Lever type connector

Abstract

To continuously maintain holding power of a lever member at a lever protection position.SOLUTION: A lever member 50 comprises: an operation part 52 disposed at an end of a moment arm at a position most separated from a rotary shaft 21; and an insertion / removal support part 53 which is rotated in one direction with respect to a housing 20 from a first lever position in a fitting enabled state and a removal enabled state to a second lever position in a fitting completed state, thereby acting a connector fitting force, and rotated in the other direction with respect to the housing from the second lever position to the first lever position, thereby acting a connector removing force. The housing includes a lever protection part 22 which locks the operation part at a lever protection position of a destination that the lever member is rotated from the first lever position to a reverse side of the second lever position, thereby suppressing excessive rotation of the lever member farther than the lever protection position. The operation part includes a first holding portion 52c, and the lever protection part includes a second holding portion 22b which locks the first holding portion at the lever protection position, thereby stopping the lever member at the lever protection position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a fitting connector, an insertion / removal auxiliary structure for generating a fitting auxiliary force required for increasing the fitting force between connectors or a removal auxiliary force required for increasing the removal force between connectors is provided in either one of the two connectors. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose a lever-type connector including a lever member (so-called LIF lever) as an insertion / removal auxiliary structure as the connector with the insertion / removal auxiliary structure.

[0003] Here, in the lever-type connector, in order to maintain the quality of the lever member, it is desirable to hold the lever member in a predetermined position during transportation and maintenance work so that no load is applied to the lever member in a rotatable state. In the lever-type connector of Patent Document 1, the lever member can be protected by waiting the lever member at the fitting completion position until immediately before attaching it to the mating connector. The fitting completion position is the relative position of the lever member with respect to the housing when the lever-type connector and the mating connector are in a fitting completed state (that is, when the lever-type connector and the mating connector are in a state where power can be conducted). In this lever-type connector, by using a holding structure that holds the lever member in the housing in the fitting completed state, the lever member can be waited at the standby position (fitting completion position) until immediately before attaching it to the mating connector. Also, in the lever-type connector of Patent Document 2, a lever protection position is set at the position where the lever member is rotated from the insertable / removable position to the opposite side of the fitting completion position, and the lever member can be protected by waiting the lever member at this lever protection position. The insertable / removable position is when the lever-type connector and the mating connector are in a state where they can be fitted and when they can be removed (that is, it is possible to start fitting and connecting the lever-type connector and the mating connector to the fitting completed state, and it is possible to separate the lever-type connector and the mating connector, and when their mutual state is a non-power-conducting state), and it is the relative position of the lever member with respect to the housing. This lever-type connector is provided with a temporary holding structure that holds the lever member at the lever protection position. The temporary holding structure holds the lever member at the lever protection position by fitting a locking projection of the housing into the arm portion of the lever member at the lever protection position, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] By the way, in the lever type connector of Patent Document 1, the fitting completion position of the lever member is the standby position, and the holding structure of the lever member at the fitting completion position also serves as the temporary holding structure of the lever member at the standby position. For this reason, in this lever type connector, the holding force by the holding structure is high, and there is room for improvement if attention is paid to the operability of the lever member from the standby position. On the other hand, in the lever type connector of Patent Document 2, the lever protection position (standby position) of the lever member is set at a position deviated from the rotation locus of the lever member between the fitting completion position and the insertable / removable position, and the holding force by the temporary holding structure can be set lower than that of Patent Document 1, for example, so the operability of the lever member from the standby position is improved. However, in this lever type connector, the locking projection of the housing has a shape such as a hemispherical bulging portion, and in order to make the holding force the minimum size required for temporary holding, the diameter of the locking projection is made small. In this lever type connector, a frictional force is applied between the locking projection and the arm portion each time the operation of the lever member is repeated between the insertable / removable position and the lever protection position. However, due to the function of the lever member, the rigidity of the arm portion is higher than that of the locking projection, so there is a possibility that the holding force between the locking projection and the arm portion gradually decreases each time the operation is repeated.