Connector with lever and connector system comprising connector with lever

Abstract

To provide a connector with a lever, capable of being accurately engaged with a mating connector using a simple method.SOLUTION: There is provided a connector with a lever. In the connector with the lever, the lever is made to be pivotally rotatable toward a mating connector. Both of temporary locking to the mating connector and final locking to the mating connector to be performed after the temporary locking are enabled to be performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lever-equipped connector and a connector system including the lever-equipped connector. Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] A lever-equipped connector has been known for some time to be used to mate with a mating connector. For example, when a relatively large force is required to mate a female connector with a mating male connector, the lever can be pivotally attached to the female connector to allow the two to mate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-204494 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the inventors of the present application have newly discovered that there are some points that can be improved when the mating of a lever-equipped connector and a mating connector by pivot rotation of the lever is performed through the following steps.

[0005] Specifically, first, the two connectors are provisionally fitted together and provisionally positioned by provisionally engaging a protrusion on the mating connector with a groove on the lever connector at a predetermined location, and second, the lever is pivoted to insert the protruding shaft on the lever into the groove on the mating connector at a location different from the provisional engagement portion to effect full engagement, thereby completing the mating of the two connectors.

[0006] In this case, if the positional accuracy of the provisional mating at the predetermined locations of the two connectors is not high, specifically, if the positional accuracy of the provisional engagement at the predetermined locations between the protrusion on the mating connector and the groove on the lever connector is not high, the following technical problem may occur: Namely, the position of the protruding shaft on the lever may be misaligned at a location other than the provisional engagement portion, making it difficult to properly insert the protruding shaft into the groove on the mating connector. As a result, it may be difficult to properly engage the protruding shaft in the groove, which may prevent the two connectors from being properly mated using the lever.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. That is, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a lever-equipped connector that can be fitted to a mating connector with high accuracy using a simple method, and a connector system including the lever-equipped connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides: A connector with a lever, A connector with a lever is provided in which the lever is pivotable toward the mating connector and is capable of both provisionally locking to the mating connector and then fully locking to the mating connector after the provisional locking.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides: A connector system comprising a lever-equipped connector and a mating connector, A connector system is provided in which the lever is pivotable toward the mating connector and is capable of both provisionally locking to the mating connector and then fully locking to the mating connector after the provisional locking. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to use a lever to accurately mate a lever-equipped connector with a mating connector in a simple manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (in the process of being temporarily fitted to a mating connector). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an elevation view showing a schematic view of a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (in the process of being provisionally fitted to a mating connector). [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. 2, showing a schematic diagram of a connector system of the present disclosure including a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily fitted to a mating connector). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a top view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view schematically showing a lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view schematically showing a slit portion of a lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an elevation view schematically showing a lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view schematically showing a mating connector which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a top view schematically showing a mating connector that is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing a mating connector which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view schematically showing the mating connector, which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure, when viewed from an angle different from that of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure including a lever-equipped connector (before provisional mating with a mating connector). [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an elevation view showing a schematic diagram of a connector system of the present disclosure including a lever-equipped connector (before provisional mating with a mating connector). [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB' in FIG. 17, showing a schematic cross-sectional view of a connector system of the present disclosure including a lever-equipped connector (before provisional fitting to a mating connector). [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (when provisional mating with a mating connector is completed). [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an elevation view showing a schematic view of a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (when provisional mating with a mating connector is completed). [Figure 21] 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC' in FIG. 20, showing a schematic view of a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (when provisional fitting to a mating connector is completed). [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (when fully mated with a mating connector). [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is an elevation view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure including a lever-equipped connector (when fully mated with a mating connector). [Figure 24]24 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure including a lever-equipped connector (when fully mated with a mating connector) taken along line DD' in FIG. 23. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The lever-equipped connector and the connector system including the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The various elements in the drawings are merely shown schematically and as examples for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure, and the appearance and dimensional ratios may differ from those of the actual products.

[0013] Furthermore, in the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions are used as necessary. However, the use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meaning of these terms does not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, parts with the same reference numerals in multiple drawings refer to the same or equivalent parts.

