Receptacle connector

Abstract

Provided is a receptacle connector including a lock mechanism capable of reliably preventing a plug connector from coming off. The present invention includes: two lock plates (40) that are disposed facing each other in a direction orthogonal to an insertion direction of an earth connector (32) and that are disposed inclined in the insertion direction; a lock control member (50) that is interlockably connected to the two lock plates (40), interlocks the two lock plates (40) such that a spacing between the two lock plates (40) increases when the lock control member (50) is moved in the insertion direction, and interlocks the two lock plates (40) such that the spacing decreases when the lock control member (50) is moved in a pull-out direction; a compression spring (70) that urges the lock control member (50) in the pull-out direction; and a lock release member (80) that is provided to the lock control member (50) and that can move the lock control member (50) in the insertion direction against the urging force of the compression spring (70).

Description

Receptacle Connector

[0001] The present invention relates to a receptacle connector having a plurality of connector sockets into which a plurality of plug connectors are inserted.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a C13 socket (hereinafter referred to as a C13 connector) having two main pin slots and one earth pin slot provided on the front panel.

[0003] The C13 connector described above is equipped with a mechanical locking mechanism that prevents the earth pin from being removed from the C13 connector. This mechanical locking mechanism includes a latch plate that is attached to the socket body by a hinge. The latch plate also has a through-hole that receives the earth pin when the latch plate is vertically oriented. However, when the latch plate is tilted significantly away from the vertical, the upper and lower edges of the through-hole grip the earth pin that has passed through the through-hole. At this time, the latch plate is biased toward the locked position (tilted position) by the biasing force of a compression spring, and this biasing force prevents the earth pin from being removed.

[0004] Special table 2019-525412 publication

[0005] However, the C13 connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the following problems because it prevents the earth pin from coming loose by tilting the latch plate so that the upper and lower edges of the through hole abut against the earth pin.

[0006] In other words, if the lower edge of the through hole abuts against the shaft of the earth pin, but the upper edge, which is located further back than the lower edge in the earth pin slot, abuts against the spherical tip of the earth pin, the locking mechanism will not function effectively and the earth pin will come out.

[0007] Since the length of the earth pin varies depending on the manufacturer, it is expected that the above problems will occur.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle connector equipped with a locking mechanism that can reliably prevent the plug connector from coming loose.

[0009] A receptacle connector for achieving the object of the present invention has a front plate provided with a plurality of connector sockets into which a plurality of plug connectors are inserted, and at least one of the plurality of connector sockets comprises two locking plates arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the plug connectors and tilted toward the insertion direction, a lock control member connected to the two locking plates in an interlocking manner and arranged to be movable in the insertion direction and in the extraction direction opposite the insertion direction, the lock control member interlocking the two locking plates so that the spacing between the two locking plates increases when moved in the insertion direction and so that the spacing decreases when moved in the extraction direction, a biasing member that biases the lock control member in the extraction direction, and a lock release member attached to the lock control member and capable of moving the lock control member in the insertion direction against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0010] The receptacle connector of the present invention has a configuration in which a plug connector is sandwiched between two locking plates arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and tilted toward the insertion direction, and a configuration in which the spacing between the two locking plates is variable in conjunction with the operation of a lock control member. That is, when the lock control member is moved in the insertion direction, the spacing between the two locking plates widens, allowing the plug connector to be inserted into the connector receptacle. When the lock control member is moved in the removal direction, the spacing narrows, and the two locking plates sandwich the plug connector at the same position in the insertion direction. At this time, the two locking plates are biased in a direction narrowing the spacing by the biasing force of a biasing member transmitted via the lock control member, and because the two locking plates are arranged tilted toward the insertion direction, it is possible to reliably prevent the plug connector from being pulled out. Furthermore, by operating the lock release member and moving the lock control member in the insertion direction against the biasing force of the biasing member, the distance between the two lock plates widens and the lock is released, making it possible to pull out the plug connector from the connector socket.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the opposing edges of the two locking plates are provided with locking portions that can be locked to the plug connector.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, the locking portion is preferably a saw-tooth portion having a plurality of protrusions.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the locking portion is preferably a protrusion formed of a single protrusion.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the protrusion preferably has a tip end formed in an R-shape.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the unlocking member preferably has an unlocking button that protrudes outward from the front plate.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that one connector socket is an earth connector socket into which an earth connector of the plurality of plug connectors is inserted.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, the distance between the two locking plates is preferably set based on the diameter of the earth connector.

