connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that is equipped with a CPA member and reliably holds the CPA member in a non-mating guaranteed position.SOLUTION: A connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a CPA member 3 having a pair of side beam portions 31 and a central beam portion 32. The housing 2 includes a lock arm 21 and a guide groove 22. The CPA member 3 is configured to be movable in a mating direction D11 from a non-mating guaranteed position to a mating guaranteed position. The lock arm 21 has a stopper portion 211 that is configured to be able to abut against a tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3. When the CPA member 3 is located at the non-mating guaranteed position, the lock arm is configured to protrude in a leaving direction D12 from an end portion E of the housing 2 on the leaving direction D12 side. The side beam portion 31 has a base portion 311 and a wide portion 312 that is wider in a width direction D2 than the base portion 311.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. [Background technology]

[0002] A connector having a CPA (connector position assurance) member ensures that the male housing and the female housing are securely mated when the male housing and the female housing are located at a predetermined mating position by allowing the CPA member to move to a mating assurance position. A connector structure having such a CPA member is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The connector structure described in Patent Document 1 includes a header housing, a plug housing inserted into the header housing, and a CPA member attached to the plug housing. The CPA member in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of side beams and a central beam provided between the side beams.

[0003] In the connector structure of Patent Document 1, before the header housing and the plug housing are mated, the CPA member is held in a non-mating guaranteed position retracted from the mating guaranteed position. After the header housing and the plug housing are mated, the CPA member needs to stably move to the mating guaranteed position. In Patent Document 1, before the header housing and the plug housing are mated, the tip of the central beam and the cross member of the latch assembly provided on the plug housing are in contact with each other over a predetermined contact area, so that the CPA member is held in the non-mating guaranteed position. Also, in Patent Document 1, the entire CPA member is held by the plug housing, so that the CPA member can stably move to the mating guaranteed position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-264039 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the entire CPA member is held in a state where it is embraced by the plug housing to which the CPA member is attached, not only in the mating guaranteed position but also in the non-mating guaranteed position. Therefore, although the CPA member is stably supported, there is a problem that the plug housing to which the CPA member is attached becomes large.

[0006] On the other hand, in order to reduce the size of the plug housing, it is conceivable to configure the CPA member so that when the CPA member is located in the non-mating guaranteed position, a part of the CPA member protrudes from the end of the plug housing without being held by the plug housing. However, with such a configuration, there is a possibility that a force is applied to the CPA member in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the CPA member. In this case, as the side beams of the CPA member are deflected, the position of the tip of the central beam is displaced, and the contact area between the tip of the central beam and the cross member of the latch assembly is reduced. In this state, if a force is applied to the CPA member toward the mating guaranteed position, the CPA member may move toward the mating guaranteed position due to the reduction in the contact area between the tip of the central beam and the cross member, even though the header housing and the plug housing are not mated. Therefore, when the header housing and the plug housing are not mated, the CPA member cannot be held in the non-mating guaranteed position, and the function of ensuring mating cannot be performed. Furthermore, if the CPA member moves before the header housing and plug housing are mated, and the plug housing moves in the mating direction relative to the header housing, the CPA member or housing may be damaged, or the CPA member may have to be returned to the non-mating guaranteed position, which is unnecessary.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector equipped with a CPA member, which reliably holds the CPA member in the non-mating guaranteed position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The connector of the present invention is a connector comprising: a housing that moves in a mating direction relative to a mating housing of a mating connector to mate with the mating housing; a CPA member attached to the housing, the CPA member comprising a pair of side beam portions and a central beam portion provided between the pair of side beam portions in a width direction in which the pair of side beam portions are separated from each other, the housing comprising a lever-shaped lock arm extending from the mating direction side of the housing in a removal direction that is the opposite side to the mating direction, and guide grooves provided on both sides of the lock arm in the width direction for guiding the pair of side beam portions in the mating direction, the CPA member being configured to be movable in the mating direction relative to the housing from a non-mating assurance position to a mating assurance position which ensures that the housing and the mating housing are mated ... the CPA member has a stopper portion configured to abut against the tip of the central beam portion of the CPA member to restrict movement of the CPA member in the mating direction from the non-mating guaranteed position to the mating position before the CPA member is mated with the mating housing, and is configured to protrude in the removal direction from the removal direction side end of the housing when the CPA member is located at the non-mating guaranteed position, and each of the side beam portions has a base extending along the mating direction and has a predetermined width in the width direction in a predetermined region on the mating direction side and a predetermined region on the removal direction side relative to the removal direction side end of the housing when the CPA member is in the non-mating guaranteed position, and a wide portion extending along the mating direction is provided on one side of the base in a thickness direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the width direction, and has a width in the width direction wider than that of the base. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the connector of the present invention, in a connector provided with a CPA member, it is possible to reliably hold the CPA member in the non-mating guaranteed position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an oblique view showing a connector structure having a connector of one embodiment of the present invention and a mating connector, the state before the connector is mated with the mating connector and the state before the CPA member is attached to the housing of the connector. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the CPA member is attached to a housing of a connector, following the state shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector structure shown in FIG. 2 taken in the mating / removal direction and passing through a central beam portion of a CPA member. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the housing of the connector is fitted into the mating housing of the mating connector, following the state shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the CPA member has moved to a mating assurance position from the state shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a housing of the connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view of the housing shown in FIG. 6 viewed in the mating direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a CPA member. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top view of the CPA member. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a top view of the housing with the CPA member in a non-mating guaranteed position. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the process of attaching the CPA member to the housing, and show the state in which the extensions of the side beam parts of the CPA member have entered the guide grooves. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the CPA member has moved in the fitting direction while the side beam portion is deflected inward from the state shown in FIG. 11. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the CPA member has moved further in the fitting direction from the state shown in FIG. 12 and the engaged portion of the CPA member has reached a position where it can engage with the engaging portion of the guide groove. [Figure 14]13 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between a side wall of a lock arm and a wide portion of a side beam portion of the CPA member when the CPA member is in a mating assurance position. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a CPA member of a reference example. [Figure 16] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the CPA member of the reference example is located in a non-mating assurance position. [Figure 17] 17 is a schematic diagram showing a state when a force is applied in the thickness direction to a portion of the CPA member of the reference example protruding from the housing from the state shown in FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment shown below is merely an example, and the connector of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. Note that in this specification, "perpendicular to A" and similar expressions do not only refer to a direction completely perpendicular to A, but also refer to a direction that is approximately perpendicular to A. Also, in this specification, "parallel to B" and similar expressions do not only refer to a direction completely parallel to B, but also refer to a direction that is approximately parallel to B. Also, in this specification, "C-shape" and similar expressions do not only refer to a perfect C-shape, but also refer to a shape (approximately C-shape) that visually resembles a C-shape, such as a shape with chamfered corners of a C-shape.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the connector 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 2 and a CPA member 3. The connector 1 of this embodiment is connected to a mating connector C. A structure including the connector 1 and the mating connector C is called a connector structure CS. The connector 1 moves in a mating direction D11 to be mated with the mating connector C, and a terminal (not shown) of the connector 1 is connected to a terminal C2 of the mating connector C, so that the connector 1 and the mating connector C are electrically connected. In this embodiment, the terminal C2 of the mating connector C is mounted on a substrate (not shown), and an electric wire (not shown) is connected to the terminal of the connector 1. However, the object to which the mating connector C and the connector 1 are connected is not particularly limited. In addition, the use of the connector structure CS and the connector 1 is not particularly limited as long as the CPA member 3 can be used.

