Patent ID: 7186129

Claim:
A connector comprising: a mating connector and a connector body to maintain connection with the mating connector; the connector body comprising a lock mechanism, the lock mechanism comprising: a pair of supports projecting from the outer surface of the connector body, and a lock arm including a fulcrum portion, a hook, and substantially cylindrical torque rods, the fulcrum portion being supported at lateral ends by the pair of substantially cylindrical torque rods such that the hook swings around the fulcrum portion, said pair of torque rods being joined to the pair of supports; wherein said lock arm extends beyond the pair of supports and comprises a forward portion positioned forward from a turn center of said pair of torque rods in a connecting direction with the mating connector, and a backward portion positioned backward from the turn center of said pair of torque rods in the connecting direction with the mating connector; wherein the forward portion is provided with the hook to be latched on a latch being provided on the mating connector and the backward portion is provided with a finger depressing portion as a point of pressure; wherein a front face of the hook provided on the forward portion of said lock arm is open in a direction of connection to the mating connector and a latch face of the hook is open in a direction opposite to the direction of connection to the mating connector, without being blocked by the pair of torque rods; and wherein the latch face of the hook has a same latch width as a lateral width of the lock arm, and the mating connector comprises the latch for being latched by the hook, the latch comprising: a guide being open in the direction of connection to the mating connector, and a mating latch is disposed in opposition to the guide and formed to have a rectangular recess, wherein the rectangular recess is defined by an elongated portion connecting between sidewalls of the mating connector, wherein a width of the mating latch in internal wall of the recess is substantially the same as the latch face of the hook so that the hook can fit the mating latch.