Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means with distinct movement-actuating means to...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-09
2001-02-06
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means with distinct movement-actuating means to...
C439S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183282
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever fitting type connector in which a male connector and a female connector are fitted to each other by operating a lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8
is a view showing a frame connecting type connector
1
disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 6-251826. This connector
1
includes: a female connector portion
3
provided in a junction box body
2
of an electrical junction box or the like; a male connector
5
which is inserted into and fitted to a hood portion
4
of the female connector portion
3
; and a frame
6
for inserting the male connector
5
into the female connector portion
3
so that the male connector
5
can be fitted to the female connector portion
3
. The frame
6
includes: a main body
7
in which the male connector
5
is pivotally arranged via a support shaft
5
a
; a turning leg portion
8
protruding from one side of the main body
7
; and an operating protrusion
9
protruding from the other side of the main body
7
. There is provided a sliding shaft
10
at a forward end portion of the turning leg portion
8
. This sliding shaft
10
is inserted into and engaged with a slide groove
12
of a frame support portion
11
provided in the periphery of the female connector portion
3
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the sliding shaft
10
is engaged with the slide groove
12
, and the operating protrusion
9
is pressed, so that the frame
6
is turned around the sliding shaft
10
in the direction of arrow “a”. Due to the foregoing, the male connector
5
can be inserted into and fitted to the female connector portion
3
. In order to disconnect the male connector
5
from the female connector portion
3
, the operating protrusion
9
is pressed in the opposite direction, so that the frame
6
can be turned in the direction opposite to that of arrow “a”. In this way, the male connector
5
can be disconnected from the hood portion
4
of the female connector portion
3
.
In this case, the sliding shaft
10
becomes a fulcrum, and the operating protrusion
9
becomes a point of force. Due to the foregoing, a supporting portion at which the male connector
5
is rotatably supported by the frame
6
becomes a point of action. Therefore, it is possible to fit the male connector
5
to the female connector portion
3
even when a low intensity of force is given. Accordingly, an intensity of force can be reduced when the male connector
5
is fitted to the female connector portion
3
.
In the above connector
1
, the main body
7
is rotatably supported by the male connector
5
via the support shaft
5
a
. Therefore, when the male connector
5
is first fitted to the female connector portion
3
, the frame
6
is rickety. Therefore, the frame
6
gets in the way of fitting operation. Accordingly, the efficiency of fitting work to fit the male connector to the female connector portion is deteriorated. Further, when the sliding shaft
10
of the frame
6
is inserted into the slide groove
12
, the male connector
5
becomes rickety, and the efficiency of fitting work is deteriorated.
In order to solve the above problems, it is conceivable to take the following countermeasure. A temporarily fixing protrusion is formed on the inner wall of the frame
6
, and a temporarily fixing hole is formed in the outer wall of the male connector
5
, into which the temporarily fixing protrusion is inserted for engagement. In this way, the frame
6
is temporarily fixed to the male connector
5
.
However, when the temporarily fixing protrusion is disconnected from the temporarily fixing hole, the inner wall of the frame is bent outward. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the frame
6
is disconnected from the support shaft
5
a
. In order to prevent the frame
6
from being disconnected from the support shaft
5
a
, it is conceivable that a cover for preventing the disconnection is arranged outside the frame. In this case, however, the size of the overall connector is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lever fitting type connector in which a lever can be temporarily fixed to a connector body while an increase in the size of the connector is suppressed, and the temporarily fixing condition of the lever to the connector body can be easily released, so that the working efficiency of fitting operation can be enhanced.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a lever fitting type connector comprising: a female connector portion including a hood portion integrated with a housing in which terminals are accommodated; a male connector portion including a connector body in which mating terminals to be connected with the terminals are accommodated, the connector body engaging with the hood portion so that the terminals are connected with the mating terminals; a lever for inserting the connector body into the hood portion so as to fit the connector body to the hood portion, the lever including a lever body composed of a lever wall rotatably supported by the connector body, a protruding portion provided on one side of the lever wall, the protruding portion engaging with the hood portion when the hood portion is fitted to the connector body, and an operating portion provided on the other side of the lever wall, the operating portion inserting the connector body into the hood portion so that the connector body is fitted to the hood portion when the lever wall is turned around a portion at which the protruding portion is engaged with the hood portion; a guide rib provided in the connector body; a guide groove provided in the guide rib, the protruding portion of the lever being inserted into and guided by the guide groove; a projection provided on an inner wall of the guide groove, the projection being engaged with the protruding portion of the lever so that the lever wall is temporarily fixed to a temporarily fixing position of the connector body; and an engagement release portion provided in the hood portion, the engagement release portion releasing an engagement condition of the protruding portion of the lever with the projection when the connector body is inserted into the hood portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4586771 (1986-05-01), Kraemer et al.
patent: 4981440 (1991-01-01), Werner et al.
patent: 5499926 (1996-03-01), Akeda
patent: 5681175 (1997-10-01), Busse et al.
patent: 5-182716 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 6-68933 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 6-251826 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 6-302353 (1994-10-01), None
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Vu Hien
Yazaki -Corporation
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