Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6328582
-
Patent Number
6,328,582
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, April 19, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 11, 200122 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Luebke; Renee
- Hammond; Briggitte R.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 157
- 439 160
- 439 352
- 439 489
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A connector in which the pivoting of a lever to a correct position can be used to detect whether male and female housings are in a fully fitted state.When a lever 30 is pivoted to a correct position, a stopping protrusion 40 fits with a lever stopping member 14 of a female housing 10, thereby causing the female housing 10 and a male housing 20 to fit completely together. When the lever 30 reaches the final position, releasing members 42 of the lever 30 push down arms 59 of a detecting member 50 attached in a groove 13 of the female housing 10, thereby releasing stopping members 60 of the arms 59 from an engaged state against regulating members 18 which protrude from side faces of the groove 13. As a result, the detecting member 50 can be pushed in an anterior direction. This movement of the detecting member 50 allows one to detect that the two housings 10 and 20 have been correctly fitted together. Furthermore, if the detecting member 50 cannot be moved, it can be detected that the two housings 10 and 20 are in a half-fitted state.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a lever-type electrical connector.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
In order to facilitate the fitting together of a pair of male and female housings of an electrical connector, one of the two housings is provided with a pivotable lever. A cam groove is provided on the lever in order to guide a corresponding housing, and a pin protrudes from the corresponding housing, this pin being inserted into the cam groove. When the two housings are to be fitted together, the lever is pivoted with the pin in an inserted state within the cam groove. When the lever reaches the final position, the two housings are completely drawn together.
However, the operator may believe that the two housings are completely fitted even though the lever has not reached the final position, and may stop pivoting the lever part-way through the operation. In that case, the two housings will remain in a half-fitted state.
The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration and aims to present a connector in which the operation of rotating the lever to the correct position can be used to detect whether the pair of male and female housings are in the fully fitted state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a lever type electrical connector comprising male and female connector housings adapted for mutual engagement, one of the connector housings having a lever engageable with the other connector housing and latchable thereto by first latch means provided on the housings, said lever being pivotable from an open to a closed position to draw said housings together, characterised in that one of said housings further includes a detecting member movable thereon from a first position to a second position. said detecting member having a resilient arm engageable with an abutment of said one of said housings in an open condition of said lever, said lever further including a releasing member adapted to bend said resilient arm in the closed position of said lever, thereby to release engagement of said arm and abutment and to permit movement of said detecting member to the second position.
The detecting member of the invention permits a half-fitted state to be readily detected since the detecting member can only be moved to the second position when the lever is in the closed condition.
Preferably symmetrical resilient arms are provided on the detecting member, these arms being engageable with abutments of one of the housings, but adapted to be deflected out of such engagement on movement of the lever to the closed condition.
In a preferred embodiment the detecting member protrudes in the first position.
The detecting member may include additional latch means to engage and hold the lever in the closed condition when the detecting member is moved to the second position.
In the preferred embodiment a resilient latch is provided to retain the lever in the closed position. and a resilient latch is also provided to retain the detecting member in the second position. Such latches are conveniently moulded in resilient plastics material and typically comprise a resilient arm engageable with a recess or protrusion of a relatively fixed component, which in the preferred embodiment is one of said housings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
One feature of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a cross sectional view along the line X—X (
FIG. 5
) of a connector of a first embodiment, prior to being fitted together;
FIG. 2
is a front elevation of a female housing;
FIG. 3
is a plan view of the female housing;
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view of the female housing along the line Y—Y of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a front elevation of a male housing;
FIG. 6
is a plan view of the male housing;
FIG. 7
is a partially cut-away side face view showing a pivoting operation of a lever;
FIG. 8
is a partially cut-away side face view showing the lever in a state whereby it has been pivoted to a final position;
FIG. 9
is a cross-sectional view along the line X—X showing the two housings in a state where they are being fitted together;
FIG. 10
is a cross-sectional view along the line X—X showing the lever in a state where it is being pivoted;
FIG. 11
is a cross-sectional view along the line X—X showing the lever in a state whereby it has been pivoted to a final position;
FIG. 12
is a cross-sectional view along the line X—X showing a detecting member in a state whereby it has been moved in an anterior direction;
FIG. 13
is a cross-sectional view of
FIG. 12
along the line Z—Z; and
FIG. 14
is a partial cross-sectional view of the lever and detecting member.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An embodiment of the present invention is described below with the aid of
FIGS. 1
to
13
. Connectors of the present embodiment are a female connector housing
10
, shown on the right in
FIG. 1
, and a male connector housing
20
, shown on the left. The two housings
10
and
20
are mutually fitted together by pivoting a lever
30
provided on the male housing
20
. The fitting faces of the two housings
10
and
20
are considered to be their anterior sides.
