ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BODY OF LEVER TYPE AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A first electrical connector body (12) that can be released by means of a lever for forming electrical connections with a second electrical connector body (14), wherein the first electrical connector body (12) comprises: a housing (21), a set of electrical connectors as plugs or sockets (16) and a lever (20); wherein the housing (21) has opposite front and rear ends (32, 34) and opposite top and bottom surfaces (28, 30), wherein the housing (21) comprises an upper wall (36) and an opening (40), both of which are arranged at the top (28) of the housing (21), the opening (40) being adjacent to the front end (32) of the housing (21), wherein a pair of side walls (38a, 38b) extend from the respective sides of the upper wall (36) to the bottom (30) of the housing (21), wherein the upper wall (36) and the pair of side walls (38a, 38b) define an interior volume of the housing (21), wherein the set of electrical connectors (16) is located in the interior volume of the housing (21); wherein the lever (20) extends along a lever axis and has axially opposite ends (48, 50), wherein the lever (20) has a lever handle (54) at one end and a pair of spaced-apart, generally flat plates (62, 64) at the other end, wherein each lever plate (62, 64) has an outer circumferential surface (68); wherein the lever (20) is rotatably mounted in the housing (21), the lever (20) is rotatable about a pivot axis between angularly spaced retracted and extended positions of the lever (20), wherein the lever plates (62, 64) are spaced apart in the direction of the pivot axis; wherein the set of electrical connectors (16) is arranged between the lever plates (62, 64) and is accessible from the underside (30) of the housing (21); wherein, when the lever (20) is in the retracted position, the lever handle (54) is located in the housing (21) next to the front end (32) of the housing (21) and is accessible from the housing opening (40), and wherein the lever plates (62, 64) are located next to the rear end of the housing (21) and are close to the respective side walls (38a, 38b) of the housing (21); wherein, when the lever (20) moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the lever plates (62, 64) first move away from the top (28) of the housing (21) and towards the bottom (30) of the housing (21), and the lever handle (54) first moves towards the top (28) of the housing (21) and away from the bottom (30) of the housing (21); and wherein, when the lever (20) moves from the retracted to the extended position, at least part of the lever handle (54) passes through the housing opening (40) and moves outside the housing (21), and at least part of the circumferential surfaces (68) of the lever plates (62, 64) has moved away from the upper wall.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The invention generally relates to electrical connector arrangements in which a first electrical connector body, which accommodates a set of plugs or sockets, engages with a second electrical connector body, which accommodates a corresponding set of the other of plugs or sockets, in order to establish electrical connections between the sets of electrical connectors. Background of the invention

[0002] Lever-type electrical connector assemblies in which electrical contacts are disconnected by moving a lever are known. See, for example, Marin et al. ES2558754 A1 and Stekelenburg US6095849 A. Lever-type electrical connector assemblies comprising a first electrical connector body, a second electrical connector body, and a lever mounted on the first electrical connector body are also known. See, for example, Shamato et al. in US Patent No. 8,251,761. The lever moves in a first direction while connecting the first and second electrical connector bodies, such that the lever engages the second electrical connector body and pulls the connector bodies together to electrically connect the sets of electrical connectors housed within the bodies. The lever moves in the opposite second direction to push the connector bodies apart to disconnect the electrical connector assemblies.

[0003] The lever is used both to press the connector bodies together when the sets of electrical connectors are connected and to press the connector bodies apart when the sets of electrical connectors are disconnected. Consequently, the lever design and its mounting on the first connector body are relatively complex. Grooves or slots in the lever guide the lever onto the first connector body. The second connector body may also require posts or pins that engage in slots in the lever to move the connector bodies toward or away from each other.

[0004] For many electrical connectors, however, manually connecting the first and second connector bodies is practical and sufficient. By pressing the connector bodies together by hand, the electrical connections between the connectors are successfully established. Pressing the first connector body against the second can be easily accomplished even in relatively confined application environments.

