1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lever-type connector, to a connector assembly and to an assembling method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-14142 discloses a lever-type connector with first and second housings that are connectable with each other. A lever formed with a cam groove is mounted in first housing and the second housing includes a cam pin. A jaw bulges radially out at the leading end of the cam pin and engages a step at an intermediate position of the cam groove. The step extends substantially horizontally at the same depth along the cam groove, and a space above the step accommodates the jaw. The cam pin enters the cam groove when the two housings are fit lightly together. The lever then is rotated so that the cam pin moves towards the back of the cam groove to urge the housings to a properly connected state. The jaw slides on the step so that the lever does not come out of the first housing during the connecting operation.
A clearance is formed between the step of the cam groove and the jaw due to a dimensional tolerance or the like. If this clearance is too small, it may be difficult for the jaw to move above the step. Thus, a contact pressure of the step of the cam groove and the jaw becomes too high, which might result in difficulty in starting the lever rotation. On the other hand, if this clearance is too large, the central axis of the cam pin may incline with respect to a vertical axis upon the receipt of connection resistance of the two housings while the cam pin is moving in the cam groove. In short, there is no problem if the clearance is set suitably, but it is difficult to constantly define a specified clearance for each product in view of variation in production.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to improve the operability of a movable member for connecting or assisting the connection of a connector with a mating connector.
The invention relates to a connector with a housing connectable with a mating housing. A movable member having at least one cam groove is mounted movably to the housing and is engageable with at least one cam pin projecting in the mating housing. A stepped or recessed surface is engageable with a jaw of the cam pin and is formed at an intermediate position of the cam groove with respect to a depth direction. The depth of the step of the cam groove in the operable member is larger at the entrance side of the cam groove so that the jaw can be accommodated loosely into an accommodating portion of the cam groove. However, the depth decreases towards the back side of the cam groove so that the jaw can be accommodated in the accommodating portion while having loose movements prevented. Accordingly, the operation of the movable member for connecting the housing with a mating housing is improved.
The depth of the step preferably decreases gradually from the entrance side toward the back side of the cam groove.
The accommodating portion for the jaw preferably is defined in a wider part of the inner space of the cam groove starting from the step.
The inclined section of the step preferably has a depth that gradually decreases from the entrance side toward the back side of the cam groove. However, a section of the cam groove near the back side may have a uniform depth. The jaw preferably can move from the inclined section to the section of uniform depth before the connection resistance of the two housings resulting from the operation of the operable member reaches a maximum value.
The operable member preferably is a single plate.
The operable member preferably is a rotatable lever and an operable portion thereof is near an end distanced from the axis of rotation.
The invention also relates to a connector assembly comprising the above-described connector and a mating connector.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.
A connector assembly according to the invention is illustrated in
The female housing 10 includes a holder 11 in the form of a wide rectangular frame capable of accommodating auxiliary housings (not shown). A lever 30 is assembled into the holder 11.
The holder 11 is made e.g. of synthetic resin and has an upper wall 12, a bottom wall 13 and left and right side walls 14, as shown in
Left and right guiding grooves 21 extend in forward and backward directions FBD in the outer surfaces of the opposite side walls 14 of the holder 11, as shown in
However, a semispherical shake preventing boss 22 is provided at each guiding groove 21, and the inclination of the guide ribs 62 is suppressed by the contact of the boss 22 with the guiding ribs 62 to fill the clearances between the surfaces of the guiding grooves 21 and the guiding ribs 62. More specifically, each boss 22 is provided on one of the opposite sides of the corresponding guiding groove 21 at a side opposite to the area where the lever 30 is arranged and at the rear end of a connection area of the holder 11 facing the inner surface of the receptacle 61 when the two housings 10, 60 are connected properly. Thus, the inclination of the guiding ribs 62 and the female housing 10 can be suppressed effectively at least at a final stage of the connecting operation where the connection resistance of the two housings 10, 60 is largest.
A cam-pin entrance groove 23 is formed substantially in the widthwise center of the upper wall 12 and the ceiling wall 15 of the holder 11 and extends in substantially forward and backward from directions FBD from the front of the holder 11. A rib entrance groove 24 also is formed in the upper wall 12 of the holder 11 at a position closer to one lateral side than the cam-pin entrance groove 23 and extends in substantially forward and backward directions FBD from the front of the holder 11. A temporary holder 25 projects from a lower area at the rear end of the rib entrance groove 24 for keeping the lever 30 in the temporary held state.