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a lever type connector capable of continuously maintaining the holding force of the lever member at the lever protection position.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0007] The present invention includes a terminal fitting, a housing that houses the terminal fitting, and a lever member that is rotatable around the axis of a rotation shaft between the housing and the other connector, and that applies a connector fitting force or a connector removal force associated with the rotation to the other connector. The lever member includes an arm portion that is rotatable around the axis of the rotation shaft, an operation portion that is connected to the arm portion and is disposed at an end portion of the moment arm of the arm portion around the rotation shaft, which is the position farthest from the rotation shaft, as a force point, and an insertion / removal assisting portion that applies the connector fitting force to the other connector by rotating the housing in one direction around the axis of the rotation shaft from a first lever position when the connectors are in a state where they can be fitted and removed to a second lever position when the connectors are in a fully fitted state, and applies the connector removal force to the other connector by rotating the housing in the other direction around the axis of the rotation shaft from the second lever position to the first lever position. The housing has a lever protection portion that locks the operation portion at a lever protection position where the lever member is rotated to the side opposite to the second lever position from the first lever position and suppresses over-rotation of the lever member beyond the lever protection position. The operation portion has a first holding portion, and the lever protection portion has a second holding portion that locks the first holding portion at the lever protection position to stop the lever member at the lever protection position. and a first lever locking wall that locks the operating body of the operating portion on the front side to prevent the lever member from over-rotating beyond the lever protection position; and a flexible portion that is deflected by the pressing force from the protruding first holding portion in the lever member rotated from the first lever position toward the lever protection position, and the deflection is eliminated as the first holding portion rides over to the back side. When the first holding portion rides over the flexible portion, the operating body abuts against the first lever locking wall. The flexible portion includes a pressure wall on the front side that receives the pressing force from the abutting first holding portion when the lever member is rotated from the first lever position toward the lever protection position, and a wall located on the back side of the pressure wall. The flexible portion has a second lever locking wall as a second holding portion that locks the first holding portion that has ridden over to the back side to stop the lever member at the lever protection position. It is characterized by this.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] In the lever-type connector according to the present invention, a first holding portion is provided in the operation portion of the lever member, and this first holding portion is locked to the second holding portion of the lever protection portion. That is, in this lever-type connector, the lever member is held by the lever protection portion by a temporary holding structure (the first holding portion, the second holding portion) at a position close to the fulcrum of the moment arm in the lever member. Therefore, this lever-type connector can reduce the holding force in the temporary holding structure as compared with, for example, the case where the lever member is held by the housing at a position away from the fulcrum of the moment arm. Thus, in this lever-type connector, as compared with that case, the force applied to the temporary holding structure (the first holding portion, the second holding portion) when the lever member is moved between the first lever position and the lever protection position can be reduced. Therefore, in the lever-type connector according to the present invention, the durability of the temporary holding structure can be improved, so that the holding force of the lever member at the lever protection position can be continuously maintained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the lever connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment.

