Connector and connector device

Abstract

A connector (10) comprises: a housing (20); a terminal (11); and a detection member (40) that is assembled on the housing (20) so as to be movable in a first direction between a first position, a second position, and a third position. The housing (20) has formed therein a lance (23) that can be elastically deformed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and an opening (24) that exposes the lance (23) to one side in the second direction. When the detection member (40) is at the first position, the detection member (40) permits the lance (23) to interfere with the terminal (11) in the course of insertion of the terminal (11) into a cavity (22) and to elastically deform to one side in the second direction to enter into the opening (24). When the detection member (40) is at the second position, the detection member (40) is disposed close to a position facing the lance (23) in the second direction via the opening (24), and restricts the lance (23) from elastically deforming to one side in the second direction. The detection member (40) can move from the second position to the third position upon completion of engagement between a mating connector (50) and the housing (20).

Description

Connector and connector device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a connector device.

[0002] A known connector capable of detecting proper mating with a mating connector is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-166626 (Patent Document 1 below). The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a housing, a plurality of terminals accommodated in the housing, a retainer, and a proper mating detection member. The retainer is attached to the housing and engages with the plurality of terminals, thereby preventing the plurality of terminals from coming off the housing. The proper mating detection member detects whether the connector is properly mated with the mating connector.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-166626

[0004] In the above configuration, it is necessary to mold the retainer and the proper mating detection member so that they can be assembled to the housing. From the viewpoint of manufacturing cost, it is preferable to configure a connector that can perform secondary locking of the terminals and proper mating detection with as few parts as possible.

[0005] The present disclosure was completed in light of the above circumstances, and aims to reduce the number of parts in a connector capable of secondary locking of terminals and mating detection.

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector that can be mated with a mating connector, and includes a housing having a cavity extending in a first direction, terminals arranged in the cavity, and a detection member assembled to the housing so as to be movable in the first direction between a first position, a second position, and a third position, the housing being formed with a lance arranged in the cavity and elastically deformable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an opening that exposes the lance to one side in the second direction, and the detection member is configured such that the detection member is movable in the first position. When the detection member is in the second position, the lance interferes with the terminal during the process of inserting the terminal into the cavity, elastically deforming to one side in the second direction and allowing the terminal to enter the opening, and when the detection member is in the second position, the detection member is arranged close to the lance at a position opposite the lance in the second direction through the opening and restricts the lance from elastically deforming to one side in the second direction, and the detection member becomes movable from the second position to the third position when the mating connector and the housing are fully mated.

[0007] The connector device of the present disclosure is a connector device including the above connector and a mating connector that can be fitted to the housing.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the number of parts of a connector capable of secondary locking of terminals and mating detection can be reduced.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a front view of a connector according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in a first position and the terminals are in their normal positions. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in the first position and the terminals have not yet reached their normal positions. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in a second position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in a second position and the connector and the mating connector have been fully mated. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in a third position. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in the second position. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in the second position. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the detection member is in the second position and the connector and the mating connector have been fully mated. FIG. 10 is a view taken along the B-B cross section of FIG. 1, showing the state in which the detection member is in the second position and the connector and the mating connector have been fully mated. FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the detection member. FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the detection member. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the locking plate portion of the housing. FIG. 14 is a rear view of the connector. FIG. 15 is a view taken along the D-D cross section of FIG. 14, showing the state in which the detection member is in the first position. FIG. 16 is a view taken along the E-E cross section of FIG. 14, showing the state in which the detection member is in the first position. FIG. 17 is a view taken along the F-F cross section of FIG. 14, showing the state in which the detection member is in the second position. FIG. 18 is a view taken along the F-F cross section of FIG. 14, showing the state in which the detection member is in the third position. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the upper part of the housing. FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the mating connector.

[0010] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. [1] A connector of the present disclosure is a connector that can be mated with a mating connector, and includes a housing having a cavity extending in a first direction, a terminal disposed in the cavity, and a detection member assembled to the housing so as to be movable in the first direction between a first position, a second position, and a third position, wherein the housing is formed with a lance disposed in the cavity and elastically deformable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an opening that exposes the lance to one side in the second direction, and the detection member is configured such that the detection member is A connector in which, when in a first position, the lance interferes with the terminal during the process of inserting the terminal into the cavity, allowing it to elastically deform to one side in the second direction and enter the opening, and when the detection member is in the second position, the detection member is arranged in close proximity to the lance at a position opposite the lance in the second direction through the opening, and restricts the lance from elastically deforming to one side in the second direction, and the detection member becomes movable from the second position to the third position when the mating connector and the housing are fully mated.