[0013] In this embodiment, the details will be described later, but the connector structure CS ensures that the connector 1 and the mating connector C are reliably mated by the CPA member 3. Specifically, when the connector 1 is not mated with the mating connector C (see FIG. 3) or is in an incompletely mated state, the CPA member 3 cannot move to a mating assurance position (see FIG. 5) described below, and is configured so that the CPA member 3 can move to the mating assurance position when the connector 1 is completely mated with the mating connector C (see FIGS. 4 and 5). This ensures that the connector 1 and the mating connector C are reliably mated.

[0014] Hereinafter, in this specification, the direction in which the connector 1 moves when mated with the mating connector C is referred to as the mating direction D11. Also, the direction in which the connector 1 is removed from the mating connector C is referred to as the removal direction D12. The removal direction D12 is the opposite direction to the mating direction D11. The mating direction D11 and the removal direction D12 are collectively referred to as the mating-removal direction D1. The direction in which a pair of side beam portions 31, 31 of the CPA member 3 described later move away from each other is referred to as the width direction D2. The direction perpendicular to the mating-removal direction D1 and the width direction D2 is referred to as the thickness direction D3. The mating-removal direction D1, the width direction D2, and the thickness direction D3 may be referred to as the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction, respectively. The mating direction D11, the removal direction D12, the mating-removal direction D1, the width direction D2, and the thickness direction D3 are also used to explain the components and parts of the mating connector C and the connector 1.

[0015] The mating connector C is a connector configured to mate with the connector 1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the mating connector C includes a mating housing C1 and a terminal C2 provided in the mating housing C1.

[0016] The mating housing C1 is configured to be able to be fitted to the housing 2 of the connector 1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the mating housing C1 is configured to be substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped, and includes a first mating wall C11 and a second mating wall C12 facing each other in the thickness direction D3, a pair of third mating wall C13 and fourth mating wall C14 facing each other in the width direction D2 and connecting the first mating wall C11 and the second mating wall C12 at both ends in the width direction D2, and a fifth mating wall C15 serving as an end wall in the fitting direction D11. The first to fifth mating walls C11 to C15 define an internal space of the mating housing C1. In the internal space of the mating housing C1, the terminal C2 extends from the fifth mating wall C15 in the removal direction D12 (see Fig. 3). An opening C16 is formed at the end of the mating housing C1 on the side of the removal direction D12, allowing the housing 2 to be inserted in the fitting direction D11.

[0017] In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the mating housing C1 has a mating engagement portion C17 that can engage with the housing 2 at the opening edge of the opening C16. In this embodiment, the mating engagement portion C17 protrudes from the inner surface of the first mating wall portion C11 toward the second mating wall portion C12 in the thickness direction D3 at the end of the first mating wall portion C11 on the removal direction D12 side. The mating engagement portion C17 has an inclined surface C171 on the removal direction D12 side. The inclined surface C171 is inclined so as to approach the second mating wall portion C12 as it proceeds in the fitting direction D11. In addition, the mating engagement portion C17 has an engagement surface C172 on the fitting direction D11 side that can engage with a stopper portion 211 of the lock arm 21 described later in the fitting / removal direction D1.

[0018] The connector 1 moves in a mating direction D11 relative to the mating connector C to be mated with the mating connector C. The connector 1 has terminals (not shown) and is electrically connected to terminals C2 of the mating connector C.

[0019] 1 to 3, the connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a CPA member 3. The housing 2 moves in a mating direction D11 relative to a mating housing C1 of a mating connector C and fits into the mating housing C1. The CPA member 3 includes a pair of side beam portions 31, 31 and a central beam portion 32 provided between the pair of side beam portions 31, 31 in the width direction D2, and is attached to the housing 2.

[0020] The housing 2 is connected to a mating housing C1. The housing 2 is configured to support a terminal (not shown). In this embodiment, the housing 2 is configured to support a plurality of terminals, and a plurality of electric wires connected to the plurality of terminals are led out from the rear end of the housing 2. The housing 2 also supports the CPA member 3 so that it can move in the fitting / removing direction D1.

[0021] Although the shape and structure of the housing 2 are not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the housing 2 is configured to be substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the housing 2 includes a first wall portion W1 and a second wall portion W2 opposed to each other in the thickness direction D3, a pair of third wall portions W3 and fourth wall portions W4 opposed to each other in the width direction D2 and connecting the first wall portion W1 and the second wall portion W2 at both ends in the width direction D2, and a fifth wall portion W5 serving as an end wall in the removal direction D12.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, the housing 2 is provided with a lever-shaped lock arm 21 extending from the fitting direction D11 side of the housing 2 in the removal direction D12, and guide grooves 22, 22 provided on both sides of the lock arm 21 in the width direction D2 for guiding a pair of side beam portions 31, 31 in the fitting direction D11.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, when the CPA member 3 is located in the mating assurance position, the lock arm 21 engages with the mating housing C1 so as to prevent the housing 2 from coming off the mating housing C1.

