Lever fitting type connector

Abstract

A lever fitting type connector includes a male connector having a male hood, a female connector having a connector main body fitted into the male hood and having a female hood which covers the male hood, and a lever which is rotatably provided inside of the female hood, and which fits or separates the male connector into or from the female connector. The lever includes a lateral plate which is rotatably engaged with a boss projecting from an inner surface of the female hood. The lateral plate is provided with a drive part far from the fulcrum of the lever in a thickness range of the lateral plate. An outer surface of the male hood is provided with an engagement projection. When the connectors are fitted to each other, these engagement projections engage the drive part of the lever to transmit a fitting force and a separating force generated by turn of the lever to the male connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional lever fitting type connector;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the connector as viewed from another angle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector from which a lever thereof is removed;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a fitting motion of the connector, and is a plan view showing an initial non-fitted state;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a next stage of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a next stage of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a next stage (a fitting state) of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a fitting state of a lever fitting type connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the connector as viewed from another angle;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the connector from which an upper layer portion of a female hood is cut off so that a lever-assembling portion can be viewed;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view thereof from which a relationship between the female hood, a male hood and the lever is focused;

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a fitting motion of the connector, and is a plan view showing an initial non-fitted state;

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a next stage of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a next stage of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a next stage (a fitting state) of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a relationship between a boss and a column provided on the female hood.

Claims

1. A lever fitting type connector comprising: a first connector including: a first hood,an engaging unit formed on an outer surface of the first hood;a second connector fitted to the first connector, the second connector including: a connector main body fitted into the first hood,a second hood covering the first hood and provided with a boss projecting from an inner surface of the second hood,a lever with a lateral plate rotatably provided inside the second hood, the lateral plate formed in parallel to a turning direction of the lever and engaged with the boss,a drive part formed in the lateral plate within a thickness range thereof at a position away from a fulcrum of the lever;wherein the lever turns in a plane parallel to a fitting direction of the connector to fit or to separate the first connector into or from the second connector,wherein the engaging unit transmits a fitting or a separating force generated by turn of the lever from the drive part to the first connector to fit or to separate the first connector into or from the second connector.

2. The lever fitting type connector according to claim 1, wherein a double wall configuration unit formed with inner and outer walls is provided on a rear end of the second hood in the fitting direction of the connectors;wherein a tip end of the lateral plate of the lever is inserted into a gap between the inner and the outer surface walls of the double wall configuration unit;wherein a hole formed in the tip end of the lever is engaged with the boss with insertion of the lever through a space between columns connected to the inner and the outer walls; andwherein the drive part is disposed closer to the tip end of the lever than the hole which engages the boss.

3. The lever fitting type connector according to claim 2, further comprising, a fitting engagement projection provided on the first connector to receive a fitting force from the drive part of the lever, anda separating engagement projection provided on the first connector to receive a separating force from the drive part of the lever,wherein an outer peripheral edge of the lever is provided with a groove;wherein the groove engages one column provided on the second hood to guide the drive part into a space between the fitting engagement projection and the separating engagement projection, further the groove engages the column to enable the drive part to come out from between the fitting engagement projection and the separating engagement projection;wherein the column is also used as a member to restrict a turn of the lever by engaging to an end of the groove.