[0011] [Embodiment] One embodiment of the lever connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0012] Reference numeral 1 in FIGS. 1 to 11 indicates the lever connector of the present embodiment. The lever connector 1 illustrated here is configured to be insertable and removable with respect to the mating connector 501 (FIG. 1). When the lever connector 1 and the mating connector 501 are in a state where they are completely fitted to each other (hereinafter referred to as "between connectors"), they are electrically connected to each other, and when the connectors are in a state where they can be fitted and removed, their electrical connection is interrupted. In the lever connector 1 and the mating connector 501, when the connectors are in a state where they can be inserted and removed, a lever member described later is rotated to generate a connector fitting force between the connectors at the insertable and removable positions, and the connectors are relatively moved while being fitted and connected to the fitting completion position where the fitting is completed. Further, in the lever connector 1 and the mating connector 501, when the connectors are in a state where they are completely fitted, the lever member is rotated to generate a connector removal force between the connectors at the fitting completion position, and the connectors are relatively moved to the insertable and removable position where they can be inserted and removed. The lever connector 1 and the mating connector 501 can be separated from each other by pulling them apart when they are in the insertable and removable state.

[0013] This lever-type connector 1 includes a terminal fitting 10 and a housing 20 that houses the terminal fitting 10 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4).

[0014] The terminal fitting 10 is formed of a conductive material such as metal. The terminal fitting 10 is fitted and connected to a mating terminal fitting (not shown) of a mating connector 501 to physically and electrically connect to the mating terminal fitting. One of the terminal fitting 10 and the mating terminal fitting is formed as a female terminal fitting, and the other of them is formed as a male terminal fitting. The terminal fitting 10 illustrated here is roughly classified into a first male terminal fitting 10A in which a terminal fitting portion with the mating terminal fitting is formed in a shaft shape, and a second male terminal fitting 10B in which the terminal fitting portion is formed in a single-piece shape (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4).

[0015] The housing 20 is formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The housing 20 illustrated here includes a frame member 30 that houses the terminal fitting 10 while protruding the terminal fitting portion, and a cylindrical hood member 40a that allows the mating connector 501 to be inserted and relatively moved along the cylinder axis direction between an insertable position and a fitting completion position inside the cylinder, and a hood member 40 that relatively moves with respect to the frame member 30 between a first hood position (FIGS. 1 and 5) when the connectors are in an insertable state along the cylinder axis direction and a second hood position (FIG. 6) when the connectors are in a fitting completion state (FIGS. 1 to 7). In this housing 20, relative movement between the frame member 30 and the hood member 40 is performed in accordance with a rotation operation of a lever member (hereinafter referred to as "lever operation") described later.

[0016] In this hood member 40, a mating frame member 530 (FIG. 1) of the mating connector 501 is inserted along the cylinder axis direction into the cylindrical hood portion 40a. Therefore, the mating frame member 530 is formed in an external shape that conforms to the cylindrical shape of the hood portion 40a. The mating terminal fitting is housed in the mating frame member 530.

[0017] In the housing 20, the frame member 30 and the hood member 40 are assembled so as to be relatively movable along the cylinder axis direction of the hood portion 40a (hereinafter also referred to as the "connector insertion / removal direction"). The hood member 40 is disposed coaxially with the hood portion 40a and has a cylindrical frame housing portion 40b that fits the frame member 30 and relatively moves the frame member 30 along the connector insertion / removal direction between a first hood position and a second hood position within the cylinder (FIGS. 1 to 7).

[0018] In this hood member 40, the frame body 31 of the frame member 30 is fitted along the cylinder axis direction into the cylindrical frame housing portion 40b (FIGS. 1 to 8). Therefore, the frame body 31 is formed into an outer shape that conforms to the cylindrical shape of the frame housing portion 40b. The terminal fitting 10 has its terminal fitting portion housed in the frame body 31.

[0019] The hood member 40 illustrated here has a cylindrical body 41 and a flat plate 42 disposed inside the body 41 and partitioning the internal space of the body 41 into one end side and the other end side in the cylinder axis direction (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 8). In this hood member 40, one end side of the body 41 with respect to the plate 42 is the hood portion 40a, and the other end side of the body 41 with respect to the plate 42 is the frame housing portion 40b (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 8). That is, the plate 42 is disposed at the boundary between the hood portion 40a and the frame housing portion 40b.

[0020] The plate 42 is formed with through holes (hereinafter referred to as "terminal insertion holes") 42a for inserting the terminal fitting portions of the terminal fittings 10, each for one terminal fitting 10 (Fig. 4). This plate 42 is in a position where the connectors can be inserted and removed. When the hood member 40 is in the first hood position (Figs. 1 and 5), the tip of the terminal fitting portion of the terminal fitting 10 is made to penetrate into the hood portion 40a through the terminal insertion hole 42a. Then, when the hood member 40 relatively moves with respect to the frame member 30 from the first hood position to the second hood position (Fig. 6) along with the lever operation described later, the amount of protrusion of the terminal fitting portion of the terminal fitting 10 in the hood portion 40a is increased compared to the initial protrusion amount in the first hood position. That is, the terminal insertion hole 42a of this plate 42 allows the tip of the terminal fitting portion of the terminal fitting 10 to penetrate into the hood portion 40a in the first hood position, and increases the amount of protrusion of the terminal fitting portion of the terminal fitting 10 in the hood portion 40a in the second hood position compared to that in the first hood position. Between the connectors, in the hood portion 40a in the second hood position, the terminal fitting portion of the terminal fitting 10 can be fitted and connected to the mating terminal fitting in the mating frame member 530. Also, when the hood member 40 relatively moves with respect to the frame member 30 from the second hood position to the first hood position (Figs. 1 and 5) along with the lever operation described later, the plate 42 returns the amount of protrusion of the terminal fitting portion of the terminal fitting 10 in the hood portion 40a to the initial protrusion amount.