[0011] With this configuration, the detection member can detect mating and also perform secondary locking of the terminals, eliminating the need for a separate retainer. In other words, the number of parts in the connector can be reduced compared to conventional configurations.

[0012] [2] In the above [1], it is preferable that the housing comprises a locking plate portion and a first locking portion, a second locking portion, and a third locking portion protruding from the locking plate portion, the first locking portion holds the detection member in the first position, the second locking portion holds the detection member in the second position, the third locking portion holds the detection member in the third position, and the first locking portion has a larger protruding dimension from the locking plate portion compared to the second locking portion and the third locking portion.

[0013] This configuration can increase the force with which the detection member is held in the first position. It also reduces the force required to move the detection member from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the third position. The detection member can be assembled in the first position using, for example, an automated machine.

[0014] [3] In the above [1] or [2], the housing preferably comprises a housing main body having the cavity and the opening, a locking plate portion extending from the housing main body to one side in the second direction, and a first locking portion, a second locking portion, and a third locking portion protruding from the locking plate portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, wherein the first locking portion holds the detection member in the first position, the second locking portion holds the detection member in the second position, the third locking portion holds the detection member in the third position, and the first locking portion is arranged at the other end of the locking plate portion in the second direction and is connected to the housing main body.

[0015] With this configuration, the detection member is prevented from shifting to the other side in the second direction, making it less likely for the detection member to come loose from the engagement with the first engagement portion, thereby increasing the holding force of the detection member in the first position.

[0016] [4] In any one of [1] to [3] above, the detection member has a main body portion, two detection arms extending from the main body portion in the first direction, and a receiving space defined by the two detection arms and the main body portion, and the housing has two interference portions that interfere with the two detection arms when the detection member is in the second position and the mating of the mating connector and the housing is incomplete, and when the detection member is in the second position and the mating of the mating connector and the housing is complete, the two detection arms interfere with the mating connector and elastically deform in the second direction, resulting in an arrangement where the two detection arms and the two interference portions do not interfere with each other, and when the detection member is in the first position, the receiving space and the opening are connected, allowing the lance to enter the receiving space.

[0017] [5] In the above [4], the housing preferably comprises a housing main body having the cavity and the opening, and a locking arm extending from the housing main body, and the locking arm preferably enters the receiving space during the mating process between the mating connector and the housing when the detection member is in the second position.

[0018] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the dimension of the lock arm in the second direction while avoiding interference between the detection member and the lock arm.

[0019] [6] The connector device of the present disclosure is a connector device comprising any one of the connectors [1] to [6] above and a mating connector that can be fitted to the housing.

[0020] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In the drawings, for the convenience of explanation, some components may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ between drawings. In this specification, "orthogonal" does not only refer to a strict orthogonal relationship, but also includes a roughly orthogonal relationship within the scope of the operation and effect of this embodiment.

[0021] <Embodiments> An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 20. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow Z is defined as upward, the direction indicated by arrow X as forward, and the direction indicated by arrow Y as leftward. The front-to-rear direction is an example of a first direction. The up-down direction is an example of a second direction. The left-to-right direction is an example of a third direction. Note that, for multiple identical components, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals of the other components may be omitted.

[0022] (Connector device 1, connector 10) As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the connector device 1 according to the embodiment includes a connector 10 and a mating connector 50 that can be mated with the connector 10. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 10 includes a housing 20, terminals 11 accommodated in the housing 20, and a detection member 40 that is assembled to the housing 20 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between a first position (see Figure 2), a second position (see Figure 4), and a third position (see Figure 6).

[0023] 2, the terminal 11 includes a pair of cylindrical terminals 12 connected to the ends of a pair of cables over which differential signals are transmitted, an insulating member 13 that holds the pair of cylindrical terminals 12, and a conductive shielding member 14 that surrounds the insulating member 13. A locking portion 14A that protrudes upward is formed on the top surface of the shielding member 14 to lock with a lance 23, which will be described later. Because the terminals 11 are used for high-speed transmission twisted-pair cables, the connector 10 is sometimes referred to as an HMTD (High-Speed ​​Modular Twisted-Pair Data) connector.

