Connector and connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017194740-A1
Application number	US-201615352863-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connector is mateable with a mating connector along a front-rear direction. The mating connector has a mating lock portion. The connector comprises a housing and a contact. The housing has an upper wall and a lower wall. The housing forms a receiving portion. The receiving portion receives the mating connector when the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other. The contact is held by the housing. The contact protrudes in the receiving portion. The receiving portion is positioned between the upper wall and the lower wall in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. An inner surface of the upper wall is provided with a lock portion and a protrusion portion. When the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, the lock portion locks the mating lock portion to lock a mating of the connector with the mating connector. The protrusion portion protrudes downward in the up-down direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector mateable with a mating connector along a front-rear direction, wherein:
the mating connector has a mating lock portion; the connector comprises a housing and a contact; the housing has an upper wall and a lower wall; the housing forms a receiving portion; the receiving portion receives the mating connector when the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other; the contact is held by the housing; the contact protrudes in the receiving portion; the receiving portion is positioned between the upper wall and the lower wall in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction; an inner surface of the upper wall is provided with a lock portion and a protrusion portion; when the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, the lock portion locks the mating lock portion to lock a mating of the connector with the mating connector; and the protrusion portion protrudes downward in the up-down direction.

2 . The connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the inner surface of the upper wall is provided with at least two of the lock portions; and the protrusion portion is positioned between the at least two lock portions in a lateral direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

3 . The connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lock portion is a hole which is configured to receive the mating lock portion.

4 . The connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the contact has an end in the front-rear direction; and the end of the contact is provided with an insulating portion.

5 . The connector as recited in claim 4 , wherein:
the housing is formed with a holding portion; the holding portion extends in the front-rear direction in the receiving portion and holds the contact; and the insulating portion is a part of the holding portion.

6 . The connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the contact has a flat shape.

7 . The connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the mating connector further has a spring portion; the mating lock portion is supported by the spring portion; the housing has a spring accommodation portion; the spring accommodation portion accommodates the spring portion when the connector and the mating connector is mated with each other; and the spring accommodation portion and the protrusion portion are arranged in a lateral direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

8 . A connector assembly comprising the connector as recited in claim 1 and the mating connector.

9 . The connector assembly as recited in claim 8 , wherein:
the mating connector has two of the mating lock portions, two spring portions and a coupling portion; the two spring portions support the two mating lock portions, respectively; the coupling portion couples the two spring portions with each other; the two spring portions are positioned away from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction; the housing has two spring accommodation portions; when the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, the two spring accommodation portions accommodate the two spring portions, respectively; and the protrusion portion is positioned between the two spring accommodation portions in the lateral direction.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nakazawa Katsuhiko

Classifications

• H01R13/6272 Primary

  comprising a single latching arm · CPC title

• H01R13/631

  for engagement only · CPC title

• H01R13/46

  Bases; Cases · CPC title

• H01R13/422

  Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, {e.g. by friction}; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means · CPC title

• H01R4/184

  comprising a U-shaped wire-receiving portion · CPC title