[0005] However, separating manually assembled connector bodies can be more difficult. Over time, the force required to disconnect the electrical connections can increase due to environmental factors or corrosion.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a simplified lever-type electrical connector body, where the lever is only used to push the connector bodies apart when disconnecting the electrical connectors.

[0007] Furthermore, many electrical installations include a number of similar electrical connector assemblies arranged close together on a DIN rail, in a cabinet, or similar enclosure. Due to the limited access caused by these close spacings, it is often difficult to manually disconnect the connector bodies for maintenance or replacement. Electrical connector assemblies used in confined or dense application environments may have a handle on the front of the connector body to facilitate manual separation. However, the force required for the initial separation can be significant, making separation difficult even with a handle. Therefore, there is a further need for a simplified, lever-type electrical connector assembly that facilitates the separation of closely spaced connector assemblies. Summary of the invention

[0008] A simplified, lever-type electrical connector arrangement is disclosed, which facilitates the separation of the connector arrangement even in restricted access. The disclosed electrical connector arrangement comprises a first electrical connector body for forming electrical connections with a second electrical connector body, which facilitates the separation of the first electrical connector body from the second electrical connector body-connector arrangement even when they are arranged closely together between similar electrical connector arrangements. The first electrical connector body comprises a housing, a set of electrical plugs and sockets, and a lever. The housing has opposing front and rear faces as well as opposing top and bottom faces, and the housing also has a top wall and an opening, both of which are arranged on the top of the housing.The opening is located next to the front of the enclosure, and a pair of side walls extend from the respective sides of the top wall to the bottom of the enclosure. The top wall and the pair of side walls define an internal volume of the enclosure. The set of electrical connectors is mounted within this internal volume.

[0009] The lever comprises axially opposite ends, with a lever handle at one end and a pair of spaced-apart, generally flat plates at the other end, each lever plate having an outer circumferential surface.

[0010] The lever is rotatably mounted in the housing; the lever can be rotated about a pivot axis between angularly spaced, retracted and extended positions of the lever; the lever plates are spaced apart in the direction of the pivot axis.

[0011] When the lever is in the retracted position, the lever handle is located inside the housing next to the front end of the housing and is accessible from the housing opening, the lever plates are located next to the rear end of the housing and are close to the respective side walls of the housing, and the set of connectors is located between the lever plates and is accessible from the bottom of the housing.

[0012] When the lever moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the lever plates first move away from the top of the housing and towards the bottom of the housing, and the lever handle first moves towards the top of the housing and away from the bottom of the housing.

[0013] When the lever moves from the retracted position to the extended position, at least part of the handle passes through the housing opening and moves outside the housing, and at least part of the circumferential surfaces of the lever plates has moved away from the upper wall.

[0014] When the first connector body engages with the second connector body and forms electrical connections, a rotation of the lever from the retracted position to the extended position causes the lever plates to engage with the second connector body and push the connector bodies away from each other.

[0015] The separation between the first and second connector bodies during lever rotation is a function of the cam profile on the outer surfaces of the levers that engage with the second connector body. In one embodiment, the sets of electrical connectors only partially disconnect when the lever reaches the extended position, so that friction between the connectors prevents the first connector body from falling off the second. A user can then hold and pull the lever handle along the lever axis to complete the mechanical separation of the electrical connectors.

[0016] The disclosed, lever-release first connector body offers several advantages. Since the lever is not used to pull the connector bodies closer together, the design is simplified, and the first connector body can be used even when positioned close to adjacent connector bodies. The first connector body can be designed to replace existing, non-lever-release first connector bodies or to allow for retrofitting, even in confined application environments such as inside an enclosure or close together along a DIN rail.

