connector

Abstract

This provides a connector that allows for miniaturization of lever connectors. [Solution] The connector 1 includes an arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 that rotates the lever 2 along an arc-shaped trajectory between an initial position and a mating position, and a conversion mechanism 30 that, in conjunction with the movement of the lever 2 which rotates in an arc shape by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20, converts the operating direction of the lever 2 along the arc shape to a mating direction that mates the lever connector 3 with the mating connector 4. The arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 has a hook-shaped lever inner circumference portion 23 formed at the tip of the lever 2, an inner sliding portion 21 formed on the connector housing 7 with which the lever inner circumference portion 23 slides, a lever outer circumference portion 24 formed on the side of the lever 2 opposite to the lever inner circumference portion 23, and an outer sliding portion 22 formed on the connector housing 7 with which the lever outer circumference portion 24 slides.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a lever-type connector that fits a first connector housing and a second connector housing by rotating a fitting operation lever rotatably attached to a first lever engagement shaft portion formed on a pair of outer walls of the first connector housing is well-known. In Patent Document 1, when the fitting operation lever is operated from the fitting start position to the fitting end position, the second lever engagement shaft portion of the second connector housing slides in the cam groove of the first connector housing, and the fitting between the connector housings proceeds by the force in the fitting direction acting from the cam groove.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the case of Patent Document 1, since the lever is a rotation operation type, a rotation shaft, specifically, a first lever rotation shaft portion is required for the lever. Therefore, since it is necessary to provide a space for arranging such a rotation shaft in the connector, it has been an obstacle to the miniaturization of the connector.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector capable of miniaturizing a lever connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A connector that solves the above problem is configured such that, in the process of operating a lever operably provided on a lever connector connected to a mating connector from an initial position to a mating position, the connector housing of the lever connector is pulled into the mating connector and mated with the mating connector, and comprises an arc-shaped rotation mechanism that rotates the lever along an arc-shaped trajectory between the initial position and the mating position, and a conversion mechanism that, in conjunction with the operation of the lever which rotates in an arc shape by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism, converts the operating direction along the arc shape of the lever to a mating direction that mates the lever connector with the mating connector, wherein the arc-shaped rotation mechanism has a hook-shaped lever inner circumference formed at the tip of the lever, an inner sliding part formed on the connector housing with which the lever inner circumference slides, a lever outer circumference formed on the side of the lever opposite to the lever inner circumference, and an outer sliding part formed on the connector housing with which the lever outer circumference slides. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure enables miniaturization of the lever connector. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the mated state of the connector. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lever connector before it is mated to the mating connector. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lever connector. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a rear view of the lever connector, seen from the direction of the terminal insertion surface. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lever connector seen from an oblique angle above. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the lever connector, seen from a diagonal downward angle. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a lever connector with the lever in its initial position mated with a mating connector. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a partially broken perspective view showing the internal structure of the upper part of the connector housing. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a partially broken perspective view showing the internal structure of the lower part of the connector housing. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the shape of the mating connector and lever. [Figure 11] Figure 11(a) is a cross-sectional view of the connector when the mating direction rotation restriction mechanism is released, and Figure 11(b) is a cross-sectional view of the connector after the lever has been operated by a predetermined amount after the mating direction rotation restriction mechanism has been released. [Figure 12] Figure 12(a) is a cross-sectional view of the lever connector being inserted into the mating connector, and Figure 12(b) is a cross-sectional view of the lever connector midway through insertion into the mating connector. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the connector when the lever is operated to approximately the intermediate position. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the connector when the lever is operated to near the end of its range of motion. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the connector when the lever connector is mated with the mating connector. [Figure 16] Figure 16(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the outermost trajectory, which is the trajectory of the lever's operating part, when the lever is operated by a simple rotation mechanism, and Figure 16(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the outermost trajectory, which is the trajectory of the lever's operating part, when the lever is configured to rotate in an arc. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector of the present disclosure has a structure that, in the process of operating a lever operably provided on a lever connector connected to a mating connector from an initial position to a mating position, pulls the connector housing of the lever connector into the mating connector and mates with the mating connector, comprising: an arc-shaped rotation mechanism that rotates the lever along an arc-shaped trajectory between the initial position and the mating position; and a conversion mechanism that, in conjunction with the operation of the lever which rotates in an arc shape by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism, converts the operating direction along the arc shape of the lever to a mating direction for mating the lever connector into the mating connector, wherein the arc-shaped rotation mechanism has a hook-shaped lever inner circumference formed at the tip of the lever; an inner sliding portion formed on the connector housing with which the lever inner circumference slides; an outer circumference formed on the lever opposite to the lever inner circumference; and an outer sliding portion formed on the connector housing with which the lever outer circumference slides.

[0010] In this configuration, when the lever is operated from the initial position to the mating position, the direction of operation of the lever is converted by a conversion mechanism to the mating direction of the lever connector, thereby mating the lever connector with the mating connector. At this time, the lever is rotated in an arc-shaped trajectory by an arc-shaped rotation mechanism. Thus, in this configuration, the lever's movement structure is a rotational structure that slides the lever. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where the lever is operated by a simple rotation, there is no need to provide a rotation axis for the lever, and thus the space required for arranging the components is reduced. As a result, it becomes possible to miniaturize the connector.

