Connector Assembly

Abstract

To provide an assembly for connector that can be manufactured and assembled more easily, and in which an error is hard to occur.SOLUTION: An assembly for connector comprises: a housing part; a cover (50) which is constituted to be installed to the housing part; a lever (30) which is constituted to be attached to the housing part, rotatable to the housing part from a starting position to a final position (32); and a lever lock (40) which prevents the lever (30) from rotating and coming off from the final position (32) when it is at a lock position (42), and allows the lever (30) to rotate when it is at a release position, where the lever lock (40) is movable from the release position to the lock position (42) only when the lever (30) is at the final position (32) and the cover (50) is installed to the housing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly for a connector. [Background technology]

[0002] The connector may include various components, such as a housing portion, a cover attachable to the housing portion, and / or a lever for securing and / or moving the connector to a mating connector.

[0003] A problem associated with conventional connectors is that care must be taken when attaching their components to avoid incorrect and potentially dangerous assembly. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention can be seen in providing a solution that makes manufacturing and assembly easier and less error-prone. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This is achieved by an assembly for a connector comprising a housing part, a cover configured to be attached to the housing part, a lever configured to be attached to the housing part and rotatable from a start position to a final position relative to the housing part when attached, and a lever lock that prevents rotation of the lever away from the final position when the lever lock is in a locked position and allows rotation of the lever when the lever lock is in a released position, the lever lock being movable from the released position to the locked position only when the lever is in the final position and the cover is attached to the housing part.

[0006] The lever lock can only be moved from the released position to the locked position when both conditions are met, i.e. when the lever is in its final position and the cover is attached to the housing part, making manufacturing easier as there is no need to manually check for correct attachment.

[0007] The solution according to the invention can be further improved by the following further developments and advantageous embodiments which are independent of one another and can be combined in any way as required.

[0008] In a simple and reliable solution, movement of the lever lock out of the release position and / or into the locked position may be prevented by a pair of engaging translational blocking members on the lever and the lever lock, respectively. In particular, the translational blocking members are engaged when the lever is not in its final position and / or the cover is not attached to the housing part. In the desired, correctly assembled state, i.e., when the lever is in its final position and the cover is attached to the housing part, the engaging or blocking effect may be released or disabled. The pair of translational blocking members are then disengaged at least with respect to movement of the lever lock from the release position to the locked position.

[0009] Movement from the locked position back to the released position may be blocked or free when properly assembled. For example, to leave the locked position, it may be necessary to unlock a further mechanism. The further mechanism may be an automatically engaging mechanism, such as a latch mechanism that forms a form fit when the lever lock is moved from the released position to the locked position. This prevents unintentional release of the connector, thereby providing additional safety.

[0010] In an advantageous embodiment, the cover may comprise a release element for disengaging the two translation blocking members when the lever is in its final position and the cover is attached to the housing part. The release element may be a part or a portion of the cover. It may be integral or integral with other parts of the cover. The cover may be a single piece, preferably made from a uniform material.

[0011] The release element may comprise or be a protrusion, which may protrude from the surrounding flat area and / or other portions of the cover.

[0012] The protrusion, at least its components, may protrude outward, where "outward" may be understood to mean away from the center of gravity of the cover and / or connector.

[0013] In other embodiments, the protrusions may protrude inwardly, or may protrude tangentially or circumferentially.

[0014] The release element may be elongated, e.g. to allow easy assembly while keeping material and space requirements small. It may be elongated along the mounting direction of the cover, i.e. the direction in which the cover is mounted on the housing part.

[0015] To further simplify assembly, the release element may be elongated in the connecting direction of the connector. The connecting direction of the connector may be parallel to the mounting direction of the cover. This solution simplifies assembly. The force flow during assembly is along the same direction, which is therefore advantageous. The connecting direction should be understood as the direction in which the connector mates with a mating connector, e.g., a header.

[0016] The cover may comprise at least one further release element. In an advantageous development, the further release element is equivalent to the (first) release element when the cover is attached to the housing part in a position rotated 180°. This allows the cover to be used in different applications, for example when the cover defines an outlet for a cable. The cover can then be attached in two different orientations, resulting in different positions and / or orientations of the outlet. To balance the force flow, the first release element and the at least one further release element are arranged with mirror symmetry on the cover.

