connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of preventing careless release operation to a lock arm while avoiding an increase in size in the height direction.SOLUTION: A lock arm 13 includes: a fulcrum part 31 projecting from a housing main body 12; and an arm main body 29 extending in the front and rear direction and tilting like a seesaw in the vertical direction around the fulcrum part 31. The arm main body 29 includes: an intermediate part 34 ranging to the fulcrum part 31; a lock part 35 positioned on the front side of the intermediate part 34 and for locking a mating connector 90; and an operation part 36 positioned on the rear side of the intermediate part 34. The housing main body 12 includes a cover wall 27 for covering the operation part 36 from the upper side opposite to the displacement direction of the operation part 36 in a fitting process; the operation part 36 includes pressure surfaces 51, 51A and 51B on the upper surface facing the cover wall 27; the intermediate part 34 includes a top surface 45 at the upper end of the upper surface; and the pressure surfaces 51, 51A and 51B of the operation part 36 are arranged on the lower side of the top surface 45 of the intermediate part 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0005]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes male and female housings that can be fitted to each other. A lock arm protrudes from the upper surface of the female housing. The lock arm is elastically deformable and tilts in a seesaw shape about a fulcrum formed in the middle in the front-rear direction. This lock arm has a locking portion on the front side of the fulcrum portion and an operating portion on the rear side of the fulcrum portion. The locking portion locks the locking portion of the male housing and holds the male and female housings in a fitted state. The operating portion releases the locking between the locking portion and the locking portion by being pushed down with a finger from above. Connectors having a locking structure corresponding to the lock arm are also disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3. In the case of Patent Document 2, a gate piece and a ceiling wall are arranged above the operating portion of the lock arm.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0006] Therefore, this disclosure aims to prevent accidental release operations on the lock arm while avoiding an increase in the height of the connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The connector of this disclosure comprises a housing body that can be mated with a mating connector, and an elastically deformable locking arm that holds the housing body and the mating connector in a mated state, wherein the locking arm has a pivot portion that protrudes from the housing body, and an arm body that extends in the direction of mating of the housing body with respect to the mating connector and tilts in a seesaw-like manner in a height direction intersecting the mating direction with respect to the pivot portion, wherein the arm body has an intermediate portion connected to the pivot portion, and is located in front of the intermediate portion in the mating direction and is connected to the mating connector The connector has a locking portion for securing the connector and an operating portion located behind the intermediate portion in the mating direction, the housing body has a covering wall that covers the operating portion from the upper side in the height direction opposite to the displacement direction of the operating portion during the mating process between the housing body and the mating connector, the operating portion has a pressing surface on the upper surface in the height direction facing the covering wall, the intermediate portion has a top surface at the upper end of the upper surface in the height direction, and the pressing surface of the operating portion is located below the top surface of the intermediate portion in the height direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that can prevent accidental release operations on the lock arm while avoiding an increase in height. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the housing of Embodiment 1, seen from the front. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a rearward perspective view of the housing of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a rear view of the housing of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view of the lock arm from above, with the covering wall of the housing of Embodiment 1 removed. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the state in Embodiment 1 where the operating part is pressed and the locking between the lock arm and the locking part is released. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lock arm from the rear after the covering wall of the housing of Embodiment 2 has been removed. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a rear view showing an enlarged view of the lock arm and its surroundings in the housing of Embodiment 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the lock arm and its surroundings in the housing of Embodiment 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The connector disclosed herein is (1) A housing body that can be fitted into a mating connector, and an elastically deformable locking arm that holds the housing body and the mating connector in a fitted state, wherein the locking arm has a pivot portion that protrudes from the housing body, and an arm body that extends in the direction of fitting the housing body to the mating connector and tilts in a seesaw-like manner in a height direction intersecting the fitting direction with respect to the pivot portion, wherein the arm body has an intermediate portion connected to the pivot portion and a portion located in front of the intermediate portion in the fitting direction that locks the mating connector The connector has a locking portion and an operating portion located behind the intermediate portion in the mating direction, the housing body has a cover wall that covers the operating portion from the upper side in the height direction opposite to the displacement direction of the operating portion during the mating process between the housing body and the mating connector, the operating portion has a pressing surface on the upper surface in the height direction facing the cover wall, the intermediate portion has a top surface at the upper end of the upper surface in the height direction, and the pressing surface of the operating portion is located below the top surface of the intermediate portion in the height direction.

