Abstract:
A first connector housing has a first flexible arm member formed with a hole. A second connector housing has a projection adapted to be engaged with the hole in a case where the second connector housing is fitted with the first connector housing in a first direction. A fitting detection member is attached with the first connector housing such that the first connector housing is movable in the first direction between a first position and a second position. The fitting detection member has a second flexible arm member adapted to be engaged with the first flexible arm member to retain the first connector housing at the first position. The engagement between the first flexible arm member and the second flexible arm member is released to allow the first connector housing to move to the second position, in a case where the first flexible arm member is flexed when the first connector housing is placed at the first position. The engagement between the projection and the hole is released only in a case where the first flexible arm member is flexed when the first connector housing is placed at the second position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a connector for detecting an incomplete fitting state when male and female connector housings are fitted to each other. 
   Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-67348A discloses a connector preventive of incomplete fitting as shown in FIG.  9 . In male and female connector housings  60  and  70  constituting a connector, the male connector housing  60  is attached to a door panel in a standby state that the male connector housing  60  is projected via a holder  81  made of a synthetic resin. The female connector housing  70  is detachably fitted with the male connector housing  60  at the standby state. 
   The holder  81  is constituted by a cylindrical member  82  formed substantially in a shape of a quadrangular cylinder by upper and lower walls  82   a  and  82   b  and left and right side walls  82   c  and  82   d , and a bracket  83  formed by being integrally projected from a side of the lower wall  82   b  of the cylindrical member  82 . 
   A pair of slits  84  are formed at a center of each of the left and right side walls  82   c  and  82   d , and an L-shaped flexible arm  85  is formed by being integrally projected from between each pair of slits  84 . A projection  86  having a trapezoidal cross section is formed by being integrally projected from an inner side of a front end of each of the pair of flexible arms  85  and a slope face is formed at a portion rearward from each of the projections  86 . 
   A pair of stoppers  87  for restricting a frontward projection amount of the male connector housing  60  are formed by being integrally projected from centers on front edge sides of inner faces of the upper and the lower walls  82   a  and  82   b.    
   Further, a clearance is provided over an entire periphery between the cylindrical member  82  of the holder  81 , and a hood  61  of the male connector housing  60 , such that the male connector housing  60  is slidably supported at the inside of the cylindrical member  82 . That is, when the fitting of the male connector housing  60  and the female connector housing  70  is completed, these connector housings  60  and  70  are slid toward the door panel (the bracket  83  ) at the inside of the holder  81 . 
   The male connector housing  60  is constituted by: a housing  62  having a plurality of chambers  62   a  for containing female terminals; and the hood  61  covering the housing  62 . A base portion of the housing  62  is integrated to a base portion of the hood  61  by press-fitting or the like in an aligned state. The hood  61  is formed substantially in a shape of a quadrangular cylinder by side walls to serve as a guide for the holder  81  and the female connector housing  70 . 
   A pair of slits are formed at centers of the left and right side walls of the hood  61  and a flexible retaining piece  68  is integrally formed in each of the pair of slits. Each flexible retaining piece  68  has a hole  67  to which the projection  86  of each flexible arm  85  of the holder  81  is detachably engaged. A width of each flexible retaining piece  68  is set to be larger than a width of the projection  86  so that the respective flexible retaining pieces  68  are made to be contactable to the side walls  82   c  and  82   d  at vicinities of the respective flexible arms  85 . 
   When the projections  86  of the respective flexible arms  85  are engaged with the holes  67  of the respective flexible retaining pieces  68 , the male connector housing  60  is projected from the holder  81  by a predetermined length as a standby state for fitting with the female connector housing  70 . That is, by engaging the projections  86  with the holes  67 , the retract movement of the male connector housing  60  relative to the holder  81  is restricted, so that the standby position becomes a position for the fitting or detaching operation of the male and female connector housings  60  and  70 . 
   The female connector housing  70  is a block-shaped member in which a rear side of a base portion  71  is formed with a plurality of chambers  71   a  for containing male terminals, and a front side thereof is formed by being integrally projected from the base portion  71  to constitute a hood portion  72  in a shape of a quadrangular cylinder exposing the respective male terminals. The hood portion  72  of the female connector housing  70  is inserted between the housing  62  and the hood  61  of the male connector housing  60  in fitting the male and female connector housings  60  and  70  to thereby electrically connect the respective terminals of the male and female connector housings  60  and  70 . 
