Patent Publication Number: US-9413108-B2

Title: Lever-actuated electrical connector and mating system

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. 2013-181060, dated Sep. 2, 2013. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally is generally related to an electrical connector, and more specifically to an electrical connector that detects when the electrical connector has been completely mated with a complementary electrical connector. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Certain electrical connectors (“connectors”) have a large number of contacts depending on the 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 female terminals. The lever rotates between an initial mating position and a final mating position. A receptacle housing of a mating connector, such as a connector housing male terminals, is provided with a cam pin. With the lever being held at the initial mating position, both housings are partially mated together, thereby causing the cam pin to enter a cam groove provided in the lever. From this state, the lever is rotated to the final mating position. Then, with a cam operation in which the cam groove and the cam pin are engaged together, both housings are mated together, and terminals of both connectors are electrically connected together. 
     The term “rotate” and its derivatives refer to both clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation, unless otherwise specified. 
     One drawback of lever-actuated connectors is that determining visually whether the connectors have completely mated is difficult. Therefore, other methods are necessary to confirm whether mating is complete. 
     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, in spite of the utility of the detection circuit, Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-117045 A presents a number of disadvantages. For example, a detection arm is displaced by operation of a mating lever, and the mating detection terminal is elastically displaced by operation of the detection arm to control contact or non-contact with the counterpart mating detection terminal. Further, multiple connector members necessary for operating the detection arm (a pressuring member and a pre-pressuring member) are provided to the lever. These additional components 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 of the present invention made to achieve the objects described above. The lever-actuated electrical connector includes a housing mateable with a mating connector having complementary mating detection terminal. A mating detection terminal is positioned in the housing to form a detection circuit when in contact with the complementary mating detection terminal. A mating lever is supported by the housing. A housing lock is positioned on the housing and in contact with the mating lever when the housing is mated to the mating connector, with the housing lock being displaceable by an operation of the mating lever. The mating detection terminal is positioned at a distance from the counterpart mating detection terminal when the mating lever is in an unlocked positioned, and is in contact with the counterpart mating detection terminal when the mating lever reaches the final mating position to actuate the detection circuit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connector; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a male connector forming the connector assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a lever-actuated female connector forming the connector assembly of  FIG. 1  when viewed from a rear side; 
         FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the lever-actuated female connector forming the connector assembly of  FIG. 1  when viewed from a front side; 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view of the connector assembly when viewed from the rear side of the female connector before a lever operation; 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view of the connector assembly when viewed from the rear side of the female connector during a lever operation; 
         FIG. 4C  is a front view of the connector assembly when viewed from the rear side of the female connector after a lever operation is completed; 
         FIG. 5A  is a sectional view taken along line V-V of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5B  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of  FIG. 4B ; 
         FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7A  is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of  FIG. 4C ; and 
         FIG. 7B  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 7A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electrical connector assembly  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3B , the electrical connector assembly  1  includes a mating connector  10  and connectors  30 , each having a mating side defined as front, and its opposite side defined as rear. 
     The mating connector  10  includes a mating housing  11 , receiving chambers  13  provided inside the mating housing  11  to have the connectors  30  inserted therein, a plurality of pin-type signal terminals  15 , and mating detection terminals  16  for detecting that the mating connector  10  and the connectors  30  are mated together (See  FIGS. 5 a -7 b   ). The signal terminals  15  and the mating detection terminals  16  are held by press-fitting into the rear mating housing  11 , and are partially positioned inside the receiving chambers  13 , with the remaining portions positioned outside the mating housing  11 . The mating connector  10  includes a tine plate  17  which holds the signal terminals  15  in an aligned state outside the mating housing  11 . 
     The mating housing  11 , and a housing  31  and a mating lever  50  of each connector  30  is integrally formed by injection-molding of insulating resin. The signal terminals  15  and the mating detection terminals  16  are formed of a metal material having excellent conductivity and elasticity, such as copper alloy. 
     The mating housing  11  includes three receiving chambers  13  aligned in a width direction X The connectors  30  are inserted into and mated with the respective receiving chambers  13 . 