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a receptacle connector equipped with a locking mechanism that can reliably prevent the plug connector from coming off.

[0019] 1. A front view of a C13 connector according to an embodiment. 2. An external perspective view of the C13 connector shown in FIG. 1. 3. A perspective view showing the front plate and rear case separated from each other in the Y direction. 4. A perspective view showing the lock mechanism and rear case separated from each other in the Y direction. 5. A perspective view of the lock mechanism as seen from the rear side in the Y direction. 6. An assembled perspective view showing the lock plate and lock control member separated. 7. A perspective view of the front plate and lock mechanism separated. 8. A perspective view of the lock mechanism as seen from the front side in the Y direction, showing the assembled perspective view showing the lock plate and lock control member separated. 9. A perspective view of the lock mechanism as seen from the bottom side in the Z direction, showing the assembled perspective view showing the lock plate and lock control member separated. 10. A transition diagram showing the operation of the lock mechanism over time. 11. A front view of the rear case with a circular cross-section earth connector inserted, as seen from the front in the Y direction. 12. A front view of the rear case with a U-shaped cross-section earth connector inserted, as seen from the front in the Y direction. 13. A perspective view of the lock plate arranged on the right side of FIGS. 11 and 12. 14. A perspective view of the lock plate arranged on the left side of FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a receptacle connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of a C13 connector 10 (IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 60320 standard: also known as a C13 socket) to which a receptacle connector according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the C13 connector 10. For convenience of explanation, the configuration of the C13 connector 10 of this example will be described using a three-dimensional coordinate system of X, Y, and Z. In this case, the X direction indicates the left-right direction, the Y direction indicates the front-rear direction, and the Z direction indicates the up-down direction.

[0022] 1 and 2, the exterior of the C13 connector 10 is configured by a housing 16 including a front plate 12 and a rear case 14. The housing 16 is assembled by, for example, adhesively fixing the front plate 12 to the front opening edge 18 of the rear case 14 (see FIG. 3).

[0023] The front plate 12 is provided with a plurality of connector receptacles into which a plurality of plug connectors are inserted. In this example, a pair of slit-shaped main connector receptacles 20 extending in the Z direction and a semicircular earth connector receptacle 22 are provided at predetermined positions. Specifically, the pair of main connector receptacles 20 are spaced apart in the X direction (left-right direction), and the earth connector receptacle 22 is located above the middle position of the pair of main connector receptacles 20 in the Z direction. The earth connector receptacle 22 corresponds to the earth connector receptacle of the present invention.

[0024] An opening 26 is provided above the earth connector socket 22 in the Z direction to allow the unlock button 24 to protrude outward (forward in the Y direction) from the front plate 12. The unlock button 24 will be described later.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the housing 16, in which the front plate 12 and the rear case 14 are spaced apart from each other along the Y direction.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3 , the rear case 14 has inside thereof a connection portion 30 that is connected to a pair of plate-shaped main connectors 28 inserted through the pair of main connector sockets 20 .

[0027] The connection portion 30 has a pair of covers 30A that open and close the pair of main connector receptacles 20, compression springs 30B that urge the pair of covers 30A in the closing direction, and a pair of electrodes 30C (see FIG. 4) that are electrically connected to the pair of main connectors 28. When the pair of main connectors 28 are inserted into the pair of main connector receptacles 20, the insertion force of the pair of main connectors 28 moves the pair of covers 30A in the opening direction against the urging force of the compression springs 30B. When the pair of main connectors 28 are completely inserted into the pair of main connector receptacles 20, the pair of main connectors 28 are connected to the pair of electrodes 30C, respectively.

[0028] The rear case 14 also includes a locking mechanism 34 inside that is connected to one earth connector 32 inserted into the earth connector socket 22 and prevents the earth connector 32 from coming out of the earth connector socket 22 .

[0029] That is, the earth connector receptacle 22 is provided with a locking mechanism 34 that prevents the earth connector 32 inserted into the earth connector receptacle 22 from being removed from the earth connector receptacle 22. The earth connector 32 is an example of a plug connector used for earthing (grounding) among the plug connectors of the present invention. Note that reference numeral 34A in Fig. 3 denotes an electrode electrically connected to the earth connector 32.

