Lever-type connector and connector device

Abstract

To provide a lever-type connector and a connector device which allow improvement in water proofness.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: a housing 20; and a lever 40, displaceably fitted to the housing 20, which rotates from a first position to a second position with respect to the housing 20, thereby drawing a mating connector 60 closer. The housing 20 has an insertion hole 26H for inserting a cam pin 64 of the mating connector 60 into a cam groove 45 formed on an arm part 41 of the lever 40. The lever 40 has a protrusion 49 which is movable from the second position to a third position after the lever has moved from the first position to the second position with respect to the housing 20, and which closes the insertion hole 26H at the third position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to a lever-type connector and a connector device. 【Background Art】 【0002】 For example, in Patent Documents 1 to 4 below, a lever-type connector that can surely fit a connector with a small operating force by operating a lever is described. The lever-type connector described in Patent Document 1 below has a male connector and a female connector that can be fitted to each other. The lever is rotatably attached to the female connector. A through hole for guiding the cam pin of the male connector into the cam groove of the lever is formed in the female connector. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-13129 【Patent Document 2】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-3743 【Patent Document 3】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-231379 【Patent Document 4】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-113266 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0004】 By the way, in the lever-type connector as described above, in the case of a connector assembled to a metal case, there has been a desire to make it difficult for water to enter the inside of the connector from the through hole through which the cam pin passes and improve the water resistance. 【0005】 Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a lever-type connector and a connector device that can improve water resistance. 【Means for Solving the Problems】 【0006】 The connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing and a lever displaceably mounted to the housing and displaced from a first position to a second position relative to the housing to pull a mating connector towards it, wherein the housing has a through hole formed in the arm portion of the lever through which the cam pin of the mating connector passes, and the lever is movable from the second position to a third position relative to the housing and has a projection that closes the through hole in the third position. 【0007】 The connector device of the present disclosure comprises a lever-type connector and a metal case to which the mating connector is fixed, wherein the mating housing has a mating hood portion that can be fitted with the housing, the case has a cylindrical portion that covers the outer circumferential surface of the mating hood portion, the housing has a protruding wall portion that covers the cylindrical portion, and the through hole is formed in the protruding wall portion. [Effects of the Invention] 【0008】 This disclosure makes it possible to provide a lever-type connector and connector device that can improve water resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0009】 [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector device according to Embodiment 1, showing the lever in the second position. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the mating state between the connector and the mating connector. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the lever in the second position when the connector and the mating connector are mated. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the lever in the third position when the connector and the mating connector are mated. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the lever in the third position, with enlarged views of the lever lock portion and the lever lock receiver portion. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0010】 [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. (1) The lever-type connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing and a lever displaceably mounted on the housing and which pulls a mating connector towards the housing by being displaced from a first position to a second position relative to the housing, wherein the housing has a through hole formed in the arm portion of the lever through which the cam pin of the mating connector passes, and the lever is movable from the first position to the second position relative to the housing, and then from the second position to a third position, and has a projection that closes the through hole in the third position. With such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for water to enter the through hole of the cam pin, thereby improving water resistance. (2) In the lever-type connector described in (1) above, the direction of movement from the second position to the third position is the same as the direction of mating with the mating connector, and the projection may be inserted into the through hole at the third position. With such a configuration, by placing the lever in the third position, the size in the mating direction with the mating connector of the lever-type connector can be made more compact. (3) In the lever-type connector described in (1) or (2) above, a wire cover attached to the housing is provided, the wire cover has a cover surface that covers the wire outlet surface of the housing, and the lever, in