REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The Present Application claims priority to prior-filed Japanese Application No. 2009- 290363, entitled "Wire-To-Board Connector," and filed 22 December 2009. Additionally, the

Present Application is related to co-pending PCT Patent Application No. (Attorney

Docket No. B0-036 WO), entitled "Wire-To-Board Connector," and filed 22 December 2010. This related PCT Patent Application has the same inventive entity. Further, this related PCT Patent Application claims priority to prior-filed Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-290289, entitled "Wire-To-Board Connector," and filed 22 December 2009. Each of the Applications referenced in this Paragraph are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT APPLICATION

[0002] The Present Application relates, generally, to a wire-to-board connector, and, more particularly, to a wire-to-board connector having the ability to discern visually the completeness of the mating, as well as to reduce the space required for the mating.

[0003] Conventional wire-to-board connectors have been used for connecting wires, such as cables, to printed circuit boards and the like. An example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-032666. In this type of connector, one connector is mounted on the circuit board, and the other connector, connected to an end portion of a wire, is mated therewith.

[0004] Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the series of mating operations for a

conventional wire-to-board connector. In Fig. 12, 901 is a board connector, which is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) having electronic devices, electric devices and the like. 801 is a wire connector, is connected on the end of a wire that is provided in a cable (not shown) and mates with the board connector 901. Additionally, the board connector 901 comprises a housing 911, and a terminal 961 that is contained within the housing 911. The terminal 961 is provided with a contacting portion 961a arranged within a receiving recessed portion 913 of the housing 911, and a connecting arm 961b and attaching arm 961c that extend from the bottom wall of the housing 911. Additionally, the housing 911 is provided with an interlocking portion 914 formed at the back end of the sidewalk On the other hand, the wire connector 801 has a housing 811, and a terminal (not shown) attached to the housing 811 and connected to the wire. Furthermore, a movable member 830, that can move in the front/back direction, is attached to the housing 811. The movable member 830 is provided with a rear wall portion 831, a top plate portion 832, and side end portions 834 that extend to both sides of the rear wall portion 831.

[0005] Additionally, when the wire connector 801 and the board connector 901 are mated, first the wire connector 801 is moved in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Fig. 12(a) relative to the board connector 901, to insert the housing 811 of the wire connector 801 into the receiving recessed portion 913 of the housing 911 of the board connector 901. This produces the illustration of Fig. 12(b). Following this, the movable member 830 is moved rearward to cause the side end portions 834 mate with the interlocking portion 914 of the housing 911, as illustrated in Fig. 12(c). Doing so causes the wire connector 801 to lock to the board connector 901, preventing the mating from coming undone.

[0006] Note that when inserting the housing 811 of the wire connector 801 into the receiving recessed portion 913 of the housing 911 of the board connector 901, if the mating between the wire connector 801 and the board connector 901 is in an incomplete state, then the end face of the interlocking portion 914 will interfere with the side end portions 834 of the movable member 830, making it impossible to move the movable member 830 rearward. Consequently, it is easy to discern, from the outside, whether or not the state of mating between the wire connector 801 and the board connector 901 is complete, through observing the position of the movable member 830.

[0007] However, in the conventional connector, the distance of movement of the movable member 830 is short, making it difficult to discern accurately, in a short period of time, the position of the movable member 830. Because of this, there is the possibility that the completed mating state may be mistakenly perceived. If, initially, the distance of movement of the movable member 830 were to be made long, then the determination of the position of the movable member 830 would be relatively easy. However, with the miniaturization of electronic devices in recent years, there have been demands for the miniaturization of connectors as well. Because of this, extending the movement distance of the movable member 830, which results in an increase in size of the wire-to-board connector as a whole, has not been possible. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT APPLICATION [0008] The Present Application solves the disadvantages of the conventional wire-to-board connectors, and the object thereof is to provide a highly reliable wire-to-board connector where not only is it possible to easily and reliably discern visually, from above the board, the completeness of the mating, through the rotation of a rotating operating portion provided on the top face of the first housing to lock the first housing with the second housing, after the first housing of the first connector is mated to the second housing of the second connector, but also to reduce the space required for the mating operation, when using a simple mating operation, enabling costs to be reduced using a simple, miniaturized and shorter structure.

[0009] To do so, the wire-to-board connector of the Present Application comprises: A first connector, having a first terminal for connecting to a wire, and a first housing wherein the first terminal is contained; and a second connector, mounted on a board, having a second terminal that contacts the first terminal, A second housing wherein the second terminal is contained and which mates with the first housing; and A central locking mechanism for locking the first housing and the second housing. The center locking mechanism comprises a second center locking portion that is formed at the base end of the second housing, and a first center locking portion that is attached to the first housing, and that interlocks with the second center locking portion. A rotating operating rod that can be seen from above the board is in contact with the first center locking portion. The rotating operating rod is maintained, by orientation maintaining means, in a locked orientation wherein the first center locking portion is interlocked with the second center locking portion, and in a non-locked orientation wherein the first center locking portion is not interlocked with the second interlocking portion.

[0010] The wire-to-board connector further comprises: A base end locking mechanism for locking the base ends of the first housing and the second housing together; and A distal end locking mechanism for locking together the distal ends of the first housing and the second housing. The center locking mechanism locks between the base ends and the distal ends of the first housing and the second housing. The rotating operating rod, when in the locked orientation, holds the distal end locking mechanism so as to prevent unlocking.

[0011] The distal end locking mechanism of the wire-to-board connector further comprises: A second distal end locking portion that is formed at the distal end of the second housing; and A first distal end locking portion that is formed at the distal end of the first housing and that interlocks with the second distal end locking portion. In the rotating operating rod, when in the locked orientation, one end in the lengthwise direction thereof prevents shifting of the first distal end locking portion.