[0030] The general configuration of the locking mechanism 34 will now be described with reference to FIGS.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the locking mechanism 34 including the connecting portion 30 and the rear case 14 separated from each other in the Y direction. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism 34 as viewed from the front side in the Y direction. FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view showing two (a pair of) locking plates 40 and a lock control member 50 of the locking mechanism 34 separated from each other. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the front plate 12 and the locking mechanism 34 separated from each other. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism 34 as viewed from the front side in the Y direction, showing the assembled perspective view of the two locking plates 40 and the lock control member 50 separated from each other. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism 34 as viewed from the bottom side in the Z direction, showing the assembled perspective view of the two locking plates 40 and the lock control member 50 separated from each other.

[0032] In these figures, the direction indicated by arrow A indicates the direction in which the earth connector 32 is inserted into the earth connector receptacle 22. The direction indicated by arrow B is the opposite direction to the direction indicated by arrow A and indicates the direction in which the earth connector 32 is removed from the earth connector receptacle 22. The direction indicated by arrow A is synonymous with the rearward Y direction, and the direction indicated by arrow B is synonymous with the forward Y direction.

[0033] As shown in these figures, the lock mechanism 34 of this example includes two lock plates 40, a lock control member 50 interlockably connected to the two lock plates 40, a compression spring 70 that biases the lock control member 50 in the pull-out direction indicated by arrow B, and an unlocking member 80 provided on the lock control member 50. These members (the two lock plates 40, the lock control member 50, the compression spring 70, and the unlocking member 80 (excluding the unlocking button 24)) are disposed inside the housing 16 (see FIG. 2).

[0034] 3, the two locking plates 40 are arranged on the insertion direction side of the earth connector socket 22, as indicated by arrow A. The two locking plates 40 are movable in conjunction with the lock control member 50 between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0035] Specifically, when the unlock button 24 is pressed with a finger against the biasing force of the compression spring 70 (see FIG. 4 ), the lock control member 50 is pushed in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A via the lock release member 80. In conjunction with the operation of this lock control member 50, the two lock plates 40 are moved from a locked position where they are closely spaced to an unlocked position where they are widely spaced, allowing the earth connector 32 to be inserted into the earth connector receptacle 22.

[0036] When the earth connector 32 is fully inserted into the earth connector receptacle 22, the finger is released from the lock release button 24 to terminate the pressing operation. The biasing force of the compression spring 70 then moves the lock control member 50 in the removal direction indicated by arrow B. In conjunction with this movement of the lock control member 50, the two lock plates 40 are moved (biased) from the unlocked position toward the locked position. As a result, the two lock plates 40 are engaged (locked) with the outer peripheral surface of the earth connector 32, preventing the earth connector 32 from coming out of the earth connector receptacle 22.

[0037] On the other hand, when the earth connector 32 is to be removed from the earth connector receptacle 22, the unlock button 24 is pressed against the biasing force of the compression spring 70. This pushes the lock control member 50 in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A, and in conjunction with the movement of this lock control member 50, the two lock plates 40 are moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. This operation releases the engagement (lock) of the two lock plates 40, making it possible to remove the earth connector 32 from the earth connector receptacle 22.

[0038] The detailed configuration of the locking mechanism 34 will be described below.

[0039] The two locking plates 40 are arranged on either side of the earth connector socket 22 and are arranged facing each other in the direction of arrow C (synonymous with the X direction) which is perpendicular to the insertion direction indicated by arrow A of the earth connector 32.

[0040] The two locking plates 40 are also positioned at an angle to the insertion direction indicated by arrow A. The angle θ (see 10-1 in FIG. 10) of the locking plates 40 relative to the insertion direction indicated by arrow A is set to, for example, about 30° to 50°. By tilting the locking plates 40 at this angle θ, they function as a stopper against the removal direction indicated by arrow B.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6, each lock plate 40 is configured in an L-shape and has a hinge portion 42, a driven portion 44, a supported portion 46, and a sawtooth portion 48.

