connector

Abstract

To prevent faulty assembly of a cover.SOLUTION: A connector 10 of the present disclosure is a connector 10 comprising a housing 20 having cavities 24 penetrating in a front-and-rear direction, and a cover 40 mounted on the rear of the housing 20. The housing 20 has a housing-side rail 25 and a housing-side lock 26. The cover 40 has a cover-side rail 52 and a cover-side lock 53. The cover 40 has a first cover 50 mounted on the housing 20 from one side of a first direction, and a second cover 60 mounted on the housing 20 from the other side of the first direction. At least one of the first cover 50 and the second cover 60 is configured to be mounted on the rear of the housing 20. The first cover 50 has a faulty assembly prevention rib 52B3 that, when the cover is mounted on the housing 20 falsely from the other side of the first direction, interferes with the outer surface of the housing 20 to prevent the mounting operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] As a connector configured to be attachable to a housing while sliding a wire cover, for example, a lever-type connector described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-202053 (Patent Document 1 below) is known. This lever-type connector includes a male housing, a female housing, a lever for fitting the male and female housings, and a wire cover attached to the rear portion of the female housing. A pair of attachment portions for assembling the wire cover are formed on the rear end side of the female housing. The attachment portion has a pair of protruding piece portions and a pair of standing piece portions.

[0003] A slide rib is integrally formed at the lower end of the wire cover. The wire cover is attached to the female housing by sliding this slide rib between the pair of protruding piece portions and the pair of standing piece portions. An elastic lock piece is integrally formed at the lower end of the wire cover. A lock protrusion is formed at the tip of the elastic lock piece and is configured to engage with a concave locking portion formed in the female housing. The wire cover is attached to the female housing in a manner that prevents it from coming off by the lock protrusion engaging with the locking portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The above wire cover employs a sliding mounting method, which has the advantage of being installable even in limited spaces. However, because the locking structure between the locking projection and the locked portion is formed to fit within the slide rail (between the projection and the upright portion), there is a risk that a good locking feel may not be obtained. Therefore, if a larger locking structure is provided in a location other than the slide rail, the overall configuration of the lever-type connector will become larger, which is detrimental to space saving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing having a cavity penetrating in the front-rear direction, and a cover mounted on the rear of the housing, wherein the housing has a housing-side rail extending in a first direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction at the rear of the housing, and a housing-side lock, and the cover has a cover-side rail inserted into the housing-side rail from the first direction, and a cover-side lock protruding forward from the cover-side rail and engaging with the housing-side lock to hold the cover on the housing in a normal mounting position, and the housing-side lock has a rail-forming surface constituting a part of the housing-side rail, and a locking surface that engages with the cover-side lock in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to achieve space savings while ensuring a good locking feel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector with the first cover attached, seen from the rear at an oblique angle. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector with the second cover attached, seen from the rear at an oblique angle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear at an oblique angle, showing the state before the first cover is attached. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear at an oblique angle, showing the state after the first cover has been attached, compared to the state shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a side view of the connector. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a bottom view of the connector. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of CC in Figure 7. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 7, shown in DD. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of EE in Figure 7. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the housing. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the first cover. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a perspective view from the rear at an angle, showing an attempt to mistakenly attach the first cover from the left. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a perspective view from the rear at an oblique angle, showing the first cover partially installed to its normal mounting position. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the housing-side lock. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a perspective view showing how the cover-side lock rides onto the second tapered surface. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view showing how the cover-side lock rides onto the second tapered surface. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover-side lock riding up onto the first tapered surface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector including a housing having a cavity penetrating in the front-rear direction and a cover attached to the rear portion of the housing. The housing has a housing-side rail extending in a first direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction at the rear portion of the housing and a housing-side lock. The cover has a cover-side rail inserted into the housing-side rail from the first direction and a cover-side lock that protrudes forward from the cover-side rail and locks to the housing-side lock so that the cover is held by the housing at a normal mounting position. The housing-side lock has a rail configuration surface constituting a part of the housing-side rail and a lock locking surface that locks to the cover-side lock in the first direction.

