Connector

Abstract

To improve operability of a fitting assurance member.SOLUTION: A housing 20 has a pair of protective walls 22a and a locking mechanism 23 that maintains a fully fitted state. A fitting assurance member 30 has a cantilever-shaped fitting assurance arm 31 that applies a reaction force accompanying a bending deformation to a locking mechanism to maintain a holding function of the locking mechanism in the fully fitted state, and a pair of side wall portions 32 that are sandwiched between the pair of protective walls and sandwich the locking mechanism in an opposing arrangement direction of the pair of protective walls, a pair of gripping portions 36 that can be gripped when an end portion of the pair of protective walls in the connector removal direction are sandwiched in the opposing arrangement direction and displaced between the temporary locking position and the main locking position, and a pushing operation portion 37 that connects the end portions of the side wall portion and the gripping portion in the connector removal direction to cover the end portion of the protective wall interposed therebetween from the connector removal direction side and can be pushed when displaced from the temporary locking position to the main locking position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, mating connectors electrically connect the male and female connectors by mating them together. In these mating connectors, the quality of electrical conduction between the connectors is guaranteed when the connectors are fully mated, i.e., mated to their respective mating positions. However, when the connectors are not fully mated, i.e., in a partially mated state, the quality of electrical conduction cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, in these mating connectors, a mating assurance member is provided on one of the connectors to allow the user to determine whether the mating state of the connectors is fully mated or partially mated. The mating assurance member locks the connector in a provisionally locked position or a fully locked position relative to the housing. When the connector is partially mated, the mating assurance member stops the connector in the provisionally locked position, thereby allowing the user to determine whether the connector is partially mated with the other connector. The mating assurance member is movable between a provisional locking position and a final locking position when the connectors are fully mated, and it assures that the mating connector is fully mated at the final locking position. This type of connector is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The mating assurance member is moved between the temporary-locking position and the full-locking position by an operator. The operation can be broadly divided into a pushing operation, which moves the mating assurance member from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position when the connectors are mated and connected, and a releasing operation, which moves the mating assurance member from the full-locking position to the temporary-locking position when the connectors are separated from each other in a fully mated state. Therefore, there is a demand for improved operability of the mating assurance member in connectors.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector having a mating assurance member that is easy to operate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a connector for a terminal-attached electric wire having a terminal fitting connected to an end of the electric wire, a housing having a housing main body in which the terminal fitting is accommodated and from which the electric wire is drawn out, and a mating assurance member which stops the housing at a temporary locking position relative to the housing when the housing and the mating housing are in a semi-mated state, and is movable relative to the housing in the connector insertion / extraction direction between the temporary locking position and a full locking position when the housing and the mating housing are in a fully mated state, and which ensures the fully mated state at the full locking position, wherein the housing has a pair of protective walls respectively protruding from an outer wall surface of the housing main body, and a mating assurance member which is disposed between the pair of protective walls and facing the outer wall surface of the mating housing in the fully mated state, and which is engaged with a mating assurance projection on the outer wall surface of the mating housing in the fully mated state. and a locking mechanism that maintains the complete mated state, and the mating assurance member comprises a cantilevered mating assurance arm that applies a reaction force accompanying bending deformation to the locking mechanism, thereby maintaining the function of the locking mechanism to maintain the complete mated state, a pair of side wall portions that are sandwiched between the pair of protective walls and that sandwich the locking mechanism in the opposing arrangement direction of the pair of protective walls, a pair of gripping portions that sandwich each end of the pair of protective walls in the connector removal direction in the opposing arrangement direction and can be gripped