[0014] [Overall configuration of the connector system] First, the overall configuration of a connector system including a lever-equipped connector according to the present disclosure will be described, followed by a description of the characteristic features of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily mated to a mating connector), Fig. 2 is an elevation view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily mated to a mating connector), Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily mated to a mating connector) taken along line A-A' in Fig. 2.

[0016] 1 to 3, a connector system 500 of the present disclosure includes a lever connector 300 and a mating connector 400. The lever connector 300 includes a lever 100 and a connector 200.

[0017] <Connector 200> Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 is a top view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a side view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, connector 200 includes outer housing 210, inner housing 220 that houses a plurality of contacts (for example, female contacts), front housing 230, retainer 240, and seal member 250. As shown in FIGS.

[0019] (inner housing 220) The inner housing 220 is formed by injection molding an insulating resin, and is provided with a plurality of contact accommodating cavities 221 that penetrate in the front-to-rear direction. Contacts are inserted into each contact accommodating cavity 221 in the longitudinal direction. A pair of latch portions for locking the outer housing 210 to the inner housing 220 may be provided, for example, on both ends of the inner housing 220.

[0020] (Outer housing 210) Outer housing 210 is made by injection molding an insulating resin, and is configured to accommodate most of inner housing 220 and front housing 230. Outer housing 210 is locked to inner housing 220 by a latch portion provided on inner housing 220.

[0021] This allows the seal member to be pressed against the inner housing 220 between the inner housing 220 and the outer housing 210. The outer housing 210 has a plurality of through holes 211 formed at positions corresponding to the contact accommodating cavities 221 and the through holes formed in the seal member. The electric wires connected to each contact are led out rearward through the through holes 211 in the outer housing 210.

[0022] Grooves 213 are formed on the inner side surface 212 of the outer housing 210, into which protrusions 440 provided on the outer side surface 450 of the mating connector 400 can be inserted. By inserting the protrusions 440 of the mating connector 400 along the grooves 213 of the outer housing 210, the mating connector 400 can be assembled inside the outer housing 210.

[0023] On the other hand, a shaft 215 is provided on an outer side surface 214 of the outer housing 210. This shaft 215 can be fitted into a through hole 140 formed in a side portion 110 of the lever 100, which will be described later.

[0024] (Front housing 230) The front housing 230 is formed by injection molding insulating resin, covers the front surface of the inner housing 220, and has multiple mating contact insertion holes 231 extending longitudinally, into which the contacts of the mating connector 400 are inserted.

[0025] (Retainer 240) The retainer 240 is formed by injection molding an insulating resin, and is configured to be inserted into the inner housing 220. Specifically, the retainer 30 is configured to be inserted into a retainer accommodating recess 222 formed in the inner housing 10. The retainer 30 has a plurality of contact insertion holes 241 formed to correspond to the contact accommodating cavities 221 of the inner housing 220.

[0026] The retainer 240 is temporarily held in the inner housing 220 at a temporary locking position where the contacts can be inserted into the contact accommodating cavities 221 through the contact insertion holes 241, and is fixed to the inner housing 220 at a full locking position where the retainer is further pushed in. In other words, the retainer 240 can position the contacts of the mating connector within the inner housing 400.

[0027] (Sealing member 250) The seal member 250 is made by injection molding an insulating resin and has a ring shape that can fit tightly against the outside of the inner housing 10. When the mating connector 400 and the lever-equipped connector 300 are mated with each other, the seal member 250 seals between the housing of the mating connector 400 and the inner housing 220, preventing water from entering the inside of the inner housing 220 through the mating portion.

[0028] <Lever 100) Fig. 8 is a side view schematically showing a lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is an enlarged side view schematically showing a slit portion of the lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 is a top view schematically showing the lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is an elevation view schematically showing the lever of the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure.