[0010] Since the housing-side lock has a rail configuration surface, the housing-side lock can be arranged as close as possible to the housing-side rail. For this reason, the protruding length of the cover-side lock from the cover-side rail can be minimized. Therefore, the space saving of the entire connector can be achieved. Further, since only the rail configuration surface of the housing-side lock is located on the housing-side rail, the lock locking surface can be formed large without being restricted by the housing-side rail. Therefore, a good lock feeling can be ensured.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the cover-side lock is configured to be elastically deformable in a second direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the first direction. The housing-side lock has a first tapered surface that moves away from the outer surface of the housing as it goes forward from the rail configuration surface. When the cover-side lock rides on the housing-side lock, it is preferably elastically deformed in the second direction and faces the first tapered surface in a state of riding on the housing-side lock.

[0012] Since the first tapered surface moves away from the outer surface of the housing as it goes forward from the rail configuration surface, excessive elastic deformation of the cover-side lock can be suppressed when the cover-side lock rides on the housing-side lock and faces the first tapered surface.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], it is preferable that the housing-side lock has a second tapered surface that can slide against the cover-side lock when the cover-side lock rides onto the housing-side lock.

[0014] When attaching the cover to the housing, the cover-side lock slides against the second tapered surface and rides up onto the housing-side lock, making it easier to attach the cover.

[0015] [4] In the above [3], it is preferable that the housing-side lock has a third tapered surface connecting the first tapered surface and the second tapered surface.

[0016] As the cover-side lock moves from the second tapered surface to the first tapered surface, it passes through the third tapered surface, which helps to suppress excessive bending deformation of the cover-side lock.

[0017] [5] In any of the above [1] to [4], the cover comprises a first cover that is attached to the housing from one side in the first direction and a second cover that is attached to the housing from the other side in the first direction, wherein either the first cover or the second cover is attached to the rear of the housing, and preferably the first cover has an anti-misassembly rib that interferes with the outer surface of the housing to stop the assembly operation if an attempt is made to mistakenly attach the first cover to the housing from the other side in the first direction.

[0018] The first and second covers can be selectively attached to the housing. Furthermore, if an attempt is made to attach the first cover to the housing from the other side in the first direction, the mis-assembly prevention rib interferes with the outer surface of the housing, stopping the attachment operation and thus preventing the first cover from being attached incorrectly.

[0019] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. This disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. In the drawings, some parts of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified for illustrative purposes. Also, the dimensional ratios of the parts may differ in the drawings. In this specification, “orthogonal” includes not only strictly orthogonal but also approximately orthogonal to the extent that the function and effect of the present embodiment is achieved.

[0020] Furthermore, in this specification, "facing" means that two surfaces or members are in a position where they face each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. Furthermore, in this specification, "facing" includes both cases where a member other than the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts.

[0021] <Embodiment> Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 19. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow Z is described as upward, the direction indicated by arrow X is described as forward, and the direction indicated by arrow Y is described as left. The left-right direction is an example of a first direction. The up-down direction is an example of a second direction. Note that for multiple identical members, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the members, while the reference numerals for other members may be omitted.

[0022] (Connector 10) The connector 10 comprises a housing 20 made of synthetic resin, a lever 30 made of synthetic resin, and a cover 40 made of synthetic resin. The cover 40 comprises a first cover 50 shown in Figure 1 and a second cover 60 shown in Figure 2, and either the first cover 50 or the second cover 60 is attached to the rear of the housing 20. As shown in Figure 3, the first cover 50 is attached to the housing 20 from the right, and the second cover 60 is attached to the housing 20 from the left. The first cover 50 and the second cover 60 are formed symmetrically, and in the following description, the first cover 50 will be used as a representative example.