the third position, closes the gap formed in the cover surface. With such a configuration, water is less likely to come into contact with the wire outlet surface, thus improving water resistance. (4) In a lever-type connector described in any of (1) to (3) above, a guide portion may be provided to guide the movement from the second position to the third position. With such a configuration, the lever moves from the second position to the third position along the guide portion, making it easy to move from the second position to the third position. (5) The connector device of the present disclosure is a connector device comprising a lever-type connector as described in any of (1) to (4) above, and a metal case to which the mating connector is fixed, wherein the mating housing has a mating hood portion that can be fitted with the housing, the case has a cylindrical portion that covers the outer peripheral surface of the mating hood portion, the housing has a protruding wall portion that fits over the cylindrical portion, and the through hole is formed in the protruding wall portion. With such a configuration, by blocking the through hole with a projection, it is possible to make it difficult for water to come into contact with the case, and thus corrosion of the case due to water can be suppressed. 【0011】 [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of the lever-type connectors of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims as shown in the claims. 【0012】 [Embodiment 1] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lever-type connector 10 comprises a housing 20, a wire cover 30, and a lever 40. Hereafter, the lever-type connector 10 will be simply referred to as connector 10. The lever 40 is rotatably mounted on the housing 20. The lever 40 pulls connector 10 and mating connector 60 together by rotating from a first position to a second position. The first position is the position where mating between connector 10 and mating connector 60 begins. The second position is the position where connector 10 and mating connector 60 are in the proper mating state. In the proper mating state, terminal fittings of connector 10 (not shown) are electrically connected to mating terminal fittings 68. 【0013】 Hereinafter, in each component, the lower side in FIG. 1 will be described as the lower direction and the upper side as the upper direction. In each figure, the positive direction side of the X-axis is the right side, the negative direction side of the X-axis is the left side, the positive direction side of the Y-axis is the lower side, the negative direction side of the Y-axis is the upper side, the positive direction side of the Z-axis is the front side, and the negative direction side of the Z-axis is the rear side. The Y-axis is parallel to the fitting direction between the connector 10 and the mating connector 60. "Parallel" includes a generally parallel state in addition to a strictly parallel state. 【0014】 The mating connector 60 is fixed to a metal case 62. Only a part of the case 62 is shown in the drawing. The mating connector 60 includes a mating housing 61 made of synthetic resin. The mating housing 61 holds a mating terminal fitting 68. The mating terminal fitting 68 is connected to a circuit board not shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the mating housing 61 has a mating hood portion 63. The mating hood portion 63 has a cylindrical shape that opens upward. The mating hood portion 63 has two cam pins 64. The two cam pins 64 project from the left and right surfaces of the mating hood portion 63. As shown in FIG. 3, the mating hood portion 63 projects upward from the opening 65 of the case 62. 【0015】 The case 62 is formed by die-casting aluminum or the like. The case 62 has a cylindrical portion 66 that projects upward from the entire circumference of the opening 65. The cylindrical portion 66 has an oval shape that is longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction. The cylindrical portion 66 covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the mating housing 61. The space between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 66 and the outer peripheral surface of the mating housing 61 is sealed by a mating seal member 67. 【0016】 The housing 20 houses a terminal fitting not shown. The terminal fitting is made of conductive metal. An electric wire not shown is connected to the rear end portion of the terminal fitting. The electric wire is drawn upward from the upper surface of the housing 20. The upper surface of the housing 20 is the wire drawing surface 21. 【0017】 As shown in Figure 3, the housing 20 comprises a first housing 20F and a second housing 20S. Both the first housing 20F and the second housing 20S are made of synthetic resin. The first housing 20F has an outer wall portion 22 and an overhanging wall portion 25. The outer wall portion 22 is rectangular in shape. The outer wall portion 22 fits onto the outer circumference of the mating hood portion 63. As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of cover lock receiving portions 23 are provided at the rear end of the outer wall portion 22. Support shafts 24 are formed protruding from both the left and right sides of the outer wall portion 22. The support shafts 24 are substantially cylindrical in shape. 【0018】 The protruding wall portion 25 is provided at the lower end of the first housing 20F. The protruding wall portion 25 extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall portion 22. The protruding wall portion 25 has a first wall portion 25F and a second wall portion 25S. The first wall portion 25F extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall portion 22 parallel to the XZ plane. When viewed from above, the outer shape of the first wall portion 25F is an oval shape that follows the shape of the cylindrical portion 66. The second wall portion 25S protrudes downward from the outer peripheral edge of the first wall portion 25F. The second wall portion 25S fits onto the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 66 of the case 62. The second wall portion 25S covers the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 66. 