This female housing
10
is block-like. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a plurality of cavities
11
are provided therein, these cavities
11
being aligned in a width-wise direction and forming an upper row and a lower row. A female terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted in each of these cavities
11
. Prescribed stopping mechanisms maintain the female terminal fittings within the cavities
11
. Follower pins
12
protrude from both side faces of the female housing
10
, cam grooves
34
of the lever
30
fitting therewith.
As shown in
FIG. 1
to
FIG. 3
, a groove
13
is provided in the central region, in a width-wise direction, of an upper face of the female housing
10
. This groove
13
is open in an anterior-posterior direction. The depth of groove
13
is approximately half the height of the female housing
10
. A lever stopping member
14
is provided at a posterior end of this groove
13
. This lever stopping member
14
straddles the groove
13
and latches the lever
30
. A detecting member
50
, one of the components of the present invention is attached to the posterior end of the groove
13
. The configuration of the groove
14
and the detecting member
50
will be explained in detail below.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the male housing
20
has a configuration whereby an anterior end of an approximately block-like terminal housing member
21
is provided with a hood
22
which fits around the female housing
10
. Cavities
23
are provided within the terminal housing member
21
, the position of these cavities
23
corresponding with the cavities
11
of the female housing
10
. Each of these cavities
23
is capable of housing a male terminal fitting (not shown). A lance
24
is formed at an upper face of each cavity
23
, these lances
24
engaging respective male terminal fittings and retaining them in a latched state.
The lever
30
mentioned above is installed on the male housing
20
. As shown in
FIG. 5
, this lever
30
has an inverted U-shape and comprises a pair of arms
31
which connect with the two side faces of the hood
22
, and a joining member
32
which joins these arms
31
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the two arms
31
are attached to axial protrusions
25
which protrude from both outer side faces of the hood
22
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the lever
30
can be pivoted in the direction of the arrow A using these axial protrusions
25
as pivot axes.
Cam grooves
34
are provided on the arm members
31
, on faces which make contact with the hood
22
. As shown in FIG.
1
and
FIG. 7
, these cam grooves
34
are provided with openings which face an anterior direction when the lever
30
is in a state prior to being pivoted. The follower pins
12
of the female housing
10
can be inserted from these openings and, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the follower pins
12
move along the cam grooves
34
while the lever
30
is being moved.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, when the lever
30
is in a state prior to being pivoted, a central portion of the joining member
32
of the lever
30
is open in a width-wise direction (towards the top in FIG.
1
). A cantilevered resilient locking member
35
protrudes in an anterior direction from a joining portion of a lower side of this open portion. This resilient locking member
35
comprises a base end
36
extending directly in an anterior direction, and an arcuate portion
37
. This arcuate portion
37
turns in a U-shape from an anterior end portion of the resilient locking member
35
and extends parallel to the base end
36
. Its tip turns upwards approximately at a right angle to form a protruding member
38
for a releasing operation. Furthermore, as shown in
FIG. 6
, an operating member
39
. for effecting the operation of the lever
30
. is attached to a portion of a posterior side of the protruding member
38
.
A stopping protrusion
40
is formed on an upper face (relative to
FIG. 1
) of the arcuate portion
37
of the resilient locking member
35
. As shown in
FIG. 10
, an opening edge of the arcuate portion
37
of the resilient locking member
35
is capable of being bent so as to approach the base end
36
of the resilient locking member
35
. As shown in FIG.
11
. the stopping protrusion
40
is engaged against the lever stopping member
14
of the female housing
10
when the lever
30
has been pivoted. The lever
30
is in the final position when the stopping protrusion
40
and the lever stopping member
14
are engaged.