[0017] Other aims, features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the description, especially in conjunction with the drawings, which depict one or more embodiments. Brief summary of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a side view of an electrical connector arrangement according to this disclosure, the electrical connector arrangement being in a fully engaged state. Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1, however, with the electrical connector arrangement in an electrically separated but partially mechanically separated state. Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective top view of the first electrical connector body of the in Fig. 1 electrical connector arrangement shown, wherein the body lever is in the closed position. Fig. Figure 4 is a perspective view similar to the view in Fig. 3, but with the body lever in the open position. Fig. 5 and Fig. Figure 6 shows perspective views of the first electrical connector body from the underside, which are shown in Fig. 3 will be shown. Fig. Figures 7-10 are perspective, front, top, and end views of the building. Fig. 3 shown levers of the body. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the upper body shell of the in Fig. 3 connector bodies shown. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the lower body shell of the in Fig. 3 connector bodies shown. Fig. Figure 13 is a vertical section through the electrical connector arrangement in the electrically connected state, as shown in Fig. 1 shown. Fig. Figure 14 is a vertical section through the electrical connector arrangement in the electrically isolated state, as shown in Fig. 2 shown. Detailed description

[0018] The Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a first embodiment of an electrical connector arrangement 10, comprising a first electrical connector body 12 and a second electrical connector body 14. The first and second connector bodies 12, 14 are in Fig. 1 shown interlocking to form electrical connections between respective sets of electrical connectors 16, 18 (shown schematically in dashed lines) which are supported by the first and second connector bodies 12, 14.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the set of electrical connectors 16 is a terminal block having electrical terminals, and the set of electrical connectors 18 are corresponding pins configured to be accommodated in the terminal block. It is assumed that the illustrated sets of electrical connectors are not restrictive and that other compatible male and female sets of electrical connectors can be accommodated in the connector bodies (the terms "male" and "female" refer to compatible sets of electrical connectors that are to be engaged with one another to form electrical connections).

[0020] In this application, the second electrical connector bodies 14 are mounted in a cabinet at a small distance from each other and from the sides of the cabinet. The second connector bodies 14 can be manually attached to the corresponding first connector bodies 12. The first connector body 12 contains a release lever 20, which is used to disconnect the connector bodies 12 and 14 and to interrupt the electrical connections between the electrical sets of connectors 16 and 18, despite the restricted access.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows the connector bodies 12 and 14 when assembled to form electrical connections between the electrical sets of connectors 16 and 18. The sets of electrical connectors 16 and 18 are fully engaged both mechanically and electrically. The lever 20 is in its "closed" or retracted position and does not touch the second connector body 14.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 shows how the lever 20 is moved into an "open" or extended position, whereby the lever 20 engages the second connector body 14 and the connector bodies 12, 14 are moved apart by the separation distance D. In the illustrated embodiment, the sets of electrical connectors 16, 18 are connected when the first and second electrical connector bodies 12, 14 are moved apart as shown in Figure 2. Fig. The two connectors shown in Figure 2 are separated, electrically completely disconnected, but partially mechanically engaged. The electrical connections no longer form any electrical links between them. The friction generated by the partial mechanical engagement of the electrical connectors counteracts the first connector body from falling off the second connector body when they are mounted vertically in the housing, but allows for complete mechanical separation with minimal force by gently pulling the lever handle.

[0023] The Fig. Figures 3-6 illustrate the first electrical connector body 12. Fig. 3, Fig. 5 and Fig. Figure 6 shows the housing with the release lever 20 in the closed position. Fig. Figure 4 shows the connector body 12 with the release lever in the open position.

[0024] The first electrical connector body has a housing 21 formed from three components: an upper housing body 22 that secures the lever 20, a lower housing body 24 that extends from the upper housing body 22 and is pressed against the second connector body 14 when the connector bodies 12 and 14 are connected, and an electrical connector housing 26 that carries the set of electrical connectors 16. The electrical connector housing 26 extends beyond the lower housing body 24 and is received within the second electrical connector housing to form the electrical connections.

[0025] The housing 21 comprises a top surface 28 on the top surface of the upper housing body 22 and a corresponding bottom surface 30, which is located on the bottom surface of the lower housing body 24, a front end 32 and a corresponding rear end 34. The front and rear ends 32 and 34, respectively, of the housing are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis of the connector body 12.

