Lever connector housings and electrical connectors

Abstract

The present invention provides a lever-type connector cover and an electrical connector. The connector cover comprises a housing and a locking lever pivotally mounted on the housing. The locking lever is pivotally mounted on the housing and is capable of pivoting between a locked position and an unlocked position. When the locking lever is pivoted to the locked position, an engaging portion of the locking lever engages with a latch of the housing. The lever-type connector cover further comprises a positioning lock that is slidably mounted in the housing and is configured to move between a pre-locking position and a final locking position. In the pre-locking position, a space is formed between the latch and the positioning lock for the latch to flex. When the positioning lock enters the final locking position, the positioning lock prevents the latch from flexing. The present invention improves the connection reliability between the cover and the connector body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a lever-type connector. Background Art

[0002] There are many types of lever type connectors on the market today. Figure 1 The figure shows a common housing 1 for a lever-type connector. The housing 1 is provided with a U-shaped locking lever 2 mounted via a pivot axis. The locking lever 2 can be pivoted to a locked position, where it engages with a flexible locking catch 3 on the housing 1. The locking catch 3 has a recessed portion into which a portion of the locking lever 2 is snapped, thereby locking the housing 1.

[0003] Currently, vibration exists in some practical application environments, so users have increasingly higher requirements for the stability and shock resistance of connectors. For existing connectors of this type, it is particularly desirable to add a locking mechanism to prevent the locking lever from falling out of the locking recess due to anti-vibration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a lever-type connector cover, the connector cover having a shell and a locking lever pivotally mounted on the shell, the locking lever being pivotally arranged on the shell and being capable of pivoting between a locked position and an unlocked position, when the locking lever is pivoted to the locked position, the engaging portion of the locking lever engages with the lock catch of the shell, wherein the lever-type connector cover also includes a positioning lock, the positioning lock being slidably mounted in the shell, the positioning lock being configured to move between a pre-locking position and a final locking position, when in the pre-locking position, a space for the lock catch to flex is formed between the lock catch and the positioning lock, and when the positioning lock enters the final locking position, the positioning lock prevents the lock catch from flexing.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, the positioning lock has an elastic arm, which is mounted on the housing via a snap-fit ​​mechanism. The snap-fit ​​mechanism includes a matching protrusion and hole.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, the protrusion is formed on the free end of the elastic arm, and the hole portion includes a first hole portion and a second hole portion arranged on the shell. When the positioning lock is in the pre-locking position, the protrusion engages with the first hole portion; when the positioning lock is in the final locking position, the protrusion engages with the second hole portion.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, the protrusion includes a convex rib and a wing portion provided on the elastic arm, the convex rib protrudes relative to the outer surface of the elastic arm, and the wing portion protrudes relative to the convex rib, and the hole portion includes a first hole portion and a second hole portion provided on the shell; wherein when the positioning lock is in the pre-locking position, the first hole portion is configured to receive the convex rib and the wing portion, and when the positioning lock is in the final locking position, the second hole portion is configured to engage with the wing portion.

[0008] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the width of the wing portion is greater than the width of the rib.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, the locking lever is provided with an unlocking portion for unlocking the positioning lock from the pre-locking position, and when the locking lever pivots close to the locking position, the unlocking portion is adapted to engage the elastic arm to pivot the elastic arm toward the inside of the housing.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, the locking lever is U-shaped and has a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and a cross bar connected between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, and the engaging portion is located on the cross bar, wherein the unlocking portion includes convex ribs formed on the inner sides of the first arm portion and the second arm portion respectively.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the housing comprises a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to the first side wall, the first arm of the locking lever is pivotally connected to the first side wall, the second arm is pivotally connected to the second side wall, and the lock catch is cantilevered between the first side wall and the second side wall.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, when the positioning lock is in the pre-locking position, one end of the positioning lock protrudes from the housing and the other end is provided with a flange.

[0013] In addition, the present invention also provides an electrical connector, comprising a connector body and the lever-type connector cover as described above.

[0014] With the cover according to the present invention, a positioning lock is added to limit the position of the lock buckle, thereby significantly improving the reliability of the cover and the connector body. The cover is particularly suitable for use in situations where vibration exists.