[0011] With the above configuration, the upper side of the operating part in the height direction is covered by the protective wall, which prevents accidental pressing on the operating part from above in the height direction. However, if a fingertip is inserted between the operating part and the protective wall, the wedge action caused by the fingertip's entry pushes the pressing surface of the operating part downward in the height direction, making it possible to release the lock arm. Since the pressing surface of the operating part is positioned lower in the height direction than the top surface of the intermediate part, a large distance can be made between the pressing surface and the covering wall, and a release space that allows a fingertip to be inserted between the operating part and the covering wall can be secured without increasing the size of the connector. Note that "up" and "down" are concepts for convenience and do not necessarily coincide with the direction of gravity when the connector is mounted on a vehicle or the like.

[0012] (2) Preferably, the upper surface of the arm body in the height direction has a slope that is inclined downward in the height direction from the top surface toward the pressing surface.

[0013] According to the above configuration, when the operation part is pressed, the stress acting on the operation part can be transmitted to the inclined surface and dispersed. In particular, since the operation part has an inclined surface, even a thin-walled operation part can ensure strength.

[0014] (3) It is preferable that the intermediate part has an intermediate end surface at the lower end of the lower surface in the height direction, and the operation part has a pressing lower surface arranged above the intermediate end surface in the height direction on the lower surface in the height direction.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the distance between the pressing lower surface of the operation part and the surface below it (refer to the opposing part 37 in Embodiment 1-3 described later) can also be increased, and without increasing the size of the connector, a deflection space can be secured between the operation part and the opposing part to allow the deflection operation of the lock arm.

[0016] (4) It is preferable that the covering wall covers the entire lock arm from above in the height direction.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the entire lock arm can be protected by the covering wall, and an inadvertent pressing operation from above in the height direction to the operation part can be more reliably prevented.

[0018] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this exemplification, and is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0019] <Embodiment 1> The connector 10 of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure comprises a housing 11 and a terminal fitting 80, as shown in Figure 1. This connector 10 is a waterproof connector and includes a sealing member 70 that seals between it and a mating connector 90. In the following description, the front-rear direction is defined as the side of the connector 10 that faces the mating connector 90 when mated. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each figure except Figure 5. The left-right direction is defined as the right side when the connector 10 is viewed from the front. The up-down direction may also be referred to as the height direction, and the left-right direction may also be referred to as the width direction. In Figures 1 and 2, the front, right, and top sides are denoted by the symbols X, Y, and code Z These directions are for convenience only and do not necessarily coincide with the directions when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like not shown.

[0020] <Structure of the mating connector and the connector itself> The mating connector 90 has a hood portion 91 made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figure 1, a mating lock portion 93 is provided protruding from the upper surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 91. Inside the hood portion 91, the tab 95 of the mating terminal fitting 94 is positioned protruding.

[0021] The housing 11 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figure 1, integrally comprises a housing body 12 that can be fitted into the hood portion 91 and a lock arm 13 that protrudes from the housing body 12. A separate front retainer 14 is attached to the housing body 12 from the front.