[0024] The shape and structure of the lock arm 21 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. In this embodiment, the lock arm 21 is provided so as to extend in a cantilever manner from an end region on the mating direction D11 side of the first wall portion W1 of the housing 2 toward the removal direction D12, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6. The lock arm 21 is configured to elastically deform with a base end portion 21a located in the end region on the mating direction D11 side as a fulcrum, and to swing in the thickness direction D3. Note that, when the housing 2 is inserted into the internal space of the mating housing C1, a part of the lock arm 21 is configured to enter the inside of the mating housing C1 through the opening C16, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 3, the lock arm 21 has a stopper portion 211 configured to be able to come into contact with the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3 in order to restrict the CPA member 3 from moving in the mating direction D11 from the non-mating assurance position (see Fig. 3) to the mating assurance position (see Fig. 5) before the housing 2 is mated with the mating housing C1. In addition, in this embodiment, the lock arm 21 has an operation portion 212 capable of operating the lock arm 21 at the tip portion 21b on the removal direction D12 side. The lock arm 21 also has an accommodation portion 213 capable of accommodating the tip portion (tip region including the tip portion 32a) of the central beam portion 32 between the base end portion 21a and the tip portion 21b in the mating / removal direction D1 when the CPA member 3 is located at the mating assurance position.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the stopper portion 211 is configured to be able to come into contact with the tip (end face on the mating direction D11 side) 32a of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3 when the CPA member 3 is located at the non-mating guaranteed position. The "non-mating guaranteed position" is the initial position of the CPA member 3 before the CPA member 3 is moved to the mating guaranteed position. The non-mating guaranteed position of the CPA member 3 is a position where the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 is on the removal direction D12 side of the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 on the removal direction D12 side in the mating / removal direction D1. Fig. 3 shows a state where the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 and the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 are in contact with each other at the non-mating guaranteed position. However, the non-mating guaranteed position of the CPA member 3 may be a position where the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 and the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 can abut when the CPA member 3 receives a force moving in the mating direction D11. Therefore, the non-mating guaranteed position of the CPA member 3 may be a position where the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 and the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 are in a non-contact state with a slight distance therebetween in the mating / removing direction D1. The "mating guaranteed position" is a position where the CPA member 3 moves from the non-mating guaranteed position in the mating direction D11 when the housing 2 is completely mated with the mating housing C1 (see Figs. 4 and 5) to guarantee the mating between the housing 2 and the mating housing C1. In this embodiment, the mating guaranteed position of the CPA member 3 is a position where the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 is on the mating direction D11 side with respect to the stopper portion 211. More specifically, the fitting guaranteed position of the CPA member 3 is a position where the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 passes over the stopper portion 211 in the fitting direction D11 and the tip portion of the central beam portion 32 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 213.

[0027] The stopper portion 211 can abut against the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3, and restricts the movement of the CPA member 3 to the mating guaranteed position. The shape and structure of the stopper portion 211 are not particularly limited as long as the stopper portion 211 can abut against the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3, and can restrict the movement of the CPA member 3 to the mating guaranteed position. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the stopper portion 211 extends in the width direction D2 so as to connect a pair of arm portions 214, 214 extending in the mating / removal direction D1 at both ends of the width direction D2 of the lock arm 21. In this embodiment, the stopper portion 211 has an abutment surface 211a that contacts the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 with a predetermined contact area so as to restrict the movement of the CPA member 3 in the mating direction D11 when a force is applied in the mating direction D11 to the CPA member 3 located in the non-mating guaranteed position, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the contact surface 211a is configured by a surface perpendicular to the fitting / removal direction D1. Also, in this embodiment, the contact surface 211a engages with the mating engagement portion C17 (engagement surface C172) of the mating housing C1 to prevent the housing 2 from being separated from the mating housing C1.

[0028] The operating portion 212 is a portion capable of operating the lock arm 21. When the housing 2 is engaged with the mating housing C1 and the CPA member 3 is located in the non-engagement guaranteed position, the operating portion 212 is operated to release the engagement between the housing 2 and the mating housing C1, and the housing 2 can be removed from the mating housing C1. Specifically, the operating portion 212 located on the outer side of the mating housing C1 is pressed toward the sliding surface W11, and the stopper portion 211 of the lock arm 21 is displaced toward the sliding surface W11. This releases the engagement between the stopper portion 211 and the engagement surface C172 of the mating engagement portion C17, and the housing 2 can be moved in the removal direction D12.

[0029] The accommodation portion 213 is a portion into which the tip of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3 fits when the central beam portion 32 elastically returns to its original shape after elastically deforming to overcome the stopper portion 211 in the fitting direction D11. In this embodiment, the accommodation portion 213 is shown as a through hole penetrating the lock arm 21 in the thickness direction D3, but may be a non-through recess.

[0030] The guide groove 22 guides the side beam portion 31 of the CPA member 3 in the fitting direction D11. The guide groove 22 is provided on both sides of the lock arm 21 in the width direction D2, as shown in Figs. 6 and 10. In this embodiment, the guide groove 22 has an engagement portion 221 that restricts the CPA member 3 from being removed in the removal direction D12. The provision of the engagement portion 221 prevents the CPA member 3 from being removed from the housing 2. In this embodiment, the engagement portion 221 is configured to engage with an engaged portion 311a provided on a base portion 311 of the side beam portion 31 of the CPA member 3, as shown in Fig. 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the guide groove 22 has a guide wall 222 that faces a protruding portion 312a (see Fig. 8 and Fig. 9) of a wide portion 312 of a CPA member 3 described later in the thickness direction. The guide wall 222 has a first restricting surface 222a that faces the sliding surface W11 in the thickness direction D3 and restricts the movement of the CPA member 3 in the thickness direction D3, and a second restricting surface 222b that faces the base portion 311 of the CPA member 3 in the width direction D2 and restricts the movement of the CPA member 3 in the width direction D2. The first restricting surface 222a and the second restricting surface 222b of the guide wall 222 of the guide groove 22 make it possible to guide a CPA member 3 having a configuration described later in a state in which separation and rattling in the width direction D2 and thickness direction D3 are restricted, without increasing the size of the housing 2. In this embodiment, the first restriction surface 222a is configured by a surface parallel to the sliding surface W11, and the second restriction surface 222b extends perpendicular to the first restriction surface 222a and the sliding surface W11.

