Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-02-06
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183278
ABSTRACT:
BACKGRUOND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lever structure of an electric connection box in which connectors can be easily connected together and disconnected (disengaged) from each other by pivotally moving a pivotally-movable member such as an operating lever, and this lever structure is suited for use particularly in various devices and equipments, requiring a considerable force for connecting and disconnecting operations, such as a multi-pole connector used in the wiring of an automobile. More specifically, this invention relates to an electric connection box, such as a junction box, in which a mating connector in a lower cover can be positively fitted into (that is, electrically connected to) a connector portion of a connection box body with a small operating force by a lever member.
2. Related art
Various electronic equipments are mounted on current automobiles, and an electric connection box
51
as a first conventional art shown in
FIGS. 1
to
5
, is often used for connecting such electronic equipments together and for connecting wire harnesses together.
Electric part-mounting portions
53
and a lever structure
54
are provided on an upper surface of an upper casing
52
of the electric connection box
51
, and connectors
55
are provided on that portion of an upper inner surface of the upper casing
52
disposed beneath the lever structure
54
. A connector
57
and a guide post
58
are provided within a lower casing
56
, and a pair of guide pins
59
are formed on opposite sides of the guide post
58
, respectively. For the simplicity of the illustration, only one of the guide pins
59
is shown in
FIG. 1
whereas the other guide pin
59
(not shown) is formed on that side of the guide post
58
facing away from the one guide pin
59
.
An upper cover
60
covers the upper and lower casings
52
and
56
.
The lever structure
54
serves to connect and disconnect the connectors
55
, provided on the upper casing
52
, relative to the connector
57
provided on the lower casing
56
.
The lever structure
54
comprises a lever member
61
(shown in FIG.
2
), and a lever support portion
71
formed on the upper surface of the upper casing
52
. The lever member
61
includes a flat plate-like operating portion
62
, retaining projections
62
A, formed respectively on opposite sides of the operating portion
62
, and a pair of cam side plates
63
extending respectively from the opposite sides of the operating portion
62
. The two cam side plates
63
are symmetrical, and therefore will be described using the same reference numerals. A guide groove
64
is formed in an outer side surface of the cam side plate
63
, and extends from an upper surface thereof (
FIG. 2
) toward the center thereof. A bottom surface of the guide groove
64
is formed into a slanting surface
64
A, slanting upwardly toward the center of the cam side plate
63
, and a bearing hole
65
is formed at a distal end of the guide groove
64
.
The bearing holes
65
serve to pivotally support the lever member
61
on the lever support portion
71
. A semi-circular guide groove
66
for guiding the guide pin
59
is formed around the bearing hole
65
. However, the radius of the guide groove
66
relative to the bearing hole
65
is not uniform, and the radius of the guide groove
66
, having the center disposed at the bearing hole
65
, is decreasing gradually from its starting end (radius R
1
) toward its terminal end (radius R
2
) as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
.
The guide groove
66
is formed through the cam side plate
63
throughout almost the entire length thereof. However, an introducing portion
66
A in the form of a groove (which is not an open-bottom groove but a closed-bottom groove of a channel-shaped cross-section) for introducing the guide pin
59
into the guide groove
66
is formed in the inner side surface of the cam side plate
63
. The introducing portion
66
A and the guide groove
66
communicate with each other as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
.
The lever support portion
71
includes a pair of screen-like support side plates
72
, formed on the upper surface of the upper casing
52
, support shafts
73
, formed respectively on inner side surfaces of the support side plates
72
, and retaining projections
74
formed at a left (hereinafter referred to as “front” for description purposes) end portion of the lever support portion
71
as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
.
The support shafts
73
are fitted respectively in the bearing holes
65
, formed respectively in the cam side plates
63
, to pivotally support the lever member
61
. The retaining projections
74
can be retainingly engaged respectively with the retaining projections
62
A, formed respectively on the opposite sides of the operating portion
62
, to fix the lever member
61
against movement.
For mounting the lever member
61
on the lever support portion
71
, the lever member is first disposed with the operating portion
62
directed upwardly as shown in phantom in FIG.
3
and then is inserted between the pair of support side plates
72
from the right (hereinafter referred to as “rear side” for description purposes) in
FIGS. 1
,
4
and
5
. Then, the guide grooves
64
, formed in the lever member
61
, are brought into registry with the support shafts
73
, formed respectively on the support side plates
72
, and the lever member
61
is forced into the space between the support side plates
72
while spreading out the support side plates
72
by the use of a special jig. As a result, each support shaft
73
slides over the associated slanting surface
64
A, and then is fitted into the associated bearing hole
65
. Thereafter, when the spreading operation by the special jig is canceled, the lever member
61
is pivotally borne or supported on the lever support portion
71
.
The support shafts
73
will not become disengaged respectively from the bearing holes
65
unless the support side plates
72
are spread out, and after the above fitting operation is effected, the lever member
61
can be smoothly pivotally moved.
Next, the connection of the connectors
55
, mounted on the upper casing
52
, to the connector
57
, mounted on the lower casing
56
, will be described.
The lever member
61
is pivotally mounted on the lever support portion
71
as described above, and when the operating portion
62
is brought down rearwardly, each introducing portion
66
A is positioned or located at a lower position as shown in FIG.
4
. In this condition, when the upper casing
52
is superposed on the lower casing
56
, the guide post
58
is inserted between the pair of cam side plates
63
, and at the same time each guide pin
59
is introduced into the starting end of the associated guide groove
66
(where the maximum radius R
1
is provided) through the associated introducing portion
66
A.
In this condition, when the operating portion
62
is held with the fingers, and is urged to be pivotally moved in a direction of arrow A, each guide pin
59
is pulled up in accordance with the decrease of the radius of the guide groove
66
, so that the connector
57
, which are integral with the guide pins
59
, is also pulled up.
When the operating portion
62
is pivotally moved to the front position as shown in
FIG. 5
, each guide pin
59
is engaged with the terminal end of the associated guide groove
66
. Since the radius is the maximum at this terminal end, the distance of pulling-up of the guide pins
59
and the connector
57
is the maximum, so that the connectors
55
are electrically connected to the connector
57
.
Then, the retaining projections
62
A, formed respectively on the opposite sides of the operating portion
62
, are slid respectively over the retaining projections
74
, formed respectively on the support side plates
72
, so that the lever member
61
is held against pivotal movement, and the connection between the connectors
55
and the connector
57
is fixed.
For canceling this connected condition (that is, for effecting a disconnecting operation), the operating porti
Chida Chiaki
Hirasawa Hitoshi
Nakamura Shinobu
Shigehisa Kouji
Suzuki Yasutaka
Duverne J. F.
Nguyen Khiem
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Lever structure of electric connection box 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 structure of electric connection box, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lever structure of electric connection box will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2584692