US 5,344,194 AGranted

Connectors with lever

AssigneeYazaki Corporation

InventorsYuji Hatagishi, Naoto Taguchi

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Abstract

Connectors with a lever in which a pair of male and female connectors are mated with and disconnected from each other by rotating the lever. The lever having cam grooves and a lock portion is rotatably attached to the female connector. Cam pins are attached to the male connector. When both connectors are initially mated with each other, the cam pins engage with the cam grooves, and when the lever is rotated in a direction in which both connectors are mated with each other, the male connector moves toward the female connector. An elastic locking member is interposed between the lever and the female connector. An operational portion, reverse spring portions for urging the lever toward a direction opposite to that in which both connectors are mated, and lock spring portions to be engaged with the lock portion of the lever so as to maintain the lever in a locked position, are all integrally formed in the elastic locking member. The elastic locking member is elastically displaced by pressing the operational portion so as to disengage the lock portion of the lever from the lock spring portions of the elastic locking member. The reverse spring portions retain the lever in the released position. The locking member for locking the lever and the reverse spring portions for retaining the lever in a released position are integrally formed.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A connector system comprising:

a first connector;
a second connector coupled to said first connector, said second connector having at least one guide member projecting therefrom;
a lever pivotably mounted to said first connector and movable between an open position and a closed position, said lever including at least one guide groove for capturing said at least one guide member in the closed position, and a locking catch member for maintaining said closed position;
and
a unitary elastic locking member disposed between said lever and said first connector and having a spring portion engaging and outwardly biasing said lever into said open position and a locking clasp portion integral to said spring portion and engaging said locking member of said lever for maintaining said closed position;
wherein said first and second connectors are coupled by mating said connectors and pivoting said lever toward said closed position, thereby pulling said second connector further toward said first connector, until the locking clasp portion of said elastic locking member engages said locking catch member of said lever to maintain said closed position, and wherein said first and second connectors are uncoupled by disengaging the locking clasp portion of said elastic locking member from said locking catch member of said lever, said spring portion of the elastic locking member thereby biasing said lever into said open position for withdrawal of said first and second connectors.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.