connector

Abstract

A connector is provided to stabilize the operation of the lever. [Solution] In the connector 1, the first housing 10 has a first pivot portion 13 and a second pivot portion 14 that are positioned symmetrically across the longitudinal center on each first side wall 11b and rotatably support the lever 30. The lever 30 has a lever support hole 33 that engages with one of the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 selected from the lever support hole 33, and a pivot portion housing groove 34 that accommodates the first pivot portion 13 or the second pivot portion 14 that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33. The first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 each have a first lateral projection 13c or a second lateral projection 14c that protrudes along the longitudinal direction while being spaced apart from the first side wall 11b. The lever support hole 33 and the pivot point housing groove 34 each have a piece that enters between the first lateral projection 13c or the second lateral projection 14c and the first side wall 11b while the lever 30 is rotating and reaching the locking position.

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 on 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 direction of the lever with respect to the first housing can be changed in accordance with 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, since the two sets of support portions are arranged at positions symmetric with respect to the center in the length direction, the distance between one set of support portions selected for supporting the lever and the pressing portion of the lever to which an external force is applied during the operation of the lever becomes relatively long. Therefore, during the operation of the lever, it is assumed that the side portions of the pair of levers individually facing both side surfaces of the first housing will float in a direction away from the side surfaces of the first housing. Such floating of the side portions of the lever in such a direction makes the operation of the lever unstable, and thus there is room for improvement.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art. The object of this invention is to provide a connector that stabilizes the operation of a lever. [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 side walls, and each side wall has a first pivot point and a second pivot point positioned symmetrically across the center in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extension direction of the respective central axis, and rotatably supporting the lever, and the lever engages with one of the first pivot point and the second pivot point selected from the first pivot point and the second pivot point. It has a lever support hole that engages with the lever support hole, and a pivot point housing groove that accommodates a first pivot point or a second pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole from the opposite direction to the fitting direction. The first pivot point and the second pivot point each have a lateral projection that protrudes along the length while being spaced apart from the side wall, and the lever support hole and the pivot point housing groove each have a piece that enters between the lateral projection and the side wall while the lever rotates and reaches the locked position in which the fitting of the first housing and the second housing is completed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a connector that stabilizes the operation of a lever can be provided. [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 showing the lower part of the lever in one embodiment. [Figure 5]This is a perspective view showing the upper part of the lever in one embodiment. [Figure 6A] This is a side view of the first housing with the lever assembled in its normal position. [Figure 6B] This diagram illustrates a situation where the lever was nearly assembled incorrectly. [Figure 7A] This is a side view of the connector when the lever is in the temporary locking position. [Figure 7B] Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view of the connector shown, cut across a plane that includes the two pivot points. [Figure 8A] This is a side view of the connector when the lever is in the locked position. [Figure 8B] This is a cross-sectional view of the connector corresponding to section VIIIB-VIIIB in Figure 8A. [Figure 8C] This is a cross-sectional view of the connector corresponding to the VIIIC-VIIIC section in Figure 8B. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail a connector according to one embodiment, using 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 100. 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 the sake of convenience, it is assumed that the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the upstream side in the Z direction may be expressed as "up", and the downstream side in the Z direction may be expressed as "down". Also, the X direction and the Y direction are defined as two directions that are orthogonal to the fitting direction and orthogonal to each other.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first housing 10. The first housing 10 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and has a first cylindrical portion 11, a plurality of terminal accommodating portions 12 provided corresponding to the number of female terminals that can be held, a pair of first fulcrum portions 13, and a pair of second fulcrum portions 14.

[0013] The first cylindrical portion 11 holds a plurality of terminal accommodating portions 12 inside. The schematic shape of the first cylindrical portion 11 is a cylindrical shape such that the Z direction, which is the fitting direction, is the axial direction, and the outer shape of the cross section parallel to the XY plane is substantially 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 a peripheral wall portion. The pair of first side walls 11b face each other while being separated from each other in the Y direction. The pair of first connecting walls 11c face each other while being separated from each other in the X direction. One end portions of one of the first side walls 11b and the other first side wall 11b are continuous via one of the first connecting walls 11c. The other end portions of one of the first side walls 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 accommodating portion 12. In the first cylindrical portion 11, the side opposite to 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 accommodating portions 12. That is, the first housing 10 can hold five female terminals. One terminal accommodating portion 12 is a cylindrical portion that accommodates one female terminal in the internal space along the fitting direction. The five terminal accommodating 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 accommodating portions 12, and the width of the first connecting wall 11c in the Y direction approximately corresponds to the width of one terminal accommodating 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. Note that a part of the electric wire 100 joined to the female terminal may be tightly held in each terminal accommodating portion 12 via the packing 40.

