Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-23
2001-11-06
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312273
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever-type electrical connector in which matable connector parts containing electrical elements to be connected are drawn together towards their connected position by a rotatable lever. Such a connector has application for example in the connection of bundles of wires in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a lever-type connector for use in a junction box is disclosed in JP-A-11-26070. The construction of this lever-type connector is shown in present
FIGS. 9 and 10
. A lever
2
is supported by a female connector
1
via a shaft
4
. The lever
2
has a pair of lever walls
2
A which are connected by an actuator portion
3
which straddles the female connector
1
. A male connector
5
mounted directly on a junction box has a hood part
6
in which the lever
2
and the female connector
1
fit.
The lever
2
when mounted on the female connector
1
, has projections
7
at its front end at the lower side. The female connector
1
is then inserted into the hood part
6
. As shown in
FIG. 10A
, the projections
7
of the lever
2
engage in a cutout
8
formed on a wall of the hood part
6
. The actuator portion
3
is pressed by the user as shown by the arrow of
FIG. 10A
to pivot the lever
2
on the edge of the cutout
8
. As a result, as shown in
FIG. 10B
, only a relatively small force is needed to fit the female connector
1
deeply into the hood part
6
, the shaft
4
supporting the lever
2
and acting as the point of application of downwards force on the female connector
1
.
However, in this lever-type connector, before the lever
2
is pressed downwardly, there is a large gap between the hood part
6
and the actuator portion
3
, as shown in FIG.
10
A. Therefore, there is nothing to support the two sides (the sides along the lever walls
2
A) of the actuator portion
3
, and because the lever
2
is only loosely supported by the shaft
4
, when the lever
2
is pressed into the hood part
6
the lever
2
is liable to be deformed. Thus, pivoting movement of the lever
2
may not occur smoothly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to promote a smooth pivoting motion of the lever in a lever-type electrical connector.
According to the present invention, there is provided a lever-type connector comprising first and second matable connector parts and a lever. The first connector part has a front face, a rear face, two opposite ends and two opposite side walls extending between the ends. The lever is rotatably mounted on the first connector part and has an actuator portion at one end, which is operated by the user. The lever further has two spaced side members extending from the actuator portion alongside the side walls of the first connector part, and at least one engaging portion remote from the actuator portion.
The second connector part has a hood portion for housing the first connector part and the lever in the connected position. The hood portion has opposed side walls and at least one lever support.
When connecting the connector parts, the first connector part is received in the hood portion with its front face towards the second connector part. The engaging portion of the lever is engaged with the lever support, so that when the actuator portion is depressed from a starting position to a fully depressed position the lever pivots on the lever support whereby the first connector part is levered into the hood portion.
The actuator portion of the lever and the side walls of the hood portion are shaped so that, at least when the engaging portion is in contact with the lever support during the operation of the lever to lever the first connector part into the hood portion, the actuator portion is at least partially located between the side walls of the hood portion.
From the time at which the engaging portion or portions of the lever engage the lever support, the actuator portion of the lever is located between opposing side walls of the hood portion. Thus, when the actuator portion is depressed, the lever is guided by the side walls of the hood portion, and is encouraged to pivot smoothly as the first connector part mates with the second connector part.
Preferably the actuator portion of the lever comprises extension portions of its side members and a transverse member connecting these extension portions, the extension portions lying within the hood portion at the initiation of the lever action and lying beyond one said end of said first connector part in the connected position of the connector parts.
Preferably, the lever side members are rotatably mounted at respective mounting supports on the side walls of the first connector part, each mounting support being centrally located relative to a dimension of the first connector part side wall dimension which (a) is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first connector part as it is levered into the hood portion and (b) extends between the ends of the first connector part.
The mounting supports serve as the points of application of force for pressing the first connector part into engagement with the second connector part. However, the points of force application are centrally located, and thus the first connector part can be stably balanced as it is fitted into the hood part.
Preferably, the lever has a resiliently flexible cantilevered latching arm which flexes to latch to a corresponding locking element formed on said hood portion, thereby detachably securing the lever when the actuator portion reaches the fully depressed position, the lever having a stop member to prevent excessive flexure of the latching arm when detaching it from the locking element.
When the connector parts have are fully engaged, the latching arm is engaged to the locking element. However, when the latching arm is flexed to release it from the locking element, the lever is returnable to its original position. Thus, the connector parts can be separated from each other. The stop member prevents excessive deformation of the latching arm e.g. when the free end of the latching arm strikes against the stop member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6164992 (2000-12-01), Okabe
patent: 1-9632870 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 0-549371 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 0-722203 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 0-843386 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 0-883212 (1998-12-01), None
patent: 11-026070 (1999-01-01), None
patent: 11-26070 (1999-01-01), None
Hasegawa Teruaki
Kurimoto Naoya
Gilman Alexander
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Paumen Gary
Sumitomo Wiring Systems
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