JP7315404B2 - Connectors for flat conductors - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to connectors and terminals for flat conductors.

As flat conductor connectors to which flat conductors such as FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits), FFCs (Flexible Flat Cables), and printed circuit boards are connected, those provided with locking members for locking the flat conductors are known (see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

A known terminal has two contact pieces extending forward (see Patent Document 2). The terminal of Patent Document 2 further includes a forward extension provided in parallel with the two contact pieces.

JP 2016-136462 A JP 2019-067717 A JP 2016-091616 A

An object of the invention according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a flat conductor connector including a lock member for locking a flat conductor, which is easy to operate from a locked state to an unlocked state.
The invention according to the second aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a flat conductor connector having a lock member for locking the flat conductor, in which the lock member can be easily assembled.
An object of the invention according to the third aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a terminal having a new structure that facilitates adjustment of characteristics of the first contact piece and the second contact piece, in a terminal that includes a first contact piece, a second contact piece, and a forwardly extending portion.

<<First point of view>>
A flat conductor connector according to a 1-1 aspect is a flat conductor connector comprising: a housing; a locking member that has a locking projection for locking a flat conductor and is displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position with respect to the housing; the locking projection of the locking member at the unlock position releases the locking of the flat conductor by retreating from the path; the locking projection locks the flat conductor from the other side of the thickness direction of the flat conductor; the locking member has an operation part for moving the locking member to the unlocking position; It is possible by translation in the other direction.

Note that the above-mentioned "displacement is possible by parallel movement of the locking member to the other side in the thickness direction" does not exclude a mode in which the displacement is possible by movement other than the above-mentioned parallel movement.

In the aspect described above, the flat conductor connector includes the housing and the locking member. The locking member has a locking projection for locking the flat conductor and is displaceable with respect to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position. The locking protrusion of the locking member at the locked position locks the flat conductor by entering the path of the flat conductor. On the other hand, the locking protrusion of the locking member at the unlock position releases the locking of the flat conductor by retreating from the path. The locking protrusion locks the flat conductor from the other thickness direction side of the flat conductor.

The flat conductor connector also includes a biasing member. The biasing member elastically deforms to allow the lock member to be displaced to the unlock position, and biases the lock member in the unlock position to the lock position.

The lock member has an operation portion for moving the lock member to the unlock position. Therefore, the user can move the lock member to the unlock position by operating the operation portion.

Further, the locking member can be displaced from the locked position to the unlocked position by parallel movement of the locking member to the other side in the thickness direction of the flat conductor.
Therefore, in the above aspect, unlike the prior arts disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, it is not necessary to form the operating portion in consideration of the rotation of the locking member. As a result, the operating portion can be easily formed wide, and the operating force to the other side in the thickness direction of the flat conductor can be smoothly transmitted to the lock member. That is, according to the first aspect, the connector can be easily operated from the locked state to the unlocked state.

In the prior art disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, the locking member cannot be displaced from the locking position to the unlocking position by parallel movement. For this reason, the operating portion of the lock member is formed at a position where a moment is likely to be generated in the lock member, and is not formed at a position overlapping the center of rotation in the insertion direction. As a result, the operating portion is small.
Specifically, in the flat conductor connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to hold the operating portion (gripping portion 31) and rotate the operating portion (rotating lever 3) in order to unlock the connector.
Further, in the flat conductor connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to rotate the lock member 4 along the rotation support surface portion 16 by hooking the operation portion (front wall portion 18) of the lock member (lock member 4) with a finger and lifting the lock member 4 upward in order to unlock the connector.
Further, in the flat conductor connector disclosed in Patent Document 3, the locking member (the locking projection 8a, the elastic arm 8c, and the operating portion 8b of the elastic locking piece 8) rotates around the curved portion 8d as the rotation center and does not move in parallel.

A flat conductor connector according to a 1-2 aspect is the flat conductor connector according to the 1-1 aspect, wherein the locking member has one side portion located on one side in the thickness direction of the path, the other side portion located on the other side in the thickness direction of the path, and a connecting portion that connects the one side portion and the other side portion, the locking convex portion is formed to protrude from the other side portion, and the operation portion is formed on the one side portion.

In the above aspect, the locking member has one side portion located on one side in the thickness direction relative to the path (path of the flat conductor), the other side portion located on the other side in the thickness direction relative to the path, and the connecting portion that connects the one side portion and the other side portion. The locking protrusion is formed so as to protrude from the other side portion, and the operating portion is formed on the one side portion.
Therefore, the operation portion can be arranged on one side in the thickness direction of the flat conductor with respect to the path.

In the flat conductor connector according to the aspect 1-3, in the aspect 1-1 or 1-2, the lock member has one side portion located on the one side in the thickness direction relative to the path, the other side portion located on the other side in the thickness direction relative to the path, and a connection portion coupling the one side portion and the other side portion. A biasing direction restricting portion is formed to restrict movement in the direction biased by the biasing member, and the housing is formed with a second side removal direction restricting portion that approaches or contacts the other side portion and restricts movement of the other side portion in the removal direction.

In the above aspect, the biasing direction restricting portion is formed on the one side portion. The movement of the locking member in the biasing direction is restricted by the biasing direction restricting portion coming into contact with the housing.

Further, in the above aspect, the housing is formed with the other side withdrawal direction restricting portion that approaches or contacts the other side portion and restricts the movement of the other side portion in the withdrawal direction.
Therefore, when a pull-out direction force acts on the locking projection from the flat conductor, the other side of the lock member is close to or in contact with the other side pull-out direction regulating portion of the housing, so the lock member does not move or stops after slightly moving.

In the flat conductor connector according to the 1-4th aspect, in the 1-3rd aspect, the end of the urging direction restricting portion on the flat conductor removal direction side is located on the removal direction side of the locking projection.

In the above aspect, the end of the urging direction restricting portion on the removal direction side of the flat conductor is located on the removal direction side of the locking protrusion. Therefore, the biasing direction restricting portion (the outer upper surface 34) can be formed long forward.
However, in the above-described connector, a force acting on the locking projection in the removal direction causes the lock member to generate a moment in the direction in which the locking projection retreats, with the end of the biasing direction restricting portion on the removal direction side as a fulcrum.
However, in the above-described aspect, since the other side withdrawal direction restricting portion is formed in the housing, even if the lock member tries to rotate, the rotation does not occur or, if it does occur, it is contained by a slight rotation.

A flat conductor connector according to an aspect 1-5 is a flat conductor connector according to any one of aspects 1-1 to 1-4, wherein the lock member rotates about the width direction of the flat conductor as an axial direction due to a force acting on the locking projection from the inserted flat conductor, whereby the locking projection retreats from the path.

In the above-described mode, the lock member rotates about the width direction of the flat conductor due to the force acting on the locking protrusion from the inserted flat conductor, thereby retracting the locking protrusion from the path.
Therefore, the user can retract the locking protrusion from the path simply by inserting the flat conductor. In addition, since the retraction of the locking projection is achieved by rotating the locking member, the displacement of the locking member is smaller than in the case of parallel movement of the locking member, and as a result, a small insertion force is required.

In the flat conductor connector according to aspect 1-6, in aspect 1-5, the operation portion of the lock member is formed in a range including a position substantially matching the center of rotation in the insertion direction.

In the above aspect, the operating portion of the locking member is formed in a range including a position substantially matching the center of rotation in the insertion direction. Therefore, it is possible to form a wide operating portion of the lock member.

A flat conductor connector according to an aspect 1-7 is the flat conductor connector according to any one of aspects 1-1 to 1-6, wherein the biasing member has a base portion, a contact portion that contacts the lock member, and an elastic portion positioned between the base portion and the contact portion, and the elastic portion has at least two folded portions.

In the above aspect, the biasing member has a base portion, a contact portion that contacts the lock member, and an elastic portion located between the base portion and the contact portion.
And the elastic part has at least two folded parts. For this reason, compared to a mode in which there is only one folded portion, the structure is such that sliding between the contact portion and the locking member is more likely to be suppressed when the locking member moves in parallel.

≪Second Viewpoint≫
A flat conductor connector according to an aspect 2-1 is a flat conductor connector including a housing and a lock member, wherein the housing has an accommodation space for accommodating the lock member, the lock member accommodated in the accommodation space is displaceable between a lock position and an unlock position in the accommodation space, the lock member is a locking projection for locking the flat conductor, and the lock member locks the flat conductor when the lock member is at the lock position, and the lock member locks the flat conductor. The housing or the lock member has an elastic portion that is elastically deformable and allows insertion of the lock member into the housing space from a predetermined direction by elastic deformation, and the housing has a detachment prevention portion that prevents the lock member from being removed from the housing space by coming into contact with the lock member when the lock member in the housing space moves in the predetermined direction.

In the aspect described above, the flat conductor connector includes the housing and the lock member. A housing space is formed in the housing for housing the locking member. The lock member accommodated in the accommodation space is displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position in the accommodation space.
The locking member has a locking protrusion for locking the flat conductor. The locking protrusion locks the flat conductor when the lock member is in the lock position, and releases the lock of the flat conductor when the lock member is in the unlock position.

Also, the housing or locking member has an elastic portion that can be elastically deformed. The elastic portion elastically deforms to allow the lock member to be inserted into the housing space from a predetermined direction.
Therefore, when assembling the connector, by elastically deforming the elastic portion of the housing or the lock member, the lock member can be inserted into the accommodation space from a predetermined direction.

Further, the housing has a detachment prevention portion that prevents the lock member from being removed from the housing space by contacting the lock member when the lock member in the housing space moves in a predetermined direction (the direction in which the lock member is inserted).
Therefore, even if the lock member is moved to the inserted side in the housing space, the detachment preventing portion of the housing abuts against the lock member, thereby preventing the lock member from being detached from the housing space.