[0026] The upper housing body 22 comprises an upper wall 36 on the top of the housing 21, extending from the rear end of the body 34 partially to the front end of the body 32. A pair of flat, planar side walls 38a, 38b extend from the upper wall 36 downwards to the lower side 30. The side walls 38a, 38b are formed by interacting side walls of the upper housing 22 and the lower housing 24. The side walls 38a, 38b are generally flat and extend axially from the rear end 34 of the housing, beyond the upper wall 36, to the front end 32 of the body. This leaves an opening 40, defined by the curved side 41 on the top of the upper housing 22. The opening 40 extends from the upper wall 36 to the front end 32 of the body.

[0027] A front end wall 42, formed from the end walls of the upper housing body 22 and the lower housing body 24, is located at the front end of the housing 21. A rear end wall 44 is located at the rear end of the upper housing 22. The upper housing body 22 defines an internal volume of the housing 21 above the electrical connectors 16, which accommodates the wires W of a cable bundle C through an opening (not shown) in the rear end wall, with the wires terminating at the electrical connectors 16. See Fig. 13. A cable holder 46, which rests on an axial extension of the lower housing body 24, guides the cable into the housing 21.

[0028] Spacing bars 47 extend downwards from the underside of the lower housing body 24 and assist in aligning and engaging the first connector body 12 with the second connector body 14 to form the electrical connector arrangement 10.

[0029] The Fig. Figures 7-10 illustrate the release lever 20. The lever extends along a lever axis between the opposite ends 48 and 50 and includes an intermediate body 52 that connects a lever handle 54 at the lever end 48 and a cam assembly 56 at the lever end 50. A pair of coaxial cylindrical pins 58 extends perpendicular to the lever axis and defines a pivot axis of the lever perpendicular to the lever axis.

[0030] The illustrated lever handle 54 is generally designed as a “T”-shaped handle. The circular end parts of the crossbar are cut off to expose a recessed, inwardly facing surface 60, which allows a user to grip the lever with their fingers from the sides of the handle.

[0031] The cam assembly 56 comprises a pair of substantially planar cam plates 62, 64 extending parallel to the lever axis from the body 52. ​​The pins 58 are each attached to and pass through a cam plate 62, 64. The cam plates 62, 64 are parallel to each other and define a generally uniformly wide space 66 between the plates. The body 52 and the cam plates 62, 64 together define a U-shaped element that encloses the space 66, which is open at the lever end 50.

[0032] Each cam plate 62, 64 has a curved outer circumferential surface 68, which is radially spaced from the pivot axis and extends circumferentially around the pivot axis. The circumferential surfaces 68 shown extend approximately 90 degrees around the pivot axis. The shape of the circumferential surfaces 68 is chosen such that the separation rate of the connecting bodies can be controlled and varied by rotating the lever. At the upper end of each cam plate is a flat stop surface 70, which extends inwards from the lever end 50.

[0033] Fig. Figure 11 illustrates the interior of the upper housing body 22, which is mirror-symmetrical on both sides of a median plane extending through the center of the housing body. A pair of side walls 71a, 71b, forming parts of the side walls 38a, 38b, each extend from the upper wall 36. Slots 72 are provided in the side walls, extending to the coaxial tenon openings 74. A parallel inner wall 76 is spaced from each side wall and extends away from the upper wall 36. An open slot 78 with a semicircularly closed end 79, formed in each inner wall, is opposite the adjacent wall slot 72 and the tenon opening 74. Elongated arms 80 connect the upper housing 22 to the lower housing 24 to form the housing 21.

[0034] The release lever 20 is mounted in the upper housing body 22. The lever pins 58 are received in the slots 78 and the pin openings 74. The slot ends 79 and the wall surrounding the pin openings 74 interact to define pin bearings that rotatably support the pins in the upper housing body 22. In some embodiments, the pin bearings can form interference fits with the pins 58 when supporting the pins.

[0035] The lever cam plates 62, 64 are located between the respective pairs of side walls 71 and inner walls 76 and extend from the lever body 52 to the rear end 81 of the housing body 22. The cam surfaces 70 face the upper side wall 28 and abut the upper wall to define the closed position of the lever. The lever handle 54 is located between the openings 40 when the lever is in the closed position.