[0021] The frame member 30 is provided with a plurality of plate locking bodies 32 having flexibility to lock the plate 42 in the first hood position (Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 8). This plate locking body 32 locks the plate 42 in the first hood position to stop the hood member 40 in the first hood position.

[0022] The plate locking body 32 has a first plate locking protrusion 32a and a second plate locking protrusion 32b that sandwich the end of the plate 42 in its plate thickness direction when the hood member 40 is in the first hood position (Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 8). When the hood member 40 is in the first hood position, the first plate locking protrusion 32a is disposed inside the cylinder of the hood portion 40a, and the second plate locking protrusion 32b is disposed inside the cylinder of the frame housing portion 40b (Figs. 1 and 8).

[0023] Furthermore, this plate locking body 32 has a plate locking piece portion 32c that projects the first plate locking protrusion 32a and the second plate locking protrusion 32b from an opposing wall disposed opposite to the end of the plate 42 and is bendable and deformable in the opposing arrangement direction (Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 8). This plate locking piece portion 32c is a cantilevered piece that projects in the cylinder axis direction from the frame main body 31 toward the plate 42 inside the frame housing portion 40b. The plate locking body 32 has flexibility by means of this plate locking piece portion 32c.

[0024] Here, a through hole (hereinafter referred to as a "locking hole") 42b for inserting the plate locking body 32 is formed for each plate locking body 32 at the end of the plate 42 (Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 8). The plate locking piece portion 32c projects the first plate locking protrusion 32a and the second plate locking protrusion 32b from an opposing wall disposed opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 42b. The plate locking piece portion 32c illustrated here is formed in the shape of a flat plate piece, and projects the first plate locking protrusion 32a and the second plate locking protrusion 32b from a plane as the opposing wall.

[0025] When the hood member 40 moves relative to the frame member 30 from the first hood position (Figs. 1 and 5) to the second hood position (Fig. 6) along with the lever operation described later, this plate locking body 32 increases the amount of protrusion of the plate locking piece portion 32c in the hood portion 40a compared to the initial protrusion amount at the first hood position. For this reason, in this plate locking body 32, when the hood member 40 moves relative to the frame member 30 from the first hood position to the second hood position, the plate locking piece portion 32c is deflected in a direction to pull away from the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 42b, and the clamping of the end portion of the plate 42 by the first plate locking protrusion 32a and the second plate locking protrusion 32b is released. For example, here, a plate locking release portion (not shown) for releasing the locking state of the end portion of the plate 42 by the plate locking body 32 is provided on the mating frame member 530, and when the mating frame member 530 moves relative to the hood portion 40a from the insertable / removable position to the fitting completion position, the first plate locking protrusion 32a is pushed and moved by the plate locking release portion of the mating frame member 530, and the plate locking piece portion 32c is deflected in a direction to pull away from the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 42b.

[0026] Also, when the hood member 40 moves relative to the frame member 30 from the second hood position (Fig. 6) to the first hood position (Figs. 1 and 5) along with the lever operation described later, this plate locking body 32 returns the amount of protrusion of the plate locking piece portion 32c in the hood portion 40a to the initial protrusion amount. For this reason, in this plate locking body 32, when the hood member 40 moves relative to the frame member 30 from the second hood position to the first hood position, the plate locking piece portion 32c is deflected in a direction to pull away from the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 42b, so that the end portion of the plate 42 is not caught by the first plate locking protrusion 32a and the second plate locking protrusion 32b. For example, here, when the mating frame member 530 moves relative to the hood portion 40a from the fitting completion position to the insertable / removable position, the second plate locking protrusion 32b is pushed and moved by the plate locking release portion of the mating frame member 530, and the plate locking piece portion 32c is deflected in a direction to pull away from the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 42b.

