Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Yukihiro Toyoda

Yukihiro Fukatsu

Kiyofumi Ichida

Yasushi Okayasu

Hideshi Tachi

A lever () is mounted in a female housing () for rotation between a standby position and a connection position. The lever () has resiliently deformable locking claws () that contact engaging portions () formed at free end edges of outer surfaces of the female housing () if an attempt is made to rotate the lever () at the standby position. A contact surface () and a turn-up preventing portion () are formed at the leading end of each locking claw (). The contact surface () can be contact the corresponding engaging portion () and the turn-up preventing portion () can press the engaging portion () to prevent the engaging portion () from being turned up. Thus, a holding force for holding the lever () at the standby position can be increased.

Connector, connector assembly and assembling method therefor

A lock () is provided at the leading end of a resiliently deformable lock arm () on a female housing () and engages an engaging portion () on a male housing (). An unlocking arm () is provided separate from the lock arm () and is resiliently inclinable like a seesaw. Projecting pieces () are formed on opposite surfaces of the lock () and unlocking pieces () on the unlocking arm () face the backsides of the projecting pieces (). An operable portion () of the unlocking arm () is pressed to incline the unlocking arm () so that the unlocking pieces () lift the lock () of the lock arm (), thereby canceling a locked state.

Connector locking construction

A female housing () has a resiliently deformable lock arm (), whereas a male housing () is provided with an interlocking portion (). During the connection of the two housings (), the lock arm () is temporarily deformed while being held in sliding contact with the interlocking portion (). When the two housings () are properly connected, the lock arm () is restored resiliently to engage the interlocking portion (). A front surface () of the interlocking portion () to face the lock arm () during a connecting process is arcuate. Thus, only a widthwise middle () of the interlocking portion () slides in contact with the lock arm () during a connecting operation.

Connector

A male housing () includes male terminal fittings (), and a receptacle () for surrounding tabs () of the male terminal fittings (). A female housing () includes female terminal fittings () and a tubular fitting () fittable on the receptacle (). Since preventing projections (A,B,C) for preventing relative displacements of the receptacle () and the tubular fitting () by contacting the outer surface of the receptacle () are provided at the back end of the inner surface of the tubular fitting (), an abrasion between the terminal fittings () due to fine sliding movements resulting from the relative displacements of the two housings () can be prevented.

A lock arm () on a female housing () is deformed at an intermediate stage of connecting the female housing () with a mating male housing (). A lock () at the leading end of the lock arm () contacts an edge (D) of an engaging portion () on the male housing () and then parts therefrom by canceling a rubbing state. The lock arm () then restores resiliently and the lock () engages the engaging portion () to lock the housings () in a properly connected state. At least one of the lock () and the edge (D) of the engaging portion () that rub against each other immediately before the proper connection of the two housings () has a resistance alleviating portion (C) with an apex locally projecting toward the other rubbed part.

A connector has a housing (). A rotary lever () is mountable on shafts () of the housing () in either of two symmetric orientations selected in accordance with space restrictions and/or the orientation of a wire cover () on the housing (). The rotary lever () has cam grooves () for engaging follower pins () on a mating housing (). The housing () also has an insertion path () and a slide lever () is mountable in the insertion path () from either of two opposite directions selected in accordance with space restrictions. The slide lever () has cam grooves () for engaging the follower pins (). The housing () has locks () for releasably holding the rotary lever () or the slide lever () at an initial position.

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Yukihiro Toyoda