[0017] In one possible embodiment, the translation blocking member of the lever lock is located at the free end of the lever lock. The stop surface may be the outermost or front surface of the lever lock. Such a configuration can save space.

[0018] Multiple sequences for installing the cover and operating the lever may be possible.

[0019] In one development, the cover can be fitted when the lever is in its final position. This can be advantageous, as it can be easier to fit the cover once the lever is out of the way.

[0020] In a further development, the lever can be moved to a final position when the cover is attached, which can be advantageous if, for example, safety regulations should prevent the connector from mating with a mating connector without the cover attached.

[0021] The assembly may only allow one of these two sequences, the other being precluded by suitable means such as a blocking member or the like.

[0022] However, both sequences may be possible to make assembly easier for the worker.

[0023] To protect correct assembly and in particular ensure that the lever is in its final position when the lever lock is moved, movement of the lever lock to the locked position when the lever is close to, but not in, its final position may be blocked by a further pair of engaging translation blocking members on the lever and housing part, respectively. Movement is then not possible when both the cover and the lever are close to, but not in, their desired positions, i.e., the final position of the lever and the correctly installed position of the cover. The further pair should, of course, not block movement of the lever lock when the lever is in its final position.

[0024] The further pair may in particular be spaced apart from the first pair in a radial direction, which may be relative to an axis of rotation about which the lever rotates relative to the housing part.

[0025] With respect to the other positions, the final position should not be understood as a single position in a strict mathematical sense, but rather as a small range of positions. This takes into account manufacturing and assembly tolerances and deviations. For example, the start position and the final position may relate to a range of less than 5 degrees, preferably less than 3 degrees, and in particular less than 1 degree. Similarly, the release position and the lock position may relate to a range of less than 3 mm, preferably less than 1 mm, and in particular less than 0.1 mm, if the lever lock moves translationally. However, the lever lock may also move in a rotational or mixed manner. In a broader sense, any position outside the final position may be considered the start position, and / or any position outside the release position may be considered the lock position.

[0026] The range "close to" may be defined as a range of 5 degrees, 10 degrees or 20 degrees around (the range of) the final position.

[0027] In particular, the blocking by the further pair may be independent of the state of the cover, ie whether it is attached to the housing part or not.

[0028] In one embodiment, the lever lock is slidable relative to the lever when attached to the lever, which can allow for easy and safe operation. The lever and / or lever lock may include matching or complementary guide elements such as rails, tracks, pins and / or slits.

[0029] According to one development, the distance of the lever lock relative to the rotation axis of the lever is shorter in the locked position than in the released position. This allows the connector to be more compact. The two can be connected in a telescoping manner, for example.

[0030] The distance of the lever lock relative to the rotation axis of the lever may be constant during rotation of the lever relative to the housing part, and the lever lock may be in the release position throughout the entire rotation.

[0031] To increase leverage, the lever lock may act as an extension of the lever when in the released position. For example, the radially outer or distal end of the lever lock may be farther from the axis of rotation of the lever than the radially outer or distal end of the lever. For example, this difference may be at least 10%, preferably at least 20%. When the lever lock is in the locked position, this difference may be less or nearly zero.

[0032] The lever lock may include a drive configured for actuation of the lever and lever lock combination by a user or machine. For example, the drive may include a drive surface that is substantially perpendicular to the path of the drive during rotation of the lever. This configuration may be such that it can be manipulated by a test hand or test finger. The test hand or test finger may be specified in a standard or specification that may be set nationally, internationally, by a company, or by a consortium.

[0033] The lever lock and housing part may include a pair of interlocking rotation blocking members for blocking rotation of the lever out of its final position when the lever lock is in the locked position, and thus blocking is at least indirect via the lever lock as an intervening element.

[0034] In one embodiment, the lever lock may comprise a blocking member that forms one of a further pair of mating translational blocking members and one of a mating rotational blocking member, thus having a dual function and reducing the complexity of the connector.

[0035] The blocking member may have a variety of shapes: it may be formed as a protrusion, a web, a pin, or a collar.