[0042] The hinge portion 42 is provided at the tip of the portion of the lock plate 40 that extends in the X direction and the Z direction. As shown in Figure 7, this hinge portion 42 is housed in and engaged with a concave hinge support portion 13 formed on the back surface of the front plate 12. As will be described later, the hinge portion 42 functions as a pivot point for the lock plate 40 to swing.

[0043] The driven portion 44 is provided on a portion of the lock plate 40 that extends in the Z direction. As shown in Figure 6, this driven portion 44 is sandwiched between a pillar 52 and a receiving portion 54 provided on the lock control member 50. The pillar 52 is provided along the Z direction. The receiving portion 54 is provided on the rear side of the pillar 52 in the Y direction.

[0044] The supported portion 46 is provided on the lower portion of the portion of the lock plate 40 that extends in the X direction. This supported portion 46 is configured as a concave groove, and engages with a convex engaging portion 56 that protrudes forward in the Y direction from the receiving portion 54. As a result, the lock plate 40 is held by the lock control member 50 in a state where it is sandwiched between the pillar 52 and the receiving portion 54.

[0045] The sawtooth portions 48 are provided on the side edges of the locking plates 40 that extend in the Z direction. These sawtooth portions 48 are portions that engage with the outer circumferential surface of the earth connector 32, and their sawtooth configuration increases the force with which they engage with the earth connector 32. These sawtooth portions 48 are provided on the opposing edges of the two locking plates 40. The sawtooth portions 48 correspond to the sawtooth portions having multiple protrusions of the present invention.

[0046] With the lock plates 40 configured in this manner, when the lock control member 50 is pushed in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A by pressing the unlock button 24, the driven portion 44 receives a force from the pillar 52 in the direction of arrow A. This causes the lock plates 40 to swing rearward in the Y direction, with the hinge portion 42 serving as the swing fulcrum. As a result, the two lock plates 40 move from the locked position, where they are closely spaced, to the unlocked position, where they are widely spaced.

[0047] Furthermore, when the pressing of the unlock button 24 is stopped and the lock control member 50 is moved in the pull-out direction indicated by arrow B by the biasing force of the compression spring 70, the driven portion 44 receives a force in the direction of arrow B from the receiving portion 54. This causes the lock plate 40 to swing forward in the Y direction, with the hinge portion 42 serving as the swing fulcrum. As a result, the two lock plates 40 move from the unlocked position, where they are spaced far apart, to the locked position, where they are spaced closely together. In this way, the lock plates 40 are linked to the operation of the lock control member 50.

[0048] 6, the lock control member 50 has the pillar 52, receiving portion 54, and engaging portion 56, as well as a cylindrical holder 58 that houses and holds the compression spring 70. An unlocking member 80 is provided on the front surface of the holder 58 in the Y direction, protruding forward in the Y direction, and an unlocking button 24 is provided on the front of the unlocking member 80. In this example, the unlocking button 24 is configured integrally with the unlocking member 80. The unlocking button 24 corresponds to the unlocking button of the unlocking member of the present invention.

[0049] The lock control member 50 also has a rectangular frame 60 provided with the pillars 52, receiving portions 54, and engaging portions 56, and a bifurcated connecting portion 62 that connects the frame 60 and the holder 58 to each other on the rear side in the Y direction. The lock control member 50 corresponds to the lock control member of the present invention. The pillars 52 and receiving portions 54 function as members that directly control the operation of the lock plate 50.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the compression spring 70 is disposed between the lock control member 50 and the rear case 14 along the Y direction. The compression spring 70 is inserted onto a pin 72 that protrudes forward in the Y direction from the rear surface of the rear case 14, and in this state is housed and held in the holder 58. The compression spring 70 is held in the housing 16 with its rear end in the Y direction abutting against the rear surface of the rear case 14 and its front end in the Y direction abutting against the front surface of the tip of the holder 58.

[0051] When the lock control member 50 is pressed in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A by the lock release button 24, the compression spring 70 is compressed in the same direction. This causes the compression spring 70 to apply a biasing force to the lock control member 50 in the extraction direction indicated by arrow B. This biasing force is transmitted to each lock plate 40 via the lock control member 50. As a result, each lock plate 40 is biased toward the locked position where the distance between them becomes narrower. The compression spring 70 is an example of a biasing member of the present invention.

[0052] Next, the operation of the C13 connector 10 configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figure 10. Although some of the explanation overlaps with what has been explained above, it will be explained again.