     The mating housing  11  includes side walls  11   a  defining the receiving chambers  13  in the width direction X and side walls  11   b  defining the receiving chambers  13  in a height direction Z. Each side wall  11   b  has cam pins  12  on inner surfaces  11   c  facing each other in each receiving chamber  13 . At the time of mating of the connector  30 , each cam pin  12  is inserted in a cam groove  51   b  provided in the mating lever  50  to be engaged with the mating lever  50 . When the mating lever  50  is rotated in a predetermined direction, the cam pin  12  moves inside the cam groove  51   b  to cause a leverage effect. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5A , the mating detection terminal  16  has a first end extending forward of the receiving chamber  13 , the first end functioning as a contact end  16   a  to contact a mating detection terminal  40  provided in the connector  30 . An opposing second end extends outside of the mating housing  11  and connects to a device for detection. 
     Since  FIG. 5A  is a sectional view, only one mating detection terminal  16  is depicted. However, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the mating housing  11  includes two mating detection terminals  16  spaced apart from each other in the width direction X. These two mating detection terminals  16  cannot establish electrical continuity until the mating detection terminal  40  of the connector  30  makes contact therewith. When the mating detection terminal  40  makes contact with both mating detection terminals  40 , these terminals function as a detection circuit. 
     Each connector  30  is inserted in the respective receiving chambers  13  of the mating connector  10  to mate with the mating connector  10 , and includes a plurality of socket-type terminals (“female terminals”)(not shown) to be connected to the plurality of signal terminals  15  for signal transmission. The connector  30  is a lever-actuated electrical connector having a housing  31  with the plurality of the female terminals and a mating lever  50  for mating the connector  30  with the mating connector  10 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the shape of the connectors  30  may vary. In another exemplary embodiment, the shape of the connectors  30  are substantially the same. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A, 3B, 5A, and 5B , the connector  30  includes the mating detection terminal  40  on an upper side of the housing  31  in the height direction Z and at the center thereof in the width direction X. 
     The mating detection terminal  40  is held in a detection terminal receiving chamber  33  provided in the housing  31 . The detection terminal receiving chamber  33  includes a window  33   a  open to an upper surface of the housing  31 . When the connector  30  is not connected, a portion of the mating detection terminal  40  is exposed outside through the window  33   a.    
     The detection terminal receiving chamber  33  includes a holding wall  33   b  in front of the window  33   a . The holding wall  33   b  is provided so as to be separated in the height direction Z at a predetermined space apart from a bottom wall  33   c  defining the detection terminal receiving chamber  33 . A front end side of the mating detection terminal  40  is positioned between the holding wall  33   b  and the bottom wall  33   c.    
     The housing  31  includes a housing lock  35  in the rear of the window  33   a . The housing lock  35  engages with the mating lever  50  at a normal mating position, thereby inhibiting the connector  30  from being inadvertently disconnected from the mating connector  10 . 
     The housing lock  35  is integrally formed with the housing  31 , and includes a hinge  35   a  connected to the housing  31 , an arm  35   b  extending rearward from the hinge  35   a , and an engaging projection  35   c  provided at a tip (a rear end) of the arm  35   b . The engaging projection  35   c  projects upward. In the housing lock  35 , the arm  35   b  can rotate together with the engaging projection  35   c  about the hinge  35   a . When the mating lever  50  is operated for mating, the housing lock  35  is once elastically displaced downward (pushed down) when the engaging projection  35   c  engages with the mating lever  50 . When the mating lever  50  rotates and moves to the normal mating position, the engagement with the mating lever  50  is released, and the housing lock  35  elastically returns to its original position. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 5B , the mating detection terminal  40  includes a folded member  40   c  bent in a U shape at a substantially center portion in a length direction, a contact member  40   a  provided on a first side continued from the folded member  40   c , and an engaging member  40   b  provided in the rear of the contact member  40   a . The contact member  40   a  is a portion which projects upward and directly makes contact with the mating detection terminal  16  of the mating connector  10 . The mating detection terminal  40  also includes a support member  40   d  on an opposing second side continued from the folded member  40   c . The mating detection terminal  40  on is branched into two at the folded member  40   c  as a boundary, and the contact member  40   a  and the engaging member  40   b  are provided on each branched portion. 