[0011] [2] In [1] above, the connector housing has a terminal insertion surface formed with terminal insertion holes into which terminals are inserted, and the inner sliding portion is disposed on the same plane as the terminal insertion surface. According to this configuration, it is possible to dispose the virtual center of the arc-shaped rotation locus of the lever away from the mating opposite direction of the lever connector. For this reason, when rotating the lever from the initial position to the mating position, the outermost peripheral locus of the lever can be made a locus drawn at a position far from the connector housing. Thus, since the terminal insertion surface is less likely to be hidden by the operation portion of the lever, the operation of inserting the terminal into the terminal insertion hole becomes easy.

[0012] [3] In [1] or [2] above, when the inner sliding portion defines the direction along the longitudinal direction of the recess in the connector housing into which the arm portion of the lever is inserted as the defined direction, the inner sliding portion is disposed at or near the end portion of the connector housing in the defined direction. According to this configuration, since the inner sliding portion is disposed at or near the end portion of the connector housing in the defined direction, it is possible to lengthen the arm portion of the lever. Thereby, a sufficient multiplying effect by the lever can be obtained. Thus, it is possible to reduce the operating load of the lever, and it is possible to improve the workability of mating.

[0013] [4] In any one of [1] to [3] above, the inner sliding portion is formed in a column shape with which the inner peripheral portion of the lever slidably engages, and both ends of the column are connected to the connector housing. According to this configuration, since both ends of the column-shaped inner sliding portion are supported by the connector housing, it is possible to improve the strength of the inner sliding portion.

[0014] [5] In any one of [1] to [4] above, the conversion mechanism is a cam mechanism that converts the operation direction along the arc shape of the lever into the fitting direction in which the lever connector is fitted to the mating connector by the action of a cam structure including a cam pin formed on the mating connector and a cam groove formed on the lever for engaging the cam pin, and a plurality of sets of the combination of the cam pin and the cam groove are provided.

[0015] With this configuration, when the lever connector is mated to the mating connector by lever operation, multiple cam pins allow the lever connector to be supported in a balanced manner relative to the mating connector. Therefore, when mating the lever connector to the mating connector, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of tilting in the connector housing, thus enabling smooth mating between the lever connector and the mating connector.

[0016] [6] In the above [3], the conversion mechanism is a cam mechanism that converts the operating direction along the arc shape of the lever to the mating direction for mating the lever connector to the mating connector by the action of a cam structure comprising a cam pin formed in the mating connector and a cam groove formed in the lever for engaging the cam pin, wherein, when a line passing through the inner sliding portion in the mating direction between the lever connector and the mating connector is taken as a reference line, the cam pin is positioned on the opposite side of the end with respect to the reference line. With this configuration, if the inner sliding portion is positioned at or near the end of the connector housing in a specified direction, the space for positioning the cam mechanism may be limited. However, in this configuration, the cam pin is positioned in a space where components can be positioned. Therefore, it is possible to position the inner sliding portion at or near the end of the connector housing in a specified direction and to secure space for positioning the cam mechanism.

[0017] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these examples, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims. In each drawing, some parts of the structure may be exaggerated or simplified for illustrative purposes. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from those of actual parts.

[0018] (Connector 1) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 1 comprises a lever connector 3 having a lever 2 that is operated during mating, and a mating connector 4 into which the lever connector 3 is mated. The mating connector 4 has a housing portion 5 that accommodates the lever connector 3 during mating. The lever connector 3 is housed in the housing portion 5 such that a predetermined one surface is exposed from the housing portion 5. One of the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector.

[0019] (Lever connector 3) As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the lever connector 3 has a connector housing 7 to which a plurality of terminals (not shown) are attached. The connector housing 7 is formed in a substantially block shape corresponding to the shape of the housing 5, for example. The connector housing 7 has a plurality of terminal insertion holes 9 for inserting terminals on the terminal insertion surface 8 that is exposed when mated with the mating connector 4. The lever 2 is mounted to the connector housing 7 so as to be movable relative to it.

[0020] Lever 2 is operated between an initial position (shown in Figures 2 to 4), which is the position before the mating operation, and a mating position (shown in Figure 1), which is the completed position for fully mating the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4. When the lever connector 3 is mated to the mating connector 4 and lever 2 is operated from the initial position to the mating position, the lever connector 3 enters the mating connector 4 due to the operating load of lever 2, thereby fully mating the lever connector 3 to the mating connector 4.

[0021] (Lever 2) As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lever 2 has a pair of arms 10 and an operating part 11 formed to connect the pair of arms 10 as a part to be gripped when operating the lever 2. Thus, the lever 2 is formed in a double-arm shape with the arms 10 extending from both sides of the operating part 11. In this example, the pair of arms 10 has a first arm 10a and a second arm 10b that are arranged to face each other.

[0022] (Connector housing 7) The connector housing 7 includes a main body portion 13 in which terminal insertion holes 9 are formed, a first outer wall 14 positioned opposite the main body portion 13, and a second outer wall 15 located on the opposite side of the first outer wall 14. The first arm portion 10a is slidably inserted into a first recess 17 formed between the main body portion 13 and the first outer wall 14. The second arm portion 10b is slidably inserted into a second recess 18 formed between the main body portion 13 and the second outer wall 15.