[0029] As shown in Figures 8, 10, and 11, the lever 100 is intended to assist the mating of the connector 200 and the mating connector 400. The lever 100 is formed by injection molding an insulating resin and has a first side portion 111 and a second side portion 112 that are spaced apart and opposed to each other via a connecting portion 160. In this specification, the two sides will be referred to as 110 unless otherwise specified. This side portion 110 has a through-hole 140 formed therein that can fit over the shaft portion of the outer housing 210 shown in Figure 7. This fit allows the lever 100 to be pivotally supported on the outer housing 210 of the connector 200 so as to be pivotable. That is, the lever 100 can be pivotally supported on the connector 200 so as to be pivotable.

[0030] The connector system 500 of the present disclosure may further include a wire cover (not shown) in addition to the lever-equipped connector 300 and the mating connector 400. The wire cover is formed by injection molding an insulating resin, and is capable of protecting a bundle of electric wires that are led rearward from the contacts housed in the contact-receiving cavities 221 of the inner housing 220 through the through-holes 211 of the outer housing 210.

[0031] <Mating connector 400> Fig. 12 is a side view schematically showing a mating connector which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 is a top view schematically showing a mating connector which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing a mating connector which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 is a perspective view schematically showing a mating connector which is a component of the connector system of the present disclosure when viewed from an angle different from that of Fig. 14.

[0032] 12 to 15, the mating connector 400 is formed by injection molding an insulating resin. In top view, the mating connector 400 has a circumferential shape surrounding the mating contacts 460 and includes a side portion 410 that forms an opening 470 that allows the mating contacts 400 to be exposed.

[0033] Furthermore, a protrusion 440 extending in the height direction is formed on the outer side surface 450 of the side portion 410 of the mating connector 400. This protrusion 440 can be inserted along a groove 213 formed in the inner side surface 212 of the outer housing 210. By such insertion, the mating connector 400 can be assembled inside the outer housing 210.

[0034] In addition, in the above, the insulating resin material used in the lever 100, each component of the connector 200, and the mating connector 400 may include at least one thermosetting resin material selected from the group consisting of, for example, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and unsaturated polyester resin.

[0035] [Characteristic parts of the present disclosure] The present inventors have newly discovered that if the position of the part where temporary mating is performed at a predetermined location between a lever-equipped connector and a mating connector is different from the position of the part where the two connectors are fully mated using the lever, unless the positional accuracy of the temporary mating is high, the position of the protruding shaft on the lever will be misaligned and the protruding shaft will not be able to be inserted into the groove of the mating connector, and as a result, the two connectors may not be able to be properly mated (fully mated) using the lever.

[0036] In order to improve on these issues, the inventors of the present application conducted extensive research and came up with the present disclosure having the following technical idea. Specifically, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is that "a lever 100 that can pivot toward the mating connector 400 enables both provisional engagement with the mating connector 400 and final engagement with the mating connector 400 that is performed after provisional engagement."

[0037] According to this technical concept, it is possible to precisely perform provisional locking of the lever 100 to the mating connector 400 and subsequent full locking of the lever 100 to the mating connector 400 by a simple method of only moving the pivot rotation of the lever 100. In other words, both provisional locking and full locking can be performed in stages by only moving the pivot rotation of the lever 100.

[0038] This is possible because there is a continuity between the temporary locking point where temporary locking is performed by the lever 100 and the final locking point where final locking is performed by the lever 100. In other words, the line connecting the temporary locking point and the final locking point is not discontinuous, and the final locking point is positioned on an extension line of the temporary locking point, so both the temporary locking and the final locking can be performed simply by moving the lever 100 around its pivot.

[0039] From the above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to use the lever 100 to accurately mate the lever-equipped connector 300 with the mating connector 400 in a simple manner. Therefore, it is possible to preferably avoid the problem that "the position of the protruding shaft of the lever is misaligned, making it impossible to insert the protruding shaft into the groove of the mating connector," which may occur when the position of the portion where temporary mating is performed at a predetermined location of the lever-equipped connector and the mating connector differs from the position of the portion where the two connectors are fully mated using the lever.

