Lever-type connector

Abstract

This invention provides a lever-type connector that can improve the reliability of the position-holding mechanism that holds the lever in its initial position. [Solution] The lever-type connector 1 includes a rotation mechanism 8 that allows the lever 4 to rotate relative to the connector housing 3, and a position-holding mechanism 21 that holds the lever 4 in its initial position. The position-holding mechanism 21 holds the lever 4 in its initial position when the lever 4 is in its initial position by a projection 22 formed on one of the shaft portion 12 and shaft hole 13 of the rotation mechanism 8 engaging with a regulating groove 23 formed on the other. The position-holding mechanism 21 allows the lever 4 to rotate when the lever 4 deforms due to interference with the mating connector 2 during the process of fitting the connector housing 3 to the mating connector 2, thereby releasing the engagement between the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lever-type connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when fitting a female connector housing into a male connector housing, a rotary lever-type connector that completely fits the female connector housing into the male connector housing by operating a rotary lever provided on the female connector housing is well known. In this rotary lever-type connector, a protrusion of the male connector housing is engaged with a cam groove formed in the rotary lever. When the rotary lever is operated, the female connector housing is guided to enter the male connector housing by a cam structure of the cam groove formed in a curved shape and the protrusion engaged with the cam groove, so that they are completely fitted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, this type of rotary lever-type connector has a position holding structure for holding the rotary lever at the initial position before the rotary operation. This position holding structure holds the rotary lever at the initial position, for example, by engaging a protrusion piece formed on the rotary lever with a groove of the male connector housing. The engagement between the protrusion piece and the groove is released, for example, by pushing the protrusion piece away from the groove by a rib formed on the male connector housing during the process of fitting the female connector housing into the male connector housing.

[0005] Here, the projection needs to be a movable part that can engage with and disengage from the groove, specifically, an elastically deformable movable piece. Because the projection needs to be shaped to move relative to the lever body, there was a concern that its shape might deform during operation of the rotating lever. Furthermore, there was a concern that the projection might crack or chip depending on the circumstances. As described above, there was a problem with the reliability of the rotating lever type connector in terms of component durability.

[0006] The object of this disclosure is to provide a lever-type connector that can improve the reliability of a position-holding mechanism that holds the lever in an initial position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A lever-type connector that solves the above problem is configured to connect to a mating connector by being pulled into the mating connector during the process of operating a lever, which is rotatably provided on a connector housing that mates with a mating connector, from an initial position to a mating position, and comprises a rotation mechanism that makes the lever rotatable relative to the connector housing by inserting a shaft portion formed on one of the connector housing and the lever into a shaft hole formed on the other of the connector housing and the lever, and a position-holding mechanism that holds the lever in the initial position by having a projection formed on one of the shaft portion and the shaft hole engage with a regulating groove formed on the other, wherein the position-holding mechanism allows rotation of the lever by releasing the engagement of the projection and the regulating groove when the lever deforms due to interference with the mating connector during the process of mating the connector housing with the mating connector, thereby allowing the lever to rotate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure can improve the reliability of a position-holding mechanism that holds a lever in its initial position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lever-type connector before it is mated to the mating connector. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side view of the lever-type connector when the lever is in its initial position. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view of a lever-type connector when the lever is in the mating position. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lever-type connector after the mating guarantee member has been operated. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the position holding mechanism. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front view of the lever. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) shows the state before the lever is inserted into the mating connector, and Figure 7(b) shows the state after the lever has been inserted into the mating connector. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII shown in Figure 10(b). [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the shape of the temporary fastening section. [Figure 10] Figures 10(a) to 10(d) are perspective views showing the transitions in the state of the position-holding mechanism as the lever is rotated. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The lever-type connector of the present disclosure is configured to be connected to a mating connector by the connector housing being pulled into the mating connector during the process of operating a lever, which is rotatably provided on a connector housing that mates with a mating connector, from an initial position to a mating position, and comprises a rotation mechanism that makes the lever rotatable relative to the connector housing by inserting a shaft portion formed on one of the connector housing and the lever into a shaft hole formed on the other of the connector housing and the lever, and a position-holding mechanism that holds the lever in the initial position by a projection formed on one of the shaft portion and the shaft hole engaging with a regulating groove formed on the other thereof when the lever is in the initial position, wherein the position-holding mechanism allows rotation of the lever by releasing the engagement of the projection and the regulating groove when the lever deforms due to interference with the mating connector during the process of mating the connector housing with the mating connector, thereby allowing rotation of the lever.

