Connector

Claim 2

A connector comprising: a first connector housing fittable to a second connector housing; a resilient locking means for locking said first and said second connector housings together, provided on an outer wall of said first connector housing, said resilient locking means rising at a forward base portion thereof and extending rearwardly in a fitting direction of said first and said second connector housing, said resilient locking means including an operating means provided at a rear end thereof for resiliently depressing said locking means with respect to said housing outer wall; a deformation prevention means including a rigid element provided on said outer wall of said first connector housing closely adjacent said resilient locking means, and being disposed within a width of said resilient locking means, said rigid element extending from said housing outer wall a distance not less than that of said locking means in an undepressed condition for preventing an external force from depressing said resilient locking means; and catching prevention means including rigid elements provided on laterally opposite sides of said operating means for keeping said operating means from catching a foreign body.

Claim 3

A connector comprising: a first connector housing fittable to a second connector housing; a resilient locking means for locking said first and said second connector housings together, provided on an outer wall of said first connector housing, said resilient locking means rising at a forward base portion thereof and extending rearwardly in a fitting direction of said first and said second connector housing, said resilient locking means including an operating means provided at a rear end thereof; a deformation prevention means provided on said outer wall of said first connector housing, within a width of said resilient locking means for preventing an external force from acting on said resilient locking means; and catching prevention means provided on laterally opposite sides of said operating means for keeping said operating means from catching a foreign body, wherein said resilient locking means comprises a pair of resilient locking arms extending parallel to each other in said fitting direction of said first and said second connector housings, said operating means interconnects said pair of resilient locking arms at an end of said locking arms, and said deformation prevention means is interposed between said pair of resilient locking arms.

Claim 4

A connector comprising: a first connector housing fittable to a second connector housing; a resilient locking means for locking said first and said second connector housings together, provided on an outer wall of said first connector housing, said resilient locking means rising at a forward base portion thereof and extending rearwardly in a fitting direction of said first and said second connector housing, said resilient locking means including an operating means provided at a rear end thereof; a deformation prevention means provided on said outer wall of said first connector housing, within a width of said resilient locking means for preventing an external force from acting on said resilient locking means; and catching prevention means provided on laterally opposite sides of said operating means for keeping said operating means from catching a foreign body, wherein said resilient locking means comprises a pair of resilient locking arms extending parallel to each other in said fitting direction of said first and said second connector housings, said operating means interconnects said pair of resilient locking arms at an end of said locking arms, and said deformation prevention means is interposed between said pair of resilient locking arms.

Claim 5

The connector according to claim 2 , wherein said deformation prevention means comprises a horizontal rib extending parallel to said resilient locking arms and a vertical rib provided at a rear end of said horizontal rib, said vertical rib standing upright on a front side of said operating means.

Claim 6

The connector according to claim 3 , wherein said operating means has a recess formed at a front side thereof and said vertical rib is located standing upright inside said recess.

Claim 7

The connector according to claim 2 , further comprising a pair of locking segments provided on said respective resilient locking arms and together constituting a locking frame engageable with a corresponding locking means provided on said second connector housing to lock said first and said second connector housings together.

Claim 8

The connector according to claim 2 , wherein said deformation prevention means comprises a vertical rib standing upright inside a recess formed at a front or a rear side of said operating means.

Claim 9

The connector according to claim 6 , further comprising a locking frame provided in one piece on said resilient locking arms and engageable with a corresponding locking means provided on said second connector housing to lock said first and said second connector housings together.

Claim 10

The connector according to claim 5 , wherein said operating means has a height greater than that of said locking frame provided on said resilient locking arms.

Claim 11

The connector according to claim 3 , wherein said horizontal rib and said vertical rib have heights substantially flush with or slightly greater than those of said resilient locking arms and said operating means, respectively.