A substantially cylindrical support shaft 26 projects into the lever accommodating portion 16 from a position on the upper surface of the ceiling wall 15 of the holder 11 substantially in the widthwise center and behind the cam-pin entrance groove 23. The supporting shaft 26 serves as a central axis of rotation of the lever 30. Thus, the lever 30 is rotatable about the supporting shaft 26 in a substantially horizontal plane that contains the widthwise direction WD and the forward and backward directions FBD. An engaging portion 27 is provided at an end of the upper surface of the ceiling wall 15 of the holder 11 at a side of the cam-pin entrance groove 23 substantially opposite the rib entrance groove 24 for fully locking the lever 30.
The lever 30 is made e.g. of synthetic resin and includes a narrow flat cam plate 31. The lower surface of the cam plate 31 is recessed at a position near one end to form a bearing hole 32 that is engageable with the supporting shaft 26. The cam plate 31 can be accommodated into the lever accommodating portion 16 so that the opposite plate surfaces are held substantially in contact with the lower surface of the upper wall 12 and the upper surface of the ceiling wall 15. A cam groove 33 extends from an opening at the outer peripheral edge of the cam plate 31 and continues around the bearing hole 32 along a specified path. The entrance of the cam groove 33 communicates with the entrance of the cam-pin entrance groove 23 when the lever 30 is at an operation starting position OSP.
A temporary holding piece 34 is cantilevered along an outer peripheral edge of the cam plate 31 near the bearing hole 32 and is resiliently deformable in and out. A temporary holding projection 35 is formed at the leading end of the temporary holding piece 34. The temporarily holding projection 35 is in the rib entrance groove 24 and engages the temporary holding portion 25 when the lever 30 is at the operation starting position OSP to prevent rotation of the lever 30 towards an operation ending position OEP. An operable portion 36 and a resilient locking piece 37 are at an end of the lever 30 substantially opposite the bearing hole 32 of the cam plate 31 and distanced from the bearing hole 32 and the cam groove 33. The operable portion 36 is configured to be gripped for operating the lever 30. The resilient locking piece 37 engages the engaging portion 27 for locking the lever 30 at the operation ending position OEP.
The male housing 60 is made e.g. of synthetic resin and includes a rectangular tubular receptacle 61 that is open at the front. Male terminal fittings (not shown) are mounted in the back wall of the receptacle 61 and project forward into the receptacle 61. The female housing 10 (holder 11) can be fit closely into the receptacle 61 from the front and along the forward and backward directions FBD. The male and female terminal fittings are connected electrically when the two housings 10, 60 are connected properly.
A rib 64 is formed on the ceiling surface of the receptacle 61 and extends in forward and backward directions FBD at a position displaced towards one side from a widthwise middle of the receptacle 61. The rib 64 is disposed for insertion into the rib entrance groove 24 and frees the lever 30 from a temporary held state. A substantially cylindrical cam pin 63 projects down and in at a substantially widthwise middle of the ceiling surface of the receptacle 61. The cam pin 63 of the mating male housing 60 is dimensioned to be inserted into the cam groove 33. A substantially circular jaw 65 bulges radially out at the leading end of the cam pin 63 and extends over substantially the entire circumference. The jaw 65 has a bearing surface 65A that faces towards the ceiling surface of the receptacle 61. A shaft 66 extends from the bearing surface 65A to the ceiling surface of the receptacle 61.
As shown in
The stepped surfaces 38, 39 of the cam groove 33 include inclined surfaces 38 that are inclined to gradually decrease the height of the jaw accommodating portion 42 along the thickness direction TD from the open entrance towards the closed back of the cam groove 33. The stepped surfaces 38, 39 also include a horizontal section 39 that is substantially continuous and flush with the back end of the inclined surfaces 38. Thus, the height of the jaw accommodating portion 42 along the thickness direction TD remains substantially constant along the horizontal surface 39. The horizontal surface 39 is curved substantially in a U-shape to define the closed end of the cam groove 33.
The jaw 65 is accommodated loosely in the accommodating portion 42 with clearances between the inclined surfaces 38 and the bearing surface 65A of the jaw 65 when the cam pin 63 is at the entrance of the cam groove 33. The clearances between the bearing surface 65A of the jaw 65 and the inclined surfaces 38 become gradually smaller as the cam pin 63 moves towards the back end of the cam groove 33 due to rotation of the lever 30. Loose movements of the jaw 65 are prevented when the cam pin 63 is in the portion of the cam groove 33 having the horizontal surface 39. Boundaries 47 between the horizontal surface 39 and the inclined surfaces 38 are at positions along the cam groove 33 to ensure the transfer of the jaw 65 to the horizontal surface 39 before the connection resistance of the two housings 10, 60 reaches a maximum value. Thus, the boundaries 47 are at a substantially middle position along the length of the cam groove 33 from the open end to the back end of the cam groove 33. As a result, the shaft 66 of the cam pin 63 is not likely to incline as the lever 30 is rotated in the range of peak connection resistance.