[0036] Fig. Figure 12 illustrates the interior of the lower housing body 24, which supports the electrical connector housing 26. The housing body 24 comprises a pair of side walls 82a, 82b, each forming part of the side walls 38a, 38b. A generally flat lower wall, or base 84, extends between the side walls and has an opening that receives and supports the electrical connector housing 26. An elongated through-slot 86 is formed in the base adjacent to and parallel with each side wall. Each through-slot is designed to receive a corresponding cam lever 62, 64 within the slot. The housing extension 90 supports the cable carrier 46, as shown in Fig. 6 is the easiest to recognize.

[0037] Fig. Figure 13 shows the connector assembly 10 in its fully engaged state, with the lever 20 in the closed position. The lower side 30 of the lower connector housing 24 is connected to the upper wall 92 of the second electrical connector housing. The wires W of the cable bundle C are received in the upper housing body in the gap 66 between the lever cam plates 62, 64. The wires do not interfere with the rotation of the lever 20. The lever cam plates 62, 64 are fully enclosed in the first electrical connector body 12. The cam plates are located close to the second electrical connector housing but do not protrude beyond the underside 30 of the first electrical connector housing.

[0038] The rotation of lever 20 clockwise, as shown in Fig. Figure 13 shows how to move the lever from its closed position to the open position, as shown in Fig. Figure 14 illustrates this. Due to the recesses 40 and the exposed gripping surfaces 60, a user can grasp the sides of the handle 54 to rotate the handle into the open position, even when the connector assembly 10 is used in a close-spaced application. If additional torque is required to rotate the lever, the lever handle 54 includes an opening 94 (see Figure 14). Fig. 7 and Fig. 9), which points towards the top 28 of the connector body and can accommodate a screwdriver or similar tool to assist in turning the lever.

[0039] The open position of the lever 20 is determined by the lever handle 54 or the lever body 52 abutting the upper wall 36 of the first housing of the electrical connector body. The handle 54 is located outside the electrical connector body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the lever 20 rotates approximately 90 degrees between the closed and open positions. As the lever rotates, the lever cam plates 62, 64 increasingly project beyond the underside 30 of the lower body housing 24 and engage with and press against the wall 92 of the second connector body 14.

[0040] The lever cam plates 62, 64 act as rotary cams that engage in the wall 92 and thus push the second electrical connector housing and the first electrical connector housing apart. The cam profiles 68 are not concentric with the lever's axis of rotation, but eccentric, to allow parts of the cam profile that are progressively further away from the axis of rotation to protrude from the electrical connector housing as the lever moves from the retracted position to the open position.

[0041] The cam plates rotate around the lever axis of rotation, which is defined by the pins 58 and is perpendicular to the drawing sheet, as shown in Fig. Figure 14 shows that the cam plates rotate in a plane parallel to the separation direction of the connector bodies 12, 14. The outer circumferential surfaces 68 of the cam plates 62, 64 each have essentially point contact with the wall 92, the point contact moving along each circumferential surface 68 with an angular displacement of the lever 20 between open and closed positions.

[0042] The cam profiles, defined by the outer circumferential surfaces 68 of the cam plate, determine the relative displacement or spacing of the second electrical connector body 14 with respect to the first electrical connector body 12. The separation distance between the two connector bodies 12, 14 is a function of the rotational position or angle of the lever 20 with respect to the pivot axis of the lever.

[0043] The lever cam plate profiles 68 can be designed according to requirements. For a non-limiting example, the cam profile could generate a relatively slow separation of the connector bodies during the initial rotation of the lever to initiate the separation of the electrical connector pairs and overcome the static friction between the interlocking electrical connector pairs 16, 18. After the initial rotation, the cam profiles are designed to accelerate the separation during subsequent rotations of the lever. Another non-limiting cam profile design could provide a constant separation rate when the lever is rotated at a constant angular velocity.