[0023] (Housing 20, lever 30) As shown in Figure 12, the housing 20 comprises a housing body 21 that is roughly rectangular and block-shaped, a pivot shaft 22 formed on the outer surface of the housing body 21, and a lever holding portion 23 formed on the upper rear end of the housing body 21. A pair of pivot shafts 22 are provided on both the left and right sides of the outer surface of the housing body 21. Multiple cavities 24, into which terminals (not shown) are inserted, are formed to penetrate the housing body 21 in the front-to-back direction.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the lever 30 comprises a pair of cam plates 31 and an operating portion 32 that connects the ends of the pair of cam plates 31. Each cam plate 31 has a cam groove 33 into which a cam pin (not shown) of the mating connector enters, and an axial hole 34 that accommodates a pivot shaft 22. When the pair of pivot shafts 22 are accommodated in the pair of axial holes 34 of the pair of cam plates 31, the lever 30 is pivotally supported relative to the housing body 21.

[0025] The lever 30 is rotatable between an initial position and a mating position. In the initial position, the mating connector and connector 10 are loosely mated. By rotating the lever 30 toward the mating position, the cam pin engages with the inner wall of the cam groove 33, resulting in a fully mated state. The position of the lever 30 shown in Figure 3 is the mating position, and the lever 30 is held in the mating position by the locking of the operating part 32 to the lever holding part 23.

[0026] (Cover 1, page 50) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the first cover 50 comprises a cover portion 51 that covers the rear surface of the housing body 21, a cover-side rail 52 formed at the front end of the cover portion 51, and a cover-side lock 53 formed at the end of the cover-side rail 52. The cover portion 51 has a wire outlet 54 that is open to allow the wires pulled out from the rear of the housing body 21 to be bent and guided out to the side.

[0027] (Rail structure) The first cover 50 is mounted to the housing 20 by sliding it in from the side, as shown in Figure 3. The housing body 21 has a housing-side rail 25 into which the cover-side rail 52 is inserted.

[0028] As shown in Figure 13, the cover-side rail 52 comprises a cover-side upper rail 52A extending in the left-right direction and a cover-side lower rail 52B extending in the left-right direction. The cover-side upper rail 52A and the cover-side lower rail 52B are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction.

[0029] The upper rail 52A on the cover side has a gate shape that opens downward, and the lower rail 52B on the cover side has a gate shape that opens upward. The upper rail 52A on the cover side comprises a rear wall 52A1 extending upward from the front edge of the covering portion 51, a side wall 52A2 extending forward from the upper edge of the rear wall 52A1, and a front wall 52A3 extending downward from the front edge of the side wall 52A2. The lower rail 52B on the cover side comprises a side wall 52B1 extending forward from the front edge of the covering portion 51, and a front wall 52B2 extending upward from the front edge of the side wall 52B1. Of the upper and lower side walls of the covering wall 51, the side wall opposite to the upper rail 52A on the cover side has an anti-misassembly rib 52B3 that extends in the left-right direction.

[0030] As shown in Figure 17, the cover-side lock 53 is formed to protrude forward from the right end of the cover-side lower rail 52B. The cover-side lock 53 as a whole has a gate shape and comprises a locking wall 53A formed to protrude forward from the front wall 52B2 of the cover-side lower rail 52B, a protective wall 53B formed to protrude forward from the side wall 52B1 of the cover-side lower rail 52B, and a connecting wall 53C that connects the front end of the locking wall 53A and the front end of the protective wall 53B.

[0031] The housing-side rail 25 comprises a housing-side upper rail 25A located on the upper rear end of the housing body 21 and a housing-side lower rail 25B located on the lower rear end of the housing body 21.