[0023] (Arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20) As shown in Figure 7, the lever connector 3 includes an arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 that rotates the lever 2 in an arc shape along an arc-shaped trajectory between an initial position and a mating position. The arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 moves the lever 2 to the initial position or the mating position, for example, by rotating the lever 2 along an arc-shaped trajectory while sliding the arm portion 10 of the lever 2 inside the connector housing 7.

[0024] (Inner sliding part 21, and outer sliding part 22) As shown in Figure 7, the arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 has an inner sliding portion 21 and an outer sliding portion 22 formed in the connector housing 7. The inner sliding portion 21 is formed in a shape in which the surface that contacts the lever 2 has a curved surface. In this example, the inner sliding portion 21 is formed, for example, in a semicircular cross-section. The inner sliding portion 21 is positioned inside the arc-shaped rotation trajectory of the lever 2. The inner sliding portion 21 engages with the inner circumferential surface of the lever tip, which is the innermost radial circumferential surface of the lever 2 that rotates in an arc.

[0025] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner sliding portion 21 has a first inner sliding portion 21a into which the tip of the first arm portion 10a engages, and a second inner sliding portion 21b into which the tip of the second arm portion 10b engages. The first inner sliding portion 21a is installed between the main body portion 13 and the first outer wall 14 of the connector housing 7. Thus, both ends of the first inner sliding portion 21a are connected to the connector housing 7. The second inner sliding portion 21b is installed between the main body portion 13 and the second outer wall 15 of the connector housing 7. Thus, both ends of the second inner sliding portion 21b are connected to the connector housing 7. Therefore, the inner sliding portion 21 in this example is formed in a columnar shape, and both ends of the column (specifically, the upper and lower ends of the column) are connected to the connector housing 7.

[0026] The inner sliding portion 21 is positioned on the same plane as the terminal insertion surface 8 of the connector housing 7. The inner sliding portion 21 is positioned at the end (left edge of the paper) of the terminal insertion surface 8 of the connector housing 7. In this example, the inner sliding portion 21 is positioned at the corner of the terminal insertion surface 8, which is roughly rectangular when viewed from the rear. Thus, the inner sliding portion 21 is positioned at or near the end of the connector housing 7 in the specified direction Yk (Y-axis direction in Figure 5, etc.: width direction of the paper). The specified direction Yk is the direction along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction of the paper) of the first recess 17 (second recess 18) into which the arm portion 10 of the lever 2 is inserted in the connector housing 7.

[0027] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the outer sliding portion 22 is formed in a shape in which the surface that contacts the lever 2 has a curved surface. In this example, the outer sliding portion 22 is formed in a semicircular shape having a radius larger than the radius of the circle formed by the circumferential surface of the inner sliding portion 21. As shown in Figure 7, the outer sliding portion 22 is positioned outside the arc-shaped rotation trajectory of the lever 2. The outer sliding portion 22 engages with the outer circumferential surface of the lever, which is the radially outermost surface of the lever 2 that rotates in an arc.

[0028] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the outer sliding portion 22 has a first outer sliding portion 22a (see Figure 8) to which the outer circumferential surface of the first arm portion 10a abuts, and a second outer sliding portion 22b (see Figure 9) to which the outer circumferential surface of the second arm portion 10b abuts. The first outer sliding portion 22a is a wall located inside the first recess 17 of the connector housing 7. The second outer sliding portion 22b is a wall located inside the second recess 18 of the connector housing 7.

[0029] (Inner circumference 23 of the lever, and outer circumference 24 of the lever) As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the arc-shaped rotating mechanism 20 has an inner circumferential portion 23 and an outer circumferential portion 24 formed on the lever 2. The inner circumferential portion 23 of the lever is slidably engaged with the inner sliding portion 21 of the connector housing 7. The inner circumferential portion 23 of the lever is positioned on the inner circumferential surface of the tip of the arm portion 10 and is formed in a hook shape. In this way, the lever 2 is attached to the connector housing 7 by the hook shape of the inner circumferential portion 23 of the lever engaging with the inner sliding portion 21. The engagement surface of the inner circumferential portion 23 of the lever is formed in a substantially arc shape to match the shape of the inner sliding portion 21. In this example, the inner circumferential portion 23 of the lever is a bearing portion for the inner sliding portion 21.

[0030] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner circumference of the lever 23 has a first lever inner circumference 23a formed at the tip of the first arm 10a of the lever 2, and a second lever inner circumference 23b formed at the tip of the second arm 10b of the lever 2. The first lever inner circumference 23a is in sliding contact with the first inner sliding portion 21a of the connector housing 7. The second lever inner circumference 23b is in sliding contact with the second inner sliding portion 21b of the connector housing 7.

[0031] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the outer circumference 24 of the lever is formed on the surface opposite to the inner circumference 23 of the lever in the planar direction of the arm portion 10. The outer circumference 24 of the lever is positioned opposite the outer sliding portion 22 of the connector housing 7, and is formed to be able to slide against the outer sliding portion 22. The outer circumference 24 of the lever is formed in a substantially arc shape to match the shape of the outer sliding portion 22.