Stopping grooves
41
are formed to the anterior of the stopping protrusion
40
(relative to
FIG. 1
) at both side faces of the bent portion
37
. When the lever
30
has been moved to the final position, hooking members
61
of the detecting member
50
(to be explained later) enter the stopping grooves
41
(see FIG.
12
). Releasing members
42
protrude from both side faces of the base end
36
. As the lever
30
is pivoted, these releasing members
42
interfere with arms
59
of the detecting member
50
(see FIG.
10
). When the lever
30
has reached the final position, the two housing
10
and
20
are fully fitted together.
Next the configuration of the detecting member
50
and the groove
13
is explained in detail. As shown in FIG.
1
. the detecting member
50
is attached to a posterior end portion of the groove
13
in a state whereby it protrudes in a posterior direction from a posterior end face of the female housing
10
. Further, a shown in
FIG. 11
, the detecting member
50
can be moved in an anterior direction from this initial attaching state into the groove
13
. The position of the detecting member
50
after this movement is shown in FIG.
12
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the detecting member
50
comprises a base
51
which extends along the bottom of the groove
13
, a posterior wall
52
rising upwards from a posterior end face of the base
51
. and side walls
53
which extend along both side edges of the base
51
these side walls
53
rising upwards at approximately a central portion of the base
51
and joining with the posterior wall
52
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, a stopping hole
54
is provided in the base
51
, this stopping hole
54
being long and narrow in an anterior-posterior direction. A posterior stopping protrusion
15
provided in the groove
13
fits with an anterior portion of this stopping hole
54
, engaging against an anterior edge of the stopping hole
54
and thereby preventing unwanted movement of the detecting member
50
in a posterior direction. A bending member
55
of a prescribed width protrudes in an anterior direction from an anterior end of the base
51
, an anterior end of this bending member
55
being provided immediately to the posterior of a locking protrusion
16
of the groove
13
. A square locking hole
56
is provided in the centre of the bending member
55
. As shown in
FIG. 12
, this locking protrusion
16
is engaged within the locking hole
56
when the detecting member
50
is pushed in an anterior direction.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, a pair of guiding protrusions
57
protrude from anterior ends of both side edges of the base
51
of the detecting member
50
, these guiding protrusions
57
having the same length as the bending member
55
. As shown in
FIG. 4
, guiding grooves
58
which extend in an anterior-posterior direction are formed at side edges of the guiding protrusions
57
. Guiding protruding members
17
formed on side faces of the groove
13
fit into these guiding grooves
58
, thereby guiding the detecting member
50
when it is moved in an anterior-posterior direction. A pair of arms
59
are provided above and parallel to the guiding protrusions
57
, these arms
59
extending from anterior ends of the two side walls
53
.
The arms
59
are capable of bending in an up-down direction. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a stopping member
60
protrudes from an upper face on an anterior end portion of each arm
59
. Anterior end faces of the stopping members
60
make contact with and engage against regulating members
18
which protrude from the side faces of the groove
13
. The engaged state of the stopping members
60
and the regulating members
18
regulates the movement of the detecting member
50
in an anterior direction. In addition, tapered aces
60
a
are formed on posterior faces of the stopping members
60
, these tapered faces
60
a
sloping downwards and towards the posterior. Tapered faces
18
a
having the same angle of inclination as the arms
59
are formed on anterior lower faces of the regulating members
18
. These tapered faces
18
and
60
a
engage against each other after the detecting member
50
has been moved in an anterior direction.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, pointed hooking members
61
protrude inwards from upper edges of the two side walls
53
of the detecting member
50
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, anterior end portions of the hooking members
61
have a long and narrow shape, and lower faces of these anterior ends have tapered shape, the latter forming guiding members
62
. When the lever
30
has been pivoted to the final position as shown in
FIG. 13
, the hooking members
61
enter the stopping grooves
41
of the resilient locking member
35
and are retained therein.
The present embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the operation thereof will be explained. In order to fit the two housings
10
and
20
together, the lever
30
is positioned so that the openings of the cam grooves
34
face an anterior direction, as shown in FIG.
