Electrical connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising a connector body (20) having a row of terminal cavities (22) and a plurality of terminals (30) disposed in the respective terminal cavities (22) of the said row, and multi-function lock means for preventing withdrawal of the terminals (30) disposed in the row of terminal cavities (22) and for latching the connector body (20) to a mating electrical connector (12), characterised in that the multi-function lock means comprises a separate lock piece (50) which includes a lock board (52) that is disposed cross-wise of the row of terminal cavities (22) and has an end portion (54) thereof disposed in the terminal cavities (22) at a conductor end of the connector body (20) to prevent withdrawal of the terminals (30) disposed therein, the lock piece (50) further comprising a U-shaped member (58) including a latch arm (60) which is attached at one end to the opposite end portion (56) of the lock board (52) and extends forwardly in cantilever fashion over the lock board (52), the said latch arm having a latch nib (62) at its opposite free end, the U-shaped member (58) further including a release lever (68) which is connected to the opposite free end of the latch arm (60) by a bight (70) and extends back over the latch arm (60) with a space therebetween, and the lock piece (50) having means (76) for attaching the lock piece (50) to the connector body (20).

Claim 3

An electrical connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the end portion (54) of the separate lock piece (50) is disposed at a rearward end of the connector body (20), the release lever (68) has a thumb pad (74) at its free end which is located rearwardly of the attached end of the latch arm (60), and a trigger member (80) is connected to the connector body (20) so that it extends rearwardly of the connector body (20) generally parallel to the U-shaped member (58) such that the trigger member (80) and the thumb pad (74) may be engaged by the index finger and thumb of one hand of an operator for releasing the latch nib (62) and disconnecting the electrical connector (10) from a mating electrical connector (12).

Claim 4

An electrical connector according to claim 2, characterised in that the release lever (68) has a mid-portion thereof engaging a fulcrum (46) of the connector body (20), the thumb pad (74) has its free end located rearwardly of the fulcrum (46) so that the latch nib (62) moves away from the connector body (20) when the thumb pad (74) is depressed, and the trigger member (80) comprises a trigger grip.

Claim 5

An electrical connector according to claim 3, characterised in that the connector body (20) has a C-shaped channel (40) which defines a T-shaped slot comprising a centre slot (43) and side slots (44) under flange pieces (46) of the C-shaped channel (40), and the latch arm (60) has a widened end portion (74) adjacent a flange (56) which is trapped beneath the flange pieces (46) of the C-shaped channel (40), with the flange pieces (46) serving as the fulcrum engaged by the mid-portion of the release lever (68).

Claim 6

An electrical connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the connector body (20) has a first row and a second row of terminal cavities (22) as aforesaid and a plurality of terminals (30) as aforesaid disposed in the respective terminal cavities (22) of the said rows, the said multi-function lock means is effective to prevent withdrawal of the terminals (30) disposed in the rows of terminal cavities (22) as well as latching the connector body (20) to a mating electrical connector (12), and the said multi-function lock means comprises a first lock piece (50) as aforesaid which includes a first lock board (52) that is disposed cross-wise of the first row of terminal cavities (22) and has an end portion disposed in the terminal cavities of the first row at a rearward end of the connector body (20) to prevent withdrawal of the terminals (30) disposed therein, the said first lock piece (50) further comprising a U-shaped member (58) as aforesaid including a latch arm (60) as aforesaid which is attached to the opposite end portion (56) of the first lock board (52) and extends forwardly in cantilever fashion over the first lock board (52), with the latch nib (62) being disposed at the opposite free end of the said latch arm (60), and a second lock piece (90) includes a second lock board (92) which is disposed cross-wise of the second row of terminal cavities (22) and has an end portion disposed in the terminal cavities (22) of the second row at the rearward end of the connector body (20) to prevent withdrawal of the terminals (30) disposed therein, the said multi-function lock means having means for attaching both the first and second lock boards (52,92) to the connector body (20), and the second lock piece (90) further including a trigger grip (80) having an extension with a depending finger piece (84) at the free end thereof, the said extension being attached to the opposite end portion of the second lock board (92) and extending rearwardly of the connector body (20) generally parallel to the U-shaped member (58) so that the finger piece (84) and a thumb pad (74) provided on the U-shaped member (58) may be engaged by the index finger and thumb of one hand of an operator for releasing the latch nib (62) and disconnecting the electrical connector (10) from a mating electrical connector (12).