Abstract An electric connector with a locking mechanism comprises: a connector housing provided with an upper terminal chamber accommodating upper terminals and lower terminal chamber accommodating lower terminals; and a terminal locking member capable of being joined to the rear end of the connector housing in a temporarily assembled state or in a completely assembled state. The terminal locking member is provided with terminal holding fingers which are bent up by the terminals inserted in the upper terminal chamber so that the tips thereof are brought into abutment with stopping steps formed in the inner surface of the upper terminal chamber to prevent the further advancement of the terminal locking member from the temporarily assembled state relative to the connector housing if the terminals are not inserted correctly in the upper chamber. Therefore, the unlocking projection is unable to think in the upper terminal chamber and rests on the outer surface of the upper wall of the connector housing when the terminals are not inserted correctly in the upper terminal chamber.
An electric connector with a locking mechanism, comprising: a connector housing provided with at least one terminal chamber to accommodate herein a terminal and having at an upper wall thereof an opening communicating with said at least one terminal chamber; a terminal locking member having a terminal holding finger adapted to be inserted into said at least one terminal chamber, said terminal locking member being capable of being joined to said connector housing at a rear end thereof in a temporarily assembled state and in a completely assembled state; characterized in that the terminal locking member is provided with a flexible unlocking lever having at its free end an unlocking projection, said unlocking projection rests on said upper wall of the connector housing in the temporarily assembled state and the unlocking projection sinks through said opening in the upper wall into said at least one terminal chamber in the completely assembled state.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
An electric connector with a locking mechanism, comprising: a connector housing provided with at least one terminal chamber to accommodate herein a terminal and having at an upper wall thereof an opening communicating with said at least one terminal chamber; a terminal locking member having a terminal holding finger adapted to be inserted into said at least one terminal chamber, said terminal locking member being capable of being joined to said connector housing at a rear end thereof in a temporarily assembled state and in a completely assembled state; characterized in that the terminal locking member is provided with a flexible unlocking lever having at its free end an unlocking projection, said unlocking projection rests on said upper wall of the connector housing in the temporarily assembled state and the unlocking projection sinks through said opening in the upper wall into said at least one terminal chamber in the completely assembled state.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
An electric connector according to claim 1, wherein said upper terminal chamber is formed with a guide groove having a stopping step at a forward end thereof, said at least one terminal holding finger forwardly projecting and bent downward at a forward portion thereof such that said terminal holding fingers avoid interference with said stopping step in the temporarily and completely assembled states.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electric connector according to claim 2, wherein said terminal is provided with an upper wall to deflect said at least one terminal holding finger to interfere with said stopping step in case of incomplete terminal insertion.