[0027] Here, the outer appearance shape of the frame body 31 of the frame member 30 is formed in a cubic shape (FIG. 4). And in the hood member 40, the cylindrical body 41 is formed in a square tubular shape, and the plate 42 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape (FIG. 4). In this hood member 40, a cubic mating frame member 530 is inserted into the square tubular hood portion 40a, and the cubic frame body 31 is inserted into the square tubular frame housing portion 40b.

[0028] Also, in the frame member 30 shown here, four plate locking bodies 32 are arranged close to the outer peripheral surface side of the frame body 31 (FIG. 4). Two of these four plate locking bodies 32 are arranged with the opposing walls of the plate locking piece portions 32c facing each other, and the remaining two of them are arranged with the opposing walls of the plate locking piece portions 32c facing each other. Here, the opposing walls of the paired plate locking piece portions 32c are arranged to face each other in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 21 of the lever member 50 described later.

[0029] The lever - type connector 1 is rotatable around the axis of the rotation shaft 21 between such a frame member 30 and a housing 20 including the hood member 40, and includes a lever member 50 that causes a connector fitting force or a connector removal force accompanying the rotation to act between it and a mating connector 501 (FIGS. 1 to 7). In the housing 20 illustrated here, the rotation shaft 21 is provided on the frame member 30 (FIG. 4). The frame member 30 has two rotation shafts 21 protruding coaxially and in opposite directions from the frame body 31. These rotation shafts 21 protrude from two outer wall surfaces parallel to each other in the frame body 31 respectively.

[0030] The lever member 50 is formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. This lever member 50 has an arm portion 51 rotatable around the axis of the rotation shaft 21 and an operation portion 52 connected to this arm portion 51 (FIGS. 1 to 7). The operation portion 52 is arranged at the end of the moment arm of the arm portion 51 centered on the rotation shaft 21, which is the farthest from the rotation shaft 21, and acts as the force point of the moment arm during lever operation.

[0031] The lever member 50 illustrated here has two arm portions 51 that are arranged to face each other with a space therebetween in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 21 (FIGS. 1 to 4). The arm portion 51 has a through hole 51a at one end as a bearing for pivotally supporting the rotation shaft 21 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4). In this lever member 50, the other ends of the two arm portions 51 are connected to each other by an operation portion 52 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4).

[0032] The operation portion 52 has an operation main body 52a for connecting the other ends of the two arm portions 51 to each other, and an operation assisting portion 52b that projects the operation main body 52a and is capable of hooking the fingers of an operator during lever operation (FIGS. 1 to 7). The operation assisting portion 52b is provided substantially at the center between the two arm portions 51, and, for example, by providing a plurality of steps or the like, makes it easier for the fingers of the operator to be hooked.

[0033] Further, the lever member 50 has an insertion / removal assisting portion 53 that applies a connector fitting force between the lever member 50 and the mating connector 501 by rotating the lever member 50 in one direction around the axis of the rotation shaft 21 with respect to the housing 20 from the first lever position (FIGS. 1 and 5) when the connectors are in an insertable / removable state to the second lever position (FIG. 6) when the connectors are in a completely fitted state, and applies a connector removal force between the lever member 50 and the mating connector 501 by rotating the lever member 50 in the other direction around the axis of the rotation shaft 21 with respect to the housing 20 from the second lever position (FIG. 6) to the first lever position (FIGS. 1 and 5) (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 7).

[0034] In the lever-type connector 1, when the lever member 50 is in the first lever position, the hood member 40 is arranged at the first hood position with respect to the frame member 30 (FIGS. 1 and 5). Further, in this lever-type connector 1, when the lever member 50 is in the second lever position, the hood member 40 is arranged at the second hood position with respect to the frame member 30 (FIG. 6).

[0035] The insertion / removal assisting portion 53 is a through-hole provided between one end and the other end of the moment arm in the arm portion 51, and is provided for each arm portion 51. These two insertion / removal assisting portions 53 are arc-shaped through-holes having the same projected shape when projected in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 21 and convex toward the other end side of the arm portion 51. The through-hole 51a (rotation shaft 21) is disposed on the one end side of the arm portion 51 rather than this insertion / removal assisting portion 53.