[0016] The pair of first fulcrum portions 13 and the pair of second fulcrum portions 14 are engaged with a pair of lever support hole portions 33 provided in the lever 30 and can serve as fulcrums when the lever 30 rotates. The lever 30 can rotate by engaging the lever support hole portions 33 with the pair of first fulcrum portions 13, or can also rotate by engaging the lever support hole portions 33 with the pair of second fulcrum portions 14.

[0017] Regarding the pair of first fulcrum portions 13, one of the first fulcrum portions 13 is provided on one of the pair of first side walls 11b, and the other first fulcrum portion 13 is provided on the other of the pair of first side walls 11b. One of the first fulcrum portions 13 and the other first fulcrum portion 13 have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual XZ plane located at the intermediate position between them. That is, one of the first fulcrum portions 13 and the other first fulcrum portion 13 are coaxially arranged with respect to the first central axis AX1 (see FIG. 7A) extending in the Y direction.

[0018] Similarly, for the pair of second support points 14, one second support point 14 is provided on one of the pair of first side walls 11b, and the other second support point 14 is provided on the other of the pair of first side walls 11b. The two second support points 14 have symmetrical shapes with respect to a virtual XZ plane located midway between them. In other words, the two second support points 14 are arranged coaxially with respect to a second central axis AX2 (see Figure 7A) extending in the Y direction.

[0019] Here, in the first housing 10, the direction perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extension directions of the first central axis AX1 and the second central axis AX2 is defined as the "length direction". In this embodiment, the fitting direction corresponds to the Z direction, and the extension directions of the first central axis AX1 and the second central axis AX2 correspond to the Y direction, so 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 first support portion 13 and the second support portion 14 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center in the length direction. Furthermore, if a reference plane P (see Figure 7A) is defined as the YZ plane passing through an intermediate position in the length direction in the first side wall 11b, then the first support portion 13 and the second support portion 14 have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the reference plane P.

[0020] The first support portion 13 has a first shaft portion 13a, a first projection portion 13b, and a first lateral projection portion 13c. The first shaft portion 13a is a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the first side wall 11b with the first central axis AX1 as its central axis.

[0021] The first projection 13b protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the first shaft portion 13a, while being spaced at a constant distance from the first side wall 11b. The direction of projection of the first projection 13b is along the fitting direction from the first central axis AX1. In the first projection 13b, the pair of sides parallel to the first central axis AX1 are tapered such that the distance between them gradually narrows as they move from the first shaft portion 13a towards the tip.

[0022] The first lateral projection 13c protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the first shaft portion 13a, while being spaced at a constant distance from the first side wall 11b. The distance between the first lateral projection 13c and the first side wall 11b is the same as the distance between the first projection 13b and the first side wall 11b. The projection direction of the first lateral projection 13c is along the longitudinal direction, but more precisely, it is the direction away from the reference plane P, which is opposite to the X direction. On the first lateral projection 13c, one side parallel to the first central axis AX1 is a first locking surface 13d, which is a plane whose normal direction is the direction opposite to the fitting direction and which is aligned with both the longitudinal direction and the extension direction of the first central axis AX1. The root end of the first locking surface 13d in the longitudinal direction smoothly continues with the uppermost end of the first shaft portion 13a in the Z direction. In the first lateral projection 13c, the other side parallel to the first central axis AX1 is an inclined surface such that, in relation to the first locking surface 13d which is one of the sides, the distance between them gradually narrows as you move from the first shaft portion 13a towards the tip.

[0023] The second support portion 14 has a second shaft portion 14a, a second projection portion 14b, and a second lateral projection portion 14c. The second shaft portion 14a is a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the first side wall 11b with the second central axis AX2 as its central axis.

[0024] The second projection 14b protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft portion 14a, while being spaced at a constant distance from the first side wall 11b. The direction of projection of the second projection 14b is along the fitting direction from the second central axis AX2. In the second projection 14b, the pair of sides parallel to the second central axis AX2 are tapered such that the distance between them gradually narrows as they move from the second shaft portion 14a towards the tip.