[0024] (Housing 20) The housing 20 is made of insulating synthetic resin. The housing 20 includes a housing body 21 having a cavity 22 into which the terminal 11 is inserted. The housing body 21 is generally block-shaped. The cavity 22 penetrates the housing body 21 in the front-rear direction. A lance 23 is formed within the cavity 22 and is elastically deformable in the up-down direction relative to the housing body 21. The lance 23 extends diagonally downward and forward from the inner wall of the cavity 22. The lance 23 has a lance body 23A that engages with the terminal 11 and a protrusion 23B that protrudes upward from the top surface of the lance body 23A. The protrusion 23B is located near the base end of the lance body 23A. The housing 20 has an opening 24 that penetrates the top wall of the housing body 21 in the up-down direction. The opening 24 communicates with the cavity 22. The opening 24 exposes the lance 23 upward. 19, two interference portions 25 are formed on the upper wall of the housing body 21. The two interference portions 25 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the opening 24.

[0025] When the terminal 11 is inserted into the cavity 22 from behind with the detection member 40 in the first position, the lance 23 interferes with the terminal 11 and elastically deforms upward, entering the opening 24, as shown in Fig. 3. When the terminal 11 is placed in the correct position, as shown in Fig. 2, the lance 23 elastically returns to its natural state and engages with the engaging portion 14A of the terminal 11 from behind.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 14 , the housing 20 includes two locking plates 26 extending upward from the left and right ends of the top wall of the housing main body 21. As shown in FIG. 13 , the locking plates 26 have an inner surface 26A that is located inside the housing 20 in the left-right direction. The housing 20 includes a first locking portion 27, a second locking portion 28, and a third locking portion 29 that protrude left and right from the inner surface 26A of the locking plate 26. The first locking portion 27 is located near the center of the locking plate 26 in the front-rear direction. The third locking portion 29 is located toward the front end of the locking plate 26. The second locking portion 28 is located between the first locking portion 27 and the third locking portion 29 in the front-rear direction. The first locking portion 27 is located at the lower end of the inner surface 26A of the locking plate 26 and is connected to the top wall of the housing main body 21. The third locking portion 29 is disposed near the upper end of the inner surface 26A of the locking plate portion 26. The second locking portion 28 is disposed between the first locking portion 27 and the third locking portion 29 in the up-down direction. A pressing portion 30 is provided at the upper end of the locking plate portion 26. The pressing portion 30 extends from the locking plate portion 26 in the left-right direction toward the inside of the housing 20. The third locking portion 29 is connected to the pressing portion 30.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 17 , the first locking portion 27, the second locking portion 28, and the third locking portion 29 each have locking surfaces 27A, 28A, and 29A that lock with the detection member 40. The locking surfaces 27A, 28A, and 29A lock the detection member 40 to prevent it from slipping out (rearward) from the direction opposite the insertion direction (forward). As shown in FIG. 15 , the locking surface 27A of the first locking portion 27 locks with a locking protrusion 45 of the detection member 40 (described later) from the rear, thereby holding the detection member 40 in the first position. As shown in FIG. 16 , the rear surface of the second locking portion 28 locks with the locking protrusion 45 from the front, preventing the detection member 40 from moving forward from the first position. As shown in FIG. 17 , the locking surface 28A of the second locking portion 28 locks with the locking protrusion 45 from the rear, thereby holding the detection member 40 in the second position. The rear surface of the third locking portion 29 locks with the locking protrusion 45 from the front, preventing the detection member 40 from moving forward from the second position. As shown in Fig. 18 , the locking surface 29A of the third locking portion 29 locks with the locking protrusion 45 from the rear, holding the detection member 40 in the third position. As shown in Fig. 6 , interference between the edge of the opening 24 of the housing 20 and the detection member 40 prevents the detection member 40 from moving forward from the third position.

