BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an obliquely upper perspective view of a lever type electrical connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an oblique side perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1 showing a lever of the connector in a closed position.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1 showing the lever of the connector in an open position.
FIG. 4 is an end view showing the connector of FIG. 1 with the lever omitted.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lever of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bearing section of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7(
a) is a bottom perspective view of a first embodiment of a reinforcement member of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7(
b) is a top perspective view of the reinforcement member of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7(
c) is a side view of the first embodiment of the reinforcement member of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8(
a) is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of a reinforcement member of a lever type electrical connector.
FIG. 8(
b) is another bottom perspective view of the first embodiment of the reinforcement member of the connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the connector of FIG. 1 showing the reinforcement member prior to being mounted in the bearing section.
FIG. 10(
a) is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1 showing the reinforcement member mounted in the bearing section with cam plates and the lever omitted.
FIG. 10(
b) is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1 taken along line A-A of FIG. 10(a).
FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1 showing the connector in a state in which it is to be engaged with a complementary mating connector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)
As shown in FIG. 1, a lever type electrical connector 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention includes an insulating housing 2, cam plates 3, a lever 4, a bearing section 5, and a reinforcement section 6. The insulating housing 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the insulating housing 2 has side walls 25. In top portions of the side walls 25 are formed sliding grooves 25a. The sliding grooves 25a have a substantially L-shaped cross section and extend in a sliding direction X (FIG. 2). Ridges 25b are formed substantially under and adjacent to the sliding grooves 25a. As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating housing 2 has a lever engagement member 26.
As shown in FIG. 1, a concave section 21 is formed in an upper portion of the insulating housing 2. The concave section 21 includes an inner wall 21a along an external form of the insulating housing 2. A bottom face 21b of the concave section 21 is provided with terminal housing openings 23. The terminal housing openings 23 extend from the bottom face 21b of the concave section 21 to a mating face 22 (FIG. 2) on a bottom portion of the insulating housing 2. The terminal housing openings 23 are substantially arranged in a matrix within an area 24 (illustrated by dashed lines) of the bottom face 21b. As shown in FIG. 4, terminals 7 are arranged in each of the terminal housing openings 23. An electrical wire W is crimped to each of the terminals 7. Each of the terminals 7 is connected to a mating terminal (not shown) of a complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11).
As shown in FIG. 2, the mating face 22 is formed on the bottom portion of the insulating housing 2. The complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11) is connected to and disconnected from the connector 1 via the mating face 22. The complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11) is connected and disconnected from the mating face 22 in a mating direction Z. The insulating housing 2 has a width in a direction Y is substantially perpendicular to the mating direction Z and the sliding direction X.
As shown in FIG. 4, the cam plates 3 are arranged on both sides of the insulating housing 2 and are configured to slide in the sliding direction X in a longitudinal direction of the insulating housing 2 in response to movement of the lever 4. Top portions 3a of the cam plates 3 have a substantially L-shaped cross section corresponding to the cross section of the sliding grooves 25a. Adjacent to the top portions 3a and formed in the L-shaped cross section are grooves 3b. The grooves 3b have a shape corresponding to the ridges 25b. The sliding grooves 25a of the insulating housing 2 are engaged with the top portions 3a of the cam plates 3 and the ridges 25b are engaged with the grooves 3b so that the cam plates 3 are slidably held by the insulating housing 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, cam slots 32, 33, 34 extending substantially obliquely are formed in the cam plates 3. Cam faces 32a, 33a, 34a, 32b, 33b, 34b are formed in an upper side face and a lower side face of each of the cam slots 32, 33, 34, respectively. Guide grooves 32c, 33c, 34c connect to the cam slots 32, 33, 34, respectively. The guide grooves 32c, 33c, 34c extend to a bottom end of the cam plates 3. The guide grooves 32c, 33c, 34c are configured to guide projections 91, 92, 93 (FIG. 11) on the complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11) to the cam slots 32, 33, 34, respectively, when the complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11) is inserted in the insulating housing 2. The guide projections 91, 92, 93 (FIG. 11) guided to the cam slots 32, 33, 34 receive forces in the mating direction Z from the cam faces 32b, 33b, 34b, as the cam plates 3 slide in the sliding direction X. Accordingly, the complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11) is pulled into the insulating housing 2. As shown in FIG. 3, each end of the cam plates 3 has a groove 35 extending in substantially and up and down direction.