     In the mating detection terminal  40 , the support member  40   d  on the second side is supported by the bottom wall  33   c  inside the detection terminal receiving chamber  33 . Furthermore, with the folded member  40   c  being inserted into a gap between the holding wall  33   b  and the bottom wall  33   c  and also with the engaging member  40   b  being engaged with a lower surface of the hinge  35   a  of the housing lock  35 , the mating detection terminal  40  is positioned inside the detection terminal receiving chamber  33 . Still further, since the engaging member  40   b  is engaged with the lower surface of the hinge  35   a , when the housing lock  35  is pushed down by the mating lever  50 , the folded member  40   c  is elastically deformed to cause the contact member  40   a  to be displaced downward. At this position, the contact member  40   a  is not in contact with the mating detection terminal  16 . When the load from the mating lever  50  is released, the contact member  40   a  elastically returns to the original position. 
     The mating lever  50  is rotatably supported by the housing  31 . The mating lever  50  operates as a leverage mechanism when the connector  30  is mated with and is disconnected from the counterpart connecter  10 . 
     The mating lever  50  rotates in a range from an initial mating position depicted in  FIGS. 3A, 3B, 5A, and 5B  to a final mating position depicted in  FIGS. 1, 7A, and 7B . When the mating lever  50  is rotated from the initial mating position to the final mating position in a clockwise direction, the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10 . 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the mating lever  50  includes a pair cam plates  51  and an operating rod  53 . The operating rod  53  couples tips of the pair of cam plates  51  together, and has a gate shape. 
     Each cam plate  51  is formed with a shaft receiving hole  51   a  penetrating through both front and rear surfaces of the cam plate  51 . Into the shaft receiving hole  51   a , a support shaft  31   b  integrally formed on the side wall  31   a  of the housing  31  is inserted. The mating lever  50  is rotatably supported by the housing  31 , with the support shaft  31   b  taken as a rotation center. 
     Each cam plate  51  has the cam groove  51   b  formed in a surface side not facing the housing  31 . The cam pin  12  of the mating housing  11  is inserted into the cam groove  51   b . The cam groove  51   b  is provided on the side opposite to the side where the operating rod  53  is provided, with the shaft receiving hole  51   a  and support shaft  31   b  taken as a boundary. With the rotation of the operating rod  53 , the cam pin  12  relatively moves deeper along the cam groove  51   b , thereby allowing the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  to be mated together and be disconnected. 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 5B , the operating rod  53  includes a projection  54  provided at the center in the width direction, and a block  55  provided inside in a rotation radius with respect to the projection  54 . 
     The projection  54  outward from the rotation radius. By pushing the projection  54  in a direction along the rotation radius, an operator can perform a mating or disconnecting operation. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 5B , the block  55  includes a first guide surface  55   a  and a second guide surface  55   b , which are both flat and formed by cutting an inner side in the rotation radius. When the mating lever  50  is rotated for mating, the engaging projection  35   c  of the housing lock  35  makes contact with the first guide surface  55   a  and then the second guide surface  55   b.  In the first guide surface  55   a  and the second guide surface  55   b , while portions where these guide surfaces are contiguous are located equidistant from the rotation center at the support shaft  31   b , the distance from the rotation center to the second guide surface  55   b  is less than the distance from the rotation center to the first guide surface  55   a . In particular, a tilt is formed so that the distance from the rotation center contiguously becomes shorter from a point (a starting point) continued from the first guide surface  55   a  toward an end point where the second guide surface  55   b  is interrupted. Therefore, the amount of downward displacement of the engaging projection  35   c  increases as the contact point moves from the first guide surface  55   a  to the second guide surface  55   b  and then further moves toward the end point of the second guide surface  55   b . With the guide surface, such as the first guide surface  55   a  and the second guide surface  55   b , as a simple component being formed on the rod  53 , the connector  30  can provide a necessary displacement to the housing block  35 . 
     The block  55  also includes a lock surface  55   c  on a rear surface of the cutout portion. When the mating lever  50  reaches the final mating position, the lock surface  55   c  is engaged with the engaging projection  35   c  of the housing lock  35 , thereby regulating rotation of the mating lever  50  in a disconnecting direction. 
     Next, a process in which the mating detection terminal  16  and the mating detection terminal  40  make contact with each other when the connector  30  is mated with the mating connector  10  is described with reference to  FIGS. 4A-7B . 
     Prior to a mating operation, the connector  30  is positioned and is then inserted into the receiving chamber  13  of the mating connector  10 . As depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the mating lever  50  is positioned away from the housing lock  35 , so the housing lock  35  and the mating detection terminal  40  are at their initial, premating positions. The contact member  40   a  of the mating detection terminal  40  reaches a height where its tip interferes with the mating detection terminal  16 , but is at a position away in a front-and-rear direction Y. Therefore, prior to the mating operation, the mating detection terminal  16  and the mating detection terminal  40  do not establish electrical continuity. 
