connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that is advantageous in reducing the difficulty of handling the components. [Solution] The connector 1 comprises a first housing 10, a second housing 20 that fits with the first housing 10, and a lever 30 that presses the first housing 10 against the second housing 20 in the fitting direction. The first housing 10 has a pair of first side walls 11b, and a pair of lever support holes 13 positioned symmetrically across the center in the longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extension direction of the respective opening center for each first side wall 11b. The lever 30 has a pivot point 33 that is rotatably supported by engaging with one of the pair of lever support holes 13 selected from the pair.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a lever-type connector provided with a lever for assisting the fitting of housings. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a connector including a first housing having two support portions on one side surface and a lever rotatably supported by one of the two support portions. In this connector, on one side surface of the first housing, the two support portions are formed at positions symmetric with respect to the center in the length direction orthogonal to the fitting direction. Therefore, the attachment orientation of the lever with respect to the first housing can be changed according to the wiring direction of the electric wire connected to the side of the first housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first housing is provided with two pairs of shaft portions, which are shaft portions for supporting the lever, and the lever is provided with two pairs of support receiving portions, which are hole portions for receiving the support portions. That is, since the first housing is provided with four shaft portions and the lever is provided with two hole portions, the number of installed shaft portions increases, and as a result, it may cause difficulty in handling the components before or during the assembly of the connector.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. And an object of the present invention is to provide a connector advantageous for reducing the difficulty in handling components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connector according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a first housing, a second housing that fits with the first housing, and a lever that presses the first housing against the second housing in the fitting direction, wherein the first housing has a pair of first side walls, and each of the first side walls has a pair of lever support holes positioned symmetrically across the center in the longitudinal direction which is perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extension direction of the respective opening center, and the lever has a pivot point that is rotatably supported by engaging with one of the pair of lever support holes selected from the pair. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that is advantageous in reducing the difficulty of handling the components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the first housing in one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the second housing in one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the lever in one embodiment. [Figure 5A] This is a side view of the connector when the lever is in the temporary locking position. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of the connector, cut across the plane including each groove of the lever. [Figure 6A] This is a side view of the connector when the lever is in the locked position. [Figure 6B] This is a cross-sectional view of the connector corresponding to the VIB-VIB section in Figure 6A. [Figure 6C] This is a cross-sectional view of the connector corresponding to the VIC-VIC section in Figure 6B. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A connector according to one embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector 1 according to one embodiment. The connector 1 comprises a first housing 10, a second housing 20, and a lever 30, and is a lever-type connector in which the lever 30 assists in mating the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. In this embodiment, the first housing 10 is a female housing capable of holding a plurality of female terminals (not shown), which are terminal fittings joined to the end of an electric wire (not shown). On the other hand, the second housing 20 is a male housing capable of holding a plurality of male terminals (not shown), which are terminal fittings to be connected to the female terminals.

[0011] Hereinafter, the direction in which the first housing 10 fits into the second housing 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "fitting direction") corresponds to the Z direction in each figure. For convenience, it is sometimes assumed that the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the upstream side of the Z direction is expressed as "up," and the downstream side of the Z direction is expressed as "down." In addition, the X direction and the Y direction are defined as two directions that are perpendicular to the fitting direction and are also perpendicular to each other.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first housing 10. The first housing 10 is made of synthetic resin, for example, and has a first cylindrical portion 11, a plurality of terminal housing portions 12 corresponding to the number of female terminals that can be held, and two pairs of lever support holes 13.

[0013] The first cylindrical portion 11 holds a plurality of terminal housing portions 12 on its inside. The general shape of the first cylindrical portion 11 is cylindrical, with the Z direction, which is the fitting direction, as its axial direction, and the outer shape of the cross section parallel to the XY plane being approximately rectangular. For example, the first cylindrical portion 11 has a rectangular annular upper end portion 11a, a pair of first side walls 11b, and a pair of first connecting walls 11c.