[0036] For added security, and in particular to secure the lever in its final position when it is not yet possible to move the lever lock into the locked position, the assembly may comprise a further second lever lock to prevent movement of the lever out of its final position.

[0037] This second lever lock may be closer to the axis of rotation to keep space requirements to a minimum. Because the second lever lock is primarily used when the connector has not yet mated with the mating connector and therefore the forces are lower, a position closer to the axis of rotation may be sufficient for locking at this stage.

[0038] In one embodiment, the second lever lock is movable in translation. For example, the second lever lock may be configured to be operated along a direction parallel to the rotation axis. Such operation of the second lever lock may cause little interference with other assembly, mounting, and / or mating operations. The second or further lever lock may be slidably held in the housing portion parallel to the rotation axis.

[0039] The second lever lock may be separate and / or independent from the first lever lock.

[0040] In one advantageous embodiment, the further lever lock may be configured to prevent mating of the connector with the mating connector when in the locked position. Such a dual function can reduce complexity. To achieve such prevention, the further lever lock may, for example, protrude from the housing part in the locked position.

[0041] The lever and lever lock may be separate elements. They may be made from different materials depending on the application. To keep the design simple, the lever, lever lock, housing part, and second lever lock, if present, may each be a single, integral part.

[0042] The connector may comprise further components, such as terminals, terminal blocks, further housing parts and / or further covers or cover parts.

[0043] The housing portion may form a receptacle for the terminal or terminal block. In other embodiments, the receptacle may be located in a further housing portion of the connector.

[0044] The additional lever lock may be configured to lock the terminal or terminal block to the portion forming the receptacle, such as the housing portion. Such additional functionality increases security while keeping complexity to a reasonable level. The terminal or terminal block may prevent movement of the additional lever lock when improperly or insufficiently inserted.

[0045] The lever may be part of a locking mechanism for locking the connector to a mating connector.

[0046] In one embodiment, mating of the connector with the mating connector is only possible when the lever is in the start position.

[0047] Additionally or alternatively, the lever may be part of a pulling mechanism for pulling the connector towards the mating connector. The connector may include a gear system, among other things, for transmitting force or configuring the application.

[0048] The start and final positions may each be an end position of rotation, which may be defined by a stop surface on the lever and / or housing part.

[0049] The invention will now be explained in more detail and by way of example using advantageous embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which the described embodiments are merely possible configurations, in which the individual features mentioned above may be provided independently of one another or may be omitted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0050] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of portions of one embodiment of a housing assembly with the lever in a final position and the lever lock in an released position; FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the cover properly attached to the housing part, with the lever in the start position and the lever lock in the released position; [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the cover correctly installed, the lever in its final position and the lever lock in its locked position; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional top view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, with the cross section being different from that of FIG. 5. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] The drawings show one embodiment of an assembly 101 for a connector 100. The connector 100 shown is shown merely as an exemplary electrical connector 100. Other types of connectors 100, such as fiberglass connectors, can also be improved with the solution shown.

[0052] The assembly 101 comprises a housing part 20 that can function as a base element, a support element, and / or a protective element for further components of the assembly 101. The housing part 20 comprises, in particular, terminal block receiving portions 21 configured for the insertion of terminal blocks 85. In the described embodiment, four different types of terminal blocks 85 are used, each having a coding element 86 that protrudes laterally (i.e., along the second transverse direction T2) at different positions along the first transverse direction T1. As a result, only suitable terminal blocks 85 can be inserted into each terminal block receiving portion 21. Terminals (not shown) may be inserted into the terminal receiving portions in the terminal blocks 85. In other embodiments, the terminals may be inserted directly into the terminal receiving portions in the housing part 20.

[0053] The terminal block 85 may be inserted into the housing portion 20 along an insertion direction I, which in the illustrated example is parallel to a connection direction C in which the connector 100 mates with a mating connector 200, where the mating connector 200 is shown merely schematically together with the housing portion 220.

[0054] The assembly 101 further comprises a cover 50 that can be attached or mounted to the housing part 20 when the terminal block 85, with the terminals and cable attached, is inserted into the housing part 20. The cover 50 can be mounted along a mounting direction M, which in the example described is parallel to the insertion direction I and the connection direction C. An opening that allows the cable to be removed from the receptacle defined by the cover 50 opens to the side in the mounted state 51.