As described above, according to the second aspect, a member other than the housing and the locking member is not required in the process of assembling the locking member in manufacturing the connector. That is, according to the second aspect, in the flat conductor connector provided with the lock member for locking the flat conductor, the work of assembling the lock member can be simplified.

A flat conductor connector according to aspect 2-2 is, in aspect 2-1, wherein the displacement of the lock member between the locked position and the unlocked position is displacement in a direction that intersects the opening direction of the accommodation space, which is the predetermined direction, and the separation prevention portion contacts the lock member when the lock member moves from the lock position toward the opening direction, and contacts the lock member when the lock member moves from the unlock position toward the opening direction.

In the above aspect, the displacement of the lock member between the locked position and the unlocked position is displacement in a direction that intersects the opening direction of the accommodation space, which is the predetermined direction.
Therefore, the locus of movement of the lock member differs between when the lock member moves from the lock position toward the opening direction and when the lock member moves from the unlock position toward the opening direction.

Therefore, in the above aspect, the detachment prevention portion contacts the lock member when the lock member moves from the lock position toward the opening direction, and contacts the lock member when the lock member moves from the unlock position toward the opening direction.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the locking member from coming off in a connector in which the displacement between the locking position and the unlocking position of the locking member is in a direction that intersects the opening direction.

A flat conductor connector according to a 2-3 aspect is, in the 2-1 or 2-2 aspect, the elastic portion is a locking elastic portion formed in the housing and configured to include a one-side convex portion that constitutes part or all of the detachment preventing portion.

In the above aspect, the elastic portion is a locking elastic portion formed on the housing. The locking elastic portion includes a one-side convex portion that constitutes part or all of the detachment prevention portion.
Therefore, when assembling the lock member, the lock member can be inserted into the accommodation space by elastically deforming the locking elastic portion of the housing. Then, the detachment prevention portion including the projection on one side of the locking elastic portion that has returned elastically prevents the lock member from being detached from the accommodation space.

A flat conductor connector according to a 2-4th aspect is, in the 2-3rd aspect, provided with an urging member that allows the lock member to be displaced to the unlocked position by elastic deformation and that biases the lock member in the unlocked position toward the locked position, wherein the detachment prevention portion includes the one-side convex portion of the locking elastic portion and the other-side convex portion that projects in a direction opposite to the locking convex portion, and the one-side convex portion extends from the locked position toward the opening direction. It abuts on the moving lock member, and the other-side convex portion abuts on the lock member moving in the opening direction from the unlock position.

In the above aspect, the flat conductor connector includes the biasing member. The biasing member elastically deforms to allow the lock member to be displaced to the unlock position, and biases the lock member in the unlock position to the lock position.

Further, the detachment prevention portion includes a projection on one side of the locking elastic portion and a projection on the other side projecting in a direction opposite to the locking projection. The one-side protrusion abuts against the lock member moving in the opening direction from the lock position, and the other-side protrusion abuts against the lock member moving in the opening direction from the unlock position.
For this reason, the amount of protrusion of the one-side protrusion can be reduced compared to an aspect in which the detachment prevention portion is composed of only the one-side protrusion. When the projection amount of the one-side convex portion is reduced, the lock member can be inserted toward a position close to the lock position when the lock member is inserted into the accommodation space, and as a result, the amount of elastic deformation of the biasing member when the lock member is inserted can be reduced. If the amount of elastic deformation of the biasing member when inserting the lock member is reduced, for example, the force required when inserting the lock member can be reduced.

A flat conductor connector according to a 2-5th aspect is, in the 2-3rd or 2-4th aspect, provided with a biasing member that allows the lock member to be displaced to the unlocked position by elastically deforming and biases the lock member in the unlocked position toward the locked position, wherein the housing regulates the displacement of the lock member in the direction in which the lock member is biased, and includes a pair of biasing direction restricting portions formed at both ends in the width direction of the connector, wherein the elastic portions are arranged in the pair of biasing directions. A pair of the locking elastic portions, which are formed on the inner side in the connector width direction with respect to each of the restricting portions, each include an extending portion extending from the base end side thereof toward the opening direction of the housing space, and the one-side convex portion formed on the distal end side of the extending portion.

In the above aspect, the flat conductor connector includes the biasing member. The biasing member elastically deforms to allow the lock member to be displaced to the unlock position, and biases the lock member in the unlock position to the lock position.

Further, the housing includes a pair of urging direction regulating wall surfaces that regulate displacement of the lock member in the urging direction. A pair of urging direction restricting surfaces are formed at both end portions in the width direction of the connector. Therefore, since the lock member is supported by the pair of urging direction restricting surfaces at both ends in the width direction of the connector, the posture of the lock member is stabilized.

Also, a pair of locking elastic portions are formed on the inner side in the connector width direction with respect to each of the pair of biasing direction restricting surfaces. Therefore, the locking member is stably prevented from being detached from the housing space by the pair of locking projections of the pair of locking elastic portions positioned apart in the width direction of the connector.

Further, each of the pair of locking elastic portions includes an extending portion extending from the base end toward the opening direction of the housing space, and a locking convex portion formed on the distal end side of the extending portion. Therefore, the lock member is prevented from coming out of the accommodation space by the locking protrusion formed on the tip side (opening direction side) of the extending portion extending toward the opening direction. In addition, since the length of the extending portion can be increased within the range of the connector dimension along the opening direction, the locking elastic portion can be made less likely to be damaged.

A flat conductor connector according to an aspect 2-6 is, in any one of aspects 2-1 to 2-5, wherein the connector has a flat conductor insertion opening that opens in one of directions along the board on which it is mounted, the opening direction of the housing space is a direction opposite to the opening direction of the flat conductor insertion opening among directions along the board, displacement from the lock position to the unlock position is a direction that approaches the board in a direction perpendicular to the board, and the lock member is: and an operation surface facing in a direction away from the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the operation surface being used to displace the lock member to the unlock position.

In the above aspect, the connector has a flat conductor insertion opening that opens in one of the directions along the board on which it is mounted. On the other hand, the opening direction of the accommodation space is the direction opposite to the opening direction of the flat conductor insertion opening among the directions along the substrate. Therefore, it is easy to form a large opening of the accommodation space.

Further, the displacement from the locked position to the unlocked position is the direction toward the substrate among the directions perpendicular to the substrate. The lock member has an operation surface facing in a direction away from the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate and used for displacing the lock member to the unlock position. Therefore, the lock member can be displaced to the unlock position by an operation in the direction away from the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

≪Third Viewpoint≫
A terminal according to a 3-1 aspect is a terminal comprising: a first contact piece that has a first contact portion that contacts an object to be connected from one side in the first direction and extends in one side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second contact piece that has a second contact portion that contacts the object to be connected from one side in the first direction and extends in one side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; Located on the other side in the first direction with respect to the contact piece, the base end portion is a forward extending portion located on the other side in the first direction with respect to the second contact piece, and has the forward extending portion linearly extending in one side in the second direction, and the base end side of the second contact piece is connected to the forward extending portion.

Note that the above-mentioned "the base end side of the second contact piece is connected to the forward extending portion" includes the case where the entire base end side of the second contact piece is connected to the forward extending portion, as well as the case where a part of the base end side of the second contact piece is connected to the forward extending portion.

In the above aspect, the terminal includes a first contact piece, a second contact piece, and a proximal side portion. The first contact piece and the second contact piece both extend in one side in the second direction, and each have a first contact portion and a second contact portion on the tip end side that come into contact with the object to be connected from one side in the first direction.
The second contact piece is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the first contact piece. The proximal sides of both the first contact piece and the second contact piece are connected to the proximal side portion.

Also, the proximal side portion has a forward extending portion located on the other side in the first direction with respect to the second contact piece. The forward extending portion linearly extends to one side in the second direction.
Therefore, the forward extending portion of the proximal side portion can be held by the housing, and the forward extending portion can be made to support other connector constituent members.

Furthermore, the base end side of the second contact piece is connected to the forward extension.
Therefore, unlike a terminal in which the base end side of the second contact piece is not connected to the front extending portion, the degree of freedom in designing the terminal is improved. That is, for example, by connecting only the forward extending portion on the base end side of the second contact piece, it is easy to widen the distance between the base ends of the first contact piece and the second contact piece. Further, for example, by connecting a part of the base end side of the second contact piece to the forward extending portion, it is easy to form the base end of the second contact piece thick.

Thus, according to the above aspect, in the terminal including the first contact piece, the second contact piece, and the forward extending portion, a terminal with a new structure that facilitates the adjustment of the characteristics of the first contact piece and the second contact piece is provided.

In the terminal according to the aspect 3-2, in the aspect 3-1, the space formed between the first contact piece and the second contact piece is defined as the first space, and the space formed between the second contact piece and the forward extending portion is defined as the second space.

In the above aspect, the end of the first space on the other side in the second direction is positioned on the other side in the second direction with respect to the end of the second space on the other side in the second direction.
According to this aspect, similarly to the 3-1 aspect, in a terminal including a first contact piece, a second contact piece, and a forward extending portion, a terminal with a new structure that facilitates adjustment of the characteristics of the first contact piece and the second contact piece is provided.

In the terminal according to the 3-3 aspect, in the 3-1 or 3-2 aspect, the base end side of the second contact piece is connected only to the forward extending portion.

In the above aspect, the base end side of the second contact piece is connected only to the forward extending portion.
Therefore, it is easy to widen the distance between the base end sides of the first contact piece and the second contact piece without changing the dimension of the terminal in the first direction and the width dimension of the base end side of each contact piece. If the distance between the base end sides of the first contact piece and the second contact piece is wide, for example, punching with a press die is facilitated.

