Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-16
2001-01-16
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174179
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever engagement type connector in which the connector is engaged with a mating connector by rotating a lever attached to the connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 3
is a view showing a conventional lever engagement type connector. As shown in
FIG. 3
, this lever engagement type connector includes: a male connector
1
; a lever
2
pivotally attached to the male connector
1
; and a female connector
3
with which the male connector
1
is engaged.
The male connector
1
is provided with a plurality of terminal receiving chambers (not shown) in which terminals are received. The respective terminal receiving chambers are communicated with terminal insertion holes formed on the bottom wall. When the male connector
1
is inserted into the female connector
3
, mating terminals (not shown) of the female connector
3
are inserted into the terminal insertion holes. Due to the foregoing, the terminals in the terminal receiving chambers of the male connector
1
are contacted and communicated with the mating terminals of the female connector
3
.
At substantial centers of both side walls
6
of the male connector
1
, there are provided bosses
7
which protrude from the side walls
6
. When the lever
2
is supported by these bosses
7
, the lever
2
can be rotated about the bosses
7
.
The lever
2
includes: a pair of lever walls
12
which are arranged in the transverse direction; and an operating portion
13
for connecting the lever walls
12
. In each lever wall
12
of the lever
2
, there is formed a rotary hole
14
into which the boss
7
of the male connector
1
is inserted. When the bosses
7
of the male connector
1
are inserted into the rotary holes
14
in the lever walls
12
, the lever
2
is rotated about the bosses
7
along both side walls
6
of the male connector
1
.
At one end of each lever wall
12
, there is provided a protrusion
15
. On the other hand, the operating portion
13
is arranged at the other end of the lever wall
12
which is located on the opposite side to the end of the lever at which the protrusion
15
is formed. The protrusion
15
is engaged with an engaging hole
16
of the female connector
3
. When the operating portion
13
is pressed under the above condition, the lever
2
is rotated and the male connector
1
is engaged with the female connector
3
. In this case, the operating portion
13
functions as a point of force, the engaging point of the protrusion
15
with the engaging hole
16
functions as a fulcrum, and the boss
7
functions as a point of application.
There is provided a lock arm
18
at the end on the side of the operating portion
13
of the lever
2
. The lock arm
18
is provided with a lock protrusion
19
and arranged in the lever
2
in an elastic condition. When the lock protrusion
19
is engaged with the female connector
3
, the male connector
1
is prevented from being disengaged from the female connector
3
via the lever
2
.
The female connector
3
is provided with a hood
17
with which the male connector
1
is engaged. The above engaging hole
16
is formed in a side wall
17
a
on one side of the hood
17
. In a side wall
17
b
opposed to this side wall
17
a
in which the engaging hole
16
is formed, there is formed a lock hole
21
in which the lock arm
18
is engaged. In this connection, the mating terminals (not shown) are protruded from the bottom of the hood
17
.
In this lever engagement type connector, the lever
2
is incorporated into the male connector
1
, and the male connector
1
is inserted into the hood
17
of the female connector
3
. After that, when the operating portion
13
of the lever
2
is pressed, the lever
2
is rotated. In the process of rotation, the protrusion
15
is engaged with the engaging hole
16
of the hood
17
. Therefore, the protrusion
15
becomes a fulcrum of rotation. Therefore, the lever
2
and the male connector
1
are integrated into one body and engaged with the hood
17
. Due to the above engagement, the lock protrusion
19
of the lock arm
18
is engaged with the lock hole
21
of the hood
17
. Accordingly, the male connector
1
is stably held by the hood
17
of the female connector
3
under the condition that the male connector
1
is prevented from being disengaged from the hood
17
.
When the male connector
1
is picked up from the hood
17
of the female connector
3
, the lock arm
18
is bent by an operator's finger or the like, and the lever
2
is pulled up while the lock protrusion
19
is being disengaged from the lock hole
21
. When the lever
2
is pulled up in this way, the male connector
1
is simultaneously pulled up. Therefore, it is possible to pick up the male connector
1
from the hood
17
of the female connector
3
together with the lever
2
.
However, the following problems may be encountered in the above conventional lever engagement type connector. When the male connector
1
is disengaged from the female connector
3
, since the protrusion
15
is engaged with the engaging hole
16
, it is necessary to simultaneously rotate and pull up the lever
2
and the male connector
1
about the engagement position of the protrusion
15
with the engaging hole
16
under the condition that the lock arm
18
is pressed by the operator's finger. For the above reasons, it is necessary to press the lock arm
18
simultaneously when the lever
2
and the male connector
1
are rotated round the engaging hole
16
. Therefore, the operator's finger is given a heavy load when the male connector is detached from the female connector. Accordingly, the operator feels a pain in the work of disengaging the connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lever engagement type connector in which the operator's finger is not given a heavy load when the connector is connected or disconnected so that the operator feels no pain in the work of connecting or disconnecting.
In order to accomplish the above object, the invention provides a lever engagement type connector in which the connector is engaged with a mating connector by rotating a lever attached to the connector, wherein the mating connector includes an engagement fulcrum which is used as a fulcrum when the connector and the mating connector are engaged with each other, and also includes a disengagement fulcrum which is used as a fulcrum when the connector and the mating connector are disengaged from each other, the engagement fulcrum and the disengagement fulcrum being separated from each other, wherein the lever includes a protrusion which moves between the engagement fulcrum and the disengagement fulcrum and engages with the respective fulcrums, the protrusion being arranged on one side of the lever, wherein the lever also includes a lock arm which is engaged with the mating connector so that the engagement condition of the connector is held, the lock arm being arranged on the other side of the lever, and wherein an idle running space, in which the protrusion moves under the condition of disengagement when the lock arm is disengaged from the mating connector, is formed between the engagement fulcrum and the disengagement fulcrum.
In the present invention, when the connector is engaged with the mating connector, the protrusion of the lever is engaged with the engagement fulcrum, and when the connector is disengaged from the mating connector, the protrusion of the lever is engaged with the disengagement fulcrum. The engagement fulcrum and the disengagement fulcrum are separate from each other, and an idle running space in which the protrusion can be moved is formed between the two fulcrums. When the lock arm is disengaged from the mating connector, the protrusion is moved in the idle running space from the engagement fulcrum to the disengagement fulcrum. At this time, the protrusion is moved in the idle running space under the condition it is not engaged. At the point of time when the lock arm is disengage
Abrams Neil
Nasri Javaid
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
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