METHOD OF PRODUCING LEVER OF LEVER-FITTING TYPE CONNECTOR

Abstract

There is disclosed a method of producing a lever including a pair of side plates, an interconnecting portion interconnecting one ends of the two side plates, a lock arm formed at the interconnecting portion so as to be engaged with a male connector, excessive displacement prevention piece portions formed on and projecting respectively from opposite side portions of the lock arm, and a pair of displacement limitation ribs which are formed respectively at opposite ends of the interconnecting portion, and project in a direction away from the side plates, and are disposed outwardly respectively of the excessive displacement prevention piece portions. The lever is injection molded in such a manner that those portions of the lock arm at which the excessive displacement prevention piece portions are formed, respectively, are disposed outwardly respectively of the displacement limitation ribs, and free ends of the side plates of the molded lever are moved toward each other so as to bend the interconnecting portion, thereby increasing a gap between the pair of displacement limitation ribs, and the portions having the respective excessive displacement prevention piece portions formed thereon are pushed to be disposed inwardly respectively of the displacement limitation ribs, so that each excessive displacement prevention piece portion is disposed between the corresponding displacement limitation rib and the interconnecting portion, and thereafter the bent interconnecting portion is restored into its initial shape, thereby canceling the expansion of the gap between the displacement limitation ribs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a lever-fitting type connector of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of a lever.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a female connector having the lever mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lever, showing a condition after a lock arm is fixed.

FIG. 5 is a front-elevational view of the lever of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the lever in the vicinity of the lock arm of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lever, showing a condition before the lock arm is fixed.

FIG. 8 is a front-elevational view of the lever of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of the lever of FIG. 8 in the vicinity of the lock arm.

FIG. 10 is a front-elevational view of the lever in its deformed condition.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a lever-fitting type connector disclosed in JP-A-2005-122942.

FIG. 12 is a side-elevational view of the lever-fitting type connector disclosed in JP-A-2005-122942.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a lever-fitting type connector of the invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of a lever, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a female connector having the lever mounted thereon, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lever, showing a condition after a lock arm is fixed, FIG. 5 is a front-elevational view of the lever of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the lever in the vicinity of the lever of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lever, showing a condition before the lock arm is fixed, FIG. 8 is a front-elevational view of the lever of FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of the lever of FIG. 8 in the vicinity of the lock arm, and FIG. 10 is a front-elevational view of the lever in its deformed condition.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lever-fitting type connector 2 comprises a male connector 4, the female connector 6, the lever 8, and a wire cover 10. The male connector 4 comprises a male housing 12, a board 14, a male outer cover 16, and a board support base 18. The female connector 6 comprises a female inner housing 20, a female outer housing 22, a female plate housing 24, and a wire seal 26.

The male housing 12 receives a number of male terminals 28 therein, and the male terminals 28 are mounted on the board 14, and therefore are fixed to this board 14. The male terminals 28 are electrically connected to printed wiring (provided at the board 14) and electronic elements mounted on the board 14. The male outer cover 16 is fixed to the board support base 18, with the board 14 interposed therebetween, so that the male housing 12 is disposed at an end portion of the male connector 4.

The female inner housing 20 is formed into a square frame-like shape, and is received within the female outer housing 22 slightly larger in size than the female inner housing 20. Pivot shafts 32 are formed on and project respectively from inner surfaces of a pair of opposed plates 30 of the female outer housing 22.

The female plate housing 24 receives a number of female terminals 34 therein. The female plate housing 24 is inserted into the female inner housing 20 to be received therein, and then by pivotally moving the lever 8, the female inner housing 20 is slid toward the male housing 12 through the female outer housing 22, so that the female terminals 34 are connected respectively to the male terminals 28. Wires (not shown) electrically connected respectively to the female terminals 34 are held watertight by the wire seal 26 attached to the female plate housing 24, and these wires are covered and protected by the wire cover 10 attached to the outside of the female outer housing 22.

The lever 8 comprises a lever base 36 molded of a slightly-elastic resin, and a pair of plates 38 formed of a metal sheet. The lever base 36 includes a pair of side plates 42 each having a cam arm 40, and an interconnecting portion 46 having a lock arm 44. Boss holes 48 and a pivot hole 50 are formed through each of the plates 38.

The lever base 36 has a U-shape as a whole, and has the interconnecting portion 46 at one end thereof, and the side plates 42 extend laterally from upper and lower edges of this interconnecting portion 46, respectively.