【0019】 As shown in Figure 2, the first housing 20F has a through-hole 26 through which the cam pin 64 passes. The through-hole 26 is formed on both the left and right sides of the first housing 20F. The through-hole 26 is located in the center of the first housing 20F in the front-rear direction. 【0020】 Each through section 26 has a through hole 26H and a through groove 26M, as shown in Figure 2. The through hole 26H is formed in the protruding wall section 25. The through hole 26H penetrates the first wall section 25F of the protruding wall section 25 in the vertical direction. When viewed from above, the through hole 26H has a rectangular shape. The through groove 26M is formed in the outer wall section 22. The through groove 26M communicates with the through hole 26H and extends linearly upward from the through hole 26H. The through groove 26M penetrates the outer wall section 22 in the inward and outward directions. The support shaft 24 is located directly above the through groove 26M. 【0021】 As shown in Figure 3, the second housing 20S is housed inside the first housing 20F. The second housing 20S is the inner housing, and the first housing 20F is the outer housing. A first sealing member 11 is positioned between the first housing 20F and the second housing 20S. 【0022】 The second housing 20S fits inside the mating hood portion 63. A second sealing member 12 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the second housing 20S. When mated with the mating connector 60, the second sealing member 12 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second housing 20S and the inner circumferential surface of the mating hood portion 63. 【0023】 The wire cover 30 is made of synthetic resin. The wire cover 30 has a cover lock portion 31, a wire outlet portion 32, and a cover surface 36. The cover lock portion 31 engages with the cover lock receiving portion 23 of the housing 20. The wire cover 30 is fixed to the first housing 20F by the engagement of the cover lock portion 31 and the cover lock receiving portion 23. 【0024】 The wire outlet section 32 extends to the right. The wire extends upward from the wire outlet surface 21 of the housing 20, is bent inside the wire cover 30, and is pulled out to the right along the wire outlet section 32. 【0025】 The cover surface 36 covers the upper part of the wire outlet surface 21 of the housing 20. As shown in Figure 3, the cover surface 36 has a lever lock receiving portion 33. The lever lock receiving portion 33 has a gap 34 formed in the cover surface 36. The gap 34 extends elongated in the left-right direction. 【0026】 The lever 40 assists in mating with and disengaging from the mating connector 60 by the principle of leverage. The lever 40 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figure 2, the lever 40 comprises a pair of left and right arm portions 41, an operating portion 42 that connects the pair of arm portions 41, and a projection portion 49. The pair of arm portions 41 are aligned along both the left and right sides of the outer wall portion 22. The pair of arm portions 41 are facing each other on the left and right sides. 【0027】 A shaft hole 44 and a cam groove 45 are formed on the opposing surfaces 43 of the pair of arm portions 41. The shaft hole 44 receives the support shaft 24. The shaft hole 44 is a substantially circular hole that penetrates the arm portion 41 in the left-right direction. The lever 40 rotates between a first position and a second position around the support shaft 24 fitted into the shaft hole 44. When the lever 40 is rotated to the second position, it moves from the second position to the third position. The movement from the second position to the third position is achieved by pushing the lever 40 in the second position downwards. The direction of movement from the second position to the third position is parallel to the Y-axis. 【0028】 The cam groove 45 receives the cam pin 64, as shown in Figure 4. The cam groove 45 has a cam inlet 46 that allows the cam pin 64 to enter. The cam groove 45 extends from the cam inlet 46 toward the cam rear end 47. The cam groove 45 is curved toward the cam rear end 47. The cam inlet 46 communicates with the through portion 26 in the left-right direction in the first position. The cam pin 64 of the mating housing 61 enters the through groove 26M and the cam inlet 46 from the through hole 26H. When the lever 40 is rotated, the cam pin 64 slides along the groove surface of the cam groove 45, and the mating of the connector 10 and the mating connector 60 progresses. 【0029】 As shown in Figure 4, the shaft hole 44 has an expansion portion 44K. The expansion portion 44K of the shaft hole 44 is in communication with the shaft hole 44. The expansion portion 44K widens upward from the shaft hole 44 at the second position. The expansion portion 44K of the shaft hole 44 has a shape that follows the outer shape of the support shaft 24. A diaphragm 53 is provided at the boundary between the shaft hole 44 and the expansion portion 44K to narrow the width in the front-rear direction. 【0030】 As shown in Figure 4, the cam groove 45 has an expanded portion 45K. The expanded portion 45K of the cam groove 45 widens upward from the cam rear end 47 in the second position. The expanded portion 45K has a shape that follows the outer shape of the cam pin 64. 