[0028] 15, the locking surface 27A of the first locking portion 27 is inclined in the protruding direction (left-right direction) toward the rear (front) of the insertion direction as it moves away from the locking plate portion 26. In other words, the first locking portion 27 has an overhanging shape in the insertion direction.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 17 , the protrusion dimension L1 of the first locking portion 27 from the locking plate portion 26 is greater than the protrusion dimension L2 of the second locking portion 28 from the locking plate portion 26 and the protrusion dimension L3 of the third locking portion 29 from the locking plate portion 26. This increases the holding force that holds the detection member 40 in the first position. Meanwhile, the protrusion dimension L2 of the second locking portion 28 and the protrusion dimension L3 of the third locking portion 29 are smaller than the protrusion dimension L1 of the first locking portion 27, making it easier for the locking protrusion 45 to climb over the second locking portion 28 and the third locking portion 29 than the first locking portion 27. In other words, the force required to move the detection member 40 from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the third position can be reduced compared to assembling the detection member 40 in the first position. That is, the detection member 40 can be moved from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the third position manually by an operator. The detection member 40 may be assembled at the first position by, for example, an automatic insertion machine.

[0030] As described above, the first locking portion 27 is disposed at the lower end of the locking plate portion 26 and is connected to the upper surface of the housing main body 21 (see FIG. 13 ), which prevents the locking projection 45 of the detection member 40 from shifting downward, making it difficult for the detection member 40 to be disengaged from the first locking portion 27. This increases the holding force of the detection member 40 in the first position.

[0031] 19, the housing 20 has a first guide recess 31 (see FIG. 13) recessed from the inner surface 26A of the locking plate 26, and a second guide recess 32 recessed from the top surface of the housing body 21. The first guide recess 31 and the second guide recess 32 are open on the side opposite to the insertion direction (rearward).

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the housing 20 includes a lock arm 33 extending from the housing main body 21. The lock arm 33 extends upward and rearward from the top surface of the housing main body 21. The lock arm 33 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. The lock arm 33 includes a lock arm main body 33A and a lock protrusion 33B protruding upward from the lock arm main body 33A.

[0033] (Detection member 40) As shown in Figure 11, the detection member 40 includes a main body 41 and two detection arms 42. The two detection arms 42 extend forward from the lower front end of the main body 41. The two detection arms 42 are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction. A receiving space 43 is defined by the main body 41 and the two detection arms 42. The detection arms 42 are elastically deformable in the up-down direction relative to the main body 41. The detection arms 42 include an abutting portion 42A and an engaging portion 42B. The engaging portion 42B extends from the abutting portion 42A to the opposite side of the receiving space 43 in the left-right direction.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the detection member 40 is in the first position, the receiving space 43 is in communication with the opening 24, and when the lance 23 elastically deforms upward, it can enter the receiving space 43 through the opening 24. As shown in Figure 3, when an attempt is made to move the detection member 40 from the first position to the second position with the terminal 11 partially inserted, the protrusion 23B of the lance 23 interferes with the front end of the body 41, preventing the detection member 40 from moving to the second position. Therefore, the partially inserted terminal 11 can be detected. As shown in Figure 2, when the terminal 11 is in the normal position, the lance 23 returns to its original position, and the protrusion 23B is positioned below the receiving space 43. As shown in Figure 4, the detection member 40 can be moved from the first position to the second position. When the detection member 40 reaches the second position, the protrusion 23B and the detection member 40 are closely opposed to each other in the vertical direction. This restricts the upward elastic deformation of the lance 23, thereby secondary locking the terminal 11.

[0035] 20 , the mating connector 50 includes a mating housing 60 and mating terminals 51 held by the mating housing 60. In this embodiment, the mating connector 50 is a board connector that is installed on a circuit board.

[0036] The mating terminal 51 includes a pair of pin terminals 52, an insulating member 53 that holds the pair of pin terminals 52, and a conductive shielding member 54 that surrounds the insulating member 53. As shown in FIG. 5 , the pin terminal 52 is generally L-shaped in side view. One end of the pin terminal 52 is a terminal connecting portion 52A. The terminal connecting portion 52A is inserted into the cylindrical terminal 12 and is electrically connected to the cylindrical terminal 12. The other end of the pin terminal 52 is a board connecting portion 52B. The board connecting portion 52B is inserted into a through-hole in a circuit board (not shown) and is electrically connected to a signal conduction path of the circuit board. The insulating member 53 covers the pair of pin terminals 52 except for both end portions. The shielding member 54 includes a fitting cylindrical portion 54A disposed around the terminal connecting portion 52A, an insulator surrounding portion 54B connected to the fitting cylindrical portion 54A and surrounding the insulating member 53, and a plurality of legs 54C extending from the lower end of the insulator surrounding portion 54B. The fitting cylindrical portion 54A fits around the terminal 11 from the outside and comes into contact with the shielding member 14 of the terminal 11. The plurality of legs 54C are generally cylindrical. The plurality of legs 54C are inserted into grounding through-holes in the circuit board and connected to grounding conductive paths provided on the circuit board.