[0025] The second lateral projection 14c protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft portion 14a, while being spaced at a constant distance from the first side wall 11b. The distance between the second lateral projection 14c and the first side wall 11b is the same as the distance between the second projection 14b and the first side wall 11b. The projection direction of the second lateral projection 14c is along the longitudinal direction, but more precisely, it is the X direction, which is the direction away from the reference plane P. On the second lateral projection 14c, one side parallel to the second central axis AX2 is a second locking surface 14d, which is a plane whose normal direction is the direction opposite to the fitting direction and which is along both the longitudinal direction and the extension direction of the second central axis AX2. The root end of the second locking surface 14d in the longitudinal direction smoothly continues with the uppermost end of the second shaft portion 14a in the Z direction. In the second lateral projection 14c, the other side parallel to the second central axis AX2 is an inclined surface such that, in relation to the second locking surface 14d which is one of the sides, the distance between them gradually narrows as you move from the second shaft portion 14a towards the tip.

[0026] Furthermore, the first housing 10 has a pair of locking portions 15, two pairs of locking walls 16, and two pairs of boss through grooves 17.

[0027] 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 first pivot parts 13, and the other locking part 15 is used when the lever 30 is supported by a pair of second pivot parts 14.

[0028] 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 a pair of first pivot points 13, and the other pair of locking walls 16 is used when the lever 30 is supported by a pair of second pivot points 14.

[0029] 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 of boss through grooves 17 is formed to be aligned with the pair of first pivot points 13 in the fitting direction, and the other pair of boss through grooves 17 is formed to be aligned with the pair of second pivot points 14 in the fitting direction.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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 having a cross-sectional diameter smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the first shaft portion 13a of the first support portion 13 and the second shaft portion 14a of the second support portion 14, and are symmetrical in the Y direction with respect to 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 a pair of first pivot points 13, and the other pair of bosses 23 is used when the lever 30 is supported by a pair of second pivot points 14.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the lower part of lever 30. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the upper part of lever 30. Note that the XYZ notation in Figures 4 and 5 corresponds to when lever 30 is in the locked position on connector 1.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] Each pair of side plate portions 31 has a lever support hole portion 33, a pivot point housing groove portion 34, a boss engagement groove portion 35, and a locking wall housing groove portion 36. In other words, each of the lever support hole portion 33, pivot point housing groove portion 34, boss engagement groove portion 35, and locking wall housing groove portion 36 exists in pairs on the lever 30. The lever support hole portion 33 is formed to penetrate through the inner surface portion 31a and the outer surface portion 31b. On the other hand, the pivot point housing groove portion 34, boss engagement groove portion 35, and locking wall housing groove portion 36 are formed on the inner surface portion 31a of each side plate portion 31.

[0043] As described above regarding the first and second pivot points 13 and 14 provided in the first housing 10, the lever support hole 33 engages with one of the pivot points selected from the first and second pivot points 13 and 14. Figure 1 illustrates the case in which a pair of lever support holes 33 engage with a pair of first pivot points 13.

[0044] The lever support hole 33 penetrates the side plate portion 31 in the Y direction, which is the thickness direction. The lever support hole 33 has an annular inner wall 33a, a first projection housing portion 33b, a second projection housing portion 33c, a first piece portion 33d, a second piece portion 33e, and a first locking surface 33f.

[0045] The annular inner wall 33a slidably supports the shaft portion of the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 that is engaged with the lever support hole portion 33 when the lever 30 is in the normal assembly state relative to the first housing 10. Specifically, when the first pivot portion 13 is engaged with the lever support hole portion 33, the annular inner wall 33a supports the first shaft portion 13a. Or, when the second pivot portion 14 is engaged with the lever support hole portion 33, the annular inner wall 33a supports the second shaft portion 14a. Here, the normal assembly state of the lever 30 refers to the state in which the lever 30 is rotatably supported by the first housing 10 so that it can move normally between the temporary locking position and the permanent locking position.

[0046] The first projection housing 33b is continuous with the annular inner wall 33a and, when the lever 30 is in its normal assembled state, accommodates the projection of the first pivot point 13 and the second pivot point 14 that is engaged with the lever support hole 33 within a predetermined range of rotation. Specifically, when the first pivot point 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the first projection housing 33b accommodates the first projection 13b. Or, when the second pivot point 14 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the first projection housing 33b accommodates the second projection 14b. The range of rotation of the first projection 13b or the second projection 14b corresponds to the range of rotation when the lever 30 rotates between the assembled position and the locked position.

[0047] The second projection housing section 33c is continuous with the annular inner wall 33a and, when the lever 30 is in its normal assembled state, accommodates the lateral projection of the first pivot section 13 and the second pivot section 14 that is engaged with the lever support hole section 33 within a predetermined range of rotation. Specifically, when the first pivot section 13 is engaged with the lever support hole section 33, the second projection housing section 33c accommodates the first lateral projection 13c. Or, when the second pivot section 14 is engaged with the lever support hole section 33, the second projection housing section 33c accommodates the second lateral projection 14c. The range of rotation of the first lateral projection 13c or the second lateral projection 14c corresponds to the range of rotation when the lever 30 rotates between the assembled position and the locked position.