[0040] The definitions of terms used in this specification are explained below. First, a "connector with a lever" can also be called a lever-type connector, and refers to a connector in which a lever is connected so as to be able to pivot. In this specification, a "mating connector" refers to the other connector with which one lever-equipped connector can be mated, and refers to a connector that becomes a male connector when one lever-equipped connector is a female connector, or vice versa. In this specification, a "lever" refers to a force-boosting mechanism that provides the force required to mate one connector with the other mating connector.

[0041] As used herein, "pivot rotation" refers to rotation around a specific pivot point, which is equivalent to a pivoting movement. As used herein, "provisional locking" refers to a temporary locking that allows for a specific movement thereafter. As used herein, "provisional locking point" refers to the part, position, or area where the temporary locking is performed. As used herein, "full locking" refers to locking that realizes the mating of connectors. As used herein, "full locking point" refers to the part, position, or area where the full locking is performed. As used herein, "the temporary locking point and the full locking point are continuous" refers to a line connecting the temporary locking point and the full locking point being continuous, and does not refer to a state in which the temporary locking point and the full locking point themselves are continuous and touch each other.

[0042] Furthermore, the term "protruding shaft" as used herein refers to a shaft-like member configured to protrude from a predetermined surface (for example, the side of a lever or the side of a mating connector) and to be movable within a groove. The term "groove" as used herein refers to a long, narrow recess that is open on one side and closed on the other. The term "protruding shaft movement start side" as used herein refers to the side (or region) where the movement of the protruding shaft in the groove starts, and refers to one side of the groove extending in the longitudinal direction. The term "protruding shaft movement end side" as used herein refers to the side (or region) where the movement of the protruding shaft in the groove ends, and refers to the other side of the groove extending in the longitudinal direction. The term "cross-sectional contour of the protruding shaft" as used herein refers to the contour of the protruding shaft in a cross-sectional view. The term "elastic member" as used herein refers to a member that is flexible and has the property of returning to its original shape.

[0043] (Aspects of realizing the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure) Specific embodiments for realizing the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure will be described below.

[0044] In one embodiment, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure can be realized when the above-mentioned lever 100 has a first protruding shaft 151 and a second protruding shaft 152 on the inner side surface 113 of the side portion 110 thereof (see FIGS. 10 and 11, etc.), and the above-mentioned mating connector 400 has a groove portion 430 that allows movement of the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 (see FIGS. 12, 14, and 15). In this specification, the reference numeral 150 is used when there is no particular need to distinguish between the two protruding shafts.

[0045] In this case, the present disclosure provides that the groove 430 has a protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 and a protruding shaft portion movement end portion side 432, and the former protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 is located at the temporary locking point P 1, and the latter protruding shaft movement end portion side 432 becomes the main locking point P2.

[0046] According to this feature, since the groove 430 has a recessed shape, it is possible to control the movement path R of the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 that moves within the groove 430. Specifically, it is possible to control the movement path R of the protruding shaft 150 from the protruding shaft movement start portion side 431 of the groove 430 to the protruding shaft movement end portion side 432 so as to follow the shape of the groove 430.

[0047] This allows the protruding shaft 150 to continuously move along the shape of the groove 430 from the protruding shaft movement start side 431 of the groove 430, which is the temporary locking point P1, to the protruding shaft movement end side 432, which is the full locking point P2. This allows the protruding shaft 150 to continuously transition from a temporary locking state to a full locking state. Because the protruding shaft 150 is a component of the lever 100, the continuous movement of the protruding shaft 150 corresponds to the pivotal movement of the lever 100. Therefore, as described above, both the temporary locking of the lever 100 to the mating connector 400 and the subsequent full locking of the lever 100 to the mating connector 400 can be achieved simply by pivotal movement of the lever 100.

[0048] In the above description, the lever 100 has a protruding shaft portion 150, and the mating connector 400 has a groove portion 430 that allows the protruding shaft portion 150 to move, but this is not limited to this.

[0049] Specifically, a configuration may be adopted in which the mating connector 400 has a protruding shaft portion, and the lever 100 has a groove portion that allows movement of the protruding shaft portion of the mating connector 400. That is, in the present disclosure, one of the lever 100 and the mating connector 400 can have a protruding shaft portion, and the other of the lever 100 and the mating connector 400 can have a groove portion that allows movement of the protruding shaft portion.

