Patent ID: 7479025

Claim:
An electrical connector comprising: a first connector part that has a male housing provided with an engaging portion on an outer periphery thereof; a second connector part that has a female housing provided with a portion defining a cavity for receiving said male housing; sensing means that senses a mated state of said first and second parts; and locking means that locks said first and second parts in the mated state at a regular mating position; said locking means being made of a clip member made of a spring wire-like body and having a first latch portion that latches into the engaging portion of said male housing and a second latch portion that latches into said sensing means, and said sensing means being made of a sliding sensing member having a sensing arm made of a resilient piece provided with an engaging portion that latches into the second latch portion of said clip member; and said female housing at an outer wall thereof being provided with a portion defining a through-hole that projects the first latch portion of said clip member into said cavity; the spring wire-like body of said clip member being mounted onto a surface of the outer wall, and said sliding sensing member being fitted also onto the surface of the outer wall slidably in a mating direction of said first and second connector parts, so that with said first and second connector parts mated the first latch portion of said clip member engages with the engaging portion of said male housing, and the engaging portion of said sliding sensing member latches into the second latch portion of said clip member.