[0037] The mating housing 60 is made of insulating synthetic resin. The mating housing 60 fits into the housing 20 from the outside. As shown in FIG. 20 , the mating housing 60 includes a locking portion 61 and a releasing portion 62. As shown in FIG. 5 , the locking portion 61 engages with the locking protrusion 33B of the locking arm 33. As shown in FIG. 9 , the releasing portion 62 engages with the engaging portion 42B of the detection member 40.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 7 , when the detection member 40 is in the second position, the abutting portion 42A of the detection arm 42 faces the interference portion 25 of the housing 20 in close proximity in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to move the detection member 40 from the second position to the third position, the abutting portion 42A interferes with the interference portion 25, preventing the detection member 40 from moving to the third position. When the detection member 40 is in the second position and the connector 10 begins to mate with the mating connector 50, as shown in FIG. 9 , the release portion 62 of the mating connector 50 engages with the engagement portion 42B, causing the detection arm 42 to elastically deform upward from its initial position (see FIG. 8 ). Then, when the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 are completely mated, as shown in FIG. 10 , the tip of the abutting portion 42A is displaced upward and positioned so as not to interfere with the interference portion 25. This allows the detection member 40 to be moved from the second position to the third position (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 ). Furthermore, when the mating of the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 is incomplete, a portion of the tip of the abutment portion 42A is positioned in a position where it interferes with the interference portion 25, making it impossible to move the detection member 40 from the second position to the third position.

[0039] During the mating process of the connector 10 and the mating connector 50, the locking arm 33 engages with the locking portion 61 of the mating connector 50, causing the locking arm 33 to elastically deform downward. A portion of the locking arm 33 may elastically deform downward and enter the receiving space 43 of the detection member 40 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Furthermore, after the mating of the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 is complete, when the detection member 40 is moved from the second position to the third position, a portion of the locking arm 33 may enter the receiving space 43 (see FIG. 6). This configuration allows the dimension of the locking arm 33 in the second direction to be kept small while avoiding interference between the locking arm 33 and the detection member 40.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 11 , the detection member 40 includes two side plates 44 disposed on either side of the main body 41, and a locking projection 45 projecting from each side plate 44 in a direction away from the main body 41 in the left-right direction. The front portions of the side plates 44 are elastically deformable in the left-right direction relative to the main body 41. The locking projection 45 is disposed at the front end of the side plate 44. As shown in FIG. 12 , the locking projection 45 has a first surface 45A disposed in approximately the lower one-third of the vertical length and a second surface 45B disposed in approximately the upper two-thirds of the vertical length. The first surface 45A and the second surface 45B are disposed behind the locking projection 45. As shown in FIG. 15 , the first surface 45A engages with the locking surface 27A of the first locking portion 27 of the housing 20. 17, a lower portion of the second surface 45B engages with the engaging surface 28A of the second engaging portion 28 of the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 18, an upper portion of the second surface 45B engages with the engaging surface 29A of the third engaging portion 29 of the housing 20.

[0041] 15 , the first surface 45A is inclined rearward as it moves away from the side plate portion 44 in the left-right direction. That is, approximately the lower third of the locking protrusion 45 has a shape that overhangs rearward. As described above, the first locking portion 27 also has a shape that overhangs forward. Therefore, the lock between the first surface 45A of the locking protrusion 45 and the locking surface 27A of the first locking portion 27 is particularly difficult to disengage, thereby increasing the holding force of the detection member 40 in the first position.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 12 , the detection member 40 includes a first guide protrusion 46 and a second guide protrusion 47 that protrude from the rear end of each side plate 44 in the left-right direction away from the main body 41, and a third guide protrusion 48 that protrudes downward from the bottom end of the main body 41. The first guide protrusion 46 is disposed above the second guide protrusion 47. As shown in Fig. 14 , the first guide protrusion 46 is in sliding contact with the locking plate 26 and the pressing portion 30. The second guide protrusion 47 is in sliding contact with the first guide recess 31. The third guide protrusion 48 is in sliding contact with the second guide recess 32. The sliding contact between these members guides the movement of the detection member 40 in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 20.