[0022] The housing body 12 includes a terminal housing portion 15, a fitting cylinder portion 16 that surrounds the outer circumference of the terminal housing portion 15, and a connecting portion 17 that connects the terminal housing portion 15 and the fitting cylinder portion 16 in the radial direction. A fitting space 18 for fitting the hood portion 91 is formed between the terminal housing portion 15 and the fitting cylinder portion 16. The fitting space 18 is open in front of the connecting portion 17 in the housing body 12. The sealing member 70 is made of rubber such as silicone rubber, has an annular shape, and is fitted onto the outer surface of the terminal housing portion 15.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the terminal housing section 15 has a plurality of cavities 19. Each cavity 19 is arranged in a row in the width direction within the terminal housing section 15. Elastically deformable lances 21 are formed on the inner wall of each cavity 19, projecting forward. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the terminal housing section 15 has a plurality of cylindrical sections 22 that project in a single row in the width direction behind the connecting section 17. The rear of each cavity 19 is formed inside each cylindrical section 22. The terminal housing section 15 also has a rectangular frame section 23 in rear view that projects behind the connecting section 17 and surrounds each cylindrical section 22 collectively.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the terminal fitting 80 is inserted into the cavity 19 of the housing body 12 from the rear. The terminal fitting 80 is made of conductive metal and has a cylindrical connecting portion 81, a wire barrel portion 82 located behind the connecting portion 81, and an insulation barrel portion 83 located behind the wire barrel portion 82. The connecting portion 81 is locked to the lance 21 and temporarily prevented from coming off by the terminal housing portion 15. The connecting portion 81 is then electrically connected to the tab 95 of the mating terminal fitting 94. The wire barrel portion 82 is crimped to the exposed core wire portion 101 at the end of the electric wire 100 and electrically connected. The insulation barrel portion 83 is crimped to the rubber stopper 60 fitted to the sheathing portion 102 at the end of the electric wire 100 and mechanically connected. The rubber stopper 60 is inserted into the cavity 19 together with the terminal fitting 80 and is in liquid-tight contact with the rear inner circumferential surface of the cavity 19, which is the inside of the cylindrical portion 22.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the front retainer 14 has a restricting portion 24 that restricts the bending movement of the lance 21 when it is mounted in the terminal housing portion 15. The terminal fitting 80 is secondarily prevented from coming out of the terminal housing portion 15 by the restricting portion 24. The front retainer 14 also has a function to restrict the forward dislodgement of the sealing member 70.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fitting cylinder portion 16 has a gate-shaped bulge 25 that protrudes upward on the center side in the width direction of the upper wall. As will be described in detail later, the lock arm 13 is elastically deformable and positioned inside the bulge 25. The bulge 25 is composed of a pair of side walls 26 located on both the left and right sides of the lock arm 13 and facing each other, and a covering wall 27 that covers the lock arm 13 from above. Each side wall 26 is positioned upright in the vertical direction. The rear lower end of each side wall 26 is connected to the upper surface of the frame portion 23. The covering wall 27 is positioned to span across the width direction between the upper ends of each side wall 26.

[0027] The upper surface of the covering wall 27 has an anti-slip section 28 that is shaped like an upward-sloping staircase and faces forward. The worker can press their fingers against the anti-slip section 28 to perform the fitting operation.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the lock arm 13 has a plate-shaped arm body 29 that is located between each side wall 26 and extends in the front-rear direction, and a pair of pivot points 31 that protrude from each side wall 26 and are connected to the outer end faces (plate thickness surfaces) of the arm body 29 in the width direction. Each pivot point 31 is connected at its outer end face in the width direction to a rib 32 that extends rearward from the front end of the side wall 26. Each pivot point 31 is inclined forward from the arm body 29 to the rib 32.

[0029] The arm body 29 has an intermediate portion 34 connected to the inner end in the width direction of each pivot portion 31, a locking portion 35 located in front of the intermediate portion 34 and capable of engaging with the mating locking portion 93, and an operating portion 36 located behind the intermediate portion 34 that is pressed when releasing the engagement between the locking portion 35 and the mating locking portion 93.

