Abstract:
A connector reduced in dimension in a front-rear direction by reducing the distance between an operating portion of an operation member and hooking portions of a locking member. The locking member maintains a state of a housing fitted to a mating housing, and includes a body, hooking portions provided at respective free end-side portions of the body, for being hooked to the mating housing to thereby maintain the fitted state, and a transmission portion for transmitting a force to move the operation member toward the rear of the housing, to the body, to thereby displace the hooking portions away from the mating housing. The operation member includes an operating portion for applying the force to the transmission portion. These portions are each formed with a flat surface inclined in a manner approaching the housing as it extends toward the rear of the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a connector. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , there has been proposed a plug connector  910  comprised of a connector housing  912 , as actuator  960 , and a latch arm  942  (see Japanese Translation of PCT International Application Publication No. 2009-543296). 
     The connector housing  912  includes a front part  920  and a body  928 . A top surface  930  of the body  928  is at a location higher than a top surface  924  of the front part  920 , and an inclined surface  940  which is inclined toward the top surface  924  of the front part  920  is provided at a front-side portion of a bottom portion  934  of the top surface  930  of the body  928 . 
     The actuator  960  is disposed on the top surface  930  of the body  928  in a manner slidable in a front-rear direction of the connector housing  912 . An end portion  954  at a front-side portion of the actuator  960  is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape. 
     One end of the latch arm  942  is fixed to a rear portion of the top surface  930  of the body  928 . A free end portion of the latch arm  942  is provided with hooks  956  which can be hooked into slits  957  of a guide frame  922  which surrounds a mating receptacle connector (not shown). 
     A free end-side portion of the latch arm  942  is provided with an inclined segment  952  which is inclined toward the top surface  924  of the front part  920 . The inclined segment  952  and the inclined surface  940  of the body  928  of the connector housing  912  are substantially parallel to each other, and a space for accommodating the end portion  954  of the actuator  960  is formed between the inclined segment  952  and the inclined surface  940 . 
     When a rear end portion of the actuator  960  is pulled backward, the end portion  954  of the actuator  960  is slid upward along the inclined surface  940  of the body  928 , and pushes a middle portion  948  of the latch arm  942 . As a result, the latch arm  942  is elastically deformed upward, and the hooks  956  are removed from the slits  957  of the guide frame  922 , whereby the connector housing  912  and the mating receptacle connector are released from the locked state. 
     As described above, since the latch arm  942  is provided with the inclined segment  952 , it is difficult to reduce the distance between the hooks  956  of the latch arm  942  and the end portion  954  of the actuator  960 . 
     This causes a problem that a dimension of the plug connector  910  in the front-rear direction is increased. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce a dimension of a connector in a front-rear direction by making it possible to reduce the distance between an operating portion of an operation member and a hooking portion of a locking member. 
     To attain the above object, the present invention provides a connector including a housing that can be fitted to a mating connector, a locking member mounted on the housing, for maintaining the housing in a state fitted to the mating connector, and an operation member mounted on the housing in a manner movable along a front-rear direction of the housing, for operating the locking member such that a locked state in which the fitted state of the housing to the mating connector is maintained is released, wherein the locking member comprises a locking member body that is mounted on the housing in a cantilever manner, a fixing portion that is provided at a fixed end-side portion of the locking member body, and is fixed to the housing, a hooking portion provided at a free end-side portion of the locking member body, for being hooked to the mating connector to thereby maintain the locked state, and a transmission portion provided between the fixing portion and the hooking portion of the locking member body, for transmitting a force to move the operation member toward a rear of the housing, which is a direction away from the mating connector, to the locking member body, causing elastic deformation of the locking member body, thereby displacing the hooking portion in a direction away from the mating connector, to release the locked state, wherein the operation member comprises an operating portion that applies the force to move the operation member toward the rear of the housing to the transmission portion, and wherein at least one of a portion of the transmission portion, which is brought into contact with the operating portion, and a portion of the operating portion, which is brought into contact with the transmission portion, is formed with a surface inclined in a manner approaching the housing as the surface extends toward the rear of the housing. 
     Preferably, the surface is a flat surface. 