[0012] The wire-to-board connector further comprises: A positioning mechanism for positioning the first housing and the second housing. The positioning mechanism guides the base end of the first housing so as to move in the vertical direction to the mating face of the second housing to thereby position with the base end of the second housing. The base end locking mechanism supports rotatably the base end of the first housing and the base end of the second housing. The distal end locking mechanism locks together the distal ends of the second housing and the first housing which has rotated, around the base end, so that the mating faces have become parallel to and mated with each other.

[0013] Given the Present Application, after the first housing of the first connector and the second housing of the second connector are mated, the rotating operating portion that is provided on the top face of the first housing is rotated to lock the first housing and the second housing. Doing so not only enables reliable visual discernment of the completion of the mating from above the board, but also enables the mating operation to be performed easily, and enables a reduction in the space required for the mating operation. Furthermore, this enables the structure to be simplified, the cost to be reduced, the size and the height to be reduced, and the reliability to be increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0014] The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the Present Application, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following Detailed Description, taken in connection with the accompanying Figures, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire connector according to the Present Application, wherein (a) illustrates the mating face from the rear diagonal direction, (b) illustrates the front diagonal direction, and (c) illustrates the rear diagonal;

[0016] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a board connector according to the Present Application, wherein (a) illustrates the mating face from the rear diagonal direction, and (b) illustrates the front diagonal direction;

[0017] Figure 3 is a perspective view of auxiliary hardware of the board connector of Fig. 2; [0018] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a terminal of the board connector of Fig. 2;

[0019] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a terminal of the wire connector of Fig. 1;

[0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a rotating operating portion according to the Present Application, wherein (a) illustrates the side opposite from the mating face side, and (b) illustrates the mating face side;

[0021] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a wire-side housing according to the Present

Application, wherein (a) illustrates the side opposite from the mating face side and (b) illustrates the mating face side;

[0022] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a state wherein the rotating operating portion is attached to the wire-side housing of Fig. 7, wherein (a) is a side sectional view, and (b) is a crosswise sectional view;

[0023] Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating the state wherein the wire-to-board connector is mated, wherein (a) illustrates the state where the rotating operating portion is in the non-locked orientation, and (b) illustrates the locked orientation;

[0024] Figure 10 is a plan view of the connector of Fig. 9, wherein (a) illustrates the non-locked orientation, and (b) illustrates the locked orientation;

[0025] Figure 11 is a crosswise sectional view of the connector of Fig. 9, wherein (a) illustrates the non-locked orientation, and (b) illustrates the locked orientation; and

[0026] Figure 12 is a perspective view of mating operations for a conventional connector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] While the Present Application may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the Figures, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments, with the understanding that the disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the Present Application, and is not intended to limit the Present Application to that as illustrated.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiments, directional representations - i.e., up, down, left, right, front, rear and the like, used for explaining the structure and movement of the various elements of the Present Application, are relative. These representations are appropriate when the elements are in the position shown in the Figures. If the description of the position of the elements changes, however, it is assumed that these representations are to be changed accordingly. [0029] Referring to Figs. 2-3, 101 is a board connector as a second connector in the wire-to- board connector, is mounted on a circuit board(not shown), and, preferably, is a low-profile connector. Furthermore, a wire connector 1, as a first connector, is mated to the board connector 101, thereby connecting electrically a wire 91 which is connected electrically to the wire connector 1, through the board connector 101, to a conducting trace on the circuit board. Note that the wire connector 1 preferably is a low-profile connector, and mates vertically to the board connector 101.

[0030] Here the board connector 101 is a receptacle connector, formed integrally from an insulating material, comprises a board-side housing 111, as a second housing that mates with a wire- side housing of the wire connector 1, a board- side terminal 161, as a metal second terminal, contained in the board-side housing 111, and a metal auxiliary hardware 181 for attaching, as an auxiliary hardware, similarly contained in the board-side housing. Note that while there are two board- side terminals 161, the number of the board- side terminals 161 can vary. Additionally, the board connector 101 is provided with an essentially rectangular solid shape, with the bottom face thereof (the face on the bottom side in Fig. 2) being attached to the circuit board so as to face the front surface of the circuit board, and the wire connector 1 is mated from above.

[0031] As illustrated, the board-side housing 111 comprises a flat base plate portion 112 shaped like a less-than sign (<), a rear wall portion 115 that extends along the edge of the back end side (the side at the lower right in Fig. 2(a)) of the base plate portion 112, and sidewall portions 117 that extend essentially vertically, relative to the bottom surface of the board-side housing 111, along both side edges of the base plate portion 112. Additionally, 113 is a mating space, having both the left and right sides defined by the sidewall portions 17, wherein the bottom end portion of the main unit portion 14 of the wire connector 1 is received and mated.

[0032] Additionally, slit-shaped openings are provided in the front face in the part towards the inside of the left and right sidewall portions 117 in the base plate portion 112, not only forming a terminal receiving recessed portion 112a of a groove shape extending towards the rear, but also a terminal protecting portion 114 extending upwardly from the top face of the base plate portion 112. Note that the terminal protecting portion 114 is formed between the front end and the back end of the base plate portion 112. Given this, each individual board-side terminal 161 is received by and contained in an individual terminal receiving recessed portion 112a and terminal protecting portion 114. Note that while two terminal receiving recessed portions 112a and the terminal protecting portions 114, the number of terminal receiving recessed portions 112a and of terminal protecting portions 114 may vary according to the number of board-side terminals 161.

[0033] As is illustrated in Fig. 4, the board- side terminal 161 is provided with a connecting portion 163, a tail portion 162 that faces one direction from one end of the connecting portion 163, and a contacting portion 164 extending in the other direction from the other end of the connecting portion 163. Additionally, the contacting portion 164 includes a pair of left and right pinching arms 164a having elasticity and extending upwardly in a cantilever shape, and pinch and hold, from either side, and maintain contact with, a contacting portion 64 of a wire- side terminal 61, inserted between the mutually-facing left and right pinching arms 164a, due to the spring force that is exhibited by the pinching arms 164a. Note that it is not necessary that the pinching arms 164a be divided into a plurality in the lengthwise direction of the contacting portion 164.