[0032] In this embodiment, the guide groove 22 is configured as a substantially L-shaped passage provided on both sides in the width direction D2 of the lock arm 21 when viewed in the fitting direction D11, as shown in Fig. 7. Specifically, the guide groove 22, which is a substantially L-shaped passage, is defined by an inner surface 223 that faces each other in the width direction D2 and extends perpendicular to the sliding surface W11, a first restricting surface 222a that extends toward the lock arm 21 in the width direction D2 relative to the inner surface 223, a second restricting surface 222b that extends in the thickness direction D3 perpendicular to the first restricting surface 222a, and side walls 214a that are both ends in the width direction D2 of the lock arm 21. The inner surface 223 is provided at a height corresponding to the height of the wide portion 312 of the side beam portion 31 in the thickness direction D3 (a height slightly higher than the height of the wide portion 312). In addition, the protruding width in the width direction D2 from the inner surface 223 of the first control surface 222a corresponds to the width in the width direction D2 of the protruding portion 312a, which is wider than the base 311 (slightly shorter than the width of the protruding portion 312a).

[0033] As shown in Figs. 10 to 13, the guide wall 222 protrudes from the inner surface 223 by a certain width from the opening edge of the guide groove 22 on the removal direction D12 side to the engagement portion 221 at a predetermined distance in the fitting direction D11, and the amount of protrusion of the guide wall 222 from the inner surface is smaller on the fitting direction D11 side than the engagement portion 221. As a result, a step is generated in the guide wall 222 in the width direction D2, and this step portion constitutes the engagement portion 221. Note that the guide groove is not limited to the structure shown in the figures. The guide groove can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the side beam portion, and may have other shapes such as a substantially T-shape (a substantially T-shape including a substantially L-shape portion) when viewed in the fitting direction D11. Note that the expressions "substantially L-shape" and "substantially T-shape" also include an inverted L-shape and an inverted T-shape. In addition, the engagement portion may be constituted by a protrusion protruding from the inner surface 223, as long as it can restrict the movement of the CPA member 3 in the removal direction D12.

[0034] The CPA member 3 is configured to be movable in the mating direction D11 relative to the housing 2 from a non-mating assurance position to a mating assurance position that guarantees that the housing 2 and the mating housing C1 are mated. The CPA member 3 guarantees that the housing 2 is securely mated with the mating housing C1 by moving from the non-mating assurance position to the mating assurance position. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, when the housing 2 is securely mated with the mating housing C1 (a state in which the stopper portion 211 is engaged with the engagement surface C172 of the mating engagement portion C17), the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 of the CPA member 3 is positioned at a position shifted in the thickness direction D3 from the contact surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 when it reaches the position of the contact surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 in the mating / removal direction D1. As a result, the movement of the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 in the fitting direction D11 is not restricted by the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211, and the CPA member 3 can move in the fitting direction D11. Also, when the housing 2 is not securely fitted to the mating housing C1 (when the stopper portion 211 is located on the removal direction D12 side of the engagement surface C172 of the mating engagement portion C17), the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 comes into contact with the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211, and the movement in the fitting direction D11 is restricted. Therefore, the CPA member 3 cannot move from the non-fitting guaranteed position to the fitting guaranteed position. As described above, when the housing 2 is completely fitted to the mating housing C1, the CPA member 3 can move to the fitting guaranteed position, and when the housing 2 is not completely fitted to the mating housing C1, the CPA member 3 cannot move to the fitting guaranteed position, and it is guaranteed that the housing 2 is securely fitted to the mating housing C1.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the CPA member 3 includes a CPA member operating portion 33 that is operated when moving the CPA member 3 in the fitting direction D11, a pair of side beam portions 31, 31 extending from the CPA member operating portion 33, and a central beam portion 32 extending from the CPA member operating portion 33. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the CPA member 3 is attached to the housing 2 by being inserted in the fitting direction D11 from the opening edge of the guide groove 22 of the housing 2. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in the process of attaching the CPA member 3 to the housing 2, the pair of side beam portions 31, 31 are bent inwardly in the width direction D2. When the CPA member 3 moves in the fitting direction D11 until the engaged portion 311a provided on the side beam portion 31 reaches the position of the engaging portion 221 of the housing 2, as shown in FIG. 13, the pair of side beam portions 31, 31 spread outward in the width direction D2, and the engaged portion 311a engages with the engaging portion 221 in the fitting / removal direction D1. This prevents the CPA member 3 from being removed from the housing 2, and the CPA member 3 is held in the non-mating guaranteed position shown in FIG. 13. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 13, the CPA member 3 is configured to protrude in the removal direction D12 from the end E of the housing 2 on the removal direction D12 side when the CPA member 3 is in the non-mating guaranteed position. In this case, when the CPA member 3 is in the non-mating guaranteed position, it is not necessary to surround the entire CPA member 3 with the housing 2 as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, so that the housing 2 can be made smaller in size in the fitting / removal direction D1.

[0036] The CPA member operation part 33 is a part that is operated when the CPA member 3 is attached to the housing 2 or when the CPA member 3 is moved from the non-mating guaranteed position to the mating guaranteed position. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the side beam parts 31, 31 and the central beam part 32 are connected to the CPA member operation part 33, and the CPA member operation part 33 also serves as a base part of the side beam parts 31, 31 and the central beam part 32. The CPA member operation part 33 is provided at an end part of the CPA member 3 on the removal direction D12 side, and when the CPA member 3 is in the non-mating guaranteed position, it protrudes in the removal direction D12 from an end part E of the housing 2 on the removal direction D12 side (see Figs. 3, 10, etc.). The shape and structure of the CPA member operation part 33 are not particularly limited as long as it can operate the CPA member 3. In this embodiment, the CPA member operation portion 33 includes a plate-shaped portion 331, a finger hook portion 332, and a block portion 333, as shown in FIGS.