     Preferably, the locking member is integrally formed by bending a plate-shaped member. 
     Preferably, the operation member includes a pulling portion for pulling the operating portion toward the rear of the housing. 
     More preferably, the operation member includes a connection portion that connects the operating portion and the pulling portion, and the connection portion is formed with an accommodating space for accommodating part of the transmission portion. 
     Further preferably, the operating portion, the connection portion, and the pulling portion are integrally formed of the same material. 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the distance between the operating portion of the operation member and the hooking portions of the locking member, and hence it is possible to reduce a dimension of the connector in the front-rear direction. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of part A appearing in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector shown in  FIG. 1  is locked to a mating connector. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector shown in  FIG. 1  is released from the state locked to the mating connector. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional plug connector. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the plug connector shown in  FIG. 8  inserted in a mating receptacle connector, illustrating one of hooks of a latch member hooked to a guide frame accommodating the receptacle connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing preferred embodiments thereof. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a connector  10  is connected to a cable  75 . The connector  10  can be fitted to a mating connector (only a mating housing  80  of the mating connector is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ) mounted on e.g. a printed substrate (not shown). 
     The connector  10  is comprised of a housing  30  which can be fitted to the mating housing  80  of the mating connector, a locking member  50  for maintaining a state of the housing  30  fitted to the mating housing  80 , an operation member  60  for operating the locking member  50  such that a locked state in which the state fitted of the housing  30  to the mating housing  80  is maintained is released, and a printed substrate  70  supported by the housing  30 . The operation member  60  is mounted on the housing  30  in a manner movable in a front-rear direction DFB of the housing  30 . 
     The housing  30  is formed by an upper housing divided body  31  and a lower housing divided body  33 . The upper housing divided body  31  and the lower housing divided body  33  are each made of metal, and hence have an electromagnetic shield function. 
     The upper housing divided body  31  includes an upper wall portion  311  and a pair of side wall portions  314 . The upper wall portion  311  is formed with a recessed portion  311 A. Disposed in the recessed portion  311 A is a front-side portion of the operation member  60  including an operating portion  62 , referred to hereinafter. 
     One of the side wall portions  314  is formed on one lateral side of the upper wall portion  311 , and the other of the side wall portions  314  is formed on the other lateral side of the upper wall portion  311 . 
     A rear end portion of the upper housing divided body  31  has an inner surface formed with a cable holding portion  315  (see  FIG. 4 ). A front end portion of each side wall portion  314  has an inner surface formed with a substrate retaining portion  316 . The upper wall portion  311  has a top surface formed with two columnar rivets  318 . Opposite side portions of the top surface of the upper wall portion  311  are formed with a pair of plate-shaped covering walls  317 , each of which rises from the top surface, perpendicularly thereto. The pair of covering walls  317  are arranged in a manner sandwiching a rear-side portion of the upper wall portion  311  from a right-left direction DRL of the housing  30 . Each covering wall  317  has a front end portion, formed with a stopper surface  317 A which is perpendicular to the top surface of the upper wall portion  311 . The stopper surfaces  317 A receive retaining protrusions  64 , referred to hereinafter, and restricts the backward movement of the operation member  60 . 
     The lower housing divided body  33  includes a lower wall portion  331  and a pair of side wall portions  332 . One of the side wall portions  332  is formed on one lateral side of the lower wall portion  331 , and the other of the side wall portions  332  is formed on the other lateral side of the lower wall portion  331 . 
     A rear end portion of the lower housing divided body  33  has an inner surface formed with a cable holding portion  333 . A front end portion of each side wall portion  332  has an inner surface formed with a substrate supporting portion  334 . 
     The locking member  50  includes a locking member body  51  which extends in the front-rear direction DFB, a fixing portion  52  located at a fixed end-side portion of the locking member body  51 , a pair of hook-shaped hooking portions  53  located at respective free end-side portions of the locking member body  51 , and a plate-shaped transmission portion  54 . In the present embodiment, the locking member body  51 , the fixing portion  52 , the hooking portions  53 , and the transmission portion  54  are integrally formed by blanking and bending a metal plate. 