[0032] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lever outer periphery 24 has a first lever outer periphery 24a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first arm portion 10a of the lever 2, and a second lever outer periphery 24b formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second arm portion 10b of the lever 2. The first lever outer periphery 24a is formed to be slidable against the first outer sliding portion 22a of the connector housing 7. The second lever outer periphery 24b is formed to be slidable against the second outer sliding portion 22b of the connector housing 7.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, when the lever 2 is operated from the initial position to the fitted position, the inner circumference 23 of the lever slides along the arc shape of the inner sliding part 21, and the outer circumference 24 of the lever slides along the arc shape of the outer sliding part 22, causing the lever 2 to rotate in the arc direction (direction of arrow r in Figure 7). In this way, the lever 2 is operated to the initial position and the fitted position by rotating in an arc between the inner sliding part 21 and the outer sliding part 22. In the case of arc rotation, the lever 2 rotates in an arc with respect to the pivot point Pt located at the tip of the lever 2. In this example, the pivot point Pt is the inner sliding part 21 with which the tip of the lever 2 slides.

[0034] (Guide mechanism 26) As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the lever connector 3 includes a guide mechanism 26 that guides the arc-shaped rotation of the lever 2. The guide mechanism 26 includes, for example, a guide portion 27 formed on the lever 2 (see Figure 6) and a guide surface 28 formed on the connector housing 7 (see Figure 8). The guide portion 27 is formed, for example, on the back surface of the first arm portion 10a so as to contact the guide surface 28. The guide surface 28 is erected, for example, on the upper surface of the main body portion 13 of the connector housing 7. The guide portion 27 and the guide surface 28 are formed in an arc shape corresponding to the direction of movement of the arc-shaped rotation of the lever 2. Therefore, when the lever 2 is operated, the guide mechanism 26 guides the arc-shaped rotation of the lever 2 by moving the side surface of the guide portion 27 along the guide surface 28.

[0035] (Conversion mechanism 30) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the connector 1 includes a conversion mechanism 30 that converts the operation direction of the lever 2 (direction of arrow r in FIG. 7) into a fitting direction (direction of arrow t in FIG. 7) in which the lever connector 3 is fitted to the mating connector 4. The conversion mechanism 30 converts the operation direction along the arc of the lever 2 into the fitting direction in which the lever connector 3 is fitted to the mating connector 4 in conjunction with the operation of the lever 2 that rotates in an arc by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20.

[0036] The conversion mechanism 30 is a cam mechanism 31 that converts the operation direction of the lever 2 into the fitting direction of the lever connector 3 by the action of a cam structure. The cam mechanism 31 includes a first cam mechanism 31a (see FIG. 7) formed between the first arm portion 10a of the lever 2 and the first wall portion 32 of the mating connector 4, and a second cam mechanism 31b (see FIG. 10) formed between the second arm portion 10b of the lever 2 and the second wall portion 33 facing the first wall portion 32 of the mating connector 4.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7, the first cam mechanism 31a includes a plurality of cam pins 34 protruding from the inner surface of the first wall portion 32, and a plurality of cam grooves 35 formed on the outer surface of the first arm portion 10a of the lever 2 so that the cam pins 34 are engaged. The plurality of cam pins 34 include a first cam pin 34a disposed at the position closest to the inner sliding portion 21 of the lever connector 3 fitted to the mating connector 4, a second cam pin 34b disposed adjacent to the first cam pin 34a, and a third cam pin 34c disposed adjacent to the second cam pin 34b. These cam pins 34 are formed in a circular cross-sectional shape. The diameter of the first cam pin 34a is formed larger than the diameters of the second cam pin 34b and the third cam pin 34c.

[0038] The first cam pin 34a, the second cam pin 34b, and the third cam pin 34c are formed such that the distances L from the opening of the housing portion 5 of the mating connector 4 are different. In the case of this example, the distance L1 from the center of the first cam pin 34a to the opening of the housing portion 5, the distance L2 from the center of the second cam pin 34b to the opening of the housing portion 5, and the distance L3 from the center of the third cam pin 34c to the opening of the housing portion 5 are set in the relationship of "L2 < L1 < L3".

[0039] The first cam pin 34a (in this example, all of the first cam pins 34a to the third cam pin 34c) is positioned on the opposite side (right side of the page) of the end where the inner sliding portion 21 is located, with respect to the reference line Lk that passes through the inner sliding portion 21 in the mating direction between the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4. Thus, in this example, the multiple cam pins 34 are positioned to the right of the reference line Lk that passes through the inner sliding portion 21 along the mating direction, in the page.

[0040] As shown in Figure 10, in this example, the amount of protrusion of the first cam pin 34a from the ceiling surface is greater than the amount of protrusion of the second cam pin 34b and the third cam pin 34c. In this example, the first cam pin 34a has a larger diameter and is longer than the second cam pin 34b and the third cam pin 34c. This is because, in the force-multiplying structure of the cam mechanism 31, the operating load is drawn from the first cam pin 34a, which is closest to the fulcrum Pt (see Figure 7), so the diameter of the first cam pin 34a is made the largest and the longest compared to the other pins.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the connector housing 7 has a plurality of slits 36 through which the cam pins 34 pass when the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4 are mated. The slits 36 include a first slit 36a through which the first cam pin 34a passes, a second slit 36b through which the second cam pin 34b passes, and a third slit 36c through which the third cam pin 34c passes. The slits 36 are formed in a straight line along the mating direction of the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4 (the X-axis direction as shown in Figure 5, etc.).