[0048] The first piece 33d is provided in the first projection housing 33b and enters between the projection engaged with the lever support hole 33 and the first side wall 11b from the first pivot 13 and the second pivot 14 while the lever 30 starts rotating from the temporary locking position and reaches the permanent locking position. Specifically, when the first pivot 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the first piece 33d enters between the first projection 13b and the first side wall 11b facing the first projection 13b while the lever 30 starts rotating from the temporary locking position and reaches the permanent locking position. When the second pivot point 14 engages with the lever support hole 33, the first piece 33d enters between the second projection 14b and the first side wall 11b facing the second projection 14b while the lever 30 is rotating from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position.

[0049] On the other hand, when the lever 30 is in the assembly position or temporary locking position, the first piece 33d does not enter between the projection of the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 that is engaged with the lever support hole portion 33 and the first side wall 11b. In other words, at this time, the first projection 13b or the second projection 14b directly faces the first side wall 11b through the Y-direction penetrating portion of the first projection housing portion 33b.

[0050] The second piece 33e is provided in the second projection housing 33c and enters between the lateral projection engaged with the lever support hole 33 and the first side wall 11b while the lever 30 starts rotating from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position. Specifically, when the first pivot 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the second piece 33e enters between the first lateral projection 13c and the first side wall 11b facing the first lateral projection 13c while the lever 30 starts rotating from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position. When the second pivot point 14 engages with the lever support hole 33, the second piece 33e enters between the second lateral projection 14c and the first side wall 11b facing the second lateral projection 14c while the lever 30 is rotating from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position.

[0051] On the other hand, when the lever 30 is in the assembly position or temporary locking position, the second piece 33e does not enter between the lateral projection of the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 that is engaged with the lever support hole portion 33 and the first side wall 11b. In other words, at this time, the first lateral projection 13c or the second lateral projection 14c directly faces the first side wall 11b through the Y-direction penetrating portion of the second projection housing portion 33c.

[0052] The first locking surface 33f is a part of the inner surface of the lever support hole 33 along the Y direction, and is a plane that faces the locking surface of the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 that is engaged with the lever support hole 33 when the lever 30 is in the assembled position or temporary locking position. Specifically, when the first pivot portion 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the first locking surface 33f is adjacent to or in surface contact with the first locking surface 13d. Or, when the second pivot portion 14 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the first locking surface 33f is adjacent to or in surface contact with the second locking surface 14d. In other words, one end of the first locking surface 33f is a part of the second projection housing portion 33c, and the other end of the first locking surface 33f is smoothly continuous with the annular inner wall 33a.

[0053] The pivot point housing groove 34 accommodates whichever of the first pivot point 13 and second pivot point 14 is not engaged with the lever support hole 33 when the lever 30 is in its normal assembled state. Specifically, when the first pivot point 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the pivot point housing groove 34 accommodates the second pivot point 14. Alternatively, when the second pivot point 14 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the pivot point housing groove 34 accommodates the first pivot point 13.

[0054] The lever 30 is considered to rotate with respect to the central axis of the annular inner wall 33a in the lever support hole 33. Therefore, the pivot point housing groove 34 is formed in a curved shape defined by the curvature with respect to the central axis of the annular inner wall 33a, so that it can accommodate the pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33, regardless of the position of the lever 30 within a predetermined range of rotation.

[0055] One end of the pivot point housing groove 34 in the curved extension direction is an open end that is released at the lower end 31c of the side plate 31. The other end of the pivot point housing groove 34 in the extension direction is a tip wall that contacts the pivot point housed in the pivot point housing groove 34 when the lever 30 is in the main locking position. This tip wall includes a second locking surface 34b as a plane that makes surface contact with the locking surface of the pivot point housed in the pivot point housing groove 34. Furthermore, the width of the pivot point housing groove 34 in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction is set to such an extent that the housed pivot point slides against both side walls of the pivot point housing groove 34 when the lever 30 rotates.

[0056] Furthermore, the pivot point housing groove 34 has a third piece 34a that enters between the lateral projection of the housing pivot point and the first side wall 11b while the lever 30 is rotating from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position. Specifically, when the first pivot point 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the third piece 34a enters between the second lateral projection 14c of the second pivot point 14 and the first side wall 11b facing the second lateral projection 14c. When the second pivot point 14 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the third piece 34a enters between the first lateral projection 13c of the first pivot point 13 and the first side wall 11b facing the first lateral projection 13c. Furthermore, when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the third piece 34a does not enter between the lateral projection of the fulcrum that houses it and the first side wall 11b.

