1. A lever-type electrical connector that reduces required connecting mating forces comprising:
a base housing including a guide channel;
a cover housing pivotally mounted on the base housing, the cover housing comprising a cover housing projection and further comprising arms pivoted on opposite sides of the base housing on a common axis and an operating member linking the arms for arcuate movement of the cover housing, the operating member and the base housing each having a latch member, the latch members being releasably engageable with each other to hold the operating member at one extreme end of the arcuate movement; and
a slide cam housing mounted on the base housing and including a projection guide track for receiving the cover housing projection, the slide cam housing extending into the guide channel of the base housing,
wherein the base housing prevents flexing of the cover housing thereby preventing flexing of the cover housing in a manner that would cause inadvertent release of the latch members when the lever is in a secured state; and
wherein the guide channel includes an arcuate stop to prevent further travel of the cover housing.
2. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises at least one cam groove to engage an opposite sex connector assembly.
3. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the assembly is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
4. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises a hold-open detent.
5. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 4, wherein the cover housing further comprises a hold-open detent receiving portion to engage in the hold-open detent of the slide cam housing to maintain the connector in a fully open position.
6. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the slide cam housing includes two opposing slide cam legs and the base housing includes two opposing guide channels such that a respective slide cam leg is received in a respective guide channel.
7. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 6 wherein there are at least two cam grooves formed in each of the slide cam legs of the slide cam, and the slide cam is a single-piece component.
8. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the slide cam housing includes a back wall that protects chambers, terminals, and wires when the cover housing is rotated to a mated position.
9. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 8, wherein the connector is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
10. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the cover housing latch member is integrally formed within the operating member of the cover housing.
11. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the cover housing latch member is fully protected and concealed within the profile of the cover housing.
12. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises a hold-open detent.
13. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 12, wherein the cover housing further comprises a hold-open detent receiving portion to engage in the hold-open detent of the slide cam housing to maintain the connector in a fully open position.
14. A lever-type electrical connector assembly that reduces required connecting mating forces comprising:
a first connector comprising a cam follower projection;
a base housing including a guide channel;
a cover housing pivotally mounted on the base housing, the cover housing comprising a cover housing projection and further comprising arms pivoted on opposite sides of the base housing on a common axis and an operating member linking the arms for arcuate movement of the cover housing, the operating member and the base housing each having a latch member, the latch members being releasably engageable with each other to hold the operating member at one extreme end of the arcuate movement; and
a slide cam housing mounted on the base housing and including a projection guide track for receiving the cover housing projection, the slide cam housing extending into the guide channel of the base housing,
wherein the base housing prevents flexing of the cover housing thereby preventing flexing of the cover housing in a manner that would cause inadvertent release of the latch members when the lever is in a secured state; and
wherein the base housing guide channel includes an arcuate stop to prevent further travel of the cover housing.
15. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
16. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises a hold-open detent.
17. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the cover housing further comprises a hold-open detent receiving portion to engage in the hold-open detent of the slide cam housing to maintain the connector in a fully open position.
18. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 14 wherein the slide cam housing includes two opposing slide cam legs and the base housing includes two opposing guide channels such that a respective slide cam leg is received in a respective guide channel.
19. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 18 wherein there are at least two cam grooves formed in each of the slide cam legs of the slide cam, and the slide cam is a single-piece component.
20. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the slide cam housing includes a back wall that protects chambers, terminals, and wires when the cover housing is rotated to a mated position.
21. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 20, wherein the connector is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
22. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the cover housing latch member is integrally formed within the operating member of the cover housing.
23. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 22, wherein the cover housing latch member is fully protected and concealed within the profile of the cover housing.
24. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 23, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises a hold-open detent.
25. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 24, wherein the cover housing further comprises a hold-open detent receiving portion to engage in the hold-open detent of the slide cam housing to maintain the connector in a fully open position.
26. A lever-type electrical connector assembly that reduces required connecting mating forces comprising:
a first connector comprising a cam follower projection;
a base housing comprising a guide channel and a latch member;
a cover housing pivotally mounted on the base housing for arcuate movement of the cover housing, the cover housing comprising a cover housing projection and an operating member; and
a slide cam housing mounted on the base housing comprising a projection guide track for receiving the cover housing projection a cam groove to engage the cam follower projection of the first connector,
wherein the operating member comprises a latch member releasably engageable with the base housing latch member to hold the operating member at one extreme end of the arcuate movement; and
wherein the base housing guide channel includes an arcuate stop to prevent further travel of the cover housing.
27. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 26, wherein the guide channel includes an arcuate stop to prevent further travel of the cover housing.
28. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 26, wherein the assembly is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
29. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 26, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises a hold-open detent.
30. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 29, wherein the cover housing further comprises a hold-open detent receiving portion to engage in the hold-open detent of the slide cam housing to maintain the connector assembly in a fully open position.
31. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 26 wherein the slide cam housing includes two opposing slide cam legs and the base housing includes two opposing guide channels such that a respective slide cam leg is received in a respective guide channel.
32. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 31 wherein there are at least two cam grooves formed in each of the slide cam legs of the slide cam, and the slide cam is a single-piece component.
33. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 32, wherein the slide cam housing includes a back wall that protects chambers, terminals, and wires when the cover housing is rotated to a mated position.
34. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 33, wherein the connector is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
35. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 26, wherein the cover housing latch member is integrally formed within the operating member of the cover housing.
36. The lever-type electrical connector of claim 35, wherein the cover housing latch member is fully protected and concealed within the profile of the cover housing.
37. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 36, wherein the slide cam housing further comprises a hold-open detent.
38. The lever-type electrical connector assembly of claim 37, wherein the cover housing further comprises a hold-open detent receiving portion to engage in the hold-open detent of the slide cam housing to maintain the connector assembly in a fully open position.
39. A method of locking a connection member into secure electrical engagement with a housing member, said method comprising:
inserting the connection member into the housing member, the connection member comprising a first cam follower projection and a second cam follower projection, and the housing member comprising:
a base housing, the base housing comprising a guide channel and a latch member;
a slide cam housing mounted on the base housing and including a first cam groove, a second cam groove, and a projection guide track, the slide cam housing extending into the guide channel; and
a cover housing pivotally mounted on the base housing, the cover housing having a cover housing projection engaged in the projection guide track and a latch member to engage the base housing latch member,
rotating the cover housing from an open position to a closed position thereby engaging the cover housing projection in the projection guide track and further engaging the cover housing latch member and the base housing latch member wherein the rotation of the cover housing from an open position to a closed position is complete upon the cover housing rotating until the cover housing latch member engages the base housing latch member and the cover housing contacts an arcuate stop to prevent further travel of the cover housing; and
sliding the slide cam housing from an open position to a closed position thereby engaging the first cam follower projection in the first cam groove and further engaging the second cam follower in the second cam groove thereby drawing the connection member into the base housing to a connected position.
40. The method of locking a connection member into secure electrical engagement with a housing member of claim 39, further comprising the step of sealing the connector and the housing to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
41. The method of locking a connection member into secure electrical engagement with a housing member of claim 39, wherein prior to the inserting step, the housing member is moved to a hold-open position by engaging a hold-open detent on a slide cam housing in a hold-open detent receiving portion of a cover housing.
42. The method of locking a connection member into secure electrical engagement with a housing member of claim 39, wherein the step of sliding the slide cam housing from an open position to a closed position is complete upon sliding the slide cam housing until the slide cam housing reaches a lateral stop.
43. The method of locking a connection member into secure electrical engagement with a housing member of claim 42, wherein the projection guide tracks are linear thereby providing a substantially constant mating force as the cover housing is rotated from an unmated position to a mated position.
44. A cover housing pivotally mounted on a base housing, the cover housing comprising a cover housing projection and further comprising arms pivoted on opposite sides of the base housing on a common axis and an operating member linking the arms for arcuate movement of the cover housing, the operating member and the base housing each having a latch member, the latch members being releasably engageable with each other to hold the operating member at one extreme end of the arcuate movement; and
wherein the base housing guide channel includes an arcuate stop to prevent further travel of the cover housing.
45. The cover housing of claim 44, further comprising a hold-open lock mechanism to maintain the connector in a fully open position and prevent inadvertent closure of the cover housing.
