Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-17
2003-09-23
Feild, Lynn (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S352000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06623287
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lever-joint connector, in which a male and a female connectors are jointed with low force and the both connectors and the lever is locked by means of turning a lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, a connector using a lever to reduce jointing force is applied for jointing easily a male and female connectors having a lot of terminals.
For example, mounting a lever rotatably on a female connector, providing a locking device on the lever and a male connector, the lever and the male connector are locked by means of locking of the locking devices when the connectors are jointed so that the lever and the connectors are locked.
When an external strong force may break the lever in such lever-joint connector, the locking for the both connectors is damaged and the male and female connectors may be separated to disconnect electrical connecting.
To overcome the above drawback, lock mechanisms for a lever and a male and female connectors are provided separately for improving reliability of connecting. A lock-type connector shown in
FIG. 12
is proposed (refer Japanese Patent Application No. H2-278674).
In the lock-type connector
51
, a lever
54
having a locking projection
53
is provided rotatably on a female connector
52
, and an engaging projection
56
corresponding to the locking projection
53
and a flexible lock arm
57
corresponding to the female connector
52
are provided on a male connector
55
for locking the lever
54
and locking connectors
52
,
55
mutually separately.
The lever
54
has a cam groove
58
, and the male connector
55
has a projected follower shaft
59
for engaging with the cam groove
58
, and the female connector
52
has a slit portion
60
corresponding to the follower shaft
59
in a direction of jointing a connector. The lock arm
57
has a locking projection
61
, and the female connector
52
has an engaging concave portion
62
corresponding to the locking projection
61
.
Jointing the follower shaft
59
in the slit portion
60
, and turning the lever
54
toward near-side, the follower shaft
59
is engaged with the cam groove
58
and pulled along the cam groove
58
in a direction of jointing a connector. Thereby, the male/female connectors
55
,
52
are jointed, and locking of the lever
54
and the both connectors
55
,
52
are done simultaneously.
In this specification, a connector having a connector receiving section
63
is defined as the female connector
52
and a connector inserted into the connector receiving section
63
is defined as the male connector
55
. A plurality of male terminals joined to electric wires are inserted and locked in the female connector
52
and a plurality of female terminals joined to electric wires are inserted and locked in the male connector
55
. The male and female terminals (not shown) are connected at the same time when the male and female connectors
55
,
52
are jointed.
OBJECTS TO BE SOLVED
Regarding the lever-joint connector
51
by prior art, as mentioned above, when jointing the connectors, the locking projection
61
of the lock arm
57
abuts on a front end of the female connector
52
and thereby the lock arm
57
is deflected so that jointing force of the connectors may be increased. When separating the male and female connectors
55
,
52
after jointing the connectors, operations of deflecting the lock arm
57
to unlock the lock arm
57
, keeping the condition, and turning the lever
54
toward far-side to unlock the lever
54
are required so that unlock operation, i.e. operation for separating connectors is troublesome.
To overcome the above drawback of prior art, one object of this invention is to provide a lever-joint connector in which operating force for jointing connectors and locking connectors is reduced and jointing, separating, and locking and unlocking of a lever and connectors can be done easily and effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
HOW TO ATTAIN THE OBJECT
In order to attain the objects, a lever-joint connector, according to this invention, includes one half of the connector provided with a freely rotatable lever and the other half of the connector provided with a follower portion to be engaged slidably with the lever, providing a first locking portion and a pushing portion on the lever, providing a first be-locked portion to be locked by the first locking portion and a second locking portion having a be-pushed portion to be pushed by the pushing portion on the one half of the connector, providing a second be-locked portion to be locked by the second locking portion on the other half of the connector, pushing the be-pushed portion during the turn of the lever by means of the pushing portion to turn the second locking portion in a direction of unlocking it from the unlocking with the second be-locked portion.
In the above structure, turning the lever toward a direction for jointing connectors (toward near-side), the other half of the connector together with the follower portion is pulled toward the one half of the connector and the pushing portion of the lever pushes the be-pushed portion of the second locking portion to turn the second locking portion in a direction of unlocking, and the second locking portion is positioned on the second locked portion without contacting or with contacting by a small contacting force, and the pushing portion goes out of the be-pushed portion accompanying with rotation of the lever and engages with the second be-locked portion simultaneously with complete jointing of the connectors, and the both connectors are locked and simultaneously the first locking portion engages with the first be-locked portion to lock the lever. Thus, locking of the lever and the male and female connectors can be done by means of turning only the lever. The second locking portion does not abut on the second be-locked portion so that jointing and locking connectors can be done smoothly by a small force.
Thereafter, for separating the connectors, turning the lever toward a direction for separating (far-side) while unlocking the first locking portion from the first be-locked portion, the pushing portion of the lever pushes the be-pushed portion of the second locking portion to turn the second locking portion for unlocking, and thereby, the second locking portion and the second be-locked portion of the other half of the connector is unlocked. Unlocking the first locking portion of the lever and turning lever, i. e. unlocking the both connectors can be done once by the same finger.
The lever-joint connector, as mentioned above, has an insert portion for inserting the pushing portion, adjacently to the be-pushed portion, on the second locking portion.
In the above structure, when jointing the connector, the pushing portion of the lever goes through the be-pushed portion of the second locking portion into the adjacent insert portion, and thereby, pushing by the pushing portion is released and the second locking portion returns to a direction of locking to engage with the second be-locked portion of the other half of the connector. When separating the connectors, the pushing portion of the lever goes out of the insert portion to push the be-pushed portion so that engagement of the second locking portion and the second be-locked portion is disengaged.
In the lever-joint connector, as mentioned above, the first locking portion is a flexible first locking arm mounted at a front end of the lever.
In the above structure, while deflecting the first locking arm toward far-side for unlocking, the lever can be turned toward far-side so that the jointed connectors can be separated easily.
In the lever-joint connector, as mentioned above, the second locking portion is a teeter type second locking arm, and the second locking arm is provided, at a front end thereof, with a locking portion corresponding to the second be-locked portion and at a rear end thereof, with the be-pushed portion, and the second locking arm is energized at a front thereof downward in a free condition.
In
Hatagishi Yuji
Sato Naotoshi
Feild Lynn
Le Thanh-Tam
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Lever-joint connector does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lever-joint connector, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lever-joint connector will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3012049