[0057] Furthermore, the pivot point housing groove 34 accommodates the tip of the boss 23 that protrudes outward from the boss through groove 17 of the first side wall 11b directly below the pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33, as the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position. Therefore, the rotation of the lever 30 is not hindered by the pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33 and the boss 23 directly below the pivot point.

[0058] When the lever 30 is in its normal assembled state, the boss engagement groove 35 engages with the tip of the boss 23 that protrudes outward from the boss through groove 17 directly below the first pivot point 13 and the second pivot point 14 that are engaged with the lever support hole 33. Specifically, when the first pivot point 13 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the boss engagement groove 35 engages with the boss 23 directly below the first pivot point 13. Alternatively, when the second pivot point 14 is engaged with the lever support hole 33, the boss engagement groove 35 engages with the boss 23 directly below the second pivot point 14. As the lever 30 rotates from the assembled position to the locked position, the boss engagement groove 35 keeps its side walls in contact with 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 first pivot point 13 or the second pivot point 14, is pushed toward the second housing 20 along the fitting direction. Therefore, the rotation of the lever 30 is not hindered by the boss 23 located directly below the pivot point that is engaged with the lever support hole 33.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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 pivot points that engage with the pair of lever support holes 33. 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.

[0061] Next, we will explain how to determine whether the lever 30 is correctly assembled to the first housing 10 during the assembly of the connector 1.

[0062] Figure 6A is a side view of the first housing 10 with the lever 30 assembled in its normal state.

[0063] For example, assume that the connector 1 shown in Figure 1 is in the desired assembly state. In this case, when the lever 30 is assembled to the first housing 10, the pair of lever support holes 33 engage with the pair of first pivot points 13. At this time, the lever 30 is assembled while appropriately elastically deforming each part so that the tip pieces 31d provided on each tip 31e engage with the claws of the pair of locking walls 16 closer to the first pivot point 13. The position of the lever 30 after it has been assembled to the first housing 10, as shown in Figure 6A, is the assembly position of the lever 30. Furthermore, the orientation of the lever 30 relative to the first housing 10 in the normal assembly state is defined such that when the lever 30 is in the main locking position, the inside of the operating part 32 faces the first connecting wall 11c on the side farther from the first pivot point 13.

[0064] Here, the first pivot point 13 has two types of protrusions: a first projection 13b and a first lateral projection 13c. When the lever support hole 33 engages with the first pivot point 13, the first projection housing 33b accommodates the first projection 13b, and at the same time, the second projection housing 33c accommodates the first lateral projection 13c. In particular, the first lateral projection 13c protrudes in the direction opposite to the X direction, which is the direction away from the reference plane P along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, if the lever 30 is assembled in the correct state, the second projection housing 33c will properly accommodate the first lateral projection 13c which protrudes in the direction opposite to the X direction.

[0065] Figure 6B is drawn as a comparative example to Figure 6A and illustrates a situation in which the lever 30 is about to be incorrectly assembled to the first housing 10.

[0066] For example, consider a scenario where a worker attempts to engage a pair of second pivot points 14 with the pair of first pivot points 13, as shown in Figure 6A, instead of the intended pair of lever support holes 33 with the pair of first pivot points 13, as shown in Figure 6A. In the example in Figure 6B, even though the position of the lever 30 relative to the first housing 10 is the same as in Figure 6A, the pair of lever support holes 33 are attempting to engage with the pair of second pivot points 14. If the lever 30 could rotate with respect to the second pivot points 14 in the same position as in Figure 6A, then in the final assembled connector 1, the lever 30 would not be able to move to the temporary or permanent locking position properly, meaning it would have been assembled incorrectly.

[0067] Here, the second pivot portion 14, like the first pivot portion 13, has two types of protrusions: a second projection 14b and a second lateral projection 14c. However, the second lateral projection 14c protrudes in the X direction, which is the opposite direction to the protrusion direction of the first lateral projection 13c in the first pivot portion 13. Therefore, even if an operator mistakenly attempts to assemble the lever 30, there is no part in the lever support hole 33 to accommodate the second lateral projection 14c, so the second lateral projection 14c interferes with the surrounding part of the lever support hole 33, as shown by the blacked-out area in Figure 6B. As a result, the operator can recognize that the lever 30 is assembled incorrectly by the fact that the pair of lever support holes 33 cannot be engaged with the pair of second pivot portions 14.

[0068] Next, we will explain the state of connector 1 at each rotation position of lever 30.

