Patent ID: 6931718

Claim:
An electric-component holding apparatus comprising: a component holder which holds an electric component and which includes an engaging portion; a holder-holding member to which the component holder is detachably attached; a lock member which consists of a substantially rigid body, and which is supported by the holder-holding member such that the lock member is movable relative to the holder-holding member, and is engaged with the engaging portion of the component holder to lock the component holder to the holder-holding member; and a locked-state maintaining device which includes an operable member and an elastic member and which maintains, owing to an elastic force of the elastic member, a locked state in which the lock member is engaged with the engaging portion of the component holder, wherein the locked-state maintaining device prevents the lock member to transmit any components of an external force to the operable member to increase an amount of elastic deformation of the elastic member, when the external force to cause the component holder to move away from the holder-holding member is exerted to the component holder in the locked state, and the locked-stated maintaining device allows the lock member to be moved, due to the external force, relative to the holder-holding member, disengaged from the engaging portion of the component holder and unlocked from the locked state, when the operable member is operated by an operating force to increase the amount of elastic deformation of the elastic member.