# US 2008/0185276 A1 · Power supply circuit connector and method of connecting power supply circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0185276 A1 - Document ID: US20080185276A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/013,852 - Filed: 2008-01-14 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-01-17 - Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.; Yazaki Corporation - Inventors: Yasuo MATSUNAGA; Kouji Iwashita; Shigeo Mori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080185276A1 ## CPC - H01R 13/62938: {Pivoting lever comprising own camming means} - H01H 9/085: {contact separation effected by removing contact carrying element} - H01H 85/547: {with sliding fuse carrier} - H01R 13/6295: {Pivoting lever comprising means indicating incorrect coupling of mating connectors} - H01R 13/62955: {Pivoting lever comprising supplementary/additional locking means} - H01R 13/701: {the switch being actuated by an accessory, e.g. cover, locking member} - H01R 13/71: Contact members of coupling parts operating as switch {, e.g. linear or rotational movement required after mechanical engagement of coupling part to establish electrical connection} - H01R 33/96: with switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling - H01R 33/97: Holders with separate means to prevent loosening of the coupling or unauthorised removal of apparatus held - H01R 33/975: Holders with resilient means for protecting apparatus against vibrations or shocks - H01R 2201/26: for vehicles - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) ## Abstract A power supply circuit connector includes: a first housing including: a pair of main circuit terminals connected with each other via a first switch terminal, and a pair of mated state sensor terminals connected with each other; a second housing mated with or detached from first housing, second housing including: first switch terminal for connecting the pair of main circuit terminals by a lever rotated to a first certain position; the lever rotatably supported to second housing and including: a second switch terminal for making the following operation: with the pair of main circuit terminals kept connected with each other, connecting the pair of mated state sensor terminals with each other by lever rotated to a second certain position after first certain position; and a mating-detaching mechanism for making the following operations by rotated lever: mating second housing with the first housing, and detaching second housing from the first housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power supply circuit connector of a power supply circuit, the power supply circuit connector comprising: a first housing including: a pair of main circuit terminals adapted to be connected with each other via a first switch terminal, for bringing a power supply circuit into a conduction state, and a pair of mated state sensor terminals adapted to be connected with each other, for bringing the power supply circuit into the conduction state; a second housing configured to mate with or to be detached from the first housing, the second housing including: the first switch terminal configured to connect the pair of the main circuit terminals by means of a lever rotated to a first certain position; the lever rotatably supported to the second housing, the lever including: a second switch terminal configured to make the following operation: in a state that the pair of the main circuit terminals are kept connected with each other, connecting the pair of the mated state sensor terminals with each other by means of the lever rotated to a second certain position after the first certain position; and a mating-detaching mechanism configured to make the following operations by means of the rotated lever: mating the second housing with the first housing, and detaching the second housing from the first housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power supply circuit connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a locking member configured to lock the lever in the second certain position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The power supply circuit connector according to claim 2, wherein the locking member includes a movable member configured to make the following operations: moving from a rotation track of the lever to an area out of the rotation track, to thereby rotate the lever from the first certain position to the second certain position, and moving from the area out of the rotation track to the rotation track of the lever, to thereby stop the lever from rotating from the second certain position to the first certain position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power supply circuit connector according to claim 1, wherein a head end part of the lever has an inserted connector part having an opening end face that is open at least in a direction of the rotated lever, the second switch terminal is provided in the inserted connector part, in such a configuration as not to protrude from the opening end face of the inserted connector part, the first housing has a receiving connector part configured to receive the inserted connector part, and the mated state sensor terminal is provided in the receiving connector part in such a configuration as not to protrude from an opening end face of the receiving connector part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power supply circuit connector according to claim 4, wherein on a side end face of the inserted connector part on a side of a rotary shaft of the lever, an opening part is defined continuously with the opening end face which is open. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power supply circuit connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a head end part of each of the mated state sensor terminals extends along a rotation track of the second switch terminal. ### Claim 7 A power supply circuit connector of a power supply circuit, the power supply circuit connector comprising: a housing including: a first switch terminal configured to connect a pair of main circuit terminals of another housing by means of a lever rotated to a first certain position; the lever rotatably supported to the housing, the lever including: a second switch terminal having a first part and a second part defining therebetween an inner width which is narrower downward in a right-and-left direction, a lower end part of the second switch terminal being elastically deformable around an upper end part of the second switch terminal on right and left sides; and a guide groove defined in the lever and to which a guide pin is inserted. ### Claim 8 A method of connecting a power supply circuit, the method comprising: a first operation for engaging a first housing with a lever, the first housing including a pair of main circuit terminals and a pair of mated state sensor terminals while the lever being rotatably supported to a second housing; a second operation including the following sub-operations: rotating the lever to a first certain position to thereby mate the second housing with the first housing, and connecting the pair of the main circuit terminals with each other via a first switch terminal provided in the second housing; and a third operation including the following sub-operations: rotating the lever to a second certain position after the first certain position, connecting the pair of the mated state sensor terminals with each other via a second switch terminal provided in the lever, and bringing the power supply circuit into a conduction state.