[0069] Figures 7A and 7B show the state of the connector 1 when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position. Figure 7A is a side view of the connector 1. Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view of the connector 1 shown in Figure 7A, taken by cutting through a virtual XZ plane perpendicular to the first central axis AX1 and the second central axis AX2, passing through the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 provided on one of the first side walls 11b. More precisely, the cross-sectional plane in Figure 7B is a plane that passes through the first projection 13b and the first lateral projection 13c of the first pivot portion 13 and the second projection 14b and the second lateral projection 14c of the second pivot portion 14, and also passes through the boss engagement groove 35 so that the boss 23 directly below the first pivot portion 13 is visible.

[0070] In this embodiment, the temporary locking position of the lever 30 is defined as the same position as the assembled position. When the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the pair of first pivot points 13 engage with the pair of lever support holes 33, and the pair of second pivot points 14 are housed in the pair of pivot point housing grooves 34. However, since the third piece 34a of the pivot point housing groove 34 does not face the second lateral projection 14c of the second pivot point 14 in the axial direction of the second central axis AX2, the third piece 34a does not hinder the assembly of the lever 30 to the first housing 10. Also, when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the boss 23 directly below the first pivot point 13 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 second pivot point 14 is not yet housed in the pivot point housing groove 34.

[0071] When the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, firstly, the first locking surface 33f of the lever support hole 33 comes into contact with the first locking surface 13d of the first pivot point 13, thus restricting rotation of the lever 30 in the direction opposite to the rotation direction toward the permanent locking position. Secondly, the tip piece 31d of the lever 30 is temporarily locked to the claw provided at the tip of the locking wall 16, thus temporarily restricting rotation of the lever 30 in the rotation direction 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.

[0072] Figures 8A, 8B, and 8C show the state of connector 1 when lever 30 is in the locked position. Figure 8A is a side view of connector 1. Figure 8B is a cross-sectional view of connector 1 corresponding to section VIIIB-VIIIB in Figure 8A. The cross-section in Figure 8B is a virtual XY plane passing through the first lateral projection 13c of the first pivot section 13 and the second lateral projection 14c of the second pivot section 14. Figure 8C is a cross-sectional view of connector 1 corresponding to section VIIIC-VIIIC in Figure 8B. The cross-section in Figure 8C is a virtual XZ plane passing through the first projection 13b and the first lateral projection 13c of the first pivot section 13 and the second projection 14b and the second lateral projection 14c of the second pivot section 14. However, the cross-section in Figure 8C does not pass through the boss engagement groove 35.

[0073] 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.

[0074] Furthermore, as the lever 30 rotates to the permanent locking position, the first piece 33d of the lever support hole 33 enters between the first projection 13b of the first pivot point 13 and the first side wall 11b. Simultaneously, the second piece 33e of the lever support hole 33 enters between the first lateral projection 13c of the first pivot point 13 and the first side wall 11b. Meanwhile, the third piece 34a of the pivot point housing groove 34 enters between the second lateral projection 14c of the second pivot point 14 and the first side wall 11b after the lever 30 begins to rotate from the temporary locking position. When the lever 30 reaches the permanent locking position, the second locking surface 34b of the pivot point housing groove 34 comes into contact with the second locking surface 14d of the second pivot point 14.

[0075] Furthermore, as the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, the boss 23 directly below the first pivot point 13 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 second pivot point 14 is housed in the pivot point 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.

[0076] When the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, first, at the first pivot point 13 which serves as the rotation reference for the lever 30, the first piece 33d enters between the first projection 13b and the first side wall 11b, and the second piece 33e enters between the first lateral projection 13c and the first side wall 11b. As a result, the pair of lever support holes 33 are prevented from falling out of the pair of first pivot points 13, and consequently, the lever 30 is prevented from falling out of the first housing 10.

[0077] Furthermore, when the lever 30 rotates from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, the third piece 34a of the pivot housing groove 34 enters the space between the second lateral projection 14c and the first side wall 11b at the second pivot portion 14. As a result, the engagement between the pair of second pivot portions 14 and the pair of pivot housing grooves 34 is maintained, and the lifting of the side plate portion 31 of the lever 30 from the first side wall 11b is suppressed.

[0078] Furthermore, when the lever 30 reaches the locking position, the second locking surface 14d of the second pivot portion 14 comes into contact with the second locked surface 34b, so the operator can recognize that the lever 30 has reached the locking position by this contact.

[0079] Next, we will explain the effect of connector 1.