[0055] The cover 50 is provided with latch elements 52 which, in the mounted state 51 of the cover 50 , engage corresponding latch elements 25 in the form of protrusions 26 on the housing part 20 , thereby securing the cover 50 to the housing part 20 .

[0056] The lever 30 of the assembly 101 is part of a locking mechanism 120 for locking the connector 100 to the mating connector 200, and part of a drawing mechanism 130 for drawing the connector 100 into or toward the mating connector 200. The lever 30 includes a receiving portion 139 for engaging a counter or mating element (not shown) in the mating connector 200. In a starting position 31 of the lever 30 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2 ), the counter element may be inserted into the receiving portion 139. The lever 30 may then rotate along a rotation direction D, which is tangential to the rotation axis 24, to a final position 32 of the lever 30. In this final position 32, the receiving portion 139 and the counter element are shape-locked along a connecting direction C.

[0057] The lever 30 rotates about an axis of rotation 24 that extends through the center of an axle 22 formed by the housing 20. The axle 22 is configured as a short pin 23 that projects laterally along a second lateral direction T2 away from the rest of the housing part 20 and is located in a corresponding recess in the lever 30 when the lever 30 is attached to the housing part 20. The pin 23 and the hole in the lever are shaped as a key and keyhole to allow installation in one orientation and to prevent movement of the lever 30 away from the housing part 20 in the second lateral direction T2 outside of that one position.

[0058] The lever 30 comprises a gear portion 132 for transmitting motion to a further element 135 which further secures the connector 100 to the mating connector 200. The further element 135 also comprises a receiving portion 139 and the gear portion 132 and rotates about a further axle 22 formed by the housing 20.

[0059] Assembly 101 includes a lever lock 40 configured to prevent rotation of lever 30 away from final position 32 when lever lock 40 is in locked position 42 and to allow rotation of lever 30 when lever lock 40 is in released position 41. Lever lock 40 is not free to move from released position 41 to locked position 42. During normal operation, lever lock 40 is movable to locked position 42 only when lever 30 is in final position 32 and cover 50 is in properly installed position or condition 51.

[0060] In particular, the assembly 101 comprises a pair of engaging translation blocking members 63, 64 on the lever 30 and the lever lock 40, respectively. If at least one of two conditions is not met, i.e., the lever 30 is not in its final position 32 and / or the cover 50 is not in the installed state 51, a stop surface 46 arranged on the outermost or front side of the free end 47 of the arm 44 of the lever lock 40 abuts against a stop surface 37 on the lever 30. To disengage the two translation blocking members 63, 64, the cover 50 forms a release element 54 configured as a protrusion 53 that elastically bends the free end 47 of the arm 44 when the cover 50 is in the installed state 51. In the illustrated embodiment, the blocking member 63 is arranged on a dedicated small section of the arm 44 that is thinner than the rest of the arm 44 and is inclined relative to it.

[0061] The release element 54 is formed as an elongated protrusion 53 that projects away from the rest of the cover 50 along a second lateral direction T2 and extends along a mounting direction M of the cover 50. The mounting direction M is parallel to the connection direction C to maintain the same assembly direction throughout the assembly procedure.

[0062] In the advantageous embodiment shown, the cover 50 actually comprises four similar release elements 54, which are pairwise equivalent to each other with respect to a 180° rotation and pairwise mirror images of each other, so that the cover 50 and lever 30 can be attached or mounted to the housing part 20 in a variety of orientations, with at least one release element 54 in the appropriate position for each orientation.

[0063] To further improve safety, assembly 101 comprises further translational blocking members 67, 69 arranged on housing 20 and lever lock 40, respectively. These further translational blocking members 67, 69 help to avoid undesired movement of lever lock 40, especially when cover 50 is close to, but not in, the installed state 51 and lever 30 is close to, but not in, final position 32. As can be seen, for example, in FIG. 6 , the blocking by further translational blocking member 67 of housing 20 and further translational blocking member 69 of lever lock 40 is released only when lever 30 is in final position 32. Only in final position 32 can blocking member 66, comprising further translational blocking member 69 of lever lock 40, be inserted into receiving portion 92 on housing 20. A further pair of translation blocking members 67, 69 are spaced apart from the first pair of blocking members 63, 64 in a radial direction R. "Radial direction R" refers to a set of directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation 24.