As shown in FIG. 5, the lever 4 includes a base section 4a extending in the direction Y and an arm 4b extending substantially in the sliding direction X. Both ends of the base section 4a have substantially plate-shaped base end sections 42 that substantially face each other. The base end sections 42 extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction Y in which the base section 4a extends and the direction X in which the arm 4b extends. A slide shaft 41 is formed in the base end section 42. A slide shaft 41 is provided in the base section 4a and is configured to engage with the long groove 35 of the cam plates 3. Substantially plate-shaped supporting plates 43 are formed between the base end sections 42 and substantially face each other. A shaft 44 that is held by the bearing section 5 is provided between the supporting plates 43. A lock section 45 is formed in a tip portion of the arm 4b. The lock section 45 engages with the lever engagement member 26 (see FIG. 3) provided in the insulating housing 2 to lock the arm 4b in a closed state. The lever 4 supported in the bearing section 5 by the insulating housing 2 is pivotally moved by an operator between a closed position shown in FIG. 2 and an open position shown in FIG. 3 so that the lever 4 slides the cam plates 3 engaged with the sliding shaft 41 in the sliding direction X substantially perpendicular to the mating direction Z of the complementary mating connector 90 (FIG. 11).
As shown in FIG. 6, one end of the insulating housing 2 is provided with the bearing section 5. The bearing section 5 may be formed on a resin material and may be integrally formed with the insulating housing 2. The bearing section 5 includes substantially plate-shaped ribs 52a, 52b, 52c that project from one end of the insulating housing 2 substantially in the sliding direction X and substantially parallel to each other. A first joining section 53 and a second joining section 54 combine the ribs 52 together. A notch 521 that receives the shaft 44 (FIG. 5) of the lever 4 is formed in each of the ribs 52a, 52b, 52c. The first joining section 53 combines tips of the ribs 52 projecting from the insulating housing 2. The second joining section 54 combines portions of the ribs 52 opposite to the first joining section 53 with respect to the notches 521. The first joining section 53 and the second joining section 54 substantially face each other with the notches 521 there between.
The shaft 44 of the lever 4 (FIG. 5) is elastically held between the first joining section 53 and the second joining section 54 in portions in which the notches 521 are provided so that the shaft 44 is arranged to be pivotally supported in a position in which the shaft is directed in the direction Y. A space between the first joining section 53 and the second joining section is slightly narrower than a diameter of the shaft 44 (see FIG. 5) of the lever 4. The ribs 52 are elastically deformed so that the space can be slightly widened. Accordingly, the shaft 44 of the lever 4 is mounted and dismounted from the bearing section 5 in the mating direction Z, which is substantially perpendicular to the sliding direction X and a radial direction of the shaft 44.
The bearing section 5 has assisting joining sections 55. The assisting joining sections 55 extend from the insulating housing 2 substantially between and substantially parallel to the ribs 52a, 52b, 52c and are combined with the second joining section 54. The bearing section 5 is provided with openings 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d that substantially extend in the mating direction Z. The openings 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d are substantially surrounded with the second joining section 54, the assisting joining sections 55, the ribs 52 and the insulating housing 2.
As shown in FIG. 7(a), the reinforcement member 6 includes fixing projections 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d, and a pair of elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b. The fixing projections 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d are configured for insertion in the openings 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, respectively. The elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b are configured for insertion in the openings 54b, 54c, respectively, and are engaged with the assisting joining section 55. Lock claws 62p, 62q are provided on tips of the elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b, respectively. The lock claws 62p, 62q are provided on sides of the tips of the elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b, such that the lock claws 62p, 62q are opposed to each other in the direction Y (direction of the shaft 44 of the lever 4). The elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b are elastically displaced in the direction Y to be engaged with the bearing section 5. Grooves 63a, 63b, 63c and a shaft groove 64 are formed in the reinforcement member 6. The grooves 63a, 63b, 63c are configured to avoid the rib 52 when the reinforcement member 6 is mounted in the bearing section 5, and the shaft groove 64 is configured to avoid the shaft 44 supported by the bearing section 5. The groove 63a has a wall 633.
As shown in FIGS. 7(a)-7(c), the reinforcement member 6 may be a mold component made, for example, of an insulating resin material. Alternatively, the reinforcement member 6 may be made of a metal. However, it is preferable that the reinforcement member 6 is made of an insulating resin because there is little possibility of damaging peripheral components such as an insulating cover of the electrical wire W (FIG. 4), and there is no possibility of a short circuit even when an insulating cover of the electrical wire W (FIG. 4) is damaged.
