Connector having a housing with a first tooth system actuated by a second tooth system on a lever

#This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT Application Number PCT/EP2012/071139 having an international filing date of Oct. 26, 2012, which designated the United States, which PCT application claimed the benefit of Great Britain Patent Application Number 1118499.1, filed Oct. 26, 2011, the entire disclosure of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

#The present invention relates to a two-part electrical connector, which can be connected or disconnected by means of a lever.

#In the prior art, various embodiments of connectors are known. A connector can have two housings with contacts, which can be pulled together from a pre-assembly position into a final position by means of a lever arm pivotally mounted onto a housing. In doing so, the lever arm forms a bow relative to the housing. The lever arm comprises a surface from which a tooth system extends radially outwardly. The other housing has a corresponding tooth system on its surface. When the two housings are fitted together and the lever is moved, the tooth systems become engaged and the two connecting connectors are pulled towards each other along a connecting axis. When the lever arm is moved in the opposite direction, the two housings are pulled apart again by the teeth. As a result the contact elements within the housings are connected to each other when the two connecting connectors are brought together, and separated again when the two connecting connectors are pulled apart. The arrangement of the teeth on the lever and on the housing is essentially designed such that the teeth are continuously engaged. The teeth mesh as soon as the two connecting connectors are joined together.

#The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a connector that is inserted through an opening in a sheet metal wall;

#FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the connector system according to the invention;

#FIG. 1 shows a first connector 20 which is inserted through an opening 102 in a sheet metal wall 100. It can be seen from this drawing why it is necessary to provide a connector which is flat and in which the lever in the inoperative position lies approximately in the plane of the contact elements and does not protrude from the first connector 20 transversely to the opening 102.

#FIG. 2 shows the connector system 10 according to the invention. The first connector 20 comprises a first housing 22, the lever 60 and the frame 30; the lever 60 is mounted pivotally around pivot point P. The second connector 40 comprises a second housing 42 that has a first tooth system 44 on its surface.

#FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the second connector 40. The upper area shows two supporting areas, 46 and 47, on which, when fitted together, the first connector 20 rests during the connecting process. The supporting areas 46 are provided for the lever 60, and the supporting areas 47 are provided for the cams 36 in the frame 30. The unlatching slope 48 serves to separate the latching arm 66 from the first connector 20. This occurs at the same time the first connector 20 is placed onto the second connector 40. The first tooth system 44 is provided for engagement in the second tooth system 65 of the lever 60.