when displacing the pair of protective walls between the temporary locking position and the full locking position, and a pushing operation portion that connects the each end of the side wall portions and the gripping portions in the connector removal direction, covers the end of the protective wall interposed therebetween from the connector removal direction side, and can be pushed when displacing the pair of protective walls from the temporary locking position to the full locking position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the connector according to the present invention, the mating assurance member can be displaced from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position by pressing the pair of gripping portions with fingers and pushing them from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position, or by placing fingers on the pair of pushing portions and pushing them from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position. Therefore, in this connector, the mating assurance member can be pushed from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position by applying equal left and right forces to the pair of gripping portions or the pair of pushing portions. In other words, in this connector, the mating assurance member can be pushed in a stable position with reduced tilt. Therefore, this connector achieves good pushing operability of the mating assurance member. Furthermore, in this connector, the pair of gripping portions can be pressed with fingers and pulled from the full-locking position to the temporary-locking position. Therefore, in this connector, the mating assurance member can be pulled from the full-locking position to the temporary-locking position by applying equal left and right forces to the pair of gripping portions. In other words, in this connector, the mating assurance member can be pulled in a stable position with reduced tilt. Therefore, this connector can achieve good pulling operability of the mating assurance member. In this way, in the connector of the present invention, the pair of gripping portions and the pair of pushing operation portions of the mating assurance member are provided to cover from the outside the pair of protective walls that form the outer walls of the housing, so that the mating assurance member can be pushed or pulled from outside the housing. Therefore, the connector of the present invention has excellent operability of the mating assurance member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment together with a mating connector before mating. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector of the embodiment as seen from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the connector of the embodiment as viewed from the mating connector side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the connector and the mating connector in a completely mated state, showing the mating assurance member in a provisionally locked position where the first protrusion rides on the mating locking protrusion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the fully mated connector and mating connector as seen from the mating connector side, showing the mating assurance member in the provisional locking position where the first protrusion rides on the mating locking protrusion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the connector and the mating connector in a fully mated state, seen from above, showing the mating assurance member in a provisionally locked position where the first protrusion rides on the mating locking protrusion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the connector and the mating connector in a fully mated state, showing the mating assurance member in the full locking position. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the connector and the mating connector in the fully mated state, as viewed from the mating connector side, showing the mating assurance member in the full locking position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the connector and the mating connector in a fully mated state, seen from above, showing the mating assurance member in the fully locked position. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0010] [Embodiment] A mating connector has two connectors (a first connector and a second connector) that are mated with each other when they are mated and connected to each other. In this mating connector, the terminal fittings of both connectors are mated with each other when they are mated and connected to each other, and the terminal fittings are physically and electrically connected to each other. On the other hand, in this mating connector, the connectors are separated with each other when they are removed from each other, and as a result, the physical and electrical connection between the terminal fittings is released. The mating direction and the removal direction are opposite to each other. Hereinafter, the mating direction to the mating connector is referred to as the "connector mating direction," and the removal direction from the mating connector is referred to as the "connector removal direction." Furthermore, when these two directions are not specified, they are referred to as the "connector insertion / removal direction."