[0064] The blocking by the further pair of blocking members 67, 69 is independent of the state of the cover 50, i.e. whether the cover 50 is correctly installed or not. In the example shown, the cover 50 can be installed when the lever is in the final position 32, and the lever 30 can be moved to the final position 32 when the cover 50 is installed. This allows for flexibility in the assembly process. In alternative embodiments, for example to increase safety, only one of the two installation sequences may be possible.

[0065] Once the blockages by the translation blocking members 63, 64, 67, 69 have been released or overridden, the lever lock 40 can be moved manually or mechanically from the released position 41 to the locked position 42. Rotation of the lever 30 relative to the housing part 20 is indirectly blocked in the locked position 42 by the lever lock 40 acting as an intervening element. A rotation blocking member 72 on the housing 20 engages with a rotation blocking member 74 on the lever lock 40. Rotation of the lever 30 relative to the lever lock 40 is also not possible due to the form fit between the two, i.e., due to the engagement of guide surfaces 34, 43 on the lever 30 and lever lock 40, respectively. The guide surfaces 34, 43 together form a guide device 35 that allows guided sliding of the lever lock 40 relative to the lever 30 in translation.

[0066] The rotation blocking member 74 of the lever lock 40 is part of the blocking member 66 that also forms the translation blocking member 64. To save space, the blocking member 66 is configured as an inwardly protruding plate-like protrusion. It forms a corner of the lever lock 40. At the blocking member 66, the thickness of the lever lock 40 is significantly smaller than in the adjacent parts.

[0067] The lever 30 and lever lock 40 are separate elements that may be made from different materials depending on the desired functionality.

[0068] The distance 142 of the lever lock 40 relative to the pivot axis 24 in the locked position 42 is shorter than the distance 141 of the lever lock 40 relative to the pivot axis 24 in the released position 41. Thus, the connector 100 is more compact in the locked position 42, which is typically the position that the lever lock 40 will assume during normal operation of the connector 100 in the end product. In other configurations, this may be reversed, or the distance may remain the same in the two positions 41, 42.

[0069] During rotation of the lever 30 relative to the housing part 20, the distance of the lever lock 40 relative to the rotation axis 24 of the lever 30 remains constant. During this rotation, the lever lock 40 remains in the release position 41.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, lever lock 40 functions as an extension 95 of lever 30 when in the released position 41. Extension 95 extends the lever length. In the released position 41, length 48 from pivot 24 to outermost or distal end 49 of lever lock 40 is longer than length 38 from pivot 24 to outermost or distal end 39 of lever 30. In the locked position 42, the difference between lengths 38, 39 is smaller, approximately zero.

[0071] A drive 94 configured for human or machine actuation is disposed on the lever lock 40 .

[0072] The assembly 101 comprises a further or second lever lock 80 for preventing movement of the lever 30 out of the final position 32. The second lever lock 80 is formed as a beam or bar that is slidably held parallel to the rotation axis 24 in a complementary elongated receiving portion in the housing part 20. The second lever lock 80 is configured to be operated by moving it along a drive direction A parallel to the rotation axis 24 from a locked position 89, in which it locks the lever 30 in the final position 32, to a released position 88, in which its blocking effect on the lever 30 is absent. In the locked position 89, a rotation blocking member 81 in the second lever lock 80 blocks movement of a corresponding blocking member 83 on the lever 30. To keep the design simple, in each case the second lever lock 80 and part of the lever 30 act as blocking members 81, 83. The perpendicularity of the drive direction A and locking direction L of the (first) lever lock 40 reduces the risk of unintended or accidental release, which may occur due to, for example, vibrations.

[0073] The second lever lock 80 is separate from the (first) lever lock 40 and is located closer to the axis of rotation 24. This takes into account that the second lever lock 80 is used to keep the lever 30 in the final position 32 when the terminal block 82 is being inserted but the connector 100 has not yet mated with the mating connector 200. At this stage, the force is still small and locking by the second lever lock 80 alone is possible. Once all parts of the connector 100, including the cover 50, are attached, the connector 100 can be mated with the mating connector 200. The force acting at this stage is greater, so a position of the (first) lever lock 40 further away from the axis of rotation 24 is advantageous due to the law of leverage. At this stage, it is not necessary to place the second lever lock 80 in the locked position 89. Rather, it can be used to secure the terminal block 85 in place within the housing portion 20, as will be explained below.

