Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2001-03-20
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203340
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever-type connector, in particular an electrical connector having housings containing electrical elements which are connected when the housings are fitted together.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 7 through 9
show a conventional lever-type connector. A lever
101
is rotatably supported by a first connector housing
100
which fits into a mating second connector housing
110
in order to make an electrical connection between arrays of terminals in the housings
100
,
110
. Cam pins
111
on the second connector housing
110
engage cam groove
102
of the lever
101
. The lever
101
has a pair of plate-shaped arm portions
104
, one on each side of the housing, extending to an operation portion
103
. The operation portion
103
preferably connects the plate-shaped arm portions
104
together in a substantially rigid manner. This allows the plate-shaped arm portions
104
to more easily be rotated in unison. The cam grooves
102
are formed in the respective arm portions
104
.
When fitting the two connector housings
100
,
110
to each other, the lever
101
is set in a predetermined waiting posture with the entrance
102
A of the cam groove
102
open toward the second connector housing
110
. In this state, the connector housings
100
,
110
are approached to each other parallel to the surfaces of the arm portions
104
and partially fitted into each other so that the cam pin
111
penetrates into the entrance
102
A of the cam groove
102
on each side. The lever
101
is rotated, drawing the connector housings
100
,
110
tightly together by a cam action due to the engagement between the cam grooves
102
and the cam pins
111
. This kind of lever-type connector is disclosed in JP-A-6-275337.
Let it be supposed that in fitting the connector housings
100
,
110
together, the lever
101
is not set at the waiting posture, so that the entrance
102
A of the cam groove
102
is not at its position to receive the pin
111
. In this case, when the connector housings
100
,
110
are approached to each other, the periphery of the cam pin
111
collides with the peripheral edge of the arm portion
104
. The operator thus discovers that the lever
101
is located at an inappropriate position. However, if the operator does not notice that the periphery of the cam pin
111
has collided with the peripheral edge of the arm portion
104
and proceeds with the fitting operation forcibly, the arm portion
104
may deform outwardly, thus riding over the cam pin
111
. As a result, the arm portions
104
disengage from the peripheral surfaces of the cam pins
111
, and the connector housings
100
,
110
may be fitted in each other incompletely, with the cam pins
111
and the cam grooves
102
not in engagement with each other, as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,390 shows a connector similar to that of
FIGS. 7
to
9
, in which the cam pins have a chamfer at their extremity, which may tend to encourage over-riding of the lever on the pin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lever-type electrical connector in which it is possible to reliably prevent a pair of connector housings from being fitted to each other when the posture of a lever with its movement range is incorrect.
According to the invention there is provided a lever-type electrical connector including a pair of connector housings adapted to be fitted together to effect electrical connection, and a lever rotatably mounted on a first one of the connector housings for rotation between a waiting position and a locking position, the lever having surfaces defining a cam track. A cam follower is provided on the second of the connector housings in the form of an upstanding member located so as to enter the entrance end of the cam track when the connector housings are brought together in a predetermined fitting direction with the lever in the waiting position. The interaction of the cam follower and the cam track, when thereafter the lever is rotated to the locking position, causes the connector housings to be drawn together into the fitted position. At least one of the lever and the cam follower has an edge surface which is inclined relative to the fitting direction such that, when the lever is at a rotational position such that the cam follower is not correctly received in the entrance end of the cam track, the lever and the cam follower interact at the inclined edge surface to prevent the lever over-riding on the cam follower.
Preferably, the lever has an arm portion in which the cam track is defined, and the cam follower is a pin projecting outwardly from a face of the second connector housing. The arm portion and the pin interact at the inclined edge surface so as to urge the arm portion towards the face of the second connector housing. The pin may have a projecting flange which interacts with the inclined edge surface to urge the arm portion towards the second connector housing.
Alternatively, both the lever and the cam follower have edge surfaces inclined relative to the fitting direction. The two edge surfaces interact to prevent the lever from over-riding the cam follower.
In the connector of the invention, when the two connector housings are brought together, with the lever set in an inappropriate position within its rotation range, the inclined peripheral edge, which is for example on an arm portion of the lever, collides with the cam pin. At this time, the inclined surface subjects the arm portion to a guiding force towards the connector housing, not away from it. Therefore, the arm portion is prevented from being lifted from the cam pin. Thus it is possible to prevent the fitting of the connector housings to each other when the lever is located at an inappropriate position.
It is preferable to make the inclination of the inclined surface gentle to allow the guiding operation of the inclined surface to be performed smoothly. If the tapered surface having a gentle inclination is formed on the cam pin, it may be necessary to increase the diameter of the cam pin, but there are dimensional restrictions in its design. Preferably therefore the inclined surface is formed on the arm portion and can be much larger than on the cam pin. Thus, the inclination of the inclined surface can be set as desired. Preferably this inclination of the inclined surface is at not more than 60°, more preferably not more than 45° relative to the insertion direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5330411 (1994-07-01), Fujitani et al.
patent: 5476390 (1995-12-01), Taguchi et al.
patent: 5637003 (1997-07-01), Takahashi
patent: 5876225 (1999-03-01), Katsuma et al.
patent: 6116928 (2000-09-01), Tsuji et al.
patent: 0 790 676 A2 (1997-08-01), None
Chishima Masamitsu
Saka Yukinori
Yamashita Kazunori
Bradley Paula
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Ta Tho D.
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