[0030] The arm body 29 is positioned horizontally along the front-to-back direction and can tilt in a seesaw-like manner using each pivot point 31 as a pivot (center). Unless otherwise specified, the structure of the lock arm 13 described below will be based on the posture when the arm body 29 is in the horizontal position.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, an opposing portion 37 is formed on the upper surface of the frame portion 23, facing the operating portion 36 from below. Multiple excessive deflection restricting portions 38 are formed protruding from the opposing portion 37 to restrict excessive downward displacement of the operating portion 36. Each excessive deflection restricting portion 38 is rib-shaped extending in the front-rear direction on the opposing portion 37 and is arranged in pairs at intervals in the left-right direction.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the locking portion 35 has a locking hole 41 that penetrates in the vertical direction and a locking portion 42 that closes the front end surface of the locking hole 41. As shown in Figure 1, the mating locking portion 93 fits into the locking hole 41 and locks onto the rear surface of the locking portion 42, thereby holding the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 in a mated state.

[0033] The arm body 29 has a die-cutting recess 43 located behind the locking portion 42, which communicates with the lock hole 41 and opens to the rear. The rear surface of the locking portion 42 is formed together with the die-cutting recess 43 by the rearward withdrawal of a mold (not shown). The rear surface of the locking portion 42 is inclined upward with respect to the vertical direction. The lock portion 35 has forward-sloping surfaces 44 on the upper ends of both the left and right ends on either side of the lock hole 41, which are inclined upward toward the top surface 45, which will be described later.

[0034] The intermediate section 34 is formed extending from an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the arm body 29, which is connected to the rear end of the lock hole 41, to a position closer to the rear, which is connected to the operating section 36. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the upper surface of the intermediate section 34 has a top surface 45 at the highest point on the upper surface of the arm body 29. The top surface 45 is formed flat along the front-rear and left-right directions. As shown in Figure 5, the front end of the top surface 45 of the intermediate section 34 is connected to the rear end of the front slope 44 and defines the rear end of the upper opening of the lock hole 41. As shown in Figure 1, the lower surface of the intermediate section 34 has an intermediate end surface 46 on the opposite side of the top surface 45 and at the same height as the lower surface of the lock section 35.

[0035] Furthermore, the intermediate section 34 has a slope 47 that inclines downward from the top surface 45 to the pressing surface 51, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 5, the front end of the slope 47 is connected to the rear end of the top surface 45 over its entire width, and the rear end of the slope 47 is connected to the front end of the pressing surface 51 at positions corresponding to each support point 31. As shown in Figure 1, the slope 47 has a larger angle of inclination in the front-rear direction than the front slope 44.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the operating section 36 is formed in a flat shape at the rear end of the arm body 29 and has a pair of protruding pieces 48 that extend outwards on both the left and right sides. Each protruding piece 48 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the die-cut recess 43. As shown in Figure 5, the die-cut recess 43 extends in the front-rear direction on the widthwise center side of the arm body 29 and opens at the rear end, opening the arm body 29 in the vertical direction in the portion extending from the operating section 36 to the rear end of the intermediate section 34.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, each protruding piece 48 constituting the operating section 36 has a shape that extends from the intermediate section 34 backward in the front-rear direction with a constant thickness, and has a flat pressing surface 51 and a pressing lower surface 52 along the front-rear and left-right directions. The pressing surface 51 is located on the upper surface of the operating section 36, below the cover wall 27, and is positioned at a distance from the cover wall 27. The pressing surface 51 is positioned below the top surface 45. The space between the pressing surface 51 of the operating section 36 and the cover wall 27 is configured as a release space 53 that allows the tip of a finger, such as a thumb (hereinafter referred to as fingertip F (see Figure 6)), to enter when releasing the locking between the lock arm 13 and the mating lock section 93.

[0038] The pressing lower surface 52 is the lower surface of the operating portion 36, positioned above the excessive deflection restricting portion 38 and spaced apart from it. The pressing lower surface 52 is positioned above the intermediate end surface 46. The space between the pressing lower surface 52 of the operating portion 36 and the opposing portion 37 is configured as a deflection space 54 that allows downward displacement of the operating portion 36 when the connector 10 is engaged or disengaged. The thickness of the operating portion 36 in the height direction, defined between the pressing surface 51 and the pressing lower surface 52, is thinner than the thickness of the locking portion 42 in the height direction.