[0080] 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, a first pivot portion 13, and a second pivot portion 14. The first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 are positioned symmetrically across the center in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to both the mating direction and the extension direction of their respective central axes for each of the first side walls 11b, and rotatably support the lever 30. The first housing 10 also has a pair of first side walls 11b that position the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 symmetrically across the center in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to both the mating direction and the extension direction of their respective central axes. The lever 30 has a lever support hole 33 that engages with one of the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14, and a pivot portion housing groove 34 that accommodates the first pivot portion 13 or the second pivot portion 14 that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33 from the opposite direction to the fitting direction. The first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 each have a lateral projection that protrudes along the longitudinal direction while being spaced apart from the first side wall 11b. The lever support hole 33 and the pivot portion housing groove 34 each have a piece that enters between the lateral projection and the first side wall 11b while the lever 30 is rotating and reaching the locked position in which the fitting of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 is completed.

[0081] In the above example, the fitting direction corresponds to the Z direction, the extension direction of the first central axis AX1 of the first pivot portion 13 and the second central axis AX2 of the second pivot portion 14 corresponds to the Y direction, and the length direction corresponds to the X direction. Also in the above example, the lateral projection of the first pivot portion 13 corresponds to the first lateral projection 13c, and the lateral projection of the second pivot portion 14 corresponds to the second lateral projection 14c. Furthermore, in the above example, the piece of the lever support hole portion 33 corresponds to the second piece portion 33e, and the piece of the pivot portion housing groove portion 34 corresponds to the third piece portion 34a.

[0082] Furthermore, in the lever 30, the pivot point housing groove 34 is provided to accommodate the pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33 from the direction opposite to the fitting direction. According to this provision, the pivot point housing groove 34 is located in the lever 30 between the lever support hole 33 and a part such as the pressing portion 32a to which the operating force of the lever 30 is applied.

[0083] First, in connector 1, the first pivot point 13 and the second pivot point 14 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 100 connected to the first housing 10. Figure 1 illustrates the case where the lever 30 is in the normal assembly state when the lever support hole 33 is engaged with the first pivot point 13. In contrast, 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 lever support hole 33 with the second pivot point 14, the mounting orientation of the lever 30 can be reversed, and the lever 30 can be returned to the normal assembly state.

[0084] Furthermore, in connector 1, as described above, the first pivot point 13 and the second pivot point 14 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 to which the lever support hole 33 engages 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.

[0085] On the other hand, if the length of the lever 30 is set to be long, and no measures are taken, it is conceivable that during operation of the lever 30, the side of the lever 30 facing the first side wall 11b may lift away from the first side wall 11b, making the operation itself unstable.

[0086] In contrast, in connector 1, when the lever 30 rotates to the locked position, the second piece 33e of the lever support hole 33 enters between the lateral projection and the first side wall 11b, thereby preventing the lever support hole 33 from falling out of the pivot point. Also, when the lever 30 rotates to the locked position, at the pivot point where the lever support hole 33 is not engaged, the third piece 34a of the pivot point housing groove 34 enters between the lateral projection and the first side wall 11b. As a result, engagement between the pivot point where the lever support hole 33 is not engaged and the pivot point housing groove 34 is maintained, preventing the side of the lever 30 from lifting away from the first side wall 11b.

[0087] As described above, according to this embodiment, a connector 1 that stabilizes the operation of the lever 30 can be provided.

[0088] Furthermore, in connector 1, the first pivot portion 13 and the second pivot portion 14 may have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the center of the first side wall 11b in the longitudinal direction. Also, the lever support hole portion 33 may have a second projection accommodating portion 33c that accommodates the lateral projection of the engaged first pivot portion 13 or second pivot portion 14 within the range of rotation when the lever 30 is assembled to the first housing 10 between the assembly position and the locking position.

[0089] In the connector 1, the first pivot point 13 and the second pivot point 14 have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the center of the first side wall 11b in the longitudinal direction, so the protruding directions of the lateral projections provided on each pivot point are opposite to each other. Furthermore, since the lever support hole 33 has the second projection housing portion 33c defined as described above, as explained using Figures 6A and 6B, the lever support hole 33 will properly engage with either pivot point only when the lever 30 is in the correct assembly state. Therefore, with the connector 1, the worker can be made aware that the assembly state of the lever 30 is incorrect by the inability to engage the lever support hole 33 with a certain pivot point, that is, before the connector 1 is finally assembled.

[0090] Furthermore, in connector 1, one side of the lateral projection parallel to the central axis may be a locking surface that is a plane along both the longitudinal direction and the extension direction of the central axis, with the direction opposite to the mating direction as the normal direction. The lever support hole 33 may have a first locking surface 33f that is in contact with the locking surface when the lever 30 is in a temporary locking position, which is set to a predetermined position between the assembly position when the lever 30 is assembled to the first housing 10 and the rotation to the final locking position.