[0042] The multiple cam grooves 35 include a first cam groove 35a located near the inner sliding portion 21 of the connector housing 7, a second cam groove 35b located further from the inner sliding portion 21 than the first cam groove 35a, and a third cam groove 35c located further from the inner sliding portion 21 than the second cam groove 35b. The first cam groove 35a is a groove into which the first cam pin 34a engages, and is formed to a depth corresponding to the amount of protrusion of the first cam pin 34a. The second cam groove 35b is a groove into which the second cam pin 34b engages, and is formed to a depth corresponding to the amount of protrusion of the second cam pin 34b. The third cam groove 35c is a groove into which the third cam pin 34c engages, and is formed to a depth corresponding to the amount of protrusion of the third cam pin 34c.

[0043] The first cam groove 35a, the second cam groove 35b, and the third cam groove 35c are formed in arc-shaped paths corresponding to the direction of rotational movement of the lever 2. In this example, the groove lengths of the first cam groove 35a, the second cam groove 35b, and the third cam groove 35c are formed such that the second cam groove 35b is the longest, followed by the first cam groove 35a, and the third cam groove 35c is the shortest. The groove length of the third cam groove 35c is formed to allow the third cam pin 34c to enter during the latter half of the operation of the lever 2 from its initial position to the fitted position.

[0044] The second cam mechanism 31b is configured similarly to the first cam mechanism 31a, except that it does not have a third cam pin 34c and a third cam groove 35c. Therefore, a description of the second cam mechanism 31b will be omitted.

[0045] (Reverse rotation restriction mechanism 38) As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the lever connector 3 is equipped with a reverse rotation restricting mechanism 38 that prevents the lever 2 from falling out of the connector housing 7 in its initial position. The reverse rotation restricting mechanism 38 includes, for example, a projection 38a (see Figure 9) formed on the connector housing 7 and a contact wall 38b (see Figure 5) formed on the lever 2 that engages with the projection 38a. The projection 38a is formed on the back surface of the main body portion 13 of the connector housing 7. The contact wall 38b is formed on the inner surface of the first arm portion 10a of the lever 2.

[0046] When lever 2 is in its initial position, even if lever 2 is operated further in the opening direction (in the direction of arrow r' shown in Figure 5), the projection 38a and the contact wall 38b come into contact, restricting further rotation of lever 2 in the reverse direction. In this way, lever 2, which is supported in the connector housing 7 so as to be rotatable in an arc shape, is prevented from falling out of the connector housing 7 when in its initial position by the contact between the projection 38a and the contact wall 38b.

[0047] (Matching direction rotation restricting mechanism 39) As shown in Figures 7, 11(a), and 11(b), the lever connector 3 includes a mating direction rotation restricting mechanism 39 that restricts rotation in the mating direction (direction of arrow r in Figure 7) of the lever 2 in its initial position before mating with the mating connector 4. The mating direction rotation restricting mechanism 39 includes, for example, an elastic piece 40 formed on the lever 2 and a groove 41 formed on the connector housing 7 that engages with the elastic piece 40. The elastic piece 40 is positioned on the path through which the third cam pin 34c moves when the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4 are mated. The elastic piece 40 is formed near the entrance of the third cam groove 35c of the lever 2. The elastic piece 40 is part of the first lever outer circumference 24a of the lever 2. The groove 41 is part of the first outer sliding portion 22a of the connector housing 7.

[0048] As shown in Figure 11(a), when the lever connector 3 is mated to the mating connector 4 in its initial position, pushing the lever connector 3 further in the mating direction (direction of arrow t in Figure 11(a)) causes the third cam pin 34c to push in the elastic piece 40, causing it to elastically deform. This releases the engagement between the elastic piece 40 and the groove 41. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11(b), the lever 2 in its initial position is permitted to rotate in an arc in the direction toward the mating position (direction of arrow St in Figure 11(b)).

[0049] (Locking mechanism 42) As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the lever connector 3 includes a locking mechanism 42 that locks the lever 2 in the mating position. The locking mechanism 42 includes, for example, a locking arm 43 (see Figure 8) formed on the connector housing 7 and a projection 44 (see Figure 6) formed on the lever 2. The locking arm 43 is elastically deformable and has an arm groove 43a on the surface facing the first arm portion 10a of the lever 2 that engages with the projection 44. The projection 44 is formed, for example, on the back surface of the first arm portion 10a of the lever 2. When the lever 2 is operated to the mating position, the projection 44 engages with the arm groove 43a of the locking arm 43, thereby holding the lever 2 in the mating position.

[0050] [Effect of the Embodiment] Next, the operation of connector 1 in this embodiment will be described. (Procedure for mating lever connector 3 and mating connector 4) As shown in Figure 12(a), when the lever connector 3 is mated to the mating connector 4, first, the lever connector 3, with the lever 2 in its initial position, is inserted into the housing portion 5 of the mating connector 4. As shown in Figure 12(b), during the process of the lever connector 3 being mated to the housing portion 5, the first cam pin 34a passes through the first slit 36a, the second cam pin 34b passes through the second slit 36b, and the third cam pin 34c passes through the third slit 36c.