[0011] In this configuration, a projection and a regulating groove are provided between the shaft and shaft hole of the rotation mechanism that allows the lever to rotate relative to the connector housing. These projections engage with each other when the lever is in its initial position. This holds the lever in its initial position. Furthermore, as the connector housing is fitted to the mating connector, the shape of the lever itself deforms, causing the projection to disengage from the regulating groove, thus releasing the engagement between the projection and the regulating groove. In this way, there is no need to use a movable piece that moves relative to the lever body as a structure to hold the lever in its initial position. Therefore, the reliability of the position-holding mechanism that holds the lever in its initial position can be improved.

[0012] [2] In the above [1], the lever has a pair of arms on which the rotating mechanism is arranged, the pair of arms are formed to have a shape with symmetrical curves, and in the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, the position holding mechanism deforms so as to eliminate the curves due to interference between the pair of arms and the mating connector, thereby releasing the engagement of the projection and the regulating groove. With this configuration, the lever is held in the initial position by the engagement of the projection and the regulating groove using the curved shape of the arms of the lever. Furthermore, in the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, the engagement of the projection and the regulating groove is released as the curve of the arms of the lever is eliminated. In this way, it is possible to switch between engagement and disengagement of the projection and the regulating groove with a simple structure that utilizes the curved shape of the arms of the lever.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], a warp-relieving mechanism is provided that applies a load to the lever to eliminate warping when the connector housing is mated with the mating connector. With this configuration, when the connector housing is mated with the mating connector, the warp-relieving mechanism assists in eliminating the warping of the lever arm. As a result, the warping can be sufficiently eliminated, and the reliability of the disengagement of the protrusion from the regulating groove is improved.

[0014] [4] In any of the above [1] to [3], the projection is formed on the side surface of the shaft so as to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft, and the restricting groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole so as to be able to contact the projection, thereby restricting the rotation of the lever in the direction of the fitting position. With this configuration, the projection for holding the lever in the initial position is formed by utilizing the shape that originally exists on the shaft. Therefore, there is no need to make significant design changes.

[0015] [5] In [4] above, the shaft portion allows the protrusion to pass through a notch formed in the shaft hole, and by rotating the lever by a certain amount to position the protrusion in the regulation groove, the lever is positioned at the initial position. The shaft hole has an anti-axial-disengagement portion that supports the protrusion from the back surface so that the protrusion does not come out of the shaft hole when the protrusion is positioned in the regulation groove. According to this configuration, it becomes difficult for the shaft portion to disengage from the shaft hole, so the reliability of the lever-type connector as a device is improved.

[0016] [6] In any one of [1] to [5] above, the set of the protrusion and the regulation groove is provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft portion. According to this configuration, since a plurality of locations where the position of the lever is held by the protrusion and the regulation groove are provided, it becomes possible to make it difficult for the lever to move unintentionally from the initial position.

[0017] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and is intended to be defined by the claims and to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, a part of the configuration may be shown exaggerated or simplified. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may be different from the actual ones.

[0018] (Lever-Type Connector 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the lever-type connector 1 includes a connector housing 3 that is fitted to a mating connector 2, and a lever 4 that is rotatably attached to the connector housing 3. A plurality of electrical terminals (not shown) are provided in the mating connector 2 and the connector housing 3, respectively. The lever-type connector 1 and the mating connector 2 are one male connector and the other female connector.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the lever-type connector 1 is mated with the mating connector 2, the lever 4 can be rotated between an initial position (see Figure 2) and a mating position (see Figure 3). In the process of moving the lever 4 from the initial position to the mating position, the connector housing 3 is pulled into the mating connector 2 along the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 2, thereby connecting the lever-type connector 1 to the mating connector 2.