   At a front center portion of each outer side face of the hood portion  72 , a projection  73  is integrally formed so as to have a triangular cylinder shape such that a front side and a rear side are formed as slope faces  73   a  and  73   b , respectively. 
   In such a configuration, the standby state of the male connector housing  60  is maintained by the engagement between the projections  86  of the flexible arms  85  in the holder  81  and the holes  67  of the retaining pieces  68  in the male connector, as an initial state of the fitting operation. During the fitting operation of the connector housings  60  and  70 , the projections  73  of the female connector housing  70  urge the retaining pieces  68  of the male terminal  60  so as to elastically deform outward, thereby securing the engagement between the projections  86  and the holes  67 . 
   When the female connector housing  70  is completely fitted with the male connector housing  60 , the projections  73  enter into the holes  67  to release the engagement between the projections  86  and holes  67 . After then, the integrated connector housings  60  and  70  slide downward at the inside of the holder  81  to complete an attaching operation of a switch unit onto the door panel. 
   However, in the above configuration, when the connector housings  60  and  70  are disengaged by disengaging the projections  73  of the female connector housing  70  from the holes  67  of the male connector housing  60 , the male connector housing  60  is not always duly returned to the standby position thereof. That is, in a case where the connector housings  60  and  70  are subjected to a refitting operation, the standby state of the male connector housing  60  is not assured. Accordingly, an operator has to place the male connector housing  60  at the standby position, so that workability becomes worse. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a connector preventive of incomplete fitting, in which a pre-fitting state is assured when connector housings are subjected to a refitting operation in order to promote the workability. 
   In order to achieve the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a connector, comprising: 
   a first connector housing, comprising a first flexible arm member formed with a hole; 
   a second connector housing, comprising a projection adapted to be engaged with the hole in a case where the second connector housing is fitted with the first connector housing in a first direction; and 
   a fitting detection member, attached with the first connector housing such that the first connector housing is movable in the first direction between a first position and a second position, the fitting detection member comprising a second flexible arm member adapted to be engaged with the first flexible arm member to retain the first connector housing at the first position, wherein: 
   the engagement between the first flexible arm member and the second flexible arm member is released to allow the first connector housing to move to the second position, in a case where the first flexible arm member is flexed when the first connector housing is placed at the first position; and 
   the engagement between the projection and the hole is released only in a case where the first flexible arm member is flexed when the first connector housing is placed at the second position. 
   In such a configuration, the engagement between the first connector housing and the fitting detection member is released by flexing the first flexible arm member, in a case where the first connector housing is placed at the first position. The engagement between the first connector housing and the second connector housing is released by flexing the first flexible arm member, only in a case where the first connector housing is placed at the second position. 
   Therefore, when the first connector housing and the second connector housing are subjected to a refitting operation, the first connector housing is always placed at the second, standby position. Since the additional operation for placing the first connector housing at the standby position, the workability can be promoted. 
   Here, it is preferable that: a rib member is provided on the fitting detection member and adapted to be abutted against the first flexible arm member to restrict a flexible amount of the first flexible arm member such an extent that only the engagement between the first flexible arm member and the second flexible arm member, in a case where the first connector housing is placed at the first position; and the first flexible arm member is formed with a recess adapted to receive the rib member to enlarge the flexible amount of the first flexible member only in a case where the first connector housing is placed at the second position. 
   In such a configuration, the engagement between the first connector housing and the second connector housing cannot be released. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a female connector housing in a connector according to one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the female connector housing; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a fitting detection member in the connector; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the connector showing a state that the female connector housing is completely fitted with a male connector housing; 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the connector showing a state that a flexible lock arm of the female connector housing is actuated in the state shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the connector showing a state that the female connector housing is provisionally fitted with the male connector housing; 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the connector showing a state that the flexible lock arm is actuated in the state shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the connector showing a state that the female connector housing is disengaged from the male connector housing; and 
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view of a related-art connector preventive of incomplete fitting. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   One preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
   A connector  10  according to the invention is constituted by a female connector housing  20  having a flexible lock arm  21 , a fitting detection member  30  having a flexible locking arm  31 , and a male connector housing  40  having a lock beak  41  is fitted. The male connector housing  40  is fitted between the female connector housing  20  and the fitting detection member  30 . 
