US-12627101-B2 - Lever-type connector

US12627101B2US 12627101 B2US12627101 B2US 12627101B2US-12627101-B2

Abstract

A lever-type connector 1 includes: a connector housing 10 ; a lever 30 ; a CPA holding portion 21 that is provided on one of the connector housing 10 and the lever 30 and has a first code arrangement surface 22 S 1 ; a CPA member 40 that is attached to the CPA holding portion 21 , is displaceable from a standby position to a fitting assurance position when the lever 30 is at a fitting assurance position, and is arranged on the same plane as the first code arrangement surface 41 S 1 when the lever 30 is at the fitting assurance position; a first divided code arranged on the first code arrangement surface 22 S 1 ; and a second divided code 50 B arranged on the second code arrangement surface 41 S 1.

Inventors

Sho Saito
Yuki Kondo

Assignees

SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220304
Priority Date: 20210323

Claims (8)

1 . A lever-type connector comprising: a connector housing capable of fitting with a partner connector; a lever configured to be attached so as to be rotatable from a fitting start position to a fitting completion position with respect to the connector housing; a holding portion provided on one of the connector housing and the lever and having a first code arrangement surface; a fitting assurance member that is attached to the holding portion, is displaceable from a standby position to a fitting assurance position when the lever is at the fitting completion position, and has a second code arrangement surface arranged on the same plane as the first code arrangement surface when the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position; a first divided code arranged on the first code arrangement surface; and a second divided code arranged on the second code arrangement surface, wherein the second code arrangement surface and the first code arrangement surface are each arranged on a different plane when the fitting assurance member is not at the fitting assurance position, and wherein, when the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position, the first divided code and the second divided code are adjacent to each other and form a two-dimensional code.
2 . The lever-type connector according to claim 1 , wherein both the first code arrangement surface and the second code arrangement surface are surfaces visible from the outside in both a state where the fitting assurance member is at the standby position and a state where the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position.
3 . The lever-type connector according to claim 1 , wherein one of the holding portion and the fitting assurance member includes a restricting portion, and the other includes a restriction receiving portion for restricting displacement of the engagement assurance member from the fitting assurance position to the standby position by engaging with the restricting portion.
4 . The lever-type connector according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion includes a first corner portion formed by the first code arrangement surface and a first opposing surface adjacent to the first code arrangement surface, the first corner portion having an angular shape, and the fitting assurance member includes a second corner portion formed by the second code arrangement surface and a second opposing surface that is adjacent to the second code arrangement surface and is configured to come into contact with the first opposing surface when the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position, the second corner portion having an angular shape.
5 . The lever-type connector according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion includes a first opposing surface that is adjacent to the first code arrangement surface, and wherein the fitting assurance member includes a second opposing surface that is adjacent to the second code arrangement surface and is configured to face the first opposing surface with no interceding gap when the fitting assurance member is at either of the standby position or the fitting assurance position.
6 . The lever-type connector according to claim 1 , wherein the fitting assurance member includes a push-in operation portion and two arms respectively extending from opposite ends of the push-in operation portion, wherein the push-in operation portion includes a push-in base portion arranged along a lock wall of the connector housing and a protruding portion protruding from the push-in base portion in a direction away from the lock wall, and wherein the second code arrangement surface is arranged perpendicular to the lock wall and is formed on an outwardly disposed portion of the push-in operation portion corresponding to one of the opposite ends.
7 . The lever-type connector according to claim 6 , wherein the holding portion includes a first standing wall and a second standing wall respectively arranged on opposite ends of the holding portion, a first restricting wall that extends from the first standing wall toward the second standing wall, and a second restricting wall extending from the second standing wall toward the first standing wall, and wherein the fitting assurance member is entirely accommodated in the holding portion when the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position such that the push-in base portion is arranged between the two standing walls and the protruding portion is arranged between the two restricting walls.
8 . The lever-type connector according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion includes an insertion wall portion arranged so as to face toward the fitting assurance member in the standby position, two side walls that extend from the insertion wall portion and are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the holding portion, and two guide grooves respectively formed on an inner side of the two side walls, and wherein the fitting assurance member includes two arms respectively extending from opposite ends of the fitting assurance member, the two arms configured to engage with the two guide grooves such that the fitting assurance member slides between the standby position and the fitting assurance position until the fitting assurance member is entirely accommodated in the holding portion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a national phase of PCT application No. PCT/JP2022/009336, filed on 4 Mar. 2022, which claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 2021-048360, filed on 23 Mar. 2021, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The technique disclosed by the present specification relates to a lever-type connector. BACKGROUND Conventionally, a connector is known that has a fitting detection function for detecting whether or not a male housing and a female housing are properly fitted with each other. As such a connector, a connector has been proposed in which marks composed of a plurality of linear protrusions and recesses are disposed on the surfaces of the male housing and the female housing, respectively. The surface of each protrusion is polished to have a different light reflectance from the other surfaces of the housing. After the male housing and the female housing are fitted together, the light sensor detects reflected light from each protrusion. By analyzing the data of the detected reflected light, it is determined whether or not the two housings are properly fitted together (see Patent Document 1). PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document Patent Document 1: JP S63-225480 A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved It is conceivable to record that the two connectors are properly fitted together by reading, with a reading device, the marks provided on the two connectors to be fitted to each other using the above configuration. However, in the above configuration, there is concern that the acquired data of the reflected light from the protrusions will become unstable due to manufacturing tolerances in the shapes of the protrusions, molding defects during manufacturing, chipping of the protrusions after manufacturing, rattling that occurs when fitting together the housings, and the like. Means to Solve the Problem The lever-type connector disclosed by this specification includes: a connector housing capable of fitting with a partner connector; a lever configured to be attached so as to be rotatable from a fitting start position to a fitting completion position with respect to the connector housing; a holding portion provided on one of the connector housing and the lever and having a first code arrangement surface; a fitting assurance member that is attached to the holding portion, is displaceable from a standby position to a fitting assurance position when the lever is at the fitting completion position, and has a second code arrangement surface arranged on the same plane as the first code arrangement surface when the lever is at the fitting assurance position; a first divided code arranged on the first code arrangement surface; and a second divided code arranged on the second code arrangement surface, in which when the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position, the first divided code and the second divided code are adjacent to each other and form a two-dimensional code. According to the above configuration, the two-dimensional code can be read when the fitting assurance member is at the fitting assurance position, and therefore it is possible to accurately record that the lever-type connector has been properly fitted with a partner connector. Effect of the Invention According to the lever-type connector disclosed by this specification, it is possible to accurately record that the lever-type connector has been properly fitted with the partner connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lever-type connector of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector housing of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the connector housing of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view of the connector housing of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lever of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partially-enlarged perspective view showing a CPA holding portion of the embodiment and a CPA member held at a standby position. FIG. 7 is a partially-enlarged front view showing the CPA holding portion of the embodiment and the CPA member held at the standby position. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the CPA member of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the lever-type connector of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a partner connector of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side view showing an initial state of fitting between the lever-type connector and the partner connector of the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a side view showing a state where the fitting between the lever-type connector and the partner connector of the embodiment is complete and the CPA member is at the standby position. FIG. 15 is a rear view showing a state where the fitting between the lever-type connector and the partner connector of the embodiment is complete and the CPA member