[0015] During use of the cover according to the present invention, when the locking lever is pivoted to a specific position, the unlocking portion on the lever unlocks the positioning lock from the pre-locking position, thereby improving the convenience of operation without increasing the size of the product and saving the installation space of the connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] A more complete understanding of the subject matter of the present invention and its various advantages may be obtained by referring to the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 A perspective view of a lever-type connector cover in the prior art is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A perspective view of a lever-type connector cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 3A A side view of a lever-type connector cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the positioning lock is in a pre-locking position.

[0020] Figure 3B Another side view of the lever-type connector cover according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the positioning lock is in the pre-locking position.

[0021] Figure 4A A side view of a lever-type connector cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the positioning lock is in the final locking position.

[0022] Figure 4B A partial cross-sectional view of a lever-type connector cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the positioning lock is in the final locking position.

[0023] Reference Signs List

[0024] 10 Cover

[0025] 20 housing

[0026] 21 First side wall

[0027] 22 Second side wall

[0028] 23 Lock

[0029] 231 concavity

[0030] 25 First hole

[0031] 26 Second hole

[0032] 30 Locking lever

[0033] 31 First Arm

[0034] 32 Second arm

[0035] 33 horizontal bar

[0036] 35 Unlocking Department

[0037] 50 Positioning lock

[0038] 51 stopper

[0039] 52 elastic arm

[0040] 53 ribs

[0041] 55 Wing

[0042] 56 flange DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The present invention is further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. More details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can obviously be implemented in a variety of other ways different from the description herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations and deductions based on actual application situations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should not be limited by the content of this specific embodiment.

[0044] Figure 2 A perspective view of a lever-type connector cover 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. This cover 10 is adapted to be connected to an electrical connector body (not shown). It is particularly well-suited for use in environments such as vehicle interiors, where vibrations are present. The cover 10 according to the present invention effectively resists these vibrations, ensuring a secure connection. The mating structure of the cover 10 and the connector body is conventional and will not be further described here.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the connector cover 10 has a shell 20 and a locking lever 30 mounted on the shell 20. At least one side of the shell 20 is open to receive the main body of the electrical connector (not shown). The shell 20 has a first side wall 21 and a second side wall 22 opposite to and substantially parallel to the first side wall 21. The locking lever 30 is rotatably mounted on the shell 20 by a pivot mechanism, and the locking lever 30 is preferably substantially U-shaped. The U-shaped locking lever 30 has a first arm 31, a second arm 32 parallel to the first arm 31, and a crossbar 33 connected between the first arm 31 and the second arm 32. The first arm 31 of the locking lever 30 is pivotally connected to the first side wall 21 of the shell 20, while the second arm 32 is pivotally connected to the second side wall 22 of the shell 20. When in use, the locking lever 30 can be pivoted relative to the shell 20 as shown in FIG. Figure 4A The locked position shown and Figure 3A pivots between the unlocked positions shown.

[0046] The housing 20 of the cover 10 further includes a latch 23. In a preferred embodiment, the latch 23 is cantilevered and formed between the first sidewall 21 and the second sidewall 22 of the housing 20. The latch 23 has a fixed end, a free end, and a recess 231 between the fixed end and the free end. The latch 23 elastically flexes around the fixed end, and the recess 231 is configured to engage a portion of the locking lever 30. The fixed end of the latch 23 is connected to the first sidewall 21 and the second sidewall 22, and the free end of the latch 23 forms an inclined surface for guiding the locking lever 30. When the locking lever 30 pivots to the latch 23, the latch 23 deflects toward the interior of the housing 20 under the force applied by the lever 30, and the engaging portion on the crossbar 33 of the locking lever 30 engages with the recess 231 of the latch 23, thereby causing the locking lever 30 to enter its locked position.

[0047] The connector cover 10 according to the present invention particularly includes a positioning lock 50. The positioning lock 50 is slidably mounted in the housing 20 adjacent to the lock catch 23 of the housing 20, and the positioning lock 50 is movable between a pre-locking position and a final locking position.

[0048] like Figure 4B As shown, the positioning lock 50 is provided with a stop portion 51. When the positioning lock 50 is in the pre-locking position, the lock catch 23, especially the free end of the lock catch 23, is offset from the stop portion 51, thereby forming a space between the lock catch 23 and the positioning lock 50 to allow the lock catch 23 to be elastically flexed inward. Figure 4B In the final locking position shown, the stop portion 51 of the positioning lock 50 moves to a position aligned with the free end of the lock catch 23, thereby preventing the lock catch 23 from deflecting.