In the terminal according to aspect 3-4, in any one of aspects 3-1 to 3-3, the end of the first space on the other side in the first direction is located on the other side in the first direction than the end of the second space on the other side in the second direction.

In the above aspect, the end of the first space on the other side in the first direction is located on the other side in the first direction with respect to the end of the second space on the other side in the second direction.
In this aspect, as in the 3-3rd aspect, the distance between the base ends of the first contact piece and the second contact piece is easily widened without changing the dimension of the terminal in the first direction or the width dimension of the base end of each contact piece. If the distance between the base end sides of the first contact piece and the second contact piece is wide, for example, punching with a press die is facilitated.

In the terminal according to the 3-5 aspect, in any one of the 3-1 to 3-4 aspects, the second contact piece has an inclined portion extending in the second direction one side and the first direction one side diagonally on the base end side.

In the above aspect, the second contact piece has, on its base end side, the inclined portion extending in the oblique direction on the one side of the second direction and on the one side of the first direction. For this reason, it is easier to ensure the length of the second contact piece compared to a mode in which the inclined portion is not formed on the base end side of the second contact piece.

In the terminal according to aspect 3-6, in any one of aspects 3-1 to 3-5, a plate edge extending substantially parallel to the first direction is formed on the other side of the first space in the second direction.

In the above aspect, a plate edge extending substantially parallel to the first direction is formed on the other side of the first space in the second direction. For this reason, for example, the width dimension of the base end side of the first contact piece and the second contact piece can be made smaller compared to a mode in which a plate edge that curves and extends in the second direction other side of the first space is formed. As a result, it is easy to secure the amount of deformation on the base end side of the first contact piece and the second contact piece.
In the above aspect, it is more preferable to increase the length of the plate edge extending substantially parallel to the first direction (for example, to make it longer than the width of the base end of the second contact arm) from the viewpoint of securing the amount of deformation on the base end side of the first contact piece and the second contact piece.

In the terminal according to aspect 3-7, in any one of aspects 3-1 to 3-6, the second contact portion contacts the connection object on the other side of the first contact portion in the second direction.

In the above aspect, the second contact portion contacts the connection object on the other side in the second direction with respect to the first contact portion. Therefore, when contacting the object to be connected, the timing of contacting the object to be connected is shifted between the first contact portion and the second contact portion.
In the above aspect, the positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the third direction (the direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction) may be aligned. By aligning the positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the third direction, the contact portion of the second contact portion on the object to be connected can be wiped by the first contact portion.

According to a 3-8th aspect, in any one of the 3-1 to 3-7th aspects, the forward extending portion is formed with a protrusion that bites into the housing.

In the above aspect, the forward extending portion is formed with a protrusion that bites into the housing. Therefore, the terminal can be held in the housing using the forward extension.

According to the invention according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a flat conductor connector that is easy to operate from a locked state to an unlocked state in a flat conductor connector that includes a lock member that locks the flat conductor.
According to the invention according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a flat conductor connector having a locking member that locks the flat conductor, in which the locking member can be easily assembled.
According to the invention according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the terminal including the first contact piece, the second contact piece, and the forward extending portion, it is possible to provide a terminal with a new structure that facilitates the adjustment of the characteristics of the first contact piece and the second contact piece.

1 is a perspective view of a connector and flat conductors; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector with flat conductors connected; FIG. FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the connector to which flat conductors are connected; FIG. 4 is a plan view of the connector with flat conductors connected; 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector; FIG. It is a perspective view before a locking member assembly|attachment. It is the perspective view seen from the back before lock member assembling. It is a front view of a locking member. It is a top view of a locking member. It is a side view of a locking member. It is a bottom view of a locking member. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in a cross section perpendicular to the connector width direction (a plane at the position of the upper convex portion, a cross-sectional view along the line 12-12 in FIG. 4), where (A) is a cross-sectional view of the work-in-process, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the lock member. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views in a cross section perpendicular to the connector width direction (a plane of the position of the biasing member, a cross-sectional view along the line 13-13 in FIG. 4), where (A) is a cross-sectional view of the in-process product and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the lock member. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of a cross section perpendicular to the width direction of the connector (a plane of the terminal position, a cross-sectional view along the line 14-14 in FIG. 4), where (A) is a cross-sectional view of the in-process product and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the lock member. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the removal control state, wherein (A) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the locking protrusion, (B) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the biasing member, and (C) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the terminal. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an unlocked state, where (A) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the locking protrusion, (B) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the biasing member, and (C) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the terminal. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing the insertion of the flat conductor, where (A) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the locking protrusion, (B) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the biasing member, and (C) is a cross-sectional view at the position of the terminal. 4A is a sectional view showing the position of the locking projection, FIG. 4B is a sectional view showing the position of the biasing member, and FIG. 4C is a sectional view showing the position of the terminal. FIG. It is an enlarged view of a terminal.

A connector 100 according to an embodiment will be described below.

It should be noted that the +X direction shown in each drawing may be referred to as the connector frontward direction, the +Y direction as the connector width direction one side, and the +Z direction as the connector upward direction. When simply referring to the front-rear direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction, it means the connector front-rear direction, the connector width direction, and the connector vertical direction.
Also, the +X direction is sometimes referred to as the removal direction, the -X direction as the insertion direction, and the +Z direction as one side in the thickness direction. These are directional expressions based on the flat conductor 90 connected to the connector 100 .

<Connector>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the connector 100 is a flat conductor connector to which a flat conductor 90 is connected. The flat conductor 90 is inserted into the connector 100 from the front of the connector in a direction along the substrate 80 (see FIG. 15C) on which the connector 100 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connector 100 includes a terminal 10, a housing 20 that holds the terminal 10, a lock member 30 that restricts withdrawal of the flat conductor 90, and a biasing member 40 that biases the lock member 30.

(Connector manufacturing process)
The method of manufacturing the connector 100 includes a work-in-process manufacturing process of manufacturing the work-in-process 100A (see FIGS. 6 and 7) and a lock member assembling process of assembling the lock member 30 to the work-in-process 100A.

In the work-in-process manufacturing process, the terminal 10 and the biasing member 40 are assembled to the housing 20 to manufacture the work-in-process 100A (see FIGS. 5 to 7).
The terminal 10 is attached to the housing 20 from behind, and the biasing member 40 is attached to the housing 20 from the front.

In the lock member assembling step, the lock member 30 is assembled to the work-in-process product 100A from behind the work-in-process product 100A (see FIG. 18).
As shown in FIG. 7, the work-in-progress 100A has an accommodation space 21 that accommodates the lock member 30 . The accommodation space 21 opens rearward. The lock member 30 is inserted into the accommodation space 21 from behind the work-in-progress 100A.

(Basic function of connector)
The locking member 30 is displaceably arranged in the housing space 21 . The lock member 30 is displaceable at least between a lock position K (see FIG. 15) and an unlock position L (see FIG. 16).

As shown in FIG. 15 , when the lock member 30 is in the lock position K (referred to as locked state), the locking protrusion 73 of the lock member 30 enters the path SR of the flat conductor 90 . From this state, even if the flat conductor 90 tries to move in the removal direction, the locking projection 73 locks the tip 91 of the flat conductor 90 and the removal of the flat conductor 90 is restricted.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the lock member 30 is in the unlocked position L (referred to as an unlocked state), the lock member 30 is translated downward from the lock position K. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the locking projection 73 of the locking member 30 is retracted from the path SR of the flat conductor 90 . From this state, when the flat conductor 90 tries to move in the removal direction, the tip 91 of the flat conductor 90 is not locked by the locking protrusion 73, and the removal of the flat conductor 90 is allowed.

<<Terminal 10>>
As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of terminals 10 are provided. The plurality of terminals 10 have the same structure. The plurality of terminals 10 are aligned in the width direction and arranged at regular intervals in the same posture. A detailed structure of the terminal 10 will be described later.

≪Housing 20≫
The housing 20 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the housing 20 has terminal holding portions 22 .
The terminal holding portion 22 is a portion that holds the plurality of terminals 10 . The terminal holding portion 22 is formed in the central portion of the connector 100 in the width direction. A flat conductor insertion opening 102 into which the flat conductor 90 is inserted is formed on the front side of the terminal holding portion 22 . A plurality of terminal insertion openings 51 into which a plurality of terminals 10 are inserted are formed on the rear surface side of the terminal holding portion 22 . The terminal holding portion 22 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

The housing 20 has a pair of biasing member holding portions 23 that hold a pair of biasing members 40 . The pair of biasing member holding portions 23 includes one biasing member holding portion 23 positioned at one end in the width direction of the connector 100 and the other biasing member holding portion 23 positioned at the other end in the width direction of the connector 100 . The biasing member holding portion 23 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 13, the biasing member holding portion 23 has a biasing member arrangement space 61 in which the biasing member 40 is arranged. The biasing member arrangement space 61 is formed in the connector width direction intermediate portion of the biasing member holding portion 23 . The biasing member arrangement space 61 opens forward, and the biasing member 40 is inserted into the biasing member arrangement space 61 from the front of the housing 20 through this opening.
Further, the biasing member placement space 61 opens upward, and a portion of the biasing member 40 (a portion including the contact portion 48) protrudes upward from this opening.
On the other hand, the biasing member placement space 61 does not open downward, rearward, or on both sides in the connector width direction (see FIG. 13).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 13, the rear end of the biasing member holding portion 23 is formed with a lower projection 28 projecting upward. As shown in FIG. 16B, the lower convex portion 28 abuts against the lock member 30 when the lock member 30 moves rearward from the unlock position L, thereby preventing the lock member 30 from coming off. The lower convex portion 28 corresponds to the "other side convex portion" which is a part of the "disengagement prevention mechanism".