[0014] The pair of first side walls 11b and the pair of first connecting walls 11c constitute the peripheral wall portion. The pair of first side walls 11b face each other while being spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. The pair of first connecting walls 11c face each other while being spaced apart from each other in the X direction. One ends of one first side wall 11b and the other first side wall 11b are continuous via one first connecting wall 11c. The other ends of one first side wall 11b and the other first side wall 11b are continuous via the other first connecting wall 11c. The outer edge portion of the upper end portion 11a is continuous with the upper portions of each of the pair of first side walls 11b and the pair of first connecting walls 11c. The inner edge portion of the upper end portion 11a supports each terminal housing portion 12. In the first cylindrical portion 11, the side facing the side where the upper end portion 11a is provided in the Z direction is an opening for inserting the second cylindrical portion 21 of the second housing 20.

[0015] The first housing 10 has, as an example, five terminal housing portions 12. That is, the first housing 10 can hold five female terminals. One terminal housing portion 12 is a cylindrical portion that houses one female terminal in the internal space along the fitting direction. The five terminal housing portions 12 are arranged in a row with the X direction as the parallel direction. In this case, the width of the first side wall 11b in the X direction approximately corresponds to the width of five terminal housing portions 12, and the width of the first connecting wall 11c in the Y direction approximately corresponds to the width of one terminal housing portion 12. That is, in the first cylindrical portion 11, the width of the first side wall 11b in the X direction is set to be longer than the width of the first connecting wall 11c in the Y direction.

[0016] The pair of lever support hole portions 13 engage with the pair of fulcrum portions 33 provided on the lever 30. The lever 30 can rotate by engaging the pair of fulcrum portions 33 with one set selected from the two sets of the pair of lever support hole portions 13, or can also rotate by engaging them with the other set. In this embodiment, the lever support hole portion 13 is a through hole portion with a circular opening shape, but it may be a hole portion with a circular opening shape and not penetrating.

[0017] Regarding the pair of lever support holes 13, one of the lever support holes 13 is provided on one of the pair of first side walls 11b, and the other lever support hole 13 is provided on the other of the pair of first side walls 11b. The one lever support hole 13 and the other lever support hole 13 have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual XZ plane located at the intermediate position between them. That is, the one lever support hole 13 and the other lever support hole 13 constituting the first set are coaxially arranged with respect to the first opening center AX1 (see FIG. 5A) extending in the Y direction. Similarly, the one lever support hole 13 and the other lever support hole 13 constituting the second set are coaxially arranged with respect to the second opening center AX2 (see FIG. 5A) extending in the Y direction.

[0018] Here, in the first housing 10, a direction perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extending direction of the first opening center AX1 and the second opening center AX2 is defined as the "length direction". In this embodiment, since the fitting direction corresponds to the Z direction and the extending direction of the first opening center AX1 and the second opening center AX2 corresponds to the Y direction, the length direction corresponds to the X direction. At this time, in each of the first side walls 11b of the first housing 10, the pair of lever support holes 13 are arranged at symmetrical positions sandwiching the center in the length direction. Also, in the first side wall 11b, when a reference plane P (see FIG. 5A) is defined as a YZ plane passing through the intermediate position in the length direction, the pair of lever support holes 13 have a symmetrical shape with respect to the reference plane P.

[0019] Further, the first housing 10 has a pair of locking portions 15, two pairs of locking walls 16, and two pairs of boss through groove portions 17.

[0020] Each pair of locking parts 15 constitutes a locking mechanism for holding the lever 30 in the locked position when the lever 30 is in the locked position after the fitting of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 is completed. The pair of locking parts 15 are individually provided on a pair of first connecting walls 11c of the first cylindrical part 11. For example, each pair of locking parts 15 is a claw that protrudes outward from the first connecting wall 11c and has a symmetrical shape with respect to the reference plane P. One locking part 15 is used when the lever 30 is supported by a pair of lever support holes 13 of one set, and the other locking part 15 is used when the lever 30 is supported by a pair of lever support holes 13 of the other set.