[0044] As described above, the release lever 20 and its cam plates 62, 64 are configured such that the sets of electrical connectors 16, 18 are fully electrically disconnected, while the sets of connector bodies 12, 14 are only partially mechanically disconnected when used to separate the electrical connector assembly 10. In the open position, the lever 20 is essentially parallel to the disconnection direction, allowing the user to hold the lever handle 54 parallel to the disconnection direction and apply a slight force to the lever handle 54 to complete the mechanical disconnection of the connector assembly 10.

[0045] To connect the electrical connector assembly 10 and to form mechanical and electrical connections between the first electrical connector body 12 and the second electrical connector body 14, the first electrical connector body 12 is placed over the second electrical connector body 14 and aligned with it. The first electrical connector body is then manually pressed against the second electrical connector body. The upper wall 36 and the handle 54 of the first electrical connector body can be used to forcefully press the connector bodies together until they are fully engaged, as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 13 shown.

[0046] In other possible embodiments of the disclosed electrical connector arrangement, the second connector housing includes bearing surfaces within the housing that face the cam plates and engage with the cam plates 62, 64 during rotation of the lever from the closed to the open position. The cam plates can project into the housing to engage the bearing surfaces.

[0047] Although one or more embodiments have been disclosed and described in detail, it is assumed that these can be modified and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the precisely specified details, but also includes changes that are obvious to a person skilled in the art in light of this disclosure, including (but not limited to) changes in material selection, size, operating ranges (temperature, volume, displacement, stroke length, concentration and the like), operating environment and also such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