[0037] The base end of the side beam portion 31 and the base end of the central beam portion 32 are connected to the plate-shaped portion 331. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the plate-shaped portion 331 extends in the width direction D2 so as to connect the base ends of the pair of side beam portions 31, 31, and the base end of the central beam portion 32 is connected to the center of the plate-shaped portion 331 in the width direction D2. The finger hook portion 332 is erected in the thickness direction D3 from the end of the plate-shaped portion 331 on the side of the removal direction D12, and is operated by the user's finger. As shown in FIG. 5, the block portion 333 enters between the operation portion 212 of the lock arm 21 and the sliding surface W11 when the CPA member 3 moves to the mating assurance position. This restricts the amount of movement of the operation portion 212 in the thickness direction D3 to a predetermined range, and restricts the release of the engagement between the stopper portion 211 and the mating engagement portion C17 even if a force in the thickness direction D3 is applied to the operation portion 212.

[0038] When the housing 2 is not completely fitted into the mating housing C1, the central beam portion 32 engages with the stopper portion 211 of the housing 2 in the fitting / removal direction D1 to restrict the CPA member 3 from moving to the fitting assurance position. Moreover, the central beam portion 32 is configured to be elastically deformable in the thickness direction D3 so as to release the engagement with the stopper portion 211 when the housing 2 is completely fitted into the mating housing C1.

[0039] The central beam portion 32 extends in a cantilever manner from the CPA member operation portion 33 (the plate-shaped portion 331) toward the fitting direction D11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the central beam portion 32 is inclined so that the distance from the sliding surface W11 increases as the central beam portion 32 moves from the plate-shaped portion 331 toward the fitting direction D11. Therefore, when the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 moves to the position of the mating engagement portion C17 in the fitting / removal direction D1, the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 comes into contact with the inclined surface C171 of the mating engagement portion C17. As a result, the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 comes into contact with the inclined surface C171, and the central beam portion 32 is deflected so that the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 is displaced toward the sliding surface W11 (see FIG. 4). 4, the engagement between the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 and the stopper portion 211 is released, and the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 can climb over the stopper portion 211. When the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 climbs over the stopper portion 211, the tip portion including the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 elastically returns to its original position and is accommodated in the accommodation portion 213 when the CPA member 3 moves to the mating assurance position (see FIG. 5). At this time, since the block portion 333 is inserted under the operation portion 212, the lock arm 21 is restricted from bending toward the sliding surface W11, and the engagement between the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 and the engagement surface C172 of the mating engagement portion C17 is maintained, preventing the housing 2 from coming off the mating housing C1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the tip 32a, which is the end face of the central beam portion 32 on the mating direction D11 side, is configured to come into surface contact with the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 with a predetermined contact area when the CPA member 3 is located in the non-mating guaranteed position. The size of the contact area is not particularly limited, but is set to a predetermined size such that when a force is applied to the CPA member 3 in the mating direction D11, the engagement between the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 and the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 is released and the CPA member 3 does not move in the mating direction D11. In this embodiment, the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 and the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211 are configured to be perpendicular to the mating / removal direction D1.

[0041] In this embodiment, the central beam portion 32 is configured so that the width in the width direction D2 increases from the tip 32a side toward the base end side, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this case, stress is prevented from concentrating on the base end of the central beam portion 32, which is the connection point with the CPA member operating portion 33 (plate-shaped portion 331). Therefore, the central beam portion 32 is less likely to break.

[0042] The side beam portion 31 is a portion that is guided in the fitting / removal direction D1 by the guide groove 22. In this embodiment, as described below, when the CPA member 3 moves in the fitting direction D11, the side beam portion 31 is guided by the guide groove 22 in a state in which movement in the width direction D2 and the thickness direction D3 is restricted. In this embodiment, the side beam portion 31 engages with the housing 2 in the fitting / removal direction D1, thereby preventing the CPA member 3 from being removed from the housing 2.

[0043] The side beam portions 31 are guided by the guide grooves 22 of the housing 2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, each of the side beam portions 31 has a base portion 311 having a predetermined width in the width direction D2 and extending along the fitting direction D11, and a wide portion 312 provided on one side of the base portion 311 in the thickness direction D3, having a width in the width direction D2 wider than that of the base portion 311, and extending along the fitting direction D11. When the CPA member 3 moves from the non-fitting guaranteed position to the fitting guaranteed position, the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312 are guided by the guide grooves 22. More specifically, the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312 are configured such that the cross section of the side beam portion 31 perpendicular to the fitting / removing direction D1 is substantially L-shaped, and are guided by the above-mentioned substantially L-shaped guide groove 22. This allows the CPA member 3 to move along the guide groove 22 while preventing separation or rattling of the CPA member 3 in the width direction D2 and thickness direction D3. The cross-sectional shape of the side beam portion formed by the base portion and the wide portion is not limited to the shape shown in the figure. The cross-sectional shape of the side beam portion may be other shapes, such as a substantially T-shape (a substantially T-shape including a substantially L-shaped portion). The expressions substantially L-shape and substantially T-shape also include an inverted L-shape and an inverted T-shape.

[0044] In this embodiment, the wide portion 312 is provided on the sliding surface W11 side of the base 311 in the thickness direction D3, but it may be provided on the opposite side of the sliding surface W11 from the base 311 in the thickness direction D3.

[0045] The base portion 311 constitutes a part of the side beam portion 31, and is a portion whose width in the width direction D2 is narrower than that of the wide portion 312. As will be described later, the base portion 311, together with the wide portion 312, functions as a guide portion that guides the CPA member 3 in the fitting / removal direction D1, and, together with the wide portion 312, improves the bending strength of the side beam portion 31.

[0046] The length of the base 311 in the fitting / removal direction D1 is not particularly limited as long as the base 311 is provided in a predetermined region described later. In this embodiment, the base 311 extends from the end of the CPA member 3 in the removal direction D12 to the fitting direction D11 beyond the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In this case, the CPA member 3 can be guided more stably, and the bending strength of the side beam portion 31 is further improved. The base 311 may be provided over the entire length of the side beam portion 31 in the fitting / removal direction D1, or may be provided only in a part of the length.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the base 311 has an engaged portion 311a that engages with the engaging portion 221 at its tip on the mating direction D11 side. The engaged portion 311a engages with the engaging portion 221 in the mating / removing direction D1 to prevent the CPA member 3 from being removed from the housing 2. In this embodiment, the movement of the CPA member 3 in the removing direction D12 is restricted by the engagement of the engaged portion 311a with the engaging portion 221. On the other hand, the movement of the CPA member 3 in the mating direction D11 is restricted by the engagement of the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 with the abutment surface 211a of the stopper portion 211. As a result, the CPA member 3 is held in a predetermined non-mating guaranteed position.