[0051] As shown in Figure 11(a), when the lever connector 3 is inserted a predetermined amount into the housing 5, the third cam pin 34c of the mating connector 4 contacts and presses against the elastic piece 40 of the lever 2, causing the elastic piece 40 to disengage from the groove 41 of the connector housing 7. This releases the mating direction rotation restricting mechanism 39, allowing the lever 2 to rotate in an arc. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11(b), it becomes possible to rotate the lever 2 from its initial position toward the mating position in an arc.

[0052] As shown in Figure 13, when an operating load is applied to the lever 2 with the fitting direction rotation restricting mechanism 39 released, the arm portion 10 of the lever 2 rotates in an arc shape in the region between the inner sliding portion 21 and the outer sliding portion 22, moving toward the fitting position. In the initial stage of lever operation, the first cam pin 34a slides inside the first cam groove 35a, and the second cam pin 34b slides inside the second cam groove 35b.

[0053] As shown in Figure 14, as the lever operation progresses to the latter half, the third cam pin 34c enters the interior of the third cam groove 35c. In other words, as the lever operation approaches its end position, both the cam pin 34 and the cam groove 35 are fully engaged.

[0054] As shown in Figure 15, the lever 2 reaches the mating position when the cam pin 34 enters the deepest part of the cam groove 35. When the lever 2 reaches the mating position, the lever connector 3 is fully housed in the housing 5 of the mating connector 4. When the lever 2 reaches the mating position, the back surface (rear end) of the arm portion 10 of the lever 2 and the terminal insertion surface 8 of the connector housing 7 become parallel. Thus, in the process of operating the lever 2 from the initial position to the mating position, the lever connector 3 is pulled into the mating connector 4 by the connector housing 7, thereby mating the lever connector 3 with the mating connector 4.

[0055] (Advantages of connector 1 in this example) As shown in Figure 7, the structure for moving the lever 2 between the initial position and the mating position involves rotating the lever 2 along an arc-shaped trajectory. However, in the case of a simple rotary operation where the rotating shaft of the connector housing 7 is fitted into the hole in the lever 2, a rotating shaft is required to rotate the lever 2, and furthermore, sufficient strength is required in the shape around the rotating shaft, thus limiting miniaturization. On the other hand, in this example, since the structure involves rotating the lever 2 in an arc shape, the space required for component placement is smaller compared to a rotary type where the lever 2 requires a rotating shaft. Therefore, it is possible to miniaturize the connector 1.

[0056] Incidentally, if the lever 2 is a double-armed type with a simple rotational operation, engaging the lever 2 with the rotation axis of the connector housing 7 requires spreading the pair of arms 10 of the lever 2 while engaging it with the rotation axis, which makes the installation process time-consuming. On the other hand, in this example, a hook-shaped inner circumference portion 23 of the lever is formed at the tip of the arms 10 of the lever 2, and it is only necessary to hook this hook-shaped inner circumference portion 23 of the lever onto the inner sliding portion 21 of the connector housing 7. Therefore, the lever 2 can be attached to the connector housing 7 with a simple operation.

[0057] Furthermore, if the lever 2 is a double-armed type with a simple rotational operation, when engaging the lever 2 with this shape onto the rotation axis of the connector housing 7, there is a possibility that the arms 10 of the lever 2 may be damaged if they are spread too wide. On the other hand, in this example, it is only necessary to hook the hook-shaped inner circumference 23 of the lever onto the inner sliding part 21 of the connector housing 7, so there is no need to spread the pair of arms 10 when installing the lever 2. Therefore, the lever 2 will not be damaged.

[0058] Figure 16(a) shows the outermost trajectory R1, which is the trajectory of the lever tip (operating part 11) when the rotary lever 2 is rotated from its initial position to the mating position. When the lever 2 is rotary, the axis of rotation of the lever 2 is located deep inside the connector housing 7, so when the lever 2 is in its initial position, it is positioned in front of the terminal insertion surface 8 of the connector housing 7. Therefore, when attaching terminals to the terminal insertion holes 9 of the terminal insertion surface 8, the operating part 11 of the lever 2 gets in the way, making terminal attachment work difficult.

[0059] Figure 16(b) shows the outermost trajectory R2, which is the trajectory of the lever tip (operating part 11) when the lever 2, which is operated by rotating in an arc shape in this example, is rotated from the initial position to the mating position. In this example, since the lever 2 is operated by rotating in an arc shape, the virtual center of rotation of the lever 2 is located away from the terminal insertion surface 8 of the connector housing 7. Therefore, the outermost trajectory R2 is located away from the terminal insertion surface 8. As a result, when the lever 2 is in the initial position, it is located away from the terminal insertion surface 8 of the connector housing 7. Therefore, when inserting a terminal into the terminal insertion hole 9 of the terminal insertion surface 8, the operating part 11 of the lever 2 does not get in the way, making it possible to improve the workability of terminal installation.

[0060] [Effects of the Embodiment] According to the connector 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The connector 1 includes an arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 that rotates the lever 2 along an arc-shaped trajectory between an initial position and a mating position, and a conversion mechanism 30 that, in conjunction with the movement of the lever 2 which rotates in an arc shape by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20, converts the operating direction of the lever 2 along the arc shape to a mating direction that mates the lever connector 3 with the mating connector 4. The arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 has a hook-shaped lever inner circumference portion 23 formed at the tip of the lever 2, an inner sliding portion 21 formed on the connector housing 7 with which the lever inner circumference portion 23 slides, a lever outer circumference portion 24 formed on the side of the lever 2 opposite to the lever inner circumference portion 23, and an outer sliding portion 22 formed on the connector housing 7 with which the lever outer circumference portion 24 slides.

