Patent Publication Number: US-9887491-B2

Title: Lever-type connector

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a lever-type connector. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,504 discloses a connector that utilizes a lever to generate a cam action that reduces a connecting force. The lever is mounted rotatably on a housing of the connector and has a cam groove that engages a cam pin on a mating connector. An initial lock holds the lever at an initial position, but is released when the lever-type connector is connected lightly to the mating connector so that the lever can be rotated. Rotating the lever from the initial position to a connection end position pulls the connector toward the mating connector to reach a properly connected state. 
     The housing of the above-described connector may be pushed farther in a connecting direction after the lever-type connector is connected lightly to the mating connector to release the initial lock. Thus, the housing may move slightly forward and the lever may rotate slightly even though the lever is not operated. Then, an operator may misunderstand that a connecting operation to the mating connector has been completed and the connector may be left incompletely connected. 
     The invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to provide a lever-type connector capable of avoiding misunderstanding that a connecting operation to a mating connector has been completed. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention is directed to a lever-type connector with a lever including a cam groove to be engaged with a cam pin provided on a mating connector. The connector has a housing and the lever is mounted rotatably thereon. An initial lock holds the lever at an initial position. However, the initial lock is released to enable a rotating operation of the lever when the lever-type connector is connected temporarily to the mating connector. The lever-type connector is connected properly to the mating connector by rotating the lever from the initial position to a connection end position. The lever and the housing have rotation regulating portions provided separately from the initial lock. The rotation regulating portions regulate the rotation of the lever by being held in contact with each other in a rotating direction of the lever when the lever is at the initial position. An abutting portion is provided near an entrance of the cam groove and abuts against the cam pin if the housing is pushed in a connecting direction to the mating connector when the lever is at the initial position. This engagement of the abutting portion of the cam groove against the cam pin prevents the housing from being pushed to the mating connector. Thus, the rotation of the lever is regulated by the rotation regulating portions, and an operator cannot mistakenly assume that a connecting operation to the mating connector has been completed. 
     The lever-type connector may be such that the lever slightly rotates accompanying the release of the initial lock. The rotation regulating portions are separated when the initial lock is activated and contact each other after the rotation of the lever accompanying the release of the initial lock. Accordingly, a rotational force of the lever that accompanies the release of the initial lock will not act on the rotation regulating portions. 
     The rotation regulating portion on the housing or on the lever may be displaced resiliently by an increase of a contact force by the rotating operation of the lever, thereby releasing a state where the rotation of the lever is regulated. Accordingly, the state where the rotation of the lever is regulated is released by an increase of a force for rotating the lever. Thus, this releasing operation and the lever rotating operation can be performed as a series of operations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view showing a connector in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view showing the connector. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view showing a mating connector. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view showing a lever. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view showing the lever. 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view partly in section of the connector where an initial lock is activated. 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view partly in section of the connector showing a state where the connector is lightly connected to the mating connector to release the initial lock. 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view partly in section of the connector showing a state where a rotation regulating state of rotation regulating portions is released. 
         FIG. 9  is a plan view partly in section showing proper connected to the mating connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One embodiment is described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 9 . A connector C in this embodiment is a lever-type connector that can be connected to and separated from a mating connector  30  by rotating a lever  10 . A connection surface of each member is referred to herein as a front, and upper and lower sides in  FIG. 1  are referred to as the top and bottom. 
     The mating connector  30  is a board connector to be fixed to a board and includes a mating housing  31  made of synthetic resin and a plurality of mating male terminal fittings  32 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the mating housing  31  has forwardly open receptacles  33 , and the connector C is fit into each of the receptacles  33 . The receptacles  33  are provided side by side in a lateral direction as shown in  FIG. 3 . The mating terminal fittings  32  are mounted so that tip parts thereof project into each receptacle  33 . 
     A cylindrical cam pin  34  projects down from the upper wall of each receptacle  33  and toward an inner space of the receptacle  33 . The cam pin  34  is provided substantially in a center in a front-back direction of the receptacle  33 . 