[0050] In the following description, it is assumed that the lever 100 has a protruding shaft portion 150 and the mating connector 400 has a groove portion 430 that allows the protruding shaft portion 150 to move.

[0051] (Method of achieving temporary locking of protruding shaft portion) A method for temporarily locking the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 to the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430 will be described below.

[0052] In one embodiment, it is preferable that the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 is an elastic member, and that the diameter dimension W1 of the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 is relatively larger than the width dimension W2 of the protruding shaft portion movement start portion 431 of the groove portion 430 (see Figures 10 and 12).

[0053] As an example of providing the protruding shaft portion 150 with an elastic function, a slit portion 120 may be formed in the vicinity of the location of the protruding shaft portion 150 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). The formation of such a slit portion 120 enables the protruding shaft portion 150 to function as an elastic member. From the viewpoint of ensuring the strength required to achieve the temporary locking, the slit portion 120 is preferably provided partially along the cross-sectional contour of the protruding shaft portion 150. For example, the slit portion 120 is preferably provided along the lower semicircular arc of the cross-sectional contour of the protruding shaft portion 150.

[0054] Furthermore, the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 is an elastic member, and the diameter W1 of this elastic protruding shaft 150 is relatively larger than the width W2 of the protruding shaft movement start portion 431 of the groove portion 430. Therefore, when the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 enters the protruding shaft movement start portion 431 of the groove portion 430 due to the pivot rotation of the lever 100, the protruding shaft 150 is temporarily bent due to its elasticity, and is able to be positioned at the protruding shaft movement start portion 431, which has a smaller diameter than the protruding shaft 150. Thereafter, the protruding shaft 150 tries to return to its original shape due to its elasticity, thereby realizing a state in which the protruding shaft 150 and the portion 420 (corresponding to a local region of the side portion 410) that forms the protruding shaft movement start portion side 431 are in contact with each other. This makes it possible to provisionally lock the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 to the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430. That is, as described above, the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430 can serve as the provisional locking point P1.

[0055] In addition, from the viewpoint of suitably realizing a temporary bending state of the protruding shaft portion 150, it is preferable that the width dimension of the groove portion 430 is smallest at the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431, and that the width dimension of the portion other than this portion side 431 is larger than the width dimension at the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 so that the protruding shaft portion 150 can slide.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above description, it is assumed that the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 has an elastic function, but this is not limiting, and at least one of the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 and the portion 420 (corresponding to a local region of the side portion 410) that forms the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430 can be an elastic member. Specifically, the object that has an elastic function can be the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100, the portion 420 (corresponding to a local region of the side portion 410) that forms the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430, or both of these.

[0057] Use of the connector system of the present disclosure The manner of use of the connector system 500 of the present disclosure will now be described.

[0058] Step 1: Pre-fitting of lever-equipped connector 300 to mating connector 400 Fig. 16 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (before provisional mating with a mating connector), Fig. 17 is an elevation view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (before provisional mating with a mating connector), and Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (before provisional mating with a mating connector) taken along line B-B' in Fig. 17.

[0059] In step 1, first, the mating connector 400, which has been positioned at a predetermined location, begins to be inserted into the lever-equipped connector 300. Specifically, the protrusion 440 formed on the outer side surface 450 of the mating connector 400 begins to be inserted along the groove 213 formed on the inner side surface 212 of the outer housing 210. By continuing this insertion, the mating connector 400 can be assembled inside the outer housing 210, and finally, the insertion into the lever-equipped connector 300 at a predetermined location is completed.

[0060] 18, in the present disclosure, when the insertion is completed, the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100, which is a component of the lever connector 300, can be positioned slightly above the protruding shaft movement start portion 431 of the groove portion 430. Specifically, the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 can be positioned so as not to come into contact with the portion 420 that forms the protruding shaft movement start portion side 431. Furthermore, when the insertion is completed, the lever 100 is in the state before pivot rotation.

