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US-20260128552-A1 - LOW CONNECTION FORCE CONNECTOR

US20260128552A1US 20260128552 A1US20260128552 A1US 20260128552A1US-20260128552-A1

Abstract

A low connection force connector includes a first housing, a second housing and a slide lever assembled with the second housing. The slide lever includes a cam groove engageable with a first cam pin provided in a receptacle of the first housing and a slide guiding portion for receiving a second cam pin of the second housing. The slide guiding portion extends in an intersecting direction intersecting a connection direction. Connection is advanced by a cam action according to an operation of sliding the slide lever so that the second cam pin moves in the slide guiding portion with the first cam pin introduced in the cam groove, and the both housings are connected according to a rotating operation of rotating the slide lever about the first cam pin.

Inventors

  • Kentaro Hirai

Assignees

  • SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251022
Priority Date
20241101

Claims (5)

  1. 1 . A low connection force connector, comprising: a first housing including a receptacle; a second housing to be fit into the receptacle; and a slide lever assembled with the second housing slidably and rotatably, the slide lever including a cam groove engageable with a first cam pin provided in the receptacle and a slide guiding portion for slidably receiving a second cam pin provided on the second housing, the slide lever being displaceable with respect to the second housing between an initial position located when connection of the both housings is started, a connection completion position located when the connection of the both housings is completed and a slide position located between the initial position and the connection completion position, the slide guiding portion extending in an intersecting direction intersecting a connection direction of the both housings with the slide lever set at the initial position, the connection of the both housings being advanced by a cam action between the cam groove and the first cam pin according to a sliding operation of sliding the slide lever with respect to the second housing so that the second cam pin is moved in the intersecting direction by the slide guiding portion with the first cam pin introduced in the cam groove of the slide lever at the initial position in a connection initial stage of the both housings, and the second cam pin being pressed in the connection direction by the slide guiding portion to connect the both housings according to a rotating operation of rotating the slide lever set at the slide position by the sliding operation to the connection completion position about the first cam pin disposed in the cam groove.
  2. 2 . The low connection force connector of claim 1 , wherein the slide lever is set not to protrude in the intersecting direction from the first housing in a state disposed at the connection completion position.
  3. 3 . The low connection force connector of claim 1 , wherein the slide guiding portion is in the form of a long hole extending in the intersecting direction.
  4. 4 . The low connection force connector of claim 1 , wherein the slide guiding portion extends in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the connection direction of the both housings with the slide lever set at the initial position and extends in a direction oblique to the orthogonal direction with the first cam pin side disposed on an opposite side in the connection direction with the slide lever set at the connection completion position.
  5. 5 . The low connection force connector of claim 1 , wherein: the slide lever includes a plate-like arm portion having the cam groove and the slide guiding portion and a locking portion projecting in an extension direction of the slide guiding portion is provided on an outer periphery of the arm portion, the receptacle is provided with a locked portion lockable to the locking portion as the slide lever is slid from the initial position to the slide position, and the locking portion presses the locked portion according to the rotating operation of the slide lever, whereby the connection of the both housings progresses.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-193068, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, with the Japan Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a low connection force connector. BACKGROUND Conventionally, various connectors capable of reducing a load (connection force) required for connector connection have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2009-087852 describes a lever-type connector in which a lever including a cam groove is mounted on one housing, a cam shaft is provided on the other housing, and the both housings are connected by a cam action by rotating the lever after the both housings are brought closer and the cam shaft is inserted into the cam groove. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2015-090797 describes a slide-type connector in which a slider including a cam groove is mounted in one housing, a connection pin is provided on the other housing, and the both housings are connected by a cam action of pulling the connection pin into the cam grove by pushing the slider in a sliding direction with the connector housings butted against each other. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H11-329583 describes a connector configured by assembling both a lever and a slider configured separately with one connector housing. SUMMARY The lever-type connector described above has a relatively large effect of reducing a load (connection force) required for a connecting operation, but a wide space for rotating the lever is necessary on a connector back surface side. Thus, this connector may not be applied to a harness or an ECU to be installed in a narrow location. On the other hand, the slider-type connector does not require any space for operation on a connector back surface side, but an effect of reducing a load required for a connecting operation is relatively small. If the connector has many poles, it may not be possible to reduce the load to a required specified value. Further, the connector assembled with the lever and the slider configured separately includes many components and has a problem that the configuration and an assembly work are cumbersome. The present disclosure is directed to a low connection force connector with a first housing including a receptacle, a second housing to be fit into the receptacle, and a slide lever assembled with the second housing slidably and rotatably, the slide lever including a cam groove engageable with a first cam pin provided in the receptacle and a slide guiding portion for slidably receiving a second cam pin provided on the second housing, the slide lever being displaceable with respect to the second housing between an initial position located when connection of the both housings is started, a connection completion position located when the connection of the both housings is completed and a slide position located between the initial position and the connection completion position, the slide guiding portion extending in an intersecting direction intersecting a connection direction of the both housings with the slide lever set at the initial position, the connection of the both housings being advanced by a cam action between the cam groove and the first cam pin according to a sliding operation of sliding the slide lever with respect to the second housing so that the second cam pin is moved in the intersecting direction by the slide guiding portion with the first cam pin introduced in the cam groove of the slide lever at the initial position in a connection initial stage of the both housings, and the second cam pin being pressed in the connection direction by the slide guiding portion to connect the both housings according to a rotating operation of rotating the slide lever set at the slide position by the sliding operation to the connection completion position about the first cam pin disposed in the cam groove. According to the low connection force connector of the present disclosure, a space for a connecting operation can be reduced more than before and a load (connection force) required for the connecting operation can be sufficiently reduced by a simple configuration. The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial exploded perspective view of a low connection force connector of one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a section of the low connection force connector before connection (in a state where a slide lever is at an initial position). FIG. 3 is a section of the low connection force connector in a state where first cam pins are