[0034] Additionally, the connecting portion 163 of the board-side terminal 161 is secured by being pressed into a terminal receiving recessed portion 112a, and the pinching arms 164a of the contacting portions 164 protrude upwardly from the top face of the base plate portion 112, to be received within the terminal protecting portions 114. Note that a top portion of the terminal protecting portion 114 is formed with a slit-shaped wire-side terminal passage opening 114a, and when the board connector 101 and the wire connector 1 are mated together, the contacting portions 64 of the wire-side terminals 61 pass through the wire-side terminal passage openings 114a to be inserted between the mutually-facing left and right pinching arms 164a. Furthermore, the tail portion 162 of a board- side terminal 161, at the tip end thereof, extends in the direction of the tip end from the front end of the base plate portion 112, to be connected electrically to a signal line, contact pad, terminal or the like, formed on the circuit board; that is, to a terminal member on the other side. Note that the board-side terminal 161 secures the board connector 101 to the circuit board, and the tail portion 162 functions as a first board securing portion. Note that a hardware receiving recessed portion 115a is formed on the back end side of the rear wall portion 115, where the auxiliary hardware 181 for attaching is received by and contained therein. Note that while there are two hardware receiving recessed portions 115a, this number may vary.

[0035] As illustrated in Fig. 3, the auxiliary hardware 181 for attaching is provided with a connecting portion 183 and a solder tail portion 182 that extends from the bottom end of the connecting portion 183. Moreover, the connecting portion 183 is secured through being pressed into the inside of the hardware receiving recessed portion 115a, and the solder tail portion 182 is secured to a contact securing portion formed on the circuit board. This causes the board connector 101 to be fastened securely to the circuit board. Note that the auxiliary hardware 181 for attaching secures the board connector 101 to the circuit board, and the solder tail portion 182 functions as a second board securing portion. Additionally, a board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121 extends upwardly from the top face of the base plate portion 112, as a second base end locking portion, and is formed at the base end (the center in the front end) of the board- side housing 111. The board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121 functions as a portion of the base end locking mechanism together with the wire- side rotational shaft locking portion 21 of the wire- side housing 11, and interlocks with the wire- side rotational shaft locking portion 21 to lock the front end sides of the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11.

[0036] The board- side rotational shaft locking portion 121 is provided with an interlocking hole 121a formed to pass through in the front/back direction, an interlocking beam 121b that defines the top end of the interlocking hole 121a, and an interlocking base plate portion 121d that defines the bottom end of the interlocking hole 121a. Additionally, at a position adjacent to the back end of the board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121, in the base plate portion 112, a rotational allowance hole 121c is formed to penetrate in the direction of thickness of the base plate (the up/down direction). Note that the interlocking hole 121a need not necessarily penetrate all the way through the front/back direction, but rather may be an indentation that is formed recessed into the back face of the board- side rotational shaft locking portion 121, extending forward.

Moreover, the rotational allowance hole 121c need not necessarily penetrate all the way through the up/down direction, but rather may be an indentation that is formed recessed into the top surface of the base plate portion 112, extending downward.

[0037] Additionally, the rotational allowance hole 121c is formed to communicate with the back bottom end portion of the interlocking hole 121a. Note that it is not necessary that the interlocking hole 121a is divided into a plurality in the crosswise direction of the board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121. If so divided, the interlocking beam 121b and the interlocking base plate portion 121d are connected by a partitioning wall of the interlocking hole 121a, increasing the strength of the board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121. Note that the interlocking base plate portion 121d may be omitted. If omitted, the board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121 can function as the second base end locking portion. [0038] Additionally, a board-side positioning interlocking portion 122, a recessed groove shape that extends in the up/down direction, is formed as a second positioning portion on an inner face of a sidewall portion 117. The board-side positioning interlocking portion 122 functions as a portion of the positioning mechanism together with the wire-side positioning interlocking portion 22 of the wire-side housing 11, and positions the front end side of the wire-side housing 11 relative to the board-side housing 111 at the time of mating. Note that the board-side positioning interlocking portion 122 extends essentially vertically, relative to the top face of the base plate portion 112, and the top end thereof is open to the top face of the sidewall portion 117, and the bottom end thereof is closed and defined by the top face of the base plate portion 112. Note that the bottom end of the board-side positioning interlocking portion 122 need not necessarily be closed by the top face of the base plate portion 112, but rather may pass through the base plate portion 112 and be open at the bottom face thereof.

[0039] Additionally, a board-side rotational end locking portion 123 is formed as a second distal end locking portion that extends upwardly from the top face of the base plate portion 112 and the rear wall portion 115 at the distal end (at the center of the back end) of the board- side housing 111. The board-side rotational end locking portion 123 functions as a portion of the distal end locking mechanism together with the wire- side rotational end locking portion 23, described below, of the wire-side housing 11, and interlocks with the wire-side rotational end locking portion 23 to lock the back end sides of the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11.

[0040] The board- side rotational end locking portion 123 is provided with an interlocking hole 123a formed to penetrate in the front/back direction, and an interlocking beam 123b that defines the top end of the interlocking hole 123 a. Additionally, at a location proximate the front end of the board-side rotational end locking portion 123, in the base plate portion 112, an allowance hole 123c is formed to penetrate in the direction of thickness of the plate (the up/down direction). The allowance hole 123c communicates with the bottom end portion of the interlocking hole

123a. Note that it is not necessary that the interlocking hole 123a be formed in a plurality in the crosswise direction of the board-side rotational end locking portion 123. Furthermore, as described above, the interlocking hole 121a and the rotational allowance hole 121c need not necessarily be holes formed to penetrate all the way through, but rather may be indentations that are open towards the center of the board-side housing 111. [0041] Furthermore, at a part of the inside of the left and right terminal protecting portions 114 in the base plate portion 112, a board-side center locking portion 133 is formed as a second center locking portion extending upwardly from the top face of the base plate portion 112. Note that the board-side center locking portion 133 is formed in a position between the front end and the back end of the base plate portion 112. Furthermore, the board-side center locking portion 133 functions not only as a portion of the wire-side center locking portion 33, provided with the rotating operating portion 30, which is attached to the wire-side housing 11, but also as a portion of the center locking mechanism, and interlocks with the wire-side center locking portion 33 to lock in a part between the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11.