[0011] Here, the mating states of each connector are broadly classified into a fully mated state and a partially mated state. The fully mated state is a state in which each connector has been mated and connected to the designed mating position, with both terminal fittings physically and electrically connected, and the quality of electrical conduction between them guaranteed. The partially mated state is a state in which each connector has not been mated to the fully mated position, and the quality of electrical conduction between them cannot be guaranteed, regardless of whether or not the terminal fittings are physically and electrically connected.

[0012] The following description focuses on one of the first and second connectors, and describes one embodiment of the first connector in conjunction with the other mating connector, with reference to Figures 1 to 15. Here, the first connector is described as a female connector, and the other mating connector is described as a male connector. However, the genders of the first connector and the other mating connector may be reversed.

[0013] 1 to 10, reference numeral 1 designates a connector of this embodiment. This connector 1 includes a terminal-attached electric wire 10, a housing 20, and a mating assurance member 30 (FIGS. 1 to 5).

[0014] The electric wire with terminal 10 includes an electric wire 11 and a terminal fitting 12 connected to an end of the electric wire 11 (FIG. 4). The terminal fitting 12 shown here has a terminal connection portion 12a in the shape of a female terminal. The connector 1 includes three electric wires with terminals 10.

[0015] The housing 20 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, etc. The housing 20 has a housing body 21 in which the terminal fittings 12 are housed and from which the electric wires 11 are drawn out (FIGS. 1 to 10).

[0016] The housing body 21 accommodates three electric wires with terminals 10 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction. The housing body 21 extends in the connector insertion / removal direction and has accommodation sections 21a (hereinafter referred to as "electric wire with terminal accommodation sections") for each electric wire with terminal 10 that accommodate the electric wire with terminal 10 (FIGS. 1, 4, and 5). The three electric wire with terminal accommodation sections 21a are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction, and adjacent ones are connected to each other.

[0017] The housing body 21 also has a first tubular portion 21b with an elongated cylindrical shape that covers the three terminal-equipped electric wire accommodating portions 21a from the outside and connects them on the inner circumferential surface side (FIG. 4). The three terminal-equipped electric wire accommodating portions 21a protrude from the first tubular portion 21b in the connector fitting direction and the connector removal direction. The three terminal-equipped electric wire accommodating portions 21a accommodate the terminal connecting portions 12a of the terminal fittings 12 in their protruding portions in the connector fitting direction, and allow the electric wires 11 to be drawn outward from their protruding portions in the connector removal direction.

[0018] Furthermore, the housing main body 21 has a second cylindrical portion 21c that is concentric with the first cylindrical portion 21b and that is formed with a cylindrical gap from the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion 21b (FIGS. 1 to 10). In this housing main body 21, when the connectors are mated, a mating housing 520 having an elongated cylindrical shape of a mating connector 501 is fitted into the cylindrical gap between the first cylindrical portion 21b and the second cylindrical portion 21c (FIG. 1).

[0019] The connector 1 of this embodiment is provided with a retainer 41 that fits the three terminal-equipped wire accommodating portions 21a therein and holds the terminal connection portions 12a in the three terminal-equipped wire accommodating portions 21a (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4). The retainer 41 is molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The connector 1 is also provided with an oval ring-shaped packing 42 that closes the oval cylindrical gap between the outer peripheral surface of the first tubular portion 21b and the inner peripheral surface of the mating housing 520 when the mating housing 520 is fitted between the first tubular portion 21b and the second tubular portion 21c to the mating completion position and reaches a fully mated state (FIGS. 1 and 4).

[0020] The housing 20 has a pair of protective walls 22a that protrude from the outer wall surfaces of the housing main body 21 (FIGS. 1 to 10). The protective walls 22a shown here are plate-shaped upright walls that protrude from the outer wall surfaces of the terminal-attached wire accommodating portion 21a and the second tubular portion 21c, and extend in the connector insertion / removal direction. The pair of protective walls 22a are arranged opposite each other with a gap in the arrangement direction of the three terminal-attached wire accommodating portions 21a. The housing 20 has a connecting wall 22b that connects the pair of protective walls 22a to the outer wall surface of the housing main body 21 with a gap in between (FIGS. 1 to 10).

[0021] The housing 20 is disposed between a pair of protective walls 22a and is disposed opposite the outer wall surface of the mating housing 520 in the fully fitted state, and has a locking mechanism 23 that maintains the fully fitted state by engaging with a mating locking protrusion 521 on the outer wall surface of the mating housing 520 in the fully fitted state (FIGS. 1 to 10). The locking mechanism 23 is protected by being covered from the outside by the pair of protective walls 22a.

[0022] The locking mechanism 23 has a cantilever-shaped flexible locking arm portion 23a extending in the connector fitting direction from a fixed end on the outer wall surface side of the housing body 21, and a locking portion 23b that maintains the fully fitted state by engaging with the mating locking protrusion 521 in the fully fitted state, and releases the state in which it can be locked with the mating locking protrusion 521 by flexibly deforming the flexible locking arm portion 23a (FIGS. 1 to 10). The locking portion 23b is provided on the free end side of the flexible locking arm portion 23a.