[0036] A guide shaft 511 of a mating connector 501 that receives the connector fitting force or the connector removal force from the lever member 50 is inserted into this insertion / removal assisting portion 53 (FIG. 1). This insertion / removal assisting portion 53 guides the guide shaft 511 between one circumferential end and the other end in conjunction with the lever operation. The guide shaft 511 slides while being guided by the insertion / removal assisting portion 53, and receives the connector fitting force or the connector removal force from this insertion / removal assisting portion 53. This guide shaft 511 is provided on the mating frame member 530. The guide shaft 511 shown here projects from two outer wall surfaces parallel to each other in the mating frame member 530. These two guide shafts 511 project coaxially and in opposite directions to each other.

[0037] Between the connectors, when in the insertable state, by rotating the lever member 50 from the first lever position toward the second lever position, the guide shaft 511 is guided from one end to the other end of the insertion / removal assisting portion 53 along the first inner wall surface 53a while pushing the guide shaft 511 with the first inner wall surface 53a on the outer arc of the insertion / removal assisting portion 53 as it rotates (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 7). Between these connectors, a connector fitting force is generated by the pressing force applied from the first inner wall surface 53a of the insertion / removal assisting portion 53 to the guide shaft 511, and relative movement occurs from the insertable position to the fitting completion position.

[0038] Also, between these connectors, when in the fully engaged state, by rotating the lever member 50 from the second lever position toward the first lever position, as it rotates, the guide shaft 511 is guided from the other end to one end of the insertion / removal assisting portion 53 along the second inner wall surface 53b on the arcuate inner side of the insertion / removal assisting portion 53 while pushing the guide shaft 511 with the second inner wall surface 53b (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 7). Between these connectors, a connector removal force is generated by the pressing force applied to the guide shaft 511 from the second inner wall surface 53b of the insertion / removal assisting portion 53, and the connectors move relative to each other from the fully engaged position to the insertable / removable position.

[0039] In the lever type connector 1, by temporarily holding the lever member 50 at the housing 20 at the tip when the lever member 50 is rotated from the first lever position to the side opposite to the second lever position, protection of the lever member 50 during conveyance or in a state removed from the mating connector 501 is achieved. Therefore, the housing 20 has a lever protection portion 22 that locks the operation portion 52 at the lever protection position at the tip when the lever member 50 is rotated from the first lever position to the side opposite to the second lever position, and suppresses over-rotation of the lever member 50 beyond the lever protection position (FIGS. 1 to 7 and 9).

[0040] In the lever type connector 1, when the lever member 50 is at the lever protection position, the hood member 40 is disposed at the first hood position with respect to the frame member 30 (FIG. 7).

[0041] The lever protection portion 22 has a first lever locking wall 22a that locks the operation main body 52a of the operation portion 52 on the front side when the lever member 50 is rotated from the first lever position to the side opposite to the second lever position, and suppresses over-rotation of the lever member 50 beyond the lever protection position (FIGS. 1, 4 to 7, and 9). In the lever protection portion 22 shown here, for convenience, the side facing the operation main body 52a as the lever member 50 rotates is referred to as the front surface. The lever protection portion 22 is formed in a plate shape, and one wall surface on the front surface side faces the operation main body 52a to form the first lever locking wall 22a. Therefore, the lever protection portion 22 is formed with a plate thickness that does not bend and deform due to the force received by the first lever locking wall 22a from the operation main body 52a.

[0042] The housing 20 has a pair of lever protection portions 22. In the housing 20, this pair of lever protection portions 22 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 21. This pair of lever protection portions 22 project from the frame accommodation portion 40b of the hood member 40. The lever member 50 locks the respective arm portions 51 sides of the operation main body 52a to the first lever locking walls 22a of the respective lever protection portions 22 at the lever protection position, and allows the operation assisting portion 52b to enter between the respective lever protection portions 22 (FIGS. 3 and 9).

[0043] In the lever type connector 1, by stopping the lever member 50 at the lever protection position, the protection function of the lever member 50 by the lever protection portion 22 is maintained. Therefore, a temporary holding structure for holding the lever member 50 to the housing 20 at the lever protection position is provided between the housing 20 and the lever member 50. This temporary holding structure is provided between the lever protection portion 22 of the housing 20 and the operation portion 52 of the lever member 50.