   As shown in FIG.  1  and  FIG. 4 , the female connector housing  20  is provided with a cylindrical main body  22  formed with chambers  24  for holding a pair of female terminals  23 . The main body  22  is mounted with a front holder  26  from a front side via an O ring  25 . Two pairs of guide projections  27  are projected from side portions of the main body  22 . 
   The flexible lock arm  21  is arranged at an upper face of the main body  22  and extended to frontward and rearward directions from an upper end of a stay portion  28  along a fitting direction of the main body  22 . The stay portion  28  is erected substantially at a center of the upper face of the main body  22  so that the flexible lock arm  21  is capable of being displaced in a seesaw manner with the stay portion  28  as a fulcrum. 
   A locking hole  21   a  is formed on a front end side in the fitting direction of the flexible lock arm  21 . When the female connector housing  20  is disposed at an initial fitting position (i.e., the claimed second position), the flexible locking arm  31  provided at the fitting detection member  30  is fitted into the locking hole  21   a  from above. Further, when the female connector housing  20  is disposed at a complete fitting position (i.e., the claimed first position), the lock beak  41  of the male connector housing  40  is fitted into the locking hole  21   a  from below. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , a pair of projections  21   b  are formed on a rear end side of the fitting direction of the flexible lock arm  21 . The projections  21   b  are configured to engage with a pair of engaging portions  33  formed at the fitting detection member  30  (described later) when the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position with respect to the male connector housing  40 . In this condition, the slide movement of the female connector housing  20  is restricted to maintain the complete fitting state. 
   On the other hand, the projections  21   b  are disengaged from the engaging portions  33  when an operation member  21   c  arranged on a side opposed to the locking hole  21   a  of the flexible lock arm  21  is pressed downward in a case where the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position. In this condition, the slide movement of the female connector housing  20  is allowed to cancel the complete fitting state. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , a pair of recessed portions  21   d  are formed at side portions of the flexible lock arms  21 . The recessed portions  21   d  are provided to disengage the lock beak  41  of the connector housing  40  from the locking hole  21   a  while increasing a flexed amount of the flexible lock arms  21  by receiving ribs  36  formed at the fitting detection member  30 . When the operation member  21   c  of the flexible lock arm  21  is pressed downward in a case where the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the initial position (provisional fitting state), the lock beak  41  is disengaged from the locking hole  21   a  with the assist of the recessed portions  21   d.    
   The recessed portions  21   d  are arranged so as to face the ribs  36  of the fitting detection member  30  only when the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the initial position. When the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position, the recessed portions  21   d  are not faced the ribs  36 . Therefore, even when the operation member  21   c  of the flexible lock arms  21  are pressed downward at the complete fitting position of the female connector housing  20 , an upper face of the flexible lock arm  21  other than the recessed portions  21   d  impinge on the ribs  36 . 
   Thereby, the flexed amount the flexible lock arm  21  is restricted to be small so that the lock beak  41  of the male connector housing  40  cannot be disengaged from the locking hole  21   a.    
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fitting detection member  30  is provided with a cylindrical main body  32  configured to be fitted to an outer periphery of the female connector housing  20  to cover the main body  22 . The pair of engaging portions  33  are formed at a rear end portion of the main body  32 . 
   An inner peripheral face of the main body  32  is formed with guide grooves  34  in correspondence with the guide projections  27  of the female connector housing  20 . The guide grooves  34  are inserted with the guide projections  27  so that the relative sliding movement between the female connector housing  20  and the fitting detection member  30  is smoothly carried out without a positional shift therebetween. 
   The flexible locking arm  31  is arranged at a ceiling portion  35  of the main body  32  so as to be flexible in up and down directions of FIG.  3 . An inner peripheral portion of the ceiling portion  35  is formed with the pair of ribs  36 . 
   The ribs  36  restrict the flexed amount of the flexible lock arms  21  to be small when the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position. To the contrary, the ribs  36  are received by the recessed portions  21   d  of the flexible lock arm  21  when the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the initial position, to considerably enlarge the flexed amount of the flexible lock arm  21 . 
   Next, an explanation will be given of movement of respective portions when operation of releasing fitting is carried out from a fitting state of the connector  10  with reference to FIG.  4  through FIG.  8 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , in the state of fitting the male and female connector housings  20  and  40 , the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position, the lock beak  41  of the male connector housing  40  is fitted into the locking hole  21   a  of the flexible lock arm  21 , and the flexible locking arm  31  of the fitting detection member  30  is locked by a front end portion of the flexible lock arm  21 . 