【0031】 As shown in Figure 3, the operating section 42 has a lever lock section 48. The lever lock section 48 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the operating section 42 in the second position. In the third position, the lever lock section 48 fits into the gap 34 of the lever lock receiving section 33 (see Figure 6). The lever lock section 48 is locked to the lever lock receiving section 33, and the movement of the lever 40 from the third position to the second position and from the second position to the first position are restricted. 【0032】 As shown in Figure 2, the projection 49 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the arm portion 41. The projection 49 is located at the lower end of the arm portion 41 in the second position. The projection 49 is sized to fit into the through hole 26H. The cross-sectional shape of the projection 49 is rectangular, which closes the through hole 26H. By "closes," it is not necessary to completely eliminate the gap in the through hole 26H. 【0033】 The connector 10 has a guide portion 13 that guides movement from the second position to the third position. The guide portion 13 has a guide projection 35 provided on the wire cover 30 and a guide groove 52 provided on the lever 40. 【0034】 As shown in Figure 2, the guide projection 35 protrudes to the right from the right side of the wire cover 30. The guide projection 35 has a pin shape with a circular cross-section. The guide projection 35 is provided on the rear side of the wire outlet portion 32. 【0035】 The guide groove 52 is formed on the opposing surface 43 of the right arm portion 41. The guide groove 52 extends vertically in the second position. Both the front and rear edges of the guide groove 52 extend linearly in the vertical direction. The guide groove 52 is connected to the groove portion 51 formed on the opposing surface 43 (see Figure 4). The groove portion 51 has a ridge portion 54 that the guide projection 35 can overcome just before reaching the guide groove 52. 【0036】 Next, an example of the process of mating connector 10 with mating connector 60 will be described. When mating connector 10 with mating connector 60 begins, the lever 40 is held in the first position, and connector 10 and mating connector 60 are shallowly mated. Then, the cam pin 64 of mating connector 60 passes through the through hole 26H and enters the cam entry port 46. 【0037】 When the lever 40 is rotated from the first position to the second position, the mating connector 60 and connector 10 are relatively drawn together by the cam action of the cam groove 45 and the cam pin 64. As the lever 40 approaches the second position, the guide projection 35 enters the groove 51 of the opposing surface 43. The guide projection 35 approaches the peak 54 just before the lever 40 reaches the second position. When the guide projection 35 goes over the peak 54, the lever 40 reaches the second position. The operator feels resistance when the guide projection 35 goes over the peak 54. This allows the operator to know that the lever 40 has moved to the second position. 【0038】 As shown in Figure 4, when the lever 40 reaches the second position, the connector 10 and the mating connector 60 reach the correct mating position. At this time, the guide projection 35 is located directly below the guide groove 52. The lever lock portion 48 is positioned directly above the lever lock receiving portion 33 (see Figure 3). 【0039】 Next, the lever 40 is pushed from the second position to the third position. When the operating part 42 of the lever 40 is pushed downward, the guide projection 35 enters the guide groove 52, as shown in Figure 5. The movement of the lever 40 is guided by the contact between the guide projection 35 and the guide groove 52. The throttling portion 53 of the shaft hole 44 goes over the support shaft 24, the expansion portion 44K of the shaft hole 44 fits onto the support shaft 24, and the expansion portion 45K of the cam groove 45 fits onto the cam pin 64. The operator feels resistance when the throttling portion 53 of the shaft hole 44 goes over the support shaft 24. This allows the operator to know that the lever 40 has moved to the third position. 【0040】 When the lever 40 reaches the third position, the protruding end face 49T of the projection 49 enters the through hole 26H, as shown in Figure 5. Moving the lever 40 to the third position reduces the vertical dimension of the connector 10. The projection 49 that enters the through hole 26H closes the through hole 26H. As a result, the opening area of ​​the through hole 26H is significantly reduced, making it difficult for water to enter between the cylindrical part 66 of the case 62 and the mating housing 61 from the through hole 26H. Also, when the lever 40 reaches the third position, the lever lock part 48 engages with the lever lock receiving part 33 (see Figure 6). As a result, the gap 34 of the wire cover 30 is closed. With these steps, the process of mating the connector 10 with the mating connector 60 is completed. 【0041】 Next, the operation and effects of the embodiment configured as described above will be explained. Connector C comprises a housing 20 and a lever 40. The lever 40 is rotatably mounted on the housing 20. The lever 40 pulls the mating connector 60 in by rotating from a first position to a second position. The housing 20 has a through hole 26H formed in a cam groove 45 formed in the arm portion 41 of the lever 40, through which the cam pin 64 of the mating connector 60 passes. The lever 40 is movable from a second position to a third position. In the third position, the lever 40 has a projection 49 that closes the through hole 26H. With this configuration, it is difficult for water to enter the through hole 26H of the cam pin 64, thus improving water resistance. 