[0023] The locking mechanism 23 shown here has a pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a spaced apart in the opposing arrangement direction of the pair of protective walls 22a, and a pair of locking arm portions 23c extending in the connector insertion / removal direction, sandwiched between the pair of protective walls 22a, and sandwiching the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a in the opposing arrangement direction (FIGS. 1 to 10). The locking portion 23b connects the respective ends of the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a and the pair of locking arm portions 23c in the connector fitting direction. The locking mechanism 23 shown here also has an unlocking operation portion 23d connecting the ends of the pair of locking arm portions 23c in the connector removal direction (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10).

[0024] The connecting wall 22b of the housing 20 covers the ends of the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a and the pair of locking arm portions 23c on the locking portion 23b side from the side opposite to the first cylindrical portion 21b side.

[0025] In this housing 20, a portion of the second cylindrical portion 21c of the housing main body 21 is cut out in the connector insertion / removal direction, and a pair of flexible lock arm portions 23a, a lock portion 23b, and a pair of lock arm portions 23c are arranged in this cut-out, seemingly removed location (Figures 1, 5, 7, 8, and 10).

[0026] The flexible locking arm portion 23a shown here extends from the locking portion 23b in the connector removal direction, and is bent at the end of the extension toward the terminal-equipped electric-wire accommodating portion 21a to be connected to the outer circumferential surface of the terminal-equipped electric-wire accommodating portion 21a (FIGS. 11 to 13). Thus, the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a can bend around a bent portion at one end thereof that faces the terminal-equipped electric-wire accommodating portion 21a as a fulcrum, and can bend themselves when the connectors are mated to cause the locking portion 23b at the other end to ride up onto the mating locking protrusion 521, or can release their bending at the mating completion position where the locking portion 23b rides over the mating locking protrusion 521 to cause the locking portion 23b to be positioned opposite the mating locking protrusion 521 in the connector mating direction.

[0027] In this locking mechanism 23, the locking portion 23b comes into contact with the mating locking protrusion 521 while the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are being mated and connected. The mating locking protrusion 521 is provided with an inclined surface 521a that moves away from the outer wall surface of the mating housing 520 as the housing 20 moves toward the connector mating direction relative to the mating housing 520 (FIGS. 1, 12, and 13). The locking portion 23b comes into contact with the inclined surface 521a while mating and moves along the inclined surface 521a, bending the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a in a direction that pulls them away from the first cylindrical portion 21b and the mating housing 520, and riding up onto the mating locking protrusion 521.

[0028] In this locking mechanism 23, when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are fully mated, the locking portion 23b climbs over the mating locking protrusion 521, and the bending deformation of the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a is released. As a result, the locking portion 23b is positioned closer to the connector mating direction than the mating locking protrusion 521 and is capable of being locked to the mating locking protrusion 521 in the connector removal direction. Therefore, when an attempt is made to separate the housing 20 and the mating housing 520, the locking portion 23b is locked to the mating locking protrusion 521, thereby maintaining the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 in a fully mated state. In the fully mated state, the mating locking protrusion 521 enters the space surrounded by the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a and the locking portion 23b, and locks the locking portion 23b in this space.

[0029] Here, the unlocking operation portion 23d is used as an operation portion for releasing the lockable state between the locking portion 23b and the mating locking protrusion 521. Therefore, in this housing 20, the pair of locking arm portions 23c protrude relative to the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a toward the side opposite to the terminal-attached electric wire accommodating portion 21a and the first cylindrical portion 21b, and the unlocking operation portion 23d is disposed on the connector removal direction side of the fixed ends of the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a (FIGS. 11 to 13). As a result, in this housing 20, when the unlocking operation portion 23d is pushed toward the terminal-attached electric wire accommodating portion 21a, the unlocking operation portion 23d side of the pair of locking arm portions 23c is pushed down toward the first cylindrical portion 21b. The housing 20 is provided with a fulcrum portion 24 for each lock arm portion 23c, which abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 21c as the pair of lock arm portions 23c are pushed down and acts as a fulcrum for a lever when the unlocking operation portion 23d is further pushed toward the terminal-attached electric-wire accommodating portion 21a (FIGS. 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 14, and 15). The fulcrum portion 24 protrudes from the wall surface of the lock arm portion 23c on the side opposite to the flexible lock arm portion 23a, depending on the desired lever ratio. The fulcrum portion 24 shown here is provided approximately in the center of the wall surface of the lock arm portion 23c in the connector insertion / removal direction.

