US-12620758-B2 - Fixing structure

US12620758B2US 12620758 B2US12620758 B2US 12620758B2US-12620758-B2

Abstract

A connector includes a housing with a latching lock and a lever latch section which is independent from the latching lock. A partner connector includes a partner housing with a lock section which is latchable by the latching lock. The lever is changeable between a non-latched state and a latched state, wherein when changing the lever from the non-latched state to the latched state, the lever connects the connector to the partner connector so as to cause the connector and the partner connector to approach each other in a forward-rearward direction. The connector is configured to be fixed to the partner connector by the lever being brought into the latched state and by the lock section being brought into a state in which the lock section is latched by the latching lock.

Inventors

Yasuhiro Sasaki
Jun Ishikawa
Yuki Noro

Assignees

YAZAKI CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20231107
Priority Date: 20221108

Claims (3)

1 . A fixing structure comprising: a connector; a partner connector configured to be connected to the connector; and a lever interposed between the connector and the partner connector, wherein the connector includes a housing having a tubular shape which is open along a fixing direction, the connector and the partner connector being configured to approach each other in the fixing direction, wherein the housing includes a latching lock and a lever latch section, the latching lock protruding in an intersection direction intersecting the fixing direction, the lever latch section being independent from the latching lock and configured to latch the lever, wherein the partner connector includes a partner housing configured to be mated with the housing, wherein the partner housing includes a lock section which is latchable by the latching lock, wherein the lever is changeable between a non-latched state and a latched state, wherein in the non-latched state, the lever is configured not to be latched by the lever latch section, and in the latched state, the lever is configured to be latched by the lever latch section, wherein when changing the lever from the non-latched state to the latched state, the lever connects the connector to the partner connector so as to cause the connector and the partner connector to approach each other in the fixing direction, wherein the connector is configured to be fixed to the partner connector by the lever being brought into the latched state and by the lock section being brought into a state in which the lock section is latched by the latching lock.
2 . The fixing structure according to claim 1 , wherein the partner connector includes a second lock section which is spaced from the lock section toward the connector in the fixing direction, wherein in the non-latched state of the lever, the second lock section is configured to be latched by the latching lock to establish a temporary assembled state, and wherein in the latched state of the lever, the lock section is configured to be latched by the latching lock to establish a final assembled state.
3 . The fixing structure according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing direction is a forward-rearward direction of the housing and the partner housing, wherein the intersection direction is a width direction of the housing and the partner housing, wherein a pair of lock sections and a pair of second lock sections are provided, and wherein one of the pair of lock sections and one of the pair of second lock sections are provided on one side along the width direction, and another of the pair of lock sections and another of the pair of second lock sections are provided on another side along the width direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a fixing structure. Background Art Conventionally, a lever-operated connector is disclosed which includes a housing main body for accommodating a terminal metal part, a hood section for covering the housing main body, and a lever (see e.g. Patent Document 1). A lever-operated connector according to Patent Document 1 is provided such that an engagement protrusion of the lever connects the connector to a partner connector intended to be fixed to the connector, wherein when rotating the lever in this state, the housing main body and hood section are moved toward the partner connector. In this manner, the connector and partner connector are fixed to each other. The rotated lever is then latched to a lever lock arm provided at the housing main body. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Document 1: JP 2010-113914 A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned connector is configured such that a fixed state of the connector to the partner connector is maintained by latching the lever with the lever lock arm and by thus disenabling change of a pose of the lever temporarily. In this case, when a dimension of the lever and/or lever lock arm varies largely, it may cause assembling instability between the lever and lever lock arm, which makes it difficult to maintain the fixed state of the connector to the partner connector stably. Furthermore, rotation of the lever is often operated directly by a hand. In this case, a portion of the lever to be latched by the lever lock arm may be touched by a hand of an operator unintendedly since an operated portion of the lever exists in a same position as the portion to be latched by the lever lock arm. This may then cause various problems, for example it may be difficult to latch the lever to the lever lock arm smoothly, or a partially latched state may be established in which the lever is insufficiently latched to the lever lock arm. Therefore, it may be possible that a correct contact state between terminals of the connector and the partner connector is not maintained. An objective of the present invention is to provide a fixing structure which enables a correct contact state between terminals of the connector and the partner connector to be maintained stably. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a fixing structure includes: a connector; a partner connector configured to be connected to the connector; and a lever interposed between the connector and the partner connector, wherein the connector includes a housing having a tubular shape which is open along a fixing direction, the connector and the partner connector being configured to approach each other in the fixing direction, wherein the housing includes a latching lock and a lever latch section, the latching lock protruding in an intersection direction intersecting the fixing direction, the lever latch section being independent from the latching lock and configured to latch the lever, wherein the partner connector includes a partner housing configured to be mated with the housing, wherein the partner housing includes a lock section which is latchable by the latching lock, wherein the lever is changeable between a non-latched state and a latched state, wherein in the non-latched state, the lever is configured not to be latched by the lever latch section, and in the latched state, the lever is configured to be latched by the lever latch section, wherein when changing the lever from the non-latched state to the latched state, the lever connects the connector to the partner connector so as to cause the connector and the partner connector to approach each other in the fixing direction, wherein the connector is configured to be fixed to the partner connector by the lever being brought into the latched state and by the lock section being brought into a state in which the lock section is latched by the latching lock. The present invention enables a fixing structure to be provided which allows a correct contact state between terminals of the connector and the partner connector to be maintained stably. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a connector which forms part of a fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a housing from a rear left side, wherein the housing forms a part of the connector; FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the housing from right front; FIG. 3B shows a partial enlarged view of FIG. 3A in a region A; FIG. 4A shows a plan view of a partner connector from an upward side, wherein the partner connector is to be connected to the connector; FIG. 4B shows a front view of the partner connector from a forward side; FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the connector and partner connector in a temporary assembled state; FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the connector and partner connector in a transition state during change from the temp