[0053] When connecting a plug having an earth connector 32 (including the main connector 28) to the C13 connector 10, first, in the pre-connection state shown in 10-1 in Figure 10, the two locking plates 40 are positioned in the locked position with a narrow gap between them. From this state, the unlock button 24 is pressed with a finger against the biasing force of the compression spring 70, and the lock control member 50 is pushed in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A.

[0054] 10-2, the two locking plates 40 move from a locked position where they are closely spaced to an unlocked position where they are widely spaced in conjunction with the operation of the lock control member 50. This allows the earth connector 32 to be inserted into the earth connector socket 22, so the earth connector 32 is inserted into the earth connector socket 22 as shown in FIG.

[0055] Next, when the earth connector 32 is completely inserted into the earth connector socket 22, the finger is released from the lock release button 24 to terminate the pressing operation.

[0056] 10-4, the two locking plates 40 are urged from the unlocked position toward the locked position in conjunction with the movement of the lock control member 50. As a result, the two locking plates 40 are engaged (locked) with the outer peripheral surface of the earth connector 32, preventing the earth connector 32 from coming out of the earth connector receptacle 22.

[0057] At this time, the two locking plates 40 sandwich the earth connector 32 at the same position in the insertion direction. The sawtooth portions 48 of each locking plate 40 engage with the outer circumferential surface of the earth connector 32, enhancing the locking force. Furthermore, each locking plate 40 is positioned at an angle toward the insertion direction indicated by arrow A. That is, each locking plate 40 functions as a stopper against the removal direction indicated by arrow B, thereby reliably preventing the earth connector 32 from being pulled out of the earth connector socket 22.

[0058] In Patent Document 1, which uses a single latch plate, the lower and upper edges of the latch plate clamp the earth pin at different positions in the insertion direction, which causes the locking mechanism to not function effectively and the earth pin to come loose.In contrast, the locking mechanism of this example clamps the earth connector 32 at the same position in the insertion direction, which solves the above problem.

[0059] On the other hand, when removing the earth connector 32 from the earth connector receptacle 22, the unlock button 24 is pressed against the biasing force of the compression spring 70. This pushes the lock control member 50 in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A, and the two lock plates 40 move from the locked position to the unlocked position in conjunction with the movement of the lock control member 50. After this operation, the earth connector 32 is removed from the earth connector receptacle 22.

[0060] Thus, the C13 connector 10 of this example has a configuration in which the earth connector 32 is sandwiched between two locking plates 40 that are arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction indicated by arrow A and are tilted toward the insertion direction indicated by arrow A, and the spacing between the two locking plates 40 is variable in conjunction with the operation of the lock control member 50.

[0061] That is, when the lock control member 50 is moved in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A, the distance between the two lock plates 40 increases, allowing the earth connector 32 to be inserted into the earth connector socket 22 .

[0062] Furthermore, when the lock control member 50 is moved in the removal direction indicated by arrow B, the gap between the two locking plates 40 narrows, and the two locking plates 40 sandwich the earth connector 32 at the same position in the insertion direction indicated by arrow A. At this time, the two locking plates 40 are urged in the direction narrowing the gap by the urging force of the compression spring 70 transmitted via the lock control member 50, and furthermore, because they are positioned at an angle toward the insertion direction indicated by arrow A, it is possible to reliably prevent the earth connector 32 from coming loose.

[0063] Therefore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to provide a C13 connector 10 equipped with a locking mechanism 34 that can reliably prevent the earth connector 32 from coming loose.

[0064] In the embodiment, the earth connector 32 is exemplified as the plug connector to be locked, but this is not limiting, and the main connector 28 may also be the plug connector to be locked. In this case, it is sufficient to provide the locking mechanism 34 of this example in at least one of the two main connector receptacles 20.

[0065] Furthermore, the locked position and unlocked position, which are determined by the spacing between the two locking plates 40, are set based on the diameter of the earth connector 32. That is, when setting the locked position, the spacing between the two locking plates 40 should be smaller than the diameter of the earth connector 32, and when setting the unlocked position, the spacing between the two locking plates 40 should be larger than the diameter of the earth connector 32.