[0042] In the example illustrated, the board-side center locking portion 133 is a pair of members on the left and the right, where each has an L-shaped cross-section, provided with an arm portion 133a extending upwardly from the base plate portion 112 and an interlocking cover portion 133b portion extending towards the inside from the top end of the arm portion 133a. Note that there is an interlocking space 133c below the interlocking cover portion 133b. Furthermore, the board- side center locking portion 133 need not necessarily be a pair of left and right members.

[0043] Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, the wire connector 1 is a plug connector formed in a integrally from an insulating material and comprises a wire-side housing 11, as a first housing that mates with the board-side housing 111 of the board connector 101, and a wire-side terminal 61, as a metal first terminal that is contained in the wire-side housing 11. Each wire-side terminal 61 is received and held in a single wire-side terminal receiving recessed portion 13 formed in the wire- side housing 11, in a state wherein the wire- side terminal 61 is connected to the end of a wire 91 to communicate with a conductive wire as a core wire for the individual wire 91. Note that while there are two wire-side terminals 61 and wire-side terminal receiving recessed portions 13, the number of wire-side terminals 61 and wire-side terminal receiving recessed portions 13 may vary, corresponding to the number of wires 91. Additionally, the wire connector 1 is provided in the shape of a rectangular solid, and the mating face thereof (the top face in Fig. l(a)-(b)) is mated to the board connector 101 to face the mating face of the board connector 101 (the top face in Fig. 2). That is, it mates vertically to the board connector 101.

[0044] As illustrated, the wire-side housing 11 comprises an essentially rectangular flat ceiling plate portion 12, positioned at the side opposite the mating face side, and a main unit portion 14 that is in the shape of a rectangular solid that is connected to the bottom face of the ceiling plate portion 12. Additionally, sidewall portions 17 extend along the side end edges on both the left and right sides of the main unit portion 14, where the wire-side terminal receiving recessed portions 13 are formed on the respective sidewall portions 17. The wire-side terminal receiving recessed portion 13 is provided with a wire passage opening 13b formed on the back end face of the sidewall portion 17, where a wire 91 that is connected to the wire- side terminal 61 contained in the wire-side terminal receiving recessed portion 13 passes through the wire passage opening 13b to extend towards the back from the back end face of the sidewall portion 17. Furthermore, a terminal passage opening 13a communicates with the wire-side terminal receiving recessed portion 13 formed on the mating face of the sidewall portion 17. When the wire connector 1 is mated to the board connector 101, the pinching arms 164a of the contacting portion 164 of the board-side terminal 161 enter not only the terminal protecting portion 114, but also the interior of the wire-side terminal receiving recessed portion 13 through the terminal passage opening 13a.

[0045] As illustrated, a wire-side terminal 61 is a so-called plate terminal, and is provided with a connecting portion 63, a tail portion 62 extending in one direction from one end of the connecting portion 63, a contacting portion 64 extending in the other direction from the other end of the connecting portion 63, and an interlocking portion 65 protruding towards the outside of the side face from the contacting portion 64. Additionally, the connecting portion 63 holds a conductive wire as the core of the wire 91 and the tail portion 62 holds the outer coating of the wire 91, and thus the wire-side terminal 61 is connected electrically and mechanically to the end of the wire 91. Furthermore, the interlocking portion 65 secures the wire- side terminal 61 by interlocking the inner wall of the wire-side terminal receiving recessed portion 13. Thus, the contacting portion 64 has an essentially rectangular shape, and is inserted between the mutually- facing left and right pinching arms 164a that are provided in the contacting portion 164 of the board-side terminal 161, to be held from both sides to maintain contact, through the spring force that is produced in the pinching arms 164a. Note that the contacting portion 64 and the terminal passage opening 13a are preferably positioned near the front end of the wire-side housing 11.

[0046] Additionally, a plate-shaped wire-side rotational shaft locking portion 21 extends upwardly from the front end of the mating surface side of the main unit portion 14 is formed, as a first base end locking portion, at the base end (at the center at the front end) of the wire- side housing 11. The wire-side rotational shaft locking portion 21 functions as a portion of the base end locking mechanism together with the board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121 of the board-side housing 111, and interlocks with the board-side rotational shaft locking portion 121 to lock the front end sides of the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11.

Additionally, a cutaway portion 16 is formed in the center in the front end of the main unit portion 14, where the mating face side end (the top end in Fig. l(a)-(b)) of the cutaway portion 16 is defined by the wire- side rotational shaft locking portion 21.

[0047] Additionally, a wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 are formed to protrude towards the outside from the side face of the sidewall portions 17. A wire-side positioning interlocking portion 22 functions as a portion of the positioning mechanism together with a board-side positioning interlocking portion 122, and interlocks with the board-side positioning interlocking portion 122. Specifically, the wire-side positioning interlocking portion 22 is both end portions of a cylindrical rod member formed to extend in the crosswise direction at the front end edge in the mating face of the main unit portion 14. The rod member 22a is formed integrally with the main unit portions 14 and the sidewall portions 17, and is formed as a single unit with the wire-side rotational shaft locking portion 21 so as to pass through the wire-side rotational shaft locking portion 21 in the crosswise direction. Note that while the rod member 22a is provided with a cylindrical aspect and is formed so as to be clearly discernible from the mating face and front end face of the main unit portion 14, it need not necessarily be formed as such. That is, the wire-side positioning interlocking portion 22 that protrudes from the sidewall portions 17 on both sides may be positioned coaxially so that they may be as both ends of a single rod member.

