초록 ▼

A connector (10) formed by removing front and rear shaping dies in forward and backward directions. The connector (10) includes a housing (20), a lock arm (40) provided displaceably relative to the outer surface of the housing (20) and adapted to hold a mating housing and the housing (20) in a conne

A connector (10) formed by removing front and rear shaping dies in forward and backward directions. The connector (10) includes a housing (20), a lock arm (40) provided displaceably relative to the outer surface of the housing (20) and adapted to hold a mating housing and the housing (20) in a connected state. Couplings (51) connect the lock arm (40) and the housing (20) and have front and rear curved surfaces (57F, 57R). Front steps (54F) extend continuously forward from the end edge (58F) of the front curved surfaces (57F) closer to the rear curved surfaces (57R). Rear steps (54R) extend continuously back from end edges of the rear curved surfaces (57R) closer to the front curved surfaces (57F). Pairs of curved portions (59F, 59R) facing forward and back are provided at opposite ends of the curved surfaces (57F, 57R) in directions crossing the curving directions.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A connector, comprising: a housing; lock arm provided displaceably relative to an outer surface of the housing and configured to hold a mating housing and the housing in a connected state; at least one coupling connecting the lock arm and the housing and having front and rear curved surfaces, eac

1. A connector, comprising: a housing; lock arm provided displaceably relative to an outer surface of the housing and configured to hold a mating housing and the housing in a connected state; at least one coupling connecting the lock arm and the housing and having front and rear curved surfaces, each of the front and rear curved surfaces extending through a concave arc generated about an axis and each of the concave arcs having opposite ends; a front step extending forward continuously from the end of the concave arc of the front curved surface closer to the rear curved surface; a rear step extending back continuously from the end of the concave arc of the rear curved surface closer to the front curved surface; and two convex curved portions on each of the curved surfaces, the convex curved portions being generated about axes aligned in directions crossing the axes about which the concave arcs are generated. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the front and rear steps overlap when seen in forward and backward directions. 3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the front and rear steps are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the coupling portion. 4. The connector of claim 1, further comprising two protection walls standing up from the outer surface of the housing at opposite sides of the lock arm; and the at least one coupling comprising two couplings connecting protection walls and the lock arm. 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the coupling is arranged between the steps. 6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the coupling is located in an area enclosed by a tangent drawn from an end edge of the front curved surface to the rear curved surface, a tangent drawn from an end edge of the rear curved surface to the front curved surface and the both curved surfaces. 7. The connector of claim 4, wherein the front curved surface faces substantially forward via a front slit is connected to a rear end of a vertical surface of the front step and the rear curved surface substantially facing backward via a rear slit is connected to a front end of a vertical surface of the rear step. 8. The connector of claim 4, further comprising a laterally projecting restricting piece on the lock arm and a bulging piece bulging laterally on an inner side surface of the protection wall, the restricting piece and the bulging piece facing vertically to prevent an excessive deformation of the lock arm. 9. The connector of claim 4, further comprising at least one link at a side of the lock arm connecting a side surface of an arm portion of the lock arm and a side surface of the protection wall, the link including at least one beam adjacent the coupling and extending in forward and backward directions. 10. The connector of claim 9, wherein a front beam is wider than a rear beam, and wherein a front surface of the front is closer to the protection wall than a rear surface of the rear beam. 11. The connector of claim 1, wherein the coupling is substantially parallel to the outer surface of the housing and connects a lateral edge of the lock arm to the housing. 12. The connector of claim 1, wherein the curved portions extend along entire areas of the front and rear curved surfaces. 13. The connector of claim 1, wherein the front and rear curved surfaces are offset from one another in a direction crossing a forward and backward direction and a displacing direction of the lock arm. 14. The connector of claim 1, wherein the front step is forward of the coupling and the rear step is rearward of the coupling. 15. A connector, comprising: a housing having opposite front and rear ends and an outer surface, first and second laterally spaced protection walls projecting up from the outer surface and extending substantially in a front to rear direction; a lock arm disposed between and spaced from the protection walls; and first and second couplings connecting the lock arm to the respective first and second protection walls of the housing, each of the couplings having: a lower surface facing the outer surface of the housing and an upper surface facing away from the outer surface of the housing, front and rear concave curves facing respectively toward the front and rear ends of the housing, a front step extending forward from an end of the front concave curve on a side of the respective coupling farther from the lock arm, a rear step extending back from an end of the rear concave curve closer to the lock arm, upper and lower front convex curves extending respectively from the upper and lower surfaces of the coupling to the front concave curve, and upper and lower rear convex curves extending respectively from the upper and lower surfaces of the coupling to the rear concave curve. 16. The connector of claim 15, wherein the front and rear concave curves are generated about axes extending substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the housing. 17. The connector of claim 16, wherein the front and rear convex curves are generated about axes extending substantially parallel to the outer surface of the housing. 18. The connector of claim 15, wherein the front and rear curves are offset from one another in a lateral direction and in the front to rear direction.