The pair of biasing member holding portions 23 are arranged outside the terminal holding portion 22 in the connector width direction (see FIG. 7). A pair of spaces (arm portion accommodating spaces 21B) are formed between the terminal holding portion 22 and the pair of urging member holding portions 23 in the connector width direction. A pair of arm portions 32 (described later) of the locking member 30 are accommodated in the pair of arm portion accommodating spaces 21B.

As shown in FIG. 7, above the terminal holding portion 22, the pair of arm portion accommodating spaces 21B, and the pair of urging member holding portions 23, a space (body portion accommodating space 21A) for accommodating a body portion 31 (described later) of the lock member 30 is formed.

The housing 20 has a side wall 24 standing upward from the biasing member holding portion 23 .
When the lock member 30 moves in the width direction, the body portion 31 of the lock member 30 comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 24 in the width direction. The surface of the side wall 24 on the inner side in the width direction is a plane with the inner side in the width direction as the normal direction. The surface of the side wall 24 on the inner side in the width direction is located on the outer side in the connector width direction of the surface of the biasing member arrangement space 61 on the outer side in the connector width direction.
The widthwise outer surface of the side wall 24 is a plane normal to the widthwise outer side, is flush with the widthwise outer surface of the biasing member holding portion 23 , and constitutes the widthwise outer end of the connector 100 .

The housing 20 has a pair of ceiling walls 25 positioned above the main body housing space 21A. A pair of top walls 25 are formed on a part of the outer side of the housing 20 in the width direction of the connector. The ceiling wall 25 is connected to the upper end of the side wall 24 and extends inward in the connector width direction from the upper end of the side wall 24 . The body portion 31 of the locking member 30 comes into contact with the lower side surface 25A of the top wall 25 when the locking member 30 moves upward.

The housing 20 has a front wall 26 that is the front wall of the main body housing space 21A. The upper end of the front wall 26 coincides with the upper surface of the ceiling wall 25 in the vertical direction. The front wall 26 connects the front end of the side wall 24 on one side in the width direction and the front end of the side wall 24 on the other side in the width direction.

The housing 20 has a pair of locking elastic portions 27 . The locking elastic portion 27 is formed just inside the top wall 25 in the width direction of the connector. The locking elastic portion 27 extends rearward from the upper end of the front wall 26 .

The locking elastic portion 27 has an extension portion 27A extending rearward from the front wall 26 and an upper convex portion 27B formed at the tip of the extension portion 27A. The upper convex portion 27B can be displaced upward by the elastic deformation of the extending portion 27A.

The upper side surface of the top wall 25 and the upper side surface of the locking elastic portion 27 are flush with each other.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the lower side surface 25A of the top wall 25 and the lower side surface 27A1 of the extending portion 27A of the locking elastic portion 27 are both flat surfaces whose normal direction is the downward direction. On the other hand, the lower side surface 25A of the ceiling wall 25 is located below the lower side surface 27A1 of the extension portion 27A of the locking elastic portion 27. As shown in FIG. As a result, the outer upper surface 34 (see FIG. 7) of the body portion 31 of the lock member 30 abuts against the lower surface 25A of the top wall 25, but does not abut against the lower surface 27A1 of the extending portion 27A of the locking elastic portion 27.

A through hole 27</b>C is formed through the locking elastic portion 27 in the vertical direction. A portion of the flat conductor 90 (tip portion 91) inserted into the connector 100 is visible from above the connector 100 through the through hole 27C. The through hole 27C of the locking elastic portion 27 is formed at a position where at least a portion thereof overlaps with the removed portion 37 (see FIG. 7) of the locking member 30 in plan view.

27 C of through-holes are made into the slit shape which extends in the width direction center of the extension part 27A of the latching elastic part 27 at the front-back direction. The front end of the slit-shaped through hole 27C reaches the front side surface 26A of the front wall 26, so that the extending portion 27A of the locking elastic portion 27 is easily deformed.

<<lock member 30>>
The lock member 30 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

The lock member 30 has a body portion 31 and a pair of arm portions 32 .
The body portion 31 constitutes the upper portion (the portion on one side in the thickness direction) of the lock member 30 . As shown in FIG. 15 , the body portion 31 is arranged on one side (upper side) in the thickness direction with respect to the path SR of the flat conductor 90 and corresponds to the “one side portion” of the present disclosure.
The pair of arm portions 32 includes an arm portion 32 on one side in the width direction and an arm portion 32 on the other side in the width direction. The arm portion 32 is positioned below the body portion 31 .

The body portion 31 has a central bulging surface 33 and a pair of outer upper surfaces 34 as its upper surface.
The central bulging surface 33 is formed in the central range in the width direction of the body portion 31 . The central bulging surface 33 bulges upward with respect to the pair of outer upper surfaces 34 . As shown in FIG. 3, the central bulging surface 33 is located between the pair of locking elastic portions 27 of the housing 20 and exposed above the connector. By pressing the central bulging surface 33 downward, the lock member 30 moves downward and displaces to the unlock position (see FIG. 16(C)). The central bulging surface 33 corresponds to the "operation surface" or "operation part" of the present disclosure.
The pair of outer upper surfaces 34 are formed in a widthwise outer range of the body portion 31 . The outer upper surface 34 is a flat surface whose normal direction is the upward direction. The outer upper surface 34 is arranged below the locking elastic portion 27 and the top wall 25 of the housing 20 (see FIG. 3). The upward movable range of the lock member 30 is defined by the contact of the outer upper surface 34 with the lower surface 25A (see FIGS. 13 and 15) of the top wall 25 of the housing 20 .

The central bulging surface 33 has a front horizontal surface 33A and a rear inclined surface 33B.
The front horizontal plane 33A is a plane whose normal direction is the upward direction. 33 A of front side horizontal surfaces comprise most central bulging surfaces 33 by planar view. The front horizontal surface 33A functions as a suction surface for holding the connector 100 by suction.
The rear inclined surface 33B is a plane having a normal direction in a direction inclined slightly rearward with respect to the upward direction. The rear inclined surface 33B is formed rearward with respect to the front horizontal surface 33A.

A pair of rear recesses 35 are formed in the body portion 31 .
The rear recessed portion 35 is a portion in which the outer upper surface 34 is recessed downward. The upper convex portion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 is arranged in the rear concave portion 35 (see FIG. 3). The rear recess 35 is open not only upward but also rearward.

A pair of front concave portions 36 are formed in the body portion 31 .
The front recessed portion 36 is a downwardly recessed portion of the outer upper surface 34 . The front recess 36 is formed forward with respect to the rear recess 35 . The front concave portion 36 is open not only upward but also forward. When the lock member 30 is assembled, the upper convex portion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 passes through the forwardly opened portion of the front concave portion 36 (see FIG. 18A).

A restriction projection 39 is formed between the rear recess 35 and the front recess 36 .
The restricting convex portion 39 is arranged in front of the upper convex portion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 (see FIG. 15A). The rearward movable range of the locking member 30 is defined by the restricting convex portion 39 coming into contact with the upper convex portion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 . The upper surface of the restricting convex portion 39 coincides with the outer upper surface 34 of the locking member 30 .

A pair of removal portions 37 are formed in the body portion 31 .
The removed portion 37 is a hole vertically penetrating the outer upper surface 34 of the body portion 31 . The removed portion 37 is formed above the position where the flat conductor 90 is inserted, and the distal end portion 91 of the flat conductor 90 can be visually recognized from above the connector through the removed portion 37 . The removal portion 37 is positioned in front of the rear recess 35 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the body portion 31 has a central lower surface 38A and an outer lower surface 38B as its lower surfaces.
38 A of center lower surfaces are formed in the range of the width direction center of the main-body part 31. As shown in FIG. The widthwise range in which the central lower surface 38A is formed is wider than the widthwise range in which the central bulging surface 33 is formed. 38 A of center lower surfaces are made into the plane which makes downward a normal direction. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, a plurality of lightening portions 38C are formed in the central lower surface 38A. The lightening portion 38C is a portion where the resin of the main body portion 31 is lightened. The central lower surface 38A contacts the upper surface 22A of the terminal holding portion 22 of the housing 20 when the lock member 30 moves downward. The downward movable range of the lock member 30 is defined by the contact of the central lower surface 38A with the terminal holding portion 22 of the housing 20 .
The outer lower surface 38B is a plane with the downward direction as a normal direction. The outer lower surface 38B is formed above the central lower surface 38A, and does not contact the upper surface 23A (see FIGS. 7 and 13) of the biasing member holding portion 23 of the housing 20 even when the lock member 30 moves downward (see FIG. 16B). A biasing member 40 contacts the outer lower surface 38B. Therefore, the locking member 30 receives an upward elastic force from the biasing member 40 at the outer lower surface 38B, and is biased upward. The outer lower surface 38B is formed outside the position where the removed portion 37 is formed in the pitch direction.

The body portion 31 has a pair of body side surfaces 38D.
The pair of body side surfaces 38</b>D constitute both ends of the body portion 31 in the width direction. The main body side surface 38D is a plane with the width direction outer side as the normal direction. The main body side surface 38</b>D is formed over substantially the entire length of the main body portion 31 in the front-rear direction. When the lock member 30 moves in the width direction, the main body side surface 38D comes into contact with the inner surface in the width direction of the side wall 24 of the housing 20. As shown in FIG. Body side surface 38</b>D of body portion 31 of lock member 30 abuts side wall 24 of housing 20 , so that the movable range of lock member 30 in the width direction is defined.

The body portion 31 has a body rear surface 38E.
The main body rear surface 38</b>E constitutes the rear end of the main body portion 31 . The rear surface 38E of the main body is a plane with the rear direction as the normal direction. The body rear surface 38</b>E is formed over substantially the entire width of the body portion 31 .