[0030] In this housing 20, when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are separated from each other in a fully fitted state, the unlocking operation portion 23d is pushed toward the terminal-equipped electric wire accommodating portion 21a, thereby pushing the unlocking operation portion 23d side of the pair of locking arm portions 23c downward toward the first tubular portion 21b, and causing the pair of fulcrum portions 24 to abut against the outer peripheral surface of the second tubular portion 21c. In this housing 20, by further pushing the unlocking operation portion 23d toward the terminal-attached electric wire accommodating portion 21a, the pair of locking arm portions 23c rotates about the pair of fulcrum portions 24, and while lifting the locking portion 23b side of the locking arm portion 23c and the locking portion 23b in a direction away from the first cylindrical portion 21b and the mating housing 520, the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a are bent in a direction away from the first cylindrical portion 21b and the mating housing 520, thereby releasing the lockable state between the locking portion 23b and the mating locking protrusion 521. This allows the housing 20 to be pulled out from the mating housing 520 in the connector removal direction.

[0031] The mating assurance member 30 is molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. This mating assurance member 30 allows the user to determine whether the mating state between the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 is fully mated or partially mated, and guarantees that the mating state is fully mated. This mating assurance member 30 is assembled to the housing 20 between the pair of protective walls 22a. When the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are partially mated, this mating assurance member 30 stops the mating member 30 at the partial locking position without moving relative to the housing 20 to the full locking position. Furthermore, when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are fully mated, this mating assurance member 30 can move relative to the housing 20 in the connector insertion / removal direction between the partial locking position and the full locking position. Therefore, by checking whether the fitting assurance member 30 is positioned at the temporary locking position or the full locking position with respect to the housing 20, it is possible to know whether the fitting state between the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 is a complete fitting state or a partial fitting state. When the fitting assurance member 30 is positioned at the full locking position with respect to the housing 20, it guarantees the complete fitting state between the housing 20 and the mating housing 520.

[0032] The mating assurance member 30 has a cantilevered mating assurance arm 31 that applies a reaction force accompanying bending deformation to the locking mechanism 23, thereby maintaining the function of the locking mechanism 23 in maintaining the complete mated state, a pair of side wall portions 32 that are sandwiched between the pair of protective walls 22a and sandwich the locking mechanism 23 in the opposing arrangement direction of the pair of protective walls 22a, and a connecting portion 33 that connects the pair of side wall portions 32 (FIGS. 1 to 10).

[0033] The mating assurance arm 31 extends in the connector mating direction with the connecting portion 33 as the fixed end. When in the full locking position, the mating assurance arm 31 suppresses the flexible deformation of the flexible locking arm portion 23a with the reaction force accompanying its own bending deformation, maintaining a lockable state between the lock portion 23b and the mating locking protrusion 521. In other words, when in the full locking position, the mating assurance arm 31 maintains the function of the lock mechanism 23 to maintain the complete mated state by suppressing the flexible deformation of the flexible locking arm portion 23a with the reaction force accompanying its own bending deformation. When in the full locking position, the mating assurance arm 31 shown here presses down on the lock portion 23b with the reaction force accompanying its own bending deformation, suppressing the bending deformation of the pair of flexible locking arm portions 23a.

[0034] The side wall portion 32 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape with the connector insertion / removal direction as its longitudinal direction. The housing 20 has a locking wall 22c that protrudes from the protective wall 22a and is disposed opposite to and spaced from the outer wall surface of the second tubular portion 21c of the housing 20 for each protective wall 22a (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 to 13). The gap between the outer wall surface of the second tubular portion 21c and the locking wall 22c is large enough to allow relative movement of the side wall portion 32 with respect to the housing 20 between a provisionally locked position and a fully locked position, while preventing significant rattling of the side wall portion 32 between these positions.