[0048] The shape and structure of the engaged portion 311a are not particularly limited as long as it can prevent the CPA member 3 from coming off the housing 2 by engaging with the engaging portion 221. In this embodiment, the engaged portion 311a is provided at the tip of the base 311 so as to protrude outward (in a direction away from the other side beam portion 31) in the width direction D2 relative to other portions of the base 311, as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. More specifically, the base 311 extends linearly from the base end of the side beam portion 31 (the connection portion with the finger hook portion 332) in the fitting direction D11, and at the tip of the base 311 on the fitting direction D11 side, the engaged portion 311a protrudes outward in the width direction D2. 8 and 9, at or near the tip of the base 311, the inner side surface of the base 311 in the width direction D2 has an inclined surface 311b that is inclined outward in the width direction D2 as it approaches the tip of the base 311. By providing this inclined surface 311b, as described later, when the side beam portion 31 is bent inward in the width direction D2 (see FIG. 12) during attachment of the CPA member 3 to the housing 2, the base 311 is prevented from interfering with the side wall 214a of the lock arm 21. In addition, the tip of the base 311 is formed in a tapered shape. As a result, when the CPA member 3 is attached to the housing 2, the tip of the base 311 abuts on the corner portion of the guide wall 222 at the opening edge of the guide groove 22, and the base 311 receives a force inward in the width direction D2 from the corner portion of the guide wall 222, and the side beam portion 31 is likely to bend inward in the width direction D2.

[0049] The wide portion 312 is a portion constituting a part of the side beam portion 31, and is a portion having a width in the width direction D2 wider than that of the base portion 311. As described later, the wide portion 312 functions as a guide portion that guides the CPA member 3 in the fitting / removal direction D1 together with the base portion 311, and improves the bending strength of the side beam portion 31 together with the base portion 311. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the wide portion 312 has a protruding portion 312a that protrudes in the width direction D2 from the base portion 311. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 312a protrudes to the opposite side to the central beam portion 32 in the width direction D2. However, the protruding portion may protrude toward the central beam portion 32 side in the width direction D2 from the base portion 311, or may protrude on both sides in the width direction D2. In addition, in this embodiment, the wide portion 312 is located on the sliding surface W11 side in the thickness direction D3 relative to the base portion 311, but it may be located on the opposite side to the sliding surface W11, or may be provided on both sides in the thickness direction D3.

[0050] In this embodiment, the side beam portion 31 is configured so that the cross section perpendicular to the fitting direction D11 has a substantially L-shaped portion due to the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312. Here, "having a substantially L-shaped portion" is a concept that includes not only the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312 formed in a substantially L shape as in this embodiment, but also a substantially T-shaped or substantially H-shaped portion formed by having other portions in addition to the substantially L-shaped portion.

[0051] The length of the wide portion 312 in the fitting / removal direction D1 is not particularly limited as long as the wide portion 312 is provided in a predetermined region described later. The wide portion 312 may be provided over the entire length of the side beam portion 31 in the fitting / removal direction D1, or may be provided only in a part of the side beam portion 31. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the wide portion 312 extends from the end of the CPA member 3 in the removal direction D12 to the fitting direction D11 beyond the tip of the central beam portion 32 and the tip of the base portion 311, and the side beam portion 31 is configured to have a substantially L-shaped portion from the end of the CPA member 3 in the removal direction D12 to the tip of the base portion 311. In this case, the CPA member 3 is more stably guided by the guide groove 22, and the bending strength of the side beam portion 31 is further improved. 8 and 9, in this embodiment, the wide portion 312 extends linearly from the base end of the side beam portion 31 (the connection point with the finger hook portion 332) in the fitting direction D11 with a constant width wider than that of the base portion 311. The inner edge and the outer edge of the wide portion 312 extend parallel to each other, and the inner edge of the wide portion 312 coincides with the inner edge of the base portion 311 (the portion closer to the removal direction D12 than the above-mentioned inclined surface 311b). The tip of the wide portion 312 is formed in a tapered shape so that it can be easily inserted into the opening of the guide groove 22 when the CPA member 3 is attached to the housing 2.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the wide portion 312 has an extension portion 312b that extends beyond the tip of the base portion 311 in the fitting direction D11. Since the extension portion 312b extends beyond the tip of the base portion 311, the CPA member 3 can be easily attached to the housing 2. Specifically, when the CPA member 3 is attached to the housing 2, as shown in FIG. 11, of the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312, only the extension portion 312b of the wide portion 312 is inserted into the guide groove 22. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, the tip of the base portion 311 abuts against the guide wall 222 and is pushed inward in the width direction D2. At this time, the CPA member 3 is pushed in the fitting direction D11 with a certain amount of force, but the CPA member 3 is pushed in a state in which movement in the width direction D2 and the thickness direction D3 is restricted by the extension portion 312b. Therefore, the CPA member 3 can be pushed in the fitting direction D11 with its posture stable, and the CPA member 3 can be easily fitted into the housing 2. In particular, in this embodiment, the side beam portion 31 is made less likely to bend by the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312, but the provision of the extension portion 312b allows the pair of side beam portions 31 to be evenly deformed, allowing the CPA member 3 to be pushed in with a stable posture.