【0042】 The direction of movement from the second position to the third position is the same as the direction of mating with the mating connector 60. In the third position, the projection 49 is inserted into the through hole 26H. With this configuration, by placing the lever 40 in the third position, the size of the connector 10 in the mating direction with the mating connector 60 can be made more compact. 【0043】 The connector 10 includes a wire cover 30 that is attached to the housing 20. The wire cover 30 has a cover surface 36 that covers the wire outlet surface 21 of the housing 20. In the third position, the lever 40 closes the gap 34 formed in the cover surface 36. This configuration makes it less likely for water to come into contact with the wire outlet surface 21, thus improving water resistance. 【0044】 The connector 10 has a guide portion 13 that guides movement from the second position to the third position. With this configuration, the lever 40 moves from the second position to the third position along the guide portion 13, making it easy to move from the second position to the third position. 【0045】 The mating connector 60 is fixed to a metal case 62. The mating housing 61 has a mating hood portion 63 that can be fitted with the housing 20. The case 62 has a cylindrical portion 66 that covers the outer circumferential surface of the mating hood portion 63. The housing 20 has an overhanging wall portion 25 that covers the cylindrical portion 66. The through hole 26H is formed in the overhanging wall portion 25. With this configuration, by blocking the through hole 26H with the projection portion 49, it is possible to prevent water from getting into the case 62, thereby suppressing corrosion of the case 62 due to water. 【0046】 [Other embodiments of this disclosure] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In the above embodiment, the projection 49 fits into the through hole 26H, but in other embodiments, the projection does not fit into the through hole but merely covers it. In the above embodiment, the gap 34 formed in the cover surface 36 constitutes the lever lock receiving portion 33, but in other embodiments, the gap in the cover surface may be a gap that does not constitute the lever lock receiving portion. In the above embodiment, the guide projection 35 is provided on the wire cover 30 and the guide groove 52 is provided on the lever 40. However, in other embodiments, the guide groove may be provided on the wire cover and the guide projection on the lever. In yet another embodiment, the guide groove or guide projection may be provided on the housing. In the above embodiment, the lever 40 is rotatably mounted on the housing 20, but in other embodiments, the lever may slide linearly within the housing. [Explanation of symbols] 【0047】 C... Connector 10… Connector (lever-type connector) 11…First sealing member 12...Second sealing member 13… Guide Section 20… Housing 20F...1st Housing 20S…Second Housing 21…Wire exit side 22…Outer wall part 23... Cover lock receiving part 24…Spindle 25...Protruding wall part 25F…1st wall section 25S…Second wall part 26... Through section 26H…Through hole 26M…Through groove 30... Wire cover 31...Cover lock part 32... Wire outlet 33... Lever lock receiving part 34… Gap 35... Guide projection 36... Cover surface 40... Lever 41...Arm section 42...Operation unit 43… Opposite side 44... Shaft hole 44K...Expansion section 45... Cam groove 45K... Expansion section 46…Cam entry port 47... Cam's inner end 48... Lever lock section 49...Protrusion 49T…Protruding end surface 51… Groove 52… Guide groove 53... Aperture section 54... Yamabe 60...Mutual connector 61... Opponent's Housing 62... Cases 63... Opponent's Food Department 64... Kampin 65…Opening 66...Cylindrical part 67…Mating seal component 68…Mating terminal fittings

Claims

[Claim 1] The device comprises a housing and a lever displaceably attached to the housing, which pulls a mating connector towards the housing by displacing from a first position to a second position relative to the housing. The housing has a through hole formed in the arm portion of the lever through which the cam pin of the mating connector passes. A lever-type connector wherein the lever is movable relative to the housing from a first position to a second position, and then from the second position to a third position, and has a projection that closes the through hole in the third position. [Claim 2] The direction of movement from the second position to the third position is the same as the direction of mating with the mating connector. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the projection is inserted into the through-hole at the third position. [Claim 3] The housing is equipped with a wire cover, The wire cover has a cover surface that covers the wire outlet surface of the housing, The lever closes a gap formed in the cover surface at the third position, according to claim 1 or claim 2. [Claim 4] The lever-type connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a guide portion for guiding movement from the second position to the third position. [Claim 5] A lever-type connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, A connector device comprising a metal case on which the mating connector is fixed, The mating housing has a mating hood portion that can be fitted with the housing, The case has a cylindrical portion that covers the outer circumferential surface of the mating hood portion, The housing has a protruding wall portion that covers the cylindrical portion, The aforementioned through-hole is a connector device formed in the protruding wall portion.

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