[0035] The mating assurance member 30 has a protrusion (hereinafter referred to as the "first protrusion") 34 protruding from the free end of the mating assurance arm 31 (FIGS. 4 to 6, 8, 9, and 11 to 13). This first protrusion 34 is locked by the lock portion 23b in a space surrounded by the pair of flexible lock arm portions 23a and the lock portion 23b when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are in a semi-mated state and the mating assurance member 30 is in the temporary locking position. In other words, when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are in a semi-mated state, the first protrusion 34 is locked by the lock portion 23b in the space, thereby restricting relative movement of the mating assurance member 30 in the connector mating direction at the temporary locking position.

[0036] Here, the relative movement of the mating assurance member 30 in the connector removal direction is restricted by utilizing the fulcrum portions 24 of the pair of locking arms 23c when in this temporary locking position. The mating assurance member 30 has protrusions (hereinafter referred to as "second protrusions") 35 that protrude from the ends of the side walls 32 in the connector mating direction toward the locking arms 23c on each side wall 32 (FIGS. 1, 3 to 6, 8 to 10, 14, and 15). When the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are in a semi-mated state, the pair of second protrusions 35 are locked to the fulcrum portions 24, thereby restricting the relative movement of the mating assurance member 30 in the connector removal direction when in the temporary locking position.

[0037] As described above, the mating locking protrusion 521 enters the space surrounded by the pair of flexible lock arm portions 23a and lock portion 23b when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are in a fully fitted state. Therefore, when the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are in a fully fitted state and the fit assurance member 30 is in the provisionally locked position, the first protrusion 34 is pushed out of the space by the mating locking protrusion 521, thereby causing the fit assurance arm 31 to bend and deform.

[0038] The fitting assurance member 30 can be displaced from the temporary locking position to the full locking position by the first protrusion 34 coming out of the space. When the fitting assurance member 30 is displaced from the temporary locking position to the full locking position, the first protrusion 34 climbs over the locking portion 23b, and the fitting assurance arm 31 releases its bending deformation. When the first protrusion 34 climbs over the locking portion 23b, the fitting assurance member 30 presses down on the locking portion 23b with the fitting assurance arm 31, releasing its bending deformation.

[0039] The fitting assurance member 30 is secured in the main locking position by utilizing the first protrusion 34 and the pair of side walls 32.

[0040] When the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are fully engaged, the engagement assurance member 30 positions the first protrusion 34 on the connector engagement direction side of the locking portion 23b, and by engaging this first protrusion 34 with the locking portion 23b, relative movement in the connector removal direction is restricted in this engagement position.

[0041] Furthermore, the housing 20 has protrusions 25 on each protective wall 22a that protrude from the ends of the protective walls 22a in the connector mating direction toward the lock arm portions 23c and the lock portions 23b (FIGS. 1 to 10, 14, and 15). The protrusions 25 are disposed on the connector mating direction side of the side walls 32. When the housing 20 and the mating housing 520 are in a fully mated state, the mating assurance member 30 locks the respective ends of the pair of side walls 32 in the connector mating direction with the protrusions 25, thereby restricting relative movement in the connector mating direction at the full locking position.

[0042] When the mating assurance member 30 is in the full-locking position and pulled in the connector removal direction, the first protrusion 34 at the free end of the mating assurance arm 31 is locked with the locking portion 23b. Here, by pulling the mating assurance member 30 in the connector removal direction with an even greater force, the locked state between the first protrusion 34 and the locking portion 23b is released. Therefore, the first protrusion 34 and the locking portion 23b are provided with unlocking tapered surfaces 34a, 23e that allow the first protrusion 34 to climb over the locking portion 23b with a component of the tensile force when the mating assurance member 30 is pulled in the connector removal direction from the full-locking position ( FIGS. 11 to 13 ). By causing the first protrusion 34 to climb over the locking portion 23b in this way, the mating assurance member 30 can be displaced from the partial-locking position to the full-locking position.