     A lock releasing portion  35  projects down from the upper wall of each receptacle  33 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , for releasing an initial lock L of the lever  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the lock releasing portion  35  extends straight in the front-back direction from the front end to the rear end of the receptacle  33 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the connector C has the lever  10  and a housing  20 . The lever  10  includes a cam groove  11  to be engaged with the cam pin  34  on the mating connector  30 . The housing  20  has the lever  10  rotatably mounted thereon and the initial lock L for holding the lever  10  at an initial position. The lock releasing portion  35  releases the initial lock L to enable a rotation of the lever  10  when the connector C is connected lightly to the mating connector  30 . The lever  10  then is rotated from the initial position to a connection end position and pulls the connector C toward the mating connector  30  to reach a properly connected state. 
     The housing  20  is made of synthetic resin, and, as shown in  FIG. 1 , is formed into a substantially rectangular block shape for fitting into the receptacle  33  of the mating housing  31 . The housing  20  includes a terminal accommodating portion  21  for accommodating unillustrated terminal fittings and a lever accommodating portion  22  for accommodating the lever  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the terminal accommodating portion  21  includes a retainer  23  for locking the terminal fittings. 
     The lever accommodating portion  22  is open backward so that the lever  10  can be assembled from behind. The lever accommodating portion  22  is sized to spread over substantially the entire upper surface of the first housing  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 6 to 9 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the lever accommodating portion  22  has a first receiving path  24  for receiving the cam pin  34  of the mating connector  30  from the front and a second receiving path  25  for receiving the lock releasing portion  35  from the front. The first receiving path  24  is located in a substantially central part of the housing  20  in a width direction and the second receiving path  25  is located on one side of the housing  20  in the width direction. 
     The lever  10  is a rotary lever and includes a thin flat cam plate  12  made of synthetic resin and an operating portion  13  operable by placing the finger thereon for rotating the lever  10 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The cam plate  12  of the lever  10  is mounted into the lever accommodating portion  22  with a tiny clearance, as shown in  FIG. 6 , and the operating portion  13  projects back from the lever accommodating portion  22 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a substantially circular bearing hole  14  is recessed on the bottom surface of the cam plate  12 . An unillustrated supporting shaft projects on the lever accommodating portion  22  of the housing  20  and is fit into this bearing hole  14 . The lever  10  is rotatable about the supporting shaft between an initial position shown in  FIG. 6  where the lever  10  is held before connection to the mating connector  30  and a connection end position shown in  FIG. 9  where proper connection to the mating connector  30  is completed. Note that the lever  10  is provided with a connection lock piece  17  for holding the lever  10  at the connection end position. 
     A cam groove  11  is formed on the upper surface of the cam plate  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 7 to 9 , and can be engaged with the cam pin  34  of the mating connector  30 . The recess-like cam groove  11  extends from the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate  12  toward a center. When the lever  10  is at the initial position, the entrance of the cam groove  11  is in the first receiving path  24  and the cam pin  34  can be received into the cam groove  11 . 
     An abutting portion  19  is provided near the entrance of the cam groove  11  for abutting against the cam pin  34  if the housing  20  is pushed forward in the connecting direction to the mating connector  30  when the lever  10  is at the initial position. The abutting portion  19  is formed on a side surface of the cam groove  11  and is inclined with respect to an extending direction of the cam groove  11  to be opened out. This causes the entrance of the cam groove  11  to have a larger width than a part behind the entrance. The abutting portion  19  is at substantially a right angle to the front-back connecting direction when the lever  10  is at the initial position. 
     The connector C is provided with the initial lock L for holding the lever  10  at the initial position (see  FIG. 6 ). The initial lock L includes an initial lock piece  15  provided on the lever  10  and a lock receiving portion  26  provided on the housing  20 . 
     The initial lock piece  15  is cantilevered from the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate  12  and extends in a rotating direction of the lever  10  from the initial position to the connection end position. A base end part of the initial lock piece  15  is located near the entrance of the cam groove  11 . A locking portion  16  to be locked to the lock receiving portion  26  is provided on a tip part of the initial lock piece  15 . 
     The lock receiving portion  26  projects into the back of the second receiving path  25  at a position near the rear end of the lever accommodating portion  22 . When the lever  10  is at the initial position, the locking portion  16  of the initial lock piece  15  is located in the second receiving path  25  and is locked to the front surface of the lock receiving portion  26  to regulate rotation of the lever  10  toward the connection end position. 
     The connector C is provided, separately from the initial lock L, with rotation regulating portions S for regulating the rotation of the lever  10  by being held in connect with the lever  10  in the rotating direction of the lever  10  when the lever  10  is at the initial position (see  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The rotation regulating portions S include a lever-side regulating portion  18  on the lever  10  and a housing-side regulating portion  27  on the housing  20 . 