1
. From this state, as shown in
FIG. 9
, the female housing
10
is fitted within the hood
22
and, as shown in
FIG. 7
, the follower pins
12
are inserted into the cam grooves
34
of the lever
30
. Next. the operating member
39
of the lever
30
is pressed, thereby causing the lever
30
to move in the direction shown by the arrow A. As a result, a shown in
FIG. 8
, the follower pins
12
move along the cam grooves
34
and the two housings
10
and
20
approach each other.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the pivoting of the lever
30
is accompanied by the stopping protrusion
40
pushing against the lever stopping member
14
. At this juncture, the resilient locking member
35
receives a pushing force which causes it to bend, thereby causing an open end of the bent-over portion
37
to approach the base end
36
. At the same time, the releasing members
42
which protrude from the side faces of the base end
36
make contact with upper faces of the arms
59
, pushing these arms
59
and causing them to bend downwards.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, when the lever
30
is pivoted to the final position, the stopping protrusion
40
rises over the lever stopping member
14
and the resilient locking member
35
returns resiliently to its original shape, thereby engaging the stopping protrusion
40
against the lever stopping member
14
. By this means, the movement of the lever
30
in a returning direction is regulated. Simultaneously, the arms
59
are pushed downwards by the releasing members
42
of the resilient locking member
35
to a height whereby the stopping members
60
and the regulating members
18
can be released from their mutually engaged state.
Next, as shown in
FIG. 12
, the detecting member
50
is pushed from the posterior end in an anterior direction. As the detecting member
50
moves, the arms
59
are pushed downwards by the releasing members
42
, the stopping members
60
move below the regulating members
18
, are released therefrom, and return resiliently to their original shape, and the tapered faces
60
a
of the stopping members
60
engage against the tapered faces
18
a
of the regulating members
18
.
In addition, as shown in
FIG. 13
, the hooking members
61
enter the stopping grooves
41
of the resilient locking member
35
as the detecting member
50
moves. These hooking members
61
are retained therein, thereby regulating the movement of the lever
30
in a returning direction.
Furthermore, as shown in
FIG. 12
, the stopping hole
54
of the base
51
and the posterior stopping protrusion
15
of the groove
13
are released from their engaged state, the posterior stopping protrusion
15
comes to be located in the posterior portion of the stopping hole
54
, and the bending member
55
bends and rises over the locking protrusion
16
. Then the locking protrusion
16
fits into the locking hole
56
and is retained therein. The movement of the detecting member
50
, which has been moved an anterior direction, is thereby regulated in an anterior-posterior direction. After being moved, the detecting member
50
protrudes less from the posterior end face of the female housing
10
than its protrusion before being moved.
In this manner, moving the detecting member
50
in an anterior direction allows one to detect whether the lever
30
has reached the final position and whether the two housings
10
and
20
have been correctly fitted together. If the detecting member
50
is pushed in when the lever
30
has not yet reached the correct position, the stopping members
60
of the arms
59
make contact with the regulating members
18
and regulate the anterior movement of the detecting member
50
. Consequently, if the detecting member
50
cannot be pushed in, the two housings
10
and
20
are identified as being in a half-fitted state.
The two housings
10
and
20
may need to be separated for maintenance or the like. In that case, the detecting member
50
is first pushed in a posterior direction from the state shown in FIG.
12
. As a result, as shown in
FIG. 11
, the hooking members
61
move downwards and under the releasing members
42
, thereby being released from their locked state. Simultaneously, the engagement of the hooking members
61
and the stopping grooves
41
is released. Next, the protruding member
38
provided on the lever
30
is pressed and, as shown in
FIG. 10
, the resilient locking member
35
changes shape and bends, thereby releasing the stopping protrusion
40
and the lever stopping member
14
from their latched state. After the lever
30
has been released from its regulated state in this manner, the lever
30
is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction shown by the arrow A of FIG.
1
. When this is done, the follower pins
12
of the female housing
10
are moved from the state shown in
FIG. 8
along the cam grooves
34
as the lever
30
is being pivoted. The two housings
10
and
20
are moved in a direction of separation, as shown in
FIG. 7
, and the fitted state is released.
