Connector, connector assembly, and vehicle

Abstract

A connector, a connector assembly, and a vehicle. The connector includes a first housing and a lever mechanism, the lever mechanism being rotatably connected to the first housing. The lever mechanism includes two side levers on both sides and a central locking lever connecting the two side levers, with locking protrusions provided on each of the two side levers. The first housing includes two side walls on both sides, with locking recesses provided on each of the two side walls corresponding to the locking protrusions, the locking protrusions being aligned with the locking recesses to hold the lever mechanism in a pre-locked position on the first housing. The first housing further includes a top wall, and when the lever mechanism is held in the locked position on the first housing, the locking protrusions abut against the top wall of the first housing to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This disclosure is based on Chinese Patent Application No. 202223564141.5, filed on December 30, 2022, and claims priority to the above-referenced Chinese patent application, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of wire harness connection technology, and more particularly to connectors, connector assemblies, and vehicles. [Background technology]

[0003] A lever (pull rod) connector assembly typically includes a first housing (female housing), a second housing (male housing), and a pull rod. The lever is pivotally connected to the housing by a pivot mechanism, and has a primary locking position (pre-locking position) and a secondary locking position (locking position) relative to the housing. When the female housing is assembled to the male housing, a cam follower located on the housing is attached to a cam member located on the lever, which pulls the lever from the primary locking position to the secondary locking position, thereby firmly connecting the female housing to the male housing.

[0004] When the lever connector is in the secondary locking position, the cantilevered hanging table of the housing is attached to the lever joint and locks in place. The position where the lever rotates forward is implemented by fitting the keyway of the lever and the key of the housing, but the fitting gap between the keyway and the key is widened along the lever. This causes the lever to rotate forward excessively, which prevents the insertion hole of the lever from accurately lining up with the insertion hole of the housing, making it difficult to insert a cable tie or metal wire. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the related art. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a connector, in which a lever mechanism can be accurately positioned to accurately align insertion holes and improve the locking retention force of the connector.

[0006] The present disclosure further provides a connector assembly and a vehicle.

[0007] A connector according to one embodiment of the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a first housing and a lever mechanism. The lever mechanism is rotatably coupled to the first housing. The lever mechanism includes two side levers on opposite sides and an intermediate locking lever connecting the two side levers, with locking protrusions disposed on each of the two side levers. The first housing includes two side walls on opposite sides. Locking recesses corresponding to the locking protrusions are provided on each of the two side walls. The locking protrusions are aligned with the locking recesses so that the lever mechanism remains in a pre-locked position on the first housing. The first housing further includes a top wall, and in response to the lever mechanism remaining in the locked position on the first housing, the locking protrusions abut against the top wall of the first housing to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism.

[0008] In a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a locking protrusion is disposed on each of the two side levers, and a locking recess corresponding to the locking protrusion is provided on each of the two side walls. The locking protrusion is aligned with the locking recess so that the lever mechanism remains in a pre-locked position on the first housing. In response to the lever mechanism remaining in the locked position on the first housing, the locking protrusion abuts against the top wall of the first housing to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism. The connector allows the lever mechanism to remain accurately in the locked position to accurately align the insertion holes and improve the locking retention force of the connector.

[0009] In some embodiments, a rotation axis is disposed on each of the two side walls, and the two side levers are provided with rotation bearing holes corresponding to the rotation axis, and the lever mechanism is rotatably connected to the first housing by engagement between the rotation bearing holes and the rotation axis.

[0010] In some embodiments, each of the side levers has a first arm and a second arm connected to each other, the first arm has a rotation bearing hole, the second arm extends in the axial direction of the first arm, and the second arm has a locking protrusion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the locking protrusion is cylindrical, conical, or cubic in shape.