The body portion 31 has a body front surface 38F.
The main body front surface 38</b>F constitutes the front end of the main body portion 31 . The main body front surface 38F is a plane with the front direction as the normal direction. The body front surface 38</b>F is formed over substantially the entire width of the body portion 31 . The body front surface 38F does not contact the front wall 26 of the housing 20 even when the lock member 30 is translated forward. This is because the forward movable range of the lock member 30 is defined by the contact of the front end surface 72A of the second extension 72 of the arm 32 of the lock member 30 with the housing 20 (the other side withdrawal direction restricting portion 66) (see FIG. 15).

As shown in FIG. 10, the arm portion 32 has a first extension portion 71 extending downward from the main body portion 31, a second extension portion 72 extending forward from the first extension portion 71, and a locking protrusion 73 projecting upward from the second extension portion 72.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the first extending portion 71 extends from one side (upper side) to the other side (lower side) in the thickness direction with respect to the path SR of the flat conductor 90 . The first extension portion 71 connects the main body portion 31 and the second extension portion 72 and corresponds to the “connection portion” of the present disclosure.
The second extension portion 72 is arranged on the other side (lower side) in the thickness direction with respect to the path SR of the flat conductor 90 and corresponds to the "other side portion" of the present disclosure.

The second extending portion 72 has a front end surface 72A at its front end. The front end face 72A comes into contact with a portion of the housing 20 (the other side removal direction restricting portion 66, see FIG. 12) when the lock member 30 moves forward in parallel (see FIG. 15). The front end surface 72A of the second extension 72 of the lock member 30 abuts against a portion of the housing 20, thereby defining the forward movable range of the lock member 30. As shown in FIG. The front end face 72A is a plane with the front direction as the normal direction.

The locking projection 73 enters the path SR in the locked state (see FIG. 15). When the lock member 30 is displaced from the lock position K to the unlock position L, the locking projection 73 is retracted from the path SR (see FIG. 16).

A locking surface 73</b>A for locking the flat conductor 90 is formed on the locking projection 73 . The locking surface 73A receives force in the removal direction from the flat conductor 90 when the removal of the flat conductor 90 is restricted. 73 A of locking surfaces are made into the plane which makes a back direction normal direction.

The engaging projection 73 is formed with an inclined surface 73B with which the tip portion 91 of the flat conductor 90 contacts when the flat conductor 90 is inserted. Since the inclined surface 73B is formed at the position where the distal end portion 91 of the flat conductor 90 contacts, a downward force (in the direction in which the locking projection 73 retreats) acts on the locking projection 73 due to the contact with the flat conductor 90 . Let the inclined surface 73B be a plane. The front end of the inclined surface 73B coincides with the front end surface 72A in the front-rear direction.

<<biasing member 40>>
As shown in FIG. 13A , the biasing member 40 has bases 41 , 42 , 43 , a contact portion 48 that contacts the lock member 30 , and elastic portions 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 positioned between the bases 41 , 42 , 43 and the contact portion 48 .

The base portions 41 , 42 , 43 have a board fixing portion 41 , a press-fit fixing portion 43 press-fitted and fixed to the housing 20 , and an inclined portion 42 connecting the board fixing portion 41 and the press-fit fixing portion 43 .
The elastic portions 44 , 45 , 46 have two folded portions 44 , 46 and a straight portion 45 connecting the two folded portions 44 , 46 .
The contact portion 48 is a portion bent so as to be convex upward. A tip portion 49 is formed at the tip of the contact portion 48 . The tip of the distal end portion 49 is positioned below the upper side surface 23A of the biasing member holding portion 23 in the illustrated state in which the biasing member 40 is not elastically deformed.

The biasing member 40 is elastically deformed in the locked state of the connector 100 (see FIG. 15(B)). Each figure except FIG. 16 shows the biasing member 40 (and the terminal 10) in a state of not being elastically deformed. Therefore, a drawing in which the biasing member 40 and the locking member 30 are superimposed means that the biasing member 40 is elastically deformed.

The board fixing portion 41 of the biasing member 40 is fixed to the board 80 on the connector front side opposite to the board fixing portion 14 of the terminal 10 . Thereby, the mounting strength of the connector 100 is ensured.

<Normal state>
In the connector 100 in which the flat conductor 90 is not inserted (referred to as "normal state"), the lock member 30 is positioned at the same position as in the locked state (see FIG. 15). In the connector 100 in the normal state, the locking protrusion 73 enters the path SR of the flat conductor 90 . Further, the outer upper surface 34 of the lock member 30 is in surface contact with the lower surfaces 25A of the pair of ceiling walls 25 of the housing 20 . Further, the outer lower surface 38B of the body portion 31 of the lock member 30 is urged upward by the urging member 40 .
The position of the locking member 30 that is biased by the biasing member 40 and the position where the movement in the biasing direction (upward direction) is restricted by the housing 20 (the position that contacts the top wall 25) coincide with each other in the connector width direction (see FIG. 15B).

<Inserting a flat conductor>
The operation when the flat conductor 90 is inserted (referred to as "inserting the conductor") will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 17 , when the flat conductor 90 is inserted, the distal end portion 91 of the flat conductor 90 contacts the inclined surface 73B of the locking projection 73 of the lock member 30 . The locking convex portion 73 receives a force having a downward component, which is the direction in which the locking convex portion 73 retreats from the path SR.
Specifically, the force that the lock member 30 receives from the flat conductor 90 on the inclined surface 73B of the locking projection 73 is obliquely backward and downward.
Then, the lock member 30 receives a forward reaction force from the upper projection 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 on the front surface of the rear recess 35 (regulating projection 39).

Therefore, the lock member 30 tilts so that its front portion is displaced downward. At this time, the rear end of the outer upper surface 34 of the lock member 30 inclines while contacting the lower surface 25A of the top wall 25 of the housing 20 (see FIG. 17B). In other words, the movement of the lock member 30 during insertion of the conductor is rotation about the rear end of the outer upper surface 34 of the lock member 30 .

When the distal end portion 91 of the flat conductor 90 climbs over the locking projection 73 of the locking member 30, the force from the flat conductor 90 acting on the locking projection 73 of the locking member 30 disappears. Then, the locking member 30 biased by the biasing member 40 returns to the locking position K (see FIG. 15). When the locking member 30 returns to the locking position K, the locking projection 73 is placed in the notch 94 (locking projection insertion portion) of the flat conductor 90, and the outer upper surface 34 of the locking member 30 comes into surface contact with the lower side surfaces 25A of the pair of top walls 25 of the housing 20. This results in a locked state.

<Withdrawal regulations>
The operation when removal is restricted (when force is applied to the flat conductor 90 in the direction of removal in the locked state) will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .

When the flat conductor 90 attempts to move in the removal direction, a force in the removal direction acts on the locking surface 73A of the locking projection 73 of the lock member 30 from the tip 91 of the flat conductor 90 .

In the locked state, the front end face 72A of the arm portion 32 of the lock member 30 is in contact with or close to the other side withdrawal direction restricting portion 66 of the housing 20 . Therefore, when a force in the removal direction acts on the locking protrusion 73, the front end surface 72A of the arm 32 immediately receives a reaction force in the insertion direction from the housing 20, or moves slightly forward to contact the other side removal direction restricting portion 66 (see FIG. 12) of the housing 20, and receives a reaction force in the insertion direction. This restricts removal of the flat conductor 90 .
As shown in FIG. 12, the other side withdrawal direction restricting portion 66 of the housing 20 is a flat surface with the rear as the normal direction.

<Unlock>
A state in which the lock member 30 is in the unlocked position (referred to as an “unlocked state”) will be described with reference to FIG. 16 .

When the central bulging surface 33 (operating portion, operating surface) of the body portion 31 of the locking member 30 is pressed downward from the locked state, the locking member 30 moves downward.

When the lock member 30 is translated downward, the center lower surface 38A of the body portion 31 of the lock member 30 contacts the upper surface 22A of the terminal holding portion 22 . The lower center surface 38A of the body portion 31 of the lock member 30 contacts the upper surface 22A of the terminal holding portion 22, thereby defining the downward movable range of the lock member 30. As shown in FIG.

When the central lower surface 38A of the main body portion 31 of the locking member 30 is in contact with the upper surface 22A of the terminal holding portion 22, the locking projection 73 of the arm portion 32 of the locking member 30 is retracted from the path SR and is retracted from the notch portion 94 (removed portion) of the flat conductor 90. Therefore, removal of the flat conductor 90 is permitted.

<Withdrawal Regulation Department>
When the lock member 30 moves rearward from the lock position K, the restricting protrusion 39 of the lock member 30 contacts the upper protrusion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 (see FIG. 15A). In other words, the upper convex portion 27B (one side convex portion) of the locking elastic portion 27 prevents the locking member 30 moving backward from the locking position K from being released.

On the other hand, when the lock member 30 moves downward in parallel to the unlocked position L (see FIG. 16), the upper protrusion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 moves outside the rear recess 35 of the lock member 30, and the rearward movement of the lock member 30 cannot be restricted by the upper protrusion 27B.
However, in this state, the body rear face 38E of the lock member 30 is arranged in front of the lower protrusion 28 of the housing 20. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the lock member 30 moves rearward from this state, the body rear surface 38E of the lock member 30 abuts against the lower convex portion 28 (the other convex portion) of the housing 20, and is restricted from being removed from the accommodation space 21.

<When the lock member is assembled>
The operation when assembling the lock member 30 (at the time of assembling the lock member) will be described with reference to FIG. 18 .

When inserting the lock member 30 into the housing space 21, the main body portion 31 of the lock member 30 passes between the ceiling wall 25 and the lower convex portion 28 of the housing 20, as shown in FIG. 18B. Then, in the middle of insertion, the biasing member 40 begins to come into contact with the outer lower surface 38B of the locking member 30 . After that, the locking member 30 is inserted while being urged upward by the urging member 40 .