     The lever-side regulating portion  18  is provided at a position on the cam plate  12  of the lever  10  opposite to the initial lock piece  15  across the bearing hole  14 . The lever-side regulating portion  18  projects on the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate portion  12 . A front surface of the lever-side regulating portion  18  in the rotating direction of the lever  10  from the initial position to the connection end position is substantially vertical to the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate  12 . Further, a rear surface of the lever-side regulating portion  18  is inclined to gradually increase a projecting distance from the rear toward the front in the rotating direction. 
     The housing-side regulating portion  27  projects in on a side wall of the lever accommodating portion  22 . The housing-side regulating portion  27  is located on a course of the lever-side regulating portion  18  when the lever  10  is rotated. The rear surface of the housing-side regulating portion  27  is substantially perpendicular to the front-back direction. 
     A part of the side wall of the housing  20  where the housing-side regulating portion  27  projects defines a resilient displacing portion  28  that is resiliently displaceable in the lateral direction in  FIG. 6 . The resilient displacing portion  28  is separated from the other part of the side wall of the housing  20  by slits  29  formed above and below, as shown in  FIG. 2 , and is cantilevered from front to back. The housing-side regulating portion  27  is provided on a rear end part of the resilient displacing portion  28 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The resilient displacing portion  28  is arranged so as not to project from the side surface of the housing  20  in a natural state. 
     The connector C is connected to the mating connector  30  by first setting the lever  10  at the initial position (see  FIG. 6 ). When the lever  10  is at the initial position, the initial lock L is in a functioning state. At this time, the lever-side regulating portion  18  and the housing-side regulating portion  27  are facing each other (separated) in the rotating direction of the lever  10 . 
     Subsequently, the connector C is fit into the receptacle  33  of the mating connector  30  (see  FIG. 7 ). Thus, the cam pin  34  enters the entrance of the cam groove  11  from the first receiving path  24  and the abutting portion  19  of the cam groove  11  and the cam pin  34  abut against each other in the front-back direction. Further, the lock releasing portion  35  enters from the second receiving path  25  and presses the initial lock piece  15  in an unlocking direction to resiliently displace the initial lock piece  15 . In this way, the locking portion  16  is disengaged from the lock releasing portion  35  to release a locked state and a rotating operation of the lever  10  at the initial position is allowed. The lever  10  slightly rotates during this release of the initial lock L. Thereafter, the lever-side regulating portion  18  and the housing-side regulating portion  27  are brought into contact with each other. 
     An operator may strongly push the rear surface of the housing  20  in an effort to push the connector C into the receptacle  33  of the mating connector  30  without rotating the lever  10 . However, the cam pin  34  abuts against the abutting portion  19  of the cam groove  11  in the front-back direction to preventing a pushing movement of the housing  20 . Further, the lever-side regulating portion  18  and the housing-side regulating portion  27  contact each other in the rotating direction to regulate rotation of the lever  10 . The connection does not proceed and the lever  10  also does not rotate even if the rear surface of the housing  20  is pushed. Thus, an operator will not mistakenly assume that the connecting operation has been completed, and realizes that the connector C cannot be connected to the mating connector  30  unless the lever  10  is rotated. 
     If the operator tries to rotate the lever  10  toward the connection end position by pressing the operating portion  13  of the lever  10 , a contact force between the lever-side regulating portion  18  and the housing-side regulating portion  27  increases and the resilient displacing portion  28  of the housing  20  is displaced resiliently out, the housing-side regulating portion  27  is retracted outward and a rotation regulating state of the rotation regulating portions S is released as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     When the operator rotates the lever  10 , the lever-side regulating portion  18  passes through the inner side of the housing-side regulating portion  27  and the resilient displacing portion  28  resiliently returns to an initial posture. Further, the cam pin  34  disengages from the abutting portion  19  and the connector C is pulled toward a mating side by a cam action by the engagement of the cam pin  34  and the cam groove  11 . Thus, the connector C is fit further into the receptacle  33 . 
     When the lever  10  reaches the connection end position, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the connector C is connected properly to the mating connector  30  and the connection lock piece  17  of the lever  10  is locked to the housing  20  to regulate the rotation of the lever  10  toward the initial position. In this way, the operation of connecting the connector C to the mating connector  30  is completed. 