[0061] From the above, in this step 1, the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 is in a state before being provisionally locked to the protruding shaft movement start portion side 431 of the mating connector 400. As a result, in this step 1, the lever connector 300 may be in a state before being provisionally mated with the mating connector 400, as shown in Figures 16 and 17 .

[0062] Step 2: Intermediate stage of provisional mating of lever-equipped connector 300 to mating connector 400 Fig. 1 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily mated to a mating connector), Fig. 2 is an elevation view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily mated to a mating connector), Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (in the middle of being temporarily mated to a mating connector) taken along line A-A' in Fig. 2.

[0063] In step 2, the lever 100 starts pivoting from the state before pivoting in step 1. With this start of rotation, the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 moves toward the protruding shaft portion movement start portion 431 of the groove portion 430 of the mating connector 400. Here, as described above, the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 is an elastic member, and the diameter dimension W1 of the elastic protruding shaft portion 150 is relatively larger than the width dimension W2 of the protruding shaft portion movement start portion 431 of the groove portion 430.

[0064] 3, the protruding shaft 150 is temporarily bent due to its elasticity, and can be positioned at the protruding shaft movement start portion 431, which has a smaller diameter than the protruding shaft 150. In step 2, the protruding shaft 150 is temporarily bent due to its elasticity, and therefore the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 is in the middle of provisional engagement with the protruding shaft movement start portion side 431 of the mating connector 400. That is, in step 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lever-equipped connector 300 is in the middle of provisional engagement with the mating connector 400.

[0065] Step 3: Completion of temporary mating of the lever-equipped connector 300 to the mating connector 400 Fig. 19 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (at the time of completion of provisional mating to the mating connector). Fig. 20 is an elevation view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (at the time of completion of provisional mating to the mating connector). Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure equipped with a lever-equipped connector (at the time of completion of provisional mating to the mating connector) taken along line C-C' in Fig. 20.

[0066] In step 3, the lever 100 is further pivoted from the pivot start state of step 2. This rotation causes the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 to return to its original shape due to its elasticity, as shown in FIG. 21 , resulting in a state in which the protruding shaft portion 150 and the portion 420 (corresponding to a localized region of the side portion 410) forming the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 abut against each other. This allows the protruding shaft portion 150 of the lever 100 to be suitably provisionally locked to the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430. That is, as described above, the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side 431 of the groove portion 430 can serve as the provisional locking point P1. As a result, in step 3, provisional mating of the lever-equipped connector 300 with the mating connector 400 can be completed, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 .

[0067] Step 4: Final mating of the lever-equipped connector 300 to the mating connector 400 Fig. 22 is a side view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (when fully mated to the mating connector), Fig. 23 is an elevation view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (when fully mated to the mating connector), Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a connector system of the present disclosure having a lever-equipped connector (when fully mated to the mating connector) taken along line D-D' in Fig. 23.

[0068] In step 4, the lever 100 is further pivotally rotated from the pivotal rotation state of step 3. This rotation causes the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 to slide along the shape of the groove 430 toward the protruding shaft movement end portion side 432, as shown in FIG. 24 . When the sliding of the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 toward the protruding shaft movement end portion side 432 is then completed, the protruding shaft 150 of the lever 100 is properly locked at the protruding shaft movement end portion side 432 of the groove 430. That is, as described above, the protruding shaft movement end portion side 432 of the groove 430 can be the locking point P2. As a result, in step 4, the lever-equipped connector 300 can be fully mated with the mating connector 400, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 .

[0069] From the above, according to the usage mode of the connector system 500 of the present disclosure, it is possible to precisely perform provisional locking of the lever 100 to the mating connector 400 and subsequent full locking of the lever 100 to the mating connector 400 by a simple method of only moving the pivot rotation of the lever 100. In other words, both provisional locking and full locking can be performed in stages by only moving the pivot rotation of the lever 100.