[0021] The two pairs of locking walls 16 each constitute a locking mechanism for holding the lever 30 in a temporary locking position, which is set at a predetermined position during rotation from the assembly position when the lever 30 is assembled to the first housing 10 to the permanent locking position. The pairs of locking walls 16 are elastic wall portions having a symmetrical shape with respect to a pair of first side walls 11b in the Y direction. One locking wall 16 is positioned to face one of the first side walls 11b, and the other locking wall 16 is positioned to face the other first side wall 11b. The tip of each locking wall 16 is provided with a claw portion that protrudes toward the first side walls 11b. Of the two pairs of locking walls 16, one pair of locking walls 16 is positioned near one of the locking portions 15, and the other pair of locking walls 16 is positioned near the other locking portion 15. The pairs of locking walls 16 and the other pair of locking walls 16 have a symmetrical shape with respect to a reference plane P. One pair of locking walls 16 is used when the lever 30 is supported by one pair of lever support holes 13, and the other pair of locking walls 16 is used when the lever 30 is supported by the other pair of lever support holes 13.

[0022] The two pairs of boss through grooves 17 allow the boss 23 provided on the second cylindrical portion 21 of the second housing 20 to pass through as the second cylindrical portion 21 of the second housing 20 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 11 of the first housing 10. Of the pair of boss through grooves 17, one boss through groove 17 is formed on one first side wall 11b, and the other boss through groove 17 is formed on the other first side wall 11b. The boss through grooves 17 are formed in a straight line along the fitting direction. One end of the boss through groove 17 is open on the side of the opening in the first cylindrical portion 11 into which the second cylindrical portion 21 is inserted, allowing the boss 23 to be introduced as the second cylindrical portion 21 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 11. The width of the boss through groove 17 in the X direction is set to such an extent that the edge of the boss through groove 17 can slide against the outer circumferential surface of the boss 23. In this embodiment, of the two pairs of boss through grooves 17, one pair is formed so as to be aligned in the fitting direction with the pair of lever support holes 13 of the other pair, and the other pair is formed so as to be aligned in the fitting direction with the pair of lever support holes 13 of the other pair.

[0023] Furthermore, in the first housing 10, by setting the central axis of the middle terminal housing 12 among the five terminal housings 12 arranged in a row along the length direction on the reference plane P, the overall shape of the first housing 10 can be made symmetrical with respect to the reference plane P.

[0024] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the second housing 20. The second housing 20 is made of synthetic resin, for example, and has a second cylindrical portion 21, a base 22, two pairs of bosses 23, and guide ribs 24 provided for each boss 23.

[0025] The second cylindrical portion 21 accommodates a plurality of male terminals (not shown) on its interior. The general shape of the second cylindrical portion 21 is cylindrical, with the Z direction, which is the fitting direction, as its axial direction, and the outer shape of its cross-section parallel to the XY plane being approximately rectangular. For example, the second cylindrical portion 21 has a pair of second side walls 21b and a pair of second connecting walls 21c.

[0026] The pair of second side walls 21b and the pair of second connecting walls 21c constitute a periphery wall. The pair of second side walls 21b face each other while being spaced apart in the Y direction. The pair of second connecting walls 21c face each other while being spaced apart in the X direction. One end of one second side wall 21b and the other second side wall 21b are connected via one second connecting wall 21c. The other ends of one second side wall 21b and the other second side wall 21b are connected via the other second connecting wall 21c. The upper parts of each of the pair of second side walls 21b and the pair of second connecting walls 21c constitute an opening 21a in the periphery wall. The lower parts of each of the pair of second side walls 21b and the pair of second connecting walls 21c are supported by a base 22.

[0027] When the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are fitted together, the second cylindrical portion 21 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 11 of the first housing 10. At this time, the second side wall 21b is housed between one of the first side walls 11b of the first cylindrical portion 11 and the five terminal housing portions 12. The second connecting wall 21c is housed between one of the first connecting walls 11c of the first cylindrical portion 11 and the five terminal housing portions 12.