[0032] As shown in Figure 12, the housing-side upper rail 25A includes an upper rail housing portion 25A1 through which the cover-side upper rail 52A passes in the left-right direction, and a plurality of retaining walls 25A2 that prevent the cover-side upper rail 52A housed in the upper rail housing portion 25A1 from coming out from the rear. The cover-side upper rail 52A housed in the upper rail housing portion 25A1 is prevented from coming out from above by a lever holding portion 23. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the cover-side upper rail 52A is prevented from coming out from the rear by the retaining walls 25A2 and from coming out from above by the lever holding portion 23.

[0033] As shown in Figure 12, the housing-side lower rail 25B includes a lower rail housing portion 25B1 through which the cover-side lower rail 52B passes in the left-right direction, and a plurality of retaining walls 25B2 that prevent the cover-side lower rail 52B housed in the lower rail housing portion 25B1 from coming out from the rear. The cover-side lower rail 52B housed in the lower rail housing portion 25B1 is prevented from coming out from below by a plurality of side walls 25B3. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the cover-side lower rail 52B is prevented from coming out from the rear by the retaining walls 25B2 and from coming out from below by the side walls 25B3.

[0034] As shown in Figure 10, the side wall 52B1 of the cover-side lower rail 52B is housed between the side wall 25B3 and the retaining wall 25B2 of the housing-side lower rail 25B. Therefore, vertical displacement of the cover-side lower rail 52B within the lower rail housing portion 25B1 is suppressed.

[0035] As shown in Figure 10, a pair of left and right locking recesses 25A3 are formed inside the upper rail housing 25A1. The cover-side upper rail 52A has a locking projection 52A4 that fits into the locking recess 25A3 and locks from the left and right directions. When the first cover 50 is attached to the housing 20, the locking projection 52A4 fits into the right locking recess 25A3 and locks, and when the second cover 60 is attached to the housing 20, the locking projection fits into the left locking recess 25A3 and locks. As a result, either the first cover 50 or the second cover 60 can be selectively attached to and held on the housing 20.

[0036] As shown in Figure 14, if the first cover 50 is mistakenly attached to the housing 20 from the left, the misassembly prevention rib 52B3 interferes with the left opening edge (lever holding portion 23) of the upper rail housing portion 25A1, thereby preventing misassembly.

[0037] As shown in Figure 15, even when the first cover 50 is attached to the housing 20 from the right, if it is in a partially inserted state (before the locking projection 52A4 fits into the locking recess 25A3 on the right side and locks in place), the lever 30 interferes with the first cover 50, preventing the lever 30 from rotating.

[0038] (Locking mechanism) As shown in Figure 16, the housing 20 has a housing-side lock 26. The housing-side lock 26 is formed protruding from the outer surface 21A of the housing body 21. The housing-side lock 26 has a rail-forming surface 26A that constitutes part of the housing-side lower rail 25B, a locking surface 26B into which the locking wall 53A of the cover-side lock 53 engages from the left, a first tapered surface 26C that moves further away from the outer surface 21A of the housing body 21 as it extends forward from the rail-forming surface 26A, a second tapered surface 26D that can slide against the cover-side lock 53 when the cover-side lock 53 rides onto the housing-side lock 26, and a third tapered surface 26E that connects the first tapered surface 26C and the second tapered surface 26D.

[0039] The housing-side lock 26 is arranged such that the rail-forming surface 26A and the locking surface 26B are aligned. More specifically, the rail-forming surface 26A and the locking surface 26B are connected via a fourth tapered surface 26F located between them. As shown in Figure 6, the rail-forming surface 26A is positioned flush with the bottom surface of the lower rail housing 25B1 (the surface facing the retaining wall 25B2 in the front-rear direction). The position where the rail-forming surface 26A and the bottom surface of the lower rail housing 25B1 are flush is indicated by the dashed line L in Figure 6. In other words, the rail-forming surface 26A constitutes a part of the housing-side lower rail 25B. In this way, the housing-side lock 26 can be brought as close as possible to the housing-side lower rail 25B, so the protrusion length of the cover-side lock 53 from the cover-side lower rail 52B can be minimized compared to when the housing-side lock is formed at a different location from the housing-side lower rail, thereby achieving space savings for the entire connector 10.