[0020] (Lever 4) As shown in Figure 1, the lever 4 has a pair of arms 6 and a connecting portion 7 that connects the pair of arms 6. The lever 4 is rotatably mounted to the connector housing 3 via a rotating mechanism 8 provided between the pair of arms 6 and the connector housing 3. Thus, the lever 4 has a pair of arms 6 on which the rotating mechanism 8 is located. When the direction in which the pair of arms 6 are aligned is the width direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 1), the rotating mechanism 8 is provided on both sides in the width direction (only one side is shown in Figure 1). The lever 4 has a locking piece 10 that engages with the engaging projection 9 of the connector housing 3 when the lever 4 is rotated to the mating position.

[0021] (Rotation mechanism 8) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rotating mechanism 8 has a shaft portion 12 formed on one of the connector housing 3 and the lever 4, and an axial hole 13 formed on the other of the connector housing 3 and the lever 4. In this example, the shaft portion 12 is formed on the connector housing 3, and the axial hole 13 is formed on the lever 4. The shaft portion 12 is formed on both sides of the connector housing 3. The shaft portion 12 is shaped to extend along the width direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 1, etc.), which is the direction in which the pair of arm portions 6 are aligned. The axial hole 13 is formed on each of the pair of arm portions 6.

[0022] Lever 4 is switched to the fitted position by rotating it from its initial position in the direction of the fitted position (arrow A2 in Figure 2: counterclockwise direction on the paper). At this time, lever 4 rotates around the shaft 12 of the rotating mechanism 8.

[0023] (Cam mechanism 15) As shown in Figure 1, a cam mechanism 15 is provided between the mating connector 2 and the lever 4. This mechanism generates a load that causes the lever-type connector 1 to fully engage with the mating connector 2 during the rotational operation of the lever 4 around its axis. The cam mechanism 15 is provided on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 1, etc.), which is the direction in which the pair of arms 6 are aligned.

[0024] The cam mechanism 15 includes, for example, a cam pin 16 formed in the mating connector 2 and a cam groove 17 formed in the lever 4. In this example, the cam pin 16 is formed on the inner surface of the mating portion 18 into which the connector housing 3 is fitted in the mating connector 2. In this example, the cam groove 17 is formed on the outer surface of a pair of arm portions 6. The cam groove 17 is formed in a groove shape that can convert the rotational motion of the lever 4 into the linear motion of the connector housing 3.

[0025] When the lever 4 is operated from its initial position to the mating position, the cam mechanism 15 converts the rotational motion of the lever 4 into the linear motion of the connector housing 3 sinking down, as the curved cam groove 17 slides against the cam pin 16. As a result, the lever-type connector 1 moves from its initial position before the lever 4 is operated (see Figure 2) to the mating position (see Figure 3). In this way, the lever-type connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 2 as the connector housing 3 is pulled into the mating connector 2 during the process of the lever 4 being operated from its initial position to the mating position.

[0026] (Matching guarantee component 19) As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the lever-type connector 1 has a mating assurance member 19 for detecting whether the lever 4 has reached the correct mating position. The mating assurance member 19 is a so-called CPA (connector position assurance) member. The mating assurance member 19 makes it possible to recognize that the lever 4 has reached the mating position by allowing a pushing operation when the lever 4 has reached the mating position.

[0027] (Information Department 20) As shown in Figure 1, a guide portion 20 is provided between the mating connector 2 and the connector housing 3 to guide their mating. In this example, the guide portion 20 guides the linear movement of the connector housing 3 relative to the mating connector 2 when the connector housing 3 is mated to the mating connector 2 by the rotational operation of the lever 4 to the mating position.

[0028] The guide portion 20 has a guide rail 20a formed on the side surface of the connector housing 3 and a rail groove 20b formed on the inner surface of the fitting portion 18 for inserting the guide rail 20a. The guide rail 20a is formed on both sides of the connector housing 3. The rail groove 20b is formed at two opposing locations on the inner surface of the fitting portion 18. Thus, two sets of guide rails 20a and rail grooves 20b are formed. In Figure 1, one set of guide rails 20a and rail grooves 20b is shown, and the other set of rail grooves 20b is shown.

[0029] (Position holding mechanism 21) As shown in Figure 5, the lever-type connector 1 includes a position-holding mechanism 21 that holds the lever 4 in its initial position before mating with the mating connector 2. The position-holding mechanism 21 holds the lever 4 in its initial position by a projection 22 formed on one of the shaft portion 12 and the shaft hole 13 engaging with a regulating groove 23 formed on the other. In this example, the position-holding mechanism 21 has the projection 22 formed on the connector housing 3 and the regulating groove 23 formed on the lever 4. The position-holding mechanism 21 is provided on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 5, etc.), which is the direction in which the pair of arm portions 6 are aligned (Figure 5, etc. only shows one side), but only one side will be described here.