[0028] The base 22 is a conceptual part set in the second housing 20 in this embodiment, supporting the second cylindrical part 21 and supporting a plurality of male terminals so as to be exposed inside the second cylindrical part 21. In the actual connector 1 product, the part corresponding to the base 22 is appropriately set by various conditions such as the wiring route of the wires (not shown) that connect each male terminal to the terminal, or the holding structure of the second housing 20.

[0029] The two pairs of bosses 23 are exposed to the outside through boss through grooves 17 formed in the first cylindrical portion 11 when the second cylindrical portion 21 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 11. The pairs of bosses 23 are cylindrical portions with a cross-sectional diameter equal to the opening diameter of the lever support hole portion 13 and have a symmetrical shape in the Y direction, sandwiching a pair of second side walls 21b. One boss 23 is positioned to protrude outward from one of the second side walls 21b, and the other boss 23 is positioned to protrude outward from the other second side wall 21b. Here, referring to the reference plane P as in the first housing 10, one pair of bosses 23 and the other pair of bosses 23 have a symmetrical shape with respect to the reference plane P. One pair of bosses 23 is used when the lever 30 is supported by one pair of lever support hole portions 13, and the other pair of bosses 23 is used when the lever 30 is supported by the other pair of lever support hole portions 13.

[0030] The guide rib 24 guides the first housing 10 in the desired fitting direction by sliding its edge along the boss through groove 17 as the second cylindrical portion 21 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 11. The guide rib 24 is linear in shape, extending along the fitting direction, and is positioned to protrude outward from the second side wall 21b. In this embodiment, for each boss 23, a pair of guide ribs 24 are arranged parallel to each other with respect to the boss 23 as the base point, and the width between the outer surfaces of the pair of guide ribs 24 is equal to the diameter of the boss 23.

[0031] Furthermore, since the second housing 20 is constructed to match the shape of the first housing 10, the overall shape of the second housing 20 can also be symmetrical with respect to the reference plane P.

[0032] Figure 4 is a perspective view of lever 30. Note that the XYZ notation in Figure 4 corresponds to when lever 30 is in the locked position on connector 1.

[0033] When the fitting of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 is complete, the lever 30 holds the locked position while pressing the first housing 10 against the second housing 20 in the fitting direction, thereby ensuring a normal connection between the female terminal and the male terminal. The lever 30 is made of synthetic resin, for example, and has a pair of side plates 31 and an operating part 32. One end of each side plate 31 is connected via the operating part 32. The other end of each side plate 31 is a tip 31e, which is a free end. Each tip 31e has a tip piece 31d that, when the lever 30 is in the temporary locked position, is locked to one of the pair of locking walls 16 provided on the first housing 10.

[0034] The pair of side plate portions 31 are arms that rotate while maintaining a parallel position close to one of the first side walls 11b when the lever 30 is assembled to the first housing 10. Furthermore, one side plate portion 31 and the other side plate portion 31 have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to each other in the Y direction. However, minor differences in shape between one side plate portion 31 and the other side plate portion 31 are permitted as long as the specified conditions for each part, which will be described in detail below, are satisfied. Each side plate portion 31 has an inner surface portion 31a and an outer surface portion 31b opposite to the inner surface portion 31a, and when the lever 30 is assembled to the first housing 10, a part of the inner surface portion 31a faces the first side wall 11b.

[0035] Each pair of side plate portions 31 has a pivot portion 33, a boss housing groove portion 34, a boss engagement groove portion 35, and a locking wall housing groove portion 36. In other words, each of the pivot portion 33, boss housing groove portion 34, boss engagement groove portion 35, and locking wall housing groove portion 36 exists in pairs on the lever 30. The pivot portion 33 is formed to protrude from the inner surface portion 31a toward the first side wall 11b of the first housing 10 facing the inner surface portion 31a, along the Y direction which is the thickness direction of the side plate portion 31. On the other hand, the boss housing groove portion 34, the boss engagement groove portion 35, and the locking wall housing groove portion 36 are formed on the inner surface portion 31a of each side plate portion 31.

