Patent ID: 6890194

Claim:
A connector, comprising: first and second housings connectable with each other; an operable member mountable on the first housing and provided with at least one cam groove, the cam groove having a straight portion aligned along a connecting direction of the housings and a cam portion extending oblique to both the connecting direction and a displacing direction of the operable member, the straight portion and the cam portion each having an entry and an end, the end of the straight portion being adjacent the entry of the cam portion; and at least one cam pin on the second housing and engageable with the corresponding cam groove for displaying a cam action, wherein: the cam action is displayed by operating the operable member only after the housings are partly connected with the cam pin being in the cam portion of the cam groove; and at least first and second terminal fittings in the respective first and second housings, the first and second terminal fittings being connectable with each other and creating sliding resistance as the housings are connected, the first and second terminal fittings being configured and disposed such that the sliding resistance starts acting before the cam pin reaches the cam portion of the cam groove for reducing a peak operation force on the operable member; and a seal mounted to one of the first and second housings, the seal being disposed and configured for closely contact the other of the first and second housings before the cam pin reaches the cam portion of the cam groove.