[0040] Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the locking wall 53A of the cover-side lock 53 in the process of riding up onto the housing-side lock 26. At this time, as shown in Figure 18, the base of the cover-side lock 53 that connects to the cover-side lower rail 52B is bent and deformed, and the locking wall 53A rides up near the corner between the second tapered surface 26D and the third tapered surface 26E. When the cover-side lock 53 is pushed in, the locking wall 53A rides up while making contact with the corner between the second tapered surface 26D and the third tapered surface 26E.

[0041] Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the locking wall 53A of the cover-side lock 53 riding up onto the housing-side lock 26. At this time, the base of the cover-side lock 53 that connects to the cover-side lower rail 52B is bent and deformed, and it rides up onto the lower end of the first tapered surface 26C. The locking wall 53A faces the first tapered surface 26C with a gap in between. When the cover-side lock 53 is pushed in, the locking wall 53A moves toward the locking surface 26B while sliding against a part of the first tapered surface 26C.

[0042] Subsequently, when the locking wall 53A of the cover-side lock 53 overcomes the housing-side lock 26, the cover-side lock 53 deforms back, and as shown in Figure 11, the locking wall 53A engages with the locking surface 26B from the left. This holds the first cover 50 in its normal mounting position.

[0043] The housing-side lock 26 is not housed inside the lower rail housing 25B1 and does not need to be contained within the dimensions of the lower rail housing 25B1, so the locking surface 26B can be made larger. Therefore, the locking feeling, which serves as a means of confirming that the cover-side lock 53 has engaged with the housing-side lock 26 and that the locking is complete, can be improved.

[0044] (How to attach the first cover 50) The first cover 50 is attached to the housing 20 by pushing it from right to left on the housing 20, as shown in Figure 3. The upper cover rail 52A is inserted into the upper housing rail 25A from the right, and the lower cover rail 52B is inserted into the lower housing rail 25B from the right. When the upper cover rail 52A is housed in the upper rail housing 25A1, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the front wall 52A3 is prevented from coming out to the rear by the retaining wall 25A2, and the side wall 52A2 is prevented from opening upward by the lever holding part 23. When the lower cover rail 52B is housed in the lower rail housing 25B1, the front wall 52B2 is prevented from coming out to the rear by the retaining wall 25B2, and the side wall 52B1 is prevented from opening downward by the side wall 25B3. The lower surface of the misassembly prevention rib 52B3 of the first cover 50 is flush with the outer surface of the side wall 25B3 of the housing 20. Therefore, the vertical dimensions of the first cover 50 are contained within the vertical dimensions of the housing 20.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the side wall 52A2 of the upper rail 52A on the cover side is housed between the retaining wall 25A2 of the upper rail 25A on the housing side and the lever holding portion 23, and the side wall 52B1 of the lower rail 52B on the cover side is housed between the retaining wall 25B2 and the side wall 25B3 of the lower rail 25B on the housing side. At the same time, the locking projection 52A4 of the upper rail 52A on the cover side fits into the locking recess 25A3 of the upper rail 25A on the housing side and is locked in place.

[0046] Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 18, the cover-side lock 53 deforms downward as the locking wall 53A rides onto the second tapered surface 26D without interfering with the third tapered surface 26E, and begins to ride onto the housing-side lock 26. When the cover-side lock 53 is in the state where it is riding onto the housing-side lock 26, the locking wall 53A faces the first tapered surface 26C. Although the locking wall 53A faces the first tapered surface 26C in a state of downward deformation, the amount of deformation is smaller than when the first tapered surface 26C is not formed, thus suppressing excessive deformation. Subsequently, when the locking wall 53A overcomes the first tapered surface 26C, as shown in Figure 11, the locking wall 53A deforms upward and locks onto the locking surface 26B of the housing-side lock 26. As a result, the first cover 50 is held in the normal mounting position relative to the housing 20.

