Electrical terminal

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising a generally tubular female terminal having an opening of rectangular cross section at one end thereof for the reception of a male terminal and means at the other end thereof for mechanically engaging and electrically connecting an electrical conductor, a male terminal of generally rectangular cross section complementary to the opening in said female terminal so as to be receivable therein, said male terminal having an aperture therein, said female terminal having a lower wall portion with a generally U-shaped cutout comprising spaced generally parallel slots and a connecting slot therein defining a central tab, the connecting slot of said U-shaped cutout being disposed adjacent the one end of said female terminal and orientated generally parallel to a plane containing the opening therein whereby said central tab is cantilevered from the other end of said female terminal, a latching tab on said central tab extending inwardly of the tubular cross section and away from the opening in said female terminal for engagement in the aperture in said male terminal, said central tab having a release tab on a free end portion thereof extending outwardly of the tubular section of said female terminal and in a direction toward the one end thereof, and an insulating sleeve covering said female terminal and having a wedge-shaped abutment thereon, one surface of said abutment defining a cam surface extending generally parallel to said release tab and engageable therewith upon initial movement of said sleeve relative to said female terminal toward the other end thereof, an opposite surface of said abutment being juxtaposed to an outer surface of the lower wall portion of said female terminal, the abutment on said insulating sleeve effecting outward displacement of the latching tab on the central tab on said female terminal and disengagement thereof from said male terminal upon movement of said sleeve toward the other end of said female terminal.