[0039] <Function of the connector> As the hood portion 91 of the mating connector 90 is fitted into the mating space 18 of the housing body 12, if the mating lock portion 93 interferes with the locking portion 42, the arm body 29 tilts from a horizontal position using each pivot point 31 as a pivot. Specifically, the lock portion 35 is displaced so as to tilt upward, and the operating portion 36 is displaced so as to tilt the deflection space 54 downward. Subsequently, the mating lock portion 93 separates from the locking portion 42, and the arm body 29 elastically returns to a horizontal position, so that the mating lock portion 93 fits into the lock hole 41, as shown in Figure 1, and the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 are held in a mated state. In this mated state of the connector 10, the terminal fitting 80 and the mating terminal fitting 94 are electrically connected. Then, the sealing member 70 is sandwiched between the hood portion 91 and the terminal housing portion 15, and the space between the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 is sealed liquid-tight.

[0040] When disconnecting connector 10 from mating connector 90 for maintenance or other reasons, as shown in Figure 6, a fingertip F is inserted from the rear into the release space 53 formed between the operating part 36 and the cover wall 27. As the fingertip F enters the release space 53, a wedge action corresponding to the shape of the fingertip F is applied, pushing the operating part 36 down into the flex space 54. In this case, the fingertip F displaces the pressing surface 51 of the operating part 36 downward with its ventral side, and is pressed against the cover wall 27 with its claw side, receiving the elastic reaction force of the lock arm 13.

[0041] When the operating part 36 is pressed down with a fingertip F, the locking part 35 tilts upward, the locking part 42 separates from the mating locking part 93, and the locking between the locking arm 13 and the mating locking part 93 is released. In this state, the housing body 12 is pulled away from the hood part 91, thereby separating the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 from each other.

[0042] According to this embodiment 1, since the pressing surface 51 of the operating part 36 is covered by the covering wall 27, it is possible to prevent accidental release operations on the operating part 36 and maintain the mated state between the connector 10 and the mating connector 90. In contrast, when a fingertip F is inserted into the release space 53 formed between the covering wall 27 and the operating part 36, and the operating part 36 is pushed down, the mated state between the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 can be properly released.

[0043] As described above, if the cover wall 27 is positioned above the operating section 36 and a release space 53 is formed between the operating section 36 and the cover wall 27, there is a concern that the housing 11 will become larger in the height direction. However, in this embodiment 1, since the pressing surface 51 of the operating section 36 is positioned below the top surface 45 of the intermediate section 34, it is possible to suppress the housing 11 from becoming larger in the height direction.

[0044] Furthermore, since the pressing lower surface 52 of the operating section 36 is positioned above the intermediate end surface 46 of the intermediate section 34, it is possible to secure a flex space 54 between the pressing lower surface 52 of the operating section 36 and the opposing section 37 facing the pressing lower surface 52 without increasing the height of the housing 11.

[0045] Furthermore, since a slope 47 is formed on the upper surface of the arm body 29 from the top surface 45 toward the pressing surface 51, when the operating part 36 is pressed, the stress acting on the operating part 36 can be transmitted to and distributed by the slope 47. As a result, strength can be ensured even if the operating part 36 is formed with a thin wall.

[0046] Furthermore, since the covering wall 27 is positioned to cover the entire lock arm 13 from above, the lock arm 13 is protected from external foreign objects, and accidental release operations on the operating section 36 can be more reliably prevented.

[0047] <Embodiment 2> As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the connector 10A of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure has a different shape for the pressing surface 51A than that of Embodiment 1. Other aspects are the same as in Embodiment 1, and in Embodiment 2, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0048] As shown in Figure 7, the pressing surface 51A has a flat surface 55 that is arranged flatly along the front-rear and left-right directions from the front end of the operating section 36 to the rear end of the intermediate section 34, and a curved surface 56 that curves downward toward the die-cut recess 43, which is the widthwise center side of each protruding piece 48. The front end of the curved surface 56 is connected to the rear end of the flat surface 55 via a step 57 in the height direction. The curved surface 56 is formed over the entire width of the operating section 36. As shown in Figure 8, the pressing bottom surface 52, which is the bottom surface of the operating section 36, is formed flat along the width direction.