     To mate the connector  30  with the mating connector  10 , the connector  30  is pushed into the receiving chamber  13  until the cam pins  12  are inserted into the cam grooves  51   b . The mating lever  50  is then rotated. In the present embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 5A-7B , the mating lever  50  is rotated in a clockwise direction. 
     When the mating lever  50  is rotated from the state of shallow insertion depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , each cam pin  12  relatively moves deeper toward the cam groove  51   b  as being engaged with the cam groove  51   b . In association with this movement, the connector  30  moves deeper toward the receiving chamber  13  of the mating connector  10 , towards the final mating position. 
     The mating detection terminal  40  operates through the housing lock  35  following the operation of the mating lever  50 . 
     The engaging projection  35   c  of the housing lock  35  first slides over the first guide surface  55   a  to be pushed downward. When the mating lever  50  is further rotated, the engaging projection  35   c  relatively moves from a position depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  to a position depicted in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , thereby sliding on the second guide surface  55   b . This action results in the housing lock  35  and the mating detection terminal  40  both being displaced downward. While the engaging projection  35   c  is sliding on the second guide surface  55   b , the contact member  40   a  of the mating detection terminal  40  reaches a position where the contact member  40   a  can interfere with the mating detection terminal  16  in the front-and-rear direction Y. However, the tip of the contact member  40   a  is pushed down to a position lower than the mating detection terminal  16 . The result is that the mating detection terminal  16  and the mating detection terminal  40  do not establish electrical continuity. 
     When the engaging projection  35   c  of the housing lock  35  passes over the second guide surface  55   b  and the mating lever  50  is further rotated, the block  55  goes over the engaging projection  35   c  to cause the mating lever  50  to reach the final mating position, as depicted in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . The connector  30  moves to the deepest position of the receiving chamber  13  of the mating connector  10 , and mating of the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  together is completed. 
     The housing lock  35  is pushed down, then elastically returns to the initial position. The mating detection terminal  40  also elastically returns toward the initial position, and the contact member  40   a  makes contact with the mating detection terminal  16 . The contact of the mating detection terminal  16  with the mating detection terminal  40  forms a detection circuit. The result is that by having a mating device connected to the mating detection terminal  40 , the mating of the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  can be established by the presence of electrical continuity therebetween. 
     Further, with the engaging projection  35   c  engaged with the lock surface  55   c  of the block  55 , rotation of the mating lever  50  in a direction of unmating is prevented, allowing for a secure mating connection to be established. 
     As has been described in the foregoing, in the electrical connector assembly  1 , the mating detection terminal  40  provided in the connector  30  does not make contact with the mating detection terminal  16  of the mating connector  10  in the course of mating from the initial mating position of the connector  30  in the mating connector  10  and before reaching the final mating position. Upon reaching the final mating position, the mating detection terminal  40  makes contact with the mating detection terminal  16 . Therefore, if the operator suspends the operation of the mating lever  50  in the course of mating, electrical continuity is not detected, and it is possible to recognize that normal mating has not been established. In addition, electrical continuity is detected upon normal mating, so it is possible to recognize that mating has been completed. 
     The connector  30  actuates the mating detection terminal  40  by using the housing lock  35  for engaging with the mating lever  50 . Since the housing lock  35  and the mating lever  50  are primary components for a lever-actuated electrical connector, and the connector  30  uses these components to actuate the mating detection terminal  40 , it is not necessary to provide any special members to actuate the mating detection terminal  40 . Therefore, according to the connector  30 , a lever-actuated electrical connector is disclosed with a simple structure that is capable of achieving a mating detection function. 
     Further advantages are that the connector  30  can reliably displace the housing lock  35  by following the rod  53  to which force is exerted when the operator operates the mating lever  50 . Therefore, a necessary actuation of the mating detection terminal  40  following the displacement of the housing lock  35  is reliably performed. 
     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 structure of the electrical connector assembly  1  of the mating connector  10  and the connector  30  is merely exemplary and not limiting. For example, the number of receiving chambers is not restricted to three, and can be set at any number equal to or more than 1. The mating detection terminal  40  can take any structure as long as the mating detection terminal  40  forms a detection circuit together with the mating detection terminal  16  of the mating connector  10  and necessary operations can be performed in the course of mating.