[0012] In some embodiments, the locking protrusion has an arcuate transition surface and two side edges of the top wall have edge rounded surfaces, and in response to the lever mechanism remaining in the locked position of the first housing, the arcuate transition surfaces abut against the edge rounded surfaces to limit over-rotation of the lever mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the locking recess is a groove or protrusion receiving hole that is aligned with the locking protrusion so that the lever mechanism remains in a pre-locked position on the first housing.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first housing includes a first insertion hole and the lever mechanism includes a corresponding second insertion hole, and in the locked position, the locking protrusion abuts the top wall of the first housing such that the second insertion hole of the lever mechanism is aligned with the first insertion hole of the first housing to secure the connector through the fastening structure.

[0015] In some embodiments, the top wall of the first housing is further provided with a locking portion, and the intermediate locking lever abuts against the locking portion so that the lever mechanism remains in a locking position on the first housing.

[0016] In some embodiments, the locking portion is a boss that is disposed on the top wall of the first housing as a cantilever, the boss having a transition surface and an abutment surface, and the intermediate locking lever penetrates the transition surface to reach the abutment surface during rotation of the lever mechanism.

[0017] In some embodiments, the top wall of the first housing further comprises an arc transition section, the arc transition section being located axially rearward of the top wall.

[0018] A connector assembly according to one embodiment of the second aspect of the present disclosure includes a first housing, a second housing, and a lever mechanism. The lever mechanism is rotatably coupled to the first housing. The lever mechanism includes two side levers on opposite sides and an intermediate locking lever connecting the two side levers, with locking protrusions disposed on each of the two side levers. The first housing includes two side walls on opposite sides. Locking recesses corresponding to the locking protrusions are provided on each of the two side walls. The locking protrusions are aligned with the locking recesses so that the lever mechanism remains in a pre-locked position on the first housing. The first housing further includes a top wall, and in response to coupling the first housing to the second housing, the locking protrusion abuts against the top wall of the first housing so that the lever mechanism remains in the locked position on the first housing and limits excessive rotation of the lever mechanism.

[0019] In a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a locking protrusion is disposed on each of the two side levers, and a locking recess corresponding to the locking protrusion is provided on each of the two side walls. The locking protrusion is aligned with the locking recess so that the lever mechanism remains in a pre-locked position on the first housing. In response to the first housing being connected to the second housing, the locking protrusion abuts against the top wall of the first housing to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism. The connector allows the lever mechanism to remain accurately in the locked position to accurately align the insertion holes and improve the connector's locking retention force.

[0020] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the third aspect of the present disclosure includes the connector described above, which enhances the overall connection performance of the connector, thereby improving the vehicle's safety and environmental compatibility.

[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic partial structural view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic partial structural view of another portion of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a connector in another state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a connector from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the connector assembly shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023]

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which identical or similar elements, or elements having identical or similar functions, are represented by the same or similar reference numerals throughout the description. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to illustrate the present disclosure only and cannot be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0024] A connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a connector in one direction according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The connector includes a female housing and a male housing. When the female housing is assembled to the male housing, the female housing is locked to the male housing by a lever mechanism, resulting in assembly. For example, the first housing 1 in the embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to represent a female housing, but in other embodiments, the first housing 1 may alternatively represent a male housing. This is not limited in this embodiment.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the connector 100 includes a first housing 1 and a lever mechanism 2. The lever mechanism 2 is rotatably coupled to the first housing 1, and has a pre-lock position and a locked position relative to the first housing 1. The lever mechanism 2 includes two side levers 21 on both sides and an intermediate locking lever 22 connecting the two side levers 21, with locking protrusions 212 disposed on each of the two side levers 21. The first housing 1 includes two side walls 11 on both sides, and each of the two side walls 11 is provided with a locking recess 114 corresponding to the locking protrusions 212. The locking protrusions 212 are aligned with the locking recess 114 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the pre-lock position relative to the first housing 1. The first housing 1 further includes an upper wall 12, and in response to the lever mechanism 2 remaining in a locked position on the first housing 1, the locking protrusion 212 abuts against the upper wall 12 of the first housing 1 to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism 2.