The lock arm 44 for being engaged with a lock arm receiving portion 52 formed at the female outer housing 22 is formed at the interconnecting portion 46.

Each of the side plates 42 has a relatively small thickness, and has a generally square or rectangular shape, and the cam arm 40 having a cam groove 54 of a curved slot-like shape projects from a side edge of the side plate 42. A pair of bosses 56 are formed on and project from an outer surface of each side plate 42.

Each of the plates 38 has a relatively small thickness similarly with the side plate 42, and is slightly larger in size than the side plate 42. The pair of boss holes 48 are formed through a plate body 58 (having a flat plate-like shape) of the plate 38, and a projection 60 and the pivot hole 50 are formed at an end portion of the plate body 58.

A reinforcing portion 62 conforming in shape to the periphery of the side plate 42 is formed at an outer edge of each plate 38, the reinforcing portion 62 being formed by bending an edge portion of the plate 38.

The pair of plates 38 are attached respectively to outer surfaces of the pair of side plates 42 of the lever base 36, and by doing so, the bosses holes 48 of each plate 38 are fitted respectively on the bosses 56 of the corresponding side plate 42, with the reinforcing portion 62 covering the periphery of the side plate 42. Thus, each plate 38 is mounted on the corresponding side plate 42 in a unitary manner.

The pivot holes 50 of the plates 38 are fitted respectively on the pivot shafts 32 of the female outer housing 22, so that the lever 8 is pivotally mounted on the female outer housing 22.

When the lever 8 is located in an unlocked position A1 shown in FIG. 3, the female inner housing 20 is inserted between the pair of side plates 42. When the lever 8 is disposed in the unlocked position A1, the female outer housing 22 is provisionally fitted to the male housing 12, and the projections 60 formed respectively at the end portions of the plates 38 are engaged respectively in cams (not shown) formed at the male outer cover 16. Then, the lever 8 is pivotally moved from the unlocked position A1 toward a locked position A2.

As a result, the lever 8 pushes the female inner housing 20 toward the male housing 12. Then, when the lever 8 reaches the locked position A2, the lock arm 44 is engaged with the lock arm receiving portion 52 formed at the female outer housing 22, thus completing the fitting operation.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lock arm 44 includes a support shaft portion 64 formed on and projecting from the interconnecting portion 46 of the lever base 36, an extension portion 66 extending from this support shaft portion 64 in a connecting fitting direction, a turned-back extension portion 68 extending in a turned-back manner from an extremity of this extension portion 66 in an anti-fitting direction, and an operating portion 70 formed at an extremity of this turned-back extension portion 68. With a pantograph construction formed by the support shaft portion 64, the extension portion 66 and the turned-back extension portion 68, the lock arm 44 can be resiliently moved out of contact with the interconnecting portion 46.

Excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 are formed on and project respectively from those portions of opposite side portions of the turned-back extension portion 68 which are offset from the support shaft portion 64 in the anti-fitting direction. Also, displacement limitation ribs 74 are formed respectively at opposite end portions of the interconnecting portion 46 of the lock arm 44, and project in an overhanging manner in a direction away from the side plates 42. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 are disposed inwardly respectively of the displacement limitation ribs 74 in contiguous relation thereto, and the excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 are retained respectively by the displacement limitation ribs 74, thereby preventing an excessive displacement of the lock arm 44.

The lever base 36 is injection molded of the elastically-deformable resin, and the lever base 36 is molded, with the lock arm 44 assuming such a pantograph-shape that the lock arm 44 is much spaced from the interconnecting portion 46. Namely, a mold for molding the lever base 36 is so designed that the molded lock arm 44 is formed into an open pantograph-shape. Therefore, a mold section for molding the lock arm 44 does not need to have a small piece or die, and therefore the mold will not become expensive, and besides the strength of the mold will not be decreased in contrast with a mold using such a small piece or die, and there is no fear the mold may be damaged or broken.