[0074] The further lever lock 80 may affect the insertability of the terminal block 85 into the receiving portion 21 in the housing portion 20. For example, full insertion may only be possible when the second lever lock 80 is in the locked position 89. The terminal block 85 may also prevent movement of the second lever lock 80 back to the released position 88 if it is inserted improperly or to an insufficient depth. Movement of the second lever lock 80 may be enabled or permitted once the desired insertion depth is reached.

[0075] 1 and 3, the further lever lock 80 is configured to prevent mating of the connector 100 with the mating connector 200 when in the locked position 89. It protrudes from the housing part 20 when out of the released position 88. In the locked position 89, it protrudes enough to prevent insertion of the connector 100 into the housing part 220 of the mating connector 200.

[0076] The illustrated exemplary embodiment includes a third lever lock 90 that, like the first lever lock 40, prevents the lever 30 from moving in its final position. A bendable latch arm 99 on the lever 30 automatically latches behind a corresponding latch element 29 formed as a wedge-shaped protrusion 28 on the housing part 20. Thus, unlike the first lever lock 40 and the second lever lock 80, the third lever lock 90 forms a direct connection (without an intervening element) between the lever 30 and the housing part 20. This reduces tolerances or hysteresis due to the reduced number of parts involved. Furthermore, the third lever lock 90 can lock the lever 30 before the lever lock 40 moves to the locked position 42.

[0077] Both the lever 30 and the lever lock 40 have a U-shape. Two arms 33, 44 are connected by bridge portions 36, 45.

[0078] In order to achieve an advantageously symmetrically balanced force flow, the lever 30, lever lock 40, cover 50 and housing part 20 are of mirror symmetry.

[0079] Although not shown here, the lever lock 40 may also be mirror-symmetric with respect to a second plane of symmetry perpendicular to the first plane of symmetry. The resulting lever lock 40 may then be invariant to a 180-degree rotation. This further simplifies the assembly process, since the lever lock 40 can be installed in two equivalent rotational orientations, eliminating the need for an assembler to perform an orientation setting step. However, it may be necessary to adapt the other components 20, 30 of the connector 100 to such a modified lever lock 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 20 Housing section 21 Terminal block receiving part 22 axles 23-pin 24 Rotation Axis 25 Latching Elements 26 Protrusion 28 Protrusion 29 Latching Elements 30 Lever 31 Starting position 32 Final position 33 Arm 34 Guide surface 35 Guidance Device 36 Bridge section 37 Stop surface 38 Length 39 Distal end 40 Lever Lock 41 Release position 42 Lock position 43 Guide surface 44 Arm 45 Bridge section 46 Stop surface 47 Free end 48 length 49 Distal end 50 Cover 51 Installed 52 Latching Elements 53 Protrusion 54 Release element 63 Translational prevention member 64 Translational blocking member 66 Blocking member 67 Further translational blocking members 69 Further translational blocking members 72 Rotation prevention member 74 Rotation prevention member 80 Second Lever Lock 81 Rotation prevention member 83 Rotation prevention member 85 terminal block 86 Coding Elements 88 Release position 89 Lock position 90 More Lever Locks 92 Receiving Section 95 Extension 99 Latch Arm 100 Connectors 101 Assembly 120 Fixing mechanism 130 Attraction mechanism 131 Gear mechanism 132 Gear section 135 Further Elements 139 Reception Department 141 First Distance 142 Second Distance 200 Mating Connector 220 Housing A Driving direction C Connection direction D Rotation direction I Insertion direction L Lock direction M Mounting direction R Radial direction T1 First transverse T2 Second transverse