[0043] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The connector 10 according to the embodiment is a connector 10 that can be mated with a mating connector 50, and includes a housing 20 having a cavity 22 extending in a first direction (front-rear direction), a terminal 11 disposed in the cavity 22, and a detection member 40 assembled to the housing 20 so as to be movable in the first direction between a first position, a second position, and a third position. The housing 20 includes a lance 23 disposed in the cavity 22 and elastically deformable in a second direction (up-down direction) perpendicular to the first direction, and an opening 24 exposing the lance 23 to one side (upward) in the second direction. 4, and when the detection member 40 is in the first position, the lance 23 interferes with the terminal 11 during the process of inserting the terminal 11 into the cavity 22, allowing it to elastically deform to one side in the second direction and enter the opening 24, and when the detection member 40 is in the second position, the detection member 40 is arranged close to a position facing the lance 23 in the second direction via the opening 24, and restricts the lance 23 from elastically deforming to one side in the second direction, and the detection member 40 becomes movable from the second position to the third position when the mating connector 50 and the housing 20 are fully mated.

[0044] With this configuration, the detection member 40 can detect mating and also perform secondary locking of the terminals 11, eliminating the need for a separate retainer. In other words, the number of parts in the connector 10 can be reduced compared to the conventional configuration.

[0045] (2) In the embodiment, the housing 20 comprises a locking plate portion 26 and a first locking portion 27, a second locking portion 28, and a third locking portion 29 protruding from the locking plate portion 26, the first locking portion 27 holds the detection member 40 in a first position, the second locking portion 28 holds the detection member 40 in a second position, and the third locking portion 29 holds the detection member 40 in a third position, and the first locking portion 27 has a larger protruding dimension L1 from the locking plate portion 26 compared to the second locking portion 28 and the third locking portion 29.

[0046] This configuration can increase the holding force of the detection member 40 at the first position. Also, it can reduce the force required to move the detection member 40 from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the third position. Note that when assembling the detection member 40 at the first position, for example, an automatic insertion machine can be used.

[0047] (3) In the embodiment, the housing 20 comprises a housing main body 21 having a cavity 22 and an opening 24, a locking plate portion 26 extending from the housing main body 21 to one side in the second direction, and a first locking portion 27, a second locking portion 28, and a third locking portion 29 protruding from the locking plate portion 26 in a third direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, wherein the first locking portion 27 holds the detection member 40 in the first position, the second locking portion 28 holds the detection member 40 in the second position, and the third locking portion 29 holds the detection member 40 in the third position, and the first locking portion 27 is arranged at the end (lower end) of the locking plate portion 26 on the other side in the second direction and is connected to the housing main body 21.

[0048] With this configuration, the detection member 40 is prevented from shifting to the other side (downward) in the second direction, making it less likely for the detection member 40 to come loose from the engagement with the first engagement portion 27, thereby increasing the holding force of the detection member 40 in the first position.

[0049] (4) In the embodiment, the detection member 40 has a main body 41, two detection arms 42 extending from the main body 41 in a first direction, and a receiving space 43 defined by the two detection arms 42 and the main body 41. The housing 20 has two interference portions 25 that interfere with the two detection arms 42 when the detection member 40 is in the second position and the mating of the mating connector 50 and the housing 20 is incomplete. When the detection member 40 is in the second position and the mating of the mating connector 50 and the housing 20 is complete, the two detection arms 42 interfere with the mating connector 50 and elastically deform in the second direction, resulting in an arrangement in which the two detection arms 42 and the two interference portions 25 do not interfere with each other. When the detection member 40 is in the first position, the receiving space 43 and the opening 24 are connected, allowing the lance 23 to enter the receiving space 43.

[0050] (5) In the embodiment, the housing 20 comprises a housing body 21 having a cavity 22 and an opening 24, and a locking arm 33 extending from the housing body 21, and the locking arm 33 enters the receiving space 43 during the mating process between the mating connector 50 and the housing 20 when the detection member 40 is in the second position.

[0051] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the dimension of the lock arm 33 in the second direction while avoiding interference between the detection member 40 and the lock arm 33 .