The embodiment described above has a configuration whereby the regulation of movement in an anterior direction of the detecting member
50
is released only when the lever
30
has been pivoted to the final position. As a result, the movement or lack of movement of the detecting member
50
allows one to detect whether the fitting state of the connector is correct. Moreover, when the lever
30
is located in the final position, the stopping protrusion
40
and the lever stopping member
14
of the female housing
10
are in a mutually engaged state, and the stopping grooves
41
and the hooking member
61
of the detecting member
50
are in a mutually engaged state, thereby doubly preventing the lever
30
from being pivoted in a returning direction.
If by some manufacturing error any of the components exceed the permitted tolerance, the engagement of the stopping member
60
of the arms
59
with the regulating members
18
may be released before the lever
30
has been locked in the correct position. If this were to occur, the detecting member
50
could be pushed in an anterior direction even though the two housings
10
and
20
were in a half-fitted state and the lever
30
not in the correct position. However, as shown in
FIG. 14
, when the detecting member
50
is pushed in at this juncture (indicated by arrow
70
), anterior end portions of the guiding members
62
formed on the hooking members
61
of the detecting member
50
collide with the stopping grooves
41
of the resilient locking member
35
. Consequently, the guiding members
62
guide the lever
30
to the correct position (indicated by arrow
72
) as the detecting member
50
is being pushed in.
By this means, one can be certain that the two housings
10
and
20
will reach a completely fitted state.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above with the aid of figures. For example, the possibilities described below also lie within the technical range of the present invention. In addition, the present invention may be embodied in various other ways without deviating from the scope thereof.
(1) In contrast to the embodiment described above, the lever may be provided on the female housing and the detecting member on the male housing.
(2) Furthermore, the lever and the detecting member may be provided on the same housing, whether this be the male or the female housing.
(3) The stopping protrusion of the resilient locking member and the lever stopping member need not be provided as the regulating means for preventing the lever from pivoting in a returning direction. Instead, the regulating means may consist of the engagement of the hooking members of the detecting member and the stopping grooves.
(4) In the embodiment described above the guiding members are provided on the hooking members. However, both the guiding members and the hooking members may be provided in differing locations.
(5) Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the lever stopping member for latching the lever is provided on the female housing, whereas the lever is provided on the male housing. However, according to the present invention, a latching means such as the lever stopping member may equally well be provided on the same housing as the lever.
Claims
- 1. A electrical connector comprising:male and female connector housings adapted for mutual engagement, one of the connector housings having a lever engageable with the other connector housing and latchable thereto by first latch means provided on the housings, said lever being pivotable from an open to a closed position to draw said housings together, wherein one of said housings further includes a detecting member movable thereon from a first position to a second position, said detecting member having a resilient arm engageable with an abutment of said one of said housings in an open condition of said lever, said lever further including a releasing member adapted to bend said resilient arm in the closed position of said lever, thereby to release engagement of said arm and abutment and to permit movement of said detecting member to the second position, and said detecting member further including second latch means for latching the housings together in addition to the first latch means, said second latch means being engageable with said lever in the closed condition and only in the second position of said detecting member.
- 2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said detecting member has a resilient arm on each side thereof, and said one of said housings has an abutment for each resilient arm.
- 3. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said detecting member protrudes from said one of said housings in the first position.
- 4. An electrical connector according to claim 3 wherein said detecting member has a resilient arm on each side thereof, and said one of said housings has an abutment for each resilient arm.
- 5. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said second latch means comprises a protrusion and said lever further includes a recess for engagement therewith.
- 6. An electrical connector according to claim 5, characterized in that said protrusion has a tapered guiding surface adapted to guide the projection into engagement with the recess of the lever.
- 7. An electrical connector according to claim 5 wherein said protrusion extends in the direction of movement of said detecting member.
- 8. An electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that said projection has tapered guiding surface adapted to guide the projection into engagement with the recess of the lever.
- 9. An electrical connector according to claim 1 and further including a releasable resilient latch adapted to retain said detecting member in the second position.
- 10. An electrical connector according to claim 9 wherein said resilient latch comprises a protrusion of said housings and said flexible arm of said detecting member.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
11-110903 |
Apr 1999 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (9)