A second embodiment of a reinforcement member 206 is shown in FIG. 8(a). A connector for use with the reinforcement member 206 according to the second embodiment is almost same in all portions as the connector 1 used with the reinforcement member 6 according to the first embodiment, except the shape of the elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b is altered. Therefore, only the differences between the reinforcement member 206 and the reinforcement member 6 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 8(a), the reinforcement member 206 includes a pair of elastically engaging projections 262a, 262b that extend in a substantially up and down in the mating direction Z. The elastically engaging projections 262a, 262b are arranged substantially in line in the direction Y (direction of the shaft 44 of the lever 4) in a state in which the reinforcement member 206 is mounted in the bearing section 5 (FIG. 1). Lock claws 262p, 262q are formed at each tip of the elastically engaging projections 262a, 262b, respectively. The lock claws 262p, 262q project substantially parallel to the sliding direction X from the elastically engaging projections 262a, 262b.
As shown FIG. 8(a), the lock claws 262p, 262q are provided on sides of the elastically engaging projections 262a, 262b in the sliding direction X. It should be noted that, in the reinforcement member 6 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8(b), the lock claws 62p, 62q are provided facing in the direction Y and engaged with the bearing section 5 such that the elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b are displaced in the direction Y. Accordingly, the engaging amount is increased and the power to hold the reinforcement member 6 against an object that pulls the reinforcement member 6 is raised.
To assemble the connector 1, the cam plates 3 are mounted on the insulating housing 2, as shown in FIG. 4. Next, the lever 4 is pushed from above into the bearing section 5, as shown in FIG. 9. At this time, the shaft 44 of the lever 4 is held between the first joining section 53 and the second joining section 54 of the bearing section 5 (FIG. 10(b)), and the sliding shaft 41 of the lever 4 is engaged in the long groove 35 (FIG. 9). Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the reinforcement member 6 is pushed from below into the bearing section 5.
FIG. 10(
a) shows a cross-section substantially perpendicular to the sliding direction X. FIG. 10(b) shows the reinforcement member 6 entirely latched. As shown in FIG. 10(b), two directions opposite to each other in the sliding direction X are defined as a rightward direction X1 and a leftward direction X2. In a state in which the reinforcement member 6 is mounted in the bearing section 5, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the fixing projections 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d are inserted in the openings 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, respectively, and fixed. In addition, the elastically engaging projections 62a, 62b are inserted in the openings 54b, 54c, respectively, and are engaged in the assisting joining section 55 so that the reinforcement member 6 is prevented from coming off the bearing section 5. As shown in FIG. 10(b), the wall 633 of the groove 63a formed in the reinforcement member 6 holds down a tip of the bearing section 5, which projects from the insulating housing 2 in the leftward direction X2. The same logic is similarly applied to the grooves 63b, 63c. Thus, the reinforcement member 6 prevents the whole of the bearing section 5 including the shaft 44 of the lever 4 from moving in the rightward direction X1.
As shown in FIG. 11, the complementary mating connector 90 is attached to the connector 1 when the lever 4 is in the open position and is inserted halfway into the connector 1. During insertion, the projections 91, 92 fixed to the complementary mating connector 90, which act as cam followers, are guided through the guiding groove 32c, 33c (FIG. 2) to the cam slots 32, 33, respectively. The lever 4 is the rotated to the closed position by an operator so that the lever 4 pivotally moves around the shaft 44 and applies a force F2 from the shaft 41 to the cam plates 3 in the leftward direction X2 to slide the cam plates 3 in the leftward direction X2 along the sliding direction X. At this time, a force F3 in the rightward direction X1 is applied to the bearing section 5, which acts as a supporting-point. The reinforcement member 6 receives a force in the sliding direction X. The projections 91, 92 receive forces from the cam faces 32b, 33b, which are both in contact with the projections 91, 92, respectively. As a result, the complementary mating connector 90 is pulled into the insulating housing 2 to complete mating.
When the connector 1 is mated with the complementary mating connector 90, in an irregular engaging state in which mutual positioning adjustment is incomplete or a foreign substance is inserted, the complementary mating connector 90 is not pulled in the insulating housing 2 even though the lever 4 is rotated. In this state, as the lever 4 is forcibly rotated and the force F1 given to the lever 4 increases, the force F3 in the rightward direction X1, which force the bearing section 5 receives from the shaft 44, increases. At this time, since the reinforcement member 6 receives a force which is given from the shaft 44 to the bearing section 5 and prevents the whole of the bearing section 5 including the shaft 44 of the lever 4 from moving in the rightward direction X1, damage to the bearing section 5 is prevented.
When the connector 1 is disconnected from the complementary mating connector 90, the lever 4 is rotated back to the open position. As the lever 4 is rotated, the lever 4 slides the cam plates 3 in the leftward direction X2, and the projections 91, 92 of the complementary mating connector 90 receive forces from the cam faces 32a, 33a. As a result, the complementary mating connector 90 is separated from the insulating housing 2.
The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.
Patent Application
20080064242