[0043] The mating assurance member 30 is provided with an operating portion for relatively moving the mating assurance member 30 between the temporary-locking position and the full-locking position. The mating assurance member 30 has a pair of gripping portions 36 that sandwich the respective ends of the pair of protective walls 22a in the connector removal direction in the opposing arrangement direction and can be gripped when displacing the mating assurance member 30 between the temporary-locking position and the full-locking position, and a pushing operation portion 37 that connects the respective ends of the side wall portion 32 and the gripping portions 36 in the connector removal direction and covers the end of the protective wall 22a interposed therebetween from the connector removal direction side and can be pushed when displacing the mating assurance member 30 from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position (FIGS. 1 to 10, 14, and 15).

[0044] For example, in this connector 1, the mating assurance member 30 can be displaced from the temporary-locking position to the final-locking position by pressing the pair of gripping portions 36 with fingers and pushing them from the temporary-locking position to the final-locking position, or by placing fingers on the pair of pushing portions 37 and pushing them from the temporary-locking position to the final-locking position. Therefore, in this connector 1, the mating assurance member 30 can be pushed from the temporary-locking position to the final-locking position by applying equal force to the pair of gripping portions 36 or the pair of pushing portions 37. In other words, in this connector 1, the mating assurance member 30 can be pushed in a stable position with reduced tilt. Therefore, this connector 1 provides good mating assurance member 30 pushability.

[0045] Furthermore, for example, in this connector 1, the pair of gripping portions 36 can be pressed with fingers and pulled from the full-locking position to the partial-locking position, thereby displacing the connector from the full-locking position to the partial-locking position. Therefore, in this connector 1, the mating assurance member 30 can be pulled from the full-locking position to the partial-locking position by applying equal force to the left and right of the pair of gripping portions 36. In other words, in this connector 1, the mating assurance member 30 can be pulled in a stable position with reduced tilt. Therefore, this connector 1 can achieve good pulling operability for the mating assurance member 30.

[0046] In this manner, in this connector 1, the pair of gripping portions 36 and the pair of pushing operation portions 37 of the mating assurance member 30 are provided to cover from the outside the pair of protective walls 22a that form the outer walls of the housing 20, and the mating assurance member 30 can be pushed or pulled from outside the housing 20. Therefore, this connector 1 has excellent operability of the mating assurance member 30. Furthermore, because this connector 1 allows the mating assurance member 30 to be operated from outside the housing 20, it is possible to prevent a decrease in operability of the mating assurance member 30 even if the connector is made smaller.

[0047] Here, the gripping portion 36 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The outer wall surface of the end of the gripping portion 36 in the connector mating direction is provided with a tapered surface 36a that approaches the side wall portion 32 as it moves in the connector mating direction (FIGS. 1 to 10, 14, and 15). Therefore, when the pair of gripping portions 36 of the mating member 30 are pushed or pulled, the pair of tapered surfaces 36a ensure a gripping force. Furthermore, the tapered surfaces 36a of the mating member 30 can prevent peripheral parts, such as electric wires, from getting caught on the gripping portions 36. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 connector 10 Wires with terminals 11 Electric wire 12 Terminal fittings 20. Housing 21 Housing body 22a Protective wall 23 Locking mechanism 23a Flexible lock arm 23b Lock section 23c Lock arm part 23d Unlock operation section 23e Unlocking tapered surface 30. Fitting assurance member 31 Mating assurance arm 32 Side wall 33 Connecting part 34 1st protrusion (protrusion) 34a Unlocking tapered surface 36 Gripping part 36a Tapered surface 37 Push operation unit 520 Opponent Housing 521 Counterpart locking protrusion