[0047] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The connector 10 of the embodiment comprises a housing 20 having a cavity 24 that penetrates in the front-rear direction, and a cover 40 that is attached to the rear of the housing 20, wherein the housing 20 has a housing-side rail 25 that extends in the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction at the rear of the housing 20, and a housing-side lock 26, and the cover 40 has a cover-side rail 52 that is inserted into the housing-side rail 25 from the left-right direction, and a cover-side lock 53 that protrudes forward from the cover-side rail 52 and engages with the housing-side lock 26 to hold the cover 40 on the housing 20 in the normal mounting position, and the housing-side lock 26 has a rail-forming surface 26A that constitutes a part of the housing-side rail 25, and a locking surface 26B that engages with the cover-side lock 53 in the left-right direction.

[0048] Since the housing-side lock 26 has a rail-forming surface 26A, the housing-side lock 26 can be positioned as close as possible to the housing-side rail 25. This minimizes the protrusion length of the cover-side lock 53 from the cover-side rail 52. Consequently, the overall space of the connector 10 can be reduced. Furthermore, since only the rail-forming surface 26A of the housing-side lock 26 is located on the housing-side rail 25, the locking surface 26B can be formed larger without being constrained by the housing-side rail 25. Therefore, a good locking feel can be ensured.

[0049] (2) The cover-side lock 53 is designed to bend and deform in the vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions, and the housing-side lock 26 has a first tapered surface 26C that moves further away from the outer surface 21A of the housing body 21 as it moves forward from the rail-forming surface 26A, and the cover-side lock 53 bends and deforms in the vertical direction when it rides up onto the housing-side lock 26, and when it is on top of the housing-side lock 26, it faces the first tapered surface 26C.

[0050] Since the first tapered surface 26C moves further away from the outer surface 21A of the housing body 21 as it extends forward from the rail configuration surface 26A, excessive bending deformation of the cover-side lock 53 can be suppressed when the cover-side lock 53 rides up onto the housing-side lock 26 and faces the first tapered surface 26C.

[0051] (3) The housing-side lock 26 has a second tapered surface 26D that can slide against the cover-side lock 53 when the cover-side lock 53 rides up onto the housing-side lock 26.

[0052] When attaching the cover 40 to the housing 20, the cover-side lock 53 slides against the second tapered surface 26D and rides up onto the housing-side lock 26, making it easier to attach the cover 40.

[0053] (4) The housing-side lock 26 preferably has a third tapered surface 26E connecting the first tapered surface 26C and the second tapered surface 26D.

[0054] As the cover-side lock 53 moves from the second tapered surface 26D to the first tapered surface 26C, it passes through the third tapered surface 26E, making it easier to suppress excessive deflection deformation of the cover-side lock 53.

[0055] (5) The cover 40 comprises a first cover 50 that is attached to the housing 20 from one side in the left-right direction, and a second cover 60 that is attached to the housing 20 from the other side in the left-right direction, and either the first cover 50 or the second cover 60 is attached to the rear of the housing 20, and the first cover 50 has an anti-misassembly rib 52B3 that interferes with the opening edge of the upper rail housing portion 25A1 to stop the attachment operation if an attempt is made to mistakenly attach the first cover 50 to the housing 20 from the other side in the left-right direction.

[0056] The first cover 50 and the second cover 60 can be selectively attached to the housing 20. Furthermore, if an attempt is made to attach the first cover 50 to the housing 20 from the other side in the left-right direction, the mis-assembly prevention rib 52B3 interferes with the opening edge of the upper rail housing section 25A1, stopping the attachment operation and thus preventing the first cover 50 from being attached incorrectly.

[0057] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the rail configuration surface 26A and the bottom surface of the lower rail housing 25B1 are arranged to be flush with each other as shown by the dashed line L in Figure 6, but they do not have to be arranged to be strictly flush with each other. For example, the rail configuration surface 26A and the fourth tapered surface 26F may be arranged in the lower rail housing 25B1.