[0030] The projection 22 is formed on the side surface of the shaft portion 12 so as to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft portion 12 (direction of the axis L1) (direction of arrow Lk in Figure 5). The restricting groove 23 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole 13 to restrict the rotation of the lever 4 in the fitting position direction (direction of arrow A2 in Figure 5) by contact with the projection 22. The restricting groove 23 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole 13 so as to be able to contact the projection 22. In this example, the restricting groove 23 is formed by recessing a part of the restricting projection 24 that protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole 13. Specifically, the restricting groove 23 is formed by recessing the end of the restricting projection 24 in the rotation direction of the lever 4 (direction of the arrow in Figure 5). The set of projection 22 and restricting groove 23 is provided on both sides in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft portion 12 (direction of arrow Lk in Figure 5).

[0031] A notch 25 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole 13, through which the projection 22 of the shaft portion 12 passes when the shaft portion 12 is inserted into the shaft hole 13. In this way, the shaft portion 12 is positioned in its initial position by passing the projection 22 through the notch 25 formed in the shaft hole 13 and rotating the lever 4 by a certain amount to position the projection 22 in the regulating groove 23. In this example, a pair of notches 25 are formed facing each other.

[0032] The shaft hole 13 has a shaft dislodgement prevention portion 26 that supports the projection 22 from the back when the projection 22 is positioned in the regulating groove 23, preventing the projection 22 from coming out of the shaft hole 13. The shaft dislodgement prevention portion 26 is formed, for example, by forming the bottom of the regulating groove 23, at a position a predetermined amount lower than the surface of the regulating projection 24. In this example, the shaft dislodgement prevention portion 26 is formed integrally with the regulating projection 24.

[0033] (The curved shape of the arm portion 6 of lever 4) As shown in Figure 6, the pair of arms 6 are formed with a shape having symmetrical curves. In this example, the pair of arms 6 are formed with a shape where the tips are spread apart from each other. The amount of curvature W1 of the pair of arms 6 is set to a value that allows the projection 22 of the shaft portion 12 to engage with the regulating groove 23 of the shaft hole 13 when the lever 4 is in its initial position.

[0034] (Warping correction mechanism 28) As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the lever-type connector 1 includes a warp-relieving mechanism 28 that applies a load to the lever 4 to eliminate warping when the connector housing 3 is mated with the mating connector 2. The warp-relieving mechanism 28 in this example includes a beveled surface 29 formed on the outer surface of the tip of the arm portion 6 of the lever 4, and a contact surface 30 on the inner surface of the mating portion 18 of the mating connector 2 that contacts the beveled surface 29. The warp-relieving mechanism 28 guides the arm portion 6 into the mating portion 18 while eliminating the warping of the arm portion 6 with the beveled surface 29 at the tip of the arm portion 6. Once the arm portion 6 is inserted into the mating portion 18, the warp-relieving mechanism 28 maintains the warp-relieved state by supporting the arm portion 6 with the contact surface 30 of the mating portion 18.

[0035] (Disengaging the protrusion 22 and the regulating groove 23 in the position holding mechanism 21) As shown in Figure 8, the position-holding mechanism 21 moves in a direction away from the projection 22 of the shaft 12 (in the direction of arrow A3 in the figure) as the lever 4 deforms due to interference with the mating connector 2 during the process of fitting the connector housing 3 onto the mating connector 2. This releases the engagement between the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23 of the position-holding mechanism 21, allowing the lever 4 to rotate.

[0036] In this example, the pair of arms 6 of the lever 4 are formed in a curved shape with their tips spread apart from each other. Therefore, in the process of fitting the connector housing 3 to the mating connector 2, the position holding mechanism 21 in this example releases the engagement of the protrusion 22 and the regulating groove 23 as the pair of arms 6 deform to eliminate their curvature due to interference with the mating connector 2. In other words, during the process of fitting the mating connector 2 and the connector housing 3, the curve of the arms 6 that are open outward (upward in the plane of Figure 8) deforms inward (downward in the plane of Figure 8), thereby releasing the engagement of the position holding mechanism 21.