[0049] When connector 10A and mating connector 90 are disconnected, the curved surface 56 is pressed by the fingertip F, and the operating part 36 is pushed down, thereby releasing the lock arm 13 from the mating lock part 93. In this case, the pad of the fingertip F can be placed along the curved surface 56, which reduces pain to the fingertip F during operation and allows the pressing force applied to the curved surface 56 to be stably transmitted to the operating part 36. Furthermore, it becomes possible to widely distribute the stress acting on the operating part 36 along the curved surface 56.

[0050] <Embodiment 3> As shown in Figure 9, the connector 10B of Embodiment 3 of this disclosure differs from that of Embodiment 1 in the shape of the pressing surface 51B, similar to Embodiment 2. Other aspects are the same as Embodiment 1, and in Embodiment 3, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0051] The pressing surface 51B is inclined downward as a whole from the slope 47 toward the rear end of the operating section 36. The angle of inclination of this pressing surface 51B in the front-rear direction is smaller than that of the slope 47. The front end of the pressing surface 51B intersects the rear end of the slope 47 at an obtuse angle.

[0052] The release space 53B formed between the operating section 36 and the covering wall 27 is configured to expand vertically toward the rear due to the inclined shape of the pressing surface 51B. When connector 10B and mating connector 90 are separated, if a fingertip F is inserted into the release space 53B, a wedge action corresponding to the inclined shape of the pressing surface 51B and the shape of the fingertip F works effectively, so that the operating part 36 is smoothly pushed down into the flex space 54. In addition, when the operating part 36 is pressed, the stress acting on the operating part 36 can be widely distributed along the inclined shape of the pressing surface 51B.

[0053] [Other embodiments of this disclosure] The embodiments 1-3 disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In the above embodiments 1-3, the connector was a waterproof connector having waterproofing means such as a sealing member. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the connector may be a non-waterproof connector that does not have waterproofing means such as a sealing member. In the above embodiments 1-3, the pivot point protruded from the inner surface of the side wall and was connected to the plate thickness surface of the arm body. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the pivot point may protrude from the upper surface of the terminal housing and be connected to the lower surface of the arm body. In Embodiments 1-3, a fingertip is inserted into the release space formed between the operating part and the cover wall to release the lock arm from the mating lock part. In contrast, according to other embodiments, a rod-shaped jig may be inserted into the release space formed between the operating part and the cover wall to release the lock arm from the mating lock part. In Embodiment 3, the pressing surface and the inclined surface had different inclination angles with respect to the front-rear direction. In contrast, in the other embodiments, the pressing surface and the inclined surface may be continuous with the same inclination angle with respect to the front-rear direction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 10, 10A, 10B… connectors 11… Housing 12… Housing body 13... Lock Arm 14…Front retainer 15…Terminal housing section 16… Fitting cylinder 17...Connection part 18…Matching space 19... Cavity 21... Lance 22...Cylindrical section 23...frame section 24... Regulatory Department 25...bulge 26…Side wall 27…Covering wall 28…Anti-slip part 29... Arm body 31...Fulfillment point 32... Rib 34...Middle section 35... Rock Club 36…Operation unit 37… Opposite section 38... Excessive deflection regulation section 41… Lock hole 42... Locking part 43...Molded recess 44…Front slope 45…Top surface 46…Intermediate end face 47…Slope 48...Overhang piece 51, 51A, 51B... Pressing surface 52... Pressing surface 53,53B…Release space 54...Flexible space 55…Flat surface 56…Curved surface 57... Step 60... Rubber stopper 70...Sealing material 80... Terminal fittings 81...Connection part 82...Wire barrel section 83...Insulation barrel section 90...Mutual connector 91...Food Department 93... Opponent's Lock Department 94... Mating terminal fittings 95... Tab 100...Electric wire 101...Core wire section 102... Covering part F…Fingertips