[0061] In this configuration, when the lever 2 is operated from the initial position to the mating position, the direction of operation of the lever 2 is converted by the conversion mechanism 30 to the mating direction of the lever connector 3, thereby mating the lever connector 3 with the mating connector 4. At this time, the lever 2 is rotated by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism 20 to follow an arc-shaped trajectory. Thus, in this example, the movement structure of the lever 2 is a rotational structure that slides the lever 2. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where the lever 2 is a simple rotational operation type, there is no need to provide a rotation axis for the lever 2, and the space required for arranging the parts is reduced accordingly. Thus, the connector 1 can be made smaller.

[0062] (2) The connector housing 7 has a terminal insertion surface 8 in which terminal insertion holes 9 into which terminals are inserted are formed. The inner sliding part 21 is arranged on the same plane as the terminal insertion surface 8. With this configuration, it is possible to position the virtual center of the arc-shaped rotational trajectory of the lever 2 away from the direction opposite to the mating of the lever connector 3. As a result, the outermost trajectory R2 of the lever 2 when rotating the lever 2 from the initial position to the mating position can be made to be a trajectory drawn at a position far from the connector housing 7. Therefore, the terminal insertion surface 8 is less likely to be hidden by the operating part 11 of the lever 2, making it easier to insert terminals into the terminal insertion holes 9.

[0063] (3) The inner sliding portion 21 is positioned at or near the end of the connector housing 7 in the specified direction Yk, when the direction along the longitudinal direction of the recess (in this example, the first recess 17 and the second recess 18) into which the arm portion 10 of the lever 2 is inserted in the connector housing 7 is defined as the specified direction Yk (for example, the width direction of the connector housing 7). With this configuration, since the inner sliding portion 21 is positioned at or near the end of the connector housing 7 in the specified direction Yk, it becomes possible to lengthen the arm portion 10 of the lever 2. This provides a sufficient force-multiplying effect from the lever 2. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the operating load of the lever 2, and thus improve the workability of mating.

[0064] (4) The inner sliding portion 21 is formed in a columnar shape into which the inner circumference 23 of the lever 2 slidably engages, and both ends of the column are connected to the connector housing 7. With this configuration, both ends of the columnar inner sliding portion 21 are supported by the connector housing 7, so the strength of the inner sliding portion 21 can be improved.

[0065] (5) The conversion mechanism 30 is a cam mechanism 31 that converts the operating direction along the arc of the lever 2 to the fitting direction for fitting the lever connector 3 to the mating connector 4 by the action of a cam structure consisting of a cam pin 34 formed in the mating connector 4 and a cam groove 35 formed in the lever 2 to engage with the cam pin 34. Multiple sets of cam pins 34 and cam grooves 35 are provided. With this configuration, when the lever connector 3 is fitted to the mating connector 4 by lever operation, the multiple cam pins 34 make it possible to support the lever connector 3 with respect to the mating connector 4 in a balanced manner. As a result, when the lever connector 3 is fitted to the mating connector 4, the lever connector 3 (connector housing 7) is less likely to tilt relative to the mating connector 4. Thus, the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4 can be fitted together smoothly.

[0066] (6) When the line passing through the inner sliding portion 21 in the mating direction between the lever connector 3 and the mating connector 4 is taken as the reference line Lk, the cam pin 34 is positioned on the opposite side of the end of the connector housing 7 in the specified direction Yk (for example, the width direction of the connector housing 7) with respect to the reference line Lk. With this configuration, if the inner sliding portion 21 is positioned at or near the end of the connector housing 7 in the specified direction Yk, the space for positioning the cam mechanism 31 may be limited. However, in this configuration, the cam pin 34 is positioned in the space where the components can be positioned. Therefore, it is possible to position the inner sliding portion 21 at or near the end of the connector housing 7 in the specified direction Yk and to secure space for positioning the cam mechanism 31.

[0067] [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.

[0068] The inner sliding portion 21 is not limited to being located at the end of the terminal insertion surface 8, but may also be located at a position other than the end. The set of cam pins 34 and cam grooves 35 of the cam mechanism 31 is not limited to two or more sets, but may be just one set.

[0069] The cam mechanism 31 may be provided on only one of the pair of arms 10 of the double-supported lever 2. The conversion mechanism 30 is not limited to the cam mechanism 31; any mechanism capable of converting the operating direction of the lever 2 to the mating direction of the lever connector 3 is acceptable.

[0070] The reverse rotation restricting mechanism 38 may have a projection 38a formed on the lever 2 and a contact wall 38b formed on the connector housing 7. The locking mechanism 42 may have a locking arm 43 formed on the lever 2 and a projection 44 formed on the connector housing 7.

[0071] The reverse rotation restricting mechanism 38, the fitting direction rotation restricting mechanism 39, and the locking mechanism 42 may be modified to have structures or shapes other than those in the embodiment, as long as they satisfy the necessary functions. Lever 2 may have a cantilever structure, specifically a structure with one plate on one side.