     The locking member body  51  is mounted on the housing  30  in a cantilever manner. The fixing portion  52  is formed with two holes  52 A (see  FIG. 2 ) through which the two rivets  318  are inserted. The hooking portions  53  are hooked to the mating housing  80 . The transmission portion  54  is formed between the fixing portion  52  and the hooking portions  53  of the locking member body  51 . The transmission portion  54  has a flat surface (surface)  54 A. In the present embodiment, an angle θ 1  (see  FIG. 5 ) formed between the flat surface  54 A and the front-rear direction DFB is approximately 135 degrees. 
     The operation member  60  includes the operating portion  62  that applies a force to move the operation member  60  toward the rear of the housing  30  to the transmission portion  54  of the locking member  50 , a pulling portion  63  for pulling the operating portion  62  toward the rear of the housing  30 , a connection portion  61  that connects the operating portion  62  and the pulling portion  63 , and the pair of retaining protrusions  64  formed on the opposite side surfaces of the operating portion  62 . 
     The connection portion  61  is formed with an accommodating recess (accommodating space)  61 A for accommodating a lower end portion of the transmission portion  54 . The accommodating recess  61 A is located rearward of the operating portion  62 . The operating portion  62  has a flat surface (surface)  62 A which can be brought into contact with the flat surface  54 A of the transmission portion  54 . In the present embodiment, an angle θ 2  (see  FIG. 5 ) formed between the flat surface  62 A and the front-rear direction DFB is approximately 45 degrees. 
     The connection portion  61  has opposite side surfaces each formed with a cutout  61 B (see  FIG. 2 ). The cutouts  61 B prevent the rivets  318  from interfering with the connection portion  61  when the operation member  60  moves along the front-rear direction DFB. 
     The pulling portion  63  protrudes rearward from the housing  30 . 
     The cable  75  includes, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a plurality of internal conductors  76 , a plurality of insulation coverings  77  for covering the internal conductors  76 , respectively, a plurality of bundling coverings  78  each for bundling a plurality of the insulation coverings  77  in parallel, one braid (not shown) for covering the plurality of bundling coverings  78 , and an outer covering  79  for covering the one braid. The printed substrate  70  has a plurality of conductive paths  70 A formed on each of opposite surfaces. Each conductive path  70 A has an intermediate portion thereof insulation-covered, and only opposite end portions thereof exposed (see  FIG. 2 ). Each conductive path  70 A has one end thereof soldered to each internal conductor  76  of the cable  75 . 
     Next, a description will be given of how to assemble the connector  10 . 
     First, the printed substrate  70  to which the internal conductors  76  of the cable  75  are soldered is placed on the substrate supporting portions  334  of the lower housing divided body  33 , and the outer covering  79  of the cable  75  is placed on the cable holding portion  333  of the lower housing divided body  33 . 
     Next, the lower housing divided body  33  is covered with the upper housing divided body  31 . As a result, the printed substrate  70  is sandwiched between the substrate supporting portions  334  and the substrata retaining portions  316 , whereby the printed substrate  70  is held by the housing  30 , and the outer covering  79  of the cable  75  is sandwiched between the cable holding portion  315  and the cable holding portion  333 , whereby the cable  75  is held by the housing  30 . 
     Then, the upper housing divided body  31  and the lower housing divided body  33  are connected using general connection means (e.g. rivets and plates). 
     Next, the operation member  60  is disposed on the upper housing divided body  31 . At this time, the operation member  60  is set such that the operating portion  62  and the front-side portion of the connection portion  61  are accommodated in the recessed portion  311 A of the upper housing divided body  31 . 
     Then, the locking member  50  is disposed on the operation member  60 . At this time, the locking member  50  is set such that the rivets  318  enter the holes  52 A of the fixing portion  52 . 
     Finally, tops of the rivets  318  protruding from the holes  52 A are hammered or squeezed. As a result, the fixing portion  52  is fixed to the housing  30 . 
     By performing the above processing steps, assembly of the connector  10  is completed. 
     Next, a description will be given of how to fit and remove the connector  10  to and from the mating connector. 
