Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-02-06
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183277
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lever fitting-type connector in which a connector is fitted into a mating connector by pivotally moving a lever mounted on the connector.
2. Related Art
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Hei. 6-275337 discloses one known conventional lever fitting-type connector. As shown in
FIG. 7
, this lever fitting-type connector comprises a female connector
1
, a fitting-disconnecting lever
2
pivotally mounted on the female connector
1
by pivot shafts
6
, and a male connector
3
for fitting into the female connector
1
.
Driven pins
4
are formed on opposite side surfaces of the male connector
3
, respectively. Pin guide notches
5
for respectively receiving the driven pins
4
are formed in opposite side walls of the female connector
1
. Drive cam grooves
7
are formed in the lever
2
, and a side plate
2
a
extends across an open end portion of each of the drive cam grooves
7
, that is, extends from one side edge of the drive cam groove
7
to the other side edge thereof, and a lower end portion
2
b
of the side plate
2
is held against the other side edge of the drive cam groove
7
. In this construction, when the driven pins
4
on the male connector
3
are fitted into the lever
2
while expanding it, the lower end portion
2
b
of each side plate
2
a
is disengaged from the edge of the associated drive cam groove
7
, so that the lever
2
can be pivotally moved. In accordance with the pivotal movement of the lever
2
, the male connector
3
is connected to the female connector
1
.
In the above conventional lever fitting-type connector, however, the thickness of the whole of the lever
2
, including the side plates
2
a
, need to be increased in order to prevent the lower end portion
2
b
of each side plate
2
a
from being disengaged from the edge of the associated drive cam groove
7
, and another requirement, contradictory to the above requirement, is that the side plates
2
a
of the lever
2
can be easily flexed (elastically deformed) in order to reduce an inserting force required for inserting the male connector
3
, and the conventional lever fitting-type connector could not satisfied the two requirements.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a lever fitting-type connector in which an initially-fitted condition of a lever can be maintained without increasing the thickness of the lever, and besides the lever can be easily pivotally moved.
The above object has been achieved by a lever fitting-type connector of the present invention wherein a lever is pivotally supported on a connector at a portion thereof intermediate opposite ends of the lever, and by pressing an operating portion, formed at one end portion of the lever, with this pivotally-supporting portion used as an application point, the lever is pivotally moved, thereby fitting the connector into a mating connector; provided in that the lever has provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions which have resiliency, and are held in abutting engagement with the connector in an initial condition; and the mating connector has cancellation portions for canceling the abutting engagement of the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions with the connector in accordance with the fitting of the connector.
In the present invention, in the initial condition before the connector is fitted into the mating connector, the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions are abutted against the connector, and therefore the pivotal movement of the lever in the operating direction is prevented. Therefore, in this initial condition, when the connector is to be fitted into the mating connector, the connector and the lever can be inserted in proper postures into the mating connector. And besides, the abutting engagement of the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions is canceled by the cancellation portions of the mating connector as the connector is fitted into the mating connector, and therefore the lever can be pivotally moved in the operating direction midway through the fitting operation, and therefore the lever can be properly pivotally moved, so that the positive fitting operation can be carried out. The provisionally-retaining abutment piece portion has resiliency, and therefore the whole of the lever does not need to be flexed, and it is not necessary to increase the rigidity of the lever and the wall thickness thereof.
In the lever fitting-type connector of the present invention, the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions are formed integrally with the lever, and are disposed beneath the operating portion, and each of the cancellation portions comprises a cancellation plate formed integrally on an inner surface of the mating connector.
In this invention, in addition to the effects, the cancellation plates, formed on the inner surface of the mating connector, cancel the abutting engagement of the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions with the connector, and therefore in accordance with the fitting of the connector into the mating connector, the lever is automatically brought into a condition in which the lever can be operated.
In the lever fitting-type connector of the invention, the connector has provisionally-retaining blocks for abutting engagement with the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions, respectively.
Therefore, in the present invention, in addition to the effects, the provisionally-retaining blocks, formed on the connector, need only to abut respectively against the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions, and therefore a large space is not required, and the connector is prevented from being formed into a large size.
In the lever fitting-type connector of the invention, recesses for respectively receiving the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions are formed in the inner surface of the mating connector.
In the present invention, when the abutting engagement of the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions is canceled by the cancellation portions, the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions are received respectively in the recesses, and therefore the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions will not prevent the pivotal movement of the lever.
In the lever fitting-type connector of the present invention, each of the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portions has a tapering surface which is brought into sliding contact with the associated cancellation plate in accordance with the fitting of the connector.
In the present invention, the cancellation plate is brought into sliding contact with the tapering surface of the provisionally-retaining abutment piece portion, and this enables the provisionally-retaining piece portion to be smoothly disengaged from the abutment portion of the connector. Therefore, the shaking of the connector is prevented during the connector-fitting operation, and the lever can be operated smoothly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5957710 (1999-09-01), Nagano
patent: 6019620 (2000-02-01), Kodama et al.
patent: 6-275337 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 10-247551 (1998-09-01), None
Okabe Toshiaki
Yamashita Tetsuya
Bradley Paula
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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