[0053] In this embodiment, the lock arm 21 has side walls 214a on both sides in the width direction D2, which face the base portion 311 in the width direction D2. In this embodiment, the side walls 214a are outer walls in the width direction D2 of the arm portion 214 of the lock arm 21. Of the side walls 214a, a lower end B facing the sliding surface W11 is inclined so that the distance from the sliding surface W11 increases from the base end portion 21a on the fitting direction D11 side of the lock arm 21 to the tip end portion 21b on the removal direction D12 side, as shown in Fig. 14. Furthermore, when the side beam portion 31 is bent toward the central beam portion 32 (see FIG. 12) during attachment of the CPA member 3 to the housing 2, the distance from the sliding surface W11 of the lower end B of the side wall 214a in the thickness direction D3 at the tip end (end portion on the removal direction D12 side) of the side wall 214a in the thickness direction D3 is greater than the thickness of the wide portion 312 in the thickness direction D3 (see FIG. 14) so ​​that the side beam portion 31 can enter between the lower end B of the side wall 214a and the sliding surface W11. In this case, the side beam portion 31 bends inward in the width direction D2 from the state shown in FIG. 11 to the state shown in FIG. 12, and a part of the wide portion 312 enters between the lower end B of the side wall 214a and the sliding surface W11 as shown in FIG. 12. In this state, when the CPA member 3 further moves in the fitting direction D11, the wide portion 312 abuts against the lower end B of the side wall 214a and lifts the lock arm 21 in the thickness direction D3 in a direction away from the sliding surface W11. When the CPA member 3 further moves in the fitting direction D11 and the engaged portion 311a of the base portion 311 reaches the position of the engaging portion 221 of the guide groove 22, the side beam portion 31 elastically returns to its original position and spreads outward in the width direction D2, as shown in FIG. 13. As a result, the wide portion 312 is disengaged from between the lower end B of the side wall 214a and the sliding surface W11. At the same time, the lock arm 21 lifted by the wide portion 312 elastically returns to its initial state shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14, when the CPA member 3 is attached to the housing 2, the side wall 214a and the wide portion 312 face each other in the width direction D2 on the base end 21a side of the lock arm 21 so as to prevent the side beam portion 31 from bending toward the central beam portion 32 (see the area R where the side wall 214a and the wide portion 312 overlap in FIG. 14).In this manner, with the CPA member 3 attached to the housing 2, the side wall 214a and the side surface of the wide portion 312 face each other in the width direction D2, thereby restricting the side beam portion 31 from bending inward in the width direction D2 from the state shown in Fig. 13. Therefore, the CPA member 3 is reliably restricted from coming off the housing 2.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the CPA member 3 is in the non-mating guaranteed position, the base 311 and the wide portion 312 are provided in a predetermined region on the fitting direction D11 side and a predetermined region on the removal direction D12 side with respect to the end E of the housing 2 on the removal direction D12 side, as shown in Figs. 2 and 10. Here, the "end E of the housing 2 on the removal direction D12 side" is the end on the removal direction D12 side in the region where the CPA member 3 (side beam portion 31) is provided in the width direction D2. Also, the "predetermined region on the fitting direction D11 side and the predetermined region on the removal direction D12 side" are predetermined regions on both sides of the end E of the housing 2 on the removal direction D12 side in the fitting-removal direction D1. That is, in this embodiment, the CPA member 3 protrudes from the housing 2 in the removal direction D12, and when a force is applied to the CPA member 3 in the thickness direction D3, a force that causes bending deformation is applied to the end E of the CPA member 3 on the removal direction D12 side, with the end E on the removal direction D12 side of the housing 2 as a fulcrum. In this embodiment, the base 311 and the wide portion 312 are provided on both sides of the portion that serves as the fulcrum of this bending deformation in the fitting / removal direction D1. This suppresses deformation of the side beam portion 31, and regulates the displacement of the central beam portion 32 in the thickness direction D3 due to the deformation of the side beam portion 31. This suppresses the release of the engagement between the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 and the stopper portion 211 due to the displacement of the central beam portion 32 in the thickness direction D3, and suppresses the movement of the CPA member 3 to the fitting assurance position when the housing 2 and the mating housing C1 are not fitted to each other. The length of the predetermined region on the fitting direction D11 side and the predetermined region on the removal direction D12 side in which the base 311 and the wide portion 312 are provided is not particularly limited. For example, the predetermined region on the fitting direction D11 side in which the base 311 and the wide portion 312 are provided is preferably provided on the fitting direction D11 side with a length of 1 / 10 or more, more preferably 1 / 5 or more, and even more preferably 1 / 2 or more of the length of the side beam portion 31 in the fitting / removal direction D1, with the end E on the removal direction D12 side of the housing 2 as the center.Furthermore, the specified area on the removal direction D12 side in which the base 311 and the wide portion 312 are provided is, for example, preferably provided on the removal direction D12 side with a length of at least 1 / 10 of the length of the side beam portion 31 in the engagement / removal direction D1, centered on the end E on the removal direction D12 side of the housing 2, and more preferably provided with a length of at least 1 / 5, and even more preferably provided up to the end of the CPA member 3 on the removal direction D12 side.

[0055] The effects of the above-mentioned base portion 311 and wide portion 312 will be described in more detail below. Fig. 15 is a reference diagram showing an example of a conventional CPA member 30 in which a base portion and a wide portion are not provided in a predetermined region on the fitting direction D11 side and a predetermined region on the removal direction D12 side with respect to an end E on the removal direction D12 side of the housing 20, Fig. 16 shows a state in which the CPA member 30 of the reference example shown in Fig. 15 is attached to the housing 20, and Fig. 17 shows a state when a force is applied in the thickness direction D3 to the portion of the CPA member 30 protruding from the housing 20 from the state shown in Fig. 16.

[0056] In the CPA member 30 of the reference example, the side beam portion 310 is configured in a flat plate shape. The CPA member 30 protrudes from the end E on the side of the removal direction D12 of the housing 20. When a force is applied to the CPA member operation portion 330 of the CPA member 30 in the thickness direction D3 (for example, the lower side in FIG. 16) from the state shown in FIG. 16, the upper surface of the side beam portion 310 guided by the guide groove 220 abuts against the lower surface of the guide groove 220, and the movement of the side beam portion 310 is restricted. In this state, when a further force is applied to the CPA member operation portion 330 of the CPA member 30 in the thickness direction D3, bending deformation occurs such that the CPA member operation portion 330 descends downward, with the end E on the side of the removal direction D12 of the housing 20 as a fulcrum. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17, the central beam portion 320 connected to the CPA member operating portion 330 is displaced upward in the thickness direction D3 as the CPA member operating portion 330 is deformed, since there is no portion whose movement is restricted upward in the thickness direction D3. This displacement reduces the contact area between the tip portion 320a of the central beam portion 320 and the abutment surface 2110a of the stopper portion 2110, or moves to a position where they do not contact each other. In this state, if a force is applied to the CPA member 30 in the fitting direction D11, the tip portion 320a of the central beam portion 320 may move in the fitting direction D11 over the stopper portion 2110, or the central beam portion 320 may be bent and damaged. In that case, the CPA member 30 cannot be held in the non-fitting guaranteed position, and the fitting guarantee function of the CPA member 30 cannot be maintained. It should be noted that when a force is applied to the CPA member operating portion 330 upward in the thickness direction D3, the central beam portion 320 is displaced downward in the thickness direction D3, causing a similar problem.