Claims

1. A housing body that can be mated to the mating connector, The housing body and the mating connector are integrally provided with an elastically deformable locking arm that holds them in a mated state, The lock arm has a pivot portion that protrudes from the housing body, and an arm body that extends in the direction in which the housing body is fitted to the mating connector and tilts in a seesaw-like manner in a height direction intersecting the fitting direction with respect to the pivot portion. The arm body has an intermediate portion connected to the pivot point, a locking portion located in front of the intermediate portion in the fitting direction for engaging the mating connector, and an operating portion located behind the intermediate portion in the fitting direction. The housing body has a covering wall that covers the operating part from above in the height direction, which is opposite to the direction of displacement of the operating part during the mating process between the housing body and the mating connector. The operating section has a pressing surface on the upper surface in the height direction facing the cover wall, The aforementioned intermediate portion has a top surface at the upper end of the upper surface in the height direction, The pressing surface of the operating section is positioned lower in the height direction than the top surface of the intermediate section. The locking portion has a locking hole that penetrates the arm body in the height direction, and a locking portion that closes the front end of the locking hole in the fitting direction. The mating locking portion of the mating connector is fitted into the locking hole and locked into the locking portion. A connector wherein the upper surface of the arm body in the height direction has a slope that inclines downward in the height direction from the top surface toward the pressing surface.

2. A housing body that can be mated to the mating connector, The housing body and the mating connector are integrally provided with an elastically deformable locking arm that holds them in a mated state, The lock arm has a pivot portion that protrudes from the housing body, and an arm body that extends in the direction in which the housing body is fitted to the mating connector and tilts in a seesaw-like manner in a height direction intersecting the fitting direction with respect to the pivot portion. The arm body has an intermediate portion connected to the pivot point, a locking portion located in front of the intermediate portion in the fitting direction for engaging the mating connector, and an operating portion located behind the intermediate portion in the fitting direction. The housing body has a covering wall that covers the operating part from above in the height direction, which is opposite to the direction of displacement of the operating part during the mating process between the housing body and the mating connector. The operating section has a pressing surface on the upper surface in the height direction facing the cover wall, The aforementioned intermediate portion has a top surface at the upper end of the upper surface in the height direction, The pressing surface of the operating section is positioned lower in the height direction than the top surface of the intermediate section. The locking portion has a locking hole that penetrates the arm body in the height direction, and a locking portion that closes the front end of the locking hole in the fitting direction. The mating locking portion of the mating connector is fitted into the locking hole and locked into the locking portion. The aforementioned intermediate portion has an intermediate end face at the lower end of the lower surface in the height direction, The connector has an operating section on its lower surface in the height direction, which has a pressing lower surface positioned above the intermediate end surface in the height direction.

3. A housing body that can be mated to the mating connector, The housing body and the mating connector are integrally provided with an elastically deformable locking arm that holds them in a mated state, The lock arm has a pivot portion that protrudes from the housing body, and an arm body that extends in the direction in which the housing body is fitted to the mating connector and tilts in a seesaw-like manner in a height direction intersecting the fitting direction with respect to the pivot portion. The arm body has an intermediate portion connected to the pivot point, a locking portion located in front of the intermediate portion in the fitting direction for engaging the mating connector, and an operating portion located behind the intermediate portion in the fitting direction. The housing body has a covering wall that covers the operating part from above in the height direction, which is opposite to the direction of displacement of the operating part during the mating process between the housing body and the mating connector. The operating section has a pressing surface on the upper surface in the height direction facing the cover wall, The aforementioned intermediate portion has a top surface at the upper end of the upper surface in the height direction, The pressing surface of the operating section is positioned lower in the height direction than the top surface of the intermediate section. The locking portion has a locking hole that penetrates the arm body in the height direction, and a locking portion that closes the front end of the locking hole in the fitting direction. The mating locking portion of the mating connector is fitted into the locking hole and locked into the locking portion. The covering wall is a connector that covers the entire lock arm from above in the height direction.

4. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the arm body in the height direction is inclined downward in the height direction from the top surface toward the pressing surface.

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