[0044] The operation portion 52 has a first holding portion 52c (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 9). This first holding portion 52c is formed in a protruding shape at the operation portion 52. The first holding portion 52c shown here protrudes in a protruding shape from the operation assisting portion 52b. And this first holding portion 52c is provided for each lever protection portion 22. The exemplified first holding portion 52c protrudes in opposite directions from the respective end faces in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 21 in the operation assisting portion 52b. Here, the first holding portion 52c is formed as a hemispherical protrusion.

[0045] Further, the lever protection portion 22 has a second holding portion 22b that locks the first holding portion 52c at the lever protection position to stop the lever member 50 at the lever protection position (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 9).

[0046] Specifically, this lever protection part 22 is bent by the pressing force from the first holding part 52c of the lever member 50 rotated from the first lever position toward the lever protection position, and has a flexible part 22c that eliminates the bending as the first holding part 52c overrides to the back side (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 9). The first holding part 52c abuts against the flexible part 22c on the front side of the lever protection part 22 before the operating body 52a of the operating part 52 abuts against the first lever locking wall 22a when the lever member 50 is rotated from the first lever position toward the lever protection position (FIGS. 10 and 11). Therefore, at that time, the flexible part 22c has a pressure-applying wall 22d on the front side that abuts against the first holding part 52c and receives the pressing force from the abutting first holding part 52c (FIGS. 1, 4, and 9 to 11). The first holding part 52c bends the flexible part 22c while applying the pressing force to the pressure-applying wall 22d by further rotating the lever member 50 toward the lever protection position, and moves it to the back side of the lever protection part 22. The flexible part 22c is a wall located on the back side of the pressure-applying wall 22d, and has a second lever locking wall 22b as a second holding part 22b that locks the first holding part 52c that has overridden to the back side and stops the lever member 50 at the lever protection position.

[0047] For example, on the outer peripheral edge of the lever protection part 22, a groove part 22e that is partially recessed from the back side and allows the first holding part 52c to enter at the lever protection position, and a flexible part 22c that uses the groove bottom of the groove part 22e as the second lever locking wall 22b are provided (FIGS. 1, 4, and 9 to 11). The flexible part 22c is formed in a single-piece shape with a thickness thinner than that of the lever protection part 22.

[0048] In this lever-type connector 1, the position where the first holding portion 52c has overcome the flexible portion 22c is defined as the lever protection position. Therefore, the operating body 52a of the operating portion 52 abuts against the first lever locking wall 22a when the first holding portion 52c has overcome the flexible portion 22c. Thus, in the lever member 50, at the lever protection position, the excessive rotation of the lever member 50 beyond the lever protection position is suppressed by the operating body 52a of the operating portion 52 and the first lever locking wall 22a of the lever protection portion 22, and the rotation of the lever member 50 from the lever protection position toward the first lever position is suppressed by the first holding portion 52c of the operating portion 52 and the second lever locking wall 22b as the second holding portion 22b in the lever protection portion 22. Therefore, in this lever-type connector 1, the lever member 50 can be stopped at the lever protection position, and even if unnecessary force is applied, such as when peripheral components collide with the lever member 50 at the lever protection position, the lever member 50 can be protected by the lever protection portion 22.

[0049] Here, in this lever-type connector 1, the first holding portion 52c is provided on the operating portion 52 of the lever member 50, and the first holding portion 52c is locked to the second holding portion 22b (second lever locking wall 22b) of the lever protection portion 22. That is, in this lever-type connector 1, the lever member 50 is held by the lever protection portion 22 with a temporary holding structure (first holding portion 52c, second holding portion 22b) at a position close to the force point of the moment arm in the lever member 50. Therefore, this lever-type connector 1 can reduce the holding force in the temporary holding structure as compared with the case where the lever member is held by the housing at a position away from the force point of the moment arm, for example. Thus, in this lever-type connector 1, the force applied to the temporary holding structure (first holding portion 52c, second holding portion 22b) when the lever member 50 is moved between the first lever position and the lever protection position can be reduced as compared with that case. Therefore, in this lever-type connector 1, the durability of the temporary holding structure can be improved, and the holding force of the lever member 50 at the lever protection position can be continuously maintained.