[0057] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the base portion 311 and the wide portion 312 are provided on both sides in the fitting / removal direction D1 of the end portion E of the CPA member 3 on the removal direction D12 side, which serves as the fulcrum of bending deformation. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, deformation of the side beam portion 31 is suppressed, and displacement of the central beam portion 32 in the thickness direction D3 due to deformation of the side beam portion 31 is restricted. This prevents the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 from disengaging from the stopper portion 211 due to displacement of the central beam portion 32 in the thickness direction D3, and prevents the CPA member 3 from moving to the fitting assurance position when the housing 2 and the mating housing C1 are not fitted to each other. As described above, in this embodiment, there is no need to enclose the entire CPA member 3, and the bending deformation of the CPA member 3 occurring in a configuration in which the CPA member 3 protrudes in the removal direction D12 from the end E on the removal direction D12 side of the housing 2, and the displacement in the thickness direction D3 between the tip 32a of the central beam portion 32 and the stopper portion 211 occurring due to the bending deformation are restricted. This makes it possible to maintain the fitting assurance function of the CPA member 3 with a simple configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 Connector 2. Housing 21 Lock Arm 21a Base end of lock arm 21b Tip of lock arm 211 Stopper part 211a Contact surface 212 Operation section 213 Storage Unit 214 Arm section 214a side wall 22 Guide groove 221 Engagement part 222 Guide Wall 222a First regulatory aspect 222b Second regulatory aspect 223 Inside 3 CPA components 31 Side beam section 311 Base 311a Engaged part 311b Slope 312 Wide section 312a Protrusion 312b Extension part 32 Central beam section 32a Tip of central beam section 33 CPA component operating section 331 Plate-shaped part 332 Finger rest 333 Block section B Bottom edge of side wall C Mating connector C1 Mating housing C11 First opposing wall C12 Second mating wall C13 3rd opposing wall C14 4th mating wall C15 5th mating wall C16 opening C17 Counterpart engagement part C171 Inclined surface C172 Engagement surface C2 Terminal of the mating connector CS connector structure D1 Mating / unmating direction D11 Mating direction D12 Departure direction D2 width direction D3 thickness direction E End of the housing on the removal side W1 First wall W11 Sliding surface W2 Second wall W3 3rd wall W4 4th wall W5 5th wall

Claims

1. a housing that moves in a mating direction relative to a mating housing of a mating connector to mate with the mating housing; a CPA member including a pair of side beam portions and a central beam portion provided between the pair of side beam portions in a width direction in which the pair of side beam portions are spaced apart from each other, the CPA member being attached to the housing; A connector comprising: The housing comprises: a lever-shaped lock arm extending from a mating direction side of the housing in a removal direction opposite to the mating direction; a guide groove provided on each side of the lock arm in the width direction, the guide groove guiding the pair of side beam portions in the fitting direction; Equipped with the CPA member is configured to be movable in the mating direction relative to the housing from a non-mating assurance position to a mating assurance position that ensures that the housing and the mating housing are mated; the lock arm has a stopper portion configured to be able to come into contact with a tip of the central beam portion of the CPA member in order to restrict the CPA member from moving in the mating direction from the non-mating assurance position to the mating assurance position before the housing is mated with the mating housing, the CPA member is configured to protrude in a removal direction from the removal direction end of the housing when the CPA member is located at the non-mating assurance position, When the CPA member is in the non-mating guaranteed position, each of the side beam portions has a predetermined region on the mating direction side and a predetermined region on the removal direction side with respect to an end portion of the housing on the removal direction side. a base portion having a predetermined width in the width direction and extending along the fitting direction; a wide portion that is provided on one side of the base portion in a thickness direction perpendicular to the fitting direction and the width direction, has a width in the width direction wider than that of the base portion, and extends along the fitting direction; The connector has

2. the guide groove has an engagement portion that restricts the CPA member from being removed in the removal direction, the base portion has an engaged portion at a tip portion in the fitting direction that engages with the engaging portion, The connector of claim 1 , wherein the wide portion has an extension that extends beyond a tip end of the base portion in the mating direction.

3. the lock arm has side walls on both sides in the width direction that face the base portion in the width direction, a lower end of the side wall facing a sliding surface on which the CPA member slides is inclined such that a distance from the sliding surface increases from a base end of the lock arm in the fitting direction toward a tip end of the lock arm in the removal direction, a distance in the thickness direction from the sliding surface of the lower end of the side wall at the tip portion of the side wall is greater than a thickness in the thickness direction of the wide portion, so that the side beam portion can be inserted between the lower end of the side wall and the sliding surface when the side beam portion is deflected toward the central beam portion during attachment of the CPA member to the housing; When the CPA member is attached to the housing, the side wall and the wide portion are configured to face each other in the width direction at a base end side of the lock arm so as to restrict bending of the side beam portion toward the central beam portion. The connector of claim 1 .

4. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the central beam portion is configured so that its width in the width direction increases from its tip side to its base side.

5. the guide groove has an engagement portion that restricts the CPA member from being removed in the removal direction, the base portion extends from the end portion of the CPA member in the removal direction toward the fitting direction beyond the tip of the central beam portion, and has an engaged portion at a tip portion of the base portion in the fitting direction that engages with the engaging portion, the widened portion extends from the removal direction end of the CPA member in the mating direction beyond the tip of the central beam portion and the tip of the base portion; the wide portion has a protruding portion protruding in a direction opposite to the central beam portion in the width direction relative to the base portion, The side beam portion is configured to have a substantially L-shaped portion in a cross section perpendicular to the fitting direction from an end side of the CPA member in the removal direction to a tip position of the base portion, The guide groove has a guide wall facing the protruding portion of the wide portion in the thickness direction, and the guide wall has a first regulating surface facing the sliding surface in the thickness direction to regulate the movement of the CPA member in the thickness direction, and a second regulating surface facing the base in the width direction to regulate the movement of the CPA member in the width direction. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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