[0037] (Temporary fastening part 32) As shown in Figure 9, the lever-type connector 1 includes a temporary fixing portion 32 for temporarily fixing the lever 4 in its initial position. The temporary fixing portion 32 has a first projection 33 formed on the inner surface of the lever 4 and a second projection 34 formed on the side surface of the connector housing 3 so as to abut against the first projection 33. The second projection 34 has a first inclined portion 35 that abuts against the first projection 33 and a second inclined portion 36 that is positioned on the opposite side of the first inclined portion 35 in the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 6 of the lever 4.

[0038] [Effect] Next, the operation of the lever-type connector 1 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 10(a), before the lever-type connector 1 is mated with the mating connector 2, the arm portion 6 of the lever 4 is positioned outward, so that the projection 22 of the shaft portion 12 engages with the regulating groove 23 of the shaft hole 13. At this time, the end of the projection 22 facing the regulating projection 24 can come into contact with the wall of the regulating groove 23, so the lever 4 cannot be rotated from the initial position to the mating position. In other words, rotation of the lever 4 in the direction of the mating position (arrow A2 direction in Figure 10(c), etc.) is prohibited. As a result, the lever 4 is maintained in the initial position.

[0039] Furthermore, when the lever 4 is in its initial position, the load due to the bending of the lever 4 acts from the shaft dislodgement prevention part 26 to the projection 22. That is, when the lever 4 is in the position before operation, the shaft dislodgement prevention part 26 of the lever 4 is strongly pressed against the projection 22 of the shaft 12. As a result, the lever 4 is even more difficult to move from its initial position. Moreover, since the lever 4 is also held by the temporary fixing part 32, it is even more difficult to move from its initial position.

[0040] As shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), when the lever-type connector 1 is mated with the mating connector 2, the inclined portion 29 of the arm portion 6 is guided along the contact surface 30 on the inner surface of the mating portion 18 of the mating connector 2, thereby eliminating the curvature of the arm portion 6 as it enters the mating portion 18. In this way, as the tip of the lever 4 enters the mating portion 18 of the mating connector 2, the curvature of the lever 4 is eliminated by being pressed by the contact surface 30 of the mating portion 18. In this example, the lever 4 is deformed so that the arm portion 6 closes when pressed by the contact surface 30 of the mating portion 18.

[0041] As shown in Figures 8 and 10(b), when the lever-type connector 1 is mated with the mating connector 2, if the arm portion 6 deforms to close during the process, the arm portion 6 moves in a direction away from the projection 22 (in the direction of arrow A3 shown in Figures 8 and 10(b)), causing the projection 22 of the shaft portion 12 to disengage from the regulating groove 23. This disengages the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23. Therefore, it becomes possible to rotate the lever 4 from its initial position towards the mating position.

[0042] As shown in Figure 10(c), when the projection 22 is disengaged from the regulating groove 23, and the lever 4 is rotated in the direction of the fitting position, the projection 22 rides up on the surface of the regulating projection 24. In other words, the projection 22 is no longer interfered with by the regulating groove 23, and further rotation of the lever 4 is permitted.

[0043] As shown in Figure 10(d), when the lever 4 is rotated from its initial position to the mating position, the projection 22 remains on the restricting projection 24 by positioning itself at the end opposite to the point where it has been raised. Furthermore, when the lever 4 is in the mating position, the locking piece 10 of the lever 4 engages with the engaging projection 9 of the connector housing 3, thereby holding the lever 4 in the mating position. Whether the connectors have been fully mated together by operating the lever 4 to the mating position is confirmed by whether the mating guarantee member 19 attached to the lever 4 can be pushed in or not.

[0044] [Effects of the Embodiment] According to the lever-type connector 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The lever-type connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 2 by the lever 4, which is rotatably mounted on the connector housing 3 that mates with the mating connector 2, being pulled into the mating connector 2 during the process of operating the lever 4 from its initial position to the mating position. The lever-type connector 1 includes a rotation mechanism 8 and a position-holding mechanism 21. The rotation mechanism 8 makes the lever 4 rotatable relative to the connector housing 3 by inserting a shaft portion 12 formed on one of the connector housing 3 and the lever 4 into a shaft hole 13 formed on the other of the connector housing 3 and the lever 4. The position-holding mechanism 21 holds the lever 4 in its initial position by having a projection 22 formed on one of the shaft portion 12 and the shaft hole 13 engage with a regulating groove 23 formed on the other when the lever 4 is in its initial position. The position-holding mechanism 21 allows the lever 4 to rotate when the lever 4 deforms due to interference with the mating connector 2 during the process of mating the connector housing 3 with the mating connector 2, thereby releasing the engagement of the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23.