Claims

1. An assembly (101) for a connector (100), comprising: The assembly (101) comprises: a housing part (20); a cover (50) configured to be attached to said housing portion (20); - a lever (30) configured to be attached to said housing part (20) and, when attached, rotatable relative to said housing part (20) from a start position (31) to a final position (32); a lever lock (40) that prevents rotation of the lever (30) away from the final position (32) when the lever lock (40) is in a locked position (42) and allows rotation of the lever (30) when the lever lock (40) is in a released position (41); Equipped with The lever (30) is configured to extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing part (20) when the lever (30) is in the final position (32); the lever lock (40) is movable from the release position (41) to the lock position (42) only when the lever (30) is in the final position (32) and the cover (50) is attached to the housing part (20); Movement of the lever lock (40) to the locked position (42) is prevented by a pair of interlocking translation blocking members (63, 64) on the lever (30) and the lever lock (40), respectively; The cover (50) comprises a release element (54), The release element (54) for disengaging the translation blocking members (63, 64) when the lever is in the final position (32) and the cover (50) is attached to the housing part (20). An assembly (101) for a connector (100).

2. An assembly (101) for a connector (100), comprising: The assembly (101) comprises: a housing part (20); a cover (50) configured to be attached to said housing portion (20); - a lever (30) configured to be attached to said housing part (20) and, when attached, rotatable relative to said housing part (20) from a start position (31) to a final position (32); a lever lock (40) that prevents rotation of the lever (30) away from the final position (32) when the lever lock (40) is in a locked position (42) and allows rotation of the lever (30) when the lever lock (40) is in a released position (41); Equipped with The lever (30) is configured to extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing part (20) when the lever (30) is in the final position (32); the lever lock (40) is movable from the release position (41) to the lock position (42) only when the lever (30) is in the final position (32) and the cover (50) is attached to the housing part (20); Movement of the lever lock (40) to the locked position (42) is prevented by a pair of interlocking translation blocking members (63, 64) on the lever (30) and the lever lock (40), respectively; When the lever (30) is close to but not at the final position (32), movement of the lever lock (40) to the locked position (42) is prevented by a further pair of engaging translational blocking members (67, 69) on the lever lock (40) and the housing part (20), respectively, the further pair of translational blocking members (67, 69) being spaced apart from the first pair of translational blocking members (63, 64) in the radial direction (R). An assembly (101) for a connector (100).

3. The release element (54) is elongated in the connection direction (C) of the connector (100); 10. The assembly (101) of claim 1.

4. The cover (50) comprises a further release element (54), 10. The assembly (101) of claim 1.

5. The translation blocking member (64) of the lever lock (40) is disposed at the free end (47) of the lever lock (40). Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

6. the blocking by the further pair of translation blocking members (67, 69) is independent of the state of the cover (50); 3. The assembly (101) of claim 2.

7. The distance (141, 142) of the lever lock (40) to the rotation axis (24) of the lever (30) is shorter in the locked position (42) than in the released position (41). Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The lever lock (40) acts as an extension (95) of the lever (30) when in the release position (41). Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The lever lock (40) and the housing part (20) are provided with a pair of interlocking rotation preventing members (72, 74) for preventing rotation of the lever (30) away from the final position (31) when the lever lock (40) is in the locked position (42). Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The lever lock (40) and the housing part (20) are provided with a pair of engaging rotation preventing members (72, 74) for preventing rotation of the lever (30) away from the final position (31) when the lever lock (40) is in the locked position (42); said lever lock (40) comprising a blocking member (66) forming one of said further pair of engaging translation blocking members (67, 69) and one of said engaging rotation blocking members (72, 74); 3. The assembly (101) of claim 2.

11. The assembly (101) comprises at least one further lever lock (80, 90) for preventing movement of the lever (30) out of the final position (32). Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

12. The further lever lock (80) is configured to prevent mating of the connector (100) with a mating connector (200) when in a locked position (89). Assembly (101) according to claim 11.

13. The lever (30) has a first U-shaped portion, the first U-shaped portion having a bridge portion (36) and two arms (33) extending from the bridge portion (36); The lever lock (40) has a second U-shaped portion, the second U-shaped portion having a bridge portion (45) and two arms (44) extending from the bridge portion (45); The two arms (33) of the lever (30) are configured to be able to accommodate the two arms (44) of the lever lock (40). Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

14. The number of the levers (30) is one. Assembly (101) according to claim 1 or 2.

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