[0036] The pivot point 33 is a cylindrical shaft portion that engages with and is slidably supported by one of the two pairs of lever support holes 13 selected from the two pairs of lever support holes 13 provided in the first housing 10, as described above.

[0037] The boss housing groove 34 accommodates the tip of the boss 23 that protrudes outward from the boss through groove 17 directly below the lever support hole 13, which is not engaged with the pivot point 33, as the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position when it is in the normal assembly state. Therefore, the rotation of the lever 30 is not hindered by the boss 23 located near the lever support hole 13, which is not engaged with the pivot point 33. Here, the normal assembly state of the lever 30 refers to the state in which the lever 30 is rotatably supported in the first housing 10 so that it can move normally between the temporary locking position and the permanent locking position.

[0038] The lever 30 is considered to rotate with respect to the pivot point 33. Therefore, the boss housing groove 34 is formed in a curved shape defined by a curvature with respect to the pivot point 33, so that it can accommodate the boss 23 located near the lever support hole 13 that is not engaged with the pivot point 33, regardless of the position of the lever 30 within a predetermined range of rotation.

[0039] One end of the boss housing groove 34 in the curved extension direction is an open end that is opened at the lower end 31c of the side plate 31. The other end of the boss housing groove 34 in the extension direction is a tip wall that contacts the boss 23 housed in the boss housing groove 34 when the lever 30 is in the locking position. This tip wall includes a locking surface 34a as a curved surface that contacts the peripheral wall of the boss 23 housed in the boss housing groove 34.

[0040] The boss engagement groove 35 engages with the tip of the boss 23, which protrudes outward from the boss through groove 17 directly below the pivot point 33, when the lever 30 is in its normal assembled state. As the lever 30 rotates from the assembled position to the locked position, the boss engagement groove 35 continues to press its side walls against the circumferential wall of the boss 23, thereby drawing the boss 23 into the boss engagement groove 35. As a result, the first housing 10, which is continuous with the lever 30 via the pivot point 33, is pushed toward the second housing 20 along the fitting direction.

[0041] The locking wall accommodating groove 36 accommodates the locking wall 16 that is not engaged with the tip piece 31d of the two pairs of locking walls 16 provided in the first housing 10 when the lever 30 is in the locked position. Therefore, the rotation of the lever 30 is not hindered by the locking wall 16 that is not engaged with the tip piece 31d.

[0042] The operating section 32 is a wall connecting a pair of side plate sections 31, and when the lever 30 is in the permanent locking position, it faces the first connecting wall 11c on the side furthest from the pair of lever support holes 13 to which the pair of pivot points 33 are engaged. The upper part of the operating section 32 constitutes a pressing section 32a that is pressed when the lever 30 is rotated from the assembly position or temporary locking position toward the permanent locking position. The operating section 32 also has an elastic piece 39 that engages with a locking section 15 provided on the first connecting wall 11c, serving as a locking mechanism for holding the lever 30 in the permanent locking position.

[0043] Next, we will explain the state of connector 1 at each rotation position of lever 30.

[0044] Figures 5A and 5B show the state of connector 1 when lever 30 is in the temporary locking position. Figure 5A is a side view of connector 1. Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view of connector 1 shown in Figure 5A, taken by cutting through a virtual XZ plane perpendicular to the first opening center AX1 and the second opening center AX2, passing through the boss housing groove 34, boss engagement groove 35, and locking wall housing groove 36 in one side plate portion 31.

[0045] In this embodiment, the temporary locking position of the lever 30 is defined as the same position as the assembly position. When the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the boss 23 directly below the pivot point 33 is housed in the boss engagement groove 35, but is not subjected to external force from the lever 30. On the other hand, the boss 23 directly below the lever support hole 13, which is not engaged with the pivot point 33, is not yet housed in the boss housing groove 34.

[0046] When the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the tip piece 31d of the lever 30 is temporarily locked to a claw provided at the tip of the locking wall 16, thereby temporarily restricting the rotation of the lever 30 toward the permanent locking position. Therefore, unless an external force is applied to the lever 30 that can release the temporary restriction between the tip piece 31d and the locking wall 16, the lever 30 will be held in the temporary locking position.

