projects from the outside surface  41   b  ( 42   b ) of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ), and formed in a circular shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the rotational axis X 1  of the lever  4 ; and the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  that projects from the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a , and formed in a belt shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the rotational axis X 1 . The groove  21  allows the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  to pass therethrough when the rotational position of the lever  4  about the rotational axis X 1  is a predetermined position. The distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  formed in a belt shape as viewed in a cross-sectional view and the groove  21  restrict the rotational position of the lever  4  in assembling thus improving the workability in the assembling process. Furthermore, not only the proximal-end-side projection portion  44   a  but also the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is inserted into the support hole  18  thus improving the effect of preventing the projection portion  44  from being released from the support hole  18 . 
     Furthermore, the sliding member  5  in the present embodiment has the first gear part  51   e  including the plurality of gear teeth  51   d  continuously arranged along the sliding direction of the sliding member  5 . The lever  4  has the second gear part  46  that is provided to the end portion opposite to the connection portion  43  side of the plate-like portion  41  ( 42 ), and meshed with the first gear part  51   e . The rotating motion of the lever  4  is converted into the sliding motion of the sliding member  5  in a meshing portion between the first gear part  51   e  and the second gear part  46 . In the lever-type connector  1  according to the present embodiment, the rotational position of the lever  4  in attaching the lever  4  to the housing  2  is restricted to the predetermined position thus restricting the displacement of the meshing position of the first gear part  51   e  and the second gear part  46 . Accordingly, the workability in attaching the lever-type connector  1  to the counterpart connector  100  is improved. 
     First Modification of Embodiment 
     A first modification in the embodiment is explained. In contrast with the lever  4  of the above-mentioned embodiment, the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  may be provided only to one of two projection portions  44 . Even when the number of the distal-end-side projection portions  44   b  is one, it is possible to restrict the direction of the lever  4  in attaching the lever  4  to the housing  2 ; that is, it is possible to restrict the posture (rotational position) of the lever  4  in attaching the lever  4  to the housing  2  to a desired posture. 
     When the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is provided only to one of the projection portions  44 , the groove  21  may be further formed only on one of the first outer wall portion  11  and the second outer wall portion  12  of the housing  2 . Due to such constitution, erroneous attachment of the lever  4  to the housing  2  is suppressed. When the lever  4  is attached to the housing  2  in a horizontally inverted posture, the outer wall portion  11  ( 12 ) to which the groove  21  is not provided restricts the passage of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  thus preventing the erroneous attachment of the lever  4 . 
     Second Modification of Embodiment 
     The shape of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is not limited to the shape exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the width W 1  of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  may be nonuniform. Any shape of the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  can be adopted provided that the shape is such that the rotational position of the lever  4  can be restricted in a predetermined position, or in a predetermined range when the distal-end-side projection portion  44   b  is engaged with the groove  21 . 
     In the above-mentioned embodiment, each of the guide portions  53  and  54  of the sliding member  5  is a groove, and the part to be guided  104  of the counterpart connector  100  is a projection portion. However, in contrast with above, each of the guide portions  53  and  54  may be a projection portion, and the part to be guided  104  may be a groove. 
     The contents disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications can be brought into practice by optionally combining the embodiment and the modifications with each other. 
     The lever-type connector according to the present embodiment includes a housing having support holes; a fitting part that is provided inside the housing and fitted in a counterpart connector; a lever having a pair of plate-like portions facing each other in an opposed manner, a connection portion that connects the pair of plate-like portions with each other, and projection portions provided respective outside surfaces of the plate-like portions, the lever being rotatably supported by the housing while the projection portions are engaged with the support holes; and sliding members each having a guide portion that is slidably supported by the housing and engaged with a part to be guided provided to the counterpart connector, the sliding members being slid depending on the rotation of the lever to depress the part to be guided by way of the guide portion and fit the counterpart connector in the fitting part. 
     The inside wall surface of the housing has grooves each extending from the edge of the housing to the support holes. The projection portions are allowed to pass through the grooves toward the support holes when the rotational position of the lever about a rotation axis is a predetermined position. In the lever-type connector according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve an advantageous effect of attaching the lever to the housing in a state in which the rotational position of the lever is the predetermined position thus improving the workability in the assembling processes. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.