Connector with improved terminal support

Claim 1

A pre-loaded electrical connector of the type comprising an insulating housing having a wire-receiving face and a cavity extending inwardly from said wire-receiving face, a wire admitting opening in said housing communicating with said cavity, said opening extending from said wire-receiving face partially along one external sidewall of said housing, said cavity having opposed internal endwalls extending normally of said one external sidewall, and an electrical contact terminal in said cavity, said terminal having wire-receiving means proximate to said wire-receiving face, said connector being characterized in that: said wire-receiving means comprises at least one plate-like member disposed in said cavity at a location proximate to said wire-receiving face, said plate-like member being in a plane which extends substantially normally of said opposed internal endwalls and having an outer end which is proximate to said one external sidewall of said housing, a wire-receiving slot in said plate-like member extending inwardly from said outer end, each of said opposed internal endwalls of said cavity having a supporting shoulder which is in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said one external sidewall, each said shoulder extending from said wire-receiving face into said cavity to said plate-like member, said wire-receiving means having integral supporting projections extending laterally outwardly therefrom proximate said external sidewall and overlapping said shoulders, said terminal having been axially inserted into said cavity from said wire-receiving face whereby, upon locating a wire with its axis beside said one external sidewall in alignment with said wire admitting opening, and upon movement of said wire laterally of its axis, into said wire admitting opening and into said wire-receiving slot, said plate-like member is supported by said integral supporting projections and said member is stressed in tension.