   Further, by engaging the projections  21   b  of the female connector housing  20  with the engaging portions  33  of the fitting detection member  30 , the female connector housing  20  is held at the complete fitting position. The male terminals  42  contained in the male connector housing  40  are electrically connected to the female terminals  23  at the inside of the female connector housing  20 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , in a state where the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position, when the operation member  21   c  of the flexible lock arms  21  is pressed downward, the flexible lock arm  21  is flexed and the projections  21   b  are disengaged from the engaging portions  33 . At this occasion, the flexible locking arm  31  is detached from the outer end portion of the flexible lock arm  21  so that the engagement between the female connector housing  20  and the fitting detection member  30  is released. 
   However, since the recessed portions  21   d  are not facing the ribs  36  of the fitting detection member  30 , upper faces of the flexible lock arm  21  impinge at the ribs  36 , the flexed amount of the flexible lock arm  21  is restricted to be small so that the lock beak  41  of the male connector housing  40  cannot be disengaged from the locking holes  21   a.    
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , by pressing the flexible lock arm  21 , the projections  21   b  are disengaged from the engaging portions  33  while the lock beaks  41  of the male connector housing  40  are not disengaged from the locking holes  21   a . At this occasion, the flexible locking arm  31  is disengaged from the front end portion of the flexible lock arm  21  so that the fitting detection member  30  is slid to the right direction of FIG.  6  and the female connector housing  20  is set to the initial position at which the front holder  25  is projected from the front end portion of the fitting detection member  30 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the female connector housing  20  is set to the initial position while the lock beak  41  is not disengaged from the locking hole  21   a , the operation member  21   c  of the flexible lock arm  21  is pressed again. At this occasion, since the recessed portions  21   d  of the flexible lock arms  21  are facing the ribs  36  of the fitting detection member  30 , the ribs  36  are contained in the recessed portions  21   d.    
   Thereby, the flexed amount the flexible lock arm  21  is considerably enlarged so that the lock beak  41  is disengaged from the locking hole  21   a.    
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , after setting the female connector housing  20  to the initial position, by pressing the operation member  21   c  of the flexible lock arm  21  again, the lock beak  41  is disengaged from the locking hole  21   a  to release the fitting. The male terminals  42  of the male connector housing  40  and the female terminals  23  of the female connector housing  20  are electrically disconnected from each other. 
   As described above, according to the embodiment, the male connector housing  40  cannot be released unless the female connector housing  20  disposed at the complete fitting position is temporarily recovered to the initial position. 
   Further, since the female connector housing  20  can firmly be recovered to the initial position when the flexible lock arm  21  is pressed once, it is not necessary to carry out fitting operation by optical observation of the operator and it is not also necessary to carry out additional operation of firmly returning the female connector housing  20  to the initial fitting position by the operator. 
   According to the embodiment, in a case where the female connector housing  20  is disposed at the complete fitting position and the flexible lock arms  21  are flexed, the projections  21   b  of the female connector housing  20  are disengaged from the engaging portions  33  of the fitting detection member  30 . Thereby, the female connector housing  20  is permitted to move to the initial fitting position, however, since the flexed amount the flexible lock arms  21  is restricted to be small by the ribs  36  of the fitting detection member  30 , the male connector housing  40  cannot be released from being locked. 
   At this occasion, by flexing again the flexible lock arms  21  relative to the female connector housing  20  disposed at the initial fitting position, the flexed amount of the flexible lock arms  21  is enlarged by the recessed portions  21   d  receiving the ribs  36 . Thereby, the lock beak  41  of the male connector housing  40  is released from the flexible lock arm  21  to thereby cancel the fitting. 
   Therefore, since the female connector housing  20  can firmly be returned to the initial fitting position from the complete fitting position, the initial position of the female connector housing  20  is guaranteed upon the refitting operation. 
   Further, since the operator does not need to manually move the female connector housing  20  to the initial fitting position, the workability in the refitting operation can be promoted. 
   Further, the connector according to the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment but can pertinently be modified or improved. For example, numbers and arrangement of the female terminals and the male terminals are not limited to single pairs. Plural pairs of the terminals may be provided. 
   Further, the shape of the ribs  36  is not limited to one as illustrated, but the rib may be constituted such that an outer face thereof is curved or tapered adequately. Further, the shape of the recessed portion is not limited to one as illustrated, but may preferably be formed in correspondence with the shape of the rib.