[0047] Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C show the state of the connector 1 when the lever 30 is in the locked position. Figure 6A is a side view of the connector 1. Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view of the connector 1 corresponding to the VIB-VIB section in Figure 6A. The cross-section in Figure 6B is a virtual XY plane passing through the first opening center AX1 and the second opening center AX2 related to the lever support hole 13. Figure 6C is a cross-sectional view of the connector 1 corresponding to the VIC-VIC section in Figure 6B. The cross-section in Figure 6C is a cross-sectional view taken by cutting through a virtual XZ plane perpendicular to the first opening center AX1 and the second opening center AX2, passing through the boss housing groove 34, boss engagement groove 35, and locking wall housing groove 36 in one of the side plate sections 31.

[0048] First, when the pressing portion 32a of the lever 30 is subjected to an external force and pressed, the temporary restriction by the tip piece 31d and the locking wall 16 is released, and the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position.

[0049] Furthermore, as the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, the boss 23 directly below the pivot point 33 is retracted along the shape of the boss engagement groove 35. This retraction of the boss 23 gradually pushes the first housing 10 into the second housing 20, and at the final permanent locking position, the fitting of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 is completed. On the other hand, the boss 23 directly below the lever support hole 13 that does not house the pivot point 33 is housed in the boss housing groove 34 and therefore does not hinder the rotation of the lever 30. Moreover, the pair of locking walls 16 that do not engage the pair of tip pieces 31d when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position are housed in the locking wall housing groove 36 and therefore do not hinder the rotation of the lever 30.

[0050] Furthermore, when the lever 30 reaches the locking position, the boss 23 housed in the boss housing groove 34 comes into contact with the locking surface 34a, allowing the operator to recognize that the lever 30 has reached the locking position upon contact.

[0051] Next, we will explain the effect of connector 1.

[0052] The connector 1 comprises a first housing 10, a second housing 20 that mates with the first housing 10, and a lever 30 that presses the first housing 10 against the second housing 20 in the mating direction. The first housing 10 has a pair of first side walls 11b, and a pair of lever support holes 13 positioned symmetrically across the center in the longitudinal direction, which is perpendicular to both the mating direction and the extension direction of the respective opening center. The lever 30 also has a pivot point 33 that engages with one of the pair of lever support holes 13 and is rotatably supported.

[0053] In the above example, the fitting direction corresponds to the Z direction, the extension direction of the first opening center AX1 and the second opening center AX2 related to the lever support hole portion 13 corresponds to the Y direction, and the length direction corresponds to the X direction.

[0054] First, in connector 1, a pair of lever support holes 13 are positioned symmetrically across the longitudinal center of the first side wall 11b of the first housing 10. Therefore, with connector 1, the mounting orientation of the lever 30 to the first housing 10 can be appropriately changed to match the routing direction of the electric wire connected to the first housing 10. Now, let's consider the case where the assembly position of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 remains the same as in Figure 1, but the assembly position of the lever 30 is reversed by 180° around the Z axis from the position shown in Figure 1. In this case, by engaging the pivot point 33 with the lever support hole 13 that was not engaged in Figure 1, the mounting orientation of the lever 30 can be reversed, and the lever 30 can be returned to its normal assembly state.

[0055] Furthermore, in connector 1, as described above, the pair of lever support holes 13 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the first side wall 11b in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, for example, the distance between the pivot point 33 and a part such as the pressing part 32a to which the operating force of the lever 30 is applied can be set to be longer than in the case where the pivot point of the lever is located at the center of the first side wall 11b in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the length of the lever 30 can be set to be longer, the lever ratio can be increased, and as a result the operating force required to rotate the lever 30 can be reduced.

[0056] Furthermore, in the connector 1, the first housing 10 is provided with two pairs of lever support holes 13, and the lever 30 is provided with a pair of pivot points 33, which are components used to support the rotation of the lever 30 relative to the first housing 10. In other words, the first housing 10 is provided with four lever support holes 13, and the lever 30 is provided with two pivot points 33, which are shafts.