[0048] Note that the tip end portion 21a in the wire- side rotational shaft locking portion 21 is a part that interlocks with the interlocking hole 121a and the interlocking beam 121b of the board- side rotational shaft locking portion 121, and protrudes further forward than the main unit portion 14, the front end of the sidewall portion 17, and the rod member 22a. Additionally, it is not a requirement that the tip end portion 21a be divided into a plurality in the crosswise direction corresponding to the interlocking hole 121a. Furthermore, a wire-side rotational end locking portion 23 is formed as a first distal end locking portion, protruding towards the rear, at the distal end of the wire-side housing 11 (in the center in the back end). The wire-side rotational end locking portion 23 interlocks with the board-side rotational end locking portion 123 to lock the back end sides of the board- side housing 111 and the wire- side housing 11. [0049] A wire- side rotational end locking portion 23 is provided with an overall L shape, and the base end is connected integrally with the mating face of the main unit portion 14, and is provided with a cantilever-shape elastic arm portion 23a wherein the free end extends to face the direction of the ceiling plate portion 12, an interlocking protrusion 23b, formed facing rearward part way along the elastic arm portion 23a, and an operating portion 23c that is a member that contacts the free end of the elastic arm portion 23a, and that is operated by a finger, or the like, of an operator. The interlocking protrusion 23b is a member that interlocks with the interlocking hole 123a and the interlocking beam 123b of the board-side rotational end locking portion 123. Note that it is not necessary that the elastic arm portion 23a and the interlocking protrusion 23b be formed in a plurality in the crosswise direction, corresponding to the interlocking holes 123a.

[0050] A rotating operating portion 30 is attached rotatably between the front end and the back end in the wire- side housing 11. A recessed portion 18 for locking is formed in the mating face of the main unit portion 14, where an interlocking umbrella portion 33b of the wire-side center locking portion 33 is positioned as a first center locking portion provided by the rotating operating portion 30 in the recessed portion 18 for locking. On the other hand, a recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation is provided in the ceiling plate portion 12, where a disk portion 31 and a rotating operating rod (operating rod portion 35) provided by the rotating operating portion 30 is positioned in the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation. Note that not only is a shaft receiving hole 15 that passes through the recessed portion 18 for locking and the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation provided in the main unit portion 14, passing through in the direction of thickness, but also a shaft arm portion 33a of the wire-side center locking portion 33, the top end of which being connected to the operating rod portion 35 through the disk portion 31, is contained within the shaft receiving hole 15 so as to be rotatable.

[0051] The wire-side center locking portion 33 interlocks with the board-side center locking portion 133 of the board-side housing 111, and functions as a portion of the center locking mechanism that locks the center portions of the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11. Specifically, the respective interlocking umbrella portions 33b interlock with the interlocking cover portions 133b of the board-side center locking portion 133 to lock the center portions of the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11. Note that the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 in Fig. 1 (the orientation of the operating rod portion 35) is the non-locked orientation that shows the non-locked position wherein the interlocking umbrella portion 33b is not interlocked with the interlocking cover portion 133b, and when rotated by 90° from the non-locked orientation, enters the locked orientation that exhibits the locked position wherein the interlocking umbrella portion 33b is interlocked with the interlocking cover portion 133b.

[0052] Referring to Figs. 6-8, the rotating operating portion 30 is formed integrally from an insulating material and comprises a disk-shaped disk portion 31, a rod-shaped operating rod portion 35 that extends in the radial direction, connected integrally to the top face of the disk portion 31, and a pair of wire-side center locking portions 33 that extended downward from the bottom face of the disk portion 31. Note that the disk portion 31 includes a large diameter portion 31a positioned at the top side and a small diameter portion 31b positioned at the bottom side. Additionally, in the operating rod portion 35, both ends thereof extend to the outside from the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 31a, and the bottom face thereof is co-planar with the bottom face of the large diameter portion 31a. Note that orientation maintaining recessed portions 32 are formed at each of the parts that extends to the outside of the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 31a in the bottom face of the operating rod portion 35. Moreover, the wire-side center locking portion 33 is a member that has a L-shape in the cross- sectional shape thereof, and is provided with a shaft arm portion 33a with the top end thereof connected to the bottom face of the disk portion 31, and an interlocking umbrella portion 33b that extends towards the outside from the bottom end of the shaft arm portion 33a. Note that the side face of the outside of the shaft arm portion 33a is preferably a cylindrical surface with a smaller diameter than that of the small diameter portion 31b. Additionally, preferably the shape of the tip end edge of the interlocking umbrella portion 33b is an arc shape.

[0053] As illustrated, the wire-side housing 11 comprises a recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation formed on the ceiling plate portion 12, a rotation stopper portion 12b, a recessed portion 18 for locking formed on the mating face of the main unit portion 14, and a shaft receiving hole 15 formed to penetrate in the direction of thickness of the main unit portion 14, connecting the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation and the recessed portion 18 for locking. Also, the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation contains, rotatably, the operating rod portion 35 and the large diameter portion 31a of the rotating operating portion 30, and the top face thereof faces the bottom face of the operating rod portion 35 and the large diameter portion 31a. [0054] Additionally, on the top face of the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation are formed a non-locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27a, for maintaining, in a non- locked orientation, the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 by interlocking with the orientation maintaining recessed portion 32, and a locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27b, for maintaining, in the locked orientation, the rotating operating portion 30 by interlocking with the orientation maintaining recessed portion 32. In addition, the rotation stopper portion 12b is formed so as to extend into the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation from the periphery thereof, and the tip end thereof is positioned proximate the locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27b to prevent further rotation of the rotating operating portion 30 beyond the locked orientation. Note that a general reference to the non- locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27 a and the locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27b will be explained as simply the orientation maintaining protruding portion 27. These orientation maintaining protruding portions 27 function together with the orientation maintaining recessed portion 32 as orientation maintaining means for the rotating operating portion 30.