[0070] The present disclosure has been described above, but it has merely shown typical examples within the scope of application of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0071] The lever-equipped connector and the connector system including the lever-equipped connector of the present disclosure can be suitably used in electronic substrates that require electrical connection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 500 Connector System 400 Mating Connector 410 Side of mating connector 420 Part forming the side of the protruding shaft movement start part of the groove 430 Groove 431 Groove protruding shaft movement start part side 432 Groove protruding shaft movement end part side 440 Protrusions on the outer side of the mating connector 450 Outer side of mating connector 460 Counterparty Contact 470 Opening P1 Provisional locking point (corresponding to the protruding shaft movement start side of the groove) P2 Main locking point (corresponding to the end of the protruding shaft movement of the groove) R The movement path of the protruding shaft moving within the groove 300 Levered Connector 200 Connectors 210 outer housing 211 Outer housing through hole 212 Inner side of outer housing 213 Groove of outer housing 214 Outer side of outer housing 215 A shaft portion provided on the outer side surface of the outer housing 210 220 inner housing 221 Contact receiving cavity 230 front housing 231 Mating contact insertion hole in front housing 240 Retainer 250 sealing material 100 levers 110 Side of lever 111 first side of lever 112 Second side of lever 113 Inner surface of the side of the lever 120 Slit part 140 Through hole formed on the side of the lever 150 Lever protruding shaft 151 first protruding shaft 152 Second protruding shaft 160 Connection section

Claims

1. A connector with a lever, the lever is pivotable to mate the connector toward a mating connector; The pivot rotation allows both the provisional engagement with the mating connector and the final engagement with the mating connector that is performed after the provisional engagement. one of the lever and the mating connector has a protruding shaft portion, and the other of the lever and the mating connector has a groove portion in which the protruding shaft portion is movable, A connector with a lever, wherein at least one of the protruding shaft portion and the portion forming the groove portion on the side where the protruding shaft portion starts moving is an elastic member, and the diameter dimension of the protruding shaft portion is relatively larger than at least the width dimension of the groove portion at which the protruding shaft portion starts moving.

2. 2. The lever connector according to claim 1, wherein both the provisional locking and the full locking can be performed in stages simply by moving the lever in the pivotal direction.

3. 3. The lever-equipped connector according to claim 1, wherein a temporary locking point where the lever temporarily locks the connector and a full locking point where the lever fully lock the connector are continuous with each other.

4. A connector with a lever as described in claim 3, wherein the provisional locking point is the side of the groove where the protruding shaft portion starts to move, and the actual locking point is the side of the groove where the protruding shaft portion stops to move.

5. 5. A lever-equipped connector as described in claim 4, wherein the movement path of the protruding shaft from the protruding shaft movement start portion side of the groove to the protruding shaft movement end portion side of the groove is controlled in accordance with the shape of the groove.

6. A connector with a lever as described in claim 1, wherein, before the connector is provisionally locked to the mating connector, the protruding shaft portion is positioned in a position where it does not abut against the part of the groove portion that forms the starting point of movement of the protruding shaft portion.

7. a slit portion is formed in the vicinity of the location where the protruding shaft portion is disposed, 2. The lever-equipped connector according to claim 1, wherein the protruding shaft portion can function as the elastic member by forming the slit portion.

8. The connector with a lever according to claim 7 , wherein the slit portion is provided partially along a cross-sectional contour of the protruding shaft portion.

9. A connector system comprising a lever-equipped connector and a mating connector, the lever is pivotable to mate the connector toward a mating connector; The pivot rotation allows both the provisional engagement with the mating connector and the final engagement with the mating connector that is performed after the provisional engagement. one of the lever and the mating connector has a protruding shaft portion, and the other of the lever and the mating connector has a groove portion in which the protruding shaft portion is movable, At least one of the protruding shaft portion and the portion forming the protruding shaft portion movement start portion side of the groove portion is an elastic member, and the diameter dimension of the protruding shaft portion is relatively larger than at least the width dimension of the protruding shaft portion movement start portion of the groove portion.

10. A connector system as described in Claim 9, wherein the side of the groove where the protruding shaft portion starts to move is a temporary locking point for the lever, and the side of the groove where the protruding shaft portion stops to move is a final locking point for the lever.

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