[0050] Also, in this lever-type connector 1, in order to move the protruding first holding portion 52c on the lever member 50 to the back side of the lever protection portion 22 and lock the first holding portion 52c to the second holding portion 22b (second lever locking wall 22b) on the back side of the lever protection portion 22, a flexible portion 22c having flexibility is provided on the lever protection portion 22. And in this lever-type connector 1, when the protruding first holding portion 52c is moved back and forth between the front side and the back side of the lever protection portion 22, the flexible portion 22c receiving a force from the first holding portion 52c is bent and deformed. For this reason, also in this lever-type connector 1, at this point as well, when the lever member 50 is moved between the first lever position and the lever protection position, the force applied to the temporary holding structure (first holding portion 52c, second holding portion 22b) is reduced, and the durability of this temporary holding structure (first holding portion 52c, second holding portion 22b) can be improved. Therefore, the holding force of the lever member 50 at the lever protection position can be continuously maintained.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0051] 1 Lever-type connector 10 Terminal fitting 20 Housing 21 Rotation shaft 22 Lever protection portion 22a First lever locking wall 22b Second lever locking wall (second holding portion) 22c Flexible portion 22d Pressing wall 22e Groove portion 30 Frame member 40 Hood member 40a Hood portion 50 Lever member 51 Arm portion 52 Operation portion 52a Operation main body 52b Operation auxiliary portion 52c First holding portion 53 Insertion / extraction auxiliary portion 501 Mate connector

Claims

1. A terminal fitting, a housing for housing the terminal fitting, a lever member that is rotatable about the axis of a rotating shaft between the housing and the connector fitting force or connector removal force associated with the rotation acts between the lever member and the mating connector, and is provided with the lever member includes an arm portion rotatable about the axis of the rotating shaft, an operation portion that is connected to the arm portion and is disposed at an end portion of the moment arm of the arm portion about the rotating shaft that is farthest from the rotating shaft as a force point, and an insertion / removal assisting portion that rotates the housing in one direction about the axis of the rotating shaft from a first lever position when the connectors are in a state where they can be fitted and removed to a second lever position when the connectors are in a fully fitted state to act the connector fitting force on the mating connector, and rotates the housing in the other direction about the axis of the rotating shaft from the second lever position to the first lever position to act the connector removal force on the mating connector, the housing has a lever protection portion that locks the operation portion at a lever protection position where the lever member is rotated to the side opposite to the second lever position from the first lever position and suppresses over-rotation of the lever member beyond the lever protection position, the operation portion has a first holding portion, the lever protection portion includes a second holding portion that locks the first holding portion at the lever protection position to stop the lever member at the lever protection position, a first lever locking wall that locks the operation main body of the operation portion on the front side to suppress over-rotation of the lever member beyond the lever protection position, and a flexible portion that is deflected by the pressing force from the protruding first holding portion in the lever member rotated from the first lever position toward the lever protection position, and the deflection is eliminated as the first holding portion gets over the flexible portion to the back side, the operation main body abuts against the first lever locking wall when the first holding portion gets over the flexible portion, the flexible portion includes a pressure wall on the front side that receives the pressing force from the abutted first holding portion when the lever member is rotated from the first lever position toward the lever protection position, and a wall located on the back side of the pressure wall, and the flexible portion has a second lever locking wall that locks the first holding portion that has gotten over to the back side to stop the lever member at the lever protection position, and is characterized as a lever type connector.

2. The lever protection part is formed in a plate shape with one wall surface on the front side as the first lever locking wall. On the outer peripheral edge of the lever protection part, a groove part that is partially recessed from the back side to allow the first holding part to enter at the lever protection position, and a flexible part with the groove bottom of the groove part as the second lever locking wall are provided. The lever type connector according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The operation part has an operation assisting part that can catch the operator's finger during lever operation. The operation assisting part protrudes from the operation main body. The first holding part protrudes in a protruding shape from the operation assisting part. The lever type connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The housing has a pair of the lever protection parts. The first holding part is provided for each of the lever protection parts. The lever type connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

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