[0055] Additionally, the recessed portion 18 for locking is provided with a center lock receiving portion 18a for receiving the board-side center locking portion 133 of the board-side housing 111 when the wire-side housing 11 is in the state that is mated with the board-side housing 111, and a rotating operating portion holding portion 18b that interlocks with the interlocking umbrella portion 33b of the rotating operating portion 30, to prevent the rotating operating portion 30 from coming out from the wire- side housing 11.

[0056] Furthermore, the shaft receiving hole 15 passes through the main unit portion 14 in the direction of thickness, and is provided with a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, and is provided with a main port portion 15a for receiving rotatably the shaft arm portion 33a of the rotating operating portion 30, a counterbore portion 15b for receiving, rotatably, the small diameter portion 31b of the rotating operating portion 30, formed with a diameter that is larger than that of the main port portion 15a, and a recessed groove-shaped wide diameter portion 15c for allowing the passage of the interlocking umbrella portion 33b of the rotating operating portion 30, extending in the direction of thickness of the main unit portion 14, formed so as to face, in two locations, the inner periphery of face of the main port portion 15. Note that the radius of the inner peripheral face of the wide diameter portion 15c is preferably somewhat smaller than the radius of the tip end edge of the interlocking umbrella portion 33b.

[0057] When the rotating operating portion 30 is attached to the wire-side housing 11, the wire- side center locking portion 33 is inserted, from the ceiling plate portion side 12, into the shaft receiving hole 15, with the interlocking umbrella portion 33b inserted first. In this case, the positions of each of the interlocking umbrella portions 33b correspond to the positions of each of the wide diameter portions 15c. Note that although the diameter of the tip end edge of the interlocking umbrella portion 33b is larger than the diameter of the inner peripheral face of the wide diameter portion 15c, the shaft arm portion 33a is provided with a cantilever shape, having some degree of elasticity, and thus it is possible to deform elastically the interlocking umbrella portion 33b that is formed on the free end of the shaft arm portion 33a. Because of this, when the interlocking umbrella portion 33b is inserted into the wide diameter portion 15c, the diameter of the tip end edge of the interlocking umbrella portion 33b can be compressed to the diameter of the inner peripheral face of the wide diameter portion 15c, enabling the interlocking umbrella portion 33b to pass through the wide diameter portion 15c.

[0058] Additionally, when the insertion into the shaft receiving hole 15 of the wire- side center locking portion 33 has been completed, then, as illustrated in Fig. 8, a state is achieved wherein the rotating operating portion 30 can be attached to the wire-side housing 11. In this case, the orientation of the operating shaft portion 35 is the non-locked orientation as illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0059] Note that when the interlocking umbrella portion 33b passes through the wide diameter portion 15c to arrive at the recessed portion 18 for locking, the shape of the shaft arm portion 33a recovers, and the tip end edge of the interlocking umbrella portion 33b increases to its original radius as well. That is, the radius will become larger than the radius of the inner peripheral face of the wide diameter portion 15c. Because of this, the interlocking umbrella portion 33b interlocks with the rotating operating portion holding portion 18b, thus preventing the wire-side center locking portion 33 from pulling out from the shaft receiving hole 15, preventing the rotating operating portion 30 from coming out of the wire- side housing 11. Note that when, from this state, the rotating operating portion 30 is rotated by 90° into the locked orientation, the positions of each of the interlocking umbrella portions 33b will shift from the positions of the respective wide diameter portions 15c, causing the interlocking between the interlocking umbrella portions 33b and the rotating operating portion holding portions 18b to be even stronger. Because of this, in the storage over an extended period of time in the state wherein the rotating operating portion 30 is attached to the wire-side housing 11, the rotating operating portion 30 falling out of the wire-side housing 11 can be prevented reliably through putting this rotating or operating portion 30 into this locked orientation.

[0060] In the state wherein the rotating operating portion 30 is attached to the wire- side housing 11, the large diameter portion 31a of the rotating operating portion 30 and the operating rod portion 35 are contained within the recessed portion 12a for the rotating operation, and the small diameter portion 31b is contained within the counterbore portion 15b. Additionally, the shaft arm portion 33a is contained within, and supported rotatably by, the main port portion 15a.

Because of this, the rotating operating portion 30 can rotate relative to the wire-side housing 11. As is illustrated in Fig. 8 (b), to begin with the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 is in the non-locked orientation, and the non-locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27a incurs into and interlocks with the orientation maintaining recessed portion 32. Because of this, unless the rotating operating portion 30 is rotated by the operator, the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 will not change from the non-locked orientation, even if a weak external force, such as a vibration, acts on the rotating operating portion 30 or the wire-side housing 11.

[0061] Referring to Figs. 9-11, in the board connector 101, the bottom face of the board-side housing 111 faces the surface of a circuit board, not shown, and the tail portion 162 of the board- side terminal 161 is connected to a connecting pad that is connected to a conductive trace on the circuit board, and the solder tail portion 182 of the auxiliary hardware 181 for attaching is connected through soldering, or the like, to a pad for attaching on the circuit board, to mount the board connector 101 on the surface of the circuit board.

[0062] When mating the wire connector 1 to the board connector 101 that is mounted on the circuit board, the wire connector 1 is operated by the fingers, or the like, of the operator, and is caused to be oriented so that the front face of the wire connector 1 faces the mating face (the top face in Fig. 2) of the board connector 101, or in other words, faces the surface of the circuit board, and the mating face (the top face in Fig. 1 (a) and (b)) of the wire connector 1 faces the back of the board connector 101. Additionally, the rotating operating portion 30 is placed in the non-locked orientation.