When the insertion is further advanced from the state shown in FIG. 18 , the restricting convex portion 39 of the lock member 30 contacts the inclined surface 27 B 1 of the upper convex portion 27 B of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 . As the insertion is further advanced, the locking elastic portion 27 is elastically deformed so that the upper convex portion 27B is displaced upward.
When the restricting convex portion 39 of the locking member 30 gets over the upper convex portion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27, the shape of the locking elastic portion 27 returns to its original shape. This completes the assembly of the locking member 30 .

(Detailed structure of terminal)
Next, the detailed structure of the terminal 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 19, the −Z direction is one side of the first direction, the +Z direction is the other side of the first direction, the +X direction is one side of the second direction, and the −X direction is the other side of the second direction.

Terminal 10 is made of a plate material. The terminal 10 does not have a portion where the plate material is bent, and the entire terminal 10 has a flat plate shape. The plate thickness direction of the terminal 10 faces the connector width direction (third direction).

The terminal 10 has a proximal side portion 11 held by the housing 20 (see FIG. 14(A)). The base end side portion 11 has a base portion 12 located at the rear portion of the terminal 10 and a forward extending portion 13 extending forward (one side in the second direction) from an upper portion (a portion on the other side in the first direction) of the base portion 12 .
A protrusion 13A that bites into the housing 20 is formed on the forward extending portion 13 and is press-fitted into the housing 20 (see FIG. 14A).

In addition, the terminal 10 has a substrate fixing portion 14 that is fixed to the substrate 80 by soldering or the like. The substrate fixing portion 14 is formed at a position rearward (−X direction) and downward (−Z direction) with respect to the base portion 12 .

The terminal 10 also includes a first contact piece 15 and a second contact piece 16 .
The first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 both extend in one side in the second direction, and each have a first contact portion 15A and a second contact portion 16A on the tip side that contact the flat conductor 90 as a "connection object" from one side in the first direction. The second contact piece 16 is located on the other side in the first direction with respect to the first contact piece 15 . The second contact portion 16A contacts the flat conductor 90 on the other side in the second direction from the first contact portion 15A.

The first contact piece 15 has a rectilinear portion 15C extending in one side in the second direction on its base end side, and an inclined portion 15B extending obliquely on one side in the second direction and the other side in the first direction on its tip side.
The second contact piece 16 has a first inclined portion 16C extending obliquely on one side of the second direction and one side of the first direction on its base end side, and a second inclined portion 16B extending obliquely on one side of the second direction and on the other side of the first direction on its distal end side.
The direction in which the contact piece extends can be grasped based on the direction in which the pair of edges of the contact piece face. Specifically, when both of the pair of edges of the contact piece extend in an oblique direction, the contact piece is understood to extend in an oblique direction.

A first space 17 is formed between the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 , and a second space 18 is formed between the second contact piece 16 and the forward extension portion 13 .

The base end side of the second contact piece 16 is not connected to the base portion 12 but is connected only to the forward extending portion 13 .
As a result, the end 17A of the first space 17 on the other side in the second direction is positioned on the other side in the second direction with respect to the end 18A on the other side in the second direction of the second space 18, and the end 17B on the other side in the first direction of the first space 17 is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the end 18A on the other side in the second direction of the second space 18.

A plate edge 12A extending substantially parallel to the first direction is formed on the other side of the first space 17 in the second direction. The length of the plate edge 12</b>A extending substantially parallel to the first direction is longer than the width of the base end of the second contact piece 16 .

(Structure of terminal holding part)
Next, the structure of the terminal holding portion 22 of the housing 20 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 14A, the terminal holding portion 22 has a lower wall 52 and an upper wall 53 .
A base end portion 11 of the terminal 10 and the contact pieces 15 and 16 are arranged in the space between the lower wall 52 and the upper wall 53 . The upper side surface of the upper wall 53 constitutes the upper surface 22A of the terminal holding portion 22 .

The front end 52A of the lower wall 52 is positioned forward of the front end 53A of the upper wall 53 and the front wall 26 of the housing 20 . This facilitates insertion of the flat conductor 90 .

Further, the terminal holding portion 22 has a plurality of intervening walls 54 arranged between adjacent terminals 10 among the plurality of terminals 10 .
Insertion grooves 55 into which the flat conductors 90 are inserted are formed in the plurality of intervening walls 54 . The insertion groove 55 extends rearward from the front end of the intervening wall 54 . A rear end 55</b>A of the insertion groove 55 is located in the intermediate portion of the intervening wall 54 in the front-rear direction. The rear end 55A of the insertion groove 55 defines the limit of the insertion depth of the flat conductor 90. As shown in FIG.

A width direction connecting portion 56 is formed above the insertion groove 55 to connect the plurality of intervening walls 54 in the width direction of the connector. The width direction connecting portion 56 extends in the front-rear direction. The front extending portion 13 of the terminal 10 is inserted and press-fitted between the width direction connecting portion 56 and the upper wall 53 .

<Effect>
Next, the effect of this embodiment is demonstrated from a 1st viewpoint.

In this embodiment, the flat conductor connector 100 includes a housing 20 and a locking member 30 . The locking member 30 has a locking projection 73 for locking the flat conductor 90 and is displaceable between a locked position K and an unlocked position L with respect to the housing 20 . The locking projection 73 of the locking member 30 at the locking position K locks the flat conductor 90 by entering the path SR of the flat conductor 90 . On the other hand, the locking protrusion 73 of the locking member 30 at the unlock position L releases the locking of the flat conductor 90 by retreating from the path SR. The locking protrusion 73 locks the flat conductor 90 from the other side (lower side) in the thickness direction of the flat conductor 90 .
The flat conductor connector 100 also includes a biasing member 40 . The biasing member 40 is elastically deformed to allow the lock member 30 to be displaced to the unlock position L and bias the lock member 30 at the unlock position L to the lock position K. As shown in FIG.
The lock member 30 has an operation portion (central bulging surface 33) for moving the lock member 30 to the unlock position. Therefore, the user can move the lock member 30 to the unlock position L by operating the operating portion (the central bulging surface 33).
Further, the lock member 30 can be displaced from the lock position K to the unlock position L by parallel movement of the lock member 30 to the other side (lower side) in the thickness direction of the flat conductor 90 . Therefore, in the present embodiment, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to form the operating portion (central bulging surface 33) in consideration of the rotation of the lock member 30. FIG. As a result, the operation portion (central bulging surface 33 ) can be easily formed wide, and the operation force to the other thickness direction side (lower side) of the flat conductor 90 can be smoothly transmitted to the lock member 30 . In other words, the connector can be easily operated from the locked state to the unlocked state.

In the present embodiment, the lock member 30 has one side portion (main body portion 31) located on one side (upper side) in the thickness direction of the flat conductor 90 relative to the path SR, the other side portion (second extending portion 72) located on the other side (lower side) in the thickness direction of the flat conductor 90 relative to the path SR, and a connecting portion (first extending portion 71) that connects the one side portion (main body portion 31) and the other side portion (second extending portion 72). The locking convex portion 73 is formed so as to protrude from the other side portion (the second extension portion 72), and the operating portion (the central bulging surface 33) is formed on the one side portion (the main body portion 31).
Therefore, the operation portion (central bulging surface 33) can be arranged on one side (upper side) in the thickness direction of the flat conductor 90 with respect to the path SR.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housing 20 is provided with the other side removal direction restricting portion 66 that comes close to or contacts the other side portion (the second extension portion 72) and regulates the movement of the other side portion (the second extension portion 72) in the removal direction (front side) (see FIGS. 12 and 15).
Therefore, when a force in the removal direction is applied from the flat conductor 90 to the locking projection 73, the second extension 72 (the other side) of the lock member 30 is in proximity to or in contact with the other side removal direction restricting portion 66 of the housing 20, so the lock member 30 does not move or moves slightly before stopping.

Further, in the present embodiment, the end of the urging direction restricting portion (the outer upper surface 34 ) on the removal direction side (front side) of the flat conductor 90 is located on the removal direction side (front side) of the locking convex portion 73 . Therefore, the biasing direction restricting portion (the outer upper surface 34) can be formed long forward. By forming the urging direction restricting portion (the outer upper surface 34) to be long forward, in the present embodiment, the contact area between the ceiling wall 25 of the housing 20 and the outer upper surface 34 of the lock member 30 is increased, thereby suppressing local forces acting on each other.
However, due to the removal-direction force acting on the locking projections 73, a moment is generated in the lock member 30 in the direction in which the locking projections 73 retreat, with the ends of the urging-direction restricting portions (the pair of outer upper surfaces 34) on the removal-direction side as fulcrums.
However, in the present embodiment, since the other side withdrawal direction restricting portion 66 is formed in the housing 20, even if the locking member 30 tries to rotate, it will not rotate in the direction in which the locking projection 73 retreats, or if it does, it will be contained by a slight rotation.

Further, in the present embodiment, the lock member 30 rotates about the width direction of the flat conductor 90 (connector width direction) due to the force acting on the locking projection 73 from the inserted flat conductor 90, whereby the locking projection 73 retreats from the path SR.
Therefore, the user can retract the locking projection 73 from the path SR simply by inserting the flat conductor 90 . In addition, since the locking projection 73 is retracted by rotating the lock member 30, a smaller insertion force is required than when the lock member 30 is translated.
In particular, in the present embodiment, the center of rotation during insertion (the rear end of the outer upper surface 34 ) is located on the insertion direction side and one thickness direction side (rear and above) of the locking projection 73 . For this reason, even smaller insertion force is sufficient.

