The present invention relates to a double-lock connector where unlocking of a terminal locked by a locking lance inside a connector housing is enabled while a spacer for locking of the terminal is temporarily locked by the connector housing.
FIGS. 12 and 13 show a conventional double-lock connector appeared on Japan Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 4-78780.
This double-lock connector 31 consists of a connector housing 33 which houses a terminal 32 and a front spacer 35 which is inserted into such connector housing 33 from the front and which prevents a flexible locking lance 34 from deflection inside the connector housing 33.
As shown in FIG. 13, an antideflection plate 36 on one side of such spacer 35 comprises an engagement hook 38 for a temporary lock projection 37 of the connector housing 33 and an antideflection plate 39 on the other side similarly comprises an engagement hook 41 for a true lock projection 40. The terminal 32 is drawn out by pressing down a flexible locking lance 34 with a stick jig 42 inserted into the connector housing 33 while the spacer 35 is temporarily locked as in shown in FIG. 12. This eliminates an operation to draw out the spacer each time and prevents possible damages on the spacer 35 during the operation.
The aforenamed conventional double lock connector 31, however, has a problem that the operation is inefficient since the flexible locking lance 34 needs to be pushed down manually with the stick jig 42 in a blind operation to unlock the terminal 32. Another problem is degradation of contact reliability of the terminal 32 caused by an operator who unintentionally thrusts the stick jig 42 into a contact part 43 of the terminal 32 by mistake.