[0045] In this configuration, a projection 22 and a regulating groove 23 are provided between the shaft portion 12 and the shaft hole 13 of the rotation mechanism 8 that allows the lever 4 to rotate relative to the connector housing 3. These projections engage with each other when the lever 4 is in its initial position. This holds the lever 4 in its initial position. Furthermore, as the connector housing 3 is fitted into the mating connector 2, the shape of the lever 4 itself deforms, causing the projection 22 to disengage from the regulating groove 23, thereby releasing the engagement between the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23. Thus, there is no need to use a movable piece that moves relative to the lever body as a structure to hold the lever 4 in its initial position. Therefore, the reliability of the position-holding mechanism 21 that holds the lever 4 in its initial position can be improved.

[0046] (2) The lever 4 has a pair of arms 6 on which a rotating mechanism 8 is arranged. The pair of arms 6 are formed in a shape with symmetrical curves. In the process of fitting the connector housing 3 to the mating connector 2, the position holding mechanism 21 releases the engagement of the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23 as the pair of arms 6 deform to eliminate their curves due to interference with the mating connector 2. With this configuration, the lever 4 is held in its initial position by the engagement of the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23 using the curved shape of the arms 6 of the lever 4. Also, in the process of fitting the connector housing 3 to the mating connector 2, the engagement of the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23 is released as the curve of the arms 6 of the lever 4 is eliminated. In this way, the engagement and disengagement of the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23 can be switched using a simple structure that utilizes the curved shape of the arms 6 of the lever 4.

[0047] (3) The lever-type connector 1 is equipped with a warp-relieving mechanism 28 that applies a load to the lever 4 to eliminate warping when the connector housing 3 is mated with the mating connector 2. With this configuration, when the connector housing 3 is mated with the mating connector 2, the warp-relieving mechanism 28 assists in eliminating the warping of the arm portion 6 of the lever 4. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the warp sufficiently, which improves the reliability of the disengagement of the projection 22 from the regulating groove 23.

[0048] (4) The projection 22 is formed on the side surface of the shaft portion 12 so as to protrude in a direction (direction of arrow Lk shown in Figure 5) that intersects with the axial direction of the shaft portion 12 (direction of the axis L1 shown in Figure 5). The restricting groove 23 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole 13 so as to be able to contact the projection 22, thereby restricting rotation of the lever 4 in the direction of the fitting position. With this configuration, the projection 22 for holding the lever 4 in the initial position is formed by utilizing the shape that originally exists on the shaft portion 12. Therefore, there is no need to make significant design changes.

[0049] (5) The shaft portion 12 is positioned in its initial position by passing the projection 22 through the notch 25 formed in the shaft hole 13 and rotating the lever 4 by a certain amount to position the projection 22 in the regulating groove 23. The shaft hole 13 has a shaft dislodgement prevention portion 26 that supports the projection 22 from the back when the projection 22 is positioned in the regulating groove 23, preventing the projection 22 from coming out of the shaft hole 13. With this configuration, the shaft portion 12 is less likely to come out of the shaft hole 13, thus improving the reliability of the lever-type connector 1 as a device.

[0050] (6) The set of projection 22 and regulating groove 23 is provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft portion 12 (the direction of the axis L1 shown in Figure 5) (the direction of the arrow Lk shown in Figure 5). With this configuration, multiple locations are provided where the position of the lever 4 is held by the projection 22 and regulating groove 23, making it difficult for the lever 4 to move from its initial position unintentionally.

[0051] [Other embodiments] Furthermore, this embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0052] The connector housing 3 may have a shape that includes, for example, a main body such as an inner housing and a cover fitted to the main body. In this case, the shaft portion 12 may be formed in the cover. That is, the lever-type connector 1 may be configured such that the lever 4 is rotatably attached to the shaft portion 12 formed in the cover.