Further, in this embodiment, the operating portion (central bulging surface 33) of the lock member 30 is formed in a range (see reference numeral 33B in FIG. 15) that includes a position substantially matching the center of rotation and the insertion direction (connector front-rear direction). Therefore, the operating portion (central bulging surface 33) of the locking member 30 can be formed widely.

Further, in this embodiment, the biasing member 40 has bases 41 , 42 , 43 , a contact portion 48 that contacts the lock member 30 , and elastic portions 44 , 45 , 46 positioned between the bases 41 , 42 , 43 and the contact portion 48 .
The elastic portions 44 , 45 , 46 have two folded portions 44 , 46 . For this reason, compared to a mode in which there is only one folded portion 44, 46, the structure is such that the contact portion 48 and the locking member 30 are more likely to be prevented from sliding when the locking member 30 moves in parallel in the vertical direction.

Next, the effect of this embodiment is demonstrated from a 2nd viewpoint.

In this embodiment, the flat conductor connector 100 includes a housing 20 and a lock member 30 . A housing space 21 for housing the lock member 30 is formed in the housing 20 . The locking member 30 housed in the housing space 21 can be displaced between a lock position K and an unlock position L in the housing space 21 .
The locking member 30 has locking projections 73 for locking the flat conductor 90 . The locking projection 73 locks the flat conductor 90 when the lock member 30 is at the lock position K, and unlocks the flat conductor 90 when the lock member 30 is at the unlock position L.
The housing 20 also has an elastically deformable elastic portion (locking elastic portion 27). The elastic portion (locking elastic portion 27) is elastically deformed to allow the locking member 30 to be inserted into the accommodation space 21 from a predetermined direction (rear direction of the connector). Therefore, when assembling the connector, by elastically deforming the elastic portion (locking elastic portion 27) of the housing 20, the lock member 30 can be inserted into the housing space 21 from a predetermined direction (rear direction of the connector).
Further, the housing 20 has detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 that prevent the lock member 30 from being removed from the accommodation space 21 by coming into contact with the lock member 30 when the lock member 30 moves in a predetermined direction (rear direction of the connector) in the accommodation space 21. Therefore, even if the lock member 30 moves to the inserted side in the housing space 21, the detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 of the housing 20 abut against the lock member 30, thereby preventing the lock member 30 from being detached from the housing space 21.
As described above, in the process of assembling the lock member 30 in manufacturing the connector, a member other than the housing 20 and the lock member 30 is not required, and the lock member 30 does not come off from the housing space 21 simply by inserting the lock member 30 while elastically deforming the elastic portion (locking elastic portion 27). In other words, in the flat conductor connector 100 including the lock member 30 that locks the flat conductor 90, the work of assembling the lock member 30 can be simplified.

Further, in this embodiment, the displacement between the lock position K and the unlock position L of the lock member 30 is displacement in a direction intersecting the opening direction of the housing space 21 (connector rearward direction), which is a predetermined direction. Therefore, the locus of movement of the lock member 30 differs between when the lock member 30 moves from the lock position K in the opening direction (connector rearward direction) and when the lock member 30 moves from the unlock position in the opening direction (connector rearward direction).
Therefore, the detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 contact the lock member 30 when the lock member 30 moves from the lock position K in the opening direction (connector rearward direction), and contact the lock member 30 when the lock member 30 moves from the unlock position in the opening direction (connector rearward direction).
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lock member 30 from coming off in the connector in which the displacement between the lock position K and the unlock position of the lock member 30 intersects the opening direction (rearward direction of the connector).

Further, in this embodiment, the elastic portion is the locking elastic portion 27 formed on the housing 20 . The locking elastic portion 27 includes a one-side convex portion (upper convex portion 27B) that forms part of the detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 .
Therefore, when the lock member 30 is assembled, the lock member 30 can be inserted into the accommodation space 21 by elastically deforming the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20 . Detachment of the lock member 30 from the accommodation space 21 is prevented by the detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 including the one-side projection (upper projection 27B) of the locking elastic portion 27 that has returned elastically.
Note that the "one-side convex portion" may constitute all of the detachment preventing portions 27B and 28. As shown in FIG.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 include a projection on one side (upper projection 27B) of the locking elastic portion 27 and a projection on the other side (lower projection 28) projecting in the opposite direction to the locking projection 73. The one-side protrusion (upper protrusion 27B) contacts the lock member 30 that moves in the opening direction (connector rearward direction) from the lock position K, and the other-side protrusion (lower protrusion 28) contacts the lock member 30 that moves in the opening direction (connector rearward direction) from the unlock position.
For this reason, the amount of protrusion of the one-side protrusion (upper protrusion 27B) can be reduced compared to a mode in which the detachment prevention portions 27B and 28 are configured only from the one-side protrusion (upper protrusion 27B). When the protrusion amount of the one-side protrusion (upper protrusion 27B) is reduced, the lock member 30 can be inserted toward a position close to the lock position K when the lock member is inserted into the housing space 21. As a result, the amount of elastic deformation of the biasing member 40 when the lock member 30 is inserted can be reduced. If the amount of elastic deformation of the biasing member 40 when inserting the lock member 30 is reduced, for example, the force required when inserting the lock member 30 can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, the housing 20 includes a pair of urging direction restricting surfaces (lower side surfaces 25A of the top wall 25) that restrict displacement of the lock member 30 in the urging direction. A pair of urging direction regulating wall surfaces (lower side surface 25A of top wall 25) are formed at both ends of the connector in the width direction. Therefore, since the lock member 30 is supported by the pair of urging direction regulating wall surfaces (lower side surface 25A of the top wall 25) at both end portions in the connector width direction, the posture of the lock member 30 is stabilized.
A pair of locking elastic portions 27 are formed inside the pair of urging direction restricting wall surfaces (lower side surface 25A of top wall 25) in the connector width direction. Therefore, the locking member 30 is stably prevented from being removed from the housing space 21 by the pair of locking projections 73 of the pair of locking elastic portions 27 positioned apart in the width direction of the connector.
Furthermore, each of the pair of locking elastic portions 27 includes an extending portion 27A extending from the base end toward the opening direction (rear direction of the connector) of the housing space 21, and a one-side convex portion (upper convex portion 27B) formed on the distal end side of the extending portion 27A. Therefore, the lock member 30 is prevented from being removed from the housing space 21 by the one-side protrusion (upper protrusion 27B) formed on the tip side (opening direction side) of the extension 27A extending toward the opening direction (connector rearward direction). In addition, since the length of the extending portion 27A can be increased in the connector dimension range (connector front-rear dimension range) along the opening direction (connector rearward direction), the locking elastic portion 27 can be made less likely to be damaged.

In addition, in this embodiment, the connector 100 has a flat conductor insertion opening 102 that opens in one direction (frontward direction of the connector) of the directions along the board 80 on which it is mounted. On the other hand, the opening direction of the accommodation space 21 (connector rearward direction) is the opposite direction of the opening direction of the flat conductor insertion opening 102 (connector frontward direction) among the directions along the board 80 . Therefore, it is easy to form the opening of the accommodation space 21 large.

Further, in the present embodiment, the displacement from the locked position K to the unlocked position L is the direction (downward direction) toward the substrate 80 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 80 (vertical direction). The lock member 30 has an operation surface (central bulging surface 33) facing in a direction (upward) away from the substrate 80 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 80 and used for displacing the locking member 30 to the unlock position L (central bulging surface 33).
Therefore, the lock member 30 can be displaced to the unlock position L by an operation in the direction away from the substrate 80 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 80 . It should be noted that the fact that the lock member 30 can be displaced to the unlocked position by operating from above the board is useful when mounting a large number of connectors on the board 80, for example.

Next, the effect of this embodiment is demonstrated from a 3rd viewpoint.

In this embodiment, the terminal 10 includes a first contact piece 15 , a second contact piece 16 and a forward extension portion 13 , and the base end side of the second contact piece 16 is connected to the forward extension portion 13 .
Therefore, unlike the terminal 10 in which the base end side of the second contact piece 16 is not connected to the front extending portion 13, the degree of freedom in designing the terminal 10 is improved. That is, for example, by connecting only the forward extending portion 13 at the base end side of the second contact piece 16, the distance between the base ends of the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 can be easily widened. Further, for example, by connecting a part of the base end side of the second contact piece 16 to the front extending portion 13, the base end of the second contact piece 16 can be easily formed thick.
Thus, according to the third aspect, in the terminal 10 including the first contact piece 15, the second contact piece 16, and the forward extending portion 13, a terminal with a new structure that facilitates the adjustment of the characteristics of the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 is provided.

Further, in the present embodiment, the base end side of the second contact piece 16 is connected only to the forward extension portion 13 . Therefore, the distance between the base ends of the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 can be easily widened without changing the dimension of the terminal 10 in the first direction and the width dimension of the base ends of the contact pieces 15 and 16 . If the distance between the proximal ends of the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 is wide, for example, punching using a press die is facilitated.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the second contact piece 16 has, on its base end side, an inclined portion 15B that extends obliquely on the one side of the second direction and on the one side of the first direction. Therefore, it is easier to ensure the length of the second contact piece 16 compared to the mode in which the inclined portion 15B is not formed on the base end sides of the second contact pieces 15 and 16 .

Further, in the present embodiment, a plate edge 12A extending substantially parallel to the first direction is formed on the other side of the first space 17 in the second direction. For this reason, for example, the width dimension on the base end side of the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 can be made smaller compared to a mode in which a plate edge that curves and extends in the second direction other side of the first space 17 is formed. As a result, it is easy to secure the amount of deformation on the base end side of the first contact piece 15 and the second contact piece 16 .

Further, in the present embodiment, the second contact portion 16A contacts the flat conductor 90 on the other side in the second direction from the first contact portion 15A. Therefore, when contacting the flat conductor 90, the first contact portion 15A and the second contact portion 16A contact the object to be connected at different timings.