[0027] Specifically, the locking recess 114 is provided in the first housing 1, and the locking protrusion 212 is disposed on the lever mechanism 2. Therefore, primary locking of the first housing 1 to the lever mechanism 2 can be implemented by alignment between the locking recess and the locking protrusion. In addition, during secondary locking of the first housing 1 to the lever mechanism 2, the locking protrusion 212 of the lever mechanism 2 may be configured to abut against edges of the top surface or two sides of the top surface of the first housing 1 to limit excessive forward rotation of the lever mechanism 2 and to ensure alignment of the insertion hole of the first housing 1 with the insertion hole of the lever mechanism 2 so that insertion of a cable tie or metal wire can be more easily completed. It may be found that "excessive rotation of the lever mechanism 2" in the present disclosure may be understood as excessive forward rotation of the lever mechanism 2 that displaces the alignment of the insertion hole of the first housing 1 with the insertion hole of the lever mechanism 2.

[0028] Therefore, in the connector 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a locking protrusion 212 is disposed on each of the two side levers 21, and a locking recess 114 corresponding to the locking protrusion 212 is provided on each of the two side walls 11. The locking protrusion 212 is aligned with the locking recess 114 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the pre-locked position of the first housing 1. In response to the lever mechanism 2 remaining in the locked position of the first housing 1, the locking protrusion 212 abuts against the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism 2. The connector 100 allows the lever mechanism 2 to remain accurately in the locked position to accurately align the insertion holes and improve the locking retention force of the connector 100.

[0029] In some embodiments, the two side levers 21 are provided with rotation bearing holes 215, and corresponding rotation shafts 112 are arranged on the two opposite side walls 11 of the first housing 1. The lever mechanism 2 is rotatably coupled to the first housing 1 by a fit between the rotation bearing holes 215 and the rotation shafts 112. The rotation shafts 112 are mounted in the rotation bearing holes 215 to form a rotation mechanism, so that the lever mechanism 2 can rotate relative to the first housing 1. Alternatively, the rotation shafts may be arranged on the side levers 21, and the rotation bearing holes are provided on the side walls 11 of the first housing 1 to form the rotation mechanism.

[0030] For example, the lever mechanism 2 is rotatably coupled to the first housing 1 by a rotation mechanism and is detachable therefrom. For example, one end of each of the two side levers 21 of the lever mechanism 2 is coupled by an intermediate locking lever 22, which extends beyond the outside of the first housing 1 and is configured to rotate outside the first housing 1 during locking of the connector 100. The two side levers 21 and the intermediate locking lever 22 are typically integrally formed.

[0031] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , each of the side levers 21 has a first arm 211 and a second arm 213 connected to each other. The rotation bearing hole 215 is provided in the first arm 211. The second arm 213 extends in the axial direction of the first arm 211, and the locking protrusion 212 is disposed on the second arm 213. When the lever mechanism 2 is in the pre-lock position, one end of the first arm 211 extends forward and downward and is attached to the corresponding rotation shaft 112, and the intermediate locking lever 22 is connected to one side of each corresponding second arm 213. The first arm 211 and the second arm 213 of each side lever 21 extend linearly. In some embodiments, the first arm 211 and the second arm 213 may alternatively be disposed at a certain angle. For example, the first arm 211 and the second arm 213 may form an obtuse angle.

[0032] In some embodiments, each side lever 21 has a first arm 211. As shown in FIG. 3, one end of the first arm 211 has a toothed configuration 216 on its outer surface, forming an interlocking tooth shape. In other embodiments, the end may alternatively have a groove shape. The rotation bearing hole 215 of the side lever 21 is provided in the first arm 211. At least one side lever 21 has a second arm 213, which extends in the axial direction of the first arm 211. The locking protrusion 212 is provided in the second arm 213. The side wall 11 of the first housing 1 has a locking recess 114 that corresponds to the locking protrusion 212 of the second arm 213. The locking protrusion 212 is aligned with the locking recess 114 to form a pre-locking mechanism. When the locking protrusion 212 is positioned in the locking recess 114, the lever mechanism 2 is in a pre-locking position relative to the first housing 1 and has a certain holding force, so that the lever mechanism 2 is prevented from being separated from the pre-locking position by slight collisions during packaging, transportation, and assembly.

[0033] In some embodiments, the locking protrusion 212 may be configured as a protruding structure of any shape. For example, the locking protrusion 212 may be cylindrical, conical, or cubic, as long as the locking protrusion 212 can mate with the locking recess 114 to implement the locking function. This is not limited in this embodiment.

[0034] In some embodiments, the locking recess 114 may be a groove or protrusion receiving hole, and the locking recess 114 is aligned with the locking protrusion 212 based on the groove or protrusion receiving hole so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the pre-locked position of the first housing 1.

[0035] Furthermore, the locking protrusion 212 has an arcuate transition surface, and two side edges of the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 have radiused edge surfaces. In response to the lever mechanism 2 remaining in the locked position of the first housing 1, the arcuate transition surface of the locking protrusion 212 abuts against the radiused edge surfaces to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism 2.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first housing 1 is provided with a first insertion hole 13, and the lever mechanism 2 is provided with a corresponding second insertion hole 214. In response to the lever mechanism 2 remaining in the locked position on the first housing 1, the locking protrusion 212 abuts the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 such that the second insertion hole 214 of the lever mechanism 2 is aligned with the first insertion hole 13 of the first housing 1, so as to increase the secondary locking retention force between the lever mechanism 2 and the first housing 1 by fastening the connector 100 through the fastening structure.

[0037] Specifically, when the first housing 1 is aligned with the mating second housing 5 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), the toothed structure 216 disposed on the lever mechanism 2 is aligned with the toothed structure of the mating second housing 5. The lever mechanism 2 is rotated such that the toothed structure 216 drives the first housing 1 to be inserted into the mating second housing 5. When the lever mechanism 2 is rotated to the locking position (as shown in FIG. 7), the first housing 1 is fully inserted into the mating second housing 5 in place, and secondary locking of the lever mechanism 2 is implemented. The arcuate transition surface of the locking protrusion 212 of the lever mechanism 2 abuts against the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 or the edge radius surfaces of the two sides of the top wall 12. This limits excessive forward movement of the lever mechanism 2 and ensures that the second insertion hole 214 of the lever mechanism 2 is essentially aligned with the first insertion hole 1 of the first housing 1 so that a cable tie or metal wire can be inserted for fastening to strengthen the secondary locking retention force between the lever mechanism 2 and the first housing 1.

[0038] In some embodiments, the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 is further provided with a locking portion 14, and the intermediate locking lever 22 abuts against the locking portion 14 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in a locked position on the first housing 1. For example, when the lever mechanism 2 is rotated to the locked position, the intermediate locking lever 22 is hooked onto the locking portion 14 to implement a secondary lock of the lever mechanism 2.

[0039] Optionally, the locking portion 14 may be a boss, which is arranged as a cantilever on the top wall 12 of the first housing 1. That is, one side of the boss is connected to the top wall 12 of the first housing 1, and the other side of the boss is arranged as a cantilever to form a free end. The boss has a transition surface 141 and an abutment surface 142. The transition surface 141 extends from the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 and presents an arc-shaped upward slope for guiding the rotation of the lever mechanism 2. The abutment surface 142 is perpendicular to the top wall 12 of the first housing 1. When the lever mechanism 2 rotates in a predetermined position, the intermediate locking lever 22 of the lever mechanism 2 abuts against the abutment surface 142 to lock the intermediate locking lever 22 by the abutment surface 142 of the locking portion 14. During rotation of the lever mechanism 2 , the intermediate locking lever 22 penetrates the transition surface 141 and reaches the abutment surface 142 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the locking position of the first housing 1 .

[0040] In some embodiments, the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 is further provided with an arcuate transition portion 122, which is located on the rear side of the top wall 12 in the axial direction. That is, the arcuate transition portion 122 is located on the side of the top wall 12 that is away from the locking protrusion 212 in the locked position. In other words, in the present disclosure, a portion of the top wall 12 that is suitable for abutting against the locking protrusion 212 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the locked position is located in the front part of the top wall 12, and the arcuate transition portion 122 is located in the rear part of the top wall 12. By providing the arcuate transition portion 122, the lever mechanism 2 is guided so that the lever mechanism 2 can smoothly rotate from the rear part to the front part to the locked position, and the operating comfort of the connector 100 is also improved.

[0041] In some embodiments, the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 is further provided with an inclined portion 121 and an arcuate transition portion 122, which are arranged in this order on the axial rear side of the top wall 12, i.e., on the side of the top wall 12 that is closest to the locking recess 114. Specifically, when viewed forward along the axial rear end of the top wall 12, two symmetrical inclined portions 121, two symmetrical arcuate transition portions 122, and two side edge portions are arranged in this order on the side edge portions of the top wall 12. That is, the arcuate transition portion 122 is arranged between the inclined portion 121 and the edge portion.

[0042] In a specific embodiment, a plastic member 3 is provided on the first housing 1 and configured to accommodate a metal terminal. During assembly of the terminal and the wire of the connector 100, the rotation bearing hole 215 of the lever mechanism 2 is fitted onto the rotation shaft 112 of the first housing 1, and the locking protrusion 212 of the lever mechanism 2 is aligned with the locking recess 114 of the first housing 1. After the lever mechanism 2 is locked in the primary locking position and the terminal and wire are assembled, the plastic member 3 is inserted into the first housing 1 from its side edge. The wire extends toward the opening of the first housing 1, and the baffle 4 is inserted into the first housing 1 from the bottom to the top to close the plastic member 3. When the first housing 1 is mated with the paired second housing 5, the toothed structure 216 arranged on the lever mechanism 2 is aligned with the toothed structure of the paired second housing 5, and the lever mechanism 2 is rotated so that the toothed structure 216 drives the first housing 1 to be inserted into the paired second housing 5 by the principle of leverage. When the intermediate locking lever 22 of the lever mechanism 2 is latched onto the locking portion 14 arranged above the first housing 1, the first housing 1 is fully inserted into the paired second housing 5 at a predetermined position (as shown in FIG. 7 ), and secondary locking of the lever mechanism 2 is implemented. The second insertion hole 214 of the lever mechanism 2 is aligned with the first insertion hole 1 of the first housing 1 for inserting a cable tie or metal wire for fastening, so as to strengthen the secondary locking holding force between the lever mechanism 2 and the first housing 1.

[0043] A connector assembly 200 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 , the connector assembly 200 includes a first housing 1, a second housing 5, and a lever mechanism 2. The lever mechanism 2 is rotatably coupled to the first housing 1. The lever mechanism 2 includes two side levers 21 on both sides and an intermediate locking lever 22 connecting the two side levers 21, with locking protrusions 212 disposed on each of the two side levers 21. The first housing 1 includes two side walls 11 on both sides, with locking recesses 114 corresponding to the locking protrusions 212 provided in each of the two side walls 11. The locking protrusions 212 are aligned with the locking recesses 114 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the pre-lock position of the first housing 1. The first housing 1 further includes a top wall 12, and in response to the first housing 1 being coupled to the second housing 5, the locking protrusion 212 abuts against the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in a locked position on the first housing 1 and limits excessive rotation of the lever mechanism 2.

[0044] In the connector assembly 200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a locking protrusion 212 is disposed on each of the two side levers 21, and a locking recess 114 corresponding to the locking protrusion 212 is provided on each of the two side walls 11. The locking protrusion 212 is aligned with the locking recess 114 so that the lever mechanism 2 remains in the pre-locked position of the first housing 1. In response to the first housing 1 being connected to the second housing 5, the locking protrusion 212 abuts against the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism 2. The connector assembly 200 allows the lever mechanism 2 to remain accurately in the locked position to accurately align the insertion holes and improve the locking retention force of the connector assembly 200.

[0045] It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the "up" direction can be understood as the side on which the top wall 12 of the first housing 1 is located, the "down" direction can be understood as the side of the first housing 1 facing the opposite direction from the top wall 12, the "rear" direction can be understood as the side of the top wall 12 closest to the locking recess 114, and the "front" direction can be understood as the side of the top wall 12 away from the locking recess 114. It may be seen that the top wall 12 has a front edge and a rear edge in the front-to-rear direction. Compared to the front edge, the rear edge is located closer to the locking recess 114. When the locking protrusion 212 abuts against the top wall 12, the lever mechanism 2 can be prevented from excessively rotating in a direction close to the front edge. That is, the lever mechanism 2 can be prevented from excessively rotating in a direction away from the locking recess 114.

[0046] A vehicle 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the connector 100 according to the above-described embodiment of the present disclosure. In the vehicle 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the overall connection performance of the connector 100 is enhanced, and therefore the use safety and environmental compatibility of the vehicle 300 can be improved.

[0047] Other configurations and operations of vehicle 300 according to embodiments of the present disclosure are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

[0048] In describing the present disclosure, orientations or positions indicated by terms such as “center,” “longitudinal,” “transverse,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “up,” “down,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inside,” “outside,” “clockwise,” “anticlockwise,” “axial direction,” “radial direction,” and “circumferential direction” are based on the orientations or positions shown in the accompanying drawings and are used solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present disclosure, rather than to indicate or imply that the described devices or elements need to have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation. Accordingly, such terms should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Additionally, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. In the description of this disclosure, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first feature being in direct contact with the second feature, or the first feature and second feature not being in direct contact but being contacted by other features between them.

[0049] In the context of this disclosure, a first feature being "above" a second feature includes the first feature being on top of the second feature, or indirectly above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature has a horizontal height that is greater than the horizontal height of the second feature.

[0050] It should be noted that in describing this disclosure, unless expressly stated and defined otherwise, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," and "connection" should be understood broadly. For example, they may be fixed, detachable, or integral connections, may be mechanical or electrical connections, may be direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be interpreted according to the particular circumstances.

[0051] In the description herein, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "an illustrative embodiment," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described with reference to an embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the disclosure. Exemplary references to the above terms in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0052] While embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present disclosure, and that the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1. First enclosure 2 Lever mechanism 3 Plastic parts 4 baffles 5 Second enclosure 11 Side wall 12 Upper wall 13 First insertion hole 14 Locking part 21 Side lever 22 Intermediate locking lever 100 Connectors 112 Rotation axis 114 Locking recess 121 Slope 122 Arc-shaped transition 141 Transition Surface 142 Contact surface 200 Connector assembly 211 First Arm 212 Locking protrusion 213 Second Arm 214 Second insertion hole 215 Rotary bearing hole 216 Toothed structure 300 vehicles

Claims

1. A connector (100) comprising a first housing (1) and a lever mechanism (2), the lever mechanism (2) being rotatably coupled to the first housing (1); The lever mechanism (2) comprises two side levers (21) on both sides and an intermediate locking lever (22) connecting the two side levers (21), and a locking protrusion (212) is disposed on each of the two side levers (21); the first housing (1) has two side walls (11) on both sides, and locking recesses (114) corresponding to the locking protrusions (212) are provided on the two side walls (11), respectively, and the locking protrusions (212) are aligned with the locking recesses (114) so ​​that the lever mechanism (2) remains in a pre-locking position of the first housing (1); The connector (100) further includes an upper wall (12) of the first housing (1), and in response to the lever mechanism (2) remaining in the locked position of the first housing (1), the locking protrusion (212) abuts against the upper wall (12) of the first housing (1) to limit excessive rotation of the lever mechanism (2).