     To fit the connector  10  to the mating connector, it is only required to insert the housing  30  into the mating housing  80 . At this time, the hooking portions  53  of the locking member  50  enter locking holes  80 A of the mating housing  80 , respectively, whereby the locked state of the connector  10  and the mating connector is maintained. 
     To remove the connector  10  from the mating connector, it is only required to pinch and pull the pulling portion  63  backward. When the pulling portion  63  is pulled backward, the operating portion  62  is moved backward along the front-rear direction DFB. At this time, a force to pull the pulling portion  63  backward is transmitted to the locking member body  51  via the flat surface  54 A of the transmission portion  54  which is brought into contact with the flat surface  62 A of the operating portion  62  as a force to push up the locking member body  51 , and hence the locking member body  51  is elastically deformed upward, which causes the hooking portions  53  to slip out of the locking holes  80 A of the mating housing  80 . As a result, the locked state of the connector  10  and the mating connector is released, and the connector  10  is drawn out of the mating housing  80 . 
     When the hand is released from the pulling portion  63 , the locking member body  51  returns to a state before deformation by the returning force thereof, and the hooking portions  53  also return to the original position thereof. At this time, the returning force of the locking member body  51  is transmitted to the operating portion  62  of the operation member  60  via the transmission portion  54  of the locking member  50  to push the flat surface  62 A of the operating portion  62  forward, and hence the operation member  60  also returns to the original position thereof. 
     When the operation member  60  is moved backward, the retaining protrusions  64  are brought into abutment with the stopper surfaces  317 A of the covering walls  317 , and hence the operation member  60  is prevented from moving backward by more than a predetermined amount. 
     According to the present embodiment, each of the flat surface  62 A of the operating portion  62  of the operation member  60  and the flat surface  54 A of the transmission portion  54  of the locking member  50  is a surface inclined toward the rear of the housing  30  in a manner approaching the housing  30 , respectively, and it is possible to reduce the distance between the operating portion  62  of the operation member  60  and the hooking portions  53  of the locking member  50 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce a dimension of the connector  10  in the front-rear direction. 
     Further, the operation member  60  is formed with the accommodating recess  61 A for accommodating the lower end portion of the transmission portion  54  of the locking member  50 , which eliminates the need of increasing the height of the operating portion  62 , and hence it is possible to reduce a dimension of the connector  10  in a direction of the height thereof. 
     Although in the above-described embodiment, both of the part of the transmission portion  54  which is brought into contact with the operating portion  62  and the part of the operating portion  62  which is brought into contact with the transmission portion  54  are each formed with a surface inclined toward the rear of the housing  30  in a manner approaching the housing  30  (flat surfaces  54 A and  62 A in the present embodiment), for example, only one of the part of the transmission portion  54  which is brought into contact with the operating portion  62  and the part of the operating portion  62  which is brought into contact with the transmission portion  54  may be formed with a surface inclined toward the rear of the housing  30  in a manner approaching the housing  30 . 
     Further, although in the above-described embodiment, the transmission portion  54  is formed with the flat surface  54 A, and the operating portion  62  is formed with the flat surface  62 A, the surfaces formed on the transmission portion  54  and the operating portion  62  are not limited to the flat surfaces, but for example, the surfaces may be formed into curved surfaces (e.g. convex surfaces, concave surfaces, or cylindrical surfaces). 
     Although the housing  30  and the locking member  50  are both made of metal, they may be made of resin. 
     Further, although the operation member  60  is made of resin, it may be made of metal. 
     Although in the above-described embodiment, the transmission portion  54  is formed in a central portion of the locking member body  51  (at a location corresponding to a center of the operation member  60  in the right-left direction DRL of the housing  30 ), the transmission portion  54  may be formed on one of the sides in the right-left direction DRL. In this case, the location of the operating portion  62  is changed according to the location of the transmission portion  54 . 
     Further, although in the above-described embodiment, the operation member  60  includes the connection portion  61 , the connection portion  61  is not necessarily required, but for example, the pulling portion  63  may be directly connected to the operating portion  62 . 
     It is further understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing are the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and that various changes and modification may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.