Thus, the lever base 36 is injection molded in such a manner that the molded lock arm 44 is kept in the open condition. After the molding of the lever base 36, the free ends of the side plates 42 of the lever base 36 are held with the fingers, and are moved toward each other as indicated by arrows B (FIG. 10), thereby increasing or expanding a gap between the pair of displacement limitation ribs 74, and then the turned-back extension portion 68 is pushed into the expanded gap as indicated by arrow C to thereby insert the excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 into this wide-open portion. When the excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 are located closer to the interconnecting portion 46 than the displacement limitation ribs 74 are, the fingers are separated from the free ends of the side plates 42, thereby canceling the expansion of the gap between these free ends, thus achieving a lock arm-fixing condition as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the above embodiment, the lever base 36, including the lock arm 44 having the excessive displacement prevention function, is injection molded in such a manner that the molded lock arm 44 is formed into the open pantograph-shape, and therefore the lever base 36 can be molded by the mold which does not need to have any small piece or die. And besides, the excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 of the lock arm 44 are molded to be disposed outwardly respectively of the displacement limitation ribs 74, and therefore a space for receiving the mold section for the excessive displacement prevention piece portions 72 does not need to be secured within a mold section for the displacement limitation ribs, and accordingly the lock arm can be made smaller.

Claims

1. A method of producing a lever for use in a lever-fitting type connector comprising a female connector including a female outer housing having a female inner housing inserted therein, a male connector including a male housing for fitting to said female outer housing, and said lever which is pivotally mounted on said female connector and is pivotally moved so as to bring said male connector into and out of fitting engagement with said female connector; wherein said lever includes a pair of side plates, an interconnecting portion interconnecting one ends of said two side plates, a lock arm formed at said interconnecting portion so as to be engaged with said male connector, excessive displacement prevention piece portions formed on and projecting respectively from opposite side portions of said lock arm, and a pair of displacement limitation ribs which are formed respectively at opposite ends of said interconnecting portion, and project in a direction away from said side plates, and are disposed outwardly respectively of said excessive displacement prevention piece portions;wherein said lever is injection molded in such a manner that those portions of said lock arm at which said excessive displacement prevention piece portions are formed, respectively, are disposed outwardly respectively of said displacement limitation ribs; andfree ends of said side plates of the molded lever are moved toward each other so as to bend said interconnecting portion, thereby increasing a gap between said pair of displacement limitation ribs; andsaid portions having the respective excessive displacement prevention piece portions formed thereon are pushed to be disposed inwardly respectively of said displacement limitation ribs, so that each excessive displacement prevention piece portion is disposed between the corresponding displacement limitation rib and said interconnecting portion, and thereafter said bent interconnecting portion is restored into its initial shape, thereby canceling the expansion of the gap between said displacement limitation ribs.

2. A lever for use in a lever-fitting type connector comprising a female connector including a female outer housing having a female inner housing inserted therein, a male connector including a male housing for fitting to said female outer housing, and said lever which is pivotally mounted on said female connector and is pivotally moved so as to bring said male connector into and out of fitting engagement with said female connector; wherein said lever includes a pair of side plates, an interconnecting portion interconnecting one ends of said two side plates, a lock arm provided at said interconnecting portion so as to be engaged with said male connector, excessive displacement prevention piece portions formed on and projecting respectively from opposite side portions of said lock arm, and a pair of displacement limitation ribs which are formed respectively at opposite ends of said interconnecting portion, and project in a direction away from said side plates, and are disposed outwardly respectively of said excessive displacement prevention piece portions; andsaid lever is injection molded in such a manner that those portions of said lock arm at which said excessive displacement prevention piece portions are formed, respectively, are disposed outwardly respectively of said displacement limitation ribs; andfree ends of said side plates of the molded lever are moved toward each other so as to bend said interconnecting portion, thereby increasing a gap between said pair of displacement limitation ribs; andsaid portions having the respective excessive displacement prevention piece portions formed thereon are pushed to be disposed inwardly respectively of said displacement limitation ribs, so that each excessive displacement prevention piece portion is disposed between the corresponding displacement limitation rib and said interconnecting portion, and thereafter said bent interconnecting portion is restored into its initial shape, thereby canceling the expansion of the gap between said displacement limitation ribs.

3. A lever for use in a lever-fitting type connector according to claim 2, wherein said lock arm includes a support shaft portion formed on and projecting from said interconnecting portion, an extension portion extending from said support shaft portion in a connecting fitting direction, a turned-back extension portion extending in a turned-back manner from an extremity of said extension portion in an anti-fitting direction, and an operating portion formed at an extremity of said turned-back extension portion, and said excessive displacement prevention piece portions are formed respectively on those portions of said turned-back extension portion which are offset from said support shaft portion in the anti-fitting direction.