Loc-equipped connector

• US 7,591,664 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
• Inventors: Nomiyama, Toru, Hashiguchi, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Phuong K
• Application Number:
  US12/253,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20090130876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 439/352, 439/353, 439/357, 439/358
• US Class Current: 439/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence

Abstract

A lock-equipped connector capable of preventing plastic deformation of a spring section of a locking member even when the connector is made compact in size. The locking member has a pair of arms extending in a fitting/removing direction of the connector, a connecting portion that connects the arms, a spring section, and engaging nails formed on the arms. The spring section has a first spring portion extending from the connecting portion in the fitting/removing direction, a second and a third spring portions extending from an end of the first spring portion opposite from the connecting portion side in a manner folded back toward one side and the other side of the connecting portion, respectively. A first and second fixing portions are connected to the second and third spring portions, respectively, and are fixed to the housing.

Claims

1. A lock-equipped connector, comprising:

a housing including a fitting section that is generally plate-shaped, and is fitted to a mating connector, said housing holding a plurality of contacts; and

a locking member including a pair of arm portions that are arranged at laterally opposite ends of said fitting section, and extend in directions of fitting and removing the connector to and from the mating connector, a connecting portion that connects said pair of arm portions to each other, a spring section that is connected to an approximately central part of said connecting portion, for urging said pair of arm portions toward the mating connector, and an engaging portion that is formed on at least one of said pair of arm portions, for being engaged with the mating connector in a direction of height of said fitting section, said spring section including a first spring portion that extends in the directions of fitting and removing the connector to and from the mating connector, a second spring portion that extends from an end of said first spring portion opposite from a connecting portion-side end of said first spring portion in a manner folded back toward one of said pair of arm portions connected by said connecting portion, a third spring portion that extends from the end of said first spring portion opposite from the connecting portion-side end of said first spring portion in a manner folded back toward the other of said pair of arm portions connected by said connecting portion, a first fixing portion that is connected to said second spring portion, and is fixed to said housing, and a second fixing portion that is connected to said third spring portion, and is fixed to said housing.

2. A lock-equipped connector as claimed in claim 1, including a shell for covering said housing,

wherein said shell is provided with an engaging portion-receiving recess for receiving said engaging portion upward.

3. A lock-equipped connector as claimed in claim 1, including a hood for covering said shell except for a portion of said shell, said portion covering said fitting section.

4. A lock-equipped connector as claimed in claim 2, including a hood for covering said shell except for a portion of said shell, said portion covering said fitting section.

5. A lock-equipped connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said connecting section has a protrusion formed on the approximately central part thereof such that said protrusion extends in the direction of height of said fitting section,

wherein said shell is formed with a protrusion receiving recess for receiving a foremost end of said protrusion upward, and

wherein said hood is formed with an operating section for pushing said protrusion into said shell.