Connector terminal retainer

Claim 1

A connector terminal retainer comprising a connector housing having a plural number of terminal compartments, terminal members to be inserted in said terminal compartments, and a retainer having a frame-like body fittingly connectable to a rear portion of said connector housing stepwise through a stage of provisional engagement and a stage of final engagement, wherein said connector terminal retainer comprises; a pair of locking arms extending forward from opposite side walls of said terminal retainer for engagement in socket portions in said connector housing, each locking arm comprising a pair of vertically resilient portions extending parallel on opposite sides of a gap space formed in the longitudinal direction of said arm and a horizontally resilient portion extending over and along said gap space on the outer side of said vertically resilient portions; and provisional and main locking projections provided in longitudinally shifted positions on said vertically and horizontally resilient portions of said locking arms for stepwise engagement with corresponding locking portions provided in said socket portions of said connector housings; wherein said socket portions comprise laterally bulged wall portions extended outwardly from the opposite sides of said connector housing and provided with first locking portions projecting inwardly at the rear end of each one of said bulged wall portion for interlocking engagement with said provisional locking projections on said locking arm and a second locking portion provided at the outer side of said bulged wall portion for interlocking engagement with said main locking projection on said locking arm.