[0059] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 19, the locking wall 53A is shown facing the first tapered surface 26C with a gap in between, but the locking wall may also be in contact with the entire surface of the first tapered surface.

[0060] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 18, the locking wall 53A is shown to be in sliding contact with a part of the second tapered surface 26D, but the locking wall may also be in sliding contact with the entire surface of the second tapered surface.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the housing-side lock 26 is shown to have a third tapered surface 26E, but the first tapered surface 26C and the second tapered surface 26D may be directly connected without the third tapered surface.

[0062] • In the above embodiment, a connector 10 is shown in which the first cover 50 and the second cover 60 are selectively attached to the housing 20, but a connector in which only the first cover 50 is attached to the housing 20 is also possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10: Connector 20: Housing 21: Housing body 21A: External surface 22: Rotary shaft 23: Lever holding part 24: Cavity 25: Housing side rail 25A: Upper rail on the housing side 25A1: Upper rail housing section 25A2: Retaining wall 25A3: Locking recess 25B: Lower rail on the housing side 25B1: Lower rail housing section 25B2: Retaining wall 25B3: Side wall 26: Housing side lock 26A: Rail configuration surface 26B: Locking surface 26C: First tapered surface 26D: Second tapered surface 26E: Third tapered surface 26F: Fourth tapered surface 30: Lever 31: Cam plate 32:Operation unit 33: Cam groove 34: Shaft hole 40: Cover 50: Cover 1 51: Covering part 52: Cover side rail 52A: Upper rail on the cover side 52A1: Back wall 52A2: Side wall 52A3: Front wall 52A4: Locking protrusion 52B: Lower rail on the cover side 52B1: Side wall 52B2: Front wall 52B3: Rib to prevent misassembly 53: Cover side lock 53A: Locking wall 53B: Protection wall 53C: Connecting wall 54: Wire outlet 60: Second cover L: broken line

Claims

1. A housing having a cavity that penetrates in the front-to-back direction, A cover attached to the rear of the housing, A connector equipped with a lever, The housing has a housing-side rail extending in a first direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction at the rear of the housing, and a housing-side lock. The cover includes a cover-side rail that is inserted into the housing-side rail from the first direction, and a cover-side lock that protrudes forward from the cover-side rail and engages with the housing-side lock, thereby holding the cover in the housing in the normal mounting position. The cover comprises a first cover that is attached to the housing from one side in the first direction, and a second cover that is attached to the housing from the other side in the first direction, wherein either the first cover or the second cover is attached to the rear of the housing. The first cover has an anti-misassembly rib that interferes with the outer surface of the housing, thereby stopping the installation operation, if an attempt is made to mistakenly install the cover onto the housing from the other side in the first direction. When the direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the first direction is defined as the up-down direction, The housing comprises a housing body, The housing-side rail includes a housing-side upper rail located on the upper rear end of the housing body, The housing-side upper rail includes an upper rail housing portion through which the cover-side rail passes in the first direction, The housing further comprises a pivot shaft formed on the outer surface of the housing body and a lever holding portion formed on the upper rear end of the housing body. The lever is pivotally supported on the housing body by the pivot shaft, the lever is rotatable between an initial position and a fitted position, and the lever is held in the fitted position by the operating part provided on the lever engaging with the lever holding part. The opening edge of the upper rail housing is a connector that is part of the lever holding portion.

2. The housing-side rail comprises a housing-side lower rail located on the lower rear end of the housing body, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the misassembly prevention rib interferes with the upper rail on the housing side to prevent misassembly of the first cover.

3. The housing-side upper rail is provided with a retaining wall that prevents the cover-side rail, which is housed in the upper rail housing, from coming out from the rear. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the misassembly prevention rib interferes with the opening edge of the upper rail housing to prevent misassembly of the first cover.

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