2. 2. The connector (100) of claim 1, wherein a rotating shaft (112) is arranged on each of the two side walls (11), the two side levers (21) are provided with a rotating bearing hole (215) corresponding to the rotating shaft (112), and the lever mechanism (2) is rotatably connected to the first housing (1) by engagement between the rotating bearing hole (215) and the rotating shaft (112).

3. 3. A connector (100) as described in claim 2, wherein each of the side levers (21) has a first arm (211) and a second arm (213) connected to each other, the rotation bearing hole (215) is provided in the first arm (211), the second arm (213) extends in the axial direction of the first arm (211), and the locking protrusion (212) is arranged on the second arm (213).

4. The connector (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking protrusion (212) is cylindrical, conical, or cubic in shape.

5. 5. A connector (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the locking protrusion (212) has an arcuate transition surface, and two side edges of the top wall (12) have rounded edge surfaces, and in response to the lever mechanism (2) remaining in the locking position of the first housing (1), the arcuate transition surface (141) abuts against the rounded edge surfaces to limit the excessive rotation of the lever mechanism (2).

6. A connector (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the locking recess (114) is a groove or a protrusion receiving hole, and the groove or the protrusion receiving hole is aligned with the locking protrusion (212) so that the lever mechanism (2) remains in the pre-lock position of the first housing (1).

7. 7. The connector (100) of claim 1, wherein the first housing (1) has a first insertion hole (13), the lever mechanism (2) has a corresponding second insertion hole (214), and in the locked position, the locking protrusion (212) abuts against the top wall (12) of the first housing (1) so that the second insertion hole (214) of the lever mechanism (2) is aligned with the first insertion hole (13) of the first housing (1) to insert a fastening structure and fasten the connector (100).

8. A connector (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the top wall (12) of the first housing (1) is further provided with a locking portion (14), and the intermediate locking lever (22) abuts against the locking portion (14) so ​​that the lever mechanism (2) remains in the locking position of the first housing (1).

9. 9. The connector (100) of claim 8, wherein the locking portion (14) is a boss, the boss being arranged as a cantilever on the top wall (12) of the first housing (1), the boss having a transition surface (141) and an abutment surface (142), and the intermediate locking lever (22) passes through the transition surface (141) and reaches the abutment surface (142) during rotation of the lever mechanism (2).

10. The connector (100) of claim 8 or 9, wherein the upper wall (12) of the first housing (1) is further provided with an arcuate transition portion (122), the arcuate transition portion (122) being positioned axially rearward of the upper wall (12).

11. A connector assembly (200) comprising a first housing (1), a second housing (5), and a lever mechanism (2), the lever mechanism (2) being rotatably coupled to the first housing (1); The lever mechanism (2) comprises two side levers (21) on both sides and an intermediate locking lever (22) connecting the two side levers (21), and a locking protrusion (212) is disposed on each of the two side levers (21); the first housing (1) has two side walls (11) on both sides, and locking recesses (114) corresponding to the locking protrusions (212) are provided on the two side walls (11), respectively, and the locking protrusions (212) are aligned with the locking recesses (114) so ​​that the lever mechanism (2) remains in a pre-locking position of the first housing (1); The connector assembly (200) further comprises a top wall (12) of the first housing (1), and in response to the first housing (1) being connected to the second housing (5), the locking protrusion (212) abuts against the top wall (12) of the first housing (1) so that the lever mechanism (2) remains in a locked position on the first housing (1) and limits excessive rotation of the lever mechanism (2).

12. A vehicle (300) comprising a connector (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images