As shown in
In this state, the operable portion 36 of the lever 30 is gripped to rotate the lever 30 in the operation direction OD towards the operation ending position OED. Thus, the two housings 10, 60 are pulled together by the cam action of the cam pin 63 and the cam groove 33, and the female housing 10 (holder 11) enters more deeply into the receptacle 61. Substantially no frictional resistance results from the sliding contact of the bearing surface 65A of the jaw 65 and the inclined surfaces 38 of the cam groove 33 at the start of the rotation of the lever 30, and lever operating forces are low. Vertical displacements of the cam plate 31 and the holder 11 caused by the connecting force are avoided by the sliding contact of the bearing surface 65A of the jaw 65 and the stepped surfaces 38, 39 of the cam groove 33. The clearances between the jaw 65 and the inclined surfaces 38 of the cam groove 33 gradually narrow as the lever 30 moves towards the operation ending position OEP. Therefore the shaft 66 of the cam pin 63 is held substantially vertically in its proper posture even if subjected to the connection resistance of the two housings 10, 60. The jaw 65 moves from the inclined surfaces 38 to the horizontal surface 39 when the connection of the male and female terminal fittings is started, and the bearing surface 65A closely contacts the horizontal surface 39 with substantially no clearance, as shown in
The resilient locking piece 37 engages the engaging portion 27 and the lever 30 is locked when the lever 30 reaches the operation ending position OEP so that further rotation is prevented. At this time, the cam pin 63 is at the back end of the cam groove 33, the bearing surface 65A of the jaw 65 is in contact with the horizontal surface 39, and the two housings 10, 60 are connected properly.
As described above, the cam pin 63 can fit easily into the cam groove 33 and the operation force is low at the start of the rotation of the lever 30 since the depth of the stepped surfaces 38, 39 of the cam groove 33 is larger 42 at the open entrance end of the cam groove 33 so that the jaw 65 can be accommodated loosely in the jaw accommodating portion 42. On the other hand, the depth of the stepped surfaces 38, 39 of the cam groove 33 is smaller at the closed back end of the cam groove 33 so that the jaw 65 is accommodated in the jaw accommodating portion 42 while having loose movements prevented. Thus, the inclination of the shaft 66 of the cam pin 63 from a rotational axis is prevented even if the connection resistance of the two housings 10, 60 increases after rotating the lever 30 progresses to a certain degree. As a result, the lever 30 can be held in a proper rotating posture, i.e. horizontal. Further, the stepped surfaces 38, 39 of the cam groove 33 include the inclined surfaces 38 whose depth gradually decreases from the entrance side ES toward the back side BS of the cam groove 33. Hence, the clearance between the stepped surfaces 38, 39 and the jaw 65 gradually narrows as the lever 30 is rotated and the lever 30 can be rotated continuously and smoothly.
The horizontal surface 39 of the cam groove 33 is substantially continuous with the inclined surfaces 38 without forming a step, and the jaw 65 moves from the inclined surfaces 38 to the horizontal surface 39 before the connection resistance of the two housings 10, 60 reaches a maximum value. Thus, when the shaft 66 of the cam pin 63 enters a state where the shaft 66 could be urged from the vertical axis, the jaw 65 has already moved to the area where the stepped surfaces 38, 39 are shallower along the thickness direction TD, and inclination of the cam pin 63 is suppressed more effectively.
The connector is particularly useful for suppressing inclination of the cam pin 63 even if the lever 30 is a single plate and the operable portion 36 is at an end spaced from the axis of rotation and from the cam groove 33.
The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments are also embraced by the technical scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Beside the following embodiments, various changes can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the claims.
The stepped surface of the cam groove may consist only of the inclined section over substantially the entire length from the open end to the closed end of the cam groove.
A small clearance may be formed between the jaw and the horizontal surface of the cam groove.
The cam groove of the lever may be a bottomed groove.
The lever may be U-shaped by coupling two cam plates by a coupling portion and may be mounted to at least partly straddle the housing.
The female housing includes the holder for accommodating auxiliary housings in the foregoing embodiment. However, the female housing may be a substantially block-shaped housing formed with cavities.
The male housing may be provided with the guiding groove and the female housing may be provided with the guiding rib.
The invention is also applicable in the case where the lever is mounted in the male housing.
The invention is also applicable to connectors where the operable member displaying a cam action for connecting the housings is not a rotatable lever. For example, the operable member may be a slider with a linear operation path aligned at an angle, such as a right angle, to the forward and backward directions FBD.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-058406 | Mar 2006 | JP | national |
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