[0049] The positioning lock 50 is installed in the housing 20 through a snap-fit ​​mechanism. Preferably, the positioning lock 50 has a pair of elastic arms 52, such as Figure 2 As shown, each elastic arm 52 is respectively engaged with the side walls 21 and 22 of a housing 20. Specifically, the engaging mechanism includes a rib 53 provided on the elastic arm 52, as shown in FIG. Figure 3B As shown, the rib 53 protrudes relative to the outer surface of the elastic arm 52, thereby forming a step surface between the rib 53 and the outer surface of the elastic arm 52. The end of the rib 53 is provided with a wing 55, which further protrudes relative to the outer surface of the rib 53, forming another step surface between the rib 53 and the wing 55. In the direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the positioning lock 50, the width of the wing 55 is greater than the width of the rib 53. Figure 3A As can be seen in the figure, the wing portion 55 and the rib 53 form a substantially T-shaped component, which matches the first hole portion 25 provided in the side wall 21 of the housing 20.

[0050] from Figure 3AIt can be clearly seen that the side wall 21 of the housing 20 is provided with a first hole portion 25 and a second hole portion 26. The first hole portion 25 is substantially T-shaped. When the positioning lock 50 is in the pre-locking position, as shown in FIG. Figure 3B As shown, the wing portion 55 and the rib 53 are received in the first hole portion 25 and protrude from the first hole portion 25. The shape of the second hole portion 26 corresponds to the shape of a portion of the wing portion 55 protruding from the rib 53, as shown in FIG. Figure 4A As shown, when the positioning lock 50 moves into the final locking position, at least a portion of the wing portion 55 engages with the second hole portion 26, and the rib 53 is generally located inside the housing 20. It should be understood that the shape and size of the rib 53 and the wing portion 55 can be adapted to the size and shape of the connector cover 10.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning lock 50 and the engaging mechanism of the shell 20 are arranged in pairs, that is, the first side wall 21 and the second side wall 22 of the shell 20 are both provided with corresponding first holes 25 and second holes 26, and the positions are symmetrical.

[0052] As described above, when the rib 53 and wing 55 are received in the first hole 25, the positioning lock 50 is temporarily held in the pre-locked position. At this point, because the rib 53 and wing 55 protrude from the first hole 25, the positioning lock 50 cannot move to the final locked position. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to release the positioning lock 50 from the pre-locked position, the locking lever 30 is specifically provided with an unlocking portion 35. When the locking lever 30 pivots toward its locked position, the unlocking portion 35 engages the elastic arm 52, forcing the elastic arm 52 to pivot toward the interior of the housing 20.

[0053] Specifically, the unlocking portion 35 can be a rib provided on the lever 30, which protrudes from the inner side of the arm portions 31 and 32 of the lever 30. When the locking lever 30 pivots to the locked position, the rib will engage with the rib 53 of the elastic arm 52, so that the elastic arm 52 of the positioning lock 50 bends inward, and the rib 53 and the wing portion 55 disengage from the first hole portions 25 and 26 of the side walls 21 and 22 of the shell 20, thereby allowing the positioning lock 50 to be pushed into the final locking position as the lever 30 pivots.

[0054] from Figure 3B As can be seen in the figure, the ribs are symmetrically protruding from the inner sides of the two arms 31 and 32 of the locking lever 30. In order to facilitate the application of force to the elastic arm 52 of the positioning lock 50 through the ribs of the locking lever 30, preferably, the surface of the rib of the positioning lock 50 that engages with the rib of the locking lever 30 is rounded or chamfered.

[0055] In addition, when the positioning lock 50 is in the pre-locking position, one end of the positioning lock 50 protrudes from the housing 20 and is provided with a flange 56 , which is suitable for manipulating the positioning lock 50 , especially for pulling out the positioning lock 50 before removing the cover 10 .

[0056] In order to facilitate the removal of the positioning lock 50 from its final locking position, preferably, the step surface of the wing portion 55 protruding relative to the rib 53 and the inner peripheral surface of the second hole portion 26 are inclined at an angle to each other.