[0057] Here, as a comparative example, let us consider a case where the component used to support the rotation of the lever 30 relative to the first housing 10 is a shaft portion, and the component provided on the lever 30 is a hole portion. In this case, the first housing 10 will have four shaft portions, and the lever 30 will have two hole portions, so the number of shaft portions is greater than in this embodiment. When the components of the connector 1 are provided with many protruding parts such as shaft portions, it may cause difficulties in handling the components of the connector 1 before or during assembly, for example.

[0058] In contrast, with connector 1, the number of shafts used to support the rotation of the lever 30 relative to the first housing 10 can be reduced, thereby reducing the difficulty in handling the components of connector 1 before or during assembly.

[0059] As described above, this embodiment provides a connector 1 that is advantageous in reducing the difficulty of handling the components of the connector 1.

[0060] Furthermore, in connector 1, the second housing 20 may have a pair of second side walls 21b that face the first side wall 11b on their outer surface when mated with the first housing 10, and a pair of bosses 23 positioned symmetrically across the longitudinal center for each second side wall 21b. The first side wall 11b may have a pair of boss through grooves 17 that guide the bosses 23 along the mating direction while passing through them individually. The lever 30 may also have a boss engagement groove 35 and a boss housing groove 34. The boss engagement groove 35 engages with the tip of one of the pair of bosses 23 that has passed through the boss through groove 17 and protrudes outward, and retracts as the lever 30 rotates to the locking position that completes the mating of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The boss housing groove 34 accommodates the boss 23 that is not engaged with the boss engagement groove 35 from the direction opposite to the mating direction.

[0061] In the lever 30, the boss housing groove 34 is provided to accommodate the boss 23 directly below the lever support hole 13, which is not engaged with the pivot point 33, from the opposite direction to the fitting direction. According to this provision, the boss housing groove 34 is located in the lever 30 between the pivot point 33 and a part such as the pressing portion 32a to which the operating force of the lever 30 is applied.

[0062] In this connector 1, the boss 23 passes through the boss through groove 17 of the first housing 10, and the lever 30 retracts the tip of the boss 23 that has passed through. However, if a shaft portion were to be provided on the first housing 10 side as a component used to support the rotation of the lever 30 relative to the first housing 10, then the shaft portion for supporting the lever 30 and the groove portion for passing the boss 23 would be adjacent to each other. In this way, if there are many adjacent parts of different shapes in the first housing 10, it is conceivable that the mold for forming the first housing may become more complex.

[0063] In contrast, with the connector 1, it is difficult to have parts with different shapes adjacent to each other in the first housing 10 as a single component, thus preventing the complexity of the mold for forming the components from increasing.

[0064] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1 Connector 10 Housing 1 11b 1st side wall 13 Lever support hole 17 Boss through groove 20 Second Housing 21b 2nd side wall 23 Boss 30 Lever 33. Support point 34 Boss housing groove 35 Boss engagement groove AX1 1st opening center AX2 2nd opening center

Claims

1. The first housing and A second housing that fits with the first housing, The second housing is provided with a lever that presses the first housing in the fitting direction, The first housing is, A pair of first side walls, Each of the first side walls has a pair of lever support holes positioned symmetrically across the center in the longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extension direction of the center of each opening, The lever has a pivot point that is rotatably supported by engaging with one of a pair of lever support holes.

2. The preceding 2 housing is A pair of second side walls that face the first side wall on their outer surface when fitted with the first housing, Each of the second side walls has a pair of bosses positioned symmetrically across the center in the longitudinal direction, The first side wall has a pair of boss through grooves that guide the bosses individually through them along the fitting direction, The aforementioned lever is A boss engagement groove engages with the tip portion that protrudes outward through the boss through groove portion on one of the pair of bosses selected, and retracts as the lever rotates to the locking position that completes the fitting of the first housing and the second housing, The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a boss housing groove for housing the boss that is not engaged with the boss engagement groove from a direction opposite to the fitting direction.

Images