Perfect coupling confirming mechanism for an electric connector

Claim 1

A perfect coupling confirming mechanism for an electric connector, comprising: a first connector housing provided with a principal locking arm extending rearward in a cantilever fashion from a front end of an upper wall of the first connector housing and provided with a first lock projection in a front half portion, a second lock projection near its rear end; a second connector housing to be coupled with the first connector housing, provided with adjacent contactor chambers for accommodating electrical contactors, a first chamber, a second chamber defined by opposite side walls of the adjacent contactor chambers, and an auxiliary locking arm provided with a locking projection at its front end; a locking slider longitudinally movably inserted in the first chamber of the second connector housing through a rear end of the same and provided with a slot which engages the locking projection of the auxiliary locking arm when the locking slider is advanced to a standby position; a spring biasing the locking slider rearwardly; two adjacent electrical check contactors accommodated in the adjacent contactor chambers of the second connector housing; and a short-circuiting member electrically connecting the adjacent two electrical check contactors when the locking slider is held at the standby position, having a pair of elastic arms capable of projecting through slits formed in the opposite side walls of the adjacent contactor chambers, and having contact portions which come into engagement respectively with the adjacent two electrical check contactors, held on the locking slider in the second chamber of the second connector housing for movement together with the locking slider; wherein the first locking projection of the principal locking arm of the first connector housing and the second connector housing are engaged to lock the first and second connector housings to each other in a primary locked state, the locking slider and the second locking projection of the principal locking arm of the first connector housing are engaged and the locking slider is advanced from the standby position against resilience of the spring to lock the first and second connector housings to each other in a secondary locked state and to disconnect the contact portions of the short-circuiting member from the adjacent two electrical check contactors, and insulating walls are formed on the opposite side walls of the adjacent contactor chambers in front of the slits to insulate the contact portions of the short-circuiting member from the adjacent two electrical check contactors, respectively, when the first and second connector housings are coupled perfectly.