[0063] Note that the orientation of the wire connector 1 may be such that the front/back direction thereof is perpendicular to the front/back direction of the board connector 101, or in other words, is perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board, instead the front/back direction may be the front/back direction of the board connector 101, or may be at an angle relative to the surface of the circuit board.

[0064] Following this, the operator moves the wire connector 1 in the direction approaching the board connector 101 to insert the wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 on the left and right, which protrude towards the outside from the side surfaces of the sidewall portions 17 of the wire-side housing 11, into the left and right board-side positioning interlocking portions 122 that are formed on the inside faces of the sidewall portions 117 of the board-side housing 111, from the top end thereof. Given this, when the wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 arrive at the bottom end of the board-side positioning interlocking portions 122, the wire-side rotational shaft locking portions 21 of the wire-side housing 11 interlock with the board-side rotational shaft locking portions 121 of the board-side housing 111. Note that the tip end portions 21a of the wire-side rotational shaft locking portions 21, which extend further than the wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22, are received into the rotational allowance holes 121c that are formed in the base plate portion 112, so do not contact the surface of the circuit board, so as to not damage the surface of the circuit board.

[0065] As a result, the wire connector 1 is positioned relative to the board connector 101, and the orientation of the wire connector 1 is also adjusted so that the front/back direction thereof is essentially perpendicular to the front/back direction of the board connector 101 or relative to the surface of the circuit board. In this state, the wire connector 1 is positioned relative to the board connector 101 in regards to the front/back direction thereof, the left/right direction thereof, and the up/down direction thereof.

[0066] In this way, it is possible to position the wire connector 1 accurately relative to the board connector 101 through merely inserting the left and right wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 of the wire-side housing 11 from above into the left and right board-side positioning interlocking portions 122 of the board- side housing 111. Furthermore, the operator is able to perform the positioning of the wire connector 1 relative to the board connector 101 easily, quickly, and accurately.

[0067] Furthermore, it is necessary only to move the wire connector 1 in the direction that is perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board, without the need to move in a direction that is parallel to the surface of the circuit board. Consequently, it is possible to position the wire connector 1 relative to the board connector 101 even in cases wherein it is not possible to move the wire connector 1 in a direction that is parallel to the surface of the circuit board 1 because of a lack of open space around the board connector 101 due to high density mounting on the circuit board, when many electronic components or electric components, or the like, already mounted on the surface of the circuit board.

[0068] Following this, the operator rotates the wire connector 1 relative to the board connector 101. Specifically, the wire connector 1 is rotated so that the back end of the wire-side housing 11 approaches the board- side housing 111 and the surface of the circuit board, that is, so as to move downward. In this case, the wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 and the board- side positioning interlocking portions 122 interlock, and the wire-side rotational shaft locking portions 21 and the board- side rotational shaft locking portions 121 interlock, and so the wire connector 1 rotates using the wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 and the wire-side rotational shaft locking portions 21 as the rotational axis, enabling rotation in a stable state wherein the axis of rotation does not become misaligned, without coming out of the board connector 101 part way through the rotation. Consequently, the operator is able to rotate the wire connector 1 relative to the board connector 101 easily and quickly.

[0069] Note that the tip end portions 21a of the wire- side rotational shaft locking portions 21 that protrude further than the wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 are continuous with the rotational allowance holes 121c and the interlocking holes 121a, and thus can shift smoothly from within the rotational allowance holes 121c into the interlocking holes 121a through the rotation of the wire connector 1. Furthermore, during the rotation of the wire connector 1, the pinching arms 164a of the contacting portions 164 of the board- side terminals 161 are inserted into the wire-side terminal receiving recessed portions 13, together with the terminal protecting portions 114, as is illustrated in Fig. 11 (a), through the terminal passage openings 13a of the wire-side housing 11. Then the contacting portions 64 of the wire-side terminals 61 are inserted between the left and right pinching arms 164a. Additionally, the board-side center locking portion 133 incurs into and is received by the center locking receiving portion 18a.

[0070] Additionally, as illustrated in Fig. 9, when the wire connector 1 has completed the rotation to assume an orientation wherein the front/back direction thereof is parallel to the front/back direction of the board connector 101 or the surface of the circuit board, that the wire- side rotational end locking portions 23 interlock with the board- side rotational end locking portions 123, and the back end of the wire-side housing 11 will be locked to the back end of the board-side housing 111. Specifically, the interlocking protrusions 23b of the elastic arm portions 23a that are provided on the wire-side rotational end locking portions 23 will be inserted into the interlocking holes 123a that are provided in the board-side rotational end locking portions 123, to interlock with the bottom faces of the interlocking beams 123b. Note that because the elastic arm portions 23a are elastic and shaped as cantilevers, and because the interlocking protrusions 23b are formed on the elastic arm portions 23a, the operator need merely push the back end of the wire-side housing 11 downwards to the board-side housing 111 at the time of locking, without operating the operating portion 23c, and does not need to exhibit a large force for pushing.

[0071] Also, because the elastic arm portions 23a elastically return to their original state after elastically deforming when the interlocking protrusions 23b pass the back surface of the interlocking beam 123b at the time of locking, a "clicking" sensation that pushes down the wire- side housing 11 may be sensed. Consequently, it will also be sensed that the back end of the wire-side housing 11 has been locked to the board-side housing 111.

[0072] Additionally, in the state wherein the rotation of the wire connector 1 has been

completed, the tip end portions 21a of the wire- side rotational shaft locking portions 21 have advanced into the interlocking holes 121a of the board-side rotational shaft locking portions 121, to interlock with the bottom face of the interlocking beam 121b. That is, the wire-side rotational shaft locking portions 21 and the board-side rotational shaft locking portions 121 are mated, and the front end of the wire-side housing 11 is locked to the front end of the board-side housing 111. Consequently, the front end of the wire-side housing 11 and the front end of the board-side housing 111 will also be in a locked state if the back end of the wire- side housing 11 and the back end of the board-side housing 111 are locked.