[0091] In the above example, one side of the first lateral projection 13c of the first support portion 13 that is parallel to the first central axis AX1 corresponds to the first locking surface 13d. Also, in the above example, one side of the second lateral projection 14c of the second support portion 14 that is parallel to the second central axis AX2 corresponds to the second locking surface 14d.

[0092] In the connector 1, when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the first locking surface 33f abuts against the locking surface of the pivot point that engages with the lever support hole 33, thereby restricting rotation of the lever 30 in the direction opposite to the rotation direction toward the permanent locking position. Therefore, the connector 1 allows the lever 30 to be held in the temporary locking position with a simple configuration.

[0093] Furthermore, in connector 1, the lever 30 may have a tip piece 31d on the tip portion 31e opposite to the side where the pivot point housing groove portion 34 is provided, with reference to the lever support hole portion 33. The first housing 10 may have a locking wall 16 including a claw portion that temporarily locks the tip piece 31d to prevent rotation toward the permanent locking position when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position.

[0094] In the connector 1, when the lever 30 is in the temporary locking position, the tip piece 31d of the lever 30 is temporarily locked to the claw portion of the locking wall 16, thereby temporarily restricting the rotation of the lever 30 toward the permanent locking position. Therefore, with the connector 1, the lever 30 can be held in the temporary locking position unless an operating force is applied to the lever 30 that would release the temporary restriction between the tip piece 31d and the locking wall 16.

[0095] Furthermore, in connector 1, one side of the lateral projection parallel to the central axis may be a locking surface that is a plane along both the longitudinal direction and the extension direction of the central axis, with the direction opposite to the mating direction as the normal direction. The pivot point housing groove 34 may have a second locking surface 34b that is in contact with and opposite to the locking surface when the lever 30 is in the main locking position.

[0096] In the connector 1, when the lever 30 reaches the locking position, the locking surface of the pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole 33 comes into contact with the second locking surface 34b. Therefore, the connector 1 allows the operator to recognize that the lever 30 has reached the locking position by this contact.

[0097] 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]

[0098] 1 Connector 10 Housing 1 11b 1st side wall 13. First support point 13c 1st lateral protrusion 13d First locking surface 14. Second support point 14c Second lateral protrusion 14d 2nd locking surface 20 Second Housing 30 Lever 33 Lever support hole 33e 2nd piece 33f 1st locked surface 34. Pivot point housing groove 34a Third section 34b Second locked surface AX1 1st center axis AX2 2nd center axis

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 side walls, Each of the side walls has a first pivot point and a second pivot point, which are positioned symmetrically across the center in the longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the extension direction of each central axis, and which rotatably support the lever. The aforementioned lever is A lever support hole that engages with one of the first and second pivot points, It has a pivot point receiving groove that accommodates the first pivot point or the second pivot point that is not engaged with the lever support hole from the direction opposite to the fitting direction, The first support portion and the second support portion each have a lateral projection that extends along the longitudinal direction while being spaced apart from the side wall, The lever support hole and the pivot point housing groove each have a piece that enters between the lateral projection and the side wall while the lever rotates and reaches the locked position in which the fitting of the first housing and the second housing is completed, forming a connector.

2. The first support portion and the second support portion have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the center of the side wall in the longitudinal direction, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the lever support hole has a projection housing portion that accommodates the lateral projection of the engaged first pivot portion or second pivot portion within the range of rotation when the lever rotates between the assembly position when the lever is assembled to the first housing and the main locking position.

3. One side of the lateral projection parallel to the central axis is a locking surface that is a plane aligned with both the longitudinal direction and the extension direction of the central axis, with the direction opposite to the fitting direction as its normal direction. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever support hole has a first locking surface that contacts the locking surface when the lever is in a temporary locking position, which is set to a predetermined position between the assembly position when the lever is assembled to the first housing and the rotation to the permanent locking position.

4. The lever has a tip piece at the tip opposite to the side where the pivot point housing groove is provided, with reference to the lever support hole. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the first housing has a locking wall including a claw portion that temporarily locks the tip piece to prevent rotation toward the permanent locking position when the lever is in the temporary locking position.

5. One side of the lateral projection parallel to the central axis is a locking surface that is a plane aligned with both the longitudinal direction and the extension direction of the central axis, with the direction opposite to the fitting direction as its normal direction. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pivot point housing groove has a second locking surface that contacts the locking surface when the lever is in the main locking position.

Images