[0066] As described above, the C13 connector 10 of the embodiment can reliably prevent the earth connector 32 from coming loose. However, it is desirable to prevent the plug from coming loose inadvertently, for example, even if an unexpected external force is applied to the earth connector 32 (plug) in the pulling direction indicated by arrow B.

[0067] In Japan, two-pole grounded inlets are standard, but if the plug becomes unplugged during use, power supply will be stopped, causing disruption to business activities. Therefore, we will explain an example of a C13 connector 10 that can prevent the plug from being unintentionally disconnected even when the above-mentioned external force is applied to the plug.

[0068] Fig. 11 is a front view of the rear case 14 seen from the front in the Y direction with the earth connector 32 having a circular cross section inserted therein. Fig. 12 is a front view of the rear case 14 seen from the front in the Y direction with the earth connector 82 having a U-shaped cross section inserted therein.

[0069] The C13 connector 10 shown in Figures 11 and 12 employs a locking plate 88 having a protrusion 86 consisting of a single projection 84 (see Figures 13 and 14) attached to its edge as the locking plate of the present invention.

[0070] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lock plate 80 disposed on the right side of FIGS. 11 and 12, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the lock plate 80 disposed on the left side.

[0071] 13 and 14, the protrusions 84 of the two locking plates 88 have opposing tip portions 84A formed in an R-shape. The protrusions 86 are an example of a locking portion of the present invention, and the protrusions 84 are an example of a protrusion of the present invention.

[0072] By employing a lock plate 88 provided with a protrusion 86 consisting of a single protrusion 84, it is possible to obtain a holding force that is sufficient to resist external forces even for earth connectors 32, 82 with different specifications (shapes), thereby preventing the plug from being accidentally removed.

[0073] In this case, by adjusting the movement of the left and right locking plates 88, 88 between the unlocked position and the locked position, the size of the locking plate 88, and the angle and curvature of the R-shape of the tip 84A, the holding force for many different types of plugs with different specifications can be increased.

[0074] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the C13 connector 10 is used as an example of a receptacle connector, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to other types of receptacle connectors that have a socket for a plug connector.

[0075] Although an example of a receptacle connector according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention may be improved or modified in several ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0076] 10 C13 connector 12 Front plate 13 Hinge support portion 14 Rear case 16 Housing 18 Front opening edge 20 Main connector socket 22 Earth connector socket 24 Unlock button 26 Opening 28 Main connector 30 Connection portion 32 Earth connector 34 Lock mechanism 40 Lock plate 42 Hinge portion 44 Driven portion 46 Supported portion 48 Serrated portion 50 Lock control member 52 Pillar 54 Receiving portion 56 Engagement portion 58 Holder 60 Frame 62 Connecting portion 70 Compression spring 72 Pin 80 Unlock member 82 Earth connector 84 Protrusion 84A Tip portion 86 Protrusion 88 Lock plate

Claims

1. A receptacle connector having a front plate provided with a plurality of connector sockets into which a plurality of plug connectors are inserted, at least one of the plurality of connector sockets comprising: two locking plates arranged opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the plug connectors and tilted toward the insertion direction; a lock control member interlockingly connected to the two locking plates and arranged to be movable in the insertion direction and in a removal direction opposite to the insertion direction, the lock control member interlocking the two locking plates so that the spacing between the two locking plates becomes wider when moved in the insertion direction and interlocking the two locking plates so that the spacing becomes narrower when moved in the removal direction; a biasing member that biases the lock control member in the removal direction; and an unlocking member arranged on the lock control member and capable of moving the lock control member in the insertion direction against the biasing force of the biasing member.

2. The receptacle connector according to claim 1, wherein the opposing edges of the two locking plates are provided with locking portions that can be locked to the plug connector.

3. The receptacle connector according to claim 2, wherein the locking portion is a sawtooth portion having a plurality of protrusions.

4. The receptacle connector according to claim 2, wherein the locking portion is a protrusion consisting of a single protrusion.

5. The receptacle connector according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion has a tip portion formed in an R shape.

6. A receptacle connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the unlocking member has an unlocking button protruding outwardly from the front plate.

7. A receptacle connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the one connector socket is an earth connector socket into which an earth connector of the multiple plug connectors is inserted.

8. The receptacle connector according to claim 7, wherein the distance between the two locking plates is set based on the diameter of the earth connector.

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