[0072] The connector 1 may have a structure in which multiple housing sections 5 are formed in the mating connector 4, and a lever connector 3 is fitted into each housing section 5. • As used in this disclosure, the phrase "at least one" means "one or more" of the desired options. For example, as used in this disclosure, "at least one" means "only one option" or "both of the two options" if there are two options. As another example, as used in this disclosure, "at least one" means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" if there are three or more options.

[0073] 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.

[0074] Next, we will describe the technical concepts that can be understood from the above embodiments and modified examples. (1) A lever connector that, in the process of operating a lever operably provided on a connector housing from an initial position to a mating position, pulls the connector housing into a mating connector and mates with the mating connector, comprising: an arc-shaped rotation mechanism that rotates the lever along an arc-shaped trajectory between the initial position and the mating position; and a cam groove that, in conjunction with the movement of the lever which rotates in an arc shape by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism, causes a cam pin provided on the mating connector to slide inside, thereby converting the operating direction of the lever along the arc shape to a mating direction for mating the lever connector with the mating connector, wherein the arc-shaped rotation mechanism comprises: a hook-shaped lever inner circumference formed at the tip of the lever; an inner sliding portion formed on the connector housing with which the lever inner circumference slides; an outer circumference formed on the lever opposite to the lever inner circumference; and an outer sliding portion formed on the connector housing with which the lever outer circumference slides. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Connector 2 Lever 3 Lever connector 4. Mating connector 5. Storage Area 7 Connector Housing 8 terminal insertion surface 9 terminal insertion holes 10 Arm 10a 1st arm 10b 2nd arm 11 Control section 13 Main body 14 First outer wall 15 Second outer wall 17. First recess 18. Second recess 20. Arc-shaped rotation mechanism 21 Inner sliding part 21a First inner sliding part 21b Second inner sliding part 22 Outer sliding part 22a First outer sliding part 22b Second outer sliding part 23 Inner circumference of the lever 23a Inner circumference of the first lever 23b Inner circumference of the second lever 24. Outer circumference of the lever 24a Outer circumference of the first lever 24b Outer circumference of the second lever 26 Guide mechanism 27 Guide Section 28 Guide surface 30 Conversion mechanism 31 Cam mechanism 31a First cam mechanism 31b Second cam mechanism 32 1st wall section 33 Second wall section 34 cam pin 34a First cam pin 34b Second cam pin 34c Third cam pin 35 cam groove 35a First cam groove 35b Second cam groove 35c Third cam groove 36 slits 36a First Slit 36b Second Slit 36c Third Slit 38 Reverse rotation restriction mechanism 38a protrusion 38b Abutment wall 39. Mechanism for restricting rotation in the mating direction 40 elastic pieces 41 Groove 42 Locking mechanism 43 Lock Arm 43a Arm groove 44 Protrusion L distance L1 distance L2 distance L3 Distance Lk reference line Pt fulcrum R1 Outermost Trajectory R2 Outermost trajectory Yk specified direction

Claims

1. A connector in which, in the process of operating a lever, which is operably provided on a lever connector connected to a mating connector, from an initial position to a mating position, the connector housing of the lever connector is pulled into the mating connector and mated with the mating connector, An arc-shaped rotation mechanism that rotates the lever along an arc-shaped trajectory between the initial position and the fitting position, The system includes a conversion mechanism that, in conjunction with the operation of the lever which rotates in an arc shape by the arc-shaped rotation mechanism, converts the operating direction along the arc shape of the lever to a mating direction that allows the lever connector to be mated with the mating connector, The arc-shaped rotating mechanism is a connector having a hook-shaped inner circumferential portion of the lever formed at the tip of the lever, an inner sliding portion formed in the connector housing with which the inner circumferential portion of the lever slides, an outer circumferential portion of the lever formed on the side of the lever opposite to the inner circumferential portion of the lever, and an outer sliding portion formed in the connector housing with which the outer circumferential portion of the lever slides.

2. The connector housing has a terminal insertion surface in which terminal insertion holes are formed into which terminals are inserted. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner sliding portion is arranged on the same plane as the terminal insertion surface.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner sliding portion is located at or near the end of the connector housing in the direction of the defined direction, when the direction along the longitudinal direction of the recess into which the arm portion of the lever is inserted in the connector housing is defined as the defined direction.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner sliding portion is formed in a columnar shape into which the inner circumference of the lever of the lever slidably engages, and both ends of the column are connected to the connector housing.

5. The conversion mechanism is a cam mechanism that, through the action of a cam structure comprising a cam pin formed in the mating connector and a cam groove formed in the lever to engage the cam pin, converts the operating direction along the arc shape of the lever to the fitting direction that allows the lever connector to be fitted into the mating connector. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets of the cam pin and cam groove are provided.

6. The conversion mechanism is a cam mechanism that, through the action of a cam structure comprising a cam pin formed in the mating connector and a cam groove formed in the lever to engage the cam pin, converts the operating direction along the arc shape of the lever to the fitting direction that allows the lever connector to be fitted into the mating connector. The connector according to claim 3, wherein, when a line passing through the inner sliding portion in the mating direction between the lever connector and the mating connector is used as a reference line, the cam pin is positioned on the opposite side of its end relative to the reference line.

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