[0073] In this way, in the state directly after the completion of the rotation of the wire connector 1, as illustrated in Figs. 9(a), 10(a) and 11(a), the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 will be the non-locked orientation, and thus the lengthwise direction of the operating rod portion 35 will match the crosswise direction of the wire-side housing 11 and the board-side housing 111. That is, the operating rod portion 35 will be in the crosswise direction. Consequently, the interlocking umbrella portion 33b will not interlock with the interlocking cover portion 133b. In other words, the wire-side center locking portion 33 will not interlock with the board-side center locking portion 133, and the center portions of the board-side housing 111 and the wire-side housing 11 will not be locked. Given this, the operator changes the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 from the non-locked orientation to the locked orientation. Specifically, the operating rod portion 35 is rotated 90° in the clockwise direction in Fig. 10, so that, as illustrated in Figs. 9(b), 10(b) and 11(b), the lengthwise direction of the operating rod portion 35 will match the front/back direction of the wire-side housing 11 and the board-side housing 111. That is, the operating rod portion 35 is placed into the lengthwise direction. Note that if the operating rod portion 35 is rotated more than 90°, it will interfere with the rotation stopper portion 12b. Thus, the operating rod portion 35 will not be rotated beyond the locked orientation. Consequently, the locked orientation can be created reliably, even in rough handling of the operating rod portion 35.

[0074] As a result of this, the interlocking umbrella portion 33b incurs into the interlocking space 133c, and interlocks with the interlocking cover portion 133b. That is, the wire-side center locking portion 33 and the board-side center locking portion 133 interlock, to create a state wherein the center portions of the board- side housing 111 and the wire- side housing 11 are locked. Consequently, the wire-side housing 11 and the board-side housing 111 are locked in the front end, the back end, and the center portions thereof, forming a state wherein the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101 are mated reliably. Furthermore, the change in the orientation by 90° from the crosswise direction to the lengthwise direction of the operating rod portion 35, which is a relatively long member, can be discerned visually with extreme clarity from above the wire connector 1. Consequently, the operator can know reliably, in a short period of time, that the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101 are in a reliably mated state.

[0075] On the other hand, in a state wherein the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101 are not mated reliably, the board-side center locking portion 133 will not be completely contained within the center lock receiving portion 18a, and thus it will not be possible for the interlocking umbrella portion 33b to enter into the interlocking space 133c, and thus the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 cannot be placed into the locked orientation. That is, the ability to cause the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 to go into the locked orientation means that the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101 are mated reliably, and thus the operator is able to discern reliably, through changing the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 from the non-locked orientation to the locked orientation, that the state is not to that of incomplete mating, wherein the mating is in an incomplete state. Furthermore, if the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 cannot be put into the locked orientation, then the operator is able to know of the incomplete mating, wherein the mating is not in a complete state.

[0076] Note that when the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 is in the locked orientation, the locked orientation maintaining protruding portion 27b enters into and interlocks the orientation maintaining recessed portion 32. Because of this, unless the rotating operating portion 30 is rotated, the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 will not change from the locked orientation even if a weak external force, such as a vibration, acts on the rotating operating portion 30 or on the wire-side housing 11. Consequently, the mating of the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101 is maintained reliably.

[0077] Furthermore, the left and right wire-side positioning interlocking portions 22 of the wire- side housing 11 are inserted into the recessed groove-shape left and right board-side positioning interlocking portions 122 that extend in the up/downs direction, formed in the sidewall portion 117 of the board-side housing 111. Because of this, the wire-side housing 11 does not shift, relative to the board-side housing 111, in the front/back direction of the board-side housing 111. Consequently, even in a case wherein the wire connector 1 is subjected to an external force, the elastic arm portions 23a will not shift in the front/back direction relative to the interlocking beam 123b, and the interlocking beam 123b will not be pushed and shifted, and thus the interlock between the wire-side rotational end locking portions 23 and the board-side rotational end locking portions 123 will not come undone. As a result, the mating between the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101 will be maintained reliably, because the interlocking between the wire- side rotational end locking portions 23 and the board- side rotational end locking portions 123 will not come undone by accident, even when an external force is applied that pulls on the wires 91 or that jerks back-and-forth, when in a state such as shown in, for example, Fig. 1 (c) and Fig. 7 (c).

[0078] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figs. 9(b) and 10(b), when the orientation of the rotating operating portion 30 is in the locked orientation, one end of the operating rod portion 35 in the lengthwise direction (the right end in Fig. 10 (b)) will be near to or in contact with the operating portion 23c of the wire- side rotational end locking portion 23, preventing the dislocation in the direction of the front end of the operating portion 23c, which is a member that connects the free end of the elastic arm portion 23a. Consequently, even if, for example, the finger of an operator, an operating tool, another component, or the like, were to come into contact with the operating portion 23c by accident, the interlocking beam 123b will not come undone through the dislocation of the interlocking protrusion 23b that is formed on the elastic arm portion 23a. That is, the rotating operating portion 30 that is in the locked orientation will exhibit the function of preventing the unlocking of the distal end locking mechanism. This makes it possible to maintain with greater reliability the mating between the wire connector 1 and the board connector 101.

[0079] Note that in the state wherein the mating has been completed, the contacting portion 64 of the wire-side, both 61 makes contact through being inserted between the pinching arms 164a of the contacting portion 164 of the board-side terminal 161, and thus the conductive wires of the wire 91 are connected electrically to the terminal members on the other side, formed on the circuit board, through the wire-side terminal 61 and the board-side terminal 161.

[0080] Note that although here the explanation was for a case wherein the wires 91 were laid out extending rearward it from the back end of the wire- side housing 11, instead the wires 91 may be laid out so as to extend upward from the ceiling plate portion 12 of the wire- side housing 11.

[0081] While a preferred embodiment of the Present Application is shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing Description and the appended Claims.