Compact sized connector for connecting male and female housings with a

Abstract

A low insertion force connector which is compact and which is designed so that the cam slider does not protrude from the connector housings when the two connectors are completely engaged with each other. The low insertion force connector includes a first housing, a second housing having a hood, and a slide member. The first housing has first and second cam projection portions which are mounted, respectively, on opposed walls of a housing body. The slide member has a pair of wings extending substantially perpendicularly, each from opposite ends of a flat plate-like base portion. The pair of wings have a first cam groove, for slidably guiding the first cam projection portion, formed on an inner surface of one of the two wings, extending from a side edge of the one wing, and second cam groove, for slidably guiding the second cam projection portion, is formed in an inner surface of the other wing. After the two housings are fitted together, the pair of wings are received in the hood. The two cam projection portions are contractible, and are disposed axially. If the pair of wings are superimposed on each other, a rear end of the first cam groove overlaps a front end of the second cam groove. Thus, when one of the two cam projection portions is slidingly moved, the other cam projection is pushed inward, or retracted into the first housing.