46. The cover housing of claim 44, wherein the cover housing is sealed to prevent liquid and vapor penetration.
47. The cover housing of claim 44, wherein the cover housing includes a back wall that protects chambers, terminals, and wires when the cover housing is rotated to a mated position.
48. The cover housing of claim 44, wherein the cover housing latch member is integrally formed within the operating member of the cover housing.
49. The cover housing of claim 48, wherein the cover housing latch member is fully protected and concealed within the profile of the cover housing.
50. The cover housing of claim 49, further comprising a hold-open lock mechanism to maintain the connector in a fully open position and prevent inadvertent closure of the cover housing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A cost information management system that manages cost information relating to production of an apparatus in first and second stages of the production, comprising:
an input section that inputs functional parameters for respective circuits constituting the apparatus in the first and second stages and a setting value of apparatus desired cost; and
a controller that calculates the apparatus cost in the first stage based on the main functional parameters input by the input section, compares the calculated value with apparatus desired cost to determine whether to move to the second stage, additionally sets other functional parameters that have not been set in the first stage in the case where it has been determined to move to the second stage so as to calculate the apparatus cost in the second stage, and compares the calculated value with apparatus desired cost.
2. The cost information management system according to claim 1, wherein
the controller ends the apparatus development process in the case where the apparatus cost in the second stage is not more than the apparatus desired cost.
3. The cost information management system according to claim 1, further comprising an output section that outputs the apparatus cost in the first and second stages calculated by the controller.
4. The cost information management system according to any of claim 1, further comprising a storage section having a cost table in which costs corresponding to the functional parameters set for the respective circuits constituting the apparatus are previously stored, and
the controller refers to the cost table stored in the storage section to obtain the costs of the respective circuits which correspond to the functional parameters input by the input section and calculates the apparatus cost in the first and second stages.
5. A cost information management method that manages cost information relating to production of an apparatus in first and second stages of the production, comprising:
an input step that inputs functional parameters for respective circuits constituting the apparatus in the first and second stages and a setting value of apparatus desired cost; and
a cost estimation step that calculates the apparatus cost in the first stage based on the main functional parameters input by the input step, compares the calculated value with apparatus desired cost to determine whether to move to the second stage, additionally sets other parameters that have not been set in the first stage in the case where it has been determined to move to the second stage so as to calculate the apparatus cost in the second stage, and compares the calculated value with apparatus desired cost.
6. The cost information management method according to claim 5, wherein
the cost estimation step ends the apparatus development process in the case where the apparatus cost in the second stage is not more than the apparatus desired cost.
7. The cost information management method according to claim 5, further comprising an output step that outputs the apparatus cost in the first and second stages calculated by the cost estimation step.
8. The cost information management method according to any of claim 5, wherein
a storage section having a cost table in which costs corresponding to the functional parameters set for the respective circuits constituting the apparatus are previously stored are provided, and
the cost estimation step refers to the cost table stored in the storage section to obtain the costs of the respective circuits which correspond to the functional parameters input by the input section and calculates the apparatus cost in the first and second stages.
9. A cost information management program allowing a computer to manage cost information relating to production of an apparatus, the program allowing the computer to execute:
an input step that inputs functional parameters for respective circuits constituting the apparatus in first and second stages and a setting value of apparatus desired cost; and
a cost estimation step that calculates the apparatus cost in the first stage based on the main functional parameters input by the input step, compares the calculated value with apparatus desired cost to determine whether to move to the second stage, additionally sets other parameters that have not been set in the first stage in the case where it has been determined to move to the second stage so as to calculate the apparatus cost in the second stage, and compares the calculated value with apparatus desired cost.
10. The cost information management program according to claim 9, wherein
the cost estimation step ends the apparatus development process in the case where the apparatus cost in the second stage is not more than the apparatus desired cost.
11. The cost information management program according to claim 9, further comprising an output step that outputs the apparatus cost in the first and second stages calculated by the cost estimation step.
12. The cost information management program according to any of claim 9, wherein
a storage section having a cost table in which costs corresponding to the functional parameters set for the respective circuits constituting the apparatus are previously stored are provided, and
the cost estimation step refers to the cost table stored in the storage section to obtain the costs of the respective circuits which correspond to the functional parameters input by the input section and calculates the apparatus cost in the first and second stages.