[0053] The projection 22 is not limited to being formed at the tip of the shaft portion 12, but may also be formed in the middle of the shaft. The curvature of the lever 4 is not limited to a shape in which the tips of the pair of arms 6 curve outward from each other, but may also be a shape in which the tips of the pair of arms 6 curve inward so that they move closer together.

[0054] The position holding mechanism 21 may be configured such that, for example, the engagement between the projection 22 and the regulating groove 23 is released when the regulating groove 23 is displaced outward relative to the projection 22 due to the outward deformation of the lever 4. The restricting protrusion 24 and the shaft dislodgement prevention portion 26 are not limited to being a continuous, integrated shape; they may be provided separately.

[0055] Lever 4 is not limited to being made of resin; it may also be made of metal. The cam groove 17 of the lever 4 is not limited to a recess; for example, it may be a through hole (slit shape).

[0056] The cam pin 16 of the cam mechanism 15 is not limited to being formed on the inner surface of the fitting portion 18, but may also be formed on the outer surface of the fitting portion 18. The mating connector 2 may have a special shape for eliminating the warping of the lever 4 as an element of the warping elimination mechanism 28.

[0057] The set of protrusion 22 and regulating groove 23 may consist of only one set. The shaft portion 12 and the shaft hole 13 may be formed in the lever 4, with the shaft portion 12 being formed in the lever 4 and the shaft hole 13 being formed in the connector housing 3.

[0058] This disclosure is described in accordance with the embodiments, but it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments or structures. This disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within the scope of equivalence. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one, more, or less of those elements, fall within the scope and concept of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1. Lever-type connector 2. The other connector 3 Connector Housing 4 Lever 6 Arms 7 Connecting part 8 rotation mechanism 9 Engagement protrusion 10 lock pieces 12 Shaft section 13 Shaft hole 15 Cam mechanism 16 cam pins 17 Cam groove 18 Fitting part 19 Fitting Guarantee Member 20 Information Department 20a Guide rail 20b Rail groove 21 Position holding mechanism 22 Protrusion 23 Regulating groove 24 Restriction violation 25 Notch 26. Shaft removal prevention mechanism 28 Warp-eliminating mechanism 29 Sloping section 30 Contact surface 32 Temporary fastening part 33 1st race 34 2nd rush 35. First slope section 36. Second Slope Section L1 axis center W1 amount of curvature

Claims

1. A lever-type connector that connects to a mating connector by the connector housing being pulled into the mating connector during the process of operating a lever, which is rotatably mounted on the connector housing that mates with the mating connector, from an initial position to a mating position, A rotation mechanism that allows the lever to rotate relative to the connector housing by inserting a shaft portion formed in one of the connector housing and the lever into a shaft hole formed in the other of the connector housing and the lever, The system includes a position-holding mechanism that, when the lever is in the initial position, engages a projection formed on one of the shaft portion and the shaft hole with a regulating groove formed on the other, thereby holding the lever in the initial position. The position-holding mechanism is a lever-type connector in which, during the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, the lever deforms due to interference with the mating connector, thereby releasing the engagement between the protrusion and the regulating groove and allowing the lever to rotate.

2. The lever has a pair of arms on which the rotation mechanism is arranged. The pair of arms are formed in a shape having symmetrical curves, The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein, in the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, the pair of arms deform to eliminate warping due to interference with the mating connector, thereby releasing the engagement between the protrusion and the regulating groove.

3. The lever-type connector according to claim 2, further comprising a warp-reducing mechanism that applies a load to the lever to eliminate warping when the connector housing is fitted to the mating connector.

4. The projection is formed on the side surface of the shaft portion so as to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft portion. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the restricting groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole so as to be in contact with the projection, thereby restricting the rotation of the lever in the direction of the fitting position.

5. The shaft portion is positioned in the initial position by passing the projection portion through the notch formed in the shaft hole and rotating the lever by a certain amount to position the projection portion in the regulating groove. The lever-type connector according to claim 4, wherein the shaft hole has a shaft dislodgement prevention portion that supports the projection from the back when the projection is positioned in the regulating groove, preventing the projection from coming out of the shaft hole.

6. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the set of the projection and the regulating groove is provided on both sides in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft portion.

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