     The connector C of this embodiment has a lever  10  with a cam groove  11  to engage the cam pin  34  on the mating connector  30 . The lever  10  is mounted rotatably on the housing  20  and the initial lock L holds the lever  10  at the initial position. However, the initial lock L is released to enable rotation of the lever  10  when the connector C is connected lightly to the mating connector  30 . The lever  10  then is rotated from the initial position to the connection end position to connect the connector C properly to the mating connector  30 . Rotation regulating portions S are provided on the lever  10  and the housing  20  separately from the initial lock L, and contact each other in the rotating direction of the lever  10  when the lever  10  is at the connection end position to regulate rotation of the lever  10 . Additionally, the abutting portion  19  is near the entrance of the cam groove  11  and abuts against the cam pin  34  if the housing  20  is pushed forward in the connecting direction to the mating connector  30  when the lever  10  is at the initial position. 
     According to this configuration, the initial lock L is released when the connector C is connected temporarily to the mating connector  30 . However, the abutting portion  19  of the cam groove  11  abuts against the cam pin  34  to prevent the housing  20  from being pushed farther toward the mating connector  30 , and the rotation regulating portions S regulates rotation of the lever  10  if the housing  20  is pushed in the connecting direction after the connector C is connected temporarily to the mating connector  30 . Thus, it is possible to prevent the operator&#39;s misunderstanding that the operation of connecting the connector C to the mating connector  30  has been completed. 
     Further, the lever  10  rotates slightly upon release of the initial lock L. The rotation regulating portions S are separated when the initial lock L is activated and are brought into contact with each other after the rotation of the lever  10  accompanying the release of the initial lock L. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a rotational force of the lever  10  accompanying the release of the initial lock L from acting on the rotation regulating portions S. 
     Further, the rotation regulating portion S on the side of the housing  20  is displaced resiliently due to an increase of a contact force, thereby releasing a state where the rotation of the lever  10  is regulated. Thus, the state where the rotation of the lever  10  is regulated is released by an increase of a force for rotating the lever  10 . This releasing operation and the rotating operation of the lever  10  can be performed as a series of operations. 
     The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the scope of the invention. 
     Although plural connectors C are connected to the mating connector  30  in the above embodiment, there is no limitation to this. For example, the invention can be applied to a connector assembly in which a mating connector and a connector are connected one-to-one. 
     The mating connector  30  is a board connector in the above embodiment. However, the invention can be applied in cases where a mating connector is other than a board connector. 
     The abutting portion  19  is arranged substantially at a right angle to the front-back direction (connecting direction) when the lever  10  is at the initial position in the above embodiment. However, the inclination of the abutting portion does not matter as long as the abutting portion can abut against the cam pin in the front-back direction. For example, the abutting portion may be slightly inclined so that the back side end of the cam groove is more forward than the entrance. 
     Although the part of the side wall of the housing  20  where the housing-side regulating portion  27  is provided serves as the resilient displacing portion  28  in the above embodiment. However, the part of the side wall of the housing  20  where the housing-side regulating portion  27  is provided may not be resiliently displaceable. 
     Although the part of the side wall of the housing  20  where the housing-side regulating portion  27  is provided serves as the resilient displacing portion  28  in the above embodiment, a part where the lever-side regulating portion is provided may be resiliently displaceable. 
     The lever-side regulating portion  18  is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate  12  in the above embodiment, but there is no limitation to this. For example, the lever-side regulating portion may be on the upper or lower surface of the cam plate and the housing-side regulating portion may be on the upper or lower surface of the lever accommodating portion. 
     Although both the lever-side regulating portion  18  and the housing-side regulating portion  27  are projections in the above embodiment, there is no limitation to this. For example, one regulating portion may be a projection and the other regulating portion may be a recess. 
     The lever  10  slightly rotates upon release of the initial lock L in the above embodiment. However, the lever may not rotate accompanying the lock release. 
     Although the respective rotation regulating portions S are separated when the initial lock L is activated and come into contact with each other after the rotation of the lever  10  accompanying the release of the initial lock L is completed in the above embodiment, there is no limitation to this. The rotation regulating portions may contact each other already when the initial lock is activated. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
         C connector 
         L initial lock 
         S rotation regulating portion 
           10  lever 
           11  cam groove 
           19  abutting porton 
           20  housing 
           30  mating connector 
           34  cam pin