[0057] Hereinafter, the locking operation process of the lever type connector cover 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown, the locking lever 30 is in the unlocked position and the positioning lock 50 is in the pre-locked position. At this time, the rib 53 and the wing portion 55 of the positioning lock 50 are received in the first hole portion 25, and the position of the positioning lock 50 relative to the housing 20 remains fixed. In this state, the cover 10 is coupled to the matching connector body (not shown). The locking lever 30 is rotated to pivot toward the lock catch 23 on the housing 20. When the locking lever 30 is pivoted to a certain angle, the rib on the arm of the locking lever 30 contacts the rib 53 of the elastic arm 52 of the positioning lock 50 protruding from the first hole portion 25. Under the action of the force generated by the pivoting of the locking lever 30, the elastic arm 52 deflects toward the internal cavity of the shell 20. At this time, the positioning lock 50 is allowed to disengage from the pre-locking position. As the locking lever 30 enters its locking position, the positioning lock 50 enters its final locking position, and the wing 55 of the positioning lock 50 is received in the second hole portion 26. At this time, the engaging portion on the cross bar 33 of the locking lever 30 is engaged with the recess 231 of the lock buckle 23, and the stop portion 51 of the positioning lock 50 reaches below the free end of the lock buckle 23, that is, it reaches the state as shown in FIG. Figure 4B At this time, the positioning lock 50 reaches its final locking position, and preferably, the end of the stop portion 51 abuts against the bottom of the lock catch 23, so that the engaging portion of the locking lever 30 abuts against the stop surface of the lock catch 23, thereby achieving a reliable vibration-resistant connection of the electrical connector cover.

[0059] With the cover 10 according to the present invention, the positioning lock 50 is added to limit the position of the lock catch 23, thereby significantly improving the reliability of the cover 10 and the connector body. It is particularly suitable for use in situations where vibration exists.

[0060] During use of the cover 10 according to the present invention, when the locking lever 30 is pivoted to a specific position, the unlocking portion 35 on the lever unlocks the positioning lock 50 from the pre-locked position, thereby improving the convenience of operation without increasing the size of the product and saving the installation space of the connector.

[0061] Although the present invention is disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent variations, and modifications made to the above embodiments in accordance with the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lever-type connector cover, comprising a housing and a locking lever pivotally mounted on the housing, the locking lever being pivotally disposed on the housing and capable of pivoting between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein when the locking lever is pivoted to the locked position, an engaging portion of the locking lever engages a lock catch of the housing, It is characterized by: The lever-type connector cover further includes a positioning lock, which is slidably mounted in the housing and configured to move between a pre-locking position and a final locking position. When in the pre-locking position, a space is formed between the lock catch and the positioning lock for the lock catch to flex. When the positioning lock enters the final locking position, the positioning lock blocks the lock catch from flexing. The positioning lock has an elastic arm, and the elastic arm is mounted on the housing through a snap-fit ​​mechanism, and the snap-fit ​​mechanism includes a matching convex portion and a hole portion, the convex portion is formed on the free end of the elastic arm, and the hole portion includes a first hole portion and a second hole portion provided on the housing, The locking lever is provided with an unlocking portion for unlocking the positioning lock from the pre-locking position, and when the locking lever is pivoted close to the locking position, the unlocking portion is adapted to engage the elastic arm to pivot the elastic arm toward the inside of the housing. In the pre-locking position, the protrusion engages with the first hole portion, In the final locking position, at least a portion of the protrusion engages with the second hole portion.

2. The lever-type connector cover according to claim 1, wherein: The convex portion includes a convex rib and a wing portion provided on the elastic arm, the convex rib protrudes relative to the outer surface of the elastic arm, and the wing portion protrudes relative to the convex rib, and the hole portion includes a first hole portion and a second hole portion provided on the housing; wherein when the positioning lock is in the pre-locking position, the first hole portion receives both the rib and the wing portion; When the positioning lock is in the final locking position, the second hole portion engages the wing portion.

3. The lever-type connector cover according to claim 2, wherein: The width of the wing portion is greater than the width of the rib.

4. The lever-type connector cover according to claim 1, wherein: The locking lever is U-shaped and has a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and a cross bar connected between the first arm portion and the second arm portion. The engaging portion is located on the cross bar, wherein the unlocking portion includes convex ribs formed on the inner sides of the first arm portion and the second arm portion respectively.

5. The lever-type connector cover according to claim 4, wherein: The housing has a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to the first side wall. The first arm portion of the locking lever is pivotally connected to the first side wall, the second arm portion is pivotally connected to the second side wall, and the lock catch is formed in a cantilevered shape between the first side wall and the second side wall.

6. The lever-type connector cover according to claim 1, wherein: When the positioning lock is in the pre-locking position, one end of the positioning lock protrudes from the housing, and the one end is provided with a flange.

7. An electrical connector comprising a connector body and the lever-type connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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