Connector, connector assembly and assembling method

Abstract

A connector has female and male housings (10, 60). A cam pin (63) projects from the male housing (60), and a jaw (65) bulges out at the end of the cam pin (63). A lever (30) is mounted to the female housing (10), and has a cam groove (33) for engaging the cam pin (63). A step (38, 39) in the cam groove (33) defines an accommodating portion (42) for the jaw (65). The depth of the accommodation portion (42) is larger near the entrance of the cam groove (33) so that the jaw (65) initially is accommodated loosely. However the depth of the accommodating portion (42) is smaller towards the back of the cam groove (33) to prevent loose movements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section of a connector of the invention before male and female housings are connected.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section showing a state at an initial stage of a connecting operation of the two housings.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section showing a state when the connecting operation of the two housings is completed.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of an essential portion showing an engaged state of a cam pin and a cam groove at the initial stage of the connecting operation of the two housings.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of an essential portion showing an engaged state of the cam pin and the cam groove at a final stage of the connecting operation of the two housings.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the female housing in which a lever is held at a rotation starting position.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a holder of the female housing.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic section showing the state before the two housings are connected.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic section showing the state when the connecting operation of the two housings is completed.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising: a housing (10) connectable with a mating housing (60); anda movable member (30) movably mounted to the housing (10) and having at least one cam groove (33) engageable with at least one cam pin (63) projecting on the mating housing (60), a step (38; 39) formed at least at an intermediate position of the cam groove (33) with respect to a depth direction and being engageable with a jaw (65) of the cam pin (63), a depth of the step (38; 39) of the cam groove (33) being larger at an entrance side (ES) of the cam groove (33) so that the jaw (65) can be accommodated loosely into an accommodating portion (42) of the cam groove (33), the depth being smaller at a back side (BS) of the cam groove (33) so that loose movements of the jaw (65) are restricted.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the depth of the step (38; 39) gradually decreases from the entrance side (ES) toward the back side (BS) of the cam groove (33).

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the accommodating portion (42) for the jaw (65) is defined in a wider part of the inner space of the cam groove (33) starting from the step (38; 39).

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the cam pin (65) is engageable in an entrance of the cam groove (33) by lightly fitting the housing (10) to the mating housing (60), the cam pin (65) being moved towards the back side (BS) of the cam groove (33) by operating the movable member (30) for more deeply connecting the two housings (10, 60) by a cam action of the cam pin (65) and the cam groove (33) to reach a properly connected state.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the jaw (65) is prevented from coming out of the cam groove (33) by sliding on the step (38; 39) while being accommodated in the accommodating portion (42) during connection of the two housings (10, 60).

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the step (38; 39) of the cam groove (33) includes at least one inclined section (38) whose depth gradually decreases from the entrance side (ES) toward the back side (BS) of the cam groove (33) and a horizontal section (39) substantially continuous with the back end of the inclined section (38) and having a substantially uniform depth.

7. The connector of claim 6, wherein the jaw (65) can move from the inclined section (38) to the horizontal section (39) before connection resistance of the two housings (10, 60) resulting from operation of the operable member (30) reaches a maximum value.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein the operable member (30) is substantially a single plate.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the operable member (30) comprises a rotatable plate (31) and an operable portion (36) distanced from an axis of rotation of the plate (31) and the cam groove (33).

10. A connector assembly comprising the connector of claim 1 and a mating connector connectable therewith.

11. A connector, comprising: a housing (10) with opposite front and rear ends; anda movable member (30) having a plate (31) movably mounted to the housing (10), the plate (31) having opposite first and second surfaces spaced from one another along a thickness direction (TD) of the plate (31), a cam groove (33) formed through the plate (31) in the thickness direction (TD) and having an open end (ES) and a closed end (BS), a step (38, 39) formed in the cam groove (33) so that the cam groove (33) has a narrow portion (41) adjacent the first surface of the plate (31) and a wide portion (42) adjacent the second surface of the plate (31), the wide portion (42) having a depth measured in the thickness direction (TD) from the second surface of the plate (31) that varies from a large depth adjacent the open end (ES) of the cam groove (33) to a small depth adjacent the closed end (BE) of the cam groove (33).

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the depth of the wide portion (42) of the cam groove (33) gradually decreases from the open end (ES) towards the closed end (BS) of the cam groove (33

13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the wide portion (42) of the cam groove (33) has a section of uniform depth adjacent the closed end (BE) of the cam groove (33).

14. The connector of claim 11, wherein the movable member (30) is a lever (30) rotatably mounted on the housing (10).

15. A connector, comprising: a first housing (10) with opposite front and rear ends;a second housing (60) having opposite front and rear ends and at least one surface extending between the ends, a cam pin (63) having a shaft (66) projecting from the surface of the second housing (60) and having a width measured parallel to the surface of the second housing (60), a jaw (65) projecting out from the shaft (66) at a location spaced from the surface of the second housing (60), the jaw (65) having a width measured parallel to the surface of the second housing (60) that exceeds the width of the shaft (66), the front end of the second housing (60) being connectable to the front end of the first housing (10); anda movable member (30) having a plate (31) movably mounted to the first housing (10), the plate (31) having opposite first and second surfaces spaced from one another along a thickness direction (TD) of the plate (31), a cam groove (33) formed through the plate (31) in the thickness direction (TD) and having an entry side (ES) and a back side (BS), a step (38, 39) formed in the cam groove (33) so that the cam groove (33) has a narrow portion (41) adjacent the first surface of the plate (31) and dimensioned for slidably receiving the shaft (66), the cam groove (33) further having a wide portion (42) adjacent the second surface of the plate (31) and dimensioned for receiving the jaw (65), the wide portion (42) having a depth measured in the thickness direction (TD) from the second surface of the plate (31) that varies from a large depth adjacent the entry side (ES) of the cam groove (33) to a small depth adjacent the back side (BE) of the cam groove (33).

16. The connector of claim 15, wherein the jaw (65) has a thickness measured substantially normal to a projecting direction of the shaft (66) that substantially equals the small depth adjacent the back end (BE) of the cam groove (33).