Claims

1. a terminal-attached electric wire having a terminal metal fitting connected to an end of the electric wire; a housing having a housing main body in which the terminal fittings are housed and from which the electric wires are drawn outward; a mating assurance member that stops the housing at a temporary locking position when the housing and the mating housing are in a semi-fitted state, and that is movable relative to the housing in the connector insertion / removal direction between the temporary locking position and a full locking position when the housing and the mating housing are in a fully fitted state, and that ensures the fully fitted state at the full locking position; Equipped with The housing has a pair of protective walls respectively protruding from an outer wall surface of the housing body, and a locking mechanism disposed between the pair of protective walls and facing the outer wall surface of the mating housing in the fully fitted state, and which maintains the fully fitted state by engaging with a mating locking protrusion on the outer wall surface of the mating housing in the fully fitted state, the mating assurance member comprises a cantilevered mating assurance arm that applies a reaction force accompanying bending deformation to the locking mechanism, thereby maintaining the locking mechanism's function of holding the complete mated state; a pair of side wall portions that are sandwiched between the pair of protective walls and that sandwich the locking mechanism in the opposing arrangement direction of the pair of protective walls; a pair of gripping portions that sandwich each end of the pair of protective walls in the connector removal direction in the opposing arrangement direction and can be gripped when displacing the pair of protective walls between the temporary-locking position and the full-locking position; and a pushing operation portion that connects the respective end portions of the side wall portions and the gripping portions in the connector removal direction, covers the end portion of the protective wall interposed therebetween from the connector removal direction side, and can be pushed when displacing the pair of protective walls from the temporary-locking position to the full-locking position.

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an outer wall surface of the end of the gripping portion in the connector fitting direction is provided with a tapered surface that approaches the side wall portion as it goes in the connector fitting direction.

3. The locking mechanism has a cantilever-shaped flexible locking arm portion extending in the connector fitting direction from a fixed end on the outer wall surface side of the housing body, and a locking portion that maintains the completely fitted state by engaging with the mating locking protrusion in the completely fitted state, and releases the lockable state with the mating locking protrusion by flexibly deforming the flexible locking arm portion, 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the mating assurance arm in the main locking position suppresses the flexible deformation of the flexible locking arm portion by a reaction force caused by its own bending deformation, thereby maintaining the locking portion and the mating locking protrusion portion in the lockable state.

4. the locking mechanism includes a pair of the flexible locking arm portions arranged at an interval in the opposing arrangement direction of the pair of protective walls, a pair of locking arm portions extending in the connector inserting / removing direction and sandwiched between the pair of protective walls and sandwiching the pair of flexible locking arm portions in the opposing arrangement direction, the locking portion connecting respective ends of the pair of flexible locking arm portions and the pair of locking arm portions in the connector fitting direction, and an unlocking operation portion connecting ends of the pair of locking arm portions in the connector removal direction, the fitting assurance member has a connecting portion that connects the pair of side wall portions, 4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the mating assurance arm extends in the connector mating direction with the connecting portion as a fixed end, and when in the main locking position, the mating assurance arm presses down on the locking portion with a reaction force caused by its own bending deformation, thereby suppressing bending deformation of the pair of flexible locking arm portions.

5. The mating locking protrusion in the fully fitted state enters a space surrounded by the pair of flexible locking arm portions and the locking portion, and locks the locking portion in the space, the fitting assurance member has a protrusion that protrudes from a free end of the fitting assurance arm, that is engaged with the locking portion in the space when in the half-fitted state and at the temporary locking position, and that is pushed out of the space by the mating locking protrusion when in the completely fitted state and at the temporary locking position, thereby flexibly deforming the fitting assurance arm; When the fitting assurance member is displaced from the temporary locking position to the full locking position by a pushing operation, the protrusion overcomes the locking portion, and the fitting assurance arm presses down on the locking portion while eliminating deflection deformation.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion and the locking portion are provided with an unlocking tapered surface that allows the protrusion to overcome the locking portion with a component of the tensile force when the mating assurance member in the main locking position is pulled in the direction of connector removal.

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