[1] A lever-release first electrical connector body (12) for forming electrical connections with a second electrical connector body (14), the first electrical connector body (12) comprising: a housing (21), a set of electrical connectors as plugs or sockets (16) and a lever (20); wherein the housing (21) has opposite front and rear ends (32, 34) and opposite top and bottom surfaces (28, 30), the housing (21) comprising a top wall (36) and an opening (40), both located on the top surface (28) of the housing (21), the opening (40) adjacent the front end (32) of the housing (21), a pair of side walls (38a, 38b) extending from respective sides of the top wall (36) to the bottom surface (30) of the housing (21), the top wall (36) and the pair of side walls (38a, 38b) defining an interior volume of the housing (21), the set of electrical connectors (16) being mounted within the interior volume of the housing (21); wherein the lever (20) extends along a lever axis and has axially opposite ends (48, 50), the lever (20) having a lever handle (54) at one end and a pair of spaced-apart, generally planar plates (62, 64) at the other end, each lever plate (62, 64) having an outer peripheral surface (68); wherein the lever (20) is rotatably mounted in the housing (21), the lever (20) being rotatable about a pivot axis between angularly spaced retracted and extended positions of the lever (20), the lever plates (62, 64) being spaced in the direction of the pivot axis; wherein the set of electrical connectors (16) is arranged between the lever plates (62, 64) and is accessible from the underside (30) of the housing (21); wherein, when the lever (20) is in the retracted position, the lever handle (54) is located in the housing (21) adjacent the front end (32) of the housing (21) and is accessible from the housing opening (40), and wherein the lever plates (62, 64) are located adjacent the rear end of the housing (21) and are closely spaced from the respective side walls (38a, 38b) of the housing (21); wherein, when the lever (20) moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the lever plates (62, 64) first move away from the top (28) of the housing (21) and move towards the bottom (30) of the housing (21) and the lever handle (54) first moves towards the top (28) of the housing (21) and moves away from the bottom (30) of the housing (21); and wherein, when the lever (20) moves from the retracted to the extended position, at least a portion of the lever handle (54) passes through the housing opening (40) and moves outside the housing (21), and at least a portion of the peripheral surfaces (68) of the lever plates (62, 64) have moved away from the top wall. [2] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the peripheral surfaces (68) of the lever plates (62, 64) extend outwardly beyond the bottom of the housing (21) when the lever (20) is in the extended position. [3] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein the lever (20) abuts the top wall (36) during movement from the retracted position to the extended position to define the extended position of the lever (20) and resist further rotation of the lever (20) from the retracted position. [4] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein the housing (21) includes a floor (84) disposed adjacent the bottom (30) of the housing (21), the floor including a pair of slots (86) that receive the lever plates (62, 64). [5] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, comprising an electrical connector housing (26) supporting the set of electrical connectors (16), the electrical connector housing (26) extending outwardly beyond the bottom surface (30) of the housing (21). [6] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein when the lever (20) moves from the extended position to the retracted position, one or both of the lever plates (62, 64) engage the top wall (36) to define the retracted position of the lever (20) and resist further rotation of the lever (20) from the extended position. [7] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein the lever plates (62, 64) form part of a U-shaped member that is open toward the rear end of the housing (21) when the lever (20) is in the retracted position. [8] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein each side wall (38a, 38b) includes a cutout (40) adjacent the lever handle (54) when the lever (20) is in the retracted position. [9] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein the lever (20) rotates approximately 90 degrees between retracted and extended positions. [10] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein the housing (21) includes a pair of journal bearings (74, 79) and the lever (20) includes a pair of journals (58) received in the journal bearings (74, 79) and supported on said journal bearings (74, 79). [11] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 10, wherein the lever pins (58) and the pin bearings (74, 79) are sized to together define an interference fit that assists in retaining the pins (58) in the pin bearings (74, 79). [12] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 10, wherein the lever pins (58) are received in holes (74) in the side walls (71a, 71b). [13] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the peripheral surfaces of the lever plates (62, 64) are not concentric with the axis of rotation. [14] The first electrical connector body (12) of claim 1 in combination with a second electrical connector body (14), wherein the second electrical connector body (14) comprises a housing that receives a set (18) of the other of the receptacles or the plugs; wherein the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) are engageable with each other when the lever (20) is in the retracted position and form electrical connections between the electrical connector assemblies (10) when so engaged; wherein, when the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) are engaged with each other and the lever (20) is rotated from the retracted position to the extended position, the lever plates (62, 64) press against the second electrical connector body (14) and exert a force on the second electrical connector body (14) that forces the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) apart. [15] A combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) according to claim 14, wherein: the set of plugs (16, 18) has an insertion depth into the set of sockets (18, 16) when the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) are engaged with each other; and wherein the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) are spaced apart from each other by a distance less than the insertion depth after the lever (20) has been rotated from the retracted position to the extended position to move the engaged connector bodies (12, 14) apart and thereby partially, but not completely, separate the engaged first and second connector bodies (12, 14). [16] The combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) of claim 15, wherein the sets of plugs and receptacles (16, 18) move along a separation direction during separation of the first and second connector bodies (12, 14); and the lever axis is substantially parallel to the separation direction when the lever axis is in the extended position. [17] A combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) according to claim 16, wherein the lever (20) in the extended position is at least partially outside the housing (21) of the first electrical connector body (12). [18] The combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) of claim 14, wherein the lever plates (62, 64) are shaped to separate the first and second connector bodies (12, 14) at a non-constant rate with constant angular displacement of the lever (20) from the retracted position to the extended position. [19] A combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) according to claim 18, wherein the lever plates (62, 64) are shaped to accelerate the separation of the first and second connector bodies (12, 14) with constant angular displacement of the lever (20) from the retracted position to the extended position. [20] A combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) according to claim 14, wherein the lever plates (62, 64) engage the housing of the second electrical connector body (14) during rotation of the lever (20) from the retracted position to the extended position when the engaged first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) are separated. [21] The combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) of claim 14, wherein the lever plates (62, 64) extend into the housing of the second electrical connector body (14) and, upon separation of the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14), exert a force on a portion of the second electrical connector body (14) within the housing of the second electrical connector body (14). [22] The combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) of claim 14, wherein the second electrical connector body (14) has a top wall (92) and the lever plates (62, 64) exert a force on the top wall (92) of the second electrical connector body (14) when the first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) are separated. [23] A combination of first and second electrical connector bodies (12, 14) according to claim 22, wherein the set of electrical connectors (16) of the first electrical connector body (12) is a terminal block having electrical terminals, the electrical terminals being connected to a cable (C) extending through a cable access opening.

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