[0052] (6) The connector device 1 according to the embodiment includes the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 that can be fitted to the housing 20 .

[0053] (Other Embodiments) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the terminal 11 includes the insulating member 13 and the shielding member 14. However, the terminal does not necessarily have to include the insulating member and the shielding member.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the lance 23 has a protrusion 23B, but the shape of the lance may be different from that of the above embodiment as long as the lance interferes with the detection member, thereby restricting the elastic deformation of the lance and enabling secondary locking of the terminal.

[0056] 1: Connector device 10: Connector 11: Terminal 12: Cylindrical terminal 13: Insulating member 14: Shield member 14A: Locking portion 20: Housing 21: Housing body 22: Cavity 23: Lance 23A: Lance body 23B: Convex portion 24: Opening 25: Interference portion 26: Locking plate portion 26A: Inner surface 27: First locking portion 27A: Locking surface 28: Second locking portion 28A: Locking surface 29: Third locking portion 29A: Locking surface 30: Pressing portion 31: First guide recess 32: Second guide recess 33: Locking arm 33A: Locking arm body 33B: Locking protrusion 40: Detection member 41: Body portion 42: Detection arm 42A: Contact portion 42B: Engagement portion 43: Receiving space 44: Side plate portion 45: Locking protrusion 45A: First surface 45B: Second surface 46: First guide protrusion 47: Second guide protrusion 48: Third guide protrusion 50: Mating connector 51: Mating terminal 52: Pin terminal 52A: Terminal connection portion 52B: Board connection portion 53: Insulating member 54: Shielding member 54A: Fitting cylinder portion 54B: Insulator surrounding portion 54C: Leg portion 60: Mating housing 61: Lock portion 62: Releasing portion L1: Protrusion dimension L2: Protrusion dimension L3: Protrusion dimension

Claims

1. A connector that can be mated with a mating connector, comprising: a housing having a cavity extending in a first direction; a terminal arranged in the cavity; and a detection member assembled to the housing so as to be movable in the first direction between a first position, a second position, and a third position, wherein the housing is formed with a lance arranged in the cavity and elastically deformable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an opening exposing the lance to one side in the second direction, wherein when the detection member is in the first position, the lance interferes with the terminal during the process of inserting the terminal into the cavity, allowing the lance to elastically deform to one side in the second direction and enter the opening, and when the detection member is in the second position, the detection member is arranged adjacent to a position opposite the lance via the opening in the second direction and restricts the lance from elastically deforming to one side in the second direction, and the detection member is movable from the second position to the third position when the mating connector and the housing are fully mated.

2. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a locking plate portion and a first locking portion, a second locking portion, and a third locking portion protruding from the locking plate portion, the first locking portion holds the detection member in the first position, the second locking portion holds the detection member in the second position, and the third locking portion holds the detection member in the third position, and the first locking portion has a larger protruding dimension from the locking plate portion compared to the second locking portion and the third locking portion.

3. A connector as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a housing main body having the cavity and the opening, a locking plate portion extending from the housing main body to one side in the second direction, and a first locking portion, a second locking portion, and a third locking portion protruding from the locking plate portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, wherein the first locking portion holds the detection member in the first position, the second locking portion holds the detection member in the second position, and the third locking portion holds the detection member in the third position, and the first locking portion is arranged at the end of the locking plate portion on the other side in the second direction and is connected to the housing main body.

4. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein the detection member has a main body, two detection arms extending from the main body in the first direction, and a receiving space defined by the two detection arms and the main body, and the housing has two interference portions that interfere with the two detection arms when the detection member is in the second position and the mating of the mating connector and the housing is incomplete, and when the detection member is in the second position and the mating of the mating connector and the housing is complete, the two detection arms interfere with the mating connector and elastically deform in the second direction, resulting in a configuration where the two detection arms and the two interference portions do not interfere with each other, and when the detection member is in the first position, the receiving space and the opening are connected, allowing the lance to enter the receiving space.

5. A connector as described in claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a housing main body having the cavity and the opening, and a locking arm extending from the housing main body, and the locking arm enters the receiving space during the mating process between the mating connector and the housing when the detection member is in the second position.

6. A connector device comprising: the connector according to claim 1 or 2; and a mating connector that can be fitted to the housing.

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