Further, in the present embodiment, the forward extending portion 13 is formed with a projecting portion 13A that bites into the housing 20 . Therefore, the terminal 10 can be held by the housing 20 using the front extension portion 13 .

Next, the effect of this embodiment is demonstrated from another viewpoint.

In this embodiment, the top wall 25 that restricts the movement of the lock member 30 in the biasing direction (upward direction) is connected to the side wall 24 and the front wall 26, so that the top wall 25 is less likely to be damaged.

Further, in the present embodiment, the front end surface 72A of the second extending portion 72 of the locking member 30 and the locking surface 73A of the locking projection 73 are close to each other in the vertical direction. Specifically, the upper end of the front end surface 72A and the lower end of the locking surface 73A substantially coincide with each other in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, since the front recessed portion 36 is formed in front of the rear recessed portion 35 of the lock member 30, the longitudinal dimension of the restricting protrusion 39 is reduced. By reducing the front-to-rear dimension of the restricting convex portion 39, it is possible to shorten the time during which the locking elastic portion 27 is elastically deformed when the locking member 30 is assembled.
Further, the formation of the front concave portion 36 delays the time at which the locking member 30 starts receiving the reaction force from the locking elastic portion 27 . In particular, the time when the lock member 30 starts to receive the reaction force from the locking elastic part 27 is later than the time when the lock member 30 starts to receive the reaction force from the biasing member 40, and the timing is shifted, so that the lock member 30 can be easily inserted.

In this embodiment, the width of the rear recess 35 (connector width direction dimension) is set so that the rear recess 35 does not come into contact with the upper protrusion 27B of the locking elastic portion 27 when the lock member 30 moves in the width direction. Note that when the lock member 30 moves in the width direction, the body side surface 38</b>D of the lock member 30 comes into contact with the side wall 24 of the housing 20 .

Further, in this embodiment, it is possible to confirm whether or not the connection of the flat conductor 90 is completed through the through hole 27C formed in the extending portion 27A of the locking elastic portion 27 of the housing 20. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a through hole or the like for checking whether or not the connection of the flat conductor 90 is completed, separately from the locking elastic portion 27, and the connector can be made small.

Further, in this embodiment, the housing 20 does not exist below the second extension portion 72 of the lock member 30 at the lock position K. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the vertical movable range of the lock member 30 is increased. In other words, the locking member 30 can be moved downward until the second extending portion 72 reaches a position close to the substrate 80 .
Furthermore, a reinforcing portion 67 that connects the terminal holding portion 22 and the urging member holding portion 23 is formed behind the second extending portion 72 of the locking member 30 at the unlock position L (see FIG. 16A). Therefore, the housing 20 is reinforced.
Furthermore, since the rear end 72B of the second extending portion 72 is positioned forward of the rear end of the main body portion 31 (main body rear surface 38E), the reinforcing portion 67 can be formed without increasing the longitudinal dimension of the connector 100 .

Further, in the present embodiment, even if the lock member 30 moves downward in parallel, the outer lower surface 38B of the lock member 30 does not abut against the biasing member holding portion 23 of the housing 20, and the lock member 30 is supported from below only at the center portion in the width direction where the central lower surface 38A is formed. For this reason, a force that causes warping is less likely to act on the body portion 31 of the locking member 30 .
Further, the outer lower surface 38B of the body portion 31 of the lock member 30 is located above the central lower surface 38A. As a result, the central lower surface 38A of the lock member 30 can be brought into contact with the housing 20, and the biasing member holding portion 23 can be formed high. By forming the biasing member holding portion 23 high, the strength of the housing 20 can be improved.

[Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment]
In the above embodiment, the locking member 30 and the biasing member 40 are members formed separately from the housing 20, but the locking member and the biasing member of the present disclosure are not limited to this. For example, the biasing member may be molded integrally with the housing from a synthetic resin material.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the removed portion 37 that allows a portion of the flat conductor 90 to be visually recognized was a hole penetrating in the vertical direction, but the removed portion of the present disclosure is not limited to a hole.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the operation surface (central bulging surface 33) as the operation portion is formed on the main body portion 31 as one side portion, but the operation portion of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The operating portion may be formed on the other side portion.

Further, in the above embodiment, the outer upper surface 34 as the "biasing direction restricting portion" is formed on the main body portion 31 as one side portion, but the "biasing direction restricting portion" of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be formed on the other side portion.

Further, in the above embodiment, the lock member 30 has the main body portion 31 as the “one side portion”, the second extension portion 72 as the “other side portion”, and the first extension portion 71 as the “connecting portion”, but the “lock member” of the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the locking member may consist only of the other side.

Further, in the above embodiment, the locking member is rotatable as when the conductor is inserted (see FIG. 17), but the locking member of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The lock member may be configured so that it can only move in parallel and not be rotatable.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the lock member can be translated from the lock position K to the unlock position L (see FIGS. 15 and 16), but the lock member of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The locking member may be configured to be only rotatable, such as when the conductor is inserted, and not be able to move in parallel.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the locking elastic portion 27 as the “elastic portion” is formed in the housing 20, but the elastic portion of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The elastic portion may be formed on the locking member.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the upper convex portion 27B as the “one-side convex portion of the locking elastic portion” is formed with the inclined surface 27B1, and the locking elastic portion 27 can be elastically deformed by inserting the locking member 30 into the housing space 21 while the locking member 30 is brought into contact with the inclined surface 27B1. However, the “one-side convex portion of the locking elastic portion” of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the inclined surface may not be formed. In this case, the lock member may be inserted into the accommodation space while elastically deforming the locking elastic portion using a finger of the operator, a jig, a machine, or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the "terminal" is a terminal having the flat conductor 90 as a connection object, but the "terminal" of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The terminal may be a terminal having a connector as a connection object.

Further, in the above embodiment, the locking member 30 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, but the "locking member" of the present disclosure may be made of other materials such as ceramics and metals.

100 connector (connector for flat conductor)
102 Flat conductor insertion port 10 Terminal 11 Base end side portion 12A Plate edge 13 Forward extending portion 13A Projection portion 15 First contact piece 15A First contact portion 16 Second contact piece 16A Second contact portion 16C First inclined portion (inclined portion)
17 First space 17A Second direction other side end 17B First direction other side end 18 Second space 18A Second direction other side end 20 Housing 21 Accommodating space 22 Terminal holding portion 23 Biasing member holding portion 24 Side wall 25 Ceiling wall (biasing direction restricting portion)
25A lower side (biasing direction restricting part)
26 Front wall 27 Locking elastic portion (elastic portion)
27A extending portions 27B, 28 detachment prevention portion 27B upper convex portion (one side convex portion)
28 lower convex portion (other side convex portion)
30 lock member 31 body portion (one-side convex portion)
32 arm (connecting part, other side part)
33 central bulging surface (operation part, operation surface)
34 outer upper surface (biasing direction restricting portion)
40 biasing members 41, 42, 43 base portions 44, 45, 46 elastic portions 44, 46 folded portion 48 contact portion 66 other side removal direction restricting portion 71 first extending portion (connecting portion)
72 second extension (other side)
72A front end surface (biasing direction restricting portion)
73 locking projection 80 board 90 flat conductor 91 tip

Claims (6)

a housing;
a locking member having a locking projection for locking the flat conductor and displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position with respect to the housing;
a biasing member that elastically deforms to allow displacement of the lock member to the unlocked position and biases the lock member in the unlocked position toward the locked position,
the locking protrusion of the locking member at the locking position locks the flat conductor by entering a path of the flat conductor;
the locking protrusion of the locking member at the unlock position releases the locking of the flat conductor by retracting from the path;
the locking protrusion locks the flat conductor from the other side of the thickness direction one side and the other side of the flat conductor,
the lock member has an operation portion for moving the lock member to the unlock position;
Displacement of the lock member from the lock position to the unlock position is possible by parallel movement of the lock member to the other side in the thickness direction,
The lock member is rotated about the width direction of the flat conductor by a force acting on the locking protrusion from the inserted flat conductor, whereby the locking protrusion retreats from the path.
Connector for flat conductors. The lock member is
a one side portion positioned on one side in the thickness direction of the path in both the state in which the lock member is in the lock position and the state in which the lock member is in the unlock position;
a second side portion located on the other side in the thickness direction of the path in both the state in which the lock member is in the lock position and the state in which the lock member is in the unlock position;
a connecting portion that connects the one side portion and the other side portion;
The locking projection is formed to protrude from the other side,
The operation part is formed on the one side part,
2. The flat conductor connector according to claim 1. The lock member is
a one side portion positioned on one side in the thickness direction of the path in both the state in which the lock member is in the lock position and the state in which the lock member is in the unlock position;
a second side portion located on the other side in the thickness direction of the path in both the state in which the lock member is in the lock position and the state in which the lock member is in the unlock position;
a connecting portion that connects the one side portion and the other side portion;
The locking projection is formed to protrude from the other side,
A biasing direction restricting portion is formed on the one side portion to restrict movement of the lock member in a direction biased by the biasing member by coming into contact with the housing,
The housing is formed with a second side withdrawal direction restricting portion that abuts against the other side portion to restrict movement of the other side portion in the withdrawal direction.
The flat conductor connector according to claim 1 or 2. an end of the urging direction restricting portion on the removal direction side of the flat conductor is located on the removal direction side of the locking convex portion;
The connector for flat conductors according to claim 3 . The other side portion extends from the connecting portion in the removal direction,
The center of rotation is located on the insertion direction side and one side in the thickness direction of the locking projection.
4. The flat conductor connector according to claim 2 or 3. The biasing member has a base, a contact portion that contacts the locking member, and an elastic portion positioned between the base and the contact portion,
The elastic portion has at least two folded portions,
The flat conductor connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .